Movie Memory Machine

In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman keep the spirit of rock alive with five movies that do what The Rocker tried (and mostly failed) to do: tell hilarious, heartfelt stories about music, mayhem, and band dynamics. From Jack Black-led anthems to papier-mâché-headed legends, these picks bring better riffs, bigger laughs, and way less awkward dinner scenes.
Films Discussed:
School of Rock (2003)
Frank (2014)
Josie and the Pussycats (2001)
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006)
Topics Covered:
Jack Black’s master class in "rockin' but wholesome" energy in School of Rock
Michael Fassbender’s masked madness and musical genius in Frank
Josie and the Pussycats as the ultimate pop culture satire with banger tracks
John C. Reilly’s career-best comedic performance in Walk Hard
Commitment to the bit (for better and worse) in The Pick of Destiny
Key Takeaways:
School of Rock sets the gold standard for rock comedies
Frank proves weirdness and talent aren't mutually exclusive
Josie and the Pussycats > Spice World, no contest
Walk Hard skewered biopics so hard, Hollywood never noticed
Tenacious D’s movie may be a mess, but it rocks harder than The Rocker
Listener Prompt:Which fictional band would you pay real money to see live? Tell us using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
Become a Patreon supporter – For as little as $1/month, you get access to bonus content for all shows on the Grunt Work Podcast Network. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are left forgotten. Visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com for access.
Follow Us: 🌐 Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine🎞️ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman salvage the vibes Loser forgot with five better movies about young adulthood, awkwardness, and post-graduation growing pains. From classic Billy Wilder masterpieces to peak 90s party flicks, these picks show that coming-of-age comedies can be heartfelt, hilarious, and, crucially, not cursed with inexplicable symbiotic sex kitten scenes.
Films Discussed:
The Apartment (1960)
Can’t Hardly Wait (1998)
Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
The Graduate (1967)
American Pie (1999)
Topics Covered:
The Apartment as the secret DNA behind Loser (and how it went horribly wrong)
Can’t Hardly Wait and the good kind of teen chaos
Amy Heckerling's legacy: from Fast Times greatness to Loser missteps
The Graduate and the universal post-college existential panic
American Pie: accidental co-conspirator in Loser’s tonal disaster
Key Takeaways:
Jack Lemmon can charm and infuriate simultaneously
90s teen comedies either aged gracefully (Can’t Hardly Wait) or turned into cautionary tales (Loser)
Amy Heckerling deserves better than studio meddling
Dustin Hoffman’s Benjamin Braddock walked so countless indie protagonists could mope
Some genre blends (sex comedy + suicide drama) should stay theoretical
Listener Prompt:Which "awkward young adult" movie still holds up for you—and which ones went full Loser? Share your picks with #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
Become a Patreon supporter – For as little as $1/month, you get access to bonus content for all shows on the Grunt Work Podcast Network. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are left forgotten. Visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com for access.
Follow Us: 🌐 Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine🎞️ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman celebrate the surprisingly tender vibes of The Last Song with five more films that capture the spirit of young love, bittersweet endings, and life-changing summers. From classic dance floor rebellions to indie heartbreakers, these picks offer a full spectrum of emotional rites of passage—and a few lingering regrets about DVDs lost to strawberry-eating potheads.
Films Discussed:
Dirty Dancing (1987)
The Way, Way Back (2013)
The Edge of Seventeen (2016)
Like Crazy (2011)
The Spectacular Now (2013)
Topics Covered:
Dirty Dancing as the ultimate That One Summer movie
The Way, Way Back and Sam Rockwell as a teenage dream mentor
The Edge of Seventeen and Hailee Steinfeld’s underrated greatness
Like Crazy as the bittersweet evolution of young love
The Spectacular Now and the authenticity of young performances
Key Takeaways:
Patrick Swayze carried a watermelon and a soundtrack straight to our hearts
Coming-of-age films peaked hard in the early 2010s indie boom
Miley Cyrus’s earnest performance in The Last Song holds up better than expected
Love can bloom in a summer...and dissolve just as easily when September hits
Listener Prompt:What’s your favorite That One Summer movie? Tell us using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
Become a Patreon supporter – For as little as $1/month, you get access to bonus content for all shows on the Grunt Work Podcast Network. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are left forgotten. Visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com for access.
