Director's Club

Jim is taking the summer off but Patrick is back as your host for the next three official episodes of the show! First up is the renowned French director Louis Malle who has had a lot of varied work throughout his career, several of which are brought up during the episode but the main focus is on Elevator To The Gallows along with Vanya On 42nd Street . Returning guests Robert Reineke ( Still Watch...

I’ve done a lot of podcasts in my time but this one might be the craziest I’ve ever been a part of. Thanks to my dear friend Patrick Ripoll , this is one of those birthday gifts that I’ll cherish forever. What Patrick did was invent 43 movie and music-related games for my 43rd birthday and we turned them into 43 segments. Not to mention the 10 hours of editing Patrick did to put this  madness toge...

80% of the crew for Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman were women. For this episode, I needed the perspective and insights from two of the smartest women I know. Returning guest Kate Blair and newcomer Sharon Gissy join me to discuss this remarkable (and oftentimes challenging) Belgian director that completely changed European cinema back in the mid-70s. We talk about six Chantal Akerman films she’s...

After a slew of bonus episodes, we return to our regularly scheduled program all the way up until the summer. Film Junk’s very own Sean Dwyer and Frank Knezic return to the show for an energetic conversation about a fascinating filmmaker by the name of David O’Russell . No stranger to controversy but also one of the better directors of screwball-style comedy out there. We focus on the majority of...

So you might remember him as Arnie from Christine and that's where I first became aware of the terrific talent of one writer/director/actor extraordinaire Keith Gordon . He's been on Voices + Visions / Director's Club a few times now, thus beginning a yearly tradition where we check in and take the opportunity to nerd out about cinema of years past. Get out a notepad to jot down some of the titles...

What started back six years ago with 1985 continues. This time it’s one entire episode instead of split into two: all six hours plus of an annual tradition co-starring yours truly, Collin Souter and Erik Childress as we run down nearly every film that came out thirty years ago. This time it’s all about 1991! If you’re a fan of nostalgia, sound clips, trailers, 1991 songs, laugh out loud moments an...

It's been a long while since I was contacted about possible interviews, probably because there has been a lot going in the world or more than likely, I've been too busy to reply every single one. Well here are two I simply did not want to pass up because I thoroughly enjoyed the films we discuss. First up, as you heard during Episode 185, I sang the praises of I Blame Society , the latest from Gil...

Chicago filmmaker and friend Sean Pierce returns to the podcast to discuss a Swedish director unlike any other. His choice was Roy Andersson and after seeing the majority of his work, I now understand why there is so much acclaim. It’s pretty much nothing but praise all-around particularly for a film that he made early in his career which will also be brought when I talk to Keith Gordon in a week...

Episode 184 (technically episode 276 if you count bonus episodes) consists of something special - something we’ve never done before in the history of this show. A collaborative top ten list curated by the two individuals that started this show a decade ago. Normally, we fight and bicker but there’s just a little bit of that this time. Patrick Ripoll and I decided to happily piece together our very...

For the first 10th anniversary special of Director’s Club, you get 6 hours and 45 minutes of me and Bill Ackerman talking about our 50 favorite films of all time. Granted, we did end up spending a little time before that revealing our favorites from 2020 as well, but for the most part you get to learn about what each of us think are all-timers when it comes to movies we love. Some have changed for...

BE SURE TO LISTEN TO THE VERY END FOR A SURPRISE CAMEO!   For the last official episode of 2020, I brought on two very special guests from one of my new favorite podcasts, Screen Drafts to talk about one of my favorite writer/directors, James L. Brooks . The great Clay Keller and Ryan Marker join me to discuss his entire filmography since it’s relatively small (unless you count his work in TV) and...

After being inspired by Patrick’s foray into commentary tracks with his great show as well as Mike White of The Projection Booth’s version of this on the new Arrow Blu-Ray, I decided it was time to give this a try with a little help from a friend. Erik Childress (of Movie Madness ) joins me to talk about one of the great science fiction films of the 1980s, The Last Starfighter . Definitely one of...

In contrast to the last episode, this time we cover the work of someone more recent and with a much smaller filmography. Since all four films touch upon similar themes, culminating in what's now considered a masterpiece, we chronologically cover the work of French filmmaker Celine Sciamma starting with Water Lillies and ending with Portrait of a Lady on Fire . Joining me on the journey are returni...

Every October, we try to go above and beyond the call of duty. For one of the most insane years in recent history, it only made sense to finally tackle another Italian horror master by the name of Lucio Fulci. I needed help with some very special returning guests by the names of Patrick Ripoll and Gabe Powers, both host their own shows on the Now Playing Network as well. It was difficult to narrow...

Returning guest Bill Ackerman of Supporting Characters joins me to discuss the fascinating career of Bob Clark , best known for his work on two very different Christmas classics. However, we went a different route focusing mainly on his Vietnam horror gem, Deathdream as well as the film that kick-started an entire genre of sex comedies. No, not Loose Cannons , it’s the original Porky’s . In additi...

Welcome to a special bonus episode of Director’s Club, here to celebrate the work of filmmaker Amy Seimetz who I had the pleasure of talking with on two separate occasions. After the introduction, I present the most recent conversation I had with Amy about her new film She Dies Tomorrow which I had a very strong response to as you’ll hear.  Then halfway through you can hear our discussion from las...

Ever heard of a director named Steven Spielberg? Didn't think so. But maybe you did hear us talk about him about five years ago when we did a two-parter on the beloved blockbuster filmmaker. First we had Collin on to talk about films pre-Jurassic Park. Then we had Erik on to talk about films leading all the way to Munich. This time I recruited both of my friends and former guests to talk about the...

It has been about nine years since this director was discussed on the podcast so when Keeping It Reel’s very own David J. Fowlie expressed interest in coming on the show and brought up the name Peter Weir , how could I resist being such a fan of this Australian director's work as you’ll probably recall from way back. Doing this recording certainly has sparked an interest in returning to other dire...

With all that's going on in the world right now, it's been hard to focus on new content. I've been actively trying to put Google Docs together of books, resources, organizations and various links to help educate myself further even if that's not enough nor will it bring back the lives of the victims I've named at the top of the show. My hope is that everyone listening is doing some kind of protest...

Happy Memorial Day 2020. Wow what a year it's been so far. Before Patrick takes a leave of absence, I asked him to come on during my birthday month to discuss one of my favorite filmmakers, the legendary Billy Wilder. Perhaps you've heard of him? Our main reviews include Ace In The Hole & The Apartment but we certainly touch upon a lot of his work from beginning to end including Double Indemnity,...

WHY DID THEY MAKE HIM HAVE A WIFE?!! So I had a birthday this week and all I asked as a present from Patrick is to endure my weird sounds and movie talk for 75 minutes. Thankfully he obliged. Before we record our next official episode on Billy Wilder in a couple weeks, it was time to do a quarantine-cast free-form Popcorn Supper-style. We discuss our new and exciting side projects that help raise...

Our first remote cast in quite awhile but we had an incredible time talking over Skype about one of the all-time greatest British filmmakers, Mike Leigh. We are joined by returning guest Regina Linn who is also a very talented theater actor in their own right. The main reviews are Life is Sweet and Another Year but we also dive deep into his most acclaimed work, Naked . For What We Watched, there...

This month, we are joined by the one and only Dave Canfield of ScreenAnarchy & Mindframes Podcast to discuss a truly fascinating filmmaker, Canada’s very own Guy Maddin. We try to get to the bottom of his visual aesthetics, discuss the nature of autobiographical filmmaking and praise several of his short films along the way. The focus this time is on the critically acclaimed The Saddest Music of t...

cross-posted at Voices + Visions What started back five years ago with 1985 continues. This time it’s one entire episode instead of split into two: all five and a half hours of an annual tradition co-starring yours truly, Collin Souter and Erik Childress as we run down nearly every film that came out thirty years ago. This time it’s all about 1990! If you’re a fan of nostalgia, sound clips, traile...

Do not attempt to adjust your sets or turn the dial. Those voices you hear don't belong to neither Brad or Al, but original founders and returning hosts Jim and Patrick are back! Yes, after long debates, sleepless nights and several board meetings and PowerPoint presentations, your fearful leaders return to hosting duties. And they've returned with one of their favorite guests, Sergio Mims.  Toget...