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Here's the draft, updated for the combined 43-minute episode:**Title:**101: "Vendor" — I wrote a short film script, so I read the whole thing**Description:**I wrote a short film script called "Vendor." It's a day in the life of Reggie, a bread route driver in Central Mass, on the day before his DOT physical — the one that decides if he keeps his livelihood. Busted truck, chaotic route, and an open mic at night where he finally gets on stage. Think Super Troopers meets The Wrestler, minus the wrestling. This episode is the full screenplay, read start to finish — about 43 minutes, with an intro from yours truly. (The screenplay reading is an AI stand-in voice, not me — my throat would've filed a union complaint.) Last night, he was funny. Today, he goes to work.I slipped in a one-liner disclosing the AI voice for the story read — figured it was better to own it with a joke than let someone guess. Want me to cut it, or tweak anything else?
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John Cusack Breaks Down Momo: Artaud, Aliens & a Rescue From an Insane Asylum John Cusack is back on Reza Rifts, and this time the conversation has nothing to do with the movies that made him famous. He sits down with Keith Reza to break down Momo, his debut graphic novel from Mad Cave Studios, hitting shelves September 29. What starts as a book talk turns into a full on history lesson. Cusack walks through the real life threads behind the story: Antonin Artaud, the French surrealist who once terrified all of Europe, Jackie Gleason, Richard Nixon, and a White House flight log with one name blacked out. He explains what actually happened, what he invented, and why he let the myths stay in. Cusack also gets into the craft. He wrote Momo in a loose screenplay form, built footnotes into the pages so readers could hear the soundtrack in their heads, and handed the art over to Ignacio Noe with one instruction: draw what you want. He talks about touring the book at San Diego Comic Con, what real fans pick up on, and the next project he and Noe already have in the works, The Chemical Wedding. Then the two of them get loose. Rejected roles, the Breaking Bad rumor, the Frasier voiceover he swears he does not remember recording, an unexpected John Mahoney connection, Internet dating rumors, a shout out for Kate Miller, and Cusack's own theory on how the pyramids were really built. Funny, honest, and full of surprises, this is the kind of conversation that only happens on Reza Rifts. GUEST INFO John Cusack is an American actor, producer, and screenwriter born June 28, 1966 in Evanston, Illinois. Over a career spanning more than four decades he has appeared in over ninety films, moving from teen comedy to crime drama to satire without ever losing his own voice. He broke through in the 1980s with Sixteen Candles, Better Off Dead, The Sure Thing, Stand by Me, and Say Anything, then reinvented himself in the 1990s with The Grifters, Bullets Over Broadway, Grosse Pointe Blank, Con Air, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and Being John Malkovich. In 2000 he earned a Golden Globe nomination for High Fidelity. Later credits include Identity, Runaway Jury, 1408, 2012, Hot Tub Time Machine, The Butler, Love & Mercy, and Maps to the Stars, which won him the 2014 Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actor. Momo is his debut graphic novel. It is written by Cusack, illustrated by Argentine artist Ignacio Noe, published by Mad Cave Studios, and released September 29, 2026. This marks his second appearance on Reza Rifts. GUEST SOCIAL LINKS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johncusack X: https://x.com/johncusack Threads: https://www.threads.com/@johncusack Momo (graphic novel): https://madcavestudios.com/product/momo-vol-1/ CHAPTERS 00:00 Welcome to Reza Rifts 02:13 John Cusack Returns 03:25 Why Writing Momo Was Pure Freedom 05:35 San Diego Comic Con and the Real Fans 09:20 Jackie Gleason, The Exorcist, and the Truth Behind the Book 10:55 Discovering Antonin Artaud 14:25 How Momo Was Born with Mark Leyner 16:05 The Nixon Helicopter and the Redacted Name 18:15 The Three Act Structure of Momo 20:30 E. Emmett Walsh and Casting the Momo Movie 21:45 Writing Momo Like a Screenplay 24:35 Footnotes, Soundtracks, and Hawaii Five-O 25:30 The Chemical Wedding and the Return of Momo 29:05 Chicago, Judy Maxwell Home, and the Stand Up Scene 30:55 Rejected Roles, Breaking Bad, and As Good as It Gets 33:20 The Frasier Voiceover Mystery and John Mahoney 34:25 IMDb Dating Rumors and Internet Myths 35:35 A Message for Kate Miller 36:25 How the Pyramids Were Really Built 38:25 1972, Time Travel, and the Secrets of Momo 41:20 Where to Get Momo and Final Thoughts CALL TO ACTION Like, comment, subscribe, and turn on notifications for Reza Rifts with Keith Reza. Rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Share this episode with a John Cusack fan, a comic book reader, or anyone who loves a good story about how a wild idea becomes a real book. HOST LINKS Support the show on https://patreon.com/rezarifts61 Follow Keith on all social media platforms: FB: https://www.facebook.com/realkeithreza IG:https://www.instagram.com/keithreza ALT IG:https://www.instagram.com/duhkeithreza X:https://www.twitter.com/keithreza TT:https://www.tiktok.com/keithreza Book Keith on cameo at www.cameo.com/keithreza Check out my website for dates at https://www.keithreza.com/ Subscribe - Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts - Tell a friend :) Be a Rifter! #JohnCusack #Momo #MomoGraphicNovel #JohnCusackInterview #MadCaveStudios #IgnacioNoe #GraphicNovel #ComicBooks #ComicBookPodcast #ActorInterview #CelebrityInterview #Hollywood #AntoninArtaud #JackieGleason #RichardNixon #SayAnything #HighFidelity #GrossePointeBlank #Podcast #ComedyPodcast #EntertainmentPodcast #NewComicBookDay
Spy in Your Eye (1966) AIP Production #6515 / 6572 Jeff and Cheryl check their own eyes for bugs after viewing the cold war-era thriller Spy in Your Eye. Screenplay by Romano Ferraro, Adriano Baracco & Adriano Bolzoni Directed by Vittorio Sala Starring: Brett Halsey as Brad Morris Pier Angeli as Paula Krauss Dana Andrews as Col. Lancaster Gastone Moschin as Boris Tania Béryl as Madeleine George Wang as Ming Alessandro Sperli as Karkulis Marco Guglielm as Kurt Weiss Renato Baldini as Mohamed Belkeir Mario Valdemarin as Willie Luciana Angiolillo as Vivian Hopkins Luciano Pigozzi as Leonida Tino Bianchi as Doctor Van Dongen Massimo Righi as Jerry Lavies Franco Beltrame as Serghey Pio Tou as Pio Aldo De Francesco as Seaton Abdul-Rahim Bazian as Ibraham An Italian International Film An American International Picture View the Spy in Your Eye trailer here.Watch Spy in Your Eye on DVD wherever you may find it. Visit our website - https://aippod.com/ and follow the American International Podcast on Letterboxd, Instagram and Threads @aip_pod and on Facebook at facebook.com/AmericanInternationalPodcast Get your American International Podcast merchandise at our store. Our open and close includes clips from the following films/trailers: How to Make a Monster (1958), The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962), I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957), High School Hellcats (1958), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), The Wild Angels (1966), It Conquered the World (1956), The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), and Female Jungle (1955)
Read the article at comedywham.com Episode #397 Carlo Lorenzo Garcia talks with Valerie about: Turning TV paychecks into Under Covers, a silly web series pitched as Brooklyn Nine-Nine meets Cheaters Flipping Perfect Strangers into Strange, But Perfect, his award-winning Hill Country film starring Ed Begley Jr. and Beth Grant (and Austinites Garrett Rojas and Irielle Wesley) Weaving his late father's voicemails into a screenplay, and why you should write down loved ones' stories Directing the political satire A Million More to Go His surprising nemesis: tinfoil touching metal fillings Recorded September 2026 at Fallout Theater Podcast Studio Follow Carlo Website - carlogarcia.com YouTube - youtube.com/@CarloLorenzoGarcia Instagram - @carlolgarcia Facebook - facebook.com/carlolorenzogarcia X - @carlogarcia Follow A Million More to Go Website - amillionmoretogo.com Instagram - @amillionfilm Follow Strange, But Perfect Website - strangebutperfect.com Instagram - @strangebutperfectfilm Carlo can be seen and heard: Screenplay author and actor - Strange, But Perfect (upcoming release) Director - A Million More to Go (upcoming release) - Trailer Actor - Empire, Walker, Chicago P.D. Web series writer and actor - Under Covers Follow @ComedyWham on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Twitch, and Tiktok If you'd like to support our independent podcast, check out our Patreon page at: Patreon.com/comedywham . You can also support us on Venmo - just search for ComedyWham.
