All the Film Things

All the Film Things

Hello cinephiles, occasional film- goers and everyone in between- Welcome to All the Film Things! I’m your host Elizabeth Wildes and here we talk about anything film- related! Some episodes are interviews, some are more casual, and some are analytical. By expanding this podcast outside of the Relevnt app, I plan on not only have my friends on as guests but also professionals in the film industry. Directors, actors, writers, editors, casting directors, film professors, cinematographers- anyone whose work revolves around film is welcome to be a guest! I hope you enjoy and let's talk film! read less

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Episode 9: Past Lives with Josie Cruz

Episode 9: Past Lives with Josie Cruz

On the ninth episode of All the Film Things, we are continuing to focus on likely Oscar contenders! I am joined by my friend and cinematographer, Josie Cruz, to discuss and analyze Celine Song’s instant classic debut feature film, Past Lives. This episode is spoiler- filled. Past Lives is a romantic drama that explores the deep connection between childhood friends, who are also each other’s first loves’, over the span of 24 years. The film, set mostly in NYC and Seoul, follows Nora (known as Na Young before she emigrated) and Hae Sung as they navigate their relationship from losing contact with one another to finding each other again as they go through life. When Hae Sung comes to visit a now- married Nora in NYC, they try and understand their relationship and significance to one another. Inspired by her real life experiences, the film was written and directed by Celine Song featuring excellent performances by Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro. This episode was recorded on November 26, 2023… one day before Past Lives won Best Picture at the Gotham Awards. Up until that win, fans of this film, including Josie and I, had been concerned Past Lives may not get the recognition it deserves during the upcoming awards season. Now that Past Lives earned the big award on November 27, the Past Lives fan community has hope it will receive proper recognition at the Oscars. As I mention in this episode, this is a rare, true film in present day cinema. This is Josie’s ATFT debut! Josie is a cinematographer who recently graduated college. You can view her reel by clicking this link: https://jojigami.webflow.io . She has been one of the biggest supporters of this podcast and the Instagram associated with the podcast, for which I am very grateful. This episode came together fast. There were two cancellations and I was running out of time to plan what Episode 9 would be. I knew I wanted to do an episode on Past Lives and I also knew I’ve been wanting to have Josie on as a guest. So, I randomly asked one day if she happened to see Past Lives, thinking it was unlikely… but to my surprise, it happened to be one of her top films of the year! We soon recorded this episode and it has turned out to be one of the best episodes released so far on this wide release of ATFT. And this certainly won’t be the last time you’ll hear her on ATFT. In this episode, Josie and I analyze a range of moments and topics about the film. While dissecting the film, we learn that the suspense posed by the trailer of “Who will Nora choose?” isn’t really what the film is about. We talked about how Nora’s decision was always the same while also going deeper into the complexity of her dynamic with both Hae Sung and Arthur as well as the complexity of Past Lives as a whole. Josie talked about how meaningful this film is to her and connections she made in her own life while I talk about this film’s similar, trademark qualities of New Hollywood- 70s films. We also talked about the depiction of present day technology in the film, the power of utilizing silence, and much more! Background music created and used with permission by the Copyright Free Music - Background Music for Videos channel on YouTube.

Episode 9: Past Lives with Josie Cruz

Episode 9: Past Lives with Josie Cruz

On the ninth episode of All the Film Things, we are continuing to focus on likely Oscar contenders! I am joined by my friend and cinematographer, Josie Cruz, to discuss and analyze Celine Song’s instant classic debut feature film, Past Lives. This episode is spoiler- filled. Past Lives is a romantic drama that explores the deep connection between childhood friends, who are also each other’s first loves’, over the span of 24 years. The film, set mostly in NYC and Seoul, follows Nora (known as Na Young before she emigrated) and Hae Sung as they navigate their relationship from losing contact with one another to finding each other again as they go through life. When Hae Sung comes to visit a now- married Nora in NYC, they try and understand their relationship and significance to one another. Inspired by her real life experiences, the film was written and directed by Celine Song featuring excellent performances by Greta Lee, Teo Yoo, and John Magaro. This episode was recorded on November 26, 2023… one day before Past Lives won Best Picture at the Gotham Awards. Up until that win, fans of this film, including Josie and I, had been concerned Past Lives may not get the recognition it deserves during the upcoming awards season. Now that Past Lives earned the big award on November 27, the Past Lives fan community has hope it will receive proper recognition at the Oscars. As I mention in this episode, this is a rare, true film in present day cinema. This is Josie’s ATFT debut! Josie is a cinematographer who recently graduated college. You can view her reel by clicking this link: https://jojigami.webflow.io . She has been one of the biggest supporters of this podcast and the Instagram associated with the podcast, for which I am very grateful. This episode came together fast. There were two cancellations and I was running out of time to plan what Episode 9 would be. I knew I wanted to do an episode on Past Lives and I also knew I’ve been wanting to have Josie on as a guest. So, I randomly asked one day if she happened to see Past Lives, thinking it was unlikely… but to my surprise, it happened to be one of her top films of the year! We soon recorded this episode and it has turned out to be one of the best episodes released so far on this wide release of ATFT. And this certainly won’t be the last time you’ll hear her on ATFT. In this episode, Josie and I analyze a range of moments and topics about the film. While dissecting the film, we learn that the suspense posed by the trailer of “Who will Nora choose?” isn’t really what the film is about. We talked about how Nora’s decision was always the same while also going deeper into the complexity of her dynamic with both Hae Sung and Arthur as well as the complexity of Past Lives as a whole. Josie talked about how meaningful this film is to her and connections she made in her own life while I talk about this film’s similar, trademark qualities of New Hollywood- 70s films. We also talked about the depiction of present day technology in the film, the power of utilizing silence, and much more! Background music created and used with permission by the Copyright Free Music - Background Music for Videos channel on YouTube.

Episode 8: Elevator to the Gallows with Cristina Santiago

Episode 8: Elevator to the Gallows with Cristina Santiago

On the eighth episode of All the Film Things, we are celebrating Noirvember! I am joined by my friend, and host of the podcast Red Room Radio, Cristina Santiago, to discuss Louis Malle’s 1958 noir film, Elevator to the Gallows. This episode is spoiler- filled. Elevator to the Gallows is a crime thriller film set in Paris and with the events unfolding within 24 hours. The film follows two couples in paralleled storylines. One couple, is young and always together while the other pair are literally separated. Jeanne Moreau stars in the lead role of Florence, who we see in the beginning of the film, plotting with her lover Julien (Maurice Ronet) to kill her husband- his boss- in order for them to be together. After their plans go awry, a tangled web of events involving both couples is set in motion. Not only was this Louis Malle's debut directed feature film, this film also made Jeanne Moreau a star. Released two years before Jean Luc Godard's Breathless, Elevator to the Gallows is regarded as an inspiration for the French New Wave. Miles Davis's jazz score is regarded as "historic" and we quote from Richard Brody's article on the score and film for The New Yorker. I incorrectly stated the name of the author and did not realize until the release date of this episode. This is technically the second ATFT episode Cristina has appeared on. As I mention in the beginning in this episode, this was our second attempt at discussing Elevator to the Gallows. We recorded this second attempt on November 10, 2023 but there are a few excerpts from the first attempt, which was recorded on October 26, 2023. Cristina has a real appreciation for Old Hollywood films so I had recommended her this film, assuming she enjoyed foreign film as well, but I was surprised to learn Elevator to the Gallows was the first foreign film she watched! But watching the film didn’t go so smoothly… Cristina and I discuss this in the beginning of the episode. Luckily, she enjoyed the film and is looking forward to watching more classic foreign films! Cristina hosts the pop culture podcast Red Room Radio. Like ATFT, Cristina has a range of topics and different formats allowing her to have a broad range of pop culture- focused episodes. She recently welcomed R. Kurt Osenlund on RRR for a pop culture chat. I was fortunate to have been a guest on RRR for part one and two of the Jayne Mansfield episodes. Be sure to follow Red Room Radio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more so you never miss an episode! In this episode, Cristina and I talk about the famous scene of Jeanne Moreau strolling the streets of Paris at night, Miles Davis's score, imagining what Academy Awards Elevator to the Gallows should have won, the film's ending, and much more! Noire #1 by Music By Pedro https://goo.gl/sJT2e8 Promoted by MrSnooze • Film Noir Background Music for Videos... "Flashback Synth" by se2001 Retrieved from Freesound.org

