That 70s Movie Podcast

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie 18.06.2026 1ч 12мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael are jumping in the phone booth for the 1976 crime drama, "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie." We loved the moral ambiguity at the heart of the movie, the focus on character over plot, the night-for-night shooting, and above all the extraordinary performance by Ben Gazzara as LA club owner -- and degenerate gambler -- Cosmo Vitelli. This movie is an underappreciated gem of '70s filmmaking -- and one of John Cassavetes' b...

Mikey and Nicky 09.06.2026 1ч 20мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael climb the gate for the 1976 classic "Mikey and Nicky." We were thrilled to finally discuss a film directed by the legendary Elaine May -- one of the few female directors who cracked this glass ceiling in the male-dominated New Hollywood. We loved May's directorial choices and her razor-sharp script. We were wowed by the astonishing, emotionally wrought performances from co-leads John Cassavetes and Peter Falk, t...

Two Lane Blacktop 02.06.2026 1ч 21мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael check under the hood for the 1971 cult classic "Two Lane Blacktop." We were joined this week by film critic extraordinaire and author of "Sofia Coppola: The Complete Unofficial Guide," Christina Newland. We talked with Christina about director Monte Hellman's existential approach to filmmaking, Mr. Warren Oates' wonderful performance, the more "wooden" acting from James Taylor and Dennis Wilson, and, most of all, the ...

Sex, Lies and Videotape 21.05.2026 1ч 24мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on that '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael get brutally honest about the 1989 indie classic, "Sex, Lies and Videotape." One of the credos of the podcast is that not every '70s film was made in the 1970s, and "Sex, Lies and Videotape," written and directed by Steven Soderbergh, is the kind of small, personal, character-driven film that reflects the ethos of the New Hollywood. Plus, it's a fantastic movie and in a storied filmmaking career, Soderbergh's masterpi...

Dog Day Afternoon 10.05.2026 1ч 21мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael wave the white flag for the 1975 classic "Dog Day Afternoon." This is 70s, New York filmmaking at its absolute peak. Phenomenal acting performances from Al Pacino, John Cazale, Charles Durning, and Chris Sarandon, inspired direction from the underappreciated master Sidney Lumet, Dede Allen's brilliantly paced editing, a razor-sharp screenplay by Frank Pierson, and wonderful cinematography from Victor Kemper. It doesn'...

Marathon Man 20.04.2026 1ч 35мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael go the extra mile for the 1976 thriller "Marathon Man." While we enjoyed many of the stylistic elements of this film, we had a blast discussing the many glaring plot holes (we came up with 12), including poorly placed carriage bombs, bad tonsorial choices, inexplicable post-stabbing decision-making, strangely bouncing soccer balls, and oddly timed baths. This was a fun one with laughs aplenty, so stick your stop...

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? 06.04.2026 1ч 21мин

Send us Fan Mail ⁠Buy Us A Coffee⁠! This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael pour a tall one for the 1966 classic "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" In this episode, we marveled at the GOAT-level performances from Elizabeth Taylor (Martha) and Richard Burton (George), praised Mike Nichols' highly cinematic take on a classic American play, and debated what this layered movie is trying to tell us. We also delved into the mystery of George and Martha's marriage, questioned the m...

Straight Time 27.03.2026 1ч 20мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on "That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael go up the river for the 1978 crime drama "Straight Time." We loved this nuanced and thematically rich late '70s cult classic, particularly for Dustin Hoffman's grounded and bravura =performance as Max Dembo, an ex-convict trying to follow the straight and narrow ... and failing miserably. But we also had tons of praise for the supporting cast, including Gary Busey, Theresa Russell, and Mr. M. Emmet Walsh, as well as ...

Duel 20.03.2026 1ч 14мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael hit the gas for Steven Spielberg's 1971 chase movie, "Duel." We talked at length about Steven Spielberg's legacy as a director and how "Duel" showcases his abundant skills but also shows a very un-Spielbergian edge. We praised the masterful ways Spielberg creates tension and suspense in the film, the numerous bad choices made by the main character, played by Dennis Weaver, and why the movie works best as an allegory.&...

Klute 10.03.2026 1ч 36мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael press play for the 1971 psychological thriller, "Klute." We loved everything about this movie -- from Jane Fonda's unflinching portrayal of Bree Daniels, a Manhattan call girl caught up in a murder investigation led by Detective John Klute (played by Donald Sutherland), to Alan J. Pakula's inspired direction and Gordon Willis's magnificent cinematography. We discussed whether Klute is a feminist movie or if it's even ...

