The Celluloid Mirror

Sean and Nicole wrap up season 2 with a little mini finale debrief episode. We discuss audience reaction to our episode about Back to the Future and Masking Threshold with special guest Johannes Grenzfurthner. You can see Masking Threshold when it plays at select Alamo Drafthouse theaters starting September 30th, or digitally on October 7th. Johannes Grenszfurthner’s new horror comedy Razennest will premiere this month at Fantastic Fest! You can even watch it at home! We also discuss why Sean doesn’t like Pretty in Pink, Nicole’s thwarted dreams of  ghostwriting Babysitters Club spinoffs, and our own new animated horror short Reveal.   Links Masking Threshold Trailer Masking Threshold via Alamo on Demand Ridley Scott on whitewashing Exodus California Diaries Ann M Martin is Queer Alanah Rafferty Alanah’s episode of TCM Sarah Schoofs Karen Fleisch Eli Oberman The Shondes Get more Celluloid Mirror on Patreon 4MC on twitter, instagram,  website Sean twitter/ IG, Nicole twitter/ IG All music by Kevin MacLeod License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Season Finale! Johannes Grenzfurthner joins Sean and Nicole to discuss his horror film Masking Threshold, 1985 scifi comedy classic Back to the Future, and the perils of isolated inquiry. “How is that a movie?” -Eric Hillis How does Masking Threshold’s Protagonist fit in with Christopher Lloyd’s Doc and Michael J. Fox’s Marty? Are all their struggles caused by their dads? What do these films say about US America’s decline? All that plus the trouble with squids. Masking Threshold is distributed by Drafthouse Films and will be available to stream in October. Johannes's new feature Razzennest will premiere at Fantastic Fest this September 2022! Transcript Links Masking Threshold Masking Threshold on Letterboxd Razzennest Johannes Grenzfurthner Jasmin Hagendorfer Eric Hillis on Masking Threshold Janet Maslin on Back to the Future Ebert on Back to the Future  Cucalorus Film Fest Terror Molins Film Fest Vienna Porn Film Fest Transition Queer film Fest Johannes at HOPE conference GI Bill + Black Veterans Wes House on HP Lovecraft’s White Supremacy Boston makes bus free MTA spends more on New Cops than Fare Evasion TV Tropes: Mad Scientist Buzz Aldrin punches a conspiracy theorist The Act of Killing Compliance Patreon, twitter, IG,  website Sean IG/Nicole IG, twitter Music by Kevin MacLeod License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Get a little taste of our Season 2 finale on which we discuss sci-fi comedy classic Back to the Future and recent tinnitus cosmic horror Masking Threshold with Masking Threshold writer/director Johannes Grenzfurthner! Johannes Grenzfurthner Masking threshold at Drafthouse Films  Masking Threshold Trailer Razzennest Official Website Razzennest Trailer Dan Berger Outlaws of America Nicole’s Hot Lines series Nicole’s Letterboxd List of Hot Lines films Nicole’s Letterboxd List of films about phone sex workers Get early access to new episodes of The Celluloid Mirror PLUS bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring conversations that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so much more by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

REPOST of The Celluloid Mirror Premiere: The Audience Must suffer (Funny Games and Transformers: The Movie) Sean and Nicole are on summer break and humbly present you with a rerun of the episode that started it all! The Celluloid Mirror is a film discussion podcast in which we look at two very different films to see what they reflect about one another and the audience watching. For our first film pairing we discuss Transformers: The Movie (1986), Michael Haneke's Funny Games (2007), and how these two films confront their audiences and subvert genre expectations. Links: David Edelstein on Funny Games  A.O. Scott on Funny Games  Slate Review of Funny Games  Caryn James on Transformers  How Less Alienation Creates More Exploitation? Audience Labour on Social Network Sites   Game over? The (re)play of horror in Michael Haneke's Funny Games U.S.  Get early access to new episodes of The Celluloid Mirror PLUS bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring conversations that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so much more by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This Mini doesn't quite give you a taste of what's to come ... yet. We're taking a short break to prepare our final episode of season 2 where we will be discussing Back to the Future and Masking Threshold with the filmmaker behind Masking Threshold, Johannes Grenzfurthner. It's a really great episode we're looking forward to sharing with you on September 7th!  In the meantime enjoy hearing us talk about some of your own comments in this mini episode and then next week come back for a rerun of our very first episode on Funny Games and Transformers: The Movie! Masking Threshold Jack Kirby Designs for Julius Caesar Get early access to new episodes of The Celluloid Mirror PLUS bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring conversations that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so much more by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Sean and Nicole discuss the role of Norse-God-turned-comic-book-hero (and sometimes Aryan poster boy) Thor in Ken Russell’s 1975 Franz Liszt “biopic” Lisztomania and Taika Waititi’s 2017 postcolonial MCU blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok. How can art influence or re-write history? How does fascism look different on the horizon versus in retrospect? How does antisemitism so durably animate authoritarianism? Is Chris Hemswoth a better blond than Roger Daltry? Can Cate Blanchett do any wrong? Can there be too many penises in a movie? Find out! Episode Transcript Links Madeline Werner - Reckoning with Ragnarok: Critique and Reinterpretation in Marvel’s Thor Franchise Angie Han on Asgard's bloody