ArtiFact: Books, Art, Culture

automachination
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  • Arts
  • Updated Semiweekly

The ArtiFact Podcast is a long-form show on books, culture, painting, and music hosted by Alex Sheremet, Joel Parrish, and a revolving door of co-hosts and guests. Each subject is covered in depth and at length, with past shows featuring the Epic of Gilgamesh, Charles Johnson's "Oxherding Tale", Leonard Shlain’s "Art & Physics", John Williams's "Stoner", and more. Opinionated, controversial, and prone to making enemies and friends of friends and enemies, ArtiFact delivers new perspectives on the arts by artists of talent.

  1. 7h ago

    Top Woody Allen Critic Gives DIRT On "Manhattan" (1979) | ArtiFact 72

    Mariel Hemingway dominates "Manhattan" (1979) as she plays the role of Tracy -- Woody Allen's own projection. While "Manhattan" has become a controversial film due to the substantial age gap relationship (Woody Allen's character, Isaac, is 42, while Tracy is 17), this was not the case upon its release. Instead, it was universally praised and further cemented Woody Allen as a master of both drama and comedy. The world's leading Woody Allen critic, Alex Sheremet, is joined by Irish poet Laura Woods for a discussion of the film's illusions and the changing POVs around it. You can also watch this discussion on YouTube: https://youtu.be/HTHBvojj-vc Read Alex Sheremet's essay on "Manhattan": https://www.automachination.com/illusions-woody-allen-manhattan-review/ Subscribe to Patreon and get the full show ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/c/automachination  Bonus show topics: more controversy surrounding Mariel Hemingway; how Tracy's precociousness fails; the meaning of the great planetarium imagery; more cinematography; Isaac's bout of self-recognition; why Meryl Streep kept Isaac's last name; the "gay son"; the theme of "surprise" divorces; vicarious relationships in real life; Roger Ebert weasels out of praising "Manhattan"; black and white vs. color; Alex goes to Guyana for photography; why Dan Schneider listens to podcasts of himself; why "Annie Hall" is popular among women; Alex previews his Burma/Palestine research; why pre-Christian Jews fought other Abrahamic Jews; how theology adapts to heresy; Israel vs. Judea; AI art; milestones of world poetry; Shakespeare trutherism; Alex's literary run-in with a Mormon missionary; it's much easier to find great photography than great poetry Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Learn about our debut film, "From There To There: Bruce Ario, the Minneapolis Poet": https://www.automachination.com/cityboy-bruce-ario-great-american-novel/ Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet's (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Timestamps: 0:00 -- Mariel Hemingway dominates Woody Allen's "Manhattan" 0:47 -- the film's illusions 2:27 -- Laura's soft spot for "Manhattan"; drawing the viewer into illusions and delusions 5:16 -- unreliable narrators; Isaac Davis is supposed to be a bad artist 12:22 -- Diane Keaton's anxieties; Woody Allen is merely depicting the artists he's known; how art gets misused by the elites 20:30 -- art is high stakes; not everyone can be a genius!; the artistic character of New York vs. Midwest; Laura on Diane Keaton's great artistic range 26:40 -- Mariel Hemingway dominates the film as an idealized male projection; Mariel Hemingway as a composite of Woody Allen's teen girlfriends; how men show off young women; why "Manhattan" is slightly better than "Annie Hall" 33:23 -- Woody Allen's "fake" vehicular homicide joke; the men in "Manhattan" have a strict moral code meant to miss the big picture; Woody Allen's peculiar use of self-delusion 37:47 -- Mariel Hemingway is the only one who "gets" Diane Keaton; how realistic is Mariel Hemingway's character; Tracy will probably grow out of Woody Allen's character 48:50 -- the DARK ending of "Manhattan"; how Woody Allen plays both sides; reviewers didn't analyze the film's more controversial themes in 1979; UK/Irish perceptions of relationship power dynamics 58:08 -- patron preview Tags: #woodyallen  #filmpodcast #cinematography

    59 min

  2. May 11

    Two Actresses & World's Leading Woody Allen Expert Analyze "Hannah and Her Sisters" | ArtiFact #71

