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Xoe and Rita discuss film, literature, historical figures, interests, and obsessions.
Episodes
Saturday Mar 27, 2021
Saturday Mar 27, 2021
Link to "Shame & Scandal (In the Family):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJyVB_sqh3E
Special Thanks to Adam Roche for his excellently researched podcast The Secret History of Hollywood - Shadows. This is a multi-hour epic documentary about Val Lewton's life and work. https://www.attaboyclarence.com/the-secret-history-of-hollywood
Val Lewton (1904-1951) (nee Vladimir Ivanovich Hofschneider in Imperial Russia; mother's maiden name was Leventon)
Top Four Must-See Val Lewton movies:
1) I Walked with Zombie
2) Cat People
3) Rita: The Ghost Ship; Xoe: The 7th Victim
Universal Studios horror classics:
Frankenstein (1931) - starring Boris Karloff
Dracula (1931) - starring Bela Lugosi
The Black Cat (1941) - exemplar of Universal formula mixing equal parts of suspense/horror and comedy; directed by Albert Rogell, brother of Sid Rogell who was Val Lewton's boss for during his early career.
Lewton's filmography as producer:
Cat People (1942) (Jacques Tourneur)
I Walked with a Zombie (1943) (Tourneur)
The Leopard Man (1943) (Tourneur)
7th Victim (1943) (Mark Robson)
The Ghost Ship (1943) (Robson) - Theme: Corruption caused by power/authority
Curse of the Cat People (1944 (Gunther von Fritsch, Robert Wise)
Mademoiselle Fifi (1944) (Wise)
Youth Runs Wild (1944) (Robson)
The Body Snatcher (1945) (Wise)
Isle of the Dead (1945) (Wise)
Bedlam (1946) (Robson)
My Own True Love (1948) (Paramount)
Please Believe Me (1950) (MGM)
Apache Drums (1951) (Universal)
Intro and extro music: "Future mind" by Powerbleeder. Thanks David!
Saturday Feb 27, 2021
Saturday Feb 27, 2021
Val Lewton (1904-1951) (nee Vladimir Ivanovich Hofschneider in Imperial Russia; mother's maiden name was Leventon)
Top Four Must-See Val Lewton movies:
1) I Walked with Zombie
2) Cat People
3) Rita: The Ghost Ship; Xoe: The 7th Victim
Universal Studios horror classics:
Frankenstein (1931) - starring Boris Karloff
Dracula (1931) - starring Bela Lugosi
The Black Cat (1941) - exemplar of Universal formula mixing equal parts of suspense/horror and comedy; directed by Albert Rogell, brother of Sid Rogell who was Val Lewton's boss for during his early career.
Lewton's filmography as producer:
Cat People (1942) (Jacques Tourneur)
I Walked with a Zombie (1943) (Tourneur)
The Leopard Man (1943) (Tourneur)
7th Victim (1943) (Mark Robson)
The Ghost Ship (1943) (Robson) - Theme: Corruption caused by power/authority
Curse of the Cat People (1944 (Gunther von Fritsch, Robert Wise)
Mademoiselle Fifi (1944) (Wise)
Youth Runs Wild (1944) (Robson)
The Body Snatcher (1945) (Wise)
Isle of the Dead (1945) (Wise)
Bedlam (1946) (Robson)
My Own True Love (1948) (Paramount)
Please Believe Me (1950) (MGM)
Apache Drums (1951) (Universal)
Special Thanks to Adam Roche for his excellently researched podcast The Secret History of Hollywood - Shadows. This is a multi-hour epic documentary about Val Lewton's life and work. https://www.attaboyclarence.com/the-secret-history-of-hollywood
Intro and extro music: "Future mind" by Powerbleeder. Thanks David!
Saturday Jan 30, 2021
Saturday Jan 30, 2021
MILDRED PIERCE
Novel: Mildred Pierce by James M Cain, 1941. Still entertaining
Film: Mildred Pierce (1947) - starring Joan Crawford, Ann Blythe, Zachary Scott, Eve Arden - The classic holds up
Miniseries: Mildred Pierce (2011) 5 episodes - starring Kate Winslet, Evan Rachel Wood, Guy Pearce - Atmospheric, well-acted and directed, a little too slow because there is not enough material from the novel to fill 5 episodes.
Reccomended movies mentioned:
The Bad Seed (1956)
The Babadook (2014)
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Duel in the Sun (1946)
Sunday Jan 03, 2021
Sunday Jan 03, 2021
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Stay tuned for the discussion on how much we hate St. John Rivers, the significance of Rochester's mad wife Bertha, Jane Eyre erotica, and more!
Books:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855), 1847.
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, 2001. (Alternate universe in which the criminal enters great novels and
changes the plot. The protagonist, Thursday Next, is a detective in the literary police.)
The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
Adaptations:
Jane Eyre (1934) - starring Virginia Bruce and Colin Clive.
