Unspooled

The Godfather, CODA: The Death of Micheal Corleone (Bonus)

11 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this bonus episode, Paul & Amy complete the Unspooled Godfather trilogy by watching "The Godfather, Coda: The Death Of Michael Corleone," director ...

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner

10 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy invite themselves over to 1967's Sidney Poitier "meet the parents" dramedy Guess Who's Coming To Dinner! They praise the movie's light touc...

The Royal Tenenbaums

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul move back in with 2001's Wes Anderson family reunion piece The Royal Tenenbaums! They ask if Anderson is sneakily a great director of actor...

Eve's Bayou

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy use their second sight on 1997's Creole family tragedy Eve's Bayou! They learn why director Kasi Lemmons cut a mute observer character from...

Tokyo Story

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul visit 1953's Japanese generational drama Tokyo Story! They discuss the unique, still-life-inspired style of director Yasujiro Ozu, learn ho...

Raising Arizona

12 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy raise up 1987’s Coen Brothers kidnapping caper Raising Arizona! They track the secret references to other Coen projects, learn why they t...

The Thing

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul burst out of 1982's Antarctic John Carpenter sci-fi feature The Thing! They learn how the incredible special effects were literally dreamt ...

Ganja & Hess

29 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy sink their teeth into 1973's visionary vampire film Ganja & Hess! They learn how director Bill Gunn used the success of films like Blacula ...

Night Of The Living Dead

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul tear into 1968's seminal zombie horror Night Of The Living Dead! They learn about director George Romero's history making political adverti...

Frankenstein

08 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul reanimate 1931's literary creature feature Frankenstein! They learn Boris Karloff's real name, discuss what the film has to say about the h...

Dazed and Confused

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy party with 1993's throwback high school ensemble comedy Dazed And Confused! They watch Matthew McConaughey's dazzling audition tape, learn ...

Fast Times At Ridgemont High

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul say aloha to 1982's high school romp Fast Times At Ridgemont High! They learn about the real life inspiration for Spicoli from Sean Penn, t...

Cooley High

17 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy pour one out for 1975's comic high school drama Cooley High! They learn how the film scored a soundtrack of wall-to-wall Motown hits, analy...

Rebel Without A Cause

10 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul are torn apart by 1955's landmark teen drama Rebel Without A Cause! They celebrate the instantly iconic performance of James Dean, learn ab...

The 400 Blows

03 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy raise hell for 1959's French New Wave adolescent drama The 400 Blows! They learn how François Truffaut went from a Hitchcock-worshipping c...

Stand and Deliver

27 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul stand for 1988's rousing math class drama Stand And Deliver! They ask if this is the first major 'indie' film, learn how Edward James Olmos...

Mean Girls

20 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy are obsessed with 2004's teenage clique comedy Mean Girls! They approach the film as a work of anthropology, praise Amanda Seyfried's perfe...

Coming 8/20: Unspooled Season 2

24 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Get ready for Unspooled: The New 100, beginning August 20th! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wrapping Up the AFI 100

23 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's the end of Season 1...welcome to the AFI Thunderdome! Amy and Paul discover which movies from the AFI 100 surprised and stuck with Unspooled list...

Casablanca

15 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy will always have 1942's Humphrey Bogart WWII romance Casablanca! They learn the trick Bogart used to make himself a magnetic romantic lead,...

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

09 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy make a last stand for 1969’s mythic Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid! They praise the film’s use of montage, discuss how the ...

Jaws

01 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul take a bite out of 1975's blockbuster Spielberg creature feature Jaws! They take a close listen to John Williams' iconic score, praise the ...

It Happened One Night

25 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy piggyback onto 1934's Frank Capra romantic comedy It Happened One Night! They ask if this script fits the "screwball" mold, praise Claudett...

Modern Times

18 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy crank through 1936's mechanical Charlie Chaplin comedy Modern Times! They praise the film's ever-escalating setpieces, learn why Joseph Goe...

Shane

11 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy mosey into 1953's archetypal western Shane! They learn about star Alan Ladd's often tragic life, examine how director George Stevens made g...

Blade Runner

04 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul run through 1982's moody Ridley Scott dystopia Blade Runner! They listen to the infamous original voiceover, learn what inspired Philip K. ...

