Unspooled

This week Paul and Amy are breaking down the 1991 Kathryn Bigelow film Point Break, starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. The two dig into this elevated action movie and discuss how Kathryn Bigelow helped launch Keanu Reeves into action stardom. Then, Paul asks if this movie is shaped around the “Female Gaze," and Amy fills us all in about the stunts in this movie and which Red Hot Chili Peppe...

This week, to celebrate the release of Luca Guadagnino's Challengers, Paul and Amy break down the 2018 film Call Me By Your Name, starring Timothée Chalamet (sorry, no Zendaya in this one). The two talk about the beauty of the film's title, Guadagnino’s obsessive messiness, and the delicate CGI’ing of a certain actor's nether region. Plus, this movie has us all nostalgic over our first loves and o...

This week, Paul & Amy look at the other side of divorce with the 2013 Spike Jonze film HER. The two break down the incredibly charming performance of Joaquin Phoenix, discuss the AI of it all, dig into all the messiness that is being in romantic relationships, and ask, “Was Scarlett Johansson acting as an avatar for the Jonze-Coppola divorce?”.   Next week, Paul and Amy take a look at the film Cal...

This week, Paul is gone, but Amy is joined by fellow film critic and podcast host, Rico Gagliano (MUBI Podcast). The two break down the 2003 Sofia Coppola classic, Lost in Translation, starring Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray. They dig into the themes of alienation and loneliness in the film, the visual style of Sofia Coppola, and how she has noted that this movie could never get made today. Pl...

This week, Paul is away on tour, but Amy is joined by fellow film critic and podcast host David Sims (Blank Check). They break down the 1987 romcom Moonstruck, starring Cher and Nicolas Cage. Amy and David question Cher’s character “jinx”, notice the moon woven into all the details of the film, and learn about Norman Jewison's fantasy headspace when making his films. So sit back and let the moon h...

This week Amy and Paul are rocking out to the 1973 film Jesus Christ Superstar, starring Ted Neeley and directed by Norman Jewison. This musical stage play turned Burning Man Christ film was shot in the Israeli desert, leaving everyone mystified by the budget’s lack of generosity in only affording the actors one set of costumes. Plus, why Ted Neeley was always the best fit for the role of Jesus, c...

This week Paul and Amy’s clones are breaking down the 2009 film, Moon, starring Sam Rockwell and directed by Duncan Jones. But first things first, honoring our Oscars bet, Paul announces his removal of the film Intolerance from the Paul and Amy Institute list, much to Amy’s chagrin. Then, Paul and Amy dig into Moon, it being a “holy shit” movie in 2009, ponder how and what clones remember, and fin...

This week Amy & Paul are eating potatoes while discussing the 2015 film The Martian, starring Matt Damon and directed by Ridley Scott. They highlight the very grounded comedy throughout the film, draw comparisons between Mark Watney and Richard Hatch from Survivor, and respect that this film has no villains. Plus: This movie really makes us appreciate smart people being good at their jobs.   Next...

This week Paul & Amy are digging into all things Oscars and the Best Picture Nominees of 2024. The two ask, "was Barbie the most culturally significant film of 2023 and could it win Best Picture?" and "should Killers of the Flower Moon and Poor Things be thirty minutes shorter?" Then, Paul and Amy challenge each other to get every Oscar category wrong, because they can’t help but to vote with thei...

This week the Spice is flowing, and Paul & Amy are covering the 2021 film Dune. The two discuss the complicated feelings of going to the movies in the year 2021, Dune’s 2022 Oscar snub, ask “is this Beetlejuice?”, and dig into the undeniable influence Dune has had on Sci-Fi.    You can read Amy Nicholson’s interview with Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/21/mo...

Amy & Paul con their way into 1973 and stake out The Sting and all its nostalgia. They evaluate The Sting’s Oscar triumph over The Exorcist, praise the lightness and good-time feel over previous winners with heavier meaning, and take in the chemistry between Paul Newman and Robert Redford on screen that simply wasn’t true in real life. Plus: The “con” in “conman” is short for confidence.   Next we...

Paul & Amy curiously ask, what was our mindset in September 1999 when American Beauty was released as a smash hit? They examine Wes Bentley’s character and his emotional core to the consciousness of this movie, Amy Fisher’s “Long Island Lolita” influence, and how this film earned prestige with a modern feel at the time, while its legacy continues to fade. Plus: Is Lester Burnham just Edward Norton...

Amy & Paul hum along to 1984’s classical fantasia Amadeus! They learn how closely this unusual biopic matches the true history of Mozart, discover a Marvel reference to Salieri, and praise director Milos Forman for highlighting what made Mozart’s compositions endure. Plus: The phenomenon that inspired a smash novelty single.   Next week, Paul & Amy are talking about American Beauty! You can join t...

