Cinematic Respect: Recent Episodes
Charlie Wallace and Jessica Klaers
Your usual host Doug Gobeski welcomes two elusive guests to the show (Charlie Wallace and Jessica Klaers) to watch the critically heralded 2016 classic Hardcore Henry. They discuss the unique first-person perspective, the intense stunt-work and a tour-de-force performance by Tim Roth. Doug knows this episode is outside his usual release schedule, but it’s just so good it just HAD to be released as soon in April as possible!
Clarifications:
In case you wanted to see the full BFI Sight and Sound Critics’ Poll, here it is. This website seems to have a couple of glaring omissions, but hey, nobody’s perfect!
For the record, Doug was talking about Akan, NOT Akon.
Charlie did indeed write that report for the comic Hardcore Akan. It is as follows:
“I read the comic book Hardcore Akan. It was good but Akan was really mean. His dad died in an accident and his mom took a pill. He got his powers from being a bad scientist. He makes lots of funny jokes when he gets rid of the other bad guys. I like Hardcore Akan, but I wish it were a movie like Hardcore Henry so then I wouldn’t have to read at all.”
EP Adam points out that Sharlto Copely is also in District 9. This is a true fact, and Doug regrets not mentioning it.
OK, so no one has an optic nerve quite as long as Mr. Henry, so we’ll probably never know whether the perspective shown in the movie is accurate. However, here’s some info about what happens when your eye gets dislodged.
The crew talks about the Wilhelm Scream during the tag to the episode. Turns out that The Charge at Feather River isn’t the first instance of the Wilhelm, but it IS where the name came from. The first appearance was in Distant Drums (1951).
Things We Mention:
300 (2006)
The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Cloverfield (2008)
Doctor Strange (2016)
Doom (2005)
Secret Girlfriend (2009)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
Call of Duty (game series) (2003-present)
Tetris (1984)
Goodfellas (1990)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
The Charge at Feather River (1953)
Hot Fuzz (2007)
Regarding Henry (1991)
Russian Ark (2002)
The post Episode 46 – Hardcore Henry (w. Charlie Wallace and Jessica Klaers) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
This episode, we get lost in the steel blue eyes of Alain Delon while watching Le Samouraï (1967) with executive producer Adam Gobeski. We talk inaccurate movie trailers, tightly directed action sequences, long takes, and an alternate ending. Despite the lack of dialogue, Amber shows the appropriate amount of respect for the film. But can we answer the most important question: how many keys is ALL the keys?
Clarifications:
Adam and Amber talk about the trailers for this film, including this one, which is very weird without the context of the rest of the film…
We refer to “mod” culture in passing, and in case you aren’t familiar with it here’s the Wikipedia page. For the record, I didn’t know this until I watched the movie Quadrophenia!
We argue a bit more about color calibration in this episode (don’t worry, we move on pretty quickly). When movies are on Kanopy, Charlie watches them on a desktop connected to his television, which leaves much to be desired as far as calibration options. Hence, these disagreements also came up in our Solaris episode.
Adam fears we may have alienated the subsection of our audience that vapes. We can all agree that none of us will ever be as cool as Alain Delon, regardless of nicotine intake method. Apologies all around!
Reddit was not forthcoming with the name of the film in which Alain Delon died smiling. The search continues…
Things We Reference:
Far and Away (1992)
A Quiet Place (2018)
Rififi (1955)
The Fifth Element (1997)
The Artist (2011)
Amélie (2001)
Cowboy Bebop (1998-1999)
White Collar (2009-2014)
Dragnet (1951-1959)
Dragnet (1987)
Dexter (2006-2013)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)
Taken (2017)
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
The Good Place (2016-Present)
The Sting (1973)
District 13 (2004)
Widows (2018)
The post Episode 45 – Le Samouraï (w. Adam Gobeski) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Charlie, Adam, and Amber welcome guest Jill Dickinson to the podcast to geek out over the 2005 sci-fi film Serenity! We’re all familiar with the short-lived TV series Firefly… but what if you weren’t? Would the movie still work? If there aren’t any cows, is this really a western? And there’s no avoiding those shocking deaths! Also: more Star Trek and Moana than you’d expect!
Clarifications:
Make sure to check out the party Jill mentions at Hole in the Wall in Austin on March 13, and at Valhalla on March 14, courtesy Chicken Ranch Records!
We had a short segment about Joss Whedon’s behavior IRL, and how that undercuts his feminist messaging in his work. We ultimately cut it, but if you are not already aware, you should be.
Adam talks about Kris Straub and his disdain for the linguistic style of Firefly. It’s somewhere in the web comic Starslip Crisis. Find it yourself (you’ll have fun in the process).
As Adam mentions, Nathan Fillion starred in the fan film based on the video game Uncharted.
Things We Reference:
Sex and the City 2 (2010)
South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut (1999)
Tangled: The Series (2017-Present)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
The Naked Gun (1988)
Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018)
Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018)
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Firefly (2002-2003)
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (2019)
Metropolis (1927)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Moana (2016)
The Rookie (2018-Present)
Castle (2009-2016)
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)
Dr Horrible’s Sing-a-Long Blog (2008)
Big Mouth (2017)
FlashForward (2009)
Veronica Mars (2014)
The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993)
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (2010)
The post Episode 44 – Serenity (w. Jill Dickinson) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Doug Gobeski brings in his friends Ric and Wes after their first viewing of the 1990 Martin Scorsese filmGoodfellas. We talk voiceover, tracking shots, and prison attire. The movie was criticized for extreme depictions of violence at the time, but how does it look in 2019? And we discuss how this all ties in to the gangsters that have appeared in pop culture since. Hopefully you’ll find it funny, in an amusing sort of way!
Clarifications:
Apparently some people just don’t get this movie, at least according to the…checks notes… New York Post. Well, both Jessica and the screenwriter have something to say about that.
Additionally, Frank Silvero’s lawsuit against The Simpsons was eventually thrown out. Why he didnt just get a recurring role on The Sopranos like everyone else, I just don’t know.
Things We Reference:
Atlanta (2016-Present)
You (2018)
POKÉMON Detective Pikachu (2019)
Upgrade (2018)
The King of Comedy (1982)
All the Light We Cannot See (2014)
Bird Box (2018)
King of the Hill (1997-2010)
The post Episode 43 – Goodfellas (w. Ric Vega, Wes Richerson, and Doug Gobeski) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Amber Elby appoints herself Ringmaster in order to compel Charlie, Adam, and guest Kelly Fulcher to watch the 2017 film The Greatest Showman. We discuss the right way to create fantasy/historical fiction, the overt critical meta-commentary, and swoon Zac Efron. Will the grouchy first-timers dig in their heels and hate on this popular musical, or will Amber whip them into line like so many CGI lions?
Clarifications:
You can see what our guest Kelly Fulcher is up to via A Choired Taste and the Tempe Community Chorus!
Amber would like to point out that she would rather have chosen Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny as her recommended modern musical. It’s a bold choice, if nothing else…
We did also discuss whether to allow animated films in the “musical” category, but that discussion is cut for time. It really widens the field but a couple of us objected to that!
Also on the cutting room floor: everyone liked Zac Efron and we talked about High School Musical for a bit longer than was warranted. Well, more specifically High School Musical 2, which Kelly assures us is the best of the series.
Adam recommends Paint Your Wagon within the show and would love you to check out this clip of Lee Marvin’s performance.
Things We Reference:
Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog (2008)
La La Land (2016)
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
Enchanted (2007)
Once (2007)
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Mary Poppins (1964)
The Master (2012)
She’s All That (1999)
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018)
Crash (2004)
Venom (2018)
Dick (1999)
Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Blue Valentine (2010)
Meek’s Cutoff (2010)
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Paint Your Wagon (1969)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Team America: World Police (2004)
The post Episode 42 – The Greatest Showman (w. Kelly Fulcher) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Actor Brianne Gobeski joins us once again to discuss the 1946 French classic La Belle et la Bête (Beauty and the Beast). For those of you who think this is similar to the Disney versions, think again: nary a singing candelabra to be found! No conversation about this movie could be complete without mentioning the unique production design and the creepy beast makeup. And do we really get the happy ending we expect here, or is Belle doomed to a boring, menial existence?
Clarifications:
Brianne Gobeski is starring in Disaster at Desert Stages Theatre in Scottsdale Arizona, go see it if you’re in the area!
