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A Very Good Year
A Very Good Year
Jason Bailey & Michael Hull

“Fun City Cinema” hosts Jason Bailey and Mike Hull proudly present “A Very Good Year,” a podcast with a simple premise: each... more

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Episodes

1940s highlight show!

After two years and 100 episodes we're taking a look back at A Very Good Year with highlights from some... more

08 Dec 2024 · 42 minutes
1920s & 30s highlight show!

Hello, and welcome to the wrap party.After two years and 100 episodes we're taking a look back at A Very... more

01 Dec 2024 · 57 minutes
2000 with Mac Welch

Mac Welch is an actor, cartoonist, filmmaker, and podcaster, but more importantly, he’s been friends with Jason and Mike nearly... more

17 Nov 2024 · 1 hour, 21 minutes
1974 with Kevin M. Kruse

Author, historian, and professor Kevin M. Kruse joins us to walk through the very eventful year — historically and cinematically... more

10 Nov 2024 · 1 hour, 15 minutes
1996 with Kristen Lopez

Film and television critic, author, and essayist Kristen Lopez joins us to discuss her book “But Have You Read the... more

03 Nov 2024 · 1 hour, 27 minutes
2008 with Daniel Waters

Screenwriter (“Heathers,” “Demolition Man,” “Batman Returns”) and encyclopedic cinephile Daniel Waters joins us to discuss 2008—a key year for him... more

27 Oct 2024 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
1930 with Catherine Stebbins

Catherine Stebbins is intimately acquainted with the year of 1930 - because it was the subject of the most recent... more

20 Oct 2024 · 1 hour, 5 minutes
2018 with Abby Olcese

Abby Olcese’s new book “Films for All Seasons” walks the reader through “the church year at the movies,” finding unexpected... more

13 Oct 2024 · 1 hour, 14 minutes
1958 with Beatrice Loayza

Film critic, editor, and intrepid festival traveler Beatrice Loayza joins us for another probing look into the oft-dismissed 1950s—this time... more

06 Oct 2024 · 1 hour, 12 minutes
1966 with Charles Taylor

Charles Taylor is the author of one of our fave film books, “Opening Wednesday at a Theater or Drive-In Near... more

29 Sep 2024 · 1 hour, 8 minutes
1947 with April Wolfe

Screenwriter (and former film critic and podcaster) April Wolfe joins us to talk up the postwar pleasures of 1947, so... more

22 Sep 2024 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
2020 with Emily St. James

TV critic, author, podcaster, and television writer Emily St. James is the co-author (along with previous guest Noel Murray) of... more

15 Sep 2024 · 1 hour, 15 minutes
1993 with Nick de Semlyen

 “Empire” magazine editor Nick de Semlyen’s most recent book, “The Last Action Heroes,” is a delightful history of ‘80s and... more

07 Sep 2024 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
1984 with Andrea Chalupa

Author, filmmaker, and “Gaslit Nation” host Andrea Chalupa joins us to discuss 1984—an appropriate year for an Orwell scholar—in advance... more

01 Sep 2024 · 1 hour, 17 minutes
1945 with Jill Blake

Film historian, podcaster, and Cine Journeys co-founder Jill Blake joins us to walk through the post-war euphoria and darkness of... more

25 Aug 2024 · 1 hour, 8 minutes
1972 with Zach Clark

Independent filmmaker Zach Clark joins us in advance of the release of his new film “The Becomers” for a look... more

18 Aug 2024 · 1 hour, 9 minutes
1981 with Josh Lewis

Film critic and podcaster Josh Lewis explores the “sleaze canon” on his “Sleazoids” podcast, and he joins us to discuss... more

11 Aug 2024 · 1 hour, 11 minutes
1940 with Stephanie Crawford

Film critic and podcaster Stephanie Crawford usually dabbles in horror and exploitation cinema, but she is also obsessed with screwball... more

04 Aug 2024 · 58 minutes
1982 with Chris Nashawaty

Film critic and author Chris Nashawaty’s latest book is “The Future Was Now: Madmen, Mavericks, and the Epic Sci-Fi Summer... more

