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19 episodes with ben volchok
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13 episodes with ben volchok
4 episodes with ben volchok
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4 episodes with ben volchok
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Re-AniMated for another year! You can't stop this juggernaut of extremely niche content! The pod returns with a bang for 2025 with the rad Ben Volchok, looking at Jeff's final on-screen collab with Stuart Gordon: reimagining Edgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat" on an episode of horror anthology series Masters of Horror (2007). We chat Poe (of course), regional accents, The Nutbush and Ben introduces a new...friend. Follow the podcast: Twitter: @reanimatespod Instagram: @reanimatespod YouTube: @re-animatespodcast Tumblr: /reanimatespodcast Support the podcast: ko-fi.com/lisadib
For our final episode in the 80s, we're reviewing a cult classic comedy by "Weird Al" Yankovic called 'UHF'! It's about running a low-budget TV station, which gives Weird Al an excuse to make a bunch of parodies of popular movies, poke fun at television ads from the 80s, and get all his comedian friends to come in and make a couple of jokes! Joining us for this review is frequent guest Ben Volchok.Join our Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepodFollow Ben!Website: https://www.benvolchok.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouseTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminvolchokLetterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zomgmouse/Follow the show!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepodPodcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepodGot feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.comFollow the hosts!Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/SandroFeltChair- Aussie Nerds Talk Stuff podcast: https://anchor.fm/aussienerdstalkstuffZach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackoCaveWizard- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zach4damsOldie But A Goodie's theme tune is written and produced by Josh Cake. Check out his work here: https://www.joshcake.com/Check out other shows from our network 'That's Not Canon'! https://thatsnotcanon.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Yeeeeeee-haaaaaaw! Me and Ben Volchok look at a newie this time around, the 2023 Western Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch, based on the adventures of... guess who? Prepare y'allselves for several film ideas bound to make us millionaires, as well as a litany of terrible puns. Yonder!
It's the last episode of the year and, what a coincidence, it's coming out on Christmas Day! Well, we're celebrating this holiday Australia-style, hot and covered in flies, with two Westerns from 1969. First up, we've got the John Wayne movie 'True Grit', which is about Kim Darby as a young cowgirl looking for revenge. Then, we check out 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid', which is an incredible movie about the misadventures of Paul Newman and Robert Redford as two outlaw friends.(With a Special Appearance from Ben Volchok.)0:12:28 - True Grit [Spoiler Free Impressions]0:20:10 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid [Spoiler Free Impressions]0:30:57 - Bonus Battle! [Spoiler Warning!][Please note that timecodes will be a minute or two off due to ad placements.]Join our Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepodFollow the show!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepodPodcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepodGot feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.comFollow the hosts!Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/SandroFeltChair- Aussie Nerds Talk Stuff podcast: https://anchor.fm/aussienerdstalkstuffZach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackoCaveWizard- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zach4damsOldie But A Goodie's theme tune is written and produced by Josh Cake. Check out his work here: https://www.joshcake.com/Check out other shows from our network 'That's Not Canon'! https://thatsnotcanon.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Merry November! This week, we're reviewing a jolly Christmas movie that we've had on our list for quite a few years. It's 1964's cult classic, 'Santa Claus Conquers the Martians'. We're joined by regular guest Ben Volchok to see exactly why this is considered to be one of the worst movies ever made.Join our Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepodFollow Ben!Website: https://www.benvolchok.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouseTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminvolchokLetterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zomgmouse/Follow the show!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepodPodcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepodGot feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.comFollow the hosts!Sandro Falce- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/SandroFeltChair- Aussie Nerds Talk Stuff podcast: https://anchor.fm/aussienerdstalkstuffZach Adams- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackoCaveWizard- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zach4damsOldie But A Goodie's theme tune is written and produced by Josh Cake. Check out his work here: https://www.joshcake.com/Check out other shows from our network 'That's Not Canon'! https://thatsnotcanon.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ben Volchok takes us on a journey into the meaning and creation of the best clips from his recurring character The Orphan.Join our Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepodFollow Ben!Website: https://www.benvolchok.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouseTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminvolchokLetterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zomgmouse/Follow the show!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGAPodcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepodGot feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.comFollow the hosts!Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/SandroFeltChair- Aussie Nerds Talk Stuff podcast: https://anchor.fm/aussienerdstalkstuffZach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackoCaveWizard- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zach4damsOldie But A Goodie's theme tune is written and produced by Josh Cake. Check out his work here: https://www.joshcake.com/Check out other shows from our network 'That's Not Canon'! https://thatsnotcanon.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sandro and Zach react to the best clips of our recurring character The Orphan, as played by Ben Volchok.Join our Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepodFollow the show!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGAPodcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepodGot feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.comFollow the hosts!Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/SandroFeltChair- Aussie Nerds Talk Stuff podcast: https://anchor.fm/aussienerdstalkstuffZach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackoCaveWizard- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zach4damsOldie But A Goodie's theme tune is written and produced by Josh Cake. Check out his work here: https://www.joshcake.com/Check out other shows from our network 'That's Not Canon'! https://thatsnotcanon.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We had a busy week performing standup comedy om Friday at Basehall, Jardine House then on Saturday at Better With Beer Festival on the Central Harbourfront. Also, last week Clockenflap announced the lineup for this December's edition. We get into it all then we get to our guest Ben Volchok. Ben is an award-winning comedy writer and performer from Melbourne. We catch up with Ben while while he was in HK performing his award-winning show "The Final Hours Hour" at the Jockey Club Creative Arts Center. Get tickets to Backstage Comedy live shows here: https://linktr.ee/backstagecomedy Subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/hohopod Leave us a review: (please!) https://www.ratethispodcast.com/hohohkpod Follow Ben Volchok on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/ Follow Mohammed on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theothermohammed/ Follow Vivek on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/funnyvivek/
Who Knew It with Matt Stewart is a comedy game show podcast hosted by Australian comedian Matt Stewart. This episode was features guests Claire Hooper, Dave Warneke and Ben Volchok!Watch Matt's stand up special FREE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cWStRpI-BhESupport the show via http://patreon.com/dogoonpod and you can submit questions for the show!Get tickets to see the podcast/Matt live: https://www.mattstewartcomedy.com/Check out Matt and Jess' podcast network: https://dogoonpod.com/Theme song by Evan Munro-Smith and Logo by @muzdoodles! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
As we begin our journey through the 1940s, we go back to one filmmaker we saw during the silent era... Charlie Chaplin! World War II has just kicked off and the Chap has released his biting political satire The Great Dictator. We're joined by frequent guest Ben Volchok to see how it holds up!Join our Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepodFollow Ben!Website: https://www.benvolchok.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouseTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminvolchokLetterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zomgmouse/Follow the show!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGAPodcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepodGot feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.comFollow the hosts!Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/SandroFeltChair- Aussie Nerds Talk Stuff podcast: https://anchor.fm/aussienerdstalkstuffZach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackoCaveWizard- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zach4damsOldie But A Goodie's theme tune is written and produced by Josh Cake. Check out his work here: https://www.joshcake.com/Check out other shows from our network 'That's Not Canon'! https://thatsnotcanon.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ben Volchok is bringing his new show The Ceremony to Adelaide Fringe from February 28th, in the mean while he comes on the podcast to do a Top 50 List.
It's time to start our new series reviewing movies from 1920 to 1969, and we're kicking it off with a bang! The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is a classic silent film from the German Expressionist movement and is considered to be one of the most influential horror movies of all time. It's about two friends, a mysterious man at a fair, a somnambulist, and a bunch of murders. We're joined by frequent guest Ben Volchok to give it a watch! (And don't worry if you haven't seen the film before, we're starting episodes off with non-spoiler reviews now.)Join the Bad Porridge Club on Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepodFollow Ben!Website: https://www.benvolchok.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouseTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminvolchokFollow the show!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGAPodcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepodGot feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.comFollow the hosts!Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/SandroFeltChair- Aussie Nerds Talk Stuff podcast: https://anchor.fm/aussienerdstalkstuffZach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackoCaveWizard- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zach4damsOldie But A Goodie's theme tune is written and produced by Josh Cake. Check out his work here: https://www.joshcake.com/Check out other shows from our network 'That's Not Canon'! https://thatsnotcanon.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's our big Episode 200 special! And we're reviewing the entire Twilight Saga! Is this franchise as bad (or as good) as everyone says? We find out with a bunch of friends from past episodes as we review all five Twilight movies.0:08:46 - Twilight (with Ben Volchok)0:32:12 - New Moon (with Sandy Whittem)1:00:13 - Eclipse (with Valarrys)1:28:27 - Breaking Dawn: Part 1 (with BenPepsi)2:01:00 - Breaking Dawn: Part 2 (with Jacob Sacher)2:32:35 - Raving Reviews[Time codes may be a few minutes off due to ads.]Join the Bad Porridge Club on Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepodFollow the show!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGAPodcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepodGot feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.comFollow the hosts!Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/SandroFeltChair- Aussie Nerds Talk Stuff podcast: https://anchor.fm/aussienerdstalkstuffZach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackoCaveWizard- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zach4damsOldie But A Goodie's theme tune is written and produced by Josh Cake. Check out his work here: https://www.joshcake.com/Check out other shows from our network 'That's Not Canon'! https://thatsnotcanon.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Do you like horror? Do you like martial arts? Do you also like political satire about the French Revolution? Well, do we have a movie for you! Brotherhood of the Wolf (Le Pacte des loups) is what we're talking about this week for our spooky month of 2001 horror(ish) movies. We're joined by regular guest Ben Volchok to figure out the mystery of The Beast, a creature that's been killing people in a small rural province in France.Join the Bad Porridge Club on Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepodFollow Ben!Website: https://www.benvolchok.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouseTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminvolchokLetterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zomgmouse/Follow the show!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGAPodcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepodGot feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.comFollow the hosts!Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/SandroFeltChair- Aussie Nerds Talk Stuff podcast: https://anchor.fm/aussienerdstalkstuffZach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackoCaveWizard- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zach4damsOldie But A Goodie's theme tune is written and produced by Josh Cake. Check out his work here: https://www.joshcake.com/Check out other shows from our network 'That's Not Canon'! https://thatsnotcanon.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week, we're joined by Ben Volchok to review an all-star movie with one of the biggest all-star casts to ever claim to have an all-star cast. It's Rat Race, directed by Jerry Zucker. It's about a bunch of people who race against one another to win two million dollars. They each get up to their own wild adventures, ranging from very funny to only slightly funny. Now, here's a bunch of names of people who are in this: Rowan Atkinson, Whoopi Goldberg, Seth Green, Breckin Meyer, Jon Lovitz, Amy Smart, Cuba Gooding Jr, John Cleese... That's a lot of people!Join the Bad Porridge Club on Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepodFollow Ben!Website: https://www.benvolchok.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouseTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminvolchokLetterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zomgmouse/Follow the show!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGAPodcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepodGot feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.comFollow the hosts!Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/kegelandgregmusicZach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackoCaveWizard- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zach4damsOldie But A Goodie's theme tune is written and produced by Josh Cake.Check out his work here: https://www.joshcake.com/Check out other shows from our network 'That's Not Canon'! https://thatsnotcanon.com/ Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Ghost Tour continues, this time fully to an audience of ghosts. Ben Volchok and Ross plan on bringing their sketch comedy duo #HAMBOYZ back and have Cousin Tara consult.
Pulse (回路 / Kairo) is a Japanese horror film by Kiyoshi Kurosawa that made waves at film festivals in 2001. It's a dark, atmospheric exploration of the internet, ghosts, and loneliness that is really unlike any other horror we've reviewed on the show before. We're joined by comedian Ben Volchok to go through the plot, figure out a few of the mysteries, and get a few scares in along the way.Join the Bad Porridge Club on Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepodSandro's new comedy rap album is out now! Listen here: https://linktr.ee/kegelandgregmusicFollow Ben!Website: https://www.benvolchok.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouseTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminvolchokLetterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zomgmouse/Follow the show!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepodYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGAPodcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepodGot feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.comFollow the hosts!Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/- Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/kegelandgregmusicZach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackoCaveWizard- Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zach4damsTheme song by Josh Cake. Check out his work here: https://www.joshcake.com/Check out other shows from our network 'That's Not Canon'! https://thatsnotcanon.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
To help bring in the New Year, we're unlocking one of our Patreon episodes and dropping it here on the main feed!Guest Ben Volchok returns to help out with a bonus battle between two nearly-identical horror films. We've got 1963's Blood Feast, a cannibal movie about making a gory sacrifice to an ancient goddess. We've also got 1987's Blood Diner, a cannibal movie about making a gory sacrifice to an ancient goddess.For more bonus episodes like this, subscribe to our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepod See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
It's Springtime for Hitler, as me and Ben Volchok dig into Snide and Prejudice (1997), a film about a man who think he is the Fuhrer. It's not as grim a time as you think but it's no knee-slapper, either. It's a weird one! Plus: some IMPECCABLE Matthew McConaughey impressions (sorry) and lots of singing (not sorry).
Wings of Desire, released October 29th in 1987, is a German film about angels and love and becoming human. One of our regular guests, Ben Volchok, loves this movie. It's one of his all-time favourites. So he's back on the show to review it with us. Even though this movie is very serious and poetic, don't worry, we still make heaps of jokes. Join the Bad Porridge Club on Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepod Follow Ben Volchok! Website: https://www.benvolchok.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouse TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminvolchok Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zomgmouse/ Follow the show! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/ Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGA Podcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepod Got feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.com Follow the hosts! Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce - Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/ - Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/kegelandgregmusic - Nerd-Out Podcast: https://anchor.fm/nerd-out-podcast Zach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZackoCaveWizard Donations: https://paypal.me/oldiebutagoodiepod Please do not feel like you have to contribute anything but any donations are greatly appreciated! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kanye West's 2013 album Yeezus is a concept album following a man of much power finding his revolutionary ambitions stifled by clash of ego and vulnerability, inner demons and internal struggle to find meaningful connection in his world saturated by hollow hedonistic superficiality - with an sonically abrasive landscape that reflects his mental chaos with an almost dystopian tinge.
We're shrinking down and heading deep inside of this week's movie! That sounds a bit weird and doesn't entirely make sense but it's similar enough to the plot of Innerspace, released July 1st in 1987. It's a fun Joe Dante film about this guy who's miniaturized and accidentally put inside of another man. We're joined by regular guest Ben Volchok (The Final Hours Hour / The Illustrious Fact Show) to check it out! Join the Bad Porridge Club on Patreon for TWO bonus episodes each month! https://www.patreon.com/oldiebutagoodiepod Follow Ben Volchok! Apocalypse Wow! (July 22nd): https://melbournefringe.com.au/event/apocalypse-wow/ Website: https://www.benvolchok.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouse TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminvolchok Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/zomgmouse/ Follow the show! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oldiebutagoodiepod/ Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepod Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGA Podcast Platforms: https://linktr.ee/oldiebutagoodiepod Got feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.com Follow the hosts! Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce - Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/ - Nerd-Out Podcast: https://anchor.fm/nerd-out-podcast Zach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/ Donations: https://paypal.me/oldiebutagoodiepod Please do not feel like you have to contribute anything but any donations are greatly appreciated! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Lisa and comedian Ben Volchok trample through the gooey, Satan-y, goofy-faced, screaming mad "Faust: Love of The Damned" from 2000. Tune in for more Goons content than anyone expected. Content warning: episode briefly discusses child sexual abuse as part of the plot of the film.
We've made it to 100 episodes and to celebrate, we've put together a big special. We've got quizzes, interviews, bloopers, a bonus battle, and a full synopsis review of the movie that came out this week back in 1984: Beverly Hills Cop. We're also joined by loads of guests, including Rob Lloyd, Ben Volchok, Sandy Whittem, Jacob Sacher, Jen Speirs, Rhys Parton and Jack McGorlick. Follow the show! Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepod Omny: https://omny.fm/shows/oldie-but-a-goodie YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGA Songs from 1984 Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/39v1MbWf849XD8aau0yA52 Got feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.com Follow the hosts! Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce - Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/ - Nerd-Out Podcast: https://omny.fm/shows/nerdout Zach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/ Donations: https://paypal.me/oldiebutagoodiepod Please do not feel like you have to contribute anything but any donations are greatly appreciated! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
He's a rock star! He's a neurosurgeon! He's a test pilot! He's a physicist! He fights aliens! He's Buckaroo Banzai! We're joined by Ben Volchok to obverse his adventure into the 8th dimension. Listen to Sandro on Crooked Table: https://www.crookedtable.com/ Listen to Zach on Nerd-Out Consumed: https://omny.fm/shows/nerdout (Out on Wednesday) Got feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.com Follow Ben Volchok! Website: https://www.benvolchok.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouse TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminvolchok Follow the show! Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepod Omny: https://omny.fm/shows/oldie-but-a-goodie YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGA Songs from 1984 Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/39v1MbWf849XD8aau0yA52 Follow the hosts! Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce - Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/ Zach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/ See omnystudio.com/policies/listener for privacy information.
Warning: This week we're reviewing The Toxic Avenger which contains scenes of extreme violence. Warning: We're joined by guest Ben Volchok to describe these scenes of extreme violence. Warning: We're also joined by guest Ben Volchok to talk about the rest of the movie. Got feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.com Follow Ben Volchok! Website: https://www.benvolchok.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouse TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benjaminvolchok Follow the show! Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepod Omny: https://omny.fm/shows/oldie-but-a-goodie YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGA Follow the hosts! Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce - Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/ Zach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/ Check out Sandro's other podcast, Nerd-Out! https://omny.fm/shows/nerdout
Ambu-Lance Armstrong Izzie has type 1 diabetes. Silvi has ulcerative colitis. Only one of them can drive. And they’re making a podcast. What business do two chronically ill millennials have in touring the country in a beat-up old ambulance? Subscribe to find out – and join these fully-sick friends as they go on the road to find other chronic illness-havers just like them. Pill Pop is for anyone with a chronic illness who just wishes they had some mates who understood what it’s like … and for everyone else to dip into a world they potentially never knew existed. Content warning: Discussions of severe illness, hospitals, medical trauma. Sensory warning: Some scenes at the beginning contain loud ambulance sirens. Get in touch We want to hear from our listeners. Tweet us your diagnosis story at @PillPopCast, or send us an email at pillpoppodcast@gmail.com. In this episode Hosted, produced and edited by Silvi Vann-Wall and Izzie Austin. Mentorship and production support from Bec Fary. Additional voices by Bec Fary and Ben Volchok. Music: 'Dip Dop' by Barrie Gledden; 'Sad Marimba Planet', 'Where Was I' and 'Vaping in L.A.' by Lee Rosevere; 'Glitter Blast' by Kevin Macleod (CC-BY-4.0). Sound effects sourced from SoundSnap. Transcript Download a transcript of this episode in PDF format.
Melbourne comedian Ben Volchok (The Final Hours Hour MFF 2019) comes on the show to talk about telepathic massage and being in the dirty movie business for 75 years.
It's 1939, the golden age of radio. A new station is about to broadcast it's first ever show, a wide variety of live music and radio-plays, but then people start dying! Radioland Murders, released October 21st, 1994, is a little-known George Lucas project that pays homage to old-time radio and classic screwball comedy. Joining us this week is our first ever returning guest: Ben Volchok (The Final Hour's Hour / The Illustrious Fact Show). Got feedback? Send us an email at oldiebutagoodiepod@gmail.com! Follow Ben Volchok! Website: https://www.benvolchok.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouse Follow the show! Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepod Omny: https://omny.fm/shows/oldie-but-a-goodie YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGA Follow the hosts! Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce - Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/SandroFalce/ Zach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/
What would happen if Jack Nicholson started turning into a werewolf? What would happen if Michelle Pfeiffer was also there? That is what this week's film tries to answer! It's Wolf, released June 17th, 1994. We're joined by comedian Ben Volchok (The Illustrious Fact Show) to see what happens! Follow Ben Volchok! Website: https://www.benvolchok.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benvolchok/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/zomgmouse Follow the show! Facebook: https://fb.me/oldiebutagoodiepod Omny: https://omny.fm/shows/oldie-but-a-goodie YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjfdXHxK_rIUsOEoFSx-hGA Follow the hosts! Sandro Falce - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrofalce/ - Twitter: https://twitter.com/sandrofalce Zach Adams - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zach4dams/
Episode 406 of Punwatch, with returning champion punster Ben Volchok and every single bread. You can find Ben at @zomgmouse on Twitter, on Facebook, TikTok or at his website! Punsters: Ben Volchok, Lisa Dib, James Ferris, Alex Malone Host: Andrew Cherry Socials: Patreon Twitter Facebook YouTube theconsumption.net
The second half of Ez's interview with Melbourne comedian, Ben Volchok. They play the Fake News Game, discuss where the money goes when you pay parking tickets, and his live radio play for Fringe, Ben Volchok Presents... 1. Fake News Game 2. Parking fines 3. Ben's Fringe show 4. Fred the comedian from Paris - is it all an elaborate ruse??? I didn't play any music in this podcast, but if you'd like some new chunes I'd strongly suggest checking out Ravyn Lenae (nb Free Room and Moon Shoes) and Logic (nb Til The End and Driving Ms Daisy)
Ez interviews Melbourne comedian and SYN alumnus, Ben Volchok. Ben is the founder of sketch comedy group, Mudcrabs, and creator of comedy podcast, The Illustrious Fact Show. Ben has just finished his live radio play for Fringe Fest 2017 - Ben Volchok Presents... He dropped by the studio to hear about my "absolutely bananas" experiences with one woman in the State Library and a "single guy from Adelaide". Ben also (reluctantly) discusses a recent review of his show, and Ez gets fired up about it (Skip to 11m30s) 1. The infamous review // Ez slams down terrible reviewers 2. Ez and the crazy lady incident (feat. proofreading emails, a disgrutled housemate and an inexplicable tale) You will NOT believe your ears. (25min) 3. Ez and the Single Guy from Adelaide - Will we find him?? Part two will be coming your way very soon, but for now enjoy two absurd stories and one, long rant. If you're enjoying the pod, subscribe! I'm working on a few special things for you right now, so stay tuned. Feel free to dm me, I'd love to hear your own ezcapades too! Also, in the world of music, you should check out HARE SQUEAD - I'm obsessed.
New Punwatch, with guest Ben Volchok, a broken round and guest Skeletor.™ This episode is entitled "Brian's Balls Crush Castle." Lisa kinda broke in the middle there. Ben has a brand new Fringe Festival show, "Ben Volchok Presents..." opening THIS SATURDAY at the Butterfly Club. It's two episodes of original radio comedy, live on stage, and thoroughly recommended! Check it out and get tickets here. Ben's also on a new SynFM show, "The 90.7 Show" with former guest punster Claire Sullivan and Ian McCarthy! You can check it out live on SynFM, Thursdays at 3pm (90.7 on your FM dial), or anytime via their podcast. You can also find him on Twitter at @zomgmouse! You can hear & subscribe to Punwatch via iTunes: ow.ly/ACJn30388YM or RSS: punwatch.libsyn.com/punwatchrss Punsters: Ben Volchok, James Ferris, Lisa Dib, Harry Brimage Host: Andrew Cherry
Lady Macbeth is the debut film by William Oldroyd, written by Alice Birch and based on the novella Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District by Nikolai Leskov. It's set in the mid-19th century, though it transposes the original narrative from Russia to the Northern English moors. The film stars Florence Pugh as Katherine, a young woman who enters into a loveless marriage with an older industrialist. He gives her no attention, and when he leaves for a business trip she looks to one of her husband's workers, Sebastian, played by Cosmo Jarvis, for the affection she so desperately needs. Soon after, however, things turn harsh and murderous, putting into motion events that earn Katherine the unspoken fitting nickname of Lady Macbeth. Shot by Melbourne cinematographer Ari Wegner, the camerawork, which alternates between still and handheld, has an effective but obvious role of mirroring characters' emotional states. The colour palette is also suitably cold except in the more tender moments between Katherine and Sebastian – even the poster features Katherine in a long, piercingly blue dress. It also has some very interesting ways of dealing with space. We never see the front of the house and indeed most of the action takes place inside with Katherine looking out through the windows. In fact if I have any criticisms about this film it's that most of it seems effective but obvious. The puritanical, patriarchal setting of mid-19th Century Britain, for example, is an easy conduit for its necessary statements about gender politics. However, Oldroyd and the rest of the cast and crew should be commended for creating a tense and modestly troubling film. A solid and promising debut, Lady Macbeth is in cinemas now. Written by Ben Volchok
Ez interviews Melbourne comedian, Ben Volchok. Ben is the founder of sketch comedy group, Mudcrabs, and resident comedy presenter here at SYN Media. We caught up and had a laugh over recent events and talked about his upcoming show in the Fringe. Ben has kindly allowed me to use a snippet of his show The Illustrious Fact Show Presents... Cyber Cops, so go check it out if it tickles your fancy! On todays show... 1. Preamble about squeaky chairs/getting ready for the show 2. Ez's war stories 3. Ben's new website and what Ez's website would be 4. Ez attempts to create an app (unsuccessfully) 5. Forbidden bickies 6. -FAKE NEWS GAME- 7. The Illustrious Fact Show Presents... Cyber Cops 8. Voice overs and advice to starting your OWN podcast! 9. How to never, ever, ever lose yourself Don't forget to drop me a line or like my FB and instagram! I'd love to hear from you, so don't be shy. I will also appreciate your feedback in the form of a picture of the royal family, with all different types of Sheen faces' (Charlie, Michael, Martin... etc) superimposed onto them with the banner "God Save the Sheens" proudly flapping in the wind above. Or you could just like my FB. Choice is yours.
