Put Your Books Down

If you put a corpse in a deep freeze for nine months, can you still claim you're just a sweet, misunderstood people-pleaser? In this episode of Put Your Books Down, hosts Natalie Sanderson Jones and Angela Bingham dive headfirst into Richard Linklater's 2011 dark comedy Bernie, starring Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and Matthew McConaughey.     The duo debates whether the real-life funeral director Bernie Tilden was a genuine victim who snapped under intense pressure or simply a calculating grifter exploiting wealthy Texas widows. They unpack Jack Black's standout performance, dissect the townspeople's shockingly lenient moral compass, and explore the bizarre real-life legal twists that followed the film's release.     Tune in for a hilarious, energetic breakdown of true crime, small-town dynamics, and incredible movie moments.     👉 Subscribe to Put Your Books Down 👉 Watch the full episode on YouTube 👉 Follow us on social @putyourbooksdown 👉 Check out our website here:        https://putyourbooksdown.com     Watch the show on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb18ywHqVOG_d2BKfy_-XS3MaDi6dz6s7     Follow Put Your Books Down on social media:     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/putyourbooksdown     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/putyourbooksdown/     Natalie on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/nataliecsandersonjones/     Angela on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/angelabinghamofficial/     Angela's Website:  https://angelabingham.net/     Podcast produced by http://clantoncreative.com

Sometimes you just need to put your books down and ask: When did reality TV contestants become "stars"? Natalie Sanderson Jones and Angela Bingham kick back for a full-on pop culture catch-up covering the new Dancing With the Stars lineup, Julia Stiles' return to the dance conversation, and the increasingly questionable definition of celebrity.     They also dive into celebrity ghost stories, including Loretta Lynn and Harry Hamlin's bizarre haunted-hotel engagement story. Then it's on to Sister Wives, the latest family shakeups, and why Angela remains inexplicably invested in a show she admits is incredibly boring.     Natalie also shares her reaction to Ryan Murphy's gruesome Lizzie Borden series, her personal battle with misophonia-inducing sound effects, and her new strategy for sharing every hilarious movie and TV clip she remembers without opening YouTube every five seconds. Plus, they revisit Amy Poehler's memorable conversation with Robert De Niro and hear from listeners who actually went and watched the movies they recommended.     👉 Subscribe to Put Your Books Down 👉 Watch the full episode on YouTube 👉 Follow us on social @putyourbooksdown 👉 Check out our website here:        https://putyourbooksdown.com     Join Angela's Kickstarter Here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/angelabingham/help-angela-bingham-make-her-new-record     Watch the show on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb18ywHqVOG_d2BKfy_-XS3MaDi6dz6s7     Follow Put Your Books Down on social media:     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/putyourbooksdown     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/putyourbooksdown/     Natalie on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/nataliecsandersonjones/     Angela on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/angelabinghamofficial/     Angela's Website: https://angelabingham.net/     Podcast produced by http://clantoncreative.com

What happens when a teenage valley girl is chosen to save the world from vampires? Apparently, she gets cramps, killer reflexes, fabulous clothes, and absolutely zero parental supervision. Natalie Sanderson Jones and Angela Bingham revisit the gloriously bizarre 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie and discover that it may be even more entertaining now than it was back then.     They talk Kristy Swanson's iconic Buffy, Luke Perry's peak-Dylan energy, Donald Sutherland's extremely questionable trench-coat introduction, David Arquette's surprisingly creepy vampire, and the unforgettable Paul Reubens death scene. Along the way, they unpack the movie's very 90s approach to teenagers, adult situations, fashion, boundaries, and the complete absence of concerned parents.     Then the conversation takes a detour into Practical Magic 2, Sandra Bullock's comeback, and the kind of female-powered movie Natalie wishes Hollywood would make. It's nostalgic, ridiculous, surprisingly thoughtful, and exactly the kind of pop-culture therapy Put Your Books Down was made for. Grab your favorite 90s memories and come laugh with Natalie and Angela.     👉 Subscribe to Put Your Books Down 👉 Watch the full episode on YouTube 👉 Follow us on social @putyourbooksdown 👉 Check out our website here:        https://putyourbooksdown.com     Join Angela's Kickstarter Here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/angelabingham/help-angela-bingham-make-her-new-record     Watch the show on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb18ywHqVOG_d2BKfy_-XS3MaDi6dz6s7     Follow Put Your Books Down on social media:     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/putyourbooksdown     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/putyourbooksdown/     Natalie on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/nataliecsandersonjones/     Angela on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/angelabinghamofficial/     Angela's Website: https://angelabingham.net/     Podcast produced by http://clantoncreative.com

