Le Film

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) Ft. Ashley Briglia

Shell-shocked by the images and sounds that followed you home into the night, you open your front door and are greeted by the gentle moonlight pouring into your window. You call out, but there is no response. Eyeing the surroundings, the curtains dance with the brisk night air, but then you wonder – did someone leave the window open? 
 
As you walk to the sliding glass door, the faint sounds of sprinklers coating the field behind your home is a welcome escape from the sirens, shrieks, and terror that has recently flipped your world upside down. Yet, you stop just before reaching the door as a pit forms at the bottom of your stomach – why is the door open, and why is no one home?
 
Lynne Ramsay’s 2011 psychological drama, We Need to Talk About Kevin, is composed of a myriad of memories and trauma that spells disaster for those caught within it. Shocking yet serene imagery backed by a sublime score, this film places the viewer in a front row seat to the unveiling of generational trauma on-screen. Filled with ambivalence and difficult discussions surrounding nature versus nurture, this story is best experienced when diving headfirst into the dark pools of its subject matter.
 
With special thanks to a recurring guest and friend of the show, who also happened to pick the movie for this episode, Ashley Briglia. As always, we thank you all for listening and we hope you enjoy the discussion.
 
Where to watch:
Hulu (Stream in the US)
YouTube (Rent or Buy)
Amazon (Rent or Buy)
iTunes (Rent or Buy) 
 
Instagram:
@lefilmpodcast
 
Twitter:
@lefilmpod
 
Send us questions, feedback, and film recommendations at:
lefilmpodcast@gmail.com
 
2:50 Catching up on films and television (Sopranos, Ted Lasso, Rick & Morty, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Back to the Future)
4:08 Jumping on the bandwagon and filling the void with Mr. Robot
5:15 Refusing to finish Breaking Bad
8:18 Going back to the beginning to finish what you started (Mr. Robot)
10:19 The build up to the finale of the Sopranos
11:39 Watching Ted Lasso and the animated series Spawn, Youtube Channel Dead Meat
15:03 Rewatching favorite films such as School of Rock, Almost Famous, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Little Miss Sunshine, The Goonies, St. Elmo’s Fire, We Need to Talk About Kevin
16:45 School of Rock and its influence on personal music and fashion choices
18:10 The cathartic nature of watching Eternal Sunshine
18:50 Rewatchable comedies such as Tenacious D, Old School, Anchorman
19:25 Not being a huge fan of Will Ferrell as a leading actor
21:30 Finally watching and recommending Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
22:30 Favorite part about living in Los Angeles and the coronavirus craze
24:24 Ye ho-geun Anio (yes or no): Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Morpheus in Matrix Resurrections, George Miller casting Anya Taylor-Joy in a Mad Max prequel, Andrew Garfield & Tobey Maguire potentially appearing in Spider-man: No Way Home
35:50 Denis Villeneuve’s stance on marvel films
39:30 Excitement for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune
41:02 Lynne Ramsey’s We Need to Talk About Kevin Review
1:15:04 Ratings
1:21:44 We Need to Talk About Kevin Spoilers Discussion

Jackie (2016)

November 22nd, 1963 – Dallas, TX: It had rained that morning, and by afternoon the sun had made its way out from behind the clouds. At approximately 12:29pm, President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade entered Dealey Square and rounded the corner onto Houston Street. Within the next 60 seconds, the following course of events would forever alter the history of the United States.
 
Pablo Larraín’s 2016 biographical drama, Jackie, highlights the events leading up to, surrounding, and proceeding that fateful day. Whereas most recounts focus on John F. Kennedy and his short term as president, this film chooses to focus on a figure whose presence has often been overshadowed and overlooked, Jackie Kennedy.
 
A claustrophobic and deeply intimate portrait on grief and trauma, Jackie serves to not only recount the tragedy that surrounded Jackie, the Kennedy family, and the nation at the time, but to reflect on legacy, the weaving of history, and the will to live. 
 
As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy the discussion.
 
