Unspooled

Amy & Paul double team 1986's Gene Hackman basketball drama Hoosiers! They praise the film for capturing the realism of small town life, dissect what makes films based on true stories successful, and ask whether Hackman is actually a good coach. Plus: How does Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar nominated score hold up?

This is the first episode of our Underdogs series; next week's film is Brian's Song! Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

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Amy and Paul sit down with Mark Harris, author of "Mike Nichols: A Life," to discuss the career of the famed director of films like "The Graduate" and "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?", and the insights Harris uncovered by diving into his life and work.

Next week, movie discussion resumes, as we kick off our Underdogs series on real-life-inspired sports films with Hoosiers!

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Amy & Paul fight for 1987's Rob Reiner meta-fairytale The Princess Bride! They discuss what makes Reiner's films stand out, listen to Cary Elwes' Marlon Brando impression, and ask if this is a perfect example of an 'everything' film. Plus: some Andre The Giant stories you won't believe.

This is the final episode of the Couple Goals series; next week we kick off Underdogs, our series on true-life sports films, with Hoosiers! Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

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Paul & Amy can’t quit 2005’s groundbreaking gay romance Brokeback Mountain. They analyze how the beginning and ending shots of the film mirror each other, ask why so much early coverage of the film felt tone deaf, and praise all four central performances as the emergence of a new generation of great actors. Plus: What makes Ang Lee one of our greatest living directors.

You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6 and check out Paul's Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer                                                                                           

Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is on presale now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

Episodic artwork by Kim Troxell. You can see all episode art at unspooledart.com                                                                                              
 

Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.  

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Amy & Paul alley-oop 2000's Gina Prince-Bythewood athletic romance Love And Basketball! They discover the impact this film made on WNBA players like Candace Parker, learn why Sanaa Lathan had to prove she was up for the lead role, and ask if a childhood argument foreshadows the central couple's turbulent relationship. Plus: Why did the love scene almost get cut by the MPAA?

This is the sixth episode in our Couple Goals series; next week’s film is Brokeback Mountain! Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

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This week, Paul & Amy can’t forget 2004’s mind-melting romance Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind! They learn why director Michel Gondry asked Jim Carrey not to improvise, discuss the charm of practical affects, dish on a character cut from the film, and ask if this couple is really meant to be together. Plus: learn which rap superstar was heavily inspired by the movie!

This is the fifth episode in our Couple Goals series; next week’s film is Love And Basketball! 

You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6 and check out Paul's Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is on presale now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

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On a bonus Unspooled, Paul & Amy discuss 2020's thorny modern revenge story Promising Young Woman! They praise the film's tonal balancing act and subversion of audience expectations, view Cassie's story through the prism of the misogynist pop culture of the 00s, and listen to highlights from Amy's conversation with director Emerald Fennell and star Carey Mulligan.

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Amy & Paul are infatuated with 1951's tragic love triangle A Place In The Sun! They hear Elizabeth Taylor explain how watching Montgomery Clift helped make her a real actress, ask what makes George Stevens a great director, and discuss how the film expertly toys with the viewer's sympathy. Plus: an infamous Tonight Show moment with Shelley Winters.

This is the fourth episode in our Couple Goals series; next week’s film is Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind! Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

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Paul & Amy dream of 1994's Wong Kar-wai romantic diptych Chungking Express! They look at Wong's influence on modern auteurs like Quentin Tarantino and Barry Jenkins, trace a metaphor through the film for a Hong Kong in transition, and ask why it was considered "too MTV" by some contemporary critics. Plus: What does this film have in common with Final Fantasy VIII?

This is the second episode in our Couple Goals series; next week’s film is Groundhog Day! Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

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Amy & Paul go to the airport for 1989's quintessential romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally! They learn how director Rob Reiner helped Meg Ryan prepare for the orgasm scene, ask why Harry Connick Jr. doesn't appear in the film, and discuss whether the film's ending undermines the message that men and women can be just friends. Plus: Highlights from the scenes that didn't make the theatrical cut.

This is the first episode in our Couple Goals series; next week's film is Chungking Express! Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test, and apply to be a contestant at [email protected]! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices