Is Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash (2014) the ultimate artistic triumph… or does its intense final scene leave too much unresolved? In this deep-dive video essay, we break down the explosive ending of Whiplash—debating whether it completes the film’s emotional arc or undercuts its powerful setup. We even pitch our own alternate…
In a key scene in John Schlesinger’s "Marathon Man", a soccer ball suddenly comes bounding out of the shadows into which a courier disappeared without a trace. A famous reference shot in Fritz Lang’s "M" clues us in to the meaning. Roy Scheider and Nicole Deslauriers share the scene. (Audio…
The connection between Dustin Hoffman in the bathtub in the movie "Marathon Man" and Jeff Bridges (as The Dude) in the Coen Brother's film "The Big Lebowski." Marathon Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Lawrence Olivier as a Nazi war criminal, created a sensation when it was released in 1976. The…
Tony Curtis tries to gain entrance to Burt Lancaster's exclusive table at the 21 Club in the classic film "The Sweet Smell of Success". The 1957 film stars Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman wrote the screenplay, based on Lehman's novella. James Wong Howe was the…
The viewer sees things from Burt Lancaster's (J.J. Hunsecker) point of view in this scene brilliantly directed by Alexander Mackendrick from the classic film "Sweet Smell of Success". The 1957 movie stars Burt Lancaster and Tony Curtis. Clifford Odets and Ernest Lehman wrote the screenplay. James Wong Howe was the…
Joaquin Phoenix is given a Rorschach Test in director Paul Thomas Anderson's film "The Master." The 2012 film stars Joaquin Phoenix, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Laura Dern.. (Audio excerpted from the "They Shoot Films" Podcast Episode 10: https://www.theyshootfilms.com/the-master/)
Jack Nicholson deliverers a mysterious drawing to the table of two priests in a scene from director Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed.” The 2006 film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Vera Farmiga, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, and Martin Sheen. (Audio excerpted from the "They Shoot Films" Podcast Episode 9)
The final scene from director Martin Scorcese’s film “The Departed” features a shot of a rat on a railing. Ken Mercer and FT Kosempa discuss how to interpret the meaning of this symbol. The 2006 film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Vera Farmiga, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, and…
Leonardo DiCaprio takes a bullet in the head from Matt Damon, but Mark Wahlberg has the final say in the perfectly crafted ending sequence of director Martin Scorsese’s “The Departed.” The 2006 film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Vera Farmiga, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, and Martin Sheen. (Audio…
The pivotal scene revealing the incest mystery in director Roman Polanski's Neo-Noir film masterpiece. The movie stars Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston. (Audio excerpted from the "They Shoot Films" Podcast Episode 8)
The silent film buried inside director Roman Polanski's Neo-noir detective mystery "Chinatown." The movie stars Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston. Robert Towne wrote the screenplay. (Audio excerpted from the "They Shoot Films" Podcast Episode 7)
Is the shocking opening scene from director Samuel Fuller's cult classic "The Naked Kiss" the greatest in film history? The 1964 melodrama/film noir has influenced the aesthetic of the French New Wave as well as modern film makers such as Quentin Tarantino and Jim Jarmusch. (Audio excerpted from the "They…
The battle between Brad Pitt and Bruce Lee in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". The 2019 film also stars Leonardo Di Caprio, Margot Robbie and Al Pacino. (Audio excerpted from the "They Shoot Films" Podcast Episode 5.)
Too much of Amy Adams’ breasts in David O. Russell’s film “American Hustle”—or not enough? Ken Mercer and F.T. Kosempa debate the issue. The 2013 Academy Award nominated film stars Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jeremy Renner. (Audio excerpted from the "They Shoot Films" Podcast Episode…
Is director Alexander Payne obsessed with the smell of urine after characters eat asparagus? The Academy Award nominated film "The Holdovers" stars Paul Giamatti. (Audio excerpted from the "They Shoot Films" Podcast Episode 3.)
One of the best scenes from director David Fincher's film "The Social Network." The movie stars Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, and Rooney Mara. (Audio excerpted from the "They Shoot Films" Podcast Episode 2.)
One of the most daring scenes from director David Lynch's film "Mulholland Drive." The movie stars Naomi Watts, Justin Theroux, and Laura Harring. (Audio excerpted from the "They Shoot Films" Podcast Episode 1.)