A VERY GOOD YEAR (Season 2)
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A full year in cinema every week - the year's best films, award winners, box office champs, and what was happening in the “real world.”
“Fun City Cinema” hosts Jason Bailey and Mike Hull proudly present “A Very Good Year,” a podcast with a simple premise: each week we invite a guest (filmmakers and actors, critics and historians, comedians and musicians) who loves movies, and ask them to select their favorite year of movies. Some pick a year from their movie-going past; some go deep into film history. Whichever the case, we spent (about) an hour talking about that year: we ask them to share their top five films of the year, and tell us why they love them; we look at the year’s news headlines, award winners, and box office champions; and we finish with a lightning round, where we talk about as many films as possible in as few minutes as possible.
Episode 53:
1973 with Brian Saur
For season two, we’re wiping the slate clean and letting our guests pick any year they want, even if we covered it in season one. So first up, the very knowledgable and extremely affable host of the wonderful Just the Discs podcast, and the co-host of our beloved (and influential) Pure Cinema Podcast joins us to discuss the lovable losers of Scarecrow, the fast friends of The Last Detail, the witty whodunit The Last of Sheila, and more of the movies of 1973.
Episode 54:
1988 with Jen Johans
This week, we're talking about movies during the quiet time with the host of Watch with Jen and (relevant to our interests here) the co-host of Midnight Run-Through, Film Intuition's Jen Johans. She's joining us to discuss the formative year of 1988, when her frequent babysitting gigs were highlighted by stacks of such VHS favorites as Bull Durham and A Fish Called Wanda. Plus, BOGOSIAN!
Episode 55:
1999 with Brian Raftery
Brian Raftery is the host of the excellent narrative podcasts Gene and Roger and Do We Get to Win This Time? for the Ringer and Spotify; he’s also SUCH an expert on the movies of 1999, he wrote an entire book about them: the wonderful Best. Movie. Year. Ever: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen. He joins us to talk about why Election still hits, why Eyes Wide Shut has had such a wild afterlife, how The Blair Witch Project is somehow underrated, and much more.
Episode 56:
1971 with Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
This week, film critic, author, Fangoria columnist, physical media mainstay, and recovering academic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas joins us for a jaunt through the dark laughs of Little Murders and A New Leaf, the knotty gender politics of Straw Dogs, and more of the disturbances and pleasures of 1971.
Episode 57:
1992 with Sam Adams
Sam Adams, writer and senior editor for Slate, was in the midst of his cinephile awakening in 1992, when he was taking in new indies and other risky delights at the SoNo Cinema. Join us as we walk through the vérité discomforts of Husbands and Wives, the radical queer art of Edward II, the biting-the-hand-that-feeds-you brilliance of The Player, and more.
Episode 58:
1970 with Blake Howard
Our Aussie invasion continues with this week’s guest, film critic and podcaster extraordinaire Blake Howard, the mastermind of One Heat Minute Productions. Blake joins us to talk about unhealthy relationships with movies and his love for the films of 1970, from the gallows humor of M*A*S*H to the working class heroism of Five Easy Pieces to the unequalled cool (and Frenchness) of Le Cercle Rouge.
Episode 59:
1978 with Katie Rife
The whip-smart and hysterically funny Katie Rife joins us to talk about the movies of 1978 — from the terrifying precision to Halloween to the sweaty muscularity of The 36th Chamber of Shaolin to the impeccable formalism of Les Rendez-vous d’Anna — and why ‘70s genre cinema holds up so well.
Episode 60:
1968 with David Fear
David Fear, chief film critic and senior editor at Rolling Stone, had not yet joined the living in the year 1968, but he’s always been fascinated by its contradictions and commentaries. He joins us to discuss the genius of 2001: A Space Odyssey, the majesty of Once Upon a Time in the West, and the stickiness of Rosemary’s Baby.
Episode 61:
1998 with Esther Zuckerman
Esther Zuckerman is an appropriate guest for Oscar Sunday, as she is the author of the fabulous book Beyond the Best Dressed: A Cultural History of the Most Glamorous, Radical, and Scandalous Oscar Fashion. She joins us to talk about famous Oscar spoiler Shakespeare in Love, the wildly underrated Velvet Goldmine, the one and only Big Lebowski, and more of the movies of 1998.
Episode 62: 1989 with Jacob Knight
Back at SXSW, we’re joined by Austin’s own Jacob Knight, co-host of the “Secret Handshake” podcast, and lover of great movies and great trash. 1989 offered plenty of both, from the power of The Abyss to the inanity of Jason Takes Manhattan to the coke-dusted earnestness of Road House.
Episode 63: 1965 with Robert Daniels
For show number two from SXSW, we’re joined by the prolific film critic and RogerEbert.com Associate Editor Robert Daniels. He sings the praises of 1965, from the devastation of The Pawnbroker to the thrills of Flight of the Phoenix to the sweep of Doctor Zhivago.
Episode 64: 1994 with Bob Byington
It’s a special MID-WEEK EPISODE, in honor of Friday’s release of acclaimed director Bob Byington’s latest, Lousy Carter. Join us as we talk with Bob about the current indie landscape and the films of 1994, from the art of Red to the commerce of Speed to the pleasures of The Hudsucker Proxy.
Episode 65: 2017 with Alison Herman
Variety TV critic (and The Ringer’s founding TV critic) Alison Herman had just moved to Los Angeles in the year of our lord 2017, and she joins us to recall, with fondness, cockeyed comedy of Phantom Thread, the deft commentary of Get Out, and the totally not-divisive pleasures of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Episode 66: 1979 with Scott Drebit
Daily Dead columnist Scott Drebit’s new book is A Cut Below: A Celebration of B Horror Movies, 1950s-1980s, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he picked 1979, a banner year for horror. He joins us to discuss the working-class scares of Alien, the insanity of Zombie, the inexplicable PG rating of Tourist Trap, and more.
Episode 67: 2013 with Siddhant Adlakha
Filmmaker, actor, TV writer, and film critic Siddhant Adlakha was in a moment of transition in 2013, and vowed to see as many new movies as possible for the sake of career clarity. He walks us through some of those discoveries, from the spectacle of Ram-Leela to the melancholy of Inside Llewyn Davis to the intimacy of Short Term 12.
Episode 68: 2002 with John Early
In advance of Friday’s theatrical debut of his Sundance hit Stress Positions, comedian, actor, writer, and cinephile John Early joins us to discuss all things 2002, from the earnestness of Crossroads to the sexiness of Unfaithful to the status of his Toni Collette website.
Episode 69: 1997 with Tomris Laffly
Film critic and journalist Tomris Laffly was just starting to figure out who she was as a filmgoer in 1997, so she joins us to share some of her favorite memories of that year: the heartache of Good Will Hunting, the dark humor of The Ice Storm, and the majesty of Titanic.
Episode 70: 1990 with Kate Erbland
Indiewire’s Kate Erbland was a literal child in the year 1990, but she luckily had parents who put very few viewing boundaries on her, which was how she ended up seeing Die Hard 2, Ghost, and one of her all-time favorite movies, Pretty Woman. She joins us to talk about those and MANY more.
Episode 71: 1954 with Glenn Kenny
Glenn Kenny is the author of the new book The World Is Yours: The Story of ‘Scarface,’ and is one of our favorite film critics and scholars in general. He’s here to talk about the mighty 1954, a less-discussed year that gave us everything from Seven Samurai to Rear Window to Creature from the Black Lagoon.
Episode 72: 1991 with Alonso Duralde
Critic, podcaster, and author Alonso Duralde was just beginning his professional life in 1991, and witnessed the early pangs of what became known as the New Queer Cinema, a key point in his new book Hollywood Pride: A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Representation and Perseverance in Film. He joins us to talk about that moment, including the delights of Madonna: Truth or Dare, the coding of Thelma & Louise, and the genuine transgressiveness of Poison.
Episode 73: 1983 with Richard Shepard
Screenwriter and director Richard Shepard’s new film is catnip to us (and probably you too, if you’re listening to this show): Film Geek, an essay film about growing up as a movie-crazy kid in NYC in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. He joins us to talk about 1983, including Scorsese’s King of Comedy, Fosse’s STAR 80, and Forsyth’s Local Hero.
Episode 74: 1976 with Alexandra West
Film critic, podcaster, and historian Alexandra West joins us to talk about her new book Gore-Geous: Personal Essays on Beauty and Horror and the movies of 1976, from the bloodbaths of Carrie and Taxi Driver to the erotic power plays of In the Realm of the Senses.
Episode 75: 1964 with Ben Mankiewicz
Film critic, historian, and TCM stalwart Ben Mankiewicz joins us, on the eve of a new season of his essential podcast The Plot Thickens (focusing on the life and work of John Ford), to discuss the nuclear meltdowns of Fail-Safe, the political paranoia of Seven Days in May, the complex delights of Marriage, Italian Style, and more of the movies of 1964.
