The Flick Lab

Episode 100. Why do it? What kind of monster have we created? It's time for celebration, supposedly. The Flick Lab will now take a break and will return on 27th August. This show can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can find us also on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, and  www.theflicklab.com . Hosted by Karri Ojala and Hen...

The world's first known narrative film was a 45-second long film from the Lumière Brothers, who are often seen as the fathers of cinema. But were they the fathers after all? When were the moving images invented? Is it even possible to say when the cinema was born? Tracking down the 'firsts' of film may be much more difficult than expected. L'Arroseur Arrosé (1895). Starring François Clerc, Benoît...

Zombie Strippers. That is all the preamble required. Directed by Jay Lee. Starring Jenna Jameson, Robert Englund, Roxy Saint, Penny Vital, Whitney Anderson. This show can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can find us also on social media – Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, and  www.theflicklab.com . Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki....

Exactly how sexual is the film Alien? Do aliens dance or operate ships? Is the technology aboard Nostromo practical? One of the most influential sci-fi films in history turns 41. Directed by Ridley Scott. Starring Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, Ian Holm, Veronica Cartwright, Yaphet Kotto. This show can be listened to on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can find...

How to analyse a film that is not meant to be analysed? The premise is there is no premise, only 21 minutes of surreal imagery inspired by dreams. The world-famous painter Salvador Dali co-wrote his first film, An Andalusian Dog, with his student colleague Luis Buñuel. Despite having written a screenplay, the film itself does not follow any conventional narrative structure - rather, it embraces th...

Director Yoon Sung-hyun (Bleak Night, 2011) returns from his nearly 9-year hiatus with a completely different film, Time to Hunt, a South Korean dystopian heist thriller, now doing rounds on Netflix. With its rather unrelenting pace, interesting cinematography and high profile lead actors, the crew has created something relatively unique in their market. But does the script have issues and will th...

Poland's 2019 Oscar nominee Corpus Christi has something in store for everyone - whether you're a believer or not. The new hot property director of Poland, Jan Komasa, has displayed his versatility, shifting from action to slow burns throughout his career. Join Karri and Henrik as they break down his most famous work yet. Boże Ciało (2019). Directed by Jan Komasa. Starring Bartosz Bielenia, Aleksa...

No Man's Land throws the audience in the middle of the peak Bosnian War and tells the story of Nino and Ciki, soldiers from opposing sides, who get stuck in the no man's land. Our guest Daniel Tarade was born in Bosnia and lives now in Toronto, Ontario. Back in episode #29 the podcast looked at the Serbian anti-war film Pretty Village, Pretty Flame and now to balance it out we take a look at the a...

Somewhere around here, the cinema was born. Many of us know the iconic shot of the moon-face who gets hit in the eye by a spacecraft - even if you haven't seen A Trip to the Moon. This most well-known early fictional film was a huge success, groundbreaking and highly influential for the future of cinema as we know it. Georges Méliès brought the concept of the narrative film to the world stage. Joi...

The famous Russian director Sergei Bodrov's son, Bodrov Jr, became a beloved actor in the country, and even a role model for the youth, after 'Brother' (1997). In this neo-noir gangster film, Danila joins his brother's business as a paid assassin. 'Brother' became the huge unexpected smash-hit of the 90's in the country. Our guest is Tom Frankland. Brother / Brat / Брат (1997). Directed by Aleksei...

What is the appeal of the French New Wave of cinema? What are its origins? What is the Auteur Theory? A thief tries to persuade a girl to elope with her. The Flick Lab investigates Breathless, directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Breathless / À bout de souffle (1960). Directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Starring Jean Seberg, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Daniel Boulanger, Henri-Jacques Huet, Roger Hanin. The show is also...

Cosy Dens, internationally the most successful film from Czech Republic, throws some dark humor on the daily lives under communism around the time of Prague Spring. Our Czech guest Ondřej Sedlář kindly came to help us analyse the film. Pelíšky (1999). Directed by Jan Hřebejk. Starring Miroslav Donutil, Jiří Kodet, Michael Beran, Kristýna Nováková, Simona Stašová. The Flick Lab is for podcast liste...

This week in the podcast, a film inspired by the Sugamo child abandonment case, where a mother left her five children in a flat in Tokyo and never returned. Among the many topics discussed are the real-life case, child social services, human disregard as well as Hirokazu Kore-eda's film Nobody Knows and how it differs from the actual events. Our guest is Sho Watanabe from Japan. Dare mo shiranai /...

"Tremendous, stupendous, gargantuan bedazzlement, a sensual ravishment!" Moulin Rouge as described by Moulin Rouge. The first musical of this podcast. The story of a cabaret courtesan (Nicole Kidman) who falls in love with a penniless play-writer (Ewan McGregor). Is there enough "sensual ravishment" to recommend the film? Do the characters and story only serve to support the music and not vice ver...

Will you choose your artistic passion or love? Is there a heart-breaking dichotomy between things that matter? Are we to evoke cheerful nostalgia or painful memories of lost time? Cinema Paradiso, an ode to cinema and childhood. Score by Ennio Morricone, directed by Italy's visionary auteur Giuseppe Tornatore. Cinema Paradiso / Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988). Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. Starring...

A communist politician and a conservative priest hate each other's world views in a small town in post-World War II Italy. Will they be able to co-exist? The first film adaptation of the Don Camillo stories by Giovannino Guareschi is now under The Lab's intense scrutiny. Don Camillo (1952). Directed by Julien Duvivier. Starring Fernandel, Gino Cervi, Vera Talchi, Franco Interlenghi, Sylvie. The Fl...

Jeepers Creepers is a horror film that back in the day made an impression on the critics with its 80's vibes and simplicity. It also did make an impression on the hosts Karri and Henrik, and our guest Aku. But almost 20 years on, is the appeal of the monster and the plot still holding up? Jeepers Creepers (2001). Directed by Victor Salva. Starring Justin Long, Gina Philips, Jonathan Breck, Patrici...

Karri and Henrik investigate what went wrong with Spectre. It is often seen as a troubled product, and there is no shortage of discussion points. Why does the 3rd act collapse in on itself? What is up with the dialogue? Why these color grading choices? Is Dave Bautista's Hinx part of Spectre, or just a very random gate crasher? This and more, much more in this week's episode. Spectre (2015). Direc...

For a change, The Flick Lab looks at a film that almost everyone has seen. All will be revealed, including InGen's secret human clone trials, Nedry's brain failures, Jurassic teleportation powers and how the goats are delivered to T-Rexes - all exclusively here in The Flick Lab. Jurassic Park (1993). Directed by Steven Spielberg. Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough,...

William Shakespeare's Coriolanus was adapted and modernised into a film by Ralph Fiennes, also known for his roles as Voldemort and M in Harry Potter and James Bond franchises, respectively. What makes Coriolanus' story so timeless and timely, even inauspicious? Does the Elizabethian English language juxtaposed with modern setting induce challenges and detract from the film's lure? Coriolanus (201...

Possibly the most racist film in the United States history was also the first huge blockbuster Hollywood hit. How is this possible? Why is The Birth of a Nation still shown in film schools? Does the film hold historical value or should it be outright banned? The Birth of a Nation (1915). Directed by D.W. Griffith. Starring Henry B. Walthall, Lillian Gish, Mae Marsh, Miriam Cooper, Mary Alden. The...

Daniel Craig's first James Bond film is now under loop in The Flick Lab Bond Marathon. Why didn't Pierce Brosnan return? What are the differences between Dalton and Craig? Was a reboot necessary for the franchise? Casino Royale (2006). Directed by Martin Campbell. Starring Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench. The Flick Lab is for podcast listeners who crave for highly detailed film...

The Flick Lab traveled to Gdansk, Poland to interview Piotr from Kino Kameralne Cafe. Located in the heart of Gdansk's old town, this kino loves to rotate international cinema. We discussed how Piotr ended up running a movie theater, challenges, future plans and what a day in the life working in a cinema looks like. Kino Kameralne Cafe home page: https://www.kinokameralnecafe.pl/ Many thanks to Ki...

Are we all parasites? This is the gigantic breakdown of the current record-breaking super hit from Korea, the first foreign-film Best Picture winner in the entire Oscars history! So metaphorical. Parasite (2019). Directed by Bong Joon Ho. Starring Song Kang-ho, Choi Woo-shik, Cho Yeo-jeong, Park So-dam. The Flick Lab is for podcast listeners who crave for highly detailed film analysis. The hosts a...

Karri and Henrik dive into the heavy subjects of slavery and marital rape during their time-travel to a 1930's interpretation of an 1860's fictional romance during the American Civil War. Gone with the Wind (1939). Directed by Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood. Starring Thomas Mitchell, Barbara O'Neil, Vivien Leigh, Hattie McDaniel. The Flick Lab is for podcast listeners who crave for highly...