Shows
Words and MoviesReel 90a: At the Ballet, Pt.1In today's episode we're going to have a look at a couple of films made several decades apart that look at the goings-on behind the scenes in ballet companies. In this half of the episode, we're reviewing THE RED SHOES (1948), directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger. We have impresario-type behavior, composers with big egos, love triangles, and all of it rather thinly overlaid on a Hans Christian Andersen story. But that's not a bad thing, even though there's at least one sticking point where Sean and I disagree. (It's minor, but we're each staying to our...
2025-11-2047 min
Words and MoviesReel 89b: Backstage Adaptations, Pt.2In Part 2 of today's episode, we look at TRISTRAM SHANDY: A COCK AND BULL STORY, directed by Michael Winterbottom. Steve Coogan is an exaggerated version of himself (we hope), playing the title character in the film adaptation of The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman. He's constantly sparring with another actor in the film over the relative importance of their roles. The director doesn't appear to have a good handle on the source material, but oddly enough the two people who do are constantly ignored. If you've ever watched a film and wondered "How did this get made?"...
2025-11-1241 min
Words and MoviesShort Subject: Sean Looks Back at the Sundance Film FestivalAs you no doubt know, actor/director/producer Robert Redford died last week at the age of 89. Now, lots and lots of people took the time to look back at his film career, so Sean and Claude took a different tack and reviewed a different aspect of Redford's legacy: the Sundance Film Festival. Redford wasn't one of the original founders, but he came in very early in the process, and just having his name attached to it gave the festival a new focus and level of prestige.
2025-09-2523 min
Words and MoviesReel 87b Semi-Autobiographical Films, pt.2From New York we head down to Baltimore, Maryland for DINER (1982) written and directed by Barry Levinson. This film was, in fact, shot in and around Baltimore, and Claude takes the time to flex his Baltimore geography knowledge. (By the way, when you're visiting the gravesite he mentions during the episode, you can also visit the grave of John Wilkes Booth, perhaps the best-marked unmarked grave in America.)COMING ATTRACTIONS: Next time we'll be doing a follow-up to Reel 12, with more Backstage Drama, with a slight twist. We'll start with TOPSY TURVY (1999) and move on...
2025-06-121h 05
Words and MoviesReel 79a: The Dark Side of TV, pt.1Both Sean and I like both of these films so unabashedly that we wound up with a truly overstuffed episode.
This time around we're looking at a pair of films that turned out to be oddly prophetic in their vision, although one of them missed the mark, but only slightly.
In this part of the episode we examine the 1957 film A Face in the Crowd, directed by Elia Kazan and starring Patricia Neal and Andy Griffith as two people whose lives become intertwined when one of them becomes a media sensation. It's a brilliant examination...
2024-09-111h 01
Words and MoviesReel 76b: The Gangster Film as Allegory, pt2In this episode we review the 1981 film Thief, directed by Michael Mann and starring James Caan and Tuesday Weld. Caan plays a safecracker who's finding it quite impossible to break out of his life of crime. On the other hand, maybe he does find a way...
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
In our next episode we'll be looking at a pair of beloved films that have had unfortunate side effects. We'll start with 1939's Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and then move on to 1988's The Accidental Tourist, a film Claude has loved ever since he attended a...
2024-07-0949 min
Words and MoviesReel 72b: Films Based on John LeCarre, pt2In Part 2 of our episode, we look at 1990s The Russia House, starring Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer. This film, directed by Fred Schepisi, features Connery as a British Intelligence agent (wait...what?) who's looking for the author of a sensitive Soviet manuscript whose contents, if true, could mean a great deal to the Intelligence Community.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Next time, we stick with LeCarre novels rendered on film, with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011), and A Most Wanted Man (2014), Join us, won't you?
2024-05-0651 min
Words and MoviesReel 70a: Love During Wartime, Pt1Welcome Back! Sean and Claude took a little Spring Break and we hope you were able to do the same.
For our 70th episode, we take a peek at two films that involve couples dealing with life on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Part One features The Unbearable Lightness of Being, directed by Philip Kaufman and starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Juliette Binoche and Lena Olin. In this film we have a couple who find themselves going from the Prague Spring to the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and the events afterward. How they deal with life, love...
2024-04-0757 min
Words and MoviesReel 63b: Same Title, Different MovieOur conversation jumps to 1987. This No Way Out stars Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman and Sean Young in a story of Cold War intrigue. We practically guarantee that you'll be caught off-guard by the way everything resolves. Strap yourself in; we had a LOT to say.
2023-11-111h 10
Words and MoviesReel 59b: TANSTAAFL, Pt2In the second half of our episode, we're looking at the Oscar-winning film PARASITE, co-written and directed by Bong Joon Ho. In this film, a poor Korean family slowly infiltrates themselves into the lives of a wealthy family. That they do so isn't necessarily bad; how they do it is a little on the questionable side. But there are a lot of twists and turns in this dark comedy, and every time you think you know what's going to happen next, you'll find yourself surprised.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
In Reel 61 (remember, we're a wee bit out...
2023-09-0446 min
Words and MoviesReel 59a: TANSTAAFL, pt1TANSTAAFL: There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch
As we get back on track with our episode counts, we discover the downside of capitalism, specifically that there are people who need to take advantages of cracks in the system to get along.
In the first half of our episode we take a peek at SHOPLIFTERS, from 2018 and directed by Hirokazu Koreeda. It's a look at a very unusual family in Tokyo and the steps they take to keep themselves together.
In Part 2 we jump to Korea and look at PARASITE, from...
2023-09-0441 min
Words and MoviesReel 60b: Hail Oceania, Pt.2In Part 2 of this episode, we look at the 2002 film Rabbit-Proof Fence, directed by Philip Noyce. In this film the characters aren't confronting their sins, but it's a modern-day reckoning of events that have taken place within the lifetimes of some people who are still alive today. You'll find yourself running through a gamut of emotions as you trail three young girls as they make their way across hundreds of miles of Australia on foot.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
As I noted, Episode 59 actually comes next, so we'll be back to Shoplifters and Parasite. Save all the...
2023-08-1653 min
Words and MoviesReel 60a: Hail Oceania, Pt.1What happened to Episode 59? I hear you saying. Well...I explain it at the start of the episode, but the short answer is that I had a post-production issue, so the episode will be delayed. So because Episode 60 is the last of the Around the World in 20 Films series, we decided to release this one and give you a brand-new Episode 59 next time around. And just temporarily ignore the previews for Episode 61, although in that respect they'll be accurate.
So we take a brief detour to New Zealand and Australia, for a couple of films in which...
2023-08-1653 min
Words and MoviesReel 58b: This Woman's Work, Pt.2In Part 2 of this week's episode, we move to Spain, for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988), directed by Pedro Almodovar. It's a movie that takes some serious subject matters and plays them for comedy, but despite that there are no false notes among all the weird coincidences we bump into.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
We return to Asia for our next episode. Our first entry is the Japanese film Shoplifters (2018), which also has some serious moments in it, but overall it's a truly adorable story. Then in Part 2 we move to Korea for Parasite (2019...
2023-08-0952 min
Words and MoviesReel 58a: This Woman's Work, Pt.1Films featuring women as the central character often have depressingly similar threads moving through them, as though women in general were monolithic beings. This time around, we continue our trip Around the World in Twenty Films with a look at two films centered on women who are affected by their jobs, but who aren't defined by them. In Part One we have When A Woman Ascends the Stairs (1960), directed by Mikio Naruse. It's a Japanese film that takes a glance askance at the Geisha life.
In Part 2, we'll move to Spain, to look in on a few...
2023-08-0948 min
Words and MoviesReel 57b: Wedding Blues, pt. 2In the second half of our episode we're looking at events After the Wedding, from 2006. As with most big events, people learn things about themselves--and each other--and this is no exception. But the revelation that takes place this time around has some strange implications for someone who'd come to the event for another reason altogether.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Our journey Around the World in Twenty Films continues with visits to Japan and Spain. First up is When a Woman Ascends the Stairs, from 1960. Then it's 1988's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, a slightly...
2023-07-1451 min
Words and MoviesReel 57a: Wedding Blues, pt1Weddings are funny things, but mostly if you're not directly involved with them.
They're typically big and with that bigness comes the big drama that comes with large numbers of people coming together in one place. But there's also a commonality to these events, even if the specific rituals are different.
In this episode we continue our Around the World in Twenty Films series, first with a stop in India, to check out 2001's Monsoon Wedding, directed by Mira Nair. It's a comedy that nonetheless has a dark-ish storyline getting lighter toward the end, and...
2023-07-1449 min
Words and MoviesShort Subject: Changes at TCMIn this mini-episode recorded on June 27, Sean and Claude talk about the recent staffing changes over at Turner Classic Movies and the impact it's having on people, not only the viewers but the people who are so intimately involved with the medium, such as Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. Listen in, and worry along with us.
2023-07-0723 min
Words and MoviesReel 56b: Only Connect, Pt.2In the second half of today's episode, we'll be reviewing The Edge of Heaven from 2007, directed by Fatih Akim. It's a film entirely about missed connections that will frustrate you, but eventually you manage to settle in and accept what happens (or doesn't).
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Put on your rented tuxedo, because we're going to a couple of weddings. First, from 2001, it's Monsoon Wedding, an Indian comedy-drama directed by Mira Nair. Although it takes place in India, you'll recognize most of the drama that happens when extended families find themselves in one place.
From t...
2023-06-2653 min
Words and MoviesReel 56a: Only Connect, Pt.1This week we're focusing on a pair of films that feature many missed connections, giving our title a touch of irony.
In this first half we're featuring Exotica, from 1994, directed by Atom Egoyan. It's a film where two parallel storylines are tied together by a third one which, oddly enough, isn't concurrent with the other two. Egoyan plays fair, though: he leaves the clues there for you; it's up to you to pick them up and put the pieces together.
In Part Two, we'll travel from Canada to Turkey, to review 2007's The Edge of...
2023-06-2651 min
Words and MoviesReel 55b: Another Brick in the Berlin Wall, Part 2As noted previously, this half of the episode focuses on 2008's The Baader-Meinhof Complex, directed by Uli Edel. It's a true-story thriller that depicts the activities of a terrorist group in West Germany over a ten-year period beginning in the late 1960s. There are times when you're drawn into the story enough that you find yourself leaning toward rooting for the bad guys, but ultimately you'll come to your senses and see that there's no other way this story could end.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
As Sean notes, for the next few episodes the...
2023-06-1157 min
Words and MoviesReel 55a: Another Brick in the Berlin Wall, Part 1Or, Claude Writes Another Too-Clever Title Prompting Sean to Send Perplexed DMs.
In this episode of our Around the World in Twenty Films series, we look at a pair of films in which German citizens are forced to confront their own past. This isn't in a whole "The Nazis were us the entire time!" kind of attitude but rather in the way that some of the tactics that were employed in the past are coming back in subtle ways to haunt their present.
And we start with The Lives of Others, from 2006, which was written...
2023-06-1153 min
Words and MoviesReel 54b: Les Crimes Francais, pt.2In the second half of our show, we look at Le Cercle Rouge, from 1970 and directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. It's an epic-length film about a jewelry heist that will keep you guessing up until the very end.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
We reach the halfway mark with our world tour as we go to Germany. The films we're screening show different ways that the Germans confront their past. First up is The Lives of Others, a 2006 drama that takes place on the other side of the Berlin wall. Then we move forward two years t...
2023-05-0754 min
Words and MoviesReel 54a: Les Crimes Français, part 1We continue our trip Around the World in Twenty Films with a stop in France, where we look at a couple of films largely from the criminals' point of view.
We start with 1960's Breathless, Jean-Luc Godard's innovative film starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Sebring. Belmondo plays a criminal on the run who spends some time hiding out with an old girlfriend. Some of the foreign posters kind of give away the ending to this film, but it's doubtful that this conclusion would come as a big surprise to most viewers, anyway.
...
2023-05-0745 min
Words and MoviesReel 53b: Only Disconnect, pt2In this half of the episode, we take a hard look at Performance, the 1970 film starring James Fox and Mick Jagger. They, along with Michele Breton and Anita Pallenberg, create a quartet that gets mixed up in drugs and sex to the point where minds are shattered. Most of the last 15 minutes of the film, we guarantee you will not see coming.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
In Episode 54 we go to France and review two movies that have crime at their center. From 1960, it's Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless, followed by Le Cercle Rouge, from 1970 and d...
