2016 Movies

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Episode 44: The Land / Hip Hop Movies

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The Land by Steven Caple Jr.

The Land by Steven Caple Jr.

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Lucy Gellman
0:00 - 18:30 - review of THE LAND by Steven Caple, Jr.

Second Segment

Guests: Chef the Chef, Lucy Gellman
18:30 - 44:39 - discussion of hip hop movies over the past 30 years

Description

On this episode, host Tom Breen talks to Bridgeport-based musician Chef the Chef and WNHH Station Manager Lucy Gellman about Steven Caple Jr.'s "The Land" and how the hip hop movie genre has evolved and grown over the last 30-40 years.

Video Links

Trailer for THE LAND

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Episode 42: Rebecca Bombero / Wiener-Dog

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Still from WIENER-DOG by Todd Solondz

Still from WIENER-DOG by Todd Solondz

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Becky Bombero
0:00 - 18:55 - interview with New Haven Parks director Becky Bombero about the Friday Flicks series

Second Segment

Guesst: Allan Appel, Lucy Gellman
20:45 - 45:45 - review of WIENER-DOG

Description

On this episode host Tom Breen speaks to Rebecca Bombero, director of the city's Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees, about a summer film series, and to New Haven Independent reporters Lucy Gellman and Allan Appel about Todd Solondz' new movie "Wiener-Dog."

related Links

2016 Friday Flicks Schedule

WIENER-DOG trailer

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Episode 41: Caden Rodems-Boyd / Ace

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ACE by Caden Rodems-Boyd

ACE by Caden Rodems-Boyd

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Caden Rodems-Boyd
0:00 - 51:34 - interview with 17-year-old New Haven-based filmmaker Caden Rodems-Boyd about his feature film debut, ACE

Description

On today's episode of Deep Focus, host Tom Breen talks with 17-year-old New Haven filmmaker Caden Rodems-Boyd about his feature film debut, a cyborg-buddy action flick called ACE. They talk about filmmaking style on a low budget, making movies as a high school student, and the inescapable influence of Quentin Tarantino on chatty, stylish, smart action movies.

Video Links

Trailer for Caden Rodem-Boyd's ACE

Episode 40: Hunt for the Wilderpeople / The BFG

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

How to Listen

First Segment

Guests: Lucy Gellman, Allan Appel
0:00 - 43:19 - reviews of THE BFG and HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE

Description

On this episode, host Tom Breen talks to WNHH Station Manager Lucy Gellman and New Haven Independent Reporter Allan Appel about two new movies: Taika Waititi's "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" and Steven Spielberg and Melissa Mathison's adaptation of the beloved children's book "The BFG."

Video Links

Trailer for HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE

Trailer for THE BFG

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Episode 39: Wheel to Sea / Free State of Jones

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Wheel to Sea Productions

Wheel to Sea Productions

How to Listen

First Segment

Guests: William Minter, Leah Russell
0:00 - 34:55 - interview due behind Wheel to Sea productions

Second Segment

Guest: Allan Appel
36:38 - 57:18 - review of FREE STATE OF JONES

Description

On this episode, host Tom Breen talks to filmmakers William Minter and Leah Russell about Wheel to Sea, a video production company that focuses on making videos about non-profits in the greater New Haven area. During the second part of the show, Breen talks to New Haven Independent reporter Allan Appel about "Free State of Jones," director Gary Ross' new release about medic and confederate deserter Newt Knight .

Video Links

A short video about Yaira Matyakubova of Music Haven, by Wheel to Sea productions

Trailer for FREE STATE OF JONES

Episode 37: The Lobster / Yorgos Lanthimos Movies

The Lobster

The Lobster

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Lucy Gellman
0:00 - 48:29 - review of THE LOBSTER and discussion of the movies of Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos

Description

On today's episode of Deep Focus, host Tom Breen talks with Lucy Gellman about THE LOBSTER, a new dark satire from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos. Breen and Gellman also talk about Lanthimos' previous two films, DOGTOOTH and ALPS, as a way into some of the key themes this idiosyncratic filmmaker is interested in: artificial vs. genuine intimacy, oppressive social regimes, and absurdist takes on judgment and punishment.

