Batten Down Podcast Batten Down Podcast

Nina's not sure how she feels about Wim Wenders' Palme d'Or-winning film starring Harry Dean Stanton and the guy from Quantum Leap. But she's working through it.

Lauren loved Ethiopiques but, as music dumb-dumbs, she and Nina struggle to say anything about it.

This week’s Lauren leans in and makes a true Lauren recommendation. Nina’s in thrall to primal astrology (blame Steven Yeun) and switches up her recommendation pattern by giving Lauren a musical offering.

A few notes:

Paris, Texas can be watched on the Criterion Channel : https://www.criterionchannel.com/paris-texas

Ethiopiques, Vol 4: Ethio Jazz 1969-1974 on Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/album/5VKvVk4gaPAJyXjof8NnzX?si=0a5Z6xIwSfW_DHVW7W3rIg

Interview with Mulatu Astatke:
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCgdUD9gdPE

Transcript: https://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/mulatu-astatke-ethiopian-knight

Interview with Francis Falceto on NPR:
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5560216

Playlists of music from Italian exploitation/detective movies:
Beretta 70: Roaring Themes from Thrilling Italian Police Films: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1g6qZyfUzMZT1GGoOGJFVp?si=ce_h3AAhSoe-emV66AYIEQ

A crisis is currently unfolding in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Learn more at this link: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/news/widespread-destruction-health-facilities-ethiopias-tigray-region

Lauren explains what was missing from last week's discussion of "The Palm Beach Story" and from her recommendation of it.

Additional resources:
Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/five-things-know-about-pullman-porters-180959663/

Why are there so few Black directors in the Criterion Collection: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/08/20/movies/criterion-collection-african-americans.html

Lauren retracts her earlier statement about The Palm Beach Story lacking offensive cultural stereotypes, and makes an apology. There are a couple, one being a depiction of Pullman porters. Read here to learn their history and influence on the labor and civil rights movements:

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/five-things-know-about-pullman-porters-180959663/

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2020/07/black-railway-porters-civil-rights

Nina continues her run of Preston Sturges films as well as her campaign of telling Lauren how to eat.

We're back! And we're sticking to what we know: Lauren recommends a Preston Sturges film, and Nina tells Lauren what to eat.

Our first holiday on the pod, our first Zoom studio guest, and our first listener voicemails—it's our Thanksgiving episode!