Follow Us: 🌐 Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine🎞️ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

In this week’s Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman float through five films that, like Don Juan DeMarco, revel in myth-making, larger-than-life stories, and dreamlike quests for meaning. From tall tales spun in German hospitals to grand adventures told through strawberry-eating potheads, they recommend movies that blend fantasy, memory, romance, and the occasional Chaplin impression. Because sometimes life is better when you believe your own legends—even if the pants are optional.
Films Discussed:
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
Big Fish (2003)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
The Fall (2006)
Benny & Joon (1993)
Topics Covered:
Terry Gilliam’s chaotic filmmaking magic (and danger)
Tall tales, mythic storytelling, and sad dads in Big Fish
Ben Stiller’s surprisingly tender directorial turn in Walter Mitty
Tarsem’s visual masterpiece The Fall and the mythic healing power of storytelling
Johnny Depp’s Chaplin cosplay energy in Benny & Joon
Key Takeaways:
Sometimes the myth is better than the man—and that’s okay.
If you watch The Fall in 4K, you may actually astral project.
Product placement is easier to forgive when you’re older and sadder.
Terry Gilliam’s sets were hazardous, but Uma Thurman still made it mythic.
Strawberry-eating potheads ruin DVD collections but enhance podcast anecdotes.
Listener Prompt:Which movie makes you believe in larger-than-life stories (even if it’s a little messy)? Tell us using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
Become a Patreon supporter – For as little as $1/month, you get access to bonus content for all shows on the Grunt Work Podcast Network. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are left forgotten. Visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com for access.
Follow Us: 🌐 Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine🎞️ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

In the season finale of Movie Memory Machine, Landen and Truman descend into the dark fantasy depths of Damsel(2024), Netflix’s Millie Bobby Brown-led twist on the fairy tale formula. We talk sacrificial princesses, cave horror, feminist inversions, and whether this dragon flick earns its roar—or just bellows at walls. Along the way, we dig into fantasy aesthetics, the Netflix Original paradox, and the shifting image of the Final Girl in the age of franchise collapse. It’s a scorched-earth breakdown with flaming swords, brittle politics, and the season’s most emotionally cathartic rock climb.
Topics Covered:
Damsel as a post-Hunger Games, post-Frozen fantasy survival film
Millie Bobby Brown’s career choices and her role as both producer and protagonist
Why the dragon’s voice (Shohreh Aghdashloo!) carries more gravitas than most live-action characters
The film’s commentary on royal systems, patriarchy, and complicity
Final Girl tropes applied to high fantasy—and why it (mostly) works
How Netflix continues to flatten spectacle while trying to manufacture mythology
Key Takeaways:
Damsel weaponizes its genre inversion: she’s not saved by a prince—she survives in spite of them.
Millie Bobby Brown channels rage, resolve, and rope burn with equal credibility.
The dragon is the film’s best metaphor and best performance.
The marriage of fairy tale and horror offers new terrain for Final Girl narratives.
The ending gives us one of the best “walk away” shots in recent memory.
Listener Prompt:What did Damsel get right about myth, memory, or millennial fantasy fatigue? Let us know using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
Become a Patreon supporter – For as little as $1/month, you get access to bonus content for all shows on the Grunt Work Podcast Network. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are left forgotten. Visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com for access.
Follow Us: 🌐 Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine🎞️ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman dive into five movies that explore memory, identity, and reality with more precision, elegance, or weirdness than Reminiscence managed. Whether you're craving memory-altering noir (Dark City), elliptical love stories (2046), or the very real terror of a dystopian mall (Minority Report), we've got you covered with sci-fi that's smart, stylish, and—most importantly—not narrated entirely in metaphor.