20th Century Women is the latest film from Mike Mills, whose previous film Beginners came out a full six years ago – but the wait has certainly been worthwhile. He’s managed to follow up what was a rather lovely and tender film with an even lovelier and even more tender one, a film that encompasses a sprawling range of themes and sentiments. It’s set in Southern California in 1979, and centres on Jamie, a fifteen-year-old living with his single middle-aged mother, Dorothea (Annette Bening), in a house she rents out to punk photographer Abby (Greta Gerwig) and hippy handyman William (Billy Crudup). Rounding off the main ensemble is Jamie’s best friend Julie (Elle Fanning), a troubled teen who spends much of her time staying at Jamie’s house. We grow close to these characters as we learn intimate details about their past, present and future and go through their pleasures and pains alongside them. It’s the rare type of film that not only introduces a relatively large core cast of five but also makes you care about each one of them equally and deeply. By the end, you realise that they’re all very special people, unique people, but that they’re just people, and that there’s billions of other people and that you’re one of them. It’s the feeling of simultaneously mattering a lot and not mattering in the slightest. The script is among the strongest of recent years. There’s an almost literary quality to the dialogue, with most characters being given a selection of sweeping epigrammatic lines like: “wondering if you’re happy is a great shortcut to just being depressed”, or: “whatever you think your life is going to be like, just know, it’s not gonna be anything like that”. The narrative unfolds naturally, incrementally, at once mirroring life and yet crystallising it. It manages to take in all of the characters’ lives from beginning to end while still focussing on this one specific point in their lives, the summer of 1979. This sense of time is also conveyed exceptionally well through music, not only through the gentle score by Roger Neill but also through the songs chosen to make up the film’s soundtrack. These are songs that evoke an array of moods, but also songs that function to contextualise the story and characters in a certain place in history and the world. It’s also used quite meaningfully to develop the characters’ identities. Indeed, music forms an integral part of the story itself, with clubs and concerts and dancing to record players in the bedroom featuring heavily in the film. There is one element of 20th Century Women that did kind of bother me, though. Despite the interesting and well-crafted female characters and the fact that it’s called “20th Century Women”, it’s still a story told through a man, since the main narrative thread is the coming-of-age of a teenage boy and the way the women around him shape him as a person. Yes, it’s a semi-autobiographical film about how Mills himself was shaped by the women around him when he was growing up, and, yes, it does make a change from films primarily about men, but it’s still a concern. That quibble aside, however, 20th Century Women is beautiful, clever and emotionally complex. There’s a lot of feelings condensed into these two hours. It’ll make you laugh, it might well even make you cry, and, after experiencing all these characters’ lives, it will almost definitely make you sit down and take stock of your own. 20th Century Women is in cinemas June 1st. Written by Ben Volchok
Faith is a difficult concept to explain to non-believers. I was never raised religiously, or even with any sort of a belief in a god. As such, I generally struggle to connect to stories of faith and to characters who so strongly experience faith, and it takes something special to make me truly understand what these people are going through. But Martin Scorsese, with his latest film Silence, has managed to do just that. Himself a lapsed Catholic, he may just be in the best position to convey the intricacies of faith. Silence is the story of two Portuguese Christian missionaries in Japan in the 17th century, a time when Christianity was forbidden and severely persecuted. It’s based on a novel of the same name by Shusaku Endo, a Japanese Christian author, which in turn is based on a real set of historical events. The two missionaries, Rodrigues and Garupe (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver), travel to Japan in pursuit of another priest by the name of Ferreira (Liam Neeson) who had gone to Japan many years earlier and of whom all traces had been lost. Over the course of the film, the priests hide in small Japanese villages and attempt, unsuccessfully, to evade the authorities who are determined to make the priests apostatise, to renounce their religion, and who aim to stamp out the roots of Christianity in Japan. The more the priests persist in their attempts to find Ferreira and to hold on to their dogma, the more ruthless the Japanese officials become, not just towards them but also towards the villagers who hide them. For the most part, the narrative is centred on Rodrigues, and the themes of wavering faith, the silence of god and the point of missionary work in general, are all explored through him. Rodrigues is so deeply embedded in his religious system and indoctrinated role as a missionary that he fails to realise that true faith is in one’s heart, not one’s church. There’s a moment in the middle of the film where Rodrigues hands out religious artefacts to the church-starved locals and observes that these people seem more obsessed with the symbolism of religion than religion itself. It’s a thought that Rodrigues himself does not seem to fully grasp in relation to the manifestations of his own faith: repeatedly, the officials try to make him renounce his faith by placing his foot on an image of Christ, and repeatedly he refuses, as indeed do the persecuted villagers. He too, then, like the villagers, is more interested with preserving his status as an emissary of the church and of god than of accepting true belief, and as a result cannot bring himself to reject a physical symbol. To add to his inner turmoil and the difficulty he faces, the longer he takes to reject his status as a priest in front of authorities, the more the Japanese civilians are tormented and tortured. Even the officials continually state that the act of apostasy is a pure formality, that they would be satisfied with the simple gesture of stamping on the engraving, and even though this statement comes from a place of heartless bureaucracy, it nevertheless encapsulates the very lesson that Rodrigues is destined to learn. Most of these narrative twists, thematic ideas and religious dilemmas come, of course, from Endo’s original novel, not from Scorsese or his co-screenwriter Jay Cocks, so I can’t pretend that they’re specific to this film. Having said that, the novel doesn’t really work for me. It seems to presume a basic personal understanding of the problems faced by people of faith and in doing so alienates someone like me who does not necessarily appreciate the faithful mindset. Endo almost relies on the (albeit intriguing) philosophical and ethical questions to be the start and endpoint of the narrative and as a result the narrative itself falls flat. There was even another adaptation of the novel filmed in 1971 by Masahiro Shindo, co-written by Endo himself, and even that felt very unengaging, though technically well-made. Scorsese’s adaptation, however, succeeds in constructing a deeply personal and affecting portrayal of the young priest and took me on a journey alongside him, allowing me to empathise with the weight of his doubts. Ironically, it seems that he has achieved this by toning down the first-person perspective in comparison to the original, though we do get a voiceover in several sections of the film, and consequently the film becomes more subtle and more balanced as a depiction. On top of this, Scorsese pays a great deal more attention to the Japanese villagers and their suffering, the very suffering that is at the core of the moral quandary facing Rodrigues. It all makes for very engrossing and moving viewing. In other words, while Scorsese hasn’t come up with the seeds of the story and themes, it’s the way he expresses them that is significant here. On a technical level, too, Silence is astoundingly well-put-together. The majority of the film is shot with striking cold, foggy tones, echoing the harshness of the political environment which the priests are thrust into. Yet there are several notable moments that seem surprisingly warmly-coloured, made even more notable by the overall coldness of the film. These warm moments predominantly seem to have some connection to faith, such as a night-time prayer session in a tiny hut. It’s almost as if to emphasise the extent of the meaning people derive from their faith and the intimacy of their beliefs. I should note that cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto has been nominated for an Academy Award for Silence, and it’s very much well-earned. Scorsese’s longtime collaborator and film editor Thelma Schoonmaker, too, continues her masterful work, as does legendary set and art designer Dante Ferretti. The period detail is meticulous, even in scenes we barely see. And even though superficially this film mightn’t appear to shout “Scorsese”, there’s enough of his familiar camera movements to divulge his directorial presence. Several startling zooms and pans, particularly in the prison sequences, still stick in my mind and are well and truly characteristic of Scorsese’s work. Not to mention the stark and brutal imagery that has become synonymous with his reputation. Excellent, fascinating and absorbing, a story about faith that even non-religious people like me can get into. All that’s left to say, I suppose, is that Martin Scorsese’s Silence is golden. Silence is out in cinemas on February 16th. Written by Ben Volchok