history refuses to stay buried in 'Thor: Ragnarok' (Mashable) Darren Mooney on Thor: Ragnarok Is a Totally Radical Postcolonial Superhero Movie (The Escapist) B.L. Panther on “Thor: Ragnarok” was a joyous punch in the face of colonialism (The Spool) ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ through a Black and Indigenous post-colonial lens (Balck Youth Project) Ross Care on Lisztomania Kyle Anderson on SCHLOCK & AWE: THERE ARE ALMOST NO WORDS FOR LISZTOMANIA (Nerdist) SIDDHANT ADLAKHAon“Thor: Ragnarok”: Marvel From a Postcolonial Perspective (The Village Voice) Steven Farber on Russelmania (Film Comment) Dan Berger on The fools of National Socialism (Abolition Journal) Melissa Gira Grant on Pamela Paul’s Great Replacement Theory Get early access to new episodes of The Celluloid Mirror PLUS bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring conversations that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so much more by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Preview of our next episode about...Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok and Ken Russell's Lisztomania! What does a Marvel movie about space vikings have to do with a surrealistic biopic of composer Franz Liszt? Find out next week!  Racer Trash Alanah Rafferty Neptune Frost  Nope Ritseh Babu on RRR Get early access to new episodes of The Celluloid Mirror PLUS bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring conversations that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so much more by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Well, originally we had a different plan for our 8th episode of season 2, but that's been bumped to episode 9 for reasons you'll hear on this one. Because of reasons, we could not prepare as much as we wanted to for our originally planned episode, and thus we cooked up something a little different for you this time around. Please enjoy this special episode in which Sean’s top 5 films of 2022 so far are pitted against Nicole’s choices in an epic battle for current cinematic supremacy! Starring Mia Goth, N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Bowen Yang, Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Joel Kim Booster, Zoe Kravitz, Michelle Yeoh, and many more! Episode Transcript Links: Brothers From Another Podcast  TCM ep on Surviving the Game and Parasite with Lemar McLean, Tarik Davis and Don Hooper of BFAP W. Kamau Bell’s We Need to Talk About Cosby (documentary) Andrew Ahn’s Fire Island (film) Domee Shi’s Turning Red (film) Matt Reeve’s The Batman (film) David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future (film) Ti West’s X (film) S. S. Rajamouli’s RRR (film) The Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All At Once Get early access to new episodes of The Celluloid Mirror PLUS bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring conversations that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so much more by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter, Letterboxd and IG Nicole on twitter, Letterboxd and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Sean and Nicole share what they'll be talking about on the next full episode -- their top 5 films of 2022 so far! Unusual episode, for reasons we discuss on here. We also share some comments on our last episode with special guest Alanah Rafferty about Saint Maud and Xanadu. People have opinions on skating helmets and Freddy Krueger. Get early access to new episodes of The Celluloid Mirror PLUS bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring conversations that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so much more by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter, Letterboxd and IG Nicole on twitter, Letterboxd and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What’s the price for getting too close to God…or at least believing you have? Actor/filmmaker/podcaster Alanah Rafferty joins Sean and Nicole to discuss Rose Glass’s Saint Maud and Robert Greenwald’s Xanadu,  two takes on what happens when one spirals into religious obsession. “Folding sexual arousal and religious ecstasy into a single, gasping sensation…” -Jeanette Catsoulis Who are the protagonists of these films and do they survive them? How are Greek and Christian mythology engaged? Where is the line between inspiration and hallucination? Dance along with Gene Kelly and Olivia Newton John, avoid Morfydd Clark’s medical assistance, listen to Michael Beck whine, and possibly touch the divine! Link to Transcript Janet Maslin in NYT on Xanadu Jeanette Catsoulis in NYT on Saint Maud Roger Ebert on Xanadu Shelia O’Malley on Ebert.com on Saint Maud People Magazine: 20 Things You Didn’t Know About Xanadu EW: Why People Love Xanadu Bad Faith in Saint Maud Bring Us Your Women Catherine Capozzi Our ep abt It’s a Wonderful Life and The Exorcist Oeuvre Busters Get early access to new episodes of The Celluloid Mirror PLUS bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring conversations that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so much more by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Sean checks in with a quick update, some listener feedback, and a few fun clips from our conversation with Alanah Rafferty about Rose Glass' Saint Maud and Robert Greenwald's Xanadu. What do these films have in common? What do they say about the audience and our culture? Find out in next week's episode. You can see more about Alanah at Alanah-Rafferty.com and the film, Fraud, she produced that played Tribeca this year on the Tribeca website. Get episodes of The Celluloid Mirror early PLUS bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring conversations that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so, so much more Celluloid Mirror by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Elliott Gould plays an “apathist” photographer and Adam Driver a