Awesome Movie Year

The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features our foreign film pick, Tom Tykwer’s Run Lola Run. Written and directed by Tom Tykwer and starring Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu and Herbert Knaup, Run Lola Run won the audience award for world cinema at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/run-lola-run-1999), Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/1999/06/25/run-lola-run-2/), and Janet Maslin in The New York Times (https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/032699lola-film-review.html).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1999 installment, featuring a special Halloween bonus, found-footage horror hit The Blair Witch Project

The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features Josh’s personal pick, David Fincher’s Fight Club. Directed by David Fincher from a screenplay by Jim Uhls (based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk) and starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter and Meat Loaf, Fight Club was a commercial and critical disappointment but has since become a cult classic.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fight-club-1999), Janet Maslin in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/15/movies/film-review-such-a-very-long-way-from-duvets-to-danger.html), and David Ansen in Newsweek (https://www.newsweek.com/fistful-darkness-168314).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1999 installment, featuring our foreign film pick, Tom Tykwer’s Run Lola Run.

The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features our documentary pick, Wim Wenders’ Buena Vista Social Club. Directed by Wim Wenders and featuring a group of legendary Cuban musicians, Buena Vista Social Club was nominated for the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-buena-vista-social-club-1999), Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-04-ca-43949-story.html), and Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/1999/06/11/buena-vista-social-club-3/).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1999 installment, featuring Josh’s personal pick, David Fincher’s Fight Club.

The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, the Dardenne brothers’ Rosetta. Written and directed by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne and starring Émilie Dequenne, Fabrizio Rongione, Olivier Gourmet and Anne Yernaux, Rosetta won the Palme d’Or and Best Actress awards at Cannes.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/rosetta-2000), Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/1999/11/19/rosetta-3/), and Stephen Holden in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/02/movies/film-festival-review-poor-belgian-girl-yearns-for-what-else-waffles.html).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1999 installment, featuring our documentary pick, Wim Wenders’ Buena Vista Social Club.

The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features the year’s biggest flop, Barry Sonnenfeld’s Wild Wild West. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, based on the 1960s TV series The Wild Wild West and starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh and Salma Hayek, Wild Wild West was a box-office failure and was nominated for nine Razzies.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wild-wild-west-1999), Janet Maslin in The New York Times (https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/063099west-film-review.html), and Noel Murray in the Nashville Scene (http://www.filmvault.com/filmvault/nash/w/wildwildwest1.html).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1999 installment, featuring the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, the Dardenne brothers’ Rosetta.

The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides. Written and directed by Sofia Coppola (based on the novel by Jeffrey Eugenides) and starring Kirsten Dunst, Kathleen Turner, James Woods, Josh Hartnett and Jonathan Tucker, The Virgin Suicides premiered at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-virgin-suicides-2000), A.O. Scott in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2000/04/21/movies/film-review-evanescent-trees-and-sisters-in-an-enchanted-1970-s-suburb.html), and Moira Macdonald in The Seattle Times (https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?slug=4019289&date=20000505).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1999 installment featuring the year’s biggest flop, Barry Sonnenfeld’s Wild Wild West.

The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1999 features the second-highest-grossing film at the box office, M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense. Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette and Olivia Williams, The Sixth Sense grossed $672.8 million worldwide and was nominated for six Oscars.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-sixth-sense-1999), Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2002/07/03/movie-review-sixth-sense/), and Charles Taylor in Salon (https://www.salon.com/1999/08/06/sixth/).Special thanks to our guest Dick Walsh, former film chairman of AMC Theatres.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1999 installment, featuring our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides.

In this special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003, we’re talking about South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy. Directed and co-written by Park Chan-wook (based on the comic book series by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi) and starring Choi Min-sik, Kang Hye-jung and Yoo Ji-tae, Oldboy is the middle film in Park’s so-called “vengeance trilogy.”The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/oldboy-2005), Carina Chocano in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-mar-25-et-oldboy25-story.html), and Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2005/03/23/oldboy-3/).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for future episodes.

