Load Bearing Beams: A Movie Podcast

Hey folks, we had to make a programming change this week because one of our bodies did a medical oopsie and we ended up in the emergency room. Everything's fine... but wait till the bill comes, am I right?? Anyway, we had to push back our Death Proof episode, so now, we have unlocked our Royal Tenenbaums episode from behind the Patreon paywall. See you in a week! Love you goodbyeeee.

Friend of the Show Jen (@JenWalksN2Walls on TikTok) joins us to cover Sister Act 2. We once again follow the misadventures of Deloris (Whoopi Goldberg), a Las Vegas headliner who selfishly abandons the backup dancers, crew members, and support staff who rely on her show to make their living, all so she can go be a substitute teacher at a Catholic school for some reason. Seriously, is she paying all these people out of her pocket while her show is on hiatus? Or is she like Jimmy Fallon during the 2023 strikes, sending them each a $20 gift card and best wishes? Anyway. This movie’s a lot of fun, but it is all over the place. Looking into the production history, we see it’s a hastily produced sequel that seems almost as if it started as an original, unrelated script about a high school choir competition and then had the Sister Act nuns awkwardly grafted onto it. Still, Whoopi Goldberg is her usual delightful self, but she’s outshined by these delightful kids, including a just-about-to-be-a-superstar Lauryn Hill as Rita, a high schooler whose mom hates choirs more than anything else. Next week: Death Proof (2007) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get extra episodes! In April, we’re covering the pilot episode of the American Office, Matt has thoughts on Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and we’re reviewing M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening. Subscribe at patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:06:42 — Our personal histories with Sister Act 2 00:21:45 — History segment: Production of Sister Act 2 under director Bill Duke and its lasting legacy 00:39:30 — In-depth movie discussion 01:30:30 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Bill Duke on ‘Deep Cover,’ ‘Sister Act 2,’ and Reshaping What Black Movies Could Be in the ’90s” by Robert Daniels | IndieWire (2022) - https://bit.ly/3RNWPvw “How did ‘Sister Act 2’ become a classic musical?” by David Dennis Jr. | Andscape (2019) - https://bit.ly/3Yz9Xse “Sister Act 2 Cast Reunites to Sing 'Joyful, Joyful' and 'Oh Happy Day,' 30 Years After Film — Watch” by Dave Quinn | People Magazine (2024) - https://bit.ly/3G80r98 “A Fresh Take on Black America: On ‘Sister Act 2’” by Brandon Tensley | Los Angeles Review of Books (2023) - https://bit.ly/4iiL9vS “‘Sister Act 2’ Set the Gold Standard for Bad Sequels” by Caspar Salmon | Vice (2018) - https://bit.ly/3RkxkSv “Whoopi Goldberg looks back on Sister Act” by Mary Sellosi | Entertainment Weekly (2017) - https://bit.ly/4ig3Obm Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

Enjoy nine free minutes from our Patreon-exclusive episode about the pilot of the American Office. Hear the full thing by subscribing at https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeams for $5/month. Matt and Wade go through the pilot episode of the American Office. They compare their personal fandoms of the show and how deep their knowledge runs, and then briefly discuss how the show was adapted from the British series created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, its rocky first season and slow ascent into a megahit, and its lasting cultural legacy. And as for the pilot itself, which is generally not well regarded, Matt is surprised at how solid it is, how good a job it does at setting up the series, and how fully formed the main characters already are. The Office was created by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant, and developed by Greg Daniels. It stars Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, and Jenna Fischer The pilot is directed by Ken Kwapis & written by Greg Daniels (adapted from a teleplay by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant) Original air date: March 24, 2005 Source: The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History by Andy Greene (2020) - https://amzn.to/4juDN9i Hear Wade's incredible album WHO SAID THAT? on Apple Music, Spotify, or wherever else music is streamed. Or you can purchase the album from Bandcamp. Follow Wade on Instagram: @wadealready Music credit: "Never Trust a Bat" by Rural Route Nine. Listen on Spotify (https://bit.ly/3QBjavP), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/49PunSv), or YouTube (https://youtu.be/o7SivxabpYI). Live cover of The Office theme song by Better By Design, one of Wade's bands. Watch it in full: https://youtu.be/y4gVPgdVWY4

Hoppy Easter. We're taking the week off but don't want to leave you hopping. So here's our eggsipode about The Truman Show, in its entirety, previously available only to our Patreon subscribers. We'll be back next week with an all-new episode about Sister Act 2.

We welcome Hal (@shestructured on Letterboxd) and Craig (@gentlemanbaby on Letterboxd) from the Red Rose Film Club podcast to cover American Psycho (2000), the Wall Street horror/comedy starring Christian Bale as Patrick "Justin" Bateman. This movie’s got a lot going on, folks. And we get to it all—we determine who has the best business card, we explain why you wouldn’t want Christian Bale as your co-worker at Whataburger, we try to figure out what’s going on with Justin Theroux’s hair, and we marvel at Patrick Bateman’s chainsaw math. Also, is American Psycho Jared Leto’s villain origin story? But more than anything, we're trying to identify what exactly Patrick Bateman represents. Is he the embodiment of toxic masculinity? A victim of America’s addiction to competition and consumption above all else? A misunderstood baby boy? An iconic slasher villain? What if our answer was…. Yes? Next week: We are the nation’s top fun-havers, so we’re taking the week off for Spring Break. We'll unlock our The Truman Show episode from our Patreon archive, and we’ll be back on April 25, 2025 with a brand-new episode about Sister Act 2 (1993) with our friend Jen Walks N2 Walls. Subscribe to Red Rose Film Club: Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/42qrGU6 Spotify: https://bit.ly/4ieGX0b Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:08:00 — Our personal histories with American Psycho 00:16:30 — History segment: Bret Easton Ellis and his American Psycho novel; development of the film under director Mary Harron; star Christian Bale 00:41:45 — In-depth movie discussion 02:02:39 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “American Psycho: An Oral History, 20 Years After Its Divisive Debut” by Tim Molloy | Movie Maker, 2020 - https://bit.ly/44e4Kd2 “Blood, Boycott, and Body Bags: An Oral History of ‘American Psycho’” by Tatiana Tenreyro | Vice, 2020 - https://bit.ly/4i61CmW “Snuff This Book! Will Bret Easton Ellis Get Away With Murder?” by Roger Rosenblatt | The New York Times, 1991 - https://nyti.ms/3G0emOE Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

We bid a tearful farewell to our favorite actor, Gene Hackman, by discussing his hilarious evil Lex Luthor in Superman (1978). Richard Donner started the whole superhero movie idea with this film, but we won’t hold that against him. How electric are Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder? How great does this movie look? And why are so many children getting smacked by their mothers? Bonus video: We each give our most contrarian film opinion. Watch it on our Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram, or TikTok. Next week: American Psycho (2000) with the Red Rose Film Club podcast Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:01:16 — Our personal histories with Superman 00:09:40 — History segment: A very brief history of Superman (the character); development of Superman (the movie); career overview of director Richard Donner; career overview of star Christopher Reeve 00:31:50 — In-depth movie discussion 01:33:45 — Final thoughts and star ratings Source: “‘Superman,’ The Inside Story: Director Richard Donner Remembers Meeting Stallone to Play the Lead, Working With Brando, and a Near-Fatal Knife Attack” by Stephen Galloway | The Hollywood Reporter (2016) - https://bit.ly/4lezkt2 Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

Enjoy 12 minutes from our Patreon-only bonus episode about The Royal Tenenbaums! Subscribe to Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5/month at https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeams

Laci and Matt head to Palm Beach, Florida, to con some rich geriatrics out of their money with their best pals, Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt. That’s right, it’s the perfectly cromulent 2001 crime-comedy Heartbreakers, brought to you by director David Mirkin (showrunner of seasons 5 and 6 of The Simpsons, and director of previous episode Romy & Michele’s High School Reunion). Bonus video: Most awkward experience seeing a movie with a parent. Watch it on our Twitter or on our TikTok. Next week: Superman (1978) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:05:56 — Our personal histories with Heartbreakers 00:09:27 — History segment: Brief overviews of director David Mirkin and stars Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love Hewitt; Laci and Matt listen to Jennifer Love Hewitt’s highest charting single to determine if they’ve ever heard it 00:21:00 — In-depth movie discussion 01:36:41 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Interview with David Mirkin” by Steve Head | IGN (2001) - https://bit.ly/3FEKirv “Jennifer Love Hewitt Answers Every Question We Have About Heartbreakers” by Ilana Kaplan | Vulture (2021) - https://bit.ly/42gS3g9 Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

