The Matineecast

As much as I love talking to new guests – and a new one will be in the hot seat for episode fifty-eight – I get a little extra boost when my friends stop by. What’s more, it’s probably fitting that today’s guest became a closer friend after one or two podcasts.

In an amusing twist, we warn folks about how spoilerific we are going to get regarding CABIN IN THE WOODS, and then proceed to not get all that spoilerific. I guess that’s what happens when a film’s crux is unveiled the way it is for this particular film.

One last note, the schedule as you have become used to it is about to be thrown for a loop as the Hot Docs festival approaches. There will be podcasting content in that time, but it will be more focused on festival events. The regular format will return in three weeks’ time, and then resume it’s every-other-week schedule going forward into the summer.

Here’s what’s in store in episode fifty-seven…

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Up for Discussion

1. Introduction

More behind the scenes info on this episode can be found on Twitter by searching out #matm57

You can subscribe to the Matineecast via iTunes or RSS

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

DJ M.A.D Hatter here spinning your requests until the sun comes up. This one goes out to a cat named Simon who wrote in from London say “I don’t hear enough about TV on your show – Why don’t you do something about that?”

Simon’s right of course, there isn’t much discussion of TV on this website or the podcast, and that’s mostly because I find TV to be such a difficult medium to critique. They tell stories in such a different manner, and said stories play differently depending on the circumstances the viewer sees the show. So perhaps the conversation shouldn’t be about what we watch, so much as it is how we watch it.

My guests this week are two people I’m lucky to know. They are both great friends; so much so that they both agreed to gather together and talk for this podcast with very little notice when illness ravaged my original guests. So while I have already said to them face to face, I wish to say it again here: Beth, Steve, you’re the cat’s pyjamas.

To recap the concept of this offshoot – expect to see these episodes turning up once a month. My intention is for them to be a bit more raw (there are almost no cuts in this conversation), a bit shorter, with no rules, and less of a pecking order on who sits down at the table.

Enjoy!

For the second week in a row, I bring you an episode live from Casa del Hatter (though thankfully this time, both the guest and I are much more awake).

I’ve been looking forward to bringing this particular guest in for some time now as he has been a great source of support for me over the last seven or eight months. It’s always great to have people around that are that encouraging…and even greater when they are people you work with every day.

There isn’t a whole lot of analysis this week, just a whole lot of two dudes geeking out over a cool movie. However, with the topic at hand I don’t think I would have wanted it any other way.

Here’s what’s in store in episode fifty-six…

Runtime

Up for Discussion

1. Introduction

More behind the scenes info on this episode can be found on Twitter by searching out #matm56

You can subscribe to the Matineecast via iTunes or RSS

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

When I started doing this podcast, and decided that a bi-weekly schedule was what I wanted to roll with, I saw it coming with a certain advantage. See, I enjoy editing the raw conversation: I believe that giving it a once over gives the whole thing a certain finesse. So the schedule seemed to write itself: record one week, edit and post the next week.

Every once in a while though, a movie comes along that I want to talk about instantly – thus a recording/editing weekend presents itself. When such occasions arise, I like to record on Friday night or Saturday morning, then edit and post on Sunday.

With episode 55 though, we decided to do things differently. For this show, we recorded Sunday morning and I edited and posted through most of Sunday afternoon…one. long. marathon.

If I ever allude to doing it all in one day again – put a bullet in my kneecap. Don’t just wing me: land it.

The good news though is that this episode features a great friend sitting shotgun, bringing a lot of laughs with her at an ungodly hour, and discussing one of this year’s most hotly anticipated films.

Here’s what’s in store in episode fifty-five…

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Up for Discussion

1. Introduction

You can subscribe to the Matineecast via iTunes or RSS

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

My attention has turned to yet another film festival…but this one won’t be offering me any new titles. Quite the opposite actually.

There are two curiosities that occur within this episode. For starters, it’s probably The Matineecast where yours truly speaks the least of all the ones recorded to date. For seconds, I have to smile at the irony of how two silent film lovers are so very chatty.

My guests this week are Shirley Hughes and Chris Edwards from the upcoming Toronto Silent Film Festival. Their fourth annual effort of spreading the love of silent cinema across this fair city begins in just ten days, so as a novice to the genre I thought I’d sit down with them to get the scoop on their love of the format and what to expect.

To recap the concept of this offshoot – expect to see these episodes turning up once a month. My intention is for them to be a bit more raw (there are almost no cuts in this conversation), a bit shorter, with no rules, and less of a pecking order on who sits down at the table.

This episode does run a little bit long, clocking in closer to the runtime of a regular Matineecast than an IBD episode. However, in seeing how passionate both Shirley and Chris were to talk silent cinema, I couldn’t bring myself to cut them short at any turn.

If you’re close to Toronto, consider coming out to one of these truly unique events as part of the Toronto Silent Film Festival.

Enjoy!

Ever spend a long time away from someone, only to get back together and fall back into the old routine? That’s what you’re in for this week.

We go a little bit off-book with this episode, which I’d wager people who listen to this show wish I’d do a little more often. Not only could I not settle on a top five to tie into the feature review (top five scenes of male nudity?), but I felt like reminding myself and you fine listeners about times gone by…and dropped a good ol’ montage into the third act.

I don’t want to waste any more words setting it up, except to say that this felt just like old times.

Here’s what’s in store in episode fifty-four…

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Up for Discussion

1. Introduction

You can subscribe to the Matineecast via iTunes or RSS

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

Two days ago, just before I sat down to put the finishing touches on this episode, I actually attended a conference on social media. Two of the five sessions I attended on the first day pertained to podcasting, and part of me wonders if the ideas I took away from them will be evident to my listeners and followers going forward. They’ll be subtle changes, so don’t expect a complete tear-down of what you’ve come to expect – but hopefully they can make for a better product overall.

That streak of great guests I’ve been talking about lately? It’s very much intact. You’ll probably notice that today’s show runs a little on the long side. That’s because my guest today was so passionate and well-spoken that it pained me to edit much of her discussion. The show takes me back to Scandinavia for the first time since last spring, and brought upon a great moment of turnabout for yours truly.

You see by now I’m legend for acting aghast at what people haven’t seen (though I’ve been trying to tone down the act). This episode, a title comes up that I haven;t seen, and it was pretty shameful to admit. Listen in to discover which one.

One of the best conversations I’ve had on this show awaits – I hope you enjoy.

Here’s what’s in store in episode fifty-three…

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Up for Discussion

1. Introduction

You can subscribe to the Matineecast via iTunes or RSS

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

What pushes you to see what you see? I have to imagine the answer is different for everybody, so I thought I’d convene the braintrust to shed some light on the decision-making process.

On the occasion of this second episode, I must question the wisdom of gathering for breakfast for these discussions. This time out at least, we were a little more groggy and as much as my guests never need an excuse to talk film as tape rolls, I know they couldn’t have been thrilled at leaving the house so early on a Sunday to do so. I thank them deeply for enabling my habit.

As a sidenote – any locals who are interested in sitting down for one of these talks let me know. Part of what I like about them is that they allow me to rotate more people in and out. It’s another chance for me to bring back familiar voices and work in some new ones.

To recap the concept of this offshoot – expect to see these episodes turning up once a month. My intention is for them to be a bit more raw (there are almost no cuts in this conversation), a bit shorter, with no rules, and less of a pecking order on who sits down at the table.

For this second episode, I was joined by longtime friends of this podcast, Sasha James of SashaJames.com and Bob Turnbull of Eternal Sunshine. Yesterday morning, we gathered to discuss just how it is we decide to see what we see, and the intricacies of a seemingly simple decision.

Enjoy!

A week or two ago, I put out a call for anyone who hadn’t yet done a spin on The Matineecast that wanted to to please raise their hand. I’m happy to report that I got a lot of interest – so much so, that I might have filled out this year’s episodes already! However, before I completely rebuilt the roster, I needed to get one person who I’d had my eye on for a long while some ice time.

This episode continues a bit of a streak for the podcast of really well-spoken guests…guests that sometimes push me back on my heels a bit and allow them to talk as much as they like while I listen. It’s sorta become a great little ingredient to my show – I don’t have to worry about being a great podcaster myself, I just have to worry about bringing in great guests!

We return to the live experience this week for the first time since December, so I hope you enjoy the face-to-face energy.

Edit: Come Talk to Me Question for Next Episode… What’s a “smaller film” you’ve watched and enjoyed recently? Some indie, foreign, lesser-known-classic, etc

Here’s what’s in store in episode fifty-two…

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Up for Discussion

1. Introduction

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

As is customary around these parts, the biggest discussion of the Oscar nominees was saved for the audio component of this space, and for good reason. There are very few people I know who are as warmly passionate about The Academy Awards as my guest on this episode. So it went without saying that she had to come back for another kick at the can.

We discuss Woody, Sorkin, McTeer, Chastain, Plummer, Jonah, Viola, Meryl, Rooney, Pitt, Clooney, Oldman, Marty, Michel, Malick, and many, many more. So many more that we go on a little bit longer than last year’s show! Apologies if you prefer brevity in your podcast, the next episode will get back down to time.

I mention this within the show, but it needs to be repeated – my guest this week is a champ. For some wacky reason, my computer didn’t want to co-operate but she showed nothing but patience and graciousness as I struggled to keep things moving forward. I’m much obliged.

Here’s what’s in store in episode fifty-one…

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Up for Discussion

1. Introduction

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!