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

We rock out with Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous” and discuss: cinematography; editing & story techniques; themes and symbolism; and much more! “There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, […] The post Ep 47: “Almost Famous” appeared...

We sneak a look at Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and discuss: 180º rule; themes; the importance of theme; and much more! “Justice is incidental to law and order.” – J. Edgar Hoover Film Analysis This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 46: “The Departed” appeared first on The Pestle .

We take a look at Ryan Reynolds in “Deadpool 2” and discuss: cinematography; satire and sincerity; writing; and much more! “I was given such a great gift. It’s a miracle that never stops amazing me and reminding me to give thanks, every day. Having a wife and daughter gives me a lot more purpose. I […] The post Ep 45: “Deadpool 2” appeared first on The Pestle .

We gaze into Samuel L. Jackson & Tommy Lee Jones’s HBO movie “The Sunset Limited” and discuss: cinematography, shooting in a small room; acting; writing; and today we are also joined by a special guest and close friend, Barnabas! “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” – Carl […] The post Ep 44: HBO’s “...

We find ET in Steven Spielberg’s Sci-Fi classic “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and discuss: Spielberg’s cinematography; storytelling devices; aliens; and much more! “The past is the beginning of the beginning and all that is and has been is but the twilight of the dawn.” – H.G. Wells This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 43: “Close Encounters of the Thi...

We search for extraterrestrials in 1997’s Robert Zemeckis Sci-Fi classic “Contact” and discuss: the themes of “Contact”; visually reinforcing the themes; cinematography, framing and compositions choices; and much more! “We’re made of star stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” – Carl Saga Notes & References: This Week’s Recommendatio...

We dissect Marvel’s “The Avengers: Infinity War” and discuss: Great villains, and the unexpected antagonist; VFX; Writing for an ensemble; and much more! “The atom bomb was no ‘great decision.’ It was merely another powerful weapon in the arsenal of righteousness.” – Harry S. Truman “But I couldn’t help but think of the necessity of […] The post Ep 4...

We analyze the romantic comedy “The Big Sick” and discuss: themes of “The Big Sick”; storytelling with wardrobe; establishing tension; and much more! “There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer […] The post Ep 40: “The Big Sick” appeared...

We dive into David Fincher’s 1995 masterpiece “Seven” and discuss: character arcs; cinematography & camerawork, including one simple but brilliant foreshadowing technique; psychological violence; symbolism; and much more! “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.&#8...

We dive into John Krasinki’s 2018 horror film “A Quiet Place” and discuss: the metaphor of “A Quiet Place; the opening scene; sound; acting; and much more! “‘The empty vessel makes the loudest sound.“ – William Shakespeare Notes & References: Screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods explain how they went from under-the-radar directors to make [&#...

We dive into Ridley Scott’s sci-fi/horror classic “Alien” and discuss: the symbolism in “Alien”; cinematography, and editing; design; and much more! “‘Alien’ is a C film elevated to an A film, honestly, by it being well done and a great monster. If it hadn’t had that great monster, even with a wonderful cast, it wouldn’t […] The pos...

We dive into Joe Cornish’s sci-fi/horror “Attack the Block” and discuss: the beasts of Attack the Block; theme & symbolism; horror gimmicks; John Boyega; and much more! “I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment […] The post Ep 36: “Attack the Block” appea...

We dive into Disney’s “Moana” and discuss: musical efficiency in storytelling; lessons of Moana; Heihei as a sidekick; what filmmakers can learn from cartoons; and much more! “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You […] The post Ep 35: “Moana” appear...

In this episode we drop into the Jim Carrey comedy classic “Dumb and Dumber” and discuss: the cinematography of comedies; why this movie works; Wes goes on a rant; and much more! “Pure entertainment is not an egotistical lady singing boring songs onstage for two hours and people in tuxes clapping whether they like it […] The post Ep 34: “Dumb and Dumber” appeare...

In this episode we break down Marvel’s “Black Panther” and discuss: symbolism of “Black Panther”; Ryan Coogler; camera settings (aperture/f-stop/iris, frame rate, shutter speed); and much more! “It has been my observation that parents kill more dreams than anybody.“ – Spike Lee Notes & References: IcarusFilmSchool.com – Sign up here if you...

In this episode we dive into the indie drama “Call Me By Your Name” and discuss: the camerawork of “Call Me By Your Name”; audio; the story; and much more! “Concentrate on what you want to say to yourself and your friends. Follow your inner moonlight; don’t hide the madness. You say what you want […] The post Ep 32: “Call Me By Your Name” appea...

In this episode we take a look at David Fincher’s cult classic “Fight Club” and discuss: the title sequence of “Fight Club”; lighting in the bar scene; the transitions; voiceover; camerawork & composition; and much more! “Filmmaking isn’t if you can just strap on a camera onto an actor, and steadicam, and point it at […] The post Ep 31: “Fight Cl...

In this episode we discuss: intersectionality; lighting and camerawork; we interview Carl Effenson, one of the producers of “Mudbound”; and much more! “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.“ – Ma...

In this episode we discuss: Lighting and camerawork; framing & compositions; film stocks; and much more! “The aim is to postpone frailty, postpone degenerative disease, debilitation and so on and thereby shorten the period at the end of life, which is passed in a decrepit or disabled state, while extending life as a whole.“ – […] The post Ep 29: “Never Let Me Go&#...

In this episode: Wes gets drunk and ruins The Pestle; we discuss the failures of The Room, The Disaster Artist; and much more! “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is […] The post Ep 28: “The Room” appeared first on The Pestle .

In this episode we discuss: the theme of The Last Jedi; a little visual analysis; we have an interview with Dr. Steven Vance, a planetary chemist and astrobiologist with JPL NASA to discuss space, Europa, exploring our solar system and so much more! “There is perhaps no better a demonstration of the folly of human […] The post Ep 27: “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” appeared first on T...

In this episode we discuss: the time travel of Rian Johnson’s “Looper”; editing; theme; the future;  and much more! “If the Universe came to an end every time there was some uncertainty about what had happened in it, it would never have got beyond the first picosecond. And many of course don’t. It’s like a […] The post Ep 26: “Looper” appeared first...

In this episode we tackle JJ Abrams’ Star Wars The Force Awakens and discuss: Deus Ex Machina storytelling; camerawork & visual analysis; Kylo Ren, JJ Abrams;  and much more! Visual Analysis (camerawork) Here’s an example of dressing up a shot. The action is simple, we’re watching a slice of Rey’s life as she takes her […] The post Ep 25: “Star Wars: The For...

In this episode we discuss: the camerawork and visual technique of Jon Favreau’s Chef;  Chef as a metaphor;  we interview chef Aaron;  and much more! Visual Analysis (camerawork) Chef is largely shot with locked off frames. When we’re in the kitchen cooking, however, everything moves and pops a little bit more. Easily the most evident […] The post Ep 24: “Chef” appear...

In this episode we tackle Zach Braff’s indie hit “Garden State” and discuss: the camerawork and editing; visual gags; when performances make the film; the impact this film had on us personally; and much more! Analysis Visual Gags   Super simple payoff that simultaneously is at once digestible but also helps to build what we […] The post Ep 23: “Garden State&#8221...