National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

We're spending this Christmas with the Griswolds and enduring squirrels, explosive sewer gas, and other yuletide dangers with a discussion of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation from 1989. Listen as we examine the film's depiction of holiday nostalgia and obsession, praise the underappreciated comic genius of Beverly D'Angelo, and debate the proper amount of Cousin Eddie a film should contain. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and a disturbing reimagining of King Kong.

Our theme song is "Nostalgia TV" by Edward Jonathan Blakeley through Lynne Publishing.

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Do you go overboard with your holiday decorations? Want to get sentimental about the old Warner Brothers backlot? How would you react to a squirrel or bat in your home? Leave a comment and keep the conversation going.

The Apartment

For our final episode for 2022, we've invited Kay Lynch back for a game of gin rummy and a discussion on Billy Wilder's groundbreaking 1960 comedy/drama The Apartment. Listen as we examine the movie's amazing mix of humor and pathos, praise Jack Lemmon's amazing comedic abilities, and criticize corporate culture language-wise, morality-wise, and everything-wise. Warning: Contains discussion of suicidal ideation, explicit language, spoilers, and Tim's clunkiest joke yet.

Our theme song is "Nostalgia TV" by Edward Jonathan Blakeley through Lynne Publishing.

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Do you know where we can find a cozy New York apartment for 85 dollars a month? Want to gush over how adorable Shirley MacLaine is in this? Which sleazy version of Fred MacMurray do you prefer? Leave a comment and keep the conversation going.

Bringing Up Baby - Supplement

While we try to cover as much as we can in our episodes, there's always more to see, hear, and read about a movie that can enhance your viewing experience. If you enjoyed our episode on Bringing Up Baby, here's a few extra bits you might find interesting...

Bringing Up Baby

This episode Noel Thingvall joins us again as we dig up missing dinosaur bones, get a leash around a tame leopard, and discuss Howard Hawk's classic screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby. Listen as we analyze whether Katharine Hepburn's impulsive heiress is the original Manic Pixie Dream Girl, chuckle at the risqué innuendos the script manage to slip by the censors, and propose potential sequels involving Mothra and deadly tar pits. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and Bruce Willis dubbed into Japanese.

Our theme song is "Nostalgia TV" by Edward Jonathan Blakeley through Lynne Publishing.

CinemaSpection is now part of the Fireside Alliance. Check out the many awesome shows available through the network here. 

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Interested in getting more from this episode? Check out supplemental material for this episode here.

Do you ship Aunt Elizabeth and Major Applegate? Want to educate us on where the intercostal clavicle is located in a Brontosaur skeleton? Want to recommend a great Fritz Feld maître d' performance? Leave a comment and keep the conversation going.

The Trouble With Harry

Noel Thingvall returns to the show as we grab some shovels and unearth one of Alfred Hitchcock's most unusual films, the strangely sweet black comedy The Trouble with Harry. Listen as we examine the title corpse's post-mortem career as a small town matchmaker, marvel at the film's clever dialogue and gorgeous autumnal location photography, and reveal the connection between Hitchcock and the 2002 thriller Phone Booth. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and a particularly sinister closet door.

Our theme song is "Nostalgia TV" by Edward Jonathan Blakeley through Lynne Publishing.

CinemaSpection is now part of the Fireside Alliance. Check out the many awesome shows available through the network here. 

Subscribe to our podcast here.

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Interested in getting more from this episode? Check out supplemental material for this episode here.

How would you react if you found a corpse in the woods? What you ask for if an eccentric artist wanted to buy you a gift? Do you happen to know the market value of a dead rabbit? Leave a comment and keep the conversation going.

Scrooged

 

We're revisiting Charles Dickens' immortal classic as warped through the comic sensibilities of Bill Murray as we watch Richard Donner's 1988 Christmas hit Scrooged. Listen as we discuss Murray's manic take on the miserly main character, consider the implications of updating A Christmas Carol to the Reagan years, and swoon over Carol Kane's adorably violent performance as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and chronologically-disordered viewings of Iron Man 2.

Our theme song is "Nostalgia TV" by Edward Jonathan Blakeley through Lynne Publishing.

