Flixwise Podcast

The Academy Award nominees were announced a week ago today, so theoretically we should have had a sufficient amount of time to mull over the various categories. However, this podcast offers something of a collective scratching of the heads at the hodgepodge of different Best Picture nominees. Host, Lady P, is joined by Oscar enthusiasts, and fellow UW-Madison Graduate Students, J.J. Bersch and Tim Brayton, to help sort through the good, the bad, and the Green Book of this year's contenders. Together they suggest reasons why there is so much incongruity in the major categories and discuss their favorites among the contenders.  Plus, since we never got around to it last year, we are finally doing an abbreviated year-in-review show wherein we chat about A Story is Born, Spike Lee, Minding the Gap, and of course, Miss Weisz.   If you want to hear more movie talk from Tim, here's a link to his regular podcasting gig, Alternate Ending. Also, he made a previous appearance on Flixwise for our Oliver & Company/The

We're kicking off 2019, with a trip back in time! It is a look back to turn-of-the-Century Midwestern America with Orson Welles's adaptation of Booth Tarkington's The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). Film historian and author, Professor Joseph McBride joins host Lady P to talk about the legacy of Welles' feature follow-up to Citizen Kane. McBride delves into the film's fraught post-production--a process which ultimately resulted in the dismantling of Welles's directorial vision. While the film may not reflect Welles's original intentions, there is still much to admire about the craftsmanship and storytelling in the film as it currently stands. Indeed, despite the careless studio mutilation, Ambersons is still held in such critical esteem that it managed to snag the 81st spot on the Sight & Sound Critics Poll. Lady P and McBride discuss the film's enduring appeal and how the nostalgic remembrance of a time long since past is still as relevant and moving today as it was when the film first debuted. This is the

Martin is joined by returning guests Zachary Curl and Leanne Kubicz to discuss Nagisa Oshima's atypical war film, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence. They talk in-depth about the film's four leads: Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, David Bowie, and Takeshi Kitano. They examine Oshima's themes and dream-like style, look at the films flashback structure, and talk about how they connect personally to it.

Martin is joined by returning guest Matthias van der Roest to discuss a pair of David Cronenberg films: A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. They talk about what makes the pair a pair, and where they fit into Cronenberg's filmography as a whole. Then they talk about both films status as 'Canadian films', and what makes a film 'Canadian'.

Martin is joined by returning guest Becky D'Anna to discuss her second favourite film of all time, Broadcast News. Becky explains why the film means so much to her, and they take a deep dive into its themes, characters and performances.  Becky and Martin then politely debate the film's ending, and bemoan the lack of film award recognition for Albert Brooks.

After a series of postponements, our episode on The Other Side of the Wind has at long last arrived. Of course, our delays are nothing compared to the 30-plus year wait for this brand spankin' new Orson Welles movie. Today's guest, Joseph McBride, is not only one of the great Welles historians in academia, he also makes an appearance in the film. We're fortunate to have Joe on hand to both contextualize what's onscreen, as well as regale us with tales of being onset with one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Plus, he and host (Lady P) detail one of the major difficulties of this project--assembling all the footage without Welles on-hand to offer feedback. They discuss how the editors and sound designers went about executing this challenge and speculate about whether or not Welles would be pleased with this final cut.

Martin is joined by the very best Buñuel-enthusiasts he know, Chris Funderburg and John Cribbs to discuss the film of surrealist master Luis Buñuel by focusing specifically on the theme related to religion in his films. They look primarily at Nazarin, Viridiana, Simon of the Desert, and The Milky Way. However, other films make their way into the conversation too, like Mexican Bus Ride, as our panel shines a light on the unfair obscurity of many of Buñuel's Mexican films. They break down some of the misconceptions about Buñuel, and give their interpretations of his films.

Lady P is, once again, joined by film historian Professor Joseph McBride to talk about about his latest release, How Did Lubitsch Do It?. The book is a comprehensive critical study on the film works of famed German-American filmmaker, Ernst Lubitsch. McBride steps listeners through Lubitsch's early years, and discusses how his technique and style evolved through the various phases of his career. They also talk about career highlights, with special attention paid to what many consider to be his masterpiece, Trouble in Paradise (1932). As the 117th film on the critic's poll, Trouble in Paradise is the highest ranking Lubitsch film on the Sight and Sound list. McBride and Lady P discuss why it's considered such a seminal work, and talk about its legacy as formative film in the romantic comedy genre. Plus, McBride and Lady P make a slight digression to talk about Joe's interesting take on the on the current state of the romantic comedy, and why he believes it has had a precipitous fall from the Lubitsch era.

Martin is joined by returning guest Spencer Seams of the High and Low podcast to discuss Frank & Eleanor Perry's David and Lisa. They talk about the film's approach to character, and its portrayal of mental illness and psychiatric care. They cover surreal dream sequences and low budget naturalism, and consider the legacy of the Perrys and their post-divorce careers (as well as their relation to a certain pop superstar).  

At long last, Lady P and Martin are doing a show together again. They are joined in their reunion by film fanatic, and Wrong Reel mainstay, Becky D'Anna. The three of them join forces to tackle Marcel Carné's lengthy, 1945 period drama, Les Enfants du Paradis (aka Children of Paradise). The film was initially released in two parts, and remains bifurcated even in it's completed form. The first part, "Boulevard du Crime", follows the rising star of a young mime named Baptiste (Jean-Louis Barrault), who makes the leap from penniless street performer to veteran actor at a famous theatre. This part also introduces us to Baptiste's love interest, Garance (Arletty), a courtesan to whom Baptiste pledges his undying love. Initially, Garance doesn't seem to feel the same level of devotion, as she's got three other suitors vying for her affection, and she eventually opts to be with a wealthy Count over Baptiste. However, in the second half of the film "L'Homme Blanc", after a six year time-jump, it is revealed that Gara

On today's show, we have another musical entry for the Flixwise Favorites List. This time UW-Madison Media and Cultural Studies graduate student, Austin Morris, is pitching Steve Antin's 2010 cultural artifact, Burlesque for inclusion in our little pantheon. In order for Burlesque to make the cut, Austin must convince host, Lady P, and our guest panelist Assistant Professor and Reverse Shot film critic, Matt Connolly, that this cinematic oddity is one of the greatest films of all time. All three panelists agree that Burlesque features some questionable aesthetic and narrative choices, however, they all agree that the film's flaws only deepen their appreciation. While the film's weakness are multitude it does have a number of superlative elements - the primary one being that it provides a sufficiently shiny platform for one of the world's most indelible pop icons to sing and vamp for two hours. Much as we love Xtina, we are of course referring to the Cher, who swoops in and claims our affections like they're H

Martin is joined by Alistair Pitts of the Russophiles Unite! Movie Podcast to talk about the classic (or possibly cult classic) Withnail and I. They talk about the comedy that isn't immediately apparent that it's a comedy, its depiction of the 1960s, alcoholism, and tiptoe through the character Uncle Monty. Also Martin picks on Johhny Depp, but can't pronounce "Withnail".

Martin is joined by Scorsese aficionado Robert Cotto to discuss Martin Scorsese's Religious Trilogy (The Last Temptation of Christ, Kundun, and Silence). Together they examine the themes of the trilogy, praise the many performances throughout, talk about the varied responses to each film upon their release, and manage to give their personal feelings toward each film as well.

Martin is joined by Leanne Kubicz to discuss Jackass: The Movie, Jackass Number Two, Jackass 3D, and everything that can be squeezed in between. They talk about which jokes hold up and which skits couldn't be done today. They take a look at the members of the Jackass crew, and discuss bad taste and the virtues of outsiderdom.

We at Flixwise believe that it is important that we concern ourselves with whether a film's reputation is earned or simply accepted as common wisdom. That it is important to care enough about the art of filmmaking to pause and reflect on even the most common or woeful of motion pictures. And really, what's more woeful than being given the boot from "The Happiest Place on Earth?" With that in mind, we ever so humbly present a Flixwise Favorites face-off featuring two films that have long been relegated to the Disney Corporation deep-freeze. On today's show, the all-but-forgotten 1988 Disney Animated Film, Oliver and Company (Scribner), squares off against the film that rang the death knell for the Disney Renaissance, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Trousdale and Wise, 1996), to determine which movie is the most deserving of a spot on the Flixwise Favorites list. To weigh on which film is the more worthy selection, Lady P is joined by two of her fellow UW-Madison graduate students. Taking the Oliver side is Matt S

Martin is joined by Matthias van der Roest to discuss Mathieu Kassovitz' 1995 breakout film, La Haine. They talk about the film's look, soundtrack, and influences. They discuss the housing projects depicted in the film, the hip-hop soundtrack, and the continues relevance of its story. They cover the film's sound and visual style, and talk about the not-so-French films that influenced it.

Lady P is joined by film historian and Orson Welles scholar, Professor Joseph McBride, as well as fellow UW-Madison graduate student and Welles enthusiast, Erica Moulton, to discuss one of Orson's most popular non-directorial efforts. Today's Sight and Sound entry is the 73rd movie on the International Critics Poll, Carol Reed's The Third Man (1949). A film in which Orson utilizes his immense onscreen charisma to charm audiences across the globe into sympathizing with a heartless criminal.   Despite only appearing in the film for a small fraction of the runtime, the specter of Welles permeates the entire story. The panel talks about what makes Welles' Harry Lime character such an enduring figure in Film Noir history and how the film's structure reinforces Welles' mystique. They also discuss the ways in which The Third Man plays with and subverts conventional Noir tropes and how it directly addresses the political landscape of the era.  Lastly, they make a small detour to speculate about possible dates for the

Martin is joined by Spencer Seams of the High and Low podcast to discuss Chadian filmmaker Mahamat Saleh Haroun's story of revenge and compassion, Daratt. They discuss the film's characters, themes, politics, and Martin manages to shoehorn Star Wars into the conversation. They examine the film's striking colour palette, its subtle soundscape, and the role of bread.

Martin and resident artist Emma Guerard have a discussion about the film work of designer Eiko Ishioka. The discuss her production designs for the literary sequences in Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, as well as her costume designs for Dracula, The Cell, and The Fall. They try to pin down her unique aesthetic, and look at how sets and costumes can do their part to tell a story on film. They manage to touch on some of her work outside of film as well, including her work in advertising, the Beijing Olympics, and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.

Martin is joined by special guest Zachary Curl for a fast-paced conversation about Katsuhiro Otomo's animated masterpiece, Akira. They talk about the film's cyclical themes and its motorcycles, then get personal about perfection, imperfection, and inspiration. They discuss how Akira fits into the contexts of animated films, Japanese history, and life in general (everything from Sonic Youth to Katsushika Hokusai). Martin and Zachary also get into the follies of Hollywood remakes, with the threat of a live action adaptation of Akira dangling over all our heads.