A movie podcast inspired by a Werner Herzog quote, “We have to articulate ourselves, otherwise we would be cows in the field.” Hosted by Justin Khoo (professor of philosophy at MIT) and Laura Khoo (art historian turned fundraiser).
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
122. Altered States ( w/ Hit Factory Pod)
1:20:54
1:20:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:20:54
We are joined by Aaron Casias and Carly Gomes of Hit Factory to discuss William Hurt's first film, Ken Russell's wild and delirious Altered States! We discuss solipsism, God, losing faith, hallucinogens, academia, and why regressing into an ape form might be many conservatives ultimate fantasy. Follow us on Twitter! Buy a cows shirt on Threadless!…
…
continue reading
We sit down with Katey Rich (The Ankler) to discuss Ridley Scott's macho film about two women's goodbye middle finger to the patriarchy. We discuss the film's radical rejection of stereotypical gender norms, the female gaze, women being friends, why Christopher McDonald is the funniest person ever, and whether Brad Pitt robs convenience stores shir…
…
continue reading
Crimewave summer continues with Sofia Coppola's film about celebrity thieves! We discuss the movie in the context of Coppola's filmography, her artistic motivations and the creative aspirations of the criminals the movie is about, criminal deniability, and, of course, Leslie Mann! It's all fun and games until someone gets a reality tv show. Follow …
…
continue reading
DePalma, Stone, Pacino, Montana. We are joined by Glenn Kenny (author of The World is Yours: The Story of Scarface) to discuss excess, capitalism, happiness, tigers, sunken bathtubs, cocaine economics, and also the movie Scarface! Is it "Scar-face" or "Scarf-ace"? Who knows! Join us!
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
118. Public Enemies (w/ Liam Billingham and Phil Gawthorne)
1:28:12
1:28:12
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:28:12
The guys from Die Hard on a Blank are here to kick off CRIMEWAVE SUMMER and talk all things John Dillinger with us! Crime doesn't pay, but it sure is sexy, ain't it? We unpack several themes of the film: encroaching modernity, the birth of modern celebrity, looking to the past through the lens of the present. Also, we explore the magical look of th…
…
continue reading
Let us all worship at the Church of Baseball! We are joined to talk Bull Durham by Noah Gittell, author of the recent book Baseball: The Movie. We discuss the film's love of the game, its exploration of life after retirement, parenthood, expiration dating, learning how to breathe out of our eyelids, Annie Savoy's timeless style, and Laura's newfoun…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
116. Hot Tub Time Machine (w/ Mitchell Beaupre)
1:08:52
1:08:52
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:08:52
Let's get it started, in the TUB! We sit down with Mitchell Beaupre (Letterbox'd) to discuss male friendship, regrets, the allure of youth, reliving our best and worst days, the comic genius of Crispin Glover, and what happened in Cincinnati! Follow Mitchell on Twitter! Follow us on Twitter! Buy a cows shirt on Threadless!…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
115. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (w/ Edward Lewis)
1:33:16
1:33:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:33:16
What's a moody anti-Western got to do with mythmaking, outlaws, celebrity, bold robbers, parasocial relationships, betrayal, guilt, capitalism, Roger Deakins, Brad Pitt, and Casey Affleck? A lot, it turns out! Join us and Edward Lewis to explore the contours of Andrew Dominik's retelling of the end of Jesse James' life. We on Twitter! We on the web…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
114. Sympathy for the Devil (w/ Yuval Adler and Matt Strohl)
1:04:43
1:04:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:04:43
Nicolas Cage has been on a run of making several movies a year for decades now, and Sympathy for the Devil is one of his latest experiments, a pulpy chamber piece road trip mystery suspense film co-starring Joel Kinnaman. We sit down with the film's director Yuval Adler (who also happened to get his PhD in philosophy from Columbia in the 90s!) and …
…
continue reading
Today we explore the dark recesses of the human soul with Agnes Callard (Chicago). We discuss von Trier's minimalist staging, the movie's parable, the duality of human nature, the lies we tell ourselves and others, the film's political angle, and the role of anger in response to true evil. Cows on Twitter!…
…
continue reading
John Milius's 1984 film Red Dawn has a reputation as being a jingoistic conservative fever dream, but we talk with Nat Hansen, who argues that its political outlook is more complex and more interesting. Along the way, we also discuss the film's portrayal of masculinity, the toll of war, the film's many references, from The Battle of Algiers to Alex…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
111. Dune Part Two (w/ John DeVore)
1:51:41
1:51:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:51:41
We go BACK to Arrakis, desert planet, homeworld of the spice and the Fremen and keeper of Shai Hulud. We're joined again for the journey by major spice-head John DeVore to discuss Villeneuve's two films in relation to Lynch's 1984 version and Frank Herbert's book. Along the way, we consider the worm Uber, the possibility of bad trips with the Water…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
110. The 2024 Blobscars! (w/Sean Burns)
2:03:00
2:03:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:03:00
Join us and critic Sean Burns to give out silly meaningless awards to our favorite films of 2023! Who will take home the top prize? Who will win best lisp? Tune in to find out!
