The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review

#Cinema #Wes Evans: Actor #Writer; Todd Sapio: Actor #Fine Arts #Arts

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If your marketing grew like a dividend-reinvestment plan, would you still let a quarterly target dictate every decision? Agility requires stacking returning gains faster than the market changes—think compound interest, but for marketing campaigns. Today we’re going to talk about the Compound Marketing Engine, agentic AI, and why “data-driven” still needs greater adoption among leaders. To help me discuss this topic, I’d like to welcome Chris O'Neill, CEO of GrowthLoop. About Chris O'Neill Chris O’Neill is CEO of GrowthLoop and a board director at Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS). His 25+ year career includes leadership roles at Google Canada, Evernote, and Xero, and board experience at Tim Hortons. As an advisor and investor, his portfolio includes Koho, Plus AI, and Neeva (acquired by Snowflake). Chris lives in Northern California with his wife, two children, and their dog Teddy. Chris O'Neill on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/croneill/ Resources GrowthLoop: https://www.growthloop.com https://www.growthloop.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brands Don't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150 " Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstrom Don't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.show Check out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Cinema lovers unite! Two actors and filmmakers decided to cut through all the fluff and start a movie podcast where they actually discuss the film and not a million other things you don’t care about. Covering the obvious (did you like the movie?) while diving a little deeper (what is Interstellar really about? is there a bootstrap paradox?) we are having an in-depth conversation about movies and see if they hold up to scrutiny, and maybe even inform us about life or moviemaking itself. Because a good movie is often about more than what it’s about. So, let’s see if these Hollywood directors & writers are up to snuff as we cover blockbusters, independent films, direct to Netflix movies, and everything else; maybe your next favorite film is an indie you haven’t even heard of, let us introduce you to another way of watching movies.

333 episodes

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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updated il y a environ 4 jours

maison des série•Feed

333 episodes

#Cinema #Wes Evans: Actor #Writer; Todd Sapio: Actor #Fine Arts #Arts

Tous les épisodes

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

1
Ep 333: “Pacific Rim” 1:01:00

il y a environ 4 jours1:01:00

1:01:00

We rocket into Guillermo del Toro’s “Pacific Rim” and discuss: Story & Writing, rule of resistance, the wall; Action Movie Energy; Sound design; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Imagine all the people living life in peace. “ – John Lennon, from “Imagine” Notes & References: Support us on our Patreon here! Watch us on YouTube! Art Spotlight: “I said Oatmilk” directed by Justin Betancourt This Week’s Recommendations: “ War of the Worlds ” (IMDB) / “ The Fantastic Four: First Steps ” (IMDB) The post Ep 333: “Pacific Rim” appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 332: “The American” (2010) 1:05:48

il y a environ 11 jours1:05:48

1:05:48

We sight George Clooney’s “The American” and discuss: Cinematography, compositions, center framing; Story & Writing, cold opens, adding complexity to simple stories; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop. “ – H.L. Mencken Notes & References: “The American” Script link (scriptslug.com) – the PDF is 130 pages, but the listed page count is 108 Director Anton Corbijn’s IMDB – his other big movie is “A Wanted Man”, and he also directed “Life”, “Control”, so 4 movies total upon closer inspection Brandon Sanderson’s Writing Lecture (2025) (YouTube) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ The Thin Red Line ” (IMDB) / “ Winner ” (IMDB) The post Ep 332: “The American” (2010) appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 331: “A League of Their Own” (1992) 1:09:52

il y a environ 18 jours1:09:52

1:09:52

We try out Penny Marshall’s “A League of Their Own” and discuss: Editing, follow the eyes; Story & Writing, comedy, sports arcs, themes; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ The development of leadership, initiative, and self-confidence in the girls who are to have the tremendously increased responsibilities of women must carry in another generation is surely of vast importance. If they can be encouraged to think, judge, and act on their own responsibility they gain an asset that should prove of great future value. “ – from the Charm School Guide for All American Girls Notes & References: Check out our Patreon here! Todd’s YouTube Channel “Mad Valley” Megan Cavanagh (IMDB) Penny Marshall (IMDB) Charm school guide for AAGPBL Emily Post (emilypost.com) Procrastinating art (Instagram reel; Elissa’s IG inspo) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ Renaissance Man ” (IMDB) / “ Aurora ” (YouTube) The post Ep 331: “A League of Their Own” (1992) appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 330: “Superman” (2025, James Gunn) 1:26:49

il y a environ 25 jours1:26:49

1:26:49

We soar into James Gunn’s “Superman” and discuss: Cinematography, wide angles; Story & Writing, punk rock, rule of repeats; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ To me, punk is about being an individual and going against the grain and standing up and saying ‘This is who I am’. “ – Joey Ramone Notes & References: Macon FF 2025 The Pestle Patreon Sonic 1 teeth controversy (YouTube) Rendition / Black sites (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ Materialists ” (IMDB) / “ Shazam! ” (IMDB) The post Ep 330: “Superman” (2025, James Gunn) appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 329: “¡Three Amigos!” 1:03:47

il y a 5 weeks1:03:47

1:03:47

We salute Steve Martin’s “¡Three Amigos!” and discuss: Story & Writing, classic comedy, setting up the confusion; Favorite moments; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall. “ – Alexandre Dumas, from The Three Musketeers Notes & References: Check out our Patreon here! Texas Film Commission Locations Service (texas.gov) “Christmas Vacation” Chevy Chase scene Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ Like Water for Chocolate ” (IMDB) / “ Brewster’s Millions ” (IMDB) The post Ep 329: “¡Three Amigos!” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 328: “F1” 1:04:55

il y a 6 weeks1:04:55

1:04:55

We joyride through Brad Pitt’s “F1: The Movie” and discuss: Cinematography, wide angles; Story & Writing, exposition, the real antagonist; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ No one is bigger than the team. If you can’t do things our way, you’re not getting time here and we don’t care who you are. “ – Gregg Popovich Notes & References: Check out our Patreon here! Wolfgang Bodison (IMDB) – actor from A Few Good Men did go on to have what looks like a very respectable acting career! (I’m assuming he took the craft seriously after landing his first role -wes) Joseph Kosinkski (IMDB) – also directed Oblivion, Tron: Legacy, Tom Gun: Maverick, etc Netflix show is called “ Formula 1: Drive to Survive ” (youtube trailer) F1 Movie budget is reported to be between $200m-300m *Michael Schumacher, not Joel Schumacher (the director lol) Shea Whigham (IMDB) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ Gran Turismo ” (IMDB) / “ A League of Their Own ” (IMDB) The post Ep 328: “F1” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 327: “28 Years Later” 1:07:36

il y a 7 weeks1:07:36

1:07:36

We behold Danny Boyle’s “28 Years Later” and discuss: Cinematography, silhouettes; Story & Writing, sequels, genre tropes; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ The reason that clichés become clichés is that they are the hammers and screwdrivers in the toolbox of communication. “ – Terry Pratchett Notes & References: 28 Days Later budget was $8m USD 28 Years Later budget is reportedly $75m USD 28 Years Later Music by: Young Fathers 28 Weeks Later scripted by Rowan Joffe & Juan Carlos Fresnadillo & Enrique López Lavigne & Jesús Olmo 28 Weeks Later cold open (YouTube) The first sequel is directed by Nia DaCosta will arrive in January 2026, “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” (IMDB) and looks to be written by Alex Garland Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ Red Rooms ” (IMDB) / “ Contagion ” (IMDB) The post Ep 327: “28 Years Later” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 326: “Bring Her Back” 59:29

il y a 9 weeks59:29

59:29

We conjure Rackaracka’s “Bring Her Back” and discuss: Child violence on screen; Story & Writing, torturing the audience & characters; Competent filmmaking, character work; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Come back. Even as a shadow, even as a dream. “ – Euripides Notes & References: The big crunch (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ The Life of Chuck ” (IMDB) / “ The Conjuring ” (IMDB) The post Ep 326: “Bring Her Back” appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 325: “Tropic Thunder” 59:10