Video Links

Trailer for The Lobster by Yorgos Lanthimos

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Episode 35: Mike Rhodes / Money Monster

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Mike Rhodes (Lucy Gellman photo)

Mike Rhodes (Lucy Gellman photo)

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Mike Rhodes
0:00 - 39:29 - interview with CT filmmaker Mike Rhodes

Second Segment

Guest: Lucy Gellman
41:02 - 53:07 - review of MONEY MONSTER

Description

On this episode of Deep Focus, host Tom Breen sits down with Connecticut filmmaker Mike Rhodes to discuss freelancing, music videos, and the benefits and challenges of making movies in the Nutmeg State. During the second part of the episode, Breen also talks to WNHH Station Manager Lucy Gellman about Jodie Foster's new flick "Money Monster," starring Julia Roberts and George Clooney.

Video Links

Higher Learning: Children of the Underground. Directed by Mike Rhodes.

MONEY MONSTER (2016) by Jodie Foster

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Episode 34: Bruce Ditman / Francofonia

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Bruce Ditman (Thomas Breen photo)

Bruce Ditman (Thomas Breen photo)

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Bruce Ditman
0:00 - 40:19 - reviews of THIEF and BEVERLY HILLS COP

Second Segment

Guests: Lucy Gellman, Allan Appel
41:51 - 1:00:15 - review of FRANCOFONIA

Description

On today's episode of Deep Focus, host Tom Breen talks with New Haven's own Bruce Ditman about two films from the early 1980s that have had a profound influence on the way he watches, makes, and enjoys movies today. Michael Mann’s THIEF and Martin Brest’s BEVERLY HILLS COP have become classics of the heist and comedy genres respectively, but how do they hold up in 2016? For the second segment of the show, Tom talks with Allan Appel and Lucy Gellman FRANCOFONIA, a new meditative documentary by Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov about the timelessness of art and the history of the Louvre under Nazi occupation.

Video Links

Trailer for Thief (1981) by Michael Mann

Scene from Beverly Hills Copy (1984) by Martin Brest

Trailer for Francofonia (2016) by Alexander Sokurov

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Episode 32: Miles Ahead / Born to Be Blue

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Miles Ahead

Miles Ahead

How to Listen

First Segment

Guests: Allan Appel, Brian Slattery
0:00 - 40:50 - Miles Ahead and Born to Be Blue reviews
40:50 - 50:50 - favorite music documentaries and biopics

Description

On today's episode, host Tom Breen talks with New Haven Independent staff writer Allan Appel and arts editor Brian Slattery about two new movies about legendary jazz trumpeters: Don Cheadle's MILES AHEAD, about Miles Davis, and Robert Burdreau's BORN TO BE BLUE, about Chet Baker. Tom, Allan and Brian talk through the representation of drug addiction in movies about musicians, the differences between music documentaries and music biopics, and the underlying assumption that there is some meaningful connection between the artist's biography and the art itself.

Video Links

Trailer for Miles Ahead

Trailer for Born to Be Blue

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Episode 30: Ryan Licwinko / Midnight Special

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Ryan Licwinko (Thomas Breen photo)

Ryan Licwinko (Thomas Breen photo)

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Ryan Licwinko
0:00 - 39:45 - interview with Ryan Licwinko

Second Segment

Guests: Allan Appel, Lucy Gellman
41:08 - 55:09 - Midnight Special review

Description

On today's episode of Deep Focus, host Tom Breen talks with local amateur filmmaker Ryan Licwinko about three movies that shaped his understanding of what qualifies as artful, entertaining, well-made cinema: 1973's THE STING, 1991's THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, and 1968's 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY. For the second segment of the show, Tom, Lucy and Allan review Jeff Nichols's latest blend of sci-fi and Americana, MIDNIGHT SPECIAL.

Video Links

Clip from The Sting (1973) by George Roy Hill

Trailer for Midnight Special

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Episode 29: Lisa Molomot / Eye in the Sky

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Scene from The Hill

Scene from The Hill

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Lisa Molomot
0:00 - 38:22 - interview with Lisa Molomot

Second Segment

Guests: Allan Appel, Lucy Gellman
39:22 - 55:05 - Eye in the Sky and Marguerite reviews

Description

On this episode, host Tom Breen talks with filmmaker Lisa Molomot about some of her most recent projects: her 2013 release "The Hill," which covers the city's displacement of 94 families to build a new school in the Hill neighborhood, and 2011 film "School's Out: Lessons from a Forest Kindergarten." During the latter half of the show, Breen talks with WNHH Station Manager Lucy Gellman about the recent release "Eye in the Sky," and New Haven Independent reporter Allan Appel about "Marguerite."

