The Frances Farmer Show

Episode Three: Charade and The Truth About Charlie

Sean and Mike tackle the subject of remakes with Jonathan Demme's 2002 film The Truth About Charlie and the film it was based on, 1963's Cary Grant/Audrey Hepburn vehicle Charade. They also discuss their picks for the Essential film remake, the career of Charade director Stanley Donen, what Criterion DVDs should be on your wishlist for the big sale and the intentional nature of Marky Mark Wahlberg's hats.

Episode Fourteen: Harakiri and Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai

This week, in conjunction with a local series of samurai films, Mike and Sean take a look at Masaki Kobayshi's 1962 classic Harakiri, with Tatsuya Nakadai, as well as 2011's remake of that film, Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai. They also discuss the career of Akira Kurosawa, pick their Essential Samurai Films and look forward to the Vancouver International Film Festival and backward at Ron Howard and Michael Keaton.

Episode Thirteen: Once Upon a Time in America and The Roaring Twenties

This week Sean and Mike take a look at a couple of classic gangster films, Sergio Leone's 1983 epic Once Upon a Time in America and Raoul Walsh's The Roaring Twenties, from 1939. They also discuss the career of Robert DeNiro, the state of Seattle landmark Scarecrow Video and make their picks for the essential films about the 1920s that were not made in the 1920s.

Episode Twelve: The Black Stallion and The Killing

This week, Mike and Sean talk about a pair of movies revolving around horse racing: Carroll Ballard's atmospheric 1979 family film The Black Stallion and Stanley Kubrick's innovative 1956 noir heist movie The Killing. They also pick their Essential Cinematic Animals and discuss the career of Stanley Kubrick and the retirement of Hayao Miyazaki. They also talk about an essay about nostalgia and Spielberg's Hook by Travis Vogt and bemoan the spread of the "second screen" movie experience.

Episode Eleven: Top Ten Films of All-Time

This week, following the Labor Day Weekend list-making tradition, Mike and Sean take a break from their regular double feature format to pick the films that would make up their hypothetical Sight & Sound Top Films of All-Time ballots, each listing ten of their favorite movies, ones they think can be considered among the greatest films ever made.

Episode Ten: The Grandmaster and A Touch of Zen

This week Mike and Sean discuss a pair of martial arts films, Wong Kar-wai's latest The Grandmaster, starring Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi and King Hu's 1971 masterpiece A Touch of Zen. They also take a look at the career of Wong Kar-wai and make their picks for the Essential Fight Scene of all-time.

Episode Nine: Ishtar and Sons of the Desert

A cavalcade of comedy classics as MIke and Sean tackle Elaine May's neglected masterpiece Ishtar and Laurel and Hardy's acclaimed 1933 feature Sons of the Desert. They boys also talk all about the Marx Brothers and share their picks for Essential Slapstick movies.

Episode Eight: Gun Crazy and Point Break

This week, Mike and Sean dive into the seedy noir world of Joseph H. Lewis's 1950 film Gun Crazy, take a stroll along the beach with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze in Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break and talk about their Essential Adrenalizing films. They'll also take a closer look at the career of Keanu and debate the proper usage of the phrase "Vaya con Dios'.

Episode Seven: Logan's Run and WALL-E

This week, Mike and Sean tackle a pair of sci-fi classics with discussions of Michael Anderson's 1976 film Logan's Run and Andrew Stanton's acclaimed Pixar film WALL-E. They also discuss Stanton and Pixar in general, the Essential Animated Films of the 21st Century and the latest news in Harvey Weinstein's scissors and Dr. Who's casting.

Episode Six: Two Lovers and Two English Girls

This week Sean and Mike explore some romantic geometry with James Gray's 2008 film Two Lovers and François Truffaut's Two English Girls. They also discuss Truffaut's career in general, along with their picks for the Essential Love Triangle movies and the dire state of summer blockbuster cinema.