FS #295: The Ghost Writer / The Shop Around the Corner / Top 5 Films of 1998

March 12: In honor of Filmspotting’s discussion of Roman Polanski’s "The Ghost Writer," this week’s show description is being ghostwritten by long time Filmspotting fan and regional Boggle champion, Linnea Knutsen of Yankton, South Dakota:

Greetings all! This week’s show gets off to a rousing start as Matty beautifully articulates his take on Polanski’s new thriller, saliently dissecting the film’s strengths and weaknesses, rousingly bifurcating cinematic wheat from chaff. Robinson’s dulcet musings linger long after the show’s close, as though the ghost of Manny Farber might actually be whispering in your ear. Matty waxes just as elegantly on the finer points of Ernst Lubitsch’s "The Shop Around the Corner," the penultimate film in Filmspotting’s Ernst Lubitsch Marathon. Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan light up the screen in the legendary romantic comedy; they’re almost as great as Matty’s hilarious take on this week’s Massacre Theatre challenge. Casting directors should be lining up to sign this emerging talent, this prince of new media. Seriously, Matty’s agents would love to hear from you. Anyone? But I digress, the intelligent and ever-so-handsome Matty closes out the show with his controversial picks for the Top 5 Films of 1998. Adam appears on the show too.

Also on the show: Brand new music by David Ford and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #295
:13-17:08 - Review: "The Ghost Writer"
Music: David Ford, "Panic"
18:12-22:11 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: M. Dancer)
22:12-28:52 - Notes, Polls
28:53-40:25 - Lubitsch #3: The Shop Around the Corner
Music: David Ford, "Making Up for Lost Time"
41:03-48:13 - New DVDs / Donations
48:14-1:07:36 - Top 5: Films of 1998
1:07:37-1:10:11 - Close / Next Show / Sorry, no outtake this week!

NOTES / CORRECTIONS

- Win an admit-2 pass to an advanced screening of "Mother" - details here.

- Register for our Billy Wilder class at the University of Chicago's Graham School

- Allison Bagnall co-wrote "Buffalo '66" with Vincent Gallo.

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS #294: Alice in Wonderland / Un Prophet Interview / 2010 Oscar Picks

March 5: And then Alice came upon one of the strangest creatures she had ever before seen. Sitting high atop a mountain of marzipan and wearing a flowing robe of postage stamps and chiffon sat a large, bulbous beast with two heads. The two heads, one a tad more handsome than the other, each wore outlandish chapeaus that read "Kritik Hat," and the duo seemed to be arguing feverishly with each other over the merits of director Tim Burton’s latest film "Alice in Wonderland." Alice sat in wonderment as the two heads seemed to employ an annoyingly impenetrable snobbish jargon to describe the film, picking nit after nit, and over-talking on seemingly every aspect of the movie. Not only did they carry on so about Wonderland, but the two flibbertygibbets gabbed on and on about best Foreign Language Film Oscar nominee "Un Prophet", and only shut their blabbering maws long enough for the film's director and star, Jacques Audiard and Tahar Rahim, to get a few choice words in edgewise. Then the two muttonheads droned on and on well into the night, reciting for each other their Oscar Picks. Finally a frustrated Alice screamed, “QUIT IT! I can’t take it any more. Why can’t you just enjoy a movie for what it is? Pure entertainment! I think you two are in love with the sounds of your own voices!” The two heads (one dashingly better looking than the other) looked at each other and then smiled wide toothy grins before announcing in unison, “We hear what you’re saying, dear, but you’re completely wrong," and then recommenced their inane arguments. "I don’t even know what that means," sighed an exhausted Alice, who continued on the path marked "Towards the Lyons Cage," which hopefully offered a route to some film criticism that would prove more palatable to her tastes...

Also on the show: Music by Sad Brad Smith and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #294
:13-19:13 - Review: "Alice in Wonderland"
Music: Sad Brad Smith, "Sure"
19:54-23:15 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: A. Rich)
23:16-25:51 - Notes, Polls
25:52-31:44 - Short Review: "Un Prophet"
31:45-42:24 - Interview: Audiard/Rahim
Music: Sad Brad Smith, "Help Yourself"
42:56-51:47 - New DVDs / Donations
51:48-1:10:48 - Oscar Picks
1:10:49-1:13:17 - Close / Next Show / Outtakes

NOTES / CORRECTIONS

- Get a shot at winning some Filmspotting swag by participating in The Puzzler's Oscar contest.

