Episodes

We step into the ring with Ryan Coogler’s “Creed” and discuss: cinematography, boxing as a camera language; writing & Story, scene pacing, reaction shots, Donnie’s motivation as the ultimate plot device; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.“ – Muhammad Ali Notes & References: Boxing films: “Southpaw“, “Cinderella Man” Frames per second (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep...

We swing at Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky” and discuss: Cinematography; Writing & story, defying genre, story breakdown; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.“ – Sylvester Stallone Notes & References: Mama bear crossing the road with 4 cubs Sylvester Stallone describes the inception of Rocky Michael Irvin injured in Philly: video of the play, article describing reactions to the fans cheering, and an article why Irvin has never c...

We take the scenic route through Chloé Zhao’s “Nomadland” and discuss: cinematography, filming in widescreen; story, what’s the deal with Fern?; performance, some things that Frances McDormand does to create Fern; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I was surprised, as always, by how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility.“ – Jack Kerouac Notes & References: • Chloe Zhao is writing and directing Marvel’s “Eternals” script! What...

We choose the skuxx life in Taika Waititi’s “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” and discuss: deadpan humor; using perspective to tell a story; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars.“ – Walt Whitman Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 143: “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” appeared first on The Pestle.

We grin through Jason Sudeikis’ “Ted Lasso” and discuss: cinematography, blurring the line between comedy and drama; writing & story, why we trust Ted Lasso; speculation on season 2; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “You should never be defined by what you do, by the things you have; you’ve got to define yourself by who you are and who you impact and how you impact people. And that’s the thing I try to get across to my players.“ – Tony Dungy Notes & References: Ted Lasso’s on CBS Sp...

We probe “Fire in the Sky” and discuss: cinematography, timing your titles, how lens compression can create danger; inserting doubt; Aliens! Are they out there, are they among us?; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Where is everybody? Humans could theoretically colonize the galaxy in a million years or so, and if they could, astronauts from older civilizations could do the same. So why haven’t they come to Earth?“ – Enrico Fermi Notes & References: Travis Walton’s UFO experience (wi...

We drill into William Eubank’s “Underwater” and discuss: cinematography, the effects of handheld; story & writing, Norah the action hero, creating tension; how Kristen Stewart could save us from a robot uprising; what the monster could be and why it’s not what everyone thinks it is; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If we were logical, the future would be bleak, indeed. But we are more than logical. We are human beings, and we have faith, and we have hope, and we can work.“ – Jacque...

We sweat through Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” and discuss: cinematography, how the infamous title sequence sets the style for the movie; writing & story, rich characters and complex relationships; bring in special guest Kei, screenwriter, podcaster, New Yorker; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles.“ – Nelson Mandela Notes & References: Kei is on instagram @heykeihaynes Listen to K...

We enter the blue door in “Notting Hill” and discuss: cinematography, how you can see this is a drama and not a comedy; acting, Julia Roberts’ performance; writing & Story, the genius of exposition as a game, the Baader–Meinhof phenomenon; music, and how they nearly ruined the ending and why I wish I could edit this movie; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I’ve never fooled anyone. I’ve let people fool themselves. They didn’t bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would ...

We rain on Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia” and discuss: cinematography, long takes, transitions, anamorphic framing; ensemble writing; music; magnolia flower facts; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country.“ – Exodus 8:2 Notes & References: Tom Cruise learned to fly for Top Gun, and has a pilot’s license Tom Cruise flew a helicopter for Mission: Impossible Great discussion between PTA and the Safdie brothe...

We search Pixar’s “Soul” and discuss: death; side missions, making it all add up to something; the zone; we have a surprise guest appearance; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.“ – Jean-Michel Basquiat Notes & References: Hidden details in Soul More easter eggs in Soul Singer in the subway was Cody Chestnutt! Jamie Foxx did not play piano, Jon Batiste did Listen to Austin jazz artist Ephraim Owens!! Wes’ short video piece ab...

We take a shot at Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” and discuss: live performances on stage vs film; wardrobe, set design; musical songwriting vs albums; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “No punishment, in my opinion, is too great, for the man who can build his greatness upon his country’s ruin.“ – George Washington Notes & References: Thomas Jefferson had kids with Sally Hemings (his slave) How they filmed Hamilton – 30 cameras over 3 performances, 2 live and 1 without an audience ...

We pull a bonus episode out of our Patreon archive and discuss: the casting process, going through hundreds of submissions, what Wes looks for in an audition; how Todd did in all three rounds of his auditions; what makes for a good or bad monologue; and other such stuff and things and stuff. Notes & References: Meisner Technique Practical Aesthetics Substitution Method Watch us on YouTube! The post Ep 134: “Casting, Auditioning, and Picking a Monologue” (Special Edition) appeared first on ...

