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

We grin at Naomi Scott’s “Smile 2” and discuss: Cinematography, editing, and sound, jumpscares; Story & Writing, theme, exposition; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Do you remember when you found out you wouldn’t live forever? People don’t talk about this, but everybody had to go through it because you’re not born with […] The post Ep 297: &...

We evoke Sam Raimi’s original “The Evil Dead” and discuss: Getting your reps in; Cinematography, interesting angles; Comparing to the sequel; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Jim Cameron is proof that if you are good, you’ll get promoted.“ – Roger Corman Notes & References: The Evil Dead budget was 350k (in 2024 […] The post Ep 296: “T...

We camp at Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead II” and discuss: Letting the movie dictate the terms of the experience; Cinematography, style, story, and budget; Story & Writing, cut to the chase, motivating character choices; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I’m too obsessed that the people who say critical things about me are […] The post Ep 295: “Evil Dead I...

We sparkle through Richard Kelly’s “Donnie Darko” and discuss: Story & Writing, we try to figure out what’s it all about; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If you have abandoned one faith, do not abandon all faith. There is always an alternative to the faith we lose. Or is it the same […] The post Ep 294: “Donnie Darko” appeared first on The...

We take the mask off of Todd Phillips’ “Joker: Folie à Deux” and discuss: Cinematography, blocking; Story & Writing, Arthur vs Joker, judging the viewer; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “The trees here are in misery, and the birds are in misery. I don’t think they sing. They just screech in pain.“ […] The post Ep 293: “Joker: Folie à Deux&#8...

We stop time in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” and discuss: We, uh, review Megalopolis; Story & Writing, exposition, melodrama; Afterwards we’ll rank our top 5 or 10 films; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” – Percy Bysshe Shelley from the poem “Ozymandias” Watch us on […] The post E...

We floor it through Keanu Reeves’ “Speed” and discuss: Cinematography, motivated camera movement, dramatic angles; Story & Writing, heightened storytelling, packing in the action, Jack & Annie; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If you spend enough time with yourself in silence, you’ll be surprised what goes through your head.“ – Sandra Bullock...

We keep it real with Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and discuss: Cinematography, closeups vs mediums and wides for comedy & connection; Story & Writing, but/therefore storytelling, sequels honoring their predecessors, Lydia’s arc; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “With movies, you are always in search of a good story, one that everyone will [&#8230...

We jump in the line of Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” and discuss: Cinematography, motivating unmotivated lighting, reveals; Story & Writing, rules for adventure, plot vs emotional arcs; Music, double music cues, setting the tone; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “You don’t know whether chimps are going to kill you or kiss you. They’re […] The post Ep...

We burst into Fede Alvarez’s “Alien: Romulus” and discuss: Story & Writing, body horror, Andy, dystopias; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Science fiction writers, I am sorry to say, really do not know anything. We can’t talk about science, because our knowledge of it is limited and unofficial, and usually our fiction […] The post Ep 288: “A...

We anoint Shia LaBeouf’s “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” and discuss: Cinematography & Directing, camerawork, continuity vs performance; Story & Writing, the saints; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.“ – Marcus Aurelius Notes & References: […] The post E...

We stride through Jim Henson’s “The Dark Crystal” and discuss: Cinematography, lighting, camerawork; Puppetry & Directing, process preceding/creating story; Special Guest Elissa Marie talks art, building a business as an artist, and being named Best Visual Artist in Austin; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “When I was young, my ambition was to […] The post Ep...

We pop into Ryan Reynolds’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” and discuss: Story & Writing, macguffins, stakes, comedy; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Just one supernova can temporarily outshine an entire galaxy of 100 billion stars.“ – Michio Kaku Notes & References: “Supernova” by Mad Valley – Todd’s latest music track “By...

We make a res with Christian Bale’s “American Psycho” and discuss: Cinematography, lighting a flat shot, hallway composition; Story & Writing, symbolism; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Well first of all you have to make the character strong so that people can follow that. And then hopefully that character can integrate with […] The post Ep 284: “Ameri...

We sincerely reminisce about Stephen King’s “Stand By Me” and discuss: Cinematography, rule of thirds; Story & Writing, coming of age stories, friendship, facing your own mortality; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “That’s the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want […] The post Ep 283: “Stand By Me...

We tiptoe through Lupita Nyong’o’s “A Quiet Place: Day One” and discuss: Writing & Story, suspending disbelief, theme & plot; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I’ll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear. I mean really, no fear!“ – Nina Simone Notes & References: Joseph Quinn (iMDB) – Stranger Things […] The post Ep 282:...

We go to war with “Godzilla Minus One” and discuss: Cinematography, revealing scale; Story & Writing, Godzilla the metaphor; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “War does not determine who is right – only who is left.“ – Bertrand Russell Notes & References: Japan war atrocities(wiki) Unit 731(wiki) Firebombing Japan (wiki) Budget is […] The post E...

We drop into Dwayne Johnson’s respawn of an old classic, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and discuss: Cinematography, shooting night for night instead of day for night; Story & Writing, physical comedy, character arcs; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Being in the same room with people and creating something together is a […] The post Ep 280: “Jumanji:...

We rub George Miller’s “Three Thousand Years of Longing” and discuss: Cinematography, how compositing, motion blur, and depth of field help tell the story; Story & Writing, Enzo, Storytelling; Wes rants about why this movie may not have done well in theaters; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If I had a flower […] The post Ep 279: “Three Thousand Years o...

We stowaway in George Miller’s “Furiosa” and discuss: Story & Writing, mercy in the wasteland, teleporting; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams — this may be madness. Too much sanity may be madness […] The post Ep 278: “Furiosa: A Mad M...

We give “Fallout” a thumb’s up and discuss: Story & Writing, Lucy’s character arc, great exposition; Guest Joe Howes solves cold fusion during an offscreen scene; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “You only know me as you see me, not as I actually am.“ – Immanuel Kant Notes & References: *Correction: Fallout […] The post Ep 277: “Fal...

We crash into “The Fall Guy” and discuss: Story & Writing, great stakes, breaking the rule of repeats; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I think if you have ability and talent in one way, you have it in all ways. I’m not a jack of all trades; I’m a master of many. […] The post Ep 276: “The Fall Guy” appeared first on The Pestle .

We narrate Will Ferrell’s “Stranger Than Fiction” and discuss: Cinematography, infinite zoom, story through shadows; Story & Writing, rule of repeats, naming conventions, ticking clock; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Kind words don’t cost much. Yet they accomplish much.“ – Blaise Pascal Notes & References: “Office Zombies” short...

We swing through Dev Patel’s “Monkey Man” and discuss: Cinematography, camerawork, visual motifs; Story & Writing, emotional engagement, setting up payoffs; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Grief changes shape, but it never ends.“ – Keanu Reeves Notes & References: Todd’s band: Mad Valley vinyl album Byron Reese speaker demo reel – they...

We document Alex Garland’s “Civil War” and discuss: Cinematography, compositions; Story & Writing, strong character arcs; Sound design, music; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.“ – George Orwell Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 273: “Civil War” appeared...