Filmspotting
- Episodes
- 237
- Released
- daily
- Latest episode
- Nov 13, 2026
About the podcast
Since 2005, Filmspotting has featured Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen's in-depth movie reviews and Top 5 lists, delivering "weekly installments of affable, insightful film analysis" (The New York Times). Today, the Filmspotting feed also offers an expanded lineup of original movie and pop culture shows.
Episodes 237
Wild Horse Nine, plus Godzilla Minus Zero and Possible Love | #1089
Adam and Josh follow Martin McDonagh to Easter Island for Wild Horse Nine, praising the film and stars John Malkovich and McDonagh regular Sam Rockwell. Plus, a review of Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love (the …
Show notes
Adam and Josh follow Martin McDonagh to Easter Island for Wild Horse Nine, praising the film and stars John Malkovich and McDonagh regular Sam Rockwell. Plus, a review of Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love (the Korean director’s follow-up to 2018’s Burning) and Josh’s thoughts on Godzilla Minus Zero. Plus, an extra shouty episode of Massacre Theatre.
This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.
(Timecodes will not be precise with ads.)
Intro (00:00:00-00:02:56)
Wild Horse Nine (00:02:57-00:30:31)
Filmspotting Family (00:30:32-00:34:38)
Wild Horse Nine cont. (00:34:39-00:50:01)
Godzilla Minus Zero (00:50:02-00:55:23)
Possible Love (00:55:24-01:23:25)
Massacre Theatre (01:23:26-01:32:00)
Credits / New Releases (01:32:01-01:38:50)
Notes:
-Sundance Cinema Interruptus
https://www.sundance.org/blogs/2027-sundance-film-festival-reveals-legacy-programming/
Feedback:
-Email us at [email protected]
-Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content.
Support:
-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus shows, archive access, and more.
-Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more.
https://www.filmspotting.net/shop
Follow:
-Watch Filmspotting on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/filmspotting
-Adam/Filmspotting
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
-Josh/LarsenOnFilm
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Direct to Camera, Pt. 2 — You Can See Everything
The title of Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s You Can See Everything is reflective of the film’s interest in radical transparency, but also ironic in that one of its major themes turns out to be the …
Show notes
The title of Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s You Can See Everything is reflective of the film’s interest in radical transparency, but also ironic in that one of its major themes turns out to be the unknowability of other people's intentions. We get into spoiler-filled detail about all of that and more this week, before bringing Albert Brooks’ 1979 feature debut Real Life back in for Connections to see how these two comedic deconstructions of the documentary form engage with the innate artificiality of nonfiction filmmaking. Then for Your Next Picture Show, we recommend another surprisingly comedic take on the Elizabeth Holmes saga, the 2022 limited series The Dropout.
Please share your thoughts about Real Life, You Can See Everything, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.
Next pairing: Peter Farrelly’s I Play Rocky and John G. Avildsen’s Rocky
This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Chinatown | Archive
Noir-vember continues with this week's Filmspotting Archive drop: Adam and Josh's 2024 Sacred Cow review of Chinatown, which they did for the film's 50th anniversary. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting …
Show notes
Noir-vember continues with this week's Filmspotting Archive drop: Adam and Josh's 2024 Sacred Cow review of Chinatown, which they did for the film's 50th anniversary.
Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What Are Netflix’s Oscar Hopes For Possible Love? | SVU
There are challenges and rewards to watching Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love, the director’s follow-up to 2018’s Oscar-nominated Burning. The rewards come from the film itself, which deftly explores the …
Show notes
There are challenges and rewards to watching Lee Chang-dong’s Possible Love, the director’s follow-up to 2018’s Oscar-nominated Burning. The rewards come from the film itself, which deftly explores the exploitation of Korea’s working class as an issue of capitalism and class. The challenges come with the platform: can you give Lee’s deliberately-paced, nearly three-hour film the attention it deserves via Netflix? Matt and Jordan found themselves on opposite ends of the challenge/reward spectrum. Plus, streaming recommendations for films like Possible Love; a listener request for films about losing bodily autonomy (like this year’s Obsession); and Producer Sam hosts the most intricate movie game in SVU’s short history.
