Film School
425 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 25 ratingsA filmmaker and a writer tackle the AFI's Top 100 Films and beyond to educate themselves about movies and storytelling. Welcome to Film School!
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
How To Stay Motivated Revisited (Cutting Room Floor #163)
December 23, 2022 20:57 - 52 minutes - 36.2 MBCreating anything takes work. Butt in chair. Words on page. Paint on canvas. It's work, and usually in an unrecognized, anonymous silence for years at a time. So, how do we stay motivated to keep working? Especially when it's hard? We talk about the tips, tricks and tools that we use ourselves. Also, Josh (again) recommends Entergalactic which is currently on Netflix, and Ira recommends 1899 which is also on Netflix.
Scrooged
December 23, 2022 20:27 - 40 minutes - 37.7 MBThat does not look like a towel. The 80s were a wild WILD time. Especially 80s movies. Bill Murray stars in a frenetic, crazy, bonkers adaptation of Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol. He's a miser, asshole of a TV executive who's given one last chance to turn his life around by the ghosts of Christmas. So...how does it hold up? We find out!
Up Next On Film School!
November 21, 2022 18:36 - 4 minutes - 3.08 MBNext on Film School, we're doing a deep dive on David Lynch and watching his full feature filmography. BUT FIRST...because we've fallen behind on our recordings, we're going to use the next couple weeks to "bank" some episodes to get ourselves back on track releasing each week. Here's the plan: Our Christmas films will debut as planned on December 12th and December 19th. THEN David Lynch's Deep Dive will launch after the new year with Eraserhead. So...we'll see you in a couple weeks fo...
The Sophomore Slump (Cutting Room Floor #162)
November 03, 2022 10:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBThe second album. The follow-up book. The sequel film. After all the lessons we've learned from the first project, after all that growth, effort and excitement . . . WHY IS THE SECOND PROJECT SO HARD??? And followup question: what can we do about it? Josh and Ira have both been through the famed "sophomore slump." They discuss what they've learned. Also, Josh recommends The Mist which is currently on Netflix, and Ira recommends The Omen which is playing on Prime.
Paranormal Activity
October 31, 2022 16:12 - 54 minutes - 50.6 MBYou cannot run from this -- it will follow you. Happy Halloween everybody! We conclude Spooky Season 2022 with a bang. We're watching the film that made Blumhouse and (in addition to Blair Witch) inspired an entire generation of found-footage horror films: Paranormal Activity. The movie is almost fifteen years old now. How does it hold up???
You And Your Audience (Cutting Room Floor #161)
October 30, 2022 22:14 - 39 minutes - 27.6 MBAre you responsible for finding your own audience? And how much of your storytelling is a collaboration between you and your audience? This week, we dive into the realm of who we’re writing for and how it impacts our art. Also, Josh recommends Summit of the Gods which is on Netflix, and Ira recommends the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes films, several of which are on Amazon Prime right now.
Halloween II
October 29, 2022 23:26 - 51 minutes - 47.3 MBWhy won't he die? Jamie Lee Curtis is back in danger! Michael Meyers just can't seem to be stopped, even when she's supposedly safe in the hospital. It's one of the only sequels we can think of that literally starts AT THE END of the first movie and picks up from there. John Carpenter, man . . . he's on another level. We watch and discuss!
How To Finish (Revisited) (Cutting Room Floor #160)
October 27, 2022 10:00 - 42 minutes - 29.7 MBWe call it "finishing energy." It's the effort it takes to push something all the way to the end. Usually, it's far more than we ever imagined. So, how do we muster "finishing energy?" When resistance is at its peak because we're *so* *close* to finishing, how do we suck it up and move forward? Josh and Ira discuss what's worked for them! Also, Josh recommends The Professional and Collateral, and Ira recommends 1984 and Valkyrie.
The Descent
October 26, 2022 20:05 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBIf we stay here, we'll die. Six women enter an unmapped cave . . . and shit goes down. This week for Spooky Season, we're diving into Neil Marshall's The Descent, which might have the coolest freaking movie poster ever made. So, how does it hold up? Does it bring the noise? We scream and discuss!
How Important Are Ideas? (Cutting Room Floor #159)
October 26, 2022 03:09 - 51 minutes - 35.9 MBHow important are ideas? Super important, right? Of course! BUT . . . are they the most important thing when it comes to telling a great story? What about execution? If an idea is just an idea until it's fully realized, how can we properly foster it and build it into something wonderful? Josh and Ira discuss their own experiences. Also, Josh (does not) recommend Alone on Hulu, and Ira (kind of) recommends Treasure Planet on Disney+
Halloween
October 24, 2022 10:00 - 47 minutes - 43.6 MBWas that the boogeyman? As a matter of fact, it is! For our first-ever "Spooky Season," we're watching a horror touchstone, and a seminal moment in "slasher" film history: John Carpenter's Halloween. Does it still deliver the scares and the screams? We watch and find out.
Physical Self Care (Cutting Room Floor #158)
October 20, 2022 17:55 - 39 minutes - 27.6 MBHow do you take care of your BODY? We talk so much on this podcast about taking care of the mind, but our brains live inside a body. It's also so, SO important to take care of our physical selves, something we often forget. Josh and Ira talk about their own successes and failures with physical self-care. Also, Josh recommends Top Chef (again) which is on Hulu, and Ira recommends Alone which is also on Hulu.
When Harry Met Sally
October 17, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBNo man can be friends with a woman that he finds attractive. This week, wrapping up our "You Gotta See This!" excursion, we're watching Nora Ephron and Rob Reiner's When Harry Met Sally, also known as the movie that taught us to fall in love with our best friend. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan shine. So does the script. It's practically a perfect movie. Enjoy.
When A Character Turns Out Amazingly (Cutting Room Floor #157)
October 05, 2022 20:01 - 38 minutes - 26.4 MBHow do you create a great character? We're revisiting the topic this week from a previous episode with a new twist on how to answer the question: when was a time that you went above and beyond to create a character, and it paid off big time? Both Josh and Ira share instances from their experience. Also, Ira recommends Seinfeld which is not quite the show you remember in its earliest episodes, and Josh recommends the film Nocturnal Animals with Jake Gyllenhaal, both of which are currently ...
Cosmos
October 03, 2022 10:00 - 51 minutes - 47.9 MBSounds like you chaps have had an interesting night. This week, it's micro-budget indie to the EXTREME. These chaps from jolly old England made Cosmos on a minuscule six hundred dollars. SIX. HUNDRED. A guys go out into the countryside for a night of looking at the stars . . . and find something else, instead. We discuss!
Planning vs. Execution (Cutting Room Floor #156)
September 15, 2022 22:53 - 43 minutes - 29.8 MBHow much time or importance should we invest in planning/learning/theory, and how much time should we invest in hands-on execution? Planning can be an endless endeavor which leads to never finishing anything; but then again, you can dive into creating something without enough preparation and burn out. So . . . BOTH would seem to be absolutely necessary. So, where does the rubber meet the road? What is the proper intersection of planning and execution? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Scor...
Solaris
September 13, 2022 02:17 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBThere aren't many sci-fi films that can approach 2001: A Space Odyssey. Tarkovsky's Solaris does . . . and it might even surpass it, at least for the two of us. This week, we're talking about the famed Russian director's expressionistic, emotional, hypnotizing dive into science fiction. His mechanism: an alien planet that seems to understand the people in our lives that we've lost and miss the most . . . and gives them to us. We discuss!
The Difference Between Amateur And Professional (Cutting Room Floor #155)
August 26, 2022 21:48 - 42 minutes - 29.6 MBWhat is the difference between a professional and an amateur? We can all agree that the two aren't the same thing, so what differentiates them? And if we are an amateur and want to be a professional, *HOW* do we do that? Josh and Ira discuss what the difference is for them, and how they've worked on 'going pro' in their own lives. Also...Josh recommends the 2012 Teeange Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series which currently has Season 1 available on Netflix, and Ira recommends The Anarchis...
Victoria
August 22, 2022 10:00 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MBAre you stealing? This week, we watch the Berlin-made, one-shot sensation Victoria. And yes, the did actually shoot the entire two-plus hour film in one take. It's a love story, a poem to a drunken night out, AND a heist/thriller. We discuss how well it weaves in all those things together. Enjoy!
The Danger of Not Writing What You Know (Cutting Room Floor #154)
August 12, 2022 19:04 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBCan you tell a story about a lesson that you, personally as the storyteller, haven't learned yet? Or, put another way: what are the dangers of NOT writing what you know? Can the process of storytelling teach you that lesson, or provide you with that insight? And what happens if it doesn't? How does that affect your audience? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends the book Letter to a Stranger edited by Colleen Kinder, and Ira (+ Liz) recommends Andy Weir's novel Project Hail Mary. Yes! We actua...
