As part of 2020’s Christopher Nolan Oeuvre-view, Adam and Josh revisited The Prestige (2006), which – alongside his current The Odyssey – is among the rare Nolans adapted from existing material.

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As part of 2020&rsquo;s Christopher Nolan Oeuvre-view, Adam and Josh revisited The Prestige (2006), which &ndash; alongside his current The Odyssey &ndash; is among the rare Nolans adapted from existing material.
Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you ⁠join <a href="https://filmspotting.supportingcast.fm/">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.

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The Prestige | Archive

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fa8990c3-d0f2-498d-92a4-b48e01036cae/transcript

Story analyst Billy Mernit joins Michael Phillips to test one of Hollywood’s most enduring (and slippery) unofficial rules: Howard Hawks’ idea that a good movie is three good scenes and no bad ones.

Mernit, an instructor and writer known as the “guru of rom-com,” brings nearly three decades of reading studio scripts and a working knowledge of how films get evaluated before they ever reach the screen. Together, they dig into what makes a “good scene” in the first place.

Is Hawks’ dictum still useful? Or, like so many Hollywood rules, is it less a law of motion pictures than a reflection of how we choose to remember them?

Story analyst Billy Mernit joins Michael Phillips to test one of Hollywood&rsquo;s most enduring (and slippery) unofficial rules: Howard Hawks&rsquo; idea that a good movie is three good scenes and no bad ones. Mernit, an instructor and writer known as the &ldquo;guru of rom-com,&rdquo; brings nearly three decades of reading studio scripts and a working knowledge of how films get evaluated before they ever reach the screen. Together, they dig into what makes a &ldquo;good scene&rdquo; in the first place. Is Hawks&rsquo; dictum still useful? Or, like so many Hollywood rules, is it less a law of motion pictures than a reflection of how we choose to remember them?

"A good movie is three good scenes and no bad ones” with Billy Mernit  | The Movie Racket

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/08c45202-f971-4a26-9e31-b494010555d6/transcript

Is Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey a cinematic gift, or is it a Trojan Horse filled with the director’s narrative obsessions? Maybe both. In their review, Adam and Josh talk about the ways Nolan diverges from Homer’s epic tale, and which of the director’s previous films offer the best insight into his latest.

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Is Christopher Nolan&rsquo;s The Odyssey a cinematic gift, or is it a Trojan Horse filled with the director&rsquo;s narrative obsessions? Maybe both. In their review, Adam and Josh talk about the ways Nolan diverges from Homer&rsquo;s epic tale, and which of the director&rsquo;s previous films offer the best insight into his latest.
This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits.<a href="https://experience.regmovies.com/join-unlimited?utm_source=podcast&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=filmspotting"> Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.</a>
Feedback:
-Email us at <a href="mailto:feedback@filmspotting.net">feedback@filmspotting.net⁠⁠</a>
⁠⁠⁠⁠-<a href="https://forms.gle/PGVFAm4GvbmPJWqG8">⁠Ask Us Anything⁠</a>⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content.
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-Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and complete archive access.
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The Odyssey: Nolan Makes the Ancient Epic His Own

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/21fa9eba-9e4f-49c0-baf1-b48f00f57070/transcript

Considering The Odyssey is one of the most famous and influential stories of all time, there had been relatively few attempts to directly translate Homer’s epic poem to the big screen until Christopher Nolan came along to do it at a blockbuster scale. It’s been more common for filmmakers, such as Joel and Ethan Coen, to use it as the loose framework for a flawed hero’s journey home, such as the one undertaken by Ulysses Everett McGill in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a Depression-era musical comedy that maps on to Homer’s version only in the broadest of strokes. But revisiting O Brother through the lens of its stated source material, as we’re doing this week, is a revealing lesson in the malleability of adaptation, as well as the Coens’ ability to make even one of the most familiar tales in all of storytelling uniquely theirs. Then in Feedback, we finally break our silence on the indie-horror phenomenon that is Obsession.

Please share your thoughts about O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Odyssey, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

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 NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.

Considering&nbsp;The Odyssey&nbsp;is one of the most famous and influential stories of all time, there had been relatively few attempts to directly translate Homer&rsquo;s epic poem to the big screen until Christopher Nolan came along to do it at a blockbuster scale. It&rsquo;s been more common for filmmakers, such as Joel and Ethan Coen, to use it as the loose framework for a flawed hero&rsquo;s journey home, such as the one undertaken by Ulysses Everett McGill in&nbsp;O Brother, Where Art Thou?,&nbsp;a Depression-era musical comedy that maps on to Homer&rsquo;s version only in the broadest of strokes. But revisiting&nbsp;O Brother&nbsp;through the lens of its stated source material, as we&rsquo;re doing this week, is a revealing lesson in the malleability of adaptation, as well as the Coens&rsquo; ability to make even one of the most familiar tales in all of storytelling uniquely theirs. Then in Feedback, we finally break our silence on the indie-horror phenomenon that is&nbsp;Obsession.
Please share your thoughts about&nbsp;O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Odyssey, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:comments@nextpictureshow.net">comments@nextpictureshow.net</a>, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.
This episode is presented by⁠&nbsp;<a href="https://www.regmovies.com/join-unlimited" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.regmovies.com/join-unlimited&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1784684571330000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0Wm_TH21G3EKFG9ZdUf_gf">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Regal Unlimited⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a>, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.

Home Sweet Homer, Pt. 1 — O Brother, Where Art Thou? | Next Picture Show

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/613fc7da-c70f-47f0-a2aa-b48e00378522/transcript

The Prestige | Archive

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