Intro (00:00:00–00:02:05)
Possible Love (00:02:06–0:33:40)
Rec Seg! (0:33:41–00:48:14)
Listener Request Seg! Losing Bodily Autonomy Movies (000:48:15–01:13:18)
Game: A Tisket-a-Tasket, A Movie Game Acrostic (01:13:19–01:31:37)
New to Streaming / Credits (01:31:38–01:46:53)
Show Notes
Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/
Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (available now!): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/
Feedback: Email us at [email protected]
Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social
Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social
Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu
Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
“Comedy should punch up, not down” with Matt Singer | The Movie Racket
ScreenCrush critic, author, and Filmspotting SVU co-host Matt Singer joins Michael to test one of comedy’s most enduring mottos: comedy should punch up, not down. Drawing on comments from comedian George Carlin …
Show notes
ScreenCrush critic, author, and Filmspotting SVU co-host Matt Singer joins Michael to test one of comedy’s most enduring mottos: comedy should punch up, not down. Drawing on comments from comedian George Carlin and a generation of screen comedies that pushed boundaries in every direction, they explore how the adage might apply to the movies Singer writes about in his latest book, Funny Business.
They discuss how comedy changed in the age of streaming, why theatrical comedies have become endangered, what separates a great comedy from a merely successful one, and whether movies can still bring broad audiences together in an increasingly fragmented culture.
Join the conversation by emailing [email protected].See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
You Can See Everything, plus Wildwood and Fjord | #1088
Adam and Josh finally get a chance to talk about the movie that everyone is talking about: Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s You Can See Everything. Along with some (well demarcated!) Spoiler Talk about the …
Show notes
Adam and Josh finally get a chance to talk about the movie that everyone is talking about: Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s You Can See Everything. Along with some (well demarcated!) Spoiler Talk about the movie, they share poll results about the best docs of the 2020s (so far), and Josh weighs in on Laika’s Wildwood and the Palme d’Or-winning Fjord from Romania’s Cristian Mungiu.
This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.
(Timecodes will not be precise with ads.)
Intro (00:00:00-00:02:42)
You Can See Everything (00:02:43-00:27:11)
Filmspotting Family (00:27:12-00:33:27)
You Can See Everything cont. (00:33:28-00:54:31)
Spoiler Talk: You Can See Everything (00:54:31-00:1:17:22)
Wildwood (01:17:23-01:23:10)
Fjord (001:23:11-01:28:15)
Polls (01:28:16-01:39:10)
Credits / New Releases (01:39:11-01:43:16)
Notes:
Feedback:
-Email us at [email protected]
-Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content.
Support:
-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus shows, archive access, and more.
-Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more.
https://www.filmspotting.net/shop
Follow:
-Watch Filmspotting on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/filmspotting
-Adam/Filmspotting
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
-Josh/LarsenOnFilm
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Direct to Camera, Pt. 1 — Real Life (1979)
As co-director of You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder is unusually present in front of the camera, arguably overshadowing the film’s ostensible subject, disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. That’s …
Show notes
As co-director of You Can See Everything, Nathan Fielder is unusually present in front of the camera, arguably overshadowing the film’s ostensible subject, disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. That’s just the start of the film’s unconventionalities, which we’ll get into more next week, but first we’re revisiting a 1979 comedy that predicts Fielder’s turn as the stealth protagonist of his own documentary. As a prototype of the mockumentary form, as well as a satire of the then-nascent genre of reality television, Albert Brooks’ deeply meta debut feature Real Life encourages the audience to recognize an essential fact about documentary filmmaking, which is that cameras inevitably affect the behavior of those in front of it. And this week in Feedback, we correct an oversight in our recent discussion of The Social Network, and touch on some of the other titles we considered for this pairing.
Please share your thoughts about Real Life, You Can See Everything, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.
This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Double Indemnity | Archive
What better way to kick off Noir-vember than with a Sacred Cow review of arguably the greatest noir ever made, Billy Wilder's 1944 classic Double Indemnity. Originally reviewed in 2022 as part of the Barbara …
Show notes
What better way to kick off Noir-vember than with a Sacred Cow review of arguably the greatest noir ever made, Billy Wilder's 1944 classic Double Indemnity. Originally reviewed in 2022 as part of the Barbara Stanwyck Marathon.
Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Godzilla Show! | SVU
With Godzilla Minus Zero coming to theaters this weekend, Matt and Jordan took it upon themselves to brush up on the “King of the Monsters.” Helping them out is guest Aaron Neuwirth, co-host of the 2 Black Guys …
Show notes
With Godzilla Minus Zero coming to theaters this weekend, Matt and Jordan took it upon themselves to brush up on the “King of the Monsters.” Helping them out is guest Aaron Neuwirth, co-host of the 2 Black Guys Talk Godzilla podcast. Between them, they recommend five Godzilla titles that are available to stream. Plus, a listener request for whimsical - but still informative! - documentaries. And Matt hosts this week’s game: Letterboxd-ing — Roland With the Punches Edition.
Intro (00:00:00–00:03:07)
Streaming Godzilla movies w/Aaron Neuwirth (00:03:08–01:00:34)
Listener Request Seg: Whimsical Docs (01:00:35–01:23:33)
Game: Letterboxd-ing — “Roland With the Punches Edition” (01:23:34–01:40:25)
New to Streaming / Credits (01:40:26–01:51:08)
Show Notes
2 Black Guys Talk Godzilla
https://2blackguystalkgodzilla.substack.com/
“Stomping Through “Godzilla” History: Where to Begin & What To Watch | Aaron Neuwirth
https://www.firstshowing.net/2019/stomping-through-godzilla-history-where-to-begin-what-to-watch/
Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/
Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (available now!): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/
Matt’s book tour!
Bazooga jingle by Dave Van Hallgren
Feedback: Email us at [email protected]
Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social
Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social
Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu
Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Third Man vs. Touch of Evil with Matt Gourley and Anne Thompson | Movie Death Match
For our Noirvember edition, Chris Klimek convenes a showdown between two noir classics featuring unforgettable Orson Welles villains: Carol Reed's The Third Man and Welles's own Touch of Evil. One is a postwar …
Show notes
For our Noirvember edition, Chris Klimek convenes a showdown between two noir classics featuring unforgettable Orson Welles villains: Carol Reed's The Third Man and Welles's own Touch of Evil.
One is a postwar mystery set amid the shattered streets and shadows of occupied Vienna, featuring Welles as the charmingly monstrous Harry Lime. The other is a feverish border-town nightmare with the filmmaker buried beneath prosthetics as corrupt police captain Hank Quinlan.
Arguing for The Third Man is Matt Gourley (Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, With Gourley and Rust, James Bonding), who contends that Reed's masterpiece transcends noir, combining unforgettable atmosphere, moral ambiguity, and one of cinema's greatest endings. Representing Touch of Evil is Anne Thompson (IndieWire, Screen Talk), who makes the case that Welles's final Hollywood film is a singular feat of visual storytelling and one of the boldest achievements ever produced within the studio system.
Which Welles villain casts the longer shadow, and which film deserves to survive? Choose your winner at moviedeathmatch.com.
(Times will not be precise with ads.)
Intro / Meet the Advocates (00:00:00-00:12:01)
Rd. 1 – The Movies in Their Time (00:12:02-00:24:14)
Rd. 2 – The Movies in Our Time (00:24:15-00:46:49)
Rd. 3 – The Movies for All Time (00:46:50-01:05:33)
The Verdict / Credits (01:05:34-01:13:04)
More From Anne:
-IndieWire
https://www.indiewire.com/author/anne-thompson/
-Sight & Sound: Who voted for Touch of Evil?
https://www.bfi.org.uk/film/829f71c1-8c9d-5294-b77d-93de81913c9d/touch-of-evil
-The $11 Billion Year: From Sundance to the Oscars…
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062218018
More From Matt:
-“Normal Like Me”
https://deathbed.ghost.io/normal-like-me/
-Superego
Follow Chris:
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hoop Dreams (1994) with Samantha N. Sheppard | Field of Scenes
Adam and Travis welcome Samantha N. Sheppard, PhD, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at Cornell University, to discuss Steve James's landmark 1994 documentary Hoop Dreams. Drawing on research from …
Show notes
Adam and Travis welcome Samantha N. Sheppard, PhD, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at Cornell University, to discuss Steve James's landmark 1994 documentary Hoop Dreams.
Drawing on research from her new book, The Basketball Film: A Cultural and Transmedia History, Sheppard explains why Hoop Dreams stands as the defining work of the basketball film genre. The conversation explores the film's complicated relationship to competition, bell hooks' famous critique, and why the stories of Arthur Agee and William Gates continue to resonate more than three decades later.
Along the way, Sheppard reflects on her own path to becoming one of the leading scholars of sports cinema and shares some personal favorites from the basketball movie canon.
Next Episode:
–The Hurricane with Grant Wiedenfeld, Ph.D., MFA (University of Toronto)
Links:
–Email the show at [email protected].
-Sporting Blackness: Race, Embodiment, and Critical Muscle Memory on Screen
Theme Music:
–King of the Corpse Flowers by Oxykitten | Spotify
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Wes Craven’s Scream at 30 | #1087
For Halloween week, Adam and Josh revisit the movie that reanimated the slasher, Wes Craven’s 1996 meta-horror classic Scream. Plus, highlights from the 5th annual Refocus Film Festival and Massacre Theatre …
Show notes
For Halloween week, Adam and Josh revisit the movie that reanimated the slasher, Wes Craven’s 1996 meta-horror classic Scream. Plus, highlights from the 5th annual Refocus Film Festival and Massacre Theatre.
This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.
(Timecodes will not be precise with ads.)
Intro (00:00:00-00:01:55)
Scream at 30 (00:01:56-00:30:43)
Filmspotting Family (00:30:44-00:34:56)
Scream cont. (00:34:57-00:1:03:28)
Refocus Film Festival (00:1:03:29-01:15:07)
Massacre Theatre (01:15:08-01:22:23)
Credits / New Releases (01:22:24-01:26:47)
Notes:
-Refocus Film Festival
https://refocusfilmfestival.org/
Feedback:
-Email us at [email protected]
-Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content.
Support:
-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus shows, archive access, and more.
-Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more.
https://www.filmspotting.net/shop
Follow:
-Watch Filmspotting on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/filmspotting
-Adam/Filmspotting
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
-Josh/LarsenOnFilm
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Zuck Dynasty, Pt. 2 — The Social Reckoning
A few weeks out from The Social Reckoning’’s tepid theatrical debut, it’s safe to say Aaron Sorkin’s “spiritual sequel” to 2010’s The Social Network won’t match its successor’s box-office success, nor is it …
Show notes
A few weeks out from The Social Reckoning’’s tepid theatrical debut, it’s safe to say Aaron Sorkin’s “spiritual sequel” to 2010’s The Social Network won’t match its successor’s box-office success, nor is it likely to be as fondly remembered in 16 years’ time. There are many ways in which the newer film goes astray, which we cover in our opening discussion of Reckoning, before bringing Network back in for Connections to consider how much of each film’s vision of Mark Zuckerberg’s social-media empire can be attributed to/blamed on Sorkin specifically. Then in a Zuck-inspired Your Next Picture Show, we briefly review a very long documentary about another tech billionaire whose name has become something of a four-letter word over the years: Alex Gibney’s Musk.
Please share your thoughts about The Social Network, The Social Reckoning, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.
Next Pairing: Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s You Can See Everything and Albert Brooks’ Real Life.
This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Exorcist (1973) | Archive
For Halloween week, we're going deep into the Archive for Adam and Josh's 2013 Sacred Cow review of William Friedkin's The Exorcist. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and …
Show notes
For Halloween week, we're going deep into the Archive for Adam and Josh's 2013 Sacred Cow review of William Friedkin's The Exorcist.
Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Campy and Creeping Dread Horror, plus The Movies That (De)Formed Us | SVU
For the final episode in Spook-tober, Jordan and Matt share the defining scares of their childhoods and respond to listener requests for campy and creeping dread horror movies. And then — the horror! — Jordan …
Show notes
For the final episode in Spook-tober, Jordan and Matt share the defining scares of their childhoods and respond to listener requests for campy and creeping dread horror movies. And then — the horror! — Jordan takes a turn hosting America’s fastest growing game show: Portmanteau-To-Toe.
Intro (00:00:00–00:03:07)
The Movies That (De)Formed Us (00:03:08–00:39:56)
Listener Request Seg: Campy and Creeping Dread Horror Movies (00:39:57–01:09:09)
Notes / Game: Portmanteau-To-Toe (01:09:09–01:24:09)
New to Streaming / Credits (01:24:10–01:32:31)
Show Notes
Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/
Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (available now!): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/
Matt’s book tour!
