Last week, the guys saw Jean-Pierre Melville tells a tale of immorality, heists and betrayal. This week, it's a a story about faith, comfort and God. A woman goes into a church ready to display her frustration by mocking a priest for his hypocrisy. Instead what begins is a series of conversations and debates with the titular Leon Morin, Priest about what it means to be Catholic and to have faith in an impossible time. The guys discuss how Melville makes these moments cinematically gripping and h...
Jan 19, 2018•29 min•Season 1Ep. 87
Happy New Year! Eric and Austin are here to welcome you into 2018 the only way they know how. With a super cool French director from the 1960s. They begin with Bob le Flambeur, the slick noir film about an aged gambler who tries a new heist while his unlucky streak continues. It's a film that seems to have inspired modern films like Ocean's 11 and maybe even The Wrestler. Jean-Pierre Melville's Five 1) Bob le Flambeur 2) Leon Morin, Priest 3) Le Samourai 4) Army of Shadows 5) Le Cercle Rogue –Le...
Jan 12, 2018•28 min
From Citizen Kane to Falstaff, we looked at the dramatic rises and falls of Orson Welles' career. The guys look back at his incredible screen presence, the scope he was able to achieve with what he was working with and they announce their next Five which will start in 2018. Thank you all for listening to us throughout 2017! You all are fantastic and thank you for taking this cinematic look with us. Orson Welles' Five 1) Citizen Kane 2) The Third Man 3) Othello 4) Touch of Evil 5) Chimes at Midni...
Dec 27, 2017•28 min
It's Orson Welles and William Shakespeare back again! After a successful team-up with Othello, this time Welles plays a character with the same skin tone as himself with the beloved and tragic fool of Falstaff. With Chimes at Midnight, Welles took elements from Henry IV Part I and Part II and mixed in parts of Henry V and The Merry Wives of Windsor to give this side character his own starring role. The guys are joined by the brilliant Tara Olivero from Shakespearemachine to provide more context ...
Dec 22, 2017•34 min•Season 1Ep. 85
Orson Welles returns to Hollywood and instead of looking like a dashing knight, he is a very gross overweight racist cop. It wasn't how the audiences remembered him, but years later Touch of Evil remains one of his most memorable films. It is a noir film set on the Mexican border about the fallout of a bomb explosion. The guys talk about its iconic tracking shot, the fact that Charlton Heston plays a Mexican and how disgusting this world is. Orson Welles' Five 1) Citizen Kane 2) The Third Man 3)...
Dec 15, 2017•30 min
What does Orson Welles do after making perhaps the greatest movie of all time? He gets basically exiled to Europe to make low-budget Shakespeare films. But are they any good? The guys look into his Othello adaptation and how he interprets the Moor of Venice. Without the resources of Hollywood, Welles uses real incredible settings and new tricks to bring gravitas to the leader who is being betrayed by Iago. And yes, they are distracted by the blackface pretty much the entire time. Orson Welles' F...
Dec 09, 2017•25 min
Orson Welles is known as a man of many hats as seen with his tour-de-force last week. This week, with The Third Man, the guys are just focusing on him as an actor. It's one of the most beloved noir films of all time as a dimestore novelist travels to Vienna to see an old friend who he learns died under confusing circumstances. As the mystery continues, here enters Welles and he steals the show with perfectly evil charisma. Orson Welles' Five 1) Citizen Kane 2) The Third Man 3) Othello 4) Touch o...
Dec 01, 2017•33 min
Citizen Kane keeps coming up as the greatest American film of all time. Due to that, it all seems really intimidating. And yet part of the reason it may have such acclaim is because it's so much fun to watch. The guys start their Orson Welles Five with his masterpiece about a newsman who keeps thriving to have it all and unfortunately frequently does. Orson Welles' Five 1) Citizen Kane 2) The Third Man 3) Othello 4) Touch of Evil 5) Chimes at Midnight –Leave us your thoughts on this movie at The...
Nov 24, 2017•41 min
After five weeks, it's time for Austin and Eric to see what they learned. In one final discussion, the guys decide if Gene Kelly succeeds in old fashioned Hollywood escapism or he's too distracting to be escapist. They also talk about some of the films they didn't cover like On the Town and That's Entertainment Part II. Also they (awkwardly) announce their next Five... Gene Kelly's Five 1) An American in Paris 2) Singin' in the Rain 3) It's Always Fair Weather 4) The Young Girls of Rochefort 5) ...
Nov 22, 2017•30 min
This Five has taken us from Best Picture to Razzie loser as we enter the magical world of Xanadu. It's the typical story of a man influenced by a magical woman who may have awoken from a wall because he tore up a drawing. Along with their special guest Erin Oechsel, they determine what effectively creates a musical world and does the bad acting of the lead actually make Gene Kelly's older performances better? Gene Kelly's Five 1) An American in Paris 2) Singin' in the Rain 3) It's Always Fair We...
