Episodes

  • My Mom Jayne: An Exercise in Humanization
    Dec 4 2025

    In the midst of bone-chilling weather, come sit under a granny square blanket, clutching a warm mug of tea as Lydia talks about the documentary My Mom Jayne, the things that stole Jayne Mansfield's humanity, and how director Mariska Hargitay restores it.

    Attributions:

    • Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive, licensed under the Public Domain.
    • Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with permission under the Pixabay License.
    • Soundscape: Various clips used with permission under the Pixabay License. Mourning dove sound clip by Spanac used with permission from the Free Sounds Library under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • Office Space: A Generational Perspective
    Nov 13 2025

    Escape the daily grind of the workweek by joining Lydia in her attic room to discuss Mike Judge's 1999 film Office Space through a generation lens. As silly as generational cohorts are, they do offer some insight into changing attitudes toward work and provide some ironies in what remains the same.

    Attributions:

    • Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive, licensed under the Public Domain.
    • Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with permission under the Pixabay License.
    • Soundscape: Various clips used with permission under the Pixabay License. Mourning dove sound clip by Spanac used with permission from the Free Sounds Library under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • Superman (2025): Moral Cognitive Dissonance
    Oct 23 2025

    On this chilly fall day, come visit Lydia in her attic room to talk movies with a guest about James Gunn's Superman, a movie they both really like, and the flaw that they cannot unsee.

    Attributions:

    • Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive, licensed under the Public Domain.
    • Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with permission under the Pixabay License.
    • Soundscape: Various clips used with permission under the Pixabay License. Mourning dove sound clip by Spanac used with permission from the Free Sounds Library under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
  • Sunset Boulevard: A Gothic Film Noir
    Oct 2 2025

    It's Spooky Season! As the leaves drizzle down in Lydia's backyard, come discover the origins of Film Noir and its relationship to Gothic storytelling, all through the lens of Billy Wilder's 1950 masterpiece.

    Attributions:

    • Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive, licensed under the Public Domain.
    • Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with permission under the Pixabay License.
    • Soundscape: Various clips used with permission under the Pixabay License. Mourning dove sound clip by Spanac used with permission from the Free Sounds Library under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • The Last of the Mohicans (1992): Building a Better Romance
    Sep 11 2025

    Come join Lydia for a conversation about a nineteenth century novel and two of its film adaptations, particularly the differences between the protagonists and their romances, and why Michael Mann's Cora Munro rules.

    Attributions:

    • Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive, licensed under the Public Domain.
    • Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with permission under the Pixabay License.
    • Soundscape: Various clips used with permission under the Pixabay License. Mourning dove sound clip by Spanac used with permission from the Free Sounds Library under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • Uptown Girls: A Fairytale
    Aug 21 2025

    Come visit Lydia's attic room to gaze at her new bookshelf while she analyzes the many ways the poorly reviewed early 2000s comedy Uptown Girls is actually an intentionally crafted modern fairytale.

    Attributions:

    • Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive, licensed under the Public Domain.
    • Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with permission under the Pixabay License.
    • Soundscape: Various clips used with permission under the Pixabay License. Mourning dove sound clip by Spanac used with permission from the Free Sounds Library under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
    Show More Show Less
    28 mins
  • Andor: Every Person Necessary
    Jul 31 2025

    Sit in front of a box fan on a hot day while Lydia explains the existence of the show Andor and what it has to say about the unseen contributions of nameless people.

    Attributions:

    • Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive, licensed under the Public Domain.
    • Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with permission under the Pixabay License.
    • Soundscape: Various clips used with permission under the Pixabay License. Mourning dove sound clip by Spanac used with permission from the Free Sounds Library under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • Robin Hood (1973): Adapting a Folk Hero
    Jul 10 2025

    Come flee the July heat by entering Lydia's memories of a chilly British day as she makes her argument for why the very cheaply made, deeply flawed Disney adaptation of Robin Hood might actually be the most accurate depiction of the traditional version of the character.

    Attributions:

    • Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive, licensed under the Public Domain.
    • Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with permission under the Pixabay License.
    • Soundscape: Various clips used with permission under the Pixabay License. Mourning dove sound clip by Spanac used with permission from the Free Sounds Library under the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins