Vintage Cinema Rewind

What do two film nerds and a chunk of jagged ice have in common? Both are about to climb inside the Titanic, and both are rapidly melting. Join us as we unpack James Cameron's groundbreaking, decade-defining success (the first one, anyway), and the ways it has impacted the last quarter century of cinema.

Where to watch: Titanic - movie: where to watch streaming online (justwatch.com)

Three podcasters. Nine movies. It’s our first ever movie draft on VCR! Each of us selected 3 movies based on the preselected categories of Genre, Director, or Wild Card and presented our selections to each other and you. Who drafted the best three movies? What are you most excited to watch? Let us know in the comments below!

Where to find each of the movies: https://www.justwatch.com/ 

On this week's episode we welcome a special guest on the podcast, Mike! For his first episode, he decided to go big with the critically and historically significant Italian film 8½. Federico Fellini's classic surreal dramedy about a director struggling with director's block which mirrors his own experience making the film became an influential piece of filmmaking history and has inspired many of the most important directors over the past 50 years. We discuss who this movie may be for in today's cinematic viewing, break down some of the more surreal scenes, and shed light on the background of the director to provide context for this conceptually difficult movie.

Stay tuned for the next episode where we do our first movie draft!

Where to watch: 8½ - movie: where to watch streaming online (justwatch.com)

For part two of Marilyn Monroe Month on the podcast, we covered the 1959 hit comedy, Some Like It Hot. Starring alongside Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, this is the Monroe movie you won't want to miss! We discuss whether the comedy still holds up in 2022 and some of our favourite scenes, while reflecting on Monroe's career and some of the personal struggles she was dealing with at the time of production.

Where to watch: Some Like It Hot - movie: watch streaming online (justwatch.com)

This month on the podcast we're celebrating the filmography of Marilyn Monroe, one of the most iconic and culturally significant actresses of all time. For part one of our two part series we looked at Monroe's most commercially successful films, The Seven Year Itch. Also starring Tom Ewell and directed by the great Billy Wilder, this film includes one of the most iconic images of Marilyn Monroe's life (and it isn't what you imagine)! Stay tuned for part two where we explore the classic film Some Like it Hot.

In addition, we have a special announcement regarding a movie draft which we're really excited to be doing in September. Feel free to drop some ideas regarding the categories we've selected in the comments below!

Where to watch: The Seven Year Itch - movie: watch streaming online (justwatch.com)

Shark Weeeeeek! For our first shark week on the podcast, we decided to watch the 1975 summer blockbuster Jaws directed by Steven Spielberg. Both our first time viewing, we discuss how well the movie has held up nearly 50 years later, an iconic score, memorable quotes and some of the most tense scenes ever filmed. 

Where to watch: Jaws - movie: where to watch streaming online (justwatch.com)

In the most recent episode of VCR we went on an adventure into the Sword and Sorcery genre with the 1982 film that put Arnold Schwarzenegger on the acting map, Conan the Barbarian! It was a very fun, nostalgic trip into the peak of gutter Arnold sounds, funny haircuts, snake arrows, and of course sorcery. Check it out below.

(One more apology for the audio, we've done some tuning between episodes and finally have things cleaned up)

Where to watch: Conan the Barbarian - movie: watch streaming online (justwatch.com)

On VCR’s first foreign vintage movie we went back to 1962 with one of Kobayashi’s best, Harakiri. This gut-wrenching, or rather spilling, film explores what happens when honorable and code bound Samurai lose everything and become Ronin.

We had a lot of fun viewing and discussing this one; everything from the filmography and story telling, to the characters and soundtrack is boiled down to the simplest and most powerful levels of contrast. Check out the discussion below!

Where to watch: Harakiri - movie: where to watch streaming online (justwatch.com)

Part 2 of our Michael Mann director series is finally here, with the 1995 Crime Thriller Heat. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro face off in one of the most epic heist films of all time, inspired heavily by real life people and events. With a notable supporting cast, fast paced branching story, you won't even feel the 3 hour runtime of this movie. We talk who this movie is for, interesting behind the scenes trivia, and revisit and dissect some of our favorite scenes.

Check out part 1 of our Michael Mann series, Thief (1981).

Where to watch: Heat - movie: where to watch streaming online (justwatch.com)

This month we're diving into the filmography of Michael Mann. Our first film discussion is centered around the Neo-Noir Crime film Thief (1981), Michael Mann's feature film debut. Starring James Caan, Tuesday Weld and Willie Nelson, this film is rich with characters and rooted heavily in the real life exploits of Chicago criminals which were on set consulting during the filming. This film was a blast to discuss and dive into the making of, it's legacy on Hollywood in the 80's and our own personal reviews. 

Stay tuned for part two of the Michael Mann series, where we discuss what could be Michael Mann's magnum opus film Heat.

Where to watch: Thief - movie: where to watch streaming online (justwatch.com)