Check Your Threading
Every two weeks, your hosts Sam and Lauren watch a movie, do some homework, and create Check Your Threading, a podcast that serves up history, psychology, and perspective on that film. Our goal is to talk about movies in a way that's easily accessible for our listeners—we believe art is for everyone! IG: checkyourthreading / Twitter: checkthreading
Episodes
36 episodes
Episode 36: The Fall (2006)
This cult film opens the door for the history of Classic Hollywood stunts, the symbolism of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, the power of storytelling and escapism, and the many ways we can fall.
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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55:23
Episode 35: The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
Let’s talk about the history of LEGO bricks, Batman’s character flaws, mental health issues, his habit of endangering children, and his super powers: white privilege and generational wealth. Plus, our wishlist for future LEGO franchise opportun...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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48:34
Episode 34: Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
We’re kicking off Superhero Month with Taika Waititi’s subversive action-comedy: join us as we discuss Ragnarok’s Māori spirit, how the film supports decolonization, its role as a pattern-breaker in the Marvel multi-verse, and Immigrant Song, o...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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1:02:07
Episode 33: Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
Yukio Mishima’s controversial legacy as an LGBT icon, queer relationships and identities in Feudal Japan, Eiko Ishioka’s groundbreaking production design, kishōtenketsu narrative structure, and the movie’s unique blend of literature, theater, a...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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51:59
Episode 32: Wizard of Oz (1939)
A classic for pride month! We talk about Judy Garland and the queer community, the history of anti-LGBT sentiment in the US military, the rise of the modern LGBT rights movement, the lavender scare, and the significance of Dorothy’s fate.
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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52:44
Episode 31: Tangerine (2015)
Check Your Threading says trans rights: we’re kicking off pride month with Tangerine, and talking about the current struggles for trans sex workers in the US, the damage of The Danish Girl, subversive cinematography, and the tender value of a b...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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32:00
Episode 30: Keanu (2016)
How far would you go for your cat? Let’s get into code switching, the curious role of George Michael in black pop culture, the anatomy of a buddy film, male vulnerability, and more.
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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27:51
Episode 29: John Wick (2014)
Cinema’s biggest dog lover! Join us as we chat about minimalism both in setting and in world building, the graceful intensity of gunfu, wuxia folk heroes, and the thrilling spectacle of Hong Kong Blood Opera.
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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28:02
Episode 28: The Lighthouse (2019)
We talk about The Lighthouse as a buddy comedy, plus the real-life Tragedy at Smalls Lighthouse, toxic masculinity, eldritch horror, and the undeniable homoeroticism of EVERYTHING.
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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32:30
Episode 27: Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
We’re back! This unique, absurd cult-classic comedy gives us the history of summer camp, the versatility of the “summer camp” genre, and the interplay of fantasy and reality.
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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25:42
Episode 26: Moonlight (2016)
Explore the origins of Liberty City, the history of racism in the lighting and color correction of film, how to achieve intimacy through cinematography, and the devastating vulnerability of hope.
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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40:21
Episode 25: Funny Games (1997)
Stuck in your house? This week we talk about the movie that redefined “home invasion”! Plus, social contract theory, the importance (and cruelty) of breaking the fourth wall, and Michael Haneke’s message to U.S. audiences.
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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37:49
Episode 24: Straw Dogs (1971)
In this smorgasbord of toxic masculinity, we explore the pattern of violence in rural towns, the history of Vietnam campus protests, Sam Peckinpah’s reputation for brutality on and off camera, and the controversy surrounding the film. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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38:15
Episode 23: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
The retro flavor of nuclear apocalypse films, the history of the OPEC oil crisis, how George Miller builds his own mythology - and borrows from the mythos of other cultures - and the role of music on the battlefield. Ride with us on the fury ro...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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46:09
Episode 22: All the President's Men (1976)
Let’s talk about the importance of investigative journalism, the edge-of-your-seat anxiety that this film creates, Woodward and Bernstein as heroes, and why the pen is truly mightier than the sword. Plus, the state of newspapers today, and why ...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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52:55
Episode 21: Vice (2018)
We review the history of two of our most outlandish Vice Presidents (other than Dick, obviously), the tonal ambiguity of Vice as a film, the value of a good montage sequence, and our inherent discomfort with Cheney’s legacy.
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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37:06
Episode 20: Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
We lay out the best real-life Las Vegas heists, debate whether or not heist movies are their own genre, and explore why Ocean’s Eleven still works almost 20 years later. Let us steal some of your time with this episode! <...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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40:51
Episode 19: Jurassic Park (1993)
Learn about the “Jurassic Park generation” of paleontologists, how the film affected the scientific community, some amazing fan theories and, the, uh, lasting impact of Dr. Ian Malcolm as the film’s moral center. Hold onto your butts!
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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39:26
Episode 18: The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
What makes an epic truly EPIC? Why were the 80s so intense for evangelical Christians? What’s up with Jungian psychology? Why was The Last Temptation of Christ so controversial when other bible movies are so formulaic? All these questions AND M...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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35:47
Episode 17: Maleficent (2014)
In a stunning rape-revenge twist on a Disney classic, we look at Maleficent’s origins in the Sleeping Beauty myth, breaking the cycle of abuse, the importance of found family, and the symbolism of the film’s rich costuming. Featuring our very f...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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1:01:14
Episode 16: West Side Story (1961)
The history of Puerto Rican migration to New York City, the tradition of the Hollywood musical, and how West Side Story broke the mold. We also discuss brownface, compulsory heterosexuality, and the role of discrimination in (white) cultural as...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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39:53
Episode 15: Velvet Goldmine (1998)
Enter the sensual, outrageous world of glam rock with Brian Slade and Curt Wild, as we examine Todd Haynes’ glittery musical Velvet Goldmine. We talk about the history of glam as a genre, the film’s role in queer cinematic history, and effects ...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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42:10
Episode 14: The Wolf Man (1941)
A Universal horror classic embedded in global history, we examine writer Curt Siodmak’s flight from Nazi Germany, the ancient history of werewolf lore, and The Wolf Man’s inseparable ties from the post-war Jewish identity. Plus, bonus parallels...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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36:11
Episode 13: Hausu (1977)
A group of teenage girls go on a countryside vacation and end up fighting for their lives in this layered Japanese horror-comedy. We discuss pre- and post-war Japan and Japanese cinema, Hausu’s multi-step inception, bakeneko, and My Little Poni...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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35:26
Episode 12: Mandy (2018)
Nicolas Cage? Check. Cocaine and LSD? Check. Chainsaw-wielding rampage? Check. This revenge-fantasy horror sci-fi delight breaks the boundaries of genre and takes the viewer on a two-act epic. We talk about the foils of masculine tenderness vs....
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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34:50