Film Chatter Podcast

In this edition of the Director's Highlight series, Aric and Marisa celebrate the career of the maverick filmmaker Robert Altman. They discuss six of his most underappreciated films, looking for the common themes Altman revisited during his career.

These six films include THAT COLD DAY IN THE PARK (1969), BREWSTER MCCLOUD (1970), IMAGES (1972), HEALTH (1980), COME BACK TO THE 5 & DIME, JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN (1982), COOKIE'S FORTUNE (1999).

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Aric and Marisa travel across the pond to explore the films of the United Kingdom, specifically during the '60s and with a little detour into the '90s. They look at how the perspectives of these films are shaped by the social and economical circumstances of everyday people, and how these perspectives have much to illuminate about today's prevalent issues. Whether you call them Kitchen Sink, Angry Young Men, or simply British films, there is SO much to love about this corner of film history.

The six films this episode highlights are a mix of heavy hitters and tender stories of identity: SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING (1960), a Karel Reisz picture studying the attitude of a man who plays by the rules during the week, then lets loose on the weekends, VICTIM (1961), the suspenseful story of a man blackmailed by his homosexuality and his fight to be himself against the law, THE LONELINESS OF THE LONG DISTANCE RUNNER (1962), a character study about a talented young runner who questions discipline and the authority behind it, THIS SPORTING LIFE (1963), a story of a man who wins everything except his unrequited love, THE LEATHER BOYS (1964), a film about a newlywed couple in crisis when the husband develops feelings for a member of a rival biker gang, and LIFE IS SWEET (1990), a Mike Leigh film about a working class family enduring the mundanities of life while hanging onto their personal dreams.

Marisa and Aric take on the world of punk films. They trace the qualities of authenticity in punk films while diving deep into the evolving perspectives and philosophies of the punk scene.

All of this is discussed while spotlighting six punk AF films: SUBURBIA (1984), Penelope Spheeris' compassionate study of punk teenagers, OVER THE EDGE (1979), Jonathan Kaplan's acclaimed story of teenage rebellion, THE WARRIORS (1979), Walter Hill's dystopian journey of one New York gang's cross-city trek home with other gangs out to get them, TIMES SQUARE (1980), a tale of two runaway teenage girls who find empowerment on the gritty streets of NYC, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS (1982), the film that captures (and predates) the riot grrl scene of the 1990s, and SLC PUNK! (1998), a semi-biographical and hilarious look at the punk scene of Salt Lake City, Utah.

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In this episode, Marisa and Aric *figuratively* hit the road to celebrate the road film genre, a staple in cinema that is known for bringing new perspectives and unseen horizons.

Along the way, they'll take a look at six iconic road films: THELMA & LOUISE (1991), the iconic story of two women on the run to Mexico that is, quite simply, badass, LA STRADA (1954), Federico Fellini's harsh, yet whimsical journey of a young woman and a strongman performer through Italy, DEAD MAN (1995), Jim Jarmusch's western of a naive man that quickly becomes trapped in the hell of the American frontier, NEBRASKA (2013), the "dryer than yeast" comedy of an older father and son in search of a sweepstakes prize, WENDY AND LUCY (2008), a darkly ironic road film about a young girl, her dog, and a small Oregon town that are literally going nowhere, and THE PASSENGER (1975), Michelangelo Antonioni's cross-country road film of a journalist who steals the identity of a dead man, leading to dire consequences.

Notes for a Theory of the Road Movie - Walter Salles, New York Times Article

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In this first edition of the Director's Highlight series, Aric and Marisa take on selected films of the controversial juggernaut Luis Buñuel. They spotlight three memorable periods of his long career: his surrealist origins in Paris, his filmmaking in Mexico, and his great late career run of films produced in France.

These eras of Buñuel's career are examined through six films: UN CHIEN ANDALOU (1929), Buñuel and Salvador Dali's surrealist experimental short, VIRIDIANA (1961), the acclaimed Palme d'Or winning critique of religous charity, THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL (1962), an absurd satire of aristocratic norms, THE MILKY WAY (1969), a spiritual road film questioning the significance of religious virtues, THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (1972), a film about an illogical dinner party that turns catastrophic, and THE PHANTOM OF LIBERTY (1974), a film arranged by dream-logic that passes through episodes of history.

