That 70s Movie Podcast

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael press play for the 1971 psychological thriller, "Klute." We loved everything about this movie -- from Jane Fonda's unflinching portrayal of Bree Daniels, a Manhattan call girl caught up in a murder investigation led by Detective John Klute (played by Donald Sutherland), to Alan J. Pakula's inspired direction and Gordon Willis's magnificent cinematography. We discussed whether Klute is a feminist movie or if it's even much ...

Send a text This week on That 70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael separated the wheat from the chaff on the 1978 film "Days of Heaven" ... and we also remembered the career of Robert Duvall, who passed away last month. Both of us praised Duvall's extraordinary career and his roles in some of the greatest films of the 1970s. But we focused most of our discussion on his stellar performance in 1983's "Tender Mercies," for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor. We had a bit less acclaim...

Send a text This week, Jonathan and Michael grabbed some popcorn and headed to the local movie theater to check out the 1971 coming-of-age story "The Last Picture Show." We talked at length about the uniformly extraordinary acting performances in this movie, from Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson to Cybil Shepherd and Ellen Burstyn; praised Peter Bogdanovich's fantastic direction (but uneven filmography); debated who is the main character in the movie; and discussed how The Last Picture S...

Send a text This week, Jonathan and Michael go high-speed on the 1971 classic "The French Connection." We talked at length about the film's multiple, bravura chase scenes and asked if the famous car-train sequence is even the best one in the movie! We debated whether Popeye Doyle, played by Gene Hackman, is a good cop, and questioned whether his character was too one-dimensional and, even more importantly, too amoral. We poked a few holes in the film's plot, but agreed that this is peak '70s ...

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael tackle the 1979 sports drama, North Dallas Forty. We talked at length about the evolution of sports movies and how the '70s were a golden age for gridiron warriors, punching pugilists, and biking Italians. We heaped praise on Nick Nolte's performance as well as G.D. Spradlin, Charles Durning, and Mac Davis in his first acting performance. Though we agreed North Dallas Forty is far from perfect, it's a great example of how ...

Send a text This week, Jonathan and Michael jumped into the ocean to discuss the Robert Altman neo-noir classic, "The Long Goodbye." We agreed that this is one of Altman's best-directed movies and a fantastic example of revisionist noir. We talked at length about Philip Marlowe's steadfast moral and ethical code, and how it ran headfirst into the changing social mores of the 1970s. We loved the acting performances in this movie, from Elliott Gould as Philip Marlowe and Nina van Pallandt...

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael get lathered up for the 1975 classic "Shampoo." In this episode, we went deep on "Shampoo's" uniquely political frame; why the backdrop of the 1968 presidential election is its own character in the movie, and whether the film's critique of liberal apathy about the election of Richard Nixon is correct, We heaped praise on Warren Beatty's gutsy and compelling performance, as well as Goldie Hawn's tour de force acting as she ...

Send a text This week on that '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael are on a mission ... to talk about the 1967 neo-noir classic "Point Blank." Yes, we know this is not officially a '70s film, but in its structure, themes, and vibe, it fits very much with the New Hollywood of the 1970s. In fact, as we discuss in this episode, "Point Blank" laid the foundation for the cinematic renaissance to come. We also traversed familiar terrain as we discussed how much of the film is real, how much is ...

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael climb into bed for the 1969 Paul Mazursky-directed satire, "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice." We both agreed that even though it was released in late 1969, the film qualifies as a '70s movie, both in terms of structure and content. We loved all four leading actors, notably Dyan Cannon and Robert Culp, especially for his funky wardrobe. While we disagreed about the film's uncertain ending and the consistency of Mazurs...

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael decided to go in a different direction -- and turned on the green light to discuss the 2025 blockbuster "One Battle After Another." We talked about Paul Thomas Anderson's legacy as a director, the influence of '70s cinema on his filmmaking, and how this film was a departure in form from his previous movies. We praised the performances of Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, and Benicio del Toro, and also marveled at the movie...

