The Criterion Collective David A Romero

Chosen by Collective member Jeanne Marie Spicuzza, Sullivan's Travels (1941) was written and directed by Preston Sturges and stars Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake. Sullivan's Travels follows the wealthy "King of Comedy" Hollywood director John L. Sullivan, a man who, upon recognizing he doesn't know about the plight of the common man, resolves to learn about poverty and hardship by dressing up as a homeless man and setting out on the road. 



Jeanne delves into the backstory of Preston Sturges, the first writer-turned-director in Hollywood, and explains how he lived a life of both personal strife and relative privilege, perhaps informing the story. Matt Sedillo details how Sullivan's Travels and Sturges' writing style influenced the work of the Coen Brothers in films such as O Brother Where Art Thou and The Hudsucker Proxy. David breaks down some of the social message scenes of the film, arguing that they might be more successful than the comedy. 



Join us next week as we discuss David's pick of the week Persona (1966) directed by Ingmar Bergman, starring Liv Ullmann!


---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecriterioncollective/support

Chosen by Collective member Matt Sedillo, Pather Panchali [Song of the Little Road] (1955) was directed by Satyajit Ray. Pather Panchali follows the lives of the members of the Ray family as they struggle with poverty in Bengal. A father with dreams frequently leaves in search of work, leaving his wife and children to deal with petty neighbors, a mischievous Auntie, and an inhospitable environment. 



Matt explains how Pather Panchali differentiates itself from other films about families in poverty by focusing more on the women than on the men, drawing a unique focus on them and the concerns they face. Jeanne talks about how the specificity of Indian culture, in everything from makeup, to dowries, to religious icons, and the unique class system, informs the events of the film. David talks about how the film presents industrialization in subtle and insidious ways, from trains to sweets, capturing not only its allure, but the negative impacts it has on the family and the rural community. 



Join us next week as we discuss Jeanne's pick of the week: Sullivan's Travels (1941) directed by Preston Sturges.


---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecriterioncollective/support

Chosen by special guest Paul Mabon (HBO's Def Poetry, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) Pan's Labyrinth (2006) is a fantasy/war/horror film from writer/director Guillermo del Toro. Ofelia and her mother Carmen move in with the sadistic fascist Captain Vidal as he searches for rebels in the mountains of Spain. At the same time, Ofelia is pulled into a dark and dangerous world of fairy tales that may be, just as, if not, more dangerous, than the real world. Will she survive? Is she really the Princess of the Underworld? Or, is it all an illusion? 

Paul details the many ways in which Captain Vidal is a complex and fascinating character, from his love of torture, to his obsession with his father's watch and legacy. Matt Sedillo situates the film in its historical context, pointing to other fascist leaders in Europe during the time of Franco's Spain and explains why the Republic failed. Jeanne Marie Spicuzza talks about the importance of truth, and how it, and sacrifice, can be the path to immortality and toppling fascism. David A. Romero explains how the film sets up multiple meals to portray the fascists' abundance contrasting with the scarcity inflicted upon the people. Join us next week as we discuss Matt's pick of the week: Pather Panchali (1955) directed by Satyajit Ray.


---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecriterioncollective/support

Chosen by Collective member Jeanne Marie Spicuzza, Burden of Dreams (1982) is a documentary directed by Les Blank about the making of Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo (1982), starring Werner Herzog and Klaus Kinski. Burden of Dreams is a film that raises a set of questions. Is it a film about the artist's struggle to persevere in even the most inhospitable conditions? Or, is it about an artist who is determined to find the most inhospitable conditions, and continue filming and staging dangerous set pieces against all reason and human decency? Is Burden of Dreams about a European filmmaker aware of the legacy of colonialism and committed to preserving indigenous cultures while filming in remote parts of Peru? Or, is it about a European intentionally and unintentionally continuing to portray and treat indigenous peoples as exotic others, whose lives and labor have less value than others? Jeanne praises Herzog's passion to see the film realized and his dedication to realism as a filmmaker. She reflects on the ways the film mirrors, and differs from, another documentary featuring Herzog and Kinski, My Best Fiend. Matt Sedillo points out how a labor council stopped Herzog from filming as cheaply and as recklessly as he intended, and so, he sought scabs and otherwise un-organized labor instead. David A. Romero condemns Herzog for his megalomania in endangering so many lives, but even he is amused, and captivated, by, Herzog's soliloquies. Join us next week as we welcome poet and actor Paul Mabon (HBO's Def Poetry, Officer Lou on Brooklyn-Nine) to discuss his pick for the week: Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth (2006)!


