Advertise on podcast: Ramblin: An Amblin Podcast

It’s a Ramblin first as we revisit the same river for a second time, but it is not the same river and we are not the same podcast hosts. That’s largely because five and a half years have passed since our previous episode on THE COLOR PURPLE, and also because this 2023 version is an adaptation of the stage musical which is itself an adaptation of both Steven Spielberg’s 1985 film and Alice Walker’s 1982 novel. We talk about the ascendency of director and Swiss-army-artist Blitz Bazawule, the stunning performances across the board, how easily this painful and challenging story fits into a musical template and how effective this is as a musical, period. TW: Please be advised that THE COLOR PURPLE deals with themes of domestic and sexual abuse. Though we don’t discuss them at length, these elements are mentioned, so please do skip this episode if these are topics you would rather avoid. Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music.

We’re thinking of a number… No, you have to think… It’s five, darling. Five. Hmm? That’s the amount of times the great Barry Levitt has guested on this podcast. And the film to mark the occasion? Why, it’s MAESTRO, of course — Bradley Cooper’s 2023 biopic on composer/conductor extraordinaire Leonard Bernstein! Together we talk through the film’s journey on its way to Cooper, trot out some impressions of varying quality, defend the good (i.e. non-Josh Gad) kind of theatre kids, defend bold and impassioned swings, and attempt to unpack the complicated controversies associated with this film. Throw your weight on us, darling. That’s it. Put all your weight on us. You can still follow Barry on Twitter and Letterboxd @blevitt93, and still catch his writing over at the likes of Vulture, The Daily Beast, Empire, LA Times, Rolling Stone and more. You can subscribe to his Substack here: https://substack.com/@barrylevitt28 Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music. You can buy tickets to the Robert J Hunter Band's album launch show on October 10 in London here: https://events.talentbanq.com/events/talentbanq/2123808

It’s time to wind the clock right back to the very beginning and delve into the humble origins of one Mr. Steven Spielberg, with his 2022 semi-autobiographical drama THE FABELMANS. Helping us phone home is the legendary Nick Mear from Nickflix podcast, and together we discuss divorce, a formative love for/obsession with movies, the emotional clarity brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and the correct placement of the horizon within the frame. A spirited discussion about a really quite miraculous film, and one that’s continually revealing new riches and complications. Now, good luck to you. And get the f**k out of my office! You can follow Nick on Twitter at @NickFlixPod and Instagram and BlueSky at @nickflixpodcast. Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music. You can listen to The Robert J Hunter band's new single 'I Guess It Is My Time' here: https://www.robertjhunter.co.uk/music And you buy tickets to their upcoming album launch show on October 10 here: ⁠https://events.talentbanq.com/events/talentbanq/2123808⁠

It’s time to bid a fond farewell to our good friends Claire Dearing and Owen Grady with 2022’s half-a-billion-dollar-costing JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION. Jack De La Mare, our very own Ian Malcolm, returns to discuss the COVID-inflected production of this trilogy closer, its difficulty in successfully exploring any of its ideas (or, really, making dinosaurs basically exciting), the relative necessity of bringing back the trio from Spielberg’s original and our main takeaways from the Trevorrow Era of the Jurassic Saga. It’s been a bumpy ride, but the eternal popularity of these movies means that another reboot is never far away… Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music. You can buy tickets to the Robert J. Hunter Band's upcoming album launch show on October 10 here: ⁠https://events.talentbanq.com/events/talentbanq/2123808⁠

There’s a podcast for us… Somewhere, a podcast for us… Josh and Andy and Greg Sheffield… talking about… musicaaals… Somewhere… Well, look no further, as that podcast is right here! Things are fixed for the Ramblin Rumble diving into Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of WEST SIDE STORY, exploring the show’s origins, its past iterations and the astonishing staying power of its musical numbers. What are the relative values of the changes to the running order? How well does Spielberg acquit himself with the film musical? How do Zegler and Elgort compare to Wood and Brenner? Is it possible for the Tony and Maria dynamic to ever fully work? Or for us to appreciate this as its own entity instead of something that exists in the shadow of Wise’s Oscar-winning 1961 version? All this and more in this bumper episode of Ramblin. So come along, buddy boy, as we talk about a complicated work of art for the whole ever mother lovin’ day. Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music. Listen to the end of the episode to hear the latest track from the Robert J Hunter Band and buy tickets to their album launch show on October 10 here.

