Podcast Guest: Jena Young

May 15 2015

Episode 47 – Rashomon

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RashomonOur exploration of the unreliable narrator brings us to the film that is, quite literally, all about unreliable narration.  Rashomon is the film that introduced the world to Akira Kurosawa and is easily one of the most influential films ever made.  It is also ever so much shorter than The Seven Samurai.  So that’s a bonus.  Enjoy the special musical interlude Tim selected because he couldn’t find an mp3 of the music online.

Our next episode will be recorded live at the Trylon theater.  We’ll be watching The Lady from Shanghai!

Rashomon (1950)
Rashomon poster Rating: 8.1/10 (192,378 votes)
Director: Akira Kurosawa
Writer: Ryûnosuke Akutagawa, Akira Kurosawa, Shinobu Hashimoto
Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Machiko Kyô, Masayuki Mori
Runtime: 88 min
Rated: Not Rated
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Released: 26 Dec 1951
Plot: The rape of a bride and the murder of her samurai husband are recalled from the perspectives of a bandit, the bride, the samurai's ghost and a woodcutter.

May 01 2015

Episode 46 – The Usual Suspects

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The Usual SuspectsFor today’s episode, we explore the concept of the unreliable narrator as we watch The Usual Suspects.  Kevin Spacey won an Oscar for his portrayal of Verbal Kint (or did he???) in this twisty crime drama that managed to keep most audiences guessing even after the credits rolled.  We tried to decide how much of the movie actually happened as we saw but can you ever really know?

For our next episode, we will watch the seminal film about unreliable narrators, Rashomon!

The Usual Suspects (1995)
The Usual Suspects poster Rating: 8.5/10 (1,212,391 votes)
Director: Bryan Singer
Writer: Christopher McQuarrie
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri
Runtime: 106 min
Rated: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Released: 16 Aug 1995
Plot: The sole survivor of a pier shoot-out tells the story of how a notorious criminal influenced the events that began with five criminals meeting in a seemingly random police lineup.

Apr 15 2015

Episode 45 – Birdman

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BirdmanAs has become an annual tradition, we sat down to watch the Academy Award winner for Best Picture of 2014, Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)!  We marveled at the amazing Cinematography and the unexpected score.  We had a thoughtful conversation about the meaning of the film’s ending.  In other words, we watched the movie and then we talked about it.  Which is sort of our thing!

The next film on our list is The Usual Suspects!

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) poster Rating: 7.7/10 (686,941 votes)
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Writer: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris
Stars: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton
Runtime: 119 min
Rated: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Released: 14 Nov 2014
Plot: A washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.

Apr 01 2015

Episode 44 – Persepolis

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PersepolisThis episode, we managed to find another animated film Jena hasn’t seen, which is quite the challenge!  In addition to being only our second animated film, it is also our second foreign language film.  We watched “Persepolis,” which is a phenomenal film about growing up in post revolutionary Iran.  If you are feeling particularly ambitious, we would suggest that this film pairs quite nicely with Argo.

Our next episode will be about the winner of the 2015 Academy Award for Best Picture: Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)!

Persepolis (2007)
Persepolis poster Rating: 8.0/10 (102,920 votes)
Director: Vincent Paronnaud, Marjane Satrapi
Writer: Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud
Stars: Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve, Gena Rowlands
Runtime: 96 min
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Animation, Biography, Drama
Released: 22 Feb 2008
Plot: A precocious and outspoken Iranian girl grows up during the Islamic Revolution.

Mar 17 2015

Episode 43 – All About Eve

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All About EveHaving recently watched The Ten Commandments, we decided that Jena needed more Anne Baxter in her life.  What better way to mainline Anne Baxter than with All About Eve!  A delightfully witty script and fantastic performances by five great actresses are all you need to know.  If you haven’t watched this movie yet, you should rush out and fix that as soon as possible!

Our next episode will be about Persepolis!

All About Eve (1950)
All About Eve poster Rating: 8.2/10 (145,739 votes)
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Writer: Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Mary Orr
Stars: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders
Runtime: 138 min
Rated: Approved
Genre: Drama
Released: 27 Oct 1950
Plot: A seemingly timid but secretly ruthless ingénue insinuates herself into the lives of an aging Broadway star and her circle of theater friends.

Mar 01 2015

Episode 42 – Murder on the Orient Express

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Murder on the Orient ExpressOur episode was recorded live at the Trylon theater in Minneapolis.  We watched the only adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel that the author actually liked, Murder on the Orient Express.  The cast is full of A-list stars including Ingred Bergman, who won  an Oscar for her performance in this film.  After the movie, audience members joined us for a discussion of the film.

