Cows in the Field

BASIC INSTINCT (1992)

Join us and Matt Belenky (Movie Talk Podcast) to dive headfirst into Paul Verhoven’s classic 90s erotic thriller! We try to figure out what happened and why, and then explore how the film dissolves boundaries between Sharon Stone / Catherine Trammell and Nick Curran / audience member. We consider the possibility that the film is simultaneously exploitative and empowering, and lavish in its many unnecessary Americana details. Finally, we get to the bottom of why this was the peak time for ice picks.

Read Francey Russell’s article “What it Means to Watch” (Boston Review)

What are you going to do? Charge me with smoking?
Catherine Trammell

TWILIGHT (2008)

What does it mean to say that a movie is so bad it’s good? Is Twilight (2008) such a movie? We sit down with Matt Strohl (Philosophy, University of Montana), author of the new book “Why It’s OK To Love Bad Movies”, to talk about what it means to love and appreciate the beauty of bad films, and why bad movie love is an important and often overlooked mode of engaging with films. Along the way, we discuss the social aspirations of taste, what makes “Twilight” a potentially conventionally bad film and why those ‘flaws’ also contribute to its artistic achievement. Matt catalogs the various wide-ranging literary references embedded in the films and argues, contra the standard view that they push a conservative viewpoint about sex and marriage, that they are actually incredibly horny. We hope you’ll join us to give this much maligned film a second chance!

You’re like my own personal brand of heroin.
Edward Cullen

THE USUAL SUSPECTS (1995)

How should we feel about and how should we engage with art made by immoral artists? We consider these questions in the context of The Usual Suspects along with Erich Hatala Matthes (Wellesley), whose new book on the topic (Drawing the Line: What to Do with the Work of Immoral Artists from Museums to the Movies) provides a philosophical guide to the complexities of these challenging issues. We consider whether the film’s aesthetic value is diminished by the behavior of its creators, and discuss why, considered on its own, there’s a lot to recommend this tightly-wound neo-noir. So join us to think through the question yourself, and return to this 90s classic that reignited Hollywood’s obsession with twist endings.

Bryan Singer’s Accusers Speak Out (The Atlantic)

The sexual assault allegations against Kevin Spacey span decades. Here’s what we know. (Vox)

I know what I wanted to know about Keaton.
Dave Kujan

SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)

Come swing through the streets of Manhattan with us and Sam Adams (Slate) as we discuss Sam Raimi’s melancholic and reflective Spider-Man 2! We talk about the film’s major themes of grief and the burden of heroism, as well as Sam Raimi’s view of humanity as fundamentally decent. We consider the film in light of the tragedy of 9/11 and how it highlights the heroic in all of us. We also marvel at how a big budget superhero film manages to have a climactic finale that consists mostly of two guys reflecting on how they have to give up their dreams in the pursuit of a greater good. Look out for guest appearances by the guy from the Tenet trailer and Chad Kroeger of Nickelback!

Read Sam’s piece on Spider-Man 2!

I’m back! I’m back! My back. My back…
Peter Parker / Spider-Man

THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS (2021)

It’s time to go back to the Matrix! Join us and David Chalmers (Professor of Philosophy at NYU) to discuss the fourth Matrix film, and distinguish what we like and don’t about its meta- and first-order narrative interpretations. We bring in past and future guest Emily VanDerWerff to provide some broader context about the film and what makes it great, before turning to discuss whether what happens in a simulation is real and whether we can live a good life in a simulation. We also consider whether we are computer programs, what obligations we might have to computer programs, and the nature of human/computer program sex and procreation inside of the Matrix.

Buy David Chalmers’ book on the philosophy of virtual reality!

Justin’s review of The Matrix Resurrections

Emily VanDerWerff on The Matrix Resurrections and trauma

This is about our future, which is a sticky subject given our past.
Smith

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (1965)

It’s the coldest time of the year, which means we need community more than ever to help us stay warm and remind us of the ongoing project of humanity and our part in it. So consider us the luckiest Peanuts on block, since we get to welcome back Emily VanDerWerff (Vox & Arden Podcast)! We talk about endings, opportunities for renewal, and the melancholy that comes with our experiences of the holidays. We also delve into our personal religious beliefs (or lack thereof) and how they interact with our feelings about Christmas and choosing our communities. And, of course, no conversation about Charlie Brown would be complete without a discussion about Charles Schulz and his complex feelings about Christmas and droopy trees. So, don’t be blockhead — hitch a ride on our sleigh and recite the annunciation to the shepherds with us!

Read Emily’s piece on the modern family!

I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.
Linus

EYES WIDE SHUT (1999)

It’s the holiday season, and what better way to start than with a veritable Christmas classic, Stanley Kubrick’s final film, Eyes Wide Shut! We sit down with Carly Severn (KQED San Francisco) to discuss noble lies in relationships and society, Tom and Nicole’s challenging (and, ultimately destructive) performances, and the interrelations between power, anonymity, powerlessness, and nakedness. Along the way, we explore how social structures prop up divisions and reinforce fantasies that may be either ruinous or essential to the well-functioning of our social lives. So, bring your mask and cloak, don’t forget the password (Fidelio), and join us at the Somerton Estate for a Christmas celebration like none other!

Let’s fuck.
Alice

12 Monkeys (1995)

This week we are joined by Barry Lam (Professor of Philosophy at Vassar College and host of HiPhi Nation) to discuss Terry Gilliam’s manic time travel science fiction masterpiece, 12 Monkeys! We explore how the film manifests the philosopher David Lewis’s theory of time travel, while also depicting the madness of foreknowledge and the futility of attempting to change what’s already happened. We discuss the possibility of closed causal loops, the challenges of political activism, pandemic tie-ins, and how the film uses Brad Pitt as a spokesperson for Gen-X dissatisfaction (something he would more famously go on to embody in Fight Club a few years later). So climb aboard this nightmare train to madness and keep an eye out for hamsters!

OK, OK, buy a lot of stuff, you’re a good citizen. But if you don’t buy a lot of stuff, what are you then? What? You’re mentally ill!
Jeffrey Goines

SUNSHINE (2007)

Join us on an interstellar journey with friend Vishal Dave as we attempt to reignite the dying sun — it’s Danny Boyle’s unfairly overlooked 2007 sci-fi masterpiece, Sunshine! We discuss the ethics of self-sacrifice and the nature of embarking on a journey of no return. We ponder the enormity of the universe and what it might do to someone to confront that head on — how might facing the limits of human knowledge and exploration affect the individual? Religious readings and humanity’s need for spirituality are also discussed in the context of our increasingly secularized society. Don’t miss this epic adventure!

For seven years, I spoke with god. He told me to take you all to heaven.
Pinbacker

DUNE (1984) / DUNE (2021)

We sit down with fellow Dune-head John DeVore to discuss two DUNE movies — David Lynch’s 1984 troubled masterpiece, and Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 re-imagining of Arrakis. Can Villeneuve’s film live up to the inevitable hype? How do the two films capture the mystical weirdness of the book? What is that weird spider-person in the Harkonnen’s palace? Join us as we drink the juice of Sapho and ride a spice maggot into the folds of space and beyond!

Follow @JohnDeVore on Twitter! Read John on Dune here:

Dune for kids:

I serve only one master. His name is Shai-Hulud.
Liet Kynes