    Woody Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters" remains an undisputed classic in the director's filmography, yet just like "Manhattan", "Interiors," and "Annie Hall," it is often misunderstood. The film's ending, for example, is not what it appears to be, while Woody Allen's fixation on death masks an even darker fixation on the meaninglessness of his own life. In ArtiFact 71, the world's leading Woody Allen critic, Alex Sheremet, is joined by actresses Christina Behnke and Jacklyn Collier to discuss the film's daring use of music, psychoanalyze the dynamics between characters, and touch on separating the artist from the art. You can also watch this discussion on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JrO8BrjR9s Read Alex Sheremet's essay on "Hannah and Her Sisters": https://www.automachination.com/greatness-woody-allen-hannah-sisters/ Subscribe to Patreon and get the full show ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/c/automachination Follow Jacklyn Collier on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacklyncollier/ Follow Christina Behnke on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christina_behnke/ Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Learn about our debut film, "From There To There: Bruce Ario, the Minneapolis Poet": https://www.automachination.com/cityboy-bruce-ario-great-american-novel/ Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet's (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Timestamps: 0:00 -- Woody Allen's fixation on death 0:54 -- introduction; Alex Sheremet's book on Woody Allen's filmography; when Woody Allen was cool; culture vs. posture; perception vs. reality in "Hannah and Her Sisters"; Woody Allen as didactic art; how Alex got over his initial "dislike" of the film 8:29 -- the three sisters dynamic in Woody's films; Christina: this was my first experience of female dramatic complexity on film; 3 siblings means ever-shifting partnerships; illusions in "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Manhattan"; how Woody Allen makes you root for bad behavior and characters 15:15 -- is Hannah actually a benign character; Hannah as the resented caretaker; Jacklyn: the scene that wrecked me!; marital dysfunction in Hannah's relationships; poor relationship dynamics are always co-created; psychoanalyzing the parallels between Elliot & Hannah / Frederick & Lee 27:40 -- Woody Allen's use of humor in "Hannah and Her Sisters"; everyone catastrophizes except Hannah; how the nerdy, short, confident guy can be extremely charismatic; Woody Allen LIES about his own artistic achievements; Woody Allen's death-fixation is constantly made fun of, for good reason 34:25 -- Woody Allen's awareness of human nature; Dianne Wiest's cab scene with the architect (Sam Waterston); competition between women over men; the film's great use of music across 3 scenes; the film's faux happy endings; Dianne Wiest vs. Woody Allen chemistry; how characters talk about each other out of earshot 45:35 -- Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" plays with the Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman marriage, just like "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Husbands and Wives" tackles Mia Farrow/Woody Allen's real lives; dysfunction in the Mia Farrow household; does Woody Allen critique Mia Farrow in "Alice" 54:00 -- why are women so tolerant of Woody Allen's art; will Woody Allen be remembered for his misdeeds or his art; film is too cumulative to erase everyone's contributions; separating the art from the artist; Alex: Woody Allen films improved my sense of self and moral compass 1:04:03 -- more humor in "Hannah and Her Sisters"; Woody is so Jewish that he doesn't understand Christian iconography; Woody Allen's Nazi jokes; Jacklyn: exploring art is exploring the self; the girls debate whether we've ever lightly & innocuously stalked anyone 1:12:55 -- how realistic are the film's rivalries; Alex: my grandma's frenemy 1:16:46 -- is there artistic value in bad decisions; how "Annie Hall" gets perceived by young immature men; Elliot's happy ending is only self-serving; support REAL podcasting!!! Tags: #HannahAndHerSisters #WoodyAllen #FilmAnalysis