Our next episode will introduce Jena to Bette Davis as we watch All About Eve!

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)
Murder on the Orient Express poster Rating: 7.2/10 (71,679 votes)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Writer: Agatha Christie, Paul Dehn, Anthony Shaffer
Stars: Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman
Runtime: 128 min
Rated: PG
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Released: 24 Nov 1974
Plot: In December 1935, when his transcontinental luxury train is stranded by deep snow, detective Hercule Poirot is called on to solve a murder that occurred in his car the night before, with a multitude of suspects.

 

Feb 15 2015

Episode 41 – L.A. Confidential

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L.A. ConfidentialFor our latest episode, we watch a modern take on classic noir as we watch L.A. Confidential. A not yet all star cast including Kevin Spacy, Kim Basinger, Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce headline this film that is recognized among film buffs but mostly forgotten by others.  We hope you take the time to check out this movie if you aren’t already a fan.

Our next episode will be recorded live at the Trylon theater on Sunday, February 22nd.  We’ll be watching Murder on the Orient Express!

L.A. Confidential (1997)
L.A. Confidential poster Rating: 8.2/10 (649,401 votes)
Director: Curtis Hanson
Writer: James Ellroy, Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
Stars: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce
Runtime: 138 min
Rated: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery
Released: 19 Sep 1997
Plot: As corruption grows in 1950s Los Angeles, three policemen - one strait-laced, one brutal, and one sleazy - investigate a series of murders with their own brand of justice.

Feb 01 2015

Episode 40 – The Ten Commandments

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The Ten CommandmentsOn our latest episode, we explore the world of the Biblical epic via Cecil B DeMille’s Ten Commandments!  Charlton Heston is our guide as we explore a time of plagues, lust and burning bushes!  We are once again reminded of the awesomeness of Vincent Price and, finally, get to introduce Jena to Anne Baxter.  We also spend a little time talking about Exodus: Gods and Kings. Join us for this rollicking trip through the old testament complete with water turning to blood!

At the end of the episode, we claim our next episode will be Murder on the Orient Express.  That’s totally wrong.  It will be L.A. Confidential.

The Ten Commandments (1956)
The Ten Commandments poster Rating: 7.9/10 (82,149 votes)
Director: Cecil B. DeMille
Writer: Dorothy Clarke Wilson, J.H. Ingraham, A.E. Southon
Stars: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter
Runtime: 220 min
Rated: G
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family
Released: 05 Oct 1956
Plot: Moses, raised as a prince of Egypt in the Pharaoh's household, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people from slavery.

Jan 15 2015

Episode 39 – House of Wax

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House of WaxHaving recently watched Mystery of the Wax Museum, we needed to take the time to watch the more famous remake, House of Wax.  Once again we enjoy the screen presence of the great Vincent Price while we experience the birth of 3D!  We also run into Reel Education favorite Charles Bronson.

Our next episode will take a closer look at the biblical epic The Ten Commandments!

House of Wax (1953)
House of Wax poster Rating: 7.0/10 (21,903 votes)
Director: André De Toth
Writer: Crane Wilbur, Charles Belden
Stars: Vincent Price, Frank Lovejoy, Phyllis Kirk
Runtime: 88 min
Rated: PG
Genre: Horror
Released: 25 Apr 1953
Plot: An associate burns down a wax museum with the owner inside, but he survives only to become vengeful and murderous.

Jan 01 2015

Episode 38 – Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence

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Merry Christmas Mr. LawrenceFor our holiday episode, we returned to the fabulous Trylon Microcinema to watch and discuss Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence.  We not only discussed the film but we found ourselves pulled into a conversation about the Hayes code and about 80’s synth tracks!  Jena was saddened that this film featured a lot of David Bowie but not a lot of his package.  Well, you can’t win them all.

Happy New Year!

Our next episode, we’ll be watching House of Wax!

And we’ll be returning to the Trylon in February for Murder on the Orient Express!

Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)
Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence poster Rating: 7.2/10 (21,656 votes)
Director: Nagisa Ôshima
Writer: Nagisa Ôshima, Paul Mayersberg, Lourens van der Post
Stars: David Bowie, Tom Conti, Ryuichi Sakamoto
Runtime: 123 min
Rated: R
Genre: Drama, War
Released: 02 Sep 1983
Plot: During WWII, a British colonel tries to bridge the cultural divides between a British POW and the Japanese camp commander in order to avoid bloodshed.