2023-04-2344 min
Words and MoviesReel 53a: Only Disconnect, pt1In this episode Sean and Claude look at a pair of films involving people and their personalities, and how they can disassociate from themselves and each other, and manage to come back together in unusual ways.
First on the slate is Ingmar Bergman's Persona, from 1966. It stars Bibi Andersson and Liv Ullman as a nurse and her patient who have been isolated in a beach house for several weeks. By the end of the film, it's unclear who has cured whom...and of what.
In Reel 53b, we continue the episode with Performance, from 1970.
2023-04-2335 min
Words and MoviesReel 52b: South American Way, Pt2In the second half of our episode, we look at The Secret in Their Eyes, a 2009 crime-drama that comes from director Juan José Campanella, which is far superior to the 2015 American remake. It's about a mystery that takes many years to solve, and features an ending that will literally have you gasping out loud, maybe all the way through the credits.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
From South America we go to Europe, for a look at a couple of movies where peoples' minds and personalities are somehow morphed into something else. First up is I...
2023-04-0644 min
Words and MoviesReel 52a: South American Way, Pt1Continuing our trip Around the World in Twenty Films, in this episode we're stopping off in South America.
We begin in an unnamed country that's almost certainly Uruguay, with the based-on-a-true-story State of Siege, directed by Juan José Campanella. It's a film whose ending you already know, but you quickly forget about as you get pulled into the storyline.
In Part 2, we'll be jumping to Chile for the crime drama The Secret In Their Eyes.
2023-04-0643 min
Words and MoviesReel 51b: Alfonso Cuaron's Mexico, Pt 2In this second half of our episode, we take a look at 2018's Roma, a film set largely in Mexico City, despite the title.
Roma has the distinction among Cuarón's films to be released on a very limited basis in theaters, and since then exclusively on Netflix. They've done this a couple of times (see also: The Irishman), but whether this turns into a larger model remains to be seen.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
We continue south on our world tour with 1972's State of Siege, directed by Costa-Gavras, and The S...
2023-03-2447 min
Words and MoviesReel 51a: Alfonso Cuaron's Mexico, Pt1Alfonso Cuarón does know his Mexico, and it shows in these two films as we begin our trip around the world.
We start with Y Tu Mama Tambien, certainly one of the horniest movies we've ever reviewed. This 2001 effort involves a pair of teenagers taking a road trip with a much older, quite attractive, married woman. There are sexy moments and there are sad moments, and there are other moments when you think you know what a character is doing, but are you ever so wrong in your guess.
In Part 2, w...
2023-03-2442 min
Words and MoviesShort Subject: Around the World in 20 FilmsHey, folks: The next ten episodes are going to cover a variety of foreign films from all over the world. Sean went through a very meticulous process to curate this particular list, and in this mini-episode, we're going to chat a little bit about what first got us interested in foreign films, and the criteria that he used to select these titles.
2023-03-1515 min
Words and MoviesReel 50b: Inspired TV, pt 2In the second half of our episode, we spend some time with Singles, from 1992 and directed by Cameron Crowe. This film is about the lives and loves of a half-dozen young adults, most of whom live in the same apartment complex. But, of course, this has nothing to do with the NBC hit comedy Friends, which ran from 1994 to 2004. Cameron Crowe himself has said that he was approached about adapting Singles to a TV series but he turned the studio down; only a few months later, Friends gets the green light. Crazy coincidence, or what? You be the judge!
2023-03-0655 min
Words and MoviesReel 50a: Inspired TV, pt 1Holy moley, we've made it to 50 episodes!
This time around we're checking out a pair of films that were likely the basis of television shows, even though the official story is that there's no connection.
We start off with Stalag 17, directed and co-written by Billy Wilder. This 1953 film stars William Holden in an Oscar-winning performance, along with Don Taylor, Robert Strauss, Harvey Lembeck, Peter Graves, Neville Brand, Richard Erdman, Michael Moore, Sig Ruman, and Otto Preminger. Its worth noting that Strauss and Lembeck also appeared in the original Broadway production.
There are numerous el...
2023-03-061h 00
Words and MoviesReel 49b: Female Thieves, Part 2In Part 2 of our episode, we jump to 2018 and the film Widows, directed by Steve McQueen and adapted from a British TV series.
2023-02-1043 min
Words and MoviesReel 49a: Female Thieves, Part 1Claude really wanted to call this episode "Girls Kicking Ass," but he chickened out and didn't try to talk Sean into changing it, so "Female Thieves" it was and "Female Thieves" it remained. (Yes, we've used a few of Claude's titles, and Sean is kind enough not to roll his eyes too hard as he acquiesces.)
But the fact is, the girls do kick ass in these two films, and they don't even bother taking names, 'cause that's just going to slow them down in their pursuit of whatever they're pursuing. And while both of these films i...
2023-02-1048 min
Words and MoviesReel 48b: A Fan's-Eye View, pt 2In this (more reasonable-length) half of our episode, we take a look at Michael Winterbottom's 24 Hour Party People, a story about the rise of a specific slice of the New Wave era of music in the early 1980s. It's a mostly-true story (we talk about that a little bit) told from the point of view of someone who was in the middle of it all. And again, we're getting it from a fan who's managed to inject himself into the story. It's a lot of fun and has a bit of a documentary feel because of the cinematography and...
2023-01-2439 min
Words and MoviesReel 48a: A Fan's-Eye View, pt1This may be the longest segment of an episode we've ever done, because Almost Famous is probably one of our favorite films ever, and it's kind of amazing that it took us this long to get to it. As a result we spend just a little bit over an hour talking about it.
In this episode we look at a pair of films in which the main character is a fan of the music being discussed throughout the film, and in this half, as noted above, we're starting with Almost Famous, from 2000. Cameron Crowe directed this semi-autobiographical l...
2023-01-241h 03
Words and MoviesReel 47b: Concept Album Musicals, part 2In this half of the show, we spend nearly an hour talking about Pink Floyd—The Wall, based on the 1979 album The Wall, by Pink Floyd. It was directed by Alan Parker, with animated segments produced by Gerald Scarfe, based on his artwork for the original album.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Next time, we wrap up the musical films with a view from the fan's perspective. First we start with Almost Famous, a film we've wanted to discuss almost since Episode One. Then it's on to 24-Hour Party People, a truly quirky film from 2002 about the...
