Director's Club

In this episode, the Director's Club looks at the flims of Sofia Coppola (a.k.a., "The Good One"), whose movies had a dreamlike feeling of melancholy isolation, level of visual composition, and focus on young womanhood that was evident from the start of her career.  We're joined in our journey through her film work (that takes us from L.A. to Tokyo to Versailles to the Civil War South) by Rebecca Martin, an ultra-promoter of film appreciation in the Chicago area and host of Now Playing Network's "Fresh Perspective".

(10:02) "Lick the Star"
(17:38) "The Virgin Suicides" (Air, "Playground Love")
(39:22) "Lost In Translation" (My Bloody Valentine, "Sometimes")
(1:10:34) "Marie Antoinette" (Bow Wow Wow: "I Want Candy")
(1:25:17) "Somewhere" (The Strokes, "I'll Try Anything Once")
(1:48:17) "The Bling Ring" (M.I.A., "Bad Girls")
(2:12:54) "The Beguiled" ("Lorena", Civil War traditional song)

In this episode of the Director's Club, we take a look at the unrestrainable visions of legendary German director Werner Herzog, following his quest to give audiences a sense of the "ecstatic truth" through his films.  He'll use any tool at his disposal to deliver this truth, from documentary techniques to hypnosis (and if there isn't a tool, he'll make one himself!).  We'll look at how the films span the globe from the Amazon to the Sahara to Wisconsin, and how his Muses of Madness Bruno S. and Klaus K. enhance the journeys we take.  What we can't do is fit all his works in a single episode, so this will cover from his first film "Signs of Life" through his 1987 film "Cobra Verde", and scattered throughout are quotes from the "Soldier of Cinema" himself!

(8:23) "Signs of Life"
(29:21) "Even Dwarfs Started Small"
(40:34) "Fata Morgana"
(52:59) "Land of Silence and Darkness"
(1:11:09) "Aguirre, the Wrath of God"
(1:30:06) "The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser"
(1:48:47) "Heart of Glass"
(2:05:57) "Stroszek"
(2:24:21) "Nosferatu the Vampyre"
(2:40:02) "Woyzeck"
(2:52:39) "Fitzcarraldo"
(3:13:27) "Where the Green Ants Dream"
(3:21:03) "Cobra Verde"

This episode alongside guest film critic Collin Souter, we're taking a look at Jonathan Demme, whose interest in fascinating people, music, and minutiae was evident from his early work for Roger Corman through his final concert film.  It's a wide-ranging discussion about the vast scope of his work, fun details in his films, recurring concerns, and his varying levels of success in the Hollywood system. (And our recording is infused with the music of his movie subjects: Neil Young, and The Talking Heads).  Worst of all: Matthew Modine.

(9:03) His early Corman films: "Caged Heat", "Crazy Mama", "Fighting Mad" ("Crime in the City")
(25:34) "Handle With Care / Citizen's Band" ("Love for Sale")
(30:28) "The Last Embrace" ("Down by the River")
(35:56) "Melvin and Howard", "Swing Shift" ("Once in a Lifetime")
(55:42) "Stop Making Sense" ("Hey Hey My My")
(1:15:43) "Something Wild" ("Wild Wild Life")
(1:43:49) "Swimming to Cambodia" ("Tell Me Why")
(1:56:36) "Married to the Mob" ("Sax And Violins")
(2:04:04) "The Silence of the Lambs" ("Psycho Killer")
(2:32:51) "Philadelphia" ("Philadelphia")
(2:44:27) "Beloved" ("Stay Up Late")
(2:59:52) "The Truth About Charlie" ("Borrowed Tune")
(3:05:36) "The Manchurian Candidate" ("Mideast Vacation")
(3:10:32) His documentaries and Neil Young concert films ("Dream Operator")
(3:24:02) "Rachel Getting Married" ("F*****g Up")
(3:39:54) "Ricki and the Flash" ("And She Was")
(3:42:47) "A Master Builder" and "Justin Timberlake and the Tennessee Kids" ("This Note's for You")

The Director's Club concludes our look at the films of Terrence Malick, from an appropriately epic examination of "The Tree of Life" through the more improvisational and abstract efforts of his later movies.  Thanks to the help of Peter Richards from the Chicago Film Discussion Group, we aim to get a fuller look at what's amazing, infuriating, and fascinatingly unique about this later part of his movie career!

