A VERY GOOD YEAR (Season 1)

A full year in cinema every week - the year's best films, award winners, box office champs, and what was happening in the “real world.” 

“Fun City Cinema” hosts Jason Bailey and Mike Hull proudly present “A Very Good Year,” a new podcast with a simple premise: each week we invite a guest (filmmakers and actors, critics and historians, comedians and musicians) who loves movies, and ask them to select their favorite year of movies. Some pick a year from their movie-going past; some go deep into film history. Whichever the case, we spent (about) an hour talking about that year: we ask them to share their top five films of the year, and tell us why they love them; we look at the year’s news headlines, award winners, and box office champions; and we finish with a lightning round, where we talk about as many films as possible in as few minutes as possible.

Episode 1:
1931 with Alex Winter

Jason and Mike welcome beloved actor (the “Bill & Ted” trilogy, “The Lost Boys”) and director (“Zappa,” the upcoming “The YouTube Effect") Alex Winter to discuss his favorite movie year, 1931. It was a pivotal year for the language of cinema – silent movies, it turns out, were not dead yet – and for the increasing visibility and prominence of foreign filmmakers. Plus: headlines, early Oscar winners, and more!

Episode 2:
2007 with Roxana Hadadi

Jason and Mike are joined by Vulture TV critic and ace film critic Roxana Hadadi, who explains why 2007 was “the last hopeful year of America,” despite how many bleak movies landed in her top five. (And not to spoil, but as anyone who follows her on Twitter knows, there will be “Michael Clayton” love.) Plus: find out what movie she says “the most correct and the most annoying men on Twitter stan for.”

Episode 3:
1927 with Dana Stevens

Jason and Mike welcome Dana Stevens – Slate film critic, “Slate Culture Gabfest” co-host, and author of Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century, one of our favorite books of the year – to talk about one of the most important years in cinema history. 1927 was, famously, the year that saw the release of both the first “talkie” and the first Oscar winner for Best Picture, but Dana’s top five is focused on some of the most innovative and inspiring movies of the silent era. Plus: as you’d expect from the author of “Camera Man,” not one but TWO Buster Keaton movies!

Episode 4:
2003 with Karen Han

Karen Han is a culture writer (with bylines at The New York Times, Slate, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, and many more), screenwriter, author, and all-around delight; her new book, Bong Joon-Ho: Dissident Cinema, was just released by ABRAMS Books. She joins Jason and Mike to walk down the memory lane of moviegoing in 2003, and her top 5 may surprise you!

Episode 5:
2001 with Keith Phipps

The first year of the 21st century was an important one for Keith Phipps, the beloved writer behind the AV Club, the Dissolve, and the first-rate critical biography “Age of Cage.” And it was an important one for the movie industry, as well as for America itself (this week’s headlines section is especially crowded). Plus: find out the 2001 release Keith compares to disliking puppies!  

Episode 6:
1976 with Noah Segan

When Noah Segan - the beloved character actor familiar from such films as “Knives Out,” “Deadgirl," “Looper,” “Brick,” and “Starry Eyes” - made his feature writing and directing debut on his new film “Blood Relatives,” he drew on one of the richest eras of cinema: the 1970s, and specifically the topic of today’s conversation, the year 1976. ”Blood Relatives” is now streaming on Shudder, and Noah’s episode of “A Very Good Year” is a hoot, so enjoy them both!

Episode 7:
1967 with Millie De Chirico

Programmer, podcaster, and author Millie De Chirico is anything but predictable, as anyone who’s watched her late-night TCM Underground block (or read its new, essential companion book) can attest. So when she picked 1967, one of the all-time great movie years, for her appearance on this week’s show, Jason and Mike thought they knew what they were in for. They had no idea. 

Episode 8:
1987 with Bilge Elbiri

Vulture film critic Bilge Ebiri has a photographic memory for 1987, the year when he first became a movie obsessive, thanks to a potent combination of formative flicks by the Coen Brothers and Berardo Bertolucci. But he also has some curveballs on his top five, including one with a lot to say about 1987’s headlines (which are intense!). 

Episode 9:
1955 with Scott Tobias

Scott Tobias - the legend of “The AV Club” and “The Dissolve,” currently of “The Reveal” and “The Next Picture Show” podcast - joins us for our first foray into the 1950s. It’s a decade regarded by many as something of a dead zone for cinema, a notion that Mr. Tobias is here to push back on, with vigor, as he tells us why 1955 was such an extraordinary year for movies here and abroad. 

Episode 10:
1999 with Drew McWeeny

Jason, Mike, and film critic, historian, and Substacker extraordinaire Drew McWeeny take on the formidable task of breaking down 1999, a movie year so juicy that it has inspired entire podcasts and books of its own. “There was that feeling in ’99 that it was a really special moment,” Drew explains, and picking a top five was a tough task, so check out what made the cut. Plus: why that year’s Oscar winners and box office top 10 are such a bummer! 

Episode 11:
1975 with Sean Burns

Jason and film critic Sean Burns have something in common (besides their warm, winning dispositions and unimpeachable affection for the MCU): they were both born in the year 1975, which is one of the many reasons Sean selected it for his very good year. But there are others, including an all-killer-no-filler top five and a rare year where the Oscar winners and box office champions were mostly quite good. Imagine that!  

Episode 12:
1959 with Aisha Harris

As co-host of NPR’s “Pop Culture Happy Hour” (and host of the late, lamented “Represent”), Aisha Harris is very tuned in to the politics of contemporary popular culture, and what movies are subtly (or not so subtly) telling us about race, sex, and class. But she also looooooves old movies, even when there are contradictions and hypocrisies to grapple with. And there are plenty of both in her favorite movies of 1959 - and an abundance of beauty, humor, and romance as well. (Also, pre-order her book!)

Episode 13:
2000 with David Sims

“Blank Check with Griffin & David” co-host and “Atlantic” film critic David Sims was but a wee lad (in London!) in the year 2000, and looking back, he thinks of it as the year he truly became a cinephile. He joins Mike and Jason to discuss his internationally diverse top five, and to chuckle good-naturedly through more Conan O’Brien “In the year 2000!” audio drops than he probably intended.  

Episode 14:
1979 with Bradford Young

Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young ("Arrival, "Selma," "Solo: A Star Wars Story") was only two years old in 1979, so he discovered that year's movies while in film school - and was amazed by how the films of this era spoke to not only his artistic but political self. In this week's exhilarating episode, Bradford breaks down the technical aspects of '70s cinema, sells us on his favorite film of all time, and has some choice words for mainstream movie-making circa 2023. It's a must-listen. 

Episode 15:
1964 with Frank Conniff

Frank Conniff is best known for commenting on bad movies - via his five seasons as "TV's Frank" on "Mystery Science Theater 3000" and his subsequent riffing on "Cinematic Titanic" and "The Mads are Back" - so he was delighted to talk about good movies for once. He joined us specifically to talk about the good movies of 1964, many of which he saw as a kid; he also insightfully explains why, for him, this was the year when "The Sixties" really began. Plus, find out what marquee name filmmakers of the '60s Frank sees as geniuses, and which are merely homework! 

Episode 16:
1974 with Isabel Sandoval

Filmmaker and actress Isabel Sandoval (“Señorita,” “Aparisyon,” "Lingua Franca”) went to a rather non-traditional film school: the pirated DVD stores of Philippines flea markets. It was there that she discovered the auteurs of the 1970s, the giants of American and world cinema who made that era what it was, and she chose the year 1974 - perhaps the MOST 1970s year of the 1970s. Listen in for our thoughts on Akerman, Passolini, Coppola, Polanski, and Richard Nixon, who was shown the door during this very eventful year. 

