The Projectors

Pickpocket (1959)

For this month’s EUROPEAN VACATION we got a lot of French features. They love their movies and we love movies so it all works out. Today we break the seal on Robert Bresson with his 1959 classic “PICKPOCKET” starring Martin LaSalle and Marika Green. The strange Michel is very driven into relieving people’s wallet weight and is so intent on it that it seems to overtake his life and his relationships. He even takes from his dying mother. The police chief suspects him but has no proof. His friend likes the girl in his building but, somehow, this innocent girl’s heart belongs to the man who does things she finds immoral. Also in this movie? Pickpocketing. Seems obvious given the title but this movie is very informative. The pickpocket advisor quit after working on this movie because he said he gave away all his secrets. I don’t think the meatheads on lower Broadway here in Nashville have seen Robert Bresson’s “PICKPOCKET” so let’s get down there and see what we can squirrel up with the education this movie provides. If I get locked up? No big deal. That’s how you get the girls. They like a strange pickpocket man with a vacant stare. ADHD hyper focus scores again.
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Le Samouraï (1967)

When we’re backpacking across the old countries for September’s theme of EUROPEAN VACATION we gotta stop and sample some of that fine French excellence that Orson Welles so drunkingly told us about. We’re playing it cool with today’s discussion of our second ever Jean-Pierre Melville movie for the show and it’s his swaggiest by far. We’re talking “Le Samouraï” from 1967 starring Alain Delon, Francois Perier, Cathy Rosier and more. Delon plays a cold-as-ice hitman who lives by a personal code of solitude. When an employer turns on him he keeps his contracts while plotting revenge for the betrayal even while knowing that half the police in Paris are on his trail. Why did that piano playing woman not sell him out? How does she know these dead men? What is this final contract for? A defining feature in French cinematic style. Do yourself a favor and take this one in. It’s on MAX last we checked.
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Wings of Desire (1987)

This month we’re taking a nice, long, EUROPEAN VACATION and we’re weaving in and out of about six countries throughout the theme.Today’s stop is Germany but don’t expect any of that stereotypical German dryness. No, Wim Wenders has a knack for humanity and sweetness that defies the stereotype. Fassbinder displays broad emotions as well but Wenders seems like a much nicer person. Our second discussion of a Wim Wenders movie (the first discussion, PARIS TEXAS, is way back in our very first 6-pack episode, link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=gvRs2mMMNFQ ) 
Angels are in the skies and by our side in 1987 Berlin but one is curious about what it must feel like to be human. A beautiful trapeze artist becomes his biggest inspiration. Peter Falk is in this too. Playing himself. Who was once an angel. We love Peter Falk. We’re talking “WINGS OF DESIRE” from 1987 starring Bruno Ganz, Solveig Dommartin, Otto Sander, Curt Bois and, yes, Peter Falk who will always add a quarter of a point to any final film score. We also have two Australian bands with one of the being Nick Cave who I haven’t listened to since 2003. We love Peter Falk.
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La Dolce Vita (1960)

We’re leaving the future behind and decompressing with a nice EUROPEAN VACATION all September long. French, German, Norwegian, Dutch, Italian. We’re backpacking across the Old World and our first stop is Italy with a discussion of an iconic director and one of his biggest films. Federico Fellini’s 1960 film “LA DOLCE VITA” catapulted him and his lead, Marcello Mastroianni, into international superstardom. Reporter Marcello can see the disconnect of new trends covering the ashes of the old ways as he bounces between paparazzi and and high society women. His poor and lonely girlfriend can’t seem to give up the ghost as she desperately wants to pull Marcello into a traditional life. The trend sucking cafe lifestyle may be vapid but it’s hard to turn down. Not faith nor monogamy can stand against the strange allure of New Rome’s hip high society. Marcello may know better but he may be in too deep. Also starring Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimee & Yvonne Furneaux, LA DOLCE VITA represents a turning point in the global representation of European film and an important representation of a changing time in Europe and Italy. Hear us tell of it.
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Melancholia (2011)

Our month’s theme and our year’s theme have crossed over. You could call it “LARS VON TRIER’S BULLSHIT TOMORROW” but it may not be bullshit for Lars or the character of Justine so much as cathartic. Imagine being overwhelmed with crippling depression and then you discover a rogue planet is hurtling towards Earth. Guys who get their astronomy news from Joe Rogan aren’t too worried about it but you know exactly what’s going to happen. The end of the world. The world is shitting itself and you’re basking peacefully in the sun’s reflection off of the planetoid Melancholia as it looms towards Earth. Yes, we are discussing von Trier’s 2011 examination of extreme depression in “MELANCHOLIA” starring Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg. Personally I would spend all of that time collecting as many Beanie Babies as I can. It’s a passion of mine and I’d rather go out doing what I love the most. I just hope the stores will be open until the very end. I want my last moments to be me handing my credit card to a cashier for a tie-dye Iggy Iguana. Signing that receipt right as I’m misted into nothing. I may need to borrow some money though.
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Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

