Podcast · Film & TV

Awesome Movie Year

by Awesome Movie Year · English · Film & TV

Awesome Movie Year is a podcast co-hosted by film critic Josh Bell and filmmaker and comedian Jason Harris. Each season looks at why a certain year was an awesome movie year. Each episode focuses on a different film from the year being investigated. Produced by David Rosen of the Piecing It Together

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 1 hr 4 min
Latest: 14 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 10 minNew

Hudson Hawk (1991 Box Office Flop)

The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1991 features the year’s biggest flop, Michael Lehmann’s Hudson Hawk . Directed by Michael Lehmann and starring Bruce Willis, Andie MacDowell, Danny Aiello, Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhard, Hudson Hawk is based on a character created by Willis and songwriter Robert Kraft. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Janet Maslin in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/24/movies/review-film-bruce-willis-as-a-hip-cat-burglar.html ), Variety (…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S26 · E2 · 7 Oct 2026 · 1 hr 16 min
Boyz n the Hood (1991 First Feature)
The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1991 features our pick for a notable debut feature, John Singleton’s Boyz n the Hood . Written and directed by John Singleton and starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Morris Chestnut, Nia Long and Angela Bassett, Boyz n the Hood made Singleton the youngest-ever Best Director Oscar nominee. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/boyz-n-the-hood-1991 ), Janet Maslin in The New York Times (…
S26 · E1 · 30 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 16 min
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991 Box Office Champ)
The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1991 features the box-office champion, James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day . Directed and co-written by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick and Joe Morton, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is the second film in the long-running Terminator sci-fi action franchise. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/terminator-2-judgment-day-1991 ), Janet Maslin in The New York Times (…
S24 · E16 · 23 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 12 min
Better Off Dead (1985 Bonus Episode)
This bonus episode for our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features Savage Steve Holland’s Better Off Dead . Written and directed by Savage Steve Holland and starring John Cusack, Diane Franklin, Curtis Armstrong, Amanda Wyss and Aaron Dozier, Better Off Dead is the first of two movies that Holland and Cusack made together in the 1980s. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Janet Maslin in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1985/10/11/movies/film-better-off-dead.html), Paul Attanasio in The Washington Post (…
S25 · E15 · 18 Sep 2026 · 44 min
1946 Epilogue
In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1946, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about their favorite 1946 movies. Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemoviepod.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear You can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/ , on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at…
S25 · E14 · 16 Sep 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
The Big Sleep (1946 Audience Choice)
The finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features our audience choice poll winner, Howard Hawks’ The Big Sleep . Directed by Howard Hawks and starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and Martha Vickers, The Big Sleep defeated two other film noir classics in our 1946 audience choice poll. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1946/08/24/archives/the-screen-the-big-sleep-warner-film-in-which-bogart-and-bacall-are.html ), James Agee in Time magazine (…
S25 · E13 · 9 Sep 2026 · 53 min
The Beast With Five Fingers (1946 Future Cult Classic)
The thirteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features our cult classic pick, horror movie The Beast With Five Fingers . Directed by Robert Florey and starring Robert Alda, Andrea King, Peter Lorre, Victor Francen and J. Carrol Naish, The Beast With Five Fingers is based on the short story by William Fryer Harvey. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1946/12/26/archives/the-screen-in-review-stairway-to-heaven-a-british-production-at.html), Variety…
S25 · E12 · 2 Sep 2026 · 59 min
Swing Parade of 1946 (1946 Dave's Pick)
The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features our producer David Rosen’s pick, musical comedy Swing Parade of 1946 . Directed by Phil Karlson and starring Gale Storm, Phil Regan, Edward Brophy, Mary Treen and the Three Stooges, Swing Parade of 1946 marks one of the Three Stooges’ relatively rare feature-film appearances. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Thalia Bell in Motion Picture Herald , Showmen’s Trade Review , and Wanda Hale in the New York Daily News . Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at…
S25 · E11 · 26 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946 Best Picture)
The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, William Wyler’s The Best Years of Our Lives . Directed by William Wyler and starring Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Harold Russell, Myrna Loy and Teresa Wright, The Best Years of Our Lives won seven competitive Oscars and two honorary Oscars. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times ( https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/packages/html/movies/bestpictures/years-re.html ), James Agee in The Nation , and Abel Green in…
S25 · E10 · 19 Aug 2026 · 52 min
The Southerner (1946 Venice Film Festival Winner)
The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features the Venice International Film Festival Golden Lion winner, Jean Renoir’s The Southerner . Directed and co-written by Jean Renoir and starring Zachary Scott, Betty Field, J. Carrol Naish, Beulah Bondi and Charles Kemper, The Southerner is the fourth of six movies that Renoir made during his time in Hollywood. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1945/08/27/archives/the-screen-love-letters-drama-in-which-jennifer-jones-stars-comes.html…
S25 · E9 · 12 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
The Killers (1946 Jason's Pick)
The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features Jason’s personal pick, Robert Siodmak’s The Killers . Directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O’Brien and Sam Levene, The Killers is based on the 1927 short story by Ernest Hemingway. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1946/08/29/archives/the-screen.html ), James Agee in The Nation , and Variety ( https://variety.com/1945/film/reviews/the-killers-2-1200414672/ ). Check out more info and the entire…
S25 · E8 · 5 Aug 2026 · 57 min
Make Mine Music (1946 Animated Film)
The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features our animation pick, Disney’s Make Mine Music . Directed by Jack Kinney, Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, Joshua Meador and Robert Cormack, Make Mine Music is the third of six anthology films that Disney released during a break from producing full-length features. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1946/04/22/archives/the-screen-in-review-make-mine-music-animated-cartoon-by-walt.html ), Edwin Schallert in The Los Angeles Times (…
S25 · E7 · 29 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
Beauty and the Beast (1946 Foreign Film)
The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features our foreign film pick, Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast . Written and directed by Jean Cocteau and starring Jean Marais, Josette Day and Marcel André, Beauty and the Beast is the first feature-film adaptation of the classic French fairy tale. Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear You can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/ , on Instagram at…
S25 · E6 · 22 Jul 2026 · 1 hr
Cluny Brown (1946 Josh's Pick)
The sixth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features Josh’s personal pick, Ernst Lubitsch’s Cluny Brown . Directed by Ernst Lubitsch and starring Jennifer Jones, Charles Boyer, Peter Lawford, Helen Walker and Richard Haydn, Cluny Brown was the last film Lubitsch completed before his death. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from James Agee in The Nation , A.H. Weiler in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1946/06/03/archives/the-screen-clany-brown-new-picture-at-the-rivoli-a-whimsical-film.html ), and Variety (…
S25 · E5 · 15 Jul 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Let There Be Light (1946 Documentary)
The fifth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features our documentary pick, John Huston’s Let There Be Light . Directed by John Huston and featuring patients from Mason General Hospital, Let There Be Light was commissioned by the U.S. Army but barred from release until 1981. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from James Agee in The Nation , Vincent Canby in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/16/movies/let-there-be-light-john-huston-vs-the-army.html ), and Owen Gleiberman in The Boston Phoenix . Check out more info and the entire…
S25 · E4 · 8 Jul 2026 · 1 hr
Brief Encounter (1946 Cannes Award Winner)
The fourth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features one of the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix winners, David Lean’s Brief Encounter . Directed and co-written by David Lean and starring Celia Johnson, Trevor Howard, Stanley Holloway, Joyce Carey and Cyril Raymond, Brief Encounter was one of 11 films to tie for the Grand Prix at the first-ever Cannes Film Festival. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1946/08/26/archives/the-screen-in-review.html ), Variety , and C.A. Lejeune in The…
S25 · E3 · 1 Jul 2026 · 47 min
Boom in the Moon (1946 Box Office Flop)
The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features the year’s biggest flop, Buster Keaton comedy Boom in the Moon . Directed and co-written by Jaime Salvador and starring Buster Keaton, Ángel Garasa and Virginia Serret, Mexican production Boom in the Moon marked Keaton’s final leading role in a film. Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear You can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/ , on Instagram at…
S25 · E2 · 24 Jun 2026 · 53 min
Crisis (1946 First Feature)
The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features our pick for a notable debut feature, Ingmar Bergman’s Crisis . Written and directed by Ingmar Bergman and starring Inga Landgré, Stig Olin, Marianne Löfgren and Dagny Lind, Crisis is adapted from a Danish radio play by Leck Fischer. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode ( https://www.ingmarbergman.se/en/production/crisis ) come from Filmson in Aftonbladet , Barbro Alving in Dagens Nyheter , and Georg Svensson in Bonniers Litterära Magasin . Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at…
S25 · E1 · 17 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
Duel in the Sun (1946 Box Office Champ)
The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1946 features the box-office champion, King Vidor’s Duel in the Sun. Directed by King Vidor and starring Jennifer Jones, Gregory Peck, Joseph Cotten, Lillian Gish and Lionel Barrymore, Duel in the Sun was producer David O. Selznick’s effort to match his success and acclaim with Gone With the Wind. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1947/05/08/archives/duel-in-the-sun-selznicks-lavish-western-that-stars-jennifer-jones.html ), William Brogdon in…
S23 · E19 · 10 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
Dirty Harry (1971 Bonus Episode)
This bonus episode for our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features Don Siegel’s Dirty Harry . Directed by Don Siegel and starring Clint Eastwood, Harry Guardino, Reni Santoni, Andrew Robinson and John Vernon, Dirty Harry is the first of five movies featuring Eastwood as San Francisco Police Inspector Harry Callahan. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dirty-harry-1971), Roger Greenspun in The New York Times , and Kevin Thomas in the Los Angeles Times . Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes…
S23 · E18 · 3 Jun 2026 · 1 hr 5 min
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971 Bonus Episode)
This bonus episode for our season on the awesome movie year of 1971 features Mel Stuart’s Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder, Peter Ostrum and Jack Albertson, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is based on the novel by Roald Dahl. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/willy-wonka-and-the-chocolate-factory-1971), Howard Thompson in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1971/07/01/archives/chocolate-factory.html), and Tony Mastroianni in the Cleveland Press. Check…
S24 · E15 · 27 May 2026 · 43 min
1985 Epilogue
In this epilogue to our season on the awesome movie year of 1985, we talk about alternate movies we considered including in all of our different categories this season, and read suggestions from some listeners about their favorite 1985 movies. Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear You can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/ , on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at…
S24 · E14 · 20 May 2026 · 56 min
He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword (1985 Audience Choice)
The finale of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features our audience choice pick, animated toy adaptation He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword . Directed by Ed Friedman, Lou Kachivas, Marsh Lamore, Bill Reed and Gwen Wetzler and starring the voices of John Erwin, Melendy Britt, Alan Oppenheimer and Linda Gary, He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword defeated two other animated movies based on toy lines in our 1985 audience choice poll. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Janet Maslin in The New York Times (…
S24 · E13 · 13 May 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
Gymkata (1985 Future Cult Classic)
The thirteenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features our cult classic pick, Kurt Thomas action movie Gymkata . Directed by Robert Clouse and starring Kurt Thomas, Tetchie Agbayani, Richard Norton and Buck Kartalian, Gymkata is the first and only film featuring world champion gymnast Kurt Thomas. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert and Laurie Horn in the Miami Herald . Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear…
S24 · E12 · 6 May 2026 · 59 min
The Return of The Living Dead (1985 Dave's Pick)
The twelfth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features our producer David Rosen’s pick, Dan O’Bannon’s The Return of the Living Dead . Written and directed by Dan O’Bannon and starring Clu Gulager, James Karen, Thom Mathews and Don Calfa, The Return of the Living Dead is the first installment in a long-running horror franchise. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/return-of-the-living-dead-1985 ), Stephen Holden in The New York Times (…
S24 · E11 · 29 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 9 min
Out Of Africa (1985 Best Picture)
The eleventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features the Academy Awards Best Picture winner, Sydney Pollack’s Out of Africa . Directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer and Michael Kitchen, Out of Africa is based on the life and writings of Karen Blixen. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/out-of-africa-1985 ), Sheila Benson in the Los Angeles Times ( https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-12-18-ca-26572-story.html ) and Pauline Kael in The…
S24 · E10 · 22 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
Blood Simple (1985 Sundance Film Festival Award Winner)
The tenth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features the Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner, Joel and Ethan Coen’s Blood Simple . Written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya and M. Emmet Walsh, Blood Simple was the Coen brothers’ debut feature. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/blood-simple-1984 ), Janet Maslin in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/12/movies/blood-simple-a-black-comic-romp.html ) and Pauline Kael in…
S24 · E9 · 15 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
The Goonies (1985 Jason's Pick)
The ninth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features Jason’s personal pick, Richard Donner’s The Goonies . Directed by Richard Donner from a screenplay by Chris Columbus and starring Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, Josh Brolin, Jeff Cohen and Ke Huy Quan, The Goonies is based on a story by producer Steven Spielberg. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-goonies-1985 ), Janet Maslin in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/07/movies/screen-the-goonies-written-by-spielberg.html ) and Paul…
S24 · E8 · 8 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 1 min
The Adventures Of Mark Twain (1985 Animated Film)
The eighth episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features our animation pick, Will Vinton’s The Adventures of Mark Twain . Directed by Will Vinton and starring James Whitmore, Michele Mariana, Gary Krug and Chris Ritchie, The Adventures of Mark Twain is the first and only feature film directed by stop-motion animation pioneer Vinton. The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Vincent Canby in The New York Times ( https://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/17/movies/screen-adventures-of-mark-twain.html ) and Harry McCracken in Cinefantastique . Check out more info and…
S24 · E7 · 1 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 4 min
Ran (1985 Foreign Film)
The seventh episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1985 features our foreign film pick, Akira Kurosawa’s Ran . Directed and co-written by Akira Kurosawa and starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Akira Terao, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu and Mieko Harada, Ran is adapted from William Shakespeare’s King Lear . The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Roger Ebert ( https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ran-1985 ), Paul Attanasio in The Washington Post ( https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1986/01/24/movies/86669975-df20-49c2-9e7f-f8c7268250df/ ), and Pauline Kael in The…

About Awesome Movie Year

Awesome Movie Year is a English film & tv podcast from Awesome Movie Year. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Awesome Movie Year
Language: English
Category: Film & TV
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 1 hr 4 min
Latest episode: 14 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1467982091
Rights: All Points West

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