The Cinephiliacs

Latest Episodes:

TC #43 - Dave Kehr (The Whistler) Jul 28, 2014

Show notes

There are those who search out the most majestic works of cinema, and those who would rather search under the cracks for oddities and beyond. Dave Kehr, the former critic of the Chicago Reader and New York Times, and now a programmer at the Museum of Modern Art, certainly fits the latter bill. In his brief conversation with Peter, Dave talks about his origins as a cinephile in Chicago, the challenges of keeping the archive alive in the face of the digital programming switchover, and his recent series at MoMA—Lady in the Dark—dedicated to various crime films made at Columbia Pictures from the 30s to the 50s. Finally, the two investigate one series in particular, The Whistler starring Richard Dix, which features the former silent actor in terrifying and fatalistic situations, only to be reincarnated again and again.

0:00-1:27 Opening2:49-8:12 Establishing Shots - Boyhood and Dazed and Confused8:55-48:47 Deep Focus - Dave Kehr51:07-1:01:15 Double Exposure - The Whistler Series (William Castle, Lew Landers, and George Sherman)1:01:18-1:04:04 Close / Outtake

TC #42 - J. Hoberman (Poor Little Rich Girl) Jul 14, 2014

Show notes

While his origins as a cinephile are based largely in his interest in the avant-garde, J. Hoberman has become one of the most influential critics through his examinations of Hollywood blockbusters, world cinema, the outer limits of experimental works, and most importantly, film history. In his appearance on the podcast, Hoberman talks to Peter about his adventures as a kid traversing New York City's film culture, his movement through the the city's underground scene, and eventually to his position at The Village Voice and creating a voice that often examined the relationship between politics and cinema. Finally, the two discuss Poor Little Rich Girl, Andy Warhol's out-of-focus and out of this world portraiture of Edie Sedgwick, which Hoberman describes as a work of "pure cinema."

0:00-1:38 Opening2:03-10:18 Establishing Shots - 2 Years of Cinephiliacs / Donations and Reviews11:02-1:09:29 Deep Focus - J. Hoberman1:12:19-1:28:52 Double Exposure - Poor Little Rich Girl (Andy Warhol)1:28:57-1:31:32 Close / Outtake

TC #41 - Adam Nayman (All Is Forgiven) Jun 30, 2014

Show notes

In a continent dominated by American cinema, it can be easy to forget how essential Toronto is for cinephilia: home of the famed film festival, base of the idiosyncratic magazine Cinema Scope, and the city where critic Adam Nayman has been writing and teaching. Nayman's latest writing opus is It Doesn't Suck, a fantastic book tracing the evolution of Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls from bomb to camp to cult to classic. Peter sits down with Adam to discuss the book, as well as his work for publications like Scope and Reverse Shot, his view of Canadian cinema, and much more. Finally, the two examine the first film from Mia Hansen-Love, All Is Forgiven, and how a film with seemingly little ambition can contain a great depth of feeling.

0:00-1:17 Opening2:13-7:40 Establishing Shots - Blind Detective / Donations and Reviews8:25-59:00 Deep Focus - Adam Nayman59:44-1:09:09 It Doesn't Suck1:21:24-1:41:35 Double Exposure - All Is Forgiven (Mia Hansen-Love)1:41:42-1:43:32 Close / Outtake

TC #40 - Michael Koresky (The Seventh Victim) Jun 16, 2014

Show notes

It would probably take days to count the number of film publications that launched in the early years of the current millennium, but Reverse Shot, which Michael Koresky co-founded, has been a cornerstone of intelligent and dynamic film writing for over a decade now. Peter sits down with Michael to chart out the publication's origins, the voice the site created, Michael's own work with the Criterion Collection, and his upcoming book on British director Terrence Davies. Finally, the two examine the nothing-else-like-it horror film, The Seventh Victim, a Val Lewton produced existential drama that manages to bring chills down both their spines with one little phrase: "death is good."

0:00-1:36 Opening2:24-8:40 Establishing Shots - BAMCinemafest (Ellie Lumme and Something, Anything)9:25-54:02 Deep Focus - Michael Koresky56:48-1:11:49 Double Exposure - The Seventh Victim (Mark Robson)1:11:53-1:13:32 Close

TC #39 - Phillip Lopate (Charulata) Jun 02, 2014

Show notes

Phillip Lopate has been writing for over five decades on a number of subjects - New York, family, marriage, art - but his initial love was the movies. Having seen the New Wave arrive in New York first hand (as well as watch the tide recede), Phillip recounts the stories behind many of his most celebrated essays in this conversation with Peter. He maps out his cinephilia over the years, including finding spirituality through contemplative films, considering the possibility of an essay-film, and thinking through the paradox of making a films about marriage. Finally, the two look at a fascinating work by Indian director Satyajit Ray, Charulata, examining how Ray finds a fascinating tension between East and West in a parable of a tragic housewife, as well as some of the most gorgeously poetic sequences put to screen.

0:00-1:38 Opening2:31-9:32 Establishing Shots - Lau Kar-Leung / Donations10:17-1:03:18 Deep Focus - Phillip Lopate1:05:53-1:21:26 Double Exposure - Charulata (Satyajit Ray)1:21:30-1:23:09 Close

TC - Cannes Film Festival 2014 May 27, 2014

Show notes

The Cannes Film Festival has been the premiere location for the more masterworks in cinema than likely any other festival in the medium's history. And with its 67th iteration, Peter finally made it to the Croisette to see what the fuss was about. Thankfully, he was not alone, so in this special episode of the podcast, Keith Uhlich, Glenn Heath Jr., and Jordan Cronk join Peter to discuss some of the highlights that made a splash during their last day at the festival. From heavy-hitting works as far as Turkey and Mali, auteurs working with unexpected performers, and Jean-Luc Godard's 3D extravaganza, the festival provides more than enough fascinating material to simply scrape the surface of these enormous works.

0:00-1:16 Opening1:17-7:16 Timbuktu (Abderrahmane Sissako)7:52-14:22 Winter Sleep (Nuri Bilge Ceylan)14:23-20:05 Jauja (Lisandro Alonso)20:55-30:04 Clouds of Sils Maria (Olivier Assyas)30:57-37:15 Two Days, One Night (Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne)37:16-48:28 National Gallery (Frederick Wiseman)49:27-1:02:06 Goodbye to Language (Jean-Luc Godard)1:02:08-1:14:12 Critics Picks1:14:13-1:16:32 Close / Outtake

TC #38 - Sam Adams (The Long Goodbye) May 12, 2014

Show notes

Sam Adams may not be in the center of the criticism landscape from his home in Philadelphia, but his presence at the editor for the Criticwire blog has made his dialectic voice a reasoned and fascinating one in a world of polemics. In this latest episode, Peter sits down with Sam to talk about his first interest in criticism through his desire to talk through a film, his participation in the experimental Flaherty seminar, and his thoughts on the strange world of television criticism and its constant evolution. Finally, the two work through Robert Altman's 1973 hazy noir The Long Goodbye and consider how the director's comedic take on the Chandler hero with Elliot Gould might in some ways be more noir than most revisionist works.

0:00-1:25 Opening2:46-9:13 Establishing Shots - Mann Noirs / Donations9:59-1:15:19 Deep Focus - Sam Adams1:16:45-1:42:42 Double Exposure - The Long Goodbye (Robert Altman)1:42:45-1:44:40 Close / Outtake

TC #37 - Carrie Rickey (Clueless) Apr 28, 2014

Show notes

From Los Angeles to New York, Carrie Rickey spent many of her years during the heyday of the Golden Age of Film Criticism, writing about some of the truly great movies as they were released, before moving cities for the Philadelphia Inquirer. No longer working the daily beat, Carrie found time in her busy schedule to sit down with Peter for a chat about her training under Manny Farber, that infamous Heaven's Gate screening, and her various pieces and pursuits in examining women and women's cinema. Finally, the two get like totally on board with Amy Heckerling's Clueless, which like is for sure Frank Tashlin except given this sweet makeover.

0:00-1:12 Opening1:47-10:19 Establishing Shots - East Asia Films At Tribeca / Donations11:02-56:25 Deep Focus - Carrie Rickey57:58-1:13:03 Double Exposure - Clueless (Amy Heckerling)1:14:06-1:15:56 Close / Outtake

TC #36 - Matt Lynch (Hard Boiled) Apr 14, 2014

Show notes

In a world where streaming services have attempted to kill physical media, Scarecrow Video proudly boasts row after row of DVDs, VHS tapes, and more in its 120,000 title collection located out in Seattle, Washington. Matt Lynch has worked at Scarecrow for over 10 years, and knows the store in and out, from the location of every auteur to where you can find "Little Bastards" flicks. So Peter visited the store and sat down with Matt to get a sense of the independent video store's history and future, as well as talk movie violence in its utter grotesqueness and pure visceral pleasure. Finally, the two examine John Woo's 1992 Hong Kong blockbuster Hard Boiled, which not only features some of the most spectacularly crafted action sequences in any film, but examines its own violence through a deeply moralistic lens.

0:00-1:33 Opening2:26-9:48 Establishing Shots - Dietrich and Von Sterberg / Donations10:33-1:09:12 Deep Focus - Matt Lynch1:10:44-1:29:32 Double Exposure - Hard Boiled (John Woo)1:29:35-1:31:15 Close

TC #35 - Mark Harris (The Best Years Of Our Lives) Mar 31, 2014

Show notes

During World War II, five of Hollywood's star directors, whose names had been behind some of the biggest box office hits and Oscar winners, dropped their entire careers to go to war. Their goal was not to fight, but to document. Besides being the only Oscar columnist worth reading, Mark Harris is now the author or Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War. In this podcast, Mark and Peter sit down to discuss this essential read, examining the relationship between Hollywood and the government, the problem of realism and re-creations, and the pains felt by men who returned to a system that seemed to have forgotten them. Finally, the two discuss William Wyler's The Best Years of Our Lives, a universal drama that has numerous touches of the director's own war experience.

0:00-1:35 Opening2:33-8:06 Establishing Shots - William Freidkin's Sorcerer8:50-1:26:40 Deep Focus - Mark Harris1:27:53-1:46:58 Double Exposure - The Best Years of Our Lives (William Wyler)1:47:02-1:48:41 Close

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