Unspooled
Each week actor & comedian Paul Scheer (Black Monday, The League) and film critic Amy Nicholson (LA Times Chief Film Critic ) watch and discuss the best movies out there. From the classics to new releases and every indie film in-between. Along the way, they’ll dissect iconic scenes, spotlight their favorite characters, and decide if these movies still stand the test of time.
Episodes
March 26, 2026 • 78 mins
Paul and Amy make first contact with Denis Villeneuve’s quietly mind-bending sci-fi about language, time, and the choices that shape a life. They trace the film’s journey from Ted Chiang’s Story of Your Life to the screen, unpacking how screenwriter Eric Heisserer turned a cerebral short story into a $200M hit and why Amy Adams’ performance still feels criminally underrated a decade later.
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March 23, 2026 • 31 mins
Paul and Amy drop an emergency episode to blast off with Project Hail Mary, the rare big-swing sci-fi that Ryan Gosling leads with charisma, heart, and a whole lot of hope. They break down Gosling’s turn as a very unprepared hero, the emotional pull of his unlikely bond with Rocky, Sandra Hüller’s commanding presence, and why this Spielberg-esque adventure feels like a throwback in the best way.
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March 19, 2026 • 93 mins
Paul and Amy head down to the juke joint for Sinners, Ryan Coogler’s genre-bending swing through 1930s Mississippi where blues, blood, and family ties collide. They break down Michael B. Jordan’s dual turn as twin cousins, the breakout presence of Miles Caton, and a stacked ensemble to unpack how Coogler weaves horror with history.
You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6
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March 17, 2026 • 43 mins
Chris Ryan steps into the confession booth and it’s all Heat, all the time. Paul and Amy get into Chris’ ride-or-die devotion to Heat, his deep love of Michael Mann, and spirited debates over Public Enemies, Ferrari, and the elusive The Keep. They talk Yorgos Lanthimos, the art of avoiding trailers, and play a chaotic round of Christopher Nolan-themed F/M/K.
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March 12, 2026 • 76 mins
Paul and Amy break down the 2026 Oscar nominations, celebrating the surprises, lamenting the snubs, and making their early predictions for Hollywood’s biggest night. They champion overlooked favorites like Edington and Sorry, Baby, Josh O’Connor in Wake Up Dead Man, and Amanda Seyfried in Testament of Ann Lee, while digging into the year’s major contenders. And with Sinners leading the pack with a record 16 nominations and momentum...
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March 5, 2026 • 78 mins
Paul and Amy pay tribute to the late Bud Cort by revisiting Hal Ashby’s 1971 cult classic that somehow never shows up on the big movie lists. They unpack the film’s unlikely origins as UCLA student Colin Higgins’ audacious script and trace its journey from disastrous reviews and a blink-and-you-miss-it release to becoming a full-blown counterculture cult classic.
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February 26, 2026 • 78 mins
Paul and Amy sink their teeth into Twilight, unpacking how a once-mocked teen romance became a box-office juggernaut and cultural lightning rod. They trace the adaptation saga from Paramount’s infamous “jet ski” rewrite to Catherine Hardwicke’s faithful reset at Summit, debate vampire lore and gendered critiques of romance, and decide whether Team Edward vs. Team Jacob misses the point entirely.
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February 19, 2026 • 83 mins
Paul and Amy revisit Reality Bites, Ben Stiller’s Gen-X touchstone that may or may not want to be one. They discuss the film’s scrappy origins from writer Helen Childress and star-producer Winona Ryder, unpack Ethan Hawke’s slacker allure and Ben Stiller as a yuppie, and debate whether Lelaina’s rebellion was righteous or just twenty-something self-sabotage.
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February 17, 2026 • 45 mins
Paul and Amy step into the cinema confessional with Nicole Byer as she spills on being a proud talker during movies, why she prefers “dirty” character actors over glossy realism, and untangles her complicated relationship with the Fast & Furious saga.
Follow Nicole @nicolebyer on Instagram
Listen to “Why Won’t You Date Me?” at https://headgum.com/why-wont-you-date-me-with-nicole-byer
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February 12, 2026 • 78 mins
Paul and Amy hop the train to Vienna to revisit Before Sunrise, Richard Linklater’s ode to chance encounters and conversations that stretch until dawn. They unpack the film’s naturalistic dialogue, roaming long takes, and the electric chemistry between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, to explore how Jesse and Céline’s fleeting connection feels both impossibly romantic and deeply real.
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February 6, 2026 • 24 mins
Paul and Amy sit down to celebrate the incomparable life and career of Catherine O’Hara, whose brilliance shaped comedy for more than five decades. From her fearless work on SCTV to iconic turns in Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and her late-career renaissance on Schitt’s Creek, they reflect on her unmatched versatility, emotional precision, and the indelible characters that made her one of a kind.
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February 5, 2026 • 70 mins
Paul and Amy take on Brazil, Terry Gilliam’s surreal warning about authoritarianism, paperwork, and the cost of losing one’s imagination. They trace the film’s roots in Gilliam’s own experiences, his battles with studio power, and the creative compromises that nearly reshaped it to examine why Brazil remains one of cinema’s most enduring dystopias.
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January 29, 2026 • 70 mins
Paul and Amy step backstage with Shakespeare in Love, to exploring how a troubled production and last-minute casting changes led to one of the most debated Oscar victories of all time. They chat about Judi Dench’s scene-stealing performance, the film's playful blending of romance and literary myth, and the role awards campaigns play in shaping a film's legacy.
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January 22, 2026 • 87 mins
Paul and Amy take a deep breath and revisit Uncut Gems, examining Adam Sandler’s career-best performance as a man who just can’t stop pushing his luck. They unpack the film’s jittery score, its fraught production and awards-season snub, and the lineage of anxious filmmaking that makes every bet feel like life or death.
You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6
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January 19, 2026 • 38 mins
Reel talk: Sarah Marshall has movie opinions, and she’s ready to spill. Paul and Amy sit down with the You’re Wrong About co-host to discuss comfort watches, cinematic misfires, horror nerds, and the strange joy of learning history from films that are “educational-ish.”
Check out Sarah’s new show The Devil You Know at https://app.magellan.ai/listen_links/Hcq2dg
You can also stream You’re Wrong About… here: https://www.buzzsp...
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January 15, 2026 • 75 mins
Paul and Amy pack their pockets with tots and revisit Napoleon Dynamite, looking at the film's offbeat performances, DIY production, and how this quirky slice of Idaho life spawned memes, merch, and a forever spot in cult comedy history.
You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6
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January 8, 2026 • 84 mins
Paul and Amy unsheathe Kill Bill, Tarantino’s blood-soaked revenge epic that fused global genre cinema into something unmistakably his own. They trace The Bride’s evolution from concept to icon, unpack the film’s explosive choreography and stylized violence, and wrestle with the complicated legacy behind its creation.
You can join the Unspooled conversation on Paul’s Discord at https://discord.gg/ZwtygZGTa6
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January 1, 2026 • 43 mins
Paul and Amy dig into Variety’s list of the 100 greatest comedies of all time, celebrating the highs, questioning the rankings, and debating what makes a movie truly funny. From The Naked Gun taking the top spot to spirited discussions around Some Like It Hot, Annie Hall, Groundhog Day, and The Great Dictator, they unpack the list’s surprises, omissions, and the impossible challenge of ranking comedy at all.
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December 25, 2025 • 97 mins
Amy & Paul upload their consciousness into 2009’s otherworldly sci-fi spectacle Avatar! They confirm the concept of ‘unobtanium’ wasn’t invented by the film, learn which movie stars were up for the role of Jake Sully, and ask themselves why they feel protective of director James Cameron. Plus: did Cameron really insist the Na’Vi need to have breasts?
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December 18, 2025 • 80 mins
Paul and Amy ring in the holidays with The Muppet Christmas Carol, celebrating the Muppets’ heartfelt take on Dickens, the film’s joyful performances, and the craftsmanship that made it a cozy holiday fave. They also reflect on the movie’s deeper emotional resonance in the years following Jim Henson’s passing, and why this Muppet classic continues to mean so much at Christmastime.
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