The Film Thugs Movie Show

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Criterion Year Week 27: The Rules of The Game Mar 20, 2016

Show notes

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 Rules of the Game

Spine Number: 216

Director: Jean Renoir

Genre: The most French of French

Before we even get started let me say one thing. We neither understood nor cared for this film at all. It just did nothing. We tried, and it wouldn't meet us halfway. So if you're worried about having to see this first... don't sweat it. We kind of tap dance around it.

Few films have ever come with a more daunting and lofty pedigree than Jean Renoir's "The Rules of The Game." For several decades Sight and Sound Magazine has published a list of what are considered the best films ever made. For ages Citizen Kane has held the top position. However, before Kane's ascension, what film was considered the "greatest film of all time?"

This one was. Jean Renoir's comedy of manners that is said to contain a "scathing critique of corrupt French society."

Something must have been lost in translation. Cut to the chase... we didn't really care for it. Well, maybe that's not the right way to put it. This thing made little to no sense. Perhaps there is a greater base of knowledge about French society on the eve of World War II. But, as it stands... we didn't consider this to be a good movie. Yes, it looks good, and there is most certainly something going on behind the scenes that we are just not familiar with, but... honestly. It doesn't translate.

But what we found was... that's ok. It's fine to not love a movie that is held up as a classic. As long as there is some thought going into your critique and you aren't just disagreeing to disagree, it's completely fine to look at something that everyone swears is important and say... eh, not for me.

So, join us in our look at this beloved masterpiece and our discussion of why dissent is just fine.

Next Week:

Spine number 221: Ikiru

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.

Criterion Year Week 26: Throne of Blood Mar 06, 2016

Show notes

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

Week 26:

Throne of Blood

Spine Number: 190

Director: Akira Kurosawa

Genre: Samurai Shakespeare Adaptation

You know what? I am well aware that "Samurai Shakespeare Adaptation," is not, strictly speaking, a genre. You know what else? I don't care, because it damned well should be.

I am rarely happier than when we get to watch a Kurosawa movie. The absolute mastery he displays is genuinely humbling. Clarkson commented while watching this that being a filmmaker while Kurosawa was working must have been miserable. No matter what you did, no matter how expertly you crafted a scene, how perfectly lit it was, how delicately staged, no matter how mind blowing it was to you, you knew that whatever Akira was doing at that moment was better.

Side note, did you know that Akira Kurosawa has as many Oscar Nominations as Melissa McCarthy? No disrespect to Melissa, but evidently shitting in a sink gets you as much respect as being possibly the greatest film maker of all time. So... the Oscars can screw off.

But I digress...

Throne of Blood, first of... the most metal name for a movie ever. How can you possibly top that title, you ask? Simple. Make the movie you give that name to Akira Kurosawa's adaptation of Macbeth.

Let me repeat that.

This movie is Akira Kurosawa's adaptation of GOD DAMNED MACBETH!!!

How good is it? Not to oversell, but it's better than everything else that has ever or will ever exist. It's Toshiro Mifune playing Macbeth directed by Kurosawa. I cannot stress this enough,
IT'S KUROSAWA DOING MACBETH!!! Why are you reading this when you could be watching Kurosawa's MACBETH?

We also discuss all the bullshit that our political process has devolved into, and talk about the men's rights dildos and why they are so angry all the time.

Next Week:

Spine number 216: The Rules of The Game

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.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

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.

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.

Criterion Year Week 25: Bed and Board/Love On The Run Double Feature Feb 28, 2016

Show notes

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

Week 25:

Bed and Board/Love On The Run

Spine Number: 187/188

Director: Francois Truffaut

Genre: French New Wave

Undertaking a series of films that transpires over a long period of time is a daunting task. Last year, "Boyhood" stood as the biggest achievement in this arena, although it was far from the first and far from unique in approach. Setting aside the Harry Potter Movies, and the Up Series of documentaries, Francois Truffaut undertook a similar endeavor over 40 years ago with his Antoine Doinel series, which followed a semi-autobiographical character from his troubled childhood, through his troubled adolescence, into his troubled young adulthood, and his... well, at this point, I think you get it, the kid is troubled.

This week we churn out a double feature to finish the Doinel cycle and see how this kid with no guide navigates life on his own.

Next Week:

Spine number 190: Throne of Blood (Akira Kurosawa's telling of MacBeth)

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.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

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.

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.

Criterion Year Week 24: Stolen Kisses Feb 15, 2016

Show notes

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

Week 24:

Stolen Kisses

Spine Number: 186

Director: Francois Truffaut

Genre: French New Wave

Decades before Richard Linklater's boyhood Francois Truffaut took a similar approach to his autobiography. While not as rigorously scheduled, his Antoine Doinel series definitely set the stage for such an ambitious project. Spanning several years, using the same actor to play the same character at different points in his life, Truffaut created a truly unique and enduring autobiographical experience.

We rejoin Antoine years after the events of the 400 Blows. Having just been dishonorably discharged from the Army, the young man must figure out how to make his way in life. It's definitely a story many of us can relate to on some level.

Although we did skip Antoine and Colette, we shall revisit that at a future date, so don't worry.

Also, we discuss this in a way that is accessible even if you haven't seen the movie.

Look, we know not many people have seen or hear of this movie, so we went very free form with our discussion as we assumed not many people would be listening. So, just enjoy the conversation.

In two weeks:

Spine number 187/188: Bed and Board/Love on the Run

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.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

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.

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.