il y a 10 weeks59:10

59:10

We scorch Ben Stiller’s “Tropic Thunder” and discuss: Cinematography, selling satire; Story & Writing, satire vs tropes; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ I think that the power is the principle. The principle of moving forward, as though you have the confidence to move forward, eventually gives you confidence when you look back and see what you’ve done. “ – Robert Downey Jr. Notes & References: *The book is “Hearts of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad; the documentary is “Into the Heart of Darkness” *”Birth of a Nation” is the D.W. Griffith movie *Mel Gibson lol, Kirk is a baseball player. (I was on fire today!) UT Dept. of English “Reading Race” (YouTube) Mel Brooks on making Blazing Saddles (ew.com) – “Isn’t it strange? It could hardly be made then. Certainly not 10 years before then. And now it’s suddenly, it’s 40 years later, it cannot be made today. That’s weird.” Tropic Thunder Budget: $92M Ridley Scott “All the Money in the World” reshoots (vulture.com) – 9 day reshoot; fascinating interview with Ridley discussing his process and sneaking in additional rewrites during the reshoots More clarification on replacing Space with Plummer via HollywoodReporter.com – “We were pressured with time, and the two gave very different performances, so it wasn’t just a question of replacing [Spacey with Plummer]…The rhythm was very different, his emphasis on the dialogue was very different, and that impacted the other performances in the scene. So we decided to replace complete scenes.” Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ Blazing Saddles ” (IMDB) / “ The Royal Tenenbaums ” (IMDB) The post Ep 325: “Tropic Thunder” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 324: “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning” 1:03:04

il y a 11 weeks1:03:04

1:03:04

We dive into Tom Cruise’s “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning” and discuss: Editing dialog-heavy scenes; Story & Writing, exposition dumps, the real villain; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. “ – Henry David Thoreau Notes & References: AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) (wiki) Emergent Phenomena (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ Warfare ” (IMDB) / “ Rain Man ” (IMDB) The post Ep 324: “Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 323: “There Will Be Blood” 1:11:53

il y a 12 weeks1:11:53

1:11:53

We drill into Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood” and discuss: Story & Writing, plot vs character; Daniel Day-Lewis; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. “ – Upton Sinclair Notes & References: *first 15 minutes have no dialog, the script is a little over 6 pages in this sequence *It won Oscars for Best Actor, and Cinematography, only nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ Winter’s Bone ” (IMDB) / “ 50 First Dates ” (IMDB) The post Ep 323: “There Will Be Blood” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 322: “Stardust” 50:10

il y a 13 weeks50:10

50:10

We cross into Matthew Vaughn’s “Stardust” and discuss: Cinematography, polished camera moves; Story & Writing, fairytale rules, character wants, love; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep. The more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite. “ – Shakespeare, from Romeo and Juliet Notes & References: 1 Atheist vs 25 Christians Debate (YouTube) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: Alex O’Connor’s YouTube and Podcast ( Apple Podcast / Spotify ) / “ Your Friends and Neighbors ” (IMDB) The post Ep 322: “Stardust” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 321: “The Road” (2009) 51:19

il y a 14 weeks51:19

51:19

We trek across Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” and discuss: Cinematography, compositions, first frame last frame; Story & Writing, structure, morality, terse dialog; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. “ – James 1:17 (Bible verse) Notes & References: John Hillcoat (IMDB) – directed “Lawless”, “The Proposition” Kodi Smit-McPhee (wiki) – had been acting a couple years prior to The Road Final note! SPOILERS FOLLOWING THIS WARNING: So I mentioned in the rundown that I’d talk about the first frame / last frame and totally forgot to deliver that note, but in the context of the film looking at the world being dead and how the boy was referred to being an angel and word of God and that he’s carrying “the light” — I find it interesting that the first frame is before the nuclear fallout, it’s a shot of leaves on a tree, feels like spring, a time of growth after winter…and the final shot is of the boy. I think it’s painting a picture (especially with the context of the bird and the beetle in preceding scenes) of life returning through the light that is the boy, and spring life is returning after this era of cold hard death. -wes Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ The Road ” by Cormac McCarthy (Amazon) / “ American Sniper ” (IMDB) The post Ep 321: “The Road” (2009) appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 320: “Sinners” 1:11:03

il y a 15 weeks1:11:03

1:11:03

We summon Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” and discuss: Story & Writing, fairytales, flashbacks, and protagonists; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. “ – John F. Kennedy Notes & References: Eric Roth (IMDB) – Forrest Gump, Killers of the Flower Moon, Dune Part One, Munich, etc Ludwig Göransson * (not Gustafsson like Wes dumdum said) Loving v Virginia * (wiki (also not Love like Wes dumdum said)) Redlining (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ Number One on the Call Sheet ” (IMDB) / “ True Romance ” (IMDB) The post Ep 320: “Sinners” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 319: “The Amateur” (2025) 51:48

il y a 16 weeks51:48

51:48

We surveil Rami Malek’s “The Amateur” and discuss: Story & Writing, how world-building impacts the audience experience, setting up your character arcs; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ What idea havers don’t understand is that it’s in the making of all of the microdecisions that the actual work of creation takes place, and that without it the idea might as well not exist. “ – Neal Stephenson Notes & References: “Idea Having is not Art” (Substack.com) – Neal Stephenson article on the act of creating Ryan Coogler explains aspect ratios, film formats (YouTube) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ The Report ” (IMDB) / “ White Lotus ” (IMDB) The post Ep 319: “The Amateur” (2025) appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 318: “Perfect Sense” (2011) 58:41

il y a 17 weeks58:41

58:41

We devour Eva Green & Ewan McGregor’s “Perfect Sense” and discuss: Cinematography, contrast, camera movement; Story & Writing, scene character, relationship epidemics; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Yes, there is joy, fulfillment, and companionship, but the loneliness of the soul in its appalling self-consciousness is horrible and overpowering. “ – Sylvia Plath Notes & References: “Scene Character” article (Wordplayer.com) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ Life is Beautiful ” (IMDB) / “ A.P. Bio ” (IMDB) The post Ep 318: “Perfect Sense” (2011) appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 317: “Mission: Impossible” (1996) 1:10:41

il y a 18 weeks1:10:41

1:10:41

We double-cross Tom Cruise’s original “Mission: Impossible” and discuss: Cinematography, split focus diopters; Story & Writing, the opening, big set pieces; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Without promotion, something terrible happens… nothing! “ – P.T. Barnum Notes & References: David Koepp (IMDB) Robert Towne (IMDB) Watch us on YouTube! xx Art Spotlight: “The Untold Story” Christian Guzman Documentary This Week’s Recommendations: “ The Studio ” (IMDB) / “ Argo ” (IMDB) Wes Evans: Actor, Filmmaker, Director, Writer; Todd Sapio: Actor, Producer, Musician for “Mad Valley” band The post Ep 317: “Mission: Impossible” (1996) appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 316: “Lost in Translation” 1:13:02

il y a 19 weeks1:13:02

1:13:02

We drift through Sofia Coppola’s “Lost in Translation” and discuss: Cinematography, specificity & purpose with the camera; Story & Writing, Tokyo & language as a metaphor; Performances, Scarlett Johansson doing Marvel movies; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ I try to just make what I want to make or what I would want to see. I try not to think about the audience too much.” “There are always things that I wish were different, or I feel like I’ve made mistakes. But it’s just part of it. I don’t mind that it’s a little homemade. “ – Sofia Coppola Notes & References: *That is not Jared Leto, I am extremely bad with faces. – Wes *” Under the Skin ” is the Jonathan Glazer film I meant to reference, “ In Her Skin ” is a very different movie lol -Wes Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ Cashback ” (IMDB) / Sleep Token band on Apple Music , YouTube Music , Spotify The post Ep 316: “Lost in Translation” appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 315: “Black Bag” 1:13:53

il y a 20 weeks1:13:53

1:13:53

We dig through Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” and discuss: Cinematography, practical lighting; Story & Writing, story engine, subplots; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ A success, to me, is the ability to keep working. That’s success. It has nothing to do with money; it’s the ability to keep getting things made, period. “ – Steven Soderbergh Notes & References: Steven Soderbergh interview (Deadline.com) Looks like there was a B camera operator for at least some scenes (IMDB) Watch us on YouTube! Art Spotlight: “Trauma Mines” trailer (Vimeo) This Week’s Recommendations: “ Adolescence ” (IMDB) / “ Look Back ” (IMDB) The post Ep 315: “Black Bag” appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 314: “Mickey 17” 1:15:04

