Film School

An ass-kicking never feels good! It hurts every time. And yet, especially in the creative sense, we all need to be told when we're doing something wrong; we all need to be humbled. So...how can getting your ass kicked be a good thing? If the pain is the same either way, how can you tell constructive criticism from just a plain whoopin'? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Rifftrax on Pluto TV, and Ira recommends Fallout on Prime.

Must I remind you that *you* are the fugitive from justice and not I? It's The 39 Steps: Part 2! Hitchcock returns to what is clearly a favorite premise: an innocent man on the run from a criminal conspiracy with the fate of the country at stake. This time, we're in American, and there's a real-world war going on. So...how does it shake out? Does Alfred raise the bar from his first go-round? What has he learned since the last time he did this story? We watch and discuss!

400 episodes! Wild. This week, we're tackling the question of bad vs good vs great from the angle of seeking out new books, TV, and Film. It can be a hard road! Most stuff out there isn't great...so, how does one keep going, keep up the enthusiasm? We discuss what's worked for us. Also, Josh recommends Robodoc, which is currently on Tubi, and Ira recommends The Terror on AMC+ (and Blu-Ray/DVD).

There was something strange about Johnny Asgarth... We're back to the realm of suspense, paranoia, and murder. Or...is it? That's the question Joan Fontaine must answer when she marries the charming but mysterious Cary Grant: IS he trying to kill her? A return to form, perhaps, after Hitchcock's last jaunt through screwball comedy, and it's the first hook up between Hitch and Grant, doubly interesting because Grant--up to this point--was mostly known for comedy. So, how do they do? We watch and discuss.

Can you fall in love, deeply in love love, with somebody you know isn't as smart as you are? We're not talking about pets, or kids, inanimate objects, or even sexual attraction. We're talking about grown-up, head over heels, enduring, inspiring LOVE. Can you? Interesting, huh? You can't, can you? Stories are the same way. All the best stories open our minds, expand our worlds, and command our intelligence. So...how do you do that? Also, Josh again recommends South Park currently available on Prime, and Ira recommends the aughts' Battlestar Galactica.

If you had it all to do over again, would you have married me? Hitch takes on married life in its screwball form! These comedies were very popular at the time (see: Grant and Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby), so it's not surprising that our British Director, fresh in Hollywood, would take on such a project. Given his hit and (mostly) miss track record with comedy, how does this effort shake out? We dive in and discuss!

How do you know when you've gone in the wrong direction? What are the signs? And when you realize that you have, what do you do? Josh and Ira share their own personal insights on this question, covering the spectrum of a chronic over-planner to leaping-before-looking impulsiveness. Also, Josh recommends South Park currently available on Prime, and Ira recommends Constellation on Apple TV+.

There's a crime hatching on that bedeviled continent... World War II is in full swing when this movie releases. Or, at least it is in Europe. London is being bombed, and Hitchcock can't help but feel, well, helpless. And guilty for not being there. This film, more than any he's made to this point, truly reflects the time in which it was made: an American reporter is sent overseas to report on the brewing political situation and becomes embroiled in an assassination plot. We discuss!

What makes a good movie? What are the things that stand out? We all have our own personal versions of the answer to this question. Josh and Ira each answer for themselves without getting into the weeds as much as possible. Also, Josh recommends Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix, and Ira recommends Tarkovsky's Stalker on Max.

Do you think the dead come back and watch the living? Mr. Hitchcock is in Hollywood! Alfred makes his first film in the States, and holy crap does he have some fun with his budget. Everything tinsel town had to offer in 1940 is on display: star power, massive sets, camera tricks, sweeping score, and even FIRE. It's a moody, gothic horror story to boot. Does it all come together? We discuss!

Hitchcock is moving to Hollywood! As the master of suspense makes his way west, we're taking a pause here to look back on his period in Britain. 13 years. 24 films (one of which has been lost since). An era that saw him struggle to fit in, thrive as technology developed and ambition increased, and eventually find his "thing." What are the ups and downs? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Jungle on Prime, and Ira recommends Touching The Void on Pluto TV.

CHAAADWIIIICK??!! Hitch teams up with dynamo actor Charles Laughton for a tale of piracy, lies, and corruption. The stage actor is riveting, even if the film has its flaws, and apparently he and Alfred had a hard time working together. There's a lot to like with Jamaica Inn! More than we expected. And certainly lots to criticize. We discuss it all.

A small lie. A sentence I didn't actually write, or a shot I didn't really shoot that I pass off as my own. Or I didn't actually do something the way I said I did. How big of a deal are these kinds of lies or omissions? Do they really matter? How truthful do we need to be with those who consume our work? Where is the line? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Slings & Arrows, and Ira recommends The Boys on Prime.

Nuns don't wear high heels... A woman has disappeared into thin air, on a train no less. But when Iris Henderson reports it, nobody believes her. In fact, nobody on the train even knows who she's talking about. So, what gives? Is Iris crazy? Or is everyone else? This dilemma caps off a pretty solid run of Hitchcock's later British period that's seen him lock into his lane: suspense. So...how successful is this one? Can he keep us on the edge of our seat? We watch and find out!

What's the difference between good...and great? Think about how each of those words makes you feel. The contrast is pretty dramatic, isn't it? Like, MILES different, not inches. So, if the difference between good and great is massive, how do we make the leap between the two? Is it possible? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Oppenheimer, currently in theaters, and Ira recommends True Detective: Night Country on HBO and Max.

Oh Robert, if only things would turn out all right... A woman's body washes ashore. A young man is seen fleeing from the sight of it. But...did he do it? That's the question the local constable's daughter must answer, even as she finds herself falling for him. Sounds like vintage, bang-on Hitchcock doesn't it??? So, how effective is this one? How much has Hitch developed his skills? We watch and discuss!

Ernest Hemingway famously once said: "The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in, shockproof, shit detector." We all must be able to distinguish between good storytelling and bad storytelling. So...how strong is yours? (hint: it's probably super strong) And once you've got one that's working, how do you actually USE it to make your work better and not just send you running for the hills? We talk about it. Also, Josh recommends Love On The Spectrum on Netflix, and Ira recommends The Last Repair Shop on Disney+

What goes on after hours in that cinema of yours...? Alfred takes on Joseph Conrad's popular novel The Secret Agent, about a man who's tasked with planting a bomb in London to create fear and terror. In this adaptation, he owns a movie theater, a detective from Scotland Yard is onto him and falling for his wife, and the motivations behind the conspiracy are nebulous. So, does it work? Do Hitch's tweaks build the drama to a fever pitch, or do they fall flat? We watch and discuss!

Frodo had Sam. Luke had Artoo. Harry had Ron and Hermione. Side characters are just as important to a well-told story as the main characters are. So, how do you make a great one? And what's the trap, sometimes, of a side character who's more interesting, more active than even your hero? We discuss! Also, Josh recommends Love On The Spectrum on Netflix, and Ira recommends The Last Repair Shop on Disney+

General Pompellio Montezuma De La Vilia De Conde De La Rue! Peter Lorre is back, this time as a sidekick assassin who goes by the name "The Hairless Mexican," and "The General," of which he is neither. Hitch has been on a roll with his newfound focus on suspenseful fare. How does this one stack up against the previous two breakthroughs? We watch and discuss!