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!

Writing Evil (Cutting Room Floor #226) 01/23/2025

Writing Evil (Cutting Room Floor #226) 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. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/34768395

The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #48) 01/20/2025

The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #48) 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! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/34768160

Level Up! (Cutting Room Floor #225) 01/16/2025

Level Up! (Cutting Room Floor #225) 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. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/34768070

Psycho Revisited (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #47) 01/13/2025

Psycho Revisited (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #47) 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. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/34767515

2025 Resolutions, Goals, and Intentions (Cutting Room Floor #224) 01/06/2025

2025 Resolutions, Goals, and Intentions (Cutting Room Floor #224) 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! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/34732340

2024 Retrospective (Cutting Room Floor #223) 12/30/2024

2024 Retrospective (Cutting Room Floor #223) 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! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/34665735

Elf 12/23/2024

Elf 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! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/34593355

The Family Man 12/16/2024

The Family Man 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. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/34459770

North By Northwest Revisited (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #46) 12/09/2024

North By Northwest Revisited (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #46) 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! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/34342130

The Power Of Finished (Cutting Room Floor #222) 12/02/2024

The Power Of Finished (Cutting Room Floor #222) 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. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/34247125

Vertigo Revisited (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #45) 11/25/2024

Vertigo Revisited (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #45) You shouldn't keep souvenirs of a killing... We're back to Vertigo! The last time we watched this one, it was late summer of 2021, deep in the AFI's Top 100 list. Top ten, in fact. Seems like an age ago, and yet, the movie took us right back there. It's still great, undeniably one of Hitch's absolute best; probably the closest he ever got to a proper film noir, stunningly shot in San Francisco, a spectacular sound track, some neat camera work, A-list cast, and a screenplay the zips and zig-zags. A true classic. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/34143376

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

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