Adam found out after the episode that the “drunk driving” section at the beginning of the film was out of necessity: the cobblestones were so uneven that the actors lifting the carriage wobbled as they walked. The drunkenness was added as a way to explain their instability!
Adam makes a quick Simpsons reference (“When are they gonna get to the fireworks factory?”), and here’s the clip that explains it if for some reason you don’t know what he’s talking about.
The BFI list of the 50 films you should see by the age of 14.
Things We Reference:
Labyrinth (1986)
Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998)
Snowpiercer (2013)
Babes in Toyland (1934)
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)
Seven Samurai (1954)
Waterworld (1995)
Metropolis (1927)
Orphée (1950)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
City of Angels (1998)
Ghost Rider (2007)
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Into the Woods (2014)
Your Name (2016)
Wings of Desire (1987)
The post Episode 41 – La Belle et la Bête (w. Brianne Gobeski) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Before 24-hour cable news networks and politically polarizing punditry, there was the 1976 film Network, which we investigate with guests Doug Gobeski and author Amber Elby. How do we see the movie today when so many of its predictions have come true? Is there any way to remake or update this movie? What’s the whole point of that love story between Faye Dunaway and William Holden? Doug knows, and he’s got evidence!
Clarifications:
It’s strange that we NEVER mention director Sidney Lumet or screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky by name in the episode, both prolific, successful and extremely talented folks. Which is too bad, because I looked up how to pronounce BOTH names before we recorded!
Of course, we speculate a lot about how this might have been viewed in the 70’s without having someone on the show who might have actually seen it in the 70’s. It’s always tough to prepare an episode with that sort of diligence, so you’ll have to forgive us. Are you one of those people? Let us know what you thought about Network on Twitter!
We were able to confirm the story about George Clooney showing Network to some younger folks via this Deadline article. This was in preparation for his planned live television staging of Network, which never materialized in part because of what he learned!
And you can buy Amber Elby’s first novel Cauldron’s Bubble and second novel Double, Double Toil on Amazon right now, and you really should!
Things We Mention:
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Moonraker (1979)
The Lawnmower Man (1992)
RoboCop (1987)
Spring Forward (1999)
“The Newsroom” (2012-2014)
The post Episode 40 – Network (w. Doug Gobeski and Amber Elby) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
One year after discussing the original film, Charlie, Adam and Paul Wilcox are back together to discuss Blade Runner 2049 (2017). We praise the cinematography, the characterization, and the score. And we revisit those age-old questions: “What makes us human?” and “How close is too close to your 4K TV?”
Clarifications:
If you are interested in watching the short films which were commissioned for Blade Runner 2049, here they are:
Black Out 2022
2036: Nexus Dawn
2048: Nowhere to Run
In the most recent edition of “We’re All Gonna Die Sooner Than We’d Like”: Insect Disappearance!
And in contrast, a video of Ryan Gosling with Harrison Ford, and another where Gosling talks about… cellophane…
Oh, and to make sure you’re getting that full 4K experience visit this website. Don’t let unscrupulous Blu-ray distributors steal your precious resolution!!
Things We Reference:
Blade Runner (1982)
Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace (1999)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)
Ghostbusters (2016)
TRON: Legacy (2010)
Nier Automata (2017)
First Man (2018)
Dredd (2012)
“Cowboy Bebop” (1998)
The Nice Guys (2016)
The post Episode 39 – Blade Runner 2049 (w. Paul Wilcox) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Charlie, Adam and Amber Elby all play the guest AND host role to talk about Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 narrative game-changer Rashomon. We discuss the beautiful cinematography, the shifting perspectives of the story, and the creepy-as-hell ghost medium. But is there any one true interpretation of Rashomon? Yes, duh! Take a listen if you want to know what REALLY happened…
Clarifications:
Amber Elby’s new book Double Double Toil will be available October 1st, but you can get the first novel in the Netherfeld Trilogy series Cauldron’s Bubble on Amazon right now!
Here’s a little Wikipedia for you about the very excellent video game Deus Ex.
Charlie admits to watching Rashomon on an iPad. Sometimes you’re busy on the go and can’t get in front of your flatscreen. Charlie’s pretty sure if he could summon Akira Kurosawa via ghost medium, the famed director would forgive him.
If you’re interested in knowing Donald Ritchie’s taste in film, here’s his part of the 2002 Sight and Sound list.
And as it turns out, Shakespeare IS big in Japan!
If you want the watch The Tale as Charlie suggests, it’s also available to stream on Amazon if you can’t see it on HBO.
Here is the episode of The Gobeski/Wallace Report where Adam interviews Charlie about Cinematic Respect. Learn how the sausage gets made!!
Things We Reference:
The Tale (2018)
Throne of Blood (1957)
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Quills (2000)
Metropolis (1927)
“Battlestar Galactica” (2004)
Yojimbo (1961)
The post Episode 38 – Rashomon (w. Amber Elby) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Seasoned guests Adam and Ally are back in the studio to talk about 1969’s Robert Redford/Paul Newman vehicle Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. As it turns out, we were all a bit perplexed by the film and what, if anything, it was trying to say. Or is it just a fun Western romp that we shouldn’t think too hard about? At least we can agree on two things: it was a lot of fun, and it was definitely NOT Smokey and the Bandit.
Clarifications:
At first it appears that we simply fail to discuss Burt Bacharach’s Oscar winning score and original song. The truth is, we bashed it into oblivion but really failed to say anything of substance about it (and that sort of stuff often hits the cutting room floor). But Adam and Ally are on the record as having really hated it, and we were all put off by the “anachronism for anachronism’s sake” feel of the “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” sequence. There was no clear reason for that particular score, though the scene was clearly some sort of “Garden of Eden” reference complete with apple chomping. If you’ve got some theories about why the modern 60’s score was implemented, please, let us know!
(Though I do admit I have a special place in my heart for another of Burt Bacharach’s original movie songs, “Beware of the Blob”.)
And somehow with all this Robert Redford talk, we completely forgot to mention anything about his Sundance Resort, or the Sundance film festival, or his Sundance Theaters which are named after his character! It’s only a slight stretch to say those things might not exist but for this film!
Things We Reference:
Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The post Episode 37 – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (w. Adam and Ally) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
We welcome history major and film lover Taylor Anderson to the show to talk about the perennial and undeniably essential 1976 movie All the President’s Men. Of course, we recorded on the same day that a guilty plea and a conviction rocked the current president’s administration, so our conversation takes on a sudden urgency. The parallels are uncanny! But before we get to politics we discuss Robert Redford’s push to make the film, the historical accuracy of the script and set design, sound design and the mesmerizing shot construction. Let’s put our nose to the grindstone, shall we?
Clarifications:
We’ve got a larger than usual set of shownotes, so we don’t want to bury this plug for Tommy Oler’s show Let’s Write an Episode…! If you love 90’s television, writing, performance or are even just a fan of humor in general you need to check this show out!
There’s a lot in the Vanity Fair article that we mention in the show, and a lot we don’t! It’s really a fascinating read. Also, this article from The Washingtonian is a must. Some of our corrections are based on facts from those articles, so consider this our citation.
Robert Redford was considering other actors for the role of Bob Woodward, but Warner Bros chairman Ted Ashley insisted Redford star because, well, money.
It should also be noted that the library scene is indeed set in the real Library of Congress. They were begrudgingly given access to shoot in the Reading Room.
In the episode we suggest that it might be unusual for a movie to come out so quickly after historical events have transpired. EP Adam doesn’t agree and mentions that Zero Dark Thirty is an example – Osama bin Laden was killed in 2011 and the film was released in 2012!
Not familiar with the Bay of Pigs fiasco? A primer.
And the definition of “Burglary 2” for those of you who are really diving into the weeds while listening to this episode.
We may have at some point said that Nixon was impeached. He wasn’t. It was a foregone conclusion when he resigned however. Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton must be feeling pretty lonely (for now…)
BTW, Nixon’s approval ratings were still somehow at 24% when he resigned. Is 24% bottoming out…? And speaking of approval ratings, Robert Mueller’s jumped by 11 points… in a Fox News poll!
Towards the end of the show, Taylor confuses Michael Cohen’s guilty plea with Paul Manafort’s multiple convictions, though their roles/former jobs are correctly attributed.
Things We Reference:
The Apartment (1960)
The Post (2017)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Spy Game (2001)
“The West Wing” (1999-2006)
Dick (1999)
The post Episode 36 – All the President’s Men (w. Taylor Anderson) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
We’re reviewing another Cary Grant/Howard Hawks collaboration, 1938’s screwball comedy Bringing Up Baby, with our guest Lee from the podcast Faking Movies. It really is strange that this movie wasn’t a traditional box office success, what with Katharine Hepburn and TWO leopards! We talk about the tightly packed script, wacky characters, and crippling production delays. And just like Cary Grant, we eventually just give ourselves over to the craziness! Join us, will you?
Clarifications:
If you like this episode, listen to when we discussed His Girl Friday!
So how is Katharine Hepburn stealing all those cars? Here’s a primer for you! (TL;DR, there is a dashboard-mounted starter button!)
We all speculate a bit about why this movie under-performed at the box office and wondered why the poor and middle class would want to watch a bunch of rich folk be silly. We suggested the reasons may be aspirational, or the need for pure escapism. That bears out a bit, as there is a long tradition of Depression-era comedies about the well-to-do. Evidence: the highest grossing film of 1938 was You Can’t Take It With You.
Things We Reference:
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)
Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
Frasier (1993-2004)
Charade (1963)
The post Episode 35 – Bringing Up Baby (w. Lee from Faking Movies) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
What better way to celebrate a boys’ weekend than with Georges Méliès’ 1902 work A Trip to the Moon? Jessica couldn’t make it this week, but we’ve got Executive Producer Adam Gobeski in the co-host chair with TWO returning guests, Doug Gobeski and Paul Wilcox! We talk about the history of cinema, the innumerable soundtracks available for the film and why Thomas Edison is kind of a jerk. Paul comes to the startling conclusion that maybe we’re not smarter than people from the early 20th century…
Clarifications:
There is really no excuse for you not to watch this film. Versions are available here or here or a ton of other places. You won’t find a better use of your next 16 minutes, I assure you. And here is the accompanying transcript as well!
We mention jump cuts. Charlie also accidentally refers to a “dissolve” as a “cross cut”, blech. You may not know the names, but you already know what they are!
We never got to one of our standard questions which was the following: “Why did you pick this film?” (Answer: because it was short and we had another podcast to record!)
As if that whole AC vs. DC nonsense wasn’t enough, here’s more proof that Thomas Edison was a monster.
Here’s a great deal more info on the (relatively) recent color restoration of the film, with the Air soundtrack. And some Internet dwellers arguing about it.
Somehow Charlie got through the whole thing without mentioning the 2011 Martin Scorsese film Hugo. What a model of restraint! You should watch it though, it’s very good.
Things We Reference:
The Birth of a Nation (1915)
The Cocoanuts (1929)
The Astronomer’s Dream (1898)
“Minnie the Moocher” (1932)
Moon (2009)
Safety Last! (1923)
“From the Earth to the Moon” (1998)
The post Episode 34 – A Trip to the Moon (w. Doug Gobeski and Paul Wilcox) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Charlie, Jessica and Adam alternate between high emotion and utter confusion while reviewing the 1980 David Lynch film The Elephant Man with return guest Brianne Gobeski. We discuss what material the movie is based on (and NOT based on), Mel Brooks’ contribution, and how it compares to the stage play. We all agree that acting and sound design are strengths of the film, but what about the dream/otherworldly sequences? You’d better believe we spend a while talking about the intro and finale, the style of which is much more “the rule” for David Lynch than “the exception”.
Clarifications:
If you’re in the greater Phoenix area, check out Brianne Gobeski in the Zao Theatre production of The Elephant Man! If it’s anything like she describes it on the podcast, it’s definitely worth your while!
Roger Ebert features in our discussion yet again, and we’d be remiss not to mention that he has one of the FOUR negative reviews of this film, which brings its RT score down to a paltry 91%. C’mon Roger, why didn’t you predict the rise of score aggregators and give this film a break??
Here’s the Amazon review Adam mentions by someone who watched this as a child. Also, a counterpoint.
We had no idea what cartoon Adam was referring to, but here’s some info on M.A.S.K. if you want to educate yourself, as we did.
Did we somehow not mention Michael Jackson in this episode? Well, he reportedly tried to buy the remains of John Merrick in 1987 but was unsuccessful. They are still located at the Royal London Hospital museum.
Uhh, we almost hesitate to put this here, but there’s a bit we cut where Charlie talks about the David Lynch project Rabbits. Well, here it is, but seriously it’s creepy. You’ve been warned!
Things We Reference:
The Remains of the Day (1993)
Snowpiercer (2013)
The Theory of Everything (2014)
“Doctor Who – The Day of the Doctor” (2013)
“Doctor Who – The War Doctor: Only the Monstrous” (2015)
Dekalog (1989)
Mask (1985)
The post Episode 33 – The Elephant Man (w. Brianne Gobeski) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Author and cinephile Amber Elby is back to discuss the 1993 indie film What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and she records live from the same town it was filmed in! We dive right into the appropriateness of Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance and Johnny Depp’s inappropriate hair. Is this a film that would have been made today? Or would it have taken a completely different approach? And WATCH OUT FOR THE SYMBOLISM, IT’S COMING RIGHT AT YOU!!!
Clarifications:
Wikipedia states that Gilbert is 24, which is probably mentioned in the novel.
“Fire!” is indeed a REAL pinball game. Pretty sure it was still intentional foreshadowing, but fascinating nonetheless!
Movies We Reference:
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
Inside Out (2015)
The post Episode 32 – What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (w. Amber Elby) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
We come off a Die Hard high by watching the equally exciting but exceedingly dark 2006 film Children of Men with return guest Patrick Hill. We contemplate what defines a “dystopian” movie and name some of our favorites. Then, we marvel over the masterful long-takes but probably spend too much time talking about animals. And does the movie have a hopeful ending, or does it reveal more about the viewer than the characters?
Clarifications:
I think we only once mention director Alfonso Cuarón during the episode, but he is one of the self-proclaimed “Three Amigos” of Mexican film directing, which also includes Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro G. Iñárritu. They’ve all won Best Director Oscars in the last 5 years, and we’ve also reviewed a film from each on our show (check out our Birdman and The Shape of Water episodes)!
Although we do spend quite a bit of time discussing animals in this film, it’s because they demand quite a bit of screen time (and this is not a coincidence). And hey, everybody loves supercuts!
Yes, these Photoshop monstrosities are at our fingertips, and now they’re at yours too!
Here is the underwhelming cameo by Rick Moranis on The Goldbergs (merely a voiceover). Hopefully this isn’t the extent of his return!
Things We Reference:
Minority Report (2002)
The Lobster (2015)
Blade Runner (1982)
Watchmen (2009)
District 9 (2009)
Altered Carbon (2018)
Serenity (2005)
The Handmaid’s Tale (2017-Present)
Spaceballs (1987)
The post Episode 31 – Children of Men (w. Patrick Hill) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Somehow we have managed to make it to episode 30 without discussing a pure action film, but this week we’re doing so in style by reviewing Die Hard with our returning guest Megan Heneke! We appreciate John McClane’s All-American charm, except for Charlie who seems to be in Hans Gruber’s corner. Did Gruber come up with the (almost) perfect plan? And speaking of perfect, is this the best action screenplay of all time? And most importantly, we weigh in on the eternal “is it a Christmas movie” debate.
Clarifications:
Nothing from this film makes AFI’s 100 Years 100 Movie Quotes list. (Would’ve if we made the list…)
We actually address the “Is Die Hard a Christmas movie” question in an episode of The Gobeski/Wallace Report. Charlie was definitely in the “pro” camp back then. And several critics agree, though Adam would like to state that the more interesting question is: “Is Batman Returns a Christmas movie?” Huh… I guess it stands to reason?
But enough about silly questions, here’s a Wikipedia article about bearer bonds!!!
Die Hard director John McTiernan is no longer in jail, but he was apparently put in for lying to the FBI about illegally wiretapping colleagues, although we think it’s probably more likely a punishment for being involved in 2002’s Rollerball remake.
We couldn’t help but leave in our reference to SNL’s “The Plucky Ninjas”.
And finally, an AV Club article in praise of Die Hard.
