Let's Finally Watch This

The year is 1986. Since the Rocky movies, there has been a renewed interest in sports movies. Now Indiana natives David Anspaugh (director) and Angelo Pizzo (screenwriter) bring the quintessentially Indiana sport of basketball to the big screen in the aptly named Hoosiers . Starring Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper, this classic feel-good movie doesn’t break any new ground but follows the gameplan so skillfully, an audience can’t help but enjoy. What Hoosiers offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: a traditional sport-movie plot, a town obsessed with basketball and suspicious of outsiders, a greater focus on character than tactics, and an authentic Hoosier vibe. Show Notes

The year is 1976. Sure, it’s the bicentennial of the United States, but people are still discontent with the ways things are going, right?. That discontent is what the characters in Network , directed by Sidney Lumet, are banking on. Longtime news anchor Howard Beale, threatened with the loss of his job, declares he is going to kill himself on national television. Soon, he is a prophet of the angry citizen. Meanwhile, the network adjusts its programming to rake in the ratings from a new type of television program that seems eerily familiar to our modern-day news cycle. What Network offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: a prophetic satire on the power of television; rousing religious monologues about the ills of society rooted in a now iconic line; an unconvincing and frustrating romantic sideplot; and communists arguing for their fair share of the profits. Show Notes

The year is 1966. The United States is in the midst of cultural upheaval, the Vietnam War, and the development of New Hollywood. Movies are pushing boundaries, soon leading to the creation of a new MPAA rating system. One film that helped necessitate this change is Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? directed by Mike Nichols. It stars celebrity power couple Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in an intense drama full of mind games and unsettling revelations. What Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: stellar acting from Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, a can’t-stop-watching car wreck of an after-dinner party, a penetrating peeling back of stories and appearances, and nearly two hours of continuous drinking. Show Notes

The year is 1956. And you can’t have the 50’s without SCIENCE FICTION! Amid the plethora of sci-fi films released this year comes Forbidden Planet , which became an inspiration for many future projects and franchises, including Star Trek . The first film set completely on an alien planet, it combines unique visual and audio effects, futuristic gadgetry, and a psychological view of humanity to create an enjoyable, if somewhat dated, experience. What Forbidden Planet offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: a plot loosely inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest , the first entirely electronic film score, a foundational entry in serious science fiction cinema, and the iconic Robbie the Robot Show Notes

The year is 1946. The war is over, and the soldiers are coming home. Director (and veteran) William Wyler uses this moment in history to make The Best Years of Our Lives , a remarkably contemporary and multi-faceted drama featuring three men from different branches of the military and socioeconomic standings adjusting to civilian life. Each struggles with his own reentry into the world he left behind. What The Best Years of Our Lives offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: one of the first major movie roles for a disabled person; impressive use of deep focus; a movie that feels unique both in its subject matter and its proximity to the event; and a substantial amount of drinking and smoking. Show Notes

The year is 1936. The cinema world is filled with talkies. Sound has revolutionized the industry. But Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times revels in its almost-silent-film genius. The iconic Tramp tries to make an honest living for himself and his street urchin love in a world of machine-filled factories and hard-to-keep jobs, a gentle satire on a world not completely unlike our own modern times. What Modern Times offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: Charlie Chaplin, a pillar of cinema history, at his best; a conveyor belt scene often imitated; hijinks and escapades rooted in the Tramp’s lovable persona; and the Chaplin’s first spoken “words” on film. Show Notes

The year is 1926. The movie industry is a year away from its first big sound film, but another major technological advance is also slowly advancing–COLOR! The Black Pirate is a vital early success of Technicolor, due in part to actor Douglas Fairbanks’s swashbuckling athleticism. With its vibrant use of color and high adventure, The Black Pirate influenced many future pirate movies. What The Black Pirate offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: a successful use of early color technology; exciting archetypal characters and story beats; Douglas Fairbanks’s exuberant flair; and an all-around fun movie that doesn’t feel as old as it is. Show Notes

