Heart Of Podness

We're finishing out the Halloween season with a look at the romance of Gore Verbinski's 2002 horror classic The Ring! Join in as we discuss our introductions to Verbinski, comparisons to the Japanese original, Chris Cooper's cut role, and the horror of recommending movies. Plus: Is Rachel (Naomi Watts) good at her newspaper job? Why does Noah (Martin Henderson) own a copy of Shrek? Who edited the cursed tape? And did the events of this movie just make Samara more powerful? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: The Kids Are All Right (2010) --------------------------------- Key sources and links for this episode: The Men Who Would Be King: An Almost Epic Tale of Moguls, Movies, and a Company Called DreamWorks by Nicole LaPorte (2010) Martin Scorsese's 2021 Harper's essay on the gift of curation Gore Verbinski's 1995 Budweiser frogs commercial 2002 Entertainment Weekly piece on the casting of Naomi Watts in The Ring

We're taking a look at horror in the 1970s with Nicolas Roeg's 1973 classic Don't Look Now! Join in as we discuss the movie's handling of grief, its (in)famous sex scene, Pino Donaggio's score, and Donald Sutherland's near-death experience onset. Plus: How did they make Venice look so unappealing? Why does Donald Sutherland's hair look like that? How did the movie avoid further censorship? And, most importantly, did they ever catch the killer? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: The Ring (2002)

We're continuing our spooky season with a look at the romance of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic, Psycho! Join in as we discuss movie hotels, Hitchcock's extensive anti-spoiler campaign, the life of star Anthony Perkins, and that controversial final scene. Plus: How did this movie get past the Hollywood Production Code? How easy is taxidermy? What's Sam's job? And will Sam and Lila get together in the end? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Don't Look Now (1973)

We're kicking off the spooky season with a look at the romance of Alex Garland's 2018 sci-fi horror quest Annihilation! Join in as we discuss Natalie Portman's underrated performance, the movies differences with Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach trilogy, the various controversies that came up on the film's release, and, of course, that freaky bear. Plus: Why didn't the movie shoot in the US? Why did the Saturns fail to celebrate it? How did Scott Rudin (of all people?) save the movie? And, most importantly, is Paramount okay? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Psycho (1960)

In honor of his new movie Megalopolis (now in theaters!), we're taking a look at Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 horror romance, Bram Stoker's Dracula. Join in as we discuss our favorite vampires, Keanu's infamous accent work, the movie's incredible costumes, and the most important vampire rules. Plus: Is it possible to make Jonathan Harker interesting? How many voyages does the Demeter go on? What is Renfield's purpose? And, most importantly, why is this story mostly about real estate? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Annihilation (2018)

We're staying up all night as we dig into the romance(?) of Sofia Coppola's 2003 indie hit Lost in Translation! Join in as we discuss the 2003 Oscars, celebrity product endorsements, the film's handling of Japan, and our own weird hotel experiences. Plus: How romantic is this central relationship? What's up with the first shot? Is Giovanni Ribisi playing Spike Jonze? And exactly how famous is Bob supposed to be? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

To herald the release of Transformers One, we're looking back at the fourth entry in the convoluted franchise: 2014's soft reboot Transformers: Age of Extinction! Join in as we discuss the history of the Transformers franchise, Hollywood's attempts to court Chinese audiences, Chekov's football, Disney's Animal Kingdom, and of course Romeo and Juliet laws. Plus: How does Shane's racing league work? Can anyone tell what country Cade Yeager is from, or whether there are any products available there? How has Mahershala Ali's Blade still not been made? And, most importantly, where are all the dinosaurs??? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Lost in Translation (2003)

We're puzzling over a romance that's either completely believable or not at all plausible in Adam McKay's 2006 NASCAR comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Join in as we discuss Will Ferrell's parallel careers for kids and adults, a top-tier Amy Adams performance, the scam of a mid-00s unrated cut, and inevitable comparisons to Vice. Plus: Did France invent the menage a trois? Can anyone explain the Teen Choice Awards? Has Marc ever watched ESPN? And, most importantly, what exactly are the Talladega nights? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)

We're taking a look at the romance of the first ever Best Picture winner, William Wellman's 1927 World War I film Wings! Join in as we discuss the formation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the film's eight-month shoot, the famous nightclub shot, and the importance of a good luck charm. Plus: Why was The Jazz Singer disqualified at the Oscars? What changed between 1927 and the 1928 rerelease? Did the casting of Clara Bow break this movie? And, most importantly, is Herman Schwimpf the greatest American? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

We're traveling back (or maybe forwards?) to 2016 to talk about the nonlinear romance between Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in Denis Villeneuve's Arrival! Join in as we discuss Villeneuve's career in Hollywood, Adams's quest for an Oscar, the nature of free will, and AMC's current Nicole Kidman video. Plus: How does the film compare to Ted Chiang's short story/novella/novelette? What's going on elsewhere in the world while Louise does her work? Is the canary self-aware? And, most importantly, should you kiss a heptapod (and where?)? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Wings (1927)

We're digging into one of the biggest hits of the 1980s with a look at the duplicitous romance of Sydney Pollack's smash hit Tootsie, starring Dustin Hoffman in a red sequined dress. Join in as we discuss Southern accents, Jessica Lange's breakout year, Bill Murray's subdued performance, and Dustin Hoffman's existential crisis. Plus: Should Dorothy run for president? Will Emily Kimberly ever return to Southwest General? How well does all the gender stuff here hold up? And, most importantly, is Dustin Hoffman somehow even more annoying than Michael Dorsey? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Arrival (2016)

We're talking birthday movies as we dig into the refreshingly healthy romance of Paul King's modern classic Paddington 2! Join in as we discuss our past experiences with the film, our favorite small roles, Hugh Grant's new act, and the forthcoming Paddington in Peru. Plus: What makes the Paddington movies so much more effective than other children's book adaptations? What other actors voiced Paddington in the modern era? Why are their so many nuns in St. Paul's Cathedral? To what extent must we view this as a (possibly the first) Brexit movie? And, most importantly, are there still Fuddruckers? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Tootsie (1982)

We're celebrating its 25th anniversary this week (and the release of his new movie Trap!) by taking a look at the romance of M. Night Shyamalan's 1999 Best Picture nominee The Sixth Sense! Join in as we discuss our own Shyamalan backstories, the movie's contentious development, its legendary box office run, and the troubled status of Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 and Captain America: Brave New World. Plus: How did Shyamalan get his mojo back in the past decade? How did Harvey Weinstein try to sabotage his career? What is Malcolm's award for? And, of course, what book did Anna buy her friend??? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Paddington 2 (2018)

We're celebrating 350 episodes by finally digging into a movie we've discussed since the first year of the show: Chris Miller's 2017 Oscar nominee The Boss Baby. Join in as we discuss the film's place in DreamWorks Animation history, Alec Baldwin's star persona, corporate espionage films, and the Boss Baby Symposium. Plus: What is Puppy Co's business model? Is the Boss Baby potty trained? What exactly are this movie's politics? Is there a finite amount of love in the world? And, most importantly, where do babies come from??? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: The Sixth Sense (1999)

We're back in the McConnaughey rom-com era talking about his fauxlationship with Sarah Jessica Parker in 2006's Failure to Launch! Join in as we discuss immoral schemes, paintball, blu-ray bonus features, and the career of costar Zooey Deschanel. Plus: Where exactly is this movie set? Why are there so many animal attacks? Does Paula have any friends? And, most importantly, what exactly is her business model? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: The Boss Baby (2017)

Just in time for next weekend's release of Twisters, we're taking a look at the romance of Jan De Bont's 1996 original, starring Bill Paxton, Helen Hunt, and Jami Gertz. Join in as we discuss ill-timed breakups, the film's impressive practical effects, the numerous onset accidents, and the world's biggest steaks. Plus: Which is the titular twister? What happened to Jo's mom? Is the Dorothy machine needlessly complicated? And, most importantly, why date Melissa in the first place? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Failure to Launch (2006)

We're digging into the late-90s teen movie boom for a look at the Pygmalion-inspired romance of 1999's She's All That, starring Freddie Prinze Jr., Rachael Leigh Cook, and just about every other young star of the moment. Join in as we discuss graduation pranks, unexpected dance sequences, the iconic makeover, and the 1999 MTV Movie Awards. Plus: What's the deal with Laney's art show? Is there any oversight over Usher's radio show? How involved was M. Night Shyamalan? And, most importantly, what is the cultural heir to The Real World? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Twister (1996)

We're unveiling dark secrets this week as we look at Ron Howard's 2007 adaptation of The Da Vinci Code! We read the book too, so we're here to dive deep into our favorite historical inaccuracies, pitch alternative castings, unveil the real (dumb) history of the Priory of Sion, and get into the DC Height Act. Plus: Does Dan Brown know that different types of Christianity are different? Is Ron Howard not trashy enough for this? Is Robert Langdon hot? And, most critically, who exactly are the ancients??? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: She's All That (1999) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/we-love-the-love/message

We're finishing out our #Denzelathon with a look at one of his best performances in the last few years, in the Oscar-nominated role of Roman J. Israel, Esq. Join in as we discuss writer-director Dan Gilroy (and his family), Roman's activism, the nature of movie stardom, and giant bulldog statues. Plus: What's the best way to spend thousands of dollars of stolen cash? How long does it take to figure out when the movie is set? Does it really only take three weeks? Why doesn't Denzel do accents anymore? And, most importantly, who should be the subject of our next actor series? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: The Da Vinci Code (2006) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/we-love-the-love/message

We're continuing our June #Denzelathon with a look at Ridley Scott's 2007 crime epic American Gangster, with Denzel starring as heroin kingpin Frank Lucas opposite a New Jersey cop played by Russell Crowe. Join in as we discuss Denzel in the 2000s, Ruby Dee's Oscar-nominated performance as his mom, the film's long development, and its exceedingly flat female characters. Plus: How much of this movie is actually based in reality? Did Frank take Eva to his mom's house on theri first date? How many times was the real Frank Lucas arrested? And, most importantly, when is a coat too fancy to be safe? Make sure to rate, review, and subscribe! Next week: Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/we-love-the-love/message