Hell Is For Hyphenates

Nicole Holofcener joins us to talk the films of Hal Ashby! Writer, director and Academy Award nominee Nicole Holofcener (Please Give, Enough Said, The Land of Steady Habits) joins Hell Is For Hyphenates to dive into the filmography of Hal Ashby. Ashby is one of the most distinctive filmmakers of 1970s New Hollywood cinema, directing stone-cold classic such as Harold and Maude (1971), The Last Detail (1973), Shampoo (1975), Coming Home (1978), and Being There (1979). He was a counter-culture voice whose best work still feels relevant today. But what was it about his work that was so audacious and affecting?

We talk the films of Martin Scorsese! Rochelle and Lee are joined by original co-host Paul Anthony Nelson to talk about some big news regarding the future of the show. They then dive into what is without a doubt the biggest episode of Hyphenates to date, as they look back at the films of the great filmmaker of the American New Wave, Martin Scorsese (08:35). Does Scorsese really lay a claim to the title of Greatest Of All Time? To figure it out, they’re joined by a swathe of alumni from the show’s past, who each pick a favourite film, scene, or moment to talk about. Ozploitation legend Brian Trenchard-Smith and Dark Horizons editor Garth Franklin kick things off by talking about Scorsese’s preoccupation with moral dilemmas, and his filmmaking pragmatism (16:27). Critic Alexandrea Heller-Nicholas looks back at his early short film The Big Shave (19:52). Actor Perri Cummings and filmmaker David Caesar talk Mean Streets (27:03). Filmmaker and lecturer George Viscas discusses the realism and roots of Scorsese’s gangland fixation (31:57). Actor Pollyanna McIntosh talks Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (35:10). Actor Cate Wolfe, film critic Ian Barr, writer Josh Nelson, and screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker talk the seminal Taxi Driver (43:19). Critic Glenn Dunks and film programmer Eloise Ross discuss New York, New York (54:50). Filmmaker Briony Kidd examines Scorsese’s work as the producer of other director’s films (59:30). Director Rohan Spong, comedian Chris Taylor, and critic Simon Miraudo look at The King of Comedy (1:08:39). Film critic Scott Weinberg talks After Hours (1:20:34). Journalist Guy Davis, director Kriv Stenders, and film critic Drew McWeeny look at the controversial The Last Temptation of Christ (1:25:42). Critic Jeremy Smith looks at the difficulties and rehabilitation of Scorsese’s 1980s period (1:32:17). Actor Rhys Muldoon discusses Scorsese’s cameo in After Hours (1:38:27). Film critic Richard Gray and filmmaker Abe Forsythe pay tribute to the performances of Martin’s mother, Catherine Scorsese (1:40:10). Filmmaker Jon Hewitt, comedian Chris Taylor, presenter Marc Fennell, and critic Zak Hepburn look at Scorsese’s obsession with food and garlic slicing (1:44:52). Critic Blake Howard praises the closeups of Goodfellas (1:55:29). Writer Emma Westwood looks at the impact of Goodfellas and Cape Fear (1:59:12). Former Hi4H co-host So Mayer and author Mel Campbell discuss The Age of Innocence (2:07:07). Critic Anthony Morris and exhibition registrar Sarah Caldwell talk Casino (2:13:58). Writer Shannon Marinko salutes Scorsese’s long-time collaborator, editor Thelma Schoonmaker (2:20:15). Filmmaker Rhys Graham discusses Scorsese’s seminal documentary series My Voyage to Italy (2:25:22). Film reporter Alicia Malone and critic Hayley Inch pay tribute to Scorsese’s film preservation and restoration work (2:30:05). Filmmaker Tim Egan looks at Scorsese’s concert film Shine a Light (2:37:20). Festival programmer Thomas Caldwell and film critic Drew McWeeny talk Kundun (2:40:14). Film critic Sarah Ward discusses Bringing Out the Dead (2:48:19). Critic Stephen A Russell talks The Aviator (2:51:41). Author Maria Lewis discusses being won over by Boardwalk Empire (2:55:17). Entertainment reporter Giles Hardie talks The Audition (2:59:17). Filmmaker Jennifer Reeder discusses The Departed (3:03:39). Critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Tom Clift talk Shutter Island (3:06:35). Festival director Cerise Howard talks Hugo (3:12:12). Comedian Tegan Higginbotham and director Brian Trenchard-Smith discuss The Wolf of Wall Street (3:21:08). Actor Michael Ian Black and author Christos Tsiolkas talk Silence (3:25:43).

