A Filmversation with Mike and Nick: Recent Episodes
Mike & Nick
Join two films fans on their cinematic journey. Mike and Nick will explore various themes and subjects in the movies they watch. Their goal is to cultivate rewarding conversation about film and uncover the things that make movies truly special.
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Mike and Nick return with another thematic episode: water! The pair aren't afraid to dip their toes in any waters, whether they're spiritually meditative like Kim Ki-duk's karmic meditation or light-hearted and warm like the pair's beloved Agnès Varda. Nick tries to drown the hosts with serious spirituality while Mike just wants to relax and get a sun tan. Join Filmversation for another journey of apropos juxtapositions abound in this newest venture of watery musings. Sink or swim, the pair will drown if it means conjuring fruitful discussions about movies no one's ever watched!
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Is this the best Bergman movie no one talks about? Mike might have found a new favourite in this lesser seen gem. Three women confront the different manifestations of childbirth through various forms of pain, anguish, and fate. What is meant to be and how do we process the grief of that which is outside of our control? Bergman poignantly reflects the male shortcomings and how they affect the systemic female contingency across different stages of life. Tune in as the hosts continue their journey through Nick's favourite director.
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Mike and Nick step into their kitchen to cook up a mix of delicacy and debauchery. Trần Anh Hùng brings to life an intimate nineteenth century French countryside. Mike espouses the love for food contained in each frame. On the other side of the spectrum, Peter Greenaway grosses audiences out in an antithetical kitchen. Helen Mirren bares the brunt of an unhinged Richard Bohringer as he lambasts every human in his own restaurant. Nick is floored by the formal colour mastery at work in what the duo dubs, "Cook-Thief." Mike reveals the thematic constellation which connects the two films through the juxtapositions of each respective villain. Poetic layers between films are unpeeled thanks to Mike's keen insight. A delicious filmversation.
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Mike and Nick go back to the Soviet Union and explore one their greatest unsung voices. Nick forces Mike into apocalyptic hellscapes baked in Cold War dread, Tarkovskian philosophy, and existential ruin. The lingering question that hangs over both films: where is god at the end of the world? Nick, to the surprise of no one, argues these films emphasize an absent god or a god recused from the universe. Mike pushes back suggesting the onscreen violence is god's voice. Naturally, the hosts address the Tarkovsian elephant in the room. Nick is deeply concerned with what differentiates Lopushansky from Tarkovsky.
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Mike and Nick enter Ingmar Bergman’s imperial era. The two meditate on morality, memory, and the terror of self-realization. Digging into Bergman's internal and visual philosophy, the pair investigate how the director marries and juxtaposes intellectuality and emotional universality. Topics include discussions on dream logic, existential anxieties, and reflections on human fragility. Step into Bergman's world with Filmversation; if we drown in the cinematic abyss, at least we'll drown together :)
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The rest of the hosts' respective top 10 lists are revealed: places sixth through first!
More than previous years, potentially, the final lists offer some refreshing and underrepresented films. Always seeking out the best of the best, find out how rewarding this year's quest was. See if horizons were expanded.
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Now that the Oscars have come and gone, The Filmversation crew can give their final say. That's right, that special time of year is here. Mike and Nick present their top 10 lists for 2025. Find out what the pair was watching throughout the year. Which strange and unheard of films did Nick make Mike watch? Which surprises did Mike put on Nick's radar?
As usual, these discussions run long, so enjoy the first part: honourable mentions and 10th - 7th.
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The pair of hosts head back to younger years and visit a staple of vintage nerdom: Ralph Bakshi. Bakshi was an iconic animator in his own right who worked alongside a fellow great like Frank Frazetta. His work was heavily stylized and was a favourite of Nick's in his youth. See how Mike, with sober eyes, views these works and if Nick's loving opinions still remain true today. What impact does Bakshi's Lord of the Rings have on the world with the existence of Peter Jackson's well-known masterpieces. Is there room for two interpretations?
