School Of Movies

[School of Movies 2023] The final main feed instalment of our Coen Brothers series goes out with a double-bang of exceptionally gripping Westerns. No Country for Old Men (2007, written by the recently departed Cormac McCarthy) is a tense game of cat and mouse. Josh Brolin discovers a drug deal gone very wrong and walks off with the money, and Javier Bardem plays the dead-eyed Terminator slowly but surely closing in on him. This whole case is followed by Sheriff Tommy Lee Jones who is scratching at his head to fathom the trail of violence he is witnessing. And in True Grit (2010) the second adaptation of the 1968 Charles Portis novel, a brand new Hailee Steinfeld, aged 13 commands a grizzled old frump of a bounty hunter played by Jeff Bridges to help her track down her father's killer and see justice done. It somehow manages to surpass the classic John Wayne version in every way. And both of these were influences on my own writing. If you want to hear what we have to say on the remaining Coen Brothers films yo

[School of Movies 2023] This was a whimsical period for Ghibli, they tried a few new things, and established one or two absolute mainstays.  1991: Only Yesterday (1m 50s) 1992: Porco Rosso (11m 50s) 1993: Ocean Waves (25m 10s) 1994: Pom Poko (41m 10s) 1995: Whisper of the Heart (59m 40s) There's a disarmingly frank and sympathetic story of a schoolgirl hitting adolescence wrapped in a Hallmark movie about returning to your rural home town after the big city has crushed your spirit. Conversely there's a high school romance about a doormat crushing on a girl who thinks only of herself. Then there's two of the most abiding and beloved of their canon, in the tale of a high school girl who likes a musical boy which winds up being a powerful statement on creativity, and then there's the World War II pilot who was turned into a pig. But he's much rather be porcine than  fascist.  And finally, an ecological parable starring enormous raccoon testicles! 

[School of Movies 2023] Lin Manuel Miranda's first big break into the off-Broadway musical scene. This 2021 movie adaptation, directed by Crazy Rich Asians-helmer Jon M. Chu is a squeaky-clean but heartfelt tale of the upper east side of Manhattan and its proud, passionate, talkative, motivated yet frustrated population of first, second and third-generation immigrants. It's a story of inheriting the dreams of your parents and trying to reconcile forging your own path.  This one has been a long while coming. We wanted to do a show on it as soon as the cinema release, but since that was just after Lockdown ended it was unlikely many of you folks could safely make a screening. And we wound up recording it last winter, but since it's such a heights-of-summer movie I've waited until now to release it. This week I needed something to lift my spirits, since Sharon has been confined to the bedroom in a self-imposed COVID quarantine. It made the final show unexpectedly painful to put together, but worth all the blood,

[School of Movies 2023] We covered the first film in May 2019 just before the third hit theaters, and since then they have shaped up to be four of the finest action films ever made. They boast laser-focused attention to choreography, physical genius, artfully photographing long, unbroken takes with astonishing lighting and otherworldy music. All of it revolves around a firestorm of a performance from Keanu Reeves, himself experiencing a deserved renaissance. The fourth film ends on a definitive and deeply satisfying melancholy note. So, while the series itself limbers up for all manner of spin-offs, sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, reboots and action figures, let us take stock of what made this quartet special.  'John Wick Turbo' has been a re-editing project, where I sought to trim away a little of the second film's world-building, adjust the third film's pacing and dial back the fourth film's runtime, bringing all of them to the 101-minute sweet spot of the 2014 original. And talking about this pro

[School of Movies 2023] This one was a long time coming. There's a solid argument to be made that to set the tone for the planned DC Cinematic Universe all the way back in 2012, around the time Avengers was doing gangbusters by brazenly copying the Marvel formula by building up the characters the general public don't know yet *before* throwing Superman and Batman at us again. But since Green Lantern was terrible in 2011 Warner Bros. clearly concluded they needed to establish a foundation of superheroes everybody knows *then* do a Justice League, THEN introduce us to those new superheroes in a way that feels more like a spinoff than a build-up. They did not have the faith that these costumed icons could carry a movie without Batman. So, accordingly this film that now seems to be closing out that first protracted attempt has (at least) two Batmans! Against expectations, considering the nightmare production, the lead actor's disturbing real life crime spree and the extremely muddled tone and story, I actually en

