Matt and Travis tackle one of the most notorious “debacles” in Hollywood history, Elaine May’s Ishtar. We discuss the sad history of a modest film buried under a legendary backstory, along with the surprisingly entertaining product actually at the center of it all. Ishtar
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Travis and Matt discuss Elaine May’s first Criterion Collection entry, set to be released on blu-ray in January. We discuss the film’s shaggy filmmaking, the central performances from Falk and Cassavetes, and its place in both May’s filmography and the gangster genre. Mikey and Nicky
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Travis and Matt take on Elaine May’s second film, the anti-romantic comedy The Heartbreak Kid. We talk about the film’s emphasis on character and how the movie upends conventions that had barely been invented yet. We also compare it to May’s former partner’s best-known movie and the atrocity that is the Farrelly brothers’ remake. The Heartbreak Kid
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Matt and Travis kick off the new season of The Complete with A New Leaf, Elaine May’s debut film. We talk about the tragic underrepresentation of women in the director’s chair during Hollywood’s “golden” era, along with May’s unique path to her own career as a filmmaker, before discussing the many charms and sophisticated execution of the very dark comedy of A New Leaf. A New Leaf
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To wrap up the first season, Matt and Travis cover books and documentaries about Kubrick, while also touching on his unproduced films and their big takeaways from watching Kubrick’s work in chronological order. The Supplemental Kubrick
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For Kubrick’s final film, Matt and Travis are joined by Trevor Berrett of The Mookse and the Gripes and The Eclipse Viewer. We discuss the film’s remarkable relevance in America today, along with its dual themes of marriage and power. Introducing Sociology: A Review of Eyes Wide Shut by Tim Kreider Eyes Wide Shut
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Matt and Travis are joined by Doug McCambridge of Good Times, Great Movies to discuss Kubrick’s final war film, 1987’s Full Metal Jacket. We explore Kubrick’s larger purpose beyond the Vietnam War and the complicated moral landscape of the film. Full Metal Jacket
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Matt and Travis welcome Aaron West, host of Criterion Now, to discuss Kubrick’s most popular movie, The Shining. We discuss the film’s use of cinematic technique to explore fear and the film’s many mysteries, both real and imagined. The Shining
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Matt and Travis welcome cinema samurai and man-about-Twitter Dave Eves to discuss Barry Lyndon. We discuss the film’s uncanny reproduction of 18th Century Europe and the film’s thematic depth, along with the many mysteries of Barry and Ryan O’Neil’s performance. Barry Lyndon
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Matt and Travis welcome author and professor Kenneth James to discuss Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. We discuss the film’s many thematic and aesthetic elements as well as the film’s notoriety both on release and in its legacy as one of Kubrick’s thorniest films. A Clockwork Orange
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