The Weekly Movie Throwdown – Details, episodes & analysis

This week Mike and Steven kick off Stories of the Gridiron Month (see what we did there?) with 1993's The Program. This film, directed by David S. Ward, is one of only a few that turns its lens to college football instead of the pros, and shines a light on the pressure the student-players and coaches feel to succeed. The guys discuss the crazy actions these young men take, James Caan's acting, the film's controversial traffic scene, and a whole lot more. You'll want to listen all the way to the end!

In the news segment:

• The Amazon Digital Ownership Lawsuit
• A Knight Rider Reboot

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STILL TO COME ON STORIES OF THE GRIDIRON MONTH:

Black Sunday (1977, dir. John Frankenheimer)

Rewatch & Reconsider (title TBD)

Any Given Sunday (1999, dir. Oliver Stone)

Him (2025, dir. Justin Tipping)

On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.

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WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!

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This week on the podcast, Mike and Steven close out Physical Media Appreciation Month with a deep dive into John Landis’s horror classic An American Werewolf in London (1981). They're joined by horror aficionado and friend of the show, Andy Remondino, for a fun and detailed discussion on the film’s legacy and practical effects mastery.

Points of discussion:

• John Landis’s long journey to bring An American Werewolf in London to the screen
• Rick Baker’s groundbreaking werewolf transformation effects
• The film’s themes of alienation and its outsider allegory
• Why 1981 became the definitive "Year of the Werewolf" in horror cinema
• Plus cultural impact, and more!

In the news segment:

Terrence Stamp

The Cat in the Hat 

Joe Caroff

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On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.

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WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!

Please drop us a line at moviethrowdownpod@gmail.com, and follow us on social media:

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Folllow the show on social media and vote for a winner each week.

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This week on the podcast, we continue One Crazy Night Month with a deep dive into the hit 2018 comedy Game Night, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. This dark comedy-mystery blends sharp humor, clever plot twists, and stylish cinematography. Starring Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, Game Night delivers one of the most entertaining comedy films of the 2010s.

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STILL TO COME DURING ONE CRAZY NIGHT MONTH:

6/23: Rewatch & Reconsider: Knight and Day (2010, directed by James Mangold)

6/30: Collateral (2004, directed by Michael Mann)

On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.

____________________

WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!

Please drop us a line at moviethrowdownpod@gmail.com, and follow us on social media:

Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/

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Folllow the show on social media and vote for a winner each week.

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPod

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This week on the podcast, One Crazy Night Month rolls on with a deep dive into Martin Scorsese’s 1985 cult classic After Hours—the film he credits with rekindling his love for directing. Mike and Steven are joined by special guest Ben Tanzer, author of the new book After Hours: Scorsese, Grief and the Language of Cinema, to discuss the film’s surreal storytelling, its place in Scorsese’s filmography, and how it helped Ben process the loss of his father.

Plus, in film and podcasting news, the trio reacts to Marc Maron’s announcement that he’s ending his legendary podcast WTF with Marc Maron later this year.

Whether you're a fan of Scorsese, '80s cinema, or personal stories about grief and art, this episode offers an insightful conversation you won't want to miss.

Order After Hours: Scorsese, Grief, and the Grammar of Cinema here.

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STILL TO COME DURING ONE CRAZY NIGHT MONTH:

6/16: Game Night (2007, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein)

6/23: Rewatch & Reconsider (film TBD)

6/30: Collateral (2004, directed by Michael Mann)

On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.

____________________

WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!

Please drop us a line at moviethrowdownpod@gmail.com, and follow us on social media:

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Folllow the show on social media and vote for a winner each week.

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPod

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This week on the podcast, we kick off One Crazy Night Month—a series celebrating movies where the action unfolds over the course of a single wild night. First up: Go (1999), Doug Liman’s fast-paced tale of a drug deal gone wrong. Often compared to Pulp Fiction, Go takes the multi-perspective narrative popularized by Tarantino and runs with it—arguably delivering one of the best takes on the format.

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STILL TO COME DURING ONE CRAZY NIGHT MONTH:

6/9: After Hours (1985, directed by Martin Scorsese) with guest Ben Tanzer

6/16: Game Night (2007, directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein)

6/23: Rewatch & Reconsider (film TBD)

6/30: Collateral (2004, directed by Michael Mann)

On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.

____________________

WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!

