The Takes It Took: A Movie Podcast

For today's episode, Stephan leads the group in discussing the genre-defining war epic that is Saving Private Ryan . We'll be talking a lot about the massive scale of the production (especially the opening scene), Spielberg's improvisational directing style, the cinematography, and whether this film is anti-war or not. Make sure to follow us on social media!  You can find us on Twitter...

BOO! We are heading back to 1984 to talk about the now Halloween classic Ghostbusters . Listen as Miles leads Moriah and Stephan through the chaotic production history, including all of the practical effects, the not-even-close-to-being-finished visual effects, and the name the Ghostbusters ALMOST had (Hint: It sucks and we're glad they went with Ghostbusters). Make sure to follow us on social...

In today's very special ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY episode, we're jumping back to 1980 to talk about The Blues Brothers , starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Join us as we drink and chat about the absolutely bonkers production that included money in the budget for cocaine, 103 cars being crashed, a mall that gets absolutely destroyed, and musical numbers that make Miles actually like the musi...

We're jumping back to the early 90s for today's episode all about Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut Reservoir Dogs ! Stephan leads Moriah and Miles through Tarantino's jump into filmmaking, Harvey Keitel's involvement in getting this film made, and Lawrence Tierney being an absolute menace (or a giant teddy bear) on set. Reservoir Dogs is a great look at independent, low-bu...

We have a very special guest joining us for today's episode about the 2016 Japanese animated film Your Name ! Wesley, Miles' older brother is here to take the reins and lead us through Makoto Shinkai's story of a boy and a girl who switch bodies and make a special connection. We'll talk about Shinkai's background, the animation and art style of the film itself, the anime genre,...

In today's episode, we're going on an adventure to the world of Faerie! Moriah leads the discussion on the 2007 fantasy adventure Stardust , starring Charlie Cox, Claire Danes, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Robert De Niro. We take a look at the story's history, from the original book by Neil Gaiman in 1999 to the production in 2006 with lots of enormous sets and special effects to its (unfort...

Today's episode is all about Spike Lee's 1989 phenomenal Do the Right Thing ! In a more discussion heavy episode, Stephan takes the lead and first dives into who Spike Lee is and his impact in American cinema. He also goes into all of the actors' approach to this film and the ambiguity intended to make audiences think about race relations in not only New York but the US. To keep it lig...

We're jumping back to 1985 to talk about John Hughes' The Breakfast Club , with Miles leading the discussion today. This coming-of-age high school story is packed with behind the scenes information, like Judd Nelson method acting as Bender, deleted scenes actors fought Hughes to get rid of, and what the dance sequence was originally supposed to look like. With its cult status, has Bender&#...

PLAY BALL! We're kicking off baseball season with Penny Marshall's 1992 A League of Their Own , starring Tom Hanks and Geena Davis. Moriah's back to tell the boys all about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League that inspired this film, the real-life injuries sustained by the actors, and why there's no crying in baseball. Meanwhile, Miles and Stephan try their hands at...

In today's episode, Stephan travels back in time to embody his 10-year-old self as he talks about the 2007 blockbuster Transformers . What started out as a toy line became a multimillion dollar franchise with Michael Bay at the helm, absolutely berating his cast and crew throughout the process. Moriah goes through what SHE would've named the robots, the boys talk about military propaganda,...

In today's episode, Miles takes Moriah and Stephan through the insanely unique experience that was the making of Who Framed Roger Rabbit ! We find out who framed him, how the animators combined real world and animation together, and how it made Bob Hoskins literally go insane. There hadn't been a movie that used animation and live actors quite like this before, so listen to find out just how techn...

HEY YOU GUYSSSSSSSS! In this episode, Moriah takes us through the adventure that is the 1985 The Goonies . Directed by Richard Donner (and let's be honest, Steven Spielberg), there's a lot to unpack! We talk about the beautiful location of Astoria, Oregon, the octopus and gorillas that didn't make the final cut, and how working with children made the director contemplate su*c*de. So if you're inte...

What's the most you've ever lost in a coin toss? In today's episode, Stephan leads Moriah and Miles through one of his favorite  movies of all time: No Country for Old Men ! Based on Cormac McCarthy's novel, we look at how the Coen brothers adapted it to the screen, the casting, locations, as well as the themes and symbolism littered throughout the film.  Make sure to follow us on social...

Miles leads Moriah and Stephan through the hit 2022 Daniels film Everything Everywhere All at Once , which is packed with action, comedy, special effects, and universes beyond imagination. We talk about actors doing their own stunts, who was originally supposed to star in the film, and Michelle Yeoh even stops by the studio to show off some of her sick moves. With award season in full swing and th...

In today's episode, Moriah takes Stephan and MIles through the incredible making of the 2020 film Nomadland . With only a handful of crew and actors, Chloé Zhao and Frances McDormand portray the nomadic lifestyle in a very documentary-like approach. The team talks about the unorthodox process of the movie, the real Nomads featured in the movie, what they would name their vans if they lived on the...

Well, we've come to the end of the year and so to wrap up 2022 we figured we'd do something a little different! Today we're going around the table to talk about movies we watched for the first time this year and give our Takie Awards out to different categories, such as: Least Favorite Watch, Favorite Performance, Most Surprising, Goofiest, Favorite Cinematography, and Favorite Movie Watched for t...

For our holiday-themed episode, Stephan leads us through the classic Gremlins ! With lots of puppets and practical effects, there isn't a shortage of things to talk about for this one. We discuss what it takes to make a little gremlin man come to life and we may become unhinged gremlins ourselves in this rather bonkers episode. Happy holidays, eat after midnight, and go goblin mode! Make sure to f...

Miles takes the lead this week to show Moriah and Stephan the insane journey that is the 1987 Full Metal Jacket . From Stanley Kubrick's classic "shoot it a million times" to micromanaging which palm tree goes where to actors wanting to literally murder each other, this set is full of fun stories. And don't think we don't talk about R. Lee Ermey's fantastic improv skills and how he got the role in...

Moriah's back at it again leading the discussion for our Thanksgiving-themed episode today: Planes, Trains & Automobiles ! In John Hughes' 1987 film about two strangers trying to get home for Thanksgiving, Steve Martin and John Candy bring us our first comedy we cover on the podcast. We talk about planes, we talk about trains, and you best believe we talk about those automobiles. We also discu...

To round out our Halloween spooktacular trilogy, Stephan is at the helm talking about Evil Dead II today! With lots of behind-the-scenes shenanigans and practical effects, the trio discuss possessed hands, sweaty costumes, stunt work, black blood, and more. Does Sam Raimi's 1987 cult classic stand the test of time? Listen to find out. Make sure to follow us on social media! You can find us on Twit...

What better way to celebrate October than have Miles lead us through the iconic Halloween ? John Carpenter and his ragtag team managed to create a phenomenal classic and Miles tells us all about it in today's episode. We talk about silly names, goofy ghosts, and how one pumpkin was harmed in the making of this 1978 film. Make sure to follow us on social media! You can find us on Twitter and Instag...

In today's episode, Moriah leads us through the 1975 cult classic that is The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The journey of this film is wild, from an instant hit stage production to a film flop to its eventual success as a midnight movie with traditions that have carried on for nearly FIFTY years. In addition to an information-packed episode, Stephan tries out his Tim Curry impression, Miles explains...

Stephan navigates the group on a journey through the crackers REAL life of Britain’s notorious prisoner “Charles Bronson” and the 2008 biopic that sprung from his incredibly bonkers life. Stephan reads poetry written by Charles himself, Miles tries a British accent again, and Moriah eats some ice cubes.  Make sure to follow us on social media! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @thetake...

Miles leads Moriah and Stephan through the 2012 LAIKA film ParaNorman, our first dive into stop motion. With hundreds of miniatures and mini robotics, there is A LOT that went into the making of this movie, which gives the three hosts a lot to discuss!  Make sure to follow us on social media! You can find us on Twitter and Instagram @thetakesittook. Got a question, comment, correction, or mov...

Moriah takes us through our first international feature film: Jackie Chan's 1985 Police Story ! Absolutely packed with insane and impressive stunts, there's a lot that happened on set to make this film as great as it is. Through broken bones and injuries galore, Chan shows the audience truly how great he is, and we talk about just that. Make sure to follow us on social media! You can find us on Tw...