Arrival is the latest film by Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, written by Eric Heisserer and adapted from a short story by Ted Chiang. It’s a science-fiction film in which aliens arrive on Earth and Dr Louise Banks, a linguist, played by Amy Adams, is asked to help decipher their language in order to find out their purpose on Earth. Over the course of the film we join Dr Banks in solving this curious puzzle, as she races against the worldwide chaos caused by the presence of these creatures. Interspersed with the plot of Dr Banks and the aliens is another storyline involving her daughter, which not only adds emotional weight but also ends up being quite a central element in understanding the film itself. There’s an absolutely brilliant confluence of visual, emotional and intellectual elements that keep you engrossed and awed throughout the film’s duration. Everything just comes together so well. First, let’s talk about the visuals. In particular, all the things to do with the aliens are immaculately designed. The aliens are these kinds of seven-limbed knuckle squids which in the film they call “heptapods”, and they land in twelve identical ships which seem like particularly aerodynamic skimming pebbles. You might have seen them on the poster. Inside the pods is a long rectangular room with a groovy gravitational shift, and the first time we experience this gravitational shift is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a film this year. In the room there’s a glass screen behind which the heptapods themselves appear enshrouded in a white mist. Finally, there’s the language that the heptapods use to communicate, the language that our protagonist, the linguist Dr Banks, has been hired to decode. Emanating from a tentacular orifice of one of the limbs of the heptapods, the language is basically a black smoky ink which forms circular symbols or logograms that on first glance look like Rorschach tests made from coffee mug stains but really is a set of unique elements that in each circle create an entire phrase or sentence. Now, I might be biased in my enjoyment of the film due to being a linguist myself, but if anything I feel like a film that involves one’s specialist subject gets put under even closer scrutiny, and the fact that there’s so much actual linguistic basis for what goes on, which I won’t go into, definitely increased how much I got into the film. This is not even touching the intriguing way the film deals with the passage of time. Towards the middle of the film, we find out a certain piece of information that changes the way conceptualise everything we’ve seen so far and everything we see thenceforth. I’m hesitant in labelling it a twist, because it feels less like a twist per se and more like another piece of the puzzle that the film represents. Though it’s still totally a spoiler, so I’m not going to say what it is. But it comes at the point where Dr Banks unlocks the secret to the heptapods’ language and in doing so is able to look at time in a completely different way. So essentially, by solving the problem of their language and learning this new way of experiencing time, Dr Banks passes on to us, the audience, the ability to see the film differently. It’s really quite a clever narrative technique. And what the revelation has to do with involves Dr Banks’ daughter, Hannah, who we see in the first few minutes of the film being born, growing up and then dying. Scenes from Hannah’s life are constantly being intercut with the plot of the heptapods, and this really adds a delicate and grounded aspect to the film. There are definitely moments when the film threatens to move into rather oversentimental territory, but its sentimentality always feels earned, or else it pulls back just before getting too sappy. And regardless, the story of Hannah, without giving anything away, is absolutely essential to our grasp of the story of the entire film. Overall what impressed me was the scale of this film, the way it tied together a worldwide phenomenon to a personal tale, the attention to detail with giant alien ships and tiny wisps of smoke alike, and above all the flagrant optimism for humanity amidst all the flurry of panic and division going on across the world. Arrival has captivated my imagination the way very few recent films have, and it relays a message of communication and unity that is always relevant, especially today. Arrival is out in cinemas now. Written by Ben Volchok
Julieta is the latest film by Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, based on three short stories by Canadian writer Alice Munro. The eponymous lead character is depicted in the present and in flashbacks through a diary she is writing in a sort of cathartic fit. From the flashbacks we learn of Julieta's life, her joys and more specifically her tragedies, of which there are several, spanning everything from her parents to her daughter to her love. Some have criticised the film for being emotionless, for retreading themes familiar to Almodóvar's previous work - such as loss, passion and parent-child relationships - in a lacklustre way. But I would in fact argue the opposite. In the words of Almodóvar, this is a "dry, tearless film". Such was his intention when shooting, so much so that he specifically told the actors not to cry. So really, Julieta is not so much about the emotions felt when grieving as the lack of emotions felt when grieving. The empty hole you find yourself in. The depressive chasm loss pushes you down. And I thought he captured this elegantly and tenderly. Perhaps the most epitomising image for me was a scene where Julieta is in such a pit of depression that her daughter has to bathe her; there she is, in a bathtub, naked and drenched, and still not crying. Just numb. I was very much moved. Capping this all off are grounded performances that internalise and consolidate the drama, and a complementary score by Almodóvar regular Alberto Iglesias, as well as the vibrant, evocative and rich colour schemes that Almodóvar is famous for, which here serve to contrast with the resounding emotional absence. Julieta for me is among his finest work, and a truly affecting portrayal of grief. Definitely very much recommended. Julieta is in cinemas now. Written by Ben Volchok
Hell or High Water is a 2016 film written by Taylor Sheridan and directed by David McKenzie. Set in blistering rural Texas, it focusses on two brothers, played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster, who rob banks, and a cop on the verge of retirement who is chasing them, played by Jeff Bridges. There’s action, there’s tension, there’s laughs. Tonally, the film carries itself with a particular relaxed, laid-back nature that seems to befit the type of life present in small-town Texas. What makes this tone so much more appealing is how well it complements the more intense moments of the film, of which there are plenty, with much of the film’s runtime being taken up by bank heists, car chases and shootouts, and more. Adding to the fun of the plot is a real sense of humour which shows up not just in the banter of the various main characters but also in the dialogue of the various minor or incidental characters that pop up, including a very memorably dismissive elderly waitress in a steakhouse. The film explores some interesting themes relating to poverty and capitalism, and the central premise of the brothers stealing from the banks that are stealing from them is an irony that serves the film quite well. Unfortunately, it’s an irony that is too often stated rather overexplicitly, meaning the way that the issues are treated is too on the nose to have proper weight. I would have preferred to see a more subtle approach to dealing the social commentary, an approach that can in fact be seen in the film, particularly in the ways that it raises certain moral questions, but it’s an approach which is obscured by the numerous bits of dialogue that make it painfully obvious. Likewise, the soundtrack seems piled on a bit too high. For some reason the filmmakers felt it necessary to add songs underneath every second scene until there was little room for anything else to tell the story. It’s a pity because there’s an absolutely fantastic central score done by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis which truly gives us a feel for the setting and works with the visuals to create an interesting mood. It’s just not given much breathing space because of how overstuffed the rest of the soundtrack is. Clever but not quite clever enough, if nothing else this film is a lot of fun and is definitely better than your average crime drama. Hell or High Water opens October the 27th. Written by Ben Volchok
Francofonia is the latest film by Russian director Alexander Sokurov, who is perhaps best known for his 2002 documentary Russian Ark, an ambitious and awe-inspiring one-take trip through St Peterburg’s Hermitage museum during the Russian Revolution. In Francofonia, Sokurov once more returns to the themes of art and war and museums, this time focussing on the Louvre during the Nazi occupation of France. As someone who doesn’t get on terribly well with documentaries, I found Francofonia rather intriguing as it played with the documentary form and fused narrative with truth and reconstruction, past with present. We see Napoleon wandering the halls of the museum, we see the German officer in charge of dealing with the Louvre meeting with the then head of the museum. Sokurov himself narrates the documentary and appears on screen as one of the film’s central figures, talking to the characters while also being depicted as trying to piece the film together and not knowing how because the nature of culture is too overwhelming. But the film itself is not a failure – the nature of culture is overwhelming, and this is intentionally presented in the daunting and elusive way that it is. The fragments of history are all woven together in a way that urges us to draw our own conclusions in the way that Sokurov tries to over the course of the film. While at times disappointingly Eurocentric in its analysis of culture and the significance of culture, Francofonia still provides plenty of food for thought. What is culture? How much is it worth and who needs it? Who has a right to it? Perhaps the most interesting facet for me was the parallel drawn between Germany capturing the Louvre during its invasion in WWII and Napoleon invading other countries during his reign and bringing back countless artefacts to be displayed in the Louvre. Plus there’s a lot of fascinating snippets about the museum’s formation and the particulars of what it went through during the Second World War. Complex and at times confusing – in a good way – Francofonia has a lot to offer, even if we have to do a bit of work to piece it all together. Francofonia opens October 6.Written by Ben Volchok.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Francofonia is the latest film by Russian director Alexander Sokurov, who is perhaps best known for his 2002 documentary Russian Ark, an ambitious and awe-inspiring one-take trip through St Peterburg’s Hermitage museum during the Russian Revolution. In Francofonia, Sokurov once more returns to the themes of art and war and museums, this time focussing on the Louvre during the Nazi occupation of France. As someone who doesn’t get on terribly well with documentaries, I found Francofonia rather intriguing as it played with the documentary form and fused narrative with truth and reconstruction, past with present. We see Napoleon wandering the halls of the museum, we see the German officer in charge of dealing with the Louvre meeting with the then head of the museum. Sokurov himself narrates the documentary and appears on screen as one of the film’s central figures, talking to the characters while also being depicted as trying to piece the film together and not knowing how because the nature of culture is too overwhelming. But the film itself is not a failure – the nature of culture is overwhelming, and this is intentionally presented in the daunting and elusive way that it is. The fragments of history are all woven together in a way that urges us to draw our own conclusions in the way that Sokurov tries to over the course of the film. While at times disappointingly Eurocentric in its analysis of culture and the significance of culture, Francofonia still provides plenty of food for thought. What is culture? How much is it worth and who needs it? Who has a right to it? Perhaps the most interesting facet for me was the parallel drawn between Germany capturing the Louvre during its invasion in WWII and Napoleon invading other countries during his reign and bringing back countless artefacts to be displayed in the Louvre. Plus there’s a lot of fascinating snippets about the museum’s formation and the particulars of what it went through during the Second World War. Complex and at times confusing – in a good way – Francofonia has a lot to offer, even if we have to do a bit of work to piece it all together. Francofonia opens October 6. Written by Ben Volchok.
