Making the Scene

Making the Scene gets musical for its second time this season, as film and music writer Natalie Marlin joins us to discuss the Broadway Melody sequence from Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly's 1952 classic Singin' In the Rain! We talk color, choreography, casting shuffles, pastiche, and more in this fantastic conversation about this film's late-added musical sequence, and how it speaks to the film's themes nonetheless.

Making the Scene is back with returning guest, podcaster, and co-editor of The Deli Counter of Justice, Arlo Wiley. This time, he brings an emotionally catastrophic argument from Billy Woodberry's 1984 Bless Their Little Hearts. A critical entry in the movement known as the L.A. Rebellion, Bless Their Little Hearts is a story of family and unemployment, set in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. This scene is a oner, a single take that runs for 10 minutes -- nearly a full reel of film. And yet, as Arlo and I discuss, its simplicity and straightforward camerawork gives a view into a style of oner that is too often ignored in favor of flashy Steadicam movements. We discuss the L.A. Rebellion itself, and this scene's context in that movement's communally collaborative approach.

We return to Making the Scene for an all new episode featuring editor, streamer, and most excellent film analyst Abbie Phelps. She joins us to discuss one of Baz Luhrmann's 2001 masterpiece MOULIN ROUGE's most famous scenes: El Tango de Roxanne. Abbie takes us on a tour of this scene's bold formal choices, from its intentionally frenetic editing, to its stunning use of color. We talk about how this film finds a space beyond the dire Jukebox Musical through its deft mashups of songs, and its incisive look at jealousy. If you want to watch before listening, the scene begins at 1:16:19 and ends at 1:25:30.

Today on Making the Scene, I'm joined by photographer, podcaster, and writer Diego Crespo to break down the Moby-and-vibes-heavy boat ride sequence from Michael Mann's 2006 MIAMI VICE. Diego walks us through how this scene can be a lens on Mann's entire filmography, especially on his use of horizon lines and the unachievable dream of freedom. We also discuss the impact of leaning into what digital cinematography can do vs. replicating film's look, and the use of space and reaction in performances over dialogue. If you want to watch before or after listening, the scene begins at 49:40 and ends at 52:50 on the theatrical (and Michael Mann's preferred) cut. We discuss the Viper FilmStream Camera a lot in this, a camera that, despite no longer being in use, won a 2017 technical achievement Oscar. While there weren't many good interviews available about the camera's use on VICE, there is a fantastic one from when it was first used by Mann on COLLATERAL. Check out Diego's podcast The Waffle Press, and find him on instagram to see his fantastic photography.

It's been a long time coming, friends and listeners, but Making the Scene is finally back for its second season! Our first guest of the season is filmmaker A.B. Allen, whose opinions on the form have been one of the bright spots of being extremely online during this long and unholy pandemic. Their choice to kick off this new season of the show is a scene from Gillian Armstrong's 1994 adaptation of LITTLE WOMEN, a beautiful and earnest adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's novel. The scene is question isn't an easy one to keep one's composure through, and both host and guest suffered just a bit to prepare for this episode. We discuss Armstrong's approach to Beth's death, the subtle but powerful choices of lighting, music, and set design that underline the sequence's impact, and the incredible performances Claire Danes, Winona Ryder, and Susan Sarandon bring to the moment. If you want to watch before or after listening, the scene begins at 1:33:37 and ends at 1:39:04. During the discussion, we talk about two interviews with Armstrong. The first, from Vulture, discusses how they had to reshoot this scene due to a lab mishap, and the second is an oral history of the film from the New York Times.

It’s been a year — a strange, roller-coaster of a year — but Making the Scene has finally returned with an episode recorded before we went on hiatus. This is the first of three episodes we still have for you, and they’re all fantastic. This episode is special. Though our guest is Greg Sahadachny, he’s actually the host of this episode. Envious of his guests getting to discuss their favorite scenes, your regular host (that’s me!) asked the lord and master of the Debatable Podcast to stop by and allow the tables to be turned. Today, I, Eric Sipple, bring you a scene from one of my all-time favorite films, Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia. It’s a film following the intersecting stories of a number of Los Angelenos on a very, very weird day in their lives. A day that reaches its apex in a scene where frogs rain down from the sky, forcing our characters’ unravelling lives into new, and sometimes better, places. You can watch most of the here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lyw922ZwFbE Listen to Greg Sahadachny’s fantastic Debatable Podcast here: http://debatablepodcast.tumblr.com/ And be sure to follow Greg on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mistergreggles

