Shownotes
Movie of the Year: 1984
Once Upon a Time in America (with Keith Phipps)
Can Once Upon in America take the title of our 1984 Movie of the Year?
Once Upon a Time in America is a movie of epic scope even though it is the tale of small-time crooks trying to screw each other over to make it out of the gutter. (And one guy lives in Buffalo for like decades.) This contrast is just one of many artfully nestled into one of the harder watching experiences we've had on this show. And we've seen American Beauty. Multiple times. Ugh.
Joining us will be very special guest Keith Phipps, an actual writer with actual opinions on movies, unlike normal panelists Greg and Mike, dullards of the highest order. Keith has contributed to Rolling Stone, Slate, The Daily Beast, GQ, and The Verge, which c'mon that's cool. He is here to help us get into how this movie fits into the canon of great gangster movies. We will also discuss the special relationship between Noodles and Maxie before covering the often-upsetting, and very confusing, portrayal of romance and sexuality in the movie.
Be sure to check out Keith's upcoming book, The Age of Cage, a look at Hollywood through the singular cinematic experience that is Nicolas Cage. And check out Keith's podcast, The Next Picture Show!