Where to watch:
Vudu (Rent or Buy)
Amazon Prime (Rent or Buy)
YouTube (Rent or Buy)
iTunes (Rent or Buy) 
 
Instagram:
@lefilmpodcast
 
Twitter:
@lefilmpod
 
Send us questions, feedback, and film recommendations at:
lefilmpodcast@gmail.com
 
2:16 The poignancy of the release of Pablo Larraín’s Jackie (2016) that is the amalgamation of the mental hurdles and trauma that still exist in present-day America 
5:00 An appreciation for Jackie on repeat viewing and the refusal to glorify Jackie Kennedy’s grief as opposed to the biographical glorification we’re used to seeing in Hollywood & the Academy Awards
10:20 The Salem Witch Hunt in Texas and the repercussions of the ban on abortion rights
15:00 Natalie Portman’s tour de force performance as Jackie potentially being her best yet
19:32 Viewing the truth from an alternate perspective and the recreation of the events through found footage
21:45 The significance in balancing truth and fantasy, and pathos and catharsis
26:15 The poignancy of depicting the Kennedy family and America’s ugly past
30:54 Mica Levi’s haunting score
32:00 Natalie Portman’s performance in a performance 
37:33 Jackie’s duty to display an unsightly truth
42:18 Was Jacqueline Kennedy right or wrong in the way she handled John F. Kennedy’s death in the eye of the public and the media?
48:22 America’s withdrawal in Afghanistan and the drone strikes in Kubal killing a family of 10
54:30 Jackie as a film about the death of the American Dream, living in a nihilistic world, and embracing life because death is certain
1:02:12 The drone strikes in Afghanistan and its similarities to the chemical bombings in the Vietnam War
1:04:01 Rating Jackie
1:14:57 Jackie Spoiler Discussion

A Moment‘s Rest (After Dark)

In this episode, Pat, Richard, and Kevin (absent Tyler) talk about whatever comes to mind. We test out a more flexible audio setup with the hope of having more guests on future episodes, so if you would like to be on one, feel free to reach out to us! We appreciate all of you out there, and hope that all is well.
 
As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy the discussion. 
 
Instagram:
@lefilmpodcast
 
Twitter:
@lefilmpod
 
Send us questions, feedback, and film recommendations at:
lefilmpodcast@gmail.com

The Handmaiden (2016) Ft. Adan Franco

In the lush countryside of Japanese-occupied Korea in the 1930’s, an heiress to a large fortune stares outside the misty window wondering if there is anything more to life than what she currently knows. Housed by her overbearing uncle and bound to the confines of the luxurious estate since childhood, the structure mimics that of her fractured identity: forever split between the lineage of Korea and Japan.
 
Park Chan-wook’s 2016 erotic psychological thriller, The Handmaiden, weaves together a labyrinthian narrative whose subversions leave the viewer guessing at every turn. A meditation on exploitation, manipulation, and objectification found throughout history, characters are left to decide whether or not they wish to remain in the patriarchal structure that has imprisoned them for as long back as they can remember.
 
Filled with immaculate imagery and a stirring soundscape to match, this movie delves beyond the illusory superficial layers of its own making to construct a tender and poetic center at the heart of it all.
 
Special thanks to Adan “Ardough” Franco for joining us for this episode and for recommending this movie to us. As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy the discussion. 
 
Where to watch:
Amazon Prime (Stream)
Vudu (Rent)
 
Instagram:
@lefilmpodcast
 
Twitter:
@lefilmpod
 
Send us questions, feedback, and film recommendations at:
lefilmpodcast@gmail.com
 
2:09 Weekly Updates - David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return (2017) paving the way for cinematic television
8:29 Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992)
10:16 Completing Sam Esmail’s Mr. Robot (2015)
16:08 Guilty pleasure in watching a show like Greg Berlanti & Sera Gamble’s You (2018) 
18:02 Anticipation in watching the newly released Neon Genesis 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time by Hideako Anno
19:26 Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans (2015) and The 08th MS Team (1996)
22:41 Showtime’s Billions (2016)
25:08 Shoot ‘Em Up (2007) & Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007)
27:22 What show ended the best? What show should have never ended?
27:59 Mr. Robot & Sopranos having the best endings, The Wire, Berserk, Monster, Star Trek The Next Generation, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Chappelle's Show, The OA
49:04 Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden Review
53:18 Appreciating Park Chan-wook’s filmography
1:00:00 The Handmaiden as an amalgamation of genres while being a significant part of queer cinema
1:11:57 Ratings
1:31:51 The Handmaiden Spoiler Review

Revanche (2008)

