A collaborative exploration of cinematic rhetoric.
As the World Tour comes to an end, Alex and Jonathan make a few final stops on the way home to talk about the further reaches of world cinema. We stop in Sweden with Hour of the Wolf (1968), in Taiwan with A Touch of Zen (1971), and in Brazil with City of God (2002). We talk about… Continue reading Ep 33. WORLD TOUR: Last Layovers
As the World Tour starts to wind down, Alex and Jonathan make a stop in Iran to look at the small, personal films Close-Up (1990), Children of Heaven (1997), and A Separation (2011). We talk about portraying compassion in film, movies without a "bad guy," and the self-sufficiency of Iranian cinema. https://youtu.be/sedViVwMkHY https://open.spotify.com/episode/0MXVUpi83bw2hdEuLwj0Dc?si=BFDqbM8STHWdZDBSnJDIog Also on iTunes Skip to: Close-Up (4:19),… Continue reading Ep 32. WORLD TOUR: Introspective Iran
The World Tour carries Alex and Jonathan to South Korea this week where we look at Oldboy (2003), The Host (2006), and The Good the Bad the Weird (2008). We discuss elements that make up neo-noir films, mixing tones, and the pervasive violence of Korean film. Also on iTunes Skip to: Oldboy (2:49), The Host (25:40), The Good the Bad the… Continue reading Ep 31. WORLD TOUR: Kruel Korea
As Dostoyevsky once wrote: "All true Russians are philosophers." This week Alex and Jonathan head to Russia and look at three legendary and formative filmmakers with Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925), Lev Kuleshov's Po Zakonu (1926), and Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker (1975). We talk the various forms and uses of montage, the Kuleshov effect, and filmmaking outside the bounds of traditional… Continue reading Ep 30. WORLD TOUR: Russian Ruminations
This week Alex and Jonathan go way back and take a look at German Expressionism with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Nosferatu (1922), and Metropolis (1927). We talk about the theatricality of early film, conventions of German Expressionism, and why the influence of German Expressionism will never fade. Also on iTunes Skip to: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (5:14), Nosferatu (26:44),… Continue reading Ep 29. WORLD TOUR: Dunkel Deutschland
Alex and Jonathan head south of the border this week to talk about three Mexican films: Macario (1960), Amores Perros (2000), and Pan's Labyrinth (2006). We talk the significance of a story within the story, the international influence of Quentin Tarantino, and how Hollywood has benefitted from Mexican filmmakers. Also on iTunes Skip to: Macario (4:06), Amores Perros (20:02), Pan's Labyrinth (43:28), Overall… Continue reading Ep 28. WORLD TOUR: México Macabro
It's back to Japan this week for Alex and Jonathan, but not for anime or Akira Kurosawa. We take a look at three other directors with Masaki Kobayashi's Harakiri (1963), Yasujirô Ozu's Tokyo Story (1952), and Hirokazu Koreeda's Nobody Knows (2004). We discuss various kinds of family drama in Japanese films, the distinction between "big" and "small" movies,… Continue reading Ep 27. WORLD TOUR: Japan Juxtaposed
This week the World Tour carries Alex and Jonathan to India and the world's largest combined film market where we look at the Kollywood film Mughal-E-Azam (1960), the Bollywood film My Name is Khan (2010), and the Tollywood film Baahubali: The Beginning (2015). We talk the history and scope of Indian cinema, film rhetoric turned up to 11, and… Continue reading Ep 26. WORLD TOUR: India Inundation
Following on the heels of Italian Neorealism came the French New Wave, so Alex and Jonathan take a trip to France and discuss three films from this explosive movement: The 400 Blows (1959), Breathless (1960), and Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962). We talk about stylistic innovations, semi-autobiographical filmmaking, and the origins of auteur theory. Also on iTunes Skip to:… Continue reading Ep 25. WORLD TOUR: France Fraiche
Alex and Jonathan say ciao to America this week as we embark on the first stage of our new ten-week World Tour series! Our first stop is Italy where we take a look at the Italian neorealism films Rome, Open City (1945) and Bicycle Thieves (1948) and the post-neorealism film 8 1/2 (1963). We talk about the effect… Continue reading Ep 24. WORLD TOUR: Italia Infelice
The Filmlings 