Benjamin Angrisano, long-time friend of the Filmlings and Coen Brother's enthusiast, joins Alex and Jonathan to talk about some of the Coen's darker films: Blood Simple. (1984), Fargo (1996), and No Country for Old Men (2007). We get talk about infusing humor into darker themes, opposing mindsets and worldviews of characters, and how ambiguity can make a film more impactful.

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7:18 - Blood Simple.

30:23 - Fargo

50:22 - No Country For Old Men

1:10:43 - Overall

1:38:08 - Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

Henry V (1989)

Much Ado About Nothing (1993)

Hamlet (1996)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/09/12/body-count-coen-brothers

This week Alex and Jonathan dance into new territory as we discuss three landmark musicals in film history: 42nd Street (1933), Singin' in the Rain (1952), and La La Land (2016). We discuss technical innovations of early musicals, the lasting legacy of the musical's Golden Age, and the current and potential future state of the movie musical.

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8:47 - 42nd Street

27:33 - Singin' in the Rain

49:33 - La La Land

1:08:18 - Overall

1:18:25 - Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

Blood Simple (1984)

Fargo (1996)

No Country for Old Men (2007) - Available on Netflix

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/meta-musicals

Back in America after a long series abroad, Alex and Jonathan look at the life and work of all-American director Frank Capra with It Happened One Night (1934), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), and Arsenic and Old Lace (1944). We talk about the limitations and creativity that came from the Hays Code, innovations Capra made in directing and filming movies, and how his life and outlook is reflected in his films.

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6:23 - It Happened One Night

26:54 - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

48:19 - Arsenic and Old Lace

1:00:22 - Overall

1:12:47 - Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

42nd Street (1933)

Singin' in the Rain (1952)

La La Land (2016)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/08/29/classic-capra

As the World Tour comes to an end, Alex and Jonathan make a few final stops on the way home to talk about the further reaches of world cinema. We stop in Sweden with Hour of the Wolf (1968), in Taiwan with A Touch of Zen (1971), and in Brazil with City of God (2002). We talk about what goes into a good viewing experience, what makes an "open world" movie, and why it's important to watch foreign films.

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3:35 - Hour of the Wolf

20:42 - A Touch of Zen

36:51 - City of God

48:12 - Overall

56:47 - Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

It Happened One Night (1934)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/08/22/last-layovers

As the World Tour starts to wind down, Alex and Jonathan make a stop in Iran to look at the small, personal films Close-Up (1990), Children of Heaven (1997), and A Separation (2011). We talk about portraying compassion in film, movies without a "bad guy," and the self-sufficiency of Iranian cinema.

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4:19 - Close-Up

18:06 - Children of Heaven

32:33 - A Separation

49:04 - Overall

57:50 - Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

Hour of the Wolf (1968)

A Touch of Zen (1971)

City of God (2002)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/08/15/introspective-iran

The World Tour carries Alex and Jonathan to South Korea this week where we look at Oldboy (2003), The Host (2006), and The Good the Bad the Weird (2008). We discuss elements that make up neo-noir films, mixing tones, and the pervasive violence of Korean film.

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2:49 - Oldboy

25:40 - The Host

41:12 - The Good the Bad the Weird

54:33 - Overall

1:06:03 - Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

Close-Up (1990)

Children of Heaven (1997)

A Separation (2011)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/08/08/kruel-korea/

This week Alex and Jonathan head to Russia and look at three legendary and formative filmmakers with Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin (1925), Lev Kuleshov's Po Zakonu (1926), and Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker (1975). We talk the various forms and uses of montage, the Kuleshov effect, and filmmaking outside the bounds of traditional film technique.

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6:40 - Battleship Potemkin

29:09 - Po Zakonu

44:58 - Stalker

1:08:24 - Overall

1:23:02 - Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

Oldboy (2003) - on Netflix

The Host (2006) - on Netflix

The Good the Bad the Weird (2014) - on Netflix

For more information visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/russian-ruminations

This week Alex and Jonathan go way back and take a look at German Expressionism with The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Nosferatu (1922), and Metropolis (1927). We talk about the theatricality of early film, conventions of German Expressionism, and why the influence of German Expressionism will never fade.

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5:14 - The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

26:44 - Nosferatu

36:51 - Metropolis

49:14 - Overall

1:16:08 - Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

Battleship Potemkin (1925)

Po Zakonu (1926)

Stalker (1979)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/dunkel-deutschland

Alex and Jonathan head south of the border this week to talk about three Mexican films: Macario (1960), Amores Perros (2000), and Pan's Labyrinth (2006). We talk the significance of a story within the story, the international influence of Quentin Tarantino, and how Hollywood has benefitted from Mexican filmmakers.

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4:06 - Macario

20:02 - Amores Perros

43:28 - Pan's Labyrinth

1:03:18 - Overall

1:10:15 - Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

Nosferatu (1922)

Metropolis (1927) - Available on Netflix

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/07/18/mexico-macabro

It's back to Japan this week for Alex and Jonathan, but not for anime or Akira Kurosawa. We take a look at three other directors with Masaki Kobayashi's Harakiri (1963), Yasujirô Ozu's Tokyo Story (1952), and Hirokazu Koreeda's Nobody Knows (2004). We discuss various kinds of family drama in Japanese films, the distinction between "big" and "small" movies, and the restraint and poeticism across Japanese art.

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3:58 - Harakiri

20:30 - Tokyo Story

37:04 - Nobody Knows

54:33 - Overall

1:05:03 - Coming Attractions

Coming Attractions:

Macario (1960)

Amores Perros (2000)

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

For more information, visit the blog:

thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2017/07/11/japan-juxtaposed