Episodes

  • 201. Inception (Summer Of Nolan)

    201. Inception (Summer Of Nolan)
    Jul 17 2026
    Movies are dreams, and directors are like the ultimate dreamweavers, if you think about it. Christopher Nolan certainly thinks so, and in his most autobiographical movie, he has Leonardo DiCaprio play man named Dom Cobb (come on, that's not a real name) who is dressed and styled to look a lot like Christopher Nolan, and he must assemble a team of creatives to help a billionaire in his feud with another billionaire. But actually, it's a movie about uncertainty. No one ever really knows whether they're in a dream, or in the Matrix, or being controlled by a demon. And when you understand that the movie is actually about giving you the experience of living with uncertainty, a lot clicks into place. Or at least it did for Matt. Laci might need to watch Inception a few more times. Watch Matt's video about Fantasia 2000, the "Trump's Ballroom" of Disney movies: https://youtu.be/y5x3zDnjXrg Watch this Inception podcast in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-XOu8nCE-3g Get more 1-Week Rental on Patreon: https://patreon.com/1weekrental Next week (July 24, 2026): The Dark Knight Rises (2012)! The Summer of Nolan is our summer 2026 miniseries covering the movie career of Christopher Nolan through nine movies on the main feed (plus additional episodes on the Patreon!), presented in chronological order, starting with Memento and going through Oppenheimer. And don't be surprised if our old pal Odysseus drops by to tell us about his long journey home to his wife. Time stamps: 00:01:24 — Opening thoughts on Inception00:18:15 — History segment: Christopher Nolan conceives of "dream thief" idea in early '90s and writes early version of screenplay in early 2000s; he rewrites it after The Dark Knight; casting Leonardo DiCaprio; reception & box office; interpretations of Inception00:57:55 — Movie discussion + Inception film analysis02:28:35 — Star ratings + final review of Inception INCEPTION was written and direct by Christopher Nolan. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Eliot Page, Marion Cotillard, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Dileep Rao, Tom Berenger, Michael Caine, Pete Posthlethwaite, Lukas Haas, and Talulah Riley as a woman. Sources: "The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan" by Tom Shone (2020) - https://amzn.to/4yiNtw0 "A Man and His Dream: Christopher Nolan and Inception" by Dave Itzkoff | The New York Times (2010) - https://bit.ly/4eQFcru "Crime of the Century" by Dan Jolin | Empire (2010) - https://bit.ly/4fuhz8g "Christopher Nolan: The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work" by Ian Nathan (2026) - https://amzn.to/4oc2lro "Inception and Philosophy: Because It's Never Just a Dream" edited by David Kyle Johnson (2011) - https://amzn.to/4fsoAq5"Why Christopher Nolan gave in and helped a critic interpret his movies" by Josh Rottenberg | The Los Angeles Times (2020) - https://bit.ly/4bCJ1hI "This Time the Dream's on Me" by A.O. Scott | The New York Times (2010) - https://bit.ly/3TdPVUo"Dream Factory" by David Denby | The New Yorker (2010) - https://bit.ly/4w6xksa Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/07/inception/#transcript Artwork by Laci Roth. Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts! PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4vtO6jG), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4w1qDat), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead). Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Summer of Nolan" - https://youtube.com/shorts/CAIzthDLrT8 "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM"Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg"The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ The "Summer of Nolan" theme song was written by Matt Stokes. Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends. Performed by: TJ Barends - backing vocalsWade Hymel - drums, percussion, and backing vocalsLaci Roth - vocalsMatt Stokes - vocals, guitar, and bass Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast: Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConceptsFacebook: @1weekrentalInstagram: @1weekrentalTikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social 1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.
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    2 hrs and 32 mins
  • 200. The Dark Knight (Summer Of Nolan)

    200. The Dark Knight (Summer Of Nolan)
    Jul 10 2026
    Few movies have penetrated the general pop culture landscape like Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight. And few characters have resonated the way the Joker, as brought to life by Heath Ledger, did when Nolan's movie came out in the summer of 2008 and became the biggest movie of all time. For their 200th episode, Matt and Laci dive deep—and I mean deep—into The Dark Knight. And in a surprise that could have been conceived by the Joker himself, it turns out Laci loves this movie. Matt, meanwhile, continues to feel extremely mixed about all three of Nolan's Batman movies—there's so much to love, and so much more to be confused and baffled by. For the history segment, the podcast goes behind the scenes to talk about the casting of Heath Ledger and his process for becoming the Joker. Ledger famously isolated himself in a hotel room for a month, journaling his weird thoughts to turn into a version of the Crown Prince of Crime we'd never seen before. We also talk about the history of the Joker as a character, going all the way back to the 1940s. What exactly is it about the Joker that appeals to so many people? And, even putting aside the tragic circumstances behind Ledger's performance, what about the Nolan Joker resonated with so many people? Then, we talk for two hours about the movie itself, celebrating what we love, rubbing our temples about what we hate, and ultimately trying to figure out what exactly Bruce Wayne believes. How has he become so enchanted by a tough-on-crime prosecutor? Isn't Harvey Dent just Rudy Giuliani, but handsome? And the Joker's philosophy was extremely appealing to people, but does it actually make sense? We spend a lot of time unpacking it, and theorizing about where the Joker would have gone in a sequel, and if he would have done some maturing in between movies. If we have a contrarian take on The Dark Knight, it is this: The Joker isn't a reaction to Batman, he's a reaction to Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne rules the world of this movie so insivisbly that he poisons everything without anyone noticing. Watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OFrmrdTeHX4 Get more 1-Week Rental on Patreon: https://patreon.com/1weekrental Next week (July 17, 2026): Inception (2010)! The Summer of Nolan is our summer 2026 miniseries covering the movie career of Christopher Nolan through nine movies on the main feed (plus additional episodes on the Patreon!), presented in chronological order, starting with Memento and going through Oppenheimer. And don't be surprised if our old pal Odysseus drops by to tell us about his long journey home to his wife. Time stamps: 00:01:24 — Opening thoughts on The Dark Knight00:15:10 — History segment: Initiatal development of the Batman Begins sequel; a brief history of the Joker; Heather Ledger and the Joker; the legendary viral marketing campaign Warner Brothers ran to introduce the world to Ledger's Joker; Ledger's tragic death and the pall that cast over the movie; the release and legacy of The Dark Knight and the Ledger Joker01:12:28 — Movie discussion + The Dark Knight film analysis02:51:15 — Star ratings + final review of The Dark Knight The Dark Knight was directed by Christopher Nolan. Screenplay by Nolan with his brother Jonah; screen story by Nolan with David Goyer. Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Eric Roberts, Chin Han, Nestor Carbonell, Joshua Harto, Michael Jai White, Ritchie Coster, Colin McFarlane, Monique Curnen, and Anthony Michael Hall as a news anchor. Sources: "Dark Knight Review: Nolan Talks Sequel Inflation" by Anne Thompson | Variety (2008) - https://bit.ly/3RsQ7yy "Batman's Burden: A Director Confronts Darkness and Death" by David M. Halbfinger | The New York Times (2008) - https://bit.ly/4glGzQ4 "The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture" by Glen Weldon (2016) - https://amzn.to/4aNZi2Y "Christopher Nolan (Iconic Directors)" by Dan Jolin (2026) - https://amzn.to/4oEtmE3 "The Making Of The Joker" by Dan Jolin | Empire (2009) - https://bit.ly/44MKjmz "A look inside Heath Ledger's sinister 'Joker journal' for The Dark Knight" by Christopher Hooton | The Independent (2015) - https://bit.ly/4eKswSY Interview with Christopher Nolan by Steven Weintraub | Collider (2008) - https://bit.ly/3QZqR2Q "Why is the Joker so popular?: A psychological look" by Byron Lafayette | Bam! Smack! Pow! (2019) - https://bit.ly/4xZCJCu "Why So Serious? Warner Bros.' Use of the Joker in marketing The Dark Knight" by Kim Owczarksi | from "The Joker: A Serious Study of the Clown Prince of Crime" edited by Robert Moses Peaslee & Robert G. Weiner (2015) - https://amzn.to/4gqECC0 "Christopher Nolan: The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work" by Ian Nathan (2026) - https://amzn.to/4oc2lro "Heath Ledger died of accidental overdose" | The Associated Press (2008) - https://bit.ly/4p7oebP "Showdown in Gotham Town" by Manohla ...
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    2 hrs and 55 mins
  • Insomnia (Patreon Preview)

    Insomnia (Patreon Preview)
    Jul 3 2026

    1WR is off this week. We're returning in one week with episode 200, but for now, enjoy a free sample from our Patreon podast about Christopher Nolan's Insomnia (2002).

