Load Bearing Beams

Matt's declaration that he was forever finished with the Marvel Cinematic Universe lasted all of one movie, once Thunderbolts* started getting good reviews. So he went out and saw it, and thought it was..... okay. But to go through it, he needed to bring on two big-time fans of the movie, so Neophyte Reviews and Screen Time Kota join the show for a discussion of Thunderbolts* and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in general. This CLIP features the first 35 minutes of the discussion. You can get the rest of the discussion by subscribing to LOAD BEARING BEAMS: COLLECTOR'S EDITION on Patreon: https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Follow Neophyte Reviews: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@neophyte_reviews  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/neophyte_reviews/  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@neophyte_reviews  Follow Screen Time Kota: TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@screentimekota  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/screen_time_kota/  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@ScreenTimeKota   

Please note: Like how Death Proof uses fake film grain to make it seem like it's an older movie, only to stop doing it halfway through, Laci and Matt's audio improves halfway through this episode. You might not even notice the audio isn't great in the first half... but if you do, just know it gets better eventually.   Friend of the Show Cinema Chris joins Laci and Matt to talk about Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof (2007). Originally a 90-minute movie presented as part of a double feature alongside Robert Rodriguez's Planet Terror, Death Proof now stands on its own (in an expanded edition) as one of the more fascinating entries in Tarantino's filmography. We discuss the beautiful animal that is Kurt Russell, Rose McGowan's captivating pronunciation of “chocolate milk,” and how much joy there is to be had in a car going vroom-vroom real fast.    Follow Chris on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@cinemavault), Instagram (https://bit.ly/3GKiYc9), and Letterboxd (https://bit.ly/4m5AGqr).    Next week: Final Destination (2000)   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:02:40 — Our personal histories with Death Proof 00:13:00 — History segment: The history of grindhouse; the history of Grindhouse  00:31:21 — In-depth movie discussion 01:30:00 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “House Party: Girls! Zombies! Serial killers! Step inside Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's down 'n' dirty double feature, 'Grindhouse'” by Mike Cotton| Wizard Universe (2007) - https://bit.ly/42SuIR0  “Online Exclusive: Horror Film Directors Dish About 'Grindhouse' Trailers” by Gavin Edwards | Rolling Stone (2007) - https://bit.ly/43fCx3J  “Hungry zombies! A psychopath in a killer car! It's ‘'Grindhouse'!” by Chris Nashawaty | Entertainment Weekly (2007) - https://bit.ly/43fN52O    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social  

Hey folks, we had to make a programming change this week because one of our bodies did a medical oopsie and we ended up in the emergency room. Everything's fine... but wait till the bill comes, am I right?? Anyway, we had to push back our Death Proof episode, so now, we have unlocked our Royal Tenenbaums episode from behind the Patreon paywall. See you in a week! Love you goodbyeeee.

Friend of the Show Jen (@JenWalksN2Walls on TikTok) joins us to cover Sister Act 2. We once again follow the misadventures of Deloris (Whoopi Goldberg), a Las Vegas headliner who selfishly abandons the backup dancers, crew members, and support staff who rely on her show to make their living, all so she can go be a substitute teacher at a Catholic school for some reason. Seriously, is she paying all these people out of her pocket while her show is on hiatus? Or is she like Jimmy Fallon during the 2023 strikes, sending them each a $20 gift card and best wishes?   Anyway. This movie's a lot of fun, but it is all over the place. Looking into the production history, we see it's a hastily produced sequel that seems almost as if it started as an original, unrelated script about a high school choir competition and then had the Sister Act nuns awkwardly grafted onto it. Still, Whoopi Goldberg is her usual delightful self, but she's outshined by these delightful kids, including a just-about-to-be-a-superstar Lauryn Hill as Rita, a high schooler whose mom hates choirs more than anything else.    Next week: Death Proof (2007)   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get extra episodes! In April, we're covering the pilot episode of the American Office, Matt has thoughts on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and we're reviewing M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening. Subscribe at patreon.com/loadbearingbeams     Time stamps: 00:06:42 — Our personal histories with Sister Act 2 00:21:45 — History segment: Production of Sister Act 2 under director Bill Duke and its lasting legacy 00:39:30 — In-depth movie discussion 01:30:30 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “Bill Duke on ‘Deep Cover,' ‘Sister Act 2,' and Reshaping What Black Movies Could Be in the '90s” by Robert Daniels | IndieWire (2022) - https://bit.ly/3RNWPvw “How did ‘Sister Act 2' become a classic musical?” by David Dennis Jr. | Andscape (2019) - https://bit.ly/3Yz9Xse  “Sister Act 2 Cast Reunites to Sing 'Joyful, Joyful' and 'Oh Happy Day,' 30 Years After Film — Watch” by Dave Quinn | People Magazine (2024) - https://bit.ly/3G80r98  “A Fresh Take on Black America: On ‘Sister Act 2'” by Brandon Tensley | Los Angeles Review of Books (2023) - https://bit.ly/4iiL9vS  “‘Sister Act 2' Set the Gold Standard for Bad Sequels” by Caspar Salmon | Vice (2018) - https://bit.ly/3RkxkSv  “Whoopi Goldberg looks back on Sister Act” by Mary Sellosi | Entertainment Weekly (2017) - https://bit.ly/4ig3Obm    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social  

Enjoy nine free minutes from our Patreon-exclusive episode about the pilot of the American Office. Hear the full thing by subscribing at https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeams for $5/month. Matt and Wade go through the pilot episode of the American Office. They compare their personal fandoms of the show and how deep their knowledge runs, and then briefly discuss how the show was adapted from the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, its rocky first season and slow ascent into a megahit, and its lasting cultural legacy. And as for the pilot itself, which is generally not well regarded, Matt is surprised at how solid it is, how good a job it does at setting up the series, and how fully formed the main characters already are. The Office was created by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant, and developed by Greg Daniels. It stars Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, and Jenna Fischer The pilot is directed by Ken Kwapis & written by Greg Daniels (adapted from a teleplay by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant) Original air date: March 24, 2005 Source: The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History by Andy Greene (2020) - https://amzn.to/4juDN9i Hear Wade's incredible album WHO SAID THAT? on Apple Music, Spotify, or wherever else music is streamed. Or you can purchase the album from Bandcamp. Follow Wade on Instagram: @wadealready Music credit: "Never Trust a Bat" by Rural Route Nine. Listen on Spotify (https://bit.ly/3QBjavP), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/49PunSv), or YouTube (https://youtu.be/o7SivxabpYI).  Live cover of The Office theme song by Better By Design, one of Wade's bands. Watch it in full: https://youtu.be/y4gVPgdVWY4

Hoppy Easter. We're taking the week off but don't want to leave you hopping. So here's our eggsipode about The Truman Show, in its entirety, previously available only to our Patreon subscribers. We'll be back next week with an all-new episode about Sister Act 2. 