Our coverage of the late, great Gene Hackman begins with Laci and Matt getting sucked into the vortex of legal intrigue that is The Firm. And, okay, it’s not exactly a Gene Hackman movie, but he’s wonderful as always as part of this ensemble cast that is one of the all-time great ensemble casts. Seriously, this movie is a warm bath you can just slip into, not unlike Gene Hackman’s character Avery Tolar at the end of this film. Bonus video: We talk about things people do in the movies that are weird, very much unlike things that people in real-life do. Watch it on our Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram, or TikTok. Next week: Heartbreakers (2001) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:01:42 — Our personal histories with The Firm and the legal thriller sub-genre 00:16:54 — History segment: John Grisham and the ‘90s legal thriller boom; brief overview of director Sydney Pollack; production of The Firm movie 00:34:17 — In-depth movie discussion 02:07:57 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “John Grisham Is Still Battling His Southern Demons” by David Marchese | The New York Times (2022) - https://nyti.ms/3FB3E0G “Boxers, Briefs and Books” by John Grisham | The New York Times (2010) - https://nyti.ms/4kZ37WE “John Grisham Talks About ‘The Firm’” 2011 interview with NBC - https://youtu.be/5THJBePAbHc?si=9Wf7gicHtKL1zLUs Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.socia

Friend of the Show Screen Time Kota (https://www.tiktok.com/@screentimekota) returns to discuss the 1985 sci-fi film Enemy Mine. This hidden gem of an ‘80s sci-fi film has everything you want: practical effects, elaborate sets, miniature spaceships, matte paintings, and incredible makeup. Even more impressive is the performance of Louis Gossett Jr. underneath the intricate alien makeup. He and Dennis Quaid (a human) get stranded on a planet together; their species hate each other more than anything else… but somehow, they’ll need to learn to get along if they want to survive this. (They do.) Next week: The Firm (1993) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:01:34 — Kota’s history with Enemy Mine 00:11:10 — History segment: Development of Enemy Mine, from novella to production under original director Richard Loncraine, to Loncraine getting replaced with Wolfgang Petersen; brief career overviews of stars Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett, Jr. 00:28:25 — In-depth movie discussion 01:13:35 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Wolfgang Petersen, the creator of Das Boot, ventures into outer space” by Michael Blowen | The Boston Globe (1985) “Gossett makes his own breaks” by Jay Scott | The Globe and Mail (1985) Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

Matt has a new podcast! Don't worry, Load Bearing Beams shall be unaffected. In fact, it can only grow stronger. The new podcast will come out once per month and it's about the classic Twilight Zone series. Along with Friend of the Show Patrick Perot (the 10 Things I Hate About You episode, the Blair Witch Project episode, Rural Route Nine), Matt will go through each episode of The Twilight Zone—one episode per podcast—in chronological order. And you can try out that podcast now: The Sign Post Up Ahead. To catch episodes 2 and 3 of The Sign Post Up Ahead, you can subscribe to the show: Apple Podcast: https://bit.ly/3DA3Z3c Spotify: https://bit.ly/4kEEvlM YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thesignpostupahead In the debut episode of the podcast, Matt and Patrick go through the very first episode of The Twilight Zone: "Where Is Everybody?" An amnesiac wanders through a town, unable to find a single human being, but always feeling like somebody is just out of reach. Creepy! How well does this episode serve as an introduction to The Twilight Zone? How well does it stand on its own? And how much does it hold up now? Plus, there's a lot of talk about the space race, the Cold War, and America's obsession with going to the moon. "Where Is Everybody" originally aired October 2, 1959; directed by Robert Stevens; written by Rod Serling; starring Earl Holliman.

Austin Proctor of the Frightmares podcast joins Laci and Matt to go through The Devil’s Rejects, the second film from director Robert “Robbie” Zombie. A family of demented devil freaks is running roughshod over Jimmy Carter’s America, and the only thing standing in their way is a demented devil sheriff who just might be even more evil. Who will win? Answer? You, the listener, as we unpack this gory, unpleasant, but fascinating early 2000s horror/neo-western. Check out the Frightmares podcast on Apple Podcast (https://apple.co/4h7Qaqh) or Spotify (https://bit.ly/4kvmHtl). Follow the podcast on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frightmarespodcast Next week: Enemy Mine (1985) with Screen Time Kota! Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:08:05 — Our personal histories Rob Zombie and The Devil’s Rejects 00:20:00 — History segment: Career overview of Rob Zombie, and the making of The Devil’s Rejects 00:33:59 — In-depth movie discussion 01:31:50 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “I Don’t Like Rules” by Jan Doense | The Flashback Files (2014) - https://bit.ly/3DmP7VN Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