The year is 1916. It’s only been a decade since The Story of the Kelly Gang , but director D.W. Griffith has pushed the medium to new heights. With the same vision that created the cinematically groundbreaking (though racist) The Birth of a Nation (see episode 36), Griffith ushers audiences through four separate plotlines in what some have called the only “film fugue.” Intolerance sets out to tell “love’s struggle throughout the ages,” from present day troubles with crime and poverty to the downfall of the great Babylonian empire. What Intolerance offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: a massive scale in sets and story; a way-ahead-of-its-time intertwining of narratives; silent movie melodrama; and Mountain Girl. Show Notes

Welcome to Season 5 of Let's Finally Watch This , a podcast for casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies. We have another 12 exciting, decades-hopping episodes for you. First up, we're back in 1906, where moving pictures are still very much a technology in its infancy. This time we're in Australia, where the legend of Ned Kelly holds sway in the cultural imagination. Enter Charles Tait and his brothers, who produce what many consider the first dramatic, feature-length film, The Story of the Kelly Gang. What The Story of the Kelly Gang offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: charmingly amateur acting; 17 surviving minutes of the original 70; a historically important but visually damaged view of early movie-making; and one artistic expression of the Australian interest in bushrangers. Show Notes

It’s time to wrap up our fourth season of Let’s Finally Watch This . Looking back at our season of heavy-hitters (and a few oddballs), we consider some of the unexpected themes and this season's emphasis on directors. Then we dive into the heart of the episode–our Ranking of Essentialness for this season’s movies! We also share our personal favorites from the season. Thanks for joining us again for this exciting journey through the decades of film! Show Notes

It's 2015. Franchises rule the box office. Disney, a powerhouse studio for decades, is in the middle of its current run of live-action remakes. This year's movie, Cinderella , is directed by Kenneth Branagh, known for his Shakespearean adaptations and portrayal of Hercule Poirot. The story itself is nothing new, but Branagh presents it with lavishly and directly, making it one of the best-reviewed of the modern remakes. What Cinderella offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: gorgeous costumes and sets; solid, traditional storytelling; a sincere, admirable heroine; and, arguably, everything one wants, and nothing one doesn't, in a Cinderella movie. Show Notes

It's 2005. Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, follows that triumph by remaking one of his favorite movies-- King Kong . By taking the original, iconic 1933 film and expanding it with his own knack for special effects and epic-length storytelling, Jackson creates a version that, as critic Roger Ebert says, "is like the flowering of all the possibilities in the original classic film.” What King Kong offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: more of everything the original film contained; three tonally distinct stories (drama, action, and disaster); a timeless 1930s setup; and one intense giant-ape-vs-three-T-rexes battle scene. Show Notes

It's 1995. Combining the blockbuster era with CGI creates the opportunity for all sorts of movies--including ones with jungle creatures rampaging through city streets. Director Joe Johnston, who started his Hollywood career designing spaceships for Star Wars , utilizes computer and practical effects to bring a malevolent board game to life in Jumanji, starring Robin Williams, Bonnie Hunt, and a young Kirsten Dunst. What Jumanji offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: the more sobering origin of the newer Jumanji movies; Robin Williams playing his patented boy-in-a-man's-body role; a largely effective blend of horror and action; and badly aged monkey CGI. Show Notes

It's 1985. The culture is saturated with youth-targeted science fiction and fantasy films. And then there's Cocoon , directed by Ron Howard, a quirky movie featuring three elderly men as protagonists. Aliens disguised as humans are recovering cocoons from the ocean and storing them in the pool of a rented house when the old men discover that the water of the pool rejuvenates them. It's a fountain of youth, but will they share it? And will the aliens let them continue using it? What Cocoon offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: an exploration of life, death, and aging; a gentler, more compassionate portrayal of aliens; a plot that's not quite conventional; and lots of old people. Show Notes

