FS #200: Charlie Bartlett / Bergman Marathon Awards / Top 5 Filmspotting Discoveries

February 29: For all those who wondered what would have happened if Pete Best and Ringo Starr had performed with The Beatles at the same time, or if Dick York and Dick Sargent had appeared on "Bewitched" together, well, your wait is over. Filmspotting celebrates its 200th episode by welcoming back original co-host Sam Van Hallgren ... Sam joins Adam and Matty in recounting their Top 5 Filmspotting Discoveries -- and joins Matty for an inspired edition of Massacre Theatre. Plus, your hosts commemorate the show's milestone with their first real fight -- a spirited disagreement over the new teen comedy "Charlie Bartlett," starring Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey, Jr. and Hope Davis.

Also on the show: Your Top 5 Filmspotting Discoveries in Listener Feedback, a brief Oscars recap, and Adam and Matty hand out some hardware of their own -- The Svens -- recognizing the best performances and moments from their recently wrapped Ingmar Bergman Marathon.

Music by Wilder Embry from his new album "Squander."

Filmspotting is presented by Spout, a gathering place for people who love movies. Spout.com presents BUTTERKNIFE, a new generation detective series made by a new generation of filmmakers. Up now at butterknife.spout.com!

...And by TLAVideo.com. Buy DVDs online at the Filmspotting store!



Filmspotting #200
:23-10:21 - Review: "Charlie Bartlett"
Music: Wilder Embry, "Dyin for Ya"
12:20-20:04 - Polls, Oscars Recap
20:05-27:00 - Bergman Marathon Awards
Music: Wilder Embry, "Kitchen Beautician"
28:16-34:38 - Welcome Van Sam, 'Ashamed List' Revisited
34:39-43:05 - Listener Feedback (FS Discoveries)
Music: Wilder Embry, "Mommy"
43:42-49:21 - New DVDs, Donations
49:22-53:46 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Seth Micalizzi)
53:47-1:11:32 - Top 5: Filmspotting Discoveries
1:11:33-1:14:04 - Close/Next Show/Outtake

NOTES/CORRECTIONS
- Jon Stewart previously hosted the Oscars two years ago, not last year as I (Adam) suggested.

- Thanks to Jeff Huston for passing along this article by Ken Russell, "What makes Ingmar Bergman the best."

- The consensus from listeners on Hayden Christenson's performance in "Shattered Glass" was that he was surprisingly decent in the role. As Stephen Alford so nicely put it: "Hayden Christensen's performance in Shattered Glass works better than his other performances only because he was playing a chronic liar doing a rotten job trying to hide the truth, much like a chronic actor doing a rotten job trying to represent the truth." Despite my suggestion during #199 that there really is no 'right' role for Christenson, I do agree "Glass" came pretty close. Who better to portray someone who is constantly trying to please everyone and doesn't know how to be his own man than someone as awkward on screen as Christenson?

- Both Donations and Discoveries feedback continued to pour in this week after we had already recorded this episode. As mentioned during the show, don't worry, you will get your Van Hallgren nickname; and we do hope to find time in the next few weeks to fit in some more Discoveries stuff. Thanks to everyone for your unbelievable support these past three years -- financial and intellectual!

FS #197: Cassandra's Dream / Shame / Top 5 London Movies

February 8: Adam counts Woody Allen as one of his favorite directors; Matty, unfortunately, has not been able to muster much love for Woody's post-1994 canon -- "Curse of the Jade Scorpion," anyone? This week the boys tackle Allen's latest, "Cassandra's Dream," a London-based thriller starring Ewan MacGregor, Colin Farrell and Tom Wilkinson. Will Woody finally right himself in Matty's eyes? Will Adam have reason to continue to sing his idol's praises? Plus, the Ingmar Bergman Marathon rolls on with a discussion of 1968's "Shame," Bergman's bleak examination of war starring Max Von Sydow and Liv Ullman.

Also on the show: Listener Feedback, Massacre Theatre, and -- tying in with "Cassandra's Dream" -- our in-house cheeky little monkeys run down their Top 5 London Movies.

Music by The Comfies courtesy of Livewire Recordings.

