In this week's episode, Andy & Michael Fernandez discuss Preston Sturges's 1941 comedy, Sullivan's Travels. A successful comedy director wants to make an impactful film about the struggles of the poor, so he tries to get some first-hand experience at those struggles. Comedy ensues. This film, ranked #61 on the 10th Anniversary version of the American Film Institute's list, is the first movie about movies on the list. Listen as Andy & Michael discuss What Makes It Great!

This episode is the stuff dreams are made of. Andy & Michael Fernandez become gumshoes to investigate 1941's The Maltese Falcon. Written and directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart, The Maltese Falcon, ranked #23 and #31 on the American Film Institute's lists of the greatest films of all time, is the first film noir movie on the list and features great supporting performances from Peter Lorre and Sidney Greenstreet. Listen as Andy & Michael talk about What Makes It Great!

This is the big one. The consensus #1 film of all time according to the American Film Institute: 1941's Citizen Kane. Directed, produced, co-written, and starring a 26 year old Orson Welles, Citizen Kane is a revolutionary, influential, timeless, and funny tale about Charles Foster Kane, an extremely rich and powerful media mogul, who, while being in the public spotlight for most of his life, is still an enigma. Listen in as Andy & Michael Fernandez travel to Xanadu in an attempt to understand the movie that many consider to be the greatest of all time on a brand new episode of What Makes It Great!

Andy & Michael Fernandez travel to Philadelphia to discuss the comic antics of Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart in George Cukor's The Philadelphia Story. This movie from 1940, ranked at #51 and #44 on the two versions of the American Film Institute's lists, features some of the best comic drunk acting ever. Listen as the Fernandez brothers discuss What Makes It Great!

Andy & Michael Fernandez go to a concert while discussing 1940's Fantasia. Produced by Walt Disney, this animated feature is a precursor to the music video and represents a leap forward in sound technology for the movies. The American Film Institute lists it as the #58 greatest film of all time, so listen in as Andy & Michael break down What Makes It Great!

In this week's episode, Andy & Michael Fernandez join the Joad family on their exodus to California in The Grapes of Wrath. This John Ford directed film, based on the John Steinbeck novel, is a rough, and unfortunately very timely, tale of the struggle of migrant farm workers, forced off their land, fighting to stay together and survive. The American Film Institute ranks this movie as the #21 and #23 greatest film of all time. Tune in as Andy & Michael discuss What Makes It Great!

In this special episode of What Makes It Great, Andy & Michael Fernandez reflect on the movies they have watched and analyzed so far, rank them in their own list, and give out some Oscar-like awards. The brothers have discussed 23 movies, from 1915 all the way through to 1939. Catch up on what has been discussed so far before they enter in to a new decade of film on What Makes It Great!

The final film from the 1930s is also the biggest movie discussed so far: Gone with the Wind. Starring Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland, and Hattie McDaniel, this sweeping epic is not without controversy. Depicting a romanticized view of slavery and the American South pre-Civil War, the movie is challenging and uncomfortable while at the same time it contains some of the most complex characters, some of the most dynamic cinematography, and some of the most epic sets and production value of any film up to this point. Andy & Michael Fernandez tackle all of that and much more in their discussion of this movie, ranked #4 and #6 on the two versions of the American Film Institute's list. Listen as they dive into Gone with the Wind on What Makes It Great!

This week, Andy & Michael Fernandez watch James Stewart in 1939's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. This Frank Capra film, ranked #29 and #26 on the American Film Institute's two lists, is a timeless tale about sticking to your principles, giving voice to the voiceless, and standing up to fight for what's right. Join the Fernandez brothers as they discuss What Makes It Great!

We're off to see the wizard! Listen this week as Andy & Michael Fernandez get sucked up into a tornado and dive into 1939's The Wizard of Oz. Starring Judy Garland and featuring some iconic music, imagery, and performances, The Wizard of Oz is a massively influential movie and the American Film Institute ranks it at #6 and #10 on their versions of the best movies of all time. So follow the yellow brick road, click your heels together, and join Andy & Michael Fernandez as they discuss What Makes It Great!