Category: All Posts

Chloe Pelletier on Greg and John’s Argument

chloegregjohn

If you didn’t catch the latest episode of the Smug Film podcast, in which John D’Amico and Greg DeLiso get into a heated argument about film and film criticism, you should, because it’s important.

Having read the site for as long as it’s been around, I believe what sets it apart from most film blogs is that everyone here has a very unique and personal perspective on film—and that individualistic honesty is on full display in this episode.

Continue reading Chloe Pelletier on Greg and John’s Argument

Smug Film Podcast Episode #15 – Greg DeLiso / The Idea of What a Movie Is / Hectic Knife (2/2/15)

Episode 15 1:20:03 | View on iTunes | Download Mp3

On this episode, John D’Amico and I are joined by Smug Film co-founder Greg DeLiso, and boy do things get heated! The two of them discuss their Idea of What a Movie Is essays (here’s Greg’s and here’s John’s rebuttal and here’s Greg’s rebuttal to John’s rebuttal) and argue over their fundamentally different views on film, and film criticism. After the break, Greg and I answer a question from the mailbag and discuss his upcoming feature film, Hectic Knife.

If you have a movie-related question you’d like answered on the show, send it to Podcast@SmugFilm.com!

If you enjoy the show, be sure to subscribe on iTunes, and leave a rating and a comment on there as well. Doing this helps us immensely as far as our ranking on the iTunes charts, which a large part of how we reach new listeners. Word of mouth is always best of all though, so if you like our show, tell your friends and followers!

Smug Film Podcast Episode #14 – Green Brothers / Video Game Adaptations / Sequels & Reboots (1/26/15)

Episode 14 1:17:16 | View on iTunes | Download Mp3

On this episode, John D’Amico tells Jenna Ipcar and I about his new feature film, Green Brothers, which he is currently editing for a release later this year. We talk in depth about what it’s like to shoot in the five boroughs of NYC, and then close the show with an extra-long mailbag segment, where we discuss everything from video game adaptations to sequels and reboots. If you have a movie-related question you’d like answered on the show, send it to Podcast@SmugFilm.com!
Continue reading Smug Film Podcast Episode #14 – Green Brothers / Video Game Adaptations / Sequels & Reboots (1/26/15)

Examining Gus Van Sant’s Death Trilogy (Part 1)

elephantgus

Gus Van Sant is one of those filmmakers people call ‘interesting’. On the one hand, the man’s capable of all sorts of good semi-mainstream films, from Good Will Hunting to My Own Private Idaho. But on the other, he’s responsible for slightly-too-arthouse-for-arthouse films like Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, the almost-shot-for-shot Psycho remake, and what has come to be known as his ‘Death Trilogy’—Gerry, Elephant, and Last Days.

The entire death trilogy sits in the high-fifties, high-sixties part of Rotten Tomatoes that seemingly means ‘slightly above average’, but in practice has come to mean ‘people either think it’s truly fantastic or total pretentious garbage’.  (And given that this is the man who remade Psycho, maybe there’s some truth to that latter view.) But each of the death films gave me some thoughts about cinema and philosophy, so I thought I’d write a piece on each of them and try and get those thoughts straightened out.

Continue reading Examining Gus Van Sant’s Death Trilogy (Part 1)

Smug Film Podcast Episode #13 – Brad Avery / Apocalyptic Films / Italian Neorealism (1/19/15)

Episode 13 52:12 | View on iTunes | Download Mp3

On this episode, John D’Amico and I are joined via Skype by Smug Film’s own Brad Avery. We discuss his essay Bicycle Thieves and Other Apocalyptic Films, and explore his idea that apocalyptic films and italian neorealist films have a lot in common. As always, we close the show with questions from our mailbag. If you have a movie-related question you’d like answered on the show, send it to Podcast@SmugFilm.com!

If you enjoy the show, be sure to subscribe on iTunes, and leave a rating and a comment on there as well. Doing this helps us immensely as far as our ranking on the iTunes charts, which a large part of how we reach new listeners. Word of mouth is always best of all though, so if you like our show, tell your friends and followers!