Rhys Graham joins us to talk the films of Krzystof Kieślowski! Australian filmmaker Rhys Graham joins Rochelle and Lee as they look back at some of the key films of this month, including Claire Denis’s science fiction drama High Life (01:10), Jordan Peele’s modern horror Us (06:37), Karyn Kusama’s gritty crime saga Destroyer (11:33), and Tim Burton’s live-action remake Dumbo (19:17). We then check back with our semi-regular mini-Hyphenate segment to look at every single film directed by legendary actor Charles Laughton. The legendary actor of stage and screen has one credit and one credit only as director: the noir thriller The Night of the Hunter (1955). It’s considered one of the greatest films of all time. How did Laughton get it so right on his one and only try? And why did he never direct again? (26:13) Then, Rhys takes us through the works and career of his filmmaker of the month, Polish auteur Krzystof Kieślowski. Kieślowski is best known for The Double Life of Veronique (1991) and the Three Colours trilogy (1993-1994), but before he became a beloved icon of arthouse festivals, he was busy making documentaries, shorts, and features with a distinctly verité style, documenting life under Communist rule, and the corrosive effects of the autocratic state. So how did Kieślowski go from these humble roots to being the poster child for elegant European cinema? (37:46)

David Caesar joins us to talk the films of Bruno Dumont! Australian film and television director David Caesar joins Rochelle and Lee for a chat about some of the key new releases from this month, including Steven Soderbergh’s backroom NBA drama High Flying Bird (01:34), Mimi Leder’s Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex (09:50), Dan Gilroy’s high-art horror-drama Velvet Buzzsaw (17:07), and Barry Jenkins’s dramatic James Baldwin adaptation If Beale Street Could Talk (22:36). Off the back of Steven Soderbergh’s comments on why making movies on your phone and releasing them onto Netflix may be the future of cinema for certain filmmakers, could this model be the very thing needed to inject life into the Australian film industry? (29:48) Then, David takes us through the works of his filmmaker of the month, Bruno Dumont. Dumont is a divisive figure, whose films are loved and hated by audiences and critics alike. So how does a filmmaker go from making vérité films dripping with realism to high-concept farces, supernatural comedies, and medieval musicals with head-banging metal solos? We take a deep dive into this fascinating filmography to find out. (40:23)

Stephen A Russell joins us to talk the films of Xavier Dolan! Critic and journalist Stephen A Russell joins Rochelle and Lee to chat about some of the key films from this month, including Disney’s sequel-to-a-classic Mary Poppins Returns (01:44), Paolo Sorrentino’s fictitious biopic Loro (07:59), M Night Shyamalan’s superheroic trilogy-capping Glass (13:58), and Aussie remake Storm Boy (21:32). With the Academy Awards coming up, and the ceremony appearing to be undergoing a number of significant changes, it’s time to open everybody’s favourite can of worms: are we investing way too much in the Oscars, or are some of just cynical and dead inside? (26:21) Then, Stephen takes us through the career of his filmmaker of the month, Xavier Dolan. At time of recording, the award-winning French-Canadian prodigy has released six feature films, filmed a further two, and is mere weeks away from turning 30. And in addition to writing and directing his films, he also appears in about half of them, every bit the artist in front of the camera as behind. So what is it about Dolan’s films that captivate so many of us? (35:33)

Cassandra Magrath joins us to talk the films of Lars Von Trier! Actor and producer Cassandra Magrath (Wolf Creek, SeaChange, Wentworth) joins Rochelle and Lee to talk about some of the key films from the past month, including Alfonso Cuarón’s biographical drama Roma (01:30), Yorgos Lanthimos’s acerbic historical comedy The Favourite (4:21), Susanne Bier’s sensory apocalyptic thriller Bird Box (08:53), and Gaspar Noé’s dance-filled horror Climax (14:50). They then compare their favourite films of 2018: how many crossovers and surprises lie within their lists? (23:03) Then, Cassandra takes us through the works of her filmmaker of the month, Lars Von Trier. The Danish director is best known for brutal, challenging works like Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville, Antichrist, Melancholia and Nymphomaniac. He’s a controversial, divisive figure equally loved and hated by film fans across the world. So is Von Trier a provocateur who prefers shock tactics to sincerity, or a misunderstood maestro with something to say? (30:07)

Briony Kidd joins us to talk the films of Park Chan-wook! Rochelle and Lee look back at some of the new films from this month, including Steve McQueen’s heist drama Widows (0:55), the darkly comic Coen Bros Western The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (03:57), Boots Riley’s absurdist comedy Sorry To Bother You (07:38), and the long-lost Orson Welles film The Other Side of the Wind (10:54). They’re then joined by filmmaker, critic, and festival curator Briony Kidd to talk about a recent BBC poll of the hundred greatest foreign language films. There were only four women directors accounted for in the list, so is the problem a lack of female filmmakers, or is it the lists themselves that are the issue? (14:58) Briony then takes us through her filmmaker of the month, Park Chan-wook. Park is maybe South Korea’s best-known director, with films like Sympathy For Mr Vengeance, Olboy and Lady Vengeance cementing him as a global cult figure. With the English-language Stoker and the acclaimed The Handmaiden certifying him as one of the modern greats, we look at why there’s so much more to this filmmaker than the bloody vengeance that made him famous. (27:13)