The bustling sounds of Vienna are soon drowned out by the lonely buzzing of streetlights, whose glow casts an uncanny warmth that wraps around figures coming and going into the night. “Another day, come and gone already,” a local prostitute mutters beneath their breath as they exhale a stream of smoke, whose wisps chase after passing cars of would-be clients. “Just a few more months, that’s all”. The screeching of brakes and illumination of red tail lights, the lone worker stamps out their cigarette and approaches the car. “Just a few more months, a few more months…”
 
In the words of Arthur Schopenhauer, hatred is an affair of the heart; contempt that of the head. These words not only ring true, but they become immersed in the dark murky waters of Götz Spielmann’s 2008 Austrian thriller, Revanche. With steady unflinching imagery and a minimal yet pensive soundscape, Revanche captures a unique and bittersweet take on the timeless act of revenge, while posing an alternative solution to the darker impulses of the heart.
 
Grief, shame, regret - all familiar yet almost indistinguishable when experienced in tandem. Through mundanity, we are exposed to the parts of ourselves that we hide away from in the hustle and bustle of day to day living; yet, it also provides the greatest opportunity for growth. Whether one is seeking justice, forgiveness, acceptance, or perhaps even redemption, Revanche posits that it is important to recognize that all of these wants are not the end-all be-all solutions to the grief we experience throughout life, but rather the byproducts of inner work and self discovery.
 
As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy the discussion.
 
Where to watch:
Criterion Channel (Stream)
HBO Max (Stream)
Amazon (Rent or Buy)
 
Instagram:
@lefilmpodcast
 
Twitter:
@lefilmpod
 
Send us questions, feedback, and film recommendations at:
lefilmpodcast@gmail.com
 
01:18 Life Updates, Additional Content Coming Soon
06:09 Sopranos Update
08:04 Do Films Lose their Replay Value Based on the Twist?
12:00 Evangelion Rebuilds Coming to Amazon Prime
12:28 The Green Knight Release
19:38 Video Game Updates: God of War, Final Fantasy VII Remake, Hollow Knight
20:11 Twin Peaks Rewatch
20:39 Skipping Episodes to get to the Finale
22:33 M. Night Shyamalan’s Old and an Appreciation for his Filmography
28:46 Mr. Robot Updates
30:58 Götz Spielmann’s Revanche (2008) Review
52:09 Revanche Spoilers

Solaris (1972)

We arrive on a dilapidated space station orbiting the planet of Solaris after a lengthy trip aboard a cramped and humid shuttle. All we know about the planet is that it resembles an infinite sea, and that the station has reported multiple sightings of “guests” that the planet is somehow able to manifest. Is the planet attempting to communicate with the cosmonauts on the station, or is it simply observing the scientists while they observe it?
 
Solaris, Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1972 outing into the science fiction genre, attempts to answer the question of whether or not morality is tied to knowledge and, in this case especially, scientific progress. In humanity’s quest for unadulterated Truth, is there no limit, restriction, or condition that should be put in place to safeguard itself, amongst others, against possible repercussions that can be triggered at the slightest misstep?
 
With dazzling and dreamlike imagery, bittersweet hymns of nostalgia, and a resounding call to action for transcending the shackles of mortality through spirituality, Solaris stands as one cinema’s greatest explorations of morality and humankind’s place in the cosmos. 
 
“We don’t want to conquer space at all. We want to expand Earth endlessly. We don’t want other worlds; we want a mirror. We seek contact and will never achieve it. We are in the foolish position of a man striving for a goal he fears and doesn’t want. Man needs man!”
 
As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy the discussion.
 
Where to watch:
Criterion Channel (Stream)
Vudu (Rent or Buy)
YouTube (Rent or Buy)
Amazon (Rent or Buy)
iTunes (Rent or Buy)
 
Instagram:
@lefilmpodcast
 
Twitter:
@lefilmpod
 
Send us questions, feedback, and film recommendations at:
lefilmpodcast@gmail.com
 
