Shot/Reverse Shot

75. The Alternate 100: Part 9

The end of the year and the end of the Alternate 100 are almost in sight, but there's still 20 more films to talk about before the boys can relax (or until they come up with another incredibly time-consuming project). In the penultimate installment, they talk about directors whose careers have gone in strange and interesting directions, compare a 1960s horror movie to the work of cult folk singer Daniel Johnston, and discus the angriest footsteps in cinema history.

74. Interstellar

Probably the most talked about and divisive film of the last few weeks, if not the whole year, has been Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. For its fans, it's a bold and ambitious attempt to use blockbuster filmmaking to tell a story of space exploration, love and quantum physics. For its detractors, it's an overblown mess that awkwardly blends mawkish sentimentality with pretensions of intellectualism. Joe and Ed were similarly divided on the film, so they decided to spend a whole episode talking about the film's merits and its flaws, and what they reveal about Nolan's work as a whole.

This episode features plenty of discussion about the plot of Interstellar, so if you haven't watched the film and don't want it spoiled, you'd be better off waiting until you have seen it. Unless you don't mind having the plot spoiled, in which case listen away!

73. Days of Fear and Wonder

In honour of the brilliantly named Days of Fear and Wonder season currently being run by the BFI, Joe and Ed spend the latest episode talking about science fiction. They discuss their favourite sci-fi films, how some great ones manage to use big ideas to make up for low budgets, the reasons why the genre as a whole seems to be held in higher esteem by critics than horror, and the role that it can play in representing contemporary fears in fantastical settings. It all ends with a lovely little song as well.

72. The Alternate 100: Part 8

After a bit of a break from the Alternate 100, Joe and Ed return to their pet project with renewed zeal for an episode that is heavy on V subjects. They talk about voyeurism, vampires and Vietnam, but also maintain a light touch by trying to make "fetch" happen, and debate the proper way to pronounce "coven".

71. High School

This week, the boys are - much like Rodney Dangerfield - going back to school, with an episode that explores the teen experience and the perils of secondary education.

This whole thing was inspired by Beyond Clueless, Charlie Lyne's most excellent essay film about teen movies, which was a Shot/Reverse Shot highlight of this year's Sheffield DocFest. Mr. Lyne foolishly agreed to be interviewed at the festival and can be (just about) heard talking through his experiences making the film. The outro music this week comes courtesy of Summercamp, whose score for Beyond Clueless is beyond fantastic. It was recorded live at the Beyond Clueless after party and is therefore somewhat of an exclusive.

70. 2014 Halloween Special

Ever since this show started almost three years ago, the boys have tried to put out a special Halloween episode in which they talk about scary movies. It's their little mid-autumn tradition. Unfortunately, these episodes have traditionally been plagued by technical problems which meant that they could not be released. This year, in a shocking break from tradition, they actually have an episode to show for it!

In this special creepy and/or kooky edition of Shot/Reverse Shot, Joe and Ed talk about the things that scared them as kids, what scares them now, and the whole thing ends up being part podcast, part therapy session, part celebration of one-time horror icon Michael Parkinson. There's also a rare discussion of videogames, and the question of whether games can be more effective at delivering scares than films.

69. Comebacks

The news that True Detective season two has seemingly lined up its cast has got the boys thinking about the first season and how it marked the culmination of Matthew McConaughey's return to critical favour. They then use that to consider whether the second season might have rehabilitate the faltering careers of Vince Vaughn and Colin Farrell, then discuss some of the great comebacks in film history, including ones which fizzled out almost as soon as they happened and ones that lead to long, sustained periods of great work from the people involved. There's also a gratuitous Black Books quote for any Graham Linehan completists out there.

68. Prequels

Inspired by this great article about prequels by Noel Murray for The Dissolve, Joe and Ed use this week's episode as an opportunity to talk about the weaknesses of the prequel model of storytelling. It's not entirely about laying into the Star Wars prequels (though that is somewhat unavoidable where this topic is concerned) since it also encompasses a discussion of the differences between gap-filling, mythology-based prequels and standalone adventures, which prequels they perceive as being especially cynical and mercenary, and examples of prequels that are actually good because they use their pre-established endpoint to build tension. Mainly, it's just an excuse for Ed to talk about how rad NBC's Hannibal is, especially when compared to some of the other Hannibal Lecter prequels.

