This week on Podcast Like It’s The 2000s, hosts @pmiscove and @emilystjams kick off a brand new Halloween miniseries, Somebody Scare Phil, with guest Louis Peitzman (Chasing Amy Adams). Together, they dive into the bloody brilliance and DIY spirit of James Wan and Leigh Whannell’s 2004 indie phenomenon Saw a film that reshaped horror on a shoestring budget and gave rise to a genre-defining franchise.

The trio break down Saw’s grimy aesthetics, moral puzzles, and the line between psychological thriller and full-blown torture horror. Plus, Phil reveals how the franchise both terrifies and fascinates him (and why Emily might just make him watch all nine sequels).

Recorded as part of the Somebody Scare Phil miniseries where Emily forces Phil to face his horror movie blind spots this episode’s a twisted treat for cinephiles who love a good scream and a good think.

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Phil and Emily kick off a brand-new miniseries exploring the films and television of legendary director Mike Nichols in the 2000s. First up: the notorious 2000 sci-fi romantic comedy “What Planet Are You From?”, starring Gary Shandling, Annette Bening, and John Goodman.

Joined by critic and returning guest Emma Stefansky, the trio dive deep into this infamous box-office bomb unpacking its chaotic tone, lack of internal logic, and bizarre premise about an alien sent to Earth to impregnate a woman. They discuss how the film reflects a turning point for Nichols, why it derailed Gary Shandling’s movie career, and what it reveals about Hollywood’s early-2000s obsession with “blank check” comedies.

From alien sex jokes to comedy-career implosions, this episode is a hilarious, insightful breakdown of one of the strangest films of the decade and the perfect start to our Mike Nichols retrospective.

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