I once saw a film called Sherman’s March which of course I adored. But then a year or so ago, I watched another film by the same director, Bright Leaves. For some reason, it had a profound effect on me. This episode goes into detail as to why. Joining me throughout is Illinois archivist and historian Eric Edwards for this unconventional approach to this podcast. A lot of it edited, scripted, even EQ’d, but the most obvious difference are included excerpts from other shows. We hear a lot from Ross McElwee himself thanks to an array of interviews/clips from his own work. Best hear it straight from the horse’s mouth.The main focus is on the two films that resonated the most - Sherman’s March and Bright Leaves. But other recommendations turn up in the conversation as well with Time Indefinite and Six O’Clock News. I did revisit Photographic Memory which is harder to watch now knowing the director lost his son at a young age. Rumor has it that Ross might be working on a follow-up over 15 years later.I think of this is as my homage to the great Karina Longworth’s You Must Remember This since I do provide quotes, context and things I uncovered throughout (works cited and linked below). It’s also a birthday gift to me. There isn’t as much of a back-and-forth approach this time but a lot of monologuing in the spirit of Ross’ work. I hope you listen even if you’ve never heard the name Ross McElwee — then track down one of the best filmmakers I’ve come across.Thank you all for the support and for listening. There will be surprises, but now taking a short break. Have a great summer, I’ll be back in a new abode, ready to record come August and everything after. Works / Songs / Clips UsedDirector's Club is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Director's Club at directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe
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Episode 236: Jack Clayton (feat. Rachel Bellwoar)
What an honor and a joy it was to talk with Rachel Bellwoar, an extremely talented writer and pop culture enthusiast whose work I’ve enjoyed discovering over the years. Thanks to many mutual cinephile friends and podcasters, we crossed paths in the world of Facebook and I couldn’t be more thrilled to have her on the show to talk about an underappreciated British director, Jack Clayton!Pauline Kael praised The Innocents as "one of the most elegantly beautiful ghost movies ever made” and rightfully so. We also talk about the majority of his work since his filmography was surprisingly on the lower end. Of course we sing the praises of his renowned gothic horror masterpiece but along the way, we discover a few other works of his that we highly recommend seeking out too. Thank you Rachel for coming on the show and looking forward to a future appearance.Just a heads up that I’ll be taking a short summer break from podcasting starting in late May, hopefully returning in August. There may be a couple of surprise episodes popping up but I’ll be moving and working on other projects for a bit. Stay tuned for the first week of May for an exciting episode before the hiatus featuring Marya Gates and Ryan McNeil, returning to talk about Martha Coolidge!00:00 - 08:47 - Introduction08:48 - 01:02:05 - Room At The Top / The Innocents01:02:06 - 01:33:10 - The Pumpkin Eater / Our Mother’s House01:33:10 - 02:03:50 - Other Clayton Films / OutroFollow Rachel’s Work:https://rbellwoar.wordpress.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/ziggystarlog.bsky.socialDirector's Club is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Director's Club at directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe
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Episode 235: 1995 - Year In Review (feat. Collin Souter & Erik Childress)
Not too big of a summary this time around since the title says it all and there’s a lot to get to in terms of the episode proper. Every year around late February / early March, I call upon my Chicago film critic buddies Collin Souter & Erik Childress to join me for an epic episode discussing as many movies as we possibly can, traveling back in time to cover an entire year.In the midst of the joyful conversation are lots of clips, songs excerpts, trailers, sound effects and general weirdness from yours truly. Not to mention a Daft Punk remix after our first break around the 02:47:40 mark. Towards the end you can hear our Top 20 Favorites of 1995 as well. Thank you so much for the continued support and to Collin and Erik for ten years of this insane tradition that is always a treat to put together.Follow Collin:https://letterboxd.com/cdsouterhttps://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/christmasmoviesactuallyFollow Erik:https://letterboxd.com/erikthemoviemanhttps://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/moviemadness Get full access to Director's Club at directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe
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Episode 234: Nick Digilio (Celebrating 40 Years As A Film Critic)
This is a celebration, not just another Director’s Club episode for a reason. Back in 1990, I became an avid fan and follower of today’s guest and he’s been on this show a couple of times in the past, most recently for the Paul Thomas Anderson Part II episode. I’m talking of course about Nick Digilio.40 years ago, he began his career as a professional film critic, reviewing movies on Roy Leonard’s radio show. It’s also amazing to think that 40 years ago, I first fell in love with movies after seeing Back to the Future in 1985.Nick’s 40th anniversary is a month away so I thought it would be great to relive the past, share some memories and even throw a couple of lists his way, including my biggest disagreements with him over the years and some titles I’m grateful to have discovered because of Nick too (one of which is obvious since it’s the reason he became a favorite film critic of mine).In addition to the first 80 minutes of delightful conversation and reminiscing, we then talk for a half hour about a director he’s always considered to be underrated: Kevin Reynolds. Find out why he feels that way and seek out a couple of under-seen works of his that I had the pleasure of discovering too.It’s an honor and a pleasure to talk with Nick to celebrate all he’s done and all he continues to do. If it weren’t for him, my life might’ve gone in a different direction so I’m grateful for his time and all the support going back to 1997.00:00 - 04:34 - Introduction.04:35 - 33:23 - Celebrating 40 Years Of Nick.33:24 - 01:22:27 - Top 5 Disagreements / Discoveries.01:22:28 - 01:54:38 - Kevin Reynolds (Underrated Director).01:54:39 - 02:10:00 - Nick’s Events / Surprise Flashback / Outro.Follow all-things Nick:https://www.nickdigilio.comhttps://www.classiccinemas.com/events/nicks-pix/137https://radiomisfits.com/podcasts/nickdpodcasthttps://www.patreon.com/c/NickDShowFollow all-things Jim:https://linktr.ee/jimlaczkowskihttps://directorsclub.substack.com Get full access to Director's Club at directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe
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Episode 233: Elaine May (feat. Sharon Gissy)
Let’s forget all about inauguration day (since this comes out on January 20th, 2025) by focusing on someone who truly matters, the legendary comedic mind of Elaine May, pioneer of improv sketch comedy and so much more! We focus on all four of her directorial films and sing the praises of nearly all of them. Yes, that MAY include her last feature from 1987 that does not deserve the reputation or the critical bashing that it received upon its release. Thank you so much to Sharon for being a delightful returning guest and nerding out with me for two hours, especially about a new all-time favorite film of mine which just happens to be Elaine May’s debut feature. 00:00 - 05:16 - Intro.05:17 - 45:30 - May’s History / A New Leaf.45:31 - 01:26:58 - The Heartbreak Kid / Mikey & Nicky.01:26:59 - 02:03:28 - Ishtar / Outro.Follow Sharon:https://mentalfilmness.comhttps://letterboxd.com/squissyboxFollow Jim: https://letterboxd.com/jimlaczkowskihttps://linktr.ee/jimlaczkowski Get full access to Director's Club at directorsclub.substack.com/subscribe
A monthly show that reviews one film director per episode with the occasional bonus episode. Episodes 123-172 were hosted by Brad & Al. As of 2022, new episodes will be hosted by Jim and/or Bill. directorsclub.substack.com
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