Bazooga jingle by Andy Wilkowske
https://www.andrewwilkowske.com/
Feedback: Email us at [email protected]
Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social
Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social
Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu
Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
"There is a distinct difference between suspense and surprise" with Bilge Ebiri | The Movie Racket
Film critic Bilge Ebiri (Vulture, New York Magazine) joins Michael Phillips to test one of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous assertions: "There is a distinct difference between suspense and surprise." Drawing on …
Show notes
Film critic Bilge Ebiri (Vulture, New York Magazine) joins Michael Phillips to test one of Alfred Hitchcock's most famous assertions: "There is a distinct difference between suspense and surprise."
Drawing on Hitchcock classics including Sabotage, Rear Window, Notorious, and Psycho, Michael and Bilge explore why the 'Master of Suspense' believed audiences should dread an explosion more than simply be startled by one. They discuss Hitchcock's notorious "grave error" in Sabotage, the enduring power of the night-vision sequence in The Silence of the Lambs, the unresolved terror of Zodiac, and what contemporary filmmakers such as Jordan Peele and Zach Cregger have learned from Hitchcock's approach.
Join the conversation by emailing [email protected].
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sense & Sensibility (2026), plus Fatherland and Whalefall | #1086
How do you reimagine a beloved novel like Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility without losing what people love — and expect — from an Austen adaptation? Whatever it is, director Georgia Oakley appears to have …
Show notes
How do you reimagine a beloved novel like Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility without losing what people love — and expect — from an Austen adaptation? Whatever it is, director Georgia Oakley appears to have figured it out. Adam and Josh praise Oakley’s earthy and unfussy film. Plus, a recap of their weekend at the Chicago International Film Festival, which included a screening of Pawel Pawilkowski’s Fatherland, and — for Josh — a 30th anniversary screening of Cheryl Dunye’s Watermelon Woman. Also, Josh’s review of Whalefall, and listeners rank the most anticipated movies of the fall.
This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.
(Timecodes will not be precise with ads.)
Intro (00:00:00-00:03:08)
Sense & Sensibility (00:03:09-00:25:34)
Filmspotting Family (00:25:35-00:30:35)
Sense & Sensibility, cont. (00:30:36-00:46:38)
Fatherland (00:46:39-01:07:00)
Watermelon Woman, Whalefall (01:07:01-01:13:34)
Polls (01:13:35-01:25:35)
Credits / New Releases (01:25:36-01:31:25)
Notes:
-Refocus Film Festival
https://refocusfilmfestival.org/
Feedback:
-Email us at [email protected]
-Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content.
Support:
-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus shows, archive access, and more.
-Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more.
https://www.filmspotting.net/shop
Follow:
-Watch Filmspotting on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/filmspotting
-Adam/Filmspotting
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
-Josh/LarsenOnFilm
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Zuck Dynasty, Pt. 1 — The Social Network
Aaron Sorkin has said his new The Social Reckoning is not a sequel so much as a companion piece to David Fincher’s The Social Network, which Sorkin also scripted. Whatever you call it, though, these two films …
Show notes
Aaron Sorkin has said his new The Social Reckoning is not a sequel so much as a companion piece to David Fincher’s The Social Network, which Sorkin also scripted. Whatever you call it, though, these two films are undeniably linked, not just by Sorkin’s involvement, but especially by their interest in the tech-bro enigma that is Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. So this week we’re returning to 2010 and The Social Network to consider how the film’s depiction of Facebook’s then-recent origin story plays from our social-media-saturated present; how Sorkin’s script and Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Zuckerberg find humanity, and maybe even sympathy, in a pointedly unlikable protagonist; and how Fincher made it all work on screen, from the instant-classic Facemash montage to a final shot we’ll be forever refreshing in our minds. Then in Feedback, a longtime friend of the show shares some thoughts prompted by our recent episode on William Friedkin’s Sorcerer.
Please share your thoughts about The Social Network, The Social Reckoning, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.
This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Top 5 Sofia Coppola Scenes | Archive
Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette is back in theaters this week for its 20th anniversary. In 2017, along with a review of Coppola's The Beguiled, Josh and guest host Angelica Jade Bastien shared their Top 5 …
Show notes
Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette is back in theaters this week for its 20th anniversary. In 2017, along with a review of Coppola's The Beguiled, Josh and guest host Angelica Jade Bastien shared their Top 5 Sofia Coppola Scenes.
Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apple TV’s Matchbox The Movie Is a Movie For No One, plus Slow-Burn Horror Movies | SVU
From none of the people who brought you Barbie comes a new film inspired by (or mandated by?) the Mattel corporation. It’s Matchbox: The Movie! And it stinks. But in what ways exactly does it stink? The answers …
Show notes
From none of the people who brought you Barbie comes a new film inspired by (or mandated by?) the Mattel corporation. It’s Matchbox: The Movie! And it stinks. But in what ways exactly does it stink? The answers may surprise you. Matt and Jordan discuss. Plus, Jordan’s thoughts on the conclusion of Prime Video’s Carrie limited series, which was reviewed on last week’s show; a Rec Seg featuring titles — one adapted from a video game, the other from a toy — that fare better than Matchbox; a listener request for slow-burn horror movies; and the return of Portmanteau-to-Toe: a Movie Trivia Game.
Intro / Carrie recap (00:00:00–00:08:41)
Matchbox: The Movie (Apple TV) (00:08:42–00:33:42)
Rec Seg! (00:33:43–00:47:41)
Listener Request Seg: Slow-Burn Horror Movies (00:47:42–01:05:33)
Game: Portmanteau-To-Toe (01:05:34–01:24:55)
New to Streaming / Credits (01:24:56–01:34:08)
Show Notes
Jordan: “What 6 Different Versions of This Sex Comedy Say About the Countries That Made Them”
https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/04/review-the-invite-film-international-versions/
Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/
Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (available now!): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/
Matt’s book tour!
Feedback: Email us at [email protected]
Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social
Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social
Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu
Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
"I wonder what percent of people ever actually encounter a work of art that changes them" with Manohla Dargis | The Movie Racket
Can a movie change your life? In a 1960s interview, Stanley Kubrick posed a deceptively simple provocation: "I wonder what percent of people ever actually encounter a work of art that changes them."This week …
Show notes
Can a movie change your life? In a 1960s interview, Stanley Kubrick posed a deceptively simple provocation: "I wonder what percent of people ever actually encounter a work of art that changes them."
This week, New York Times Chief Film Critic Manohla Dargis joins Michael Phillips to test this proposition against a lifetime of moviegoing. Together, they reflect on films that expanded their sense of what cinema could do — from Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless and Every Man for Himself to Kubrick's own 2001: A Space Odyssey — and discuss the difference between a movie that alters your life and one that offers you a profound experience.
Join the conversation by emailing [email protected].See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fall Movie Preview and The Social Reckoning | #1085
With the fall film festival season (mostly) in the rearview and release dates set through the end of the year, Adam and Josh hold a Fall Movie Preview Draft that sees them largely ignoring obvious picks like …
Show notes
With the fall film festival season (mostly) in the rearview and release dates set through the end of the year, Adam and Josh hold a Fall Movie Preview Draft that sees them largely ignoring obvious picks like Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three in favor of battling over some of the most intriguing indies still to come. Plus, a review of Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning and Massacre Theatre.
This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.
(Timecodes will not be precise with ads.)
Intro (00:00:00-00:02:25)
‘26 Fall Preview Draft (00:02:26-0:25:19)
Filmspotting Family (0:25:20-00:31:25)
Preview Draft, cont. (00:31:26-1:02:41)
The Social Reckoning (1:02:42-01:30:58)
Massacre Theatre (01:30:59-01:36:46)
Credits / New Releases (01:36:47-01:44:01)
Notes:
-Yes, for some reason James Caan appeared on a Fall Preview cast list for “Cliff Booth” along with his son. No, it didn’t occur to Adam that he was dead. (He is.)
-”The Family Guy” has the famous “It insists upon itself” joke – not “The Simpsons.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYAi5aI_NPc
-Refocus Film Festival
https://refocusfilmfestival.org/
Feedback:
-Email us at [email protected]
-Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content.
Support:
-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus shows, archive access, and more.
-Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more.
https://www.filmspotting.net/shop
Follow:
-Watch Filmspotting on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/filmspotting
-Adam/Filmspotting
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
-Josh/LarsenOnFilm
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Trial By Media, Pt. 2 — Primetime | Next Picture Show
Primetime is a far-from-straightforward take on a true story, using the mid-aughts TV phenomenon To Catch a Predator and especially its host, Chris Hansen, for a darkly comic exploration of the morally murky …
Show notes
Primetime is a far-from-straightforward take on a true story, using the mid-aughts TV phenomenon To Catch a Predator and especially its host, Chris Hansen, for a darkly comic exploration of the morally murky place where ambition and justice overlap. It’s a tonal high wire act that gets a lot of mileage out of Lance Oppenheim’s expressively stylized direction and strong performances from Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, and Skyler Gisondo, but whether that all adds up to a satisfying film is up for debate this week. Then we bring 1957’s Sweet Smell of Success back in for Connections to discuss how it and Primetime both navigate protagonists who punch down from their moral high ground, and the bygone media environments that enable them, all while maintaining a sense of humor. Then, for anyone looking for a fuller picture of To Catch a Predator’s rise and fall, we offer a Your Next Picture Show for David Osit’s 2025 documentary Predators.
Please share your thoughts about Sweet Smell of Success, Primetime, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.
Next pairing: Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning and David Fincher's The Social Network.
This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Top 5 of 1991 | Archive
The 1991 movie year turns 35 this year. T2, Barton Fink, Boys in the Hood. In 2014, Adam and Josh looked back a mere 23 years for their Top 5 of '91. Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + …
Show notes
The 1991 movie year turns 35 this year. T2, Barton Fink, Boys in the Hood. In 2014, Adam and Josh looked back a mere 23 years for their Top 5 of '91.
Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Is Prime’s Carrie Remake Too Much of a Good Thing? | SVU
Stephen King’s Carrie has been adapted for film twice, has endured a sequel and even a Broadway musical, and now Mike Flanagan has brought the writer’s debut novel to the small screen in a limited series for …
Show notes
Stephen King’s Carrie has been adapted for film twice, has endured a sequel and even a Broadway musical, and now Mike Flanagan has brought the writer’s debut novel to the small screen in a limited series for Prime Video. Flanagan is a peerless adapter of King’s work, but does any version of Carrie need to be eight hours? Matt and Jordan discuss. In the Rec Seg, recommendations for a classic of ‘70s German cinema and an underseen King adaptation from the ‘90s. Plus, a listener writes in for some under-the-radar horror comedies, and Producer Sam hosts a King-themed movie game.
Intro (00:00:00–00:02:26)
Carrie (Prime Video) (00:02:27–00:31:45)
Rec Seg! (00:31:46–00:50:55)
Listener Req Seg! (00:50:56–01:06:42)
Game: If You Come at the King, You Better Not Miss (01:06:43–01:26:40)
New to Streaming / Credits (01:26:41–01:38:55)
Show Notes
Stephen King Wants You To Watch Maximum Overdrive (Trailer)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IniwjSfs4fs
Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/
Pre-Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (available now): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/
Matt’s book tour!
Feedback: Email us at [email protected]
Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social
Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social
Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu
Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
"Hollywood's like Egypt, full of crumbled pyramids" with Laura Friedman & Ron Falzone | The Movie Racket
Hollywood has been dying for more than a century. At least, that's what people keep saying.This week, Michael Phillips explores one of the industry's favorite prophecies of doom: producer David O. Selznick's …
Show notes
Hollywood has been dying for more than a century. At least, that's what people keep saying.
This week, Michael Phillips explores one of the industry's favorite prophecies of doom: producer David O. Selznick's famous comparison of Hollywood to ancient Egypt, "full of crumbled pyramids" destined to disappear into the sands.
Joining Michael are Rep. Laura Friedman, whose congressional district includes many of the major studios and who helped author the bipartisan Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, and film historian Ron Falzone. Together, they examine Hollywood's latest existential crisis: runaway production, empty soundstages, corporate consolidation, and the fight to keep movie-making in the United States.
Is Hollywood facing a uniquely perilous moment, or just its latest near-death experience? Join the conversation by emailing [email protected].See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Digger and Primetime, plus Chicago International Film Fest Preview | #1084
Not everyone hates Digger. The big swing from star Tom Cruise and director Alejandro González Iñárritu was met with chilly box office and hostility from critics, but Adam and Josh (yes, even Iñárritu skeptic …
Show notes
Not everyone hates Digger. The big swing from star Tom Cruise and director Alejandro González Iñárritu was met with chilly box office and hostility from critics, but Adam and Josh (yes, even Iñárritu skeptic Adam!) found lots to like — especially after the film’s bold transition from politically-charged farce into something completely different. Plus, Josh on Primetime, previews of two regional fests, and listeners pick their favorite “Comedy Boom” movies.
