Today we’re joined by visionary filmmaker Pete Ohs, director of Erupcja, Jethica, and The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick. We kick things off talking about script doctoring, first-time actors, and Pete’s process of “living the story” through which he's able to write, shoot, and direct feature films in remarkably quick, concentrated productions. As you might expect, collaboration and trust are the key ingredients.

From there we dive into the prism, SHOOT THE DRIVER, which is all about Coens characters making chaotic and surprising choices that are so shocking and anti-authority that they leave the audience almost dumbfounded. "Why would they do that???" is the question we keep coming back to, and the answers bear fascinating fruit. You're gonna dig this one; it's a classic episode!

Thanks again to Pete for joining us! Thanks also in advance if you can make it to Jordan's screening of his short film BAD VIBES at Low Cinema on September 5th, 2026. Please RSVP and reserve a spot if you know you can make it, and spread the word!

Coens covered: A Serious Man, Barton Fink, Burn After Reading, Honey Don‘t!

Plus: Obex (dir: Albert Birney)

Jethica on MUBI
Erupjca on Apple TV

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This Memorial Day weekend we are celebrating the life of Ray’s mom, filmmaker Mary Cybulski. We start by discussing a retrospective of Mary’s experimental short films, co-directed with John Tintori, which will screen this Sunday at the Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center. 

We then hear from two of Mary’s longtime collaborators, Tony Gilroy and John Sayles. Ray also discusses his mom’s career in a film-by-film “lightning round” inspired by (the God) LexG. Finally we end on an excerpt from a conversation between Mary and Mark Ruffalo about point of view, performance, and family.

The Short Films of Mary Cybulski & John Tintori 
Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center
Sunday May 24, 11am

Today we’re keeping it light, mostly with scenes of horrific violence, all of which evoke a paradoxical sensation, a strange weightlessness like you feel at the top of a rollercoaster. This is THE LIGHT TOUCH. Think Wade Gustafson’s jacket expelling feathers in Fargo, or Moon’s God-fearing monologue in True Grit. We conclude with a deep dive into the ending of Raising Arizona, which is perhaps the ultimate manifestation of a lightness that’s unreliable yet unshakeable. We also discuss the multitude of Lump-like characters in the Coens ouvre, and follow up on our Point of View episode with some rad listener contributions from the Discord!

Coens covered: Fargo, The Man Who Wasn’t There, The Ladykillers, True Grit, Raising Arizona

Plus: Night of the Hunter

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It’s movie night in New York City! Join us for some roving recording as we pound the cobblestones of Manhattan and take in two films in vastly different formats: Robert Altman’s Short Cuts in glorious 35mm and Sam Raimi’s Send Help in sensuous 4DX.

Along the way we discuss Raymond Carver’s short stories, Altman’s influence on hyperlink cinema, Cast Away as an archetype of 21st century filmmaking, and why Raimi is the king of disgusting CG animals.

Want to join the study group? Follow TTWS on social media, tell your friends to listen, and leave a rating & review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. These all really help the show. And join the Discord too!

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For all things TTWS visit tothewhitesea.me

You are about to listen to a mega episode. Charged up and sans guest, we dive deep into a core facet of moviemaking and film-viewing: point of view—the power of films to invisibly place you behind the eyes, and inside the mind, of a specific character. Jumping off from two dynamite script pages, and pulling crucial info from our film studies education, we explore how subjectivity is essentially inescapable as soon as a camera angle is chosen. We also turn our attention to what “objectivity” could possibly mean in a cinematic context, what happens when multiple POV characters collide, and whether we may have found the most perfect pair of socks for a cold weather film set.

Coens covered: Barton Fink, Touileries (from Paris, je t'aime), Fargo, A Serious Man, True Grit, Inside Llewyn Davis, Hail, Caesar!, The Gal Who Got Rattled (from Buster Scruggs)

Plus: Frankenstein (2025), Amélie

Want to join the study group? Follow us on social media, tell your friends about the show, and leave a rating/review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. These all really help. And join the Discord too!

**You can also support us directly at https://ko-fi.com/tothewhitesea**

For all things TTWS visit tothewhitesea.me