Cameron H.

Lol! Yup, Paul’s on your side! (I lol’d) I guess my problem with Eve is just how Machiavellian she is. From the moment she’s introduced, she’s kind of waging this subtle war of attrition on Margo’s ego. Amy brought up a couple of instances in the podcast, but the one that stuck out to me is when Eve is given one of Margo’s suits and says something like “It fits almost perfectly. It just needed a little taking in here and letting out there.” On the surface, it sounds innocent enough, but it’s clear what she’s really saying. Then, on top of that, she goes for Bill - the hot director. When that doesn’t work out, she goes for Lloyd - the hot writer. She’s doesn’t want them because she loves them, she wants them for what she can get from them. Everything about Eve is a lie. A fact even more glaring when you compare her to Margo whose big break came from a place of innocence (4-years-old) and truth (literally baring herself to the audience). I can totally buy Eve as a sympathetic character but she’s definitely the villain.

Why are people giving Paul crap about not emphasizing that these are “American” films? It’s the AMERICAN Film Institute! It’s literally the name of the organization. It would be like saying, “We are here at the Cheesecake Appreciation Society where we’re going to be discussing the best cakes ever made. And when I say ‘cake,’ I just want to clarify that I specifically mean ‘cheesecake’ and not carrot.” Please, let’s not give our hosts a hard time over this

I couldn't agree more! It would be perfect for the show. I watched this last year. This is what I said on Letterboxd:

Ha! It’s nothing official. More that I get impatient to talk to you guys I have been doing well, though. Thank you. That’s exciting about your new job. Congratulations!

This week Paul & Amy tunnel through Frank Darabont’s prison allegory The Shawshank Redemption! They discuss the use of opera as a 90’s film signifier, learn why Shawshank was constantly played on TNT, and debate whether this is “the Bud Light of movies.” Plus: comedian and podcaster Duncan Trussell stops by to talk about Stephen King adaptations, and how prison films can be a metaphor for transcendence. Call the Unspooled voicemail line at 747-666-5824 with your best King Kong grunt or Fay Wray scream! Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts.

It’s cool, Max. We get it. I’d rather you be here sometimes than not at all

Thanks, Slide! My son’s sick and it slipped my mind

...you, two-timer.

I just don't know what to do! Should we send them a box of croissants or something?

Here's what I would like: once they're done with this list, I would like them to cover the movies that got booted off from the 98 list. Then, if they're up to it, I'd love for Amy and Paul to dive into World cinema. I'd love to hear their take on Bergman and Kurosawa et al. I know Unspooled was always meant to be a macroseries, but the fact that they are already 12% done makes me anxious Of course, I don't actually expect this will happen, but a boy can dream, can't he?

And to think, all those chumps on the street got to see his carcass for free!

Oh, I just like the singing.

I really feel like people are missing out if they're watching the version with the opera edited out...

In the episode, they touched upon how Kong doesn't seem to know or understand what death is, but what I found even more interesting was how he only times he seemed curious about it at all if the creature he kills was of the same stature as himself. When its puny, ant-like humans, he doesn't even care; but when it's something that can look him in the eye, there's a sort of reverence. It was almost like he can't process death on that scale. How can something like me die? I think it's an interesting take - albeit, probably not an intentional take - of how we only seem to care about killing when we feel like the person/creature/animal is "like us." In a way, I think that's Kong's journey, and by proxy, the audience's. That when we're faced with something outside of our comfort zone or scope of knowledge, perhaps the best reaction isn't to just kill indiscriminately.

You're right! Thanks

That's how I feel about Swing Time and Titanic (less so, Titanic). And in the case of Swing Time, it's not even particularly influential. While I think lists of this sort will always be subjective, I think it has to come down more to craft than influence. Maybe even more than enjoyability. I feel like a lot of these picks are on the list because they "should be" rather than they deserve to be.

Was this the earliest instance where, when everyone is running around in a panic, the movie cuts away to a child crying by itself in the street? You know, just so the audience knows the shit just got real.

White privilege in action: Bring a monster to New York, have it escape, eat/kill lots of people, cause billions of dollars in structural damage, require air force assistance, and no one says a goddamn thing. Denhem wants to get to the front of the crowd to view the carcass, and everyone is just like "Ooh! That's Mr. Denhem. He caught the creature you know..." Not a single person is like "A car was thrown through my living room window and my wife was dropped to her death you shit-stain!" Honestly, I think Denhem should have seen some repercussions in the film as it would have made his journey would have somewhat mirrored that of Kong's. That way, when he says"It was Beauty that killed the Beast," he's not just talking about Kong, but the nature of obsession. (i.e. how Kong's obsession over Wray was just as self-destructive as Denhem's obsession with fame and fortune.)

It was pretty good, but I’m looking forward to the Arbor Day Rodeo... We watched:

It’s RAINING! It’s going to get out of control! Damn you, Zephryus! Why must you curse my curb appeal!

(I hope no one minds that I’ve been creating these threads.)

Was anyone disappointed that we never actually saw them at the Easter Parade? The whole move is about how Garland is going to turn heads and be the big shot at the next parade, but when that day comes, we don't actually see it. Maybe we're supposed to feel like they've grown to a point where it doesn't matter any more, but I feel like the movie's kind of lightweight for that kind of a message.

Is Jason more of a poodle? (Sorry for the watermarks )

Something I really enjoy about Irving Berlin is how even if you’ve never heard a song before, you almost intuitively know the lyrics. That might sound like a slight, like I’m calling his songs “simple” or something, but that’s not my intention. It takes a remarkable amount of craftsmanship to make something seem so effortless.