The Meaning Of The Movie

The Shining is an all-time classic Halloween film. But is it scary? In this week's episode, we debate the film, the many interpretations, and the battle between Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick.  Join the discussion in our Facebook group Visit our website here

In part one we talked about the first two episodes. Now you can hear what we think of the whole season. Did we like it more or less than we thought we would? What makes something Tolkein-y? What does it all mean?  Hear our analysis and thoughts on the meaning of the full season of The Lord Of The Rings: Rings Of Power in this week's episode.

Is the Zodiac Killer ground zero for America’s fascination with serial killers? Is this film a horror or a thriller? What’s the difference? And whose story is this (Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, or Robert Downey Jr)? We’re doing a deep dive into Fincher, the Zodiac, the history, the meaning and the hidden messages. Join us as we debate it all in our kickoff to October films.

It’s time to cover our first true comedy on the podcast! We talk Apatow, rank comedy eras, and ask why are comedies so easily written off. This week we're joined by special guest Naomi Beatty. She brings great insight as a screenwriting consultant and instructor. You can get her book here (we love this book) and you can learn more about her work here . Run to download this episode like you’re sear...

We know it’s a TV Show and not a movie…BUT we also talk about the original LOTR films, The Hobbit films, and the new series on Amazon Prime. What does it mean? How did we feel watching this show? It’s a Tolkein fest on our latest episode. Editor’s note: Rob’s audio is rough and we’re working on fixing it. But we still think this episode is worth a listen.

The summer movie season is almost over. We wanted to stop and reflect. We normally talk about the movies we love. What about the movies that didn’t work? We’re going to get into that this episode. We’ll also talk about the podcast itself. What we got right. What we got wrong. The state of Disney. The state of our souls. We cover a lot in this episode. It’s our last episode of the summer and then w...

In a summer of lackluster blockbusters, STRANGER THINGS still has our attention. So much so that we recorded with ROB IN FRANCE. His AUDIO is not as sharp as normal but we couldn't wait any longer to do a deep dive into part 2. What did at all mean? Why did it work for us? What characters were strongest? And where were we right and wrong with our predictions? We discuss it all in this episode of T...

Is Back To The Future the perfect film? Great Scott this episode gets heavy as we talk about why this film is so beloved and what it’s meant over the years. We’ve got to go back and debate the score, the characters, the quotes, and most of all the meaning of the movie.

We don’t usually cover TV shows. We had to make an exception for Stranger Things. What do we think of the show overall? What did we make of Season 4? What do we expect when the show returns? Who are the most meaningful characters? Who are the least meaningful? And what is the meaning of Stranger Things? You have to listen to this episode. It’s unlike anything else we’ve covered. 

This is a podcast 36 years in the making. It's time to talk about the sequel of the summer 🔥. Where does it rack up as an all-time sequel? Why do people love it? And most importantly what is this movie trying to say?  Buckle up because we're going fast. It's time to discuss the meaning of Top Gun: Maverick.  Visit our website  

It's time to journey into the deep end of space... or Montana. We're reviewing 2016's ARRIVAL, starring Amy Adams. We think it has to say a lot about 9/11, the pandemic, Christmas, and why Jeremy Renner never became Tom Cruise. Join the discussion on Facebook   Find out about Jason Boyett's podcast And Brick and Elm  

Welcome to Jurassic Park! In this episode, we talk about why this movie works, why the sequels (mostly) don’t work, and our thoughts about the new film.  This is a film with a story structure very different than most blockbusters and it’s interested in bigger ideas. We think there’s meaning here and it’s worth dissecting faster than you can say dino DNA. Want to share feedback on an episode? What...

Is T2 the greatest sequel of all time? Let the debate begin. T2 is a summer blockbuster. Action masterpiece. A movie that somehow both critiques and validates conspiracy theorists.  It was a seismic leap in special effects but does it hold up? And more than anything… what does it all mean? We’re about to run towards this answer faster than T-1000 chases after John Conner. Join us for this week’s e...