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Marisa and Aric are joined by Spencer Churchill from Endangered Streaming to celebrate the expansive world of cult cinema. They each bring three cult films that scatter across genres, as well as across the globe.

The list of films include the Japanese cult classic HOUSE (1977), Martin Scorsese's beloved midnight classic AFTER HOURS (1985), the star studded not-so superhero film MYSTERY MEN (1999), the surrealist, self-destructive Czech New Wave film DAISIES (1966), Vincent Gallo's semi-autobiographical gem BUFFALO '66 (1998), Andrzej Żuławski's horrific marriage story POSSESSION (1981), Alejandro Jodorowsky's Mexican spiritual fantasy THE HOLY MOUNTAIN (1973), Stephanie Rothman's slyly subversive exploitation film TERMINAL ISLAND (1973), and David Cronenberg's challenging psychological thriller CRASH (1996).

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In this episode, Aric and Marisa spotlight the one and only Los Angeles with six films that capture the spirit of the city. They attempt to define Los Angeles by its different subcultures and districts while considering the influence of the film industry on its exterior reputation.

The films discussed include John Singleton's stunning directorial debut BOYZ N THE HOOD (1991), Steve Martin's hilarious farce of Los Angeles daily life, L.A. STORY (1991), Patricia Cardoso's REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES (2001), the east Los Angeles coming of age story led by America Ferrera, Sofia Coppola's portrait of celebrity malaise, SOMEWHERE (2010), Agnès Varda's MUR MURS (1983), the expatriate director's examination of Los Angeles Murals and their artists, and UNDER THE SILVER LAKE (2018), the paranoid thriller investigating intertwined Los Angeles conspiracies.

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"It's showtime, folks!" In this episode, Marisa and Aric break down the Musical genre, bringing a diverse selection of six films spanning five decades that will get you singing and dancing in no time.

The list includes THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT (1967), Jacques Demy's iconic musical that captures pure joy on film, John Waters' mischievous '60s retrospective HAIRSPRAY (1988), Vincente Minnelli's THE BAND WAGON (1953), which to this day is one of the most influential musicals of all time, Chantal Akerman's GOLDEN EIGHTIES (1986), an unusual entry from Akerman that nonetheless delights with phenomenal song and dance numbers, Brian De Palma's midnight classic PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE (1974), and John Turturro's eccentric ensemble musical ROMANCE & CIGARETTES (2005).

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LA Times article on Agnes Varda restoring The Young Girls of Rochefort.

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Aric and Marisa put the spotlight on the Coming-of-Age genre with six films that bring us back to our golden days. They discuss the memorable conventions of the genre and dive into what makes this genre so special to all of us.

The list includes the beloved Studio Ghibli film KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989), a whimsically mature film about a young witch trying to find herself in a new town, Ronald F. Maxwell's LITTLE DARLINGS (1980), the sincere teen-comedy starring memorable child actresses Kristy McNichol and Tatum O'Neal, Francis Ford Coppola's THE OUTSIDERS (1983), the dreamy adaptation of the S.E. Hinton novel with an unforgettable cast, Arthur Barron's JEREMY (1973), a bashfully sweet love story between two teenage outcasts, Larry Clark's KIDS (1995), the punishing indie film about the underworld of teens in New York, and Roy Andersson's A SWEDISH LOVE STORY (1970), a film about young romance and the realities of growing old.

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In this episode, Marisa and Aric examine the legacy of Neo-Noir through six films that both represented and reinvented the genre. They also discuss the genre's conventions and how they evolved from the Film Noir movement of the mid-20th century.

On the list is Walter Hill's THE DRIVER (1978), the ultra-cool car chase thriller that has inspired numerous getaway driver films after it, John Dahl's THE LAST SEDUCTION (1994), a sinister straight-to-tv film that made waves with Linda Fiorentino's tour de force performance, David Lynch's LOST HIGHWAY (1997), the nightmarish noir not for the faint of heart, Carl Franklin's DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (1995), a tale of the underworld of 1940's Los Angeles, Stephen Frear's THE GRIFTERS (1990), the Martin Scorsese produced film about a group of con artists that leaves the viewer questioning just who really is conning who, and NEW JACK CITY (1991), a noir that follows the rise and fall of drug lords during the crack epidemic in 1980's New York City.

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