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!

Commanding Intelligence (Cutting Room Floor #203) 04/25/2024

Commanding Intelligence (Cutting Room Floor #203) Can you fall in love, deeply in love love, with somebody you know isn't as smart as you are? We're not talking about pets, or kids, inanimate objects, or even sexual attraction. We're talking about grown-up, head over heels, enduring, inspiring LOVE. Can you? Interesting, huh? You can't, can you? Stories are the same way. All the best stories open our minds, expand our worlds, and command our intelligence. So...how do you do that? Also, Josh again recommends South Park currently available on Prime, and Ira recommends the aughts' Battlestar Galactica. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/30804368

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #26) 04/22/2024

Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #26) If you had it all to do over again, would you have married me? Hitch takes on married life in its screwball form! These comedies were very popular at the time (see: Grant and Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby), so it's not surprising that our British Director, fresh in Hollywood, would take on such a project. Given his hit and (mostly) miss track record with comedy, how does this effort shake out? We dive in and discuss! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/30785928

The Wrong Direction (Cutting Room Floor #202) 04/18/2024

The Wrong Direction (Cutting Room Floor #202) How do you know when you've gone in the wrong direction? What are the signs? And when you realize that you have, what do you do? Josh and Ira share their own personal insights on this question, covering the spectrum of a chronic over-planner to leaping-before-looking impulsiveness. Also, Josh recommends South Park currently available on Prime, and Ira recommends Constellation on Apple TV+. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/30464798

Foreign Correspondent (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #25) 04/15/2024

Foreign Correspondent (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #25) There's a crime hatching on that bedeviled continent... World War II is in full swing when this movie releases. Or, at least it is in Europe. London is being bombed, and Hitchcock can't help but feel, well, helpless. And guilty for not being there. This film, more than any he's made to this point, truly reflects the time in which it was made: an American reporter is sent overseas to report on the brewing political situation and becomes embroiled in an assassination plot. We discuss! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/30464633

The Elements of a Great Film (Cutting Room Floor #201) 04/11/2024

The Elements of a Great Film (Cutting Room Floor #201) What makes a good movie? What are the things that stand out? We all have our own personal versions of the answer to this question. Josh and Ira each answer for themselves without getting into the weeds as much as possible. Also, Josh recommends Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix, and Ira recommends Tarkovsky's Stalker on Max. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/30296208

Rebecca (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #24) 04/08/2024

Rebecca (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #24) Do you think the dead come back and watch the living? Mr. Hitchcock is in Hollywood! Alfred makes his first film in the States, and holy crap does he have some fun with his budget. Everything tinsel town had to offer in 1940 is on display: star power, massive sets, camera tricks, sweeping score, and even FIRE. It's a moody, gothic horror story to boot. Does it all come together? We discuss! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/30464318

Hitchcock's British Period Takeaways (Cutting Room Floor #200) 04/04/2024

Hitchcock's British Period Takeaways (Cutting Room Floor #200) Hitchcock is moving to Hollywood! As the master of suspense makes his way west, we're taking a pause here to look back on his period in Britain. 13 years. 24 films (one of which has been lost since). An era that saw him struggle to fit in, thrive as technology developed and ambition increased, and eventually find his "thing." What are the ups and downs? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Jungle on Prime, and Ira recommends Touching The Void on Pluto TV. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/30464063

Jamaica Inn (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #23) 04/01/2024

Jamaica Inn (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #23) CHAAADWIIIICK??!! Hitch teams up with dynamo actor Charles Laughton for a tale of piracy, lies, and corruption. The stage actor is riveting, even if the film has its flaws, and apparently he and Alfred had a hard time working together. There's a lot to like with Jamaica Inn! More than we expected. And certainly lots to criticize. We discuss it all. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/30296103

White Lies (Cutting Room Floor #199) 03/28/2024

White Lies (Cutting Room Floor #199) A small lie. A sentence I didn't actually write, or a shot I didn't really shoot that I pass off as my own. Or I didn't actually do something the way I said I did. How big of a deal are these kinds of lies or omissions? Do they really matter? How truthful do we need to be with those who consume our work? Where is the line? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Slings & Arrows, and Ira recommends The Boys on Prime. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/30295948

The Lady Vanishes (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #22) 03/25/2024

The Lady Vanishes (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #22) Nuns don't wear high heels... A woman has disappeared into thin air, on a train no less. But when Iris Henderson reports it, nobody believes her. In fact, nobody on the train even knows who she's talking about. So, what gives? Is Iris crazy? Or is everyone else? This dilemma caps off a pretty solid run of Hitchcock's later British period that's seen him lock into his lane: suspense. So...how successful is this one? Can he keep us on the edge of our seat? We watch and find out! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/30085658

Good vs. Great (Cutting Room Floor #198) 03/21/2024

Good vs. Great (Cutting Room Floor #198) What's the difference between good...and great? Think about how each of those words makes you feel. The contrast is pretty dramatic, isn't it? Like, MILES different, not inches. So, if the difference between good and great is massive, how do we make the leap between the two? Is it possible? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Oppenheimer, currently in theaters, and Ira recommends True Detective: Night Country on HBO and Max. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/30085063