The greatest film noir of all-time starring Fred MacMurray as an insurance salesman drawn to the ultimate femme fatale (Barbara Stanwyck) and her plans to murder her husband. Co-starring Edward G. Robinson. Directed by Billy Wilder. Screenplay written by Wilder and Raymond Chandler.
Host Jeff Goldsmith talks to writer-director-actor Macon Blair about his latest film - Idiots. Download my podcast here Copyright © Unlikely Films, Inc. 2026. All rights reserved. For more great content, read Backstory Magazine!
Host Jeff Goldsmith talks to debut feature film director Padraic McKinley about The Weight. Download my podcast here Copyright © Unlikely Films, Inc. 2026. All rights reserved. For more great content, read Backstory Magazine!
This week, we return to the films of Steven Spielberg. We are skipping 1983's Twilight Zone: The Movie, which Spielberg only partially directed, although we do discuss it here. The main subject of this episode though, is Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Spielberg's first sequel and a film that directly inspired the creation of the PG-13 rating.SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety. If you haven't seen this classic, we strongly suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.A Lucasfilm production, released by Paramount Pictures on May 23, 1984. Directed by Steven Spielberg. Screenplay by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, based on a story by George Lucas. Starring Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Jonathan Ke Quan, Amrish Puri, and Roshan Seth. Cinematography by Douglas Slocombe. Edited by Michael Kahn. Music by John Williams.
This week, we return to the films of Billy Wilder with one of his most famous films, the 1959 farce Some Like It Hot, a lightning-fast, drag comedy that features an iconic performance by Marilyn Monroe and one of the most famous closing lines in cinema history.SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety,. If you haven't seen this classic, we strongly suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.A Mirisch Company production, released by United Artists on March 29, 1959. Directed and produced by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, based on a story by Robert Thoeren and Michael Logan. Starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft, Joe E. Brown, and Pat O'Brien. Cinematography by Charles Lang. Edited by Dan Mandell. Score by Adolph Deutsch.
Listen to the full episode over on the Beyond the Screenplay Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/beyondthescreenplay/posts/beyond-writes-168200117With this video we're trying a different format, and we'd really love to hear your feedback!In this episode, the BTS team attempts to write an original movie pitch in 80 minutes. But we aren't starting from scratch—we get starting constraints chosen at random (directory, genre, etc.), and every twenty minutes "the studio" shows up and throws us a curveball.The goal with this format is to demonstrate how writers can use the techniques we so often talk about on the podcast...while also having fun and going a little crazy.We're thinking of this episode as a kind of pilot, and we'd love to hear your honest feedback about it. What worked? What could be more improved upon? And what crazy ideas for curveballs would you like to see in the future?
The Angry Red Planet (1959) AIP Production #6002 Screenplay by Ib Melchior and Sid PinkOriginal Story by Sid Pink Produced by Sid Pink and Norman Maurer Directed by Ib Melchior Starring: Gerald Mohr as Col. Thomas O'BannionNora Hayden as Dr. iris Ryan Les Tremayne as Prof. Theodore Gettell Jack Kruschen as CWO Sam Jacobson Paul Jahn as Maj. Gen. George Treegar J. Edward McKinley as Prof. Paul Weiner Tom Daly as Dr. Frank Gordon A Sino Production An American International Picture View the Angry Red Planet trailer here. Stream Angry Red Planet on Tubi, the Roku Channel, YouTubeTV, Momentum, Fawesome, or rent on Prime Video or Apple TV+.Visit our website - https://aippod.com/ and follow the American International Podcast on Letterboxd, Instagram and Threads @aip_pod and on Facebook at facebook.com/AmericanInternationalPodcast Get your American International Podcast merchandise at our store. Our open and close includes clips from the following films/trailers: How to Make a Monster (1958), The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962), I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957), High School Hellcats (1958), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), The Wild Angels (1966), It Conquered the World (1956), The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), and Female Jungle (1955)
SUBURBAKNIGHT: Act Three Walter Knope has spent most of his life avoiding confrontation. That is about to become difficult. Walter, Samantha and Bobby Joe cross the street armed with a sword, a crossbow, a mace, a revolver and one deeply impractical suit of medieval armor. Richard is waiting. So is the rest of the neighborhood. Inside Richard's house they discover the party has evolved into something considerably less HOA-approved. Music. Neon. Blood. An orgy full of succubi. Richard sitting above it all like Satan's sexiest homeowners association president. Samantha asks where her daughter is. Then shoots Richard through the eye with a crossbow. It barely slows him down. Written by Nick Bannister, SUBURBAKNIGHT reaches its gloriously unhinged conclusion as Walter's fight to save his family becomes a full-scale supernatural war over everything he thought he had already lost. Richard separates them. Walter gets beaten nearly unconscious. Samantha is pulled into a seductive nightmare built from everything she thinks she wants. And Bobby Joe does what any legendary demon hunter would do when confronted with actual demons. He runs. Unfortunately, Richard isn't finished with him either. Bobby Joe finds himself inside the greatest fantasy of his life: back on the set of Terror Vision, surrounded by beautiful women telling him he's brilliant. Even Bobby Joe eventually realizes something is wrong. When the illusion breaks, he finds Mia. Or at least something wearing Mia. One conveniently placed antique mirror later, Bobby Joe finally discovers that some of his monster-movie bullshit may actually be useful. For perhaps the first time in his life, Bobby Joe Williams earns the title: Demon Hunter. Mia is safe. Her parents aren't. So Bobby Joe locks her in his van and goes back inside. Walter and Bobby Joe reunite, fight their way through Richard's newly demonic neighbors and discover something hidden beneath the perfect suburban house. A passageway. An underground chamber. And portraits proving Richard has been doing this for centuries. At the end of the tunnel, Walter finds Samantha. Richard has already gotten to her. Now Walter has to do something harder than fighting a demon. He has to remind his wife why she loved him in the first place. College. Their first night together. Bringing Mia home. Losing his father. Twenty years of marriage, mistakes, resentment, forgiveness and everything that somehow survived underneath it. For once, Walter gets the words right. And Richard discovers that a disappointing middle-aged husband with an antique sword, a pissed-off wife and a washed-up horror host can be surprisingly difficult to kill. What follows involves swords, guns, fire, a full-size demon, one extremely unfortunate anatomical injury and Bobby Joe's panel van. Because sometimes saving your marriage takes work. Sometimes it takes therapy. And sometimes it takes blowing up an incubus. Starring Darin Toonder, Jim O'Heir, Jade Tailor, Jack Daniel, Rob Fitzgerald, Logan Laurel, Emily Brolin, Ashley Platz, and Zeke Alton. Produced by Table Read Podcast and Manifest Media Productions, LLC. Executive Produced by Jack Levy, Shaan Sharma, and Mark Knell. Find The Show : Table Read Podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Host Jeff Goldsmith talks to screenwriter Dan Gordon and director Martin Campbell about their latest film - Just Play Dead. Download my podcast here Copyright © Unlikely Films, Inc. 2026. All rights reserved. For more great content, read Backstory Magazine!
SUBURBAKNIGHT: Act Three Walter Knope has spent most of his life avoiding confrontation. That is about to become difficult. Walter, Samantha and Bobby Joe cross the street armed with a sword, a crossbow, a mace, a revolver and one deeply impractical suit of medieval armor. Richard is waiting. So is the rest of the neighborhood. Inside Richard's house they discover the party has evolved into something considerably less HOA-approved. Music. Neon. Blood. An orgy full of succubi. Richard sitting above it all like Satan's sexiest homeowners association president. Samantha asks where her daughter is. Then shoots Richard through the eye with a crossbow. It barely slows him down. Written by Nick Bannister, SUBURBAKNIGHT reaches its gloriously unhinged conclusion as Walter's fight to save his family becomes a full-scale supernatural war over everything he thought he had already lost. Richard separates them. Walter gets beaten nearly unconscious. Samantha is pulled into a seductive nightmare built from everything she thinks she wants. And Bobby Joe does what any legendary demon hunter would do when confronted with actual demons. He runs. Unfortunately, Richard isn't finished with him either. Bobby Joe finds himself inside the greatest fantasy of his life: back on the set of Terror Vision, surrounded by beautiful women telling him he's brilliant. Even Bobby Joe eventually realizes something is wrong. When the illusion breaks, he finds Mia. Or at least something wearing Mia. One conveniently placed antique mirror later, Bobby Joe finally discovers that some of his monster-movie bullshit may actually be useful. For perhaps the first time in his life, Bobby Joe Williams earns the title: Demon Hunter. Mia is safe. Her parents aren't. So Bobby Joe locks her in his van and goes back inside. Walter and Bobby Joe reunite, fight their way through Richard's newly demonic neighbors and discover something hidden beneath the perfect suburban house. A passageway. An underground chamber. And portraits proving Richard has been doing this for centuries. At the end of the tunnel, Walter finds Samantha. Richard has already gotten to her. Now Walter has to do something harder than fighting a demon. He has to remind his wife why she loved him in the first place. College. Their first night together. Bringing Mia home. Losing his father. Twenty years of marriage, mistakes, resentment, forgiveness and everything that somehow survived underneath it. For once, Walter gets the words right. And Richard discovers that a disappointing middle-aged husband with an antique sword, a pissed-off wife and a washed-up horror host can be surprisingly difficult to kill. What follows involves swords, guns, fire, a full-size demon, one extremely unfortunate anatomical injury and Bobby Joe's panel van. Because sometimes saving your marriage takes work. Sometimes it takes therapy. And sometimes it takes blowing up an incubus. Starring Darin Toonder, Jim O'Heir, Jade Tailor, Jack Daniel, Rob Fitzgerald, Logan Laurel, Emily Brolin, Ashley Platz, and Zeke Alton. Produced by Table Read Podcast and Manifest Media Productions, LLC. Executive Produced by Jack Levy, Shaan Sharma, and Mark Knell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What happens when you say yes to something God is asking you to do that seems completely crazy? Molly's story is proof that God can use the most unexpected things to open doors, start conversations, bring hope, and point people to Jesus. What began with a backpack full of cheese balls eventually became a unique ministry that has reached people across the United States and even around the world. Molly shares how an unconventional idea became a powerful conversation starter—and how she learned that obedience matters far more than whether something looks impressive to other people. But this conversation goes far beyond cheese balls. Molly opens up about her family's journey into American Ninja Warrior, how a simple geocaching discovery changed the direction of her family's life, and how God has continued to lead her through unexpected valleys and victories. She also shares about surviving open-heart surgery and her upcoming devotional, Surrender to the Surgeon, a deeply personal collection of 90 honest, hopeful, and humorous devotionals drawn from her journey. This episode is a powerful reminder that your platform may not look like someone else's—and that's okay. God can use your story, your personality, your family, your passions, and even the things other people don't understand to accomplish His purposes. As Molly says, the heart of it all is found in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” In this episode, you'll hear about: How Molly's cheese-ball ministry began Why she started wearing cheese balls in public How God can use unusual ideas to start spiritual conversations The incredible story of how geocaching led her family to American Ninja Warrior Learning to recognize God's direction in the seemingly insignificant moments What obedience looks like when you don't understand the bigger picture Molly's journey through open-heart surgery Her new book, Surrender to the Surgeon Why your testimony may be your greatest platform How God can use your ordinary life for extraordinary purposes The takeaway: You don't have to have a traditional platform for God to use you. Sometimes the thing that looks the most foolish to everyone else is exactly where God wants to demonstrate His power. If God is calling you to something unexpected, don't be afraid to say yes. You never know what He might do with your obedience. Find more from Revelations Podcast hosted by Reagan Kramer: Website | Instagram | Apple Podcast | Youtube Find more on Molly Sanborn: Instagram: Instagram | Website | Book Cheeseballs for Jesus Become Part of Our Mission! Support The Revelations Podcast: Your support fuels our mission to share transformative messages of hope and faith. Click here to learn how you can contribute and be part of this growing community! This Episode is brought to you by Advanced Medicine Alternatives Get back to the active life you love through natural & regenerative musculoskeletal healing: https://www.georgekramermd.com/ Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction: When God Uses the Unexpected03:50 – The Crazy Idea Behind “Cheese Balls for Jesus”05:20 – How Cheese Balls Became a Conversation Starter for Jesus06:50 – “Whatever You Do, Do It for the Glory of God”08:05 – Following God When You Don't Know Where It's Going19:55 – The Unexpected Beginning of the Ninja Warrior Journey21:20 – A Geocache, a Ninja Gym & a God-Ordained Opportunity22:40 – From Watching Her Kids to Competing Herself26:00 – When God Turns Your Passion Into a Platform31:00 – Faith Through the Valley38:00 – Open-Heart Surgery & Trusting God Through the Unknown44:00 – What God Does With Your Testimony51:55 – “Surrender to the Surgeon”: Molly's New Book53:40 – When God Is Writing a Story Bigger Than You Imagined55:00 – What's Next: A Book, a Screenplay & More Unexpected Doors59:15 – The Power of Your Testimony01:01:00 – Prayer & Blessing Over Molly
It's Sacrilegious Sunday, Hey Jones is apparently dead for the day, and Chino and Homeboy somehow turn a conversation about church into nearly three hours of Highlander, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, evolution, fucked-up dog breeding, writing, authorship, and the increasingly useless question: “Was this written by AI?”We start by trying to figure out why Immortals can't fight on holy ground in Highlander, whether Highlander II actually exists, what the Quickening has to do with Pompeii, and whether somebody needs to make a Highlander movie about Mount Vesuvius.That somehow leads to AI compute, open-source models, local AI, and the possibility of putting an AI “pimple” on the side of your house in exchange for money, electricity, and internet. From there, Chino breaks down agents, workflows, local models, jailbreaks, prompt injection, hidden instructions, cybersecurity attack surfaces, and why the AI genie is already too far out of the bottle to shove back in.Also: bulldogs got fucked up, Chino might secretly be a large language model, Homeboy apparently writes like Hemingway, and nobody did the Deadpool because they got lazy.
