Episode 113. Music and Manipulation Feat. Jason Harden

Music and movies have always been linked, but today Jason Harden joins the show once again to talk with Alex and Jonathan about three films which detail the life of three modern music legends, What's Love Got to Do with It (1993), Ray (2004), and Love & Mercy (2014). We talk about when depicting a…

Episode 107. Brutal Beasts Feat. Aaron Johnson

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,…

Episode 98. The Bluthian Blues Feat. Jason Harden

Friend of the podcast Jason Harden joins the show once again to talk with Alex and Jonathan about the animation of Don Bluth in The Secret of NIMH (1982), The Land Before Time (1988), and Anastasia (1997). We discuss Bluth's beginnings with his short film Banjo the Woodpile Cat (1979), the darker tone in his…

Episode 91. Quintessential Quentin Feat. Hayden Chauffe

Jonathan sits down with Hayden Chauffe today to discuss the career of the modern filmmaker's filmmaker, Quentin Tarantino, in the films Reservoir Dogs (1992), Inglourious Basterds (2009), and The Hateful Eight (2015). We talk about Tarantino's literary story structure, the controversies that tend to follow his films, and the way he breaks various rules of…

Episode 87. Disney Doesn’t Die Feat. Aaron Johnson

Resident animaniac Aaron Johnson joins Alex and Jonathan today to talk about a very particular period in the history of Disney animation in The Black Cauldron (1985), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), and The Little Mermaid (1989). We talk about how The Black Cauldron almost killed Disney, the homages and innovations of Who Framed Roger…

Episode 81. An Episode You Can’t Refuse Feat. Benjamin Angrisano

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…

Episode 72. Bloody Burton Feat. Jason Harden

In proper Halloween spirit, Alex and Jonathan invite Jason Harden back to the podcast to talk about some of the darker films by director Tim Burton: Edward Scissorhands (1990), Sleepy Hollow (1999), and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). They discuss the way Tim Burton blends dark and whimsical tones, the evolution of Johnny Depp's…

Episode 66. Shooting Scorsese Feat. Benjamin Angrisano

Returning guest Benjamin Angrisano joins Alex and Jonathan to discuss the early film collaborations between director Martin Scorsese and actor Robert DeNiro in Mean Streets (1972), Taxi Driver (1976), and Raging Bull (1980). We talk about the American New Wave, recurring themes in Scorsese's work, and DeNiro's ability to adapt to different roles. Also on iTunes Skip…

Episode 59. Bonkers Brooks Feat. Aaron Johnson

Aaron Johnson, the podcast's inaugural guest, joins Alex and Jonathan again today to discuss the parodical world of Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), and High Anxiety (1977). We talk about Brook's way of parodying different forms of film, using meta-humor, and his split love for directing and performing. Also on iTunes Skip to: Blazing…

Episode 45. Happy Henson Feat. Hayden Chauffe

Friend of the podcast, Hayden Chauffe, returns to talk with Alex and Jonathan about the feature film works of one of his biggest influences, Jim Henson: The Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Dark Crystal (1982), Labyrinth (1986). We talk about the history of Henson's puppet work, building fantasy worlds in miniature, and the modern use of muppets and…