Another Five is in the bag! The guys look back at the five films they covered of Spike Lee's canon and wonder why he isn't appreciated as much. They bring up films of his they didn't cover like When the Levees Broke, Inside Man and his Netflix show She's Gotta Have It. Then they finish it up with their rankings and the announcement of their next Five. NOTE: The gap between BlackkKlansman and the first film of the new Five is 79 years. The gap between Jodie Foster's last film Contact and Charlie ...
Sep 12, 2018•27 min
Let's Take Five covers their most recent film yet on the podcast. BlackkKlansman is the new Spike Lee film that was a big hit in this year's Cannes film festival. They are joined by Chicago playwright David Guiden to discuss this political thriller where the first black police officer of a Colorado station goes undercover in the KKK. They discuss how the film depicts the police department and what the film says about the staying racism in today's government. Two notes: 1) As always, each episode...
Sep 07, 2018•32 min•Season 1Ep. 110
Shortly after the tragedy of 9/11, Spike Lee made a movie set in the heart of NYC that was not about 9/11. But of course it was. 25th Hour tells the story of one man hours away from going to prison and he tries to have his final moments with all of his friends and family. Based off a great book by a future Game of Thrones showrunner, Lee takes us through the ringer with a brilliant cast of Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson, Barry Pepper, Anna Paquin and Brian Cox. Spike Lee's...
Aug 31, 2018•33 min•Season 1Ep. 109
Malcolm X is a figure that is often mentioned in history but never discussed to the extent he should be in schools. Spike Lee made a great Hollywood biopic epic about him and then was ignored by the Academy. Today the guys look back at an astonishing movie with so many layers and complications about its subject. And it highlights, perhaps, the greatest performance of Denzel Washington's career. The guys have a lot to say! Spike Lee's Five 1) Do the Right Thing 2) Mo' Better Blues 3) Malcolm X 4)...
Aug 24, 2018•35 min•Season 1Ep. 108
How do you follow up Do the Right Thing? Making your first of many collaborations with Denzel Washington isn't a bad idea. Mo' Better Blues reunites Spike Lee with a lot of the Do the Right Thing actors but puts them all in a new vibrant environment. It is the story of a selfish trumpet player trying to be the best of his profession while also juggling the girls he's cheating on. It's an examination on what it takes to be a great artist as well as a look at what it takes to control your own fate...
Aug 18, 2018•32 min•Season 1Ep. 107
It's August! It's hot! Not as hot as it was on this one street in Brooklyn in 1989. Do the Right Thing is powerful film about the lives of those on the street from the old man looking for enough money to buy his favorite beer, to boom box carrying man of morality to the Italian pizza owners. Spike Lee crafts an incredible story full of humor, warmth and one of the greatest on-screen discussions of race in America. If you haven't seen it you....well....need to do the right thing. Spike Lee's Five...
Aug 03, 2018•31 min•Season 1Ep. 106
Werner Herzog was so convinced that Errol Morris could not finish making his first film, he vowed to eat his shoe if proven otherwise. Herzog did eat that shoe and cinema was better for it. The guys look back at the films they covered of Errol Morris and his lasting impact on the medium. They discuss films of his they didn't cover like The Unknown Known and they reveal their next subject of the podcast. Get excited! Errol Morris' Five 1) Gates of Heaven 2) The Thin Blue Line 3) A Brief History o...
Aug 01, 2018•23 min
The guys are back and they're here to discuss the most peculiar of Errol Morris' films. It is the true(?) story of Joyce McKinney, the tabloid star. She became famous as the beauty queen who kidnapped her Mormon boyfriend and had a weekend love affair. He said he was shackled and it was against her will. She says it was a fairy tale. And it only gets weirder from there. Austin and Eric describe Morris' lack of interest in finding the truth, how exhausting Joyce's story is, and what is up with th...
Jul 27, 2018•26 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Hello everyone! This is Austin giving you a quick audio message explaining where we've been the past few weeks. Thank you and we look forward to making new episodes for you very soon!
Jul 17, 2018•2 min
With history it feels easy to assign someone as a hero or a villain. The Vietnam War still haunts and angers many Americans and one of the men seen as its central figure was Robert McNamara. He was the Secretary of Defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson. In the film The Fog of War, he gives a cinematic interview where he discusses everything. The build-up, the reactions and the mistakes of the Vietnam War in this complicated and fascinating film. Errol Morris' Five 1) Gate of Heaven 2) The...
Jun 08, 2018•33 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Genius is mysteriously hard on film. It's too easy to make the subject seem less than human as you cheese up their greatness. Errol Morris found the right balance as he made A Brief History of Time, a look at the life and work of Stephen Hawking. He blends his interview style to get into the humanity of Hawking and his recreations to play out his discoveries. Errol Morris' Five 1) Gate of Heaven 2) The Thin Blue Line 3) A Brief History of Time 4) The Fog of War 5) Tabloid –Leave us your thoughts...
