We Made it Better: Recent Episodes
We Made it Better
Two friends make it their mission to get through AFI's Top 100 movie list... and make it better! It'll be a long road but we hope you share in our journey. (It used to be three.)
AFI's list can be found here: http://www.afi.com/100years/movies10.aspx
Intro song courtesy of freemusicarchive.org Artist: Vita and the Woolf Song: Asha
Starting from Ep 20, "Music: www.bensound.com" or "Royalty Free Music from Bensound"
Send your questions, comments, and love notes to: afternoonsnackpaks@gmail.com
You can also follow our intrepid hosts! Matt @thatnoonan Harrison @hpakman - twitter @harrisonpak - instagram
Our good friend, Connor, joins us to discuss #79 on the top AFI 100 list, "The Wild Bunch". Directed by Sam Peckinpah in 1969, it's a movie about horses and people running away from a railroad executive.Special guest is "Chema" Hernandez, uncredited head animal trainer for the movie.You can find Connor at:@condorthrillman via Instagram
What a time to be alive... if you were an executive in New York City in 1960! Thank goodness, we live in 2020 (and beyond, if you happen to listen to this later!)
Did we make it better? You tell us!
We take stabs in the dark on who'll end up with the Oscars from this year's nominations! Peer into our souls! We dare you!
Like mighty gladiators, Matt, Harrison, and Liz slay your doldrums with insightful commentary and new scenes that would make even Spartacus say, "They are better!"
Harrison said that it's #80 (it's actually #81) and he was so wrong about it. He thought about just re-recording the whole thing but the others would surely kill him.
Guest Liz Reuss joins us for the fun! Twitter: liz_reuss Instagram: lizrollsreuss
The conceit of "We Made It Better" is that we think it can move up... provided there were some changes. AFI ranks this as #82 but after our changes, who knows?!
Matt and Harrison make it better.
Matt and Harrison delve into the real world effects of Thano's snap aka The Decimation and what would happen if people came back 5 years later.
Heather is back! Maybe we'll just do episodes when the three of us are all together. Iceberg ahead?!
We go through the wonder that is Titanic!
We went looking for the American Dream and we couldn't find it anywhere. "Easy Rider" is positioned as the best road trip movie by many. We take a long trip with this one as we travel with them to the Big Easy and then to parts unknown. We thank Pat Tamisiea for joinging us on this one!
Our first entry on to the list from the legendary Marx Brothers! There's some nuggets of goodness from this movie although all I could think is that everyone associated with the film is probably now passed on. Tragedy + Time = Comedy
Enjoy our take at "A Night at the Opera"!
Sorry about the sound quality on this one. I'm not sure what happened but if you like muffled, electronica -- strap on your diaper. For #86, we visit "Platoon". It's a harrowing look into the human animal situated in a war far from home. Charlie Sheen has HIV now. If you wanted to see how he rose, here's probably where it all started.
Afternoon Snack Paks is back! And we tackle whether or not justice was served in "12 Angry Men". Harrison gives thanks to his 7th grade teacher AND this website: http://www.avclub.com/article/did-i12-angry-meni-get-it-wrong-83245
Also, Matt has celestial bodies in his pants, ladies. Anyway, what did you think?
According to many people, this movie defines the genre of "screwball comedy". It's a pretty simple formula: add a couple of leopards, an heiress, a paleontologist, and a million dollars and you'll end up with hi-jinx galore! Christine Lin joins us for a ride into the beautiful and the absurd.
There's actually going to be a "Love Actually" sequel coming out. Not as a movie of course. RIP Alan Rickman. You dodged a bullet.
Be break into the 80s on the list and what a way to do so! At first you think it's going one way and then BOOM we hit you over the head with a twist so awesome you have to completely recontextualize your life!!
Enjoy!
It's been a long, long time but here we are in 2017. Unfortunately, we lost Heather to Chicago but we wish nothing but happiness for her as she hopefully finds her cousin, Balky.
90 is "Swing Time". It's quite a hoot of a film and there's a hum-dinger of what is supposed to be a homage. We'll not spoil you here, fair listener! Enjoy!
Starring Meryl Streep, who gives a performance that's one for the ages, we follow the life of a simple woman named Sophie. Polish in origin, yet punished to go to Auschwitz, she's given an impossible choice. Thus, the movie. Anyhoo, Heather, Matt, and Harrison tackle the drama that is "Sophie's Choice" and the enigma that is Stingo.
Here's a snack of the upcoming episode of "Sophie's Choice". We discuss we we do this. (Hint -- there's a lot of "e" involved.) Also, Matt goes out on a limb.