Episode 7: Barbie with Dina Vo

Episode 7: Barbie with Dina Vo

On the seventh episode of All the Film Things, I am joined by my friend, Dina Vo, to discuss the film that took this summer (well... year) by storm: Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. This episode is spoiler- filled. Barbie is a comedy/ fantasy film focused on the famous variety of the Barbie (and Ken) dolls. The film was written by two of the best working American filmmakers today: Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. While the film features a wide range of different Barbies, Kens, and Allan, the story revolves around stereotypical Barbie (Margot Robbie) as she suddenly starts to change and feel an emotion other than routined happiness. The audience, along with stereotypical Ken (Ryan Gosling) join Barbie on her journey to finding who she really is. Barbie, and by extension “Barbenheimer” became a phenomenon. The cast and director went on an extensive press tour with a level of promotion that hasn’t happened with a film in a long time. Greta Gerwig became the first sole female director of a film that made over $1 billion at the box office. This is her third directed feature film. The film also stars America Ferrara, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Will Ferrell, and Michael Cera. This is the first and only ATFT episode Dina has appeared on. We recorded this on August 15, 2023. Dina is not much of a movie- goer. It is rare for her to go to the movies or even watch movies so when she went to see Barbie, I knew we could make an episode around it… especially since I had two more friends waiting for me to see Barbie in order to do certain episodes. Dina enjoyed the film as she dressed up in pink when going to see Barbie in theaters. She even got to take a picture in the now- famous Barbie box! Since this episode was recorded while sitting in a car, the audio quality isn’t as great at times. This episode was originally 90 minutes but it had to be cut down mostly due to poor audio. I was able to improve the audio but unfortunately the audio peaks at times and also becomes more muffled. Despite the poor audio quality, I wanted to post this episode because it is certain to be an Oscar contender in March. There will be a few more episodes focused on guaranteed Oscar nominated films leading up to the 2024 Academy Awards. In this episode, Dina and I cover a range of topics about the film. I had prepared notes but I was surprised to learn Dina prepared notes as well! We mostly went through her notes so this episode moves fast with frequent changing topics, Dina and I discussed the “anti- man” criticism surrounding Barbie, the two opposing viewpoints on the Barbie doll, resonant lines and moments, and all things Barbie- land! Later in the episode, Dina takes the same Buzzfeed character quiz that the Barbie cast took (which left Margot Robbie shocked)! Background music created and used with permission by the Copyright Free Music - Background Music for Videos channel on YouTube.

Episode 6: Horror films with Lina Smith

Episode 6: Horror films with Lina Smith

On the sixth episode of All the Film Things, I am joined by my friend, Lina Smith for this special Halloween episode as we talk about horror films! Whenever October comes around, many people watch their favorite horror films to be fully immersed in the Halloween season. Lina is a horror film aficionado while I am the exact opposite. Aside from a few exceptions (specifically The Shining), I can’t enjoy horror films. I would much rather watch an Alfred Hitchcock film. This episode was recorded on October 11, 2023. This is the 50th episode of ATFT (but only the sixth episode of this wide release). This is the latest of three episodes Lina has been a guest on (stay tuned for our Greta Gerwig episode… it’s a good one). Lina requested the topic due to her love for horror films. This episode was previously scheduled to be released on Wednesday, October 26 but unfortunately due to exporting errors, this episode is a few days late. I sincerely apologize for this delay. I take these deadlines very seriously. Something was wrong with the sequence but I was fortunately able to transfer the sequence into another project. While there are some noticeable errors and glitches in the episode, I hope it will still be enjoyable! In this episode, Lina talks about some of her favorite horror films, such as The Cabin in the Woods and Hereditary, her thoughts on horror films today, the effect horror films have had on her, and much more! Lina is particularly a fan of Ari Aster so we discussed his work and his current place in being one of the newly established directors of horror today. Towards the end of the episode, I ask Lina a sort of “rapid fire” where I name a horror film and she tells me her thoughts on it. Background music created and used with permission by the Copyright Free Music - Background Music for Videos channel on YouTube.

Episode 5: Easy Rider with Katelin Fitzpatrick

Episode 5: Easy Rider with Katelin Fitzpatrick

On the fifth episode of All the Film Things, I am joined by one of my close friends, Katelin Fitzpatrick, to discuss Dennis Hopper’s 1969 film Easy Rider starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. This episode is spoiler- filled. Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider is a road/ drama film focused on two hippies riding motorcycles across state lines “looking for America and couldn’t find it anywhere….” Although the New Hollywood movement was slowly beginning in 1967, it was Easy Rider that officially launched this short- lived yet impactful movement in American cinema. Easy Rider was enormously successful and forever changed the film industry in several ways, including the rise of independent films. This is the first of three episodes Katelin has appeared on to date. We recorded this on August 17, 2022 as a way to pay tribute to Peter Fonda who had passed away 3 years prior on August 16. I wasn’t sure if Katelin would enjoy this film since it is one that divides audiences. Some consider it a masterpiece while some consider it terrible. I truly believe it is a masterpiece… you just have to watch it a few times. Luckily, Katelin enjoyed the film but there were some moments that made her angry. Since this is one of the earliest ATFT episodes, the audio quality isn’t as great as previous episodes. I was able to improve the audio but unfortunately the audio dips in quality and has some occasional ambiance interference. Despite the poor audio quality, I wanted to post this episode because the quality of the conversation is worthy to be included in this “wide release” of ATFT. In this episode, Katelin and I first discuss some trivia surrounding the film such as Easy Rider being the first film to use found music, what happened to the original bikes, and how much of the film’s dialogue was improvised. Later in the episode, we analyze the film- specifically the line “We blew it”, its parallels to the hippie movement, and how this film remains current in talking about freedom. Background music created and used with permission by the Copyright Free Music - Background Music for Videos channel on YouTube.