I Walked with a Zombie (1943, very loose adaptation) starring Frances Dee and Tom Conway.
Jane Eyre (1944) - starring Joan Fontaine and Orson Wells.
Jane Eyre (1970) - starring Susannah York and George C Scott.
Jane Eyre (1983 - 5 1/2-hour BBC series) - starring Zelah Clarke and Timothy Dalton.
Jane Eyre (1996) - starring Charlotte Gainsbourgh and William Hurt.
Jane Eyre (1997) - starring Samantha Morton and Ciaran Hinds.
Jane Eyre (2006 - 4-hour BBC series) - starring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens.
Jane Eyre (2011) - starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbinder.
Saturday Dec 05, 2020
Saturday Dec 05, 2020
We made a newsflash about COVID to tell you we will not be talking much about COVID, but we hope each and every one of you are as well as possible!
Take care everyone <3
Saturday Nov 28, 2020
Saturday Nov 28, 2020
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Stay tuned for the discussion on how much we hate St. John Rivers, the significance of Rochester's mad wife Bertha, Jane Eyre erotica, and more!
Books:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855), 1847.
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, 2001. (Alternate universe in which the criminal enters great novels and
changes the plot. The protagonist, Thursday Next, is a detective in the literary police.)
Adaptations:
Jane Eyre (1934) - starring Virginia Bruce and Colin Clive.
I Walked with a Zombie (1943, very loose adaptation) starring Frances Dee and Tom Conway.
Jane Eyre (1944) - starring Joan Fontaine and Orson Wells.
Jane Eyre (1970) - starring Susannah York and George C Scott.
Jane Eyre (1983 - 5 1/2-hour BBC series) - starring Zelah Clarke and Timothy Dalton.
Jane Eyre (1996) - starring Charlotte Gainsbourgh and William Hurt.
Jane Eyre (1997) - starring Samantha Morton and Ciaran Hinds.
Jane Eyre (2006 - 4-hour BBC series) - starring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens.
Jane Eyre (2011) - starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbinder.
Saturday Oct 24, 2020
Saturday Oct 24, 2020
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Stay tuned for the discussion on how much we hate St. John Rivers, the significance of Rochester's mad wife Bertha, Jane Eyre erotica, and more!
Books:
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855), 1847.
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, 2001. (Alternate universe in which the criminal enters great novels and
changes the plot. The protagonist, Thursday Next, is a detective in the literary police.)
Adaptations:
Jane Eyre (1934) - starring Virginia Bruce and Colin Clive.
I Walked with a Zombie (1943, very loose adaptation) starring Frances Dee and Tom Conway.
Jane Eyre (1944) - starring Joan Fontaine and Orson Wells.
Jane Eyre (1970) - starring Susannah York and George C Scott.
Jane Eyre (1983 - 5 1/2-hour BBC series) - starring Zelah Clarke and Timothy Dalton.
Jane Eyre (1996) - starring Charlotte Gainsbourgh and William Hurt.
Jane Eyre (1997) - starring Samantha Morton and Ciaran Hinds.
Jane Eyre (2006 - 4-hour BBC series) - starring Ruth Wilson and Toby Stephens.
Jane Eyre (2011) - starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbinder.
Saturday Sep 26, 2020
Saturday Sep 26, 2020
Xoe and Rita do a deep dive into the many iterations of the classic story of A Star is Born and the themes of true love, addiction, artistry, and feminism each explores in its own way. Stay tuned for part II to learn who is the handsomest Mr. Maine.
What Price Hollywood? (1932)- dir. George Cuckor and starring Constance Bennett, Lowell Sherman, Neil Hamilton.
A Star is Born (1937)- starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March
A Star is Born (1954)-starring Judy Garland and James Mason
A Star is Born (1976)- starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson
A Star is Born (2018)- starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga
In order of rank, best to worst:
1954
1937
1976 & 2018 (tied)
Saturday Sep 05, 2020
Saturday Sep 05, 2020
A Star is Born(s) - 4 films and a prototype
Xoe and Rita do a deep dive into the many iterations of the classic story of A Star is Born and the themes of true love, addiction, artistry, and feminism each explores in its own way. Stay tuned for part II to learn who is the handsomest Mr. Maine.
What Price Hollywood? (1932)- dir. George Cuckor and starring Constance Bennett, Lowell Sherman, Neil Hamilton.
A Star is Born (1937)- starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March
A Star is Born (1954)-starring Judy Garland and James Mason
A Star is Born (1976)- starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson
A Star is Born (2018)- starring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga
Saturday Aug 08, 2020
Saturday Aug 08, 2020
We discuss the iterations of Babe, pig extraordinaire, and the deep themes that can be found in the excellent film adaptation of the book, Babe (1995).
We also discuss:
Babe: The Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith (book)
Babe: Pig in the city (1998)
Wallace and Gromit in The Wrong Trousers (1993)
Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (book)
Theme music is "Future Mind" by David Plell of Powerbleeder