A collaborative exploration of cinematic rhetoric.
When discussing the history of the Western genre, there is no escaping the name or work of John Ford, so today Alex and Jonathan dive in to three of Ford's landmark films: My Darling Clementine (1946), The Searchers (1956), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). We talk about the ways Western films elevate actual… Continue reading Ep 149. WESTERNS 101: John Ford’s Golden Era
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
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
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!
For the winter wrap-up episode to close out the year, Alex and Jonathan talk about four films that focus on the ways that people have to survive in freezing and desperate situations: Touching the Void (2003), The Grey (2011), Everest (2015), and Arctic (2018). We discuss ways to tell a true story through documentary and… Continue reading Episode 147. The Icepod Cometh
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
From the very first photographs of motion, horses have been integrated with the cinema, so today Alex and Jonathan talk about different ways horses can be used to drive a story in The Black Stallion (1979), Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002), Seabiscuit (2003), and War Horse (2011). We discuss horses as both thematic metaphors… Continue reading Episode 146. The Equestrisode
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
To fill some time while Alex and Jonathan are on break, we're releasing a commentary track for Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) which was recorded in 2018. Going scene-by-scene through the extended edition of the film allows us to break down some of the details and nuances of the filmmaking techniques, as… Continue reading Special Episode: The Fellowship of the Ring Scene-by-Scene
Taking a step behind the curtain of classic movie magic, today Alex and Jonathan discuss the techniques and creatures brought to the screen by VFX pioneer Ray Harryhausen in Mighty Joe Young (1949), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), Jason and the Argonauts (1963), and Clash of the Titans (1981). We discuss the evolution of… Continue reading Episode 145. History According to Harryhausen
The Filmlings 