Dana and Tom with new guest, Adam St. John (Host and Creator of 1001 by 1) discuss the sci-fi horror classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) for its 70th anniversary: directed by Don Siegel, written by Daniel Mainwaring, cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks, music by Carmen Dragon, editing by Robert S. Eisen, starring Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter, King Donovan, and Carolyn Jones.

Plot Summary: In a quiet California town, a local doctor discovers that residents are being replaced by alien duplicates—emotionless impostors grown from mysterious seed pods. As paranoia spreads and trust collapses, he races to warn the world before humanity itself is erased.

Guest:

Adam St. John

1. Host and Creator of 1001 by 1
2. Co-Host of Below Freezing
3. Frequest Contributor to Best Picture Cast
4. Professor of Theatre and Film at LSSU
5. Host of the The Long Take: A Gathering of Cinephiles in Conversation
6. Signup Here
7. A Cinema Legacy Poll contributor

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction, Cast, and Background for Invasion of the Body Snatchers

04:17 Welcome Adam St. John

05:11 Being Introduced to a Classic

13:58 What's Most Terrifying in the Film?

17:02 Plot Summary for Invasion of the Body Snatchers

17:35 What is This Film About?

24:43 Did You Know?

35:17 First Break

36:07 What's Happening with Adam?

40:35 Best Performance(s)

47:28 Best Scene(s)

57:43 Second Break

58:30 Best/Funniest Lines

01:01:46 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy

01:08:34 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance

01:14:15 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty

01:17:54 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness

01:22:57 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability

01:29:34 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total

01:31:05 Remaining Questions for Invasion of the Body Snatchers

01:36:25 Thank You to Adam / Remaining Thoughts

01:44:25 Credits

You can also find this episode in full video on YouTube.

You can now follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or TikTok (@gmoatpodcast).

For more on the episode, go to:

Dana and Tom discuss the silent classic, City Lights (1931) for its 95th anniversary: written and directed by Charlie Chaplin, cinematography by Roland Totheroh and Gordon Pollock, music by Arthur Johnston and Alfred Newman, editing Charlie Chaplin and Willard Nico, starring Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Florence Lee, Harry Myers, Al Ernest Garcia, and Hank Mann.

Plot Summary: City Lights, written, directed by, and starring Charlie Chaplin, is a silent romantic comedy about a kind-hearted Tramp who falls in love with a blind flower girl. When she mistakes him for a wealthy man, the Tramp goes to great lengths to help her, including befriending a troubled millionaire who only recognizes him when he is drunk.

As the Tramp struggles with poverty and bad luck, his love for the flower girl pushes him toward quiet acts of sacrifice. The film blends slapstick humor with deep emotion, building to a famous final scene that reveals the Tramp’s true identity and captures Chaplin’s belief in compassion, dignity, and human connection.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction, Cast, and Background for City Lights

05:07 Our Relationship(s) with City Lights

10:30 Why Does Chaplin Resonate So Much with Critics?

14:51 Plot Summary for City Lights

15:43 What is City Lights About?

19:05 Did You Know?

23:13 First Break

34:43 Best Performance(s)

36:59 Best Scene(s)

39:25 Second Break

40:10 In Memoriam

41:48 Best/Funniest Lines

42:50 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy

46:12 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance

50:45 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance

53:58 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness

58:11 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability

01:00:30 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total

01:02:50 Remaining Questions for City Lights

01:07:18 Remaining Thoughts

01:13:35 Credits

You can also find this episode in full video on YouTube.

You can now follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or TikTok (@gmoatpodcast).

For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/city-lights-1931

For the entire rankings list so far, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/greatest-movie-of-all-time-list

Keywords:

City Lights, Charlie Chaplin, silent film, romantic comedy, film analysis, movie review, cinematic legacy, film history, emotional storytelling, classic cinema

Ronny Duncan Studios

Dana and Tom with returning guests, Christine Duncan (Wife of Dana and Mother of Tom) and Heather Stewart (The Revisionist Almanac's Senior European Correspondent), to discuss the indie comedy Little Miss Sunshine (2006) for its 20th anniversary: directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Feris, written by Michael Arndt, cinematography by Tim Suhrstedt, music by Mychael Danna, edited by Pamela Martin, starring Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Alan Arkin, Paul Dano, Abigail Breslin, and Steve Carell.

Plot Summary: Little Miss Sunshine is a comedy-drama about the Hoover family, a group of very different people trying to support one another. When young Olive Hoover (Abigail Breslin) qualifies for the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant, her parents—motivational speaker Richard (Greg Kinnear) and stressed but caring Sheryl (Toni Collette)—decide the whole family will travel with her from New Mexico to California. They pile into a rundown yellow van that becomes the setting for both humor and tension.

Along the way, Olive’s foul-mouthed grandfather Edwin (Alan Arkin), her depressed uncle Frank (Steve Carell), and her silent, angry teenage brother Dwayne (Paul Dano) each face their own struggles. As the trip goes wrong in unexpected ways, the family learns that winning is not as important as sticking together. The film balances comedy and emotion to show how love and acceptance can come from even the most imperfect family.

Guests:

Christine Duncan

1. Wife of Dana and Mother of Tom
2. 19x guest

Heather Stewart

1. The Revisionist Almanac's Senior European Correspondent
2. @heatherjstewart on IG, X, Letterboxd
3. Previously on Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction, Cast, and Background for Little Miss Sunshine

02:57 Welcome Back, Heather and Christine!

10:58 Why Are Comedies So Overlooked by Awards?

17:50 Personal Relationship(s) with Little Miss Sunshine

26:19 What is Little Miss Sunshine About?

29:43 Plot Summary for Little Miss Sunshine

31:00 Did You Know?

39:26 First Break

40:15 What's Happening with Heather and Christine

43:54 Best Performance(s)

01:03:46 Best Scene(s)

01:21:50 Second Break

01:22:40 Best/Funniest Lines

01:27:27 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy

01:39:27 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance

01:45:40 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty

01:52:08 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness

02:00:59 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability

02:06:22 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total

02:08:12 Remaining Questions for Little Miss Sunshine

02:14:48 Thank You to Heather and Christine / Remaining...