In The Wheelhouse

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we open a steaming bag of Popcorn, as we start with Mel Brooks’, Young Frankenstein (1974), while pivoting to a newer work, How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022). In Peanuts, we mourn the loss of Fernando Valenzuela. We react to both League Championship Series and the resulting matchup of the Dodgers and Yankees for the World Title. We ask the question, is spending the most the best way to win a title? The Reds hire Terry Francona and the White Sox are for sale. Next Show: Leo's Pick: Still Crazy (1998) Tom's Pick: Brooklyn (2015)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we open the bag of Popcorn with Leo's selection, Road to Perdition (2002) and we close out with Tom's pick, The Last Detail (1973). In Peanuts, we say good bye to Pete Rose and Luis Tiant. Detroit's Cinderella story comes to an end in Cleveland. Bob Uecker gets emotional in final Brewer game of the season. Next Show: Leo's Pick:  How to Blow Up a Pipeline (2022) Tom's Pick: Young Frankenstein (1975)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we begin with the Popcorn with two excellent selections, perhaps the two best this season, Atlantic City (1980), and Y Tu Mamá También (2001). In Peanuts, we salute the Detroit Tigers, their excellent fans and their first-rate broadcaster. The Chicago White Sox are now the worst team of the modern era and Shohei Otani has possibly the greatest day of any hitter ever. Next Show: Leo's Pick: The Road to Perdition (2002) Tom's Pick: The Last Detail (1973)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we open the Popcorn bag with Tom's pick, Ghost World (2001). Then we discuss Leo's selection Terry Gilliam's, Time Bandits (2001). We then pivot to the Peanuts. We mourn the passing of Ed Kranepool. Shohei Otani may add something to his resume that no one has ever done before. We then turn to Chicago baseball with an eye on how the Cubs can improve for next season and we talk about two things to watch for with the White Sox as they wind down their debacle of a season. Next Show: Leo's Pick: Y Tu Mama Tambien (2001) Tom's Pick: Atlantic City (1980)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we start with the Popcorn and Tom’s choice from 1998, Run Lola Run. Leo's pick is Woody Allen’s A Rainy Day in New York City. In Peanuts, we discuss the new Greg Maddux documentary on the MLB Network. The Cubs and Tigers dance at the fringes of respectability all the while holding our attention.   Next Show: Leo's Pick: Time Bandits (2019) Tom's Pick: Ghost World (2001)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we start with the big bag of Popcorn with Tom’s  selection, Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978). We then break down Leo's choice, Brian De Palma's Blow Out (1981). This week in Peanuts we discuss the pending 6 Inning rule which will change MLB Pitching. We look at the future of the Tigers which could spell the end of the Javy Baez Project. Jason Benetti comes back to Chicago and the Tigers and Yankees square of in the Little League Classic. Next Show: Leo's Pick: A Rainy Day in New York (2019) Tom's Pick: Run Lola Run (1998)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we start with the popcorn with Leo’s  selection, Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). Then we will break down Tom’s choice for this week, the Coen Brothers’ Miller’s Crossing (1990). In Peanuts, the Hall of Fame induction ceremony is this weekend. Congratulations to Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton, Joe Mauer and Jim Leyland. How do new Hall of Famers react when they meet with the older ones? Next Show: Leo's Pick: Blow Out (1981) Tom's Pick: Days of Heaven (1978)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we discuss our recent trips to Panama, Ireland and Spain during our summer break. We mourn the passing of the immortal Willie Mays and in Popcorn, we discuss The Outfit (1973) and Breaking Away (1979). Next Show: Leo's Pick: Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Tom's Pick: Miller's Crossing (1990)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we start with this week’s bag of popcorn and Tom’s choice, Missing (1982), with Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek. We then review Leo’s selection, Get Shorty (1995), with John Travolta, Rene Russo and Gene Hackman. In Peanuts, we say our farewells to umpire Angel Hernandez, the most hated umpire since Joe West. Negro League statistics have finally been integrated into the Major League database, and there are some new leaders in several categories. And Mets reliever, Jorge Lopez will lose his roster spot after he blows up on the mound and then later off of it. Next Show: Leo's Pick:  The Outfit (1973) Tom's Pick: Breaking Away (1979)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we begin with the Popcorn and Tom’s selection from 1973, The Last of Sheila. Leo’s selection comes to us from Romania, the crime thriller, The Whistlers (2019). In Peanuts, there are some very interesting rookies in MLB this season. Who has the inside track on winning ROY? The politics of a number change and the AL Central is no longer the worst division in baseball. Next Show: Leo's Pick:  Get Shorty (1995) Tom's Pick: Missing (1982)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we open the popcorn bag to break down the Pedro Almodovar sex comedy, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988). We then discuss a request from a listener, Swingers (1996) with John Favreau and Vince Vaughn. In Peanuts, we mourn the passing of Whitey Herzog. We analyze some recent MLB umpire miscues. Max Fried, of the Atlanta Braves, pitches a Maddux. The Chicago Cubs have a successful homestand despite a rash of injuries, while the Detroit Tigers fight for respectability in the American League. Next Show: Leo's Pick:  The Whistlers (2019) Tom's Pick: The Last of Sheila (1973)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we open the bag of popcorn with an underappreciated gem by Akira Kurosawa, Tom’s choice, High and Low (1963). Steve Soderbergh directed the star-studded project Leo suggested. Based on a novel by Elmore Leonard, Out of Sight (1998). In Peanuts, we react to the recent developments regarding Shohei Otani. One of them has nothing to do with gambling. The Cubs can hit, but their pitching is thin. The Tigers are the opposite, great pitching, they can’t hit. Next Show: Leo's Pick:  Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) Tom's Pick: Swingers (1996)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we open the Popcorn with Tom’s selection for today’s episode, the Wes Anderson film, Rushmore (1998). For Leo, we go back to 1974 for the Lords of Flatbush. In Peanuts, the 2024 season is underway. We’ll predict the teams who will qualify for the playoffs as well as the fortunes for the Cubs and Tigers. We’ll react to a guest column in the New York Times by Rafi Kohan. Shohei Otani is in the news, but for all the wrong reasons, and it looks like the Cubs and Dodgers will open the 2025 season in Japan. Next Show: Leo's Pick:  Out of Sight (1998) Tom's Pick: High and Low (1963)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, the 2024 Oscars have come and gone, we will examine Tommy’s uncanny ability to select the winners in nearly every category. We then review our respective selections. Leo's choice, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, and Tom’s, The Zone of Interest.  In Peanuts, as we near Opening Day, we make our predictions as to how the Cubs and Tigers will fare. Mazel Tov to Shohei Otani and his new bride and Yoshi Yamamoto and his black bag are changing the ways the Dodgers train their players. Next Show: Leo's Pick:  Short Cuts (1993) Tom's Pick: Rushmore (1998)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we start with an extra-long Popcorn. First up, two more reviews of the nominees for Best Picture of 2023: Anatomy of a Fall, and American Fiction. We will also reveal our favorites for the major Oscar categories---as well as predict the winners. In an abbreviated version of peanuts, we’ll talk about another Black Ace, former Twin and Guardian, Mudcat Grant. Cody Bellinger returns to the North Side, we pose the question: are the Cubs at least as good as they were last season? Finally, the Philadelphia Phillies have done away with their $1 hot-dog promotion. We are left to wonder why. Next Show: Leo's Pick:  The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023) Tom's Pick: The Zone of Interest (2023)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we start with the popcorn with our reviews of two more Best Picture nominees, Leo's pick, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, and Tom’s pick, Poor Things with Emma Stone. In Peanuts, we open the bag with great hope and anticipation as Spring Training has begun in Arizona and Florida. Players in both sites are having difficulties with the Nike’s special Spring Training uniforms. An arrest is made in the vandalization of a Jackie Robinson statue, and we will talk about “The Black Aces”, a handful of African-American pitchers who have each won 20 games in the Majors. Next Show: Leo's Pick:  American Fiction (2023) Tom's Pick: Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn, we kick off our 8th season with our Popcorn discussion on the 2023 nominees for Best Picture. We’ll start with Tom’s choice, The Holdovers, then move to Leo’s pick, Martin Scorsese’s Flowers of the Killer Moon. In Peanuts, we react to the 2024 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, the Dodgers signing of Shohei Otani and the Cubs firing of David Ross and subsequent hiring of Craig Counsell. Next Show: Leo's Pick:  Maestro (2023) Tom's Pick: Poor Things (2023)

