More Than One Lesson

THE PROPOSITION (2006)
Directed by: John Hillcoat
Written by: Nick Cave
Starring: Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Emily Watson, Danny Huston

It starts with a gunfight. A gang of drunken outlaws are holed up in a makeshift brothel, only to be confronted by local law enforcement. Some of the outlaws are gunned down, others are arrested. Chief among the survivors is Charlie Burns, a quiet, withdrawn man who doesn’t seem to have a particularly violent temperament. Until, of course, his younger brother, Mikey, is threatened; at which point Charlie employs the dead-eyed stare and careful cadence of a man of action who means business.

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In this episode, Tyler and Josh discuss Paul Greengrass’ Captain Phillips and Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves.

EPISODE BREAKDOWN
00:00:45- Intro, Let There Be Movies
00:01:40- Mountaineer Film Festival
00:03:10- Discussion of Lost by Reed Lackey
00:04:45- Captain Phillips
00:52:35- Bicycle Thieves
01:17:10- Episode wrap-up

Tyler will be a part of a roundtable discussion about the intersection of faith and film at the Mountaineer Film Festival.  If you would like to attend, details are below.

3:30-5:00 pm
March 22
Bloch Hall, Creative Arts Center
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV

It seems like almost every week we hear of another disaster- natural or otherwise- befalling some poor, far-away country. We are aware of it largely because we are inundated with media; it’s on every front page, every network, every website. However, once this disaster becomes “old news,” it quickly drops out of view, to be replaced with whatever new thing is happening; perhaps a celebrity scandal or a political skirmish. That’s just the way it is, and to bemoan that would be to beat a horse long since dead.

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In this minisode, Tyler and Josh talk about the latest winner of Best Picture, Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave.

In this minisode, Tyler and Josh discuss Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire.

CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT (1965)
Written and Directed by: Orson Welles
Starring: Orson Welles, John Gielgud, Keith Baxter

“Melancholy.”

This is a word we’ve all heard before, I’m sure, often in association with different works of art; a song or a painting. But, what exactly does it mean?

Speaking as a person so often described as “melancholy” that, years ago, I just had to look it up, I can give you the basic ideas behind this concept.

Melancholy, first and foremost, is a sort of temperament. The melancholy is a person so in touch with his emotions, positive and negative, that he is often in danger of being controlled by them. At times, this can be great. When the melancholy is happy, he is energetic, almost euphoric. The melancholy, often being a artistic sort, will sometimes create something great when feeling like this. He can be very magnetic; everybody wants to be around him, as he often funny and welcoming.

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TOOTSIE (1982)
Directed by: Sydney Pollack
Written by: Larry Gelbart and Don Maguire
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Charles Durning, Teri Garr

In the past, people have come up to me and commented on how few comedies there are on my DVD shelf. It is very strange, considering how much I love a good comedy. But, it’s true. Many movies on my shelf, while technically comedies, can be found in the “Drama” section of your local Blockbuster. These include Sideways, Gosford Park, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

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FREAKS (1932)
Directed by: Tod Browning
Written by: Willis Goldbeck and Leon Gordon
Starring: Harry Earles, Leila Hyams, Henry Victor

When I say the name “Dracula,” I’m almost positive that most of you will think of an exotic European with slicked back hair, piercing eyes, and a cape. In other words, you’ll think of Bela Lugosi in the 1931 film. Even those who haven’t seen the film will think of that image. That’s how successful the movie was; seventy years later, we still picture Lugosi in that musty old castle.

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In this episode, Tyler and Josh discuss Spike Jonze’s Her and Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

EPISODE BREAKDOWN
00:00:44- Intro, The BPs, Post Show Recaps
00:05:15- Her
01:09:20- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
01:50:40- Episode wrap-up