Episode 7: Kimberly van Vulpen on TÓTEM (2023)

Episode 9: J. M. Tyree on FARGO

We discuss: Representing the American Midwest, the especially lives of people in Minnesota Tonal ambiguity and cinematic strangeness! Carter Burwell’s genre-bending score Ironic parallels between Fargo and Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) William H. Macy’s oddly charming performance as a loathsome character The film’s connections with westerns and films noir The film echoing Shakespeare’s problem plays and/or theater of the absurd (notably Waiting for Godot) No Country for Old Men (2007) as the inverse of Fargo A Serious Man (2009) as it resonates with the humor of Fargo The subversion of narrative and gendered norms, especially in the strength of Margie’s character and in relation to Classical noir A harsh winter environment for offsetting and understanding the warmth and softness of Margie A feminist approach to the characters of both Margie and Jean The value of gallows humor Defining a worldview of the Coen Brothers, in terms of confronting awful things with hilarious details Finding surprising depths of morality, especially in relation to ideas of greed and toxic masculinity The significance of a key representative scene featuring two non-main characters: Officer Olson and Mr. Mohra How the film speaks to current trends in the political climate of America What morals we can learn from the film NOW, going beyond its nostalgic value This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit filmschangelives.substack.com [https://filmschangelives.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 8: Chris Becker on MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON

We discuss: The wonderment Marcel inspires The voices of Jenny Slade and Isabella Rossellini The genesis of the movie The treatment of everyday objects as precious, sometimes repurposed The impact of multi-media storytelling The significance of seeing the world on a different scale Sources of inspiration, such as Sarah Penwarden’s creation of found poetry (in relation to Marcel’s world of found objects): see “Reliving a Poetry Symposium through Found Poetry” Disconnection as well as connection through social media Deciding what to hold on to Finding one’s place in a big world The importance of showing conflicts unresolved Breaking from Hollywood norms of conflict-based and investigation-based narrative construction Thinking beyond the limits of the body The idea of dust as skin, and its being all around us as a symbol of mortality The opposite of fear-mongering Cherishing everyday and re-appreciating everyday details The power in a way of seeing Small details that matter hugely Buddhist implications of the film’s processes Philip Larkin’s poem titled “The Trees,” as featured in the film This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit filmschangelives.substack.com [https://filmschangelives.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 7: Kimberly van Vulpen on TÓTEM (2023)

We discuss: The reality of hospice care Michelle Aaron’s book Death and the Moving Image (Edinburgh University Press) Familial, cultural, and cinematic strategies for coping with grief The place of children in a household of grief-stricken adults Grief management in a specifically Mexican cultural context The importance of memories and especially remembering moments of laughter while facing death Ideas of non-linear time Spirituality as a form of healing hope The value of ritual The reality that family members handle death and grief in wildly different ways The importance of communicating with children through a time of grief The significance of names The film’s ending and the wishes is does/does not grant Non-dogmatic belief systems How children can experience and express grief The value of conversation with and among grieving family member s This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit filmschangelives.substack.com [https://filmschangelives.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

INTRODUCTION: Films Change Lives

This podcast reflects my love of cinema and hearing about the films that have changed other people’s lives for the long term. While I’m an established scholar, editor, and author who loves sharing my own love of cinema, I’ve come to realize that it’s the dialogues with others that teach me the most. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit filmschangelives.substack.com [https://filmschangelives.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Episode 3: Jennifer Fleeger on CODA

We discuss: The dearth of nuanced representations of deaf people on film, and CODA as an important new example ASL in cinema: pitfalls and opportunities for relaying physicalized expressivity Music as self-expression in relation to coming-of-age and personal growth across generations Perfectly imperfect parenting  Leftist emphases on community-minded, localized solidarity The value of generative quiet A film that inspires amateur music-making  Connecting music with togetherness in CODA This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit filmschangelives.substack.com [https://filmschangelives.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]