- Register for our Billy Wilder class at the University of Chicago's Graham School

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS #293: Shutter Island / Trouble in Paradise / Top 5 Performances That Should've Won Oscars

Feb 26: What do Michele Williams, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ben Kingsley, Max Von Sydow, Patricia Clarkson and Jackie Earle Haley have in common? If you answered that none of those illustrious stars have ever stepped foot in Matty’s living room, you are correct. But they all also have Academy Award nominations to their credit and currently find themselves in the middle of fellow Oscar award winner (for "Kundun," right??) Martin Scorcese’s latest thriller, "Shutter Island." The Filmspotting duo finds itself split on the overall effectiveness of the Dennis Lehane adaptation, with "I-haven’t-met-a-great-director-whose-work-I-couldn’t-apologize-for" Adam finding enough to chew on long after the film had ended, while Matty seems to have spent the better part of the film trying to convince himself he wasn’t watching a Peter Jackson movie. But both the lads agree that the second film in their Ernst Lubitsch marathon, 1932’s "Trouble in Paradise," succeeds on all rollicking fronts. They close out the show with another Oscar-laden segment by handing out their choices for the Top 5 Performances That Should've Won Oscars... But Didn’t. Fittingly, Jack Palance’s ghost shows up in time to give all five slots to Marisa Tomei.

Also on the show: Music by The Right Now and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #293
:13-16:41 - Review: "Shutter Island"
Music: The Right Now, "Ain't Going Back"
17:40-22:53 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: L. Nash)
22:54-26:46 - Notes, Polls
26:47-37:40 - Lubitsch #2: "Trouble in Paradise"
Music: The Right Now, "Before I Know Your Name"
38:36-48:00 - New DVDs / Donations
48:01-1:09:15 - Top 5: Performances That Should've Won Oscar
1:09:16-1:12:12 - Close / Next Show / Outtakes

NOTES / CORRECTIONS

- Register for our Billy Wilder class at the University of Chicago's Graham School

- Get more info about TCM's 31 Days of Oscar.

- Please excuse any discrepancy in the Oscar years we mention and actual years the awards were handed out. Some sources go by the year the movie was released, others by when the ceremony was held.

- "The Haunting" is actually a 1963 release, not the '50s.

- Francis Ford Coppola did release "The Outsiders" before "Rumblefish," both 1983 releases.

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS #292: Fish Tank / Ninotchka / Top 5 Teen Rebels

Feb 19: "Arthouse Adam" is back in his element this week as the Filmspotting duo discusses the new film "Fish Tank." No – not because Michael Fassbender spends the better part of the movie sans shirt (though that is a plus). Rather, Adam is afforded the opportunity to revisit a film he first saw after a long day at the Toronto International Film Festival and really sink his teeth into the gritty, atmospheric world created by director Andrea Arnold and the unflinching performance from newcomer Katie Jarvis as Mia, a troubled Essex youth, trying to negotiate the limited opportunities afforded to her by her blighted environs. Next up, the first entry in the Ernst Lubitsch marathon, "Ninotchka," serves to brighten the episode’s mood a bit. Both Adam and Matty fall for Greta Garbo’s luminous screen presence, but find themselves split on the chemistry shared between the great Garbo and co-lead Melvyn Douglass... with Matty preferring a shirtless Michael Fassbender perhaps?

In keeping with the rebellious spirit of the show, the lads round out the episode by putting their mothers in a whirl by keeping them unsure whether they’re boys or girls (if you don’t get the reference, put down your iPod, get on iTunes and download Diamond Dogs in its entirety NOW) and listing their Top 5 Teen Rebels.

