Mama Needs a Movie

Latest Episodes:

The Craft with Carly Garber Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

MNAM's spooky season continues with writer Carly Garber (The Goldbergs) joining to discuss the teen horror film THE CRAFT starring Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney, Neve Campbell and Rachel True. The 1996 film deals with a group of Catholic school students who form a secret witch coven, casting spells to fulfill their desires. The Andrew Fleming-directed thriller was a modest hit at the time of release, but has since grown a cult following among generations of teenage viewers. Our discussion with Carly veers into a near record-setting number of diversions into such non-occult topics as Richie Rich, LA real estate, TBS, Swimfan, Nick at Nite, local weathermen, Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica, Hackers, The Try Guys, Roald Dahl, Kingpin, Down and Out in Beverly Hills, and much much more!

THE CRAFT is currently available to stream with subscription to The Criterion Channel.

It Follows with Joe Wengert Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

Writer and comedian Joe Wengert (Big Mouth) helps us kick off the scary season with a discussion of the 2014 horror film IT FOLLOWS starring Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, and Daniel Zovatto. David Robert Mitchell wrote and directed this low budget thriller about a malevolent supernatural entity that passes through sexual encounters. An evocative metaphor for STDs and teenage sexual anxiety, IT FOLLOWS turned out to be a box office success, inaugurating a new era of stylish indie thrillers. Follow our conversation through a circuitous path into typical MNAM diversions such as Ghostbusters, Father Stu, young parents, Dwayne Johnson's diet, Force Majeure, Doritos and much, much more!

Don't Worry Darling with Raft Sep 27, 2022

Show notes

Artist, writer and comedian Raft joins for a spoiler-packed discussion of DON'T WORRY DARLING starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, and Chris Pine. Olivia Wilde's psychological thriller has been the subject of endless tabloid scrutiny, from reported on-set disagreements to its controversy-plagued premiere at the Venice Film Festival, but we've now seen the film for ourselves and will speak our minds on both the entertainment value and cultural impact of this cinematic cause célèbre. Is this movie, in the words of Harry Styles, a "go-the-theatre-film-movie"? Don't worry darling, we have the answer! Also, you won't want to miss out on our many fun diversions with the effervescent Raft that explore the sinister side of Manhattan Beach, Jaws, The Feminine Mystique, 9/11, trolleys, Jordan Peterson, and most crucial of all, where we all parked when we went to see the movie!

DON'T WORRY DARLING is now available to stream on Max or Netflix.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day with Alex Scordelis Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

TV writer and journalist Alex Scordelis (Difficult People) joins to discuss the sci-fi action classic, TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong and Robert Patrick. James Cameron's 1991 followup to the original THE TERMINATOR was the most expensive movie ever made in its time and paid off by being an even bigger box office success. 30 years later, T2 remains the prototypical CGI-boosted blockbuster and a forever-haunting vision of nuclear apocalypse and artificial intelligence run amok. Come with us if you want to *live it up* with an analysis of T2's impact in the year 2022, plus funny and fascinating Scordelis anecdotes about John Stamos, Neil Young, Speed, Jerry Lewis, teenage moviegoing, Schwarzenegger impressions, and much, much more!

Safe with Jon Millstein Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

Writer and actor Jon Millstein joins to discuss the 1995 psychological drama SAFE starring Julianne Moore, Peter Friedman, and Xander Berkeley. Written and directed by Todd Haynes, SAFE is the disturbing story of a suburban housewife in the 1987 San Fernando Valley who develops a sudden and inexplicable illness related to her environment. The film plays coy as to the causes of the lead character's illness, (is she suffering from an allergic reaction to her increasingly toxic urban lifestyle, a psychosomatic affluenza, or both?), and this mystery has only inspired more reexaminations of this chilly film over time. In a decade-capping Village Voice critics poll, SAFE was selected as the best film of the 1990s, and has not surprisingly gained new attention since March of 2020. Listen as MNAM fully diagnoses this film, along with some less toxic diversions into Mrs. Doubtfire, The O.C., Rick Steves, skateboarding, alternate birthday songs, quiet quitting, Dave Barry, and much, much more!

