The Cinematologists Podcast

Our Cinematic 2023

In this final episode of 2023 (and season 18), we (Neil and Dario) ruminate on a year spent thinking cinematically and engaging with cinema in the unique way that has become the hallmark of The Cinematologists; thoughtful, personal, searching for meaning and meaningful experiences across the movie spectrum.
We both share brief discussions of two films that stuck with us from different points of the year, Neil talking about Mark Jenkin’s short A Dog Called Discord and Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor’s The Future Tense, while Dario ponders Patricio Guzman’s My Imaginary Country and Samsara, directed by Lois Patiño.
Then, we spend more time discussing three films each at greater length in what could be seen as their top 3 films of the year, if we were so inclined to frame them that way (and we go to great pains in the episode to make sure that they don’t come across as ‘ranked’). Dario shares his thoughts on and fondness for Laura Poitras’s All The Beauty and the Bloodshed, Celine Song’s Past Lives and Todd Haynes’s May December. While Neil decides to go deep on Cyril Schäublin’s Unrest (which he shamefully claims is set in the 1920s when it’s clearly late 19th Century!), Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch’s The Eight Mountains and Aki Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves.
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Thank you to all our guests this season and to our listeners, we thank you for your continued support of The Cinematologists, and hope you join us for season 19, which commences in February 2024.
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You can listen to The Cinematologists for free, wherever you listen to podcasts: click here to follow.
We also produce an extensive monthly newsletter and bonus/extended content that is available on our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/cinematologists. You can become a member for only £2.
We really appreciate any reviews you might write (please send us what you have written and we'll mention it) and sharing on Social Media is the lifeblood of the podcast so please do that if you enjoy the show.
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Music Credits:
‘Theme from The Cinematologists’
Written and produced by Gwenno Saunders. Mixed by Rhys Edwards. Drums, bass & guitar by Rhys Edwards. All synths by Gwenno Saunders. Published by Downtown Music Publishing.
 

On New Release Apathy

In this episode of the Cinematologists podcast, we reflect on the pervasive apathy often accompanying the endless influx of new releases and how to combat nagging sense of FOMO which, at times, feels like it can never be satiated. When both of us saw Napoleon and agreed there wasn't much we wanted to talk about, and neither did a raft of art-house films on the various streaming platforms particularly get our juices flowing, we decided to unpack this troubling lassitude. Does the need to be "up with everything" rise and fall with the choppy waves of life? Or does our work as film lecturers naturally impact the pure desire just to watch films for their own sake? Perhaps it was something to do with that old chestnut: end of year "best of" lists. That collective social itch to define the year can seem so performative (having said that our 2023 round up will drop on the 23rd of December) . Never fear though, we work through the malaise; the value of celebrating the films that have demanded attention, spark conversations, and stayed with us, is more important to us that any arbitrary ranking.
We do get to some films in this episode. Starting with Christian Petzold's Afire, a situational character portrait from German director Christian Petzold. Two friends, Felix, an art Student and Thomas, a writer, arrive at Felix's holiday home on the Baltic Sea with the intention of working. They arrive to discover the house is occupied by Nadja , played by Petzold regular Paula Beer. Her presence is a triggering point of distraction for the insufferable Thomas, whose loathsome self-involvement is tolerated by Najda, and then gradually deconstructed.  
Iranian-British director Babak Jalali's  Fremont is a beautifully measured outsider tale that echoes the spirit of Jim Jarmusch. Anaita Wali Zada's compelling performance takes centre stage in a narrative that challenges Western expectations of immigrant tales. The film's philosophical undertones and political nuances offer something of a reversal of that well worn cliché that posits America as the promised land of freedom.
In Leave the World Behind (Sam Esmail) we witness a stellar cast, including Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke, and Kevin Bacon, navigating a series unexplained events during a family retreat to Long Island. Familiar themes of racial, class and political tensions add edge to a dynamic, unpredictable narrative of social breakdown which is often uncanny and visual striking throughout.
This is our penultimate episode of the season. Just our end of year round up to come. As always we hope you enjoy the episode.
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You can listen to The Cinematologists for free, wherever you listen to podcasts: click here to follow.
We also produce an extensive monthly newsletter and bonus/extended content that is available on our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/cinematologists. You can become a member for only £2.
We really appreciate any reviews you might write (please send us what you have written and we'll mention it) and sharing on Social Media is the lifeblood of the podcast so please do that if you enjoy the show.
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Music Credits:
‘Theme from The Cinematologists’
Written and produced by Gwenno Saunders. Mixed by Rhys Edwards. Drums, bass & guitar by Rhys Edwards. All synths by Gwenno Saunders. Published by Downtown Music Publishing.