Nov 18, 2017•49 min
The Five started off on a bad foot where Gene Kelly played an American who went to Paris. Maybe The Young Girls of Rochefort will end up differently for the guys. It's co-stars Gene Kelly who plays an American in a French film. It's one of the most beloved films by Jacques Demy who has a brilliant approach to musicals and this his tribute to the Hollywood that Kelly helped establish. Gene Kelly's Five 1) An American in Paris 2) Singin' in the Rain 3) It's Always Fair Weather 4) The Young Girls o...
Nov 10, 2017•31 min
The weirdest Five continues as Austin tests Eric's patience with Gene Kelly with the film that tested Hollywood's patience with Gene Kelly: It's Always Fair Weather. It is the story of three soldiers who reunite after ten years to discover they aren't the friends they once knew. It's experimental and not always perfect, but it goes for some really bold ideas. Perhaps it'll work better as a sci-fi film...? Gene Kelly's Five 1) An American in Paris 2) Singin' in the Rain 3) It's Always Fair Weathe...
Nov 03, 2017•32 min
Last week was a bumpy start for the Gene Kelly Five with a more negative review than usual. But now it's time for a true Hollywood classic: Singin' in the Rain! Will this charming movie about a charming trio in a charming era of Hollywood charm these two guys with a podcast? Will it make them laugh or will their tears cause the rain where one could sing in? We'll let you find out on this good morning. Gene Kelly's Five 1) An American in Paris 2) Singin' in the Rain 3) It's Always Fair Weather 4)...
Oct 27, 2017•32 min
After five weeks of beautiful, incredible and dense Russian cinema, Austin presents some lighter Hollywood musicals. What can go wrong? Immediately the guys examine the Best Picture winner An American in Paris and how toxic it is to women and honestly everyone. This may not be the perfectly selected Five but we're going to make the most out of it. Gene Kelly's Five 1) An American in Paris 2) Singin' in the Rain 3) It's Always Fair Weather 4) The Young Girls of Rochefort 5) Xanadu –Leave us your ...
Oct 20, 2017•32 min
'Tis the season where Austin and Eric are looking to watch and rewatch horror films. Like they did last year, they're taking a bonus episode to highlight some of their favorites. These are fun popular films that are some of the best to watch this month, a few of which almost were on a previous Five set. Sit back, relax and ignore the pack of wolves who have been starring at you in the dark for the past five minutes. –Leave us your thoughts on this movie at TheArtImmortal.com –Subscribe to Eric’s...
Oct 13, 2017•56 min
Five weeks later and it feels like we have circled the universe of cinema. We're saying that we're fans of Andrei Tarkovksy! The guys look back on the five they watched and tried to sum up such a visual master of a filmmaker. Also they announce their next Five which may not start this week... Andrei Tarkovsky's Five 1) Ivan's Childhood 2) Andrei Rublev 3) Solaris 4) The Mirror 5) Stalker –Leave us your thoughts on this movie at TheArtImmortal.com –Subscribe to Eric’s video game YouTube channel, ...
Oct 11, 2017•26 min
It's The Wizard of Oz meets Jaws in a science fiction zone created by aliens. This can only be Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker. Eric and Austin break down one of the greatest films that Eric has seen on this podcast as three men risk everything to go to a mysterious Room that can fulfill their greatest desire. The guys dive into what that could entail and how Tarkovksy makes the ordinary so creepy and dangerous. Andrei Tarkovsky's Five 1) Ivan's Childhood 2) Andrei Rublev 3) Solaris 4) The Mirror 5) ...
Oct 06, 2017•40 min
Andrei Tarkovsky's The Mirror often doesn't feel like a film, but like a trip to the museum or a poem. It moves in its own path that sometimes feels indecipherable to Austin and Eric, but it's also never a burden on the experience. The guys struggle to find the right words to say about this movie, but it's definitely worth watching. Andrei Tarkovsky's Five 1) Ivan's Childhood 2) Andrei Rublev 3) Solaris 4) The Mirror 5) Stalker –Leave us your thoughts on this movie at TheArtImmortal.com –Subscri...
Sep 29, 2017•24 min
The one you loved died. And then they come back not exactly as they once were. Is this a ghost story or a miracle? This is the dilemma at the heart of Solaris. The guys dive into the science fiction masterpiece about what is discovered above a mysterious planet. Andrei Tarkovsky's style blends brilliantly with this new genre as he dives into his themes of identity, connection and higher power with ground-breaking beauty. Andrei Tarkovsky's Five 1) Ivan's Childhood 2) Andrei Rublev 3) Solaris 4) ...
Sep 22, 2017•33 min
No more easy episodes! Last week we had Ivan's Childhood in which we definitively stated that Ivan had a childhood. With Andrei Rublev, it's more complicated. The guys dig into exactly why this is a man whose life should be studied and whether or not Andrei Tarkovsky believes in what he is doing. The guys couldn't dig into this dense and brilliant biopic alone so they are thrilled to be joined by writer/filmmaker Ed Leer who gives us fantastic insight into this journey into an artist. Also Austi...
