Unspooled

Paul & Amy break the block open with a new Unspooled series on summer blockbusters! They ask why the Fast saga has succeeded where so many original ideas have failed, try to pinpoint when franchise films lost their sense of joy, and preview some of the big films coming out soon, Plus: Narrowing down the shortlist of blockbusters to cover over the next two months. Next week Unspooled continues the...

Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Gunpowder Milkshake) joins Unspooled to talk about her top 3 films she would send to space, including a 90s rom com classic and a horror masterpiece. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy & Paul come home to 1995's space disaster docudrama Apollo 13! They ask if this is secretly a film about disappointment, spot a cameo by a legendary director, and discuss whether there's a successor to Ron Howard among today's generation of filmmakers. Plus: What's the actual version of the film's most famous quote? Next week Unspooled kicks off a new series on summer blockbusters! You can joi...

Tom Scharpling (The Best Show, Steven Universe) joins us to talk about his new book It Never Ends and his top 3 movie musicals! He talks about why he loves excess in musicals, Jack Nicholson’s directorial career, and going to Papa Roach’s basketball game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paul & Amy invade 1986's James Cameron space action classic Aliens! They learn what this film had in common with Platoon, ask why the aliens feel less threatening here than they did in the first film, and try not to call Ripley 'badass.' Plus: Do the deleted scenes that give more backstory to Ripley help or hurt her character? Next week Unspooled's space series concludes with Apollo 13! You can jo...

Welcome to Top 3, a semi-regular bonus series where we ask our favorite creative people to talk about three films they love! In this interview, Daveed Diggs talks about growing up on Abbott & Costello, a new film from Côte d'Ivoire he can't stop thinking about, and some of the influences that went into Blindspotting (both the film and series). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...

Paul & Amy orbit 1972's Russian outer space mood piece Solaris! They learn why director Andrei Tartovsky disdained nearly all American films, compare Solaris to the many movies it influenced, and decry the 'explainer' culture of modern film fandom. Plus: A dramatic reading of the trailer for the Solaris remake! Next week Unspooled's space series continues with Aliens! You can join the conversation...

Amy & Paul burst out of 1979's sci-fi horror pioneer Alien! They learn about the film's original darker ending, contrast it with another classic horror film Unspooled has covered, and ask whether today's filmmakers have lost the visual imagination that made Alien feel so innovative. Plus, the eternal debate: Alien or Aliens? Next week Unspooled's space series continues with Solaris (the 1972 origi...

Paul & Amy reach out to 1997's Robert Zemeckis extraterrestrial encounter film Contact! They learn about the long journey Carl Sagan's story took to the screen, ask whether Matthew McConaughey's character is too daffy, and debate the existence of God and aliens. Plus: How did they get Bill Clinton to cameo?   Next week Unspooled's space series continues with Alien! You can join the conversation fo...

Amy & Paul totally get into 1995's Jane-Austen-in-high-school comedy Clueless! They discuss what makes this a perfect Emma adaptation, learn which actor's mistake director Amy Heckerling intentionally kept in the film, and play a Paul Rudd themed guessing game. Plus: Ronna Glickman (Jessica Chaffin) dishes out some love advice. (This episode originally aired live on YouTube as part of Unspooled’s...

The hosts of the George Lucas Talk Show (Connor Ratliff, Griffin Newman and Patrick Cotnoir) reenact a scene from "Ewoks: The Battle For Endor," defend Rise Of Skywalker, and pitch a new Star Wars prequel in this all-Lucas episode of Screen Test! This episode was originally released as part of our Premium game show series Screen Test; to hear more, just sign up for Stitcher Premium at stitcher.com...

Paul & Amy dance on the keys for 1988's Tom Hanks body swap comedy Big! They discuss the unique perspective director Penny Marshall brought to the film's romantic scenes, play some of their favorite oddball Hanks cameos, and ask how Josh's experience would go on to shape his real adulthood. Plus: Lauren Lapkus shares why this is her favorite film. (This episode originally aired live on YouTube as...

Paul & Amy beam aboard 1999's TV sci-fi satire Galaxy Quest! They discuss how fandom has changed over the last 20 years, learn about an in-joke that inspired the villain's name, and debate whether Tim Allen was the right choice for the Shatner-esque lead role. Plus: Paul shares his secret history with this film.   You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at htt...