Jun 01, 2018•25 min•Season 1Ep. 103
Many documentaries have made major political shifts in policy and perspectives, but very few documentaries can achieve what The Thin Blue Line did. In its examination of the killing of a police officer in Texas, director Errol Morris was able to bring forth the truth. The result got an innocent man off death row. Not only that, it's also a damn good movie! Errol Morris' Five 1) Gate of Heaven 2) The Thin Blue Line 3) A Brief History of Time 4) The Fog of War 5) Tabloid –Leave us your thoughts on...
May 25, 2018•27 min•Season 1Ep. 102
While they have covered a few documentaries, the guys have never taken on a full documentarian. Enter Errol Morris who instantly made waves with his fascinating and odd documentary about the people who make pet cemeteries. Gates of Heaven examines the people who are looking for closure for their loved ones, the success and failures of making such a business, and gives us one of the greatest film monologues. They are joined by Zach Bundy, an actor who worked with Eric at an animal hospital to sha...
May 18, 2018•39 min•Season 1Ep. 101
After 100 (official) episodes, Eric and Austin look back at all of the movies they're reviewed and talked about some of the best ones. They look at some surprises, some of their controversial opinions and which were the stinkers. They ranked all of the movies and the full lists can be found at The Art Immortal. Thank you all for listening for the past few years! Our next Five starts this week with Errol Morris. –Leave us your thoughts on this movie at TheArtImmortal.com –Subscribe to Eric’s vide...
May 16, 2018•28 min
Only two days late, the guys are back to look at the Terrence Malick films they covered in their Five, talk about his post Tree of Life films they didn't cover and discuss the intriguing next Five that will start next week. Get excited! Terrence Malick's Five 1) Badlands 2) Days of Heaven 3) The Thin Red Line 4) The New World 5) The Tree of Life –Leave us your thoughts on this movie at TheArtImmortal.com –Subscribe to Eric’s video game YouTube channel, Constant Diversion –Listen to Austin’s othe...
May 11, 2018•25 min
Terrence Malick's career feels like it has been leading to this opus of a film. The Tree of Life ambitiously covers the history of the universe while focusing on the tale of a family in 1950s Texas. The guys are joined by co-host of the podcast Filmspotting , Josh Larsen, to dissect the greater Christian themes of the film, its approach to non-linear storytelling and, yes, they cover the dinosaurs. Terrence Malick's Five 1) Badlands 2) Days of Heaven 3) The Thin Red Line 4) The New World 5) The ...
May 04, 2018•37 min•Season 1Ep. 100
Cinema wasn't sure it was able to tell the story of Pocahontas without having talking trees and Mel Gibson until Terence Malick reappeared with his fourth film. The New World is another gorgeous production that tells the story of the young woman who guided the British colonists on the shores of America and the two men she loved: John Smith and John Rolfe. Terrence Malick's Five 1) Badlands 2) Days of Heaven 3) The Thin Red Line 4) The New World 5) The Tree of Life –Leave us your thoughts on this...
Apr 27, 2018•28 min•Season 1Ep. 99
In 1998, two films were nominated for Best Picture about soldiers in World War II. One of them was Saving Private Ryan which remains one of the most beloved and horrifying stories about the battlefield. The other was The Thin Red Line, a forgotten Terrence Malick film that traded intensity for grace. Breaking from his previous format, this film features voice-over from a series of men--most of which are recognizable actors--as they confront their own fear as they try to take a hill. Terrence Mal...
Apr 13, 2018•33 min•Season 1Ep. 98
Once again, we are watching a Terrence Malick film about a murderer on the run. What is remarkable is that Days of Heaven feels like it's by the same artist as Badlands, but it never really feels like he's repeating himself. This is the tale of a romantic lying duo who works on a wheat farm run by Sam Shepherd. Yet Eric argues, they are not the real focus on this movie. Instead it's by a clever observer who is fated to be let down by those she trusts... Terrence Malick's Five 1) Badlands 2) Days...
Apr 06, 2018•29 min•Season 1Ep. 97
Terence Malick made his mark with his debut film Badlands. It has the appearance of a Bonnie and Clyde-esque story where two young lovers go on the run while leaving violence in their wake. However, Malick chooses not to focus on the violence, but on the quiet characterization of these young souls and as they wander through America establishing their own sense of self-reliance and responsibility. Terrence Malick's Five 1) Badlands 2) Days of Heaven 3) The Thin Red Line 4) The New World 5) The Tr...
Mar 30, 2018•29 min•Season 1Ep. 96
More than any other artist we've covered, this has to be the subject where it seems impossible that you haven't seen one of his films. It isn't just that Harrison Ford works in popular genres, he's one of the major reason he makes them possible. From a carpenter to a galactic hero, Ford is the rare action hero that brings this level of intensity without ever going full superhero. The guys look back at the films they covered and all the fun (and terrible) ones they didn't. Also they announce thei...
