Director's Club

Part Three. It is accomplished!  No time tracks for this one since it's all one conversation that goes all over the place, but it is mainly a retrospective interview about myself, Patrick and the history of Director's Club.  This interview may be expanded upon separately when Bill begins hosting his own show later this year!

Episode 100. Best Of 2015. We went so long, it had to be divided into three, yes, three parts.  Part One is a general conversation about 2015, including our awards, honorable mentions and more!  Part Two is our Top Ten Films Of 2015.  Part Three is a retrospective interview / conversation about the past five years.  It means the world to me.  Hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed discussing the year 2015 with two wonderful friends, Patrick Ripoll and Bill Ackerman.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe

Part Two of Three.  So this is it. Episode 100. Best Of 2015. We went so long, it had to be divided into three, yes, three parts.  Part One is a general conversation about 2015, including our awards, honorable mentions and more!  Part Two is our Top Ten Films Of 2015.  Part Three is a retrospective interview / conversation about the past five years.  The first eight minutes is me rambling about how much I love and appreciate you for continuing to listen and support Director's Club. It means the world to me.  Hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed discussing the year 2015 with two wonderful friends, Patrick Ripoll and Bill Ackerman.  PART 3: THE INTERVIEW will be posted sometime over the weekend.

Part Two: Top Ten Favorite Films Of 2015
00:00 - 01:20 -  The Duke Of Burgundy Score
01:21 - 01:20:27 -   Top Ten Favorite Films (10 - 6)
01:20:28 - 01:20:55 - Sicario Score Snippet
01:20:56 - 02:38:26 - Top Ten Favorite Films (6 - 2)
02:38:27 -  03:02:12 - Surprise Guest Email / Our Favorite Film Of 2015

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe

This is it. Episode 100. Best Of 2015. We went so long, it had to be divided into three, yes, three parts.  Part One is a general conversation about 2015, including our awards, honorable mentions and more!  Part Two is our Top Ten Films Of 2015.  Part Three is an intimate retrospective interview / conversation about the past five years. 

The first eight minutes is me rambling about how much I love and appreciate you for continuing to listen and support Director's Club. It means the world to me.  Hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed discussing the year 2015 with two wonderful friends, Patrick Ripoll and Bill Ackerman.

00:00 - 01:20 - "100 Shows (Five Years & Fighting)" - Jim
01:21 - 08:31 -   Gratitude & Thanks
08:32 - 09:23 -  "Pacifier" - Young Thug (Patrick's Favorite Song Of The Year)
09:24 - 48:31 -   Introduction / 2015 Overview / Favorite First-Time Watches
48:32 - 49:00 -   "I Remember" - Bully  (Jim's Favorite Song Of The Year)
49:01 - 01:38:41 -  Ancillary Awards / Director's Club "Oscars"
01:38:42 - 02:14:12 -  Runners-Up (#25-11)

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe

No bah hum-buggin around Director's Club this time of year.  I managed to enlist two of my favorite people to listen to -- of course, former co-host and podcast emeritus Patrick Ripoll is back not only for Episode 99, but for Episode 100 in January!  Also recruited this time is the great Sergio Mims of WHPK, who always comes on this time of year to talk about a classic director.  This time, we're focusing on the anti-auteur Michael Curtiz.  Yes, he did CASABLANCA, one of the greatest films ever made, but we touch on a myriad of other titles including THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH & ESSEX, THE SEA HAWK, THE BREAKING POINT, FLAMINGO ROAD, DODGE CITY and so much more!

There's a brief mention of STAR WARS at the very end as well as a welcome (?) digression Jim and Patrick style as they attempt to wrap things up.  The big news is that Episode 100 is finally arriving in two weeks.  It will be a combination Best of 2015 episode of course, but joining us is friend and favorite Bill Ackerman, who will be asking us questions about what it's like hosting Director's Club.  Submit all feedback and 2015 favorites to [email protected].  You must get your emails in by Sunday, January 3rd at midnight!

00:00 - 01:46 - Introduction
01:47 - 02:47 - Director's Song By Patrick & Regina
02:48 - 43:59 - THE EGYPTIAN, THE PRIVATE LIVES ELIZABETH & ESSEX, THE BREAKING POINT, FLAMINGO ROAD, BRIGHT LEAF, etc.
44:00 - 01:15:54 - ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES, YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, DODGE CITY, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, THE SEA HAWK, etc.
01:15:55 - 01:40:25 -  WHITE CHRISTMAS, CASABLANCA
01:40:26 - 01:56:42 -  Top 3 Curtiz / Sergio's Outro
01:56:43 - 02:07:55 -  Patrick & Jim Ramble / Outro

Thank you so much for listening and stay tuned for what will most likely be our longest and most long-winded episode to date come the first week of January!  Remember:  [email protected].  January 3rd is your deadline.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe

It's been awhile since I've podcasted but there's a slew of episodes coming your way for the next month or so.  First up, I welcome to the show, live in-studio, music enthusiast and vinyl expert Jim Hanke, who will soon become a part of The Now Playing Network family next month!   I asked him to stop on by so we could talk music for 2 hours, including his podcast plans, our Nick Digilio connection, and other pop culture tidbits.  The bulk of the conversation revolves around our favorite records of 2015, starting with some honorable mentions, then at about the 46 minute mark, we reveal our Top 5 favorites. Our lists will be available in blog form, in a couple of days over at Pop Culture Club in case you missed a title.  Can't thank you enough for listening as always, and mad props to Jim for his expertise and enthusiasm.  

00:00 - 01:30 -  Intro / Nick Digilio Mention
01:31 - 46:05 -  Jim Hanke Introduction / 2015 Records (Honorable Mentions)
46:06 - 1:06:59 - Top 5 Records of 2015  (Numbers 5 & 4)
1:07:00 - 1:07:28 -  "Bury Our Friends" - Sleater-Kinney
1:07:29 - 1:44:30 - Top 5 Records of 2015 (Numbers 3, 2, 1)
1:44:31 - 1:54:14 -  My Other Favorites / Outro
1:54:15 - 1:55:00 - "Mind On Fire" - Dan Deacon

IMPORTANT FYI: This will also be the last Pop Culture Club episode that will cross-pollinate (sortaspeak) in the Director's Club feed.  So as of next year, you're going to want to subscribe to a separate Pop Culture Club ITunes feed if you wanna hear me interview various guests and nerd out about things other than filmmakers.  I'll include that link soon enough as well once it's available.  In a few days, I will be joined by Patrick Ripoll and Sergio Mims to talk about the incredibly profilic Michael Curtiz, and then in January, our Episode 100 extravaganza / year-end best-of show will commence!  Until next time, send me an email at:  [email protected]

http://popcultureclub.net
http://directorsclubpodcast.com

Jim Laczkowski's Favorite Records of 2015
1. Bully - Feels Like
2. Torres - Sprinter
3. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes, etc.
4. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
5. Algiers - Algiers
6. Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass
7. Florence and the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
8. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
9. Hop Along - Painted Shut
10. Destroyer - Poison Season

Honorable Mention
Deafheaven - New Burmuda
Sleater-Kinney - No Cities To Love
Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment – Surf
Wilco - Star Wars
Julia Holter - Have You In My Wilderness
Lana Del Rey - Honeymoon
Churches - With Every Open Eye
The Mountain Goats – Beat The Champ

Jim Hanke's Favorite Records of 2015
Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear
Jason Isbell - Something More Than Free
Maritime - Magnetic Bodies/Maps of Bones
Seth Avett & Jessica Lea Mayfield Sing Elliott Smith
David Bazan - Bazan Monthly, Vol. 2

Honorable Mention...
Adele - 25
Chvrches - Every Open Eye
Drake - If You're Reading This, It's Too Late
Glen Hansard - It Was Triumph We Once Proposed EP
The Weeknd - Beauty Behind the Madness

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe

The great Bill Ackerman is back once again for another wonderful conversation on one of my favorite directors, Krzysztof Kieślowski.  He had to endure a very difficult upbringing in his native country, but he eventually went to a renowned and highly acclaimed film school where he honed his craft alongside greats like Polanski.  We try to cover nearly everything but there was no way we could discuss each individual chapter of THE DECALOGUE, but we touch upon that as well as the majority of his films including CAMERA BUFF, BLIND CHANCE, and THREE COLORS as well.  Thank you so very much for listening!

00:00 - 19:20 - Introduction / Business / Amazon Gift Card Contest!
19:21 -20:13 - Director Song
20:14 - 58:43 - Early Work, Camera Buff, No End, Blind Chance
58:44 - 01:55:13 - The Decalogue (A Short Film About Love, A Short Film About Killing), The Double Life of Veronique
01:55:14 - 02:44:07 - Three Colors (Blue, White, Red)
02:44:08 - 02:52:35 -  Top 5 Kieslowski Films, Outro

Patrick Ripoll and Sergio Mims return in about a month to talk about the legendary Michael Curtiz in about a month as a Christmas present.  So yes, CASABLANCA will be deconstructed at length as well as several others from his extensive filmography.  Until then, I encourage you to send me your name via email and you'll be entered to win an Amazon Gift Card for $25.  Winner will be selected around Christmas.  Send your emails to win:  [email protected]

Donations:
http://popcultureclub.net

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe

Happy Halloween!  Well here it is!  The final chapter.  Patrick and Gabe have spent over seven hours talking about horror films and the conclusion to this epic saga has arrived.  So many titles, so much to say. If you've listened to Parts 1 & 2, then you know what's ahead.  The titles discussed here are the cream of the crop, the top picks that got 3 votes or more.  Thank you to all for the submissions, and for listening! A Letterboxd list will follow so follow Patrick here for updates:

http://letterboxd.com/patrickripoll

http://popcultureclub.net
http://directorsclubpodcast.com

 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome back the the Horror Movie Show. After spending three hours and fifteen goddamned minutes talking about the 221 films that got one vote, Patrick and Gabe return to take on some real juicy titles, the films that received two votes. From 1921's Phantom Carriage to 2015's The Nightmare, P&G take a leisurely stroll through the corridors of horror, both oft-seen and obscure.

Listen to Part One here:
http://www.directorsclubpodcast.com/blog/horrorshow2015

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe

Ladies, Gentlemen, and those who do not believe in a gender binary: this is the one you've been waiting for. Last year we asked listeners to submit lists of their top 10 horror films, with the catch being that they weren't allowed to include 20 established classics. The result was the incredibly popular Horror Movie Show 2014.

This year we asked for the same thing, but this time around not only were those 20 films off-limits, but everything listed last year was also off-limits. That's a total of potential 190 films that were taken off the table.

 
A month later, dozens of top 10 lists submitted, totaling 313 films and seven hours of content. This is the ultimate experience in grueling horror podcasting.
 
In this first part of The Horror Movie Show 2015, Patrick and Gabe cover the 221 films that got a single vote, which is everything from The Wolf Man to The Strange Colour of Your Body's Tears. Join us in the middle of next week for Part 2, where we get into the films that got 2 votes.  Part 3 will be released at midnight on Halloween.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe

My final horror-centric director episode of the month features a familiar voice indeed.  Gabe Powers returns in anticipation of his upcoming appearence with Patrick for the Halloween Horror Show due out in the next week or so.  (Most likely a two-parter).  I recruited Gabe to talk about a very creative and fascinating figure in horror, one Mr. Stuart Gordon.  We dissect everything from RE-ANIMATOR to STUCK.  We try not to leave any headstone unturned when it comes to a very eclectic filmography.   I also ask Gabe about the state of horror films now, and present the listeners with a request during the Introduction.  Thanks as always for listening.  

00:00 - 15:25 - Introduction / Amazon Gift Card Contest
15:26 - 16:20 - Director Song
16:03 - 1:02:47 - Re-Animator, From Beyond, Dolls
1:02:48 - 1:38:25 - Robot Jox, Pit & The Pendulum, Fortress, Castle Freak, Space Truckers
1:38:26 - 2:21:35 - The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, Dagon, King Of The Ants, Edmond, Stuck
2:21:36  - 2:25:15 - Top 3 Stuart Gordon Films / Outro

Stay tuned for Patrick and Gabe's triumphant bonus episode: The Horror Show 2015 Edition!  And in November, Bill Ackerman and I will be talking Kieslowski.  Thanks as always for listening.  Send your emails and your ITunes usernames to:  [email protected]  

Follow Gabe on Letterboxd:
http://letterboxd.com/gabepowers/

Listen to spin-off show / donate:
http://popcultureclub.net/

 

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe