Stuff We’ve Seen

Schrader Canyon: To Hell and Back

When you reach Schrader Canyon, you know you are in dangerous film territory. In the third and final installment of Jim and Bill's look at Paul Schrader's filmography, they climb the shadowy depths of Schrader Canyon to unearth Exorcist Dominion, and the notorious Lindsay Lohan film, The Canyons.

But just when you thought Jim and Bill were stuck in the Schrader Canyon forever, they find a way out with a late career resurgence including First Reformed, The Card Counter, and The Master Gardener. 

With a little time left in the episode, Jim and Bill touch base on Criterion's latest Neo Noir offerings, and you won't want to miss the final four minutes of the episode, when in true Paul Schrader fashion, things go way off the rails.

It's an action packed episode, folks. Enjoy! If you dare.

The Comfort of Schrader: Jim and Bill Continue Into Paul Schrader Territory

Ah, the comfort of Schrader. Sooner or later, the more you watch, the more you fall under the spell of Paul Schrader, and the harder it will be for you to find a way out.

Jim and his guest, Bill from Queens, continue their expedition through the heart of Paul Schrader's filmography with looks at Mishima: a Life in Four Chapters, Light of Day, The Comfort of Strangers, and Light Sleeper. Plus, hear the tale of Jim and Bill's brief brush with Paul Schrader in person, back in their days at NYU.

Jim and Bill Enter the Schraderverse

Welcome to the Schraderverse: The Paul Schraderverse if you will. A man whose filmography is almost more a state of mind than an actual compendium of movies. 

 

Paul Schrader is a tough director to pin down, so to tackle the screenwriter of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, Jim tapped his old pal, and longtime listener of the show, Bill From Queens to sit in. Bill is a Schrader fanatic, much more so than Jim, who has many problems with Schrader's directorial efforts. 

Will sparks fly? Well, let's not call Jim and Bill's episode contentious, but the pair is not afraid to mix it up.

In the first of at least two episodes on Paul Schrader (there is enough material for potentially 3 depending on how the editing goes) Jim and Bill duke it out over the merits of Schrader as they find themselves sucked into the Schraderverse.

And where's Teal at? Well, you'll just have to take a listen to find out. But warning in advance: you can't trust Jim whenever he tells you where Teal's hiding.

When Jim Met Teal: 35th Anniversary Special

It was nearly thirty five years ago that Jim met Teal in a diner in Greenwich Village, NYC in September of 1989. On this episode of Stuff We've Seen, you'll learn how the two film lovers met, and how they began their movie-watching journey together. That covers the second half of the episode.

But first, Jim runs through several movies he's seen lately, including I Saw the TV Glow, The Bikeriders, Origin, and Hundreds of Beavers. 

Lots of laughs in this episode, so strap on those earbuds and get listening!

Furiosa and The Hitman Begin Jim and Teal's Summer Movie Season

The summer movie season is upon us, but what a strange season it is so far. Film and after film has underperformed, and one movie's poor performance at the box office is surprising given the prestige of its predecessor. Of course, I'm talking about Furiosa: a Mad Max Saga. Apparently, movie audiences weren't up for a prequel installment to George Miller's near-universally praised Mad Max: Fury Road.

Jim and Teal are monster fans of Fury Road, so what do they think of Furisoa? Well, you'll have to listen to find out.

What else? Both Jim and Teal caught Richard Linklater's Netflix film offering, The Hitman, startting Glen Powell and Adria Arjona. This light and breezy comedy neo noir hit the right spot for enjoyment level, and gets a recommendation from Jim and Teal.

But that's not all. Jim watched Am I Ok? and Teal caught up with Lisa Frankenstein. And for added measure, Jim recommends a bit of an odd hidden gem, The Sweet East.

Lots of films on the docket for this hour of podcast funtainment. Enjoy!

From Skidoo to Lost Films: Christian Divine Speaks His Mind

Who is the world's foremost expert on Otto Preminger's 1968 film Skidoo? Who is the man who is devoted to physical media preservation, and has the YouTube Channel to prove it? Who is a BAFTA and Peabody award-winning game writer who brought Life is Strange to gamers everywhere?

 

This week, Jim and Teal chat with Christian Divine, a writer, journalist, and lover of films. His knowledge is vast, and he isn't shy about sharing his opinions, even if his insights might make you rethink some of your childhood favorite movies.

Love Lies Bleeding and Monkey Man: Teal has a Case of the Grumpies

This week Jim and Teal look at some films from 2024, including Dune 2, Love Lies Bleeding, Monkey Man., Riddle of Fire, and Arcadian. All are available for streaming or On-demand in one form or another. But just because you can stream them, should you? Have a listen and find out what Jim and Teal think.

Civil War and On the Silver Globe

This week Jim recommends the new A24 Alex Garland film, Civil War. And then things get a bit crazy with a discussion on Andrzej Zulawski's insane sci-fi epic, On the Silver Globe. One thing is for sure: it is one of the most mind-bending insane films Jim and Teal have ever seen. Never heard of it? Well, you wouldn't be alone. But for the lover of film bizarre, this may be the film you've been searching for.

Never Say Never Again: Stuff We've Seen is Back in Action

Never say never again; wise words from Sean Connery on playing James Bond after Diamonds Are Forever, which is the first time he came back to the role after vowing never to play the character again. Well, he did return for 1983's, Never Say Never Again, and the verdict's still out on if that was a wise idea or not.

Still, just like Sean Connery, Jim and Teal vowed the show was over, well...okay, Jim did. But Teal had other plans, and here we are--back in action, and ready for another season of Stuff We've Seen. What's on tap for our first return episode?

Well, first, Jim reveals what he's been doing while on break from the show. It turns out, he was finishing, and self-publishing his first novel. It's a YA look back at his high school days from the late 1980s. The book is, "Parental Guidance Suggested: A Wicked Awesome Tale Of High School In The Late 80s That's Totally Not Rated PG". It's available on Amazon for Kindle, Paperback, or Hardcover. Just search by the main title and James Kent, and you should find it.

That announcement segues into a discussion on teens in trouble movies, where we spotlight two films: The River's Edge (1987), and Over the Edge (1979). These two films capture something real and true about teenagers that Jim and Teal feel is missing from today's films about youth.

 

Lots to enjoy this episode. And we're glad to be back at it. Never say never again!

Stuff We've Seen Concludes with Jim's Top Ten Films of 2023

The Stuff We've Seen podcast comes to a close after five successful years, hundreds of episodes, and loads of laughs. What better way to end the run, but with a recap of Jim's top ten films of 2023? Enjoy the list, and who knows? We may be back again someday.