Heart Of Podness

To herald the release of Fantastic Four: First Steps, we're starting the second half of our Summer of Superheroes with a look at the romance of 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer! Join in as we discuss the history of FF adaptations, the challenge of writing a super-genius, the flattening of Sue Storm, and our favorite movies of 2025 so far. Plus: Why are adaptations so scared of Dr. Doom? Why is Galactus a cloud in this movie? What is Doom's plan with the silver surfboard? And how did this movie's promotional campaign break federal law? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Venom (2018)-------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzalez, and Gavin Edwards (2023)All of the Marvels by Douglas Wolk (2021)"Inside Move: Surfer May Board Four" (Variety)"2007 Preview: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer" (Wizard Universe)"Fantastic Four 2 S

We're celebrating our 400th episode with a look at the biggest 400 in cinema, Francois Truffaut's 1959 French New Wave classic, The 400 Blows! Join in as we discuss the New Wave's place in cinema history, Antoine Doinel's poor fire safety, his conspicuous lack of siblings, and engage in a cinemabration of eight years of podcasting. Plus: How closely does the film map onto Truffaut's life? What does the title actually mean? Which school subjects are worth learning? And, most importantly, what's the difference between 2017 and 2018? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe!Next week: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)-------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:"Movie Poster of the Week: Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows" (MUBI)"The 400 Blows: Close to Home" (Criterion)"The Emoji Movie was the First Film to Publicly Screen in Saudi Arabia after 35-Year Cinema Ban" (IndieWire)"Mike White Confro

Our Summer of Superheroes reaches its climax with arguably the most important movie in the genre's history: Richard Donner's 1978 film Superman, starring Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, Margot Kidder, and a firmly on-book Marlon Brando. Join in as we discuss the geophysics of Lex Luthor's evil plot, the other attempts to put Superman in cinemas, the nearly two-year shoot, and our favorite real estate schemes. Plus: What ideas did Brando have to reduce his workload? Did Donner have a phone in his bathroom? What was the original plan for the time travel finale? And, most importantly, is Clark Kent more super or more man? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: The 400 Blows (1959)-----------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Which Lie Did I Tell? More Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman (2000)The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture by Glen Weldon (2016)Superman Smashes the Klan by Gene Luen Yang and Gurihiru (20

We're taking a look at one of the most-maligned superhero movies of the twenty-first century: Martin Campbell's 2011 adaptation of Green Lantern, starring Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively. Join in as we discuss good and bad superhero costumes, the many attempts to adapt this character for film, the dead-on-arrival post-credits scene, and the Reynolds-Lively relationship timeline. Plus: Does this movie need a Bill Pullman? Why are there xenobiologists? Should Parallax be a guy? And, most importantly, is this movie as bad as its reputation? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Superman (1978)------------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:"Jack Black Green with Envy over New Lantern" (MTV Movies Blog)David Goyer interview with MovieHole.net"The Closer Star Wants to Pitch Green Lantern Film" (Newsarama)"Marc Guggenheim Drops the Comics that Inspire Green Lantern's Screen Debut" (Splash Page)"TV Producer of t

The Summer of Superheroes continues as we look at Ivan Reitman's 2006 superpowered rom com My Super Ex-Girlfriend, starring Luke Wilson, Uma Thurman, and Anna Faris! Join in as we discuss secret identities, the official hierarchy of hair colors, the movie's abysmal gender politics, and the best way to remove a splinter. Plus: How long has G-Girl been active? Can anyone at this architecture firm speak Mandarin? Does Emma Frost secretly wear crocs? And is this movie somehow pro-sexual harassment? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Green Lantern (2011)-------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:"A Dream Finally Takes Flight" (LA Times)"Regency, Pariah, Sign the 'Ex' for Laffer" (Variety)"Anna Faris Says Ivan Reitman 'Humiliated' and 'Slapped' Her on Set" (Vulture)"Rainn Wilson on Super and The Office without Steve Carrell" (Vulture)"AMC Says It Will Show More Ads before Movie

