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Informed film discussion for the unrefined connoisseur.
Episodes
Sunday Jan 03, 2016
Sunday Jan 03, 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...
Week 19:
Sullivan's Travels
Spine Number: 118
Director: Preston Sturges
Genre: Comedy
Important.
That word gets used a lot when it comes to movies. Watch any awards show and you will see just how seriously the entertainment industry takes itself. Actors and directors are always going on about how "brave" or "courageous" they were in taking a large sum of money to play a part or make an important movie. Stories of grand importance which make lofty and high minded statements and give voice to the voiceless are seen as the highest achievement in art.
But are they?
Really, are they? What makes a movie important?
That question lies at the heart of this amazing film by Preston Sturges.
Who are you speaking for, and do you have the authority to speak for them? Do they even want you to?
This week we go very in depth to talk about what makes art important, and what gives someone the authority to present these "important" stories.
So, join us as we get to the heart of the question, 'What good is art?"
Next week:
Spine number 151: Traffic
A genuinely wonderful comedy classic.
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...
Jim out.
Sunday Dec 20, 2015
Sunday Dec 20, 2015
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...
Week 18:
Withnail and I
Spine Number: 119
Director: Bruce Robinson
Genre: Comedy
Some movies just feel like they were made for you. The characters make a different kind of sense on a certain level, they are just bizarre enough to make complete sense, and the dialogue hits on all cylinders. When you find one of these movies you wonder how you managed to miss it for all of those years because it was clearly made just for you.
Withnail and I is such a film.
I purchased it sight unseen based off the suggestion of a college friend and just assumed that Clarkson had seen it and had the entire thing memorized. Turns out, he'd never heard of it. So, one Saint Patrick's Day around 11 years ago, we sat down with a large amount of alcohol, Withnail and I, The Long Good Friday, The Boondock Saints, Michael Collins, In The Name of The Father, and The Departed. Yes, it was a lot of movies to watch in one day, but we didn't really have anything else to do, and that beer and whiskey wasn't going to drink itself.
So, I got to share this amazing film with someone else who would find it just as oddly captivating as I did.
The dialogue is fantastic, the characters are hilarious, and the performances... good GOD! Top to bottom this thing is full of scene stealing performance after scene stealing performance. Richard E. Grant's Withnail dominates every scene he's in, unless Richard Griffiths is on screne (in which case he takes complete ownership), Paul McGann gives an understated performance that just highlights the madness around him, Ralph Brown originating the character he would play again in Wayne's World 2... it's just... well, to quote Danny, "That's politics, man."
So check it out with us. If you've never seen it, grab a drink and njoy, if you have seen it, do the same. A good time will be had by all.
Next week:
Spine number 118: Sullivan's Travels
A genuinely wonderful comedy classic.
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...
Jim out.
Sunday Nov 22, 2015
Sunday Nov 22, 2015
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...
Week 17:
Rififi
Spine Number: 115
Director: Jules Dassin
Genre: Heist
How much money do you need to make a masterpiece? Well, back in 1955 blacklisted filmmaker Jules Dassin wrote, directed, and had a role in one. The budget? $200,000. Roughly $1.7 million today. Most big budget films spend more on catering. Dassin himself wrote the script in six days, played the safe cracker, and directed it for a fee of $8,000. That's roughly $71,000 today. Most filmmakers wouldn't return a phone call for that much.
Rififi is an absolute landmark heist film. Lean, efficient story telling with an amazing visual aesthetic, engaging characters and one of the best heist scenes in film history. How good is it? In the book that the film is based on, the heist takes up 10 out of 250 pages. In the film it's almost a half hour. With no dialogue. And no music. Just a perfectly planned and executed heist.
This movie is so God damned cool it's almost frustrating.
Again, this is tight, elegant film making at its best. It's cool and complex, but still completely manageable. Some films make the collection and you wonder why, other make the collection, and when you see them you just wonder why it took so long to get around to seeing them.
So do yourself a favor and watch this movie, then join us in our discussion of this absolute masterpiece.
Next week:
Spine Number 119: Withnail and I
Be ready to have a drink or two for this one.
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.
It will also be on iTunes as soon as the feed is verified.
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...
Jim out.
Sunday Nov 15, 2015
Sunday Nov 15, 2015
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...
Week 16:
The Rock
Spine Number: 108
Director: Michael Bay
Genre: It's a Michael Bay movie.
Before the giant space rock and giant space robots made Michael Bay all the money in the world he was somehow able to get recent Academy Award winner Nic Cage and Sean GODDAMNED Connery to appear in one of the most gloriously decadent action movies of all time.
Actually, that's selling it short. This is a pretty decent movie. The plot is somewhat logical and coherent, the bad guy, if you want to call him that, has a point of view and a fairly noble goal, and there is more amazing action in the first 30 minutes than most movies can fit in their entire run time.
Welcome to The Rock!
What can you say about this thing. It's balls out action done the way it should be. Balls out from beginning to end. Not a breath is spared through this thing. It's amazing.
So, shut up and watch it, then listen to us go off about it and whatever else we feel like. It's good to be back.
Next week:
Spine Number 115: Rififi
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.
It will also be on iTunes as soon as the feed is verified.
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...
Jim out.
Saturday Nov 14, 2015
