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Informed film discussion for the unrefined connoisseur.
Episodes
Monday Jul 04, 2016
Monday Jul 04, 2016
The Criterion Collection, the last vestige of truly collectible DVD and Blu-Ray movies in existence. These are well produced, fancy pants editions of important and interesting films for the discerning film lover.
We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...
Dazed and Confused
Spine Number: 374
Director: Vittorio De Sica
Genre: Italian Neo-Realism
From the beginning filmmakers have attempted to capture real life. The earliest examples of film were just filmmakers recording every day occurrences. As the art form of film making evolved and ideas of style and artistic expression became part of the art there was still a desire to capture the reality of the human experience.
Well, a couple of world wars came and went and changed the way people saw art. Some sought to provide escape, others sought to confront. Vittorio De Sica decided to use his voice to tell the stories that people lived every day, and that were never given voice. Nothing fancy, nothing flashy, no professional actors or dramatic contrivances, just a voice for those whose stories needed to be told.
And he gave us a movie that, decades later, is still considered one of the greatest films ever made.
Using real locations, non-professional actors, and a story of simple desperation De Sica gave the world "The Bicycle Thieves," one of the most amazing films ever produced.
How great is this movie? Well, we actually talk about it for almost the entire show. No lead in, no real rambling digressions, just an honest discussion of an amazingly powerful film.
Next Week:
Spine number 381: Hate
Also, check this out.
The Life Masters is now it's own show with its own site and own dedicated feed. That's right, we have two completely different shows!
Right now check it out at www.thelifemasters.podbean.com.
You can also drink in our brilliance on Youtube for both The Film Thugs and The Life Masters.
http://fantasymovieleague.com/
Looks like Summer Movie League has officially become Fantasy Movie League.
It looks quite fun. Here's how it works.
You have an 8 screen theater.
Every week you pick movies and have a budget/salary cap you have to stay under.
Then you compete against other theaters in your league.
It's fantasy football for movie people.
Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.
And remember, you can be a part of the show any time you wild like. How's that? All you have to do is call or e-mail us. If you live in the US, or any place that makes calling the US easy, just dial 512-666-RANT and leave us a voicemail. We will read the Google Voice transcript and play your message. It's both funny AND informative.
If you live outside the US you can call us on Skype at The_Film_Thugs. You can leave a message, or someone might actually answer.
E-mail us at thefilmthugs@gmail.com and we will read/play whatever you send us, or you can e-mail thugquestions@gmail.com to be part of an upcoming "Ask the Film Thugs" show, where we answer questions on any subject without having heard them first.
Also, we are on twitter @thefilmthugs and on Facebook and Vine.
Also, be sure to check back often for our new endeavor The Life Masters, where we answer questions to other advice columnists.
Thanks for listening, and until next week...
Sunday Jun 26, 2016
Sunday Jun 26, 2016
The Criterion Collection, the last vestige of truly collectible DVD and Blu-Ray movies in existence. These are well produced, fancy pants editions of important and interesting films for the discerning film lover.
We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...
Dazed and Confused
Spine Number: 336
Director: Richard Linklater
Genre: Coming of Age Comedu
Before deciding to make nothing but movies/film series that take place in real time (Boyhood, Before Sunrise/Sunset/Midnight), Richard Linklater was about as quintessentially Austin as you could find.
By "Quintessentially Austin" I am not referring to the bullshit, gentrified, hipster theme park that people who "really got into South By Southwest (SXSW)" and decided to move here have turned it into. I am talking about a place that didn't have, need, or want the loads of California bullshit that has been dumped on us. No In and Out bullshit, no Shake Shack, no fucking Del Taco. Austin was a place where interesting individuals could come and actually create interesting stuff. How else does one city and one film school, light years removed from Hollywood, produce two of the most important and influential filmmakers of the 90's (Linklater and Robert Rodriguez).
When most people talk about Linklater and the 90's they naturally gravitate towards "Slacker," which is a very boring and overrated film, and keep your defense of it to yourself. I get it, I lived in the building where it premiered for two years and walked past several locations from it EVERY DAY while I was in college... I get it. I just don't like it. Instead we will be looking at ....
Dazed and Confused, Linklater's mix tape of high school in the 70's. Taking place over the course of one night Linklater creates a fairly unique coming of age story. We see young people at all the different stages of high school. We see beginnings, endings, and people who failed to notice that something had ended. More than a lot of these types of film, Dazed and Confused doesn't just wallow in nostalgia, it actually takes the time to create a place that feels genuine and populates it with characters who feel real.
So, if you haven't seen it, check it out. If you have, join us for our discussion.
Next Week:
Spine number 374: The Bicycle Thieves
Also, check this out.
The Life Masters is now it's own show with its own site and own dedicated feed. That's right, we have two completely different shows!
Right now check it out at www.thelifemasters.podbean.com.
You can also drink in our brilliance on Youtube for both The Film Thugs and The Life Masters.
http://fantasymovieleague.com/
Looks like Summer Movie League has officially become Fantasy Movie League.
It looks quite fun. Here's how it works.
You have an 8 screen theater.
Every week you pick movies and have a budget/salary cap you have to stay under.
Then you compete against other theaters in your league.
It's fantasy football for movie people.
Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.
And remember, you can be a part of the show any time you wild like. How's that? All you have to do is call or e-mail us. If you live in the US, or any place that makes calling the US easy, just dial 512-666-RANT and leave us a voicemail. We will read the Google Voice transcript and play your message. It's both funny AND informative.
If you live outside the US you can call us on Skype at The_Film_Thugs. You can leave a message, or someone might actually answer.
E-mail us at thefilmthugs@gmail.com and we will read/play whatever you send us, or you can e-mail thugquestions@gmail.com to be part of an upcoming "Ask the Film Thugs" show, where we answer questions on any subject without having heard them first.
Also, we are on twitter @thefilmthugs and on Facebook and Vine.
Also, be sure to check back often for our new endeavor The Life Masters, where we answer questions to other advice columnists.
Thanks for listening, and until next week...
Sunday Jun 12, 2016
Sunday Jun 12, 2016
The Criterion Collection, the last vestige of truly collectible DVD and Blu-Ray movies in existence. These are well produced, fancy pants editions of important and interesting films for the discerning film lover.
We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...
Mr. Arkadin/Confidential Report
Spine Number: 322
Director: Orson Welles
Genre: Drama
Some films are so brilliant in premise that it's difficult, bordering on impossible, to fulfill the potential. Such is the case with Mr. Arkadin/Confidential Report (it has gone by both names).
The premise is outstanding. A young criminal comes into contact with an eccentric billionaire. The billionaire, who is planning on pursuing a government contract, wants to make sure he can pass a rigorous background check. The problem? In 1927 he found himself in Switzerland with 200,000 Swiss Francs and no memory of his life before that moment. He asks the criminal, a man who knows people and can move about in both legal and extra legal environments, to research his background and write a confidential report about him.
It is a fantastic premise, right? Hiring someone to look into your own background because it is a mystery even to you sets up what could be an amazing story. What you get is good, and frustratingly close to brilliant. I mean, it's Orson Welles, so it won't be bad, it just fails to reach that next level.
So join us as we discuss this fascinating movie. Oh, and we talk about some of the recent hoopla surrounding the new Ghostbusters movie and some of the foolish PC nonsense that is going around.
Next Week:
Spine number 336: Dazed and Confused
Also, check this out.
The Life Masters is now it's own show with its own site and own dedicated feed. That's right, we have two completely different shows!
Right now check it out at www.thelifemasters.podbean.com.
You can also drink in our brilliance on Youtube for both The Film Thugs and The Life Masters.
http://fantasymovieleague.com/
Looks like Summer Movie League has officially become Fantasy Movie League.
It looks quite fun. Here's how it works.
You have an 8 screen theater.
Every week you pick movies and have a budget/salary cap you have to stay under.
Then you compete against other theaters in your league.
It's fantasy football for movie people.
Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.
And remember, you can be a part of the show any time you wild like. How's that? All you have to do is call or e-mail us. If you live in the US, or any place that makes calling the US easy, just dial 512-666-RANT and leave us a voicemail. We will read the Google Voice transcript and play your message. It's both funny AND informative.
If you live outside the US you can call us on Skype at The_Film_Thugs. You can leave a message, or someone might actually answer.
E-mail us at thefilmthugs@gmail.com and we will read/play whatever you send us, or you can e-mail thugquestions@gmail.com to be part of an upcoming "Ask the Film Thugs" show, where we answer questions on any subject without having heard them first.
Also, we are on twitter @thefilmthugs and on Facebook and Vine.
Also, be sure to check back often for our new endeavor The Life Masters, where we answer questions to other advice columnists.
Thanks for listening, and until next week...
Sunday Jun 05, 2016
Sunday Jun 05, 2016
The Criterion Collection, the last vestige of truly collectible DVD and Blu-Ray movies in existence. These are well produced, fancy pants editions of important and interesting films for the discerning film lover.
We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Spine Number: 300
Director: Wes Anderson
Genre: Comedy
No matter how much you love a filmmaker there will almost always be one or two films on his or her resume that just don't connect with you. Everything else might be good, fantastic, or brilliant... but it's almost impossible for someone have a 100% success rate. Well... for Wes Anderson, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou falls into that category.
On paper, this film has everything. It's Wes following up Tenenbaums with Bill Murray in a bigger part, you have Owen Wilson, WIllem Dafoe, Cate Blanchette, Angelica Houston, and music from David Bowie and Mark Mothersbaugh. Honestly, what could go wrong?
It's clear from the beginning that this film is a labor of love. Wes Anderson is a big fan of Jacques Cousteau, his work is a plot point in Rushmore, and this is his attempt to pay tribute to one of his influences. But there is just something missing. It's not a bad movie, but from someone who can produce such fantastic work as Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, an OK movie just doesn't feel OK.
So, check it out and see what you think. Did we miss something, or did this movie just miss us?
Next Week:
Spine number 322: Mr. Arkadin, AKA Confidential Report.
