Episodes

Hey film buds, School is a cinematic place, full of opportunity for different kinds of storytelling. For today’s episode we’ll be looking at School Athletics with Cheerleaders and Jocks. Our main reviews will be Bring it On and Friday Night Lights where we’ll discuss these character types and story structures. Beyond that we’ll discuss the history of sports in school, What We’re Watching, and more. And so you don’t get too far behind on the class materials, check out last week’s episode. Thank...

Hey film buds, With the dog days of summer, so too arrives the start of a new school year. So, this month on the Film Buds, we are going Back to School. For our first episode, we are going into movies about teachers that inspire. We discuss education in America, review Dead Poets Society & School of Rock, get caught up on the HBOMax/Discovery drama, and more. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out last week’s episode, and be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Thanks y’all, The Buds S...

Hey film buds, For our final episode of the Summer Movie Season, we wanted to send y’all off with a bang. Something that had a little bit of it all. Sex. Violence. Heat. You know? The good stuff. Sure enough we found the perfect movies to deliver on the premise. This week, as a mirror to our previous Shark Week Episode and as a grand finale to our Summer programming, we are proudly reviewing both Piranha and Piranha 3D. But we also have a little more in store, with some information on real l...

Hey film buds, You know what statistics always fluctuates with the weather? Crime rates. Truly folks, it does in fact seem that when the sun is out, so too are guns out. And America has its own very particular relationship to both guns and crime. So for this week’s episode we’ll be reviewing two high-intensity crime movies: Michael Mann’s Heat and Michael Bay’s Pain & Gain. Introduction - 00:00 Opening Chat Heist Films American Cinematic and Real World Robbery: A Brief History - 14:46 Mi...

Hey film buds, What is it about the heat that makes some folks’ morals melt? With the fun, poppy ideas of Summer Magic also comes something of a dark Summer Curse, leaving some people bound by their worst impulses. Today’s episode is diving headlong into moral ambiguity, existential dread, and murder with an episode all about Neo Noir. Introduction - 00:00 Opening Chat What Makes Summer Sexy A Brief Noir History - 22:24 First is the 1981 Lawrence Kasdan classic, Body Heat. The film dedica...

Hey film buds, Summer is a unique time of year. It conjures up both the excitement of possibility and the nostalgia of Summers-past. And though we all have different ways of enjoying it, we all feel that Summer call to shed layers and run out into the heat. Though it is certainly fun to experience that Summer feeling in the fantastical films of Jaws or Do the Right Thing, we thought it could be just as fun to experience something grounded in reality with two documentary films. Introduction -...

Hey film buds, Happy Independence Day to those who celebrate. I guess that’s something a lot of us have in common: independence days from Britain. July 4th is of a certain interest to me because in many ways I feel it has become Summertime Christmas. It is a holiday that feels with each passing year more and more divorced from whatever it was supposed to be about. For many, a holiday that celebrates a declaration of war has now become apolitical. But the truth is, no part of American history i...

Hey film buds, Art is a place to explore. To dive in and see what makes us tick. It is how we share our experiences, using a universal language of emotions as conveyed by light and sound. Horror is then a place to face one’s fears, or show how fearful the circumstances of one’s life can be. That is why Horror has been a powerful device for marginalized groups to express themselves and share their fears. This holds especially true for the LGBTQIA+ community. Introduction - 00:00 Opening Chat ...

Hey film buds, If Pride is so fun, then why has the show been such a downer? I mean, the historic struggle is important and a key part of Pride, but I’m sure you’re wondering “Paul and Lauren, why are you tanking Pride month?” Well worry no more. Drag is one of the most visual elements of Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community. It provides an opportunity for the performer to escape, and the audience to challenge their understanding of gender. So, this week we’re sharing with y’all the history of Dr...

Hey film buds, Last week began Pride Month. It is a special time of year designed to promote a sense of community, celebrate love, and remember the hard work and loss that went into making a world more open and accepting of the LGBTQIA+ community. Introduction - 22:02 Opening Chat Movies, TV, and HIV/AIDS Part of the struggle that has defined the activism and awareness of the Gay community is undoubtedly the HIV/AIDS crisis. So, as a part of our Pride celebration we’ll be reviewing a film t...

Hey film buds, This June we are continuing to recognize and celebrate humanity’s diversity on film. For those unaware, June is Pride Month. It is a unique celebration born from protest and activism with a presence now felt around the world. Here at the Film Buds, we’ll be spending Pride looking at the interesting history and modern representation of the LGBTQIA+ community on film. Introduction - 00:00 Opening Chat Welcome to Pride Month Pride History - 13:31 To give our discussion histori...

Hey film buds, We all love a good laugh. We always have. Comedy is one of the oldest genres that humans have ever understood in our plays and stories. To celebrate AAPI Heritage this week, we decided to look at Comedies made by AAPI Filmmakers, and some of the history of AAPI people in film. Introduction - 00:00 Opening Chat Thoughts on Comedy AAPI History: Sessue Hayawaka - 10:46 To begin our AAPI discussion, we start with some history on Japanese film star Sessue Hayakawa. Our first film...