Video Links

Trailer for The Hill (2013) by Lisa Molomot

Trailer for Eye in the Sky (2015) by Gavin Hood

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Episode 28: American Reds / Jay Lender

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American Reds

American Reds

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Richard Wormser
0:00 - 31:47 - interview with Richard Wormser about American Reds

Second Segment

Guests: Jay Lender
31:48 - 1:02:24 - interview with Jay Lender about They're Watching

Description

On today's episode of Deep Focus, host Tom Breen interviews filmmaker and UNH professor Richard Wormser about his new documentary AMERICAN REDS, which offers a new history of the Communist Party USA, from the Russian Revolution in 1917 to the death of Stalin and the dissolution of the American party in the mid-1950s. For the second segment of the show, Tom talks with New Haven-born writer, director, and animator Jay Lender about his directorial debut, THEY'RE WATCHING.

Video Links

Opening clip for American Reds (2015) by Richard Wormser

Trailer for They're Watching (2016) by Jay Lender and Micah Wright

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Episode 27: Cinestudio / 10 Cloverfield Lane

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James Hanley (Lucy Gellman photo)

James Hanley (Lucy Gellman photo)

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: James Hanley
0:00 - 38:03 - interview with James Hanley about Cinestudio

Second Segment

Guest: Jonathan McNicol
39:12 - 52:39 - review of 10 Cloverfield Lane

Description

On today's episode of Deep Focus, host Tom Breen talks with James Hanley, one of the founding members and the current co-president of Cinestudio, an independent film theater located on the campus of Trinity College in Hartford. Tom and James talk about the founding of the theater amidst the cultural unrest of the late 1960s, as well as about the lasting impact and mission of a theater dedicated to cinema as an art form and as a force for social awareness. For the second segment of the show, Tom and guest reviewer Jonathan McNicol discuss 10 Cloverfield Lane, the unexpected "spiritual sequel" to the popular 2008 found footage monster movie.

Video Links

Trailer for 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) by Dan Trachtenberg

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Episode 25: Philip Rosenthal / The Witch

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THE WITCH

THE WITCH

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Philip Rosenthal
0:00 - 35:08 - interview the psychology of home movies

Second Segment

Guests: Allan Appel, Aliyya Swaby
35:09 - 53:04 - review of The Witch

Description

On this episode, Deep Focus host Tom Breen talks to Dr. Philip Rosenthal about the psychology of home movies. During the second half of the episode, Breen talks with New Haven Independent reporters Allan Appel and Aliyya Swaby about the new release "The Witch."

Video Links

Trailer for The Witch (2015) by Robert Eggers

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Episode 24: Unsung Heroes / The Lady in the Van

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LADY IN THE VAN

LADY IN THE VAN

How to Listen

First Segment

Guests: Rebecca Abbott, Frank Mitchell
0:00 - 32:08 - interview about Unsung Heroes

Second Segment

Guests: Allan Appel, Lucy Gellman
32:09 - 54:31 - review of The Lady in the Van

Description

Tom speaks with filmmaker Rebecca Abbott and historian Frank Mitchell about their 2001 documentary "Unsung Heroes: The Music of Jazz in New Haven." During the second segment, Tom discusses the latest Alan Bennett screen adaptation, "The Lady in the Van," with WNHH hosts Lucy Gellman and Allan Appel.

Video Links

Clip from Unsung Heroes by Rebecca Abbott and Frank Mitchell

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Episode 23: Karyl Evans / Hail, Caesar!

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Karyl Evans (Phil Holt photo)

Karyl Evans (Phil Holt photo)

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Karyl Evans
0:00 - 33:02 - interview about Letter from Italy, 1944: A New American Oratorio and other movies by documentary filmmaker Karyl Evans

Second Segment

Guest: Allan Appel
33:03 - 53:57 - review of Hail, Caesar!

Description

Tom speaks with North Haven filmmaker Karyl Kreizinger Evans, director of "Letter From Italy, 1944: A New American Oratorio" and discusses Coen-brother comedy "Hail, Caesar!" with Allan Appel.

Video Links

Trailer for Letter from Italy, 1944: A New American Oratorio by Karyl Evans

Trailer for Hail, Caesar! by the Coen brothers