The Filmlings

Alex and Jonathan reflect on 8 1/2 years of recording the Filmlings Podcast.If you're new here, this is an invitation and guide to explore the back-catalog, even though we are not currently recording new episodes.If you've been around, thanks for listening and supporting the show over the years! Keep an eye on the blog, we may pop up again in other ways here and there.Skip to:(01:04) – Preface(12:48) – History(56:55) – Trivia(1:25:26) – Movie nostalgia(1:54:12) – What's next for usFor more information, visit the blog:https://thefilmlings.com/The Discord is still open:https://discord.gg/gj26MCWE6M

As we bring our discussion of the history of comedy to the modern day, Alex and Jonathan look at three comedy films from the past two decades: Mean Girls (2004), Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), and The Fall Guy (2024). We discuss the facets of wit as a mode of humor, the way wit has been incorporated into action-comedy through Marvel films and other pop franchises, and what goes into modern meta witty romantic comedy.Skip to:(09:59) – Mean Girls(25:19) – Guardians of the Galaxy (43:33) – Marvel rant ends(58:58) – The Fall Guy (1:23:56) – Overall(1:31:41) – Coming AttractionsFor more information, visit the blog:https://thefilmlings.com/2025/06/06/the-wits-end/Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion:https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

After the collapse of the Production Code, filmmakers now had the ability to put anything and everything in their movies, so they did. Today Alex and Jonathan discuss three films which take comedy beyond rational proportions and talk about The Producers (1967), Airplane! (1980), and The Mask (1994). We discuss the history of absurdist comedy, how blockbusters and parody influenced pop culture, and the introduction of CGI into comedy.Skip to:(10:04) – The Producers(29:03) – Airplane!(43:22) – The Mask(1:04:27) – Overall(1:10:18) – Coming AttractionsComing Attractions:Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)The Big Lebowski (1998)The Hangover (2009)For more information, visit the blog:https://thefilmlings.com/2025/03/28/the-absurdists/Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion:https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

With the arrival of sound in Hollywood, a new subgenre of comedy arose, so today Alex and Jonathan discuss the history of the "screwball comedies" while looking at Trouble in Paradise (1932), His Girl Friday (1940), and Some Like it Hot (1959). We talk about how screwballs differed from standard romantic comedies, the emphasis on dialogue that came with the adoption of sound, and the role the Production Code played in shaping how romance was communicated in ways that it couldn't be shown.Skip to: (11:47) – Trouble in Paradise (31:19) – His Girl Friday (43:31) – Some Like it Hot (1:00:22) – Overall (1:12:08) – Coming AttractionsComing Attractions: The Producers (1967) Airplane! (1980) The Mask (1994)For more information, visit the blog:https://thefilmlings.com/2024/02/28/the-screwballs/Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion:https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

To kick off a new series on the history of American comedy films, Alex and Jonathan travel back to the early days of cinema and look at the physical comedy of the early film clowns in Safety Last! (1923), City Lights (1931), and Duck Soup (1933). We discuss the transition from live performances in theater and vaudeville to the movies, how Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin helped to incorporate character development into comedy films, and how the Marx brothers blended physical and verbal comedy which set the stage for the new era of sound comedy. Skip to: (9:20) – Safety Last! (24:33) – City Lights (40:35) – Duck Soup (59:01) – Overall (1:05:44) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: Trouble in Paradise (1932) His Girl Friday (1940) Some Like It Hot (1959) For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.com/2024/01/31/the-clowns/ Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

Moving from the absurd to the irreverent, today Alex and Jonathan look at three films which encompass a subset of comedy in which the characters are under the influence in some form or fashion: Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), The Big Lebowski (1998), and The Hangover (2009). We discuss the glorification and justification of the stoner, the primary motivations and conflicts which typically arise, and how the characteristics of the stoner are seen in films and characters beyond literal stoners.Skip to:(08:53) – Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure(23:39) – The Big Lebowski(42:40) – The Hangover(52:51) – Overall(1:02:13) – Coming AttractionsComing Attractions:Mean Girls (2004)Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)The Fall Guy (2024)For more information, visit the blog:https://thefilmlings.com/2025/04/25/the-stonersJoin us on Discord for ongoing film discussion:https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

To wrap up the tragedy series, Alex and Jonathan look at three films characterized by the ways in which the characters' difference of perspectives causes the primary conflict in part or whole: A Woman Under the Influence (1974), The Elephant Man (1980), and The Farewell (2019). We discuss whether or not the term "tragedy" is still a useful distinction, the role compassion plays in understanding, and why we need a healthy balance of real-life experience and "imitation" through storytelling. Skip to: (16:48) – A Woman Under the Influence (46:54) – The Elephant Man (1:10:19) – The Farewell (1:31:39) – Overall (1:43:46) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: Stay tuned for a new series on American comedy films coming up in 2025! For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.com/2024/12/06/tragedies-of-misunderstanding/ Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