SUBURBAKNIGHT: Act Two Walter Knope has finally discovered the one thing worse than suspecting your new neighbor is a sex demon. Being right. Inside Richard's immaculate house, Walter gets the confirmation he was looking for. The Maitlands are dead. Richard isn't human. And he isn't just interested in Samantha. He wants everything Walter has. Walter tries to warn Sam. It goes badly. What starts as an argument about Richard quickly becomes an argument about money, sex, failure, jealousy and every other thing a married couple has been politely not saying out loud. Sam packs a bag. Walter, terrified Richard will get to her, practically helps her leave. Written by Nick Bannister, SUBURBAKNIGHT is a wicked suburban horror-comedy about marriage, masculinity and what happens when your midlife crisis actually grows horns. Walter needs someone who understands monsters. Enter Bobby Joe Williams. Local horror host. Full-time drunk. Part-time monster expert. Possibly the least reassuring person you could want standing between your family and eternal damnation. Bobby Joe confirms the bad news. Richard is an incubus. He feeds on souls, controls his victims through desire and, unfortunately, appears to be immortal. Meanwhile, Richard has already started remaking the neighborhood. Walter goes looking for Andy and instead finds him dead in the bathtub, his wife Alli transformed into something considerably less neighborly. Walter barely escapes with his life. Then Samantha comes home. Richard is waiting. This time, Sam sees him too. When Richard finally drops the charm and shows them what he really is, he offers Walter everything he ever wanted. Money. Freedom. A fresh start. All he wants in return is Samantha. Walter says no. Then Mia introduces Richard's face to a medieval mace. For a moment, it feels like the Knopes may actually have this thing under control. Then Richard takes their daughter. Now Walter and Sam are done running. They need Mia back. They need help. Unfortunately, the closest thing they have to a professional is Bobby Joe Williams in boxer shorts drinking margarita straight from a blender pitcher. So they do what any responsible parents would do. They raid the failed antique business. Crossbow. Mace. Axe. Sword. Armor. Walter's junk has finally found a purpose. And across the street, Richard is waiting. Starring Darin Toonder, Jim O'Heir, Jade Tailor, Jack Daniel, Rob Fitzgerald, Logan Laurel, Emily Brolin, Ashley Platz, and Zeke Alton. Produced by Table Read Podcast and Manifest Media Productions, LLC. Executive Produced by Jack Levy, Shaan Sharma, and Mark Knell. Find The Show: Table Read PodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It is with a mixture of great embarrassment at my own over-acting and guilt at such outrageous self-indulgence that I, Alex Stevenson, presenter of the Napoleonic Quarterly, provide you, the poor suffering listeners, with an outpouring of thespian histrionics: the concluding episode of our screenplay-concocting relaunch side-project, the Napoleon Movie Quarter-Hourly. In this episode Ben Deery, who thankfully knows a thing or two about acting, works his way alongside my own miserable efforts through the most excitable scenes from the pen of James Topham, who knows a thing or two about screenwriting. Napoleon: One Last Job may never actually get made, but at least you get to hear a grown man pretend to be both Napoleon and Josephine in the same scene.Or, perhaps more wisely, there is the opportunity to listen to the whole screenplay read by a surprisingly effective AI American lady on Patreon...Please send through any comments or questions to the usual places - the hope is that we will be able to do a listener feedback episode, as well as putting this to the professors for their verdict.Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly
The team behind Lessons from the Screenplay breaks down the narrative of Prometheus to extract storytelling lessons and explore the kinds of tools writers can use to address various problems in their stories. In particular, we look at the motivation of the central characters, the themes the filmmakers seemed to be interested in examining, and the overall onslaught of themes, rules, creatures, and lore this movie attempts to fit into its two hour runtime.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TjSzDVS93ws
This week, we discuss Billy Wilder's classic courtroom thriller, Witness for the Prosecution.SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety, including some major plot twists. If you haven't seen this classic, we strongly suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.A Edward Small Productions presentation, released by United Artists on December 17, 1957. Directed by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by Billy Wilder and Harry Kurnitz, based on the play and short story by Agatha Christie. Starring Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, and Elsa Lanchester. Cinematography by Russell Metty. Edited by Daniel Mandell. Score by Matty Malneck.
Host Jeff Goldsmith talks to Emmy® nominated actor Nick Offerman and showrunner Mike Makowsky about their limited series - Death by Lightning. Download my podcast here Copyright © Unlikely Films, Inc. 2026. All rights reserved. For more great content, read Backstory Magazine!
SUBURBAKNIGHT: Act Two Walter Knope has finally discovered the one thing worse than suspecting your new neighbor is a sex demon. Being right. Inside Richard's immaculate house, Walter gets the confirmation he was looking for. The Maitlands are dead. Richard isn't human. And he isn't just interested in Samantha. He wants everything Walter has. Walter tries to warn Sam. It goes badly. What starts as an argument about Richard quickly becomes an argument about money, sex, failure, jealousy and every other thing a married couple has been politely not saying out loud. Sam packs a bag. Walter, terrified Richard will get to her, practically helps her leave. Written by Nick Bannister, SUBURBAKNIGHT is a wicked suburban horror-comedy about marriage, masculinity and what happens when your midlife crisis actually grows horns. Walter needs someone who understands monsters. Enter Bobby Joe Williams. Local horror host. Full-time drunk. Part-time monster expert. Possibly the least reassuring person you could want standing between your family and eternal damnation. Bobby Joe confirms the bad news. Richard is an incubus. He feeds on souls, controls his victims through desire and, unfortunately, appears to be immortal. Meanwhile, Richard has already started remaking the neighborhood. Walter goes looking for Andy and instead finds him dead in the bathtub, his wife Alli transformed into something considerably less neighborly. Walter barely escapes with his life. Then Samantha comes home. Richard is waiting. This time, Sam sees him too. When Richard finally drops the charm and shows them what he really is, he offers Walter everything he ever wanted. Money. Freedom. A fresh start. All he wants in return is Samantha. Walter says no. Then Mia introduces Richard's face to a medieval mace. For a moment, it feels like the Knopes may actually have this thing under control. Then Richard takes their daughter. Now Walter and Sam are done running. They need Mia back. They need help. Unfortunately, the closest thing they have to a professional is Bobby Joe Williams in boxer shorts drinking margarita straight from a blender pitcher. So they do what any responsible parents would do. They raid the failed antique business. Crossbow. Mace. Axe. Sword. Armor. Walter's junk has finally found a purpose. And across the street, Richard is waiting. Starring Darin Toonder, Jim O'Heir, Jade Tailor, Jack Daniel, Rob Fitzgerald, Logan Laurel, Emily Brolin, Ashley Platz, and Zeke Alton. Produced by Table Read Podcast and Manifest Media Productions, LLC. Executive Produced by Jack Levy, Shaan Sharma, and Mark Knell. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is The Odyssey actually WEAK on screenplay? Dylan and Craig make the bold case that Christopher Nolan's writing could be the one category his ancient-Greece epic trips up on — and back it up with a full slate of way-too-early predictions for Best Original Screenplay and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2026 Oscars.This week: Tony Gilroy's Behemoth! picked as the surprise Original Screenplay frontrunner, Quentin Tarantino's Cliff Booth script gets the harsh truth about his cultural stock, La Bola Negra vs. The Invite for Adapted winner, and why neither host put Digger anywhere near their lists. Plus: is Project Hail Mary buzz real, or just pre-festival noise?Films covered: The Odyssey, Behemoth!, Wild Horse Nine, The Debut, Fjord, The Invite, La Bola Negra, Project Hail Mary, Dune Part Three, Ink, Club Kid, The Social Reckoning, Josephine, Toy Story 5, Prime Time, Cliff Booth, Hope, Heart of the Beast. Categories: Best Original Screenplay, Best Adapted Screenplay.Chapters:0:00 News roundup16:27 Screenplay category history18:30 Best Original Screenplay predictions31:40 Best Adapted Screenplay predictions46:12 The Odyssey's Achilles heel
Send us Fan MailAt the end of this pilot screenplay, the residents of Pluff Mud Place are enjoying the effects of the drug, 20 More Years. They confront their relatives and insist on living independentlyB is for Bisexual - short stories by Laura P. Valtorta
This mini-episode unveils the end product from our Napoleon movie discussions: an actual first draft of a screenplay which tells the story of Bonaparte's rise to power. It's now available on Patreon, for the consideration of our esteemed Quartermasters. In the meantime, first James Topham and then Alex Stevenson offer their own versions of what the treatment actually looks like. With Ben Deery doing French accents in the background.Help us produce more episodes by joining the Napoleonic Quarterly community on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly
Host Jeff Goldsmith talks to co-writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers about their hit film - Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Download my podcast here Copyright © Unlikely Films, Inc. 2026. All rights reserved. For more great content check out Backstory Magazine @ Backstory.net
This week's subject is the romantic comedy-drama, Love in the Afternoon, in which Billy Wilder reunites with Sabrina's Audrey Hepburn.SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety. If you haven't seen this classic, we suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.An Allied Artists production. Released on June 30, 1957. Directed and produced by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond, based on the novel Ariane by Claude Anet. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper, and Maurice Chevalier. Cinematography by William C. Mellor. Edited by Leonid Azar. Score by Franz Waxman.
