What's in the Basket

09. Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982): A Real Goddamn Movie

On this week’s episode of What’s in the Basket, we’re putting on our black dresses and shaving our tongues as we get into trubil wrapping up our Noirvember series with Carl Reiner’s film noir pastiche Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid (1982). We discuss the ways the movie triumphs as an adoring tribute to its subject matter, its skillful use of archive footage, our love of Steve Martin, and some hot takes regarding the Academy, comedy, and film fandom in the social media age.

08. The Big Combo (1955): Two Bros Chillin’ in a Twin Bed No Feet Apart Cuz They Are Gay

On this week’s episode of What’s in the Basket, we continue our Noirvember series with a discussion of The Big Combo (1955). We cover the ways it functions as an unexpected subversion of the genre, consider Cornel Wilde’s status as one of film noir’s strangest leading men, examine Fante and Mingo’s relationship and the extent to which its ambiguities–or lack thereof–were intentional on the part of the filmmakers, and wonder just what the hell happened to poor Brian Donlevy.

07. The Night of the Hunter (1955): Charles Laughton’s Gonna Fight a Baby Behind the Bike Racks After School

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On this week’s episode of What’s in the Basket, we’re kicking off our Noirvember 2019 series with a discussion of The Night of the Hunter (1955). Talking points include the film’s masterful use of allegory and stylistic visuals to depict the real-life horrors of the Great Depression, Robert Mitchum’s innate coolness, Candice’s pitch for The Pride of the Yankees 2, and the utter tragedy of Charles Laughton’s regrettably brief directing career.

Bonus 04. Three Ann Sothern-Gene Raymond Rom-Coms: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Nelson Eddy

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On this week’s bonus episode of What’s in the Basket, we’re turning our attentions to the original primble in our research-free discussion of three RKO romantic comedies starring Ann Sothern and Gene Raymond: Walking on Air (1936), Smartest Girl in Town (1936), and She’s Got Everything (1937). First we address the absurdity of the films themselves and the utter desperation that emanates from the Sothern-Raymond pairing, then we descend into a flurry of confusion that touches upon half-remembered nudists, the baffling Gene Raymond-Jeanette MacDonald-Nelson Eddy interpersonal dynamic, and a surprising (or unsurprising?) amount of completely unrelated Lew Ayres discourse.

06. The Old Dark House (1932): There Once Was a Young Fellow from Sparta

On this week’s episode of What’s in the Basket, have a potato and join us for our discussion of The Old Dark House (1932). We delve into director James Whale’s reign as Universal’s king of horror, explore the film’s role as progenitor to the genre that took its name, trace the origins of Melvyn Douglas’s mustache, and bask in the poetry of renowned artistic phenom Charles Laughton.

05. Hocus Pocus (1993): That’s How Old a Baby Is

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On this week’s episode of What’s in the Basket, we’re putting a spell on you with our discussion of Hocus Pocus (1993). We cover the film’s years in development hell, admire its ability to capture the autumnal wonder of childhood Halloweens, and seriously consider purchasing the entire backlog of Muppet Magazine.

Bonus 03. This Gun for Hire (1942): Philip Raven’s No Good Very Bad Terrible Week

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On this week’s bonus episode of What’s in the Basket, Candice and Amelia pull on their gas masks for a research-free discussion of This Gun for Hire (1942). They attempt to expose the truth of Alan Ladd’s height, struggle to unravel the movie’s convoluted plot, examine Veronica Lake’s screen persona and her legacy as an iconic woman of film noir, and issue an impassioned plea for Tiff’s safe return.

04. Laura (1944): Harry Highpants the Tailor

On this week’s episode of What’s in the Basket, we’re falling in love with a corpse as we discuss Laura (1944). We marvel over the perfect storm of second-choice casting decisions that is the Dana Andrews/Gene Tierney/Clifton Webb trifecta, explore a very Real Housewivesian battle of egos between Otto Preminger and Daryl F. Zanuck, and break it down to the chill groove remix of film noir’s most iconic theme song.

Bonus 02. Two Anthony Mann B-Pictures: My Cousin Knows Someone Who Swallowed a Can Opener

On this week’s bonus episode of What’s in the Basket, we’re heading out to Poverty Row for our research-free discussion of two Republic Pictures programmers from early in the career of director Anthony Mann: Nobody’s Darling (1943) and Strangers in the Night (1944). We jam out to “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” with our cool teen friends, bond with mysterious women over the homoerotic poetry of A.E. Housman, and have a few questions about phenobarbital and the physics of falling portraits.

03. The Thing (1982): Is This the Most Hated Movie of All Time? (NOT CLICKBAIT)

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Show Notes

On this week’s episode of What’s in the Basket, we’re zipping up our parkas for our discussion of The Thing (1982). We marvel over Kurt Russell’s luscious locks, tackle the film’s lack of women and its approach to gender, struggle to comprehend the negative critical response that it received upon release, and learn way, way too much about Candice’s love of puppets.