Movies We Reference:
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-Present)
The Fifth Element (1997)
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
Predator (1987)
Galaxy Quest (1999)
John Wick (2014)
The post Episode 30 – Die Hard (w. Megan Heneke) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
We remain perplexed by the 1965 French New Wave film Alphaville but manage to make some sense of it with our Executive Producer Adam Gobeski. We find out that Jessica is much less likely to be executed in this dystopian sci-fi universe. And what amazing executions those are! We touch on what Jean-Luc Godard really intended for the viewer to feel while watching this bizarre film, and we attempt to answer some of the riddles contained within! Time is a circle – but what KIND of circle is it?!
Clarifications:
Yeah, if you’ve seen Alphaville, you really need to watch the video for Linger by The Cranberries.It’s spot on.
The band Alphaville had a couple hits, including “Big in Japan” and “Forever Young”. Did they do more with the name than Jean-Luc Godard? That’s up to you to decide!
Of course you should listen to our Hulk episode of The Gobeski/Wallace Report to hear us talk about Ang Lee’s take on how a comic book movie should be made. He really goes for it!
Movies We Reference:
Hulk (2003)
TRON (1982)
TRON: Legacy (2010)
The Artist (2011)
Before the Revolution (1964)
The post Episode 29 – Alphaville (w. Adam Gobeski) appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Bryan from The SilverScreen Redemption podcast talks with Charlie about why he originally missed out on the 2010 David Fincher film The Social Network. We discuss Mark Zuckerberg’s real personality vs how he’s portrayed in the film. Is he really an asshole, or is he just trying really hard to be one? And Bryan can’t help but pitch a ripped-from-the-headlines sequel which sounds genuinely intriguing.
Clarifications:
EP Adam pointed out that Andrew Garfield had previously been in Doctor Who and The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, a movie I saw but barely remember. Still, The Social Network was probably his breakout role…
Bryan refers to the Clint Eastwood/Justin Timberlake film Trouble with the Curve, but I cut the part where we eventually come up with the name. So there you go!
Also, we also failed to come up with the name of the “Greg Kinnear/windshield wiper” movie. It is called Flash of Genius.
Parks and Recreation started in 2009, and Rashida Jones was in it right from the start. But I guess much of the world hadn’t caught on to that wonderful show and actor yet!
Things We Reference:
Megamind (2010)
Trouble with the Curve (2012)
Flash of Genius (2008)
Big Fish (2003)
Silicon Valley (2014-Present)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
The post Episode 28 – The Social Network appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
We sit down and get all teary-eyed with Dan Hess and review the movie that spawned a Baby Boomer nostalgia revolution, 1983’s The Big Chill. We talk about that High Fidelity quote that causes Millennials like us to go into this movie blind. And the world has come a long way with regards to surrogacy, but we struggle to get into the free-love spirit. Is it just a case respectful relationship between three friends? Jessica and Dan have some strong thoughts.
Clarifications:
We neglected to have a Baby Boomer on the show, and thus you are left solely with the opinions of Millennials. We just don’t connect with the free love style of the 60’s, and that can make it a little more difficult to get on board with much of the movie. Hopefully it doesn’t come across as too judgey, but part of the show is about recording our real reactions, and those are certainly in the episode!
Lawrence Kasdan also wrote Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Jedi, and the upcomingSolo: A Star Wars Story, which I failed to mention during the show. But, you know, here’s his IMDb page if you want to know more. Huh, his real life wife is named “Meg”. Hmm…
The song Dan talks about is not called “Jeremiah was a Bullfrog”. It is called “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night. Dan wants you to know that as a music aficionado, he immediately knew he was in error and also knew Adam would catch that when reviewing the episode and comment on it. And in that regard, Dan was correct.
This article on MovieFone about The Big Chill and Baby Boomer nostalgia may be the one to which Dan is referring.
Not sure exactly which Kevin Kline movies we could use for Dan’s next appearance. There is Sophie’s Choice, which would make the themes we discussed in this episode seem like a carnival ride in comparison. Contact us if you have thoughts!
Other Things We Reference:
High Fidelity (2000)
Dazed and Confused (1993)
Young Adult (2011)
The Sandlot (1993)
The post Episode 27 – The Big Chill appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Jessica introduces Charlie to one of her favorite films, 1981’s acting tour-de-force On Golden Pond. They discuss the deliberate casting, knockout performances and the one and only Dabney Coleman. Listen to find out Jessica’s least favorite 80’s slang term, and the one aspect of the movie Charlie hate hate hated.
Clarifications:
OMG there’s a sequel to On Golden Pond coming out… maybe? It depends somewhat on being able to film it in New Hampshire, which does not have the same tax incentives for movie productions that other states have. Why those crotchety old tax-payers of New England won’t shell out money for the sake of people from California, I don’t understand!
Dabney was the 8,737th most popular baby name for girls in the U.S. in 2017 according to babycenter.com. For boys, it was 18,185th.
Hey kids, here’s some info on filmstrip projectors. Yes, we sometimes had to use these to “learn” in school. Don’t laugh too derisively – one day your children will laugh at you for having used iPads.
Oscar nominations we forgot to mention were for Best Sound Editing, Best Director, Best Film Editing and Best Picture. Eh, probably didn’t deserve to win any of those. It’s no wonder we forgot to mention them in the episode!
Roger Ebert gave this movie 4 stars, despite having many of the same complaints about the film that we do. It just goes to show that sometimes the good outweighs the bad, and you have to rate with your heart. Also, Roger Ebert was great.
Things We Reference:
Away From Her (2006)
Parenthood (TV series, 2010-2015)
This Is Us (TV series, 2016-present)
The post Episode 26 – On Golden Pond appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Billy and Topher from We Watched a Thing get up bright and early in Australia to talk about the 1972 Andrei Tarkovsky masterpiece Solaris. We wax philosophical about time, space, memory and wedding hangovers. We also get into all of the obstacles Tarkovsky had to hurdle in order to create this film, and whether that’s what made him the groundbreaking artist he was. If you’re into Alex Garland’s new movie Annihilation, make sure to listen!
Clarifications:
Boy, it sure would have been great to talk about this movie’s connection to Alex Garland’s Annihilation! However, it hadn’t been released yet in the U.S. when we recorded this, and I’m not sure we had any idea of the very clear inspiration Solaris had on the new film. Plus, it would have been bad form to bring it up to our Australian friends, who only just now got it on Netflix. My feelings on Annihilation were mixed and I’m still kind of grappling with them. I’ll make sure to update you all with a review after I get a chance to watch it again.
Thanks a TON to Billy and Topher for being on the show. Hopefully you can’t tell, but our connection was severed in the middle of recording several times, and once the power went out to their entire building! Luckily, they had enough batteries on hand and good enough cell reception to continue the recording, like professionals. Again, that podcast is We Watched a Thing, and is well worth your time!
Want to play the unrelated Atari 2600 game Solaris? Here’s a link! Although you may need to read some instructions first…
I tried a quick Google search to determine why Solaris is split into two parts. I was not able to figure that out. I did find that some versions for home release have the cut at different locations. Are you a Tarkovsky scholar? If so, please contact us and clue us in!
Adam had a great comment that he thought of after the recording in regards to Tarkovsky and his representation of works of art within his filmography:
“OK, having thought about it for a while, here’s my take on why classical paintings and music show up, despite Tarkovsky’s insistence that cinema is a separate art form: there’s a difference between making references and pointing out the past and creating new paintings and music within your film. When you reference the past, as with the paintings and the Bach, you’re drawing a specific link to the past that the audience can reflect upon, because they presumably have already experienced these works and they can think about what those works mean to them and how they tie in with the themes Tarkovsky brings up. New music, by contrast, doesn’t have that same association, and so that leads to a distraction from the visual art of cinema, because now you’re also experiencing a piece of music you’ve never heard before. Tarkovsky hated Fellini’s idea that each frame of film should be like a painting, perfectly composed, because that’s not what film is for — that’s what painting is for, and they’re not the same thing.”
Adam and I had a long argument about whether Kris Kelvin’s jacket in the beginning of the film is blue (Adam) or purple (Charlie). We think this may also have to do with remastering of the film, or screen calibrations, but I do think it is also perception related. Asking three other test subjects proved inconclusive. Is it because Russian has a larger range of words for the color blue, and the associated linguistic implications? Nope, but I thought that it was a fun idea! Adam, being a linguist, takes issue with that paper though. Ask him about it next time you see him!