Hey film buds, As much as we all love some good old fashioned fiction, it can sometimes be necessary, even refreshing, to us film and television as a way to explore our own world more directly. That's the power of the documentary. It is a way to present an idea, form an argument, and use the hard facts of our world as it is to create a compelling case for a particular view point. Or, that's what it is supposed to do at its best. This week, as part of our continued look at AAPI Heritage in film...

Hey film buds, Filmmaking is perhaps the only art form one can say is predominately American in origin. Though it is an amalgamation of many arts and it has had contributions made to the form from around the world, its form and functions were largely formed in America. In fact, for a long time, America was the world provider of film. That's precisely why it is so important to highlight the vast range of Americans that have contributed to our collective cinematic history. AAPI people have been ...

Hey film buds, every month here on the show is an opportunity for us. We can reexamine old favorites, find hidden gems, and learn from perspectives outside of our own, all in the world of film. This month, we decided to expand our horizons and learns more about American cinematic history by joining the nation in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. Introduction - 00:00 Opening Chat Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage - 09:54 Defining AAPI Some AAP...

Hey film buds, The last weekend of every April brings about Arbor Day, a holiday dedicated to looking forward, planting seeds, and growing a better future. So naturally, we're going to yammer about movies and pretend they're related to Arbor Day. Introduction - 00:00 Friend of the Show Intro Opening Chat The History of Arbor Day - 06:35 What are your favorite pop-culture trees? What are your favorite environmentalist characters and movies? Our first tree-centric movie is the 1992 animate...

Hey film buds, Earth Day is an interesting holiday, one not tied as strongly to any specific imagery, icons, or religion. It is just all about all that makes up the Earth and how we impact those systems. To discuss film and the Earth, we looked at a few options including documentaries, movies about Global Warming, and more. Instead, we decided to look at one of the more controversial energy sources in the modern age: nuclear power. Introduction - 00:00 The History of Earth Day - 03:33 What m...

Hey film buds, this weekend is a big one for the religiously inclined. Friday, April 15, marks the beginning of the Jewish celebration Passover, while Sunday is Easter Sunday. But, with Religious Horror as our theme, we decided it was as good a time as any to review Mike Flanagan's Netflix Original Midnight Mass. Introduction - 00:00 Exposure to Catholicism, Catholicism in Media, and Paul (badly) Explains Catholicism - 02:17 Midnight Mass Discussion & Review - 27:50 Midnight Mass actually t...

Hey film buds, This week on Buds Being Buds, Lauren and Paul get together to talk two new releases. First is the A24 film Everything Everywhere All at Once by Daniels. It is a super exciting, emotionally rich movie that tells a small story on a big canvas. Second is an English Language remake by Michael Bay called Ambulance. It is a mid-budget action movie that shows how practical effects still have a place in big spectacle. Be sure to also check out our first Buds Being Buds, and last week's ...

Hey film buds, April is a month dedicated to all the April Holidays, and this week we begin to look at Religious Horror for the Easter and Halfway-to-Halloween season. First film this week is the early Wes Craven film Deadly Blessing. The film is a unique Slasher from early in the genre that utilizes religious violence and repression to create an atmospheric, isolated Horror. Joining us is one of the film's Screenwriters, Glenn Benest. He helps us about the movie, how it uses religion and why ...

Hey film buds, Who doesn't love a twist? And a twist ending is kind of like a cinematic prank. Get the audience convinced of one truth or outcome, and reveal the truth. All throughout April, The Buds will be reviewing movies in theme with the Holidays in April. Introduction - 00:00 April Fool’s Day Trailer - 05:40 April Fool’s Day Review and Discussion - 06:07 The first holiday in April brought The Buds to their first movie, the aptly named Slasher/Mystery April Fool's Day from 1986. Direct...

Hey film buds, There are a few things we love here at The Film Buds Podcast. First, we love Horror. Second, we love bringing new films and filmmakers to y'all's attention. Third, we love having Friends of the Show. This week, we got all three. As our final episode for Women in Film, to commemorate Women's History Month, the Buds alongside Dr. Alison Peirse are jumping back 32 years to 1990 with the cult-classics Mirror, Mirror and Pale Blood. Mirror, Mirror is a fun Teen Horror film with some...

Hey buds, There are times where sometimes you just want to talk with your friends. In Buds Being Buds, a new series of extra Film Buds content, we get together with our friends for a chat. In our first episode, Film Buds OG host and creator Henry and current host Paul talk about long distance relationships, Henry's military career, hosting the show, and what Henry has been watching. It's a fun, breezy conversation among pals that have known each other for almost ten years. We hope y'all enjo...

This week, the Film Buds are joined by Friend of the Show Madelaine Davis as we continue to Highlight Women in Film for Women's History Month. For this episode, we're covering Women in History, specifically the early half of the 20th century. Our first filmmaker is Lois Weber and her controversial social-issue film Where Are My Children from 1916. Why is it controversial? Well, probably because it is about birth control and abortion. Guess you could say it is still controversial to this day. We...