You're Missing Out: A National Film Registry Podcast

“We must be brave enough to look truth in the face.” – Where Are My Children? (1916)

This week, we return to the public domain vault for a full-length commentary track on Where Are My Children?, the provocative 1916 silent drama from Lois Weber and Phillips Smalley. As one of the earliest American films to tackle topics like birth control, abortion, and eugenics, it remains a landmark of progressive intent and moral complexity—albeit through a lens that’s deeply of its time.

Watch along with us as we break down the film’s bold messaging, cultural context, and the pioneering role of Lois Weber in early Hollywood.

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Music by Mike Natale

“And now, I shall entertain you!” – Magical Maestro (1952) Animation aficionado and producer Jordan Beck returns to the show to tackle Tex Avery’s Magical Maestro, one of the most frenetic and technically dazzling cartoons of the Golden Age. With its relentless visual gags and groundbreaking use of the “wipe” technique, this controversial short is both a masterclass in animation and a challenging relic of its time. Join us as Jordan helps us unpack the artistry and the baggage of this chaotic classic.

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"You can't fool me! There ain't no Sanity Claus!"

David Bluvband (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) returns to the show to discuss the Marx Brothers' first film for MGM, A Night at the Opera. We talk Otis B. Driftwood, Riccardo Barone, and the eternal Paramount vs. MGM debate.

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"The star of "RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK" and the director of "ALIEN" take you on a spectacular journey to the savage world of the year 2019!!"

Phil Iscove (Sleepy Hollow, Podcast Like It's...) returns to the show for the fifth time to kick off Season 5 with a seismic sci-fi story whose history is as complex as the future it depicts: 1982's Blade Runner. We'll talk Ridley, Harrison, replicants, and all those different cuts.

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In this fifth edition of You're Missing Out's annual Oscar special, we're doing a two-parter, just like Wicked and Dune.

Last episode, we talked through each of the 10 Best Picture nominees (Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Done Part 2, Emilia Perez, I'm Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, Wicked).

Now, in Part 2, we'll rank not just the Best Picture nominees, but every film in every category.

Season 5 of You're Missing Out officially starts in two weeks!

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Music by Mike Natale

In this fifth edition of You're Missing Out's annual Oscar special, we're doing a two-parter, just like Wicked and Dune!

On this episode, we'll talk through each of the 10 Best Picture nominees (Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune Part 2, Emilia Perez, I'm Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, Wicked). In Part 2, we rank not just the Best Picture nominees, but every film in every category.

Season 5 of You're Missing Out officially starts in two weeks!

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Music by Mike Natale

Another year, another batch of 25 (give or take) titles added to the National Film Registry, and another live reaction episode from You're Missing Out. As is tradition, hosts Mike Natale and Tom Lorenzo jumped on mic mere hours after the list was made public. Neither host knew what titles were inducted until producer Kyle kicked off a YouTube livestream at noon on 12/17 and read the list off one by one. There was excitement, confusion, and the constant question "Did any of the films we submitted get in?" Will the titles this year have us 'dirty dancing' or will all our hopes go 'up in smoke'? Find out in this special episode!

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Mike, Tom, Kyle, and Amanda commemorate hitting 100 movies covered on the show, reflect on the fourth class of 25 films inducted into the registry, give out superlatives to the standout performances and craftspeople, reflect on their registry submissions, and look ahead to new adventures in Season 5.

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"It Will Make You a Better Southerner"- tagline from the Birmingham Age-Herald in 1916

We've now hit 100 National Film Registry titles covered on this podcast, and for this milestone episode, we decided to tackle the National Film Registry inductee that has most ominously loomed above this show since we began: D.W. Griffith's vile, hateful, and unfortunately influential 1915 blockbuster The Birth of a Nation.

Longtime friend of the show, and our resident "war movie" correspondent, Action for Everyone's VyceVictus, sat down with us for a wide-ranging discussion on this controversial title that's still being debated more than a century after its release. We'll take a look at the film's source material, talk about exactly why the National Film Registry chose to preserve this film, and the surprising Oscar-nominated director who led the charge for its induction.

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"A story of the race with an ALL-COLORED CAST"

For our penultimate episode of the season, we provide a feature-length commentary for Oscar Micheaux's landmark proto-race film Within Our Gates (1920). To watch the film along with us, head to our YouTube page.

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Music by Mike Natale