The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

We play Pixar’s “Toy Story 5” and discuss: Story & Writing, thematic cohesion, subplots, play; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.“ – Mr. Rogers Notes […] The post Ep 372: “Toy Story 5”...

We sneak up on Spielberg’s “Disclosure Day” and discuss: Cinematography, blocking cars; Story & Writing, modern vs classic cinema; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “When you’re young, you look at television and think, there’s a conspiracy. The networks have conspired to dumb us down. But when you get a little older, you […] The post Ep 371: “...

We play in Kane Parson’s “Backrooms” and discuss: Production design and set decoration; Story & Writing, symbolism; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.“ – James Baldwin Notes & References: Supports us on our Patreon here! Creep trailer (YouTube) Juneteenth (wiki) The Neverending […]...

We capture Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian and Grogu” and discuss: The problem with Star Wars’ endless faceless bad guys; Story & Writing, kick the dog storytelling, cute gimmicks, what makes for a good fight scene; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Use only that which works, and take it from any place you […] The post Ep 369: “The Mandalorian and G...

We thirst for Curry Barker’s “Obsession” and discuss: Cinematography, story-motivated silhouettes; Sound Effects, revealing story through sound; Story & Writing, obsessions; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.“ – W.B. Yeats Notes & References: Supports us on our […] The post...

We uncover “The Blair Witch Project” and discuss: Story & Writing, opening, ending; Experiencing the original release; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Whatever you now find weird, ugly, uncomfortable and nasty about a new medium will surely become its signature. CD distortion, the jitteriness of digital video, the crap sound of 8-bit […] The post Ep 367: “Th...

We coordinate with Eddie Murphy’s “Boomerang” and discuss: Directing, Wardrobe as symbolism and as character; Story & Writing, intercutting sequences; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.“ – Zora Neale Hurston Notes & References: Supports us on our Patreon […] The post Ep...

We unravel “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” and discuss: Cinematography, sound design, creating a horror experience; Story & Writing, opening sequence, respecting the horror audience; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I’ve always been faithful to monsters. I’ve always felt they are the patron saints of our blissful imperfection.“ – Guillermo Del Toro Notes [&#82...

We serve up Zendaya’s “Challengers” and discuss: Cinematography, Editing, Music, creating energy and fun; Story & Writing, sports as a metaphor; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Luck has nothing to do with it because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time.“ […] The post Ep 364: “Challengers&#...

We find Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” and discuss: Story & Writing, finding purpose, using your inner voice; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived […] The post Ep 363: “Toy Story 4” appeared first on The Pestle .

We launch into Andy Weir’s “Project Hail Mary” and discuss: Story & Writing, starting with tone; How budget affects storytelling; Science and art impacting the world; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “There are no nations! There is only humanity. And if we don’t come to understand that right soon, there will be […] The post Ep 362: “Project Hail Ma...

We rescue Dustin Hoffman’s “Hero” and discuss: Cinematography, revelation shots, exposure; Story & Writing, news reporting, human nature; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws.“ – Plato Notes & References: Supports us […] The post Ep 361:...

We celebrate Ray Mendoza + Alex Garland’s “Warfare” and discuss: Sound design, perspective, realism vs heightened sound effects; Story & Writing, screenplay notes on flow and authenticity; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Every film about war ends up being pro-war“ – Francois Truffaut Notes & References: Supports us on our Patreon here! […] Th...

We bet on David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook” and discuss: Cinematography, effective cinematography; Story & Writing, art as therapy, having a goal, story engine, mental illness onscreen; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former […] The post Ep 359: &#...

We plug into Gore Verbinski’s “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die” and discuss: Cinematography, pacing scenes for the edit; Story & Writing, thought experiments as a basis for stories, the solution to technology; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If someone picks up a third party and throws him at you down at […] The post Ep 358: “Good Luck, Have Fun,...

We dive into Markiplier’s “Iron Lung” and discuss: Cinematography, detail shots, coloring in post; Story & Writing, pacing, exposition; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “At the risk of saying you should make a self-indulgent film for your first movie: you should make a self-indulgent film for your first movie.“ – Mark Duplass […] The post Ep 357: &...

We hail Sam Raimi’s “Send Help” and discuss: Intro: Every movie is a universe, AI vs the cost of art and creativity 00:00-17:37; Story & Writing, loglines, horror comedy expectations, exposition; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.“ – Marilyn Monroe Notes & […] The post Ep 356: “S...

We sneak into Brad Pitt’s “Troy” and discuss: Cinematography, scale; Story & Writing, themes, war, love, immortality; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “All war is a symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal.“ – John Steinbeck Notes & References: Supports us on our Patreon here! Bastiat’s “That which is seen and […] The pos...

We commune with Nia DaCosta’s “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” and discuss: Story & Writing, humanity, themes; Audio mix and the problem with jump scares; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.“ – Carl Sagan Notes & References: Supports us […] The post Ep 354: “28 Year...

We invade Ethan Hawke’s “The Purge” and discuss: Story & Writing, high concept, agitating the audience, close calls; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I don’t favor violence. If we could bring about recognition and respect of our people by peaceful means, well and good. Everybody would like to reach his objectives peacefully. […] The post Ep 353: “...

We stroll through The Duffer Brothers’ “Stranger Things” Finale and discuss: Story & Writing, finales, plot armor, traditional 5-act structure for TV, dramatic moments; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Anyone who has ever been privileged to direct a film also knows that, although it can be like trying to write ‘War and […] The post Ep 352: “Strang...

We uncover David Fincher’s “Zodiac” and discuss: Cinematography, angles, handheld vs stable; Story & Writing, true crime stories, identifying with the characters; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.“ – Alfred Hitchcock Notes & References: Supports us on our Patreon here! […] The post...

We extract Ben Affleck’s “Argo” and discuss: Cinematography, camerawork; Story & Writing, mini-movie method; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “God help me if I ever do another movie with an explosion in it. If you see me in a movie where stuff is exploding you’ll know I’ve lost all my money.“ – […] The post Ep 350: “Argo” ap...

We carve up Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds” and discuss: Review at 17:00 Cinematography, camera movement, the Bob Richardson special; Story & Writing, conflict through character wants; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Joan of Arc: “You say that you are my judge; I do not know if you are; but take good heed not […] The post Ep 349: “Inglori...

We stir Tom Cruise’s “Cocktail” and discuss: Cinematography, wide angles, edge light; Story & Writing, money, whiplash; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Remember that failure is an event, not a person“ – Zig Ziglar Notes & References: Supports us on our Patreon here! Peaky Blinders scene “What line am I supposed to […] The post Ep 348: &...