2022-12-291h 00
Words and MoviesReel 47a: Concept Album Musicals, part 1It's the last of the "lost" episodes and the second-to-last of the series of musical episodes. In this half we look at 1979's Quadrophenia, based on the 1973 album of the same name by The Who. It's a period piece set in 1964 and it outlines the days leading up to a wild weekend for both the Mods and the Rockers as they descend upon Brighton Beach.
This part of the episode also features my 11-month-old grandson, who sat on my lap for most of the time, so you can hear him banging about on stuff and just generally n...
2022-12-2939 min
Words and MoviesSHORT SUBJECT: The BFI 100 Greatest Films Ever, 2022Hey, gang:
What we've got here is a brief piece on the British Film Institute's 100 Greatest Films Ever (2022 edition). The BFI has compiled this list every ten years since 1942, drawing on the opinions of film critics worldwide, and the list gets published in their magazine Sight and Sound.
Given that the film chosen for the top of the list was rather an unusual one, Sean wanted to take a few minutes to react to that, and to some of the process involved, and Claude, as usual, worked hard to keep up.
Next episode in...
2022-12-1415 min
Words and MoviesReel 46b: Bowie Musicals, part 2In this second half of the show, we take a look at Labyrinth, starring Jennifer Connelly and David Bowie. It's directed by Jim Henson, so you know the bulk of the remaining cast is wearing a lot of felt.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
It's the last of the Lost Episodes as we present films that are based on concept albums. First, from 1979 it's Quadrophenia, and then we look at Pink Floyd: The Wall from 1982.
2022-12-0747 min
Words and MoviesEpisode 46a: David Bowie Musicals, part 1It's the second of our three "Lost Episodes," and again I think we've covered all of the topics that we did the first time. The downside is that Sean wasn't feeling well when we did this re-record, and you can hear he's missing a little of his usual zip.
But don't let that stop you from enjoying our peek at a pair of musicals that have David Bowie in them, and in a singing part, besides. Both of these films are from 1986.
Our first entry is Absolute Beginners, directed by Julien Temple. It's an ambitious an...
2022-12-0744 min
Words and MoviesReel 45b: Before the Revolution, Part 2In this half of the episode we take a look at Inside Llewyn Davis, written and directed by the Coen Brothers. In this case we have a (probably circular) story that takes place shortly before Bob Dylan first gained notoriety in the Greenwich Village area. Llewyn (Oscar Isaac) was once half of a folk duo, but now he's striking out on his own, for reasons which become clear as the film progresses. It's a dark comedy with a lot of interesting coincidences, as Coen Brothers films are wont to be. But check it out; you won't be disappointed.
2022-11-2253 min
Words and MoviesReel 45a: Before the Revolution, Part 1From a musical standpoint, there's always a time you can point to and see--in retrospect--that things were about to change in a big way. In this episode we look at a pair of films that take place right before a couple of upheavals in the music industry. And interestingly enough, they take place only a couple of years apart.
In this part of the episode, we're looking at Honeydripper, the 2007 film written and directed by John Sayles, and starring Danny Glover as a southern bar owner with a nebulous past who's trying to save his business. He k...
2022-11-2248 min
Words and MoviesReel 43b: Dublin Calling, Part 2In Part II of our Lost Episode, we look at another musical set in Dublin. It's 2007's Once, written and directed by John Carney, and starring Glen Hansard (see?) and Markéta Irglová, a couple you'll root for throughout the film and never mind that she's got a husband.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
In our next episode, we look at two musical films that are period pieces. Specifically, they take place shortly before a seismic shift in the music scene. First, from 2007 is the criminally-underrated Honeydripper, written and directed by John Sayles, and from there we move on to...
2022-11-0632 min
Words and MoviesReel 43a: Dublin Calling, Part 1The Lost Episode has returned!
OK, we'll level with you. We had to re-record it. At any rate, this time around we're looking at two musical films that are both set in Dublin, Ireland, and coincidentally (or maybe not--you decide when the dust settles) they share a specific actor.
We start with The Commitments in Part 1, the 1991 film directed by Alan Parker. In this film we see a scruffy group of folks who aspire to become a soul band in the Atlantic/Stax/early Motown tradition. The band itself is quite large in number; large e...
2022-11-0646 min
Words and MoviesReel 44b: When Musicians Direct, Part 2Part Two of our episode takes us to Scotland in 2014 and Stuart Murdoch's film God Help The Girl.
"Who is Stuart Murdoch?" you ask. It's a fair question. Murdoch is the leader of the band Belle and Sebastian. And it's worth noting that in 2009 he released an album of a music project he worked on which was also titled God Help The Girl, a collection of songs about girls and young women, sung by female singers. Perhaps the most notable of those would be Catherine Ireton, who performs on about two-thirds of the album. But, I digress.
...
2022-10-2438 min
Words and MoviesReel 44a: When Musicians Direct, part 1No, you're not missing an episode. We are.
We still have no idea how it happened, but our recording of Reel 43 is completely and irrevocably lost. It's disappeared altogether.
But take heart: Sean and I are going to re-record the episode and expedite post-production and uploading so nobody loses count (and when Sean says later on "It's Episode 50!" he won't sound weird for saying so).
Anyways. This time around we're looking at a pair of movies that were directed by people who are better known for their musicianship than for being movie directors. And...
2022-10-2443 min
Words and MoviesReel 42b: Off-Beat Musical Biopics, Part 2In this second half of the episode, we look at two major phases of the life of Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson in Love and Mercy, a film from 2014 directed by Bill Pohlad.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
In our next episode we spend some time in Dublin, with a pair of films that have many points in common, including one that's led to an interesting theory tying them together. First up is The Commitments, Alan Parker's 1991 film about a band's rise and fall. From there we jump to 2007 to talk about a truly delightful film called Once, wr...
2022-09-1950 min
Words and MoviesReel 42a: Off-Beat Musical Biopics, Part 1In this half of our episode, we spend the better part of an hour talking about 2007's I'm Not There, Todd Haynes' story about the life of Bob Dylan told through the viewpoints of several fictional characters, all of whom represent Dylan during different phases of his life.
