Making a film about identical twin gynecologists after having two successful Hollywood films may seem like folly, or it may seem like exactly what a filmmaker like David Cronenberg would do. Cronenberg used the boost of success to get a complex, psychological drama made, and while it may not have paid off at the box office, it’s become an essential work of the director that pulls elements from his body horror films while moving him into the more psychological examinations he would explore later....
Nov 14, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Season 9Ep. 16
“Television is reality, and reality is less than television.” There’s a film critic who called David Cronenberg ‘the thinking man’s genre filmmaker.’ If you look at the body horror films Cronenberg puts together, you will find that there is often a lot to unpack. They’re more artistic and have a lot more to chew on than most horror films. To that end, this reviewer’s comment about Cronenberg makes perfect sense. But does that mean what Cronenberg is trying to say with his films always makes sens...
Nov 07, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Season 9Ep. 15
David Cronenberg took a bit more of a science fiction route rather than straight-up body horror with his 1981 film Scanners . It didn’t have a personal connection like The Brood , his previous effort, either, so it stands out a bit in his work. That being said, the body horror elements certainly crop up in the gruesome effects he uses. But is he hiding a nonsense story in atmosphere? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Cronenberg series with Scanners . We talk about the na...
Oct 31, 2019•57 min•Season 9Ep. 14
“Raglan encouraged my body to revolt against me… and it did.” After going through a difficult divorce and custody battle, David Cronenberg decided to integrate elements of that part of his life into his screenplay for The Brood . It’s not an obvious parallel to his life, but when you know it’s there, it’s easy to see. Does that integration of his own life’s battles into the film help make it a stronger one than his previous ones? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Cronenb...
Oct 24, 2019•56 min•Season 9Ep. 13
When people familiar with the works of David Cronenberg view his 1979 film Fast Company , many are taken aback because it feels like an anomaly in his oeuvre. There is no body horror. It’s a straight up carsploitation movie. But to Cronenberg, he views it as one of his many children, and like kids, they each are their own unique being. For fans of his films and those who study them, however, does it represent Cronenberg as a filmmaker very well? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we cont...
Oct 17, 2019•58 min•Season 9Ep. 12
“I have to have blood. It’s all I can eat.” David Cronenberg seemed to continue from where he left off with his first theatrical feature film, Shivers , when he wrote his script for his next film. Certainly, there are differences, but largely, the stories have a lot of similarities. That being said, there are definite signs of growth for this storyteller, and as far as his body horror films, there is a big step up with his second film. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our D...
Oct 10, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Season 9Ep. 11
“Why not breed a parasite that can do something useful?” David Cronenberg has long been called the ‘king of body horror,’ which is a title that he came to early in his career. When looking at his first theatrical feature, Shivers , it’s perhaps easy to see why he was dubbed with this moniker, and also easy to see why it stuck. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our David Cronenberg series with his 1975 film Shivers . We talk about the nature of Cronenberg’s films and why this...
Oct 03, 2019•57 min•Season 9Ep. 10
“Rise and rise again until lambs become lions.” When Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott signed on to make Nottingham , a revisionist take on the Robin Hood myth that pitted a Sherlock Holmes-like Sheriff of Nottingham against the villainous Robin, little did anyone realize where it would end up. After years of rewrites, Scott had the version of the myth that he wanted to make, taking on a much more historical angle placing Robin in the middle of the political machinations leading to the Magna Carta....
Sep 26, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Season 9Ep. 9
Pulling off a good parody can be quite difficult. Mel Brooks has done it a few times, but he’s also made some lesser parody films that don’t quite hold up. So where did his sendup of the Robin Hood myths end up? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Robin Hood series with Brooks’ 1993 film Robin Hood: Men in Tights .We talk about parody films and look at why a parody film of the Robin Hood films, particularly Prince of Thieves from two years earlier, seemed like a good idea ...
Sep 19, 2019•1 hr 4 min•Season 9Ep. 8
Every few years it seems, two films telling the same (or similar) story start production near the same time and inevitably, it turns into a race to see who gets to the box office first and who ends up the victor. Armageddon vs. Deep Impact. Antz vs. A Bug’s Life. Snow White and the Huntsman vs. Mirror Mirror. So when John Irvin’s film was set to release opposite Kevin Reynolds’ Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, the studio balked and opted to just release it on television in the States. But does tha...
