The Pestle: In-depth Movie Talk, No Fluff | Film Review | Spoilers
Cinema lovers unite! Two actors and filmmakers decided to cut through all the fluff and start a movie podcast where they actually discuss the film and not a million other things you don’t care about. Covering the obvious (did you like the movie?) while diving a little deeper (what is Interstellar really about? is there a bootstrap paradox?) we are having an in-depth conversation about movies and see if they hold up to scrutiny, and maybe even inform us about life or moviemaking itself. Because a good movie is often about more than what it’s about. So, let’s see if these Hollywood directors & writers are up to snuff as we cover blockbusters, independent films, direct to Netflix movies, and everything else; maybe your next favorite film is an indie you haven’t even heard of, let us introduce you to another way of watching movies.
We march through Sam Mendes’ “1917” and discuss: cinematography, first and last frame, creating coverage in a long take; story & writing, setups and payoffs; editing, tips & tricks of hiding a cut; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “The enemy? His sense of duty was no less than yours, I deem. You […]
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We travel through Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” and discuss: cinematography, resetting the frame; audio + music; writing & storytelling, immersive storytelling; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Breaking rules isn’t interesting. It’s making up new ones that keeps things exciting.“ – Christopher Nolan Short Spotlight: “A Palawan Prewedding” by John Carl Tejada This […]
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We profile David Fincher’s “Mindhunter” and discuss: cinematography, and use of color and camera movement; editing; writing & storytelling, some of the subtle psychological inserts; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of […]
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We drill into William Eubank’s “Underwater” and discuss: cinematography, the effects of handheld; story & writing, Norah the action hero, creating tension; how Kristen Stewart could save us from a robot uprising; what the monster could be and why it’s not what everyone thinks it is; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If […]
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We sweat through Spike Lee’s “Do The Right Thing” and discuss: cinematography, how the infamous title sequence sets the style for the movie; writing & story, rich characters and complex relationships; bring in special guest Kei, screenwriter, podcaster, New Yorker; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I like friends who have independent minds […]
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We slink through Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and discuss: cinematography, lighting the middle Earth; story & writing, morality, demonstrating possession; special guest Joe Howes takes a quiz to test his vast Tolkien knowledge; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Whatever possession we gain by our sword cannot […]
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We enter the blue door in “Notting Hill” and discuss: cinematography, how you can see this is a drama and not a comedy; acting, Julia Roberts’ performance; writing & Story, the genius of exposition as a game, the Baader–Meinhof phenomenon; music, and how they nearly ruined the ending and why I wish I could edit […]
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We rain on Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Magnolia” and discuss: cinematography, long takes, transitions, anamorphic framing; ensemble writing; music; magnolia flower facts; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country.“ – Exodus 8:2 Notes & References: Tom Cruise […]
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We search Pixar’s “Soul” and discuss: death; side missions, making it all add up to something; the zone; we have a surprise guest appearance; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.“ – Jean-Michel Basquiat Notes & References: Hidden details in Soul More […]
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We take a shot at Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” and discuss: live performances on stage vs film; wardrobe, set design; musical songwriting vs albums; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “No punishment, in my opinion, is too great, for the man who can build his greatness upon his country’s ruin.“ – George Washington Notes […]
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We pull a bonus episode out of our Patreon archive and discuss: the casting process, going through hundreds of submissions, what Wes looks for in an audition; how Todd did in all three rounds of his auditions; what makes for a good or bad monologue; and other such stuff and things and stuff. Notes & […]
The post Ep 134: “Casting, Auditioning, and Picking a Monologue” (Special Edition) appeared first on The Pestle.