This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.
(Timecodes will not be precise with ads.)
Intro (00:00:00-00:02:23)
Digger (00:02:24-0:33:35)
Filmspotting Family (0:33:36-00:37:20)
Spoiler Talk: Digger (00:37:21-1:11:00)
Primetime (1:11:01-01:16:21)
Chicago / Refocus Film Fest Previews (01:16:22-01:31:21)
Polls (01:31:22-01:42:54)
Credits / New Releases (01:42:55-01:46:33)
Chicago Film Festival Picks – Josh:
-Citizen Osama
https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/film/citizen-osama/
-Eight Bridges
https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/film/eight-bridges/
Chicago Film Festival Picks – Adam:
-The Debut
https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/film/the-debut/
-The Girl with the Leica
https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/film/the-girl-with-the-leica/
Notes:
-Refocus Film Festival
https://refocusfilmfestival.org/
Feedback:
-Email us at [email protected]
-Ask Us Anything and we might answer your question in bonus content.
Support:
-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus shows, archive access, and more.
-Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more.
https://www.filmspotting.net/shop
Follow:
-Watch Filmspotting on YouTube:
https://youtube.com/filmspotting
-Adam/Filmspotting
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
-Josh/LarsenOnFilm
Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Trial By Media, Pt. 1 — Sweet Smell of Success | Next Picture Show
Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime paints problematic TV phenomenon To Catch a Predator — and especially its host, Chris Hansen — as an enterprise fueled by ambition, amorality, and a tenuous grasp of journalistic …
Show notes
Lance Oppenheim’s Primetime paints problematic TV phenomenon To Catch a Predator — and especially its host, Chris Hansen — as an enterprise fueled by ambition, amorality, and a tenuous grasp of journalistic ethics. Those qualities put us in mind of the cursed collaboration between desperate press agent Sidney Falco and influential columnist J.J. Hunsecker in 1957’s Sweet Smell of Success, so this week we’re digging into the twisted loyalties and razor-sharp dialogue of Alexander Mackendrick’s blisteringly cynical portrayal of a very different era in tabloid journalism. Then in Feedback, a listener helps flesh out a bit of William Friedkin trivia that came up during our recent Sorcerer discussion.
Please share your thoughts about Sweet Smell of Success, Primetime, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.
This episode is presented by Regal Unlimited, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Top 5 Tom Cruise Performances | Archive
With Cruise back in ac-tor mode in Alejandro González Iñárritu's Digger, we're sharing our 2017 consideration of the long and storied career of "the last movie star." Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting …
Show notes
With Cruise back in ac-tor mode in Alejandro González Iñárritu's Digger, we're sharing our 2017 consideration of the long and storied career of "the last movie star."
Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you join the Filmspotting Family.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Low-Budget Gumption of Shudder’s Goody Goody | SVU
For the first show of Scare-tober, Jordan and Matt take a look at the Shudder Original Goody Goody, a low-budget home-birth horror tale from first-time feature director Raymond Creamer. For a seasonally …
Show notes
For the first show of Scare-tober, Jordan and Matt take a look at the Shudder Original Goody Goody, a low-budget home-birth horror tale from first-time feature director Raymond Creamer. For a seasonally appropriate streaming watch, you could do worse. You could also do better, which is why Matt and Jordan use this week’s “Rec Seg” to suggest a couple of titles inspired by Goody Goody — one which exploits the very real horror of childbirth for laughs, and another which brilliantly captures the horror of being the only one who knows something terrible has happened. Then, listener Matt (no relation to host Matt) writes in asking for an entry-level horror film for his 9-year-old. And Matt hosts another round of Portmanteau-to-Toe for this week’s game
Intro (00:00:00–00:04:32)
Goody Goody (00:04:33–00:22:03)
Rec Seg! (00:22:04–00:36:55)
Listener Req Seg! (00:36:56–00:57:18)
Game: Portmanteau-to-Toe (00:57:19–01:11:15)
New to Streaming / Credits (01:11:16–01:25:08)
Show Notes
Bazooga jingle by Andy Wilkowske
Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/
Pre-Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (Coming October 6th): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/
Matt’s book tour!
Feedback: Email us at [email protected]
Follow Matt on Blue Sky: @mattsinger.bsky.social
Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social
Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu
Follow the Show: https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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