Politics of Cinema

As we kick off our Summer of Sixties, we start with an overview of the decade and highlight two films in particular. Agnes Varda's Black Panthers (1968) Gillo Pontecorvo's Burn! (1969)

We start off with a discussion of the current uprising in the United States. Settle (settler colonialism) - Five Fingers for Marseilles (France), Utu (New Zealand), The Proposition (Australia). Aaron - Activists Docs Whose Streets? (also mentioned: Pickaxe & The Miami Model ) Feature Presentation - First Reformed (2017) Here's the link to a brief overview of Transcendental Style in Film as we disc...

On this episode, we start off with some  Genre Hunting - Seventies Political Thrillers. Isaac's Picks: Blow Out (1981) Aaron's Pick:  The Day of the Jackal (1973) Feature Presentation - Captain America: Winter Soldier (2014) Coming Attractions - on the next episode, we'll be discussing First Reformed (2017)  Here's the link to Siddhant Adlakha's site that Isaac referenced during the episode. Marti...

On this episode, we start off with some Genre Hunting - Hong Kong Kung Fu Films.   Isaac's Picks: The One-Armed Swordsman (1967) & The Fearless Hyena (1979) Aaron's Pick: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) Feature Presentation - Wanda (1970) Barbara Loden's one and only feature film as a director (and actor and screenwriter and a little of everything).   Coming Attractions - on the next episode, w...

As we hunker down and self-isolate, we also retreat to some of our favorite films and favorite film genres.  On this episode Aaron and Isaac discuss what films they've been gravitating towards while on lock-down and how they select the films they've been watching.  From long forgotten Spaghetti Westerns, Kung-Fu Blaxploitation, Italian Colosseum films to British Military dramas...it's an eclectic...

As we hunker down and self-isolate, we also retreat to some of our favorite films and favorite film genres.  On this episode Aaron and Isaac took a look at the Film Noir genre.  In particular they choose two very different Post WWII societies, United Kingdom and Japan.  They discuss just what those films have to say about their respective societies in the wake of unimaginable global destruction. I...

As we hunker down and self-isolate, we also retreat to some of our favorite films.  Isaac has been impatiently waiting for Aaron to watch The Night Comes for Us (2018), Timo Tjahjanto's Indonesian action opus that also features fellow Raid / Raid 2 alums Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim & Julie Estelle.  We discuss the surprising level of heart, overlapping character arcs, some of the bloodiest fight sequenc...

It's time for another Double Feature!  This time we broke up the films into two separate episodes - and this is part 2. On this episode, we're watching Julia Reichart & Steve Bognar's Oscar winning documentary - American Factory (2019). We discuss the history of documentary sequels, Julia Reichart's Oscar speech, the parallel story structure, hyper-exploitation of workers, automation myths vs real...

It's time for another Double Feature!  This time we broke up the films into two separate episodes.   In Part 1, we dive into Julia Reichert & Steven Bognar's Oscar nominated The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant (2009).  This documentary takes a Direct Cinema approach to...well the closing of a GM plant near Dayton, Ohio and what that means to the employees and the local economy. We also discuss t...

It's Double Feature Time!   Isaac has an uncanny ability to come up with thematic cinema pairings and this episode is the first case we make to the public that displays this power. In 1985, Chuck Norris and Cannon Films gave America the blue jean clad one man army it needed to fight off Russian invaders.  Invasion U.S.A. typified the rouge individualist mentality of a Reagan/Bush America and came...

Aaron and Isaac go thru a combined 14 films from 2019 that are worth watching - for wildly different reasons.   Some are highly entertaining ( Knives Out  & John Wick 3 ) and some are highly challenging ( Atlantics  & Climax ). Some are about internationally trained hit-men ( War  & John  Wick 3 ) and some have stop motion, naked barbie scenes ( Booksmart ). Some are in shot in black and white ( T...

We compiled separate lists of the the films from 2019 that really impressed us - and there were five films we had in common.   On this episode, we take discus those five films: The Last Black Man in San Francisco Parasite The Irishman Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood High Life

In 2027, after 18 years of global human infertility and depression, the world is on the brink of collapse and humanity faces extinction. The United Kingdom, one of the few nations with a functioning government (Stiff upper lip chap!), is deluged by asylum seekers fleeing radiation and plague. In response, the UK has become a police state as the British Army rounds up and executes immigrants. In 20...