Two Thumbs Undecided: Recent Episodes
Two Thumbs Undecided
Our Podcast is now a radio show on Radio Free Brooklyn. If you'd like to hear more content from our raw 2018 DIY podcast days, become a member of our Patreon at the website below.
We talk some of the greatest Valentine day movie with Production Designer Cheyenne Ford! Known for her work on Shiva Baby, Give or Take, and Story Ave which is premiering at SXSW.
The brothers talk to Possum Hill! Current head of content and creative at 1824 Universal Music Group, but also Sam's old boss back when he was a senior director of video production at Capitol Records and Sam was a wee intern.
Mr. New york times movie review himself! We talk about one of the most iconic movie reviewers currently working.
Starting our new critics series off right. The old grouch himself. A dilly of a podcast. YEEHOOOOO!
The brothers talk to animator and tik toker (and perhaps soon to be children's book writer??) Jordan Studdard!
With Zach out for moving to his new studio apartment, Sam plays his Vinyl records from Amadeus and West Side Story and reads some inspiring words.
The brothers talk about the recent deaths and lives of several iconic actors who have played mobsters in movies and TV shows. Tony Sirico who plays Paulie in Sopranos, Michael Caan who plays Sonny in The Godfather, and Ray Liotta who plays Henry Hill in Goodfellas.
Once again, the brothers play an old episode from 1908 with Dudly Kay-Pax and Ishmael. This time, they have Thomas Edison on to talk about his new company. Let's just say, things get a little heated.
The brothers geek out with Mark DePasquale about VFX. Mark is a VFX supervisor and director at Atlantic Pictures, and loves talking about that shinny ball VFX artists use.
This was a tough one. Zach had just moved back to Pittsburgh, Sam was moving in two days, and work was spiraling out of control. So instead of doing a full on episode, Sam reads "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel and slowly falls asleep while playing the theme music to the movie.
The brothers talk about all mothers days movies! And what exactly does that mean. Like in a metaphorical sense what is the narrative around being a mother? OH! we also talk about Scorsese's mom because ya know.
The brothers bring on their parents to talk about Easter Movies and what exactly is the theme of Easter.
The brothers talk about broadway musicals that turn into hollywood movies (and visa versa).
The brothers talk about Dick Lester! Famed surrealist director who started out with the Goon Show squad including Spike Milligan and Peter Sellers. He then went on to director the Beatles in Hard Days Night and Help! Finally ending up his career with Superman 2 and 3. And odd hodge podge of a career and we get into it.
Old Friend Andy Theiss @theaudioandy comes onto the show to talk about his time as a professional sound mixer. Some of his credits include sound mixer for "The Making of Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles" and "Gingerdead Man vs Evil Bong"
The brothers try out a few new segments for the show! Including a worst of the best segment and a lil bit of gonzo film theater journalism at THEE Spectacle theater.
Ah yes. Arshum. What a guy. Friend of co-host Sam for about 8 years now. He's currently a creative video producer at Capitol Records, but is also a music video director on the side. He's worked with all your favorite artist. If you wanna find out who your favorite artists are, welp, sounds like you gotta listen to this episode. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Oh boy. How to describe Karina. She's a Sundance Ignite Fellow, Jacob Burns Fellow, One of Marie Claire's top 21 creators to watch. She's directed three short films, one of which (Dress Up) recently was accepted into the Aspen Shortsfest. She's currently working on her fourth and writing her first feature.
But we at 2TU like to call her the third thumb. She's been on the show multiple times in the past in all the different iterations. Her first episode all the way back in January of 2020 was when she was still a PA. My how far she's come :_)
Interview with Tik Tok legend Reece Feldman aka @guywithamovingcamera. You may know him as the The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel tik tok guy, for his goofy videos with Dylan O’Brien, or for his amazing outfits on the red carpets. I know him as, dare I say it, a friend :_)
Also, there was a lil technical difficulty with this one so it ends kinda abruptly. We'll have him back on in the future.
This episode aired May of 2018 so apologies for anything that is outdated. This is our full episode explaining our very complex feeling about Marvel movies, at the time at their peak. Bit of clarity, Sam is not a fan and Zach was a fan but loves the comics.
This is our first episode ever back in January of 2018. This was YEARS before Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson STOLE the idea from us about doing a podcast on the AFI. Listen as we try to figure out the name of the show and argue if Hitchcock is overrated (yes he is).
