This week we are breaking down a LEGEND. Ken Russell gave us so much... musical, debauchery, camp, skewering of the status quo. We chose three very different films to dissect: The Boy Friend (1971), The Devils (1971) and Whore (1991).

These films were tough to find for some years but now loads of Ken Russell are streaming on Criterion. Get into them.

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Website: ⁠release.pictures⁠

Music by ⁠⁠René j Núñez⁠

This week we are ruminating about teen angst and catastrophe as seen thru the thoughtful lens of Gregg Araki. Take a treacherous walk thru his Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy with us: Totally F***ed Up (1993), The Doom Generation (1995), Nowhere (1997). It's gonna be lonely. But it'll look cool.

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Instagram: @release_pod

Website: release.pictures

Music by ⁠René j Núñez⁠

We walk thru the 1932 cinema landscape.

And then we talk about 2 films that changed our lives. 

FREAKS

released 02.12.1932 in the United States

directed by Tod Browning

THE BLOOD OF A POET

released 01.20.1932 in France

directed by Jean Cocteau

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez

We talk about what was happening around film in 1931.

And then we dissect one film we both loved and one Paul hated...

MATA HARI

released 12.26.1931 in the United States

directed by George Fitzmaurice

starring our girl Greta Garbo + Ramon Novarro

LE MILLION

released 04.15.1931 in France

directed by René Clair

with cinematography by Georges Périnal (who also worked with Jean Cocteau, see more of his work with our 1932 pick BLOOD OF A POET)

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez

 We talk 1930 cinema history.

And then talk through two important films for very different reasons.

BORDERLINE

released 10.13.1930 in the United Kingdom

directed by Kenneth Macpherson

starring Paul Robeson (we will dive deeper into him in 1933)

L’AGE D’OR

released 11.29.1930 in France

directed by Luis Buñuel

+ written with Salvador Dalí

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez

This week, we are talking about our love Laura Dern! And specifically 2 favorites (a great double feature!): Smooth Talk (1985) directed by Joyce Chopra + Citizen Ruth (1996) directed by Alexander Payne. Plus a bit about the Enlightened series (2011). And lots about artistic process. 

And we talk about our love for Black Lady Sketch Show and Kendrick Lamar's latest Mr. Morale & Big Steppers. Also, The Staircase with queen Toni Collette and Colin Firth. 

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Website: release.pictures

Music by René j Núñez

This week, we are talking about New Wave punk films of the late 70s-80s! We cover a lot of terrain and parse how the punk ethos were represented in film, and the reaction to it. We get into these films specifically: Jubilee (1978), Liquid Sky (1982), Smithereens (1982), Stop Making Sense (1984) and True Stories (1986).

There’s also a documentary about Jubilee from 2003 that we recommend. It’s called Jubilee: A Time Less Golden. It is worth checking out.

And watch Jerrod Carmichael’s 2022 special Rothaniel. It's amazing.

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Website: release.pictures

Music by René j Núñez

This week, we are talking about another iconic set of collaborators! One of the first thing Paul interested to Caroline was the incredible YouTube series UNHhhh. If you haven't seen it, you've got to. In it, the two RuPaul's Drag Race stars riff on a broad theme (Death, Space, Roommates, etc.) as the green screen their placed in front of allows their brilliant editors to punch up the conversation. It's truly one of the most delightful things you can watch. And out oft he gate, the duo had just the most potent chemistry. They are now on tour together and Paul was lucky enough to see it. We talk about that and all things Trixie and Katya. And then we talk Urban Cowboy (1980) and line dancing. Please DM us your line dancing movie recommendations.

And 80s New Wave movies won out over Stoner Films so see you for that in a near-future minisode.

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Website: release.pictures

Music by René j Núñez

This week we are talking about the most incredible European New Wave duo! Italian actress Monica Vitti and Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni were collaborators and lovers in the 1960s and made some of the most indelible films of all time so far. 

We watched and loved: L'Avventura (1960), La Notte (1961), L'Eclisse (1962) and Red Desert (1964).

Because you gotta go beyond Blow-Up (1966) and his other MGM films. Those are good too but, ya know.

