The Establishing Shot

This time it’s Spielberg but with horses! War Horse has its problems, such as the question of who it’s for (kids or adults) or its prolonged runtime, but overall, its beautiful cinematography and composition along with its sentimentality that toes the line of sentimental schlock without ever crossing it make for an enjoyable and even hopeful movie. Adapted from Michael Morpurgo’s children’s novel of the same name, this movie has its magical Spielberg moments and those are enough.

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Join The Establishing Shot Family for early, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to our Discord server where we talk movies all the time: https://www.establishingshotpod.com/support/

Guest Info:
Chase Ables
Letterboxd: ⁠https://boxd.it/VIHX⁠ 

Follow Eli and the Show:
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Other Links:
My Letterboxd Ranking of Spielberg Films: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice/list/elis-ranking-of-steven-spielbergs-directorial/ 

Research Resources:
- Steven Spielberg All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short by Arnaud Devillard, Olivier Bousquet, Nicolas Schaller
- Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films by Molly Haskell
- A Companion to Steven Spielberg by Various Authors, edited by Nigel Morris

WE MADE IT TO 100! It’s been a great journey to get here. I’ve learned a lot along the way and met some amazing people. To celebrate, I share some reflections, have listeners and past/future guests share their favorite films covered so far, and I share my top 10 films of 2025 so far. You don’t want to miss this special episode!

https://www.establishingshotpod.com/

Feedback:
Email us at [email protected]
Leave a voicemail from the button on the right side of the screen on our website https://www.establishingshotpod.com/

Support the Show:
Join The Establishing Shot Family for early, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to our Discord server where we talk movies all the time: https://www.establishingshotpod.com/support/

Follow Eli and the Show:
Eli on Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/theeliprice
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Show on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@establishingshotpod
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Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@EstablishingShotPod

Other Links:
My Letterboxd Ranking of Wes Anderson Films: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice/list/elis-ranking-of-wes-andersons-directorial/
My Letterboxd Ranking of Christopher Nolan Films: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice/list/elis-ranking-of-christopher-nolans-directorial/
My Letterboxd Ranking of Spielberg Films: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice/list/elis-ranking-of-steven-spielbergs-directorial/

In stop-motion animation, Wes Anderson found the perfect medium for his controlled, detail filled style while still being tangible enough an animation style to surprise you with emotion. To celebrate his Fantastic Mr. Fox and Isle of Dogs, we did a stop-motion animation movie draft! We talk about everything from Henry Selick and Jack Skellington to Chicken Run and more. This is definitely an artform that deserves way more recognition and celebration. (Also, I have since seen Phil Tippett’s Mad God and would definitely have taken that if I had seen it at the time of recording).

https://www.establishingshotpod.com/

Feedback:
Email us at [email protected]
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Support the Show:
Join The Establishing Shot Family for early, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to our Discord server where we talk movies all the time: https://www.establishingshotpod.com/support/

Guest Info:
Chase Ables
Letterboxd: ⁠https://boxd.it/VIHX⁠ 

Follow Eli and the Show:
Eli on Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/theeliprice
Eli on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice
Show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EShotPod
Show on Instagram: https://instagram.com/establishingshotpod
Show on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@establishingshotpod
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Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@EstablishingShotPod

Other Links:
My Top 10 Stop-Motion Animated Films Letterboxd List: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice/list/top-10-stop-motion-animated-features/

Tintin is a unique film in the Spielberg filmography as his only fully animated film. Because of this, this discussion is full of interesting topics like his forging into motion capture technology, the sense of playfulness felt in the film, and much more. I might even get into a bit of Movie-Dad talk with my guest Daniel Howat of Next Best Picture, talking about movies we have enjoyed showing our kids. This was a fun episode for a movie about having fun!

https://www.establishingshotpod.com/

Feedback:
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Support the Show:
Join The Establishing Shot Family for early, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to our Discord server where we talk movies all the time: https://www.establishingshotpod.com/support/

Guest Info:
Daniel Howat of Next Best Picture
Website: https://nextbestpicture.com/
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/howatdk/
Twitter (X): https://x.com/howatdk
Instagram: https://instagram.com/howatdk
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/howatdk 

Follow Eli and the Show:
Eli on Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/theeliprice
Eli on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice
Show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EShotPod
Show on Instagram: https://instagram.com/establishingshotpod
Show on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@establishingshotpod
Show on Facebook: https://facebook.com/establishingshotpod
Show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/establishingshot.bsky.social
Show on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@establishingshotpod
Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@EstablishingShotPod

Other Links:
My Letterboxd Ranking of Spielberg Films: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice/list/elis-ranking-of-steven-spielbergs-directorial/ 

Research Resources:
- Steven Spielberg All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short by Arnaud Devillard, Olivier Bousquet, Nicolas Schaller
- Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films by Molly Haskell

Desert settings always make for a great cinematic experience! This was just as true for Nolan’s Oppenheimer even if the desert was being used for something highly problematic. In this episode, we take turns drafting our favorite movies with desert settings. They span a wide variety of genres from sci-fi to thriller to classic epics to animated musicals! And as it turns out, talking desert movies is not so dry after all.

https://www.establishingshotpod.com/

Feedback:
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Support the Show:
Join The Establishing Shot Family for early, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to our Discord server where we talk movies all the time: https://www.establishingshotpod.com/support/

Guest Info:
Ian Naude
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/honeybadgerian/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianalistairnaude/ 

Follow Eli and the Show:
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With Oppenheimer turning into a cultural phenomenon (aka Barbenheimer) in the lead up to its release alongside Barbie and its subsequent financial success and critical acclaim, Christopher Nolan has emblazoned his name onto the list of historically important filmmakers. We talk about the significance of a 3 hour experimental biopic making summer blockbuster levels of money, the incredible artistry and storytelling on display, the Nolan-esque style and technique, Cillian Murphy’s career defining performance, and more! 

https://www.establishingshotpod.com/

Feedback:
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Support the Show:
Join The Establishing Shot Family for early, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to our Discord server where we talk movies all the time: https://www.establishingshotpod.com/support/

Guest Info:
Grant Robin
Website: https://www.grant-robin.com/ 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grantrobin
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@grantrobinmedia
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10281965/

Follow Eli and the Show:
Eli on Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/theeliprice
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Show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EShotPod
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Show on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@establishingshotpod
Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@EstablishingShotPod

Other Links:
My Letterboxd Ranking of Nolan Films: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice/list/elis-ranking-of-christopher-nolans-directorial/ 

Research Resources:
-  The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan by Tom Shone
- Christopher Nolan: The Iconic Filmmaker and His Work by Ian Nathan

The 1990s and 2000s were some of Spielberg’s most successful decades! We see him come into his own as a director and mogul of the movie industry. He solidifies his legacy as a household name, and silences his harshest critics by showing his ability to make both popcorn blockbusters and “important” and artful films. This episode looks at takeaways from the middle career of Spielberg and then looks forward to the last stretch of his career, asking questions of what we might learn from his films of the last 15 years. I also share my favorite performances, scenes, and images from his films of the 90s and 00s. 

https://www.establishingshotpod.com/

Feedback:
Email us at [email protected]
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Support the Show:
Join The Establishing Shot Family for early, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to our Discord server where we talk movies all the time: https://www.establishingshotpod.com/support/

Follow Eli and the Show:
Eli on Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/theeliprice
Eli on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice
Show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EShotPod
Show on Instagram: https://instagram.com/establishingshotpod
Show on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@establishingshotpod
Show on Facebook: https://facebook.com/establishingshotpod
Show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/establishingshot.bsky.social
Show on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@establishingshotpod
Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@EstablishingShotPod

Other Links:
My Letterboxd Ranking of Spielberg Films: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice/list/elis-ranking-of-steven-spielbergs-directorial/ 

Research Resources:
- Steven Spielberg All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short by Arnaud Devillard, Olivier Bousquet, Nicolas Schaller
- Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films by Molly Haskell
- A Companion to Steven Spielberg by Various Authors, edited by Nigel Morris

There is nothing quite like a scene that happens underwater. One of my favorites comes from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou when Steve and the rest of his crew have a transcendent moment encountering the infamous Jaguar Shark that ruined Steve’s life. In this episode we explore other such scenes with a draft of underwater scenes in movies. We took somewhat different approaches to this draft to very fun results!

https://www.establishingshotpod.com/

Feedback:
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Leave a voicemail from the button on the right side of the screen on our website https://www.establishingshotpod.com/

Support the Show:
Join The Establishing Shot Family for early, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to our Discord server where we talk movies all the time: https://www.establishingshotpod.com/support/

Guest Info:
Jean-Pierre Boudreaux
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeanpierreboudreaux/

Thanks for Letting Me Ramble
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tflmrshow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tflmrshow/

Inhabit Creative Co.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inhabitcreativeco/
Website: https://www.inhabitcreative.com/ 

Follow Eli and the Show:
Eli on Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/theeliprice
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Harrison Ford has been one of the most treasured American actors since his breakout role as Han Solo in Star Wars and was solidified as a film icon as Indiana Jones when Raiders of the Lost Ark released only a few years later. This week we talk about his Hollywood and acting personas, the ups and downs of his career (mostly ups even in his lesser films), and most importantly do a movie draft where we take our favorite performances and talk through what makes him great.

https://www.establishingshotpod.com/

Feedback:
Email us at [email protected]
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Support the Show:
Join The Establishing Shot Family for early, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to our Discord server where we talk movies all the time: https://www.establishingshotpod.com/support/

Guest Info:
Jacob Allen
Website: https://www.writtenbyjacoballen.com/
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/jacobgallen/
Lean Forward Substack: https://writtenbyjacoballen.substack.com/

The Conversation Podcast
Listen to the Show: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OH5EKlX9Exnmt3Mvixtuf?si=_L1UtD9uQiSQ5B84wxjn1w
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversationwithjacoballen/ 

Follow Eli and the Show:
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Show on Instagram: https://instagram.com/establishingshotpod
Show on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@establishingshotpod
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Nearly 20 years after Indiana Jones rode off into the sunset with his father, Spielberg returned to our favorite tomb-raiding professor of archaeology in his older years with Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In the opinion of my guest and I, this film certainly has its flaws with some undercooked characters and questionable CGI but is largely undeservedly maligned for all the wrong reasons. We talk about the making of the film, its reception, and more as we wrap up Spielberg’s films of the 2000s.

https://www.establishingshotpod.com/

Feedback:
Email us at [email protected]
Leave a voicemail from the button on the right side of the screen on our website https://www.establishingshotpod.com/

Support the Show:
Join The Establishing Shot Family for early, ad-free episodes, bonus content, and access to our Discord server where we talk movies all the time: https://www.establishingshotpod.com/support/

Guest Info:
Jacob Allen
Website: https://www.writtenbyjacoballen.com/
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/jacobgallen/
Lean Forward Substack: https://writtenbyjacoballen.substack.com/

The Conversation Podcast
Listen to the Show: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OH5EKlX9Exnmt3Mvixtuf?si=_L1UtD9uQiSQ5B84wxjn1w
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversationwithjacoballen/ 

Follow Eli and the Show:
Eli on Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/theeliprice
Eli on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice
Show on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EShotPod
Show on Instagram: https://instagram.com/establishingshotpod
Show on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@establishingshotpod
Show on Facebook: https://facebook.com/establishingshotpod
Show on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/establishingshot.bsky.social
Show on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@establishingshotpod
Show on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@EstablishingShotPod

Other Links:
My Letterboxd Ranking of Spielberg Films: https://letterboxd.com/eliprice/list/elis-ranking-of-steven-spielbergs-directorial/ 

Research Resources:
- Steven Spielberg All the Films: The Story Behind Every Movie, Episode, and Short by Arnaud Devillard, Olivier Bousquet, Nicolas Schaller
- Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films by Molly Haskell
- A Companion to Steven Spielberg by Various Authors, edited by Nigel Morris