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"Cake fights over war." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by Maggie Hennefeld to explore Daisies, Věra Chytilová’s 1966 Czech New Wave film and Criterion Collection Spine #1157. Two young women, both named Marie, decide that if the world has gone bad, they may as well go bad too. What follows is a kaleidoscope of conned suitors, demolished banquets, and scissored bananas.  My guest is Maggie Hennefeld, Professor of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature at the University of Minnesota. She is the author of Specters of Slapstick and Silent Film Comediennes, co-creator of Cinema's First Nasty Women, a four-disc collection of silent-era films about feminist protest and slapstick sabotage, and co-editor of Unwatchable, a book about media that resists or punishes the act of watching it. Her latest book, Death by Laughter, is a history of women who allegedly died laughing too hard. She is also a contributor to a new Journal of Cinema and Media Studies dossier marking Daisies' 60th anniversary. If anyone is built to make sense of two women who eat, destroy, and dissolve their own identities as comedy, it's her. Together we move through the film scene by scene and discuss: What the Criterion Collection's numbers say about female directors Chytilová’s career, her bans, and why she may have resisted the word "feminist"Daisies' kinship with silent slapstick cinemaWhat the Maries get out of conning men besides a free mealPhallic food, wasted food, and an attack on well-mannered spectatorshipWhether you're discovering Daisies for the first time or returning to it, this conversation explores why a film this chaotic still feels so deliberate. It's a silly film and, at the same time, one of the most serious.  Maggie Hennefeld  Sixty Years of Daisies: Perspectives on Věra Chytilová’s Anarchic Classic  Women Film Pioneers Project Cinema's First Nasty Women Death by Laughter: Female Hysteria and Early Cinema Specters of Slapstick and Silent Film Comediennes Gustatory Gratitudes by Kelly Gallagher Maggie Hennefeld's Video Lecture for Czech Center NY's Sixty Years of Daisies Send us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"Blood only means what you let it." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by Domino Perez to explore Lone Star, John Sayles's 1996 neo-western murder mystery and Criterion Collection Spine #1202. A skeleton turns up in the Texas desert, and Sheriff Sam Deeds starts pulling a thread that leads straight back to his own father: Buddy Deeds, the legendary lawman the whole town reveres. What emerges is a film about how a community survives the gap between the story it tells about itself and the truth sitting underneath it. My guest is Domino Perez, Professor of English at the University of Texas at Austin. She's the author of There Was a Woman: La Llorona from Folklore to Popular Culture and Fatherhood in the Borderlands, and her scholarship spans Mexican American and Latinx literature, film, and popular culture. She's also the person who wrote Lone Star's actual Criterion booklet essay, "Past is Present," which makes her about as close to the ideal guest as this show could find for a film built entirely on the questions she's spent her career studying. We discuss: Reading Mercedes and Pilar as Mexican American women rarely given this kind of complexity on screen.The La Llorona folklore and the film's relationship to water and lossHow four very different fathers are portrayed Chucho's line in the dirt and what border meansThe real world 1836 project and how this 1996 film predicted itWhat "Forget the Alamo" actually meansWhether you're discovering Lone Star for the first time or returning to it decades later, this conversation explores why a film about a murdered sheriff ends up being about everyone else in the town. It's a story where solving the crime is almost beside the point. Domino Perez La Llorona from Folklore to Popular Culture Fatherhood in the Borderlands Send us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"Why do you want to live?" In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by film critic and author Pamela Hutchinson to explore The Red Shoes, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 1948 backstage melodrama and Criterion Collection Spine #44. The Red Shoes follows Vicky Page, a rising ballerina cast as the star of a new ballet built from a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, in which a pair of enchanted red shoes dance a woman to her death. Pamela Hutchinson is a writer, critic, and film historian specializing in silent and classic cinema. She's a columnist at Sight & Sound, the founder-editor of Silent London, and her writing has appeared in the Guardian, Empire, the Criterion Collection, and many more. In 2023, she wrote the BFI Film Classics book dedicated entirely to this film, drawing on Michael Powell's personal archive to trace how the film came together. There's no one better suited to help unpack why this film still holds power. Together we move through the film scene by scene and discuss: The real Nijinsky and Diaghilev romanceBoris Lermontov - Collector of SoulsThe blood and injury hidden beneath ballet's gracePowell & Pressburger's partnershipIs Vicky's death a choice or the red shoes' spell?The 17-minute ballet sequenceWhether you're discovering The Red Shoes for the first time or returning to it, this conversation explores why a film about the price of greatness has haunted artists for over 75 years. Pamela Hutchinson Silent London BFI Film Classics: The Red Shoes The Curse of Queen Kelly Send us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"There was a great moment in the 90s with noir films, and I think Deep Cover should always be a part of that consideration." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by film scholar Michael B. Gillespie to explore Deep Cover, Bill Duke's 1992 noir thriller. Deep Cover follows Russell Stevens, a Cincinnati police officer recruited by the DEA to go undercover at "John Hull" and infiltrate the West Coast's largest cocaine supply chain. As Stevens climbs the ladder, the line between cop and the character he's playing starts to disappear. Michael B. Gillespie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Cinema Studies at NYU and the author of Film Blackness: American Cinema and the Idea of Black Film, which examines Deep Cover as a defining case study. His writing has appeared in Film Comment, Film Quarterly, and The Criterion Collection. He served as consulting producer on the Criterion release of Deep Cover, where he also wrote the accompanying essay. There's no one better suited to help unpack why this film is included in the collection. Together we move through the film and discuss: Why "neo-noir" fails to describe Deep CoverThe police department weaponizing trauma as recruitmentJeff Goldblum's and Larry Fishburne's interracial couplingWhether you're discovering Deep Cover for the first time or returning to it, this conversation explores why a film about a man forced to play a role became one of the defining noirs of its era, and why it still matters today. Michael B. Gillespie Who'll Pay Reparations on My Soul? Film Blackness: American Cinema and the Idea of Black Film Send us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"You walk out taking away an awful lot of knowledge of American history that you were never told." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by film scholar Jack Ryan to explore Matewan, John Sayles's 1987 masterpiece and Criterion Collection Spine #999. Matewan follows Joe Kenehan, a union organizer sent to a small West Virginia mining town in 1920 to bring together workers all kept apart by a coal company determined not to let them realize how much they actually have in common. Sayles builds the tension until the ultimate massacre most of us were never taught. Jack Ryan brings his perspective as the author of John Sayles, Filmmaker (2nd ed., 2010), the definitive critical study of Sayles's career. Having spent years studying Sayles's entire body of work, Jack understands the patterns in how Sayles builds his films. This makes him the perfect guide for understanding Matewan not just as history, but as a film. Together we move through the film scene by scene and discuss: Sayles as a filmmakerHow direct contact with people of the region shapes the feel of a filmHaskell Wexler's use of darkness and palette sans primary colorsThe role of music bringing people togetherJoe Kenehan's pacifist's philosophyWhy the film refuses us any comfort at the endAmerican labor history that schools don't teachWhether you're discovering Matewan for the first time or returning to it, this conversation explores why a film about a massacre most of us never learned about became one of Sayles's most beautiful works and why it still matters. Send us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"See how far the truth gets you." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by film scholar Sid Gottlieb to explore The 39 Steps, Alfred Hitchcock's 1935 masterpiece thriller and a Criterion Collection essential, the film where Hitchcock became definitively Hitchcock. The 39 Steps follows Richard Hannay (Robert Donat), an ordinary Canadian accused of murder he didn't commit. Fleeing across the Scottish Highlands, he's handcuffed to Pamela (Madeleine Carroll), a woman who doesn't believe him. What starts as a spy story becomes a meditation on trust and survival. To survive, Hannay must convince strangers he's telling the truth. But truth doesn't always help. Sid Gottlieb is a Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Sacred Heart University, where he's taught since 1976. He co-edits The Hitchcock Annual and has spent decades inside Hitchcock's own words and interviews through books like Hitchcock on Hitchcock, Framing Hitchcock, and Hitchcock: Interviews. His writing extends to Welles, Capra, and beyond, the kind of range that comes from thinking deeply about how directors construct meaning. He's the ideal guide for understanding how a 1935 suspense thriller became the blueprint for everything Hitchcock would make for the next 40 years. We discuss: Why The 39 Steps is the film where Hitchcock's career took shapeThe "wrong man" motifPerformance and storytelling as survival strategiesHitchcock's critique on institutionsPamela refusing to be won over on charm aloneClass consciousnessThe MacGuffin and why it doesn't matterWhether you're encountering The 39 Steps for the first time or returning to it, this conversation explores a film that moves at breakneck speed while asking questions about who