Shifting Expectations

Do you see the stars in 3 dimensions when you look up at the sky at night? Or is that eternal blackish blue firefly filed abyss as flat to you as paper? James Cameron sees the final frontier in 3D glory and this week we watched his thesis statement on the subject, 2009’s Avatar. Next […]

This week we travel to the clean deserts of the Middle East to experience the true adventures of Lawrence of Arabia. We argue about the virtues of a film based on true events. We also attempt to tie a bow on our regular discussion on the cultural sins of historical Hollywood.

None of us received that magical letter letting us know we were wizards when we turned 11. So we have settled with discussing the Harry Potter film franchise and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban specifically. We talk about growing up as an entire media culture is born and how the fandom has evolved. […]

Are you your mother? If you answered this question in the affirmative you should probably visit a medical professional and you probably should not watch this week’s movie: Psycho. We talk again about our fascination with serial killers and how some movies invade and shape our culture. Next week we will finish our spooktacular spooktober […]

This week we get lost in Pan’s Labyrinth. We debate if it deserves a spot on our list and if it is even a good movie. We also discuss the differences between low and high fantasy. Next we will bare witness to Murder! We will do this by discussing 1960’s Psycho.

This week we watched the 1964 film adapted from a 1956 Broadway play that was a musical version of a 1913 play that was also made into a movie in 1938 and itself was based on a Greek myth from book 10 of Ovid‘s Metamorphoses: My Fair Lady. We talk about the stunningly beautiful Audrey Hepburn and […]

This week 3 hardly combative podcasters disagree about 12 Angry Men. We examine the progress of the American justice system while acknowledging the progress that still needs to be made. We also discuss the psychology of jurors 3 and 8. Next week we take a break from Spooktober to celebrate Deepak’s birthday. We are celebrateing […]

Only one of the fifty films featured in this season of Shifting Expectations qualified for discussion via all five of our qualifying categories. This week we discuss that film, The Godfather. We explore its merits and get sidetracked with a long, but relevant discussion about Spoilers. Also this week we discussed Spirited Away. It should […]

This week we are watching the final animated film to be featured on this season of Shifting Expectations. Discussing Spirited Away is a challenge and a pleasure. We try to describe the beauty of the story and animation. We also wrestle with the themes of the film and ask what cultural significance we might be […]

The wild world of insurance is not often the set piece for Hollywood movies, but if Double Indemnity is any indication perhaps it should be more often. This week we explore the film that established Noir films as a Hollywood mainstay. We talk about the math discussed in the film and debate what Neff’s one […]

The hills are alive! This week we explore one of the 11 films to hold the title of Highest Grossing Film of all time: The Sound of Music. We attempt to understand this movie’s incredible staying power and ask the question, “Why is My Favorite Things a Christmas song?” Next week we will be introduced […]

The Academy Awards might not matter but they give s a measuring stick by which to compare films. And few films have as impressive an Academy Award resume as 1950’s All About Eve. In this episode we discuss the film’s impressive 14 Academy Award nominations and its perhaps more impressive 5 acting nominations. Next week […]

Tigers and Dragons and Swords! Oh My! In this episode we are discussing the Chinese film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. This film broke through and had financial success in the United States despite being a foreign film and we try to uncover why that happened. Next episode we will discuss All About Eve. This 1950 […]

Beginning in 1932 the Barrow Gang, a criminal group, ravaged a depression smitten mid-west America and in 1967 a film captured the exploits of the gang responsible for robbing countless small stores and even a few banks. We talk about that groundbreaking film, Bonnie and Clyde. Next we go international with one of the two […]

Sometimes great films are not enjoyable. That might be your experience with this week’s film Schindler’s List. That perhaps is a part of what makes this film about the Holocaust so impactful. We explore the harrowing images and moments from history portrayed in the film and discuss our feelings on the importance of historical accuracy […]

Method acting might as well be synonymous with acting these days, but that all began On the Waterfront. This week we explore the film that proved the acting style was a viable option. We also talk about the impact shooting on location had on the film. Next week we return to the work of director […]

Only releasing 8 years ago The Avengers is the most recent film we will be watching and discussing this year. We mostly listen to Ryley nerd out about comic book movies, but we also explored the incredible and immediate impact this film has had on Hollywood and what films get made today. Next week we […]

We don’t promise much to you, our listeners, here at ShiftingExpectations.com. But one thing we can promise you is that we will never try to eat you. This week we watched The Silence of the Lambs and were joined by Collider.com‘s Haleigh Foutch. We discussed what makes a horror movie and how this film transformed […]

This week’s film, Gone with the Wind, is no stranger to controversy. Both the highest grossing film of all time, when adjusted for inflation, and widely criticized for its rosy portrayal of slavery. Instead of steering clear of the controversy we leaned into it and tried to have the difficult conversations this piece of film […]

For this episode we took a break from our list of essential films to just talk. We re-evaluate the movies we have watched so far, quiz Deepak on how he has scored movies, and bicker about our unpopular opinions. We needed this break and we hope you enjoy taking one with us. Next we’ll be […]

War. Death. Horror. This week on Shifting Expectations we watched Francis Coppola’s 1979 war film Apocalypse Now. We explore both what the film has to say about war and about the fragility of the human mind. We debate the truth of this famous quote about cinema: “There’s no such thing as an anti-war film.” Check […]

Murder! People are fascinated by it and this week we are discussing it as we explore the themes of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film Rear Window. We debate the claim that the film is only popcorn entertainment and praise it’s simplistic beauty. Join us next week when we watch and discuss Apocalypse Now. This 1979 film […]

Common animation techniques used today would be unrecognizable to the pioneers of animation. This is perhaps in large part because of the success of this week’s film Toy Story. In this episode we explore the Pixar film’s impact on animation and how animators continue to innovate today. Next week we’ll be having a visit from […]