Sep 15, 2017•40 min
Austin and Eric started their journey to Russia with the first film in their Andrei Tarkovsky Five: Ivan's Childhood. It's the emotional story of a young boy who finds himself as a war spy after his family was killed. And yet it's a beautiful film. Welcome to the cinematic contradiction of Tarkovksy. Andrei Tarkovsky's Five 1) Ivan's Childhood 2) Andrei Rublev 3) Solaris 4) The Mirror 5) Stalker –Leave us your thoughts on this movie at TheArtImmortal.com –Subscribe to Eric’s video game YouTube c...
Sep 08, 2017•30 min
And like that, we have finished our Robert Altman Five starting with a war that ended too late and ending with a radio show that didn't actually end. The guys look back at the films they covered and the ones they didn't. Then they announce their new Five that starts this week. (Be sure you have a coat.) Robert Altman's Five 1) MASH 2) McCabe & Mrs. Miller 3) Nashville 4) Short Cuts 5) A Prairie Home Companion –Leave us your thoughts on this movie at TheArtImmortal.com –Subscribe to Eric’s vi...
Sep 06, 2017•29 min
Bad jokes, boy we love them. Robert Altman's real life final movie was about the fictional final episode of A Prairie Home Companion and all of the people involved with the beloved Garrison Keillor radio show. Unlike the real show, this involved an angel and a real Guy Noir walking around, but somehow that made it feel even more grounded to the guys as they took comfort in the comforting sounds of county music and puns. Robert Altman's Five 1) MASH 2) McCabe & Mrs. Miller 3) Nashville 4) Sho...
Sep 01, 2017•31 min
For this episode about Short Cuts, Eric and Austin were tempted to create several different perspectives of the film that all interconnected and created a feeling of dread. Instead perhaps the only way it can be clear is if they took a step back from it all. Anywho! The guys review this Robert Altman film that he made almost two decades after Nashville where he adapted an entire collection of Raymond Carver stories with so many brilliant actors. Robert Altman's Five 1) MASH 2) McCabe & Mrs. ...
Aug 25, 2017•33 min
The guys take a road trip south to Nashvile and after a weekend, they realized there is a lot more going on than they thought. Also they're pretty sure that weird mute was Jeff Goldblum. Eric and Austin look into the 1975 classic Robert Altman film, Nashville, and learn what it means when Altman takes his naturalism to a new level. Robert Altman's Five 1) MASH 2) McCabe & Mrs. Miller 3) Nashville 4) Short Cuts 5) A Prairie Home Companion –Leave us your thoughts on this movie at TheArtImmorta...
Aug 11, 2017•37 min
McCabe & Mrs. Miller is always written that way to highlight that the relationship between the two titular characters is a business one. It's like calling a production duo Lugar & Mr. Martindale. However, that bond is tested this episode as Eric is under the weather and they record the show in different rooms. Is it a metaphor for how these two survive a Robert Altman anti-western or does it end up a perfect piece of art? No middle ground. Robert Altman's Five 1) MASH 2) McCabe & Mrs...
Aug 04, 2017•36 min
For eleven seasons, the 4077 MASH was run by Alan Alda but before that it was under the rule of Donald Sutherland and Robert Altman. Their anti-war dark comedy MASH tested the bounds of decency and remains a hilarious and unique piece of art. The guys are joined by their friend Nick Hussong to start this Robert Altman Five. Robert Altman's Five 1) MASH 2) McCabe & Mrs. Miller 3) Nashville 4) Short Cuts 5) A Prairie Home Companion –Leave us your thoughts on this movie at TheArtImmortal.com –S...
Jul 28, 2017•36 min
It's as if we never said goodbye. But we did. Charlie Chaplin provided one of our most fascinating Fives to date thanks to his innovative craft and creativity. The guys look back at the movies they covered and the ones they didn't. Also they announce the next Five... Charlie Chaplin's Five 1) The Gold Rush 2) City Lights 3) Modern Times 4) The Great Dictator 5) Monsieur Verdoux –Leave us your thoughts on this movie at TheArtImmortal.com –Subscribe to Eric’s video game YouTube channel, Constant D...
Jul 26, 2017•25 min
In The Great Dictator, Chaplin played a Jewish Barber who was often like The Tramp, but not officially. In Monsieur Verdoux, he is playing something brand new. It is a character without the hopeful aspirations, instead he is a serial killer who keeps marrying and murdering women so he can financially support his original family. How do the guys react to Chaplin's much darker experiment of a film? Charlie Chaplin's Five 1) The Gold Rush 2) City Lights 3) Modern Times 4) The Great Dictator 5) Mons...
Jul 21, 2017•29 min
Chaplin speaks! After three films where The Tramp only went as far as singing gibberish, Chaplin takes on two roles filled with important dialog in The Great Dictator. One is the Jewish barber returning home to see his neighborhood has been turned into a World War II ghetto. The other is a childish cruel dictator who has the same mustache as Chaplin... The results are groundbreaking cinema concluding with a perfect ending. Charlie Chaplin's Five 1) The Gold Rush 2) City Lights 3) Modern Times 4)...
Jul 14, 2017•38 min
