Auteur Theory

Well, we made it. The Future: 2020. That glimmering utopia of progress and innovation -- ehhh, well, it's the year 2020 now. But what of the decade that came before? On this special bonus episode, Nick and Chris will be presenting their Top 10 Best Of the Decade 2010-2019. Find out which films (and other media, because someone decided not to follow the rules, even though the episode was his idea) Nick and Chris think will stand the test of time, unlike the many, many others that will be lo...

SE3 Episode 6: Willow (1988)

January 01, 2020 16:04 - 1 hour - 47.4 MB

From the imagination of George Lucas, a boy with a thirst for adventure must leave his humble home on an epic quest - aided by a charming outlaw, a princess, and a wise old wizard - to master a magical power in order to defeat an evil dark sorcerer. Are there lightsabers, spaceships, and robots? No. But this one has a tiny Kevin Pollack and someone gets turned into a duck at one point! It's the 1988 fantasy adventure epic Willow. Lucas leaves behind a galaxy far, far away for a world of ca...

SE3 Episode 5: Gung-Ho (1986)

December 17, 2019 06:13 - 1 hour - 35.6 MB

This week, Nick and Chris are joined by Jeff Gordon of Zia Records to take a look at Ron Howard's re-teaming with Michael Keaton for the 1986 comedy Gung-Ho. A slapstick-satire of the culture clash between working-class heartland Americans and the emerging Japanese corporate culture - this one was a staple of VHS video stores and mid-afternoon cable back in the 80s and 90s. But how well does it hold up in 2019? Join Nick, Chris, and Jeff to find out if Howard and Keaton of the 80s in a mod...

SE3 BONUS: The Black Cauldron (1985)

November 25, 2019 06:27 - 1 hour - 45.3 MB

So in our exploration of the film work of director Ron Howard, why are we doing an episode on this forgotten 1985 animated Disney opus? We don't really know either. But why not, here it is. Nick and Chris are joined once again by podcaster Heidi Schilling (Campfire Curmudgeon, A Schilling for Your Thoughts) to revisit one of Disney's most controversial films, the gothic-fantasy The Black Cauldron. Decades in production, hastily re-edited, and not often talked about; does this dark fairy...

SE3 Episode 4: Cocoon (1985)

November 20, 2019 07:06 - 1 hour - 42.4 MB

Alright, so this was mostly a conversation that happened off-air, but I think we just need to get out in front of it. Our co-host, Nicholas Edward Jones, has a deep hatred for chartered boats. I don't know what happened to him in his past to ingrain this in him; but he especially hates them when the captain on board is Steve Guttenberg. He's apparently fine with them when the captain is a drunk Englishman who gets eaten by an oversized fish; but not someone who - despite being a trained law-...

SE3 Episode Three: Splash (1984)

November 08, 2019 01:52 - 1 hour - 46.4 MB

Mermaids. Now that the Discovery Channel has shown us incontrovertible evidence that they exist, our movie this week is more relevant than ever. It's Ron Howard's 1984 fantasy romantic comedy Splash. It's Tom Hanks. It's Daryl Hannah. And, hey! John Candy is there too! Will these land/sea-crossed lovers finally bridge the gap between human and mermaid relations? Or will their romance be relegated to airing on Animal Planet at 2am that you vaguely remember watching while drunk? Join Nick, C...

SE3 Episode 2: Night Shift (1982)

October 22, 2019 05:14 - 1 hour - 33.9 MB

When you're in the mood for a fun, breezy comedy, where else would you look than the crime and corruption of the mean, gritty streets of late-70s/early-80s New York? Not sounding great? But what if you had Henry Winkler, Micheal Keaton, and Shelly Long as your guides? That's more or less what happens in Ron Howard's 1982 comedy Night Shift. Join Nick, Chris, and actor/comedian/podcaster Michelle Nakamoto as we look at this 80s sex-worker farce to see if Beetlejuice and the Fonz can manage ...