Young and Innocent (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #21) 03/18/2024

Young and Innocent (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #21) Oh Robert, if only things would turn out all right... A woman's body washes ashore. A young man is seen fleeing from the sight of it. But...did he do it? That's the question the local constable's daughter must answer, even as she finds herself falling for him. Sounds like vintage, bang-on Hitchcock doesn't it??? So, how effective is this one? How much has Hitch developed his skills? We watch and discuss! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/30084858

You Need A Shock-Proof Sh*t Detector (Cutting Room Floor #197) 03/14/2024

You Need A Shock-Proof Sh*t Detector (Cutting Room Floor #197) Ernest Hemingway famously once said: "The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shockproof, shit detector." We all must be able to distinguish between good storytelling and bad storytelling. So...how strong is yours? (hint: it's probably super strong) And once you've got one that's working, how do you actually USE it to make your work better and not just send you running for the hills? We talk about it. Also, Josh recommends Love On The Spectrum on Netflix, and Ira recommends The Last Repair Shop on Disney+ /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29912973

Sabotage (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #20) 03/11/2024

Sabotage (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #20) What goes on after hours in that cinema of yours...? Alfred takes on Joseph Conrad's popular novel The Secret Agent, about a man who's tasked with planting a bomb in London to create fear and terror. In this adaptation, he owns a movie theater, a detective from Scotland Yard is onto him and falling for his wife, and the motivations behind the conspiracy are nebulous. So, does it work? Do Hitch's tweaks build the drama to a fever pitch, or do they fall flat? We watch and discuss! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29912518

How To Create Great Side Characters (Cutting Room Floor #196) 03/07/2024

How To Create Great Side Characters (Cutting Room Floor #196) Frodo had Sam. Luke had Artoo. Harry had Ron and Hermione. Side characters are just as important to a well-told story as the main characters are. So, how do you make a great one? And what's the trap, sometimes, of a side character who's more interesting, more active than even your hero? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Love On The Spectrum on Netflix, and Ira recommends The Last Repair Shop on Disney+ /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29912128

Secret Agent (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #19) 03/04/2024

Secret Agent (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #19) General Pompellio Montezuma De La Vilia De Conde De La Rue! Peter Lorre is back, this time as a sidekick assassin who goes by the name "The Hairless Mexican," and "The General," of which he is neither. Hitch has been on a roll with his newfound focus on suspenseful fare. How does this one stack up against the previous two breakthroughs? We watch and discuss! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29881703

If You Could Travel Anywhere (Cutting Room Floor #195) 02/29/2024

If You Could Travel Anywhere (Cutting Room Floor #195) If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? What would top your list? Money is no object, neither is time. Dream as big as you want. Also, Josh recommends Deep Space Nine on Pluto TV and Paramount+, and Ira recommends both versions of Suspiria; the new film is on Prime, and the original is on Tubi. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29881603

The 39 Steps (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #18) 02/26/2024

The 39 Steps (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #18) Beautiful, mysterious woman pursued by gunmen. Sounds like a spy story... Widely considered to be the first modern spy movie ever made, Hitchcock is leaning into his strengths yet again (huzzah!): murder, conspiracy, and a man on the run. This time, its Robert Donat who's world is turned upside down in a single night when a mysterious woman asks for his help, and then ends up killed in his apartment. Can he clear his name before the police lock him up? Perhaps. But first, he has to figure out what the 39 Steps are...and what they have to do with state secrets. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29881483

What is a Framing Device? (Cutting Room Floor #194) 02/22/2024

What is a Framing Device? (Cutting Room Floor #194) Framing devices can be a powerful storytelling tool...but what ARE they? What is an "epistolary," or a "flashback" or an "unreliable narrator"? And whyyyy would we use them? What effect can they have on a story? We talk about it! Also, Josh recommends the animated series Justice League which is currently on Netflix and Max, and Ira recommends Andor, which is currently on Disney+. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29467858

The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #17) 02/19/2024

The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #17) Goodbye for the last time. What could be more touching than that? Peter Lorre. That's the first thing to know about this movie: Peter. Lorre. Hitch teams up with his first truly enduring star, someone we still know to this day, and they're off on an adventure of spies, murders, conspiracies, and kidnappings. Off the heels of what even he calls his lowest point career-wise and artistically, Alfred scores a massive hit, a film frequently referred to as his 'breakthrough.' So...does Hitch FINALLY know who he is as a filmmaker? Can he keep it up from here??? We watch to find out! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29881273