We welcome Hal (@shestructured on Letterboxd) and Craig (@gentlemanbaby on Letterboxd) from the Red Rose Film Club podcast to cover American Psycho (2000), the Wall Street horror/comedy starring Christian Bale as Patrick "Jason" Bateman. This movie's got a lot going on, folks. And we get to it all—we determine who has the best business card, we explain why you wouldn't want Christian Bale as your co-worker at Whataburger, we try to figure out what's going on with Justin Theroux's hair, and we marvel at Patrick Bateman's chainsaw math. Also, is American Psycho Jared Leto's villain origin story?   But more than anything, we're trying to identify what exactly Patrick Bateman represents. Is he the embodiment of toxic masculinity? A victim of America's addiction to competition and consumption above all else? A misunderstood baby boy? An iconic slasher villain? What if our answer was…. Yes?   Next week:  We are the nation's top fun-havers, so we're taking the week off for Spring Break. We'll unlock our The Truman Show episode from our Patreon archive, and we'll be back on April 25, 2025 with a brand-new episode about Sister Act 2 (1993) with our friend Jen Walks N2 Walls.   Subscribe to Red Rose Film Club: Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/42qrGU6  Spotify: https://bit.ly/4ieGX0b    Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams     Time stamps: 00:08:00 — Our personal histories with American Psycho 00:16:30 — History segment:  Bret Easton Ellis and his American Psycho novel; development of the film under director Mary Harron; star Christian Bale 00:41:45 — In-depth movie discussion 02:02:39 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “American Psycho: An Oral History, 20 Years After Its Divisive Debut” by Tim Molloy | Movie Maker, 2020 - https://bit.ly/44e4Kd2  “Blood, Boycott, and Body Bags: An Oral History of ‘American Psycho'” by Tatiana Tenreyro | Vice, 2020 - https://bit.ly/4i61CmW  “Snuff This Book!  Will Bret Easton Ellis Get Away With Murder?” by Roger Rosenblatt | The New York Times, 1991 - https://nyti.ms/3G0emOE    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter:  @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 |  @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

We bid a tearful farewell to our favorite actor, Gene Hackman, by discussing his hilarious evil Lex Luthor in Superman (1978). Richard Donner started the whole superhero movie idea with this film, but we won't hold that against him. How electric are Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder? How great does this movie look? And why are so many children getting smacked by their mothers?     Bonus video: We each give our most contrarian film opinion. Watch it on our Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: American Psycho (2000) with the Red Rose Film Club podcast   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:01:16 — Our personal histories with Superman  00:09:40 — History segment: A very brief history of Superman (the character); development of Superman (the movie); career overview of director Richard Donner; career overview of star Christopher Reeve 00:31:50 — In-depth movie discussion 01:33:45 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Source: “‘Superman,' The Inside Story: Director Richard Donner Remembers Meeting Stallone to Play the Lead, Working With Brando, and a Near-Fatal Knife Attack” by Stephen Galloway | The Hollywood Reporter (2016) - https://bit.ly/4lezkt2    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social  

Enjoy 12 minutes from our Patreon-only bonus episode about The Royal Tenenbaums!  Subscribe to Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5/month at https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeams  

Laci and Matt head to Palm Beach, Florida, to con some rich geriatrics out of their money with their best pals, Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt. That's right, it's the perfectly cromulent 2001 crime-comedy Heartbreakers, brought to you by director David Mirkin (showrunner of seasons 5 and 6 of The Simpsons, and director of previous episode Romy & Michele's High School Reunion).    Bonus video:  Most awkward experience seeing a movie with a parent. Watch it on our Twitter or on our TikTok.   Next week: Superman (1978)   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams      Time stamps: 00:05:56 — Our personal histories with Heartbreakers 00:09:27 — History segment: Brief overviews of director David Mirkin and stars Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt; Laci and Matt listen to Jennifer Love Hewitt's highest charting single to determine if they've ever heard it 00:21:00 — In-depth movie discussion 01:36:41 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “Interview with David Mirkin” by Steve Head | IGN (2001) - https://bit.ly/3FEKirv  “Jennifer Love Hewitt Answers Every Question We Have About Heartbreakers” by Ilana Kaplan | Vulture (2021) - https://bit.ly/42gS3g9      Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social  

Our coverage of the late, great Gene Hackman begins with Laci and Matt getting sucked into the vortex of legal intrigue that is The Firm. And, okay, it's not exactly a Gene Hackman movie, but he's wonderful as always as part of this ensemble cast that is one of the all-time great ensemble casts. Seriously, this movie is a warm bath you can just slip into, not unlike Gene Hackman's character Avery Tolar at the end of this film.   Bonus video: We talk about things people do in the movies that are weird, very much unlike things that people in real-life do. Watch it on our Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: Heartbreakers (2001)   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:01:42 — Our personal histories with The Firm and the legal thriller sub-genre 00:16:54 — History segment: John Grisham and the ‘90s legal thriller boom; brief overview of director Sydney Pollack; production of The Firm movie  00:34:17 — In-depth movie discussion 02:07:57 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “John Grisham Is Still Battling His Southern Demons” by David Marchese | The New York Times (2022) - https://nyti.ms/3FB3E0G  “Boxers, Briefs and Books” by John Grisham | The New York Times (2010) - https://nyti.ms/4kZ37WE  “John Grisham Talks About ‘The Firm'” 2011 interview with NBC - https://youtu.be/5THJBePAbHc?si=9Wf7gicHtKL1zLUs    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.socia

Friend of the Show Screen Time Kota (https://www.tiktok.com/@screentimekota) returns to discuss the 1985 sci-fi film Enemy Mine. This hidden gem of an ‘80s sci-fi film has everything you want: practical effects, elaborate sets, miniature spaceships, matte paintings, and incredible makeup. Even more impressive is the performance of Louis Gossett Jr. underneath the intricate alien makeup. He and Dennis Quaid (a human) get stranded on a planet together; their species hate each other more than anything else… but somehow, they'll need to learn to get along if they want to survive this. (They do.)   Next week: The Firm (1993)   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:01:34 — Kota's history with Enemy Mine 00:11:10 — History segment: Development of Enemy Mine, from novella to production under original director Richard Loncraine, to Loncraine getting replaced with Wolfgang Petersen; brief career overviews of stars Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett, Jr. 00:28:25 — In-depth movie discussion 01:13:35 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “Wolfgang Petersen, the creator of Das Boot, ventures into outer space” by Michael Blowen | The Boston Globe (1985) “Gossett makes his own breaks” by Jay Scott | The Globe and Mail (1985)    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social  

Matt has a new podcast! Don't worry, Load Bearing Beams shall be unaffected. In fact, it can only grow stronger. The new podcast will come out once per month and it's about the classic Twilight Zone series. Along with Friend of the Show Patrick Perot (the 10 Things I Hate About You episode, the Blair Witch Project episode, Rural Route Nine), Matt will go through each episode of The Twilight Zone—one episode per podcast—in chronological order. And you can try out that podcast now: The Sign Post Up Ahead. To catch episodes 2 and 3 of The Sign Post Up Ahead, you can subscribe to the show: Apple Podcast: https://bit.ly/3DA3Z3c  Spotify: https://bit.ly/4kEEvlM  YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thesignpostupahead  In the debut episode of the podcast, Matt and Patrick go through the very first episode of The Twilight Zone: "Where Is Everybody?" An amnesiac wanders through a town, unable to find a single human being, but always feeling like somebody is just out of reach. Creepy! How well does this episode serve as an introduction to The Twilight Zone? How well does it stand on its own? And how much does it hold up now?  Plus, there's a lot of talk about the space race, the Cold War, and America's obsession with going to the moon. "Where Is Everybody" originally aired October 2, 1959; directed by Robert Stevens; written by Rod Serling; starring Earl Holliman. 

