Awesome Movie Year

The thirteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, William Friedkin’s The French Connection. Directed by William Friedkin, based on the book by Robin Moore, and starring Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Rey and Tony Lo Bianco, The French Connection was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Greenspun in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/08/archives/the-french-connection.html), Charles Champlin in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/ar...

The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features the Berlin Film Festival Golden Bear winner, Vittorio De Sica’s The Garden of the Finzi-Continis. Directed by Vittorio De Sica, based on the novel by Giorgio Bassani, and starring Lino Capolicchio, Dominique Sanda, Helmut Berger and Fabio Testi, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-garden-of-the-finzi-continis-1971), Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/17/archives/garden-of-the-finzi-continis.html), an...

This special Christmas preview of our upcoming 1985 season features holiday favorite Santa Claus: The Movie. Directed by Jeannot Szwarc from a screenplay by David Newman and starring David Huddleston, Dudley Moore, John Lithgow, Judy Cornwell, Christian L. Fitzpatrick and Carrie Kei Heim, Santa Claus: The Movie was the final major release from Superman franchise producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/santa-claus-the-movie-1985), Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/27/movies/film-santa-claus-with-moore-and-lithgow.html), and Dolores Barclay of...

The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features Jason’s personal pick, Hal Ashby’s Harold and Maude. Directed by Hal Ashby from a screenplay by Colin Higgins and starring Bud Cort, Ruth Gordon, Vivian Pickles and Charles Tyner, Harold and Maude was a critical and commercial failure that has since become an enduring classic.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/harold-and-maude-1972), Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1971/12/21/archives/screen-harold-and-maude-and-lifehal-ashbys-comedy-opens-at-coronet.html), and Richard McGuinness in The Village Voic...

The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features our animation pick, Fred Wolf’s The Point. Directed, animated and co-written by Fred Wolf and starring the voices of Mike Lookinland, Paul Frees, Lennie Weinrib, Bill Martin and Joan Gerber, The Point features songs from Harry Nilsson’s album of the same name.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Kevin Thomas in The Los Angeles Times, Rick Du Brow of United Press International, and Lou Cedrone in The Baltimore Evening Sun.

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The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features our foreign film pick, Bruce Lee in The Big Boss. Written and directed by Lo Wei and starring Bruce Lee, James Tien, Maria Yi and Han Ying-chieh, The Big Boss marked Lee’s return to Hong Kong cinema after launching his career in the United States.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from J. Oliver Prescott in the Tampa Bay Times, Andrew Reschke in the Syracuse Herald-Journal, and Geoff Wong in the Sacramento Union.

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The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features Josh’s personal pick, John D. Hancock’s Let’s Scare Jessica to Death. Directed by John D. Hancock and starring Zohra Lampert, Barton Heyman, Kevin O’Connor, Gretchen Corbett and Mariclare Costello, Let’s Scare Jessica to Death was Hancock’s debut feature following a career in theater.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Greenspun in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1971/08/28/archives/screen-hippie-vampire-lets-scare-jessica-to-death-arrives.html), Stanley Eichelbaum in The San Francisco Examiner, and Michael Kerbel in The Village Voic...

The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features our documentary pick, Bruce Brown’s On Any Sunday. Directed and narrated by Bruce Brown and featuring Mert Lawwill, David Aldana, Malcolm Smith and Steve McQueen, On Any Sunday is credited with helping popularize motorcycle sports in the U.S.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/on-any-sunday-1971), Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/29/archives/on-any-sundaybruce-browns-documentary-studies-the-motorcyclists.html), and Tony Mastroianni in the Cleveland Press (https://www.clevelandmemory.org/mastroianni/tm409.ht...

The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, Joseph Losey’s The Go-Between. Directed by Joseph Losey from a screenplay by Harold Pinter and starring Dominic Guard, Julie Christie, Alan Bates, Margaret Leigthon and Edward Fox, The Go-Between is based on the 1953 novel by L.P. Hartley.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-go-between-1971), Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/30/archives/views-of-a-freudian-classic-and-an-arctic-venture-julie-christie.html), and Tony Mastroianni in the Cleveland Pres...

The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features the year’s biggest flop, Dennis Hopper’s The Last Movie. Directed and co-written by Dennis Hopper and starring Hopper, Stella Garcia, Don Gordon, Julie Adams and Tomas Milian, The Last Movie put Hopper’s directorial career on hold for nearly a decade.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-last-movie--chinchero-1971), Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1971/09/30/archives/screen-the-last-moviehopper-cast-as-a-mythic-film-cowboy-in-work-he.html), and Stefan Kanfer in Time magazine (https://time.com/archive/6843984/cinema...

The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 is a Halloween special featuring Mario Bava’s A Bay of Blood. Directed and co-written by Mario Bava and starring Claudine Auger, Luigi Pistilli, Claudio Camaso and Laura Betti, A Bay of Blood is a key early influence on the slasher genre.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times, Edward L. Blank in The Pittsburgh Press and Jeffrey Frentzen in Cinefantastique.

Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://ww...

The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features the second of two picks for a notable debut feature, Steven Spielberg’s Duel. Directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Richard Matheson (based on his short story) and starring Dennis Weaver, Duel aired as an ABC TV movie in the U.S. and was released theatrically in Europe and Australia.

