Best Roth Stokes Podcasts (2025)

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161. I Love You, Man (with Wade Hymel) 2:03:47

1d ago2:03:47

2:03:47

Friend of the Show Wade Hymel makes his triumphant return to the podcast, and he’s brought with him I Love You, Man (2009). So what’s up with men, huh? With their man caves, and their jam seshes, and their pizza pies. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t help but love ‘em, am I right? And how do adults make friends anyway? It’s pretty weird. Somebody should …

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160. Wayne’s World 1:57:56

8d ago1:57:56

1:57:56

Join us at Stan Mikita’s for crullers, dear listener, as we go through one of the very best comedies of the 1990s: It’s Wayne’s World. Excellent. But is it truly Wayne’s world? How much control does Wayne really have? What does he want? What does he stand for? And will he ever transcend the limitations of his corporeal space? We definitively answer…

1
159. Final Destination 1:32:23

15d ago1:32:23

1:32:23

Laci and Matt are broadcasting to you from a cabin in the woods, where they're eating canned cat food with oven mitts, trying to dodge that pesky Grim Reaper. But the rats need their cheese, so here’s a new episode about Final Destination (2000). (You’re the rat, I guess.) It’s the movie that launched one of the great horror franchises. A franchise…

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Thunderbolts* Review + MCU Roundtable 35:27

19d ago35:27

35:27

Matt's declaration that he was forever finished with the Marvel Cinematic Universe lasted all of one movie, once Thunderbolts* started getting good reviews. So he went out and saw it, and thought it was..... okay. But to go through it, he needed to bring on two big-time fans of the movie, so Neophyte Reviews and Screen Time Kota join the show for a…

1
158. Death Proof (with Cinema Chris) 1:37:06

22d ago1:37:06

1:37:06

Please note: Like how Death Proof uses fake film grain to make it seem like it’s an older movie, only to stop doing it halfway through, Laci and Matt’s audio improves halfway through this episode. You might not even notice the audio isn't great in the first half... but if you do, just know it gets better eventually. Friend of the Show Cinema Chris …

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The Royal Tenenbaums 1:28:49

29d ago1:28:49

1:28:49

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…

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157. Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (with Jen Walks N2 Walls) 1:37:47

1M ago1:37:47

1:37:47

Friend of the Show Jen (@JenWalksN2Walls 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 s…

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The Office (U.S.) - "Pilot" (Patreon Preview!) 9:01

1M ago9:01

9:01

Enjoy nine free minutes from our Patreon-exclusive episode about the pilot of the American Office. Hear the full thing by subscribing at https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeams 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 bri…

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UNLOCKED: The Truman Show 1:46:10

1M ago1:46:10

1:46:10

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.By Laci Roth & Matt Stokes

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156. American Psycho (with Red Rose Film Club) 2:13:06

2M ago2:13:06

2:13:06

We welcome Hal (@shestructured on Letterboxd) and Craig (@gentlemanbaby 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 exp…

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155. Superman (1978) 1:37:55

2M ago1:37:55

1:37:55

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 ge…

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The Royal Tenenbaums (Patreon Preview) 13:20

2M ago13:20

13:20

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 https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeamsBy Laci Roth & Matt Stokes

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154. Heartbreakers (2001) 1:39:55

2M ago1:39:55

1:39:55

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 episod…

1
153. The Firm 2:12:45

2M ago2:12:45

2:12:45

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 sli…

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152. Enemy Mine (with Screen Time Kota) 1:18:29

3M ago1:18:29

1:18:29

Friend of the Show Screen Time Kota (https://www.tiktok.com/@screentimekota) 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.…

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Matt has a new monthly podcast about The Twilight Zone! 56:06

3M ago56:06

56:06

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 w…

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151. The Devil’s Rejects (with Austin Proctor) 1:43:14

3M ago1:43:14

1:43:14

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…

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A Very Special Oscars Special 4:54:19

3M ago4:54:19

4:54:19

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…

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150. Spice World 1:23:27

3M ago1:23:27

1:23:27

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 p…

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149. Twilight (with Fiction Fixation) 2:33:32

4M ago2:33:32

2:33:32

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 per…

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148. The Truman Show (History Segment) [Patreon Preview] 19:56

