The Flick Lab

It's episode #150 and it's time for some celebration with mostly non-movie topics. Zachary Pen joins us to discuss mass shootings in the US, NATO and Finland, social media, paper vs. digital, language quirks, the future of The Lab, all kinds of indecent things, and more. Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by  Nick Grivell...

What have Karri and Henrik been watching for the last years? What to recommend, what to avoid? We've never stopped to discuss the films we've watched on our 'own time', outside the podcast analyses. Here's our recommendations and grievances. Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by  Nick Grivell .

Better late than never. Here's our long overdue recap of the 94th Academy Awards. Who won? Does it matter? Did Will Smith inadvertently slap the Oscars back into relevancy? Is there any value in even discussing the Oscars? Was the Jada Pinkett Smith joke a step too far? Is the Ukraine War detrimental to trans people specifically? Is Jennifer Lawrence fat? To be brutally honest with you, we can ass...

What is real? Is the film depicting reality? Is it all about perspective? Is even fantasy involved? Is in fact anything burning in 'Burning'? Is the protagonist a 'serial masturbator'? Films covered in this episode: Burning (버닝, 2018) , directed by Lee Chang-dong. Starring Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jeon Jong-seo. Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme t...

[!! NOTE: THIS EPISODE IS APRIL FOOLS FOR THE FIRST 40 MINS.]  The Academy Awards 2022, part 3 of 3: A Political Car Crash. Two male writers write a movie about a promiscuous young woman adrift in life, with heavy drug use presented in a positive light. Hey, what could go wrong? Apparently nothing, you get nominated for an Oscar for it. The Norwegian Oscar contender 'The Worst Person in the World'...

The Academy Awards 2022 International Feature Film Nominees Part 2 of 3: Change. The Japanese Oscar contender Drive My Car appears to be the audience favorite for winning the Oscars. What's the fuss about? We also look at Bhutan's first Oscar nominee ever – Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, the heart-warming story of a remote community and its school. Films covered in this episode: Drive My Car (202...

The Academy Awards 2022 International Feature Film Nominees Part 1 of 3: Searching for Home. Karri and Henrik break down the hand-drawn Danish documentary 'Flee' about a refugee called Amin and Italy's coming-of-age Netflix contender 'The Hand of God'. Both films tackle the theme of looking for home, both literally and spiritually. Paolo Sorrentino's 'The Hand of God' splits opinions strongly. Fil...

In this episode of the podcast, Karri and Henrik join forces with director Nick Vaky and photographer Luke Liu from the Youtube channel Mint Volcano to discuss Taiwanese New Wave cinema. The quartet takes a close look at four distinct films across the timeline of the New Wave 'movement' from two key directors - Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang. The themes of history, sociopolitical issues, heartfel...

In this episode of the podcast, Karri, Henrik, and Zach watch several short films utilizing the Blender 3D animation software. Some are playful, some serious, and one involves murderous Smurf-like creatures. Which are worthy of our recommendation?  You can watch ALL of the films for free on Youtube using our playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhWc3b3KhnY&list=PLcjR0oe-fPN587T3WL82w4oyzVt7nL...

In this episode of the podcast, Karri, Henrik, and Zach explore The Exorcist film franchise including the original trilogy and the two prequel films. Demonic possession, vomiting pea soup, and CGI cows eating CGI hyenas - this episode has it all. In nomine patris et filii et spiritus sancti. Films covered in this episode: The Exorcist (1973) The Exorcist II: Heretic (1977) The Exorcist III (1990)...

In this episode of the podcast, hosts Karri, Henrik and Zach chose to discuss their favorite Christmas movies. What could possibly go wrong? Films covered in this episode: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (USA, 1989) Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (Finland, 2010) Bunny the Killer Thing (Finland, 2015) Hosted by Zachary Byrd, Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab...

In this episode of the podcast, our American host Zach will share his thoughts with the Finnish hosts Karri and Henrik on the Finnish film 'The Unknown Soldier' from 2017. Why is the film so important to Finns? What is the identity of Aku Louhimies' version of 'The Unknown'? Which version is 'the best' - 1955, 1985 or the 2017 film? Is the question impossible to answer? Henrik has some gargantuan...

In this episode of the podcast, Karri, Henrik, and Zach discuss the portrayal of cannibalism in film and the ethical boundaries of filmmaking - specifically the animal cruelty performed while making the film, "Cannibal Holocaust." There's also a splash of discussion on the ethics of eating meat. Films covered in this episode: Cannibal Holocaust (Italy, 1980) Delicatessen (France, 1991) Dumplings (...

In this episode of the podcast, Karri, Henrik, and Zach are joined by Pedro, from the YouTube channel Plan-Séquence to discuss three films by Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami: Where Is The Friend's Home?, Taste of Cherry, and Like Someone In Love. Prepare for an in-depth discussion of cinematography, tone, characters, and the nature of 'realism' in film. Films covered in this episode: Where is t...

In this episode of the podcast, the Lab discusses Halloween Kills with writer-producer-podcaster multi-talent Allison Kilkenny. All the episode participants are trying their best to understand why this movie exists as it is. If you know the answer, please leave us a comment on our social media pages. Hosted by Henrik Telkki, Karri Ojala and Zachary Byrd. Edited by Karri Ojala. Guest Allison Kilken...

In this episode of the podcast, Lab ponders about the future of James Bond. Who should replace Daniel Craig as 007? Will he or she be black, young or middle-aged, perhaps in a period piece adventure? What are the narrative pitfalls of No Time to Die? Henrik also shares his observations on the Christian symbolism of the film. This 41-minute episode is a chunk of unfinished business between Karri, H...

In this episode of the podcast, the long-awaited analysis of the new 25th James Bond film No Time To Die that just hit the theaters. After several delays, is Daniel Craig's valedictory Bond film worth the wait? In a post-me-too era, the Bond women are written differently. Are women treated fairly in a Bond film in 2021? Are the scenes written naturally? Do the Bond films continue their unbroken tr...

In this episode of the podcast, we focus on the fourth rock from the Sun. Mars has been a fascinating celestial body for millennia, but how has it been portrayed over the last 100 years of cinema? Karri, Henrik, and Zach will discuss more than a dozen films that feature the red planet with the hope of figuring out why Earthlings are so fascinated by Mars. Films covered in this episode: A Trip to M...

In this episode of the podcast, prepare for war as Karri, Henrik, and Zach examine a battle royale of the original Japanese film Ringu, the American remake The Ring, and the Korean remake The Ring Virus. Three will enter, but only one win. One Ring film To Rule Them All. Films covered in this episode: Ringu (Japan, 1998) The Ring Virus (South Korea, 1999) The Ring (USA, 2002) Hosted by Karri Ojala...

In this episode of the podcast, a new voice joins the dynamic duo. Joining Karri and Henrik is Zach, who together take a look at the five films of the American series starring Clint Eastwood: Dirty Harry. Dirty Harry is a San Francisco cop who doesn't like to follow the rules when they get in the way of him catching his man. The big question here: Is Dirty Harry a Fascist? Films covered in this ep...

It's been exactly 3 years since the journey of The Flick Lab begun. Hosts Karri and Henrik take this this celebratory episode as an opportunity to discuss mostly other topics than the Lab. How was Henrik's hiking trip and should Karri be anywhere near him while camping? And have you tried the Finnish Karelian Pie with Fazer's green balls? Naturally, we address our fans (well, the ones used for ven...

In this episode of the podcast, Karri and Henrik take a close look at the openly gay South Korean director Lee-song Hee-il's 'gay cinema'. He directed the de-facto first Korean gay feature "No Regret", which became a relative hit in 2006. Lee-song has continued with the genre, while occasionally in conjunction exploring a myriad of societal taboos - not only vis-a-vis the rainbow community. Amongs...

Mohammad Malas is one the most recognized, pioneer Syrian auteur directors and a public intellectual. His films are embedded in the contemporary history of Syria and his themes do not shy away from addressing sensitive societal topics. Our guest in this episode is professor Nezar Andary. He has a PhD in comparative literature, he is a filmmaker and a scholar who has studied a plethora of cultures,...

In this episode of the podcast, Aikido gone wrong with Steven Seagal. Karri and Henrik look at Seagal's roots, his successes, some of his personal life involving mafia, Putin, sexual misconduct allegations, onset antics and dead puppies. Finally we dive into his direct-to-video failures and recent ventures. Films covered in this episode: Above the Law (1988) Under Siege (1992) On Deadly Ground (19...

In this episode of the podcast, The Flick Lab visits the cult classic horror comedy character Dr. Phibes, played by the iconic Vincent Price in both 'The Abominable Dr. Phibes' and the sequel 'Dr. Phibes Rises Again'. What is behind the appeal of Dr. Phibes? Do the films hold up today? What were the shortcomings of the sequel? What do we know about the 3rd film that never happened? Films covered i...