    Get the full episode by subscribing for $5 a month at https://patreon.com/1weekrental

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    19 mins
  • 199. The Prestige (Summer Of Nolan)

    199. The Prestige (Summer Of Nolan)
    Jun 26 2026
    Christopher Nolan fully became Christopher Nolan with The Prestige—a masterpiece that juggles seven interweaving timelines, multiple perspectives, and red herrings that all snap into focus. Join Laci and Matt for a behind-the-scenes deep dive into how Nolan transformed Christopher Priest's novel into cinema's ultimate puzzle box, plus the career impact this movie had on everything he made after. Laci and Matt go through the history of this movie, starting with the novel by Christopher Priest that inspired it. Then they go behind the scenes of the movie and talk about the Nolan brothers' yearslong struggle to adapt it. One issue for Nolan: Magic on screen is not exciting like magic is in person. So instead, After that, a look at Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, and how each of their upbringings and acting styles informs the characters they play. Not only that, Jackman, Bale, Angier, and Borden all reflect parts of Christopher Nolan's schizophrenic directorial personality, torn between a populist, a puzzle maker, a hoity-toity artiste, and a crowd pleaser. Then: The Prestige. We discuss it in depth, theorize about all kinds of weird crap that's going on in the background of the movie, and gush over Bale, Jackman, Michael Caine, and Rebecca Hall, and marvel at how Nolan managed to pull off this magic trick of a movie. Watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pdPkvpEMCw0 No new episode next week (July 3, 2026). We'll be back on Friday, July 10, 2026 with episode 200, about The Dark Knight (2008)! The Summer of Nolan is our summer 2026 miniseries covering the movie career of Christopher Nolan through nine movies on the main feed (plus additional episodes on the Patreon!), presented in chronological order, starting with Memento and going through Oppenheimer. And don't be surprised if our old pal Odysseus drops by to tell us about his long journey home to his wife. Time stamps: 00:01:39 — Opening thoughts on The Prestige00:09:19 — History segment: Christopher Priest writes the novel The Prestige; Nolan and his brother adapt the novel; career overviews of Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale, and how each informs the character they play; reception and legacy of The Prestige00:55:00 — Movie discussion + The Prestige film analysis02:30:45 — Star ratings + final review of The Prestige The Prestige (2006) was directed by Christopher Nolan. Screenplay by Nolan with his brother Jonah, based on the novel by Christopher Priest. Starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Andy Serkis, David Bowie, Piper Perabo, and Ricky Jay as Milton the Magician. Sources: "Ten Years Later, Why We're Still Obsessed With 'The Prestige'" by Colin Biggs | Screen Crush (2016) - https://bit.ly/4enO2g9"'Out of the Furnace' Star Christian Bale on His 'Love-Hate' Relationship with Acting (Q&A)" by Scott Feinberg | The Hollywood Reporter (2013) - https://bit.ly/4eGoKc2 "Pressure as a child formed 'love/hate' relationship with acting" by Ben Child | The Guardian (2013) - https://bit.ly/4xJ5nYx "Christian Bale on suffering from insomnia and running into Viggo Mortensen in Rome" by Jonathan Heaf | British GQ (2012) - https://bit.ly/4eCGPaJ "Christopher Priest obituary" by John Clute | The Guardian (2024) - https://bit.ly/4eJQtIZ "Christopher Nolan (Iconic Directors)" by Dan Jolin (2025) - https://amzn.to/4oEtmE3"Christopher Nolan: The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work" by Ian Nathan (2026) - https://amzn.to/4oc2lro"Behind the Magic with Prestige Cast" | Access (2006) "The Prestige: Inside Christopher Nolan's Movie Magic Trick" by Dan Jolin | Empire Magazine (2006) - https://bit.ly/4vv7HRo "Christian Bale: 'I was asked to do a romantic comedy. I thought they'd lost their minds'" by Rory Carroll | The Guardian (2018) - https://bit.ly/44sb3IQ Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/06/the-prestige/#transcript Artwork by Laci Roth. Check out Laci's coloring videos on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kKLhWb2g0bKA-RrvvLh0Q/ Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts! PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4vtO6jG), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4w1qDat), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead). Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Summer of Nolan" - https://youtube.com/shorts/CAIzthDLrT8 "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM"Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg"The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ The "Summer of Nolan" theme song was written by Matt Stokes. Produced, engineered, mixed, and ...
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    2 hrs and 34 mins
  • 198. Batman Begins (Summer Of Nolan)

    198. Batman Begins (Summer Of Nolan)
    Jun 19 2026
    Nine years into this podcast and we finally talk about a Batman movie. That seems illegal. We explain why Batman is the pop culture figure who is most like a religion, debate whether he is the most popular fictional character in the world, and go through the various toggles from dark to light to dark to light to dark again, and why this drives fans nuts. Christopher Nolan wanted to make a grounded, realistic Batman. He succeeded. But was this a good idea? And was this good for culture? Does Nolan have much to atone for? Is this movie his Bat Bomb? Watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VEFwqhk_NvY Next week (June 26, 2026). The Prestige (2006)! The Summer of Nolan is our summer 2026 miniseries covering the movie career of Christopher Nolan through nine movies on the main feed (plus additional episodes on the Patreon!), presented in chronological order, starting with Memento and going through Oppenheimer. And don't be surprised if our old pal Odysseus drops by to tell us about his long journey home to his wife. Time stamps: 00:01:39 — Opening thoughts on Batman (the guy) and Batman Begins (the movie)00:22:33 — History segment: The many lives of Batman; the rise and fall of Batman movies in the '90s; Nolan and Warner Bros succeed in revitalizing the franchise with Batman Begins; casting Christian Bale as the Masked Manhunter00:55:00 — Movie discussion + Batman Begins film analysis02:29:30 — Star ratings + final review of Batman Begins Batman Begins (2005) was directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and David S. Goyer. Starring Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Linus Roache, Ken Watanabe, Mark Boone Junior, and Rutger Hauer as Mr. Earle. Sources: "The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture" by Glen Weldon (2016) - https://amzn.to/4aNZi2Y"Christopher Nolan (Iconic Directors)" by Don Jolin (2025) - https://amzn.to/4oEtmE3 "Rescuing Batman" by James Greenberg | The Los Angeles Times (2005) - https://lat.ms/4enOXvB Interview with Christopher Nolan by Anwar Brett | BBC (2005) - https://bbc.in/4ea6714Review of Batman Begins by Roger Ebert | The Chicago Sun-Times (2005) - https://bit.ly/4uE6sxZ"From Batman to Oppenheimer: Christopher Nolan and Cillian Murphy discuss their epic movie partnership" by Clark Collis | Entertainment Weekly (2023) - https://bit.ly/4xzOPC9 Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/06/batman-begins/#transcript Artwork by Laci Roth. Check out Laci's coloring videos on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kKLhWb2g0bKA-RrvvLh0Q/ Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts! PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4vtO6jG), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4w1qDat), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead). Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Summer of Nolan" - https://youtube.com/shorts/CAIzthDLrT8 "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM"Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg"The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ The "Summer of Nolan" theme song was written by Matt Stokes. Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends. Performed by: TJ Barends - backing vocalsWade Hymel - drums, percussion, and backing vocalsLaci Roth - vocalsMatt Stokes - vocals, guitar, and bass Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast: Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConceptsFacebook: @1weekrentalInstagram: @1weekrentalTikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social 1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.
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    2 hrs and 33 mins
  • 197. Memento (Summer Of Nolan)