il y a 21 weeks1:15:04

1:15:04

We dissect Bong Joon Ho’s “Mickey 17” and discuss: Story & Writing, Mickey’s metaphor, creepers; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ We don’t own the planet Earth, we belong to it. And we must share it with our wildlife. “ – Steve Irwin Notes & References: Arcadia (wiki) – refers to a vision of pastoralism and harmony with nature Darius Khondji essay (YouTube) Darius Khondji (IMDB) – Se7en, Delicatessen, The City of Lost Children, Midnight in Paris, Uncut Gems, Bardo Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “ Parthenope ” (IMDB) / “ Adventure Time ” (IMDB) The post Ep 314: “Mickey 17” appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 313: “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001) 1:14:21

il y a 22 weeks1:14:21

1:14:21

We bet big on Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s Eleven” and discuss: Cinematography, subtlety, and bounce lighting; Story & Writing, heist rules, problems and solutions, rule of repeats; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Oh, I just wish someone would try to hurt you so I could kill them for you. “ – Frank Sinatra Notes & References: Correction: Based on BTS footage looks like the dinner table scene wasn’t a “Bob Richardson Special”, but that it was lit from the tabletop’s lantern! Somehow I completely missed the lamp sitting right in the dead center of the table. womp womp. George Clooney (IMDB) was pretty big before Ocean’s Eleven – he’d already done Batman & Robin, The Peacemaker, From Dusk Till Dawn, Three Kings, O Brother, The Perfect Storm, etc; so yeah, I knew exactly who he was going into Ocean’s Eleven lol “ Silent grocery bag ” using non-fibrous paper material, same as coffee filter (Tiktok) – so maybe not felt as I stated! Quote: The world’s foremost cellist, Pablo Casals, is 83. He was asked one day why he continued to practice four and five hours a day. Casals answered, “Because I think I am making progress.” (QuoteInvestigator.com) Filming Locations : They did in fact film in the Bellagio for almost five weeks! (IMDB) Budget is listed as $85M, and filmed from Feb. 11 – June 7, 2001 Topher Grace shared a call sheet from Ocean’s Eleven on Reddit BTS Footage of dinner table Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 313: “Ocean’s Eleven” (2001) appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 312: “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” 1:17:13

il y a 23 weeks1:17:13

1:17:13

We rush towards Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and discuss: Cinematography, broad lighting and portraits; Story & Writing, layers, freezing time, power of groups, Celine’s writing process; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Women have served all these centuries as looking glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size.” – Virginia Woolf Notes & References: Celine Sciamma BAFTA writing lecture (YouTube) Jacob Riis quote Eurydice = yer-ih-duh-see – hilarious I suddenly could not remember how to pronounce this, c’est la vie Ancient Egypt equality/balance (WorldHistory.org) – “Women in ancient Egypt were regarded as the equals of men in every aspect save that of occupation.” // “Men held positions of authority such as king, governor, general, and a man was considered the head of the household, but, within that patriarchy, women exercised considerable power and independence.” Watch us on YouTube! Art Spotlight: “Trauma Mines” (Trailer) This Week’s Recommendations: “ Lovesong ” (IMDB) / “ Zero Day ” (IMDB) The post Ep 312: “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 311: “The Fall” (2006) 1:11:16

il y a 24 weeks1:11:16

1:11:16

We gather ’round Tarsem Singh’s “ The Fall ” and discuss: Cinematography, transitions, locations, power of choreography; Story & Writing, layers of stories, stuntmen, how we all tell our own stories; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ When we give someone our time, we actually give a portion of our life that we will never take back. “ – Alexander the Great Notes & References: Tarsem Singh was born in Jalandhar, India “The Fall” took 4 years to shoot, and shot in 28 countries ( per IMDB ) Odious (wiki) Camera obscura (wiki) Butterfly Lighting (Petapixel.com) Robert Duffy (IMDB) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 311: “The Fall” (2006) appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 310: “The Cell” (2000) 1:16:38

il y a 25 weeks1:16:38

1:16:38

We baptize Jennifer Lopez’s “The Cell” and discuss: Cinematography, realizing dream states; Story & Writing, metaphors, redeeming broken people; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ The goal of education is not to increase the amount of knowledge but to create the possibilities for a child to invent and discover. “ – Jean Piaget Notes & References: • The opening sequence was shot in the Namibia desert. Edward’s valley with the trees is in Dead Vlei, Hardap, Namibia; the shipwreck is the “ Eduard Bohlen Shipwreck ” and is about 80 miles away along the Skeleton Coast. So with a helicopter you could definitely get those shots on the same day, and perhaps with a vehicle if the route is traversable. • Austin Film Society Some links about schizophrenia worth perusing: • Schizophrenia causes (NSH.uk) – “80% of people with schizophrenia do not have relatives with the condition. Schizophrenia likely results from a confluence of factors, some of which are only beginning to be understood.” • Schizophrenia’s Strongest Known Genetic Risk Deconstructed (NIH.gov) – “schizophrenia is known to be as much as 90 percent heritable, yet discovering how specific genes work to confer risk has proven elusive, until now” Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 310: “The Cell” (2000) appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 309: “Limitless” (2011) 1:26:38

il y a 26 weeks1:26:38

1:26:38

We ingest Neil Burger’s “Limitless” and discuss: Wes discusses the color grading process on his new short film 00:00-29:00; Story & Writing, opening scenes, voiceover, structure, exposition; Cinematography, inserts as storytelling, color for storytelling, how voiceover impacts the coverage; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ What will limit us is not the possible evolution of technology, but the evolution of human purposes. “ – Stephen Wolfram Notes & References: Rihanna “Work” (YouTube) – colored by TBD Post Do we only use 10% of our brain? (MIT.edu) – “the idea that we use 10 percent of our brain is 100 percent a myth.”; “All of our brain is constantly in use and consumes a tremendous amount of energy,” TBD Post – Post Production house Brandon Thomas colorist (instagram) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 309: “Limitless” (2011) appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 308: “Heat” (1995) 1:09:34

il y a 27 weeks1:09:34

1:09:34

We take 30 seconds with Michael Mann’s “Heat” and discuss: Cinematography, dolly moves, unmotivated lighting; Sound, shootout realism, sound design, Moby music; Story & Writing, good guys and bad guys, runtime; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ You must learn to be slow in a hurry. “ – Wyatt Earp Notes & References: Heat (wiki) – Originally scripted in 1979, and eventually adapted into a TV Pilot that was shot and rejected by NBC, but the pilot aired in 1989 as a TV Movie called “L.A. Takedown”. Diner scene from “L.A. Takedown” (YouTube) – this absolutely refutes Mamet’s idea of actors only need to say the lines, haha. Sound designer commenting on a YouTube analysis of “Heat” – I did not actually watch any of the analysis, I saw it was 30 minutes and noped out of it, but scrubbed the comments instead Moby “God Moving Over the Face of the Waters” (YouTube) “Where We Ended” 2015 short film (Vimeo) North Hollywood Shootout (wiki) North Hollywood Shootout documentary (YouTube) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: Todd recommends canceling Netflix and Spotify. Good alternatives for music apps are YouTube Music and Apple Music! The post Ep 308: “Heat” (1995) appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 307: “The Brutalist” 1:09:34

il y a 29 weeks1:09:34

1:09:34

We commission Adrien Brody’s “The Brutalist” to discuss: Cinematography, oners, breaking up the frame with style and tone; Story & Writing, immigration, symbolism; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ When you get to know a lot of people, you make a great discovery. You find that no one group has a monopoly on looks, brains, goodness or anything else. It takes all the people – black and white, Catholic, Jewish and Protestant, recent immigrants and Mayflower descendants – to make up America. “ – Judy Garland Notes & References: Pennsylvania 1950s promo (YouTube) Watch us on YouTube! <span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span><span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span> This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 307: “The Brutalist” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 306: “City of God” 53:35

il y a 30 weeks53:35

53:35

We bless the “City of God” and discuss: Cinematography, contrast, perspective; Story & Writing, voiceover; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Find the toughest guy in the room. Embrace him like a brother. And then slam his head against the wall. “ – Al Capone Notes & References: Chicken cam was apparently a camera mounted to a broom stick, but I cannot find the source of this info or any BTS. “Maybe Felipe confused reality with fiction, because his performance was extraordinary” (stackexchange.com) – acting coach discussing the scene with the kid being shot in the foot Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 306: “City of God” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 305: “Rush” (2013) 1:13:02

il y a 31 weeks1:13:02

1:13:02

We bolt through Ron Howard’s “Rush” and discuss: Cinematography, contrast; Story & Writing, voiceover, setting up stakes, character arcs; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough. “ – Mario Andretti Notes & References: Anthony Dod Mantle (iMDB) – has also shot Slumdog Millionaire, 28 Days Later “Rush” budget was $38m Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 305: “Rush” (2013) appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 304: “Nosferatu” 45:35

