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Unspooled
By Earwolf, Paul Scheer & Amy Nicholson
Listen up, film fans! Actor & comedian Paul Scheer and film critic Amy Nicholson want your advice as they make the ultimate list of the greatest movies of all time. In Season 1, they watched every one of the AFI’s Top 100 films...and decided they could kick off half. Now, they're filling in the gaps by investigating wildly diverse areas of film through miniseries on topics like horror movies, documentaries and romantic comedies, with help from listeners' picks. Along the way, they’ll dissect iconic scenes, spotlight their favorite characters, and talk to some of the actors and directors who worked on these classics. And when Unspooled has built their own list of the best movies on earth, they'll blast them into space to be immortalized for eternity. Seriously.
Listen up, film fans! Actor & comedian Paul Scheer and film critic Amy Nicholson want your advice as they make the ultimate list of the greatest movies of all time. In Season 1, they watched every one of the AFI’s Top 100 films...and decided they could kick off half. Now, they're filling in the gaps by investigating wildly diverse areas of film through miniseries on topics like horror movies, documentaries and romantic comedies, with help from listeners' picks. Along the way, they’ll dissect iconic scenes, spotlight their favorite characters, and talk to some of the actors and directors who worked on these classics. And when Unspooled has built their own list of the best movies on earth, they'll blast them into space to be immortalized for eternity. Seriously.
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The Princess Bride
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 unspooledpod@gmail.com! Photo credit: Kim Troxall
04 Mar 2021
1 HR 37 MINS
1:37:21
04 Mar 2021
Brokeback Mountain
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. This is the seventh episode in our Couple Goals series; next week’s film, and the winner of the Couple Goals fan vote, is the Princess Bride! 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 unspooledpod@gmail.com! Photo credit: Kim Troxall
25 Feb 2021
1 HR 41 MINS
1:41:53
25 Feb 2021
Love and Basketball
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 unspooledpod@gmail.com! Photo credit: Kim Troxall
18 Feb 2021
1 HR 31 MINS
1:31:58
18 Feb 2021
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
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, watch a deleted scene featuring 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! 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 unspooledpod@gmail.com! Photo credit: Kim Troxall
11 Feb 2021
1 HR 45 MINS
1:45:27
11 Feb 2021
BONUS: Promising Young Woman
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.
10 Feb 2021
1 HR 13 MINS
1:13:59
10 Feb 2021
A Place In The Sun
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 unspooledpod@gmail.com! Photo credit: Kim Troxall
04 Feb 2021
1 HR 42 MINS
1:42:59
04 Feb 2021
Groundhog Day
Paul & Amy relive 1993's Bill Murray time loop comedy Groundhog Day! They learn about the tempestuous relationship between Murray and director Harold Ramis, read an excerpt from the original script, and compare the film to another magical realist classic, It's A Wonderful Life. Plus: Just how long was Phil stuck in that loop anyways? This is the third episode in our Couple Goals series; next week’s film is Groundhog Day...er, actually it's A Place In The Sun! 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 unspooledpod@gmail.com! Photo credit: Kim Troxall
28 Jan 2021
1 HR 49 MINS
1:49:12
28 Jan 2021
Chungking Express
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 unspooledpod@gmail.com! Photo credit: Kim Troxall
21 Jan 2021
1 HR 24 MINS
1:24:47
21 Jan 2021
When Harry Met Sally
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 unspooledpod@gmail.com! Photo credit: Kim Troxall
14 Jan 2021
1 HR 42 MINS
1:42:27
14 Jan 2021
Dogtooth
Paul & Amy highway into Yorgos Lanthimos' jarring family parable Dogtooth! They learn how audiences around the world interpreted the film differently, discuss how parents can radically shape their children's world, and lament that more American films don't use Lanthomos' method of high allegory. Plus: A snippet of the younger sister's real-life art punk band. This is the final episode in our Kinspooled series on “effed up families”; next week we kick off "Couple Goals" with When Harry Met Sally! 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 unspooledpod@gmail.com! Photo credit: Kim Troxall
07 Jan 2021
1 HR 15 MINS
1:15:49
07 Jan 2021
Home Alone
Amy & Paul break into 1990's abandoned child comedy phenomenon Home Alone! They praise John Candy as the film's MVP, learn why Joe Pesci was tougher to wrangle on set than any of the child actors, and debate whether Kevin McCallister is a sociopath. Plus: A look at how Macaulay Culkin has responded to the film's success as an adult. This is the seventh episode in our Kinspooled series on “effed up families”; our next film, as voted on by Unspooled listeners, is Dogtooth! We'll be taking next week off for the holidays, returning on 1/7. 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 unspooledpod@gmail.com! Photo credit: Kim Troxall
24 Dec 2020
1 HR 48 MINS
1:48:54
24 Dec 2020
The Farewell
Amy & Paul say hello to 2019's Chinese-American family reunion The Farewell! They praise director Lulu Wang's use of motion, discover how Awkwafina won the dramatic lead role despite being best known as a rapper and comedian, and learn about the real fake mourners common at Chinese funerals. Plus: What's that familiar song covered in the end credits? This is the sixth episode in our Kinspooled series on “effed up families”; next week’s film is Home Alone! 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 unspooledpod@gmail.com! Photo credit: Kim Troxall
17 Dec 2020
1 HR 22 MINS
1:22:20
17 Dec 2020
BONUS: Screen Test: Rattle My Chains
We're releasing this episode of our Premium game show series Screen Test with Paul & Amy for free! To listen to more Screen Test, just sign up for Stitcher Premium - you can go to stitcher.com/premium and use the promo code UNSPOOLED for one month free. In this holiday-themed episode, contestants Bill, Amanda and Alex attempt to say something nice about Cats, act out Arnold Schwarzenegger looking for a Baby Yoda toy, and pitch the next great Hanukkah movie.
15 Dec 2020
43 MINS
43:58
15 Dec 2020