Lessons in Film

Julia and Pete watch Clint Eastwood's 1992 masterpiece Unforgiven, discuss how it reinterprets the tropes of the western, and explore how the United States used the genre to tell its own history.

Julia and Pete watch two very pretentious Best Picture nominees from 2014 - Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel - and try to determine what exactly the Academy is looking for when they choose a winner.

Julia and Pete compare two Best Picture nominees from 2015 that couldn't be more different -Spotlight, a grounded true story about the struggles of journalism, and Mad Max: Fury Road, a post-apocalyptic epic of non-stop action.

Julia and Pete watch two legendary Best Picture nominees, Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, and compare what both films say about the Hollywood studio system of the 1930s.

Julia and Pete discuss, compare, and contrast two films nominated for Best Picture in 1990. First, there's the film that won, the overlong Kevin Costner epic Dances With Wolves, and the film that should have won, Martin Scorsese's mob classic Goodfellas.

Julia and Pete watch The Blues Brothers and discuss the career of Dan Aykroyd through the lens of the auteur theory.

Julia and Pete watch Brokeback Mountain and discuss the film's message about masculinity and repression, how the culture received it at the time, and the incredibly restrained performances from Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Julia and Pete watch the cyberpunk classic Johnny Mnemonic and discuss how it still resonates today, from the fear of technological omnipresence, to the film's anti-corporate, anti-capitalist message.

Julia and Pete close out their look at the Alien series by watching Alien: Resurrection, a film that's very damp and very French. They discuss the movie's confused tone, languid pacing, and uneven performances.

Julia and Pete watch David Fincher's much-maligned Alien³... only to discover it's Julia's favourite of the trilogy! They discuss the film's troubled production and the sour reaction from fans as Julia tries to defend her unconventional opinion,

Julia and Pete watch James Cameron's Aliens and discuss the inherent difficulty with creating a sequel to such a ground-breaking film... and how that sequel became as beloved as the original.

Julia and Pete watch Ridley Scott's Alien, and discuss how the film favours atmosphere over plot, and how the impeccable set design shaped the movie's mood and tone.

Julia and Pete watch Alfred Hitchock's Rope, marvel at its camera tricks and technical wizardry, and discuss the movie's obvious gay subtext.

Julia and Pete watch The Shape of Water and discuss the career of director Guillermo del Toro, with a focus on his work in Toronto.

Julia and Pete watch 1991's The Addams Family and its 1993 sequel, Addams Family Values. They discuss the strange career of Barry Sonnenfeld, his unlikely transition from cinematographer to director, and the difficulty of adapting a TV sitcom into a feature film.

Julia and Pete watch Jaws and discuss the film's troubled production and its fifty-year legacy.

Julia and Pete watch The Naked Gun and discuss what sets spoof movies apart from other comedies, the strange careers of Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers, and why the parody genre fell out of favour.

Julia and Pete watch The Blair Witch Project and discuss what works and what doesn't, the film's ground-breaking marketing campaign, and the wave of copycats that followed in its wake.

Julia and Pete watch Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and discuss the long history of franchises in Hollywood.

Julia and Pete watch both Monty Python and the Holy Grail as well as Monty Python's Life of Brian. Listen as they compare and contrast the two films, discuss what works and what doesn't, and the difference between timely and timeless comedies.

Julia and Pete watch 1995's Hackers and get wistful for the hopeful, anti-corporate, anti-authority, pro-environmental computer culture of the 90s. They discuss movies based on popular trends, and how "intellectual property" took over the film industry.

Julia and Pete watch Resident Evil: Retribution and instantly regret it. Listen to them discuss the difficulty of adapting video games into movies, the career of Paul W.S. Anderson, and franchise's strong connections to Toronto's film industry.

Julia and Pete watch the original 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and discuss the early history of animation, its enormous success upon release, and the impact it continues to have today.

It's Julia's birthday! In celebration, we're watching her favourite movie, The Devil Wears Prada, which Pete has never seen. Listen as they discuss fashion, theatre kids, Meryl Streep, and the difference between a villain and an antagonist.

Julia and Pete watch Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park and marvel at the incredible animatronic dinosaurs.