Special Episode - The 51st New York Film Festival #3 (Tony Dayoub)

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As the 51st New York Film Festival comes to a close, Peter finally takes on a number of the big American films (and one French!) of the year, though don't mention the "O word" around him. Just because these films are going to be discussed in the context of awards season does not make them any less essential viewing, as Peter is joined by House Next Door and Press Play blogger Tony Dayoub to discuss these works that dive into various aspects of the American past, present, and future. Peter and Tony make a visit to the American South and Midwest with films from Steve McQueen and Alexander Payne, as well the 1920s and the future with James Gray's The Immigrant and Spike Jonze's Her. Plus they dive into the controversial Cannes winner Blue is the Warmest Color before hanging with vampires Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddelston. Some are great; others maybe not so much. Find out which on the show.

0:00-1:40 Opening 

3:01-17:04 Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave

18:08-29:30 James Gray's The Immigrant

30:57-42:07 Alexander Payne's Nebraska

42:20-43:28 Trivia Round

44:24-53:51 Jim Jarmusch's Only Lovers Left Alive

54:43-1:08:12 Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue is the Warmest Color

1:09:40-1:22:42 Spike Jonze's Her

1:22:47-1:24:26 Close 

Read Tony Dayoub's work on his blog Cinema Viewfinder, and on Press Play and The House Next Door.

Follow Tony on Twitter.

Special Episode - NYFF's Views from the Avant-Garde (James Hansen)

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With over 200 films spread over 40+ programs, how does one even begin to approach the New York Film Festival's Views from the Avant-Garde, especially someone as novice as Peter? Well, the only way is to dive in head first, as he did this year, and now brings on experimental film expert James Hansen to talk through approaches to these truly unique films. The two dish it out on canonical artists like Luther Price, Peter Hutton, and Nathaniel Dorsky, and rhapsodize about other favorites they've found along the way, including Peter's favorite film of the festival - a stop motion rock opera set to Dark Side of the Moon. Finally, they finish off with an appropriate feature, Stephanie Barber's Daredevils, which engages viewers in how to think about new ways to take risks and see things differently. (Make sure to check the notes below for a handful of excellent links to writings and videos of the various films). 

0:00-8:00 Opening / Approaching the Avant-Garde

9:24-17:49 Luther Price
24:07-32:20 Landscapes, Peter Hutton, and Three Landscapes
32:20-37:52 Nathaniel Dorsky
38:51-48:26 Jodie Mack and Dusty Stacks of Mom
53:26-1:08:25  Stephanie Barber's Daredevils

1:08:27-1:10:24 Close / Outtake 

Read James Hansen's work on Out 1 Film Journal. 

Follow James on Twitter.

Special Episode - The 51st New York Film Festival #2 (Monica Castillo)

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Much of the fun of a festival like the New York Film Festival is experiencing the works of major auteurs from the front lines, but it's also about finding something small, unique, and truly exciting. For this second podcast report from the preeminent Manhattan film festival, Boston film critic Monica Castillo tracks her way down to coast to join Peter for another week through the festival, including the US premiere of the latest film from the Coen brothers, Inside Llewyn Davis. But beyond mellow 60s folk rock, there's surrealism in Taipei with the latest of Tsai Ming-Liang, melancholic love with Philipe Garrel, and another comedic head-scratcher from Romania. All this and more as NYFF continues its 51st run.

0:00-1:54 Opening 

3:00-12:39 The Coens' Inside Llewyn Davis
13:38-23:30 Joanna Hogg's Exhibition
24:24-32:13 Corneliu Porumboiu's When Evening Falls on Bucharest or Metabolism
33:31-41:33 Phillipe Garrel's Le Jealosie
43:05-1:01:05 Tsai Ming-Liang's Stray Dogs

1:01:06-1:02:48 Close

Read Monica Castillo's work on Dig Boston, Bitch Magazine, The Phoenix. Hear her on Film Geek Radio.

Follow Monica on Twitter.

Special Episode - The 51st New York Film Festival #1 (Carson Lund)

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Arguably the most excitingly and dynamically curated film festival in the world, Peter returns to the New York Film Festival, now in its 51st iteration, for his 8th (!) trip and he couldn't be more excited. Thus begins a series of podcasts dedicated to the various works being presented throughout the festival, now lead by its new head programmer Kent Jones. To help him work through many of the daunting works (in theme, aesthetic, and running time), Boston cinephile Carson Lund, a blogger covering the festival for In Review Online, joins Peter on a tour through violence in capitalist China, fascism in the Northern Philippines, cruising in France, alcoholism in South Korea, and melting ice cream in Nepal. If the rest of the films are as intriguing and exciting as those covered in this first podcast, NYFF51 might just be the best festival yet.  