As we move into stories of interpersonal tragedies, today Alex and Jonathan discuss three films which deal with themes of betrayal as it applies to family relationships, as in Tokyo Twilight (1957), romantic relationships, as in In the Mood for Love (2000), and friends/allies, as in RRR (2022). We discuss Aristotle's concept of discovery, the tendency for betrayals become cyclical, and whether or not Bollywood is a continuation of the tradition of classical Greek tragedy. Skip to: (12:39) – Tokyo Twilight (34:50) – In the Mood for Love (1:08:21) – RRR (1:29:40) – Overall (1:39:46) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: A Woman Under the Influence (1974) The Elephant Man (1980) The Farewell (2022) For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.com/2024/11/01/tragedies-of-betrayal/ Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

In one of the saddest episodes of the show (besides Episode 105), Alex and Jonathan look at films in which the protagonists struggle to navigate circumstances outside of their control with three tragedy classics: Ikiru (1952), Grave of the Fireflies (1988), and Titanic (1997). We discuss Aristotle's conception of the reversal of fortune – known as peripety, how storytellers expose (or impose) meaning in tragedy, and why it's important to watch sad movies in the first place. Skip to: (15:00) – Ikiru (34:49) – Grave of the Fireflies (56:58) – Titanic (1:27:23) – Overall (1:47:53) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: Tokyo Twilight (1957) In the Mood for Love (2000) RRR (2022) For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.com/2024/10/04/tragedies-of-fate/ Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

From power to societal marginalization to prejudicial greed, in this episode Alex and Jonathan talk about three films in which the subject characters are faced with various forms of injustice: The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Umberto D. (1952), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). We discuss the ways tragedy films evoke feelings of pity and fear in the Aristotelian view, the similarities between injustice and the absence of compassion, and when and how history becomes poetry. Skip to: (10:09) – The Passion of Joan of Arc (32:58) – Umberto D. (56:27) – Killers of the Flower Moon (1:38:21) – Overall (1:48:14) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: Ikiru (1952) Grave of the Fireflies (1988) Titanic (1997) For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.com/2024/09/06/tragedies-of-injustice/ Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

The downfall. The tragic flaw. Today Alex and Jonathan kick off a new series about tragic cinema with three stories where the protagonist is ultimately responsible for their own misery: The Magnificent Ambersons (1942), Brief Encounter (1945), and Tár (2022). We discuss Aristotle's six elements of tragedy, why tragedy doesn't necessarily have to have a sad ending, and scaling tragedy from the intimately personal to a societal scale. Skip to: (22:05) – The Magnificent Ambersons (50:22) – Brief Encounter (1:11:08) – Tár (1:46:18) – Overall (1:54:35) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) Umberto D. (1952) Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.com/2024/08/02/tragedy-of-self/ Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

The last of the Cahiers du Cinéma critics-turned-directors to discuss is Jacques Rivette. Alex and Jonathan take a look at his films Paris Belongs to Us (1961), L'amour fou (1969), and Céline and Julie Go Boating (1974) and discuss Rivette's obsession with the individual aspects of cinema, his blend of cinematic instinct and collaborative improvisation, and how letting go and having fun resulted in his most popular film. Skip to: (38:30) – Paris Belongs to Us (1:02:32) – L'Amour fou (1:26:45) – Celine and Julie Go Boating (1:49:28) – Overall (2:03:31) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: Stay tuned for a new series about tragedy films when we return in July! For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.com/2024/05/31/rivette/ Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

One of the less well-known of the Cahiers contributors, but also one of the first to break into directing, Claude Chabrol is the subject of this week's deep dive in which Alex and Jonathan talk about his films Le beau Serge (1958), Les cousins (1959), and Les bonnes femmes (1960). We discuss Chabrol's role in getting the French New Wave off the ground as a movement, the way he uses typical genre techniques to tell personal stories, and why Chabrol could be the perfect place to start if you're trying to get into French New Wave cinema. Skip to: (33:44) – Le beau Serge (53:14) – Les cousins (1:12:16) – Les bonnes femmes (1:25:15) – Overall (1:33:28) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: Paris Belongs to Us (1961) L'amour fou (1969) Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974) *Episode correction: Destiny (1921) was directed by Fritz Lang, not F. W. Murnau, but the point stands. You can hear our discussion of Destiny on Episode 42. Legendary Lang. For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.com/2024/05/03/chabrol/ Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

François Truffaut, known as "the destroyer of French cinema" during his time as a critic, is the focal point of this episode and the turning point of our series on the French New Wave. Alex and Jonathan discuss three of his many films, Shoot the Piano Player (1960), Jules et Jim (1962), and Day for Night (1973), and talk about the origins and intentions of the French New Wave, Truffaut's love for American genre films, and how he aims to make and watch films which express the emotional experiences of filmmaking itself. Skip to: (33:44) – Shoot the Piano Player (53:14) – Jules and Jim (1:12:16) – Day for Night (1:25:15) – Overall (1:33:28) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: Le Beau Serge (1958) Les Cousins (1959) Les bonnes femmes (1960) For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.com/2024/04/12/truffaut Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