Austin Proctor of the Frightmares podcast joins Laci and Matt to go through The Devil's Rejects, the second film from director Robert “Robbie” Zombie. A family of demented devil freaks is running roughshod over Jimmy Carter's America, and the only thing standing in their way is a demented devil sheriff who just might be even more evil. Who will win? Answer? You, the listener, as we unpack this gory, unpleasant, but fascinating early 2000s horror/neo-western.   Check out the Frightmares podcast on Apple Podcast (https://apple.co/4h7Qaqh) or Spotify (https://bit.ly/4kvmHtl). Follow the podcast on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frightmarespodcast    Next week: Enemy Mine (1985) with Screen Time Kota!   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:08:05 — Our personal histories Rob Zombie and The Devil's Rejects  00:20:00 — History segment: Career overview of Rob Zombie, and the making of The Devil's Rejects 00:33:59 — In-depth movie discussion 01:31:50 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “I Don't Like Rules” by Jan Doense | The Flashback Files (2014)  - https://bit.ly/3DmP7VN    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social  

Yes, this is a five-hour episode. Luckily, we have time stamps available for you so you can hop around to hear about the Oscar categories you find most interesting. With Laci out on assignment, Matt interviews a handful of friends and past guests of the show to preview Hollywood's Biggest Night™. With the Academy Awards ceremony looming in two days, he and his pals preview all of the major categories, and a few fun extra ones.  Next week: Laci triumphantly returns and we're joined by frist-time guest Austin Proctor of the Frightmares podcast to review Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects (2005). Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:03:14 — Best Actor (with Kevin of The Reel For Real podcast) 00:39:11 — Best Actress (with Jen) 01:05:08 — Best Adapted Screenplay (with Cinema Coconut) 01:34:28 — Best Original Screenplay (with Cinametic Joshua) 02:19:09 — Best Animated Feature (with Smash Trivia John) 03:00:21 — Best Visual Effects (with Screen Time Kota) 03:23:45 — Best Supporting Actor (with Movie Time With Brock) 03:40:19 — Best Supporting Actress 03:48:20 — Best Director / Best Picture (with Drewbie Doobie's Movies) Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

It only took us eight years but we finally reached 150 episodes. How about that? To celebrate, we squeeze into matching Union Jack dresses and slam our bodies down and wind them all around to discuss Spice World (1997), the notoriously bad (but secretly good?) Spice Girls movie.   To elder millennials, this movie's a big honking deal, folks, and we pull out all the stops to unpack exactly why that is. And to then marvel at how, of all the directions they could have gone with a Spice Girls movie, this is what they made.    Bonus video: We name our favorite movies about bands, real or fictional. Watch it on our Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: Our Oscars special, previewing the 2025 Academy Awards with a cavalcade of superstar guests    Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:06:13 — Our personal histories with the Spice Girls 00:16:06 — History segment: What is “Cool Britannia”?; a brief history of the Spice Girls; how the Spice Girls made a movie  00:44:12 — In-depth movie discussion 01:17:53 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “How the ‘Spice World' Movie Became a Deranged, Postmodern Masterpiece” by Sirin Kale | Vice, 2018 - https://bit.ly/41qK2nx  “When the Spice Girls hit Cannes: the inside story of Spice World, 'the worst film ever made'” by Alice Vincent | The Telegraph, 2019 - https://bit.ly/3Qrjdua  Roger Ebert's half-star review of Spice World - https://bit.ly/4i0PKTB    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social  

For Valentine's Day, we're celebrating the greatest American love story of all time: Isabella Swan and Edward “The Bad Guy” Cullen. That's right, after years of threatening to turn the podcast into a full-time Twilight show, we're finally doing it. For one episode, at least. But how to tackle such an enormous endeavor? Well, we've found the two perfect people to help us in our quest: Courtney and Rose from the great Fiction Fixation podcast.   The four of us unpack our different Twilight journeys, discuss the odd figure that is Stephenie Meyer, try to determine the connection between Twilight and Mormonism, unpack the demented sexual politics of this franchise, and, finally, we all confess how much we'd want Edward to bite our necks.   Listen to Fiction Fixation on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/411OKaS), Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow them on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@fictionfixation    Next week: Spice World (1997)   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:07:10 — Our personal histories with the Twilight franchise (books AND movies) 00:25:58 — History segment: Joseph Smith founds Mormonism in the 1820s; Stephenie Meyer grows up in the LDS Church, writes Twilight; Twilight-mania takes off and a movie is developed; career overview of director Catherine Hardwicke; brief overviews of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson 00:46:38 — In-depth movie discussion 02:23:43 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “Mormon Vampires in the Garden of Eden” by John Grander | Touchstone Magazine - https://bit.ly/4jCSmJ2  “Stephenie Meyer on Twilight, feminism and true love” by Kira Cochrane | The Guardian (2013) - https://bit.ly/4ggFuoV  “Twilight's Author and Director Talk About Bringing The Film To Life” by Christina Radish | Media Blvd. (2008)  - https://bit.ly/4hz5nkY   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

In the history segment from our Patreon-only episode about The Truman Show, Matt and Laci cover: How The Truman Show started as a much darker script by Andrew Niccol about an alcoholic, philandering New Yorker. When director Peter Weir came aboard he had a few notes—like, why would this show be so popular if it's about a depressing, unlikable cheater?  Jim Carrey based his performance on his dad, and was at a level of fame in 1998 that he could whole-heartedly understand a man who is literally the center of the universe. Enjoy this free sample! To hear the entire episode, you'll have to join our Patreon: Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition. Subscribe for $5 a month: https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeams  Source:  “Twenty Years Later, Everything Is The Truman Show” by Julie Miller | Vanity Fair, 2018 - https://bit.ly/41cSW8X

The winner of our recent Listener Choice Lottery was our friend Monique (of Monique's Movie Madness, @moniques_movie_madness on TikTok). Her movie? The Legend of Billie Jean (1985). Not only had neither of us ever seen this movie, we'd barely even heard of it. But boy is it a hidden gem. Pure sleazy '80s goodness.   Helen Slater plays our hero: Billie Jean, a 17-year-old resident of Corpus Christi, Texas. The year is 1985, and she's going up against the many injustices life throws at her, with the help of her spunky younger brother Binx (Christian Slater), the live-action Lisa Simpson (Yeardley Smith), and a hunky movie nerd named Lloyd (Keith Gordon). Spoiler alert: She wins. But the real winner is YOU, the viewing public.   Bonus video: We each name an actor we just can't stand. Who can't you stand?? Watch it on our Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week:  Feb. 12 - The Truman Show exclusively on Patreon!  Feb. 14 - Twilight with special guests, Rose and Courtney from the Fiction Fixation podcast!   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:03:05 — Monique's history with The Legend of Billie Jean 00:13:00 — History segment: A brief history of The Legend of Billie Jean via original screenwriter Walter Bernstein, director Matthew Robbins, and star Helen Slater 00:20:16 — In-depth movie discussion 01:26:22 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social  

Diane Keaton accidentally inherits a baby. Hilarity ensues. Actually, this isn't your typical “I don't know how to change a diaper!” comedy, it's actually a pretty sweet and incisive look at the demented work culture of the 1980s. This is where Diane Keaton and Nancy Meyers first collaborated, and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Also, this movie has one* cute baby!   *Actually two.   Bonus video: We each submit our favorite baby from a movie. Watch it on our Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: The Legend of Billie Jean (1985)   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 2:16 — Our personal histories with Baby Boom 15:35 — History segment: The story of Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer, a legendary Hollywood power couple 30:31 — In-depth movie discussion 1:38:12 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Source: “Life Isn't Like the Movies (Even if You Write the Movies)” by Nancy Meyers | The New York Times, 2020 - https://nyti.ms/42ycG85    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social  

Louisiana got hit with a historic winter storm and the state shut down. Your pals Laci and Matt have cabin fever and are furious as they haven't been able to go anywhere or do anything all week, including podcasting. So here's their apology and update on the schedule. We will return in one week with our episode about Baby Boom (1988).  If you are shaking from withdrawal because it's Friday and you need your fix, you can just go to our Patreon and become a subscriber, and then you'll have a handful of brand-new episodes to tide you over until next week. https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeams  Thank you for your support of our podcast! Okay we love you goodbyeeeee. 

