Let the Movie Speak!
By Travis & Justin
Let the Movie Speak!Jan 20, 2023
"Vertigo" (1958)
An aspirational man who is arguably obsessed with mid-life crises and a word nerd test their fear of cinematic heights while diving head first into Hitchcock's Masterpiece.
Show Notes:
1/20/23
Let the Movie Speak!
"Vertigo" (1958)
Season 5, Episode 12
After discussing their week of watching, including Frances Ha (2012), & The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), the duo of Travis and guest host Annie attempt to peel back the layers of what makes Vertigo (1958) so captivating now, why it didn't exactly grab audiences or critics at the time of it's release, discuss whether or not its protagonist is singularly problematic, and, of course, find themselves at the culdesac of: "Is It Worth Your Time?"
Follow Us On:
"Some Like it Hot" (1959) w/Extras!
Two dudes sort of talk about "Some Like it Hot" (1959), but really use the episode as an excuse to catch up on what they've been watching.
Show Notes:
1/11/22
Let the Movie Speak!
"Some Like it Hot" (1959)
Season 5, Episode 11
After breezing right through the unremarkable entry from 1959, Travis and Justin shoot the breeze about what they've been watching lately and why you should check out some/all of the following: "The Banshees of Inishiren" (2022), "Babette's Feast" (1987), "Avatar: The Way of Water" (2022), and "First Reformed" (2017).
Follow Us On:
"Elevator to the Gallows" (1958)
Les amis discover this: if style over substance were a virtue, this film would still be a few francs short of a euro.
Show Notes:
12/16/22
Let the Movie Speak!
"Elevator to the Gallows" (1958)
Season 5, Episode 10
After discussing their week of watching, including Spencer (2021), & Frankenstein (1931), the boys hop on a plane to the seedy, black and white streets of Paris, France to delve into the world of Julian and Florence. They touch on what French New-Wave contributed to film, and how this particular entry leaves much to be desired if you care about things happening that matter in your movies. All of it culminates in an answer to their favorite question: "Is It Worth Your Time?"
Welcome [0:00-0:04]
What Did We Watch This Week? [0:04-0:22]
Intro [0:22-0:31]
What's It Saying? [0:31-0:53]
Is It Worth Your Time? [0:53-1:01]
Noir Alley segment on "Elevator to the Gallows" with Eddie Muller & Alicia Malone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBkwcfsILPc&t=126s
Miles Davis Scoring "Elevator to the Gallows"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WVSQTg_rm0
Follow Us On:
"The Thing From Another World" (1951) & "The Thing" (1982)
What’s the point?: Nihilism, neo-gore, and popcorn drive the pair’s discussion of Howard Hawk’s “The Thing From Another World” and John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” Rest assured: Dog Agency is thoroughly dissected.
Richard Newby’s Hollywood Reporter article regarding the potential saving grace of Marvel’s horror properties: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/werewolf-by-night-comics-behind-marvel-special-1235236312/
Roger Ebert’s Review:
John Carpenter on Letterman:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJRksSu_y_4&t=416s
John Carpenter on Two Types of Scary Stories:
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956)
Vegetables with a regrettable tendency to plant their seeds and lay waste to the human race dominate the duo’s discussion.
Show Notes:
10/23/22
Let the Movie Speak!
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1956)
Season 5, Episode 9
After discussing their week of watching, including The Sixth Sense (1999), The Adventures of Tintin (2011), the pals journey into the eighty minute popcorn world of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). While touching on some brief historical and genre-specific context, the experience of what it feels like to watch this movie is explored. Opinions are given on the lead performance by Kevin McCarthy, the somewhat limited role dispensed to his love interest played by Dana Wynter, as well as how cool those pods really are. Comparisons are made between the original and the 1978 version, including the stark contrast in the endings. All of it culminates in an answer to their favorite question: "Is It Worth Your Time?"
Welcome [0:00-0:04]
What Did We Watch This Week? [0:04-0:15]
Intro [0:15-0:21] What's It Saying? [0:21-1:02]
Is It Worth Your Time? [1:02-1:07]
Follow Us On:
"Throne of Blood" (1957)
Shakespeare in Edo, or: I’m never listening to that Evil Forest Spirit again - the gang (We’ve got Annie!) evaluates Kurosawa’s take on Macbeth.
Show Notes:
10/18/22
Let the Movie Speak!
"Throne of Blood" (1957)
Season 5, Episode 8
On this episode, Travis and Justin are once again joined by the incomparable Annie on a journey through Kurosawa's vision of a classic Shakespeare tale. After discussing their week of watching, including Atonement (2007), The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018), and Thor Love and Thunder (2022), they each contribute their varying thoughts, opinions and open-ended questions to the Japanese take on Macbeth. They explore the historical context of post-war audiences, the adaptation process, and Kurosawa's stunning visuals, all while giving the horses in the film their proper due. Everything from the conception of the witch and her prophecy, to the violence onscreen, and Lady Macbeth's unique portrayal are tossed around until the answer to that final question is reached: "Is It Worth Your Time?"
Welcome [0:00-0:04]
What Did We Watch This Week? [0:04-0:15]
Intro [0:15-0:26]
What's It Saying? [0:26-1:06]
Is It Worth Your Time? [1:06-1:11]
Kurosawa Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5MtUiYxBiY&t=50s
TCM Intro:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3yAD9b5wP4&t=71s
Follow Us On:
"Forbidden Planet" (1956)
Join Skipper and the Chief on their trek to the future, where robots create matter out of nothing, the enemy within takes the form of no thing, and mini skirts cover...almost not a thing.
"Singing in the Rain" (1952)
"High Noon" (1952)
"Godzilla" (1954)
“Hey, let’s visit post war Japan!”
