Life Lessons in 35mm

How ‘Departures‘ teaches us that life and death are deeply connected

On this episode of the podcast we are joined by Miku Sensei from Miku Real Japanese as she indroduces us and helps us navigate the Japanese classic Okuribito (Departures) 2008. 

This episode was all about life and death, key themes to this film, but we also delve into shame, shinto/buddhist practices and how Japanese people view death. 

 

How ‘Terminator 2‘ made Nick fall in love with movies

In this episode of Life Lessons in 35mm we’re getting personal… going back to where it started, if you will; we discuss how Terminator 2: Judgment Day kick-started a life-long love of movies. We talk about what made T2 such a special film, and why it’s still so special today… ground-breaking cinema, record-breaking budgets and the height of star power. There is so much to enjoy about this film, so hopefully we do it justice; it may have been made 30 years ago, but it firmly holds its place as one of the best blockbuster movies ever made. As always, thanks for joining us and we hope you enjoy the episode!

How ‘There Will Be Blood’ teaches us the consequences of building walls… sort of

In this episode we discuss the modern American classic ‘There Will Be Blood’; there is so much to dissect in this film that it’s difficult to stay strictly on topic… we cover capitalism vs. religion and how the characters represent each of those things, both generally and in the context of the early 20th century.

We talk about the father-son relationship and what it means, and we even talk about happiness. And of course, we talk about the tour de force from Daniel Day-Lewis as the utterly magnetic Daniel Plainview. In all honesty, we probably do little more than scratch the surface of this masterpiece, but we give it our best shot. As always, thanks for joining us, we hope you enjoy the episode!

How ‘The Matrix‘ teaches us we all have the potential to become ‘the one‘

In this weeks episode, we explore the 1999 sci-fi action epic The Matrix and how it teaches us how there is a potential hero within all of us that is not based on physical strength, raw brainpower or technical abilities, but can be obtained by just believing in ourselves, believing in our journey and believing that we have the power within us to manipulate and explore the world as we see fit, if we can only turn our back on the trappings of the illusionary pleasures of modern life. 

 

"You take the red pill - you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."

How ‘Good Will Hunting‘ reminds us of the importance of our inner circle

This week on Life Lessons in 35mm we’re discussing Gus Van Sant’s 1997 film Good Will Hunting; we talk about Will’s journey of self-discovery and how he finds guiding lights in Chuckie, Sean and Skylar, all of whom help him navigate the tricky path he has to walk as not just a troubled young man, but one with a unique genius.

We talk in-depth about each of the characters and the role they play in supporting Will, and how that might relate to our own lives… our people, our most trusted inner circle are so important to us and life would be a much more challenging road to walk without them.

We hope you enjoy the episode and, as always, thanks for joining us!

How 'Garden State' teaches us its ok not to know your path

In this weeks episode we discuss Zack Braff’s 2004 directorial debut Garden State; we talk about how it teaches us that it’s ok not to know your path, and that it can even be a good thing… as long as we’re open to change and allow life, and the people around us, to show us the way.

Garden State was a big success when it first hit cinemas back in 2004, and was received well by both audiences and critics alike, however it isn’t looked back on with a great deal of fondness by many people these days so this was a really interesting film to revisit. As always, thank you so much for listening and we hope you enjoy the conversation… good luck exploring the infinite abyss!

How ‘American History X’ teaches us the dangers of living in an echo chamber

In this weeks podcast we tackle probably one of the more controversial films and topics, a film that argues that hate can be learnt and un-learnt. This 1998 crime drama, sees Ed Norton take on the role of Derek Vinyard, a neo-Nazi who’s life is transformed when he breaks his cycle of hatred with the help of another prison inmate and an empathetic teacher that won’t give up on him.

 

Sadly, this film feels so much more relevant today than it was in 1998, where we all own our own echo chambers in our back pockets, social media helping us to ring fence our beliefs and perpetuate onto the world our own biased ideals on a range of different topics. 

 

It was a really difficult podcast to do, and involved a lot of thought and research - so please give it a listen and let us know your thoughts. 

🍑 How 'Call Me By Your Name' teaches us not to turn our back on a broken heart 🍑

🍑 In this week's episode, we discuss the importance of accepting all that love is and everything that comes with it, including a broken heart. 

Call Me by Your Name, the 2017 Acadamy Award winner for Best Adapted Screenplay, deals with past memories and how in order to pay homage to that which is significant, we must sometimes accept the bad with the good, the sad with the happy and the pain with the joy.

This is a great film, that deals with unspoken love in the sun-drenched streets of northern Italy in the summer of 1983. Timothy Chalamet and Armie Hammer produce standout performances in what feels like a dream being retold. 

Its a great episode where we discuss, love, loss, muted knights, repressed feelings, and of course...peaches. 🍑

How ‘How To Train Your Dragon’ reminds us that dogs are the best

In this episode, we discuss the 2010 animated film ‘How To Train Your Dragon’; the similarities between the dragons and dogs, and how the bond between Hiccup and Toothless mirrors the unique bond between humans and our canine companions.

Don’t worry, we also cover the important stuff about acceptance of our true selves, and how being yourself is a great thing. There is so much to enjoy in this film, for all ages, and it’s a real heart-warmer… so hopefully, we do it justice. As always, thanks for joining us!

How 'American Beauty' teaches us to seek beauty in the ordinary.

In the second episode of the podcast, we look at Same Mendes 1999 Oscar-winning film American Beauty, and how it reminds us to really cherish beautiful moments in the ordinary. 

 

A plastic bag and a rose. Two symbols that the film uses to teach us the importance of life’s beauty. Do we focus on the superficial and faux by way of the rose…. or do we seek out moments of real significance. Do we blindly follow societal expectations for that new flashy car, high paying job, or romances with ‘beautiful’ partners… or do we make a greater effort to be awake and present so that we can enjoy the awesome in the benign.