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael were joined by Ron Brownstein as we opened up the floodgates on the 1974 neo-noir thriller, "Chinatown." Ron has written extensively about Los Angeles in the 70s, and he regaled us with stories about the making of the film and, in particular, the drafting of Robert Towne's screenplay, which we all agreed is one of the greatest ever written. We also talked at length about Faye Dunaway's otherworldly performance as Evelyn Mu...

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael turn the firehose on the 1974 disaster movie "The Towering Inferno." We praised the movie's stellar special effects and stunt work, as well as its suspenseful set pieces, while acknowledging that the acting and dialogue were perhaps not the best. We also talked about our favorite disaster movies, explored why people flock to theaters to see terrible things happen, and discussed how nostalgia plays such a fundamental role i...

Send a text This week on "That '70s Movie Podcast," Jonathan and Michael knocked on the door of the 1973 revisionist Western, "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid." We talked at length about James Coburn's astonishing performance as Pat Garrett and why this film is Sam Peckinpah's definitive statement on the Old West (we weren't shy, however, about addressing Peckinpah's problematic legacy). We explored the themes of generational change and the haunting specter of death in the frontier West, eviden...

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael had a worry-free conversation about the 1975 Robert Altman classic, "Nashville." We were joined by Northwestern University Communications Studies professor Heather Hendershot, who is the author of a recent BFI book on the movie. While Jonathan and Heather had nothing but praise for a film widely considered Altman's masterpiece, Michael took issue with "Nashville's" slow pacing and languid plotting. Where we did agree is on...

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Michael and Jonathan go to the bank on the 1973 classic "The Friends of Eddie Coyle." We had nothing but praise for this film's naturalistic feel, top-tier location work, razor-sharp pacing, and outstanding acting performances. In particular, we loved Robert Mitchum's lead role, but also went to bat for Richard Jordan and Peter Boyle. We talked about the enduring influence of Eddie Coyle on other filmmakers and wondered whether the reaso...

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Michael and Jonathan put on their platform shoes, don their favorite sequined shirts, and turn on the strobe lights for a spirited conversation about the 1977 film "Looking For Mr. Goodbar," starring Diane Keaton (RIP). In this episode, we heap praise on Keaton, not only for her bravura performance in this film but also for her courageous artistic choices and growth as an actor. We reached less consensus on Looking For Mr. Goodbar's occa...

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael are joined by Tom Schaller, political scientist and movie nerd, for a conversation about the 1974 mystery thriller "The Conversation." We talked about why this movie is perhaps the prototypical 1970s New Hollywood film. We discussed Francis Ford Coppola's A+ directing, but also his uneven movie career. We touched on Gene Hackman's GOAT-level filmography, the extraordinary sound design of this movie, and the metaphor that i...

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael bring to life the 1974 comedy classic "Young Frankenstein." In this episode, we discussed our favorite film comedies and why, in general, comedy often doesn't receive the same critical respect as other genres of film. We praised the performances of Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, and, above all, Gene Wilder. We also talked about the sometimes uneven movie output of director Mel Brooks - and why ...

Send a text This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Michael and Jonathan take the plunge on the 1974 paranoid thriller, "The Parallax View." We discussed the brilliance of the movie's look and feel, its expert direction and cinematography, but also its occasionally glaring plot holes. We critiqued Warren Beatty's performance in the lead role, talked about whether we're more unsettled by the Parallax Corporation's personality test or its film montages, and asked if the film's hired killers are t...

Send a text In this week's episode, Michael and Jonathan dived into the 1975 paranoid spy thriller "Three Days of the Condor." We talked about Robert Redford's extraordinary legacy as an actor and movie star, lavished more praise on Faye Dunaway, discussed the often cryptic dialogue in this movie, asked if Max Van Sydow's "Joubert" is a GOAT-level bad guy, and explored the decline in national trust that forms the backdrop for Condor. So open the door and get in the car for "Three Days of the ...