Shows
CineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 162 – Criterion Flash Sale, December 2025 and January 2026 AnnouncementsDescription:
Tiffany Vazquez joins Aaron and Jill after a brief hiatus, which we explain. There’s some catch-up where we talk about Aaron’s book, Tiffany’s Mira Nair class. We then get into our selections from the flash sale, which serves as a look at some of the titles we missed. We cover the December 2025 and 2026 announcements, and we’re fortunate to have Tiffany to discuss the Mira Nair and Raúl Juliá titles.
Links:
Video of this Episode
Tiffany’s CineJourneys Channel
Tiffany’s Social Media: Bsky | Instagram | Twitter
Follow Us:
Cinejour...
2025-11-061h 16CineJourneys (master feed)Guide Spotlight – Episode 4 – Adrian MartinDescription:
Adrian Martin joins to talk about his plans regarding the upcoming “Fritz Lang: Inside the Machine” Online Class coming up in September. He talks about what to expect from this class, and what types of great films students will discover. He also touches on some exciting topics and directors that he wants to cover later, which include Ersnt Lubitsch, Chantal Akerman, Brian DePalma, François Truffaut and so many more.
Links:
Fritz Lang: Inside the Machine – Details and Registration
Adrian Martin’s Guide Page
Adrian’s Website
Adrian’s Wikipedia Page
Follow Us:
Ci...
2025-08-2616 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys Guide Spotlight – Episode 3 – Matthew EllisDescription:
Matthew joins to talk about his upcoming classes, starting with Film Theory and then Genre Theory. Stick around for the teaser about Weimar Republic films. Please register for his classes and follow him online at the links below.
Links:
Video of this episode
Intro to Film Theory – Details and Registration
Intro to Genre Theory – Details and Registration
Matthew’s Guide Page
Histories of the Present – Matthew’s Substack
The Pacific Northwest Insurance Corporation Moviefilm Podcast
Matthew’s Social Media – Twitter | Bsky
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instagram | Lett...
2025-05-2215 min
The A24 New Wave PodcastA24 New Wave - Episode 8 - A24 Journey Wrap-UpDescription:Louis Hill joins to recap the CineJourneys A24 Journey that he had in April. Louis is an original Founding Member and a Kickstarter backer. He's excited about the book and he went a little extra with this journey, spending the month watching the weekly films and also seeking out others.Links:Video of this episodeThe A24 Journey Aaron's A24 Ranked ListLouis' A24 Ranked ListFollow Us:Cinejourneys - YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instagram | Letterboxd | BlueSky | ThreadsJill Blake - BlueSkyAaron West - BlueSky | Letterboxd
2025-05-1322 minCineJourneys (master feed)The A24 New Wave – Episode 8 – A24 Journey Wrap-UpDescription:
Louis Hill joins to recap the CineJourneys A24 Journey that he had in April. Louis is an original Founding Member and a Kickstarter backer. He’s excited about the book and he went a little extra with this journey, spending the month watching the weekly films and also seeking out others.
Links:
Video of this episode
The A24 Journey
Aaron’s A24 Ranked List
Louis’ A24 Ranked List
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instagram | Letterboxd | BlueSky | Threads
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – BlueSky | Letterboxd
2025-05-1322 minThe A24 New Wave PodcastA24 New Wave - Episode 7 - Barry Jenkins with Tiffany VazquezDescription:Tiffany Vazquez joins to talk about Barry Jenkins, who is arguably the most impactful individual who has worked with A24. Moonlight famously won the Best Picture Academy Award, and he's been putting out great work ever since. We briefly touch on If Beale Street Could Talk, The Underground Railroad, Mufasa, and we get into his influence as a Producer. People might be surprised by how many films that he has produced and distributed with A24. He's a monumental talent and he's not done.Links:Video of this episode Tiffany Vazquez Channel at CineJourneysFrom S...
2025-04-2819 minCineJourneys (master feed)The A24 New Wave – Episode 7 – Barry Jenkins with Tiffany VazquezDescription:
Tiffany Vazquez joins to talk about Barry Jenkins, who is arguably the most impactful individual who has worked with A24. Moonlight famously won the Best Picture Academy Award, and he’s been putting out great work ever since. We briefly touch on If Beale Street Could Talk, The Underground Railroad, Mufasa, and we get into his influence as a Producer. People might be surprised by how many films that he has produced and distributed with A24. He’s a monumental talent and he’s not done.
Links:
Video of this episode
Tiffany Vazquez Channe...
2025-04-2819 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 160 – Criterion July 2025 Announcements and TCM Film FestivalDescription:
Christian Gutierrez joins Aaron for the first time. He has a podcast called Reel Latinos, and is an expert in Latino cinema. He has tastes for world cinema and classic Hollywood. We talked about the July 2025 Criterion announcements, and we went through the TCM Film Festival schedule to look at conflicts and which films for him to prioritize at the 2025 fest.
Links:
Video of this Episode
Christian’s Links
Real Latinos Links
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instagram | Letterboxd | BlueSky | Threads
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron...