Also on the show: Music by Dana Wells and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #292
:13-17:35 - Review: "Fish Tank"
Music: Dana Wells, "Evergreen"
18:44-24:16 - Voicemail, Polls
24:17-33:13 - Listener Feedback (Date Movies)
33:14-40:24 - Guest Caller
Music: Dana Wells, "The Benefit"
41:49-46:11 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: K. Miller)
46:12-59:54 - Lubitsch #1: "Ninotchka"
Music: Dana Wells, "Anyone But You"
43:44-1:00:32 - New DVDs / Donations
1:00:33-1:22:37 - Top 5: Teen Rebels
1:22:38-1:26:04 - Close / Next Show / Outtakes

NOTES / CORRECTIONS

- Get more info about TCM's 31 Days of Oscar.

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS #291: Love Story / Love Affair / Top 5 Date Movies

Feb 12: Every February 14th, These United States of ‘Merica celebrate the pagan holiday of Saint Valentine’s Day, which commemorates Martin Luther’s victory over the Visigoths at Valley Forge (or something like that). Obviously impaled by an arrant Cupid’s arrow, Filmspotting caught Valentine fever this week and called a programming audible. Instead of reviewing their patented “gritty independent film of the week that no one will ever see,” the lads decided to catch up with a pair of classic romances that virtually everyone except your intrepid reviewers have already seen: 1970’s famous weeper "Love Story" and 1939’s "Love Affair," starring the legendary Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer. They also wade through some great Listener Feedback and offer up their Top 5 Date Movies, which Matty probably cut and pasted from his profile on singlelutheranslookingforlove.com.

Also on the show: Music by Sulek and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #291
:13-20:12 - Review: "Love Story" / "Love Affair"
Music: Sulek, "Marigold"
20:54-25:30 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: A. Willis)
25:31-31:15 - Voicemail, Polls
31:16-43:05 - Listener Feedback
Music: Sulek, "Nothing At All"
43:44-54:48 - New DVDs / Donations
54:49-1:10:57 - Top 5: Date Movies
1:10:58-1:13:46 - Close / Next Show / Outtakes

NOTES / CORRECTIONS
- "How Green Was My Valley" was released in 1941. It beat out "Citizen Kane" for the best picture Oscar.

- In "Love Affair," Maria Ouspenskaya plays Charles Boyer's grandmother, not Boyer's mother.

- The article Matty referred to about Sidney Poitier is "Why Does White America Love Sidney Poitier So." We discussed it during our New Hollywood class because both "Guess Who" and "In the Heat of the Night" were on our syllabus. I seem to recall reading somewhere that the author later admitted he might have been extremely high when composing it.

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS #290: Edge of Darkness / Michael Hoffman Interview / Top 5 Career Comebacks

Feb 5: "No, you listen to US!" This week Filmspotting celebrates the return of Mel Gibson to the screen in the new thriller "Edge of Darkness" by delivering every segment of the show as though they were on the phone with the kidnappers who had just nabbed their only son, which should help save their discussion of the movie itself because "run-of-the-mill studio revenge flick" sounds much better when shouted with visceral intensity. Oddly enough in the next segment, Michael Hoffman, writer/director of the new Leo Tolstoy film "The Last Station" seemed unfazed during his interview/interrogation with Adam when Kempy demanded to know “Where are you keeping James McAvoy? ... and... "Can you give me his phone number?" For a finale, the lads try to complement Mad Max's grand return by offering up their Top 5 Career Comebacks. "What’s that Mr. DeMille? You want a close-up? We’ll give you a close-up! A close-up in Hell!"

Also on the show: Music by Ralph Hinkley Syndrome and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #290
:13-14:51 - Review: "Edge of Darkness"
Music: Ralph Hinkley Syndrome, "Waiting"
16:07-20:44 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: C. Cummings)
20:45-47:10 - Interview: Michael Hoffman
Music: Ralph Hinkley Syndrome, "Travel"
47:47-56:59 - New DVDs / Donations
57:00-52:45 - Poll Questions
52:46-1:16:20 - Top 5: Career Comebacks
1:16:21-1:20:37 - Close / Next Show / Outtake

NOTES

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS #289: Overlooked DVD Picks / Sundance 2010 Recap / Top 5 2010 Movie Preview