4M ago19:56

19:56

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 cheat…

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147. The Legend of Billie Jean (Listener Choice) 1:32:36

4M ago1:32:36

1:32:36

The winner of our recent Listener Choice Lottery was our friend Monique (of Monique’s Movie Madness, @moniques_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: Billi…

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146. Baby Boom (1987) 1:41:29

4M ago1:41:29

1:41:29

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. Als…

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BRRRR it's cold. Here's a message from Laci & Matt. 3:17

4M ago3:17

3:17

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 sh…

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145. Mortal Kombat (1995) 1:32:08

4M ago1:32:08

1:32:08

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 …

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Severance: Season 1 (Patreon Preview) 8:00

5M ago8:00

8:00

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: https://www.patreon.com/c/loadbearingbeams…

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144. My Best Friend’s Wedding 2:09:30

5M ago2:09:30

2:09:30

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 …

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143. That Awkward Moment (2014) (with Caleb Hogan) 1:52:46

5M ago1:52:46

1:52:46

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 …

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142. Get Out (Patreon Preview) 6:51

5M ago6:51

6:51

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: https://bit.ly/4a1hpB2 Our next regular episode will be out in two days. It's about That Awkward Moment (2014), featuring …

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Love Actually relationship advice (with Cinema Coconut) 1:09:45

5M ago1:09:45

1:09:45

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 …

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141. The Santa Clause (with Movie Talk With Brock) 1:43:00

5M ago1:43:00

1:43:00

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 d…

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140. While You Were Sleeping 1:23:09

6M ago1:23:09

1:23:09

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 perfo…

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139. Home Alone 2: Lost In New York (with Elliott Stokes) 1:44:00

6M ago1:44:00

1:44:00

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 …

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"What movie tattoo would you get?" and other fun questions! 46:37

6M ago46:37

46:37

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 tha…

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138. Spider-Man (2002) (with Smash Trivia John) 1:52:40

6M ago1:52:40

1:52:40

Smash Trivia John of Smash Trivia Presents: The Gamma Analysis podcast (listen to it on Spotify; follow him on TikTok @smashtrivia) 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 …

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137. Pulp Fiction (with The Reel For Real) 2:04:15

7M ago2:04:15

2:04:15

Isaiah, Kevin, and Trevor from the great podcast The Reel For Real join Laci and Matt to go through Quentin Tarantino’s classic Pulp Fiction. The five have come together to explain what this movie’s “actually” about: friendship. Please support The Reel For Real by subscribing to their podcast on Spotify (https://bit.ly/4ftLevU) or Apple Podcast (ht…

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136. The Basketball Diaries 1:20:48

7M ago1:20:48

1:20:48

We open the book and read from Jim Carroll’s many basketball diaries to find out about his life on the streets with Mickey, Pedro, and Neutron. What a time these little scamps had! Yelling at old ladies, knocking hot dogs out of children’s hands, and barfing on the guy who would later play Big Pussy on The Sopranos. Oh, but they weren’t all happy d…

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135. Election (1999) 2:08:06

7M ago2:08:06

2:08:06

Folks, we have an election on our hands. The most important of our lifetimes, many are saying. We are talking, of course, about the battle for the president of Carver High School’s Student Government Association. In one corner, it’s beloved football star Paul Metzler (Chris Klein). In another corner, it’s that do-gooding Tracy Flick (Reese Withersp…

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134. The Craft 1:37:11

7M ago1:37:11

1:37:11

We call upon the guardians of the watchtowers to aid us on our journey through the Tunney/Balk teenage witch classic The Craft (1996). This is the second time Load Bearing Beams has covered this movie. On the fourth episode of the podcast (all the way back in 2017), Laci and Matt made endless fun of it, but this time, they’re making endless fun wit…

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133. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (with JT the Talking Head) 1:52:55

8M ago1:52:55

1:52:55

Friend of the Show JT the Talking Head (@jt_pettry & @mastersofmatinee on TikTok) on TikTok, Masters of Matinee podcast) has brought us one of the most gonzo horror sequels of all time: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986). Director Tobe Hooper finally returned to his iconic characters 12 years after the original, and he made it into a classic all …

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132. The Others (2001) 1:34:58

