Writing Evil (Cutting Room Floor #226)
Film School
The Darkness is out there. Everyone can feel evil working in the shadows of the real world, however figurative or literal you want to attribute it. So, naturally, evil plays a big part in our stories; it behooves us storytellers to know how to effectively represent it. How do we do that? Josh and Ira talk through their own personal tips and tricks. Also, Josh recommends Hotel Hell, and Ira recommends The Batman, which is on Max.
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The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #48)
Film School
It's the end of the world! Hitch backs up the classic Psycho with another horror film, but this time it's nature itself that's out for humanity rather than one of our own. What would happen if all the birds in the world suddenly turned against us? Would we stand a chance? That's the very simple question at the heart of this one that will have you looking at our feathered friends veerrryyy differently by the end of it. We watch and discuss!
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Level Up! (Cutting Room Floor #225)
Film School
Should I stay or should I go now? It takes SO MUCH EFFORT to reach a plateau--a new level--it can be absolutely daunting to consider doing it all over again to reach the NEXT plateau--the next level. So...how long is it okay to sit back and rest on one's laurels? How long is it okay to stay on one level before mustering up the courage and energy to take on the next? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Ink, which is on Tubi, and Ira (tentatively) recommends Arcane Season One, which is on Netflix.
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Psycho Revisited (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #47)
Film School
We all go a little mad sometimes... Welcome to the birth (debatedly) of the slasher film! Hitch might not have been the absolute FIRST to dive into the mind of a twisted serial killer, but he arguably is the most influential to have ever done it. This movie is...well, quite simply: one of the best films ever made. Anthony Perkins is spectacular, as is the music, the black and white photography, the twists, everything. What a pleasure to go back and watch this one again, and what an ending for what is possibly the greatest three-year-run for any director in history.
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2025 Resolutions, Goals, and Intentions (Cutting Room Floor #224)
Film School
Happy New Year!!! With the holidays now in the rear view, our thoughts turn to the year ahead: 2025. What do you have planned for this coming year? What do you want to get done? Where do you want to go? What do you want to accomplish? Josh and Ira answer those questions for themselves, and we invite you to do the same!
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2024 Retrospective (Cutting Room Floor #223)
Film School
Another year gone! 2024, we hardly knew thee... What will you remember this year for? What's going to come to mind when you think of 2024? What were the victories and the defeats? The adventures? The high points and the low points? Josh and Ira answer those questions for themselves, and invite you to consider and answer for yourself. Here's to 2024!
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Elf
Film School
Buddy the Elf--what’s your favorite color? Will Ferrel brings us a modern holiday classic as the man who was raised by elves up in the North Pole and has just found out he was adopted...so off he goes to meet his real father in the land of humans: New York City. It's Ferrel at his best, the fish out of water, the giant fool with a heart of gold and innocent wisdom...which is also perfect for Christmas. We watch and discuss!
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The Family Man
Film School
I've seen what we could be like together... Nicholas Cage has it all! The penthouse apartment, the eight-figure bank account, and all the solitude in the world. What else could a man want? Well, he's about to fin dout. A mysterious Don Cheadle plops him into the middle of what his life would have been like had he chosen love and family instead. It's A Christmas Carol meets It's A Wonderful Life. Nic Cages it up. Tea Leoni is spectacular. The kids are to die for. Does it all come together? We watch and find out.
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North By Northwest Revisited (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #46)
Film School
You gentlemen aren't REALLY trying to kill my son, are you...? Might be Ira's favorite Hitchcock. It's the prototypical spy film, predates even James Bond, except that this spy is actually just a regular dude. Handsome Cary Grant, of course, but he's pulled into an international conspiracy entirely by mistake. Chock full of some of the most iconic sequences ever put to film. What a time '59 must have been! We're (again) watching...North By Northwest!
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The Power Of Finished (Cutting Room Floor #222)
Film School
Finishing something can make a lot of things suddenly become clear. There are revelations about our work that can literally only be gained by seeing something through and marking it as "done" in our own heads. So...what have we learned, Josh and Ira, in finishing our own projects? We discuss. Also, Josh recommends Annihilation which is playing on Pluto TV, and Ira recommends Succession with is on HBO and Max.
info_outlineHow many drafts is the right number of drafts??? Is it okay to write the thing once and then call it done? Or do we need to write and rewrite and edit and write some more and more and more? Or...is it something in between? Josh and Ira discuss what works for them!
Also, Josh again recommends Chernobyl on Max, and Ira recommends Mountain Queen which is on Netflix.