I finally watched Napoleon Dynamite, and I need to talk about it!

With returning guest and filmmaker Victoria Roccaforte, we break down how this tiny Sundance film turned into a cultural juggernaut, why it made over $130 million in home video sales, and how its awkward sincerity separates it from the mean comedies of its era.

We get into:

– The origin of the character from Peluca

– The bizarre hand-model credit sequence

– The Rex Kwon Do scene

– Pedro’s surprisingly emotional arc

– The spectrum-coded comfort of the film

– Meme oversaturation and cultural fatigue

– And whether this movie actually holds up

Is it overhyped nostalgia? Or a genuinely radical indie comedy?

Press play.

🔗 Follow & Watch Victoria Roccaforte

Website: victoriaroccaforte.com

Films: victoriaroccaforte.com/films Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/vrocca

Instagram: @vrocca_ TikTok: @vrocca

YouTube: @vroccafilms

Bluesky: vroccafilms.bsky.social

🎧 Follow Kt Baldassaro (@MovieRuntime)

Instagram & TikTok: @MovieRuntime

Letterboxd: @MovieRuntime

00:00 Welcome to the Episode!

04:43 Cultural Impact of Queer Media

10:45 The Future of Queer Cinema

16:41 Reflections on Film Awards

22:48 Concluding Thoughts on Film and Media

27:15 The Challenge of One-Location Stories

33:20 Streaming Availability and Recommendations

38:25 Exploring Paul Thomas Anderson's Work

40:24 The Evolution of Napoleon Dynamite

44:33 Cultural Context and Comedy Preferences

50:39 Cultural Judgments and Film Preferences

53:10 Personal Connections to Iconic Films

55:11 Family Ties and Film Legacy

58:50 The Quirkiness of Dads and Their Viewing Choices

59:51 Relatability in Quirky Comedies

01:03:04 The Impact of Quotability in Film

01:05:40 Echolalia and Representation in Film

01:09:08 The Comfort of Being Seen in Cinema

01:11:31 Production Insights and Dance Scenes

01:16:06 Realism and Character Development in Comedies

01:20:16 Timeless Comedy and Its Context

01:21:40 Character Dynamics and Relationships

01:23:55 Connections in the Film Industry

01:26:45 Cultural References and Their Impact

01:29:29 Character Growth and Development

01:31:23 Themes of Acceptance and Individuality

01:33:56 Subverting Stereotypes in Film

01:37:37 The Importance of Open Endings

01:39:51 The Evolution of Audience Engagement

01:41:01 The Impact of Home Media Sales

01:46:34 The Layers of Identity: Elvis Costello and Napoleon Dynamite

01:48:20 Favorite and Least Favorite Scenes: A Deep Dive

01:51:30 Casting Choices and Character Development

01:56:56 The Unique Humor of Napoleon Dynamite

01:59:15 Rewatching Nostalgia: Does It Hold Up?

02:02:47 Recommendations and Cultural Impact of Napoleon Dynamite

Master Chronological List of all Films Mentioned in this Episode

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Revenge of the Nerds (1984)

Sixteen Candles (1984)

St. Elmo’s Fire (1985)

Boogie Nights (1997)

Magnolia (1999)

Donnie Darko (2001)

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

The Benchwarmers (2006)

Blades of Glory (2007)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

The Lobster (2015)

Call Me by Your Name (2017)

Phantom Thread (2017)

Uncut Gems (2019)

Elvis (2022)

Poor Things (2023)

Blue Moon (2024)

Last Showgirl (2024)

Marty Supreme (2024)

Sorry Baby (2024)

Wicked (2024)

Begonia (2024)

One Battle After Another (2024)

Greta Gerwig’s Little Women (2019) is critically adored, but is it the version that actually lasts? In this episode, I'm joined by Holly Holiday (Get Your Popcorn Podcast) for a deep, conversational breakdown of why this story keeps returning, how adaptation shapes meaning, and why nostalgia is such a powerful (and dangerous) lens. This is a film conversation for people who love movies and like questioning them!

🎬 FILMS DISCUSSED INCLUDE

Little Women (1994, 2019), The Fabelmans, Midsommar, Nosferatu, Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, The Color Purple, Oppenheimer, Interstellar, and more.

• 00:00 – Introducing Holly & why Little Women again
• 05:50 – Film bros and exhausting discourse
• 10:18 – Childhood movies that actually matter
• 15:09 – Spielberg, sentimentality, and craft
• 23:40 – Adaptation vs reinvention
• 31:10 – Greta Gerwig’s narrative structure
• 38:45 – Casting age gaps & audience perception
• 46:15 – Florence Pugh’s performance problem (and strength)
• 52:40 – Revisiting the 1994 version
• 1:02:30 – Method acting myths
• 1:17:00 – Horror movies vs prestige awards
• 1:28:00 – Directors who stop taking risks
• 1:34:00 – Bale vs Chalamet discourse
• 1:40:00 – Final thoughts & where to find Holly

#LittleWomen#FilmCriticism#MoviePodcast#Adaptation#Cinema

What If I Don’t Like It? – Season Two Finale: The Night of the Hunter (1955)

For the season two finale, I’m joined by film critic Carl Gustafson ("@Carlthefilmcritic") to talk about The Night of the Hunter (1955), a classic horror film often called one of the greatest and most influential movies ever made. Why do filmmakers love it? Why did it fail on release? And why can it feel intimidating to first-time viewers?

This episode is perfect for anyone who has avoided this classic because it feels lofty or intimidating. Carl and I break down the film’s direction by Charles Laughton, Robert Mitchum’s iconic performance, its expressionist cinematography, and why it remains a genuinely tense, emotional, and influential movie.

Whether you’re a horror fan, a classic film lover, or just curious about this famous movie, this conversation is a friendly guide to The Night of the Hunter.

Where You Can Find Us

Kt Baldassaro (@MovieRuntime) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@movieruntime Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/movieruntime YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieRuntime

Carl Gustafson (@Carlthefilmcritic) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@carlthefilmcritic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlthefilmcritic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CarlTheCritic

00:00 Introduction to The Night of the Hunter and Episode Overview

11:15 Film Reviews, TikTok, and How We Talk About Movies

16:58 First Movie Memories, Comfort Films, and Horror Origins

22:31 The American Dream and Classic Hollywood Themes

27:32 The Night of the Hunter Plot Overview and First Reactions

31:57 Film Noir, Expressionism, and Cinematic Style

36:00 Cinematography, Shadows, and Visual Storytelling

39:40 Influence on Modern Horror and Filmmakers

42:04 Women in The Night of the Hunter: Sexuality and Power

45:50 Religion, Good vs Evil, and Moral Fear

48:20 Iconic Scenes and Lasting Imagery

52:37 Pacing, Structure, and Narrative Choices

56:07 Character Development and Child Protagonists

01:00:49 Robert Mitchum’s Performance as a Horror Villain

01:04:42 Film Score, Sound Design, and Atmosphere

01:11:22 Why The Night of the Hunter Still Matters

01:18:33 Corrections, Context, and Extended Discussion

01:19:34 True Story Influences and Charles Laughton’s Direction

01:21:02 Release Problems, Critical Reception, and Reevaluation

01:27:14 Final Thoughts, Legacy, and Season Wrap-Up

Movies Referenced in This Episode

Listed by year of release

• The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

• Nosferatu (1922)

• Frankenstein (1931)

• The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)

• Dumbo (1941)

• The Night of the Hunter (1955)

• Marty (1955)

• Lady and the Tramp (1955)

• East of Eden (1955)

• Cape Fear (1962)

• My Fair Lady (1964)

• Onibaba (1964)

• Eraserhead (1977)

• Suspiria (1977)

• The Fox and the Hound (1981)

• Das Boot (1981)

• Blue Velvet (1986)

• Do the Right Thing (1989)

• Edward Scissorhands (1990)

• Perfect Blue (1997)

• The Big Lebowski (1998)

• Requiem for a Dream (2000)

• No Country for Old Men (2007)

• Coraline (2009)

• Black Swan (2010)

• The Shape of Water (2017)

• Suspiria (2018)

• Midsommar (2019)

• Us (2019)

• Bo Is Afraid (2023)

  Lisa Frankenstein (2024)

Is Fried Green Tomatoes secretly the beginning of a Wendigo movie?A fun and heartfelt deep dive into Fried Green Tomatoes with Brian Cottington from Cinema Psychos. We break down the film’s queer subtext, Southern Gothic themes, adaptation changes, VHS nostalgia, and why this 1991 classic still resonates. Plus: Hellraiser, food in movies, 90s comfort rewatches, and way too many cannibalism jokes.

We get into:• why Fried Green Tomatoes still hits emotionally• book vs. film changes (and what got censored)• queer coding, agency, abuse, and Southern Gothic vibes• VHS nostalgia, NES cartridges, and growing up on tapes• comfort rewatches, horror gateways & Brian’s love for Hellraiser• how movies shape food culture (Tampopo, Wonka bars, fried green tomatoes)• the Christina Ricci movie we absolutely blanked on• plus… more cannibalism jokes than anyone asked for 😅

If you love movies, film history, weird trivia, and totally unhinged tangents—welcome home.