“Are you sure? That sounds kinda dangerous. What if there’s still radiation from the atom bombs?”
“Don’t be silly. It’s not like lightning ever strikes twice in the same place!”
"Sabrina" (1954)
Join the lads and Most Revered Guest Annie in evaluating the perennial question: “Is it worse to be 30 years older than the woman you’re kissing or to kiss her abruptly while insisting, ‘It’s all in the family’?”
"Harvey" (1950)
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" (2022)
Two film-nerd padawans venture into the annals of space to encounter a somewhat divisive series that...spoiler alert: DOESN'T SUCK.
"Sunset Boulevard" (1950)
Places, people, places! While everyone gets ready for their close-up, two intrepid hosts examine what Sunset Blvd communicates about Hollywood and fame in 1950…and now.
"12 Monkeys” (1995)
"Groundhog Day" (1993)
"Somewhere in Time" (1980)
"The Time Machine" (1960)
The Golden Spud Awards (1940's)
Justin and Travis award the hotly anticipated Golden Spuds to the most deserving films from the 1940's in various categories such as: "Worst Legacy Film", "Best Tune", "Best Bombshell (Moment)", and of course "Best Director" and "Favorite Film". Listen in as they rip open fake envelopes and pay tribute to the best and worst that 1940's films had to offer them.
"The Third Man" (1949)
Post-war mourning, penicillin, and paperback westerns plus Orson Welles, a script from the gods, and music to make any heart soar. Put it together and what do you get? 1949’s The Third Man.
"Adam's Rib" (1949)
Buckle up boys and girls! It’s time to find out who can do better than who, what gender wears what pants, and other timeless (sic) questions in modern America. With an evenly matched panel, Justin & Travis take a retroactive look at mean old Spencer Tracy and pants-hero and pioneer Katherine Hepburn in 1949’s "Adam’s Rib".
"Stray Dog" (1949)
It’s getting hot in here...so take off to Tokyo with Travis and Justin as Kurosawa leads them on an investigation into the perseverance of the human spirit in Stray Dog.
"Rope" (1948)
Two chums and a guest of honor reflect on what’s superior: The art of camera tricks, adapting plays into films, or James Stewart. Join us for (a little) scotch with (a lot) of water as we digest Hitchcock’s “Rope.”
"Bicycle Thieves" (1948)
Two derelicts, down on their luck and fresh out of gelato race around an impoverished post-war Italy in order to find something. No, it's not a bicycle, but an answer to the question: "Why does everyone call this movie one of the greatest of all time?" They're determined to find the answer cascasse il mondo.
"A Matter of Life and Death" (1946)
Ever wondered how bad the afterlife might be? Want to see filming techniques incorporated in a 40’s film decades before they were used elsewhere? Do you stay awake contemplating if David Niven can act?
"The Big Sleep" (1946)
Hot diggety dog! A couple of private eyes in cahoots with an ace literato follow the twisting, winding, and often tangled clues to get to the bottom of "The Big Sleep".
"Great Expectations" (1946)
"Meet Me in St. Louis" (1944)
Put on your nostalgic glasses and try to figure out why this 1944 Judy Garland hit was...a hit.
"Cat People" (1942)
A couple of cat loving comrades delve into magic, Siberian folklore, jump scares before they had a name, and an America at war.
"The Great Dictator" (1940)
The chaps take in Chaplin’s very subtle Hitler impersonation and discuss whether comedies have the latitude to preach.
"Baby Driver" (2017)
"JCVD" (2008)
"Thief" (1981)
"The Pink Panther" (1963)
"The Asphalt Jungle" (1950)
"Criss Cross" (1949)
The Golden Spud Awards (1930's)
Justin and Travis award the hotly anticipated Golden Spuds to the most deserving films from Season One in various categories such as: "Best 1930's Couple", "Best Tune", "Best Autogyro", and of course "Best Director" and "Favorite Film". Listen in as they rip open fake envelopes and pay tribute to the best and worst that 1930's films had to offer them.
"Gone with the Wind" (1939)
The Yankee boys dodge several Civil War land mines and consider Hollywood’s rendition of the Antebellum South in the gargantuan Gone with the Wind.
"Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939)
The twin movie buffs bring a frequent flyer to the U.S. capitol to find out what their tax dollars are really paying for. Will this be Jefferson Smith's last stand? Or can he fili-bust the corruption he unearths?
"Wuthering Heights" (1939)
Three gentlefolk examine an adaption of Bronte’s work that might make a stuffed bird laugh.
"The Grand Illusion" (1937)
The Americans venture into the Prussian Kingdom in pursuit of a bond greater than national origin.
"The 39 Steps" (1935)
Two fellows, handcuffed to each other, jump the train from Depression-era London and traipse through the timeless Scottish wilderness whilst tailing a vague band of espionage actors.
"The Thin Man" (1934)
Hot on the heels of another murder, two sleuths and a sluethette investigate the beginnings of a franchise centered around the money-making concept of...wedded bliss?
"It Happened One Night" (1934)
Travis and Justin board the night bus along with Oscar winner Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in the classic that spawned the Romantic Comedy genre.
"Frankenstein" (1931)
"42nd Street" (1933)
The duo of left-footed amateurs shuffle their way through the seedy back alley of show business. Joined by an over-qualified guest, Justin and Travis dip their tap shoes into the Busby Berkeley classic "42nd Street".
"M" (1931)
The two chaps travel through the uneasy times of interwar Germany as Fritz Lang leads them on a journey to find a child killer - and humanity.
Intro to the Show
Though no one asked them to, Travis and Justin, two semi-intrepid and thoroughly amateur film lovers, are embarking on a journey. They’re looking beyond letter grades to evaluate movies. They’re trying to listen to what cinema is saying - about characters, about morality, about life. In short, they hope to let the movie speak.