And I’m Leo Fontana. This week on the final episode of the 2023 season, we open the bag of Popcorn by going back to 1975 for my movie, Rocky, before we break down Tommy’s final pick of the season, Zodiac. Then we will announce the winners our annual Poppy Awards for this year’s best P&P Movies. In Peanuts, the World Series has come and gone, the Texas Rangers won in 5 games over the Arizona Diamondbacks and despite some dramatic storylines, hardly anyone watched. We’ll talk about why. Leo’s 2023 Poppy Award winner: Argentina- 1985 Tom’s 2023 Poppy Award winner: Prince of the City

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn… we begin with Robert Altman’s, The Long Goodbye (1973) and end with Norman Jewison’s, Other People’s Money (1991). In Peanuts, we react to recent events in playoff baseball as the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks face off in the World Series. Dusty Baker announces his retirement after 28 years as a big-league manager. The playoff format has been a source of controversy, we’ll add our two cents to the discussion. Kim Ng and the Miami Marlins part company while the Cubs are rumored to be interested in acquiring Juan Soto. Next Show: Leo's Pick: Rocky (1976) Tom's Pick: Zodiac (2007)

This week on Peanuts and Popcorn…we open the bag of popcorn with Tommy’s selection from 2010, Tony Scott’s, Unstoppable. Next, we break down Leo’s choice for this week, John Huston’s, Prizzi’s Honor (1985). In Peanuts, the League Championship Series are set, and some unlikely teams have made their way to Baseball’s Final Four. We’ll answer the question, is the current playoff format fair to the higher-seeded teams? Attendance was up in 2023, did the new rule changes have anything to do with it? It’s been 20 years since the Bartman game, what have we learned. Next Show: Leo's Pick: Other People’s Money (1991) Tom's Pick: The Long Goodbye (1973)