We put the lasso of truth on Gal Gadot’s “Wonder Woman 1984” and discuss: themes, and conversational subtext in Wonder Woman; Chekhov’s Gun, wasted story elements; using a temp track for editing purposes (and how “Sunshine” was ripped off once again); and other such stuff and things and stuff. “No one is useless in this […]
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We prance through F. Murray Abraham’s “Amadeus” and discuss: cinematography; story & writing, engaging the audience; living in the shadow of Mozart; special guest Scott Garrett Graham joins us; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I have never thought of writing for reputation and honor. What I have in my heart must come […]
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We put a match to the Korean film “Burning” and discuss: cinematography, natural lighting vs available lighting; editing, how long takes and rhythm of edits affects the experience; story, what is this movie about?; special guest Dave Jasmon; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “She was bored. She loved, had capacity to love, […]
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We back our way through Christopher Nolan’s “Memento” and discuss: cinematography, setting the tone for a mechanically complex film; writing & story, why this film would not work if told with a traditional structure; comparing Memento to Following, what does an extra $9 million budget get you?; and other such stuff and things and stuff. […]
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We break into Christopher Nolan’s “Following” and discuss: cinematography, shooting on 16mm film; writing & editing, adding intrigue to a simple story; locations on a small budget; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “One of the worst things you can do is have a limited budget and try to do some big looking […]
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We busk through John Carney’s “Once” and discuss: cinematography; rules of a musical; story, movie trailer moments; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If you look at my career… I couldn’t possibly have chosen those subjects if I was thinking, ‘That’s a great commercial idea.’ I’m not aware of a great musical where […]
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We leap into Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” and discuss: cinematography, lighting, and communicating a feeling; writing & story, efficiency with locations; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I wish people could achieve what they think would bring them happiness in order for them to realize that that’s not really what happiness is.“ – […]
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We experiment with Shane Carruth’s sci-fi cult classic “Primer” and discuss: Cinematography, shooting ratios; Audio, selling a location; Story & writing, advancing the story offscreen; Low budget filmmaking; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, then there would be […]
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We report on Billy Ray’s “Shattered Glass” and discuss: the anatomy of a liar; journalism’s function, process, weaknesses; the state of journalism today; at the end of the episode we also (to everyone’s dismay) weigh in on the election; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “The term propaganda rings melodramatic and exaggerated, but […]
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We look for weaknesses in Brad Pitt’s “World War Z” and discuss: establishing zombie rules; making a hero; making bad situations for the hero; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I don’t think you need to spend $40 million to be creepy. The best horror films are the ones that are much less […]
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We invade Edgar Wright’s “Shaun of the Dead” and discuss: cinematography, revealing a punchline; comedic editing; humor, apocalypse humor; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “If I fail, the film industry writes me off as another statistic. If I succeed, they pay me a million bucks to fly out to Hollywood and fart.“ […]
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We take a stab at “Tucker and Dale vs Evil” and discuss: story & writing, Final Girls, dramatic irony, violent humor, hiding exposition through humor; cinematography, supporting story perspective; practical effects; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “The most difficult character in comedy is that of the fool, and he must be no […]
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We pedal through Rick Famuyiwa’s “Dope” and peddle: story & writing, coming of age stories, writing humor, upping the stakes, kick the dog storytelling; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “There are so many people that don’t come in contact with black men. Whether they live in a homogeneous area that’s mostly white […]
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We survive Will Smith’s “I Am Legend” and discuss: cinematography: using light for dramatic effect & storytelling; writing & storytelling: what makes this fun to watch, and what is this movie about; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Every man gotta right to decide his own destiny.“ – Bob Marley Notes & References: […]
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We invert storytelling convention with Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” and discuss: cinematography, was an actor underexposed?; writing and storytelling, loading the gun film theory, creating a solvable puzzle; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Always make the audience suffer as much as possible.“ – Alfred Hitchcock Notes & References: What is a Shirley Card? […]
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We re-mem-buh Michael Mann’s “Miami Vice” and discuss: cinematography, shooting multiple formats, emulating a style; story & writing, starting deep into the story, grounding the world; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Leading medical researchers are coming to the conclusion that marijuana, pot, grass, whatever you want to call it, is probably the […]
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We get together, fall apart, and start all over again with Theodore Witcher’s “Love Jones” and discuss: acting, adding subtext through performances; Story & writing, how a romance creates tension, and why sex scenes are great storytelling tools; And other such stuff and things and stuff. “There are two tragedies in life. One is to […]
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We go all-in on Daniel Craig’s “Casino Royale” and discuss: cinematography, camerawork; Storytelling, rebooting a character, 7 ingredients to a Bond film, and the ending; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Do not let circumstances control you. You change your circumstances.“ – Jackie Chan Notes & References: Sinking a building in “Venice” Video […]
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We compute Danny Boyle’s “Steve Jobs” and discuss: cinematography, camerawork; music; Story & writing, dramatic conflict; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I define nothing. Not beauty, not patriotism. I take each thing as it is, without prior rules about what it should be.“ – Bob Dylan Notes & References: CinemAtlas.com! – cool […]
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We quietly watch Barry Jenkins’ “Moonlight” and discuss: cinematography, camerawork, and lighting; Directing, visual storytelling; Makeup, how it can affect the schedule; Story & writing; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.” – Oscar Wilde from “The Picture of Dorian Gray” Notes & References: […]
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We invade Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” and interpret: directing: riding the line between dramatic and hokey; writing: creating a new universe, the meaning in a name; the ending: what is the answer to this mind-spinning ending; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “We are what we think. All that we are arises with our […]