The Piano with Jean Villepique Sep 06, 2022

Show notes

Actress and improvisor Jean Villepique (A.P. Bio) joins to discuss Jane Campion's Oscar-winning classic THE PIANO starring Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill and Anna Paquin. The New Zealand-set drama about a mute Scottish pianist, her young daughter, her arranged husband, and her illicit lover became an immediate art house crossover sensation upon its release in 1993, winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes and acting Oscars for both Hunter and Paquin. THE PIANO was praised for its exotic locations, the brutal intimacy of its love triangle, and tender depictions of the Māori people, but can the film be seen differently through a 2020 lens? Find out how these mothers rate the film on the Mama Panic Attack Assessment scale, as well as the debut of Ryan's new segment on home video releases, Let's Talk Physical! All this, plus juicy diversions into Moonstruck, Sigourney Weaver, 1980s New York City, Peter Pan, Dead Calm and Pacific Heights make this a must-hear episode!

Michael Clayton with Mike Hanford Aug 30, 2022

Show notes

Writer and performer Mike Hanford (The Sloppy Boys) joins to discuss the 2007 legal thriller MICHAEL CLAYTON starring George Clooney, Tilda Swinton and Tom Wilkinson. Written and directed by Tony Gilroy, the film concerns the moral dilemmas of a New York City law firm's "fixer" who is known for getting clients out of sticky situations. MICHAEL CLAYTON was well-regarded upon release, earning 7 Academy Award nominations, (Swinton took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress), and has since collected a legion of new fans who praise the film's smart dialogue and taut pacing. With the hilarious Hanford, we examine the curiously passionate reaction to this dour drama, along with diversions into Phantom Thread, Top Gun: Maverick, Pluto TV, rude movie theater audiences, His Girl Friday, Hannah Arendt, The Critic, gambling movies, and much, much more!

Buffalo '66 with Rachel Lee Goldenberg Aug 23, 2022

Show notes

Director Rachel Lee Goldenberg (Unpregnant, Minx) joins to discuss BUFFALO '66 starring Vincent Gallo, Christina Ricci, Anjelica Houston, Ben Gazzara, and Kevin Corrigan. Gallo's feature directorial debut takes place over one day in the life of a newly released ex-convict who kidnaps a young woman to accompany him on a visit to his parents' home, all while planning a delusional revenge on a pro football player. Produced on a shoestring budget of $1.5 million dollars and shot on a vibrant reversal film stock, BUFFALO '66 was an indie sensation upon release, announcing Gallo as a hugely promising directorial talent. But in the intervening years, Gallo's once playful enfant terrible persona has evolved into something more perplexing, complicating the legacy of his most famous film. How does BUFFALO '66 hold up in 2022? Listen to hear the panel span time with their in-depth analysis, along with some impressive diversions into upstate New York accents, Asylum productions, agoraphobia thrillers, The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Miranda July, Johnny Depp, and much, much more!

BUFFALO '66 is available to stream for free on Kanopy, Pluto TV, Tubi and The Roku Channel.

Prometheus with Mike Mitchell Aug 16, 2022

Show notes

A truly out-of-this-world guest, Mike Mitchell (Doughboys, The Tomorrow War), joins to discuss Ridley Scott's PROMETHEUS starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, and Idris Elba. This 2012 prequel to the Alien films met an ambivalent reaction upon release, with critics slamming its tangled recontextualizaion of franchise lore. However, the last decade has seen an uptick in PROMETHEUS defenders who extoll the film's sinister atmosphere and themes of intelligent (though indifferent) design. Mitchell lends his quick wit and inimitable charm to this episode, which also touches on great white sharks, Independence Day, Troma films, Lawrence of Arabia, awards screeners, 3D televisions, A Serious Man, and much, much more!

The King of Comedy with Emily Maya Mills Aug 09, 2022

Show notes

Comic, writer and director Emily Maya Mills (By a Thread) joins to discuss Martin Scorsese's THE KING OF COMEDY starring Robert De Niro, Jerry Lewis, and Sandra Bernhard. This disquieting dark comedy follows wannabe comedian Rupert Pupkin and his obsessive drive to win the attention of his hero, a late night talk show host named Jerry Langford. Upon release in 1982, THE KING OF COMEDY's unlikable characters and claustrophobic style baffled critics and tanked at the box office. Today, it is considered one of Scorsese's less appreciated masterpieces. In this episode, we delve into this cringe-inducing classic, along with seriously in-depth tangents into directing technique, dishwashing, Napoleon Dynamite, '70s paranoid thrillers, American Psycho, Fargo, freewheeling '70s drug abuse and much more.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected