Nov 04 2024 164 mins
On our election day special in America, Nate and Adam invited filmmaker and podcaster Devan Scott (How Would Lubitsch Do It?) to dissect the painfully relevant political thriller All the President’s Men (1976) and its Simpsons send-up in “Sideshow Bob Roberts” (S6E5). Join us as we try to laugh through the nausea and exorcize the ghosts of elections past!
Also in this episode:
• The Simpsons’ surprisingly timeless satire of populism and corruption in American politics
• Why they call cinematographer Gordon Willis the “Prince of Darkness” and why they shouldn’t
• The delightful chemistry and realism of Robert Redford’s Woodward and Dustin Hoffman’s Bernstein
• Is it a bad sign that a movie about a real-life government conspiracy orchestrated by one of the most corrupt presidents in American history makes us feel nostalgic about simpler times?
• Plus, check out our show notes for a complete list of Simpsons references, double feature suggestions, and further reading
Next time, Adam and Nate explore the film adaptation of Terry Southern’s cult classic novel, The Magic Christian (1969) and Homer and Mr. Burns’s reenactment in “Homer vs. Dignity” (S12E5). Peter Sellers. Ringo Starr. Elaborate practical jokes. Pow.
For more of Devan Scott’s film content, check out the complete podcast How Would Lubitsch Do It? and his video essays on YouTube, or follow him on Twitter, Letterboxd, and Instagram.
Discover more great podcasts on the That Shelf Podcast Network. Follow us @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and Letterboxd.