The Prestige

By KaijuFMTV & Film

The Prestige episodes

November 24, 2019 4.22 - DEAD POETS SOCIETY (1989) and Poetry
Our film this week is the 1989 Peter Weir film (and Robin Williams vehicle) DEAD POETS SOCIETY. After our usual reviews, we talk about the aesthetics of this film and its evocative nature, how this film is not like either LOVE ACTUALLY or AVENGERS, and why high school films are often like dreams.
Next Time
Next time, our high school season continues with the 1993 Richard Linklater film DAZED AND CONFUSED.
Recent Media
MASTERCHEF: THE PROFESSIONALS (2008–): Franc Roddam, Gregg Wallace, Monica Galetti
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 — PARABELLUM (2019): Chad Stahelski, Keanu Reeves, Halle Berry
Recommendations
HOUSE (2004–12): Greg Yaitanes, Hugh Laurie, Omar Epps
INSOMNIA (2002): Christopher Nolan, Al Pacino, Robin Williams
THE HISTORY BOYS (2006): Alan Bennett, Nicholas Hytner, Richard Griffiths
THE CARS THAT ATE PARIS (1974): Peter Weir, John Meillon, Terry Camilleri
DON’T TELL MOM THE BABYSITTER’S DEAD (1991): Stephen Herek, Christina Applegate, Joanna Cassidy
THE SECRET HISTORY (1992): Donna Tartt
Footnotes
Firstly, here’s Roger Ebert’s rather caustic review of the film: www.rogerebert.com/reviews/dead-poets-society-1989. Then, somewhat in support of this — though not entirely, as we discuss — here are some clips of Robin Williams in full ‘stage comedian’ performance mode (including some full-length shows): www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcnFbCCgTo4, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewtfs-T4aNM, www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0ran3tHy6Q. This is a little more on the subject of Shakespearean tragedy: www.owlcation.com/humanities/Shakespearean-Tragedy-Definition-and-Characteristics-of-Shakespearean-Tragedy. And on the theme of transformation as explored in Midsummer Night’s Dream (for an English teacher, Shmoop is a godsend!): www.shmoop.com/midsummer-nights-dream/transformation-theme.html. Finally, here’s a little something on sequels in high school film; the fact that there are fewer than 10 successful franchises on this list (some of them really don’t count! especially those which are really straightforward re-boots) is telling: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_teen_films.
34 min
November 10, 2019 4.21 - THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985) and Endings (or Not)
This week sees the start of our mini-season of high school movies, beginning with the seminal John Hughes film THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985). After some reviews, we talk about how character depth is important to a film about stereotypes, why detention really doesn’t work, and whether or not being a teenager is ever about having an ending (this makes sense in context, I promise...).
Next Time
The next film in our high school season is 1989’s DEAD POETS SOCIETY.
Recent Media
FOR ALL MANKIND (2019): Ronald D. Moore, Joel Kinnaman, Michael Dorman
HYPOTHETICAL (2019): Josh Widdicombe, Tom Craine, James Acaster
Recommendations
THE DARK KNIGHT (2008): Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Heath Ledger
FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (1986): John Hughes, Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck
PITCH PERFECT (2012): Jason Moore, Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow
ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS (2004): Mark Hartley, Menahem Golan, Yoram Globus
TEACHING MRS TINGLE (1999): Kevin Williamson, Helen Mirren, Katie Holmes
THE DARK BACKWARD (1991): Adam Rifkin, Judd Nelson, Bill Paxton
Footnotes
Firstly, Rob mentions in passing the idea of a ‘bottle’ episode; more on that, here: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BottleEpisode. Here’s more on the difference between a stereotype and an archetype: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/91071/archetype-vs-stereotype. After we spent some time thinking about the adult characters in this film — and Sam watched it from the perspective of a teacher! — this article is interesting: https://guff.com/this-is-why-principal-vernon-is-the-true-hero-of-the-breakfast-club. Finally, this seems a good place to start our focus on the high school genre: https://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/23070/1/the-pivotal-moments-in-any-teen.
35 min
October 30, 2019 4.20 - WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS (2014) and Reality
Our focus on the vampire genre ends, suitably enough, with a movie that parodies many of the tropes that have formed this season: 2014’s WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS. After a couple of short reviews of the film, we talk about everything from a focus on the humdrum nature of reality to the importance of Austin Powers, via discussions of mortality and the paradoxical fragility of vampires. How does this movie, in particular, work as a conclusion to our season of vampire films?
Next Week
In a bit of a palate cleanser after our dive into the vampire genre, our next film is the first in our ‘High School’ series; and, rather than starting with the birth of the genre, as we did with vampires/martial arts, we’re opening with the cultural behemoth that is THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985): let’s see where the genre goes from here.
Recent Media
LAND OF THE DEAD (2005): George A. Romero, Simon Baker, Dennis Hopper
COMEDIANS GIVING LECTURES (2019): Sara Pascoe, Nish Kumar, Tash Demetriou
Recommendations
BLACK SHEEP (2006): Jonathan King, Oliver Driver, Nathan Meister
MOANA (2016): Ron Clements, Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson
MEGA TIME SQUAD (2018): Tim van Dammen, Morgan Albrecht, Yoson An
JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (2017): Jake Kasden, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black
Footnotes
Firstly, the film Rob mentions a fair bit as a cultural touchstone — particularly for Viago’s character towards the beginning of the film — is one which we didn’t watch this season, but which is worth watching/reading about: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interview_with_the_Vampire_(film). Thankfully this list does have WWDitS on it (I thought it didn’t at first reading — phew): http://www.sbs.com.au/guide/article/2016/04/28/11-best-mockumentaries-all-time. While we’re looking at lists, this is an interesting one — though only 6 of our 10 movies make it: http://collider.com/best-vampire-movie. Here’s an interview with Daniel Craig on how a perfectly-positioned comedy vehicle can lead to a complete ‘genre re-set’, as happened with vampire films after WWDitS: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/daniel-craig-blame-austin-powers-for-the-super-104242883007.html. Finally, given the weighty topic of mortality on which the film touches towards the end, this list is a good read: www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/lists/10-great-films-about-afterlife.
31 min
October 06, 2019 4.19 - TWILIGHT (2008) and Female Autonomy
This week we take on the cultural and cinematic behemoth that is 2008’s TWILIGHT. After some…contrasting reviews, we have a surprisingly enjoyable (and extended: strap in, listeners!) time talking about genre mash-ups, missed moments of poignancy, the traumas of High School, and how this isn’t really a film about vampires at all.
Next Week
Our film next week, closing the genre of vampire movies, is the 2014 mockumentary WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS.
Recent Media
CELEBRITY MASTERCHEF (2019): Franc Roddam, Gregg Wallace, John Torode
HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 1–3 (2012—18): Genndy Tartakovsky, Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968): George A. Romero, Judith O’Dea, Duane Jones
Recommendations
AMERICAN ULTRA (2015): Nima Nourizadeh, Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart
THE CHILDHOOD OF A LEADER (2015): Brady Corbet, Bérénice Bejo, Liam Cunningham
THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999): Daniel Myrick, Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard
WAITING FOR THE BARBARIANS (2019): J.M. Coetzee, Ciro Guerro, Mark Rylance
Footnotes
Firstly, there are a number of Wikipedia ‘holes’ to disappear down with respect to this film: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire, www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werewolf, www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quileute (Jacob’s tribe of Native Americans), and (one which is relevant in a later film in the series) www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhampir. We mentioned some other films which we’ve covered on the podcast, so here are links to our CLERKS and Linklater episodes: www.kaiju.fm/prestige/clerks-slacker-cinema, www.kaiju.fm/prestige/2-31-before-sunrise-1995-and-time, www.kaiju.fm/prestige/2-32-before-sunset-2004-and-memory, www.kaiju.fm/prestige/2-33-before-midnight-2013-and-change. We talked about the strong female-led legacy of this film, in the decade or so since its release, and this article covers just that: www.theguardian.com/film/2018/nov/02/ten-years-of-twilight-the-extraordinary-feminist-legacy-of-the-panned-vampire-saga. Finally, it seems appropriate, as we’re moving towards the end of our focus on this genre, to include this article: www.collider.com/best-vampire-movies.