A Streetcar Named Desire

28 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy roll into 1951's Southern Gothic Tennessee Williams drama A Streetcar Named Desire! They compare the opposite physicality of Marlon Brando ...

The Bridge On The River Kwai

21 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy and Paul cross 1957's David Lean WWII epic The Bridge On The River Kwai! They explore the career of star Sessue Hayakawa, ask why Lean's tyrannica...

Spool Party: House Party

14 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul raise the roof for 1990's Kid N' Play comedy smash House Party! They, listen to the film's all-timer rap battle, look at how the Simpsons w...

Goodfellas

07 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul jump into 1990's kinetic Scorcese mob epic Goodfellas! They learn some of the wild details about Henry Hill that didn't make it into the fi...

Intolerance

30 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy gawk at 1916's D.W. Griffith silent spectacle Intolerance! They praise the eternally cool Mountain Girl, ask if Griffith was the original '...

Yankee Doodle Dandy

23 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy salute to 1942's Jimmy Cagney musical extravaganza Yankee Doodle Dandy! They analyze the film as a template for modern musical biopics like...

Cabaret

16 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul strut through 1972's Weimar Berlin-set musical Cabaret! They learn about the many forms this story took before becoming a film, discuss a s...

Easy Rider

09 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul hit the road for 1969's counter-cultural tone piece Easy Rider! They learn what Spiro Agnew thought of this film, compare its drug trip mom...

Sullivan's Travels

02 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy travel to 1941's Preston Sturges Hollywood farce Sullivan's Travels! They learn why the US government made Veronica Lake's hairstyle illega...

12 Angry Men

26 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul deliberate over 1957's Sidney Lumet jury-room drama 12 Angry Men! They ask if all-male juries were ever common, compare Lumet's version to ...

Rear Window

19 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy peer into 1957's voyeuristic Hitchcock thriller Rear Window! They learn how the magnificent set was constructed, marvel at Jimmy Stewart's ...

Sunrise

12 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul rise up for 1927's expressionist F.W. Murnau masterwork Sunrise! They learn how Janet Gaynor won the Best Actress Oscar for three films at ...

M*A*S*H

05 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy enlist for 1970's groundbreaking Robert Altman war comedy M*A*S*H! They work to separate the film from the iconic TV show, dissect a contro...

LAPOCALYPSE (Live from Alamo Drafthouse)

27 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Join Paul, Amy and special guest Hayes Davenport (Hollywood Handbook, Flagrant Ones) for this discussion about LA and apocalyptic films, with a specia...

Parasite

20 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy latch on to 2019’s Best Picture winning Korean class parable Parasite! They talk about overcoming the “one inch barrier of subtitles,”...

The Sound of Music

13 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul yodel through 1965's blockbuster musical The Sound Of Music! They learn the history of the real Trapp family singers, contemplate Julie And...

2020 Oscars Preview

06 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy get ready for the Academy Awards by sharing their thoughts on this year's nominees, and some of their other favorite films from 2019 that d...

The Apartment

30 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul check in to 1960's Billy Wilder-helmed romantic comedy The Apartment! They learn about the real life murder that inspired this story, ask i...

The Wild Bunch

23 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy light up 1969's rebellious Sam Peckinpah Western The Wild Bunch! They marvel at the stunts the volatile Peckinpah pulled, praise his invent...

The Gold Rush

16 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul dig into 1925's chilly Charlie Chaplin comedy The Gold Rush! They wonder whether the Tramp smells bad, learn about the tradition of Christm...

Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

09 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy sap your bodily fluids with 1964's Cold War satire Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb! They unpack how d...

Best of the Decade Pt. 4

02 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Now that Paul & Amy have gone deep on their favorite films of the 2010s, they're ready to hear from everyone else! This week they finish off Unspooled...

Best of the Decade Pt. 3

26 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy continue their Best of The Decade miniseries, picking their favorite films from each year of the 2010s! This episode focuses on the years 2...

Star Wars

18 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul make the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs to 1977's George Lucas space fantasy Star Wars! They learn why Carrie Fisher hated those bu...

