How to Make Films and Influence People

Peter and Andrew tackle John Carpenter’s 1978 horror landmark Halloween, exploring how its ruthless simplicity, masked boogeyman, and indie ingenuity created the modern slasher genre. They analyze the film’s masterful suspense mechanics—from the groundbreaking opening sequence shot entirely from a child killer's first-person POV to the eerie wide shots of the Shape lurking behind suburban hedges—and examine ...

Peter and Andrew celebrate their 50th regular episode by tackling the 1980 galactic masterwork The Empire Strikes Back, exploring how it avoids the sophomore slump to stand as the undisputed pinnacle of the Star Wars saga. They analyze the film’s bold narrative architecture—how it builds upon the lived-in world-building of A New Hope without getting bogged down in exposition, balances three distinct genre storylines acr...

Peter and Andrew continue their in-theater review series by diving into Aaron Sorkin’s 2026 political tech-thriller The Social Reckoning. In their spoiler-free review, the hosts compare the film to 2010’s The Social Network, assessing how the shift from a David Fincher helmed, multi-layered character study of Mark Zuckerberg into an All the President's Men or Spotlight-style investigative procedural alters the narrative...

Peter and Andrew explore Fritz Lang’s 1931 early-sound landmark M, examining how its chilling procedural drama revolutionized suspense and psychological horror. They break down Lang’s pioneering formal techniques—from ominous auditory motifs like Hans Beckert whistling “In the Hall of the Mountain King” to expressive cross-cutting and the eerie use of complete silence. The hosts unpack the film’s...

Peter and Andrew return to their theatrical review series to break down Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ambitious, high-budget satire Digger. The hosts dissect Tom Cruise’s eccentric, high-energy lead performance as a ruthless, aging oil tycoon whose Arctic drilling triggers a global environmental crisis. In their spoiler-free review, they evaluate whether the film's abrasive tone, heavy-handed messaging, and over-the-top...

Peter and Andrew dig into Kathryn Bigelow’s controversial, Oscar-winning 2012 drama Zero Dark Thirty, tracking its gritty decade-long chronicle of the manhunt for Osama bin Laden. They analyze the movie's uncompromising structural choices—opening on real 9/11 emergency audio before immediately dropping into brutal black-site interrogation scenes, following the singular obsession of Jessica Chastain’s Maya, and mak...

In this episode Peter and Andrew dive into French New Wave master Agnès Varda’s 1962 landmark Cléo from 5 to 7. Together, they break down the film’s daring real-time structure, its shift from symbolic color tarot cards to stark black-and-white realism, and how Cléo’s two-hour wait for medical biopsy results transforms from narcissistic dread into human connection.

Before dissecting Varda’s classic, the hosts ...

Peter and Andrew dive into Michael Ritchie’s 1985 comedy classic Fletch, exploring how it balances a razor-sharp, well-crafted mystery with Chevy Chase’s signature deadpan wit and disguise-heavy physical comedy. They examine why mystery-comedies so rarely succeed, how the film keeps its jokes organic to the investigative narrative rather than detouring into sketches, Chase’s peak-era performance, and the inexplica...

Peter and Andrew kick off a new review format covering current theatrical releases, starting with Paul Greengrass’s medieval historical drama The Uprising. The hosts dig into the film's depiction of the 1381 English Peasants' Revolt against King Richard II, exploring Greengrass’s visceral direction, dynamic battlefield choreography, and Andrew Garfield’s turn as an unnamed rebel leader. In their spoiler-free revie...

Peter and Andrew step into the rain-soaked, neon-lit dystopia of 2019 Los Angeles to break down Ridley Scott’s 1982 sci-fi landmark Blade Runner. They examine how the film prioritizes groundbreaking visual atmosphere, sound design, and philosophical inquiry over standard detective noir plotting, contrasting its lived-in, decaying future against the sterile aesthetics of traditional science fiction. The hosts dive into the cor...

Peter and Andrew head to West Texas to break down Joel and Ethan Coen’s 2007 modern classic No Country for Old Men, exploring how the film upends traditional thriller conventions through randomness, subverted genre expectations, and the lingering dread of Tommy Lee Jones’s bookending monologues. They analyze the illusion of control shared by Llewellyn Moss, Anton Chigurh, and Carson Wells, Javier Bardem’s terrifyi...

Peter and Andrew dive into Michael Curtiz’s 1942 classic Casablanca, unpacking how its sharp, endlessly quotable dialogue and moody, film noir–style shadows elevated an American studio production into an enduring masterpiece of cinema. They discuss the film’s unique production timing during World War II, Rick Blaine’s journey from cynical neutrality to active self-sacrifice for the greater good, and Claude R...

Peter and Andrew dive into Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund’s 2002 Brazilian masterpiece City of God, examining how its kinetic editing, split screens, handheld camera work, and vibrant energy bring the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro to life. They analyze the film's unconventional, vignette-driven story structure, discuss Rocket’s evolving role as an embedded narrator, and debate how the cyclical, unrelenti...

Peter and Andrew explore Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly’s 1952 musical classic Singin' in the Rain, unpacking how its high-energy choreography, vibrant Technicolor spectacle, and witty satire captured Hollywood’s turbulent transition from silent films to talkies. They discuss the film’s themes of genuine optimism, the artifice of celebrity image, and the evolution of entertainment technology, and debate whether its ...

Peter and Andrew unpack Martin Scorsese's 1990 classic Goodfellas, exploring how its highly stylized editing and unique dual-narrator perspective redefined the gangster genre. They discuss the film’s themes of the illusion of mafia loyalty, the allure of the criminal lifestyle, and the reality of middle management incompetence, and debate whether its intense, stylized violence serves to intentionally desensitize the viewer.

I...

Peter and Andrew unpack John Cassavetes's 1974 independent character study A Woman Under the Influence , exploring how its uncomfortably intimate filmmaking style and incredibly nuanced performances left a lasting mark on independent cinema. They discuss the film’s themes of mental illness versus idiosyncrasy, the dark underbelly of 1970s domestic life, and the messy reality of marriage, and debate whether its challenging, un...

Peter and Andrew unpack George Romero's 1968 independent horror classic Night of the Living Dead , exploring how its single-location tension and foundational zombie tropes created an entire cinematic genre. They discuss the film’s themes of interpersonal power dynamics, the futility of survival, and the dark irony of the rescue posse, and debate whether its straightforward, relentless narrative still holds up in a modern worl...

Peter and Andrew unpack Alfonso Cuarón's 2006 dystopian masterpiece Children of Men , exploring how its gritty, ground-level visual style and masterful "show, don't tell" world-building elevate it beyond a standard action thriller. They discuss the film’s themes of societal collapse, the moral complexities of revolution, and the balance between random chance and miraculous faith, and debate whether its deeply cynical yet hope...

Peter and Andrew unpack Richard Kelly's 2001 genre-bending cult classic Donnie Darko , exploring how its bizarre time-traveling rabbit and its ambiguous blend of sci-fi, horror, and dark comedy left a lasting mark on early 2000s cinema. They discuss the film’s themes of the isolating teenage experience, the blurred lines of mental illness, and the impact of personal sacrifice, and debate whether its cynical view of corrupt ad...