Scene and Heard

Jackie and Greg soak up Miami's resort life for Billy Wilder's SOME LIKE IT HOT from 1959. Topics of discussion include the film's status as one of the most popular comedies ever made, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis' pairing, whether the film plays into Marilyn Monroe's image as a "dumb blonde" or not, and where it fits into Wilder's filmography. #43 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Film...

Jackie and Greg don their powdered wigs and dueling pistols for Stanley Kubrick's BARRY LYNDON from 1975. Topics of discussion include the film's origins as a Napoleon biopic, the lead performance from Ryan O'Neal, how its reputation has grown over the years, and why the public discourse needs to evolve beyond the look of the film (which, we agree, is stunning). #59 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "Th...

Jackie and Greg discuss Satyajit Ray’s PATHER PANCHALI from 1955. Topics of discussion include Ray’s mastery of the medium, Ravi Shankar’s glistening score, whether the film romanticizes poverty or not, and why it’s one of the best films ever made. #41 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/polls/greatest-films-all-time-2012 #3...

Jackie and Greg try their hand at the game of chuck-a-luck for Fritz Lang's RANCHO NOTORIOUS from 1952. Topics of discussion include the film's absurdity, Lang's falling out with Marlene Dietrich, what they would change in a remake, and how Arthur Kennedy does more harm than good in the lead role. The monthly S'mores series is an offshoot from our main series, where Jackie and Greg explore films f...

Jackie and Greg get in bed with Jean-Pierre Léaud for Jean Eustache's THE MOTHER AND THE WHORE from 1973. Topics of discussion include the film's runtime, its autobiographical nature, the subversive casting of Léaud, and its frank depiction of sex and the bohemian lifestyle in France post-May 1968. #59 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https://www.bfi.org.uk/si...

Jackie and Greg take flight on their homemade brooms for Hayao Miyazaki's KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE from 1989. Topics of discussion include Miyazaki's escapist worlds, the slice-of-life nature of the film, how its meaning changes as you revisit it as an adult, and why Studio Ghibli is the best. The continuation of our "Personal Prints" series where Jackie and Greg venture off the Sight & Sound l...

Jackie and Greg take a drive to Naples for Roberto Rossellini's JOURNEY TO ITALY from 1954. Topics of discussion include the film's minimalism, its frank treatment of a marriage on the rocks, Rossellini's scandalous affair with star Ingrid Bergman, and its influence on all of the "break-up films" that came afterwards, #41 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https...

Jackie and Greg take a flight to the Swedish countryside for Ari Aster's MIDSOMMAR from 2019. Topics of discussion include Jackie's aversion to horror movies, Aster's themes of family, grief, and trauma, a touch on the history of folk horror, and why Florence Pugh's powerhouse performance is one of the most memorable in recent years. The monthly S'mores series is an offshoot from our main series,...

Jackie and Greg step back in time to feudal Japan for Kenji Mizoguchi's SANSHO THE BAILIFF from 1954. Topics of discussion include the film's origins as a centuries-old folktale, Mizoguchi's masterful direction, the ethereal ghost story that hangs over the film, and whether it's more optimistic or pessimistic. #59 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https://www.b...

Jackie and Greg join the swinging parties of 1960s Rome for Federico Fellini's LA DOLCE VITA. Topics of discussion include the film's decadence, sex and celebrity as the new religion, how it marked a transition for Fellini from the more grounded films of the 1950s into his more bombastic work, and the amount of visual detail he packs into the film to help tell his story. #39 on Sight & Sound's...

Jackie and Greg take a drive down memory lane for their discussion of Ingmar Bergman's WILD STRAWBERRIES from 1957. Topics of discussion include the film's sentimentality, where it sits in Bergman's filmography, how its most powerful moments make up for its shortcomings, the influence of Dickens and THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE, and why it'll endure for generations to come. #63 on Sight & Sound's 2012...

Jackie and Greg hit the streets of Paris for François Truffaut’s THE 400 BLOWS from 1959. Topics of discussion include the autobiographical nature of the film, the generosity of Truffaut's cinema, a reflection on their own childhoods, and why it remains one of the highest peaks of the French New Wave. #39 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https://www.bfi.org.uk...

