The Prestige

The Prestige

By KaijuFMTV & Film
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The Prestige episodes

  • 3.24 - PUSHER and Consumerism

    The next director at whose oeuvre we take a look is Nicolas Winding Refn, and we start with his 1996 feature-film debut PUSHER. After similar reviews of the film, we talk about what Refn might have been trying to do with this film, the division between narrative and aesthetics, and the ways in which this shines a light on consumerist attitudes of the time.

    Next Week
    Our Nicolas Winding Refn mini-season continues with his 2010 film VALHALLA RISING: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Valhalla-Rising-DVD-Mads-Mikkelsen/dp/B00355CGV8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520159868&sr=8-1&keywords=valhalla+rising.

    This Week’s Media
    CASE (2015): Baldvin Zophoníasson, Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir, Magnús Jónsson

    UGLY DELICIOUS (2018): Morgan Neville, Eddie Schmidt, David Chang

    Recommendations
    TRAINSPOTTING (1996): Danny Boyle, Irvine Welsh, Ewan McGregor
    KILL LIST (2011): Ben Wheatley, Neil Maskell, MyAnna Buring
    FORBRYDELSEN (2007–12): Søren Sveistrup, Sofie Gråbøl, Søren Malling
    BROEN (2011–): Hans Rosenfeldt, Sofia Helin, Kim Bodnia
    Footnotes
    We should start this week with a biography of Nicolas Winding Refn, taking note of his film-editing genealogy: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0716347. This slideshow is a good introduction to concepts of lighting in film: https://www.slideshare.net/shanovitz/lighting-in-film. We discussed the idea that this film was Refn’s response to an increasingly consumerist society, and the showiness of such lifestyles as that of the gangster rap artist; this book, published in the year PUSHER came out, is interesting on a similar subject: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=zGC_ZNOrKDwC&oi=fnd&pg=PP9&dq=cultural+commodity+gangsta+rap&ots=eTqDyX6yMu&sig=2V4qV0JrG50YSy_amuNtuCb6vfc#v=onepage&q=cultural%20commodity%20gangsta%20rap&f=false. (This book, more than a decade later, has further things to say about armed gang violence, a topic on which we didn’t really touch: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=LcMaQQ0wfL0C&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=cultural+commodity+gangsta+rap&ots=fUc7xm9BDN&sig=CSAJTJk48UUm6v9qHvXTC6wIw5o#v=onepage&q&f=false.) Finally, here’s a list of more-or-less-interesting facts about a film Sam mentions as a comparator, this week, PULP FICTION: https://www.shortlist.com/entertainment/films/50-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-pulp-fiction/86434.
    32 min
  • 3.23 - CHI-RAQ and Violence
    Our final Spike Lee joint is 2015’s CHI-RAQ: based on an Ancient Greek play, and set in modern-day gangland Chicago, this is both very different from and yet — at least in terms of its racial politics — remarkably similar to last week’s film. We have contrasting reviews of the film, but go on to talk about the contemporary resonances of the movie, what it tries but fails to do with some of its characters, and how watching Spike Lee’s genius over this past month has been eye-opening for both of us!Next WeekNext we embark on a new director: Nicolas Winding Refn. Our first Winding Refn picture is 1996’s PUSHER, available here (remember we’re only looking at the first film): https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pusher-Trilogy-DVD-Jesper-Salomonsen/dp/B000FH8TZ6.This Week’s MediaXXIII OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES (2018)MUM (2018): Stefan Golaszewski, Lesley Manville, Peter MullanRecommendationsMR AND MRS SMITH (2005): Doug Liman, Brad Pitt, Angelina JolieROMEO + JULIET (1996): Baz Luhrmann, Leonardo DiCaprio, Claire DanesGROSSE POINTE BLANK (1997): George Armitage, John Cusack, Minnie Driver
    BLADE (1998): Stephen Norrington, Wesley Snipes, Stephen Dorff
    FootnotesFirstly, soberingly, Rob mentions the Parkland, FL shooting as a recent touchstone for the film: https://edition.cnn.com/2018/02/15/us/florida-shooting-victims-school/index.html. Then, the play on which the narrative is based is the Aristophanes comedy LYSISTRATA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysistrata. In our discussion of John Cusack’s role in the film, we talk about the ‘white saviour’ complex: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_savior_narrative_in_film. Bagger Vance and Adonis Johnson are two movie characters that we mention, at opposite ends of the ‘people of colour on film’ narrative spectrum: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146984, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3076658. Finally, here’s that line from Joseph Heller (don’t ask why, but I could only find this on Ricky Gervais’s Twitter…): https://twitter.com/rickygervais/status/152820326600945664?lang=en.
    29 min
  • 3.22 - BAMBOOZLED (2000) & Satire

    After a significant disclaimer this week, we launch — somewhat trepidatiously — into our next Spike Lee joint: BAMBOOZLED (2000). We talk about how this film didn’t get the critical love it deserved, the camera shots that make it, and the sad deficiencies of contemporary African-American on-screen representation.

    Next Week

    We conclude our Spike Lee month with his most recent film, 2015’s CHI-RAQ

    This Week’s Media

    FANTASTIC FOUR: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER (2007): Tim Story, Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba
    BLACK PANTHER (2018): Ryan Coogler, Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan

    Recommendations

    DEEP BLUE SEA (1999): Renny Harlin, Saffron Burrows, Thomas Jane
    SCREAM 2 (1997): Wes Craven, David Arquette, Neve Campbell
    LAST ACTION HERO (1993): John McTiernan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, F. Murray Abraham
    THE MATRIX RELOADED (2003) and THE MATRIX: REVOLUTIONS (2003): The Wachowskis, Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne

    Footnotes

    Firstly, the Spike Lee film on which we didn’t have time to focus this month, but from which this film takes its name, is the Denzel Washington vehicle MALCOLM X, available here. This book is a good introduction to the history of blackface in American popular culture, and this has interesting things to say about race, class, and minstrelsy. Here are a couple of interesting reviews of the film. This is similar to the infamous picture at which Pierre Delacroix looks, and which Sam mentions. This is the former NAACP leader to whom Rob refers. And finally, here’s a really enjoyable review of the film with which Rob started (and we finished).

    34 min
  • 3.21 - DO THE RIGHT THING (1989) & Morality

    Spike Lee Month continues with his 1989 classic DO THE RIGHT THING. We’re both (spoiler alert) very positive about the film, before getting into discussions of right and wrong, racial tension, and police brutality (keeping it light!), as well as EMPIRE RECORDS, DIE HARD 3, and the very sad continued relevance of Lee’s film.

    Next Week

    Next in the Spike Lee mini-series is 2000’s BAMBOOZLED, available on DVD here

    This Week’s Media

    BUNKS (2013): Jennifer Pertsch, Dylan Schmid, Atticus Mitchell
    SAS: WHO DARES WINS (S2): Shaun Dooley, Ant Middleton, Colin Barr

    Recommendations

    LEON (1994): Luc Besson, Jean Reno, Gary Oldman
    OKJA (2017): Bong Joon-ho, Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano
    I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (2016): Raoul Peck, James Baldwin, Rémi Grellety
    GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS (1992): James Foley, Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon

    Footnotes

    As Sam said, we could easily spend much longer on this film; we do have to move on, though, so here are a few notes on this week’s episode. First up, here’s a link to Immanuel Kant’s philosophy (Rob started with the big hitters, this week). Next, here is a primer on the (perceived) MLKJr/Malcolm X dichotomy. This is a good article on the making of the film. And this has some interesting things to say about the scary timelessness of the movie.

    37 min
  • 3.20 - SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT (1986) & Choice

    Our next director is a Goliath of American film: Spike Lee. We start with his 1986 ‘joint’ SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT: reviews, tentative thoughts on African-American cinema, and why this film was ahead of its time.

