Scene and Heard

Jackie and Greg fail to brush up on their medieval Russian history before digging into Andrei Tarkovsky's sprawling epic about the titular 15th century icon painter, ANDREI RUBLEV from 1966. Topics of discussion include the film's episodic structure, its withholding of the artist's work until the end, Tarkovsky's complicated relationship with horses, where it ranks in his filmography, and whether...

Jackie and Greg set the stage for Marcel Carné's epic tale of love, loss, and the theatre, CHILDREN OF PARADISE from 1945. Topics of discussion include the film's epic scope, how it was made in Nazi-occupied France, a debate on whether Garance is worthy of everyone's attention, and how the trope of the sad clown is expanded upon to create cinema's most iconic mime. #73 on Sight & Sound's 2012...

Disclaimer: this episode contains sexually explicit clips. Camp counselors Jackie and Greg tackle the raciest film they've yet to cover for the podcast: Gaspar Noé's 3D sex-movie LOVE from 2015. Topics of discussion include Noé as a provocateur, the difference between pornography and art, sex as a means of storytelling, Noé's innovative use of music, and the shallow characters at the center of the...

It's Jackie's turn to pick the Personal Print this time: it's Noah Baumbach's 2012 portrait of twentysomething life in New York City, FRANCES HA. Topics of discussion include the influence of Baumbach vs. Greta Gerwig, the film's roots in the work of Woody Allen and the French New Wave, its free-flowing episodic structure, life in your twenties, and a conversation on the mumblecore subgenre. The c...

Jackie and Greg arrive at the next Kurosawa on the list, the insanely influential RASHOMON from 1950. Topics of discussion include the film's groundbreaking narrative style, a debate over which of the versions of the story is most accurate, why the baby at the end ties things up a little too neatly, and how it's a pluviophile's dream come true. #24 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Fil...

Jackie and Greg arrive at the third Jean Renoir on the list, GRAND ILLUSION (LA GRANDE ILLUSION) from 1937. Topics of discussion include the film's gentle satire, Erich von Stroheim as the Tin Man, Renoir's obsession with race and class, and why Strauss waltzes are the most romantic. #73 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/polls/greates...

Jackie and Greg revel in the sumptuous vibes that are Wong Kar Wai's IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE from 2000. Topics of discussion include the film's controversial new restoration, how it slots into WKW's filmography, its use of shorthand and subtle visual cues to convey the story, and how the extensive deleted scenes re-frame the events of the film. #24 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films...

In the inaugural episode in their "S'mores" series, Jackie and Greg splash around in the filth that is John Waters' PINK FLAMINGOS from 1972. Topics of discussion include Waters' entrepreneurial skills and background, the Manson-family vibe running throughout, Divine as a shit-eater and icon, and why it's endured as one of the most transgressive pieces of cinema ever made. The Prince of Puke has n...

Jackie and Greg take on the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for their episode on Roman Polanski's CHINATOWN. Topics of discussion include J.J. Gittes as a quintessential New Hollywood protagonist, great works by problematic artists (and whether separating the art from the artist is possible), the impeccably twisty script from Robert Towne, their personal relationships with the city of Lo...

Jackie and Greg return to the great Carl Theodor Dreyer for one of his signature films, the late-career masterpiece ORDET from 1955. Topics of discussion include its origins as a stage play, the long takes, the constantly howling wind, what Dreyer's saying about organized religion, and the powerful spirituality of the film. #24 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list....

Jackie and Greg get into the rhythm of the night for Claire Denis' BEAU TRAVAIL from 1999. Topics of discussion include the film's use of movement, its unorthodox storytelling methods, an interpretation of the ending in the dance club, and why enigmatic films keep pulling you back into their orbit. #78 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. bfi.org.uk/sight-and-soun...

Jackie and Greg are joined by cinephile extraordinaire Daisuke Beppu in their discussion of Francis Ford Coppola's epic depiction of life in the mafia, THE GODFATHER from 1972. Topics include the films origins as a "trashy" novel, the casting of Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, Coppola's expansive and nuanced storytelling, oranges as a harbinger of death, and the subtlety of Michael's transformation f...