2025-04-2254 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 159 – Iranian and World CinemaDescription:
Ali Khamseh joins Aaron from Tehran, Iran. It was the first time podcasting with someone anywhere close to that region, and it was a delight! Ali talked about his projects, the state of cinema in Iran, many of the Iranian masters like Abbas Kiarostami and Jafar Panahi, and how some filmmakers have become internationally known while pacifying the government. Ali likes a lot more than Iranian cinema and we had a good time looking through the Criterion titles too.
Links:
Video of this Episode
Ali’s Links
Ali’s Letterboxd
Follow Us:
2025-04-0949 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 158 – Killers of the Flower Moon, June 2025 AnnouncementsDescription:
David Blakeslee joins Aaron. Jill is absent for the near future, and while she can’t be replaced, David is a terrific co-host. We start by talking about Killers of the Flower Moon and some viral news that Criterion had allegedly approached Apple to put out a release, and Apple refused. We dig into the source and have some questions. While we are not expecting an imminent release, we think this is irresponsible reporting, but the sentiments that made it go viral are in the right place. We also talk about yet another rich month of Cr...
2025-03-2556 minThe A24 New Wave PodcastThe A24 New Wave - Episode 6 - Representation with Alex Mell-TaylorDescription:Alex Mell-Taylor from Alex Has Opinions joins to talk about A24 and representation. We talk about some of the recent examples of positive representation and compare it with some not so great examples. We also talk about how someone who is not part of a particular group benefits from seeing what their life is like when representative actually reflects that experience, and how great it feels for people to see characters and stories that they can identify with on screen. Links: Video of this episode Alex Has Opinions - WebsiteAlex's Patreon
2025-03-1120 minCineJourneys (master feed)The A24 New Wave – Episode Six – Representation with Alex Mell-TaylorDescription:
Alex Mell-Taylor from Alex Has Opinions joins to talk about A24 and representation. We talk about some of the recent examples of positive representation and compare it with some not so great examples. We also talk about how someone who is not part of a particular group benefits from seeing what their life is like when representative actually reflects that experience, and how great it feels for people to see characters and stories that they can identify with on screen.
Links:
Video of this episode
Alex Has Opinions – Website
Alex’s Patreon
Foll...
2025-03-1120 minCineJourneys (master feed)The A24 New Wave – Episode Five – Miramax with Chris HaskellDescription:
Chris Haskell from They Live by Film and Punk Vacation joins to talk about Miramax. Covering a film company is not easy, and it’s saying a lot to credit A24 as being solely responsible for a modern new wave movement. There were many independent movements throughout film history, and the independent film was truly embraced in the 1990s. Miramax was a groundbreaking independent film distributor and A24 benefited from their success. We had to preface this episode that Harvey Weinstein is a terrible person and nothing that we say positive about Miramax reflects our feelings ab...
2025-02-2126 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 157 – Flow, May 2025 AnnouncementsDescription:
Jill and Aaron talk about Flow, which appears to be the first Janus Contemporary that will get a Criterion spine release. We then talk about the May 2025 Announcements, and the new trend of increasing the number of new titles with upgrades. We speculate whether this has to do with the Steven Rales and Indian Paintbrush acquisition.
Links:
Video of this Episode
‘Flow’ Will Join the Criterion Collection Later This Year with 4K Special Edition
Kickstarter Campaign for The A24 New Wave
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instag...
2025-02-2050 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys Guide Spotlight – Episode 2 – Imogen Sara SmithDescription:
Imogen Sara Smith joins to talk about her plans regarding the upcoming Powell & Pressburger Online Class she is teaching. She also touches on some exciting topics she wants to cover later, and what types of film topics she finds interesting.
Links:
Video of this episode
Matters of Life and Death: The Cinema of Powell and Pressburger – Details and Registration
Imogen Sara Smith’s Guide Page
Imogen’s Writing at Criterion
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instagram | Letterboxd | BlueSky | Threads
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – BlueSky | Le...
2025-02-1721 minThe A24 New Wave PodcastA24 New Wave - Episode 4Description:Becky D'Anna joins to talk about Alex Garland, and specifically the films that have been released by A24 -- Ex Machina, Men, and Civil War. We talk about the sense of dread that he creates and how he's such an excellent writer. Becky compares his work to Ingmar Bergman. He uses sound and photography to accomplish this, and there are parallels to Hour of the Wolf, Shame, and others.Links: Video of this episode The A24 New Wave KickstarterBecky's WebsiteBecky's LetterboxdBecky's BlueSkyBecky's Twitter/X
2025-02-0827 minCineJourneys (master feed)The A24 New Wave – Episode Four – Alex Garland with Becky D’AnnaDescription:
Becky D’Anna joins to talk about Alex Garland, and specifically the films that have been released by A24 — Ex Machina, Men, and Civil War. We talk about the sense of dread that he creates and how he’s such an excellent writer. Becky compares his work to Ingmar Bergman. He uses sound and photography to accomplish this, and there are parallels to Hour of the Wolf, Shame, and others.
Links:
Video of this episode
The A24 New Wave Kickstarter
Becky’s Website
Becky’s Letterboxd
Becky’s BlueSky
Becky’s Twitter/X
Follow Us:
2025-02-0827 minCineJourneys (master feed)The A24 New Wave – Episode Three – Osgood PerkinsDescription:
Zach Bryant from They Live By Film joins to talk about Osgood Perkins, who has one film with A24 — The Blackcoat’s Daughter. He has since achieved acclaim thanks to Longlegs and has an upcoming film called The Monkey that looks to be yet another breakthrough in his career. We get into his other films, and also Bryan Bertino’s The Monster, which Perkins produced.