How Personal Should Your Story Be? (Cutting Room Floor #193) 02/15/2024

How Personal Should Your Story Be? (Cutting Room Floor #193) We all know the power of a personal story when we encounter one. Nothing cuts like the truth. But, turning that lens to our own work...just how personal should our own work be? Is it possible to be too personal? Sure seems like it is. By the same token, it seems even easier to not be nearly personal enough, which leaves our audience cold and confused. So, how to we navigate getting personal with our work? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Rifftrax on PlutoTV, and Ira recommends Babylon 5 and Red Dwarf both currently on Tubi. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29473523

Waltzes From Vienna (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #16) 02/12/2024

Waltzes From Vienna (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #16) And now the polka, you worms. Hitchcock makes a musical! ...kinda. It's an operetta, which were very much in fashion at the time; a little music, a little dancing, and a love story at the center. This one centers around a highly-fictionalized version of how "The Blue Danube" was written in 19th-century Vienna. So, can Hitchcock do song and dance? We watch and find out! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29473438

What Makes A Great Hero? (Cutting Room Floor #192) 02/08/2024

What Makes A Great Hero? (Cutting Room Floor #192) Who are the heroes that got under your skin, that live with you well past watching or reading the story, the heroes that changed you? Why? Why did they stick with you? And in thinking about/asking those questions, how can we apply the answers to our own storytelling? This week, we dive in on how to create a great protagonist. Also, Josh recommends WWE Wrestling on Peacock, and Ira recommends Only Murders in the Building on Hulu. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29473253

Number Seventeen (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #15) 02/05/2024

Number Seventeen (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #15) Ya don't have to do nothin' in this 'ere house - ya stand still and things happen! Cutting to the chase here: this miiight be Hitchcock's first truly terrible film. It's a bit baffling how clumsy it is given how many films he's made before this, several of them decent, and perhaps one or two of them even good. But this one...it's so convoluted, so full of cliche, non sequitur, reveal, and reverse uno after reverse uno that it ends up completely nonsensical. This week, we dive into Hitchcock's (first?) tire fire of a film? /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29473163

What is the Best Time to Create? (Cutting Room Floor #191) 02/01/2024

What is the Best Time to Create? (Cutting Room Floor #191) Do you have a time of day (or night) where you find that you're the most creative? What about times that are consistently free? Or have the least number of distractions? Finding a reliable pocket of your day in which you can do your creative work can be a superpower. On this episode, Josh and Ira discuss what's worked and not worked for them. Also, Josh recommends Star Trek: Voyager on PlutoTV, and Ira recommends Buried on Netflix. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29469803

Rich and Strange (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #14) 01/29/2024

Rich and Strange (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #14) I want some of the good things of life... Hitch definitely tries something a little different with this one: it's a comedy drama this time--not nearly the silly farces he's tried to this point on the comedy side, and certainly nothing as dark as murder on the drama side. It's a rags to riches to rags tale with the beating heart of a love story. So, does it work? Let's watch and find out! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29469733

Sympathetic or Unsympathetic Villains? (Cutting Room Floor #190) 01/25/2024

Sympathetic or Unsympathetic Villains? (Cutting Room Floor #190) There's much ado these days about making your villain's point of view a sympathetic one. After all, everyone is the hero of their own narrative. But...what about all those villains who are just, you know, assh*les? DO you have to make your villain sympathetic??? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Seinfeld on Netflix, and Ira recommends Cheers on PlutoTV. /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29469648

The Skin Game (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #13) 01/22/2024

The Skin Game (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #13) What's gentility worth if it can't stand fire? This film is about the revolution in "Industrial Revolution." An old school landowning family finds their idyllic country world being invaded by a young-money industrialist. A feud develops. And grows. And grows until it sucks everyone down into the muck. It's very...high-minded, prestige-type fare for the young Hitch. How does he handle it? We watch and find out! /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29469583

Hitchcock's Silent Era Takeaways (Cutting Room Floor #189) 01/18/2024

Hitchcock's Silent Era Takeaways (Cutting Room Floor #189) Not everyone is aware that Hitchcock actually started making movies all the way back in Britain’s 1920s silent era. Now that we’ve watched all of those films (that are available, anyway), we take a look back and think about what we’ve learned. What takeaways can we glean, not just about Hitchcock, but about the film industry in general, and–dare we say–ourselves? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Peaky Blinders on Netflix, and Ira recommends Andor on Disney+. (note: for anyone listening along as we publish these, this CRF was actually recorded back in August of 2023, last year--so, some of the personal updates are a little outdated at this point) /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29469488

Mary (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #12) 01/15/2024

Mary (Alfred Hitchcock Deep Dive #12) Das ist kein Theaterstück, das ist das Leben. The 1930s were a wild era in film. The industry was exploding; there was a ton of money to be made, especially in foreign markets...if you could figure out a way to get your movie into the local language...like German! Because sound couldn't be added after the fact yet, this meant literally making your movie over again with a different (German) script, different (German) actors, on the same sets. Hence, Mary, the German version of Murder!, a movie Hitchcock made twice. We've watched Murder! Now...the German version. Wonder how it compares... /episode/index/show/filmschoolpodcast/id/29465083

Film School

TOPICS