Jan. 29: Adam spent last weekend in Park City, Utah, dodging avalanches by ducking into theaters at the Sundance Film Festival, and a despondent Matty hasn't left his house since Sunday when Brett Favre reverted to his gunslinger form and inexplicably threw across the field for an interception even though he had at least five yards of running room ahead of him and his kicker is a great dome kicker who can hit from 53 yards. Needless to say, the boys haven't been able to get to the cinema recently, so in lieu of a review of a new movie, the lads offer up some Overlooked DVD Picks. Plus, Adam reports back from his Sundance journey with a top five replete with enough documentaries to keep even Matty at bay. The guys then round out the outing by announcing their inaugural Golden Brick winner, and listing their Top 5 Most Anticipated Films of 2010. Jon Favreau, vengeance is yours!

Also on the show: Music by The Airborne Toxic Event and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #289
:13-17:23 - Review: Overlooked DVDs
Music: Airborne Toxic Event, "Somewhere Around Midnight"
18:45-23:09 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: S. Gluck)
23:10-31:49 - Voicemail, Poll, Golden Brick
31:50-43:18 - Sundance 2010 Recap
Music: Airborne Toxic Event, "Gasoline"
44:00-52:45 - New DVDs / Donations
52:46-1:07:41 - Top 5 2010 Preview
1:07:42-1:10:57 - Close / Next Show / Outtake

NOTES

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Uh, yeah... "Fight Club" might have been a David Fincher title Adam was looking for.

- Filmspotting's Top 25 Films of 2009

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS #288: The White Ribbon / The Book of Eli / 2009 Top 5 Blowout

Jan. 22: File under the 'When the cat's away' department. This week Adam is out-of-town kicking off his mandatory two year world-wide Filmspotting mission... or attending Robert Redford's annual Parker Posey film festival in Wyoming. Something like that. Either way, Matty is left behind to throw the show together himself. So, for an opening, instead of a single review, DJ Matty B mixed together reviews of two new movies -- "The White Ribbon" and "The Book of Eli" -- and looped in some killer Rihanna and Herzog vocals to craft an up-tempo house dance track... which is followed by ten minutes of dead air and intermittent invective as Matty didn't realize he had not paused the recording while watching the end of the Lakers-Cavs game. Filmspotting would like to make preemptive apologies to the family of Pau Gasol, who we are sure is a wonderful person who in no way entertains illicit relations with other members of his family or other species. In place of some great Listener Feedback, Matty offers up a selection of some of his favorite YouTube clips, which would work great if there were any type of video component to the show. And, proving once again that all cycles are cyclical, Matty complements the show's 2009 Top 5 Blowout with a copy of his recitation of "The Miller's Tale" in perfect Middle English, which I think we can all agree is the oddest audition tape "The McLaughlin Group" has ever received.

Also on the show: Music by Animal Collective and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #288
:13-11:14 - Review: "The White Ribbon"
11:15-21:24 - Review: "The Book of Eli"
Music: Animal Collective, "Doggy"
22:11-26:52 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: S. Aparicio)
26:53-33:13 - Voicemail, Polls, Notes
33:14-43:09 - Listener Feedback
Music: Animal Collective, "Also Frightened"
43:57-52:37 - New DVDs / Donations
52:38-1:13:19 - 2009 Top 5 Blowout
1:13:20-1:16:09 - Close / Next Show / Outtake

NOTES

- If your version of this podcast doesn't have the same audio quality as normal, that's because we were adjusting some settings. Hopefully everything is back to normal, but earlier downloaded versions of this show may sound a little less crisp.

- Filmspotting's Top 25 Films of 2009

- Learn more about "William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe", which is playing now at the Gene Siskel Film Center.

- Get a chance to win "The Boys are Back" on DVD.

- Sundance/Filmspotting Meetup details.

