Let's Finally Watch This

It’s time to wrap up our fourth season of Let’s Finally Watch This. Looking back at our season of heavy-hitters (and a few oddballs), we consider some of the unexpected themes and this season's emphasis on directors. Then we dive into the heart of the episode–our Ranking of Essentialness for this season’s movies! We also share our personal favorites from the season.Thanks for joining us again for this exciting journey through the decades of film!Show Notes

It's 2015. Franchises rule the box office. Disney, a powerhouse studio for decades, is in the middle of its current run of live-action remakes. This year's movie, Cinderella, is directed by Kenneth Branagh, known for his Shakespearean adaptations and portrayal of Hercule Poirot. The story itself is nothing new, but Branagh presents it with lavishly and directly, making it one of the best-reviewed of the modern remakes.What Cinderella offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: gorgeous costumes and sets; solid, traditional storytelling; a sincere, admirable heroine; and, arguably, everything one wants, and nothing one doesn't, in a Cinderella movie.Show Notes

It's 2005. Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, follows that triumph by remaking one of his favorite movies--King Kong. By taking the original, iconic 1933 film and expanding it with his own knack for special effects and epic-length storytelling, Jackson creates a version that, as critic Roger Ebert says, "is like the flowering of all the possibilities in the original classic film.” What King Kong offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: more of everything the original film contained; three tonally distinct stories (drama, action, and disaster); a timeless 1930s setup; and one intense giant-ape-vs-three-T-rexes battle scene.Show Notes

It's 1995. Combining the blockbuster era with CGI creates the opportunity for all sorts of movies--including ones with jungle creatures rampaging through city streets. Director Joe Johnston, who started his Hollywood career designing spaceships for Star Wars, utilizes computer and practical effects to bring a malevolent board game to life in Jumanji, starring Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt, and a young Kirsten Dunst.What Jumanji offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: the more sobering origin of the newer Jumanji movies; Robin Williams playing his patented boy-in-a-man's-body role; a largely effective blend of horror and action; and badly aged monkey CGI.Show Notes

It's 1985. The culture is saturated with youth-targeted science fiction and fantasy films. And then there's Cocoon, directed by Ron Howard, a quirky movie featuring three elderly men as protagonists. Aliens disguised as humans are recovering cocoons from the ocean and storing them in the pool of a rented house when the old men discover that the water of the pool rejuvenates them. It's a fountain of youth, but will they share it? And will the aliens let them continue using it?What Cocoon offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: an exploration of life, death, and aging; a gentler, more compassionate portrayal of aliens; a plot that's not quite conventional; and lots of old people.Show Notes

It's 1975. No one knows it yet, but this is when the Blockbuster Age begins. It starts with a movie called Jaws, directed by an up-and-coming director named Steven Spielberg. If you don't know, Jaws is about a killer shark. It's the reason an entire generation feared going into the water. At the time of its release, it became the highest-grossing film of all time--and also the blueprint for a revolution in the filmmaking business.What Jaws offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: Spielberg's masterful, timeless directing; John William's iconic score; three men alone on the sea; the growing, largely unseen menace of the shark; and ""You're gonna need a bigger boat."Show Notes

It's 1965. Three years previous, director David Lean released his masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia. Now, he returns with another historical epic, exchanging desert vistas for the mountains of Russia and the society of Soviet Revolution-era Moscow. Based on the Nobel Prize-winning novel, Doctor Zhivago follows the titular doctor (and poet) as his life and loves intersect with the violence and utopian dreams of the Bolshevik Revolution. What Doctor Zhivago offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: stunning, wide-screen cinematography; a sweeping epic in a period not often covered by Hollywood; a story of, um, romantic adultery; and a frustratingly opaque protagonist.Show Notes

It's 1955. It's a time we look back at with nostalgia, thinking it a simpler, more peaceful time. But in one of first important "juvenile delinquent" films, Rebel Without a Cause, director Nicholas Ray and actor James Dean explore teen culture and find that the kids are not all right.Following a little over 24 hours of the lives of Dean's Jim Stark, the disturbed "Plato," and Judy, the bully's girlfriend, the movie shows the search for meaning and mentors that seem to plague a generation of angry, confused, and lost teens. What Rebel Without a Cause offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: the iconic James Dean in that red jacket, a haunting lecture in an observatory, a tragic "Chickie Run," complicated child-parent relationships, and a surprisingly modern look at growing up from 70 years ago.Show Notes

It's 1945. VE Day was May 8, but the war continues in the Pacific. Meanwhile, MGM entertains Americans back home with musicals such as Anchors Aweigh, starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra as two navy sailors on a four-day shore leave near Hollywood. Hoping to spend time picking up girls, they find themselves involved in the life of aspiring singer "Aunt Susie." An eager boy and a lie are excuse enough to provide plenty of opportunities for romance, spectacle, and a happy ending. What Anchors Aweigh offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: the engaging song-and-dance duo of Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, a convoluted set-up, the musical talents of real-life conductor José Iturbi, and a cameo of a famous cartoon mouse (no, not that one).Show Notes

It's 1935. One source of escapism during the Great Depression was the big budget spectacle--and Mutiny on the Bounty was one of the most expensive of its time. Based on the books which were inspired by true events, it follows the voyage of the HMS Bounty to Tahiti under the draconian command of Captain Bligh, as the crew, especially executive commander Christian Fletcher, weigh whether such harsh treatment is worthy of mutiny.Filled with drama, danger, moral dilemmas, and island romance, Mutiny on the Bounty is probably the best-known movie from faithful Hollywood studio man and director Frank Lloyd.What Mutiny on the Bounty offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: the iconic, sourly tyrannical Captain William Bligh; classic Hollywood doing big-budget sea adventure; island romance; and Clark Gable without a mustache.Show Notes

