We like to talk about movies that talk about school, and we bet you do too. This podcast is for anyone who works at a school, goes to school, or ever went to school – so basically, YOU! Movies about school have shaped our national narrative about what school is like, about the relationships between teachers and students, students and students, and the role of school as both friend and foe.
In this episode of Heads Down Two Thumbs Up, Carla and Bill discuss the iconic film Sixteen Candles. This movie launched the career of John Hughes who quickly became known for his portrayal of teenage angst through the ubiquitous experiences of unrequited crushes, embarrassing parents and a punishing social hierarchy.
Samantha Baker is turning 16, but in the chaos of her sister’s wedding, her family has forgotten her birthday. To make matters worse, she spends the day pining over her out of reach crush, Jake Ryan, Michael Shoeffling, and being stalked by the kind of the geeks (Anthony Michael Hall). As the tagline suggests “It’s the time of your life that may last a lifetime.”
How has Sixteen Candles stood the test of time? Is it still relevant today? Who was this movie for? Why are there only white people at this high school and what does it say about sexual misconduct? Carla and Bill discuss all of the joys as well as the cringy, problematic aspects of this 1984 classic.
17 Jan 2024
Episode 12: School of Rock
In this episode of Heads Down Two Thumbs Up, Bill and Carla discuss School of Rock. This iconic movie features Jack Black as a slacker musician who, in a moment of desperation, lies to get a substitute teaching gig at a pretentious elementary school. Joan Cusack plays the uptight principal who only lightens up when she hears Stevie Nicks. Does this movie stand the test of time? Does it accurately portray life in an elementary school classroom? Is Jack Black the single best or worst substitute teacher ever? Listen and find out!
3 Aug 2022
Episode 11: Almost Famous
In this episode of Heads Down Two Thumbs Up, Bill and Carla discuss Almost Famous. Written and directed by Cameron Crowe, this semi-autobiographical story is NOT set in a school, but it is about learning. When high school student William Miller gets the chance to follow his passion of music journalism and is invited to tour with a up and coming band, Stillwater, he takes it, trading classroom learning for a real-life adventure that promises a cover story for Rolling Stone Magazine. Bill and Carla explore what makes for good learning and whether or not school actually gets in the way of a good education.
20 Apr 2022
Episode 10: Soundtracks
• episode transcript (https://headsdowntwothumbsup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/hdttu10-soundtracks.pdf) (click to read)
In this special edition episode, we focus exclusively on the music of movies. The soundtrack. The score.
We love this quote from Underground Press (https://www.undergroundpress.co.za/features/op-ed/the-importance-of-soundtrack-in-cinema):
As music can tell the story and explain the plot, filmmakers use it very carefully to build the tone and mood of a film. Also, music is used to expose feelings of characters, actions, tensions, and even horror. Music can create a convincing atmosphere for the situation and can turn a good film into a great one. – Ronald Ross
After this episode, we hope you’ll stop saying you’re going to watch a movie, and start saying that you’re going to listen to a movie. 🙂
29 Jan 2022
Episode 9: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Travel back to 1988 with Bill and . . . Carla, as we have a MOST excellent adventure together taking about another favorite movie that talks about school. When two disengaged high school students, Theodore Logan and William S. Preston, Esquire, are faced a failing grade in history class, they have just one option left – to do one kick-ass final project. But they know nothing about history. Just when they are about to give up hope and wallowing in despair at the Circle K, they are visited by a surprise guest from the future. And with the help of a handy phone booth as their vehicle, they travel through time, kidnapping historical figures along they way as they try to save their history grade and
Will Bill and Ted pass their history final? Is this movie the single greatest example of experiential learning ever made? How does time traveling in a phone booth compare to travel in a DeLorean? Is Missy the hot stepmom, just an excuse for Oedipal humor? Are Bill and Ted dumb or just totally bored? How did Jane Wiedlin from the GoGos get cast as Joan of Arc? We will discuss these essential questions and so much more. You won’t want to miss this episode! It will be most excellent!