In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1967, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about which movies they hoped we would cover.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in soon for the premiere of our ninth season, covering the awesome movie year of 1999, starting with box-office champion The Sixth Sense.

The finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features our audience choice pick, David Swift’s How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Written and directed by David Swift (adapted from the hit Broadway musical) and starring Robert Morse, Rudy Vallee, Michelle Lee, Anthony Teague and Maureen Arthur, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying prevailed over Barefoot in the Park and The Taming of the Shrew in our audience choice poll of stage-to-screen adaptations.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1967/03/10/archives/screen-how-to-succeed-does-againmusical-with-morse-and-vallee-opens.html), Penelope Houston in The Spectator (http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/7th-april-1967/17/arts-smooth-tudor), and Andrew Sarris in The Village Voice.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next installment, the epilogue to our 1967 season.

The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features our future cult classic pick, Roger Corman’s The Trip. Directed by Roger Corman from a script by Jack Nicholson and starring Peter Fonda, Bruce Dern, Susan Strasberg and Dennis Hopper, The Trip was a hit that capitalized on the counterculture zeitgeist.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1967/08/24/archives/screen-the-trip-on-view-at-2-housesfilm-tries-to-simulate.html), Time magazine (http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,841080,00.html), and Wendy Michener in Maclean’s (https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1967/11/1/a-satirists-savage-song-of-hatred).Special thanks to our guest Francisco Menendez, whose Roger Corman-produced film Stealing Las Vegas can be streamed for free with ads on IMDb TV or rented via all major VOD outlets.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1967 installment, featuring our audience choice poll winner, stage musical adaptation How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features our producer David Rosen’s pick, Mel Brooks’ The Producers. Written and directed by Mel Brooks and starring Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Kenneth Mars, Dick Shawn and Christopher Hewett, The Producers was Brooks’ debut feature as a director.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Time Magazine (http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,837773-1,00.html), Renata Adler in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1968/03/19/archives/screen-the-producers-at-fine-arts.html), and Pauline Kael in The New Yorker.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1967 installment, featuring our future cult classic pick, Roger Corman’s The Trip.

The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, Norman Jewison’s In the Heat of the Night. Directed by Norman Jewison from a script by Stirling Silliphant (based on the novel by John Ball) and starring Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Warren Oates and Lee Grant, In the Heat of the Night was nominated for seven Oscars and won five, including Best Picture.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Richard Schickel in Life magazine, John Mahoney in The Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/heat-night-review-1967-movie-1026024/), and Andrew Sarris in the Village Voice.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1967 installment, featuring our producer David Rosen’s pick, Mel Brooks’ The Producers.

The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features the Venice Film Festival Golden Lion winner, Luis Buñuel’s Belle de Jour. Directed and co-written by Luis Buñuel (based on the novel by Joseph Kessel) and starring Catherine Deneuve, Michel Piccoli, Jean Sorel, Genevieve Page and Pierre Clementi, Belle de Jour won the Golden Lion and the Pasinetti Award at the 1967 Venice Film Festival.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Charles Champlin in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mini-belle-de-jour-archive-20180412-story.html), Manny Farber in Artforum (https://www.artforum.com/print/196806/la-chinoise-carabiniers-and-belle-de-jour-38407), and Paul Schrader in the Los Angeles Free Press (https://paulschrader.org/articles/pdf/1969-BelledeJour.pdf).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1967 installment, featuring the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, Norman Jewison’s In the Heat of the Night.

The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features Jason’s personal pick, Stuart Rosenberg’s Cool Hand Luke. Directed by Stuart Rosenberg from a script by Donn Pearce and Frank R. Pierson (based on Pearce’s novel) and starring Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Strother Martin, Morgan Woodward and Clifton James, Cool Hand Luke was nominated for four Oscars and won one.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cool-hand-luke-1967), Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1967/11/02/archives/screen-forceful-portrait-of-a-man-born-to-losepaul-newman-superb-as.html), and John Mahoney in The Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/cool-hand-luke-review-1967-movie-1206020/).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1967 installment, featuring the Venice Film Festival Golden Lion winner, Luis Buñuel’s Belle de Jour.