Get over here to this podcast about Mortal Kombat (1995). We're revisiting this movie, even after having already covered it on episode 76, because that episode was less than 30 minutes long. And respect must be paid! Director Paul W.S. Anderson knows exactly what kind of movie he's making here, and the scuzzy mid-'90s vibes are immaculate!   Now, is this movie basically just you watching the video game, but in movie form? Well, yes. But that's what you bought the ticket for!   Bonus video: We spin the wheel and select the winner of our Listener Choice Lottery™ . Watch it on our Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: Baby Boom (1988)   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:07: 02— Our personal histories with Mortal Kombat 00:11:18 — History segment: The history of the Mortal Kombat franchise; the making of the 1995 movie under director Paul W.S. Anderson 00:33:07 — In-depth movie discussion 01:25:55 — Final thoughts and star ratings 01:30:11 — BONUS: New song by Matt: “The Real Mortal Kombat… Is Friendship”   Source: “‘Mortal Kombat': Untold Story of the Movie That “Kicked the Hell” Out of Everyone” by  Aaron Couch | The Hollywood Reporter, 2015 - https://bit.ly/3PEBjbv   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social  

This is a preview from the Patreon-exclusive bonus episode where Laci and Matt give their spoiler-filled thoughts, analysis, theories, etc. about the terrific Apple TV+ series Severance. Get the full episode by subscribing to Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition on Patreon for $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/c/loadbearingbeams 

What if there was a romantic comedy where you were rooting for the evil “other woman” but you didn't know it? Well, Hollywood boldly went there in 1997 with My Best Friend's Wedding. And what a charming evil woman we have as our protagonist here, in Jules (Julia Roberts). She's an utter delight, as is Kimmy (Cameron Diaz). The only stretch here is that either would find anything appealing about this dimwitted drip named Michael (Dermot Mulroney).   Director P.J. Hogan called My Best Friend's Wedding “a romantic comedy that wasn't very romantic.” And it is very impressive to see how well the movie balances its many tensions—to have Julia Roberts, the lead, be someone the audience roots for, but not too much; to have her rival Cameron Diaz be able to hold her own against Roberts but not steal the show; and to have the dullard male lead not seem like an oblivious jerk.   Well, it worked. This movie rules. We both loved it. But we need to make fun of stuff, so we do a lot of bad impressions and ask a lot of unimportant questions: Michael and Jules were definitely still boning even when they were “just friends,” right? Why does the movie have to make Cameron Diaz's character 20, instead of 25 (the age of the actress)? Did people really compose emails and then set them aside for their secretaries to send at the end of the day? And is it okay for a sportswriter who covers the Chicago White Sox marrying the daughter of the team's owner? This movie is about ethics in sports journalism, is what we're saying.   Bonus video: We pick the weddings from movies we'd most like to attend. Watch it on our Twitter, Bluesky, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: We're revisiting Mortal Kombat (1995), covering the movie properly this time, because on our old episode we only talked about the movie for a few minutes   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:04:58 — Our personal histories with My Best Friend's Wedding 00:11:29 — History segment: The career of Julia Roberts; development and production of My Best Friend's Wedding with director P.J. Hogan and writer Ronald Bass  00:30:09 — In-depth movie discussion 02:05:38 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “‘My Best Friend's Wedding' Is a Rom-Com You Can Still Talk About for Hours” by  Jake Kring-Schreifels | The Ringer (2022) - https://bit.ly/4gDUEWi “The Oral History of My Best Friend's Wedding” by Seija Rankin | E! Online (2017) - https://bit.ly/3ZYAzTm From Hollywood With Love by Scott Meslow (2022) - https://amzn.to/3WbQFrY    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

Friend of the Show Caleb Hogan finally forgives us for our thoughts on Nacho Libre and makes his long-awaited return to the program. And he's brought us a fascinating movie: The 2014 Zac Efron/Miles Teller/Michael B. Jordan/ rom-com That Awkward Moment. 2014 feels like it was 1,000 years ago, doesn't it, folks?   Bonus video: We talk about movies we think will serve in the future as great time capsules for the early 2020s. Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NMdQ7APGN7w    Next week: My Best Friend's Wedding (1997)   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:03:57 — Our personal histories with That Awkward Moment 00:12:24 — History segment: Brief overview of the careers of Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan, and Miles Teller 00:32:29 — In-depth movie discussion 01:46:21 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

Hello friends. Please enjoy this sample from our brand-new premium episode about Get Out (2017). But to hear it in full, you gotta join our Patreon, a.k.a., Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition.  Here's where you can do that: https://bit.ly/4a1hpB2  Our next regular episode will be out in two days. It's about That Awkward Moment (2014), featuring our friend, returning guest Caleb Hogan.  Happy New Year! We love you, bye!

In this special bonus episode, you'll join Laci, Matt, and their guest Jay (a.k.a. Cinema Coconut) as they answer completely sincere, totally-not-fabricated questions about that pesky thing we call love. And, in case you haven't heard, love actually IS all around us, if you just take the time to look. It's in the love an aging pop star has for his manager. The love a bored supervisor has for meddling in the lives of his employees. The love a prime minister has for watching his subjects at the airport. Happy holidays! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you for making this the best year Load Bearing Beams has ever had. Follow Jay on TikTok (@cinema_coconut), YouTube, (https://www.youtube.com/@CinemaCoconut), and Letterboxd (https://letterboxd.com/J_koala/). Subscribe to Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition, our brand-new Patreon endeavor. Get two bonus episodes for $5 a month! - https://www.patreon.com/loadbearingbeams  Next week: January 1, 2025 - Episode 142 (Patreon only) — Get Out (2017) January 3, 2025 - Episode 143 — That Awkward Moment (2014) with Caleb Hogan   Time stamps: 00:01:23 — Letter no. 1: Woman's husband's best friend scares her 00:11:00 — Letter no. 2: Manager wants his employees to hook up 00:18:58 — Letter no. 3: World leader is being bullied by another world leader 00:24:56 — Letter no. 4: Man's sexual partner keeps interrupting sex to take phone calls 00:29:57 — LOVE ACTUALLY movie discussion 01:05:23 — Final thoughts and star ratings

Ho ho ho and ruff ruff ruff. Scott “The Tool Man” Calvin (Tim Allen) is cursed with hideous Christmas powers and finds himself turning into the eternal sprite of winter. He has only 11 months to get his affairs in order before he leaves Earthrealm behind. Can he patch things up with his estranged son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) before it's too late? And does he need to watch his back or the elves who work for him will arrange a quiet coup, i.e., drug him and cause him to slip off a roof, like his predecessor?   For the final regular episode of Load Bearing Beams of 2024, we're joined by an outstanding guest: Movie Talk With Brock. Please check him out on TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.    Bonus video: Laci, Matt, and Brock each name a Christmas movie from the past five years they think is destined to be an all-time Christmas classic. Watch it on our Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or BlueSky.   Next episode: We will return on January 3, 2025, with an episode about That Awkward Moment (2014), featuring return guest Caleb Hogan!   Time stamps: 00:08:46 — Our personal histories with The Santa Clause 00:15:55 — History segment: The history of Santa Claus (the mythological figure); the history of Santa Clause (the movie) 00:32:12 — In-depth movie discussion 01:34:50 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Your Ambition” - https://youtu.be/ZHudVTCkrQY    “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