Check out this trailer before you begin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3fx6TugN7g
For those listeners who may have little experiences with phone booths, here is one that Carla runs by very frequently. Perhaps Bill and Ted visited Vasona Park, in Los Gatos.
13 Nov 2021
Episode 08: The Karate Kid B-Side with Jesse Lubinsky
You watched the movie, you listened to the podcast, and now it’s time to listen to the B-Side from The Karate Kid. Bill sits down with Jesse Lubinsky (https://twitter.com/gregbamford) for an extended interview.
If you’re completely lost, go back and listen to full episode of The Karate Kid (https://headsdowntwothumbsup.com/2020/episode-05-rushmore), and then listen to this. It’ll make more sense.
30 Oct 2021
Episode 8: The Karate Kid
This month, Bill and Carla talk Karate Kid, the iconic 1984 movie staring Ralph Macchio as the young Karate student of Mr. Miyagi played by Pat Morita. We discuss the relationship between master teacher and student apprentice, the Dojo as school for life, bad fashion, and the many filming locations of the film. If you are a fan of the fan-fiction series, Cobra Kai, we have you covered, and we talk more about William Zabka and Elizabeth Shue. Bill also interviews his friend, Jesse Lubinsky, who is a major fan of the movie who tells us his story of meeting the cast. Wax on, Wax off!
3 Sept 2021
Episode 7: Stand and Deliver
It’s our first episode of the 2021-22 season. We’re talking about Stand and Deliver, the true story of high school teacher Jaime Escalante who finds himself teaching math in East LA. He finds a group of students who find his less-than conventional teaching methods to be inspiring and he takes them all the was to AP Calculus. When they all successfully pass the AP Exam, their scores are challenged because of their ethnic surnames and they are forced to retake the exam with only one day to prepare. No spoiler here. but they did make a movie about it, so . . . The Real Life Escalante once said that this movie was “90% truth and 10% drama.” Both Edward James Olmos (Escalante) and Lou Diamond Phillips (Angel Guzman) received Academy Award Nominations for their performances.
In this episode we talk about systemic racism, the dubious value of AP Courses, “Cholo” Culture, inner city schools, and the questionable role of “teacher as hero.”
7 Dec 2020
Episode 06: Election
We’re back! After our pandemic hiatus, it felt great to be back in the studio to record Episode Six.
Coming off of one of the craziest elections seasons in American history, we made the obvious choice. Election was released in 1999 and starred Matthew Broderick as Jim McAllister, a high school civics teacher, and Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick, an overachieving student running unopposed for school president. If only Mr. McAllister hadn’t despised Tracy Flick so much, things might have turned out differently. But instead we experience a high school election season like none other.
If you are already missing the election of 2020, then dive into Election and then listen as we explore high school elections, morals, ethics and so much more!
19 May 2020
Episode 05: Rushmore B-Side with Greg Bamford
You watched the movie, you listened to the podcast, and now it’s time to listen to the B-Side from Rushmore. Carla sits down with Greg Bamford (https://twitter.com/gregbamford) for an extended interview.
If you’re completely lost, go back and listen to full episode of Rushmore (https://headsdowntwothumbsup.com/2020/episode-05-rushmore), and then listen to this. It’ll make more sense.
2 Mar 2020
Episode 05: Rushmore
If there is one thing Max Fischer loves, it’s his prep school Rushmore. “I guess you’ve just gotta find something you love to do and then… do it for the rest of your life. For me, it’s going to Rushmore.”Although he is the king of extracurriculars, has the ear of the administration, and befriends a wealthy industrialist parent, Herman Blume, Max is on Sudden Death Academic Probation. According to his headmaster, “Too many extracurriculars, Max, and not enough studying.” When Max falls for first grade teacher, Rosemary Cross, and becomes embroiled with a love triangle with Cross and Blume, his beloved Rushmore is threatened. Join Carla and Bill as we talk about Wes Anderson’s film, Rushmore.
Special Guest, L+D Co-Founder, Greg Bamford (https://twitter.com/gregbamford), joins us this month.
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