This episode we welcome guest host and friend of the show Aaron West from criterionblues.com. We discuss Samuel Fuller's classic film noir 'Pickup on South Street' (1953) which was recently restored and rereleased at the New York Film Forum.

00:00 - 22:18 - Introduction/News

22:19 - 55:19 - 'Pickup on South Street' (1953)

55:20 - 1:03:29 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

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We get old school this week with a look at the 3rd part of Alexander Dovzhenko's Ukrainian Trilogy, 'Earth' (1930), which played recently at the Anthology Film Archives. After Mikhail has a chance to get in touch with his cultural roots we switch gears and discuss what we would choose as the perfect double feature for our last night on Earth.

00:00 - 25:34 - Introduction/News

25:035 - 1:05:02 - Alexander Dovzhenko's 'Earth' (1930)

1:05:03 - 1:28:32 - Double Feature for Last Night on Earth

1:28:33 - 1:31:07 - Closing Remarks

This week, we review the remake of 'Poltergeist', compare how favorably (or unfavorably) it compares to the original and discuss what goes into making a worthwhile remake.

00:00 - 1:03:21 - Introduction/Remake Discussion/News

1:03:22 - 1:36:42 - 'Poltergeist' (2015) Review & 'Poltergeist' (1982)

1:36:43 - 1:39:08 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

This episode we look at two documentaries about police corruption that stylistically straddle the line between straight documentary and narrative filmmaking. Tiller's Russell's 'The Seven Five' takes a hard look at the most dangerous neighborhood in New York in the 1980s and the two corrupt cops that tried to squeeze every dollar out it they could. 'The Thin Blue' is a genuine masterpiece by Errol Morris, arguably the best documentary filmmaker of the last 40 years.

0:00 - 0:16:42 - Introduction/News

0:16:43 - 0:44:54 - 'The Seven Five' Review

0:44:55 - 01:25:30 - 'The Thin Blue Line' (1988)

01:25:31 - 01:40:39 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

George Miller delivers one of most heart pounding, visionary action films in years with his victorious return to the Mad Max franchise, 'Mad Max: Fury Road'. In order to understand the roots of this post-apocalyptic roller coaster ride, we look back at the classic Australian genre films of the 70s & 80s in the amazing documentary 'Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation!' (2008).

0:00 - 0:25:58 - Introduction/News

0:25:59 - 01:25:16 - 'Mad Max: Fury Road' Review & 'Not Quite Hollywood' Discussion

01:25:17 - 01:32:53 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

This episode we discuss Joss Whedon's latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, 'Avengers: Age of Ultron'. If that isn't enough comic book insanity for you, we also dig into the documentary 'Comic Book Confidential' (1988), an amazing movie about the first 50 years of comics.

00:00 - 0:18:52 - Introduction/News

0:18:53 - 1:12:27 - 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Discussion

1:12:28 - 1:53:50 - 'Comic Book Confidential' (1988)

1:53:51 - 1:58:56 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

This week we review Gerard Johnson's 'Hyena', a film that Nicolas Winding Refn calls 'the future of crime films'. For our follow up, we deprive Mikhail of the opportunity to discuss Herzog's 'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans' (2009) and force him finally to sit down and watch Abel Ferrara's original and highly controversial 'Bad Lieutenant' (1992).

00:00 - 19:20 : Introduction/News

19:21 - 57:30: 'Hyena' Review

57:31 - 01:39:56: Abel ferrara's 'Bad Lieutenant'

01:39:58 - 01:47:30: Closing Remarks/Blooper

Few bands have had a bigger impact on defining an era than The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. From the height of the Swinging Sixties in London to the death of flower power at the Altamont Speedway, the films 'A Hard Day's Night' (1964) and 'Gimme Shelter' (1970) neatly bookend one of the most fascinating chapters in music history. Featuring guest host Henry Schiller.

00:00 - 18:14 - Introduction/News

18:15 - 56:00 - 'A Hard Day's Night' (1964)

56:01 - 01:37:46 - 'Gimme Shelter' (1970)

01:37:47 - 01:44:00 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

This episode we review Zaza Urushadze's "Tangerines" which was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2015 Academy Awards and is just now being released in New York. Set during The War in Abkhazia (1992-1993) the film examines ethnic and religious tensions in a post-Soviet Georgia where many Estonians, save one, have chosen to return to Estonia. Continuing with the topic of racial tension, we go back to the pre-Civil Rights era of Hollywood to look at "The Defiant Ones" (1958) starring Tony Curtis and Sidney Poitier.

00:00 - 18:12 - Introduction/News

18:13 - 38:44 - 'Tangerines' Review

38:45 - 01:08:53 - 'The Defiant Ones' (1958)

01:08:54 - 01:11:58 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

We welcome back guest host Brittany Starna to discuss the latest film by writer-director Olivier Assayas, "Clouds of Sils Maria", a story about an aging actress starring Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart & Chloë Grace Moretz. Seeing an opportunity to discuss one of his favorite movies on a similar theme, Mikhail Karadimov walks us through Paolo Sorrentino's extraordinary award-winning film "La Grande Bellezza" (2013).

