School of Movies

Mary and Max

[School of Movies 2020]

This one is so obscure that it didn't quite make $2m at the box office, so we are going to assume the vast majority of you haven't seen it and will shape our show around that. It's also heavy and alarming at times, despite its cosy art style as a stop-motion Australian animation with a quirky, twisted sense of humour.

It tells the tale of a young girl named Mary who fights the depressing doldrums of 70s suburbia by becoming random pen-pals with a nervous man in New York named Max. After an initial panic attack, Max (played with chameleonic natural intensity by the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffman) gets into the swing of elaborating to this curious child many of his habits and reflexive responses, which are later diagnosed as Aspergers.   

And what the film becomes is a sharing of mental and societal hangups, helping us as an audience understand what living with these heightened sensitivities might be like. And our sponsor for this one asked us to bring in the two shrinks to help us along the way.

This episode was commissioned by Chris Kelly

Guests:

Dr Hunter Mulcare @realhuntermmm  

Amy Donaldson of @TwoShrinksPod

Labyrinth

[School of Movies 2020] 

One of our favourite movies of all time. And so dense and richly layered in the kind of fantasy mirroring reality themes that we thrive on. In fact it is so beloved and so twisty and turny, as well as being bittersweetly painful due to the passing of David Bowie that we've been putting it off for years! Fortunately commissions season often makes us finally push the button on that kind of project and that was the case here.

Sarah is a spoiled 14-year old who is asked to look after her baby step-brother Toby. Instead she petulantly wishes him snatched away by goblins, an act she immediately regrets. The stage is then set for her to traverse the labyrinth which represents the deceptively ever-changing landscape of her maturing psyche, as she journeys to get Toby back. And all the while she is observed and hounded by Jareth the goblin king, who of course is more than what he first appears.  You can't take anything for granted here. 

This episode was commissioned by Maya Santandrea

Guests:

Hollywoo Actress  Maya Santandrea @Mayasantandrea  

Mackenzie Eastram  @KenziePhoenix of Rainbow Connection @MuppetsPod  

Nathan Eastram @bertnerdtram These two also of Video Game: The Movie: The Podcast  @VGTMPodcast 

Knives Out

[School of Movies 2020] 

A strange house, a family hiding all kinds of secrets, and an old and rich patriarch found dead. But things are never what they seem here, and if nothing else can be known for certain, this guy was a hugely successful writer of mysteries. 

This is a modern masterpiece: A murder mystery that confounds so many of the established moves of the genre, that it hides another story entirely within its framework. A combination of tight writing, lavish sets and an absolutely stellar cast propel this one into the stratosphere.

This episode was commissioned by Edward Burke

Guests:

Victoria Grieve  @VixenVVitch  

Hollywoo Actress  Maya Santandrea @Mayasantandrea  

Chris Chipman of The Chipman Bros Tangent @The Chippa 

From Sequentially Yours  Kaoru Negisa  @Moonpanther22 

and Debbie Morse  @bastet8300 

Flight of the Navigator

[School of Movies 2020] 

A boy gets snatched out of 1978 Florida by an alien intelligence and dumped back there eight years later, having only lost a few hours. A quirk of lightspeed travel that screws up his entire existence and has wrecked his family. That's right it's a fun little sci-fi from Disney!

Navigator was one of those also-rans. Not renowned for its cinema release but dearly beloved by the kids who discovered it on video and TV. It has a Twilight Zone concept that it takes seriously, it doesn't patronise its young audience and there's a third act dominated by a wacky A.I. played by Pee Wee Herman.

It's also one of my favourites from this era, and I urge all of you to track down the region-free Second Sight blu ray, as the transfer is astonishing.

This episode was commissioned by Greg Downing & Nick Ord

Hollywoo Actress  Maya Santandrea @Mayasantandrea  

Chris Chipman of The Chipman Bros Tangent @The Chippa 

From Sequentially Yours  Kaoru Negisa  @Moonpanther22 

and Debbie Morse  @bastet8300 

Stardust

[School of Movies 2020] 

This little-seen gem from 2007 was adapted from an adult fairy tale written as prose over four years by Neil Gaiman, with gorgeous illustrations by Charles Vess. It has a warmth and charm about it that is instantly appealing.

Stardust tells the tale of Tristan Thorn, a lad born from two worlds who works in a shop in a little Victorian English village which borders a portal to the realm of Faerie. Tristan has the hots for a shallow girl named Victoria, and pledges to bring her back a fallen shooting star to win her affections. Turns out the star that fell in Faerie takes the form of a young woman, who is understandably pissed off at being used as a love token.