Links:
Video of this episode
The A24 New Wave Kickstarter
They Live By Film Podcast
Zach’s Letterboxd
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook G...
2025-02-0725 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys Guide Spotlight – Episode 1 – Derek SmithDescription:
Derek Smith talks about his film experience and the Online Classes he plans to teach, beginning with Japanese New Wave and eventually David Lynch.
Links:
Video of this episode
Japanese New Wave 1965 – 1970s – Details and Registration
Japanese New Wave 1956 – 1964 – Details and Registration
Derek Smith’s Guide Page
Slant Magazine – Derek Smith
Letterboxd – Derek Smith
BlueSky – Derek Smith
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instagram | Letterboxd | BlueSky | Threads
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – BlueSky | Letterboxd
2025-01-3019 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 156 – David Lynch, April 2025 AnnouncementsDescription:
Jill and Aaron are back after a little bit of an unintentional break. We talk about Aaron’s upcoming new book. We pay tribute to the loss of one of our favorite filmmakers, David Lynch. Finally we talk about the April 2025 Announcements, which include seven titles, with two from Sean Baker. We have a brief digression about Gerard Depardieu’s airplane behavior.
Links:
Video of this Episode
Criterion Now – Episode 154 Video
Criterion Now – Episode 155 Video
Kickstarter Campaign for The A24 New Wave
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | In...
2025-01-2858 minThe A24 New Wave PodcastA24 New Wave - Episode 2Description:Aaron is writing an A24 book with Jill Blake editing. There is a Kickstarter campaign that is in progress right now, and this is the second episode of the accompanying podcast. Jill and Aaron talk about David Lynch first and foremost, as he is omnipresent with any conversation about modern cinema. We then get into the book and how we are approaching this topic, and where this could lead.Links: Video of this episode The A24 New Wave KickstarterFollow Us:Cinejourneys - YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | In...
2025-01-2120 minCineJourneys (master feed)The A24 New Wave – Episode TwoDescription:
Aaron is writing an A24 book with Jill Blake editing. There is a Kickstarter campaign that is in progress right now, and this is the second episode of the accompanying podcast. Jill and Aaron talk about David Lynch first and foremost, as he is omnipresent with any conversation about modern cinema. We then get into the book and how we are approaching this topic, and where this could lead.
Links:
Video of this episode
The A24 New Wave Kickstarter
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instagram | Letterboxd | Bl...
2025-01-2120 minThe A24 New Wave PodcastA24 New Wave - Episode 1Description:Aaron is writing an A24 book. There is a Kickstarter campaign that is in progress right now, and this is the first episode of the accompanying podcast. This episode will appear in all podcast player apps soon, and is always available here on the website and on our YouTube channel. We are very excited about the book and looking forward to your support!Links:Video of this episode The A24 New Wave KickstarterFollow Us:Cinejourneys - YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook G...
2025-01-1424 minCineJourneys (master feed)The A24 New Wave – Episode OneDescription:
Aaron is writing an A24 book. There is a Kickstarter campaign that is in progress right now, and this is the first episode of the accompanying podcast. This episode will appear in all podcast player apps soon, and is always available here on the website and on our YouTube channel. We are very excited about the book and looking forward to your support!
Links:
Video of this episode
The A24 New Wave Kickstarter
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instagram | Letterboxd | BlueSky | Threads
Jill Blake – BlueSky
2025-01-1424 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 17 – Inclusive Production with Daniela Taplin-LundbergDescription:
We visited with Daniela Taplin Lundberg, the owner of Stay Gold Productions and host of the Hollywood Gold Podcast. She has produced films such as Harriet, Honey Boy, Beasts of No Nation, The Kids Are All Right, Under the Silver Lake, Nanny, and several more. Her podcast is focused on showcasing producers with stories of the blood, sweat and tears that go into making Hollywood Gold. After the discussion with Daniela, Jill Blake discusses her trip to Los Angeles where she caught the Robbie Robertson Tribute show, which could become a Scorsese documentary, and also seeing...
2024-11-251h 00CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 16 – Celeste de la Cabra Reviews Aaron’s Horror ListDescription:
Celeste de la Cabra is a horror expert, at least in Aaron’s opinion. They spent some time going through Aaron’s Top 100 Horror Films of the 21st century. Celeste had not looked at the list beforehand, and it turned out she had seen 63 of the films. She had some great takes, as expected.
Links:
Video of this episode
Aaron’s Top Horror Films of the 21st Century
Celeste de la Cabra YouTube | Patreon | Letterboxd | Instagram
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instagram | Letterboxd | BlueSky | Threads
Jill Bla...
2024-11-141h 45CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Slant’s 100 Horror Films of the 21st Century with Derek SmithDescription:
Derek Smith joins Aaron to talk about the Slant list for best horror films of the 21st century. Derek writes for Slant and is going to be a guide for CineJourneys, so he had some great insights. Of course we quibbled about some of the results, but that’s kind of the point with lists.
Links:
Video of this Conversation
Slant Magazine – The 100 Best Horror Movies of the 21st Century
Where to find Derek – Slant Magazine | Letterboxd | Twitter/X
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instagram | Letterboxd | BlueSky...
2024-10-281h 18CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 15 – Variety’s Top 100 Horror ListDescription:
Jill and Aaron review the Variety 100 Best Horror films, film by film. Somehow Jill was possessed and we aren’t sure why, but good news, she’s fine now. Overall we thought this list was okay. We have some quibbles and there were a couple of films we thought were too high, some too low. There were a couple that we thought were egregiously low, but that’s bound to be the case with most subjective lists.
Links:
Video of this episode
Variety – The 100 Best Horror Movies of All Time
Follow Us:
Ci...
2024-10-211h 16CineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 153 – December 2024 Criterion Announcements with Brian SaurDescription:
Brian Saur of Just the Discs and Pure Cinema Podcast joins the show to discuss the December 2024 announcements. We also talk about Criterion Channel additions, including the new J-Horror series. Since we’re likely going to have a flash sale and Barnes & Noble sale, we also go through recent and upcoming releases to provide some recommendations.
Links:
X/Twitter | Instagram
X/Twitter | Instagram | Patreon
Brian Saur – X/Twitter | Instagram
Filmmaker Shirts
Criterion Collection – Coming Soon
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – Website | YouTube Channel | Discord Server
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – Letterboxd
2024-10-1400 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Japanese Horror with Brad McDermottDescription:
Brad McDermott joins to talk about the Japanese Horror Journey that is in progress, including Onibaba, Hausu, and the films of Kiyoshi Kurosawa. We also get into discussions about The Substance and just generally spooky season films.
Links:
Video of this Conversation
Japanese Horror Journey Details
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instagram | Letterboxd | BlueSky | Threads
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – Letterboxd
2024-10-1351 minCineJourneys (master feed)October Japanese Horror PreviewDescription:
Kristina Dijan joins to talk about the upcoming Japanese Horror Journey and also talks Spooky Season movie watching in October, with recommendations. Aaron talks about The Substance and how it is a must see, preferably in theaters.
Links:
Video Version of this Discussion
CineJourneys – October Japanese Horror Details and Registration
October CineJourneys Shirt
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – YouTube Channel | Facebook Page | Facebook Group | Instagram | Letterboxd | BlueSky | Threads
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – Letterboxd
2024-09-2420 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Classic Suspense Journey – Buckle UpDescription:
The second chapter of our Classic Suspense Journey is called “Buckle Up.” We watched Henri-Georges Clouzot’s The Wages of Fear (1953), which is widely considered to be among the best suspense films of all time. We followed it with William Friedkin’s Sorcerer (1977), which had some distribution challenges (mostly due to being released close to the time frame of Star Wars), but it is still considered one of the best classic remakes of all time. We feel it is more of a re-imagining. The films work differently, and reflect differences in filmmaking from their time frame and chan...
2024-09-131h 47CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 14 – The Hudsucker PodcastDescription:
Jill and Aaron welcome Keith Enright, The Completionist. Keith is a longtime friend of both Criterion Now and CineJourneys, and he was primarily the motivator for us to schedule a Coen Brothers Screwball Comedy Journey. This episode is a brief conversation after the conclusion of the journey, and we talk some about the Coen Brothers being part of the Minneapolis community, but more about just being a fan of their films and how that has lasted through time. We also have a conversation about lists and what we had for breakfast.
Links:
Keith’s...
2024-09-1144 minCineJourneys (master feed)Read Her to Heaven – Episode 1 – The Sweetest Taboo with Erica ShultzDescription:
This is the first episode of Read Her to Heaven, which is our new Journey where we look at film related books. We were delighted to have Erica Shultz as our inaugural guest. She is the author of The Sweetest Taboo: An Unapologetic Guide to Child Kills in Film. which is as crazy and also hilarious as it sounds.
We released our YouTube Channel. Future podcast episodes will appear on the CineJourneys master feed.
Links:
Read Her to Heaven – Episode One on YouTube
Unsung Horrors Podcast
Follow Us:
Re...
2024-09-0626 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Coming of Age Journey – We Get OlderDescription:
This is the third chapter of our Coming of Age Journey, and we really dived deep into Dazed and Confused. We also discussed Rohmer’s The Green Ray, and the pairing worked well because there’s a clear connection between the work of Rohmer and Linklater. The Green Ray is cited as a direct influence. As for Dazed and Confused, we shared a couple stories from Melissa Maerz’s book “Alright Alright Alright” and talked about the impact of the film.
We released this call on our YouTube Channel and podcast on the CineJourneys master fee...
2024-08-291h 29CineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 152 – Podcast Network, November 2024 AnnouncementsDescription:
Ryan Verrill joins the podcast to announce that we are joining Someone’s Favorite Productions network. We also get into the November 2024 announcements on the heels of having already reacted (somewhat critically) to the CC40 boxset. We are pleased with this month, and we show a different side of Mifune to show our gratitude.
Links:
Criterion Now – Episode 152 – Video
Someone’s Favorite Productions links
Disc-Connected Links
Criterion Collection – Coming Soon
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – Website | YouTube Channel | Discord Server
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – Letterboxd
2024-08-161h 04CineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 151 – CC40Description:
Jill and Aaron take a look at the recently announced Criterion Collection 40 box set, which was based on the selections of guests who have visited their closet and recorded a video. We think this was a bad idea and strays from their vision, and we are not exactly sure who this is for.
