A Century in Cinema

Join our Patreon for bonus episodes, and thank you to our Patreon subscribers for supporting the show! This week we talk about Avatar The Way of Water.We say goodbye to our wonderful listeners and revisit some of our past opinions and favorite episodes. We also thank all of our guests and talk about what we got out of this project.

With violent right-wing movements around the world in the 2010s, there's never been a better time to visit Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life.  In proper Malick fashion, we jump from point to point, ranging from the director's career, his unique filming style, the Disney-Fox merger, and the end of our podcast. Join us for our last official film discussion of A Century in Cinema.For our final Patreon exclusive: If we were to do a 2020 episode...Where to watch A Hidden LifeChristopher Plummer recounts working with MalickThe cast of A Hidden Life talk about the filming processTop Letterboxd review of A Hidden Life

What is the cult-classic Nicolas Cage film Mandy actually about? We discuss the masculinity and religious overtones of this insane film from director Panos Cosmatos.In our Patreon episode, we talk way too much about Neon Genesis EvangelionWhere to watch MandyThe Vulture review / thinkpieceWhere to watch A Hidden Life (2019)

A Ghost Story offers us a remedy to nihilistic thoughts as we discuss the isolation and depression of our modern age, we also talk about A24 as a brand, what a $100,000 film looks like, as well as Red Letter Media and film criticism on the internet, . We also talk about the #metoo movement that marks a cultural shift in the entertainment industry.Join us on Patreon as we read Redbox reviews for other filmsWhere to watch A Ghost StoryRed Letter Media's reviewWhere to watch Mandy (2018)

Worldwide political extremism has a lot of us turning to film and entertainment in 2016. We talk about Park Chan-wook's The Handmaiden, a South Korean film that Andrew has been looking forward to discussing since the beginning of the podcast. Topics include LGBTQ cinema, how to conduct sex scenes, and the Japanese colonization of Korea in the 1930s.Join our Patreon for our FRESH theater lobby report of Decision to LeaveWhere to watch The HandmaidenNew Yorker review of The HandmaidenWhere to watch A Ghost Story (2017)

According to the NYT, the racial politics of Bone Tomahawk are "abysmal", and it may not be a film we enjoyed, but it makes for an episode packed with great discussions. We talk about what role western films have in contemporary Hollywood, the digital look of modern films, how we try to watch a movie we don't like, as well as the career and potential problems you might have with the director, S. Craig Zahler.Join our Patreon to know what it's like to fly an airplane into a hurricane!Where to watch Bone TomahawkThe NYT reviewThe Ringer article on the problematic politics of Zahler's filmsWhere to watch The Handmaiden (2016)

What (if anything) does Darren Aronofsky's reinterpretaion of the biblical flood myth have to say about environmentalism in today's world? How does a $160 million blockbuster fit into the career of an indie director like Aronofsky? We discuss these questions and more as we talk about Noah.Join our Patreon for more Bible talk!Where to watch NoahKermode's Pope reviewFantasia 2000's adaptationWhere to watch Bone Tomahawk (2015)

40 years after The Holy Mountain, we revisit famed director Alejandro Jodorowsky with his surreal autobiographical film, The Dance of Reality. What is it like for a midnight cult director to return to the world of cinema after so many years? We talk about what makes this film more approachable than Jodorowsky's other works, while still going into detail about the scene where someone urinates on someone else's face.Join our patreonWhere to watch The Dance of RealityYourMovieSucks reviewWhere to watch Noah (2014)

Once again, we're joined by Noah Cannon who is here to help us wrangle the most labyrinthine film on our list: Cloud Atlas, technically one of the most expensive independent films ever made from the Wachowski sisters and Tom Tykwer. There's a lot to talk about: how history repeats itself, the many changes between the book and the movie, how this film has become something of a cult classic, the excitement of having a transgender director helming a huge film, and why we (as well as Tom Hanks) think you should give Cloud Atlas another shot if you overlooked it in 2012.Join our Patreon for a discussion of Angels in AmericaWhere to watch Cloud AtlasRoger Ebert's 4 star reviewThe extended trailerWhere to watch The Dance of Reality (2013)