SE3 Episode 1: Grand Theft Auto (1977)

October 13, 2019 22:35 - 47 minutes - 26.1 MB

As we start off our new season examining the films of Ron Howard, we're starting at the beginning. Howard has left the comfortable TV confines of the sleepy streets of Mayberry and 1950s suburban Milwaukee to begin his rise to one of Hollywood's most successful and prolific directors. From 1977, it's the rollicking car crash action-comedy Grand Theft Auto. Produced by Roger Corman, this drive-in cult oddity was Howard's first theatrically-released feature film. After spending his entire yo...

BONUS: Nick's Top 10 (3-Hour Vanity Project) and Season 3 Announcement

October 08, 2019 03:37 - 3 hours - 105 MB

So we maybe overdid it with this one. We're moving into Season 3 of Auteur Theory. As we did with the end of last season, we're going to look into Nick's Top 10 favorite movies. This episode is over 3 hours long. Interesting that Nick was allowed to ramble for 3 hours; and last season, Chris' Top 10 had a time limit. Guess you know now who edits the episodes and who writes and posts the intros. Anyway. Here's Nick's Top 10. Chris has made another Top 10 list; and that episode might top out...

SE2 BONUS: The Short Films, Music Videos, and Commercials of Sofia Coppola (1993-2013)

October 07, 2019 05:21 - 54 minutes - 31.2 MB

As we come to the end of our exploration of the films of Sofia Coppola, Nick and Chris are going to try to do something a little different. Before she took the independent film world by storm, Sofia Coppola directed a score of shorts, music videos, and commercials. And now Nick and Chris are going to watch them all in real time with some live commentary. Join us as we close out Season 2. But we're right around the corner with Season 3, so stay tuned. If you want to join us and follow alo...

SE2 Episode 7: The Beguiled (2017)

September 12, 2019 04:33 - 52 minutes - 27.4 MB

So it seems we've come to our end of our exploration of the films of director Sofia Coppola, and our second season here on Auteur Theory - at least until her upcoming 2020 film On the Rocks (starring Bill Murray and Rashida jones), when we'll probably pester you with a bonus episode or something. But now we can finally get down to the big question... What's the true history behind Nick's hat?! It's Sofia Coppola's dark psycho-drama The Beguiled from 2017. This Civil War-era story of mind g...

SE2 Episode 6: A Very Murray Christmas

September 04, 2019 04:33 - 45 minutes - 24.2 MB

Sssshhhh... He doesn't know. It's time for Sofia Coppola and us to throw a special Christmas party bash for Bill Murray! Is it the end of summer and 120 degrees here in Phoenix and we're all dying from the heat - it doesn't matter - Bill Murray!!!? It's Sofia Coppola's 2015 Netflix Christmas special 'A Very Murray Christmas'. Join Chris, Nick, and special guest Liz Manning along with a cavalcade of celebrity guests including Chris Rock, George Clooney, Michael Cera, Rashida Jones, Amy Poeh...

SE2 Episode 5: The Bling Ring (2013)

August 29, 2019 05:24 - 40 minutes - 22.7 MB

If you've ever wanted to see Hermione Granger break bad, and can't get enough montages of obnoxious rich kids trying on clothes while terrible pop music blares, have we got a movie for you. It's Sofia Coppola's 2013 true crime / comedy? drama? The Bling Ring. Based on a true story, the film didn't make a big splash when it was first released; but is there some deeper social commentary beneath the glitz and artifice, or can you judge this bedazzled book by its cover? Chris and Nick really h...

SE2 Episode 4: Somewhere (2010)

August 20, 2019 07:00 - 1 hour - 37.4 MB

Negative 1. We watch too many movies and think too much of their stars. Negative 2. We're tired of feeling guilty about how many of them are artsy auteur-driven indie films that we praise unconditionally. This is the Auteur Theory podcast, and we may or may not have just found a smarter solution. Sofia Coppola's 2010 indie dramedy Somewhere. This low-key film gives you a look at the mundanity of show business life. Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning are there. And best of all, no offensive...