Ez interviews Melbourne comedian, Ben Volchok, who is the creator of Ben's Illustrious Facts Show: Episode 3 in the 2016 Melbourne Fringe Festival. He founded sketch comedy group Mudcrabs (Melbourne University Comedy Revue Board) in 2012, which still performs to this day, and won the Campus Comedy Competition in the same year. He then started Rowdy Laughter, a weekly student comedy show, which takes place in the Rowden White Library each week. He has co-directed the UMSU comedy festival, regularly contributes to student magazine Farrago and is involved with university radio station The Fodder and community radio station SYN. He's performed in both the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (MICF) and the Melbourne Fringe Festival. His most recent projects were Mudcrabs in Space, And Then There Were Not As Many and his own show, Ben's Illustrious Facts Show: Episode 3. 1. Game - Two Truths and a Lie 2. Becoming a comedian 3. Ben's TED Talk topic - Accents in comedy and when it's appropriate 4. Re-enacting Ben's show in 5 mins Songs: 1. Speak of the Devil - Hermitude, 2. Compromise Feat Sinead Harnett, Goldlink & Secaina Hudson - Christian Rich, 3. Kill v Maim - Grimes, 4. The Worst Guys feat. Chance The Rapper - Childish Gambino, 5. Molasses - Hiatus Kaiyote, 6. Welcome to Your Life - Grouplove
Episode 203 of Punwatch, in which guest Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall is haunted by the ghost-puns of Ben Volchok! OOOOOooooo Ben scored a spooky point. This episode is entitled “Hydra Duck Foiled.” Thanks to Punwatch Contributor Hamish for the excellent Kim DotCom story! Go look at Alasdair on Twitter and Facebook! Punsters: Alasdair Tremblay-Birchall, David Shaw, Lisa Dib Host: Andrew Cherry You can hear & subscribe to Punwatch via iTunes or RSS.
Heavily stylised and endearingly quirky, Girl Asleep could be very easily described as “Wes Anderson does Napoleon Dynamite”, but in reality it’s much, much more than that. Sure it’s full of dorky humour and a kitsch yet meticulous 70s aesthetic, but it’s got a unique and very sweet take on the coming-of-age story. The girl of the film’s title is 14-year-old Greta, who’s just moved to suburban Adelaide and is having trouble fitting in at school. She meets another outcast kid named Elliott and the two strike up a nice friendship. Soon after, her parents decide to throw her a 15th birthday party, and reluctantly she agrees. There’s bullies, there’s sibling rivalry, there’s anxiety over appearance and romance, all the standard teenage things. It all sounds like such a simple premise. But that’s basically the point. It all sounds like such a simple premise because it is, and deliberately so: that which is generic is of course universally resonant. It’s a clever touch, as it allows the filmmakers to take this generic story and turn it into something truly original, and it means that it’s the stylistic oddities that shape the film as much as the story and characters. The visual flourishes, such as expositional “later that night” type text appearing on objects in the film or spontaneous dance sequences, are a delight. In addition, it devotes a hefty portion of its refreshingly short runtime to an intriguing dream sequence – the asleep part of the title – which plays out Greta’s insecurities, giving her closure with the people who surround her and helping her come to terms with her own changing existence. The most visually striking portion of the film, it’s also a portion that threatens to break the flow of the film and is a tad too long for what it needs to be. But I nevertheless enjoyed it and thought it matched the general mood and vibe of the rest of the film; like a true dream, it became a heightened version of the film’s reality. This is a film primarily for teenage girls, but though I was never a teenage girl I still really dug this. It’s funny, it’s a bit weird and it’s quintessentially Australian. Girl Asleep opens September 8th. Written by Ben Volchok.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Heavily stylised and endearingly quirky, Girl Asleep could be very easily described as “Wes Anderson does Napoleon Dynamite”, but in reality it’s much, much more than that. Sure it’s full of dorky humour and a kitsch yet meticulous 70s aesthetic, but it’s got a unique and very sweet take on the coming-of-age story. The girl of the film’s title is 14-year-old Greta, who’s just moved to suburban Adelaide and is having trouble fitting in at school. She meets another outcast kid named Elliott and the two strike up a nice friendship. Soon after, her parents decide to throw her a 15th birthday party, and reluctantly she agrees. There’s bullies, there’s sibling rivalry, there’s anxiety over appearance and romance, all the standard teenage things. It all sounds like such a simple premise. But that’s basically the point. It all sounds like such a simple premise because it is, and deliberately so: that which is generic is of course universally resonant. It’s a clever touch, as it allows the filmmakers to take this generic story and turn it into something truly original, and it means that it’s the stylistic oddities that shape the film as much as the story and characters. The visual flourishes, such as expositional “later that night” type text appearing on objects in the film or spontaneous dance sequences, are a delight. In addition, it devotes a hefty portion of its refreshingly short runtime to an intriguing dream sequence – the asleep part of the title – which plays out Greta’s insecurities, giving her closure with the people who surround her and helping her come to terms with her own changing existence. The most visually striking portion of the film, it’s also a portion that threatens to break the flow of the film and is a tad too long for what it needs to be. But I nevertheless enjoyed it and thought it matched the general mood and vibe of the rest of the film; like a true dream, it became a heightened version of the film’s reality. This is a film primarily for teenage girls, but though I was never a teenage girl I still really dug this. It’s funny, it’s a bit weird and it’s quintessentially Australian. Girl Asleep opens September 8th. Written by Ben Volchok.
