This week, we discuss the early aughts comedy film, Legally Blonde, proving that being true to yourself is always in style. Or perhaps it doesn't. Who knows?
SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety, including the major plot developments in the courtroom. If you plan on watching it, we strongly suggest you do so before listening to our takes.
A Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) production. Released on July 13, 2001. Directed by Robert Luketic. Written by Karen McCullah Lutz and Kirsten Smith, based on the 2001 novel by Amanda Brown. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Luke Wilson, Selma Blair, Matthew Davis, and Jennifer Coolidge. Cinematography by Anthony B. Richmond. Edited by Anita Brand. Music by Rolfe Kent.
This week, we discuss the intense World War II spy thriller, Five Graves to Cairo, set in the desolate landscape of North Africa during the height of the desert campaign.
SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety, including the details of the central German operation. If you plan on watching it, we strongly suggest you do so before listening to our takes.
A Paramount Pictures production. Released on May 13, 1943. Directed by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder, based on the play Hotel Imperial by Lajos Biro. Starring Franchot Tone, Anne Baxter, Akim Tamiroff, and Erich von Stroheim (as Field Marshal Rommel). Cinematography by John F. Seitz. Edited by Doane Harrison. Music by Miklós Rózsa.
This week, we discuss the smash hit sequel, Moana 2, which finds our wayfinding hero embarking on a dangerous new voyage across the far seas of Oceania.
SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we strongly suggest you do so before listening to our takes.
A Walt Disney Animation Studios production. Released on November 27, 2024. Directed by David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller. Screenplay by Jared Bush and Dana Ledoux Miller. Featuring the voices of Auliʻi Cravalho (Moana), Dwayne Johnson (Maui), Alan Tudyk (Heihei), Nicole Scherzinger (Sina), and Temuera Morrison (Tui). Music by Mark Mancina, Opetaia Foaʻi, Abigail Barlow, and Emily Bear.
This week, we discuss the screwball comedy, The Major and the Minor, the first American film directed by legendary filmmaker Billy Wilder.
SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety, including the central masquerade and the romantic tension it creates. If you plan on watching it, we strongly suggest you do so before listening to our takes.
A Paramount Pictures production. Released on September 16, 1942. Directed by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder, based on the play Connie Goes Home by Edward Childs Carpenter. Starring Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland. Cinematography by Leo Tover. Edited by Doane Harrison. Music by Robert Emmett Dolan.
This week, we discuss Disney's ill-conceived animated Western, Home on the Range, which features a trio of dairy cows who turn into bounty hunters.
SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we strongly suggest you do so before listening to our takes.
A Walt Disney Feature Animation production. Released on April 2, 2004. Directed by Will Finn and John Sanford. Featuring the voices of Roseanne Barr (Maggie), Judi Dench (Mrs. Calloway), Jennifer Tilly (Grace), Cuba Gooding Jr. (Buck), and Randy Quaid (Alameda Slim). Music by Alan Menken.
This week, we discuss the road rage thriller that launched Steven Spielberg's career, Duel.
SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we strongly suggest you do so before listening to our takes.
An ABC Movie of the Week, produced by Universal Television. Aired on November 13, 1971 (US TV) and later released theatrically internationally. Directed by Steven Spielberg (his feature-length debut). Screenplay by Richard Matheson, based on his own short story. Starring Dennis Weaver (David Mann). Cinematography by Jack A. Marta. Music by Billy Goldenberg.
This week, we discuss the often-overlooked French film, Mauvaise Graine (Bad Seed), which marked the start of a legendary directorial career for its co-director, Billy Wilder.
SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we strongly suggest you do so before listening to our takes.
An independent French production. Released on July 5, 1934 (France). Co-directed by Billy Wilder and Alexander Esway. Screenplay by Billy Wilder, Jan Lustig, Max Colpet, and Claude-André Puget. Featuring the voices of Pierre Mingand (Henri Pasquier), Danielle Darrieux (Jeannette), and Raymond Galle (Jean-la-Cravate). Score by Franz Waxman and Allan Gray.
This week, we discuss Disney's bizarre update of a classic fable, Chicken Little.
SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we strongly suggest you do so before listening to our takes.