New episodes drop monthly.
Subscribe for long-form deep dives with equal parts heart and chaos.

Follow Brian Cottington (Cinema Psychos)Instagram: @CinemaPsychosTikTok: @CinemaPsychosPodcast: Cinema Psychos Show

Follow KT Baldassaro (What If I Don’t Like It?)Instagram: @MovieRuntimeTikTok: @MovieRuntimeYouTube: @MovieRuntime

Timestamps

00:52 – Cold Open + Intro01:41 – Guest Intro: Brian from Cinema Psychos05:44 – Writing Episodes: Script Process & Workflow08:32 – TikTok Growth, Visual Style & On-Camera Tips12:57 – Audio Quality Talk: Mics, Sound Design & Best Practices17:07 – VHS Nostalgia: Watching 2001: A Space Odyssey on Tape22:22 – Brian’s Film Habits & Comfort Rewatches28:22 – Hellraiser: Cenobites, Clive Barker & Franchise Evolution30:30 – Fried Green Tomatoes: Adaptation Choices31:21 – Oscars History: What Beat It That Year32:50 – Queer Representation: Coding, Tropes & Supermarket Sweep42:62 – Gender, Abuse, Identity & Agency55:12 – Food in Movies: Tampopo, Wonka Bars & More1:00:07 – Christina Ricci Tangent (Now and Then)1:06:73 – Cannibalism Running Gag + Ravenous1:08:24 – Righteous Gemstones: Danny McBride Archetypes1:22:42 – Final Thoughts

Movies Mentioned2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)
Tampopo (1985)
Hellraiser (1987)
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Batman (1989)
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
A Goofy Movie (1995)
Now and Then (1995)
May (2002)
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Avatar (2009)
Batgirl (unreleased, 2022)
Wile E. Coyote vs. Acme (unreleased, 2023)

Horror film reviewer Taylor Complains (@taylorcomplains) joins host Kt Baldassaro (@MovieRuntime) to dig into Frank Oz’s 1986 cult horror musical classic Little Shop of Horrors. Killer plants sing, Rick Moranis charms, and the bleak alternate ending is somehow more expensive than Aliens.

Kt and Taylor dive into what happens when a horror fan with zero patience for musicals meets one of the campiest cult classics of the 1980s. From killer plants to killer performances, they debate whether Little Shop of Horrors deserves its legacy, or if it’s all just Muppet-fueled madness.

We also dig into:

🎭 Frank Oz’s Muppet DNA and why his practical effects still hold up 40 years later

💀 That infamous alternate ending… the one test audiences couldn’t handle

🎥 Rick Moranis’s “lovable loser” energy and why it somehow works every time

🧵 Why horror and comedy blend perfectly, but musicals can drive even die-hard horror fans insane

🌆 The original 1960 version with Jack Nicholson, and how it evolved from B-movie to Broadway hit

😂 Taylor’s brutal honesty, his case for bleak endings, and why he rates this one a "2… maybe 2.5, but only because it eats everyone at the end.”

Whether you’re a Little Shop devotee or a proud musical hater, this episode delivers sharp film analysis, chaotic humor, and a surprisingly heartfelt appreciation for practical effects and bad decisions.

🔗 Follow Taylor Complains

TikTok: @taylorcomplains

YouTube: @taylorcomplains

Instagram: @taylorcomplains

🎧 Follow Kt Baldassaro (@MovieRuntime)

Instagram & TikTok: @MovieRuntime

Letterboxd: @MovieRuntime

YouTube: @MovieRuntime

#LittleShopOfHorrors #FrankOz #RickMoranis #HorrorMusical #FilmPodcast #CultCinema #MovieRuntime #WhatIfIDontLikeIt #80sMovies #PracticalEffects #SteveMartin #JackNicholson #PodcastInterview #FilmCritic #HorrorTikTok #TaylorComplains #HorrorCommunity #FilmAnalysis #ComedyPodcast #cultmovies

Master Chronological List of all Films Mentioned in this Episode

Go Ask Alice (1973)

Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

The Dark Crystal (1982)

The Thing (1982)

Gremlins (1984)

Ghostbusters (1984)

The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

The Fly (1986)

Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

Spaceballs (1987)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)

Arachnophobia (1990)

Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993)

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Natural Born Killers (1994)

Vampires (1998)

Ravenous (1999)

Magnolia (1999)

