Minisode 18: Ken Russell

This week we are breaking down a LEGEND. Ken Russell gave us so much... musical, debauchery, camp, skewering of the status quo. We chose three very different films to dissect: The Boy Friend (1971), The Devils (1971) and Whore (1991). These films were tough to find for some years but now loads of Ken Russell are streaming on Criterion. Get into them. ... Instagram: ⁠@release_pod⁠ Website: ⁠release.pictures⁠ Music by ⁠⁠René j Núñez⁠

This week we are ruminating about teen angst and catastrophe as seen thru the thoughtful lens of Gregg Araki. Take a treacherous walk thru his Teenage Apocalypse Trilogy with us: Totally F***ed Up (1993), The Doom Generation (1995), Nowhere (1997). It's gonna be lonely. But it'll look cool. ... Instagram: @release_pod Website: release.pictures Music by ⁠René j Núñez⁠

We hit on what was happening in cinema in 1935. We have 2 epic films this week. First, we get into the final collaboration between one of the greatest muse/auteur duos in film history. Second, we chat about a real neorealist revelation. THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN released 03.15.1935 in the United States directed by Josef von Sternberg starring Marlene Dietrich TONI released 02.22.1935 in France directed by Jean Renoir See supplemental material: Instagram: @release_pod Website: release.pictures Music by René j Núñez

This week we are getting into the filmography of one of the so-called Three M’s of the 1950s (along with Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield). Mamie ended up firmly in the teen delinquent lane, playing rock n roll rebel babes (to great effect). We had a lot of fun watching Untamed Youth (1957), High School Confidential (1958), Guns, Girls, and Gangsters and Girls Town (1959). And of course we get into all that factored into the teen exploitation film explosion of the 1950s. You can watch all the Mamie movies we watched on YouTube for free. Check out our playlist here. - Music by René j Núñez Instagram: @release_pod Website: release.pictures

This week we are together on Paul’s couch talking about Night Flight! Specifically we are talking over the epic Night Flight episode “’Take Off’ To Women In Rock II”. Tina Turner, Sheila E., The Pointer Sisters, Madonna, Wendy O. Williams… it rules. And we are big fans of Night Flight in general. Subscribe to Night Flight and watch this episode and tons of other amazing content here. - Music by René j Núñez Instagram: @release_pod Website: release.pictures

Happy Halloween! We talk about many horror movies that we watched and recommend (both of us on a real binge for eerie season). But really dig into Suspiria (1977), House (1977) and the The Funhouse (1981). See supplemental material: Instagram: @release_pod Website: release.pictures Music by René j Núñez

Before directing big-time feature films like ALIEN³ (1992), Se7en (1995), Fight Club (1999), Panic Room (2002), Zodiac (2007), The Social Network (2010) and Mank (2020), David Fincher was a music video director, working with mega-watt stars like Madonna, George Michael, Jody Watley and Paula Abdul.  Paul curated a list of his favorite Fincher vids that you can watch here. And we talk over them a la Mystery Science Theater 3000 because we were together IRL in Tucson, Arizona this week. At the end of the episode we talk about what we are watching, including Niagara (1953), The Misfits (1961), Cabaret (1972), 3 Women (1977) and Minari (2020). Instagram: @release_pod Website: release.pictures Music by René j Núñez

We had to sneak a pre-code American gangster film in here at the mid-season break for the 1930s. So we did the classic 1932 SCARFACE, directed by Howard Hawks and produced by Howard Hughes. And we compare it to the 1983 iconic remake by Brian De Palma with Al Pacino. We are into this format. We hope you like it too. Later we talk Across 110th Street (1972) and The Last Movie Stars (2022). Instagram: @release_pod Website: release.pictures Music by René j Núñez

We talk thru 1934 film history and get deep into the nitty gritty of the Production Code which began to be enforced this year (long story short: huge bummer for creativity). Then we get into an incredible Busby Berkeley musical number, attached to a pretty okay film with the incredible Bette Davis (lots to say about her journey in this episode). And then we get completely dumbstruck by the talent of Jean Vigo and his short but amazing film career. FASHIONS OF 1934 released 02.14.1934 in the United States directed by William Dieterle L'ATALANTE released 09.12.1934 in France directed by Jean Vigo See supplemental material: Instagram: @release_pod Website: release.pictures Music by René j Núñez

We talk thru 1933 film history and the fascinating effects of the Great Depression and an onscreen female orgasm. And then we talk about 2 films great movies. THE EMPEROR JONES released 09.29.1933 in the United States directed by Dudley Murphy and starring renaissance man Paul Robeson (who we also discuss in our 1930 episode) DRAGNET GIRL released 04.27.1933 in Japan directed by Yasujirō Ozu and starring trailblazer Kinuyo Tanaka  See supplemental material: Instagram: @release_pod Website: release.pictures Music by René j Núñez