00:00 - 19:50 - Introduction/News

19:51 - 50:01 - "Clouds of Sils Maria" Review

50:02 - 01:37:10 - "La Grande Bellezza" (2013)

01:37:11 - 01:41:20 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

This episode we sit down with Samuel Jamier and Rufus de Rham from Subway Cinema, an organization devoted to the appreciation of Asian film culture. Their flagship event is the annual New York Asian Film Festival but the topic of this podcast is the Old School Kung Fu Fest '15: Enter the Ninjas!! screening at the Anthology Film Archives 4/16-4/19. From Japanese classics such as "Shinobi No Mono" (1962) to the high octane insanity of "Five Element Ninjas" (1982), this is an essential series for anyone seeking to understand the dark, secret arts of the Ninja.

Tickets available at http://oldschool15.brownpapertickets.com/

In a special episode we sit down with legendary animator Bill Plympton and his producer Adam Rackoff to discuss their Kickstarter Campaign to finance Bill's next feature film, "Revengeance". For the first time, Bill is collaborating with another animator, Jim Lujan, and the result is a wild and irreverent story that explores the seedy underbelly of Los Angeles. Bill need s your help to make the film happen and the rewards include an opportunity to appear as a character in the film.

This episode we review the season 5 premiere of one of the greatest and most cinematic television shows ever produced, "Game of Thrones", based on the series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R R Martin. Loosely inspired by the War of the Roses, we stay on the topic of dynastic wars and succession by revisiting Fred Zinnemann's classic adaptation of Robert Bolt's play "A Man for All Seasons", an essential classic for any Anglophile or lover of theater.

00:00 - 11:02 - Introduction/News

11:03 - 39:15 - "Game of Thrones" Season 5 Premiere Review

39:16 - 01:05:09 - "A Man for All Seasons" (1966)

01:05:10 - 01:07:57 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

This episode we review Alex Garland's directorial debut, "Ex Machina", a dark and erotic new science fiction film that is sure to delight fans of the genre for many years to come. While on the subject of stunningly beautiful AI, we look back at the cyberpunk classic "Ghost in the Shell" (1995) by Mamoru Oshii.

00:00 - 20:55 - Introduction/News

20:56 - 54:19 - "Ex Machina" Review

54:20 - 01:18:55 - "Ghost in the Shell"

01:18:56 - 01:22:16 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

With "Furious 7" shattering box office records for the month of April around the world, we sit down with guest host Brittany Starna (and rabid connoisseur of the series) to review the latest installment in the franchise and discuss why audiences are in such a frenzy over this movie.

00:00 - 16:10 - Introduction/News

16:11 - 01:36:59 - "Furious 7" Review

01:37:00 - 01:24:30 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

It is Generation X versus the Millenials as James Hancock and Mikhail Karadimov put their chins down and their fists up for a heated discussion about "Repulsion", "Citizen Kane" and a variety of other topics upon which they don't agree. Parker Dixon wisely chose to start recording about halfway through the argument, one that was never intended to be an episode. Enjoy.  (no animals were harmed in the recording of this podcast)

In anticipation of the theatrical and digital release of his new animated feature film Cheatin', Wrong Reel sits down with Indie Animaton legend Bill Plympton and executive producer Adam Rackoff to discuss Plympton's career to date and where it is headed. Full disclosure, Wrong Reel co-host James Hancock is one of the executive producers on Cheatin' so any notion of objectivity is completely abandoned. Cheatin' begins a nationwide tour on 4/3/15 (see www.cheatinmovie.com for screenings) and will be available on Vimeo On Demand 4/21/15.

This is a special episode for gear heads and alcoholics alike as guest host Brittany Starna and Mikhail Karadimov introduce us to their favorite drinking game while providing color commentary to Justin Lin's "Fast Five" (2011). James Hancock and his little brother Chunk tie on a nice buzz in the process. #NSFW

With David Robert Mitchell's new horror film "It Follows" delighting horror fans across the country, we take a look at what makes the film tick before diving into one of the most beautiful black and white horror films ever made, Roman Polanski's "Repulsion" (1965). Featuring guest host Nick Stevens.

00:00 - 17:42 - Introduction/News

17:43 - 01:17:51 - "It Follows" Review

01:17:52 - 01:59:47 - Roman Polanski's "Repulsion" (1965)

01:59:48 - 02:03:58 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

In honor of Friday the 13th, we take a look at two of the finest horror films ever made, F. W. Murnau's silent film classic "Nosferatu, Eine Symphonie Des Grauens" (1922) and Werner Herzog's 1979 remake "Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht" (1979). Featuring special guest host (and Mikhail Karadimov's producing partner), Brittany Starna. 