    197. Memento (Summer Of Nolan)
    Jun 12 2026
    Laci and Matt kick off the Summer of Nolan with a look at Nolan's early career—his feature debut Following (1998) and then his breakout hit Memento (2001). But first, we share our big-picture thoughts on Christopher Nolan: Why is he the world's most popular director? Does he identify too much with J. Robert Oppenheimer? Is he too boring and well-adjusted to make a good subject for a podcast miniseries? Like his hero Steven Spielberg, Nolan didn't attend film school. Instead, he taught himself to make movies by making movies. He self-financed and produced Following a few hours at a time, but it already showed his gifts as a director and the writing and editing styles that would become hallmarks of all his future films. Working on a considerably larger budget, Nolan then made Memento, which became an indie sensation on the late-90s/early-2000s film festival circuit. It then became a surprise hit at the box office and an even bigger success on home video, launching Nolan's storied Hollywood career. 1-Week Rental tells the story of Memento before diving deep into a discussion and analysis of the movie itself. Watch this episode in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/c5RuE5-Xv1A Next week (June 19, 2026). The Summer of Nolan continues with Batman Begins (2005)! The Summer of Nolan is our summer 2026 miniseries covering the movie career of Christopher Nolan through nine movies on the main feed (plus additional episodes on the Patreon!), presented in chronological order, starting with Memento and going through Oppenheimer. And don't be surprised if our old pal Odysseus drops by to tell us about his long journey home to his wife. Time stamps: 00:01:39 — Opening thoughts on Christopher Nolan00:14:45 — History segment: Christopher Nolan's early life; the criminal career of his older brother Matt; Following; and the production, release, and legacy of Memento00:53:46 — Movie discussion + Memento film analysis01:52:50 — Star ratings + final review of Memento Memento (2001) was written and directed by Christopher Nolan. Starring Guy Pearce, Joe Pantoliano, Carrie-Anne Moss, Stephen Tobolowsky, Harriest Sansom Harris, Mark Boone Junior, and Callum Keith Rennie as Dodd. Sources: "Batman, robbin' and murder" by Christopher Goodwin | The Sunday Times (2010) - https://bit.ly/43N5Drx "Fact Check: Is Christopher Nolan's Brother a Suspected Hitman Called 'Oppenheimer'?" by Jamie Burton | Newsweek (2023) - https://bit.ly/4a0mSth "I was there at the Inception of Christopher Nolan's film career" by Matthew Tempest | The Guardian (2011) - https://bit.ly/3RM0Wf3 18-Minute Analysis By Christopher Nolan On Story & Construction Of Memento - https://youtu.be/tYScJZWhaHA "Christopher Nolan: The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work" by Ian Nathan (2026) - https://amzn.to/4oc2lro "Guy Pearce On Why Working With Christopher Nolan Was One Of His Greatest Life Experiences" by Alex Godfrey | Empire (2020) - https://bit.ly/4e2UW8W "Memory Swerves" by Daniel Fierman | Entertainment Weekly (2001) - https://bit.ly/3Q5qyTv Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/06/memento/#transcript Artwork by Laci Roth. Check out Laci's coloring videos on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kKLhWb2g0bKA-RrvvLh0Q/ Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts! PodJob: A James Bond Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4vtO6jG), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4w1qDat), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead). Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Summer of Nolan" - https://youtube.com/shorts/CAIzthDLrT8 "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM"Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg"The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ The "Summer of Nolan" theme song was written by Matt Stokes. Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends. Performed by: TJ Barends - backing vocalsWade Hymel - drums, percussion, and backing vocalsLaci Roth - vocalsMatt Stokes - vocals, guitar, and bass Follow 1-Week Rental, a movie podcast: Twitter: @1weekrental | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConceptsFacebook: @1weekrentalInstagram: @1weekrentalTikTok: @1weekrental | @mattstokes9Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9Bluesky: @1weekrental.bsky.social 1-Week Rental used to be Load Bearing Beams.
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    2 hrs
  • 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Patreon Preview!)

    28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (Patreon Preview!)
    Jun 5 2026

    Hey folks! 1-Week Rental is taking the week off to prepare for our epic summer miniseries about Christopher Nolan.

    In the meantime, tide yourself over with this preview of our new Patreon episode about 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. And if you want to get the whole episode, you can subscribe to our Patreon, which, at the moment, costs only one dollar a month. https://www.patreon.com/posts/28-years-later-160155357?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

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    25 mins
  • 196. Gone Girl

