A Fortnight in Film

In Episode 55, the trio discuss 2006's The Lives of Others, with all three praising the accurate representation of fear and repression that would've existed in Stasi-led East Germany.

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In Episode 54, the trio discuss 1985's Fright Night, with George and Jacob gushing over the practical special effects while Jason hands out his usual half star, before the group gets into a discussion about film ratings and the limitations of modern horror.

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In Episode 53, the trio discuss 2021's The Black Phone, with all three coming away disappointed from the numerous plot holes and reliance on tired horror movie cliches that the film employs.

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In Episode 52, Jason and George analyse the myriad of themes in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, argue about All That Jazz and find common ground in Tarantino's Django Unchained.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

All That Jazz (1979)

Django Unchained (2012)

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In Episode 51, Jason and Jacob discuss three films from 1992, enjoying Tarantino's debut of Reservoir Dogs, finding themselves at opposite ends of the spectrum with Peter Jackson's Braindead and coming away disappointed from Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Braindead (1992)

Unforgiven (1992)

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To celebrate the half-century mark of the podcast, the trio decided to return to the format of group episodes of old, discussing three different topics - the importance of physical media, what makes an auteur and the ability for film to tell stories from underrepresented communities.

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In Episode 49, Jason and George tackle some films from the year 2000, commending the complex themes in American Psycho, diverging sharply on Requiem for a Dream and enjoying the epic production that was Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

American Psycho (2000)

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

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In Episode 48, the third group episode for the year, the trio tackle cult films, discussing the macabre humour at the heart of Harold and Maude, praising the 'different' crime thriller that's Point Blank and both revelling and reviling in the unhinged craziness of perhaps the ultimate cult film of all time, 2003's The Room.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Harold and Maude (1971)

Point Blank (1967)

The Room (2003)

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In Episode 47, Jason and Jacob discuss the Scorsese classic Raging Bull, differ on their reception to the '80s body horror of From Beyond and extol the groundbreaking achievements of Metropolis.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Raging Bull (1980)

From Beyond (1986)

Metropolis (1927)

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In Episode 46, Jason and George gush over the musical masterpiece of Singin' in the Rain, praise the twists present in the neo-noir L.A. Confidential and examine the themes of David Cronenberg's Videodrome.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

L.A. Confidential (1997)

Videodrome (1983)

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In Episode 45, Jason and Jacob discuss the mystery at the heart of The Machinist, unravel the symbolism and allegories presented in Lars von Trier's controversial The House That Jack Built and differ on their enjoyment of the Woody Allen classic Annie Hall.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

The Machinist (2004)

Shutter Island (2010)

The House That Jack Built (2018)

American Psycho (the book, but also invariably the 2000 film)

Annie Hall (1977)

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In Episode 44, the second group episode for the year, the trio tackle international horror films, with only Jason enjoying the Taiwanese found footage flick Incantation, Jacob and George praising the technical achievements of Dario Argento's cult classic Suspiria and all three finding problems with the South African ecological horror Gaia.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Incantation (2022)

Gaia (2021)

Suspiria (1977)

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In Episode 43, Jason and George discuss Sam Mendes' debut feature of American Beauty, are united in their disdain for the heavy-handed messaging in Triangle of Sadness and attempt to make sense of the 1970s Buñuel film The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

American Beauty (1999)

Triangle of Sadness (2022)

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)

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In Episode 42, Jason and Jacob discuss the blend of technical achievements in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, admire the darkness at the heart of the South Korean classic Oldboy and disagree on their assessment of In Bruges.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Dunkirk (2017)

Oldboy (2003)

In Bruges (2008)

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In Episode 41, Jason and George fawn over the brilliance of American History X, discuss the hypocrisy of the townsfolk in The Naked Kiss and come together in their hate for last year's Bigbug.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

American History X (1998)

The Naked Kiss (1964)

Bigbug (2022)

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In Episode 40, the first group episode for the year, the trio tackle stop-motion films, praising the modern reinterpretation of a classic tale in last year's Pinocchio adaption, gushing about the "gorgeous" animation style of Coraline and interpreting the many messages in 2015's Anomalisa.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022)

Coraline (2009)

Anomalisa (2015)

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In Episode 39, Jason and Jacob look back at the AIDS epidemic through Dallas Buyers Club, try and decode the abstract Bergman piece Persona and diverge on their views of Amélie.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Persona (1966)

Amélie (2001)

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In Episode 38, Jason and George praise the twists and turns present throughout Shutter Island and admire Scorsese's range as a director for also making the likes of The Age of Innocence, while differing about the offbeat Australian 1993 film Bad Boy Bubby.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Shutter Island (2010)

The Age of Innocence (1993)

Bad Boy Bubby (1993)

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In Episode 37, Jason and the podcast's new co-host Jacob decode the symbolism behind David Fincher's The Game, disagree on the recent award winner The Whale and revisit a film discussed all the way back in Episode 1 - Hitchcock's classic horror of Psycho.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

The Game (1997)

The Whale (2022)

Psycho (1960)

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In Episode 36, Jason and George tackle horror films from the past few decades, finding themselves at opposite ends of the spectrum with their reactions to The Strangers and Near Dark while agreeing that Color Out of Space was an uninspiring adaptation of the H.P. Lovecraft source material. 