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
109. The Iron Claw (w/ Fran Hoepfner)
1:11:26
1:11:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:11:26
We are joined by Fran Hoepfner (BW/DR, Fran Magazine) to experience the triumph and tragedy of the Von Erich family. We discuss wrestling (duh), Zac, brothers, fathers, bodies, cults, the American political circus, all while trying to figure out our wrestling names and signature moves.
…
continue reading
Take the plunge with us and Veronica Fitzpatrick (BW/DR, Brown University) as we explore the moral complexities of narratives, relationships, and justice. Justice for Sandra? Justice for Samuel? Tune in to find out!
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
107. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (w/ Nick Riggle and Matt Strohl)
1:22:17
1:22:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:22:17
We're joined by two philosophers of art to discuss how they've helped each other come to a greater appreciation for this quirky but lovable entry into the Fast and Furious franchise. We discuss how art can change depending on the context in which it is embedded, and the ways the franchise could have gone after this film. We also compare notes on th…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
106. The Blair Witch Project (Reprise) + 2023 Cows Super Quiz
1:10:02
1:10:02
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:10:02
The cows look back on 2023 with a Cows in the Field super-quiz -- how many questions can you get right?? Then, we reprise our Blair Witch episode, wherein we explore why the Blair Witch Project was the tenth highest grossing movie of 1999, why it took so long for Hollywood to capitalize on found footage horror, the nature of horror itself and why w…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
105. Fred Claus (w/ Emily St. James)
1:32:16
1:32:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:32:16
Join us and Emily St. James to discuss Fred Claus (streaming now on Max)! We marvel at the film's strange and unnecessarily complicated backstory about the cosmology of sainthood, discuss Santa Claus's moral epistemology, elf-yourself levels of CGI, why everyone deserves a second chance, and somehow spend five minutes discussing the phenomenon of "…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
104. LA Confidential (w/ Blake Howard)
1:18:41
1:18:41
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:18:41
Time to get HUSH HUSH with Blake Howard (One Heat Minute Productions). Noir, moral compromise, postwar LA, the American Dream, police, the LAPD, Dante FREAKING Spinotti, and MORE!
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
103. Joe Vs. The Volcano (w/ Chad Perman)
1:32:50
1:32:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:32:50
Joe is going to die. But he has a chance to be a hero, and live like a king. Only, that means he'll have to jump into a volcano. Is Joe's story all of ours? We sit down with Chad Perman (Founder of Bright Wall / Dark Room) to dig into what makes this zany, existential, transcendent, hilarious, slapstick, profound movie so good. Along the way, we di…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
102. 24 Hour Party People (w/ Mattia Acetoso)
1:01:51
1:01:51
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:01:51
"The smaller the audience, the bigger the history." So, at least, said Tony Wilson, co-founder of Factory Records and larger than life character at the center of Michael Winterbottom's 2002 punk pseudo-music-doc, our topic today! We are joined by Professor of Italian Studies at Boston College to explore the pull of nostalgia, anticipated retrospect…
…
continue reading
James Cameron's terrifying and overwhelming sequel ALIENS is a rollercoaster that Roger Ebert called "absolutely, painfully and unremittingly intense." We sit down with Brendan Hodges to explore the film's power over us, what all that goo and slime means, the film's anti-bureaucratic "strong individualist" conservatism and second wave feminist ideo…
…
continue reading
It's just us for our one hundredth episode talking Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides! We hit all the good stuff: suburban malaise, fear, control, parenting, childhood, Trip Fontaine's hair, memory, privacy, the joys of human connection, first loves, and Kathleen Turner!
