Episodes

In this episode, we take a deep dive into Mildred Pierce (1945), directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Joan Crawford in her Academy Award–winning role. Mildred Pierce tells the story of a fiercely determined mother who buil...

In this episode, we dive headfirst into Uncut Gems (2019), the Safdie Brothers’ nerve-shredding thriller that redefined modern cinematic anxiety. Starring Adam Sandler in a career-best dramatic performance, Uncut Gems is a ch...

A special year-end announcement from Ken Mercer and FT Kosempa about the future of They Shoot Films.

In this episode, we dive deep into L.A. Confidential (1997), Curtis Hanson’s modern noir masterpiece and one of the defining crime films of the 1990s. Set against the corruption-soaked backdrop of 1950s Los Angeles, L.A. Conf...

In this episode, we step inside the golden glow of rock-and-roll nostalgia as we dive deep into Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous. We break down the iconic coming-of-age classic and explore how Crowe transformed his real-life exp...

In part two of this special two-part episode, we fall back into Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958). Tune in as we explore the recurring motifs of Vertigo, the deleted ending, and the controversy surrounding the scene that cont...

In part one of this special two-part episode, we fall into Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) — one of the most haunting and psychologically complex movies ever made. From its hypnotic visuals and Bernard Herrmann’s swirling s...

What happens when David Cronenberg trades body horror for psychological horror? In this episode, we break down A History of Violence —a tense, haunting look at identity, brutality, and the masks people wear to survive. We exp...

We break down Paul Thomas Anderson’s debut film, Hard Eight (1996) — the sharp, atmospheric crime drama that quietly launched one of the great modern directors. From Philip Baker Hall’s haunting performance to Anderson’s earl...

Step into the unsettling world of Jordan Peele’s groundbreaking horror film Get Out . In this episode, we break down the movie’s chilling themes, unforgettable performances, and innovative use of psychological tension. From t...

In this episode, we break down Michael Mann’s Collateral (2004), the stylish thriller starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx. We explore how Collateral transformed Los Angeles into a glowing, dangerous character through Mann’s gr...

In this episode, we take a deep dive into Albert Brooks’ 1985 classic 'Lost in America,' a comedy about chasing freedom and crashing into reality. We break down the film’s biting satire of the American Dream, its critique of ...

Orson Welles' Touch of Evil marked the director’s return to Hollywood and contains what is widely considered one of the greatest shots in cinema. In this episode, we dive into the difficulties involved in getting that shot, t...

William Friedkin's Sorcerer is now considered an unsung masterpiece but was a critical and box office failure when it was first released in 1977. Quentin Tarantino has called Sorcerer one of his favorite films and Stephen Kin...

Writer/Director Damien Chazelle’s Academy Award winning drama Whiplash was voted number 17 in the The New York Times reader’s poll of the top 100 movies of this century. Peers, critics, and other industry insiders ranked it f...

Marathon Man , starring Dustin Hoffman and Lawrence Olivier as a Nazi war criminal, created a sensation when it was released in 1976. In this episode, Ken Mercer and FT Kosempa examine the film’s infamous dental torture scene...

The Sweet Smell of Success is now considered one of the classics of American cinema but was a critical and box office failure when it was first released in 1957. In this episode, Ken Mercer and FT Kosempa dive into the making...

The Master is considered one of director Paul Thomas Anderson‘s finest films. In this episode, Ken Mercer and F.T. Kosempa untangle the layers of hidden meaning that reward multiple viewings of this 2012 film. The movie stars...

The Departed was the film that finally won Director Martin Scorsese his long overdue Academy Award. In this episode, Ken Mercer and FT Kosempa discuss the origins of the film, where it ranks in the pantheon of Boston films, a...

In part two, Ken Mercer and FT Kosempa continue to investigate the many mysteries of Roman Polanski's Chinatown . In part two of this special two-part podcast, Ken and FT pick their favorite scenes, favorite lines... and watc...

Ken Mercer and FT Kosempa investigate the many mysteries of Roman Polanski's Chinatown —a film so significant it needed two episodes. In part one of this special two-part podcast, Ken and FT explore the film’s origins, the co...

Ken Mercer and F.T. Kosempa strap in for a look at director Samuel Fuller's cult classic The Naked Kiss. The 1964 film has influenced the aesthetic of countless modern film makers, including Quentin Tarantino.

Ken Mercer and F.T. Kosempa take a trip back in time to 1969 to dive into Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The 2019 film stars Leonardo Di Caprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Al Pacino.

Ken Mercer and F.T. Kosempa dive into David O. Russell‘s American Hustle “from the feet up" (to steal a phrase from Christian Bale, who plays Irving Rosenfeld in the film.) The 2013 Academy Award nominated film also stars Amy...