I'M NOT CRYING

On the season finale, I'm joined by Jacob Dallas, co-host of Workers' Lit, to talk about how George R.R. Martin's infamous Red Wedding once moved him to tears.

Writer and journalist Miles Klee joins me to talk about the Coen Brothers' 1987 crime caper Raising Arizona, the challenge of sounding hopeful without sounding corny, and why—even after watching it 20 times—it still brings him to tears.

Nick Coffman, writer for ⁠Hard Drive⁠ and co-host of the dad-themed movie podcast ⁠Stand N' Watch⁠, joins me to talk about Tim Burton's Big Fish, relationships between parents and their children, and the all-too-familiar experience of joining a cult-adjacent, Masonic-affiliated leadership group when you're young.

Kaz Wheeler, host of ⁠"Didn't Get All of It Japan"⁠ and ⁠"Ultimo! Dragonball,"⁠ joins me to talk about death, tears, and resurrection within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Rowan Lee, folk horror connoisseur and author of ⁠The Harvest Maid's Revenge⁠, joins me to talk about Lars von Trier's Dancer in the Dark, the existential horror of life in the modern world, and the small pleasures of escaping into the movies.

On today's episode, I'm joined by Ivan to talk about regret, heartbreak, and the cerebral whimsy of Michel Gondry's 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

Intro music provided by The Grey Room.

Eugene Grygo, who is featured in the 2024 documentary Look Into My Eyes, joins me to talk about loss, belief, psychic intuition, and the enduring power of Robert Redford's 1980 Academy Award-winner Ordinary People.

Poet and culture critic Eileen G'Sell joins me to talk about Lukas Dhont's 2022 film Close, male melodrama, and the liminal space of adolescence.

Check out Eileen's essay on Close in Mubi Notebook.

For some critics, Chloe Zhao's Hamnet was an emotionally manipulative tearjerker. For others, it was a sincere and heartfelt exploration of grief and loss.

Today, I'm joined by Ann Jones, known in many circles as my mom, to talk about why Hamnet was one of 2025's best films—and why it made her cry.

Brianna Kearney joins me to talk about why the 2024 romantic drama We Live in Time inspired her to publicly share her tears on social media—and how the movie helped her process her own mother's battle with cancer.

Artist and author Ryan Estrada joins me to talk about the 1986 Korean drama Gilsotteum, and he reveals why a 2016 screening of the film moved him and the entire audience to tears.

Is farting in front of someone the ultimate act intimacy? How do we decide when to follow—or to break—the unwritten rules of life? Terra, of the Atomic Pixies, joins me to talk about this and more on an episode about Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan's 2016 flatulence-filled fantasy Swiss Army Man.

Damien Vincent, host of Remain, Roam, Return, joins me to talk about childhood dreams, family, and loss on this episode about Disney-Pixar's Coco.

It's undeniably tragic, but is Clint Eastwood's Million Dollar Baby enough to make a person cry? Cody Biedenbender—a one-time boxing contender in the Sugar Land Backyard Amateur Conference— joins me to talk about the fragility of autonomy and why this 2004 Academy Award winner once caused him to tear up.

Derick McDuff, host of the Underrated Movie Podcast, joins me to talk about David Lynch's 1980 film The Elephant Man — and why it brings him to tears.

In part one of A Brief History of Crying at the Movies, I take you to the shores of Lake Tahoe where my obsession with movies led me to the accidental discovery of Dick Badenhop and Eileen Fletcher.

From there, I explore my first encounter with Jurassic Park and The Land Before Time, which leads to an intriguing question: Is there a difference between crying and weeping?

In August 1950, the people of Great Britain received a survey that asked: Have you ever cried at the cinema? Now, 75 years later, I'm asking asking the same question.

But I'm also interested in more than that.

This mini-episode introduces the launch of a new miniseries: A Brief History of Crying at the Movies.

This week's episode is all about The Great Beyond. Not death, but the infinite expanse of space that extends far beyond our own planet. Marcus Zavala joins me to talk about why Christopher Nolan's Interstellar makes him cry, what Space Cowboy Matthew McConaughey can teach us about fatherhood, and the pervasive sense of disquiet that stems from seeing Matt Damon onscreen.

Intro music: Out of the Skies, Under the Earth by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

The author Tucker Leighty-Phillips joins me to talk about the 1999 documentary American Movie, why it made him cry, and what it can teach us about craft, relationships, and chasing down the American Dream.

What can Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022) teach us about the trials and tribulations of being 22? Is Adam Sandler's 2006 comedy Click a modern-day It's a Wonderful Life? This week's episode features our first double feature discussion of sad movies, big heartbreaks, and Zohran Mamdani's electoral victory.

Why does Field of Dreams (1989) make so many men cry? Is there any simpler and greater pleasure in this life—or the next—than a son having a catch with his father? Is Iowa really like heaven?

I talk with my dad about baseball, dads, and why this particular Kevin Costner film always brings him to tears.

Can The Nutty Professor (1996) cause your pain water to seep up? When you’re feeling overwhelmed, do you prefer to have a good cry or a nice tantrum? Is there such a thing as a fart that makes you sad?

Jess joins us on our first episode to provide some answers.