Best The American Library In Paris Podcasts (2025)

"The Year's Wildest, Wittiest Whirlwind of a Love Battle... Outrageously Racy... Sparkling... Gay!" Bella Zaydenberg returns to the show to talk about the beloved Howard Hawks screwball comedy, His Girl Friday (1940). We'll talk about journalism, rom-coms, and weddngs. Wait, weddings? Why weddings? Listen to find the worst kept secret in the histor…

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Eaux d'Artifice (1953) w/ Dr. Will Dodson 1:41:22

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2M ago1:41:22

1:41:22

In this episode, Dr. Will Dodson joins us to take a look at Eaux d'Artifice, an early inductee in the registry from avant-garde legend Kenneth Anger. We discuss why the seemingly tranquil film has a lot going on beneath the surface (including the salacious) and tackle an overview of the controversial provocateur's whole film-making career to determ…

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The Black Pirate (1926) Feature Length Commentary Track 1:43:57

3M ago1:43:57

1:43:57

"Dead men tell no tales!" For this episode, we've recorded a feature length commentary track for the big-budget blockbuster that solidified Douglas Fairbanks' Hollywood immortality, 1926's The Black Pirate. Watch our upload on YouTube (in its original colorized version, done at Fairbanks' insistence), sync it up with your own copy, or just listen a…

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The March of Time: Inside Nazi Germany (1938) w/ Josh Shepperd 1:20:27

3M ago1:20:27

1:20:27

"Time...marches on..." Josh Shepperd, author of Shadow of the New Deal, joins the show to talk about the powerful propaganda piece Inside Nazi Germany, an installment of the influential newsreel series The March of Time. The first major Hollywood film to take an explicitly anti-Nazi stance, the short stands as a testament to the power of the visual…

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The Godfather Part 2 (and also an Ewok movie) w/ Patrick Cotnoir 2:20:08

3M ago2:20:08

2:20:08

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer" "A rock? These little bears are nuts" That's right, folks. It's a Patrick Cotnoir episode. This time, for his fifth appearance, we're talking The Godfather Part II, and...some Ewok movie. Nobody is really sure which one, honestly. It's been five years of this, guys. You know what you're getting her…

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Lassie Come Home (1943) w/ Hunter Robinson 1:40:47

3M ago1:40:47

1:40:47

"I know something about this dog. She's going somewhere - she's on her way." Hunter Robinson, the host of the Tumbleweeds and TV Cowboys podcast, joins the show to talk about one of the biggest movie stars in cinema history. No, not John Wayne, it's Lassie. We'll talk about the massive Lassie franchise, the dog star at the heart of the film, and ev…

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Animal Folklore in Film & a Conversation with the Creator of Iyanu 1:01:26

4M ago1:01:26

1:01:26

This week, our hosts bridge the gap between Cat People and Lassie Come Home with an informal conversation about animal folklore and animal companions in film. Plus, Mike sits down with Roye Okupe, the creator of Iyanu, the graphic novel and hit animated series on Cartoon Network and HBO Max. We'll be back to our regular format next week! Follow the…

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Cat People (1942) w/ Rebecca Rozenberg 2:00:50

4M ago2:00:50

2:00:50

“I like the dark. It's friendly.” – Cat People (1942) This week, we turn the lights low with special guest Rebecca Rozenberg, Publicity Manager at Simon & Schuster, who brings insight honed from working with bestselling authors and deep industry experience. Together, we dive into Jacques Tourneur and Val Lewton’s Cat People, a landmark psychologica…

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Badlands (1973) w/ Tom Augustine 1:45:12

4M ago1:45:12

1:45:12

“He was the most trigger-happy man I had ever met.” – Badlands (1973) This week, we hit the open road with guest Tom Augustine to explore Terrence Malick’s stunning debut, Badlands. Based loosely on the real-life killing spree of Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate, the film casts Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek as drifting outsiders caught bet…

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The Wind (1928) Feature Length Commentary Track 1:25:27

5M ago1:25:27

1:25:27

“If only the wind would stop!” – The Wind (1928) This week, we return to the silent era with a full-length commentary track for Victor Sjöström’s haunting 1928 drama The Wind. Starring Lillian Gish in one of her most intense and vulnerable performances, the film tells the story of a woman slowly unraveling on the harsh, wind-swept plains of the Ame…

