Episode #74 - Ryland Walker Knight (The Awful Truth)

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"I'm always seduced by language and curious how the word and image interact"

Can movies think? Or how could we think through the movies? Highly influenced by the work of Stanley Cavell, Ryland Walker Knight has explored the possibilities of thinking and language in cinema, whether it be a work from a beloved art house master or a brash and loud Hollywood blockbuster. Ryland discusses his childhood raised on double features, his critical work, his recent short film, Inside Voices, and his latest project, a video essay series exploring some of the imagery and hidden narratives in the work of Michael Mann (with a little help from Beach House). Finally, the two turn to The Awful Truth, and discuss how Le McCarey's attention to how voices sound and bodies move create some of its most indelible humor, and intelligent insights.

0:00-2:22 Opening

2:56-12:16  Establishing Shots - A War and 13 Hours
13:02-50:52 Deep Focus - Ryland Walker Knight

51:10-53:21 Sponsorship Section
54:04-1:04:18 Double Exposure - The Awful Truth (Leo McCarey)

1:04:22-1:06:00 Close

Check out Ryland's Posts on MUBI Notebook and The House Next Door, as well as his website. Watch his shorts Inside Voices and Headlands. View the Mann Sparks project.

Episode #52 - Matías Piñeiro (Duelle)

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"It's all these things of when you are trying to dialogue with the reality of the shooting. Everything gets mixed into the shot that it is."

When cinephiles think of international cinema today, there's a good chance they conjur up images of peasants walking through nature for an uninterrupted 10 (or 20!) minutes while trees rustle in the wind. The films of Argentinian director Matías Piñeiro couldn't be further from that image, and are also an absolute delight: beautiful young adults mixed in love triangles through Buenos Aires, reciting history and Shakespeare all while constantly changing their identities (and all under 75 minutes!). His films—The Stolen Man, They All Life, Rosalinda, Viola, and now The Princess of France—represent some of the most exciting and unique contemporary filmmaking today. So Peter sat Matías down to investigate his upbringing in Bueno Aires, his adaptation process when working with great texts of literature, and how he integrates realism into his work to find fantastical elements. Finally, they discuss Jacques Rivette's B-movie homage, Duelle, a masterclass of documentary and the magical, and a film with a surprising connection to Argentina's cinematic history.

0:00-2:49 Opening

4:02-9:34 Establishing Shots - Michael Mann's Blackhat

10:18-1:13:23 Deep Focus - Matías Piñeiro

1:14:25-1:15:48 Mubi Sponsorship - Over A Small Mountain

1:16:58-1:36:32 Double Exposure - Duelle (Jacques Rivette)

1:36:35-1:38:27 Close  / Outtakes

The Stolen Man is currently on YouTube. Viola is available for streaming on iTunes and YouTube, as well as Blu-Ray via Cinema Guild. They All Lie and Rosalinda are currently unavailable in the United States. The Princess of France will be released by Cinema Guild later this year.

Duelle is currently unavailable for purchase in the United States. There is a French DVD with its companion film, Noroit.