    Next Week

    Our next Spike Lee joint is possibly his most famous movie, DO THE RIGHT THING (1989), which is available on YouTube

    This Week’s Media

    ALL TOGETHER NOW (2018): Rob Beckett, Geri Horner, James Fox
    NOW YOU SEE ME (2013): Louis Leterrier, Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo

    Recommendations

    TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (1991): James Cameron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton STRAIGHT OUT OF BROOKLYN (1991): Matty Rich, George T. Odom, Ann D. Sanders
    CLERKS (1994): Kevin Smith, Brian O’Halloran, Jeff Anderson
    COFFEE AND CIGARETTES (2003): Jim Jarmusch, Bill Murray, Tom Waits

    Footnotes

    It’s a book-heavy week this week (unsurprising, given the political and racial concerns of our directorial subject). This is a good introduction to black American cinema. We don’t talk much about Lee’s musical segment in this film, but this is enlightening. After Rob’s thoughts on independent cinema, this is a good article on some of the films which came in the decade after SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT. Finally, thanks to @sean_batten again for his help with the Prestige audio.

    32 min
  • 3.19 - BIRDMAN (2014) & Renown

    Our last Iñárritu film is 2014’s BIRDMAN, OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE) (don’t worry: that’s the last time we’ll use the subtitle). We offer fairly similar reviews, before talking about style over substance and the director’s views on the superhero genre — and we end with some concluding thoughts on Iñárritu’s oeuvre.

    Next Week

    Our next mini-season is all about Spike Lee — we start with his 1986 breakout SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT, available here.

    This Week’s Media

    ANTFARM DICKHOLE (2011): Bill Zebub, Mike Nastri, Jessica Mazo
    STAR TREK: DISCOVERY (2017–): Akiva Goldsman, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones
    MCMAFIA (2018–): James Watkins, James Norton, David Strathairn

    Recommendations

    ROUNDERS (1998): John Dahl, Matt Damon, Edward Norton
    THE REVENANT (2015): Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy
    THE TREE OF LIFE (2011): Terrence Malick, Brad Pitt, Sean Penn
    VICTORIA (2015): Sebastian Schipper, Laia Costa, Frederick Lau

    Footnotes

    There’s an intro to the basics of magic(/al) realism here. Here’s our standard link to something on the subject of Chekov’s Gun, a concept that gets another airing this week. There are some interesting thoughts on social media notoriety here and here. Finally, the IMDB page for Emmanuel Lubezki is worth a read, if only to marvel at the extent of his body of work, particularly as cinematographer

    36 min
  • 3.18 - BABEL (2006) & (Mis)Communication

    The next Ińárritu offering — and the last in a ‘trilogy’ that began with AMORES PERROS — is the 2006 film BABEL. We have fairly similar takes on the movie, and this is followed by broader discussions about language, Westernisation, and the purpose of the film.

    Next Week

    Our final Ińárritu film is 2014’s BIRDMAN OR (THE UNEXPECTED VALUE OF IGNORANCE), available on Amazon

    This Week’s Media

    HOW NOT TO BE A BOY (2017): Robert Webb
    THE BABYSITTER (2017): McG, Judah Lewis, Samara Weaving

    Recommendations

    PACIFIC RIM (2013): Guillermo del Toro, Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam
    THE NEON DEMON (2016): Nicolas Winding Refn, Elle Fanning, Christina Hendricks
    13 ASSASSINS (2010...not 2013, as confidently asserted): Takashi Miike, Koji Yakusho, Takayuki Yamada
    UTOPIA (2013-14): Marc Munden, Adeel Akhtar, Paul Higgins

    Footnotes

    First this week, I’ve searched long and hard for the origins of the ‘Trilogy of Death’ label, to no avail; answers on a postcard... This review is broadly positive, at least with respect to the Japanese narrative strand of the movie. This is a good introduction to the idea of ‘the idiot plot’. Finally, here’s more on the Biblical story of the Tower of Babel, to which the title refers.

    33 min
  • 3.17 - 21 GRAMS (2003), Change, & Grief

    Our next Iñárritu film sees him move from Spanish to English (although the change of language doesn’t indicate a change in mood!) with 21 GRAMS (2003). We talk about screen presentations of grief and the way that the impact of cinema changes over time — and one of us changes his mind a little about the movie...