2022-09-1952 min
Words and MoviesReel 41b: In the Record Store, part 2With today's episode drop, we're moving into a new mini-block of themed episodes, all of which involve music in one way or another. And in this episode we start where most people did when it came to music back in the day: in the record shop. This despite the fact that by the time either of these films came out, vinyl was considered a more or less quaint format for music.
Part 1 featured Empire Records, from 1995. Now we look at High Fidelity (2000), directed by Stephen Frears and starring John Cusack, Iben Hjejle, Jack Black and a couple...
2022-08-2257 min
Words and MoviesReel 41a: In the Record StoreWith today's episode drop, we're moving into a new mini-block of themed episodes, all of which involve music in one way or another. And in this episode we start where most people did when it came to music back in the day: in the record shop. This despite the fact that by the time either of these films came out, vinyl was considered a more or less quaint format for music.
We begin with 1995's Empire Records, directed by Allan Moyle and starring a lot of people who weren't honest-to-god stars yet, so you'll have a lot...
2022-08-2249 min
Words and MoviesReel 40b: You Can Like Both, Part 5bIn this second half of Episode 40, we look at Terence Malick's The Thin Red Line, which spends its time at Guadalcanal, the first major offensive in the Pacific Theater during World War Two.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
We're finally breaking away from this series (though we hope you had fun with it) and moving into a bunch of films that have lots of music in them. First, we're taking a trip to the record store to peek in on Empire Records, directed by Allan Moyle and starring a bunch of people shortly before they became big names. Th...
2022-07-0440 min
Words and MoviesReel 40a: You Can Like Both, Part 5aWorld War Two may still be the one with the most films made about it. In the final part of our YCLB series, we take a look at two relatively recent films that each concentrate on the time around a specific offensive, though in different theaters.
In this first half, we're taking a long look at Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan (1998), which begins with the Normandy Invasion and ends only about a week later (with a couple of modern-day scenes bookending the film).
But stay tuned! In the next half, we'll be jumping over to th...
2022-07-041h 01
Words and MoviesReel 39b: You Can Like Both, Part 4bAs promised, here's the second half of the episode, where we take a deep look at 1983's The Big Chill, co-written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan.
2022-06-071h 04
Words and MoviesReel 39a: You Can Like Both, Part 4aOur recent decision to release an episode in two parts proved to be rather popular, since we've been getting into Epic Length shows lately. So what you'll see in the future is more of the same: both halves will be released back-to-back, so that you can listen to each segment at your leisure. Plus it should make the downloading go a little bit more quickly.
Now, over the next couple of episodes we'll still be talking as though there's going to be a break and then immediate resumption of the show, unless Claude can get clever about p...
2022-06-0739 min
Words and MoviesReel 38: You Can Like Both, Part 3We continue our series of films where people are often asked to choose between one and the other, and this time around it's a little clearer WHY there's a choice to be made, but we also argue that You Can Like Both.
Really, you can.
We don't judge.
Usually.
Both of these films were released in 1964, so we open up with Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, a black comedy directed by Stanley Kubrick. On the back end, we have Fail-Safe, directed by Sidney Lum...
2022-05-231h 27
Words and MoviesReel 37b: You Can Like Both, Part 2bIn which we address the Frank Capra film It's a Wonderful Life, and how Mary's wish when she breaks the glass kills George's father, causes the Great Depression, sends an angel to prevent George from killing himself and helps raise the money that keeps him out of jail. In short, Mary is the twisted monster responsible for George never leaving Bedford Falls, even if it's "only" to go to prison.
OK, we're kidding. We don't talk about any of that. But we still have a great discussion.
As noted elsewhere, this is Part 2 of our tw...
2022-05-0958 min
Words and MoviesReel 37a: You Can Like Both, Part 2aWhen Sean first proposed this series of episodes, and the film pairs that would be involved, Claude was kind of baffled with this particular one. Both of these films are amazing, and why would anyone be forced to choose between them? They have different subject matter, different directors, different storylines...about the only thing they have in common is that they were both released in 1946.
But apparently the either/or for these films is a thing, so here we are.
Both The Best Years of Our LIves (directed by WIlliam Wyler) and It's a Wonderful Li...
2022-05-0956 min
Words and MoviesBonus Audio: Sean Takes on the Auteur TheoryThis one isn't an outtake so much as it is a little bit of extra stuff we did after recording Episode 36. But we made the template and we're gonna keep using it.
In this clip, Sean had some comments about Auteur Theory when it comes to film, and Claude mostly let him do his thing, though there's a small portion in there where he gets to say his piece as well.
Enjoy! Episode 37 will be out in just a few days.
2022-05-0317 min
Words and MoviesReel 36: You Can Like Both, Part 1Once in awhile, people get weirdly divided in their loyalties to things: Coke vs. Pepsi, Star Wars vs. Star Trek, Ford vs. Chevy, Harleys vs. Hondas, and so on.
What we don't really get is how comparisons like this apply to movies. You can like this film or that film, but there's something inherently wrong with you if you like both of them. Well, we're here to explain to you exactly the opposite: two films can have different approaches to a similar theme, but you can, in fact, like both of them.
We're kicking off a...
2022-04-231h 37
Words and MoviesShort Subject: Reel 35 OuttakeThis was a chunk of Episode 35 that went off-topic and we decided to cut it for time, but also thought most of what was said was actually kind of important. So we present you with this Bonus audio, to keep your appetite whetted. Enjoy!
2022-04-1410 min
Words and MoviesReel 35: Scorsese and ChristianityMartin Scorsese has never shied away from the fact that he is a Catholic, and that his religion oftentimes informs his work. There are few places where it's more overt than in the two films we cover this week.
First we have 1988's The Last Temptation of Christ, which portrays a side of Jesus (Willem Dafoe) that many of us suspected he had, but most of which is never portrayed in the Bible. Roughly the last third of the film gives us a "what if" scenario that had a lot of religious conservatives up in arms for a...
2022-04-081h 18
Words and MoviesReel 34: Epic AltmanIn which we take nearly six hours of film and reduce it to about eleven minutes of synopses and and hour or so of scintillating discussion.
Robert Altman's work had a lot of "trademarks" that delineated his films: overlapping dialogue, huge casts, multiple storylines and a way to subvert whatever genre he was working in. And in this episode we look at a pair of epic-length films which do nearly all of these, but there's an interesting difference between the two.
In 1975's Nashville, Altman's multiple storylines all manage to converge on a single time an...
2022-03-251h 26
Words and MoviesReel 33: Modern-Day KurosawaBy "Modern-Day" we meant that we're looking at a pair of films that aren't the period pieces for which Akira Kurosawa is so well-known, but rather films that are set in the present day. First on your screen is 1949's Stray Dog, a police drama that follows a young detective trying hard to undo a mistake he'd made.
Then we jump to 1963's High and Low, which starts out as corporate intrigue but quickly morphs into a taut thriller. Both films feature Toshiro Mifune, because Akira Kurosawa.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
In our next episode we...
2022-03-101h 16
Words and MoviesReel 32: Cop & Crook Team UpIn this episode we first take a look at The Killer, a film from 1989 directed by John Woo. It stars Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee and Sally Yeh, and nobody's motivation is what you think it is. Are people acting out of malice, avarice, guilt or something else?
From there we move to 2002 and So Close, directed by Corey Yuen and starring Shu Qi, Zhao Wei and Karen Mok. Once again, everyone has some deeply buried motives. Perhaps they're so deep that they're only released through subtext. You really have to "read between the lines" to understand what...
2022-02-241h 10
Words and MoviesReel 31: Pacino and DeNiro TogetherIt's not our worst title, but it does get to the point.
Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro appeared in four films together. And that's if you count The Godfather Part II, in which they shared zero screen time because they appeared in separate timelines. So that really makes three, including a 2008 movie called Righteous Kill, which was bad enough that even Robert DeNiro regretted making it. And he was in What Just Happened the same year, so.
Maybe 2008 just wasn't Robert DeNiro's Year of Quality Films.
At any rate, in this episode we che...
2022-02-091h 17
Words and MoviesReel 30: Elmore LeonardIn this episode we're looking at two of the better examples of films based on Leonard's novels. First we're watching Jackie Brown (1997) directed by Quentin Tarantino and starring Pam Grier. Jackie Brown is based on his 1992 novel Rum Punch. There are a bunch of actors in this film who you may think at first are badly miscast, but as you settle in you discover just how right they were for the parts they're playing.
After that we move on to Out of Sight (1998), directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez. It's based on...
2022-01-211h 32
Words and MoviesReel 29: Pictures From a RevolutionWe've got another overstuffed episode this time around as we take a look at two films from 1967.
First up is BONNIE AND CLYDE, directed by Arthur Penn and starring Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. It's a romanticized (Claude can spell it, but he can't say it) version of the story of a pair of outlaws who came to a violent end (as so many of them do). It's also the source of a bunch of tropes, from a Film Language standpoint. But that's not to take away from the impact that our other film, THE GRADUATE, had o...
2022-01-061h 27
Words and MoviesReel 28: Miracle MoviesHappy Holidays! This episode features a couple of films that have a Christmas component and happen to have "Miracle" in the title. First we look at the 1944 screwball comedy The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, directed by Preston Sturges. From there it's on to Miracle on 34th Street, the 1947 film directed by George Seaton.
Also of note is that Claude was actually RIGHT about Kris Kringle bopping Sawyer on the head with an umbrella.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
In our first episode of 2022, we're going to look at Bonnie and Clyde and The Graduate, both from 1967 and bo...
2021-12-261h 10
Words and MoviesReel 27: Gangsters Fighting NazisBack in the World War II era, the Nazi Party was so unpopular that even the organized crime syndicates didn't care for them. (No kidding, you can look it up. Start with Meyer Lansky and the Jewish Mob in the early 1930s.) And the idea of gangsters defending their territory as "good guys" made its way to Hollywood and a couple of films featuring mob figures fighting against Nazis came out until the Hays Code reached out and noted that villains in films shouldn't be portrayed as heroes, never mind their motivation.
In this episode we look a...
2021-12-091h 13
Words and MoviesReel 26: Life During WartimeStrap in, because we're in for a funky ride.
In this episode we're looking at two films that each feature a married couple and how they cope with a wartime situation. In 1967's Weekend, Jean-Luc Godard gives us a truly awful couple in Corinne and Roland, each of whom is already plotting to kill the other as the film begins. The film as a whole is a funhouse mirror of a look at a general breakdown of society. This is NOT a film for the squeamish, and yet it's darkly comic all the way through.
On...
2021-11-251h 10
Words and MoviesReel 25: 1970s Conspiracy ThrillersIn the 1970s, theories abounded when it came to the question of the 1963 Kennedy assassination. It probably wasn't the beginning of the Conspiracy Theory Crowd, but things certainly accelerated from there. And of course some of this stuff boiled over into Hollywood, which made a few films that touched on the events of November 22, 1963, often in the form of thinly-veiled stories.
In this episode we're looking at two of them: 1974's The Parallax View, directed by Alan J. Pakula, and Winter Kills, from 1979 (or thereabouts, you'll just have to listen in to find out why it's not m...
2021-11-091h 33
Words and MoviesReel 24: Foreign CorrespondentsThere are a lot of American films that have covered wars from the point of view of the soldier. In this episode, we cover a pair of films that covered real-life wars from the point of view of the journalists who were sent to cover the events. Unfortunately these journalists learn that it's tough to be objective when they discover that they're taking sides just a little more than they initially thought.
First we have Under Fire (1983), directed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Nick Nolte, Gene Hackman and Joanna Cassidy. It's set in Nicaragua in the late 1970s...
2021-10-281h 27
Words and MoviesReel 23: Little WomensWe've got a righteously overstuffed episode this week as we look at three (and briefly a fourth) screen adaptations of Lousa May Alcott's Little Women. We start with the 1933 version directed by George Cukor and starring Katharine Hepburn as Jo March. Then we take a glancing blow at the 1949 adaptation before moving on to 1994's version, which was directed by Gillian Armstrong and stars Winona Ryder. Finally we wrap up with the 2019 edition, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Saoirse Ronan in the Jo March role. Each of these films has something to love, and for all the discussion...
2021-10-141h 48
Words and MoviesReel 22: Southern StoriesJoin us as we travel south to examine life in a couple of small towns. FIrst we're in a nondescript mid-Texas town in 1976, in Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused (1993), a bittersweet comedy that follows a bunch of teenagers through the first day of summer vacation.
