Unspooled Earwolf
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- TV & Film
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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.
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Carrie (1976)
This week Paul & Amy are breaking down the 1976 Brian De Palma film, Carrie, starring Sissy Spacek. The two dig into the Stephen King of it all, bad moms, the trauma of menstruation, and to Amy’s dismay Paul reveals that he does NOT love this film.
Next week, Paul and Amy will take a look at the 80's kids classic, The Goonies! Check out this week's spotlight episode from the Unspooled archives, Psycho, here: https://www.earwolf.com/episode/psycho/
You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6 and check out Paul's Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer
Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is on presale now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer
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. -
Point Break
This week Paul and Amy are breaking down the 1991 Kathryn Bigelow film Point Break, starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. The two dig into this elevated action movie and discuss how Kathryn Bigelow helped launch Keanu Reeves into action stardom. Then, Paul asks if this movie is shaped around the “Female Gaze," and Amy fills us all in about the stunts in this movie and which Red Hot Chili Peppers member didn't take the stunt training seriously. Vaya con dios, friends.
Next week, Paul and Amy take a look at the 1976 horror Carrie, as they put a twist on Mother's Day. Check out this week's spotlight episode from the Unspooled archives, Speed, here: https://www.earwolf.com/episode/speed/
You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6 and check out Paul's Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer
Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is on presale now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer
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. -
Call Me By Your Name
This week, to celebrate the release of Luca Guadagnino's Challengers, Paul and Amy break down the 2018 film Call Me By Your Name, starring Timothée Chalamet (sorry, no Zendaya in this one). The two talk about the beauty of the film's title, Guadagnino’s obsessive messiness, and the delicate CGI’ing of a certain actor's nether region. Plus, this movie has us all nostalgic over our first loves and our first heartbreaks.
Next week, Paul and Amy take a look at the 1991 film, Point Break, in honor of The Fall Guy release. Check out this week's spotlight episode from the Unspooled archives, Brokeback Mountain here: https://www.earwolf.com/episode/brokeback-mountain-2/
You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6 and check out Paul's Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer
Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is on presale now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer
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. -
Her
This week, Paul & Amy look at the other side of divorce with the 2013 Spike Jonze film HER. The two break down the incredibly charming performance of Joaquin Phoenix, discuss the AI of it all, dig into all the messiness that is being in romantic relationships, and ask, “Was Scarlett Johansson acting as an avatar for the Jonze-Coppola divorce?”.
Next week, Paul and Amy take a look at the film Call Me By Your Name, in honor of the release of Luca Guadagnino’s new film, Challengers.
Check out this week's spotlight episode from the Unspooled archives, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind here: https://www.earwolf.com/episode/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/
You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6 and check out Paul's Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer
Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is on presale now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer
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. -
Lost In Translation w/ Rico Gagliano
This week, Paul is gone, but Amy is joined by fellow film critic and podcast host, Rico Gagliano (MUBI Podcast). The two break down the 2003 Sofia Coppola classic, Lost in Translation, starring Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray. They dig into the themes of alienation and loneliness in the film, the visual style of Sofia Coppola, and how she has noted that this movie could never get made today. Plus as a special treat, Amy finds and shares a little-known Sofia Coppola Comedy Central show.
You can listen to more of Rico Gagliano and the MUBI podcast at https://mubi.buzzsprout.com/
Next week, Paul & Amy are breaking down the 2013 film HER, directed by Spike Jonze.
Check out this week's spotlight episode from the Unspooled archives, Raising Arizona https://www.earwolf.com/episode/raising-arizona/
You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6 and check out Paul's Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer
Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is on presale now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer
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. -
Moonstruck w/ David Sims
This week, Paul is away on tour, but Amy is joined by fellow film critic and podcast host David Sims (Blank Check). They break down the 1987 romcom Moonstruck, starring Cher and Nicolas Cage. Amy and David question Cher’s character “jinx”, notice the moon woven into all the details of the film, and learn about Norman Jewison's fantasy headspace when making his films. So sit back and let the moon hit your eye!
Next week, Amy will be chatting with Rico Gagliano from the Mubi Notebook Podcast and they are talking all things LOST IN TRANSLATION!
Check out this week's spotlight episode from the Unspooled archives, Raising Arizona: https://www.earwolf.com/episode/raising-arizona/
You can join the conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6 and check out Paul's Substack https://substack.com/@paulscheer
Paul’s book Joyful Recollections of Trauma is on presale now! Find it at https://www.harpercollins.com/products/joyful-recollections-of-trauma-paul-scheer
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.
Customer Reviews
A must listen for movie fans
I get excited every time a new episode comes out. I prefer to see the movie before hearing about it, but there’s a few movies I’ve seen only because they released an episode and wanted to see what they’re discussing. For sure check out an episode, you love it. But most importantly; where is the Risky Business episode?! Please, please, PLEASE
Call me by your name
You can dance around it as much as you want but Call me by your name is definitely a movie about teen seducing a grown up. If it was a straight relationship people would be outraged. Love the pod lol.
Early Episodes Are Great, Losing Its Touch
When the whole show was based around reviewing and critiquing the AFI Top 100 Greatest Films, Unspooled had its strongest voice. I was optimistic with the change in premise to, “Let’s not just criticize, let’s workshop our own list”. But ultimately, that’s fallen short. It feels like they’re chasing clicks, covering high profile movies that have no chance for consideration, while leaving more important movies on the shelf for an undetermined point they may never reach. It also feels like it’s become as old and white as they criticized the AFI list for being. Instead of a program filled with movies relevant to white guys that came of age in the 60s and 70s, it’s limited to movies relevant to white people that came of age in the 80s and 90s. They make about as much effort to diversify as the Oscars. Paul and Amy have great perspectives on the films they cover, it just feels like the content they cover has fallen off in the last year or so. Highly recommend the first 150ish episodes. After that, returns diminish.