The Film Hobbyist

On an oppressively hot day, come join Lydia in the attic for a conversation about a very silly film that accidentally became important. Next Episode: The Pitt Season 2 (2026) It is available on HBO Max. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music b...

It's wedding season. In honor of the occasion, join Lydia for a discussion about the faux documentary filmmaking Jonathan Demme used to turn what could have been a twisty family drama into a thoughtful character study. Next Episode: Duck Soup (1933) It is available to rent YouTube, AppleTV, and Prime and is easy to find at a local library. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the J...

It's the beginning of summer movie season and Lydia is giddy to share how important a sense of adventure is to a good Blockbuster by outlining the many similarities between a corny Disney film and 1977's Star Wars. Next episode: Rachel Getting Married (2008) Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public...

Due to a fallen tree and a downed power line, Lydia's attic room is out of commission. So join her in her hotel suite for a discussion on a film she watched as a child, too young to understand the complex historical context and pychological realities depicted, and how that changing perspective is key to this movie's legacy. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio...

Grab your cardigan and a cup of tea, and join Lydia on her front porch to discover Rian Johnson's career spanning love of subversion and irony, why it makes him such a good master of mystery, and how Lydia was surprised by how he chose to tackle a thorny subject in his most recent film. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive...

As the world longs for the warmth of spring, join Lydia in her attic room for a discussion of one of her favorite films, how it echoes parts of her growing up, fills out the adaptation with historical context, and captures the melancholy inherent in maturity. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public...

Today, Lydia celebrates the first year of The Film Hobbyist by taking some time to answer frequently asked questions about the attic, how she picks films, and what she hopes to accomplish in the next year. https://bsky.app/profile/thefilmhobbyist.bsky.social Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public...

As the heaps of snow persist outside, join Lydia for a discussion of hotly debated Oscar winners and the value of rage in humanization. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with permission under the Pixabay License...

January is a time for new beginnings. Come celebrate with Lydia as she discusses the beginning of a beloved genre and the fascinating deviations in its origin. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with permission u...

Lydia has invited you to spend a bit of the holidays with her, talking about the Christmas masterpiece Klaus, why it makes her cry, and how it misstates its own theme. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with perm...

In the midst of bone-chilling weather, come sit under a granny square blanket, clutching a warm mug of tea as Lydia talks about the documentary My Mom Jayne, the things that stole Jayne Mansfield's humanity, and how director Mariska Hargitay restores it. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Doma...

Escape the daily grind of the workweek by joining Lydia in her attic room to discuss Mike Judge's 1999 film Office Space through a generation lens. As silly as generational cohorts are, they do offer some insight into changing attitudes toward work and provide some ironies in what remains the same. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open M...

On this chilly fall day, come visit Lydia in her attic room to talk movies with a guest about James Gunn's Superman, a movie they both really like, and the flaw that they cannot unsee. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Mus...

It's Spooky Season! As the leaves drizzle down in Lydia's backyard, come discover the origins of Film Noir and its relationship to Gothic storytelling, all through the lens of Billy Wilder's 1950 masterpiece. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano M...

Come join Lydia for a conversation about a nineteenth century novel and two of its film adaptations, particularly the differences between the protagonists and their romances, and why Michael Mann's Cora Munro rules. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic...

Come visit Lydia's attic room to gaze at her new bookshelf while she analyzes the many ways the poorly reviewed early 2000s comedy Uptown Girls is actually an intentionally crafted modern fairytale. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by De...

Sit in front of a box fan on a hot day while Lydia explains the existence of the show Andor and what it has to say about the unseen contributions of nameless people. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with permis...

Come flee the July heat by entering Lydia's memories of a chilly British day as she makes her argument for why the very cheaply made, deeply flawed Disney adaptation of Robin Hood might actually be the most accurate depiction of the traditional version of the character. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under...

Today, Lydia shares her journey as a writer and craftsperson and how she is inspired and encouraged by 1938's Best Picture winner. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavlov-Music used with permission under the Pixabay License . So...

Curl up on a forest green futon for a conversation about what Lydia finds her coziest genre (action movies) and how this Netflix action flick both fulfills audience expectations and challenges the foundations of the genre. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cin...

Grab a cup of coffee and sit with Lydia as she discusses a truly iconic movie poster film, one that she finds to be both a valuable character study and a movie she doesn't particularly like. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Music by Denis-Pavl...

You probably haven't seen this movie. That's ok. Come visit Lydia anyway as she talks about her experience with a particular place and culture, and how it is rarely portrayed truthfully and authentically in film and television. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautifu...

On this chilly, Spring day, join Lydia in a nook of her attic room to discuss Wicked: Part 1, The Wizard of Oz, and their relationship to the collective inheritance of story and art called the public domain. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing music: Beautiful Cinematic Piano Mu...

Lydia welcomes you to her attic room to talk about her love for Raiders of the Lost Ark. Come curl up under a granny square blanket and discuss the sublime, the painful origins of the adventure genre, and the excellence of Marion Ravenwood. Attributions: Opening music: Struggling performed by the Johnny Dodds Trio, obtained from the Open Music Archive , licensed under the Public Domain. Closing mu...