Episode 133 – Rolling Thunder

Episode 133 – Rolling Thunder

There’s a strange alchemy at work in Rolling Thunder (Flynn, 1977). We start with two subgenres that really flourished in the seventies – the Vietnam homecoming and the revenge mission. William Devane turns up that tension by giving as tightly controlled a performance as we’ve seen from him. Tommy Lee…

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Episode 118 – Hyenas

Episode 118 – Hyenas

This year has been a journey of discovery for me with African cinema. Our Patreon listeners may remember that one of my resolutions this year was to become better acquainted with African films. To that end, I set myself a goal of fifty films from the continent in 2019 and…

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Episode 080 – Blue Ruin

Episode 080 – Blue Ruin

Will I ever get tired of talking about or recommending Jeremy Saulnier’s Blue Ruin (2013)? Not likely. I think it is one of the best films of this millennium and I think Macon Blair’s performance as Dwight, our wounded protagonist, is the best. The film upends every revenge thriller cliché…

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Episode 077 – Daratt

Episode 077 – Daratt

“This view of the world, from this country where there aren’t filmmakers, is very important I think. So, I do it through solidarity and because I feel a responsibility not to leave this country invisible.”– Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, on his responsibility as a Chadian filmmaker. It was with extreme delight that…

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