We’re winding out our theme of dystopian futures in movies and we absolutely have to go back in time, once again, and try to prevent catastrophe. The Terminator is back and this time? He’s your new dad and he’s been sent back in time by your 45 year old self. Devastation may have been delayed but still imminent. There’s hope still in keeping John Connor alive to destroy Skynet tomorrow. The resistance hacked an Arnold bot and sent it back but Skynet sent a Liquid Metal prototype back too and he’s scary as fuck. A defining film for a generation, an exceptional action movie and a rare sequel that is better than the original. Of course we’re talking about “TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY” from 1991 directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Edward Furlong and Joe Morton. With the help of his pet Terminator, John Connor and his mother can prevent the future and stop Skynet on the cusp of its creation so long as they can survive the relentless T-1000. There’s always a few holes in any time travel story but we might enjoy this movie now even more than we did when we were kids. Jimmy knows what you want to see. Found a link right here: https://archive.org/details/t-2-ultimate-edition-with-original-ending-1
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Real Steel (2011)

We’re near the end of this month’s movie theme examining various futures in film. We’ve been calling it SOME BULLSHIT TOMORRROW and while most tomorrows have been bullshit, this near future has some optimism. This future is so concerned with CTE damage in combat sports that humans have been replaced by fighting robots. Imagine if your rock ‘em sock ‘em robots could dance and dismember. Shawn Levy’s 2011 film “REAL STEEL” made its money and seemed to fade back into pop culture obscurity. This flawed family drama starring Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo, Evangeline Lily and Anthony Mackie finds a beating heart amongst the mechanical carnage. Will this near future film find its cult appreciators? What works and what doesn’t? We got something to say about it. We always do.
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eXistenZ (1999)

SOME BULLSHIT TOMORROW is the movie theme all August and how can we go through a month of strange futures without including a selection from the director that made today’s discussion? Yeah, a lot of our tomorrows are definitely bullshit but Cronenberg’s future doesn’t seem so stressed. Seems like your refrigerator could have fleshy bits and holes made just for you. The TV remote could look and feel like a ballsack and you know you love it you kinky freak. We’re discussing David Cronenberg’s inventive and wild gamer future film from 1999, “eXistenZ” starring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jude Law, Ian Holm, Willem Dafoe and more. In the near future games get weird but maybe you won’t notice. A major game designer is the target of assassination due to her phenomenon gaming invention known as “eXistenZ”, Her and her nerd bodyguard gotta go into the game and build bone guns and stick umbilical chords into their tramps stamps (in real life and in the game) to help them play the game. We can be immersed in worlds that feel totally real but where does your character go and why? I’d love to play Mario on one of those fleshy clitorus pads. Or Elden Ring? I’m good on rooting through viscera at the “Trout Farm”. Tonguing port holes, though? Let’s do it. Where does the game end and real life begin? Found a movie link here: https://archive.org/details/eXistenZ.1999.1080p.Bluray.DTS.x264-NTb_201806
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Brazil (1985)

When you’re getting into the concepts of SOME BULLSHIT TOMORROWs many classic literary interpretations have stood the test of time. It’s felt “1984” a few times this month and today’s selection is no different but perhaps it feels a little closer in its mediocre society. Things are cluttered, disconnected and cartoonishly inept. Life lived under paperwork and forms in drab buildings, some of them you hope you never see inside of. The best of your reality is in your dreams but when the faces in your dreams appear in reality then you just might see a chance to rise above the drab world. A creative tour de force by Terry Gilliam early in his “post Python” film career, it remains a visually impressive work of humor and devastation that stands out amongst his unique filmmaking career. When talking about dystopia on film it’s hard not to include Gilliam’s 1985 film “BRAZIL” starring Jonathan Pryce, Kim Greist, Robert De Niro, Ian Holm, Michael Palin, Bob Hoskins & Katherine Helmond to name a few. There is some good in this world. Good men who want to help. Good people who want to care for their neighbors. Can they make it in this very familair ultra-propagandized society? God willing, return I will to Old Brazil. We found this link to the movie: https://archive.org/details/brazil-1985-1
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The Trial (1962)

For this month’s movie theme, SOME BULLSHIT TOMORROW, late stage humanity can come subtly. You live your life, as normal as far as you can see it, then you become accused. You assert some faith in the law and individual right that you’ve been told exists. Maybe you can maneuver these charges if only you knew what the charges were. If only you knew what they were saying behind the door that is only for you but you can’t enter. Your dystopia is here. We’re discussing “THE TRIAL” and this 1962 adaptation of the work from Franz Kafka holds the same philosophical intentions but this is an Anthony Perkins movie (he played Norman Bates in “Psycho”) and it’s directed by Orson Welles. Perkins was a complex closeted gay man of classic Hollywood and Orson Welles knew that at the time and used it to draw tension. Playing in this adds another tone. It can be interpreted in the Kafka way but also on what’s secretly within its lead who gives an incredible performance. It was said that Perkins was aware of this at the time. What would you do if you stood accused of something and no one told you what? We all have rights, right? I might shut the fuck up at the very least but it’s futile to think that would even matter win a world like this. Here’s the classic right here: https://archive.org/details/the-trial-1962-restored-movie-720p-hd
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