SE2 Episode 3: Marie Antoinette (2006)

August 13, 2019 06:21 - 1 hour - 25.3 MB

We return to the turn of the century... 1700-something? Give me a break, I'm not good at math and I got confused by all the 80s New Wave pop songs. This week, we're taking a look at Sofia Coppola's 2006 costume drama/teen coming-of-age story Marie Antoinette. Nick and Chris are joined once again by Liz Manning to see if this visually lavish by-way-of John Hughes biopic is one for the ages, or actually deserves the guillotine. (Sorry, spoilers for centuries-old history)

SE2 Episode 2: Lost in Translation (2003)

August 06, 2019 07:12 - 1 hour - 26 MB

You're alone. It's a nice place, a really swanky hotel. But it's in a foreign land in a foreign culture and you're feeling very alone. Who better to spend that time with than Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson? This week, we're looking at Sofia Coppola's Oscar-winning ground-breaking film Lost In Translation. Nick and Chris are joined by Michelle Nakamoto to see if this indie hit still holds up, and if the person you need in your life is just a few steps away. No pressure. Anyway, Sofia C...

SE2 Episode 1: The Virgin Suicides (1999)

July 28, 2019 21:02 - 1 hour - 27.7 MB

Auteur Theory has finally returned for our Second Season. We'll start things off at the turn-of-the-century, 1999. Independent film has finally entered the mainstream of American cinema, and opened the door for new voices to make their mark. One of the most talked-about among them was the subject of this season, Sofia Coppola. She already had the cards stacked against her; being one of the few female directors working in Hollywood, as well as the daughter of legendary filmmaker Francis For...

BONUS: Chris' Top 10 and Season 2 Announcement

September 25, 2018 05:53 - 1 hour - 24.2 MB

So, we somehow survived Season 1 and our sticky exploration of the world of David Cronenberg. But what's next for Auteur Theory? Well, before we get things off and running again, Nick pressured Chris into participating in one of those dumb Facebook trending bullshits where he had to put together a list of his 10 favorite films in 10 days. And Chris being Chris, he came up with a grab-bag of weird shit that then had to be addressed in podcast form. So here's that. We're also announcing ou...

SE1 Episode 19: Maps to the Stars (2014)

September 19, 2018 05:35 - 1 hour - 30.3 MB

So we've come to the end of our cinematic journey through the world and warped mind of director David Cronenberg. Needless to say, we've seen some things. There were growths. There were fluids. There was genitalia growing out of places where there shouldn't be. But as we end our first season, it's time to take one last trip through the most absurdly bizarre and corruptly depraved places of all... Hollywood!!! It's David Cronenberg's 2014 dark show business satire Maps to the Stars. It does...

SE1 Episode 18: Cosmopolis (2012)

September 03, 2018 19:06 - 1 hour - 28.6 MB

Yeah, the World. It's pretty much fucked. It's gotten to the point that even a pretty-boy millionaire can't even get across town in his high-tech/high-security limo to get a damn a haircut without society collapsing around him! This week, it's David Cronenberg's adaptation of Don DeLillo's dystopian satire Cosmopolis. Nick and Chris are joined once again by Liz Manning to question the big questions: Capitalism. Technology. Economy. Narcissism. Jay Baruchel. And Rats. Tune in and join the d...

SE1 Episode 17: A Dangerous Method (2011)

August 22, 2018 05:35 - 47 minutes - 16.8 MB

Of all the strange worlds Cronenberg has brought to the screen over the decades, the most surprising might be the stately parlours of turn-of-the-century Vienna. It's the 2011 historical drama A Dangerous Method. Nick and Chris are joined by author and artist Suzanne Steinberg and director and performer Mack Duncan to see if the Master of Body Horror can hold his own in the genteel world of the period costume drama. Will he plum the depths of darkest aspects of human psychology, as he has wi...

