A podcast for the love of cinema!
For more info check out our website: https://celebratingcinema.com.
As always, we want to hear from you so please get in t...
In this review roundup, hosts Laura Gommans and Hugo Emmerzael dive into three films that have caught their attention. Oz Perkins’ latest offbeat horror, The Monkey, leaves them both questioning if the American director knows how to land an ending. Hugo shares insights from his Cannes conversation with Jia Zhang-ke about his latest work, Caught by the Tides. But while Hugo sees something transcendental, Laura isn’t so convinced—questioning whether it’s all just pretension and an easy ride to the Cannes Film Festival. Finally, they close with Payal Kapadia’s fiction feature debut, All We Imagine as Light - a film that moved both hosts, though for very different reasons. (No surprises there!)
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25:35
Can You Still Make a Good Musical Biopic?
With a new wave of nostalgia-driven musical biopics—A Complete Unknown, Better Man, Maria—flooding theaters, hosts Laura Gommans and Hugo Emmerzael ask: what does it take to make a great musical biopic these days? A genre weighed down by formulaic storytelling and its own well-worn bingo card of narrative beats, the musical biopic too often settles for a greatest-hits retelling rather than embracing the radical possibilities of cinema. In this episode, we revisit the films that transcend mere homage, interrogate why audiences remain captivated by these glossy reenactments, and consider how the genre might break free from its own nostalgic loop.Book tickets to CC Film Club: Velvet Goldmine @ LAB111Book tickets to A Complete Unknown @ LAB111Show Notes & Films Mentioned
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49:37
Does AI in The Brutalist Even Matter?
In our first edition of the Review Roundup, a new biweekly cinematic dispatch, Laura Gommans and Elliot Bloom get into the latest films everyone's talking about. From the swirling controversies surrounding Brady Corbet’s Academy-nominated The Brutalist to the unexpected Marvel-like crossover in Pablo Larraín’s Maria, Laura and Elliot share their reactions. Also in focus: the enduring allure of Luis Buñuel’s Belle de Jour, a film as provocative and hypnotic now as it was upon its release, returning to the big screen in all its dreamlike splendour.Book tickets to The Brutalist @ LAB111Book tickets to Belle de Jour @ LAB111Book tickets to Buñuel 125 @ LAB111Book tickets to CC Film Club: Velvet Goldmine @ LAB111Show Notes & Films Mentioned
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31:01
How Ernest R. Dickerson Discovered Tupac For Juice
Legendary filmmaker Ernest Dickerson joins host Elliot Bloom for a compelling journey through his remarkable career. From his early love of sci-fi and fascination with the practical elements of filmmaking to meeting long-time collaborator Spike Lee on his first day of film school, Dickerson reflects on the defining moments that have influenced his work. With an encyclopaedic knowledge of cinema, he discusses his pivotal role in shaping Black American cinema over the last 40 years and the stories behind the making of his iconic films. In a candid conversation, Dickerson also reveals the unexpected path that led him to make a feature film about Curaçao.
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Velvet Goldmine @ LAB111
Show Notes and Films Mentioned
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50:53
Jeroen Houben on Torch Song (2025)
Fresh off winning the Dutch Film Critics’ Choice Award at the Netherlands Film Festival, LAB111 resident filmmaker Jeroen Houben joins host Kiriko Mechanicus to discuss his bittersweet, offbeat drama Torch Song. The film tells the story of an eccentric former pop singer who reconnects with her estranged half-brother in the Netherlands, only to unravel his life when she discovers a muse in his girlfriend. Houben delves into his aim to craft a raw, nuanced portrayal of a struggling artist, sidestepping tired clichés, while offering a fresh perspective on Amsterdam through the eyes of an international community. He also reflects on composing the film’s songs in tandem with the script, his fascination with musicals, and a formative (and unsettling) childhood memory of an animated dog. A bold tribute to the power of music and storytelling, this episode offers an illuminating look into the creation of a film where ambition and emotion collide.
Book tickets to Torch Song @ LAB111
Book tickets to CC Film Club: Juice
A podcast for the love of cinema!
For more info check out our website: https://celebratingcinema.com.
As always, we want to hear from you so please get in touch at [email protected]
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