To placate his meddling Taiwanese parents, Wai-Tung agrees to a marriage of convenience with a struggling artist Wei Wei. What he failed to mentioned to his parents is that he is already in a loving relationship with Simon. Things spiral out of control for Wai-Tung when his parents decide to make a surprise visit to help plan the wedding. This week walk down the aisle with Ang Lee’s 1993 romantic comedy The Wedding Banquet. We also take time to highlight our short film picks of the week: Pink Grapefruit by Michael Mohan and In a Heartbeat by Beth David and Esteban Bravo.

4:59 Pink Grapefruit

13:49 In A Heartbeat

21:59 The Wedding Banquet

The possibility of love opens for two lonely souls when the world’s most efficient delivery system makes a rare mistake. In this episode we talk love, the need for connection, the vibrancy of Mumbai and much more in Ritesh Batra delightful film The Lunchbox. We also take time to discuss our short film picks of the week: Jonathan Ng’s Requiem for Romance and Kaspar Jancis’ Piano.

6:50 Jonathan Ng's Requiem For Romance

12:52 Kaspar Jancis' Piano

21:11 Ritesh Batra's The Lunchbox

A young man tries to come to terms with his sexuality in a household where his father refuses to truly see him for who he is. Sound like a standard coming-of-age tale? Think again. In the hands of director Jean-Marc Vallée, C.R.A.Z.Y. is a vibrant exploration of youth, sexuality, family and music. Basking in the glow of this modern Canadian classic film, we explore the various facets of the film and even get a little personal when touching on the way religion is incorporated in the film. As usual, we kick things off with our short film picks of the week: Sheldon Cohen’s The Sweater and Lev Yilmaz Non-Political Video.

3:52 - Sheldon Cohen's The Sweater

11:34 - Lev Yilmaz's NON-POLITICAL VIDEO

18:07 -Jean-Marc Vallée's C.R.A.Z.Y.

The complexities of American life are on our minds today as we dive into the somber side of patriotism. Exploring the post-9/11 world of Tom McCarthy’s wonderful film The Visitor, we discuss everything ranging from the immigrant experience to the possibility of finding love in the most unexpected places. We also reflect on the Bush and Obama years, and America’s love of guns, when chatting about our short film selections this week: Charles Stone III’s 8 Years Later…Waaazzzuuppp and Nicolas Lévesque’s In Guns We Trust.

7:48 8 Years Later…Waaazzzuuppp

16:49 In Guns We Trust

27:41 The Visitor

Time to put on your best footwear as we hit the floor, and the streets, with a dance filled doubled feature. Skipping the short film segment this week, don’t worry it will return in our next episode, we dive into the worlds of Step Up 3D and Take the Lead. While both films did not receive love from the critics, their choreography and diverse casting connected with audiences. We explore the pros and cons of each film and discuss why critics should not be so quick to dismiss modern dance films.

Show notes:

4:46 Step Up 3D by Jon M. Chu

27:46 Take the Lead by Liz Friedlander

Breaking records at the box office, and sparking tons of thought-provoking articles in the process, Wonder Woman has become the must-see movie of the summer. In this special episode we are joined by freelance film critic Kristen Lopez to discuss the representation of women in the film, the role of minorities, how the acceptance of violence is often based on gender and so much more. We also take time to highlight our short film picks: Nida Manzoor’s 7.2 and Fun Time Internet’s Toy Boyz.

7:45 7.2

15:47 Toy Boyz

22:43 Wonder Woman

What do male strippers and diversity in cinema have in common? It turns out a whole lot. This week we kick off the summer by taking a joyous road trip with the boys from Magic Mike XXL. In diving into Gregory Jacobs’ film, we touch on topics such as female empowerment, racial and gender depictions, and how this film ties into the recent Wonder Woman controversy at the Alamo Drafthouse. We also take a moment to discuss our short film picks: David Fried’s Return to High Chaparral and Justin Dec’s Boats.

3:31 Return to High Chapparall

12:24 Boats

21:29 Magic Mike XXL

As the 2017 Inside Out Film Festival draws nearer, we continue our celebration of LGBT cinema with Jennie Livingston’s Paris is Burning. Currently streaming on Netflix, Livingston’s critically acclaimed 1990 documentary focuses on the end of the “Golden Age” of New York City’s drag balls. Touching on themes of racism, poverty, body image and family, Livingston constructs a vibrant film that is both thought-provoking and entertaining. We also take a moment to discuss our short film picks: Paul Frankl’s Roxanne and Hope Dickson Leach’s Silly Girl.

5:38 Roxanne

11:25 Silly Girl

18:45 Paris Is Burning

How does a teenager come to terms with her sexual identity in an environment that refuses to acknowledge who she really is? This is the predicament that 17-year-old Alike finds herself in as she tries to navigate an overbearing mother, a father in denial and her own quest to find a relationship. We celebrate LGBT cinema, and the upcoming Inside Out Film Festival, by focusing on Dee Rees’ wonderful film Pariah. Before we dive into that film, we kick things off by discussing our short film picks: Dan’s Taberski’s These C*cksucking Tears and Alex Bohs’ Half.

What happens when a cop, a shady shaman, a Japanese stranger and a mysterious woman collide? Well, let’s just say things don’t go well for the village caught in the middle. In this episode of Changing Reels we attempt to decipher the various themes permeating Na Hong-Jin’s gloriously disturbing horror film The Wailing. Before jumping into the darkness, we bask in the warm glow of our short film picks: Wooksang Chang’s Mom and Seunghee Kim’s Mirror in Mind.

If you like what you hear, or want to offer some constructive criticism, please take a moment to rate our show on iTunes! If you have a comment on this episode, or want to suggest a film for us to discuss, feel free to contact us via twitter (@ChangingReelsAC), follow us on Facebook and reach out to us by email ([email protected]). You can also hear our show on SoundCloud or Stitcher!