Imitating Art with Don & Chuck

Dune is one of the most popular sci-fi novels in history. Though Don and Chuck weren't completely sure what was going on in the plot (thank you, Wikipedia!), they still enjoyed the first film in Denis Villeneuve's two-part adaptation. But are iconic actors, beautiful visuals, and fun fights enough to create a new classic? After Don and Chuck break down the film, they chat about what the film can teach us about an over-reliance on ceremony and traditions, the time and place for fear (and conquering it), and how politics make it easy for governments to steamroll the layman.

Music by Nathan Terry

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Listen to Don's solo podcast: don't worry, i'm finite

Question: How did Moonlight turn a $4 million budget into a Best Picture winner at the Oscars?

Moonlight tells the sweet, somber, and often frightening tale of Chiron--a young man in search of himself over the course of decades. Gay, black, and devoid of a support system, Chiron just wants to find his place. Unfortunately, the people and systems around him make it feel nearly impossible. It's a character study with no easy answers. And it asks the audience to think deeply about Chiron, his situation, and his humanity.

Don and Chuck find plenty to talk about with this one. From bullying, to children realizing they can't trust adults, to how we never stop needing guidance even as adults, Moonlight interweaves its themes into a movie that should be watched, thought about, and discussed.

Music by Nathan Terry

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Check out Don's solo podcast: don't worry, i'm finite

Lion tells the true story of Saroo Brierly, who gets lost in India at the age of five with no way of finding his family. After surviving on the streets for some months, a kind stranger helps him Saroo get into an orphanage and, eventually, adopted by a lovely Australian couple. As an adult, Saroo's childhood trauma pushes him to search for his birth family. It's a moving and inspiring film that helps Chuck and Don talk through such lessons as the tenacity it takes to survive, how loving someone isn't always enough to save them, how even the well-adjusted can find themselves in an unhealthy relationship with rabbit holes - and how hard it can be to find that tools to help you find your way out from the dark.

Music by Nathan Terry

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Listen to Don's solo podcast: don't worry, i'm finite

Creep is an independent thriller about a videographer named Aaron who's offered a simple job: record a video of a typical day for Josef, a soon-to-be father dying of cancer. Throughout the day, Josef's actions become more and more unsettling before turning outright dangerous and violent. Though Aaron manages to get away, he can't figure out how to remove Josef from his life completely.

Helping Don and Chuck discuss Creep is friend of the show and horror film fan Adrian Criner. The film (which only features its two main actors) offers lessons about remaining careful in desperate situations, putting your own safety before others' feelings, and how kind and gullible humans can truly be.

Music by Nathan Terry

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Check out Don's solo podcast: don't worry i'm finite

Well, they finally did it. After referencing Scrubs in almost every episode for over a year, Don and Chuck finally went ahead and talked about the show for an hour. Specifically, they discuss two episodes from season 5: My Lunch and My Fallen Idol. These two episodes tell the story of JD and Dr. Cox both losing patients and blaming themselves. It's a silly, sad, cartoonish, depressing pair of episodes that aren't just a great introduction for new watchers - they're two of the best episodes of the entire series. 

And, as for lessons? Well. At the end of the day, Don and Chuck like to give advice about life. But, much like Dr. Cox, they find that following your own advice isn't always the easiest when you're convinced you're the problem. And, when you spend so much of your time trying to help people, you can't blame yourself for taking the time to give yourself some space and be human; and, as painful as it is, you can only help others as much as they want to be helped. All in all, you might wish you could help your loved ones solve all of their problems - especially the bigger ones. But, sometimes, you have to just fix what you can and trust that, with enough time, and enough love, their broken parts will start to come together to form the complete version of them you know they can become. 

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Music by Nathan Terry

Follow Imitating Art on Instagram: @ImitatingArtPod

Check out Don's solo podcast: don't worry, i'm finite

Portrait of a Lady on Fire showed up on many film enthusiasts' "Best Of" lists for 2019. It also showed up on Don and Chuck's "We Should Do This For the Podcast" list for nearly a year. And here it is! Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a beautiful French film about the relationship between a painter and her subject - a young woman due to be married off to a rich man overseas. As the two grow closer, the sparks of attraction burn ever brighter. Unfortunately, systems of oppression might mean their relationship can be nothing more than a fleeting fling. Well acted, written, and directed, the film helps Don and Chuck discuss those systems of oppression as well as the liberty of solitude, the freedom of choice, and the way brief encounters with the right people can affect us for the rest of our lives.

Music by Nathan Terry

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Listen to Don's solo podcast: don't worry i'm finite

Men in Black was a hugely successful movie that helped solidify Will Smith's career as a Hollywood leading man. It's also a wonderful movie with great visuals, performances, and writing. Men in Black is the story of a secret government agency that monitors and polices the alien presence on Earth. When an unauthorized alien bug crash lands on the planet to seek out a valuable galaxy, Agent Kay and his new recruit, Agent Jay, must work to find the object and return it to its rightful owners before they destroy the planet. It's funny, sweet, and touches on a few important lessons for Don and Chuck to dissect - such as who gets to control the information civilians have access to, whether we can trust them to control that information, and how hard it is coming to terms with discovering the things you think you know are wrong.

Music by Nathan Terry

Follow us on Instagram: @ImitatingArtPod

Check out Don's solo podcast: don't worry, i'm finite

The legend of Don and Chuck grows with each new episode. This time, they tackle Shang-Chi, the newest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Shang-Chi tells the story of a young man trained in the martial arts who lives in denial of his painful youth - until the ghosts of his past threaten to destroy the future for himself and those he loves. In between its fun action set-pieces, it develops its characters with empathy and understanding, letting us see what it might take to discover your true self. Don and Chuck have fun discussing the fun, funny, and sometimes dark film before having a conversation about addictions to the past, giving yourself something to aim for, and how what came before is just a block of marble from which you get to carve your future.

Music by Nathan Terry

Cry Macho is a movie that certainly exists and that probably cost several producers multiple millions of dollars to make. But, does that mean it's worth watching? Don and Chuck discuss everything wrong and right about this one to help you decide if it's worth your time before discussing its lessons of family, trust, and how being kind can help make both you and the world around you better.

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Music by Nathan Terry

It took Don and Chuck over a year, but they're finally tackling a Tarantino movie. A classic of crime cinema, Pulp Fiction weaves three interconnected stories together into a non-linear film that is violent, funny, and oddly moving. Don and Chuck piece together why the story is told the way it is while discussing the film's themes of trust, second chances, and the power of reputation.

Music by Nathan Terry

Check out Don's other podcast at anchor.fm/dontworryimfinite

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