This Movie Saved My Life

John and Miles talk about films set in the desert, The Batman, The Godfather 50th anniversary restoration, and Euphoria.

Last weekend, Miles and John planned on recording a spoiler-filled take on Worst Person in the World. As we release the episode, we would like to offer a statement of solidarity with the Ukrainian people:

"John and I firmly stand for the Ukrainian people facing a senseless war against Putin and his delusional and cruel regime. 

We strongly encourage you visit (for example) the NPR and Fortune Magazine’s list of comprehensive resources to assist in any way you can, as well as to check social media as it seems new and increasingly direct ways to help appear every day. 

We wanted to take a moment to recognize that the Ukrainian culture, people, and art including their filmmaking, are a unique and rich identity from their neighbors and have listed some of note that you can watch at Criterion Channel, Netflix and elsewhere.

Thank you, and if you yourself are in Ukraine, John and I are wishing you and your families, your pets, neighbors and community safety and that you may return home soon. We may be a world away but we are thinking of you and watching.

-Miles F

 Ukrainian Filmmakers

Kira Muratova:

• Filmmaker whose work spans the Soviet and post-Soviet period. 
• Films were heavily criticized and censored by Soviet authorities
• From Sight and Sound: “Her films challenge contemporary life in a profound and uncomfortable way. Muratova always held her finger on the pulse, or rather poked it into the open wounds – such deep-rooted flaws of human nature as evil and cruelty. Muratova’s films possessed an inimitable lightness in a complex narrative fragmentation, seemingly stitched together with dialogues that expose the absurdity of speech.”

Notable work:

• Brief Encounters (1967)
• Long Farewells (1971)
• Three Stories (1997)
• Second Class Citizens (2001)

Alexander Dovzhenko:

• Import Soviet filmmaker alongside Sergei Eisenstein, Dziga Vertov, and Vsevolod Pudovkin. 
• His film Earth (1930) is a must see!

Alexander Rodnyansky:

• From Kyiv. Director of Leviathan (2014)

Oleg Sentsov:

Rhino (2019)

Second Class Citizens (2001)

Valentyn Vasyanovych:

• The Tribe (2014) – A MUST SEE FILM!
• Atlantis (2019)
• Reflection (2021)

Maryna Er Gorbach:

• Klondike (2022) – released this year

Natalia Vorozhbyt:

• Bad Roads (2020)

Nariman Aliev:

• Homeward (2019)

Iryna Tsilyk:

• The Earth is Blue as an Orange (2020)

Yuri Ilyenko:

• Cinematographer on Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (Sergei Parajanov, 1965)
• The White Bird Marked with Black (1971)

John and Miles clash swords over samurai films, Licorice Pizza, The Worst Person in the World, and A Bronx Tale. Oh, and if you're a musician or in a band, we'd love to hear from you. 

Listen as we talk about German cinema, Noir City Festival, the 90s, and why John sounds like Jim Jarmusch.

What makes Eyes Wide Shut the best Christmas movie ever? Join John and Miles as they discuss Stanley Kubrick's swan song and other recent films they've seen in the run up to the holidays. 

John and Miles talk about Squid Game, House of Gucci, Dune, Tiger King, and more. 

It's our favorite time of year. Listen as Miles and John talk about why October is their favorite month for movies. 

Listen as Miles and I discuss Them Andersen's Los Angeles Plays Itself and David Lynch's Mulholland Drive in the first installment of our recurring "Los Angeles and Cinema" series. 

Join John and Miles as they stay up all night watching movies. What films did they pick? Find out in our latest episode. 

Listen as Miles and I discuss why Kubrick's masterpiece Barry Lyndon is "the greatest virtual reality film ever made."