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Mike and Nick hunt aliens! The pair visit one of their modern favourite's most recent outputs to see if the magical weirdness still shines bright. Mike helps interpret the film's alien language for Nick as the pair explore various themes of corporate alienness and interesting empathy.
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Mike and Nick continue their journey through Bergman's work and finally land on his most lauded comedy. After Bergman suffered several box office failures, he risked it all on a more lighthearted (well, relatively speaking) endeavor to save his career. The immediate response and continued legacy seem to suggest this is the film which would save him and put him on the map. Using his theatre background to orchestrate a complex web of romantic farces and reconciliations, Bergman evokes wit, dialogue, and timing to play out a tale of couples gone wrong and couples gone right. Maybe the most optimistic ending of a Bergman film... but does Nick have a rainy day parade to throw in for good measure?
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Nick makes a Pascalian wager to show Mike his first Éric Rohmer movie he hopes might be... Christmas-y!
Enjoy all the festive talk about intellectualism, Marxism, sexual politics, and 60's France! Nick thought Rohmer might be a future favourite of Mike's. Find out if he's right.
Happy holidays from your favourite amateur film snobs.
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Mike takes the pair to Hong Kong to dodge bullets, shoot guns, watch explosions, and move their bodies in every which way. The hosts observe the different characterizations of Hong Kong between decades as well as tonal contrasts. Both Jackie Chan and John Woo get their spotlight before their Hollywood careers. Find out if Nick's on board with the wackiness and physical comedy in Police Story or if the infinite ammo in Hard Boiled suspends his disbelief long enough to let him enjoy the ride.
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Mike and Nick return to their journey through Bergman's filmography. This time they explore the medial film in Bergman's "comedic" trilogy. One of the lesser regarded films upon its release, the pair wonder if the criticism at the time was warranted or if Mike's favourite magazine, Cahiers du Cinéma, was right to include this (along with two others, to Nick's chagrin) on their 1958 list. Is this a secret triumph for Bergman or is it another failed attempt at humour from one cinema's most dour minds?
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Mike and Nick dive into the kaleidoscopic prism of deep colour, fantastic soundtracks, and brutal murder at the hands of one of horror's most famous maestros: Dario Argento. Having only seen the remake, Mike compares the original Suspiria and how his feelings differ between the two. Both hosts try to make heads from tails in the narrative of Inferno and ponder if it's better to just try to "relax" into the vibes.
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Mike and Nick kick off their seasonal Halloween episode pair with a tribute to one of their favourite American filmmakers: John Carpenter. It never hurts to revisit the undeniable classic that is The Thing. But this time, Nick introduces Mike to one of his cult favourites: Prince of Darkness. Does Mike agree with Nick this deserves a second look? Find out what makes John Carpenter films so effective.
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Nick has been wanting to show Mike Jean Cocteau for a long while, thinking he may be one of Mike's "guys." The pair discuss the poet's most famous films, how interesting Cocteau was, and the wonder behind the visuals. Find out if these lived up to the hype for Mike as well what Nick likes so much about these, to Mike's surprise.
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Mike and Nick continue their journey through Bergman's major and minor works. Hot off the tails of Sawdust and Tinsel, the director makes a pivot into more lighthearted humour, offering, in his words, a comedy for adults. The hosts debate if the humour works; which host falls where may... not surprise you. Mike gets to the bottom of the lesson in love and Nick commiserates with Bergman in his likely fashion. You know, the usual Bergman fare.
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Nick descends upon Mike's hometown to celebrate his favourite time of year: Bleak Week! A festival started in Los Angeles, now expanded to other states, brought Nick across state lines to attend the festival in Portland Oregon at the Hollywood Theatre. Along with colleague of the show, Jackie, the group discusses their different bleak week exposures with heavy emphasis on the shared experience of Pier Paolo Pasolini's infamous Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. The questions extend broader asking what the definition of bleakness is and what that means to you. To no one's surprise, Nick triumphs bleakness as a step closer to realism and truth. Mike tells him he should hold his horses.
Enjoy (or disenjoy) this dose of woe and drearidom as Filmversation gets bleak!