December is a special month for Making the Scene. Not only is it your fond host’s birthday, but one of my favorite directors, Paul Thomas Anderson, is releasing a new film. So, before Inherent Vice has a chance to hit your eyeballs, Making the Scene will be coming at you with scenes from two of PTA’s best films. First up, we’re joined by filmmaker and podcaster Joseph William Lewis, who’s brought with him what might be the single strangest scene in an already strange movie: Boogie Nights. After filling itself full of oddball characters, Boogie Nights wraps up by trapping us in a room with a coke-addled, mix-tape making drug dealer who really just wants a friendly audience while he plays Russian Roulette. It’s the perfect scene to dig into Anderson’s style — from extreme close-ups to use of music to the emotional high notes he allows his actors to hit, this is Anderson through and through. The scene is available here: http://www.joblo.com/videos/movie-clips/boogienights-sisterchristian You can watch Joseph’s film Nowheresville here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vumCHSM2oTk And find Joseph on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/toastedschizo And we’ll be back before the end of the year with a very special episode. How special? I’m-the-guest-on-my-own-show special, that’s how special! Greg Sahadachny returns to guest host so that I can talk about one of my favorite scenes from perhaps my favorite film: Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia.

Hello, fond listeners! Making the Scene is back with a brand new invention! Today, we are joined by Gobbledygeek co-host and The Deli Counter of Justice co-editor/author Paul Smith! He’s chosen one of my favorite scenes of all time, the famous “Tears in the Rain” sequence from Blade Runner. It’s the conclusion to a long chase sequence, as our hero Rick Deckard is pursued onto a rain-soaked rooftop by the replicant he was sent to “retire”, Roy Batty. Just as Deckard is about to fall to his death, Batty rescues him, and in his dying moments, recounts the wonders he’s seen in his too-short life. The entire film can be boiled down to this scene, from the art design and still-top of the line effects work on a futuristic Los Angeles, to the philosophical musings of what it means to be human, and the cruelty of mortality. We pick up the scene at about 1:42, and end at 1:48. I couldn’t find the whole scene online, but I did find a clip that picks up just before the most important part: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoAzpa1x7jU You can find Paul’s podcasting work on Gobbledygeek at http://gobbledygeekpodcast.com And, remember, The Deli Counter of Justice is on sale now at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Deli-Counter-Justice-Eric-Sipple/dp/1502528800/ We’ll be on a slightly accelerated release schedule this month, so get ready next week for my talk with Joseph Lewis. We’re bringing the Paul Thomas Anderson to Making the Scene with Boogie Nights!

Welcome back to Making the Scene! Today we’re joined by (one of) my partner(s) in Anthology Crime, Arlo J. Wiley, head editor of The Deli Counter of Justice and one half of the nerderific podcast Gobbledygeek. Since Gobbledygeek was the very first podcast to host me — and interview me about my then-new book Broken Magic at that! — there was no way I could miss getting the GGeeks on my show. For today’s scene, AJ has chosen the (in my absolutely correct opinion) hands-down best scene in all of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds: the tavern scene. Four of our heroic Basterds in a basement tavern, meeting an actress-turned-spy, and facing off against a suspicious Gestapo agent. What does that get you? One of the best tension builds and releases you’re ever going to find. Someone has thankfully made the scene available on Vimeo, so you can check it out here: https://vimeo.com/33854927 You can find Arlo J. Wiley’s podcasts — both Gobbledygeek and the Mad Men-centric Smoke Gets In Your Ears — right here: http://gobbledygeekpodcast.com/ And finally, if you haven’t already, check out the amazing superhero anthology that bears AJ’s name on the cover, The Deli Counter of Justice, right here: http://www.amazon.com/Deli-Counter-Justice-Eric-Sipple/dp/1502528800/ref=asap_B007TJVR8E_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1415157481&sr=1-1 Next time, we’ll be joined by the other half of Gobbledygeek and the third member of the Deli Triumvirate, Paul Smith. We’ll be talking Blade Runner! Don’t miss it!

Making the Scene’s Month of Guillermo del Toro concludes with a special treat for Halloween. We’re back today discussing del Toro’s horror masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth with author and critic Kitty Chandler! Kitty chose for us what is, perhaps, the film’s most terrifying scene: Ofelia’s second trial, and her confrontation with the Pale Man. It’s a sequence full of unsettling set design, atmosphere that alternates between the oppressive and inviting, and some of the best practical monster effects work you’ll find anywhere. This is the first and only time this season I had to re-watch the scene three times just to stop being scared so I could get into the actual analysis. The full sequence isn’t on YouTube, but very nearly all of it is, and can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSICJJq86ic. For those watching at home, the scene begins about 56 minutes in and concludes just before the 1:03 mark. Kitty is the author of Black Ice, a fantastic urban fantasy braided novel. You can get a copy of Black Ice here: http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/kitty-chandler/black-ice/ebook/product-21234262.html She’s also partners with Anna Williams, our previous del Toro Month guest, at the critical review site Murderboarding. Check it out at http://murderboarding.blogspot.com/. Kitty’s personal blog, Kitty Ipsup, can be found at http://kittyspace.org/wordpress/. Enjoy this fantastic discussion, and remember that we’ll be back in two weeks to talk Inglorious Basterds with Arlo J. Wiley.

