Munsons at the Movies

Ep. 133 - Amy Ryan (feat. Krystal Clark)

The Munsons are joined by guest Munson Krystal Clark to shine a light on one of the most quietly impressive performers working today: Amy Ryan. From a stage career boasting three Tony nominations to a film and television résumé filled with range, Ryan has built a career that somehow flies under the radar while consistently delivering memorable performances.

We dig into her standout role in The Wire, which finally settles a long-running agreement between Aubrey and James—and yes, it means Aubrey will inevitably have to watch The Sopranos. From there, we explore how Ryan has become synonymous with memorable characters across some of the greatest television shows ever made, while also noticing a surprising trend: she’s appeared in a lot of projects centered around the trauma of children. Coincidence? The Munsons investigate.

We absolutely gush over her Oscar-nominated performance in Gone Baby Gone and question how she didn’t take home the Academy Award. Her heartfelt turn as Holly on The Office gets its flowers for making audiences forgive the impossible—Michael Scott leaving the show—while we also highlight her sneaky comedic chops in films like Central Intelligence. Along the way, we try to unpack the “why” behind her eclectic role choices and wonder how someone this consistently great isn’t more widely known by general audiences.

How does she rank on the Munson Meter? Listen to find out.

The Krystal Clark Collection

We are thrilled to welcome back the incomparable Krystal Clark, Past Chair of Nashville’s legendary Belcourt Theater. Krystal has become our go-to expert for the "Versatile Powerhouse" trend—specializing in actors who bring gravitas and prestige to every frame. Amy Ryan perfectly follows the lineage of Krystal’s past deep dives:

• Ep. 118: Rosario Dawson | Ep. 102: Renée Zellweger

• Ep. 83: Christine Baranski | Ep. 62: Halle Berry

Episode Chapter Outline

• 00:00:00 ~ Welcome & Guest Spotlight: Krystal Clark (A Belcourt Theater perspective on Amy Ryan’s ‘Everywoman’ mastery)

• 00:06:00 ~ Celebrity Birthdays (Keira Knightley, Leslie Mann, and the legendary James Caan)

• 00:10:46 ~ Overview of Actor Choice: Amy Ryan (From the Broadway stage to the HBO elite)

• 00:11:16 ~ Actor Trivia: Two Truths and a Lie...Fast & Furious Style (Where the ”family” facts are faster and the lies are more furious)

• 00:17:09 ~ Box Office History (Analyzing the commercial reach of a character powerhouse)

• 00:23:45 ~ Port Cop Heart: The Beadie and McNulty Dynamic (Why this role defined her early career)

• 00:28:29 ~ First Major Role: Breakout in ’Keane’ (2004) (The performance that caught Hollywood’s eye)

• 00:38:31 ~ Gone Baby Gone: The Oscar-Nominated Breakout (The Academy Award debate and the child trauma trend)

• 00:47:45 ~ The Perfect Match: Why Holly and Michael Scott Just Work (Comedy gold and chemistry)

• 00:52:31 ~ Lowest Critic Score: Discussing ’Bob Funk’ (2009)

• 00:56:03 ~ Largest Critic Gap: The Mystery of ’The Missing Person’ (2009)

• 01:00:13 ~ Highest Critic Score: The Brilliance of ’Win Win’ (2011) (Jackie Flaherty as a career standout)

• 01:06:07 ~ 2012–2019: ’Birdman’ and ’Bridge of Spies’ (Working with Spielberg and the SAG win)

• 01:12:30 ~ Sneaky Comedy: ’Central Intelligence’ (The surprising comedic timing of Agent Pamela Harris)

• 01:22:02 ~ Largest Audience Gap: Analyzing ’Strange but True’ (2019)

• 01:27:03 ~ 2020–Present: ’Only Murders in the Building’ (Jan Bellows and the Season 1 twist)

• 01:32:22 ~ Amy Ryan: Top Performances

• 01:35:31 ~ The Munson Meter

• 01:44:23 ~ Coming Soon

• 01:49:25 ~ Munsons Out!

The Wheel Decides: April 16th with Josh Outing

We are thrilled to welcome back Josh Outing! After his captivating contribution to our André Holland deep dive (Ep. 119), Josh returns to see where the Wheel lands for a diverse new shortlist of prestige and power:

• Chiwetel Ejiofor: A powerhouse of prestige range.

• Diane Ladd: Acting royalty and three-time Oscar nominee.

• Neal McDonough: The king of high-intensity "villain" energy.

• Erick Avari & Graham Beckel: Masters of the "that guy" world.

#MunsonsAtTheMovies #AmyRyan #TheOffice #TheWire #GoneBabyGone #MoviePodcast #HollyFlax #OnlyMurdersInTheBuilding #MunsonMeter #TheWheelDecides #KrystalClark #BelcourtTheater #JoshOuting #CharacterActor #FilmAnalysis #PodcastLife

Ep. 132 - Woody Harrelson (feat. Dames Marves of Loch 22 Productions)

The Munsons are joined by Dames Marvs of Loch 22 Productions and The Dames Marvs Show to celebrate a legend, a namesake, and—most importantly—Aubrey’s anniversary. That’s right, we finally cover the man who played Roy E. Munson, the spiritual godfather of Munsons at the Movies: Woody Harrelson.

We dive headfirst into his absolutely wild family history, including a father who was a contract killer and rumored to have ties to the JFK assassination (casual dinner table conversation, we’re sure). From there, we celebrate Woody’s breakout run on Cheers—over 200 episodes and five Emmy nominations—before marveling at one of the shortest marriages we’ve ever encountered: his blink-and-you-miss-it union with Neil Simon’s daughter. The man moves fast.

We can’t stop gushing about White Men Can’t Jump and Woody’s effortless charm in it, and we’re genuinely impressed by how quietly he’s stacked up three Oscar nominations while building an acting résumé that shows surprising range. Whether he’s living his best life in Maui and Texas with his family, running his marijuana business, or simply staying unapologetically himself (“The man has never pretended to be something he’s not outside of work.” – James), Woody feels like one of the most authentic stars we’ve covered. We even take a moment to imagine what it would look like if he randomly showed up in a Lord of the Rings movie—because why not?

After tallying the Munson Meter, we come to a surprising realization: Woody Harrelson might actually be underrated. Before this episode, we’re not sure we would’ve even called him an A-lister. Now? We’re not so sure we wouldn’t.

Ep. 131 - Charles Durning (feat. Jim from the FilmRage podcast)

The Munsons are joined by Jim from the FilmRage podcast for a deep dive into one of the most fascinating humans we’ve ever covered: Charles Durning. We kick things off by half-seriously contemplating a future Munsons episode sponsored by the Feral comic series before quickly realizing Durning’s real life was already more unbelievable than fiction. This is a man who literally stormed the beaches of Normandy in World War II and killed Nazis—an absolute legend—then somehow went on to become a professional ballroom dancer with a bullet still lodged in his hip.

We make the case that Hollywood should immediately greenlight a biopic of his life, especially when you consider his theatrical dominance: over 200 plays, a Tony Award, and induction into the Theater Hall of Fame, placing him among an elite group of just four Munsons to earn that honor. Even more incredible, he didn’t land his first major film role until age 50, thanks to a standout theater performance. From there, we explore his long-standing working relationship with Burt Reynolds, marvel at how effortlessly genuine every performance felt, and celebrate his astonishing range across decades of characters.

By the end, it’s clear we weren’t just talking about a great actor—we were talking about a true character-actor titan, whose career and life story feel almost impossible by today’s standards. How does he rank on the Munson Meter? Listen to find out.

Ep. 130 - Irrfan Khan (feat. Mike Rodmaker)

The Munsons take on one of the most beloved and quietly powerful actors we’ve ever covered: Irrfan Khan. The episode kicks off with Case’s failed attempt to learn Python code just to process Khan’s box office numbers—a fitting start for a career that refuses to fit neatly into spreadsheets. We ask the big question early: is Irrfan the most well-known and successful Bollywood-to-Hollywood crossover actor of all time? And yes, we may have single-handedly juiced his IMDb star rating in preparation.