A Walt Disney Pictures release from Walt Disney Feature Animation. Released on November 4, 2005. Directed by Mark Dindal. Screenplay by Steve Bencich, Ron J. Friedman, and Ron Anderson, based on a story by Dindal and Mark Kennedy, and the original fable. Featuring the voices of Zach Braff, Garry Marshall, Joan Cusack, Steve Zahn, and Dan Molina. Edited by Dan Molina. Score by John Debney.
This week, we discuss Walt Disney Animation Studios' recent flop, Wish.
SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we strongly suggest you do so before listening to our takes.
A Walt Disney Pictures release from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Released on November 22, 2023. Directed by Chris Buck and Fawn Veerasunthorn. Written by Jennifer Lee and Allison Moore, based on a story by Lee, Buck, Veerasunthorn, and Moore. Featuring the voices of Ariana DeBose, Chris Pine, and Alan Tudyk. Score by Dave Metzger. Original songs by Julia Michaels, Benjamin Rice, and JP Saxe.
This week, we discuss the groundbreaking and enduringly popular computer-animated feature film, Toy Story.
SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we strongly suggest you do so before listening to our takes.
A Walt Disney Pictures release from Pixar Animation Studios. Released on November 22, 1995. Directed by John Lasseter. Written by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen, and Alec Sokolow, based on a story by John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, and Joe Ranft. Featuring the voices of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Edited by Robert Gordon and Lee Unkrich. Score and original songs by Randy Newman.
For our season finale, we look back upon our year-and-a-half journey through the films of Alfred Hitchcock.
This week we talk about what may be Alfred Hitchcock's most enduringly popular film, Psycho.
***SPOILER ALERT*** We do talk about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.
A Universal Picture. Released on September 8, 1960. Produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Written by Joseph Stefano, based on the novel by Robert Block. Starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, Martin Balsam, John Gavin, and Pat Hitchcock. Cinematography by John L. Russell. Edited by George Tomansini. Score by Bernard Hermann.
Ranking: 1 out of 52. Ranking movies is a reductive parlor game. It’s also fun. And it’s a good way to frame a discussion. We aggregated over 70 ranked lists from critics, fans, and magazines Psycho got 3,094 ranking points
This week we turn our lens to Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 classic Rear Window. Jimmy Stewart stars as a photographer stuck in his apartment while recovering from an injury who takes to watching his neighbors.
***SPOILER ALERT*** We do talk about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.
A Paramount Picture. Released on September 1, 1954. Produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Written by John Michael Hayes, based on the short story, “It Had to Be Murder” by Cornell Woolrich. Starring James Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, Wendell Corey, Raymond Burr, and Judith Evelyn. Cinematography by Robert Burks. Edited by George Tomansini. Score by Franz Waxman.
Ranking: 2 out of 52. Ranking movies is a reductive parlor game. It’s also fun. And it’s a good way to frame a discussion. We aggregated over 70 ranked lists from critics, fans, and magazines Rear Window got 3,077 ranking points.
This week we discuss Vertigo. Arguably Hitchcock's most critically acclaimed film, it follows a former detective who reluctantly takes up a new case at the behest of an old college friend. What follows is a tale of romance and obsession.
***SPOILER ALERT*** We do talk about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.
A Paramount Picture. Released on May 9, 1958. Produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Written by Alec Coppel and Samuel Taylor, based on the novel D’entre les morts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. Starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Tom Helmore. Cinematography by Robert Burks. Edited by George Tomasini. Music by Bernard Herrmann.
Ranking: 3 out of 52. Ranking movies is a reductive parlor game. It’s also fun. And it’s a good way to frame a discussion. We aggregated over 70 ranked lists from critics, fans, and magazines Vertigo got 3,066 ranking points.
This week we discuss the classic 1959 cross-country thriller, North by Northwest. Enjoy.
***SPOILER ALERT*** We do talk about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.
An MGM Picture. Released on July 1, 1959. Produced and Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Written Ernest Lehman. Starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Martin Landau, and Jessie Royce Landis. Cinematography by Robert Burks. Edited by George Tomasini. Music by Bernard Herrmann.
Ranking: 4 out of 52. Ranking movies is a reductive parlor game. It’s also fun. And it’s a good way to frame a discussion. We aggregated over 70 ranked lists from critics, fans, and magazines North by Northwest got 2,963 ranking points.
