Alex Garland's second film in two years traces the true story of co-director Ray Mendoza's experiences in Iraq. We discuss the film with Jim Penola (An Invitation Productions), considering what drove Garland to the project, heroic sacrifice, decontextualizing violence, and the film's commitment to realism.Find us at www.cowspod.com! New shirts and hats at shop.cowspod.com!
We do, in fact, read Sutter Cane! Carly Severn (KQED San Francisco) returns to explore the world of mass market paperbacks that portend the return of the Old Ones and the end of humanity in John Carpenter's homage to Lovecraft. Is it Mommy's Day? Sadly, yes, it is.
Life, death, and rebirth are on the exam table as we pull up the chart on Stuart Gordon's RE-ANIMATOR (1985). Scout Tafoya (Ignite Films) returns to explore the film, its impact and legacy, men's desire to procreate without women, practical effects, consent, horror, and of course, H.P. Lovecraft!
The spy life. Espionage. Trust. Betrayal. Boring office parties. It's the anti-James-Bond. Abe Mathew (Philosophy, Notre Dame) joins us to discuss Le Carre and the 2011 film adaptation of his most famous novel. Trust no one! Cowspod.com!Buy a T-Shirt at our NEW merch site!
Come on over to our dead-tech, postmodernistic, bullsh*t, house and watch HEAT with us and Zed Adams (Philosophy, The New School)! Time, light, passing, entrapment, stylized realism, stoicism, individualism, institutionalism, and why people be thieving. Cowspod.com!Buy a T-Shirt at our NEW merch site!
We are joined by Jason Bailey, author of Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend, to discuss one of his final films, ENOUGH SAID. We talk about midlife romances, self-destructive tendencies, shaggy stories, and a lot about Mr. Gandolfini's honest and vulnerable performance. Check it out!Buy Jason's book!Follow us on Blue Sky! Buy a cows shirt on Threadless!
We sit down with Phil Gawthorne (Die Hard on a Blank) to discuss our second Stallone flick, Cobra. We discuss how the film's absurdities make it endearing, the catharsis of comeuppance, aesthetic vibes, robot fashion, metanarrative love. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!Find us on Blue Sky!New Cows merch!
We sit down with Jim Miller (The New School) to discuss Pedro Almodovar's challenging film TALK TO HER. We consider the juxtaposition of beauty and horror, the duality of subjects and objects, the blurry lines around the moral, ballet, and friendship. Check out Jim's book on Almodovar!Reach out to us on BlueSky and the web!Email us at cowspod@gmail.com!Buy a Cows shirt or bag at Threadless!
We are joined by Brad Skow (Philosophy, MIT) to discuss Damien Chazelle's WHIPLASH! Abuse, striving, greatness, parenting, color, the ending(!), and, of course, jazz.Read Brad's substack!Follow us on Blue Sky! Buy a cows shirt on Threadless!
We sit down with Chad Perman (Bright Wall / Dark Room) to discuss Mike Mills' autobiographical love letter to his mom. We discuss how becoming a parent helps you become closer to your own parents, finding ourselves alienated from our own children, empaths, narratives as a source of therapy, and much more! Follow us on Blue Sky! Buy a cows shirt on Threadless!
It's our first Sly film, so we sit down with Liam Billingham (Die Hard on a Blank) to discuss future politics, the film's political litmus test, its satire of a conservative's fever dream of liberal tyranny, masculinity, and more!Follow us on Blue Sky! Buy a cows shirt on Threadless!
We talk with Jay Elliott (Philosophy, Bard College) about RISKY BUSINESS! White boys off the lake, Tom Cruise, sexual anxiety, capitalism, authenticity, Hitchcock, and more!Find us on Blue Sky!Buy a cows t-shirt!
We sit down with Dan Wack (Philosophy, Knox College) to discuss Elaine May's Mikey and Nicky! We talk gangsters, friendship, honesty, barriers, hangout films, misogyny, character studies, and much more! Follow us on Blue Sky! Buy a cows shirt on Threadless!
Jon Gabrus joins us to award our favorite movies of 2024! Who will take home the coveted Blobscar? Tune in to find out!Follow us on Blue Sky! Buy a cows shirt on Threadless!
We welcome back Bilge Ebiri (Vulture / New York Magazine) to discuss RaMell Ross's 2024 film, Nickel Boys! We talk about the film's formal stylistic innovations, its focus on interstitial moments, its exploration of different responses to injustice, how it invites us to integrate our own memories and experiences with its narrative, and more! Find us on the web and on Blue Sky!
We sit down with Phil Iscove (of Podcast Like It's...) to discuss Robert Eggers' Nosferatu! We discuss how the film is Ellen's story, compare it with the many other versions, sexual liberation and sexual angst, scientific progress and the patriarchy, the beauty in decay, and the film's dark sense of humor. Find us at cowspod.com! Follow us at @cowspod.com on Blue Sky!
Gilmore as populist disruptor, Grandma's tax situation, hockey vs. golf, anger, Chubbs, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and of course Shooter McGavin! We're @cowspod.com on Blue Sky! Find us on the web at cowspod.com SUBSCRIBE!
Merry Christmas to all, including THE GRINCH! We sit down with Emily St. James to discuss all three Grinch movies (How the Grinch Stole Christmas '66 + '00, and The Grinch '18). We inquire about what the Grinch story is all about, whether we really needed a Grinch backstory, what part of speech "Grinch" is, which of the movies is da best, and more! Pre-order Emily's book! Follow us on bluesky!
Join us and Dan Harris (Philosophy, CUNY) to discuss HOME ALONE! We consider the film's permission structure for excusing parental negligence, humoring breaking and entering, the film's ideological implications about the nuclear family, and what Kevin really thinks he did to his parents. Christmastime begins with the COWS now!
We sit down with film historian Joseph McBride to discuss George Cukor's 1944 film, Gaslight. We discuss Cukor's reputation among the great studio directors, his skill working with actors, the social and political dimensions of the film, including what makes diagnosing and resisting gaslighting so challenging. After you listen, you should read Joseph's book on Cukor! Follow us on Blue Sky! Buy a cows shirt on Threadless!