We trace his relentless grind, from releasing nearly 500 episodes of television in 1994 alone—making him arguably the busiest man in entertainment—to a career built the hard way, without shortcuts. We struggle to name another actor we’ve covered who can convey emotion quite like Irrfan. One of his films even manages to make both Kyle and Rodmaker cry (and yes, we name names). We spend time gushing over The Lunchbox (2013), a performance we genuinely adore, while also uncovering the shocking revelation that Aubrey has never had Indian food. Ever. What?!

The Munsons also dream up a hypothetical spin-off centered on his character from Inferno (2016), lament his passing in 2018, and sit with the sadness of becoming fans just as his extraordinary career was cut short. His absence leaves a real void—and this episode becomes as much a tribute as an evaluation.

Do we praise him harder than Tom Hanks did while filming Inferno? Listen to find out.

Ep. 129 - Greta Gerwig (feat. Matti Groll and Warren Hicks)

The Munsons welcome back OG Munson Warren Hicks alongside 7-time guest Munson Matti Groll—better known online as FlygonHG—for a deep dive into the fascinating, sometimes confounding career of Greta Gerwig. For most of the crew, this episode doubles as a crash course in the Mumblecore movement and Gerwig’s central role in defining it, setting the stage for a career that would eventually take a sharp and surprising turn.

We can’t help but fixate on what the year 2011 did to her acting trajectory with No Strings Attached and Arthur, and after revisiting a large chunk of her filmography, we collectively question whether there’s enough range—either in project choice or performance—for her to truly stand out as an actor. That debate leads us into tracing how those acting decisions likely shaped her later work behind the camera, and how her writing abilities allow certain characters to feel vividly alive even when the performances themselves are understated.

We explore her unmistakable inspiration from Woody Allen and express genuine surprise she hasn’t collaborated more with Wes Anderson. Along the way, we once again find ourselves consulting one of our favorite websites, DoesTheDogDie.com, for two Gerwig films, and we speculate wildly about what her upcoming take on Narnia might look like.

By the end, we’re left wrestling with how to score a career split between acting and directing—and whether those skillsets should even be judged the same way. How does she rank on the Munson Meter? Listen to find out.

Ep. 128 - Jay Hernandez (feat. Mike Van De Voort)

The Munsons gather to sarcastically temper our excitement as we dive into the career of the impossibly handsome Jay Hernandez—a task made nearly impossible as we spend most of the episode reconciling with just how damn good-looking he is and why Hollywood repeatedly cast him as “the hot guy.” Given his history in sports films, we’re genuinely shocked he’s never shown up in a basketball movie, though we admit it’s tough for anyone to stand out in a sports ensemble.

We dig into his remarkably average box office snapshot and wonder whether his Munson Meter score will land just as squarely in the middle. His filmography spans a surprisingly wide range of projects, but does he have the acting range to match? We debate his ability to play menacing (we’re not convinced) and note his clear love for playing Marines. We revisit our first watches of Hostel to see if it holds up two decades later, and after covering Quarantine, we dive into the larger philosophy of found-footage films and how the format can be done well.

We also question his decision to join Suicide Squad, why his character turned out so flat, and the logic behind teaming up with David Ayer again afterward. Finally, we look ahead at what’s next for Hernandez post-Magnum P.I.—will he get locked into steady TV roles, or is a future full of producing credits waiting for him?

How does he rank on the Munson Meter? Listen to find out.

Ep. 127 - Oliver Platt (feat. Cori Wallace)

The Munsons are joined by guest Munson, Cori Wallace, to dive into the wonderfully eclectic and quietly impressive career of Oliver Platt. We kick things off by unpacking his incredibly well-connected family—ambassadors, founders of elite boarding schools, and his time at Choate Hall—which naturally becomes an ongoing insult throughout the podcast. From there, we explore how Platt’s childhood spent traveling the world with his diplomat father, along with a Morgan Freeman monologue, helped him fall in love with acting and build community wherever he landed.