confrontational comedian who take center stage - with varying degrees of enthusiasm -- as we discus Alan Arkin’s early ‘70s satire Little Murders and Leos Carax’s 2021 musical extravaganza Annette. “ so much of a piece, so consistent on its own terms, that while you're watching it, it doesn't even feel like satire: just real life, a little farther down the road.” -Roger Ebert What does a bleak adaption of a late 60s stage satire about the prevalence of violence in modern US American life have to do with a stylized, surrealistic Sparks-penned musical about two performers in love and their puppet baby? Is heterosexual romantic love doomed to fail? What pivotal events in act two cement the fates of these characters, and the thematic connections between these films? Who is hotter, Elliott Gould or Adam Driver? Join us for urgent answers to these burning questions, and oh so much more! Transcript Here Links Roger Greenspun reviewed Little Murders in the New York Times AO Scott reviewed Annette in the New York Times Shelia O’Malley reviewed Annette for Ebert.com Ebert himself reviewed Little Murders Justine Smith - Annette brings toxic masculinity to the musical rom-com (Cult MTL) Richard Brody - Leos Carax is Limited by Adam Driver’s Star Power (The New Yorker) Beatrice Loayza - Leos Carax on Annette and the Cinema of Doubt (The New York Times) Jonathan Romney - Annette Cannes Review (Screen Daily) Ben Sachs - The still-relevant satire Little Murders is the best movie in town this week(Chicago Reader) Rob Hunter - Little Murders is a Bleakly Cynical Gem with Big Laughs (Film School Rejects) Little Murders Review (Film Authority) Marriage Story is on Netflix (watch from 1hr 57 min to 2hrs 4 min to see the two scenes featuring Sondheim songs we discuss) We’re also on twitter, instagram, Patreon, and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Nicole tells you all about what's coming next week from The Celluloid Mirror -- puppet babies and experimental theater via Leos Carax's Annette (2021) starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, and Alan Arkin's Little Murders (1971) starring Elliott Gould and Marcia Rodd! We've got a few clips from that upcoming episode as well as listener feedback on our Josie and The Pussycats/Speed Racer Discussion. Is it fair to call the Speed Racer ninjas "evil"? How about comparing Josie to Luke Skywalker? Let's get into it! Plus, hear about the NYC premiere of Audre's Revenge and Monika Estrella Negra's Bitten, A Tragedy at The Art of Brooklyn Film Fest and upcoming 6/26 screening at Queer Arts Festival in Vancouver. Leave us a voice message to share your thoughts about the show Get TCM episodes before the drop publically plus bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring stuff that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so much more by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Whether you’re playing guitar through Marshall stacks or chasin’ after someone (or both), you simply must hear the conclusion of our in-depth conversation with special guest Che Broadnax about Lana and Lily Wachowski’s Speed Racer and Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont’s Josie and the Pussycats, two candy-coated critiques of capitalism based on cartoon IPs that were in turn based on comic books. Transcript is HERE  Links Roger Ebert on Josie and the Pussycats …and Speed Racer Elvis Mitchell on Josie in The New York Times AO Scott on Speed Racer in The New York Times Observer: Film Crit Hulk on 10 Years Later, Why the Wachowskis’ Flop ‘Speed Racer’ Is Actually a Masterpiece Medium: Adam on Anticapitalism and the Wachowski Sisters Birth Movies Death: Grant Pardee on SPEED RACER Is Colorful, Anti-Capitalist, And Criminally Overlooked Polygon: Sean T. collins on In Speed Racer’s fossil-fuel-free future, speed is freedom Entertainment Weekly: Darren Franich and Chris Nashawaty debate Speed Racer - Soulless Flop or Artistic Pioneer? Polygon: Dave Schilling on Josie and the Pussycats is cinema’s greatest takedown of capitalism Bust: Emma Davey on What "Josie and the Pussycats" Taught Me About Capitalism, Government Mistrust, And Halter Tops Flipscreened: Jenni Holtz on Josie and the Pussycats'(2001) is a Feminist Text This Had Oscar Buzz: We’re also on patreon, twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A quick preview of the second half of our epic discussion with Che on Josie and the Pussycats and Speed Racer. Join us next week for more! Join Nicole and Sean at the Welcome Back to the Dark Side Block at the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival and see Bitten, a tragedy with us! Encore virtual screening of the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival Welcome to the Dark Side Short Films Block Encore virtual screening of Community Service and Dark Tales from Channel X with the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival Che's episode from Season 1: And Then The Music Wilds Out (The Big Boss and Sorry to Bother You) Get episodes of The Celluloid Mirror early PLUS bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring conversations that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so, so much more Celluloid Mirror by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