Amy & Paul jam to The Delfonics with 1997’s Quentin Tarantino crime saga Jackie Brown! They learn what Elmore Leonard thought of this Rum Punch adaptation, praise a sneakily scary Samuel L. Jackson performance, and discuss how this film, which initially befuddled critics expecting the next Pulp Fiction, became one of Tarantino’s most beloved works. Plus: was Sylvester Stallone really up for a role...

Paul & Amy get in the trunk with 1998's sly George Clooney & Jennifer Lopez crime comedy Out of Sight! They discuss why Elmore Leonard's stories lend themselves so well to Hollywood adaptations, learn how Lopez's fearlessness made her the perfect match for Clooney, and ask if this is the Steven Soderbergh movie that deserves to go to space. Plus: How to have charisma like Clooney.   Next week, Pau...

Amy & Paul party on with 1992’s Mike Myers & Dana Carvey SNL buddy comedy Wayne’s World! They dive into the creative conflicts between Myers and Carvey, learn how Penelope Spheeris landed the directorial role after finding fame as a rock documentarian, and ask what sets this film apart from the rest of the SNL spinoffs. Plus: Right Said Fred, but acoustic. Next week, Paul & Amy are talking about O...

Amy & Paul go back in time to save 1991’s blockbuster James Cameron action sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day! They praise Cameron’s control of both CGI and practical effects, find parallels to Oppenheimer in the film’s depiction of a devastating scientific breakthrough, and ask why Linda Hamilton didn’t get an Oscar for her portrayal of Sarah Connor. Plus: Danny Cooksey, the ultimate 90’s best fri...

Paul & Amy wrap up another year of Unspooled by choosing which films they covered this season are going to space! Josh, Jess and Devon return as the gang determines which movies deserve inclusion on Unspooled’s official list of the 100 greatest films of all time. The contenders include an action film that’s become a holiday classic, an underdog sports story that might out-Rocky Rocky, and a minima...

Paul & Amy are throwing an end-of-year party, and you're invited! Joined by lots of film and podcast friends, Unspooled producers of past, present, and (maybe?) future all ask this year's hot question: What was your favorite film of the year? Was it Barbie, Oppenheimer, or Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, or was it perhaps The Zone of Interest, Polite Society, or The Holdovers? At this party,...

Paul & Amy slice into Tim Burton’s 1990 gothic fairytale Edward Scissorhands! They try to determine what year the film takes place in, discover why a story about being an outsider resonated so widely, and ask if Burton’s artistic preoccupations have become shtick. Plus: A brief sidebar on Edward Penishands.   Next week, Paul and Amy are inviting friends to share their favorite films of 2023! You c...

Amy & Paul take on all comers for 2010's Edgar Wright comic extravaganza Scott Pilgrim vs. the World! They discuss Michael Cera's unusual casting as a feckless player, learn about Scott's original fate in the film's first cut, and revisit the era of pop-culture hyperliteracy that birthed this story. Plus: comparing the film with Scott Pilgrim's recent anime re-imagining. Next week, Paul and Amy ar...

Amy & Paul take the stage for a closer look at concert movies! Inspired by the recent release of “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” and the rerelease of Talking Heads’ “Stop Making Sense,” they dig into what separates a good concert film from a great one, survey the many ways musicians make their films feel like a true event, and learn about Flavor Flav’s Swift fandom. Plus: how David Byrne is like Opp...

Paul & Amy play hooky for 1984’s John Hughes class-cutting caper Ferris Bueller’s Day Off! They discover the secret backstory behind Charlie Sheen’s memorable cameo, read some of their favorite Reddit fan theories, and express their disappointment that the real Matthew Broderick is nothing like Ferris. Plus: how the filmmakers pulled off that massive parade sequence.   Next week, Paul and Amy are...

Paul & Amy break all the rules of David Fincher’s 1999 cult sendup of masculinity Fight Club! They ask how seriously we’re meant to take the film’s grand pronouncements on consumerism and conformity, discover how badly Edward Norton hurt himself while beating himself up, and ask if this holds up as Fincher’s very best film. Plus: Which costume choice for Tyler Durden went too far for Fincher?   Ne...

Paul & Amy put their hats in the ring for 1999’s acidic high-school satire Election! They praise director Alexander Payne’s brilliant eye for humanist detail, discuss how Matthew Broderick channels his Ferris Bueller image to subversive ends, and posit that America has only become more like high school since the movie’s release. Plus: How Election almost derailed Reese Witherspoon’s career.   Next...