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

We knock down David O. Russell’s “The Fighter” and discuss: cinematography, 360 lighting, natural lighting vs available lighting; story; at the end of the episode we’ll talk about why we got vaccinated; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Everyone has a plan ’til they get punched in the mouth.“ – Mike Tyson Notes […] The post Ep 147: “T...

We step into the ring with Ryan Coogler’s “Creed” and discuss: cinematography, boxing as a camera language; writing & Story, scene pacing, reaction shots, Donnie’s motivation as the ultimate plot device; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.“ – Muhammad […] The post Ep...

We swing at Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky” and discuss: Cinematography; Writing & story, defying genre, story breakdown; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.“ – Sylvester Stallone Notes & References: Mama bear crossing the road with 4 cubs Sylvester Stallone describes the inception of […]...

We take the scenic route through Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” and discuss: cinematography, filming in widescreen; story, what’s the deal with Fern?; performance, some things that Frances McDormand does to create Fern; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I was surprised, as always, by how easy the act of leaving was, and how good […] The post Ep 144: “Nomadla...

We choose the skuxx life in Taika Waititi’s “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and discuss: deadpan humor; using perspective to tell a story; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.“ – Walt Whitman Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: […] The post Ep 143: “Hunt for the...

We grin through Jason Sudeikis’ “Ted Lasso” and discuss: cinematography, blurring the line between comedy and drama; writing & story, why we trust Ted Lasso; speculation on season 2; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “You should never be defined by what you do, by the things you have; you’ve got to define […] The post Ep 142: “Ted Lasso” appea...

We probe “Fire in the Sky” and discuss: cinematography, timing your titles, how lens compression can create danger; inserting doubt; Aliens! Are they out there, are they among us?; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Where is everybody? Humans could theoretically colonize the galaxy in a million years or so, and if they […] The post Ep 141: “Fire in the Sky” a...

We drill into William Eubank’s “Underwater” and discuss: cinematography, the effects of handheld; story & writing, Norah the action hero, creating tension; how Kristen Stewart could save us from a robot uprising; what the monster could be and why it’s not what everyone thinks it is; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If […] The post Ep 140: “Underwa...

We sweat through Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” and discuss: cinematography, how the infamous title sequence sets the style for the movie; writing & story, rich characters and complex relationships; bring in special guest Kei, screenwriter, podcaster, New Yorker; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I like friends who have independent minds […] The post Ep 139:...

We enter the blue door in “Notting Hill” and discuss: cinematography, how you can see this is a drama and not a comedy; acting, Julia Roberts’ performance; writing & Story, the genius of exposition as a game, the Baader–Meinhof phenomenon; music, and how they nearly ruined the ending and why I wish I could edit […] The post Ep 138: “Notting Hill” appeared fi...

We rain on Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia” and discuss: cinematography, long takes, transitions, anamorphic framing; ensemble writing; music; magnolia flower facts; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country.“ – Exodus 8:2 Notes & References: Tom Cruise […] The post Ep 137:...

We search Pixar’s “Soul” and discuss: death; side missions, making it all add up to something; the zone; we have a surprise guest appearance; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.“ – Jean-Michel Basquiat Notes & References: Hidden details in Soul More […] The post Ep 136: “Soul” (...

We take a shot at Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” and discuss: live performances on stage vs film; wardrobe, set design; musical songwriting vs albums; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “No punishment, in my opinion, is too great, for the man who can build his greatness upon his country’s ruin.“ – George Washington Notes […] The post Ep 135: &#822...

We pull a bonus episode out of our Patreon archive and discuss: the casting process, going through hundreds of submissions, what Wes looks for in an audition; how Todd did in all three rounds of his auditions; what makes for a good or bad monologue; and other such stuff and things and stuff. Notes & […] The post Ep 134: “Casting, Auditioning, and Picking a Monologue” (Special...

We put the lasso of truth on Gal Gadot’s “Wonder Woman 1984” and discuss: themes, and conversational subtext in Wonder Woman; Chekhov’s Gun, wasted story elements; using a temp track for editing purposes (and how “Sunshine” was ripped off once again); and other such stuff and things and stuff. “No one is useless in this […] The post Ep 133: “Wonder W...

We prance through F. Murray Abraham’s “Amadeus” and discuss: cinematography; story & writing, engaging the audience; living in the shadow of Mozart; special guest Scott Garrett Graham joins us; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I have never thought of writing for reputation and honor. What I have in my heart must come […] The post Ep 132: “Amadeus”...

We put a match to the Korean film “Burning” and discuss: cinematography, natural lighting vs available lighting; editing, how long takes and rhythm of edits affects the experience; story, what is this movie about?; special guest Dave Jasmon; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “She was bored. She loved, had capacity to love, […] The post Ep 131: “Burning” appea...

We slink through Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and discuss: cinematography, lighting the middle Earth; story & writing, morality, demonstrating possession; special guest Joe Howes takes a quiz to test his vast Tolkien knowledge; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Whatever possession we gain by our sword cannot […] The post ep 130: The...

We back our way through Christopher Nolan’s “Memento” and discuss: cinematography, setting the tone for a mechanically complex film; writing & story, why this film would not work if told with a traditional structure; comparing Memento to Following, what does an extra $9 million budget get you?; and other such stuff and things and stuff. […] The post Ep 129: “Memen...

We break into Christopher Nolan’s “Following” and discuss: cinematography, shooting on 16mm film; writing & editing, adding intrigue to a simple story; locations on a small budget; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “One of the worst things you can do is have a limited budget and try to do some big looking […] The post Ep 128: “Following” (1998, Chri...

We busk through John Carney’s “Once” and discuss: cinematography; rules of a musical; story, movie trailer moments; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If you look at my career… I couldn’t possibly have chosen those subjects if I was thinking, ‘That’s a great commercial idea.’ I’m not aware of a great musical where […] The post Ep...

We leap into Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” and discuss: cinematography, lighting, and communicating a feeling; writing & story, efficiency with locations; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I wish people could achieve what they think would bring them happiness in order for them to realize that that’s not really what happiness is.“ – […] The post...

We experiment with Shane Carruth’s sci-fi cult classic “Primer” and discuss: Cinematography, shooting ratios; Audio, selling a location; Story & writing, advancing the story offscreen; Low budget filmmaking; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, then there would be […] The post Ep 125: &#...

We report on Billy Ray’s “Shattered Glass” and discuss: the anatomy of a liar; journalism’s function, process, weaknesses; the state of journalism today; at the end of the episode we also (to everyone’s dismay) weigh in on the election; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “The term propaganda rings melodramatic and exaggerated, but […] The post Ep 124: &#...

We look for weaknesses in Brad Pitt’s “World War Z” and discuss: establishing zombie rules; making a hero; making bad situations for the hero; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I don’t think you need to spend $40 million to be creepy. The best horror films are the ones that are much less […] The post Ep 123: “World War Z” appeared first on The Pe...