Episode 76: 1987 with Carrie Courogen
Writer, editor, and director Carrie Courogen is the author of the breathtakingly good new book Miss May Does Not Exist, and since it’s a biography of Elaine May, she joins us to talk about 1987 — not only May’s unjustly maligned Ishtar, but the sheer perfection of Broadcast News and Moonstruck.
Episode 77: 1967 with Mark Harris
Mark Harris has written three of the essential film books of our time, and one of them — Pictures at a Revolution — tells the story of Hollywood in flux by detailing the making of the five nominees for best picture of 1967. So he joins us to talk about that year, from the groundbreaking The Graduate to the nose-thumbing of Bonnie & Clyde to the sheer craft of In the Heat of the Night.
Episode 78: 1961 with Larry Karaszewski
Larry Karaszewski isn’t just an award-winning screenwriter and producer — he’s also a serious cinephile, as evidenced by the fact that we asked him for a top five for the year of his birth, 1961, and he came back with six double-features. We talk about them all on this super-sized episode, with inspired pairings of American independents, Natalie Wood vehicles, Marcello Mastroianni classics, and more.
Episode 79: 1924 with Marya E. Gates
Nobody we know knows more about silent cinema than film critic, historian, and social media mastermind Marya E. Gates. She joins us to talk about movies from literally a century ago, from the brilliance of Sherlock Jr. to the sexiness of Forbidden Paradise to the surrealism of Ballet Mécanique.
Episode 80: 1959 with Phillip Lopate
The essayist, poet, and film critic Phillip Lopate joins us to discuss his new collection My Affair with Art House Cinema: Essays and Reviews and the cinema of 1959, in which one series began with The 400 Blows, one series ended with The World of Apu, and Otto Preminger hit the courtroom in Anatomy of a Murder.
Episode 81: 1969 with Willow Catelyn Maclay
Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema is one of our favorite film books of the year, and we’re welcoming both of its authors as consecutive guests. This week, film critic Willow Catelyn Maclay joins us to talk about the movies of 1969, from the ahead-of-its-time freedom of Funeral Parade of Roses to the Gotham grime of Midnight Cowboy to the delightful silliness of Gamera vs Guiron.
Episode 82: 1995 with Caden Mark Gardner
This week, we’re joined by the other co-author of the must-read new book Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema, as film critic Caden Mark Gardner discusses the cinema of 1995, including such now-classics as Safe, Heat, and Devil in a Blue Dress.
Episode 83: 2019 with Noel Murray
Film critic and O.G. AV Club member Noel Murray does not usually suffer from recency bias, but he thought it would be fun to glance back just five years to 2019, which gave us the hang-out pleasures of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the stinging commentary of Parasite, and the shocks and thrills of Us.
Episode 84: 1982 with Chris Nashawaty
Film critic and author Chris Nashawaty’s latest book is The Future Was Now: Madmen, Mavericks, and the Epic Sci-Fi Summer of 1982, so you’ll never guess what year he joins us to talk about! Hear us wax rhapsodic about the thrills of Blade Runner, the chills of The Thing, the Catholic guilt of The Verdict, and much more.
Episode 85: 1940 with Stephanie Crawford
Film critic and podcaster Stephanie Crawford usually dabbles in horror and exploitation cinema, but she is also obsessed with screwball comedy — so she joins us to discuss 1940, a banner year for the subgenre, thanks to His Girl Friday, The Philadelphia Story, and Christmas in July.
Episode 86: 1981 with Josh Lewis
Film critic and podcaster Josh Lewis explores the “sleaze canon” on his “Sleazoids” podcast, and he joins us to discuss the very sleazy year of 1981, from the gore of The Beyond to the paranoia of Blow Out to the surprising depth of MS. 45.
Episode 87: 1972 with Zach Clark
Independent filmmaker Zach Clark joins us in advance of the release of his new film The Becomers for a look at some of the most delightfully insane movies of 1972, including the stylized mayhem of Female Prisoner #701: Scorpion, the melodrama of The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, and the total decadence of Pink Flamingos.
Episode 88: 1945 with Jill Blake
Film historian, podcaster, and CineJourneys co-founder Jill Blake joins us to walk through the post-war euphoria and darkness of 1945, including I Know Where I’m Going, Brief Encounter, and Leave Her to Heaven.