If you’re a demon on wheels and/or favor long tails and ears for hats, you should definitely check out PART ONE of our deep dive with special guest Che Broadnax into two 2000s cinematic classics based on cartoons (that were in turn based on comics/magna): Lana and Lily Wachowski’s Speed Racer and Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont’s Josie and the Pussycats. “ …the misfortune of being a double rip-off/ spinoff. In other words, there's no there…” -Elvis Mitchell Episode Transcript is HERE Links Roger Ebert on Josie and the Pussycats …and Speed Racer Elvis Mitchell on Josie in The New York Times AO Scott on Speed Racer in The New York Times Observer: Film Crit Hulk on 10 Years Later, Why the Wachowskis’ Flop ‘Speed Racer’ Is Actually a Masterpiece Medium: Adam on Anticapitalism and the Wachowski Sisters Tor: Emmet Asher-Perrin on The Wachowski’s Speed Racer is a Candy-Colored Whirlwind That’s Good Enough to Eat Birth Movies Death: Grant Pardee on SPEED RACER Is Colorful, Anti-Capitalist, And Criminally Overlooked Polygon: Sean T. collins on In Speed Racer’s fossil-fuel-free future, speed is freedom Entertainment Weekly: Darren Franich and Chris Nashawaty debate Speed Racer - Soulless Flop or Artistic Pioneer? Polygon: Dave Schilling on Josie and the Pussycats is cinema’s greatest takedown of capitalism Bust: Emma Davey on What "Josie and the Pussycats" Taught Me About Capitalism, Government Mistrust, And Halter Tops Flipscreened: Jenni Holtz on Josie and the Pussycats'(2001) is a Feminist Text We’re also on Patreon, twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Nicole and Sean give you a little taste of what's to come next week on The Celluloid Mirror when we'll be talking about Speed Racer and Josie and the Pussycats, which was such a fun conversation, we had to split it in two! So, next week you'll just be getting part 1 ... but what a part 1! Che's episode from Season 1: And Then The Music Wilds Out (The Big Boss and Sorry to Bother You) See Fraud at the Tribeca Film Festival produced by our upcoming guest Alanah Rafferty. Girls, Guts and Giallo episode about “the male gaze” Get episodes of The Celluloid Mirror early PLUS bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring conversations that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so, so much more Celluloid Mirror by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Teen horror-comedy meets avant garde neo-noir as we discuss Fran Kuzui’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Bette Gordon’s Variety, two very different, reputedly-feminist interventions into genre. Who is a better screenwriter -- Kathy Acker or Joss Whedon? We explore this important question and more. S2E3 Episode Transcript HERE Links and Further Reading Chicago review: David Kehr on how “Buffy is, like, so campy, you know?” New York Times: Janet Maslin hates Variety New York Times: Janet Maslin likes Buffy a little more Another Gaze: Rebecca Liu on Screening Female Desire: Bette Gordon’s Variety 35 Years On CUNY Queens: Kevin L. Ferguson on On Variety: The Avant-Garde Between Pornography and Narrative Gay Community News: Cindy Patton on A Question of Variety: New Forms for Women in Movies IndieWire: Liz Shannon Miller on how Luke Perry in Buffy the Vampire Slayer helped Redefine the Male Love Interest Going Rampant: Feminist Review: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Buffy the Vampire Slayer original film script by Joss Whedon Laura Mulvey on Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema Subscribe to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Get ready for our conversation about Bette Gordon's Variety and Fran Kuzui's Buffy the Vampire Slayer (written by third generation TV sitcom writer Joss Whedon) with this minisode/teaser. You'll hear a couple of clips from next week's episode as well as a response to some of your comments. Including an explanation of why, as a storyteller, it's important to analyze the work of others and break down what's not as well done even in the things you really enjoy.  Get episodes early as well as bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring stuff that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord acess and so, so much more Celluloid Mirror by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Girls Guts and Giallo host Annie Rose Malamet joins for a spirited discussion of Return to Oz, Walter Murch’s maligned sequel to acclaimed classic film The Wizard of Oz, and Tony Randel’s Hellbound: Hellraiser 2, a slightly-less controversial follow up to Clive Barker’s Hellraiser. “Kids are…terrified” - Siskel & Ebert Misogyny and mental health! Bad mommies! Magical creatures, both sexy and not-so-much! We are discussing all that and more in this deep dive into the connective tissue between these two fascinating sequels featuring young women institutionalized against their will, just for telling the truth. All hail Fairuza Balk and Clare Higgans! Episode Transcript Links and Further Reading Siskel and Ebert Hate Return to Oz New York Times Janet Maslin on Return to Oz RogerEbert.com Ebert “reviews” Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 New York Times Caren James on Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 PopLurker: Michael Casey on subtly sinister ways Return to Oz is really a horror movie Screen Crush: Britt Hayes on Revisiting Return to Oz Screen Rant:  Adrienne Tyler on Hellraiser 2’s original ending Los Angeles Times: Patrick Goldstein on Hellbounds Horror-Fiction Lion Our very own patreon! Sean on Hellraiser Mythology California Law Review: Robert T. Roth and Judith Lerner on Sex-Based Discrimination in the Mental Institutionalization of Women Get episodes early as well as bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring stuff that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord access and so, so much more Celluloid Mirror by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What's coming next from the Celluloid Mirror? We're talking about Tony Randel's Hellbound: Hellraiser II and Walter Murch's Return to Oz with Girls, Guts, and Giallo's Annie Role Malamet! This mini-sode is a little preview of what's coming up next week!  You may want to prepare by listening to Annie's two part episode on the first Hellraiser movie! Part 1 and Part 2 Get episodes early as well as bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring stuff that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord acess and so, so much more Celluloid Mirror by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

