You Never Forget Your First YNFYF

Halloween might be over but the (genuinely) scary stories that Benas brings from Lithuania are just beginning. So although we might be late to the pumpkin carving,  the goods are still here as we tackle Robin Hardys landmark horror movie The Wicker Man (1973). Serving as the inspiration for so many movies after it, not least of which being Hot Fuzz, The Wicker Man, when you watch it from a remote house in Scotland where this podcast was recorded from, is a genuinely frightening film. The lack of so many horror elements is paradoxically why it works so well, the little to no music, stilted acting, no overly dark scenes or jump scares. Just a slow, crawling horror that gets under your skin. A little like the creaking door that kept joining as our fifth member. Enjoy. 

 
We’re exploding back on the scene with our most explosive debut where half the narrative revolves around explosions as explosions try to outdo other explosions in J. J. Abrams explosive debut Mission Impossible Three (2006). Its hard to imagine a film this large is a debut, but it set the tone for the rest of the franchise that continues to this day. From Lost, to getting lost in Lost, to wondering what exactly actually happened in Lost, JJ made a huge jump into mainstream filmmaking with MI3 and continued the trend into Star Wars. Stay tuned for Tom Cruise dressed as a nun doing questionable Italian accents and Benas Serrano Ham angle that made little to no sense. Enjoy.

We asked the ultimate question. Could AI direct? But literally though, could it actually direct? How would it work? Would it spit out garbage? Could it be creative? Direct actors? Squash producers? Work with a budget? Make something good? 
If you want to feel like you plugged your head into The Matrix whilst simultaneously having your brain whisked like scrambled eggs this is the episode for you. We go from the hilarious nonsensical scripts AI has pumped out to the bleeding edge of human consciousness, even throwing in an IWAAD (which is probably the most terrifying one we’ve ever had). We’ve also upped our production value just a tad - though you’ll have to listen to find out what. We can neither confirm nor deny it is/not including excerpts from films. Seriously...who'd have the audacity to do that? 

If you would have invented YNFYF, you would have invented YNFYF. But you didn’t. Thankfully we did, and if you can handle the truth of the witty quips and constant repetition we’re bringing this ep, then you’ll discover the truth of Aaron Sorkins debut, Mollys Game (2017). We’re no stranger to writer turned directors, but this particular case was unique given Sorkin is such a strong writer. Crafting his unique dialogue in films such as Steve Jobs, Moneyball, The Social Network - also that little mini series the West Wing - no matter who he works with, his voice finds its way to dominate the films he writes. Mollys Game follows the true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target. Sounds pretty Sorkin-ey. Drenched in so much legal speak we needed Louis on top form to dissect what the f**k was being talked about half the time. Enjoy. 

GRAB YOUR UNCUT GEMS as we’ve gone to the underbelly of New York in search of The Safdie Brothers and their debut film, Daddy LongLegs (2009). The film follows a father looking after his two kids, which, if you think sounds like an anomaly in the high octane, ‘underbelly of society’ types of films the Safdies make, then you’d be mistaken. In fact the film contains the very DNA of that nervous energy, bizarre characterisations and boots on the ground type of filmmaking the Safdies are synonymous with. The main actor of Daddy Longlegs, Ronald Bronstein, is essentially ‘the third Safdie brother’ acting as a co-writer and editor on all their films. If that filled your knowledge gaps, then dive on in to our neon soaked room, spend time with some shifty characters (Sparrow), and hear some stories that will keep the anxiety levels so high, you’ll be awake all night after listening. Either that, or you’re like Benas, a stone cold film-watcher (more on that in the ep). Enjoy.

What does a debut film podcast talk about, when it’s not debut films? In and amongst the wealth of first films we cover, we’re going to occasionally pepper in what we’re referring to as ‘hangout eps’ (name pending…) extra eps that are around directing and filmmaking, spurred by questions we find interesting. This is a total experiment for us, just like when Hans Zimmer insisted on playing loud horns in Inception every 5 minutes, and look how that turned out! 
 
You may have wondered from time to time what on earth a directors cut is (isn’t every film a directors cut?), how they come to exist, and if you’re obsessed with mentioning streaming giants every episode like us, wonder where 
the future of them lies as directors are given more and more autonomy when working with streamers. This was a really fun one to record, and we hope its as fun to listen back to. 🎬 
 
Website: www.youneverforgetyourfirst.com