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Shane (1953) w/ Kenny Neibart 1:07:26

5M ago1:07:26

1:07:26

This week, we saddle up for a conversation about Shane (1953) with screenwriter, producer, and podcast host Kenny Neibart. A formative Western and a film that helped define American masculinity on screen, Shane gives us plenty to dig into, from its mythic final shot to the complex tension between pacifism and violence. Kenny joins us to unpack the …

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It Happened One Night (1934) w/ Andrew Daniels 1:48:13

5M ago1:48:13

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“I just had the unpleasant sensation of hearing you referred to as my husband.” – It Happened One Night (1934) This week, returning guest Andrew Daniels joins us to break down the original screwball sensation: Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night. As the first film to ever sweep the “Big Five” Oscars, this charming romantic comedy set the template f…

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Shadows (1959) w/ Robert Bellissimo 1:52:33

6M ago1:52:33

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“The film you have just seen was an improvisation.” – Shadows (1959) This week, returning guest Robert Bellissimo joins us for a conversation on John Cassavetes’ Shadows,, a landmark of American independent cinema. Shot on the streets of New York with a semi-improvised style and a raw, jazz-infused energy, Shadows broke all the rules and opened new…

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How the National Film Registry Came to Be (with Congressman Robert Mrazek) 1:52:27

6M ago1:52:27

1:52:27

In this special bonus episode, we sit down with Congressman Robert Mrazek, the man whose legislation led to the creation of the National Film Preservation Board. Without his efforts, the National Film Registry as we know it wouldn’t exist. Mrazek shares the inside story of how film preservation became a congressional priority, the cultural battles …

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Touch of Evil (1958) w/ Ryan Luis Rodriguez 1:44:21

6M ago1:44:21

1:44:21

“He was some kind of a man. What does it matter what you say about people?” – Touch of Evil (1958) This week, we’re crossing into the shadowy borderlands of noir with special guest Ryan Luis Rodriguez to unpack Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil. From its legendary opening tracking shot to Welles’ haunting turn as the corrupt Hank Quinlan, the film stands…

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An American in Paris (1951) w/ Arlene Hellerman 2:07:33

6M ago2:07:33

2:07:33

“’S Wonderful! ’S Marvelous!” – An American in Paris (1951) This week, we step into the dreamlike Technicolor world of An American in Paris with special guest Arlene Hellerman. A Publications Associate for Broadway Licensing Global, Arlene brings a multifaceted perspective shaped by a career spanning theatre, film, television, broadcast news, and p…

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A Brief History of Betty Boop: From the Inkwell to the Musical 2:02:09

6M ago2:02:09

2:02:09

Boop-Oop-a-Doop! In this special bonus episode, we present A Brief History of Betty Boop: From the Inkwell to the Musical. We begin with the story of Fleischer Studios—the groundbreaking animation house behind Betty Boop, Popeye, and Koko the Clown—and trace how their surreal, adult-oriented cartoons challenged the norms of early animation and stoo…

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The Cheat (1915) w/ Jae Kim 1:54:42

7M ago1:54:42

1:54:42

“You are mine—body and soul!” – The Cheat (1915) This week, we’re traveling back to 1915 with returning guests Amanda Rush and Jae Kim for a deep dive into Cecil B. DeMille’s The Cheat. A landmark of early American cinema, The Cheat helped shape visual storytelling through its pioneering use of lighting, editing, and narrative tension. But alongsid…

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) w/ Ben Hosley 2:05:33

7M ago2:05:33

2:05:33

“Which one of you nuts has got any guts?” – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) This week, we check into the ward with special guest Ben Hosley, producer of Blank Check with Griffin and David, to take on Miloš Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. One of only three films to sweep the “Big Five” Oscars, this anti-establishment classic remains…

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Where Are My Children? (1916) commentary track 1:14:56

7M ago1:14:56

1:14:56

“We must be brave enough to look truth in the face.” – Where Are My Children? (1916) This week, we return to the public domain vault for a full-length commentary track on Where Are My Children?, the provocative 1916 silent drama from Lois Weber and Phillips Smalley. As one of the earliest American films to tackle topics like birth control, abortion…

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Magical Maestro (1952) w/ Jordan Beck 1:39:12

