1933 BABY FACE

Explicit content warning

12/22/20 • 55 min

We discuss a salacious film from the brief and fascinating era of pre-code Hollywood: Baby Face, starring Barbara Stanwyck. We talk about the Hays Code, how it became enforced shortly after this film's release, and the specifics of what US filmmakers could and couldn't show for the next three decades under censorship. We also consider if this film was progressive for its time and if it would still be controversial today.

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1932 VAMPYR (feat. Brian Higgins)

We welcome our guest Brian Higgins, the Executive Creative Director of Mental Healthy FIT and fan of Vampyr, to talk all about Carl Theodor Dreyer's horror masterpiece. We delve into what makes this film feel like a nightmare, how it compares to other vampire films from the time like Nosferatu and Dracula, as well as the short story it's based on.

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1934 L'ATALANTE

The short but influential career of French director Jean Vigo inspires talks about poetic realism, how French cinema depicts subconscious imagery, and the frustrating but realistic portrayal of love in his one feature film, L'Atalante. We also dive into the tragic life of Jean Vigo, as well as his controversial short film, Zero for Conduct.