Female Gaze: The Film Club

Morgan and Chels welcome Chels' favorite person Claudia to wax poetically about the career of Sandra Oh. The Gals talk about some of her first and most memorable roles in Double Happiness, Arliss, The Princess Diaries, Sideways, and Under the Tuscan Sun, before talking about all things Grey's Anatomy and how Cristina Yang swept into their teenaged lives and stole their hearts.  They touch on her lead turn in Killing Eve and her villainous turn in Raya and the Last Dragon, before Chels goes off on how the Emmys continually do her dirty, and preview her upcoming Netflix series The Chair. Plus, the Gals take a "Which Grey's Anatomy Character Are You?" quiz and the answers might shock you.

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Morgan and Chels welcome back Ryan C. Showers and new special guest Greg Bacon for a double feature of Nia DaCosta's directorial debut Little Woods (2018) and Chloé Zhao's Oscar-winning Nomadland (2020).

The gang dives into how each film deals with poverty, with Morgan and Chels going off about capitalism's role in deepening the cycle. Greg has some thoughts about the music in both films, and Ryan challenges everybody to rank Frances McDormand's three Oscar wins.

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Chels & Greg crying after watching Boyhood

Cover Art by the amazing Grace Aki

For Pride, Morgan and Chels welcome their favorite bee charmer Cor to talk about every queer kid's cinematic rite of passage, queer-coded films! Chels and Cor attempt to give a definition and reminisce about being queer kids before realizing they were queer, and Morgan is the best ally this episode. 

Then the gals deep dive into three queer films, Morgan brings up the most important fashion moment of the early 2000's, and Chels read a book!
 
Deep Dives

• Bend It Like Beckham (Grinder Chadha, 2002)
• Mulan (Barry Cook & Tony Bancroft, 1998)
• Fried Green Tomatoes (Jon Avnet, 1991)

Keira Knightley's Tin Foil Napkin Top 

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Morgan and Chels welcome back special guest Nicole Ackman for their new infrequent series "A24 Coming-of-Age Films". The Gals talk about foundational themes of the genre, list their favorite A24 films, coming-of-age characters, and some of their favorites of the genre. Morgan mourns the late Lynn Shelton and Chels waxes poetically about her love of turtles. 
 
Deep Dives

• Eighth Grade (Bo Burnham, 2018)
• The Bling Ring (Sofia Coppola, 2013)
• Laggies (Lynn Shelton, 2014)

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All Things Nicole Ackman!

Recorded before the Oscars, Morgan &  Chels spotlight their favorite performances of the past year. The Gals dive into Chels' Indie Spirit ballot, get deep into the production of most of these films, and question the need for gendered awards categories.

Chels' Indie Spirit Ballot

Films we loved & definitely spoil:

• Arrival
• Black Bear
• Buffaloed
• Eurovision
• The Father
• First Cow
• The Forty-Year-Old Version
• French Exit
• The Half of It
• Happiest Season
• The Hunt
• I'm Your Woman
• Judas the the Black Messiah
• Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
• Minari 
• Misbehavior
• Miss Juneteenth
• Never Rarely Sometimes Always
• Nine Days
• Nomadland
• One Night in Miami
• Pieces of a Woman
• Promising Young Woman
• Sound of Metal
• United States of Tara
• The United States vs. Billie Holiday
• Unpregnant

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The Gals are joined by Dan from  the Talk Me Into Podcast  to talk about one of their favorite filmmaking duos, and life-partners, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. Dan and the Gals breakdown their three big collaborations: Greenberg, Frances Ha, and Mistress America.

We get deep into their specific writing style and how they never shy away from their flawed characters, before diving into the easy Woody Allen comparisons both have received in the past.  Chels argues how Baumbach in particular is more of a Mike Nichols, and Morgan touches on complacency of actors in Allen's films and how women are always asked to answer for the sins of men. Plus a few side rants about Once Upon a Time in America and The Deer Hunter.   

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Growing Up Gerwig: A Guide to an Unofficial Trilogy

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Special thanks to Grace Aki for the podcast art. Support her Etsy store here! 

To celebrate Mother's Day, the Gals are joined by Grace Aki from Tell Me on a Sunday Podcast to discuss both the 1934 and 1959 versions of Imitation of Life. Grace and the Gals breakdown the differences between the two versions and how they both diverge from the book, praise Fredi Washington, Louise Beavers, and Juanita Moore, touch on the well-meaning nature of Claudette Colbert, dive into the problematic casting of Susan Kohner, and the Lana Turner of it all. Plus Grace shares a wonderful story about her grandmother, mother, and the 1959 film.

TCM Race & Hollywood: Imitation of Life
Born to Hurt
12 Days Pod

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Chels is out sick but Morgan is joined by special guest Val Thompson, writer for The Playlist and Consequence, to talk about their favorite "Guilty Pleasure" films. The Gals discuss the snobbish term and why we shouldn't feel bad for liking things before breaking down their favorite guilt-less pleasure films. 

Morgan's Films

• Mars Attacks! (1996)
• Tomorrowland (2015)

Val's Films

• Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
• Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)

Chels' Films (not discussed) 

• Power Rangers (2017)
• Charlie's Angels (2019)

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The Gals are joined by Brian Skutle from Sonic Cinema to talk about their favorite film scores and soundtracks. Brian graces us with his musical knowledge, Morgan takes us back to her oboe days in band, and Chels admits her musical shortcomings.

Brian's Picks

• The Crow
• 2001: A Space Odyssey
• Vertigo

Morgan's Picks

• Edward Scissorhands
• A Monster Calls
• Pride & Prejudice

Chels' Picks

• In the Mood for Love
• Under the Skin
• Charade

Brian's Work:
Episode 31 - "The Crow" & the Evolution of "In a Lonely Place"
Beyond the Infinite: A Musical Odyssey
Walpurgis Night Short Film

Alex North Rejected 2001: A Space Odyssey

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