il y a 32 weeks45:35

45:35

We tap Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu” and discuss: Cinematography, wide framing; Story & Writing, character development, plague; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ To write something you have to risk making a fool of yourself. “ – Anne Rice Notes & References: Ignaz Semmelweis (PBS.org) – Tried to convince doctors to wash their hands to reduce childbed fever; “Dr. Semmelweis’s behavior became more and more erratic and he was finally committed to an insane asylum on July 30, 1865.” So clarification is in order: it sounds like he was not locked up for his theories, but the reason for his mental breakdown is not clear. Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 304: “Nosferatu” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 303: “Rushmore” 1:11:41

il y a 33 weeks1:11:41

1:11:41

We put Wes Anderson’s “Rushmore” front and center to discuss: Cinematography, center framing; Story & Writing, dry humor, heart; Todd recounts his experience of working as a background extra in Rushmore; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ The more relaxed you are, the better you are at everything “ – Bill Murray Notes & References: Rushmore was shot in 50 days, Royal Tenenbaums was shot in 60 days, Moonrise Kingdom in 40 days, Grand Budapest Hotel in 50 days, French Dispatch in 50 days; my assumption was way off! – Wes Elevator scene jump cut (YouTube) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 303: “Rushmore” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 302: “Arcane” 1:39:21

il y a 34 weeks1:39:21

1:39:21

We conjure both seasons of League of Legends’ “Arcane” and discuss: Story & Writing, building character, moments vs montages; Music, animation, favorite moments; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ We are shaped and fashioned by what we love. “ – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Notes & References: Alex Seaver – the name of the musician Todd and I keep butchering “Bridging the Rift” on YouTube – Arcane’s making of documentary, it’s excellent “What could’ve been” problem solving video – Alex Seaver talks through his process of figuring out the structure for the season 1 finale’s final scene Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: Todd recommends the Meta Quest 3 VR headset! The post Ep 302: “Arcane” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 301: “Heretic” 1:44:18

il y a 35 weeks1:44:18

1:44:18

We creep into Hugh Grant’s “Heretic” and discuss: Cinematography, shooting in small spaces, dramatic reveals; Story & Writing, self-talk as exposition, philosophical stories; Special Guest Hamish Purdy talks about working on Heretic, and set decoration; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ I think that when you consider the beauty of the world and you wonder how it came to be what it is, you are naturally overwhelmed with a feeling of awe. “ – Richard Dawkins Notes & References: HamishPurdy.com – check out Hamish’s work! Hamish Purdy (IMDB) Watch us on YouTube! Additional Notes de la Wes: I ran out of time to hit a couple more things that popped out at me and thought I’d drop them here! Spoilers ahead! Women in “Heretic” take up a very interesting space, perhaps largely as subservient targets? Something that I think is reinforced with Elder Kennedy’s search, and how his focus is more on converting Mr Reed rather than finding Barnes & Paxton. The conversation around Joseph Smith and polygamy is noteworthy, as Mr Reed says that polygamy (and therefore his founding of Mormonism) was just a subversive attempt to cover up his infidelities, something that I think is echoed with Mr Reed’s own religious followers. But women in this world seem to be something to control, and dispose of as a means of controlling yet more women. Mr Reed took little interest in Elder Kennedy, other than as a tool in his own personal board game, and Elder Kennedy only sought after his sheep until he found someone more worthy of his attention. Women are objects, pieces in a game of control. This also makes me wonder if Mr Reed was ever honestly pursuing truth during his time studying the world’s religions, or if he was simply studying the methods of control to satisfy his own devilish desires. If his intentions were actually pure he surely wouldn’t need to demonstrate his intellectual findings in such a covert method, after all, his followers are willingly there. Dramatic Reveal of Sister Barnes’ “Magic Underwear”. Again, spoiler alert for what follows! The scene where Barnes has set up that Paxton will stab Reed in the neck when she hears the phrase “magic underwear” is fantastic in terms of a dramatic reveal, as it happens so fast that it leaves a breathless pause and made me ask, “Wait, what just happened….NO!!!” and I think this sequence was beautifully paced and cut. They set the stage by reinforcing the phrase “magic underwear”, Barnes tells Paxton twice, which is cuing our expectations, and so when she finally says it we move to a closeup of a neck getting cut — lightning fast — and then a reaction shot of Reed, and a reaction shot of Barnes’ shocked wide-eyed face, long slow hold on these reactions, and then a POV shot of her hands as blood starts pouring onto them, with BIG DRAMATIC MUSIC, then we finally see her neck pumping blood out, and confirming our fears. I love this sequence, it’s so heartbreaking! For a brief moment we’re confused about what we actually saw, we kind of hang in suspenseful horror realizing what happened, and then see our strongest woman die, the one we thought was Reed’s biggest challenge, leaving us breathless for what comes next and how hopeless our circumstances have become. Beautiful storytelling! It’s a shocking turn; movie-worthy consequences and payoffs. This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 301: “Heretic” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 300: “Interstellar” part 4 2:26:31

il y a 36 weeks2:26:31

2:26:31

We traverse Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” and discuss: Story & Writing, comparing the original 2008 Jonathan Nolan draft vs the final co-written draft with Christopher Nolan; Special Guest Raul Vega talks scoring films, creating digital instruments for Hans Zimmer, and working on the music of Interstellar with Hans Zimmer; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ To continue to work, to continue to love what you do, is certainly a contributing element to one’s longevity and health. “ – John Williams Notes & References: Find Raul Vega on Instagram @rowdyvega , listen to his Podcast show “Rose Drive” on Spotify , and Apple Podcast Watch Raul’s work on “ Twilight of the Gods ” on Netflix (YouTube trailer) Raul Vega on IMDB Andrew Deitsch podcast – Raul’s episode (on YouTube), Wes’ episode Watch us on YouTube! Art Spotlight: Listen to Raul Vega’s Podcast show “Rose Drive” on Spotify , and Apple Podcast 2008 Script vs 2014 Script cornfield chase Original 2008 Jonathan Nolan Script: 2014 Christopher Nolan version: This Week’s Recommendations: “Whims of Creation” by Simon Hawke (Amazon.com) The post Ep 300: “Interstellar” part 4 appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 299: “Gladiator II” 1:08:32

il y a 37 weeks1:08:32

1:08:32

We combat Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator II” and discuss: Story & Writing, sequels, comparing II to the original; Cinematography, how running multiple cameras and fewer takes can impact the story; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ The technology keeps moving forward, which makes it easier for the artists to tell their stories and paint the pictures they want. “ – George Lucas Notes & References: “Arcane” trailer (YouTube) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 299: “Gladiator II” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 298: “2001: A Space Odyssey” 1:11:33

il y a 39 weeks1:11:33

1:11:33

We consume a chill pill to discuss Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” and discuss: Cinematography; Story & Writing; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ I don’t pretend we have all the answers. But the questions are certainly worth thinking about. “ – Arthur C. Clarke Notes & References: Filming the Leopard scene (2001italia.it) An in-depth breakdown at the projector process (thepropgallery.com) – they designed a new projector that could use 8×10″ slides Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 298: “2001: A Space Odyssey” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 297: “Smile 2” 1:16:20

il y a 40 weeks1:16:20

1:16:20

We grin at Naomi Scott’s “Smile 2” and discuss: Cinematography, editing, and sound, jumpscares; Story & Writing, theme, exposition; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Do you remember when you found out you wouldn’t live forever? People don’t talk about this, but everybody had to go through it because you’re not born with that knowledge. “ – David Cronenberg Notes & References: Smile (2022) box office did 105M domestic, and 217M global on a 17M budget Rosemarie DeWitt (iMDB) Jack Reynor (iDMB) Mamoudou Athie (iMDB) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 297: “Smile 2” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 296: “The Evil Dead” (1981) 57:10

il y a 41 weeks57:10

57:10

We evoke Sam Raimi’s original “The Evil Dead” and discuss: Getting your reps in; Cinematography, interesting angles; Comparing to the sequel; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Jim Cameron is proof that if you are good, you’ll get promoted. “ – Roger Corman Notes & References: The Evil Dead budget was 350k (in 2024 this would be 1.2m) *Checked “Evil Dead” 2013 – they definitely have the tree/vine assault “The Exorcist” was released in 1973 Tom Savini (wiki) – legendary makeup fx artist Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 296: “The Evil Dead” (1981) appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 295: “Evil Dead II” 1:00:03

