On today's show, we have another musical entry for the Flixwise Favorites List. This time UW-Madison Media and Cultural Studies graduate student, Austin Morris, is pitching Steve Antin's 2010 cultural artifact, Burlesque for inclusion in our little pantheon. In order for Burlesque to make the cut, Austin must convince host, Lady P, and our guest panelist Assistant Professor and Reverse Shot film critic, Matt Connolly, that this cinematic oddity is one of the greatest films of all time. All three...
Aug 21, 2018•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 35
Martin is joined by Alistair Pitts of the Russophiles Unite! Movie Podcast to talk about the classic (or possibly cult classic) Withnail and I. They talk about the comedy that isn't immediately apparent that it's a comedy, its depiction of the 1960s, alcoholism, and tiptoe through the character Uncle Monty. Also Martin picks on Johhny Depp, but can't pronounce "Withnail".
Aug 19, 2018•1 hr 20 min
Martin is joined by Scorsese aficionado Robert Cotto to discuss Martin Scorsese's Religious Trilogy (The Last Temptation of Christ, Kundun, and Silence). Together they examine the themes of the trilogy, praise the many performances throughout, talk about the varied responses to each film upon their release, and manage to give their personal feelings toward each film as well.
Aug 13, 2018•2 hr 32 min
Martin is joined by Leanne Kubicz to discuss Jackass: The Movie, Jackass Number Two, Jackass 3D, and everything that can be squeezed in between. They talk about which jokes hold up and which skits couldn't be done today. They take a look at the members of the Jackass crew, and discuss bad taste and the virtues of outsiderdom.
Aug 05, 2018•1 hr 4 min
We at Flixwise believe that it is important that we concern ourselves with whether a film's reputation is earned or simply accepted as common wisdom. That it is important to care enough about the art of filmmaking to pause and reflect on even the most common or woeful of motion pictures. And really, what's more woeful than being given the boot from "The Happiest Place on Earth?" With that in mind, we ever so humbly present a Flixwise Favorites face-off featuring two films that have long been rel...
Jul 17, 2018•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 34
Martin is joined by Matthias van der Roest to discuss Mathieu Kassovitz' 1995 breakout film, La Haine. They talk about the film's look, soundtrack, and influences. They discuss the housing projects depicted in the film, the hip-hop soundtrack, and the continues relevance of its story. They cover the film's sound and visual style, and talk about the not-so-French films that influenced it.
Jul 10, 2018•1 hr 10 min
Lady P is joined by film historian and Orson Welles scholar, Professor Joseph McBride, as well as fellow UW-Madison graduate student and Welles enthusiast, Erica Moulton, to discuss one of Orson's most popular non-directorial efforts. Today's Sight and Sound entry is the 73rd movie on the International Critics Poll, Carol Reed's The Third Man (1949). A film in which Orson utilizes his immense onscreen charisma to charm audiences across the globe into sympathizing with a heartless criminal. Despi...
Jun 12, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 73
Martin is joined by Spencer Seams of the High and Low podcast to discuss Chadian filmmaker Mahamat Saleh Haroun's story of revenge and compassion, Daratt. They discuss the film's characters, themes, politics, and Martin manages to shoehorn Star Wars into the conversation. They examine the film's striking colour palette, its subtle soundscape, and the role of bread.
May 27, 2018•54 min
Martin and resident artist Emma Guerard have a discussion about the film work of designer Eiko Ishioka. The discuss her production designs for the literary sequences in Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, as well as her costume designs for Dracula, The Cell, and The Fall. They try to pin down her unique aesthetic, and look at how sets and costumes can do their part to tell a story on film. They manage to touch on some of her work outside of film as well, including her work in advertising, the Beij...
May 10, 2018•1 hr 4 min
Martin is joined by special guest Zachary Curl for a fast-paced conversation about Katsuhiro Otomo's animated masterpiece, Akira. They talk about the film's cyclical themes and its motorcycles, then get personal about perfection, imperfection, and inspiration. They discuss how Akira fits into the contexts of animated films, Japanese history, and life in general (everything from Sonic Youth to Katsushika Hokusai). Martin and Zachary also get into the follies of Hollywood remakes, with the threat ...
Apr 17, 2018•2 hr 5 min
We are so pleased and honored to welcome back to the show, writer and film historian, Professor James Naremore. As is the author of the seminal book on the film noir genre -- More Than Night: Film Noir and Its Contexts -- Naremore is more than equipped to tackle today's Sight and Sound entry: Chinatown (1974) . Naremore, along with host, Lady P, discusses how the film creates an amalgam of Classic Noir homages along with an infusion of Nixon-era paranoia and cynicism. Lady P and Naremore also ta...
Apr 03, 2018•1 hr•Ep. 78
Lady P is joined by Michelle Buchman (the social media maven over at Nerdist) and Kate Hagen (the Director of Community at The Blacklist), to discuss a pair of John Cassavetes films: Faces and A Woman Under the Influence. Or is it a pair of Gena Rowlands films? Either way, our panel discusses both films' ground breaking experimentalism, their emotional resonance, and whether or not their worthy of their places on the Sight & Sound list.
Mar 20, 2018•1 hr 5 min
Happy four year anniversary of Flixwise! I hope you'll find that the fundamental things still apply, as time goes by. On this milestone episode, Lady P is joined by an esteemed film scholar and all-around snappy dresser, David Bordwell to discuss none other than Casablanca. They see if it lives up to its reputation as the quintessential Hollywood movie, not just of the 1940s but of all time, and consider if it's worth of its 78th spot on the Sight & Sound List. For a second topic they turn t...
Mar 06, 2018•1 hr 25 min
Returning guest, Chris Funderberg and John Cribbs of thepinksmoke.com join Martin in a discussion of Neil Jordan's Seaside Trilogy. The trilogy includes Mona Lisa, The Miracle, and The Crying Game. They talk about what makes it a trilogy, how it fits into Jodran's career, and whether films like Angel or The Butcher Boy might be considered unofficial additions to the trilogy. They talk about lumpy films, second-1st films, and what happened to Neil Jordan.
Feb 28, 2018•1 hr 10 min
Martin is joined by Jon Laubinger of the FilmBabyFilm podcast to discuss the film adaptations of William Shakespeare's Scottish Play.They cover the gamut of interpretations, looking at what changes and what stays the same from film to film, and try to decide which is the most faithful. They can't resist talking about the theatre, and then give their opinion on which filmmakers they would like to see tackle The Bard's brutal tragedy.
Feb 20, 2018•1 hr 14 min
For our Valentine's Day show, we relitigate an ancient (mid-90s) grudge, which breaks to new mutiny. Flixwise newcomers Jacob Mertens and Erica Moulton head up opposite households in the Shakespearean adaptation universe.Jacob, who hails from the House of Baz, believes that Luhrmann's 1996 cultural touchstone, Romeo + Juliet is one of the greatest movies of all time. Erica, of the House of Skeptics, thinks that Baz's formal flourishes don't do justice to the original text. Host, Lady P plays ref...
Feb 13, 2018•1 hr 17 min
Martin is joined by returning guest Becky D’Anna to discuss Alexander Payne’s Election. They discuss the film’s use of unreliable narration, which of its characters are sympathetic, its garbage motif, and what a bee sting adds to it. They talk about why the film’s ending is perfect, and why the original ending might not have worked. They cover the film’s political satire, depiction of high school life, and decide once and for all if Tracy Flick is a winner.
Jan 30, 2018•1 hr
On today's show, classic movie buffs, Michelle Buchman and Kate Hagen, join Lady P for the first Flixwise Favorites entry of 2k18. Michelle is on hand to tell listeners why she thinks Robert Redford's 1980 Best Picture winner, ORDINARY PEOPLE, is actually pretty exceptional. According to Michelle, the film offers both great performances (particularly those of Mary Tyler Moore and Timothy Hutton) as well as an ahead-of-its-time portrayal of mental illness and behavioral therapy. The panel then de...
Jan 23, 2018•44 min
Our annual year in review show, and our first ever call-in episode. A whole host of guests both new and familiar join Lady P̶o̶r̶g̶ P and Martin in covering their favourite movies of the year, and manage to give their thoughts on some of 2017's most debated film topics like post-horror and if a TV show belongs on a list of the best movies of the year.
Jan 02, 2018•2 hr 17 min
Is Titanic an unsinkable classic? A deluxe panel dives in to decide whether the one-time 'biggest movie i the world' is worthy of The Flixwise Favourites List. They discuss Kate and Leo....and James "Feminist Filmmaker" Cameron. The sing-a-long of My Heart Will Go On is just a bonus.
Dec 20, 2017•1 hr 25 min
Martin Kessler is joined by Emma Guerard to discuss a pair of films, Pandora's Box and Diary of a Lost Girl, both starring Louise Brooks and directed by G.W. Pabst. They consider Louise Brooks' acting style, her status as an icon, and how her collaboration with Pabst fit into her career. They compare the films to one another, and look at them in context of coming at the very end of the silent period. Also Martin finds out that there are Flixwise t-shirts.
