Changing Reels

Two vastly different cops are tasked with trying to solve Korea’s first serial murder case ever in Bong Joon-ho’s 2003 film Memories of Murder. A visually captivating crime drama that festers in one’s mind, the film’s blend of mystery and dark comedy will keep you on the edge of your seats. In discussing the film, we touch themes including the deconstruction of law enforcing and media institutions, gender perceptions and why dropkicks are the new “hello.” We also take a few minutes to highlight our short film selections: Doyeon Noh’s Human Form and The Halsall Brothers’ If I Had a Heart. If you like what you hear, or want to offer some constructive criticism, please take a moment to rate our show on iTunes! If you have a comment on this episode, or want to suggest a film for us to discuss, feel free to contact us via twitter (@ChangingReelsAC), follow us on Facebook and reach out to us by email (Changing.Reels.AC@gmail.com). You can also hear our show on SoundCloud or Stitcher!

A man accidentally travels back in time, and that is the least of his problems. In this episode, we discuss Nacho Vigalondo’s brilliantly constructed science fiction tale Timecrimes. Part thriller and part dark comedy, Vigalondo ensures that no moment is wasted in this film. While other time travel tales get bogged down with explaining how the machine itself works, Timecrimes’ brisk pace and frequent twists ensure that audiences will be coming back multiple times. We also take a few minutes to discuss our short film selections: Joe Kramer’s Running the Gammatar and J. Searle Dowley’s Frankenstein.If you like what you hear, or want to offer some constructive criticism, please take a moment to rate our show on iTunes! If you have a comment on this episode, or want to suggest a film for us to discuss, feel free to contact us via twitter (@ChangingReelsAC), follow us on Facebook and reach out to us by email (Changing.Reels.AC@gmail.com). You can also hear our show on SoundCloud or Stitcher!

In episode 14 of Changing Reels, we dive into Shane Carruth’s experimental science fiction drama Upstream Color. The film is a love story revolving around two individual who find themselves inexplicably drawn together after being the victim of an unthinkable crime. Exploring themes of memory and identity, and featuring brilliant sound design, there is plenty to discuss in this film. As is custom, we also take a few minutes to highlight our two short film picks of the week: Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi’s Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo and Alberto Roldán’s Everything & Everything & Everything.If you like what you hear, or want to offer some constructive criticism, please take a moment to rate our show on iTunes! If you have a comment on this episode, or want to suggest a film for us to discuss, feel free to contact us via twitter (@ChangingReelsAC), follow us on Facebook and reach out to us by email (Changing.Reels.AC@gmail.com). You can also hear our show on SoundCloud or Stitcher!

The world of pop music is often explored in film through a satirical lens. Gina Prince-Bythewood's Beyond the Lights is one of those rare films that takes an honest look at the complexities of the industry. Centered around a romance between a pop star and a police officer, the film boldly examines topics such as race, depression, and the objectification of women in the media. We also take a moment to discuss our short film picks of the week: Elizabeth St. Philip’s The Colour of Beauty and the Michael K. Williams starring Am I Typecast? If you like what you hear, or want to offer some constructive criticism, please take a moment to rate our show on iTunes! If you have a comment on this episode, or want to suggest a film for us to discuss, feel free to contact us via twitter (@ChangingReelsAC), follow us on Facebook and reach out to us by email (Changing.Reels.AC@gmail.com). You can also hear our show on SoundCloud or Stitcher!

Spike Lee has been one of the most prolific directors ever since he burst onto the scene with 1986 She’s Gotta Have It. Effortlessly moving from features to shorts to documentaries to television, there is little he cannot do. However, many still question whether or not Lee deserves to be on the top ten list of greatest directors. We discuss this and more while exploring his 2001 film A Huey P. Newton Story, a performance film that is adapted from star Roger Guenveur Smith’s one man show about the Black Panther co-founder. We also take a moment to discuss our short film picks of the week: TV on the Radio’s Nine Types of Light and Randy Yang’s Video.If you like what you hear, or want to offer some constructive criticism, please take a moment to rate our show on iTunes! If you have a comment on this episode, or want to suggest a film for us to discuss, feel free to contact us via twitter (@ChangingReelsAC), follow us on Facebook and reach out to us by email (Changing.Reels.AC@gmail.com). You can also hear

Studio Ghibli is revered all over the world for their films that feature lush animation and inventive stories with universal themes. As the studio’s latest film, The Red Turtle, hits theatres, we decided to take a closer look at the companies’ first international production. Directed by Michaël Dudok de Wit, and completely dialogue free, The Red Turtle follows a man who finds himself stranded on an island with a giant turtle. Diving into the film’s sweeping look at nature, the human experience, mysticism, parenting, and all things in between, there is plenty to dissect in this thought-provoking film. We also take a moment to discuss our short film picks of the week: Tsunami and There Will Come Soft Rains.If you like what you hear, or want to offer some constructive criticism, please take a moment to rate our show on iTunes! If you have a comment on this episode, or want to suggest a film for us to discuss, feel free to contact us via twitter (@ChangingReelsAC) or by email (Changing.Reels.AC@gmail.com).

It is often said that nothing in life comes for free. Well in the case of artist Nina Paley, that is not entirely true. Paley decided to give her animated film Sita Sings the Blues to the masses free of charge. Using the epic Hindu poem as a catalyst for exploring the crumbling nature of her marriage, the film is both a jaunty musical and a historical tale on downside of unconditional love. Featuring various animation styles, songs by jazz artist Annette Hanshaw and witty narrating shadow puppets, Sita Sings the Blue is a treat for the senses. Before diving into the film, we take a moment to discuss our short films picks of the week: Fetch! and Dernier Acte.If you like what you hear, or want to offer some constructive criticism, please take a moment to rate our show on iTunes! If you have a comment on this episode, or want to suggest a film for us to discuss, feel free to contact us via twitter (@ChangingReelsAC) or by email (Changing.Reels.AC@gmail.com). You can also hear our show on SoundCloud or Stit

It is a celebration of Iranian cinema on this episode of the show. First up we seem to have Ana Lily Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night on the brain as Courtney’s short film, Kevin Hamedani’s In Her Place, stars Shelia Vand, who famously played the lead in Amirpour’s breakthrough film. Andrew opts for a more direct connection with his short film selection, Milena Pastreich’s I Feel Stupid which was written by Amirpour. For their main discussion the pair dive into the murky marital waters of Asghar Farhadi’s 2006 drama Fireworks Wednesday, a tale of a house cleaner who gets more than she bargains for when her latest job unexpectedly places her in the middle of a domestic dispute between her new employer and his wife.If you like what you hear, or want to offer some constructive criticism, please take a moment to rate our show on iTunes. If you have a comment on this episode, or want to suggest a film for us to discuss, feel free to contact us via twitter (@ChangingReelsAC) or by email (Changing.Re

As Christmas quickly approaches, we decided to break from our usual format and keep things loose and fun. So instead of discussing our short films selections we are taking a look at two underappreciated Christmas-ish films. First Courtney praises the diversity in the Queen Latifah vehicle Last Holiday, and then Andrew dives into his deep love for Danny Boyle’s warm-hearted children’s film Millions.If you like what you hear, please take a moment to rate our show on iTunes! If you have a comment on this episode, or want to suggest a film for us to discuss, feel free to contact us via twitter (@ChangingReelsAC) or by email (Changing.Reels.AC@gmail.com). You can also find hear our show on SoundCloud or Stitcher!

Sarah Adina Smith’s The Midnight Swim is not a film that can easily be summarized. At its core it is a family drama about the connection between three half-sisters and their mother who has mysteriously gone missing. However, it also features elements from the found footage genre, a wonderful musical number, a shawl that is downright creepy, and deep questions about the transcendent nature of death. Needless to say there is a lot to chew on in this episode. We also discuss our short films picks of the week: Donato Sansone’s Journal Anime and Ben Brand’s Life is Beautiful.

As Moonlight continues to astonish audiences in theatres, one of our listeners suggested that we consider discussing Barry Jenkins’ directorial debut Medicine for Melancholy. We loved the idea so much that we decided to throw away our usual format and do a “Listener’s Choice” episode. While we don’t talk about any short films this week (don’t fret, they will be back in the next episode), we do take some time to show Jenkins’ Moonlight and Jeremy Saulnier’s Green Room love before diving into the romantic and social themes of Medicine for Melancholy.Do you have a film in mind that you would like hear us to discuss in a future “Listener’s Choice” episode? If so, be sure to submit you suggestion to us via twitter (@ChangingReelsAC) or by email (Changing.Reels.AC@gmail.com). Also, you can subscribe to our show on iTunes, SoundCloud or Stitcher!

It can be argued that Sofia Coppola is easily one of the most respected female directors of this generation. Growing up within the film industry, it is no surprise that many of her films touch on themes regarding the nature of fame. In episode five of Changing Reels we weigh the merits of The Bling Ring, Coppola’s 2013 ripped from the headlines film about celebrity obsessed teens whose love of fame leads to them stealing from the very same stars they adore. We also discuss our short films picks of the week: Hiro Murai’s Clapping for the Wrong Reasons and David Raboy’s Giant.

Roger Ebert once wrote in his review of the romantic comedy “Love Jones” that the film makes us “realize how painfully limited the media vision of urban black life is. Why do the movies give us so many homeboys and gangstas and druggies and so few photographers, poets and teachers?” In this episode we revisit Theodore Witcher’s “Love Jones” and discuss its portrayal of black artists, weathering the storm in relationships, and how the film is being revived this month as a musical. We also share our short film picks: Miguel Arteta’s “Are You the Favorite Person of Anybody?” and Danny Sangra’s “Odile et Michel.”

Martin Scorsese has crafted many iconic dramas so it easy to forget he has a funny bone as well. In episode three of Changing Reels we explore Scorsese’s dark comedy After Hours. The film follows an office worker who, in an attempt to woo a girl he meets in a coffee shop, encounters the worst night of his life in Soho. We also discuss our short films picks of the week: Dony Permedi’s Kiwi! and Bradley Tangonan’s High Rider.

In episode two of Changing Reels we turn our focus to Kasi Lemmons’ 2001 thriller The Caveman’s Valentine. The film follows a homeless man, Romulus (Samuel L. Jackson), who was once a promising composer but now lives in a cave in New York City. When the frozen body of a young man ends up in a tree near his dwelling, the paranoid schizophrenic Romulus ignores the police’s assessment, of it being an accidental death, and embarks on a quest to find the killer. We also discuss our short films picks of the week Ryan Coogler’s Locks and Sara Kenney’s Angels and Ghosts.

Welcome to Changing Reels! A bi-weekly podcast that revisits overlooked and underappreciated films and explores their pop culture significance. In episode one of the show, hosts Andrew Hathaway and Courtney Small spend time with Justin Lin's sophomore feature "Better Luck Tomorrow". The pair also discuss their individual short film picks of the week "Real Talk" and "Evidence."