Episode 223 - APOLLO 13

The thrilling true-life adventure of Apollo 13 is just the launchpad for a wide-ranging discussion, thanks to first-time guest Jeff Eckman and his passion for all things space exploration. In this episode, we deconstruct a disaster movie of the highest verisimilitude and celebrate human ingenuity in space and on set. Houston, we have a podcast!

Apollo 13 (1995)
Directed by Ron Howard
Written by William Broyles Jr. and Al Reinert
Based on the book Lost Moon by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger
Starring Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Kathleen Quinlan, and Ed Harris

Episode 217 - THE PHANTOM

The Summer of Serials comes to a rousing conclusion with The Phantom, in which a bemused beefcake is surrounded by campy and/or deadpan scene partners gobbling up the exotic scenery. This underrated swashbuckling adventure capped the '90s revival of pulp heroes, and also sowed the seeds of the truly global big-budget superhero productions that were yet to come.

Jake Beal helps us Slam Evil!™ as we unravel the mysteries of the Ghost Who Walks. Hang on to your skintight purple bodysuits, listeners, because this one is un-be-liev-ableeeeee!

The Phantom (1996)
Directed by Simon Wincer
Written by Jeffrey Boam
Based on characters created by Lee Falk
Starring Billy Zane, Treat Williams, Kristy Swanson, James Remar, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, and Patrick McGoohan

Episode 216 - THE SHADOW

The Summer of Serials continues with The Shadow, a flashy showcase for perhaps the granddaddy of urban crime-fighting vigilantes (including a certain nocturnal crusader in a cape). Combining Art Deco decadence with the angsty theatrics of the MTV generation, The Shadow revives the lurid spirit of prewar crime fiction with a delectable garnish of camp.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? John Parton knows! And he's the perfect guide for this morally gray journey, as we fire off opinions faster than a terrified hoodlum empties a tommy gun at an invisible adversary.

The Shadow (1994)
Directed by Russell Mulcahy
Written by David Koepp
Based on the character created by Walter B. Gibson
Starring Alec Baldwin, John Lone, Penelope Ann Miller, Peter Boyle, Ian McKellan, Tim Curry, Sab Shimono, and Jonathan Winters

Episode 215 - DICK TRACY

The podcast gets pulp-y as we launch the Summer of Serials - a celebration of Hollywood's infatuation with the heroic icons of pre-WWII comic strips, radio dramas, and matinee serials. First up is Dick Tracy, as Warren Beatty dons the canary yellow overcoat and fedora to battle goons and gangsters blessed with easily distinguishable physical features.

We call up Alex Rodriguez on our trusty two-way wrist radio to celebrate the film's embrace of the comic aesthetic and marvel at Detective Tracy's staying power in pop culture for nearly a century.

Dick Tracy (1990)
Directed by Warren Beatty
Written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr.
Based on the characters created by Chester Gould
Starring Warren Beatty, Al Pacino, Glenne Headly, Charlie Korsmo, William Forsythe, Ed O’Ross, Dustin Hoffman, Mandy Patinkin, Dick Van Dyke, and Madonna

Episode 205 - A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN

A League of Their Own is sports history, social history, and cinema history all rolled into one. It's also a rollicking crowd-pleaser that remains a fan favorite thanks to its deep bench of memorable characters and a comedic snap called up from classic sitcoms.

There's no crying in podcasting when Amy Ambler joins us to reminisce about the queen of all baseball movies, and the many ways its empathetic calls for equality still resonate today.

A League of Their Own (1992)
Directed by Penny Marshall
Written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel
Starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, Anne Ramsay, Megan Cavanagh, Bitty Schram, David Strathairn, John Lovitz, Garry Marshall, and Bill Pullman

Episode 188 - THE WEDDING SINGER

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to revisit the Summer of Sandler! This time, our celebration has a decidedly romantic bent, as we untangle the mysteries of life, love, and local entertainers through the lessons of The Wedding Singer. It's an ouroboros of nostalgia that entangles our affection for '90s icons like Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore with a valentine to the omnipresent pop culture of the '80s.

