A podcast and blog about films and tv as well as anything else that comes to mind.
In this deep-dive episode of The 24 Frames Cast, we journey into the dense Cambodian jungles to explore one of the most haunting and overlooked war films ever made: The 317th Platoon (1965). Directed by former Indochina War veteran Pierre Schoendoerffer, this stark, unflinching portrayal of a French platoon's doomed retreat reveals the final gasps of France's colonial ambitions and eerily anticipates America's later tragedy in Vietnam.I will examine the film's astonishing on-location production, its quasi-documentary realism, and the powerful dynamic between the young idealistic lieutenant and the hardened career soldier L'adjudant Willsdorf, whose lifetime of fighting France's colonial battles becomes a symbol of a collapsing empire. Through scene analysis, historical context, and cinematic insight, this episode unpacks the film's place in world cinema and why its quiet, devastating truth still resonates today.
Discover how Dolby Stereo revolutionised film sound. This episode explores its origins, its breakthrough films, and the hidden matrix magic that reshaped Hollywood and home cinema alike.Recommended films to listen too:Early & Landmark 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo:A Star Is Born (1976) – first commercial six-track Dolby releaseLogan's Run (1976)Star Wars (1977) – legendary 70mm mixClose Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)Superman: The Movie (1978)Apocalypse Now (1979) – groundbreaking, experimental sound designClassic 35mm Dolby Stereo (Matrix Lt/Rt):Alien (1979) – atmospheric, tense use of surroundsThe Empire Strikes Back (1980)Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)Blade Runner (1982)E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)Ghostbusters (1984)Back to the Future (1985)Late-Era Dolby Stereo Highlights:The Fugitive (1993)The Lion King (1994) – superb theatrical mixToy Story (1995) – one of the final major Dolby Stereo flagships
In 1974, Francis Ford Coppola released The Conversation — a quiet, unsettling film about a man who hears too much and feels too little. At first glance, it's a story about surveillance. But beneath the microphones and tape machines lies something far more human: guilt, loneliness, and the desperate need to stay unseen.In this episode, we step inside the private world of Harry Caul — a surveillance expert haunted by the sounds he captures and the silence he can't escape. We explore the film's key themes, its haunting sound design, and its eerie foresight into our digital age — when we all became both watchers and the watched.Further reading and viewing:The Conversation (Francis Ford Coppola, 1974)Blow Out (Brian De Palma, 1981)Klute (Alan J. Pakula, 1971)Michel Chion — Audio-Vision: Sound on ScreenLaura Mulvey — “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”Don DeLillo — White Noise (on paranoia, technology, and intimacy)
I went to watch RAN on 35mm with people who actually like films. Here's a report.
Kirk Douglas' 1975 was a first time watch a timely reminder the need for political satire.
I admit it. I hadn't seen all of Sergio Leone's films and the result was frankly incredible for both good and bad reasons. Plus some recent UHD pics.
Bond returns and he's off to Istanbul!
Gattaca is a 1997 dystopian science fiction classic. But what makes it dystopian and how does it warn us about the future?
Its time to talk about what I've been watching more and some recommendations I think you might like .
A look at the now closed, once former great Maidstone Granada cinema.
I will be on a journey through the Bond franchise, first up we are off to Jamaica for Dr No,
StudioCanal have an app, lets take a looks and see if it's worth it,
Alan Clarkes Elephant caused outrage on its release in 1989. A film that defies genre, it is a work of unrelenting bleakness that depicts 18 murders during The Troubles. I take a look at the films production, my personal experiences of spending time in Ireland and offer my take on this extraordinary film.
I love UHD and you should too. Here is a brief explanation of this format and the culture around it as well as my top ten picks you may wish to consider. Great You Tube creators who review UHD's https://www.youtube.com/@JeffRauseohttps://www.youtube.com/@moviecollector5920https://www.youtube.com/@ElliotCoen
In 2014, I became obsessed with the films of Michelangelo Antonioni and like an idiot ignored Zabriskie Point because some pesky critics didn't like it. I've now watched it more times than I can remember and hope in some ways this episode encourages you to seek it out.
It's back and in this first part I take a look at the first five 70mm films of this years festival.
Jacques Tourneur Wyatt Earp origin story is an underrated Cinemascope gem. Find out why now!
A film noir gem that I rented by accident that turned out to be a New Year treat. Enjoy.
We all hate homework and you might think watching The Battleship Potemkin is going to be akin to doing the times table. It's not. It's a great action film that is also a timely reminder not to take any crap of the powers that be and you should watch it right now.
A recent book purchase led me on a Western binge. Two stood out from the crowd The Big Trail and The Ox-Bow Incident. Both very different and both quite excellent. Enjoy.
I've recently gone through the film of Nicholas Ray and amongst the highs and the lows really rather enjoyed In a Lonely Place. It's a film noir of sorts as well as look at the state of 1950's Hollywood.
Not the first western ever made but one of the most important, The Great Train Robbery was made when Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid were still knocking about. A violent, funny and important film in the history of cinema. Watch it by following the link below.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3jrB5ANUUY
The James Bond Retrospective now comes to the feed in this first bonus episode. From 1962 to 1971 I take a look at the Connery years with a slight detour with George Lazenby. Enjoy!
It's time to look back at 2022 in the world of film, home media and television.
In this episode I will take a look at François Truffaut's Jules et Jim a film that no matter how many times I watch I still can't make up my mind about.
In this episode I delve into the world of a Paris vice squad in Bertrand Tavernier's L.627 where cops have to fight the very system they are trying to protect and keep drugs off the streets of Paris.
Part Two of this years festival is here. Featured in this episode:DragonSlayer Firefox The Two Jakes Malcolm X The Agony and the Ecstasy
The show is now live on You Tube for video essays please find the link below for the first essay on The Set-Uphttps://www.youtube.com/user/tomjay1979/featuredAnd The 24 Frames Cast is now available on Spotify, Amazon Music and all major podcast services.
For One Night Only...The Maidstone Granada
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