Double MacGuffin Ep. 4- Savage Messiah (Ken Russell) & Nightwatching (Peter Greenaway)

This week the theme of the podcast is biopics about visual artists.

Henry Griffin chose Ken Russell’s, Savage Messiah (1972) about French sculptor, Henri Gaudier-Brzeska. The film features the young Helen Mirren and Dorothy Tutin.

Jonathan Freilich picked Peter Greenaway’s, Nightwatching (2007) about Rembrandt’s painting of the Nightwatch and the murderous circumstances hidden in the painting. The film stars Martin Freeman as the Dutch master.

Two really interesting movies by iconic and singular British filmmakers.

Double Macguffin Ep. 2- 'The tree of Wooden Clogs'(1978) and 'The Last Mistress'(2007)

This week we discuss two films that take us to times and worlds away from the Covid-19 scenario the world is currently navigating.

Henry Griffin’s choice—

Emma Olmi’s film, ‘The Tree of Wooden Clogs’. A visually stunning and intensely focused work directed, written, shot and edited by Olmi. The film focuses on 3 peasant families in rural Lombardy and evokes a long forgotten, pastoral world of emotionally moving simplicities, superstitions, removed from any semblance of modernity.

Jonathan Freilich’s choice—

‘The Last Mistress’ directed by Catherine Breillat. The film centers on a conflict between a socially condoned marriage into the aristocracy and the forbidden, sexually charged and passionate affair with his mistress, La Vellini (Asia Argento).

Donations to help with the costs of the cast!

Double MacGuffin 1- talking about 'Safe' (1995) and 'Silent Running' (1972)

This week we converse about 2 interesting films inspired by the Coronavirus quarantine scenario that we of the world find ourselves in currently.

Henry Griffin’s choice-

Todd Haynes’s film ‘Safe’ that starred Julianne Moore playing a woman who finds that she has a mysterious but debilitating reaction to environmental pollutants.

Jonathan Freilich’s choice-

The sci-fi cult classic, Silent Running starring Bruce Dern and directed by Douglas Trumball. The movie is set aboard a spaceship trying to save the flora and fauna of the world preserved in geodesic domes attached to the ship. Bruce Dern’s character rebels against an order to blow up the cargo and return to earth.

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Silent Running

Change of format and a new show name- The Double MacGuffin

The film podcast has moved from Nolascape.org. After a long Hiatus, Henry griffin and Jonathan Freilich are back to discussing films with a slightly different format; from now there will be two films discussed, one chosen by each of us, on a loosely established theme.

Hence:

Conversations 6- on 'Morvern Callar' (2002) dir. Lynne Ramsay

Another episode of our podcast on film.  This week we are discussing the Scottish film, Morvern Callar.  A fascinating film that you may not have come across.

Morvern Callar is a 2002 film by Glaswegian director Lynne Ramsey, who then did not direct another until We Need to Talk about Kevin in 2011 – an uncomfortable film, now even more so in the wake of Parkland.

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Conversations 5- on 'Forty Guns' dir. Samuel Fuller

40 Guns is a very strange and interesting western by Sam Fuller.  Nolascape, who used to hosts our show said this:

       What a film.

        I had never seen or even heard of it until Henry and Jonathan put it in the frame for a Conversation.
         

From one point of view, it can look like a collection of horse opera clichés. A pace or two to the side to let the light hit it from another angle, and it is Sophocles set against the unfinished clapboard fronts of a prairie pioneer town instead of the columns of a Mycenaean palace. Are the two bath scenes just non-sequitur comedy skits with cowboy song musical accompaniment, or are they choral interludes in a play of destiny?

Henry and Jonathan will figure it out.

Indeed we will...and do.  And, you should too.  Improve your film buffery...get into the new film buffet- CONVERSATIONS.

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