The Spiel

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Each week, host Eric Vespe welcomes a notable guest to the show to discuss a work of film from the career of director Steven Spielberg. The Spiel is an open-ended love letter to one of the greatest film directors of all time and his enormous impact on cinema.

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Transformers: Dark of the Moon with DC Pierson

DC Pierson (Captain America: Winter Soldier, Community) returns to talk a little about the brand new restoration of his cult classic indie comedy, Mystery Team co-starring Donald Glover and Dominic Dierkes, as well as continue his Spiel journey of watching every Transformers movie until all have been conquered. At this point in the Transformers franchise we're pretty sure Steven Spielberg's creative input is limited to asking when his check is going to be deposited, but he's technically still an executive producer and by God we're going to finish them out. Transformers: Dark of the Moon is the third film in the franchise and when it was released in 2011 it was still massively popular entertainment, coming in at #2 at the box office that year. This one sees poor Sam Witwicky get a medal of honor from Obama, more rah-rah military action, the worst digital JFK you've ever seen, Buzz Aldren having a chat with Optimus Prime, John Malkovich being a complete weirdo, and Leonard Nimoy getting to relish in being the baddie. And still it feels like this series is wearing thin and we're not already halfway through the movies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 h 17 min
17 FEB

Duel with The McManus Brothers

Kevin and Matthew McManus (American Vandal, Cobra Kai, Redux Redux) jump in the passenger seat for a revving chat about Steven Spielberg's Duel. Shot in 10 days, this 1971 TV movie was Spielberg's first real introduction to Hollywood. It's an adaptation of a Richard Matheson short story that follows a spineless city boy as he's tormented by a faceless truck driver that prowls the rural roads outside of Los Angeles. Part Hitchcock, part '70s weirdo Spielberg, there's a good argument that without Duel being as good as it was Spielberg may not have broken out as quickly as he did. The McManus Brothers help your humble host break down the movie, talk about our favorite sequences, and point out some of the more eye-catching visual storytelling moments. Their latest film, Redux Redux, which follows a mother that jumps realities so she can torment her daughter's murderer over and over again, can be seen in theaters this Friday, February 20th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 h 4 min
2 FEB

Jaws with Renny Harlin

Legendary action director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger) is our guest this week to talk about the latest chapter of his Strangers reboot trilogy, his collaboration with Steven Spielberg early in his career, and how much of an impact Jaws has had on many of his films, including his own killer shark flick Deep Blue Sea. We talk color theory, visual storytelling, how and when you can lose an audience, and what can be learned from watching Spielberg's films. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 h 4 min
6 ENE

Three O'Clock High with Kevin Lewis

Did you know that Steven Spielberg produced the classic '80s cult film Three O'Clock High? Well, we didn't either, until our guest, writer/director Kevin Lewis (Willy's Wonderland, Pig Hill) came to the show wanting to discuss it. It's a simple story about a high school dweeb (Casey Siemaszko) challenged to a fight by the new kid in school (Richard Tyson) and the chaos that ensues as he tries every trick he can to get out of the ass-whoopin' heading his way. Spielberg took his name off of the movie before release, but was instrumental in bringing it to life. We talk about that decision, guess as to why he had the change of heart, and break down some of the wildest aspects of this mostly hidden gem of '80s filmmaking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 h 6 min
15/12/2025

Bryan Fuller On The Amblin Inspirations Behind His Film Dust Bunny

TV Mastermind Bryan Fuller (Hannibal, Pushing Daisies) makes his feature directorial debut with Dust Bunny starring Mads Mikkelsen, Sigourney Weaver, and newcomer Sophie Sloan. On the surface this film has nothing to do with Steven Spielberg, but it turns out that it was originally developed as an episode of the Amazing Stories reboot and Spielberg himself gave notes on the script that survived to this feature version. Fuller talks all about that creative collaboration as well as his relationship with Spielberg's work and even gives us some of his patented "queer readings" of some unlikely contenders from Spielberg's filmography that spoke to his own queer coming of age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

58 min
06/10/2025

Amazing Stories with Mick Garris

Steven Spielberg tried his hand at a Twilight Zone-ish series in 1985 that didn't exactly set the ratings world on fire, but would prove to be formative for a whole generation of imaginative kids. Amazing Stories brought in a combination of seasoned pros like Scorsese and Clint Eastwood and exciting, young talent, including today's guest, writer and filmmaker Mick Garris. Mick became famous for his Stephen King adaptations like The Stand and The Shining mini-series, but it was Steven Spielberg who gave him his first shot, first writing a few episodes on the first season of Amazing Stories, and then acting as head writer overseeing all the scripts coming in before eventually giving him a chance at directing an episode in Season 2. Mick makes his first appearance on The Spiel talking about his time on Amazing Stories, collaborating with Spielberg, and writing for people like Martin Scorsese and Joe Dante. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 h 9 min
08/09/2025

True Grit with Josh Gondelman

Emmy Winning writer (Last Week Tonight with John Oliver) and very funny standup comedian (People Pleaser) Josh Gondelman returns to The Spiel to talk about a film that most people probably forgot was produced by Steven Spielberg: 2010's True Grit starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Hailee Steinfeld in her first major role. Based on the Charles Portis novel, previously adapted as a starring vehicle for John Wayne, True Grit is about a young girl who hires a drunk and haggard Marshall to hunt down the man who killed her father. The Coen Bros wrote and directed this incredibly entertaining and highly quotable flick and Vespe and Gondelman delight in going back through the story, finding their favorite moments, and figuring out why the movie is so damn good, even if Spielberg had almost nothing to do with it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 h 25 min
25/08/2025

Twilight Zone: The Movie with Macon Blair

Macon Blair (The Toxic Avenger, I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore) joins Vespe to talk about one of the most impactful films of Steven Spielberg's career, Twilight Zone: The Movie. They dip into the tragedy, of course, but there's more to this anthology than the controversy. This film brings together some of the best filmmakers of the era in John Landis, Joe Dante, Spielberg, and George Miller and they're all given room to go as bonkers as they want to as storytellers. While not totally successful, it remains a highly entertaining film and a juicy conversation starter for movie nerds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 h 7 min

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Each week, host Eric Vespe welcomes a notable guest to the show to discuss a work of film from the career of director Steven Spielberg. The Spiel is an open-ended love letter to one of the greatest film directors of all time and his enormous impact on cinema.