x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics

Fifteen-Minute Film Fanatics

Two friends with strong opinions watch films separately then discuss them on the show for the first time. Can their friendship survive? Join Mike and Dan as they discuss one film each episode--and in only fifteen minutes, give or take a few. There are no long pauses, pontifications, or politics--just two guys who want to share their enthusiasm for great movies. On Twitter. On Letterboxd. Email: fifteenminutefilm@gmail.com.

tv & film film reviews

All Episodes

19:53

The Long Good Friday

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/05/29

Can a two-hour film accomplish what it takes several seasons of a TV show to do? We're talking to you, Sopranos. Join Mike and Dan for a conversation about John Mackenzie's The Long Good Friday (1980), a film that they call the "spiritual cousin" of The Sopranos and The Friends of Eddie Coyle. They talk about how the film avoids the intuitive trap of offering a day in the life of its protagonist and instead gives us a day of absolute crisis and the ways in which Harold is like many people having a

en

26:39

Kiss Me Deadly

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/05/22

Mike has been badgering Dan for years to reevaluate Kiss Me Deadly, Robert Aldrich's now-canonical 1955 noir. Mike always loved it; Dan always thought it was overrated. Does he still think so after a fresh viewing? Join them for a conversation about how the history of a film's reception may only be partly due to the film's quality, the ways in which Kiss Me Deadly works like a dream, and the degree to which the Mike Hammer Universe differs from the MCU. Va-va-voom! Interested in reading the original

en

21:22

The Killers

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/05/15

Citizen Kane isn't the only film in which the lead character dies in the beginning and sets an audience in pursuit of what to make of his final moments. Mike and Dan talk about The Killers (1946), Robert Siodmak's adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's short story and a terrific noir, right down to the clackety-clack shoes. As a reformed English major, Mike talks about the "gimmick" of the film but also how that gimmick is easily defeated by Ava Gardner standing at the piano. Dan brings in John Donne,

en

25:24

Primer

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/05/08

Mike asks, "Have you ever seen a movie that tackles time travel better than Primer?" The answer is no. Tenet might handle it sexier, Back to the Future might handle it funnier, but no other film matches Primer as a compelling thought experiment. Join Mike and Dan for a conversation about "red arrow videos" on YouTube, the ethics of time travel, and the ways in which--all considerations about timelines and the box aside--the film examines the question of how we spend our days. We know you've heard

en

23:26

Ford v Ferrari

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/05/01

What does it mean to be happy? Why do movies have such a hard time dramatizing genuine adult friendships? And why is Mike so adamant against seeing movies like Tetris or Air? Join the guys for a conversation about Ford v Ferrari, James Mangold's 2019 portrait of the artists as co-creators of something beautiful. Project managers' lack of imagination, the reason why we chase what some call a "state of flow," and the study of positive psychology all come into the discussion. So get it up to 7,000 RPMS

en

23:23

Paths of Glory

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/04/24

Everyone loves Paths of Glory, Stanley Kubrick's 1957 film too-often described as "anti-war." Mike and Dan talk about how this incredibly cynical film is more "anti-human" than "anti-war" and get into an argument about the ending--their first knock-down debate since they did Cold War about two years ago. Which of them is correct about the meaning of the singing German? Storm the Anthill and find out! Interested in reading the terrific novel used as the source material--and seeing why Dan thinks the

en

21:53

Stagecoach

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/04/17

Orson Welles watched one film over and over as he created Citizen Kane--this one. If there's a movie that works as a clinic on how to create tension, suggest character, manage exposition, and entertain a viewer, it's John Ford's Stagecoach (1939). Join Mike and Dan for a conversation about all the things the film does so well, how Thomas Mitchell as Doc Boone works as the movie's bellwether, and where Dallas and Ringo need to go to escape from the blessings of civilization. Alien, Arrested

en

26:20

Mikey and Nicky

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/04/09

How good of a friend are you? Would the dependable character actor play you in a movie--or are you often resentful and jealous of your friends? Do you have that one friend with whom you've lost touch but won't call because you're too stubborn to pick up the phone? Mike and Dan talk about Mickey and Nicky (1976), Elaine May's incredibly bleak and fascinating study of a friendship gone bad. If you haven't seen this one, find it on YouTube or the Criterion Channel, watch it, and then give this a

en

26:16

Punch-Drunk Love

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/04/03

What's it like to reveal yourself to another person? Terrifying! That's one of the topics discussed in this week's episode on Punch-Drunk Love, Paul Thomas Anderson's 2002 film that more people should have seen then and should see now. For a film about someone who has unidentified psychological issues, it's one of the most psychologically and emotionally realistic films about the common human experiences of loneliness, the desire to connect with other people, and the rush that accompanies finding

en

28:05

The Deer Hunter: When Soldiers Return, Part 2

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/03/27

This is this," says a clear-headed Robert De Niro in Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter (1978), a film that resists the urge of writers, directors, and even audience members to assign grand symbolic significance to human experience. Join Mike and Dan as they talk about the film's structure, controversial ending, and the ways in which a brand of non-Hollywood love can rescue a person from a world that seems filled with Russian Roulette. Listen to an interview on New Books in Film with Charles Elton,

en

31:47

Jackie Brown

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/03/26

If you had the chance to break out of the movie in which you are stuck, would you take it? That's the question that propels Jackie Brown--the person and the film. Join Mike and Dan as they talk about Jackie Brown (1997), which Mike calls Quentin Tarantino's best movie. Dan talks about what makes a terrific adaptation (and offers his nominee for most perfect adaptation in film history); Mike explains how the film gestures towards an era and a genre in order to one-up them; both of them marvel at the

en

19:50

3:10 to Yuma (2007)