28 Jul 2024 · 1 hour, 10 minutes
2019 with Noel Murray

Film critic and O.G. AV Club member Noel Murray does not usually suffer from recency bias, but he thought it... more

21 Jul 2024 · 1 hour, 19 minutes
1995 with Caden Mark Gardner

This week, we’re joined by the other co-author of the must-read new book “Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and... more

14 Jul 2024 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
1969 with Willow Catelyn Maclay

“Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema” (out Tuesday) is one of our favorite film... more

07 Jul 2024 · 1 hour, 5 minutes
1959 with Phillip Lopate

The essayist, poet, and film critic Phillip Lopate joins us to discuss his new collection “My Affair with Art House Cinema”... more

30 Jun 2024 · 1 hour, 9 minutes
1924 with Marya E. Gates

Nobody we know knows more about silent cinema than film critic, historian, and social media mastermind Marya E. Gates. She... more

23 Jun 2024 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
1961 with Larry Karaszewski

Larry Karaszewski isn’t just an award-winning screenwriter and producer — he’s also a serious cinephile, as evidenced by the fact... more

16 Jun 2024 · 1 hour, 31 minutes
1967 with Mark Harris

Mark Harris has written three of the essential film books of our time, and one of them — “Pictures at... more

09 Jun 2024 · 1 hour, 18 minutes
1987 with Carrie Courogen

Writer, editor, and director Carrie Courogen is the author of the breathtakingly good new book “Miss May Does Not Exist,”... more

02 Jun 2024 · 1 hour, 11 minutes
1964 with Ben Mankiewicz

Film critic, historian, and TCM stalwart Ben Mankiewicz joins us, on the eve of a new season of his essential... more

26 May 2024 · 1 hour, 14 minutes
1976 with Alexandra West

Film critic, podcaster, and historian Alexandra West joins us to talk about her new book “Gore-Geous: Personal Essays on Beauty... more

19 May 2024 · 1 hour, 15 minutes
1983 with Richard Shepard

Screenwriter and director Richard Shepard’s new film is catnip to us (and probably you too, if you’re listening to his... more

16 May 2024 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
1991 with Alonso Duralde

Critic, podcaster, and author Alonso Duralde was just beginning his professional life in 1991, and witnessed the early pangs of... more

12 May 2024 · 1 hour, 15 minutes
1954 with Glenn Kenny

Glenn Kenny is the author of the new book “The World Is Yours: The Story of ‘Scarface,’ and is one... more

05 May 2024 · 1 hour, 9 minutes
1990 with Kate Erbland

Indiewire’s Kate Erbland was a literal child in the year 1990, but she luckily had parent who put very few... more

28 Apr 2024 · 1 hour, 4 minutes
1997 with Tomris Laffly

Film critic and journalist Tomris Laffly was just starting to figure out who she was as a filmgoer in 1997,... more

21 Apr 2024 · 1 hour, 6 minutes
2002 with John Early

In advance of Friday’s theatrical debut of his Sundance hit “Stress Positions,” comedian, actor, writer, and cinephile John Early joins... more

18 Apr 2024 · 1 hour, 12 minutes
2013 with Siddhant Adlakha

Filmmaker, actor, TV writer, and film critic Siddhant Adlakha was in a moment of transition in 2013, and vowed to... more

14 Apr 2024 · 1 hour, 13 minutes
1979 with Scott Drebit

Daily Dead columnist Scott Drebit’s new book is “A Cut Below: A Celebration of B Horror Movies, 1950s-1980s,” so it... more

07 Apr 2024 · 1 hour, 9 minutes
2017 with Alison Herman

“Variety” TV critic Alison Herman had just moved to Los Angeles in the year of our lord 2017, and she... more

31 Mar 2024 · 1 hour, 11 minutes
1994 with Bob Byington

It’s a special MID-WEEK EPISODE, in honor of Friday’s release of acclaimed director Bob Byington’s latest, “Lousy Carter.” Join us... more

28 Mar 2024 · 57 minutes
1965 with Robert Daniels

For show number two from SXSW, we’re joined by the prolific film critic and RogerEbert.com Associate Editor Robert Daniels. He... more

