The Cinematic Odyssey

On the forty-fourth episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen, Max, and special guest Judah delve into George Romero's pioneering horror cult classic Night of the Living Dead. Max brings up his feelings about gore and an unfinished script, Judah presents questions and about the nudity and gore present on screen, and Tristen contextualizes the film within the culture and time period of its creation. They ultimately rule on the lasting effects that the film has had on the horror genre but how that does not necessarily make it a masterpiece or an excellent movie. 

On the forty-third episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max venture into the world of horror film with Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cure for the one-year anniversary episode of the podcast! They both explore the usage of sound in the film and how ordinary happenings are heightened to great effect. Max also divulges his disgust with many images in the film, finding gore disgusting. They wrap with how tight and well coordinated the script is and also rank their five favorites in films discussed on the podcast so far. Thank you all for listening to the Cinematic Odyssey for one year now! Here's to many more. 

On the forty-second episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max dive into one of the great war films of the twentieth century, Soviet effort The Ascent from Larisa Shepitko. Tristen ventures into his breakdown of all the biblical references in the film during a period of state atheism in the USSR and Max provides insight as to the nationalist value of the film and how it got released with no cuts. Both were blown away by the beauty of each shot and you'll have to stick around to hear whether the ending is happy or sad, and can it be both?

On the forty-first episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max venture into Long Island's rough part for the Safdie Brothers' fourth feature film, Good Time. Tristen discusses how the film sheds an excellent light on American poverty and the issues with support systems and Max compares the film with the Safdies' next effort, Uncut Gems, and remains a hardliner against the latter. Full of blunt truths and uncomfortable circumstances, the film will take you through an unforgettable night, and Tristen and Max help wade through some of them. 

On the fortieth episode of The Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen, Max, and special guest Mackenzie venture into the gripping masterpiece City of God from Brazilian directors Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund. Max and Mackenzie lather on the praise as one of the best films they have ever seen and Tristen discusses the role of the police in this film as well as in his favorite, France's La Haine. An intricate discussion is had an corruption and the cycle of poverty, the influences that children have, and the effective storytelling that leaves no stone unturned as well as the bonus feature about what actually constitutes a historical epic film. 

On the thirty-ninth episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max venture back to the world of the Daniels to discuss their feature film debut, Swiss Army Man. Tristen works to compare this film and style to their latest hit, Everything Everywhere All At Once, taking the pieces of philosophy present in both, and Max breaks down how this film works to make us confront the way we live our lives every day. They both however have fun with the intense creativity and uniqueness that the Daniels bring to their work. The list of the episode regards short films, much like this one, at least under 100 minutes, and the top choices for both hosts sharing what they're passionate about. 

On the thirty-eighth episode of The Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max make their first voyage into the grand works of Andrei Tarkovsky and his historical epic sharing a first name. Tristen rationalizes the difficulty of understanding such a massive work and the immediate reactions to the piece while also understanding that Tarkovsky is one of the greats. Max provides religious background and explores the dialogue that ranges from compelling to mesmerizing and they both are in agreement that this film is a feat, let alone for a new director at the time. Tristen and Max end with personal hot takes on directors, slowly getting spicier near the finish line. 

On the 37th episode of The Cinematic Odyssey, Max and Tristen discuss their opinions on one of cinema's towering achievements, from the late cinematic titan, pioneer, and master, Akira Kurosawa. Ikiru, translated to english as "To Live" follows an old man in the final days of his life where he attempts to right the wrongs of his past and salvage the previous wasted decades of his life mired in monotony, boredom, disdain, and lovelessness. We talk about the various technical achievements that Kurosawa showcases, the towering performance of Takashi Shimura, and the philosophy behind the message of the film. 

On the thirty-sixth episode of the Cinematic Odyssey, Tristen and Max unpack the documentarian effort of French director Robert Bresson in his acclaimed A Man Escaped. Packed with minute details and patient unease and suspense, both hosts respect the effort to make the film as realistic as possible to the memoir it was based on, as well as true human physicality. Max makes a series of absolutely horrible comparisons between this film and pop culture of today, while Tristen remains in awe of every shot and each poignant detail. They both are able to come away with the knowledge that this film is more than just an escape: it's about trust, hope, and the human spirit to fight on and keep living. 

On the 35th episode of The Cinematic Odyssey, Max and Tristen discuss one of cinema's most respected, storied, and greatest filmmakers, Hayao Miyazaki. We talk in depth of his 1997 masterwork Princess Mononoke where we see Miyazaki unveil the futile violence of human conflict and the abusive relationship that man has with nature. Princess Mononoke finds Miyazaki filled with a burning passion out to showcase the destructive nonchalance of human beings towards earth and themselves.