Film School

Happy New Year! Lots of fun stuff to come on the podcast this year, and for Josh and Ira personally. We talk about what the year-to-come has in store. What's on the horizon for you?

As we turn the page on 2023, we take a look back on the last FIVE YEARS that we've done this exercise, and we consider how far we've come, and how that affects what we think of this year. It was a banner year in some ways, and a difficult one in others. We discuss what this year means for us, and we invite you to consider how 2023 has been for you. How far have you come? What will you remember 202...

God bless us, everyone! Jim Henson's Muppets take on the Dickens classic holiday tale of the humbug-miser who discovers that generosity is not only the way to live Christmas, but to live your entire life. Michael Caine plays Scrooge, Kermie plays Bob Cratchit, and Gonzo is our narrator...shenanigans, hilarity, and life lessons ensue. It was the first muppet movie made without Jim. Is the magic sti...

I'm dreaming of a white christmas... Kinda wild we haven't watched this classic yet. Not all old musical, romantic comedies translate to the modern era. So much has changed in how we feel about love, what is good comedy, and the holidays. AND YET...there is something absolutely magical about the way old movies are able to transport us somewhere warm, fuzzy, charming, and irresistable.  White Chris...

Does what you watch, read, or listen to influence what you're creating? YES! So, is that a good thing? A bad thing? Perhaps both? What does that depend on? And how exactly does it influence our work in those ways? If that influence is tehre, SHOULD we be watching, reading, and/or listening to stuff while we're working? We discuss all the above for ourselves. Also, Josh recommends  The Rings of Pow...

Any answer to that, sir John??? See, now this seems like something Hitchcock: a woman is found beside a dead body with the knife that killed them in her hand. But...did she do it? One juror doesn't think so, even after agreeing to convict her. So, he launches his own investigation. Can he discover the truth in time? THIS is the Hitchcock premise we're used to. The question is: does it work? How do...

Now that we're decently far into our second filmmaker deep dive, let's take a moment to think about what we've seen thus far. What are the differences and similarities between the two of them. Are there any patterns we can see between David Lynch and Alfred Hitchcock? Where to do they align, and where do they depart? And what can  we as writers, filmmakers, and film lovers learn or take away from...

It's miraculous. Whenever he senses a job in front of him, his legs begin to fail him. Alfred takes on the beloved (at the time) play about the Irish Civil War and modern times with this one. There's fast talking, heavy drinking, rags and riches, frivolity and tragedy, slaptstick and drama. It's a lot. Is it too much? And just what in the feck  are  they saying, anyway?

As soon as we learned there was ANOTHER version of Hitchcock's  Blackmail --the silent version, which was actually more popular at the time than the "talkie" version was--we knew we had to set aside the time to watch it. It's not exactly a different movie. Most of the cast is the same. Most of the shots are the same. But it IS different. Substantially so; it's the original way the film was shot, a...

Morning, Alice. 'Eard about the murder? The talkies have arrived! Alfred Hitchcock has the distinction of making Britain's  very first . So, how does Hitch do with a full-on script, and TALKING actors? The subject certainly seems like Alfred's cup of tea. So...how does it turn out? We watch and find out. A particularly fascinating watch and discussion this week; not to be missed!

Get away from her you bitch! Cameron drags us back, kicking and screaming, to the world of the Aliens. And yes, this time, there is more than one. There's a whole outpost full of them. But we have marines! Guns! Explosives! We'll be fine...right? It has the reputation of being one of those rare sequels that might actually be better than the original. Does it live up to that? We watch and discuss.

Before you die, you see...the ring Spooky season 2023 bringing the noise. US gets hit with its own version of  The Ring . So, how similar is it to the Japanese version? What did they change? The movie was a sensation at the time--especially with that four-quadrant-friendly PG-13 rating...so how does it hold up 20 years later? We watch and find out!