The contemporary review quoted in this episode comes from Janet Maslin in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1983/04/15/movies/spielberg-s-duel-four-wheel-combat.html).

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The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features the first of two picks for a notable debut feature, George Lucas’ THX 1138. Directed and co-written by George Lucas and starring Robert Duvall, Donald Pleasence, Maggie McOmie and Don Pedro Colley, THX 1138 is based on Lucas’ student film Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/thx-1138-2004), Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1971/03/21/archives/wandas-a-wow-sos-thx-wandas-a-wow-sos-thx.html), and Stefan Kanfer in Time magazine (https://cont...

The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features the box-office champion, Norman Jewison’s Fiddler on the Roof. Directed by Norman Jewison and starring Topol, Norma Crane, Rosalind Harris, Michele Marsh, Leonard Frey and Neva Small, Fiddler on the Roof is an adaptation of the hit Broadway musical by Joseph Stein, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fiddler-on-the-roof-1971), Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1971/11/28/archives/is-fiddler-more-demille-than-sholem-aleichem-fiddler-on-the-roof.html), and Charles Champlin in the Lo...

This bonus episode for our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features Alfred Hitchcock’s Suspicion. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Nigel Bruce, Cedric Hardwicke and Mae Whitty, Suspicion was loosely adapted from the novel Before the Fact by Francis Iles.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1941/11/21/archives/suspicion-a-hitchcock-thriller-at-music-hall-shadow-of-thin-man-at.html), Variety (https://variety.com/1940/film/reviews/suspicion-1200413496/), and Edwin Schallert in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/classichollywood/la-ca-mn-classic-hollywood-20160410-story.html).

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In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 2014, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about their favorite 2014 movies.

Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear 

You can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/

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The finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features our audience choice poll winner, Liam Neeson thriller A Walk Among the Tombstones. Written and directed by Scott Frank (from the novel by Lawrence Block) and starring Liam Neeson, Dan Stevens, Brian “Astro” Bradley, Boyd Holbrook and David Harbour, A Walk Among the Tombstones defeated two other Liam Neeson thrillers in our audience choice poll for 2014.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Manohla Dargis in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/19/movies/a-walk-among-the-tombstones-adapts-lawrence-blocks-novel.html), Frank Scheck in The Hollywood Reporter (http...

The thirteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features our cult classic pick, Doug Liman’s Edge of Tomorrow. Directed by Doug Liman and starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson and Noah Taylor, Edge of Tomorrow is based on the Japanese novel All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Manohla Dargis in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/movies/tom-cruise-battles-invaders-in-edge-of-tomorrow.html), Ty Burr in The Boston Globe, and Todd McCarthy in The Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/mo...

The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features our producer David Rosen’s pick, Chad Stahelski and David Leitch’s John Wick. Directed by Chad Stahelski and an uncredited David Leitch from a screenplay by Derek Kolstad and starring Keanu Reeves, Michael Nyqvist, Willem Dafoe, Alfie Allen, Adrianne Palicki and Ian McShane, John Wick launched one of the most successful action franchises of the past decade.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Jeannette Catsoulis in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/24/movies/in-john-wick-keanu-reeves-as-an-avenger.html), Robert Abele in the...

The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman. Directed and co-written by Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Zach Galifianakis and Andrea Riseborough, Birdman was nominated for nine Oscars and won four, including Best Picture.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Manohla Dargis in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/17/movies/birdman-stars-michael-keaton-and-emma-stone.html), Peter Debruge in Variety (https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/venice-film-review-birdman-or-the-unexpected-virtue-of-ignorance-1201287921/), and Richard Brody in...

The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash. Written and directed by Damien Chazelle and starring Miles Teller, J.K. Simmons, Paul Reiser and Melissa Benoist, Whiplash won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from A.O. Scott in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/10/movies/in-whiplash-a-young-jazz-drummer-vs-his-teacher.html), Peter Debruge in Variety (https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/sundance-film-review-whiplash-1201061948/), and Ann Hornaday in Th...

The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features Jason’s personal pick, Michael Tully’s Ping Pong Summer. Written and directed by Michael Tully and starring Marcello Conte, Myles Massey, Emmi Shockley, Joseph McCaughtry and Susan Sarandon, Ping Pong Summer premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Jeannette Catsoulis in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/06/movies/ping-pong-summer-michael-tullys-nostalgic-comedy.html), Justin Chang in Variety (https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-ping-pong-summer-1201215342/), and Peter Hartlaub in the San Francisco Chronicle (https://www.sfgate.com/movies/arti...

The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features our animation pick, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s The Lego Movie. Written and directed by Lord and Miller and starring Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Ferrell, Morgan Freeman and Will Arnett, The Lego Movie is the first feature film inspired by Lego building toys.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from A.O. Scott in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/movies/the-lego-movie-toys-with-thinking-outside-the-manual.html), Peter Debruge in Variety (https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-the-lego-movie-1201082797/), and Amy Nicholson in LA We...

The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features our foreign film pick, Ruben Östlund’s Force Majeure. Written and directed by Ruben Östlund and starring Johannes Bah Kuhnke, Lisa Loven Kongsli, Clara Wettergren, Vincent Wettergren, Kristofer Hivju and Fanni Metelius, Force Majeure premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Ann Hornaday in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/force-majeure-movie-review/2014/11/05/35a08e9a-651f-11e4-836c-83bc4f26eb67_story.html), Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/apr...

