The Directors' Wall

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Everything! For our first ever Christmas special we review a Christmas special: Sofia Coppola’s A Very Murray Christmas (2015). At first glance, this Netflix musical Christmas “TV” special about putting on a musical Christmas TV special seems like it is soaked in holiday melancholy but Bryan and A.J. find that it is filled with holiday joy and many of Sofia’s favorite themes and trademarks. We go through the songs and delightful cast, talk about other Christmas specials of the past, and notice how this 2015 special about people making the most of being stuck in a place because it is too dangerous to leave makes it feel like a pre-COVID COVID movie. We also bemoan the mysterious Netflix algorithm and streaming in general and Bryan suggests a Bill Murray holiday trifecta. Tangents include: the Star Wars Holiday Special, our favorite Christmas movies, the Vulcan Video holiday section, and George Clooney’s pranks. We also briefly discuss the early ‘90s Dave Markey short Burning Palms on Jennifer’s Coffee Table, featuring a young Sofia Coppola. This episode’s themed drink was: Soiled Kimono.

Sofia Coppola once again takes us on a tour through Los Angeles wealth but this time it’s with The Bling Ring (2013). Based on the unbelievable but very true story of a group of celebrity obsessed teenagers who easily break into different celebrities’ mansions and steal lots of stuff, Sofia’s adaptation touches on many of her favorite interests and themes. Bryan and A.J. discuss whether Sofia’s style is distant or observational, Emma Watson’s standout performance, how the movie affected the real case which was still working its way through the courts, and the cinematography of the late Harris Savides. We also talk about the Phoenix-Chloroform music video and Miss Dior-Blooming Bouquet commercial she directed. SPOILER ALERT for this true story but also for First Cow, which we end up talking about too. Other tangents include Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers (2012), the films of Marc and Christopher Coppola (Nicolas Cage’s brothers), and Bryan has a correction for IMDB. This episode’s themed drink was Sofia Brut Rose minis.

We are in need of a great debate about…Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis (2024). After literally decades in the making, Coppola’s ambitious passion project finally made it to theaters and gave us a lot to talk about. We (briefly) go over the long production history, the critical and poor box office performance, and how we were surprised by our own reactions. We also talk about the performances, the wild, random, and unforgettable plot points and dialogue, Coppola’s big swings of the past, and why the best movies to understand Coppola’s style are Rumble Fish, The Rain People, and even George Lucas’s THX 1138 (which Coppola produced). We also talk about Coppola’s latest re-edit, One From the Heart: Reprise. This episode’s Coppola wine was: Francis Coppola Diamond Prosecco.

To help us breakdown Sofia Coppola’s “experimental” film, Somewhere (2010), we are joined by special guest Jenny McKeown, programmer and host of the A Woman of Taste film series. After the large scale production of Marie Antoinette (2006), Coppola took a scaled back, minimalist approach to her story about a listless movie star reconnecting with his daughter. We talk about Sofia’s further lean into “arthouse” style, her collaboration with the late, great cinematographer Harris Savides, Stephen Dorff’s career, and A.J. pitches a Sofia Coppola adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. We also talk about Coppola’s commercial for Miss Dior Cherie and the Somewhere crossover episode of the reality TV series The Girls Next Door. This episode’s themed meal and drink were sad spaghetti and whatever liquor was around the room.  For more on A Woman of Taste check out: https://www.instagram.com/awoman_oftastepresents/ [https://www.instagram.com/awoman_oftastepresents/]

Spoiler Alert! The M. Night Shift is back! Bryan and A.J. went to the movies for the latest M. Night Shyamalan experience: Trap. Following Siskel & Ebert rules we didn’t reveal our thoughts until recording began and it turns out… we each had a different M. Night Shyamlan experience. We talk about Josh Harnett’s great performance, the curious casting of Haley Mills, and the not-exactly-twists the story takes. We also discuss other thrillers and serial killer movies which likely influenced Shyamalan, plot points that do not hold up to scrutiny, and whether or not Shyamalan can go dark. Minor tangents include the TV series Monk and the meaning behind star ratings. This episode’s Shyamalan scotch was: Shackleton blended malt.