Load Bearing Beams: A Movie Podcast
One host loves a movie, the other has never seen it. They watch. They discuss. Why do we call it a Load Bearing Beam? Because it's a movie you love so much that it holds up the foundation of the very structure that is you. Laci Roth and Matt Stokes are a married couple that needs to find stuff to watch together. On this show, they take a look at movies loved by one but unseen, disliked, or forgotten by the other. With open hearts but exhausted and cynical minds, they will get to the bottom of whether or not the movies they love so much are actually good.
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The Royal Tenenbaums
05/02/2025
The Royal Tenenbaums
Hey folks, we had to make a programming change this week because one of our bodies did a medical oopsie and we ended up in the emergency room. Everything's fine... but wait till the bill comes, am I right?? Anyway, we had to push back our Death Proof episode, so now, we have unlocked our Royal Tenenbaums episode from behind the Patreon paywall. See you in a week! Love you goodbyeeee.
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157. Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (with Jen Walks N2 Walls)
04/25/2025
157. Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (with Jen Walks N2 Walls)
Friend of the Show Jen ( on TikTok) joins us to cover Sister Act 2. We once again follow the misadventures of Deloris (Whoopi Goldberg), a Las Vegas headliner who selfishly abandons the backup dancers, crew members, and support staff who rely on her show to make their living, all so she can go be a substitute teacher at a Catholic school for some reason. Seriously, is she paying all these people out of her pocket while her show is on hiatus? Or is she like Jimmy Fallon during the 2023 strikes, sending them each a $20 gift card and best wishes? Anyway. This movie’s a lot of fun, but it is all over the place. Looking into the production history, we see it’s a hastily produced sequel that seems almost as if it started as an original, unrelated script about a high school choir competition and then had the Sister Act nuns awkwardly grafted onto it. Still, Whoopi Goldberg is her usual delightful self, but she’s outshined by these delightful kids, including a just-about-to-be-a-superstar Lauryn Hill as Rita, a high schooler whose mom hates choirs more than anything else. Next week: Death Proof (2007) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get extra episodes! In April, we’re covering the pilot episode of the American Office, Matt has thoughts on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and we’re reviewing M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening. Subscribe at Time stamps: 00:06:42 — Our personal histories with Sister Act 2 00:21:45 — History segment: Production of Sister Act 2 under director Bill Duke and its lasting legacy 00:39:30 — In-depth movie discussion 01:30:30 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Bill Duke on ‘Deep Cover,’ ‘Sister Act 2,’ and Reshaping What Black Movies Could Be in the ’90s” by Robert Daniels | IndieWire (2022) - “How did ‘Sister Act 2’ become a classic musical?” by David Dennis Jr. | Andscape (2019) - “Sister Act 2 Cast Reunites to Sing 'Joyful, Joyful' and 'Oh Happy Day,' 30 Years After Film — Watch” by Dave Quinn | People Magazine (2024) - “A Fresh Take on Black America: On ‘Sister Act 2’” by Brandon Tensley | Los Angeles Review of Books (2023) - “‘Sister Act 2’ Set the Gold Standard for Bad Sequels” by Caspar Salmon | Vice (2018) - “Whoopi Goldberg looks back on Sister Act” by Mary Sellosi | Entertainment Weekly (2017) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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The Office (U.S.) - "Pilot" (Patreon Preview!)
04/21/2025
The Office (U.S.) - "Pilot" (Patreon Preview!)
Enjoy nine free minutes from our Patreon-exclusive episode about the pilot of the American Office. Hear the full thing by subscribing at for $5/month. Matt and Wade go through the pilot episode of the American Office. They compare their personal fandoms of the show and how deep their knowledge runs, and then briefly discuss how the show was adapted from the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, its rocky first season and slow ascent into a megahit, and its lasting cultural legacy. And as for the pilot itself, which is generally not well regarded, Matt is surprised at how solid it is, how good a job it does at setting up the series, and how fully formed the main characters already are. The Office was created by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant, and developed by Greg Daniels. It stars Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, and Jenna Fischer The pilot is directed by Ken Kwapis & written by Greg Daniels (adapted from a teleplay by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant) Original air date: March 24, 2005 Source: The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History by Andy Greene (2020) - Hear Wade's incredible album WHO SAID THAT? on , , or wherever else music is streamed. Or you can purchase the album from . Follow Wade on Instagram: Music credit: "Never Trust a Bat" by Rural Route Nine. Listen on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube ( Live cover of The Office theme song by Better By Design, one of Wade's bands. Watch it in full:
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UNLOCKED: The Truman Show
04/18/2025
UNLOCKED: The Truman Show
Hoppy Easter. We're taking the week off but don't want to leave you hopping. So here's our eggsipode about The Truman Show, in its entirety, previously available only to our Patreon subscribers. We'll be back next week with an all-new episode about Sister Act 2.