Director of the oldest known surviving black directed film "Within our Gates," director of the first silent film from a black director "The Exile," and a seminal artist of the Harlem Renaissance. While many of the early silent films from black directors have been lost, Micheaux's catalogue in one of the few remaining that offers a glimpse into the world of black America at the turn of the century.
Yo guys. I'm an unpaid intern fresh out of Harvard Law School. My name is Dwight D. Shortbottom. These two brothers (they aren't even brothers! They met in a line to watch Avengers 2) hired me to make up these stupid Episode Summaries for them under the false pretense that they know Judge Judy, and now I'm stuck because I didn't read the "entire" contract. I'm fresh out of college. Sue me. (Please don't). Now I'm stuck in dark room with a 2007 Macbook and the original negative of 1960s "Dr. Dolittle" (I think it might be priceless). Anyway, I just found out they never read these, so I'm going to start using this as a platform to help me escape. I'll give you the film, if you help me.
Aired a few days after the Biden 2021 inauguration, the Brother are high on life as they discuss the Bernie meme (that's hopefully dead by now), morn the loss of Bee Movie actor Larry King, and discuss all the Hollywood Backlistings due to the Red (and Lavender) Scare from the 40s and 50s, culminating in the infamous McCarthy trials.
From Un Chien Andalou to That Obscure Object of Desire, we go over everything from his spy days in the Spanish Civil War to his attempted shooting of Salvador Dali. The Spanish surrealist who moved to Mexico, Luis Bunuel!
The brothers go over some of their favorite episodes of this rollercoaster of a year, 2020.
In this lost tape we find Dudly Kay-Pax and Ishmael at the 1904 Premiere at Loews Theaters in Cincinnati, Ohio. Sadly the two fellows have parted ways since the last tape, but there may be hope yet! Guests include greedy banker, Andrew Mellon, a 19 year old Louis B. Mayer, and an ambitious Alice Guy (the first woman director). Take a gander at the last episode of season 4 and of this hellscape of a year 2020!
The brothers discuss the filmography and biography of the late great French director Jean Renoir known for "The Grande Illusion," "The Rules of the Game," "The River," and many others.
From the Judgment at Nuremberg to My Cousin Vinny, the brothers discuss the classic court room dramas. Also special shoutout to Bosnia and Herzegovina where our show is the #7 film and TV podcast in the country! Bosnian tour as soon as Covid is over.
The brothers talk about one of the gods of cinema, OG French new wave French New Wave filmmaker/photographer Agnes Varda. Her films are filled with wife and filled us with life as we talked about her filmography from La Pointe Courte to Faces Places and why Godard can go fuck himself. Seriously, she has become one of our favorite directors after watching seven of her films in a week. This is a great introduction into the legend.
Sam and Zach discover yet another recording by Dudly Kaypex and Ishmael from 1902! Dudly and Ishmael talk about living in tenement housing, their growing rivalry with Tesla, their love of George Melies, AND they convince Harry Houdini to let strangers punch him in the stomach.
The brothers talk about acclaimed Austrian director Michael Haneke, known for his films Funny Games, Amour, Piano Teacher, and much much more!
The brothers discuss the classic filmmaker Ozu's filmography and his influance on cinema today. Director of classic films such as Tokyo Story, Late Spring, I Was Born, But...., Late Autumn, and of course many more.
Time Stamp: This was recorded early morning Thursday Nov. 5th as the counting process was still going on for the 2020 election. Listen as the brothers unwind during a very stressful time and realize that Biden just overtook Trump in PA votes thanks to Pittsburgh and Philly.
Oh and they talk about comfort movies. Movies that give them comfort.
From the Master to the Big Bad, the brothers talk about one of their most beloved shows, Buffy (you know, the vampire slayer).
This week, the brothers sat down with Akiko Stehrenberger, acclaimed poster and visual artist. She is known for her unique illustrated work on posters for Funny Games, Last Black Man in San Francisco, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, WildLife, Honey Boy, Deadpool 2 and so many others. Join us as we talk to her about her work, inspirations, and business on this fantastical episode. Check out her new book Akikomatic: The Work of Akiko Stehrenberger on her website
From Godfather part 1 to the Beguiled, the brothers discuss actress and director's Sofia Coppola's film career in preparation for her new movie On the Rocks.
The brothers test out their improv skills, make fun of each others name, and talk about the great British director Michael Powell, and the Archer collaboration that gave us films like "The Red Shoes", "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp", and "Peeping Tom."
Will the help of long time friend of the show Nick Deveau, i.e. the ringer finger, the brothers dive into the world of anime! And not not just Pokemon.
There are those films that, while still loved, certainly have scenes/character/plot points that don't really stand the test of time i.e. Breakfast at Tiffany's. And then there are movies like Once Upon a Time in America where De Niro rapes his girlfriend which nobody seems to talk about. Why do some movies get a pass? Why was sexism/racism/homophobia excepted for so long (and still today). Sam and Zach discuss these films and much much (you guessed it) more.
Sam is gone on vacation so Zach takes it solo. As soon as he opens the phone line, P.T. Anderson calls to say that he's holding Sam captive and will push him into the ocean if Zach doesn't do a good episode! Will Zach's assorted guests Anthony Fauci and Sam Rami save Sam's life? Who knows....
The brothers discuss the greatest flops of all time. Could they be talking about their own episode????? Well I'm not telling you. You gotta listen for yourself buddy.
Sam and Zach sit down with the "third thumb" Karina Dandashi to talk about women in film. Both Sam and Karina are coming in heated.
Hey guys, I generally don't like making descriptions for these episodes. We are talking about Cult Classics obviously. Not much else to say. If you don't know what a cult classic is, we'll let you know. If you do, we'll let you know what you didn't already know. Bing bong boom.
Zach and Sam dive into Censorship throughout film history and when if ever it's acceptable.
Sam and Zach discuss film's internet database and it's social media page, IMDb and Letterboxd respectively. Does IMDb breach privacy concerns, is Letterboxd a growing hotbed of white supremacist??! Well listen to the darn episode. I ain't saying shit.
We interview founder and managing partner of Syndicated Bar Theater Kitchen in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Seriously one of the best theaters in all of NYC. Support your local theater!
On June 7th, 2020, Two Thumbs Undecided has a Black Lives Themed episode with Gender & Racial Equity Activist/lover of movies/and old friend Reed Kimbrough. He talks about the films that effected him the most concerning racism and black lives on the big screen, including "In the Heat of the Night," "Philadelphia," and "A Time to Kill."
This episode what live just a few days after Floyd'd murder and the very beginning of the riots/protests. The episode starts with immediate reactions to what's been going on, but we wanted show as much respect for the BLM movement as possible so we can focus an episode completely on the movement. So sorry if this episode seems a bit out of place.
This episode we talk about musicians in a band or solo act who transition to composition for movies. This includes Duke Ellington, Curtis Mayfield Danny Elfman, Mark Mothersbaugh, Trent Reznor, and even Paul McCartney.
Zach and Sam get in a time machine to go kill Hitler but accidentally kill Chaplin instead. They talk about time machine movies while they grieve.
Zach and Sam bring on Dave Colonna from Dave & Giggles to talk about coloring and post production during the pandemic, but we kinda get sidetracked talking about 80s movies.
From Willis O’Brien to Wes Anderson, the brothers go over the history and impact of stop motion animation (basically claymation).
The brothers interview Penelope Bartlett, Criterion Channel programmer. Sam congratulates Penelope for the Channel's year anniversary, and Zach for some reason compares Observations on Film Art to Steve Jobs taking LSD for the first time.
"This is the episode that made me reconsider if radio shows/podcasts could be an artform." - Godard "I haven't cried like that since boarding school. I felt like I was seeing heaven and hell while eating a bowl of cereal. Totally celestial. " - Judi Dench "What was the question? What who are you people? How did you get in my house!?" - Steven Yeun
Take it from these celebrities. This is an episode you don't want to miss. Scorsese wonders in after a cocaine induced black out, Zach brings on some random person he finds off the street, and Spielberg Zoom booms to make fun of the brothers again. All for the brothers special 100th episode edition!
Zach falls in love with the Beetlejuice Broadway soundtrack, Sam rants about their mic situation now that they are outside of the studio, and the brothers talk about the best and worst opening scenes in cinema history.
Sam goes over the original 2TU creed while blushing, Zach keeps saying "covert-19" and references Hey Nineteen, and the brothers talk about the rise and demise of late night talk shows.
First week of Quarantine and Sam and Zach are doing ok. Sam is stuck in Brooklyn and Zach is trying to find odd jobs to stay relevant at work. The brothers go over some of their top choices of movies to watch while in Quarantine.
