Tigers and Dragons and Swords! Oh My! In this episode we are discussing the Chinese film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. This film broke through and had financial success in the United States despite being a foreign film and we try to uncover why that happened. Next episode we will discuss All About Eve. This 1950 […]

Sometimes great films are not enjoyable. That might be your experience with this week’s film Schindler’s List. That perhaps is a part of what makes this film about the Holocaust so impactful. We explore the harrowing images and moments from history portrayed in the film and discuss our feelings on the importance of historical accuracy […]

Method acting might as well be synonymous with acting these days, but that all began On the Waterfront. This week we explore the film that proved the acting style was a viable option. We also talk about the impact shooting on location had on the film. Next week we return to the work of director […]

Only releasing 8 years ago The Avengers is the most recent film we will be watching and discussing this year. We mostly listen to Ryley nerd out about comic book movies, but we also explored the incredible and immediate impact this film has had on Hollywood and what films get made today. Next week we […]

We don’t promise much to you, our listeners, here at ShiftingExpectations.com. But one thing we can promise you is that we will never try to eat you. This week we watched The Silence of the Lambs and were joined by Collider.com‘s Haleigh Foutch. We discussed what makes a horror movie and how this film transformed […]

This week’s film, Gone with the Wind, is no stranger to controversy. Both the highest grossing film of all time, when adjusted for inflation, and widely criticized for its rosy portrayal of slavery. Instead of steering clear of the controversy we leaned into it and tried to have the difficult conversations this piece of film […]

For this episode we took a break from our list of essential films to just talk. We re-evaluate the movies we have watched so far, quiz Deepak on how he has scored movies, and bicker about our unpopular opinions. We needed this break and we hope you enjoy taking one with us. Next we’ll be […]

Murder! People are fascinated by it and this week we are discussing it as we explore the themes of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film Rear Window. We debate the claim that the film is only popcorn entertainment and praise it’s simplistic beauty. Join us next week when we watch and discuss Apocalypse Now. This 1979 film […]

Common animation techniques used today would be unrecognizable to the pioneers of animation. This is perhaps in large part because of the success of this week’s film Toy Story. In this episode we explore the Pixar film’s impact on animation and how animators continue to innovate today. Next week we’ll be having a visit from […]

This week we visit Middle Earth, the fantastical world created by J. R. R. Tolkien originally for his work titled “The Hobbit”. We explore the live action film adaptation of his The Lord of the Rings trilogy of books and specifically examine the third film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. […]