In this special bonus installment, we reflect on a filmmaker who defined the American cinematic landscape for decades. We also circle back to the studio for a final word on our recent guest.
The Panel
Jennifer Trujillo, Sila Blume, Eric Trommater, and Erin Brown.
Remembering Rob Reiner (March 6, 1947 – December 14, 2025)
The panel gathers to remember the life and legacy of Rob Reiner. Following his passing this past December, we take a moment to look at his run of films:
This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Stand by Me (1986)
The Princess Bride (1987)
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
Misery (1990)
A Few Good Men (1992)
Additionally, we host a debate on the origins of the mockumentary form, questioning if Peter Watkins' The War Game (1966) should be considered the true first of its kind.
The La Monte Afterparty
To close out the episode, we briefly recap the final insights from Christine La Monte after she left the studio. We share the post-script thoughts and industry reflections that surfaced once the formal mics were cut, rounding out our time with her before we return to our main series.
Upcoming Schedule
Next: Tokyo Story (1953) — Ozu and the geometry of aging
Following: Nouvelle Vague (2025) — Linklater’s look at the birth of the New Wave
Road to Godard 1: Grand Illusion (1937) — Renoir’s foundational work
Road to Godard 2: Children of Paradise (1945) — Carné and the theater of life
Road to Godard 3: Orpheus (1950) — Cocteau’s poetic underworld
Road to Godard 4: Weekend (1967) — The end of cinema
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Producer Christine La Monte joins the show to discuss her Oscar-shortlisted film Viva Verdi! and Ai Weiwei’s Turandot. We talk about the residents of Casa Verdi and the bridge between opera and cinema history.
Host: Eric Trommater
Panel: Erin Brown, Sila Blume, Jennifer Trujillo
Special Guest: My cousin, Jordan Best (Vocals, "O mio babbino caro" by Puccini) https://www.bestsoprano.com/
Links & Info:
Listen to "Sweet Dreams of Joy": https://youtu.be/dpAOquDGcUs?si=gli5b6F6hq8FFKfP
Next week: Ozu’s Tokyo Story
Films recommended by Christine Le Monte
The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life, an Academy Award-winning 2013 documentary-short film directed, written and produced by Malcolm Clarke about the oldest living Holocaust survivor.
The Age of Champions, a 2011 documentary about The Senior Olympics.
Kokuho from 2025, this year's Japanese entry for the Best Foreign Film Oscar.
Check us out on YouTube https://youtube.com/@worldcinehist?si=z8Yay0W0I-6APEZz
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In this episode, the panel sits down with writer and producer Christine La Monte to discuss her work on Viva Verdi! and Ai Weiwei’s Turandot. Even for those who don't follow opera, this conversation is a deep dive into the "third act" of life and the preservation of artistic legacy.
[00:03:08] The Producer’s Role: Christine explains her journey from major studios to independent projects, serving as the bridge that ensures a director's vision is faithfully translated to the screen.
[00:18:27] Viva Verdi!: The heart of the discussion is a retirement home in Milan built by Giuseppe Verdi for musicians.
[00:20:40] A Living Liturgy: We explore a place where the elderly masters and young students share a common language of music, proving that art provides a shared recognition that sustains us through old age.
[00:34:04] Ai Weiwei’s Turandot: We also look at how activist artist Ai Weiwei used Puccini’s final work to comment on modern authoritarianism.
[00:40:04] Art as Witness: A raw look at how art functions as a public witness to history, even under the pressure of a global pandemic.
[01:13:26] Looking Ahead: The panel concludes by previewing the end of the current series with Ozu’s Tokyo Story before beginning the Road to Godard, featuring Grand Illusion ('37), Children of Paradise ('45), Orpheus ('50), and Weekend ('67).
This week on World Cinema History, we continue our series on Aging and Mortality in 1950s Cinema. Having explored the bureaucratic cages of Kurosawa’s Ikiru and the cold Swedish apathy of Bergman’s Wild Strawberries, we now arrive in the blistering, post-war economic hangover of Vittorio De Sica’s 1952 film, Umberto D.
Host Eric Trommater is joined by Erin Brown, Sila Blume, and Italianophile Audra Angelique to dissect a film that was so honest about Italian poverty it was publicly accused of "slandering Italy" by the government.
In this episode, we discuss:
The World’s Most Synchronized Dog: Why Flike is the true star of the film (and why he’s such a good boy).
The 18,000 Lire Problem: We break down Umberto’s debt—roughly $340 in today’s money—and why such a "small" sum was a catastrophic, life-ending figure for a pensioner.
The Irony of Neo-Realism: How a movement dedicated to "truth" was built on a foundation of noisily dubbed studio dialogue and non-professional actors.
The Great Debate: Eric offers a pointed rebuttal to Erin’s preference for this film over China is Near, arguing that while Umberto D. leaves us paralyzed by outrage, Bellocchio’s satire provides a Brechtian "false happy ending" that allows us to process the hypocrisy of the political center.
From Realism to Satire: Finding the seeds of Commedia all’italiana in the film’s darkest moments—from professional beggars to Flike holding the hat in his mouth.
Join us as we explore the "poetry of the ordinary" and the political minefield that defined one of the most influential eras in film history.
Sound Credits
Opening Audio: Courtesy of Martin Scorsese’s introduction to Umberto D. on Turner Classic Movies (TCM).
Musical Theme: Canto di Lavoro composed by Alessandro Cicognini.
Classical Selections: * Vivaldi, Concerto for Viola d'amore in A Minor, RV 397.
Rossini, La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie) Overture.
Next Week: We conclude our series with Yasujirō Ozu’s Tokyo Story.
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In this episode, we take an existential road trip from Lund to Stockholm to discuss Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film, Wild Strawberries—or Smultronstället—a film about aging, isolation, and confronting a lifetime of emotional coldness.
Host Eric Trommater is joined by panelists Erin Brown (experiencing Bergman for the first time) and Sila Blume for a deep dive into the film's structure. We examine how Bergman uses unsettling dream sequences and unreliable, sunlit flashbacks to hold the protagonist, Dr. Isak Borg (played by Swedish cinema legend Victor Sjöström), accountable for his solitude. We also discuss the controversy surrounding Bergman's biography, explore the tension between public gesture and private acceptance of mortality, and ask: Does the critical habit of viewing every film as autobiography serve the art?
Key Cast Credited: Victor Sjöström (Dr. Isak Borg), Ingrid Thulin (Marianne), Bibi Andersson (Both Saras), and Max Von Sydow.
Source & Music Credits:
Interview Excerpt: Ingmar Bergman on The Dick Cavett Show (1971)
Special Thanks for the sound clips: The Swedish Chef (from The Muppets)
Cold Open Music: "Glädjens blomster" (Traditional/Elias Sehlstedt)
Main Theme Music: "Excelsior! Concert Overture" (Wilhelm Stenhammar)
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Erin Brown hosts a discussion with Eric Trommater and Jennifer Trujillo on one of her favorite movies, 2019's "Jojo Rabbit." The film features Sam Rockwell, Rebel Wilson and Scarlett Johannson in a tale of a young boy and his imaginary friend Adolph Hitler, played by the movie's Writer-Director Taika Waititi.
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Luke Higginson, who wrote, directed and edited "Relax I'm from the Future," joins Eric Trommater, Erin Brown, Audra Angelique and Jennifer Trujillo to unpack one of his favorite films by his favorite director Akira Kurosawa's "Ikiru."
Check us out on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@worldcinehist?si=z8Yay0W0I-6APEZz
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Eric Trommater, Erin Brown and Jennifer Trujillo are joined from Bonnie Scotland by Leonard Hockerts from Understanding Movies. We look at Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's romantic comedy "I Know Where I'm Going!" Set in the Hebrides Islands, of Scotland, and starring Wendy Hiller and Roger Livsey, the film was made during the last days of World War II.
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Eric Trommater, Erin Brown, Nicole de Meneses and Jennifer Trujillo end their month-long look at horror with Tomas Alfredson's (The Snowman and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) 2008 adaptation of John Ajvide Lindqvist's vampire novel "Let the Right One In," set in snowy Sweden. Later remade by Matt Reeves, the original drew a mixed reaction from Eric and Erin while Nicole and Jennifer found it a masterfully done work that mixed genuine scares with a queer romance and a coming of age story.
Nicole De Meneses is a writer-director-producer and runs Dark Rainbow Films.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-dark-rainbows-sapphic-stories-shine
Jennifer A. Trujillo runs the Gilbert Baker film festival, showcasing LGBTQIA+ narrative films, shorts and documentaries.
https://gilbertbakerfilmfestival.lgbt
Check us out on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@worldcinehist?si=z8Yay0W0I-6APEZz
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Eric Trommater and Erin Brown are joined by Jennifer Trujillo of The Gilbert Baker Film Festival and "Vampire Director" Nicole de Meneses to discuss one of Nicole's favorite films, "Near Dark" (1987). Coming on the heels of our month long look at women behind the camera, we got a chance to celebrate both Spooky-Season and Katherine Bigalow, the first woman to ever win an Academy Award for best director.
Part Vampire film, part Western, part Romance, "Near Dark" stars Adrian Pasdar as Caleb Colton, Jenny Wright as Mae, Lance Henriksen as Jesse Hooker, Bill Paxton as Severen and Jenette Goldstein as Diamondback.
We also took a moment to remember our dear friend Mark Redfield who passed away just hours before we recorded the episode.
