Akira Kurosawa’s somber film, Ikiru, ponders the meaning of life and death. A businessman with terminal cancer navigates his way through bureaucracy and family dynamics while trying to figure out the best way to use his remaining time. This is a film to return to every so often as it will take on different meaning for you in different points of your life.
Thank you Michael for commissioning this podcast!
Dr. Valerie Garver (NIU) answers a listener question about children, lordlings, and toys.
This is a reissue of the final podcast related to the first book: A Game of Thrones (previously published in a different feed). Joining me to cover this chapter are Lisa Woolfork, Jan Wilson, and Danielle Alesi.
Fargo comes to your small screen with a two episode premiere of season 5! Jim and A.Ron are here to take you back to the not-so-distant past of 2019 where dumb cops, supernatural entities and copious amounts of violence descend on a Midwestern town. This grim version of Home Alone didn’t pack laughs, but its potential for mayhem is tantalizing. Don’t forget to set your traps!
Shaft is a first time watch for both Jim and A.Ron, and they loved it! Directed by Gordon Parks and starring Richard Roundtree, this movie sports killer dialogue, an Oscar-nominated soundtrack, and iconic performances. Roundtree is now being considered for the Bald Move Badass list!
A Tom Clancy spy novel breaks out in the middle of this episode of For All Mankind. There are hundreds of people on Mars at this point, and they have needs. Ed isn’t looking well, Dani’s leadership is strong, and Margot is interrogated by Russian officials. A.Ron the Shipper sees a potential love connection. Don your space suit and join Jim and A.Ron on Hi, Bob!
Napoleon is a movie that can’t decide on which story it wants to tell. The storyline of the steamy romance between Napoleon and his Empress Josephine bucks against the scenes of war. The visuals are gorgeous, the story is muddy. What is Ridley Scott trying to tell us, if anything, about this cantankerous emperor?
In the middle of A Clash of Kings we learn for the first time that dragon magic impacts humans and human life. Anthony goes further to suggest that Dany’s dragons have even impacted her primary motives.
It’s not all smiles in Happy Valley. The second episode of For All Mankind season 4 gives us an unnerving glimpse into the future of space expansion. The tension between the upper and lower decks is palpable. Ed becomes cold, Dani tries to reason with him, and Jim and A.Ron are here to cover it all!
Historian Andrew Howe discusses world-building in Essos and Xaro’s proposal of marriage to Dany.