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We salute Aaron Sorkin’s “A Few Good Men” and discuss: cinematography: background and blocking; writing: strong characters, subtext, character descriptions in a screenplay; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “They’re entitled to full respect for their opinions… but before I can live with other folks I’ve got to live with myself. The one […]
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We look at Ava DuVernay’s “13th” and discuss: cinematography, inserting metaphor into the frame; editing; stories of casual encounters with police; protests in Austin; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery.“ – […]
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We dig our way through Frank Darabont’s “The Shawshank Redemption” and discuss: cinematography, color, camerawork, and lighting; editing, the use of dissolves; story & writing; why Shawshank is so rewatchable; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a […]
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We latch onto Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” and dissect: cinematography; writing & story, setups, payoffs, simple exposition; contextualizing art; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “What makes international cinema so interesting is that each territory has its own sensibility. When you look at an Indian or French film, there’s a certain flavor. And […]
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We find serenity in Jerry Seinfeld’s “Seinfeld” and discuss: story & writing; cinematography; and other such stuff and things and stuff. Calvin & Hobbes – “Calvin: Isn’t it strange that evolution would give us a sense of humour? When you think about it, it’s weird that we have a physiological response to absurdity. We laugh […]
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We gather our rosebuds to watch the pilot of “How I Met Your Mother” and discuss: writing & story, how HIMYM is different from Friends; cinematography; casting a project; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of […]
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We grab a spoon and dig into the pilot episode of “Friends” and discuss: cinematography; editing a laugh track and establishing shots; writing, how Friends shifts over its entire series run; and other such stuff and things and stuff. A.A. Milne, from Winnie the Pooh – “Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. “Pooh!” he […]
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We drop in for a quick brew at Ted Danson’s “Cheers” and discuss: cinematography; TV comedy writing; theme song; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “And I will make it felony to drink small beer.“ – Shakespeare’s Henry VI (year 1592) Notes & References: James Burrows iMDB Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s […]
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We gaze into Alex Garland’s “Devs” and discuss: cinematography, deterministic camera movement; music; story & writing; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “History is a race between education and catastrophe.“ – HG Wells Notes & References: The Double Slit Experiment explained (PBS on YouTube) Watch us on YouTube! This Week’s Recommendations:
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We weep through Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” and discuss: cinematography, distinguishing past from present; editing, using pace to set expectations; story & writing; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves – there lies the great, singular power of self-respect.“ – […]
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So many people exhaust themselves trying to lose weight in the most inefficient way. Don’t put 95% of your effort where only 5% of the results come from. The 3 Rules of Fat Loss are where 95% of the results come from, the gurus & magazine editors can keep the other 5%. 40+ Recipe Cards […]
The post Ep 98: 3 Rules of Fat Loss (Special Edition) appeared first on The Pestle.
We sing through National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation” and discuss: editing; physical comedy; story; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “What’s funny is funny. The same thing that made you laugh a hundred years ago makes you laugh now.“ – Chevy Chase Watch us on YouTube: Short Spotlight: “Threads” This Week’s Recommendations:
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We sparkle through “Twilight” and discuss: writing and story, what makes Twilight an awful movie; special guest Scott Garrett Graham; Wes maybe gets stoned on air as a coping mechanism for intellectualizing a bad movie; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at […]
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We do the math on Bennett Miller’s “Moneyball” and discuss: plot and subplots; performances; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I don’t want a lot of guys like me who played the game. Quite frankly, I want blank canvases; I want people to come in with new ideas. I don’t want the biases […]
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We speed through Christian Bale’s “Ford v Ferrari” and discuss: super in-depth cinematography breakdown; writing, and keeping a story on topic; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I woke up this morning, and I still don’t believe I won the Daytona 500.“ – Dale Earnhardt Notes & References: Gator in the water prank […]
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We try to recall Michel Gondry’s “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” and discuss: cinematography; writing and story, subtle commentary; we are joined by special guest Dr. Jennifer Sapio!!; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I hate a movie that will end by telling you that the first thing you should do is […]
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We relive Doug Liman’s “Edge of Tomorrow” and discuss: shooting a time travel story; writing and story; cinematography, how color grading, lenses, and lighting impacted the story; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to […]
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We cackle through Joaquin Phoenix’s “Joker” and discuss: cinematography; story; performances; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Remorse for what? You people have done everything in the world to me. Doesn’t that give me equal right?“ – Charles Manson Notes & References: Denis Villeneuve IMDB Short Spotlight: This Week’s Recommendations:
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We tiptoe through John Carpenter’s “The Thing” and discuss: cinematography; special effects and how they tie into the theme; building suspense; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Horror is always the same. It changes with the culture and changes with technology. The stories are always the same. There are just two basic stories […]
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We stalk through Drew Goddard’s “The Cabin in the Woods” and discuss: cinematography; story and writing; allegory; the role of horror films in society; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Some people ask why people would go into a dark room to be scared. I say they are already scared, and they need […]
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We sprint through Danny Boyle’s “28 Days Later” and discuss: cinematography, how the film medium affects the story; story and writing; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Show people your stuff, listen carefully to their responses, but ultimately don’t value anyone’s opinion above your own. Be influenced by writers you dislike as well […]
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We ride through Michael Mann’s “Collateral” and discuss: cinematography, film and digital; emotionally investing in characters; challenging the characters; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Don’t be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.“ – Ralph Waldo Emerson Notes & References: […]
The post Ep 87: “Collateral” appeared first on The Pestle.
We jazz-hands our way through Christopher Nolan’s “The Prestige” and discuss: writing tricks; story; the film’s real “prestige”; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes.“ – Harry Houdini Short Spotlight: This Week’s Recommendations:
The post Ep 86: “The Prestige” (2006) appeared first on The Pestle.
