Criterion Close-Up

Mark and Aaron have the pleasure to discuss Hal Ashby with Amy Scott, director of the documentary “Hal” about the filmmaker, which is available on Oscilloscope. We discuss Hal’s aesthetic and the way he could tackle difficult subjects with realism and humanity. Among the films discussed are The Landlord, Coming Home, Bound for Glory, Being...

Mark and Aaron bring back Criterion Close-Up is back, this time with Jill Blake and Wade Sheeler from Drinking While Talking to dive into one of Hitchcock’s masterpieces. We look at the history with Selznick and how that helped develop Hitchcock’s later style. We also discuss Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in detail, including their...

Yes, you read your podcast reader correctly. Criterion Close-Up is back! For this episode, Mark and Aaron kick things back on, and then dig into a conversation with Adam Kempenaar from FilmSpotting. This was initially recorded for Criterion Now, but was a better fit for Close-Up and a good way to relaunch the show. Adam...

Mark and Aaron take a trip down memory lane. This is not only the first Criterion Close-Up episode, but the first time that we had podcasted together. The episode is a little rough, as would be expected, but we hope you’ll enjoy hearing us as we learned our way. Episode Credits Mark Hurne: Twitter |...

Mark, Aaron, David and Trevor return for part two of our exploration of the under-appreciated French director, Julien Duvivier. The first episode, Eclipse Viewier 54, looked at the first two films in his Eclipse set. This episode looks at the peak of his career, particularly La Belle Equipe, Pépé le Moko, and La Fin du...

Mark, Aaron and Matt Gasteier explore the filmmaking world of Yasujirō Ozu, centering on his pivotal masterpiece Late Spring (1949). It would be impossible to explore all of his dozens of his films in one episode, so we give an overview of his work, his style, and his contributions towards international cinema. 3:00 – Ozu...

Mark and Aaron get back to this century with a look at Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love. Naturally we talk about Adam Sandler’s dramatic acting jobs, and, well, what happened to them? We go further into PTA’s career, film by film, chronicling the evolution of his craft and style. We explore why he is so...

Mark and Aaron continue the French 1930s series by exploring the early career of Jean Renoir, easily the most recognizable director from the period. We begin with the beginning, by looking at his origins and childhood. We look at his early silent films, his first sound adaptations, and a couple of films from the middle...

Mark and Aaron are joined by Keith Silva to look at the Coen Brothers’ debut to cap of #Noirvember. The film cannot be viewed without the exploring the context of the Coen library and their successful career to follow, but it stands alone as a debut film that sets the stage for their style. We...

Mark and Aaron tackle Guillermo Del Toro’s debut film, recently re-released as part of the Trilogía boxset. Cronos is technically in the vampire genre, but even for his first film, has a distinctive Del Toro feel. We get into the character of Jesus Gris, and how Del Toro uses him as a tragic figure that...