When Matt falls onto the train tracks, Laci hops down to rescue him, but they both get hit by a train, and now they're podcasting from the afterlife. The first movie up in this Afterworld Era is While You Were Sleeping (1995), the Sandra Bullock imposter/coma/Christmas rom-com classic.   How great is it seeing star-making, lightning-in-a-bottle performances like Bullock's performance here? How great is this Chicago-at-Christmastime establishing shot footage, complete with extras falling down? How great is it to know that if Laci or Matt realized the other had been lying about their identity for 15 years, they would get over it pretty quickly.   ALSO: We're launching a Patreon in January! Subscribe for $5/month to Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for two bonus episodes per month!   Bonus video: While You Were Sleeping inspired two bonus videos! Favorite mistaken identity movies: Watch on Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok. Favorite Chicago movies: Watch on Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok. Next week: The Santa Clause (1994) with special guest Movie Talk With Brock   Time stamps: 00:08:24 — Our personal histories with While You Were Sleeping 00:12:28 — History segment: Director Jon Turtletaub, star Sandra Bullock, and the making of While You Were Sleeping  00:20:49 — In-depth movie discussion 01:14:05 — Special announcement: We're launching a Patreon in January! 01:19:30 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “‘While You Were Sleeping' turns 25: An oral history of the Sandra Bullock rom-com favorite” by Ashley Spencer | The Washington Post (2020) - https://wapo.st/49wbFyY    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “24 Hours Is Like Three Weeks!” - https://youtu.be/xhmAga_DGv0 “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social  

Tonight we'll be hosting a LIVE discussion of Love Actually (2003). The totally-not-contrived premise is, the various deranged characters from the movie have written to us seeking romantic advice. Who are we to deny them? It starts at 9:00 p.m. EST and we'll be joined by our friend Cinema Coconut. If you can't make it, you can always catch the replay. Check it out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/live/AmcViDTxM4Q?si=HWz8iKaNGXilMe3- 

Matt's brother Elliott returns to the show to help Matt and Laci cover Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. It's 104 minutes of trying to figure out if Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) is cinema's greatest sociopath. This movie is a beloved classic to many thirtysomething adults in America, but it is a mess. Shouldn't the whole movie have taken place at the hotel? Also, adult Kevin McAllister is definitely a masculinity influencer, isn't he?   Check out Elliott's gallery The Front in New Orleans, Louisiana, with gallery hours on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 5 p.m. Learn more at https://nolafront.org/. Follow Elliott on Instagram @elliott_ross_stokes.    Bonus video: We talk about our favorite New York movies. Watch it on our Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: While You Were Sleeping (1995)   Time stamps: 00:04:29 — Our personal histories with Home Alone 2 00:14:18 — History segment: The development, production, and reception of Home Alone and the quick turnaround for the sequel by director Chris Columbus, writer/producer John Hughes, and star Macaulay Culkin 00:33:27 — In-depth movie discussion 01:38:05 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Source: “Holy Cow, Home Alone Is 25!” by James Hughes | Chicago Magazine (2015) - https://bit.ly/4hxxjGK    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

Gobble gobble. As previously announced, we have taken the week off. We shall return in one week with an episode about Home Alone 2: Lost in New York with returning guest Elliott Stokes. Thank you for your support of Load Bearing Beams. We love you, you're very special. We have for you here a selection of some of our favorite social media videos that are usually adjacent to the episode of the week. You can catch these in real time by following us on Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok. Time stamps: 01:38 — What movie tattoo would we get? 07:03 — What movies legitimately scare us? 14:07 — What movies do we think are misunderstood? 17:25 — Which movie dystopias do we think wouldn't be so bad? 21:03 — The Trailer Line Challenge 25:43 — Who are our favorite teachers from movies? 31:05 — Which movie properties would we like to see in theme parks? 35:02 — Who are our favorite fictional movie presidents? 38:06 — What are our favorite movies about magic? 41:22 — Who are our favorite villains from superhero movies? Hey! Also, you should check out some of our standalone videos, including: Matt explains why Spider-Man 2 is his favorite superhero movie: https://youtu.be/OIAfQc-W2S8 Laci explains why Longlegs is a metaphor for forced birth: https://youtu.be/CXXt89WCpXA Laci and Matt review, with spoilers, the 2024 body-horror film The Substance: https://youtu.be/truppt1QUK4  Matt regrets buying this blu-ray: https://youtu.be/yxASqDvNrqM  Matt explains The Brave Little Toaster to you: https://youtu.be/RTqdF-_J5HE  The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) is one of the most joyless movies ever made: https://youtu.be/slrlKGVwx60 

Smash Trivia John of Smash Trivia Presents: The Gamma Analysis podcast (listen to it on Spotify; follow him on TikTok @smashtrivia) joins us to go over Spider-Man (2002). Director Sam Raimi brought his signature vision and energy to the project and kinda shifted the movie industry into a completely different direction for the next two decades. But how does it hold up as a movie?   Bonus video: We talk about our favorite villains from superhero movies. Watch it on our Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: We're taking a week off for Thanksgiving. We'll be back on December 6, 2024 with an episode about Home Alone 2 (1992) featuring special guest Elliott Stokes, returning to the show for the first time since 2018!    Time stamps: 00:02:44 — Our personal histories with Spider-Man (the character) and Spider-Man (the movie)  00:15:04 — History segment: The origins of Spider-Man with Steve Ditko and Stan Lee; development of Spider-Man projects at Sony Pictures over the years; and brief career overview of director Sam Raimi 00:30:27 — In-depth movie discussion 01:47:00 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Source: The Big Picture: The Fight For the Future of Movies by Ben Fritz (2018) - https://amzn.to/4fzqnHy    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9

Isaiah, Kevin, and Trevor from the great podcast The Reel For Real join Laci and Matt to go through Quentin Tarantino's classic Pulp Fiction. The five have come together to explain what this movie's “actually” about: friendship.   Please support The Reel For Real by subscribing to their podcast on Spotify (https://bit.ly/4ftLevU) or Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/3ZhFzUl), and following them on TikTok (@TheReelForRealPodcast), YouTube (@thereelforrealpodcast6), or Instagram (@thereel_forreal).   Next week: Spider-Man (2002) with special guest Smash Trivia John!    Time stamps: 00:07:48 — Our personal histories with Quentin Tarantino and Pulp Fiction  00:23:47 — History segment: The career of Quentin Tarantino, the development of Pulp Fiction, and brief overviews of the careers of John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson 00:42:57 — In-depth movie discussion 01:52:35 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: Down and Dirty Pictures by Peter Biksind, 2004 -  https://amzn.to/4eHfsL8  “‘Pulp Fiction' Turns 30: How Quentin Tarantino's Masterpiece Saved Careers, Conquered Film Festivals and Changed Cinema Forever” by Todd Gilchrist | Variety, 2024 - https://bit.ly/4hHmaTI    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Your Ambition” - https://youtu.be/ZHudVTCkrQY    “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9

We open the book and read from Jim Carroll's many basketball diaries to find out about his life on the streets with Mickey, Pedro, and Neutron. What a time these little scamps had! Yelling at old ladies, knocking hot dogs out of children's hands, and barfing on the guy who would later play Big Pussy on The Sopranos.   Oh, but they weren't all happy days. No, there are dark times ahead for young Jim (Leonardo DiCaprio), and we talk all about it.   Bonus video: We talk about our favorite teachers from movies. Watch it on our Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: Pulp Fiction (1994) with The Reel For Real podcast!    Time stamps: 00:04:40 — Our personal histories with The Basketball Diaries 00:13:05 — History segment: Jim Carroll's real life and Basketball Diaries; production of this movie and the casting of Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Wahlberg  00:31:15 — In-depth movie discussion 01:16:29 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: "Off the Rim" by Thomas Mallon | The New Yorker (2010) - https://bit.ly/4fdoCja  "Leonardo DiCaprio's Issue With Mark Wahlberg & More Secrets Revealed About The Basketball Diaries" by Natalie Finn | E! News (2020) - https://bit.ly/3NZgDdF  "Mark Wahlberg Was A 'Punk' The First Time He Met Leonardo DiCaprio" by Sasha Bronner | HuffPost (2014) - https://bit.ly/3CeDAqz  Review of ‘Elephant' by Roger Ebert | The Chicago Sun-Times (2003) - https://bit.ly/3CiZtVQ    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Your Ambition” - https://youtu.be/ZHudVTCkrQY    “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9  