    1h 24m

  3. May 5

    World's Leading Woody Allen Expert Reviews "Interiors" | ArtiFact 70

    Woody Allen's "Interiors" is a poorly understood film, in part because it deals with artists and their foibles for a non-artistic audience. There are misunderstandings about Woody Allen's POV vs. the POV of his characters, misunderstandings about the nature of art and aesthetics, and even the role of cinematic influences on Allen, such as through Ingmar Bergman. In this episode of the ArtiFact Podcast, the world's leading Woody Allen critic, Alex Sheremet, discusses "Interiors" with other film critics and artists, bringing the deepest and broadest conversation on the film. You can also watch this discussion on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbZPk64mmTw Subscribe to Patreon and get the full show ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/c/automachination Read Alex Sheremet's essay on "Interiors": https://www.automachination.com/interiors-woody-allen-analysis-review Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Learn about our debut film, "From There To There: Bruce Ario, the Minneapolis Poet": https://www.automachination.com/cityboy-bruce-ario-great-american-novel/ Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet's (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Bonus show topics: ranking Woody Allen films; differentiating Woody making fun of pseudo-intellectualism vs. critics' pseudo-intellectualism; nitpicking "Husbands & Wives"; John Ashbery's "Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror"; Alex discusses opening up new emotions in his poetry; "Grandma": Bruce Ario's poetry on grief; Alex's triptych of autobiography, novella, and book-length poem; Enneagram Type 5 vs. astrological Libra; why Alex's first film felt so magical; why Alex doesn't want to do fictional films; is pure writing more satisfying than filmmaking; Jessica Schneider's grave mishap; Zeke's conspicuous tattoo; "Blue Lagoon" discourse; why writing sucks now while photography/filmmaking is having a moment; AI hack-poetry is STILL better than academic hack-writing; why the HELL did Woody Allen destroy his life via Jeffrey Epstein; how kids get destroyed through private schooling; Jessica Schneider on PLAYGIRL; and much more...Timestamps: 0:42 -- the world's foremost Woody Allen expert chimes in; Woody's use of three sisters plays with viewer expectations; Joey (Mary Beth Hurt) as a non-creative archetype; Flyn as the self-aware "empty vessel"; Renata (Diane Keaton) as the viewer's perception; Frederick as the self-loathing hack; Geraldine Page is great as Eve 8:10 -- "Interiors" is very much a Woody Allen film, not an Ingmar Bergman one; Eve's fascination with artists; Eve represents the tension between art and aesthetics; Eve's use of purely aesthetic language hides her inability to really discuss art; why the $400 vase is barely shown on-screen 17:42 -- art seems to offer nothing to these characters; why would Michael stay with Joey?; the use of family members as meat-shields against one another; Michael's nurturing political side is desirable to Joey; the wounded-bird complex for men; relationships & passivity 28:40 -- all 3 men depicted are passive or weak; money does not buy self-respect; Renata is with Frederick because he is not as talented; Renata might not believe her own self-conception about art; Renata speaks to her therapist as if he is not even there 33:30 -- Woody Allen's nuanced characters; Flyn is both more self-aware and interesting than first assumed; Frederick isn't wrong, just wrong in his approach; deep down, these people are all superficial; Flyn's underlying sadness; we hear comments about Flyn only from others; Flyn has the purest reaction to Eve's death 44:30 -- Eve has problems, but Arthur is quite flawed too; "Interiors" & Former Gifted Kid Syndrome; Arthur marries Pearl after only a few weeks, but Pearl wants this too; what is Pearl hiding; everyone gets something out of dysfunctional relationships; Woody Allen was ready to compromise his own film! 53:53 -- is Woody Allen a people-pleaser; the film's color and cinematography; Woody Allen's underrated use of audio even without music; "September" vs. "Interiors"; Ezekiel Yu's comments on the film's composition; connections to "Long Day's Journey Into Night" 1:02:30 -- the film's ending: was that really Eve's final suicide attempt; Joey's potential fantasy; can Eve actually drive that far into Long Island; the death scene as an anti-symbol 1:08:05 -- the Joey archetype: emotional and expressionistic but uncreative; art as self-esteem; Joey's final journal entries are hopeful, as she is now expressing basic emotions; artists who can't create art; Renata's dishonesty with Joey; art vs. belonging 1:17:10 -- many "artists" just want validation, not great art; PATRON show preview...

