Documentary Corner - 1953's "Statues Also Die"
I mentioned this fantastic documentary in the episode as my favorite movie of 1953, so I thought I’d make it easy on everyone and link it in the Substack. I...
First Thoughts on "The Wild One"
I’ve mentioned it on the show (perhaps too often!) but the overuse of the word “iconic” is one of my primary current Discourse pet peeves. People drop it for...
Bonus Episode: 1953 After Show
Sheila O’Malley brought us all first-time watches for this week’s show, so we talk about that a bit more on the after show. Plus, thoughts on some additional...
Headlines for 1953
January 14: Marshall Tito becomes the head of the government of Yugoslavia, a position he would more or less hold for 30 years (not a great guy - not exactly...
Episode 40: 1953 with Sheila O'Malley
Sheila O’Malley is a classic film buff who joins the esteemed ranks of our “the 1950s were AWESOME, actually” guests, looking back at the equally compelling...
First Thoughts on "Laura"
When we talk about the Citizen Kane influence, we’re usually talking about technique rather than structure. (Usually.) So when I was watching Laura for the...
Bonus Episode: 1944 After Show
On this week’s bonus show, the guys go a bit longer on the legend of Preston Sturges, on their own affection for film noir, and the joys of working with an...
Headlines for 1944
1944 is all about being on the other side of WWII. Everyone but Hitler knew the Germans were going to lose by this point and the Japanese were quickly...
Episode 39: 1944 with Justin Chang
Justin Chang is one of the genuine greats of contemporary film criticism - chief critic for the Los Angeles Times and NPR’s “Fresh Air,” a title he...
Read This!: Looking Back at the Fall of 1997
As we mention in the bonus episode (I think? We recorded it a while ago), back in 2017, I did a whole series of columns for VICE revisiting the movies of the...
Bonus Episode: 1997 After Show
In this week’s bonus episode, we rip through some more of the lightning round, discuss seeing Good Will Hunting and Jackie Brown when they first came out,...
Headlines for 1997
On January 20 Bill Clinton was sworn in for his second term of office, and three days later Madeleine Albright became the first female Secretary of State in...
Episode 38: 1997 with Craig D. Lindsey
Craig D. Lindsey was a working critic in 1997, so he has a lot of pleasant moviegoing (and reviewing) memories from that year; he also made a top ten list at...
Documentary Corner: 1957's "The Day Called X"
"Oh Lord, don't let them drop that atomic bomb on me" - Charles Mingus 1957 looks relatively calm on the timeline of the 20th century, but some very smart...
First Thoughts (Sorta) on "The Seventh Seal"
As in 1988, I’m breaking the “First Thoughts” rules here, but with good reason. No, this was not the first time I’d seen The Seventh Seal. But I consider it...
Bonus Episode: 1957 After Show
On this week’s bonus after show, we fire up the mics to praise James Urbaniak, say a few more words on Sweet Smell of Success and A Face in the Crowd, touch...
Headlines for 1957
In January Kansas-kid made good Dwight Eisenhower was sworn in for his second term as US President. In February the shitty Brits executed Mau Mau leader...
Episode 37: 1957 with James Urbaniak
Character actor, cartoon doctor, and general bon vivant James Urbaniak joins us to walk through the cinema de 1957 - a year of foreign triumphs and domestic...
Documentary Corner: 1939's "The City"
Let’s talk docs! Mike here, producer and co-host. I make documentaries, and I watch a lot of them, some out of professional diligence but mostly because I...
First Thoughts on "In Name Only"
The first thing that makes you sit upright and take notice in John Cromwell’s In Name Only—the reason we’re there, really—is Carole Lombard and Cary Grant’s...
Bonus Episode: 1939 After Show
In this week’s bonus episode, Jason and Mike go a little bit deeper on a topic touched upon in the main show: what it’s like to be a kid from Kansas when all...
Headlines for 1939
In January the Spanish Nationalists took Barcelona, three years into the Spanish Civil War, and Franco’s government was recognized by France and Great...
Episode 36: 1939 with Jessica Pickens
Jessica Pickens is a film blogger and historian specializing in World War II-era cinema, movie musicals, and, luckily for us, the films of 1939. She started...
First Thoughts (Sorta) on 'Mystic Pizza'
Full disclosure: these posts are intended to articulate my first impressions of films chosen by our guests, and so far, that’s been the case. But this was...
Bonus Episode: 1988 After Show
In this week’s after-show bonus episode, Jason and Mike go through many, many more movies from 1988—including the one that Jason saw for his very first...
