Filmsplaining with Martyn Strange

After a very long break, I'm back with the first of three final episodes of the show. This is "50 Years Of" Richard Donner's The Omen with my pal and frequent guest Rich Johnson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the show I talk to filmmaker Crue Scott Smith about one of our mutual favorite Cassavetes movies: The Killing of a Chinese Bookie. We discuss the life and work styles of John Cassavetes, Ben Gazarra's performance in the film, the cinematography, and how the reception to this film has changed over fifty years. We also talk about the business of independent movies and Crue's new film Angel of Light, which is available now on VOD. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's show, we dive into one of the most famous and well-regarded American movies ever made: Rocky! I chat with friend of the show and MUBI podcast host Rico Gagliano about the legacy of Rocky, moments we all remember, concise screenwriting, an undeniable score, and Sylvester Stallone's career at large. We talk about our individual experiences with the movie and its sequels, how it won Best Picture, and how it became the highest-grossing movie of 1976, as well as consider the lineage of sports movie franchises.

Listen to Rico's work on the MUBI podcast here.
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Continuing with "50 Years of... 1976", I talk with Vancouver film and television critic Matthew Simpson about John Carpenter's second film Assault on Precinct 13. We discuss how the lean-and-mean action thriller uses a pulsing score, small character moments, and a faceless horde of killers to hook the audience and keep them for 90 minutes. We also talk about Carpenter's career, his clever tricks of revealing information on screen, and how radically different this film would be constructed if it were made today.

You can find Matthew's work at northernreel.ca and more on Threads.
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50 Years Of... kicks off with Alan J. Pakula's paranoia thriller All The President's Men starring Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman and written by William Goldman. Talking with me about the film's impact is Conan Neutron of Movie Night Extravaganza and Conan Neutron & the Secret Friends. We discuss investigative journalism, the death of the newspaper, the cinematography of Gordon Willis, the film's eerie relevance to modern day America, and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.