Movieland

Jim Flanagan and CJ get into the weeds around the Oscar nominations 2021-style. Should Collective be nominated for Best International Film? Should My Octopus Teacher be nominated for Best Documentary? And what if Sir Anthony Hopkins passes away before everyone casts their final ballots?

Luke Eve's debut feature I MET A GIRL is dropping on Netflix in Australia, on streamers in the US, and in cinemas in Korea and Germany. On the eve of these releases he joins CJ to talk about the film, its trek to screens during the pandemic year, and the Oscar nominations!

CJ discusses cinema restoration with Angelica Waite of Cinema Reborn, a restored-cinema film festival in Sydney.

Jim Flanagan, cineaste, restauranteur, beer brewer, musician and record label owner brings some of his favourite films from 2020 to the table to chew over with CJ, including BACURAU, THE VAST OF NIGHT, POSSESSOR, RELIC, LES MISERABLES, HONEYLAND and GUNDALA.

Kitty Green's debut fiction feature, THE ASSISTANT, is CJ's Best Film of 2020. Kitty talks to CJ about the film from her home in NYC. This episode interrogates specific themes, scenes, moments and motifs in the film: the discussion will be most valuable if you watch THE ASSISTANT first.

CJ and podcaster Shahir Daud from THE ONLY PODCAST ABOUT MOVIES discuss THE GODFATHER CODA: THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE in relation to the first two GODFATHER movies, Coppola's re-working of THE GODFATHER PART THREE, and whether it all works.

CJ presents his own Top Ten films of 2020.

Alexandra Heller-Nicholas joins CJ to discuss six of the best films of 2020, all made by women.

Maziar Lahooti, debut feature director of 2020 Australian dystopian black comedy BELOW, joins CJ to talk about all aspects of making the film, from helping to adapt the original stage play, re-conceptualising his central location after a budget cut just prior to shooting, and getting the most entertaining Australian performance of the year out of Anthony LaPaglia.

Alexandra Heller-Nicholas joins CJ Johnson to discuss Promising Young Woman in the context of "Rape-Revenge Films", which is the title of one of her many books. NOTE: This episode features frank discussion about the portrayal of sexual assault and rape in cinema. SPOILER ALERT: Once we begin discussing the film in detail we will give a spoiler alert.