Criterion Year Week 23: Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas Feb 07, 2016

Show notes

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

Week 23:

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

Spine Number: 175

Director: Terry Gilliam

Genre: Terry Gilliam

There are certain pieces of culture, pop or otherwise, that are tied to certain ages. If you read Tolkein for the first time as a 10-13 year old it could open up a world of possibilities in literature for you. If you read it for the first time at 25, you will be annoyed at all the mentions of buttered toast and overlong song lyrics. Did I just read the words "tra la la la la?" Fuck this book. Stephen King normally takes hold when you are in your early to mid teens. Kerouack? Probably best when you are in your early 20's.

Then there is Hunter S. Thompson. Depending on when you discover his writing, he is either a genius or just kind of annoying. Both of us discovered him at the right age, early 20's, right about the time this movie hit.

There was a certain, undeniable appeal to it. An appreciation of the drug fueled, anarchic aesthetic that made the whole thing seem a lot more important than it actually was. Thompson occupies a strange place on the border of the mainstream, too strange to fully ingratiate himself, too gifted to be completely cast aside. He stands as a cultural oddity both beloved and despised. And really, I don't believe he would have it any other way. Well, I actually think he wouldn't give a damn one way or the other.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which began as an assignment to write photo captions for a motorcycle race and spiraled into a piece of pop culture canon seems, on its surface, unfilmable. Well, unfilmable to anyone but Terry Gilliam.

So, join us and see how this perfect combination of writer and director fare in this undeniable head trip of a film.

Next week:

Spine number 186: Stolen Kisses

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.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

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.

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.

Criterion Year Week 22: Hopscotch Jan 31, 2016

Show notes

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

Week 22:

Hopscotch

Spine Number: 163

Director: Ronald Neame

Genre: Comedy

First off, this is our 300th episode. We are not doing anything special, just introducing you to an amazing movie.

Every once in a while you get to introduce something special to a person. Some obscure, amazing book, incredible movie, awesome song, something that you discovered by some strange turn of coincidence that people just don't know about for some reason. Then you get to be the one to introduce it. It's like you're giving an gift to someone.

Well, Hopscotch is one of those movies.

This little spy movie, that is unlike any spy movie you've seen before, is effortlessly charming and completely engaging. Walter Matthau is an old CIA man who has a boss, Ned Beatty, who is a bit of a prick. He decides to make an example out of Matthau, who decides he would rather not put up with it. Along with Glenda Jackson (who has a level of natural charm and charisma that ranks right up there with Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly) he sets out to have some fun.

That's all we will tell you. This is one of those rare movies that fun without being stupid, smart without being condescending, and completely enjoyable from beginning to end. It is tight, quick, and... honestly, it's just a fantastic film. So, check it out on Hulu, Amazon, or iTunes. You will be glad you did.

Once you've watched it, join us in our discussion of this incredible movie.

Next week:

Spine number 175: Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas

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.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

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.

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.

Criterion Year Week 21: The Royal Tenenbaums Jan 18, 2016

Show notes

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

Week 21:

The Royal Tenenbaums

Spine Number: 15

Director: Wes Anderson

Genre: Comedy

Some talent seems to spring into the world fully formed, like Athena emerging from Zeus' skull. This really feels apropos when talking about Wes Anderson. Bottle Rocket, which will be discussed in depth at a later date, was a solid quirky little indie, but everything you really need to know about Wes is there. Rushmore really nailed down what he was all about.

But The Royal Tenenbaums...

Damn.

Few films are as solid, as effective, as heartfelt, as meticulously and flawlessly executed as this one. Every aspect of it is perfect. Every character is perfectly cast, every performance is nuanced and heartfelt, every beat, be it dramatic or comedic, lands with a precision that is virtually unmatched. Rushmore was a home run, and somehow Anderson and Wilson followed it up with a grand slam.

So join us as we discuss a movie that is a genuine pleasure to watch. If by some strange chance you haven't seen it yet, please do yourself a favor and correct that immediately.

Next week:

Spine number 163: Hopscotch

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.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

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.

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.

Criterion Year Week 20: Traffic Jan 10, 2016

Show notes

We continue our journey through Jim's collection of movies with...

Week 20:

Traffic

Spine Number: 151

Director:Steven Soderburgh

Genre: Drama

One of the most annoying things in the world, to me at least, is when someone addresses a complex issue as if it only has one facet and a simple solution. People do this all the time. Basically, it's the height of egotism. This problem really wouldn't be a problem if people just looked at it the way I did and did this one thing to fix it.

The simple fact of the matter is that most issues are far more complex than we think they are and they don't have easy answers or quick fixes. In fact, most of them don't really have a single fix at all.

Traffic addresses one of the most contentious issues of our time. The war on drugs.

We see multiple points of view from different points along the supply chain. We see how the good guys deal with things from the front lines to the White House. We see how the bad guys do thing, and how they will be able to continue operating. To quote The Wire, "This isn't a war. Wars end."

This is the type of issue that we love to talk about. It's complex, misunderstood, and handled in the most incompetent and wrongheaded way imaginable (from a policy point of view).

We discuss what can be done to fix a problem that doesn't have a solution. How do you keep people from doing something that people have done as long as people have existed?

Next week:

Spine number 157: The Royal Tenenbaums

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.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

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.

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.

Criterion Year Week 19: Sullivan's Travels Jan 03, 2016

Show notes

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.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

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.

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.

Criterion year Week 18: Withnail and I Dec 20, 2015

Show notes

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.

Our league is Film Thugs 2015 and the password is Porterhouse.

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.

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.

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