Movie Reviews

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

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Episode 38: Jordan Brower / The Great Gatsby

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The Great Gatsby (2013)

The Great Gatsby (2013)

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Jordan Brower
0:00 - 52:02 - discussion of the Hollywood studio system's influence on early 20th century American lit with Jordan Brower, followed by a discussion of the THE GREAT GATSBY and its various movie adaptations.

Description

On today's episode of Deep Focus, host Tom Breen talks about literature and the movies with Jordan Brower, a recent Yale PhD whose dissertation looks at the profound influence of the Hollywood studio system on the development of American literature in the early 20th century. Breen and Brower focus on one particular work of American modernist fiction, F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel The Great Gatsby, and discuss style and impact of the text side by side with its 1974 and 2013 movie adaptations.

Video Links

The Great Gatsby 2013 Scene - Gatsby & Daisy Meeting

Screne from the 1974 version of THE GREAT GATSBY

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 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

EXTRA: City of Gold review

CITY OF GOLD still

CITY OF GOLD still

Description

On this Kitchen Sync + Deep Focus EXTRA, hosts Lucy Gellman and Tom Breentalk about "City of Gold," a new documentary from Laura Gabbert that follows Pulitzer Prize winning LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold on his endlessly stimulating journey through LA's culinary culture.

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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 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 26: Herb Graff Collection / Son of Saul

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SON OF SAUL

SON OF SAUL

How to Listen

First Segment

Guests: Brian Meacham, Bennett Graff
0:00 - 37:01 - interview about the Herb Graff film collection

Second Segment

Guests: Allan Appel, Lucy Gellman
37:02 - 57:01 - review of Son of Saul

Description

On this episode, host Tom Breen speaks with Bennett Lovett-Graff, editor at the New Haven Review and Chief of Operations at Rainmaker Thinking Inc., and Brian Meacham, Archive and Special Collections Manager at Yale's Film Study Center about the Herb Graff Collection of over 500 films now at Yale. In the latter part of the episode, he discusses the recent film "Son of Saul" with New Haven Independent reporters Allan Appel and Lucy Gellman.

Video Links

Trailer for Son of Saul (2015) by László Nemes

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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

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Episode 22: Life Ends at 30 / Anomalisa

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ANOMALISA by Charlie Kaufman

ANOMALISA by Charlie Kaufman

How to Listen

First Segment

Guests: Michael Field, Trish Clark
0:00 - 37:32 - interview about the web series Life Ends at 30

Second Segment

Guests: Allan Appel, Lucy Gellman
37:33 - 55:59 - review of Anomalisa

Description

On this episode, WNHH host Tom Breen talks to writer-director Michael Field and producer Trish Clark , creative team on "Life Ends at 30" webseries. During the latter half of the episode, he talks to New Haven Independent reporter and WNHH station manager Lucy Gellman about new film "Anomalisa."

Video Links

Trailer for Anomalisa by Charlie Kaufman

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Episode 20: Gorman Bechard / The Revenant

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Gorman Bechard (Thomas Breen photo)

Gorman Bechard (Thomas Breen photo)

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Gorman Bechard
0:00 - 40:21 - interview about Who Is Lydia Loveless? and other rock documentaries

Second Segment

Guest: Lucy Gellman
40:22 - 51:03 - review of The Revenant

Description

Tom Breen talks with local filmmaker Gorman Bechard about rock docs, animal rights, and New Haven film culture.

Video Links

Trailer for Who Is Lydia Loveless? by Gorman Bechard

Trailer for The Revenant

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Episode 19: Best Movies of 2015

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SPOTLIGHT by Todd McCarthy

SPOTLIGHT by Todd McCarthy

How to Listen

First Segment

Guests: Dan Heaton, Arnold Gorlick
0:00 - 53:22 - discussion of the top 10 movies of 2015

Description

Host Tom Breen talks through the top 10 movies of 2015 with Madison Art Cinemas' Arnold Gorlick and New Haven movie blogger Dan Heaton.

Dan Heaton Arnold Gorlick Tom Breen
10. Trainwreck 10. Inside Out 10. Son of Saul
9. It Follows 9. Red Army 9. What We Do in the Shadows
8. Love & Mercy 8. Phoenix 8. Chi-Raq
7. The Diary of a Teenage Girl 7. The End of the Tour 7. Tangerine
6. Amy 6. Wild Tales 6. 45 Years
5. Clouds of Sils Maria 5. Love & Mercy 5. Carol
4. Spotlight 4. Room 4. Ex Machina
3. White God 3. Spotlight 3. It Follows
2. 45 Years 2. The Revenant 2. The Duke of Burgundy
1. Inside Out 1. Brooklyn 1. Spotlight

Video Links

Trailer for Inside Out

Trailer for Brooklyn

Trailer for Spotlight

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Episode 18: Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens

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How to Listen

First Segment

Guests: Brian Slattery, Shafiq Abdussabur, Leo Slattery
0:00 - 50:23 - review of the latest STAR WARS entry with Brian Slattery, Shafiq Abdussabur, and Leo Slattery

Description

WNHH host Tom Breen speaks to fellow hosts Brian Slattery and Shafiq Abdussabur, as well as Slattery's nine-year-old son Leo, about what the newest Star Wars movie means for the franchise, and for viewers.

Video Links

Trailer for STAR WARS EPISODE VII

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Episode 17: Jeremy Rumas / Chi-Raq

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CHI-RAQ by Spike Lee

CHI-RAQ by Spike Lee

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Jeremy Rumas
0:00 - 26:48 - interview with filmmaker Jeremy Rumas about his new surf documentary HANGS UPON NOTHING

Second Segment

Guests:Shafiq Abdussabur, Allan Appel
26:49 - 57:11 - review of Spike Lee's CHI-RAQ

Description

Host Tom Breen talks with Jeremy Rumas, director of the new surf movie "Hangs Upon Nothing." For the second segment of the show, Tom talks with Allan Appel, Shafiq Abdussabur, and Lucy Gellman about Spike Lee's "Chi-Raq."

Video Links

Trailer for HANGS UPON NOTHING

Trailer for CHI-RAQ

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Episode 15: Stephen Dest / Spotlight

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Stephen Dest (Lucy Gellman photo)

Stephen Dest (Lucy Gellman photo)

How to Listen

First Segment

Guest: Stephen Dest
0:00 - 38:03 - interview with filmmaker Stephen Dest

Second Segment

Guests: Allan Appel, Lucy Gellman
38:04 - 51:33 - review of SPOTLIGHT

Description

WNHH host Tom Breen interviews local filmmaker, writer and director Stephen Dest, then discusses the film "Spotlight" with NHI reporters Allan Appel and Lucy Gellman.

Video Links

Trailer for Spotlight (2015)