Mostly Film – Take 245: Harrison Ford In Review — Episode 5The persona episode. Jonathan and JP cover three films that each do something deliberately different with Harrison Ford's screen identity — and the results range from underseen gem to all-time blockbuster to one of the more quietly audacious casting decisions of the 1990s.First, Sabrina. Sydney Pollack got Billy Wilder's blessing before he agreed to direct. Winona Ryder turned down the lead because she couldn't face Audrey Hepburn's shadow. Greg Kinnear stepped into his first starring role fresh from hosting Talk Soup on E! Paul Giamatti shows up in a small part. And Ford plays a romantic lead — gentle, comedic, slowly and reluctantly falling in love — in a genre he'd never really inhabited. It made $87 million. Ebert gave it four stars. Ford has called it underrated. The question: does Ford actually work as a romantic lead, or is he always slightly more interesting when he has something to push against?Then Air Force One. Kevin Costner turned it down for The Postman. Ford called the White House himself to get access to the real plane. Randy Newman wrote the entire score, Petersen hated it, Jerry Goldsmith replaced him with twelve days to deliver something new — and part of Newman's rejected work was reportedly recycled into Toy Story 3. Ford insisted Gary Oldman actually punch him in the face. 'Egor Korshunov' is credited as 'Ivan Korshunov' in the end titles. $315 million worldwide. Ford's last film to cross $300 million. The Wall Street Journal ranked President Marshall the greatest fictional president in screen history. 'Get off my plane.' The question: is Air Force One a great film or a great movie — and is there a difference?Then What Lies Beneath. Made by Robert Zemeckis during the production pause on Cast Away while Tom Hanks was losing weight and befriending a volleyball. Screenplay by Clark Gregg — later Agent Coulson. Ford and Pfeiffer together cost $35 million of the $100 million budget. Zemeckis's casting logic was simple: the twist only works if the audience cannot conceive of Harrison Ford as a killer. Pfeiffer is functionally the lead despite equal billing. The bathtub sequence is considered some of the finest technical suspense work Zemeckis has ever done. The question: does the central gambit — using Ford's trustworthiness against the audience — actually work?Air Force One is the last time Ford was the biggest movie star in the world. What Lies Beneath is the last genuinely good original film he made before a long run of misfires.
This week, we discuss the 1957 biographical drama, The Spirit of St. Louis, which stands as a unique outlier in Billy Wilder's filmography—the only biopic he ever directed, and his only collaboration with Jimmy Stewart. SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety. If you haven't seen this classic, we suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.A Warner Bros. production. Released on April 20, 1957. Directed by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by Billy Wilder and Wendell Mayes, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning autobiography by Charles Lindbergh. Starring James Stewart, Murray Hamilton, and Patricia Smith. Cinematography by Robert Burks and J. Peverell Marley. Edited by Arthur P. Schmidt. Score by Franz Waxman.
Host Jeff Goldsmith talks to co-writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers about their new film - Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Download my podcast here Copyright © Unlikely Films, Inc. 2026. All rights reserved. For more great content check out Backstory Magazine @ Backstory.net
Amber's life is in free-fall. Her Muslim mother is dying, she's broke, her relationships are a mess, and the one thing that might save her is an inheritance... But with knotted strings attached. Are you ready for the Table Read My Screenplay experience? Submit your script at https://tablereadmyscreenplay.com/ Written by Amber Nelson & Mokotsi Rukundo Randall Winston - Director Dan Samiljan - Producer Molly Kasch - Producer & Narrator Layla Mohammadi - AMBER WILSON Pantea Ommi - FIZZEH SHIRAZEE Peter Schiavelli - BRODY, FRANKENSTEIN Siena Goines - NADIA, GIRL 2 , TRACK MATE 2, PSYCHIC, SUSAN Thora Birch - LAURA, WOMEN'S COACH, MIRIAM Jamie Rezanour - NASREEN, CAROL Patrick Finerty - CHARLIE, IMAM, DAD Maria Paris - FATIMA, KEBAB-CASHIER, CASTING DIRECTOR, ATTRACTIVE WOMAN Johnny Alonso - LAWRENCE WILSON, DIRECTOR Peder Lindell - EVAN, DANNY, BOY, KARAOKE M.C. Nick Holmes - CASTING ASSISTANT, FRAT BOY, SECURITY GUARD, BARTENDERMecca Morgan White - SUNSHINE, GIRL 1, TRACK MATE 3 Scott Markus - Videographer, Editor Chris Ekstein - Cinematographer
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the top screenplay hacks according to NoFilmSchool.com, with examples of how and when they use those hacks in their own professional writing, and also when to leave a hack on the cutting room floor. Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
In honor of Criterion's new Southern Gothic collection, we're sharing some of our favorite Southern Gothics from past episodes. ---Have you seen Cape Fear or have you seen Cape Feare (The Simpsons episode paraodying the movie)? Cape Fear (1991) Dir. Martin Scorsese. Screenplay by Wesley Strick. Starring Robert DeNiro, Juliette Lewis, Nick Nolte, and Jessica Lange.Email sogothicpod@gmail.com. Follow Chance and Amanda on Letterboxd @mrchancelee and @mcavoy_amanda. Instagram @sogothicpod Closing music "Gothic Guitar" by Javolenus 2014 - Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0)