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

The Strangers (2008)

Near Dark (1987)

Color Out of Space (2019)

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In Episode 35, Jason and special guest Pete discuss the magical realism that A Little Princess tries to embody, attempt to unravel the complexity of Paul Thomas Anderson's Inherent Vice and delight in the 'murderous hijinks' of The Invisible Man.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

A Little Princess (1995)

Inherent Vice (2014)

The Invisible Man (1933)

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In Episode 34, Jason and George discuss John Waters' Cry-Baby - described by George as like "Grease on acid" - amongst bickering about the innocence and punishment that sits at the heart of 12 Angry Men and complimenting Princess Mononoke for its modernistic themes.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Cry-Baby (1990)

12 Angry Men (1957)

Princess Mononoke (1997)

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In Episode 33, Jason and Christian discuss how Heat cemented itself as a modern crime classic, argue about the low-budget film Tangerine and discover some differing opinions in their respective praises of Blow Out.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Heat (1995)

Tangerine (2015)

Blow Out (1981)

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In Episode 32, Jason and George do a mini deep-dive into the films of Paul Thomas Anderson, finding common ground in their praise of There Will Be Blood, problems abounding in Licorice Pizza and something lacking in The Master.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Licorice Pizza (2021)

The Master (2012)

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In Episode 31, Jason and special guest Andrew discuss the perfect portrayal of coming-of-age presented in Stand by Me, enjoy the carefree nature of Palm Springs and assess the merits of the original Planet of the Apes.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Stand by Me (1986)

Palm Springs (2020)

Planet of the Apes (1968)

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In Episode 30, Jason and George discuss the role of faith in Silence, share their opinion on why 2001: A Space Odyssey isn't the classic the film world holds it up to be and quarrel about the 'B movie schlock' that is From Dusk Till Dawn.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Silence (2016)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

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In Episode 29, Jason and Christian discuss the importance of language in Arrival, commend the countless achievements of Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory and dissect the implications of being 'reborn' that Seconds presents.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Arrival (2016)

Paths of Glory (1957)

Seconds (1966)

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In Episode 28, Jason and George attempt to unravel the Watergate scandal at the heart of All The President's Men, surprisingly differ in their response to C'mon C'mon and debate whether the audience is supposed to feel sympathetic toward the title character of Locke.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

All The President's Men (1976)

C'mon C'mon (2021)

Locke (2013)

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In Episode 27, Jason and Christian discuss the nightmarish masterpiece that is Apocalypse Now, speak frankly about the real-life implications of the story The Hunt presents and respect the prescience for the modern-day demagoguery represented in A Face in the Crowd.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Apocalypse Now (1979)

The Hunt (2012)

A Face in the Crowd (1957)

The Red Shoes (1948)

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

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In Episode 26, Jason and George fawn over the perfection of Paper Moon, marvel at the magic present in The Thief of Bagdad and analyse the messages that Black Death presents.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Paper Moon (1973)

The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

Black Death (2010)

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In Episode 25, Jason and Christian discuss the ultimate 'film bro' classic that is Pulp Fiction, argue about the science-fiction movie Starship Troopers and praise the way in which the 1950s Western film Shane experimented with the well-worn genre.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Starship Troopers (1997)

Shane (1953)

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In Episode 24, Jason and special guest Daniel discuss Daniel Day-Lewis and Steven Spielberg attempting to portray one of the most revered presidents ever, attempt to draw meaning from The Big Chill and examine the ever-present weirdness in David Lynch's Wild at Heart.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Lincoln (2012)

The Big Chill (1983)

Wild at Heart (1990)

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In Episode 23, Jason and Christian discuss the portrayal of Hollywood that Sunset Boulevard presents, review the legacy that Night of the Living Dead had on modern horror movies and clash over the cannibalistic-themed French film Raw. 