0:00 "The Tree Of Life" (The "most" Malick?, Chastain's emotional foundation, "Funeral Canticle" byJohn Tavener and Mother Thekla, the Global Fast Forward, "Lacrimosa 2" by Zbigniew Preisner,  Jurrasic Mercy, Navigating Grace and Nature, Pitt's best performance, "Snippets of Memory",  "Siciliana Da Antiche Danze Ed Arie Suite III" by Ottorino Respighi, "MVlast Moldau (Vltava)" byBed.ich Smetana, some staggering images, holding onto the light, "The Grande Messe des morts, Op. 5"  by Hector Berlioz)

42:49 "To The Wonder" (the C.S.I. Moment, "Everybody Loves Ben", Affleck's "range" of motion, a switch suggestion, big place that can't get filled, the priest's purpose, the main theme by Hanan Townshend)

1:04:02"Knight of Cups" (parables and pilgrims, Malick's Eyes Shut?, a fetching film, the Pan Brothers, Blanchett and Portman, card from the bottom of the Tarot, "soul fluid", the symbolic shore)

1:31:31 "Voyage of Time" ("Mother" by Tori Amos, "Mother" by Pink Floyd, "Mother" by Danzig)

1:43:08 "Song to Song" ("Birdland" by the Patti Smith Group; the archetype understory; Portman's lesson; Malick and rock music; true feeling; for "Shame", Fassbender....)

2:07:36 Outro (What's next for Malick?, Crazy Dream Collaboration, Favorite Malick shots)

The Director's Club puts our heads together with Peter Richards from the Chicago Film Discussion Group to have an epic discussion about the movies of Terrence Malick.  With three different perspectives, there's a comprehensive and fair look at his movies, here in part 1 dealing with "Badlands" through "A New World".  Whether you adore Malick's films, hate them, or just want to learn more, you'll find something interesting about them through our exploration of his work!

13:37 "Badlands" (Outlaw Road Trip, Kit for President, A Worthy Juxtaposition?, Morality or Boredom?, Irony and Humor from Malick, Fort Innocence, Gleaning for Transcendance, The Things They Carried)

47:27 "Days of Heaven" (Feeling of Historical Memory, Main Theme by Ennio Morricone, Bad Leg of the Romantic Triangle, pure cinema, Welcome Back Casting, the Magic Hour, a Fair Fable?, Narration From Out of Time)

1:17:29 Terrence Malick's Lost and Early Work ("Lanton Mills", "Q", "The Desert Rose", "Sansho the Bailiff")

1:22:07 "The Thin Red Line" (Narration for Adults?, Faith Helps and Hurts, Native Fawning?, Guadacanal To The Stars, Din of War Ecstacy, "Silence" by Hans Zimmer, Chaplin Confusion, Burned Brody, The Three Phases of Malick)

2:06:16 "A New World" (Colin Farrell Conflict, Fair Looks at Naturals and Colonists, Kilcher's Brilliant Depiction of Growth across Age and Culture, Whose New World Is It Anyway?, What's In A Name, "Vorspiel" from Richard Wagner)

(19:56)  "Real Life"
(41:34)  "Modern Romance"
(1:04:22) "Lost in America"
(1:20:58) "Defending Your Life"
(1:43:10) "Mother"
(1:52:43) "The Muse"  (Muse, "Map of the Problematique")
(2:04:36) "Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World"
(2:12:55)  Outro:  Brooks' legacy and our favorite Albert Brooks movie line

Cross-posted from Voices & Visions. 
Jim here with a special bonus interview episode especially since the following interview is with a great director!  My podcast Voices and Visions has talked with a variety of guests, and this one has a special place in my heart so I wanted to share it with the podcast I helped to create.  Last year, I had the immense pleasure of talking with one of my favorite character actors and directors, Keith Gordon. You know him from his work with directors like DePalma, Carpenter, and films such as BACK TO SCHOOL among many others. He's also an accomplished filmmaker in his own right, having made several terrific features many of which were covered the first time we spoke, which can be listened to here:


http://www.directorsclubpodcast.com/blog/keithgordon

This time around, we talked about his last feature, THE SINGING DETECTIVE, working on shows such as FARGO & BETTER CALL SAUL, having the pleasure of directing an actress like Carrie Coon, as well as a conversation about directors he considers to be underrated.  One of the highlights of this episode is an in-depth look at how television is changing the way directors like himself find work, which has been both good and bad.  I can't thank Keith enough for joining me again, and can't wait to nerd out some more in the future about the past, the present and the future of his incredible career - Jim

Visit & Subscribe To The Podcast:
http://voicesvisions.net

16:43 THE TRUE STORY OF ESKIMO NELL ("Arctic World", Midnight Oil)

33:27 PATRICK ("Stayin' Alive", The Bee Gees)

58:10 ROAD GAMES ("Highway to Hell", AC/DC)

1:24:21 PSYCHO II ("Devil Inside", INXS)

1:44:29 CLOAK AND DAGGER ("Papa Won't Leave You, Henry", Nick Cave and
the Bad Seeds)

1:58:00 LINK ("Something So Strong", Crowded House)

2:15:27 FX2 ("Magic",Olivia Newton John)

2:27:35 VISITORS ("The Endless Sea", The Church)

2:40:13 Summary, Favorite Australian films to check out next ("Mind Mischief" - Tame Impala)

Visit Matt Gamble's Website:
http://wherethelongtailends.com/

3:39  (Don Caballero, "Slice Where You Live Like Pie")  "Pi"
36:53 (Clint Mansell, "Lux Aeterna")  "Requiem for a Dream"
1:03:33 (The Police, "Spirits in the Material World")  "The Fountain"
1:38:27 (Quiet Riot, "Metal Health (Bang Your Head)")  "The Wrestler"
2:05:56 (Laura Carbone, "Swans")  "Black Swan"
2:27:18 (The Pogues, "Thousands are Sailing")  "Noah"
3:04:23 (R.E.M., "Losing My Religion")  Outro / 3 Films also with alternate takes on religion

15:12 Zulawski's short films for TV: "The Story of Triumphant Love" and "Pavoncello"
19:14 "The Third Part of the Night"
28:34 (The Swans, "The Apostate") "The Devil"
49:12 (The Who, "Love Reign O'er Me") "The Most Important Thing: Love"
1:04:37 (Elvis Costello, "Possesion") "Possession"
1:28:22 (Michael Sambello, "Maniac") "La Femme Publique"
1:43:20 (Shooby Taylor, "Stout Hearted Man") "L'Amour Braque"
1:53:41 (Henryk Gorecki, Symphony 2 "Copernican") "On the Silver Globe"
2:11:19 (Paul McCartney, "Beautiful Night") "My Nights are More Beautiful Than Your Days", "Boris Gudenov", "La Note Bleue", "Szamanka"
2:27:52 (Richard and Linda Thompson, "Walking on a Wire") "Fidelity"
2:35:20 (Kosmos, "Psycho") "Cosmos"
2:43:10 Wrap Up / "The Zulawskian Film" Question

To give Zulawski's work a further look, you can check out these resources:

Daughters Of Darkness Podcast - Episodes 4-7 tackle Zulawski's filmography
http://diaboliquemagazine.com/category/podcasts/daughters-of-darkness-podcast

Samm Deighan's Andrzej Zulawski Retrospective at Diabolique Magazine
http://diaboliquemagazine.com/category/columns/an-andrzej-zulawski-retrospective