Small Beans

Oh my Malkovich! Our resident Charlie Kaufman scholar, Brooks Brown, returns for the first major Kaufman feature release, Malkovich. The trio discusses the writer’s humble beginnings in comedy, his collaboration with Spike Jonze, and ultimately what separates his early scripts from his later scripts and direction. It’s truly a Malkovich you don’t want to miss, Malkovich! Features: Brooks Brown: @quarantine_collective 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 Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

As voted on by our patreon “Show Me” producers, this episode features Maggie and Adam’s picks of their nightmare fuel movie. What does Maggie find terrifying? What would Adam never wish to show his mother? Adam and Maggie talk about their failing brains and arms. If you patronize us, feel free to email us suggestions for episodes at any time 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 Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Adam walks us through the vision of the Hughes Brothers and the techniques deployed so the film’s final twist isn’t doesn’t feel so hard to swallow. It succeeds and fails in different ways, but there’s plenty of craftsmanship in this extremely flawed film. Sometimes it’s about what you don’t see, you see. It’s like jazz. Sweet, sweet Denzel-Washington-clapping-a-bar-full-of-hooligans-with-a-scimitar jazz. 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 Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Here’s the deal. Our very bean Michael Swaim and Gamefully Unemployed’s David Christopher Bell have decided to create a dream team. A supergroup. The Traveling Wilburys of podcasting. The Cream of audio. So get in here and listen to this audio cream! The whole concept at play here is that Michael and Dave realized that every Futurama episode has a corresponding Star Trek: The Next Generation episode. In other words, whether it be basic plot devices or philosophical questions at the heart of the episode, these two shows trekked the same space (where I guess someone had gone before). If you’re a nerd, you’re going to love this audio cream. This show will release 50-50 between both Gamefully Unemployed and Small Beans, but this one is for everyone, baby! Wimmy Wam Wam Wozzle! Features: Michael Swaim: https://twitter.com/SWAIM_CORP representing https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans David Bell: https://twitter.com/MovieHooligan representing https://www.patreon.com/GamefullyUnemployed Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Last week on 1upsmanship, Michael got Adam to play Psychonauts, a beloved game from his childhood. This week on Frame Rate, Michael gets to wax poetic about Dark City, the Alex Proyas film that is basically The Matrix and pre-dated the Matrix by about a year. Twitch streamer Alebrelle joins the party and the three investigate the meaning of this mind-bending noir. They also take cheap shots at it because you know, it’s not like it’s The Matrix or anything. Features: Alebrelle: https://twitter.com/alebrelle 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 Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Ah yes, the personification of the Stephen King everyman: Arnold Schwarzenegger. As we’ve learned, King’s protagonists are often nerds, dweebs, heck, even goofballs. So when the producers of the film approached Schwarzenegger with the adaptation of The Running Man, penned by King’s nom de plume, you know King was ecstatic about it. Michael and Abe discuss the outrageous and basic parody that permeates dystopian films as well as fondly remember that time a man named Buzzsaw got chainsawed in the balls. 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 Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

This episode examines the extremely lean production of It Follows (2014) and how choosing specific directorial tactics can both keep the budget reasonable and make for satisfying artistic choices. Director David Robert Mitchell takes advantage of his lens package, camera support, editorial strategy, and musical arrangements in order to make a consistent vision that speaks to the themes of the film. What results is a gratifying story that feels stylistically and tonally centered. Abe walks us through it! If you’re an artist yourself, you won’t want to miss this one. Features: Abe Epperson: https://twitter.com/AbeTheMighty Adam Ganser: https://twitter.com/therealganz Support Small Beans and access Additional Content: https://www.patreon.com/SmallBeans Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Teresa Lee returns to Frame Rate! In this episode, the gang discusses the philosophical and symbolic efforts of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. Why is Jareth doing this? What are the goblins? What does the Bog of Eternal Stench represent? It couldn’t be as simple as buttholes, right? I mean, it really seems like it philosophically represents somebody’s butthole, but we should go deeper. Teresa’s there to take us on the journey of how Labyrinth can still influence and impact adults, as it was her first viewing! Abe and Michael, to no one’s surprise, wore out VHS players with this tape. Features: Teresa Lee: https://twitter.com/leresatee 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 Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

A very special 2-hour episode for our Show Me Patrons! In this one, Maggie talks about building a Catio for her cats and declares war on YouTube commenters of this show. Adam dubs himself America’s Dad and America agrees. Also today, we’re teaching you a game that Adam and his brother created to curb indecision and the rules are as follows: Each player introduces six songs. Each player eliminates (or vetoes) two songs. Each player introduces a new song to be the final entries in the playlist (***CATAPULT ROUND***) By the end of this process, you will have a joint playlist that will absolutely pump you up. Like, you won’t be able to pump any higher, you’ll be so pumped. After listening to this, you will not be able to pump. Enjoy the playlist while you listen: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1SkLGxmaG1uVcBqL3m6l3r?si=S4WMMIIQRsymlHmeTCimnw If you patronize us, feel free to email us suggestions for episodes at any time 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 Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691

Some episodes of Kings of King are very different from our typical approach to unearthing the symbolism and meaning of Stephen King’s adaptations. This is one of those episodes. The movie is Frank Darabont’s The Green Mile (1999). It has a star-studded cast, a competent director, and a critically-acclaimed photographer. Thomas Newman writes another amazing score. Michael hates this movie. Let’s all listen to him rip it a new one. 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 Check our store to buy Small Beans merch! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/the-small-beans-store?ref_id=22691