In space, no one can hear you scream. This movie. THIS. MOVIE. It's one of those unicorns--it could have been so bad, so cheesy, so forgettable. And yet, through that incredible collision of luck and execution, we got a masterpiece. HR Giger's creature design is still the scariest monster ever created, almost 50 years later. Dan O'Bannon's script is still so tight, so perfectly constructed, we sti...

You will die in one week... The original. This was one of--if not THE--films that kickstarted a renaissance in Japanese (and Korean, and Hong Kong, and more) horror. Old world ghosts and curses meet new world anxieties when our protagonist Reiko finds herself sucked into the mystery of how four teenagers died on the same day. Can she solve it in time to save her own life? And how does this film ho...

The book is written. The film is shot. Now, it's time to edit, it's time to rewrite, it's time to turn it into the finished product that you send out to your audience. So, how do you do that? And what about that advice we've all heard: "kill your darlings." What does that mean? We tackle the question "what's next?" this week on the Cutting Room Floor. Also, Josh recommends the documentary  Dave No...

What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? It's Hitchcock's LAST silent film (at least that was released  only as silent). He turns to the sticks. Small fishing town. Love triangle. Secrets and lies. Will it all work out in the end? And how is old Hitch progressing in terms of his abilities as a filmmaker, and as a storyteller. We discuss!

So, you've finished the big project. Whew! What a monster effort that was. Now...what next? How do you handle the inevitable let-down to come? You're exhausted. Zonked. Burned out. Suddenly, the purpose for your days, weeks, or months, has disappeared. What's the best way to navigate the post-finish vacuum? We discuss what's worked and not worked for us. Also, Josh recommends  Star Trek: Deep Spac...

I must have come in the wrong door - but it's all the same to me if you can give me a job. Hitch takes a second whack at comedy. This time, a young heiress apparently needs to be taught a lesson in squalor and humility. Is is successful? We watch and talk about it.

What do you want to eat when you're feeling blue? Or anxious? Or even feeling like you're on top of the world? Our collective relationship with food is complicated, certainly, but sometimes there are foods that put us exactly where we need to be. Josh and Ira discuss what those are for them. Also, Josh recommends  Justice League: The Animated Series which is currently on Netflix, and Ira recommend...

Shoot! There's nothing left to kill. We're tackling divorce this time on the Hitchcock show. The young director takes on a play by Noel Coward with mixed results. A woman tries to leave her past behind, and we all know how that goes. There's love, secrets and high drama. Even some glimpses of great performances playing real characters. We discuss!

How do you write something deeply personal without coming off like an asshole? How do you share your fears, insecurities, anger, and desperation without taking a shit on your life and everyone else in it? It happens a lot. When it's not done well, a personal story can be really self-serving, icky and frustrating to watch/read/listen to/etc. So...how do you avoid that? How do you, instead, make som...

They say that the next best thing to no wife be a good one. Hitchcock the comedian! It's a pastoral romp this time, as the local farmer is in search of a new wife...but when he pops the question, nobody wants to say yes. Meanwhile, his true love might already be under his own roof. It's definitely a different speed from the Hitch we know and love. CAN Alfred do "funny?" We watch and discuss.

How do you break a bad habit? When you find yourself in a cycle of repeating behavior that doesn't help you, how do you bust out and turn that around? We discuss what's worked for us.  Also, Josh recommends Terminator 2 , and Ira recommends The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+

Roddy...can you ever forgive me?  Alfred takes on adapting a play for his fourth film release (fifth if you count the silent film we've since lost to the vagaries of time...but who's counting?). Ivor Norvello plays Roddy, the young man who covers for his friend, and then spends a lifetime paying for it. Sounds like a great premise! Let's see how this one plays out...

When you don't know enough about a topic, how do you find out more about it? And we mean really dive DEEP into something? What are the tools that you use? How do you organize your questions? And how do you keep it from feeling like  Also, Josh recommends Learn to Swim  on Netflix, and Ira recommends Strange New Worlds on Paramount+