The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features our foreign film pick, Jean-Luc Godard’s Weekend. Written and directed by Jean-Luc Godard and starring Mireille Darc and Jean Yanne, Weekend is one of three movies Godard released in 1967.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/weekend-1968), Pauline Kael in The New Yorker, and Andrew Sarris in the Village Voice.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1967 installment, featuring Jason’s personal pick, Stuart Rosenberg’s Cool Hand Luke.

The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features Josh’s personal pick, John Boorman’s Point Blank. Directed by John Boorman from a screenplay by Alexander Jacobs, David Newhouse and Rafe Newhouse and starring Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, Keenan Wynn, Carroll O’Connor and Michael Strong, Point Blank is based on Donald Westlake’s novel The Hunter.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/point-blank-1967), Andrew Sarris in the Village Voice, and Manny Farber in Artforum (https://www.artforum.com/print/196710/the-train-bonnie-and-clyde-reflections-in-a-golden-eye-point-blank-38731).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1967 installment, featuring our foreign film pick, Jean-Luc Godard’s Weekend.

The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features our documentary pick, D.A. Pennebaker’s Don’t Look Back. Directed by D.A. Pennebaker and featuring Bob Dylan on his 1965 U.K. tour, Don’t Look Back is considered one of the greatest music documentaries ever made.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dont-look-back-1968), Donal J. Henahan in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1967/09/07/archives/the-screen-bob-dylan-and-companydont-look-back-at-34th-street-east.html), and Andrew Sarris in the Village Voice.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1967 installment, featuring Josh’s personal pick, John Boorman’s Point Blank.

The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up. Directed and co-written by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, Sarah Miles, John Castle and Peter Bowles, Blowup won the top prize at Cannes and was nominated for two Oscars.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1966/12/19/archives/screen-blowup-arrives-at-coronet-hero-switches-between-luxury-and.html), Andrew Sarris in the Village Voice, and Pauline Kael in The New Yorker.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1967 installment, featuring our documentary pick, D.A. Pennebaker’s Don’t Look Back.

The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features the year’s biggest flop, Charlie Chaplin’s A Countess From Hong Kong. Written and directed by Charlie Chaplin and starring Marlon Brando, Sophia Loren, Sydney Chaplin, Tippi Hedren and Patrick Cargill, A Countess From Hong Kong was Chaplin’s final film before his death.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1967/03/17/archives/screen-a-countess-from-hong-kongnew-movie-by-chaplin-opens-at-the.html), Wendy Michener in Maclean’s (https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1967/5/1/liz-taylor-makes-a-perfect-shrew), and Andrew Sarris in the Village Voice.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1967 installment, featuring the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up.

The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, Martin Scorsese’s Who’s That Knocking at My Door. Written and directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Harvey Keitel, Zina Bethune, Lennard Kuras and Michael Scala, Who’s That Knocking at My Door began as a student film when Scorsese was at NYU and premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/whos-that-knocking-at-my-door-1969), Vincent Canby in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1969/09/09/archives/screen-a-first-featurescorseses-whos-that-knocking-at-my-door.html), and Variety (https://variety.com/1967/film/reviews/who-s-that-knocking-at-my-door-1200421457/).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1967 installment featuring the year’s biggest flop, Charlie Chaplin’s A Countess From Hong Kong.

The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1967 features the highest-grossing film at the box office, Mike Nichols’ The Graduate. Directed by Nichols from a screenplay by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham (based on the novel by Charles Webb) and starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, Katharine Ross, William Daniels and Murray Hamilton, The Graduate grossed $104.7 million worldwide and was nominated for seven Oscars, winning one.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-graduate-1967), A.D. Murphy in Variety (https://variety.com/1967/film/reviews/the-graduate-1117791319/), and Andrew Sarris in the Village Voice.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1967 installment, featuring our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, Martin Scorsese’s Who’s That Knocking at My Door.