il y a 42 weeks1:00:03

1:00:03

We camp at Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead II” and discuss: Letting the movie dictate the terms of the experience; Cinematography, style, story, and budget; Story & Writing, cut to the chase, motivating character choices; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ I’m too obsessed that the people who say critical things about me are right, even though I’m getting to do something I love. “ – Sam Raimi Notes & References: Evil Dead II budget was 3.5m (in 2024 this would be 9.7m) Interesting Q&A about using book titles in films (Justia.com) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 295: “Evil Dead II” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 294: “Donnie Darko” 1:03:23

il y a 43 weeks1:03:23

1:03:23

We sparkle through Richard Kelly’s “Donnie Darko” and discuss: Story & Writing, we try to figure out what’s it all about; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ If you have abandoned one faith, do not abandon all faith. There is always an alternative to the faith we lose. Or is it the same faith under another mask? “ – Graham Greene Notes & References: “The Orville” Poem (YouTube) Jake Gyllenhaal (iMDB) – Okay, so after checking his IMDB he had “The Day After Tomorrow” but that was an ensemble and not really his vehicle, he also had “Brokeback Mountain” that really put him on the map but again I’d argue that was not a planned studio hit IG Post about Sinead O’Connor from listener/requestor Jeremy’s Sinead O’Connor protesting the Catholic Church (MSNBC.com) Beth Grant (iMDB) who plays “Kitty” is also in Speed, No Country for Old Men, Little Miss Sunshine, and many many others “The Destructors” (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 294: “Donnie Darko” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 293: “Joker: Folie à Deux” 1:10:36

il y a 44 weeks1:10:36

1:10:36

We take the mask off of Todd Phillips’ “Joker: Folie à Deux ” and discuss: Cinematography, blocking; Story & Writing, Arthur vs Joker, judging the viewer; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ The trees here are in misery, and the birds are in misery. I don’t think they sing. They just screech in pain. “ – Werner Herzog Notes & References: Reality Testing (wiki) – Continual reality testing directed by therapists can help educate clients on how to habitually examine their own thought patterns and behaviors without the ongoing need for a therapist. Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 293: “Joker: Folie à Deux” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 292: “Megalopolis” 1:03:53

il y a 45 weeks1:03:53

1:03:53

We stop time in Francis Ford Coppola’s “Megalopolis” and discuss: We, uh, review Megalopolis; Story & Writing, exposition, melodrama; Afterwards we’ll rank our top 5 or 10 films; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!” – Percy Bysshe Shelley from the poem “Ozymandias” Watch us on YouTube! Top 5/10 Films: Todd’s Top 5: Interstellar Back to the Future Warrior Shawshank Redemption The Godfather Part 2 Wes’ Top 10: Interstellar Good Will Hunting Lord of the Rings Sunshine (2007) Before Sunrise Call Me By Your Name Warrior Spotlight Never Let Me Go Garden State Wes’ honorable mentions: Braveheart, Man on Fire, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Fall, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Notting Hill, Gladiator This Week’s Recommendations: Wordplayer.com – Great screenwriting resource some favorite articles: “ Crap Plus One ” – You know when you see a movie and say even you could do better than that? Uh oh… “ Points for Style ” – screenwriting tips on efficient and effective style The post Ep 292: “Megalopolis” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 291: “Speed” 1:16:25

il y a 46 weeks1:16:25

1:16:25

We floor it through Keanu Reeves’ “Speed” and discuss: Cinematography, motivated camera movement, dramatic angles; Story & Writing, heightened storytelling, packing in the action, Jack & Annie; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ If you spend enough time with yourself in silence, you’ll be surprised what goes through your head. “ – Sandra Bullock Notes & References: Production on “Speed” lasted from September 7, 1993 to December 23, 1993 The Premiere of Speed was indeed at the Chinese Theater in 1994 $30-37 million production budget (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 291: “Speed” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 290: “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” 1:11:54

il y a 48 weeks1:11:54

1:11:54

We keep it real with Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” and discuss: Cinematography, closeups vs mediums and wides for comedy & connection; Story & Writing, but/therefore storytelling, sequels honoring their predecessors, Lydia’s arc; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ With movies, you are always in search of a good story, one that everyone will relate to and love. “ – Don Bluth Notes & References: Matt Stone & Trey Parker on storytelling using “Therefore / But” (YouTube) – The driving idea behind this technique isn’t to finagle the words into your outline, it’s to check and make sure that events unfold due to characters taking an action and making sure the world is reacting to the decisions that are being made. This creates a dynamic and compelling story! (It’s not the only way to tell a story of course, but a great method nonetheless.) The Devil Wears Prada screenplay (PDF from JohnAugust.com – speak of the Big Fish devil himself!) 1st Beetlejuice end scene of Lydia dancing (YouTube) – the essence of joy distilled into a 4 minute clip – yes I’m posting it again this week because it’s effing perfect Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The Devil Wears Prada screenplay (PDF from JohnAugust.com) The post Ep 290: “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 289: “Beetlejuice” 52:11

il y a 49 weeks52:11

52:11

We jump in the line of Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” and discuss: Cinematography, motivating unmotivated lighting, reveals; Story & Writing, rules for adventure, plot vs emotional arcs; Music, double music cues, setting the tone; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ You don’t know whether chimps are going to kill you or kiss you. They’re very open on some levels and much more evil in a certain way. “ – Tim Burton Notes & References: End scene of Lydia dancing (YouTube) – the essence of joy distilled into a 4 minute clip Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 289: “Beetlejuice” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 273: “Civil War” 1:01:51

il y a 1 year1:01:51

1:01:51

We document Alex Garland’s “Civil War” and discuss: Cinematography, compositions; Story & Writing, strong character arcs; Sound design, music; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. “ – George Orwell Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 273: “Civil War” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 272: “Past Lives” 1:36:08

il y a 1 year1:36:08

1:36:08

We migrate to Celine Song’s “Past Lives” and discuss: Cinematography, long takes, composition and blocking; Story & Writing, immigration, notes from the screenplay; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams. “ – Jimmy Carter Notes & References: A24 Podcast with Celine Song and Sofia Coppola (A24films.com) Watch us on YouTube! Art Spotlight: This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 272: “Past Lives” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 271: “The Bourne Identity” 56:35

il y a 1 year56:35

56:35

We karate chop Matt Damon’s “The Bourne Identity” and discuss: Cinematography, camerawork, lighting; Sound design & editing; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ There can be no faith in government if our highest offices are excused from scrutiny – they should be setting the example of transparency. “ – Edward Snowden Notes & References: Todd is correct, the song in the final scene is Moby’s “Extreme Ways” (YouTube) Cinematographer Oliver Wood also shot “Face/Off”, “U-571”, “Talladega Nights”, and many many other huge films. (iMDB) Robert Ludlum said the book was inspired after a bout of temporary amnesia where he forgot 12 hours of his life. (wiki) PBS Frontline has one 1 Academy Award, 75 Emmys, and 18 Peabody awards. (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 271: “The Bourne Identity” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 270: “In Bruges” 1:07:28

il y a 1 year1:07:28

1:07:28

We tour Martin McDonagh’s “In Bruges” and discuss: Directing & Cinematography; Story & Writing, innocence, ethics of murder; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. “ – Oscar Wilde Notes & References: *Correction : Elf came out in 2003 “Poor Things” did win an Oscar for Best Production Design that went to James Price and Shona Heath Martin McDonagh is British-Irish (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 270: “In Bruges” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 269: “Swingers” (1996) 1:13:26

il y a 1 year1:13:26

1:13:26

We claw through Jon Favreau’s “Swingers” and discuss: Cinematography, Directing & DP’ing, blocking; Story & Writing, Titles, Theme, Homages; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers. “ – Voltaire Notes & References: “An oral history of Swingers” (Grantland.com) – Amazing retelling of how the film came to be! Apparently Favreau didn’t even set out to write a film, he was just practicing screenwriting with some script software he was given. | “Literally every single word that comes out of Vince’s mouth is on the page.” | Doug Liman notes that “Our entire lighting package was gonna consist of 100-, 150-watt light bulbs.” and some other amazing details. Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 269: “Swingers” (1996) appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 268: “Back to the Future” 1:23:32