Episode 17:
1985 with W. Axel Foley

There are allllllll sorts of ‘80s classics that hit theaters in the year 1985, but our guest (and friend) W. Axel Foley of the DVR Podcast Network went in some WILD directions for his top five of the year, plucking out some less-discussed documentaries, sci-fi, and more. Plus, Axel is roughly the same age as Jason and Mike, so hear all about how this year’s headlines deeply traumatized us all!

Episode 18:
1971 with Charles Bramesco

Film critic and author Charles Bramesco had to look at movies in a new and different way while researching and writing his new book, "Colors of Film: The Story of Cinema in 50 Palettes" (out this week) which examines filmmaking through the prism of color. And one of his favorite eras, for that book and as a film lover in general, is the 1970s - so he selected 1971, a year in which the movies were smart, daring, experimental, and (at least in his top five) extremely horny. Plus, hear about the best single release week of the year (maybe the decade), when two all-timers hit theaters one day apart!

Episode 19:
1980 with April Wright

April Wright is our favorite kind of documentary filmmaker, because she makes movies about movies. Her credits include “Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-In movie,” “Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace,” and “Stunt Women: The Untold Hollywood Story.”Her latest, “Back to the Drive-In” (out now!) looks at drive-in exhibition in the COVID era - and she picked 1980, a year of great drive-in movies (and movies in general).

Episode 20:
1949 with Raquel Stecher

Raquel Stecher has spent most of her career writing about classic movies, so it doesn't come as a shock that she's dipped back into the 1940s for her very good year - 1949, to be precise, the year that marked the beginning of the end for the studio system. It was also the golden age of film noir, so her top five is bursting with examples and variations on the genre (as well as a VERY non-noir turn by one of its icons). 

Episode 21:
1991 with Brian Tallerico

We're back with another episode (recorded) live from SXSW in Austin, Texas, where Brian Tallerico - managing editor of RogerEbert.com, president of the Chicago Film Critics Association, and film-and-TV-critic-at-large - talks to us about the magical year of 1991. He was a wide-eyed 16-year-old moviegoer that year, and his favorites of the year (some of which you'll guess, some of which may surprise you) greatly informed his thinking on genre, authorial voice, and film theory. Plus, find out why he wore an armband to school for part of the year!  

Episode 22:
1978 with Soraya Nadia McDonald

Our first (but not last!) Pulitzer Prize finalist guest, Soraya Nadia McDonald brings her experience in multiple fields - sportswriting, theatre criticism, television, AND film - to her rundown of her favorite movies of 1978, a mixture of films she grew up adoring and discovered as a budding cinephile. Plus: A headlines segment full of tragedies, from Jonestown to ‘The Star Wars Holiday Special.’

Episode 23:
1993 with Karina Longworth

Karina Longworth basically invented the film history podcast with her meticulously researched and ridiculously entertaining “You Must Remember This” (if you heard our “Fun City Cinema” show, you can tell we’re fans). She just kicked off her new season, “Erotic ‘90s,” so she was kind enough to pay us a visit and talk about her favorite year of that decade, 1993, and her favorite films of it, erotic and non. All that, plus Jason discovering he and Karina had very similar tween years!

Episode 24:
1989 with John Pierson

John Pierson wrote the definitive book about '90s independent cinema, "Spike, Mike, Slackers, & Dykes," and he wrote it from the inside - he was the producer's rep who made the deals that put such legendary pictures as "She's Gotta Have It," "Roger & Me," "Slacker," and "Clerks" on your screens. He brings that insider's perspective to our conversation about the year 1989, a crucial tipping point in the indie scene's move to the mainstream.

Episode 25:
1946 with Stephanie Zacharek

Stephanie Zacharek - film critic for TIME magazine and Pulitzer Prize finalist - has always loved the movies of the 1940s. But 1946 is particularly special to her, because of the potent complexity of theme and emotion in these post-war pictures - and because of one film in particular, which pulls off the very rare A VERY GOOD YEAR hat-trick.

Episode 26:
1996 with Sergio Muñoz

When Jason was at SXSW, you didn't think we’d still be running episodes from that trip two months later, did you? Well, while he was there, he stopped by the University of Austin to chat with our pal Sergio Muñoz, who is a grad student in Film Production there; he’s also the host of the 300-plus episode strong “Esta-Okay” film podcast, where he reviews new releases and film festivals, AND he's an award winning filmmaker to boot. Join us as we talk about 1996, when we were in college and he was NOT EVEN BORN YET. (This episode sponsored by MUBI.)

Episode 27:
2011 with Kristen Meinzer

Kristen Meinzer was already a movie podcaster during her very good year, 2011 - when she noticed a trend of women behaving badly in mainstream movies that still makes her happy. The feisty co-host host of "Movie Therapy with Rafer & Kristen" and "By the Book" (and contributor to NPR's "Pop Culture Happy Hour") also offers up alternate takes on some of Jason's 2011 favorites, and joins us for our usual eye-rolling at the year's Oscar winners. (This episode sponsored by MUBI.)

Episode 28:
1933 with Megan Abbott

We welcome Film Twitter's favorite crime novelist, the Edgar Award-winning, New York Times-bestselling Megan Abbott, author of the new and spectacular "Beware the Woman." She joins us to walk through her favorite year of classic cinema: 1933, the end of the Pre-Code era, when women could be bad and men could be horny and movies could kinda-sorta reflect contemporary life candidly, for the last time for a long time. (This episode sponsored by MUBI.)

Episode 29:
1960 with Alexandre O. Philippe

Alexandre O. Philippe has funneled his life-long cinematic obsessions into movies of his own, directing such documentary treats as “78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene,” “Memory: The Origins of Alien,” “Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist,” and the new “Lynch/Oz” (out Friday 6/2). He made an entire movie about “Psycho,” so it’s not toooo surprising that he picked 1960 - but his picks also showcase the wide, eclectic variety of that year’s cinema. (This episode sponsored by MUBI.)

Episode 30:
1972 with Judy Becker

We’ve welcomed critics, authors, actors, directors, and on and on—but this week, we welcome our very first production designer, and Judy Becker is one of the greats. Her credits include “Carol,” "I’m Not There,” “Brokeback Mountain,” “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” “Silver Linings Playbook,” and “American Hustle,” for which she was nominated for the Academy Award. (She’s also the latest subject of the “Filmcraft” series at the Metrograph Theater here in New York City, beginning on June 3rd.) She picked one of the all-time great years, 1972, and walks us through it with the eye of not only a film lover but a film craftsperson. (This episode sponsored by MUBI.)

Episode 31:
2004 with Hunter Harris

Pop culture expert, Substacker extraordinaire, and fellow flyover country escapee Hunter Harris joins Jason and Mike to talk about the Year of our Lord 2004, in which Marty and Leo re-teamed, Julia Roberts said some really dirty words, and Tom Cruise chastised Jamie Foxx for being a bad son.  (This episode sponsored by MUBI.)

Episode 32:
1962 with Stephen Farber and Michael McClellan

We've never attempted a two-guest show before, but we think you'll agree that it was kind of essential here, since legendary film critic and historian Stephen Farber and former theatre executive and CARA member Michael McClellan collaborated on a perfect book for our purposes: Cinema ’62: The Greatest Year at the Movies, in which they write all about why 1962 was a peak year for film, with a high standard of quality that has not been equaled since. They join us to make their case, which includes literary adaptations, cult classics, and lots of juicy roles for women. (This episode sponsored by MUBI.)

Episode 33:
1982 with Jen Chaney

"Vulture" TV critic and author Jen Chaney was, like us, a young and deeply impressionable moviegoer in the year of our Lord 1982, when the Spielberg double-tap of "E.T." and "Poltergeist" lit up our dreams and haunted our nightmares. We talk all about both of those movies, as well as the sex comedies, sci-fi bummers, and romantic comedies that made '82 feel like, really and truly, the first year of '80s moviemaking. (This episode sponsored by MUBI.)