We said The Prestige is the "most" Christopher Nolan movie, and that Inception is his most autobiographical... but it turns out we were wrong, because both apply to Interstellar. It's a movie where a character literally says, "I'm not afraid of death. I'm afraid of time." It's a movie about a man who desperately wants to return home to his children, except that he wants even more to go do some cool stuff in outer space. The movie's working title was Flora's Letter, referring to Nolan's real-life 11-year-old daughter Flora, the inspiration for the character of Murph. And it's probably Nolan's best movie. Laci and Matt spend more than three hours celebrating this masterpiece, and talk a lot about whether you should even care if the human race got resurrected via a tube of sperm on another planet hundreds of years in the future. Watch this Interstellar podcast in full on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@1weekrental Get more 1-Week Rental on Patreon: https://patreon.com/1weekrental Next episode (Aug. 14, 2026): Tenet (2020)! The Summer of Nolan is our summer 2026 miniseries covering the movie career of Christopher Nolan through nine movies on the main feed (plus additional episodes on the Patreon!), presented in chronological order, starting with Memento and going through Oppenheimer. And don't be surprised if our old pal Odysseus drops by to tell us about his long journey home to his wife. Time stamps: 00:01:41 — What have we learned about Christopher Nolan so far? And how does it apply to Interstellar? 00:20:00 — History segment: Producer Lynda Obst and physicist Kip Thorne develop Interstellar for Steven Spielberg, with Jonah Nolan as the screenwriter; Spielberg leaves, Christopher Nolan comes aboard; the science of Interstellar is always emphasized during the movie's development; Nolan works with composer Hans Zimmer on the movie's music before shooting begins; casting Matthew McConaughey; release, reception, and legacy of Interstellar 01:24:43 — Movie discussion + Interstellar film analysis 03:10:55 — Star ratings + final review of Interstellar INTERSTELLAR (2014) was directed by Christopher Nolan. Screenplay by Nolan with his brother Jonah. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Mackenzie Foy, Matt Damon, David Gyasi, Bill Irwin, John Lithgow, Casey Affleck, Topher Grace, Timothée Chalamet, and Michael Caine as Professor Brand. Sources: "Interstellar: How Christopher Nolan's Space Exploration Movie Achieved Lift-Off" by Dan Jolin | Empire (2014) - https://bit.ly/451fLOh "The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan" by Tom Shone (2020) - https://amzn.to/4yiNtw0 Sleepless in Hollywood: Tales from the New Abnormal in the Movie Business by Lynda Obst (2014) - https://amzn.to/4xjbtOa "Wrinkles in Spacetime: The Warped Astrophysics of Interstellar" by Adam Rogers | Wired (2014) - https://bit.ly/4wbvs0r "Writer with real stars in his eyes" by Jay Fernandez | The Los Angeles Times (2007) - https://lat.ms/4pSL4UO "All About Christopher Nolan's 4 Kids, Who All Worked on 'The Odyssey' With Him" by Bailey Bujnosek | InStyle (2026) - https://bit.ly/4bwYeRI "Meet the Woman Behind Dunkirk" by Rebecca Keegan | Vanity Fair (2017) - https://bit.ly/4bvzlps "Christopher Nolan on Dunkirk, Taking His Kids to Phantom Thread" by Christina Radish | Collider (2018) - https://bit.ly/3RP25mf "Steven Spielberg Worked on 'Interstellar' for One Year and Says 'I Became Fascinated With It' Before Dropping Out: 'It Was a Much Better Movie in Nolan's Hands'" by Zack Sharif | Variety (2026) - https://bit.ly/4cmPqht Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/08/interstellar/#transcript Artwork by Laci Roth. Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts! PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007). The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4vtO6jG), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4w1qDat), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead). 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 Nolan" - https://youtube.com/shorts/CAIzthDLrT8 "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ The "Summer of Nolan" theme song was written by Matt Stokes. Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends. Performed by: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums, percussion, and backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals, guitar, and bass Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast: Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Facebook: @1weekrental Instagram: @1weekrental TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social 1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.
Creature of Destruction (1968) AIP Production #6815 AITV Package: 15 New Science Fiction Jeff and Cheryl see a woman regress into a monster and go on a country club killing spree in Creature of Destruction.Screenplay by Enrique Touceda Produced and Directed by Larry Buchanan Starring: Les Tremayne as Dr. John Basso Pat Delany as Doreena Aron Kincaid as Capt. Theodore Dell Neil Fletcher as Sam Crane Ann McAdams as Mrs. Crane Roger Ready as Lt. Blake Ron Scott as Nick Suzanne Ray as Lynn Crane Byron Lord as Investigating Psychiatrist / The Creature Barnett Shaw as Investigating Psychiatrist Scotty McKay as Singer An Azalea Pictures Production Stream Creature of Destruction on Plex, Tubi, Fawesome, Momentu and other platforms. Visit our website - https://aippod.com/ and follow the American International Podcast on Letterboxd, Instagram and Threads @aip_pod and on Facebook at facebook.com/AmericanInternationalPodcast Get your American International Podcast merchandise at our store. Our open and close includes clips from the following films/trailers: How to Make a Monster (1958), The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962), I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957), High School Hellcats (1958), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), The Wild Angels (1966), It Conquered the World (1956), The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), and Female Jungle (1955) This episode includes AI-generated content.
The BTS team discusses Odysseus' character arc, Nolan's modern approach to crafting a mythological epic, and the story's themes of homecoming, hospitality, and guilt.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LZIQUlPEh24
This week, we turn our attention to Billy Wilder's first collaboration with Marilyn Monroe, The Seven Year Itch. It's most famous for the iconic subway-grate skirt blowing image, although, as we discuss, it's a rather small part of the movie.SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety. If you haven't seen this classic, we strongly suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.A Twentieth Century-Fox production. Released on June 3, 1955. Directed and produced by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by Billy Wilder and George Axelrod, based on the play by George Axelrod. Starring Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell. Cinematography by Milton R. Krasner. Edited by Hugh S. Fowler. Score by Alfred Newman.