7M ago1:39:12

1:39:12

“And now, I shall entertain you!” – Magical Maestro (1952) Animation aficionado and producer Jordan Beck returns to the show to tackle Tex Avery’s Magical Maestro, one of the most frenetic and technically dazzling cartoons of the Golden Age. With its relentless visual gags and groundbreaking use of the “wipe” technique, this controversial short is …

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A Night at the Opera (1935) w/ David Bluvband 1:56:04

8M ago1:56:04

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"You can't fool me! There ain't no Sanity Claus!" David Bluvband (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) returns to the show to discuss the Marx Brothers' first film for MGM, A Night at the Opera. We talk Otis B. Driftwood, Riccardo Barone, and the eternal Paramount vs. MGM debate. Follow the Show: Twitter Instagram Website Music by Mike Natale…

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Blade Runner (1982) w/ Phil Iscove 2:17:56

8M ago2:17:56

2:17:56

"The star of "RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK" and the director of "ALIEN" take you on a spectacular journey to the savage world of the year 2019!!" Phil Iscove (Sleepy Hollow, Podcast Like It's...) returns to the show for the fifth time to kick off Season 5 with a seismic sci-fi story whose history is as complex as the future it depicts: 1982's Blade Runn…

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The 97th Academy Awards, Part 2: Ranking Every Nominee 2:01:17

8M ago2:01:17

2:01:17

In this fifth edition of You're Missing Out's annual Oscar special, we're doing a two-parter, just like Wicked and Dune. Last episode, we talked through each of the 10 Best Picture nominees (Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Done Part 2, Emilia Perez, I'm Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, Wicked). Now, in Part 2, we'll rank …

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The 97th Academy Awards, Part 1: Best Picture Roundtable 2:27:20

8M ago2:27:20

2:27:20

In this fifth edition of You're Missing Out's annual Oscar special, we're doing a two-parter, just like Wicked and Dune! On this episode, we'll talk through each of the 10 Best Picture nominees (Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave, Dune Part 2, Emilia Perez, I'm Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance, Wicked). In Part 2, we rank not …

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2024 National Film Registry (Live Reactions) 2:08:35

11M ago2:08:35

2:08:35

Another year, another batch of 25 (give or take) titles added to the National Film Registry, and another live reaction episode from You're Missing Out. As is tradition, hosts Mike Natale and Tom Lorenzo jumped on mic mere hours after the list was made public. Neither host knew what titles were inducted until producer Kyle kicked off a YouTube lives…

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Season 4 Wrap-Up & Registry Picks (Season Finale) 2:16:50

1y ago2:16:50

2:16:50

Mike, Tom, Kyle, and Amanda commemorate hitting 100 movies covered on the show, reflect on the fourth class of 25 films inducted into the registry, give out superlatives to the standout performances and craftspeople, reflect on their registry submissions, and look ahead to new adventures in Season 5. Follow the Show: Twitter Instagram Website Music…

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The Birth of a Nation (1915) w/ VyceVictus 1:26:33

1y ago1:26:33

1:26:33

"It Will Make You a Better Southerner"- tagline from the Birmingham Age-Herald in 1916 We've now hit 100 National Film Registry titles covered on this podcast, and for this milestone episode, we decided to tackle the National Film Registry inductee that has most ominously loomed above this show since we began: D.W. Griffith's vile, hateful, and unf…

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Within Our Gates (1920) Feature Length Commentary 1:30:36

1y ago1:30:36

1:30:36

"A story of the race with an ALL-COLORED CAST" For our penultimate episode of the season, we provide a feature-length commentary for Oscar Micheaux's landmark proto-race film Within Our Gates (1920). To watch the film along with us, head to our YouTube page. Follow the Show: Twitter Instagram Website Music by Mike Natale…

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Adam's Rib (1949) w/ Bella Zaydenberg 1:38:21

1y ago1:38:21

1:38:21

"WHO WEARS THE PANTS?" Tired of episodes where Mike and Tom bicker like a couple? Great news, for Adam's Rib, Mike's real-life significant other, editor Bella Zaydenberg, returns to the show to discuss Adam's Rib. Which of course means, she'll try and inject some well-researched facts into the mix, while Mike and Tom continue to bicker like a coupl…

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Castro Street (1966) 1:29:24

