The Cinematic Odyssey

In the 24th episode of The Cinematic Odyssey Max and Tristen discuss the classic and timeless Fanny and Alexander from one of cinemas greatest filmmakers, Ingmar Bergman. On the episode Max and Tristen go back and forth with hot takes about the Christmas film "genre", the choices Bergman made, and the dark themes of the film. It gets heated as Tristen vehemently defends the genius of Ingmar Bergma...

On the 23rd episode of The Cinematic Odyssey Max and Tristen discuss a western period piece that has flown under the radar since its release in 2007. Considering it came out in the same year as No Country For Old Men and There Will Be Blood, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford hasn't been privileged to receive the same acclaim and coverage as the other two films. However, Tr...

On the 22nd episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max revisit the newly crowned Best Picture from the Daniels, Everything Everywhere All At Once, a sweeping, captivating, and absurd film that has captured the nation's attention. Tristen discusses the role that personal preference plays in viewing this film, Max rants on about philosophy and his favorite Frenchman Albert Camus, and they bot...

In the 21st episode of The Cinematic Odyssey Max and Tristen go over their picks and predictions for this years Oscars ceremony. They go over every single category and talk about snubs and films that were nominated this year. Who is deserving and who isn't of that illustrious golden trophy? 

On the 20th episode of The Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen, Max, and special guest Declan discuss the operatic and grand anthology film, Magnolia, from the living genius Paul Thomas Anderson. In his third feature length film of his career, Paul Thomas Anderson, achieves an artistic feat seldom filmmakers have eclipsed, let alone attempted, and that is creating a grand and epic story encompassing 9 diff...

On the nineteenth episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max take a look at Barry Jenkins' Best Picture winner, and a film that absolutely deserved the award, Moonlight. Max is more on his game and swears he had his eyes on the wardrobe, Tristen chimes in about the depiction of the cycle of poverty, and they both discuss the use of literal and mood color and its impact on the film. They als...

On the eighteenth episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max venture into Charlotte Wells' feature film directorial debut, Aftersun. Tristen comments on the excellent narrative structure of the story and Max pulls prime cinematographic analysis from underneath his analysis hat. Max also experiences a grand series of Eureka! moments during the episode, meaning the fun of the film comes from...

On the seventeenth episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max dive into the cinematographic wonder of South Korea's Decision to Leave. Tristen marvels at the intricate story and Max compares the dedication of each shot to the inner workings of every character. The story surrounds a simple What if?; What if a police officer fell in love with a suspect? Less mystery and more relationship dram...

On the sixteenth episode of The Cinematic Odyssey Max and Tristen discuss one of Tristen's all time favorite films, Yi Yi. The swansong masterpiece from the late and great Edward Yang, a pioneer of the Taiwanese new wave and the slow cinema movement. His final film is a beautiful, moving, patient portrait of life, showcasing the mundanities of life with utter grace, care, and confidence. We go int...

On the fifteenth episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max take a long look at Denis Villeneuve's complex mystery surrounding what a father would do for his child. Tristen remarks on the remarkable storytelling and power in every shot and Max examines the acting performances of Hugh Jackman and Paul Dano as well as having the biggest 'Eureka' moment in podcast history so far. They concede...

On the fourteenth episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max discuss the most intense, crazy, and lampooning film either has every seen with S. S. Rajamouli's RRR. Max remarks on the stunt performances and intricacies, Tristen frowns on Netflix's linguistic options, and both provide feedback on the debate between national pride versus nationalism. They discuss why these protagonists are "th...

On the thirteenth episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max delve into Max's number one film from the previous year. Max comes to terms with his analysis hat, Tristen is the most animated that he's ever been on this show, and debate sparks over what story they rather would have consumed. We discuss the complex characters contained within the film and why there appears to never be any resol...

On the twelfth episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max delve into the tops and bottoms of cinema in 2022. Max presents his bottom five and top fifteen films that he saw for the first time in the year 2022, inviting controversy and Tristen's disappointment along with it. Tristen lists the films he saw for the first time this year that he rates at five stars, not ranking, but commending ex...

