Send us a text Mike and Nick return to their journey through Bergman's filmography. This time they explore the medial film in Bergman's "comedic" trilogy. One of the lesser regarded films upon its release, the pair wonder if the criticism at the time was warranted or if Mike's favourite magazine, Cahiers du Cinéma, was right to include this (along with two others, to Nick's chagrin) on their 1958 list. Is this a secret triumph for Bergman or is it another failed attempt at humour from one cin...
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Send us a text Mike and Nick return to their journey through Bergman's filmography. This time they explore the medial film in Bergman's "comedic" trilogy. One of the lesser regarded films upon its release, the pair wonder if the criticism at the time was warranted or if Mike's favourite magazine, Cahiers du Cinéma, was right to include this (along with two others, to Nick's chagrin) on their 1958 list. Is this a secret triumph for Bergman or is it another failed attempt at humour from one cin...
Send us a text Mike and Nick return to their journey through Bergman's filmography. This time they explore the medial film in Bergman's "comedic" trilogy. One of the lesser regarded films upon its release, the pair wonder if the criticism at the time was warranted or if Mike's favourite magazine, Cahiers du Cinéma, was right to include this (along with two others, to Nick's chagrin) on their 1958 list. Is this a secret triumph for Bergman or is it another failed attempt at humour from one cin...
Send us a text Mike and Nick dive into the kaleidoscopic prism of deep colour, fantastic soundtracks, and brutal murder at the hands of one of horror's most famous maestros: Dario Argento. Having only seen the remake, Mike compares the original Suspiria and how his feelings differ between the two. Both hosts try to make heads from tails in the narrative of Inferno and ponder if it's better to just try to "relax" into the vibes.
Send us a text Mike and Nick kick off their seasonal Halloween episode pair with a tribute to one of their favourite American filmmakers: John Carpenter. It never hurts to revisit the undeniable classic that is The Thing. But this time, Nick introduces Mike to one of his cult favourites: Prince of Darkness. Does Mike agree with Nick this deserves a second look? Find out what makes John Carpenter films so effective.
Send us a text Nick has been wanting to show Mike Jean Cocteau for a long while, thinking he may be one of Mike's "guys." The pair discuss the poet's most famous films, how interesting Cocteau was, and the wonder behind the visuals. Find out if these lived up to the hype for Mike as well what Nick likes so much about these, to Mike's surprise.
Send us a text Mike and Nick continue their journey through Bergman's major and minor works. Hot off the tails of Sawdust and Tinsel, the director makes a pivot into more lighthearted humour, offering, in his words, a comedy for adults. The hosts debate if the humour works; which host falls where may... not surprise you. Mike gets to the bottom of the lesson in love and Nick commiserates with Bergman in his likely fashion. You know, the usual Bergman fare.
Send us a text Nick descends upon Mike's hometown to celebrate his favourite time of year: Bleak Week! A festival started in Los Angeles, now expanded to other states, brought Nick across state lines to attend the festival in Portland Oregon at the Hollywood Theatre. Along with colleague of the show, Jackie, the group discusses their different bleak week exposures with heavy emphasis on the shared experience of Pier Paolo Pasolini's infamous Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom. The questions exten...
Send us a text Kinuyo Tanaka is likely best know for her tremendous acting career performing in great works of directors like Kenji Mizoguchi. But she also had a shorter directing career. Filmversation hopes to shine a light on this lesser known director, as the second Japanese female director in history and the first Japanese female to helm director of a movie solo. The Moon Rises reminds both, but Mike especially, of co-writer and show-favourite, Yasujiro Ozu. Forever a Woman stands out as ...
Send us a text The Bergman retrospective continues with one of the director's first widely-recognized works. What is it about the circus setting that is so unsettling? Nick argues this is Bergman's first masterclass example of the close-up.
Send us a text Go back in time with Filmversation. A time of innocence and beginnings. A time of earnestness and naivete. Go back to your youth. Mike discusses his early memories of saving the rainforest and Nick is flabbergasted by Tim Curry's unhinged performance. Nick waxes poetic about The Land Before Time and Mike tells Nick about the savage butchery the film suffered behind the scenes. In a time of increasing turmoil, it's nice to go back to the films of our youth.
