Movie Bones

Justin & Ryan go for a dip in the pool at "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) chat about... ⦁ Themes of death and the all-consuming nature of fame. ⦁ The disproportionate way Hollywood treats women. ⦁ The complicit way one takes on the attributes of an unhealthy system and the price of breaking with it. ⦁ Is Joe the real antagonist? ⦁ Next week's film: "The Man Who Laughs" (1928) ⦁ O...

This week Ryan and Justin scrub out that damn spot as they watch Akira Kurosawa's take on Shakespear's MacBeth: "Throne of Blood" (1957) , and while they do that, they'll discuss... ⦁ Shakespearian psychology and the Shadow Self ⦁ Setting the mood: what can be created by doing simple things really well, like make up, good lighting and sound design. ⦁ Shakespear's story as a...

This week, Justin and Ryan get stung by the "Queen Bee" (1955) and talk about... ⦁ How Queen Bee keeps her victims close. No really. How? ⦁ Why are these people here? ⦁ The problem of un-earned trust. ⦁ Joan Craword = Norma Desmond? ⦁ Our Verdict ⦁ Next week's film: "Throne of Blood" (1957) Did we get the movie wrong? Tell us why! And let us know what films you think we should...

This week, Justin & Ryan try to calm themselves after experiencing "Sudden Fear" (1952) and afterwards they talk about... ⦁ When writers create character problems that are obviously convoluted ⦁ Checkhov's recording device ⦁ Missed opportunties in main-character growth ⦁ Undercutting the strength of main-character, with "sudden" loss of intelligence ⦁ A thriller that thinks...

This week, Ryan & Justin try not to fall into "The Black Sleep" (1956) and discuss stuff like... ⦁ Whether the movie understands how time passes. ⦁ The density of the hero's brain matter. ⦁ When you can avoid a convoluted twelve-step plan with a simple question. ⦁ Obligatory recycled mad-scientist tropes ⦁ Like "The Body Snatcher", but also not. ⦁ A very memorable "welc...

Justin and Ryan spend time looking for big W's this week as they watch  "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963) . They also get around to talking about... The "epic comedy" genre, and other films that fit into that box. Dangerous stunt-work you won't find in movies any more. What it takes to (mostly) succeed at keeping track of so many plot strands. Ethel Merman: The e...

Ryan & Justin dodge the flames of  "Dante's Inferno" (1935) , as they discuss... Getting fooled by our expectations. Why doesn't anyone remember the two *other* destinations Dante writes about? Apart from Jim, what exactly are the motivations here? The one scene where the movie's budget really is on-screen. Did the devil just dive into a pool to save someone's life?!?!...

Justin and Ryan take a dive into Danny Kaye's mind while exploring "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (1947) , as they discuss... Is Walter actually a "good" kind of Gary Stu character? Danny Kaye is key to all this. No, really. He is. Boris Karloff reminding us yet again how much we miss him. Our Verdict Next week's film: "Dante's Inferno" (1935) Did we get the...

This week, Justin & Ryan try to decide if the movie  "I Know Where I'm Going" (1945) , knows where its going, as they discuss... When the weather is more important to the plot than the characters. Is this just a Hallmark movie ahead of its time? Misused supporting characters. "Reasons" you might be with the wrong person, according to movie. Our Verdict Next week's film:...

Justin & Ryan tilt at windmills alongside the "Man of La Mancha" (1972)  and talk about... How much we need stories like this right now... Making the story-within-the-story work... The necessity of seeing "Life as it should be" The film as a statement on the communal aspects of art Our Verdict Next week's film:  "I Know Where I'm Going" (1945) Did we get the mov...

Ryan & Justin take a visit to Istanbul while watching  "Ocean's 11" (1960)  and talk about... The history of the Rat Pack, and what it stood for How it's just as interesting as watching Frank and the guys hang out on a Saturday Ways that the 2001 remake improved on this film Starting your heist movie when it's already half-over Weird rat-pack slang and ending on a cool imag...

Ryan & Justin take a visit to Istanbul while watching  "Topkapi" (1960)  and talk about... Delaying your main character's entrance behind needless layers of setup and supporting characters talking. How Peter Ustinov makes the movie, and what any kid born after 1973 remembers him for most The trippy 60's take on a heist film. Some alternative ways we'd like to have seen it a...