Episode 89: 1984 with Andrea Chalupa
Author, filmmaker, and Gaslit Nation host Andrea Chalupa joins us to discuss 1984—an appropriate year for an Orwell scholar—in advance of the release of her new graphic novel In the Shadow of Stalin: The Story of Mr. Jones. Listen in as she gives much love to Amadeus, Once Upon a Time in America, and, of course, 1984.
Episode 90: 1993 with Nick de Semlyen
Empire magazine editor Nick de Semlyen’s most recent book, The Last Action Heroes, is a delightful history of ‘80s and ‘90s action cinema, so he joins us to discuss 1993, from the blistering action of “Demolition Man” to the action satire of “Hot Shots! Part Deux” to the pointed inaction of “The Remains of the Day.”
Episode 91: 2020 with Emily St. James
TV critic, author, podcaster, and television writer Emily St. James is the co-author (along with previous guest Noel Murray) of the book LOST: Back to the Island (out Tuesday), so she joins us to geek out with Mike over that show and discuss the unusual offerings of the very odd year of 2020, including Wolfwalkers, Da 5 Bloods, and The Empty Man.
Episode 92: 1947 with April Wolfe
Screenwriter (and former film critic and podcaster) April Wolfe joins us to talk up the postwar pleasures of 1947, so bring your nun’s habits (Black Narcissus), femme fatales (Out of the Past) and questionable Irish accents (The Lady from Shanghai).
Episode 93: 1966 with Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor is the author of one of our fave film books, Opening Wednesday at a Theater or Drive-In Near You, so he joins us to discuss the “hinge year” of 1966, which included late films from old masters (El Dorado), manifestos from provocateurs (Masculin Feminin), and electric shocks from cinematic wild men (Tokyo Drifter).
Episode 94: 1958 with Beatrice Loayza
Film critic, editor, and intrepid festival traveler Beatrice Loayza joins us for another probing look into the oft-dismissed 1950s—this time 1958, as we look at a Hitchcock classic (Vertigo), a pre-New Wave banger (Elevator to the Gallows), a hard-hitting social drama (The Defiant Ones), and more.
Episode 95: 2018 with Abby Olcese
Abby Olcese’s new book Films for All Seasons walks the reader through “the church year at the movies,” finding unexpected movies to tie in to the liturgical calendar; she joins us to explore the calendar year of 2018, including Bad Times at the El Royale, First Reformed, and Eighth Grade.
Episode 96: 1930 with Catherine Stebbins
Catherine Stebbins is intimately acquainted with the year of 1930 - because it was the subject of the most recent of her year-by-year movie ‘zines, which makes her an ideal (and overdue) guest. Join us as she discusses the nutty King of Jazz, the heartbreaking City Girl, the sublime People on Sunday, and more.
Episode 97: 2008 with Daniel Waters
Screenwriter (Heathers, Demolition Man, Batman Returns) and encyclopedic cinephile Daniel Waters joins us to discuss 2008—a key year for him as a filmmaker and film lover, thanks to the likes of Synecdoche, New York, Love Exposure, and The Dark Knight.
Episode 98: 1996 with Kristen Lopez
Film and television critic, author, and essayist Kristen Lopez joins us to discuss her book But Have You Read the Book?: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films, the TWO books she’s working on next, and the movies of 1996, from the teen-girl dream of Romeo + Juliet to the drive-in pleasures of From Dusk Till Dawn to the hilarity of The Birdcage.
Episode 99: 1974 with Kevin M. Kruse
Author, historian, and professor Kevin M. Kruse joins us to walk through the very eventful year — historically and cinematically — of 1974, including the take-no-prisoners energy of Foxy Brown, the grimy perfection of The Taking of Pelham 123, and a double-barreled shotgun blast of Mel Brooks.
Episode 100: 2000 with Mac Welch
Mac Welch is an actor, cartoonist, filmmaker, and podcaster, but more importantly, he’s been friends with us nearly as long as they’ve been friends with each other. Join us as we talk about the movies we all saw together in 2000, AND ALSO where we’ll be taking the show as we reformat for our next season.
Bonus Episode: 2024 with Alissa Wilkinson
In what has become an annual tradition, we welcome back our good friend, New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson, to look back at the movie year we just finished — without the benefit of hindsight! Hear Alissa and Mike geek out about Eno, our conversation on the first-person camera of Nickel Boys, everyone falling for Anora, and more.
Bonus Episode: 2025 with Alissa Wilkinson
Carrying on an annual tradition, New York Times film critic, author, and friend of the pod Alissa Wilkinson returns to discuss her top five movies of the year we’ve just completed, and to talk a bit about the trends and controversies that preoccupied us.