BONUS: The TV and Short Films of David Cronenberg (1966-2014)

August 16, 2018 05:05 - 31 minutes - 15.3 MB

So, even when we started this season several months ago, we knew what you - the listener - really wanted to hear. Half an hour of host Christopher R. Smith rambling about the early days of Canadian television and some old commercials he found on YouTube. In this special bonus episode of Auteur Theory, Chris risks the bends for an especially deep dive into the odds and ends of David Cronenberg's cinematic and television career. From his 1960s experimental student films, his sporadic work fo...

SE1 Episode 16: Eastern Promises (2007)

August 14, 2018 02:49 - 1 hour - 25.2 MB

Russians. They exist. And sometimes, it turns out, some of them aren't the nicest guys. In fact, some of them are up to no good at all! Never has this been more clearly illustrated (well, maybe not never) than in David Cronenberg's 2007 crime drama Eastern Promises. Nick and Chris are joined once again by film critic Bill Pierce to take another look at this morality tale of blood and borscht in the mean streets of London. And, yes, you very briefly see Viggo's balls. Get over it so we can ...

SE1 Episode 15: A History of Violence (2005)

August 07, 2018 05:29 - 1 hour - 33.8 MB

Auteur Theory is back and inviting you to take up a stool at our low-key, small-town podcast diner for a cup of joe. As long as a one-eyed Ed Harris doesn't show up and you are who you say you are, there shouldn't be a problem. You are you who say you are? Right? It's David Cronenberg's 2005 crime drama A History of Violence. This week, Nick and Chris are joined once again by Cecil Laird of The Horror Show and Derk Harron of Here Comes the Pitch to take a look at Cronenberg's take on small...

SE1 Episode 14: Spider (2002)

June 27, 2018 01:01 - 1 hour - 25.1 MB

We here at Auteur Theory hope you're having a wonderful week and in great spirits. But if you'd like to change that, how about a trip to the grayest of England's gray, crumbling streets with a mumbling, mentally-broken Ralph Fiennes as your guide? It's David Cronenberg's 2002 downer psycho-drama Spider. Nick ad Chris are joined by Cecil Laird of The Horror Show to take a look at one of Cronenberg's most acclaimed, but seldom-viewed efforts. Is it an overlooked diamond-in-the-rough, or just...

SE1 Episode 13: eXistenZ (1999)

June 21, 2018 03:01 - 1 hour - 24 MB

After a decade of dabbling with high-brow psycho-dramas, David Cronenberg is back in the straight-up body-horror game, and now Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jude Law are on the run. It's Cronenberg's mind-bending 1999 virtual reality sci-fi thriller eXistenZ. Nick and Chris are joined once again by Perla Caballero to revisit Cronenberg's look into the 21st century in all its diseased, erotically-charged, existential crisis-inducing strangeness. Lubricate your bio-port with a little EX-60 and le...

SE1 Episode 12: Crash (1996)

May 15, 2018 04:51 - 1 hour - 28.7 MB

Sex. Car crashes. More sex. Broken glass. Still more sex. Twisted metal. Sex. Based on this very accurate and apt description, you can pretty much decide if you're gonna love or hate this one. It's David Cronenberg's controversial 1996 psycho-sexual drama Crash (and, no, not the shitty 2004 racism-is-bad-mmkay Oscar-winner). Cronenberg's sleek and stylish take on J.G. Ballard's underground cult-classic novel is one of the most divisive of his (and anyone else's) cinematic career. Nick an...

SE1 Episode 11: M. Butterfly (1993)

May 08, 2018 01:40 - 41 minutes - 15.8 MB

On this week's show, Nick and Chris take a look at one of David Cronenberg's strangest films. Strange, relative to Cronenberg, that is - this movie has nary a bursting cocoon, involuntary surgery, or phantasmagoric stomach-vagina in sight! It's the 1993 period-piece romantic drama M. Butterfly. We join Jeremy Irons in 1960s Beijing, where his ill-fated romance/obsession with an opera singer gets him into all sorts of shit. Does David Cronenberg's unique style still work outside of the worl...

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