Queen is Dead - A Film, TV and Culture Podcast

By Queen Is DeadTV & Film Film Reviews

Queen is Dead - A Film, TV and Culture Podcast episodes

January 23, 2023 Trial by Fire (2023) - Breaching Conventional Borders #072
In this episode, Ahendrila, Aryan, Dhruv & Sanjeet discuss Netflix's latest, potentially best Indian Miniseries, "Trial By Fire," created by Prashant Nair & Kevin Luperchio. The four champion the show's largely unsentimental depiction of a real-life tragedy that keeps its focus squarely on its victims and thier families. Avoiding the cheap sensationalism that has become part-and-parcel of true crime series templates, the show, for them, gets at something that may have been explored before but has never felt as heavy as it does here -- the unbearable weight of injustice imposed by the victims' families (still) ongoing wait for justice.

Listen to the full episode for a spoiler-filled discussion about the series's ambitious structure, favorite episodes, and the many overlapping details between them that make the show stand out from both a narrative and a formal point of view!

Also, at least 2-3 "garbage jokes" and fun digressions are promised!

Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

You can follow Ahendrila:

https://twitter.com/ahendrila_g

Follow our Instagram page: https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast

You can follow us on Instagram at:

Aryan: https://www.instagram.com/aryantalksfilm/
Sanjeet: https://www.instagram.com/pixel_baba/
Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/

Follow us on Letterboxd at:

Ahendrila - https://letterboxd.com/ahendrila/
Aryan: https://letterboxd.com/aryantalksfilms/
Dhruv - https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/
Sanjeet: https://letterboxd.com/Sanjeet_Singh/
1 hr 19 min
January 11, 2023 Fleabag - Packaging Grief in Tears of Laughter #071
In this very special, looong, delayed episode, Dhruv welcomes back Devi (@film.trance on Instagram) to gush about both seasons of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's extraordinary series that is very close to both their hearts.

Do listen to the full episode for a spoiler-filled discussion about the series's deep emotionality that has stayed with us throughout! We especially detail the evolution of the 4th wall-breaking technique throughout the show, the extraordinary performances from the supporting cast, and specific scenes that make us both laugh and cry simultaneously!

Follow our Instagram page: https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast.

You can also follow Devi's Instagram handle: https://www.instagram.com/film.trance.

Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

Follow on Letterboxd at:

Dhruv: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/
1 hr 43 min
January 03, 2023 Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio & Alejandro González Iñárittu's Bardo - The Sublime and the Surreal (or Shit) #070
In this episode, Dhruv, Amartya, and Sanjeet (again!) discuss two newly released Netflix films - GDT and Mark Gustafson's stop-motion iteration of "Pinocchio" and AGI's auto-fiction diary film "Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths."

Listen to the full episode to hear the three collectively champion the idiosyncrasy of one of these films while being at polar opposite ends about the other!

Time Codes

01:15 - 33:40 - GDT's Pinocchio (Mild Spoilers!)
33:41 - 01:01:00 - Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Mild Spoilers!)
01:01:01 - 01:07:20 - Oscar Chatter
01:07:21 - 01:12:20 - Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (Again!)

Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify and rate us if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

Follow our Instagram page: https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast

You can also follow us on Instagram at:

Sanjeet: https://www.instagram.com/pixel_baba/
Amartya: https://www.instagram.com/amartya25/
Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/

Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

Follow us on Letterboxd at:

Dhruv: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/
Sanjeet: https://letterboxd.com/Sanjeet_Singh/
Amartya: https://letterboxd.com/amartya/
1 hr 14 min
December 14, 2022 In Inisherin & Bruges #069
In this episode, Dhruv welcomes back Mike to discuss the latest tragi-comedy from British-Irish playwright, screenwriter, and director Martin McDonagh - "The Banshees of Inisherin." As the film celebrates the director's reunion with two key cast members from "In Bruges" - Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson - we decide to look back at McDonagh's 2008 directorial debut too, mainly to note how much more we prefer Inisherin's hell to Bruge's purgatory.

Listen to the full, spoiler-filled episode to learn about Colin Farell's incredible eyebrow acting, McDonagh's remarkable ability to make one cry and laugh simultaneously in "Banshees," and why, for Mike, "In Bruges" doesn't really hold up.

Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

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Time Codes

0:00:00 - 0:11:00 - Introduction to Martin McDonaugh + Upcoming Awards Season
0:11:01 - 0:37:36 - "The Banshees of Inisherin" Discussion (Spoilers!)
0:37:37 - 0:56:36 - "In Bruges" Discussion (Spoilers!)
0:56:37 - 01:01:03 - Carter Burwell Appreciation

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Articles and Links Mentioned in the Episode -

[1] Mike's "Decision To Leave" Review: https://cinesthesiac.blogspot.com/2022/10/someone-to-watch-over-me-decision-to.html

[2] Mike's "The Banshees of Inisherin" Review: https://cinesthesiac.blogspot.com/2022/11/its-good-to-talk-banshees-of-inisherin.html

[3] Carter Burwell Piece: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/11/14/the-polymath-film-composer-known-as-the-third-coen-brother

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Subscribe to the whole Mike Social Media Treehouse -

THE CINÉSTHESIA BLOG - https://cinesthesiac.blogspot.com/

LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-mccahill-570a2943/

LETTERBOXD: https://letterboxd.com/mikemccahill/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/mike.mccahill2

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/therealmikemccahill/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/mike_mccahill

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You can also follow our Instagram page: https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast

Sanjeet: https://www.instagram.com/pixel_baba/

Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/

Follow us on Letterboxd at:

Sanjeet - https://letterboxd.com/sanjeet_singh/

Dhruv - https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/
1 hr 2 min
December 10, 2022 Monica O My Darling and Qala - Style as Substance? | Upcoming Netflix Releases #068
In this episode, Dhruv and Sanjeet discuss the filmmaking excesses of two recent Hindi features currently streaming on Netflix - Vasan Bala's "Monica O My Darling" and Anvita Dutt's "Qala." They talk about the merits of stylization to cover up for a lack of "new" substance and its potential limitations.

Also features an extended pre-discussion about soon-to-be-released high-profile Netflix releases - "Glass Onion," "White Noise," "Guillermo del Toro's Pinnochio," and "Bardo" - that we plan to cover in detail sometime later this month/early next year!

Time Codes

0:00 - 08:50: Upcoming Netflix Releases
08:51 - 42:03: Monica O My Darling (Mild Spoilers!)
42:04 - 01:16:15: Qala (Major Spoilers!)
01:16:15 - 01:24:15: Usual Chatter

Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify and rate us if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

Follow our Instagram page:

https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast

You can also follow us on Instagram at:

Sanjeet: https://www.instagram.com/pixel_baba/

Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/

On Letterboxd at:

Dhruv: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/

Sanjeet: https://letterboxd.com/sanjeet_singh/
1 hr 25 min
November 14, 2022 Park Chan-Wook's Decision To Leave - A Digital Noir for the Ages #067
In this episode, the QID gang discusses the head-spinning and heart-breaking pleasures of the Cannes-Best-Director winner!

Listen to the full episode for Amartya's in-depth dissection of the film's narrative, with Aryan, Sanjeet, and Dhruv regularly interjecting to also champion its zig-zaggy editing, wonderful score, and terrific performances!

Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify and rate us if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

Follow our Instagram page: https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast

You can also follow us on Instagram at:

Aryan: https://www.instagram.com/aryantalksfilm/
Sanjeet: https://www.instagram.com/pixel_baba/
Amartya: https://www.instagram.com/amartya25/
Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/

Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

Follow us on Letterboxd at:

Dhruv: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/
Sanjeet: https://letterboxd.com/Sanjeet_Singh/
Aryan: https://letterboxd.com/aryantalksfilms/
Amartya: https://letterboxd.com/amartya/
1 hr 22 min
November 04, 2022 Ruben Östlund's Triangle Of Sadness - Sophisticated Slapstick or Sluggish Satire? | Brief Q & A #066
We're back!

Dhruv and Sanjeet return to discuss (& disagree on) Cannes Top Prize Winner "Triangle of Sadness" - another "Eat the Rich" satire.

Listen to the full episode for an in-depth discussion about the film's impressive formal touches, namely its Priyadarshan and/or Godardian roots, that fascinated both the hosts and their disagreement over bits Sanjeet found funny while Dhruv didn't.

We also answer a great Q asked by one of our listeners that takes up the first 28-minutes of this episode!

Time Codes

0:00 - 28:08: Introduction and Q & A
28:08 - 01:11:00 - Triangle Of Sadness Discussion (Spoilers!)

Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify and rate us if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

Follow our Instagram page:

https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast

You can also follow us on Instagram at:

Sanjeet: https://www.instagram.com/pixel_baba/

Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/

On Letterboxd at:

Dhruv: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/

Sanjeet: https://letterboxd.com/sanjeet_singh/
1 hr 12 min
September 30, 2022 Andrew Dominik's Blonde - "Biopic" as (Exhausting & Obvious) Surrealist Horror #065
In this episode, Dhruv and Amartya discuss the latest Netflix release that everyone loves to hate right now. They try to review the film for what it is vs. what they want it to be—still, concluding that Dominik's technically proficient but painfully unsubtle approach fails to show anything that hasn't been shown before in shorter, more viscerally compelling films.

