Scene by Scene

In this episode, we discuss Jafar Panahi's No Bears, including the self-reflective themes, Panahi's focus on women in Iranian society, and how Panahi captures the documentary aesthetic.

See where No Bears is available to watch.

Supplemental Material:

Jafar Panahi's Miami Film Festival Precious Gem Award Acceptance Speech

Ramin Bahrani on No Bears

Jafar Panahi Interviews (Conversations with Filmmakers Series) (Book)

The Politics of Iranian Cinema: Film and Society in the Islamic Republic by Saeed Zeydabadi-Nejad

The Film Comment Podcast | Mina Kavani on Jafar Panahi’s No Bears (Podcast)

Sideshow, Janus Films Take U.S. Rights to Jafar Panahi’s ‘No Bears’ by Scott Roxborough

Jafar Panahi’s Ingenious, Tragic “No Bears” Is a Formalist Triumph by Richard Brody

The Case of Jafar Panahi – An Interview with the Iranian Director of The Circle by Stephen Teo

In Real Time: An Interview with Jafar Panahi by Peter Rist 

Additional Audio Sources:

No Bears US Trailer

No Bears (The Criterion Channel Transfer)

The Film Comment Podcast | Mina Kavani on Jafar Panahi’s No Bears (Podcast)

Mina Kavani Shares Statement From Jafar Panahi at NYFF60 Premiere of No Bears

If you'd like to support the show, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share the podcast with someone who might enjoy it.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about the show, you can email us at [email protected]

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In this episode, we discuss Billy Woodberry's Bless Their Little Hearts, including the film's expertly crafted opening, the theme of masculinity, and the film's place within the L.A. Rebellion film movement.

See where Bless Their Little Hearts is available to watch.

Supplemental Material:

Milestone Films' Bless Their Little Hearts DVD

UCLA Library Film & Television Archive's The Story of L.A. Rebellion

What Is LA Rebellion Film Movement? The Essential Guide

Notebook Primer: L.A. Rebellion by A.E. Hunt

Billy Woodberry - Bless Their Little Hearts Q&A

Billy Woodberry - L.A. Filmforum Q&A (November 10, 2016)

Arts Express | Featuring Bill Woodbury, Director of Bless Their Little Hearts (Podcast)

‘Bless Their Little Hearts’ Director Billy Woodberry on His First Feature in Over Thirty Years by Danny King

“People Can Choose to Create the Collective, Social Experience”: Billy Woodberry on Bless Their Little Hearts by Steve Macfarlane and Madeline Coleman

Additional Audio Sources:

Bless Their Little Hearts Trailer

Milestone Films' Bless Their Little Hearts DVD

If you'd like to support the show, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share the podcast with someone who might enjoy it.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about the show, you can email us at [email protected]

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In this episode, we discuss Richard Park & Y.K. Kim's Miami Connection, including Kim’s aspirations for the film, the unsuccessful execution of fight scenes, and why every character is an orphan.

See where Miami Connection is available to watch.

Supplemental Material:

Vinegar Syndrome's Miami Connection 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

Vice Outsider | TaeKwonDo Rockers vs. Cocaine-Dealing Ninjas: The True Story of 'Miami Connection'

‘Miami Connection’ Goes From Flop to Fame by Mike Ayers

Additional Audio Sources:

Miami Connection Re-Release Trailer

Vinegar Syndrome's Miami Connection 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

"Resurrecting the Dragon" on Vinegar Syndrome's 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

"Who is Y.K. Kim?" on Vinegar Syndrome's 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray

If you'd like to support the show, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share the podcast with someone who might enjoy it.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about the show, you can email us at [email protected]

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In this episode, we discuss Andy Sidaris' Hard Ticket to Hawaii, including the nonsensical narrative and character decisions, the lazy action filmmaking, and Sidaris’ filmmaker trademarks.

See where Hard Ticket to Hawaii is available to watch.

Supplemental Material:

Andy Sidaris Official Website

Mill Creek's Hard Ticket to Hawaii Blu-ray 

Naked Truth: The Fall and Rise of Dona Spier by Dona Spier and Chris Epting (Book)

Andy Sidaris, Arlene Sidaris, & Dona Spier Interview with Jimmy Carter

Working the Angles in Low-Budget Paradise by Peter M. Nichols

Ma and Pa Sidaris by G. Noel Gross

Andy Sidaris: Bullets, Bombs, and Babes by Rich Rosell

The Man Who Invented Sports Television’s “Honey Shot” By Josh Levin

Additional Audio Sources:

Hard Ticket to Hawaii Trailer

Mill Creek's Hard Ticket to Hawaii Blu-ray 

Audio Commentary on Mill Creek's Hard Ticket to Hawaii Blu-ray 

Andy Sidaris, Arlene Sidaris, & Dona Spier Interview with Jimmy Carter

Seconds To Play: Which End Zone?

If you'd like to support the show, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share the podcast with someone who might enjoy it.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about the show, you can email us at [email protected]

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In this episode, we introduce our June film series, Trash Cinema Month, including the definition of “Trash Cinema”, what makes a “Trash Film”, and the value of watching and discussing “Trash Cinema”. 

Join us for our first Trash Cinema Month selection, Hard Ticket to Hawaii.

Supplemental Material:

Trash Cinema: The Lure of the Low (Shortcuts Series) by Guy Barefoot (Book)

If you'd like to support the show, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share the podcast with someone who might enjoy it.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about the show, you can email us at [email protected]

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In this episode, we discuss Charlotte Wells' Aftersun, including the numerous ideas and themes presented, the brave filmmaking choices, and our differing interpretations of the film's final moments.

