Imagine it’s 1939.  The world stands at the precipice of war.  So why not make a film adaptation of a classic English comic opera set in Imperial Japan, but all of the character and place names are silly baby-talk?  And this reliance of nonsense serves as a stand-in for “foreign” which is contrasted against a view of Japanese culture as arbitrarily cruel and hidebound to antiquated and contradictory social propriety?  Except it’s not really about Japan, it’s actually just using tactless cultural appropriation as a means to disguise biting social commentary actually directed at England?  Is the result straight-up exploitation or the last gasp of cultural chauvinism before the British Empire fell to pieces?  You’ll have to join us and listen to find out the definitive answer to all of these questions and more as we discuss Victor Shertinger’s The Mikado.

If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be reviewing and discussing Mike Leigh's Topsy-Turvy (1999).

Imagine it’s 1939.  The world stands at the precipice of war.  So why not make a film adaptation of a classic English comic opera set in Imperial Japan, but all of the character and place names are silly baby-talk?  And this reliance of nonsense serves as a stand-in for “foreign” which is contrasted against a view of Japanese culture as arbitrarily cruel and hidebound to antiquated and contradictory social propriety?  Except it’s not really about Japan, it’s actually just using tactless cultural appropriation as a means to disguise biting social commentary actually directed at England?  Is the result straight-up exploitation or the last gasp of cultural chauvinism before the British Empire fell to pieces?  You’ll have to join us and listen to find out the definitive answer to all of these questions and more as we discuss Victor Shertinger’s The Mikado.

If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be reviewing and discussing Mike Leigh's Topsy-Turvy (1999).

This random number generator selection process that we’re using seems to be doing the trick. For what better way to follow up a 1960s Czech medieval drama than a 1980s British coming-of-age comic drama? Stephen Frears’ My Beautiful Laundrette is just what we needed. Th-Th-Th-Th-Thatcher.

If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be reviewing and discussing Victor Shertzinger’s The Mikado (1939).

This random number generator selection process that we’re using seems to be doing the trick. For what better way to follow up a 1960s Czech medieval drama than a 1980s British coming-of-age comic drama? Stephen Frears’ My Beautiful Laundrette is just what we needed. Th-Th-Th-Th-Thatcher.

If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s film, we will be reviewing and discussing Victor Shertzinger’s The Mikado (1939).

Now we’re getting into it. This is the real deep-level Criterion Collection stuff here. Legendary - but largely unknown in the U.S. - all-time Czech historic cinema: František Vláčil's 1967 medieval epic Marketa Lazarova.  Feuding clans must contend with themselves, the Holy Roman Empire, and the occasional mad Christian preacher. Have we found our first hidden gem, or is this the first sign that we’ve doomed ourselves to 899 or so perplexing art films of questionably-earned reputations? 

If you'd like to watch ahead fro next week's film, we'll be reviewing and discussing Stephen Frears My Beautiful Laundrette (1985).

Now we’re getting into it. This is the real deep-level Criterion Collection stuff here. Legendary - but largely unknown in the U.S. - all-time Czech historic cinema: František Vláčil's 1967 medieval epic Marketa Lazarova.  Feuding clans must contend with themselves, the Holy Roman Empire, and the occasional mad Christian preacher. Have we found our first hidden gem, or is this the first sign that we’ve doomed ourselves to 899 or so perplexing art films of questionably-earned reputations? 

If you'd like to watch ahead fro next week's film, we'll be reviewing and discussing Stephen Frears My Beautiful Laundrette (1985).

This is the second of two iconic Japanese filmmakers in a row.  Last week we went big with Kurosawa so that can only mean Yasujiro Ozu is next.  His Autumn Afternoon of 1962 brings us into the gentlest of domestic dramas.  But can it possibly be... too gentle?

If you'd like to watch ahead fro next week's film, we'll be reviewing and discussing František Vláčil's Marketa Lazarova (1967).

This is the second of two iconic Japanese filmmakers in a row.  Last week we went big with Kurosawa so that can only mean Yasujiro Ozu is next.  His Autumn Afternoon of 1962 brings us into the gentlest of domestic dramas.  But can it possibly be... too gentle?

If you'd like to watch ahead fro next week's film, we'll be reviewing and discussing František Vláčil's Marketa Lazarova (1967).

This is a big one. If we were to compile our top 10 most “classic” Criterion titles, this film would be somewhere on that list.  Probably.  At least that’s what we are going to find out for sure in this weeks review of Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon of 1950.  Our first foray into Japanese cinema!

If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s films, we’ll be reviewing and discussing Yasujiro Ozu’s An Autumn Afternoon (1962). 

This is a big one. If we were to compile our top 10 most “classic” Criterion titles, this film would be somewhere on that list.  Probably.  At least that’s what we are going to find out for sure in this weeks review of Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon of 1950.  Our first foray into Japanese cinema!

If you’d like to watch ahead for next week’s films, we’ll be reviewing and discussing Yasujiro Ozu’s An Autumn Afternoon (1962).