Two films that deal with delusion, friendship, imprisonment, innocence and masculinity. One film won the big five oscars, the other broke new ground in technology. Join us as we compare Milos Forman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and John Lasseter's Toy Story.

Two very contemporary films that present the modern state of America as a bit of a dumpster fire. Works of genius, or antifa propaganda? Join us as we discuss Ari Aster’s Eddington and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.

Two rags-to-riches stories told through the eyes of female sex-workers, then male directors. One story ends in romance, and the other a crying heap in the front seat of a car. Join us as we discuss Gary Marshall's Pretty Woman and Sean Baker’s Anora.

Two different portraits of obsession, compulsion and a critique of American capitalism. One film is set in the oil prospecting era, and the other, Wall Street. Today we’re doing Mary Harron’s American Psycho and P.T. Anderson’s There Will Be Blood.

Comparing a paranoid thriller from the 1970’s and an indie horror movie that took the world by storm. Today we’re doing Philip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Jordan Peele’s Get Out.

To celebrate the life of Robert Redford, Bruce and Herschel attempt to draft the five best films that he either directed, produced or acted in. We're also joined by special guest score-keeper Charlie.

All about the future, AI and robot women. One film is the directorial debut of an A24 darling, the other is almost 100 years old. Both films talk about class, technology and the creation myth. Join us as we look at Fritz Laing’s Metropolis and Alex Garland’s Ex Machina. 

Check out the spectacle of The Wizard of Oz at the Las Vegas Sphere on social media, then join us for a brief discussion about this, and immersion in cinema. Regular episode next week.

Two films that are all about fidelity. One was a box office smash, that made deep waves throughout the cultural landscape of the 1980s, the other is the last film of a meticulous auteur that caused its two stars to break-up. Adrian Lynne’s Fatal Attraction and Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut.

Two of the best exponents of the body horror genre! One film is an under-appreciated, incest-riddled, TrashFest, and the other is an Oscar-nominated, hyper-realistic, indie smash. Both films use the body to present satirical narratives about class, family, capitalism and the patriarchy. Brian Yuzna’s Society and Coralie Fargaet’s The Substance.

We celebrate everything we loved about one of Australia's greatest film figures David Stratton. We also share what films we're covering this season.

A live recording from Hoyts cinema on the eve of the US Election, with special guest Dr David Smith from the US Studies Centre, discussing Alex Garland's Civil War (2024) and all things US Election. Featuring our three hosts- Bruce Isaacs, Craig Anderson & Herschel Isaacs, in a special live recording to complete the US Election Series. *This podcast does not represent the views of the US Studies Centre or The University of Sydney.

We’re looking at the way party aligned actors manipulate the narrative surrounding presidents and presidential candidates. One of these films is a star-studded hollywood comedy, and the other a fly-on-the-wall documentary. Yes, we’re looking at the D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus’ The War Room and Barry Levinson’s Wag The Dog.

This episode is all about conspiracies, or is it? Two films made twenty years apart, that bookend the grand period of US counterculture paranoia. One film is from the early sixties and introduced cinema audiences to the concept of brainwashing, and the other is a suspense-riddled thriller with an unlikely investigator. We’re discussing John Frankehimer’s The Manchurian Candidate and Brian De Palma’s Blow Out.

Two Oscar nominated comedies that tell us a lot about the US election. One is a prince and the pauper tale, the other a microcosm of election meddling. Join us as we discuss Ivan Reitman’s Dave and Alexander Payne’s Election.

Two films that deal with dramatic endings to leaderships. One is about the scandal that brought down US president Richard Nixon, the other is about the events that lead to the dismissal of Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. One won four Oscars and the other three Logies. Yes, today we’re looking at Alan Pakula’s All The President's Men and Kennedy/ Miller’s TV Series’ The Dismissal.

Join as we compare one of the greatest films of all time with an anomaly from the 1990's. One is about American idealism (or is it naivety) and the other a thinly veiled portrait of Bill Clinton's election campaign. We're doing Frank Capra's Mr Smith Goes To Washington (1939) and Mike Nichols' Primary Colors (1998). Brought to you in partnership with the United States Study Centre- https://www.ussc.edu.au/  

Starting next week, a six-part series discussing movies that engage with the US Electoral Politics, culminating in a free cinema screening of A24's Civil War on the night before the US election. Presented In Partnership With Film Studies At The Faculty Of Art And Social Sciences & United States Studies Centre - https://www.ussc.edu.au/

Two exciting thrillers that push the line of logic, storytelling and movie tropes. Join us as we unpack the madness of Brian De Palma’s Body Double and David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive.

One film was sanctioned by the mainstream and became a box office smash, the other was considered an abomination for the director and its star.  Both films were met with protests by the gay community for equating homosexuality to serial killing! Yes it’s time to look at William Friedkin’s 1980 film Cruising and Paul Verhoven’s 1992 film Basic Instinct.