Hereditary
August 09, 2022 23:19 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBI am your MOTHER! Man...this movie brings the noise. Toni Colette stars in the debut feature from newly minted scare-master Ari Aster. It's a film about family trauma, grief, and how those two forces can rob us of our own agency. Also: it's really freaking scary. We watch, discuss, and break it down!
When You're Just Not Feeling It: What To Do (Cutting Room Floor #153)
August 04, 2022 19:05 - 46 minutes - 32.2 MBYou're just not feeling it. You want it. You know you can do it. It might even be close . . . but you just can't finish. You can't work on it, or when you do, you hate what you've done. WHAT IS THIS? WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN??? Josh and Ira have gone through it just like you. In fact, they still do! All the time! They share their thoughts, tips and hacks to get your butt back in your chair, churning out work that you love. Also, Josh recommends The Infinite Man on Tubi.
Upstream Color
August 01, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 58.6 MBThe water before you is somehow special... Shane Carouth exploded onto the indie scene with the time-traveling Primer, and then kinda disappeared for a while. He roared back with our movie this week, the mind-bending Upstream Color, which, like his first film, was made on an absolutely tiny, shoe-string budget. Perhaps not the instant classic that Primer is, it nonetheless has a lot to offer. We discuss!
The Time Money Quality Triangle (Cutting Room Floor #152)
July 28, 2022 10:00 - 50 minutes - 34.8 MBIn the world of hiring out work, everyone wants to spend less money, get the best quality of work, and get it in the least amount of time possible. Of course. But, here's the thing: of time, money, and quality...you can only ever get two at the same time. And here's the other thing: it's not just the world of hired work, it's kind of everything. We discuss! Also: Josh recommends Ethan Hawk's documentary film Seymour, An Introduction about the amazing pianist Seymour Bernstein (currently on...
The Thing
July 25, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 66 MBSomebody in this camp ain't what he appears to be. The Thing was almost universally REVILED when it first came out in 1982, but time told the true story: people just weren't ready for it, it was so far ahead. John Carpenter had no interest in remaking the classic Howard Hawkes version, so he went back to the source material and found some real inspiration. The result is legit one of the most terrifying, bonkers, thrill ride of a horror film that's ever been made to. This. Day. Josh watches...
How To Fail Better (Cutting Room Floor #151)
July 22, 2022 16:14 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBWhat is your relationship with failure? Do you embrace it, or avoid it at all cost? Because failure is a necessary and important part of success, a healthy relationship with it probably lies somewhere in between those two extremes. Josh and Ira discuss what works for them, and what doesn't. Also, Josh recommends John Carpenter's Vampires, and Ira recommends the Apple TV+ documentary series Home, which just released its second season.
The Lighthouse
July 20, 2022 19:15 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBHurrah me yoller girls, doodle let me go! Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson star in Robert Eggers second feature as two men stationed on an island in the middle of the ocean and tasked with maintaining a lighthouse. Madness ensues, literally and/or metaphorically depending on how much stock you take in our main character's point of view. This one certainly brings the noise, kids. We discuss!
Pantsing vs. Plotting (Cutting Room Floor #150)
July 14, 2022 19:12 - 32 minutes - 22.7 MBAre you a pantser or a plotter? Do you just sit down and write the story as it comes to you? Or do you outline and plan and plot out your story in detail before you actually write it? OR...something in between? This week, we talk about the spectrum of plotting and pantsing, what works for us, and the benefits and drawbacks to each end of that spectrum. Also: Josh recommends the 90s De Niro/Robin Williams film Awakenings, and Ira recommends the docu-series The Web of Make Believe on Netflix.
Akira
July 11, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.5 MBTetsuoooo!!!! This week, we take a peek at Katsuhiro Otomo's masterpiece, and one of the definitive anime films full-stop, Akira. It's over thirty years old now, which is crazy because we're still making this movie. An all-time influential movie, it's up there with Bladerunner in terms of how many movies owe a debt to the way they depict the near-future. So, after all these years, how does it hold up?
Ego (Cutting Room Floor #149)
July 07, 2022 10:00 - 45 minutes - 31.8 MBWhat *is* "ego," anyway? How does it get in our way, and how do we need it? This episode, we dive into walking the fine line between self-esteem/confidence, and delusion/insecurity. Also: Josh recommends A Monster Calls on Netflix, and Ira (really, really highly) recommends 3:10 to Yuma from 2007, which is currently playing on Hulu.
Memento
July 04, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.1 MBMy wife deserves vengeance... This week, we watch the film that put Christopher Nolan on the map. Guy Pierce stars as Leonard, a man who can no longer make memories. His last memory is of his wife being raped and murdered, and he's obsessed with finding the man responsible and bringing him to justice. But, if he can't remember anything...how? Top-notch premise. Great acting. An Academy Award-nominated script...this is a fun one.
What to Cut and What to Keep (Cutting Room Floor #148)
June 30, 2022 10:00 - 48 minutes - 33.3 MBWhen writing/creating, how do you know what to throw into the trash bin, and how do you know what to keep and tweak until it's working right? It's the central question of editing and revising, and there is no easy, simple answer. But, there *IS* an answer. Josh and Ira share their thoughts on the matter. Also, Josh recommends Hulu's docu-series The Deep End, and Ira recommends the 1973 horror classic The Wicker Man. Finally...Josh's debut feature film is available to rent or purchase RIG...
Forbidden Planet
June 27, 2022 10:00 - 49 minutes - 45.5 MBThe monsters of the id! Easily one of the most influential sci-fi films ever made, Forbidden Planet was the standard set for space opera for an entire generation including Gene Roddenberry, the guy behind Star Trek. Leslie Nielsen is there before his spoofy comedy days. It was a sensation in terms of its special effects. It introduced the beloved character Robby the Robot. We watch and discuss!
How Important Is Community? (Cutting Room Floor #147)
June 24, 2022 05:01 - 40 minutes - 28 MBHow important is it to have community as a creative person? How do you choose the people to surround yourself with? Josh and Ira talk about how they've chosen their own communities, and what to look for. Also, Josh recommends Shrek, and Ira discusses his recent watches of Kingdom of Heaven and The VVitch.
A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
June 20, 2022 22:16 - 1 hour - 61.2 MBVampires in Iran! Easily one of the 'coolest' films we've ever watched on this podcast, A Girl Walks Home is pure gothic punk rock from foot to fangs. Made in SoCal, it's set in Iran, a place where the subject matter would get you arrested. Hard to imagine when the core of this tale is so sweet, and so wholesome. We discuss!
Chekhov's Gun (Cutting Room Floor #146)
June 16, 2022 10:00 - 44 minutes - 30.7 MBIf it's not going to go off, it shouldn't be hanging there. This week, we're talking about the term "Chekhov's Gun," what it refers to, and how it applies to our writing, storytelling, and just plain-old enjoyment of the stories we consume. Also, Josh recommends the 90s scifi-camp Johnny Neumonic which is on Netflix right now, and Ira gives a (lengthy) recommendation of the Teal Swan cult-exposé doc The Deep End which is currently on Hulu.
Amélie
June 13, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 57.3 MBSo, go get him for Pete's sake! Jean-Pierre Jeunet masterpiece is a sweet, charming, whimsical and magic-filled romance about an awkward shut-in who turns to taking care of everyone around her on her journey toward taking care of herself . . . and finding love. Audrey Tatou is Amélie. Good God she's wonderful, as is this film. We discuss!
The Difference Between Ambition & Impatience (Cutting Room Floor #145)
June 09, 2022 19:50 - 41 minutes - 29 MBWhen driving forward, it can be so easy to go go go so fast that we either burn ourselves out before we can finish, or we miss too much, skimp on the details, and what we have when we finish doesn't work. Crushing, either way. So, how can we avoid that? How can we tell the difference between "ambition" and "impatience." Also, Josh once again recommends Top Chef, currently on Hulu; Ira recommends Grosse Pointe Blank, which is currently on Amazon Prime.
I Lost My Body
June 06, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 64.1 MBImagine, if you will, you're a severed hand. You wake up in a freezer, no memory of how you got there, just flashes of the chaotic end, where you were separated from your body. All you want is to be reunited. Such is the premise of this delightful, inventive animated French film. We watch and discuss!
What is the (Real) Magic Place? (Cutting Room Floor #144)
June 02, 2022 10:00 - 39 minutes - 27.6 MBWhen you need to feel inspired, creative, safe and free . . . where do you go? Where--that actually exists--can you go that fills you up with the warm fuzzies, where the memories, sights, sounds, smells and textures are so thick you can still reach out and touch them any time you think about them? We share a couple of those places for us. Also, Josh recommends Top Chef, which is on Hulu right now, and Ira (with some help from Liz) recommends Chriskirkpatrickmas: A Boy Band Christmas Musica...