Lindsay Mead keeps the party going in our ongoing tribute to the Sandman - and to the co-stars that shine just as bright in this feel-good retro romp. It's another WWWW love-fest...WHOOP-A-DEE-DOO!

The Wedding Singer (1998)
Directed by Frank Coraci
Written by Tim Herlihy
Starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Christine Taylor, Allen Covert, Matthew Glave, Angela Featherstone, Ellen Dow, and Billy Idol

Episode 177 - THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION

I wish I could tell you that The Shawshank Redemption was the greatest movie ever made, and just leave it at that. I wish I could tell you that...but podcasting is no fairy-tale world. A theatrical disappointment that found a second life on TV and home video, the film has earned its classic status with great storytelling and disarming sentimentality in depicting hope's hard-fought battle against despair.

We hope you enjoy the mononymous Barm (aka Tyler Neufeld) in his WWWW debut. We hope our love and gratitude fill this special Shanksgiving episode. We hope you have many reasons to give shanks, too. We hope.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Written and directed by Frank Darabont
Produced by Niki Marvin
Based on the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King
Starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows, and James Whitmore

Episode 168 - INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM

In our ongoing quest to seek meaning in cultural artifacts, few escapist fantasies have seized our hearts like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. From its nightmare-inducing imagery to its wince-inducing colonialism, it's a movie that sticks with us for an entire spectrum of reasons. But beyond its complex reputation as the darkest chapter of the Indiana Jones saga, the film is a trove of moments and milestones that deepen our connection to an iconic character.

Manny Lozano makes his long-awaited return to WWWW as we join our old pals George and Steven in a whip-crackin', stereotypin', globetrottin' adventure!

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Produced by Robert Watts
Written by Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz
Story by George Lucas
Starring Harrison Ford, Kate Capshaw, Ke Huy Quan, Roshan Seth, and Amrish Puri

Episode 166 - THE ROCKETEER

"The Rocka-Who?" So said initial audiences of The Rocketeer, a film with blockbuster-sized expectations that struggled to stay aloft in an atmosphere thick with more familiar pulpy comic book franchises. But over the years, that anonymity may have given rise to something more important: relatability. The movie certainly ignited our imaginations, thanks to a winning combination of art deco sleekness, high flying thrills, and old school optimism.

Eric Wheeler drops in like a bolt from the blue to give us his perspective on how the film takes inspiration from Hollywood's Golden Age, and helps us get to the bottom of The Rocketeer's appeal as a blueprint for the makings of a true hero. Go get 'em, kid!

The Rocketeer (1991)
Directed by Joe Johnston
Produced by Charles Gordon, Lawrence Gordon, and Lloyd Levin
Screenplay by Danny Bilson and Paul De Meo
Based on The Rocketeer by Dave Stevens
Starring Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Paul Sorvino, Terry O'Quinn, and Timothy Dalton

Episode 164 - TITANIC

Tragedy meets triumph in the twisted Venn diagram of Titanic, a movie that stands not only as a memorial to its namesake, but also as a monument to Hollywood spectacle. Both disturbingly realistic and cleverly dramatized, James Cameron's leviathan combines forbidden romance, disaster action, historical reenactment, and groundbreaking film-craft in one seamless package.

But that's just the tip of the conversational iceberg as Blythe Rudloff comes aboard to discuss stupid teenage love, all-consuming cultural obsessions, and the most memorable White Star Line employees on this colossal episode. We're the kings and queen of the podcast world!

Titanic (1997)
Written and directed by James Cameron
Produced by James Cameron and Jon Landau
Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Gloria Stuart, Billy Zane, Frances Fisher, Kathy Bates, Bernard Hill, Victor Garber, Jonathan Hyde, David Warner, and Bill Paxton

Episode 157 - FORREST GUMP

Polish up those back-to-back Best Actor Oscars and pull out those snapshots of lost gloves, because this year WWWW celebrates its first annual Hanksgiving! And what better way to launch this tradition than with the dewy-eyed nostalgia of Forrest Gump? In this episode, we're showing gratitude for unnecessary sprinting, uncanny CGI ventriloquism, and the comedic genius of Thomas Jeffrey Hanks.