NOTE: This episode was a timed exclusive over on our producer David Rosen's Patreon. Sign up to one of the tiers for access to this bonus episode and more great content from us, Piecing It Together, All Rice No Beans and David Rosen. https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenIn this special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984, we’re talking about one final music-focused film, the Prince showcase Purple Rain. Directed and co-written by Albert Magnoli and starring Prince, Apollonia Kotero, Morris Day, Olga Karlatos and Clarence Williams III, Purple Rain won an Oscar for its music and helped launch one of Prince’s most successful albums.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Cynthia Kirk in Variety (https://variety.com/1984/film/reviews/purple-rain-1200426264/), Gary Arnold in the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1984/07/27/princes-purple-haze/7e5d5ec1-f679-46a6-a0b2-9e4b581f2d7b/), and Pauline Kael in the New Yorker.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for future episodes including our upcoming seventh season on the films of 2003.

In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 2003, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about which movies they hoped we would cover.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in soon for the premiere of our eighth season, covering the awesome movie year of 1967, starting with box-office champion The Graduate.

In the finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003, we’re talking about this season’s audience choice pick, Terry Zwigoff’s Bad Santa. Directed by Terry Zwigoff from a screenplay by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Bernie Mac and Lauren Graham, Bad Santa defeated Elf and Love, Actually in our audience choice poll of Christmas classics.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bad-santa-2003), Stephanie Zacharek in Salon (https://www.salon.com/2003/11/26/bad_santa/), and Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2003/11/19/bad-santa-3/).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in next time for our 2003 season epilogue.

The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features our future cult classic pick, Tommy Wiseau’s The Room. Written and directed by Tommy Wiseau and starring Wiseau, Greg Sestero, Juliette Danielle, Philip Haldiman, and Carolyn Minnott, The Room grew from a single self-booked screening into a worldwide cult phenomenon.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Scott Foundas in Variety (https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/the-room-1117921325/), Marc Mohan in The Oregonian (https://www.oregonlive.com/movies/2009/08/beyond_the_multiplex_aug_28_se.html), and Tim Walker in the Independent (https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/columnists/tim-walker/the-couch-surfer-it-may-be-sublimely-rubbish-but-the-room-makes-audiences-happy-1752708.html).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 2003 installment featuring our audience choice winner, Christmas classic Bad Santa.

The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features our producer David Rosen’s personal pick, Todd Phillips’ Old School. Directed and co-written by Todd Phillips and starring Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Jeremy Piven and Ellen Pompeo, Old School was a box-office hit and a defining movie for the “Frat Pack” comedy style.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/old-school-2003), Manohla Dargis in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-21-et-dargis21-story.html), and Mick LaSalle in the San Francisco Chronicle (https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/A-full-coarse-load-Old-School-built-on-a-few-2633278.php).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 2003 installment featuring our future cult classic pick, Tommy Wiseau’s The Room.

The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features the Best Picture Oscar winner, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Directed and co-written by Peter Jackson (based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien) and starring Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, and Orlando Bloom, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was nominated for eleven Oscars and won all of them, including Best Picture.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/lord-of-the-rings-the-return-of-the-king-2003), David Hunter in The Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/lord-rings-return-king-review-2003-movie-950539), and Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2003/12/19/lord-rings-return-king-3/).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 2003 installment featuring our producer David Rosen’s personal pick, Todd Phillips’ Old School.

The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman’s American Splendor. Written and directed by Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman (based on the comics by Harvey Pekar) and starring Paul Giamatti, Hope Davis and Judah Friedlander, American Splendor premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/american-splendor-2003), Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2003/08/14/american-splendor-2/), and Manohla Dargis in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-15-et-dargis15-story.html).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 2003 installment featuring the Best Picture Oscar winner, Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features Jason’s personal pick, Ridley Scott’s Matchstick Men. Directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Ted and Nicholas Griffin and starring Nicolas Cage, Sam Rockwell, Alison Lohman, Bruce Altman and Bruce McGill, Matchstick Men premiered at the Venice International Film Festival.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/matchstick-men-2003), Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2003/09/10/matchstick-men-4/), and Lou Lumenick in the New York Post (https://nypost.com/2003/09/12/not-nics-best-flick/).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 2003 installment featuring the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Harvey Pekar adaptation American Splendor.

