Trilogy in Theory

On this episode we challenge the new documentary LIFE ANIMATED to make us fall in love with Disney films. Given that we are cynical by nature, to take on this task we seek inspiration in other cartoonists and how they approach the process of making art in the Harvey Pekar biopic AMERICAN SPLENDOR and a documentary on the making of a South Park episode 6 DAYS TO AIR.

On this, our 250th episode, we celebrate not only over 250 hours of producing the equivalent of film discussion farts, we actually have a new release on farting to go with it. In SWISS ARMY MAN Paul Dano is inspired to live again by a farting corpse played by Daniel Radcliffe. This buddy comedy inspires us to find more life affirming dead bodies in film, so we present to you a double feature of Alfred Hitchcock’s THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY vs. WAKING NED DEVINE.

On this episode returning hater Web Bist joins the podcast to defend our land against an invasion of sea creatures in MARCH OF THE PENGUINS and Stephen Chow’s THE MERMAID. This double feature has been inspired by new release THE SHALLOWS.

On this episode, two Woody Allen superfans try to manage his talent in the director’s film BROADWAY DANNY ROSE. Unfortunately a strange mob subplot in that movie has us heading to Los Angeles with John Travolta as he attempts to GET SHORTY. This double feature on talent wranglers has been inspired by new release GENIUS.

On this episode we bring in our resident clown expert, JD Duran of InSession Film to face his fears and a double feature of Stephen King's IT and Kevin Smith’s buddies in VULGAR. This particular combination has been inspired by Jon Watts’ new film, which is actually his first film, CLOWN.

On this episode writer and director Joseph Pernice joins me to discuss his new film CHASING YESTERDAY, which inspires a conversation on young people using sports to escape their small town and small minded people in BREAKING AWAY and WHIP IT.

On this episode film critic Erica Peplin joins me in a discussion on new release MAGGIE’S PLAN, a film about an odd strategy to reunite a divorced couple, which inspires a conversation with Margo from the podcast Book vs. Movie on PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED and Steven Soderbergh’s OCEAN’S ELEVEN. And while we fawn over the obvious heartthrobs Clooney, Damon, and Pitt… we save our love for show favorite Bill Hader.

On this episode we enjoy a bit of motherhood, a bit of death, and a whole lot of Penelope Cruz in a triple feature starring this great actress. In two previous films with her frequent collaborator Pedro Almodovar, ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER and VOLVER, Cruz plays a woman doing what she can to protect her child’s future in the face of death. This is also the premise of her latest film MA MA.

On this episode we look at lives suspended by the loss of youth in LITTLE CHILDREN and CHILDREN OF MEN. In the former, Kate Winslet and Patrick Wilson play a married couple whose affair recaptures a passion in their lives that they no longer feel with their own families, and in the latter families aren’t being made anymore as Clive Owen becomes responsible for the care of a woman who has given birth to the first child in almost two decades. But first we discuss documentary that is not an easy watch, but is ultimately very rewarding in new release PERVERT PARK.

On this episode we travel to Brooklyn to look at a great real estate investment with one of the Fabulous Baker Boys in Hal Ashby’s first film THE LANDLORD. This little-seen gem which was out of circulation for decades goes up against new release HIGH-RISE in a look at the relationship between tenants and landlords in film. But first, an even newer release with CASH ONLY which you currently find on iTunes and other VOD services.