il y a 1 year1:23:32

1:23:32

We hit 88 mph through Michael J. Fox’s “Back to the Future” and discuss: Cinematography, performance and editing; Story & Writing, cars, clocks, and loops, Marty’s arc; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Affliction comes to us, not to make us sad but sober; not to make us sorry but wise. “ – H.G. Wells Notes & References: Eric Stoltz shot for six weeks before being replaced by Michael J. Fox Michael J. Fox shot Family Ties while filming Back to the Future (YouTube) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 268: “Back to the Future” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 267: “Dune: Part 2” 1:29:47

il y a 1 year1:29:47

1:29:47

We chip and shatter Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune part 2” and discuss: Cinematography, exposure for story, backlighting the sun; Story & Writing, na-Baron; Performances, Zendaya’s layers, Javier Bardem going all out; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ You can have the power to destroy, but it doesn’t give you the power to reform, or improve, or build. “ – George R.R. Martin Notes & References: Update 3/27/2024 : Denis went on the DGA Podcast with Spielberg and said that the kissing scene actually was filmed over 4 or 5 days to catch the light at a very specific time of day, so no French Reverse there! Currently no Academy Award for stunts Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 267: “Dune: Part 2” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 266: “Fury” 1:11:16

il y a 1 year1:11:16

1:11:16

We’re ON THE WAY through Brad Pitt’s “Fury” and discuss: Cinematography, contrast, motivating light; Story & Writing, Norman’s arc; Sound design; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ I’ve always felt that movies are an emotional medium — that movies are not the way to make an intellectual argument. “ – Roger Ebert Notes & References: Reddit discussion about Ebert’s view on intellectual arguments in film “On the way!” – according to the screenplay this is what Boyd yells when firing the tank Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: PBS Frontline Documentaries The post Ep 266: “Fury” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 265: “300” 1:09:37

il y a 1 year1:09:37

1:09:37

We slowly watch Zack Snyder’s “300” and discuss: Cinematography, slomo; Story & Writing, dramatic effect; Not quite true history; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen. “ – Herodotus Notes & References: “300” graphic novel was released over 5 issues (wiki) Corridor Crew 300 breakdown “Then we will fight in the shade” (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 265: “300” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 264: “The Master” 52:17

il y a 1 year52:17

52:17

We process Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master” and discuss: Cinematography, contrast and eye shadows; Story & Writing, Freddie’s potion, the master; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich. “ – Napoleon Bonaparte Notes & References: Addendum: The highlights definitely near blowing out, but since this was shot on film there’s always at least a little detail in the highlights. Some DPs even say that it’s not even possible to over expose film, because the highlights will always retain some data. – Wes “Why did America’s biggest megachurch take so long to shelter Harvey victims?” (TheGuardian.com) The budget for The Master is estimated to be $32m Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 264: “The Master” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 263: “Phantom Thread” 1:12:08

il y a 2 years1:12:08

1:12:08

Two hungry boys devour Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Phantom Thread” and discuss: Cinematography without a cinematographer; Directing, sound design; Story & Writing; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ There is no time for cut-and-dried monotony. There is time for work. And time for love. That leaves no other time! “ – Coco Chanel Notes & References: Phantom Thread was shot on 35mm but was blown up to 70mm prints (iMDB.com) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 263: “Phantom Thread” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 262: “Fallen” (1998) 1:04:12

il y a 2 years1:04:12

1:04:12

We investigate Denzel Washington’s “Fallen” and discuss: Cinematography, exposition, eye lights; Story & Writing, theme; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Never pick a fight with an ugly person, they’ve got nothing to lose. “ – Robin Williams Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 262: “Fallen” (1998) appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 261: “The Iron Claw” 56:08

il y a 2 years56:08

56:08

We wrestle Zac Efron’s “The Iron Claw” and discuss: Story & Writing, exposition, bittersweet salve; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ In order to be the man, you have to beat the man. “ – Ric Flair Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: Versa Gripps Pro (on Amazon) The post Ep 261: “The Iron Claw” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 260: “Bad Times at the El Royale” 1:28:16

il y a 2 years1:28:16

1:28:16

We check in to Drew Goddard’s “Bad Times at the El Royale” and discuss: Cinematography, unmotivated light, motivated coverage; Story & Writing, true faith, honoring the dead; Special Guest Hamish Purdy , set decorator on Bad Times at the El Royale; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ A well constructed plot, therefore, must neither begin nor end at haphazard “ – Aristotle Notes & References: Hamish Purdy (iMDB) Addendum : On further reflection, I think “El Royale” is a reference to Pulp Fiction, that thought had occurred to me but I forgot to note it for when we did the show, think it’s important because that makes it more of a homage to pulpy stories. In Pulp Fiction we have a character who pulls all the threads together, Marsellus Wallace, every story thread is connected to him and therefore it all has cohesion (his henchmen, his wife, his paid off boxer). I think in El Royale the motel is meant to serve that central pull, being a character in the film, but since it’s an inanimate object it lacks the same level of intentionality that makes the story obvious/inevitable. – Wes Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 260: “Bad Times at the El Royale” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 259: “Dream Scenario” 1:22:10

il y a 2 years1:22:10

1:22:10

We cancel Nicolas Cage’s “Dream Scenario” and discuss: Cinematography, selling the absence of something; Story & Writing, structure, blending in, viral fame; New Mad Valley track, “I Don’t Want to Be Careful”; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ The most powerful force ever known on this planet is human cooperation – a force for construction and destruction. “ – Jonathan Haidt Notes & References: Listen to Todd’s band Mad Valley on Spotify , Apple Music , YouTube , Instagram The best-supported hypothesis for why zebras have stripes is that stripes repel biting flies. (Journal Nature) Watch us on YouTube! xx This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 259: “Dream Scenario” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 258: “Napoleon” 1:04:53

il y a 2 years1:04:53

1:04:53

We invade Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” and discuss: Cinematography, fight sequence; Story & Writing, nudity, Josephine; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare. “ – Sun Tzu Notes & References: “Threads” Light Ranger 2 Ridley Scott’s 1984 Apple Super Bowl Commercial Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 258: “Napoleon” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 257: “Unforgiven” 1:18:24

il y a 2 years1:18:24

1:18:24

We deserve Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven” and discuss: Cinematography, contrast; Story & Writing, Will vs Bill, deserve’s got nothing to do with it; New Mad Valley Track “All Of Me”; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Being good is easy, what is difficult is being just. “ – Victor Hugo Notes & References: “Unforgiven” is not based on a book, Todd was probably thinking of “The Unforgiven” which is an old Burt Lancaster film adapted from a novel of the same name Kanye West “Through the Wire” Music Video A-Ha “Take On Me” Music Video Watch us on YouTube: This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 257: “Unforgiven” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 256: “No Country for Old Men” 1:56:28

il y a 2 years1:56:28

1:56:28

We flip a coin on the Coen Brothers’ “No Country for Old Men” and discuss: Cinematography & Editing; Story & Writing, luck, fate, and evil; Actor Trent Moore discusses his role in No Country for Old Men and working with the Coen Brothers; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it oppresses. “ – Carl Jung Notes & References: Trent Moore’s acting website Trent Moore iMDB Deakins said he used 9-12 18k HMIs to light the hills Deakins podcast with Josh Brolin Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 256: “No Country for Old Men” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 255: “Adaptation” 1:28:04

il y a 2 years1:28:04

1:28:04

We grow into Charlie Kaufman’s “Adaptation” and discuss: Wes discusses losing his grandmother (00:00-13:38); Cinematography; Story & Writing, subplots vs settings, Charlie’s twin; New Mad Valley track “Come Back Down”; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ There’s this inherent screenplay structure that everyone seems to be stuck on, this three-act thing. It doesn’t really interest me. To me, it’s kind of like saying, ‘Well, when you do a painting, you always need to have sky here, the person here and the ground here.’ Well, you don’t. “ – Charlie Kaufman Notes & References: Listen to Todd’s band Mad Valley on Spotify , Apple Music , YouTube , IG Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The Neighbors’ Window The post Ep 255: “Adaptation” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 254: “The Creator” 1:06:15

il y a 2 years1:06:15

1:06:15

We scan Gareth Edwards’ “The Creator” and discuss: Story & Writing, humanizing the enemy; Performance; Music & Sound Design; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Individual science fiction stories may seem as trivial as ever to the blinder critics and philosophers of today – but the core of science fiction, its essence has become crucial to our salvation if we are to be saved at all. “ – Isaac Asimov Watch us on YouTube! Art Spotlight: Byron Reese speaker demo reel This Week’s Recommendations: DaVinci Resolve The post Ep 254: “The Creator” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 253: “Talk To Me” 1:16:44

