Movies

Criterion Corner: Thelma & Louise (#1180)

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In her fascinating series “Erotic ’90s”, Karina Longworth, creator and host of the long-running podcast You Must Remember This, discusses Thelma & Louise, Ridley Scott’s early ’90s pop-feminist modern classic. (Should I leave out that “modern” once a film is over 30 years old?) I remember being faintly aware of the cultural conversation about Scott’s film at the time, but as a teenager in the pre-internet age I certainly didn’t get more than the occasional snippet. At school, our English teacher had a subscription to Newsweek, so I may have read an article about the film, but other than I wouldn’t have been known about the brouhaha in the US that Thelma & Louise prompted. Listening to Longworth’s podcast, it’s crazy to imagine the culture wars hysterics that gripped especially male critics – but then, in 2023, no amount of culture war craziness should come as much of a surprise.

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I’ll be in my trailer… watching trailers: War (What is it good for?)

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Join us every week for a trip into the weird and wonderful world of trailers. Whether it’s the first teaser for the latest instalment in your favourite franchise, an obscure preview for a strange indie darling, whether it’s good, bad, ugly or just plain weird – your favourite pop culture baristas are there to tell you what they think.

This week began at A Damn Fine Cup with a guest post, courtesy of Henrik Hermans, on the filmography of the Man in Black himself: Johnny Cash. Make sure to check out Henke’s thoughts on films such as A Gunfight, Murder in Coweta County (featuring Andy “Griffith” Matlock in a rare villainous part) and the wonderfully named Ridin’ the Rails – The Great American Train Story!

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Six Damn Fine Degrees #139: The key to doomsday cinema

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Welcome to Six Damn Fine Degrees. These instalments will be inspired by the idea of six degrees of separation in the loosest sense. The only rule: it connects – in some way – to the previous instalment. So come join us on our weekly foray into interconnectedness!

As our last two posts cleverly pointed out, movies dealing with the end of the world are almost as old as cinema itself. Yet, combined with times of crises, war and disorientation such as the present day seems to be, the genre has always been even more fruitful and frightening.

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Cash on delivery: the films of Johnny Cash

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Henrik “Henke” Hermans is an indie game developer from Finland. He’s created lovably goofy games such as Stilt Fella and Crossing Guard Joe. His guest post at A Damn Fine Cup of Culture isn’t about video games, however, but about the original Man in Black, Johnny Cash and his movies – in particular those that can be watched for free on YouTube!

There is a treasure trove of old Johnny Cash movies on YouTube, just sitting there! For free! Some of them are in the public domain and others I guess no one just cares enough for to take down. Anyway, I watched a bunch of ’em and I’m here to tell you what I thought.

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I’ll be in my trailer… watching trailers: You don’t want to sit in that chair

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Join us every week for a trip into the weird and wonderful world of trailers. Whether it’s the first teaser for the latest instalment in your favourite franchise, an obscure preview for a strange indie darling, whether it’s good, bad, ugly or just plain weird – your favourite pop culture baristas are there to tell you what they think.

During World War II, Jean-Pierre Melville was a member of the Résistance, and his experiences left their mark on his films – not least his grim masterpiece Army of Shadows, which Matt revisited in his latest Criterion Corner.

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A Damn Fine Espresso: July 2023

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As promised, one month after our espresso episode on the Indiana Jones series prior to the release of Dial of Destiny, we’re returning with another podcast that belongs in a museum! Join Sam, Alan and Matt as they talk about the fifth, and likely the final, film in the franchise. What did they think of Dial of Destiny? Is it another disappointment, a worthy continuation, or somewhere in between? What worked for them, what didn’t, what was surprising? And where do they stand on some of the film’s controversial elements: the nostalgia fodder, the de-aging, and that final act?

And if you enjoy our discussion of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, make sure to stay tuned for a future episode of our Summer of Collaborations, in which it’s likely that John Williams’ iconic “Raiders March” will be one topic of conversation!

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Six Damn Fine Degrees #138: Last Night (1998)

Alan Kuhl Graham3 Comments

Welcome to Six Damn Fine Degrees. These instalments will be inspired by the idea of six degrees of separation in the loosest sense. The only rule: it connects – in some way – to the previous instalment. So come join us on our weekly foray into interconnectedness!

The end of the world is fertile ground for moviemakers. From the thrills of endless zombie attacks to the bleak landscape of John Hillcoat’s adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, the big screen has embraced stories where the end could not be more final.

One of my favourite films in this genre though is one of the most low-key, but also one of the most final. This isn’t a story where there’s a glimmer of hope we’ll survive, but its also one without monsters, spectacular cataclysms or even a depressing insight into the worst of humanity.

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Criterion Corner: Army of Shadows (#385)

Matt2 Comments

Superficially, Jean-Pierre Melville’s Army of Shadows isn’t too dissimilar from the gangster movies the director is famous for: it is a chilly meditation on a world inhabited predominantly by men following a grim, unforgiving code. Trust is rare, paranoia habitual – but there are islands of friendship and absolute loyalty, so that betrayal, if and when it strikes, is all the more tragic. And yet: even if the protagonists of Army of Shadows resemble the cops and robbers of Le samouraï or Le cercle rouge, even if they live their lives according to similar rules, they are heroes in ways that Melville’s gangsters aren’t. Their goals aren’t self-serving. They fight the Nazi occupation of France.

So why does their fight feel so unheroic?

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I’ll be in my trailer… watching trailers: On the road again

The Barista CollectiveLeave a comment

Join us every week for a trip into the weird and wonderful world of trailers. Whether it’s the first teaser for the latest instalment in your favourite franchise, an obscure preview for a strange indie darling, whether it’s good, bad, ugly or just plain weird – your favourite pop culture baristas are there to tell you what they think.

Matt likes exploration in video games, and that’s something that Sable offers plenty of. Check out his post on the world and feel of Sable.

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Six Damn Fine Degrees #137: Cormac McCarthy

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Welcome to Six Damn Fine Degrees. These instalments will be inspired by the idea of six degrees of separation in the loosest sense. The only rule: it connects – in some way – to the previous instalment. So come join us on our weekly foray into interconnectedness!

The high-priest of bloodshed and violence has died. While that sounds like a blood-curdling read, it comes in one of the most beautiful languages that literature has to offer. “He slept and when he woke he’d dreamt of the dead standing about in their bones and the dark sockets of their eyes that were indeed without speculation bottomed in the void wherein lay a terrible intelligence common to all but of which none would speak.” That is from his novel All The Pretty Horses (1992), and to me, it’s impossible not to be attracted and repulsed by that image at the same time.

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