A-Z #97: The Ice Storm

You can pick up hundreds of DVDs for a round-pound each - it doesn't matter. It's never about quantity, it's about quality. A-Z is my way of going through my collection, from A-Z, and understanding why I own the films ... or you can tell me why I should sell 'em

#97 - The Ice Storm

Why did I buy it?

For The Film Locker with Ryan. I had never seent he film and I had heard through the grapevine that this was one of Ang Lee's best and I couldn't ignore it, could I?

 

Why do I still own it?

After only one watch, I knew it was one to go back to. The depth of interest about family and the range of challenges people have which, on the one hand, are explored - but each character is unaware about the other, creates this brilliant balancing act that clearly shows the complexity of family life. I'm from a family of six children - making a total of eight people in the family household. This film highlighted how I shouldn't take advantage of these incredibly close and important relationships.

The Film Locker #12: Roman Polanski and 'Chinatown'

And so, 12-episodes down and we have completed our run. We finish with Polanski a director I have always admired primarily through our choice film Chinatown. So, in preparation for the episode, I watched Rosemary's Baby, The Pianist and The Ninth Gate. And still, there are many, many more films he has made. He is a controversial choice too with his tragic upbringing leading to tragedy in his personal life. Both Ryan and I are keen to hear opinions and, after this first run, any opinions and advice is warmly welcomed. You can comment on my blog or of Ryan's new baby at www.matinee.ca or email us at filmlocker(at)hotmail(dot)com. 

And, as usual, it is already on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

The Film Locker #11: Guillermo Del Toro and 'Pan's Labyrinth'

Every Summer I get excited about 'how much i will do' over the time. And I do indeed do alot, but so much so, that still there are not enough hours in the day.

At any rate, the Guillermo Del Toro 'Film Locker' forced me to hunt down and watch Cronos, Hellboy and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army. Frustratingly, The Devils Backbone I had managed to track down through good friend Rhys, but still did not manage to watch it in time for the episode. At any rate, it was great week preparing because Guillermo Del Toro truly is a master. Do enjoy!



And, as usual, it is already on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

The Film Locker #10: Ang Lee and 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'

Due to my recent holiday from blogging and, indeed, from London I am a little behind on some posts so this may serve as a little reminder for our latest episode on Ang Lee.

"Ang Lee broke onto the filmmaking scene with PUSHING HANDS and managed to get even further by then making outstanding films such as CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, THE ICE STORM, HULK, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN and, most recently, LUST, CAUTION. Hatter and I chose CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON as our film of choice and then we dig deeper into his back catalogue - and even choose our films from the 'top shelf'."

There is only so much coverage on the blog we managed to scrape together for this director but Hatter did manage to find a review he wrote on Lust, Caution, one of Ang Lee's more recent films which we don't discuss too much on the podcast. Feel free to check out his review by clicking here.



And, as usual, it is already on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

The Film Locker #9: Danny Boyle and 'Trainspotting'

I couldn't have M. Night Shyamalan - maybe next time? - so we set upon ripping apart Danny Boyle. I am a self-confessed fan. Fans of 'The Simon and Jo Film Show' may even recall a moment whereby I even approached him and he said to me "hello!". Unforgettable. And that was pre-127 Hours so, you could argue, I met him 'at his peak'.

Of course, it was inevitable (the only director Hatter and I broke our silence about prior to the episode) - and believe me, there will be much more reading material on The Film Locker blog (www.filmlocker.blogspot.com) itself. This will include, in depth analysis of Sunshine, Trainspotting and a review of 127 Hours. There will be some extensive back-catalogue reflection too.

This is the week to know your Danny Boyle.

All together now:

"Oh Danny Boyle, the pipes, the pipes are calling ... From glen to glen, and down the mountain side ... The 'Sunshine' is gone, and all the flowers are dying ... 'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide ... But come ye back when summer's in the meadow ... Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow ... 'Tis I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow ... Oh Danny Boyle, oh Danny Boyle, I love you so..."

And, as usual, it is already on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

The Film Locker #8: Michael Mann and 'Heat'

There are only so many films that we can discuss on Michael Mann - but it doesn't stop Hatter and I praising a film director with a very unique style and energy.

Collateral, Heat and Ali are all films created by Chicago-born Michael Mann - and Hatter and I use this opportunity to rip his back-catalogue apart through, more specifically, Heat.

I am now off to see Bridesmaids. This is nothing to do with The Film Locker, merely a case of how constant good-word and positive-press ultimately leads to this cinema visit. I blame many people if this film is shit. One of which is my co-presenter Hatter ... who claims Bridesmaids is very good ...

Anyway - enough about that! Heat and Michael Mann ...

And, as usual, it is already up on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

The Film Locker #7: David Fincher and 'Se7en'

Fincher. Good ol' Fincher. There is always time to discuss David Fincher. Hatter and I were aware that we didn't want to have shows about 'the obvious' directors - cancelling out Spielberg, Nolan and Hitchcock - in the hope that we would discuss them on a separate series. But Fincher was a must.

Obviously, email the filmlocker [at] hotmail.com to enter the competition because, now half-way through, there is indeed a tight race with many new folks taking part! You can also email in if you want to simply expand on stuff we're talking about - we will endeavour to email you back!

Finally, the blog itself is filmlocker.blogspot.com and it has access to lots more reading material on the directors we have discussed. This next week, keep your eyes peeled for in depth reviews of The Social Network from Hatter and a discussion on Finchers music video 'Who is it?' for Michael Jackson...