A film that opens with a lens-flared shot of a forest is only ever going to be a particular kind of film, I thought. A twee, wilderness-worshipping kind of film with smug self-contentedness. But Captain Fantastic, written and directed by Matt Ross, is not really that kind of film. Or rather, not entirely that kind of film. Yes, it’s full of obsession over nature and that brand of anti-consumerism that we all learn during our teens that pretty much starts and ends with “stick it to the man” – but it’s a film that’s occasionally and increasingly quite charming and that allows its characters to exist as more than a mere stereotype, delving into their lives and minds. Disappointingly, though, that is only a minor achievement that doesn’t really make up for the overall lack of depth in the storytelling. Captain Fantastic centres on Ben Cash, a father who brings his kids up in the woods, training them up to peak physical and mental ability away from all the aspects of modern, artificial, commercial life. This is the life this family leads, a life that’s all-too-tragically interrupted when Ben calls to find out how his wife and the children’s mother Leslie is doing in hospital and is told that she has died. Ben Cash is played by Viggo Mortensen with his usual rugged, rough-shod manner coupled with an intensely warm paternalism. In fact the whole cast is commendable, especially considering most of them are children; they never reduce their personas into cartoons even while, for example, the eight-year-old kid reads George Eliot, or the eldest hunts and kills a deer. The way he regiments his family and has a cool authoritarian control over them is, let’s be honest, essentially one murder away from a cult. He uses his power over them as a father figure in the same way that the corporations and capitalists that he rails against do. In their world, he is the man. But they never stick it to him. They just stick by him. And it was rather frustrating that this aspect of the film was never truly scrutinised. It’s safe to say that the film’s loyalties never really stray from the side of the ironically-named Cash family. Their lifestyle is never used as a punchline, which is nice, but again not surprising given the film’s on their side. And it’s entirely clear that he loves his kids and they love him too. But their ideological standpoint is pretty much given a free pass, which is both the film’s drawcard and its drawback. On one hand it’s nice to see a film treat a group of people on their own terms, and on that front it paints a detailed and convincing portrait, but on the other hand it means that it’s never fully critical of them and while yes it’s nice as an audience to be able to conduct critical analysis on our own terms it feels like the film itself is not actively inviting of criticism. Of course, there are some moments of self-doubt and self-reflection, and actually the most engaging segments of the film come in the second half, when we start to see the cracks in Ben Cash’s parenting methodology. It’s during these segments that the film is at its best, presenting a moral dilemma and a conflict between Ben and his wealthy “real-world” parents-in-law. Unfortunately it very suddenly shifts back to its original vibe – and, without giving too much away, it seems to suggest that these conflicts were for Ben to overcome, not to learn from. There’s small changes in his attitude as he settles for a favourable compromise and slightly mellows, but on the whole he’s the same Wild Man of the Outdoors as before. Captain Fantastic is a film about a family but is not exactly a family film. I mean, can you call a film where you see Viggo Mortensen nude a family film? I’m not sure. Maybe. But it’s definitely aiming for feel-good and I can see that it will appeal to a lot of people. I just wasn’t one of those people. Captain Fantastic opens September 8th. Written by Ben Volchok
Episode 202 of Punwatch, in which special guest Ben Volchok breaks a significant record. This episode is entitled “Boat Busts Crowned Caper”. Thanks to Punwatch Contributor Georgina Lee for the excellent Tambourine story! Find Ben on Twitter and Tumblr! Also, check out his THREE* Melbourne Fringe Festival shows, Ben's Illustrious Fact Show: Episode 3, Mudcrabs in Space & And Then There Were Not As Many. Punsters: Ben Volchok, David Shaw, Lisa Dib, Alex Malone Host: Andrew Cherry *Goddamn.
The first half of the Melbourne International Film Festival has flown by, and I've already seen some great films like Cosmos, Paterson and The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki. Among the films I've seen, though, there's been a fantastic selection of horror films, and I thought I'd spotlight four of them: three narrative features, all by first-time filmmakers, and a documentary. First up, The Eyes of My Mother. An American film, but with occasional Portuguese dialogue, it's one of the first films I got to see and it's still stayed with me. One day, a little girl witnesses some terrible violence in her home; an intruder shows up but is subsequently overpowered, and from that moment that violence seeps through to her brain as she grows up and her life spirals into chilling psychopathic behaviour. Shot in black-and-white, there's a wistful, melancholy, poetic tone enshrouding the on-screen horror. With echoes of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, the film delves into some very dark places, both explicit and not. But despite the disturbing and violent developments the film manages to retain a beautiful, almost meditative atmosphere, and our sympathy for the central character never leaves even though she's doing awful, awful things. I mean, all she wants is a family... in a way... A very promising debut by filmmaker Nicolas Pesce. Maybe hug a loved one after this. Next up, there's Baskin. Another highly disturbing horror film, this time from Turkey, written and directed by Can Evrenol. A group of police officers receive a distress call in a remote building and head over to investigate. Once there they discover some truly hellish stuff. The film's got lots of graphic gore and screaming, with a shudderingly creepy main villain. The visuals are striking and colourful and the score is particularly vivid. Unfortunately, there's not much of anything else. The pacing is uneven and I didn't really find myself being invested in any of the characters, so despite several really interesting and horrifying sequences it all in all made for unengaging viewing. Some great ideas in this, but not entirely well-executed. Moving slightly east again we have Under the Shadow, by Babak Anvari, set in Iran in the 1980s, after the Iranian revolution and during the Iran-Iraq conflicts. It centres on a woman and her husband and young daughter living in an apartment block in Tehran. Not only is there the constant threat of missile attacks but some strange, nightmarish things start to occur, and when the father is called away to military service the mother and daughter are left to deal with the supernatural dread that plagues them. Under the Shadow does a fantastic job of channeling serious political and parental fears into a deliciously slow-burning terror, the tension building and building, holding you captive until it explodes in the final ten to fifteen minutes, unleashing full-scale horror. All throughout it stays gripping, then right at the end it starts ripping. Excellently shot with some unsettling camera movements and production design that captures the period as well as the evil closing in. Probably my favourite of the three. Finally, I saw Fear Itself, a documentary on horror films written and directed by Charlie Lyne. Or rather, it's not so much a documentary as a cine-essay, a stream of thoughts on horror films and the way that they relate to real human fears and anxieties. Impressive in scope and mesmerising in equal measure, the film itself is essentially a collage, in that it consists entirely of edited-together footage from existing horror films, and hypnotic narration over the top that takes you on an engrossing journey through humanity's darkness. The range of films chosen is admirable, encompassing a vast range of horror cinema from across the world and throughout history, even using some films that aren't traditionally considered horror films but which have certain elements that illustrate the points that the filmmaker is trying to make about horror films, which in turn ties back to the points he makes about humanity. And the exploration of the themes is engrossing, thoughtful and at times quite personal. It's transfixing and thought-provoking and highly recommended not just for horror fans but for anyone interested in the depths of the human soul. And that's all the horror films at the festival that I've been able to see so far, but there's more to come! A few I'm looking forward to are Killing Ground and The Devil's Candy, both by Australian directors, as well as The Lure and The Love Witch, which from what I've heard are very very weird, and I can't wait. There's still another week left of the festival, so get out there and start shitting your pants in terror. I'll be in the cinema with you, toilet paper in hand. Till next time, see you there... Written by Ben Volchok
Not-so-Raging Bull, Juho Kuosmanen's boxing biopic pulls the gentlest punches it can in telling the story of amateur boxer Olli Mäki, hailing from a small town in Finland and aspiring to not much more. It's warm and personable, and its deliberate type of simplicity is one that more filmmakers should aim for. Affectionately put together, the film has a fantastic grainy black-and-white 16mm aesthetic that perfectly matches its subject. You're immediately drawn into its world when the lovely title music kicks in but, cleverly, that is just about the only non-diegetic use of music in the film. Script, camera, style, editing and mood carry the film on their own. The narrative focus is always on Olli, and the boxing is always a background, echoing the way he feels about his chosen sport; his heart is never truly in his training until the motivation comes from Raija (the woman he falls in love with). He never wants to be a professional - even his fighting nickname is quite plain: "The Baker of Kokkola". He's in love and that's all he needs. In English, the title is The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki, and it's signalled fairly early on that this his happiness stems not from his future boxing match but from love; the title is introduced, after all, when Olli and Raija are on their way to a wedding. But in Finnish, the title is noticeably shorter, and indeed on further investigation, I found out that its Finnish title - Hymyilevä Mies - translates quite simply to "Smiling Man". Bless. Olli Mäki is less of an underdog and more of an underachiever. And this film about his happiest day is an unexpected delight. Truly a nice and nicely-made film. Written by Ben Volchok