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
99. King Arthur (2004) w/ Jon Gabrus
1:33:01
1:33:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:33:01
Have you ever wanted to know the TRUE story that inspired King Arthur? Did you know that Arthur was a freedom fighter battling for the independence of Britannia? Wait until you see what armor Guinevere preferred to wear into battle! And don't forget Tristan and his faithful falcon! Join us and Jon Gabrus (High & Mighty, Action Boyz, 101 Places to P…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
98. Starship Troopers (w/ Liam Billingham)
1:21:24
1:21:24
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:21:24
Liam Billingham (Die Hard on a Blank / OuevreBusters) joins us to discuss Paul Verhoeven's meta-propaganda Brechtian war film Starship Troopers. We discuss the film's odd mixture of big budget VFX with soap opera stars, how it's three movies in one, the nature of meaning in a world devoid of conflict, and art that risks embarrassment. It's a squish…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
97. Star Wars Episode I - The Phantom Menace (w/ Matt Teichman)
1:30:50
1:30:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:30:50
The Phantom Menace has weathered the highs and (mostly) lows of fan appraisal. Once derided, then reclaimed, where does it stand in 2023? We issue the definitive assessment: it is good (kind of). Matt Teichman (Elucidations Podcast) brings his colleague Jar Jar Binks along for the ride, as we discuss pod racing, queen wardrobes, lightsaber battles,…
…
continue reading
We sit down with my colleague Agustín Rayo (Professor of Philosophy, Dean of SHASS at MIT, and winner of the big number duel) to discuss Alfonso Cuarón's autobiographical film, Roma. We discuss memory, dreams, guilt, class, background, lenses, digital formats, and, of course, Mexico City.
…
continue reading
Join us and Bilge Ebiri (New York Magazine / Vulture) to discuss Christopher Nolan's deconstructed biopic about the man who birthed a very big bomb. Deconstructed narratives, quantum mechanics, moral dilemmas, subjective inflection, brilliant and sure-handed intercutting... and we set the record straight on whether Nolan's films are funny and wheth…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
94. What Maisie Knew (w/ Daniela Taplin Lundberg)
1:04:04
1:04:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:04:04
Joining us to talk about What Maisie Knew (2012) is the film's producer, Daniela Taplin Lundberg (whose feature credits include The Kids Are All Right, Beasts of No Nation, and Honey Boy)! We talk about the challenges making independent feature films, the film's portrayal of divorce and new beginnings, and how it captures the feeling of a memory. A…
…
continue reading
We sit down with Lydia Tár expert Emily St. James to talk about guilt, repression, cancel culture, subjectivity, moral hazards, the Todd Field Cinematic Universe, and... you guessed it... Oklahoma! How is any of this possible? Tune in to find out!
…
continue reading
Bright light! Bright light! We sit down with Brandon Polite (Philosophy, Knox College) to discuss Joe Dante's horror comedy masterpiece. Topics include: Chekov's rules of Gremlin lore, Mogwai metaphors, slapstick humor, why you shouldn't show this movie to young children, practical special effects, old and new Hollywood, capitalism, and what we can…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
91. Solaris (2002 version, w/ Phil Iscove)
1:34:07
1:34:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:34:07
How did Steven Soderbergh remake an obscure Soviet art-house film based on an even more obscure science fiction novel starring the most bankable A-list movie star? And how did he pull it off?! We sit down with Phil Iscove (Sleepy Hollow / Podcast Like It's...) to unpack the film's poetry and vibes, and explore what it would do to someone to encount…
…
continue reading
Our guest Matt Strohl (Philosophy, Montana; author of Why It's OK to Love Bad Movies) thinks Richard Kelly's 2009 film THE BOX is due for a critical reappraisal, and we agree. We talk about altruism, self-deception, faith, freedom, Hell, Sartre, and why this is a freaking Christmas movie! Buckle up for a weird and wild journey into the unknown and …
…
continue reading
Welcoming back Carly Severn, we take a moment to indulge in Michael Mann's existential police / serial killer drama Manhunter. We talk about the film's distinctive use of unexpected style to convey the inner lives of its characters, the film's (and Mann's overall) focus on the individual rather than societal, dreams, tigers, mental illness, men doi…
…
continue reading
Matt Belenky returns to gush over Brian DePalma's love letter to mediocre men and the women they fancy themselves saving. We discuss the deep anxieties about inadequacy at the film's core, and how DePalma creates magic out of a plot that's somehow both threadbare and unnecessarily complex. Even Pauline Kael, one of DePalma's great champions, though…
…
continue reading
We hit the road with Paul Keelan (Cinematic Underdogs) and talk bands, touring, growing up, and more in this jam-packed episode on Cameron Crowe's memoir film Almost Famous. Paul shares his experience touring with bands, and we discover that we were once in the same room over a decade ago! We talk about the illusion and fantasy of life on the road,…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
86. Match Point (w/ Mary Beth Willard)
1:32:54
1:32:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:32:54
