Film School

A filmmaker and a writer tackle the AFI's Top 100 Films and beyond to educate themselves about movies and storytelling. Welcome to Film School!

DVD Extras (Cutting Room Floor #221) 11/18/2024

DVD Extras (Cutting Room Floor #221) Josh calls DVD Extras his film school. The interviews, commentaries, documentaries, featurettes, and other bonus material has been as valuable in his filmmaker education as any class or study. We talk about the benefits of all this extra material around movie making that you might not be tapping into. Also, Josh recommends Kitchen Nightmares, and Ira recommends the original Star Trek movies, and Grand Designs. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33968152

The Wrong Man (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #44) 11/11/2024

The Wrong Man (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #44) An innocent man has nothing to fear... Alfred is doing something new this time: he's telling a true story, every word of it, top to bottom. Henry Fonda plays Manny Balestrero, bass player at the famous Stork Club and father of two, just scraping by to support them. And then he's fingered for being the hold-up man terrorizing the neighborhood shops and offices. But he didn't do it. Except the police think he did. Will he go down for a crime he didn't commit, or will the justice system to him and his family right? We watch and find out. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33870417

Strangeness (Cutting Room Floor #220) 11/07/2024

Strangeness (Cutting Room Floor #220) Harold Bloom defined 'strangeness' as a mark of originality that is endemic and absolutely required for any work of literary art to be considered a masterpiece or a classic. Dan Simmons goes further to define it as a quality in the writing or storytelling that indicates to us, the reader (or viewer for Film/TV), are in the presence of an intelligence that is unique or different enough to be able to teach us something about ourselves. So...how does one achieve 'strangeness?' Is it something that can be taught? Practiced? Or is it something you either have or you don't? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Men which is on HBO Max, and Ira recommends It Follows which is on Prime. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33766497

The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #43) 11/04/2024

The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #43) A man... a statesman... is to be killed... Hitchcock does his one and only remake! Twenty+ years earlier, back in his British period, he did this story once before, under the exact same name! So...does he mix it up? Does he IMPROVE on the original? We watch and find out! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33766267

Ghostbusters II 10/28/2024

Ghostbusters II Let's suck in the guts, guys. We're the Ghostbusters... Bustin' still makes us feel good! The boys are back and saving New York yet again from the spookies. It's been five years, everyone has done a bit of going their separate ways, but there are shenanigans afoot. Ghosts need busting! Can they capture some of the magic of the original? We watch and find out. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33635592

Poltergeist 10/14/2024

Poltergeist They're here... This movie is the perfect horror film for beginners; Spooky 101, if you will. It's not super violent, super scary, or super disturbing...but it DOES bring the noise. It IS scary, and unquestionably a horror movie that gets appropriate crazy by the end. It exists in that weird middle-ground between E.T. and Nightmare on Elm Street, and in that way, there's nothing out there quite like it. It's undeniably a classic. We watch, we scream, and we discuss! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33453857

Ghostbusters 10/07/2024

Ghostbusters Who you gonna call? It's hard to understate just how large of an impression this movie made on the kids who grew up in the 1980s (and 90s). This movie felt like it was EVERYONE'S favorite movie. Deadpanned Bill Murray, nerdy Harold Ramis, golden retriever Dan Akroyd, skeptical/wtf Ernie Banks, goofy Slimer, possessed Sigourney Weaver, that-neighbor Rick Moranis...it's alchemy. One of those films that captured magic. We're watching it! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33347227

Getting Older (Cutting Room Floor #219) 10/03/2024

Getting Older (Cutting Room Floor #219) What's it liked to get older? As Josh and Ira dip their toes into 'middle age,' things start to change. You're not old yet, but you're not young anymore. Some things improve. Some things get worse. Ya boys talk about it. Enjoy! Also, Josh recommends Seinfeld which is currently on Netflix, and Ira recommends Alien 3, which is currently on Disney+. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33342182

The Trouble With Harry (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #42) 09/30/2024

The Trouble With Harry (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #42) I think, Captain Wiles, we're tangled up in a murder... Old Al is trying his hand again at a comedy. This time, its a country community with a dead body on their hands, and they don't want anyone to know about it. Hitch's comedies have been hit and miss so far. How does this one stack up? We watch and discuss :) /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33342012

How Many Drafts? (Cutting Room Floor #218) 09/26/2024

How Many Drafts? (Cutting Room Floor #218) How 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. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33303422

To Catch A Thief (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #41) 09/23/2024

To Catch A Thief (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #41) The cat has a new kitten... Hitch and Grace Kelly team up again, this time with Cary Grant swapped in for Jimmy Stewart, and the vast, gorgeous French Riviera rather than a single, confined apartment. Grant plays a jewel thief being framed for a robbery he didn't actually commit, and Grace is the woman he falls for. We watch and discuss! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33303207