We're extremely hankful for all this, plus the always-thoughtful Kev Young—a guest who has a permanent place at our table. The same goes for you, dear listener, so pull up a chair and join our Hanksgiving feast!

And that's all we have to say about that.

Forrest Gump (1994)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Produced by Wendy Finerman, Steve Tisch, and Steve Starkey
Written by Eric Roth
Based on the novel by Winston Groom
Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Haley Joel Osment, and Sally Field

Episode 149 - THE PATRIOT

Some nations have oral histories that tell the story of their ancient origins. Others have sprawling cosmologies that explain how each part of their culture was forged. In the United States of America, we frame our founding myth as a three-hour Hollywood war epic directed by a German and starring two Australians.

On this special crossover episode, the hosts of the Lieography podcast--John Parton, Ace Cordova, and Joanna Phillips--join us to take a comprehensive look at the historical basis of The Patriot. With the help of their meticulous and illuminating research, we grade the movie's factual accuracy (or lack thereof) and celebrate our freedom as Americans to fudge the details. Happy 4th of July!

The Patriot (2000)
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Produced by Dean Devlin, Mark Gordon, and Gary Levinsohn
Written by Robert Rodat
Starring Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs, Joely Richardson, Chris Cooper, Tchéky Karyo, René Auberjonois, Lisa Brenner, Donal Logue, Leon Rippy, Adam Baldwin, and Tom Wilkinson

Episode 142 - THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST

The Passion of the Christ was a massive gamble in every sense: a movie in a dead genre, performed in a dead language, portraying a feature-length death march. It only made a truckload of money and launched a new wave of faith-based films aimed at the audience that turned an adaptation of Christian gospels and devotional writings into a global phenomenon.

Our favorite disciple, Jake Beal, arrives just in time for Easter and takes us to (Sunday) school as we examine The Passion's complex legacy as religious theater, epic cinema, and cultural touchstone.  It is accomplished!

The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Directed by Mel Gibson
Produced by Bruce Davey, Mel Gibson, and Stephen McEveety
Written by Mel Gibson and Benedict Fitzgerald
Starring Jim Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, Francesco De Vito, Luca Lionello, Christo Jivkov, Rosalinda Celentano, Mattia Sbragia, Hristo Shopov, and Monica Bellucci

Episode 136 - ANNIE (1982)

Leapin' lizards! The lavish screen adaptation of the timeless Broadway smash Annie is a 1930s nostalgia factory, perhaps the rosiest portrait of the Great Depression ever produced. It's also a valentine to American capitalism in its cinematic excess, and in its portrayal of a billionaire grumbling about the system he is all too eager to exploit.

Two Gay Matts co-host (and plucky redhead) Matt Steele helps up keep smiling through this hard knock life. Bet your bottom dollar that you'll love this episode!

(Note: This episode was completed before Albert Finney's passing on February 7, 2019. Consider it a tribute to his portrayal of Daddy Warbucks as an indomitable softie, and his many other memorable roles.)

Annie (1982)
Directed by John Huston
Produced by Ray Stark
Written by Carol Sobieski
Based on the stage musical by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, and Thomas Meehan; and the comic strip Little Orphan Annie by Harold Gray
Starring Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnett, Albert Finney, Ann Reinking, Tim Curry, Bernadette Peters, Geoffrey Holder, and Edward Herrmann

More Matt Steele

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Episode 130 - ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES

To modern eyes, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is not unlike a superhero movie. In this retelling, the titular hero resembles Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark--a rich, handsome adventurer driven to vigilantism when he experiences injustice firsthand. There's also a scene-stealing villain in Alan Rickman's delectably evil Sheriff of Nottingham, and even an eleventh-hour cameo that functions as a kind of easter egg.

Still, this Robin Hood is a very '90s affair. It's an earnest attempt to appeal to modern audiences without alienating the traditionalists, and features Kevin Costner at the peak of his laconic powers. So crank up the Bryan Adams for round three of the Robin Round Robin, as we celebrate a pioneering wealth redistributor in this special Thanksgiving episode!