Dec 15, 2017•47 min
Dave Eves returns to join Martin in discussing Sergio Leone's epic spaghetti western, Once Upon a Time in the West. They talk about the films casting of Henry 'Good Guy' Fonda as the film's villain, its international shooting locations, the myths of the old west, the nuance of gunshot sound effects, and what a 'special guest star' credit is doing in a feature film. Then they showdown to figure out if it's worthy of its 78th spot on The Sight & Sound List.
Dec 05, 2017•44 min
Martin Kessler is joined by returning guests Chris Funderberg and John Cribbs of thepinksmoke.com to discuss Rainer Werner Fassbinder's fifteen and a half hour long adaptation of Alfred Döblin's novel, Berlin Alexanderplatz. They look at its complex narrative, moral themes, and historical context. They make comparisons to the novel, the 1931 film adaptation, the rest of Fassbinder's filmography and other 'long movies'. They discuss it's visual and audio style, and try to figure out if Franz Bibe...
Nov 21, 2017•1 hr 38 min
Lady P is joined by Patrick McGilligan, author of Robert Altman Jumping Off the Cliff , who has returned to the podcast to discuss the musically and politically charged film Nashville. However with Nashville being the only Robert Altman film on the list, they can't resist diving into the rest of Altman's long, eclectic, and magnificent career. Pat talks about his relationship with Altman's films, and what Altman was like in person. They look at Altman's visual style, his unique soundscapes, and ...
Nov 14, 2017•58 min
Martin Kessler is joined by Jacob Rivera for a look at the films of director David Fincher in the 1990s; Alien 3, Se7en, The Game, and Fight Club. They see how well each film holds up, and examine their thematic landscapes. They discuss Fincher's shifting style, his approach to visual effects, his sense of humour, how he establishes a tone, and whether or not he might be considered an auteur. They reflect on spoiler warnings, DVD special features, Switzerland in the 23rd century and do their bes...
Oct 31, 2017•56 min
On today's show, we're sinking into the sweet embrace of existential despair. Host Lady P is joined by co-producer Martin Kessler, Battleship Pretension writer and Flixwise regular Scott Nye, and new friend of the show Lilly Holman, to evaluate Michelangelo Antonioni's 1962 classic L'Eclisse. They step through some of the films forays into genre cinema - including it's sci-fi, dystopian elements. Plus, they draw comparisons between the previous two films in Antonioni's Eros Trilogy and discuss h...
Oct 17, 2017•1 hr 7 min
On today's show, NYC film critics, Caroline Golum and Matt Prigge, of Blue Velvet fame make their glorious return to Flixwise. In their previous appearance they discussed David Lynch's 1986 neo-noir, and so we thought it would be appropriate to stick with the freshman dorm-room milieu and talk about the other 69th film on the Sight and Sound Critics' poll, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (1982) . They join host, Lady P (as well as Lady P's new school chum and fellow adventurer in grad school, Lilly ...
Oct 03, 2017•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 69
Martin Kessler is joined by Chris Funderberg and John Cribbs of thepinksmoke.com to discuss the films of two-time Palme d'Or award-wining director Shohei Imamura. They talk about his dark subject matter, his bleak point of view, the phases of his career, and his wild sense of humour. They discuss how Imamura has been handled by critics, compare him to New German Cinema, Luis Buñuel, and discuss why comparing him to other Japanese filmmakers may be a misleading.
Sep 19, 2017•1 hr 47 min
Martin Kessler is joined by Jon Laubinger and Jason Beamish to discuss Chris Marker’s Sans Soleil. A film that seems to defy classification, they consider whether it’s a documentary, travelogue, essay, poem, or survival guid for the 21st century. They examine its varied images, and look for meaning in its unexpected juxtapositions and distortions of reality, and consider it it’s worthy of its 69th place on the Sight & Sound List (or maybe a Nobel prize).
Sep 12, 2017•51 min
Join Martin Kessler and Dave Eaves as they travel through time (forward, at regular speed) and try to figure out what Lo-Fi science fiction is exactly. They discuss examples new and old, of films that take an unconventional approach to all manner of sci-fi subjects. They discuss the themes, subtle production design, and walking the tightrope of pretentious in films that may not be obviously sci-fi. Then they let their humanity show, and can’t resist comparing them to sci-fi films on the opposite...
Sep 05, 2017•1 hr 42 min