    Next Week

    Iñárritu stays in English for the last in his ‘Death Trilogy’: BABEL (also available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.co.uk/BABEL-Cate-Blanchett/dp/B00FYNX6TU

    This Week’s Media

    TOKYO TRIBE (2014): Sion Sono, Ryōhei Suzuki, Riki Takeuchi
    BACK (2017): Simon Blackwell, David Mitchell, Robert Webb
    F.R.I.E.N.D.S (1994-2004): David Crane, Marta Kauffman, Jennifer Aniston

    Recommendations

    SWINGERS (1996): Doug Liman, Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn
    THE WORLD’S END (2013): Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost
    SICARIO (2015): Denis Villeneuve, Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro
    BIG EYES (2014): Tim Burton, Amy Adams, Christoph Waltz
    UN CHIEN ANDALOU (1929): Luis Buñuel, Salvador Dalí, Pierre Batcheff

    Footnotes

    First, this week, apologies if Sam’s audio is even more ropey than usual (which, incidentally, isn’t for lack of trying! apparently even a fancy new mic didn’t quite do the trick): blame the whirrings of an ancient computer fan. Second, on the subject of revisiting cultural artefacts and one of the TV shows we talk about this week, this is an interesting and funny take on some of the relationships in FRIENDS: https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/amp11807508/joey-rachel-friends-together. This is an in-depth piece on one of the greatest practitioners of the ‘mosaic film-making’ style Rob describes: https://cinephiliabeyond.org/filmmakers-masterclass-with-andrei-tarkovsky-cinema-is-a-mosaic-made-of-time. Here’s a reminder of the details of the ‘bleach bypass’ technique: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bleach_bypass. Finally, here’s more on the artistic movement that spawned Rob’s final recommendation: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surrealism

    38 min
  • 3.16 - AMORES PERROS (2000) & Violence

    The first in our season of films by Alejandro González Iñárritu (the accents are getting a workout this month!) is his 2000 breakout feature film, AMORES PERROS. We talk about differing reactions to the movie (two of them from one person, over 15 years!), the way that its violent themes often inform the way that it’s put together, and the essentially very optimistic ending.

    Next Week

    The next Iñárritu film is the 2003 follow-up, 21 GRAMS (available on Amazon video: http://amzn.to/2CBrJiP)

    This Week’s Media

    THE BOY IN THE DRESS (2014): Matt Lipsey, David Walliams, Billy Kennedy
    DIRTY GRANDPA (2016): Dan Mazer, Robert De Niro, Zac Efron
    THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (2017): Michael Gracey, Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron

    Recommendations

    LA HAINE (1995): Mathieu Kassovitz, Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé
    200 CIGARETTES (1999): Risa Bramon Garcia, Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck
    Y TU MAMA TAMBIÉN (2001): Alfonso Cuarón, Maribel Verdú, Gael Garcia Bernal
    LA MALA EDUCACIÓN (2004): Pedro Almodóvar, Gael Garcia Bernal, Fele Martinez

    Footnotes

    Firstly, this week, here’s a link to the episode on the predecessor we discuss: http://www.kaiju.fm/prestige/3-08-dodeska-den-1970-and-dreams/. Then, this is an interesting piece on a (previously mentioned) movement to which Rob refers:http://learnaboutfilm.com/soviet-montage. Here are two good articles on the various aspects of film editing covered in Iñárritu’s work: https://www.raindance.org/the-6-stages-of-editing-as-a-film-director & https://www.filmcomment.com/article/the-close-up-films-that-changed-filmmaking.

    33 min
  • 3.15 - REVIEW OF 2017

    In this week’s episode we reveal our Top 5s.

    Will there be any overlaps, or is there some characteristic Prestige disagreement?

    Happy 2018, everyone

    35 min

About The Prestige

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A podcast for cinephiles of all stripes. Join Rob & Sam, two life-long friends, one a veteran of the film industry, the other a Cambridge-educated writer on books, movies and graphic novels. Each…