Podcast Tag: 1996

Hard Eight (Bonus 1996 First Feature)

For the second episode of our special retrospective season, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 1996 to feature another notable filmmaking debut, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Hard Eight. Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson and starring Philip Baker Hall, John C. Reilly, Gwyneth Paltrow and Samuel L. Jackson, Hard Eight was based on Anderson’s 1993 short film Cigarettes & Coffee.
Waiting For Guffman (1996 Bonus Episode)

In this special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1996, we’re talking about Christopher Guest’s influential comedy Waiting for Guffman. Directed and co-written (with Eugene Levy) by Christopher Guest and starring Guest, Levy, Fred Willard, Catherine O’Hara, Parker Posey and Bob Balaban, Waiting for Guffman premiered at the 1996 Boston Film Festival and was released in theaters in early 1997.
Space Jam (1996 Bonus Episode)

In this special bonus episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1996, we’re talking about the animated/live-action hybrid comedy Space Jam. Directed by Joe Pytka and starring Michael Jordan, Wayne Knight, Bill Murray and the voices of Billy West, Danny DeVito and Dee Bradley Baker, Space Jam was a box-office hit and a merchandising bonanza.
1996 Epilogue

In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1996, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about which movies they hoped we would cover.
That Thing You Do! (1996 Audience Choice)

In the finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1996, we’re talking about this season’s audience choice pick, Tom Hanks’ That Thing You Do! Written and directed by Tom Hanks and starring Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Johnathon Schaech, Steve Zahn, Ethan Embry and Tom Hanks, That Thing You Do! beat out Billy Bob Thornton’s Sling Blade and Steve Buscemi’s Trees Lounge in our audience choice poll of 1996 directorial debuts by actors.
Crash (1996 Future Cult Classic)

The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1996 features our future cult classic pick, David Cronenberg’s Crash. Written and directed by David Cronenberg (based on J.G. Ballard’s novel) and starring James Spader, Holly Hunter, Deborah Kara Unger, Elias Koteas and Rosanna Arquette, Crash was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.
The Frighteners (1996 Dave’s Pick)

The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1996 features our producer David Rosen’s personal pick, Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners. Directed and co-written (with Fran Walsh) by Peter Jackson and starring Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Jeffrey Combs, Peter Dobson, Dee Wallace, Chi McBride and Jim Fyfe, The Frighteners was a box-office disappointment but helped launch Jackson’s career in Hollywood.
The English Patient (1996 Best Picture)

The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1996 features the Best Picture Oscar winner, The English Patient. Written and directed by Anthony Minghella (based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje) and starring Ralph Fiennes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Juliette Binoche and Willem Dafoe, The English Patient was nominated for 12 Oscars and won nine, including Best Picture.
Welcome To The Dollhouse (1996 Sundance Award Winner)

The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1996 features the Grand Jury Prize winner from the Sundance Film Festival, Todd Solondz’s Welcome to the Dollhouse. Written and directed by Todd Solondz and starring Heather Matarazzo, Brendan Sexton III, Eric Mabius, Matthew Faber, Angela Pietropinto and Bill Buell, Welcome to the Dollhouse went on to be nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards, with one win.
Swingers (1996 Jason’s Pick)

The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1996 features Jason’s personal pick, influential indie comedy Swingers. Written by Jon Favreau, directed by Doug Liman and starring Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston, Patrick Van Horn, Alex Desert and Heather Graham, Swingers was a minor box-office success, but went on to be one of the essential movies of the ’90s indie boom.