Episodes

  • The Candidate
    Nov 19 2024

    Is The Candidate, in fact, the anti-West Wing? A political story that ends not with a bang, but with a question of existential dread.

    • Interview with screenwriter Jeremy Larner in Brooklyn Magazine
    • The trailer for Downhill Racer (1969)
    • Jerry Seinfeld on Letterman: "You're rooting for clothes."

    Let us know what you thought of the film!

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    53 mins
  • A Face In The Crowd
    Nov 12 2024

    Did this movie predict Trump back in 1957? We discuss the film debut of Andy Griffith in a role so dark, anyone who knows the Andy Griffith show might experience some uncomfortable dissonance.

    Some goodies that came up in our conversation:

    • The dance of joy from "Perfect Strangers"
    • This essay about the film on the Criterion website
    • Albert Brooks and Holly Hunter in a great scene from Broadcast News
    • The 'ten-word-answer' scene from The West Wing

    What did you think of the film, on a scale of 1–10 grains of inert matter? Let us know!

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    52 mins
  • Network
    Nov 5 2024

    This week, we dive deeper into the role of the fourth estate, as we discuss Network, the Oscar-winning film that was meant to be a wild satire at the time it was released, but ended up uncannily predicting the future.

    Some additional reading material:

    Mad As Hell, Dave Itzkoff's book about Network

    Directors' Guild of America post about Sidney Lumet at a 2003 screening of Network

    Vanity Fair article on the legacy of Network (which includes thoughts from Aaron Sorkin)

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    1 hr
  • Bulworth
    Oct 29 2024

    This week, we're discussing the 1998 film Bulworth, which features a rapping Warren Beatty, a young Josh Malina, a few problematic moments, and some wonderful and strange ones, too.

    For a real treat, watch the music video for Ghetto Supastar, which also features a young Josh Malina!

    What did you think of Bulworth? Join the conversation over on our Patreon and let us know on a scale of 1–10 forced calls!

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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
    Oct 22 2024

    What's more terrifying in Martin Sheen's depiction of J. Edgar Hoover—the racism, or the makeup?! We discuss ALL the important aspects of this cat-and-mouse thriller, which was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, and won two: Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor for Daniel Kaluuya.

    For additional viewing:

    • The Lucas Brothers
    • William O'Neal's full interview for Eyes on the Prize II

    Hoover and Sheen-as-Hoover, side by side:

    What did you think of Judas and the Black Messiah? Let us know on a scale of 1–10 simultaneously played saxophones over on our Patreon page, patreon.com/thewestwingweekly.

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    51 mins
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
    Oct 15 2024

    This week, we're discussing the hilarious — and terrifying—Dr Strangelove.

    A few goodies:

    • An interview with title designer Pablo Ferro
    • "Are We the Baddies?" from That Mitchell and Webb Look

    George C Scott side-by-side with Tim Robinson (from I Think You Should Leave)

    Let us know what you thought of the film, on a scale of 1–10 precious bodily fluids! Join the conversation on our Patreon at patreon.com/thewestingwingweekly.

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    49 mins
  • In the Loop
    Oct 8 2024

    This week, we're discussing the razor-sharp dialogue and side-splitting comedy of In the Loop (2009), one the greatest political satires. Here are footnotes for some of the stuff outside of the film that came up in the conversation:

    • A tiny clip from the unaired pilot of "Legally Mad"
    • The stateroom scene from the Marx Brothers' "A Night at the Opera"
    • The Roy Kent chant

    Join us on Patreon to let us know what you thought of the film, on a scale of 1–10 Lemons Difficult.

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    47 mins
  • The American President
    Oct 1 2024

    It's the first installment of the Political Film Fest, and we've got: Martin Sheen in the oval office! "What is the virtue of a proportional response?" The GDC! There are so many familiar elements in The American President, and yet, the film feels dramatically different from The West Wing (and at times, comedically different). It's our first episode, and we're going to talk about what we loved, what we didn't, and everything in between. Let's dive in! We’ve gotta start early because we're having lunch at the Kremlin.

    Some goodies:

    • Here's the trailer for the film.
    • Check out this great poster from Italy for Il Presidente.

    What did you think of The American President? Let us know how you would rate it on a scale of 1–10 Virginia hams. Sorry: Virginias ham.

    To join in the discussion, listen to ad-free versions of TWWWPFF, and get additional benefits, subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/thewestwingweekly.

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    1 hr and 3 mins