Filmspotting
A weekly podcast from Chicago featuring reviews, interviews, top 5 lists and insightful film talk with Adam Kempenaar and Matty Robinson
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25 Episodes of this Podcast:
FS #296: Green Zone / Top 5 Colorful Movie Titles
Published: 2010-03-19 17:12:46March 19: Director Paul Greengrass is great at two different styles of film: gritty historical "re-enactments" (think "United 93" and "Bloody Sunday") and gritty action thrillers (see: Bourne. Jason Bourne). In his latest, "Green Zone," he audaciously attempts to blend the two genres by inserting a Jason Bourne-esque hero into the 2003 invasion of Iraq, an historically-realized backdrop complete with missing WMDs, neocons, and even teen heartthrob Paul Bremer gets a second dance. Will Greengrassâ fusion of Bourne vs. Wolfowitz pay off? Find out as UN Inspectors Adam and Matty sift through hand-held cinematography and another earnest performance from Matt Damon in attempt to find anything fruitful to say about the film. In keeping with the historic proportions of the episode, the lads trot out their most important, deepest top 5 of all time... the Top 5 Colorful Movie Titles. Yep. We said it. Drink it in like the purple Gatorade of truth that it is.
Also on the show: Music by Field Music and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.
Filmspotting #296
:13-13:09 - Review: "Green Zone"
Music: Field Music, "Each Time is a New Time"
14:33-18:20 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: M. Reichert)
18:21-22:11 - Notes, Polls
22:12-35:24 - Listener Feedback, Caller
Music: Field Music, "Effortlessly"
36:13-44:13 - New DVDs / Donations
44:14-59:08 - Top 5: Colorful Movie Titles
59:09-1:02:11 - Close / Next Show / Outtakes
NOTES / CORRECTIONS
- Win an admit-2 pass to an advanced screening of "The Eclipse" - details here.
- From FS fact-checker extraordinaire Kevin Vasquez: "The cinematographer who started with "Days of Heaven" was Nestor Almendros. Haskell Wexler took over when Almendros left the production to work on a Truffaut film. Wexler was upset that he only got an additional photography credit. In Ebert's great movies essay on the film, he talks about a letter Wexler sent him where "he described sitting in a theater with a stopwatch to prove that more than half of the footage was shot by him." Almendros won the Oscar for the cinematography.
- Also from Kevin: "Reds" won Warren Beatty the Oscar for Best Director, but it lost Best Picture to "Chariots of Fire." I should just avoid talking about the Oscars. Donald Sutherland wasn't nominated for "Ordinary People" either (re: After Hours #14).
- Register for our Billy Wilder class at the University of Chicago's Graham School
- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.
- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.
After Hours #14: The Bishop's Wife / Listener Feedback
Published: 2010-03-18 18:06:17March 18: On this long-awaited edition of Filmspotting After Hours... Adam and Matty discuss their Listener's Choice pick "The Bishop's Wife," the 1947 holiday classic starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. Plus, the guys dive into Listener Feedback on the Top 5 Lead Performances That Should've Won Oscars and Top 5 Teen Rebels.
Congratulations to all of our donation winners! Please claim your prize by emailing feedback@filmspotting.net. Winners were selected from donations announced on shows #286-295.
NOTES
- Here's the opening of "Made in Britain" on YouTube.
- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting Podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.
- Support our Massacre Theatre sponsor by visiting PixarTalk.com.
FS #295: The Ghost Writer / The Shop Around the Corner / Top 5 Films of 1998
Published: 2010-03-12 16:01:00March 12: In honor of Filmspottingâs discussion of Roman Polanskiâs "The Ghost Writer," this weekâs show description is being ghostwritten by long time Filmspotting fan and regional Boggle champion, Linnea Knutsen of Yankton, South Dakota:
Greetings all! This weekâs show gets off to a rousing start as Matty beautifully articulates his take on Polanskiâs new thriller, saliently dissecting the filmâs strengths and weaknesses, rousingly bifurcating cinematic wheat from chaff. Robinsonâs dulcet musings linger long after the showâs close, as though the ghost of Manny Farber might actually be whispering in your ear. Matty waxes just as elegantly on the finer points of Ernst Lubitschâs "The Shop Around the Corner," the penultimate film in Filmspottingâs Ernst Lubitsch Marathon. Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan light up the screen in the legendary romantic comedy; theyâre almost as great as Mattyâs hilarious take on this weekâs Massacre Theatre challenge. Casting directors should be lining up to sign this emerging talent, this prince of new media. Seriously, Mattyâs agents would love to hear from you. Anyone? But I digress, the intelligent and ever-so-handsome Matty closes out the show with his controversial picks for the Top 5 Films of 1998. Adam appears on the show too.
Also on the show: Brand new music by David Ford and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.
Filmspotting #295
:13-17:08 - Review: "The Ghost Writer"
Music: David Ford, "Panic"
18:12-22:11 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: M. Dancer)
22:12-28:52 - Notes, Polls
28:53-40:25 - Lubitsch #3: The Shop Around the Corner
Music: David Ford, "Making Up for Lost Time"
41:03-48:13 - New DVDs / Donations
48:14-1:07:36 - Top 5: Films of 1998
1:07:37-1:10:11 - Close / Next Show / Sorry, no outtake this week!
NOTES / CORRECTIONS
- Win an admit-2 pass to an advanced screening of "Mother" - details here.
- Register for our Billy Wilder class at the University of Chicago's Graham School
- Allison Bagnall co-wrote "Buffalo '66" with Vincent Gallo.
- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.
- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.
FS #294: Alice in Wonderland / Un Prophet Interview / 2010 Oscar Picks
Published: 2010-03-05 14:40:37March 5: And then Alice came upon one of the strangest creatures she had ever before seen. Sitting high atop a mountain of marzipan and wearing a flowing robe of postage stamps and chiffon sat a large, bulbous beast with two heads. The two heads, one a tad more handsome than the other, each wore outlandish chapeaus that read "Kritik Hat," and the duo seemed to be arguing feverishly with each other over the merits of director Tim Burtonâs latest film "Alice in Wonderland." Alice sat in wonderment as the two heads seemed to employ an annoyingly impenetrable snobbish jargon to describe the film, picking nit after nit, and over-talking on seemingly every aspect of the movie. Not only did they carry on so about Wonderland, but the two flibbertygibbets gabbed on and on about best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee "Un Prophet", and only shut their blabbering maws long enough for the film's director and star, Jacques Audiard and Tahar Rahim, to get a few choice words in edgewise. Then the two muttonheads droned on and on well into the night, reciting for each other their Oscar Picks. Finally a frustrated Alice screamed, âQUIT IT! I canât take it any more. Why canât you just enjoy a movie for what it is? Pure entertainment! I think you two are in love with the sounds of your own voices!â The two heads (one dashingly better looking than the other) looked at each other and then smiled wide toothy grins before announcing in unison, âWe hear what youâre saying, dear, but youâre completely wrong," and then recommenced their inane arguments. "I donât even know what that means," sighed an exhausted Alice, who continued on the path marked "Towards the Lyons Cage," which hopefully offered a route to some film criticism that would prove more palatable to her tastes...
Also on the show: Music by Sad Brad Smith and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.
Filmspotting #294
:13-19:13 - Review: "Alice in Wonderland"
Music: Sad Brad Smith, "Sure"
19:54-23:15 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: A. Rich)
23:16-25:51 - Notes, Polls
25:52-31:44 - Short Review: "Un Prophet"
31:45-42:24 - Interview: Audiard/Rahim
Music: Sad Brad Smith, "Help Yourself"
42:56-51:47 - New DVDs / Donations
51:48-1:10:48 - Oscar Picks
1:10:49-1:13:17 - Close / Next Show / Outtakes
NOTES / CORRECTIONS
- Get a shot at winning some Filmspotting swag by participating in The Puzzler's Oscar contest.
- Register for our Billy Wilder class at the University of Chicago's Graham School
- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.
- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.
FS #293: Shutter Island / Trouble in Paradise / Top 5 Performances That Should've Won Oscars
Published: 2010-02-26 12:14:47Feb 26: What do Michele Williams, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Max Von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson and Jackie Earle Haley have in common? If you answered that none of those illustrious stars have ever stepped foot in Mattyâs living room, you are correct. But they all also have Academy Award nominations to their credit and currently find themselves in the middle of fellow Oscar award winner (for "Kundun," right??) Martin Scorceseâs latest thriller, "Shutter Island." The Filmspotting duo finds itself split on the overall effectiveness of the Dennis Lehane adaptation, with "I-havenât-met-a-great-director-whose-work-I-couldnât-apologize-for" Adam finding enough to chew on long after the film had ended, while Matty seems to have spent the better part of the film trying to convince himself he wasnât watching a Peter Jackson movie. But both the lads agree that the second film in their Ernst Lubitsch marathon, 1932âs "Trouble in Paradise," succeeds on all rollicking fronts. They close out the show with another Oscar-laden segment by handing out their choices for the Top 5 Performances That Should've Won Oscars... But Didnât. Fittingly, Jack Palanceâs ghost shows up in time to give all five slots to Marisa Tomei.
Also on the show: Music by The Right Now and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.
Filmspotting #293
:13-16:41 - Review: "Shutter Island"
Music: The Right Now, "Ain't Going Back"
17:40-22:53 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: L. Nash)
22:54-26:46 - Notes, Polls
26:47-37:40 - Lubitsch #2: "Trouble in Paradise"
Music: The Right Now, "Before I Know Your Name"
38:36-48:00 - New DVDs / Donations
48:01-1:09:15 - Top 5: Performances That Should've Won Oscar
1:09:16-1:12:12 - Close / Next Show / Outtakes
NOTES / CORRECTIONS
- Register for our Billy Wilder class at the University of Chicago's Graham School
- Get more info about TCM's 31 Days of Oscar.
- Please excuse any discrepancy in the Oscar years we mention and actual years the awards were handed out. Some sources go by the year the movie was released, others by when the ceremony was held.
- "The Haunting" is actually a 1963 release, not the '50s.
- Francis Ford Coppola did release "The Outsiders" before "Rumblefish," both 1983 releases.
- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.
- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.
FS #292: Fish Tank / Ninotchka / Top 5 Teen Rebels
Published: 2010-02-19 17:18:19Feb 19: "Arthouse Adam" is back in his element this week as the Filmspotting duo discusses the new film "Fish Tank." No â not because Michael Fassbender spends the better part of the movie sans shirt (though that is a plus). Rather, Adam is afforded the opportunity to revisit a film he first saw after a long day at the Toronto International Film Festival and really sink his teeth into the gritty, atmospheric world created by director Andrea Arnold and the unflinching performance from newcomer Katie Jarvis as Mia, a troubled Essex youth, trying to negotiate the limited opportunities afforded to her by her blighted environs. Next up, the first entry in the Ernst Lubitsch marathon, "Ninotchka," serves to brighten the episodeâs mood a bit. Both Adam and Matty fall for Greta Garboâs luminous screen presence, but find themselves split on the chemistry shared between the great Garbo and co-lead Melvyn Douglass... with Matty preferring a shirtless Michael Fassbender perhaps?
In keeping with the rebellious spirit of the show, the lads round out the episode by putting their mothers in a whirl by keeping them unsure whether theyâre boys or girls (if you donât get the reference, put down your iPod, get on iTunes and download Diamond Dogs in its entirety NOW) and listing their Top 5 Teen Rebels.
Also on the show: Music by Dana Wells and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.
Filmspotting #292
:13-17:35 - Review: "Fish Tank"
Music: Dana Wells, "Evergreen"
18:44-24:16 - Voicemail, Polls
24:17-33:13 - Listener Feedback (Date Movies)
33:14-40:24 - Guest Caller
Music: Dana Wells, "The Benefit"
41:49-46:11 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: K. Miller)
46:12-59:54 - Lubitsch #1: "Ninotchka"
Music: Dana Wells, "Anyone But You"
43:44-1:00:32 - New DVDs / Donations
1:00:33-1:22:37 - Top 5: Teen Rebels
1:22:38-1:26:04 - Close / Next Show / Outtakes
NOTES / CORRECTIONS
- Get more info about TCM's 31 Days of Oscar.
- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.
- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.
FS #291: Love Story / Love Affair / Top 5 Date Movies
Published: 2010-02-12 15:55:06Feb 12: Every February 14th, These United States of âMerica celebrate the pagan holiday of Saint Valentineâs Day, which commemorates Martin Lutherâs victory over the Visigoths at Valley Forge (or something like that). Obviously impaled by an arrant Cupidâs arrow, Filmspotting caught Valentine fever this week and called a programming audible. Instead of reviewing their patented âgritty independent film of the week that no one will ever see,â the lads decided to catch up with a pair of classic romances that virtually everyone except your intrepid reviewers have already seen: 1970âs famous weeper "Love Story" and 1939âs "Love Affair," starring the legendary Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer. They also wade through some great Listener Feedback and offer up their Top 5 Date Movies, which Matty probably cut and pasted from his profile on singlelutheranslookingforlove.com.
Also on the show: Music by Sulek and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.
Filmspotting #291
:13-20:12 - Review: "Love Story" / "Love Affair"
Music: Sulek, "Marigold"
20:54-25:30 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: A. Willis)
25:31-31:15 - Voicemail, Polls
31:16-43:05 - Listener Feedback
Music: Sulek, "Nothing At All"
43:44-54:48 - New DVDs / Donations
54:49-1:10:57 - Top 5: Date Movies
1:10:58-1:13:46 - Close / Next Show / Outtakes
NOTES / CORRECTIONS
- "How Green Was My Valley" was released in 1941. It beat out "Citizen Kane" for the best picture Oscar.
- In "Love Affair," Maria Ouspenskaya plays Charles Boyer's grandmother, not Boyer's mother.
- The article Matty referred to about Sidney Poitier is "Why Does White America Love Sidney Poitier So." We discussed it during our New Hollywood class because both "Guess Who" and "In the Heat of the Night" were on our syllabus. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the author later admitted he might have been extremely high when composing it.
- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.
- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.
FS #290: Edge of Darkness / Michael Hoffman Interview / Top 5 Career Comebacks
Published: 2010-02-06 10:30:21Feb 5: "No, you listen to US!" This week Filmspotting celebrates the return of Mel Gibson to the screen in the new thriller "Edge of Darkness" by delivering every segment of the show as though they were on the phone with the kidnappers who had just nabbed their only son, which should help save their discussion of the movie itself because "run-of-the-mill studio revenge flick" sounds much better when shouted with visceral intensity. Oddly enough in the next segment, Michael Hoffman, writer/director of the new Leo Tolstoy film "The Last Station" seemed unfazed during his interview/interrogation with Adam when Kempy demanded to know âWhere are you keeping James McAvoy? ... and... "Can you give me his phone number?" For a finale, the lads try to complement Mad Max's grand return by offering up their Top 5 Career Comebacks. "Whatâs that Mr. DeMille? You want a close-up? Weâll give you a close-up! A close-up in Hell!"
Also on the show: Music by Ralph Hinkley Syndrome and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.
Filmspotting #290
:13-14:51 - Review: "Edge of Darkness"
Music: Ralph Hinkley Syndrome, "Waiting"
16:07-20:44 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: C. Cummings)
20:45-47:10 - Interview: Michael Hoffman
Music: Ralph Hinkley Syndrome, "Travel"
47:47-56:59 - New DVDs / Donations
57:00-52:45 - Poll Questions
52:46-1:16:20 - Top 5: Career Comebacks
1:16:21-1:20:37 - Close / Next Show / Outtake
NOTES
- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.
- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.