Sam get's his head stuck in a tree, Zach figures out that cartoons aren't real life. And the brothers discuss the great lost films in cinema history.
Zach talks about zombies, Nick talks about vampires, and Sam tries to make sense of the world. But mainly, the gang goes over the classic films about viruses and how a certain virus is effecting cinema today.
With the recent Parasite win, Sam and Zach give you a run down of South Korean cinema history and the movies you need to see besides the Handmaiden and Okja.
Sam and Zach take a moment to decompress, rant about the Oscars, and learn to love what they have: each other. :')
Zach tries to make a case that Jerry Maguire is a sport movie, Sam gets upset people are hating on Jojo Rabbit, and the brothers talk about football movies.
Zach is betrays the show by skiing instead, Karina shows up 14 min late, Sam apologies for being sexist, and the gang talks what it means to be a production assistant.
Sam edits out the part where Zach was 10 min late, Zach forgets that two is after one, and the brothers go over everything you want to know about movie sequel.
Sam and Zach begin the new year, blessed with Scorsese's cash, by playing a movie review relic, the first ever "celluloid adventure" show from 1896! The show, recorded on Tesla's lost audio recording device "The Soul Eater," is of Ishmael and Dudley talking with Louis Lumiere about the future of this new technology and is it art.
This is it. Spielberg has bought Sam and Zach's show and turning into his own "Green Book" themed podcast. Will Zach get slapped again? Will he slap back like Virgil Tibbs in "In the Heat of the Night." Will Sam finally snap and reveal his deepest darkest secret Amelia Earhart!? While these questions I'm sure are on everyone's minds, one thing is for sure. The brothers play their top ten moments from 2019 to convince Spielberg to give them a second chance.
Sam says Spielberg has jumped the shark, Zach claims Jurassic Park is a metaphor for his career, and the brothers talk to the man himself, Spielberg, who gives them some troubling news.
Zach's mic malfunctions, Sam challenges A.O. Scott of the NYT to come on the show for saying Twilight: Breaking Dawn is the top 10 most influential film of the decade, and the brothers review the top decade lists.
Sam tells Robert Eggers* he's too harsh on Scorsese, Zach tries to change the theme at the last second again, and the brothers talk about Live media.
*not really The Egg man.
This one comes straight from Zach. We begin to talk about some real life Hollywood friends, but then slowly talk about our own friendship and how Zach is feeling lonely in Pittsburgh.
On this episode, Sam gets upset about the 16x9 Simpson ratio, Zach impersonate Bob Iger in a massage parlor, and the brothers discuss the new Disney Plus. Also with special guest Lizzie McGuire to promote her new show.
Widely considered as the best episode of 2TU yet. Sam learns a new fact about Zach after knowing him for 23 years and Zach learns what protagonist means.
Sam battles the loud Brooklyn Halloween night, Zach gloats about his fancy mic, and the brothers discuss what it means to be an antagonist.
Sam and Zach talk about the scariest movies known to man, both the deep cuts and the classics. Also this is a Thanksgiving themed episode. That shit's the real horror story. OY!
Sam and Zach go over the greatest Halloween specials of ALL TIME. And yes, we talk about that one. Tehe.
Sam interviews Kantemir Balagov who premiered his film Beanpole at the New York Film Festival. Sam and Zach also talk about scary films that aren't quite horror movies.
Zach and Sam review Martin Scorsese's newest film The Irishman, Cannes Best Screenplay winner Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Cannes Jury Prize winner Fire Will Come, as well as First Cow, Beanpole, Martin Eden and Pedro Almodóvar's Pain and Glory.
Zach and Sam go over their first week as a NYFF pres. They talk about the following movies. SYNONYMS, YOUNG AHMED, ZOMBI CHILD, THE WILD GOOSE LAKE, THE TRAITOR, I WAS AT HOME, BUT…, THE WHISTLERS, TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH, A GIRL MISSING, LIBERTÉ, and SIBYL
Sam and Zach watch collectively eight 007 movies in one day to give you the most detailed history of the man of mystery himself.
Zach get's sensitive about his hair, Sam complains about the girl scouts, and the brothers talk on the negative and positive effects of nostalgia on modern cinema.
We are joined by first time returning guest Karina to discuss film bro, their spawners, and a new age of film "hoes."