An animatronic dinosaur with human consciousness meets a Calvinist true believer in our season 2 premiere!  Men have problems! They’re being mauled by lions, injured in oil rig accidents, flattened by steamrollers, and even separated from their very bodies, having their brains placed in a retired theme park attractions. How will the women in their lives fix them??? These are just some of the challenges that Denise Richards, Paul Walker, Emily Watson and Stellan Skarsgard face in Stewart Raffill’s Tammy and the T-Rex and Lars Von Trier’s Breaking the Waves.  Note: This episode contains a frank and at times graphic discussion of the films’ events and themes, including violence (both sexual and otherwise), suicide, disability and ableism, abuse, systemic misogyny and other heavy topics.  Links and Further Reading  Episode Transcript New York Times: Janet Maslin on Breaking the Waves  RogerEbert.com: Roger Ebert on Breaking the Waves  RogerEbert.com: Peter Sobczynski on Tammy and the T-Rex  Rhonda S. Black Victims and Victors: Representation of Physical Disability on the Silver Screen  Romel W. Mackelprang, Richard O. Salsgiver Disability: A Diversity Model Approach in Human Service Practice  Disability Studies Quarterly: Susanne Berg on Cultural Commentary: Pre-agreed Criteria for the Subject Matter  Vertigo Elzemieke de Tiege on Exploiting the Innocent Heroine  The Independent Adam White on Tammy and the T-Rex  How Did This Get Made episode on Tammy and the T-Rex  Get episodes early as well as bonus episodes, uncut video of our recording sessions featuring stuff that didn’t make it to the final show, games, invitations to events, Discord acess and so, so much more Celluloid Mirror by subscribing to our Patreon We’re also on twitter, instagram and have a website Sean on twitter and IG Nicole on twitter and IG All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4552-twisted License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Celluloid Mirror is BACK for a second season, in which we continue to take two very different films and see what they reflect about one another, and the audience watching. Our season premiere is a wide-ranging discussion about Lars Von Trier's Breaking the Waves and Stuart Raffill's Tammy and the T-Rex! It drops Wednesday, March 20th 2022. New episodes every other Wednesday right here or wherever you get podcasts.  Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and if you like what you hear please leave us a review and tell a friend! 

Hello Listeners! We have a bonus episode for you! In this special, between-seasons bonus episode of The Celluloid Mirror hosts Sean and Nicole compare their top ten films of 2021. Two will enter, one will fall. Who has the superior cinematic taste? Bonus: Hear Nicole mispronounce so many words! So many. Stay tuned for The Celluloid Mirror Season Two coming soon, in which Sean and Nicole will return to discussing a mere two films per episode. Links and Further Reading: Sean on Letterboxd Nicole on Letterboxd TCM Bonus episode about Judas and the Black Messiah More about Nella Larsen PDF of Passing, Quicksand, and stories by Nella Larsen Saint Maud trailer Masking Threshold on Rotten Tomatoes Excalibur The Sword and the Stone The Kid who Would Be King At World’s End Dorothy Arzner’s Dance, Girl, Dance All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Technical Note: Unfortunately Nicole had some technical issues with her recording, so you may notice a change in the quality of her audio for the final 30 minutes of the episode. In the final episode of season one of The Celluloid Mirror we invited Ashlee Blackwell to join us to talk about two teen films: Jennifer Reeder's Knives and Skin from 2019 and Stephen Herek's Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead from 1991. Ashlee is the creator of the online scholarship Graveyard Shift Sisters, a resource highlighting the history of Black women in the horror genre and is one of the writers and producers of the Shudder Original documentary, Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror. She's currently an adjunct professor of film studies. Knives and Skin and Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead are both films about suburban) teenagers coming of age in the absence of parental guidance, catalyzed by an unexpected and obfuscated death. We talk about those similarities, our reactions, and how in some ways the teens in Knives and Skin are the children of the teens in Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead. This is our last episode for season one of the show. We're going to take a little break and be back soon with more episodes. Let us know what movies or pairing you'd be interested in us diving into. Links and Further Reading: Graveyard Shift Sisters Horror Noire; A History of Black Horror Knives And Skin (2019) Is An Amazing Pastel Noir Therapy Session - Ashlee Blackwell Knives and Skin on Rotten Tomatoes Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead on Rotten Tomatoes Roger Ebert on Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead Ebert.com on Knives and Skin Vincent Canby on Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead Ben Kenigsberg on Knives and Skin Hollywood Movies from the Nineties: Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead (1991) - Stones of Erasmus Blog Rural Magic Realism and Perpetual Adolescence in KNIVES AND SKIN - Father Son Holy Gore Blog Knives and Skin Explained - If Twin Peaks was a Panty-Sniffing Musical - Signal Horizon Magazine "Knives and Skin" - Berlin Review All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In our penultimate episode of our first season of The Celluloid Mirror Nicole and Sean invite their good friend cinematographer Yessica Curiel Montoya to discuss two George Miller classics: Mad Max: Fury Road and Babe: Pig in the City. Yessica is an experienced DP with an extensive