To listen to Tyler describe this as one of the hardest years of his life touched me. Almost everything he’s said could apply to myself as well. You guys were a consistant force for good in my otherwise soul-killing Monday mornings. Your show has improved by leaps and bounds over the last year. You’re filling a void in the podosphere by incorporating very personal and honest sentiment into what is otherwise academic approaches to film. Listening to you makes me feel slightly less alone as an intellectual film nerd. Every episode I just want to pause and start talking back to you guys because you hit on so many ideas that I find fascinating. I think the best episodes of the year were probably 234: Shocking Or Offensive, 229:Exploitation and 246: How critics watch movies. This indicates that you’re doing your best work now. Keep it up!
Patrick – Charleston, WV
Tyler, This is going to sound like a one note criticism, but I look at it more as as a suggestion simply because I want you to have the experience that I had: You need to see Hugo in 3D. The storytelling is designed to be spatially designed l in a way that no other film has been before. It’s not a perfect film, but I think its amazing that it exists, and I was surprised by how much the 3D was crucial to the storytelling.
I love Kids Are All Right more as a cultural document than a film, and in that way, I think you’re probably right, but it doesn’t change my enjoyment of the film.
Great episode, but then I am one of those listeners who likes hearing the personal stuff.
Actually, I am with Tyler on not loving Hugo (and I saw it in 3D opening week). I’d rate it very good, not great, and am baffled by the nearly universal praise it is receiving on so many critics best of the year lists. I am tempted to say “the emperor has no clothes,” but won’t go that far – I did enjoy the film, I just find the recent spate of Scorsese efforts to be exercises in style rather than satisfying works of art. Tasha Robinson at the A.V. Club is one of the few vocal dissenters, labeling it a “gimcrack” (look it up).
Not seeing it in 3D likely reveals its flimsy story. What begins with the promise of an inspirational child’s fable devolves into a lecture on the importance of film preservation, reducing our protagonist to a passive observer. The central mystery of the automaton was not explored fully enough for me. Beyond its spectacular mise-en-scène and immersive 3D (which was gorgeous) I found the whole thing to be bit precious and ultimately hollow. Kind of like Avatar…
Keep up the good work guys. Really looking forward to episode 250.
I believe I started listening to you guys towards the end of 2010 since Alison Willmore left IFC and her and Matt Singer stopped doing the IFC podcast. I needed to find a new movie-related podcast and you guys were one of the best. I’ve since discovered The Criterion Cast & Filmspotting for myself, though I know there are a few other great movie podcasts out there waiting for me. Just want to say you guys HAVE made the internet a better place for film criticism. I enjoy the personal stuff, cuz it adds some flavor and personality to the episodes, and when you guys “get into it” you know your stuff, at least as much as I do (junior at Keene State College, one of the few in the ‘Critical’ section of the Film Studies department). Anyways, just have to say I really enjoy you and look forward to hearing more in the coming year!
Thanks for the 250. I don’t listen every week because I don’t have the time. But I had a long drive over Christmas and listened to 3 shows back to back.
Sorry to hear about your bad year, Tyler. All the best.
To listen to Tyler describe this as one of the hardest years of his life touched me. Almost everything he’s said could apply to myself as well. You guys were a consistant force for good in my otherwise soul-killing Monday mornings. Your show has improved by leaps and bounds over the last year. You’re filling a void in the podosphere by incorporating very personal and honest sentiment into what is otherwise academic approaches to film. Listening to you makes me feel slightly less alone as an intellectual film nerd. Every episode I just want to pause and start talking back to you guys because you hit on so many ideas that I find fascinating. I think the best episodes of the year were probably 234: Shocking Or Offensive, 229:Exploitation and 246: How critics watch movies. This indicates that you’re doing your best work now. Keep it up!
Patrick – Charleston, WV
Thanks for the kind words!
– David
Tyler, This is going to sound like a one note criticism, but I look at it more as as a suggestion simply because I want you to have the experience that I had: You need to see Hugo in 3D. The storytelling is designed to be spatially designed l in a way that no other film has been before. It’s not a perfect film, but I think its amazing that it exists, and I was surprised by how much the 3D was crucial to the storytelling.
I love Kids Are All Right more as a cultural document than a film, and in that way, I think you’re probably right, but it doesn’t change my enjoyment of the film.
Great episode, but then I am one of those listeners who likes hearing the personal stuff.
Actually, I am with Tyler on not loving Hugo (and I saw it in 3D opening week). I’d rate it very good, not great, and am baffled by the nearly universal praise it is receiving on so many critics best of the year lists. I am tempted to say “the emperor has no clothes,” but won’t go that far – I did enjoy the film, I just find the recent spate of Scorsese efforts to be exercises in style rather than satisfying works of art. Tasha Robinson at the A.V. Club is one of the few vocal dissenters, labeling it a “gimcrack” (look it up).
Not seeing it in 3D likely reveals its flimsy story. What begins with the promise of an inspirational child’s fable devolves into a lecture on the importance of film preservation, reducing our protagonist to a passive observer. The central mystery of the automaton was not explored fully enough for me. Beyond its spectacular mise-en-scène and immersive 3D (which was gorgeous) I found the whole thing to be bit precious and ultimately hollow. Kind of like Avatar…
Keep up the good work guys. Really looking forward to episode 250.
I believe I started listening to you guys towards the end of 2010 since Alison Willmore left IFC and her and Matt Singer stopped doing the IFC podcast. I needed to find a new movie-related podcast and you guys were one of the best. I’ve since discovered The Criterion Cast & Filmspotting for myself, though I know there are a few other great movie podcasts out there waiting for me. Just want to say you guys HAVE made the internet a better place for film criticism. I enjoy the personal stuff, cuz it adds some flavor and personality to the episodes, and when you guys “get into it” you know your stuff, at least as much as I do (junior at Keene State College, one of the few in the ‘Critical’ section of the Film Studies department). Anyways, just have to say I really enjoy you and look forward to hearing more in the coming year!
-Caleb McCandless
Thanks for listening!
– David
One of the three podcasts I make sure I put aside time to so I can listen to it attentively.
Out of many, one highlight I thought was the FW Murnau episode. Bought a copy of the Last Laugh straight after that.
Thank you!
Thanks for the 250. I don’t listen every week because I don’t have the time. But I had a long drive over Christmas and listened to 3 shows back to back.
Sorry to hear about your bad year, Tyler. All the best.