High Anxiety
Film School
I know what came over you: High Anxiety. You've still got it! Well, it turns out we couldn't quite get ol' Hitch out of our system, and neither could Mel Brooks. The king of satire does his signature send-up of the suspense film master, and it's starring Brooks himself! A first! This also, somehow, marks the first time we've watched a Books picture on this podcast, which reeks of high crime. Better late than never, we suppose. Enjoy!
info_outline
The Essential Hitchcock (Cutting Room Floor #231)
Film School
53 films. 50 years. 6 decades. After watching every single movie Alfred Hitchcock ever made (minus one, lost in time), Josh and Ira reflect back on the past two years they spent with the legendary director. Beyond the topics of 'what did we learn about and from Hitch?', we attempt to answer a couple massive questions. First: is he the best director of all time? And second: what are the essential watches from his catalogue? We discuss!
info_outline
Family Plot (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #53)
Film School
Leave your crystal balls out of this, George... It's Hitchcock's final film. After 6 decades, 53 films, and 50 years, Alfred Hitchcock finally reached the end. His last feature is remarkably light fare, comedy over suspense, jokes over violence, a cozy old-school sensibility over the edginess that exploded in the 70s. So, how does it stack up? Did old Hitch still have it? We watch and find out.
info_outline
Navigating Transition Periods (Cutting Room Floor #230)
Film School
When you're entering into a new chapter of life--any kind; moving, finishing a big project, marriage, divorce, kids, a breakthrough in therapy, new job...--how do you handle that? Is there anything you do, either external or internal, to aid yourself in the process of accepting the change and moving on? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Cloverfield, and Ira recommends Severance Season 2, which is on AppleTV, and Alone: Australia which is on Netflix.
info_outline
Frenzy (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #52)
Film School
Don't forget: Bob's your uncle... It's Hitchcock's penultimate film! Second-to-last! And first film in the wild 70s, an era where the R-rating became a thing, and a new frontier opened up in cinema that involved increasingly pushing the envelope of what was acceptable on film. To Hitch's credit, he understood that. He could see that movies were changing, and he pitched in with his own evenlope-pushing story of a serial rapist-murderer loose in the Covent Garden area of London. We watch and discuss!
info_outline
If You Ain't Napping, It Ain't Happening (Cutting Room Floor #229)
Film School
Do you take naps? If you don't, why is that? And if you do, do you feel guilty about it? Or are they a regular part of your routine (at least when life allows it)? We discuss our stance on all the above (spoiler: we're pro nap), and how we fit such indulgences into our daily routine. Also, Josh recommends Man of the Year which is currently on Tubi, and Ira recommends Mondovino, which is on Pluto TV.
info_outline
Topaz (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #51)
Film School
Does the word "topaz" mean anything to you? The Cold War rages on in the world, and Hitchcock delivers a political/spy thriller centered on the lead-up to the Cuban Missile Crisis, apparently even based on real events. Is Hitch just replaying the old hits? Or does this one have any juice on its own? We watch to find out!
info_outline
Is It Okay To Compromise? (Cutting Room Floor #228)
Film School
When making art like writing or telling a story, when do you compromise? Or DO you compromise? The word is so loaded with negative connotation, but its definition is so slippery, maybe even personal. So...what's an acceptable level of compromise? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends re-watching Severance season 1 on Apple TV+, and Ira recommends SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, which is on Peacock.
info_outline
Torn Curtain (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #50)
Film School
How would you like to live behind what you call the Iron Curtain...? It's the height of the cold war. Hitch swaps his nationless networks of mysterious criminals for a far more real-world one: East Germany and the Russians. It's also a different era of Hollywood that's starting to emerge, actors like Julie Andrews and Paul Newman who expect to have much more of a say on set than the contract actors of the past. So, will Al adapt with the times? We watch and find out!
info_outline
How To Make Sense Of David Lynch (Cutting Room Floor #227)
Film School
"Ideas are like fish. If you want to catch little fish, you can stay in the shallow water. But if you want to catch the big fish, you've got to go deeper." David Lynch pushed the boundaries of filmmaking. He was known for his surrealism, his expressionism, his images, and, much of the time, for not making sense. He certainly wasn't interested in explaining himself to the audience. But the genius of David might actually be how much, at his best, he really did make sense, he really did have something to say. So...how does one figure that out? WE DISCUSS! Also, Josh...
info_outlineWhen making art like writing or telling a story, when do you compromise? Or DO you compromise? The word is so loaded with negative connotation, but its definition is so slippery, maybe even personal. So...what's an acceptable level of compromise? We discuss!
Also, Josh recommends re-watching Severance season 1 on Apple TV+, and Ira recommends SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, which is on Peacock.