 The Chicago Critics Film Association throws an annual film fest, giving the public a chance to see buzzed-about unreleased films that deserve to be seen on the big screen. This year's lineup includes a 40th anniversary 35mm midnight screening of Michael Mann's THIEF in addition to several titles that critics are raving about including Maggie Gyllenhall's THE LOST DAUGHTER and Jane Campion's THE POWER OF THE DOG among several other titles that I’m excited to see. Not to mention Collin Souter’s incredible mixtape / playlist of short films that are playing Saturday afternoon too! Joining me to review a few of the titles that's he seen is returning guest Bill Ackerman who will soon enough be contributing his own bonus content for this podcast in the form of an interview with the great Abel Ferrara! Thank you so much to Bill and please come out to the Music Box this coming weekend (November 12-14) for one exciting lineup that is previewed and discussed here on this episode! Thanks to all the hard-working Chicago critics that put this wonderful event together. Come To The Chicago Film Critics Festival: https://musicboxtheatre.com/events/the-chicago-critics-film-festival The Chicago Film Critics Association: https://chicagofilmcritics.org Check out Bill's podcast: https://nowplayingnetwork.net/supportingcharacters

Director's Club

Bonus Episode: Chicago Critics Film Festival Preview

One of the best guests you can have on any movie podcast would be Supporting Characters host Bill Ackerman, who returns for a yearly visit, this time to talk about the down & dirty gritty auteur Abel Ferrara. Usually for October, we try our best to talk about a horror director and though Ferrara isn't classified as one, you can certainly look at his films as being disturbing with some horrific scenes and well, THE ADDICTION does have vampires after all. Bill saw probably three times as much as I did though I managed to comment on about ten titles throughout the conversation. The ones everyone has likely seen are what we talk about at length including MS. 45, KING OF NEW YORK, BAD LIEUTENANT, TOMMASO and more! In addition, for the what we watched segment, Bill reviews WHEEL OF FORTUNE AND FANTASY and I bring up I bring up Mia Hansen-Love’s BERGMAN ISLAND. 00:00 - 08:22 - Introduction 08:23 - 31:59 - What We Watched Recently 32:00 - 02:00:14 - Early Ferrara (up to The Addiction) 02:00:15 - 02:56:44 - Middle To Recent Ferrara 02:56:45 - 03:02:57 - Top Ferrara Films / Outro Check out Bill's podcast: https://nowplayingnetwork.net/supportingcharacters Follow Bill on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/billackerman Ranked Letterboxd List For This Episode: https://letterboxd.com/jimlaczkowski/list/episode-193-abel-ferrara  

Episode 193: Abel Ferrara (feat. Bill Ackerman)

Inspired by one of my favorite podcasts, Screen Drafts, I decided to revise their general format for just this episode in which Movie Madness host Erik Childress and I collaborated on what we feel are the top ten Richard Donner movies. Yes, this is subjective and we consider these to be personal favorites overall but there were a couple of twists along the way mainly due to different placement and some titles that one of us may have felt more strongly about than others. This won’t become the new format, so don’t fret, but I thought this would be a nice little tribute to a fun action director of solid escapist entertainment. After all, I love lists, game shows and movies even if we all know that ranking art is arbitrary and silly. This was a blast and maybe I’ll do it again next year just as another offshoot. We return to our regularly scheduled program next month. In addition, for the what we watched segment, I review, ANNE AT 13,000 FT, THE NOWHERE INN and Eastwood’s CRY MACHO while Erik brings up a surprising TIFF title that I think we can all look forward to! Keep in mind that our own personal rankings differ from the drafted list. The only way you can find out what made the Donner cut is by listening. Thanks Erik for being a great guest as always and much appreciated to all of you who subscribe & share accordingly. 00:00 - 09:56 - Introduction 09:57 - 32:40 - What We Watched 32:41 - 02:05:30 - Richard Donner Top Ten Draft 02:05:31 - 02:26:08 - Final List / Outro Follow Erik:http://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/moviemadness https://twitter.com/EriktheMovieman https://letterboxd.com/erikthemovieman Check Out Christmas Movies Actually: http://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/christmasmoviesactually/episode47 My review of ANNE AT 13,000 FT: https://www.voicesvisions.net/reviews/anne My personal Donner rankings (not the drafted list): https://letterboxd.com/jimlaczkowski/list/episode-192-richard-donner  

Episode 192: Richard Donner (feat. Erik Childress)

Episode 192: Richard Donner

I wasn't sure what to say or write about today or even what happened 20 years ago. So I just got out a microphone and put out my thoughts through this quick bonus episode in addition to including a previously recorded review of 25TH HOUR that Patrick and I once shared for the Spike Lee podcast. Hopefully you are reflecting, remembering and holding on as best you can. Share your thoughts on this film or any feelings you have over at directorsclubpodcast@gmail.com 00:00 - 19:29 - Monologue + Thoughts 19:30 - 33:30 - 25TH HOUR Spike Lee Director's Club Episode: http://www.directorsclubpodcast.com/blog/episode108