    196. Gone Girl
    May 29 2026
    Gillian Flynn's novel Gone Girl defined a literary niche when it first came out in 2012, and it still defines it to this day. David Fincher's great 2014 adaptation—written in collaboration with Flynn—is one of the greatest and most fun movie thrillers of the 21st century. Now I want to present you with a terrifying scenario: What if this book had come out three years later, and instead of this glorious 2.5-hour film, we got a boring 12-hour streaming series? Come on, you can see it right now in your mind: Episode 3 is a flashback to Amy's life as a child, with none of the regular actors in it. Episode 9 is the Desi episode, and Amy finally arrives at his door right before the closing credits. No thank you. And so 1-Week Rental is here to take you through the history of that movie. How Gillian Flynn wrote her novel and then worked closely with Fincher on the production, how perfect the casting of both Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike was, how Reese Witherspoon produced the movie with the intention of playing Amazing Amy herself only to be told by Fincher she was all wrong for the part, and how this movie is loosely based on the lives of Laci Roth and Matt Stokes. Did you know that? Watch the history segment in full on YouTube: https://youtu.be/i0WuyvYAyrg We're off next week (June 5, 2026). The next episode will be out on Friday, June 12, 2026 when our summer miniseries begins. The Summer of Nolan opens with a podcast about Christopher Nolan's Memento (2000)! Time stamps: 00:05:50 — History segment: Gillian Flynn writes the Gone Girl novel; movie optioned by Reese Witherspoon and David Fincher is hired to direct; career of Rosamund Pike; career of Ben Affleck 00:51:40 — Movie discussion + Gone Girl film analysis02:38:20 — Star ratings + final review of Gone Girl Gone Girl (2014) was directed by David Fincher. Screenplay by Gillian Flynn, based on her novel. Starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Carrie Coon, Kim Dickens, Neil Patrick Harris, Tyler Perry, Patrick Fugit, Missi Pyle, Emily Ratajkowski, Casey Wilson, David Clennon, Lisa Banes, and Scoot McNairy. Sources: "Kansas City native Gillian Flynn emerges as a literary force with her twisted mystery 'Gone Girl'" by Steve Paul | The Kansas City Star (2012) - https://bit.ly/4dE9MTf "Gillian Flynn on Adapting 'Gone Girl,' Being Too 'Wimpy' for Crime Reporting and Her Best Advice to Writers" by Kimberly Nordyke | The Hollywood Reporter (2012) - https://bit.ly/4v9mh0i "Gillian Flynn Peers Into the Dark Side of Femininity" by Lauren Oyler | The New York Times (2018) - https://bit.ly/3Q1DV7e "Gillian Flynn on her bestseller Gone Girl and accusations of misogyny" by Oliver Burkeman | The Guardian (2013) - https://bit.ly/42X7s54"A Surprise Hit Spawns a Movie Deal" by Stafanie Cohen | The Wall Street Journal (2012) - https://bit.ly/3RMwcud "Author Gillian Flynn says filming 'Gone Girl' went much better than expected" by Robert Butler | The Kansas City Star (2014) - https://bit.ly/431uebV"David Fincher Talks 'Gone Girl,' Avoids Spoilers (Hooray!)" by Audie Cornish | NPR (2014) - https://n.pr/4vdg1ER "Movie Sneaks: Thrills, chills for Gillian Flynn in adapting 'Gone Girl'" by Gina McIntyre | The Los Angeles Times (2014) - https://lat.ms/4vcYnB3 "Gone Girl film director David Fincher on his potential Oscar contender" by James Mottram | The Independent (2014) - https://bit.ly/4utRP0R "Reese Witherspoon Says David Fincher Told Her 'I'm Not Putting You' in 'Gone Girl': 'He Was Totally Right' and 'Rosamund Pike Is So Diabolical'" by J. Kim Murphy | Variety (2015) - https://bit.ly/49W9BBH "Ambition" (w/ Reese Witherspoon) | Las Culturistas podcast (2025) - https://apple.co/4nWEU5q "Building a New Ben" | GQ (2004) - https://bit.ly/3S4aDFy "An Actor-Director Above Suspicion" by Cara Buckley | The New York Times (2014) - https://bit.ly/4dytjpy "Jon Hamm Confirms He Almost Starred in Ben Affleck's 'Gone Girl'" by Carly Thomas | The Hollywood Reporter (2023) - https://bit.ly/434AKyF Transcript: https://1weekrentalpod.com/2026/05/gone-girl/#transcript Artwork by Laci Roth. Check out Laci's coloring videos on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-kKLhWb2g0bKA-RrvvLh0Q/ Matt has two monthly spin-off podcasts: PodJob: A James Bond Podcast | Check it out on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4jRL2K1), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4a8jM6E), and YouTube (https://youtube.com/@podjob007).The Sign Post Up Ahead: A Twilight Zone Recap Podcast | Check it out on Apple Podcast (https://bit.ly/4gXjtiR), Spotify (https://bit.ly/4gTE8Ev), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@TheSignPostUpAhead) Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC). Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: "Winston-Salem" - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM"Snake Drama" - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg"The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet" - ...
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    2 hrs and 42 mins