The Bank Job

"No robbers in here."

There's something interesting about heist films because, generally, you're rooting for criminals to pull off a heist and criminals usually aren't who you'd expect to be your protagonist. But watching Roger Donaldson's 2008 heist film The Bank Job, based on the real Baker Street Robbery in London 1971, you can't help but root for Terry Leather and his imperfect gang as they not only rob the bank and pull off one of the biggest scores in London's history, but actually get away with it too. Maybe that's because the people after them are all much worse, and maybe that's because you can't help but side with Terry played wonderfully by Jason Statham. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we start our Heist series with this great movie. We discuss the story and how it fits within the true story — and what truth means in a film based on a true story anyway. We chat about the great cast and the complex script and how it all ties together perfectly. We touch on Donaldson and his career, looking at him as an effective filmmaker. And we discuss the look of the film — the cinematography, the costume design, and the production design — and how it plays an important role in bringing the swinging world of 1971 London to life. It's a fun if raunchy film to start off our series. Tune in!

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The Bank Job
$2.99
Starring Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore, Daniel Mays, James Faulkner
The Bank Job [Blu-ray] + Digital Copy
$8.72
Starring Jason Statham, Saffron Burrows, Stephen Campbell Moore, Daniel Mays, James Faulkner
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Scoop

"I was in the lounge.  I heard you drowning.  I finished my tea and scones and came immediately."

Woody Allen has made some great films and he's made some stinkers, but he is a man who consistently cranks films out year after year. In 2006, his film "Scoop" happened to have a stage magician in it and, because of that, we felt it was important to include in our series about films made about stage magic in 2006. But paired with the other two films in this series — "The Prestige" and "The Illusionist," this film falls flat. But that doesn't mean we don't have a great time talking about it. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we wrap up our magic series with one of Allen's worst films, "Scoop." We talk about the magic, the murder mystery and the comedy in this film and how none of them particularly stand out. We discuss the actors — Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Ian McShane and Woody Allen in particular — and what, if anything, they bring to their roles. And we chat about what works in Allen's films and why this film feels so slight and forgettable. It's not one of our favorites, but we still have a great conversation about it. Tune in!

Film Sundries

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Scoop
Starring Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Woody Allen
Scoop
$4.48
Starring Woody Allen, Scarlett Johansson, Hugh Jackman, Ian McShane, Alexander Armstrong

The Illusionist

"They don't seem to think it's a trick."

2006 was quite the year for movies about stage magicians, and as our series continues, we've decided to focus solely on the 3 films dealing with prestidigitation that came out that year. Neil Burger's The Illusionist came out a few months before Christopher Nolan's The Prestige, but it dealt with an entirely different story. True, they both take place in the world of magicians, but while Nolan's film dealt with a strong professional rivalry, Burger's dealt with an unrequited love and the fight the two lovers struggle through to be together. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we talk about The Illusionist and the magical year of 2006. We chat about the performances in the film — Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Rufus Sewell, and Jessica Biel primarily — and how they work for us. We chat about the nature of the ending of the film and how the nature of the end works — or doesn't. We discuss the actual magic tricks performed in the film, all based on actual tricks of the period, and how the CG embellishments actually may detract from the power of the story. And we talk about the cinematography and score and the strengths and weaknesses in them. We have a great time revisiting this film. Tune in!

Film Sundries

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The Illusionist [Blu-ray]
$8.99
Starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Rufus Sewell, Eddie Marsan, Jessica Biel
The Illusionist
Starring Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, Jessica Biel, Rufus Sewell

The Prestige

"The secret impresses no one. The trick you use it for is everything."

Right after the amazing success of Batman Begins and right before the brilliance of The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan switched gears completely and made a fascinating period piece about two rival magicians duking it out to be the best. The Prestige wasn't the most popular film of his but certainly garnered its share of positive acclaim and audience draw. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we begin the next series on The Next Reel: this time, a series about films that deal with magicians. We start with what we feel is an absolutely amazing film — The Prestige. We talk about the nature of magic tricks as defined within the film — having the pledge, the turn and the prestige — and how the film itself is structured as if it's a magic trick. We discuss the fascinating characters portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale and the nature of what their characters need to do in order to become the best. We chat about the nature of a film structured in a nonlinear style like this one is, how that ties into the original source novel by Christopher Priest, the nature of the unreliable narrator, and why it all works so well in a film about magicians. And we contemplate the nature of rivalry and how the film not only emphasizes that aspect of competition in everything done by the two principal characters but also by the real-life scientific duelists Thomas Edison and Nicola Tesla. The Prestige is a fascinating film that is meticulously structured in a deliberate way so as to create its own magic trick and get the audience every time. We find it extremely effective and have a great time watching it as well as talking about it this week. Check it out!

Film Sundries

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The Prestige
$1.99
Starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall
The Prestige [Blu-ray]
$9.99
Starring Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Michael Caine, Ricky Jay, James Lancaster

Marty

"What do you feel like doing tonight?"

After writing his teleplay for "Marty," it wasn't long before Hollywood asked Paddy Chayefsky to adapt his script for a feature film. And it's a good thing he did too — he won his first Oscar for his screenplay. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we finish our Paddy Chayefsky series with Delbert Mann's 1955 film "Marty." We talk about our feelings for the film and how, while the story of a man with image issues who finally finds love is touching, it still feels very slight. We discuss the actor who plays Marty — the wonderful Ernest "the beef" Borgnine — how he's made his mark indelibly in our heads, and whether this role felt like the right one for him or not. We chat about the other actors nominated for supporting roles — Betsy Blair and Joe Mantell — and how their roles fit within the context of this story about Marty (and whether they deserved Oscar nominations for their performances). And we discuss Chayefsky's interesting writing, not just here but in all 3 films, and look at what themes he's repeating and why. It's a good film that won Best Picture in 1955 and, while perhaps not as relevant today, is still an interesting film to catch up with. We have a great time talking about it, so tune in!

Film Sundries

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Marty
$2.99
Starring Ernest Borgnine, Esther Minciotti, Augusta Ciolli, Joe Mantell, Karen Steele
Marty
$17.49
Starring Ernest Borgnine, Betsy Blair, Esther Minciotti, Augusta Ciolli, Joe Mantell
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