In this episode, I talk about Ettore Scola's 1977 film, "A Special Day," starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni in some of the most raw performances of their careers. The film takes place in 1938 on an important day when Hitler visits Mussolini in Rome. While much of the city attends parades and festivities to celebrate the meeting, two people remain ... Show More
Feb 3
Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 'The Red Shoes' (1948)
In this episode, I talk about Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1948 film, "The Red Shoes." It centers on Vicky Page, a young ballet dancer whose extraordinary talent brings her into a world where art demands total devotion and where love and ambition collide.I discuss "The ... Show More
1h 20m
Dec 7
Dianne Jackson's 'The Snowman' (1982)
In this episode, I talk about Dianne Jackson's beloved 1982 animated film, "The Snowman." Adapted from Raymond Briggs’s wordless book, the film follows a young boy who builds a snowman that comes to life, and together they share a brief night of wonder and connection. I reflect o ... Show More
1 h
Nov 4
Francis Ford Coppola's 'The Conversation' (1974)
In this episode, I talk about Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 film, "The Conversation." The film follows Harry Caul, a wiretapper in San Francisco who becomes obsessed with a recording he’s made of a young couple in a crowded park. As Harry pieces together fragments of their conversa ... Show More
1h 12m
Sep 2023
Gael García Bernal and Gay Lucha Libre
This week, Dana and Stephen are once again joined by Kat Chow, author of the memoir Seeing Ghosts. The panel begins by jumping into the ring with Cassandro, the oddly conflict-adverse biopic about the lucha libre superstar and exótico gay icon, Saúl Armendáriz, who is played terr ... Show More
54m 35s
Jan 2024
Willy Wonka, Naive Sweetheart?
On this week’s show, the hosts begin by jumping into the fantastical world of Wonka, a prequel to Roald Dahl’s enduring novel that explores the origins of its famously impish character, Willy Wonka, portrayed here by a wide-eyed, sugary sweet Timothée Chalamet. The musical film, ... Show More
54m 6s
Apr 2023
Mauro Resmini, "Italian Political Cinema: Figure of the Long '68" (U Minnesota Press, 2023)
Traditionally, the definition of political cinema assumes a relationship between cinema and politics. In contrast to this view, author Mauro Resmini sees this relationship as an impasse. To illustrate this theory, Resmini turns to Italian cinema to explore how films have reinvent ... Show More
1h 13m
Jan 2022
Episode 1295 - Javier Bardem
Javier Bardem finds lots of inspiration in his native Spain: the art, the creativity, the history, the ham. Marc talks with Javier about the importance of being raised in a creative family, including his uncle who fought the fascists through his films and his mother who was his g ... Show More
1h 12m
Feb 2020
The Oscars Series, Day 5: For Sama, This Year's Most Powerful Documentary
<p>This week, in honor of the upcoming Academy Awards, <em>Here's the Thing</em> brings you a collection of conversations with Oscar-winners -- and, today, with a pair of 2020 nominees. They are Waad Al-Kateab and Edward Watts, the co-directors of <em>For Sama</em>, which is up f ... Show More
33m 19s
Jan 2023
Here’s the Thing: Trailer
Join award-winning actor Alec Baldwin in conversation with some of the most dynamic artists, policymakers, and performers working today. This season, Alec speaks with actors Ellen Burstyn and Estelle Parsons on the 75th Anniversary of the Actors Studio, fiancée of journalist Jama ... Show More
1m 34s
