Small Beans

Daniel O’Brien, writer for Last Week Tonight and original gangster, joins Bridgett and Sarah for a candid discussion of how teenagers fall for the allure of playing the role of a protagonist in a tragic romance. Daniel starts with a tale where a teenage crush overheard his undying love via speakerphone and the punishment only endures for the next several years. Don’t worry, Daniel, you all have us fooled, we think you’re a real catch. Maybe leave your love sonnets in the box of notebooks you keep in the darkest corner of your closet, though. Features: Sarah Griffith: https://twitter.com/sk_griffith Bridgett Greenberg: https://twitter.com/BridgettTweets Daniel O’Brien: https://twitter.com/dob_inc Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans

In this musical episode, the hosts each select the album in their lives that changed them. So we have two albums here. The artists are Dashboard Confessional and Bob Dylan. Close your eyes and guess who! Maggie and Adam get pretty in-depth about how music and lyrics can peer into your youthful soul and spit out a new fully-formed human. Witness the sonic metamorphosis. Also, the hosts discuss their lifelong problems with long hair and their recent texts to each other. Adam Ganser: https://twitter.com/therealganz Maggie Mae Fish: https://twitter.com/MaggieMaeFish Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans

Abe walks us through the plethora of editorial, post-production, and camera tricks used by Nobuhiko Obayashi, the director of the Japanese horror comedy, House. From cutting out mattes and placing them directly on the frame, to rotoscoping, to practical effects, to editorial pacing, Obayashi is able to command a tone and humor entirely of his own creation. Abe talks about how the film influenced western directors and how technique and style define every filmmakers’ “voice.” Adam surprisingly did not hate the film, dashing Abe’s hopes for a combative podcast. Features: Adam Ganser: https://twitter.com/therealganz Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans

The horror! The horror! Stephen King himself helms another cars-gone-mad sci-fi/action/horror narrative and the results are disastrous. The boys discuss the lazy filmmaking, slapped together scene work, inconceivable choices, and inexplicable acting of King’s only attempted feature. Oh, and the cocaine. Out of the white dust settles a picture that might be the worst Stephen King adaptation yet. Strap in and brace yourself for the wild ride that is Maximum Overdrive. Features: Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans

Tales from the Pit returns with a COVID retrospective. Sitting down with Michael is Twitch Streamer, Creator, and Advocate Alebrelle. The two discuss what it’s been like during quarantine as an autistic and intersectional person. WARNING: there are lengthy discussions and specific examples each give about their depression and suicidal thoughts. Beware, all ye’ who enter here, thar be monsters. Everyone here is doing okay, and we hope you are too. Be well, everyone. Features: Alebrelle: https://www.twitch.tv/alebrelle Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans

Oh, behave. Sarah has joined the boys to discuss the 1997 Mike Myers film and its cultural impact on the United States, baby. Does it hold up after 24 years? Is it as horny as we all remember? Abe ruins the mood by bringing up the history of satirical espionage films. Features: Sarah Griffith: https://twitter.com/sk_griffith Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans

Adam chooses to examine 1998’s Murder of Crows, a forgotten Cuba Gooding Jr. vehicle. In the episode, we examine the work of Rowdy Herrington, also popular for Road House, and his directorial approach to this film. A very important part of directing is presenting a series of shots and performances so that the narrative is clear. “Clarity, then elegance,” as someone once said to me. Either due to an unparalleled series of filmic catastrophes or out of negligence, Mr. Herrington takes what could have been an interesting idea and turns it into a mind-bogglingly nonsensical film. Adam takes us through it. Features: Adam Ganser: https://twitter.com/therealganz Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans

Here’s the premise. Maggie chose a movie for Adam and Adam chose a movie for Maggie. The goal was to choose a movie that encapsulates their co-host. Then, the chooser finds out if the other can decipher why they chose that film. For Adam, Maggie chose the 1998 British village film, Waking Ned Devine, about finding out who won a lottery. For Maggie, Adam chose the Kevin Spacey vehicle, The Life of David Gale. These are insane picks so listen and find out why. I don’t know what this show is anymore, but it’s charming as fuck. Email us suggestions for episodes at magsandganz@gmail.com. Adam Ganser: https://twitter.com/therealganz Maggie Mae Fish: https://twitter.com/MaggieMaeFish Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans

Michael, Abe, and the current head of videos at Cracked.com, Jordan Breeding, take a look at 2012’s Seven Psychopaths. They discuss the similarities of Quentin Tarantino’s films and the films of director Martin McDonagh, the joy of writing, and problematic aspects of the movie. It’s like if Tarantino and Charlie Kaufman (Adaptation, Being John Malkovich) made a movie. After this episode we’ll probably be cancelled and we talk about that a bit. Features: Jordan Breeding: https://twitter.com/The_J_Breeding Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans

Written and read by Michael Swaim. Score by Davey Francis. Table of Contents: 0:00 - Introduction & Acknowledgements 2:00 - The Show Must Go On... 25:30 - ...And It Goes Like This (A Fable) 1:04:10 - Dear Jane 1:39:30 - Cosmosis 2:05:40 - Cost Of Living 2:50:40 - Serenity Prayer 3:13:40 - Selected Poems