Mar 28, 2018•32 min•Season 1Ep. 95
Not everything ages well, but the older and grumpier Harrison Ford gets, the more we love him. After a couple of forgettable performances, Ford returns to a couple of his most iconic characters with a new perspective. His role is brief in Blade Runner 2049 but it gets at what it means to return to a franchise, the strange compassion he is able to convey and why he succeeds at being an angry old man. As always major spoilers for this movie. Harrison Ford's Five 1) Star Wars 2) Raiders of the Lost...
Mar 23, 2018•33 min•Season 1Ep. 95
If we know one thing about Harrison Ford is that he did not kill his wife. And despite evidence to the contrary, we care! In the 1993 thriller The Fugitive, Ford blends his superhero quality with a normal man put in an impossible situation as he risks everything to clear his name and find justice. The guys discuss why character is so important for an action movie, the value of small intelligent decisions and why it works that Dr. Richard Kimble looks so miserable. Harrison Ford's Five 1) Star Wa...
Mar 16, 2018•31 min•Season 1Ep. 94
Harrison Ford is known as a box office star, but it is only Witness where he was acknowledged by the Oscars. In this he plays John Book (seriously) a cop who decides to protect a young Amish boy after he is witness to a violent murder. It's a quieter movie in terms of performances and a unique stillness. Did this genre shift work for the guys or did they want to get out of Amish country? Harrison Ford's Five 1) Star Wars 2) Raiders of the Lost Ark 3) Witness 4) The Fugitive 5) Blade Runner 2049 ...
Mar 09, 2018•28 min•Season 1Ep. 93
After Han Solo, Harrison Ford could have done whatever he wanted. In one of the rarest career moves, he managed to go from one iconic character to another one with Indiana Jones. Raiders of the Lost Ark rejuvenated Steven Spielberg's career and showed another side of Ford's talents as a gruff leading man who is more at ease in a collapsing cave than he is in front of the classroom. Harrison Ford's Five 1) Star Wars 2) Raiders of the Lost Ark 3) Witness 4) The Fugitive 5) Blade Runner 2049 –Leave...
Mar 03, 2018•31 min•Season 1Ep. 92
Have you heard of the movie Star Wars? You have? Oh finally we didn't pick an obscure film. The guys start off the Harrison Ford Five with one of the biggest breakout films of all time. It could have been an irritating character who would have kept questioning the plot to much. Or it could have been a boring character who talked about planets in a way that wasn't cool. Instead Ford made Han Solo one of the most beloved characters in fiction. Why? Harrison Ford's Five 1) Star Wars 2) Raiders of t...
Feb 16, 2018•47 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Five films later and now Eric and Austin are walking around Chicago with trenchcoats and fedoras and unexpectedly...it looks cool. That is due 100,000% to the works of Jean-Pierre Melville. The guys look back at the films they discussed, why certain ones had more of a connection to each of them and then they announce their next daring Five. Get excited! Jean-Pierre Melville's Five 1) Bob le Flambeur 2) Leon Morin, Priest 3) Le Samourai 4) Army of Shadows 5) Le Cercle Rouge –Leave us your thought...
Feb 14, 2018•22 min•Season 1Ep. 90
The guys watch their final film of their Jean-Pierre Melville Five where they see a return to what he does best. It's a swirl of his previous films where criminals are going to team up to take part in a diamond heist while keeping away from the cops. It even stars Mr. Le Samourai himself, Alain Delon! But does Le Cercle Rouge suffer from being compared to the previous accomplishments? Jean-Pierre Melville's Five 1) Bob le Flambeur 2) Leon Morin, Priest 3) Le Samourai 4) Army of Shadows 5) Le Cer...
Feb 11, 2018•25 min•Season 1Ep. 90
Most spies in film get to have tailored suits and sexy action scenes. In Jean-Pierre Melville's masterpiece, every spy is exhausted, drained and always living in dread. This is the tale of members of the French Resistance during WWII who keep trying to accomplish anything they can no matter the personal cost. The result is mesmerizing and horrifying. Jean-Pierre Melville's Five 1) Bob le Flambeur 2) Leon Morin, Priest 3) Le Samourai 4) Army of Shadows 5) Le Cercle Rogue –Leave us your thoughts o...
Feb 02, 2018•32 min•Season 1Ep. 89
Jean-Pierre Melville's most famous film is Le Samourai, the story of a super cool assassin with the code of a samurai. Will Melville's stylish noir sensibilities work for the guys or will it leave them as cold as the hero's soul? Will one of the guys actually make a point or just state how cool the movie is? Find out! I wish I can say that Austin's dog, Wynne, apologizes for eating for a little bit on mic but she is not ashamed. Jean-Pierre Melville's Five 1) Bob le Flambeur 2) Leon Morin, Pries...
Jan 28, 2018•32 min