First-time filmmakers seem to either stumble on their feet or find those feet immediately and use them to run away with a superb debut. Such is the case with Bi Gan, a poet-turned-director whose Kaili Blues is a simply staggering first feature. The plot - in short, an uncle searching for a nephew - is central to the understanding of the film and yet absolutely irrelevant. It's a tale of repentance and guilt, of soul-searching and memory... all themes explored through the plot, for sure, but it's the mood and the technical audacity that drive this one home. Poetic and hypnotic, the power of this film comes from its deceptive simplicity; it washes over you so easily that its depth and the contents themselves can too easily fall by the wayside. The whole film is a sort of daze and watching it in the uncertain hours of the night I wasn’t sure if I didn't dream it all. But to simply call it a dream would be to discredit the details and quirks - and the effort - of all those involved in putting this together. No review of this film would be complete without mentioning the 40-odd-minute take, crafted beautifully in such a way that it's barely noticeable and yet right there staring you in the face the whole time. The camerawork in general is to be commended (by Tianxing Wang, another first-timer) but reaches a whole other level in this sequence. There's moments of stillness, moments of movement; one notable movement is when the camera takes a "shortcut" through some buildings as the scooter it had previously been following rides around and catches up with the camera a few seconds later. I don't think I've caught up with it, though. This will definitely need some further processing. Really highly recommended. Written by Ben Volchok
When I read the book [Witold Gombrowicz’s Cosmos] in preparation for watching the film I was struck by the singular oddness of the writing (albeit a translation) both in style and in content. There were moments when the sheer incessancy of the intricate madness lost me but I battled through and ended up being wholly won over. Three things in particular struck me: the emphasis on the mundane, the staunch surrealism and the never-quite-referencing of the encompassing void of the eponymous cosmos. It’s vivid and evocative in its deliberately obfuscatory pseudo-dullness - and knowing it was adapted by Andrzej Žuławski, the master of surreal existential mania, made me even more curious to see how it would be turned into a film. Safe to say my trust in Žuławski’s mastery - based, I must admit, on only two films as of yet (Possession (1981) and TheDevil (1972)) - was fully validated. It fulfils the major criteria of successful adaptations - that is, hitting most of the same beats and details of the source and capturing its spiritual essence - and then adds its own specific touches. And what a source! And what touches! The film most definitely channels the mundane mania (or… mundania?) of the book but also tops it off with incredible incredulities of its own. All the dead animals are there, the perverse language play is there (made all the more impressive for being translated from Polish to French as well as English in the subtitles), the unrepressable emotional tension, the focus on hands, the frightening absurdity… but there’s also extra discussions of film and literature (including a cheeky self-deprecating namedrop of one of Žuławski’s own films) and the dives into the writing process, as well as a wicked satisfyingly unsatisfying ending. Žuławski’s Cosmos (without forgetting Gombrowicz’s book - he named the main character after himself, by the way) speaks to my adoration and desire of the profoundly inconsequential, the horror of everyday surrealism, the incomprehensible chaos of minutiae… our mouths are a dark cavern and so is space, we are told. Am I totally out of it or is that a huge insignificant revelation of stupid genius? Hours after seeing this at the cinema my head was still spinning. Spinning, spinning, spinning. Spinning with the ridiculous, glorious intensity of life’s tedium and the tedium of life’s ridiculous, glorious intensity. Spinning with how much we know and how little we understand. Spinning with the unnecessariness and the importance of existence. It makes at once perfect sense and no sense at all. The contradictions here are on purpose. I mean, the cosmos is everything, and the cosmos is nothing. And we are all the cosmos… Written by Ben Volchok
Jerzy Skolimowski's career is defined by a healthy disregard for conventional filmmaking. He has always been a punk of the highest order. And it's with total delight that I report that this pedigree is on full display in 11 Minutes. From the beginning, we know we are in the hands of an unhinged master. The menacing pre-titles scrapbook of low-res footage from laptop, phone and security cameras clearly signals his anarchic intent. And it also signals the genre we are being propelled into: the multi-character storyline. Essentially, the film is just that: a glimpse into the lives of several characters over the eleven minutes of the film's title past 5 o'clock, some of which intersect over the course of the narrative and all of which intersect at the end. The short time span means we never get a full impression of who these characters are, but we accept that we were never really meant to. Plus there's more than enough in there to give a rough sense of who they are, and it's surprising how much can actually happen in eleven minutes. Crammed with pounding music and brazen, in-your-face camerawork, the freewheeling style of this film has annoyed and frustrated many of my fellow cinemagoers, to say the least. And it's not hard to see why; Skolimowski almost tries deliberately to throw us off at every step, like a bucking bronco with an ongoing glitch. But it's worth persevering and holding on. Because the reward you get is the utter juggernaut of an ending that's been lying in wait the whole time. The ending, like every one of Skolimowski's endings that I've seen so far, is a shocking slap to the face. It’s the culmination of all of the events that take place in the film, the swirling final movement of the strangely melodic cacophony. For the whole film we have been riding on rollercoasters whose screws have been steadily rattling, until they bring us crashing off the rails right at the end of the track. And then the final breathtaking zoom out, telling us that this was only eleven minutes in the lives of only a handful of characters: look at how much else could be and has been going on. Cue open eyes, open mouths and stopping heart. Holy crap. Proof that you don't have to get soft when you get old, 11 Minutes is another notch firmly whammed into the belt of a continually unrepentant filmmaker. Just wow. Written by Ben Volchok
Super low-budget and full of charm, the Melbourne-made film Pawno, released in 2015 at the Melbourne International Film Festival to sell-out crowds, is the first feature from director John Ireland and scriptwriter Damian Hill, who also stars in the film. Pawno takes place over one whole day, and is largely centred around a Footscray pawn shop, referenced in the title. The shop is inhabited by Les, the kind-hearted grouch of an owner (played by John Brumpton) and his youthful dogsbody assistant Danny (played by Hill). As well as these two characters, the film is populated by an assortment of locals who add an offbeat vibrancy to the day's proceedings. There's two women who work in a bookstore, one of whom Danny has a crush on, there's a pair of smart-arse layabouts, there's a violent thug, there's a woman whose son is missing, there’s a trans woman whose visits to the shop are a form of solace from the harsh outside world, there's an Indian taxi driver who was a dentist in his home country... the list goes on. It's not an outright comedy, nor is it an outright drama. There's a healthy combination of both, often at the same time, and there's a sympathetic, unjudging tone that seeps through the entire film. In a world where so many films are overly preoccupied with a rigid narrative, the film has a refreshingly loose plot structure that nevertheless pushes the drama forward, even if it is sometimes a bit too loose for its own good. It doesn't always concern itself with tying off arcs, which in itself is not a bad thing, but the resulting mix of finished and unfinished storylines does feel somewhat disjointed. While it's nice to see so many characters on screen, the film does sometimes struggle to keep them all corralled in. The main handful of characters get most of the screentime and the rest don't really get enough time to breathe so it does feels like an extended sitcom episode rather than a feature film. That said, however much screen time particular characters get is taken full advantage of, with all cast members giving exemplary performances. All in all, director Ireland and screenwriter Hill have created a sweet and simple film that's full of life and shows a promising start to their respective careers. Plus, it's always great to see film content come out of Melbourne. Review written by Ben Volchok
Green Room is the latest film by Jeremy Saulnier, an American filmmaker whose two previous films, Murder Party (2007) and Blue Ruin (2013), both explore and analyse violence in various forms and settings. And now Green Room, which premiered at the Cannes film festival in 2015, extends this obsession to even darker territory. It centres on a punk band who goes to play at a small concert venue in the backwoods of Oregon, witnesses a murder, and is immediately taken hostage in the green room of the film's title and not allowed to leave. From then on, things only get worse. We start to find out more and more about the concert venue and the people behind it, the vice-like tension grows and grows and grows, and the blood of many a character is unceremoniously spilled. The cast includes Anton Yelchin and Alia Shawkat as members of the band, as well as Macon Blair, who's acted in and co-produced all of Saulnier's films. And, in an out-of-type casting, we have Patrick Stewart who excels as the owner of the venue, the main villain of the film. His performance is sinister and sociopathic, and is slightly reminiscent of Ben Kingsley's Don Logan from Sexy Beast, in manner and appearance. It's the type of performance where it's the reserved and contained nature of the character that provides the fear and intimidation, and not the explicit violence. Importantly, he's the type of villain who is never directly violent, but rather manipulates everyone around him into violence. And yes, the film is violent, but it's the same kind of sad and brutal violence that Saulnier has exhibited in his previous films, the kind of violence that really makes a strong point against it. The film takes no pleasure in its violence - not once in the film is the violence glorified or even shown as something for the audience to enjoy, whether it's being doled out by the "good guys" or the "bad guys", a distinction that in itself becomes increasingly blurred as the film goes on and everyone is forced into a situation of kill or be killed. In this way Saulnier raises many questions about the nature of the violence displayed by the characters, delving into the human psyche and finding out just what they're capable of. (I'm reminded of Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs (1972) where an ordinary teacher, a self-avowed pacifist, played by Dustin Hoffman, is put into an extreme situation and has no choice but to react very violently - and indeed Peckinpah in general is perhaps an apt comparison to Saulnier's work to date - both are directors whose films examine violence and attitudes to violence in impressively intricate detail.) Green Room is one of those rare films that is able to captivate you and capture that captivation, not letting go for the entirety of the film. It's gripping, horrifying and has just the right doses of very dark humour to tide you through the terror. Not for the faint of heart, but if you want to be taken for an intense, gory thrill-ride, then this is just the film for you. Green Room is out now exclusive to Cinema Nova. Review written by Ben Volchok
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