1-Week Rental: A Movie Podcast

Laci Roth & Matt Stokes

Matt and Laci spend a week with a movie, and take you along on the journey. They spend the week watching, re-watching, researching, reading interviews, and reading the source material of the week's movie. Whether it's a blockbuster from the past, an all-time flop, or a cult classic, they unpack the history behind its production and the people who made it, then discuss, review, and make fun of the movie itself. New episodes every Friday. Formerly known as Load Bearing Beams.

  1. 184. High Fidelity

    18H AGO

    184. High Fidelity

    Laci and Matt pay a visit to Championship Vinyl to hang out with Rob, Barry, Dick, Laura, Ian, Marie de Salle, and all the fine folks in the music scene of that windy city we like to call Chi-Town. That's right, it's High Fidelity (2000)! It's a great music movie. It's an even greater romantic comedy. In fact, it's kind of an anti-romantic comedy, because the lesson in the end is: The most romantic thing in life is being a grown-up.  Plus: Our top-five songs we want played at our funerals, AND fierce debate about whether DJs are musicians and if a singer's vocal chords count as an instrument. Next week: True Lies (1994)!   Time stamps: 00:03:00 — History segment: Original novel by Nick Hornby; John Cusack hired to produce, write, and star in adaptation; hiring director Stephen Frears; casting Jack Black and Iben Hjejle; legacy of High Fidelity and TV series remake  00:33:40 — Movie discussion 02:06:40 — Final thoughts & star ratings   Sources: "Top Five: An Oral History of High Fidelity" by Andrew Buss | Consequence (2025) - https://bit.ly/49JgfdT "John Cusack: 'Hollywood is a whorehouse and people go mad'" by Henry Barnes | The Guardian (2014) -  https://bit.ly/4pLqDaV    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Check out Laci's coloring videos on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kKLhWb2g0bKA-RrvvLh0Q/  Matt has a monthly spin-off podcast covering the James Bond films! Check out PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ    Follow the show!  Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Facebook: @1weekrental Instagram: @1weekrental TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social   1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

    2h 12m
  2. 183. When Harry Met Sally...

    FEB 13

    183. When Harry Met Sally...

    Laci and Matt dive deep into When Harry Met Sally (1989), one of the all-time great romantic comedies. In a movie that could easily be dismissed as a clone of Woody Allen's early rom-coms, the film makes its mark with two superstar lead performances from Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal, an electric script by Nora Ephron, and breezy, hilarious direction from Rob Reiner. We tell the story of how this movie came together, how it evolved during development, and how it became the classic we all know today. Then, your favorite husband-and-wife podcasting duo have a lengthy discussion about the movie itself, and folks, there are some heated battle-of-the-sexes arguments in this one. Because men do be like this, while women do be doing woman stuff, like makeup. Will they ever learn to get along??? Next week's episode (Feb. 20, 2026): High Fidelity (2000)   Time stamps: 00:03:00 — History segment: Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron's initial meeting; their careers before and after When Harry Met Sally; casting Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan; the script's original, less-happy ending; legacy of When Harry Met Sally 00:40:40 — Movie discussion 01:46:45 — Final thoughts & star ratings   Source: From Hollywood With Love: The Rise and Fall and Rise Again of the Romantic Comedy by Scott Meslow - https://amzn.to/4qlth7A    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Check out Laci's coloring videos on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kKLhWb2g0bKA-RrvvLh0Q/  Matt has a monthly spin-off podcast covering the James Bond films! Check out PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ    Follow the show!  Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Facebook: @1weekrental Instagram: @1weekrental TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social   1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

    1h 50m
  3. 182. She-Devil (1989)

    FEB 6

    182. She-Devil (1989)

    Roseanne Barr is now known as a reactionary cancel-culture warrior, but she was once a beloved comedian and champion of working-class politics. What exactly happened? And, in the middle of her rocketship ride to the moon of superstardom, she co-starred in a movie with Meryl Streep! What?! And the movie is really good???? Laci and Matt tell the story of She-Devil (1989), director Susan Seidelman's black comedy that pits Barr against Streep and Ed Begley Jr., with Barr as an avenging angel for neglected and forgotten women everywhere. It's a very funny and poignant comedy that critics largely dismissed at the time. Especially British critics, who compared it unfavorably to the 1986 BBC miniseries adaptation of The Life and Loves of a She-Devil. That's right, this all starts with a seminal work of feminist literature by author Fay Weldon. We also tell that story, including her 2017 legacy sequel to She-Devil and her sad eventual evolution into a TERF. Then, we dive into She-Devil the film, heaping endless praise of Meryl Streep's hilarious physical comedy, Ed Begley's smarmy nice-guy evilness, and Roseanne's up-and-down performance in her first film role.  Next week's episode (Feb. 13, 2026): When Harry Met Sally... (1989) Time stamps: 00:03:00 — History segment: Original She-Devil author Fay Weldon, an important British feminist writer, and her later unfortunate turn toward TERFdom; director Susan Seidelman's career and experience working with Meryl Streep and Roseanne Barr; career overview of Roseanne Barr, from early working-class comedy roots to sad turn toward reactionary pro-Trump politics and cancel culture warriordom  00:52:06 — Movie discussion 01:58:07 — Final thoughts & star ratings   Sources: "Fay Weldon: 'Feminism was a success, but then you lose a generation'" by Claire Armistead | The Guardian (2017) - https://bit.ly/4kfFIAx  "She-Devil returns: Fay Weldon writing 'transgender' sequel to feminist classic" by Sian Cain | The Guardian (2016) - https://bit.ly/3YVLiOt    "Transgender people become women for 'fashion or clothes', says novelist Fay Weldon" by Niamh McIntyre | The Independent (2017) - https://bit.ly/4qzcL4D  "Fay Weldon: transgender people become women for 'frivolous' reasons such as 'fashion' and 'clothes'" by Rozina Sabur & Olivia Rudgard | The Telegraph (2017) - https://bit.ly/4k2zOSW    "Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir About Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls" by Susan Seidelman | https://amzn.to/4a3C6ww  "Roseanne: My Life As a Woman" by Roseanne Barr | https://amzn.to/4roXRya  Review of She-Devil by Roger Ebert | The Chicago Sun-Times (1989) - https://bit.ly/4k3EtnT    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Check out Laci's coloring videos on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kKLhWb2g0bKA-RrvvLh0Q/  Matt has a monthly spin-off podcast covering the James Bond films! Check out PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ    Follow the show!  Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Facebook: @1weekrental Instagram: @1weekrental TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social   1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

    2h 3m
  4. 181. Groundhog Day

    JAN 30

    181. Groundhog Day

    We often say it's a miracle any movie gets made, but some movies are actual miracles. Groundhog Day (1993) is a perfect example of this, because its three primary creative voices (director Harold Ramis, writer Danny Rubin, and star Bill Murray) were each pulling in different, conflicting directions throughout the movie's production. Somehow, all that dissension led to a perfect object of a film, a hilarious comedy that gets at huge philosophical questions, but not in an annoying way. And it's also a sweet and lovely little romantic comedy... so why did it ruin the decades-long friendship between Ramis and Murray? Plus: Learn all about actual Groundhog Day!    Time stamps: 00:02:40 — History segment: The actual Groundhog Day holiday; screenwriter Danny Rubin writes Groundhog Day on spec and then re-lives his movie for the rest of his life; the intertwining careers of Bill Murray and Harold Ramis, as well as their falling out and eventual reconciliation 00:56:06 — Movie discussion 01:50:00 — Final thoughts & star ratings   Sources: "Harold Ramis Gets the Last Laugh" by Brett Martin | GQ (2009) - https://bit.ly/48T9Ddy "Comedy First: How Harold Ramis's movies have stayed funny for twenty-five years" by Tad Friend | New Yorker (2004) - https://bit.ly/3NcSfIc "Going Back to 'Groundhog Day.' Again." by Bruce Fretts | New York Times (2017) - https://nyti.ms/4qoJs4p "When Every Day Is 'Groundhog Day'" by S.I. Rosenbaum | New York (2017) - https://bit.ly/49bsNKN "How To Write Groundhog Day" by Danny Rubin (2012) - https://amzn.to/3Y9MjSE "Wild and Crazy Guys: How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood Forever" by Nick de Semlyen https://amzn.to/45610u3 "Ghostbuster's Daughter: Life with My Dad, Harold Ramis" by Violet Ramis Stiel https://amzn.to/4pfN3kl    Artwork by Laci Roth.  Check out Laci's coloring videos on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kKLhWb2g0bKA-RrvvLh0Q/    Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ    Follow the show!  Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Facebook: @1weekrental Instagram: @1weekrental TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social   1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

    1h 55m
  5. Dr. No

    JAN 23

    Dr. No

    1-Week Rental is launching a brand-new spin-off, a monthly podcast hosted by Matt and Wade Hymel going through the James Bond franchise, one movie at a time! Introducing PodJob: A James Bond Podcast.  1-Week Rental returns next week (January 30, 2026) with an episode about Groundhog Day (1993).  Subscribe to PodJob: A James Bond Podcast:  Apple Podcast | https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1  Spotify | https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E  YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@PodJob007    They really had it figured out right away—the look, the sound, the feel of James Bond. Sean Connery just walking through the airport and collecting his luggage is the coolest human being you've ever seen. Bond dusting his attache case with talcum powder and putting a hair between his doors is exhilarating. Quarrel and Honey Rider are all-time great Pals of Bond. Unfortunately, the titular Doctor No, M.D., is kind of a let-down after all the exciting build-up. Still, the first Bond film is one of the all-time best.   Time stamps: 00:02:28 — Our histories with and relationships to the James Bond franchise 00:11:06 — Our favorite eras of James Bond, favorite and least favorite movies 00:17:42 — History segment: Author Ian Fleming; attempts to adapt his novels; the strange saga of Thunderball; Dr. No, the novel 00:29:40 — History segment: Producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman partner with United Artists to launch the Bond movie franchise 00:31:15 — History segment: Director Terence Young 00:33:55 — History segment: Sean Connery 00:41:55 — Movie discussion 01:44:56 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources:  "Ian Fleming: The Complete Man" by Nicholas Shakespeare | https://amzn.to/49P2GcS "When Harry Met Cubby: The Story of the James Bond Producers" by Robert Sellers | https://amzn.to/4qSit1X "James Bond actor breaks 60-year silence to claim Dr No director sexually assaulted her" by Alex Binley | ITV News (2022) - https://bit.ly/45raP5T   Artwork by Laci Roth. Produced by Matt Stokes. Music by Rural Route Nine.   Listen to 1-Week Rental, Matt's weekly movie podcast with Laci Roth on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/45fA9IW) or Spotify (https://bit.ly/3tk7FAr), and watch it on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@1weekrental).   Listen to Wade's music: Dash Rip Rock's new album, A Song In Everyone (https://bit.ly/4q3gdDO) A Song In Everyone on vinyl (https://bit.ly/4r5ds5F) Wade's solo album, Who Said That? (https://bit.ly/3LPUNf3) Lilli Lewis (https://bit.ly/3NylTIj) Incubators (https://bit.ly/3LOeuUv) Rural Route Nine (https://bit.ly/45ny1Ss)

    1h 50m
  6. 180. Den Of Thieves

    JAN 16

    180. Den Of Thieves

    Matt brings Laci into the glorious world of Gerard Butler, who is single-handedly trying to save American movies by making throwback '90s-feeling thrillers that are actually playing in movie theaters. The best of these is Den of Thieves, a wonderful heist movie from 2018 in which the cops who chase the bad guys are maybe less honorable than the bad guys themselves, if you can believe it.   Time stamps: 00:09:30 — History segment: Career overview of Gerard Butler; production and reception of Den of Thieves 00:36:15 — Movie discussion 01:42:55 — Final thoughts & star ratings   Sources: "Christian Gudegast Interview: Den of Thieves" by Alex Leadbeater | ScreenRant (2018) - https://bit.ly/4aJ75zZ  "Gerard Butler Talks 'Den Of Thieves,' Box Office And The $13K Paycheck That Changed It All" by Simon Thompson | Forbes (2018) - https://bit.ly/4q4WKTB  "I Think I Love Gerard Butler" by Bilge Ebiri | Vulture (2019) - https://bit.ly/4pupnJJ  "The Ordinary-Guy Action Movie Lives On, Thanks to Gerard Butler" by Bilge Ebiri | Vulture (2021) - https://bit.ly/3MPYuS2  "Gerard Butler interview for The Ugly Truth" by Chloe Fox | The Telegraph (2009) - https://bit.ly/4px0oFZ  "The Man Who Cracked the Code of L.A.'s Notorious Sheriff Gangs" by Ethan Brown | New York Magazine (2022) - https://bit.ly/4pzz61q    Artwork by Laci Roth.    Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ    Follow the show!  Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Facebook: @1weekrental Instagram: @1weekrental TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social   1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