---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecriterioncollective/support

Chosen by special guest Iliana Carter (who unfortunately had to postpone her appearance), Bicycle Thieves (1948) is the Italian neo-realist masterpiece directed by Vittorio De Sica starring Lamberto Maggiorani. Bicycle Thieves is the story of Antonio Ricci and his son Bruno, and their attempts to find Antonio's stolen bicycle; a bicycle he needs for a job that will allow him to provide a better life for his family. In his desperation, Antonio will search far and wide, both neglecting and abusing others, including his son Bruno, in the process. Jeanne explains how the various Italian dialects displayed into the film inform us of the relationship between the characters, particularly in terms of class. Matt suggests that it is not enough to lament the injustice of the world, but to record who has wronged you, and make plans to avenge one's self. David points out how the film's tale both caused, and foreshadowed, the real-life struggles of Lamberto Maggiorani, the machinist found by De Sica to play Antonio Ricci, who fell into economic hardship following the release of Bicycle Thieves. Just as sad as the poor Antonio hanging posters of the glamorous, but exploited, Rita Hayworth, onto the walls of Rome, Maggiorani's face may have been plastered on walls in anticipation of the film's release, making him, too, a symbol of fame and fortune, fame and fortune he did not truly possess. Join us next week as we are joined by Iliana Carter to discuss a film of her choosing.



The Criterion Collective



Join poets and film lovers, Jeanne Marie Spicuzza (Night Rain), Matt Sedillo (Mowing Leaves of Grass), and David A. Romero (My Name Is Romero) as they meet each week, to form The Criterion Collective, discussing some of their favorite classic/foreign/art films. These are the films they connect with most deeply, the films that move and inspire them. They hope to inspire a new generation of cinephiles and cinéastes!



The Criterion Collective is a special production by the dA Center for the Arts in Pomona, CA. https://www.dacenter.org/



Intro and outro music, "Exploring the Inferno," by Myuu. https://www.thedarkpiano.com/


---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecriterioncollective/support

Chosen by special guests Stephanie and Amaya Spicuzza (producer and star of Night Rain, respectively), The Princess Bride (1987) is a fantasy romance comedy directed by Rob Reiner starring Robin Wright and Cary Elwes. A grandfather reads his grandson a book that he used to read to his son, and that his own father once read to him. The story is the tale of true love, of revenge, of genteel contests to the death, and of unlikely friendships. Jeanne talks about Vizzini, a character who isn't nearly as smart as he thinks he is; reflecting upon her own encounters with a few men who reminded her of him. She also shares that the phrase, "Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line!" has been appropriated by some macho men in real life who either don't know of its origin in the film, or didn't understand that it was ironic. Matt Sedillo shares that Inigo Montoya was a character who was formative to him, and in the lives of many young men, guiding their sense of nobility, the longevity of their grudges, and their sense of style. David contrasts the way he interpreted the film as a youth with the way he interprets the film now, no longer seeing the first sword fight as "so fake," but, also no longer being quite as terrified as the old woman in the courtyard booing Buttercup. Join us next week as we welcome Iliana Carter onto the show to review Bicycle Thieves (aka The Bicycle Thief)!



The Criterion Collective



Join poets and film lovers, Jeanne Marie Spicuzza (Night Rain), Matt Sedillo (Mowing Leaves of Grass), and David A. Romero (My Name Is Romero) as they meet each week, to form The Criterion Collective, discussing some of their favorite classic/foreign/art films. These are the films they connect with most deeply, the films that move and inspire them. They hope to inspire a new generation of cinephiles and cinéastes!



The Criterion Collective is a special production by the dA Center for the Arts in Pomona, CA. https://www.dacenter.org/



Intro and outro music, "Exploring the Inferno," by Myuu. https://www.thedarkpiano.com/


---

Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thecriterioncollective/support