Million Dollar Movies

Bob and Dan watch Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch (1969), a elegiac Western about a group of outlaws who take on a murderous Mexican general. Other topics discussed: spaghetti Westerns, violence, the 60s, and who the real bad guys are. Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Follow Dan on Twitter.

Bob and Dan welcome special guest Anya Garrett to talk about Todd Solondz's dark comedy Happiness (1998). The movie covers everything from bad breakups to child molesters. You have to see it to believe it. Other topics discussed: perfection in film, great ensemble movies, and how to make murder funny. Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Follow Dan on Twitter.

Bob and Dan discuss a prescient guilty pleasure, Enemy of the State (1998). Robert Dean (Will Smith) is a lawyer who finds himself accidentally wrapped up in a conspiracy to protect the NSA. Other topics discussed: the surveillance state, paranoia, the Monomyth, and director Tony Scott. Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Follow Dan on Twitter.

Bob and Dan watch Robert Altman's anti-Western, McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971). The film is about a pair of professional brothel owners building up an entire town around their business before a mining company decides to take them over by any means necessary. Other topics discussed: Deadwood, prostitution, Altman's greatest movie, and whether or not you can like something without liking all of it. Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Follow Dan on Twitter.

Bob and Dan invite screenwriters Hannah Schneider and Nelson Greaves back to the show to discuss everyone's favorite Michael Bay film, Armageddon (1998). Armageddon follows the amazing true story of 6 astronauts who - just kidding - it's the one where NASA sends a bunch of oil drillers into space to stop a meteor from destroying Earth. It's a blast! Sadly, Bob remains unconvinced. Other topics discussed: America, cheap thrills, space, and guilty pleasures from childhood. Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Follow Dan on Twitter.

Bob and Dan discuss Joon-ho Bong's Memories of Murder (2003), a South Korean film about detectives tracking a serial killer. Other topics covered: how to get away with murder, Silence of the Lambs, setting it up and paying it off, America, and the FBI. Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Follow Dan on Twitter.

Bob and Dan discuss Sam Fuller's The Steel Helmet (1951), a war drama about a group of US soldiers in the Korean War who end up defending a Buddhist Temple/lookout post from the enemy. Other topics discussed: what America is vs. what it could be, racism, Casablanca, and how to spot an anti-Semite (spoiler: everyone's an anti-Semite). Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Follow Dan on Twitter.

Bob and Dan discuss Luis Buñuel's Los Olvidados (1950), a Mexican film about the demoralizing effects of poverty. Other topics discussed: abstract film, dream sequences, Jewish last names, and feral capitalism.  Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Follow Dan on Twitter.

Bob and Dan discuss Douglas Sirk's All That Heaven Allows (1955), a film about a widow who falls in love with her young gardener much to the dismay of her family and friends. It's a melodrama with the best art direction you'll ever see! Other topics discussed: conformity, Merritt Parkway novels, German expressionism, and - I can't believe we went there - escaping Nazi Germany. Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.

Bob and Dan discuss the bleakest crime drama ever made, Get Carter (1971). When Carter, a professional killer played by Michael Caine, finds out his brother died in a drunk driving accident, he suspects foul play. When Carter starts digging, he finds a much darker truth than he expected. Other topics discussed: Animal Kingdom, nihilism, and porn. Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Follow Dan on Twitter.

Bob and Dan welcome Michael Molina (Trivia Night) to discuss Wake in Fright (1971), an Australian film about a school teacher who tries to take a trip to Sydney but gets stuck in a mining town for a nightmarish few days. Other topics: parables, Hell, drunk men, and hunting kangaroos. Join our Facebook page Follow us on Twitter Follow Dan on Twitter

Bob and Dan discuss Nicholas Ray's In A Lonely Place (1950), a film about a screenwriter who is accused of murder. Other topics discussed: the movie Adaptation, bitch slapping Jeff Sessions, and how to properly end a story. Follow us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Follow Dan on Twitter.

Bob and Dan discuss Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973), a Philip Marlowe noir that turns the genre on its head. Marlowe wakes up in the middle of the night to a hungry cat, and a good friend who needs a ride to Mexico. In the morning, the cops arrest Marlowe as an accessory to his friend's wife's murder. Things get weird after that. Other topics discussed: movies about other movies, soliloquies, the Jewish mob, and The Third Man. Follow our Facebook page. Follow us on Twitter: @MDMpodcast Follow Dan on Twitter: @DanWilbur

Bob and Dan argue over John Carpenter's The Thing (1982), a sci-fi horror based on a short story and the 1951 Howard Hawks movie The Thing From Another World (which we covered in our very first episode). Topics discussed: what makes a good monster, suspense, collaborative projects, and whether or not this movie is great or garbage. Join our Facebook group. Follow us on Twitter: @MDMpodcast Follow Dan on Twitter: @DanWilbur

Bob and Dan discuss Red River (1948), a Howard Hawks western about a cattle drive that goes horribly wrong thanks to the tyrannical behavior of the drive's leader played by John Wayne. Other topics discussed: Homeric epic, the heartland, the best movie genre, and beef. So much beef. Follow our Facebook page to get more info on the movies we've covered. Follow us on Twitter: @MDMpodcast Follow Dan on Twitter: @DanWilbur

Bob and Dan discuss John Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13 (1976), a film about police officers and criminals surviving a night inside a soon-to-be-closed precinct house as it gets bombarded by a gang. Topics discussed: movies about other movies, Howard Hawks, bad acting, and the being the smartest kid in the room. Join our Facebook page for updates. Follow us on Twitter: @MDMpodcast Follow Dan on Twitter: @DanWilbur

Bob and Dan discuss Robert Aldrich's Attack! (1956), a World War II movie about American soldiers turning on their own captain because of his cowardly behavior. Is it blasphemy? The US Military thought so! Other topics discussed: Spielberg's best movie (not the one you think), corrupt rich people, how to pull off a dark ending, and - can you believe this came up again? - the Nazis. Join our Facebook group. Follow us on Twitter: @MDMpodcast Follow Dan on Twitter: @DanWilbur

Bob and Dan discuss Freaks (1932), a film that takes a behind-the-scenes look at a traveling circus/freak show. It's the movie that defined the 60s (even though it came out in the 30s). Other topics discussed: the code of Millennials, separating art from artists, and - can you believe we went there? - the Nazis. Join our Facebook group. Follow us on Twitter: @MDMpodcast Follow Dan on Twitter: @DanWilbur

Bob and Dan talk with screenwriter Nelson Greaves about Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957), a film about a team of scientists who attempt to rescue other scientists from a mysterious island inhabited by giant crabs. It gets weirder from there. Topics discussed: camp, the hive mind, the double feature, what belongs in the Bizarro Canon, and whether we should ever speak of this movie again. Join the Facebook Group to discuss movies we've covered on the show. Follow us on Twitter: @MDMpodcast Follow Dan on Twitter: @DanWilbur

Bob and Dan discuss Across 110th Street (1972), a gritty film about the Italian mafia picking a fight with the black mafia in Harlem over a robbery committed by a few amateur criminals. Topics discussed: the old New York City, progressive movies versus blaxploitation, clichés, and buddy cop movies. Take a listen! Join our Facebook group to find out what's coming up next and to discuss movies we've covered. Follow us on Twitter: @MDMpodcast Follow Dan on Twitter: @DanWilbur