SEASON 1 FINALE OF SEEMORE! - Netflix’s critically-acclaimed series Stranger Things oozes charm and it’s clear that every fiber of it was made with love. The Duffer Brothers (co-creators) lead that train of love by adding an original spin to the nostalgic 80’s themes, archetypes, and aesthetics they draw inspiration from. The sci-fi series kicks off with the mysterious disappearance of a small-town child and his friend’s pursuit to find him against peculiar odds. With incredible talent both in front and behind the camera, this cultural phenomenon has already been nominated for over 160 awards and has won 52 of them, including multiple Emmy’s in its first two seasons. With a third season about to be released for July 4th, Stranger Things shows no signs of slowing down. Joan explores why the show walks a great balance between paying homage to respective narrative structures while adding an original spin unique to the series. Beware of mild spoilers!

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Stranger Things: Beyond Nostalgia (S1 Finale)

It’s part 2 of the Letterboxd Game! Joan runs through his diary for the second quarter of the year. For those who don't know, Letterboxd basically helps keep track of the movies you watch. After choosing a select number of films, Joan provides his 1 word association of each film, 1 hot take, his favorite moment or aspect of the film, and pitches a sequel to Hollywood. The films span a wide variety of genres, from Thunder Road to Pokemon Detective Pikachu. As always, no spoilers for any of the films included!

Special: The Letterboxd Game Pt. 2

As the brainchild of renaissance man Donald Glover, the hit TV show Atlanta quickly cemented itself as one of the most unique modern series on television. Based in Atlanta, Earn (played by Glover) reconnects with his cousin Alfred (played by Brian Tyree Henry) after he makes a local hit song and attempts to be his manager. LaKeith Stanfield also stars as Darius, Alfred’s right-hand, and Zazie Beetz plays Van, a struggling single mother. The FX series is created by Donald Glover, who also produces, writes, stars, and directs in it. In its 2 seasons, the show is already critically acclaimed raking in 80 nominations and winning an Emmy and a Golden Globe in the process. Joan explores why the show nails its unorthodox tone and manages to disarm viewers on a weekly basis with a blend of “surreal realism” with two very special guests in Jack Sommer and Kev De Los Santos (founders of Cesspool)! As always, no spoilers!

Atlanta: Surreal Realism

Call Me By Your Name, the 2017 Oscar-winning sweetheart, is directed by Luca Guadagnino and is an adaption of the novel by the same title, written by Andre Aciman. This love story follows Elio, a seventeen year-old student played by Timothée Chalamet and Oliver, an older man hired as his father’s assistant, played by Army Hammer in 1980’s Northern Italy. More specifically, Luca decided to set the film in Crema, an area he’s personally connected to. Joan explores why this film’s location has so much to do with its ability to charm the viewer and, in Joan’s case, fill him with a non-existing nostalgia and how that’s integral to the movie’s success with special guest Jack Sommer (co-founder of Cesspool)! As always, no spoilers!

Call Me By Your Name: A Summer In Italy

PART TWO - Spoilers Included - Following up on their discussion in the first part of this conversation, Joan talks with Joao Gonzalez (aka Soft Glas) and a new guest, Aaron Vazquez. This week, they wrap up that very eventful finale and play a couple of Q&A games. And once again, this time there are spoilers!

Avengers Endgame: Therapy Session Pt. 2

Considering it’s on track to be the highest grossing film of all-time (second to James Cameron’s Avatar), Joan and a special pair of guests dissect the movie beat by beat. This episode is the spiritual successor to SeeMore!’s previous Marvel Cinematic Universe episode and is the first of two epic parts. Joan debates the most hyped up movie of 2019 with special guests: Joao Gonzalez (aka Soft Glas) and a new guest: Aaron Vazquez! 

Avengers Endgame: Therapy Session Pt. 1

As part of a new series, Joan runs through his Letterboxd diary for the first quarter of the year. For those who don't know, Letterboxd basically helps keep track of the movies you watch. After choosing a select number of films, Joan provides his 1 word association of each film, 1 hot take, his favorite moment or aspect of the film, and pitches a sequel to Hollywood. The films span a wide variety of genres, from Terminator 2 to My Cousin Vinny. As always, no spoilers for any of the films included!

Special: Introducing The Letterboxd Game

In what may be considered the greatest spin-off of all-time, Frasier follows the Crane family, more specifically Dr. Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammar), who moves back home to Seattle after his Cheers shenanigans and starts a new life as a radio talk show therapist. The show was created by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David and Lee was nominated for 272 awards and won 130 of them, 3 of them being Golden Globes. A lot of that success is to do with Kelsey Grammar. And a lot of that has to do with Kelsey Grammar’s voice. Joan dives into why his voice is integral to the show’s success and Frasier Crane’s (lack of) character development. As always, no spoilers!

Frasier: Seattle In His Voice

Demetri Martin is an incredibly diverse comedian – he’s also an actor, director, cartoonist, musician, and each skillset is put to great use in his latest special: The Overthinker. This special highlights his incredible range as a comedian and uses a handful of key elements from a structural/presentational standpoint to heighten his comedy. The three unique components he introduces are introspective voice-over segments, illustrations that play on our understanding of day-to-day life, and comedy through songwriting. In SeeMore!’s first episode analyzing stand-up comedy, Joan delves into how Demetri Martin focuses on presentation in his comedy and how these different elements used in his latest special keep the laughs going with special guest Kevin De Los Santos (co-founder of Cesspool)! As always, no spoilers!

Demetri Martin: Presentation In Comedy

With the culmination of over a decade’s worth of cinema, Avengers: Endgame is set to release this week capping off the historic and unprecedented run of this generation’s beloved comic book movies. The iconic Marvel Cinematic Universe is run by Kevin Feige, the President and Producer of Marvel Studios since 2007. His films have produced a combined worldwide box office gross of over $22 billion. Its impact on Hollywood has affected the way we consume film and has even affected how franchises are built. The MCU has also changed the way comic book movies and its heroes are perceived, its 22 films worth of lore is ingrained in pop-culture and social media. Joan delves into how Marvel’s approach to serializing films has affected the film industry with special guest Joao Gonzalez (aka Soft Glas)! As always, no spoilers!

Marvel Cinematic Universe: A Decade Of Dominance

With kicking off its new and final season this past Sunday night, G.O.T has returned to the heart of weekly conversation. It’s not an overstatement to say that Game Of Thrones is one of the most iconic shows of all-time, already considered a pop-culture classic. It’s also critically beloved, raking in 314 awards spanning the Golden Globes, Emmy’s, BAFTA’s, and Actors Guilds awards with still this final season to air. Created by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, and based on the George R.R. Martin books, the show follows nine noble families fight for control over the mythical lands of Westeros and packs an all-star cast. While the action usually stirs most of the excitement amongst its millions of viewers, the series excels and flourishes in its quieter moments. Joan dives into what makes these quieter moments of this action-heavy series so compelling, and why it helps propel the iconic battle sequences with special guest and the resident G.O.T fanboy Joao Gonzalez (aka Soft Glas)! As always, no spoilers!

Game of Thrones: Between The Action

A24’s 2016 Oscar-nominated film, 20th Century Women, which takes place in 1979 Southern California is about 1 mother and the 2 women that help raise her 1 boy… that’s a lot of numbers!!! The movie stars Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, and Lucas Jade Zumann and was both directed and written by Mike Mills - the latter of which he was nominated for where he turned traditional screenwriting conventions on its head and innovated some existing techniques to better execute the film. Joan discusses with special guest Joao Gonzalez (aka Soft Glas)! As always, no spoilers!

20th Century Women: 21st Century Script

Widely regarded as one of the greatest sitcoms of all-time, Cheers follows the womanizing ex-Boston Red Sox pitcher Sam Malone played by Ted Danson as he runs bar drawn to shenanigans on a nightly basis. The show is considered a classic for many reasons, but this episode specifically looks at one of the fundamental elements of the show’s DNA: The Bar. Joan dives into what makes this set perfect with special guest Joao Gonzalez (aka Soft Glas)! As always, no spoilers!

Cheers: The Iconic Bar

The Safdie Brothers' film, an A24 release that was one of the most captivating films of 2017, stars Robert Pattinson as he attempts to get his brother out of a jam. Good Time has outstanding cinematography in both its visual flair and intention, and Sean Price Williams (Director of Photography) was motivated to push the 35mm picture as far as he could. Joan dives into these visuals with special guest Jack Sommer (co-founder of Cesspool)! As always, no spoilers!

Good Time: Up Close And Personal

In the cult classic television series, Twin Peaks (created by David Lynch and Mark Frost), an FBI agent investigates the murder of local teen Laura Palmer in a very peculiar town. While the show is great on many levels, Joan is particularly obsessed with the opening credits. He breaks down why that is, along with special guest Joao Gonzalez (aka Soft Glas)! As always, no spoilers!

Twin Peaks: Greatest Intro Of All Time?

SeeMore! is a podcast about film and television, looking at it through the specific lenses of a certain movie or show. Whether it's the score of Phantom Thread or the intro for Twin Peaks, the show’s host Joan Gonzalez will break down what kind of contribution that specific element makes to the overall experience.

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