Headlines for 1988
On January 1st the Soviet Union began a series of economic reforms known as perestroika that was a major step on the road to the dissolution of the Union. In...
Episode 35: 1988 with Daniela Taplin Lundberg
Daniela Taplin Lundberg was born into film production - her father Jonathan produced the first major movie for a promising young filmmaker named Martin...
First Thoughts on 'The Grateful Dead Movie'
When I emailed this week’s guest, Jordan Hoffman, to get his top five list for 1977, his response was candid and to the point. After listing the paired...
Headlines for 1977
On January 20 Jimmy Carter was sworn in as the 39th President of the United States - difffffferent world. In February was the first test flight of the first...
Bonus Episode: 1977 After Show
In the culture I mean, but not on the A Very Good Year after show. We briefly touch on a long list of other movies that didn’t make the lightning round and...
Episode 34: 1977 with Jordan Hoffman
Beloved film critic and niche culture aficionado Jordan Hoffman was wise enough to call dibs quite some time ago on not only one of the great years of the...
First Thoughts on "Author! Author!"
The funny thing about rip-off movies is that it takes so long to make a movie that by the time it comes out, you might have forgotten the thing it was...
Bonus Episode: 1982 After Show
On this week’s after-show, Jason and Mike talk more about going to the movies as little kids in Kansas, Spielberg, the Poltergeist controversy, Smithereens...
Headlines for 1982
In January Rich Skrenta created Elk Cloner, the first computer virus. It infected Apple II computers via floppy disk. On March 10 was a syzygy, when all nine...
Episode 33: 1982 with Jen Chaney
Vulture TV critic and author (buy her book As If: The Oral History of “Clueless” As Told by Amy Heckerling and the Cast and Crew here!) Jen Chaney was, like...
Read This! Book Excerpt: "Cinema '62: The Greatest Year at the Movies"
This week on the show, we were pleased to welcome film critic Stephen Farber and film programmer Michael McClellan, who made the case for 1962 as the best...
Bonus Episode: 1962 After Show
In this week’s after show, we share clips from previous episodes that were trimmed solely for time - including John Pearson’s priceless memory of the Radio...
Headlines for 1962
January 9 1962: Cuba and the Soviet Union sign a trade pact, and then on February 3 we put an embargo on Cuba that went into effect on Feb 7, and you haven’t...
Episode 32: 1962 with Stephen Farber and Michael McClellan
The way we typically go about booking the show is simple: either we get an email about someone with a new film, book, screening series, or podcast to...
First Thoughts on "Birth"
Jonathan Glazer’s Birth opens with a voice-over on a black screen, pooh-poohing the notion of reincarnation, before moving into a long, high-angle tracking...
Bonus Episode: 2004 After Show
On this week’s after show, Jason and Mike finish up a hearty title list from the lightning round, discuss Jason’s first full year as a film critic (and the...
Headlines for 2004
The UN declared 2004 the International Year of Rice, so I think we can all get behind that. In January NASA landed the Spirit and the Opportunity on Mars,...
Episode 31: 2004 with Hunter Harris
Pop culture expert, Substacker extraordinaire, and fellow flyover country escapee Hunter Harris joins Jason and Mike to talk about the Year of our Lord 2004,...
First Thoughts on "Ciao! Manhattan"
We have some history, Ciao, Manhattan! and I. This 1972 experimental film first came onto my radar when it appeared as part of a massive program of New York...
Bonus Episode: 1972 After-Show
On this, our very first after-show bonus episode, you’ll hear a rowdy, deleted conversation from our talk about 1972 with Oscar-nominated production designer...
Headlines for 1972
January 30 - the British Army killed 14 unarmed marchers in Derry, Northern Ireland. Most of our audience probably first heard about this event in the...
Episode 30: 1972 with Judy Becker
We’ve welcomed critics, authors, actors, directors, and on and on—but this week, we welcome our very first production designer, and Judy Becker is one of the...
First Thoughts on "The Fugitive Kind"
“It’s Xavier,” he mumbles. “With an X or an S?” comes the reply, and an early hint at the kind of pointed metaphors The Fugitive Kind will traffic in. No,...
Headlines for 1960
In January Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh became the first humans to reach the lowest spot on earth when they went into the Mariana trench. Keep that in your...
Episode 29: 1960 with Alexandre O. Philippe
Alexandre O. Philippe has funneled his life-long cinematic obsessions into movies of his own, which is a great gig if you can get it. I first became aware of...