355 episodes

Each week actor & comedian Paul Scheer (Black Friday, The League) and film critic Amy Nicholson (New York Times, Washington Post) break down the greatest films of all time. 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 talk to some of the actors and directors who worked on these classics. Join Paul and Amy every Thursday as they “Unspool” a new film and decide if it still stands the test of time.

Unspooled Earwolf

    • TV & Film
    • 4.5 • 4.3K Ratings

Each week actor & comedian Paul Scheer (Black Friday, The League) and film critic Amy Nicholson (New York Times, Washington Post) break down the greatest films of all time. 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 talk to some of the actors and directors who worked on these classics. Join Paul and Amy every Thursday as they “Unspool” a new film and decide if it still stands the test of time.

    Edge of Tomorrow

    Edge of Tomorrow

    This week Paul & Amy break down the 2014 Sci-Fi action movie Edge of Tomorrow aka Live. Die. Repeat. aka All You Need is Kill. The two discuss Tom Cruise's rise in becoming the action star he is today, how incredible Emily Blunt is, and the film's brilliant combination of video gaming and war movie aesthetics.

    You can find Amy’s book, Anatomy of an Actor: Tom Cruise here: https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Cruise-Anatomy-Amy-Nicholson/dp/0714868019

    And don’t forget to check your local library and the Libby app for Amy’s book.



    Next week we'll be continuing on with our Disaster Movie Summer with the 2013 comedy, This Is The End. You can rent This Is The End on Amazon Prime and Apple TV streaming services but don't forget to check your local library or apps like Hoopla and Kanopy!

    You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

    Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/  https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

    Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

    Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

    Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

    Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

    • 1 hr 2 min
    Twister (1996)

    Twister (1996)

    This week, Paul & Amy are breaking down the 1996 weather disaster movie Twister, starring Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton (not Pullman). The two chat about the link between Godzilla and Twister, this being the first movie to come out on DVD, and how dangerous it was to be on the set of this film. Plus: Paul and Amy break down the original Van Halen songs made for the Twister soundtrack.



    Next week we'll be continuing on with our Disaster Movie Summer with the 2014 film, Edge of Tomorrow aka Live. Die. Repeat. You can find Edge of Tomorrow on any streaming services but don't forget to check your local library or apps like Hoopla and Kanopy!



    You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

    Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/  https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

    Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

    Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

    Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

    Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

    • 1 hr 12 min
    Godzilla Minus One

    Godzilla Minus One

    Paul & Amy are baking the biggest cake in the world for Godzilla and congratulating him for finally winning an Academy Award after seven decades. The two praise the film for balancing “popcorn movie” energy while locking you into an emotional personal story. Paul marvels at the film only having 35 visual effects artists, and how director Takashi Yamazaki in an Ocean’s 11 style assembled his team, highlighting their specialties. Plus, Amy discovers the Spielberg and Jaws inspiration in the final water sequence.

    You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

    Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/  https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

    Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

    Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

    Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

    Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

    • 56 min
    Independence Day

    Independence Day

    This week, Paul & Amy are breaking down the 1996 Will Smith disaster vehicle Independence Day. The two dig into what makes a great “popcorn movie,” why this movie still works, and this particular era of Jeff Goldblum box office "gold." Plus, Paul gives us a bonus breakdown of the 2016 sequel Independence Day: Resurgence.



    You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

    Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/  https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

    Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

    Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

    Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

    Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

    • 1 hr 9 min
    Dune: Part Two

    Dune: Part Two

    This week, Paul and Amy dig into the 2024 release Dune: Part Two, starring Timothée Chalamet, Austin Butler and Zendaya. Paul reveals his disappointment with the movie while Amy stands up for the brilliance of the storytelling, and then the two dig into why Frank Herbert wrote Dune as a reaction to Lawrence of Arabia. Plus, Amy reveals questions omitted from her NYT interview with Dune director Denis Villeneuve about the Dune movies. Hint: It involves sex and what the sandworms poop out.



    You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

    Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/  https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

    Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

    Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

    Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

    Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

    • 1 hr 4 min
    Movie Round Up

    Movie Round Up

    This week Paul & Amy are kicking off the summer movie season by rounding up all the releases you're dying to hear about. We're talking about the good, the bad, and the indie. Paul proclaims Bad Boys: Ride or Die should have been called something else while wondering if Challengers was sexy enough, and Amy is not on board with this year's Garfield movie. Then, the two dive into a few indie movies like The People’s Joker, Late Night with the Devil, and Hundreds of Beavers. Plus, we announce this is now a Glen Powell Stan podcast.



    You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6

    Follow Paul and Amy on Letterboxd for more of their movie hot takes! https://letterboxd.com/paulscheer/  https://letterboxd.com/theamynicholson/

    Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is out now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer

    Check out more of Paul's writing on his Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer

    Episodic Art by Kim Troxall: https://www.unspooledart.com/

    Learn more about the show at Unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and on Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or where you listen to podcasts.

    • 1 hr 2 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
4.3K Ratings

4.3K Ratings

Kdmdjdjdjd ,

Dune 2

The dune 2 episode was super weird. Paul was doing…something. I mean, Amy literally laughed out loud a few times and asked what movie did you watch??? Like objectively. It was stuff that was right there on the screen. Love Paul but that was so so weird.

natandmart ,

Fast fast woman talker. Too speedy for me.

Can’t deal with speed of lightening woman,s voice. Not melodious or soothing. Too bad.

Timaaa ,

Furiosa

Uhhh where is it… We’re getting reviews of movies 20 years ago thanks anyway

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