This week, Gavia and Morgan tackle a horror classic: Rosemary's Baby, which stars Mia Farrow as a dutiful wife unwittingly carrying the devil's child and John Cassavetes as her self-absorbed husband. Topics discussed in this episode include the film's long influence, its depiction of gaslighting by husbands and doctors, how to talk about a feminist classic directed by a sexual abuser, and more.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan discuss the Korean film Burning, directed by Lee Chang-dong and starring Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, and Jeon Jong-seo. Despite this film's near-universal acclaim, they... didn't like it very much! Topics include the film's uncomfortable depiction of its central female character, its take on class in South Korea, excellent performances from the three lead actors, and more.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia revisit childhood favorite The Secret Garden (1993), directed by Agnieszka Holland and adapted from the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Topics include the film's refreshingly dark take on its gothic source text, its treatment of Victorian class and imperial politics, Richard Deakins' lustrous cinematography, and much more.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia discuss Andrea Arnold's experimental adaptation of Emily Brontë's classic novel Wuthering Heights. Topics include the book's long screen history, Arnold's bold cinematic approach, the effect of casting Black actors to play Heathcliff, and much more.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan discuss millennial children's classic The NeverEnding Story, Wolfgang Petersen's adaptation of Michael Ende's bestselling novel. They delve into the making of the film, critique its wobbly plot structure, compare it to other beloved fantasy films of the 1980s, and more.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia revisit the beloved romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story, starring Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart. They place the film in the context of other romantic comedies from the 1930s and 1940s, consider the stars' public personas in conjunction with their roles in this film, discuss the movie's treatment of class and gender, and much more.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan dive into the second installment of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Two Towers. They discuss the film's departures from the novel, the difficulties of adapting the source text, Howard Shore's score, Andy Serkis' mesmerizing performance as Gollum, and much more.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan dig into Ben Wheatley's woefully misguided remake of Rebecca, the 1940 classic by Alfred Hitchcock. They compare the new movie, starring Armie Hammer and Lily James, to the original as well as Daphne du Maurier's beloved novel; bemoan its misunderstanding of the source material; critique its mystifyingly incompetent script; and (alas) much more.
Read MoreThis week, Morgan and Gavia discuss Autumn de Wilde's new adaptation of Jane Austen's masterpiece Emma. They compare it to previous adaptations of the novel, puzzle over some odd casting and script choices, and praise its all-time great costumes.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan diverge on Greta Gerwig's new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel Little Women. They assess Gerwig's structural changes to the book, compare this iteration of the story to its previous adaptations, and discuss the film's marvelous troupe of actors including Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Timothée Chalamet.
Read MoreThis week, Gavia and Morgan discuss the classic Hannibal adaptation The Silence of the Lambs. Topics discussed include how the the film's gender politics have aged, how different adaptations have approached the character, Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Fosters' performances, and more.
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