Taking a quick break from American film this week, Alex and Jonathan head back to China and examine three landmark film of the wuxia genre: Dragon Inn (1967), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), House of Flying Daggers (2004). We talk about the traditions of wuxia, the poeticism of the genre, and the various uses of visual effects to aid the storytelling.

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05:08 – Dragon Inn

23:45 – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

37:26 – House of Flying Daggers

59:58 – Overall

1:13:53 – Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1984)

Gladiator (2000)

Black Hawk Down (2004)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2018/03/20/waxing-wuxia

At the final stop of the Hitch-Hike Alex and Jonathan look at the versatility and expertise of Alfred Hitchcock's technical prowess in Rope (1948), Rear Window (1954), and The Wrong Man (1956). We discuss Hitchcock's one-take experiment, his ultimate cinematic metaphor, and filming true events.

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4:48 – Rope

23:57 – Rear Window

59:49 – The Wrong Man

1:13:27 – Overall

1:20:44 – Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

Dragon Inn (1967)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

House of Flying Daggers (2004)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2018/03/06/the-hitchcock-touch

The better the villain, the better the picture. Alex and Jonathan put this phrase to the test as they look at the sinister side of Hitchcock's films and discuss the bad guys of Strangers on a Train (1951), Dial M for Murder (1954), and Psycho (1960). We talk about driving a film through its antagonist, keeping dialogue-heavy films interesting, and the right way to do structural and plot twists.

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3:45 – Strangers on a Train

27:16 – Dial M for Murder

52:22 – Psycho

1:33:25 – Overall

1:38:49 – Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

Rope (1948)

Rear Window (1954)

The Wrong Man (1956)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2018/02/20/villains

Not all protagonists are good role models. Today Alex and Jonathan look at characters that defy the typical ideas of heroism in Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief (1955), The Trouble with Harry (1955), and Vertigo (1958). We discuss what makes an antihero, the prevalence of antiheroes in comedy films, and how to keep an audience engaged in unlikeable characters.

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9:28 – To Catch a Thief

38:43 – The Trouble with Harry

57:41 – Vertigo

1:48:15 – Overall

1:55:09 – Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

Strangers on a Train (1951)

Dial M for Murder (1954)

Psycho (1960)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/antiheroes

Blondes, brunettes, and mothers are the focus today and Alex and Jonathan look at the various portrayals of women in the Alfred Hitchcock films Spellbound (1945), The Birds (1963), and Marnie (1964). We discuss the different roles that women fill in Hitchcock's films, retelling a similar story while reversing gender roles, and appropriate/effective treatment of actors on set.

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2:40 – Spellbound

23:56 – The Birds

52:55 – Marnie

1:18:49 – Overall

1:29:01 – Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

To Catch a Thief (1955)

The Trouble with Harry (1955)

Vertigo (1958)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.com/2018/01/23/the-women

To kick off season two of the podcast, Alex and Jonathan are taking five episodes to examine the work and themes of the great Alfred Hitchcock. Today we look at Hitchcock's "wrong man" theme in The Lodger (1927), The 39 Steps (1935), and North by Northwest (1959). We discuss spy thrillers with comedic tone, when Hitchcock reveals and conceals information to the audience, and doubling down on the "wrong man/woman" plot.

Skip to:

11:12 – The Lodger

29:32 – The 39 Steps

52:55 – North by Northwest

1:19:44 – Overall

1:27:59 – Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions*:

Spellbound (1945)

The Birds (1963)

Marnie (1964)

*We're switching to a biweekly schedule so look for these in two weeks!

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2018/01/09/the-wrong-men

For the season one podcast finale, Alex and Jonathan take a look at five of the most classic and beloved Christmas films: It's a Wonderful Life (1946), A Christmas Story (1983), Die Hard (1944), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), and Elf (2003). We talk about what makes a Christmas movie, how Christmas movies use and become traditions, and what makes Christmas movies unique among cinema in general.

Skip to:

5:31 – It's a Wonderful Life

17:49 – A Christmas Story

28:00 – Die Hard

42:06 – The Muppet Christmas Carol

54:36 – Elf

1:11:52 – Overall

1:16:36 – Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

Stay follow us on Facebook or on Twitter at twitter.com/thefilmlings to stay updated with what we're watching next year!

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/12/19/concluding-with-christmas

Last week's Bringing Up Baby (1938) was a big influence on this week's director spotlight, Peter Bogdanovich. Alex and Jonathan take a look at his three major hits The Last Picture Show (1971), What's Up Doc? (1972), and Paper Moon (1973). We discuss Bogdanovich's early communication and friendship with the great directors of the Golden Age, creating a modern screwball comedy, and being an actor's director.

Skip to:

7:07 – The Last Picture Show

22:22 – What's Up Doc?

36:03 – Paper Moon

1:01:43 – Overall

1:11:21 – Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

A Christmas Story (1983)

Die Hard (1988)

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Elf (2003)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/12/12/bibliographic-bogdanovich

A friendly feud finally comes out in the open as Alex and Jonathan discuss the wonderful talents of the two most famous Hepburns: Katharine and Audrey. We watch Bringing Up Baby (1938) and Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) and discuss the jokes of screwball comedies, each actress' typical persona, and controversial aspects of old movies.

Skip to:

8:21 – Bringing Up Baby

31:15 – Breakfast at Tiffany's

46:02 – Overall

1:00:04 – Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

The Last Picture Show (1971)

What's Up Doc? (1972)

Paper Moon (1973)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/12/05/hepburn-vs-hepburn-1

In a special video episode, Alex and Jonathan sit down to talk about three documentary films: Grey Gardens (1975), The Thin Blue Line (1988), Grizzly Man (2005). We talk about the ways documentaries speak to the audience, how to structure true events into a compelling narrative, and how documentary subjects are portrayed by the filmmakers.

Skip to:

16:30 – Grey Gardens

47:11 – The Thin Blue Line

1:14:31 – Grizzly Man

1:41:31 – Overall

1:53:55 – Coming Attractions

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/11/28/dauntless-documentaries