00:00 - 13:48 - Introduction/Frozen Debate

13:49 - 35:16 - F. W. Murnau's "Nosferatu" (1922)

35:17 - 01:13:14 - Werner Herzog's "Nosferatu" (1979)

01:13:15 - 1:19:43 - Closing Remarks/Blooper

A key figure in the New German Cinema of the 1970s, Wim Wenders is one of the most distinctive, original voices in film working today. The Museum of Modern Art has assembled an extraordinary retrospective covering much of his career from his award winning "Wings of Desire" (1987) to his more recent films like "Pina" (2011), giving the folks at Wrong Reel the chance to see his films in the best way possible.

00:00 - 23:12 - Introduction/News

22:13 - 01:04:46 - Wings of Desire

01:04:47 - 01:25:48 - Pina

01:25:49 - 1:32:50 - Closing Remarks

In this episode, the gang delves into the life and work of one of film's biggest contributors to the art of film of the latter half of the 20th century, John Cassavetes.  Paying particular attention to "Faces" and "A Woman Under the Influence," Parker, James, and Mikhail discuss the raw emotional power of Cassavetes' undisputedly unique style of filmmaking.

00:00 - 19:55 - Introductions/News

19:56 - 51:51 - Faces

51:52 - 1:22:12 - A Woman Under the Influence

1:22:13 - 1:29:34 - Closing Remarks

1:29:35 - 1:34:13 - Bloopers/Dramatic Reading

With the release of David Cronenberg's new Hollywood satire/ghost story "Maps to the Stars" we take the opportunity to review the new film and compare the two major stages of Cronenberg's career as bodily horror maestro and art house director.

00:00 - 10:47 - Introductions/News

10:48 - 43:32 - "Maps to the Stars" Review

43:33 - 1:12:50 - "Dead Ringers" Review

1:12:51 - 1:17:59 - Closing Remarks/Upcoming Episodes

"Wild Tales" is not only the biggest indigenous hit in Argentina's history, but also puts the world on notice that a filmmaker named Damián Szifrón is out there making some of the most blackhearted, hysterical cinema imaginable. In this episode we also look back at Lucrecia Martel's film "La Ciénaga" (2001), a movie often described as Chekhov in contemporary Argentina. 

In this week's episode we offer up some Oscar predictions before diving into an intense discussion of the films of John Carpenter, a director whose films had an enormous impact on our childhoods. 

Matthew Vaughn's latest film "Kingsman: The Secret Service" is not just a deliriously entertaining nod to the classic spy movies of the past, the movie also tips its hat to the Arthurian Legends that were captured so well in John Boorman's classic "Excalibur" (1981) now playing at the New York Film Forum alongside his other films. In this episode we leap to the defense of Matthew Vaughn's latest movie which is under attack by humorless critics with a blatant agenda while also singing the praises of "Excalibur", the best adult fantasy movie ever made.

In honor of the retrospective of John Boorman's work at the Film Forum (Feb 11th-17th) we recorded our second commentary episode while watching Boorman's truly strange and offbeat post-apocalyptic adventure film "Zardoz" (1974). Starring Sean Connery and Charlotte Rampling in a film often described as the best bad movie ever made, we try and determine for ourselves if this is a misunderstood classic deserving of rediscovery.

This week we review the latest sci-fi extravaganza from the imagination of the Wachowskis. Sadly the experience fell short of our expectations. Thankfully we rebound with the animated cult classic "Heavy Metal" (1981) and wallow in all of its juvenile glory.

Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, Xavier Dolan's "Mommy" is a groundbreaking new film employing a rare 1:1 aspect ratio. After our review we look back at the classic "Leave Her to Heaven" (1945), a movie often described as a film noir in color starring Gene Tierney in the role of a lifetime.

We enter strange new territory in the world of S&M as depicted in Peter Strickland's new film "The Duke of Burgundy" now available in limited release in the US and on VOD. We close the episode with a look at the dark, often misunderstood, films of Todd Solondz and his masterpiece "Happiness".

In an episode that will go down in infamy as the one that nearly killed the podcast, we celebrate the centennial of Orson Welles and discuss the incredible retrospective of his work at the New York Film Forum.

We sit down with the brilliant animator Signe Baumane and her voiceover director/co-producer Sturgis Warner to discuss her new feature film "Rocks in My Pockets". Available for pre-order at rocksinmypocketsmovie.com

If you have a weak heart, turn back. This episode is not for you. For our first audio commentary track, we settled on Pier Paolo Pasolini's controversial film "Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom" (1975), a movie that shocks and polarizes audiences to this day. There was no shortage of screams as we plunged into the abyss of Pasolini's notorious statement on the horrors of Fascism. (fast forward to 01:13:25 and 01:21:00 to enjoy our shock and awe)

Grab yourself an espresso and get ready for our epic discussion about the best films of 2014. Some call movies like "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Godfather" epics. They pale in comparison to the marathon we ran in producing this episode of our top ten movies of the year. It has been a great year for cinema.

