Who's Our Lead??

We discuss the Paul Newman directed movie Sometimes a Great Notion , which also stars Paul Newman. Released in 1971, this movie is based on the Ken Kesey novel of the same name that explores a logging family in the Pacific Northwest that has stubbornly positioned itself against the labor efforts of the surrounding town.

We discuss another of Paul Newman's iconic roles, Butch Cassidy, in 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid directed by George Roy Hill and co-starring Robert Redford. 

We discuss one of Paul Newman's most iconic roles, Luke himself in 1967's Cool Hand Luke.

This week on Who's Our Lead we discuss 1963's Hud starring Paul Newman and directed by Martin Ritt. Newman plays the titular Hud, the man with the barbed wire soul, in this incredible film that serves as an early depiction of an American anti-hero.

This week on Who's Our Lead we discuss the 1958 movie Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Starring Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is an adaptation of the Tennessee Williams play of the same name. Our conversation includes discussion of Paul Newman's beginnings as a star in the Hollywood Studio system, Hays Code censorship, and the Actors Studio. 

Our first two leads combined their powers into one movie. Maybe you've heard it. This week's episode covers Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.

Jarrod and Jordan begin their next series by drafting 10 movies starring their next lead, Paul Newman

Jarrod and Jordan close out their Anne Hathaway series with the 2023 film Eileen and announce the next movie star they will discuss.

Jarrod and Jordan discuss Anne Hathaway in the 2016 indie sci-fi film Colossal. This movie comes in Hathaway's self-described "artistic no-man's land" and would not have been made without her interest--she also gets an executive producer credit. Topics also include a broader discussion of Hathaway's post-Oscar career, which this movie serves as a nice starting point for, a...

Jarrod and Jordan discuss the next entry in the Anne Hathaway series, 2015's The Intern, in which Anne Hathaway is Robert De Niro's boss. Directed by Nancy Meyer's, The Intern showcases what Hathaway is best at while also featuring one of the most engaged late-career performances from De Niro. 

Haven't you always wanted to hear two dudes talk about one of the Batman movies Christopher Nolan directed? Well, Jarrod and Jordan are here this week to do it, specifically Anne Hathaway's performance as Selina Kyle. Topics also included early 2010s backlash towards Anne Hathaway (stupid!), early Twitter, The Oscars, an Tom Hooper's Les Misérables.

Anne Hathaway gives a very different type of performance than the podcast has covered so far in the movie being discussed on this episode of Who's Our Lead??, 2008's Rachel Getting Married directed by Jonathan Demme.

In the first ever Who's Our Lead?? emergency episode, Jarrod and Jordan discuss the newly released film, Mother Mary, starring Anne Hathaway. It's the year of Anne, baby!

Jarrod and Jordan discuss their third film in the Anne Hathaway series, the 2008 comedy film Get Smart

Jarrod and Jordan discuss their second selection in Anne Hathaway's career, 2006's  The Devil Wears Prada.

Jarrod and Jordan begin the Anne Hathaway series with the movie that began her career, 2001's The Princess Diaries. Generational touchpoint, funny, charming, and star-making... this movie's got it all. 

Jarrod and Jordan kick off the next series by drafting eight films starring Anne Hathaway

Jarrod and Jordan finish off their Matt Damon series talking about the difficult yet under-appreciated 2021 Ridley Scott film  The Last Duel . Matt Damon turns in an inspired performance as an asshole knight in this tragic tale of patriarchal violence set in 14th century France. The next movie star to be discussed on the podcast is also revealed.

Jarrod and Jordan discuss Matt Damon in Tom McCarthy's Stillwater, which contrary to statements made on this podcast in the past is NOT about fracking. It IS good thought and Matt Damon IS great in it. 

Jarrod and Jordan discuss one of the biggest commercial successes of Matt Damon's career, Ridley Scott's 2015 film The Martian. This ultimate crowd pleaser shows yet another gear for Damon and earns him another Oscar nomination.

Jarrod and Jordan discuss Matt Damon in Steve Soderbergh's last movie because he definitely didn't make anymore, 2013's Behind the Candelabra. Released on HBO, this movie serves as a bit of a throwback to the types of performances Damon was giving in the late 1990s, before your Bournes and your Oceans, your Departeds and your Green Zones. 

Jarrod and Jordan discuss Matt Damon in Green Zone, directed by Paul Greengrass.  Despite the past success of the Damon-Greengrass connection (Bournes Supremacy and Ultimatum), this thriller based on the real events and false pretenses of the US military's involvement in Iraq did not connect with audiences much at all and is an example of one of Damon's few true flops.  

Who's Our Lead goes back to Boston this week to discuss Matt Damon in the Martin Scorsese directed Best-Picture winner, The Departed. With two successful franchises in full swing, Damon continues a streak of critical and commercial success as he turns in what may be his best ever performance in one of Scorsese's most purely entertaining movies. 

Jarrod and Jordan discuss Matt Damon in the massively successful, franchise-starting thriller  The Bourne Identity . Damon is pitch perfect in this nervy action movie, turning in a physical performance unlike anything he had done in his career prior to this.

On this week's Who's Our Lead?? Jarrod and Jordan discuss Kevin Smith's Dogma, which marks the end of Matt Damon's significant involvement in a certain type of independent filmmaking. He still has more movies to make, but it seems unlikely that we'll ever see Damon in a movie that features a poop demon ever again, for better or for worse (it's for better).