Accept The Mystery

Zane Grant joins Josh and Jackie in the JFIO Studios to talk about Terry Zwigoff's Coen-produced black comedy "Bad Santa," starring Billy Bob Thornton. They also learn about Joulapukki the Yule Goat, gasp at BBT's true age, and rate their favorite candy deep cuts.

Josh, Jackie and writer Jake Fleisher kick off the Coen's "studio comedy" period with the divorce comedy Intolerable Cruelty, starring George Clooney and Catherine Zeta-Jones. They also discuss the ethics of big budget art films, learn what country has the highest divorce rate (it's not ours!) and brainstorm some really great ideas, pat pend.

No movie reviews this week, but Josh shares some interviews he recorded at LA Podcast Festival, along with another super top secret exclusive interview.

Today Josh and Jackie have actor and improvisor Josh Covitt to talk about the Coen's noir throwback "The Man Who Wasn't There," starring Billy Bob Thornton. They also dish on jail survival strategies, learn the definition of existentialism, and play a bitterly contested game about hair.

Josh, Jackie and improvisor and podcaster Matt Gourley (Superego, James Bonding) trek through the Coens' Southern adventure O Brother, Where Art Thou?, starring George Clooney. They also discover which legendary bluesman really loves barbecue, question whether the Coens have even read The Odyssey, and read Jackie's first screenplay.

Josh and Jackie bring in comic and improvisor Thomas Ouellette (aka improv4humans' 'Thomas The Intern') to discuss the surreallist cult classic The Big Lebowski. They also learn what weighted leather is, discuss the Tao of the Dude, and get into a legitimate argument over primary colors.

Josh and Jackie have Jackie's cousin/best friend Lara Roizen on to discuss two Coen-scripted video releases, wrestling comedy The Naked Man and art heist flick Gambit. They also reveal their wrestling personas, learn about the world's most defiled painting, and discover that the root of all evil is spinal misalignment.

Josh and Jackie welcome UCB improvisor and native Minnesotan Betsy Stover to their discussion of the Coen Brothers' "film blanc" Fargo, starring William H. Macy and Frances McDormand. They also discover which actor threatened to shoot the Coens' dog, learn why you shouldn't bring your journal on a first date, and marvel at the story of the Piggyback Bandit.

Jackie, Josh and their friend and fellow improvisor Jeremy Turkin watch The Hudsucker Proxy, starring Tim Robbins and Jennifer Jason Leigh. They also debate the meaning of circles and lines, learn what a sand hog is, and quickly discover who won the drinking game.

Josh, Jackie and actor and comic Joe Hartzler (UCB, Funny Or Die) take apart the Coens' unconventional (to say the least!) Hollywood satire Barton Fink, starring John Turturro and John Goodman. They also learn what an applesauce machine is, debate the utility of a chocolate hotel room, and marvel when Barton becomes a ping-pong champion.

Today Josh and Jackie are joined by writer Jarrett Golding to discuss two films the Coen Bros collaborated with their buddy Sam Raimi on, 1985's Crimewave and 1990's Darkman. They also learn about "toe-besity," dissect the damsel-in-distress trope, and convince Jackie that carnival games really are rigged.

Josh and Jackie invite comic and improvisor Darrel Haynes to discuss the Coen's gangster saga Miller's Crossing. They also learn how to play craps, celebrate the utility of Cheetos, and discover where Pharrell's hat came from.

Josh and Jackie invite stand-up comic Allie Zisfein into the JFIO studios to discuss the Coens' kidnapping farce Raising Arizona, starring Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter. They also dive into Allie's Nic Cage hatred, the time Josh almost stole from a food truck, and whether you can have twins with two different fathers.

Josh and Jackie begin at the beginning with Joel and Ethan Coen's debut feature, a nasty little revenge thriller called Blood Simple. Together with comic and podcaster Jay Frosting, they pick favorites from the Motown canon, debate the value of flashy cinematography, and learn how to escape from a coffin.