The focus of this week's podcast episode is Alfred Hitchcock's 1946 romantic spy thriller Notorious. We are into the top five, and this is probably the least well-known of the top five. But don't sleep on it! Check out this gem and come back and listen to our yapping about it.
***SPOILER ALERT*** We do talk about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.
An RKO Radio Picture. Released on September 6, 1946. Produced and Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Written Ben Hecht. Starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Leopoldine Konstantin, and Louis Calhern. Cinematography by Ted Tetzlaff. Edited by Theron Warth. Music by Roy Webb.
Ranking: 5 out of 52. Ranking movies is a reductive parlor game. It’s also fun. And it’s a good way to frame a discussion. We aggregated over 70 ranked lists from critics, fans, and magazines Notorious got 2,764 ranking points.
This week we return once again to Manderley. We podcasted about Rebecca a while back during our Best Picture Oscar countdown, and now we encounter it again in our Hitchcock countdown. Tune in to hear us discuss how the film has held up for us.
***SPOILER ALERT*** We do talk about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.
A Selznick International Picture. Released on April 12, 1940. Produced by David O. Selznick and Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Written by Robert E. Sherwood, Joan Harrison, Philip MacDonald, and Michael Hogan based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier. Starring Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier, Judith Anderson, George Sanders, Gladys Cooper, Reginald Denny, C. Aubrey Smith, and Florence Bates. Cinematography by George Barnes. Edited by Hal C. Kern and James E. Newcom. Music by Franz Waxman.
Ranking: 6 out of 52. Ranking movies is a reductive parlor game. It’s also fun. And it’s a good way to frame a discussion. We aggregated over 70 ranked lists from critics, fans, and magazines Rebecca got 2,730 ranking points.
This week's podcast covers Alfred Hitchcock's classic murder swap thriller, Strangers on a Train. A tennis player has a chance meeting on a train that suddenly turns his world upside down.
***SPOILER ALERT*** We do talk about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.
A Warner Brothers Picture. Released on June 30, 1951. Produced and Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Written by Raymond Chandler, Czenzi Ormonde and Whitfield Cook based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith.Starring Farley Granger, Robert Walker, Ruth Roman, Patricia Hitchcock, Kasey Rogers, Leo G. Carroll, and Marion Lorne. Cinematography by Robert Burks. Edited by William Ziegler. Music by Dimitri Tiomkin.
Ranking: 7 out of 52. Ranking movies is a reductive parlor game. It’s also fun. And it’s a good way to frame a discussion. We aggregated over 70 ranked lists from critics, fans, and magazines Strangers on a Train got 2,722 ranking points.
This week we dive into Shadow of a Doubt. This is Alfred Hitchcock's 1943 thriller about a small California town that get shaken up by a visitor from the city.
***SPOILER ALERT*** We do talk about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.
A Universal Picture. Released on January 12, 1943. Produced by Jack H. Skirball and Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Written by Written by Thornton Wilder, Sally Benson and Alma Reville (Mrs. Hitchcock) based on an original story by Gordon McDonell. Starring Teresa Wright, Joseph Cotton, Patricia Collinge, Henry Travers, Macdonald Carey, and Wallance Ford. Cinematography by Joseph A. Edited by Milton Carruth. Music by Dimitri Tiomkin.
Ranking: 8 out of 52. Ranking movies is a reductive parlor game. It’s also fun. And it’s a good way to frame a discussion. We aggregated over 70 ranked lists from critics, fans, and magazines Shadow of a Doubt got 2,582 ranking points.
Our Hitchcock series takes us to the master's famous long-take, single-setting, real time macabre thriller Rope. Loosely inspired by the real-life Leopold and Loeb case (depending on who you ask), we follow to cold-blooded students as the host a very unusual dinner party.
***SPOILER ALERT*** We do talk about this movie in its entirety, so if you plan on watching it, we suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.
A Warner Bros. Picture. Released on September 25, 1948. Produced and Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Written by Arthur Laurents and story by Hume Cronyn, based on the play of the same name by Patrick Hamilton. Starring John Dall, Farley Granger, James Stewart, Joan Chandler, Cedric Hardwicke, and Constance Collier. Cinematography by Joseph A. Valentine and William V. Skall.
Ranking: 9 out of 52. Ranking movies is a reductive parlor game. It’s also fun. And it’s a good way to frame a discussion. We aggregated over 70 ranked lists from critics, fans, and magazines Rope got 2,547 ranking points.