Sam and Zach get down and dirty and talk about one of the most iconic filmmakers from the 90s, the most pretty good director of the 2000s, and he made a few movies in the 10s, the T-Man as he prefers to be called. This mostly has to do with the fact they both saw Once Upon.... A Time in Hollywood, but there is a lot to talk about.
IndieWire just came out with a list of the best films of the ENTIRE decade. We take a gander and express our extreme pleasures and palpable rage.
Marina watches the Cats video for the first time, Sam gets freaked out by the Amazon Alexa responding every time he talks about the Alexa Mini, and Zach Sings us a chilling song.
Sam and Zach dip back into their old Podcast episode about A24 and talk about their first thoughts on the production company's new horror film "Midsommar" by Ari Aster
Zach believes he is finally decided on something, Sam is uncertain how he feels about Ben Stiller, as the brothers discuss what a good summer movie means.
The brothers bring on special guest Katie Schiller to talk about LGBTQ+ representation in film and TV throughout history and today.
Sam and Zach go over the Film vs. Digital cameras from the perspective of film makers with zero to no money.
Special Guest Nick Deveau and Sam Ferguson talk about Cannes 2019 Palme d'Or winner Bong Joon-Ho, director of Snowpiercer, Okja, and most recently Parasite.
Sam went to the 2019 Cannes as part of the "3 days in Cannes" program. Sam packed a suit, a toothbrush, and his zoom audio recorder. This is a compilation of his opinions and thoughts on the festival and the movies that premiered. (p.s. sorry for the windy parts. Should have brought a sock.)
Robert Downey Jr, Ellen, Michael Keaton, Beep Boop Bop, the list goes on and on. These are actors and some directors who made a comeback after years of being out of the public eye. Also, Sam prepares for his trip to Cannes and Zach talks about how he still cries alone in his new mansion.
What does it mean to be a coming of age movie? Don't as Sam or Zach, for as you know, they remain undecided. But maybe you can come to your own answers as they travel down a worm hole to answer this unclear genre.
Sam is going to Cannes, the parents show up to talk about their favorite shots in movies and ridicule Sam and Zach for not being able to pronounce words, and we encourage films students to only do long takes.
Sam interviews his dear friend Karina Dandashi and Camille Allen to discuss the pros and cons of film twitter, cancel culture, and group think while Zach supposedly calls in from the NAB in Vegas. (He doesn't the lousy schmuck).
We talk with acclaimed sound mixer and editor Ai-Ling Lee. She's worked on such classic films as Spiderman 2, Watchman, Deadpool, The Waterboy, La La Land, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius and most recently First Man. She's been nominated for four Oscars: two for sound mixing and two for sound editing. Zach and I also talk about what fame means to us but really listen to this interview!!
We talk about the three great Mexican directors in Hollywood, Alfonso Cuaron, Alejandro Inarritu, and Guillermo Del Toro.
For Saint Patrick's Day, we go over classic drinks in film and go over movies that make our tummies growl.
Zach is gone for today, so Sam talks about the Mitski/ Mac Demarco controversy and then play an episode from the podcast vaults.
For Zach's quarter of a century celebration, he requests to talk about movie battles. And oh boy do we talk about that very thing. Oh and also Fuck Green Book.
Zach and Sam can't seem to find anything interesting in film in February so they talk about comedians and randomly rant about award ceremonies.
We talk with Matt, Mike, and Cami, founders of Trash Head Productions. They have had their music videos premiere on Forbes and Stereogum and recently won best short at the New York City Cannabis Film Festival.
We talk with a true, honest to god, no doubt about it Academy voter Alastair McWalthstone.
Zach confronts his dyslexia head on, Sam rages against Steven Spielberg, and we tackle the complex issue of mixing Sound with Sound.
Also we are starting on Radio Free Brooklyn starting December 30th (Sun.) at 11am with a special practice episode at December 14th (Fri.) at 7pm.
cinema #podcast #Soundmixing #StevenSpielberg #StarWars #Sound #RadioFreeBrooklyn #RFB #Firstman
Sam rails against A24 merchandising, Zach can't seem to wrap his head around the new Coen Brother movie, and the gang tries to understand why every indie movie seems to have an awkward dance scene.
Zach has a hangover after talking to Jorma Taccone of Lonely Island, Sam copyrights the term "The Ang Lee Bust Out," and they both talk aspect ratios.