Songs from the Second Floor (2000)

In the countryside just north of Tokyo, the Haruno family experiences change, growth, passion, and quiet strangeness through a series of episodic vignettes. We follow a young girl who’s haunted by a giant version of herself, her brother who’s trying to get over his love woes, a mother trying to get back into the swing of animation, a father fulfilling his role as a hypnotherapist, a grandfather absorbed in the final phase of living, and an uncle who’s taking a breather from city life. Filled with humor, absurdity, and a touch of the surreal, The Taste of Tea is a film that distinguishes itself by letting life unfold without judgment or a sense of urgency. Directed by Katsuhito Ishii, this is a story that anyone can delve into and emerge from with something to savor. As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy our discussion. Where to watch the film: Amazon (Buy) YouTube (a copy might be available for free) The Internet Archive (Stream/Download) Send us film recommendations or feedback at: [email protected]

While moving to another town, a young girl, Chihiro, and her family take a shortcut and stop near a tunnel that leads to a forgotten resort. While there, they become bound to a strange world that comes alive at night. Chihiro's parents are mysteriously transformed, leaving her to discover whether she can free herself and her family and reclaim the lives they once had. Hayao Miyazaki's 2001 Japanese animated film, Spirited Away, is filled with wonder, fear, loneliness, compassion, and love. A love letter to folklore, childhood, and the mysteries of everyday living, this Studio Ghibli masterpiece has left its mark upon countless viewers. If you haven't seen it already, please do. As always, thank you for listening, and we hope you enjoy our discussion. Where to watch: HBO Max (Stream) Apple TV (Rent and Buy) Amazon (Rent and Buy) Please send film recommendations and feedback to: [email protected]

A young boy, Calogero, grows up in the 1960s Bronx torn between two father figures: his hardworking bus driver father and Sonny, a local crime boss who offers the allure of easy money and respect through violence. A Bronx Tale, Robert De Niro's 1993 directorial debut, balances nostalgic coming-of-age storytelling with moral complexity, and asks whether we learn more from the people we admire or the mistakes we witness. As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy our discussion. Where to watch the film: Kanopy (Stream) YouTube (Rent) Apple TV (Rent Send us film recommendations or feedback at: [email protected]

A monumental traffic jam serves as the backdrop for the lives of the inhabitants of a Swedish city. As always, thank you all for listening and we hope you enjoy the discussion. Where to watch: Criterion Channel (Stream in the US) Amazon (Rent or Buy) Instagram: @lefilmpodcast Send us questions, feedback, and film recommendations at: [email protected]

Deep in the heart of Salt Lake City, Utah, two teens, Stevo and Heroin Bob, spearhead what it means to be a punk in the decline of an empire, where chaos and order are at odds with one another. Follow the adventures and day-to-day lives of Stevo and Heroin Bob as they grapple with posers, rednecks, and all sorts of other characters that make up the status quo. But does the rapidly changing world have a place for them inside of it, or will it simply move on without them? James Merendino's DIY cult-classic explores these questions through raw punk energy and unexpected heart, showing what happens when youthful rebellion meets the realities of growing up. As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy our discussion. Where to watch the film: Tubi (Stream) YouTube (Rent) Send us film recommendations or feedback at: [email protected]

Danielle, a college student, fights from spiraling out of control during a shiva where her friends, family, and sugar daddy are all in attendance. As always, thank you for listening and we hope you enjoy our discussion. Where to watch the film: Kanopy (Stream) Netflix (Stream) Amazon (Rent Apple TV (Rent) Send us film recommendations or feedback at: [email protected]

A photo manager at Life magazine must find a missing image to use as the magazine’s final cover. Walter Mitty, a timid worker who lives in daydreams, wishes for a more fulfilling life filled with travel, adventure, and love. Walter must choose whether to remain a passenger in his own life or to take the path he has always dreamed of. As always, thank you for listening, and we hope you enjoy our discussion. Where to watch the film: Hulu (Stream) YouTube (Rent) Send us film recommendations or feedback at: [email protected]

Imprisoned by a sorcerer who fears she will rob him of eternal life, guileless young Princess Arete befriends a villager who helps her plan an escape. Let's all watch a relaxing, beautiful, and colorful film together this week.    As always, thank you all for listening and we hope you enjoy the discussion.    Where to watch: (Amazon Prime, Netflix in regions outside of the US.) Instagram: @lefilmpodcast   Send us questions, feedback, and film recommendations at: [email protected]

Deep in the desert of Djibouti, the French Foreign Legion trains their bodies to become living weapons. This tight-knit squad of highly specialized individuals are prepping for a conflict that never finds them, where individuality is ground down into dust, and all that’s left is the collective militaristic identity. The salted flats and arid landscape make for an operatic backdrop of Claire Denis’ 1999 feature, Beau Travail, where bodies become the only means for outward expression, and creeping thoughts tear at the soul. An adaption of Herman Melville’s novella, Billy Budd, this film follows Adjudant-Chef Galoup as he reflects on his life during his time in Africa leading a group of soldiers, and his inner tension towards a new gifted recruit, Sentain, up to where he ends up back at his home in Marseilles. This film excels in creating space for what is left unsaid, and holding onto moments that exist in-between action and reaction. Like a rocket primed for launch, all we can do is hold our breath and see what comes next. As always, thank you for listening, and we hope you enjoy our discussion. Where to watch the film: Max Criterion Channel Send us film recommendations or feedback at: [email protected]

In this episode, we discuss the deeply suburban and highly neurotic dark dramedy American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes. We follow Lester Burnham, an everyday executive, as he experiences a midlife crisis that tears at his familial bonds, while he falls deeper into his twisted obsession with his daughter's friend. Meanwhile, his materialistic wife Carolyn and alienated daughter Jane both grapple with their own suburban dysfunction. This middle-class tale from the turn of the millennium explores how warped self-fulfillment, rampant materialism, and spiritual imprisonment create a darkly hilarious combination in the form of a loneliness epidemic that breeds negativity beneath picture-perfect facades. As always, thank you for listening, and we hope you enjoy our discussion. Where to watch the film: YouTube Amazon Send us film recommendations or feedback at: [email protected]