[School of Everything Else 2023] The DC Animated Universe marathon watch, which began all the way back in 2020 as Lockdown started continues! And this is a show Sharon and I had never sat down to watch before, so it was almost entirely new to us.  I knew this was pitched as "What if Batman was Spider-Man?" but I did not know the circumstances of how that premise came about. Warner Bros. wanted an animated series about a specifically *young* Batman. Toy marketing indicated that kids would engage more with a teenager than they would with a man in his thirties. The double-bind was that Kevin Conroy's Batman, as established in this continuity didn't don the cowl until well into adulthood.  It was this information that Bruce Timm and company conveyed at a meeting with the studio heads. Then when asked to think of a way around it "What if Bruce Wayne was old and got a younger person to wear the suit and do all the superheroics?" was put on the table. Then they had to dream up an entire show to fit with that premise

[School of Movies 2023] For many years we have been planning a show or a series of shows on the Disney live action + CG remakes. The plan was to start with the 2015 Cinderella (or even the 1994 Jason Scott Lee version of The Jungle Book, thence to 101 Dalmatians with Glenn Close) and we would watch every single one of them, and talk about the good and the bad.  But over time, having covered the details of all of the originals in our Disney animated series, the job itself grew insanely huge and exhausting, with so little to say that wasn't already being said by every film pundit on YouTube (because Disney gets you maximum clicks). Luckily this one came along, 8 years into the remake period that boasts both high points and low for the whole concept.  By absolutely NO means anywhere near the level of the small original 1989 film with its $40m budget and its changing of the world of cinematic animation in a way that would not be matched and diverged from until Toy Story and then Shrek, there are still definitely

[School of Movies 2023] Another ton of fun for the summer as we go back to the most unkillable series of all time. You kill this thing and it will come right back, walking out of the explosion to cool music. If this franchise has any enemies they will be friends the next time we see them. Did I say friends? I meant FAMBLY! What we have here to start with is an edited, supercharged version of my first impressions of F9 (one of the very first movies I got to see when cinemas reopened in summer 2021).  After that is my brand new talk about 2023s Fast X which brings Jason Momoa to the barbecue. We look at the recurring issues as the series moves from era to era and zero in on how they may have shot themselves in the foot in terms of the drama that this Nos-Opera hit the big leagues with. 

[School of Movies 2023] This is the second and third instalments of the Shazam Trilogy, we covered the first back in 2021. Now The Rock will assure you that Black Adam is nothing to do with Shazam, but we have comics that say otherwise. We start with my 2022 first impressions of Black Adam having just returned from the cinema, originally put out as a Patreon Exclusive. Then we follow up with a brand new section where I tell Sharon about Shazam's last movie, at least with this cast and format.  What we said back when we talked about the original still stands, kids grow up, but also grown actors do and say regrettable things that impact the metatext of otherwise simple sci-fantasy action films.  Coming this weekend to the Patreon bonus feed, we talk about one of my favourite movies starring the Rock, one where he gets knocked all over the place and comes off better for it; The Rundown. 

[School of Movies 2023] Most of you will probably already know how much I care about both the comic book character of Hellboy and the magnificent Guillermo del Toro movie adaptations from 2004 and 2008. However, considering its dismal box office of $55m (on a budget of $50m) and its dismal critical reception (17% RT) statistically speaking most of you did not see the 2019 reboot, and even fewer of you enjoyed it. Directed by Neil Marshal (The Descent, Centurion, Dog Soldiers) and starring everyone's favourite big red violent uncle David Harbour, this as an alternative to the proposed third movie by Del Toro should have been a new beginning. Instead it was a wretched embarrassment and a blight upon the mythology.  This episode starts with a condensed and abbreviated edit of my 2019 first impressions followed at the 44 minute mark by a very special guest. Not their first appearance on the show but definitely their most impassioned so far, Willow Shaw has entered the arena... and they have things to say about ho

[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.