Please drop us a line at moviethrowdownpod@gmail.com, and follow us on social media:

Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/

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Folllow the show on social media and vote for a winner each week.

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPod

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21st-Century Westerns Month wraps up this week with a real gem. We dig into Joel and Ethan Coen's No Country for Old Men, adapted from Cormac McCarthy's novel of the same name. With three fantastic performances, beautiful direction, and stunning cinematography, this film was a big hit at the Oscars, taking home four statues including Best Picture.

Joining us to discuss the film is author David Tromblay, whose forthcoming novel Coydog has been called "a cross between No Country for Old Men and Fargo," which makes him the perfect guest for this episode!

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Preorder David's book Coydog HERE.

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On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.

____________________

WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!

Please drop us a line at moviethrowdownpod@gmail.com, and follow us on social media:

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Folllow the show on social media and vote for a winner each week.

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPod

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This week 21st-Century Westerns Month continues with a double shot of 3:10 to Yuma. We compare and contrast the original 1957 version—directed by Delmer Daves—and the 2007 James Mangold remake. There's a lot of shared DNA that carries through from Elmore Leonard's short story, as well as quite a few original ideas in both. We also discuss the loss of Joe Don Baker last week, and a few other news stories.

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STILL TO COME DURING 21ST CENTURY WESTERNS MONTH:

5/26: No Country for Old Men (2007, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen)

On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.

____________________

WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!

Please drop us a line at moviethrowdownpod@gmail.com, and follow us on social media:

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Folllow the show on social media and vote for a winner each week.

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPod

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On the show this week we discuss Wind River from 2017. This is the directorial debut of writer/actor/Paramount+ benefactor Taylor Sheridan. It's the third in his trilogy about the modern American frontier (along with Sicario and Hell or High Water), which makes it perfect for this month's 21st-Century Westerns theme. With a compelling story and pitch-perfect cast, we had a lot of fun talking about this one.

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STILL TO COME DURING 21ST CENTURY WESTERNS MONTH:

5/19: 3:10 to Yuma Double Feature (1957 and 2007, directed by Delmer Davies and James Mangold)

5/26: No Country for Old Men (2007, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen)

On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.

____________________

WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!

Please drop us a line at moviethrowdownpod@gmail.com, and follow us on social media:

Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/

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TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moviethrowdownpod

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Folllow the show on social media and vote for a winner each week.

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPod

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This week we kick off 21st Century Westerns Month, where we'll discuss the similarities and difference between modern films in this genre and their predecessors from the early days of Hollywood. Kicking things off, 2015's Bone Tomahawk, a throwback to early westerns with a very contemporary sensibility. It's the first film from writer/director S. Craig Zahler, and features an unbelievable cast. It's also controversial for its brutality, which we get into.

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STILL TO COME DURING 21ST CENTURY WESTERNS MONTH:

5/12: Wind River (2017, directed by Taylor Sheridan)

5/19: 3:10 to Yuma Double Feature (1957 and 2007, directed by Delmer Davies and James Mangold)

5/26: No Country for Old Men (2007, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen)

On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.

____________________

WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!

Please drop us a line at moviethrowdownpod@gmail.com, and follow us on social media:

Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moviethrowdownpod/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@moviethrowdownpod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moviethrowdownpod

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Folllow the show on social media and vote for a winner each week.

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPod

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/moviethrowdownpod/

TIKTOK: tiktok.com/@moviethrowdownpod

THREADS: threads.com/@moviethrowdownpod

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LETTERBOXD: letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/

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This week we wrap up Baseball Month with one of the best films about the sport in the modern era. David S. Ward's Major League is a screwball comedy with a lot of the tropes we saw in Bad News Bears earlier in the month, and along with its hard R antics, it also sports a lot of heart in the writing. It's fun, funny, and inspiring. Join us as we discuss it along with some movie news about Sinners, Netflix, and much more!

____________________

On Letterboxd? Follow along with this month’s movie list here.

____________________

WE’D LOVE TO CONNECT!

Please drop us a line at moviethrowdownpod@gmail.com, and follow us on social media:

Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviethrowdown/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moviethrowdownpod/

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@moviethrowdownpod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@moviethrowdownpod

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moviethrowdownpod/

Folllow the show on social media and vote for a winner each week.

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/@MovieThrowdownPod

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/moviethrowdownpod/

TIKTOK: tiktok.com/@moviethrowdownpod

THREADS: threads.com/@moviethrowdownpod

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