we trust and why. It's a thriller that is also political. It's a love story where the couple barely knows each other. It's a comedy and also a suspense. And it's the film that taught Hitchcock how to be Hitchcock. Send us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"It captures an uncanny feeling that relates to grief, that there's something after, the hope we could get more time with someone we love." In this episode of Why This Film?, Film critic Carlos Aguilar joins me to explore Birth, Jonathan Glazer's 2004 psychological thriller and Criterion Collection Spine #1298. Birth follows Anna, a widow living a comfortable Manhattan life who has finally agreed to remarry, ten years after the sudden death of her husband Sean. Then a 10-year-old boy appears at her mother's birthday party claiming to be him. What follows is an unsettling exploration of grief, obsession, and the desperate ways we cling to those we've lost, asking whether the person we mourn is ever truly the person who died, or just the story we've constructed in their place. Carlos brings his perspective as a film critic, writer, and member of both the LA Film Critics Association and the National Society of Film Critics. His work has appeared in The Wrap, Vulture, IndieWire, RogerEbert.com, and The Criterion Collection. He's a passionate advocate for representation and the cinematic legacy of Latin America, and his deep connection to the "mystery of the heart" in film makes him the perfect guide for Glazer's haunting formal precision. Together we move through the film scene by scene and discuss: How grief constructs the deadThe role class and wealth in Anna's griefNicole Kidman's devastating performance and why this remains one of her most daring rolesThe concert sceneWhether Anna ever truly completes the grieving processThe bathtub scene's reception in 2004What happens when we lose someone twiceWhether you're discovering Birth for the first time or returning to it, this conversation explores why a film initially dismissed and misunderstood has become recognized as one of the most essential meditations on grief in contemporary cinema. Send us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"It's an incredibly rich film." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by film critic and scholar Girish Shambu to explore La cérémonie, Claude Chabrol's 1995 masterpiece and Criterion Collection Spine #1199. La cérémonie follows Sophie, a withdrawn live-in maid hired by the welcoming Lelièvre family at their country estate. The family is pleasant. The job is fine. And then Sophie meets Jeanne, the local postmistress. Jeanne is sharp, reckless, and already on bad terms with Sophie's new employer. The two women become close. And that friendship, combined with a secret Sophie has been hiding since she arrived, sets the film on a course it can't turn back from. Girish brings his perspective as a critic who has spent years thinking about films that take economic inequality seriously from the works of Ken Loach, the Dardenne brothers, and Aki Kaurismäki. He's currently writing a book about the marginalization of women in the history of auteurism, which gives him a precise eye for how class, gender, and power operate in everyday life. Together, we move through the film scene by scene and discuss: How class war can still operate through politeness and generosityThe role secrets and shame play in shaping Sophie's identityHow critical reception of the film has recently changedChabrol as an underappreciated filmmaker of the French New WaveWhether you're discovering La cérémonie for the first time or returning to it, this conversation explores why a film dismissed for years suddenly became recognized as one of the essential films of its era. You can find more from Girish Shambu below: Girish Shambu The New Cinephilia Send us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"It's a perfectly imperfect film." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by film editor Caleb Tyson to explore Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022), the Academy Award-winning stop-motion feature and Criterion Collection entry that reimagines one of the world's oldest stories through an entirely new lens. Set in Mussolini's fascist Italy, del Toro's Pinocchio follows a grieving woodcarver named Geppetto who, lost in sorrow after losing his son Carlo, carves a puppet from a pine tree grown near his son's grave. When a wood sprite brings the puppet to life, Pinocchio must navigate a world that sees him as either a miracle or a monster - all while Geppetto struggles to accept this strange new creation for what it is, rather than who he wishes it could be.  