The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features Josh’s personal pick, J.C. Chandor’s A Most Violent Year. Written and directed by J.C. Chandor and starring Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Albert Brooks, Elyes Gabel and David Oyelowo, A Most Violent Year was Chandor’s third film as a writer-director.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from A.O. Scott in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/31/movies/a-most-violent-year-with-oscar-isaac-and-jessica-chastain.html), Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-most-violent-year-review-20141231-column.html), and Da...

The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features our documentary pick, Steve James’ Life Itself. Directed by Steve James and featuring Roger Ebert, Life Itself is based on Ebert’s 2011 memoir.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Ann Hornaday in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/life-itself-movie-review-an-absorbing-chronicle-of-roger-eberts-life/2014/07/03/24411f52-0084-11e4-8572-4b1b969b6322_story.html), Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-life-itself-20140704-column.html), and Matt Zoller Seitz at RogerEbert.com (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/life...

The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Winter Sleep. Directed and co-written by Nuri Bilge Ceylan and starring Haluk Bilginer, Melisa Sözen, Demet Akbağ and Ayberk Pekcan, Winter Sleep was Ceylan’s fourth film to win a major award at Cannes.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Ann Hornaday in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/ann-hornaday-reviews-winter-sleep-all-together-now-for-better-or-worse/2015/01/28/788d5094-a58e-11e4-a7c2-03d37af98440_story.html), Justin Chang in Variety (https...

The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features the year’s biggest flop, Wally Pfister’s Transcendence. Directed by Wally Pfister from a screenplay by Jack Paglen and starring Johnny Depp, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Cillian Murphy and Morgan Freeman, Transcendence is longtime cinematographer Pfister’s first and only film as a director.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Chris Nashawaty in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2014/04/30/transcendence-movie/), Ty Burr in The Boston Globe (https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/movies/2014/04/17/transcendence-character-who-really-does-live-internet/dGB4KEUsnUxdoaUfcjU1PN/story.html), and Manohla Dargis...

The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features our pick for a notable debut feature, Riley Stearns’ Faults. Written and directed by Riley Stearns and starring Leland Orser, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Beth Grant, Chris Ellis and Lance Reddick, Faults premiered at the 2014 South by Southwest film festival.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from John DeFore in The Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/faults-sxsw-review-687561/), Keith Phipps in The Dissolve (https://thedissolve.com/reviews/1417-faults/), and Sheri Linden in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/mo...

The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2014 features the box-office champion, James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Directed and co-written by James Gunn and starring Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Lee Pace, Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel, Guardians of the Galaxy is the tenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Manohla Dargis in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/01/movies/chris-pratt-stars-in-guardians-of-the-galaxy.html), Scott Foundas in Variety (https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/film-review-guardians-of-the-galaxy-1201267373/), and Stephanie Zacharek in The Village Voice.

This bonus episode for our retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1967 with Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samourai. Written and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville and starring Alain Delon, François Périer, Nathalie Delon, Caty Rosier and Jacques Leroy, Le Samourai was the one movie that Josh, Jason and producer David Rosen all had as a possible pick in our movie draft for the season.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1972/07/13/archives/the-godson-no-relation-to-godfather-opens.html), Penelope Gilliatt in The New York...

In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1941, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about their favorite 1941 movies.

Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear 

You can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/

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The fourteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our audience choice poll winner, William Wyler’s The Little Foxes. Directed by William Wyler from a screenplay by Lillian Hellman (based on her play) and starring Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, Teresa Wright, Charles Dingle, Dan Duryea and Carl Benton Reid, The Little Foxes defeated two other Davis films in our 1941 audience choice poll.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1941/08/22/archives/the-little-foxes-full-of-evil-reaches-the-screen-of-the-music-hall.html) and Variety (https://variety.com/1940/film/reviews/th...

The thirteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our future cult classic pick, H.C. Potter’s Hellzapoppin’. Directed by H.C. Potter and starring Ole Olsen, Chic Johnson, Martha Raye, Hugh Herbert, Jane Frazee, Robert Paige and Mischa Auer, Hellzapoppin’ was based on Olsen and Johnson’s hit Broadway revue.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from T.S. in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1941/12/26/archives/hellzapoppin-makes-its-film-appearance-at-the-rivoli-youre-in-the.html), James Agee in Time (https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,849764-2,00.html), and Variety.

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The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our producer David Rosen’s pick, Abbott and Costello in Hold That Ghost. Directed by Arthur Lubin and starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Joan Davis, Richard Carlson and Evelyn Ankers, Hold That Ghost was Abbott and Costello’s third feature film of 1941.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Thomas M. Pryor in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1941/08/08/archives/at-the-capitol.html), William R. Weaver in the Motion Picture Herald, and Variety.

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The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, John Ford’s How Green Was My Valley. Directed by John Ford from a screenplay by Philip Dunne and starring Roddy McDowall, Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara, Anna Lee, Sara Allgood and Donald Crisp, How Green Was My Valley was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1941/10/29/archives/a-beautiful-and-affecting-film-achievement-is-how-green-was-my.html), James Agee in Time (https://cont...

The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features the Best Film pick from both the National Board of Review and New York Film Critics Circle, Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. Directed and co-written by Orson Welles and starring Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, Ruth Warrick and William Alland, Citizen Kane is widely considered the greatest film ever made.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1941/05/02/archives/orson-welless-controversial-citizen-kane-proves-a-sensational-film.html), C.A. Lejeune in The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/fi...

The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features Jason’s personal pick, George Cukor’s The Philadelphia Story. Directed by George Cukor and starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, James Stewart and Ruth Hussey, The Philadelphia Story was adapted from the hit Broadway play by Philip Barry.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1940/12/27/archives/the-screen-a-splendid-cast-adorns-the-screen-version-of-the.html), Mae Tinee in the Chicago Tribune, and Virginia Wright in the Los Angeles Daily News.

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The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our animation pick, Disney’s Dumbo. Directed by Ben Sharpsteen and starring the voices of Edward Brophy, Verna Felton, Cliff Edwards and Herman Bing, Dumbo was Disney’s fourth animated feature film.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1941/10/24/archives/walt-disneys-cartoon-dumbo-a-fanciful-delight-opens-at-the-broadway.html), Time, and Cecelia Ager in PM.

Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at h...

The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our foreign film pick, Hiroshi Shimizu’s Ornamental Hairpin. Written and directed by Hiroshi Shimizu and starring Kinuyo Tanaka, Chishū Ryū and Tatsuo Saitō, Ornamental Hairpin was adapted from a short story by Masuji Ibuse.

Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear 

You can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on...

The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features Josh’s personal pick, Preston Sturges’ Sullivan’s Travels. Written and directed by Preston Sturges and starring Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake, Sullivan’s Travels was one of two Sturges films released in 1941.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1942/01/29/archives/comic-tour-in-sullivans-travels-on-the-paramounts-screen-a-yank-on.html), Variety, and André Bazin in L'Écran Français.

Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on...

The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our documentary pick, Harry Watt’s Target for Tonight. Written and directed by Harry Watt and starring members of the Royal Air Force, Target for Tonight was the first documentary feature to be awarded an Oscar.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Variety, the Monthly Film Bulletin (http://www.screenonline.org.uk/media/mfb/997449/index.html), and Colvin McPherson in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.co...

The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features the year’s biggest flop, William Dieterle’s All That Money Can Buy. Directed by William Dieterle and starring James Craig, Walter Huston, Edward Arnold, Anne Shirley and Simone Simon, All That Money Can Buy was co-written by Stephen Vincent Benét, based on his short story “The Devil and Daniel Webster,” and later rereleased under that title.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1941/10/17/archives/all-that-money-can-buy-a-new-england-legend-at-the-music-hall-texas.html), Herbert Cohn in the Brook...

The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features one of the Venice Film Festival’s top award winners, Alessandro Blasetti’s The Iron Crown. Directed and co-written by Alessandro Blasetti and starring Massimo Girotti, Gino Cervi, Elisa Cegani and Luisa Ferida, The Iron Crown was awarded the Mussolini Cup for best Italian film at the 1941 Venice Film Festival.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Howard Thompson in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1949/06/11/archives/an-elaborate-italian-import.html), Marjory Adams in The Boston Globe, and Edith Lindeman in the Rich...

The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features our pick for a notable debut feature, John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon. Written and directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet, The Maltese Falcon is the third adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 novel.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1941/10/04/archives/the-maltese-falcon-a-fast-mysterythriller-with-quality-and-charm-at.html), Variety (http://variety.com/1941/film/reviews/the-maltese-falcon-2-1200413694/), and The Film Daily.

Check out more info and the...

The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features the box-office champion, Howard Hawks’ Sergeant York. Directed by Howard Hawks and starring Gary Cooper, Joan Leslie, Walter Brennan, Margaret Wycherly and George Tobias, Sergeant York is based on the diaries of real-life World War I veteran Alvin York.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1941/07/03/archives/sergeant-york-a-sincere-biography-of-the-world-war-hero-makes-its-a.html), Time Magazine, and Herbert Cohn in the Brooklyn Eagle.

Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at...

This special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider. Directed and co-written by Dennis Hopper and starring Hopper, Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson and Luke Askew, Easy Rider is a key touchstone of 1960s counterculture.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/easy-rider-1969), Gene Moskowitz in Variety (https://variety.com/1969/film/reviews/easy-rider-1117790631/), and Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1969/07/15/archives/easy-rider-a-statement-on-film.html).

Visit https://www.awesomemovieyear.com for more info about the show.<...

The twelfth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1980 with our audience choice winner, the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker production Airplane!. Written and directed by Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker and starring Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges, Airplane! was producer David Rosen’s pick for our audience choice poll of 1980 films.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/airplane-1980), Janet Maslin in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1980/07/02/arts/screenairplanedisasterfilm-spoof.html), and Ron Pe...

The eleventh episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1953 with the third of Josh’s three picks, Max Ophüls’ The Earrings of Madame de…. Directed by Max Ophüls and starring Danielle Darrieux, Charles Boyer and Vittorio De Sica, The Earrings of Madame de… is based on the novel by Louise de Vilmorin.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from A.H. Weiler in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1954/07/20/archives/the-screen-in-review-new-french-film-bows-at-little-carnegie.html), Variety (https://variety.com/1952/film/reviews/madame-de-1200417461/), and Jacques Rivette in Cahiers du...