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156. American Psycho (with Red Rose Film Club)
04/11/2025
156. American Psycho (with Red Rose Film Club)
We welcome Hal ( on Letterboxd) and Craig ( on Letterboxd) from the Red Rose Film Club podcast to cover American Psycho (2000), the Wall Street horror/comedy starring Christian Bale as Patrick "Jason" Bateman. This movie’s got a lot going on, folks. And we get to it all—we determine who has the best business card, we explain why you wouldn’t want Christian Bale as your co-worker at Whataburger, we try to figure out what’s going on with Justin Theroux’s hair, and we marvel at Patrick Bateman’s chainsaw math. Also, is American Psycho Jared Leto’s villain origin story? But more than anything, we're trying to identify what exactly Patrick Bateman represents. Is he the embodiment of toxic masculinity? A victim of America’s addiction to competition and consumption above all else? A misunderstood baby boy? An iconic slasher villain? What if our answer was…. Yes? Next week: We are the nation’s top fun-havers, so we’re taking the week off for Spring Break. We'll unlock our The Truman Show episode from our Patreon archive, and we’ll be back on April 25, 2025 with a brand-new episode about Sister Act 2 (1993) with our friend Jen Walks N2 Walls. Subscribe to Red Rose Film Club: Apple Podcast: Spotify: Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:08:00 — Our personal histories with American Psycho 00:16:30 — History segment: Bret Easton Ellis and his American Psycho novel; development of the film under director Mary Harron; star Christian Bale 00:41:45 — In-depth movie discussion 02:02:39 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “American Psycho: An Oral History, 20 Years After Its Divisive Debut” by Tim Molloy | Movie Maker, 2020 - “Blood, Boycott, and Body Bags: An Oral History of ‘American Psycho’” by Tatiana Tenreyro | Vice, 2020 - “Snuff This Book! Will Bret Easton Ellis Get Away With Murder?” by Roger Rosenblatt | The New York Times, 1991 - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social
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155. Superman (1978)
04/04/2025
155. Superman (1978)
We bid a tearful farewell to our favorite actor, Gene Hackman, by discussing his hilarious evil Lex Luthor in Superman (1978). Richard Donner started the whole superhero movie idea with this film, but we won’t hold that against him. How electric are Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder? How great does this movie look? And why are so many children getting smacked by their mothers? Bonus video: We each give our most contrarian film opinion. Watch it on our , , , or . Next week: American Psycho (2000) with the Red Rose Film Club podcast Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:01:16 — Our personal histories with Superman 00:09:40 — History segment: A very brief history of Superman (the character); development of Superman (the movie); career overview of director Richard Donner; career overview of star Christopher Reeve 00:31:50 — In-depth movie discussion 01:33:45 — Final thoughts and star ratings Source: “‘Superman,’ The Inside Story: Director Richard Donner Remembers Meeting Stallone to Play the Lead, Working With Brando, and a Near-Fatal Knife Attack” by Stephen Galloway | The Hollywood Reporter (2016) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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The Royal Tenenbaums (Patreon Preview)
04/01/2025
The Royal Tenenbaums (Patreon Preview)
Enjoy 12 minutes from our Patreon-only bonus episode about The Royal Tenenbaums! Subscribe to Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5/month at
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154. Heartbreakers (2001)
03/28/2025
154. Heartbreakers (2001)
Laci and Matt head to Palm Beach, Florida, to con some rich geriatrics out of their money with their best pals, Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt. That’s right, it’s the perfectly cromulent 2001 crime-comedy Heartbreakers, brought to you by director David Mirkin (showrunner of seasons 5 and 6 of The Simpsons, and director of previous episode Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion). Bonus video: Most awkward experience seeing a movie with a parent. Watch it on our or on our . Next week: Superman (1978) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:05:56 — Our personal histories with Heartbreakers 00:09:27 — History segment: Brief overviews of director David Mirkin and stars Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt; Laci and Matt listen to Jennifer Love Hewitt’s highest charting single to determine if they’ve ever heard it 00:21:00 — In-depth movie discussion 01:36:41 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Interview with David Mirkin” by Steve Head | IGN (2001) - “Jennifer Love Hewitt Answers Every Question We Have About Heartbreakers” by Ilana Kaplan | Vulture (2021) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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153. The Firm