After an almost two-year hiatus (can’t quite remember why now), Amblin returns with the first film released after we started this podcast: Miguel Sapochnik’s 2021 streaming title FINCH. It was a strange decision for this production house to acquire the character rights to the Slough-based sales rep played by Ralph Ineson in ‘The Office’, but– Oh, hang on, wrong Finch. This one is played by Tom Hanks and is attempting to navigate the post-apocalyptic US so that his robot pal Jeff (Caleb Landry-Jones) can look after his dog Goodyear (Seamus) when he’s gone. Together we talk about the welcome note of hope this movie brings to the dystopian sci-fi genre, the wonderful visual effects work involved and the AppleTV+ of it all. Pop on your protective suit and join us in the sun! Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music. You can listen to The Robert J Hunter band's new single 'Head in the Sand' here: https://ffm.to/rjhheadinthesand And you buy tickets to their upcoming album launch show in London on October 10 here: ⁠https://events.talentbanq.com/events/talentbanq/2123808⁠

It’s been a more prolific decade for Amblin than the previous one, but does that translate into quality? Throughout 18 films – including seven Spielbergs, five sequels, three mo-cap showcases, two Josh Gad dog spirit rotations and one instance of digital fur technology – the production house has reached into its past while also trying to figure out what the future looks like, to mixed results. But there were still plenty of Good Boys, Bit Players and all-round Surprises to choose from as we looked back over the 2010s and separated the Abe Lincolns from the Munkustraps. It’s been a fun ride. Roll on the 2020s! Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music. You can listen to The Robert J Hunter band's new single 'Left Me Yet' here: ⁠https://ffm.to/rjhleftmeyet  And you buy tickets to their upcoming album launch show on October 10 here: ⁠https://events.talentbanq.com/events/talentbanq/2123808⁠

Jellicle songs for Jellicle Cats. But what the hell are Jellicle Cats? Why do we have to meet so many of them? Why did Andrew Lloyd Webber decide that a collection of T.S. Eliot poems for children was a solid basis for a musical? Why was everyone so adamant that it had to be adapted into a movie? Why was Tom Hooper deemed the man to do it? Why has he yet to answer for his crimes? Why did we land on ‘digital fur technology’? Why does Rebel Wilson keep unzipping her cat skin? And eating cockroaches with human faces? Why is James Corden allowed to do this? Why is Macavity naked? Why is Cat Taylor Swift so sexy? Why does Judi Dench stare straight into our souls to tell us that a cat is not a dog? WHY ARE WE STILL BEING INTRODUCED TO CATS??? None of these questions have answers—by the film, our research or us—but we lightly lose our minds all over again trying to find them. We’re joined by returning guest Emily Tatham and first-timer Tom Capon (who have collectively seen the film a dozen times) to reignite the cultural discussion of CATS, Tom Hooper’s 2019 abomination that single-handedly opened the gates of Hell. Come with us… if you dare… Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music. You can listen to The Robert J Hunter band's new single 'Left Me Yet' here: ⁠https://ffm.to/rjhleftmeyet  And you buy tickets to their upcoming album launch show on October 10 here: ⁠https://events.talentbanq.com/events/talentbanq/2123808⁠

We’re back in black… again! But in the place of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, in the place of Barry Sonnenfeld is F. Gary Gray and in the place of those New York-based besuited agents is MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL. Joining us to discuss the 2019 would-be franchise-rebooter is host and co-founder of Girls on Film podcast Anna Smith, and together we navigate the choppy production, the flattening Marvelisation of it all and the flickers of genuine chemistry that do end up making it through. Does Andy get to deploy ‘Nod Ya Head’? Listen to find out. You can follow Anna Smith on Instagram at @annasmithfilmcritic, and listen to her podcast Girls on Film wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to The Robert J Hunter band's new single 'Left Me Yet' here: ⁠https://ffm.to/rjhleftmeyet  And you can buy tickets to their upcoming album launch show on October 10 here: ⁠https://events.talentbanq.com/events/talentbanq/2123808⁠  Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music.

We were very lucky to be granted time with Bonnie Judd, the ace animal trainer and coordinator who oversaw all of the good boys and girls on A DOG’S JOURNEY. She talked to us about what brought her to this line of work, the ethos in her approach and the many emotional memories from the set of the film. Thank you for joining us, Bonnie! Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music. You can listen to The Robert J Hunter band's new single 'Loser' here: ⁠https://ffm.to/rjhloser ⁠ And you buy tickets to their upcoming album launch show on October 10 here: ⁠https://events.talentbanq.com/events/talentbanq/2123808⁠

It’s time to bid adieu once and for all to that wretched Josh Gad dog spirit as we close out our canine duology with the final Amblin W. Bruce Cameron adaptation to date (please god let that remain the case), 2019’s A DOG’S JOURNEY. Glutton-for-punishment Harley Mumford re-joins us to once again dig into the exploits of Bailey, who this time is tasked with ensuring each reincarnation tracks down CJ, the granddaughter of Ethan, to keep her on the straight-and-narrow and ensure she remains unblinkingly judgemental of everyone she encounters who isn’t an angelic corn-fed dog-lover (Editor’s Note: Rein it in, Josh). You can follow Harley and Fandomentals on Instagram and Bluesky, as well as listen to his catalogue of episodes wherever you're listening to this podcast. You can listen to The Robert J Hunter band's new single 'Loser' here: ⁠https://ffm.to/rjhloser ⁠ And you can buy tickets to their upcoming album launch show on October 10 here: ⁠https://events.talentbanq.com/events/talentbanq/2123808⁠ Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music.

Now we all know that clocks reside either on walls or beside them. It’s a simple matter of fact. But what if, this movie supposes, there was a house with a clock in its walls? A radical notion, to be sure, and one that was first broached in 1973 by author John Bellairs and again in 2018 when director Eli Roth adapted his novel into the film we all know as THE HOUSE WITH A CLOCK IN ITS WALLS. Joining us to find the source of the infernal ticking is returning guest Jack Buckley, who has not only read the Bellairs original but has been waiting to wax lyrical about this since the clock-cogs first started turning. Together we talk about the origins of the project, its strange permutations throughout the ensuing decades, Roth’s wide and varied directorial career (Josh did a lot of unnecessary prep and had to make it count somehow), its Goosebumps adjacency and its weird dalliances with (Jamie Lee Curtis voice) trauma. A truly indomitable episode. Here’s the Contrapoints video we referenced, in case anybody is interested: https://youtu.be/uiGIbdrQjbI?si=Isggv-nHNTzkUUlt You can listen to The Robert J Hunter band's new single 'Loser' here: ⁠https://ffm.to/rjhloser ⁠ And you buy tickets to their upcoming album launch show on October 10 here: ⁠https://events.talentbanq.com/events/talentbanq/2123808⁠ Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music.

As the poster for a certain big lizard movie from 1998 said, size matters. We’re joined by the delightful Tom Jurassic (host of The Jurassic Park Podcast and Jurassic Collectables, and creator of Tales from a Jurassic World) for a BIG episode on a BIG movie: the 2018 follow-up to a smash-hit legacy sequel, JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM. Together we try to untangle the questionable motivations that kick the story into gear, marvel at the textures that director J. A. Bayona brings to the visuals and giggle at Chris Pratt’s Action Man poses. It’s a mess of a movie but we find a surprisingly BIG amount to enjoy. You can follow Tom on Instagram at @tom_jurassic. You can find Jurassic Collectables here, Tales from a Jurassic World here and and listen to The Jurassic Park Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music.

It’s a film made up entirely of pop culture Easter eggs, centred around a literal Easter egg hunt and released on Easter weekend eight years ago, so we thought it would be fitting to give you a little Easter 2026 treat and release our episode on READY PLAYER ONE a week early. But we’re not heading into the Oasis alone: we’re joined by Em, the fab host of Verbal Diorama, to wade (Watts) through the smorgasbord of references, the film’s long road to realisation and its ultimate message about the real world vs. the virtual one. A playful instance of Spielberg pondering the darker side of his generational impact, or a soulless piece of garbage designed to validate the stunting of our minds? Can it be two things? Plug in and find out! You can follow Em on Instagram at @empoweredstuff. You can follow Verbal Diorama at @verbaldiorama and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter-Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music.

It’s time for us to blow the whistle on THE POST, Spielberg’s 2017 ode to a free press, squeezed in during postproduction on another very different movie (more on that next episode). We’re very lucky to be joined in our discussion by BBC Radio 2’s resident movie critic, top gentleman and (most importantly) fellow Warwick grad James King, who shares tales of his various dalliances with Spielberg over the years, his personal connection to the film and his thoughts on the urgency it exudes thanks to its rapid production schedule. We don’t always get it right, we’re not perfect, but we keep on it. That’s the job, right? You can follow James on Instagram at @jameskingmovies, follow his film club at jameskingfilmclub.com and listen to his reviews on Jo Whiley’s BBC Radio 2 show.  Follow the podcast on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram and be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Get in touch with us either via socials or email [email protected]. Ramblin is created and produced by Andrew Gaudion and Joshua Glenn. A special thanks as always to Emily Tatham for the artwork, and Robert J. Hunter- Clayton & Greg Sheffield for the theme music.