Movies We Reference:
Stalker (1979)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Wit (2001)
Sphere (1998)
Under the Skin (2013)
The Fountain (2006)
The post Episode 25 – Solaris appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Co-host of the podcasts Adam Sandler Please Stop and Mistakes Were Made Robert Bacon joins us to reminisce about the 1993 Disney film Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993). Despite some misgivings we all find it IMPOSSIBLE to not like this film. We talk animal actors, and HUMAN actors! Plus, we develop several sequels and spin-offs we’d like to see made.
Clarifications:
DC’s Batdog (more frequently referred to as Bat-Hound) is actually named “Ace”. Not sure why the movie didn’t take the opportunity to point this out!
Don Ameche actually attended the University of Wisconsin, like we did! And his son won the Heisman trophy while here as well. Don passed away in 1993, just slightly less than a year after this movie was released. So that’s the Don Ameche trivia I forgot to bring up in the show.
Movies We Reference:
Going Overboard (1989)
Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 (2015)
I, Tonya (2017)
The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
A Stupid and Futile Gesture (2018)
The post Episode 24 – Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
We continue our abbreviated 2018 Academy Award Best Picture series with The Shape of Water, joined by our guests from our first two episodes, Adam and Ally. We try to interpret the meaning behind the character’s behavior, the creature design and the color scheme, but it appears that Guillermo del Toro has already told the whole world all of these things already. We break down all the Academy Award nominated performances. And we ask ourselves the important questions such as “What does it take to establish emotional intelligence?” and “What’s the worst thing you can encase in Jell-O”?
Clarifications:
According to Adam G.: “A feral animal is one that lives in the wild but either was once domesticated or is descended from domesticated animals”. So yes, you can have a feral turtle!
We know you are all clamoring to hear about the history of Jell-O, so here you go!
Alright, alright, just kidding. Here’s that article on fish dildos you’ve probably already seen. (We clearly show a sense of taste and restraint within the episode that doesn’t extend to the show-notes.)
I really can’t find out whether Sally Hawkins sings “You’ll Never Know” in that black and white musical interlude. The soundtrack has that song attributed to Renee Fleming, but I don’t think it’s the same version as is in that scene. In any case, it would only make Ally’s argument about “voice actors not singing Disney songs” even stronger.
The amphibian creature from Hellboy was called Abe Sapien.
Movies We Reference:
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (2016)
Turbo Kid (2015)
The Orphanage (2007)
Cabin in the Woods (2012)
The post Episode 23 – The Shape of Water appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
In honor of the 2018 Oscar nominations, we hit the theater to watch the multiply nominated coming-of-age tale Lady Bird (2017). We recount how the film reflects our own high school experience, how Greta Gerwig manages to stuff so much into such a small run time, and why Laurie Metcalf is the best ever. We do stop short of singing Dave Matthews Band lyrics, but just barely.
Clarifications:
I don’t think it’s clear from the beginning that I had already seen this movie but Jessica hadn’t, in case you’re wondering if we strayed from the conceit of the show. Technically this episode still fits, right? We got to discuss a great movie, so I say “yes”!
We suggest that the movie does not explicitly tell us that it takes place in 2002. However, Ladybird says that “the only interesting thing about 2002 is that it’s a palindrome.” We regret the error.
The Joan Didion quote that begins the movie is as follows: “Anybody who talks about California hedonism has never spent a Christmas in Sacramento.”
I don’t actually hate “Crash Into Me” by the Dave Matthews Band. I really don’t! Kara and I listened to the album after we came back from the theater. I call it “lame” within the context of the movie and we get sidetracked from talking about the triumphant moment where Lady Bird professes her love for the song. LISTEN.
I realize I just wrote a paragraph preemptively defending myself against folks who might get the wrong impression that I don’t like Dave Matthews Band… life is strange, isn’t it?
Also, here’s the AV Club article I mention in reference to the same song. And they talk about what the song is really about… so you can feel weird the next time you sing along.
I wished we would have talked just a little more about Greta Gerwig, but c’est la vie. I’m sure at least one future episode will give us the chance.
Lady Bird‘s Rotten Tomatoes record was just beaten by Paddington 2. Which means I have to see Paddington 2 now? But that means I have to see Paddington first! Man, I live such a difficult life!
Movies We Reference:
Frances Ha (2012)
Rushmore (1998)
The Way Way Back (2013)
The post Episode 22 – Lady Bird appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
We’re back from our holiday hiatus, and Charlie has brought his mom, Marcy Wallace on the show to talk about Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Turns out it’s easy to get caught up in the details if you’re re-watching this one. But in between Jessica and Charlie’s plot quibbles, we get Marcy’s opinion on whether this holds up as an action/adventure flick today. Choose wisely, sit back, and take a listen (ha, GET IT?).
Clarifications:
The younger hand/arm of Henry Jones Sr. is played by Alex Hyde-White, who plays Reed Richards in the storied 1994 movie The Fantastic Four. Which I know, because I had to watch it for the Merry Marvel Movie March our sister podcast is doing. Check that out here!
The Monkey King is apparently a mythological Chinese figure, whose integration into the script might have been slightly less hilarious than we thought when we recorded this.
I quickly began to wonder whether there would have been suitable torch alternatives when this movie took place. Wikipedia has the answer, as always! Indy was indeed being reckless.
Marcy forgot to mention that the “smile for the camera” moments of the movie really reminded her of Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood. This isn’t too surprising actually, since Indiana Jones draws a lot of inspiration from 1930’s matinee serials and movies of that period.
Notes regarding Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, from our EP:
- “Poorly received” is probably not quite right. Overall, critics and fans still seem positive about it, and the main drawback seems to be its failure to live up to its predecessor.
- Adam thinks it has the best soundtrack.
- Adam thinks Short Round was at least better than Shia LaBeouf.
- Willie Scott is the name of the character everyone loves to hate.
Also, The Goonies is technically directed by Richard Donner, although Spielberg had his hands all over it so it doesn’t undermine anything we say.
Adam’s main problem with the choice of Grail is that technically the cup didn’t belong to Jesus at all. It’s not like the Last Supper took place at Jesus’s house, so there’s no reason to think it would have anything to do with him being a carpenter. Guess Indy just got lucky!
From the moment we first see the tank, to when we realize Indy has NOT fallen over the cliff, about 16 minutes has elapsed. Quite a bit of the film!
Indy murders a lot of people in this one, but he’s not alone. I won’t spoil the actual body count for you, but here’s the video proof!
Movies We Reference:
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Odd Thomas (2013)
Lost in Translation (2003)
Local Hero (1983)
Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made (2015)
The post Episode 21 – Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Eric Mackie joins us to visit the 1984 John Hughes film Sixteen Candles for the first time. He’s a little surprised to find it’s not quite like the other John Hughes movies he’s familiar with. Jessica finds the good parts in this movie, but Charlie seems unable to look past the parts of the movie that haven’t “aged well”. But we all agree that the kid brother should have gotten his own movie.
Clarifications:
When reviewing the episode, EP Adam mentioned that I seemed angry the whole time. I kinda was. Certain scenes reminded me very much of current events and I think that comes through a bit in my faint praise. I probably didn’t give this movie a fair shake on its non-offensive points, but I will point out that I’m not alone in this. If I can find the TV edit Jessica talks about maybe I’ll give it another chance.
Here’s the article by David Blum which coined the term “Brat Pack”, and answers some questions we didn’t quite know the answers to while recording. Surprisingly included in The Pack: Nicolas Cage!
Also found this cringe-worthy moment where an interviewer tries to get Gedde Watanabe to do his Sixteen Candles lines in the accent, complete with inverted screen for when he’s hanging upside down from the bed. I don’t envy Mr. Watanabe, I’m pretty sure he gets asked to do this all the time.
Things We Reference:
“Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap
“I Can’t Go On” by Bayside
The Sure Thing (1985)
American Vandal (2017)
Everything by John Hughes
The post Episode 20 – Sixteen Candles appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
This week Jessica is in the hot seat, since she had never seen the 1975 summer blockbuster Jaws, with special contributor Kara Hulce. We talk about whether the slower pacing of the film works, if the animatronics hold up, and we get a little confused about who the shark ate and when. Boy, that shark sure does eat a lot of people…
Clarifications:
This article says John Williams had scored 25 Spielberg films as of its publish date (2012). So there’s more now, you can do the math yourself. I say my guess of 25 was pretty darn good. Although, the upcoming Ready, Player One is notable in that John Williams will NOT score it.
