In this installment of Frame Rate, Jaime and Patrick discuss Darren Aronofsky’s The Fountain(2006).
An audacious, cross-genre, highly allegorical work, The Fountain struggled to find a theatrical audience upon release. In the years since, however, it’s grown to be regarded as a seminally important film of the mid-2000s.
The Fountain is a deeply personal story told with extraordinary ambition on a scale at once infinite and infinitesimal. It was a hell of a film to talk about.
With ten Academy Award nominations to its name, and multiple viewings between the three of us, we couldn't wait to discuss Sam Mendes' incredible WWI epic, 1917.
Roger Deakins behind the camera and Dennis Gassner in charge of production design did not disappoint; the resilience of the human spirit and the brutality of all-out war at the beginning of the 20th century are on full display in every scene.
Join us as we explore the technical feats that made this remarkable work of art stand out from its peers in what may be the best WWI film ever made
Jaime and Dan discuss 2005's Kingdom of Heaven, arguably one of Ridley Scott's last great films (in our humble opinion). Sharing some traits with Lawrence of Arabia's cinematography and setting, and with Blade Runner in terms of budget, production, and editing issues, this director's cut is another good example of how superior a longer cut of a film can be.
Beautifully made, with battles of epic proportion and a phenomenal job by all involved. Religion, the Holy Land, betrayal, and the weight of morality are at the forefront in this film, as different characters struggle with difficult decisions in a difficult land.
In another contemporary episode, Jaime, Patrick, and Dan explore Todd Philips' controversial 2019 film: Joker. Our opinions differed, as this was a pretty polarizing film for us as much as it was for the general public. While no one has any doubt that this was one of Joaquin Phoenix's greatest performances to date, questions remain about the film as a whole.
Is it too dangerous or incendiary in our modern political climate?
Did the writers and director succeed in connecting this origin story to the Batman universe while making something unique?
Was is just a poorly put-together pastiche of previous works, like Scorsese's Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and The King of Comedy?
Nominated for 11 Academy Awards, there's no doubt that this is a film that will stick with us and will make us ponder some deep questions, but was it successful in its approach, and did the filmmaker accomplish what he set out to? Find out what we thought on today's episode of Frame Rate.
We're excited to bring our Patreon supporters another all-new, ongoing series! We're calling this new program Shit Show: The Lighter Side of Perfect Organism. You know those moments in Perfect Organism episodes where Jaime and Patrick just make fun of each other for five minutes? Shit Show is all about those moments.
It's about taking ourselves (and our franchise) a little less seriously. Exploring corners of the franchise we might not otherwise touch on, and taking time to explore some hidden gems—or turds—in science fiction and genre filmmaking more broadly.
For our first Shit Show entry, we're discussing Alien vs. Predator.
Following up The Shining and making a sequel to it sounds like a monumental task, both for Stephen King, who wrote the book, and for Mike Flanagan who directed the film. In this episode, Jaime and Dan discuss 2019's wonderful sequel Doctor Sleep. Did the writer and director succeed with their ambitious undertaking? Is it a film worthy of its predecessor? SPOILER ALERT: YES and YES.
Before E.T., Steven Spielberg made a deep and cerebral science fiction film that sparked the imagination of millions of people around the world. 1977's Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a wonderfully unique film, and John William's score as well as the sound design of the musical communication between "us" and "them" is as iconic as it is beautiful. Join Jaime and Patrick as they discuss this classic of Sci-Fi.
In an uncomfortable dive into Kubrick's 1980 horror masterpiece: The Shining, Jaime, Dan and Patrick share their distinct points of view on what exactly makes it iconic, and what is it really about? Join us for one of our best discussions yet as we pull back the curtain on this incredible and absolutely terrifying film.
Robert Eggers's second film, The Lighthouse, is an intriguing and confounding experiment in cinema. Shot with vintage equipment and unique techniques on a tiny, stormy island, two men battle for their sanity against each other and against the elements. Jaime, Patrick, and Dan discuss the highly-acclaimed film and attempt to sort meaning from the madness.
Robert Eggers' The VVitch was a game-changing film when it released in 2015. From its bone-chilling opening, to its electrically charged and somber atmosphere, The VVitch is a film that unfurls quietly and methodically up until its cataclysmic end.
Join your hosts Dan, Patrick and Jaime as they discuss this film at length in what ends up being a lengthy yet satisfying discussion of Eggers' dark masterpiece.
In this episode of Frame Rate, Dan, Patrick and Jaime sit down to discuss James Gray's 2019 science fiction epic, Ad Astra. If you're a fan of cerebral-internal dialogue films that echo the work of Terrence Malick and the imagery of Christopher Nolan, you will enjoy Ad Astra.
When John Carpenter's The Thing premiered in 1982, audiences and critics alike gave it the cold shoulder. Nearly four decades later, The Thing has proven its enduring legacy as one of the great sci-fi/horror films ever made.
In this installment of Frame Rate, Jaime, Patrick, and Dan discuss the film and its legacy in the hallowed halls of genre filmmaking.
Fritz Lang's masterpiece of German expressionism, Metropolis, debuted in 1927. It was a total flop with critics and the public alike. Way over-budget and desperate to recoup some of its sunk cost, the production company shredded the original film by an hour and re-released it in the hopes that it would be more palatable. Sound familiar?
This version is mostly all that was available for over eighty years. In today's episode, Dan and Patrick talk about the amazing work of restoration that was undertaken to return this beautiful film to its former glory in its 2010 remaster, and its influence on modern science fiction films like Blade Runner.
In this explosive and off-the-rails discussion, your hosts Jaime, Patrick and Dan attempt to tackle the heady and troubling dystopian world of artificial intelligence presented by writer/director Alex Garland in his 2014 film Ex Machina.
Is Spielberg's 1975 film Jaws the greatest movie ever made? Is it safe to go back in the water? Can someone explain what the hell a trombone shot is?
Patrick, Jaime, and Dan unpack all this and more on this exclusive edition of Frame Rate.
Enjoy!
In this episode, the guys debate which of the first two Terminator films is their favorite and why.
Made in two different eras and with two VERY disparate budgets, which of James Cameron's beloved action time-travel epics will come out on top? Tune in to find out, as Patrick, Jaime and Dan discuss 1984's The Terminator and 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Thank you patrons for your continued support!
In this episode, Jaime and Dan discuss Jonathan Glazer's 2014 dark, quietly disturbing and unique film Under the Skin. Thank you patrons for your continued support!
In our effort to provide you wonderful Patrons with more content, we are going to regularly publish conversations about our favorite films. Expect a lot of science fiction, though we may branch out in the future. Either way, if you love film and want to sit in on your hosts having some fun and interesting conversations, these episodes are for you! In this episode, Jaime and Dan talk about one of our favorite space epics: Christopher Nolan's 2014 film, Interstellar. Enjoy!
In what turned out to be quite the love-fest, Patrick and Conar unpack just how amazing (Rotten Tomatoes be damned!) 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters is. They discuss its place in Godzilla history, the reasons the storytelling works, and just how badass Rodan turned out.
Includes a special (written) guest appearance by Mitch Mitchell!
A brief note: since recording this Patreon special last month, Patrick has finished Jeff VanderMeer's complete Southern Reach trilogy and recommends it VERY HIGHLY.