Next, we move to the Florida Panhandle, but don't worry, it won't be crowded because it's the off-season. Ruby in Paradise, written and directed by Victor Nunez and also from 1993, gives us the story of a young woman who's trying hard to make it on her own.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
...
2021-09-281h 23
Words and MoviesReel 21: Ex-SpiesWe have a pretty packed episode, as Sean shares a bunch of film history in the first half, all of which ties to the first of our films in this episode. First up on your projector is Ronin, from 1998, directed by John Frankenheimer. That gives us plenty of room to just sit back and enjoy the ride when we talk about Duplicity (2009), written and directed by Tony Gilroy. Each film takes a vastly different look at the post-service lives of spies. What do they do when they're no longer government employees? Let's go see!
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
2021-09-141h 28
Words and MoviesReel 20: Depression ComediesIn this episode we take a look at a pair of comedies that are set during the Great Depression: Sullivan's Travels, directed by Preston Sturges, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, directed by the Coen Brothers. And while they couldn't be more different in overall content, they have many, MANY things in common. It's an overstuffed episode and we probably only scratched the surface.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
In Reel 21 we look at the lives of some ex-spies and see how they're getting on. First up is Ronin (1998), directed by John Frankenheimer, and then we check out Du...
2021-08-301h 24
Words and MoviesReel 19: War is AbsurdSean went to Boston and DIDN'T HAVE CLAM CHOWDER.
Claude went to Nashville to attend a podcasting conference.
We've had a busy few weeks, gang. But here's Reel 19, where we take on The Marx Brothers' Duck Soup (1933), directed by Leo McCarey, and Mike Nichols' Catch-22 (1970). Each film highlights the absurdities of war--how they start and how crazy it gets once you're in the thick of it.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
When Reel 20 is racked up, we'll be looking at Sullivan's Travels and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a pair of films set during the...
2021-08-151h 16
Words and MoviesReel 18: It's How You Play the GameThis episode nearly didn't make it to you, several times. The universe may have been conspiring against us. And that's a shame because this is one over-stuffed show.
In this episode we take on 1988's Bull Durham, written and directed by Ron Shelton. Shelton's experience as a ballplayer shows in the minute details he presents to the viewer.
After that, we move on to Without Limits, directed by Robert Towne. It relates the story of Steve Prefontaine, a phenomenal track star of the early 1970s. In both of these films, there's a philosophy of sports...
2021-07-251h 37
Words and MoviesReel 17: Foreign Exchange, Part 4Sean and Claude close out their series on foreign films and their English-language remakes with this look at another Akira Kurosawa movie, Yojimbo (1961), and its English remake, A Fistful of Dollars (1964), directed by Sergio Leone.
It's pretty clear that Kurosawa has grown since 1954's Seven Samurai, and we talk a little more about how Kurosawa and Hollywood managed to affect and inform each other's work.
COMING ATTRACTIONS: In Reel 18 we look at a pair of sports movies, but not the usual "underdog team makes good" kind of sports movies. First up is Bull Durham (1988), followed by...
2021-06-301h 04
Words and MoviesReel 16: Foreign Exchange, Part 3For this episode you're going to need a lot of popcorn, movie fans, because this is an overstuffed show where we discuss a couple of very long movies. Combined, they're clocking in at over five hours and change.
First up is the 1954 film Seven Samurai, directed by Akira Kurosawa. It's a favorite of both Sean and Claude, and pretty much anyone else who happens to be somebody. Seven Samurai's influence can be seen in many, many films, from the basic plot structure to the numerous character tropes that are seen.
Seven Samurai was so popular, i...
2021-06-011h 34
Words and MoviesBonus Track #2Another outtake track, where I start complaining about the state of arts schools in this part of the country.
2021-05-2702 min
Words and MoviesReel 15: Foreign Exchange, Part 2Our look at non-English language films and their English counterparts continues with a review of the films Infernal Affairs (2002), co-directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. and The Departed, the 2006 film directed by Martin Scorsese.
In this case the films aren't clones of one another to the extent that we saw in the last episode, but the storylines remain quite close despite the big cultural jump from Hong Kong to Boston. But whether you watch it in English or in Chinese (or both—no reason not to watch both!), you're in for a tension-filled good time.
...
2021-05-191h 23Words and MoviesBonus TrackHi there:
This is an outtake from our past episode that I had to cut because the episode was running so long. But it was just amusing enough that I thought you'd find it fun. The only sad part is that you don't get to see Sean's face, looking for a way to respond to my weird little rant before he finally finds his answer.
Stuff like this is why I think I may have adult ADHD, because he puts up with stuff like this more often than anyone should have to, without getting paid f...
2021-05-0403 minWords and MoviesReel 14: Foreign Exchange, Part 1As we noted last week, we're accelerating the rate of episode releases for a couple of weeks to make up for the lengthy gap in our recent output.
This week is the first of a series of films in which we look at both the foreign original version and compare it to the American English edition. This week we're looking at Abre los Ojos ("Open Your Eyes") and Vanilla Sky.
Abre los Ojos is a 1997 film directed by Alejandro Amenábar, starring Eduardo Noriega and Penelope Cruz. Vanilla Sky is a 2001 remake directed by Cameron C...
2021-04-281h 23
Words and MoviesReel 13: Love, MaybeSo, where have we been?
Actually, it's Claude's fault that the episode is so late. What with school reopening, plus some personal drama coming from a couple of directions, it's been a rough few weeks and apologies all around. To make up for it, Reel 14 will also be coming out in no more than a couple of days.
At any rate, this time around we've got a couple of wonderful, bittersweet films that explore relationships between a man and a woman that go deep enough that one could even use the word "love," but which...
2021-04-211h 31
Words and MoviesReel 12: Backstage IntrigueIt's Women's HIstory Month!
And as our means of taking advantage of a remarkable coincidence, in today's episode we're looking at two films where the bulk of the primary cast is female. That said, the theme this week is stories related to the theater. First, we're looking at a favorite of the both of us, 1937's Stage Door, starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers and Adolphe Menjou. After that we jump to 1950, where we learn All About Eve, along with the likes of Anne Baxter, Bette Davis and George Sanders being more George Sanders than in any other...