Scott Derrickson joins us to talk the films of Wim Wenders! Rochelle and Lee catch up on some new releases, including Nicole Holofcener’s drama The Land of Steady Habits (01:14), Bradley Cooper’s update of the Hollywood classic A Star Is Born (04:00), Damien Chazelle’s moon landing retelling First Man (08:56), and the Freddie Mercury and Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (13:34). Then, we’re joined by filmmaker Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Sinister, Doctor Strange) to talk about his filmmaker of the month, Wim Wenders. Scott takes us through why films such as Wings of Desire, Paris, Texas, Buena Vista Social Club, Pina, the road movie trilogy, and so many others, had such a profound impact on him. He also talks about his friendship with Wim, the film they made together, and offers a uniquely personal insight into Wim Wenders as both the artist and the man. (23:06)

Greg McLean joins us to talk the films of Ridley Scott! It’s episode 100 of Hell Is For Hyphenates! After an introduction from former hosts Paul Anthony Nelson and So Mayer, Rochelle and Lee are joined by filmmaker Greg McLean (Wolf Creek, Jungle, The Belko Experiment) in front of a live audience at this year’s Melbourne Melbourne International Film Festival. They look at the films of Greg’s filmmaker of the month, the legendary Ridley Scott. From Scott’s debut The Duellists to game-changing science fiction films Alien and Blade Runner, his films have left an indelible mark on pop culture. Thelma and Louise, Gladiator and The Martian have also been seared onto the public consciousness, and the masterful way in which he skirted the near-fatal controversies of All the Money in the World proves that after more than four decades of directing, Ridley Scott is still a force to be reckoned with.

Daina Reid joins us to talk the films of John Hughes! Rochelle and Lee take a break from new releases to attend the Melbourne International Film Festival, and share their thoughts on some of the key films they saw, including Terry Gilliam’s long-awaited The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2:03), Gus Van Sant’s memoir adaptation Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot (5:00), Guy Maddin’s latest collaborations with co-director siblings Evan & Galen Johnson The Green Fog and accompanying short film Accidence (8:21), and Asghar Farhadi’s foray into Spanish language cinema with Everybody Knows (12:14). Director Daina Reid joins the show to discuss her unique career path, and how performing sketch comedy on television alongside the likes of Eric Bana, Kitty Flanagan and Shaun Micallef was an unexpected but valuable diversion on her path to making film and TV. Can a background in comedy help when directing heart-wrenching episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale? (16:37) Then, Daina takes us through the works of her filmmaker of the month, John Hughes. Hughes was the writer and sometimes director behind a slew of crowd-pleasing hits, including National Lampoon’s Vacation, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Home Alone and Beethoven, but it was his teen comedies that really struck a chord with a generation. Films like Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Pretty In Pink and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off were high-concept but relatable films that had a profound effect on teenage audiences, and the influence of his work can still be felt to this day. But some elements of his films have not dated well, and we attempt to unpack and best and the worst of the prolific John Hughes filmography. (28:09)

Corrie Chen joins us to talk the films of Nora Ephron! Rochelle and Lee look back at some key films from this month, including Haifaa al-Mansour’s gothic biopic Mary Shelley (01:37), the Ruth Bader Ginsburg documentary RBG (06:01), the Kiwi comedy The Breaker Upperers (10:29), and William Friedkin’s exorcism doco The Devil and Father Amorth (13:29). They then welcome this month’s guest, writer-director Corrie Chen, and ask her about one of Nora Ephron’s favourite phrases: “everything is copy”. Is Ephron correct? Is storytelling a way of owning your life story? And has Corrie applied this lesson to her own filmmaking? (18:31) Then, Corrie takes us through the films and career of Nora Ephron. Now best known for writing the romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally, and for writing and directing Sleepless In Seattle, Ephron was a prolific writer, penning articles, books and stageplays, fighting for justice when denied a writing job by her employer because of her gender, and bringing an acerbic wit to the most heartfelt of stories. We look back at what made her voice so distinct and unique, and discover a few hidden meanings threaded throughout her works. (31:13)