We're kicking off our summer of superheroes with one of the first theatrical superhero movies: the 1966 Batman movie starring Adam West and Burt Ward! Join in as we discuss the development of the TV show, the film's relationship to camp, Batman's detective work, and the state of modern superhero cinema. Plus: Why is this Batman movie set entirely during daylight hours? Why did Burt Ward do almost all of his own stunts? Does Batman work for the government? Can Marc name the Thunderbolts? And, most importantly, who is the most dateable Batman? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006)---------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise ofNerd Culture by Glen Weldon (2016)The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic Book Scare and How it Changed America by David Hadju (2009)"Batman" (Museum of Broadcast Communications)"Adam West: Behind the Mask" (The Independent)"Batman&quo

We're closing out our D.C. Onscreen series with a look at the interwoven affairs of the 2008 Coen brothers comedy Burn After Reading! Join in as we discuss our favorite Coen Brothers movies, the perplexed reception the film got from critics, and possibly the worst street in all of D.C. Plus: What's the best blind date spot in D.C.? Is anyone in this movie not an idiot? Does 2008 comedy sensation Tropic Thunder hold up? And, most importantly, what's the worst picture book in the current market? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Batman (1966)------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:2008 interview with Joel and Ethan Coen at TIFF (SpoutBlog)Composer Carter Burwell's notes on the Burn After Reading score"Coens Dumb it Down with Burn" (USA Today)"Venice Opens with Pitt and Clooney in Madcap Comedy" (Reuters)"Movie Preview: Burn After Reading" (EW)"Jeremy Renner Turned Down Hawkeye Season 2 Because He

Hollywood couldn't figure out how to sell a historical fiction political comedy about teenagers set twenty-five years in the past, but we're big fans of Andrew Fleming's 1999 film Dick and we're here to talk about it! Join in as we discuss teenage celebrity crushes, child stardom, an odd choice for weed storage, and a deep cast of sketch performers. Plus: Why does Nixon White House Counsel John Dean have a "special thanks" in the credits? Why is the New York Times review so fixated on connecting this movie to Monica Lewinsky? And, most importantly, why does this dog look nothing like Checkers?? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Burn After Reading (2008)----------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Stephen Holden's review in the New York TimesMichael O'Sullivan's review in the Washington Post"Generation X's Tricky Dick" (Washington Post)"Dick Director on the Challenges of Making a Watergate Comedy

Our D.C. Onscreen series takes us to Georgetown as we look at the reincarnation romance of Emile Ardolino's 1989 film Chances Are! Join in as we discuss our favorite afterlife bureaucracies, Yale's draconian library fees, and the performances by Cybill Shepherd, Robert Downey Jr., Ryan O'Neal, and Mary Stuart Masterson. Plus: Why didn't the mobster just kill Louie (Christopher Macdonald)? Has Alex (Downey) ever been to a doctor? How long does Corinne (Shepherd) leave out food for her dead husband? And, most importantly, what should you do with baby teeth? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next episode: Dick (1999)--------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Desson Howe's review in the Washington PostRita Kempley's review in the Washington PostRoger Ebert's 3.5-star reviewJanet Maslin's review in the New York Times"Movie Motors: Four-Wheeled Actors Set the Scene in these D.C. Films" (Washington Post)"Inside Anthony Mic

Goldie Hawn grew up in the D.C. area, so it's only right for our D.C. Onscreen series to look at her starring role in 1984's Protocol! Join in as we discuss theme restaurants, a weirdly deep cast, Reagan assassination parody, and the death of Skype. Plus: Who thought any of this Ohtar stuff worked? How did Sunny Davis get shot in the butt? Why does Chris Sarandon totally disappear from the movie? And, most importantly, which quadrant of D.C. does Sunny live in? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Chances Are (1989)---------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Roger Ebert's 2.5-star review"Making of Protocol is a Hit on the Streets" (Washington Post)"Goldie Hawn Surprised by Arab Protests" (UPI)"Goldie Hawn, Wacky Like a Fox" (Washington Post)Read about Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg's failed theme restaurant