03/21/2025
153. The Firm
Our coverage of the late, great Gene Hackman begins with Laci and Matt getting sucked into the vortex of legal intrigue that is The Firm. And, okay, it’s not exactly a Gene Hackman movie, but he’s wonderful as always as part of this ensemble cast that is one of the all-time great ensemble casts. Seriously, this movie is a warm bath you can just slip into, not unlike Gene Hackman’s character Avery Tolar at the end of this film. Bonus video: We talk about things people do in the movies that are weird, very much unlike things that people in real-life do. Watch it on our , , , or . Next week: Heartbreakers (2001) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:01:42 — Our personal histories with The Firm and the legal thriller sub-genre 00:16:54 — History segment: John Grisham and the ‘90s legal thriller boom; brief overview of director Sydney Pollack; production of The Firm movie 00:34:17 — In-depth movie discussion 02:07:57 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “John Grisham Is Still Battling His Southern Demons” by David Marchese | The New York Times (2022) - “Boxers, Briefs and Books” by John Grisham | The New York Times (2010) - “John Grisham Talks About ‘The Firm’” 2011 interview with NBC - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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152. Enemy Mine (with Screen Time Kota)
03/14/2025
152. Enemy Mine (with Screen Time Kota)
Friend of the Show Screen Time Kota () returns to discuss the 1985 sci-fi film Enemy Mine. This hidden gem of an ‘80s sci-fi film has everything you want: practical effects, elaborate sets, miniature spaceships, matte paintings, and incredible makeup. Even more impressive is the performance of Louis Gossett Jr. underneath the intricate alien makeup. He and Dennis Quaid (a human) get stranded on a planet together; their species hate each other more than anything else… but somehow, they’ll need to learn to get along if they want to survive this. (They do.) Next week: The Firm (1993) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:01:34 — Kota’s history with Enemy Mine 00:11:10 — History segment: Development of Enemy Mine, from novella to production under original director Richard Loncraine, to Loncraine getting replaced with Wolfgang Petersen; brief career overviews of stars Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett, Jr. 00:28:25 — In-depth movie discussion 01:13:35 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Wolfgang Petersen, the creator of Das Boot, ventures into outer space” by Michael Blowen | The Boston Globe (1985) “Gossett makes his own breaks” by Jay Scott | The Globe and Mail (1985) Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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Matt has a new monthly podcast about The Twilight Zone!
03/13/2025
Matt has a new monthly podcast about The Twilight Zone!
Matt has a new podcast! Don't worry, Load Bearing Beams shall be unaffected. In fact, it can only grow stronger. The new podcast will come out once per month and it's about the classic Twilight Zone series. Along with Friend of the Show Patrick Perot (the 10 Things I Hate About You episode, the Blair Witch Project episode, Rural Route Nine), Matt will go through each episode of The Twilight Zone—one episode per podcast—in chronological order. And you can try out that podcast now: The Sign Post Up Ahead. To catch episodes 2 and 3 of The Sign Post Up Ahead, you can subscribe to the show: Apple Podcast: Spotify: YouTube: In the debut episode of the podcast, Matt and Patrick go through the very first episode of The Twilight Zone: "Where Is Everybody?" An amnesiac wanders through a town, unable to find a single human being, but always feeling like somebody is just out of reach. Creepy! How well does this episode serve as an introduction to The Twilight Zone? How well does it stand on its own? And how much does it hold up now? Plus, there's a lot of talk about the space race, the Cold War, and America's obsession with going to the moon. "Where Is Everybody" originally aired October 2, 1959; directed by Robert Stevens; written by Rod Serling; starring Earl Holliman.