Folks, we have an election on our hands. The most important of our lifetimes, many are saying. We are talking, of course, about the battle for the president of Carver High School's Student Government Association. In one corner, it's beloved football star Paul Metzler (Chris Klein). In another corner, it's that do-gooding Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon). And in a third corner, it's Tammy Metzler (Jessica Campbell), who just wants to burn it all down.   Stuck in the middle of all of this is one of cinema's great pathetic losers, Mr. Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), an ordinary guy who just wants to drink Pepsi and watch his porno tapes, but that pesky election keeps calling to him.   This movie rocks and rolls and owns and bones.   Bonus video: We talk about our favorite fictional presidents from movies. Watch it on our Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: The Basketball Diaries (1995)   Time stamps: 00:01:31 — American presidential election predictions, AND the story of the time Laci was most angry at Matt 00:16:52 — Our personal histories with Election 00:20:22 — History segment: The reevaluation of Tracy Flick over time; career overviews of Tom Perrotta and Alexander Payne 00:46:10 — In-depth movie discussion 02:00:45 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “Pick Flick: An Oral History Of 'Election,' 15 Years Later” by Matthew Jacobs | HuffPost, 2014 - https://bit.ly/4f4yHz3 “What America Gets Wrong About Tracy Flick” by A.O. Scott | The New York Times, 2019 - https://nyti.ms/4hvnAk0  “How #MeToo Brought Back Tracy Flick” by David Plotz | Slate, 2022 - https://bit.ly/4f9h2Gu    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9  

We call upon the guardians of the watchtowers to aid us on our journey through the Tunney/Balk teenage witch classic The Craft (1996). This is the second time Load Bearing Beams has covered this movie. On the fourth episode of the podcast (all the way back in 2017), Laci and Matt made endless fun of it, but this time, they're making endless fun with it, because, you guys, it's a fun little movie!   Bonus video: We talk about our favorite movies about magic, whatever that means. Watch it on our Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: Election (1999)   Time stamps: 00:05:07 — Our personal histories with The Craft 00:15:44 — History segment: Development of The Craft under producer Douglas Wick, screenwriter Peter Filardi, and director Andrew Fleming; casting, production, and legacy of the movie 00:38:30 — In-depth movie discussion 01:32:32 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “Relax, It's Only Magic: An Oral History Of 'The Craft'” by Matthew Jacobs and Julia Brucculieri | Huffington Post (2016) - https://bit.ly/40btMYf  “We are the weirdos, mister: An oral history of The Craft” by Samantha Highfill | Entertainment Weekly (2017) - https://yhoo.it/3A57IUL    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9

Friend of the Show JT the Talking Head (@jt_pettry & @mastersofmatinee on TikTok) on TikTok, Masters of Matinee podcast) has brought us one of the most gonzo horror sequels of all time: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986). Director Tobe Hooper finally returned to his iconic characters 12 years after the original, and he made it into a classic all on its own, while taking a dramatic tonal swerve right into comedy, hijinks, and even more political and social commentary. This movie rules.   Next week: The Craft (1996)   Time stamps: 00:04:27 — Our personal histories with the Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise 00:16:40 — History segment: The history of Texas; brief career overview of director Tobe Hooper 00:31:51 — In-depth movie discussion 01:42:09 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: Cinemaphagy: On the Psychedelic Classical Form of Tobe Hooper by Scout Tafoya (2021) - https://amzn.to/4dKBYlu  “America's Future Is Texas” by Lawrence Wright | The New Yorker (2017) - https://bit.ly/4f8oS2m   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9

You need to stay away from the light! Or do you? What is light anyway? What is truth, what is meaning, what is words? We try getting to the bottom of all of this by discussing the 2001 ghost movie The Others.   Nicole Kidman is Grace, a young mother who seems to have misplaced her marbles. She's alone in an enormous house with two little moppet children who can't go into the light because of an illness [citation needed]. For some reason, she still needs to open the curtains every day and pretend like everything's okay. Grace, we're here to tell you: surrender. Keep those curtains closed. Don't bother cleaning. Adopt the darkness, like Bane. You'll be happier.   Anyway, this movie rules, and it's a great contrast from last week's bloody meta mess movie, Scream.   Bonus video: We play The Trailer Challenge(™), where we recall lines from trailers of long ago that stick in our craw, then watch the trailers to see if we're remembering them correctly. Watch it on our Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986) with special guest JT the Talking Head!    Time stamps: 00:06:13 — Our personal histories with The Others 00:18:51 — History segment: Gothic horror; director Alejandro Amenábar; star Nicole Kidman 00:32:19 — In-depth movie discussion 01:29:36 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “The Others: Something in This House” by Philip Horne | Criterion, 2023 - https://bit.ly/3ZOB3x7 “The Others at 20: the haunted house movie that reinvigorated the genre” by Scott Tobias | The Guardian, 2021 - https://bit.ly/4gTeltQ    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9

What's your favorite Screamy movie? Is it Scream (1996)? Is it Scream (2022)? Or is it one of the numbered Screams?   Well, we're talking about the one that started it all, the first movie to ever acknowledge that other movies exist*: Wes Craven's 1996 film Scream!   *not true   Is Neve Campbell, who is indeed good in the movie, doing a little too much “face business” in this film? Is Principal Henry Winkler a little too enthusiastic with those scissors? And what kind of journalist is Gale Weathers, anyway?   Bonus video: We discuss the horror movies that actually, legitimately scare us. Which movies scare you? Watch and weigh in on our Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok.   Next week: The Others (2001)   Time stamps: 00:01:58 — Our personal histories with Scream 00:15:32 — History segment: Postmodernism; screenwriter Kevin Williamson sells his script, originally called Scary Movie; career overview of director Wes Craven; brief career overview of Neve Campbell 00:47:03 — In-depth movie discussion 01:59:43 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “Your Favorite Scary Movie: The Oral History of ‘Scream'” by Alan Siegel | The Ringer, 2021 - https://bit.ly/4eoDmLz  “Faster, Better and More Blood: A ‘Scream' Oral History” by Ashley Cullins | The Hollywood Reporter, 2021 - https://bit.ly/3Bqgr4h  Down and Dirty Pictures by Peter Biksind, 2004 -  https://amzn.to/4eHfsL8   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9