The tenth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1987 with the third of Jason’s three picks, family comedy Ernest Goes to Camp. Directed and co-written by John Cherry and starring Jim Varney, Victoria Racimo, Lyle Alzado, Iron Eyes Cody and John Vernon, Ernest Goes to Camp is the first of nine feature films based on Varney’s popular Ernest P. Worrell character.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Caryn James in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/23/movies/film-ernest-goes-to-camp-a-comedy.html), Johanna Steinmetz in the...

The ninth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1992 with the third of our producer Dave’s three picks, Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant. Directed and co-written by Abel Ferrara and starring Harvey Keitel, Frankie Thorn, Zoë Lund and Victor Argo, Bad Lieutenant premiered at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bad-lieutenant-1993), Janet Maslin in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/20/movies/review-film-jaded-cop-raped-nun-bad-indeed.html), and Desson Thomson in The Washington Post (https://www.washi...

This bonus supplement to the eighth episode of our special retrospective 20th season features guests ML Compton and Skip King talking with Jason about their experiences in the punk scene and their thoughts on Wolfgang Büld’s 1977 documentary Punk in London. 

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 @Awesomemoviepod

You can find Jason online at http://goforjason.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at htt...

The eighth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1977 with the second of Jason’s three picks, documentary Punk in London. Directed by Wolfgang Büld, Punk in London features influential early punk bands including The Jam and The Clash.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Time Out (https://www.timeout.com/movies/punk-in-london) and Chris Barsanti in PopMatters (https://www.popmatters.com/111807-punk-in-london-punk-in-england-2496086552.html).

Thanks to guests ML Compton and Skip King for joining us for a bonus episode to discuss their experiences in...

The seventh episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 2003 with the second of our producer Dave’s three picks, Michael Bay’s Bad Boys II. Directed by Michael Bay and starring Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Gabrielle Union and Jordi Molla, Bad Boys II was one of the highest-grossing movies of 2003.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bad-boys-ii-2003), A.O. Scott in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/18/movies/film-review-hot-cars-burning-rubber-and-guys-good-and-bad.html), and Scott Tobias in the AV Club (http...

The sixth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1975 with the second of Josh’s three picks, Dario Argento’s Deep Red. Directed and co-written by Dario Argento and starring David Hemmings, Daria Nicolodi, Gabriele Lavia and Macha Méril, Deep Red is considered a landmark of the giallo subgenre.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Linda Gross in The Los Angeles Times, Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1976/06/10/archives/the-screendeep-red-is-a-bucket-of-axmurder-cliches.html), and Ann Guarino in the New York Daily News.

...

The fifth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 2007 with the first of our producer Dave’s three picks, the Lonely Island’s Hot Rod. Directed by Akiva Schaffer and starring Andy Samberg, Isla Fisher, Ian McShane, Jorma Taccone, Danny McBride and Bill Hader, Hot Rod was the first feature film from comedy troupe The Lonely Island.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hot-rod-2007), Wesley Morris in The Boston Globe, and A.O. Scott in The New York Times (http...

The fourth episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 2012 with the second of two Christmas episodes, on Edward Burns’ The Fitzgerald Family Christmas. Written and directed by Edward Burns and starring Edward Burns, Michael McGlone, Kerry Bishé, Heather Burns, Marsha Dietlein Bennett and Caitlin FitzGerald, The Fitzgerald Family Christmas premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Stephen Holden in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/07/movies/the-fitzgerald-family-christmas-from-edward-burns.html), Frank Scheck in The Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/mov...

The third episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1999 with the first of two Christmas episodes, on Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut. Directed and co-written by Stanley Kubrick (adapted from the novel by Arthur Schnitzler) and starring Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack and Todd Field, Eyes Wide Shut was the final movie that Kubrick directed before his death.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/eyes-wide-shut-1999), Manohla Dargis in The New York Times (https://archive.nytimes.com/www.ny...

The second episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1989 with the first of Josh’s three picks, J.F. Lawton’s Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death. Written and directed by J.F. Lawton (under the name J.D. Athens) and starring Shannon Tweed, Karen Mistal, Bill Maher and Adrienne Barbeau, Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death was a staple of basic cable programming in the 1990s.

Visit https://www.awesomemovieyear.com for more info about the show.

Make sure to like Awesome Movi...

The first episode of our special retrospective 20th season looks back to the awesome movie year of 1996 with the first of Jason’s three picks, Steve Buscemi’s Trees Lounge. Written and directed by Steve Buscemi and starring Buscemi, Mark Boone Junior, Chloë Sevigny, Anthony LaPaglia and Elizabeth Bracco, Trees Lounge was Buscemi’s debut feature as a writer and director.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/trees-lounge-1996), Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/1996/10/11/trees-lounge/), and Marjorie Baumgarten in The Austin Chronicle (https://www.austinc...

In this special intro episode for our retrospective 20th season, we’re drafting picks of movies from the years we’ve covered in previous seasons, to set the upcoming episode lineup. Josh, Jason and our producer Dave each pick three movies for us to talk about this season.

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 @Awesomemoviepod

You can find Jason online at http://goforjason.com/, on Facebook at https://www.fa...

