Quiet Dell
Who The Hell Are We?
Robert Mitchum’s preacher in The Night of the Hunter was inspired by real murders that also shaped Jayne Anne Phillips’s novel Quiet Dell. Ed and Melanie trace the link between book and film, exploring how truth becomes myth and how art transforms tragedy. More at melanieanded.substack.com or email melanded@whothehellarewe.com .
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Night of the Hunter
Who The Hell Are We?
Robert Mitchum's sinister preacher, Charles Laughton’s only directorial effort, and one of cinema’s most haunting thrillers — The Night of the Hunter (1955) went unappreciated in its day. Ed and Melanie explore its striking imagery, Shelley Winters’ fate, and Lillian Gish’s quiet strength. More at melanieanded.substack.com
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Laughing Gas
Who The Hell Are We?
It’s Book Club week as Ed and Melanie take on Laughing Gas (1936) by P. G. Wodehouse. A book with aristocrats colliding with Hollywood child stars in a screwball farce of body-swapping and mischief. 📧 📖 melanieanded.substack.com
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Falling In Love At Cambridge
Who The Hell Are We?
Melanie and Ed discuss Maurice (1987), the Merchant Ivory adaptation of E.M. Forster’s novel of forbidden love. They explore the film’s emotional tone, literary legacy, and what it meant to tell this story in 1987. 📧 🔗 melanieanded.substack.com 🌀 Originally released: July 8th, 2023
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The Champ
Who The Hell Are We?
A 1931 film about a washed-up boxer and his son turns into one of the most emotional episodes Ed and Melanie have ever recorded. They walk through The Champ scene by scene, with reflections on Frances Marion, child actors, and a performance by Jackie Cooper that still stuns. 📬 📰 melanieanded.substack.com
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Sexy Rexy
Who The Hell Are We?
The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947), a ghost story with real romantic power. Gene Tierney is luminous, Rex Harrison is “Sexy Rexy,” and the ending still breaks our hearts. 📬 Email us: 📰 Substack: 🌀 Originally released: July 4, 2022
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Rules of Civility - Amor Towles
Who The Hell Are We?
Melanie and Ed begin a new movie-book rhythm with their first book episode: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles — a novel of restraint, elegance, and quiet ambition in 1930s New York. 📧 🔗 melanieanded.substack.com
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Klaatu Barada Nicto
Who The Hell Are We?
Melanie and Ed discuss the 1951 sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still and explore why Klaatu’s quiet alien warning still resonates. 📧 🔗 melanieanded.substack.com 🌀 Originally released: November 24, 2024
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Nuns and Roses
Who The Hell Are We?
A Technicolor convent clings to a cliff in Black Narcissus (1947), where desire, memory, and madness simmer. Ed and Melanie unpack Kathleen Byron’s unforgettable performance, Deborah Kerr’s quiet power, and colonialist shadows. 📧 🔗 melanieanded.substack.com 🌀 Originally released: October 15, 2023
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Best thing in a mediocre movie - the story of her career
Who The Hell Are We?
Lena Horne leads a dazzling cast in Stormy Weather (1943), but the film holds back from giving her a real role. Melanie and Ed revisit this musical landmark with admiration and frustration. 📬 Email us: 📰 Subscribe:
info_outlineMelanie and Ed love watching old movies and dishing on them. This week's movie is VALENTINO (1977), directed by Ken Russell and starring Rudolf Nureyev, Leslie Caron, Michelle Phillips, and Carol Kane.
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