Jackie and Greg get shrunken down by a radioactive cloud for Jack Arnold's THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN from 1957. Topics of discussion include the film's special effects, where it fits in Arnold's career, how it transcends its genre trappings, and Greg's crippling arachnophobia.  The monthly S'mores series is an offshoot from our main series, where Jackie and Greg explore films from the frin...

Jackie and Greg are joined by Aaron Strand of the Behind the Slate podcast in their discussion of Charlie Chaplin's MODERN TIMES from 1936. Topics of discussion include the film's genesis, Chaplin's relationship with co-star Paulette Goddard, how it addresses heavy, topical issues with a light touch, and a conversation on the bizarre alternate ending which was shot but ultimately cut before the fi...

Jackie and Greg celebrate 100 episodes of Scene and Heard! Join them as they pop champagne, answer listener questions, and reflect back on the first 100 episodes of the show. Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sceneandheardpod Check us out at our official website: https://www.sceneandheardpod.com Join our weekly film club: https://www.instagram.com/arroyofilmclub JP Instagram/Twi...

Jackie and Greg tidy the apartment for Chantal Akerman's landmark JEANNE DIELMAN, 23 QUAI DU COMMERCE, 1080 BRUXELLES from 1975. Topics of discussion include the film's background and production, how it uses mundanity as a powerful tool, what it's saying about female sexuality, and whether its spot atop the 2022 Sight & Sound list is justified. #36 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest...

Jackie and Greg get nice and uncomfortable for Todd Solondz's HAPPINESS from 1998. Topics of discussion include the film's controversial subject matter, how it walks the line between satire and sincerity, the great ensemble cast, and why it's one of the best films of the 90s. The monthly S'mores series is an offshoot from our main series, where Jackie and Greg explore films from the fringes of cin...

Jackie and Greg pull into the crumbling mansion of Hollywood’s past for Billy Wilder's SUNSET BLVD. from 1950. Topics of discussion include the film's gothic atmosphere and pulpy narration, which actors came close to playing the lead roles, Gloria Swanson's larger-than-life performance, and how it set the stage for the acidic anti-Hollywood films that would follow in its wake. #63 on Sight & S...

Jackie and Greg check into the Bates Motel for Alfred Hitchcock's ultra iconic PSYCHO from 1960. Topics of discussion include the film's production history, its subversive structure, a breakdown of the famous shower scene, and how it pushed American cinema over the edge -- movies have never been the same. #34 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https://www.bfi.or...

Another year, another Top 10 list! Jackie and Greg share their favorite films from 2023. Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sceneandheardpod Check us out at our official website: https://www.sceneandheardpod.com Join our weekly film club: https://www.instagram.com/arroyofilmclub JP Instagram/Twitter: jacpostaj GK Instagram: gkleinschmidt Graphic Design: Molly Pinto Music: Andrew...

Camp counselors Jackie and Greg talk about Jack Hill's COFFY from 1973. Topics of discussion include the film's place in the blaxploitation subgenre, Pam Grier's tough-as-nails heroine, its influence on Quentin Tarantino, and why it's still a startling piece of filmmaking over 50 years later. The monthly S'mores series is an offshoot from our main series, where Jackie and Greg explore films from t...

Jackie and Greg take a nocturnal trip down the river of dreams for Charles Laughton's THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER from 1955. Topics of discussion include the film's storybook feel, Robert Mitchum's much-copied villain, Laughton's inspirations for the film, and why it stands as a truly original piece of cinema all these years later. #63 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" l...

Jackie and Greg descend into the depths below the city of METROPOLIS, Fritz Lang's sprawling sci-fi touchstone from 1927. Topics of discussion include the grand scale and ambition of Lang's vision, how it inspired every piece of science fiction cinema that followed, the film's connection to the Nazi party, and whether its message and ending are worth a damn. #36 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 10...

Jackie and Greg shuffle through the streets of Paris in search of a con for Robert Bresson's PICKPOCKET from 1959. Topics of discussion include Bresson's formalism, his actors as "models", the "cinema of hands", and why his work is do divisive amongst filmgoers. #63 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/polls/greatest-films-al...

Jackie and Greg are joined by Lucé Tomlin-Brenner of Vidéothèque and the It's Always Halloween podcast in their discussion of Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman's THE GENERAL from 1926. Topics of discussion include the film's political views, the audacity of its storytelling, Carl Davis' rousing score, its massive influence on generations of filmmakers, and what made Buster Keaton unique among other...