Episode 34:
1977 with Jordan Hoffman

Beloved film critic and niche culture aficionado Jordan Hoffman was wise enough to call dibs quite some time ago on not only one of the great years of the ‘70s, but great movie years, period—a game-changing 12 months for cinema, thanks to a pair of sci-fi smashes, a modest romantic comedy, and a big movie with a bigger soundtrack. Come for the high-profile flicks, stay for the tales of Jordan’s charming New Jersey youth! (This episode sponsored by MUBI.)

Episode 35:
1988 with Daniela Taplin Lundberg

Daniela Taplin Lundberg was born into film production - her father Jonathan produced the first major movie for a promising young filmmaker named Martin Scorsese - and her producing credits include “The Kids Are All Right,” “Honey Boy,” “Harriet,” and “Together Together.” Now she hosts the essential podcast “Hollywood Gold,” where she welcomes other producers to tell their war stories about iconic movies, and joins us to talk about her favorite films of 1988—including one with a very personal connection. (This episode sponsored by MUBI.)

Episode 36:
1939 with Jessica Pickens

Jessica Pickens is a film blogger and historian specializing in World War II-era cinema, movie musicals, and, luckily for us, the films of 1939. She started a side project of watching every damn movie from that greatest of movie years clear back in 2011, so she decided to leave aside the greatest hits of the year (your Wizards of Oz, your Gones with the Wind, etc.) to bring us some of the lesser-known gems she’s discovered in the process.

Episode 37:
1957 with James Urbaniak

Character actor, cartoon doctor, and general bon vivant James Urbaniak joins us to walk through the cinema de 1957 - a year of foreign triumphs and domestic groundbreakers, of media satires and existential examinations. You won’t be surprised that a Hal Hartley regular is a knowledgeable and eloquent cinephile, but you WILL be delighted! 

Episode 38:
1997 with Craig D. Lindsey

Craig D. Lindsey was a working critic in 1997, so he has a LOT of pleasant moviegoing (and reviewing) memories from that year; he also made a top ten list at the time, so he took particular pleasure out of revisiting and revising those favorites. And there were many: a new Tarantino, a new Lynch, breakthroughs for Paul Thomas Anderson and Matt and Ben, and a big blockbuster about a big-ass boat.

Episode 39:
1944 with Justin Chang

Justin Chang is one of the genuine greats of contemporary film criticism - chief critic for the Los Angeles Times and NPR’s “Fresh Air,” a title he previously held at Variety. He joins us to talk about the films of 1944, and to explain how he became so enamored of crime fiction, hard-boiled movies, and film noir at such an impressionable age. (Episode sponsored by the New York Film Festival.)

Episode 40:
1953 with Sheila O’Malley

Sheila O’Malley is a classic film buff who joins the esteemed ranks of our “the 1950s were AWESOME, actually” guests, looking back at the equally compelling domestic and foreign cinema of the wild, eventful year of 1953. Ruined women! International sideboob! Juvenile delinquents! What’s not to love? (Episode sponsored by the New York Film Festival.)

Episode 41:
1995 with Sammi Cohen

This week, we’re pleased to welcome director, writer, and comedian Sammi Cohen, whose queer high school love triangle rom-com Crush debuted last year on Hulu. Their new feature is an adaptation of the hit young adult novel You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitvah, produced by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions—and featuring Mr. Sandler and much of his family. It debuts on Netflix this Friday, August 25th. Sammi joins us to talk about the movies of 1995, and how heavily these films influenced their work to date.

Episode 42:
1932 with Sarah Bea Milner

This week, we’re joined by Sarah Bea Milner, our first writer/editor/folk musician! She is currently the editor at Kidscreen, and she has bylines at Polygon, /Film, Screen Rant and more, and her area of expertise is classic horror - so she picked 1932, a year of mummies and freaks and old, dark houses.