See where Aftersun is available to watch.

Supplemental Material:

Charlotte Wells' Short Films

Aftersun Screenplay

Charlotte Wells Interview with Film at Lincoln Center

MUBI Podcast | In AFTERSUN, Charlotte Wells Lets Queen and Bowie Tell the Story (Podcast)

Script Apart | Aftersun with Charlotte Wells (Podcast)

The Distance in Your Eyes: Charlotte Wells Discusses "Aftersun" by Caitlin Quinlan

Additional Audio Sources:

Aftersun | Official Trailer

A24's Aftersun Blu-ray

Charlotte Wells Interview with Film at Lincoln Center

MUBI Podcast | In AFTERSUN, Charlotte Wells Lets Queen and Bowie Tell the Story (Podcast)

If you'd like to support the show, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share the podcast with someone who might enjoy it.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about the show, you can email us at [email protected]

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In this episode, we discuss Emma Seligman's Shiva Baby, including how the feature compares to the short, the tightrope walk between comedy and anxiety, and how the film grammar places the audience into Danielle’s perspective.

See where Shiva Baby is available to watch.

Supplemental Material:

Utopia's Shiva Baby Blu-ray

Making It: Women in Film | Explore Cinematography with Shiva Baby DoP Maria Rusche (Podcast)

Thank You for Coming Out | Emma Seligman, Thank You For Coming Out (While Staying In) (Podcast)

A Filmmaker’s Attempt to Decode Sex by Christina Schultz

How Director Emma Seligman Made Shiva Baby an Anxiety-Inducing Trip by Keely Weiss

This Precise Kind of Woman: Emma Seligman and Rachel Sennott Discuss "Shiva Baby" by Ariel Kling

Additional Audio Sources:

Shiva Baby | Official Trailer

Utopia's Shiva Baby Blu-ray

Q&A with Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott, & Rachel Handler from Utopia's Blu-ray

Making It: Women in Film | Explore Cinematography with Shiva Baby DoP Maria Rusche (Podcast)

If you'd like to support the show, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share the podcast with someone who might enjoy it.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about the show, you can email us at [email protected]

Follow us on Letterboxd: Joe | Justin

In this episode, we discuss Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden, including the screenplay's masterful use of setup and payoff, the film's relationship to the rest of Park's filmography, and Park's filmmaking process.

See where The Handmaiden is available to watch.

Supplemental Material:

Curzon's The Handmaiden Blu-ray

The Handmaiden: Why Costume Design is Important by Filmed in Ether

Park Chan-wook Interview with BFI

The Q&A with Jeff Goldsmith | Park Chan-wook - The Handmaiden Q&A

In the Projection Booth with Park Chan-wook

Park Chan-wook & Kim Tae-ri Interview with Film Courage

Park Chan-wook & Kim Tae-ri Interview with DP/30

Park Chan-wook Interview with Den of Geek

Park Chan-wook Interview with That Shelf

Kim Min-hee Interview

In Another Time and Place: The Handmaiden as an Adaptation by Chi-Yun Shin

“The Handmaiden” and the Freedom Women Find Only with One Another By Jia Tolentino

Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden: Exclusive Clip by Entertainment Weekly

Park Chan-Wook’s ‘The Handmaiden’ – A Feminist, LGBTQ+ Classic in a Deeply Misogynistic Genre by Evangelique Poh

Additional Audio Sources:

Curzon's The Handmaiden Blu-ray

The Handmaiden Trailer

If you'd like to support the show, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share the podcast with someone who might enjoy it.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about the show, you can email us at [email protected]

Follow us on Letterboxd: Joe | Justin

In this episode, we discuss Tsai Ming-liang’s Rebels of the Neon God, including its similarities to Edward Yang's The Terrorizers, Hsiao-Kang's multi-layered motivations, and Tsai's skill at introducing/establishing characters.

See where Rebels of the Neon God is available to watch.

Supplemental Material:

Big World Pictures' Rebels of the Neon God (Blu-ray)

Tsai Ming-liang & Lee Kang-sheng Interview with Asia Society Pt. 1

Tsai Ming-liang & Lee Kang-sheng Interview with Asia Society Pt. 2

Tsai Ming-liang & Lee Kang-sheng Interview with Asia Society Pt. 3

Tsai Ming-liang & Lee Kang-sheng Interview with Asia Society Pt. 4

Tsai Ming-liang Interview with ANU

Tsai Ming-liang Interview with UCLA Center for Chinese Studies

Rebels of the Neon God Review by Matt Zoller Seitz

Additional Audio Sources:

Big World Pictures' Rebels of the Neon God (Blu-ray)

Rebels of the Neon God - Official US Trailer

If you'd like to support the show, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share the podcast with someone who might enjoy it.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about the show, you can email us at [email protected]

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After debate over the title, we discuss Edward Yang’s The Terrorizers, including the unconventional filmmaking, the possible interpretations of the ending, and who is/are the terrorizer/s.

See where The Terrorizers is available to watch.

Supplemental Material:

Edward Yang (Contemporary Film Directors) (Book)

It's All Over: Edward Yang’s The Terrorizers by Nick Pinkerton

Smoke Gets in Your Eyes: The Terrorizers by James Waters

Great Directors: Edward Yang by Saul Austerlitz

Additional Audio Sources:

The Terrorizers (Mubi Transfer)

The Terrorizers - Trailer

If you'd like to support the show, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcasts, leave a review on Apple Podcasts, and share the podcast with someone who might enjoy it.

If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions about the show, you can email us at [email protected]

Follow us on Letterboxd: Joe | Justin