Talking Images

Do you turn into a human film seminar every time a movie ends? And if so, do you need help? Are you scaring away those around you? Do you even enjoy films anymore? Could it be that interpretation is really the enemy of art and joy? In this episode, Chris, Arthur, Ben, and Sol grapple with the ideas of Susan Sontag’s infamous essay "Against Interpretation", and someone will make the exact...

In the 1910s, Lois Weber was one of the most powerful figures in Hollywood. She wrote, directed, produced, and even starred in films that pushed boundaries, made huge profits, and frequently angered censors. But how well have her morality tales actually held up, and did she ever make anything remotely as good as Suspense, either before or after? In this episode, Allison, Brett, and Chris walk thro...

While everyone is decrying the death of movie theatres, Lauren could not care less. For her, watching films at home is an entirely superior experience; too many movies have been spoiled by seeing them with others on the big screen. Can the case be made that the home experience is simply cozier, quieter, and, well, better ... or will the panel attempt to tear her apart?

Has any director achieved more than Chantal Akerman while still in their 20s? The only comparison point is really Orson Welles. This is the woman who made Jeanne Dielman, voted the greatest film of all-time by Sight & Sound, when she was 24, and the masterpieces kept coming. In this episode, Matt and Chris dive into what makes Chantal Akerman's early masterpieces so special, from their dar...

Are biopics mostly just lazy summaries of Wikipedia articles? A production mill of comfort food aimed to cash in on the icons of your youth/past? Or: Are they great insights into intriguing people of the past and present? Join us as our hosts share their disdain for conventional biographies, before being told - by IMDb - just how many biopics they actually love.

For 13 years, the ICMForum has hosted a poll of obscure favourites. In that time, only 6 films have won. In this episode, we discuss we discuss each winner in detail, and talk about why you NEED to seek them out. Oh, and the 14th edition is going on right now. You can submit your vote up until the 30th of September. Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:10:19 - Letter Never Sent 00:26:53 - Sundays and C...

Buster Keaton was so dedicated to his craft that he broke his neck and still finished the take. Then showed up the next day. In this episode, we trace his rise from Fatty Arbuckle's sidekick to his own master, ending the journey while Keaton was still at the top of the world, with his last solo-directorial effort in the silent era: The General. We'll chat through his best shorts, with part...

How many films will we be able to agree on this time? Listen in as Arthur, Chris, Sol, and Tom reveal their top 10 films of 2024. Spoiler: As usual, even our number 1s are not safe from criticism, though we did have a few surprising overlaps and agreements. And while we may not see eye to eye on everything, we do seem to all have one thing in common: the belief that 2024 was a pretty amazing year...

The ICMForum community has voted on the best films of the 2020s (so far). Join us as we present and react to their (our) choices, with a surprising number of disagreements! In this episode, we go through the top 50. Feel free to explore the complete list of ICMForum's Top 250 of the 2020s . You can also see the list on IMDb and iCheckMovies .

Do you love exactly the same films for exactly the same reasons as you did 10-20-30+ years ago? In this episode, we try to figure out how and why taste changes, and explore how different our preferences are from when we first got into cinema. We will also ponder the very serious possibility that cinema acts as a literal drug, where the more exposed we are, the stronger a fix we need. Could it be t...

Showgirls went from being considered one of the worst films of all time to one of the best in less than 30 years. How does a film go from winning both Worst Picture and Worst Picture of the Decade at the Razzies to being in They Shoot Pictures Don't They's Top 1000? Was everyone who saw it then just "wrong"? Did they come in with the wrong expectations? Or: Was Showgirls just too...

He made the B-movie about a rubber tyre killing people with its psychic powers. He had superheroes give monsters cancer and stoners raise a dog-sized fly. Quentin Dupieux is weird. He's surreal. And ... kinda trashy and lowbrow when he wants.  In this episode, we turn everything on its head, starting with his most recent film (that we have all seen - Daaaaaalí! - and working our way back to hi...

One of us rated Emilia Perez 1/10 - find out why, as we make blanket statements about why the Academy may love it, estimate its chances and utter the words "inspirational trauma porn" more than once.

Are we in a new 60s, where Hollywood is burning out of steam and foreign films, along with A24 and Neon, are taking the spotlight? Could we be on the road to one of the best decades in history, or is it something far more lacklustre going on? Join us as we break down our impressions of the first half of the 2020s and guess/share our hopes of what this decade will be remembered for. How wrong will...

The ICMForum's 8th annual film festival is here. In this episode, Chris and Matt discuss the 10 films on the main slate and shout out favourites across the program.

Adam, Brett, and Chris collectively watched practically every single Pixar Short, from the early CGI experiments in the 80s to Academy Award nominees and winners to DVD extras and the still-running "SparkShorts." Exhausted from endless Cars Franchise tie-ins, though more optimistic about Toy Story, this episode flies between love and admiration to disappointment. Listen in to hear which Pixar shor...

Are all war films horror? Someone on today's panel will claim so - but in that case - where can we draw the lines? Join us as we try to define horror and, more controversially, make bold claims that some huge horror films, including The Omen, don't qualify.

Join us as we see where we fit in on the scale between Grown Ups and Jeanne Dielman, accidentally diss a bunch of people as being part of a hive mind, and stumble onto moments of self-awareness and discovery.

We may love cinema, but some movies are just pure torture. In this episode, we will reveal our picks for the worst movie ever made, dive into what makes us hate (or dislike) films in general, and, as a provocative bonus, reveal which critically acclaimed darlings we have rated 1/10.

Can returning champion [NAME REDACTED] hold onto their title against new and old foes? Tune in to the 2nd edition of Talking Images' Big Quiz Show to see which of the hosts actually know what they're talking about. P.S. Be sure to check out our first Quiz Show episode as well.

Clint Eastwood's westerns are iconic! His more "contemporary" westerns ... less so. In this episode, we discuss each of the 7 times Eastwood directed and starred in Western masterpieces like Unforgiven and odd quasi-western misfires like Bronco Billy. Can we find anything connecting them? Is there a line running from High Plains Drifter to Cry Macho? Oh, and how many of his character...

We did it! We have recorded 100 episodes (+ a pilot) of our extremely niche film podcast, and it seems some people care! Join us as we walk down memory lane, reveal our most cringe-worthy, as well as proudest moments, and share our so-far hidden stats of the most listened-to episodes. We'll also reveal our unpopular film opinions, which just might become future episodes.

What's wrong with Tom? How can we break through to him? Join our intervention/hateful interrogation of why he has no interest in watching more documentaries.

Do people still read, or should all communication about film now be in the form of memes? In this episode, we reveal what film magazines we still read (for some, it is zero), why we review films ourselves (are we just screaming into the void?!), and discuss whether Letterboxd could be throwing reviews a lifeline (though the joke reviews always seem to win out). We'll also explore what we actua...

The death threats are flying in this episode as Lauren comes face to face with a loud and proud strategic voter. Join us as we discuss whether strategic voting has its place in pushing up under-watched gems, changing narratives, or solidifying the canon—or if those who do it are just dirty, rotten liars and cheats. We will also finally open up about the controversial Sight & Sound results of 2...