We fly through Gus Van Sant’s “Finding Forrester” and discuss: cinematography, and how lens selection affects the perception of the story; writing; story, and inciting incidents’; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “She wasn’t doing a thing that I could see, except standing there leaning on the balcony railing, holding the universe together.“ – […]
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We decipher Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival” and discuss: cinematography; color; story; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “A language is not just words. It’s a culture, a tradition, a unification of a community, a whole history that creates what a community is. It’s all embodied in a language.“ – Noam Chomsky Notes & References: […]
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We venture into Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan” and discuss: cinematography, camerawork, and lighting; story & writing; storming the beaches in the opening scene; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “...just know that every man I kill the farther away from home I feel.“ – Captain Miller Notes & References: Moral Injury Maggie […]
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We kickpunch, blast, and stab our way through Keanu Reeves’ “John Wick 3” and discuss: world building; fighting; we interview Aaron Alexander, an actor, stuntman, and fight choreographer (“Lucifer”, “Agents of Shield”, “Dirty John”, “Threads”, et al); and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do […]
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We blast our way through James Cameron’s “T2: Judgment Day” and discuss: wardrobe; vfx; story & writing; scifi rules of time travel; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “I tend to like strong female characters. It just interests me dramatically. A strong male character isn’t interesting because it has been done and it’s […]
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We stalk our way through James Cameron’s 1984 sci-fi/horror/action film “The Terminator” and discuss: visual storytelling; fx; robots & AI; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “With artificial intelligence, we are summoning the demon. You know all those stories where there’s the guy with the pentagram and the holy water, and he’s like, […]
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We drink our way through Alexander Payne’s “Sideways” and discuss: story; cinematography; performances; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “It is better to hide ignorance, but it is hard to do this when we relax over wine.“ – Heraclitus Notes & References: Wes’ vineyard mini-documentary This Week’s Recommendations:
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We blast into Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” and discuss: story; theme; genre mixing; and a plethora of more things such as this. “The end of a melody is not its goal: but nonetheless, had the melody not reached its end it would not have reached its goal either. A parable.” – Friedrich Nietzsche This Week’s Recommendations:
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We drift into Tom Hanks’ “Cast Away” and discuss: cinematography; story & theme; how subtext creates powerful emotions; and a plethora of more things such as this. “Black holes ain’t as black as they are painted. They are not the eternal prisons they were once thought. Things can get out of a black hole both […]
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We burn through Tony Scott’s “Man on Fire” and discuss: editing; performances; writing, how writing drama for film can differ from TV; And many of the things. “There came this point where I sat down with all my notebooks and I had to start to write, when I thought: this whole notion of writing for […]
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We land on “Apollo 11” and discuss: cinema verite vs direct cinema; power of editing; celluloid vs digital; and a plethora of more things such as this. Clip of the Day: Notes & References: Vanity Fair article & video Space.com featurette Wiki: Direct Cinema vs Cinema Verité Todd Douglas Miller detailing cameras, footage, scanning, et […]
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We slide into Judd Apatow’s “The 40 Year Old Virgin” and discuss: defining the romantic comedy genre; cinematography; comedy story structure; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Realize that sleeping on a futon when you’re 30 is not the worst thing. You know what’s worse, sleeping in a king bed next to a […]
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We take a swing at Clint Eastwood’s “Million Dollar Baby” and discuss: cinematography; boxing as a metaphor; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Don’t count the days, make the days count.“ – Muhammad Ali Notes & References: “The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates This Week’s Recommendations:
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We scope out Jennifer Lawrence in “The Hunger Games” and discuss: Camerawork, why so much handheld; Katniss as a character; Set design; Kuleshov effect; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Political language… is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.“ – […]
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We explore Alex Garland’s “Annihilation” and discuss: Cinematography and composition; Story & theme, what is it really about; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.“ – C.S. Lewis This Week’s Recommendations:
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We slice through Robert Rodriguez & James Cameron’s “Alita: Battle Angel” and discuss: VFX; story; what was learned from a Robert Rodriguez Q&A; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.“ – Isaac Asimov Notes & References: Robert […]
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We party through “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” and discuss: cinematography, consistent framing, immersion; paradoxes of time & success; the theme & lesson of the historical figures; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all of the […]
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We dance through Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” and discuss: Super 16mm film, and how it affects the story; building tension and anxiety; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth.“ – Pablo Picasso Notes & References: The Pestle Ep 5: Whiplash This Week’s Recommendations:
