The Film Talk

After a 10 year break they've returned! The Ongoing Conversation about Movies and their Meaning with film critics Jett Loe and Gareth Higgins continues to explore what films are really telling us about our lives and world, what we can learn about life through the eyes of others, and how movies can help us get through hard times - and affirm us in the better ones.

Superman 07/16/2025

Superman Gareth and Jett disagree on one fundamental aspect of this picture Dear Listener, but other than that one thing, (a particular actor’s performance), they both agree SUPERMAN is a beautiful, and very necessary, work, that shows the importance of empathy and kindness in what is often a very cruel world. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/37432485

28 Years Later 07/08/2025

28 Years Later As Gareth Higgins says in this episode, “28 Years Later made me care about the people around me, it helped me care about strangers too.” He’s not wrong folks, this is a exquisitely beautiful film that conjures up the spirit of the films of Boorman, Powell & Pressburger, Leigh and Ramsey and we loved talking about it. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/37338760

The Phoenician Scheme / Harris Yulin 06/20/2025

The Phoenician Scheme / Harris Yulin Has Jett Loe finally come around to loving Wes Anderson films? It’s quite possible Dear Listener. Tune in to Episode 301 to find out why Loe and Gareth Higgins both adore Anderson’s new film, The Phoenician Scheme, and also why they adore the work of the phenomenal character actor Harris Yulin who has just passed away. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/37092410

Mountainhead and Friendship 06/17/2025

Mountainhead and Friendship Can men truly ever be friends? This is the question Jett Loe asks of his co-host, (and possible friend), Gareth Higgins on this, the 300th episode of The Film Talk. In this ep male friendship is discussed in the context of the new, excoriating satire from the makers of Succession, Mountainhead, and the hilarious Tim Robinson star-vehicle Friendship. Along the way Loe and Higgins reference poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, artist Joseph Beuys, the films Robocop and Starship Troopers and much more. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/37047060

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning 05/23/2025

Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning In the surprise of the year Loe and Higgins find the new Mission: Impossible picture fantastic. It's Lawrence of Arabia meets The Abyss with a side-helping of Sidney Lumet's Fail Safe and they can't wait to see it again. In this episode they discuss the meanings of the movie and also make time to mull over the qualities of all of the other Mission: Impossible pictures. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/36694045

Jean de Florette / Manon des Sources 05/20/2025

Jean de Florette / Manon des Sources SPOILER ALERT: your neighbors are terrible. We bring this up Dear Listener because, with the infinite amount of “content” out there, it can be hard to decide what to watch, but Gareth has a suggestion: Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources, with their examination of crime, hope and atonement are just the thing for this week. A real spoiler alert: please watch these two films before listening to the show. Yours in Cinema, Jett and Gareth. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/36644345

Sinners 05/01/2025

Sinners Friends, lovers and sinners all, we ask you to see this magnificent, multifaceted masterwork. Gareth and Jett are talking about Sinners in this episode and they couldn’t be happier to discuss what this movie means for cinema going forward. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/36379590

Black Bag 04/03/2025

Black Bag In the wake of the grotesque, terrible, and horrifyingly comical current political situation in the United States Jett and Gareth declare Steven Soderbergh’s new film Black Bag to be the absolute current must watch. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/35983530

Gene Hackman, the Oscars and the Current Emergency 03/20/2025

Gene Hackman, the Oscars and the Current Emergency In an episode that frankly goes off the rails multiple times, we discuss our favorite Gene Hackman movies while reflecting on what made him such an extraordinary actor, dissect what wasn’t said at the 2025 Academy Awards and ask what our responsibilities are in the response to the unfolding national emergency in the United States. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/35800410

Academy Awards Best Picture Nominations, Part Two 02/28/2025

Academy Awards Best Picture Nominations, Part Two Emilia Pérez, I'm Still Here, Nickel Boys, The Substance and Wicked - these are the films we're discussing today Dear Listener. As always Gareth Higgins and Jett Loe agree to disagree, especially about Gareth's shocking pick for best film out of the nominees. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/35486085

Academy Awards Best Picture Nominations, Part One 02/16/2025

Academy Awards Best Picture Nominations, Part One Anora, The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, Conclave and Dune: Part 2 - these are the films we're discussing today Dear Listener. Of one of these Gareth Higgins says, "It's about 80 percent as good as The Godfather". Listen in and find out what he's talking about, if you can stand our rendition of The Brutalist score. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/35303475

The Brutalist 02/02/2025

The Brutalist The Brutalist is magnificent, it’s bleak and beautiful at exactly the same time, go see it. At least that’s what Jett thinks. Gareth agrees...but maybe not quite so much? To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/35118240

