Episódios
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Happy Valentine's Day! Actor and producer Hayley Palmaer returns to the show to discuss the Oscar-nominated 1967 comedy "Divorce, American Style," written by Norman Lear and starring Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds.
What is an American-style divorce? We'll get into the movie's portrayal versus reality and what's changed (and what's stayed the same) socially and legally around relationships and the institution of marriage.
References:
Divorce, American Style by Suzanne Kahn
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Schedule the installation of that in-ground pool because your Christmas bonus has finally arrived! Friend of the pod and feature film producer Lorenzo Nardini has worked on over 20 Christmas movies, and he joins us to talk about his work at MPCA, the "NCU" (Netflix Christmas Universe), what he has coming up in 2024, and his own thoughts on All American Christmas Carol.
References:
The Knight Before Christmas
Hotel for the Holidays
Best. Christmas. Ever!
‘Pretty Little Liars’ Alum Sasha Pieterse To Topline MPCA Thriller ‘The Image Of You’
Jenna Ortega & Her ‘Wednesday’ Co-Star Percy Hynes White Reunite On Tiffany Paulsen’s Directorial Debut ‘Winter Spring Summer Or Fall’
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At long last! Run, don't walk to see American Fiction in theaters now! This is a spoiler-free episode gushing about how much I loved Cord Jefferson's new movie. But first, a recap of a handful of other movies I loved and that I thought were a lot of in 2023 and what I'm looking forward to doing on this show in 2024.
References:
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters March 22
It doesn't suck: Showgirls - by Adam Nayman
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Ho ho holy moly, is it Christmas already? On this episode, Ben talks about why there hasn't been a certified classic holiday movie since "Elf" and "Love Actually" came out TWENTY YEARS AGO, and then he provides a recap of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" before diving into two (of four!) American Christmas stories. "American Christmas" and "All American Christmas Carol" take different approaches in adapting Dickens' enduring tale and end up sending very different messages...
References:
Are ‘Elf’ and ‘Love Actually’ the Last Holiday Classics We’ll Ever Get?
Sorry To Bring This Up, But Is The Holiday Really A Christmas Movie?
Why There Haven't Been Any Modern Christmas Classics in the 2020s
The Time Zack Morris Gave Himself A Homeless Girl For Christmas
Working Homeless: More Than Half of Unhoused People Have Jobs
California Program Giving $500 No-Strings-Attached Stipends Pays Off, Study Finds
How $750 a month changed the lives of a group of homeless people in California
'It’s a miracle': Helsinki's radical solution to homelessness
Child labor violations soared in fiscal 2023
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Box office juggernaut Oppenheimer is expected to dominate awards season this year, but while the US government had the Manhattan Project team hard at work at Los Alamos, it was also incarcerating over 120,000 Japanese Americans in camps from eastern California to Arkansas.
Desmond Nakano's American Pastime takes place at the Topaz camp and centers on a family and community coming together to find strength, hope, and dignity.
Author and professor Susan Kamei ("When Can We Go Back to America? Voices of Japanese American Incarceration during WWII") joins us to discuss her ongoing work in the Van Hunnick history department of USC's Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, the resonant elements of the film's story and characters, the importance of baseball in the camps, and why it's so important to understand this part of our history.
Trailer: American Pastime
References:
When Can We Go Back to America? Voices of Japanese American Incarceration during WWII
https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/When-Can-We-Go-Back-to-America/Susan-H-Kamei/9781481401456
Lyrical Paintings of Life Inside a WWII Internment Camp
https://slate.com/human-interest/2016/09/paintings-by-estelle-ishigo-of-life-inside-the-heart-mountain-relocation-center-during-world-war-ii.html
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Happy Halloween, horror fans! Spooky season is upon us, and it's the perfect time to talk about 1988's American Gothic with local Pacific Northwest filmmaker and Executive Director for endHaven Productions, Jason Wilkinson! Jason has written and directed several award winning horror films like Killing Time, She Picked Me, and the short film Tabitha, which is part of the feature film Sinphony: A Clubhouse Horror Anthology, now available to stream for free on Tubi.