In this special Thanksgiving holiday episode, we’re looking back to our recent season on the films of 1969, to talk about Arthur Penn’s Alice’s Restaurant. Directed and co-written by Arthur Penn and starring Arlo Guthrie, Pat Quinn, James Broderick and Michael McClanathan, Alice’s Restaurant is an adaptation of folk singer Guthrie’s signature song.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/alices-restaurant-1969), Andrew Sarris in the Village Voice, and Paul Schrader in The Los Angeles Image (https://paulschrader.org/articles/pdf/1969-AlicesRestaurant.pdf). 

Visit https...

This special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features Christopher Nolan’s Memento. Written and directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Memento was Nolan’s breakthrough film.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/memento-2001), Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-mar-16-ca-38285-story.html), and A.O. Scott in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/16/movies/film-review-backward-reel-the-grisly-memories.html)

Visit https://www.awesomemovieyear.com for more info about th...

In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1969, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about their favorite 1969 movies.

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 @Awesomemoviepod

You can find Jason online at http://goforjason.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.co...

The finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features our audience choice poll winner, Bob Fosse’s Sweet Charity. Directed by Bob Fosse (based on the Broadway production) and starring Shirley MacLaine, John McMartin, Chita Rivera, Ricardo Montalban and Paula Kelly, Sweet Charity defeated two other major Hollywood musicals in our audience choice poll.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1969/04/02/archives/screen-a-blowup-of-sweet-charity.html), Penelope Houston in The Spectator (https://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/28th-february-1969/20/cinema), and Variety (https://variety.co...

The thirteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features our producer David Rosen’s pick, David Lowell Rich’s Eye of the Cat. Directed by David Lowell Rich and starring Michael Sarrazin, Gayle Hunnicutt, Eleanor Parker and Tim Henry, Eye of the Cat is the return to filmmaking for Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stefano.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Howard Thompson in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1969/06/19/archives/horror-melodrama.html), Variety (https://variety.com/1968/film/reviews/eye-of-the-cat-1200421928/), and Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times.

Visi...

The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features our cult classic pick, Richard Lester’s The Bed Sitting Room. Directed by Richard Lester from a screenplay by John Antrobus and starring Ralph Richardson, Rita Tushingham, Michael Hordern and Arthur Lowe, The Bed Sitting Room is adapted from the play by Spike Milligan and John Antrobus.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1969/09/29/archives/screen-lesters-surrealistic-farce-the-bed-sitting-room-is-at-little.html), Penelope Houston in The Spectator (https://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/4th-april-1970/19/arts-long-knives-at-dunsinane), and Be...

The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, John Schlesinger’s Midnight Cowboy. Directed by John Schlesinger from a screenplay by Waldo Salt (based on the James Leo Herlihy novel) and starring Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman, Sylvia Miles and Brenda Vaccaro, Midnight Cowboy was the first and only X-rated movie to win the Oscar for Best Picture.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/midnight-cowboy-1969), Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://archive.nytimes.com/www.ny...

The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features one of the Venice International Film Festival’s major award winners, Federico Fellini’s Fellini Satyricon. Directed and co-written by Federico Fellini and starring Martin Potter, Hiram Keller, Max Born and Salvo Randone, Fellini Satyricon won the Pasinetti Award for Best Italian Film at the 1969 festival and was nominated for an Oscar.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fellini-satyricon-1970), Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1970/03/15/archives/fellinis-magical-mystery-tour-fellinis-magical-mystery-tour.html), and Paul...

The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features Jason’s personal pick, Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. Directed and co-written by Sam Peckinpah and starring William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O’Brien and Jaime Sánchez, The Wild Bunch was nominated for two Oscars.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1969/06/26/archives/violence-and-beauty-mesh-in-wild-bunch.html), Pauline Kael in The New Yorker, and Judith Crist in New York Magazine.

Visit https://www.awesomemovieyear.com for more info abou...

The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features our animation pick, Peanuts adaptation A Boy Named Charlie Brown. Directed by Bill Melendez from a screenplay by Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz and starring the voices of Peter Robbins, Pamelyn Ferdin, Glenn Gilger and Andy Pforsich, A Boy Named Charlie Brown was the first theatrical feature film based on the Peanuts characters.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1969/12/05/archives/screen-good-old-charlie-brown-finds-a-home.html), Time magazine, and Molly Haskell in The Village...

The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features our foreign film pick, Costa-Gavras’ Z. Directed and co-written by Costa-Gavras (from the novel by Vassilis Vassilikos) and starring Jean-Louis Trintignant, Yves Montand, Jacques Perrin, Pierre Dux and Irene Papas, Z was nominated for five Oscars and won two.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/z-1969), Paul Schrader in Coast FM & Fine Arts (https://paulschrader.org/articles/pdf/1970-Z.pdf), and Pauline Kael in The New Yorker.

Visit https://www.awesomemovieyear.com fo...

The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features Josh’s personal pick, Ronald Neame’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Directed by Ronald Neame from a screenplay by Jay Presson Allen (based on the Muriel Spark novel) and starring Maggie Smith, Pamela Franklin, Robert Stephens, Gordon Jackson and Jane Carr, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie was nominated for two Oscars and won one.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/01/03/11/specials/spark-brodiefilm.html), Vari...

The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features our documentary pick, the Maysles brothers’ Salesman. Directed by Albert and David Maysles with Charlotte Zwerin, Salesman is a key film in the direct cinema movement.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1969/04/18/archives/screen-salesman-a-slice-of-america.html), Margot Hentoff in The New York Review of Books (https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1969/03/27/wild-raspberries/), and Joe Morgenstern in Newsweek. 

