Film School

You broke my heart, Fredo.

Pacino, Coppola and the rest of the gang try to get lightning to strike twice . . . We left Michael Corleone on a sinister note at the end of the first film, and they fully lean into that in this second chapter. If the mantra is "family, family, family," what does it mean if--slowly but surely--the Godfather is pushing his family away? That's the question at the heart of this sequel, and we discuss how successful it is.

Beware of the infodump! Stay away from exposition!!! This week, we tackle the common advice to avoid dumping a bunch of information on your audience all at once. But, then again, how do you know what in the heck is going on in a story if the information isn't put out there?! There are ways to do it. An infodump doesn't have to be your enemy. We discuss how.

We also recommend The Great British Baking Show on Netflix.

I'll make him an offer he can't refuse.

It's considered to be the crown jewel of gangster films. Francis Ford Coppola changed the game by aiming to represent the mafia as a flawed, intricate family more than the thugs that populated previous films. Al Pacino became a star for his turn as the baby brother, war-hero-turned-criminal. Marlon Brando resurrected his career. It spawned a whole new generation of mobster films. This week, we're talking Godfather!

"What what you know" is timeless advice. On the face of it, it even *feels* like good advice. But, what exactly does that mean? Does it mean everything we write should be autobiographical? That seems kinds of limiting. So, if we must make things up, what kinds of things are okay to make up? How do we straddle the line between what we personally know and what is left to our imagination? We discuss!

This week we also recommend Vivarium (currently) on Amazon Prime and Squid Game on Netflix.

Here's looking at you, kid.

This movie is one of those rare old classics that everyone seems to enjoy. It's probably the peak of the studio-era. Bogart is at his no-nonsense, softie-on-the-inside best, "As Time Goes By" still slaps to this day, and the backdrop of WWII and Rick's Place are as exciting and romantic a setting as you can imagine. It's kind of crazy the cultural impact this film STILL has to this day.

What is a good question to ask of a film or book, and what is a bad question? When we're watching or reading, what are the kinds of mystery and intrigue that pull us deeper into the story, and what are the kinds of head-scratching questions that pull us out of it? As creators, we definitely want the former. Not everything in a story requires an explanation; in fact, it's crucial that some things AREN'T explained. But, then again, many things DO need to be explained. How do we tell the difference?

Hit me. Harder. Harder!

Bobby DeNiro takes a star turn as the ultimate man who could take a punch, "The Bronx Bull," boxing legend Jake LaMotta. Martin Scorsese is behind the lens. The result is raw, violent, and powerful. It's Scorsese's highest film on the AFI's list. But, IS it his best? We debate that very question and exactly what we're supposed to take away from a very flawed hero, this week!

Celebrate your wins. It's good advice. It can be hard to pick a "win," sometimes, in the creative process, though. Isn't there ALWAYS something next to do? When is it appropriate to stop and celebrate the progress that's been made? And how should we celebrate? Josh and Ira answer exactly that, and both realize they probably need to take celebrating more seriously . . . or is it less seriously? Whichever means actually celebrating.

I'm singin' in the rain. Just singin' in the rain. What a glorious feeling, I'm happy again! This week, we watch Gene Kelly's peak and the world's introduction to Debbie Reynolds. IS this the greatest musical ever put on film? That might be a point you could debate, but what isn't debatable is how fun, pretty, and impressive this film is. We discuss it all!

We're big fans of story structure on this podcast. We use it to break down every movie we watch. But, how far will structure and all its tools--like genre, acts, the 5 commandments, etc--take us? Are they all we need to make a story great? Or . . . is there more? This week, we tackle the question of where the limits are of structure, and when we hit those limits, what else is required of us. Enjoy!