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Directed by Kevin Reynolds
Produced by Pen Densham, John Watson, and Richard Barton Lewis
Written by Pen Densham and John Watson
Starring Kevin Costner, Alan Rickman, Morgan Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Christian Slater, Michael Wincott, Geraldine McEwan, Nick Brimble, Mike McShane, and Sean Connery

Episode 121 - THE SECRET GARDEN

A beloved children's story approaches something mystical in the 1993 film adaptation of The Secret Garden. The practice of horticulture heals a sickly boy, comforts a melancholy widower, and introduces a quarrelsome girl to the love of friends and family. Stunted emotions and somber realities slowly bloom into a lush, blissful statement on the powers of intuition.

Special guest Lindsay Marie Mead brings her green thumb and uncanny insights to this totally "wick" episode, which has blossomed just in time for the movie's 25th anniversary!

The Secret Garden (1993)
Directed by Agnieszka Holland
Produced by Fred Fuchs, Tom Luddy, Fred Roos, and Francis Ford Coppola
Written by Caroline Thompson
Based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Starring Kate Maberly, Heydon Prowse, Andrew Knott, Laura Crossley, John Lynch, Walter Sparrow, Irene Jacob, and Maggie Smith

Episode 86 - THE MUMMY RETURNS

Believe it or not, there was a time when The Mummy franchise felt like the second coming of Indiana Jones. Or so a teenage action junkie was likely to think, circa the summer of 2001, when The Mummy Returns announced its presence as a bigger, faster, and louder version of its hit predecessor.

But where gains are made through massive visual effects and breakneck pacing, something else (Retro chic style? Tongue-in-cheek humor?) is inevitably de-emphasized, or perhaps even lost. Put on your pith helmet and find out The Mummy Returns avoids the curse of sequel excess!

The Mummy Returns (2001)

Written and directed by Stephen Sommers

Produced by Sean Daniel and James Jacks

Starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, Arnold Vosloo, John Hannah, Oded Fehr, Patricia Velasquez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Freddie Boath, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

Episode 22 - GLADIATOR

Gladiator's place in our cultural canon is almost entirely due to its violence: just thinking about the title conjures up images of severed limbs, overflowing viscera, and a beefy Russell Crowe asking a crowd whether or not that day's murders have amused them sufficiently.  What's most interesting about this violence, however, is how little of it (relatively speaking) is actually shown.

In a way it makes perfect sense that Ridley Scott's film ruled the first Oscar ceremony held in the 21st century.  It is a very old-school drama in a throwback genre, clean and simple, and its lack of metatextual meddling makes it almost like cinematic comfort food.  Aside from a few grisly moments, Gladiator is most disturbing in our imaginations.

Gladiator (2000)
Directed by Ridley Scott
Produced by Douglas Wick, David Franzoni, and Branko Lustig
Written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson
Starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Dijmon Hounsou, and Richard Harris

Episode 12 - THE PRINCE OF EGYPT

DreamWorks Animation in the pre-Shrek era is a fascinating subject.  Before it became known as the home of the arched eyebrow, the studio aimed to provide a sleeker and slightly more mature alternative to Disney's family fare - think of the neurotic worker drones in Antz and the sly POW parody of Chicken Run.

Against that backdrop, DreamWorks' earnest Biblical epic The Prince of Egypt doesn't seem like the anomaly it appears to be.  It's a sweeping account of the prophet Moses - who, as the film's title cards helpfully point out, is a figure central to three major world religions - from his wicker basket ride down the Nile to his parting of the Red Sea.  And because this is an animated movie in the '90s, it's also a musical.  (Can't leave that soundtrack lucre on the table.)

In this episode, we investigate what The Prince of Egypt brings to the re-telling of this ancient story and how it's placed in a context with everything from The Ten Commandments to Exodus: Gods and Kings.

The Prince of Egypt (1998)
Directed by Simon Wells, Brenda Chapman, and Steve Hickner
Produced by Penney Finkleman Cox, Sandra Rabins, and Jeffrey Katzenberg
Written by Philip LaZebnik and Nicholas Meyer
Starring Val Kilmer, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfieffer, Sandra Bullock, Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Stewart, Danny Glover, Steve Martin, and Martin Short