2021 articles

It’s a Christmas crossover episode with Joe Dante and The Movies that Made Me podcast, and Gemma and Slim from The Letterboxd Show! Four hosts, four festive favorites: We’re No AngelsScroogeNational Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation; and Elf (with a side of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer). Also: Joe’s reaction to our Gremlins Easter egg, the odious proliferation of Christmas movies, cinema’s secret weapon Alastair Sim, the Scrooge blooper you can’t unsee, Chevy Chase’s superciliousness, Will Ferrell’s innocence, Humphrey Bogart’s comedy, the gift to cinema that was Dick Miller, what happened to Billy’s mom in an earlier Gremlins script, and the best 2021 films Josh and Joe have seen. Note: This is the last episode for 2021—we’ll be back after a short break with a special Year in Review show.

filmmaker Sean Baker talks Red Rocket, and his four current Letterboxd favorites Paradise: Faith; River’s Edge; Oasis; and The Sugarland Express. Plus: Sean chats with hosts Gemma and Slim about casting Suzanna Son and Simon Rex for Red Rocket, unconventional movie merch ideas, Goldie Hawn, filming people on foot, Tangerine’s place in the Christmas canon, Sean’s time as a cycle courier and taxi driver, filming without permits during Covid, how to deal when the cops turn up to shut down your film, exploring moral grey areas, casting ideas for Sean’s next films, Keanu Reeves’ best performance, watching movies on fifth generation VHS tapes, Ryan Reynolds as comfort food, and being tongue-tied in front of Gary Oldman.