Cinema Paradiso
May 31, 2022 00:14 - 1 hour - 56.9 MBAlfredo! This jaunt down memory lane is credited with reviving the Italian film industry in the late-80s and the 90s. Giuseppe Tornatore dips into his own history in spinning a tale about a young small-town boy who falls in love with movies, falls in love-love, and then abruptly moves away to pursue his dreams as a director. Now, his childhood mentor has passed, and he's called home to face all the ghosts he left behind. The film drips with nostalgia, even though it's all about moving on. ...
What Is Writer's Block? (Cutting Room Floor #143)
May 26, 2022 16:44 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBDoes writer's block even exist? Some writers--a lot of writers--will tell you that it doesn't. And yet, we have a TERM for it, so sure it must be something. What is it then? Josh and Ira break down their experience with the phenomenon of staring at the empty page and struggling with something to write. PLUS...Josh recommends one of his comfort shows King of the Hill, and Ira recommends The Dropout on Hulu along with Master Chef for the second week in a row (...because Josh asked about it :)
The Vast Of Night
May 23, 2022 10:00 - 58 minutes - 54.1 MBWhat's the tale, nightingale? What a gem! It's always such a rush to find a film that almost nobody else knows about, made by someone you've never heard of (because this is his first feature), acted by faces you don't recognize . . . and it's wonderful. That is The Vast of Night, a tale of secret government projects, odd sounds over the airwaves, and aliens in the skies, all set in the warm and coziness of small-town 1950s. We watched. We discussed. Check it out :)
How to Identify Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3 (Cutting Room Floor #142)
May 19, 2022 10:00 - 44 minutes - 30.5 MBAct 1, Act 2, and Act 3; how do we tell them apart? What distinguishes the beginning of our story, the middle, and the end? Ya boys talk about how to sort a story into three, neat, easy-to-use parts. Also, Josh recommends the documentary Closed for Storm and Ira recommends Werner Herzog's doc Wings of Hope, and Anthony Bourdain's travel/food/culture shows No Reservations and Parts Unknown.
Beasts of the Southern Wild
May 17, 2022 02:19 - 50 minutes - 46.2 MBOnce there was a Hushpuppy, and she lived with her daddy in the Bathtub. It was an indie darling that went all the way to a Best Picture Oscar nomination. Benh Zeitlin's debut feature, set loosely in the New Orleans south around the hurricane, really has its beating heart in 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, the sweet, moral, defiant Hushpuppy.
How To Schedule Breaks (Cutting Room Floor #141)
May 12, 2022 10:00 - 24 minutes - 17.3 MBBreaks are so important. So, how do you work them into a busy schedule? How do you make sure that you get the rest you need, but don't lose your momentum? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Alien and Aliens, and Ira recommends Top Chef on Hulu.
Pusher 3
May 09, 2022 21:01 - 51 minutes - 47.5 MBSo, Milo wants to go clean... NWR wraps up his deep dive into the seedy underbelly of the Copenhagen drug world. This time, we're following the bad guy from the first film! Milo has grown a conscience. He's trying to be the good family man. No drugs. Stay calm. Can he stick with that? (spoiler: no. ...omg, no)
How To Write Good Dialogue (Cutting Room Floor #140)
May 05, 2022 10:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBAlmost all you have in a script is dialogue. 99% of a play is dialogue. The majority of fiction prose is dialogue. It's probably the most effective way to tell a good story...so how do we do it WELL? Josh and Ira discuss what good advice they've received, and what tips and tricks that have worked for them thus far. Plus: we recommend watching Inception and NBA playoff basketball.
How To Write Good Dialogue
May 05, 2022 10:00 - 36 minutes - 25.3 MBAlmost all you have in a script is dialogue. 99% of a play is dialogue. The majority of fiction prose is dialogue. It's probably the most effective way to tell a good story...so how do we do it WELL? Josh and Ira discuss what good advice they've received, and what tips and tricks that have worked for them thus far. Plus: we recommend watching Inception and NBA playoff basketball.
Pusher II
May 02, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 59.7 MBNicolas Winding Refn had a hard time following up the success of the first Pusher film, so much so that he decided to dip back into the seedy Copenhagen underworld. This time we follow Tonny, played by a rising star in Mads Mikkelsen. It's drugs and prostitutes and deals gone bad and motherf*ckers of a father . . . it's Pusher II.