The Goods: A Film Podcast

Spooktober continues with a quasi-horror-comedy from the pandemic era about teens popping like fleshy balloons. Dan and Brian discuss the bloodiest movies they've seen, the teen cast, the different ways of interpreting the bizarre premise, their personal histories with school shootings, and the effectiveness of the "carpe diem" conclusion. One thing they agree on, to quote Brian: "you will believe...

For our next Spooktober pick, Brian brings out a deep cut: A bizarre, panoramic documentary of supposed supernatural evidence. Dan and Brian try to parse how sincere this is, compare-and-contrast to other documentaries, attempt to digest the bizarre footage and narration, and once again find themselves disagreeing on the film's value. Music credits: RetroFuture Clean by Kevin MacLeod Link: https:/...

Dan and Brian, despite their love of movies, haven't seen too many slashers. So they reached out to Alternate Ending host Brennan Klein for some advice on where to start -- and he pointed them to Scream, the seminal '90s meta-slasher. Join as Dan and Brian parse through the beats and characters of Scream, as well as its three (soon to be four) sequels. Is David Arquette a positive to the series? D...

Happy Spooktober! To celebrate the haunted season, Dan and Brian dive deep into adaptations of one of America's iconic horror stories: "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. In addition to the centerpiece Tim Burton adaptation, Brian and Dan discuss the 1949 Disney animated film that's a part of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, the Wishbone episode, and -- as a bonus -- the 199...

Dan shares with Brian the 5-hour homemade avant garde documentary created by Jonas Mekas: As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty. The film inspires spicier reactions than normal. Join as they break down the film's heady vibe and fractured form... or is it just incompetent navel-gazing with a wheezy old man? So, my frienddsssh, Is It Good? Dan and Brian share their extrem...

It's renaissance faire season, and Brian has a relevant seasonal pick, a cheap fantasy knock-off filmed at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Join as he and Dan break down the film's many technical shortcomings and ponder what offbeat charms it might contain nonetheless. Brian loses patience with Tom Tit Tot, while Dan calls out some of the weirder acting moments. Both have some bones to pick with...

Is it a high school movie? A neo-noir? Yes! Join as Dan and Brian discuss Rian Johnson's filmography (and the merits of the Star Wars sequels), Joseph Gordon-Levitt's career arc, and the film's twisted teen noir universe. Dan shares his love of high school movies and the film's wacky invented argot, while Brian praises the film's Twin Peaks and Breaking Bad vibes. Music credits: RetroFuture Clean...

Dan and Brian celebrate fifty nifty podcast episodes by holding another "Spectacular!" First, they look at how their lives and their podcast has changed in the past 6 months, and what might continue to change. Then, they crunch some numbers on the movies they watched in The Goods By the Numbers. Lastly, they bring back the award show segment: The Goodies (?), an Oscars-type segment where they pick...

Dude! It's our fiftieth episode! And it's a special one. Dan and Brian are recording this while on a trip together to celebrate many milestones, including the semi-centennial episode covering the most content in The Goods history: Both seasons of the animated TV show Gravity Falls. Join as Dan and Brian review some highlights and lowlights of the show's epic arc, celebrate its satisfying finale, t...

Dan saw Brief Encounter and found himself itching for more David Lean romances. Does Summertime provide the needed scratch? Join as Dan and Brian savor the luscious Venice cityscape, try to parse out Katharine Hepburn's Jane character, and use their sleaze-ometer on love interest Renato. Dan discusses the aspect ratio's role in the film's effectiveness, while Brian ponders what kind of film device...

After some recent trashy selections for the show, Brian brings the ambitious porno-chic period piece for him and Dan to discuss. Join as they rave about Paul Thomas Anderson's epic continuous takes, the deep well of acting talent, Don Cheadle's wardrobe, and John C. Reilly's hot tub poetry. Brian and Dan each pick out portions of the film they'd cut to trim the beefy 2.5 hour runtime, break down s...

Summer is in full swing, so Brian and Dan check out the kitschy 60s classic, Beach Party. Join as they break down the PG-level thirstiness of the teens, the cheesy rear-projection surfing, the energetic beach rock, and the wacky pie fight. Dan takes a deep dive on the Beach Party sequels while Brian shares his own small plane stories and pitches his own beach party story. Music credits: RetroFutur...

The final week of Circus Month could have been "good vibes only," but Dan came in as a bit of a grumpy bear. Join as Brian and Dan break down the Canadian animated film based off of a greeting card mascot, try to break down the lore of the Care Bears universe, and enjoy the sporadic creepy carnival vibe. What is the merit of a movie like this? How good are the songs and the animation? What are the...

In honor of Circus Month, Dan and Brian revisit the maligned and forgotten teen film, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant. Join as they ponder the long tail of post-Harry Potter and post-Twilight franchise attempts sourced from young adult books, the glorious weirdness of titular freak show, the utter blandness of Darren Shan, the incomprehensible plot, and the film's various other highs and...

Circus Month continues with yet another spin on the setting. This time we watch and discuss the David Lynch-helmed The Elephant Man. Join as they discuss the film's biopic trappings, the ethical ramifications of "freak shows," the effective sound design, Lynch's love of dual-sided themes, and, of course, the creepy carnival music. Music credits: RetroFuture Clean by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://inc...

For the next act of Circus Month, Dan brings a foundational film: The Circus by Charlie Chaplin. Join as Dan and Brian consider the ethics and entertainment value of live animals on film. They discuss Chaplin's acclaim and backstory, Brian's past depictions of The Tramp, and the episodic nature of slapstick film. But mostly they revel in the monkeys. Music credits: RetroFuture Clean by Kevin MacLe...

Join as Dan and Brian embark on their second-ever theme month. First up is the blockbuster biopic musical of PT Barnum. Brian shares his academic history studying Barnum... and the film's plentiful historical inaccuracy. Dan revels in Hugh Jackman's charm but bemoans the overstuffed screenplay. Do the film's charms outweigh its flaws? Join us at the Big Top and find out. It's Circus Month! Music c...

Adaptations are tricky. Dan brings one from one of his favorite books, Paper Towns by John Green, and reflects on that author's role in his life. Join as Dan parses the thematic structure of the book and Brian pitches the film structure of "the crowded hour" to depict the quintessential Dan film. Together, they debate the merit of Cara Delevingne as Margo Roth Spiegelman and the improvised banter...

Join the hosts of The Goods as they a dive into the dreamlike Seussian curio, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. Brian expresses his longstanding admiration for film's set and costume design as Dan sings the praises of August Zabladowski. From the wild dungeon ride to the "Do-Mi-Do Duds" to the apocalyptic ending, Dan and Brian find themselves celebrating as often as scratching their chins. So why wasn't...

It's an extra special episode of The Goods as Dan and Brian celebrate Dan's birthday with an in-person private screening and episode recording. Join as they revisit the 1999 animated classic, The Iron Giant, directed and co-written by Brad Bird. Dan discusses his long-thriving fascination (borderline obsession) with animation, and Brian notes the film's connections to Bird's later works. They disc...

Dan's brother Will phones in from Japan to discuss the outrageous B-movie Tokyo Drifter. Dan, Brian, and Will discuss the film's off-kilter storytelling and low-budget roots, breaking down both the stylistic chutzpah and thematic underbelly of the cult-hit Yakuza flick. Will revels in the film's "bombastic" visuals and dark humor, while Brian and Dan draw comparisons to some previous Goods selecti...

Nothing spells summer fun quite like a road trip, and Brian has brought a Wonderful World of Disney TV movie on the topic that left an indelible impression on him as a youngster. Join as he recounts his journey to rediscover this movie while Dan shares his love of star Daniel Stern. Dan and Brian rank names for doofy toolbag characters and call into question some of the movie's scattershot storyte...

Summer is in the air, so Dan and Brian revisit the influential teen comedy American Graffiti, written and directed by a pre-Star Wars George Lucas. Join as they revel in the rock 'n' roll soundtrack, the wacky '60s slang, Terry the Toad's McLovin parallels, and a climactic drag race. Dan shares his own breakup drama, while Brian waxes nostalgic on Laverne and Shirley. Does this blast from the past...

Netflix dominated the Oscars this year, so Dan and Brian sat down to review one of the streamer's winners: My Octopus Teacher, the winner of the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. Join as they celebrate the glorious footage and break down Craig Foster's mid-life crisis. Brian gives his definition of "dad music," and Dan shares a relevant Werner Herzog insight. Music credits: RetroFuture C...

Oscar season came late in 2021, but Dan and Brian are using the occasion to revisit a classic Best Picture winner. Join as they consider the bus-bound romantic comedy that swept the Academy Awards 87 years ago. Brian hypothesizes a Bugs Bunny origin story, Dan suggests some heavy duty script revisions, and they both brainstorm better titles considering the movie takes place over many nights. Music...