This week we visit Middle Earth, the fantastical world created by J. R. R. Tolkien originally for his work titled “The Hobbit”. We explore the live action film adaptation of his The Lord of the Rings trilogy of books and specifically examine the third film The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. […]

In this mini episode we step aside from our list to talk about Black films. When making our list with our algorithm we realized there were some pretty glaring gaps. We moved forward regardless figuring we could solve that problem when adjusting our list during a potential season two. This weekend we present to you […]

This week we enter the ring to discuss the 1976 movie Rocky. We try to decide what about the movie has made it withstand the test of time. We also compare the plot of the film to actor and writer Sylvester Stallone’s early career. Join us next week to hear our thoughts on director Peter […]

The 1976 film Network predicted so much of what is the reality of television and news media today it almost feels like scriptural prophecy. In this week’s episode we discuss what it got right about today’s new media and what that means for everyday people. We were also joined by a prophetess, Sybil the Soothsayer […]

In 1937 Disney astonished the world with Snow White, the first full length animated motion picture. After their success the animators took it upon themselves to do it again, but better in every way. This episode we discuss the masaterpiece that came from that effort: Pinocchio. Animator and podcaster Da7e Gonzales brings his expertise to […]

Perhaps no other film has been the cause of so many people’s unfounded phobias more than Jaws. This week we explore the parallel between the 1975 film and the United States experience dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic. We also discuss the film career of Steven Spielberg, which was launched by the blockbuster. Next we will […]

This week we travel through the alternative history (past, present, and future) imagined by Stanley Kubrick in 2001: A Space Odyssey. We discuss this film without peers, how it was made and what it means. Special guest host Brett Zinger attempts to help us grapple with the movie’s unique style and place in film history. […]

Director William Wyler would often joke that it took a Jew to make a good film about Christ. This episode we discuss Ben-Hur and try to determine it he was correct in that statement. By asking the questions did he make a good film? And did he make a film about Christ? Next week we […]

Lights! Camera! Music! This week we discuss what is perhaps the greatest musical of all time Singin’ in the Rain. We examine why its popularity seems to grow with each passing year and explore the usefulness of its lighthearted retelling of Hollywood’s most significant transition. Next week we will be talking of Gods. In an […]

Perhaps no filmmaker has had a greater impact on cinema than George Lucas. He was making waves in the film industry even before he made what is widely considered the most influential movie ever made: Star Wars. This episode we try to summarize what about his career and his personality made Lucas such a force […]

Director Martin Scorsese and Actor Robert De Niro sometimes feel inseparable. Their working relationship began with Taxi Driver, this episode’s film. We talk about these two men and the depth and breadth of their careers and projects. We also examine how to combat the disease of isolation. When we return a week from now we […]

The life of every American changed immediately and eternally on December 7th, 1941 when Pearl Harbor, Hawaii was attacked. Perhaps no film captures the sheer impact on the lives of the individual as the film we watched and discussed this week From Here to Eternity. Special guest Kerry Trahan joins us to explore varying generational […]

If I were to describe A Streetcar Named Desire with one word that word would be “Tension”. this film has tension in its diverse acting styles, tension within its themes, tension in how it straddles the line between the stage and the screen, and even tension betwixt its positioning within cinema history. In this weeks […]

This episode was re-uploaded due to errors in the original audio file. The episode was originally uploaded on March 19th, 2020. After a week hiatus we return to your feed to discuss the fictitious life of Charles Foster Kane and how it prophetically parallels the life of Orson Welles: the director, writer, and actor who […]

This week we talk about the film that was once intended to start a franchise to serve as the American equivalent of James Bond: Raiders of the Lost Ark. We explore the film and franchise and what impact they have or have not had on cinema. Don’t forget to check back next week when we […]

This episode we talk about a recent film and the first on our list we were each able to see for the first time in theaters: The Dark Knight. We discuss the about the film’s immediate impact on the landscape of modern cinema in terms of its technical feats, accolades, and cultural footprint. Don’t forget […]

In part two of our celebration of romance, we discuss the film that created the romantic comedy genre: It Happened One Night. We talk about the film’s cultural legacy, as well as the five (5) Oscars that it won, and what that means. Don’t forget to check back next week when we talk about The […]

Welcome to Part One of our two-part Valentine’s Day celebration. This week, we celebrate one of the most romantic movies of the modern era: James Cameron’s Titanic. We explore the structure of the movie, Titanic‘s many different storylines, and why the movie still glistens over 20 years later. Don’t forget to tune in next week […]

This week on Shifting Expectations, we examine a movie that takes the term “iconic” to a whole new level: The Wizard of Oz. We discuss the impact the movie has had on American culture as a whole, and some of the lesser-known aspects of the film’s troubled production.

This week on Shifting Expectations, we talk about Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. We discuss Kurosawa’s legacy and what makes the film a masterpiece. We also compare the various remakes Seven Samurai has received, and why the original will always be the superior version.

This week on Shifting Expectations we travel all the way to Isla Nublar to be among the first to visit Jurassic Park! We discuss the film’s stunning visual effects, its place in pop culture history, and what exactly The Lysine Contingency is. All that, plus the sequels that never were.

This week on Shifting Expectations: We visit the movie that won Jack Nicholson his first Oscar, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. We discuss how the film holds up to modern audiences, the quality of the acting in the film, and our sympathy when it comes to Nurse Ratched.

On the first episode of Shifting Expectations, we talk about one of the most iconic films of all time: Casablanca. Featuring an interview with Walt Hickey (Numlock, Insider).

This year on Shifting Expectations, we will examine fifty must-see films. On this episode, we talk about how we hope it will go and pick which movies we’re most looking forward to.