Films Discussed:
Dark City (1998)
2046 (2004)
Inception (2010)
Vertigo (1958)
Minority Report (2002)
Topics Covered:
Alex Proyas’s gothy memory-swapping metropolis in Dark City
Wong Kar-wai’s dreamlike, elliptical meditation on memory in 2046
Nolan’s multi-layered dream logic and hallway fights in Inception
Hitchcock’s haunting vision of obsession and identity in Vertigo
Spielberg’s predictive-policing thriller Minority Report and how its tech is already here
Key Takeaways:
Reminiscence wishes it had Dark City’s vibe, Inception’s logic, and Vertigo’s beauty
Tommy Lee Jones’s poetry may or may not be the missing link between metaphors and meaning
Sci-fi doesn’t need more narration—it needs better ideas
Every film on this list handles memory better than Reminiscence, and most have fewer drowning metaphors
Listener Prompt:Which sci-fi film reshaped your sense of memory, identity, or city infrastructure? Tell us using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
Become a Patreon supporter – For as little as $1/month, you get access to bonus content for all shows on the Grunt Work Podcast Network. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are left forgotten. Visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com for access.
Follow Us: 🌐 Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine🎞️ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman dig into five films that handle hostage standoffs, media critique, and moral panic with more precision, depth, and directorial vision than Money Monster. Whether it's Ned Beatty yelling about the gods of commerce or Denzel outwitting a hostage scenario in style, these films ask big questions about what media shows, what it hides, and who gets hurt in the process.
Films Discussed:
Network (1976)
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Inside Man (2006)
Little Fish (2020)
Medium Cool (1969)
Topics Covered:
Live TV as a weapon, prophecy, and punchline (Network)
Al Pacino’s iconic standoff in Dog Day Afternoon and its gritty realism
Spike Lee's sleek social heist in Inside Man
Jack O’Connell’s emotional intensity in the underseen Little Fish
Haskell Wexler’s cinéma vérité masterpiece Medium Cool and its confrontation with media complicity
Key Takeaways:
Money Monster is a 2010s Hollywood remix of better 70s thrillers
Sidney Lumet remains the gold standard for confined tension and character realism
Denzel could outdance Clooney any day
Little Fish proves Jack O’Connell’s talent wasn’t a fluke
Sometimes, media ethics are better tackled in experimental cinema than mainstream thrillers
Listener Prompt:What’s your favorite movie about media, money, or moral standoffs? Let us know using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
Become a Patreon supporter – For as little as $1/month, you get access to bonus content for all shows on the Grunt Work Podcast Network. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are left forgotten. Visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com for access.
Follow Us: 🌐 Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine🎞️ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

In this week’s Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman unpack five films that more meaningfully—and sometimes more messily—explore marriage, communication, and relationship evolution than Hope Springs ever dared. From cozy golden pond chats to sci-fi couples therapy gone wrong, this list offers everything from prestige Swedish drama to 1930s slapstick divorce. Hope might spring eternal, but these movies bring the nuance.
Films Discussed:
On Golden Pond (1981)
The One I Love (2014)
Scenes from a Marriage (1973 or 2021)
The Awful Truth (1937)
Before Midnight (2013)
Topics Covered:
Sunset vibes and legacy pairings in On Golden Pond
The One I Love and the lo-fi sci-fi spin on relationship repair
Bergman’s emotionally devastating take on marriage in Scenes from a Marriage
Slapstick meets sincerity in the classic The Awful Truth
Before Midnight as the most honest depiction of midlife marriage ever captured on screen
Key Takeaways:
Hope Springs may have opened the door, but these films walk through it (and sometimes slam it)
Scenes from a Marriage is therapy before therapy
Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke prove love isn’t always quiet sunsets—it’s arguments in Greece too
The Awful Truth showed us that Hollywood’s been flirting with divorce for nearly a century
Listener Prompt:Which movie got marriage right—or hilariously wrong? Tag us with your picks using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
Become a Patreon supporter – For as little as $1/month, you get access to bonus content for all shows on the Grunt Work Podcast Network. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are left forgotten. Visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com for access.