41 min
September 23, 2019 4.18 - BLADE (1998) and The Oppressed
This week we take on the classic vampire/superhero/martial arts (what even is it?) film, BLADE (1998). After some glowing reviews, we talk about subcultures in the 90s, before getting onto liminality, race, class, and the various oppressed groups explored in a vampire movie like this.
Next Time
Our next film is the — culturally undoubtedly important, but cinematically maybe questionable (we keep fairly open minds) — behemoth that is TWILIGHT (2008).
Recent Media
CAMP WEDDING (2019): Greg Emetaz, Kelley Gates, Sean Hankinson
JACK WHITEHALL: TRAVELS WITH MY FATHER (S2-3, 2018-19): Jack Whitehall, Michael Whitehall
Recommendations
THE TAO OF STEVE (2000): Jenniphr Goodman, Donal Logue, Greer Goodman
IRON SKY (2012): Timo Vuorensola, Julia Dietske, Christopher Kirby
LUKE CAGE (2016-18): Cheo Hodari Coker, Mike Colter, Simone Missick
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (graphic novel, 1999–2019): Alan Moore, Kevin O’Neill, Bill Oakley
Footnotes
Firstly, this is pretty good on various on-screen subcultures, with quite a lot on the 1990s: http://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/HAKSqLV0xnOIKQ. Rob mentions anxiety surrounding the year 2000; this is an interesting interview about this anxiety in a Christian context (although I can’t find Part I, unfortunately): www.sbclife.net/article/385/y2k-a-christian-response. The Rodney King riots are covered in some detail here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992_Los_Angeles_riots. Given our conversations about Stephen Dorff, this is a fun article (though SD himself is criminally absent): http://screencrush.com/the-25-hottest-bad-guys-in-movies-ranked. And finally, we mentioned in passing how one of the things this film does well is the portrayal of addiction; for other films which do this particularly well, see here: http://riseinmalibu.com/7-tv-film-depict-addiction.
41 min
September 08, 2019 4.17 - VAMPIRE’S KISS (1988) and Parasitism
This week’s film is the 1988 vehicle for a young Nicolas Cage: VAMPIRE’S KISS. After some mixed reviews (this episode is basically one of us trying to persuade the other of the merits of this film…), and a little discussion of aesthetics versus narrative, we talk about misogyny, corporate greed, and the changing symbolism of vampire movies.
Next Time
Next up in our journey through the vampire genre is another film led by an iconic personality of modern Hollywood: the 1998 Wesley Snipes feature BLADE.
Recent Media
KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE (2014): Matthew Vaughn, Colin Firth, Taron Egerton
THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF (2010–): Anna Beattie, Sandi Toksvig, Noel Fielding
Recommendations
KICK-ASS (2010): Matthew Vaughn, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nicolas Cage
FLASHDANCE (1983): Adrian Lyne, Jennifer Beals, Michael Nouri
THE RUNNING MAN (1987): Paul Michael Glaser, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Maria Conchita Alonso
RUSSIAN DOLL (2019): Natasha Lyonne, Greta Lee, Yul Vasquez
Footnotes
This is good on the concept of aesthetics on film, a la Rob: www.filmtheory.org/aesthetics-films, while this is more in Sam’s wheelhouse:
www.study.com/academy/lesson/narrative-film-introduction-history.html. Here’s more about the idea of the yuppie, which we talk about quite extensively: www.study.com/academy/lesson/narrative-film-introduction-history.html/terms/y/yuppie.asp. Finally, having talked a fair bit about misogyny and masculine identity in crisis this week, this is a good book:
www.books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=G5ll1ykr2IkC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=info:heSUVrsrwmgJ:scholar.google.com/&ots=zEb85PzLPu&sig=jl1rG0bwlzsqs65WYODUD5U2SeE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false.
31 min
August 25, 2019 4.16 - GANJA & HESS (1973) and Ecstasy
This week we look at the 1973 film GANJA & HESS. After some pretty favourable reviews, we talk about the thoroughly confusing nature of the film, the idea of cinema as an immersive experience, and the different versions of the movie Bill Gunn was forced into making (and wanted to make) — all the while dancing around the idea of the ecstatic or out-of-body experience. (We don’t actually talk about it in the episode, but it seemed very appropriate as a theme for this week’s Prestige, given our discussions of religion, blood, sex, and race.)
Next Time
We move from the…well, not sublime to the ridiculous, but it is a change of tone! Our next film is the 1989 black comedy VAMPIRE’S KISS.
Recent Media
THE GREAT BRITISH MENU (2006–): Jennie Bond, Mark Bazeley, Wendy Lloyd
THE CHEFS’ BRIGADE (2019–): Jason Atherton, Anna Maxwell Martin
JAMES ACASTER: REPERTOIRE (2018): James Acaster
Recommendations
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968): George A. Romero, Duane Jones, Judith O’Dea
VALHALLA RISING (2009): Nicolas Winding Refn, Mads Mikkelsen, Maarten Stevenson
SCROOGED (1988): Richard Donner, Bill Murray, Karen Allen
GET OUT (2017): Jordan Peele, Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams
Footnotes
After our discussion of the importance of sound in this film, this seems a good article to start off with: www.popularmechanics.com/culture/movies/a19566/a-brief-history-of-sound-in-cinema. It turns out ‘ululation’ is the right word: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ululation. Rob mentions cinéma vérité when discussing the church scenes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinéma_vérité. This book is good on Blaxploitation cinema in general: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=1EeSAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false, and this article has more on BLACULA in particular: https://film.avclub.com/blacula-blew-some-fresh-air-into-a-musty-genre-crypt-1826873409. Finally, given some of what we’ve been talking about in this episode, it seems pertinent to mention the #1619 Project from the NY Times, information on which can be found here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/1619-america-slavery.html.
35 min
August 11, 2019 4.15 - BLACK SABBATH (1963) and Control
This week’s film is the 1963 anthology film BLACK SABBATH. In the course of our reviews, we talk about the two very different versions of the film (Italian and American), before going on to discuss the idea of cinematographic and soundscape intimacy, and lead up to a focus on some thoughts about male control in the vampire genre.
Next Time
Our next film is the 1973 film GANJA AND HESS.
Recent Media
THE GRIP OF FILM (2017): Richard Ayoade
NYPD RED 3 (2015): James Patterson, Marshall Karp
AMERICAN PIE (1999): Paul Weitz, Chris Weitz, Jason Biggs
Recommendations
DR GOLDFOOT AND THE GIRL BOMBS (1966): Mario Bava, Vincent Price, Fabian
TERROR TRACT (2000): Lance W. Dreesen, Clint Hutchison, John Ritter
THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935): James Whale, Boris Karloff, Elsa Lanchester
LA RAGEZZA CHE SAPEVA TROPPO (THE GIRL WHO KNEW TOO MUCH) (1963): Mario Bava, John Saxon, Letícia Román
Footnotes
Firstly, this book has a lot of information on the American film business — and the relationship with Italy — around this time: [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=plztfOxO1HoC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false] . Rob mentions giallo horror at the start of the episode; more on this can be found here. For more on the techniques of locked-off camerawork that we discuss, see here (and this is an excellent piece on a number of effective, iconic cinematographic techniques). There’s more on the nuts-and-bolts of creating a cinematic soundscape here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFOod07iWyE. Finally, this is an interesting thesis (probably don’t read all of it!) on a number of ways in which elements of gender and control play out in cinema: [http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5312&context=etd].
33 min
July 28, 2019 4.14 - CURSE OF THE UNDEAD (1959) and Genre Fusion
This week’s film, in an enforced change to our programming, is the 1959 movie CURSE OF THE UNDEAD. After some initial reviews, we talk about the film’s use of some changes in the vampire genre to focus on ideas of ‘good versus evil’, before talking about why this meeting of the vampire genre and the Western actually does work — and implications it might have for the rest of our mini-season.
Next Time
Our next film is the 1963 film BLACK SABBATH.
Recent Media
MUDBOUND (2017): Dee Rees, Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke
CATCH-22 (2019): George Clooney, Christopher Abbott, Kyle Chandler
AVENGERS ASSEMBLE (2012): Joss Whedon, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans
Recommendations
RAWHIDE (1959–65): Thomas Carr, Clint Eastwood, Paul Brinegar
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959): Alfred Hitchcock, Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint
QUEEN OF OUTER SPACE (1958): Edward Bernds, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Laurie Mitchell
GALLOWWALKERS (2012): Andrew Goth, Wesley Snipes, Kevin Howarth
Footnotes
Firstly, in discussing the predictability of certain film genres, we talked about the idea of stereotypes; this is a fun piece about the perpetuation of certain on-screen types (and Cracked is usually a fun read): www.cracked.com/article_20082_6-insane-stereotypes-that-movies-cant-seem-to-get-over.html. We also talked about iconography on film: www.slideshare.net/spingwoodmedia/iconography-in-film-and-television. And here is a piece on successful genre mashups: www.tasteofcinema.com/2015/15-great-genre-mashup-movies-that-are-worth-watching. Finally, here’s a review of Rob’s final ‘recommendation’ — which doesn’t actually sound that terrible: https://film.avclub.com/wesley-snipes-is-a-zombie-cowboy-or-something-in-the-1798241662. It could be worse; it’s not like it features Johnny Depp as a horribly racist Native American caricature, or anything.
26 min
July 15, 2019 4.13 - RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE (1943) and Disease
This week’s film is the unofficial sequel to last time’s movie, RETURN OF THE VAMPIRE (1943). After some not-entirely favourable reviews, we talk about the creation of a cinematic trope or stereotype, developments in film technology, and the idea of vampirism as infection — or lycanthropy as mental illness.
Next Time
Our next film takes our vampire genre in a Mexican direction, with EL VAMPIRO (1957).
Recent Media
THE CHEF SHOW (2019): Jon Favreau, Roy Choi, Annie Johnson
JESSICA JONES S3 (2019): Stephen Surjik, Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor
Recommendations
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (1940): Robert Z. Leonard, Greer Garson, Laurence Olivier
THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985): Dan O’Bannon, Clu Gulager, James Karen
FANTASIA (1940): Walt Disney, Joe Grant, Samuel Armstrong
DOG SOLDIERS (2002): Neil Marshall, Sean Pertwee, Kevin McKidd
Footnotes
Here’s the promised information on Hammer horror: www.hammerfilms.com. There’s more on ethics in cinema here: www.books.google.co.uk/books?id=QdP_xLImIugC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. This is an article on blocking/movement in cinema: www.nyfa.edu/film-school-blog/the-5-stages-of-blocking-a-scene, which came to mind when seeing the Andreas/Bruckner (or Tesla) or scenes. Finally, here’s that article on DOG SOLDIERS: https://www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/290637/gender-bashing-what-it-means-to-be-a-man-in-dog-soldiers/
27 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…

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About The Prestige