Yes, this is a five-hour episode. Luckily, we have time stamps available for you so you can hop around to hear about the Oscar categories you find most interesting. With Laci out on assignment, Matt interviews a handful of friends and past guests of the show to previous Hollywood's Biggest Night™. With the Academy Awards ceremony looming in two days, he and his pals preview all of the major categories, and a few fun extra ones. Next week: Laci triumphantly returns and we're joined by frist-time guest Austin Proctor of the Frightmares podcast to review Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects (2005). Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:03:14 — Best Actor (with Kevin of The Reel For Real podcast) 00:39:11 — Best Actress (with Jen) 01:05:08 — Best Adapted Screenplay (with Cinema Coconut) 01:34:28 — Best Original Screenplay (with Cinametic Joshua) 02:19:09 — Best Animated Feature (with Smash Trivia John) 03:00:21 — Best Visual Effects (with Screen Time Kota) 03:23:45 — Best Supporting Actor (with Movie Time With Brock) 03:40:19 — Best Supporting Actress 03:48:20 — Best Director / Best Picture (with Drewbie Doobie's Movies) Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

It only took us eight years but we finally reached 150 episodes. How about that? To celebrate, we squeeze into matching Union Jack dresses and slam our bodies down and wind them all around to discuss Spice World (1997), the notoriously bad (but secretly good?) Spice Girls movie. To elder millennials, this movie’s a big honking deal, folks, and we pull out all the stops to unpack exactly why that is. And to then marvel at how, of all the directions they could have gone with a Spice Girls movie, this is what they made. Bonus video: We name our favorite movies about bands, real or fictional. Watch it on our Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok. Next week: Our Oscars special, previewing the 2025 Academy Awards with a cavalcade of superstar guests Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:06:13 — Our personal histories with the Spice Girls 00:16:06 — History segment: What is “Cool Britannia”?; a brief history of the Spice Girls; how the Spice Girls made a movie 00:45:12 — In-depth movie discussion 01:18:53 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “How the ‘Spice World’ Movie Became a Deranged, Postmodern Masterpiece” by Sirin Kale | Vice, 2018 - https://bit.ly/41qK2nx “When the Spice Girls hit Cannes: the inside story of Spice World, 'the worst film ever made'” by Alice Vincent | The Telegraph, 2019 - https://bit.ly/3Qrjdua Roger Ebert’s half-star review of Spice World - https://bit.ly/4i0PKTB Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

For Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating the greatest American love story of all time: Isabella Swan and Edward “The Bad Guy” Cullen. That’s right, after years of threatening to turn the podcast into a full-time Twilight show, we’re finally doing it. For one episode, at least. But how to tackle such an enormous endeavor? Well, we’ve found the two perfect people to help us in our quest: Courtney and Rose from the great Fiction Fixation podcast. The four of us unpack our different Twilight journeys, discuss the odd figure that is Stephenie Meyer, try to determine the connection between Twilight and Mormonism, unpack the demented sexual politics of this franchise, and, finally, we all confess how much we’d want Edward to bite our necks. Listen to Fiction Fixation on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/411OKaS), Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow them on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@fictionfixation Next week: Spice World (1997) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:07:10 — Our personal histories with the Twilight franchise (books AND movies) 00:25:58 — History segment: Joseph Smith founds Mormonism in the 1820s; Stephenie Meyer grows up in the LDS Church, writes Twilight; Twilight-mania takes off and a movie is developed; career overview of director Catherine Hardwicke; brief overviews of Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson 00:46:38 — In-depth movie discussion 02:23:43 — Final thoughts and star ratings Sources: “Mormon Vampires in the Garden of Eden” by John Grander | Touchstone Magazine - https://bit.ly/4jCSmJ2 “Stephenie Meyer on Twilight, feminism and true love” by Kira Cochrane | The Guardian (2013) - https://bit.ly/4ggFuoV “Twilight's Author and Director Talk About Bringing The Film To Life” by Christina Radish | Media Blvd. (2008) - https://bit.ly/4hz5nkY Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