24 Mar 2024 · 1 hour, 4 minutes
1989 with Jacob Knight

Back at SXSW, we’re joined by Austin’s own Jacob Knight, co-host of the “Secret Handshake” podcast, and lover of great... more

17 Mar 2024 · 1 hour, 3 minutes
1998 with Esther Zuckerman

Esther Zuckerman is an appropriate guest for Oscar Sunday, as she is the author of the fabulous book “Beyond the... more

10 Mar 2024 · 1 hour, 3 minutes
1968 with David Fear

David Fear, chief film critic and senior editor at “Rolling Stone,” had not yet joined the living in the year... more

03 Mar 2024 · 1 hour, 20 minutes
1978 with Katie Rife

The whip-smart and hysterically funny Katie Rife joins us to talk about the movies of 1978 — from the terrifying... more

25 Feb 2024 · 1 hour, 10 minutes
1970 with Blake Howard

Our Aussie invasion continues with this week’s guest, film critic and podcaster extraordinaire, Blake Howard, the mastermind of One Heat... more

18 Feb 2024 · 1 hour, 12 minutes
1992 with Sam Adams

Sam Adams, writer and senior editor for Slate, was in the midst of his cinephile awakening in 1992, when he was... more

11 Feb 2024 · 1 hour, 6 minutes
1971 with Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Film critic, author, “Fangoria” columnist, physical media mainstay, and recovering academic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas joins us for a jaunt through the... more

04 Feb 2024 · 1 hour, 13 minutes
1999 with Brian Raftery

Brian Raftery is the host of the excellent narrative podcasts “Gene and Roger and Do We Get to Win This Time?... more

28 Jan 2024 · 1 hour, 8 minutes
1988 with Jen Johans

We're talking about movies during the quiet time with the host of "Watch with Jen" and (relevant to our interests... more

21 Jan 2024 · 1 hour, 4 minutes
1973 with Brian Saur

For season two, we’re wiping the slate clean and letting our guests pick any year they want, even if we... more

14 Jan 2024 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
Janet & John Pierson's Very Good Year (in Fiji!)

For the first of our hiatus bonus episodes, we’re proud to welcome back one of the season’s most popular guests:... more

07 Jan 2024 · 1 hour, 19 minutes
Bonus Episode - 2023 with Alissa Wilkinson

Since she last joined us to talk about 2005 back in September, Alissa Wilkinson nabbed a new gig: she’s now... more

01 Jan 2024 · 1 hour, 8 minutes
A Very Good Year of A Very Good Year

We wrap up our first season — a full year of shows — in true season finale fashion: with a... more

05 Nov 2023 · 1 hour, 42 minutes
1935 with Leonard Maltin

Our final guest of the season is a legend of film history and criticism who spent 30 years as film... more

29 Oct 2023 · 1 hour, 13 minutes
1984 with Matt Singer

Matt Singer is a film critic, entertainment journalist, and author — and his latest book is a real treat for... more

22 Oct 2023 · 1 hour, 14 minutes
A Very Good Bonus Episode - 1990 After Show

We had to lose so much great stuff from this week's episode with guest Joe Lynch that we decided to... more

20 Oct 2023 · 52 minutes
1990 with Joe Lynch

Joe Lynch is a genre director extraordinaire - his credits include ‘Wrong Turn 2,’ ‘Everly,’ ‘Mayhem,’ ‘Point Blank,’ and his... more

15 Oct 2023 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
1973 with Jason Diamond

Jason Diamond is one of our favorite writers, and not just because of his quality prose — it’s because he’s... more

08 Oct 2023 · 1 hour, 18 minutes
1922 with Monica Castillo

Writer, film critic, programmer, and curator Monica Castillo gave herself a challenge for this week’s show: she picked, by a... more

01 Oct 2023 · 1 hour, 4 minutes
1992 with Kristy Puchko

Kristy Puchko — film critic, entertainment reporter, and the film editor at Mashable — was nine years old in 1992, and... more

24 Sep 2023 · 1 hour, 11 minutes
2005 with Alissa Wilkinson

Alissa Wilkinson - senior correspondent and critic at Vox - was just out of college in 2005 and, when the... more

