Wrong Reel

In this episode, the gang delves into the life and work of one of film's biggest contributors to the art of film of the latter half of the 20th century, John Cassavetes. Paying particular attention to "Faces" and "A Woman Under the Influence," Parker, James, and Mikhail discuss the raw emotional power of Cassavetes' undisputedly unique style of filmmaking.

00:00 - 19:55 - Introductions/News

19:56 - 51:51 - Faces

51:52 - 1:22:12 - A Woman Under the Influence

1:22:13 - 1:29:34 - Closing Remarks

1:29:35 - 1:34:13 - Bloopers/Dramatic Reading

With the release of David Cronenberg's new Hollywood satire/ghost story "Maps to the Stars" we take the opportunity to review the new film and compare the two major stages of Cronenberg's career as bodily horror maestro and art house director.

00:00 - 10:47 - Introductions/News

10:48 - 43:32 - "Maps to the Stars" Review

43:33 - 1:12:50 - "Dead Ringers" Review

1:12:51 - 1:17:59 - Closing Remarks/Upcoming Episodes

"Wild Tales" is not only the biggest indigenous hit in Argentina's history, but also puts the world on notice that a filmmaker named Damián Szifrón is out there making some of the most blackhearted, hysterical cinema imaginable. In this episode we also look back at Lucrecia Martel's film "La Ciénaga" (2001), a movie often described as Chekhov in contemporary Argentina.

In this week's episode we offer up some Oscar predictions before diving into an intense discussion of the films of John Carpenter, a director whose films had an enormous impact on our childhoods.

Matthew Vaughn's latest film "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is not just a deliriously entertaining nod to the classic spy movies of the past, the movie also tips its hat to the Arthurian Legends that were captured so well in John Boorman's classic "Excalibur" (1981) now playing at the New York Film Forum alongside his other films. In this episode we leap to the defense of Matthew Vaughn's latest movie which is under attack by humorless critics with a blatant agenda while also singing the praises of "Excalibur", the best adult fantasy movie ever made.

In honor of the retrospective of John Boorman's work at the Film Forum (Feb 11th-17th) we recorded our second commentary episode while watching Boorman's truly strange and offbeat post-apocalyptic adventure film "Zardoz" (1974). Starring Sean Connery and Charlotte Rampling in a film often described as the best bad movie ever made, we try and determine for ourselves if this is a misunderstood classic deserving of rediscovery.

This week we review the latest sci-fi extravaganza from the imagination of the Wachowskis. Sadly the experience fell short of our expectations. Thankfully we rebound with the animated cult classic "Heavy Metal" (1981) and wallow in all of its juvenile glory.

Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, Xavier Dolan's "Mommy" is a groundbreaking new film employing a rare 1:1 aspect ratio. After our review we look back at the classic "Leave Her to Heaven" (1945), a movie often described as a film noir in color starring Gene Tierney in the role of a lifetime.

We enter strange new territory in the world of S&M as depicted in Peter Strickland's new film "The Duke of Burgundy" now available in limited release in the US and on VOD. We close the episode with a look at the dark, often misunderstood, films of Todd Solondz and his masterpiece "Happiness".

In an episode that will go down in infamy as the one that nearly killed the podcast, we celebrate the centennial of Orson Welles and discuss the incredible retrospective of his work at the New York Film Forum.