Paul and Corey Cross the Streams

Welcome to Season 7! As we are now a quarter of the way through the 21st century, like Bill Murray in Tootsie, Paul and Corey are asking, “What happened?” This season we are looking at the trends, genres, styles, and more that make up cinema of the past 25 years. Corey takes us back to the heady days of 2013 with "arguably the last good Woody Allen movie," Blue Jasmine (2013). Between Woody, Alec Baldwin, and Louis CK, it's a real Murderers' row of the canceled. Cate Blanchett also returns with another great performance, but is it enough to look past...everything?

Welcome to Season 7! As we are now a quarter of the way through the 21st century, like Bill Murray in Tootsie, Paul and Corey are asking, “What happened?” This season we are looking at the trends, genres, styles, and more that make up cinema of the past 25 years. It's a big discussion today. Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon (2023). Adapted from the nonfiction book of the same name, the film opens up a discussion of the consciousness-raising of the 2010s. Paul and Corey have a fairly in-depth discussion of the over four hundred years genocide of the Indigenous people's of the Western hemisphere (most specifically what became the United States of America) and their resistance and struggle throughout that period (and up to today). Much of the information comes from Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's book, An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States. There is a LOT to cover. It's an excellent film with incredible performances, score, editing, and representation and celebration of the Osage nation's culture.

Welcome to Season 7! As we are now a quarter of the way through the 21st century, like Bill Murray in Tootsie, Paul and Corey are asking, “What happened?” This season we are looking at the trends, genres, styles, and more that make up cinema of the past 25 years. In today’s episode, Paul and Corey look at the (mis?)adventures of an old man, a boy scout (Not capitalized! Some other organization!), a talking dog, a big weird bird, and... a thinly-veiled crypto-N@zi. Yes, it's Disney's Pixar's Up (2009). What's to say here, folks? Not great. Structure messy, YIMBY politics, Disney being Disney. Paul disliked it more, but both he and Corey were on the same page. The balloons look pretty. Sorry if you love this.

Welcome to Season 7! As we are now a quarter of the way through the 21st century, like Bill Murray in Tootsie, Paul and Corey are asking, “What happened?” This season we are looking at the trends, genres, styles, and more that make up cinema of the past 25 years. In today’s episode, we leave the hustle and bustle of the old US of A and relax in a little village two hours outside of Tokyo. The film is the follow-up to the Academy Award-winning Drive My Car - Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Evil Does Not Exist (2023). Equally beautiful, stark, and subtle in its storytelling, as well as performances, the film is a meditation on how the logic of capitalism respects neither the environment nor people (not so coincidentally the sources of its value). And within that system, how do all of us find a sense of meaning and peace? 

Welcome to Season 7! As we are now a quarter of the way through the 21st century, like Bill Murray in Tootsie, Paul and Corey are asking, “What happened?” This season we are looking at the trends, genres, styles, and more that make up cinema of the past 25 years. In today's episode, we discuss 12 of those 25 years - 12 years during which Richard Linklater and co. shot the film, Boyhood (2014). Not only does the film exist as a series of snapshots of the actors' lives as they age, but it also (in retrospect) becomes a sort of swan song of life before the omnipresence of smartphones and social media. Lots to discuss, so put on your Beatles Black Album and enjoy.

Welcome to Season 7! As we are now a quarter of the way through the 21st century, like Bill Murray in Tootsie, Paul and Corey are asking, “What happened?” This season we are looking at the trends, genres, styles, and more that make up cinema of the past 25 years. Now, if you came here expecting us to discuss The Avengers (2012), we apologize. Both Corey and Paul only made it about 40 minutes in before they tapped out. If you'd like to hear their thoughts, stick around at the end of the episode. With that said, Wes Anderson's third feature film The Royal Tenenbaums 2001)! What a treat this was. It's the first Anderson film we've covered, and so we dive into what makes him...him. And obviously Gene Hackman's passing made us want to celebrate one of his great roles. From cinematography, to set design, cast, soundtrack, writing, and all the rest, this is a perfect film.

As we are now a quarter of the way through the 21st century, like Bill Murray in Tootsie, Paul and Corey are asking, “What happened?” This season we are looking at the trends, genres, styles, and more that make up cinema of the past 25 years. For Corey's first choice, we take a look at Sofia Coppola's second feature, Lost in Translation (2003) - an impressionistic meditation on loneliness, alienation, jetlag, and Tokyo. The film also allows for a deepdive into nepotism in Hollywood and America; friendship across generations and genders; and racism as a product of colonial imagination. It's (Suntory) time for a great conversation!

Welcome to Season 7! As we are now a quarter of the way through the 21st century, like Bill Murray in Tootsie, Paul and Corey are asking, “What happened?” This season we are looking at the trends, genres, styles, and more that make up cinema of the past 25 years. First up, Paul has chosen Clint Eastwood's Juror #2 (2024), a film whose distribution by Warner Brothers Discovery is as fraught as the experience of the titular juror himself! Lots to discuss from the gig economy to Daniel Bessner's article The Life and Death of Hollywood to personal ethics in the face of neoliberal decay. Because the film is so new, we do recommend you watch before listening.

IT’S THE FINAL EPISODE OF THE YEAR! Having amassed more than 100 episodes in its run, PACCTS’ sixth season will focus its sights on “the greatest films of all time” (both in the US and internationally), as assembled by the British Film Institute’s 2022 Sight and Sound Poll of industry critics. Corey will be choosing American films from the list, and Paul will be choosing international ones.  Our goal is to examine the films that are considered great, and why that may be the case.   Corey closes out this year with number 54, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982). This is the first time this season that Paul and Corey both did not quite enjoy the film. They discuss Phillip K. Dick, the cast, the effects (which kinda left them cold), and why the hell we should care about Deckard at all! Thank you so much for joining us on this year’s journey. We had a blast and can’t wait for next year! Happy Holidays and see you in February 2025!

Having amassed more than 100 episodes in its run, PACCTS’ sixth season will focus its sights on “the greatest films of all time” (both in the US and internationally), as assembled by the British Film Institute’s 2022 Sight and Sound Poll of industry critics. Corey will be choosing American films from the list, and Paul will be choosing international ones.  Our goal is to examine the films that are considered great, and why that may be the case.   Ranked 21, Carl Th. Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc (1927) is a masterpiece (unless you're Corey). With over 1500 shots, whereas most American films of the time had 100-500; unrelenting close-ups throughout; and ahead-of-its-time naturalistic performances; the film feels completely alien if you've ever watched other silent films. Paul and Corey discuss what works for them and what doesn't; the history of Joan of Arc and the Hundred Years' War; and whether this story (and the story of the Passion of Jesus) is even interesting. Whether you watch this film at 20 or 24 fps, Paul thinks you're in for a treat.