"The Dude abides..." What does that mean? And how do we - throughout life's hurdles (even when our rugs are micturated upon) - continue to abide? The Big Lebowski presents a philosophy of relaxed indifference and a focus on life's little pleasures that we may do well to embrace. In this conversation with Matthew Rand, we uncover the Dude's outlook and what we can glean from it as we trudge through our troubled world.

In this episode of Why This Movie?, listen to my conversation with my ex-wife about Goodfellas, Martin Scorsese's epic from 1990 about the reality of life in the mob.

What is it about the horror genre that lends itself to deeper meaning and morality tales? Join filmmaker Stefan MacDonald-LaBelle and me for this conversation on the 1981 horror classic Scanners and how film is sometimes the best messenger for complex social issues.

Is there a hidden philosophy to Steve Martin's first movie? Or is it simply foolishness? See where Joe Reeves and I land in this conversation about his favorite film, 1979's The Jerk.

"His whole life was a million to one shot..." In this episode of WTM?, I'm speaking with my old pal and standup comedian Luke Thayer about his favorite movie - Rocky. We tackle talent, luck, and what it means to go the distance.

FIlmmaker and actor Nicole Matarese joins Why This Movie? to talk about her favorite movie, Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me - a comedy from 1992 that you've probably never heard of. Listen to our conversation about Adrienne Shelly, underrated sequels, and why this movie reaches "a new high in low comedy."

After a brief hiatus, Why This Movie? is back! We welcome our first return guest, Candice Fanning, here to talk about 1959's Some Like It Hot. In this conversation, we cover VHS, Tony Curtis's Mid-Atlantic (or is it British?) accent, and how Marilyn Monroe remains one of the great misunderstood figures in popular culture.

In 1985, Universal released a time travel comedy called Back to the Future. Produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Robert Zemeckis, this film sees Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) accidentally wind up in his hometown thirty years in the past.

Before helping his friend Dr. Emmett Brown with an experiment that sends him back in time, Marty lives a life that isn’t exactly inspired. Besides the bright spot of his girlfriend, his dad’s a loser, his mom has let herself go, and he has no reason to believe in himself.

Once Marty lands in 1955 and gets in the way of fate by inadvertently interrupting the first time his parents meet, he has to make sure they meet and fall in love before he heads back to the future. Or else he will cease to exist and there will be no future.