To support Nicole de Meneses' new Sapphic Vampire Film go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-dark-rainbows-sapphic-stories-shine
For more information on The Gilbert Baker Film Festival: https://gilbertbakerfilmfestival.lgbt
Friend of the show Sav Rodgers is also making a new film and we encourage everyone to check it out at: https://pancakeskank.com/
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Eric Trommater and Erin Brown are joined by Nicole de Meneses, who is currently making her own vampire film, and Jennifer Trujillo, who runs the Gilbert Baker Film Festival.
At issue is Carl Theodore Dreyer's "Vampyr," a strange choice from the director of "The Passion of Joan of Arc," "Ordet" and "Day of Wrath." Opinions varied on the film but it was a fun discussion with a lot of respectful disagreement. Oh, and Taylor Swift somehow gets a mention.
Learn more about Nicole de Meneses new film
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-dark-rainbows-sapphic-stories-shine
Learn more about the Gilbert Baker Film Festival
https://gilbertbakerfilmfestival.lgbt
Check us out on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@worldcinehist?si=z8Yay0W0I-6APEZz
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A group called CPR Agency for MK2 had our original video pulled from YouTube for an alleged Copyright violation. They, most likely, mistook the video for the actual film. Just in case we re-edited the episode, taking out approximately one minute and seven seconds of sound clips from the film.
Eric Trommater, Erin Brown and Sila Blume wrap up their month long look at great women behind the camera with Agnes Varda's classic look at 90 minutes in the life of Cléo. Besides serving as a wonderful travelogue of 1960's Paris, the film serves as a haunting vision of the grip of death and the power of living.
The film also features a short silent film featuring Jean Luc Goddard himself (in his signature dark sunglasses) as well as a cameo from composer Michel Legrand.
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Special Guest Luke Higginson, the writer and director of "Relax, I'm From the Future" (which starred Rhys Darby), joins Erin Brown and Eric Trommater to discuss Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's 2014 Vampire Mockumentary "What We Do in the Shadows." First, though, Erin Brown tells of her meeting, the day before, with her favorite actor Rhys Darby! Darby also appears in this film as a werewolf (not a swear wolf) named Anton.
To see the hat Erin hand made and gave to Darby go here: https://www.instagram.com/toadpuppy?igsh=cGttcmhiejJqNWZn
Public Domain Guitar music by Ben Levin (thanks Ben!) https://youtu.be/aYc17TR2_W8?si=rrMQp4kxsfO4arpn
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This week's bonus episode centers on Dr. Ernesto Todd Mireles's "War of the Flea: Fight for Xicano Studies," a documentary film detailing the story of Chicano students who fought for a Xicano/Latino Studies program at Michigan State University. Dr. Mireles holds a PhD in American Studies from Michigan State University. He is the author of the book "Insurgent Aztlán (Asst-lan): The Liberating Power of Cultural Resistance," which won a 2020 International Latino Book Award. He has served as faculty in the Ethnic Studies department at Northern Arizona University and co-director of the Social Justice and Community Organizing Masters program at Prescott College. On a side note, he was also my Editor and Chief at a Community College Newspaper called The Lookout in 1991, when I served as the Arts and Leisure Editor there, oh so many years ago.
Watch the film here: https://youtu.be/J7JyyEmE2bs?si=krhjU5YY7pqoH75f
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Eric Trommater and Sila Blume are joined by a special guest as they try and unpack Luis Buñuel's 1930 Surrealist masterpiece ""L'Âge d'or, (The Golden Age)."
Dr. Ernesto "Todd" Mireles is an award-winning author, filmmaker, educator, and a lifelong activist and organizer in the Xicano movement. Most recently, he was a faculty member in Ethnic Studies at Northern Arizona University and holds the position of National Secretary of the Partido Nacional de la Raza Unida.
He begins his assessment with a quote from Roland Barthes' 1967 essay, "The Death of the Author:"
"All writing is a critique of reality." This sends the episode spiraling into, yet another, debate on Post-Structuralism with Dr. Mireles taking a pro stance and Eric and Sila against. Eric, however, gives himself the final word (because it's his show).
The rest of the episode is a scene by scene unpacking of Buñuel's film and what, if anything, these segments "mean."
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Erin Brown and Eric Trommater continue their month long look at women behind the camera. This time it's director Lina Wermüller who, despite her name, is an Italian, and her 1975 black comedy "Seven Beauties." One of many films Wertmüller made with leading man Giancarlo Giannini, the film puts its hero, Pasqualino, through the wringer, including a long stay in Concentration Camp during The Second World War.
After a loving parody of the film's opening montage (and the repeated refrain of Oh Yeah!) Erin and Eric discussed what it was that made Wertmüller's work so attractive to male film critics in the middle 1970's but left so many (although not all) of their feminist cohorts more than a bit cold.