Follow Us: 🌐 Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine🎞️ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

In this Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman attempt to recover from Simone (aka S1M0NE) by spotlighting five films that do a better job exploring fame, technology, artificial intelligence, and the surreal nightmare of modern media. From the precision of The Truman Show to the spiraling ego of Synecdoche, New York, these picks offer richer commentary, stronger characters, and (most importantly) more compelling digital women.
Films Discussed:
The Truman Show (1998)
Synecdoche, New York (2008)
Frankenstein (1931)
Being There (1979)
The Player (1992)
Topics Covered:
Jim Carrey’s earnest turn and how Truman Show aged like fine satire
Philip Seymour Hoffman’s artistic self-destruction in Kaufman’s meta masterpiece
Frankenstein as a proto-AI cautionary tale (and union icon!)
Being There’s commentary on projection, media, and perceived intelligence
Altman’s The Player and why Simone couldn’t touch its Hollywood cynicism
Key Takeaways:
Simone isn't about AI—it’s about Al Pacino making excuses
The Truman Show actually follows through on its premise, unlike Simone
Frankenstein walked so Simone could... trip over its own concept
Being There proves how we project meaning onto blank slates
The Player exposes Hollywood without needing a fake digital actress
Listener Prompt:Which movie better captures our current relationship with fame, technology, and projection: Truman Show or Being There? Let us know using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
Become a Patreon supporter – For as little as $1/month, you get access to bonus content for all shows on the Grunt Work Podcast Network. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are left forgotten. Visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com for access.
Follow Us: 🌐 Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine🎞️ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

In this week's Movie Memory Machine: Five For mini-episode, Landen and Truman conjure up five hauntingly memorable films that connect thematically or spiritually to the 2015 Poltergeist remake (and its vastly superior 1982 predecessor). From analog tech horror and haunted houses to emotionally resonant ghost stories, this list bridges spectral dread and storytelling depth—plus a little Dan Harmon chaos and a found-footage gem that’ll leave you quietly unnerved.
Films Discussed:
Poltergeist (1982)
Pulse (2001)
One Missed Call (2003)
Lake Mungo (2008)
Monster House (2006)
Topics Covered:
Why Poltergeist (1982) still hits harder than any remake
Japanese horror's early warnings about tech-induced soul erosion
Lake Mungo as one of the quietest, most devastating ghost stories ever filmed
The tonal whiplash and cursed animation era of Monster House (but it works!)
Horror as a genre of emotional resonance vs. haunted house theme park rides
Key Takeaways:
The 1982 Poltergeist is about characters. The 2015 one is about jump scares and... squirrels?
Pulse remains one of the only films that still scares Landen
One Missed Call proves Miike can do horror restraint when he wants to
Lake Mungo is found-footage meets emotional sucker punch
Monster House is the most thematically faithful Poltergeist remake—and it’s animated
Listener Prompt:What’s the scariest movie you’ve ever watched? And do you think haunted house movies need more vibes or more jump scares? Let us know using #MovieMemoryMachine.
Support the Show!Help keep Movie Memory Machine ad-free and artist-owned! Here’s how you can support us:
Become a Patreon supporter – For as little as $1/month, you get access to bonus content for all shows on the Grunt Work Podcast Network. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod
Leave a rating and review – On Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.
Like, follow, and share on social media – We’re @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube and @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd.
Tell a friend – Word of mouth is how we grow.
Join our Discord – Vote on whether films stay in modern memory or are left forgotten. Visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com for access.
Follow Us: 🌐 Website: https://www.moviememorymachine.com📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine🎞️ Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/