Also these 2 documentaries are worth checking out and we talk about them a bit:

Antonioni: Documents and Testimonials (1966)

Blow Up of "Blow Up" (2016)

And at the end we talk about An American In Paris, Swamp Thing (and Paul's romantic love for him), Mrs. Maisel, John Malkovich and Cher.

Finally, we have a question. What should our next minisode be? 1980s New Wave or Stoner Movies.

Vote on our Spotify or send us your vote on Instagram. We'll also post a proper poll there along with lots of supplemental content on Monica x Michelangelo.

Instagram: @release_pod

Website: release.pictures

Music by René j Núñez

This week Caroline pushes Paul to explore Hal Hartley and the original indie queen herself Adrienne Shelly.

And they (we) both loved it. 

Highly recommend the 2 films we discuss as a double feature: The Unbelievable Truth (1989) and Trust (1990) from Hartley's Long Island Triology. We also discuss the documentary Adrienne (2021) about the amazing life and tragic death of Hartley's star.

This week we are talking about Hungarian animation - specifically the legendary Pannonia Film Studio. Started in 1951, they were home to some of the most pioneering animators.

We cover:

Son of the White Mare (1981) - Marcell Jankovics

epic feature that combines folk art sensibilities & psychedelia 

Panic (1978) - Sándor Reisenbüchler

a futuristic short that features cool salamanders 

Gobble-Gobble (1977) - István Bányai

a gluttonous dude consumes it all and then is consumed

I Like Life A Lot (1977) - Kati Macskássy

life in Hungary is told thru the eyes of children and their drawings

Horse in the House (1975) - Györgyi Csonka

a surreal and absurd detective short

plus a bit about Walt Disney, specifically Snow White (1937)

and a little tangent into Star Wars territory.

We hit on what was happening in cinema in 1935.

We have 2 epic films this week. First, we get into the final collaboration between one of the greatest muse/auteur duos in film history. Second, we chat about a real neorealist revelation.

THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN

released 03.15.1935 in the United States

directed by Josef von Sternberg

starring Marlene Dietrich

TONI

released 02.22.1935 in France

directed by Jean Renoir

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez

We talk 1929 cinema history

And then tackle a couple of really great, very dark films.

ARSENAL

released 02.25.1929 in the Soviet Union

THE LETTER

released 04.13.1929 in the United States

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez

We are together in New York City this week! So we are talking NYC on film. We take it all over the place but the 2 films we watched together are Ciao! Manhattan (1972, starring Edie Sedgwick) and The Queen (an incredible documentary about the 1967 Miss All-American Camp Beauty Pageant). Both are a part of the Criterion Channel's "New York Stories" series.

We detail what was happening in film in 1928.

And we dive into these 2 extraordinary movies.

THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC

released 10.25.1928 in France

Fritz Lang's

THE WIND

released 11.23.1928 in the United States

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez

We talk film history from 1927.

And we dissect these 2 classics:

F. W. Murnau's

SUNRISE: A SONG OF TWO HUMANS

released 09.23.1927 in the United States

Fritz Lang's

METROPOLIS

released 01.10.1927 in Germany

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez

All things Goldie and Melanie go down in this episode. 

Because we're redeeming ourselves from a minor case of mistaken identity.

We talk: 

Laugh-In

Cactus Flower

Deceived

Shampoo

Body Double

Cecil B. Demented

and lots more. 

We talk movie happenings of 1926 - funerals, technology, gossip.

And we get way into these 2 movies:

steamy twisted romance

FLESH AND THE DEVIL

released 12.25.1926 in the United States

haunting art house film

A PAGE OF MADNESS

released 09.24.1926 in Japan

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez

We are talking stop motion animation in music videos! 

Including:

Peter Gabriel - “Sledgehammer”

(We couldn’t find out how many 16-hour days that took to create, btw. Let us know.)

CSS - “Alala”

Brothers Quay

Tierra Whack - “Unemployed”

Cat Solen

“The Shivering Truth”

With tangents about:

Kate Bush

Tori Amos

Tool - “Sober” 

This Kurt Cobain interview

Brothers Quay in the Criterion Closet

Janet Jackson - “What Have You Done for Me Lately”

Madonna - “Express Yourself”

Find us on Instagram: @release_pod

And on our website: release.pictures

We post all the upcoming movies we are going to be talking about on there.

We talk what was happening in cinema in 1925.

