A collaborative exploration of cinematic rhetoric.
Sit back and enjoy the ride as Alex and Jonathan talk through the road-trip style films of Abbas Kiarostami in Where Is the Friend's House? (1987), And Life Goes On (1992), Through the Olive Trees (1994), and Taste of Cherry (1997). We discuss the way Kiarostami blends truth and fiction, how he uses long takes… Continue reading Episode 142. Kiarostami’s Koker
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
This month Alex and Jonathan fly to a mythical Nordic world and discuss the recent animated trilogy How to Train Your Dragon (2010), How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014), and How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019). We discuss a brief history of dragons, ways to incorporate high stakes and family into… Continue reading Episode 141. How to Train Your Podcast
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
When it comes to acting, few names loom as large in the recent history of stage or screen as that of Laurence Olivier. Alex and Jonathan discuss his contributions to the film medium through his roles in Wuthering Heights (1939), Rebecca (1940), Richard III (1955), and Marathon Man (1976). We talk about his growth as… Continue reading Episode 140. One and Only Olivier
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
The epic drama and action of director John Woo carries us away this month as Alex and Jonathan talk about The Killer (1989), Hard Boiled (1992), Face/Off (1997), and Red Cliff (2008). We talk about his pioneering of the "Honorable Bloodshed" genre, his distinct stylistic and thematic trademarks, and his continuing legacy on many modern… Continue reading Episode 139. The Dove Says Woo
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
Watch your back because in this episode Alex and Jonathan, talk about the history of American gangster films through four classic and contemporary tales within the genre: Scarface (1932), Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), Scarface (1983), and Goodfellas (1990). We discuss the origins of gangster stories being pulled from the contemporary headlines, how the genre… Continue reading Episode 138. Wise Guy Gangsters
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
The Filmlings 