Episodes

Our discussion of Christopher Nolan’s sophomore film, Memento, praises the unique experience that he brought us in his budding career. Memento’s backwards structure, iconic design, and great performances put Nolan on the map ...

This week we discuss Christopher Nolan’s debut feature film, Following. With virtually no budget and borrowed equipment, Nolan was able to make an interesting twist on noir that already displayed his personal flair. In our mo...

This week we kick off our Christopher Nolan series by discussing his career as a whole. This episode will act as an establishing shot for the rest of the series, cluing us in to techniques and themes to look for as we watch t...

This week, we have a bonus episode where I talk about watching old movies with your kids, recommending Ty Burr’s The Best Old Movies for Families, and my four year old gives his review of two recent watches: The Wizard of Oz ...

This week I take a break between director series and talk about some recent releases that I have seen as well as look forward to some upcoming releases coming out this fall by the likes of Martin Scorsese, Denis Villenueve, S...

This week I wrap up our series on Wes Anderson’s filmography with an epilogue episode. I talk through some of my major takeaways from Anderson’s filmography then share a takeaway from the endeavor of going through a director’...

This week we discuss “Asteroid City”, Wes Anderson’s latest film. With a meta-textual, layered framing device, highly stylized desert set and just as dry characters, and Wes at the height of his powers, this discussion was bo...

This week we discuss The French Dispatch, Wes Anderson’s first work in an anthology format. This one is both an ode to French cinema and to The New Yorker, is charming in its own drab yet fanciful Anderson way, and is chock f...

This week we discuss Isle of Dogs, Wes Anderson’s second venture into stop-motion animation. Full of beautiful sets, love for Japanese art, and of course dogs, this is a really enjoyable film to both watch and discuss. In our...

This week we take a break from our Wes Anderson series for a look at my favorite movies of 2023 so far. It is halfway through the year, and I wanted to share some of the best films I have seen from 2023. Spoiler: there is one...

This week we discuss The Grand Budapest Hotel, Wes Anderson’s most successful film to date. It doesn’t get much better than Ralph Fiennes concierge-ing his way into our hearts. In our movie news section, we discuss whether we...

This week we discuss Moonrise Kingdom, a childhood romance, fantasy adventure by Wes Anderson. We loved this movie, but we don’t know what we’re talking about. In our movie news section, we discuss what has happened to hit, b...

This week we discuss Fantastic Mr. Fox, Wes Anderson’s first venture into animation. Full of great puppetry, sets, charm, and layers of emotions for both kids and adults, this film has plenty to dig into. In our movie news se...

This week we discuss The Darjeeling Limited, the spiritual journey on a train in India we were all waiting for from Wes Anderson. With incredible set pieces and great performances from and chemistry between the three brothers...

This week we discuss The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which might be the most quintessential example of the Wes Anderson aesthetic. With the cutaway, dollhouse boat, a phenomenal cast, and stop-motion sea creatures this is...

This week we discuss The Royal Tenenbaums, Wes Anderson’s third film and first big box office success. Here we see his first ensemble cast and his distinct style coming to the forefront. In our movie news section, we discuss ...

This week we discuss Rushmore, Wes Anderson’s sophomore film. Writing again with Owen Wilson, this film sees Wes really coming into his own while filming at his actual high school. In our movie news section, we discuss the BF...

This week we discuss Bottle Rocket, Wes Anderson’s debut film. Co-written with Owen Wilson and starring a cast of their friends, this film is the beginning of a new cinematic voice. In our movie news section, we do a preview ...

Wes Anderson has an incredibly unique voice in the filmmaking world. In this first episode of our series Wes, we do an overview of his life and look at the techniques and themes that define his filmography as a whole. Then we...

I'd like to welcome you to The Establishing Shot, a filmography podcast centered on directors and their filmographies. Tune in to find out more about the show, the very first director I will be covering, and how you can get m...