1999: The Podcast

Written by: John Brooks and Julia Sirmons
  • Summary

  • Was 1999 the best year in movie history? We think it might be! John Brooks, Julia Sirmons, and special guests work their way through all the year has to offer, one movie at a time, and we’ll ask special guests to share their memories of this amazing year and the movies that made it unforgettable. Unfortunately, nobody can be told what 1999: The Podcast is… you have to hear it for yourself!
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Episodes
  • THE END OF THE AFFAIR: "Lots of Rain" - with Kristin Battestella
    Feb 25 2025
    The End of the Affair was released on Dec 3, 1999 in just 7 theaters so that it could bait some Oscars and then going wide on January 21. It would ultimately bring in just shy of 11 million dollars on 23 million dollar budget, though it did open with an astonishing $28,000 per screen average, so maybe a wider initial release would have been wise. The End of the Affair was the second 1999 film in 11 months (after January’s psychological thriller In Dream) from auteur Neil Jordan, best known for 1992’s Oscar winning film The Crying Game as well as 1994’s Interview with the Vampire. It was also the second sweeping period romance in just a couple years for star Ralph Fiennes after The English Patient, leading to many critics and audiences drawing comparisons between the two films. It was also the one film for which 1999's busiest woman, Julianne Moore, was nominated for an Oscar, despite her equal performances in A Map of the World, An Ideal Husband, and Magnolia. Joining John and Julia to talk about this second (incredibly horny) adaptation of Graham Greene's The End of the Affair is film critic, writer, and podcaster Kristin Battestella (I Think Therefore I Review) Kristin is on Bluesky @thereforereview
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    1 hr and 30 mins
  • BEYOND THE MAT: "The Wrestlers" - with Ross Benes
    Feb 10 2025
    Beyond the Mat is a movie that appears NOWHERE in the 1999 box office charts, mainly because it only screened once in 1999 in Los Angeles on October 22, thanks in no small part to Vince McMahon fuckery (though it did get a limited release in March of 2000). Beyond the Mat was directed by Barry Blaustein, an accomplished comedy screenwriter, and it features the real-life stories of wrestling legends Terry Funk, Mick Foley, and Jake the Snake Roberts, Though it wasn't a commercial hit, it received a mostly favorable critical response, and has gone on to become a beloved documentary, especially among wrestling fans. Joining John and Julia to discuss it is Ross Benes, author of the upcoming book 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted our Bizarre Times. His book will be available everywhere in April. You can learn more about Ross and his work on his website: www.rossbenes.com
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • DICK: "Tricky" - with Alex Steed
    Jan 29 2025
    The 145th highest-grossing movie of the year, Dick was released on August 3rd and going on take 12th place at the box office. Through no fault of its own, it was thrown into a death slot, as the films that outgrossed it included juggernauts like The Phantom Menace, American Pie, Runaway Bride, The Blair Witch Project, and a little movie that opened at the same time and took #1, The Sixth Sense, Despite a generally warm and positive critical reception Dick would go on to make just 6.3 million dollars on a 13 million dollar budget. Which is a shame, because as part commentary on the Lewinski scandal and part parody of All The President's Men, Dick has more to say than your typical teen comedy. With two very talented stars at its core - Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams - It's more Election than American Pie, and portraying the Watergate conspirators as an insane, bumbling mess actually feels relevant. You know who loves Dick? Our guest, Alex Steed, who appeared on our episode for the 1999 movie that starred that other girl from Dawson's Creek, Go. Alex is on Bluesky @alexsteed
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    1 hr and 28 mins

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