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151. The Devil’s Rejects (with Austin Proctor)
03/07/2025
151. The Devil’s Rejects (with Austin Proctor)
Austin Proctor of the Frightmares podcast joins Laci and Matt to go through The Devil’s Rejects, the second film from director Robert “Robbie” Zombie. A family of demented devil freaks is running roughshod over Jimmy Carter’s America, and the only thing standing in their way is a demented devil sheriff who just might be even more evil. Who will win? Answer? You, the listener, as we unpack this gory, unpleasant, but fascinating early 2000s horror/neo-western. Check out the Frightmares podcast on Apple Podcast () or Spotify (). Follow the podcast on TikTok: Next week: Enemy Mine (1985) with Screen Time Kota! Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:08:05 — Our personal histories Rob Zombie and The Devil’s Rejects 00:20:00 — History segment: Career overview of Rob Zombie, and the making of The Devil’s Rejects 00:33:59 — In-depth movie discussion 01:31:50 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “I Don’t Like Rules” by Jan Doense | The Flashback Files (2014) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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A Very Special Oscars Special
02/28/2025
A Very Special Oscars Special
Yes, this is a five-hour episode. Luckily, we have time stamps available for you so you can hop around to hear about the Oscar categories you find most interesting. With Laci out on assignment, Matt interviews a handful of friends and past guests of the show to preview Hollywood's Biggest Night™. With the Academy Awards ceremony looming in two days, he and his pals preview all of the major categories, and a few fun extra ones. So tune in for detailed conversations about movies like Anora, A Complete Unknown, Dune Part Two, Wicked, The Brutalist, Nosferatu, Inside Out 2, Emilia Perez, Nickel Boys, Sing Sing, Conclave, A Real Pain, The Substance, The Wild Robot, Kindom of the Planet of the Apes, and more! Next week: Laci triumphantly returns and we're joined by frist-time guest Austin Proctor of the Frightmares podcast to review Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects (2005). Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:03:14 — Best Actor (with of The Reel For Real podcast) 00:39:11 — Best Actress (with ) 01:05:08 — Best Adapted Screenplay (with ) 01:34:28 — Best Original Screenplay (with ) 02:19:09 — Best Animated Feature (with ) 03:00:21 — Best Visual Effects (with ) 03:23:45 — Best Supporting Actor (with ) 03:40:19 — Best Supporting Actress 03:48:20 — Best Director / Best Picture (with ) Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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150. Spice World
02/21/2025
150. Spice World
It only took us eight years but we finally reached 150 episodes. How about that? To celebrate, we squeeze into matching Union Jack dresses and slam our bodies down and wind them all around to discuss Spice World (1997), the notoriously bad (but secretly good?) Spice Girls movie. To elder millennials, this movie’s a big honking deal, folks, and we pull out all the stops to unpack exactly why that is. And to then marvel at how, of all the directions they could have gone with a Spice Girls movie, this is what they made. Bonus video: We name our favorite movies about bands, real or fictional. Watch it on our , , or . Next week: Our Oscars special, previewing the 2025 Academy Awards with a cavalcade of superstar guests Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:06:13 — Our personal histories with the Spice Girls 00:16:06 — History segment: What is “Cool Britannia”?; a brief history of the Spice Girls; how the Spice Girls made a movie 00:44:12 — In-depth movie discussion 01:17:53 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “How the ‘Spice World’ Movie Became a Deranged, Postmodern Masterpiece” by Sirin Kale | Vice, 2018 - “When the Spice Girls hit Cannes: the inside story of Spice World, 'the worst film ever made'” by Alice Vincent | The Telegraph, 2019 - Roger Ebert’s half-star review of Spice World - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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149. Twilight (with Fiction Fixation)
02/14/2025
149. Twilight (with Fiction Fixation)
For Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating the greatest American love story of all time: Isabella Swan and Edward “The Bad Guy” Cullen. That’s right, after years of threatening to turn the podcast into a full-time Twilight show, we’re finally doing it. For one episode, at least. But how to tackle such an enormous endeavor? Well, we’ve found the two perfect people to help us in our quest: Courtney and Rose from the great Fiction Fixation podcast. The four of us unpack our different Twilight journeys, discuss the odd figure that is Stephenie Meyer, try to determine the connection between Twilight and Mormonism, unpack the demented sexual politics of this franchise, and, finally, we all confess how much we’d want Edward to bite our necks. Listen to Fiction Fixation on Apple Podcast (), Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow them on TikTok: Next week: Spice World (1997) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:07:10 — Our personal histories with the Twilight franchise (books AND movies) 00:25:58 — History segment: Joseph Smith founds Mormonism in the 1820s; Stephenie Meyer grows up in the LDS Church, writes Twilight; Twilight-mania takes off and a movie is developed; career overview of director Catherine Hardwicke; brief overviews of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson 00:46:38 — In-depth movie discussion 02:23:43 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Mormon Vampires in the Garden of Eden” by John Grander | Touchstone Magazine - “Stephenie Meyer on Twilight, feminism and true love” by Kira Cochrane | The Guardian (2013) - “Twilight's Author and Director Talk About Bringing The Film To Life” by Christina Radish | Media Blvd. (2008) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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148. The Truman Show (History Segment) [Patreon Preview]
02/13/2025
148. The Truman Show (History Segment) [Patreon Preview]
In the history segment from our Patreon-only episode about The Truman Show, Matt and Laci cover: How The Truman Show started as a much darker script by Andrew Niccol about an alcoholic, philandering New Yorker. When director Peter Weir came aboard he had a few notes—like, why would this show be so popular if it's about a depressing, unlikable cheater? Jim Carrey based his performance on his dad, and was at a level of fame in 1998 that he could whole-heartedly understand a man who is literally the center of the universe. Enjoy this free sample! To hear the entire episode, you'll have to join our Patreon: Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition. Subscribe for $5 a month: Source: “Twenty Years Later, Everything Is The Truman Show” by Julie Miller | Vanity Fair, 2018 - https://bit.ly/41cSW8X
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147. The Legend of Billie Jean (Listener Choice)
02/07/2025
147. The Legend of Billie Jean (Listener Choice)
The winner of our recent Listener Choice Lottery was our friend Monique (of Monique’s Movie Madness, on TikTok). Her movie? The Legend of Billie Jean (1985). Not only had neither of us ever seen this movie, we'd barely even heard of it. But boy is it a hidden gem. Pure sleazy '80s goodness. Helen Slater plays our hero: Billie Jean, a 17-year-old resident of Corpus Christi, Texas. The year is 1985, and she’s going up against the many injustices life throws at her, with the help of her spunky younger brother Binx (Christian Slater), the live-action Lisa Simpson (Yeardley Smith), and a hunky movie nerd named Lloyd (Keith Gordon). Spoiler alert: She wins. But the real winner is YOU, the viewing public. Bonus video: We each name an actor we just can’t stand. Who can’t you stand?? Watch it on our , , , or . Next week: Feb. 12 - The Truman Show exclusively on Patreon! Feb. 14 - Twilight with special guests, Rose and Courtney from the Fiction Fixation podcast! Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:03:05 — Monique’s history with The Legend of Billie Jean 00:13:00 — History segment: A brief history of The Legend of Billie Jean via original screenwriter Walter Bernstein, director Matthew Robbins, and star Helen Slater 00:20:16 — In-depth movie discussion 01:26:22 — Final thoughts and star ratings Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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146. Baby Boom (1987)
01/31/2025
146. Baby Boom (1987)
Diane Keaton accidentally inherits a baby. Hilarity ensues. Actually, this isn’t your typical “I don’t know how to change a diaper!” comedy, it’s actually a pretty sweet and incisive look at the demented work culture of the 1980s. This is where Diane Keaton and Nancy Meyers first collaborated, and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Also, this movie has one* cute baby! *Actually two. Bonus video: We each submit our favorite baby from a movie. Watch it on our , , or . Next week: The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 2:16 — Our personal histories with Baby Boom 15:35 — History segment: The story of Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer, a legendary Hollywood power couple 30:31 — In-depth movie discussion 1:38:12 — Final thoughts and star ratings Source: “Life Isn’t Like the Movies (Even if You Write the Movies)” by Nancy Meyers | The New York Times, 2020 - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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BRRRR it's cold. Here's a message from Laci & Matt.
01/24/2025
BRRRR it's cold. Here's a message from Laci & Matt.
Louisiana got hit with a historic winter storm and the state shut down. Your pals Laci and Matt have cabin fever and are furious as they haven't been able to go anywhere or do anything all week, including podcasting. So here's their apology and update on the schedule. We will return in one week with our episode about Baby Boom (1988). If you are shaking from withdrawal because it's Friday and you need your fix, you can just go to our Patreon and become a subscriber, and then you'll have a handful of brand-new episodes to tide you over until next week. Thank you for your support of our podcast! Okay we love you goodbyeeeee.
