The Movie Shelf

The Movie Shelf

Married couple Eric & Sannah pick a movie off their shelf to talk about.

  1. 04/14/2023

    18. The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944)

    We're excited to welcome writer, friend, and fellow movie fan Hannah Long on to the show to talk about one of our very family comedies, Preston Sturges's "The Miracle of Morgan's Creek." Read ⁠Hannah's piece⁠ about "Ride the High Country" and Terry Teachout on Plough Quarterly. This is the second Preston Sturges film we have discussed on The Movie Shelf. See our discussion with Titus Techera on "Christmas in July" here. Follow Hannah on Twitter Follow Sannah on Twitter Follow Eric on Twitter

    1h 9m

  2. 01/22/2023

    16. Adam Sandler the Artist, Pt. 2

    Adam Sandler deserves a critical re-evaluation as a great American artist working in the low- and middle-brow. In recent years, critics have begun to recognize Sandler as a great actor, due to his work with the Safdie brothers, Noah Baumbach, and P. T. Anderson. However, we believe in the future film critics and historians will reflect on his filmography and see him for what he is: a great comic artist, an auteur, even a poet, for the working class and average American concerns, especially for the '90s and '00s but with continuing relevance into the '10s and '20s. In this, part two of our analysis of what interests Adam Sandler, we pick right back up where we left off in part one, beginning with a discussion of "Mr. Deeds." We feel this re-imagined Capra film is central to understanding Sandler's message. While stopping here and there to mention some key elements of other films, we focus the rest of our discussion on "Spanglish" and our underdog pick, "The Cobbler." The latter was key for our guest, Ethan McGuire, in his own re-evaluation of Sandler. You can listen to part one here. Follow Ethan McGuire on Twitter @AHeavyMetalPen. For links to his various writings check out his website, TheFlummoxed.com. For his film and culture essays for The Dispatch, click here. Contact Eric on Twitter @confilmbuff and Sannah @SannahMcDonough.

    1h 1m

  3. 01/17/2023

    15. Adam Sandler the Artist, Pt. 1

    What topic could be important enough to bring Eric & Sannah back after a year and half break? Adam Sandler, what else? The Sandman was recently announced as the next recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and we have guest Ethan McGuire (@AHeavyMetalPen) on with an analysis—and, ultimately, a defense—of Sandler as an American artist, an auteur, even a poet, working in the low and middle brow. Despite a negative reputation that has lasted far too long, we all agree—Sandler is worthy of respect from audiences and critics alike. Don’t believe us? We still think you’ll find Ethan’s defense worth a listen. Note: we chose to focus on a select few films, especially those which can help to understand Sandler’s point of view as an artist. As such, we won’t spend much time on recent critical favorites like Uncut Gems, which show off his acting abilities but don’t get at his interests.

    57 min

  4. 07/23/2021

    14. Titus Techera on Christmas in July (1940) & Preston Sturges

    Special guest Titus Techera joins Eric and Sannah to discuss Preston Sturges’ second film as writer-director, “Christmas in July” (1940), starring Dick Powell and Ellen Drew. Themes discussed include advertising, our need for acceptance, America’s obsession with aristocracy, using “science” as a way to elevate our status, and more! Titus Techera is the Executive Director of the American Cinema Foundation and hosts the ACFmovie podcast. He is a contributor to Law & Liberty, Modern Age, and other publications. He’s also on Substack at pomocon.substack.com, and he tweets as @titusfilm. You can find Eric on Twitter at @confilmbuff and Sannah at @sannahmcdonough.

    1h 1m

  5. 07/15/2021

    13. Rear Window (1954)

    In episode 13, Sannah and Eric talk about “Rear Window,” one of the best of the best from the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. This film came around the beginning of Hitchcock’s great string of films in the 1950s that showed the master in peak form. We talk about the surface-level reading of the film as a perfectly constructed thriller, but also delve into the deeper themes that come out after multiple viewings, including how the director uses the angle of the “voyeur” to show how Jeff puts his own dilemma with Lisa into the lives of those who live around him. Join us for this discussion and subscribe to the podcast for more.

    50 min

  6. 07/08/2021

    12. The Rocketeer (1991)

    For its 30th anniversary, Sannah and Eric talk about the 1991 live-action Disney adventure film, The Rocketeer, based on the comic of the same name by Dave Stevens. Inspired by old serials and newer hits like the Indiana Jones movies, The Rocketeer hits a sweet spot between old school Disney magic and well-constructed, classic adventure. Directed by the always-inventive Joe Johnston, this stylish, pulpy family film is a classic in our house. It stars Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, and Timothy Dalton, fresh from his turn as James Bond.

    55 min

  7. 05/26/2021

    11. Oklahoma! (1955)

    Coming to you from Kansas City, where everything’s up to date and where we’ve gone about as “fur” as we can go, is episode 11 of The Movie Shelf. Eric and Sannah visit the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic “Oklahoma!”, directed by Fred Zinnemann, where the corn grows as high as an elephant’s eye, and a simple backdrop of a country dance gives way to an exploration of naivety, optimism, romance, and morality in the face of changing times. And all that in a family musical! We begin by discussing the blu-ray release and its differing Todd-AO and CinemaScope versions, and its release on Disney+. Then we talk about the movie, its characters, and its themes, and why it deserves a revisit. Eric is on Twitter at @confilmbuff and Sannah is @SannahMcDonough. Thanks for listening!

    55 min

  8. 04/12/2021

    10. A Night to Remember (1958) vs. Titanic (1997) - and More!

    Sannah & Eric are back to talk about movie adaptations of the Titanic disaster. There have been many through the years. We start by comparing the two must-sees from the list: Roy Ward Baker’s adaptation of Walter Lord’s famous book of the same name, “A Night to Remember” (1958), and James Cameron’s wildly successful “Titanic” (1997). The bulk of our discussion focuses on these two. Then we spend the rest of the time discussing various other adaptations we’ve seen, giving our recommendations for the ones we feel are worth seeing. Other films included are: Saved from the Titanic (1912) (Lost film) La Hantise (1912) In Nacht und Eis (1912) Atlantic (1929) Cavalcade (1933) Titanic (1943) (aka “Nazi Titanic”) Titanic (1953) The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964) S.O.S. Titanic (1979) Raise the Titanic (1980) The Legend of the Titanic (1999) Titanic: The Legend Goes On (2000) Ghosts of the Abyss (2003) Titanic’s Final Mystery (Smithsonian documentary from 2012) Thanks for listening!

    1h 29m
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About

Married couple Eric & Sannah pick a movie off their shelf to talk about.

Information

  • Creator
    The Movie Shelf
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2023
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Movie Shelf
  • Show Website
    The Movie Shelf