Wind, Reel, & Print

Kuleshov Effect

EPISODE 061: FILM THEORY DISCUSSIONS
 
Wind Reel & Print uncovers the secrets to Soviet cinema via the guidance of filmmaker Lev Kuleshov and his humbly named theory the “Kuleshov effect”. In an introductory lesson to film editing, this founding principle of film theory draws attention to the cut as the primary building block of film-meaning creation. Despite the inherent self-explanatory nature of this concept, this episode serves as an important reminder of the impacts Soviet film theorists had on the development of cinematic language, with the “Kuleshov effect” and the montage helping usher in film as the defining art form of a modern industrial society.

“500 Days of Annie Hall”

EPISODE 060: DOUBLE FEATURES
 
Featuring: Annie Hall (1977); [500] Days of Summer (2009)
 
What does the Academy Award-winning Woody Allen and Hollywood hearthrob Joseph Gordon-Levitt have in common? We’re actually not too sure either. But their movies felt like an appropriate pair to cut against. Both “Annie Hall” and “[500] Days of Summer” take the romcom genre to meta extremes and WR&P cohosts Ryan and Kevin examine the formal and narrative aspects that loosely define a meta romcom, namely the use of atemporal editing and the narrative focus on memory.

Bay Area Baseball

EPISODE 059: BAY AREA FLICKS
 
Featuring: Angels in the Outfield (1994); The Fan (1996); Moneyball (2011)
 
In possibly the biggest reach in WR&P history, Kevin bundles three Bay Area-based baseball movies in an attempt to define the local region through America’s Favorite Pasttime. From Brad Pitt’s Billy Beane to Robert De Niro’s fanatic antics, baseball is universally cherished as a game of passion. It stands as one of the iconic symbols of American and masculine identity, with both Ryan and Kevin sharing connections with baseball and their respective fathers. While the Bay Area ties aren’t incredibly strong across all three films, Ryan proposes how “Moneyball” echoes the sentiment of how Oakland has been poached of sports vivacity.

Auteur Theory

EPISODE 058: FILM THEORY DISCUSSIONS
 
Wind Reel & Print puts a name to a face by introducing auteur theory, one of the cornerstone concepts of film theory. With French New Wave origins, this theoretical claim pedastaled the director as the “author” of cinema. It has since become a badge of honor, changing the way we understand filmmaking and altering the film industry away from producer-centrism and towards director-centrism. Kevin offers their own theories behind the qualifications of the term “autuer”.

Mumblecore pt. II

EPISODE 057: LESSONS IN FILM MOVEMENTS
 
Featuring: Cyrus (2010); Drinking Buddies (2013); Frances Ha (2012); Computer Chess (2013)
 
Per our initial “Mumblecore” episode, WR&P examines the original Mumble-corps in the years following their break onto the scene. Andrew Bujalski, Joe Swanberg, Greta Gerwig, and the Duplass Brothers return for another round of complicated relationships and inventive independent film modes. Kevin coins terminology around this movement to explain the ways these filmmakers embrace bigger budgets and different cinematic styles.

Nosferatu

EPISODE 056: CINEMA MINI SERIES
 
Featuring: Nosferatu (1922); Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979); Nosferatu (2024)
 
As a quasi-sequel to the “Vampire Movies” episode, Wind Reel & Print folds in the cinematic traditions of Nosferatu. Beginning with F.W. Murnau’s 1922 version and ending with Robert Eggers’ recent rendition, Ryan and Kevin cover the aesthetic differences between these three films and how this pertains to director style, regionality, and time period of production.

“Death as Transition”

EPISODE 055: LETTERBOXD TOP 250 SHUFFLE
 
Featuring: Howl’s Moving Castle (2004); Winter Light (1963); The Ascent (1977); Mulholland Dr. (2001)
 
How do you connect a Japanese animation, a Swedish tragedy film, a Soviet WWII drama, and an American dream picture? Regardless of film form or narrative structure or country of origin, the Letterboxd Top 250 surely guarantees a “good movie” fortified with captivating stories and profound aesthetics that ultimately question what it means to be human. This week’s collection concentrates on concepts of death as a symbol of life cycles and transition, featuring films from Hayao Miyazaki, Ingmar Bergman, Larisa Shepitko, and the late David Lynch.

The Human Condition

EPISODE 054: CINEMA MINI SERIES
 
Featuring: The Human Condition I: No Greater Love (1959); The Human Condition II: Road to Eternity (1959); The Human Condition III: A Soldier’s Prayer (1961)
 
Despite all the double features, director retrospectives, and genre reviews, Wind Reel & Print has never fully embraced the comforts of a true trilogy. Directed by celebrated WR&P alum Masaki Kobayashi, “The Human Condition” stands as possibly the greatest trilogy ever committed to film and seemed fitting for the pod’s first cinema mini series. While traversing through various settings and multiple ensemble casts, this epic narrative consistently drives home themes of humanism while providing thoughtful social critique and astounding visual imagery. Ryan and Kevin bow down at the altar of Kobayashi’s monumental The Human Condition Trilogy.

Australian New Wave

EPISODE 053: LESSONS IN FILM MOVEMENTS
 
Featuring: Mad Max (1979); Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975); Dead Calm (1989); Walkabout (1971)
 
From the outback gothic Ozploitation of “Mad Max” to the proto-Lynchian affect of “Picnic at Hanging Rock”, the impact of Australian New Wave remains resoundingly influential albeit relatively unheard of. Boasting contemporary Hollywood headliners such as Nicole Kidman, Mel Gibson, George Miller, Peter Weir, and Sam Neill, this film movement from Down Under dominated indie circuits in the 1970s and 80s with daring adventure tales displaying a determined national identity alongside unique cinematic aesthetics. WR&P cohosts Ryan and Kevin give respect to Aussie cinema.

The Mask (1994)

EPISODE 052: WEIRD @ WR&P
 
In an attempt to repair an irreparable movie, Wind Reel & Print tackles the complicated reputation of Jim Carrey’s 1994 film “The Mask”. Despite having higher reviews than Weird @ WR&P favorite “The Cat in the Hat”, both Ryan and Kevin find “The Mask” to be rather lackluster and quite displeasing. Convoluted in its influence and intention, this comic book adaptation fares better in memory than in execution.