67. The Alternate 100: Part 7

It's time for Part 7 of the Alternate 100 and in the tradition of other illustrious part 7s, Joe and Ed are on a mission to Moscow! That's not even remotely true, but what is true is that they've got another ten films that they think are cool and that you should all check out. This week's selection includes a documentary that redefines what a documentary is meant to be, a film from the '50s that feels like it was made 20 or 30 years later than it was, and a couple of films from directors who have already been represented on this list. Grab a Cup 'O Pizza and have a listen.

66. The Alternate 100: Part 6

This week, Joe and Ed begin the second half of the Alternate 100 in fine style, talking about 10 films that cover topics as diverse as body horror, J-horror and '50s nuclear paranoia (which is its own kind of horror). Along the way, they manage to compare an acclaimed Canadian filmmaker to a couple of less acclaimed murderers, talk about that magic time when you could set your watch by the release of installments of the Saw franchise, and accidentally stumble upon something that might arouse Frank Miller. For that last one, we can only apologise.

65. The Alternate 100: Part 5

The boys hit the halfway mark of the Alternate 100 as they talk about films 41 to 50 on their list of great, under-appreciated films. In this episode they talk about an archetypal film noir, some great '70s horror films, films by directors whose other work tends to get talked about more, and round out the episode with something that is guaranteed* to leave you an emotional wreck.

*Not a guarantee.

64. The Alternate 100: Part 4

Continuing their dogged attempt to make up for lost time and finish the project before the year is out, Joe and Ed sit down to discuss the fourth installment in the Alternate 100. This selection is unusually bleak, since it manages to encompass the death of dreams, people destroying themselves mentally and physically, and a discussion of some of the most utterly hopeless endings in cinema history. Wary not to end on a downer, they go out swinging and talk about one of the funniest comedies ever made.

Note: The audio is a little fuzzy during parts of the opening 20 minutes, but fortunately they get resolved after the third film has been discussed.

63. Autumn/Winter 2014 Preview

Now that the summer is over, it's time to look ahead and consider what the last few months of 2014 have to offer. Joe and Ed continue their annual tradition of looking at the Autumn/Winter schedule - with its weird mix of awards contenders, would-be blockbusters and unwanted films left to wither and die - and cherry pick the best and most interesting films that the seasons have to offer. Despite this clear, easy to follow structure, they still manage to get distracted by talk of Irish kickboxing, pitch a spiritual sequel to The Producers, and explain why Cameron Diaz's contributions to music should be scrubbed from existence.

62. Online Criticism

This week, inspired by the ongoing devolution of mainstream film criticism into a swampy morass of multi-page lists, news stories that don't contain any news and are barely stories, and the general sense that engaging film discourse is being pushed further and further away from the centre of the discussion, Joe and Ed rail against everything they think is wrong with film criticism as it exists in the digital age. It's not all negativity - they point out some sites and writers that are doing great, intelligent work and praise the big outlets that use their clout to try to create a more thoughtful approach to the dreaded listicle - but it's mainly an honest discussion about trends in film criticism that they find troublesome and downright tacky.

SEO-Friendly Alternate Title: This List Of 114 Things Wrong With Online Film Criticism Will Leave You Speechless.

61. Robin Williams

We at Shot/Reverse Shot were deeply saddened to hear of the death of Robin Williams last week at the age of 63. We offer this episode, in which we discuss what he meant to us and what made him such a special performer, as a tribute to a comedian who made us laugh, an actor who made us cry, and a thoroughly decent and wonderful human being. Rest in Peace.

