Cinema Bones

Cinema Bones - Ep 30 - Strange Days (1995)

CW: Police brutality, racism, and sexual assault discussed in relation to the plot and themes of the film. After an extended (and accidental) hiatus, Masie & Stuart are finally back with a new monthly schedule to dissect the unfortunately topical 1995 Kathryn Bigelow cyberpunk action film Strange Days. Starring Ralph Fiennes as the most pathetic ex-cop ever dealing street illegal VR-esque tech on New Year's Eve in the near future 1999, Strange Days is a shockingly prescient film in its portrayal of the evils of police brutality and racism. Does it nail its conclusions on these topics though? And does Angela Bassett slay so hard that its easy to overlook those faults? Tune in to find out! Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cinema_bones [https://linktr.ee/cinema_bones] Follow Us on Social Media @ Cinema_Bones on Instagram and Letterboxd for podcast updates. Additional Reading/Sources: Kathryn Bigelow's Commentary on Filming the POV Sequences [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NQDgoM_sNE] FilmScouts Interview with Bigelow and Co-Screenwriter Jay Cocks [http://www.filmscouts.com/SCRIPTs/interview.cfm?File=2767] Juliette Lewis, PJ Harvey Article from LA Times [https://web.archive.org/web/20230320232931/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-10-01-ca-51930-story.html] LA Time's Article about New Year's Eve Party Created during the Film's Production [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-09-19-ca-40393-story.html] Christian Science Monitor Article on Strange Days Featuring Comments from Bigelow [https://www.csmonitor.com/1995/1120/20132.html]

Cinema Bones - Ep 29 - From Up On Poppy Hill (2011)

In this episode, Masie & Stuart close out their examination of the filmography of Goro Miyazaki by checking out his second feature film, From Up On Poppy Hill. Has Goro learned any lessons from his first directorial outing with Tales from Earthsea? Or does he crash straight downhill? Listen as our hosts discuss this film's interesting historical setting, architecture, and character designs, but also its bizarre romantic conflict and mayhaps overly nostalgic perspective of 1960's Showa-era Japan. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cinema_bones [https://linktr.ee/cinema_bones] Follow Us on Social Media @ Cinema_Bones on Instagram and Letterboxd for podcast updates. Additional Reading/Sources: Inside Studio Ghibli's From Up on Poppy Hill: Grounding a Romance in Memories [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/movies/studio-ghiblis-from-up-on-poppy-hill.html?_r=0] * NYT Interview with Goro Miyazaki

Cinema Bones - Ep 28 - Tales from Earthsea (2006)

In this episode, Masie and Stuart take a boat to the fantasy lands of Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea book series for Studio Ghibli's 2006 adaptation titled Tales from Earthsea. Along with the director Goro Miyazaki, this film has quite a negative reputation among Ghibli's otherwise illustrious catalogue of animated productions. But does it deserve said reputation? Well, our hosts on their travels unfortunately find a film with a strong lack of visual identity and craft with a script that is... confusing to say the least. Tune into our hosts journey through turbulent waters as they discuss its strange adaptation decisions as well as how the film points to Ghibli's weaknesses as a studio. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cinema_bones [https://linktr.ee/cinema_bones] Follow Us on Social Media @ Cinema_Bones on Instagram and Letterboxd for podcast updates. Additional Reading/Sources: Interview with Toshio Suzuki about the Production of Tales from Earthsea [https://www.ghibli.jp/storage/000283/] Archive of Ursula K. Le Guin's Response to the Tales from Earthsea [https://web.archive.org/web/20201101121930/http://www.ursulakleguinarchive.com/GedoSenkiResponse.html]

Cinema Bones - Ep 27 - Call Me By Your Name (2017)

In this episode, Masie & Stuart finally wrap up their pride month duo after a moving hiatus by digging up the 2017 queer coming of age film Call Me By Your Name. A critical and financial success upon its release, Luca Guadagnino and James Ivory's film adaptation of Andre Aciman's novel has garnered a much messier reputation in the eight years since due to its age gap romance and the unfortunate presence of actor Armie Hammer. Our hosts explore the film's beautiful Italian vistas and often great performances and cinematography, while trying to untangle and dissect the many troubling elements tarnishing this film's ongoing legacy in gay cinema. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cinema_bones [https://linktr.ee/cinema_bones] Follow Us on Social Media @ Cinema_Bones on Instagram and Letterboxd for podcast updates. Additional Reading/Sources: We Need to Talk About Call Me By Your Name [https://youtu.be/hVp1F7I1kjI?feature=shared] - Video Essay by Lola Sebastian Spanish Article with Andre Aciman's Comments about Taboo [https://www.ecartelera.com/noticias/entrevista-andre-aciman-call-me-by-your-name-54563/#google_vignette]

Cinema Bones - Ep 26 - Fire Island (2022)

In this episode, Masie & Stuart celebrate pride month by watching Andrew Ahn's 2022 film Fire Island, a loose adaptation of Pride and Prejudice set on the titular gay resort. As queer fans of Jane Austen, our hosts find much to admire in this film's smart adaptation decisions and joyful, but critical examination of gay male community that subverts and examines stereotypes around race, class, and body type. Listen as they gush about the authentic cast of gay actors, recount the film's many good romcom moments, and discuss the parts of the script that could've been cut or used a bit more consideration. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/cinema_bones [https://linktr.ee/cinema_bones] Follow Us on Social Media @ Cinema_Bones on Instagram and Letterboxd for podcast updates. Additional Reading/Sources: Filmmaker Magazine Interview with Director Andrew Ahn [https://filmmakermagazine.com/114919-interview-andrew-ahn-fire-island/]