Film Optimists

This episode marks a couple of firsts on the podcast as we talk about Ida Lupino’s film noir, Hitchhiker (1953). This is our first film we’ve talked about that is directed by a woman, and this film in particular is considered the first film noir film directed by a woman. We’re excited to discuss the film’s merits on its own, but also what it has done for women in film overall and our opinions on t...

We’re joined by friend and educator Aaron McCray-Goldsmith to discuss Dune (2021). Adapted from the classic Frank Herbet novel of the same name, Dune follows Paul Atreides (played by Timothee Chalamet) as he is thrust into a battle over the planet Arrakis. The 2021 version is the latest of three film adaptations and many more attempted adaptations. Did this latest version finally give fans of the...

Secrets are unveiled and theories are discussed as we dive back into the 80’s with this teenage classic from John Hughes. The film follows the titular character (played by Matthew Broderick) as he makes the most of his last chance to ditch school with his girlfriend and best friend. It also just so happens to be one of Megan’s favorite movies. Got questions or comments for us? You can email them t...

Folks, this one’s a bit different. A listener and friend of the hosts suggested we do an episode on Drive . Despite its critical acclaim, neither of us liked the film when we first saw it over a decade ago. Was our initial analysis accurate, or flawed? To explore this we’re joined by Trenton Cressey who suggested Drive in the first place. Trenton makes his case for the film’s merits and we share o...

With a career spanning six decades and over fifty feature length films, where does one start the discussion of Alfred Hitchcock and his amazing contributions to cinema? For us the answer was simple: the gay one. Released in 1948, Rope was groundbreaking not just for its depiction of homosexual characters but for it’s technical achivements. The entire movie takes place in real time and is composed...

We were honored to have award winning filmmaker Tal Skloot on the show to discuss his documentary 4 Wheel Bob . The film chronicles adventurer Bob Coombers as he attempts to be the first person in a wheelchair to cross 11,845-foot Kearsarge Pass in Sierra Nevada. This astounding film is currently available to watch for free on YouTube .  Got questions or comments for us? You can email them to...

This episode we are thrilled to have Allie Felker on the podcast! Allie Felker is an activist and podcaster who joins us to talk about the 1987 classic, Moonstruck starring Cher and Nicholas Cage. Be sure to check out the links below for Allie’s podcast The Mourning Dove as well as to follow her work with Push for Empowered Pregnancy. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mourning-dove/id15625...

In this episode, Megan and Seth do a deep dive into the sea-faring tale of The Lighthouse , an A24 classic directed by Robert Eggers. The pair discuss what the film did for them, their opinions on studio A24 in general, and what they’re looking forward to from the studio moving forward. Got questions or comments for us? You can email them to filmoptimists@gmail.com or DM us on twitter @filmoptimis...

With the Oscars coming up we’ve been reflecting on our favorite movies we saw last year. In doing so we realized some of the films that left the biggest impact on us weren’t new releases. So, in keeping up with our tradition of celebrating film as a whole rather than only focusing on newer films, we will be listing our favorite films we saw last year regardless of when they came out. What made it...

In this episode Megan and Seth turn their gaze towards modern cinema and discuss 2021’s Pig starring Nicholas Cage. Cage is excellent and reserved in this somber examination of grief set against the backdrop of Portland’s high culinary world and its seedy underbelly.

In this second part of Megan and Seth’s conversation with Riley on Tarkovsky’s Stalker (1979), the gang discuss ending theories of the film, whether or not it can even be labeled as “Sci-Fi” in the first place, and they all answer the question: would you go into the Room? We certainly had a blast talking with Riley, who is an absolute podcast natural. We look forward to working with him again on a...

New year, new voice! That’s right, Optimists; on this episode Megan and Seth welcome their first guest! Friend and writer Riley Gerberick is here to join our discussion about Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1979 Soviet Sci Fi film Stalker . The film follows a guide leading two men through a dangerous zone to a room (of possible alien nature) that will supposedly grant them their deepest desire. Despite the sim...

Happy Holidays, Optimists! This episode Megan and Seth are back to discussing world cinema with an alternative holiday classic, Tokyo Godfathers . The film follows a ragtag trio of homeless people who find an abandoned baby on Christmas Eve. The film was directed by the late anime legend Satoshi Kon. 

In this episode, Megan and Seth discuss a piece of film criticism. The essay “ Everyone is Beautiful and No One is Horny ”, by Raquel S. Benedict addresses depictions of bodies and sexuality in film, particularly how this has changed with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

In this episode Megan and Seth discuss classic Australian mystery film, Picnic at Hanging Rock . The film revolves around a sudden disappearance of multiple people in rural Australia. The film was instrumental in bringing greater worldwide attention to Australian cinema, and to the hosts’ own film repertoire.