Podcast
Awesome Movie Year
Hosted by Awesome Movie Year · EN
Awesome Movie Year is a podcast co-hosted by film critic Josh Bell and filmmaker and comedian Jason Harris. Each season looks at why a certain year was an awesome movie year. Each episode focuses on a different film from the year being investigated. Produced by David Rosen of the Piecing It Together Podcast for the All Points West Podcast Network
24episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Duel in the Sun (1946 Box Office Champ)
1w ago01:06:22Tap to summarizeThe first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features the box-office champion, King Vidor’s Duel in the Sun. Directed by King Vidor and starring Jennifer Jones, Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotten, Lillian Gish and Lionel Barrymore, Duel in the Sun was producer David O. Selznick’s effort to match his success and acclaim with Gone With the Wind.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1947/05/08/archives/duel-in-the-sun-selznicks-lavish-western-that-stars-jennifer-jones.html), William Brogdon in Variety (https://variety.com/1945/film/reviews/duel-in-the-sun-1117790601/), and Edwin Schallert in the Los Angeles Times.Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyearYou can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/If you’re a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/ Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1946 episode, with our pick for a notable debut feature, Ingmar Bergman’s Crisis.
Transcribe →Dirty Harry (1971 Bonus Episode)
2w ago01:03:34Tap to summarizeThis bonus episode for our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features Don Siegel’s Dirty Harry. Directed by Don Siegel and starring Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino, Reni Santoni, Andrew Robinson and John Vernon, Dirty Harry is the first of five movies featuring Eastwood as San Francisco Police Inspector Harry Callahan.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dirty-harry-1971), Roger Greenspun in The New York Times, and Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times.Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyearYou can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/If you’re a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for future episodes.
Transcribe →Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971 Bonus Episode)
3w ago01:04:47Tap to summarizeThis bonus episode for our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features Mel Stuart’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum and Jack Albertson, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is based on the novel by Roald Dahl.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory-1971), Howard Thompson in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/01/archives/chocolate-factory.html), and Tony Mastroianni in the Cleveland Press.Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyearYou can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/If you’re a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for future episodes.
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1985 Epilogue
May 2700:43:13Tap to summarizeIn this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1985, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about their favorite 1985 movies.Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyearYou can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/If you’re a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/ Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in next time for the premiere of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946, featuring the box office champion, King Vidor’s Duel in the Sun.
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He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword (1985 Audience Choice)
May 2000:55:52Tap to summarizeThe finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features our audience choice pick, animated toy adaptation He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword. Directed by Ed Friedman, Lou Kachivas, Marsh Lamore, Bill Reed and Gwen Wetzler and starring the voices of John Erwin, Melendy Britt, Alan Oppenheimer and Linda Gary, He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword defeated two other animated movies based on toy lines in our 1985 audience choice poll.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Janet Maslin in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/18/movies/screen-secret-of-the-sword.html), Mark Salisbury in Time Out (https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-secret-of-the-sword-2), and TV Guide.Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyearYou can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/If you’re a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/ Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next episode, our 1985 season epilogue.
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Gymkata (1985 Future Cult Classic)
May 1301:01:09Tap to summarizeThe thirteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features our cult classic pick, Kurt Thomas action movie Gymkata. Directed by Robert Clouse and starring Kurt Thomas, Tetchie Agbayani, Richard Norton and Buck Kartalian, Gymkata is the first and only film featuring world champion gymnast Kurt Thomas.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert and Laurie Horn in the Miami Herald.Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyearYou can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/If you’re a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/ Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1985 episode, with our audience choice pick, animated toy adaptation He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword.
Transcribe →
The Return of The Living Dead (1985 Dave's Pick)
May 600:59:03Tap to summarizeThe twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features our producer David Rosen’s pick, Dan O’Bannon’s The Return of the Living Dead. Written and directed by Dan O’Bannon and starring Clu Gulager, James Karen, Thom Mathews and Don Calfa, The Return of the Living Dead is the first installment in a long-running horror franchise.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/return-of-the-living-dead-1985), Stephen Holden in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/16/movies/screen-return-of-the-living-dead.html) and Tom Shales in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/08/19/movies/48cdf3ac-70b0-4435-87ee-e0cd35e5b817/).Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyearYou can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/If you’re a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/ Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1985 episode, with our cult classic pick, Kurt Thomas action movie Gymkata.
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Out Of Africa (1985 Best Picture)
Apr 2901:09:00Tap to summarizeThe eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, Sydney Pollack’s Out of Africa. Directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer and Michael Kitchen, Out of Africa is based on the life and writings of Karen Blixen.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/out-of-africa-1985), Sheila Benson in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-18-ca-26572-story.html) and Pauline Kael in The New Yorker.Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyearYou can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/If you’re a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/ Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1985 episode, with our producer David Rosen’s pick, Dan O’Bannon’s The Return of the Living Dead.
Transcribe →
Blood Simple (1985 Sundance Film Festival Award Winner)
Apr 2201:05:56Tap to summarizeThe tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Blood Simple. Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya and M. Emmet Walsh, Blood Simple was the Coen brothers’ debut feature.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/blood-simple-1984), Janet Maslin in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/12/movies/blood-simple-a-black-comic-romp.html) and Pauline Kael in The New Yorker.Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyearYou can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/If you’re a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/ Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1985 episode, with the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, Sydney Pollack’s Out of Africa.
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The Goonies (1985 Jason's Pick)
Apr 1501:04:29Tap to summarizeThe ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features Jason’s personal pick, Richard Donner’s The Goonies. Directed by Richard Donner from a screenplay by Chris Columbus and starring Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen and Ke Huy Quan, The Goonies is based on a story by producer Steven Spielberg.The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert (https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-goonies-1985), Janet Maslin in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/07/movies/screen-the-goonies-written-by-spielberg.html) and Paul Attanasio in The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1985/06/07/goonies/718634c1-8878-47b5-a886-1e5ecab819cf/).Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyearYou can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/If you’re a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/ Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.comSubscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosenPlease like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1985 episode, with the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Blood Simple.
Transcribe →