And we plumb the depths of these 2 movies:

epic stop-motion film

THE LOST WORLD

released 02.02.1925 in the United States

super influential war drama

THE BIG PARADE

released 11.05.1925 in the United States

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez

This week we are talking ZOLA! We've been waiting on the edge of our seats for this film directed by Janicza Bravo. Written by Janicza Bravo and Jeremy O. Harris, based on tweets by A'Ziah King and an article by David Kushner. It stars Taylour Paige, Riley Keough, Colman Domingo and Nicholas Braun. 

Tangents include: working in movie theaters, nachos, movies that boys want to talk about and more. 

Our first episode! 

We talk why we wanted to do the pod and why we started in 1924.

We get into what was happening in film in 1924.

And we deep dive into 2 movies:

HE WHO GETS SLAPPED

released 11.09.1924 in the United States

AELITA: QUEEN OF MARS

released 09.25.1924 in the Soviet Union

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez.

This week we are getting into the filmography of one of the so-called Three M’s of the 1950s (along with Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield). Mamie ended up firmly in the teen delinquent lane, playing rock n roll rebel babes (to great effect). We had a lot of fun watching Untamed Youth (1957), High School Confidential (1958), Guns, Girls, and Gangsters and Girls Town (1959). And of course we get into all that factored into the teen exploitation film explosion of the 1950s.

You can watch all the Mamie movies we watched on YouTube for free. Check out our playlist here.

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Music by René j Núñez

Instagram: @release_pod

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This week we are together on Paul’s couch talking about Night Flight! Specifically we are talking over the epic Night Flight episode “’Take Off’ To Women In Rock II”. Tina Turner, Sheila E., The Pointer Sisters, Madonna, Wendy O. Williams… it rules. And we are big fans of Night Flight in general.

Subscribe to Night Flight and watch this episode and tons of other amazing content here.

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Music by René j Núñez

Instagram: @release_pod

Website: release.pictures

Happy Halloween! We talk about many horror movies that we watched and recommend (both of us on a real binge for eerie season). But really dig into Suspiria (1977), House (1977) and the The Funhouse (1981).

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez

Before directing big-time feature films like ALIEN³ (1992), Se7en (1995), Fight Club (1999), Panic Room (2002), Zodiac (2007), The Social Network (2010) and Mank (2020), David Fincher was a music video director, working with mega-watt stars like Madonna, George Michael, Jody Watley and Paula Abdul. 

Paul curated a list of his favorite Fincher vids that you can watch here.

And we talk over them a la Mystery Science Theater 3000 because we were together IRL in Tucson, Arizona this week.

At the end of the episode we talk about what we are watching, including Niagara (1953), The Misfits (1961), Cabaret (1972), 3 Women (1977) and Minari (2020).

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Music by René j Núñez

We had to sneak a pre-code American gangster film in here at the mid-season break for the 1930s. So we did the classic 1932 SCARFACE, directed by Howard Hawks and produced by Howard Hughes. And we compare it to the 1983 iconic remake by Brian De Palma with Al Pacino. We are into this format. We hope you like it too.

Later we talk Across 110th Street (1972) and The Last Movie Stars (2022).

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Music by René j Núñez

We talk thru 1934 film history and get deep into the nitty gritty of the Production Code which began to be enforced this year (long story short: huge bummer for creativity).

Then we get into an incredible Busby Berkeley musical number, attached to a pretty okay film with the incredible Bette Davis (lots to say about her journey in this episode). And then we get completely dumbstruck by the talent of Jean Vigo and his short but amazing film career.

FASHIONS OF 1934

released 02.14.1934 in the United States

directed by William Dieterle

L'ATALANTE

released 09.12.1934 in France

directed by Jean Vigo

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez

We talk thru 1933 film history and the fascinating effects of the Great Depression and an onscreen female orgasm.

And then we talk about 2 films great movies.

THE EMPEROR JONES

released 09.29.1933 in the United States

directed by Dudley Murphy

and starring renaissance man Paul Robeson (who we also discuss in our 1930 episode)

DRAGNET GIRL

released 04.27.1933 in Japan

directed by Yasujirō Ozu

and starring trailblazer Kinuyo Tanaka 

See supplemental material:

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Music by René j Núñez