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1963)

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Raw (2016)

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In Episode 22, Jason and George discuss whether The Shawshank Redemption is worthy of its classic status, argue about the Oscar-winning film The Piano and try to understand the confusing plot of Akira.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The Piano (1993)

Akira (1988)

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In Episode 21, Jason and special guest Cam discuss Gangs of New York's place in Scorsese's canon, praise the modern-day masterpiece that is The Departed and find themselves bored with the 1950's film Sweet Smell of Success.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Gangs of New York (2002)

The Departed (2006)

Sweet Smell of Success (1957)

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In Episode 20, Jason and George focus exclusively on the short but influential career of James Dean, reviewing the three films he appeared in before he tragically died at the age of 24 - East of Eden and Rebel Without A Cause, both released in 1955, and Giant, released in 1956, a year after his death.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

East of Eden (1955)

Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

Giant (1956)

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In Episode 19, Jason and Christian discuss the sweaty-palm moments in Uncut Gems, wax philosophical on the uncensored glimpse of war that the 2010 documentary Armadillo provides to the viewer and chat about the classic 1960s western The Wild Bunch.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Uncut Gems (2019)

Armadillo (2010)

The Wild Bunch (1969)

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In Episode 18, Jason, George and Christian hold their third joint episode (and the first of 2022) as they discuss their favourite actors and actresses, look back at the best and worst films released in 2021 and reminisce on films that have made them cry, while also making a shocking discovery about Christian and his lack of sporting knowledge.

A lot of films were covered in this episode, but you only need to worry about spoilers for Marley & Me (2008).

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In Episode 17, Jason and George discuss the magic present in The Prestige, chat about the 1940s classic that is Gilda and find fault with the middling Michael Douglas feature Falling Down.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

The Prestige (2006)

Gilda (1946)

Falling Down (1993)

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In Episode 16, Jason and Christian discuss the star-studded yet unexceptional American Hustle, commend the daring themes present in The Children's Hour and diverge on their assessment of the classic film that is The Red Shoes.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

American Hustle (2013)

The Children's Hour (1961)

The Red Shoes (1948)

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In Episode 15, Jason and George disagree on the merits of Boyhood, praise the Fritz Lang noir classic of The Big Heat and attempt to make sense of the confusion that Perfect Blue presents.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Boyhood (2014)

The Big Heat (1953)

Perfect Blue (1997)

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Inception (2010)

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In Episode 14, Jason and special guest Andrew discuss the unique ways Into the Spider Verse puts a new spin on the well-worn Spider Man tale, examine the dramatisation present in the story of Hotel Rwanda and dissect the argument of whether superhero films should really be classed as 'films' at all.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse (2018)

The Dark Knight (2008)

Hotel Rwanda (2004)

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In Episode 13, Jason and George discuss the highly-anticipated 2021 adaption of Dune, differ on their opinion of the Paul Newman-starring Cool Hand Luke and ponder whether books or films are the superior art form.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Dune (2021)

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

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In Episode 12, Jason and Christian discuss the disappointing 2021 Netflix-released Red Notice, celebrate the classic comedy that is Edgar Wright's Hot Fuzz and shine a light on some of the best comedy films of the 2000s.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Red Notice (2021)

Hot Fuzz (2007)

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In Episode 11, Jason, George and Christian hold their second joint episode and extol the virtues of South Korean cinema, look back on the movies that traumatised them as kids and debate the best gangster films ever.

A lot of films were covered in this episode, but you only need to worry about spoilers for Pinocchio (1940) and Tempting Fate (1998).

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In Episode 10, Jason and George discuss their differing viewpoints on Breakfast at Tiffany's, examine the plodding pace in The Day of the Jackal and highlight some of the best openings in film.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)

The Day of the Jackal (1973)

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In Episode 9, Jason and Christian discuss the seminal satire of the television industry that is 1976's Network, the plot (or lack thereof?) of The Hurt Locker and the confounding nature of Nicolas Cage as an actor.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Network (1976)

The Hurt Locker (2008)

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In Episode 8, Jason and George discuss Scorsese's depiction of the mafia in Goodfellas, heap praise upon the masterpiece that is All About Eve and bring to light some of the most egregious Academy Awards snubs in history.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Goodfellas (1990)

All About Eve (1950)

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In Episode 7, Jason and special guest Andrew discuss the mix of action and humour in Die Hard, attempt to decode the madness that is the remake of Suspiria and chat about some of the best films starring a majority-female cast.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Die Hard (1988)

Suspiria (2018)

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In Episode 6, Jason and George discuss the message in Magnolia, profess their love for What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and argue about the merits of Taxi Driver as a 'great film'.

Films discussed this week, in order (with spoilers):

Magnolia (1999)

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Taxi Driver (1976)

Joker (2019)

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