Episode 43:
1986 with Ty Burr

Ty Burr was the film critic for the Boston Globe for two decades, before departing that post to start up the must-read Substack newsletter “Ty Burr’s Watchlist.” He was also a senior writer for “Entertainment Weekly” from 1990 to 2002 —aka that publication’s glory years—but before THAT, he worked as a film selector and advisor for HBO and Cinemax (particularly the latter’s, ahem, late night programming). He was working that gig in 1986, a killer year for mainstream movies and the blossoming indie movie scene.

Episode 44:
1994 with Scott Wampler

Scott Wampler had his 13-year-old brain entirely re-arranged by a movie he saw in 1994, so he joins us to talk about how that happened, and what else he saw that year that stuck with him. This terrific film writer and podcaster co-hosts the “Kingcast,” a deep dive into the work and adaptations of Stephen King, so you won’t be surprised to learn that his list includes a King movie, and a movie kinda sorta about a King-like figure. Enjoy!

Episode 45:
2005 with Alissa Wilkinson

Alissa Wilkinson - senior correspondent and critic at Vox - was just out of college in 2005 and, when the year began, she had not yet decided to devote her life to film criticism. But this was the year that she moved to New York and made that decision, so she joins us this week to discuss the movies that opened her eyes as a moviegoer and a critic.  (This episode is sponsored by the New York Film Festival.)

Episode 46:
1992 with Kristy Puchko

Kristy Puchko — film critic, entertainment reporter, and the film editor at Mashable — was nine years old in 1992, and was probably entirely too young to see most of the dark, weird, horny movies that ended up shaping her warped mind at that age. Let’s look back at them! (This episode is sponsored by the New York Film Festival.)

Episode 47:
1922 with Monica Castillo

Writer, film critic, programmer, and curator Monica Castillo gave herself a challenge for this week’s show: she picked, by a good stretch, the earliest year we’ve ever done. But 1922 is an out-and-out banger, with key early texts in horror, documentary, comedy, and melodrama. Plus, bonus, there weren’t any Oscars for us to complain about!

Episode 48:
1973 with Jason Diamond

Jason Diamond is one of our favorite writers, and not just because of his quality prose — it’s because he’s an expert and an enthusiast, about everything from men’s fashion to books to bagels. And one of his favorite things to geek out about is the cinema of the ‘70s, so he joins us this week to talk up 1973, and five films that, in their own (sometimes twisted) ways, made him who he is today. 

Episode 49:
1990 with Joe Lynch

Director Joe Lynch was in his early teens in 1990, and for reasons we’ll discuss, saw pretty much anything and everything in this year that proved key to his development as a filmmaker and movie lover. On this week’s show, we walk through ’90 and talk up his new movie ‘Suitable Flesh’ (in theaters and on VOD October 27).

Episode 50:
1984 with Matt Singer

Matt Singer is a film critic, entertainment journalist, and author — and his latest book is a real treat for all you nerds who listen to this nerdy show. Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever is a combination of dual biography, media history, and film commentary, so he joins us to talk about his love for Siskel & Ebert, and how it led him to this book. And they were active during his year of choice, 1984, so Matt not only shares his thoughts on his top five, but Gene & Roger’s as well.

Episode 51:
1935 with Leonard Maltin

Our final guest of the season is a legend of film history and criticism who spent 30 years as film critic for “Entertainment Tonight,” 25 years (and counting) teaching at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and his entire career writing essential books including (but certainly not limited to) his standard-setting “Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide.” He joins us to discuss the movies of 1935, including his favorite Alfred Hitchcock, his favorite Marx Brothers, and a particularly timely pick for the spooky season.

Episode 52:
A Very Good Year of
A VERY GOOD YEAR

We wrap up our first season — a full year of shows — in true season finale fashion: with a super-sized clip show, featuring some of our favorite segments from the past year, including our own Top 5 (of the best movies we watched for the first time for the show). Plus, a very good origin story, background on some of our most cherished episodes, and more!