Frames and Fools: Film, Filmmakers, and Foolishness

If you lived for more than a thousand years would you still dance? If you saw the world go by and outlived everyone you admired what would you take away from the experience? What if you only saw the world when everyone else was asleep? Those questions and more lie at the beating heart of this week’s film, Jim Jarmusch’s 2013 vampire saunter, ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’. Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton play a vampire couple living in the modern world who live cautiously and keep a low profile despite the former’s successful music career. When the latter’s chaotic sister turns up after 87 years, (after)life as they know it is turned upside down.

Wait til the sun goes down and join us if you dare.

Behold! A companion piece to accompany our 8th episode (‘Twilight’) that goes deeper into the sad circumstances surrounding ‘Twilight’ director Catherine Hardwicke’s hard work and eventual departure from the series. Our guest Kate takes us back to the early 2000’s to explore the fascinating and saddening story about an artist’s struggle to create something with the odds stacked against them. Even after crafting a success story, Catherine Hardwicke never gained the recognition she deserved. Learn more in our first companion episode: ‘The Tragedy of Catherine Hardwicke!’

Hold on tight, spider monkeys: it’s Twilight time. For the first time we’ve brought on a guest, a guide—nay!—a scholar: our friend Kate, whose story led us to the much-maligned and fascinating film that is ‘Twilight’. The story follows Bella, who moves from Arizona to rainy Forks in the Pacific Northwest. There she is welcomed with open arms at the local high school but finds herself drawn to the chilly and withdrawn Edward, whose family is as pale and mysterious as he is. As if by gravity Bella and Edward are drawn to each other, but he holds a terrible secret: he’s a vegetarian. Wait, no. It’s that he can run real good! Wait, dammit. It’s that his hair has incredible volume despite the humid climate, right? Shit! Well, we’ll get to the bottom of this sexy riddle in this, our eighth episode.

Let’s sparkle together.

Porco Rosso! The crimson pig! A heart of gold! Skies of blue! Islands of green! Why are we shouting?! Because this film has got it all: action, romance, wistful staring, aerial dogfights, and background paintings that’ll make your heart hurt. Studio Ghibli’s ‘Porco Rosso’ is about a bounty hunter flying ace who protects the Adriatic Sea from villainous seaplane pirates. Porco’s in it for the money (or so he says), but the people in his life know that he’s the same heroic man beneath it all. Will he outrun the Italian Air Force? Will he prevail against brash American pilot Curtis? Will the beautiful Gina ever see the man she knows as Marco return to peace? Only Hayao Miyazaki knows but he graciously wrote it down so we can find out.

Start your engines and hit the skies!

Swish! Swish! Swish! ‘Z’ is for Zorro and we’re seeing double! The two Antonios (Banderas and Hopkins) star as two generations of the masked hero in 1998’s ‘The Mask of Zorro’, a rollicking adventure set in 19th century Los Angeles. We had a lot of fun discussing this swashbuckler of a movie and even more fun admiring Sir Anthony’s twinkling baby blues. 

Grab a cerveza and your favorite bullwhip and swing on in!

Doink De Doink! We’re back 4Real talking about ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’, the seminal music mockumentary from the good boys over at Lonely Island. This is part two of our popstar/fame-focused movie head-to-head we started with last episode’s ‘Vox Lux’ and my goodness there couldn’t be two movies more different. ‘Popstar’ follows the rise and fall of Bieber-like Connor4Real (played by Andy Samberg) and his disastrous second album’s release. Hilarity ensues as Connor does everything in his popstar power to regain the spotlight.

Turn it up and send us love!

Vox Lux Vox Lux! We watched the 2018 movie starring Natalie Portman and Jude Law and our hearts are filled with song. Well, Dylan’s heart is at least. The film follows the life of a girl who emerges from tragedy as one of the great American pop stars. Her life is far from perfect and on the eve of her big comeback and sixth album tragedy strikes again. We had a lot of things to say about this one and it’s the first of a two-part pop star themed back-to-back. We’ll give you a hint: this is the less silly one.

Keep the music alive and enjoy the episode!

HENRI :)

We are once again asking you for your listening support! We’re back at it again with ‘Brigsby Bear’, an offbeat and heartwarming examination of creativity and innocence. SNL and UCB vet Kyle Mooney stars as James, whose world is upended when his favorite show abruptly ends and he is introduced to a world he’s never known. Undaunted, he sets out to finish the story that has made life worth living.