It's 1975. No one knows it yet, but this is when the Blockbuster Age begins. It starts with a movie called Jaws , directed by an up-and-coming director named Steven Spielberg. If you don't know, Jaws is about a killer shark. It's the reason an entire generation feared going into the water. At the time of its release, it became the highest-grossing film of all time--and also the blueprint for a revolution in the filmmaking business. What Jaws offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: Spielberg's masterful, timeless directing; John William's iconic score; three men alone on the sea; the growing, largely unseen menace of the shark; and ""You're gonna need a bigger boat." Show Notes

It's 1965. Three years previous, director David Lean released his masterpiece Lawrence of Arabia . Now, he returns with another historical epic, exchanging desert vistas for the mountains of Russia and the society of Soviet Revolution-era Moscow. Based on the Nobel Prize-winning novel, Doctor Zhivago follows the titular doctor (and poet) as his life and loves intersect with the violence and utopian dreams of the Bolshevik Revolution. What Doctor Zhivago offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: stunning, wide-screen cinematography; a sweeping epic in a period not often covered by Hollywood; a story of, um, romantic adultery; and a frustratingly opaque protagonist. Show Notes

It's 1955. It's a time we look back at with nostalgia, thinking it a simpler, more peaceful time. But in one of first important "juvenile delinquent" films, Rebel Without a Cause, director Nicholas Ray and actor James Dean explore teen culture and find that the kids are not all right. Following a little over 24 hours of the lives of Dean's Jim Stark, the disturbed "Plato," and Judy, the bully's girlfriend, the movie shows the search for meaning and mentors that seem to plague a generation of angry, confused, and lost teens. What Rebel Without a Cause offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: the iconic James Dean in that red jacket, a haunting lecture in an observatory, a tragic "Chickie Run," complicated child-parent relationships, and a surprisingly modern look at growing up from 70 years ago. Show Notes

It's 1945. VE Day was May 8, but the war continues in the Pacific. Meanwhile, MGM entertains Americans back home with musicals such as Anchors Aweigh , starring Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra as two navy sailors on a four-day shore leave near Hollywood. Hoping to spend time picking up girls, they find themselves involved in the life of aspiring singer "Aunt Susie." An eager boy and a lie are excuse enough to provide plenty of opportunities for romance, spectacle, and a happy ending. What Anchors Aweigh offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: the engaging song-and-dance duo of Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra, a convoluted set-up, the musical talents of real-life conductor José Iturbi, and a cameo of a famous cartoon mouse (no, not that one). Show Notes

It's 1935. One source of escapism during the Great Depression was the big budget spectacle--and Mutiny on the Bounty was one of the most expensive of its time. Based on the books which were inspired by true events, it follows the voyage of the HMS Bounty to Tahiti under the draconian command of Captain Bligh, as the crew, especially executive commander Christian Fletcher, weigh whether such harsh treatment is worthy of mutiny. Filled with drama, danger, moral dilemmas, and island romance, Mutiny on the Bounty is probably the best-known movie from faithful Hollywood studio man and director Frank Lloyd. What Mutiny on the Bounty offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: the iconic, sourly tyrannical Captain William Bligh; classic Hollywood doing big-budget sea adventure; island romance; and Clark Gable without a mustache. Show Notes

It's 1925. The Russian Revolution is over. Vladimir Lenin believes that “the cinema is for us the most important of the arts," leading the Soviet Union to create the world's first professional film school. With a genius for editing that is still discussed today, director Sergei Eisenstein creates a movie that was once considered the greatest movie ever made. Battleship Potemkin tells the inspired-by-a-true-story tale of the sailors of the titular battleship and their struggle against their oppressive officers and government. It's art, but it's also propaganda. What Battleship Potemkin offers casual movie fans who have always meant to watch classic movies: an entry point to discuss Soviet montage theory and the Kuleshov effect; a masterfully edited silent epic; the famous Odessa Steps sequence; and a powerfully visceral film. Show Notes