background as a gaffer for independent features, documentaries, and commercials. Her work as cinematographer has screened in film festivals around the world, and received a Kodak Eastman Award in 2014. She’s a Mexican immigrant, and a proud Harlem resident in New York City. ​ What do Pig in the City and Fury Road have in common? They are both sequels to hit films that feature colons but no numbers in their official titles. They are also both directed by George Miller. We believe they share many thematic and stylistic elements and constitute Miller’s two finest films. We discuss how both approach anti-authoritarian themes and issues around being sequels to popular films. Links and Further Reading Yessica's Website Pig in the City on Rotten Tomatoes Fury Road on Rotten Tomatoes Ebert on Pig in the City Ebert.com on Fury Road Janet Maslin on Pig in the City AO Scott on Fury Road ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’ Isn’t George Miller’s Most Nutso Movie — ‘Babe: Pig In The City’ Is “Toys in the Attic” Christopher Kelly, Film Quarterly What George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road Has in Common With Lorenzo’s Oil and Babe: Pig in the City Babe: Pig in the City is a movie about hope with the right amount of regret Why ‘Babe’ Bombed "Who Killed the World? Religious Paradox in Mad Max: Fury Road" Bonnie McLean, Science Fiction film and Television "Recasting Nature as a Feminst Space" Michelle Yates, Science Fiction Film and Television All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

How do the 1984 US romantic comedy Splash and the 2015 Polish horror musical The Lure reinterpret the classic Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale The Little Mermaid.? No guests this week, just hosts Sean and Nicole talking about some sea folk and what these tales tell us about how audiences and filmmakers see gender, sexuality, sacrifice, and more. Deep Cuts: The Lure on Syfy.com Film Comment on The Lure Roger Ebert on Splash Ebert.com on The Lure Janet Maslin on Splash AO Scott on The Lure The Little Mermaid was more Subversive than you Realized on Smithsonian.com All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What do an academy award winning South Korean drama and a 90s Ice-T action thriller have in common? That's the question we address this month with the hosts of the Brothers from Another Planet podcast Lemar McLean, Tarik Davis, and Don P. Hooper. You read that right. This month we have not one, not two, but three guests! This month we address how both Ernest Dickerson's Surviving the Game and Bong Joon Ho's Parasite are stories of how for those without money, capitalism may truly be The Most Dangerous Game, one rigged to be unwinnable. And we consider the question: "Are rich people the Most Dangerous Parasite?" Don P. Hooper is a writer and filmmaker of Jamaican heritage. He was a staff writer for the 2017-2020 Writers Guild of America East Awards and his directing work has been selected and featured in the NYC Horror Film Festival, The New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival (award winner), Martha's Vineyard AA Film Festival, and more. His poetry has been featured in Unión de Periodistas, the “Ransack” chapbook and the “Jerk Apricots and Chains” chapbook. He does voice-over in video games and documentaries. He proudly reps Brooklyn, all day, every day. Tarik Davis is an actor/writer/avid pop culture consumer based in Brooklyn, NY. Past experience includes performing for Upright Citizens Brigade in New York, Boom Chicago in Amsterdam and The Second City in Chicago. Tarik wrote and stars in Page One, a short horror film that was featured in the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival and the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. Tarik is a regular performer at The Pit with Comedy People’s Time and The Baldwins and at UCB Hell’s Kitchen with Baby Wants Candy. Tarik joined Freestyle Love Supreme in July 2019 at the Kennedy Center in D.C. and made his Broadway debut with FLS at the Booth Theater in December 2019. You can also catch Tarik as a main cast member in the Netflix series The Iliza Shlesinger Sketch Show and as the on camera announcer for The Amber Ruffin Show on Peacock and on the weekly podcast, Brothers From Another Planet. LeMar McLean produces the podcasts Brothers From Another Planet and The Taped Off TV Podcast. Since producing the web series Breakfast in Bed and the short film Page One, he’s focused on screenwriting in the social justice horror/thriller space. Listen to Brothers from Another Planet! Learn more about Lemar! Learn more about Tarik! Learn more about Don! Parasite on Rotten Tomatoes Surviving the Game on Rotten Tomatoes Ebert.com on Parasite Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel on Surviving the Game Janet Maslin on Surviving the Game Vulture Interview with Bong Joon Ho Shawn Setaro Interview with Ernest Dickerson on The Cipher All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Happy New Year! We're ringing in the new year with a sequel! Not to one of our own episodes, but actually to an episode of Guilt Free Features, the podcast of this month's guests Janet Kim and Karen Wang. Back in August 2020 we chatted with Karen and Janet about Face/Off and Con Air and all the Cagey Cageness of the one and only Nicolas Cage and the "Summer of Cage." This month, we're talking about Neil LaBute's less than stellar remake of The Wicker Man and Jon Turtletaub's ode to the puzzling genius of the Founding Fathers, National Treasure. What connects these two movies beyond being Nicolas Cage mid 2000s paychecks? Cults and Secret Societies! (Is there a difference? You tell us!) One is about a cult of women on an island in the Pacific Northwest. The other centers on secret societies like the Free Masons and has a certain culty devotion to the legends of the Found Fathers of the United States. Karen Wang is an award-winning writer, director, and producer of films. She has served regularly on the juries and curation teams of a number of screenwriting competitions and film incubator programs over the past fifteen years, while her own narrative work has been featured at festivals throughout the United States and Europe. Janet S. Kim is a Brooklyn-based director / photographer, writer, and producer.  