Posts

"I'll Take a Trifecta on Ridley Scott"

 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. 

The Tree of Life

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."

007

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.

Rope / Rear Window

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. 

Jaws

Does this film need any explanation? We discuss whether American's favorite shark movie is a "great" movie. Bill, as always, will decide if this Spielberg character truly has the chomps. 

Modern Times / The Gold Rush

Today's episode is our first look at the silent films of Charlie Chaplin. We follow Charlie’s character “The Tramp” to the nuts and bolts of factory assembly lines, to department stores to nap among fur coats, and to, well, Alaska, to shovel snow. Our two royal hosts snobbishly discuss the nature of comedy itself, attempting to exhaust the genre with their words, words, words. Spoiler alert: Bill and Tim punt on 4th and 1, unwilling to rank these films in their personal pantheon for now. They must watch more Chaplin soon, but he remains in orbit until that day. 

Vampires: Nosferatu, Vampyr, and Teeth: A Monstrous Musical Comedy

Today's episode celebrates our favorite Transylvanian friends: VAMPIRES. The Princes are joined by pal and confidant Chris Madden to discuss F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu , Carl Dreyer's Vampyr , and, most importantly, Teeth: A Monstrous Musical Comedy  - a play Tim, Chris, and Bill wrote together and performed in 2007.  Let's be honest. This is a beast of an episode clocking at almost 3 hours long, but we boldly proclaim IT'S WORTH IT. We dig deep into the process of writing and producing a musical and the friendship that was strengthened along the way. We had too much fun recording this insanely self-indulgent episode. Join us, won't you? You can watch the full show by searching Teeth: A Monstrous Musical Comedy on YouTube or go directly to this link: https://youtu.be/d5SoAjEliSA