Shows
The Complete PodcastVarda 25 - Wrap Up with Valeria Rotella
Matt and Travis wrap up their Varda journey with a very special guest. Valeria Rotella produced the bible that was used throughout this season: The Complete Films of Agnès Varda from the Criterion Collection. We discuss her own relationship with Varda’s work, her job as a producer for home media, and the box itself – perhaps the best thing Criterion has released to date. We hope you enjoy the conversation and this season!
We’ll be back with a new director soon!
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2025-08-132h 12The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 24 - Varda by Agnès
Varda’s final film is the summation of her career – literally. As with her penultimate work, this documentary was prompted by Varda’s daughter Rosalie, who suggested that Agnès tell her own story rather than have someone tell it for her. We discuss the relative structure of this autobiographical work with the earlier Beaches of Agnès, Varda’s evolving reputation as she moved into the final years of her life, and why you should display proper posture when sitting in the front row. We hope you have enjoyed this journey, and we will have a very speci...
2025-07-021h 33The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 23 - Faces Places
Varda’s most well-known film from the last two decades of her life, Faces Places is a film collaboration with artist J.R. A warm both of a film, Faces Places is an exploration of the French countryside and the unexpected combination of two very different artists who are nevertheless united in their love of people. Matt and Travis discuss the film’s conventional style – and how unconventional of a description that is for an average Varda film. We also go off on quite a tangent! We hope you enjoy.
Referenced on the show: Why Cultur...
2025-06-071h 11
Power-Up With The Transformative Full Audiobook Experience!Nas's Illmatic by Matthew GasteierPlease visithttps://thebookvoice.com/podcasts/2/audible/1663to listen full audiobooks.
Title: Nas's Illmatic
Author: Matthew Gasteier
Narrator: Cary Hite
Format: mp3
Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
Release date: 05-13-25
Ratings: Not rated yet
Genres: Music
Publisher's Summary:
A decade and a half ago, Illmatic launched one of the most storied careers in hip hop, and cemented New York’s place as the genre’s epicenter. With this in-depth look at the record, Matthew Gasteier explores the competing themes that run through Nas’s masterpiece and finds a compelling journey into adulthood.
2025-05-133h 28The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 22 - Agnès Varda: From Here to There
A running theme with Varda’s 21st century work is the unusual nature of its conception and/or execution, and From Here to There plays right into this pattern. Created out of Varda’s own recordings of her travels and encounters with artists of all types throughout the world, this miniseries presents Varda as curious consumer and globe-trotting ambassador for the novel and bold. Matt and Travis discuss the unusual nature of the film and dive into the notion of modern art and Varda’s relationship with it.
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2025-05-041h 05The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 21 - The Beaches of Agnès
For the 21st episode of season five, Matt and Travis cover one of the most extraordinary autobiographical documentaries in film history, The Beaches of Agnès. We discuss Varda’s love of beaches, her unusual and free-flowing structure, and her uncanny ability to piece it all together in a graceful and intellectually stimulating final package. This is one of Varda’s most complex and popular works, and it was great fun to unpack.
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2025-04-071h 57The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 20 - Some Widows of Noirmoutier
Varda’s 20th feature is as unusual as her stitched-together 19th. Created as an installation piece and converted into a television special, Some Widows of Noirmoutier is a straightforward yet profoundly moving documentary. In this episode, Matt and Travis discuss this oft-overlooked Varda feature, along with her blossoming visual artist identity and the broader work Varda undertook in the third and final phase of her shifting career.
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2025-03-091h 09The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 19 - Cinévardaphoto
Matt and Travis encounter an unusually constructed film: Cinévardaphoto, a set of three shorts stitched together to create a feature that could be shown in theaters and distributed on DVD. The first two of these films, Ulysse and Salut les Cubains, were previously created in the 1980s and 1960s, respectively. We covered these films in episodes 3 and 10, so here we focus on Ydessa. A profile of Ydessa Hendeles and her Teddy Bear exhibit that Varda encountered on a visit to Germany, the film is an interesting mix of profile and Varda’s own complex perspective on the...
