On this very special episode, we share some of the most important individual paragraphs of writing in our lives - paragraphs that have planted acorns in our brains that have grown over time into mighty oaks. We revisit Thomas Mann, Christopher Hitchens, Jean-Luc Godard, and other luminaries. PLUS: Checking in on Bari Weiss at CBS.

Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

Our classic Leonard Cohen episode - https://www.patreon.com/posts/186-new-skin-for-44083560

Past Essential Paragraphs discussions:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-essential-28574337

https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-essential-36315183

The tweet that Luke cites in the opening discussion - https://x.com/mattpolprof/status/1976069728541245770

#662 - Essential Paragraphs

A year before American Beauty offered its Oscar-ready glimpse beneath the placid surface of suburbia, Todd Solondz offered a truly unsparing depiction of same with HAPPINESS (1998). We discuss this legendary succès de scandale, and how it makes laughter indistinguishable from horror.

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/144566731

PREVIEW - #672 - Happiness Where Are You

We discuss the work of India's legendary filmmaker/actor Raj Kapoor. 

Join the Patreon now for an exclusive episode every week, access to our entire Patreon Episode back catalogue, your name read out on the next episode, and the friendly Discord chat: patreon.com/theimportantcinemaclub

Send us stuff like zines, movie-related books, physical media or memorabilia c/o Justin Decloux, Unit 1010, 3230 Yonge St, Toronto, ON, M4N 3P6, Canada.

Subscribe, Review and Rate Us on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-…ub/id1067435576
Follow the Podcast: twitter.com/ImprtCinemaClub
Follow Will: twitter.com/WillSloanESQ
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Check out Justin's other podcasts, THE BAY STREET VIDEO PODCAST (@thebaystreetvideopodcast), THE VERY FINE COMIC BOOK PODCAST (www.theveryfinecomicbookpodcast.com) and NO SUCH THING AS A BAD MOVIE (@nosuchthingasabadmovie), as Will's MICHAEL AND US (@michael-and-us).

#449 - Raj Kapoor: The Tears of a Clown

Katie talks to former Green party vice-presidential nominee Butch Ware about his run for Governor of California, his thoughts on Gavin Newsom and Katie Porter and his critique of Zohran Mamdani for protecting Hakeem Jeffries, Zionism and "playing footsie" with fascists. 

But first we talk to Bad Hasbara co-hosts Matt Lieb and Daniel Maté about former Obama speech-writer Sarah Hurwitz who has unwittingly exposed the Zionist weaponization of the Holocaust and antisemitism in a way no anti-zionist ever could. And we talk to Esteban Girón, Political Director of Tenants PAC and a longtime organizer with the Crown Heights Tenant Union about Zohran's housing about the good, the bad and the ugly in Zohran's transition team.  

For the full discussion, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-full-144422559

Butch Ware is a lifelong activist and educator specializing in the history of empire, colonialism, genocide and revolution. He is associate professor of History at UC Santa-Barbara. He was the 2024 vice-presidential nominee for the Green Party. He is running for Governor of California.

Matt Lieb is a comedian, podcaster, accidental award winning journalist, and guy from Good Mythical Morning. He hosts the podcast Bad Hasbara. 

Daniel Maté is the co-host of Bad Hasbara, a musical theater lyricist, the world's only mental chiropractor, and the co-author of "The Myth Of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture"  by Gabor Maté. He also co-wrote with Katie the Parody song "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now: The Genocidal Remix" a duet by Biden and Bibi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEG76hlnhNw.

**Please support The Katie Halper Show **
For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon -   / thekatiehalpershow  

Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all
Follow Katie on Twitter: https://x.com/kthalps
Follow Katie on Instagram:   https://www.instagram.com/kthalps
Follow Katie on TikTok:   https://www.tiktok.com/@kthalps_

Zohran Mamdani: Socialist or Sell-Out? With Butch Ware, Matt Lieb and Daniel Mate

In A HOLOGRAM FOR THE KING (2016), Tom Hanks is a depressed American businessman trying to find himself in Saudi Arabia. It's the lamest fish-out-of-water self-actualization comedy/drama we've ever tackled! PLUS: We discuss Doug Ford's war on renters in Ontario, and - of course - address the news of Rush Hour 4.

Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus

#673 - Virtual Encountering on a Global Scale

Author and journalist Seth Harp returns for an interview about the National Guard shooting in D.C. We analyze the accused shooter, his time in covert “Zero Units,” and we also speculate about the ramifications of Pete Hegseth’s double-tap order in the Caribbean. To close things out, Will and Felix talk about Bari Weiss’s plan to return America to the reasonable center and react to the viral Oklahoma University essay on why God made man and woman different.

Buy Seth’s book here (and give it 5 stars on Amazon!): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/730414/the-fort-bragg-cartel-by-seth-harp/ 
And follow him on X at @sethharpesq


991 - Occupation: Public Figure feat. Seth Harp (12/1/25)

In this public News Brief, we interview journalist Daniel Trilling and discuss his investigation into the BBC's systemic anti-Palestinian bias. 

News Brief: BBC's Gaza Double Standard and Western Liberalism's Crisis of Legitimacy

Is it Die Hard in a casino? Or something much more? It's Reindeer Games (2000)!

Support us on Patreon! www.patreon.com/nosuchthingasabadmovie
Email us at nosuchthingasabadmovie@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram! @nosuchthingpod
Tweet at us!
@NoSuchThingPod
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Or Bluesky!
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Episode #194 - Reindeer Games

As a coda to our exhaustive study of his show The Dinosaur Hour, we thought it was only fair to discuss John Cleese from when he was at his peak. We consider what it means that FAWLTY TOWERS is Britain's most beloved sitcom, and the incisive commentary about British/American relations in "Waldorf Salad." PLUS: Speaking of British legends, for some reason we get really into discussing Simon Cowell.

PATREON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE - https://www.patreon.com/posts/145077527

PREVIEW - #674 - Waldorf Salad

Katie talks to British-Pakistani geo-strategic analyst Moeed Pirzada about new Epstein emails which reveal the the sex criminal's hatred of Imran Khan and what that reveals about Pakistan today. But first Katie talks to Andre Easton who is running to represent New York’s 15th Congressional District, which is in the Bronx and has been represented by the extremely pro Israel Democrat Ritchie Torres since 2021. And then Katie talks to Roua Daas, an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement and lead on the Mask off Maersk campaign and People’s Embargo for Palestine.

For the full discussion, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-full-dr-144947666

Support the show by following Katie on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@kthalps_

Moeed Pirzada is a British-Pakistani geo-strategic analyst, television anchor, columnist, and commentator who has been living in exile in Washington, D.C since the regime change in Pakistan 3 years ago. He has written extensively for  out lets including The Guardian and Al Jazeera, and interviewed Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Imran Khan, as well as former U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Andre Easton is running to represent New York’s 15th Congressional District, which is in the Bronx and has been represented by the extremely pro Israel Democrat Ritchie Torres since 2021. Andre was born to Jamaican immigrants in the Bronx, and has spent 12 years teaching English in South Bronx public schools. He is an active father who is raising three boys with his wife, Angelica, who is also a public school educator in the Bronx.  He is a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and has been a part of the movement against police brutality, organized for housing justice, and helped lead political education courses. 

Roua Daas is an organizer with the Palestinian Youth Movement and lead on the Mask off Maersk campaign and People’s Embargo for Palestine.

***Please support The Katie Halper Show ***
For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow

Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all

Follow Katie on Twitter: https://x.com/kthalps
Follow Katie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kthalps
Follow Katie on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@kthalps_

Epstein Emails, Pakistan and Taking on Israel w/ Dr. Moeed Pirzada, Andre Easton, & Roua Daas

We dicuss the Japanese comedy group THE CRAZY CATS - and talk about their films BIG EXPLOSION, MEXICAN FREE-FOR-ALl and MONSIEUR ZIVACO.

Join the Patreon now for an exclusive episode every week, access to our entire Patreon Episode back catalogue, your name read out on the next episode, and the friendly Discord chat: patreon.com/theimportantcinemaclub

Send us stuff like zines, movie-related books, physical media or memorabilia c/o Justin Decloux, Unit 1010, 3230 Yonge St, Toronto, ON, M4N 3P6, Canada.

Subscribe, Review and Rate Us on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-…ub/id1067435576
Follow the Podcast: twitter.com/ImprtCinemaClub
Follow Will: twitter.com/WillSloanESQ
Follow Justin: twitter.com/DeclouxJ

Check out Justin's other podcasts, THE BAY STREET VIDEO PODCAST (@thebaystreetvideopodcast), THE VERY FINE COMIC BOOK PODCAST (www.theveryfinecomicbookpodcast.com) and NO SUCH THING AS A BAD MOVIE (@nosuchthingasabadmovie), as Will's MICHAEL AND US (@michael-and-us).

#450 - Japan's Crazy Cats!

A podcast about culture, politics, and our crumbling world. Hosted by Luke Savage and Will Sloan.

Exclusive subscriber-only episodes: https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus/overview

#662 - Essential Paragraphs

Michael and Us

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