Caleb Tyson brings his perspective as a working film editor and animator to the conversation. His background in pacing, rhythm, and visual storytelling gives him a uniquely technical eye for how del Toro uses stop-motion, shadow, score, and imperfection to build a world that feels entirely tactile and alive. Together we move through the film scene by scene and discuss: How del Toro uses fascist Italy as a backdrop to ask: who is the real puppet?Guillermo del Toro's craft - his use of lighting, intentional imperfection, and stop-motion animationThe Christ imagery woven throughout the film and what del Toro is saying with itThemes of grief, identity, disobedience, forgiveness, and the father-son dynamic at the heart of the storyThe film's voice cast, including Ewan McGregor, Cate Blanchett, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, and David BradleyWhy a puppet who refuses to obey is more human than the people around himWhy Pinocchio earns its place in the Criterion Collection as a perfectly imperfect filmSend us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"Is our identity predetermined or something we can create?" In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by Michael Repsch, President of Dark Star Pictures, to explore Kagemusha - Akira Kurosawa's sweeping historical epic and Criterion Collection Spine #267. Released in 1980, Kagemusha follows a thief who is spared execution because of his uncanny resemblance to the powerful warlord Takeda Shingen. When Shingen dies, the thief is forced to assume his identity, and the fate of the entire clan depends on if the illusion can be sustained. Michael brings his perspective as a longtime film distributor who has helped release over 200 films and now leads Dark Star Pictures. He discusses what makes Kagemusha endure not only as a viewer, but as someone who understands how films are preserved and passed on to new audiences. Together, we move through the film scene by scene and discuss: Akira Kurosawa's style and use of color, shadow, and movementHow Kagemusha differs from the traditional samurai epicThemes of identity, power, and successionWhy the film rewards repeated viewingsWhy Kagemusha remains one of the most visually stunning, thought-provoking, and essential films in the Criterion CollectionSend us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"To me, it's a perfect film." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by assistant director Chris Cook to explore The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Wes Anderson's meticulously crafted family drama and Criterion Collection Spine #157. Released in 2001, The Royal Tenenbaums follows the once-brilliant Tenenbaum siblings - Chas, Margot, and Richie - whose early promise has long since faded. When their estranged father Royal suddenly re-enters their lives under false pretenses, the family is forced into a reluctant reunion. Chris Cook brings his perspective as an assistant director working across film and television, with credits including The Killer, Ted Lasso, and The Morning Show. He talks about what stands out in The Royal Tenenbaums not just as a viewer, but as someone who understands how a film like this has to come together behind the scenes. Together, we move through the film scene by scene and discuss: Wes Anderson's visual style and early run of filmsThe ensemble castThe film's production design, soundtrack, and use of montageRoyal Tenenbaum as both a deadbeat father and an oddly compelling force within the familyThemes of early success, failure, grief, and reconciliationWhy The Royal Tenenbaums remains one of the most emotionally resonant and distinctive films in the Criterion Collection. Send us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"I think of it as Saving Private Ryan for thinkers." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by historian, author, and educator Jared Frederick to explore The Thin Red Line (1998), Terrence Malick's philosophical World War II epic and Criterion Collection Spine #536. Released in 1998 after a 20-year hiatus from filmmaking, The Thin Red Line marked Malick's long-awaited return to cinema. Adapted from the 1962 novel by James Jones, the film follows soldiers of C Company as they arrive on Guadalcanal during the brutal Pacific Theater campaign of World War II, confronting both the physical violence of war and the deeper questions it raises about human nature, morality, and the natural world. Unlike many traditional war films, The Thin Red Line moves beyond spectacle and patriotism. Through shifting perspectives, poetic voiceover, and sweeping cinematography, Malick turns the battlefield into something closer to a philosophical meditation. Jared Frederick brings both historical expertise and a cinephile's perspective to the conversation. As a World War II historian and the co-creator of the YouTube channel Reel History, Jared examines where the film aligns with historical reality and how Malick pursues something reflective and artistic. Together, we move through the film scene-by-scene and discuss: The Battle of Guadalcanal and the real history behind the events depicted in the filmWhy The Thin Red Line feels different from other WWII films like Saving Private RyanTerrence Malick's use of nature, voiceover, and shifting perspectivesThe film's ensemble cast, including Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Jim Caviezel, Adrien Brody, and George ClooneyThe moral ambiguity of war and the film's empathy for both American and Japanese soldiersWhy The Thin Red Line remains one of the most philosophical and visually ambitious war films ever madeYou can find more from Jared Frederick below: Reel History on YouTube Jared Frederick Send us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