2025-02-081h 16The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 18 - The Gleaners and I
The Complete Varda 18 – The Gleaners and I
Matt and Travis move into the 21st century with Varda’s pivotal The Gleaners and I. A massive success upon release in France, Varda’s first digital feature created a media frenzy and helped reenergize the aging filmmaker, catapulting her into the final two decades of her work that produced an extraordinarily productive run of films and art installations. We discuss the film’s merging of digital aesthetics and philosophy with a broader tradition of repurposing discarded food and artifacts, along with the rediscovery of Varda’s significance and reappr...
2025-01-192h 12The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 18 – The Gleaners and I
Matt and Travis move into the 21st century with Varda’s pivotal The Gleaners and I. A massive success upon release in France, Varda’s first digital feature created a media frenzy and helped reenergize the aging filmmaker, catapulting her into the final two decades of her work that produced an extraordinarily productive run of films and art installations. We discuss the film’s merging of digital aesthetics and philosophy with a broader tradition of repurposing discarded food and artifacts, along with the rediscovery of Varda’s significance and reappraisal of her filmography which began in the late 90s...
2025-01-0200 minThe Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 17 - One Hundred and One Nights of Simon Cinema
Matt and Travis welcome friend of the pod William Remmers to the show to discuss Varda’s final narrative fictional feature, One Hundred and One Nights of Simon Cinema. Created in celebration of the French’s conveniently defined 100th birthday of film, Varda’s movie features an astonishing number of international stars and film references of every kind you can imagine. We discuss the film’s unmistakable imprint of the unique sensibilities of Varda along with the historical significance of the film paired with its modest idiosyncrasies.
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2024-11-021h 59The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 16 - The World of Jacques Demy
Varda completed her trilogy of tributes to her husband with the most straightforward of the three: a documentary covering Demy’s career and his impact on cinema. As expected, however, Varda at her most straightforward is still a little off-kilter, so there are as many pleasurable detours as there are dry facts and clips in this loving documentary. We discuss the film’s balance of Varda and Demy and close out this miniseries with some thoughts on the couple and Varda’s relationship with her husband’s art.
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2024-09-1052 minThe Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 15 - The Young Girls Turn 25
On this episode, we cover an unusual entry in the Complete catalog: not just a bonus feature, but a bonus feature created for someone else’s movie. Varda revisits her husband’s 1967 film The Young Girls of Rochefort on the 25th anniversary of the film’s release, returning to the seaside town where it was filmed for a celebration of the masterpiece that took over its streets in the 1960s. We discuss both this tribute film and Demy’s work that inspired it, covering the confectionary joy of the original and Varda’s unique perspective and style lent to he...
2024-08-021h 15The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 14 - Jacquot de Nantes
Created in the final months of husband Jacques Demy’s life, Varda’s fourteenth feature is one of her most emotionally resonant and visually sumptuous works. On this episode, Matt and Travis discuss the film’s multi-faceted structure as a fictional recreation of Demy’s childhood, a documentary portrait of Demy as an aging and sick adult, and a visual essay on the ways in which Demy’s childhood directly informed his work as one of the most aesthetically dynamic French filmmakers of his generation.
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2024-06-021h 52The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 13 - Kung Fu Master
On the thirteenth episode, Matt and Travis tackle the second half of Varda’s diptych with Jane Birkin. After taking a look at our own unease with the subject matter of this controversial fictional film based on a short story Birkin wrote, we discuss the film’s other themes such as the AIDS epidemic, growing older, and 1980s video games.
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2024-04-161h 20The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 12 - Jane B. par Agnès V.
On the twelfth episode, Matt and Travis welcome longtime Friend of the Show Ericca Long back to discuss Varda’s idiosyncratic portrait of actress, model and icon Jane Birkin. Along with many tangential topics including modern arcades, getting older, and the musical genius of Steely Dan, we discuss the film’s unique blurring of document and fiction and Varda’s insightful use of the many tools at her disposal to present a multifaceted presentation of someone her audience likely believed they already knew everything about.
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2024-02-251h 54The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 11 - Vagabond
On the eleventh episode, Matt and Travis welcome Alex Kittle to discuss Vagabond, one of Varda’s most successful and praised films. Alex is a projectionist at the Brattle Theater, one of the greatest and most important repertory theaters in America, in Cambridge, MA. She’s also an accomplished artist as Pan and Scan on Etsy, Ko-Fi, and Behance among other places, with a focus on film and other pop-culture related content. On the episode, we discuss Varda’s empathic portrayal of a woman who has intentionally placed herself on the margins of society and the way this p...