1y ago1:29:24

1:29:24

"Bruce Baillie makes avant-garde films with the gifts of a painter and the objectives of a sign painter." This week, we sat down as just Tom and Mike to talk about Bruce Baillie's Castro Street. But more than that, we sat down to, in a sense, "How To Watch Experimental Films (If You Don't Like Experimental Films)". After Tom notably had no patience…

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Carmen Jones (1954) w/ Amanda Rush 1:36:42

1y ago1:36:42

1:36:42

"Let the old buzzard flap his wings right over me. Till he comes down and gets me, I got a lotta livin' to do." Our newest team member Amanda Rush joins us to talk about Otto Preminger's barrier-breaking Cinemascope musical Carmen Jones. We talk opera, Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, and a form of short film called "Soundies." Follow the Show: …

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Salt of the Earth (1954) w/ Kyle Lampar 1:58:53

1y ago1:58:53

1:58:53

"The only film to ever be blacklisted!" Kyle Lampar steps out of the producer role to join us for a conversation about HUAC, the Hollywood Ten, and the only film to ever be blacklisted, Salt of the Earth (1954). Since this unique film was made by creatives caught up in the Red Scare, we begin our episode with a quick history of the Hollywood Blackl…

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Paths of Glory (1957) w/ Michael H. Weber 1:43:14

1y ago1:43:14

1:43:14

"Never has the screen thrust so deeply into the guts of war!" Screenwriter Michael H. Weber (500 Days of Summer, The Disaster Artist) returns to the show to talk about one of Stanley Kubrick's under-discussed masterworks, the stirring Kirk Douglas-led war film Paths of Glory (1957)! We'll talk pacifism, systemic failure, and how this anti-war film …

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Bonnie and Clyde (1967) 1:46:00

1+ y ago1:46:00

1:46:00

"The strangest damned gang you ever heard of. They're young. They're in love. They rob banks." This week, Mike Natale and Tom Lorenzo work as a duo to unpack one of the most controversial and game-changing American films of the 1960s, Bonnie and Clyde (1967). They'll take a look at a tumultuous pre-production process, a titanic Oscar year, and tons…

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Ride the High Country (1962) w/ Tom Augustine 1:43:44

1+ y ago1:43:44

1:43:44

"Showdown in the High Sierra!" Our two weary cowboy hosts form a posse with film critic Tom Augustine to journey into the world of Sam Peckinpah with what is perhaps a surprising pick for Bloody Sam's first entry into the National Film Registry, the Randolph Scott/Joel McCrea two-hander Ride the High Country (1962) Follow the Show: Twitter Instagra…

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Big Business (1929) w/ a Surprise Guest 1:11:16

1+ y ago1:11:16

1:11:16

"The story of a man who turned the other cheek- And got punched in the nose!" Mike and Tom are all set to be joined by a surprise guest for their episode about the hijink filled buddy comedy Big Business (1929) from the iconic comedy duo of Laurel & Hardy. But just who booked the surprise guest, and when will they get there? Hosts: Michael Natale T…

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Morocco (1930) w/ Alonso Duralde 1:04:31

1+ y ago1:04:31

1:04:31

"Who is this woman who scorns a hundred men...to give her love to a Devil-May-Care Soldier?" Alonso Duralde, author of the new book Hollywood Pride, joins us to talk the lady in the tux who takes center stage on the cover of his book, as we dive into 1930's war-torn romance, Morocco. We examine the film's queer undertones (or, really, overtones), t…

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Footlight Parade (1933) w/ Hass & Swanton 2:25:42

1+ y ago2:25:42

2:25:42

"Nothing like it since movies were created! 300 Girls, 1000 Surprises, 5 New Song Hits!" The musical team of Hass & Swanton (Kyle Reid Hass & Jeremy Swanton) return to the show once again, this time for what is inarguably the greatest movie musical about putting on live prologues before movie screenings ever to hit the silver screen, Footlight Para…

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The Gold Rush (1925/1942) w/ Glenn Garthwaite 1:47:20

1+ y ago1:47:20

1:47:20

"He will make you laugh, roar, scream- he'll make you choke back your tears. Ten reels of Chaplin as you like him. It's the Picture You've waited for!" Editor Glenn Garthwaite returns to the show to discuss the Chaplin comedy so nice, he released it twice. Regarded as one of the Little Tramp's finest outings, the Klondike comedy The Gold Rush was a…

