A collaborative exploration of cinematic rhetoric.
To wrap up our Westerns 101 series, Alex and Jonathan take a look at the current state of the western genre through Rango (2011), Slow West (2015), and Hell or High Water (2016). We talk about ways to take the tropes of an established genre and exaggerate them for comedic effect, how to take the… Continue reading Ep 152. WESTERNS 101: Modern West
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
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
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
We are all interested in the future, which is why in this episode Alex and Jonathan take a look at some prominent entries into the time travel sub-genre of science fiction, specifically: Time After Time (1979), Back to the Future (1985), Groundhog Day (1993), and Tenet (2020). We discuss the various mechanisms for implementing time… Continue reading Episode 144. A Podcast’s Guide to Time Travel
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
Highlighting one of the most innovative animation studios producing content today, Alex and Jonathan look at the four feature films produced by Irish studio Cartoon Saloon: The Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014), The Breadwinner (2017), and Wolfwalkers (2020). We discuss the unique art style, the various cultural influences, and the ongoing… Continue reading Episode 129. Cartoon Saloon’s (mostly) Celtic Saga
We all know those movies that are so bad you just have to watch them, and today Alex and Jonathan are talking through the history of these terribly good films with Plan 9 From Outer Space (1957), Birdemic: Shock and Terror (2010), Sharknado (2013), and The VelociPastor (2018). We discuss the role intention plays in… Continue reading Episode 127. So-Bad-It’s-Good
To wrap up the fourth season of the Filmlings Podcast Alex and Jonathan take a look at three films taking different angles on the downfall of the world as we know it in 28 Days Later... (2002), Children of Men (2006), and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). We discuss apocalyptic worldbuilding, themes inherent to the… Continue reading Episode 125. The End of the World
The Filmlings 