Amy & Paul set a course for 1902's seminal space short A Trip To The Moon (aka Le Voyage dans la Lune)! They dissect it as a work of imperialist satire, learn more about director Georges Méliès, and listen to a modern score made for the film by Air. Plus: Which films will we cover for the rest of our space series?   Next week our galactic trip continues with Galaxy Quest! You can join the conversa...

Paul & Amy take on 1994's groundbreaking high school basketball documentary Hoop Dreams! They compare the look of the film to slick modern docs, look at the subtle ways director Steve James contrasts his two subjects, and learn what stars Arthur and William are doing today. Plus: how Siskel & Ebert's advocacy for the film unveiled an Oscar scandal.   Next week, we begin our discussion of films set...

Paul & Amy break down Nomadland, Mank, Judas & The Black Messiah, and all the Best Picture nominees before this year's Academy Awards! They discuss which movies looked too depressing to tackle during a pandemic (and which are less depressing than you'd think), ask why the Best Picture and Best Director nominations aren't one and the same, and give their predictions for the big category winners (an...

Amy & Paul hit a grand slam for 1992's Penny Marshall baseball comedy A League Of Their Own! They make the case this is a film about female friendship as much as a sports movie, dig into the camaraderie between Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell, and ask what was really going through Dottie's head in the final game. Plus: Amy met a Rockford Peach!   This is the fifth episode of our Underdogs series; next...

Paul & Amy run through 1981's Olympic track drama Chariots of Fire! They learn why this is Joe Biden's favorite film, ask if this thoroughly British story was at all jazzed up for American audiences, and compare the arcs of individual sports like running to the team sports they've covered so far. Plus: How composer Vangelis fought to get his iconic theme in the film. This is the fourth episode of...

Paul & Amy slide through 1993's Jamaican bobsledding comedy Cool Runnings! They learn which parts of the script were true and which were exaggerated for the film, praise John Candy's generous straight man performance, and ask whether formula is always a bad thing in filmmaking. Plus: Doug E. Doug (Sanka Coffie) recalls talking the production team out of some bad ideas.   This is the third episode...

Paul & Amy tackle 1971's football integration melodrama Brian's Song! They learn why Burt Reynolds ultimately wasn't cast in the James Caan role, praise the film's use of real game footage, and discuss why it all works despite often feeling like an after school special. Plus: what makes Brian's Song a famous 'guy-cry?'   This is the second episode of our Underdogs series; next week’s film is Cool...

Amy & Paul double team 1986's Gene Hackman basketball drama Hoosiers! They praise the film for capturing the realism of small town life, dissect what makes films based on true stories successful, and ask whether Hackman is actually a good coach. Plus: How does Jerry Goldsmith's Oscar nominated score hold up?   This is the first episode of our Underdogs series; next week's film is Brian's Song! Lea...

Amy and Paul sit down with Mark Harris, author of "Mike Nichols: A Life," to discuss the career of the famed director of films like "The Graduate" and "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?", and the insights Harris uncovered by diving into his life and work. Next week, movie discussion resumes, as we kick off our Underdogs series on real-life-inspired sports films with Hoosiers! Learn more about your a...

Amy & Paul fight for 1987's Rob Reiner meta-fairytale The Princess Bride! They discuss what makes Reiner's films stand out, listen to Cary Elwes' Marlon Brando impression, and ask if this is a perfect example of an 'everything' film. Plus: some Andre The Giant stories you won't believe.   This is the final episode of the Couple Goals series; next week we kick off Underdogs, our series on true-life...

Paul & Amy can’t quit 2005’s groundbreaking gay romance Brokeback Mountain. They analyze how the beginning and ending shots of the film mirror each other, ask why so much early coverage of the film felt tone deaf, and praise all four central performances as the emergence of a new generation of great actors. Plus: What makes Ang Lee one of our greatest living directors.                             ...

Amy & Paul alley-oop 2000's Gina Prince-Bythewood athletic romance Love And Basketball! They discover the impact this film made on WNBA players like Candace Parker, learn why Sanaa Lathan had to prove she was up for the lead role, and ask if a childhood argument foreshadows the central couple's turbulent relationship. Plus: Why did the love scene almost get cut by the MPAA?   This is the sixth epi...