Paul & Amy hunker down to cover 1986’s Vietnam War drama Platoon! They look at director Oliver Stone’s relationship with Martin Scorsese, discover how he film captures the chaos of war, and remember the ill-advised Platoon video game Plus: Amy sits down with the military advisor on Platoon, Dale Dye, to learn how he helped the cast get in the soldier mindset.

What do you think The General is about? Call the Unspooled voicemail line at 747-666-5824 and let us know. Follow us on Twitter @Unspooled, and don’t forget to rate, review & subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts.

This episode is brought to you by LightStream (www.lighstream.com/UNSPOOLED) and Casper Mattresses (www.casper.com/unspooled).

Amy and Paul react to the 2023 Oscar nominations in a bonus Unspooled. We’ll be back on Thursday with Crash!

Paul & Amy force-project into Rian Johnson’s galaxy-brained Star Wars entry The Last Jedi!

Paul & Amy send a love letter to David Lynch’s uncanny 1986 noir Blue Velvet!

Amy & Paul peel the layers of Chantal Akerman’s minimalist homebound masterwork Jeanne Dielman!

Paul & Amy cross the pond for 2003’s Christmas romantic comedy smash Love Actually! They dissect director Richard Curtis’s curious understanding of love, learn the fates of each character in the 2017 sequel short, and watch deleted scenes that would have introduced even more plots into the film. Plus: Lindy West discusses her essay “Shit Actually” that kicked off a critical re-evaluation of this movie.

Paul & Amy unwrap 1983’s holiday nostalgia trip A Christmas Story! They learn about the life of the film’s inspiration Jean Shepherd, discover how the flagpole scene was shot, and ask if a film like this can still hold the attention of kids today. Plus: Michael Dowse, director of “8-Bit Christmas,” tells us about the Christmas films that inspired him.

Paul & Amy walk across broken glass for 1988’s definitive Bruce Willis action film Die Hard! They ask whether Hans Gruber is the true protagonist of the film, learn why Frank Sinatra was originally considered to play John McClane, and explore why this film succeeds where legions of imitators have failed. Plus: we settle the “Christmas movie” debate once and for all.

Amy & Paul upload their consciousness into 2009’s otherworldly sci-fi spectacle Avatar!

Next week, tune in as we discuss Die Hard! You can join the conversation for this series on the Unspooled Facebook Group at

https://www.facebook.com/groups/unspooledpodcast, and on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6. 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. You can also listen to our Stitcher Premium game show Screen Test right now at https://www.stitcher.com/show/unspooled-screen-test and apply to be a contestant at unspooledpod@gmail.com!

Amy & Paul reconcile their duality with 2010’s Darren Aronofsky ballet thriller Black Swan!

In this bonus Unspooled, Paul & Amy react to Sight & Sound magazine’s newest once-a-decade poll of the 100 greatest films of all time.

Paul and Amy carpool to Mexico with Ridley Scott’s 1991 fugitive road trip Thelma and Louise!

Paul and Amy get waylaid by John Hughes’ 1987 road trip comedy Planes, Trains and Automobiles!

Paul and Amy receive their license to kill with 2006’s intense James Bond reinvention Casino Royale!

Paul and Amy get groovy, baby with Jay Roach’s 1997 spy spoof Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery!