Sanity at the Movies

Merry Christmas, Bedford Falls! We're going to call that a year for Sanity at the Movies, so we thought we'd leave on a high point, and give you something to sink your teeth into. It's our three hour deep-dive into one of our favorite movies, a film of elemental pathos and power (how's that for a description?) It's a Wonderful Life. We had fun talking about this one. We hope you have fun listening...

Oh boy oh boy. We're still dissecting this movie. There's a lot to dissect. Hooray!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Who wanted to make  Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull?  Spielberg? Lucas? Ford? What did they think we would get out of it? What did they think they would get out of it? Is there anything to be gotten by a getter? Or is this one just a swing and a miss? If so, how do people this talented miss this badly? Sanity at the Movies is on the case, answering every one of these questions,...

What did Steven Spielberg understand about the seedy underbelly of the 1980s? Why is Stranger Things stupid? Is Poltergeist actually a good movie? Does it keep it's bargain with the audience, or does it cross some horror-movie lines that make it unpalatable? And what does it tell us about Spielberg and his golden run as America's premier entertainer?  Steven Spielberg's Poltergeist is a fascinatin...

Is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade the best of the bunch? Or just the one that's most kid friendly? Is Sean Connery too cute by half as Henry Jones Jr? Or is he perfect? Would people accept the humor of this movie in a post Jar Jar world? Is it okay that the non-dad stuff is so formulaic? SO MANY QUESTIONS AND THINGS TO BE DISCUSSED. Listen to this episode and get ALL THE ANSWERS.  ★ Support th...

Cinematic masterpiece or Tolkien-lite garbage? A good adaptation, a good action movie that's not quite an adaptation,  You can argue that Peter Jackson's The Return of the King (2003) really works as the ending to a great cinematic trilogy. You can also argue that is has a lot about it that is just plain ... stupid. Our heroes try to sort it all out in this episode.  ★ Support this podcast on Patr...

BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Does Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom deserve it's status as the dreary, violent red-headed stepchild of the Jones franchise? Or is it    a couple changes away from being a truly great film? What works, what doesn't, and why? OUR HEROES DISCUSS THIS FOR TWO HOURS!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

We read through the Duel of the Fates screenplay over at Patreon. You know, Colin Trevorrow's rejected and kinda awesome Star Wars script, complete with Chewie killing a Knight of Renn. You should sign up for it and listen. The end.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Does the Peter Jackson version of The Two Towers hold up nearly twenty years later? Did it ever? These are the burning questions Sanity at the Movies attempts to answer today. In the process, our heroes argue this was an almost impossible adaptation due to the way the novel was structured. In any case, it's clear Peter Jackson had a different agenda than J. R. R. Tolkien, but is this a bad thing?...

Is Raiders of the Lost Ark the greatest work of pop entertainment ever made? Or just the best action movie? Our heroes discuss Lucas and Spielberg's masterpiece in great depth, and have a lot of fun doing it, as they articulate what makes this movie really stand out from the pack of everything that came before and came after ...  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Do modern action movies such as the films of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise teach us (and our children) to dehumanize and demonize anyone who doesn't agree with our point of view? Our heroes argue that this is the case, and talk about the ramifications for our current political climate, things like COVID and Black Lives Matter, and more.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

What are the things that YOU need to understand about how American looks at her fake heroes? What do American heroes tell you about America? What do they tell you about yourself? As our heroes embark on a journey through the Indiana Jones movies, they offer some context on all the American heroes that came before, and try to distill what makes an American hero, and how it got that way. Along the w...

Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker is the worst Star Wars movie. Period. Even though it's much more competent than several of them. And doesn't take weird, annoying risks like Last Jedi. But it has all the elements that make for a satisfying movie. So why doesn't it work? Our heroes answer that question in great depth in this episode. Two and a half hours worth of depth. Enjoy.  ★ Support this podcast o...

In which our heroes review  Mulan,  the prototype of Disney's most (artistically) successful strain of feminism. And a pretty good movie for the first two thirds at least. Those songs are catchy though, Bro!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

To Kill a Mockingbird is a fine film, routinely considered a classic. But is it actually a good adaptation of Harper Lee's novel? That is the question that Sanity at the Movies attempts to answer in this exciting episode!  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Brandon from The Bookening podcast stops by (eventually) and our heroes pour out their thoughts about Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring.  They highlight some problems about the film (and its sequels) but try to make some space for the filmmakers. This was not an easy property to adapt, and a lot of the issues that crop up in these films probably would have cropped up one way or another, n...

Nathan and Jake agree that people of all tribes and nations and political bent can join together in finding Pocahontas bland and uninspired. That music and scenery is pretty though. But boy, what do you say about the least of the Disney Renaissance?  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Sanity at the Movies talks about a movie that they all loved during their childhood: Aladdin. Does the story hold up? Is this one of the great Disney movies or one of the okay ones? How 'bout that Robin Williams. All of these questions and more will be answered in this exciting, exotic Arabian episode. Support us here! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Sanity at the Movies review the bona fide Walt Disney classic Beauty and the Beast. The one without Emma Watson. Is it a story of Stockholm syndrome????? Is it the story of another brat who doesn't deserve to be treated half as awesomely as the movie treats her? Or is it the greatest Disney princess movie of all time? That's the question. LISTEN TO FIND OUT THE ANSWER!!!!!!! Support us here! ★ Sup...

Hot take: The Little Mermaid doesn't hold up. The immodest attire is worse than you remember it, the animation quality is worse than you remember, and Ariel's rebellious teenager act gets tired REAL QUICK. It's still kind of great though, with songs that have stood the test of time. This is our podcast, you can listen to it. SUPPORT US HERE, GET ACCESS TO 10951059 STAR WARS REVIEWS! ★ Support this...

Sleeping Beauty wasn't considered aa success when it came out and it was the last Disney fairy tale for thirty years. But it holds up as one of the most beautiful-to-look-at animated films ever made. Does this make it one of the best? Well, you can't discount Maleficent, one of the most terrifying villains in, well, anything. And Aurora and Phillip make a good couple, and Pastor Jake loves it more...

Sanity at the Movies talks about Cinderella , the Walt Disney movie, and figures out if there is such a thing as a female mono-myth, and if so, whether it is sexist. Also we talk about whether Cinderella is an example of white entitlement, who are favorite Cinderellas are, how Cinderella saved the Disney Corporation, and more. Yay! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Please give this a listen and support Sanity at the Movies here for some really cool rewards and goals.  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

If you love backstage musicals,  or old-school show-business, or the United States of America, you owe it to yourself to watch Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) . Featuring one of the greatest performances by one of the most charismatic Hollywood stars, this is just a gem of a movie, full of humor and heart and classic songs and dances. Really. You should totally watch it. Don't believe us? Listen to thi...