Episode #042111: How Wills Work - Movies You Should Know

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Whether it's oral, scrawled in blood or signed on a deathbed everyone should have a will. But how do they actually work? Join Chuck and Josh as they explain that "of sound mind" thing in this episode on wills.

AI Summary

In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck break down the ins and outs of creating a will, covering everything from the basic requirements to make your final wishes legally binding to the different types of wills you might encounter. They explore how to choose an executor, what happens when wills get contested, and dive into some fascinating real-world examples of unusual bequests throughout history. The hosts keep things engaging by mixing practical legal advice with entertaining stories about everything from deathbed wills to the person who left their fortune to 70 random strangers picked from a phone book.

Movies Discussed

Alien

1979 1h 57m

★ 8.2

"Alien, Rocky II. Alien. Yeah. So far ahead of its time. — Josh was listing movies from 1979 and commenting on how advanced Alien was for its time." — Josh

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

1963 3h 12m

★ 7.0

"Was it kind of a riff on It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World? — Chuck was asking if the movie Scavenger Hunt was similar to this classic comedy." — Chuck

Kramer vs. Kramer

1979 1h 45m

★ 7.6

"Cramer versus Cramer was number one at the box office. — Josh was listing movies from 1979 to set up the topic about wills." — Josh

Manhattan

1979 1h 36m

★ 7.7

"Woody Allen's Manhattan, The Jerk. That's my favorite all time movie. — Josh was listing movies from 1979 and revealed Manhattan was his favorite all-time movie." — Josh

Moonraker

1979 2h 6m

★ 6.2

"Moonraker. So behind the times. — Josh was listing movies from 1979 and commenting that Moonraker was behind the times." — Josh

Psycho

1960 1h 49m

★ 8.4

"I saw a remake of psycho, which wasn't psycho too. — Josh was discussing a TV movie spoof that referenced Norman Bates' will to make a point about mental soundness." — Josh

Rocky II

1979 1h 59m

★ 7.3

"Alien, Rocky II. — Josh was listing movies from 1979 to set up the topic about wills." — Josh

Scavenger Hunt

1979 1h 56m

★ 5.6

"a classic called Scavenger Hunt. — Josh was describing his favorite overlooked movie from 1979 about a will contest involving a scavenger hunt." — Josh

The Amityville Horror

1979 1h 58m

★ 6.3

"One of my personal favorites, Amityville Horror. The first one. — Josh was listing his favorite movies from 1979 to set up the topic about wills." — Josh