Film School

Dick Laurent is dead...

David Lynch returns to form with Lost Highway to a large degree: we're back in the realm of dreams and nightmares. He's playing around in his own subconscious, and that's Lynch at his best, at least in theory. So, how does this film stack up in execution? We discuss!

Short stories. Short films. Short shorts. What makes them good? When attempting to craft something short, what are the things to aim for, and what are the pitfalls? Josh has a ton of experience making shorts, and he shares his pointers.

Also, Josh recommends The Inbetweeners on FreeVee and Tubi, and Ira recommends Last Chance U on Netflix.

We live inside a dream...

It was kind of a shock to Lynch, and everyone, when Twin Peaks was cancelled by ABC. David, in particular, wasn't done with that story...so bringing it over to the silver screen was the logical choice. What we got was a prequel. We know how Laura Palmer's story ENDED, but how did she get there? That's the subject of this exploration of backstory. Does that work? Just how interesting is it to go back and fill in all the blanks? Lynch gives it a go. We watch and discuss.

Is this taking me too long? This taking me too, long, isn't it? How long SHOULD it take me write this damn thing? How long did it take you? THEY did it in half the time I've spent already, and I'm not even finished. ...who among us has asked ourselves these questions, or ones like them, when working on a project? We have. Constantly. So...how do you handle the constant pressure of time? Josh and Ira talk about what's worked and not-worked for them.

Also, Josh recommends Star Trek: The Next Generation on Paramount+ and Ira recommends Last Chance U: Basketball on Netflix.

Don't turn away from love, Sailor...

Lynch enters the 90s with a roar. Filmmakers like Tarantino, Stone and others were pushing the boundaries of sex, violence and excess, and Lynch was no exception. He was fresh off the heels of a hit in Blue Velvet. What was David going to do next. Turns out: an adaptation. Wild At Heart is a raucous, chaotic, messy circus of a film based on a novel of the same name. But is it any good? Does it have anything to say? We discuss!

The creative world is REPLETE with those who would tell you they're an expert on something, but in fact have no idea what they're really talking about. So, when it comes to advice on succeeding in things that we've never done before, how do we know whose advice to listen to??? What actually makes someone an "EXPERT?" We talk about how you can figure out who to trust.

Plus, Josh recommends Shrek which is currently on Peacock, and Ira recommends Grand Designs which is streaming on the UK's Channel 4 as well as select seasons on AppleTV, Prime, and Netflix.

There is trouble 'til the robins come...

David Lynch rebounds from the disaster that was Dune with something much more akin to his debut film Eraserhead. It's weird, it's moody, and it's intensely personal. Kyle Maclachlan and Laura Dern star in a film that's part Hitchcock, part Normal Rockwell, and part nightmare. It's a return to form for Lynch. THIS is the filmmaker we know and love. It's beautiful to see, and we break it down this week!

What makes a character irredeemable? What are actions that cross the line, can't be undone, and take them a step too far for the audience to ever forgive them? It's a super important question! If we as a storyteller cross a line we didn't know was there, we can lose our reader or viewer. We discuss what one can and cannot come back from; there's a super effective, super simple formula, actually.

Plus, Josh recommends I'm Thinking of Ending Things which is streaming on Netflix, and Ira recommends Batman: The Animated Series which is streaming on HBO Max.

The spice must flow.

David Lynch bites off his first big-budget studio film, and boy howdy is it a BITE. He's tackling one of the biggest, densest Sci-Fi tentpoles out there: Frank Herbert's Dune. Quite the departure from his smaller, arthouse-y fare. So, how does he do? We watch and discuss!

Thinking about going indie? This is the podcast for you. What are the pros and the cons to eschewing the "system?" There are some GENUINE advantages to being your own studio, publisher or distribution network. There are also some disadvantages. How much you enjoy going indie very much depends on how you navigate those pros and cons, and how much you know yourself and what you like. We discuss our own experiences and lessons learned being independent AND traditional creatives.

Also, Josh recommends the WWE (recorded back before the announcement that Vince McMahon was returning, btw), and Ira recommends 1979's classic Phantasm and the 2008 Get Smart with Steve Carrel and Anne Hathaway.