Visit https://www.awesomemovieyear.com for more info about the show.

Mak...

The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, Lindsay Anderson’s If….. Directed by Lindsay Anderson from a screenplay by David Sherwin and starring Malcolm McDowell, Robert Swann, Richard Warwick, Christine Noonan and David Wood, If…. is the first of three films Anderson directed featuring McDowell’s character Mick Travis.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1969/03/10/archives/screen-if-begins-runtale-of-school-revolt-opens-at-the-plaza.html), Paul Schrader in the Los Angeles Free Press (https://paulschrader.org/articles/p...

The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features the year’s biggest flop, Carl Reiner’s The Comic. Directed and co-written by Carl Reiner and starring Dick Van Dyke, Michele Lee and Mickey Rooney, The Comic was inspired by Van Dyke’s love of silent film comedians.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Greenspun in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1969/11/20/archives/comic-and-desperados-on-double-bill.html), Jack Goff in The Hollywood Reporter (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/comic-review-movie-1969-1254978/), and Pauline Kael in The New Yorker.

Visi...

The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, Michael Ritchie’s Downhill Racer. Directed by Michael Ritchie from a screenplay by James Salter and starring Robert Redford, Gene Hackman and Camilla Sparv, Downhill Racer was filmed partially at actual Alpine Ski World Cup races.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/downhill-racer-1969), Roger Greenspun in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1969/11/07/archives/screen-for-downhill-racer-time-is-the-master.html), and Time magazine (https://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,840387,00.ht...

The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1969 features the highest-grossing film at the box office, George Roy Hill’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Directed by George Roy Hill from a screenplay by William Goldman and starring Paul Newman, Robert Redford and Katharine Ross, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is based loosely on the true story of the notorious Wild West outlaws.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/butch-cassidy-and-the-sundance-kid-1969), Pauline Kael in The New Yorker, and John Mahoney in The Ho...

This special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features William Dieterle’s adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Directed by William Dieterle from a screenplay by Sonya Levien and starring Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Hara, Cedric Hardwicke, Thomas Mitchell and Edmond O’Brien, The Hunchback of Notre Dame was the first sound film adapted from Victor Hugo’s classic novel.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Frank S. Nugent in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1940/01/01/archives/the-screen-in-review-hunchback-of-notre-dame-with-charles-laughton.html), John Mosher in The New Yorker, and The Film Daily...

In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 2000, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about their favorite 2000 movies.

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 @Awesomemoviepod

You can find Jason online at http://goforjason.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.co...

The finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features our audience choice poll winner, Stephen Frears’ High Fidelity. Directed by Stephen Frears (based on the novel by Nick Hornby) and starring John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Jack Black and Todd Louiso, High Fidelity defeated two other music-themed dramas in our audience choice poll.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/high-fidelity-2000), Stephen Holden in The New York Times (https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/033100fidelity-film-review.html), and Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew...

The fourteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features our cult classic pick, Ben Younger’s Boiler Room. Written and directed by Ben Younger and starring Giovanni Ribisi, Nicky Katt, Nia Long, Vin Diesel and Ben Affleck, Boiler Room was inspired by Younger’s experience interviewing for a job at a Long Island brokerage firm.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/boiler-room-2000), A.O. Scott in The New York Times (https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/film/021800boiler-film-review.html), and Emanuel Levy...

The thirteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features our producer David Rosen’s pick, Mary Harron’s American Psycho. Directed and co-written by Mary Harron and starring Christian Bale, Willem Dafoe, Samantha Mathis, Justin Theroux and Chloë Sevigny, American Psycho is adapted from Bret Easton Ellis’ controversial 1991 novel.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/american-psycho-2000), Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-apr-14-ca-19332-story.html), and Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2000/04/14/america...

The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator. Directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou and Oliver Reed, Gladiator won five Oscars, including Best Picture.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gladiator-2000), Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-may-05-ca-26670-story.html), and Manohla Dargis in LA Weekly (https://www.laweekly.com/saving-general-maximus/).

Visit https://www.aw...

The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features one of the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winners, Karyn Kusama’s Girlfight. Written and directed by Karyn Kusama and starring Michelle Rodriguez, Santiago Douglas, Jaime Tirelli, Paul Calderón and Ray Santiago, Girlfight was the first feature film for both Kusama and Rodriguez.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/girlfight-2000), A.O. Scott in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/29/movies/film-review-floating-like-a-butterfly-stinging-like-a-bee.html), and Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew...

The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features one of the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winners, Kenneth Lonergan’s You Can Count on Me. Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan and starring Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Matthew Broderick, Rory Culkin and Jon Tenney, You Can Count on Me was Lonergan’s first feature film after a successful career as a playwright.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/you-can-count-on-me-2000), Stephen Holden in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/10/movies/film...

The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features Jason’s personal pick, Stephen Daldry’s Billy Elliot. Directed by Stephen Daldry from a screenplay by Lee Hall and starring Jamie Bell, Julie Walters, Gary Lewis, Jamie Draven and Stuart Wells, Billy Elliot was Daldry’s first feature film after a successful career in theater.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/billy-elliot-2000/), A.O. Scott in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/13/movies/film-review-escaping-a-miner-s-life-for-a-career-in-ballet.html), and Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian (https...

The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features our animation pick, Aardman Animations’ Chicken Run. Directed and co-written by Nick Park and Peter Lord and starring the voices of Julia Sawalha, Mel Gibson, Miranda Richardson, Tony Haygarth and Benjamin Whitrow, Chicken Run was the first feature-length film produced by stop-motion studio Aardman.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/chicken-run-2000), Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2000/06/23/chicken-run-3/), and Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/jun/30/culture.re...

The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features our foreign film pick, Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Directed by Ang Lee and starring Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun-fat, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen and Cheng Pei-pei, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was the first foreign-language movie to gross $100 million at the U.S. box office.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon-2000), Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2000/12/08/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon-6/), and Desson Thomson in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp...

The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features Josh’s personal pick, Curtis Hanson’s Wonder Boys. Directed by Curtis Hanson from a screenplay by Steve Kloves (based on the Michael Chabon novel) and starring Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr. and Katie Holmes, Wonder Boys was nominated for three Oscars and won one.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/wonder-boys-2000), David Ansen in Newsweek (https://www.newsweek.com/meaning-middle-age-162263), and A.O. Scott in The New York Times (http...

The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features our documentary pick, Agnes Varda’s The Gleaners and I. Directed by and featuring Agnes Varda, The Gleaners and I is considered one of the greatest documentaries of all time.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-gleaners-and-i-2001), Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-apr-06-ca-47419-story.html), and Stephanie Zacharek in Salon (https://www.salon.com/2001/03/08/gleaners/).

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The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features the Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark. Written and directed by Lars von Trier and starring Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse and Peter Stormare, Dancer in the Dark also won the Best Actress award at Cannes for Björk’s lead performance.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dancer-in-the-dark-2000), Edward Guthmann in the San Francisco Chronicle (https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Dancer-Dares-to-Be-Different-Singer-Bjork-3303305.php), and Pete...

The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features the year’s biggest flop, L. Ron Hubbard adaptation Battlefield Earth. Directed by Roger Christian from a screenplay by Corey Mandell and J.D. Shapiro and starring John Travolta, Barry Pepper, Forest Whitaker and Kim Coates, Battlefield Earth was a passion project for Scientology follower Travolta.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/battlefield-earth-2000), Rita Kempley in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/movies/reviews/battlefieldearthkempley.htm), and Elvis Mitchell in The Ne...

The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast. Directed by Jonathan Glazer from a screenplay by Louis Mellis and David Scinto and starring Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman and Cavan Kendall, Sexy Beast was nominated for an Oscar for Kingsley’s supporting performance.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2001/06/22/sexy-beast-5/), Desson Thomson in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/entertainment/movies/reviews/sexybeasthowe.htm...

The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 2000 features the highest-grossing film at the box office, John Woo’s Mission: Impossible II. Directed by John Woo from a screenplay by Robert Towne and starring Tom Cruise, Thandiwe Newton, Dougray Scott, Ving Rhames, John Polson and Anthony Hopkins, Mission: Impossible II topped the worldwide box office and firmly established the series as a blockbuster franchise.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mission-impossible-ii-2000), Owen Gleiberman in Entertainment Weekly (https://ew.com/article/2000/06/02/mission-impossible-2-3/), and De...

This special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1987 features James L. Brooks’ Best Picture nominee Broadcast News. Written and directed by James L. Brooks and starring Holly Hunter, Albert Brooks, William Hurt and Robert Prosky, Broadcast News was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/broadcast-news-1987), Vincent Canby in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1987/12/16/movies/film-broadcast-news-comedy.html), and Hal Hinson in the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/broadcast...

In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1939, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about their favorite 1939 movies.

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The finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features our audience choice pick, the Marx Brothers comedy At the Circus. Directed by Edward Buzzell from a screenplay by Irving Brecher and starring the Marx Brothers (Groucho, Chico, Harpo), Kenny Baker, Florence Rice, Eve Arden and Margaret Dumont, At the Circus prevailed over two other movies from classic Hollywood comedy stars in our 1939 audience choice poll.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Frank S. Nugent in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1939/11/17/archives/the-screen-marxes-well-under-their-top-in-at-the-circus-at-the.html), Richard L. Coe in The...

The thirteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features our future cult classic pick, Universal horror sequel Son of Frankenstein. Directed by Rowland V. Lee from a screenplay by Willis Cooper and starring Basil Rathbone, Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lionel Atwill and Josephine Hutchinson, Son of Frankenstein was the third movie in Universal’s franchise based on Mary Shelley’s classic novel.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from B.R. Crisler in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1939/01/30/archives/the-screen-son-of-frankenstein-with-boris-karloff-seen-at-the.html), Variety, and Basil Wright in The Spectator (http...

The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1939 features our producer David Rosen’s pick, Ritz Brothers comedy The Gorilla. Directed by Allan Dwan and starring the Ritz Brothers (Jimmy, Harry, Al), Patsy Kelly, Anita Louise, Lionel Atwill, Bela Lugosi and Edward Norris, The Gorilla was the fourth film adaptation of Ralph Spence’s play.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1939/05/28/archives/the-screen-the-gorilla-with-the-ritz-brothers-patsy-kelly-and.html), Mary Harris in The Washington Post, and J.R.R. in the Seattle Daily Times.

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