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The Hurt Locker

"What's the best way to go about disarming one of these things?" "The way you don't die, sir."

Kathryn Bigelow made a big change in her career direction as a film director when she made 2009’s “The Hurt Locker.” While it still had the adrenaline action sensibilities she displayed in her prior films, this film was less of a Hollywood action movie and more of an honest portrayal of soldiers in a war. This week on The Next Reel, join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we delve into Bigelow’s independent war film that made her the first woman to win a Best Director Oscar. We talk about how Mark Boal discovered the story while embedded as a journalist in the war and how well it works as a film, yet also is a script not structured in typical Hollywood fashion. We discuss the actors and what they bring to the table in what is ostensibly a psychological study of these characters. We chat about how the film was shot and what it does for the feel of the film. And we talk about the reception of the film and how disappointing it is that more people haven’t seen it. Truly one of our favorites, we have a fantastic time talking about this film. Listen in!

Film Sundries

Assorted Notes & Links

A show about movies and how they connect.

When the movie ends, our conversation begins. We love movies. We’ve been talking about them, one movie a week, since 2011. It’s a lot of movies, that’s true, but we’re passionate about origins and performance, directors and actors, themes and genres, and so much more. So join the community and let’s hear about your favorite movies, too.
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