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting Podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS #287: The Lovely Bones / Top 5 Supporting Performances of 2009

Jan. 15: All of us here at Filmspotting send our thoughts and prayers out to the country of Haiti and everyone affected by Tuesday's terrible tragedy. We encourage everyone in Filmspotting Nation to give what they can to aid in the relief effort there. In fact, if you were planning on rushing to the multiplex to see Peter Jackson's new film "The Lovely Bones," welllll... why not listen to Adam and Matty's discussion of the film on this week's episode and you just might, perhaps, be moved to use that ten dollars you would have spent on a ticket for a more humanitarian cause. Just sayin'. Also civility manages to reign as the lads delve into a healthy batch of Listener Feedback of their earlier dispatch on "Avatar"... and they continue to close out 2009 (otherwise known as the campaign to mention "Inglourious Basterds" as much as possible) with their Top 5 Supporting Performances of 2009.

Also on the show: Music by Slimfit and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #287
:13-14:50 - Review: "The Lovely Bones"
Music: Slimfit, "More Than Wrong"
15:47-18:26 - Voicemail, Polls
18:27-34:13 - Listener Feedback ("Avatar")
Music: Slimfit, "Yesterday's Gone"
35:04-39:29 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: B. Stinson)
39:30-42:24 - Notes
42:25-52:29 - Top 5 Supp. Actresses
Music: Slimfit, "Damp Powder"
53:17-1:06:36 - New DVDs / Donations
1:06:37-1:18:32 - Top 5 Male Leads
1:18:33-1:22:14 - Close / Next Show / Outtake

NOTES

- I know, I know... Tree of Souls NOT Tree of Life.

- Get a chance to win "The Boys are Back" on DVD here.

- Sundance/Filmspotting Meetup details.

- Info about PS Hoffman in Chicago as part of Sundance Film Festival USA.

- Landmark in Seattle - metroclassics.blogspot.com.

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting Podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS #286: A Single Man / Top 5 Lead Performances of 2009

Jan. 8: 1. Listen to a 15-minute discussion of "A Single Man," a gorgeous set-piece film starring Colin Firth as a grieving 1960s college professor -- playing only in select cities that I will probably never see.

2. Digest the Top 5 Lead Performances of 2009, as determined by Adam, Matty and Steve Prokopy, the devilishly-handsome film critic from Ain't It Cool News (also known by his net d'plume Capone).

If your New Year's resolutions for 2010 read as above, then you're in luck. You can clean them out in one fell swoop by listening to this week's episode of Filmspotting (perhaps even by listening on the treadmill while at the gym because, come on, we all know that pair of jeans didn't really shrink). In related news, Matty's resolution of "writing the blandest show descriptions ever in the hopes that Adam relieves him of his show description writing duties" seems to be in full effect.

Also on the show: Music by Puerto Muerto and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #286
:13-13:35 - Review: "A Single Man"
Music: Puerto Muerto, "Vermilion Sky"
14:12-18:38 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: R. Treuer)
18:39-40:38 - Top 5 Male Leads
Music: Puerto Muerto, "Goodbye to the End"
41:13-49:31 - New DVDs / Donations
49:32-1:07:24 - Top 5 Female Leads
1:07:25-1:10:54 - Close / Next Show / Outtake

NOTES

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting Podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS Reviews: Avatar / Nine

January 1: Adam and Matty ring in the new year by finally getting to their discussion of James Cameron's sci-fi epic "Avatar". Plus, the lads find out whether Daniel Day-Lewis can really "be Italian" in Rob Marshall's musical "Nine."

Filmspotting will be back in its usual format next week. There's no scheduled review, but Ain't It Cool News' Steve Prokopy aka Capone will drop by to share the Top 5 Lead Performances of 2009.

FS After Hours #13: Elf / Golden Palm Marathon Awards

December 31: In the latest Filmspotting After Hours, Adam and Matty share a little Christmas cheer with their Listener's Choice discussion of Jon Favreau's "Elf," starring Will Ferrell. Plus, the Bronzed Fronds -- the Best of the Cannes Golden Palm Marathon Awards.

Congratulations to all of our donation winners! Please claim your prize by emailing feedback@filmspotting.net. Winners were selected from donations announced on shows #283-285 up through Dec. 30.



NOTES
- To clarify, Adam's most depressing "Dancer in the Dark" scene -- slight SPOILER alert -- isn't the actual money-stealing, but scene where Bill learns of the money and spies on Selma.

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting Podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Support our Massacre Theatre sponsor by visiting PixarTalk.com.

