Watch The Film With Us
221 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago -Enjoy film analysis with a dose of nonsensical, sassy commentary? Watch the film with us! Every month, hosts Lara and Cheryl deep dive into a film and chat about four topics related to the movie. We draw comparisons with other films we have watched and chat about how the film industry has and continues to develop. Listen in on our lighthearted conversations as we watch and reflect on different film genres, with small doses of silliness sprinkled throughout! Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61225 Ft: Javolenus
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Episodes
Tim Burton | Sweeney Todd Part 2
October 29, 2020 10:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBSpooky season is the perfect time to watch a Tim Burton film! And of course, we couldn’t resist spending one episode chatting about his unique style. How did his background in animation influence his later work? How could one describe his films? ALSO: is pumpkin pie actually a pie? In this special Halloween-themed episode, listen in on Cheryl and Lara’s chat about Tim Burton, while they continue with the second part of Sweeney Todd. Reference: Sideways “Why the Music in Les Misérables (20...
Unexpected Musicals | Sweeney Todd Part 1
October 22, 2020 10:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBWhat do we picture when we think of the musical genre? Probably not demon barbers who murder people! For spooky season, Cheryl and Lara have hopped into Tim Burton’s dark and gloomy Sweeney Todd. We chat about how Sweeney Todd is completely different to what we expect when we think of musicals, and why it still satisfies audience expectations. Side note, do you think that Sweeney Todd would ever join a glee club? Movie Credit: All movie content belongs to the filmmaker, producers and creat...
Breaking the Romcom Formula | La La Land Part 5
October 15, 2020 11:00 - 34 minutes - 24.1 MBWhat makes La La Land such a successful romcom? How does Damien Chazelle break the romcom formula and still meet and fulfil our romcom desires? Lara and Cheryl chat about the film’s double ending and why we think it helps to both satisfy our expectations and create more meaning within the film. Stick around until the end of the episode to find out which film we will be watching next! Hint: it’s SPOOKY season! Reference material: Vulture article on the ending: https://www.vulture.com/2016/1...
Selling Out | La La Land Part 4
October 08, 2020 10:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBWhy did Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) 'sell out' in La La Land and why is selling out a bad thing? In this episode, we talk about how artists may sell out not because of the money, but also because the chance to perform might be more important to them than not performing at all. We also discuss how the main characters' passion for their respective crafts got in the way of their relationship. Movie Credit: All movie content belongs to the filmmaker, producers and creatives. Theme Music Credit: ...
Our Obsession with Hollywood | La La Land Part 3
October 01, 2020 10:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBWhy are there so many movies and TV shows about Hollywood and the concept of celebrity? What are the ways that filmmakers explore the positive and negative sides of the industry? This week, we’re talking about the film industry’s obsession with Hollywood (i.e... themselves), and we chat through why the artist’s struggle is such an appealing topic for both filmmakers to explore and for viewers to watch. Reference material: La La Land: Using Color | VIDEO ESSAY https://youtu.be/NPAf3a0XYNk ...
Hiring Actors Who Don’t Sing in Musicals | La La Land Part 2
September 24, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBWhy do movie musicals hire actors who aren’t singers or dancers to perform in the film? How did Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling fare in “La La Land”? This week, we talk about actors brought on for their star power rather than their singing ability; people who act but have another person sing for them (i.e. Zac Efron in the first High School Musical) and movies we’ve found successful despite starring unknown actors. Reference material: La La Land: Using Color | VIDEO ESSAY https://youtu.be/NPAf...
What is the ‘Musical’ genre? | La La Land Part 1
September 17, 2020 11:00 - 34 minutes - 23.6 MBWhat is the musical genre? Is this a genre in and of itself, or do musicals fall into other genres as well? Join us as we begin watching & discussing the super enjoyable La La Land, where we try our very best not to sing along and talk about why it took so long for Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) to meet in the first part of the film. Reference material: ‘‘La La Land’ seriously misunderstands music. So why are its songs pretty great?’ by Mikael Wood: https://www.latimes.com/e...
Critics’ View of Romcoms | When Harry Met Sally Part 4
September 10, 2020 09:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBWhy do critics love to hate on the romcom? Why aren’t “popular” films taken seriously by critics? In this episode, we talk about the reception of the romcom genre and why we think it’s important for writers and critics to take the genre and its audiences more seriously. We also announce the theme for our next season, and how it relates to When Harry Met Sally and the films we’ve watched in the romcom genre. Reference material: Hollywood Reporter: Why Nora Ephron's Films Made Such an Impact...
BONUS | So we watched Tenet…
September 08, 2020 11:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBWhat did we think of Christopher Nolan’s new film “TENET”? How does it differ from his other films? And what is it like returning to the theatre after a six-month hiatus? We discuss what makes Nolan's films more successful than other modern action blockbusters, and the importance of smart, complex action movies in 2020's film landscape. Some spoilers in this episode (starting at approx. 6:50). Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative...
Can Romcoms be Timeless? | When Harry Met Sally Part 3
September 03, 2020 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBHow are the most recent romcoms different from When Harry Met Sally? Why do most genres have remakes, except for the romcom genre? In this episode, we chat through some of our own hypotheses about why most romcom storylines aren’t timeless, and how, against all odds, some romcoms disrupt the genre and become classics. Reference material: The Guardian: Love is (still) in the air: how the romcom came back from the dead https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/feb/08/love-is-still-in-the-air-wh...
