The Complete Podcast

Matt and Travis close out the season with May's final film, an hour-long profile of Mike Nichols's career. We start by discussing the special and Nichols's career before closing out the season with a discussion of May's films and her legacy. Mike Nichols: An American Master

Matt and Travis tackle one of the most notorious "debacles" in Hollywood history, Elaine May's Ishtar. We discuss the sad history of a modest film buried under a legendary backstory, along with the surprisingly entertaining product actually at the center of it all. Ishtar

Travis and Matt discuss Elaine May's first Criterion Collection entry, set to be released on blu-ray in January. We discuss the film's shaggy filmmaking, the central performances from Falk and Cassavetes, and its place in both May's filmography and the gangster genre. Mikey and Nicky

Travis and Matt take on Elaine May's second film, the anti-romantic comedy The Heartbreak Kid. We talk about the film's emphasis on character and how the movie upends conventions that had barely been invented yet. We also compare it to May's former partner's best-known movie and the atrocity that is the Farrelly brothers' remake. The Heartbreak Kid

Matt and Travis kick off the new season of The Complete with A New Leaf, Elaine May's debut film. We talk about the tragic underrepresentation of women in the director's chair during Hollywood's "golden" era, along with May's unique path to her own career as a filmmaker, before discussing the many charms and sophisticated execution of the very dark comedy of A New Leaf. A New Leaf

To wrap up the first season, Matt and Travis cover books and documentaries about Kubrick, while also touching on his unproduced films and their big takeaways from watching Kubrick's work in chronological order. The Supplemental Kubrick

For Kubrick's final film, Matt and Travis are joined by Trevor Berrett of The Mookse and the Gripes and The Eclipse Viewer. We discuss the film's remarkable relevance in America today, along with its dual themes of marriage and power. Introducing Sociology: A Review of Eyes Wide Shut by Tim Kreider Eyes Wide Shut

Matt and Travis are joined by Doug McCambridge of Good Times, Great Movies to discuss Kubrick's final war film, 1987's Full Metal Jacket. We explore Kubrick's larger purpose beyond the Vietnam War and the complicated moral landscape of the film. Full Metal Jacket

Matt and Travis welcome Aaron West, host of Criterion Now, to discuss Kubrick's most popular movie, The Shining. We discuss the film's use of cinematic technique to explore fear and the film's many mysteries, both real and imagined. The Shining

Matt and Travis welcome cinema samurai and man-about-Twitter Dave Eves to discuss Barry Lyndon. We discuss the film's uncanny reproduction of 18th Century Europe and the film's thematic depth, along with the many mysteries of Barry and Ryan O'Neil's performance. Barry Lyndon

Matt and Travis welcome author and professor Kenneth James to discuss Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. We discuss the film's many thematic and aesthetic elements as well as the film's notoriety both on release and in its legacy as one of Kubrick's thorniest films. A Clockwork Orange

Matt and Travis welcome David Blakeslee of Criterion Reflections to discuss his favorite film of all time, 2001: A Space Odyssey. We go through each of the film's four sections and discuss the film's significance in both world history and our own journeys through cinema. 2001: A Space Odyssey

Matt and Travis are joined by Jon Laubinger of Film Baby Film to discuss Dr. Strangelove. We focus on the film's relevance in today's political climate and Kubrick's decision to make a satire rather than a straight thriller. Dr. Strangelove

Matt and Travis welcome Ericca Long of The Magic Lantern Podcast to the show to talk Lolita. We talk about the choices Kubrick made in adapting the book and discuss the controversial subject matter and its treatment by the director. Lolita

Matt and Travis welcome Martin Kessler of Flixwise to the show to talk Spartacus, Stanley Kubrick's first for-hire directorial project. We talk about the overt and covert elements of the movie and why this is both the most and least important film in Kubrick's career. Spartacus

Matt and Travis turn to Kubrick's first masterpiece, Paths of Glory. They discuss why the movie still speaks to us so strongly today and break down the elements that make this feel like the first major Stanley Kubrick work. Paths of Glory

Matt and Travis welcome Cole Roulain from the Magic Lantern Podcast to discuss Kubrick's first professional picture, The Killing. They go into detail on the film's complex structure and cover the noir elements that help the film stand out in Kubrick's catalog. The Killing

Matt and Travis dive right into Killer's Kiss, with further discussion of Kubrick's depiction of women and his preference for adapting literary sources. Killer's Kiss

The first season kicks off with Stanley Kubrick's Fear and Desire (1953). Matt and co-host Travis Trudell start by talking about their own histories with Kubrick's movies and how the director is perceived before diving into his debut. S01E01 - Fear and Desire