    1h 20m

  4. Apr 28

    "Once Upon A Time In Anatolia" In-Depth Analysis | Nuri Bilge Ceylan's Masterpiece | ArtiFact #69: Alex Sheremet, Keith Jackewicz

    Turkey's Nuri Bilge Ceylan is our greatest living filmmaker, and 2011's "Once Upon A Time In Anatolia" is still his greatest film. Set deep in the heart of an ancient land, the film probes both myth and psychology in seamless fashion. In ArtiFact no. 69, filmmaker Alex Sheremet and critic Keith Jackewicz analyze the film in-depth. You can watch this discussion on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMYGO5OLlZw Subscribe to Patreon and get the full show ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/c/automachination Read Dan Schneider's essay on "Once Upon A Time In Anatolia": https://www.automachination.com/masterpiece-nuri-bilge-ceylan-anatolia/ Bonus show topics: Ceylan's influences; favorite vs. best films; extracting artistic influence from less-than-great films; Alex's digital detox; Keith's frustration with a VERY foxlike dog; Alex's doglike cat; the ignorance of the Trump administration; Alex bullies Max "Shit Tank" Abrahms on Twitter; America was sold moronic propaganda about Iran; Persia as the fulcrum of the world; after crying wolf for decades, ACTUAL anti-Semitism is now coming to America; destroying the neoliberal dream; dissecting Professor Jiang Xueqin; is China "innately" anti-war; oppression in Xinjian vs. America's targeting of nonwhites; why is America so brutal in its punishments; Alex's VIRAL post attracts Japanese nationalist weirdos; Japan's Unit 731 vs. Germany's Josef Mengele; assessing the 2028 election contenders; and much more... Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Learn about our debut film, "From There To There: Bruce Ario, the Minneapolis Poet": https://www.automachination.com/cityboy-bruce-ario-great-american-novel/ Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet's (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Timestamps: 0:00 -- why Nuri Bilge Ceylan is the greatest living filmmaker; the one question Keith didn't get to ask Ceylan; the John Cassavetes connection; why "Once Upon A Time In Anatolia" is difficult to discuss 6:20 -- Once Upon A Time In Anatolia vs. Once Upon A Time In The West; how the film plays with myth without touching mythology; the symbolism of time 16:15 -- landscape as psychology; viewer empathy for the film's "killers"; Ceylan's unique use of humor; Arab: slur or diminutive? 27:56 -- the poetic use of past tense dictation of present tense events; odd details during the autopsy scene 32:16 -- the trope of "gorgeous women"; Nuri Bilge Ceylan's use of masculinity; women are kept at a distance; how a stray comment becomes central to the film 38:50 -- cinematic contrasts; village teenager with a lamp vs. Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam"; Ceylan's idea that "everything must be earned these days"; psychological profiles 49:15 -- is light vs. dark a cinematic cliche; can we say definitively what happened (or didn't happen) with the murder; "Once Upon A Time In Anatolia" is the better version of Kurosawa's "Rashomon"; the lack of clarity is the point 59:55 -- Alex: as a viewer, I avoided creating "the" definitive narrative in my mind; the great symbolism of the squirt of blood at the autopsy 1:09:10 -- one of the few films worth the Blu-Ray release; the anti-symbol of the rolling apples; "Once Upon A Time In Anatolia" is 99/100; Nuri Bilge Ceylan has the GREATEST list of "best films ever"; Steve McQueen gave up his chance at being the world's greatest filmmaker 1:17:15 -- dream-like sequences in the film; did Kenan "see" his friend's asphyxiation; the dog at the film's start vs. the dog at the end; the more ethereal elements that go into great filmmaking Tags: #film #turkey #türkiye

    1h 29m

  5. Apr 8

    Love vs. Marriage in "Blue Valentine" | ArtiFact 68: Christina Behnke, Alex Sheremet