We're moving our D.C. Onscreen series into the 1980s with a look at the romance of Joel Schumacher's sophomore feature, D.C. Cab! Join in as we discuss our own D.C. cab experiences, 1980s D.C., the explosive popularity of Mr. T, a movie in search of a plot. Plus: Who is the lead of the movie? Which characters can you actually root for? How did Universal botch the movie's marketing? And how do cabs work anyway? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Protocol (1984)------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:"D.C. Cab Offers Wild Ride through Underside of City" (Washington Post)Roger Ebert's two-star reviewD.C. Cab in the AFI Catalog"The A-Team's Mr. T" (People)Remarks by Mayor Marion Barry at the Premiere of D.C. Cab“Damaged goods in the shop window: He's upset America's Hispanics and Koreans, and he's not exactly the toast of Los Angeles. Is Joel Schumacher sorry? Is he hell.” (The Independent)"Ta

We're kicking off our series on DC Onscreen with a look at the romance of Otto Preminger's 1962 Senate drama Advise & Consent! Join in as we discuss the movie's deployment of star Henry Fonda, the tension between Preminger's liberalism and Allen Drury's Pulitzer-winning novel, and the real-life incidents that inspired the story. Plus: What stunt castings did Preminger want (and get) for the movie? How effective is its then-controversial depiction of gay people? And, most importantly, is Gene Tierney's Dolly Harrison the coolest woman we'll see in this series? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: D.C. Cab (1983) - available here via the Internet Archive!-----------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Bosley Crowther's review of Advise & Consent (New York Times)"Hollywood's Biggest Washington Movie Goofs" (Washingtonian Magazine)"Otto Preminger, 1960-1979 (The Old Man is Still Alive, Part 7)&qu

We're tackling another listener request as we delve into the very weird world of the 2018 Netflix rom com The Kissing Booth! Join in as we discuss the careers of the Euphoria cast, Netflix's 2018 rom com boom, a Welsh teen's idea of American high school, and the movie's odd but pernicious sexism. Plus: What is Jacob Elordi doing with his voice? How did a kissing booth get approved for a school event? Why does Elle's (Joey King) dad hate Flynn so much? Can a freshman really head to college in June? And, most importantly, how does this school's uniform work? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Advise & Consent (1962)-----------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Kate Erbland's D review of The Kissing Booth (IndieWire)"Book Publishing's Latest Success Still Has to Do Her Homework Every Night" (TIME)"The Sixteen Most Influential Teens of 2013" (TIME)"The Kissing Booth: How a Newport Teen Author Ins

In honor of this year's remake of The Wedding Banquet (now in theaters!), we're taking a look at a more troubled Ang Lee romance: his 2007 adaptation of Eileen Chang's novella Lust, Caution. Join in as we discuss the star performances of Tony Leung and Tang Wei, the various censored versions of the film, Lee's use of sex as a storytelling device, and also Sinners because it's too good to ignore! Plus: Why is the first shot a close-up of a German shepherd? Why don't they ever develop a specific plan to kill Mr. Yee? And could anyone resist trying to date Tang Wei's character? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: The Kissing Booth (2018) Note: We tried a new recording setup for this episode and some audio is a little funky, but we've worked out the kinks going forward.Key sources and links for this episode:"Focus Won't Sweat NC-17 for Lust" (The Hollywood Reporter)"Ang Lee is Heartbroken by Media Hype of Sex" (China Times Showbiz)"No S

We're diving into one another's heads to explore the romance of Spike Jonze's 1999 genre-defying hit Being John Malkovich! Join in as we discuss the 7 1/2th floor, the script's sparse character descriptions, the movie's exploration of gender and sexuality, and our own experiences with Malkovich. Plus: Does Malkovich ever sleep? How are they retrieving their clients in New Jersey? What's Maxine's job? And, most importantly, why couldn't it be Being Tom Cruise? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Lust, Caution (2007)-----------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Rogert Ebert's four-star review"The Fun and Games of Living a Virtual Life" (New York Times)"Being Charlie Kaufman" (Salon)Interview with Catherine Keener and Cameron Diaz (StarTalk)Interview with John Cusack and John Malkovich (StarTalk)John Cusack Interview with Tasha Robinson (The AV Club)"White Lotus Star Aimee Lou Wood, 31, Won't