2021-03-101h 20
Words and MoviesReel 11: Apocalypse LaterIn this episode we've chosen a couple of near-future films in which humanity seems doomed for one reason or another. First up in our Double Feature is 1995's 12 Monkeys, directed by Terry Gilliam, involving a plague, time travel, mental illness and, of course, World War One.
After the Intermission we're looking at Children of Men, co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón and released in 2006. Was there a plague? We don't know. Will this situation resolve? Again, we don't know. But for all the unknowns in this film, we get some powerful, powerful moments and we guarantee yo...
2021-02-231h 08
Words and MoviesReel 10: Sorkinfest Part 5--The Uncredited RewritesWe wrap up Sorkinfest with a look at two films for which Aaron Sorkin did NOT receive any writing credit. Bulworth, and Enemy of the State, both from 1998. Listen in as we discuss the two films on their own merits and try to figure out which parts Sorkin left his fingerprints on.
And because I can't read a calendar, Reel 11 will be released next week instead of two weeks from now.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Next time around we're prematurely celebrating the end of the pandemic as we look at a pair of films which are...
2021-02-091h 14
Words and MoviesReel 9: SorkinFest Part 4--The Credited RewritesWe're closing in on the end of SorkinFest as we get to Part 4 of our five-part series looking at the work of Aaron Sorkin. And this time around we're looking at a couple of films that Sorkin had a public hand in writing--or, more accurately, re-writing: 1993's Malice, starring Nicole Kidman and Alec Baldwin, and Moneyball, the 2011 film starring Brad Pitt and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
These two films couldn't be more different in their subject matter or their approach to storytelling, but Aaron Sorkin has a few tricks up his sleeve that have you realizing that, even w...
2021-01-191h 06
Words and MoviesReel 8: SorkinFest Part 3--Almost-True StoriesThat's a little bit of a misnomer, but not by much. This episode--the third in our series of five episodes dedicated to Aaron Sorkin's work--looks at two films he worked on that told stories about specific individuals: Steve Jobs (2015), Directed by Danny Boyle, and Sorkin's film directing debut, 2017's Molly's Game. Now, with Steve Jobs, Sorkin took some of the storylines provided by Walter Isaacson's biography, and placed them into specific contexts, with the upshot being that many of the real-life counterparts found themselves saying "...yeah, that's not quite how it went," but you can blame that on Isaacson...
2021-01-051h 19
Words and MoviesReel 7: Sorkinfest Part 2SorkinFest continues with the two films that Aaron Sorkin wrote after his series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was cancelled after only one season. (Interestingly, the same people who seemed kind of disappointed in Studio 60 as it aired are viewing it a little more generously in retrospect.)
First we take a look at 2007's Charlie Wilson's War, the more-or-less true story of Congressman Charlie Wilson of Texas, who manages to almost single-handedly drum up political and financial support for the Afghan people in their battle against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. This was Mike Nichols' last...
2020-12-221h 22
Words and MoviesReel 6: SorkinFest Part 1--The Rob Reiner FilmsIt's time for SorkinFest! For the next few weeks, we're going to talk about the work of Aaron Sorkin, and in our usual fashion we're going to do it in a way that the films are paired up by common threads.
This week we're looking at the films that were directed by Rob Reiner. First up is the 1992 film A Few Good Men, starring Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Kevin Pollak and Jack Nicholson. This one was adapted from Sorkin's own play script, but he's managed to make changes that make the story just as much of a...
2020-11-101h 31
Words and MoviesReel 5: The Film Was BetterDon't you hate it when ALL your software is just being so...jerkstore?
Just me then? Okay.
In this episode we take a look at a pair of films that were adapted from books. That, in and of itself, isn't unusual, however while the usual rap on this sort of thing is "The book was better," Sean makes an argument that in this case, it's the other way around. Subplots and overly-descriptive text get excised, and the result is a tighter and brighter story in both cases, even when the subject matter isn't especially uplifting.
...
2020-10-211h 25
Words and MoviesReel 4: One-Song MusicalsIn this episode we take a look at a pair of films that center themselves around a single piece of music.
First we have 1992's The Mambo Kings, directed by Arne Glimcher. It's a bittersweet film that gives us a look at a pair of Cuban immigrants who briefly achieve success as musicians in the 1950s, due to a song that one of them has written about a lost love. There's a story to that lost love, however, that he doesn't discover until several years later. And while both Armand Assante and Antonio Banderas do a fine...
2020-10-061h 10
Words and MoviesReel 3: Gordon Willis and The GodfathersDifferent eras of film can often be traced to specific "generations" of directors who came up together and had similar mindsets, and while that's true, sometimes they can be attached to technological advances, some of them not initially part of the industry. For example, with the rise of teen culture and a general boom in consumerism, the drive-in movie exploded in popularity, which meant that studios had to create film prints that were very bright so they could project a long distance.
This, in turn, led to advances in film stock and gave directors and cinematographers the ab...
2020-09-221h 32
Words and MoviesReel 2: Malcolm X, SelmaMalcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. were contemporaneous civil rights icons of the 1960s, and they had very different images in the eyes of the general public. In this episode we look at Spike Lee's biopic Malcolm X (1992) and Ava DuVernay's Selma (2014), which, while not a biopic specifically, gives us a close look at Dr. King's motivations and methods. And we discover that philosophically, the two were much closer together than most people think.
2020-09-081h 21
Words and MoviesReel 1: 1968 Science FictionWe have to start at the beginning! Sean's beginning, that is. We go back to the year of his birth and check out a couple of science fiction movies that were both released in 1968, but which have very different outlooks on what the future is going to be like. Sit back and enjoy as we discuss 2001: A Space Odyssey and the original Planet of the Apes.
This being our first "real" episode, we do hope you'll forgive a couple of weird technical glitches that we've been working on, and focus instead on the great conversation we had. ...
2020-08-251h 14Words and MoviesEpisode Zero: Who Are These Guys?Welcome to our inaugural episode! Sean Gallagher and Claude Call introduce themselves to you and talk about what makes them so smart (hint: one of us is SMART, the other is S-M-R-T), plus what sort of stuff we'll be talking about, the overall approach we'll be taking to the films we discuss, and a preview of our first three episodes.
2020-08-1844 min