Film School
409 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 24 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!
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Episodes
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
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 (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.
Pusher 2
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 2.
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.
How to Create and Keep a Schedule (Cutting Room Floor #139)
April 28, 2022 10:00 - 34 minutes - 24.2 MBWhat makes a good schedule? Obviously, it's one where we're as productive as we want to be . . . but what about sustainability? What about when life throws its inevitable curveballs? How do we build ourselves a schedule that fits US? Josh and Ira share what works for them? Plus some quick check-ins on the very busy personal lives, AND some great recommendations on what we've been watching: Josh recs the action sci-fi classics Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and Ira recommends I...
Pusher
April 25, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 58 MBFrank Frank Frank... Kim Bodnia stars in Nicolas Winding Refn's breakout film. It's a stark, hopeless world and YET...there are some stunning moments of tenderness and authenticity. It was also a singularly important film for Josh in his formative filmmaker years. It also introduced us to a young Mads Mikkelsen. Let's watch and discuss!
How to Start Again (Cutting Room Floor #138)
April 21, 2022 10:00 - 30 minutes - 21.6 MBYou fell off the horse. Your work in progress is sitting idle. You want to get started again, but you’re not sure how. Josh and Ira talk tips and strategies they use to get started again. Also, Josh recommends Severance on AppleTV+.
My Cousin Vinny
April 18, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 55.9 MBYou're in Ala-f---in'-bama! Joe Pesci and Marisa Tomei chew up the scenery as New Yorkers in the South, trying to solve a murder mystery. It won Tomei an Oscar. Criminally Underrated. It'll make you feel good inside.
Can You Want It Too Much? (Cutting Room Floor #137)
April 14, 2022 10:00 - 34 minutes - 24.1 MBSometimes we want something so much we can crush it, freeze, run away, or otherwise shoot ourselves in the foot. So…how do we keep that from happening? What tools can we use to keep moving forward to get the thing we actually want so badly? We discuss. Also, Josh recommends Lost in Translation, and Ira recommends Severance on AppleTV+.
Man Bites Dog
April 11, 2022 10:00 - 55 minutes - 76 MBAh, Remy. Josh kicks us off with a raucous, violent, hilarious, and shockingly disturbing Belgian indie from the early nineties. It's easily one of the more controversial films we've watched thus far on the podcast--mostly for one particular scene--and one of the most innovative. It really is a must-see that Ira had never seen before today. What did he think? Listen and find out!
You Gotta See This! (What's Next on Film School)
March 28, 2022 15:25 - 29 minutes - 20.9 MBDude, you gotta see this! Next up on the podcast, Josh and Ira have accumulated a list of films they know the other hasn't seen yet that they MUST see...and now, they're going to show each other those movies on the podcast. Ten movies apiece (plus maybe one or two extra...we'll see). We start that in two weeks from today. They also give personal updates on what they've been up to the past couple months. Enjoy!
Swing Time (AFI Top 100 Starter Pack #10)
March 21, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 62.4 MBWe decided to end the AFI Top 100 Starter Pack with some old school "class"... Old movies feel like Disneyland. This, and many, many epiphanies are brought to you by the black and white classic romance Swing Time with the lanky, debonaire Fred Astaire and the drop dead gorgeous smokeshow Ginger Rogers. It’s all about The Way You Look Tonight, Cinema with a capital C, and never gonna dance, never gonna dance, only gonna love, never gonna dance.
The Graduate (AFI Top 100 Starter Pack #9)
March 14, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBMrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me . . . aren’t you? It’s the movie that made Dustin Hoffman a star, and rightly so. He plays the naive, uptight and awkward Benjamin Braddock who masks a disenchanted with his parents’ rich, vacuous, meaningless lives, with a frozen mask for a face that says ‘I’m screaming on the inside.’ But, then the wife of one of his father’s friends propositions him with an affair . . . and he proceeds to fall in love with her daughter. It’s a scathing portrayal...
The Wild Bunch (AFI Top 100 Starter Pack #8)
March 07, 2022 11:00 - 58 minutes - 54.1 MBIf any of them move, kill ’em! It was our first Western on the AFI list, and it's a bloody, gritty, corker of a bandit heist flick. It stars William Holden, whose star power was waning at the time, along with Ernest Borgnine and his iconic gap-toothed smile, and some truly EPIC action sequences that forever changed movies. It’s also one the very first R-rated films in history. There are no heroes in this one. Mount up.
Jaws (AFI Top 100 Starter Pack #7)
February 28, 2022 11:00 - 57 minutes - 53.2 MBWe’re gonna need a bigger boat. Jaws: the genesis of the summer blockbuster, and the film that launched Steven Spielberg into the stratosphere. Dude was 26 when he made this move. TWENTY. SIX. And it defined an entire genre of films. We still make Shark Movies to this day. So, let’s go back to the original “don’t go in the water” scary movie, and probably our TOP favorite watch on the entire AFI list. This week on the Starter Pack!
Apocalypse Now (AFI Top 100 Starter Pack #6)
February 21, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 74.3 MBWar is hell. Any sample of the AFI Top 100 wouldn't be complete without Francis Ford Coppola, and he is the real star of this ambitious, disturbing, madness-inducing look into the horrors of the Vietnam War based on the novella “Heart of Darkness." Starring Martin Sheen and a veritable cavalcade of other recognizable actors, this film might just be the best representation ever made of how war feels. Like Sheen’s Willard, it nearly cost Coppola his own sanity to make . . . and that might ju...
Citizen Kane (AFI Top 100 Starter Pack #5)
February 14, 2022 11:00 - 1 hour - 96.5 MBOrson Welles, by all accounts, was a Hollywood outsider. He knew nothing about filmmaking coming in to make Citizen Kane, and yet it's on the tippy top of the AFI’s “best” list. So, how exactly did he do that? And why is this film so beloved, so venerated? Is it a fitting pick as the #1 film in American history? We break it down!
The Gold Rush (AFI Top 100 Starter Pack #4)
February 07, 2022 11:00 - 58 minutes - 53.9 MBChaplin makes an entry on the Starter Pack, and his *second* appearance on The List as the hapless Klondike Gold Rush prospector…and he does not disappoint. We weren’t too hot on Chaplin’s previous film Modern Times. This time around, the gags are fresher, the story is tighter, and the music is absolutely breathtaking. It’s epic, funny, poignant, and romantic. Even to this day, some of the visuals Chaplin employs are confounding. How did he do that?!
Yankee Doodle Dandy (AFI Top 100 Starter Pack #3)
January 31, 2022 11:00 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MBJames Cagney is a song and dance man! Music is in the air. Vaudeville. Romance. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It’s the 1942 classic Yankee Doodle Dandy this time around, a movie neither Josh nor Ira had ever even HEARD of…so what put this movie on the map? Why is it on the list? Listen and find out!