60. Knowing Too Much

Inspired by Escape From Tomorrow, a deeply flawed film with a production history that's more interesting than the film itself, Joe and Ed discuss the problems that arise when you know too much about how a movie was made. Does knowing that a film was difficult to make or had a compelling back story prejudice a viewer's opinion of the work itself? Can a gimmick like Escape From Tomorrow's hurt a film by making people overly aware of its mechanics while they watch it, or is it justified by the fact that people will be drawn to it? What separates that film from Richard Linklater's Boyhood (which seemingly cannot be discussed outside of the ambitious way in which it was filmed)? These are just some of the questions that they consider as they try to figure out how much knowledge is too much. Have a listen, and feel free to weigh in on Facebook, Twitter, or by leaving us a review on iTunes. You can also listen to the episode on Stitcher.

Note: This episode has some audio issues resulting from problems with Ed's microphone. The audio is still listenable, and it's a fun, interesting discussion, but there is a background fuzziness that gets noticeably worse as the episode progresses. We apologise, and will endeavour not to repeat the mistake in the future.

59. Marvel

To mark the release of Guardians of the Galaxy, the final film in Phase Two of Marvel's Cinematic Universe and their first attempt at making films that aren't strictly speaking about superheroes, Joe and Ed decided to see the film and then have a nice old chinwag about it, as well as a more general conversation about Marvel's almost unprecedented success over the last six years. 

Along the way they talk about what the film's success means for future Marvel movies, why the studio has had such consistent success where other studios have struggled to get their own superhero movies to achieve the same degree of critical and commercial success, and how Chris Finch from The Office is the real star of Guardians of the Galaxy. If you like this more timely approach, and if you're a fan of the show in general, please rate and review it on iTunes.

Note: We don't discuss much in the way of specific plot details in this episode, so if you haven't seen Guardians of the Galaxy yet you can listen without fear of it being spoiled. However, there is a slightly spoiler-laced discussion about the film's post-credits scene from 10:40 to 16:13, so if you don't want to know anything about that (relatively minor) aspect of the film, feel free to skip ahead.

58. The Alternate 100: Part 3

In the third installment of the Shot/Reverse Shot Alternate 100, Joe and Ed shower another ten under-appreciated movies with love and affection. Along the way, they discuss Hollywood's historical and contemporary squeamishness when it comes to depicting inter-racial relationships, the ephemeral and symbiotic relationship between a director and a composer, and take time to share their weird, disparate memories of the year 1997.

If you're new to the show and the Alternate 100 project, you can listen to the previous episodes here, here and here. If you like the show, please Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and rate and review us on iTunes.

57. The Alternate 100: Part 2

Continuing their quest to celebrate 100 films that aren't being talked about enough, or at the very least aren't being included on other silly lists, Joe and Ed offer up the next ten films deemed great yet unappreciated enough to be included in the Shot/Reverse Shot Alternate 100.

As with the first installment, there's a nice mix of unheralded works by rightly heralded directors, cult oddities and an all-round appreciation for these Rodney Dangerfields of cinema. (Because they get no regard, no regard at all. No esteem, neither.) There's also some digressions about the rules of making monster movies, New York in the '70s, and a pitch for the most depressing film-to-videogame adaptation of all time. 

You can keep track of what we've talked about so far using this handy Letterboxd list.

And please feel free to leave us a review on iTunes because it really does help us grow our audience, and it's also a nice thing to do.

56. Separating Art from the Artist

Inspired by the controversy surrounding Gary Oldman's recent interview with Playboy, as well as long-standing debates over the merits of artists like John Wayne and H.P. Lovecraft, who held views that many people disagreed with for political or moral reasons, and Woody Allen, whose work has long been talked about in relation to the allegations of child molestation against him, Joe and Ed decided to tackle the question of whether it is valid to dismiss an artist's work because you object to their personal views or actions.

In addition to discussing the artists mentioned above, they consider the difference between considering the work of someone accused of a crime and someone who has actually been convicted, the many, many differences between Caravaggio and Rolf Harris, and whether overt racism in art is easier to contend with than coded racism. It's more serious than usual, but it's also one of the boy's shortest, sharpest episodes to date. If you like the episode, and the show in general, please rate and review us on iTunes.