Flixwise Podcast

Lady P is joined by a pair of NYC film critics: Caroline Golum and Matt Prigge, to discuss the 69th (nice!) film on the Sight and Sound International Critics Poll: David Lynch's 1986 release, Blue Velvet. They talk about Lynch's manichean universe and his use of pastiche to emphasize his themes. Due respect is paid to the universally beloved artists that Lynch references in his work including Bobby Vinton, Roy Orbison, and Laura Dern.  The Blue Velvet discussion then segues into Lynch's recent television output, the Twin Peaks reboot,  which leads to a discussion on auteurist television, and why certain directions can naturally transition between mediums. They then offer a wishlist of directors that they'd like to see run their own a show. 

Martin Kessler and David Blakeslee shimmy across a line between two towering films by certified auteur Robert Bresson, Pickpocket and A Man Escaped; at the 63rd and 69th spots on the Sight & Sound list respectively. They examine Bresson’s style & technique, the plausibility of A Man Escaped, consider if Bresson is more theatrical than he may lead us to believe, and examine Bresson’s (in)famous approach to performers. Will both Bresson films prove worthy of their position on the Sight & Sound list and escape to freedom, or be condemned to movie prison?  And where does Bresson's reputation stand? They shall discuss.

Sony executive Becky D'Anna joins Martin for a conversation about love, happiness, and digital color timing. They look at how Amélie fits into the filmography of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and discuss its cast, visual style, and music as well as its enduring appeal. Becky relates Amélie to Terminator 2 and Martin gives his Paris hot take.

On today's show Lady P welcomes back Carol (2015) screenwriter, Phyllis Nagy, for an in-depth discussion of Phyllis' all-time-favorite film, Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard (1950). Phyllis isn't the only one celebrating her glorious return to Flixwise. This is also the second appearance of one Norma Desmond, or rather Lady P's rather embarrassing imitation of the silent age film star. Norma first appeared on our original Sunset Boulevard episode, which features Professor Joseph McBride offering behind the scenes details of the filming of this Wilder classic. Today we're paying another visit to that old familiar street with Phyllis' personal take on the depiction of 1950s Hollywood. Lady P and Phyllis discuss their reactions to Gloria Swanson's bold representation of an aged actress, and how William Holden serves as an important ballast to Swanson's electric performance. Then Phyllis sets out to debunk some popular interpretations of the film - namely that it's either satirical or Campy. Phyllis tells listener

On today's show, get ready for some resentment, misery, and existential dread. That's right, it's Ingmar Bergman time!! Lady P is joined by Michael Leader of Film 4, and resident Bergman aficionado, Dave Eves, to discuss the 63rd movie on the Sight and Sound Critics' Poll, Wild Strawberries (1957). The film follows an elderly protagonist named Isak Borg, who's played by Victor Sjöström, on a road trip through the Swedish countryside. Along the way, he has a series of flashbacks that force him to take stock of his life and reevaluate his interpersonal relationships. While chalk full of Bergman's trademark combination of formal elegance and emotional violence, Wild Strawberries is one of few films of his that grants the viewer a spiritual reprieve. Characters are cruel to one another, but they're also capable of great generosity and unexpected warmth. This unexpected sentimentality makes Wild Strawberries one of Bergman's easiest watches, but is it worthy of the Top 100 of All Time?  For our second topic, we ju

Burton Fischer returns to discuss with Martin the eclectic and profound body of work of Australian filmmaker, Peter Weir (Picnic At Hanging Rock, The Last Wave, Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously, The Mosquito Coast, Fearless, The Truman Show)They talk about their impressions of his film, and unpack the Weir’s complex themes of spirituality, nature, culture, history and gender. They reflect on the many ambiguities in Weir’s films, discuss his dramatic tendencies, musical choices, common character types and the performances in his films. Then consider how he fits into Australian film, and his possible influence on other filmmakers.

On today's show, it's time for a good ole fashioned bro-down. For the 63rd entry on the Sight and Sound International Critics' Poll we have Howard Hawks' 1959 Classic Western/Hang-Out Movie, Rio Bravo. On hand to share his analysis and personal anecdotes from his encounters with the director is film historian and author of the book Hawks on Hawks, Professor Joseph McBride. McBride joins host, Lady P, for a discussion on what makes Rio Bravo the quintessential Hawks film. They also discuss the various performances, including the unintuitive pairing of the Duke persona and the overly loquacious Hawksian leading man, Dean Martin's unvarnished rendering of alcoholism, and the star turns by a young Angie Dickinson and the not-so-young Walter Brennan. They also talk about why Hawks chose to remake his masterpiece twice an whether either of the later versions hold up to the original.  For our second topic, since Joe McBride is a noted Orson Welles expert we had him come and talk about the latest chapter in the ongoi

Martin is joined by film distributor and slow cinema guru Nadin Mai to discuss Wang Bing’s Tie Xi Qu: West of The Tracks, an over nine-hour long look at a collapsing industrial district in China. They look at how best to watch it, how it fits into Wang Bing’s body of work, whether it can even be classified as a documentary, and how it connects the present to the past.    They switch rails to discuss the appeal of Slow Cinema. and then move on to look at the challenges and virtues of film distribution (where Martin admits to buying bootleg dvds). 

On today’s show, we have the 63rd entry on the Sight and Sound International Critics’ Poll, and the second Charlie Chaplin film on the list, Modern Times. We have a full assembly line of guests to look at the final outing of The Little Tramp.  Lady P welcomes Flixwsie art director Emma, Eclipse Viewer host David Blakslee, and criterion enthusiast Jason Beamish. Will they find it worthy of its spot on the list? How does it compare to Chaplin’s other films? More importantly how does it compare to Keaton’s?  For our second topic we take inspiration from the factory life of Modern Times to look at industry in film.  And then we close things out with some final notes of positivity.

Certified hoser Martin Kessler welcomes Wrongreel podcast host James Hancock to discuss the dark corner of cinema known as Canuxploitation. They look at tax shelter film funding, try to figure out what constitutes Canadian content, and attempt to wrap their heads around a parade of some of the strangest films ever made. Things go full-Cronenberg. Listen to find out if they think Canuxploitation was a worthy venture or a failed experiment, learn which popular Canadian film Martin hates, and speculate on the darker side of the Great White North.

Film historian, professor James Naremore returns to discuss Charles Laughton’s dark southern classic, The Night of the Hunter (1955). We ask ourselves if it’s love or hate we feel for the film, and unpack how absolutely bonkers it is; a dark fairy tale that climaxes in a showdown between an evil bible-thumping Robert Mitchum and a shotgun wielding Lillian Gish. A commercial and critical failure upon its initial release, we ask ourselves if its worth of the 63rd position on The Sight & Sound List. Taking inspiration from Night of the Hunter being Laughton’s first (and only) directorial venture, we spend our second topic discussing some other great directorial debuts.  And as you’d expect, we close things out with some Final Notes of Positivity.

On today's show, we have a messy love triangle to sort through. No, I'm not referring to any sordid entanglements with our trio of panelists - host Lady P, co-producer Martin Kessler, and Battleship Pretension's Scott Nye - but rather the messy bed hopping and relationship dramas of the central trio in Jean Eustache's The Mother and the Whore (1973). Despite it being a notoriously difficult movie to see, The Mother and the Whore has drummed up enough critical support to land the 59th slot on the "Sight and Sound Greatest Films of all Time" list. The film stars Jean-Pierre Léaud as a hapless thirty-something layabout, who's somehow managed to get not one, but two women, to fall for him.  This is the original Quarterlife crisis movie, sort of in the vein of the HBO series Girls, where the characters are both endearing and completely insufferable.    Much like the characters in the film, our panelists also enjoy long-form discussions about pretentious pop cultural objects, particularly if said objects are out-of

Dave Eves joins Martin Kessler for a wildfire fast conversation about filmmaker Mikhail Kalatozov. They brave the elements to marvel at I Am Cuba’s famous long takes, consider the logistics of Letter Never Sent’s forest fire, and look at how The Cranes Are Flying set the bar for self-serious Russian directors. If you survive to the end you’ll hear some strong opinions on arthouse theatre audiences, Hard to Be a God, Blumhouse horror movies, the accents of token straw-man Americans, and of course why “cinema is a lie”.  If you have any letters to send, you can reach Dave Eves on Twitter at @CinemaVsDave

Buckle up, things are about to get slow. Lady P welcome Monique “Momo” Morgan in her Flixwise debut, and Flixwise co-producer Martin Kessler, to talk about the second Kenji Mizoguchi entry on the Sight and Sound list, Sansho The Bailiff. They navigate its murky waters in discussing its themes, symbols, and moral quandaries, the role of women in the film, and Mizoguchi’s filmmaking technique.  For our second topic we take a long look at long takes. Our panelists discuss different types of long takes and their varying effects. Plus, they figure out exactly how long a take needs to be to achieve ‘long take’ status, and then try to list their top five favourites (Birdman doesn’t make an appearance, we promise). 

It's our final installment in this coverage of the TCM Classic Film Fest. For this last minisode, Lady P and Kristen Sales are talking Cock... Cock of the Air (1932), that is. Produced by Howard Hughes, Cock of the Air is a bawdy Pre-Code comedy/adventure flick that serves primarily as a showcase for actress Billie Dove and her ample (ahem) talents. And in keeping with the sexual objectification theme, the gals take a good gander at the David Farrar shapely gams, which really popped in the new Academy nitrate print of Black Narcissus (1947). Then the gals take a trip to Florida, and chat about the wonderful Preston Sturges screwball comedy, The Palm Beach Story (1942) and debate which of Sturges films is the sexiest. Finally, they offer some closing thoughts on this year's "Make em Laugh" theme.    

It's the 2nd in our series of minisodes from the 2017 TCM Classic Film Fest. Lady P and Kristen Sales are back, bringing you highlights and random musing from days 2 and 3 of the Fest. Talking points include the greatness of Madeline Kahn, watching really depressing movies at a comedy oriented Fest, and Sean Connery in a mankini.   Check back Monday for the final episode in our #TCMFF series.

As promised, Lady P and Kristen Sales are back with updates from the 2017 TCM Classic Film Festival. For their first episode they discuss some of their favorite moments from the Fest thus far. Highlights include a variety of Pre-Code delights, the various TCM fan gatherings around town, and the surprise appearance from the ultimate classic film superfan, Mr. Martin Scorsese. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the weekend!

On today's show, it's our annual TCM Film Fest preview! The Fest begins this Thursday, April 6th, and continues through Sunday, April 9th. Helping listeners navigate the ins and outs of this year's program, is a very special guest - TCM Saturday Daytime Host, Tiffany Vazquez. Tiffany joins host, Lady P, and Flixwise regular, Kristen Sales, to offer up suggestions on what to see from this year's roster of great films. They talk about what attendees can expect as they run back and forth between the great movie palaces of Hollywood Boulevard, and also discuss this year's theme, "Make Em Laugh", and why our collective classic film loving heart needs a slate of comedy offerings right about now. And lest we forget, there's also a Sight and Sound movie to cover. This time it's the 59th film on the Critics' Poll, Buster Keaton's 1924 feature, Sherlock Jr. Brace yourself for some serious giddiness, because Lady P and Kristen lavish more effusive praise on this movie than just about any film they ever discussed on this

Martin and returning guest Marcus Pinn delve into the minutiae of juxtaposing film stills. They  cover coincidence and influence, and what makes a good side by side and a bad side. Along the way they touch on how to watch a Claire Denis film, visual cliches, Twitter etiquette, and hands-on cinephilia,  Which filmmaker says they’ve never seen Star Wars but totally knows what an Ewok is, and which filmmaker only copies class? All questions will be answered!  Check our Marcus Pinn’s writing over at http://www.pinnlandempire.com and listen to his new podcast, Zebras in America here: https://soundcloud.com/zebras-in-america 

On today's show, three of the internet's finest twits (Lady P, Martin Kessler, and Kristen Sales) attempt to find purpose and salvation through a meandering, nonsensical quest - to figure out whether Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) is worthy of the Flixwise Favorite's list. Together they parse through a submission from listener, Jessica Gilbert, who outlines why she thinks the Pythons' second feature is one of the greatest films ever made. She touches on all the usual topics: filmic technique, cultural impact, shrubbery taxonomies, etc. Using Jessica's submission as a guide, our fearless trio of panelists attempt to discern all the silly accents (and walks!) and figure out if Holy Grail is indeed worthy of our show's highest acclaim.