First Thoughts on "Clueless"
I didn’t see Clueless when it came out because I didn’t care about Amy Heckerling or reimagining Jane Austen or getting a jump on the career of Paul Rudd....
First Thoughts on "Billy Madison"
Okay, first of all, yes, gasp, I’d never watched Billy Madison. There’s a very simple explanation for this: I’m a fucking snob. Well, in fairness to myself,...
Bonus Episode: 1995 After Show
On this week’s bonus episode, Jason and Mike delve into a decades-long conflict: Casino or Goodfellas? Plus, some thoughts on our evolving feelings on one...
Headlines for 1995
In January Valeri Polyakov completed 366 days aboard the Mir space station, the longest anyone had lived off the earth to that point. He would go home in...
Episode 41: 1995 with Sammi Cohen
This week, we’re pleased to welcome director, writer, and comedian Sammi Cohen, whose queer high school love triangle rom-com Crush (which is WONDERFUL)...
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...