Film Generations

Frequently named by filmmakers and critics as one of the greatest films ever made, Jean Renoir’s classic tale of French soldiers in a World War I German POW camp and their daring escape is now almost 90 years old. Its importance to film history is certain — but is it still fun to watch? 

While much of Grand Illusion is unique, especially its bittersweet farewell to the pre-WWI European aristocratic order, it has directly influenced countless movies, including The Great Escape and The Shawshank Redemption, does it offer any surprises or unexpected delights to a new generation?

Get set for an impassioned discussion across generations where one thing becomes clear: this film’s preoccupations are immensely relevant to our world today.

Hosts: Mark Netter & David Tausik 

Panelists:  Guy Lewis, Kylee LaRue, Cohlie Brocato

An ElectraCast Production

Trailer: https://youtu.be/vcO8rEjoG0c

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Grande_Illusion

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028950/reference/

97% on Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/la_grande_illusion

Ebert Review: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-grand-illusion-1937

 
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In 1976 All the President’s Men was released to an audience eagerly awaiting Hollywood’s take on the story of the decade: the Washington Post investigation that led to the downfall of President Richard Nixon. The all-star team of producer Robert Redford, screenwriter William Goldman and director Alan Pakula had the task of adapting a highly complicated best-seller by reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein into a movie, but could rely on the fact that contemporary audiences knew the story well.

With the help of The Godfather cinematographer Gordon Willis and a superb cast, they succeeded in creating a film worthy of the hype. But does it hit with a new generation of viewers whose understanding of Watergate may be understandably murky at best? Can a film this topical still pack a punch almost 50 years after its release?

Find out as our panel of young film lovers contends with the revolutionary changes in journalism, politics, and the media that have occurred since 1976 — and ask whether a pair of intrepid reporters could topple a corrupt President today.

Hosts: Mark Netter & David Tausik 

Panelists:  Guy Lewis, Jake Flowers, Anika Mathur

An ElectraCast Production

 Trailer: https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2958664729/?playlistId=tt0074119&ref_=tt_ov_pr_ov_vi

 

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_the_President%27s_Men_(film)

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074119/

MetaCritic: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/all-the-presidents-men/
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A firecracker that initially fizzled with audiences but has increasingly crackled with succeeding generations of film lovers, Sweet Smell of Success today boasts a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Defying genre expectations, it has been described in the media as a film noir, a crime thriller, a comedy, a satire, a character study, and a drama. By any measure, this poison pen letter to the glitzy world of big city show business is bracing and entertaining.

It features pungent dialogue, a ripping jazz score, balls-out performances from enthusiastically unlikeable characters played by Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis, and top-notch location work in 1950s New York City strikingly shot in black and white.

Can our panel of young film-lovers relate to this bygone world of martini-drinking, cigarette-smoking, woman-exploiting men on the make? Or will the not-so-sweet smell drive them away?

Hosts: Mark Netter & David Tausik

Panelists: Guy Lewis & Kylee LaRue

An ElectraCast Production

 

Added to National Film Registry in 1993

IMDb with restored trailer: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051036/reference/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_Smell_of_Success

Original Variety Review: https://variety.com/1956/film/reviews/sweet-smell-of-success-2-1200418251/

Roger Ebert Review: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-sweet-smell-of-success-1957#google_vignette
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After The Godfather (1972) became arguably the most successful movie of all time, a sequel was unavoidable, and sequels are always inferior to the films they follow. Or are they?

Our hosts and our panelists alike grapple with the legacy of this giant 1974 classic and the inevitable comparisons to the original. Has history singled out a winner? And do viewers approaching these films for the first time see it the same as those who lived during the first release of these masterpieces? Tune in to find out.

Hosts: Mark Netter & David Tausik

Panelists: Guy Lewis, Grace Chapman, Jake Flowers

 An ElectraCast Production

 

AFI Greatest American Movies (original list): #32

Original trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCktxnczyOM&t=16s

IMDb listing: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071562/reference/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather_Part_II

Original Variety Review: https://variety.com/1974/film/reviews/the-godfather-part-ii-3-1200423302/
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The Godfather (1972) is one of the very few movies to achieve supremacy both critically and commercially. Breaking all box office records upon its release, it now regularly appears on lists of the top ten films of all time.

But while it surprised everyone 53 years ago, it’s now a well-worn part of culture where a young person is guaranteed to have experienced it as a meme before ever seeing the movie. What impact does this pre-saturation have on young viewers? Can they still enjoy the film? Does it live up to the hype?

Find out if this classic still packs the punch of a tommy gun or if it’s an offer the newest generation can refuse.

 

Hosts: Mark Netter & David Tausik 

Panelists:  Guy Lewis, Kylee LaRue, Grace Chapman & Jake Flowers

An ElectraCast Production

 Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaVTIH8mujA&t=120s

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068646/

Ebert Review: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-godfather-1972
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