BONUS: Toby Amies in the Court of the Crimson King

In this special bonus, to tide you over before we are back with full, regular episodes in the run-up to year's end, Neil talks to filmmaker Toby Amies about his stunning music film In The Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50. 
The conversation coincides with the film's release on streaming platforms following a critically lauded festival and cinema run. Thanks to Toby for taking the time to talk to us.
Elsewhere Neil recommends John Akomfrah's incredible new film (installation) Arcadia, at The Box in Plymouth, and the arrival of the wonderful music film Apocalypse: A Bill Callahan Tour Film on Ovid.TV 
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You can listen to The Cinematologists for free, wherever you listen to podcasts: click here to follow.
We also produce an extensive monthly newsletter and bonus/extended content that is available on our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/cinematologists. You can become a member for only £2.
We really appreciate any reviews you might write (please send us what you have written and we'll mention it) and sharing on Social Media is the lifeblood of the podcast so please do that if you enjoy the show.
_____
Music Credits:
‘Theme from The Cinematologists’
Written and produced by Gwenno Saunders. Mixed by Rhys Edwards. Drums, bass & guitar by Rhys Edwards. All synths by Gwenno Saunders. Published by Downtown Music Publishing.

BONUS: Prof. Neil Fox on Film Practice and Pedagogy

Our own Prof. Neil Fox in his day job is director of Falmouth University's Sound/Cinema Lab, which is behind films such as Mark Jenkin's Enys Men (2022) and Chris Morris' A Year in a Field (2022) as well as Wilderness (2017), which Neil wrote and produced. Wilderness was also made with a student crew and was proof of concept for making a feature drama within the structure of a university course. With Dario delivering a module to second-year students called Professional Life Practice, designed to help students research and understand the creative industries and learn from working experiences, Neil very generously agreed to answer a range of questions on subjects including his ethos of film pedagogy, how students should use extra-curricula events to shape their careers, the process of developing Wilderness, how students were recruited and what roles they took, understanding a professional mindset, and how the students' experiences on the film shaped their career pathways. Neil is on top form in this talk which is why we have decided to put it out as a bonus episode. It's a hugely valuable insight for film lecturers in practice and screenwriting, and definitely for students in all areas of the creative industries.
Prof. Neil Fox - Neil.Fox@falmouth.ac.uk
Dr. Dario Llinares - d.llinares@rave.ac.uk
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You can listen to The Cinematologists for free, wherever you listen to podcasts: click here to follow. We also produce an extensive monthly newsletter and bonus/extended content that is available on our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/cinematologists. You can become a member for only £2. We really appreciate any reviews you might write (please send us what you have written and we'll mention it) and sharing on Social Media is the lifeblood of the podcast so please do that if you enjoy the show.
_____
Music Credits:
‘Theme from The Cinematologists’
Written and produced by Gwenno Saunders. Mixed by Rhys Edwards. Drums, bass & guitar by Rhys Edwards. All synths by Gwenno Saunders. Published by Downtown Music Publishing.

Film Podcasting w/ Rico Gagliano from The Mubi Podcast

A special for cinephiles and podphiles this week as we welcome the superb critic and broadcaster Rico Gagliano. Rico's official title is the Head of Audio at Mubi but it's his creative direction and voice that is the driving force of The Mubi Podcast. Indeed, the notion of creative auteurism is just one of the many topics covered in the in-depth conversation with Dario.
We discuss a little of his background – his cinephile origin story – becoming a critic and moving into radio - his role at MUBI – the process and inspirations behind The Mubi Podcast – How the company views the podcast in relation to its overall brand and analyses of various seasons and episodes.
Neil and Dario then continue the discussion around film podcasting particularly how the audio format at its best offers the opportunity for "narrative film criticism" and how the working through of ideas and opinions can find a useful space to negotiate between subjectivity and objectivity as well as ideology and aesthetics.
It was great to discover that one of our listeners has set up a Cinematologists IMDB page - https://www.imdb.com/list/ls538725164/ It lists many of the films we have focused on for the main episodes, but also lots of films we have just mentioned briefly or in passing. Thanks so much to Sven Rufus for creating this example of paratextual content which is a great accompaniment to the show.
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You can listen to The Cinematologists for free, wherever you listen to podcasts: click here to follow.
We also produce an extensive monthly newsletter and bonus/extended content that is available on our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/cinematologists. You can become a member for only £2.
We really appreciate any reviews you might write (please send us what you have written and we'll mention it) and sharing on Social Media is the lifeblood of the podcast so please do that if you enjoy the show.
_____
Music Credits:
‘Theme from The Cinematologists’
Written and produced by Gwenno Saunders. Mixed by Rhys Edwards. Drums, bass & guitar by Rhys Edwards. All synths by Gwenno Saunders. Published by Downtown Music Publishing.