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman break down Structure for a feature-length story to its basics. What are each of the turning points, when should they fall in your movie, why are they important, and what effect should they have on your story. Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Queen of the Seas (1964)(Original title Le Avventure di Mary Read)AIP Production #6333AITV Packages: Epicolor ‘64 and New Color Adventures Jeff and Cheryl defy gender norms and set sail for adventure in the New World with the Queen of the Seas. Produced by Fortunato Misiano for Romana Films Story and Screenplay by Ugo Guerra & Luciano MartinoDirected by Umberto Lenzi Starring: Lisa Gaston as Mary Read Jerome Courtland as Peter Goodwin Agostino Salvietti as Uncle MangiatrippaGermano Longo as Pirate Ivan Walter Barnes as Captain PoofGianni Solaro as Florida GovernorGisella Arden as French dancerDina De Santis as Lady flirting with PeterTullio Altamura as Don Pedro AlvarezIgnazio Balsamo as Captain of the GuardAnna Arena as Lady aboard hr DilligenceGiulio Battiferri as Prison GuardFranco Jamonte as Horse-riding instructorEdoardo Toniolo as Lord GoodwinPiero Pastore as Protocol instructorLoris Gizzi as Praison DirectorGualtiero Isnenghi as Captain of the English shipEleonora Morana as Miss Elizabeth Bruno Scipioni as Lord Stewart An Alta Vista Production Stream Queen of the Seas on Fawsome or Sword-n-Scandal. Visit our website - https://aippod.com/ and follow the American International Podcast on Letterboxd, Instagram and Threads @aip_pod and on Facebook at facebook.com/AmericanInternationalPodcast Get your American International Podcast merchandise at our store. Our open and close includes clips from the following films/trailers: How to Make a Monster (1958), The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962), I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957), High School Hellcats (1958), Beach Blanket Bingo (1965), The Wild Angels (1966), It Conquered the World (1956), The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971), and Female Jungle (1955)
When The Dark Knight Rises came out in 2012, expectations were sky high. After all, Christopher Nolan had shattered all box office records and blown critics away with The Dark Knight… what would he be doing now to dazzle audiences everywhere? Maybe it's inevitable that the reception would be mixed. For the first time in his career, a Nolan movie was given generally negative reviews. And while it ultimately made more money worldwide than The Dark Knight did, it didn't become the biggest movie of all time. Earlier that year, in fact, The Avengers had pulled that off, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe's reign had officially begun. Nolan said the only reason he would ever consider making a sequel to The Dark Knight was if he came up with a story that was so good it justified its own existence. So… does The Dark Knight Rises do that? Laci thinks so; Matt doesn't. In this episode, 1-Week Rental takes you behind the scenes of The Dark Knight Rises to give you the story of how Nolan developed this idea along with his collaborator David Goyer and his brother Jonah. Then, how Bane was selected as the villain, and how world events like Occupy Wall Street gave the film a fortuitous sense of timing. But is Nolan giving himself too much credit by saying Bane foreshadowed Donald Trump? What exactly is Nolan saying in this movie, anyway? And is he trying to say one thing but accidentally saying something else, instead? Then, Laci and Matt review The Dark Knight Rises. Is Bane ultimately a letdown? Would the Joker have made more sense carrying out Bane's exact plan? Anne Hathaway is excellent as Selina Kyle, but does her character make sense? And is Marion Cotillard as "Miranda Tate" the least developed of all of Nolan's female characters? All this and more in a supersized episode as the podcast concludes its coverage of Nolan's trilogy of Batman films. Watch Matt's video about The Road to El Dorado: https://youtu.be/y5x3zDnjXrg Watch this Dark Knight Rises podcast in full on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@1weekrental Get more 1-Week Rental on Patreon: https://patreon.com/1weekrental Next episode: We're off on July 31, but we shall return on August 7, 2026 with an episode about Interstellar (2014)! The Summer of Nolan is our summer 2026 miniseries covering the movie career of Christopher Nolan through nine movies on the main feed (plus additional episodes on the Patreon!), presented in chronological order, starting with Memento and going through Oppenheimer. And don't be surprised if our old pal Odysseus drops by to tell us about his long journey home to his wife. Time stamps: 00:01:24 — Opening thoughts on The Dark Knight Rises 00:20:15 — History segment: Nolan searches for a sequel to The Dark Knight; how they decided to use Bane and cast Tom Hardy; the politics of The Dark Knight movies; production, release, and legacy of The Dark Knight Rises 01:04:29 — Movie discussion + The Dark Knight Rises film analysis 02:56:20 — Star ratings + final review of The Dark Knight Rises THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012) was directed by Christopher Nolan. Screenplay by Nolan with his brother Jonah; screen story by Nolan with David Goyer. Starring Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Oldman, Marion Cotillard, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Tom Conti, Matthew Modine, Ben Mendelsohn, and Glen Powell as a stock trader. Sources: "The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture" by Glen Weldon (2016) - https://amzn.to/4aNZi2Y "Christopher Nolan (Iconic Directors)" by Dan Jolin (2026) - https://amzn.to/4oEtmE3 "The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan" by Tom Shone (2020) - https://amzn.to/4yiNtw0 "The Dark Knight Trilogy: The Complete Story Of Christopher Nolan's Batman Films" by Dan Jolin | Empire (2012) - https://bit.ly/44KS6kW "Heath Ledger was planning to return as the Joker in The Dark Knight Rises before his death, say family" by Jacob Stolworthy | The Independent (2018) - https://bit.ly/3T8u5So "For now, Nolan and Batman will rest in 'Dark' glory" by Scott Bowles | USA Today (2008) - https://bit.ly/4yxUUiU "Christopher Nolan on 'Dark Knight' and its box-office billion: 'It's mystifying to me'" by Geoff Boucher | The Los Angeles Times (2008) - https://lat.ms/4hm5SSr Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/07/the-dark-knight-rises/#transcript Artwork by Laci Roth. Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts! PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007). The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4vtO6jG), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4w1qDat), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead). 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 Nolan" - https://youtube.com/shorts/CAIzthDLrT8 "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM "Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg "The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ The "Summer of Nolan" theme song was written by Matt Stokes. Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends. Performed by: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums, percussion, and backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals, guitar, and bass Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast: Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Facebook: @1weekrental Instagram: @1weekrental TikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social 1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.
This week, we discuss the classic romantic Cinderella/Ugly Duckling story, Sabrina, a film that showcases Billy Wilder's ability to balance sophisticated, witty dialogue with genuine heart and a smidge of social commentary.SPOILER ALERT We will be talking about this movie in its entirety,. If you haven't seen this classic, we strongly suggest you watch it before listening to our takes.A Paramount Pictures production. Released on September 22, 1954. Directed and produced by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by Billy Wilder, Samuel A. Taylor, and Ernest Lehman, based on the play Sabrina Fair by Samuel A. Taylor. Starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden. Cinematography by Charles Lang. Edited by Doane Harrison. Score by Frederick Hollander.
In the eighth and final 15 minutes of our screenplay treatment, Napoleon really is trying to get this one last job done by completing the Brumaire coup. But his bid for his ultimate goal requires an unexpected sacrifice and is dependent on an essential contribution from his now thoroughly beloved Josephine. With a new framing device underlining the crucial role of Paul Barras in this story as the antagonist, we're sprinting for a finish line - and a certain comfy chair for our leading man.Yes, it's episode nine of our screenwriting escapade, in which we complete our mission of crafting a top-notch screenplay treatment about the life of Napoleon Bonaparte. Alex Stevenson is joined by James Topham (who knows a thing or two about screenwriting) and Ben Deery (who knows a thing or two about acting) to put the movie world to rights. Having analysed the pitfalls and frustrations of Ridley Scott's Napoleon 2023 in the first season the Napoleon Movie Quarter-Hourly, this time round the team have tried their uppermost to come up with the magic themselves.As our resident artificial aide-de-camp NAIpoleon Bot-aparte puts it:[02:27] The Recap of the "Rotten Pear": James catches us up on Act Three so far, featuring Napoleon's desertion from Egypt, a "titanic" row with Josephine, and a dinner with Barras that changes everything.[12:12] History is a Farce: Alex reads from Zamoyski's biography, revealing the hilarious historical reality of the coup: a bucking horse, a stress-induced facial rash, and a very "undone" Napoleon.[17:03] Dramatic Masterstroke or "Sh*tshow"?: The team debates whether Napoleon's historical bungling of the coup is a screenwriting disaster or an ironic opportunity for a "stunning performance."[19:13] The Ultimate Sacrifice: Alex pitches a thematic climax where Napoleon trades his "Great Man" dignity and romantic ideals for the grubbiness of actual power.[21:45] The Novella as a Blunt Instrument: Ben suggests a high-action alternative involving Napoleon beating a man unconscious with his own rolled-up novella manuscript.[28:35] The Framing Device Rabbit Hole: A deep dive into the art of the framing device, featuring references to The Princess Bride, Amadeus, and the "triangle" used in the World Snooker Championship.[33:10] Perspectives on a Dinner: The hosts pitch a circular narrative structure that uses a dinner with Barras to show how the "urbane puppet master" became the man who "owes Napoleon everything."[43:03] Marinara in the Sticks: Exploring the "fitting end" for Barras—sidelined to a provincial town like Ray Liotta at the end of Goodfellas with nothing but bad pasta sauce for company.[45:28] The Bonaparte Whisperer: Josephine finally gets an active role in the heist, proving she is a master survivor who knows exactly how to handle smitten Directory presidents and resignation letters.[52:36] The Dictator's Comfy Chair: The team lands on a final image involving a circular seating arrangement, an enigmatic grin, and the most crucial question of the production: "Who is going to play the pug?"Help us produce more episodes by supporting the Napoleonic Quarterly on Patreon: patreon.com/napoleonicquarterly
RECALL: Act Three By the time RECALL reaches Act Three, Miami Military Academy is no longer pretending it can survive. The school is still marching, still saluting, still shining brass and barking orders into the Florida heat, but the center is gone. Colonel Barnes is dying. Commander Patterson knows it. Sally knows it. And the boys, even when they are laughing too hard to say it out loud, can feel the whole place slipping into history. Written by Academy Award nominee Bruce Davison, and once optioned and held by the great Carroll O’Connor with eyes on a Pacino lead,, RECALL is a funny, savage, deeply human coming-of-age drama about abandoned boys, broken fathers, old soldiers, Cuban exiles, secret weapons, and the terrible bargain countries make when they ask the young to carry the sins of the old. Act Three begins with the last quiet hours before everything breaks. Lishinsky and Sally steal a small piece of freedom on the water, drifting toward Captain Kidd’s Island, talking about California, escape, fathers, graves, and the strange fantasy that two damaged kids might simply sail away from all of it. But nobody really gets away from Miami Military Academy. Not yet. Inside Barnes’ house, Patterson sits beside a dying friend and is handed the thing no soldier wants: responsibility without rescue. Barnes tells him the Army is calling in its chips. The school, the land, the boys, the munitions, the whole dream is coming apart. Patterson rages because he knows what the place is, and what it has been. A broken institution, yes. A madhouse, absolutely. But also the only home some of these boys have ever had. Then the machinery starts moving. The Army arrives. The Cuban officials arrive. The inspection becomes theater. A live round falls where it should not. The old bunkers by the bay are suddenly more important than the boys standing in formation. The parade takes them through Miami and into the Dade County Fair, where the whole strange, glorious organism of “A” Company explodes into one last carnival of cigars, sheep, majorettes, busted noses, bad decisions, and Patterson turning, for one mad instant, into the hero the boys still need him to be. But the comedy cannot hold the line forever. Colonel Barnes is gone. The flag drops to half-mast. The Razor Fiend is finally revealed. Lindquist, the feral boy from the mango trees, becomes a cadet, a savior, and maybe the strangest proof that the academy was never only a school. It was a place that took in the lost and gave them a uniform because it had no better language for love. Slouch and Bebop reach the end of pretending. Bebop is called home by a country that no longer exists the way he remembers it. Slouch follows because friendship, for him, is the only oath that ever meant anything. The Cuban exiles come in the night. Patterson tries to stop them. History steps over him. Sally leaves for California. Lishinsky stays behind with the ache of first love and the knowledge that some people are not meant to be held. Patterson sits with his ghosts. The boys graduate into a world already waiting to use them. And somewhere beyond the academy walls, the Bay of Pigs turns courage, loyalty, and bad American promises into blood in the surf. RECALL is about boyhood at the edge of the American century, when duty still sounded clean from a podium and war still knew how to dress itself up as honor. It is about boys who wanted fathers, fathers who failed them, soldiers who could not save themselves, and a country that keeps asking the young to pay for the old men’s maps. Starring Alan Rosenberg, Carson Bolde, Stone Garcia, Wesley Kimmel, Dan Lauria, Kensington Tallman, Roxton Garcia, Bruce Davison, Luca Diaz, Amari O’Neil, Amir O’Neil, David Errigo Jr., Zeke Alton, Gian Franco Rodriguez, Miki Yamashita, Nemil Mudvari, Sofia D’Marco, and Ashley Ciarra. A portion of proceeds from RECALL will benefit the National Veterans Foundation and the Lifeline for Vets. To support NVF or speak with a Veteran who understands, visit https://nvf.org or call 888-777-4443. Produced by Table Read Podcast and Manifest Media Productions, LLC. Executive Produced by Jack Levy, Shaan Sharma, and Mark Knell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The BTS team discusses Spielberg legacy of alien encounter movies, the bombastic action sequences, the performances and character design, and how it all comes together in the film's final moments.Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Z9tgsDlBJTg
Host Jeff Goldsmith talks to writer-director Derrick Borte about his new film - The Get Out. Download my podcast here Copyright © Unlikely Films, Inc. 2026. All rights reserved. For more great content check out Backstory Magazine @ Backstory.net
RECALL: Act Two In February 1961, the boys of Miami Military Academy are still marching, joking, fighting, shaving, bleeding, stealing, and pretending the world outside the gates is someone else’s problem. But the world is already inside the school. It is in the news from Cuba. It is in the old munitions bunkers by the bay. It is in the secrets the adults keep, the wounds they drink through, and the wars they keep handing down to children. Written by Academy Award nominee Bruce Davison, and once optioned and held by the great Al Pacino, RECALL is a funny, savage, deeply human coming-of-age drama about abandoned boys, broken fathers, old soldiers, Cuban exiles, secret weapons, and the machinery that turns fear into patriotism. Act Two begins as Stephen Lishinsky tries to survive the strange education of “A” Company. His head has been butchered. His pride has been beaten. His idea of honor has already taken a few direct hits. When he tries to run, Commander Patterson finds him at the bus stop and gives him the kind of broken advice only a broken soldier can give: if you are in a storm, sometimes the only move is to sit tight and let the morning come. But morning at Miami Military Academy is never clean. Coombs is missing. The Razor Fiend is back. Bear is bleeding into the sink. Lindquist, the feral boy from the mango trees, is pulled into uniform and passed off as a cadet because, at this school, identity is just another piece of equipment someone misplaced. Sally Barnes drifts through the place like a lit match, furious at her father, suspicious of Patterson, and impossible for Lishinsky to ignore. Patterson tries to protect her, but the past between him, Colonel Barnes, and Sally’s mother is its own battlefield. Meanwhile, Slouch and Bebop stop pretending their war is imaginary. The key to Bunker 3 becomes guns, ammunition, and contraband dragged through the machinery of a school that is already falling apart. Patterson lectures boys on amphibious landings while the real invasion waits in the shadows. Bebop is pulled closer to the Cuban exile cause. Slouch, half romantic and half criminal, follows him into the Everglades, into blindfolds, pistols, secret rooms, and men who do not look like teachers. There is comedy everywhere because boys make comedy out of terror. There is coconut rum, marching songs, bad haircuts, chocolate cokes, contraband, dirty jokes, and the Dade County Fair waiting like a reward for good behavior nobody intends to have. But underneath the noise, the rifles are getting heavier. The lies are getting harder to carry. And the adults are running out of time. RECALL is about boyhood at the exact moment history stops being a lesson and starts becoming a weapon. It is about fathers who failed, sons who improvise, countries that ask for sacrifice before they explain the cost, and boys who are still laughing because they do not yet understand what the world is loading. Starring Alan Rosenberg, Carson Bolde, Stone Garcia, Wesley Kimmel, Dan Lauria, Kensington Tallman, Roxton Garcia, Bruce Davison, Luca Diaz, Amari O’Neil, Amir O’Neil, David Errigo Jr., Zeke Alton, Gian Franco Rodriguez, Miki Yamashita, Nemil Mudvari, Sofia D’Marco, and Ashley Ciarra. A portion of proceeds from RECALL will benefit the National Veterans Foundation and the Lifeline for Vets. To support NVF or speak with a Veteran who understands, visit https://nvf.org or call 888-777-4443. Produced by Table Read Podcast and Manifest Media Productions, LLC. Executive Produced by Jack Levy, Shaan Sharma, and Mark Knell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Host Jeff Goldsmith talks to writer and showrunner, Eric Kripke, about The Boys Season 5. Download my podcast here Copyright © Unlikely Films, Inc. 2026. All rights reserved. For more great content check out Backstory Magazine @ Backstory.net