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We orbit Alfonso Cuarón’s “Gravity” and discuss: cinematography, motivated camera moves; theme & symbolism; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak knits up the over wrought heart and bids it break.“ – William Shakespeare (Macbeth) Notes & References: The Pestle ep 3: “Warrior” No-Budget “slow […]
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We limp through Jeunet’s “A Very Long Engagement” and discuss: color; story; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. […]
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We journey into JRR Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” and discuss: cinematography; adapting a novel; Wes’s favorite edit in the movie; we are joined by Joe Howes, actor, aerial drone filmmaker, VFX artist, WETA Digital programmer, and resident Lord of the Rings expert encyclopaedia; and other such stuff and […]
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Yipikaye, melon farmers!! We slomo jump into “Die Hard” and discuss: is “Die Hard” the best action movie and the best Christmas movie of all time; story & theme; cinematography; we are joined by special guest badass WETA Digital programmer, and actor Joe Howes(!!!); and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Actors are agents […]
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We fly through Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s oner “Birdman” and discuss: cinematography, mirror shots, motivated camera moves, upstage lighting; themes and story; acting; we are joined by special guest badass WETA Digital programmer, and actor Joe Howes(!!!); and other such stuff and things and stuff. “Life and death matters, yes. And the question of how to […]
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We trek through the documentary “Free Solo” and discuss: Lens compression and how it affects the story; love and climbing; we interview Aicacia, a badass rock climber; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “You come to a point in your life when you really don’t care what people think about you, you just […]
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We explore the Ridley Scott space film “The Martian” and discuss: performances; cinematography; story; and other such stuff and things and stuff. “My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you doing well, and don’t regret the things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit as well […]
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We roll through Nicolas Winding Refn’s crime drama “Drive” and discuss: cinematography; colors and allegory of “Drive”; performances; And other such stuff and things and stuff. “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.“ – Buddha Notes & References: This Week’s Recommendations:
The post Ep 60: “Drive” (2011) appeared first on The Pestle.
We jam out with the Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” and discuss: the score; Queen; Wes goes off the grid using research instead of notes; And other such stuff and things and stuff. “When I’m dead, I want to be remembered as a musician of some worth and substance.“ – Freddie Mercury Notes & References: […]
The post Ep 59: “Bohemian Rhapsody” appeared first on The Pestle.
We journey into the anime film “Your Name.” and discuss: animation; story; we also interview Justin Kaufman, a concept artist with experience in animation; And other such stuff and things and stuff. “When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.“ – Walt Disney Notes & References: Justin Kaufman’s […]
The post Ep 58: “Your Name.” appeared first on The Pestle.
We jam out to Bradley Cooper’s “A Star is Born” and discuss: cinematography; music; performances and story; And other such stuff and things and stuff. “Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.“ – Kurt Cobain Notes & References: “A Star is Born” audio workflow This Week’s Recommendations:
The post Ep 57: “A Star is Born” (2018) appeared first on The Pestle.
We explore Damien Chazelle’s “First Man” and discuss: camerawork and cinematography; story; And other such stuff and things and stuff. “The church says the earth is flat; but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more confidence even in a shadow than in the church.” – Ferdinand Magellan Notes & References: […]
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We settle into the 2018 horror “Hereditary” and discuss: story, themes, and symbolism; acting, making the scene more than about words on the page; And other such stuff and things and stuff. “Parents are like shuttles on a loom. They join the threads of the past with threads of the future and leave their own […]
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We explore the 2017 Best Picture nominee “Hidden Figures” and discuss: Why Hidden Figures is not a good movie; Wes rants about the problem with big budget black films; And other such stuff and things and stuff. “You’re not to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter […]
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We investigate the 2015 Best Picture movie “Spotlight” and discuss: cinematography; composing a frame with a purpose; journalism stories; and much more! “For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?” – Jesus (Mark 8:36) Film Analysis: Let’s take a look at how they […]
The post Ep 53: “Spotlight” appeared first on The Pestle.
We walk through the horror movie “It Follows” and discuss: cinematography; creating tension through the choice of lens; the horror rules and symbolism of “It Follows”; and much more! “Ladies you sold 200 boxes of Girl Scout cookies as a kid and now you can’t sell your man on wearing a condom. Come on.” – […]
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We sprint through Steven Spielberg’s “Catch Me If You Can” and discuss: cinematography; movie tricks; story techniques; and much more! “What the eyes see and the ears hear, the mind believes.” – Harry Houdini Notes & References: Cinematography discussion about nets & lens filters This Week’s Recommendations:
The post Ep 51: “Catch Me If You Can” appeared first on The Pestle.
We take 7 minutes to dive into Cameron Crowe’s “Vanilla Sky” and discuss: SFX Makeup; importance of nudity; cinematography; and much more! “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” – Ludwig Jacobowski This Week’s Recommendations:
The post Ep 50: “Vanilla Sky” (7 Minute Pestle) appeared first on The Pestle.
We dissect Tom Cruise’s new action movie “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” and discuss: Acting; opening; writing; and much more! “Women are more sympathetic creatures in jeopardy, plus they’re more interesting to photograph. I’d rather photograph a woman walking around with a candelabra than a guy. It’s as simple as that. Somebody once said that the […]
The post Ep 49: “Mission: Impossible – Fallout” appeared first on The Pestle.