The episode features a clip from Martin Scorsese on Wertmüller. Stick around for the Easter Egg at the end of the episode featuring a clip from the late 'Macho Man' Randy Savage.
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Eric Trommater, Erin Brown and Sila Blume discuss Chantel Ackerman's 1975 film "Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles." Named the Best Film of All Time in 2022 by Sight and Sound Magazine's poll of filmmakers, critics and influencers. The movie is a slow, methodical, look at three days in the life of a housewife played by Delphine Seyrig.
We also took the opportunity to make our own top ten lists of the best movies ever made, just in case Sight & Sound ever calls us. Not holding our breath on that.
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A post script to our "Portrait of a Lady on Fire" episode. Nicole De Meneses, Jennifer A. Trujillo and Laura Petrie talk about all things Queer Cinema and share some of the exciting films they've seen, recently, on and off the LGBTQIA+ Film Festival Circuit.
Recommended films include Nicole's own film "Dead in Love" (now streaming on Amazon Prime), "Twinless," "Splitsville," "Straight Up," "Gondola" "Near Dark," "Interview with a Vampire (TV Series)," "Bullet Proof: A Lesbian's Guide to Surviving the Plot," "Love Mr, Bait Me: The Power of Queer Representation," "1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture," "Mama Bears," "I Am Not Alone, Anymore," "On Swift Horses," "Honey Don't," "Sally," "The Cat-Sitter," "Old Lesbians," "Outliers and Outlaws," and "Safety State."
Nicole De Meneses is a writer-director-producer and runs Dark Rainbow Films.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-dark-rainbows-sapphic-stories-shine
Jennifer A. Trujillo runs the Gilbert Baker film festival, showcasing LGBTQIA+ narrative films, shorts and documentaries.
https://gilbertbakerfilmfestival.lgbt
Laura Petrie runs The Cinema Systers Film Festival. The only all-lesbian film festival in America.
https://cinemasysters.com/
If you enjoy this program consider leaving us a tip at https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory or, for more content, join our DVD Extras Club.
Director Céline Sciamma's 18th century sapphic love story can be enjoyed simply for the beauty of it's images, the great performances by Noémie Merlant, Adèle Haenel and Luàna Bajrami, or as an all too human tale of love and loss. It was also seen as a great step forward in queer representation on screen and the ability of openly gay women to tell their own stories.
The normal panel of Eric Trommater, Sila Blume and Erin Brown were augmented this week by four diverse voices within the queer women's film world.
Nicole De Meneses is a writer-director-producer and runs Dark Rainbow Films.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-dark-rainbows-sapphic-stories-shine
Jennifer A. Trujillo runs the Gilbert Baker film festival, showcasing LGBTQIA+ narrative films, shorts and documentaries.
https://gilbertbakerfilmfestival.lgbt
Laura Petrie runs The Cinema Systers Film Festival. The only all-lesbian film festival in America.
https://cinemasysters.com/
krissy mahan is a working class filmmaker whose work uses humor to explore contemporary issues such as accessibility, gender expression and classism through short films and documentaries.
https://www.dykeumentary.com/
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Here's a free look at extra content you can receive by joining the World Cinema History DVD Extras Club.
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Discussion this week includes: asking why no women directors were in any of our top ten films of all time lists, what does and doesn't qualify as a vampire film, time as a character in Jeanne Dielman and a lot more. Enjoy. Just like street drugs, the first one is free.
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Yassi Sofi and Eric Trommater.
"Some men think the Earth is round, others think it flat; it is a matter capable of question. But if it is flat, will the King's command make it round? And if it is round, will the King's command flatten it? No, I will not sign." Henry VIII scraps the Catholic Church in order divorce his wife and marry Anne Boleyn. In the process Thomas More loses his head but doesn't go down without a fight.
Directed by: Fred Zimmerman. Starring: Paul Scofield as Thomas More, John Hurt as Richard Rich, Robert Shaw as Henry VIII and Orson Welles as Cardinal Wolsey.
With Eric Trommater and Yassi Soufi.
**Originally Recorded Nov. 9th 2023 on X- Spaces**
Check us out on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@worldcinehist?si=z8Yay0W0I-6APEZz
on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/world-cinema-history/id1744483892
or Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4YkCJSJvngtDMhey0CNsWj?si=i143kCA8RQKhQauUICLrmA
or follow us on X (The Artist Formerly Known as Twitter): @etrommater
Consider joining the World Cinema History DVD Extras Club.
Benefits include:
* Bonus Episodes
* Attending Live Recordings of the Show
* Our Love and Appreciation
* Whatever Else We Think of in The Future
* Having your name mispronounced on the podcast (sorry in advance)
To join just go to https://ko-fi.com/worldcinemahistory and make a recurring monthly payment for any amount.