Director Jonathan Entwistle (Karate Kid: Legends, The End of the F***ing World, I Am Not Okay With This) joins Vespe to talk about the incredibly divisive Spielberg film, Hook.
Spielberg's Hook is a bonafide classic for a whole generation, but if you're not part of that younger Millennial generation it has the reputation of leaving you cold.
The story is about a world where Peter Pan is real and he grew up to be Robin Williams. Peter marries Wendy's granddaughter and starts his own family, forgetting all about his Neverland adventures until he's forced back into fantasy when the very real Hook shows up and snatches his kids.
Turns out there's a lot for two grown up nerds to dissect with this movie, not the least of which is why it feels like a couple of different films smashed together.
We didn't know when we sat down to talk about this one that we'd get so introspective, but that's what even a complicated Spielberg flick can do.
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1:15:35
Columbo with Rian Johnson
It might come as a surprise to some folks that Steven Spielberg directed the pilot for Columbo, titled Murder By The Book, but that he did and it turned out to be one of the most important projects of his early career as his success with this episode is what got him the gig directing Duel.
If you're going to talk about Columbo and Spielberg then you're going to need a guest who knows their whodunnits and howcatchems. Writer/Director Rian Johnson has made a name for himself in the murder mystery realm with his Knives Out films and the currently airing Poker Face, a sort of modern day take on the Columbo formula.
We discuss the differences between a whodunnit and a howcatchem, the stengths and weaknesses in both forms of mystery storytelling, and what Spielberg's cinematic eye brings to this pilot that helped him stand out as a young, upstart 24 year old trying to make his mark in the industry that he loves.
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1:06:41
Farewell to Josh Robert Thompson
The Spiel co-host, Josh Robert Thompson, is stepping away from the show, but before he leaves to pursue his own creative endeavors he and Vespe take a look back at his time on the show, discuss our favorite episodes, guests, and experiences while he was behind the mic.
You'll hear plenty of behind the scenes stories, more Spielberg, Lucas, and Morgan Freeman impressions, some Scott Wampler anecdotes and even a rant about Uwe Boll being terrible. In short, it's a hell of a send off for Josh Robert Thompson as he ends his reign at The Spiel.
So, sit back, relax, and get ready to laugh as Vespe and JRT look back at the last year of nerdy Steven Spielberg discussions.
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1:33:48
A Career-Spanning Interview with Veronica Cartwright
Veronica Cartwright joins The Spiel hosts to talk about her incredible career, from The Twilight Zone to The Birds to Alien and Witches of Eastwick, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and, yes, even Scary Movie 2.
Cartwright also shares her thoughts on Steven Spielberg's career, including an incredible anecdote of watching Jaws for the first time with Richard Dreyfuss.
There are so many great stories packed into this chat that it's hard to hint at them all, but you will get her memories on working with Hitchcock, Ridley Scott, George Miller, and so much more.
Her new film, The Ruse, hits theaters across the country May 16th.
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45:40
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull with Charles Soule
Charles Soule (author of the Star Wars: The High Republic series as well as some of the best Star Wars comic books) joins the show to talk all about one of the most controversial and heavily debated Steven Spielberg films: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
We all know co-host Josh Robert Thompson goes to bat for this one, but does Soule? We dive into the George Lucas of it all, a topic that Soule has a lot of insight into considering how closely he has studied Lucas's output while he plays in that massive Star Wars sandbox.
There's a healthy range of opinion on this title and you're going to get some unfiltered opinions that range from "are you crazy?" to "don't be so mean" as three self-identified Indiana Jones nerds break down the fourth installment (and final Spielberg-directed entry) of this iconic series.
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Each week, host Eric Vespe welcomes a notable guest to the show to discuss a work of film from the career of director Steven Spielberg. The Spiel is an open-ended love letter to one of the greatest film directors of all time and his enormous impact on cinema.
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