David Lynch Remembered 01/24/2025

David Lynch Remembered David Lynch has passed away. What strange words to be typing. We, like many others one suspects, expected him to be around always, and maybe he is…he’s before and after, or perhaps there’s no actual now. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/34995205

The Films of 2024 01/01/2025

The Films of 2024 Here it is Friends, our Films of 2024 episode - hope you enjoy. Discussed on the show: Haven’t Seen But Need to See: La Chimera Seed of the Sacred Fig Good Enough to Talk About: Trap Cabrini It Ends with Us Babygirl Many Folks Haven't Heard About: It’s Only Life After All A Real Pain The Wise Guy Christmas Eve in Miller’s point Made in England: The Films of Powell & Pressburger Between the Temples Emilia Perez My Old Ass I Saw The TV Glow Kneecap The Apprentice Memoir of a Snail Sheer Joy: Wallace and Gromit Underrated: Furiosa Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Juror #2 Bubbling Under: Dune Part Two Civil War Inside Out 2 The Bikeriders Anora The Brutalist Gotta See It Again: A Complete Unknown List of Its Own: Megalopolis Not the Best Film of the Year: Reagan Top Twelve Films of the Year: 12: His Three Daughters 11: Small Things Like These 10: Wicked 9: Rebel Ridge 8: Conclave 7: Evil does not exist 6: Sing Sing 5: Robot Dreams 4: Nickel Boys 3: Challengers 2: All We Imagine as Light 1: Joker Folie à Deux To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/34682795

A Complete Unknown 12/31/2024

A Complete Unknown Can we ever really know anyone else Dear Listeners? And why does the wonderful new Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown seem to take place in the same universe as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny? This, and many other questions are asked, and partially answered, in this episode as Loe and Higgins wax semi-ecstatic over director James Mangold’s latest picture. We hope you enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/34665045

Wicked 12/01/2024

Wicked Wait, are you telling us the new musical smash Wicked contains seeds of transcendence that can help folks live a better life? Also, why does the film look so awful? In this, (as over-stuffed as Wicked), episode, critics Jett Loe and Gareth Higgins get into the magnificent and terribleness of this new film, address Star Wars epic Attack of the Clones, yearn for the colors of 1938’s Adventures of Robin Hood and delve deep into the ways we live our life and the Jungian tension of opposites. We hope you enjoy, and don't forget to look for us in the western sky. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/34218610

Post Election - What to Watch 11/21/2024

Post Election - What to Watch Do you want to become part of someone else's happiness? In the wake of a potentially tumultuous U.S. Presidential Election Higgins and Loe address this as they recommend a bevy of films to help you go forward with purpose, and maybe a little joy Dear Listener. They highlight Hirokazu Koreeda’s brilliant film After Life, arguably Tim Burton’s best picture, Ed Wood, the prescient Paul Verhoeven movie Starship Troopers and more. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/34099171

Conclave and Teri Garr 11/09/2024

Conclave and Teri Garr We recorded this episode on Monday, November 5th, right before the U.S. Presidential Election Dear Listeners, yet, rather than seeming dated, it feels more timely than ever as we navigate choppy waters ahead. In this episode Jett and Gareth both revel in Conclave, a high-end, well-produced slice of the best cheese one can enjoy, that, interestingly, shows a potential way forward towards a more just and compassionate world, and reminisce about the wonderful performances of the late, (though still with us), Teri Garr. Along the way something near-miraculous happens to Jett at a screening. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/33860547

Joker: Folie à Deux 10/16/2024

Joker: Folie à Deux Why don’t film critics address the meaning of the movies they watch Dear Listener? We say enough with the horse race and the box office numbers. To that end, on this episode, Jett and Gareth get into what the new Joker film actually seems to be saying about human nature and the brokenness within it. Along the way Terrance Malick’s The Thin Red Line is referenced, Sidney Lumet’s magnificent The Verdict is invoked, a TikTok creator is recommended, science fiction classic Forbidden Planet is manifested and we realize we must all “first accept, then luxuriate”. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/33491517

Megalopolis One Point Five 10/08/2024

Megalopolis One Point Five On a fundamental level Megalopolis wants to start a conversation about the nature of creativity, about the difference between creation and destruction. At least that’s what many humans think, but what do the machines think, if they think at all? To explore this, Jett and Gareth turn over their carbon-based selves to the silicon avatars of the now. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/33379442