The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features one of the year’s most notable foreign films, Fernando Meirelles’ City of God. Directed by Fernando Meirelles (with co-direction by Katia Lund) and starring Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Phellipe Haagensen and Douglas Silva, City of God premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for four Oscars.The reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/city-of-god-2003), Stephen Hunter in the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2003/01/24/AR2005033116342.html), and Wesley Morris in the Boston Globe.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 2003 installment featuring Jason’s personal pick, Ridley Scott’s Matchstick Men.

The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features Josh’s personal pick, Peyton Reed’s Down With Love. Directed by Peyton Reed from a script by Eve Ahlert and Dennis Drake and starring Renee Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Sarah Paulson and David Hyde Pierce, Down With Love was a minor box-office success and has since become a cult classic.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/down-with-love-2003), Mick LaSalle in the San Francisco Chronicle (https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Up-with-Down-Behind-retro-fluff-look-is-a-2647963.php), and Manohla Dargis in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-may-16-et-dargis16-story.html).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 2003 installment featuring our foreign film pick, Fernando Meirelles’ City of God.

The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features our pick for the year’s most notable documentary, Errol Morris’ The Fog of War. Directed by Errol Morris and featuring Robert S. McNamara, The Fog of War won the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-fog-of-war-2004), Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-dec-19-et-fog19-story.html), and Wesley Morris in the Boston Globe (http://archive.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2004/01/23/mcnamaras_flaws_are_visible_in_fog/).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 2003 installment featuring Josh’s personal pick, Peyton Reed’s Down With Love.

The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner Elephant. Written and directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Alex Frost, Eric Deulen, John Robinson and Elias McConnell, Elephant won three awards, including the Palme d’Or, at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/elephant-2003), Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2003/11/07/elephant-an-unforgettable-lesson-in-tragedy/df24d7e3-541e-4b13-9a77-09641ab8f061/), and Todd McCarthy in Variety (https://variety.com/2003/film/awards/elephant-2-1200541588/).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 2003 installment, featuring our documentary pick, Errol Morris’ The Fog of War.

The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features the year’s biggest flop, Martin Brest’s Gigli. Written and directed by Martin Brest and starring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bartha, Lenny Venito, Al Pacino and Christopher Walken, Gigli was a massive critical and commercial failure that ended Brest’s career and is often considered one of the worst movies ever made.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gigli-2003), Mick LaSalle in the San Francisco Chronicle (https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Gigli-not-even-good-for-a-giggle-Affleck-2598830.php), and Manohla Dargis in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-aug-01-et-dargis1-story.html).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 2003 installment, featuring the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, Gus Van Sant’s Elephant.

The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, Tom McCarthy’s The Station Agent. Written and directed by Tom McCarthy and starring Peter Dinklage, Patricia Clarkson, Bobby Cannavale, Michelle Williams and Raven Goodwin, The Station Agent premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and helped McCarthy shift the focus of his career from acting to filmmaking.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-station-agent-2003), Elvis Mitchell in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/03/movies/film-review-a-train-depot-more-dream-than-destination.html), and Moira Macdonald in The Seattle Times (https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?slug=station17&date=20031017).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 2003 installment featuring the year’s biggest flop, Martin Brest’s Gigli.

The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2003 features the second highest-grossing film at the box office, Pixar’s Finding Nemo. Directed and co-written by Andrew Stanton and starring the voices of Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett and Allison Janney, Finding Nemo grossed $940.3 million worldwide, making it the all-time highest-grossing animated film at the time.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/finding-nemo-2003), Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2012/07/31/finding-nemo-4/), and Keith Phipps in the AV Club (https://film.avclub.com/finding-nemo-1798198587).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 2003 installment featuring our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, Tom McCarthy’s The Station Agent.