How Much Of Greatness Is Up To The Muse? (Cutting Room Floor #217) 09/19/2024

How Much Of Greatness Is Up To The Muse? (Cutting Room Floor #217) Back in Ira's DJing days, he put together literally hundreds of sets. An interesting pattern developed during that time: no matter how much his skill increased as he went (and it did), some sets just worked better than others. Some were great, others weren't, and no amount of skill could make a set great that wasn't from the outset. So...just how much of greatness comes from the Muse? And how much is due to skill and within our control? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Chernobyl on Max, and Ira recommends X-Men: The Animated Series which is on Disney+. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33291897

Rear Window Revisited (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #40) 09/16/2024

Rear Window Revisited (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #40) That's a secret, private world you're looking into out there... It's Hitchcock's first true classic. Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly star in one of the crime film concepts for the ages: a man is laid up with a broken leg and a view out his window into the apartment courtyards behind his building...and he thinks he witnesses a murder. What a delight to revisit this film and watch it again (the first time being back on the AFI's Top 100, of which this film ranked #56)! Join us! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33291807

How To Use Feedback (Cutting Room Floor #216) 09/12/2024

How To Use Feedback (Cutting Room Floor #216) The feedback loop is at the heart of developing any skill. But, the vast majority of the work we do as storytellers is done alone. So, where and when do you open yourself up for other people to comment on? And once get that feedback, what do we DO with it? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends some of his all-time favorite shows, The Office (UK), Arrested Development, Whites, W1A, and People Just Do Nothing, and Ira recommends Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War which is on Netflix. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33275522

Dial M For Murder (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #39) 09/09/2024

Dial M For Murder (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #39) Do you really believe in the perfect murder...? Hitchcock certainly does! This time, it's a man who wants to knock off his cheating wife. Can he get away with it??? Or can the old school, meticulous, quiet Scotland Yard inspector see through it all and figure it out? We watch and find out :) /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/33273072

Rhetoric (Cutting Room Floor #215) 09/05/2024

Rhetoric (Cutting Room Floor #215) Have you ever thought of your script, book, or film as a persuasive argument? It is. Drama quite literally arises from two (or several) characters with very different, very persuasive points of view clashing with each other. That's called rhetoric. And if our characters' rhetorical skill can only ever be as strong as the person who wrote that character...well, maybe we all of us writers need to work on our rhetoric, don't we? The better our rhetorical skills become, the more persuasive our characters become, the more compelling our stories become. We discuss that dynamic. Also, Josh recommends Top Chef on Peacock, and Ira recommends the Shrek series of movies, also on Peacock. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/32889312

I Confess (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #38) 09/02/2024

I Confess (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #38) I want to make a confession... Hitchcock has a nose for a character in a bind, and that's on full display with this one, where a priest takes confession from a murderer, then becomes the main suspect in that very same murder. Will he break his oath as a priest and tell the authorities the truth? Or will he hang for another man's crime? We watch and find out! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/32880797

Alternate Endings (Cutting Room Floor #214) 08/19/2024

Alternate Endings (Cutting Room Floor #214) So, you've heard about a movie that has MULTIPLE endings. Maybe they're in the actual film, maybe they're extras on the DVD, or maybe they're just rumors and old scripts. What place do those hold in the context of good storytelling? Are they untapped goldmines, or are they the cast-offs of the perfecting process? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends X-Men '97 on Disney+, and Ira recommends Andor also on Disney+. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/32642312

Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #37) 08/12/2024

Strangers on a Train (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #37) You do my murder, and I do yours... We might best know Patricia Highsmith from The Talented Mr. Ripley, but Strangers on a Train was her shocking debut novel, and folks: it slaps even as a movie, and ESPECIALLY in the hands of an Alfred Hitchcock who really feels like he's learned a thing or two about telling suspenseful stories. This one is a TRIP. Buckle up! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/32537542

When to Kill a Character (Cutting Room Floor #213) 08/08/2024

When to Kill a Character (Cutting Room Floor #213) Off with their head! Sometimes, a character has to die. But, when are those times? When is it right for the audience or the reader to kill a character? Are there rules, or at least guidelines, around when to bump somebody off for the best effect on your story? We brainstorm from our own experience, and we use a wonderful write-up from on the subject to answer those questions. Also, Josh again recommends Scavenger's Reign on Netflix, and Ira recommends The Hunt for Red October on Max. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/32490592

Stage Fright (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #36) 08/05/2024

