The Whole Movie Podcast

"Are you food, or are you sex?"

Now that Roxana, Jordan, and William have laid the groundwork for The Neon Demon, your co-hosts are back in the second episode to get more granular with it. "Are you food or are you sex?" examines the central question of the film, one that is posed where so many issues of consequence are raised on matters of truth and beauty: The women's bathroom at a club. Soaked in bisexual lighting and dripping with cruelty, it's a scene that teases Nicolas Winding Refn's "ceremonial celebration of narcissism" that lies at the heart of Demon, and has your hosts addressing questions like, "Are these models a take on Dracula's brides?" and "Would you eat the eyeball?" Listen, and consider!

Produced by: Jordan Crucchiola

The Nicolas Winding Refn Question

Welcome to the first episode of season 2 of The Whole Movie Podcast. If you went on the journey of season 1, that means you have learned everything there is to know about Paul Feig's A Simple Favor. And now that you're back for another go, it's time to walk the bisexually lit corridors of Nicolas Winding Refn's modern masterpiece The Neon Demon. This time around, producer and co-host Jordan Crucchiola is joined by the all star pairing of Roxana Hadadi and William O. Tyler, and in the debut episode of this Demon-cast, they will get things set up by wandering through the existential minefield that is NWR's Whole Deal. Get ready for this ceremonial celebration of narcissism and examination of the Beauty Industrial Complex.

Produced by: Jordan Crucchiola

The Blakethrough

Well moms. We've done it. We've reached the ending of A Simple Podcast, having successfully canonized the 2018 Paul Feig film A Simple Favor, and Alanna, Christina, and Jordan wanted to go big with the finale. You've heard "The Kendrick of It All," now enjoy "The Blakethrough," in which we turn our attention to the role of Emily, the work of Blake Lively, and how the star profile of the actress herself informed the creation and interpretation of this mommy noir icon. Lucky for everyone, your faithful co-hosts and Simple stanship color guards have a very special guest on hand to tease out the best possible analysis. Enjoy, moms! 

The Kendrick of It All

As A Simple Podcast enters the final stretch with its character study episodes, Alanna, Christina, and Jordan are joined by writer and culture critic Margaret H. Willison for a textual and meta-textual close read of Anna Kendrick the actress, Anna Kendrick the persona, and how both of those figures operate within Stephanie in A Simple Favor. We also pay our respects to the under-appreciated classification of Anxiety Bi, talk about operating within the limits of acceptable female power in Hollywood, and reflect on the canonically queer wonder of a teen Kendrick singing "Ladies Who Lunch" in Camp.

Ownership, Authorship & Intent — The Big Queer Disaster Episode

Hi, moms! As A Simple Podcast moves into its final episodes, co-hosts Alanna Bennett, Christina Tucker, and Jordan Crucchiola are joined by special guest Anna Borges to discuss all things queer about A Simple Favor — along with any other movie that was consequential to their gay feelings as tweens. If you love messy bisexuals shouting about soccer being canonically lesbian, head canoning asexual love stories, and respectful thirsting with a  side of internalized shame, then A Simple Podcast's Great Queer Catharsis is the episode you've been waiting for.  

A Screenplay Artiste — The Jessica Sharzer Interview

Continuing their improbable run of getting behind the scenes access to (almost) all things A Simple Favor, Alanna, Christina and Jordan spend this episode of A Simple Podcast talking to screenwriter Jessica Sharzer. She tells us about Blake Lively's heroic role in getting that painting into Emily's house, her desire to see more shades of female intimacy in film, and of course, her process in bringing brotherfucker to life.

Cool & Scary — The Costumes Interview with Renée Ehrlich Kalfus

Oh hi again, moms! You've heard Alanna, Christina, and Jordan go long on the costumes of A Simple Favor before, but now you can go behind the Simple scenes with them as they talk about men's suiting and neoprene tank tops with the movie's costume designer, Renée Ehrlich Kalfus. Get the story behind all the film's power looks, and find out about the crucial costume you didn't see on screen.

The Audacity of This Bitch — The Paul Feig Interview

Alanna, Christina, and Jordan manifested an interview with thee Paul Feig into existence, and in episode four you get to hear how it went down.

Costumes and Queer Thirst

Hi, moms! In the third episode of A Simple Podcast, Alanna, Christina, and Jordan each ascend to the celestial plane as they discuss the immaculate costuming by Renee Ehrlich Kalfus and why it should have won an Academy Award. And don't worry, they devote an entire portion of the episode to That Suit in the graveyard. 

In Celebration of The Genre Melange

This time on A Simple Podcast, co-hosts Alanna, Christina, and Jordan examine the array of genres on offer in A Simple Favor — from comedy to noir to lite psychosexual thriller — paying special attention to the way that female kinship and intimacy factor into such films. Also: white feminism, himbos, and director Paul Feig's mastery of the absurdist twist.