The Man in the White Suit

January 23, 2015

Ealing Studios comedies, particularly the ones we’ve been talking about, have all had a bit of an anti-establishment feel to them but “The Man in the White Suit” feels like they were trying to something a bit more with it. The film is fascinating satirical comedy looking at the relationship between the factory owners and the union laborers in England back in the 50s that doesn’t just focus on their differences but also finds a way to bring the two groups together. The reason for their coming together is, of course, the titular character, played wonderfully by Sir Alec Guinness. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we talk about this great Alexander Mackendrick film from 1951 as the next in our Guinness series.

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The Lavender Hill Mob

January 16, 2015

Sir Alec Guinness had already proven both his comedic and dramatic prowess by the time he came to Ealing Studios’ “The Lavender Hill Mob” in 1951, a point in his career when he was making two films a year. He’d continue working in both comedy and drama throughout his career, but we’re lucky to still be talking about his comedies because “The Lavender Hill Mob” is an absolute delight. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Sir Alec Guinness series with a conversation about his seventh film, directed by Charles Crichton.

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Kind Hearts and Coronets

January 9, 2015

Sir Alec Guinness may always be remembered as Obi Wan Kenobi, but his career goes far beyond those three little science fiction films he did late in his career. He worked many times with David Lean. He gave life to the spy George Smiley long before Gary Oldman. And he starred in a number of the great Ealing comedies, his first of which is Kind Hearts and Coronets, where he pulls a Peter Sellers by playing eight of the characters in the film. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we begin our Sir Alec Guinness series by talking about Robert Hamer’s 1949 comedy Kind Hearts and Coronets.

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The Poseidon Adventure

January 2, 2015

The end of 2014, the beginning of 2015. Happy New Year, everybody! And what a better way to celebrate than with Ronald Neame’s 1972 disaster classic “The Poseidon Adventure.” Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we enjoy the holiday with a wonderful conversation about this infamous ship.

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The Bishop’s Wife

December 25, 2014

Happy holidays! It’s time for another Christmas movie pick to celebrate, and we’re jumping back to 1947 to talk about Henry Koster’s “The Bishop’s Wife.” Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we dive into this perennial classic starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven.

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Requiem for a Dream

December 19, 2014

Phew. This film should be required viewing for all high school seniors. It’s brutal and intense, but also honest and powerful in its depiction of addiction. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we finish up our series on the immensely gifted actress Ellen Burstyn with Darren Aronofsky’s 2000 film “Requiem for a Dream.”

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The Exorcist

December 12, 2014

It’s pretty rare for a film to come along that has such a visceral effect on people when they’re watching it where they faint or throw up because it’s so overwhelming. When “The Exorcist” was released just after Christmas in 1973, it had that effect. People flocked to it in droves and seemed to have these heightened reactions to it, whether because they were so scared or they felt it was truly evil. It’s a fascinating case study in how religion and horror draws people to the theatre. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Ellen Burstyn series with William Friedkin’s “The Exorcist.”

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Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

December 5, 2014

Ellen Burstyn won her Oscar for Best Actress for her powerful turn as Alice Hyatt in Martin Scorsese’s 1974 film “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” and it was clearly well-deserved. Always an actress in pursuit of roles as strong female characters, Burstyn took this film on after her huge success with “The Exorcist.” Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we start our Ellen Burstyn series with “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.”

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O Brother, Where Art Thou?

November 28, 2014

Joel and Ethan Coen must have a funny sense of humor, because the idea of making an “adaptation” of Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’ without having read it just seems like a bad idea when I picture anyone else doing it, but with them it seems like that’s part of the joke. They put enough of the story into this film to warrant it being credited as an adaption but certainly create a world of their own within the context of the film — 1930s Mississippi. And the Coens are masters of creating worlds within their films. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we finish our Coen series with this fantastic 2000 film.

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The Big Lebowski

November 21, 2014

It seems appropriate to the character of the Dude that “The Big Lebowski” took its time finding its audience. Coming fresh on the heels of their first Oscar-winning hit, “Fargo,” the Coen Brothers’ 7th film had a strange sense of humor, felt disjointed, was full of swearing, and didn’t connect with audiences or critics, who were all largely left scratching their heads. But time was on the side of the movie as people continued to discover it, turning it into a much-loved cult classic — with its own annual festival even. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Coen Comedy series with 1998’s “The Big Lebowski.”

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