Links:
Criterion Now – Episode 151 – Video
Criterion Collection – CC40 Details
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – Website | YouTube Channel | Discord Server
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – Letterboxd
2024-08-1200 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 150 – Imogen Sara Smith, October 2024 Announcements, Modern French FilmDescription:
Imogen Sara Smith joins for our special episode 150, which we recorded without interruptions. We talk about a number of subjects including the thrill and rarity of seeing a repertory nitrate screening. She talks about her craft process, and how she approaches writing about film. We talk about modern French film and specifically how Celine Sciamma has pushed the boundaries of telling a visual story. We talk about the 2024 October Criterion announcements, including the Val Lewton set which features an Imogen interview. Finally, Imogen weighs in our Jill and Aaron’s choices for the upcoming #Noirvember Blogathon. Th...
2024-08-011h 39CineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 149 – Someone Bought Criterion?Description:
Jill and Aaron return the Criterion Now podcast with a long overdue episode. We get into the ownership situation with Criterion Collection and Indian Paintbrush, and what we expect from it. We also look at the recent and upcoming releases, and what we are looking forward to seeing as new or for the first time.
Links:
Criterion September 2024 Reaction with Josh Hornbeck
CineJourneys – Join Our Inclusive Online Community
Cinema Ritrovato
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – Website
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – Letterboxd
2024-07-121h 27CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 13 – New Website and Japanese FilmsDescription:
Jill and Aaron welcome Joe Petrucelli. Joe is a founding member and listener of the Criterion Now podcast, but we didn’t get to meet him until he joined CineJourneys. He has been here since the beginning and watched this begin with no website, then barely a website, and now a full website, so we reflect on that experience with him. We also talk about the Japanese Films Journey, which was such great fun, and Joe was a big part of what we enjoyed about that.
Links:
Japanese Films Journey
But Also – Video Loop...
2024-06-2457 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 12 – CineJourneys Art & Screwball Comedies with Caitlin KuhwaldDescription:
Jill and Aaron welcome Caitlin Kuhwald. We had the great pleasure of working with Caitlin on the art for CineJourneys, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. Usually when people see the website, the art is what they compliment. We also talk about Screwball Comedies and her Criterion covers.
Links:
Caitlin Kuhwald Illustration
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – Substack, Facebook Group
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – Letterboxd
2024-06-0500 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 11 – Golden Globes, Awards Season, and Australian Film with Andrew PeirceDescription:
Jill and Aaron welcome Andrew Pierce from The Curb. He is also co-chair of the Australian Film Critics Association, and has written books on Australian Cinema. This past year he started voting for the Golden Globe Awards, which was really intriguing to hear about. Andrew takes his credibility serious and the Globes have a checkered past, and this year was surprising in that the Awards became part of the conversation again, in many ways thanks to Andrew and others who have tried to establish some dignity. We also speak about Awards Season generally, and he talks...
2024-05-141h 16CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 10 – Ready to LaunchDescription:
Jill and Aaron are ready and excited for the imminent launch of the CineJourneys website. In this call we give a preview of what’s to come, and we share a call where the remainder of the 2024 Journeys are unveiled. Current subscribers are excited and we think you will be too. Once the site launches, we will have registration open for all remaining 2024 Journeys, plus we’ll start onboarding new Guides who will lead their own Journeys.
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – Substack, Facebook Group
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – Letterboxd
2024-04-1650 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 9 – Modern ClassicsDescription:
Jill and Aaron catch up a bit on exciting topics such as David Zaslav, Dune 2, Naked Attraction, and we give a tribute to David Bordwell who is responsible for a lot of people’s journeys into cinephilia. We also wrap up Modern Classics by discussing two of the films that resonated the most, Marie Antoinette and There Will be Blood. We also get a surprise guest for a Paddington 2 review.
Links:
David Bordwell tribute from colleagues
Criterion Tribute to David Bordwell
Naked Attraction Trailer
Modern Classics – Chapter 2 Call
Modern Classics Journey Rankings
2024-04-021h 02CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 8 – Oscar Wars with Michael SchulmanDescription:
Michael Schulman, New Yorker staff writer and author, joined us to discuss the Oscar experience. Michael recently wrote the wonderful book, Oscar Wars. We talk about this year’s Oscars and a couple of the controversies, and then we dive into one of his book chapters. This was when Gregory Peck was President of the Oscars and with his all Candice Bergen, he made sweeping reforms to allow the young American New Wave directors into the Academy. We discuss the blacklist and how that impacted the Academy, and we also talk about the great Meryl Streep, si...
2024-03-041h 22CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 7 – Oscar Talk with Derek SmithDescription:
Derek Smith from Slant Magazine joins Aaron and Mark Hurne to dig into Awards Season. He has seen pretty much everything and then some, and he just recently participated in Virtual Sundance and shares some highlights. We also talk about Modern Classics and how he inadvertently suggested a 14-hour film, and also whether any films from 2023 have potential to become classics. For the Oscars, we talk about the highlights of the nominations, a few snubs, and also some great films that did not get nominated.
