A Century in Cinema

By Arthur Veenema & Andrew Slaughter

Arthur and Andrew discuss a classic film from every year between 1920 and 2020, covering cinematic history and moviemaking techniques, as well as world events related to the films. Bonus episodes avai... more

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FAQs about A Century in Cinema:

How many episodes does A Century in Cinema have?

The podcast currently has 102 episodes available.

A Century in Cinema episodes:

March 29, 20221990 AKIRA KUROSAWA'S DREAMS
Time just keeps on moving... We're in the 90s and we take a look at one of the last films from the legendary director Akira Kurosawa. Dreams is more like an autobiographical poem and we speak about how the different stories within the mosaic affected us, our favorite parts, and our own fears about the world.
Join our Patreon for our fresh takes on the 2022 Academy Awards
Where to watch Akira Kurosawa's Dreams
Vincent Canby NYT Review
Where to watch Point Break
...more
53min
March 22, 20221989 BATMAN
The Soviet Union collapses, Nintendo releases the Gameboy, and Batman dominates the summer box office. We talk about the Batman-mania the swept through Hollywood and the USA, stories from the set, Tim Burton, as well as comparing the various iterations of the caped crusader.
Join our Patreon
Where to watch Batman
David Letterman interview with Michael Keaton
Sean Young Catwoman plea
Where to watch Kurosawa's Dreams
...more
1h 4min
March 15, 20221988 THE THIN BLUE LINE
Director Errol Morris reinvents the idea of documentary films with 1988's The Thin Blue Line. We talk about the film's innovative use of crime scene reenactments, human memory and eyewitness testimony, how that ties into the cinematic experience, and what "the truth" is.
Where to watch The Thin Blue Line
PBS interview with Errol Morris
Where to watch Batman (1989)
...more
1h 2min
March 08, 20221987 PREDATOR (feat. Stephane Glynn)
We welcome special guest Stephane Glynn who wrote his graduate thesis on American imperialism of foreign bodies. What does that mean in the context of Predator and 1980s action films? We talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ronald Reagan, primitive CGI effects, and a whole lot more!
Join our Patreon for a discussion on Jean-Claude Van Damme
Where to watch Predator
Roger Ebert's review of Predator
Where to watch The Thin Blue Line
...more
1h 1min
March 01, 20221986 BLUE VELVET
Blue Velvet presents an idyllic view of contemporary Americana, but confronts the culture's dark psychological underbelly. Blue Velvet may also be the key to understanding David Lynch's work. We talk about Dune (again), Roger Ebert's infamous review of the film, and the career of a truly unique filmmaker.
Our Patreon with bonus episodes
Where to watch Blue Velvet
Ebert's infamous review of Blue Velvet
Where to watch Predator (1987)
...more
59min
February 22, 20221985 MISHIMA: A LIFE IN FOUR CHAPTERS
A controversial film about a controversial public figure. In 1970, Yukio Mishima and members of his private army took a Japanese General hostage and attempted to inspire a coup against the government. Failing, Mishima then committed ritual suicide. How does a team of American filmmakers led by Paul Shrader tackle a story like this? We discuss music, art direction, and repressed homosexuality in Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters.
In our Patreon episode, we rave about TAMPOPO (1985)
Where to watch Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
NYT Vincent Canby review of Mishima
Where to watch Blue Velvet (1986)
...more
59min
February 15, 20221984 AMADEUS (feat. Chandler Burns)
Amadeus sweeps the Oscars and we have Chandler Burns from behind-the-scenes at the Sundance Film Festival to tell us all about it. We discuss a range of topics, from the story's beginnings on Broadway to the production's tense moments in communist Czechoslovakia.
In our Patreon episode: is Aliens actually a bad sequel?
Where to watch Amadeus
The MTV Trailer for Amadeus
Where to watch Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
...more
59min
February 08, 20221983 SCARFACE
Scarface is radically violent for the time period, pushing boundaries with the US rating system, but what is the film's message? We wrestle with the film's viewpoints on immigration and the persistent popularity of a despicable main character in Tony Montana. Is this a story that glorifies a greedy 1980s lifestyle in American culture? Fear-mongering with Cuban immigrants? Or just anti-Florida propaganda?
Join our Patreon for bonus episodes
Where to watch Scarface
Siskel and Ebert talk Scarface
Where to watch Amadeus
...more
53min
February 01, 20221982 VERONIKA VOSS
From West Germany, reflecting on the country's relationship with its fascist past, we take a last-minute look at Veronika Voss. Andrew tells us about his problematic hero, director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and the film's bold assessment of the post-war culture through the style of old Hollywood melodramas like Sunset Boulevard.
For Patreon Subscribers: We talk about the recent 80s nostalgia wave
Where to watch Veronika Voss
Roger Ebert's review of Veronika Voss
Where to watch Scarface (1983)
...more
49min
January 25, 20221981 ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK
John Carpenter and Kurt Russell team up to Escape from New York as a response to Watergate and the economic decline of New York City. We watch Siskel and Ebert give their television review of this film, and we ask why we really enjoy certain b-movies like this one.
Thanks for joining our Patreon!
Where to watch Escape from New York
Video clip of Siskel and Ebert on Escape from New York
Where to watch Veronika Voss (1982)
...more
56min

FAQs about A Century in Cinema:

How many episodes does A Century in Cinema have?

The podcast currently has 102 episodes available.