Kris Kristofferson and John Amos - Still With Us 10/03/2024

Kris Kristofferson and John Amos - Still With Us Poet and actor Kris Kristofferson may be gone, but he’s still with us in spirit Dear Listener. Gareth and Jett talk about his work in the sublime Sam Peckinpah oater Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, as well as touching on his performance in the American classic Heaven’s Gate. They also give a nod to the always welcome, OTG actor, John Amos, who recently passed as well. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/33321057

Megalopolis - Part 1 09/30/2024

Megalopolis - Part 1 Francis Ford Coppola's epic Megalopolis is finally here! Clearly a work of a visionary artist the film divided TFT hosts Higgins and Loe more than most any other picture in the show’s multi-decade history. In this episode Le Corbusier and Calder are referenced, as are All the Pretty Horses, Gangs of New York, the need for narrative coherence and so much more. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/33254907

Reagan 09/15/2024

Reagan Is Reagan a piece of such monumental, primitive art that it transcends its production to become the film of the year? That’s what one of the hosts of The Film Talk believes folks, and regardless of that, there is one sequence in this long-on-the-shelf movie that is so outside the traditions of modern cinema the it must be seen to be believed, or, at the very least, talked about. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/33060922

James Earl Jones - Still With Us 09/10/2024

James Earl Jones - Still With Us That giant of acting, James Earl Jones, passed away yesterday at the age of 93. In this brief remembrance Jett and Gareth reflect on his beautiful range as an actor, talking Matewan, Dr. Strangelove, the Star Wars films, Field of Dreams and the little known television program Eastside/Westside. He will be missed greatly. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/33000407

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice 09/07/2024

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice There's division in the ranks Dear Listener as one reviewer at The Film Think thinks the new Tim Burton film, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, is a film full of rich pleasures, while another left the screening dispirited. Perhaps their views change during the show, perhaps not. Perhaps another screening is warranted for both Loe and Higgins. Along the way new picture Rebel Ridge is brought up, curtains in movie theatres are discussed, tennis pic Challengers is lauded and Ronald Reagan is mentioned several times. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/32955842

Trap 08/22/2024

Trap M. Night Shyamalan’s new “Hitchcockian” and, frankly, “Shyamalan-esqe”, thriller Trap is reviewed in depth. Sure the film is a lot of fun, but what does it actually mean? TFT film critics Jett Loe and Gareth Higgins break the movie down within the context of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, and a society which doesn’t seem to foster psychological integration in men. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/32696102

Deadpool & Wolverine 08/09/2024

Deadpool & Wolverine “You’re paying to participate in the destruction of the thing you used to enjoy”, so says Gareth Higgins in this surprising emotional installment of The Film Talk, that delves into, however slightly, the death of what we used to call "the movies". Along the way John Huston’s The Dead is recommended, Blazing Saddles is lauded and Jett Loe sheds a tear talking about the astonishing performance of Glenn Ford in Richard Donner’s Superman. Hope you like it. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/32520832

The Bikeriders and Inside Out 2 Reviewed and an Appreciation of Donald Sutherland 07/04/2024

The Bikeriders and Inside Out 2 Reviewed and an Appreciation of Donald Sutherland You won’t see a better cavalcade of actors in the English language today than in the magnificent, quiet, (and loud), film The BIkeriders, and Inside Out 2 is wonderful companion piece to the groundbreaking, Michael Apted-originated, Up series. Additionally in this episode we mourn the loss of that wonderful, sublime giant of cinema Donald Sutherland and realize that actor Boyd Holbrook is the new M. Emmet Walsh. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/32015257

Hit Man 06/20/2024

Hit Man Is the new Richard Linklater film just Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors starring actors in better shape, or is it something far more? Jett and Gareth disagree on a fundamental level about this light, no dark, comedy. Along the way they discuss Werner Herzog’s Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans and Anthony LaPaglia in Bulletproof Heart. Also, everyone’s favorite mutant, Kuato, from Total Recall makes a cameo appearance. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/31831157

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga 05/28/2024

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Is the new George Miller action spectacular a masterpiece or a misfire Dear Listeners? Film reviewers Gareth Higgins and Jett Loe again agree to disagree about the merits of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, (or should it be called a Mad Max Myth?). Along the way they get into what the 'Beyond Vengeance' chapter of the film really means, invoke Monty Python and the Holy Grail, have thoughts about changing frame rates in the movies, and a life of rage that is born out of grief, as well as reminisce about Orson Welles’ “Box of Noses” and Dustin Hoffman’s lack of connection with the youth. Enjoy. To contact Jett and Gareth go to: Or leave a voicemail message at: To see on Threads what Jett is getting up to: /episode/index/show/56f07ac6-f17b-4d91-9d90-27086d5d9159/id/31505747

The Film Talk

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