On the eleventh episode of the Cinematic Odyssey Tristen, Max, and special guest Mackenzie discuss their unique and nostalgic memories of Christmas movies both old and new. Mackenzie and Max provide their top five Christmas movies of all time and debate the difference between a Christmas movie and a holiday movie. Tristen educates about Ingmar Bergman and Stanley Kubrick and their Christmas movies...

On the tenth episode of The Cinematic Odyssey Max and Tristen discuss the 2022 Palme d'Or winner, Triangle of Sadness. A brilliant and modern re-telling of the genius satirical works of Luis Buñuel, Ruben Östlund takes on class and social commentary with an incredible comedic identity. We dive into the sequences that made us laugh most and those that hit the hardest, analyzing Östlund's perspectiv...

On the ninth episode of The Cinematic Odyssey Tristen, Max, and special guest Mackenzie take on the gargantuan task of trying to analyze the deeply nuanced and genius film of TÁR. On the episode they discuss the themes in detail and try to wrap their minds around the extremely flawed character of Lydia Tár, played by Cate Blanchett, going into the stark contrast of her musical genius and the sinis...

On the eighth episode of The Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max venture through the bland acting choices, colorful scenic design, and what it means to care about one's family as they discuss Wes Anderson's funny family drama The Royal Tenenbaums. Discussing the symmetry of Anderson's shots and how the audience may find themselves self-aware, rather than projecting values onto emotional characters....

On the seventh episode of The Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max discuss the late masterpiece from one of the greatest filmmakers that has ever lived, Akira Kurosawa's Ran. Ran is an adaptation of Shakespeare's King Lear and is universally considered to be the greatest film adaptation of The Bard's work. Ran was the final epic that Kurosawa created in his illustrious and legendary career, and in t...

On the sixth episode of The Cinematic Odyssey, Max and Tristen discuss one of the greatest films of the 2010's: Parasite. In their conversation they go into detail about capitalism and how Bong Joon-ho masterfully crafts an exposé on its systematic failures. They discuss the shocking reveal that occurs in the middle of the film and how that dramatically changes the tone and direction of the themes...

On the fifth episode of The Cinematic Odyssey, Max, Tristen and special guest Zoe discuss the directorial debut from Greta Gerwig: Lady Bird. They go into the various characters, particularly Marion and Lady Bird and their complicated mother and daughter relationship. Discussing in detail the various tumultuous moments that serve as defining moments for the progression of Lady Bird's character and...

On the fourth episode of The Cinematic Odyssey Max and Tristen dive into the personal and wonderfully realized world of PTA's Licorice Pizza. A love letter to his hometown of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles and to the 70s, the film, depending on who you ask, is either about the ills of growing up and becoming an adult or is a complicated love story or both! Max and Tristen go back and forth...

On the third episode of The Cinematic Odyssey Tristen, Max, and special guest Griffin "Danger" McMorrow discuss the genius or inept decisions made by Josh & Benny Safdie and Adam Sandler in the creation of Uncut Gems. We go into the nitty gritty details of Sandler's character, the intricacies of his performance, the impressive scope of the screenplay, the impeccable direction, and many more th...

In the second episode of The Cinematic Odyssey, Max and Tristen discuss Jojo Rabbit, an anti-hate, anti-Nazi, and pro-love film from Taika Waititi. We discuss the question of whether or not it's okay to satirize the Nazi regime, the progression of Jojo letting go of his hatred and learning to love and gain his childlike innocence, and other aspects of the film that can be seen as questionable and...

In the inaugural episode of The Cinematic Odyssey Max and Tristen discuss Mathieu Kassovitz's masterpiece, La Haine. A politically charged film that dissects the cycle of violence and poverty from the perspective of three minorities in Paris, France. La Haine has been hailed as one of the greatest films to come out of France and continues to be an extremely high benchmark in cinema.