This week on Podcast Like It’s the 2000s, Phil Iscove is joined by writer David Iserson (Ponies) and author/podcaster Dana Schwartz (Noble Blood, Anatomy: A Love Story) to unpack one of the most inventive films of the decade: Adaptation.

Part of our Spike Jonze & Charlie Kaufman mini-series, the group explores Kaufman’s famously meta screenplay, Nicolas Cage’s dual performance as Charlie and Donald Kaufman, and how the film turns writer’s block into one of the most daring Hollywood movies of the early 2000s. They also discuss the film’s wild journey from Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief to the screen, along with unforgettable supporting turns from Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper.

A deep dive into creativity, storytelling, and one of the strangest Oscar-winning screenplays ever written.

Podcast Like It’s the 2000s is a weekly podcast revisiting the movies, culture, and filmmaking that defined the decade.

Follow the show & guests:

Podcast Like It's... - https://www.instagram.com/podcastlikeits

Phil Iscove - https://www.instagram.com/pmiscove

Emily St. James - https://www.instagram.com/emilystjams

David Iserson - https://www.instagram.com/davidiserson

Dana Schwartz - https://www.instagram.com/danaschwartzzz

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Phil and Emily are joined by Colby Day to discuss Human Nature (2001), Michel Gondry's feature directorial debut and Charlie Kaufman's second produced screenplay. The trio dives into this offbeat comedy about a woman with hypertrichosis, a scientist obsessed with teaching table manners to mice, and a feral man raised in the wild. They explore how Kaufman and Gondry use this absurd love triangle to interrogate what it means to be "civilized." They also discuss the film's place in the early-2000s Kaufman canon, how it compares to Gondry and Kaufman's later collaboration Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and why this strange, underseen comedy deserves a second look. Plus Tim Robbins as a 35-year-old virgin, Patricia Arquette's full-body hair, and Rhys Ifans eating with his hands at a fancy dinner.

Follow the show & guests:

Podcast Like It's... - https://www.instagram.com/podcastlikeits

Phil Iscove - https://www.instagram.com/pmiscove

Emily St. James - https://www.instagram.com/emilystjams

Colby Day - https://www.instagram.com/thecolbyday

💜 Patreon (bonus episodes & video): http://patreon.com/Podcastlikeits

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phil and Emily are joined by Adam B. Vary to discuss For Your Consideration (2006), Christopher Guest’s razor-sharp satire of Hollywood awards campaigns and the strange machinery behind Oscar buzz. As actors, publicists, and studios chase nominations, the film hilariously exposes how quickly hype can spiral into ego, anxiety, and manufactured prestige.

This episode also wraps up our brief three-film Christopher Guest 2000s miniseries, looking at how Guest’s mockumentary style evolved from Best in Show and A Mighty Wind into one of the most biting Hollywood satires of the decade.

Follow the hosts and guest

Phil Iscove - Instagram: @pmiscove

Emily St. James - Instagram: @emilystjams

Adam B. Vary - Instagram: @adambvary

Podcast Like It’s… Instagram: @podcastlikeits

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.