The Princes Of Cinema

The Academy Award train rolls onto Northern Ireland, as we discuss Kenneth Branagh's autobiographical boyhood film which won Best Original Screenplay. The man is more than a Shakespearean actor it seems. We are joined on our journey by a guest-friend-warrior-poet, Dan Canders. By virtue of his degree from the University of Notre Dame, he is a perfect expert on the topic people who happen to fight and are also Irish. We discuss: "The Troubles", other pieces of Irish cinema, childhood, and immigration.

Our first episode on music docs. If you know the name Mahalia Jackson or if you don't, this episode is for you. If you want to be a fly on the wall for Metallica's group therapy sessions, this episode is for you. Join us as we cover this year's Academy Award for Best Documentary, Summer of Soul , a work by Questlove on the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. We also review the film Metallica: Some Kind of Monster , following the band's dysfunction as they record their 2003 album  St. Anger. We also discuss: Bill's workout routines, Stevie Wonder on the drum kit, and the music doc genre itself.

 Aaand we're back. To kick of Season 2 of more princes and more cinema, we invite you to deep dive into an immersive director you all know and love. Join in as we explore Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), and Gladiator (at the dawn of the new millennium). Themes may seem disparate, from outer space to ancient Rome, but we tie it all together with secret insights and visual clues. Join us. 

For the season finale, Crown Prince William must decide if Tim's all-time favorite film can unseat La Dolce Vita from the top of the podium. They are joined in conversation by Jessica Sweeney of the Collegium Institute in Philadelphia and John O'Brien of the Aquinas Forum in Denver.  The aim: Explore themes universal and particular in Terrence Malick's 2011 film, which won the coveted Palme d'Or at Cannes and which Wikipedia dubs "an American epic experimental drama film." What more could we add?  Journey with us to the childhood streets of Waco, TX and all the way to the Big Bang itself. As Malick's screenplay says, using images gives a sense of scope: "A child; the similarity in form between the shape of his ear and that of an oyster shell, between the cowlick at the crown of his head and a galaxy."

The Princes welcome to their court Connelly, Dane Connelly - a veritable encyclopedia of all things Bond. We discuss luxury watches, jet skis, Goldeneye for n64, and so much more. We dig into the early, fun Connery films like From Russia with Love and compare them with the newer, more psychological Craigs. Join us for an episode that's shaken, not stirred, even though it dilutes your martini too much.

This week the Princes are joined by a bonafide King: Shawtane Bowen (Astronomy Club, Netflix, and, of course, former UCB Harold team Fluffty). We discuss two Hitchcock + Jimmy Stewart classics: Rope , a murder-mystery stage production innovatively translated to film via long takes & Rear Window , an ode to voyeurism, close ups of Jimmy Stewart, and Grace Kelly's charm. Come for a double-helping of Jimmy Stewart, stay for the minor audio issues and adorable dog guest appearances.