2024-01-281h 56The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 10 - Documenteur
On the tenth episode, Matt and Travis discuss Documenteur, Varda’s fictional feature pairing with her documentary Mur Murs. A self-described “emotion picture,” Varda’s final film in Hollywood is semi-autobiographical. We discuss the movie’s unique tone merging melancholy and playful meta touches that nod both to Mur Murs and the nature of filmmaking in general, along with the personal and compelling portrayal of a woman’s interiority that makes this one of the more underrated films in her catalog. We also discuss a wide range of shorts Varda made in the period after Documenteur and before her next l...
2023-12-221h 50The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 9 - Mur Murs
On the ninth episode, Matt and Travis discuss Varda’s documentary on the murals of Los Angeles, Mur Murs. Created virtually simultaneously with the fictional film Documenteur, Mur Murs is a portrait of Los Angeles as a concrete landscape dotted with organic beauty from unusual origins. We discuss the film’s depiction of this much misunderstood city and in particular its marginalized communities that get to shine here, along with Varda’s evolving relationship with the documentary form she has developed throughout her career.
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2023-11-281h 39The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 8 - One Sings, the Other Doesn't
On the eighth episode, Matt and Travis welcome Laura Cannon from the Fatal Femmes podcast to discuss Varda’s self-described “feminist musical,” One Sings, the Other Doesn’t. We discuss the film’s still-relevant issues confronting women, the unique nature of the friendship depicted in the film, and the film’s powerful emotional impact.
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Fatal Femmes podcast
2023-09-252h 03The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 7 - Daguerréotypes
On the seventh episode of The Complete Varda, Matt and Travis discuss the charming documentary Varda made for German television in 1975, Daguerréotypes. A simple profile of the shops and their keepers on the block in Paris where Varda lived until the end of her life, the film also served as a challenge for Varda, who restricted herself to a 200 foot range around her flat in order to stay close to her young son. We discuss this clever juxtaposition of filmic text and performance piece outside of the work, along with the political implications of the film; b...
2023-08-121h 26The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 6 - Nausicaa
On the sixth episode of the Complete Varda, Matt and Travis discuss the most obscure film in Varda’s filmography, the 1970 made-for-television film Nausicaa. Censored at the time and surviving only in a work print sent to Belgium (with all other materials destroyed and the film never finished), Nausicaa is the story of Varda’s search for meaning in her own history and the contemporary political crisis in Greece. We discuss the film’s fragmented and experimental structure, its political history, and the ways in which Varda uses film as a search for meaning and connection.
The Co...
2023-07-261h 23The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 5 - Lions Love... and Lies
On the fifth episode of the Complete Varda, Matt and Travis discuss another of Varda’s unique explorations, 1969’s Lions Love (…and Lies was added at some point after the initial release). Filmed during Varda’s first stint in Los Angeles, the movie is largely formless and flirts with the line between documentary and fiction in a way that would define much of Varda’s later work. We discuss these fascinating new areas of exploration, and also cover the two shorts Varda made during this time in northern California, Uncle Yanco and The Black Panthers.
The Complete S...
2023-05-261h 51The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 4 - Les Creatures
On the fourth episode of the fifth season, Matt and Travis welcome their first guest of the season, the eternally wise and effortlessly cool David Blakeslee of Criterion Reflections, to discuss one of Agnès Varda’s most unusual and idiosyncratic films, 1966’s Les Creatures. We discuss the unusual status of the film as Varda’s most commercial and most experimental movie, along with the film’s context within the larger FNW sci-fi adventures of the mid to late 60s.
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2023-04-281h 34The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 3 - Le Bonheur
On the third episode of the fifth season, Matt and Travis discuss one of Varda’s most insidious works of cinematic irony, Le Bonheur. Created in the wake of her international success with Cleo, Varda’s third feature is a joyful evocation of man’s ability to find happiness under any condition.. or a viciously funny and damning critique of the patriarchy, wrapped up in a bright and shiny little package. We discuss the gap between what the film seems to be and what it really is, along with its impressive technique and visual sumptuousness in the direct...
2023-03-272h 09The Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 2 - Cléo from 5 to 7
On the second episode of the fifth season, Matt and Travis quickly encounter Varda’s most famous and praised film, the New Wave masterpiece Cléo from 5 to 7. Made seven years after her debut, Cléo from 5 to 7 is a portrait of a young woman waiting for medical test results and wandering through contemporary Paris in real time. We discuss Varda’s role in the FNW movement, her use of narrative and technical devices to present her feminist themes, and the film’s enduring legacy and new appearance on the 2022 Sight and Sound list of the best films ev...