il y a 2 years1:16:44

1:16:44

We shake hands with RackaRacka’s “Talk To me” and discuss: Directing & Cinematography, visceral storytelling; Story & Writing, keeping us off-balance, possessing the hand; New Mad Valley track “Take It All”; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality. “ – Edgar Allan Poe Notes & References: Danny & Michael Philippou “We made a horror film” (Rackaracka YouTube channel) Listen to Todd’s band Mad Valley on Spotify , Apple Music , YouTube , IG Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 253: “Talk To Me” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 252: “Paranormal Activity” 1:26:06

il y a 2 years1:26:06

1:26:06

We stalk “Paranormal Activity” and discuss: Cinematography, combining style and story; Writing & Story, selling the world, slow burns and slow payoffs; Directing and Editing, fast facts; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ The key to a good horror movie is what happens between the scares. The scares aren’t the tricky part. If you’re involved in what’s going on in between, the scare is going to trick you. If you’re not, the best scare in the world will not be scary. “ – Jason Blum Notes & References: Jason Blum article (W Magazine) Jason Blum backstory (LATimes.com) Paranormal Activity effects recreation (IndyMogul YouTube) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 252: “Paranormal Activity” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 251: “Ghostbusters” (1984) 1:13:56

il y a 2 years1:13:56

1:13:56

We grab a Twinkie, call the “Ghostbusters” and discuss: Story & Writing, efficient storytelling, comedy; Sound & Music, soundtrack; New Mad Valley track: “Only Good Things”; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Don’t think about your errors or failures; otherwise, you’ll never do a thing. “ – Bill Murray Notes & References: Listen to Mad Valley music on Spotify , Apple Music , YouTube , IG Mick Smiley “Magic” (YouTube) Music Supervisor was Kevin Benson *Ghostbusters was released in 1984 – sorry I kept saying 83, mental error! – Wes Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 251: “Ghostbusters” (1984) appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 250: “The Sixth Sense” 1:00:18

il y a 2 years1:00:18

1:00:18

We float through M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Sixth Sense” and discuss: Cinematography, reveals, coverage and theatrical flair; Writing & Directing, pacing; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ I have found little that is ‘good’ about human beings on the whole. In my experience most of them are trash, no matter whether they publicly subscribe to this or that ethical doctrine or to none at all. That is something that you cannot say aloud, or perhaps even think. “ – Sigmund Freud Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 250: “The Sixth Sense” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 249: “The Revenant” 1:29:32

il y a 2 years1:29:32

1:29:32

We bear down on Leonardo DiCaprio’s “The Revenant” and discuss: Cinematography, immersive storytelling; Guest Sergio Trejos, sound engineer joins us; New Mad Valley track!; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ A man that studieth revenge keeps his own wounds green. “ – Francis Bacon Notes & References: Check out Sergio’s work as a sound designer and engineer Mad Valley music on Spotify , Apple Music , YouTube , IG “Mannequin Challenge” freeze frame meme (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 249: “The Revenant” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 248: “Crimson Tide” 1:18:56

il y a 2 years1:18:56

1:18:56

We concur with Denzel Washington’s “Crimson Tide” and discuss: Cinematography, dutch angles for dramatic effect and for the setting; Story & Writing, betrayals, conversations about horses, command, duty, and doing what’s right; Performances, Music by Hans Zimmer, Random Crimson Tide facts; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ It is even better to act quickly and err than to hesitate until the time of action is past. “ – Carl von Clausewitz Notes & References: Crimson Tide filming (wiki) Soviet submarine B-59 (wiki) Nuclear close calls (wiki) The Drone Papers (theIntercept.com) – The Obama Administration’s drone strikes killed an estimated 300 – 800 civilians during his term Crimson Tide BTS of studio build with hydraulics and gimbal Up until 2010 smoking was allowed on submarines! (jacksonville.com) Reddit submarine post “Dry for Wet” technique Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 248: “Crimson Tide” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 247: “Source Code” 1:12:07

il y a 2 years1:12:07

1:12:07

We loop through Jake Gyllenhaal’s “Source Code” and discuss: Cinematography, contrast, breaking the 180º rule; Story & Writing, details, theme, stakes; Todd’s new single from Mad Valley “Ready to Fall” (links below!!); and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Don’t gain the world and lose your soul, wisdom is better than silver or gold. “ – Bob Marley Notes & References: Mad Valley music on Spotify , Apple Music , YouTube , IG “Mannequin Challenge” freeze frame meme (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 247: “Source Code” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 246: “Chernobyl” (HBO Series) 1:18:07

il y a 2 years1:18:07

1:18:07

We fly over Craig Mazin’s “Chernobyl” and discuss: Cinematography, lens flares, stabilizing a handheld shot; Story & Writing, horror, tragedy, tension, threats; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ I am one of those who think like Nobel, that humanity will draw more good than evil from new discoveries. “ – Marie Curie Notes & References: Chernobyl Show vs Reality – Footage Comparison (YouTube) Chernobyl Anatoly Dyatlov’s real interview (YouTube) Iodine blocks radiation from your thyroid gland (CDC.gov) “China Syndrome” (wiki) a nuclear meltdown scenario named for the idea that nothing would stop a meltdown tunneling its way to the other side of the world (“China”) Room temperature superconductor (wiki) LK-99 supposed room temperature superconductor was a bust (Nature.com) How many died of radiation at Fukushima? One, and six cases of cancer and leukemia from radiation exposure (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 246: “Chernobyl” (HBO Series) appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 245: “Barbie” 1:28:50

il y a 2 years1:28:50

1:28:50

We float into Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” and discuss: Cinematography, wides, closeups; Story & Writing, pop culture references, Ken, Ruth, Gloria & Sasha; Performances, Set Design; Special guest Hannah Hartman joins us; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ I must quit marrying men who feel inferior to me. Somewhere there must be a man who could be my husband and not feel inferior. “ – Hedy Lamarr Notes & References: Check out Hannah’s photography work at Hannah-Hartman.com and @hannahhartman.co Macon Film Festival Billie Eilish “What was I made for?” (YouTube) Hedy Lamarr (wiki) 1/5/2024 update: Rodrigo Prieto & Greta Gerwig interview (YouTube) – Great discussion hearing some of the creative challenges Rodrigo faced, certainly more challenging than I appreciated while watching. The hard part is making it look so easy, and that’s why Prieto is one of the greatest to ever do it. – Wes Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: Ologies Podcast on Apple Podcasts , and Spotify Open to Debate Podcast on Apple Podcasts , and Spotify The post Ep 245: “Barbie” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 244: “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” 1:03:01

il y a 2 years1:03:01

1:03:01

We sail through Russell Crowe’s “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” and discuss: Cinematography, night scenes, camerawork; Story & Writing, friendship vs duty, weight of command; Directing & Editing, reaction shots, dynamic audio; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Success is the most convincing talker in the world. “ – Napoleon Bonaparte Notes & References: The hippocratic oath became nearly universally used in the early 19th century (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 244: “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 288: “Alien: Romulus” 1:12:04

il y a 50 weeks1:12:04

1:12:04

We burst into Fede Alvarez’s “Alien: Romulus” and discuss: Story & Writing, body horror, Andy, dystopias; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Science fiction writers, I am sorry to say, really do not know anything. We can’t talk about science, because our knowledge of it is limited and unofficial, and usually our fiction is dreadful. “ – Philip K. Dick Notes & References: Ridley Scott & Fede Alvarez discuss “Rook” (LATimes.com) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The Vanishing (1988) iMDB The post Ep 288: “Alien: Romulus” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 287: “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” 1:07:37

il y a 51 weeks1:07:37

1:07:37

We anoint Shia LaBeouf’s “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” and discuss: Cinematography & Directing, camerawork, continuity vs performance; Story & Writing, the saints; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live. “ – Marcus Aurelius Notes & References: Dito Montiel iMDB Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 287: “A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 286: “The Dark Crystal” (1982) 1:28:10