Links
Slant Magazine – Derek Smith
Variety – 25 Great Films Snub...
2024-02-221h 00CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 6 – Noirvember RecapDescription:
We had a great time hosting Rodney Wade, who was one of the more active participants in our first ever Journey, Noirvember. We talk about the films, the overall experience, and what we learned from it going forward.
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – Substack, Facebook Group
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – Letterboxd
Rodney Wade – Letterboxd
2024-01-161h 02CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 6 – Noirvember Recap
Description:
We had a great time hosting Rodney Wade, who was one of the more active participants in our first ever Journey, Noirvember. We talk about the films, the overall experience, and what we learned from it going forward.
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – Substack, Facebook Group
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – Letterboxd
Rodney Wade – LetterboxdThe post CineJourneys – Episode 6 – Noirvember Recap first appeared on CineJourneys .
2024-01-1600 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 5 – True Crime DocumentariesDescription:
Welcome back! We have another episode. This time it’s a deep dive into true crime documentaries, and how they’ve changed throughout the years from informational to entertainment (or info-tainment) and how the seeds were there within classic documentaries. Since we’ve been watching Noir films in November, true crime files like a worthwhile supplemental topic.
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – Substack, Facebook Group
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – Letterboxd
2023-12-231h 27CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 5 – True Crime Documentaries[tooltip text=”Tooltip Text”]
Description:
Welcome back! We have another episode. This time it’s a deep dive into true crime documentaries, and how they’ve changed throughout the years from informational to entertainment (or info-tainment) and how the seeds were there within classic documentaries. Since we’ve been watching Noir films in November, true crime files like a worthwhile supplemental topic.
Follow Us:
Cinejourneys – Substack, Facebook Group
Jill Blake – BlueSky
Aaron West – LetterboxdThe post CineJourneys – Episode 5 – True Crime Documentaries first appeared on CineJourneys .
2023-12-231h 27CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 4 – The History of #NoirvemberDescription:
We are joined by Marya E. Gates, the “professional cinephile” who has worked with TCM, FilmStruck, Netflix, Criterion, and many others. She famously coined Noirvember 14 years ago. It was a way to further her cinephile journey, and has grown to become a phenomenon in the years that followed. She talks about that in detail during our discussion, and we unpack many other topics such as women in noir, our favorite noirs, Gloria Grahame’s off-screen exploits, and looking at Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life as noir.
Links:
Marya’s Noirvember Letterboxd Lists
...
2023-11-081h 35CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 4 – The History of #Noirvember
Description:
We are joined by Marya E. Gates, the “professional cinephile” who has worked with TCM, FilmStruck, Netflix, Criterion, and many others. She famously coined Noirvember 14 years ago. It was a way to further her cinephile journey, and has grown to become a phenomenon in the years that followed. She talks about that in detail during our discussion, and we unpack many other topics such as women in noir, our favorite noirs, Gloria Grahame’s off-screen exploits, and looking at Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life as noir.
Links:
Marya’s Noirvember L...
2023-11-081h 35CineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 3 – NoirvemberDescription:
Noirvember is our first Journey. As of today, we’ll be spending the month soft-launching our platform and enjoying noir films with friends. In this episode we discuss what Noirvember is going to look like for us, including the film list and how we’ll unpack these films. In response to some questions, we discuss how the CineJourneys platform integrates with Substack. Since many of the subscribers of the journey are film experts, we also go over some of the film noir basics.
Links:
Noirvember Registration
Noirvember and Founding Member Details
Fo...
2023-11-0149 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 3 – NoirvemberDescription:
Noirvember is our first Journey. As of today, we’ll be spending the month soft-launching our platform and enjoying noir films with friends. In this episode we discuss what Noirvember is going to look like for us, including the film list and how we’ll unpack these films. In response to some questions, we discuss how the CineJourneys platform integrates with Substack. Since many of the subscribers of the journey are film experts, we also go over some of the film noir basics.
Links:
Noirvember Registration
Noirvember and Founding Member Details
Fo...
2023-11-0149 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 2 – 31 Days of HorrorDescription:
Drew Morton is our first guest to CineJourneys, but he’s someone we’ve talked to plenty in the past. We get into 31 Days of Horror, and the near impossibility of completing it every day, and how we are watching horror films in October. Drew talks about his visit to the Stanley Hotel from The Shining (1980). We also talk about Jill’s aversion to slasher films, and how she can navigate around that and still enjoy some horror. We also get into the allure and appeal of horror films, and how we can be fascinated by grueso...
2023-10-2558 minCineJourneys (master feed)CineJourneys – Episode 2 – 31 Days of HorrorDescription:
Drew Morton is our first guest to CineJourneys, but he’s someone we’ve talked to plenty in the past. We get into 31 Days of Horror, and the near impossibility of completing it every day, and how we are watching horror films in October. Drew talks about his visit to the Stanley Hotel from The Shining (1980). We also talk about Jill’s aversion to slasher films, and how she can navigate around that and still enjoy some horror. We also get into the allure and appeal of horror films, and how we can be fascinated by grueso...
2023-10-2558 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 117 – Covid-19, Movie TheatersAaron’s father, Gary West, joins to discuss the pandemic. Gary is a public health expert that is currently teaching a class on COVID-19.
