The Strange Thing About the Johnson's

Retribution

Our first action movie, but before we watch, conversation flows on the state of Hollywood and the industry's unwillingness to take risks, how one should eat barbecue, how to manage wearing both hats of a writer and director, and the responsibilities a creative must take on when choosing the action genre.

Housekeeping

Tracy Kleeman's 2018 short film details nearly two months in the life of a housekeeper at a hotel where where a charming man has showered his charm on her. She soon realizes two truths: one, the man is married, and two, when he cheats, its not with her. The conversation covers directing decisions, whether those who succeed have a responsibility to help those who struggle, and on just punishment and who should dole it out when wrongs are committed.

I AM NOT A ROBOT

Victoria Warmerdam's latest short film, I Am Not A Robot, represents a feminist tale of an adult woman discovering through a failed CAPTCHA that she is not a human, leading to a confrontation with her deceitful partner who commissioned her, and the representative from the company that built her. The conversation covers story, feminism, similarities between the black and female experience, and the tricky work of giving criticism on sensitive topics.

The Strange Thing About the Johnson's

Ari Aster's AFI Thesis film is explored in depth. The conversation covers assault, power, artists making uncomfortable art, and the highwire act of telling cultural stories when you aren't part of the culture.