Jul 21 2022

Googie: The Architecture of the Space Age

56 min 6 movies discussed
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You may not have heard of it, but you’ve definitely seen it before – 50s buildings with bright, loud colors, roofs at crazy angles, and space-age shapes like starbursts. It turns out that Googie architecture is as fun to look at as it is to say.

AI Summary

# Googie Architecture: The Futuristic Design That Defined the 1950s

Ever wondered why vintage diners and bowling alleys from the 1950s look so wild and space-age? Josh and Chuck explore Googie architecture, the optimistic, neon-soaked design movement that popped up across Southern California and beyond—from iconic coffee shops to gas stations that look like flying carpets. Named after a specific Los Angeles cafe, Googie was all about eye-catching curves, gravity-defying roofs, and bold colors meant to grab drivers' attention on the highway, becoming the commercial architecture that made the future look absolutely thrilling.


Movies Discussed

Into the Wild
Into the Wild
2007 2h 28m
★ 7.8
"You really need to read into the woods — Josh recommends the film about the Appalachian Trail as a reference for someone planning to hike it." — Josh
Pulp Fiction
Pulp Fiction
1994 2h 34m
★ 8.5
"these were coffee shop like the pulp fiction. They were like diners basically — Chuck references Pulp Fiction's famous diner scene when describing what coffee shops were like in googie architecture." — Chuck
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
1987
★ 8.4
"the I piece that LeVar Burton wore in Star Trek the next generation was turned into a house — Josh uses Star Trek: TNG to humorously describe the appearance of the Chemosphere House." — Josh
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski
1998 1h 57m
★ 7.8
"was made very famous in the big Lebowski, which is the sheets Goldstein house — Josh mentions that a John Lautner-designed house was featured in The Big Lebowski as Jackie Treehorn's house." — Josh
The Jetsons
The Jetsons
1962
★ 7.3
"when I started watching the Jetsons and being in Georgia — Josh mentions watching The Jetsons as a childhood influence that sparked his love of googie architecture." — Josh
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland
2015 PG 2h 10m
★ 6.3
"when I first went to Tomorrowland at Disney World — Josh references his first visit to Tomorrowland at Disney World as inspiring his appreciation for googie architecture." — Josh

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