01:06 Return to the Movie Theaters: Spiral: From the Book of Saw, Army of the Dead
01:50 The Phase of Torture Films: Human Centipede, Hostel, The Hills Have Eyes, Wrong Turn
04:08 Netflix’s Santa Clarita Diet
04:53 Pelin Esmer’s Something Useful 
06:19 Sopranos
09:50 Pulp Fiction, Favorite Tarantino Film
11:57 Attack on Titan Season 3
12:30 Game of Thrones
13:13 Annoying TV/Film Tropes
15:36 AoT English Dub is Good!
19:07 Sopranos Transcending the Mobster/Crime Genre
22:45 Solaris (1972) Review
34:38 Vadim Yusov’s Significance as Cinematographer 
38:20 Science-fiction Viewed as a “Safe” Genre to Explore
55:25 Solaris Spoilers - Andrei Tarkovsky on Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey
1:05:02 Elliptical Storytelling
1:08:20 Anatoliy Solonitsyn 
1:54:08-1:55:42 Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket Spoilers 
1:56:07-1:56:35 Elem Klimov’s Come and See Spoilers
1:56:56 Morality Tied to Knowledge
2:05:21 Inner Totems of Self Actualization: Berserk, Neon Genesis: Evangelion, Solaris, Star Trek the Next Generation, Monster, Eternal Sunshine, The Before Trilogy

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

Yukio Mishima, a renowned Japanese author whose talents and beliefs stretched far beyond the confines of pen and paper, explored and attempted to transcend what each of us at some point entertains: the limitations of the human experience. How? By ingesting, deconstructing, and reassembling the narrative of his life to create a multilayered and unwavering testament to living and dying as a work of art.
 
In Paul Schrader’s 1985 biopic, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, the director attempts to capture on screen the many masks, personas, and realities of this controversial figure by revisiting and adapting the pivotal moments that led to Mishima’s infamous final performance. With each layer of reality being vastly different from the next, the viewer is given one piece after another to form a unique and ever-shifting portrait of a human whose obsession with death drove them to encase their life in amber by becoming a sentient work of art.
 
What role does art play in the history of civilizations? When names are erased and bones are turned to dust, what is left to remember, if anything at all? Symbols, messages, ideas… art as a means of preservation and hedge against the bet; a trump card whose only aim is to test the hand of the dealer whose name is Death.
 
As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy the discussion.
 
Where to watch:
Criterion Channel (Stream)
Amazon (Rent or Buy)
iTunes (Rent or Buy)
 
Instagram:
@lefilmpodcast
 
Twitter:
@lefilmpod
 
Send us questions, feedback, and film recommendations at:
lefilmpodcast@gmail.com
 
01:18 The Dark Story Behind Air Bud
02:08 Biopics: Che (2008), Mesrine (2008), Steve Jobs, Jackie (2016)
05:30 Chernobyl 
06:23 Band of Brothers
07:22 Dolemite is My Name
08:54 Molly’s Game
09:43 Mank
10:49 Alexander the Great with Orlando Bloom, Troy
11:12 Glory with Matthew Broderick & Denzel Washington
12:01 Roman Polanski’s The Pianist
15:30 Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters dir. Paul Schrader Review
36:08 Mishima Spoilers
38:30 Mishima as Mandatory Viewing in Japanese History
40:40 David Cronenberg’s OCAD University Speech

Wild Tales (2014)

Argentina, South America - amidst the sprawling cityscapes and desolate stretches of open land, one theme connects six different tales in Damián Szifron’s anthology film, Wild Tales, and the theme in question is vengeance.
 
Filled with subversion, subterfuge, and sinister acts of passion, this film sets out from the very get go with one objective in mind: to encapsulate what drives a person to commit heinous acts of revenge against the offender at large, no matter how trivial, maddening, or downright deserving of it they may be.
 
Darkly comical and electrifying in both tone and atmosphere, this film is anything but predictable. Strap in and experience the ride of a lifetime as we discuss this absolute gem from one of South America’s most refreshing filmmakers.
 
As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy the discussion.
 