2023-02-251h 44
Criterion ReflectionsCriterion Reflections – Episode 132 – Éric Rohmer’s Love in the Afternoon
Criterion Reflections is David Blakeslee’s ongoing project to watch all of the films included in the Criterion Collection in chronological order of their original release. Each episode of this fourth season of the podcast features conversations with a variety of guests offering insights on movies that originally premiered in 1972 and were destined to eventually bear the Criterion imprint. In this episode, David is joined by Matthew Gasteier to discuss Love in the Afternoon, directed by Éric Rohmer.
Episode Links:
Éric Rohmer
The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Channel
Wikipedia
Letterboxd
Sense...
2023-02-2200 min
Criterion Cast: Master Audio FeedCriterion Reflections – Episode 132 – Éric Rohmer’s Love in the Afternoon
Criterion Reflections is David Blakeslee’s ongoing project to watch all of the films included in the Criterion Collection in chronological order of their original release. Each episode of this fourth season of the podcast features conversations with a variety of guests offering insights on movies that originally premiered in 1972 and were destined to eventually bear the Criterion imprint. In this episode, David is joined by Matthew Gasteier to discuss Love in the Afternoon, directed by Éric Rohmer.
Episode Links:
Éric Rohmer
The Criterion Collection
The Criterion Channel
Wikipedia
Letterboxd
Sense...
2023-02-2200 minThe Complete PodcastThe Complete Varda 1 - La Pointe Courte
On the first episode of the fifth season, Matt and Travis begin their discussion of the films of Agnès Varda with her debut feature, La Pointe Courte. Barely screened upon completion but seen by a handful of hugely influential filmmakers and cinephiles, the film is now regarded as the first film of the French New Wave and a pioneering work in all of French cinema. We also discuss Varda’s three shorts she made in the interim between her debut and her second film: L’opéra-mouffe, Ô saisons, ô châteaux, and Du côté de la côte.
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2023-01-242h 09
The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kon – Wrap Up with Andrew OsmondFor the final episode of the season, Matt and Travis are joined by Andrew Osmond, a writer and journalist who specializes in film and animation and the author of Satoshi Kon: The Illusionist, the only book in English that focuses entirely on Kon. We discuss his interest in animation and anime in particular, along with … Continue reading The Complete Kon 6 – Wrap Up with Andrew Osmond →
2021-07-231h 39The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kon 5 – PaprikaSatoshi Kon’s final film is the culmination of his career up to this point: an amalgamation of his most ambitious technical experimentation and the meta and philosophical themes deeply infused into all of his films, here made literal in a story that provides an opportunity for Kon’s vision to play out in a free-flowing manner. … Continue reading The Complete Kon 5 – Paprika →
2021-06-031h 41The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kon 4 – Paranoia AgentFor the fourth episode, Matt and Travis cover the epic and extraordinary Paranoia Agent, Kon’s 13-episode television series. The first and only thing Kon did for TV began as a combination of many of his smaller ideas and story concepts that didn’t have a home but eventually morphed into something more ambitious and far-reaching. We … Continue reading The Complete Kon 4 – Paranoia Agent →
2021-04-162h 29The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kon 3 – Tokyo GodfathersFor the third episode, Travis and Matt discuss the magical comedy adventure Tokyo Godfathers, Kon’s third feature. We discuss the vividly rendered central characters, the small details and recurring motifs that Kon layers into his work, and the departure from … Continue reading →
2021-01-051h 33The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kon 2 – Millennium ActressIn this episode, Matt and Travis cover Satoshi Kon’s second feature, Millennium Actress. In many ways a reworking of the themes and techniques Kon explored in his debut, the film is nevertheless an entirely different viewing experience: an uplifting and … Continue reading →
2020-12-021h 50The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kon 1 – Perfect BlueOn the first episode of our fourth season, Matt and Travis begin to work through the catalog of Satoshi Kon, our first Japanese filmmaker and the first to work in the medium of animation. We talk about Kon’s life and anime before diving into his debut feature, Perfect Blue. One of the great animated thrillers, … Continue reading The Complete Kon 1 – Perfect Blue →
2020-10-242h 00
The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 19 – Wrap UpOn the final episode of the season, we reflect on the films we’ve watched over the past two years and the legacy of Kieślowski. We also cover films produced after his death that were associated with him through scripts and … Continue reading →
2020-08-291h 27The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 18 – Three Colors: RedFor the last of our episodes on Kieślowski’s final work, the Three Colors trilogy, we are joined again by Ericca Long, co-host of The Magic Lantern Podcast to discuss Red, the director’s final work before retiring and soon after passing away from complications during heart surgery. We discuss the film’s depiction of its female protagonist … Continue reading The Complete Kieślowski 18 – Three Colors: Red →
2020-05-291h 35The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 17 – Three Colors: WhiteFor the second of our episodes on Kieślowski’s final work, the Three Colors trilogy, we are joined again by Ericca Long, co-host of The Magic Lantern Podcast to discuss White, the second film in the series. A surprising departure in a number of ways from the director’s previous two films, White represents a return to … Continue reading The Complete Kieślowski 17 – Three Colors: White →
2020-04-161h 36The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 16 – Three Colors: BlueFor the first of our episodes on Kieślowski’s final work, the Three Colors trilogy, we are joined by Ericca Long, co-host of The Magic Lantern Podcast to discuss Blue, the first film in the series. The second film Kieślowski made with international financing, Blue is another towering work of European arthouse cinema, yet remains surprisingly … Continue reading The Complete Kieślowski 16 – Three Colors: Blue →
2020-03-192h 06The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 15 – The Double Life of VeroniqueFor the first post-Dekalog episode, Travis and Matt welcome Dave Eves and Becky D’Anna, a couple of cinephiles and Bergman experts, to discuss The Double Life of Veronique. This film was Kieślowski’s first partially French-financed movie, and the first after … Continue reading →
2020-02-032h 06The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 14 – Dekalog Wrap-Up with Michał OleszczykFor our final episode on the Dekalog, Travis and Matt welcome Michał Oleszczyk, a film critic and scholar based in Poland who has contributed to outlets such as Fandor and rogerebert.com. He recently curated a Kieślowski film festival at the director’s archives in Sokołowsko, Poland, and we were thrilled to have him on to discuss … Continue reading The Complete Kieślowski 14 – Dekalog Wrap-Up with Michał Oleszczyk →
2019-12-222h 39The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 13 – Dekalog 9 & 10To close out our 6-part miniseries covering the individual episodes of the Dekalog, Matt and Travis welcome Daisuke Beppu, who hosts a wonderful YouTube channel covering the Criterion Collection and other film and home media topics. We discuss episodes 9 … Continue reading →
2019-11-162h 37The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 12 – Dekalog 7 & 8For part 5 of our 6-part miniseries on Kieślowski’s monumental Dekalog television series, Matt and Travis welcome friend of the show and chief admin of the Criterion Considered group on Facebook Tim Leggoe. We discuss the next two episodes in … Continue reading →
2019-10-191h 56The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 11 – Dekalog 6 & A Short Film About LoveMatt and Travis are joined by David Blakeslee of the invaluable Criterion Reflections podcast to discuss the second Dekalog episode that was expanded into a feature, episode six, which would be titled A Short Film About Love in its feature … Continue reading →
2019-09-112h 01The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 10 – Dekalog 5 & A Short Film About KillingMatt and Travis welcome Cole Roulain, cohost of The Magic Lantern podcast and cohoncho of The 25th Frame, to discuss the fifth episode of Dekalog and the first to be adapted into a feature-length film. The episode is a significant … Continue reading →
2019-08-081h 58The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 9 – Dekalog 3 and 4Matt and Travis move on to parts 3 and 4 of Kieślowski’s epic television series Dekalog and bring on Keith Enright of the now defunct Criterion Completion website and pod-on-permanent-hiatus. This is part 2 of our 6-part series on the … Continue reading →
2019-07-092h 01The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 8 – Dekalog 1 and 2Matt and Travis are excited to kick off our first multi-part series on one work: Kieślowski’s legendary Dekalog television miniseries. For the first episode, we welcome Josh Hornbeck, host of the forthcoming Criterion Channel Surfing podcast, to discuss the first … Continue reading →
2019-06-142h 14The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 7 – No EndMatt and Travis welcome Caitlin, the host of Her Head in Films, to discuss Kieślowski’s final film before creating the internationally acclaimed Dekalog series for Television, 1985’s No End. Released in the wake of a two-year period of martial law … Continue reading →
2019-05-232h 18The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 6 – Blind ChanceMatt and Travis are joined by Martin Kessler of Flixwise and Flixwise Canada to discuss Kieślowski’s shelved 1981 theatrical feature Blind Chance. Like Short Working Day, Blind Chance was never shown publicly before being withheld from circulation, a victim of … Continue reading →
2019-05-052h 10The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 5 – Short Working DayMatt and Travis welcome Matt Schlee from Cineccentric to discuss the fifth feature in Kieślowski’s filmography, Short Working Day. In 1981, Kieślowski made two films that would be immediately shelved and go unreleased for years: the theatrical feature Blind Chance … Continue reading →
2019-04-061h 36The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 4 – Camera BuffMatt and Travis welcome Will Remmers to the show to discuss Kieślowski’s second theatrical feature and four feature overall, 1979’s Camera Buff. After The Calm was shelved, Kieślowski carried on with his documentary work, producing I Don’t Know (which he … Continue reading →
2019-03-222h 17The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 3 – The CalmMatt and Travis welcome the all-powerful voice and cinematic insight of Mr. Mark Hurne, co-host of Close-Up and regular on Criterion Now, to discuss Kieslowski’s second full-length made-for-TV feature and third overall feature, The Calm. The Calm was made almost … Continue reading →
2019-03-101h 42The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 2: The ScarTravis and Matt welcome Jon Laubinger, host of fellow 25th Frame show Film, Baby, Film, to discuss The Scar, Kieślowski’s second feature-length film. The Scar was Kieślowski’s first feature film for theaters, as Personnel had been made for television. Although … Continue reading →
2019-02-111h 50The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kieślowski 1: PersonnelSeason three of The Complete begins with the first full-length film made by Krzysztof Kieślowski, the made-for-TV 72-minute feature Personnel. We begin by discussing the director’s reputation and give a brief overview of his early life, time at the Łodz … Continue reading →
2019-02-012h 05The Complete PodcastThe Complete Supplemental Elaine MayMatt and Travis close out the season with May’s final film, an hour-long profile of Mike Nichols’s career. We start by discussing the special and Nichols’s career before closing out the season with a discussion of May’s films and her … Continue reading →
2018-11-281h 10The Complete PodcastThe Complete Elaine May 4: IshtarMatt and Travis tackle one of the most notorious “debacles” in Hollywood history, Elaine May’s Ishtar. We discuss the sad history of a modest film buried under a legendary backstory, along with the surprisingly entertaining product actually at the center … Continue reading →
2018-11-171h 29The Complete PodcastThe Complete Elaine May 3: Mikey and NickyTravis and Matt discuss Elaine May’s first Criterion Collection entry, set to be released on blu-ray in January. We discuss the film’s shaggy filmmaking, the central performances from Falk and Cassavetes, and its place in both May’s filmography and the … Continue reading →
2018-11-041h 36The Complete PodcastThe Complete Elaine May 2: The Heartbreak KidTravis and Matt take on Elaine May’s second film, the anti-romantic comedy The Heartbreak Kid. We talk about the film’s emphasis on character and how the movie upends conventions that had barely been invented yet. We also compare it to … Continue reading →
2018-10-251h 41The Complete PodcastThe Complete Elaine May 1: A New LeafMatt and Travis kick off the new season of The Complete with A New Leaf, Elaine May’s debut film. We talk about the tragic underrepresentation of women in the director’s chair during Hollywood’s “golden” era, along with May’s unique path to her own career as a filmmaker, before discussing the many charms and sophisticated execution of the very dark comedy of A New Leaf. A New Leaf
2018-10-141h 30The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick: The Supplemental KubrickTo wrap up the first season, Matt and Travis cover books and documentaries about Kubrick, while also touching on his unproduced films and their big takeaways from watching Kubrick’s work in chronological order. The Supplemental Kubrick
2018-08-201h 23The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 13: Eyes Wide ShutFor Kubrick’s final film, Matt and Travis are joined by Trevor Berrett of The Mookse and the Gripes and The Eclipse Viewer. We discuss the film’s remarkable relevance in America today, along with its dual themes of marriage and power. … Continue reading →
2018-07-232h 44The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 12: Full Metal JacketMatt and Travis are joined by Doug McCambridge of Good Times, Great Movies to discuss Kubrick’s final war film, 1987’s Full Metal Jacket. We explore Kubrick’s larger purpose beyond the Vietnam War and the complicated moral landscape of the film. … Continue reading →