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Kinuyo Tanaka is likely best know for her tremendous acting career performing in great works of directors like Kenji Mizoguchi. But she also had a shorter directing career. Filmversation hopes to shine a light on this lesser known director, as the second Japanese female director in history and the first Japanese female to helm director of a movie solo. The Moon Rises reminds both, but Mike especially, of co-writer and show-favourite, Yasujiro Ozu. Forever a Woman stands out as the more personal of the two with a strong female protagonist dealing with progressive issues. Join the pair as they discover Tanaka.
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The Bergman retrospective continues with one of the director's first widely-recognized works. What is it about the circus setting that is so unsettling? Nick argues this is Bergman's first masterclass example of the close-up.
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Go back in time with Filmversation. A time of innocence and beginnings. A time of earnestness and naivete. Go back to your youth.
Mike discusses his early memories of saving the rainforest and Nick is flabbergasted by Tim Curry's unhinged performance. Nick waxes poetic about The Land Before Time and Mike tells Nick about the savage butchery the film suffered behind the scenes.
In a time of increasing turmoil, it's nice to go back to the films of our youth.
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2024 was quite the year. Some people, like Nick, think this was the best year in film in almost a decade. Mike snubs and surprises Nick with some of his picks while Nick continues to make Mike watch movies no one has heard of. The pair detail their top five of the year with the some added honourable mentions. The moment you've been waiting for, the presiding experts in film finally tell you which movies were actually the best of 2024.
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Mike and Nick are joined by good friend, Jackie. The three dive into Robert Eggers' newest iteration of Nosferatu. They examine one of its predecessors and direct influences, Ingmar Bergman's Cries and Whispers. With Jackie's help, the gang dives into the nuance and experience of the films' colours, shadows, and psychosexuality. Find out why Mike thinks these are the same movie and which Ozu movie Cries and Whispers reminds Nick of.
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Happy Halloween!
The Filmversation crew decided to make a pact with the devil this Halloween. We're hoping to sell our souls to get access to the Criterion Closet. In return, we watch two movies about devil intervention and power acquisition.
William Dieterle brings the old folk tale to life when a poor farmer makes a deal with devil to secure gold and good luck. 1941's The Devil & Daniel Webster, also known as All That Money Can Buy, puts a folky twist on the pursuit of greed and the follies that come with wealth.
Marcel Carné brings The Devil's Envoys to the big screen. A pair of the dark lord's henchmen descend on a castle and create rifts in the romance as the power of love is put to the test.
Both films feature memorable performances by actors playing the devil. The pair examine how different geographies elicit different attributes in the mythological dark lord.
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Mike and Nick celebrate spooky season with two classics of silent horror cinema. What better way to kick off the festivities other than travelling back in time? 1926's Faust sees FW Murnau retell the classic tale of making a deal with the devil. 1928's The Man Who Laughs sees Paul Leni channel Conrad Veidt (of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari fame) to tell the tragic love story of a man disfigured during youth. Both films capitalize on the early stages of the medium. Where sound is absent, the two films more than make up for with their stars' expressive power.
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Nick leads Mike to the monumental film that is Andrei Rublev. Tarkovsky uses the 15th-century Russian icon painter to explore theology amidst a world of medieval hardship. Nick dives into the religiosity of the film and the challenges the movie presents for atheists. The pair discuss how some of Tarkovsky's most famous motifs make their first fully realized appearance in this, his second film.
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Mike and Nick revisit Bergman's Summer lens through one of the director's first big "hits" : Summer with Monika. The pair explore themes of isolation, youth, and escaping society. Nick comments how he thinks this is the cinematic answer to all romantically ambiguous endings in film. The pair contrast American attitudes at the time toward sex with Sweden's. And finally, Nick is aghast with Mike's defense of Monika.
Mike and Nick revisit one of their favourite directors: Agnès Varda. They spotlight 1985's Vagabond and supplement with a few of her short films. Vada conjures a realism and respect for her subject matter which bolsters her authenticity.