    1h 46m
  7. 179. The Shining (1980)

    JAN 2

    179. The Shining (1980)

    Matt and Laci go through the The Shining, probably the best English-language horror movie ever made. Is it the story of a man's battle with alcoholism, a complicated metaphor for the American ruling class's many sins, or is it just a simple haunted house story? What if I told you… yes? The Shining started life as Stephen King's third novel. It was a very personal novel for King, inspired by his own life and his struggles with alcoholism and fatherhood. It's understandable that he wouldn't like Kubrick not centering those issues in his film, but Kubrick saw something completely different in The Shining. The podcast tracks the history of their very public disagreement and King's criticisms of the film. The Shining's production was shrouded in secrecy and mystery. The cast and crew filmed in England for more than a year, and while Shelley Duvall was open in the press about the difficulty of the assignment, she never thought Kubrick treated her unfairly or unprofessionally, and she always pushed back whenever anyone said Kubrick mistreated her during production of the movie.   Time stamps: 00:02:43 — History segment: Stephen King's early career; early disagreements between Stanley Kubrick and King; Kubrick's career overview; Kubrick and co-writer Diane Johnson adapt the novel; casting Jack Nicholson, Danny Lloyd, and Scatman Crothers; Shelley Duvall's career overview 00:58:30 — Movie discussion 02:11:30 — Final thoughts & star ratings   Sources: The Stephen King Companion: Four Decades of Fear from the Master of Horror by George Beahm (2024) - https://amzn.to/4qvoNMO  A Night at the Movies: The Horrors of Stephen King - TCM documentary (2011) - https://bit.ly/4oXM9tf "Kubrick Films 'The Shining' In Secrecy in English Studio" by Aljean Harmetz | The New York Times (1978) - https://nyti.ms/47TYJUl Kubrick: The Definitive Edition by Michel Ciment | https://amzn.to/4nAScmh  "How Stanley Kubrick protected child actor Danny Lloyd while creating 'The Shining'" by Swapnil Dhruv Bose | Far Out (2020) - https://bit.ly/4opNtEY  "'No arc at all': The reason why Stephen King hated Stanley Kubrick film 'The Shining'" by Swapnil Dhruv Bose | Far Out (2024) - https://bit.ly/47bb3hol  "Searching for Shelley Duvall: The Reclusive Icon on Fleeing Hollywood and the Scars of Making 'The Shining'" by Seth Abramovitch | The Hollywood Reporter (2021) - https://bit.ly/3Lkni3Y  Interview with Shelley Duvall by Roger Ebert | RogerEbert.com (2012) - https://bit.ly/44eI0sT "No, Shelley Duvall was not traumatized by Stanley Kubrick on The Shining – she embraced it" by Tom Murray (2024) - https://bit.ly/3LbNvSq    Artwork by Laci Roth.    Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ    Follow the show!  Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Facebook: @1weekrental Instagram: @1weekrental TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social   1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.

    2h 14m
5
out of 5
26 Ratings

About

Matt and Laci spend a week with a movie, and take you along on the journey. They spend the week watching, re-watching, researching, reading interviews, and reading the source material of the week's movie. Whether it's a blockbuster from the past, an all-time flop, or a cult classic, they unpack the history behind its production and the people who made it, then discuss, review, and make fun of the movie itself. New episodes every Friday. Formerly known as Load Bearing Beams.