Alex Ross Perry joins us to talk the films of Alan J Pakula! Rochelle and Lee look back at some of the films of the month, including heist spin-off Ocean’s 8 (00:50), sci-fi action flick Upgrade (03:29), Israeli drama Foxtrot (06:05), and animated superhero sequel Incredibles 2 (08:59). Lee then chats to this month’s guest, writer-director Alex Ross Perry, about how to get your arthouse film in front of audiences in a world of ever-shifting distribution models. What kind of cast do you pursue? Can you afford to care about streaming vs cinema? What’s it like going from indie cinema to working for Disney? (16:16) Then, Alex takes us through the career of his filmmaker of the month, Alan J Pakula. Pakula is best known for his conspiracy thrillers, particularly his much-lauded paranoia trilogy: Klute, The Parallax View, and All the President’s Men. He was also responsible for the drama Sophie’s Choice, the courtroom suspense Presumed Innocent, and the John Grisham adaptation The Pelican Brief. But he has a number of strings to his bow, making everything from Westerns to comedies to romances, and Alex takes us through his works and what it is he meant. (29:49) Finally, Lee checks back in with Rochelle, who gives her thoughts on Pakula’s films, and they look at some of the projects Pakula was reportedly planning before his death. (56:35)

Abe Forsythe joins us to talk the films of Bong Joon-ho! Rochelle and Lee look over some of the films they’ve seen this month, including Star Wars prequel Solo (00:40), Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody third collaboration Tully (06:07), serial killer biopic My Friend Dahmer (11:32), and Australian coming-of-age surf movie Breath (15:29). Actor/writer/director Abe Forsythe joins us to talk about the challenges of making a local film for an international audience. After two very local films – the Ned Kelly comedy Ned (2003) and the Cronulla riots comedy Down Under (2016) – Abe has just wrapped production on zombie comedy Little Monsters, starring Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o and originating Book of Mormon cast member Josh Gad, which has an undeniably broader built-in appeal. Abe talks about the different challenges of making films for wider audiences, and looks at the type of films Australia should consider making. (20:00) Then, Abe takes us through the career and works of his filmmaker of the month, Bong Joon-ho! Bong is one of South Korea’s most popular filmmakers, making everything from monster movies like The Host to dramatic thrillers like Memories of Murder and Mother. In recent years he’s become an even bigger name, directing dystopian action film Snowpiercer and dramatic science fiction Okja. He’s an unconventional director with a unique eye, and his films are always infused with a real heart. Abe tells us which films got him hooked, why they mean so much to him, and the effect Bong’s films have had on his own. (32:39)

Ming-Zhu Hii joins us to talk the films of Steve McQueen! Rochelle and Lee are joined by this month’s guest, actor and filmmaker Ming-Zhu Hii! Ming-Zhu joins us to chat about some of the key films from this month, including Steven Soderbergh’s feature-film-shot-on-an-iPhone Unsane (01:21), Rungano Nyoni’s dramatic debut I Am Not a Witch (07:40), Sally Potter’s one-act stageplay-esque The Party (14:47), and Wes Anderson’s stop motion animation Isle of Dogs (20:37). They then look at the news that the Cannes Film Festival has banned Netflix films from playing in competition. Is Cannes turning its back on the changing nature of cinema, or helping to preserve its traditions? (27:10) Then, Ming-Zhu takes us through the films of British filmmaker and artist Steve McQueen. McQueen is best known for his feature films Hunger (2008), Shame (2011), and 12 Years a Slave (2013), all of which received high critical praise, and the latter of which won the Oscar for Best Picture. But McQueen had a prolific career before he entered the world of feature films, winning the Turner Prize for his art, as well as making short films, video installations, TV commercials, music videos, and much more besides. Ming-Zhu talks about how she first discovered McQueen’s work, and what it means to her. (35:48)

Noah Segan joins us to talk the films of Dennis Hopper! Rochelle and Lee look back at some of the key films from this month, including Steven Spielberg’s pop culture paean Ready Player One (00:46), Aki Kaurismäki’s wry Finnish comedy-drama The Other Side of Hope (05:49), Ruben Östlund’s wry Swedish comedy-drama The Square (08:08), Armando Iannucci’s wry Russian comedy-satire The Death of Stalin (11:51), and Garth Davis’s non-wry Biblical drama Mary Magdalene (14:32). We’re then joined by this month’s guest, actor Noah Segan! Noah talks about what it’s like to go from being a fan of classic films to the star of future classics. Is there a cognitive dissonance that comes from growing up on Star Wars and then suddenly finding yourself piloting an X-Wing? (17:05) Then, Noah takes us through the films directed by the legendary Dennis Hopper! Hopper appeared in some of the most iconic movies of all time, but with his directorial debut Easy Rider he proved he was just as capable of making modern masterpieces himself. His subsequent career as a director did not quite hit the heights of that first film, but what followed still proved Hopper to be a fascinating filmmaker with a unique point of view. Noah talks about what these films meant to him, and reveals the very specific influence Hopper had on his own career. (30:12)