We take a look at what appears to be a “boob comedy” from the year 2000: Road Trip, directed by Todd Phillips, who makes Joker movies now.   It's the heartwarming story of Josh (Breckin Meyer), a Boring Guy who cheats on his girlfriend but doesn't mean it. Josh and his pals E.L. (Seann William Scott), Rubin (Paulo Costanzo), and Kyle (D.J. Qualls) do the only thing that make sense: They head across the country on a road trip to keep Boring Guy Josh's girlfriend from finding out about his betrayal.   And, you know what, this movie's pretty okay! But we try to figure out why Todd Phillips says he's not allowed to make movies like Road Trip anymore because of Woke.   Also, we try to get to the bottom of Tom Green.   Bonus video: We talk about our favorite road trips from movies. Watch it on our Twitter (https://bit.ly/4ejg3TC), Instagram (https://bit.ly/3BiT24y), or TikTok (https://bit.ly/4gHLAjv). Next week: Scream (1996)   Time stamps: 00:05:37 — Our personal histories with Road Trip 00:23:21 — History segment: Development and production of Road Trip; career overview of director Todd Phillips 00:49:21 — In-depth movie discussion 01:43:56 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “Joaquin Phoenix on Joker, Why River Is His Rosebud, His Rooney Research, and His ‘Prenatal' Gift for Dark Characters” by Joe Hagan | Vanity Fair, 2019 - https://bit.ly/3zI8I0D  The Men Who Would Be King by Nicole LaPorte - https://amzn.to/3XGCD2V    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9

Friend of the Show Patrick Perot (bass player for Rural Route Nine, official house band of Load Bearing Beams) stops by to preach the gospel of his favorite movie, 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). And he's right to! It's a lovely and very funny romantic comedy from back when Hollywood still made those. The chemistry between Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger! The, uh, good efforts given by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Larisa Oleynik! And best of all: Krumholz, Krumholz, Krumholz.   A real-life high school teacher, Patrick is also here to school us on how accurate a representation this is of high school. What grade would he give Kat (Julia Stiles) for her sonnet? And how many students has he had to stop from singing a song over the football stadium's loudspeakers?   Also, it's a night recording, so Laci's in her cups. That always makes things interesting.   Next week: Road Trip (2000)   Time stamps: 00:05:56 — Our personal histories with 10 Things I Hate About You  00:20:45 — History segment: The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare; development of 10 Things I Hate About You by screenwriters Karen McCullah & Kirsten Smith; director Gil Junger; stars Julia Stiles and Heath Ledger 00:53:17 — In-depth movie discussion 02:06:12 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “10 Things I Hate About You: The definitive oral history by the people who made it” by Mireia Mullor | Digital Spy, 2024 - https://bit.ly/479NDsi  “Shakespeare for Feminists: An Oral History of 10 Things I Hate About You” by Carrie Rickey | RogerEbert.com, 2019 - https://bit.ly/3ZxLWmW   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Support the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9  

Laci and Matt are off to learn how to be better camp counselors by getting back to basics. Safety. Canoeing. Shooting arrows. Singing “Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley.” Making love and drawing the ire of Mrs. Voorhees. Trying to keep their bodies fragrance free, so as not to attract bears.   On a totally unrelated note, this episode is about Friday the 13th Part 2, Matt's favorite entry in his favorite horror series. It's the debut of Jason as the killer, although he still hasn't quite nailed his look. Still, it's an absolute blast and a wonderful time capsule of the 1970s turning into the ‘80s.   So put on your little Mickey Mouse shirt and even littler short pants and join us at Camp Crystal Lake… actually, this one's at Camp Packanack, but it's all kind of the same.   Watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8tQwneeBqsk   Next week: 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) with guest Patrick Perot   Time stamps: 01:10 — Our personal histories with the Friday the 13th franchise 16:36 — History segment: Brief history of the franchise as created by Sean Cunningham, Victor Miller, and Steve Miner 27:11 — In-depth movie discussion 1:01:01 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM  “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Source: Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday The 13th by Peter Bracke (2006) - https://amzn.to/3Ts4jFR

Laci and Matt talk about the 2002 college band-centered classic Drumline, a highly entertaining journey into the world of HBCU marching bands. Nick Cannon is either “great” (Laci) or “perfectly fine” (Matt) as Devon, whose me-first attitude doesn't quite gel with his teammates on the campus of Atlanta A&T. He is especially at odds with the band director Dr. Lee (Orlando Jones) and drum major Sean (Leonard Roberts). Will they figure it all out in time for the big showdown against the villainous Morris Brown University, whose razzle-dazzle tactics Dr. Lee disapproves of?   It's a fun and sweet movie and, obviously, we're shipping Devon and Sean. Get Laila (Zoe Saldaña) out of here!   Watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kkZ9_ctCMO4   Next week: Friday the 13th part 2 (1981)   Time stamps: 00:00:43 — Our personal histories with Drumline 00:16:56 — History segment: Music producer Dallas Austin (real-life inspiration for the story) develops the project as a movie; director Charles Stone III and star Nick Cannon 00:28:39 — In-depth movie discussion 01:13:42 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Your Ambition” - https://youtu.be/ZHudVTCkrQY   “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM  “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Source: Halftime is game time: An oral history of ‘Drumline' by Aaron Dodson | Andscape, 2017 - https://bit.ly/3T30CGt

Well, the Summer of Spielberg is over, and we say a tearful goodbye with our friends on YouTube. This is the audio from our livestream on YouTube from August 23, 2024. In the exciting conclusion to the episode, Matt will rank all 34 Steven Spielberg films, and it is sure to annoy you, whoever you are and no matter what you believe. The show returns to its classic format next week, September 6, 2024, with an episode about the Nick Cannon-plays-in-a-college-band film, Drumline (2002).  As always, thanks for your support of Load Bearing Beams. And an EXTRA SPECIAL thank you to Wade Hymel and TJ Barends for helping us make the "Summer of Spielberg" theme song. Artwork by Laci Roth. “Summer of Spielberg” theme song credits: Words and music written by Matt Stokes Performed by Wade Hymel (drums/guitar), Laci Roth (vocals), and Matt Stokes (vocals/guitar/bass) Produced by TJ Barends, Wade Hymel, and Matt Stokes Engineered and mixed by TJ Barends at Bare Sounds Studio in Ponchatoula, Louisiana

The Summer of Spielberg comes to a somber, respectful conclusion as we say goodbye to Mr. Spielberg by prying into his personal affairs and taking a look at his latest film, the autobiographical The Fablemans (2022).   It's the story of young Sammy Fableman (but they're not hiding that the Fablemans are the Spielbergs) and his budding love of picturemaking. And we have the perfect guest to help us along the way, as we welcome in filmmaker and physical media enthusiast Paul of Twin Flicks (https://www.youtube.com/@TwinFlicks).   Paul tells Laci and Matt about how Spielberg inspired his filmmaking journey, and then the three discuss the real lives of Steven Spielberg's parents and how Steven decided to finally stop making movies about other people's divorces and make one about his parents' divorce.   And how about this? At 75 years old, Steven Spielberg made one of his best-ever movies.   Watch this episode in full: https://youtu.be/ouKRlcanTyw   Next week: We're taking a week off. The Bonus episode will be a replay of our YouTube Live discussion wrapping up the Summer of Spielberg. And then, on September 6, we're coming back with an episode about Drumline (2002).   Time stamps: 11:22 — Paul's history with Spielberg and our histories with The Fablemans 32:04 — History segment: The real story of Spielberg's parents, and the genesis of The Fablemans 53:57 — In-depth movie discussion 1:30:30 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Spielberg” - https://youtu.be/yglAqqLEaoI   “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM    “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg   “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ      “Summer of Spielberg” theme song credits: Words and music written by Matt Stokes Performed by Wade Hymel (drums/guitar), Laci Roth (vocals), and Matt Stokes (vocals/guitar/bass) Produced by TJ Barends, Wade Hymel, and Matt Stokes ngineered and mixed by TJ Barends at Bare Sounds Studio in Ponchatoula, Louisiana   Sources: Steven Spielberg: A Biography by Joseph McBride - https://amzn.to/3xzYOx1 “Steven Spielberg gave his sisters veto power on ‘The Fabelmans.' They gave him their trust” by Glenn Whipp | The Los Angeles Times, 2023 - https://lat.ms/3XfTuJi  “Steven Spielberg Gets Personal” by A.O. Scott | The New York Times, 2022 - https://nyti.ms/3WUV4iA

Hey folks, please join us this Friday (August 23) at 9:00 p.m. EST on YouTube Live. We're doing a live wrap-up show—the season finale of the Summer of Spielberg. Movie rankings, lessons learned... other stuff, probably. Talk to us live!  Visit the link below to view the stream live (or, afterward, watch a replay). Or, before it starts, click "Notify Me" and why not give it a Like as well? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8pyu7x4Hgo Hope to see you there! 