In the history segment from our Patreon-only episode about The Truman Show, Matt and Laci cover: The Truman Show Enjoy this free sample! To hear the entire episode, you'll have to join our Patreon: Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition. Subscribe for $5 a month: https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Source: “Twenty Years Later, Everything Is The Truman Show” by Julie Miller | Vanity Fair, 2018 - https://bit.ly/41cSW8X

The winner of our recent Listener Choice Lottery was our friend Monique (of Monique’s Movie Madness, @moniques_movie_madness on TikTok). Her movie? The Legend of Billie Jean (1985). Not only had neither of us ever seen this movie, we'd barely even heard of it. But boy is it a hidden gem. Pure sleazy '80s goodness. Helen Slater plays our hero: Billie Jean, a 17-year-old resident of Corpus Christi, Texas. The year is 1985, and she’s going up against the many injustices life throws at her, with the help of her spunky younger brother Binx (Christian Slater), the live-action Lisa Simpson (Yeardley Smith), and a hunky movie nerd named Lloyd (Keith Gordon). Spoiler alert: She wins. But the real winner is YOU, the viewing public. Bonus video: We each name an actor we just can’t stand. Who can’t you stand?? Watch it on our Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram, or TikTok. Next week: Feb. 12 - The Truman Show exclusively on Patreon! Feb. 14 - Twilight with special guests, Rose and Courtney from the Fiction Fixation podcast! Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:03:05 — Monique’s history with The Legend of Billie Jean 00:13:00 — History segment: A brief history of The Legend of Billie Jean via original screenwriter Walter Bernstein, director Matthew Robbins, and star Helen Slater 00:20:16 — In-depth movie discussion 01:26:22 — Final thoughts and star ratings Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

Diane Keaton accidentally inherits a baby. Hilarity ensues. Actually, this isn’t your typical “I don’t know how to change a diaper!” comedy, it’s actually a pretty sweet and incisive look at the demented work culture of the 1980s. This is where Diane Keaton and Nancy Meyers first collaborated, and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Also, this movie has one* cute baby! *Actually two. Bonus video: We spin the wheel and select the winner of our Listener Choice Lottery™ . Watch it on our Twitter, Instagram, or TikTok. Next week: The Legend of Billie Jean (1985) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 2:16 — Our personal histories with Baby Boom 15:35 — History segment: The story of Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer, a legendary Hollywood power couple 30:31 — In-depth movie discussion 1:38:12 — Final thoughts and star ratings Source: “Life Isn’t Like the Movies (Even if You Write the Movies)” by Nancy Meyers | The New York Times, 2020 - https://nyti.ms/42ycG85 Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

Louisiana got hit with a historic winter storm and the state shut down. Your pals Laci and Matt have cabin fever and are furious as they haven't been able to go anywhere or do anything all week, including podcasting. So here's their apology and update on the schedule. We will return in one week with our episode about Baby Boom (1988). If you are shaking from withdrawal because it's Friday and you need your fix, you can just go to our Patreon and become a subscriber, and then you'll have a handful of brand-new episodes to tide you over until next week. https://patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Thank you for your support of our podcast! Okay we love you goodbyeeeee.

Get over here to this podcast about Mortal Kombat (1995). We’re revisiting this movie, even after having already covered it on episode 76, because that episode was less than 30 minutes long. And respect must be paid! Director Paul W.S. Anderson knows exactly what kind of movie he’s making here, and the scuzzy mid-’90s vibes are immaculate! Now, is this movie basically just you watching the video game, but in movie form? Well, yes. But that’s what you bought the ticket for! Bonus video: We spin the wheel and select the winner of our Listener Choice Lottery™ . Watch it on our Twitter, BlueSky, Instagram, or TikTok. Next week: Baby Boom (1988) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams Time stamps: 00:07: 02— Our personal histories with Mortal Kombat 00:11:18 — History segment: The history of the Mortal Kombat franchise; the making of the 1995 movie under director Paul W.S. Anderson 00:33:07 — In-depth movie discussion 01:25:55 — Final thoughts and star ratings 01:30:11 — BONUS: New song by Matt: “The Real Mortal Kombat… Is Friendship” Source: “‘Mortal Kombat’: Untold Story of the Movie That “Kicked the Hell” Out of Everyone” by Aaron Couch | The Hollywood Reporter, 2015 - https://bit.ly/3PEBjbv Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social