Everything Everywhere All at Once. This is not a movie that you just see. This is a movie that you see and immediately *need* to talk about with someone. Is this the best movie since the pandemic began? We’re not sure. BUT we know we needed to process our feelings about it. And laugh. And cry. And question all of our life choices.  No matter what timeline you’re in join us for a one-of-a-kind epis...

The Truman Show. Is it a prophetic film about the age of YouTube and reality TV? Scathing satire about what we watch and how we create? Metaphor for feeling trapped and finding meaning of life? Yes. We think so. At least 2 out of the 3 of us do. Join us for a lively discussion about Jim Carry’s (best?) film The Truman Show. Rob Stennett, Andrew Harmon, and John Bolin have a lively debate about eve...

It’s time to talk about CODA. And we have questions… Is Will Smith the worst (or best) thing to happen to the movie? What are we actually saying when we call something “Best Picture?” Are sentimental films artistic or should they be dark and angsty? Most of all what is the meaning of the film CODA? What does it say about us all?  We get to all of this in today’s episode of The Meaning Of The Movie...

Welcome to the Willennium! We are talking about everything and I mean EVERYTHING from a historic and insane Oscars. What won Best Picture? What deserved to win? What was the best moment and most of all what do we make of the Will Smith and Chris Rock moment?!!??  Pop your popcorn and get ready for our instant reaction to the 2022 Oscars. We debate it all in this BONUS episode of The Meaning Of The...

It’s time for a Deep Dive into Disney! We can’t talk about the state of film today without talking about Disney. So, let’s discuss the musical breakout (cult?) hit. Where does this compare to the lineage of “princess films” that came before it? What is Disney up to? What are they saying in this film? What’s the better song LET IT GO or WE DON’T TALK ABOUT BRUNO?  Lots to discuss and debate let’s s...

It’s time to dive into the Holy Grail of “part threes.” Let’s talk about the Jones boys. Is this one of the best father and son movies? Is this the best part three ever made? How does it compare to Raiders and the sequels?  Most of all, is this just a fun summer blockbuster, or are there bigger ideas this movie is concerned with? We call us junior because we named the podcast Indiana.  Pop your po...

It’s time to jump into the deep end of the pool with Memento. What is the meaning of this movie? Is it just a unique structure? Or is there a real message at its core?  This is the film that launched Christopher Nolan (Inception, Dark Knight trilogy…). It’s debated in film school. It’s a movie that was once talked about all the time, but now is it actually underrated? Let’s break it down. Why is i...

Did Spider-Man No Way Home deserve a best picture nomination? Is it just cheap fan service or is it something with more depth? What is the worst use of fan service ever? What is the best? Does this film accomplish something we’ve never quite seen? We debate, we get angry, and we let our nerd flags fly in this week’s episode of The Meaning Of The Movie.  JOIN THE DISCUSSION on our FB group https://...

Is Titanic just a high-budget Hallmark movie? Or is it a serious look at a profound historical tragedy? We watched Titanic for the first time in a decade. Some of us watched it for the first time ever. It led to a passionate debate, “What if we’ve been all wrong about this film? What if it’s more than the memes and GIFS would have us believe?” The performance, the themes, the Oscars, Leonardo DiCa...

DON’T LOOK UP is Adam McKay’s satirical masterpiece. At least we think so. But most of the critics aren’t in our corner.  In this episode, we take on the critics themselves. Why didn’t they like this film? Where did we agree? Where do we disagree?  To find the answer we systematically argue with the four major critiques of the film. 1) Is too “on the nose”? 2) Is too mean-spirited? 3) Is it a poor...

Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie? It’s a debate. It’s annoying. And it’s part of the Christmas discussion every year.  But our first episode asks: “What makes a Christmas movie?” “Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?” “What is the meaning of the movie?” We get into an argument faster than you can say Roy Rodgers. You may agree. You may disagree. But you have to listen.