We discuss some of our approaches to film viewing. We tackle questions concerning motivations for watching films, how to choose what to watch, how we process films, and how we determine if a film is good or not. We also share some recommended resources to help with your film viewing…
Spielberg followed up his breakout summer blockbuster Jaws with a sci-fi adventure thriller in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Its success is due to the incredible visual and narrative storytelling alongside the innovative special effects that wowed crowded theaters. We talk all of this and more in our discussion…
To accompany our discussion of Jaws last week, we did a Creature Feature Movie Draft! Creature Features are generally any film where a creature of some sort (beast, vampire, alien, zombie, etc.) is the main antagonist. We drafted 5 movies each and ended up with some great lists and fun…
Jaws marks both the breakout of Steven Spielberg’s illustrious career and the beginning of the summer blockbuster. From crazy production stories to camera work to efficient character building and more, this discussion with guest Daniel Blackaby really encompasses a ton about what makes Spielberg such a great director. We also…
Storytelling is a vital element of filmmaking. It is done in through the written narrative, the visuals, the sound, the performances, the camera work, and so much more. This week, I discuss storytelling, especially as it relates to children, with elementary school media specialist Shannon Burge. Before that, I review…
Spielberg’s first theatrically released feature film, The Sugarland Express, showed many signs of what was to come for the young director. In this episode I discuss the many Spielberg-ian themes, character traits, camera techniques, and knack for scale and adventure that was already evident in this early movie in his…
It’s Oscars weekend! On this episode I share my favorite films of 2023, and we hear from some listeners/past guests on their favorites as well. Then, I go through the 2024 Oscars nominations and share what my choices would have been for each category. https://www.establishingshotpod.com/ Feedback: Email us at establishingshotpod@gmail.com…
Steven Spielberg’s Duel was never supposed to be as successful as it was. As a movie of the week TV feature in 1971, the 24 year old director gained the attention of critics and studios alike with a road thriller that begged to be on the big screen. We discuss…
Steven Spielberg’s Duel inspired me to do a Car Chase Movie Draft with my guest, Dave Lester. Listen as we take turns drafting what we think are some of the best movie car chases out there. I also share some honorable mentions and do a review of My Neighbor Totoro…
Steven Spielberg is one of the most accomplished directors in film history. In this episode, we do an overview of his career focusing on the first two decades of his work as a director. Everything from his childhood, his start as a director, his filmmaking techniques, and the recurring themes…
To accompany our discussion of Wes Anderson’s short films including The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, we did a draft of our favorite short films. There are so many great short films from Maya Deren’s work to Pixar’s shorts. This was a fun draft and led to some great discussion.…
Wes Anderson’s love for Roald Dahl’s storytelling pours out of the screen in his four short film adaptations of Dahl short stories that dropped on Netflix in 2023. This week, we discuss the unique pop-up book execution of Anderson’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, The Swan, The Rat Catcher,…
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MERRY CHRISTMAS! It’s the most wonderful time of the year for movies, and what better way to celebrate than with a movie draft. In this Christmas Movie Draft Special, we draft Christmas movies into seven different categories and get to talk about our holiday favorites. Join us for a festive…
Christopher Nolan’s career is a fairly unique! He has made some huge movies (in scale, budget, and box office revenue) that smuggle in his personal obsessions and interests in intriguing ways. Nolan has truly come to define big budget Hollywood for his generation of filmmakers. Digging into his films over…
Tenet is, in many ways, the culmination of Nolan’s career up this point. It is a huge budget genre movie with a sci-fi twist, and really feels like something only he could pull off. With action sequences unlike anything else you’ve ever seen on screen, it is certainly worthy of…
Dunkirk is the culmination of so many techniques and filmmaking obsessions that Christopher Nolan had developed up to this point in his career. We discuss its unrelenting pace, the incredible work done to bring this film into being, and why this movie is so meaningful for both Nolan and the…
Interstellar manages to be Christopher Nolan’s most expansive film yet while simultaneously being his most sentimental. We discuss the incredible work done making this film as well as why this film feels like Nolan’s most emotional in his filmography. In our movie news section, we very briefly anticipate Sofia Coppola’s…
The Dark Knight Rises was an ambitious end to Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Its epic scale feels like the natural target of the trajectory that this trilogy and Nolan’s career overall had been taking. Our discussion spans from the incredible production work to the core themes at play, and we…
A BIG episode for a BIG movie! Christopher Nolan’s Inception feels like a lifetime achievement in many ways. Its inception as an idea goes back to his childhood, and here we see the culmination of his visual, conceptual, and emotional obsessions culminate in a film that dominated cultural conversation. Our…
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight is arguably his most notable film to date, changing not just superhero movies but the film industry in general. His grounded approach to the comic book world, Ledger’s iconic performance, and escalated scale in both the action and the story add up to a phenomenal…
In our discussion about Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige, we marvel at the cinematic sleight of hand that Nolan brings with his technical and plot precision. He stretches his budget to its extremes with an incredible cast, phenomenal set pieces, and an ending that leaves you wanting more. In our movie…
In our discussion about Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, we dig into what he brought to this beloved franchise that changed superhero films. Working with a huge budget and his detailed mind, Nolan reimagined the world of Batman and Gotham and kicked off the trilogy that would elevate his career. In…
In our discussion about Christopher Nolan’s first studio feature, Insomnia, we examine why this feels like his forgotten film. Somehow with Insomnia’s studio budget, star-studded cast, adapted script, and its fairly standard narrative structure, Nolan is still able to display his unique style as he gives us an incredibly interesting…