What do you get when you combine one precocious wizkid director who's actually not that young, one cocaine-addled producer, one befuddled Frenchman, one Bob Balaban taking notes, and lots and lots of McDonald's? You get what is quite possibly the greatest science fiction film ever made, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).   Our friend Drewbie Doobie's Movies (@DrewbieDoobieMovies on TikTok) returns to the show to gush about one of Spielberg's very best movies… maybe his very best. It's the second time we've covered this movie on the show, but back in 2018, we only talked about it for about 10 minutes, and most of that time was spent with Laci complaining about Melinda Dillon not wearing a bra.   This is a beautiful, special movie, but it doesn't seem like it's as widely seen as your Jurassics Park and your Jawses. So please, folks, give it a chance.   Watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/bVPDZKa9dFc   Next week: The Fabelmans (2022) with special guest Paul of Twin Flicks!   Time stamps: 3:41 — Our personal histories with Close Encounters of the Third Kind and our big-picture thoughts on the movie 22:27 — History segment: UFOs; Spielberg in the early ‘70s; Producers Michael and Julia Phillips; Francois Truffaut; the controversy over the screenwriting credit for Close Encounters; the 1980 “special edition” of Close Encounters and its weird McDonald's tie-in 46:30 — In-depth movie discussion 2:01:03 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Spielberg” - https://youtu.be/yglAqqLEaoI   “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM    “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg   “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ      “Summer of Spielberg” theme song credits: Words and music written by Matt Stokes Performed by Wade Hymel (drums/guitar), Laci Roth (vocals), and Matt Stokes (vocals/guitar/bass) Produced by TJ Barends, Wade Hymel, and Matt Stokes Engineered and mixed by TJ Barends at Bare Sounds Studio in Ponchatoula, Louisiana   Sources: Steven Spielberg: A Biography by Joseph McBride - https://amzn.to/3xzYOx1 You'll Never Eat Lunch In This Town Again by Julia Phillips - https://amzn.to/3STJWBk  Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Making of Steven Spielberg's Classic Film by Ray Morton - https://amzn.to/3M7JJqo

Tom Hanks chases Leonardo DiCaprio in one of the most fun cat-and-mouse chase thrillers of all time! And it's all “inspired” by a true story! As the tagline says, it's “a true story of a real fraud.” Okay. So how true is it? Well, we looked into it and……. Guys, what we found out is depressing.   Frank Abagnale didn't do any of the things he claimed he did in his book. You know, the things that are interesting, the things you're here for. He didn't pretend to be a lawyer or a doctor, he didn't forge millions of dollars of checks, he didn't travel the world as a fake pilot. Indeed, when his book was published in 1980, reporters who bothered doing even the tiniest amount of due diligence were able to debunk his claims. Skeptical reporting has followed Abagnale his entire career. It hasn't mattered. His story is more fun.   Does that affect the way we view the movie? You'll have to listen to find out.   Watch this episode in full: https://youtu.be/zui8jgp2bqo   Next week: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) with special guest Drewbie Doobie's Movies!   Time stamps: 01:44 — Our personal histories with Catch Me If You Can and our big-picture thoughts on the movie 11:34 — History segment: The REAL Frank Abagnale, and how he never did any of the things his book (and Spielberg's movie) show him doing; how the movie nevertheless was developed and ended up the way it did 50:06 — In-depth movie discussion 1:48:25 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Spielberg” - https://youtu.be/yglAqqLEaoI   “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM    “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg   “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ     “Summer of Spielberg” theme song credits: Words and music written by Matt Stokes Performed by Wade Hymel (drums/guitar), Laci Roth (vocals), and Matt Stokes (vocals/guitar/bass) Produced by TJ Barends, Wade Hymel, and Matt Stokes Engineered and mixed by TJ Barends at Bare Sounds Studio in Ponchatoula, Louisiana   Sources: The Greatest Hoax on Earth: Catching Truth, While We Can by Alan C. Logan - https://amzn.to/4fCIoVN  “Did Steven Spielberg Get His Start by Sneaking Into an Empty Universal Studios Office?” by David Mikkelson | Snopes.com (2003) - https://bit.ly/3YVmTdh “This ‘Fabelman's' Tall Tale: When Steven Spielberg Stole A Universal Office” | Hollywood Outbreak (2022) - https://bit.ly/3AiILoz

Laci and Matt are off this week, but please enjoy this bonus episode, a recording of our TikTok Live discussion of the Indiana Jones franchise, a companion piece to our episode about Raiders of the Lost Ark. The show will be back next week with an episode about Catch Me If You Can. Thank you for your support of Load Bearing Beams! Get more bonus content from us on our social media channels: Twitter - https://x.com/LoadBearingPod  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/loadbearingbeams/  TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@load.bearing.beams 

Laci and Matt are at war with each other like the gunters are at war with the villainous Nolan Sorrento in the Oasis of Ready Player One. And it's all because they can't agree on this movie! Is this the first BAD Spielberg movie the show has covered this summer? Or is it another classic?   First we get into the history of the movie, starting with the career of novelist Ernist Cline. From his humble beginnings as a slam poet in Austin to his screenwriting career working with Harvey Weinstein on the film Fanboys, to writing Ready Player One and creating bidding wars for both the publishing and movie rights, Ernie is a true American success story. And then he got Steven Spielberg to direct the thing! Wow! Will Spielberg use this opportunity to do some crucial self-examination about the role he has played in shaping pop culture, in emphasizing nostalgia and sentiment and comfort amongst moviegoers everywhere, keeping them in a perpetual state of adolescence? Or does he just use the cool toys and giant budget to make a really cool-looking movie?   Then: The movie itself. Has there been a wetter paper towel of a leading man than Tye Sheridan? Future megastar Olivia Cooke is right there, man. Give her the reigns. Anyway, enough editorializing. This episode is having some Ready Player FUN.   Next week: Our Indiana Jones TikTok Live will appear in the podcast feed on August 2. We'll be back with a regular episode about Catch Me If You Can on August 9.   Watch this episode in full: https://youtu.be/fYs-nYD7SuA   Time stamps: 00:00:49 — Our personal histories with Ready Player One and our big-picture thoughts on the movie 00:10:28 — History segment: Ernest Cline and his novel Ready Player One, and how the movie came to be with Steven Spielberg; who the heck is Tye Sheridan? 00:29:00 — In-depth movie discussion 01:33:05 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Spielberg” - https://youtu.be/yglAqqLEaoI   “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM    “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg   “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ      “Summer of Spielberg” theme song credits: Words and music written by Matt Stokes Performed by Wade Hymel (drums/guitar), Laci Roth (vocals), and Matt Stokes (vocals/guitar/bass) Produced by TJ Barends, Wade Hymel, and Matt Stokes Engineered and mixed by TJ Barends at Bare Sounds Studio in Ponchatoula, Louisiana   Sources: “Ernest Cline is the luckiest geek alive” by Ellis Hamburger | The Verge (2014) - https://bit.ly/4fgvyMO