Exploring the intersections of cinema
This course is an inexhaustive journey through some of the major trends in American comedy films from the early days of narrative filmmaking to the present. It should provide both an understanding of where modern comedy comes from, and some useful categories for thinking through different styles of comedy represented in cinema no matter the… Continue reading AN UNOFFICIAL HISTORY OF COMEDY IN AMERICAN CINEMA: Course Syllabus
In contrast to comedy, which tends to have maximum effectiveness within a specific time and place, tragedy is universal and timeless. This course presents five categories through which to view the ways tragic stories can be told based on the way the tragic conflict or antagonist affects the protagonist. The antagonists being namely: self, power,… Continue reading AN OVERVIEW OF TRAGIC CINEMA: Course Syllabus
In this course Alex and Jonathan will be diving deep into the French New Wave, focusing on the major figures of the Cahiers du Cinéma staff who became some of the most influential filmmakers of all time. While identifying and examining the styles and techniques which make each of these directors unique, we will also… Continue reading CAHIERS DU CINÉMA: Course Syllabus
Fairy tales are some of the oldest and most streamlined forms of storytelling that we have, so for the next several months Alex and Jonathan will be taking a look at a variety of ways that these classic tales have been translated into the cinematic medium. Hopefully by the end of the series you will… Continue reading FILMS OF FAERIE: Course Syllabus
In the first of a new style of episode series we're dubbing "Filmlings Courses," Alex and Jonathan will be exploring the development of the Western genre as we know it today. What started as a convenient story trope to a newly created film industry in Hollywood eventually became one of the most dominant box office… Continue reading WESTERNS 101: Course Syllabus
January kicks off a five episode series that will be focused on the evolution of the Western genre. This month we'll be looking at some of the earliest Western films from before the sound era: The Testing Block (1920) Sky High (1922) The Iron Horse (1925) Join us on Discord for on-going film discussions!
Throughout the month of December we'll be looking at films about surviving extreme situations in the extreme cold: Touching the Void (2003) The Grey (2011) Everest (2015) Arctic (2018) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing these films in-depth, here is an extended watching list of films that… Continue reading The December Marquee: Frozen Survival
Throughout the month of November we'll be looking at films which prominently feature the unique bond between humans and their equine companions: The Black Stallion (1979) Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002) Seabiscuit (2003) War Horse (2011) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing these films in-depth, here… Continue reading The November Marquee: Horses
Throughout the month of September we'll be looking at films filled with the imaginative creatures of animator and pioneering VFX artist Ray Harryhausen: Mighty Joe Young (1949) The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) Jason and the Argonauts (1963) Clash of the Titans (1981) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't… Continue reading The September Marquee: Ray Harryhausen
Throughout the month of August we'll be looking at films centered around the concept of time travel in a variety of ways: Time After Time (1979) Back to the Future (1985) Groundhog Day (1993) Tenet (2020) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing these films in-depth, here is… Continue reading The August Marquee: Time Travel
Throughout the month of July we'll be looking at the works of Golden Age director, Otto Preminger through some of his most notable films: Laura (1944) Bonjour Tristesse (1958) Anatomy of a Murder (1959) Bunny Lake is Missing (1965) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing these films… Continue reading The July Marquee: Otto Preminger
Throughout the month of June we'll be looking at the renowned Iranian director, Abbas Kiarostami and his overlapping thematic trilogies the "Koker Trilogy" and the "Precious Life Trilogy": Where Is the Friend's House? (1987) And Life Goes On (or Life, and Nothing More) (1992) Through the Olive Trees (1994) Taste of Cherry (1997) (Click on… Continue reading The June Marquee: Abbas Kiarostami
Throughout the month of May we'll be looking at the recent animated film trilogy, How to Train Your Dragon: How to Train Your Dragon (2010) How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing… Continue reading The May Marquee: How to Train Your Dragon
Throughout the month of April we'll be looking at the career of the legendary actor Laurence Olivier through his powerful representations of some of literature's greatest characters: Wuthering Heights (1939) Rebecca (1940) Richard III (1955) Marathon Man (1976) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing these films in-depth,… Continue reading The April Marquee: Laurence Olivier
Throughout the month of March we'll be looking at the films, foreign and domestic, made under director John Woo's singular vision: The Killer (1989)Watch Hard Boiled (1992)Watch Face/Off (1997) Red Cliff (2008) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing these films in-depth, here is an extended watching list… Continue reading The March Marquee: John Woo
Throughout the month of February we'll be looking at the gangster genre as it has evolved over time in American cinema: Scarface (1932) Angels with Dirty Faces (1938) Scarface (1983) Goodfellas (1990) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing these films in-depth, here is an extended watching list… Continue reading The February Marquee: Gangsters
Throughout the month of January we'll be looking at the charming performances of the classic dancing duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers: The Gay Divorcee (1934) Shall We Dance (1937) The Barkleys of Broadway (1949) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing these films in-depth, here is an… Continue reading The January Marquee: Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers
Throughout the month of December we'll be looking at the delightful and timeless films of Golden Age director William Wyler (not to be confused with Billy Wilder): The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) Roman Holiday (1953) Ben-Hur (1959) The Collector (1965) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be… Continue reading The December Marquee: William Wyler
Throughout the month of November we'll be looking at the delightful and timeless films of Golden Age director Billy Wilder (not to be confused with William Wyler): Sunset Boulevard (1950) Stalag 17 (1953) Sabrina (1954) The Apartment (1960) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing these films in-depth,… Continue reading The November Marquee: Billy Wilder
Throughout the month of October we'll be looking at the epic films of Japanese director Masaki Kobayashi: The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959) The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (1959) The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (1961) Kwaidan (1964) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't… Continue reading The October Marquee: Masaki Kobayashi
Throughout the month of September we'll be looking at the career of the director known as Spike Jonze: Being John Malkovich (1999) Adaptation. (2002) Where the Wild Things Are (2009) Her (2013) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing these films in-depth, here is an extended watching list… Continue reading The September Marquee: Spike Jonze
Throughout the month of August we'll be looking at the directing and writing works of Phil Lord and Christopher Miller: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) 21 Jump Street (2012) The Lego Movie (2014) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing these… Continue reading The August Marquee: Lord & Miller
Throughout the month of July we'll be looking at the career of action-comedy star Jackie Chan: Drunken Master (1978) Police Story (1985) Supercop (1992) The Foreigner (2017) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And although we won't be discussing these films in-depth, here is an extended watching list of films that will relate… Continue reading The July Marquee: Jackie Chan
Throughout the month of May we'll be looking at the feature films produced by the Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon. The four films we'll be looking at on the podcast are: The Silent World (1956) World Without Sun (1964) Voyage to the Edge of the World (1976) The Odyssey (2016) (Click on a poster to… Continue reading The June Marquee: Jacques Cousteau
Throughout the month of May we'll be looking at the feature films produced by the Irish animation studio Cartoon Saloon. The four films we'll be looking at on the podcast are: The Secret of Kells (2009) Song of the Sea (2014) The Breadwinner (2017) WolfWalkers (2020) (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) And… Continue reading The May Marquee: Cartoon Saloon
Throughout the month of April we'll be looking at the works and career of Golden Age director Ernst Lubitsch. The four films we'll be looking at on the podcast are: Ninotchka (1939) The Shop Around the Corner (1940) To Be or Not to Be (1942) Heaven Can Wait (1943) (Click on a poster to watch… Continue reading The April Marquee: Ernst Lubitsch
Throughout the month of March we'll be exploring a range of films that have gained notoriety for their accidental or intentional departure from the cinematic standards of quality. The four films we'll be looking at on the podcast are: Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957) Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010) Sharknado (2013) The VelociPastor (2016)… Continue reading The March Marquee: So-Bad-It’s-Good
To kick off our new podcast season we'll be exploring the works of Jane Austen through various film adaptations. The four adaptations we'll be looking at on the podcast are: (Click on a poster to watch a trailer) Sense and Sensibility (1995) Northanger Abbey (2007) Love & Friendship (2016) Emma. (2020) And although we won't… Continue reading The February Marquee: Jane Austen
Hey fellow Filmlings, We've got lot's going on this year and a few changes to the structure of the podcast that we wanted to make everyone aware of. One of our goals with these changes is to give more time for the study and research that goes into each episode and to do that we'll… Continue reading Season 5 Updates
Hello fellow filmlings! We hope you have been enjoying the podcast! If you do enjoy it, then we have a couple ways that you can drop a coin in our proverbial hats and help keep the show alive and growing! For those unfamiliar with these support platforms here's a quick run down: Ko-fi is the… Continue reading Support the Show!
While the podcast is still on break we have been working on an audiobook of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol which we are now excited to give as a gift to our listeners! The book features Alex and Jonathan along with a selection of guests who have been featured on the podcast before. You can download… Continue reading A Christmas Gift from The Filmlings and Announcements
Hello fellow Filmlings! We have something new for you. Those of you who have been following us from the beginning have probably noticed that we are slowly but surely expanding our ambitions. We started on my personal blog just to try this whole podcasting thing out, then we made a Twitter account to reach a wider… Continue reading Welcome to Articles
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