The Filmlings

The results of our Twitter poll are in and the winning category was Samurais and Sombreros! Alex and Jonathan take a look at Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai (1954) and its western adaptation The Magnificent Seven (1960). We talk about archetypal stories, cultural influence on art, and using inspiration to create a new and distinct work. Skip to: 5:29 - Seven Samurai 25:54 - The Magnificent Seven 50...

In our first exclusively animation episode, friend of the podcast Hayden Chauffe joins Alex to talk about three films by Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki: My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Spirited Away (2001), and The Wind Rises (2013). We discuss the unique possibilities of animation, children's entertainment that doesn't sugar coat the world, and reflection of Miyazaki's life in his films. Skip to: 8...

Wes Anderson takes a perfectly framed center-stage this week as Alex and Jonathan talk Rushmore (1998), The Life Aquatic (2004), and Moonrise Kingdom (2012). We discuss self-aware storytelling, how style can divert criticism, and the recycling of iconic art. Skip to: 6:36 - Rushmore 24:18 - The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou 43:10 - Moonrise Kingdom 57:46 - Overall 1:13:59 - Coming Attractions To...

In honor of the Oscars this past weekend Alex and Jonathan take a look back at the last three Best Picture winners at the Academy Awards: 12 Years a Slave (2013), Birdman (2014), and Spotlight (2015). We discuss what kinds of films tend to seek out and win awards, the techniques these films employ, and in what ways we should think about award shows and award winners. Skip to: 2:12 - 12 Years a Sla...

Our first guest, Aaron Johnson, joins Alex and Jonathan this week to talk about four major reboots of the Batman character in film: Batman: The Movie, Batman (1989), Batman Begins, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. We discuss the influence of the comics on the films (and vice versa), stylistic changes in each adaptation, and the steady darkening of tone over time. For links to things that we...

For this special Valentine's Day episode Alex and Jonathan get a little sappy, looking at three film adaptations of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. We talk how to condense a novel into two hours, how "modern" adaptations age, and the changing demographic of audiences of romance stories. For links to resources referenced in this episode visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/02/...

Are you watching closely? Alex and Jonathan are this week as we look into Christopher Nolan's Following, The Prestige, and Interstellar. We talk about "temporal cross-cutting," obsessive characters, and how Nolan ranks with other directors. To find links to things we talked about this week visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/02/07/episode-5-nothin-but-nolan/

Alex and Jonathan take to the open waters this week and look at three movies that revolve around characters who are lost at sea: Lifeboat, Life of Pi, and All is Lost. The conversation covers how technology makes this type of film more accessible, how to strip your characters from their environment to find their humanity, and if "lost at sea" can be considered its own genre. For links to resources...

This week Alex and Jonathan watched, and then rewatched, Primer and Upstream Color by Shane Carruth. They discuss "imply, don't tell" storytelling and not pandering to your audience. For more information and links to things we referenced in this episode visit the blog post at: https://thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/01/24/episode-3-carruths-cerebral-cinema/

Nihilism, cinematic rhetoric, and classic independent filmmaking take front stage this week as the guys talk about Stranger than Paradise and Broken Flowers by Jim Jarmusch. To find links to things we talked about please visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/01/17/episode-2-jumping-into-jarmusch/

For the first ever Filmlings Podcast, Jonathan and Alex discuss three Steven Spielberg films: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Always, and Lincoln. Topics include starting your film with a summary of the film to follow, making even non-crucial characters feel real, and the incredible career of one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. For info referenced in podcast see blog post here: https://thefilmlin...