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145. Mortal Kombat (1995)
01/17/2025
145. Mortal Kombat (1995)
Get over here to this podcast about Mortal Kombat (1995). We’re revisiting this movie, even after having already covered it on episode 76, because that episode was less than 30 minutes long. And respect must be paid! Director Paul W.S. Anderson knows exactly what kind of movie he’s making here, and the scuzzy mid-’90s vibes are immaculate! Now, is this movie basically just you watching the video game, but in movie form? Well, yes. But that’s what you bought the ticket for! Bonus video: We spin the wheel and select the winner of our Listener Choice Lottery™ . Watch it on our , , , or . Next week: Baby Boom (1988) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:07: 02— Our personal histories with Mortal Kombat 00:11:18 — History segment: The history of the Mortal Kombat franchise; the making of the 1995 movie under director Paul W.S. Anderson 00:33:07 — In-depth movie discussion 01:25:55 — Final thoughts and star ratings 01:30:11 — BONUS: New song by Matt: “The Real Mortal Kombat… Is Friendship” Source: “‘Mortal Kombat’: Untold Story of the Movie That “Kicked the Hell” Out of Everyone” by Aaron Couch | The Hollywood Reporter, 2015 - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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Severance: Season 1 (Patreon Preview)
01/15/2025
Severance: Season 1 (Patreon Preview)
This is a preview from the Patreon-exclusive bonus episode where Laci and Matt give their spoiler-filled thoughts, analysis, theories, etc. about the terrific Apple TV+ series Severance. Get the full episode by subscribing to Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition on Patreon for $5 a month:
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144. My Best Friend’s Wedding
01/10/2025
144. My Best Friend’s Wedding
What if there was a romantic comedy where you were rooting for the evil “other woman” but you didn’t know it? Well, Hollywood boldly went there in 1997 with My Best Friend’s Wedding. And what a charming evil woman we have as our protagonist here, in Jules (Julia Roberts). She’s an utter delight, as is Kimmy (Cameron Diaz). The only stretch here is that either would find anything appealing about this dimwitted drip named Michael (Dermot Mulroney). Director P.J. Hogan called My Best Friend’s Wedding “a romantic comedy that wasn’t very romantic.” And it is very impressive to see how well the movie balances its many tensions—to have Julia Roberts, the lead, be someone the audience roots for, but not too much; to have her rival Cameron Diaz be able to hold her own against Roberts but not steal the show; and to have the dullard male lead not seem like an oblivious jerk. Well, it worked. This movie rules. We both loved it. But we need to make fun of stuff, so we do a lot of bad impressions and ask a lot of unimportant questions: Michael and Jules were definitely still boning even when they were “just friends,” right? Why does the movie have to make Cameron Diaz’s character 20, instead of 25 (the age of the actress)? Did people really compose emails and then set them aside for their secretaries to send at the end of the day? And is it okay for a sportswriter who covers the Chicago White Sox marrying the daughter of the team’s owner? This movie is about ethics in sports journalism, is what we’re saying. Bonus video: We pick the weddings from movies we’d most like to attend. Watch it on our , , , or . Next week: We’re revisiting Mortal Kombat (1995), covering the movie properly this time, because on our old episode we only talked about the movie for a few minutes Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:04:58 — Our personal histories with My Best Friend’s Wedding 00:11:29 — History segment: The career of Julia Roberts; development and production of My Best Friend’s Wedding with director P.J. Hogan and writer Ronald Bass 00:30:09 — In-depth movie discussion 02:05:38 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ Is a Rom-Com You Can Still Talk About for Hours” by Jake Kring-Schreifels | The Ringer (2022) - “The Oral History of My Best Friend's Wedding” by Seija Rankin | E! Online (2017) - From Hollywood With Love by Scott Meslow (2022) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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143. That Awkward Moment (2014) (with Caleb Hogan)
01/03/2025
143. That Awkward Moment (2014) (with Caleb Hogan)
Friend of the Show Caleb Hogan finally forgives us for our thoughts on Nacho Libre and makes his long-awaited return to the program. And he’s brought us a fascinating movie: The 2014 Zac Efron/Miles Teller/Michael B. Jordan/ rom-com That Awkward Moment. 2014 feels like it was 1,000 years ago, doesn’t it, folks? Bonus video: We talk about movies we think will serve in the future as great time capsules for the early 2020s. Watch it on YouTube: Next week: My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! Time stamps: 00:03:57 — Our personal histories with That Awkward Moment 00:12:24 — History segment: Brief overview of the careers of Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan, and Miles Teller 00:32:29 — In-depth movie discussion 01:46:21 — Final thoughts and star ratings Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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142. Get Out (Patreon Preview)
01/01/2025
142. Get Out (Patreon Preview)
Hello friends. Please enjoy this sample from our brand-new premium episode about Get Out (2017). But to hear it in full, you gotta join our Patreon, a.k.a., Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition. Here's where you can do that: Our next regular episode will be out in two days. It's about That Awkward Moment (2014), featuring our friend, returning guest Caleb Hogan. Happy New Year! We love you, bye!
