Episode #6 - Farran Smith Nehme (Three Strangers)

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"[Writing about undiscovered classics] is in a sense more rewarding because you can give a little light and a little love to something that hasn't been duly appreciated."

After three weeks of new movies, The Cinephiliacs returns by going to old school filmmaking as Peter sits down with Farran Smith Nehme, aka the Self-Styled Siren, blogger extraordinaire when it comes to classic Hollywood movies. The two discuss how she first fell in love with the movies of Hollywood's golden age, approaching classic cinema beyond the expected titles and myths, and living the dream by appearing on Turner Classic Movies. They close out the show by examining Three Strangers, a film noir by Jean Negulesco and co-written by John Huston that might not be the best film ever made, but damn if it doesn't have some out of this world sequences and killer performances by Sydney Greenstreet, Geraldine Fitzgerald, and Peter Lorre as a romantic lead, of all things!

0:00-1:13 Opening
1:14-4:58 Establishing Shots - Kant and Criticism
5:12-45:15 Deep Focus - Farran Smith Nehme
46:30-1:05:38 Double Exposure - Three Strangers (Jean Negulesco)
1:05:39-1:07:32 Close / Outtake

Read Farran Smith Nehme at the Self-Styled Siren, the New York Post, the Criterion Collection, and Joan's Digest.
Follow Farran on Twitter.

Special Episode - The 50th New York Film Festival #3 (David Ehrlich)

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If there is one thing that has defined the New York Film Festival since its first year in 1963, the festival has always aligned itself with the most essential names in world cinema (the first film to play NYFF? Buñuel’s Exterminating Angel). So as Peter closes out his coverage of the festival’s 50^th iteration, he brings on world cinema aficionado David Ehrlich from the Criterion Corner to discuss the biggest auteurs and their new ambitious movies. Included in this final dispatch are a story of love from Michael Haneke, a celebration of movement from Leos Carax, a cynical autobiography from Olivier Assayss, and a Tokyo-set puzzler from Abbas Kiarostami.

0:00-1:37 Opening

2:00-8:54 Amour (Michael Haneke)

9:01-15:33 Spoiler Discussion of Amour

16:08-26:59 Holy Motors (Leos Carax)

27:54-37:46 Something in the Air (Olivier Assayas)

38:01-52:45 Like Someone In Love (Abbas Kiarsotami)

52:46-54:46 Close/Outtake

Read David Ehrlich at Box Office Magazine, his Criterion Corner Column at Movies.Com, and the Criterion Corner Tumblr. 

Follow David on Twitter, as well as the Criterion Corner.

Special Episode - The 50th New York Film Festival #2 (Jaimie Christley)

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            Many of the films at this year's New York Film Festival are filled with various cinematic references that can go over Peter's head without him ever realizing, so he brings in Slant Magazine contributor Jaime Christley to help him parse through some of this week's fascinating films. The two dig into the big Hollywood opener Life of Pi from Ang Lee, as well as the extreme art house pleasures of new films from directors like Raúl Ruiz,  Miguel Gomes, and the Taviani Brothers.  Plus, documentaries on conspiracy theorists deconstructing Kubrick's The Shining, and another one about fishing in the Atlantic, but from the perspective from the fish.

0:00-2:01 Introduction

2:36-13:04 Life of Pi (Ang Lee)
13:04-21:37 Caesar Must Die (The Taviani Brothers)
21:37-29:30 Night Across The Street (Raúl Ruiz)
30:07-43:31 Room 237 (Rodney Ascher)
43:32-46:42 Leviathan (Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Verena Paravel)

47:25-57:04 Tabu (Miguel Gomes)

57:04-58:22 Close

Read Jaime Christley at Slant Magazine, and check his website The Filmsaurus.
Follow Jaime on Twitter.