2021-02-2055 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 64 – Mark & Aaron Anniversary Special, Claire Denis, Arrow Academy, Oscar ChangesSpecial and maybe a little indulgent anniversary episode of Mark Hurne and Aaron West podcasting together.
2018-08-1900 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Close-Up – Episode 61 – The Rose
Mark and Aaron take a trip down memory lane. This is not only the first Criterion Close-Up episode, but the first time that we had podcasted together. The episode is a little rough, as would be expected, but we hope you’ll enjoy hearing us as we learned our way.
Episode Credits
Mark Hurne: Twitter | Letterboxd
Aaron West: Twitter | Blog | Letterboxd
Criterion Close-Up: Facebook | Twitter | Email
2017-09-1600 min
Criterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 61 – The RoseHere is Mark and Aaron's first podcast together, about Mark Rydell's The Rose.
2017-09-1600 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 60 – Julien Duvivier in the 1930sMark, Aaron, David and Trevor return for part two of our exploration of the under-appreciated French director, Julien Duvivier.
2017-05-0800 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Close-Up – Episode 60 – Julien Duvivier in the 1930s
Mark, Aaron, David and Trevor return for part two of our exploration of the under-appreciated French director, Julien Duvivier. The first episode, Eclipse Viewer 54, looked at the first two films in his Eclipse set. This episode looks at the peak of his career, particularly La Belle Equipe, Pépé le Moko, and La Fin du Jour, along with an overview of his career and the availability (or lack) of his work in the states.
Episode Links & Notes
Eclipse Viewer 54: Julien Duvivier in the 1930s Part 1
Criterion Close-Up 50: French Series Part 1
Criterion Close-Up 57: French Series par...
2017-05-0800 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Close-Up – Episode 59 – Late Spring and the Films of Yasujiro Ozu
Mark, Aaron and Matt Gasteier explore the filmmaking world of Yasujirō Ozu, centering on his pivotal masterpiece Late Spring (1949). It would be impossible to explore all of his dozens of his films in one episode, so we give an overview of his work, his style, and his contributions towards international cinema.
3:00 – Ozu Introduction
15:00 – Ozu biography & style
29:00 – Setsuko Hara
39:00 – Late Spring
Criterion Current – Ozu and Setsuko Hara
David Bordwell – Ozu Book
Criterion Collected
Episode Credits
Mark Hurne: Twitter | Letterboxd
Aaron West: Twitter | Blog | Letterboxd
Matt Gasteier: Twitter | Letterboxd
Cri...
2017-03-2100 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 59 – Late Spring and the Films of Yasujiro OzuMark, Aaron and Matt Gasteier explore the filmmaking world of Yasujirō Ozu, centering on his pivotal masterpiece Late Spring (1949).
2017-03-2100 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Now – Episode 7 – Before Sunrise, The Oscars, Kevin MacDonaldAaron is joined by Martin Kessler and Andrea West (Aaron’s wife!), and we talk about the latest going on in the Criterion universe.
2017-03-0800 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 58 – Punch-Drunk Love and the Films of Paul Thomas AndersonMark and Aaron discuss Punch-Drunk Love and the career of Paul Thomas Anderson.
2017-02-0800 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Close-Up – Episode 58 – Punch-Drunk Love and the Films of Paul Thomas Anderson
Mark and Aaron get back to this century with a look at Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love. Naturally we talk about Adam Sandler’s dramatic acting jobs, and well, what happened to them? We go further into PTA’s career, film by film, chronicling the evolution of his craft and style. We explore why he is so popular, and question whether he belongs in the conversation of greatest living filmmakers.
3:40 – Punch Drunk Love
47:40 – Paul Thomas Anderson
Criterion – Punch-Drunk Love
Criterion – Paul Thomas Anderson’s Favorite Films
The Film Faculty – PTA Retrospective
Mark’s Amazon Wish...
2017-02-0800 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 57 – French 1930’s Part 2: Early Jean RenoirMark and Aaron continue the French 1930s series by exploring the early career of Jean Renoir.
2016-12-2300 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Close-Up – Episode 57 – French 1930’s Part 2: Early Jean Renoir
Mark and Aaron continue the French 1930s series by exploring the early career of Jean Renoir, easily the most recognizable director from the period. We begin with the beginning, by looking at his origins and childhood. We look at his early silent films, his first sound adaptations, and a couple of films from the middle of the decade where he began to settle into his poetic realist style.
7:00 – Why Renoir?
9:30 – Origins of Renoir
20:00 – Silent Renoir (Catherine, Whirlpool of Fate, Nana, Charleston Parade, The Little Match Girl)
51:30 – Early Sound (On purge béb...
2016-12-2300 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 56 – Blood SimpleMark and Aaron are joined by Keith Silva to look at the Coen Brothers' debut to cap of #Noirvember.
2016-11-2100 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Close-Up – Episode 56 – Blood Simple
Mark and Aaron are joined by Keith Silva to look at the Coen Brothers’ debut to cap of #Noirvember. The film cannot be viewed without the exploring the context of the Coen library and their successful career to follow, but it stands alone as a debut film that sets the stage for their style. We focus quite a bit on the noir aspect, how they were going for a specific aesthetic that shows their film heritage. We evaluate why this film works, how these neophytes meticulously crafted a slow burning art film at the height of the 1980s...
2016-11-2100 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 55 – CronosMark and Aaron tackle Guillermo Del Toro's debut film, recently re-released as part of the Trilogía boxset.
2016-11-1500 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Close-Up – Episode 55 – Cronos
Mark and Aaron tackle Guillermo Del Toro’s debut film, recently re-released as part of the Trilogía boxset. Cronos is technically in the vampire genre, but even for his first film, has a distinctive Del Toro feel. We get into the character of Jesus Gris, and how Del Toro uses him as a tragic figure that touches on themes of mortality and religion. We also explore Del Toro’s passion and his “Bleak House,” showing that his passion for the medium informs his work.
About the film:
Guillermo del Toro made an auspicious...
2016-11-1500 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 53 – The VanishingMark and Aaron cover the Dutch and French horror/suspense classic, The Vanishing.
2016-10-2600 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 52 – Carnival of SoulsMark, Aaron and Eric Ford begin a month of horror with the micro-budget cult classic, Carnival of Souls.
2016-10-1300 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 51 – Mystery Train & Jim JarmuschMark and Aaron are joined by Marcus Pinn to explore the filmography of Jim Jarmusch, beginning with Mystery Train (1989).
2016-10-0600 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Close-Up – Episode 50 – French 1930s 1: Silent to Sound, Jacques Feyder, Jean Vigo
Mark, Aaron and Scott Nye kick off the first of a seven episode series about French cinema in the 1930s. We give an overview of the decade and some historical context, and discuss the French silent tradition and how that it transitioned to sound. We also get into detail about two important filmmakers, Jacques Feyder and Jean Vigo. Feyder was an important filmmaker in his time, but his works are not as prominent today, whereas Vigo was nearly forgotten in the 1930s and discovered after the war.
Episode Links & Notes
Special Guest: Scott N...
2016-09-2500 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 50 – French 1930s 1: Silent to Sound, Jacques Feyder, Jean VigoMark, Aaron and Scott Nye kick off the first of a seven episode series about French cinema i the 1930s.
2016-09-2500 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Close-Up – Episode 48 – Zatoichi: The Blind Swordsman
Mark and Aaron are joined by Dave Eves to evaluate the massive Zatoichi serial starring Shintaro Katsu. We explore the character of Zatoichi, and how he’s an unusual type of superhero. We also share tips on the best way to watch the series, whether a little bit at a time or to go on a binge-watch. We evaluate the series as both a piece of art and as pop culture, observing the high and low points.
About the film:
The colossally popular Zatoichi films make up the longest-running action series in Japanese hist...
2016-09-0600 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 48 – Zatoichi: The Blind SwordsmanMark and Aaron are joined by Dave Eves to evaluate the massive Zatoichi serial starring Shintaro Katsu.
2016-09-0600 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 47 – Downhill Racer & the OlympicsMark and Aaron celebrate the Summer Olympics by exploring Downhill Racer, an independent film about the Winter Olympics.
2016-08-2500 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Close-Up – Episode 46 – First Anniversary Show
Mark and Aaron podcast live and in person for the first time ever. During Aaron’s vacation up north, he visited “Casa Hurne” up in beautiful Vermont. While we weren’t drinking beer and eating delicious food, we decided to podcast a little about the experience we’ve had with Criterion Close-Up. Aaron also talks about his journey through Canada and the film connections he made along the way.
Episode Links & Notes
0:00 – Intro & Welcome
2:10 – Aaron’s Canada Trip & Martin Kessler
7:30 – Short Takes (Eat that Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words, The Witn...
2016-08-1700 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 46 – First Anniversary ShowMark and Aaron podcast in person, reflect on the first year of the show, and what's to come.
2016-08-1700 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 45 – In a Lonely Place & Humphrey Bogart FilmsMark and Aaron are joined by Matt Gasteier to explore Nicholas Ray's In a Lonely Place (1950) and evaluate Humphrey Bogart's body of work.
2016-07-2700 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 44 – A Brighter Summer DayMark and Aaron are joined by Scott Nye to hash out the intricate themes, history, and nuance of Edward Yang's A Brighter Summer Day.
2016-07-1900 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 43 – The PlayerMark and Aaron welcome old friend, Doug McCambridge to talk about Robert Altman's "Don't call it a" comeback film.
2016-07-0800 minCineJourneys (master feed)Criterion Close-Up – Episode 42 – Silent Film Music with Ben Model
Mark and Aaron welcome Ben Model, silent film historian, accompanist, distributor, and enthusiast. He gave a presentation about “undercranking” on Criterion’s release of Chaplin’s The Kid. We discuss the idea of undercranking, scoring silent music, and the state of silent media today theatrically and in the home video market.
Episode Links & Notes
Special Guest: Ben Model from Silent Film Music and Undercrank Productions. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
0:00 – Intro and Welcome Ben
1:15 – Ben’s Criterion Connection
4:00 – Discussion and explanation of undercranking
18:20 – Be...
2016-06-2700 minCriterion Close-UpCriterion Close-Up – Episode 42 – Silent Film Music with Ben ModelMark and Aaron welcome Ben Model, silent film historian, accompanist, distributor, and enthusiast.
2016-06-2700 min