Totally Pretentious

In today’s episode, David and Shaun take a good look at Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo (1982). Before digging into the film, they discuss the controversy surrounding lead actor, Klaus Kinski, including relatively recent revelations about his abuse of his daughters and his relationship with other actors and Werner Herzog. From there, they look into the film’s themes of […]

In today’s episode, David and Shaun turn their attention to Cat People (1942) and its loose sequel, The Seventh Victim (1943). Together, they discuss the impact these films had on the development of the horror genre, the terror of the beast within, the treatment of cults and psychiatry in each film, and much more! Prepare yourselves […]

In today’s episode, David and Shaun once more talk about the films they’re currently enjoying, from big blockbusters to television epics and more. Then they turn their critical brains to the film of the day:  Fritz Lang’s M (1931). They cover some of the history behind the film — including 1930s Germany and the background of the […]

It’s the triumphant return of Totally Pretentious, David and Shaun’s silly-with-a-side-of-pretentiousness movie review project that disappeared for a brief moment in time. But now they’re back with an episode they recorded a long time ago and forgot to release! In today’s super late episode, David and Shaun talk about some of the films they saw (back […]

What do you get when you make a film that even John Wayne hated?  The classic man-on-his-own Western, High Noon (1952; dir. Fred Zinnemann).  This episode, David and Shaun discuss the history of High Noon, it’s treatment of classic Western tropes, its representations of masculinity and religion, and much more!  Plus, we have some very late thoughts about the […]

GripeFest  2016 is here!  In our 14th episode, Shaun is joined by Rachael Acks to discuss the 2016 Academy Awards.  Which movies don’t belong?  Which movies are sorely missed?  What the heck is wrong with the Oscars this year?  Listen to find out what we thing about everything from gender and race issues in the […]

The Vampire, the Western, and the Setting Sun! In our 13th episode, David and Shaun play catch-up on films left over from last year with an intense discussion of Kathryn Bigelow’s 1987 vampire western, Near Dark.  Among the subjects under discussion:  the cinematography and the western myth, where Near Dark went wrong (and where it veered heavily […]

A Christmas Carol (1951) and the Terrors of the Past, Present, and Future! In our final episode of the year, David and Shaun discuss the 1951 classic adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol (starring Alastair Sim).  We discuss the film’s influence on later adaptations, its approach to Dickens’ classic, its approach to wealth, the performances, and […]

The People Under the Stairs: Wes Craven’s Legacy and an Unusual Mythic Terror David and Shaun return after an unnecessarily long hiatus to discuss Wes Craven’s work, with special attention to The People Under the Stairs.  We cover the film’s history, its mythical themes and imagery, and just what it says about Craven as a director […]

Last Night and finding the self in the Canadian apocalypse. In our 9th episode, we talk about what we’ve been up to for the past month and dive into Don McKellar’s celebrated apocalypse film, Last Night.  Given that David is a Canadian and Shaun is an American, we take a look at the film’s Canadianisms, discuss its […]

The Secret of Roan Inish, the pastoral, and the child!! Filling in for David, Jen Zink joins me to discuss the state of Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and our main event film, The Secret of Roan Inish (1994).  We explore The Secret of Roan Inish‘s treatment of its child protagonist, the conflict between the modern world and the pastoral […]

Blockbuster Spectable and Reconstituting the Family! We take our first stab at a blockbuster hit — the incredibly influential Jurassic Park (1993).  We discuss the film’s visual effects and influence, its treatment of corporations and family, and the film’s legacy.  Plus, we spend a considerable amount of time discussing Jurassic World (2015) and its place within the franchise. We’re also still […]

On Christopher Lee’s Legacy and the Trials of Religion! In this special episode, we talk about the late Christopher Lee and his legacy, from Hammer Horror films to Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. We also take some time to discuss The Wicker Man, one of Lee’s most compelling horror productions, with particular attention to the film’s treatment […]

The Surreality and Collapse of WASP Culture! In our fifth episode, we discuss what we’ve been watching lately — a little bit of Dredd and Abel Ferrara — and then head back to the 60s to discuss the recently-reappraised Burt Lancaster film, The Swimmer (1968; dir. Frank Perry).   We tackle the film’s exploration of age and morality, […]

Romantic Fantasies, Cults of Personality, and the Chaos of Capital! In our fourth episode, we drop back a decade to discuss Ernst Lubitsch’s The Shop Around the Corner starring James Stewart and Margaret Sullivan, from the character’s fantasies about romantic relationships to the posturing of its characters to the underlying metaphors and references embodied in the shop. […]

Teenage Body Horror, Modern Decay, and It! Our third episode is a special one!  We jump outside of our normal programming schedule to host an impromptu discussion of David Robert Mitchell’s acclaimed new horror film, It Follows.  Special guest Rachael Acks joins us as we explore the film’s underlying sexual mythologies, its treatment of capital, […]

Playing Genre, Masculinity, and the Post-War World! In our second episode, we open by discussing what we’ve been watching, how films “stand the test of time,” and the supposed problem with the Hollywood blockbuster.  Plus, there’s a little bonus conversation about the state of horror films since 2000. The main event involves Henri-Georges Clouzot’s suspense […]

The Vigilante, the History, and Beginnings! In this inaugural episode of Totally Pretentious, David and Shaun introduce the show and discuss the iconic Dirty Harry (1971), from its influence to its underlying mythologies.  They also reveal next month’s film, which you can watch along with us! Download Episode 001 (Dirty Harry)(MP3) Show Notes: Dirty Harry (1971) Further Reading: […]