Bonus Episode: 9/11 & 25th Hour

 Jim here! I'm back as your monthly host! And since this era of filmmaking isn't necessarily my area of expertise, of course I had to recruit a "magnificent" returning guest by the name of Sergio Mims who of course adores the Western genre and even came up with the roster of underseen titles by the great John Sturges. You may know him as the director of such beloved classics like THE GREAT ESCAPE, but we mainly focus on lesser-known works that you should try to seek out. We avoid spoilers through most of the films and mention how you can track down a lot of these hidden gems. Gone are the parody songs but returning is the "what we watched" segment in which I review a couple of new releases (EMA, VAL) and Sergio talks about the documentary SEARCHING FOR MR. RUGOFF. Thank you again to Patrick for filling in these past three months for some excellent episodes you should check out if you haven't yet. Much gratitude as always to the walking Wikipedia of film knowledge as well for joining me in this fun discussion! Titles Discussed Include: BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK, LAST TRAIN FROM GUN HILL, THE SATAN BUG, HOUR OF THE GUN, JOE KIDD, MCQ, THE EAGLE HAS LANDED 00:00 - 13:19 - Introduction 13:20 - 42:23 - What We Watched Recently (new releases) 42:24 - 01:16:00 - Sturges In The 50s 01:16:01 - 01:53:14 - Sturges In The 60s & 70s 01:53:15 - 02:09:54 - Wrap-Up / Outro Download Sturges' BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK commentary: https://cinephiliabeyond.org/bad-day-black-rock-john-sturges-audacious-culturally-significant-masterfully-suspenseful-drama Sergio Mims' Essay On Sergeant Rutledge: https://www.rogerebert.com/black-writers-week/considering-john-fords-apology-western-sergeant-rutledge Sergio Mims' Tribute To Robert Downey Sr: https://www.rogerebert.com/tributes/robert-downey-sr-1936-2021 Check Out Sergio On The Movie Madness Podcast: http://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/moviemadness Visit Director's Club On Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/directorsclub Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/jimlaczkowski/list/episode-191-john-sturges/https://letterboxd.com/jimlaczkowski

Episode 191: John Sturges (feat. Sergio Mims)

Nearly ten years ago, Jim and Patrick tried doing an episode on this beloved Hong Kong filmmaker but technology wasn't entirely cooperative back then. It was still released, but incomplete. Now many episodes later, Patrick returns sans Jim to try again with some great help as always from reliable, returning guest and podcaster extraordinare Bill Ackerman (Supporting Characters). This time, they each go through the entire filmography of Wong Kar-wai starting from the very beginning. Five hours later, they reach the end! So grateful to both Bill and Patrick for their incredible hard work and stamina for what's yet another enjoyable conversation about a masterful director whose In The Mood For Love is considered one of the all-time greatest films. Thank you to Patrick for filling in these past three months as well.

Episode 190: Wong Kar-Wai Redux (feat. Patrick Ripoll & Bill Ackerman)

Episode 190: Wong Kar-Wai Redux

No, the old format didn't go away. This is just something special. If you want more bonus content like this, please join the Director's Club Patreon for only $5/month. You'll help support this show, Voices + Visions and the Now Playing Network. In the introduction, I establish a new monthly offering for those wanting more shorter content in the future in addition to the regular show. Hopefully there will be even more to come depending on guest availability / contributions. This is just a sample, posted in the regular feed for all of you to enjoy. The gist of "Movies You Should See" is simply just that, in which a guest comes on to talk with me for under an hour about a title they're passionate about and that I've been meaning to catch up with. Today's guest is none other than Bill Ackerman (also coming on later this month w/Patrick for Wong Kar-Wai). We analyze the many strengths of Tom Noonan's fascinating play adaptation, WHAT HAPPENED WAS, which is becoming a new favorite of mine the more I see it. It was fun not only to talk about the movie, but the characters' unexpected interactions and how awkward & funny a first "date" can actually be. We hope enjoy this new form of bonus content and see you over on Patreon for more! Please Support The Show For $5/Month: https://patreon.com/directorsclub Buy What Happened Was: https://store.oscilloscope.net/products/what-happened-was Check Out Bill's Podcast: http://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/supportingcharacters Follow Bill On Twitter: https://twitter.com/characters_pod

Movies You Should See #1: What Happened Was (1994)

Great Scott! Patrick returns to host a different approach to an episode in which he and returning guest Andrew James run down an entire filmography. So no more what we watched segment or parody songs just three and a half hours focused on action director Tony Scott starting at the beginning of his career all the way to the end. Follow along with the filmography below as well as follow both Patrick and Andrew on Letterboxd. Stay tuned next month for Patrick's final stint as guest host alongside Bill Ackerman when they run down the filmography of Wong Kar-wai. Thanks as always for listening and stay tuned for some bonus content in the months to come! Tony Scott: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Scott#Filmography Andrew James: https://letterboxd.com/andrew_james Patrick Ripoll: https://letterboxd.com/patrickripoll

Episode 189: Tony Scott (feat. Andrew James & Patrick Ripoll)

Episode 189: Tony Scott

Jim is taking the summer off but Patrick is back as your host for the next three official episodes of the show! First up is the renowned French director Louis Malle who has had a lot of varied work throughout his career, several of which are brought up during the episode but the main focus is on Elevator To The Gallows along with Vanya On 42nd Street. Returning guests Robert Reineke (Still Watching The Skies) along with Regina Linn (Consistent Panda Bear Shape) join in on the conversation and have lots to say about the majority of this filmmaker's work in addition to the What We Watched segment as always. Stay tuned for late June when Patrick takes on the work of blockbuster filmmaker Tony Scott. 00:00 - 01:58 - Introduction 01:59 - 03:10 - What We Watched Song 03:11 - 41:18 - What We Watched 41:19 - 42:21 - Director Song 42:22 - 02:56:39 - Louis Malle Discussion 02:56:40 - 03:04:53 - Top 3 Favorites / Outro Jim’s New Interview Feat. Actress/Artist Sabrina Lloyd: https://www.voicesvisions.net/episodes/sabrinalloyd

Episode 188: Louis Malle (feat. Patrick Ripoll, Regina Linn & Robert Reineke)

Monthly movie podcast, with bonus episodes throughout, that center around the work of one director per show. Hosted by Jim Laczkowski & Patrick Ripoll for the first hundred episodes or so, then Brad Strauss and Al Kwiatkowski took their place.

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Director's Club

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