We talk about leaving our home town, writing as therapy, mental illness in modern films, and more on this week's episode all about Young Adult.Join our Patreon for Andrew's take on Amazon's Rings of PowerWhere to watch Young AdultRoger Ebert's reviewWhere to watch Cloud Atlas (2012)

Abbas Kiarostami's Certified Copy inspires a variety of discussions about hyperreality, film festival bubbles, and why Iran banned a film directed by one of their greatest filmmakers.Join our Patreon for a discussion on the infamous 2010 OscarsWhere to watch Certified CopyMark Kermode's review of Certified CopyWhere to watch Young Adult (2011)

As the events of the Great Recession play out, we turn to Greece where the country's debt crisis is (or isn't) showcased in the dark allegory of Yorgos Lanthimos' Dogtooth.Join our Patreon to hear what other movie we were going to talk about for 2009Where to watch DogtoothThe Greek Prime Minister's thoughts on DogtoothWhere to watch Certified Copy (2010)

Twilight and the mania surrounding the franchise at the time offers us an opportunity to talk about fandoms, romance, (Cronenberg,) modern gothic-horror, and how volatile criticism is thrown at media made for women versus media made for men.Join our Patreon to learn how to throw the perfect partyWhere to watch TwilightMark Kermode's review of TwilightWhere to watch Dogtooth (2009)

In the wake of 9/11, anti-Muslim bigotry swept across the western world. Artists like Marjane Satrapi push against the hatred with her graphic novel turned animated film, Persepolis, showing audiences what it was really like to live through the Iranian revolution and war with Iraq. Local playwriter Élise Hanson joins us to talk about how films can help us empathize with other cultures and gain a deeper understanding of the people around the world.Join our Patreon, where we talk about Jordan Peele's NopeWhere to watch PersepolisRoger Ebert's reviewWhere to watch Twilight (2008)

We talk about the Spanish film Volver  and the life of its esteemed director Pedro Almodóvar.Where to watch VolverRoger Ebert's reviewClip from Ebert & Roeper (with Mario Van Peebeles)Almodóvar Leading Ladies on Drag Race EspañaWhere to watch Persepolis (2007)

A History of Violence inspires discussions of the American psyche in a post-9/11 world and survival of the fittest within the human species. We talk about how this film fits into the careers of David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen.On our Patreon: Andrew's least favorite films of 2005Where to watch A History of ViolenceRoger Ebert's reviewCinephilia and Beyond InterviewWhere to watch Volver (2006)

While the Saw franchise would later go on to be defined by blood and guts and 3D gimmicks, Arthur and Andrew really admire the genuine tension and horror of the first film. We discuss the successful career of James Wan, how horror films have changed since Saw, and the "gamification" of watching films.Join our Patreon for a Catwoman reviewWhere to watch SawRoger Ebert's reviewThe love triangle trapThe carousel trapWhere to watch A History of Violence (2005)

While the US launches a second war with Iraq, we turn to talk about the burgeoning Korean film industry and Kim Ki-Duk's Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring. We discuss movies that tackle adult topics, how we relate to the philosophy in this movie, the life of the director, and The Passion of the Christ. Also, do arthouse films have to be boring?A Century in Cinema PatreonWhere to watch Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and SpringReelViews.com reviewWhere to watch Saw

Arthur and Andrew venture to the grandiose world of Bollywood to discuss Devdas. We talk about the major differences between the films we've come to expect in the west and the melodrama of the masala musical genre. We also talk about the state of musicals in the American film landscape.A Century in Cinema PatreonWhere to watch DevdasBollywood Boulevard reviewWhere to watch Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring (2003)*Mandy Moore, not Marilyn Monroe

For Arthur and Andrew, the Bosnian War of the 1990s may have been overshadowed by the 9/11 terrorists attacks in 2001,  but it's certainly still worth exploring in a film like No Man's Land. This week we discuss how this movie subverts the expectations of war films set up by Saving Private Ryan a few years earlier, and we also attempt to wrap our heads around the Bosnian War (we do not do a good job).Join a Century in Cinema Patron for more discussions!Where to watch No Man's LandThe US trailer for No Man's LandRoger Ebert's review of No Man's LandBosnian War - WikipediaWhere to watch Devdas (2002)