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

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.