Least Important Things
A podcast about movies, friendship, and finding meaning in the most important of the least important things in our lives.
Episodes
97 episodes
A Case for Ocean's Twelve
What happens when you give an auteur director and the biggest movie stars in the world an all-expenses-paid trip to Europe to create a bombastic sequel? The often misunderstood Ocean’s Twelve. In this essay epis...
Ocean's Eleven
“Do you think we need one more? Do you think we need one more… Okay, we’ll get one more.” We’re assembling the crew and heading to America’s playground to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Steven Soderbergh’s effortlessly cool heist...
The Comfort of Movie Soundtracks
In this essay episode, Luke Ferris explores the evocative power of film scores and why we find such deep resonance in the music that follows us long after the credits roll. Luke will examine how soundtracks allow us to rewatch movies in our min...
Spring Break at the Movies
For those of us in northern climates, spring break is a strange American pastime—a desperate search for vitamin D to escape the "sprinter" (spring-winter) slush. But for the "holdovers" who stay behind, the empty streets and gray skies offer a ...
Sorting Records
After five moves in five years, Luke Ferris is finally unpacking the last of his boxes—the ones that contain his most precious cargo: his record collection. In this essay episode, we explore the strange power of things that finally make us feel...
Waiting for Guffman
Pack your bags and grab your "Remains of the Day" lunchbox. This week on Least Important Things, we are traveling to the "Stool Capital of the World"—Blaine, Missouri—to rewatch the 1997 mockumentary masterpiece, Waiting for Guffman.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (25th Anniversary Rewatch)
We are journeying back to Middle-earth to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film that changed cinema forever: Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. In this special rewatch, Luke Ferris is joined by his two older...
A St. Patrick's Day Tale
In a special St. Patrick’s Day episode, Luke Ferris reads “A Legend of Knockmany” from the Irish Fairy Book. So curl up in a wool blanket, grab a cup of tea or a pint, and settle in for a folk tale that goes deep into the l...
The Oscars Are My Super Bowl
The Academy Awards is a dramatic cocktail of pop culture obsession and a rare "monoculture" experience. In this episode, Luke Ferris explores why we still tune in 70 years later, even as the "magic" of movie-star mystery has been replaced by so...
Does It Hold Up?
It's time to crank up the pop culture oven in the kitchen of nostalgia because this week, Luke Ferris is joined by Zach Hall to deconstruct the "Secret Recipe" for media that stands the test of time—and the ingredients that cause others to sour...
All the President's Men Is Still Teaching Me
Fifty years after its release, All the President’s Men still feels as relevant as ever. In this essay episode, Luke Ferris explores how a 1970s procedural about two reporters in a newsroom managed to capture the soul of a 13-year-old i...
A Knight's Tale
"The seeker of serenity, the protector of Italian virginity, the enforcer of our Lord God—the one, the only, Sir Ulrich von Lichtenstein!"In this episode, Luke Ferris celebrates the 25th anniversary of the 2001 rock-and-roll medieval ma...
High School Musical
We're all in this together. In this episode, we’re going back 20 years to 2006 to rewatch a movie that defined a generation of Disney Channel kids: High School Musical. Joining host Luke Ferris are two Wildcats who were there a...
Groundhog Day Mental Health Lessons
Well, it's Groundhog Day...again. In this episode, Luke Ferris explores the 1993 dark-comedy classic Groundhog Day and the mental health lessons it offers about isolation, burnout, and the search for meaning in the mundane....
George Smiley - The Hero for Middle Aged Men
When we think of the quintessential British hero, our minds often jump to the high-octane world of James Bond or the eccentric brilliance of Sherlock Holmes. But as we grow older, the "throne of cool" begins to look a little different.In...
The Magical Thinking of Snow Days
For anyone who grew up in a northern climate, the phrase “snow day” carries a weight of pure, unadulterated magic. In this episode, host Luke Ferris explores the transition from the childhood wonder of "cosmic intervention" to the grounded real...
Grosse Pointe Blank
"Ten years. Ten years!" It's time to go back to high school for a special Grosse Pointe, Michigan, reunion episode centered on the 1997 action-comedy cult classic, Grosse Pointe Blank. Grosse Pointers Mike Wynne and Peter T...
What the Car Radio Taught Me About Change
After five years of walkable bliss, Luke Ferris has finally relented to the great American tradition: the daily commute. But in the transition from city sidewalks to suburban boulevards, he rediscovered a forgotten magic on the FM dial.I...
Holiday Special
Are you having a holly, jolly Christmas? Well, you’re about to…Welcome to the first-ever LIT Holiday Special! Luke Ferris and Mike Wynne answer listener questions about Christmas movies, holiday traditions, and more. ---<...
What The Lord of the Rings Taught Me About Life and Death
Uncover how the lore of J.R.R. Tolkien's comprehensive work—from The Lord of the Rings to The Silmarillion—speaks to a deeper understanding of life and death compared to the teachings of religion, philosophy, and science. ...
The Sentimental Value of Movie Theaters
On a cold, snowy Sunday night, Luke Ferris drove to the movie theater to see the new film from acclaimed Norwegian director Joachim Trier called Sentimental Value. Here's what he learned...---Catch new epi...
I Got an Antenna for My TV and Learned Something New About Humanity
Learn how a TV antenna and an old Super Friends episode led to clarity about the human relationship to technology. ---Catch new episodes of Least Important Things every Tuesday wherever you get
Why We Love Stranger Things
String up your Christmas lights and charge your walkie-talkies, today we’re discussing why we love Stranger Things.Joining Luke Ferris in the first-ever outdoor recorded episode is Audrey Ferris to discuss the sensational and no...
