Please Like What I Like

Joe introduces Michael to a fantastic storybook version of old Japan to tell story about a gentle and caring grandmother who enlists her loving, devoted son's help in ritualistically ending her own life. Please watch the movie first (it is streaming on Criterion channel), then join us for a lengthy discussion that really goes in some wild directions! This is in regards to the 1958 original, so that is the one to watch... we do talk a little bit about the 1983 remake (I have included a quick warning when we get to it for those who want to avoid spoilers regarding the remake), but I would say onlt the '58 one is required viewing to understand the podcast discussion.IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051980/Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/the-balla...By the way, I have since watched a few more films by the same director, Keisuke Kinoshita, which were also on Criterion Channel: A Legend, Or Was It, and Wedding Ring. I liked both, or actually, I liked A Legend, which was intentionally old-timey like this movie, but a little stiff and simple in ways that left me wanting something a little more fleshed out, and not as imaginative and colorful (literally, most of the film is in black and white); Wedding Ring, though, I really loved: it's a completely different mode for him, and stars Kinuyo Tanaka and Toshiro Mifune (titans of classic Japanese cinema) in a decidedly non-traditional melodramatic romance. If that sounds good to you, and you finish Narayama wanting more from this director, I strongly recommend Wedding Ring.Anyway, next up is going to be Rick Linklater's 2001 low-budget and minimalistic film Tape. It can be watched here on YouTube, as well as AMC+ and IFC's streaming site (I'm not familiar with this one, like I know the TV station but was unaware they had a streaming platform, but they have the movie). If the idea of an entire movie just being three people talking in one room is intriguing rather than boring for you, then this was made for you (I swear it isn't a dull movie, I love Tape, that's why I picked it).

Joe's pick this time is the landmark 1967 Wuxia action classic Dragon Inn! To be clear, this is the original, not the 90's remake, nor Goodbye Dragon Inn, though we do mention those. No, the focus here is King Hu's 60s one! You can stream it on the Criterion Channel if you have a subscription, and it's available to rent in many places. Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/dragon-inn/IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060635/?ref_=ttmi_ttI hope you got your fill of high octane action in this and last episode's movies, because next episode we are headed for a very talky 70's Lumet film, Network!

We haven't given up, though we have been slowed down a bit by real life. This one ended up a little short, but this time the subject is a fun and unique anime movie that I hope you enjoy.IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0439533/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/dead-leaves/As of now, Dead Leaves is still available to stream for free on Tubi in the USA and Run:Time TV in some countries.Here's a link to the CC Lemon commercial with designs by ImaiToonz that I mentioned in the episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfYTSXFTAt4Next episode we cover the original Dragon Inn, the 1967 Chinese Wuxia classic directed by King Hu, so get out your springboard and practice catching arrows in midair.

Apologies for the wait, and also for the subpar audio quality in much of this episode. Despite these handicaps, I still think it's an enjoyable one, and the movie is really worth your time, Check it out and then listen to us talk about the movie and Almodovar in general, get Joe's gazpacho recipe, hear Michael imitate classic crooners, and other fun tangents!IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095675/?ref_=fn_al_tt_7letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/women-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown/As of this upload, WotVoaNB is NOT free to stream in the USA. There are cheap rental options and discs on ebay, BUT if you live in Mexico or can use a VPN to make your service provider believe you live in Mexico, then it is included with Netflix and Amazon Prime.Next episode we cover the relatively niche aughts Japanese anime film Dead Leaves, which is available on Tubi and the dvd pretty common on ebay as well.

Michael's pick. Our shortest episode, and the most likely candidate to ever become a "lost episode" since we don't shy away from discussing what we've gleaned through cultural osmosis about Allen's legal troubles, and the shadow it casts on his past work. We don't get too specific about the allegations, but if you don't want to hear about them at all, or if you would rather have nothing to do with the director's filmography because of them, then you will want to skip episode 5 and meet up with us again in a couple weeks for episode 6, on Almodovar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, which is a very fun movie and probably still my favorite of Joe's picks so far.As of my writing this, Manhattan is still available to stream for free on Tubi.IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0079522/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/manhattan/

Joe's pick, a real cult classic horror movie! If scary imagery and paranoia will keep you up at night, you may want to sit this one out. Otherwise, it's on plex, fubo, fright night, screambox. and kanopy. Directed by Brian Yuzna with effects work by artist Screaming Mad George and his team.IMDB: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0098354/?ref_=m_ttmi_ttletterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/society/Next episode will be on Woody Allen's Manhattan, which I could also see being one many listeners may want to skip, but trust me, there;s a really good movie coming up after that (I like both Society and Manhattan, btw, not claiming those aren't good movies, just that those who sit out eps 4 and 5 may want to check back in for ep 6 because it's one of my faborites of Joe's picks so far).

Mike's pick and one of his all-time favorites. Some audio was rerecorded but otherwise, this came out pretty nice. As always, please watch the film before you listen to us talk about it in the episode: Tampopo is available to stream on the Criterion Channel and Max.Tampopo (1985), dir: Juzo Itami.imdb:www.imdb.com/title/tt0092048/?r…t_8_nm_0_q_tampopoletterboxd:letterboxd.com/film/tampopo/ CW: some animals were harmed in the making of Tampopo (we mentioned this at the end of the previous episode, but I figure not everyone interested in Tampopo necessarily wanted to watch Claire's Knee, so I am bringing the same thing up here): although it was slaughter for meat and one could argue that technically happens behind the scenes of many films, in Tampopo it happens on screen, with one particular instance Joe and I found a little shocking despite only taking up a second of the runtime. Sorry for going on and on about such a small part of the film - this is a very upbeat movie, and most viewers will no doubt love it like I do - it's not like we are watching a depressing peta psa or anything. I just don't want to ruin anyone's good time so I'm being cautious but I feel like my inability to be concise is turning it into a whole thing. Help me, somebody!

Joe's pick: Claire's Knee, 1970, dir: Eric RohmerIMDB: www.imdb.com/title/tt0065772/?r…_q_claire%27s%2520letterboxd: letterboxd.com/film/claires-knee/One of Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales: you don't need to see the other five to enjoy this one, but you do need to watch the movie before you will understand what we are on about in this episode! It is available to stream on Criterion Channel. This episode turned out to be a good conversation. We do this quick segment regarding last episode's movie at the beginning (The Princess and the Frog), but that will not become a recurring motif in the future: rather, from Episode 3 forward, we strive to keep each episode self-contained so that listeners can skip around as they wish! If you would like to skip to the Claire's Knee discussion, it picks up directly after the jingle, about two and a half minutes in.Episode 003 (on the Japanese celebration of all things cooking and eating, Juzo Itami's 1985 magnum opus Tampopo) should be up around New Year's Day. That movie is also available to stream on Criterion Channel, as well as "max," which may or may not be the same thing as HBO-Max?