The Cinematic Tangent

XX – ‘Gladiator’ Jumps the Shark

We grew up in a time when the original Gladiator was a cultural touchstone—everyone saw this movie, and it was the talk of the proverbial water cooler. But, is it actually a good movie? We debate that, getting hung up on a pointless, long escape sequence that sees Maximus end up right back where he started. One thing we do agree on: The first film is a masterpiece compared to its dopey, confusing, CGI-heavy sequel—one where the revealing human combat is replaced by baboons, rhinos, and sharks. Why? No idea.  Show Notes: The ever-changing Blade Runner: https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=4589 [https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=4589] Harrison Ford’s voiceover in Blade Runner: https://www.slashfilm.com/873403/blade-runners-ending-wasnt-the-only-reason-harrison-ford-hated-his-voiceovers/ [https://www.slashfilm.com/873403/blade-runners-ending-wasnt-the-only-reason-harrison-ford-hated-his-voiceovers/] Chad’s Die Hard 5 review:  https://chadmichaelvanalstin.blogspot.com/2013/02/movie-review-good-day-to-die-hard-2013.html [https://chadmichaelvanalstin.blogspot.com/2013/02/movie-review-good-day-to-die-hard-2013.html] Vulture piece on how Marvel SFX are an assembly line: https://www.vulture.com/article/a-vfx-artist-on-what-its-like-working-for-marvel.html [https://www.vulture.com/article/a-vfx-artist-on-what-its-like-working-for-marvel.html]  Christopher Nolan praises Gladiator 2: https://variety.com/2024/film/focus/christopher-nolan-gladiator-ii-ridley-scott-1236252847/ [https://variety.com/2024/film/focus/christopher-nolan-gladiator-ii-ridley-scott-1236252847/] Gladiator 3 confirmed:  https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/ridley-scott-confirms-hes-currently-making-gladiator-3/ [https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/ridley-scott-confirms-hes-currently-making-gladiator-3/] Intro Music: https://pixabay.com/music/indie-pop-fun-punk-opener-14343/ [https://pixabay.com/music/indie-pop-fun-punk-opener-14343/] Other Music: https://pixabay.com/music/id-105/ [https://pixabay.com/music/id-105/] and https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-rock-it-21275/ [https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-rock-it-21275/]  Email the Show: thecinematictangent@gmail.com [thecinematictangent@gmail.com]

XIX – ‘American Fiction’ and ‘You People’

For this episode, we opted to compare and contrast American Fiction and You People, two comedy-dramas where contemporary racial politics are the focal point. Yet, their perspective, style, tone, themes—and demonstrated level of filmmaking competence—could not be more radically different. We thoroughly analyze both films in our patented “deep casual” style, and we ask only that you forgive us for being (white) dudes. Let’s have a good time. Show Notes: Barry Jenkins made a crappy Lion King prequel because he wants kids to read William Shakespeare:  https://apnews.com/article/mufasa-barry-jenkins-lion-king-interview-9c70f2933f428d78e12a3ad7eca077f5 [https://apnews.com/article/mufasa-barry-jenkins-lion-king-interview-9c70f2933f428d78e12a3ad7eca077f5] James Gunn is the latest attempt to resuscitate the “DC Comics Cinematic Universe”:  https://thedirect.com/article/james-gunn-dcu-chronological-order [https://thedirect.com/article/james-gunn-dcu-chronological-order] The motte-and-bailey fallacy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motte-and-bailey_fallacy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motte-and-bailey_fallacy] “Dog Park” prank:  https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/arts/academic-journals-hoax.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/04/arts/academic-journals-hoax.html] JD Vance wrote a memoir: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062300546/hillbilly-elegy [https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062300546/hillbilly-elegy] Intro Music: https://pixabay.com/music/indie-pop-fun-punk-opener-14343/ [https://pixabay.com/music/indie-pop-fun-punk-opener-14343/] Other Music: https://pixabay.com/music/id-105/ [https://pixabay.com/music/id-105/] and https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-rock-it-21275/ [https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-rock-it-21275/]  Email the Show: thecinematictangent@gmail.com [thecinematictangent@gmail.com]

XVIII – Don Bluth

We take a deep dive into the films of animator and director Don Bluth, with special focus on The Land Before Time, An American Tail, All Dogs Go to Heaven, and Anastasia.  For those of us who grew up watching these movies, they are remembered for their dark subject matter and themes antithetical to Disney. Now that we’re grown ups, we see stories that express the human condition from the perspective of a regular person, with protagonists who seek only to live normal lives as they battle against the forces that rule life in a world that is anything but perfect.  Show Notes: Laika Studios CEO on sequels: https://screencrush.com/no-movie-sequels-for-laika/ [https://screencrush.com/no-movie-sequels-for-laika/] The movie Chad mentioned but could not recall is “A Dog’s Purpose”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dog%27s_Purpose_(film) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dog%27s_Purpose_(film)] Tolkien and the sun: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Sun [https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Sun] The penis helicopter from Rock-a-Doodle: http://bluthanized.blogspot.com/2010/10/rock-doodle-1991.html [http://bluthanized.blogspot.com/2010/10/rock-doodle-1991.html] Intro Music: https://pixabay.com/music/indie-pop-fun-punk-opener-14343/ [https://pixabay.com/music/indie-pop-fun-punk-opener-14343/] Other Music: https://pixabay.com/music/id-105/ [https://pixabay.com/music/id-105/] and https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-rock-it-21275/ [https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-rock-it-21275/]  Email the Show: thecinematictangent@gmail.com [thecinematictangent@gmail.com]

XVII – ‘Furiosa’, the PopTart Movie, and Tangents

George Miller can’t make yet another great Mad Max movie, right? Wrong. He can and he did. And we hope he makes them forever. As we catch up on movies we’ve seen, one of them was Unfrosted. There’s a deep analysis of Jerry Seinfeld’s directorial debut (and its Goo Monster), followed by some light praise of a movie that is memorably bad and worth seeing for its cringe.  Plus, talk of Morgan Spurlock, South Park, Inside Out 2, the growing trend of film entitlement, and how our machine overlords are destroying our lives through our phones.  Show Notes: Normal Accidents website: https://www.normalaccidents.com/ [https://www.normalaccidents.com/] George Miller on Mad Max: https://time.com/6975716/george-miller-furiosa-interview/ [https://time.com/6975716/george-miller-furiosa-interview/] Mad Max? Who needs him?: https://www.ign.com/videos/why-the-mad-max-movies-dont-need-mad-max-anymore [https://www.ign.com/videos/why-the-mad-max-movies-dont-need-mad-max-anymore]  Criticism of Super Size Me: https://www.chron.com/life/hoffman/article/Ordering-up-some-food-for-thought-1627633.php [https://www.chron.com/life/hoffman/article/Ordering-up-some-food-for-thought-1627633.php] Interview with Jerry Seinfeld: https://www.kevinhershner.com/video-podcasts [https://www.kevinhershner.com/video-podcasts]  Freddie deBoer on the incongruity of mental health discourse: https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/how-convenient-that-kanye-wests-behavior [https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/how-convenient-that-kanye-wests-behavior]  Obnoxious fan fiction on Inside Out: https://screenrant.com/inside-out-2-trailer-riley-emotions-nonbinary-theory/ [https://screenrant.com/inside-out-2-trailer-riley-emotions-nonbinary-theory/] More obnoxious fan fiction about Inside Out: https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/06/13/riley-inside-out-2-queer-disney-pixar/ [https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/06/13/riley-inside-out-2-queer-disney-pixar/] Film Threat on the death of Star Wars: https://filmthreat.libsyn.com/the-acolyte-episode-3-and-the-death-of-star-wars [https://filmthreat.libsyn.com/the-acolyte-episode-3-and-the-death-of-star-wars] George Lucas interview at Cannes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M12GmFYyA4g [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M12GmFYyA4g] George Lucas did donate his Star Wars sale money to charity: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2012/10/george-lucas-star-wars-4-billion-disney-charity [https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2012/10/george-lucas-star-wars-4-billion-disney-charity] Freddie deBoer on why art isn’t made for you: https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/not-everything-is-for-everyone [https://freddiedeboer.substack.com/p/not-everything-is-for-everyone] South Park: Joining the Panderverse: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29474455/ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt29474455/] Intro Music: https://pixabay.com/music/indie-pop-fun-punk-opener-14343/ [https://pixabay.com/music/indie-pop-fun-punk-opener-14343/] Other Music: https://pixabay.com/music/id-105/ [https://pixabay.com/music/id-105/] and https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-rock-it-21275/ [https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-rock-it-21275/]  Email the Show: thecinematictangent@gmail.com [thecinematictangent@gmail.com]

XVI – Conversation with Kevin Hershner, Director of ‘Normal Accidents’

We sat down with Chad’s old Virginia Tech classmate Kevin Hershner to discuss his film Normal Accidents. Kevin is a writer, director, and actor living in Los Angeles who is currently pitching the movie—his first feature—to festivals. Normal Accidents is an auteur satire on “one man, one location” films with a lot of levity. But, it’s also a serious meditation on the intrusive nature of technology and how many of us long for escape and quiet, away from the digital record of our flawed lives, our mistakes, and our regrets. It poses the question, how can we heal our minds and be our best selves when we can’t escape our digital ghosts?  We very much enjoyed it, and we think you will too. Check it out, a link is in the show notes. The three of us also hung out for a while after the interview to discuss the state of Hollywood blockbusters, the overuse of special effects, and how social media is shaping movies and giving them a shelf life. Plus, you get to hear Kevin’s intriguing take on the underlying meta-themes of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.  Show Notes: Normal Accidents website: https://www.normalaccidents.com [https://www.normalaccidents.com] Normal Accidents on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/normalaccidentsmovie/ [https://www.instagram.com/normalaccidentsmovie/]  Kevin’s website: https://www.kevinhershner.com/ [https://www.kevinhershner.com/] Kevin’s podcasts: https://www.kevinhershner.com/video-podcasts [https://www.kevinhershner.com/video-podcasts]  Kid Julius short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqzWrYr0vi8 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqzWrYr0vi8]  Intro Music: https://pixabay.com/music/indie-pop-fun-punk-opener-14343/ [https://pixabay.com/music/indie-pop-fun-punk-opener-14343/] Other Music: https://pixabay.com/music/id-105/ [https://pixabay.com/music/id-105/] and https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-rock-it-21275/ [https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-rock-it-21275/]  Email the Show: thecinematictangent@gmail.com [thecinematictangent@gmail.com]