David Rosen / Wet Hot American Summer

11/04/19 • 51 min

Some movies land with audiences immediately, while others don't find their fans for years to come. Wet Hot American Summer is one of the latter. Featuring a star-studded cast of comedy talents, director David Wain's film is a quirky ode to '80s "camp" classics (pun intended) and sex comedies. Its popularity grew so much over the years that Netflix ultimately produced two limited series based on the film. David Rosen of the Piecing It Together podcast joins the show to discuss the phenomenon that is Wet Hot American Summer. We'll discuss Wain's bizarre blend of comedy styles, the film's enduring legacy, and speculate about why it was initially maligned by critics. Fans of David's show: we'll even briefly touch on which puzzle pieces pertain to the film. So let's head over to Camp Firewood so that we don't miss tonight's big talent show. *pottery breaking* SYNOPSIS Set on the last day of camp, in the hot summer of 1981, Wet Hot American Summer follows a group of counselors who are each trying to complete their unfinished business before the day ends. The entire summer of pent-up sexual frustrations, unresolved post-traumatic stress, pending separations and of course, the talent show, all weigh heavily on the minds and groins of counselors and campers alike. SHOW NOTES Want to appear on a future episode of the Crooked Table Podcast? Find out how over at crookedtable.com/guest! Join the Crooked Table Crew by becoming an official patron over at Patreon.com/CrookedTable Subscribe to the Crooked Table Podcast on iTunes so that you never miss a moment! Listen to the Crooked Table Podcast on Spotify! The Crooked Table Podcast is also on Stitcher! Robert Yaniz Jr. can be reached on Twitter at @crookedtable. Connect with Crooked Table on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr

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Josh Bell / Terminator 2: Judgment Day

With the upcoming release of Terminator: Dark Fate, now is the perfect time to reflect on the series. In 1991, Terminator 2: Judgment Day surpassed James Cameron's original classic and set a new standard for blockbuster cinema. Josh Bell of the Awesome Movie Year podcast joins the show to talk about how T2 changed the world of cinema forever. We'll discuss how Cameron was able to successfully build on his own mythos, what the subsequent sequels have missed, and how we hope that Terminator: Dark Fate will finally get the series back on track. Aside from our Star Wars series, we've only covered a few sequels since the format change. But like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Skyfall, Terminator 2: Judgment Day transcends its genre to deliver something far grander. Come with us if you want to listen. SYNOPSIS In this sequel set 11 years after "The Terminator," young John Connor (Edward Furlong) — the key to civilization's victory over a future robot uprising — is the target of the shape-shifting T-1000 (Robert Patrick), a Terminator sent from the future to kill him. Another Terminator, the revamped T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), has been sent back to protect the boy. As John and his mother (Linda Hamilton) go on the run with the T-800, the boy forms an unexpected bond with the robot. SHOW NOTES Want to appear on a future episode of the Crooked Table Podcast? Find out how over at crookedtable.com/guest! Join the Crooked Table Crew by becoming an official patron over at Patreon.com/CrookedTable Subscribe to the Crooked Table Podcast on iTunes so that you never miss a moment! Listen to the Crooked Table Podcast on Spotify! The Crooked Table Podcast is also on Stitcher! Robert Yaniz Jr. can be reached on Twitter at @crookedtable. Connect with Crooked Table on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr