Exploring the intersections of cinema
After the collapse of the Production Code, filmmakers now had the ability to put anything and everything in their movies, so they did. Today Alex and Jonathan discuss three films which take comedy beyond rational proportions and talk about The Producers (1967), Airplane! (1980), and The Mask (1994). We discuss the history of absurdist comedy,… Continue reading Ep 170. COMEDY CINEMA 3: The Absurdists
With the arrival of sound in Hollywood, a new subgenre of comedy arose, so today Alex and Jonathan discuss the history of the "screwball comedies" while looking at Trouble in Paradise (1932), His Girl Friday (1940), and Some Like it Hot (1959). We talk about how screwballs differed from standard romantic comedies, the emphasis on… Continue reading Ep 169. COMEDY CINEMA 2: The Screwballs
To wrap up the tragedy series, Alex and Jonathan look at three films characterized by the ways in which the characters' difference of perspectives causes the primary conflict in part or whole: A Woman Under the Influence (1974), The Elephant Man (1980), and The Farewell (2019). We discuss whether or not the term "tragedy" is… Continue reading Ep 167. TRAGEDIES of Misunderstanding
As we move into stories of interpersonal tragedies, today Alex and Jonathan discuss three films which deal with themes of betrayal as it applies to family relationships, as in Tokyo Twilight (1957), romantic relationships, as in In the Mood for Love (2000), and friends/allies, as in RRR (2022). We discuss Aristotle's concept of discovery, the… Continue reading Ep 166. TRAGEDIES of Betrayal
In one of the saddest episodes of the show (besides Episode 105), Alex and Jonathan look at films in which the protagonists struggle to navigate circumstances outside of their control with three tragedy classics: Ikiru (1952), Grave of the Fireflies (1988), and Titanic (1997). We discuss Aristotle's conception of the reversal of fortune – known… Continue reading Ep 165. TRAGEDIES of Fate
From power to societal marginalization to prejudicial greed, in this episode Alex and Jonathan talk about three films in which the subject characters are faced with various forms of injustice: The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Umberto D. (1952), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). We discuss the ways tragedy films evoke feelings… Continue reading Ep 164. TRAGEDIES of Injustice
The downfall. The tragic flaw. Today Alex and Jonathan kick off a new series about tragic cinema with three stories where the protagonist is ultimately responsible for their own misery: The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), Brief Encounter (1945), and Tár (2022). We discuss Aristotle's six elements of tragedy, why tragedy doesn't necessarily have to have a… Continue reading Ep 163. TRAGEDIES of Self
The last of the Cahiers du Cinéma critics-turned-directors to discuss is Jacques Rivette. Alex and Jonathan take a look at his films Paris Belongs to Us (1961), L'amour fou (1969), and Céline and Julie Go Boating (1974) and discuss Rivette's obsession with the individual aspects of cinema, his blend of cinematic instinct and collaborative improvisation,… Continue reading Ep 162. CAHIERS DU CINÉMA: Jacques Rivette
One of the less well-known of the Cahiers contributors, but also one of the first to break into directing, Claude Chabrol is the subject of this week's deep dive in which Alex and Jonathan talk about his films Le beau Serge (1958), Les cousins (1959), and Les bonnes femmes (1960). We discuss Chabrol's role in… Continue reading Ep 161. CAHIERS DU CINÉMA: Claude Chabrol
François Truffaut, known as "The Gravedigger of French Cinema" during his time as a critic, is the focal point of this episode and the turning point of our series on the French New Wave. Alex and Jonathan discuss three of his many films, Shoot the Piano Player (1960), Jules et Jim (1962), and Day for… Continue reading Ep 160. CAHIERS DU CINÉMA: François Truffaut
Author, critic, teacher, moralist, and editor of Cahiers du Cinéma, Éric Rohmer is this month's featured director from the French New Wave. Alex and Jonathan look at three of the six films Rohmer directed based on a series of his own short stories called the "Moral Tales" – My Night at Maud's (1969), Claire's Knee… Continue reading Ep 159. CAHIERS DU CINÉMA: Éric Rohmer
As we begin our dive into the directors of the French New Wave, Alex and Jonathan take a look at one of the primary disrupters from this heavily disruptive period of cinema history, the singular Jean-Luc Godard. Through three of his classic films – Vivre sa vie (1962), Band of Outsiders (1964), and Pierrot le… Continue reading Ep 158. CAHIERS DU CINÉMA: Jean-Luc Godard
For as long as fairy tales have been recorded there has been a debate about whether or not they should be modified for children, so today Alex and Jonathan take up the negative side of the discussion with a look at three films with fairy tale elements that are not Disney's idea of kid-friendly: Beauty… Continue reading Ep 155. FILMS OF FAERIE 3: Fairy Tales are NOT for Kids
To kick off our new series about fairy tales in cinema, Alex and Jonathan do a deep dive into three adaptations of the story of Pinocchio: Pinocchio (1940), Pinocchio (2019), and Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022). We discuss the history of fairy tales, the variations of focus in each of these adaptations, and how fantasy… Continue reading Ep 153. FILMS OF FAERIE 1: The Podcast that Laughed and Cried Like a Child
As we continue our journey through the history of the western genre, Alex and Jonathan take a detour to Japan to discuss an era of chanbara (samurai) films that bridge the gap from classic westerns to spaghetti westerns. We're talking about Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954), Sanjuro (1962), The Sword of Doom (1966). We discuss… Continue reading Ep 150. WESTERNS 101: Westerns of the Rising Sun
To kick off a new series of episodes that will give an overview of the history of the western genre, Alex and Jonathan start off by talking about three early western films from the pre-sound era: The Testing Block (1920), Sky High (1922), and The Iron Horse (1924). We discuss the development of both the… Continue reading Ep 148. WESTERNS 101: The Silent Era
Another legend of Hollywood's Golden Age is the spotlight for this episode as Alex and Jonathan talk about some of the classic works of Otto Preminger: Laura (1944), Bonjour Tristesse (1958), Anatomy of a Murder (1959), and Bunny Lake is Missing (1965). We discuss how Preminger builds character driven narrative through visuals, his real and… Continue reading Episode 143. Pugnacious Preminger
In another deep dive into a fairly narrow sub-genre, Alex and Jonathan crack the code on heist films by looking at Rififi (1955), Ocean's Eleven (1960), and Inception (2010). We talk about the origins and draw of heist films, the way the activity of a heist lends itself to storytelling, and how to modify the… Continue reading Episode 123. One Last Job
The inexplicable draw towards the dark and twisted psyche of serial killers is the focus today as Alex and Jonathan talk about three films revolving around killers real and fictional, The Night of the Hunter (1955), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and Zodiac (2007). We discuss elements that give depth to an otherwise sensational… Continue reading Episode 115. Killing in Serial
From acting, to starting her own production company, to directing both film and television, Alex and Jonathan take a look at the extensive career of Ida Lupino in Hollywood's golden age through her work in High Sierra (1941), The Hitch-Hiker (1953), and The Trouble with Angels (1966). We discuss her popular acting persona as the… Continue reading Episode 112. Mother Lupino
Dorothy Arzner is one of the largest names in the history of Hollywood's female directors, so today Alex and Jonathan look at the themes and relationships in her films Get Your Man (1927), Merrily We Go to Hell (1932), and Dance, Girl, Dance (1940). We talk about how romance differs in Arzner's films from other… Continue reading Episode 111. Dorothy Arzner’s Due
Our Patrons voted on what silent film star we should cover and chose the great Buster Keaton! We look at three of his classic films: Sherlock Jr. (1924), The General (1926), The Cameraman (1928) and talk about the way Keaton melds comedy into various genres, hallmarks of Keaton's characters and techniques, and ways we still… Continue reading Episode 110. Blank-Face Buster
There haven't been a lot of movies about pandemics, yet, but today Alex and Jonathan take a look at the various ways they have been done in the past, specifically in Outbreak (1995), Contagion (2011), and Flu (2013). We talk about the ways pandemic movies suffer from not having a defined genre, what they might… Continue reading Episode 108. Pandemic Panic
Friend of the podcast Aaron Johnson joins the show today to talk about three animated films from Europe about various animals: Watership Down (1978), The Plague Dogs (1982), and Felidae (1994). We discuss how animals are used to depict very mature thematic stories, the distinction between Martin Rosen's animation style and the classic Disney look,… Continue reading Episode 107. Brutal Beasts Feat. Aaron Johnson
Our Patrons recently voted on what two oft-paired actors we should cover and decided on Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan! Alex and Jonathan talk about the only three films starring the two: Joe Versus the Volcano (1990), Sleepless in Seattle (1993), and You've Got Mail (1998) and discuss the evolution of romantic comedies in the… Continue reading Episode 106. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan and Meg Ryan and Meg Ryan
As the WWII series comes to a close Alex and Jonathan take a very somber look at three documentaries looking back on the war — specifically in the areas of the Holocaust and the atomic bombing of Japan — in Night and Fog (1956), Shoah (1985), and White Light/Black Rain (2007). We discuss the different… Continue reading Episode 105. WWII: Reflection
Continuing through our exploration of WWII, Alex and Jonathan turn the focus to the civilian level in Europe and look at the dramatic films Paisan (1946), Army of Shadows (1969), and Schindler's List (1993). We discuss the uniqueness of films being made in the immediate aftermath of the war, the difference in tone between war… Continue reading Episode 104. WWII: Drama
In the third installment of our World War II series we finally get to the films showing the actual conflict across the various fronts of the war in The Great Escape (1963), Come and See (1985), and The Thin Red Line (1998). We talk about how WWII action films present the horrors of war from… Continue reading Episode 103. WWII: Action
Moving from propaganda to three stories of the decision makers in WWII, Alex and Jonathan take a look at the biopics Patton (1970), The King's Speech (2010), and Darkest Hour (2017). We talk about how each film balances the politics with the subject, the evolving style of biopics, and why biopics from WWII seem to… Continue reading Episode 102. WWII: People and Politics [Video]
Season 4 of the podcast is kicking off with a deep-dive into the cinema before, during, and after World War II. For the first installment Alex and Jonathan look at the propaganda of the war in Triumph of the Will (1935), Why We Fight: Prelude to War (1942), and Momotaro, Sacred Sailors (1945). We talk… Continue reading Episode 101. WWII: Propaganda
To end the fourth season of the show Alex and Jonathan talk about three films that relate to Christmas but might not be considered your traditional "Christmas movie:" Gremlins (1984), Lethal Weapon (1987), and Hook (1991). We talk about what really makes a Christmas movie, how formerly niche genres have slowly crept into the mainstream… Continue reading Episode 100. Not Quite Christmas
After nearly a hundred episodes, Alex and Jonathan finally get around to some of the biggest films in cinema history, specifically in the romance genre. We take a look at Gone with the Wind (1939), Casablanca (1942), and West Side Story (1961) and discuss the effect of the studio system on large budget productions, elements… Continue reading Episode 99. You’ve Probably Heard of this One Before
According to our recent poll for our Patrons, today Alex and Jonathan discuss the ridiculous filmography of British comedy group Monty Python: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), Life of Brian (1979), and The Meaning of Life (1983). We discuss the hallmarks of Monty Python's comedy, various ways to create sketch-based films around a… Continue reading Episode 82. Mighty Preposterous Monty Python
Benjamin Angrisano joins Alex and Jonathan once again, this time to take a look at one of the most famous of all film trilogies: The Godfather (1972), The Godfather: Part II (1974), and The Godfather: Part III (1990). We talk about the thematic resonance of the series, the ways the third film differs from the… Continue reading Episode 81. An Episode You Can’t Refuse Feat. Benjamin Angrisano
For the first episode to focus on an actor as such, Alex and Jonathan look at three influential leading roles played by Sidney Poitier in A Raisin in the Sun (1961), A Patch of Blue (1965), and In the Heat of the Night (1967). We discuss how acting becomes highlighted in a film which is adapted from the stage, the ways that Poitier's roles reflect his own… Continue reading Episode 80. Poised Poitier
For the final installment of the Serious Series, Alex and Jonathan talk about three films of the Pink Panther comedy franchise: The Pink Panther (1963), A Shot in the Dark (1964), and The Pink Panther (2006). We discuss about how the focus of the franchise changed with the reception of the first film, the way the character of Inspector Clouseau becomes more distinct… Continue reading Episode 79. SERIOUS SERIES 4: Precocious Pink Panthers
A true giant of film history is our focus this week as Alex and Jonathan take on three films from different eras of the Godzilla franchise: Godzilla (1954), Godzilla vs. King Ghidora (1991), and Godzilla (2014) (with a special shoutout to Shin Godzilla (2016)). We talk about the post-war fears in the themes of the original film, the campy… Continue reading Episode 78. SERIOUS SERIES 3: Gargantuan Godzilla Generations
Alex and Jonathan are thrown into the madhouse world of Pierre Boulle's Planet of the Apes this week as we look at three reboots of the popular franchise: Planet of the Apes (1968), Planet of the Apes (2001), and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014). We talk about how the original series balanced spectacle and thematic weight, where the 2001 adaptation misses the mark, and how the most… Continue reading Episode 77. SERIOUS SERIES 2: Primate Planet Pandemonium
To kick off Season 3 of the podcast, Alex and Jonathan are starting a series of episodes about some of cinema's most influential and long-last film series. First up is the James Bond franchise with From Russia with Love (1963), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), and Skyfall (2012). We talk about the origins of the James Bond character, the consistent elements… Continue reading Episode 76. SERIOUS SERIES 1: Being Bond, James Bond
Diving into maybe the darkest genre in film-history, Alex and Jonathan take a look at the moral complexity of film noir in The Maltese Falcon (1941), Double Indemnity (1944), and Touch of Evil (1958). We talk about the increasing darkness of the subject matter as the period goes on, common elements like the femme fatale, and the continuing… Continue reading Episode 71. Detectives, Dames, and Deception
The greatest of all American movie monsters takes center stage this week as Alex and Jonathan discuss King Kong (1933), King Kong (1976), and King Kong (2005). We talk about keeping the heart of a remake, the evolution of visual effects, and modern legends. https://youtu.be/s88f7QFX7Ds?si=Z8hsJ4t5KkQocOA9 https://open.spotify.com/episode/0BkLx7IcJDk4bNtpxRGeIZ?si=v1QNLsUqTuqqdz9jJUQ8sg Also on iTunes Skip to: King Kong (1933) (3:55), King Kong (1976) (22:35), King… Continue reading Episode 21. Klash of the Kongs
The Filmlings 