Sammy and Gerry tackle one of the great pop melodramatists of his time - you know him, you love him, it's the one and only Cameron Crowe. The boys discuss his despairing Y2K head-trip, Vanilla Sky (2001), and his beautifully bittersweet family drama We Bought a Zoo (2011). They discuss the effectiveness of his cornball leanings, his excellent direction of actors, and the amount of times that they cried listening to Matt Damon talk about that damn zoo. Contains spoilers for both films.

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:01:14) Cameron Crowe background

(00:09:07) Vanilla Sky

(00:36:50) We Bought a Zoo

(01:04:24) Outro

On this VERY belated podcast covering April's Milwaukee Film Festival, Gerry takes on hosting duties by himself to discuss the films he saw. Titles include: The Shrouds, Cloud, Black Dog, Magic Farm, WTO/99, and more!

(00:00) Intro

(02:39) The Shrouds

(11:10) Dead Lover

(12:30) Midnight Shorts

(19:34) AJ Goes to the Dog Park

(20:44) Black Dog

(23:14) Cloud

(26:59) Magic Farm

(30:04) WTO/99

(32:43) Outro

Genre schlock or high art? The answer is yes. Sammy and Gerry are talking about Giallo maestro Mario Bava's A Bay of Blood (1971) and New York crime/horror filmmaker Larry Cohen's God Told Me to (1976), two films that explore violence and the cinematic apparatus from a variety of angles. Deranged content is discussed, and this episode contains spoilers for both films.

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:02:00) Bava background

(00:08:35) A Bay of Blood

(00:27:32) Cohen background

(00:31:42) God Told Me To

(00:49:17) Outro

In the last episode, Gerry and Sammy discussed films about trains - one of cinema's oldest subjects, and a topic which innately ties into cinema's essence of moving images. This episode, we're leaning in the other direction, toward isolated locations and still images. The films discussed are Here (2024), Robert Zemeckis' experimental melodrama from last year, and Contactos (1970), Paulino Viota's elusive, under-seen film which was made in secret during Franco's dictatorship in Spain. The two films provide much to discuss, both formally and thematically, with regard to spacial and temporal machinations. Contains spoilers for both films.

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:01:23) Zemeckis background

(00:09:51) Here

(00:42:06) Viota background

(00:43:23) Contactos

(01:02:55) Outro

We're talking about train movies - more specifically, Nazi train movies. Discussed today are: John Frankeneheimer's suspense-filled The Train (1964) and Lars Von Trier's stylish neo noir Europa (1991). Contains spoilers for both films.

Another year goes by, another Dracula adaptation hits the cinemas... Sammy and Gerry are discussing 3 of the most famous film adaptations of the classic text - the 3 which are entitled "Nosferatu:" F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent classic, Werner Herzog's 1979 reimagining, and the latest version from Robert Eggers. The boys discuss which features of the original text the respective filmmakers emphasize and focus on, the various virtues (or downfalls) of their different stylistic approaches, as well as how the films fit into their different time periods. Spoilers for all films, but it's Dracula, you probably know what happens already.

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:01:37) Murnau background

(00:08:00) Nosferatu 1922

(00:20:47) Herzog background

(00:25:08) Nosferatu 1979

(00:42:12) Eggers background

(00:46:14) Nosferatu 2024

(01:07:37) Outro

Another year has come and gone, the unstoppable march of time continues to yield physical and psychological torment, and another crop of new films has hit the public consciousness. Sammy and Gerry dive into the cinema that 2024 had to offer: their favorite films from the year, their least favorites, and the best older films they watched in the year of our lord 2024. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times - thank you for listening to the boys ramble about movies this year.

(00:00:00) Intro

(00:05:40) Best New Releases of 2024

(01:04:18) Honorable Mentions

(01:09:52) Worst New Releases of 2024

(01:44:24) Best New-to-Us Films

(02:26:28) Outro

On this holiday weekend, Gerry and Sammy are feeling thankful for the films of Howard Hawks - one of the greatest Hollywood auteurs. Discussed are: the similarities and subtly radical differences between Hawks' aviation melodrama Only Angels Have Wings (1939) and his dour car racing film Red Line 7000, Hawks' prioritizing of characterization over narrative propulsion, his recurring themes and stylistic approaches, and his filmography at large. Contains spoilers for both films.

Spooky season is reaching its climax, so Sammy and Gerry decided to dive into two equally revered and beloved horror films: Edgar G. Ulmer's classic The Black Cat (1934), and Stacy Title's misunderstood masterpiece (according to some, at least) The Bye Bye Man (2017). They discuss The Black Cat's unique place in Ulmer's filmography, its lasting thematic potency, and the excellent performances of Karloff and Lugosi, as well as The Bye Bye Man's idiosyncratic tone, its uncanny images and performances, and why its strangeness leads to a uniquely magical viewing experience. Contains spoilers for both films.

(00:00:00) Intro
(00:02:22) Edgar G. Ulmer background
(00:12:11) The Black Cat
(00:32:44) Stacy Title background
(00:37:00) The Bye Bye Man
(01:09:10) Outro

In anticipation of Megalopolis' release this weekend, Sammy and Gerry are discussing their top 5 favorite films by Francis Ford Coppola. They discuss the arc of Coppola's career, from his low budget 60s work to his renowned 70s blockbusters to his more experimental late period, delving into his rigorous style, unabashed earnestness, and all of the different ways that his interests manifest across his filmography.