2018-06-142h 13The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 11: The ShiningMatt and Travis welcome Aaron West, host of Criterion Now, to discuss Kubrick’s most popular movie, The Shining. We discuss the film’s use of cinematic technique to explore fear and the film’s many mysteries, both real and imagined. The Shining
2018-05-212h 18The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 10: Barry LyndonMatt and Travis welcome cinema samurai and man-about-Twitter Dave Eves to discuss Barry Lyndon. We discuss the film’s uncanny reproduction of 18th Century Europe and the film’s thematic depth, along with the many mysteries of Barry and Ryan O’Neil’s performance. … Continue reading →
2018-04-202h 22The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 9: A Clockwork OrangeMatt and Travis welcome author and professor Kenneth James to discuss Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. We discuss the film’s many thematic and aesthetic elements as well as the film’s notoriety both on release and in its legacy as one of … Continue reading →
2018-03-112h 24The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 8: 2001: A Space OdysseyMatt and Travis welcome David Blakeslee of Criterion Reflections to discuss his favorite film of all time, 2001: A Space Odyssey. We go through each of the film’s four sections and discuss the film’s significance in both world history and … Continue reading →
2018-01-313h 17The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 7: Dr. StrangeloveMatt and Travis are joined by Jon Laubinger of Film Baby Film to discuss Dr. Strangelove. We focus on the film’s relevance in today’s political climate and Kubrick’s decision to make a satire rather than a straight thriller. Dr. Strangelove
2017-12-171h 38The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 6: LolitaMatt and Travis welcome Ericca Long of The Magic Lantern Podcast to the show to talk Lolita. We talk about the choices Kubrick made in adapting the book and discuss the controversial subject matter and its treatment by the director. … Continue reading →
2017-11-262h 02The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 5: SpartacusMatt and Travis welcome Martin Kessler of Flixwise to the show to talk Spartacus, Stanley Kubrick’s first for-hire directorial project. We talk about the overt and covert elements of the movie and why this is both the most and least … Continue reading →
2017-11-091h 40The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 4: Paths of GloryMatt and Travis turn to Kubrick’s first masterpiece, Paths of Glory. They discuss why the movie still speaks to us so strongly today and break down the elements that make this feel like the first major Stanley Kubrick work. Paths … Continue reading →
2017-10-242h 01The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 3: The KillingMatt and Travis welcome Cole Roulain from the Magic Lantern Podcast to discuss Kubrick’s first professional picture, The Killing. They go into detail on the film’s complex structure and cover the noir elements that help the film stand out in … Continue reading →
2017-10-111h 39The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 2: Killer’s KissMatt and Travis dive right into Killer’s Kiss, with further discussion of Kubrick’s depiction of women and his preference for adapting literary sources. Killer’s Kiss
2017-08-301h 44The Complete PodcastThe Complete Kubrick 1: Fear and DesireThe first season kicks off with Stanley Kubrick’s Fear and Desire (1953). Matt and co-host Travis Trudell start by talking about their own histories with Kubrick’s movies and how the director is perceived before diving into his debut. S01E01 – … Continue reading →
2017-08-301h 47
Criterion Cast: The Eclipse ViewerThe Eclipse Viewer – Episode 58 – Late Ozu [Part 1]
This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this first episode of a three-part series, David and Trevor are joined by Matthew Gasteier to discuss two films (Early Spring and Tokyo Twilight) from Eclipse Series 3: Late Ozu.
About the films:
Master filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu directed fifty-three feature films over the course of his long career. Yet it was in the final decade of his life, his “old master” phase, that...
2017-07-0200 min
The Eclipse Viewer – CriterionCastThe Eclipse Viewer – Episode 58 – Late Ozu [Part 1]
This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this first episode of a three-part series, David and Trevor are joined by Matthew Gasteier to discuss two films (Early Spring and Tokyo Twilight) from Eclipse Series 3: Late Ozu.
About the films:
Master filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu directed fifty-three feature films over the course of his long career. Yet it was in the final decade of his life, his “old master” phase, that...
2017-07-0200 min