Days of Heaven & Remembering Robert Duvall 02.03.2026 1ч 16мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That 70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael separated the wheat from the chaff on the 1978 film "Days of Heaven" ... and we also remembered the career of Robert Duvall, who passed away last month. Both of us praised Duvall's extraordinary career and his roles in some of the greatest films of the 1970s. But we focused most of our discussion on his stellar performance in 1983's "Tender Mercies," for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor. We had a bit less ac...

The Last Picture Show 23.02.2026 1ч 21мин

Send us Fan Mail This week, Jonathan and Michael grabbed some popcorn and headed to the local movie theater to check out the 1971 coming-of-age story "The Last Picture Show." We talked at length about the uniformly extraordinary acting performances in this movie, from Cloris Leachman and Ben Johnson to Cybil Shepherd and Ellen Burstyn; praised Peter Bogdanovich's fantastic direction (but uneven filmography); debated who is the main character in the movie; and discussed how The Last Pict...

The French Connection 08.02.2026 1ч 12мин

Send us Fan Mail This week, Jonathan and Michael go high-speed on the 1971 classic "The French Connection." We talked at length about the film's multiple, bravura chase scenes and asked if the famous car-train sequence is even the best one in the movie! We debated whether Popeye Doyle, played by Gene Hackman, is a good cop, and questioned whether his character was too one-dimensional and, even more importantly, too amoral. We poked a few holes in the film's plot, but agreed that this is peak ...

North Dallas Forty 02.02.2026 1ч 9мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael tackle the 1979 sports drama, North Dallas Forty. We talked at length about the evolution of sports movies and how the '70s were a golden age for gridiron warriors, punching pugilists, and biking Italians. We heaped praise on Nick Nolte's performance as well as G.D. Spradlin, Charles Durning, and Mac Davis in his first acting performance. Though we agreed North Dallas Forty is far from perfect, it's a great example of...

The Long Goodbye 26.01.2026 1ч 19мин

Send us Fan Mail This week, Jonathan and Michael jumped into the ocean to discuss the Robert Altman neo-noir classic, "The Long Goodbye." We agreed that this is one of Altman's best-directed movies and a fantastic example of revisionist noir. We talked at length about Philip Marlowe's steadfast moral and ethical code, and how it ran headfirst into the changing social mores of the 1970s. We loved the acting performances in this movie, from Elliott Gould as Philip Marlowe and Nina van Pal...

Shampoo 15.01.2026 1ч 13мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael get lathered up for the 1975 classic "Shampoo." In this episode, we went deep on "Shampoo's" uniquely political frame; why the backdrop of the 1968 presidential election is its own character in the movie, and whether the film's critique of liberal apathy about the election of Richard Nixon is correct, We heaped praise on Warren Beatty's gutsy and compelling performance, as well as Goldie Hawn's tour de force acting as...

Point Blank 05.01.2026 1ч 19мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on that '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael are on a mission ... to talk about the 1967 neo-noir classic "Point Blank." Yes, we know this is not officially a '70s film, but in its structure, themes, and vibe, it fits very much with the New Hollywood of the 1970s. In fact, as we discuss in this episode, "Point Blank" laid the foundation for the cinematic renaissance to come. We also traversed familiar terrain as we discussed how much of the film is real, how muc...

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice 23.12.2025 1ч 16мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael climb into bed for the 1969 Paul Mazursky-directed satire, "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice." We both agreed that even though it was released in late 1969, the film qualifies as a '70s movie, both in terms of structure and content. We loved all four leading actors, notably Dyan Cannon and Robert Culp, especially for his funky wardrobe. While we disagreed about the film's uncertain ending and the consistency of M...

One Battle After Another 17.12.2025 1ч 16мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael decided to go in a different direction -- and turned on the green light to discuss the 2025 blockbuster "One Battle After Another." We talked about Paul Thomas Anderson's legacy as a director, the influence of '70s cinema on his filmmaking, and how this film was a departure in form from his previous movies. We praised the performances of Leonardo DiCaprio, Teyana Taylor, and Benicio del Toro, and also marveled at the ...

Chinatown 09.12.2025 1ч 17мин

Send us Fan Mail This week on That '70s Movie Podcast, Jonathan and Michael were joined by Ron Brownstein as we opened up the floodgates on the 1974 neo-noir thriller, "Chinatown." Ron has written extensively about Los Angeles in the 70s, and he regaled us with stories about the making of the film and, in particular, the drafting of Robert Towne's screenplay, which we all agreed is one of the greatest ever written. We also talked at length about Faye Dunaway's otherworldly performance as Evel...