Jason tells us about what he's been enjoying this Halloween season, what's on his watchlist, and why the Pacific Northwest is the best place to shoot horror. Then we get into the movie, discussing the appeal and endurance of Backwoods Horror, the portrayal of evil characters living in rural and remote places, and how contemporary news and politics exacerbate the urban-rural divide.
Jason Wilkinson
Website: https://www.endhaven.com
Social media: @JasonFilmDude (IG, X) and @endhavenproductions (FB, IG, YouTube)
Killing Time: https://reveel.net/programs/1299515/killing-time
Sinphony: A Clubhouse Horror Anthology (segment: "Tabitha") https://tubitv.com/movies/711074/sinphony-a-clubhouse-horror-anthology
References:
Backwoods Horror / Rural Survival Films (IMDb)
Why Are Small Towns The Perfect Sinister Setting For Horror? (Nerdist)
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Wow! Three more movies that came out since 2020, and they're all about crime. Ben discusses how one bad decision can snowball into all sorts of obstacles to attaining the American Dream, how powerful forces corrupt the purity of art in American Night, and how toxic masculinity results in loneliness and isolation in American Badger.
References:
Leslie Jones Has a Message for Men: "Go to Therapy" | The Daily Show
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Ben is back with three more movies that have been released since 2020! First he chats about American Sicario's apparent rebuke of American male privilege and ego. Then he finds an extended metaphor for attitudes and challenges faced by those seeking shelter in the US in American Refugee. And finally, he feels the urgency to reach out and understand each other in American Insurrection.
References:
"Conversations with People Who Hate Me" by Dylan Marron
https://www.dylanmarron.com/book
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It's an American Reunion! No, not that one, the one where Ben reunites with the podcast he and Allen started three years ago. While Allen is busy being a new dad, Ben is dipping his toe back into red, white, and blue waters. On this episode, he discusses the first three of nine movies with American in the title released since 2020, examining the convoluted machinations of government programs in American Carnage, the corruption of local leaders in American Siege, and the aspirations of an American Underdog.
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It's almost Halloween, and we're celebrating the 40th anniversary of John Landis's "An American Werewolf in London" for its seamless blend of comedy and horror, Rick Baker's Oscar-winning makeup, and strong, grounded performances from the whole cast. We discuss dealing with mental illness and processing trauma, and we touch on generational differences and the urban-rural divide. And stick around for our favorite American moments!
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It's our first minisode for Phase 2 of the pod! We discuss the first episode of "Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later" and share a couple camp stories from our youth. Then we name some of our favorite stageplay-to-film adaptations and recast the roles of Don and Teach from "American Buffalo" with actors from other "American" movies we covered so far. And finally we rank our top five tracks from the incredible "American Graffiti" soundtrack and pick apart the trailer for the ill-advised sequel "More American Graffiti."
References:
Titus Welliver's Al Pacino Impression 2 (YouTube)
More American Graffiti - Original Theatrical Trailer (1979) (YouTube)
List of plays adapted into feature films (Wikipedia)
41 Original Hits from the Soundtrack of American Graffiti (Wikipedia)
Saved by the bell - 5 aces (YouTube)
Saved by the Bell - Barbara Ann (YouTube) -
Buckle up for a trip down memory lane in the Oscar-nominated and critically acclaimed 1973 film American Graffiti directed by George Lucas. We discuss coming of age in a peaceful moment just before the world is turned upside down, the myths we hold onto (and those we must confront), and our cultural obsession with nostalgia as comfort food. And as always, the most American moments from the film!
