Paul & Amy raise hell for 1959’s French New Wave adolescent drama The 400 Blows! They learn how François Truffaut went from a Hitchcock-worshipping critic to a director himself, discuss how he then became a major influence on directors like Steven Spielberg, and praise the value of creative limitations in creating truly fresh works of art. Plus: a scene from the unforgettable Sesame Street adaptation.

This is the third episode of our “Back To School” miniseries; next week’s film is Rebel Without A Cause! Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

Amy & Paul stand for 1988’s rousing math class drama Stand And Deliver! They ask if this is the first major ‘indie’ film, learn how Edward James Olmos crafted his commanding performance as Jaime Escalante, and investigate whether the real students depicted cheated on their exam. Plus: Lou Diamond Phillips explains how he got cast as Angel, and why poker requires top-notch math skills.

This is the second episode of our “Back To School” miniseries; next week’s film is The 400 Blows! Learn more about the show at unspooledpod.com, follow us on Twitter @unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

Paul & Amy are obsessed with 2004’s teenage clique comedy Mean Girls!

Get ready for Unspooled: The New 100, beginning August 20th!

It’s the end of Season 1…welcome to the AFI Thunderdome! Amy and Paul discover which movies from the AFI 100 surprised and stuck with Unspooled listeners the most, reveal their top 10 and bottom 10 films from the list (along with Producer Josh and Engineer Devon) and make some hard decisions regarding which films deserve to stay in the 100, and which should get cut. Stick around until the end for a big announcement about Season 2, which begins August 20th.

Go to unspooledpod.com to see Paul & Amy’s ranked list of their top 40 films from the AFI 100! Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled and Instagram @unspooledpod, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

Paul & Amy will always have 1942’s Humphrey Bogart WWII romance Casablanca! They learn the trick Bogart used to make himself a magnetic romantic lead, ask each other what their most used Casablanca quote is, and watch an alternate ending as imagined by The Simpsons. Plus: Ben Mankiewicz (TCM, The Plot Thickens) shares why he thinks Casablanca is a greatest-film-of-all-time contender.

Join us next week as we say goodbye to the AFI list and tell you what we have in store for Season 2. In the meantime, see if you can cut the list down to 50 must-keep films! Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

Paul & Amy make a last stand for 1969’s mythic Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid! They praise the film’s use of montage, discuss how the unusually light tone sets it apart from other Westerns, and contemplate whether Steve McQueen could have played Sundance as well as Robert Redford. Plus: Author Thom Hatch (The Last Outlaws) tells us the stories of the real life Butch and Sundance he wishes made it into the film.

For Casablanca week, send us a quote from the movie in another famous character’s voice! Call the Unspooled voicemail line at 747-666-5824 with your answer. Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

Paul & Amy piggyback onto 1934’s Frank Capra romantic comedy It Happened One Night! They ask if this script fits the “screwball” mold, praise Claudette Colbert for subverting the cliches of the genre, and learn how Clark Gable inspired Bugs Bunny. Plus: which romantic comedies would Unspooled listeners add to the AFI list?

Help make a campaign ad for (or against) the mayor in Jaws! Call the Unspooled voicemail line at 747-666-5824 with your answer. Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

Paul & Amy crank through 1936’s mechanical Charlie Chaplin comedy Modern Times! They praise the film’s ever-escalating setpieces, learn why Joseph Goebbels banned it in Germany, and ponder how much the working world has really changed since the 30s. Plus: We hear your recommendations for other silent films to add to the list.

For It Happened One Night week, what other romantic comedies do you want to see on the AFI list? Call the Unspooled voicemail line at 747-666-5824 with your answer. Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

Paul & Amy mosey into 1953’s archetypal western Shane! They learn about star Alan Ladd’s often tragic life, examine how director George Stevens made gun violence feel heightened, and play a referential clip from the X-Men film Logan. Plus: Digging into your thoughts and theories on Blade Runner.

For Modern Times week, what silent film do you think needs to be on the AFI list? Call the Unspooled voicemail line at 747-666-5824 with your answer. Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

Amy & Paul run through 1982’s moody Ridley Scott dystopia Blade Runner! They listen to the infamous original voiceover, learn what inspired Philip K. Dick’s source material, and yes, give their theories on whether Deckard is a replicant. Plus: Screenwriter David Peoples explains which pivotal scene makes the whole film work.

Give us a more iconic cowboy name than “Shane”! Call it in to the Unspooled voicemail line at 747-666-5824. Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

Donate to the NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund here: https://www.naacpldf.org/support/donors/

Learn more about Black Lives Matter LA at blmla.org

Paul & Amy roll into 1951’s Southern Gothic Tennessee Williams drama A Streetcar Named Desire! They compare the opposite physicality of Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh, analyze the buildup to Brando’s famous scream, and listen to a montage of musical Streetcar references. Plus: Brian Lohmann from the Impro Theater discusses improvising in the style of Tennessee Williams.

For Blade Runner week, give us your rendition of the “tears in rain” speech! Call it in to the Unspooled voicemail line at 747-666-5824. Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

You can watch the Tennessee Williams UnScripted show we talk about in our interview with Brian here: https://vimeo.com/291407149/46ddada77a

Amy and Paul cross 1957’s David Lean WWII epic The Bridge On The River Kwai! They explore the career of star Sessue Hayakawa, ask why Lean’s tyrannical methods pop up so often in the AFI 100, and compare the film to author Pierre Boulle’s other famous work “Planet Of The Apes.” Plus: responding to your comments on Goodfellas, and the passing of Fred Willard and Lynn Shelton.

For Streetcar Named Desire week, scream your post-quarantine desires a la “Stella!” Call it in to the Unspooled voicemail line at 747-666-5824. Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Also check out our live Spool Party episodes on youtube.com/earwolf! Photo credit: Kim Troxall

Amy & Paul raise the roof for 1990’s Kid N’ Play comedy smash House Party! They, listen to the film’s all-timer rap battle, look at how the Simpsons was influenced by hip-hop culture, and talk to the film’s writer and director Reginald Hudlin, and star Christopher “Kid” Reid. (This episode originally aired live on YouTube as part of Unspooled’s “Spool Party” series.)

Next week get ready for the 1957 war epic “The Bridge On The River Kwai”! Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. Check out the rest of our Spool Parties live on youtube.com/earwolf. Photo credit: Kim Troxall

Amy & Paul jump into 1990’s kinetic Scorcese mob epic Goodfellas! They learn some of the wild details about Henry Hill that didn’t make it into the film, discover the origins of the Morrie’s Wigs commercial, and ask if there are too many gangster films on the AFI list. Plus: Chef Evan Funke (The Shape Of Pasta) shares a tomato sauce recipe you can make even in quarantine.

Next week tune in for our Spool Party episode about Kid N Play’s House Party! Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, get more info at unspooledpod.com and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts. And check out our Spool Parties live on youtube.com/earwolf– this Monday we’re talking about Clue! Photo credit: Kim Troxall