#133 | Napoleon Dynamite’s High School Reunion

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Listen to our Napoleon Dynamite episode on:

Shot by a cast and crew of complete unknowns on a budget of less than $500,000, Napoleon Dynamite is the Hollywood dream write large, an unassuming indie comedy that somehow became a genuine pop culture phenomenon. It is also a film that I have spent the past fifteen years actively avoiding.

My reasons for this aren’t sophisticated – it just always looked like a really annoying film. From the exaggerated geek styling of the title character to the mid-00s ubiquity of ‘Vote for Pedro’ T-shirts, nothing about Napoleon Dynamite appealed to me on the surface. And yet, what is this podcast for if not as a tool for the two of us to confront our predjudices?

Sadly, having now watched the film I can confirm that the comedy stylings are…  not to my taste. But the enduring popularity of the movie does speak to an undeniable appeal. Maybe, much like the esteemed film critic Roger Ebert, I just didn’t get it.

Harry did though, and so did our returning guest Louise, so in this episode they vigorously defend the movie against my complaints about one-note acting performances, lack of plot and truly disgusting use of food. We’ll leave it to you, the listener, to determine which of us is in the right.

Still, love it or hate it, a sequel had to be pitched, so the three of us each came up with our own ideas about where Napoleon, Kip, Deb and the rest of the gang might have ended up. How will Pedro’s obvious lust for power continue to manifest into adulthood? Did Uncle Rico ever sell those Tupperware sets? And what exactly was going on with Lafawnduh, anyway?

The answers to some of these questions, and less, can be found in this week’s episode. You can tune in by following any of the links at the top of this blog post, or by searching for Beyond The Box Set on your preferred podcasting app. If you enjoy the show, please hit subscribe for a new episode every Friday morning, and leave us a rating or a review if you’re feeling extra kind – it really helps the show to find new listeners.

Next week, another guest episode sees us taking on a classic big screen musical. Until then, happy listening and remember – Llamas really shouldn’t eat raw meat.