Andrew Robinson is right.

Sometimes a podcast is about more than the subject at hand. Sometimes, what is being discussed with unforeseen honesty and candour isn’t actually one’s take on a movie, but one’s take on life in general. I don’t know why certain guests are sparked by a feeling of honesty, but when they are, I can’t help but get a little more honest myself.

To put a point on it, what Andrew is right about is that sometimes a podcast isn’t about a movie, it’s about the people watching the movie. This is one of those times.

I mention this within the recording itself, but it bears repeating – I need to give a high degree of thanks to John LaRue. John – the brains behind The Droid You’re Looking For – is pretty badass when it comes to graphics. So when I decided that the time had finally come to retire The Matineecast’s microphone icon and bring in something new, John was only too happy to employ his mad skills.

So thanks again John; your handiwork sure does look sweet in the sidebar of this lowly blog.

Two other programming notes: This episode’s discussion of BEFORE MIDNIGHT doesn’t begin until its final act, so if you’ve only seen Linklater’s previous two films, please do tune in for those chapters. Further to that point, the discussion never skips ahead. So if you’re interested in listening, but don’t want to be spoiled with what’s to come, we’ve got you covered.

 

Here’s what’s in store in episode eighty-eight…

 

Runtime
79 minutes

Up for Discussion

1. Introduction
2. KNOW YOUR ENEMY– Q& A with this week’s guest Joanna Arcieri (3:39)
3. COME TALK TO ME – Fielding some listener feedback on movie couples (11:58)
4. BEFORE SUNRISE (25:43)
5. BEFORE SUNSET (37:30)
6. THE NEW SLANG – BEFORE MIDNIGHT (52:55)

You can subscribe to the Matineecast via iTunes or RSS

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

14 Replies to “Episode 88 – The Before Trilogy

  1. I support this podcast… because it (unlike my own podcast) has finally realized that I’m right… because I am right. 🙂

    If only I’d seen Before Midnight.

    1. Thanks dude – glad it turned out “just so”.
      I was happy to finally get this episode in the can since it meant I could finally start listening to other people’s podcasts on BM…including yours!

  2. “Drinking, smoking and knitting.”

    Your line, Ryan, about being glad you didn’t see Before Sunrise at 17 really made me think. I saw it when I was 20, when I was at my most idealistic, and I wonder if, in some ways, even though it’s one of my favorite films, that was bad for me. And I wonder if that’s why I had such an odd reaction to Midnight. I liked it, I liked it a great deal, but it was just too painful. I actually agree with Corey’s reading of the final scene, though I wouldn’t necessarily say I disliked the final scene because of it. I thought it was brave, but just too much to take emotionally.

    Favorite movie so far of 2013? Mud. Pure storytelling.

  3. Favourite film of 2013 so far: Stoker. Not only did I like the film’s somewhat dark gothic subject matter, but I couldn’t help but look in awe at the film’s cinematography and editing. I could very easily pause the film at any point just to admire the film’s carefully constructed mise en scène.

  4. As previously mentioned, although I have listened to every episode it is often weeks later so a little late to comment. I am listening now as I type.

    First, the feedback question: Before Midnight is amongst my favourite of the year, but my absolute favourite movie of the years so far is Stoker.

    You mentioned that you hadn’t heard of Flirting and were going to look it out. It is actually a sequel to The Year My Voice Broke. Both movies are really good and worth seeing but the first one is the best. I recommend you take a look at both.

    The story of how I saw Before Sunrise: when the movie came out in 1995 I was a student, I would have been 19 at the time. I had a spare afternoon and there was nobody about to hang with so I went to see a movie. I don’t remember what I intended to see, I didn’t see it. I was queuing to buy a ticket flicking through the free magazine they give out I spotted Before Sunrise and recognised Richard Linklater’s name. I had recently seen Dazed and Confused for the first time. I ended up watching Before Sunrise and loved it. Consequently I went to see Before Sunset and Before Midnight on the day they came out.

    You mention the “ticking clock” of the train/plane, and how it represents where they are now in their relationship. Great point, I hadn’t thought about it that way but now you mention it you are spot on. The first two do have an event that they are working to, the train and the plane but the title tells us the events are leading up to celestial event as the sun comes up or goes down. The third movie is working towards midnight, midnight, like any division of time is a human construct, and human constructs become more import to us as we get older.

    How about Uma Thurman to play the ex-wife in a later movie!

    As a post script to my comment I have to admit that I have seen Dirty Dancing 2. For those who haven’t seen it, it is a waste of two talented actors Diego Luna and Romola Garai. I have no idea if Patrick Swayze is playing Johnny Castle or not, but the movie is set around the time of the revelation so must be a few years before Dirty Dancing set in the early 60’s.

    1. This entire comment reminds me that I dearly need to get you back on the show soon. Glad I could finally deliver an episode you could listen to day-and-date!

    2. Say the word, as soon as you are ready for me. We need to find a film that is released in both our countries around the same time.

  5. Really enjoyed the show. I finally saw Before Midnight Wednesday, and I’m still intrigued when I think about it. It’s such a tricky film to consider because the characters we love are nasty towards each other. Even so, I never lost the feeling of hope that they would survive as a couple even after the worst fights. These emotions from Jesse and Celine were left unsaid for too long.

    I haven’t seen nearly enough movies this year, so my favorite is hardly a ringing endorsement. Still, I have to go with the obvious one and pick Before Midnight. It should definitely be in the conversation when I’m thinking of the best of 2013 at the end of this year.

    1. Also, I forgot to mention the documentary that came up called The Swell Season. It’s worth seeing if you’re interested in the real story about Glen and Marketa after Once. However, it’s also difficult to watch some of their more difficult times after the film became a hit. I does have some great live footage, all in black and white!

  6. Really loved the show this week! Post-Midnight (and after I read a few articles on Tom Waits), I kind of figured that Jesse had just grown into the wise-beyond-his-years writer that he always wanted to become. He kind of talks in that aged by whiskey and smoke voice now and the energy from earlier movies have become translated into being pretty calm. As far as the relationship has developed, I think Celine and Jesse have complemented each other, like when one was more argumentative, the other found ways to be a calming influence. I don’t know, I get that feeling throughout all three films.

    As for the feedback question, I loved how many people wrote in that they would want to follow up on Joel and Clementine! This morning I woke up and decided that this Saturday morning was meant for coffee in bed with “Eternal Sunshine” on Netflix. It was fun to transition from rewatching the movie to listening to some light discussion on what it would be like to revisit this couple further down the line.

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