Episode 4: Interview with Graham Zielinski

Episode 4: Interview with Graham Zielinski

On the fourth episode of All the Film Things, I talked with cinematographer and videographer Graham Zielinski. Graham's dream has been to work in film production… but for a few years, he wasn’t sure if that would be his path. Graham spent two years in Los Angeles trying to make it as an actor. When he returned home to Florida, his parents wanted him to get a college degree. It is then he asked for one more opportunity in attending Full Sail University. Today Graham is a freelancer with his own production company called Graham Z Media where he works with businesses to create commercials and on film and television sets. In this episode, Graham shares his journey to "living the dream" in becoming a freelance cinematographer and videographer. He shares his gratitude for being able to have the job he has as well as his passion for his work, specifically a documentary he made titled In Their Voices focused on the aging homeless population. We also discussed the work of Alfred Hitchcock, David Fincher, and Steven Spielberg. Graham talks about his favorite film, Jurassic Park, meeting Samuel L. Jackson at a young age, and the necessity of a film having a good story. Check out Graham Z Media on Youtube and on grahamzmedia.com to learn more about Graham and view his work! If you have any questions for Graham, reach out to @all.the.film.things on Instagram! Background music created and used with permission by the Copyright Free Music - Background Music for Videos channel on YouTube.

Episode 3: Film Finds- August 2023 with Cole Echevarria

Episode 3: Film Finds- August 2023 with Cole Echevarria

On the third episode of All the Film Things, my friend and fellow film aficionado Cole Echevarria returns for an episode of Film Finds! The “Film Finds” segment is ATFT in its most casual, spontaneous form as we talk about recent films we've watched with almost nothing prepared. In this episode, we mostly focused on the new summer releases such as Oppenheimer, Mission: Impossible- Dead Reckoning, Part 1, and Barbie. And yes- we do spoil some of these films. I later shared some of my recent film finds such as Le Bonheur and Wings of Desire. As we wrapped up, we talked about the films we are most looking forward to seeing this year- with both of us most excited for Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. Cole has been the most frequent ATFT guest appearing in 12 episodes to date. This is the most recent episode we did which was recorded on August 23, 2023. Cole shared some hot takes on Barbie. If you have any thoughts, comments, criticisms, let us know on Instagram! Comment or DM me @all.the.film.things! Background music created and used with permission by the Copyright Free Music - Background Music for Videos channel on YouTube.

Episode 2: The Wrong Man with Cole Echevarria

Episode 2: The Wrong Man with Cole Echevarria

On the second episode of All the Film Things, I talked with my friend and fellow film aficionado Cole Echevarria about Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 film The Wrong Man starring Henry Fonda. This episode is spoiler-filled. Alfred Hitchcock’s The Wrong Man is a docudrama/ noir based on a true events that Hitchcock describes as "stranger than all the fiction that has gone into many of the thrillers" he had previously made. This is his only collaboration with Henry Fonda who stars as Christopher "Manny" Balestrero, a poor family man who becomes accused and then incarcerated for crimes he did not commit. Cole has been the most frequent ATFT guest appearing in 12 episodes to date. This is the second episode we did which we recorded back in December 2022. In the first episode he appeared on, which may be released in the coming weeks, he mentioned he is a big fan of Henry Fonda- just as I am. I recommended this film to him in hopes he would enjoy the film. Early on, it is clear he, unfortunately, did not enjoy the film as much as I did. In this episode, Cole and I discuss our differing opinions on the film, Henry Fonda's brilliant emotionally subtle performance, the excellent camera work, dissecting Hitchcock's comment on the criminal justice system in America, and much more. Towards the end of the episode, we discussed the dark parallels this film has to Henry Fonda's real life. It is a brutal subject to discuss but we hoped to do so without any controversy since we are both very much fans of the Fonda family. Background music created and used with permission by the Copyright Free Music - Background Music for Videos channel on YouTube.

Episode 1: Interview with Max Alvarez

Episode 1: Interview with Max Alvarez

On the first episode of All the Film Things, I talked with film historian/ author/ lecturer Max Alvarez. Max credits developing his passion for film to his parents and seeing François Truffaut's The 400 Blows in theaters as a child. His first job in film started with indexing film reviews for the Variety newspaper. From there, Max takes us through his decades- long career from his work as a film critic, interviewing prominent figures in film such as Wim Wenders and Peter Fonda, and his work today with New Plaza Cinema in NYC. One of my favorite stories Max shares is his first and only encounter with Quentin Tarantino on the night Reservoir Dogs first premiered at the 1992 Sundance Film Festival. We also discussed the significance of the New Hollywood era, international films while especially highlighting the work of Michelangelo Antonioni, the current state of film today, and much more! Go to New Plaza Cinema's website to learn of Max's upcoming virtual lectures! Background music created and used with permission by the Copyright Free Music - Background Music for Videos channel on YouTube.