CinemaSpection is now part of the Fireside Alliance. Check out the many awesome shows available through the network here. 

Subscribe to our podcast here.

Listen to us on Stitcher here.

Interested in getting more from this episode? Check out supplemental material for this episode here.

How would you secure antlers onto a dormouse? Want to regale us with fond childhood memories that are actually bits of old television shows? Know where we can get our own copy of Picasso's Woman with an Artichoke? Leave a comment and keep the conversation going.

Mars Attacks!

Dark is the suede that mows like a podcast as we take a look back at Tim Burton's underappreciated 1996 alien invasion spoof Mars Attacks! Listen as we discuss the 1950s sci-fi films that inspired this anarchic comedy, analyze the box office disparity between this film and Independence Day, and speculate on whether the Martian invasion fleet is actually a badly-behaved school trip. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and donut symbolism.

Our theme song is "Nostalgia TV" by Edward Jonathan Blakeley through Lynne Publishing.

CinemaSpection is now part of the Fireside Alliance. Check out the many awesome shows available through the network here. 

Subscribe to our podcast here.

Listen to us on Stitcher here.

Interested in getting more from this episode? Check out supplemental material for this episode here.

Do you think two roles was one too many for Jack Nicholson? Want to discuss whether Martians have telepathic potential? ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK ACK? Leave a comment and keep the conversation going.

Time Bandits

This episode we're taking a wild, cross-century trip to meet the legends of time as we go on a heist with Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits from 1981. Along the way we'll explore Gilliam's themes of imagination and materialism, praise the underappreciated comedic abilities of David Warner, and identify with the problems of married ogres. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and THE PROBLEM!!! We must have fruit!!

Our theme song is "Nostalgia TV" by Edward Jonathan Blakeley through Lynne Publishing. 

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Which notable person from history would you choose to rob from? Do you have a plan for redistributing wealth without punching people in the face? Why do we have to have Evil anyway? Leave a comment and keep the conversation going.

The Hudsucker Proxy

The future is now and as we leave 2020, the future can't get here fast enough. We're ringing in the new year with the Coen Brothers' idiosyncratic homage to Hollywood comedies of yesteryear, The Hudsucker Proxy. Listen as we fall (fail) into the verbal, narrative, and literal circles of the screenplay, examine the film's simultaneously idealistic and cynical look at American industry, and decode the symbolism in the movie's sterling production design and costuming. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and an extruded plastic dingus.

Our theme song is "Nostalgia TV" by Edward Jonathan Blakeley through Lynne Publishing.

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Interested in getting more from this episode? Check out supplemental material for this episode here.

Say, what gives? Want to share your latest sweet baby of an idea? Leave a comment and keep the conversation going.

Episode 101: Clue

We're rolling the dice on one of the first motion pictures based on a board game, a film that would transcend its reputation as a box office bomb to become a cult classic: Clue from 1985. Listen as we discuss the pros and cons of the film's multiple ending gimmick, investigate the story's backdrop of red scare paranoia and 1950s American hypocrisy, and marvel over the cast's amazing comedic chops. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and several red herrings, all of them communist.

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Which of the film's endings do you prefer? Does one plus one plus two plus one equal six? Would you pay to see a horror movie adaptation of Candyland? Leave a message and keep the conversation going.

Episode 98: Midnight Run

We all may be stuck at home at the moment but for this episode we're taking a cinematic road trip as we watch Midnight Run from 1988. We discuss the film's mix of crime and comedy, the conflicted morality of De Niro's bounty hunter character, and our different reactions to Danny Elfman's bluesy score. Meanwhile Corinne shares her legal expertise (courtesy of Law and Order) and Tim notes which members of the cast have been squashed by King Kong. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and celebratory donuts.



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Do you have any cross-country travel adventures you'd like to share? If you were our accountant, what kind of business venture would you strongly advise us against? What do you think Jack would have named his coffee shop? Leave a comment and keep the conversation going.

Episode 95: A Christmas Story

Polly returns to the podcast to discuss another yuletide classic as we watch that holiday favorite, A Christmas Story. Listen as we praise author Jean Shepherd's skill at capturing childhood nostalgia, reminisce about favorite presents from childhood, and discuss our misadventures sticking our tongues on things. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and a major award.