2014 was an amazing year for movies and there are no two examples that are better than Andrey Zvyagintsev's "Leviathan" and J.C. Chandor's "A Most Violent Year". Mikhail Karadimov discusses how he was moved on a personal level by the new film from Russia while James Hancock and Parker Dixon enjoy a friendly debate over Chandor's best film to date.

With the Film Society of Lincoln Center exhibiting their remarkable John Huston retrospective Let There Be Light until January 11th, we decided to go deep into the career of one of the greatest filmmakers in history. A larger than life individual whose personal life almost overshadows his amazing filmography, we go over several of his career highlights before taking the proper time to relish one of his greatest movies, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre".

With "The Interview" finally reaching audiences on VOD platforms and in Independent Theaters, we decided to weigh in on cyberterrorism and freedom of speech as well as review the movie itself. Then we look back at Martin Scorsese's controversial "The Last Temptation of Christ" (1988) and the violent protests directed at the film at the time of its release.

It is our special holiday episode and the hosts of Wrong Reel discuss everything we love and hate about movies that take place during Christmas with special attention going to John McTiernan's Die Hard (1988), Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946) and Terry Gilliam's Brazil (1985).

After soaking in the news about Sony's plans not to release "The Interview" due to threats by terrorists, we show a rare display of unity as we take turns angrily expressing our disappointment in Peter Jackson's new movie "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies". Along the way we discuss everything we love about J.R.R. Tolkien's literature and why Jackson's original "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy was such a dramatically superior moviegoing experience.

With the limited theatrical release of "Inherent Vice" we decided to look back at the career of one of our greatest filmmakers, writer-director Paul Thomas Anderson. Following on the heels of what are popularly considered to be his two greatest movies, "There Will Be Blood" and "The Master", we debate to what extent "Inherent Vice" is a worthy addition to his filmography.

In honor of the Museum of Modern Art's comprehensive retrospective on the amazing career of Robert Altman (1925-2006), we decided to discuss his entire filmography as well as review his masterpiece "Nashville" (1975). The retrospective continues until Jan. 17th, 2015.

Jennifer Kent's debut feature "The Babadook" successfully scared the hell out of all of us and after a lengthy discussion of the film we dig into David Cronenberg's horror classic "The Brood" (1979).

In Part II of a special 2-part episode, we look back at one of the finest documentaries about film history ever made, "A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies" (1995). 

We get in touch with our inner 12-year-old girl with our review for "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1". 

Our review of one of the most ruthless and thought-provoking dramas of the year, Bennett Miller's "Foxcatcher", starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo. We continue the discussion of madness and wealth run amuck with a look back at the 2012 documentary "The Queen of Versailles".

In Part I of a special 2-part episode, we wish Martin Scorsese a very happy 72nd birthday with a look back at one of the finest documentaries about film history ever made, "A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies" (1995). 

We gave Parker Dixon carte blanche with this episode and he used the opportunity to take us on a guided tour of the guilty pleasures he and his older brother Lawrence adored during their misspent youth. We bring the episode to a close with a look back at Charlie Sheen in "The Wraith" (1986).

After hitting a midnight screening on Tuesday of Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" in Imax 70mm, we decided to tackle the genre of science fiction in film and discuss to what extent Christopher Nolan's epic new film pushes the genre forward.

In this episode we discuss the midnight movie phenomenon, what films it applies to and how it has changed over time. We also review the new movies "John Wick" starring Keanu Reeves and "Nightcrawler" starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

This episode is less a review of Ruben Östlund's amazing new movie "Force Majeure" and more of an excuse to allow co hosts Parker Dixon and Mikhail Karadimov to go to war discussing the merits or lack thereof in Nicolas Roeg's horror film "Don't Look Now" (1973).

In this episode we review Damien Chazelle's new film "Whiplash" starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons. Using the topic of jazz as a springboard we launch into a discuss of Otto Preminger's "Anatomy of a Murder" featuring a score by jazz master Duke Ellington.

In this episode we review David Fincher's latest film "Gone Girl" and discuss in the larger context of his career.

In this week's episode we review the new film by Alejandro González Iñárritu "Birdman". Sticking with the topic of theater, we then discuss Bob Fosse's semi-autobiographical masterpiece "All That Jazz" (1979), one of the darkest musicals ever made. (originally recorded 10/21/14)

In our first podcast ever we (Parker Dixon, James Hancock, Mikhail Karadimov) discuss Ben Wheatley's ambitious film "A Field in England" (2013) and debate to what extent the film is successful in what it sets out to accomplish.