0:00-2:17 Opening 

2:47-15:15 Zhangke's A Touch of Sin
15:39-26:27 Miyazaki's The Wind Rises
26:54-37:23 Guiraudie's Stranger By the Lake
37:36-39:48 Trivia Round
40:13-53:43 Diaz's Norte, End of History
54:54-1:06:28 Hong's Nobody's Daughter Haewon
1:07:16-1:20:30 MANAKAMANA

1:20:33-1:23:07 Close / Outtake

Visit Carson's blog, Are the Hills Going to March Off?, and his work on In Review Online, Mubi, Dig Boston, and Boston Viewfinder. 

Follow Carson on Twitter.

Episode #26 - Jordan Cronk (Repo Man)

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"I'm a kind of person who with film and music I'll force myself to listen to something that I don't necessarily think I like, whether its has no sound or has no traditional narrative.  

The city of Los Angeles might be where Hollywood's dreams come true, but for film critic Jordan Cronk, his mind often wanders toward the films of countries far and abroad, reflective works of the most avant-garde order. So when Jordan decided to make a pit stop in New York before heading off to the Toronto Film Festival, Peter had him drop by the studio for some chat on his work as a critic, the state of world cinema, Los Angeles's growing repertory theaters, how to approach music the same way as film, and his slight obsession with actress Shailene Woodley. They then dream of an LA they never knew with Alex Cox's crazy cult classic, Repo Man, whose humor and political allegory is uniquely distinct and worth deconstructing, as well as simply rocking along with. 

0:00-1:01 Opening 

2:09-8:31 Establishing Shots - Twixt / Trivia Round

9:16-51:41 Deep Focus - Jordan Cronk

53:05-1:12:11 Double Exposure - Repo Man (Alex Cox)

1:12:13-1:14:47 Close / Outtake

Visit Jordan's blog, as well as his work for Reverse Shot, Slant Magazine, Fandor, Little White Lies, and Coke Machine Glow. 

Follow Jordan on Twitter.

Episode #25 - Sheila O'Malley (Opening Night)

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"You listen to great actors talk...and they always talk about the story. 'My role here is to do this part so this story can be told,' which is a wonderful attitude."

If you want to tell a story on film, you most likely are going to require actors, and hopefully great ones. But how does one talk about how actors do? Sheila O'Malley has more than enough experience in acting, and has become one of the most prolific bloggers of how to discuss the craft, so Peter invites her own to share her experiences and ideas about the profession. Sheila talks about her first acting love (James Dean) and her experience in The Actors Studio, before deciding to take the conversations of her friends and turn them into blog posts. The two also discuss many great iconic performances - Cary Grant in Notorious, Sissy Spacek in Badlands, Alain Delon in Le Samourai - and the way the different actors can approach different roles. Finally, the two work through a truly towering film, John Cassavetes's Opening Night, and examine how it both celebrates the world of acting as well as captures its most terrifying anxieties. 

0:00-1:01 Opening 

2:08-8:21 Establishing Shots - Short Term 12 / Trivia Round

9:06-1:03:33 Deep Focus - Sheila O'Malley

1:05:32-1:29:57 Double Exposure - Opening Night (John Cassavetes)

1:30:00-1:31:41 Close

Visit Sheila's blog, as well as her work on RogerEbert.Com, Capital New York, The House Next Door and Fandor.

Follow Sheila on Twitter.

Episode #24 - Robert Greene (Edvard Munch)

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"We want to make movies that are just as surprising and weird and unwieldy as the movies we love...they just happen to start from a non-fiction point of view."

Robert Greene jokes that he badgered Peter into finally watching his two documentaries, Kati With An I and Fake It So Real. But he certainly didn't badger Peter's opinion of recognizing a true non-fiction talent, someone who is taking the form in new directions through both theory and practice. Robert joins Peter on the show to talk about how he went from a lover of 2001 and Star Wars to a man obsessed with non-fiction cinema, and discusses how he thinks filmmakers can approach their subjects with both approaches to form and content that can compete with the best fiction films. Peter then engages Robert to talk about his own practice to making films, and why limiting his options ultimately freed him in the form. Finally, Robert brings in Peter Watkins's Edvard Munch, a bafflingly brilliant film that the two find plenty to discuss in terms of making a non-fiction approach to a film to encompasses the shift from the 19th century to the 20th at both the cosmic and the micro level. 

0:00-1:02 Opening 

2:40-8:2o Establishing Shots - Frankenheimer's Seconds / Trivia Round / Donations

9:05-46:20 Deep Focus - Robert Greene
47:47-1:20:31 Kati With An I and Fake It So Real

1:21:28-1:44:04 Double Exposure - Edvard Munch (Peter Watkins)

1:44:06-1:46:01 Close / Outtake

Visit Robert's website, with links to his writing and films.

Follow Robert on Twitter.