There's fencing, fighting, witches, sacrifice, regicide, ghosts, sky pirates, chases, escapes, true love, miracles!

This episode was commissioned by Ruky Saavedra

Brenden Agnew of Cinapse  @BLCAgnew   

From Sequentially Yours  Kaoru Negisa  @Moonpanther22 

and Debbie Morse  @bastet8300 

Big Fish

[School of Movies 2020]

This one is going to be a tough listen for some. We stand by our assertion that it remains the best Tim Burton film, and one that feels both like and unlike his body of work. Our main focus is on the relationship between disgruntled adult son Will and his dying father Edward, who has spent this young man's whole life telling him fantastical tales that can't possibly be true. So if you've lost someone it may be hard to hold things together.

This was a very personal film for our sponsor and it broke us several times. And unexpectedly so, because this was marketed and regarded by most as a fun, visually stunning and quirky romance, focusing on the young, handsome, charming Ewan McGregor version of Edward, and his delicate bride-to-be played by Alison Lohman. But it's the biting point between cold reality and beguiling fantasy that we're interested in.

This episode was commissioned by Kat Essman. 

Guest

Chris Chipman of The Chipman Bros Tangent @The Chippa

Gremlins 2: The New Batch

[School of Movies 2020]

This time around, rather than those nasty little monsters attacking small-town Norman Rockwell America they have their sights set on the big city. The original was clearly a horror movie made with kids in mind. This one is a comedy with a ghoulish sensibility. A corporate lifestyle filled with technology that is supposed to make things easier but only serves as a hindrance? That is fertile ground for gremlin-based chaos!

It is also the one where Gizmo steps up and becomes a real character with intentions and regrets, and for that reason we consider G2 downright essential viewing, whether you've seen G1 or not. It's also a better initial foray for youngsters because they swap the malevolence for hilarity. The kids can always go back and watch New Batch: Origins after that. 

Guests

Brenden Agnew of Cinapse  @BLCAgnew 

Neil Taylor of TheKidDogg @KidDogg  

 

Gremlins

[School of Movies 2020]

Small town Americana is laid siege to, by a hoard of violent little monsters. It's tough to say whether this is appropriately frightening or frighteningly appropriate, seeing as it's all about ignoring the very clear rules given by those who are aware of what damage can be done by an outbreak like this. "I don't care what the experts say. I'll feed my mogwai after midnight and throw as much water on him as I like!"

This was an early movie for Joe Dante, produced by Spielberg, written by Chris Columbus, creature effects by Chris Walas. And it's dark and nasty and gruesome and hailed as an anti-holiday classic. 

This episode was commissioned by Andy Rodriguez.

Guests

Brenden Agnew of Cinapse  @BLCAgnew 

Neil Taylor of TheKidDogg @KidDogg  

A Few Good Men

[School of Movies 2020]

A tough and hard episode for a tough and hard year. We don't usually cover courtroom dramas, but this was both a commissioned episode and one of Sharon's favourites as a teen.

A young Aaron Sorkin penned this play about what happens when a certain unauthorised military disciplinary practice goes horribly wrong. It was based on a real life account, and was used to juxtapose the untouchability of the top brass with the scapegoating of young marines who pledged their life to their unit. 

We do talk about parallels with the police, and this episode, while swift is fairly merciless. There's also a few uses of the other F-bomb in the movie clips. It's also the third Rob Reiner film we've covered without planning to in the space of just a few months. At this rate we'll have his body of work done by year-end (which should happen in around 280 years time).

This episode was commissioned by Martin Hooie

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

[School of Everything Else 2020]

A completely spoilerific discussion on all five seasons of the modern, second version of She-Ra. I honestly don't know how much someone who has never seen the show will get out of this one, but if you've finished it you'll be in hog heaven.

We have eight minds and voices gathered, and they are all going to talk about 25+ characters over a tightly focused two and a half hour runtime.  It may sound too strictly controlled, but I marvelled at how incisive everyone managed to be under these restrictions. This is quite a feat of podcasting.

This episode was commissioned by Zac Malm, Carsten Immel and James Glass . 

Guests:

Maya Santandrea

Lyra Shaw

Lauren Yeomans

Mel Curtis

Holly Dotson

Collin of The Cinema Cephalopod