Filmspotting Revisited w/ Guest Host David Chen

December 25: Adam and Matty bid you Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays by taking the week off... but thankfully, /Film managing editor and /Filmcast host David Chen is here to revisit some of his favorite Filmspotting segments, including discussions of "There Will Be Blood," "The Happening" and "Soylent Green," plus the Top 5 Coen Bros. Scenes.

FS #285: Up in the Air / Invictus / Top 10 Films of 2009

Dec. 18: Filmspotting discusses "Up in the Air" and "Invictus," and reveals its Top 10 Films of 2009 with the help of Michael Phillips from the Chicago Tribune and "At the Movies," and the AV Club's Scott Tobias.

Thanks also to special guest voicemailers: Steve Prokopy from Ain't It Cool News, Matt Singer from IFC News and writer/director Rian Johnson.

Also on the show: Music by Iron and Wine and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #285
:13-10:45 - Review: "Up in the Air"
10:46-20:27 - Review: "Invictus"
Music: Iron and Wine, "Love Vigilantes"
21:46-26:56 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: M. Kelly)
26:57-28:03 - Prokopy Voicemail
28:04-39:54 - Top 10 of 2009: #10-6
Music: Iron and Wine, "Belated Promise Ring"
40:54-41:55 - Singer Voicemail
41:56-1:00:57 - Top 10 of 2009: #5-3
Music: Iron and Wine, "Boy With a Coin"
1:01:26-1:10:09 - New DVDs / Donations
1:10:10-1:10:54 - Johnson Voicemail
1:10:55-1:26:39 - Top 10 of 2009: #2-1
1:26:40-1:29:00 - Close / Next Show / Outtake

NOTES

- Jason Reitman was nominated in the 2007 best director category alongside the Coen Bros., Paul Thomas Anderson, Julian Schnabel and Tony Gilroy - not David Fincher, which I believe was my point at the time. I thought Fincher for "Zodiac" was a stronger candidate than Reitman for "Juno."

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting Podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS #284: Brothers / The Son's Room / 2009 Golden Brick Nominees

Dec. 11: This week's teaser for Filmspotting is brought to you by the same team responsible for the trailer for "Brothers," the latest film from director Jim Sheridan, starring real-life brothers Tobey Maguire and Jake Gyllenhaal. Basically the show opens with both Adam and Matty tearing this utter piece of melodramatic tripe to shreds; they proceed to feed the surviving vestiges of the film to their gorgeous Bernese Mountain Dog, Captain Fantastic. At one point during the show, Adam locks himself in the studio unwilling to budge until "Brothers" star Natalie Portman admits to having a relationship with Matty and Captain Fantastic. The stand-off is prolonged when both Matty and The Captain heartily endorse the idea. The lads then anoint "The Son's Room," the 2001 winner of the Cannes Palme d'Or award as not only the best of their Cannes Marathon, but as perhaps the greatest movie of the decade and laud star/director Nanni Moretti as the second coming of Carol Reed, Todd Field and Todd Palin. Then the boys find time to announce the nominees for the greatest awards ever doled out by a body completely removed from any kind of authority, governance or taste. Yes, with the help of Pia Zadora, the lads list their 2009 Golden Brick Nominees -- the overlooked gems from the year in cinema.

Also on the show: Music by The Bad Plus and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #284
:13-16:57 - Review: "Brothers"
Music: The Bad Plus, "Barracuda"
17:40-22:11 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: S. Milder)
22:12-25:40 - Poll Questions
25:41-35:30 - Cannes #5: "The Son's Room"
Music: The Bad Plus, "Comfortably Numb"
36:11-42:57 - New DVDs / Donations
42:58-55:34 - Top 5: Golden Brick Nominees
55:35-57:56 - Close / Next Show / Outtakes

NOTES
- "Brothers" is a remake of Susanne Bier's 2004 Danish film "Brødre." She also directed "After the Wedding."
- Other Jim Sheridan movies: In America, In the Name of the Father, Get Rich or Die Tryin', My Left Foot
- Other Natalie Portman performances: Leon: The Professional, Garden State
- Other Tobey Maguire performances: The Ice Storm, Spider-Man
- Another Nanni Moretti film: Caro Diario

