A mercifully brief addendum to Episode 26 ("Undeserved Oscar Winners"), where I respond to some comments about that episode (and offer some thoughts on the very-much-deserved Oscars for The Godfather movies and The Best Years of Our Lives) and

My Critical Influences

May 19th, 2020 31m 49s

A discussion of some of the film critics (and other kinds of critics and writers) who have had an influence on my own approach to thinking about and talking about movies.

Undeserved Oscars

May 8th, 2020 51m 58s

I discuss some of the reasons people like to argue about the Oscars, and focus in on arguments about undeserved winners. I discuss why I think movies such as How Green Was My Valley, Dances with Wolves, and Going My Way, still "deserve" their b

Two Stylish Vampire Movies from the 1980's

Apr 27th, 2020 17m 39s

A quick and dirty compare and contrast between The Hunger and Near Dark, two stylish vampire movies from the 1980's, made early in the careers of directors who would go on to achieve great things.

The 1980's (or Part 2 of My Deconstruction of the Myth of New Hollywood)

Apr 17th, 2020 50m 53s

I attempt to push back against and deconstruct the widely held idea that cinema in the 1980's represented a tragic falling off from the greatness that was cinema in the 1970's. Also, I make fun of Goonies.

Abnormal Movie Watching

Apr 5th, 2020 19m 40s

In this one, I talk about the difference between the way normal people watch movies and the way that (some) egg-head movie buffs like myself watch movies. I discuss my thoughts on some beloved-by-me and not-well-liked by most normal people movi

Two Movie Recommendations

Mar 23rd, 2020 16m 6s

In which I go from the ridiculous to the sublime and recommend a couple of movies currently available for streaming.

Scorsese

Mar 10th, 2020 43m 52s

A tour through Martin Scorsese’s filmography.

De Palma Redux

Feb 26th, 2020 14m 56s

I clarify some of my thoughts on several Brian De Palma movies, and try to explain what’s so great about Blow Out and Mission: Impossible.

Looking Down on Theatricality

Feb 19th, 2020 22m 59s

In which I try to answer the question of why some people say that theatricality in movies is a bad thing.

Three “Making of” Books

Feb 12th, 2020 17m 27s

I talk about three books that each present a different approach to writing about the making of a movie: The Wah Wah Diaries, Chris Nashawaty’s book on Caddyshack, and the magisterial The Making of Star Wars by J.W. Rinzler.

The American New Wave

Feb 5th, 2020 49m 25s

An epic exploration of the question: was there an American New Wave?

Three Star Movies

Jan 29th, 2020 21m 8s

An attempt to explore the question: what makes a mediocre movie mediocre?

Criterion’s Sci-Fi of the 1970s Series

Jan 24th, 2020 12m 41s

A brief appreciation of some of the movies in the Criterion Channel’s current ‘70s Sci-Fi series.

True New York Stories

Jan 22nd, 2020 16m 29s

I compare and contrast two relatively recent movies set in New York City and based on true crime cases.

Brian De Palma Lightning Round

Jan 16th, 2020 24m 15s

Bonus mini-episode: an off-the-cuff run through of the filmography of one of my favorite filmmakers.

Better Than

Jan 15th, 2020 26m 52s

A discussion of the pros and cons of using “who’s the greater director, X or Y?”, as a conversation starter.

Uncut Gems

Jan 13th, 2020 12m 23s

A mini-episode on the new Safdie/Sandler movie Uncut Gems.

1959

Jan 8th, 2020 33m 16s

I talk about why I think 1959 was such a great year for movies, and share thoughts on some of my favorites.

How I Made My Best of the Decade List

Jan 1st, 2020 25m 22s

An overly self-indulgent episode where I share my thoughts on my process of coming up with a best movies of the decade list.

Owen Gleiberman’s Overrated List

Dec 31st, 2019 19m 51s

I offer some thoughts on Owen Gleiberman’s Most Overrated Movies of the Decade List.

My Movie-Watching Year in Review

Dec 24th, 2019 38m 7s

I look back over the last year, count up all the movies I watched, and share some thoughts on my favorites.

Changing My Mind

Dec 18th, 2019 27m 30s

Some thoughts on the under-reported phenomenon of changing your mind about a movie.

Some Recent Underrated Movies

Dec 11th, 2019 28m 56s

In this follow-up to last week’s episode, I talk a little more about some of my favorite recent movies that didn’t get the respect I think they deserved.