We're taking a look at the start of Tom Cruise's star career by digging into the romance of Paul Brickman's 1983 hit Risky Business, starring Cruise alongside Rebecca De Mornay, who was not in her 90s when this was made. Join in as we discuss the film as a response to Reaganism, expensive hot chocolate, our dads' favorite movies, and "Old Time Rock and Roll." Plus: Why was Brickman's original ending replaced? What's Lana's last name? What's the sexiest public transit system? And, most importantly, what's the deal with that big egg? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Lust, Caution (2007)----------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:1983 trailer for Risky Business (YouTube)Roger Ebert's four-star review of Risky Business"At 20, Risky is Still Frisky" (Variety)"My Wild Summer with Tom Cruise: Women, Sean Penn, and the Making of Risky Business" by Curtis Armstrong (The Hollywood Rep

We're celebrating the start of the baseball season by digging into one of the sport's great movie romances: Ron Shelton's steamy 1988 classic Bull Durham, starring Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins in a love triangle fans are calling "Challengers for straight people"! Join in as we discuss our own minor league experiences, Kevin Costner's star trajectory, our feelings on various baseball rule changes, and messy kitchen sex. Plus: What happened to the Disney "based on a true story" sports movies? What's the best basketball movie? And can minor-league teams not afford full-size towels? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Risky Business (1983)----------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Roger Ebert's 3.5-star review of Bull Durham"Running for President is Harder than it Looks: Nats Hold Tryouts for Racing Mascots" (Washington Post)"Teddy Wins First Presidents Race" (Washington Pos

We're setting sail for love as we look at the romance of Leo McCarey's 1957 melodrama An Affair to Remember, starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr! Join in as we discuss our favorite cinematic ships, singing dub star Marni Nixon, and an abundance of children's choirs. Plus: How did Nicky Ferrante get famous? How do we get AFI to update their ranked lists of movies? How is this movie thirty minutes longer than 1939's Love Affair, which allegedly uses the same script? And, most importantly, why can't they just be together??? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Bull Durham (1988)-------------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:Bosley Crowther's 1957 review in the New York TimesRetakes: Behind the Scenes of 500 Classic Movies by John Eastman (1989)An Affair to Remember in the AFI Catalog"They Missed Their Cruise Ship. That was Only the Beginning" (Curbed)

We're closing the book on our Unfinished Business series by taking a look at the scant romance of Justin Kurzel's 2016 adaptation of the Assassin's Creed video games, starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and a bunch of wasted character actors. Join in as we discuss the way Kurzel adapts the style and structure of the games for film, the punishing seriousness of the tone, and our love of Jeremy Irons. Plus: What was the plan for the sequels? Can you put a baby in the animus? What does anyone actually want in this movie? And, most importantly, is Cats the ultimate video game movie? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: An Affair to Remember (1957)------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:"Sony Targets Assassin's Creed for Bigscreen" (Variety)"Michael Fassbender to Star in Assassin's Creed" (MTV News)"Fassbender Game for Assassin's Creed" (Variety)"Assassin's Creed: Michael Fassbender Ex

We're taking a look at male-oriented rom coms with this week's episode on Judd Apatow's 2007 comedy hit Knocked Up! Join in as we discuss comedy drug scenes, the rolling series of scandals that engulfed star Katherine Heigl, our favorite Seth Rogen performances, and the wide-ranging discourse the film inspired. Plus: Why are Apatow movies so long? Why doesn't Allison have her own home? Why did Allison start dating Ben? And, most importantly, how do you get pink eye? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Assassin's Creed (2016)----------------------------------------------Key sources and links for this episode:2007 New York Times profile of Judd Apatow"Giving the Last Laugh to Life's Losers" (New York Times)"For Apatow, Opportunity Knocks" (USA Today)Dana Stevens's review of Knocked Up at SlateRoss Douthat's response to Stevens in The Atlantic"The Politics of Shmashmortion" by Dana Stevens (Slate)Conversation between Emily Nussbaum an