Stage Fright (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #36) Go or don't go, it's all the same. I thought you loved me... Hitchcock teams up with legend of the silent era Marlene Dietrich as a stage actress who's murdered her husband and enlisted her lover's help to try and cover it up. We're also back in the UK! After a couple flops, it certainly feels like Hitch is trying very hard to make a hit. Does it work? We watch and discuss! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/32435452

Antiheroes (Cutting Room Floor #212) 08/02/2024

Antiheroes (Cutting Room Floor #212) What makes a great anti-hero? /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/32394042

Under Capricorn (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #35) 07/29/2024

Under Capricorn (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #35) In seventeen-hundred and seventy, Captain Cook discovered Australia... Hitchcock tries his hand at the high-brow romantic drama of a young man falling in love with a once-glorious woman now living in exile and the bottle. Certainly not what one thinks of when they're imagining a Hitch joint. Does it work? We watch and discuss! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/32325902

Will Success Fix Me? (Cutting Room Floor #211) 07/08/2024

Will Success Fix Me? (Cutting Room Floor #211) Bestseller. Top of the Box Office. Hit TV show. Oscar. Millions...success will fix everything, right? I mean, it's literally what we're chasing so hard, the tippy top of our dreams, how could it possibly NOT fix us, right? RIGHT? Hmmm. So, what if it doesn't? What if success were only to make our personal issues WORSE? Oh, god. Perhaps the work on ourselves is actually something else entirely, and something we can start right here, right now. We talk about it. Also, Josh once again (is that a straight month, now?) recommends The Terror S1, and Ira recommends Remembering Gene Wilder on Netflix. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/31917987

Rope (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #34) 07/01/2024

Rope (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #34) Murder can be an art, too... So, Hitchcock is doing some THINGS. He's out on his own away from Selznick for the first time in Hollywood, and he's come out with a big swing: can we shoot a movie with no cuts? All one take? Or, at least the illusion of that? And how would such a real-time filming method influence the drama that unfolds? Kinda blew our mind that--apparently--Hitch was the first director to ever try this. And he has ol' Jimmy Stewart along for the ride to add some gravitas. So, how did it work? We watch and discuss! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/31917667

Why Is Your Process So Different From Mine? (Cutting Room Floor #210) 06/27/2024

Why Is Your Process So Different From Mine? (Cutting Room Floor #210) You've probably heard this before: there is no ONE WAY to be a writer. Or a filmmaker. Or an actor, or a painter, or a dancer, or a sculptor...the possibilities, personalities, and pathways are endless. Why is that? And if its true, how can I find my own way? We discuss and answer! Also, Josh recommends The Terror Season 1 (again!), and Ira recommends Scavenger's Reign which is currently on Netflix. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/31917057

The Paradine Case (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #33) 06/24/2024

The Paradine Case (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #33) I loved Andre Latour, and you murdered him... It's the last rodeo for Alfred Hitchcock and David O. Selznick, the last time the two work together. And this time, it's written by the producer himself. We have ourselves a murder, a mysterious, beautiful woman accused, and a dashing young lawyer who's convinced she didn't do it. So, how does it all shake out? Do Hitch and Selznick find one last bit of magic? We watch and find out! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/31859277

All At Once vs. Slow & Steady (Cutting Room Floor #209) 06/17/2024

All At Once vs. Slow & Steady (Cutting Room Floor #209) What's the best way to work: burst energy, get it out as hard and fast as you possibly can go go go don't stop...or slow and steady, this is a marathon not a sprint, and you can't just drop everything when life never stops, so drip drip it away, one brick at a time until you're finally done? Spoiler: it's not an either/or. It's BOTH. We talk about how we've applied both concepts to our own creativity. Also, Josh recommends The Terror Season 1 (again), and Ira recommends Welcome to Wrexham (again), which is on Hulu, AND Chernobyl, which is on HBO/Max. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/31765933

Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #32) 06/10/2024

Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #32) Say it again, it keeps me awake. ...I love you... Ingrid Bergman and Hitchcock go back to back! This time its Cary Grant she teams up with, in a tale of international espionage, manipulation, uranium, and...love. All things Hitch has covered before, but not quite like this. Grant and Bergman heat up the silver screen. We watch and discuss! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/31675457

Good Habits (Cutting Room Floor #208) 06/03/2024

Good Habits (Cutting Room Floor #208) On this podcast, we've talked before about BAD habits and how to break them. But what about GOOD habits? What about that stuff that we know we SHOULD be doing, but it's hard to get going? Josh and Ira talk about how it works for them. Also, Josh recommends The Terror Season 1 (again), and Ira recommends Welcome to Wrexham, which is on Hulu. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/31571977

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