Also, check this out.
The Life Masters is now it's own show with its own site and own dedicated feed. That's right, we have two completely different shows!
Right now check it out at www.thelifemasters.podbean.com.
You can also drink in our brilliance on Youtube for both The Film Thugs and The Life Masters.
http://fantasymovieleague.com/
Looks like Summer Movie League has officially become Fantasy Movie League.
It looks quite fun. Here's how it works.
You have an 8 screen theater.
Every week you pick movies and have a budget/salary cap you have to stay under.
Then you compete against other theaters in your league.
It's fantasy football for movie people.
Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.
And remember, you can be a part of the show any time you wild like. How's that? All you have to do is call or e-mail us. If you live in the US, or any place that makes calling the US easy, just dial 512-666-RANT and leave us a voicemail. We will read the Google Voice transcript and play your message. It's both funny AND informative.
If you live outside the US you can call us on Skype at The_Film_Thugs. You can leave a message, or someone might actually answer.
E-mail us at thefilmthugs@gmail.com and we will read/play whatever you send us, or you can e-mail thugquestions@gmail.com to be part of an upcoming "Ask the Film Thugs" show, where we answer questions on any subject without having heard them first.
Also, we are on twitter @thefilmthugs and on Facebook and Vine.
Also, be sure to check back often for our new endeavor The Life Masters, where we answer questions to other advice columnists.
Thanks for listening, and until next week...
Monday May 30, 2016
Monday May 30, 2016
The Criterion Collection, the last vestige of truly collectible DVD and Blu-Ray movies in existence. These are well produced, fancy pants editions of important and interesting films for the discerning film lover.
We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...
Hoop Dreams
Spine Number: 289
Director: Steve James, Frederick Marx, and Peter Gilbert
Genre: Documentary
The Academy Awards has dropped the ball several times. The Searchers, widely regarded as the greatest western of all time receiving zero nominations. The Seven Samurai not being nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. Diablo Cody having more Oscars than Alfred Hitchcock. There are so many more that we actually did an entire show dedicated to Oscar's missteps. However, of all those missteps, only one was seen as egregious enough to call the entire nomination process into question.
That film was Hoop Dreams.
Check any list of the greatest documentaries of all time and you will see this film at or near the top. What was originally intended to be a 30 minute television short filmed for PBS turned into a 171 minute documentary culled from over 250 hours of footage shot over a five year period.
The story is simple. Two African American kids from poor neighborhoods in Chicago are offered the chance to play basketball for a prestigious suburban prep school. These kids, taking 90 minute train and bus rides to this new school, are offered a chance to develop as basketball players at the school that produced their idol, Isiah Thomas. From there, the story is unpredictable, because life is unpredictable.
This is a film that Roger Ebert referred to as, "one of the best films about American life I have ever seen," and "one of the great movie going experiences of my life," and went on to be named The Greatest Documentary of All Time by the International Documentary Associations, all while, as stated above, changing the way the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences picks films for their documentary award.... It is literally impossible to overstate the importance of this film.
But Hoop Dreams is that rare film that achieves more than that. It is more than just a film. This is a personal look at a life that most of us will never know. This is a film about passion, desire, growing up, and giving every part of your being to chasing a dream. This is a movie about America. So, if you haven't seen it... first off, why the hell haven't you seen Hoop Dreams? Second, GO SEE HOOP DREAMS!
Then, come back and listen to us talk about this amazing movie and how sports are such a huge part of our lives.
Next Week:
Spine number 300: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zussou
Also, check this out.
The Life Masters is now it's own show with its own site and own dedicated feed. That's right, we have two completely different shows!
Right now check it out at www.thelifemasters.podbean.com.
You can also drink in our brilliance on Youtube for both The Film Thugs and The Life Masters.
http://fantasymovieleague.com/
Looks like Summer Movie League has officially become Fantasy Movie League.
It looks quite fun. Here's how it works.
You have an 8 screen theater.
Every week you pick movies and have a budget/salary cap you have to stay under.
Then you compete against other theaters in your league.
It's fantasy football for movie people.
Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.
And remember, you can be a part of the show any time you wild like. How's that? All you have to do is call or e-mail us. If you live in the US, or any place that makes calling the US easy, just dial 512-666-RANT and leave us a voicemail. We will read the Google Voice transcript and play your message. It's both funny AND informative.
If you live outside the US you can call us on Skype at The_Film_Thugs. You can leave a message, or someone might actually answer.
E-mail us at thefilmthugs@gmail.com and we will read/play whatever you send us, or you can e-mail thugquestions@gmail.com to be part of an upcoming "Ask the Film Thugs" show, where we answer questions on any subject without having heard them first.
Also, we are on twitter @thefilmthugs and on Facebook and Vine.
You can also click on one of our sponsor links below and THEY will pay us. That's right. You won't have to pay a PENNY extra, and Amazon/Onnit/Teefury will give us a little taste.
Also, be sure to check back often for our new endeavor The Life Masters, where we answer questions to other advice columnists.
Thanks for listening, and until next week...