For this bonus episode of the Alternate Ending podcast, Tim is once again joined by film scholar Will Quade, author of the recent article "We Accuse: Antisemitism and Historical Remembrance in the Films of the Dreyfus Affair" published in The International Journal of the Image. They're here to discuss the remarkable path to distribution of the controversial 2019 Roman Polanski film An Officer and a Spy, which has only just received a North American release in the fall of 2025. Together, they explore questions of the conflicting politics driving the film's delayed release, the conflicting politics within the film itself, and the reasons why the film itself forces a reckoning with the complicated and unpleasant questions it raises.

For this bonus episode of the Alternate Ending podcast, Tim is once again joined by film scholar Will Quade, author of the recent article "We Accuse: Antisemitism and Historical Remembrance in the Films of the Dreyfus Affair" published in The International Journal of the Image. They're here to discuss the remarkable path to distribution of the controversial 2019 Roman Polanski film An Officer and a Spy, which has only just received a North American release in the fall of 2025. Together, they explore questions of the conflicting politics driving the film's delayed release, the conflicting politics within the film itself, and the reasons why the film itself forces a reckoning with the complicated and unpleasant questions it raises.

Podcast Special: An Officer and a Spy

Alternate Ending was formed when three friends realized they all shared a passion for movies.  Our goal is to save you time and money by sharing our thoughts and recommendations on which movies to race to theaters for, which to watch at home and those to actively avoid. 

What makes Alternate Ending different from other film podcasts? Well, we're not 5 dudes in a room talking about our passion for Fight Club and Braveheart.  We're two dudes, and a lady, of which our tastes are quite varied.  Rob, the film-school dropout, has seen an absurd amount of movies, and if we're being honest, rounds out our Fight Club fan-base.  Tim Brayton, our seasoned film critic, shares a more critical view of film, an appreciation for vintage cinema and perhaps limited-release movies that we might otherwise miss. Carrie, our casual movie-goer, reminds us all that cinema is in fact supposed to be fun and entertaining and that sometimes, just sometimes, happy endings are good. 

Too many film sites cater to the same kind of audience, with one overwhelming voice in the writing, but what we treasure at Alternate Ending is diversity: diversity of opinion, diversity in belief about what film should do and how it should do it. We want to celebrate our different opinions, and celebrate yours as well. 

This isn't a podcast for people who just want to talk about the latest hot new movies in theaters right this minute. This is a place for people who can't get to the theater until the third week a film is out; a place for people who just want to find something great to stream online after the kids have gone to sleep, a place for people whose favorite pastime is to grab a bunch of classic films on DVD from the library and watch them all weekend. It's a place that believes that every great movie is a wonderful new treasure, whether you see it the night of its premiere or fifty years later. It's a site about discovering good movies... one bad movie at a time.

Join us for our weekly review of movies worth seeing, worth avoiding and our Top 5 lists – and don't forget to play along at www.alternateending.com.

TV & Film

Film Reviews

Alternate Ending was formed when three friends realized they all shared a passion for movies. Our goal is to save you time and money by sharing our thoughts and recommendations on which movies to race to theaters for, which to watch at home and those to actively avoid. What makes Alternate Ending different from other film podcasts? Well, we're not 5 dudes in a room talking about our passion for Fight Club and Braveheart. We're two dudes, and a lady, of which our tastes are quite varied. Rob, the film-school dropout, has seen an absurd amount of movies, and if we're being honest, rounds out our Fight Club fan-base. Tim Brayton, our seasoned film critic, shares a more critical view of film, an appreciation for vintage cinema and perhaps limited-release movies that we might otherwise miss. Carrie, our casual movie-goer, reminds us all that cinema is in fact supposed to be fun and entertaining and that sometimes, just sometimes, happy endings are good. Too many film sites cater to the same kind of audience, with one overwhelming voice in the writing, but what we treasure at Alternate Ending is diversity: diversity of opinion, diversity in belief about what film should do and how it should do it. We want to celebrate our different opinions, and celebrate yours as well. This isn't a podcast for people who just want to talk about the latest hot new movies in theaters right this minute. This is a place for people who can't get to the theater until the third week a film is out; a place for people who just want to find something great to stream online after the kids have gone to sleep, a place for people whose favorite pastime is to grab a bunch of classic films on DVD from the library and watch them all weekend. It's a place that believes that every great movie is a wonderful new treasure, whether you see it the night of its premiere or fifty years later. It's a site about discovering good movies... one bad movie at a time. Join us for our weekly review of movies worth seeing, worth avoiding and our Top 5 lists – and don't forget to play along at www.alternateending.com.

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