Best of the Decade Pt. 2

12 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy continue the Best Of The Decade miniseries, picking their favorite films from each year of the 2010s! This episode covers the years 2013-20...

Best of the Decade Pt. 1

05 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul kick off a new decade-spanning miniseries, where they'll pick their favorite films from each year of the 2010s! This episode covers the yea...

Raging Bull

28 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy go toe-to-toe with 1980's Martin Scorcese boxing biopic Raging Bull! They learn how De Niro gained so much weight for his role as Jake Lamo...

BONUS REEL: Rian Johnson

26 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In a new Bonus Reel, Paul & Amy are joined by Rian Johnson, writer/director of "The Last Jedi" and "Looper", to talk about the three films he would ad...

Annie Hall

21 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy clear their throat for 1977's Woody Allen breakthrough "Annie Hall"! They ask how autobiographical the film is, learn who else was consider...

BONUS REEL: Lorene Scafaria

19 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In a new Bonus Reel, Amy sits down with Lorene Scafaria, director of "Hustlers" and "The Meddler," to talk about the three films she would add to the ...

The Best Years of Our Lives

14 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul return home to 1946's post-WWII drama The Best Years Of Our Lives! They praise the natural performance of first-time actor Harold Russell, ...

Forrest Gump

07 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy run through 1994's satirical American history tour Forrest Gump! They learn the nutty plot of the sequel book Gump & Co, listen to a bit of...

The Grapes of Wrath

31 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul squeeze out 1940's Dust Bowl-set John Steinbeck adaptation The Grapes Of Wrath! They ask if Henry Fonda's Tom Joad is more of a character t...

The Godfather Pt. II

24 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy say buona sera to 1974's epic mobster sequel The Godfather Pt. II! They analyze Robert De Niro's Sicilian, learn which US president loved t...

The Godfather

17 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul pay tribute to 1972's mobster epic The Godfather! They praise the film's incredible rich cinematography, wonder if Michael makes his charac...

Bonus Reel: Joker & Taxi Driver

15 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On this special bonus episode, Paul & Amy compare the controversial supervillain origin story Joker with one of the films that inspired it, Martin Sco...

American Graffiti

10 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy cruise through 1973's George Lucas coming-of-age comedy American Graffiti! They discover why Lucas decided to make a film inspired by his t...

Bonus Reel: Shea Serrano

08 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In a special bonus episode this week, Paul & Amy ask Shea Serrano, writer for The Ringer and author of “Movies (And Other Things)”, about the thre...

SOME LIKE IT HOT

03 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul get cookin' with 1959's Billy Wilder gender-bending comedy Some Like It Hot! They learn why the film's final line was controversial, ask if...

Spartacus

26 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul fight for 1960's Roman epic Spartacus! They discuss why Spartacus isn't usually considered part of director Stanley Kubrick's canon, learn ...

North by Northwest

19 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul traverse 1959’s Alfred Hitchcock blockbuster North By Northwest! They discuss what makes Cary Grant’s suit one of the greatest in cinem...

On the Waterfront

12 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy fly the coop to 1954's Marlon Brando crime drama On The Waterfront! They ask what the film would have been like with Frank Sinatra in the l...

Lawrence Of Arabia

05 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul and Amy journey through 1962's David Lean WWI epic Lawrence Of Arabia! They ask if this can fairly be called a "white savior" film, learn about t...

Network

29 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul surf through 1976's Sidney Lumet TV news satire Network! They explore how writer Paddy Chayefsky came up through the TV trenches, listen to...

The Philadelphia Story

22 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul flirt with 1940's archetypal Katharine Hepburn romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story! They discover the origins of the industry trope of "...

The Maltese Falcon

15 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul fly through 1941's Humphrey Bogart proto-noir The Maltese Falcon! They ask if this is the ultimate "dad movie," learn about all of Malta's ...

Nashville

08 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy sing the praises of 1975's sprawling country opus Nashville! They compare Robert Altman's loose technique to the perfectionist auteurs of p...

Bringing Up Baby

01 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul dig into 1938's Howard Hawks screwball classic Bringing Up Baby! They ask if Cary Grant was the model for Christopher Reeve's Superman, lea...

Pulp Fiction

25 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 fi...

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

18 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy and Paul drink in 1966's black relationship comedy Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? They learn about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's status a...

Gone with the Wind

11 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy go to war over 1939's blockbuster Southern epic Gone With The Wind! They praise the chemistry of Clark Gable and Vivian Leigh, watch a trai...

The Deer Hunter

04 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy take aim at Michael Cimino's 1978 Vietnam War epic The Deer Hunter! They investigate the film's controversial use of Russian Roulette, ask ...

Do The Right Thing

27 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul don't fight the power of 1989's Spike Lee breakthrough Do The Right Thing! They praise the film's Shakespearean qualities, analyze the infa...

Toy Story

20 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week Paul & Amy play with 1995's pioneering CGI adventure Toy Story! They learn about the surprising career of Randy Newman, ask if Sid was reall...

Midnight Cowboy

13 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy walk into 1969's New York hustler drama Midnight Cowboy! They look for meaning in the song "Everybody's Talkin'," ask whether Jon Voight's ...

Horror & The AFI List: Live from the Overlook Film Festival

06 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What horror films should be added to the AFI's signature list? Do films like The Sixth Sense or Psycho count as horror? Paul and Amy debate these ques...

Halfway There Special

30 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

50 films down, 50 to go! But first, Paul and Amy celebrate making it halfway through the AFI list on this special episode. They discuss their favorite...

Vertigo

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy fall into Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 psychological thriller Vertigo! They learn who created the famous Vertigo zoom, listen to a classic 90s s...

To Kill A Mockingbird

16 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul cross-examine 1962's Southern drama To Kill A Mockingbird! They compare the slice-of-life storytelling to later filmmakers like Richard Lin...

The Silence of the Lambs

09 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy dig into 1991's serial killer thriller The Silence Of The Lambs! They praise the many ways the film puts us in Clarice Starling's head, dis...

Tootsie

02 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy and Paul suit up for 1982's gender-bending Dustin Hoffman comedy Tootsie! They ask whether Michael is really a great actor, praise Bill Murray's s...

Chinatown

25 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week Paul & Amy investigate 1974's sunlit neo-noir Chinatown! They examine the charges against Roman Polanski and discuss how to watch and contex...

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

18 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul excavate 1948's Humphrey Bogart thriller The Treasure Of The Sierra Madre! They ask if Fred C. Dobbs qualifies as an antihero, look at the ...

All The President's Men

11 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week Paul & Amy investigate 1976's journalistic thriller All The President's Men! They learn about the controversy surrounding who wrote the scre...

Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs

04 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul gaze through the looking glass into 1937's Walt Disney fairy tale Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs! They appreciate Snow's sense of humor, q...

City Lights

28 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy tumble through 1931's Charlie Chaplin comedy City Lights! They ask whether the film presaged the structure of modern comedies, compare Chap...

West Side Story

21 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul rumble with 1961's musical Shakespeare riff West Side Story! They compare the film's colors to modern art, praise the intelligence Rita Mor...

A Night At The Opera

14 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week Paul & Amy sing the praises of 1935's Marx Brothers comedy "A Night At The Opera!" They take apart the film's most famous scene in detail, l...

Saving Private Ryan

07 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy and Paul storm the beaches of 1998's Steven Spielberg WWII picture Saving Private Ryan! They plunge into the disorientation of the storied opening...

The Graduate

28 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul scuba-dive into 1967's generation-gap dramedy The Graduate! They look for thematic connections in early Nichols & May sketches, wonder how ...

BONUS: 2019 Oscars

25 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy and special guest host Griffin Newman (The Tick, Blank Check) talk about last night’s Oscars, and unveil the winners of the first annual Spoolie...

Best of 2018: Listener’s Picks

21 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy round out the Best Of 2018 miniseries with an all-star lineup of callers talking about their favorite films of last year! Guests like Damon...

Best of 2018: Critics’ Picks

14 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Amy & Paul continue their review of 2018 in film with a look back at last year's most critically acclaimed films! They praise Nicholas Cage's passion ...

Best Of 2018: Blockbusters

07 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Paul & Amy travel to the distant era of 2018, with a look back at last year's 20 biggest movies! They cover everything from Bohemian Rhapsody to Aquam...