17 Sep 2023 · 1 hour, 13 minutes
1994 with Scott Wampler

Scott Wampler had his 13-year-old brain entirely re-arranged by a movie he saw in 1994, so he joins us to... more

10 Sep 2023 · 1 hour, 11 minutes
1986 with Ty Burr

Ty Burr was the film critic for the Boston Globe for two decades, before departing that post to start up... more

03 Sep 2023 · 1 hour, 13 minutes
1932 with Sarah Bea Milner

This week, we’re joined by Sarah Bea Milner, our first writer/editor/folk musician! She is currently the editor at Kidscreen, and... more

27 Aug 2023 · 1 hour, 11 minutes
1995 with Sammi Cohen

This week, we’re pleased to welcome director, writer, and comedian Sammi Cohen to talk about the movies of 1995 -... more

20 Aug 2023 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
1953 with Sheila O'Malley

Sheila O’Malley is a classic film buff who joins the esteemed ranks of our “the 1950s were AWESOME, actually” guests,... more

13 Aug 2023 · 1 hour, 9 minutes
1944 with Justin Chang

Justin Chang is one of the genuine greats of contemporary film criticism - chief critic for the "Los Angeles Times" and NPR’s “Fresh Air,” a... more

06 Aug 2023 · 1 hour, 11 minutes
1997 with Craig D. Lindsey

Craig D. Lindsey was a working critic in 1997, so he has a LOT of pleasant moviegoing (and reviewing) memories... more

30 Jul 2023 · 1 hour, 5 minutes
1957 with James Urbaniak

Character actor, cartoon doctor, and general bon vivant James Urbaniak joins us to walk through the cinema de 1957 -... more

23 Jul 2023 · 1 hour, 10 minutes
1939 with Jessica Pickens

Jessica Pickens is a film blogger and historian specializing in World War II-era cinema, movie musicals, and, luckily for us,... more

16 Jul 2023 · 1 hour, 5 minutes
1988 with Daniela Taplin Lundberg

Daniela Taplin Lundberg was born into film production - her father Jonathan produced the first major movie for a promising... more

09 Jul 2023 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
1977 with Jordan Hoffman

 Beloved film critic and niche culture aficionado Jordan Hoffman was wise enough to call dibs quite some time ago on... more

02 Jul 2023 · 1 hour, 19 minutes
1982 with Jen Chaney

"Vulture" TV critic and author Jen Chaney was, like us, a young and deeply impressionable moviegoer in the year of... more

25 Jun 2023 · 1 hour, 12 minutes
1962 with Stephen Farber and Michael McClellan

We've never attempted a two-guest show before, but we think you'll agree that it was kind of essential here, since... more

18 Jun 2023 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
2004 with Hunter Harris

Pop culture expert, Substacker extraordinaire, and fellow flyover country escapee Hunter Harris joins Jason and Mike to talk about the... more

11 Jun 2023 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
1972 with Judy Becker

We’ve welcomed critics, authors, actors, directors, and on and on—but this week, we welcome our very first production designer, and... more

03 Jun 2023 · 1 hour, 12 minutes
1960 with Alexandre O. Philippe

Alexandre O. Philippe has funneled his life-long cinematic obsessions into movies of his own, directing such documentary treats as “78/52:... more

28 May 2023 · 1 hour, 9 minutes
A Special Announcement

We're now on Substack, and you can get more of the show for just a few bucks a month. Let's... more

27 May 2023 · 1 minute
1933 with Megan Abbott

We welcome Film Twitter's favorite crime novelist, the Edgar Award-winning, New York Times-bestselling Megan Abbott, author of the new and... more

21 May 2023 · 1 hour, 11 minutes
2011 with Kristen Meinzer

Kristen Meinzer was already a movie podcaster during her very good year, 2011 - when she noticed a trend of... more

14 May 2023 · 1 hour, 8 minutes
1996 with Sergio Muñoz

When Jason was at SXSW, you didn't think we’d still be running episodes from that trip two months later, did... more

07 May 2023 · 1 hour, 12 minutes
1946 with Stephanie Zacharek

Stephanie Zacharek - film critic for TIME magazine and Pulitzer Prize finalist - has always loved the movies of the... more

30 Apr 2023 · 1 hour, 9 minutes
1989 with John Pierson

John Pierson wrote the definitive book about '90s independent cinema, "Spike, Mike, Slackers, & Dykes," and he wrote it from... more

23 Apr 2023 · 1 hour, 15 minutes
1993 with Karina Longworth

Karina Longworth basically invented the film history podcast with her meticulously researched and ridiculously entertaining “You Must Remember This” (if... more

16 Apr 2023 · 59 minutes
1978 with Soraya Nadia McDonald

Our first (but not last!) Pulitzer Prize finalist guest, Soraya Nadia McDonald brings her experience in multiple fields - sportswriting,... more

09 Apr 2023 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
1991 with Brian Tallerico

We're back with another episode (recorded) live from SXSW in Austin, Texas, where Brian Tallerico - managing editor of RogerEbert.com, president... more

02 Apr 2023 · 1 hour, 5 minutes
1949 with Raquel Stecher

Raquel Stecher has spent most of her career writing about classic movies, so it doesn't come as a shock that... more

26 Mar 2023 · 1 hour, 2 minutes
1980 with April Wright

April Wright is our favorite kind of documentary filmmaker, because she makes movies about movies. Her latest, “Back to the Drive-In”... more

19 Mar 2023 · 1 hour, 17 minutes
1971 with Charles Bramesco

Film critic and author Charles Bramesco had to look at movies in a new and different way while researching and... more

12 Mar 2023 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
1985 with W Axel Foley

There are allllllll sorts of ‘80s classics that hit theaters in the year 1985, but our guest (and friend) W. Axel Foley of the... more

05 Mar 2023 · 1 hour, 6 minutes
1974 with Isabel Sandoval

Filmmaker and actress Isabel Sandoval (“Señorita,” “Aparisyon,” "Lingua Franca”) went to a rather non-traditional film school: the pirated DVD stores of Philippines flea... more

26 Feb 2023 · 1 hour, 14 minutes
1964 with Frank Conniff

Frank Conniff is best known for commenting on bad movies - via his five seasons as "TV's Frank" on "Mystery... more

19 Feb 2023 · 1 hour, 23 minutes
1979 with Bradford Young

Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young ("Arrival, "Selma," "Solo: A Star Wars Story") was only two years old in 1979, so he... more

12 Feb 2023 · 1 hour, 20 minutes
2000 with David Sims

“Blank Check with Griffin & David” co-host and “Atlantic” film critic David Sims was but a wee lad (in London!)... more

05 Feb 2023 · 1 hour, 25 minutes
1959 with Aisha Harris

As co-host of NPR’s “Pop Culture Happy Hour” (and host of the late, lamented “Represent”), Aisha Harris is very tuned... more

29 Jan 2023 · 1 hour, 8 minutes
1975 with Sean Burns

Jason and film critic Sean Burns have something in common (besides their warm, winning dispositions and unimpeachable affection for the... more

22 Jan 2023 · 1 hour, 8 minutes
1999 with Drew McWeeny

Jason, Mike, and film critic, historian, and Substacker extraordinaire Drew McWeeny take on the formidable task of breaking down 1999,... more

15 Jan 2023 · 1 hour, 7 minutes
1955 with Scott Tobias

Scott Tobias - the legend of “The AV Club” and “The Dissolve,” currently of “The Reveal” and “The Next Picture... more

08 Jan 2023 · 1 hour, 3 minutes
1987 with Bilge Elbiri

Vulture film critic Bilge Ebiri has a photographic memory for 1987, the year when he first became a movie obsessive, thanks to... more

01 Jan 2023 · 1 hour, 16 minutes
BONUS - NYC Christmas Movies with Alonso Duralde

Mike and Jason used to do this whole other podcast called “Fun City Cinema,” and also had a Patreon for... more

24 Dec 2022 · 59 minutes
A Very Good Year
1955 with Scott Tobias
A Very Good Year
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Description

Scott Tobias - the legend of “The AV Club” and “The Dissolve,” currently of “The Reveal” and “The Next Picture Show” podcast... more