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The Big Parade (1925) Commentary Track 2:40:11

1+ y ago2:40:11

2:40:11

One of the first films to provide a realistic depiction of warfare and its effects on those both on and off the battlefield, King Vidor's 1925 epic The Big Parade became one of the highest-grossing films of the silent era, and MGM's biggest hit until another war epic, Gone With the Wind (1939). For our episode on The Big Parade, we opted to forgo o…

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BONUS: Surviving the Wasteland: A Spoiler-Fueled 'Mad Max' Recap 1:19:39

1+ y ago1:19:39

1:19:39

In this bonus episode, we give our audio-only listeners a taste of what Tom has been doing over on the You're Missing Out YouTube channel. If you like what you hear here, head on over and subscribe. Not only will that be the only place to find Tom's monthly exclusive livestreams, but next week, you'll be able to watch 1925's The Big Parade in full,…

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The Bank Dick (1940) w/ Ryan Luis Rodriguez 1:52:47

1+ y ago1:52:47

1:52:47

"Don't be a luddy-duddy! Don't be a mooncalf! Don't be a jabbernowl! You're not those, are you?" Ryan Luis Rodriguez (One Track Mind, Reels of Justice) joins the show once again, this time to tackle the tastefully tawdry comedy of the inimitable inebriate known as W.C. Fields in his 1940 absurdist masterpiece, The Bank Dick. Hosts: Michael Natale T…

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Detour (1945) w/ Kenny Neibart 1:48:13

1+ y ago1:48:13

1:48:13

"He went searching for love... but Fate forced a DETOUR to Revelry... Violence... Mystery!" Writer Kenny Neibart returns to the show to untangle the complicated web that is 1945's Detour. We'll ask the big question: Is it obvious that the narrator is a lying murderer, or is it really, really painfully obvious that he's a lying murderer? Watch Detou…

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Dog Star Man (1961-1964) w/ Ben Hosley 1:59:04

1+ y ago1:59:04

1:59:04

"A cosmological epic" Producer and artist Ben Hosley (Black Check, Congratulations, Slow X-Mas) returns to the show, this time to discuss Stan Brakhage's historic series of experimental films, Dog Star Man. We take a cosmic journey through the snowy mountains of our minds to try to get to the heart of the elusive and evocative imagery. See our full…

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Annie Hall (1977) w/ Jae Kim 1:50:51

1+ y ago1:50:51

1:50:51

" A nervous romance" Actor Jae Kim returns to the show to dissect the romantic comedy that changed the genre forever, Woody Allen's totemic Annie Hall. Watch the episode on our YouTube at: https://youtu.be/qkzgefDpLok Hosts: Michael Natale Twitter Instagram Letterboxd Tom Lorenzo Twitter Instagram Letterboxd Producer: Kyle Lampar Twitter Instagram …

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Salesman (1969) w/ Amy Nicholson 1:42:12

1+ y ago1:42:12

1:42:12

"Spread The Word" Documentarian Amy Nicholson returns to the show for another totemic work of direct cinema, the Maysles Brothers & Charlotte Zwerin's profoundly bleak portrait of door to door Bible sellers, Salesman (1969). We'll talk The Beatles, acting careers, and the true star of Amy's most recent film, Happy Campers. Hosts: Michael Natale Twi…

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Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948) w/ Robert Bellissimo 1:31:58

1+ y ago1:31:58

1:31:58

"This is the love every woman lives for...the love every man would die for!" Robert Bellissimo returns to the show, this time to discuss the woefully under-discussed Ophuls masterwork, Letter from an Unknown Woman. There's Fontaine, Jourdan, and much more Return of Swamp Thing talk than you might imagine. Hosts: Michael Natale Twitter Instagram Let…

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The Night of the Hunter (1955) w/ David Bluvband 1:47:28

1+ y ago1:47:28

1:47:28

"The wedding night, the anticipation, the kiss, the knife, BUT ABOVE ALL... THE SUSPENSE!" David Bluvband (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Chris Gethard Show) joins the show once more, this time to tackle the one and only film directed by the legendary Charles Laughton, 1955's The Night of the Hunter. Hosts: Michael Natale Twitter Letterboxd Tom Lor…