FS #289: Overlooked DVD Picks / Sundance 2010 Recap / Top 5 2010 Movie Preview
Published: 2010-01-29 13:47:19Jan. 29: Adam spent last weekend in Park City, Utah, dodging avalanches by ducking into theaters at the Sundance Film Festival, and a despondent Matty hasn't left his house since Sunday when Brett Favre reverted to his gunslinger form and inexplicably threw across the field for an interception even though he had at least five yards of running room ahead of him and his kicker is a great dome kicker who can hit from 53 yards. Needless to say, the boys haven't been able to get to the cinema recently, so in lieu of a review of a new movie, the lads offer up some Overlooked DVD Picks. Plus, Adam reports back from his Sundance journey with a top five replete with enough documentaries to keep even Matty at bay. The guys then round out the outing by announcing their inaugural Golden Brick winner, and listing their Top 5 Most Anticipated Films of 2010. Jon Favreau, vengeance is yours!
Also on the show: Music by The Airborne Toxic Event and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.
Filmspotting #289
:13-17:23 - Review: Overlooked DVDs
Music: Airborne Toxic Event, "Somewhere Around Midnight"
18:45-23:09 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: S. Gluck)
23:10-31:49 - Voicemail, Poll, Golden Brick
31:50-43:18 - Sundance 2010 Recap
Music: Airborne Toxic Event, "Gasoline"
44:00-52:45 - New DVDs / Donations
52:46-1:07:41 - Top 5 2010 Preview
1:07:42-1:10:57 - Close / Next Show / Outtake
NOTES
- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.
- Uh, yeah... "Fight Club" might have been a David Fincher title Adam was looking for.
- Filmspotting's Top 25 Films of 2009
- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.
FS #288: The White Ribbon / The Book of Eli / 2009 Top 5 Blowout
Published: 2010-01-25 11:55:05Jan. 22: File under the 'When the cat's away' department. This week Adam is out-of-town kicking off his mandatory two year world-wide Filmspotting mission... or attending Robert Redford's annual Parker Posey film festival in Wyoming. Something like that. Either way, Matty is left behind to throw the show together himself. So, for an opening, instead of a single review, DJ Matty B mixed together reviews of two new movies -- "The White Ribbon" and "The Book of Eli" -- and looped in some killer Rihanna and Herzog vocals to craft an up-tempo house dance track... which is followed by ten minutes of dead air and intermittent invective as Matty didn't realize he had not paused the recording while watching the end of the Lakers-Cavs game. Filmspotting would like to make preemptive apologies to the family of Pau Gasol, who we are sure is a wonderful person who in no way entertains illicit relations with other members of his family or other species. In place of some great Listener Feedback, Matty offers up a selection of some of his favorite YouTube clips, which would work great if there were any type of video component to the show. And, proving once again that all cycles are cyclical, Matty complements the show's 2009 Top 5 Blowout with a copy of his recitation of "The Miller's Tale" in perfect Middle English, which I think we can all agree is the oddest audition tape "The McLaughlin Group" has ever received.
Also on the show: Music by Animal Collective and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.
Filmspotting #288
:13-11:14 - Review: "The White Ribbon"
11:15-21:24 - Review: "The Book of Eli"
Music: Animal Collective, "Doggy"
22:11-26:52 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: S. Aparicio)
26:53-33:13 - Voicemail, Polls, Notes
33:14-43:09 - Listener Feedback
Music: Animal Collective, "Also Frightened"
43:57-52:37 - New DVDs / Donations
52:38-1:13:19 - 2009 Top 5 Blowout
1:13:20-1:16:09 - Close / Next Show / Outtake
NOTES
- If your version of this podcast doesn't have the same audio quality as normal, that's because we were adjusting some settings. Hopefully everything is back to normal, but earlier downloaded versions of this show may sound a little less crisp.
- Filmspotting's Top 25 Films of 2009
- Learn more about "William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe", which is playing now at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
- Get a chance to win "The Boys are Back" on DVD.
- Sundance/Filmspotting Meetup details.
- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting Podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.
- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.
Copyright info: Telegraph Road Productions, Inc. 2005-10.
All syndicated content presented here is property of the original publisher
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