What do you get when you mix Ryan Gosling, Sandra Bullock, murder, thumb rings, bad hair, and one deeply disturbing baboon? Somehow, you get a comfort movie.   Natalie Sanderson Jones and Angela Bingham put their books down and dive into Murder by Numbers, the 2002 psychological thriller starring Sandra Bullock, Ryan Gosling, and Michael Pitt. They unpack the movie's deliberately confusing plot, the shifting power dynamic between its two teenage killers, and the unmistakable psychological and erotic tension lurking beneath the murder plot.     They also revisit the movie's very early-2000s fashion and hair choices, Sandra Bullock's tough-cop persona, the film's Hitchcockian influence, and the real-life Leopold and Loeb case that inspired the story.     Plus, they debate Ryan Gosling's early acting chops, the movie's bizarre baboon subplot, why this isn't really a traditional whodunit, and why Murder by Numbers somehow works as the perfect Saturday-afternoon comfort thriller. It's nostalgic, ridiculous, surprisingly thoughtful, and exactly the kind of movie discussion you expect from Put Your Books Down.     👉 Subscribe to Put Your Books Down 👉 Watch the full episode on YouTube 👉 Follow us on social @putyourbooksdown 👉 Check out our website here:        https://putyourbooksdown.com     Join Angela's Kickstarter Here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/angelabingham/help-angela-bingham-make-her-new-record     Watch the show on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb18ywHqVOG_d2BKfy_-XS3MaDi6dz6s7     Follow Put Your Books Down on social media:     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/putyourbooksdown     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/putyourbooksdown/     Natalie on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/nataliecsandersonjones/     Angela on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/angelabinghamofficial/     Angela's Website: https://angelabingham.net/     Podcast produced by http://clantoncreative.com

Nobody asked for these opinions, which is exactly why Natalie and Angela absolutely had to share them.     In this hilarious episode of Put Your Books Down, the co-hosts unleash their fall 2026 hot takes on everything from overused "narcissist" diagnoses and the obsession with being busy to backing into parking spaces, outrageously loud restaurants, QR-code menus, and the emotional-support water bottle epidemic. They debate whether brunch is overrated, whether everyone who makes one fancy chicken recipe qualifies as a foodie, and why zucchini noodles will never, ever be pasta.     Then things get a little deeper as Natalie and Angela tackle "protect your peace," spiritual bypassing, forgiveness, relationships, and the idea that you don't have to forgive someone just because you want to heal. Of course, there's plenty of pop culture shade along the way—including opinions on Beyoncé, Ryan Reynolds, Leonardo DiCaprio, Keke Palmer, Goodfellas, and more.     👉 Subscribe to Put Your Books Down 👉 Watch the full episode on YouTube 👉 Follow us on social @putyourbooksdown 👉 Check out our website here:        https://putyourbooksdown.com     Watch the show on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLb18ywHqVOG_d2BKfy_-XS3MaDi6dz6s7     Follow Put Your Books Down on social media:     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/putyourbooksdown     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/putyourbooksdown/     Natalie on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/nataliecsandersonjones/     Angela on IG:  https://www.instagram.com/angelabinghamofficial/     Podcast produced by http://clantoncreative.com