Michelle is back and we're starting to move into the prime period of Douglas Sirk's filmmaking. Sirk was famous for his melodramas that played with identity, a place in a fixed society, and the balance of responsibilities and dreams. His films <i>Taza, Son of Cochise</i>, <i>Magnificent Obsession</i> and <i>All I Desire</i> each explore those ideas in dfferent ways. Not all are completely successful, but all are worth a deeper dive and closer exploration.

Paul and Shawn are back to talk John Carpenter movies. This time we're looking at two films that were more commercial for the master horror director: Christine and Starman. Shawn's husband has a tattoo of the car from Christine, so you can guess what Shawn's opinion of the film was. I was surprised by Paul's reacttion to Starman, which triggered a fun little debate among the guys.

Eric is back, and this time the guys are not discussing Japanese films! Instead, they decided to explore a pair of films directed by Alan Rudolph, a filmmaker mentored by Robert Altman and who directed some fascinatinhly odd films over his long career. Eric and Jason decided to take a look at two Rudolph films which explore interesting historical figures: Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle and The Moderns. Though these films are similar, they take different paths to their ultimate conclusions and have overlapping but different feels to them. Rudolph was kind of a blind spot for Jason; does he earn a spot in Jason's pantheon next to Altman or does the work fall short of genius?

Michelle is back, after she and Jason finished their epic watch of Billy Wilder films -- make sure to go back and listen to their rating list of Wilder movies if you haven't heard it yet!So it was time to start a look at a new director for this pod, and who better than Michelle's all time favorite director, Douglas Sirk? Jason has enjoyed some of Sirk's melodramas, but never took the time to sit down and watch them systematically. So this is the perfect time to begin discussing the master's film work.Sirk made movies going back to the silent era, but began making his mark in Hollywood with a series of post-War noirs. So Michelle and Jason thought this a perfect time to go back and watch those noirs, to help assess whether they're truly worthy of his longterm reputation or don't measure up to his true classics.

Carlos and Jason saw Backrooms together. After the film they got together for an in-depth conversation about that film, about the seeming transition of the film industry in America, and what that might mean for the future. Warning: this is an optimistic episode!

Carlos is back, and he's kind of burning up ready to share his comments about Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, the Tarantino classic that has some deep and frustrating flaws according to Carlos. What are the flaws? Give the pod a listen, think about them, and then let us know what you think.Also, major warning about SPOILERS for this episode.

Paul and Shaun are back to continue our look at the films of John Carpenter. Now it's time to discuss his film that has the biggest dichotomy between opinions when it first came out and opinions now: The Thing. Do the guys agreee with any of the complaints from 1982 or do they think this movie is a dead-on classic (spoilers for the episode but the film is a masterpiece)? And what makes it so perfect, anyway?

Michelle and Jason recently looked at nearly every film directed and/or cowritten by the great Billy Wilder. So it's time for the inevitable rankings episode. What Wilder film is number 31 and worst? Which of his masterpieces are best? And which are the mid-tier must-watches? Come listen and offer us your ratings in comments!

Eric is back once again, and once again he and Jason discuss classic Japanese cinema. But this time the pair discuss the work of one of the most iconic directors from that nation, one they hadn't discussed before: Yasujirō Ozu.Eric and Jason dig into 1937's What Did the Lady Forget? and its 1952 semi-remake The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice. In doing so, they explore Ozu's techniques, his vast empathy for people of all ages, his growing skill as a filmmaker and much more.As always when Eric joins, the conversation ranges far and wide, and deep into intriguing theory. Hope you enjoy the episode!

Michelle is back for the conclusion of her and Jason's look at Billy Wilder's vast filmography, with a look at one of his absolute finest films, The Apartment. Jason overcomes his dislike of Jack Lemmon to appreciate a wonderfully subtle performance, while Michelle rhapsodizes over the brilliance and empathy of Wilder's storyline.And both Michelle and Jason analyze the film, looking in nice detail into why just about every element of this film works - and why sometimes the most experienced creators are the most perfect people to work on a project.