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Do you have a cherished Christmas present? Were you disillusioned by breakfast cereal promotions as a child? Do you think 24 hours of one movie is excessive? Leave a comment and keep the conversation going.

Episode 90: Clerks

We're stepping back behind the counter to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Kevin Smith's debut film with an episode on Clerks. We discuss Smith's resourceful methods of low-budget filmmaking, the production's no-frills visual style, and the symbolic value of finding the perfect dozen eggs. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and annoying customers.



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What do you think of Kevin Smith's filmography? Do you have any bad retail job experiences you'd like to share? Want to opine on the plight of Imperial contractors? Leave a comment and keep the conversation going.

Episode 63: It Happened One Night

Darn clever, these romantic comedies. We're bringing down the walls of Jericho as we watch Frank Capra's multiple Oscar-winning hit It Happened One Night from 1934. Listen in as we discuss the amazing chemistry of stars Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable, examine whether the film's problematic views on gender affect its reputation as a classic, and explore the film's influence on countless movies that followed it. Warning: Contains explicit language and spoilers but no kissing.



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Do you have a preferred method of hitchhiking? Any colorful bus adventures you'd like regale us with? Did Clark Gable actually leave that guy dead by the side of the road? Leave a comment below and keep the conversation going.

Episode 28: Edward Scissorhands

As the year ends, we have one last holiday gift to unwrap. Corinne and Tim come down from their high castle to talk about Tim Burton's fairy tale Edward Scissorhands from 1990. We'll discuss Burton's forays into magical realism, how the film illustrates the relationship between the artist and mainstream society, and the viability of a cookie-based economy. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and lots of sniffly noises (I had a cold. Sorry.)



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Want to brag about your new haircut? Do you think Peg deserved to be the female lead? Care to speculate on whether Edward would have flourished in Midian?  Leave a comment and keep the discussion going.

Episode 22: Arsenic and Old Lace

Chris, Corinne, Sarah, and Tim are getting off of the window seat and heading to Happydale to discuss Arsenic and Old Lace from 1944. Join us as we debate the morality and motivations of the Brewster murders, praise Cary Grant's broad acting choices, and consider the film's metaphorical criticism about American history. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!!!!



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Have an ingenious method of corpse disposal? Do you want to regale us with your exciting idea for a stage play? Have your own elderberry wine recipe you'd like to share? Leave a comment below and keep the discussion going.

Episode 21: Tremors

Chris, Corinne, Sarah, and Tim dig beneath the surface of the 1990 creature feature Tremors. Subjects discussed include the metaphorical significance of the town of Perfection, the film's seamless puppet and model effects, and the great human need for further adventures with Val and Earl. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and bad TV-version overdubbing.



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Want to share your pole-vaulting technique? Care to advise us on the best high-powered rifle for subterranean monster defense? Have your own graboid origin theory? Leave a comment below and keep the discussion going.

Movie In-Jokes: Dark Star

One of the fun games when watching movies is to spot references, secret messages and gags that filmmakers, film crews and actors can slip into movies to pay tribute to films they love, have a bit of fun with their previous work, or give the cinematic equivalent of a shout-out. Here's a spotter's guide to these inside jokes.

This time out, we're taking a peek at a bit of nearly subliminal weirdness and a nod from one USC alumnus to another in John Carpenter's directorial debut, Dark Star.

Episode 9: Big Trouble in Little China

Everybody relax, we're here. Corinne, Chris, Sarah, and Tim crawl their way out of the Hell of Being Skinned Alive to discuss John Carpenter's 1986 cult classic Big Trouble in Little China. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and a six-demon bag.



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Want to report a missing truck and don't want to hear 'act of God'? Have any advice on what to do if one's mind and body are going north and south? Feel we left something out and failed to shake the pillars of heaven? Leave a comment below and keep the discussion going.

Episode 3: Back to the Future

Great Scott!! Mind-bending paradoxes and Oedipal weirdness abound as Tim, Chris, and Sarah hit 88 miles per hour and zip back to the halcyon days of 1985 to discuss the time travel classic Back to the Future. Warning: Contains explicit language, spoilers, and reminders of childhood traumas regarding a dead cartoon shoe.



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