It's 1925. The Russian Revolution is over. Vladimir Lenin believes that “the cinema is for us the most important of the arts," leading the Soviet Union to create the world's first professional film school. With a genius for editing that is still discussed today, director Sergei Eisenstein creates a movie that was once considered the greatest movie ever made. Battleship Potemkin tells the inspired-by-a-true-story tale of the sailors of the titular battleship and their struggle against their oppressive officers and government. It's art, but it's also propaganda.What Battleship Potemkin offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: an entry point to discuss Soviet montage theory and the Kuleshov effect; a masterfully edited silent epic; the famous Odessa Steps sequence; and a powerfully visceral film.Show Notes

It's 1915. Film is innovating, but some companies don't believe that longer features are viable. Enter director D.W. Griffith, who with The Birth of a Nation, pushed the medium forward with a three-plus-hour historical drama that is often considered the first film masterpiece.Featuring white Southerners as the heroes against uneducated, just-freed slaves, it is also undeniably racist and one of the most controversial films of all time. What The Birth of a Nation offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: a pioneering example of early film full of impressive scale, technique, and talent; a deeply one-sided view of Reconstruction; an unironic triumphal scene with the KKK as the good guys; and a whole lot to wrestle with concerning the intersection of great filmmaking and deplorable themes.Show Notes

Welcome to Season 4 of Let's Finally Watch This.It's 1905. Movies are in their infancy, including Dutch film. This silent Dutch comedy, directed by Willy Mullens, begins with a man napping in a beach chair until he is surrounded by the incoming tide. And then he removes his pants to keep them dry. And then...well, the movie is less than 6 minutes long, so I don't want to spoil it.What The Misadventure of a French Gentleman Without Pants at the Zandvoort Beach offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies (besides an outrageously long title): a front row seat to movie-as-novelty, extras who stare at the camera, part chase and part "actuality, and the experience of watching the oldest surviving Dutch film.Show Notes

Welcome to season 2 of Let's Finally Watch This, a podcast for casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies. Once again we're traveling through the century, highlighting one movie from each decade from 1903 to 2013. In each episode, we'll highlight what's going on film history, how the chosen film affected future movies, and, of course, whether the movie itself is actually worth watching. ~~ It's 1903. Moving pictures are still an novelty, and narrative films are still in the early stages. One of the most popular films of the year is The Great Train Robbery, directed by Edwin S. Porter. It's a distinctly American movie about outlaws...robbing a train. What The Great Train Robbery offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: an action-oriented plot, realistic early effects, and an iconic final shot (pun intended). Listen in to learn more! Show Notes

It's 2012. Movies are experimenting with 3-D and Blu-ray is making inroads. This movie, considered a prime example of good 3-D storytelling, follows Pi, an Indian man whose story will, according to some, "make you believe in God." That story involves being adrift at sea with a Bengal tiger. What Life of Pi offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: a gorgeous, visually brilliant experience, even in non-3-D; an exciting journey combined with spiritual questions; iconic shots of a man and a tiger stuck in a boat; and an ending that may change your view of the movie. Listen in to learn more! Show Notes

It's 2002. Sequels and franchises are everywhere, and digital filmmaking is just beginning. This movie, however, is the exception that proves the rule. Gangs of New York, directed by Marin Scorsese, fully embodies 1862 New York as it examines tribalism, crime, and revenge in the relationships of immigrant and "native" Americans. What Gangs of New York offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: an immersive, fully realized setting; exploration of a largely unexplored aspect of American history; an electrifying performance by Daniel Day-Lewis; and far too much reveling in the corrupt underbelly of Civil-War era New York. Listen in to learn more! Show Notes

It's 1992. The Age of Blockbusters continues, but a wide assortment of genres are making their way to the box office. New independent filmmakers are up and coming. This movie, Unforgiven, is a revisionist western following a reformed outlaw and assassin as he decides to take on one last bounty to help provide for his two children. What Unforgiven offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: a morally ambiguous story about justice and sins, current and past; scenes of beauty amidst a stark setting; a playing with and against western tropes; and Clint Eastwood. Listen in to learn more! Show Notes

It's 1982. The era of blockbusters is upon us, movie technology is changing, and science fiction is popular. Into this mix comes Blade Runner, a visually groundbreaking sci-fi/noir set in far-off future of 2019, where detectives call blade runners track down and kill rogue replicants (androids) which have been outlawed on Earth. What Blade Runner offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: a soul-weary Harrison Ford; a dark, gritty futurescape that left an indelible mark on science fiction; a uniquely 80s synth soundtrack; and (possibly) deep questions about what it means to be human. Listen in to learn more! Show Notes

It's 1972. "New Hollywood" is in full swing with its loosening moral standards, greater artistic freedom, and more ambiguous endings. But it's also an era of disaster movies, with this episode's movie, The Poseidon Adventure, being a prime example, as passengers of the overturned ship struggle for survival. What The Poseidon Adventure offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: an archetypal disaster plot; effective sets and suspense; themes of life and survival; and Ernest Borgnine and Gene Hackman screaming at each other. Listen in to learn more! Show Notes

It's 1962. We're in early "New Hollywood Era," when movies begin to lean into more complex themes and ambiguity. This episode's movie is Lawrence of Arabia, an epic historical drama about British officer T.E. Lawrence and his time in the Ottoman Empire regions of Hejaz and Greater Syria during World War I. What Lawrence of Arabia offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: incredible landscapes, epic scale, intriguing character study, and pushing four hours of film. Listen in to learn more! Show Notes