Shot/Reverse Shot

Matt and Ed are obsessed with the idea of Obsession this week, an interest which takes the form of a discussion of films about obsession, how directors' obsessions can manifest in their work, and the ways in which cinema is uniquely suited to exploring the topic. They also talk about the failure of Pan, unnerving audience responses to films, and pitch a Hans Gruber-centric prequel to Die Hard.

This week's episode is a sort of double A-side in which the first half is largely given over to a discussion of Paul Thomas Anderson's new documentary Junun, and what its release via the streaming service MUBI could mean for future idiosyncratic releases from major filmmakers (or major works from idiosyncratic filmmakers). The second half concerns the idea of High Concept filmmaking, and the many permutations of that term, from '80s blockbusters to indie films with interesting, easily sellable back stories.

For their seventh artist profile, Matt and Ed step a little bit out of their comfort zone by discussing someone who a) isn't an actor or director and b) hasn't made all that much work that they actually like. The person is question is Jerry Bruckheimer, the uber-producer who came to prominence in the 1980s with films like Flashdance, Top Gun and the Beverly Hills Cop series, and who has remained one of the most successful producers in Hollywood for three decades.

As part of the discussion they talk about Bruckheimer's tendency to forge strong working relationships with filmmakers which end the instant a film fails, his working relationship with the late Don Simpson, and try to discover the truth of what really happened on the Titanic.

Show Notes

00:00:00 - 00:01:15 - Intro
00:01:16 - 00:49:02 - Profile of Jerry Bruckheimer
00:49:03 - 00:50:34 - Outro

In what will hopefully become a tradition for the show, this week dispenses with having a set theme in order to celebrate one of the hosts' birthday. In this instance, the host in question is Ed.

Marking the culmination of a long-running project for Matt, who has spent much of the last year watching most of Disney's animated movies, this episode focuses on the animated movies of Disney. In addition to that, Matt and Ed talk about Ian McShane going Game of Thrones, pitch a Disney take on the gunpowder plot, and the ways in which Disney's corporate elements make it surprisingly willing to take big risks.

As promised back in the Burt Lancaster episode, Matt and Ed follow-up quickly with an episode of one of the most electrifying and frustrating actors in film history, Eddie Murphy. In addition to discussing his origins as a standup and on Saturday Night Live, they talk about his meteoric rise in the 1980s, his absolute nadir in the mid-'00s, and the reason behind his anticlimactic return to SNL earlier this year.

We aren't able to provide a full episode this week as we had initially planned due to a scheduling conflict. However, since we've been away for a few weeks and there are stories that Matt and Ed want to talk about, we have prepared this minisode for your delectation.

In this Very Special Episode, Matt and Ed convene in the same bloody room for once to celebrate the 100th episode of Shot/Reverse Shot! To mark the occasion, they took questions from listeners via Twitter, Facebook, and in person and endeavored to answer as many of them as possible. With such a broad brief, the episode encompasses everything from their favourite cinemas, snacks, scores, and actors, to in-depth discussions of Hollywood's odd unwillingness to cast gay men in leading roles and the slow death of "serious" cinema for mainstream audiences. They also finally reveal the fate of one-time SRS host Joe Gastineau.

This Friday sees the start of Sheffield Doc/Fest, one of the biggest and best documentary festivals in the world and a favourite of this show. Unfortunately, for the first time in years, neither Matt or Ed are able to tend this year due to other commitments and the Atlantic Ocean, respectively. To commiserate, they talk about what they love about Doc/Fest, then use that as an opportunity to talk about different strains of documentary filmmaking, such as activist docs like Blackfish and rock docs like Made of Stone, and the ways in which Netflix has altered the landscape for documentary distribution. They also introduce a new feature, whereby they recommend a different film or television related thing that they feel would enrich your lives.

Historians will no doubt mark May 17, 2015 as the day the sixties died, as it was on that day that AMC's Mad Men ended its stellar seven season run. Matt and Ed felt that they had to mark the passing of a great show by discussing its phenomenal writing, directing and acting, as well as its significance as a key text in the ongoing American television renaissance. They also find time to talk about their individual disappointment about Tomorrowland and Pitch Perfect 2, and their shared sadness over the end of David Letterman's tenure as a late night host.