She has created and produced content for various clients such as NBC, HBO, Amazon, and Sesame Street.  Her narrative work has screened at festivals throughout the United States. Listen to CageFest 1 on Guilt Free Features. The Wicker Man on Rotten Tomatoes National Treasure on Rotten Tomatoes Not Screened For Critics: Remembering a Very Special Labor Day (review of The Wicker Man) Roger Ebert on National Treasure All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Happy Holiday Season! On this episode we welcome Liam Billingham to the program! Liam Billingham is a podcast producer by day, and podcast host by night. He also sometimes makes movies, and really owes Sean Mannion an edit of a thing. He’s [a] dad and a recent transplant to LA from his adopted home of Brooklyn, New York. You can check out his podcast Oeuvre Busters at oeuvrebusters.com and see his other work at LiamBillingham.com. Liam played a fucking creep in Nicole Solomon’s film Small Talk. He’s psyched to join his pal Nicole and his greatest foe Sean Mannion for their podcast. On this very special Christmas episode, we discuss It's A Wonderful Life and The Exorcist! Thank you for watching and listening! If you enjoy the show, we'd love it if you could rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice (even though you're obviously getting the show here already...) It really, really helps people find the show. Share your thoughts with us on the show! Tell us your answers to the questions at the end of each episode, share film pairings you'd like  us to discuss, or just generally let us know what's on you reach out here, on social media (@4milecircus everywhere) or info@4milecircus.com  All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ References & Research: Why I watch It's A Wonderful Life every Christmas - The Guardian When ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ Was Accused of Being Communist Propaganda - In These Times "It's a Wonderful Life as Faerian Drama" - Mythlore "The Exorcist: CIA Script?" - Counterspy "History Has Not Been Kind To “The Exorcist” - Rewire 'Exorcist' Director: It Worked Because 'I Made That Film as a Believer" - The Hollywood Reporter "The right-wing agenda of the exorcism movie" - Salon "Why Are So Many Horror Films Christian Propaganda?" - Vice "My Coming Out Story, Starring a Priest, an Animal Sacrifice and Ricky Martin" - Narratively Wikipedia on Cult of Domesticity/Cult of True Womanhood The Devil Finds Work, Baldwin, James. (Dial Press, 1976.)

We got together and recorded a mini episode for The Celluloid Mirror so we could address some of the feedback and responses we've gotten on the first couple of episodes.  Want to be included next time we do a mini? Email us, leave a voice message, or message us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. We would really love to hear what you think about our conversations on film and share it with everyone else. We also discussed the documentaries of Marlon Riggs on The Criterion Channel, the Nxivm documentary series on HBO and Starz, and Class Action Park on HBO Max. Later this month (just in time for Christmas) is our conversation with OeuvreBusters' Liam G. Billingham about It's A Wonderful Life and The Exorcist! And a couple of other podcasts we mentioned you should check out: Girl Presses Play Brothers From Another Planet Taped Off TV All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The Celluloid Mirror is a film discussion podcast in which we look at two very different films to see what they reflect about one another, and the audience. On this month's episode, we discuss the Bruce Lee classic The Big Boss (1971) and Boots Riley's Sorry to Bother You (2018) and how envision workers fighting back against capitalist exploitation. Also in this episode we welcome special guest Che Broadnax to the program! Che Broadnax is a Brooklyn-based filmmaking multi-tool. He has been found behind the lens of indie features, in the edit suite for major networks, and hunched over the drafting table creating sequential art.Recently he photographed IFP Films’ sci-fi/horror/comedy WELCOME TO WILLITS, singer/songwriter Aria Jay’s GROWTH, and MTV’s CLIMATE CHANGE CHRISTMAS. His directorial debut, CIVIL WARRIORS won Best Narrative Feature at the 2016 Long Beach Indie International Film Festival. In another life, Che was known as Rev1: Last Revolutionary Emcee and released two politically charged hip hop albums. (imdb) (portfolio) Thanks for listening. If you enjoy the show we'd love it if you could rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice as it really helps with the discoverability of the show. As before if you would like to share your thoughts with us on the show, on the questions at the end of either episode, or on pairings you'd like to see reach out here, on social media (@4milecircus everywhere) or info@4milecircus.com  All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ References & Research: In Boots Riley’s Dark Comedy Sorry to Bother You, The Villain Is Capitalism Itself (The New Statesman) Boots Riley: ‘Capitalism must have poverty in order to exist’ (Dazed) Sorry to Bother You: is this the most shocking anti-capitalist film ever? (The Guardian) The Dragon Enters: The Big Boss DVD Review (CineOutsider) From Kung Fu to Hip Hop: Globalization, Revolution, and Popular Culture, Kato, M. T. ( SUNY Series, Explorations in Postcolonial Studies, 2007.) Beyond Bruce Lee: Chasing The Dragon Through film, Philosophy, and Pop Culture, Bowman, Paul.(Wallflower Press, 2013.)

