Beyond The Silver Screen

With the upcoming release of visionary Christopher Nolan's new movie "Tenet", the gang shamelessly jumps on the hype train and discusses the director's previous films. In this first episode of the Christopher Nolan double feature "Memento" and "Dunkirk" are analyzed, with a focus on the following questions: would "Memento" work if its unconventional storytelling style was replaced with a linear one? Can "Dunkirk" only be truly appreciated by film students? How do the two films' narratives compare in their usage of time? Join us in two weeks to continue the journey through Christopher Nolan's filmography and hear the gang debate about "Inception" and "Interstellar".

We often think of them as passion projects of incredible quality: low-budget films typically take up a special place in our hearts. After enjoying "Thunder Road", an emotional ride from Jim Cummings, the gang discusses it, as well as low-budget film-making as a whole. Are indie movies better than popcorn blockbusters? Are there patterns that can be seen in the quality of indie cinema? Can the gang finally treat a subject and each other with respect? Find answers to these questions in this week's episode! P.S. Stay till the end to witness a heated and deliciously juvenile clash between Oleg and Alex over "Thunder Road"'s potential flaws, purposefully unedited for your enjoyment/cringe! Tune in next time to embark onto a journey through a part of Christopher Nolan's cinematic career and hear the gang talk about "Memento" and "Dunkirk"!

Last week's "2001: A Space Odyssey" episode was quite a ride, but the trip's not over yet! Stanley Kubrick's movie may be the more popular one in the eyes of the general audiences, but how does Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris hold up in comparison to it? Join the gang as they discuss "Solaris" and debate who did it better! Is this film boring even for film students? Was "Solaris" actually a response to Stanley Kubrick's magnum opus? Can the gang hold on to sanity and reason and see this through? Watch this week's episode to find out! Don't forget to tune in next week for a discussion about Jim Cumming's passion project "Thunder Road" as well as low-budget film-making as a whole!

The Cold War may have ended, but the clash between American and Russian high-concept philosophical science-fiction from the 60s and 70s in the hearts of film-lovers will never end! "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "Solaris" are both films that had a massive impact on the industry and the international audiences. Today the gang throws all respect and sophistication aside (they were never there in the first place) to ask the big question: who did it better? This week Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece is discussed, analyzed, and even criticized. Tune in next week to see the continuation of the debate as the gang will subject Solaris to the same treatment that its American counterpart was forced to endure!

Now that the dust has settled and Parasite was chosen by the Academy as the Best Picture of 2019, the gang has a sit-down to determine what it all meant. Did the public misunderstand Parasite? Is the movie only applicable to the everyday reality of South Korea? Can this film replace Marx's Communist Manifesto? Join the gang to find out! Tune in next time to join the gang as they discuss "2001: A Space Odyssey", and what many consider to be its Russian (Soviet) counterpart: "Solaris".

Here it is, the grand finale of a not-so-grand saga! The final Oscars 2020 sub-episode sees the gang tackle arguably the two most important categories of the Academy Awards in the 2020 nominations. The unanimous glee of the film community that came as a result of Parasite's complete triumph is probably the only thing that can measure up to Bong Joon-Ho's historic achievement! The gang agrees that Parasite winning Best Picture is a good thing, but does the meaning of the film truly live up to the project's ambition? Tune in next time to see the gang debate what they think the message/meaning of Parasite is! Timestamps: 0:01 - Best Director 6:10 - Best Picture

The big categories are finally here as the gang dissects the top performances of last year in this Oscars BTSS episode focused on acting! Is there a conspiracy behind Judy? Is Scarlett Johansson literally the perfect actress? Does anyone genuinely dislike Joaquin Phoenix's performance in Joker? Tune in next week to join the gang for a discussion about 2019's Best Picture nominees and winner! Timestamps: 0:04 - Best Supporting Actress 3:52 - Best Supporting Actor 7:28 - Best Actress 14:09 - Best Actor

Another day, another BTSS Oscars episode! Join the gang in this all or nothing melee of emotions, technical brilliance, cinematic disasters, and Hellboy 2019, as a new champion enters the arena and snatches its first prize in the face of Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite. Timestamps: 0:01 - Best Original Score 9:20 - Best Film Editing 10:50 - Best Documentary Short, Best Live Action Short, Best Animated Short 12:58 - Andrew’s Rant on Best Documentary Feature 17:34 - Best Animated Feature 22:39 - Best Adapted Screenplay 30:06 - Best Original Screenplay

The gang descends deeper into the Marianas Trench of the Academy Awards 2020. Join Ainesh, Alex, Oleg, and Andrew in today's dive into 2019's most impressive technical achievements in film such as cinematography and sound! Tune in next time to watch the gang continue to make fools of themselves while exploring even more Academy Awards nominations! Timestamps: 0:03 - Best Cinematography 11:47 - Best Sound Editing 17:00 - Best Sound Mixing 21:37 - Music in Joker debate

2019 was an amazing year for cinema! Join the gang on a wild safari into the bizarre ecosystem that is the Academy Awards and recall the best and the weirdest that year had to offer! Why did the Lighthouse get snubbed? How will Oleg deal with this tragedy? Do humans as a species deserve Joker? Find the answers to these fundamental existential questions and more in this episode of BTSS! Tune in next week to follow the gang deeper into the rabbit hole of Oscars 2020! Timestamps: Best Costume Design - 3:03 Best Makeup and Hairstyling - 5:30 Best Original Song - 8:55 Best Visual Effects - 17:14 Best Production Design - 25:22

Alliances are betrayed and trade routes are renegotiated as the gang crosses lightsabers in the epic battle for the legacy of the Disney Star Wars Sequel Trilogy. Be sure to comeback next time when the group talks about the Best Films of 2019! And last year's Oscar-nominated films. Timestamps: Episode VII: The Force Awakens - 05:05 Episode VIII: The Last Jedi - 48:45 Episode XI: Duel of the........ never mind *sigh* Episode XI: The Rise of Skywalker - 01:54:40

There are non-episodic Star Wars Movies? Tune in as Ainesh, Andrew, Alex and Oleg discuss the short-lived “A Star Wars Story” series, and a sneak peak for next time's episode on "The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy". Timestamps: Rogue One - 01:45 Solo - 13:56

The gang recalls an age that changed Star Wars, pop-culture and memes forever. Andrew questions Chancellor Amidala’s medical diagnosis. Ainesh learns Gunganese. Oleg does too many impressions. Alex coughs. Don't forget to join us next time, when we get into a heated discussion on the Sequel Trilogy! Timestamps: Episode I: The Phantom Menace - 0:03 Episode II: Attack of the Clones - 18:02 Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - 30:20

. . . . Ainesh incorrectly explains screenwriting as Alex reminds him of a middle name he has not heard in a long time. Oleg tries to steer the discussion back on topic and Andrew watches the whole disaster unfold. As an afterthought, the Original Trilogy is also discussed. Timestamps: Episode IV: A New Hope - 4:30 Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back - 31:48 Episode VI: Return of the Jedi - 50:16

The gang returns to tackle Marvel's take on the Web-Head, fresh out of Marc Webb and Sony's hands. So, did the MCU save Spider-Man? Or did they make him more Iron than Spider? Timestamps: Spider-Man Homecoming - 0:35 Spider-Man Far From Home - 37:25

The gang gets together for their first outing to discuss the different iterations of Sony's Spider-Man we've seen on the big screen so far. And also Venom. Because Ainesh and Alex are the only people who would actively want to talk about it. Timestamps: Sam Raimi's Trilogy - 2:08 Marc Webb’s Almost Trilogy - 34:16 VENOM - 44:40 Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse - 46:53