8M ago1:34:58

1:34:58

You need to stay away from the light! Or do you? What is light anyway? What is truth, what is meaning, what is words? We try getting to the bottom of all of this by discussing the 2001 ghost movie The Others. Nicole Kidman is Grace, a young mother who seems to have misplaced her marbles. She’s alone in an enormous house with two little moppet child…

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131. Scream (1996) 2:05:19

8M ago2:05:19

2:05:19

What’s your favorite Screamy movie? Is it Scream (1996)? Is it Scream (2022)? Or is it one of the numbered Screams? Well, we’re talking about the one that started it all, the first movie to ever acknowledge that other movies exist*: Wes Craven’s 1996 film Scream! *not true Is Neve Campbell, who is indeed good in the movie, doing a little too much “…

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130. Road Trip (2000) 1:50:55

8M ago1:50:55

1:50:55

We take a look at what appears to be a “boob comedy” from the year 2000: Road Trip, directed by Todd Phillips, who makes Joker movies now. It’s the heartwarming story of Josh (Breckin Meyer), a Boring Guy who cheats on his girlfriend but doesn’t mean it. Josh and his pals E.L. (Seann William Scott), Rubin (Paulo Costanzo), and Kyle (D.J. Qualls) do…

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129. 10 Things I Hate About You (with Patrick Perot) 2:13:25

8M ago2:13:25

2:13:25

Friend of the Show Patrick Perot (bass player for Rural Route Nine, official house band of Load Bearing Beams) stops by to preach the gospel of his favorite movie, 10 Things I Hate About You (1999). And he’s right to! It’s a lovely and very funny romantic comedy from back when Hollywood still made those. The chemistry between Julia Stiles and Heath…

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128. Friday the 13th, Part 2 1:09:36

9M ago1:09:36

1:09:36

Laci and Matt are off to learn how to be better camp counselors by getting back to basics. Safety. Canoeing. Shooting arrows. Singing “Hang Down Your Head Tom Dooley.” Making love and drawing the ire of Mrs. Voorhees. Trying to keep their bodies fragrance free, so as not to attract bears. On a totally unrelated note, this episode is about Friday th…

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127. Drumline 1:20:07

9M ago1:20:07

1:20:07

Laci and Matt talk about the 2002 college band-centered classic Drumline, a highly entertaining journey into the world of HBCU marching bands. Nick Cannon is either “great” (Laci) or “perfectly fine” (Matt) as Devon, whose me-first attitude doesn’t quite gel with his teammates on the campus of Atlanta A&T. He is especially at odds with the band dir…

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Summer of Spielberg Wrap-Up Show (YouTube Live) 1:04:01

9M ago1:04:01

1:04:01

Well, the Summer of Spielberg is over, and we say a tearful goodbye with our friends on YouTube. This is the audio from our livestream on YouTube from August 23, 2024. In the exciting conclusion to the episode, Matt will rank all 34 Steven Spielberg films, and it is sure to annoy you, whoever you are and no matter what you believe. The show returns…

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126. The Fablemans (with Paul of Twin Flicks) (Summer of Spielberg) 1:45:41

9M ago1:45:41

1:45:41

The Summer of Spielberg comes to a somber, respectful conclusion as we say goodbye to Mr. Spielberg by prying into his personal affairs and taking a look at his latest film, the autobiographical The Fablemans (2022). It’s the story of young Sammy Fableman (but they’re not hiding that the Fablemans are the Spielbergs) and his budding love of picture…

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SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Live Summer of Spielberg Season Finale this Friday!! 1:21

9M ago1:21

1:21

Hey folks, please join us this Friday (August 23) at 9:00 p.m. EST on YouTube Live. We're doing a live wrap-up show—the season finale of the Summer of Spielberg. Movie rankings, lessons learned... other stuff, probably. Talk to us live! Visit the link below to view the stream live (or, afterward, watch a replay). Or, before it starts, click "Notify…

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125. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (with Drewbie Doobie’s Movies) (Summer of Spielberg) 2:08:23

10M ago2:08:23

2:08:23

What do you get when you combine one precocious wizkid director who’s actually not that young, one cocaine-addled producer, one befuddled Frenchman, one Bob Balaban taking notes, and lots and lots of McDonald’s? You get what is quite possibly the greatest science fiction film ever made, Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Our friend Drewbie …

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