Sep 12, 2019•1 hr•Season 9Ep. 7
Kevin Costner and Kevin Reynolds had been buddies from early in their careers before Reynolds directed Fandango, which starred Costner. Their friendship lasted for a decade before temporarily being waylaid by the production problems on Waterworld, but before their rift, they were called upon to make an update of the Robin Hood tale. The film received mixed reviews but audiences loved it and it became the second highest grossing film in 1991. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue...
Sep 05, 2019•1 hr 14 min•Season 9Ep. 6
When Sean Connery agreed to star in The Death of Robin Hood, the James Bond star was thrilled to play a character where they wouldn’t ask him to come back for a sequel. But when the film was renamed Robin and Marian to be more marketable, did that affect the way the film was perceived? Or was the script reworked to try and capture the romance? It’s hard to say, but it does make for interesting discussion. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Robin Hood series with Richard L...
Aug 29, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Season 9Ep. 5
Walt Disney had long been interested in telling the story of Reynard the Fox, but never could find the way to tell it that he thought would be palatable to kids. Because of that, it kept getting shelved. After Disney’s death, they finally found a way to integrate the anthropomorphic characters into an animated film. It wasn’t Reynard the Fox as it turned out but the story of Robin Hood. For people growing up in the 70s, this version of Robin Hood is often cited as the one that was the most influ...
Aug 22, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Season 9Ep. 4
It seemed fitting for Jack Warner and Warner Bros. to stick with a gangster picture for their big 60s musical. The fact that they tied the Robin Hood character into it was a pretty clever way to put a twist on it and make it stand out. And, of course, bringing Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack on board made perfect sense – Frank, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. were all amazing singers. But how well would it work out? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Robin Hood series wit...
Aug 15, 2019•1 hr 8 min•Season 9Ep. 3
Tasmanian Errol Flynn had already proven himself a solid action star for Warner Bros. in films like Captain Blood, so when the dealings with James Cagney to play Robin Hood fell through, Flynn seemed like a logical choice. And it’s lucky for all of us that things went this way because Flynn created one of the most iconic portrayals of Robin Hood that has graced the silver screen. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Robin Hood series to talk about Michael Curtiz’s and Willi...
Aug 08, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Season 9Ep. 2
Stories of Robin Hood, the nobleman who stole from the rich to give to the poor, go back for centuries, with tales as far back as the 1300s. The story has been told in countless ways, and when cinema was invented, filmmakers began telling this story on film. The first version was made in 1908, but the first one that really created an iconic character of Robin Hood was Allan Dwan’s 1922 tale starring Douglas Fairbanks. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off a new series looking at...
Aug 01, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Season 9Ep. 1
Ingrid Bergman had wanted to work with Ingmar Bergman – unrelated – for quite some time, and finally got her chance in her last film. The film came shortly after she found out she had cancer, and it was a film full of raw emotion, so it was understandable if she wasn’t so sure about it. But she saw a lot of herself in her character Charlotte and, despite her battles with Ingmar, had a great time making the film, delivering one of her finest performances. It’s a powerful film and a strong wrap-up...
Jun 27, 2019•1 hr 5 min•Season 8Ep. 48
"Ladies and gentlemen, you are all aware that the repulsive murder has himself been repulsively and perhaps deservedly murdered. How and why?" Supposedly, Agatha Christie was not a fan of many adaptations of her stories. Sidney Lumet managed to assuage her concerns with his version of Murder on the Orient Express, however, as she had few problems with it (except, apparently, the mustache on Hercule Poirot). While a fun and intriguing mystery, though, the simplicity of her puzzle does wear thin t...
Jun 20, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Season 8Ep. 47
"I can’t live like this in this filth!" When Ingrid Bergman wrote a letter to director Roberto Rossellini about her interest in being in a film of his, little did she realize how much that would change both of their lives. That letter led her to be the star of Rossellini’s Italian neo-realist film Stromboli, and led the two of them to their affair that killed her Hollywood career for a decade. At least the two of them were able to make five films together and have three children before another a...
Jun 13, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Season 8Ep. 46
"I am married to an American agent." Hitchcock loved working with Ingrid Bergman. He was a notorious director for wanting everything his own way, but when it came to Bergman, he ended up being much more collaborative. That collaboration peaked in the production of Notorious, which also had the benefit of no longer being a David O. Selznick project. The film marked a turn for Hitchcock where he got to produce his own project and really set the foundation for what would become the classic Hitchcoc...