Where to watch:
Amazon (Rent or Buy)
YouTube (Rent or Buy)
Vudu (Rent or Buy)
 
Instagram:
@lefilmpodcast
 
Twitter:
@lefilmpod
 
Send us questions, feedback, and film recommendations at:
lefilmpodcast@gmail.com
 
01:03 The Oscars / Trial of Chicago 7 
06:19 Mortal Kombat
07:12 Street Fighter / Jean-Claude Van Damme
11:00 Do Film Trailers Give Too Much Away?
16:25 Favorite Mortal Kombat Characters
18:00 The Disrespect of Sir Anthony Hopkins
23:30 American Remake of Another Round
26:25 Historical Biopic Films for the Oscars
27:26 Daniel Kaluuya’s Awkward Interview
30:03 Wild Tales Review
47:59 Question From a Listener: Will There Be a Snyder Cut Discussion?
49:50 Mega 64 Podcast
50:55 Superhero Movies / The Boys
1:09:09 Wild Tales Spoilers
1:21:28 Favorite Revenge Themed Films / Oldboy
1:22:00 Bad Remakes
1:45:40 Favorite Video Games / Fighting Games
1:46:30 After Dark / Multiplayer Ruins Campaign Gaming

Columbus (2017)

The sun is setting in Columbus, Indiana while a renowned architect remains comatose in a local hospital. His estranged son from South Korea, Jin, comes to visit and soon meets a kindred spirit, Casey, whose passion for architecture creates a safe haven for Jin to reexamine his fractured and turbulent relationship with his father, while also providing Casey with a newfound outlet to explore the possibility of life outside of Columbus.
 
Kogonada’s 2017 directorial debut not only serves as a love-letter to architecture, but to the ties that we establish and familiarize ourselves with the landmarks, features, and connections that are found within any community. The most important part about these features is not the existence of them, but the room they create for memories, experiences, and a momentary sense of shared existence.
 
As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy the discussion.
 
Where to watch:
Amazon (Rent or Buy)
YouTube (Rent or Buy)
Kanopy (Select libraries)
 
Instagram:
@lefilmpodcast
 
Twitter:
@lefilmpod
 
Send us questions, feedback, and film recommendations at:
lefilmpodcast@gmail.com
 
01:35 The Boys Season 2
02:54 Patrick’s Film Day Challenge
03:27 Hiroshima Mon Amour, Woman in the Dunes
03:40 Pedro Aldomovar’s All About My Mother, The Human Condition
03:56 A Short Film About Love
04:13 Evan’s Childhood, Streetwise
04:45 “Sacramento sucks”
05:42 HBO’s Barry
12:39 Attack on Titan
15:12 Evangelion, Hunter Hunter, Yu Yu Hakusho
16:13 Toonami
17:08 Tik Tok
18:40 Columbus Review
46:28 Columbus Spoilers
1:11:05 Pros & Cons of Pure Auteurship
1:16:05 Quentin Tarantino & Sally Menke

Buffalo ’66 (1998)

As evening rolls in across Buffalo, New York, an inmate by the name of Billy Brown is released from prison. Having served his 5 year sentence, he ventures off in search of two things: a bathroom and a way to win back the affection of his parents.
 
Vincent Gallo’s 1998 feature film, Buffalo ‘66, explores the notion of identity and raises the question of which version of ourselves is more authentic, the version that others perceive through action or the version in which we manifest from the inside based entirely on desire?
 
As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy the discussion.
 
Where to watch:
Amazon (Rent or Buy)
YouTube (Rent or Buy)
Vudu (Rent or Buy)
 
Instagram:
@lefilmpodcast
 
Twitter:
@lefilmpod
 
Send us questions, feedback, and film recommendations at:
lefilmpodcast@gmail.com
 
00:40 Menace II Society
01:30 90’s Urban Hip Hop Films
02:30 Keith David (Clockers?)
03:25 Attack on Titan Final Season
04:10 Game of Thrones
09:35 Last Chance U Netflix Documentary
12:00 Pete Davidson / King of Staten Island
13:00 Mental Health Crisis
19:45 A Short Film About Killing
20:00 Judgment at Nuremberg
21:30 Zack Snyder’s Justice League
23:50 Changes on Justice League
27:30 Does the 3-4 hour movie work?
28:30 Long form vs short form medium
30:40 Increase of information / hung for content & commercialization
33:00 Infantile media / substitute for content
37:55 Buffalo ‘66: “Is this film problematic or are we?”
44:30 Leon the Professional / Lolita comparisons
45:55-46:30 Leon spoilers
47:00 Americana & the American Dream
51:45-53:00 Kurt Vonnegut’s Sirens of Titan Spoilers
53:13 Buffalo ‘66 Review
1:05:00 Buffalo ‘66 Spoilers
1:55:00 After Dark / Epilogue: Golden One Center & Sacramento Kings 
2:15:50 Closing