Cinebanter #54 - THE THIRD MAN

The MP3 of Cinebanter #54 is available here.

In this episode, Michael and Tassoula travel back in time to review 1949's THE THIRD MAN. During the Last Five®, Tassoula indulges in a guilty pleasure, while Michael experiences a profound documentary. Average Matt also returns to the show with his review of PRINCE CASPIAN and Tassoula names her 5 Favorite Films from the recent Seattle International Film Festival. The breakdown is as follows:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:32 THE THIRD MAN Discussion
• Break
• 16:23 To Sum It Up
• Break
• 16:47 The Last Five®
• Break
• 25:36 Average Matt
• Break
• 32:10 Tassoula's 5 Favorites from SIFF
• Break
• 49:29 Show Notes
• 51:56 Credits and Outtake

If you'd like to subscribe to the show (it's free, of course) via iTunes, click here.

The show is also available on Podcast Alley, and blubrry. Please vote for us at any of those sites and leave comments if you like what you hear.

And, if you're compelled to donate to the show, there is a PayPal button labeled 'Make a Donation' to the left of this blog. All donations are much appreciated.

Michael's Last Five in this episode were: I'M NOT THERE, GIRL 27, SIN CITY, MAN PUSH CART and THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK. Tassoula's Last Five in this episode were: THE WOODSMAN, THE ORPHANAGE, BATMAN, ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED and THE SAINT.

Special thanks to Brad Daane and Mark Cummins for providing the original music in this episode.

Reviews and/or notes of every movie Michael sees can be found at his MichaelVox website.

Tassoula has reviews, musings and movie-related product links at Tassoula's Movie Review Blog.

Feedback is always welcome - you may leave comments here or e-mail the hosts at cinebanter@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the show!

Cinebanter #53 - SEX AND THE CITY and YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN

The MP3 of Cinebanter #53 is available here.

In this episode, Michael and Tassoula split the difference and tackle two films: SEX AND THE CITY and YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN. During the Last Five®, Tassoula is left in stitches by a new Rainn Wilson comedy, while Michael confesses to a bad impulse pick. The hosts also respond to a Listener Last Five and review THE WOODSMAN during From the Queue. The breakdown is as follows:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:32 SEX AND THE CITY Discussion
• Break
• 08:47 To Sum It Up (SATC)
• Break
• 09:02 YOU DON'T MESS WITH THE ZOHAN Discussion
• Break
• 19:22 To Sum It Up (ZOHAN)
• Break
• 19:55 The Last Five®
• Break
• 44:00 Listener Last Five (12-year-old Charlie)
• Break
• 50:26 From the Queue
• Break
• 56:46 Show Notes
• 57:41 Credits and Outtake

If you'd like to subscribe to the show (it's free, of course) via iTunes, click here.

The show is also available on Podcast Alley, and blubrry. Please vote for us at any of those sites and leave comments if you like what you hear.

And, if you're compelled to donate to the show, there is a PayPal button labeled 'Make a Donation' to the left of this blog. All donations are much appreciated.

Michael's Last Five in this episode were: RECOUNT, THE OFFICE: SEASON 1, I'M NOT THERE, GIRL 27 and SIN CITY. Tassoula's Last Five in this episode were: SURFWISE, AURORA BOREALIS, THE ROCKER, THE ORPHANAGE and BATMAN.

Special thanks to Brad Daane and Mark Cummins for providing the original music in this episode.

Reviews and/or notes of every movie Michael sees can be found at his MichaelVox website.

Tassoula has reviews, musings and movie-related product links at Tassoula's Movie Review Blog.

Feedback is always welcome - you may leave comments here or e-mail the hosts at cinebanter@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the show!

SIFF SIGHTING: SAVING LUNA (documentary; Canada)

You don't have to be a whale-lover to be significantly moved by the documentary SAVING LUNA.

Married journalists Suzanne Chisholm and Michael Parfit tell of their journey reporting on a curious situation that began in 2001 in Vancouver Island.

A baby orca from the L-pod named Luna separated from her family in the San Juan Islands of Washington state shortly after birth and traveled to Nootka Sound in Canada. As it is highly out of character for whales to isolate themselves, this action seriously concerned local fish and wildlife authorities and scientists.

Even more stunning was the apparent thirst for human attention that Luna craved, constantly swimming near boats and "talking" with fisherman and dock workers.

The townspeople quickly fell in love with the orca and adopted him as a nearly domesticated pet--until the authorities intervened and forbid humans to make contact with him (even fining folks who broke the rules $100). This was devastating and counterintuitive to many and a battle soon ensued between the native people of the area, the observers who liked Luna's company and the Canadian Fish and Wildlife organization that was going to attempt to reunite him with his pod by way of nets and cars.

I won't say more than that, as it would spoil the ending, but I will say that this superb film was crafted with such humor and compassion that anyone who doesn't have an emotional reaction to it upon viewing it has to be heartless.

The personality and intelligence of the orca made me want to pack up my things and move to a remote beach where my best friends would only be whales.

They're much more appealing than many of the humans that I've encountered.

SAVING LUNA screened at the 34th Annual Seattle International Film Festival and will next be shown at the Napa/Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival in California.

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SIFF SIGHTING: STRANDED: I'VE COME FROM A PLANE THAT CRASHED IN THE MOUNTAINS (documentary; France)

If you've ever wondered how powerful the will to live can be, see this documentary.

Director Gonzalo Arijon tells the amazing tale of survival of the famous Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes in 1972. Because of the severe conditions on the mountains at the time of the accident (it was October), the official search was called off after the first week and the 45 passengers on board were assumed dead...but only 16 had actually perished in the crash. Over two months later, another 16 would be rescued and live to tell the story.

Since that time, the book and film Alive have retold their story, but never before have the survivors come together as they did for this film, to recount the harrowing 72 days they spent starving, praying, grieving and hoping their hell would come to an end.

Because the director is a friend of many of the men, their talking-head interviews seem all the more intimate. The remarkable way the survivors remain composed when speaking of the most awful of human atrocities (resorting to cannibalism to stay alive, for example) is nothing short of amazing, and the fact they had the courage to revisit the "Valley of Tears" (the name for the site of the accident now) and take their children there, was indisputably courageous.

Most haunting is the archival footage of their rescue and the lasting photographs the survivors snapped throughout their ordeal. It's like being a part of a living, breathing, scrapbook of trauma.

Seldom does a film truly make you appreciate the warm bed you have to sleep in, the food on your table and the casual luxuries of civilization. This one certainly does.

STRANDED: I'VE COME FROM A PLANE THAT CRASHED IN THE MOUNTAINS screened at the 34th Annual Seattle International Film Festival, which continues through June 15th.

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SIFF SIGHTING: MAN ON WIRE (documentary; UK)

James Marsh's MAN ON WIRE is a lighthearted retelling of wirewalker Phillipe Petit's journey from dreaming to walk between the Twin Towers on wire, to it becoming a reality in 1974.

Phillipe is such a charming, endearing character that you find it hard to take issue with the fact he risked his own life (and several of his friends, and onlookers, and cops lives) to achieve this goal, but really he did.

Luckily, he was so wise about "practicing" the walk and clever about how he set it all up that no one was hurt and his travel on the wire that day actually became a fond memory in the Twin Towers' history.

Through archival footage, newsreels and present-day interviews with Petit and many of his friends, the quest is re-created step-by-step in an accessible and humorous way.

If only we all had the courage to live out our craziest dream.

MAN ON WIRE was shown at the 34th Annual Seattle International Film Festival earlier this evening.

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Cinebanter #52 - THE VISITOR

The mp3 of Cinebanter 52 is available here.

In this episode, Michael and Tassoula long for more from THE VISITOR, which stars Richard Jenkins. During the Last Five®, Michael is impressed by an indie from 2007, while Tassoula bonds with a single-female exploration on Sundance. The hosts also respond to Listener Feedback and defend their love of TITANIC. The breakdown is as follows:

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:32 THE VISITOR Discussion
• Break
• 16:41 To Sum It Up
• Break
• 17:11 The Last Five®
• Break
• 47:18 From the Queue
• Break
• 54:11 Listener Feedback (Matt in Ogden)
• 1:02:13 Credits and Outtake

If you'd like to subscribe to the show (it's free, of course) via iTunes, click here.

The show is also available on Podcast Alley, and blubrry. Please vote for us at any of those sites and leave comments if you like what you hear.

And, if you're compelled to donate to the show, there is a PayPal button labeled 'Make a Donation' to the left of this blog. All donations are much appreciated.

Michael's Last Five in this episode were: LADY CHATTERLEY, STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, AN AMERICAN CRIME, SIDEKICK and LARS AND THE REAL GIRL. Tassoula's Last Five in this episode were: IRON MAN, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, THE PROMOTION, THE HOSPITAL and FLYING: CONFESSIONS OF A REAL WOMAN.

Special thanks to Brad Daane and Mark Cummins for providing the original music in this episode.

Reviews and/or notes of every movie Michael sees can be found at his MichaelVox website.

Tassoula has reviews, musings and movie-related product links at Tassoula's Movie Review Blog.

Feedback is always welcome - you may leave comments here or e-mail the hosts at cinebanter@gmail.com.

We hope you enjoy the show!