Send us a text 2024 was quite the year. Some people, like Nick, think this was the best year in film in almost a decade. Mike snubs and surprises Nick with some of his picks while Nick continues to make Mike watch movies no one has heard of. The pair detail their top five of the year with the some added honourable mentions. The moment you've been waiting for, the presiding experts in film finally tell you which movies were actually the best of 2024.
Send us a text Mike and Nick are joined by good friend, Jackie. The three dive into Robert Eggers' newest iteration of Nosferatu. They examine one of its predecessors and direct influences, Ingmar Bergman's Cries and Whispers. With Jackie's help, the gang dives into the nuance and experience of the films' colours, shadows, and psychosexuality. Find out why Mike thinks these are the same movie and which Ozu movie Cries and Whispers reminds Nick of.
Happy Halloween!The Filmversation crew decided to make a pact with the devil this Halloween. We're hoping to sell our souls to get access to the Criterion Closet. In return, we watch two movies about devil intervention and power acquisition.William Dieterle brings the old folk tale to life when a poor farmer makes a deal with devil to secure gold and good luck. 1941's The Devil & Daniel Webster, also known as All That Money Can Buy, puts a folky twist on the pursuit of greed and the folli...
Mike and Nick celebrate spooky season with two classics of silent horror cinema. What better way to kick off the festivities other than travelling back in time? 1926's Faust sees FW Murnau retell the classic tale of making a deal with the devil. 1928's The Man Who Laughs sees Paul Leni channel Conrad Veidt (of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari fame) to tell the tragic love story of a man disfigured during youth. Both films capitalize on the early stages of the medium. Where sound is absent, the two...
Nick leads Mike to the monumental film that is Andrei Rublev. Tarkovsky uses the 15th-century Russian icon painter to explore theology amidst a world of medieval hardship. Nick dives into the religiosity of the film and the challenges the movie presents for atheists. The pair discuss how some of Tarkovsky's most famous motifs make their first fully realized appearance in this, his second film.
Mike and Nick revisit Bergman's Summer lens through one of the director's first big "hits" : Summer with Monika. The pair explore themes of isolation, youth, and escaping society. Nick comments how he thinks this is the cinematic answer to all romantically ambiguous endings in film. The pair contrast American attitudes at the time toward sex with Sweden's. And finally, Nick is aghast with Mike's defense of Monika.
Send us a text Mike and Nick revisit one of their favourite directors: Agnès Varda. They spotlight 1985's Vagabond and supplement with a few of her short films. Varda conjures a realism and respect for her subject matter which bolsters her authenticity.
Mike and Nick dive into 1940's Disney animation peak, Fantasia. Mike's held Fantasia in high regard for some time, while this is Nick's first exposure to the animated wonder. Find out how captivating Nick found the 64-year old animated symphony and if it still holds up. The pair decide to examine how it compares to the end of the century went Disney brought back the novel idea for a more modern iteration. Does the latest offering match or surpass the original. Are the pessimists about 2000 ri...
Mike and Nick continue their journey through Ingmar Bergman's filmography.Whether it's through the intricate portrayal of complex women or the stark representation of gender dynamics, Bergman's films invite us intimate invitations into the characters' minds and pasts.Despite being known as a serious filmmaker, both in tone and narrative, it's not all heavy. Waiting Women leaves room for laughter leading to a light debate whether Bergman's touches of humor qualify his work as comedy.
Mike and Nick talk more Bergman. They try to find that summer feeling with one of Bergman's earlier masterworks. At least that's what some say. The beginnings of some of Bergman's bigger ideas also start to take form here. The pair share their two cents and how this one differs from previous works. Find out Summer Interlude stacks up against Bergman's other works.
The conclusion of Mike and Nick's 2023 top 10 lists. Mike fights for his picks and Nick continues to love films no one else saw. Find out the very very best of 2023 according to FILMVERSATION.
Send us a text Mike and Nick return to their journey through Bergman's filmography. This time they explore the medial film in Bergman's "comedic" trilogy. One of the lesser regarded films upon its release, the pair wonder if the criticism at the time was warranted or if Mike's favourite magazine, Cahiers du Cinéma, was right to include this (along with two others, to Nick's chagrin) on their 1958 list. Is this a secret triumph for Bergman or is it another failed attempt at humour from one cin...