Finding Nemo theory confirmed (well, as much as a wiki confirms anything…)
Not a lot of additional material for you this week, except that Adam also thought it was weird that Jaws was considered a horror film. By the same token, couldn’t Jurassic Park be considered horror?? Just think about THAT for a minute.
And here’s your exploding whale, about 2 minutes in.
Movies We Reference:
The Goonies (1985)
Tremors (1990)
Army of Darkness (1992)
Poltergeist (1982)
Bridge of Spies (2015)
The post Episode 19 – Jaws appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Your hosts welcome Doug Gobeski to the studio to dig deep on Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014). It won the Oscar for Best Picture, and was co-written and directed by acclaimed filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu. So why doesn’t it get traction with half the user reviews on the internet? And what does the movie have to say about art vs entertainment? And, dare I ask, what do we talk about when we talk about love??
Clarifications:
We get through the entire episode without mentioning the name of the director/co-writer of the film, Alejandro González Iñárritu. That’s probably because we spent time beforehand practicing and discussing how to pronounce his name, and then just forgot! We regret the omission.
Adam points out that Best Picture doesn’t mean much to him. I’m not sure I fully buy that, but I think we can all agree that Crash (2004) is a horrible movie and if you like it you are a horrible person.
The “one shot” movie Doug is referring to is called Russian Ark (2002).
So our discussion about the intent of the film is pretty clearly addressed in this Deadline interview. But it’s nice that we seemed to have figured out some of it on our own! It’s a good read, do it!
And please also read Beginners, which was the title of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love before Raymond Carver’s editor changed it. And then imagine how it could possibly be adapted for the stage…
Movies We Reference:
Batman (1989)
Batman Returns (1992)
Unbreakable (2000)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The Other Guys (2010)
Death of a Salesman (1985)
The post Episode 18 – Birdman appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
We welcome our first sibling to the podcast, Lesley Wallace, to talk about The Shawshank Redemption (1994)! Despite the near constant airing on TNT, Lesley had never managed to watch this, well, except the ending. But it still managed to hold a few surprises, including some of the bushiest eyebrows in cinema. So get busy living, get busy dying, or get busy listening to this episode (the third one sounds the easiest to me)!
Clarifications:
Here’s that Vanity Fair article I talk about in the episode. Lots of good stuff in there! In fact, most of my facts were referenced from here, so the show notes are going to be a bit light today…
Apparently, most people don’t quite know the breadth of Stephen King’s literary career, and there’s an anecdote about a run in with a lady in this interview by Neil Gaiman which makes it worth the read by itself.
Here’s a clip from the unfortunately named Cougar Town where you can get “the full Shawshank experience”.
And we’ll end with Will Forte making things awkward, which he excels at.
Movies We Reference:
Working Girl (1988)
Clueless (1995)
The Big Sick (2017)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
The post Episode 17 – The Shawshank Redemption appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Charlie and guest host Adam Gobeski watch the 1982 sci-fi film Blade Runner with guest Paul Wilcox. We give you the low-down on the different versions of the film (we watched “The Final Cut”) and probe the philosophical implications of having a race of slave robots. Of course, we address THE BIG QUESTION that’s open to interpretation, and much like Ridley Scott and Harrison Ford, we don’t agree! And it would be impossible to get these three together without at least ONE Tim and Eric reference…
Clarifications:
First and foremost, if you have not seen Blade Runner 2049, GO SEE BLADE RUNNER 2049! I have seen it twice already, so you are already well behind in this competition!! Well, I mean see it AFTER you’ve watched the original and listened to this podcast episode. One has to have priorities.
There are quite a few different versions of the film, and here’s the wiki page if you think our discussion isn’t exhaustive enough.
Adam was worried someone out there wouldn’t know who Data from Star Trek: TNG is, so if you are one of those unfortunate folks, read here and here.
Adam talks about the scene where Roy dies, then Deckard cuts in with narration in the original movie version. Here’s that, in case you prefer it when movies beat you over the head with explanation.
Good news: Denis Villenueve has somewhat confirmed that the version of Blade Runner 2049 in the theater currently is the final version. Way to ruin our joke with your own joke, Denis!
We talk about William Sanderson, and the first reference is to his role in the TV show Newhart, which we fail to mention. The second is to this Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! sketch title “H’amb”. We think it’s really funny, but your mileage may vary.
Philip K. Dick is one of those writers you have to know about when you talk about movies, and here’s a good article about why.
Adventure Time reference incoming…
Adam mentions the similarity of music from Blade Runner and Doctor Who, here’s an example of what he’s talking about.
And the a capella version of the Blade Runner theme. Pretty frickin’ sweet.
The eminent film critic Roger Ebert gave Blade Runner three reviews. You can read them here [1, 2, 3]
Movies We Reference:
Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (2007)
Ex Machina (2014)
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
The post Episode 16 – Blade Runner appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Jessica and Charlie welcome our guest Arnoldo Lopez for our FIRST animated feature review, Wes Anderson’s delightfully quirky Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009). Does this really fit in to Anderson’s catalog, or is it a digression? And what’s the deal with the big black wolf? And the most important question: Does this movie ruin Adam’s childhood??
Clarifications:
In addition to this SNL video where Ryan Gosling slightly redeems himself, there’s also another where they poke fun at Avatar! Now I KNOW they’re listening to us!
Adam actually had a pretty decent joke that I did not use: “If you wanted to recommend a cartoon from 2009, why not just pick Avatar?” Next time, buddy! Also, Adam doesn’t hate Wes Anderson per se (he likes The Royal Tenenbaums for instance). But he does think the director is overrated, hence the “clarification”.
Even if you aren’t familiar with Roald Dahl’s books, you are probably at least familiar with the movies based on them, such as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, James and the Giant Peach and The BFG. We somehow didn’t touch on that much in the show. Also, that Fantastic Mr. Fox is a movie by an American director, based on a book by a Welsh man, and somehow the heroes have American accents and the villains have English accents…? C’mon Wes, that’s a lazy trope!
Hey, speaking of Kris Kristofferson, our sister podcast The Gobeski/Wallace Report will be reviewing the 1998 movie Blade soon! I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for either show to review Convoy though…
I cut a short segment in the episode where we talk about musical sequences in Wes Anderson movies, and Arnoldo talks a bit about Seu Jorge’s contribution to The Life Aquatic soundtrack. Seriously, check it out. Good stuff, and free streaming if you have Amazon Prime.
Movies We Reference:
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Matilda (1996)
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Love and Mercy (2014)
The Great Escape (1963)
The post Episode 15 – Fantastic Mr. Fox appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Author Amber Elby joins Charlie and guest co-host and Executive Producer Adam Gobeski to watch Forbidden Planet (1956). We marvel at the production design (and a young Leslie Nielsen), discuss the film’s nods to The Tempest, and argue which one of us has the highest IQ. Okay, we didn’t do that last one, but honestly – who DOES that???
Clarifications:
Amber Elby’s new novel Cauldron’s Bubble can be found on Amazon right now, in digital and paperback form. I’ve read it; it’s really quite wonderful and seems like a great way to introduce kids to Shakespeare. And hell, I’m 35 without any kids and I still got a kick out of it.
Amber talks a bit about Return to the Forbidden Planet which apparently is an Olivier Award winning play. On a related note, I just learned there is such a thing as an Olivier Award! Also, the part of Robby the Robot (Ariel) is played on roller skates, so it’s got that too.
I’m sure everyone was super excited because we talked about Black Mirror, but Adam points out that of course, Star Trek did it first (sort of).
Both Amber and Adam could not find any evidence that the Michael Crichton drew any inspiration from Forbidden Planet when he wrote Sphere, so the jury’s still out. We will make sure to give you updates on this in coming episodes!!!!
Adam and Amber had a fun email exchange arguing about whether The Tempest is actually a “well-regarded” Shakespeare play. I would call them nerds, but I run a movie podcast. The back-and-forth is lengthy and I won’t post it here, but when an author starts talking about those “f***ing Victorians”, you know you’ve hit a nerve!
Adam once refers to Robby’s “motive”. He actually means “alibi”. We regret the error!
In our ongoing conversations about discontinued media, Adam mentions CEDs. Here’s what those are. The more you know!
And here’s a link to BritBox, for those of you who want to watch the Doctor Who episodes Adam mentioned.
Movies We Reference:
Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart in Peril (1972)
Hamlet (1948)
Sphere (1998)
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
Solaris (1972)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Scotland, Pa. (2001)
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
George Lucas in Love (1999)
The post Episode 14 – Forbidden Planet appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Dustin Jacqmin joins us to talk about his namesake Dustin Hoffman as we review The Graduate (1967). Is Benjamin the biggest jerk in movie history? Is Elaine just as crazy as he is? The repeated theme of alienation plays well with the kids, but how about us adults? And what conversation could be complete without discussing the amazing soundtrack? No conversation I’d want to be a part of, that’s for sure!
Clarifications:
Ah yes, Garden State, the movie everyone loves to hate! I honestly won’t jump on that bandwagon, but then again I haven’t seen it in 13 years…
Yes, the name Dustin had a definite peak after this film was released, just look at the data!
Our EP definitely wants me to point out that when we say that no one stands on a moving walkway with a blank expression on their face, we are wrong. This is almost exclusively what people do, to his chagrin.
Is it possible the famous ending of the film may have had the wrong background music? I submit Exhibit A!
Here’s some links to April, Come She Will, Mrs. Robinson and The Sound of Silence. S&G forever!!!
Movies/TV We Reference:
The Office (2001)
High Fidelity (2000)
Harold and Maude (1971)
The post Episode 13 – The Graduate appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
This week the tables are turned and Charlie hadn’t seen the quintessential screwball comedy His Girl Friday (1940). We discuss how the movie was affected by the Hollywood Production code, the dark undertones of the movie, and how we love Cary Grant (because who doesn’t?). The BBC Culture just listed it as the #14 comedy of all time. Charlie’s brain wasn’t fast enough to process all the witty banter, but otherwise he agrees!
Clarifications:
This is the first guest-less episode, but I’m sure there will be more. Are there any movies you would like to subject us to? Contact us at cinematicrespect@gmail.com!
Here’s some info about the Motion Picture Production Code. Yes, it’s just wikipedia, but this seems legit to me! I’ll probably try to read a book on it soon, so I’ll let you know when I’m a bit more literate on the subject.
Ack, we completely forgot to discuss what the title His Girl Friday actually means! It’s a reference to Robinson Crusoe, who had a native manservant named Friday. In one of the clips we play, Hildy says that Walter had treated her like an assistant. So hence, she was “His Girl Friday”. Pretty deep dig on the title there, and a bit insulting towards Hildy, depending on whose point of view the title references. The much more appropriate title Newsies would unfortunately sit on the shelf for another 52 years.
Adam has confirmed it: Charlie only gets one recommendation per episode. I’m glad I stayed in line!
Movies We Reference:
The Philadephia Story (1940)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Charade (1963)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
Blow-Up (1966)
Next Episode:
The Graduate (1967)
The post Episode 12 – His Girl Friday appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
In episode 11, we review the upbeat, colorful, almost-Best-Picture-winner La La Land (2016) with the less than impressed Brianne Gobeski. Why did we invite a guest on who was well-versed in musical theater and movies instead of someone who would blindly fawn over Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone?? She won’t give the movie a free pass, and neither will we! And speaking of the leads, we do a little fantasy re-casting (and some stunt casting)! And as always, our EP Adam is lurking in the shadows and shows up to give his unadulterated opinion as well!
Clarifications:
The intro and outro this time around is “Compulsion” (Sonny Rollins, feat Charlie Parker and Miles Davis). See, I’ve got jazz cred! Just like Ryan Gosling in the movie. But seriously, I think I’ve been beaten to the punch writing think-pieces about jazz-splaining.
How did we never discuss the Oscar Best Picture fiasco from February in this episode? Well, it’s old news and it’s boring! Make a passing reference and move on, that’s my motto! Plus, I’m still a little salty about Lin Manuel missing out on his EGOT.
Oh, Will Arnett could have been the lead in La La Land, I guarantee it.
Here’s that nerdy article I refer to in the episode that talks about the type of film used, the crane shots, etc. Also, the term I was searching for was “whip pan” (which allowed them to cut the multiple shots together).
If you aren’t sure of the movies that La La Land visually references, watch this video, so you can know exactly what films you’d rather be seeing instead!
OK, but in all honesty it’s been weeks since I watched this and the songs are STILL stuck in my head. Plus, I don’t really think that Ryan Gosling is overrated (Place Beyond the Pines, Drive, etc). You’ll have to accept this episode note as my apology, Ryan, if you’re out there…
Here’s Anna Kendrick and Chris Pine in Into The Woods (2014), if you don’t believe Brianne. Also, Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp.
Movies We Recommend:
Labyrinth (1986)
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
White Christmas (1954)
Top Hat (1935)
Shall We Dance (1937)
The post Episode 11 – La La Land appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Our friends Schmelvie joins us this episode to watch the 1972 masterpiece The Godfather. We go in depth with character analysis, discuss production and sound design, overall color palette choices and perhaps one of cinema’s most iconic scenes. Oh, and also how Fredo is a loser and no one loves him. Poor Fredo!
Clarifications:
Firstly, I’ll apologize for my pronunciation of “Corleone”. It’s really Cor-lee-oh-neigh, not however I say it multiple times. And speaking of “neigh”, there’s also no horse head talk in this entire episode! Just warning you up front, so you are not disappointed that we don’t discuss the ACTUAL HORSE HEAD they used in the film. Because who would be interested in the REAL HORSE’S HEAD THEY GOT FROM A DOG FOOD FACTORY?
I still cannot think of an instance in this movie where Don Vito Corleone orders a hit on someone else. Please feel free to correct me by emailing cinematicrespect@gmail.com!
Here’s a link to the Italian restaurant assassination scene we discuss at length. And of course, it is quite violent, so don’t let your kids watch!
Here’s a wikipedia article discussing influential gangster films, many of which predate The Godfather, although they were mainly in the 1930’s. I actually did mention Scarface (1932) in the recording, but that led to a discussion about the 1983 version of Scarface which was too off topic to include in the final version. I’m just saying this to point out that I came up with one, so you all know I’m super smart with movies and stuff.
The movie takes place between 1945 and 1955, pretty much as Jessica says. The years just flew by!
While Brando did put cotton balls in his mouth during his original script reading, this was later replaced with a mouthpiece for that full-blown bulldog effect.
Fun fact: Cabaret actually holds the record for most Oscars won by a film that did not also win best pictures, picking up 8 statues. That is no consolation to Al Pacino however, who has nothing to show for his work in The Godfather. Except his whole career, I guess. But besides that, nothing!
And Also:
Next episode: La La Land (2016)
The post Episode 10 – The Godfather appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Longtime friends Dan and Michelle Hess join us to talk about the hilarious 1988 film A Fish Called Wanda. We talk about the pitch perfect script and performances, the unexpected cultural sensitivity, and how you can never have too many Monty Pythonites. Oh, and Dan tells a story about the movie that may have started Charlie’s passion for film criticism: the 1993 Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle Last Action Hero!
Clarifications:
Let there be no mistake: it is pronounced “Cleeze”. You can find the evidence here, here and here (and be entertained in the process!).
The Nietzsche quote from Kevin Kline’s Otto about animals being “God’s second blunder” is indeed incorrect. He’s probably referring to the philosopher calling women “God’s second mistake”, or possibly “God’s first mistake: to man these other animals were not entertaining – he sought dominion over them; he did not want to be an animal himself.” Or probably both. I had to look all this up, so I’m feeling a bit like Wanda right now
Apparently, Kevin Kline beat out Alec Guinness, Martin Landau, River Pheonix and Dean Stockwell at the Oscars in 1989. And here’s his acceptance speech. Not quite what I was hoping, too sincere!
And wait, the guy who died of a heart attack while in hilarious laughing fits while watching this movie is only #9 on this list of movie-related deaths??!! Bizarre!
The Michael Palin Centre for Stammering Children is still going strong, read up on it a bit!
And I want to point out that the High Fidelity line about “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” was a disqualification because of obviousness, not because they hated that movie. I guess we’ll never know what Nick Hornby thought of that flick!
And Also:
Next episode: The Godfather (1972)
The post Episode 9 – A Fish Called Wanda appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
We discuss the “hardships” of being an 80’s teenager in the northern suburbs of Chicago in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), with our guest Kara Hulce. Kara is quick to point out that Ferris isn’t really that great of a person, and that even in 1986, Charlie Sheen doles out pretty bad advice. Will Jessica and Kara remain friends after Kara’s scathing analysis of one of Jessica’s favorite films??
Clarifications:
Our EP Adam was quick to point out that Alan Ruck was the captain of the Enterprise in Star Trek: Generations (which in his mind, supersedes his role as Cameron). This is not surprising. I gave Adam the DVD for Ferris as a birthday present years ago, and let’s just say he’s fairly aligned with Kara’s take on the film.
Adam also points out that despite Jessica’s criticism of Kara, it was not possible for Kara to have watched Ferris for the first six months of her life, since the movie wasn’t out yet. All blame after that falls squarely on her.
Turns out the trading floor in Chicago has actually shut down sometime since 1986, although there is no “smoking crater” anywhere in downtown Chicago, as Charlie suggests.
In 1986, Louie Anderson had not yet hit it big in Coming to America, Family Feud or Life with Louie. So, at the point he shows up in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, he’s essentially an unknown. I highly recommend watching him the the FX series Baskets, if you get a chance, if you’ve been wondering where he’s been for the last 15 years or so.
The Von Steuben Day Parade always falls on a Saturday, which makes this scene IMPLAUSIBLE. My whole world is shattered now. Also, since it is always the closest Saturday to September 17th, this means Ferris has likely had 9 absences in only 3 weeks of class.
Kara mentions a couple of articles she discovered when descending the “Ferris Bueller Rabbit Hole”. Here’s the one defending Jeanie, and here’s the reddit post that compares this movie to Fight Club. I sometimes wonder if I should quit my job and write think pieces about iconic 80’s films; God willing, someday maybe my work would be mentioned in a podcast!
The post Episode 8 – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Good friend and John Carpenter fan Justin Sills joins us after his first time watching They Live (1988). We talk about the director’s unique style, the best improvised lines and the brilliance of Keith David. And what They Live discussion could be complete without the wrestling moves of the late, great “Rowdy” Roddy Piper? We also dive into what makes a bad action movie… well… GOOD.
Clarifications:
Somehow we get through the whole thing without acknowledging the recent death of Roddy Piper. It was a sad day, and it inspired me to watch this movie for the second time (the third was for this podcast). He will be missed.
Adam G. chastised us for our dismissiveness towards “wrestling acting”, AKA, kayfabe. It’s actually an interesting art, though I will still insist that in this case, it translates strangely to film. And it’s brought us such celebrities as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Governor Jesse Ventura and… President Trump. Hmm…
Here’s the required link to the extended fight sequence in They Live. And here’s the comparison to the South Park fight scene. There’s a cut conversation in this episode about the South Park documentary 6 Days to Air. It’s a pretty interesting watch, especially if you stupidly think Trey and Matt’s job is easy. Or if you like hearing Bill Hader go into laughing fits.
There’s another cut conversation about Shepard Fairey too. TL;DR, he made that Obama poster and he likes this movie too! He’s a pretty prolific artist and you can visit his page on artsy.net and take part in auctions and the like.
And finally, both Justin and Adam referred me to this article about the last frontier for Blockbuster Video. Would you give up fast internet speeds for the ability to browse physical copies of new releases on a Friday night? For those of us who have nostalgia for our childhood movie nights, it’s a tough call!
And also:
Next Episode: I dunno. Either The Godfather (1972) or Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) maybe? We’ll keep you posted!
The post Episode 7 – They Live appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Go fix yourself a White Russian, we’ll wait, because we’re watching The Big Lebowski (1998) with our good friend Jessica. Besides, you wouldn’t want us to drink alone, would you? We talk a LOT about the characters in this film, which makes sense, because it is a Coen brothers film after all. We also marvel over the best performance of John Goodman’s career. And what’s up with those dream sequences? If that’s what acid flashbacks are about, sign me up! Well, minus all nihilists with gigantic scissors…
Clarifications:
So the Jesus Quintana spin-off we mention is apparently called Going Places, but will not involve the Coen brothers, although they have “given their blessing”. I’m sure John Turturro is talented enough to pull off the acting/writing/directing thing. But The Jesus without Joel and Ethan…? We’ll have to wait and see!
Jessica is referring to Lebowski’s in Glasgow (and Edinburgh!). Their “About” page says that “The Dude may have grown up a bit and settled in the suburbs, but they’re he’s bringing the party wherever he goes.” I call B.S. on that. I think the Dude is right where we left him, hanging out with Walter at some old bowling alley in L.A. Despite that nonsense they wrote, I would still stop in to Lebowski’s for a White Russian, I must admit.
The author of L.A. Confidential and The Black Dahlia is James Ellroy, in case you were wondering.
And Also:
Next episode: They Live (1988)
The post Episode 6 – The Big Lebowski appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Grab your truck and air compressor, ’cause in this episode we review the 2013 Alexander Payne film Nebraska with our guest Patrick Hill. We discuss Payne’s portrayal of the Midwest, June Squibb’s “breakout” performance and several characters’ hair. And does Bruce Dern’s character Woody have dementia or is he just deluded? Plus, Patrick is the first guest to recommend an EXPERIENCE rather than a movie or TV show!
Clarifications:
Adam wants to point out that Will Forte was also in “Flight of the Conchords”, so I should have remembered him from that. For shame!
Here’s a link to an article about cars that can go over 200 mph. I don’t think any of the character’s in the film owned an Aston Martin though.
And also:
Next episode: The Big Lebowski (1998)
The post Episode 5 – Nebraska appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
We keep chugging along, episode-wise, by watching “The Apartment”(1960), starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine with our guest Megan Heneke. This movie really makes us wonder whether all 50’s and 60’s office parties were like orgies, between this and Mad Men… We discuss the rampant sexism contained in the film; but how much was an intentional commentary and how much was just a product of the times? And we talk at length about the Fred MacMurray villain that Megan refers to as “worse villain than Bane”. Plus, we identify a couple of minor characters that deserve their own movies.
A new trailer for The Dark Tower came out this week, and Kara’s super excited. I’m just confused. But Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey? Here’s what I say to that:
Speaking of money, around 18:50 or so, Megan says she couldn’t find how much Lemmon and MacLaine made for this film. As it turns out, both were paid the same amount, $175,000. So there was definitely some equity in that regard (thanks to Adam for digging that up).
The post Episode 4 – The Apartment appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Charlie and Jessica discuss the incredibly influential 1956 film The Searchers with our incredibly combative executive producer Adam Gobeski. Is the main character, Ethan, a psychopath? Is his best “friend” Martin just a 13 year old girl? Is every person named Charlie a complete chunk head?? How will you ever know unless you listen?!
Adam is a bit salty at the beginning of the program… and stays that way throughout! Then again, the Gobeski/Wallace dynamic has always been similar to the Ethan/Martin dynamic from The Searchers (Adam does always get a little ornery when Charlie calls him “uncle”).
There’s a little aside about obsolete storage format in which we discuss the Jaz drive, so here’s a link the the wikipedia entry in case you were as confused as I was.
Oh, and Adam has a Dr. Who blog, An Hour of Who A Day. It’s pretty entertaining and I suggest you check it out! I can see why a similar blog with Star Trek as the subject could get overwhelming quickly…
The post Episode 3 – The Searchers appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
This time, we strong-arm Ally (and Adam) into watching the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society. We get confused about which redhead is which, and Charlie can’t keep the characters names in his head for more than 5 seconds. Plus, we look fondly back at memories of teachers from our past, and which movies they made us watch when they were presumably hung-over.
We recorded two episodes at once, which might explain why my voice is gone by the end of the episode. Adam also makes an appearance, though he trolls us a little with random Ethan Hawke photos and fake movie recommendations. Guy’s in one episode and he thinks he can screw with the format! Well, he’s right!
In case you’ve never seen the final scene of the film, here is a clip that is very similar. Well, except for the end. The attention to detail up to that point is startling though.
The post Episode 2 – Dead Poets Society appeared first on Cinematic Respect.
Episode 1 is finally here, and unlike Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace, you have no expectations and thus are unlikely to be disappointed! We forced our friends Adam and Ally to discuss the 1983 sci-fi comedy/drama/all-around-fun-movie WarGames. We discuss whether Lightman’s parents should have had their own movie, sequels that don’t exist (oh wait, they do!) and hair tousling.
Adam mentions the “Paranoid Chant” by the Minutemen. Was it inspired by WarGames? Three minutes of Googling wasn’t able to verify that so I guess we’ll never know! Catchy song though.
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