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting Podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS #283: The Road / Dancer in the Dark / Top 5 DVDs of 2009

Dec. 4: This week on Filmspotting, Adam and Matty try to avoid roving bands of cannibals as they travel down director John Hillcoat’s well-worn, post-apocalyptic "The Road," starring Viggo Mortensen as the father of the millennia -- a man determined to keep his young son off an unwashed Garret Dillahunt’s barbecue at any and all costs. Then, the Filmspotting Cannes Palme d’Or Marathon trips the light fantastic with Bjork in Lars Von Trier’s "Dancer in the Dark," an uplifting musical about a young woman with a degenerative eye condition that will soon leave her blind and caught up in a terrible crime that may result in the loss of her life. Yeah, basically a modern retelling of a "The King and I." To close out the show, the lads welcome in the great Mike Spring from DVD Snapshot to help them list their Top 5 DVDs of 2009 (or as it’s better known around Filmspotting studios, The List that Got Matty Kicked Out of Macy’s Santa Wonderland).

Also on the show: Music by Colin Hay and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #283
:13-17:47 - Review: "The Road"
Music: Colin Hay, "I Can't Get Up Out of This Bed"
18:46-24:20 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: M. Foote)
24:21-28:53 - Notes / Polls
28:54-43:26 - Cannes #4: "Dancer in the Dark"
Music: Colin Hay, "Oh California"
44:13-55:18 - New DVDs / Donations
55:19-1:17:09 - Top 5: DVDs of 2009
1:17:10-1:19:54 - Close / Next Show / Outtakes

NOTES

- Check out Filmspotting's new iPhone app here!

- Matty should have referred to Selma's native country in "Dancer in the Dark" as Czechoslovakia. The country didn't split until 1993.

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting Podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS After Hours #12 (Part 2): Listener Feedback / "Dudewood"

November 28: In Part 2 of the latest Filmspotting After Hours, Adam and Matty make their way through another batch of glorious Listener Feedback, including responses to their Top 5 Nostalgia Movies, Bad Day Movies and Bad Screen Parents. Plus, long-lost Filmspotting co-host Sam Van Hallgren checks in via phone to help the guys perform a listener-scripted scene from "Dudewood" ... and the latest batch of Filmspotting winners! Thanks to everyone who donated to the show. Winners were selected from episodes #276-282. Warning: This episode contains some profanity starting around the 40 minute mark.

Programming Note: The Filmspotting 'Best of' edition guest hosted by Slashfilmcast's David Chen is being held for a later date. Look for it to be published around Christmas.



NOTES

- Read Greg Kot's article about the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir and their accident.

- Re: "Clash of the Titans": Olivier was indeed in the film as Zeus... it was Harryhausen's last work on a feature film... and it's apparently being remade starring Sam Worthington and Liam Neeson as Zeus.

- You can read Steven Soderbergh's quote about "Cannonball Run" here.

- Thanks to our partners and former partners: PixarTalk.com, Creative Screenwriting and InReviewOnline.

- Thanks, as always, to Candace, Lindsay and Golden Joe DeCeault... and to listeners Greg Burland and Kevin Vazquez for their work previewing this show and many others to make sure everything sounds good and the show notes are up to snuff.

FS After Hours #12 (Part I): Ace in the Hole / Kurosawa Marathon Awards

November 25: In Part I of the latest Filmspotting After Hours, Adam and Matty discuss Billy Wilder's 1951 "Ace in the Hole," starring Kirk Douglas as a ruthless newspaperman out to get his story no matter the moral or ethical costs. Plus, The Ronins... Filmspotting's Best of the Kurosawa Marathon Awards. The Marathon lineup consisted of: "Rashomon," "Ikiru," "Throne of Blood," The Hidden Fortress," "Yojimbo" and "High and Low."

