Paul Scheer & Amy Nicholson | Realm
Each week actor & comedian Paul Scheer (Black Monday, The League) and film critic Amy Nicholson (LA Times Chief Film Critic ) watch and discuss the best movies out there. From the classics to new releases and every indie film in-between. Along the way, they’ll dissect iconic scenes, spotlight their favorite characters, and decide if these movies still stand the test of time.
Paul & Amy unwrap 1983's holiday nostalgia trip A Christmas Story! They learn about the life of the film's inspiration Jean Shepherd, discover how the flagpole scene was shot, and ask if a film like this can still hold the attention of kids today. Plus: Michael Dowse, director of "8-Bit Christmas," tells us about the Christmas films that inspired him.
Amy & Paul stop time for 1999's reality-bending blockbuster The Matrix! They marvel at the preternatural shared mind of directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski, explore the political and social after-effects of the 'Matrix' concept, and ask each other whether they would take the red pill or the blue pill. Plus: What if this movie had starred Janet Jackson and Will Smith? Next week Unspooled wraps up the year with A Christmas Story! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Faceb
Paul & Amy cross the pond for 2003's Christmas romantic comedy smash Love Actually! They dissect director Richard Curtis's curious understanding of love, learn the fates of each character in the 2017 sequel short, and watch deleted scenes that would have introduced even more plots into the film. Plus: Lindy West discusses her essay "Shit Actually" that kicked off a critical re-evaluation of this movie. Next week Unspooled pulls out another stocking stuffer to talk The Matrix! You can join the c
Paul & Amy feed 1986’s creature feature musical Little Shop of Horrors! They credit director Frank Oz for getting Audrey II’s physicality just right, dive into the career of Four Tops singer Levi Stubbs, and debate whether the heightened tone of the film feels more theatrical or more cinematic. Plus: A young Jack Nicholson’s astonishing cameo in the original Little Shop. Next week Unspooled shakes out its first holiday stocking stuffer, Love Actually! You can join the conversation for this seri
Amy & Paul go to bat for 2001's mega-hit Bollywood sports musical Lagaan! They compare star Aamir Khan to Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, learn about a key last-minute change to the love triangle plot, and ask what makes the choreography of the musical numbers feel both heightened and naturalistic. Plus: Was Lagaan's campaign to win an Oscar a success? Next week Unspooled concludes this series on musicals with Little Shop Of Horrors! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Face
Amy & Paul shoot up 2002's darkly comic musical revival Chicago! They interrogate director Rob Marshall's choice to use rapid cuts over long takes, discuss how Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones contrast perfectly with each other, and revisit a time when Oscar voters were thirsty for any musicals at all. Plus: Some of the many parodies Chicago has inspired. Next week Unspooled continues our series on musicals with Lagaan! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Face
Paul & Amy know 1978’s retro musical sensation Grease is the word! They praise Stockard Channing’s fiercely independent performance as Rizzo, compare the film to contemporary period piece American Graffiti, and explore the early career of “Plastic Bubble”-boy John Travolta. Plus: revisiting an infamous awards disaster masterminded by Grease producer Allan Carr. Next week Unspooled continues our series on musicals with Chicago! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Fac
Paul & Amy kidnap 1993's Gothic stop-motion musical The Nightmare Before Christmas! They praise the carnival-esque compositions of Danny Elfman, compare Oogie Boogie's big musical number to the Max Fleischer cartoon it was inspired by, and dig into the thorny question of who this film's true auteur is, Tim Burton or Henry Selick. Plus: Why did the studio want Jack Skellington to have eyes? Next week Unspooled continues our series on musicals with Grease! You can join the conversation for this s
Amy & Paul drift off into 1984's Wes Craven sleeper slasher film A Nightmare On Elm Street! They give qualified praise to Johnny Depp's first-ever screen role, appreciate Craven's meta-sequel New Nightmare, and rank Freddy Krueger within the pantheon of slasher icons. Plus: Freddy appeared in a rap video? Next week Unspooled kicks off a new series on musicals with The Nightmare Before Christmas! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.faceboo
Amy & Paul take a hike through 1999's revolutionary found-footage film The Blair Witch Project! They praise Heather Donahue’s often maligned performance, revisit the film's enormously successful viral marketing campaign, and discuss the film's pioneering of immersive, hand-held horror. Plus: Should directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez be credited as the film's producers instead? Next week Unspooled’s Scaretober series concludes with Nightmare On Elm Street! You can join the conversation
Acclaimed comic book writer and artist Ed Brubaker (Criminal, Reckless) joins Paul & Amy to talk about three of his favorite films, including a bruising film noir and a futuristic romance. He also shares his fantasy casting for Jack Reacher and his take on Inception!
Paul & Amy get a taste of 2016's French coming of age/horror film Raw! They debate whether Justine's dilemma is a metaphor for drugs or sexuality, analyze the infamous bikini wax scene, and ask what makes this a "female" film. Plus: Is director Julia Ducournau's even wilder follow up Titane worth seeing? Next week Unspooled’s Scaretober series continues with The Blair Witch Project! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/
Tim Blake Nelson (Old Henry, O Brother Where Art Thou?) talks to Paul and Amy about three of his all time top films, including a documentary about a radical artist and a period piece that takes the "period" elements seriously.
Amy & Paul get revved up over 1974's archetypal slasher film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre! They draw parallels between the film and post-Vietnam America, examine the Sawyer family's relatable drive to survive in a harsh capitalist world, and prepare themselves for the next remake. Plus: Amy tells the story of the Candy Man murders. Next week Unspooled’s Scaretober series continues with Raw! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/
Paul & Amy get hypnotized by 1920's German silent horror film The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari! They learn about the history of German Expressionism, discuss the relative importance of realism and stylization in film, and watch a trailer for a bizarre 80's remake. Plus: Who are Paul & Amy's favorite Garbage Pail Kids? Next week Unspooled’s Scaretober series continues with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook
Amy & Paul make heads turn with 1973's horror classic The Exorcist! They praise Ellen Burstyn's quiet but strong take on a desperate celebrity mother trying to save her 'sick' daughter, coin the term "cinematic one night stand" for one-off iconic performances, and grimace over the grotesque special effects inspired by real-life medical procedures. Plus: Amy accidentally cursed her ex-boyfriend with a Santeria candle! Next week Unspooled’s Scaretober series continues with The Cabinet of Dr. Calig
Melanie Lynskey (Lady Of The Manor, I Don't Feel At Home In The World Anymore) tells us three of her favorite films, including the breakthrough film of a fellow New Zealander and a retro camp classic.
Paul & Amy close the book on Unspooled's second season with some hard choices - which movies covered during the past year of the podcast are going to space? They agree on the fate of a low budget horror classic, disagree on including a groundbreaking romance, and Josh & Devon get in the mix to advocate for an indie auteur's most poignant film. Plus: NASA astronomer Michelle Thaller helps us with the logistics of sending our Top 100 to space, and explains why Contact depicts the life of a scienti
Amy & Paul race through 2015's post-apocalyptic action masterwork Mad Max: Fury Road! They learn why director George Miller brought on feminist playwright Eve Ensler as an advisor, praise the film's playful and careful worldbuilding, and ask whether Miller comes from the 'tyrant' school of directing. Plus: Witness young dating show contestant Tom Hardy! Next week tune in for Unspooled's Season 2 finale, and find out which films will be added to our ultimate list! You can join the conversation fo
Paul & Amy go deep into 2010's mind-bending Christopher Nolan heist film Inception! They gawk at the protagonist's name, learn the origin of the famous "braaam" sound, and ask whether Nolan's cerebral vision of blockbuster filmmaking has aged well. Plus: What's the actual longest-lived parasite in the human body? Next week Unspooled's summer blockbuster series concludes with Mad Max: Fury Road! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.