The Celluloid Mirror is a film discussion podcast in which we look at two very different films to see what they reflect about one another, and the audience. On this episode of The Celluloid Mirror we welcome our first guest! Frequent guest of our 4MileCircus Podcast, Christina Raia. Christina Raia is a New York City based Writer/Director and the Founder of CongestedCat Productions. She focuses on socially conscious narrative projects, primarily in the horror and comedy genres. Her work, consisting of over a dozen short films, a web series, and two feature films, has screened at film festivals around the world with coverage on press outlets such as Indiewire and BuzzFeed. Through a desire to support other filmmakers, she teaches workshops on crowdfunding and creative distribution methods, empowering creators to build their audience and get their work made and seen. Find out more about Christina and her work at christinaraia.com and congestedcat.com. On today's episode we discuss Babe ('96) and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre ('74) and how they expose us to the horrors of animal agriculture and meat production. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy the show we'd love it if you could rate, review, and subscribe on your platform of choice (even though you're getting the show here already) as it really helps with the discoverability of the show. As before if you would like to share your thoughts with us on the show, on the questions at the end of either episode, or on pairings you'd like to see reach out here, on social media (@4milecircus everywhere) or info@4milecircus.com  All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ References & Research: People Magazine review of Babe Roger Ebert review of Babe Roger Ebert review of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre Cincinnati Inquirer review of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre The Ultimate Pro-Vegetarian Film is the Last Movie You'd Expect on Slate Human and Nonhuman Horror Cinema on Luddite Robot The Texas Chainsaw Massacre a Vegan Allegory by Introverted Activist Seeing and Slaughtering in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) by Dawn Keetley "The "Babe" Vegetarians: Bioethics, Animal Minds, and Moral Methodology" by Nathan Nobis The Sexual Politics of Meat by Carol J. Adams "Learning Spirits: Spectral Pedagogy and Vegan Horror" by Rick Kelley

Introducing The Celluloid Mirror The Celluloid Mirror is a film discussion podcast in which we look at two very different films to see what they reflect about one another, and the audience. For our first film pairing we discuss Transformers: The Movie (1986) and Funny Games (2007). We discuss how these two films confront the audience and subvert their expectations for genre films. We have subtitled this pilot episode "The Audience Must Suffer." We've got some more fun pairings planned for future episodes and some great guests. You can subscribe to the show at anchor.fm/thecelluloidmirror where you can also leave us a voice message giving us your thoughts on one or all of the questions at the end of this episode, or message us via social media (@4MileCircus) or email us at info@4milecircus.com.  Would you like to get future episodes early and see the uncut video of our recording of this episode (and likely future ones)? Well, for that and so much more join our Patreon! Patreon.com/4milecircus All music in the episode is by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/ License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ References & Research: David Edelstein on Funny Games https://nymag.com/movies/reviews/45099/ A.O. Scott on Funny Games https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/14/movies/14funn.html Slate Review of Funny Games https://slate.com/culture/2008/03/michael-haneke-s-funny-games-reviewed.html Caryn James on Transformers https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/09/movies/screen-transformers-animation-for-children.html How Less Alienation Creates More Exploitation? Audience Labour on Social Network Sites https://www.triple-c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/392 Game over? The (re)play of horror in Michael Haneke's Funny Games U.S. https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/intellect/nc/2014/00000012/F0020001/art00004# Art, Entertainment, Entropy - Gene Youngblood The Myth of Superman - Umberto Eco The Spectator - Siegfried Kracauer

The Celluloid Mirror is a new podcast from 4MileCircus (4milecircus.com). Join Nicole Solomon and Sean Mannion as each episode they delve into two very different films to see what they reveal about each other and their audiences. Upcoming episodes include pairings of Funny Games (2007) and Transformers: The Movie (1986); Babe (1995) and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974); and The Big Boss (1971) and Sorry to Bother You (2018).