We put the lasso of truth on Gal Gadot’s “Wonder Woman 1984” and discuss: themes, and conversational subtext in Wonder Woman; Chekhov’s Gun, wasted story elements; using a temp track for editing purposes (and how “Sunshine” was ripped off once again); and other such stuff and things and stuff. “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.“ – Charles Dickens Notes & References: “Adagio in D Minor” song “Adagio in D Minor” Wikipedia Every Frame a Painting “Marvel Symphon...

We prance through F. Murray Abraham’s “Amadeus” and discuss: cinematography; story & writing, engaging the audience; living in the shadow of Mozart; special guest Scott Garrett Graham joins us; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I have never thought of writing for reputation and honor. What I have in my heart must come out; that is the reason why I compose.“ – Beethoven Notes & References: Check out Scott on Instagram, and listen to his music on Apple Music, YouTube, YouTube Music ...

We put a match to the Korean film “Burning” and discuss: cinematography, natural lighting vs available lighting; editing, how long takes and rhythm of edits affects the experience; story, what is this movie about?; special guest Dave Jasmon; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “She was bored. She loved, had capacity to love, for love, to give and accept love. Only she tried twice and failed twice to find somebody not just strong enough to deserve it, earn it, match it, but even brave e...

We slink through Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and discuss: cinematography, lighting the middle Earth; story & writing, morality, demonstrating possession; special guest Joe Howes takes a quiz to test his vast Tolkien knowledge; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Whatever possession we gain by our sword cannot be sure or lasting, but the love gained by kindness and moderation is certain and durable.“ – Alexander the Great This is the Galadriel eyelight that ...

We back our way through Christopher Nolan’s “Memento” and discuss: cinematography, setting the tone for a mechanically complex film; writing & story, why this film would not work if told with a traditional structure; comparing Memento to Following, what does an extra $9 million budget get you?; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I don’t underestimate audiences’ intelligence. Audiences are much brighter than media gives them credit for. When people went to a movie once a week in the...

We break into Christopher Nolan’s “Following” and discuss: cinematography, shooting on 16mm film; writing & editing, adding intrigue to a simple story; locations on a small budget; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “One of the worst things you can do is have a limited budget and try to do some big looking film. That’s when you end up with very bad work.“ – Roger Corman Notes & References: “Following” tech specs on iMDB Auslany clothing Christopher Nolan discusses making “Following” ...

We busk through John Carney’s “Once” and discuss: cinematography; rules of a musical; story, movie trailer moments; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If you look at my career… I couldn’t possibly have chosen those subjects if I was thinking, ‘That’s a great commercial idea.’ I’m not aware of a great musical where someone has done that.“ – Andrew Lloyd Webber Notes & References: Language Room “Things We Wish For” (Pandora link; this is the album Todd discusses during the intro) Todd...

We leap into Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” and discuss: cinematography, lighting, and communicating a feeling; writing & story, efficiency with locations; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I wish people could achieve what they think would bring them happiness in order for them to realize that that’s not really what happiness is.“ – Alanis Morissette Notes & References: “Office Zombies” short film by Wes & Todd Greta Gerwig discusses “Lady Bird” with Spike Jonze on the DGA podcast Watc...

We experiment with Shane Carruth’s sci-fi cult classic “Primer” and discuss: Cinematography, shooting ratios; Audio, selling a location; Story & writing, advancing the story offscreen; Low budget filmmaking; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, then there would be little hope for [advancement].“ – The Wright Brothers Notes & References: Shooting Ratios Primer’s Budget was $7,000 Portholing – oddly, I couldn’t...

We report on Billy Ray’s “Shattered Glass” and discuss: the anatomy of a liar; journalism’s function, process, weaknesses; the state of journalism today; at the end of the episode we also (to everyone’s dismay) weigh in on the election; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “The term propaganda rings melodramatic and exaggerated, but a press that—whether from fear, careerism, or conviction—uncritically recites false government claims and reports them as fact, or treats elected officials ...

We look for weaknesses in Brad Pitt’s “World War Z” and discuss: establishing zombie rules; making a hero; making bad situations for the hero; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I don’t think you need to spend $40 million to be creepy. The best horror films are the ones that are much less endowed.“ – George Romero Watch us on YouTube! Short Spotlight: “Brewhaha” by Elissa Marie This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 123: “World War Z” appeared first on The Pestle.