il y a 52 weeks1:28:10

1:28:10

We stride through Jim Henson’s “The Dark Crystal” and discuss: Cinematography, lighting, camerawork; Puppetry & Directing, process preceding/creating story; Special Guest Elissa Marie talks art, building a business as an artist, and being named Best Visual Artist in Austin; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ When I was young, my ambition was to be one of the people who made a difference in this world. My hope is to leave the world a little better for having been there. “ – Jim Henson Notes & References: Find Elissa Marie on Instagram @ elissamariecreative and at elissamariecreative.com “Office Zombies” short film (YouTube) Ethan Hawke on art and creativity (YouTube) Watch us on YouTube! xx Elissa Marie’s Dark Crystal Notes Elissa Marie is art. Click picture for more detail. This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 286: “The Dark Crystal” (1982) appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 285: “Deadpool & Wolverine” 1:08:45

il y a 1 year1:08:45

1:08:45

We pop into Ryan Reynolds’s “Deadpool & Wolverine” and discuss: Story & Writing, macguffins, stakes, comedy; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Just one supernova can temporarily outshine an entire galaxy of 100 billion stars. “ – Michio Kaku Notes & References: “Supernova” by Mad Valley – Todd’s latest music track “Bye Bye Bye” dancing is not Ryan Reynolds after all (withashleyandco.com) Madonna “Like a Prayer” music video (YouTube) MacGuffin (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 285: “Deadpool & Wolverine” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 284: “American Psycho” 52:24

il y a 1 year52:24

52:24

We make a res with Christian Bale’s “American Psycho” and discuss: Cinematography, lighting a flat shot, hallway composition; Story & Writing, symbolism; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Well first of all you have to make the character strong so that people can follow that. And then hopefully that character can integrate with the background of the social situation that people can recognize. “ – Oliver Stone Notes & References: Willem Dafoe played scene interrogation scene multiple ways (Screenrant.com) Chloe Sevigny found Bale confusing and intimidating on set, and Josh Lucas initially thought his performance was terrible (VanityFair.com) “I remember the first scene I did with him, I watched him and he seemed so false — and I now realize that it was this just fucking brilliant choice that he was making,” Iran-Contra Scandal (wiki) Mary Harron fought hard to cast Christian Bale and even was replaced by Oliver Stone at one point (Vulture.com) – great interview! Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: Antony Starr (iMDB) The post Ep 284: “American Psycho” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 283: “Stand By Me” 55:54

il y a 1 year55:54

55:54

We sincerely reminisce about Stephen King’s “Stand By Me” and discuss: Cinematography, rule of thirds; Story & Writing, coming of age stories, friendship, facing your own mortality; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ That’s the worst, I think. When the secret stays locked within not for want of a teller but for want of an understanding ear. “ – from Stephen King’s novella “The Body” Notes & References: River Phoenix had a lot of films before Stand By Me (iMDB) Nick Drake “Pink Moon” on Spotify , Apple Music , YouTube Music Labor Day (wiki) Film Distribution in the 80s : “a movie was first released through movie theaters (theatrical window), then released to pay television for a short run before being re-released in theaters. It then returned to pay television before being made available for free-to-air television.” (wiki) 1960s political unrest (history.com), bombings in the 70s (Time.com) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 283: “Stand By Me” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 282: “A Quiet Place: Day One” 51:50

il y a 1 year51:50

51:50

We tiptoe through Lupita Nyong’o’s “A Quiet Place: Day One” and discuss: Writing & Story, suspending disbelief, theme & plot; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ I’ll tell you what freedom is to me: no fear. I mean really, no fear! “ – Nina Simone Notes & References: Joseph Quinn (iMDB) – Stranger Things season 4 Reclamation (wiki) – “returning disturbed lands to an improved state” which would make sense in the context of an iron ore mine Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: Wes’ Pizza Dough (8020) Recipe Ingredients: 273g flour (225g self-rising or bread flour, 50g protein flour) optional: add 3g garlic powder 9g salt 220g water 3g yeast 1tbsp honey 3tbsp EVOO Steps: add water, yeast and honey into a mixing bowl. Use warm water, not super hot or ice cold. (After mixing I usually let this “bloom” for 5 min before mixing in flour) flour + salt (+ garlic) into another bowl Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the water mixture a few scoops at a time. It’s important to make sure all of the flour is completely hydrated by the water. When 50% of the flour is mixed into the water, add olive oil and mix it in thoroughly. Add the rest of the flour, cover the bowl and let it sit for 10-20 minutes. Come back and give the dough another mixing. Transfer the dough to a plastic container with a lid and let it sit at room temperature for 11-18 hours. Refrigerate the dough for a few hours to make it easier to work with later. Divide the dough. I often split into 4 pieces, but will use half for a thicker pizza crust. Shape the pieces into dough balls and let them proof at room temperature before using. Otherwise, store them in the fridge for extra fermentation. I often throw them into small tupperware containers coated with oil. The post Ep 282: “A Quiet Place: Day One” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 281: “Godzilla Minus One” 1:06:11

il y a 1 year1:06:11

1:06:11

We go to war with “Godzilla Minus One” and discuss: Cinematography, revealing scale; Story & Writing, Godzilla the metaphor; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ War does not determine who is right – only who is left. “ – Bertrand Russell Notes & References: Japan war atrocities (wiki) Unit 731 (wiki) Firebombing Japan (wiki) Budget is estimated between $10-12 Million (wiki), with a box office return of $115 Million Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 281: “Godzilla Minus One” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 280: “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” (2017) 1:11:18

il y a 1 year1:11:18

1:11:18

We drop into Dwayne Johnson’s respawn of an old classic, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and discuss: Cinematography, shooting night for night instead of day for night; Story & Writing, physical comedy, character arcs; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Being in the same room with people and creating something together is a good thing. “ – Robin Williams Notes & References: According to the credits they only had 2 cameras on set, which to be fair is far easier to light for and manage overall. Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 280: “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” (2017) appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 279: “Three Thousand Years of Longing”

il y a 1 year

—

We rub George Miller’s “Three Thousand Years of Longing” and discuss: Cinematography, how compositing, motion blur, and depth of field help tell the story; Story & Writing, Enzo, Storytelling; Wes rants about why this movie may not have done well in theaters; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ If I had a flower for every time I thought of you…I could walk through my garden forever. “ – Alfred Tennyson Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: Novo Amor on YouTube , Spotify , Apple Music The post Ep 279: “Three Thousand Years of Longing” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 278: “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga”

il y a 1 year

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We stowaway in George Miller’s “Furiosa” and discuss: Story & Writing, mercy in the wasteland, teleporting; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ When life itself seems lunatic, who knows where madness lies? Perhaps to be too practical is madness. To surrender dreams — this may be madness. Too much sanity may be madness — and maddest of all: to see life as it is, and not as it should be! “ – from Don Quixote, by Miguel Cervantes Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 278: “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 277: “Fallout”

il y a 1 year

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We give “Fallout” a thumb’s up and discuss: Story & Writing, Lucy’s character arc, great exposition; Guest Joe Howes solves cold fusion during an offscreen scene; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ You only know me as you see me, not as I actually am. “ – Immanuel Kant Notes & References: *Correction: Fallout 4 was released Nov. 10, 2015, so not quite a decade Turner & Hooch Trailer (YouTube) USD file format from Pixar/Disney (Pixar.com) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 277: “Fallout” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 276: “The Fall Guy” 48:15

il y a 1 year48:15

48:15

We crash into “The Fall Guy” and discuss: Story & Writing, great stakes, breaking the rule of repeats; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ I think if you have ability and talent in one way, you have it in all ways. I’m not a jack of all trades; I’m a master of many. I don’t feel there is anything I can’t do if I want to. “ – Evel Knievel Notes & References: “The Six Million Dollar Man” starred Lee Majors (iMDB) Aaron Taylor-Johnson was in “Bullet Train” (iMDB) Stunt driver Logan Holladay set record with car roll (PRNewsWire.com) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: The post Ep 276: “The Fall Guy” appeared first on The Pestle .…

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Ep 275: “Stranger Than Fiction” 1:02:52

il y a 1 year1:02:52

1:02:52

We narrate Will Ferrell’s “Stranger Than Fiction” and discuss: Cinematography, infinite zoom, story through shadows; Story & Writing, rule of repeats, naming conventions, ticking clock; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “ Kind words don’t cost much. Yet they accomplish much. “ – Blaise Pascal Notes & References: “Office Zombies” short film – Wes’ first writing/directing effort from 2014 (YouTube) Cucoloris (wiki) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations: “Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro (Amazon) “Step Brothers” trailer (YouTube) The post Ep 275: “Stranger Than Fiction” appeared first on The Pestle .…

The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers

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Ep 274: “Monkey Man” 54:34

il y a 1 year54:34