Nora Ephron | When Harry Met Sally Part 2
August 27, 2020 09:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MB“I’ll have what she’s having!” What makes people want to have what Nora Ephron’s having? In this episode, we talk about the Queen of romantic comedy herself, Nora Ephron, and how she shaped the romcom genre, as well as how her work endures. While watching the second part of “When Harry Met Sally”, we discuss her background and writing style, and how her journalism background influenced her screenwriting career. We also chat about why Lara (and maybe you, the listener) prefers “You’ve Got Ma...
Creation Of The Romcom As We Know It | When Harry Met Sally Part 1
August 20, 2020 09:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBLet’s turn back time and talk about the evolution of the romcom and what they looked like throughout history - from Shakespeare all the way up to the late 70’s. We also talk about how the passage of time is used to reflect realistic character growth in When Harry Met Sally, and how time is an important element in the film. Join us as we witness what happens when Harry meets Sally (haha I couldn’t resist!) in the first part of what we consider the OG modern romcom. By the way, do you know wha...
Unrequited Love | The Half of It Part 4
August 13, 2020 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBIs there anything more quintessentially ‘romantic comedy’ than unrequited love? Join us as we watch the last part of The Half of It - did we get our classic romcom happily ever after? In this episode, we talk about how the trailer formed our expectations of this film and whether the ending met those expectations. We also reveal what film we’re going to watch next - so definitely listen until the very end! TIFF The Half of It Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO_kntgvb30 Movie Credit: A...
Aster, the Mythical Cool Girl | The Half of It Part 3
August 06, 2020 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBWhat is a ‘cool girl’ character and what kind of movies do we see her in? In this episode, we talk about how Aster fits into this trope and why writers should stop writing their female characters this way. We chat about whose perspective we are seeing Aster through, and why that might make Aster both different and similar to other cool girls. Lastly, we answer why we think that the cool girl trope is problematic and how it influences real life experiences. Media mentioned: The Cool Girl Tr...
Ellie, the Side-Character-Turned-Protagonist | The Half of It Part 2
July 30, 2020 09:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBIs The Half of It a romcom? What is the difference between a teen movie and a romcom? Is Ellie the protagonist actually a side character in her own movie? We discuss the cinematic choices director Alice Wu makes in framing Ellie, and if the witty banter - typically used to deepen the romantic interest - affects our expectations of who the main couple actually is. Plus, the use of religion and how it helps tell the story. Join us as we continue watching how Ellie helps Paul get his dream girl...
Queering the Romcom | The Half of It Part 1
July 23, 2020 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MBWhat different choices do writers and producers make when creating the modern day romcom? What diverse voices are we hearing from in The Half of It? How has The Half of It (in this part so far) followed (or not followed) the typical romcom formula from the early 2000s and 2010s? This week, we meet Ellie, Aster and Paul in Netflix’s The Half of It by Alice Wu, and explore her modern take on the teen romcom. Movie Credit: All movie content belongs to the filmmaker, producers and creatives. ...
Sophie’s Choice: Victor vs Charlie | Letters to Juliet Part 4
July 16, 2020 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBWho does Sophie end up with, and are there any last minute obstacles that get in the way? Why do people still watch romcoms if they are not surprised by what happens in the film? What does the romcom formula promise us that other film genres don’t provide? Movie Credit: All movie content belongs to the filmmaker, producers and creatives. Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http...
Charlie and Sophie Sitting in a Tree | Letters to Juliet Part 3
July 09, 2020 08:00 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MBIn romcoms (with straight couples), does the guy fall for the girl first? Why do romcom trailers reveal everything that is going to happen? What makes us still want to watch the film after seeing the whole story in the trailer? Why can we never remember the characters’ names? And more importantly, will Claire succeed in her search for Lorenzo as we near the end of the film? Movie Credit: All movie content belongs to the filmmaker, producers and creatives. Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights ...
And we’re off to Italy! | Letters to Juliet Part 1
June 30, 2020 17:00 - 32 minutes - 22.6 MBWhat is the romcom formula? And what do we expect to happen when we watch romcoms? In this episode, we talk about the romcom formula, trailer music, Amanda Seyfried’s hair and more, while joining Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) on her pre-wedding trip to Verona, Italy in Letters to Juliet. **Excuse the beeping in the background, it's only on this episode!** Trailer Music Mentioned: Audiomachine channel: https://www.youtube.com/audiomachine/featured “Avatar” Movie Trailer: https://www.youtube.co...
Charlie the Grumpy Grandson | Letters to Juliet Part 2
June 30, 2020 17:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBIs the romcom genre complete without some character development? Do romcoms have to have a happily ever after to fit into the genre? This week, we meet Charlie (Christopher Egan), who may or may not be Sophie’s romantic interest in the film. We also meet Claire (Vanessa Redgrave), Charlie’s grandmother, who has come back to Italy to find a former love interest. Movie Credit: All movie content belongs to the filmmaker, producers and creatives. Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kart...
Introductions and Trailer
June 30, 2020 17:00 - 5 minutes - 3.84 MBJoin us as we watch the trailer for Letters to Juliet to show you a little bit of what the podcast is all about! Movie Credit: All movie content belongs to the filmmaker, producers and creatives. Theme Music Credit: Ultra Lights by Stefan Kartenberg (c) copyright 2020 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/JeffSpeed68/61225 Ft: Javolenus