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/03/20

"This movie should not exist" is one of the first things Dan says about James Mangold's 3:10 to Yuma--and he means it as a high compliment. A western in 2007 that isn't "about" the western? A mid-budget movie without superheroes yet still with bankable star power? And Peter Fonda in a cameo? Mike and Dan talk about how the film is a dry run for Logan, which Mangold made ten years later and how he knows what his audience craves. But it's also a movie about self-respect, father figures, and the train

en

25:58

Sullivan’s Travels

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/03/13

In their 200th episode, Mike and Dan talk about a movie about people who like movies: Preston Sturges's 1941 masterpiece Sullivan's Travels. What's an artist to do when he becomes weary of grinding out "product" and wants to make a statement? Is he merely pretentious or just not seeing the big picture on the screen? Singin' in the Rain, Animal House, Airplane, The Deer Hunter, The Grapes of Wrath, and Springsteen's run of Broadway shows all come into the conversation. So give it a listen--we promise

en

26:17

Witness for the Prosecution

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/02/27

"Rewatchable Murder Mysteries" is a genre with Billy Wilder's 1957 Witness for the Prosecution as one of its best; the film does all we desire from a mystery but, in the hands of Billy Wilder, so much more. Join Mike and Dan as they talk about the ways in which the film transcends its many incredible surprise endings--as Mike says, it has more endings than The Return of the King, but all of them are terrific. So forge those letters, pull on those Bermuda shorts, and give it a listen! Please

en

13:38

Mission Impossible: Fallout

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/02/20

What makes the Mission Impossible franchise so solid--and so much better than others? In this short episode, Mike and Dan talk about Tom Cruise as a stuntman, and all that that implies. Mike also has one of his finest moments as he explains why the Mission Impossible movies are superior to anything in the Marvel universe; Dan compares the series to Seinfeld. So jump on your motorcycle, ride against traffic, and give it a listen! Terrific bumper music: Bluebird by E's Jammy Jams Creative Commons —

en

8:29

One-Shot: Heaven’s Gate

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/02/15

Everything you've heard about Heaven's Gate (1980) is wrong. Join Mike and Dan in this short episode in which they talk about the difference between the theatrical release of the film and the restored Criterion edition: Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate. As Dan says, "We watch things all the time and ask, 'When is this going to get good?' I kept watching and asking, 'When is this going to get bad?'" It never does. So graduate from Harvard, put on those roller skates, give Christopher Walken a

en

29:42

The Wrong Man with Special Guest Jason Isralowitz

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/02/13

What is it like to be accused of a crime one didn't commit--when you're not Cary Grant in North by Northwest or Robert Donat in The 39 Steps? Mike and Dan talk about Hitchcock's one film based on a real event: The Wrong Man (1956). Joining them is Jason Isralowitz, author of Nothing to Fear: Alfred Hitchcock and the Wrong Man. The three of them discuss the actual case upon which the film was based, their favorite moments in the film, and how it stands apart as a movie unique in the Hitchcock

en

28:03

The Best Years of Our Lives: When Soldiers Return,...

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/02/10

We've all seen and loved military family reunion videos--but what happens sometimes after the video ends and life continues? Mike and Dan talk about William Wyler's 1945 masterpiece The Best Years of Our Lives and how it answers this question with a beautifully geometric screenplay and incredible performances. It's a longer episode, but the film deserves it--just like Homer Parrish deserves to eat his pie in peace. So turn this on as you barhop through Boone City! Please subscribe to the show

en

5:43

One-Shot: Rocky Balboa

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/02/08

"It ain't about how hard you hit." But the strength of Rocky Balboa (2006) is how hard it hits even the most cynical viewers. Join Dan in this short episode as he talks about why Rocky Balboa is the second-best of the Rocky films and how its ideas about aging and dignity resonate after the 16-year break between this and Rocky V. So tell Paulie you love him and give it a listen! Terrific bumper music: Bluebird by E's Jammy Jams Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0

en

7:37

One-Shot: The Man in the Iron Mask

Fifteen Minute Film Fanatics ·

2023/02/01

In this short episode, Mike defends one of his guilty pleasures from the 1990s: Randall Wallace's much-maligned Man in the Iron Mask (1998). Why do the movies we see as kids stick with us like they do? And why can't we celebrate the cheesy soundtrack played over the credits? Mike can! All for one! Terrific bumper music: Bluebird by E's Jammy Jams Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported— CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Music provided by FreeMusic109

en

311 results

Similar Podcasts

Scoop Viewfinder

Gene Viewfinder

IGN Movie Reviews

IGN

The Adam Friedland Show Podcast

The Adam Friedland Show

BEHIND THE VELVET ROPE

David Yontef

Love Island: The Morning After

Lifted Entertainment part of ITV Studios