The Popcorn Auteur

You may not think "filmmaker" when you think Chris Rock, but he's written and directed three films. His first two films were critical disappointments; however, his latest, Top Five, was certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. In this episode, we take a look at Rock's limited filmography to see if the comedian is a hidden auteur.

Show Notes/Sources:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/top-five-filmmaker-chris-rock-753223

https://film.avclub.com/i-think-i-love-my-wife-1798202457

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWq8EfureAg

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-top-five-review-20141211-column.html#

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/12/arts/in-top-five-chris-rock-is-a-comic-getting-serious.html?

https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-features/chris-rock-in-a-hard-place-on-infidelity-his-new-tour-and-starting-over-114653/

https://www.oprah.com/omagazine/oprah-interviews-chris-rock

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/head-of-state-2003

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/11/10/duke-doubt

Christopher Guest has a strong comedic pedigree (National Lampoon & SNL) and was a creator of the faux documentary, heavily improvised model of modern comedy. For this episode, we are joined by Jonathan Sundy (https://jollygoodgang.com/) to discuss the films of Christopher Guest.

Show Notes/Sources:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36532132-improv-nation

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1180245.Best_in_Show

https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/13/12900334/mascots-movie-review-christopher-guest-netflix-tiff-16

https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting/film/a-mighty-wind/

https://www.filmcomment.com/article/all-in-the-family-christopher-guest/

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_middlebrow/2006/11/christopher_guest.html

https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/christopher-guest-on-mascots-spinal-tap-comedy-w444936

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/oct/11/christopher-guest-on-life-as-a-baron-and-how-wife-jamie-lee-curtis-picked-him-out-of-a-magazine

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/jan/10/features.weekend

https://film.avclub.com/christopher-guest-returns-to-mockumentaries-with-the-fo-1798189166

You may not initially think of Ben Stiller as a filmmaker, but he delivered a cult comedy with Zoolander. In this episode, we look at the small filmography of Ben Stiller and consider if there is more to him than starring in ridiculously successful movies. Also, is Zoolander 2 really that bad?

Show Notes/Sources:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/07/25/lets-put-a-stop-to-the-movie-cameo-clown-car/?utm_term=.6e1837d9a123

https://film.avclub.com/heres-your-2-dollars-9-great-gags-from-otherwise-tep-1825478251

https://film.avclub.com/ridiculously-poorly-constructed-sequel-case-file-63-z-1798248460

http://articles.latimes.com/2001/sep/28/entertainment/ca-50732

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_chat_room/2008/08/whats_so_funny.html

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/zoolander-2001

https://film.avclub.com/zoolander-2-gets-ben-stiller-back-in-a-silly-mood-1798186546

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/06/25/funny-is-money

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/the_chat_room/2008/08/whats_so_funny.html

You may not be familiar with the works of Nicole Holofcener (we weren't), but she's directed some of the best reviewed female-led comedies in the past quarter century. We are joined by Rebecca Sharp of Almost Ginger to discuss Holofcener's films.

Check out Rebecca's site here: http://almostginger.com/

Show Notes and Sources:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/nicole-holofcener-nails-it

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/7819156/Why-I-Love-Nicole-Holofcener.html

https://www.rogerebert.com/cast-and-crew/nicole-holofcener

https://soundcloud.com/employeeofthemonthshow/director-nicole-holofcener-on-her-upcoming-film-for-netflix-amazons-one-mississippi-and-money-and-sexism-in-hollywood

http://www.talkhouse.com/nicole-holofcener-talks-with-jenny-slate-and-gillian-robespierre-landline-for-the-talkhouse-podcast/

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/nicole-holofcener-still-likes-to-shock/article4318078/

Adam McKay could have made a career of writing and directing Will Ferrell comedies, but he branched out with The Big Short and won an Oscar in the process. In this episode, we examine McKay's films and discuss his Trojan horse satire.

Show Notes and Sources:

https://youtu.be/2hFddhvb2-Q - video we reference in the oeuvre

https://news.avclub.com/let-s-explore-adam-mckay-s-secretly-brilliant-brand-of-1798262144

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/03/adam-mckay-to-film-michael-lewis-book-about-the-financial-crisis-which-makes-more-sense-than-you-think/359496/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2016/08/10/adam-mckay-on-talladega-nights-red-states-rebellion-and-the-rise-of-trump/?utm_term=.5564dfac6dea

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/anchorman-the-legend-of-ron-burgundy-2004

http://articles.latimes.com/2004/may/09/entertainment/ca-writemckay9

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/4wb59m/anchorman-bro-teur-returns-to-explain-the-financial-crisis-with-jokes

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2016/02/adam_mckay_s_the_big_short_is_good_step_brothers_is_great.html

https://thedissolve.com/features/interview/325-adam-mckay-on-anchorman-2s-long-road-to-the-screen/

https://film.avclub.com/adam-mckay-1798221176

https://temple-news.com/anchorman-director-adam-mckay-reflects-philly-past/

https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/on-film-adam-mckay-takes-the-short-way-home/Content?oid=905918

http://variety.com/2016/film/features/will-ferrell-and-adam-mckay-gary-sanchez-productions-1201782344/

https://www.dinnerpartydownload.org/episodes/speakeasy-special-6/

Mike Judge may be more successful on the small screen (Beavis & Butt-Head, King of the Hill, and Silicon Valley). But, while his film work has not met with the same commercial success, his movies have certainly developed a following. Despite Office Space and Idiocracy being box office failures, people still talk about them years after their release. In this episode, we critique the films of Judge and get into a conversation about Judge's worldview.

Show Notes/Sources:

http://www.ecuador.com/blog/mike-judge-the-ultimate-animator-from-ecuador

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/13/magazine/mike-judge-the-bard-of-suck.html

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/beavis-and-butt-head-do-america-1996

https://news.avclub.com/mike-judge-says-office-space-helped-rid-the-world-of-f-1798269510

http://ew.com/article/2003/05/23/fax-life/

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2009/09/weekend-at-the-movies-disappoints/24679/

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bn3vgv/idiocracy-is-elitist-porn

https://www.salon.com/2016/03/05/idiocracys_curdled_politics_the_beloved_dystopian_comedy_is_really_a_celebration_of_eugenics_partner/

http://www.cracked.com/article_19710_6-movies-inadvertently-remade-as-other-movies.html

https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/07/idiocracy-is-a-cruel-movie-and-you-should-be-ashamed-for-liking-it/

https://youtu.be/BC_rkE8j-To

https://nerdist.com/nerdist-podcast-mike-judge/

She's one of the most successful female filmmakers, but she hasn't had a hit in over 20 years. In this episode, we look at the films of Amy Heckerling, the filmmaker that brought us Clueless and Look Who's Talking. Have Heckerling's recent films gotten a fair shake? Does a film with a baby voiced by Bruce Willis deserve critical praise? Listen as we discuss these questions and more with special guest, Molly Staron.

Show Notes/Sources:

https://www.theringer.com/2017/2/16/16042696/amy-heckerling-fast-times-at-ridgemont-high-clueless-female-directors-ee9568144c24

https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/500-clueless-big-confidence-sells-its-small-stakes/

https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/502-1990s-pop-culture-and-teen-slang-as-seen-through-c/

https://thedissolve.com/features/movie-of-the-week/504-clueless-understands-austen-better-than-1996s-more/

https://film.avclub.com/vamps-1798174823

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/clueless-1995

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/look-whos-talking-1989

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/06/clueless-oral-history-20-anniversary

Mike Birbiglia is a stand-up comedian, an actor, and a filmmaker. In this episode, we'll take a look at Birbiglia's career behind the camera as a filmmaker for such films as Sleepwalk with Me and Don't Think Twice. Does Birbiglia have what it takes to be a 21st Century comedy auteur?

Show Notes & Sources:

https://film.avclub.com/nathan-rabin-sundance-2012-day-six-1798229514

http://theoldonespodcast.libsyn.com/ira-glass

https://youtu.be/UmFvJzbNC_8

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/03/dont-think-twice-mike-birbiglia-review

http://beta.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-mike-birbiglia-ira-glass-sxsw-snl-this-american-life-20160316-story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/mike-birbiglia-started-in-improv-everything-since-has-gone-according-to-plan/2017/10/12/ddb2fcda-aea5-11e7-be94-fabb0f1e9ffb_story.html?utm_term=.b77dff57498a

https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130644070

http://www.vulture.com/2016/07/mike-birbiglia-dont-think-twice.html

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/wendy-widom/sleepwalk-with-me_b_1852836.html

https://news.avclub.com/joss-whedon-wont-stand-for-mike-birbiglias-sleepwalk-wi-1798232835

Edgar Wright has had a camera in his hand for most of his life. Renown for his filmmaking and celebrated for his hilarious homages to classic genres, is there anything that Wright can't do? Listen as we discuss Wright's films from Shaun of the Dead to Baby Driver.

Show Notes:

https://youtu.be/3FOzD4Sfgag

https://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/edgar-wright-i-am-a-film-school-reject-twice

https://davechen.net/2014/02/the-making-of-that-close-ups-video-essay/

http://www.cinelinx.com/movie-stuff/item/4451-directors-trademarks-edgar-wright.html

http://www.edgarwrighthere.com/about/

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/15/edgar-wright-scott-pilgrim-vs-the-world-british-film

https://chicago.suntimes.com/entertainment/baby-driver-a-high-speed-vehicle-for-the-fast-and-the-hilarious/

https://thedissolve.com/features/the-conversation/109-why-the-worlds-end-is-the-most-complex-of-the-corn/

https://youtu.be/pxuK4NQ2NHk

http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episodes/episode_445_-_edgar_wright

Harold Ramis is responsible for or has been involved in some of the greatest movies of all time. A comedy legend and one of, if not the most, influential comedy filmmaker of the last fifty years. We examine the highs and lows in his full career, and Jon may insult Robert De Niro's acting along the way.

Show Notes and Sources:

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2004/04/19/comedy-first

http://www.vulture.com/2014/02/comic-legend-harold-ramis-dead-at-age-69.html

http://www.cinelinx.com/movie-stuff/item/8755-examining-hollywood-remakes-bedazzled.html

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/analyze-that-2002

https://www.gq.com/story/harold-ramis-director-animal-house-ghostbusters-groundhog-day

https://www.lionsroar.com/harold-ramis-profile-by-perry-garfinkel/

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/i-got-you-babe-why-groundhog-day-is-the-pinnacle-of-harold-ramis-and-bill-murrays-collaborations/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1980/07/26/caddy-capers/59f3bf4b-70a7-4880-a617-b6975c9755ac/?utm_term=.b33b5d668dd2

http://www.movingimagesource.us/dialogues/view/325

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/club-paradise-1986

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bedazzled-2000

https://www.amazon.com/Sick-Head-Conversations-About-Comedy/dp/0812987284