FS #282: Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans / The Messenger / Ben Foster-Oren Moverman Interview / Taste of Cherry / Top 5 Turkeys of 2009

Nov. 20: It’s a potpourri of crazy this week on Filmspotting. First, Matty heads down to the French Quarter to grab some beignets at Café Du Monde and split a muffuletta with the venerable Werner Herzog and Nic Cage as he takes in the bizarre genius that is "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans." And while Matty is busy maxing out the Filmspotting credit card buying rounds of hurricanes for Florida State co-eds at Pat O’Brien’s, Adam sits down with his man-crush Ben Foster and writer/director Oren Moverman to discuss their new project, "The Messenger," a film chronicling the arduous duties of two Army casualty notification officers. Then the lads find time to discuss the third film in their Palme d’Or Marathon, 1997’s "Taste of Cherry" from Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, during which not even the illustrious Roger Ebert is spared Filmspotting wrath. Finally, in honor of America’s annual celebration of its continued subjugation of near-flightless fowl, Filmspotting holds its annual Thanksgiving Awards buffet and name its Top 5 Turkeys of 2009. Zack Snyder, I think there’s a seat available over there next to Optimus Prime.

Also on the show: Music by Thee American Revolution and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #282
:13-9:29 - Review: "Port of Call New Orleans"
9:30-17:14 - Review: "The Messenger"
Music: Thee American Revolution, "Electric Flame"
18:10-22:38 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: M. Lovgren)
22:39-46:11 - Foster/Moverman Interview
Music: Thee American Revolution, "Power House"
46:56-54:30 - Voicemail, Polls, Notes
54:31-1:05:30 - Cannes #3: "Taste of Cherry"
Music: Thee American Revolution, "Shoeshine Blues"
1:05:56-1:14:43 - New DVDs / Donations
1:14:44-1:31:56 - Top 5: Turkeys of 2009
1:31:57-1:34:36 - Close / Next Show / Outtake

NOTES
- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting Podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.

FS #281: The Men Who Stare at Goats / Farewell My Concubine / Top 5 Films of 1999

Nov. 13: Usually Filmspotting trots out an elaborate, creative, highly over-written show description. This week, however, in keeping with the spirit of the film they’re discussing, "The Men Who Stare at Goats," the boys are decidedly phoning it in. Which is a shame, because their other discussion of the second film in the ongoing Cannes Golden Palm Marathon, "Farewell My Concubine," a beautiful epic sent against the backdrop of Chinese opera, certainly requires a stab at some decent verbiage. And the fact that the creators of the highly addictive website, Flickchart.com stop by to help the lads list their Top 5 Films of 1999 calls for some kind of special notation -- at the very least maybe a Prince pun or two, but, you know, that’s what you get when you take a great premise and a handful of extraordinary actors and give them absolutely nothing to do. Two can play at the game, sporty. What? You expected Filmspotting to be the bigger person? Have you listened to the show?

Also on the show: Music by Crown City Rockers and Massacre Theatre -- presented by Pixar Talk. This week's winner will get the Pixar DVD of their choice.


Filmspotting #281
:13-11:25 - Review: "The Men Who Stare at Goats"
Music: Crown City Rockers, "Break"
12:16-16:48 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: J. Medeiros)
16:49-22:51 - CPR Event, Polls
22:52-36:28 - Cannes #2: "Farewell My Concubine"
Music: Crown City Rockers, "Go Away"
37:210-43:59 - New DVDs / Donations
44:00-1:05:23 - Top 5: Films of 1999
1:05:24-1:15:59 - Flickchart Interview
1:16:00-1:19:22 - Close / Next Show

NOTES

- Matty mentioned Terence Malick getting edged out of his top 5. "The Thin Red Line" is often considered a 1999 film, though it did get a limited release in Dec. 1998.

- Other Stephen Root films: Office Space, No Country for Old Men
- Great Faye Dunaway roles/movies: Bonnie and Clyde, Network, Chinatown
- Adam's #6-10 of 1999: All About My Mother, Fight Club, Magnolia, The Insider, Eyes Wide Shut

- Flickchart's Top 5 for 1999:
1. Fight Club
2. The Matrix
3. Office Space
4. American Beauty
5. The Sixth Sense

- Jeff Goldsmith's Creative Screenwriting Podcast can be accessed through iTunes here.

- Follow more notes and corrections at http://twitter.com/filmspotting.