Jun 06, 2019•1 hr 12 min•Season 8Ep. 45
"It’s like looking into a mirror and seeing nothing but the mirror." Alfred Hitchcock had been working in Hollywood for a while by the time he made Spellbound, but it was only the second project he made with David O. Selznick under his three-picture contract. Unfortunately, it was a bit of a struggle for the two men as they both tend to be a bit stubborn in wanting things their way. In the case of this film, it was Selznick’s own interest in psychoanalysis that led him to wanting to make it, but...
May 30, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Season 8Ep. 44
"Are you suggesting this is a knife I hold in my hand?" Ingrid Bergman took home her first Oscar for her portrayal of a woman who is psychologically broken down by her husband in Gaslight, but it was a film she was hesitant to star in. She was nervous about playing such a weak-willed woman. In the end, she delivered a stellar performance and was very proud of the film and her role in it. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our Ingrid Bergman series with George Cukor’s 1944 fil...
May 23, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Season 8Ep. 43
"A man fights for what he believes in." Ernest Hemingway was very involved in getting the adaptation of his 1940 novel “For Whom the Bell Tolls” off the ground. It was Gary Cooper who initially brought it to Cecil B. DeMille’s attention, and DeMille who bought the rights then introduced Cooper to Hemingway. After that fateful meeting, Hemingway saw no one except Cooper as his choice to play the lead. And opposite him, he wanted Ingrid Bergman. It took some time to get her – including two weeks o...
May 16, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Season 8Ep. 42
"Play it once, Sam. For old time’s sake. Play it, Sam." Michael Curtiz’s 1942 film Casablanca never seemed to be on track to become a classic. It only fell into that mold after the fact, and maybe that’s why it seems to work so well – it doesn’t feel like it’s carrying any of that ‘award film’ baggage. It’s just a smartly written script with great characters performed by brilliant actors. Everything seemed to have worked. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we kick off our Ingrid Bergman ...
May 09, 2019•1 hr 7 min•Season 8Ep. 41
Cédric Klapisch returned to the world of Xavier, Wendy, Isabelle and Martine with his 2013 film Chinese Puzzle in a story that takes place 10 years after the previous film. Is it a return worth taking? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we wrap up our Spanish Apartment trilogy with Klapisch’s 2013 film. We talk about what works and what doesn’t this go-around. We look at the nature of infidelity and ponder about why it’s so consistent in Klapisch’s films. We chat about the male gaze (aga...
May 02, 2019•55 min•Season 8Ep. 40
"How can I write a love story? I know nothing about love. I’m a self-centered egotist." Cédric Klapisch got a chance to return to the life of Xavier from his successful 2002 film L’Auberge Espagnole just a few years later, but how well does it work out? Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our series on Klapisch’s Spanish Apartment trilogy with his 2005 film Russian Dolls. We look at why this film is vastly more frustrating that its predecessor and that all of our difficulties ...
Apr 25, 2019•1 hr 3 min•Season 8Ep. 39
"Life seems simpler for everyone else." Cédric Klapisch had been making films in France for ten years before he made his little film about a group of study abroad students from all over Europe working to understand each other, discover a new culture, and find themselves along the way. This little film, L’Auberge Espagnole, aka The Spanish Apartment or Potluck depending on where you find it, connected with people and became his biggest success. And rightly so – it’s a charming film about figuring...
Apr 18, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Season 8Ep. 38
"All you gotta do is trust me." It took a number of years for this latest remake of A Star Is Born to come to fruition, but it seems like everything worked out the way it was supposed to. Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga really connected with people and the film was incredibly well received, both critically and by audiences. Will there be other iterations of this story down the road? If we’ve learned anything from doing this series, Warner Bros. loves this story – and loves that each version makes t...
Apr 11, 2019•1 hr 26 min•Season 8Ep. 37
"Your own personal piece of the American dream." Like the remake before it, Barbra Streisand’s decision to produce and play the lead in her own version of A Star Is Born likely had something to do with ego, but it’s hard to argue that the story is also one with two wonderfully rich characters at the heart of it – characters any actor would likely want to perform. Regardless, Streisand opposite Kris Kristofferson, who was also a big musical talent at the time, seemed like a perfect fit for this v...
Apr 04, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Season 8Ep. 36
"I thought I was the answer for Norman, but love isn’t strong enough for him.” By the time 30-year-old Judy Garland was gearing up for her film comeback in George Cukor’s remake of A Star Is Born, she had already had a career full of ups and downs, almost mimicking both of the two main characters in the film. The recent buzz for her wonderful stage shows and for her having cleaned up her act led her new husband, Sidney Luft, to convince Warner Bros. that she was worth taking a chance on with thi...
Mar 28, 2019•1 hr 11 min•Season 8Ep. 35