We visit Ridley Scott’s Oscar-winning picture “Gladiator” and discuss: cinematography; telling a story through wardrobe; VFX; and much more! “The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.” – Marcus Aurelius This Week’s Recommendations:
The post EP 48: “Gladiator” appeared first on The Pestle.
We rock out with Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous” and discuss: cinematography; editing & story techniques; themes and symbolism; and much more! “There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, […]
The post Ep 47: “Almost Famous” appeared first on The Pestle.
We sneak a look at Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed” and discuss: 180º rule; themes; the importance of theme; and much more! “Justice is incidental to law and order.” – J. Edgar Hoover Film Analysis This Week’s Recommendations:
The post Ep 46: “The Departed” appeared first on The Pestle.
We take a look at Ryan Reynolds in “Deadpool 2” and discuss: cinematography; satire and sincerity; writing; and much more! “I was given such a great gift. It’s a miracle that never stops amazing me and reminding me to give thanks, every day. Having a wife and daughter gives me a lot more purpose. I […]
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We gaze into Samuel L. Jackson & Tommy Lee Jones’s HBO movie “The Sunset Limited” and discuss: cinematography, shooting in a small room; acting; writing; and today we are also joined by a special guest and close friend, Barnabas! “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” – Carl […]
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We find ET in Steven Spielberg’s Sci-Fi classic “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and discuss: Spielberg’s cinematography; storytelling devices; aliens; and much more! “The past is the beginning of the beginning and all that is and has been is but the twilight of the dawn.” – H.G. Wells This Week’s Recommendations:
The post Ep 43: “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” appeared first on The Pestle.
We search for extraterrestrials in 1997’s Robert Zemeckis Sci-Fi classic “Contact” and discuss: the themes of “Contact”; visually reinforcing the themes; cinematography, framing and compositions choices; and much more! “We’re made of star stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” – Carl Saga Notes & References: This Week’s Recommendations:
The post Ep 42: “Contact” appeared first on The Pestle.
We dissect Marvel’s “The Avengers: Infinity War” and discuss: Great villains, and the unexpected antagonist; VFX; Writing for an ensemble; and much more! “The atom bomb was no ‘great decision.’ It was merely another powerful weapon in the arsenal of righteousness.” – Harry S. Truman “But I couldn’t help but think of the necessity of […]
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We analyze the romantic comedy “The Big Sick” and discuss: themes of “The Big Sick”; storytelling with wardrobe; establishing tension; and much more! “There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer […]
The post Ep 40: “The Big Sick” appeared first on The Pestle.
We dive into David Fincher’s 1995 masterpiece “Seven” and discuss: character arcs; cinematography & camerawork, including one simple but brilliant foreshadowing technique; psychological violence; symbolism; and much more! “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts.“ – Sir […]
The post Ep 39: “Se7en” appeared first on The Pestle.
We dive into John Krasinki’s 2018 horror film “A Quiet Place” and discuss: the metaphor of “A Quiet Place; the opening scene; sound; acting; and much more! “‘The empty vessel makes the loudest sound.“ – William Shakespeare Notes & References: Screenwriters Scott Beck and Bryan Woods explain how they went from under-the-radar directors to make […]
The post Ep 38: “A Quiet Place” appeared first on The Pestle.
We dive into Ridley Scott’s sci-fi/horror classic “Alien” and discuss: the symbolism in “Alien”; cinematography, and editing; design; and much more! “‘Alien’ is a C film elevated to an A film, honestly, by it being well done and a great monster. If it hadn’t had that great monster, even with a wonderful cast, it wouldn’t […]
The post Ep 37: “Alien” (1979, Ridley Scott) appeared first on The Pestle.