    Derek Cianfrance's "Blue Valentine" (2010) remains one of the greatest and most realistic depictions of marriage on film. It eschews melodrama in favor of granularity, avoids the typical pitfalls of "relationship films," and probes both characters' psyches, ensuring that neither of them can avoid blame for the state of their marriage. Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) deliver great performances that the film's psychological realism demands. You can also watch this discussion on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fI9c95zSC7A Become a Patron and get the show ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/c/automachination Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Learn about our debut film, "From There To There: Bruce Ario, the Minneapolis Poet": https://www.automachination.com/cityboy-bruce-ario-great-american-novel/ Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet's (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Timestamps: 1:05 -- introducing Derek Cianfrance's "Blue Valentine"; who's that white girl??? 2:59 -- initial and later impressions of the film; the effectiveness of its time-jumps; the symbolic and imagistic power of the opening scene; does Dean have a stronger relationship to Megan than her mother? 8:45 -- biases against Dean from female viewers; Dean is a playmate but not really a parent; Alex defends "feral children"; Dean is oddly good with women, but also fears them; Dean's alcoholism; Cindy might not be a drug addict, but she has other addictions and emotional dysregulation 15:49 -- she buys a lot of alcohol for the hotel; Cindy's many sexual partners and inability to connect emotionally; self-loathing & self-abnegation; how people pick and choose their addictions and patterns 21:16 -- substance vs. emotional abuse; Dean's romanticism kills him; personal neediness in both creates this relationship; limerence and projection 26:24 -- Dean says women settle, yet he settles; Dean only begins to drink after this marriage; do they have a deeper "reason" to be together; if she did not get pregnant by an ex, they would have broken up; why did Cindy refuse to go through the abortion? 30:28 -- men's simulated selflessness; Dean and Cindy knows each other's vulnerabilities; impulsivity in both; male/female hero complex; doing your best in the face of hypothetical "meaninglessness" 35:51 -- male sexual strategy in "Blue Valentine"; lack of attraction in this marriage; Alex: the male point of view is idealistic, but not innately unjust; relationships are the ONLY place for cosmic justice 40:36 -- their courtship is sweet and charming, but not necessarily romantic 44:48 -- Dean should have never made his offer; genuine moments of tenderness in "Blue Valentine"; is there an actual "good partner" for Cindy out there 52:12 -- don't start with relationships based on ambiguity; the bus scene soundtrack is rather creepy and ominous; "Blue Valentine" is one of the best depictions of relationships on film 57:42 -- "Blue Valentine" is tied to the times; the "meet cute" inversion; the endpoint of Millennial hipster culture; the Lena Dunham connection 1:00:44 -- the dangers of love at first sight; how fast crushes tend to flame out; Alex shares a GRIM story from his youth... 1:05:13 -- why Alex thinks their marriage might have ended; the anti-symbolism of the film's ending; why Dean has grown more than Cindy; filming around a dying battery; the conversation in the love motel Tags: #film #review #relationships

    1h 12m

  6. Mar 19

    Kubrick vs. Epstein: "Eyes Wide Shut" | ArtiFact 67: Christina Behnke, Alex Sheremet

    Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" was never meant to be an erotic thriller, but a supreme glimpse into human psychology. Alice (Nicole Kidman) and Bill (Tom Cruise) are well-suited for each other's inner dreamscapes. In fact, the entire film should be seen as a kind of dream: from the improbable action, to the way that certain characters mirror one another, to the ways in which even fantasy is ultimately defanged. This is Kubrick's only real "relationship" film, and it remains one of the greatest depictions of marriage on screen. More recently, Stanley Kubrick and "Eyes Wide Shut" have been the subject of conspiracy theories. Jeffrey Epstein's crimes entangled many otherwise "respected" elites, and filmmaker Alex Sheremet and actress/producer Christina Behnke break down the implications.   You can also watch this discussion on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnDZNmplQzE   Subscribe to Patreon and get the full show ad-free: https://www.patreon.com/c/automachination   Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Learn about our debut film, "From There To There: Bruce Ario, the Minneapolis Poet": https://www.automachination.com/cityboy-bruce-ario-great-american-novel/ Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet's (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Timestamps: 0:51 -- Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" is not an erotic thriller; Lolita vs. Kubrick's peak film psychology; the relationship film; picking at the Jeffrey Epstein connection 03:34 -- Christina Behnke's lifelong relationship with "Eyes Wide Shut"; identifying with the characters; "Eyes Wide Shut" is a much better title than its source material, the novella "Dream Story"; the autopilot of marriage 9:05 -- "Eyes Wide Shut" as a dreamscape; the mirroring of characters & situations; the lack of consummation; the film's many blondes; Stanley Kubrick's NYC is like his dream of New York City; impossible physical dimensions; this is not the real Greenwich Village 16:06 -- Tom Cruise as actor and character; playing with the public marriage of Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise; connecting to Mia Farrow in Woody Allen's "Husbands and Wives" 21:40 -- the use of ambient vs. diegetic sound via Shostakovich; logical vs. illogical action; "Nicole Kidman's lovely body"; Alice is bored at the party; the Hungarian vs. "two models" sequence; is Alice really in control while dancing; superficiality in Bill & Alice; Catullus vs. Ovid 30:20 -- the overdose scene; Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman get home; "plain" cinematography furthers the dreamscape; jealousy 38:20 -- is Alice's fantasy a form of infidelity; Christina on Alice's psychology; Alex thinks Alice's fantasy is out of bounds for her own true self; how Kubrick makes "marital psychology" digestible and understandable 49:33 -- Alice should not be taken literally; are men more romantic than women; is a lack of jealousy an issue for relationships; Alex identifying with Bill; PEACH, Alex, PREACH; do women pity men 1:02:00 -- Bill get propositioned by his patient's daughter; Tom Cruise is further fed the worst fantasies; cultivating fantasy 1:06:00 -- the Jeffrey Epstein connection; dismissing the Stanley Kubrick & Eyes Wide Shut conspiracy theories; the Epstein class is bored and boring; Ziegler is crude & rude; Nick Nightingale calls forth sexual imagery in Ziegler 1:12:20 -- the "boring" orgy as a critique of the POINT, rather than on the film; 1999 tabloids for Eyes Wide Shut; the edited vs. unedited versions; is there such a thing as a non-boring orgy; the symbolism of the password, FIDELIO; the ceremony feels more exciting than the action Patron show topics: Stanley Kubrick and "Jewishness"; more on Epstein psychology; Alex gets REAL about his super knavish year; the importance of the bed-mask scene; "Eyes Wide Shut" has a great ending...