With Oscar season just around the corner, Jackie and Greg share their Top 10 lists from 2022, which they’ve kept secret from each other up until now. Will they have lots of overlap or are they pretty far apart? Tune in and find out! 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:...

Jackie and Greg are joined on the old dusty trail by Becca Deveaux from the "This Cinematic Life" blog in their discussion of Sergio Leone's epic spaghetti western, ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST from 1968. Topics of discussion include whether the film is an anti-western, Leone as a mythmaker, a theory on Charles Bronson's character having been dead the whole time, a breakdown of Ennio Morricone's l...

Shots fired: Jackie and Greg are at their most aggressive when it comes to their wildly differing opinions of Jean-Luc Godard's French New Wave staple, CONTEMPT, from 1963. Topics of discussion include Godard's self-referential style, the allusion of gods and men, how the film is an apology to Anna Karina, and the cyclical nature of arguments. Will the show survive this episode? #21 on Sight &...

Jackie and Greg attempt to reconstruct the family home for Orson Welles' THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS from 1942. Topics of discussion include the film's torrid editing history, Welles' restless invention coming off the heels of CITIZEN KANE, the miscasting of Tim Holt, and why it remains one of the greatest "what-ifs" in cinema history. #81 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All T...

Jackie and Greg get into the moodiest film about an affair ever made, Michelangelo Antonioni's L'AVVENTURA from 1960. Topics of discussion include the film's use of negative space, how Monica Vitti is more than just a pretty face, why movies about sad rich people are always compelling, and how Antonioni is responsible for creating a new film grammar. #21 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greate...

Jackie and Greg take on one of the biggest historical epics in the history of cinema, David Lean's LAWRENCE OF ARABIA from 1962. Topics of discussion include the sweeping score by Maurice Jarre, Peter O'Toole's thundering performance, how the historical epic has fallen by the wayside, and why Omar Sharif is sexy AF. #81 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https:/...

Jackie and Greg put on their tap shoes as they get into a film very near and dear to their hearts, Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly's SINGIN' IN THE RAIN from 1952. Topics of discussion include the recycling of songs from older productions, why people sleep on Jean Hagen's performance, how Kelly took inspiration from Powell and Pressburger, and why it's basically the greatest movie musical ever made....

Jackie and Greg are joined by Becca Deveaux from the "This Cinematic Life" blog to discuss the brand-new 2022 Sight & Sound "Greatest Films of All Time" list! Sight & Sound's 2022 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" critics' list: https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/greatest-films-all-time Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sceneandheardpod Check us out at our officia...

Jackie and Greg get into Víctor Erice's THE SPIRIT OF THE BEEHIVE just in time for Halloween! Topics of discussion include the film's childlike sense of wonder, the haunting cinematography and music, its influence on Guillermo Del Toro and PAN'S LABYRINTH, and a brief history of the Universal monster movies. #81 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time" list. https://www.bfi...

Jackie and Greg hit the first Andrei Tarkovsky on the list, which just happens to be his most personal and elusive work: MIRROR (Zerkalo) from 1975. Topics of discussion include the nature of dreams and memories, the immersive cinematography by Georgy Rerberg, comparisons to the work of Ingmar Bergman, and how some films just can't be described with words. #19 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100...

Jackie and Greg return to Ingmar Bergman for his late-career masterpiece FANNY AND ALEXANDER from 1982. Topics of discussion include the film's autobiographical nature, the sweeping cast of characters, the balance of light and dark, a comparison between the theatrical and television versions, and the literal magic and wonder that permeate the film. It's the ultimate Christmas movie. #84 on Sight &...

Jackie and Greg are joined by actress Christine Lahti for a very special episode: it's Bill Forsyth's HOUSEKEEPING from 1987. Topics of discussion include the quiet unease of the film, a deep dive into the character of Sylvie, a comparison between the film and Marilynne Robinson's novel, and why it deserves a place among the great literary adaptations. Stay tuned for the second part of the episode...

Jackie and Greg hit their second Bergman on the list: it's the endlessly enigmatic PERSONA from 1966. Topics of discussion include a deep dive into Bergman's psyche, how the film fits in with the rest of his filmography, a list of films by other filmmakers that riff on the main idea, and a heated debate on whether it's possible to read too much into a film. #17 on Sight & Sound's 2012 "The 100...