References:
What George Lucas Achieved With American Graffiti (Essential Films) -
Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman and Emmy winner Dennis Franz star in American Buffalo, the 1996 adaptation of the 1975 David Mamet play set in a seedy second-hand junk shop about a couple streetwise losers who plot the robbery of a valuable coin. Very much a contemporary inner city riff on Waiting for Godot, we discuss the toxic traits of the central characters that keep them stuck in a cycle of failure and the cynical portrayal of the American hustle. PLUS: our American moments and a teaser for what's to come in our first Phase 2 minisode!
References:
LETTER FROM ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ON AMERICAN BUFFALO (Steppenwolf.org) -
Return with us to Camp Firewood for the 20th anniversary of the cult classic directed by David Wain and starring Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Michael Showalter, Marguerite Moreau, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Molly Shannon, Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio, Michael Ian Black, Amy Poehler, and Bradley Cooper. We discuss the history of summer camps in America, the universality of summer camp experiences, and riffs on camp movies and summer crowd-pleasers. Plus, Allen does not know the lyrics for Jason Mraz's "The Remedy," Ben doesn't know who won at the 1980 Summer Olympics, and as always, we run down our favorite American moments. And Allen shares a heartfelt tribute to the late Norm Macdonald. (recorded September 14, 2021)
References:
"The Way We Live Now: Questions for David Wain and Michael Showalter; Camping it Up" (New York Times Magazine, August 5 2001)
"Summertime Switch - 1994 ABC Family Movie" (YouTube)
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American Gigolo takes place in late 1970's Los Angeles almost exclusively in upscale locales and centers on a white heterosexual cisgender male escort played by Richard Gere. Journey Out's Director of Communications Mary David joins us to address what it is really like in Los Angeles for victims and survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. She discusses how individuals are affected by the sex trade, issues involving law enforcement, and the influence of media. While contemporary reality diverges much from what is portrayed in the film, she also draws some interesting parallels. Learn more about Journey Out online at https://journeyout.org/
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Before we dive into a new crop of American movies, we remind you of the 19 films we've covered so far and hand out awards for Best Supporting Actor & Actress, Best Lead Actor & Actress, Best Director, and Best Picture. We shout out a plethora of honorable mentions and engage in lighthearted debate as we discuss our choices for the winners. These are the American Scene Awards: Phase 1.
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Sometimes there's so much Beauty in the podcast... we feel like we can't fit it all in one episode. So we recorded a special minisode just for American Beauty! We add to our previous conversation on the theme of maintaining appearances, discuss some interesting alternate casting ideas, and redo the 1999 Best Supporting Actor & Actress categories. We also touch on the script's original ending, some IMDb trivia, and one more great American moment.
References:
"How Not to Start an Interview"
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While we're on a break for the summer, enjoy this minisode where we discuss the varied career of American Outlaws star Colin Farrell and why did Kathy Bates end up in that movie. We touch on the relevant timing of our American Violet episode and take a look at the still blossoming career of star Nicole Beharie. Finally, Allen goes gaga for Goggins, and, as promised, Ben analyzes the deeper themes of Pineapple Express. (recorded June 23, 2021)
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It's our last full episode before a summer hiatus, and it's time for the big kahuna of American movies. American Beauty made over $350 million worldwide and won FIVE Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director for Sam Mendes, and Best Original Screenplay for Alan Ball. We discuss the suburban soap as a unique sub-genre, how appearances and sex are central to each character's story, and we briefly touch on the year 1999 and a unifying element to certain films from that year. And stick around for American moments!
References:
Why All Movies From 1999 Are The Same - Now You See It
Being John Malkovich and the Office Movies of 1999 - Eyebrow Cinema
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Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart re-teamed six years after Adventureland for this well-acted and mostly entertaining stoner action movie also starring Topher Grace, Connie Britton, Walton Goggins, and Bill Pullman. We discuss the stoner movie sub-genre, obedience versus free will, and American ultra-violence. And as always, we pick out the film's American moments. (recorded May 13, 2021)
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