Are we only 10% done? The answer is no because I'm sure we'll probably end up pulling a "Love Actually" and doing other movies outside this list. But bear in mind, we don't do this for us, we do this for you.
And we respond to our second email!
Goodfellas is a story of three good friends -- albeit one's a psychopath. It's just like Harrison, Heather, and Matt! You'll have to decide who's the Tommy DeVito in this group!
Enjoy!
Clearly there's a romanticized view of mafia life in "Goodfellas". . . at least when they're not being pinched. Heather, Matt, and Harrison pick their sides.
A storied car chase through the girders of New York City defines a movie that unfortunately has not aged well. He's your uncle who got drunk at the family reunion and hit on your girlfriend.
By the way, thanks for writing in, Brian, but your email arrived after we already recorded this one! We'll address your email in the next episode!
Apparently Harrison had no control over his levels. You'll hear some "clipping". That's what's it's called in the biz when the level of input "overwhelms" the recording and you get "loud static". Anyway, it's been addressed and I assure you that the next recording will be like fine china.
Anyhoo, coming in at #94 is 1994's "Pulp Fiction". Quentin Tarantino had already made a name for himself with "Reservoir Dogs" in 1992 and he did not disappoint with his follow-up.
It's a podcast for the ages! (Mainly because it's our longest one yet. Bear in mind, we edited this down. We promise not to go over 90 minutes in the future. This one is under 90.)
Here's Heather on "Let's Make a Deal". http://www.cbs.com/shows/lets_make_a_deal/video/EID10rQwU_VOrAh_Qn3fQ4XTba_WqH31/let-s-make-a-deal-3-21-2016/
Harrison tells the others that he expressed his love of Cameron to her on a fateful night at Second City. He believes she's still waiting for him.
BTW, this was a cut off the Pulp Fiction track that is still being edited. It's almost done. Thank you for listening!
For whatever reason, the recording quit just as we were finishing that's why it ends the way it does. Either that or we wanted the Inception ending -- are we just dreams or are we living in a reality?
Well, if it's 1951 in the dying town of Anarene, Texas, you'd rather live in a dream. Why? Take a listen and you'll find out. Life is bleak and love fleeting even if it's the likes of the prettiest gal this side of the Mississippi.
Movie released in 1989 and it still feels contemporary. That's a sad state of affairs but we're optimistic. Let's be aware of the dominant paradigm and look to change it!
Happy Holidays from Afternoon Snack Paks!
Being that the holiday season is about giving, Heather thought it would be great to give Matt and Harrison the gift of "Love Actually". Now, they know it's not on AFI Top 100 list but Heather thinks it should be. Opinions vary.
It's a hot mess of a podcast but bonus is that it may be our best sounding, yet!
How do you pronounce "Caribbean"? Matt, Heather, and Harrison discuss this and our first sci-fi film... so far on the AFI Top 100 list. It's skins talking about skin jobs!
(We apologize for the sound quality for this. But we're getting better. It'll be great for the next one! No promises!)
Send all questions, comments, love notes to: afternoonsnackpaks@gmail.com
Intro song: "Asha" by Vita and the Woolf Courtesy of freemusicarchive.org
Matt and Harrison have their own Blade Runner stories. We're still working on #97 officially but let this hold you over while you wait.
Coming in at #98 in the list is the 1942 film, "Yankee Doodle Dandy". Starring James Cagney, it's a "star is born" biopic of George M. Cohan.
If you have any questions, concerns, feedback, please send them to afternoonsnackpaks@gmail.com
Intro song courtesy of freemusicarchive.org Artist: Vita and the Woolf Song: Asha
It's our second episode and we're tackling #99 on the list, released in 1995, it's "Toy Story".
By the way, here's the link to the live action version that a couple of fans made. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otfgENmTrhE
If you have any questions, comments, and/or suggestions, please hit up: afternoonsnackpaks@gmail.com
Intro music supplied by freemusicarchive.org Artist: Vita and the Woolf Song: Asha
What do you get when you mix three friends from Chicago (that now reside in LA), the AFI Top 100 movies list, and a microphone? You get Afternoon Snack Paks! It's a fun-filled romp through the greatest offerings in cinema. It'll be filled with cool trivia, fun facts, and a deep exploration of the themes and struggles of all the movies on the Top 100 list. We're starting from the bottom, folks. First up? Ben-Hur!
Technical notes: There's some weird static at times so don't think it's your device. We're getting better at this. Trust us.
If you have any questions, comments, and/or suggestions, please feel free to drop us a line via e-mail: afternoonsnackpaks@gmail.com
Intro song courtesy of freemusicarchive.org Artist: Vita and the Woolf Song: Asha