Boondock Saints (1999)

Rush Hour (1998)

Blade (1998)

The South Park Movie (Bigger, Longer & Uncut) (1999)

The Descent (2005)

Brokeback Mountain (2005)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

[REC] (2007)

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008)

Quarantine (2008)

Antichrist (2009)

Cabin in the Woods (2011)

Melancholia (2011)

Evil Dead (2013

The Voices (2014)

The Lure (2015)

Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)

The House That Jack Built (2018)

Licorice Pizza (2021)

Him (2024)

Longlegs (2024)

Sinners (2024)

Chapters:

00:00 Intro & Guest Introduction

01:00 Why Horror Musicals Are Hard to Love

03:00 Anna and the Apocalypse vs. Little Shop

05:00 Theater Kids, Performance, and Authenticity

08:00 Taylor’s Horror Background & Top Films

13:00 Film Critique and Letting People Like What They Like

17:00 Nihilism, PTA, and Modern vs. Classic Horror

28:00 Why the Bleak Ending of Little Shop Works

31:00 Frank Oz, The Muppet Aesthetic, and Practical Effects

35:00 The Alternate Ending and Test Audiences

42:00 American Audiences’ Obsession with Happy Endings

44:00 Despair, Self-Indulgence, and What Makes Art Work

47:00 Puppetry, Performance, and the Magic of Lip Syncing

53:00 Character Voices, Archetypes, and Rick Moranis’ “Lovable Loser”

01:35:00 Final Thoughts: Why the Film Endures Despite Its Flaws

What if a board game could trap you for 26 years… and when you finally escape, you’re Robin Williams in full survival mode? That’s Jumanji — and it’s way darker, weirder, and more heartfelt than you might remember.

In this episode of What If I Don’t Like It?, Scott and I revisit the 1995 classic after traveling to Keene, New Hampshire for the 30th Anniversary celebration — inflatable animal stampede, restored theater screening, scavenger hunt, and all.

We dig into:

• The secret lore of the Jumanji game (and its Zathura connection)

• Casting “what ifs” from Tom Hanks to Sean Penn

• Robin Williams’ incredible professionalism on set

• The CGI vs. practical effects magic — and the wheezing rhino that stole the show

• How a movie can still shape a community 30 years later
  

From behind-the-scenes chaos to wild trivia, this is part movie deep-dive, part travelogue, and a whole lot of 90s nostalgia.

Follow & rate the show so you never miss our takes on movies you think you know (but might not).

Independence Day Special NEW Episode!

You’ve seen the memes. You’ve heard the line: “I’m gonna steal the Declaration of Independence.” If you’re anything like me, that alone might’ve convinced you National Treasure wasn’t for you. I thought it was going to be overly patriotic, too Disneyfied, or worse—Nicolas Cage screaming about ancient glasses. I was wrong.

In this special July 4th episode, I sit down with the one and only National Treasure superfan, Harry Marks, to dig into the movie’s historical roots, wild character chemistry, and why this film manages to be both brilliantly smart and hilariously dumb—in the best way possible.

We unpack everything from cultural impact and historical accuracy (or lack thereof), to the underrated brilliance of Cage’s quiet sincerity and the thrill of puzzle-box storytelling. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a skeptic like I was, there’s something here for you.

📌 Follow the show, rate it if you loved it, and share it with someone who still thinks The Da Vinci Code is peak treasure cinema.

📖 Check out Harry’s books:

➡️ Cabinet of Curiosities – Buy Here

➡️ Library at the Center of the Earth – Buy Here

For more from Harry, visit: linktr.ee/hcmarks

🗺️ Up for an adventure? Try the Green Mountain Adventure Challenge

00:00 Why Might Someone Not (Think) They’ll Like National Treasure?

05:59 Welcome to the Episode!

08:40 Historical Context and Authenticity

11:28 Character Dynamics and Performances

14:16 Comparisons to Other Films

17:02 Engaging with History and Adventure

19:53 Cultural Impact and Legacy

24:23 Exploring Mystery Genres

28:05 The Evolution of Adventure Films

31:47 Cultural Reflections in Treasure Hunting

35:41 Nicolas Cage's Subtle Performance

40:19 The Impact of Historical Context on Film

49:23 Historical Accuracy in Film: A Double-Edged Sword

53:41 The Art of Storytelling: Balancing Fact and Fiction

58:48 Casting the Next Nicolas Cage: The Future of Movie Stars

01:03:07 Cinematography and Set Design: Crafting Visual Narratives

01:05:48 Favorite Scenes: Moments that Captivate