Mike and Nick dive into 1940's Disney animation peak, Fantasia. Mike's held Fantasia in high regard for some time, while this is Nick's first exposure to the animated wonder. Find out how captivating Nick found the 64-year old animated symphony and if it still holds up. The pair decide to examine how it compares to the end of the century went Disney brought back the novel idea for a more modern iteration. Does the latest offering match or surpass the original. Are the pessimists about 2000 right? This is a special episode for Nick as he muses if he's lucky to have waited so long to see these with a more grown up pair of eyes and ears.
Mike and Nick continue their journey through Ingmar Bergman's filmography.
Whether it's through the intricate portrayal of complex women or the stark representation of gender dynamics, Bergman's films invite us intimate invitations into the characters' minds and pasts.
Despite being known as a serious filmmaker, both in tone and narrative, it's not all heavy. Waiting Women leaves room for laughter leading to a light debate whether Bergman's touches of humor qualify his work as comedy.
Mike and Nick talk more Bergman. They try to find that summer feeling with one of Bergman's earlier masterworks. At least that's what some say. The beginnings of some of Bergman's bigger ideas also start to take form here. The pair share their two cents and how this one differs from previous works. Find out Summer Interlude stacks up against Bergman's other works.
The conclusion of Mike and Nick's 2023 top 10 lists. Mike fights for his picks and Nick continues to love films no one else saw. Find out the very very best of 2023 according to FILMVERSATION.
Mike and Nick explore their respective top 10 lists from 2023. Find out which films of 2023 the hosts thought were the very best. Be sure to listen for some serious surprises and films you may not have seen!
Mike and Nick review Kelly Reichardt's last two films: First Cow and Showing Up.
Kelly Reichardt is a major cinematic voice in today's film landscape. She creates nuanced work with texture and insight. Nick fawns over the Capitalist critiques of First Cow and Mike praises Showing Up. Listen to find out how Reichardt's talents consistently show up in her films while offering something very unique in each one.
Happy Valentine's Day! Mike and Nick shoot their Cupid's arrow at each other with two top romance films. Mike aims at Nick with seductive music and vibrant colours in Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love (2000). Nick takes an alternative approach by depressing Mike into loving him with Michael Haneke's Amour (2012). Enjoy the compare and contrast exercise around two of the most romantic, but starkly different, films of all time.
Mike and Nick continue their journey through Bergman's filmography. Bergman enters the 50's with his story following a couple who met in the orchestra and navigate all the drama that ensues in their lives. Nick calls this film Bergman's "great foreshadowing." Find out why in this episode.
Mike and Nick complete The Apu Trilogy with Apur Sansar from 1959. The two hosts have become enamoured with Satyajit Ray's breathtaking human drama and await to find out the conclusion of our beloved Apu. How does the evolution of characters progress and how do the changes in settings affect their journeys? How does Ray deploy his expressionism and symbology to produce palpable scenes?
Happy Halloween!
Our good friend Jackie joins Mike and Nick to look at one of the most legendary horror films: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
It's a new watch for Mikeand Jackie and a beloved classic for Nick. Find out if the gang thinks the strange geometry of German Expressionism is as jaw droppingly fascinating as Nick.
Happy Halloween! Mike and Nick get spooky for the season and watch the J-Horror that kicked off a slew of other horror films across the globe. What does director Hideo Nakata do to make a video tape so spooky? Does it still hold up and worth its legacy's name? Find out on this episode.
Mike and Nick check in on Apu in the second entry of Satyajit Ray's The Apu Trilogy, Aparajito (1956). We move from the naturalistic world of a Bengal village to the city. Apu's wonder and curiosity grows and leads him down new paths and toward new adventures. How does the second entry of The Apu Trilogy compare to the second? How does Ray present the new world to a growing boy?
Mike and Nick continue their journey through Bergman's filmography. Still in the early stages of his career, the duo examine how Bergman's work is evolving and perfecting. Is this closer to the Bergman we know today?