    1h 23m

  7. Feb 23

    Did "Children of Men" Predict The Future? | ArtiFact #66: Keith Jackewicz, Alex Sheremet

    Alfonso Cuaron's "Children of Men" (2006) is enjoying a renaissance not only for its aesthetic qualities, but also its prescience. In the 2000s, overpopulation was still being discussed, and immigration wasn't the major topic. A post-racial America was declared, but ultimately dismissed. Taking place in 2027, "Children of Men" depicts refugees, fascism and domestic repression, a fertility crisis, Islam-as-rebellion, and a post-racial world in 2027, where one's place of birth is the great hierarchy. In ArtiFact #66, filmmaker Alex Sheremet and critic Keith Jackewicz tackle Alfonso Cuaron and his artistic philosophy. You can also watch this discussion on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/bDptk-kq01g   Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Learn about our debut film, "From There To There: Bruce Ario, the Minneapolis Poet": https://www.automachination.com/cityboy-bruce-ario-great-american-novel/ Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet's (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 -- a looming post-racial hierarchy? 1:00 -- futurism in sci-fi; why a filmmaker must critique films; technical greatness vs. artistic greatness 2:51 -- Keith on social vs. artistic accomplishment; why Britain "survives"; aesthetic vs. artistic greatness; why Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend" is the supreme example of sci-fi greatness; the realism of civil war in "Children of Men" 11:55 -- world-building vs. art; assessing the characters; Michael Caine is uncharacteristic as the hippie Jasper 16:16 -- why prescient art tends to be greater; the realistic assessments of technology in "Children of Men"; 1970s vibe to technology and militancy; cybernetics; by contrast, David Foster Wallace's "Infinite Jest" fails; Barack Obama's "post-racial moment" was false, whereas here it seems to exist; class stratification; native-born vs. foreign-born; did Britain have anti-migrant talking points in the 2000s; missing Ethan Pinch 28:20 -- the use of keffiyehs, Islam, and Arab militancy in "Children of Men"; prefiguring Hamas; the film is more plot-driven than narrative-driven; the writing isn't very memorable, but there aren't many cliches either; one example of cliche-inversion; cliches vs. predictability 36:40 -- the use of religion & Christianity; although not subtle, the manger scene is better than expected; Theo & Jasper in conversation; "Children of Men" could have used more off-the-cuff conversation; Baby Diego as a "wanker"; creating a distinct world through difference 45:43 -- predicting infertility & the refugee crisis as the "serious" issues of today 50:04 -- great color grading in "Children of Men"; the use of handheld camera for subject/object transitions; purpose of blood drops on the lens; long shots in a way that isn't showy 56:14 -- assessing Alfonso Cuaron's aesthetic philosophy; film in search of narrative vs. narrative in search of film; doing one's own cinematography; what else "Children of Men" does well; Alex: everything is downstream of the written word, PERIOD; the Au Hasard Balthazar connection Tags: #film #review #filmmaking

    1h 7m

  8. Feb 19

    Exposing The Epstein Class | ArtiFact 65: Alex Sheremet, Keith Jackewicz

    The release of the Jeffrey Epstein files have further eroded the status quo. People all over the world have recognized the Epstein class is bipartisan, and we dissect the implications. You can also watch this discussion on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9sOo4z7s3A Subscribe to the ArtiFact podcast on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3xw2M4D Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3wLpqEV Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/2SVJIxB Podbean: https://bit.ly/3yzLuUo iHeartRadio: https://ihr.fm/3AK942L Learn about our debut film, "From There To There: Bruce Ario, the Minneapolis Poet": https://www.automachination.com/cityboy-bruce-ario-great-american-novel/ Read more from the automachination universe: https://automachination.com Read Alex Sheremet's (archived) essays: https://alexsheremet.com Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/automachination Timestamps: 0:00 -- film updates; previewing Alfonso Cuoron's Children of Men; the coming treasonous war with Iran 2:11 -- the purpose of the Jeffrey Epstein abuse ring; "flooding the zone" with nonsense; cabals as the end of history; Epstein covered up bigger crimes in his emails; not funny, not smart, not even Daffy Duck; Seagate vs. Coney Island; Epstein as a trend-riding networker; Michael Tracey is a ******; how Epstein used intellectuals to whitewash himself; evidence of blackmail; Bill Gates spikes his wife's food with antibiotics; why Prince Andrew's downfall is revealing; Epstein and arms trafficking 18:48 -- Jeffrey Epstein and the Zionist superstructure; was Epstein a "liberal" Zionist?; how Ehud Barak paved the road for Israel's genocide; Woody Allen and Peter Beinart as liberal Zionists; Woody's anti-Semitic joke; Alex Sheremet is the foremost expert on Woody Allen's films; does Alex regret writing his book on Woody? 35:03 -- Michael Tracey & Epstein minimization; the Sultan's "torture video"; the DOJ's unnecessary redactions; did Trump cause Epstein's first arrest; the Alex Acosta / Alan Dershowitz angle; Alex Tooze's comments; why is the Epstein class so boring 46:06 -- the Jewish supremacist angle; a top Zionist seems to have pimped out her daughter; did Epstein have Jewish victims; Middle Eastern abuse rings; the targeting of Russian & Ukrainian women 57:28 -- Epstein & the dehumanization of sex workers; definitions of sex trafficking; fraud & coercion; Epstein victims (mostly) have the same stories; the Leon Black story; Virginia Giuffre; hundreds of court settlements are under de facto gag order; does Michael Tracey abuse women?; the consensus view; can you imagine Michael Tracey eating p**** Patron show preview: Does Michael Tracey have the spirituality to worship the cl*t; erosion of the status quo; the implosion of Barack Obama; Trump's presidency is being perceived as disastrous; why was Chomsky so fascinated by Epstein; old-school leftists had problems with age of consent; Gore Vidal and Roman Polanski; more on Woody Allen; the Soon Yi Previn angle -- why did she defend Anthony Weiner???; Woody Allen was a "legal" abuser; Epstein helped Woody Allen's children get into a top school; how Woody Allen's films shaped Alex Sheremet's psychology; previewing my Eyes Wide Shut conversation  #epstein #politics #princeandrew

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About

The ArtiFact Podcast is a long-form show on books, culture, painting, and music hosted by Alex Sheremet, Joel Parrish, and a revolving door of co-hosts and guests. Each subject is covered in depth and at length, with past shows featuring the Epic of Gilgamesh, Charles Johnson's "Oxherding Tale", Leonard Shlain’s "Art & Physics", John Williams's "Stoner", and more. Opinionated, controversial, and prone to making enemies and friends of friends and enemies, ArtiFact delivers new perspectives on the arts by artists of talent.

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