NOTE: This episode was originally a timed exclusive over on our producer David Rosen's Patreon. Sign up to one of the tiers for access to this bonus episode and more great content from us, Piecing It Together, All Rice No Beans and David Rosen. https://www.patreon.com/posts/43082909In this special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1977, we’re talking about the runner-up in our audience choice poll, disco classic Saturday Night Fever. Directed by John Badham and starring John Travolta, Karen Lynn Gorney, Barry Miller and Donna Pescow, Saturday Night Fever was nominated for an Oscar for Travolta’s performance and launched one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/saturday-night-fever-1977), Janet Maslin in the New York Times (https://movies2.nytimes.com/books/97/04/13/reviews/disco-fever.html), and Pauline Kael in the New Yorker.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for future episodes.

In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1984, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about which movies they hoped we would cover.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in soon for the premiere of our seventh season, covering the awesome movie year of 2003, starting with box-office champion Finding Nemo.

In the finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984, we’re talking about this season’s audience choice pick, Herbert Ross’ Footloose. Directed by Herbert Ross from a screenplay by songwriter Dean Pitchford and starring Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Chris Penn, Dianne Wiest and Sarah Jessica Parker, Footloose defeated Beat Street and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo in our audience choice poll of teen dance movies.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/footloose-1984), David Denby in New York Magazine, and Janet Maslin in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/17/movies/film-footloose-story-of-dancing-on-the-farm.html).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in next time for our 1984 season epilogue.

The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features our future cult classic pick, Alex Cox’s Repo Man. Written and directed by Alex Cox and starring Emilio Estevez, Harry Dean Stanton, Olivia Barash and Tracey Walter, Repo Man received minimal studio support but went on to critical acclaim and a cult following.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/repo-man-1984), Vincent Canby in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1984/07/06/movies/screen-repo-man-cars-and-california.html), and Pauline Kael in the New Yorker.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1984 installment featuring our audience choice winner, dance movie Footloose.

The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features our producer David Rosen’s personal pick, Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters. Directed by Ivan Reitman from a script by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts, Ghostbusters was one of the biggest box-office hits of 1984 and became an enduring pop-culture phenomenon.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ghostbusters-1984), Janet Maslin in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/08/movies/film-ghostbusters-with-murray-and-aykroyd.html), and Joseph Gelmis in Newsday (https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/movies/ghostbusters-newsday-s-1984-review-of-original-film-1.11891998).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1984 installment featuring our future cult classic pick, Alex Cox’s Repo Man.

The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features the Best Picture Oscar winner, Milos Forman’s Amadeus. Directed by Milos Forman, written by Peter Shaffer (based on his stage play) and starring F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge and Jeffrey Jones, Amadeus was nominated for eleven Oscars and won eight, including Best Picture.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/amadeus-1984), Peter Travers in People Magazine (https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-amadeus-vol-22-no-14/), and Todd McCarthy in Variety (https://variety.com/1984/film/reviews/amadeus-1200426332/).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1984 installment featuring our producer David Rosen’s personal pick, Ivan Reitman’s Ghostbusters.

The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Marisa Silver’s Old Enough. Written and directed by Marisa Silver and starring Sarah Boyd, Rainbow Harvest and Neill Barry, Old Enough was the first Grand Jury Prize winner at the newly rebranded Sundance Film Festival.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Janet Maslin in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1984/08/24/movies/screen-old-enough-about-2-young-friends.html), Gerald Peary in Maclean’s (https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1984/10/1/showing-off-growing-up), and Time Out (https://www.timeout.com/movies/old-enough).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1984 installment featuring the Best Picture Oscar winner, Milos Forman’s Amadeus.