How should we engage with the work of immoral artists? We explore this question through the lens of Woody Allen's late period masterpiece Match Point. Mary Beth Willard (Philosopher, Weber State, and author of "Why it's OK to Enjoy the Work of Immoral Artists") joins us to discuss the aesthetic costs of not engaging with art, the expressive nature …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
85. That Thing You Do! (w/ Matt Pais)
1:19:56
1:19:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:19:56
We're joined by Matt Pais (author of Talk 90s with Me) to discuss a favorite 90s nostalgia flick, made thirty years ago about a time thirty years prior to when it came out. So it's nostalgia about nostalgia, or what some might call meta-nostalgia! We talk about the desire to hold on to the ephemeral, how the film explores the loss of innocence in t…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
84. The 2023 Blobscars (w/ Emily St. James)
1:46:22
1:46:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:46:22
Join us and professional film/tv critic Emily St. James to talk about the BEST movies of 2022. We give out awards to our favorites, and also discuss some often overlooked categories (best use of 65mm film, best "boys are weird but hot" movie, best bed, best men are trash movie, and best movie to fall asleep to). Which movies will rise to the top an…
…
continue reading
With the release of the Disney+ show set in the world of Andowyne, we figured it was time to revisit a beloved fantasy classic from the 80s, Ron Howard's delightfully magical WILLOW! Big time Willow-head John DeVore joins us to talk about how the film was his fantasy gateway drug, and how it's about an adoptive family of ordinary folk who must unde…
…
continue reading
Who is the INSIDE MAN? We sit down with Roxana Hadadi (Vulture / New York Magazine) to discuss Spike Lee's twisty bank heist thriller from the early aughts. We consider the film's central theme, which focuses around conflicts of duty and consequence, and takes a very even-handed look at a morally complex world. We also compare the film's insistence…
…
continue reading
We hop into a black hole with Jon Gabrus (High & Mighty, Action Boyz, 101 Places to Party Before You Die) to discuss Christopher Nolan's spacetime warping epic! We consider the film's complex relationship with science, exploration, and family obligations; and we defend Nolan against the charge that he's an emotionless filmmaker. Naturally, we try t…
…
continue reading
Join us for a re-release of our Minority Report episode from early 2020! We go running with Tom Cruise and discuss the future as it was projected in 2002, the nature of middle knowledge, themes of blindness/control/justice, and give our top five Spielberg movies. Follow us on Twitter! Leave a review on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy the show!…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
79. It's a Wonderful Life (w/ Emily St. James)
1:11:54
1:11:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:11:54
Join us and proverbial bringer-of-Christmas-cheer Emily St. James as we dive into Frank Capra's existentialist Christmas classic It's a Wonderful Life! We talk about the film's overt and subtle political messaging, which got it labeled Communist propaganda soon after its release, and contrast the zero sum deadlocked conflict of Potter with the gene…
…
continue reading
We talked with Jack's inflamed sense of rejection and it told us to watch Fight Club with friend Brian Martinez, so here we are. We go into anger, violence, masculinity, misogyny, absurdism, meaninglessness, privilege, sexuality, narcissism, latent fascism, men's rights groups, male friendships, and also Reel Big Fish?? Follow us on Twitter! Buy a …
…
continue reading
We delve into fascism and parenting and fascist parenting with Jack Draper (Exiting Through the 2010s), talking about mechanisms of control, acts of defiance through reclaiming an identity, the role of film as a revolutionary ideal, and, of course, Frank Sinatra. Oh yes, and can you pass the telephone? I'd like to relax in a nice, comfortable, sea.…
…
continue reading
Is it a bad book or the Ba-Ba-Doo-Doo-Doooooook?? We chat with Libby Hill (The Wrap) about Jennifer Kent's painful and potent allegory about grief, anxiety, depression, parenting... you know -- the BIG STUFF. We discuss how the imagery of the Babadook conveys enveloping dread, and ongoing struggles with our own Babadooks. We talk about being a care…
…
continue reading
It just so happens that one of us is probably possessed, and is in need of THE EXORCIST! Join us and Carly Severn (KQED San Francisco) to discuss the Friedkin / Pazuzu of it all. Why is this movie so deeply terrifying, even today, FIFTY years after its initial release?? We talk about parents -- being parents, being kids, dealing with parents, and k…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
74. Bram Stoker's Dracula (w/ Bilge Ebiri)
1:32:54
1:32:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:32:54
Join us and Bilge Ebiri (New York Magazine / Vulture) to delve into Francis Ford Coppola's 1992 masterpiece. We discuss the early critical reception and why the broader consensus has come around to this sexed-up, theatrical, in-camera-practical-effects-driven, reinvention of the classic vampire story. We discuss the uncanny and the helplessness ind…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
73. Return of the King (w/ Jamelle Bouie)
1:02:03
1:02:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:02:03
We are joined by Jamelle Bouie (NYTimes / Unclear and Present Danger Podcast) to discuss the conclusion to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and bring our miniseries to a close. We pick up the discussion about heroism with Frodo's empathy towards Gollum, Sam's faithfulness to Frodo, and Aragorn's radical faith in the hobbits. Then, we discuss at length…
…
continue reading