Filmspotting is presented by Spout, a gathering place for people who love movies. Spout.com presents BUTTERKNIFE, a new generation detective series made by a new generation of filmmakers. Up now at butterknife.spout.com!

...And by TLAVideo.com. Buy DVDs online at the Filmspotting store!



Filmspotting #197
:23-12:39 - Review: "Cassandra's Dream"
Music: The Comfies, "Close To Me"
13:27-19:59 - Poll Questions, Notes
20:00-30:31 - Listener Feedback (Persepolis, Coming of Age Movies)
Music: The Comfies, "Your Sunshine"
31:37-34:53 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Sharon Rodgers)
34:54-44:32 - Bergman #5: "Shame"
Music: The Comfies, "In My Room"
45:18-49:28 - New DVDs, Donations
49:29-1:02:07 - Top 5: London Movies
1:02:08-1:03:52 - Close/Next Show/Outtake

NOTES/CORRECTIONS
- In our congrats to Scott Tobias we failed to mention he is, of course, one of the fine critics from The Onion's A.V. Club.

- I (Adam) misspoke during segment two referring to "Atonement" and meant to say "...the power of the book," not "...the power of the movie."

- Turns out "In the Shadow of the Moon" is NOT being released this coming Tuesday on DVD. Apparently there are some legal issues between Thinkfilm and Image Entertainment.

- As noted here last week, we obviously did end up going with London Movies for the Top 5 and not Movies by Playwrights-turned-Directors, as originally mentioned on show #196.

- Thanks to pixote in our boards for reminding me that this was supposed to be my 'Blowup Memorial List.'

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send an e-mail or short mp3 clip to feedback@filmspotting.net. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.

FS #184: American Gangster / The Seventh Seal / Top 5 'Me Decade' Movies

Nov 2: On this week's show... Adam and Matty spend about as much time together on screen in "American Gangster," Ridley Scott's quasi-epic crime tale of real-life Harlem kingpin Frank Lucas, as stars Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe do. Are the individual charms of these two Hollywood heavyweights enough to carry the film, or is "Gangster" mostly another Scott experiment in style over substance?

Also on the show: the Ingmar Bergman Marathon returns... with a scythe. Filmspotting sits down with Death for a friendly little game of chess and a discussion of the 1957 classic "The Seventh Seal." Plus, a So-Cal Tribute edition of Massacre Theatre, Listener Feedback and -- tying in with "American Gangster" -- our Top 5 'Me Decade' Movies... films about the 1970s but not shot in the '70s.

Music by Johnny Society courtesy of Messenger Records.

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Filmspotting #184
:21-14:51 - Review: "American Gangster"
Music: Johnny Society, "Don't Talk Ne Down"
15:26-19:21 - Notes, Poll Questions
19:22-28:05 - Listener Feedback (Gone Baby Gone, Actors-Turned-Directors)
Music: Johnny Society, "Bloody Blade"
28:28-31:23 - New DVDs, Donations
31:24-35:26 - Massacre Theatre (Winner: Robert Cortez)
35:27-45:28 - Bergman #2: The Seventh Seal
Music: Johnny Society, "Reach Me"
46:26-57:44 - Top 5: 'Me Decade' Movies
57:45-1:00:31 - Close/Next Show/Outtake

CORRECTIONS/NOTES
- I (Adam) am getting blasted, deservedly, for spelling out R-Z-A instead of referring to the Wu-Tang Clan member correctly as "Rizza." I really was aware that he was called "Rizza" ... but yes, I'm ridiculously white. Sorry!

- Obviously Adam meant that Bergman mixes seriousness and humor in a way FEW filmmakers can.

- I (Adam) forgot to give my hedonism 'Me Decade' top 5 picks. I'll try to squeeze them in next week.

- Metro Cinemas Seattle: Watch Filmspotting Marathon pick "Aguirre, The Wrath of God" Nov. 7.

- "Velvet Goldmine" is from 1998 not 1995... Todd Haynes made "Safe" in '95.

Have a comment or Top 5 list you'd like to share? Send an e-mail or short mp3 clip to feedback@filmspotting.net. Or give us a call at 206-203-CINE and leave a voice message.