We dive into Joe Cornish’s sci-fi/horror “Attack the Block” and discuss: the beasts of Attack the Block; theme & symbolism; horror gimmicks; John Boyega; and much more! “I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it. It will be the greatest disappointment […]
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We dive into Disney’s “Moana” and discuss: musical efficiency in storytelling; lessons of Moana; Heihei as a sidekick; what filmmakers can learn from cartoons; and much more! “The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You […]
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In this episode we drop into the Jim Carrey comedy classic “Dumb and Dumber” and discuss: the cinematography of comedies; why this movie works; Wes goes on a rant; and much more! “Pure entertainment is not an egotistical lady singing boring songs onstage for two hours and people in tuxes clapping whether they like it […]
The post Ep 34: “Dumb and Dumber” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we break down Marvel’s “Black Panther” and discuss: symbolism of “Black Panther”; Ryan Coogler; camera settings (aperture/f-stop/iris, frame rate, shutter speed); and much more! “It has been my observation that parents kill more dreams than anybody.“ – Spike Lee Notes & References: IcarusFilmSchool.com – Sign up here if you want to know […]
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In this episode we dive into the indie drama “Call Me By Your Name” and discuss: the camerawork of “Call Me By Your Name”; audio; the story; and much more! “Concentrate on what you want to say to yourself and your friends. Follow your inner moonlight; don’t hide the madness. You say what you want […]
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In this episode we take a look at David Fincher’s cult classic “Fight Club” and discuss: the title sequence of “Fight Club”; lighting in the bar scene; the transitions; voiceover; camerawork & composition; and much more! “Filmmaking isn’t if you can just strap on a camera onto an actor, and steadicam, and point it at […]
The post Ep 31: “Fight Club” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we discuss: intersectionality; lighting and camerawork; we interview Carl Effenson, one of the producers of “Mudbound”; and much more! “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.“ – Martin Luther King, Jr […]
The post Ep 30: “Mudbound” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we discuss: Lighting and camerawork; framing & compositions; film stocks; and much more! “The aim is to postpone frailty, postpone degenerative disease, debilitation and so on and thereby shorten the period at the end of life, which is passed in a decrepit or disabled state, while extending life as a whole.“ – […]
The post Ep 29: “Never Let Me Go” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode: Wes gets drunk and ruins The Pestle; we discuss the failures of The Room, The Disaster Artist; and much more! “Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is […]
The post Ep 28: “The Room” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we discuss: the theme of The Last Jedi; a little visual analysis; we have an interview with Dr. Steven Vance, a planetary chemist and astrobiologist with JPL NASA to discuss space, Europa, exploring our solar system and so much more! “There is perhaps no better a demonstration of the folly of human […]
The post Ep 27: “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we discuss: the time travel of Rian Johnson’s “Looper”; editing; theme; the future; and much more! “If the Universe came to an end every time there was some uncertainty about what had happened in it, it would never have got beyond the first picosecond. And many of course don’t. It’s like a […]
The post Ep 26: “Looper” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we tackle JJ Abrams’ Star Wars The Force Awakens and discuss: Deus Ex Machina storytelling; camerawork & visual analysis; Kylo Ren, JJ Abrams; and much more! Visual Analysis (camerawork) Here’s an example of dressing up a shot. The action is simple, we’re watching a slice of Rey’s life as she takes her […]
The post Ep 25: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we discuss: the camerawork and visual technique of Jon Favreau’s Chef; Chef as a metaphor; we interview chef Aaron; and much more! Visual Analysis (camerawork) Chef is largely shot with locked off frames. When we’re in the kitchen cooking, however, everything moves and pops a little bit more. Easily the most evident […]
The post Ep 24: “Chef” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we tackle Zach Braff’s indie hit “Garden State” and discuss: the camerawork and editing; visual gags; when performances make the film; the impact this film had on us personally; and much more! Analysis Visual Gags Super simple payoff that simultaneously is at once digestible but also helps to build what we […]
The post Ep 23: “Garden State” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we discuss Alex Garland’s directorial debut “Ex Machina”: Artificial Intelligence with special guest Byron Reese, host of Gigaom’s Voices in AI podcast; camerawork and visual storytelling techniques; the symbolism of Ex Machina; and much more! Check out Byron’s podcast: Gigaom’s Voices in AI Pre-order Byron’s book on Amazon: The Fourth Age: Smart Robots, […]
The post Ep 22: “Ex Machina” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we take on Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” and discuss: the camerawork and technique of shooting in one room; we weigh in with a special guest about Tarantino’s use of the N-word; and much more! Big shout out to Shomari for joining us so last minute. It got lost in the episode […]
The post Ep 21: “The Hateful Eight” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we discuss Marvel’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and discuss: Good villains; Epic failures as a story device; origin stories; and much more! Notes & References: Four Quadrants This Week’s Recommendations:
The post Ep 20: “Spider-Man: Homecoming” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we discuss Netflix’s “Stranger Things”: the title sequence of Stranger Things; the composition & camerawork; pacing, themes, differences between seasons 1 & 2, and much more! The Byers are framed in two, above them is light in a separate panel, they’re below, with the snow swirling outside as if they’re in the […]
The post Ep 19: “Stranger Things” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we have special guest Joe Howes with us to discuss: the lighting of Edgar Wright’s “Scott Pilgrim vs the World”; transitions; sound design; and much more. “I think one of the things that really separates us from the high primates is that we’re tool builders. I read a study that measured the […]