We marvel at the glorious mane he debuted in Working Girl (a look that followed him for decades) and Case takes a victory lap celebrating the man’s iconic accessories—suspenders, bow ties, wraparound glasses, you name it. The Munsons revisit some of his most memorable films: our disbelief that Indecent Proposal hasn’t been remade, James’ shock at the wild way Simon Birch dispatches Joe’s mom, and Aubrey/Kyle’s ongoing disappointment in Lake Placid even 20 years later. Cori brings in her expertise from the TikTok world, and we all admire Platt’s late-career television renaissance with Chicago Med/PD and The Bear.

By the end, we can’t help but wonder: did his off-the-grid lifestyle and steady working-actor mentality keep him from becoming a truly great actor—or is that exactly what makes him beloved? How does he rank on the Munson Meter? Listen to find out.

Ep. 126 - Brad Dourif (feat. Stephanie Malone)

It’s our annual horror spectacular, and this year the Munsons are joined by Stephanie Malone of the Morbidly Beautiful podcast to celebrate the chilling brilliance of Brad Dourif. From his legendary voice work as Chucky to a career packed with unforgettable roles across mainstream Hollywood and various horror franchises, Dourif has carved a place in cinematic nightmare history. We debate our favorite (and least favorite) Child’s Play entries, dive into his uncanny ability to channel raw emotion into villains like his roles in Mississippi Burning and Chucky, and explore how even his “non-horror” films often circle back to real-life terror.

Along the way, we unpack his fascinating backstory—his learning disability that ironically led to a stint as a college instructor, his early inspiration from his actress mother, and his royal treatment of his cats, Snapdragon and Honey Mustard. Stephanie helps us dissect Rob Zombie’s polarizing take on the Halloween franchise, while the Munsons celebrate a career that’s equal parts brilliant, bizarre, and blood-soaked.

We close with a nod to Dourif’s well-earned retirement: a horror legend content to hang with his cats, enjoy life as Chucky, and share the screen with his daughter. How does he rank on the Munson Meter? Listen to find out.

Ep. 125 - Nia Long (feat. Edward Chaja)

The Munsons welcome special guest Ed Chaja as we shine the spotlight on the eternally cool and effortlessly iconic Nia Long. From her early breakout roles in Boyz N the Hood and Friday to her unbelievable influence on pop culture—especially in music—Nia’s presence is undeniable. We marvel at her shockingly consistent audience scores, laugh at the clueless casting directors who once called her “too sophisticated” for certain roles, and celebrate how she’s always made sophistication look exactly right.

Her soulful turn in Love Jones reminds us she could have dominated the romantic drama genre as the rare unicorn who captivates both male and female audiences alike. We track her first crossover into mainstream Hollywood with Stigmata, recognize her as the first actor we’ve covered with a legitimate connection to the Willennium, and applaud her recent SKIMS campaign for nearly breaking the internet at age 54. And of course, we take a moment to call out just how much of an idiot Ime Udoka was for ever letting her go.

It’s a celebration of elegance, longevity, and straight-up star power—Nia Long deserves her flowers. How does she rank on the Munson Meter? Listen to find out.

Ep. 124 - Robert Forster (feat. Dan Craig)

The Munsons shift gears from one of Hollywood’s biggest stars to one of its most grounded character actors—Robert Forster. After Kyle recounts a run-in with Thomas McKenzie (and maybe the Bird Lady, Brenda Fricker?), we dive into Forster’s remarkable and often overlooked career. The box office spreadsheet shows a stark contrast from Harrison Ford—going from first to nearly last—but Forster’s story is anything but small. Entering Hollywood completely naive, he built a career on perseverance, a little luck (as he himself admitted), and an unshakable authenticity.

We unpack the tragic and surreal story of his mother’s self-immolation, his complete comfort with full frontal nudity on screen (respect), and his uncanny ability to ground films—whether they were good, bad, or somewhere in between. Was he one of the few actors who could have brought Max Cherry to life in Jackie Brown? The Munsons think so. Along the way, we discuss his repeated turns as law enforcement officials, debate whether “perfectly cromulent” defines his acting style, and reflect on his late-career roles before his passing from a brain tumor in 2019.

This episode celebrates a man who may not have been a box office titan, but was the quiet engine behind some truly great films.  Where does Robert Forster rank on the Munson Meter?  Listen and find out.