October is a special month, and a special month deserves a special director. Luckily, Making the Scene has got you covered by devoting the entire month to the brilliant Guillermo del Toro. I discuss the first of our two del Toro movies, Pacific Rim, with Anna Williams, musician and media analyst extraordinaire. Anna is one half of Murderboarding, a fantastic site devoted to diving deeply into the themes and mechanics of televisions shows like Haven, Grimm, and Person of Interest. For today’s episode, Anna chose a pivotal moment of backstory and one of the vital steps in the developing partnership between our heroes Mako Mori and Raleigh Becket. As the two attempt to sync up for the first time to pilot the massive Jaeger Gipsy Danger, the sudden crash of shared memories proves too much for them and sends Mako spiraling into the most traumatic moment of her life. This scene is on Youtube, though unfortunately broken into two parts. If you’re watching on your own copy, the scene starts at around 50 minutes in and ends just before the 56 minute mark. Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msUFls3t324 Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kestIzzIQg0 Anna’s blog, Useful Notes, can be found at http://adsartha.com/. And you can find Anna’s work on Murderboarding here: http://murderboarding.blogspot.com/ On October 26th, we return to round out Month of del Toro. Just as we explored one half of del Toro’s career — the Hollywood Blockbuster del Toro — we’ll dive into his other side — Art House Horror del Toro — by discussing the incredible Pan’s Labyrinth with Anna’s parter at Murderboarding (not to mention accomplished author), Kitty Chandler. See you then!

Making the Scene returns with M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 unconventional alien invasion film, Signs. Kenn is an excellent stand-up comedian and critic, and was the first (and so far only) person to interview me in person for his “So Let’s Get to the Point” podcast. When I pitched Making the Scene to people in the spring, Kenn was the first person to choose his scene. It took him, I’d say, approximately 14 seconds. His scene, a quiet conversation about faith and coincidence between Mel Gibson’s Rev. Graham Hess and his brother Merrill, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is the thematic centerpiece of the film. Sure, it’s a movie featuring a terrifying attack by extraterrestrials, but what Signs is really about is whether those moments of chance and providence we experience are chance…or proof that something greater is out there. This episode was what you might call our pilot episode. Kenn was kind enough to help me test out the format, and the result was a conversation just as insightful as the others this season. From the spare use of score, to the minimalist editing, to the subtle revelations of character, Kenn and I pull apart just why this scene is so effective. This scene begins just after the 41 minute mark, and ends just after 46 minutes in. The entire scene isn’t available online, but the first half, where Graham discusses the two types people people in the world, can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27qUO8_9uT0. You can subscribe to Kenn’s “So Let’s Get to the Point” podcast on iTunes, or visit its website here: http://soletsgettothepoint.libsyn.com/ . He’s also a host of “Smoke Gets In Your Ears”, a show that’s currently analyzing televisions’ Mad Men. That podcast is available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/smoke-gets-in-your-ears/id891801284?mt=2 Kenn is also working on a fascinating Batman fan film called Batman Immortal. They’re documenting the entire process of its creation, and you can follow along here: http://www.batmanimmortal.com/ Enjoy the episode. When we return, we’ll begin our Month of Guillermo del Toro by discussing Pacific Rim with Anna Williams. See you on October 12th!

Welcome to the official launch of Making the Scene! For my first episode, I’m joined by film critic and fellow podcaster Greg Sahadachy. To get us started, Greg has brought along a relentless chase sequence from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Butch and Sundance are pursued across the countryside by a the best lawmen in the west, brought together specifically to take them down. Greg’s a mean one, though. Not only did he choose a film I hadn’t seen (so I had to watch the whole film before I could even get into analyzing the scene itself), but he choose a sequence that…well, let’s say it stretches the definition of “scene” a little. It’s a long sequence, a collection of small moments and beats as the posse wear Butch and Sundance down. Yet, though it might not technically qualify as a single scene, it is a distinct piece of the film. It would have been impossible to take any piece of the chase and talk about it alone. And so, I declare: this is a scene. It’s also a fantastic discussion about economical writing, day for night photography, the end of the American West, and much, much more. As we go forward, I’ll try to give you clips of the scenes we’re discussing, but unsurprisingly, it’s a bit tough to find 20 minutes of a film on YouTube. What I can give you is the scene’s closing moment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IbStIb9XXw. If you happen to subscribe to Netflix Instant, the film is available in its full glory there. The scene starts at around 38 minutes in, and ends just after the 1 hour mark. I told you it was long. You can find Greg’s excellent Debatable Podcast at http://debatablepodcast.tumblr.com/. He’s also started a podcast specific about David Simon’s masterpiece, The Wire, called All the Pieces Matter. Find it at https://www.facebook.com/wirepodcast. Enjoy the episode, and we’ll be back on September 28th with Kenn Edwards to discuss M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs.