School Of Movies

[School of Movies 2023] The Coen Brothers season continues with Part IV here, and we picked two of the most musically focused for a double-bill of hapless singers wandering America. The first is arguably the most high-profile and broadly celebrated film, which comes at the end of their golden age. Their eighth movie, O Brother is an ambitious retelling of Homer's Odyssey, set in the 1930s dust bowl and concerning three escaped prisoners on a treasure hunt. It's a screwball comedy, closer in tone to Raising Arizona than something like Fargo. This mix of Americana was received with adulation by the Academy, and the bluegrass music at its core became a brief travelling sensation. Inside Llewyn Davis however, is from 2013. Thirteen unlucky years after their peak, and by this time they were indie darlings again. It concerns Oscar Isaac's titular character based on the careers and music of certain Greenwich Village folk singers from 60s New York. Llewin is reeling from the death of his singing partner, and his trav

[School of Everything Else 2023] This is actually the fourth of an ongoing series of Zelda episodes begun all the way back in 2010 when we had a guest-filled clip show covering every title from the NES original to the then-latest instalment, Spirit Tracks on DS. After that came Skyward Sword in very early 2012 after its release on the Wii, then in 2017 when Breath of the Wild emerged, we did a third show covering the remakes and remasters up to Majora's Mask on 3DS.  And now here, just as Tears of the Kingdom gushes forth, so too do we, about what may in fact be not only my favourite Zelda game of all time... but maybe my favourite game! We and our guests talk at length and depth about this series high-point for many, only rivalled by one other across many rankings and polls. But absolutely warranting of detractors deeply frustrated by a system of weapons that seem to be made from crackers lightly glued together. We look at the pitfalls and soaring heights of this astonishing achievement in building a world t

[School of Everything Else 2023] This episode coincides with the Switch and PS4 release of the Pixel Remasters of the first six games in this legendary, long-running RPG dynasty. Part 1: Where do you start with a series that has a game called Final Fantasy X and a game called Final Fantasy XII and a game called Final Fantasy X-2 and only one of those is an actual sequel to the other? Not only do we lay out which games to try first, but we divide them all into design eras and let you know what to expect from each.  Part 2: We discuss the plot and characters of one of the most beloved in the series, Final Fantasy IV. This won't spoil the game, only make it more special to play. But if you really don't want to hear any details whatsoever and intend to play this 1991 game to completion right now, you can hold off at the 57 minute mark.  Which mainline numbered (non MMORPG) games are playable on the current, running console generations? PlayStation: 1-10 as well as 12 and 15.  Switch: 1-10 as well as 12. Plus a ch

[School of Movies 2023] A long-planned return to a far-too-often overlooked Disney animated classic released quietly in 1995. A passion project of Jeffrey Katzenberg that wound up being helmed by Kevin Lima, director of Tarzan and later Enchanted. From the outside it seems like a fun finale to the 78-episode syndicated wacky animated show 'Goof Troop', but as it turns out, this one hit way closer to home than most of Disney's more fantastical fare for a lot of kids who grew up watching it on VHS and DVD and love it intensely.  I've promised Daniel Floyd of Extra Frames that if we ever covered it he would be there, and thanks to Ryan Estrada of Big Data (who adores it just as much) we have ourselves a fascinating, in-depth dive into a surprisingly emotionally complex road-trip.  References  The Enduring Legacy of Disney's Black Millennial Classic 'A Goofy Movie' by Austin Williams  A Goofy Movie: A Staple of Black Culture | READUS 101 by La'Ron Readus  The Little Things About A GOOFY MOVIE by ToonrificTariq (f

[School of Movies 2023] Part III of the Coen Brothers series. In 1998 they pulled together what might in fact be their most beloved film for fans of their oeuvre. Definitely the most eminently quotable, by virtue of a script that is almost a musical in terms of how often phrases and lines are repeated and reprised, layering absurdity upon each scenario and impeccably delivered by an astonishing cast. It follows a California layabout named Jeffrey Lebowski who is mistaken for a local philanthropist of the same name. Chaos ensues. Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, David Huddleston, Steve Buscemi, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Elliott, Peter Stormare, John Turturro and Tara Reid all play eccentric characters in this sly parody of a film noir kidnapping mystery. One where pretty much everyone is far less competent than they are pitching to the world. It's a real "No One Knows What They're Doing" scenario, as FilmJoy might say. Some folks are baffled as to why it's so vociferously beloved, so we have atte

[School of Movies 2023] We've reached the point of  1985, where Studio Ghibli was officially founded. This episode covers the first three films released under this official new banner.  1986: Laputa - Castle in the Sky (5m 20s) 1988: Grave of the Fireflies (18m 20s) 1988: My Neighbor Totoro (37m 05s) The first of these, Castle in the Sky bears a striking, clearly-inspirational tonal and aesthetic similarity with my favourite game of all time, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. We have a main event show on that very game coming soon. Now the middle of these three gets very grim, as it is one of the harshest depictions of child suffering during wartime. By all means skip ahead when it becomes too heavy.  And big thanks to Joshua Garrity of Cane and Rinse podcast, as I tracked down some never-used archival footage of him chatting with me about why he loves My Neighbor Totoro for very personal reasons. 

[School of Movies 2023] Part II of the Coen Brothers series. This 1996 film was the point where they hit the big leagues. Showered with awards and nominations, Joel and Ethan were placed alongside great and classic directors by the establishment. The story itself is one of a bungled kidnap, a bag filled with cursed money and the needless murders that take place as a result of seeking it. It's a frosty noir, set on the snowbound roads between Fargo, North Dakota and the twin cities of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. A weasel of a car salesman arranges for the kidnapping of his own wife, and from that atrocious act, calamity radiates.   The local sheriff on the case is Margie Gunderson, played by Frances McDormand, whose genial, mumsy attitude hides a sharp, observant detective brain. And it is from her perspective that we observe with bewilderment the cluttered mistakes of daft, greedy men.  Next time around we go bowling with The Big Lebowski. More kidnaps, more bungling, more greed, less murder. 

[School of Movies 2023] This has been a long time coming. You've all been so good and respectful when it comes to not bombarding us with requests for anime shows that we decided to treat you collectively, and finally push the button on the one studio whose body of work is the first thing most people think of when it comes to prestigious films in this medium. Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 and have produced two dozen movies to date. This is the first of a series of shows releasing over this year that will cover all of these. And to do that we have to go back to the source. Hayao Miyazaki was one of the founders, alongside Toshio Suzuki and Isao Takahata, and his is the most singular creative vision, informing upon the direction and philosophy of their art for forty years.  Most of this first episode is spent discussing what repeating motifs show up across this body of work, and how much of that ties in with Hayao's worldview. We lightly cover Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro which he directed for Tokyo M

[School of Everything Else 2023] As the new movie approaches, Sharon and I journey back to one of our favourite childhood animated shows. Beginning in 1983, this was a joint collaboration between Toei Animation in Japan, Marvel Productions in America and DND Entertainment.  It was an attempt to string a loose narrative together of a bunch of teenagers transported to a mythical realm full of D&D scenarios, and being given roles in an adventuring party. It was made at a time when everything was episodic and self-contained, performances were insanely earnest and we all learned valuable morals about not judging by appearances.  But ultimately, what kept us coming back was a strange sick sort of desperation to see the kids get back home at last... That they never did lends this show a melancholy yet hopeful tone which captured our young hearts. Many thanks to our enthusiastic guest, who is younger than us, but caught the show in reruns in the early 2000s. Guest: Nama Chibitty @namathenerd

[School of Movies 2023] The first 72 minutes of this one, focusing on the trilogy of feature films from 2002, 2006 and 2010 was originally published on our Patreon bonus feed in early 2020 (the ten year anniversary of seeing them together on the big screen for the last time). Then, unexpectedly filming during the pandemic, the fourth film Jackass Forever emerged, and we were able to follow up with a new section.  If you've never gotten into this motley crew of cackling, skateboarding imbeciles throwing themselves into dangerous situations, pranking one another and falling about in hysterics you also won't yet have experienced the unexpected pleasure of gut-laughing through their always enthusiastic, inventive, frequently absolutely disgusting, juvenile and sometimes kind of sweet shenanigans.  If you've enjoyed them in the past then this show is going to be a veritable treat. 

[School of Movies 2023] The concluding second part of this detailed puppet exploration. We finally reach Guillermo del Toro's exceptional antifascist version of the story wherein things might not be so cut and dried as "Do everything you're told by adults". We also get to bring in discussions of all the other movies we watched along the way, in order to get a better handle on the screen life of this Italian legend. Some of them are lost, hidden gems just waiting to be rediscovered, some of which you should avoid like bubonic plague. You'll also hear about a version from Victoria that even WE didn't know about, in the most surprising of mediums. Guest: Victoria Luna B. Grieve:  @VixenVVitch  The complete Pinocchiae 1. 1940 (Disney Classic, directed by Ben Sharpsteen & Hamilton Luske) 2. 1996 (Adventures, directed by Steve Barron) 3. 2002 (Creepy Manchild, directed by Roberto Begnigni) 4. 2012 (Italian Animated, directed by Enzo D'Alo) 5. 2019 (Italian Live Action, directed by Matteo Garrone) 6. 2021 (Russi

[School of Movies 2023] It seems like 2022 was the year of the little wooden boy, with THREE new Pinocchio movies released. There was the Robert Zemekis-helmed live action remake of the Disney classic, Guillermo del Toro's darker, fascist-challenging Netflix stop motion film, and there was the Pauly Shore dub of the Russian one that gained memetic notoriety. So Sharon and I went back and didn't only just watch those three... we pretty much watched every significant Pinocchio movie ever made. And then we brought in Victoria Luna B. Grieve to talk about their different approaches.  In this first of two shows we revisit the 2014 recording of Daniel Floyd talking with us about the 1940 original for our Disney Animated Series. Then with Victoria we look at why so many people angrily *loathed* the new Disney incarnation.  Next week, Del Toro, Shore, Benigni, Martin Landau, Udo Kier, Napoleon Dynamite, weird noises, strange perverts and the best animated version you've never heard of.  Guests: Daniel Floyd of New Fr

[School of Movies 2023] I would say you don't have to watch the film to listen to this show. I go deep into the themes and principles of the story, which means talking about the plot at length, but I don't spoil the details of the grisly, violent and scary scenes, thus hopefully preserving a lot of their impact. A brilliant engineer, toy designer winds up the sole caregiver for her niece after a tragic accident. Finding it far too difficult to suddenly incorporate a young person into her life she comes up with the idea of developing the child-sized robot she has been working on, turning it into the ideal companion for a lonely little girl.  Inevitably the irresponsibility of this decision leads to the robot sprog going small-scale Skynet. It's a very enjoyable and extremely popular Blumhouse horror with more going on under the rubbery skin. 

[School of Movies 2023] This is a pair of Patreon After School Club episodes, covering the second and third instalments of the Venomverse.  Back in 2018, after I recorded my initial After School Club on the original Venom movie (which was subsequently released like this on the main feed) I outlined its various strengths and weaknesses and what a messy, daft underachievement it was. But then Venom wound up insanely popular, making more than many MCU entries. $856m versus The Eternals sitting un-prettily at $402m. That doesn't necessarily mean Venom is a better film, just that general audiences warmed to it HARD. So there was a big question mark over what might happen if they made the sequel into the film they WANTED to make, rather than what felt like a weirdly compromised first instalment which was clearly reshaped from its original R-rated incarnation. What do you suppose happened with Part 2? And then, the film that nobody wanted with the star that nobody asked for. Quickly bottoming the charts as one of th

[School of Movies 2023] This is our second attempt at a film that might mean *everything*. We had a go at recording on this 1997 Robert Zemekis sci-fi about attempting to decode alien messages all the way back in 2014. The discussion broke down soon after that opening section which crams a whole universe into our minds. Fortunately for us and you, this became a commissioned show (Many thanks to Executive Producer Matthew A. Seibert) which means we can't set it down or put it off any more. Jodie Foster puts in an astonishing performance as a woman in the grip of lifelong obsession, searching for answers. When her SETI team at the Very Large Array of radio telescope dishes in New Mexico get a long-distance message the entirety of Planet Earth is thrown into a chaotic conflict to establish meaning. Religion and science are put in opposition of one another, with explosive results.  Astrophysicist Carl Sagan began conceptualising what would happen to the human race if it came into contact with intelligent life bac

[School of Movies 2023] One of our all-time favourites, so little-seen or talked about that it's debatable as to whether we are looking at a Cult Classic or not. And one of the reasons we've held off for so long on talking about this 1997 black comedy about a hitman attending his ten-year high school reunion is that we were waiting for it to be rediscovered. And that hasn't happened, neither has it aged poorly, which is always a concern for comedies. But also we love it on such a level of personal resonance that it has always been a challenge to put into words exactly why. The script zigzags wittily through this green Detroit suburb, the offhand delivery with room for improvisation without ever becoming self-indulgent, the exceptional casting, in particular John and Joan Cusack and Minnie Driver at her zenith, the soundtrack that shows a genuine affinity with 80s music rather than simply playing the pop hits. Also very specifically this was released at a time when nostalgia for that decade was barely even a t

[School of Movies 2023] A commissioned show by Parker. This is our first Paul Thomas Anderson main event show, and it is a grimy, sticky dive into the black heart of the vampiric nature rewarded by pursuing The American Dream to the exclusion of everyone else's success. Daniel Plainview starts out as a grim, silent nobody scratching for silver in California's dirt. He discovers oil down there and rises in power and influence, buying up land cheaply with the full intention of tearing the resources out from under its inhabitants. Daniel appears wildly successful, only to find himself butting heads with other businessmen who provoke his paranoia, an opportunistic imposter and a zealous charlatan of a local pastor obsessed with keeping everyone else's attention on him. Through it all his mostly silent adopted son, H.W. remains the tiny speck of purity in an infernal subterranean ocean of oil and blood. 

[School of Movies 2023] A Netflix-distributed animated film about bounty-hunting pirate whalers hunting giant ocean kaiju. A plucky girl trying desperately to live up to the great death of her parents whose ship was borne down to the briny depths. A hardworking himbo on the cusp of questioning exactly why all this loss of life seems to be so necessary to keep civilisation afloat. A desperate sea captain on the verge of retirement watching his work of years come undone and blaming it all on one massive red beastie.  Easy comparisons with How to Train Your Dragon have been made, but you have to get under the harpoon-fletched scaly hide of this leviathan to find that it goes to places Dreamworks and Disney won't.  This is a Commissioned show for Chris Finik, and it was an absolute pleasure to discover this one on his suggestion.

[School of Movies 2023] This is the start of a Director series that will run throughout the year, focusing on the complete works of Joel and Ethan Coen. Now in their mid-to-late-60s these two have been making quirky, dark films about stolen money and mysterious strangers for forty years.  We begin with their first five stories of philandering spouses, struggling artists, uncomfortable criminals, screwball kidnapping and absurd industry. 1984: Blood Simple 1987: Raising Arizona 1990: Miller's Crossing 1991: Barton Fink 1994: The Hudsucker Proxy And we will be back in a month or so, to visit Fargo, Minnesota as they hit their heyday.

[School of Movies 2022] For years this seminal, game-changing Silver Age comic book has seemed damned-near impossible to adapt into a movie, with all four efforts failing resoundingly at getting major audiences to care about Marvel's First Family. And yet Pixar did it twice with the serial numbers filed off and the clear vision of Brad Bird. So Sharon and I look back on those movies, two that we've covered in the past just based on their own merits (2005 and 2007) and two others whose productions deserve delving into (1994 and 2015), and we compare them against the comic itself from various periods (Lee & Kirby, Byrne, Simonson, Morrison, Waid, Straczynski, Hickman) and not only speculate on how they could fit into the MCU, but celebrate their characters (along with Doom, Silver Surfer and Galactus) in a way that film has been unable to, at least to date. This episode took a hell of a lot of research and is richly prepared for all of you. Our shortlist of recommended reading is as follows... 1. FF #48-52