Rock Hudson: All that Heaven Allowed (w/ Dir. Stephen Kijak)

No matter the status of cinema, films focused on Hollywood icons seem to always retain a healthy level of interest. A key question is: do they bring anything new to the understanding of a storied figure. Stephen Kijak the director of Rock Hudson: All that Heaven Allowed, released on UK streaming this week, embarks on a sweeping ambitious, and intimate portrayal of a star whose symbolism transcended, albeit unintentionally, the silver screen. From B-Movie matinees through to the ultimate romantic leading man in the melodramas of Douglas Sirk. From Old School conservative rancher in Giant, opposite the raw James Dean, through to campy comedies with Doris Day. Not forgetting the myriad clunky formulaic studio pictures and the one outlying cult classic, John Frankenhiemer's Seconds, a role that was simultaneously against type but in retrospect a deconstruction of his closeted sexuality. All the while Hudson enjoyed an prominent role in the "hidden in plain sight", gay subculture of Hollywood. TV stardom revitalised an ailing Hollywood career in the 70s but as Hudson remained closeted to the public into the 80s, the facade of leading man heterosexual imperviousness crumbled when he was outed as the most prominent victim of AIDS. Right to the end his homosexuality was kept hidden although, watching the details of Hudson's private life, recounted by many of his friends and lovers, one wonders how.
Kijak's film is a classically structured documentary but one which astutely maps his constructed film persona his personal life using an array of clips which sync the implicit and often explicit queerness that one can read into his many roles. Neil and Dario discuss Hudson's status as an Hollywood Icon along with the formal approach of the documentary.
ROCK HUDSON: ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWED - Available to download and rent on digital platforms from 23rd October
Digital platforms include (if you wanted to mention) 
Amazon Prime Video
Apple TV
Google Play
Microsoft
Sky 
Virgin Media
Talk Talk
BT
Thanks to Stephen for his time and to Chris Lawrence for setting up the interview.
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You can listen to The Cinematologists for free, wherever you listen to podcasts: click here to follow.
We also produce an extensive monthly newsletter and bonus/extended content that is available on our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/cinematologists. You can become a member for only £2.
We really appreciate any reviews you might write (please send us what you have written and we'll mention it) and sharing on Social Media is the lifeblood of the podcast so please do that if you enjoy the show.
_____
Music Credits:
‘Theme from The Cinematologists’
Written and produced by Gwenno Saunders. Mixed by Rhys Edwards. Drums, bass & guitar by Rhys Edwards. All synths by Gwenno Saunders. Published by Downtown Music Publishing.

Apocalypse Clown (w/Producer James Dean)

In the first of a special (our first ever) double header, Neil and Dario discuss new Irish comedy road movie Apocalypse Clown. As it debuts on Netflix following a short cinema run, Neil talks to 'friend of the pod', producer James Dean about his collaboration with the team behind the project, comedy music troupe Dead Cat Bounce, the project's gestation and journey to the screen and the place of comedy in film culture and cinephilia. 
This is picked up by Dario and Neil who wrestle with the general (if only perceived) seriousness (earnestness?) of cinephile culture and how comedy is often ostracised or embraced tentatively at best, within it. To kick off the episode, Neil discusses the crowdfunding campaign from filmmakers Rob Curry and Tim Plester to preserve the moving image archive of folklorist Doc Rowe who has been documenting the calendar customs of the British Isles (amongst other folk practices) for over 60 years. Details on how to support the campaign and the film, with some excellent rewards, can be found here.
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You can listen to The Cinematologists for free, wherever you listen to podcasts: click here to follow.
We also produce an extensive monthly newsletter and bonus/extended content that is available on our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/cinematologists. You can become a member for only £2.
We really appreciate any reviews you might write (please send us what you have written and we'll mention it) and sharing on Social Media is the lifeblood of the podcast so please do that if you enjoy the show.
_____
Music Credits:
‘Theme from The Cinematologists’
Written and produced by Gwenno Saunders. Mixed by Rhys Edwards. Drums, bass & guitar by Rhys Edwards. All synths by Gwenno Saunders. Published by Downtown Music Publishing.

London Film Festival 2023

In this episode, Neil and Dario go deep on a couple of favourite titles each from this year's excellent London Film Festival. Neil eulogises Pat Collins' That They May Face The Rising Sun and Shujun Wei's Only The River Flows, while Dario waxes lyrical on Hirokazu Koreeda's Monster and Tran Anh Hung's The Taste of Things. 
Elsewhere they briefly discuss some of their honourable mentions including Catherine Breillat's Last Summer and Moin Hussain's Sky Peals. Neil also mentions a not so honourable title. They compare the experiences of seeing films in the cinema, at press and public screenings, versus the online platform and Dario shares an experience of encountering a bad faith audience member following a screening of Andrew Haigh's lauded All of us Strangers, which Dario loved.
To listen to Neil's bonus episodes on LFF2023, find them collected here on The Cinematologists' Patreon page, available free for anyone to listen to.
You can listen to The Cinematologists for free, wherever you listen to podcasts: click here to follow.
We also produce an extensive monthly newsletter and bonus/extended content that is available on our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/cinematologists. You can become a member for only £2.
We really appreciate any reviews you might write (please send us what you have written and we'll mention it) and sharing on Social Media is the lifeblood of the podcast so please do that if you enjoy the show.
_____
Music Credits:
‘Theme from The Cinematologists’
Written and produced by Gwenno Saunders. Mixed by Rhys Edwards. Drums, bass & guitar by Rhys Edwards. All synths by Gwenno Saunders. Published by Downtown Music Publishing.