The Trace

I look at Spielberg's "E.T." and the hope included in the Impossible and Event.  This is contrasted with the terror of "Alien".  The result is a hopeful take on transformation in the individual.  

Caitlin Sherman is a Seattle singer-songwriter with loads of soul and talent.  We sat down to talk about some of the films and music of 1982.  With films we talked about the impossible good that can happen in life with “ET” and then how the impossible bad can take place with John Carpenters “The Thing”.  Finally, we discuss the power and beauty that sad music can have and Bruce Springsteen’s lonely masterpiece “Nebraska”.

In this episode we will take a look at how scapegoating and "othering" works itself out in the world.  The taxi driver Travis in the Scorsese film takes out his own self-hatred onto everyone around him.  In our world this can come out in forms of racism, misogyny, homophobia, and other forms of scapegoating.  I use the thoughts and words of James Baldwin to show another way that leads us towards empathy.

In this episode I contrast the new documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor" with "Fight Club".  This may sound like a stretch but they have very different understandings of the self which make for a quality comparison.  So come along with me as we look at both Mr Rogers and Tyler Durden.

I immediately have to give a disclaimer because I am deconstructing a Woody Allen film.  I don’t really want to get into the details of controversy surrounding his life.  Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and many of his films, do a unique job of showing how privilege and despair can go hand in hand.  His own nihilistic worldview is clearly seen in his movies although he can sneak in some genuine hope in Radio Days and Midnight in Paris.  This particular work is a perfect next step after previous episodes on The Godfather and Goodfellas because it explores similar questions of identity in the context of white privilege as opposed to immigrants in America.  

Hannah Haddix was born in 1987.  Hannah is an artist, occultist, and all around wonderful person.  We talk about the “Satanic Panic” of the 1980’s, the beneficial role that psychelics have played in her own spiritual development, and the movies “Angel Heart”, “Walker”, and “Wings of Desire”.

This is a special episode where I interract with audio clips from Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas.  The film is a wonderful example of how finding identity in power and privilege leads to despair.  Of course, the movie is extremely entertaining.  I think part of this is due to how honest and direct the characters own up to their own desire.

Eric Stone is a filmmaker from Seattle, Washington.  He and I actually went to high school together and have talked movies for untolds amounts of hours throughout our friendship.  We discuss his birth year and the films The Shining, The Empire Strikes Back, and Raging Bull.  You will also be treated to a good rant against Forrest Gump and The Shawshank Redemption from Mr. Stone.  We naturally veer into the political on ocassion as well of course.

Tony Fulgham is a filmmaker based in Seattle and someone who has done a lot of personal work on the ideas of white, male privilege.  We talk about how these explicit and implicit ideologies make it into the movies and our own understandings of the self.  We touch on American westerns with "The Wild Bunch" and "Butch Cassidy" while then getting into the late-60’s counter-culture with "Easy Rider" and "Midnight Cowboy".  Check out Tony Fulgham’s work at www.alliswellstudios.com.

Jeff Sessions does not understand Jesus, Paul, or the Bible.  This is my response to his authoritarian, wicked interpretation of some statements of Paul taken completely out of context from the Letter to the Romans. This is political commentary just as much as it is religious.  Love the neighbor!