Author, critic, teacher, moralist, and editor of Cahiers du Cinema, Éric Rohmer is this month's featured director from the French New Wave. Alex and Jonathan look at three of the six films Rohmer directed based on a series of his own short stories called the "Moral Tales" – My Night at Maud's (1969), Claire's Knee (1970), and Love in the Afternoon (1972). We discuss Rohmer's literary approach to filmmaking, the ways he builds multi-dimensional characters through extensive dialogue, and his preference for the "invisible camera" as opposed to the self-aware methods of some of his fellow French New Wave directors. Skip to: (32:12) – My Night at Maud's (1:02:31) – Claire's Knee (1:18:51) – Love in the Afternoon (1:37:35) – Overall (1:57:44) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: Shoot the Piano Player (1960) Jules and Jim (1962) Day for Night (1973) For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.com/2024/03/01/rohmer Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

As we begin our dive into the directors of the French New Wave, Alex and Jonathan take a look at one of the primary disrupters from this heavily disruptive period of cinema history, the singular Jean-Luc Godard. Through three of his classic films – Vivre sa vie (1962), Band of Outsiders (1964), and Pierrot le Fou (1965) – we discuss Godard's place in the New Wave, the ways he was influenced by both classic film and literature, and how he later began to transcend his influences to reinvent his own art and use of the medium time after time. Skip to: (38:22) – Vivre sa vie (1:11:25) – Band of Outsiders (1:35:51) – Pierrot le Fou (1:54:36) – Overall (2:14:29) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: My Night at Maud's (1969) Claire's Knee (1970) Love in the Afternoon (1972) For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.com/2024/02/02/godard Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

For the final episode of the fairy tale series, Alex and Jonathan take a look at three films that transpose classic fairy tale stories onto the setting of the modern day: The Red Shoes (1948), Ponyo (2008), and Undine (2020). We discuss how fairy tale elements can help us look at the ordinary parts of life with a new appreciation, how the form and style of a film affects the perception of the magical elements, and ways to incorporate the unknown into modern storytelling. Skip to: (08:58) – The Red Shoes (27:59) – Ponyo (54:53) – Undine (1:10:37) – Overall (1:20:24) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: In January we'll be starting a new series all about the French New Wave! For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.com/2023/11/24/modern-fairy-tales/ Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

Today Alex and Jonathan look at three of the common ways that fairy tales are modified from their original setting to fit various modern sensibilities. We talk about the fairy tale mashup through the lens of Shrek (2001), the science fiction angle via A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), and the misunderstood villain as portrayed in Maleficent (2014). We also discuss how to expand on and subvert fairy tale themes based on a common story bank, the need for strong creative and directorial vision, and the pitfalls of using fairy tales as a shortcut to audience appeal. Skip to: (6:15) – Shrek (35:01) – A.I. Artificial Intelligence (59:23) – Maleficent (1:22:06) – Overall (1:24:33) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: The Red Shoes (1948) Ponyo (2008) Undine (2020) For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2023/10/27/fairy-tales-with-a-twist Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

For as long as fairy tales have been recorded there has been a debate about whether or not they should be modified for children, so today Alex and Jonathan take up the negative side of the discussion with a look at three films with fairy tale elements that are not Disney's idea of kid-friendly: Beauty and the Beast (1946), Ugetsu (1957), Donkey Skin (1970). We discuss the history of fairy tales being told to children, how tone can compensate for unsavory elements of fairy tales without expurgating them, and where the boundaries of fairy tales and ghost stories touch. Skip to: (14:47) – Beauty and the Beast (37:25) – Ugetsu (53:19) – Donkey Skin (1:12:34) – Overall (1:19:45) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: Shrek (2001) A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) Maleficent (2014) For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2023/09/23/not-for-kids/ Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF

When it comes to fairy tales on film, the elephant in the room has a name: Disney. So today Alex and Jonathan go through the history of fairy tale films as told by the Walt Disney Animation Studios, starting with the first feature length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), through the "Disney Renaissance" with Beauty and the Beast (1991), and up to the modern runaway hit Frozen (2013). We discuss Disney as a monolith in the modern fairy tale storytelling landscape, the evolution of animation techniques and technology over time, and how to effectively incorporate the element of eucatastrophe into storytelling. Skip to: (20:55) – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (44:12) – Beauty and the Beast (1:07:52) – Frozen (1:39:04) – Overall (1:50:44) – Coming Attractions Coming Attractions: Beauty and the Beast (1946) Ugetsu (1956) Donkey Skin (1970) For more information, visit the blog: https://thefilmlings.wordpress.com/2023/09/01/disney Join us on Discord for ongoing film discussion: https://discord.gg/MAF6jh59cF