In this classic show recorded live on January 5, 2017 at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre, Josh and Chuck delve into the history and the heyday of the church of consumerism and what it means for local communities and our capitalist society at large when malls die.
AI Summary
# Stuff You Should Know: "How Malls Work" Live Episode
Chuck and Josh take the stage at San Francisco's Sketchfest to explore the fascinating history and cultural impact of the American shopping mall, tracing it from ancient Roman marketplaces all the way through the golden age of mall culture in the 1970s-90s. They dive into how visionary Austrian architect Victor Gruen essentially invented the modern enclosed mall at Minnesota's Southdale in 1956, revolutionizing retail design with genius innovations like introverted layouts and multi-level escalator systems that seem obvious now but were mind-blowing then. Along the way, you'll discover quirky mall phenomena like mall walkers, beloved mall-exclusive restaurants like Cinnabon and Orange Julius, iconic mall scenes from movies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and why malls became such an integral part of American social life that families would spend entire Saturdays there—all before the internet changed everything.
Back to the Future
1985
1h 56m
★ 8.3
"And maybe one of the most famous mall parking lots of all time. The twin Pines mall from back to the future. — Discussing iconic mall locations featured in famous films."
— Chuck
Commando
1985
1h 30m
★ 6.7
"It also appeared prominently in Commando, where Arnold Schwarzenegger beats up, like, a ton of guys at the mall. — Listing notable films shot at the Sherman Oaks Galleria mall."
— Josh
"That's a joke from Fletch, if I'm not mistaken. I don't like Fletch. — Referencing a joke from the comedy film Fletch."
— Chuck
Mallrats
1995
R
1h 35m
★ 6.8
"And of course, mall rats, which we don't need to talk about too much because that was a little really. That was Kevin Smith. — Discussing Kevin Smith's film about mall culture."
— Chuck
Night of the Comet
1984
1h 35m
★ 6.2
"Night of the comet you mentioned. Anyone? I remember seeing that as a kid and thinking, because if you haven't seen the movie, this comet comes and destroys, like, everyone at night. — Discussing a film where characters shop in an abandoned mall after a comet destroys most people."
— Chuck
The Blues Brothers
1980
2h 13m
★ 7.7
"The Blues brothers had a very famous mall scene. Yeah, they went through the Dixie Square Mall. — Referencing a notable mall scene in this comedy film."
— Josh
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