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Love Actually relationship advice (with Cinema Coconut)
12/27/2024
Love Actually relationship advice (with Cinema Coconut)
In this special bonus episode, you'll join Laci, Matt, and their guest Jay (a.k.a. Cinema Coconut) as they answer completely sincere, totally-not-fabricated questions about that pesky thing we call love. And, in case you haven't heard, love actually IS all around us, if you just take the time to look. It's in the love an aging pop star has for his manager. The love a bored supervisor has for meddling in the lives of his employees. The love a prime minister has for watching his subjects at the airport. Happy holidays! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Thank you for making this the best year Load Bearing Beams has ever had. Follow Jay on TikTok (), YouTube, (, and Letterboxd (. Subscribe to Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition, our brand-new Patreon endeavor. Get two bonus episodes for $5 a month! - Next week: January 1, 2025 - Episode 142 (Patreon only) — Get Out (2017) January 3, 2025 - Episode 143 — That Awkward Moment (2014) with Caleb Hogan Time stamps: 00:01:23 — Letter no. 1: Woman's husband's best friend scares her 00:11:00 — Letter no. 2: Manager wants his employees to hook up 00:18:58 — Letter no. 3: World leader is being bullied by another world leader 00:24:56 — Letter no. 4: Man's sexual partner keeps interrupting sex to take phone calls 00:29:57 — LOVE ACTUALLY movie discussion 01:05:23 — Final thoughts and star ratings
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141. The Santa Clause (with Movie Talk With Brock)
12/20/2024
141. The Santa Clause (with Movie Talk With Brock)
Ho ho ho and ruff ruff ruff. Scott “The Tool Man” Calvin (Tim Allen) is cursed with hideous Christmas powers and finds himself turning into the eternal sprite of winter. He has only 11 months to get his affairs in order before he leaves Earthrealm behind. Can he patch things up with his estranged son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) before it’s too late? And does he need to watch his back or the elves who work for him will arrange a quiet coup, i.e., drug him and cause him to slip off a roof, like his predecessor? For the final regular episode of Load Bearing Beams of 2024, we’re joined by an outstanding guest: Movie Talk With Brock. Please check him out on , , , and . Bonus video: Laci, Matt, and Brock each name a Christmas movie from the past five years they think is destined to be an all-time Christmas classic. Watch it on our , , , or . Next episode: We will return on January 3, 2025, with an episode about That Awkward Moment (2014), featuring return guest Caleb Hogan! Time stamps: 00:08:46 — Our personal histories with The Santa Clause 00:15:55 — History segment: The history of Santa Claus (the mythological figure); the history of Santa Clause (the movie) 00:32:12 — In-depth movie discussion 01:34:50 — Final thoughts and star ratings Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Your Ambition” - “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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140. While You Were Sleeping
12/13/2024
140. While You Were Sleeping
When Matt falls onto the train tracks, Laci hops down to rescue him, but they both get hit by a train, and now they’re podcasting from the afterlife. The first movie up in this Afterworld Era is While You Were Sleeping (1995), the Sandra Bullock imposter/coma/Christmas rom-com classic. How great is it seeing star-making, lightning-in-a-bottle performances like Bullock’s performance here? How great is this Chicago-at-Christmastime establishing shot footage, complete with extras falling down? How great is it to know that if Laci or Matt realized the other had been lying about their identity for 15 years, they would get over it pretty quickly. ALSO: We’re launching a Patreon in January! Subscribe for $5/month to Load Bearing Beams: Collector’s Edition for two bonus episodes per month! Bonus video: While You Were Sleeping inspired two bonus videos! Favorite mistaken identity movies: Watch on , , or . Favorite Chicago movies: Watch on , , or . Next week: The Santa Clause (1994) with special guest Movie Talk With Brock Time stamps: 00:08:24 — Our personal histories with While You Were Sleeping 00:12:28 — History segment: Director Jon Turtletaub, star Sandra Bullock, and the making of While You Were Sleeping 00:20:49 — In-depth movie discussion 01:14:05 — Special announcement: We’re launching a Patreon in January! 01:19:30 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “‘While You Were Sleeping’ turns 25: An oral history of the Sandra Bullock rom-com favorite” by Ashley Spencer | The Washington Post (2020) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “24 Hours Is Like Three Weeks!” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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139. Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (with Elliott Stokes)
