Film School

Tomorrow the birds will sing!

Chaplin takes on life in the city! The Tramp makes a rich friend, falls in love, and generally causes havoc everywhere he turns, including an iconic boxing scene. We've really enjoyed Chaplin on this list thus far. How does this one do? And *is* it his best film??? The AFI certainly seems to think so. We weigh in.

At the end of the day, we write and make movies for an audience. For money, even. That can seem so at odds with the actual creative process, which is so self-centered and so personal. So, how do we navigate that divide? How DO we make something that a customer wants to buy, and yet stay true to the personal story we want to tell? We discuss!

Also, Josh recommends Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and Ira recommends Val on Prime.

That'll be the day...

Widely considered to be one of--if not THE--best westerns ever made, we're watching the John Ford, John Wayne classic this week. After a brutal attack on his family's farm, Ethan Edwards sets off in search of his abducted niece...an odyssey that takes him year and deep, deep into obsession and darkness. So, how does it hold up in 2021? We discuss!

When resistance is CHOKING you . . . how do you deal with that? When you're absolutely paralyzed, stuck, adrift without hope, what worked? How did you pull yourself out of it? And if you're in that place right now with no answers to those questions, have no fear. Josh and Ira have been in the same place, and managed to turn it around. They share takeaways from their own experience.

Also, Josh recommends Nicholas Winding Refn's Pusher trilogy, and Ira recommends Edge of Tomorrow.

It's a trap!

Sequels are hard. Endings are harder. It was probably an impossible task to out-do the magic trick Empire pulled when it outdid Star Wars, but Jedi still manages to hold its own. The visuals are top notch, the adventures are edge of your seat thrilling, the Ewoks are probably a mistake, and the actual ending between Luke, Darth Vader, and the Emperor is surprisingly effective. The saga comes to an end. We discuss how it did!

What's a scene that got under your skin? You can't stop thinking about it, you'll always remember it, it will stick with you for the rest of your life? Josh and Ira share some top movie moments this week.

Also, Josh recommends The Movies That Made Us on Netflix, and Ira recommends The Olympics, which are now done, but happen every two years!

No, Luke . . . I am your father. It's so rare that a sequel outdoes the original. A hundreds times moreso when the original is an instant classic, which is what Star Wars was. But, here lies Empire, the film that built a universe. There would be no Star Wars like there is today without Empire. It took the campiness and rough-around-the-edges thrill of the first film and grew it the hell up. Empire is an astounding achievement in and of itself, to say nothing of the pressure that was thrust upon its shoulders from the success of its predecessor. We dive in to figure out how in the hell they pulled it off.

How much of success is effort and how much is luck? Or talent? Being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time certainly has SOMETHING to do with success...but probably far, far less than anxiety or insecurity would like us to think. We may need to adjust our definition of success as well. We talk about all of it!

Also...Josh recommends The OA on Netflix, and Ira talks about Tenet, which he didn't love, and recommends 2004's Sundance darling Primer instead.

May the Force be with you!

You know the AFI list is getting real when Star Wars shows up. For the Gen X and Millennial generations, there's no bigger film that this. It's the most popular, the most influential, the most defining of an era. There was the world before Star Wars, and then there was the world after. This week, we break down George Lucas' classic, and figure out what makes it tick.

We all learn differently. Visually. Auditory. Verbal. Social. How do you learn best? Do you know? Turns out, Ira didn't even realize how he learned best until this episode, so it's a super valuable question to ask!

Also, Josh recommends True Detective and Ira recommends (specifically for Josh, but you're welcome to go along for the ride:) Forgetting Sarah Marshall and (a very early) Danny Boyle's A Life Less Ordinary.