This week Paul & Amy break down the 1989 dark comedy classic Heathers starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater and Shannen Doherty. They talk about how it subverts the high school comedy genre, how relevant it is today and more. Next week you WILL be entertained as we cover Gladiator! You can rent Heathers on all platforms 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...

This week Paul & Amy are re-releasing their episode on the Alexander Payne film, Election. They praise director Alexander Payne’s brilliant eye for humanist detail, discuss how Matthew Broderick channels his Ferris Bueller image to subversive ends, and posit that America has only become more like high school since the movie’s release. Plus: How Election almost derailed Reese Witherspoon’s career. They'll be back with an all new episode next week about Heathers! You can join...

This week Paul & Amy break down the 1995 David Fincher crime thriller Seven starring Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt and Gwyneth Paltrow. They talk about how this movie reinvented the cop movie, how there were 12 drafts of the script, Brad and David's allergy to "the cheese" and more. You can rent Seven on your streaming service of choice 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...

Paul and Amy are back and discuss all the big horror movies of 2024! They're talking The Substance, Smile 2, Longlegs, Speak No Evil and What's Inside. Plus Alison Foreman tries to sell Paul and Amy on Art the clown of the Terrifier franchise! 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...

For the 30th Anniversary of Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, we're re-releasing our episode discussing it back from 2019! Paul and Amy boogie through 1994’s Quentin Tarantino indie breakout Pulp Fiction! They revisit the moment Pulp Fiction won at Cannes, ask what this film did right that so many imitators did wrong, and try to figure out what’s in the briefcase. Next week: We're back with an all new episode discussing this year in horror! You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s...

This week Amy is out, and Paul is on his own and briefly breaking down the new Joker: Folie à Deux release and its poor reviews and we see if Paul has changed his opinion on Joker. Then we revisit Paul and Amy’s discussion about Paul Schrader's 'man in the room' film Taxi Driver and the 2019 Joker release. 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!...

This week Paul and Amy are catching the rhythm as they break down Carl Reiner's slapstick comedy The Jerk, starring Steve Martin. Paul and Amy praise Steve Martin and his style of comedy for always punching up, his physical commitment, and how he looks out for others through his comedies. They discuss Martin's favorite joke in the film, the special trailer sent to theater managers, and how Carl Reiner showed us Steve's heart. Plus, we can thank The Jerk for pizza in a cup. You can rent The...

This week Paul and Amy are breaking out their staplers and adding cover letters to their TPS reports. That’s right, they’re breaking down the 1999 dark comedy Office Space, starring Ron Livingston and Jennifer Aniston. Paul and Amy discuss the similarities between Office Space and The Matrix, the origins of Milton, and Amy's Lumbergh Sex Theory. Next week we'll be discussing The Jerk. You can rent Office Space on your platform of choice or stream it on on Hulu but don't forget to check your...

This week Paul & Amy break down the 1992 Tim Burton sequel Batman Returns. They talk about how THIS is the Batman movie Tim Burton originally wanted to make, how Danny Devito came up with having black bile, how this movie predicts modern day political figures and more. Next week...Office Space. You can rent or stream Batman Returns on several 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...

This week Paul & Amy break down the 1988 dark fantasy comedy horror film Beetlejuice starring Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis and Katherine O'Hara. They talk about what a swing it is for Tim Burton's second film, who he originally wanted to play Beetlejuice, how the film depicts death and so much more. Next week...Batman Returns! Beetlejuice is available to rent or stream on multiple platforms but don't forget to check your local library or apps like Hoopla and...

This week Paul & Amy break down the 2004 zom-rom-com Shaun of the Dead directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost just in time for it's 20th anniversary theatrical re-release. They discuss how it pays homage to zombie films that came before it, how it introduced British comedy to a wider audience, and so much more. Next week...Beetlejuice! Shaun of the Dead is available to rent or stream on multiple platforms but don't forget to check your local library or apps...

This week Paul & Amy break down the summer movie box office! They talk about Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman reviving Marvel, the Blake Lively vs Justin Baldoni drama, M. Night Shyamalan and more! Next week Paul and Amy discuss the 2004 film Shaun of the Dead which is available to rent or stream everywhere 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...

This week Paul & Amy break down the 1998 Michael Bay action/sci-fi film Armageddon starring Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler. They discuss how the film and Bay goes after the "nerds", the birth of Bayhem, Affleck mocking the film on the DVD commentary, and more. Next week it's the end of summer movie round up where we're talking all things Deadpool & Wolverine, It Ends With Us, Trap and more. Did the summer movie box office bounce back?! Tune in to find out! You can join...

This week Paul & Amy break down the 1980 comedy classic Airplane! They talk about Leslie Nielsen's fart machine, what makes the jokes hold up, and more. Next week we'll be continuing on with our Disaster Movie Summer with the 1998 disaster film Armageddon. You can stream Armageddon on Hulu 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...

This week Paul & Amy break down the 2014 action/sci-fi sequel Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. They discuss how the Planet of the Apes series has endured, Andy Serkis' incredible performance as Caesar, siding with the apes or the humans, and more. Apes together strong. Next week we'll be continuing on with our Disaster Movie Summer with the 1980 comedy Airplane!. You can stream Dawn of the Planet of the Apes on Hulu, Disney+ and Max but don't forget to check your local library or apps...

This week Paul & Amy break down the 2013 apocalyptic comedy horror film This Is The End. They discuss Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's directorial choices, what makes a good comedy ensemble movie, and who is the MVP of the movie: Danny McBride or Jay Baruchel? Next week we'll be continuing on with our Disaster Movie Summer with the 2014 sci-fi action film Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. You can stream Dawn of the Planet of the Apes on Disney+, Hulu and Max but don't forget to check...

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...

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...

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...

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!...

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....

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 week, Amy welcomes Sean Fennessey (Head of Content, The Ringer & The Big Picture Podcast) to discuss the 1957 film Sweet Smell of Success starring Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster. The two discuss the power of J.J. Hunsecker's journalism and the "ick" of the Sidney Falco PR machine in the film and how it parallels modern-day anxiety in today's entertainment industry. Plus, we learn the origins of the word Frenemy and this film's connection to the reality show, Who Wants To Marry A...

This week, Amy welcomes back comedian Jamie Loftus (Sixteenth Minute (of Fame) Podcast) to break down the 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Amy reveals this was the first art house movie she ever saw in the theater, and the two discuss how this movie parallels Mad Max: Fury Road and Furiosa, and of course, they talk about the Thong Dress and the problem with Bob. You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6 Follow...