“The regular world still has something special for someone who is weird.”  In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by comedian, broadcaster, and Maximum Fun founder Jesse Thorn to explore Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), the feature film debut of Tim Burton and one of the most unique comedies of the 1980s. Released in 1985, Pee-wee's Big Adventure follows Pee-wee Herman, played by Paul Reubens, as he embarks on a cross-country journey to recover his stolen bicycle. What begins as a simple quest unfolds into a surreal road movie through a hyper-stylized version of America filled with bikers, truck drivers, cowboys, movie sets, roadside attraction dinosaurs, and unforgettable characters (any Large Marge fans out there?).  Jesse Thorn brings his perspective as both a lifelong Pee-wee fan and a comedy writer to the conversation. He helps unpack how Paul built one of the most unusual personas ever to reach mainstream audiences. Jesse wrote the essay for Criterion's release of the film. We discuss: Jesse's experience with the character Pee-wee Herman and the man Paul Reubens.How Tim Burton's first feature film established aesthetics that would define his careerThe film's blend of genresThe morality, sexuality, and ambiguity of Pee-weeWhy Pee-wee's Big Adventure deserves its place in the Criterion CollectionWhether you grew up quoting the movie or are discovering Pee-wee Herman for the first time, this conversation explores how a film that feels completely ridiculous is also surprisingly precise. You can find more from Jesse Thorn below: Maximum Fun Pee-wee's Big Adventure: Why Don't You Take a Picture by Jesse Thorn Follow Jesse Thorn - Instagram Send us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"Otto is Forrest Gump." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by assistant director James Chestnut to dive into Repo Man (1984), Alex Cox's punk-rock, sci-fi, anti-Reagan cult classic that refuses to sit still or make sense in a conventional way. Released in 1984, Repo Man follows Otto, a disaffected LA punk who stumbles into a world of car repossession. He soon finds himself caught up in conspiracies, aliens, the government, and the "lattice of coincidence." The film moves with deliberate disorientation, treating genre, narrative, and meaning as things to be challenged. James brings a filmmaker's perspective to the conversation, helping unpack how Repo Man was made, why it looks and feels the way it does, and how its low-budget ingenuity, location shooting, and practical effects reinforce its punk nature. Together, we talk about Los Angeles as a character, the film's embrace of randomness, and why its refusal to explain itself is exactly the point. We discuss: Alex Cox's collaborative approach to filmmakingThe mix of punk culture, science fiction, and political satireHarry Dean Stanton's unforgettable monologues and personal philosophy overlapping with the filmHow Repo Man uses confusion as a feature instead of a flawWhy this film belongs in the Criterion CollectionIf you've ever watched Repo Man and thought, "I don't know what I just saw, but I loved it," this conversation is for you. You can also follow James's new YouTube project, One Man's Trash (linked below), where he documents cleaning up his Los Angeles neighborhood, one block at a time. One Man's Trash Send us Fan Mail Hollywood ManeStays - Not a pin, not a clip. Just Better. Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube

"The gun really doesn't mean anything until people start obsessing over it." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by historian and author Brady Crytzer to explore Winchester '73 (1950), Anthony Mann's landmark Western starring James Stewart. Released as Criterion Collection Spine #1248, Winchester '73 helped redefine the Western genre by shifting focus from frontier justice to obsession, revenge, and moral ambiguity in postwar America. Directed by Anthony Mann, Winchester '73 centers on a prized rifle known as "the gun that won the West" as it moves from person to person, leaving violence and obsession in its wake. Set against the backdrop of the American Centennial and the aftermath of the Civil War, the film uses the rifle as a symbolic object of desire, revealing how fixation and mythology shape both individual lives and national identity. Brady Crytzer brings his expertise in American frontier history to the conversation, helping unpack the historical realities behind the film's mythology. Together, we examine how Winchester '73 blends real historical figures with fiction, how it reflects changing American attitudes after World War II, and why James Stewart's performance marked a turning point in his on-screen persona. We discuss: The myth of the "gun that won the West"How the Western frontier functioned as a place of cultural blending, not just conflictJames Stewart's wartime experience and its influence on his postwar rolesThe film's exploration of the themes of revenge, masculinity, and obsessionHow Winchester '73 helped modernize the Western genreWhy this film belongs in the Criterion CollectionWhether you're revisiting Winchester '73 or encountering it for the first time, this conversation explores why Anthony Mann's Western remains a crucial turning point in American film history. You can find more from Brady from the links below: The National Road: George Washington and America's First Highway West Whiskey Rebellion: A Distilled History of an American Crisis Brady Crytzer Send us Fan Mail Support the show Follow the Podcast: WhyThisFilm.com Instagram YouTube