And, as usual, it is already up on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

The Film Locker #6: Pedro Almodóvar and 'Talk to Her'

I think this is where we separate the men from the boys. The purpose of The Film Locker is to inform, educate and entertain. I know that for me, through discussions with Hatter, and through editing I hear information again and again and it all helps for me to build up a comprehansive knowledge of cinema.

Having spent five episodes discussing english-language directors, we now move to Spain whereby this international filmmaker creates film rooted in Spanish culture. When people claim they "can't watch" a film because it is not spoken in their language, I go back to what my Dad used to tell me: "Can't means won't".

International cinema influences Hollywood on so many levels and you don't have to look too far to understand how - Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress directly influencing Lucas' Star Wars, whilst only recently Matt Reeves practically remakes Alfredsons Let the Right One In by Hollywood-izing Let Me In.

If you haven't watched an Almodóvar before, now is your chance - watch Talk to Her and then listen to this episode... and then watch the rest of his films because, believe me, they are incredible.

And, as usual, it is already up on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

The Film Locker #5: Stanley Kubrick and 'The Shining'

Lets go Old-Skool. This is a guy who, although his catalogue goes back to the sixties - and through to 1999 - he only has a few films to his name. Fact of the matter is that these films are incredibly important. It is, no other than Stanley Kubrick.

We chose The Shining as the focus point as it represents the artistic, photography-based style combined with being a film that is incredibly entertaining and exciting.

Hatter has been a self-confessed Kubrick fan whereas I, though a fan, I am missing some big-guns from the Kubrick-Canon (or Kanon I should say) - namely Barry Lyndon, The Killing and Paths of Glory. But, no worries, that is why Hatter helps in conversation to explain how important these films are.

The competition can always be joined in on - and remember that the first one to answers gets a huge leap ahead from others because of the 4-points per question points-system - and if you were to get the questions all correct... well, you would be way ahead of the game. Not to mention how many weeks we have left! It can be anyones game at the moment!




And, as usual, it is already up on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

The Film Locker #4: The Coen Brothers and 'No Country for Old Men'

We move from Toronto with Cronenberg in Episode 3 to the boys from Minnesota: The Coen Brothers.

Both Hatter and I are pretty well versed with the films and were keen to discuss the range of topics up for discussion - their influences and style combined with themes that are prevalent in their canon - from Blood Simple to True Grit.

The focus-film is No Country for Old Men starring Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Kelly MacDonald and Woody Harelson.

Make sure you take part in the competition at the end of the show - and, indeed, look forward to the final track which is a personal favourite!



And, as usual, it is already up on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

THE FILM LOCKER #3: David Cronenberg and 'The Fly'

So, much love to our new listeners who have entered the competition and the writer-inners (email us!) and with two in the bag - a Woody Allen and a Martin Scorsese episode, we now move onto more obscene and obscure directors with David Cronenberg.

Our choice of film is The Fly. Hatter mentioned how, prior to our Woody Allen show, he had not seen Hannah and her Sisters, and the same is true of The Fly for me. In fact, in preparation I watched three Cronenberg films: The Fly, eXistenZ and Dead Ringers for the first time!

But we have a bunch of posts on a separate blog - http://www.filmlocker.blogspot.com/ - that highlight much deeper insights into the films of the directors we have mentioned and more details about upcoming episodes and the ongoing scoreboard for the listeners!

And, as usual, it is already up on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

THE FILM LOCKER #2: Woody Allen ...

Only recently, amongst the much-appreciated feedback (email us!) we received for our Martin Scorsese episode, fellow blogger and podcaster Dylan noted that the music could be a tad overbearing ... well, luckily, with Woody Allen we have his brilliant Jazz and Classical music to set under our voices discussing his work.

Our choice of film is Hannah and Her Sisters. Purposefully, not his most well known, but definately representative of Woody Allen's two sides - his comedic film  and his philosophical style.

All posts attached to THE FILM LOCKER is based at a separate blog address: http://www.filmlocker.blogspot.com/

And, as usual, it is already up on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

Again - amazing art work by Hatter!

THE FILM LOCKER is LIVE! DOWNLOAD NOW!

The big day is here! Hatter and I have planned for many months this 12-episode series. Dylan from Man, I Love Films mentioned "Why only 12?" and, yeah, thats a good question!

For me, the primary purpose of blogging and podcasting is to learn and to improve on my film interest through writing, reflecting and discussing cinema with a broad range of like-minded people. The 'dream' of joining film journalism in a professional sense is something that I do intend to work towards and, moreso, to even break in Film Academia by writing about cinema.

These 12-episodes are part of one series focussing exclusively on directors - choosing one film to extrapolate (love that word) from. In some cases, these are directors that I know through and through, in other cases they are directors I have had to research - and this podcast is a great outlet to relay the knowledge I have learnt.

It's a big job and takes a while to prepare, record and edit - but so far, it has been worth it. By keeping it as a limited run, we can reflect and improve if we decide to continue...

It is already up on itunes and can be found easily on podomatic - so, please do try and write reviews and support us if you can! We have the ol' RSS feed and 2.0 RSS and, if you link in different ways, we also have it on Google and Yahoo

Here we go:

Series 1: Episode 1 - Martin Scorsese and 'Goodfellas'

The Film Locker

Click Here for the Blog

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