For Valentine's Week, we book a trip to CASABLANCA – circa 2017 – with Adam graciously welcoming critics-on-the-run Michael Phillips and Katherine Fusco to Café Filmspotting. This is the first drop in a four-week series of archive reviews featuring romantic Best Picture winners leading up to the 2026 Oscars.

For full access to the show archive, Filmspotting Discord, monthly bonus episodes, and more, ⁠consider joining the Filmspotting Family⁠⁠.

For Valentine's Week, we book a trip to CASABLANCA &ndash; circa 2017 &ndash; with Adam graciously welcoming critics-on-the-run Michael Phillips and Katherine Fusco to Caf&eacute; Filmspotting. This is the first drop in a four-week series of archive reviews featuring romantic Best Picture winners leading up to the 2026 Oscars.
For full access to the show archive, Filmspotting Discord, monthly bonus episodes, and more,&nbsp;<a href="https://filmspotting.supportingcast.fm/join?sc_promo=FS20" data-encore-id="textLink" data-slate-node="element" data-slate-inline="true">⁠consider joining the Filmspotting Family⁠⁠</a>.

Adam Kempenaar and Josh Larsen review new and classic movies, offering "affable, insightful film analysis since 2005" (NY Times).

New and classic movie reviews and top 5 lists.

Filmspotting

Casablanca Review | Archive

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/6753889c-6dfd-4393-81f6-b3ee004aa95d/transcript

15 years after its release, Adam and Josh return to the 1950s Waco of Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life. They discuss Malick’s bold attempt to voice the divine, mapping the books of Job and Genesis onto his narrative, and his attempt to reconcile the beauty of creation with the reality of suffering. Plus, details about Filmspotting Fest II: 68 Weeks Later, and a new poll that attempts to gauge listeners' enthusiasm for the upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu.

This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.

(Timecodes/chapters may not be precise with ads.)

Intro (00:00:00-00:03:32)

The Tree of Life at 15 (00:03:33-00:55:50)

Filmspotting Family (00:55:51-01:00:07)

Next Week / Cannes Film Festival (01:00:08-01:04:44)

Polls (01:38:17-01:13:15)

Credits / New Releases (01:13:16-01:17:20)

Correction:

-Adam actually saw The Thin Red Line upon its release in 1998, making it his first Malick. The New World, then, was the first Malick he got.

Links:

-Filmspotting Fest II: June 26-27, 2026

https://www.filmspotting.net/filmspotting-fest

-Jake Cole on The Tree of Life

https://letterboxd.com/jakepcole/film/the-tree-of-life-2011/

-Cannes Film Festival

https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/

Feedback:

-Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net⁠⁠.

-⁠⁠⁠⁠Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content.

Support:

-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and archive access.
https://filmspottingfamily.com

-Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more.
https://www.filmspotting.net/shop⁠⁠⁠

Follow:

-Watch Filmspotting on YouTube:

https://youtube.com/filmspotting

-Adam/Filmspotting:

Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky

-Josh/LarsenOnFilm:

Letterboxd | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky

15 years after its release, Adam and Josh return to the 1950s Waco of Terrence Malick&rsquo;s The Tree of Life. They discuss Malick&rsquo;s bold attempt to voice the divine, mapping the books of Job and Genesis onto his narrative, and his attempt to reconcile the beauty of creation with the reality of suffering. Plus, details about Filmspotting Fest II: 68 Weeks Later, and a new poll that attempts to gauge listeners' enthusiasm for the upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu.
This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.
(Timecodes/chapters may not be precise with ads.)
Intro (00:00:00-00:03:32)
The Tree of Life at 15 (00:03:33-00:55:50)
Filmspotting Family (00:55:51-01:00:07)
Next Week / Cannes Film Festival (01:00:08-01:04:44)
Polls (01:38:17-01:13:15)
Credits / New Releases (01:13:16-01:17:20)
Correction:
-Adam actually saw&nbsp;The Thin Red Line upon its release in 1998, making it his first Malick. The New World, then, was the first Malick he got.
Links:
-Filmspotting Fest II: June 26-27, 2026
<a href="https://www.filmspotting.net/filmspotting-fest">https://www.filmspotting.net/filmspotting-fest</a>
-Jake Cole on The Tree of Life
<a href="https://letterboxd.com/jakepcole/film/the-tree-of-life-2011/">https://letterboxd.com/jakepcole/film/the-tree-of-life-2011/</a>
-Cannes Film Festival
<a href="https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/">https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/</a>
Feedback:
-Email us at <a href="mailto:feedback@filmspotting.net⁠⁠">feedback@filmspotting.net⁠⁠</a>.
-⁠⁠⁠⁠<a href="https://forms.gle/T7aEzSXEovNDCArV9">Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠⁠</a> and we might answer your question in bonus content.
Support:
-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and archive access. <a href="https://filmspottingfamily.com">https://filmspottingfamily.com</a>
-Filmspotting Shop for T-shirts and more. <a href="https://www.filmspotting.net/shop%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0">https://www.filmspotting.net/shop⁠⁠⁠</a>
Follow:
-Watch Filmspotting on YouTube:
<a href="https://youtube.com/filmspotting">https://youtube.com/filmspotting</a>
-Adam/Filmspotting:
Letterboxd |<a href="https://instagram.com/filmspotting%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0"> Instagram</a> |<a href="https://facebook.com/filmspotting%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0"> Facebook</a> | Bluesky
-Josh/LarsenOnFilm:
<a href="https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0%E2%81%A0">Letterboxd</a> | Instagram |<a href="https://facebook.com/larsenonfilm"> Facebook</a> | Bluesky

The Tree of Life at 15: Malick’s Cosmic Masterpiece Revisited | #1064

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/d019e3a1-284a-4e58-ad57-b44a014243db/transcript

Adam and Josh review Sophy Romvari’s debut feature Blue Heron, a semi-autobiographical "memory piece" that follows a Hungarian immigrant family on Vancouver Island in the late 1990s. They discuss Romvari’s distinct "observational elegance," the film’s striking meta-elements, and how it stacks up against other recent memory-focused masterworks like Aftersun. Plus, a look at why this is already a frontrunner for the 2026 Golden Brick.

Adam and Josh review Sophy Romvari&rsquo;s debut feature Blue Heron, a semi-autobiographical "memory piece" that follows a Hungarian immigrant family on Vancouver Island in the late 1990s. They discuss Romvari&rsquo;s distinct "observational elegance," the film&rsquo;s striking meta-elements, and how it stacks up against other recent memory-focused masterworks like Aftersun. Plus, a look at why this is already a frontrunner for the 2026 Golden Brick.

Looking through the lens of memory on Vancouver Island.

Blue Heron: A Lyrical Debut — and an Early Golden Brick Contender

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/11ab1260-7c8d-42e2-a25c-b449011d4380/transcript

From the outlaw poetry of Badlands to the cosmic spirituality of The Tree of Life, this week's Archive episode has Adam and Josh counting down the five most indelible moments from one of cinema's most elusive auteurs. Expect plenty of hushed voiceovers and magic-hour cinematography.

Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you ⁠join the Filmspotting Family⁠.

From the outlaw poetry of Badlands to the cosmic spirituality of The Tree of Life, this week's Archive episode has Adam and Josh counting down the five most indelible moments from one of cinema's most elusive auteurs. Expect plenty of hushed voiceovers and magic-hour cinematography.
Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you ⁠join the Filmspotting Family⁠.

Top 5 Terrence Malick Scenes | Archive

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/5aff0855-c449-4b0b-a584-b44801604e32/transcript

Casablanca Review | Archive

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