The post Ep 18: “Scott Pilgrim vs the World” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we discuss: the symbolism of La La Land; Technicolor; the 180º rule; music and Hollywood; being an artist, and pursuing your dreams; and much more. “The way I look at a musical, you are commenting on the human condition no matter what you do. A musical may be light and frivolous, but […]
The post Ep 17: “La La Land” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we discuss: The Overture of 1812; James McTeigue & The Wachowskis; Hugo Weaving & Natalie Portman’s amazing performances; the meaning of V for Vendetta, terrorism, patriotism, politics; and much more. “In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” – George Orwell Notes & References: Thomas Paine: […]
The post Ep 16: “V for Vendetta” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we discuss: the theme of Stephen King’s “It”; camerawork and editing techniques; horror dramas; child actors; and much more. “Even bad guys (most of them, anyway) see themselves as good—they are the heroes of their own lives. Giving them a fair chance as characters can create some interesting shades of gray—and shades […]
The post Ep 15: Stephen King’s “It” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we check out Edgar Wright’s “Baby Driver” and discuss: Edgar Wright’s style; foreshadowing; editing on set; the opening scene and the title sequence; and much more. “Maybe directors who are more interested in realism and naturalism come from cities, where they see things on their doorstep every day. But growing up as […]
The post Ep 14: “Baby Driver” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we discuss Danny Boyle’s scifi film “Sunshine” and discuss: the colors of Sunshine; Danny Boyle’s style vs David Fincher; the film’s theme; foreshadowing; and much more. “Truthfully, I can only say I was driven to make the film, that these images came to me and I did not question them. My only […]
The post Ep 13: “Sunshine” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode the Coen Brothers cult classic hit “The Big Lebowski” and discuss: the Coen Brothers; the human comedy of The Big Lebowski; Philip Seymour Hoffman; the real antagonist; and much more. “If the material is challenging, it forces you to challenge yourself when handling it.” – Joel Coen Notes & References: Scott Graham […]
The post Ep 12: “The Big Lebowski” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we check out Gareth Edwards’ “Rogue One” and discuss: the cinematography of Rogue One; FX & set design; war; and much more. Wes’s additional thought: I really loved my friend Justin’s thoughts about the lack of character development, but after recording our episode and continuing to chew on this film I do […]
The post Ep 11: “Rogue One” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we take a look at David Fincher’s “The Social Network” and discuss: the audio & music of The Social Network; Aaron Sorkins tropes; David Fincher’s cinematography style; ways the plot is subtly underscored; Sean Parker’s role in the movie; and so much more. “Trying to guess what the audience wants and then […]
The post Ep 10: “The Social Network” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we check out Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower” and discuss: adapting Stephen King novels. The differences between The Gunslinger book and The Dark Tower movie. Moments of ineffective filmmaking. Enhancing the hero and villain. Girbaud vs Faded Glory, and much more! “Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside […]
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In this episode we look at the comedy classic “Clue” and discuss: turning a board game into a comedy Making exposition fun Camera work that plays into comedy The nature of comedy “What no one understands: ideas are a dime a dozen. An idea has no real value. It’s all about the execution of […]
The post Ep 8: “Clue” – with special guest Joe Parsons appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we dive into Christopher Nolan’s WWII film “Dunkirk” and discuss: the artwork of Dunkirk; the true enemy; the nature of tension, and the ways it shows up; Nolan gives good context, and much more! “Every film should have its own world, a logic and feel to it that expands beyond the exact […]
The post Ep 7: “Dunkirk” appeared first on The Pestle.
We take a look at Michael Bay’s latest robot movie “Transformers: The Last Knight” and discuss: The Extremes of Transformers Acting (in a bad movie) FX Respecting the audience & the world of your film And much more! “Creativity is an energy. It’s a precious energy, and it’s something to be protected. A lot of […]
The post Ep 6: “Transformers: The Last Knight” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode the indie thriller “Whiplash” and discuss: Music & Jazz, tension & resolution; The colors of Whiplash; We debate the merits of Fletcher’s teaching techniques; and much more. “I always say that if I have another success, I’ll enjoy it more, but you don’t really.” – Danny Boyle Notes & References: Damien Chazelle […]
The post Ep 5: “Whiplash” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we check out James Gunn’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and discuss: Incongruity; The importance of a title sequence; Comparing intro & title sequences from Guardians 1 & 2; Wasteful FX; The colors of Guardians of the Galaxy 2; What is the theme of Guardians 2?; For the record, Zoe Saldana’s […]
The post Ep 4: “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we check out the MMA film “Warrior” and look at: the variety of ways Warrior immerses us into its world, using audio, lighting, and more. Camerawork, angles, and how composition can tie in with the subtext of the scene or even the entire movie How Moby Dick ties in thematically Shooting on […]
The post Ep 3: “Warrior” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode we look at Christopher Nolan’s scifi epic “Interstellar”: Wes babbles about 70mm film, and briefly touches on film vs digital Space and the science of Interstellar FX: TARS and CASE; projectors; Christopher Nolan piloting A deep dive of the theme of Interstellar: Evolving mankind; love transcending space & time “People will say, […]
The post Ep 2: “Interstellar” appeared first on The Pestle.
In this episode: Todd wanders into the Alamo Drafthouse’s women-only screening of Wonder Woman Wes’ most embarrassing memory The VFX of Wonder Woman Feminism in Wonder Woman (According to two men, anyway, come get your mansplaination!) “Life’s like a movie, write your own ending. Keep believing, keep pretending.” – Jim Henson Referenced Links: Alamo Drafthouse Women-Only […]
The post Ep 1: “Wonder Woman” appeared first on The Pestle.