This week, Ryan & Justin check in on "The Woman in the Window" (1945) and ask her about... Not taking full advantage of your premise. Not taking full advantage of your characters. If you're going to commit murder, try not blurting out details that only the murderer would know in front of the cops. Cribbing from "The Wizard of Oz" to end your noir film. Our Verdict Next week...

Justin & Ryan check out the other   "The Fast and the Furious" (1954) movie and talk about about... The delicate line between making your hero a victim of circumstance, and portraying him as a creep. The miraculous forgiving properties of egg-salad sandwiches Inadvertently choosing another Roger Corman film The effect of careless writing - in a Corman film? Who knew? Our Verdict Next w...

Justin & Ryan develop a serious appetite for cinematic fromage this week as they dig into "War Between the Planets" (1966) and talk about... Choosing our favorite bits of cheese... Similarities between the hero and Lloyd Bridges' "Airplaine!" character The need for more genre parodies... How Star Trek technobabble ain't got nothing on this movie... Our Verdict Next week...

Ryan & Justin reflect on the subject of film criticism when watching "Please Don't Eat the Daisies" (1960) , but they also get around to talking about... Leisurely paced slice-of-life films... Some really under-the-radar reverse psychology... The value in good communication in marriage... Maintaining mutual expectations in relationships... The role of art criticism in culture, at i...

Ryan & Justin celebrate Halloween by picking up where they left off with Corman's follow-up to The Raven; "The Terror" (1963) , and pick apart... More ambiguous settings from Corman... That TWIST ending! How many directors on a film are too many? The insane behind-the-scenes weirdness that explains most of the on-screen weirdness. Our Verdict Next week's film: "Please Don&#...

Ryan & Justin are keeping expectations low for Roger Corman's "The Raven" (1963) , but will they watch it... nevermore? Check out this week's episode to find out, and to hear us talk about... An insanely young Jack Nicholson The confusing time period/setting Is it improvised, or is it scripted? Who can tell? Roger Corman: the B movie legend that launched a generation of filmmak...

Ryan and Justin discover something new in "A Face in the Crowd" (1957) and have a lot to say about it, including: Andy Griffith got range! The psychology of a demagogue A subversive film from the 1950's?!!? The strength of the supporting cast Our Verdict Next week's film:  "The Raven" (1963) Did we get the movie wrong? Tell us why! And let us know what films you think we sh...

*warning* This week's film callously uses the Roman legend of the abduction and rape of the Sabine women as a major plot element in a way that trivializes the gravity of such offenses. This week, Ryan and Justin survive Movie Bones' first musical: "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954) and live to talk about... the disturbing origins and inspiration for the story athletic dancing...

Ryan and Justin try to unpack the conspiracy behind "The 39 Steps" (1935) and in the process, think about... cliches in the conspiracy sub-genre, and in this movie Hitchcock's struggles with character depth the film world's oddest dying/last words deep thoughts on conspiracies both real and imagined our Verdict next week's film: "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954)...

This week, Ryan and Justin pick up the trail of our favorite Samurai/Ronin, "Sanjuro" (1962) , to see what he's up to, and talk about... speculations about Sanjuro's past whether Sanjuro qualifies as a "Gary Stu" character one particularly bloody special effect the richness of the supporting cast our Verdict next week's film: "The 39 Steps" (1935) Did we get the...

A wealthy socialite becomes a masked vigilante dressed in black but he's not Batman. He robs from the rich and gives to the poor, but he's not Robin Hood either, which means he must be Zorro! Ryan and I sort it all out this week as we watch "The Mask of Zorro" (1940) and discuss... Can a Zorro film get away with only one real swordfight? An actor even more typecast than Basil Rathb...

Justin and Ryan get movie therapy in the form of "David and Lisa" (1962) and share their thoughts from the couch about... A psych film where the institution isn't evil?!? Examining social and cultural effects the 50's had on the '60's Portraying mental illness in film Some neat casting connections to very different films Next week's film: "The Mark of Zorro" (19...

This week, Ryan and Justin take on the original giant, city stomping monster film, "Godzilla" (1954) where they talk about... Popular Kaiju film tropes and overcoming them The cultural self-awareness of the film Puppet Godzilla Examining the transitional periods in a culture's history through film What Godzilla can teach us today Next week's film: "David and Lisa" (1962)