12/06/2024
139. Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (with Elliott Stokes)
Matt’s brother Elliott returns to the show to help Matt and Laci cover Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. It’s 104 minutes of trying to figure out if Kevin McAllister (Macaulay Culkin) is cinema’s greatest sociopath. This movie is a beloved classic to many thirtysomething adults in America, but it is a mess. Shouldn’t the whole movie have taken place at the hotel? Also, adult Kevin McAllister is definitely a masculinity influencer, isn’t he? Check out Elliott’s gallery The Front in New Orleans, Louisiana, with gallery hours on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 - 5 p.m. Learn more at . Follow Elliott on Instagram . Bonus video: We talk about our favorite New York movies. Watch it on our , , or . Next week: While You Were Sleeping (1995) Time stamps: 00:04:29 — Our personal histories with Home Alone 2 00:14:18 — History segment: The development, production, and reception of Home Alone and the quick turnaround for the sequel by director Chris Columbus, writer/producer John Hughes, and star Macaulay Culkin 00:33:27 — In-depth movie discussion 01:38:05 — Final thoughts and star ratings Source: “Holy Cow, Home Alone Is 25!” by James Hughes | Chicago Magazine (2015) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: | Bluesky:
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"What movie tattoo would you get?" and other fun questions!
11/29/2024
"What movie tattoo would you get?" and other fun questions!
Gobble gobble. As previously announced, we have taken the week off. We shall return in one week with an episode about Home Alone 2: Lost in New York with returning guest Elliott Stokes. Thank you for your support of Load Bearing Beams. We love you, you're very special. We have for you here a selection of some of our favorite social media videos that are usually adjacent to the episode of the week. You can catch these in real time by following us on , , or . Time stamps: 01:38 — What movie tattoo would we get? 07:03 — What movies legitimately scare us? 14:07 — What movies do we think are misunderstood? 17:25 — Which movie dystopias do we think wouldn't be so bad? 21:03 — The Trailer Line Challenge 25:43 — Who are our favorite teachers from movies? 31:05 — Which movie properties would we like to see in theme parks? 35:02 — Who are our favorite fictional movie presidents? 38:06 — What are our favorite movies about magic? 41:22 — Who are our favorite villains from superhero movies? Hey! Also, you should check out some of our standalone videos, including: Matt explains why Spider-Man 2 is his favorite superhero movie: Laci explains why Longlegs is a metaphor for forced birth: Laci and Matt review, with spoilers, the 2024 body-horror film The Substance: Matt regrets buying this blu-ray: Matt explains The Brave Little Toaster to you: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) is one of the most joyless movies ever made:
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138. Spider-Man (2002) (with Smash Trivia John)
11/22/2024
138. Spider-Man (2002) (with Smash Trivia John)
Smash Trivia John of Smash Trivia Presents: The Gamma Analysis podcast (listen to it ; follow him on TikTok ) joins us to go over Spider-Man (2002). Director Sam Raimi brought his signature vision and energy to the project and kinda shifted the movie industry into a completely different direction for the next two decades. But how does it hold up as a movie? Bonus video: We talk about our favorite villains from superhero movies. Watch it on our , , or . Next week: We’re taking a week off for Thanksgiving. We’ll be back on December 6, 2024 with an episode about Home Alone 2 (1992) featuring special guest Elliott Stokes, returning to the show for the first time since 2018! Time stamps: 00:02:44 — Our personal histories with Spider-Man (the character) and Spider-Man (the movie) 00:15:04 — History segment: The origins of Spider-Man with Steve Ditko and Stan Lee; development of Spider-Man projects at Sony Pictures over the years; and brief career overview of director Sam Raimi 00:30:27 — In-depth movie discussion 01:47:00 — Final thoughts and star ratings Source: The Big Picture: The Fight For the Future of Movies by Ben Fritz (2018) - Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (), Apple Music (), or YouTube (. Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - “Snake Drama” - “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - Follow the show! Twitter: | | Instagram: TikTok: | Letterboxd: |
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