Mike and Nick celebrate their third season with a beloved and prestigious trilogy: Satyajit Ray's The Apu Trilogy. The first entry, Pather Panchali (1955) introduces Apu, the titular character as he makes his way through the beautiful poetry of real life's ups and downs. How does Ray introduce and maintain the identities of each character? How does Ray use the environment to build a palpable experience? These questions and more are discussed.
Mike and Nick continue their jounrey through Ingmar Bergman's filmography. How is Bergman's craft and technique evolving? Or staying the same?
Mike and Nick take a look at Brian De Palma's Mission Impossible (1996) and compare it to the series' most recent iteration, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023). The hosts follow the trajectory of the series as its branding has changed and grown. Does it matter who does the stunts? What does it mean to have a movie be an event?
On this episode, Mike and Nick examine two of Jane Campion's works: The Piano (1993) & The Power of the Dog (2021). The Power of the Dog racked up 12 Oscar nominations and The Piano ranks on the top 100 of Sight and Sound. It is time the two hosts look at this director. How does Campion weave her stories and create the captivating dynamics between characters?
Hosts, Mike and Nick, are joined by good friend Dave to discuss two films focused on... men: Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men (1957) and Rob Reiner's A Few Good Men (1992).
The group discusses the power of each film's dialogue and how convincing the drama is. Does 12 Angry Men live up its reputation? Can Mike and Nick handle the truth?
Mike and Nick continue their journey through Ingmar Bergman's filmography. How does the second earliest film in the Criterion boxset stack up against the previous film and his greater body of work?
For dedicated listeners, tune in to hear Nick's shocking opinion.
Mike and Nick take a critical look at Ari Aster's newest film, Beau is Afraid. The three hour paranoiac epic takes ambition to new heights. Does one of Mike's favourite modern directors rise to the occasion? Find out how the duo feels about one of this year's most divisive films.
Nick finally gets Mike to watch the new donkey movie, EO: a new interpretation of an old classic they both love: Au Hasard Balthazar. Two special guests join the hosts: Jackie and Ryan. The group talks interpretation of EO and the barrier to entry to Bresson's minimalist directing style. Does EO deserve a place on the Mount Rushmore of film donkeys?
Mike and Nick crack open their Bergman boxsets and start from the beginning. Ingmar Bergman's first film, Crisis, explores the turmoil of a young girl's life as she moves from home to home. Topics of discussion include Mike and Nick's respective familiarity with the director and how his first work compares to the type of work the director would later be best known for.
Mike and Nick cover 8 films they thought summarized the year well. They also list their personal top 10's.
Mike and Nick take a look at two less obvious Orson Welles' films: The Trial (1962) and Chimes at Midnight (1965). The two consider Welles' legacy. What did he have going for him and what was against him?
The hosts take a look at two infamous examples of films altered and changed by studio intervention. One of the earliest and most egregious alterations happened to Erich von Stroheim's 1924 Greed. Does the remaining footage yield as close to a masterpiece as its fabled original 9-hour cut?
Despite the prestige of Citizen Kane, Orson Welles' The Magnificent Ambersons was not saved from the butchering hands of meddlers. Does the end product carry the gut punches the original was intended to have?
Mike and Nick take a look at the newest edition of Sight & Sound's best film list. Are the changes drastic?
They watch and review the new #1: Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975 - Chantal Akerman). Does this deserve the number one spot?
Mike and Nick discuss one of film's recent sensations: Ruben Östlund. His black comedy Force Majeure made waves when it came out and his most recent Triangle of Sadness seems to have garnered a following as well. The hosts dive into what makes his comedy and situational awkwardness work and how much fun they enjoy his films.
Mike and Nick explore one of the French New Wave's most prominent directors: Jean-Luc Godard. Their journey examines the bookends of his career with an earlier work: Band of Outsiders and his last work: The Image Book. The hosts examine his contribution to cinema along with his stylings and what he may have tried to say with something more experimental.