Listen to the full episode to hear them discuss specific bits they liked from the film, other bits that made them roll their eyes, the general (good & bad) discourse around the film, and other films that cover the same ground as "Blonde" in ways infinitely more effective!

Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify and rate us if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

Follow our Instagram page:

https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast

You can also follow us on Instagram at:

Amartya: https://www.instagram.com/amartya25/

Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/

On Letterboxd at:

Dhruv: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/

Amartya: https://letterboxd.com/amartya/
1 hr 10 min
September 28, 2022 R. Balki's Chup - ★ or ★★★★★ ? #064
In this episode, Dhruv and Aryan respectfully disagree about the merits of the latest Bollywood release that takes a stab at film critics and their volatile relationship with the filmmakers and thier films.

Whereas the former takes issue with both the dramatization and the muddled messaging, Aryan finds value in some of Balki's filmmaking. He also defends the film's ultimate message that, for him, overrides some of the film's baffling contradictions that continue to prove annoyingly bothersome to Dhruv.

Do listen to the full spoiler-filled episode to for an in-depth criticism/appreciation of the film before informing any "tortured" artist-cum-serial killer!

Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

Follow our Instagram page: https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast

You can also follow us on Instagram at:

Aryan: https://www.instagram.com/aryantalksfilm/

Dhruv: https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/queenisdead/support

You can also follow us on Letterboxd at -

Dhruv: https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/

Aryan: https://letterboxd.com/aryantalksfilms/
1 hr 10 min
September 22, 2022 Satyajit Ray's Calcutta Trilogy w/ Anisha Roy | Pratidwandi | Seemabaadha | Jana Aranya #063
In this very special episode, Dhruv and Amartya welcome another Filmstagrammer they have long admired - Anisha Roy, creator of the Instagram handle Maze of Mumblings - to discuss a specific, less talked about part of a filmmaker's filmography whose other work is otherwise consistently discussed.

Post-setting up the political context of 1970s Calcutta, all three speakers discuss Ray's "oblique" approaches to the burgeoning revolution in his three films that make up the "Calcutta" Trilogy. Taking up the perspectives of an unemployed youngster caught between tradition and revolution in Pratidwandi, an upper-class executive seeking to transgress personal and professional boundaries in Seemabaadha, and a "middle-man" literally caught between the upper and lower classes in Jana Aranya, Ray's films are not about the revolution or revolutionaries. They are about the ordinary people who witness but don't take action.

While this implies neorealism - a tag often associated with Ray - all three films move beyond the limitations imposed by that particular style. Drawing from the French New Wave and Soviet Montage, these films feature astonishing sections of formal ingenuity demonstrating Ray's malleability.

Listen to the full episode to hear more championing of his cinematic prowess in the "Calcutta Trilogy," our introductions to Ray, and the potential sequel to this episode promised by Amartya & Anisha!

NOTE: SPOILERS FOR ALL THREE FILMS IN THE "CALCUTTA" TRILOGY

Anisha's Essays:

1. The Woman's Mind: Satyajit Ray and his Feminist Storytelling - https://indigenousweb.com/blog/satyajit-ray-and-his-feminist-storytelling/
2. Goynar Baksho: Aparna Sen's Tale of Generational Empowerment of Women - https://www.womensweb.in/2021/08/goynar-baksho-aparna-sens-tale-of-generational-empowerment-of-women/

Anisha & Dhruv's Collaboration Post on Scorsese's "Holy Trifecta": https://www.instagram.com/mazeofmumblings/guide/faith-trilogy-of-scorsese/17965133281632304/

Time Codes:

[00:00 - 28:07] - Intro, 70s Context, Introductions to Ray
[28:08 - 1:03:55] - Pratidwandi
[1:03:56 - 01:27:20] - Seemabaadha
[01:27:21 - 01:51:29] - Jana Aranya
[01:51:30 - 01:56:41] - Obsessions with Ray, Outro

Follow our Instagram page: https://instagram.com/queenisdead.filmpodcast

Do hit 'Follow' on Spotify if you haven't already to help the podcast reach more people!

You can also follow us on Instagram:

Anisha - https://www.instagram.com/mazeofmumblings/
Amartya - https://www.instagram.com/amartya25/
Dhruv - https://www.instagram.com/terminalcinema/

Follow us on Letterboxd at:

Amartya - https://letterboxd.com/amartya/
Dhruv - https://letterboxd.com/aterminalcinema/
1 hr 57 min