The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features Jason’s personal pick, John G. Avildsen’s The Karate Kid. Directed by John G. Avildsen from a script by Robert Mark Kamen and starring Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki “Pat” Morita, Elisabeth Shue, William Zabka, Martin Kove and Randee Heller, The Karate Kid was a box-office hit that launched a long-running franchise.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-karate-kid-1984), Janet Maslin in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/22/movies/screen-karate-kid-bane-of-bullies.html), and Richard Schickel in Time Magazine (http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,926687-2,00.html).Our special guest in this episode is singer, songwriter and musician Joe Esposito. Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JoeBeanEsposito/ and be sure to check out his new album, coming soon.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1984 installment featuring the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Marisa Silver’s Old Enough.

The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features one of the year’s most notable foreign films, Sammo Hung’s Wheels on Meals. Directed by Sammo Hung and starring Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao, Sammo Hung and Lola Forner, Wheels on Meals is considered a classic of Hong Kong martial arts cinema.The reviews quoted in this episode come from Marc Savlov in the Austin Chronicle (https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/1994-08-05/138520/), and John Krewson in the AV Club (https://film.avclub.com/wheels-on-meals-1798196165).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1984 installment featuring Jason’s personal pick, The Karate Kid.

We're taking a break from our regular season on the awesome movie year of 1984 to feature a special Christmas bonus, Joe Dante’s holiday horror-comedy Gremlins. Directed by Joe Dante from a screenplay by Chris Columbus and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton and Frances Lee McClain, Gremlins was a commercial success and has since become a holiday favorite.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gremlins-1984), Richard Corliss in Time Magazine (http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,951161-1,00.html), and Vincent Canby in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/08/movies/screen-gremlins-kiddie-gore.html).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1984 installment featuring our foreign film pick, Sammo Hung’s martial arts comedy Wheels on Meals.

The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features Josh’s personal pick, Thom Eberhardt’s Night of the Comet. Written and directed by Thom Eberhardt and starring Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney, Robert Beltran and Mary Woronov, Night of the Comet was a moderate box-office success and has since become a cult classic.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Variety (https://variety.com/1983/film/reviews/night-of-the-comet-1200426036/), Vincent Canby in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/16/movies/film-night-of-comet-adventure-in-california.html), and Paul Attanasio in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1984/11/20/comet-of-doom/09da8482-fd26-478a-95c4-1cd22d3d8afd/).Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1984 installment as we take a break from our regular season line-up to do a special Christmas bonus episode on the definitely not-for-kids Joe Dante classic Gremlins. 

The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features our pick for the year’s most notable documentary, Jonathan Demme’s Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense. Directed by Jonathan Demme, Stop Making Sense captured Talking Heads performances over four nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater and is often considered the greatest concert movie ever made.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/stop-making-sense-1984), Pauline Kael in The New Yorker, and Paul Attanasio in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1984/11/02/the-sense-of-psycho-rock/2b154dde-cd3e-4f2d-acc0-bf348f0e6df6/).Our special guest in this episode is Eric Gladstone, former music journalist and author of the forthcoming book Anything But Nirvana: The Other Alt Rock Legends of the 90s.Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1984 installment featuring Josh’s personal pick, Thom Eberhardt’s Night of the Comet.

The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1984 features the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner Paris, Texas. Directed by Wim Wenders from a screenplay by L.M. Kit Carson and Sam Shepard and starring Harry Dean Stanton, Dean Stockwell, Hunter Carson, Nastassja Kinski and Aurore Clément, Paris, Texas won three awards, including the Palme d’Or, at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/paris-texas-1984), Vincent Canby in the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/14/movies/paris-texas-from-wim-wenders.html), and Holly Willis in Variety (https://variety.com/1983/film/reviews/paris-texas-1200426013/).Visit https://www.awesomemovieyear.com for more info about the show.Make sure to like Awesome Movie Year on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear and follow us on Twitter @AwesomemoviepodYou can find Jason online at http://goforjason.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Twitter @JHarrisComedyYou can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/ and on Twitter @signalbleedYou can find our producer David Rosen’s Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod and the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year, plus fellow podcasts Piecing It Together and All Rice No Beans, and music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1984 installment featuring our pick for the year’s most notable documentary, Jonathan Demme’s Talking Heads concert movie Stop Making Sense.