Mike and Nick tackle two respected anime that have left their fingerprints on media forever. Akira (1988) takes us to Neo Tokyo and changes the landscape of pop culture forever. Angel's Egg (1985) is Mamoru Oshii's lesser known master work that delves into a crisis of faith.
Mike and Nick look at two films on tail ends of the century. They start with Häxan from 1922 and end with The Northman from 2022. A century of film. Is it better now or then? What do these films do that others don't?
Mike and Nick delve into one of the enigmatic filmmakers of the French New Wave.
Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) and Last Year at Marienbad (1961) both use imaginative techniques to explore memory and reality. Find out what the duo has to say about these two films and the filmmaker.
Mike and Nick take a look at a pair of films specializing in visual techniques. This year's Mad God offers a look at the practical effects god, Phil Tippett, behind the director's chair. Paired with René Laloux's dazzling 1973 Fantastic Planet.
Mike and Nick return after a long hiatus to link the new and the old. Reviewing and thinking about Cronenberg's newest offering and seeing how far he's come with his latest film, Crimes of the Future. Does the wizard of body horror still have it? Find out on this episode.
Mike and Nick celebrate Black art in their humble way by reviewing two films from Senegal: 1966 - Ousmane Sembène's Black Girl & 1973 - Djibril Diop Mambéty's Touki Bouki.
Mike and Nick are joined by their good friend Dave, an expert in blockbuster Hollywood films. He shares his love for Joe Johnston's The Rocketeer (1991). Leaning into the high flying theatrics, the group discusses Howard Hawks' Only Angels Have Wings (1939). Themes discussed in this episode include Heroism, Aviation, and Gender Roles.
A tale of two cinematic journeys. Mike caught the 2019 Gemini Man in theatres with the special High Frame Rate. Nick dedicated an entire day to see a special screening of Bela Tarr's seven and a half hour Sátántangó in theatre. The two share their thoughts, loves, and struggles.
Mike and Nick head to the Zone and explore the depth of Tarkovsky's 1979 Stalker. They pair the cerebral epic with a shot of claustrophobic space horror in Ridley Scott's 1979 Alien.
Mike and Nick explore legendary filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu's 1953 Tokyo Story and 1962 An Autumn Afternoon. While the duo discusses various themes such as family and marriage, they also discuss fundamentals to Ozu's style and what makes him such a special director. Join this pair of cinephiles for what Nick has dubbed their most special episode to date.
Mike and Nick travel to bloody hell on this episode exploring how gore affects the genre. They tackle one classic, Sam Raimi's Evil Dead II (1987) and one not-so-well known flick, Nobuo Nakagawa's Jigoku (1960). Join us for our second episode for the Halloween season.
Mike and Nick discuss Takashi Miike's 1999 Audition and Ana Lily Amirpour's 2014 A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. This is the first Halloween-themed double feature from your friends Mike and Nick. They'll focus on consequence, age, animals, and hash out the debate if either of these films are feminist!
Mike and Nick delve deep into escapism and its various forms in this fascinating episode exploring two of cinema's gems: Apocalypse Now and the criminally underseen Killer of Sheep.
Mike and Nick pair two unlikely choices to offer a new and more interesting episode for listeners! Today's features are Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal and Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. They keep it upbeat with the conversation of Death, Purpose, and Destiny. Join these two budding cinephiles as they try to answer life's important questions through film.
Mike and Nick explore Obsession and South Korean culture in two films by Bong Joon-ho. What can we say about obsession when a girl goes missing during a monster attack? What does obsession do to a person when you're stuck with a seemingly unsolvable case? How does Bong Joon-ho examine South Korean culture through his camera lens?
Mike and Nick dig deep beneath the surface of two films by Jonathan Glazer: Birth and Under the Skin. How is identity examined? What does it mean to be lonely? How do these these affect our place in the world? We hope you'll join us for this filmversation and find it as rewarding as we did!
Mike and Nick give an overview of 2018 films with a focus on different themes. They highlighted the ways different films tied into themes like Impending Doom, Desire, Perspective, Generational Differences, and Class Division. Join two film fans as they dig a little deeper into the films they loved this past year.