Twenty years ago on Christmas Day, Wes Anderson released his fourth feature film into the world. The star-studded Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou was not as an immediate hit as some of Anderson's other films but it's one that has aged incredibly well. Bill Murray leads a cast of phenomenal actors such as Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Anjelica Huston, and many others as the titular Steve Zissou on a quest for both revenge against the rare (and possibly fictional) shark that killed his partner and best friend, and his long lost dignity and relevance as an oceanographer and documentarian. As funny as it is, the movie also is about a man struggling against his mortality and seeking to repair his legacy. It's charming, exciting, funny, and deeply heartfelt. Whether you revisit this as an old favorite or are coming to it for the first time, we hope you enjoy!

We are also thrilled to welcome Dan McCoy (The Flop House podcast, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart) to discuss the film with us. Dan is a veteran writer, comedian, podcaster, and movie watcher and it was a wonderful time having him on to talk about one of his favorite films.

If you're newer to the show be sure to check out our library of 150+ episodes with folks like Filmspotting's Josh Larsen, artist Stephanie Stalvey, Jemar Tisby, New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson, Propaganda, actor/director John Carroll Lynch, Kaitlyn Schiess (The Holy Post), and our old pal Slim (Letterboxd & 70mm Podcast).

Shoutouts:

The Burial

Continental Drifter by Kathy MacLeod

The Last Stop in Yuma County

Dan:

⁠⁠Philip's Letterboxd⁠⁠

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164: Substantive Cinema | The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou feat. Dan McCoy