Shut Up And Watch This

Take almost any state highway in Texas and you’ll find a trail of little towns, each with a square of brick buildings arranged around a courthouse, or just a row of storefronts in older towns. Towns like Goldwaithe, Zephyr, Santa Ana, Archer City, Paris, and the roads between them. Wim Wender’s 1984 film PARIS, TEXAS explores what is lost and found in these little places and the spaces between; what is between a man and woman, father and son, mother and child. Dave and Ashley are along for the ride to discuss loneliness, redemption, and what it all means. Book: Motel Chronicles (1982) by Sam Shepard. Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2020 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

This week we discuss Ashley’s pick, Mike Judge’s little seen cult film IDIOCRACY. In 2016, much of the independent press made comparisons between Idiocracy and the current political situation in the United States. Find out why they are wrong. Plus, we’ll answer questions like: Does Ashley even like this film? What IS the most nuanced stoner film of the mid-oughts? And...just what was 20th Century Fox trying to hide when they buried this film? Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

Conveniently this week’s episode is about a man suffering from creative block, and I’m currently too drifty to be able to write this blurb. I may need some time at an Italian spa to get going again. If you hadn’t guessed, Dave and I are talking Fellini’s 8½ (1963), Dave’s pick. This film is madcap and chaotic, but also nostalgic and deeply meaningful. Join us for one of our best conversations as we discuss the creative process, Jungian archetypes, Lynchian dreamscapes, and how the essence of great art springs from the nonsense of the human mind. Surely it all means something.  Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

What criteria defines a classic film?  An advancement in film technology? A technically flawless script? A unique blend of genre? For Ashley the criteria has to include some expression of humanity. The depth of humanity on display in Guillermo del Toro’s dark fantasy, PAN’S LABYRINTH (2006) made it an instant classic in Ashley’s mind. Dave started watching years ago, but he never saw the whole film. A hard watch in parts, the rewards of this masterful blend of fantasy and cruel reality are well worth braving some momentary discomfort. Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

You know the feeling when you meet a really great guy at a press/scientist mixer and he takes you back to his warehouse and shows you his teleporting machine? And then your ex-boyfriend/boss starts stalking you and making veiled threats via science magazine covers? So you go to deal with ex-guy and then new guy gets sad and drunk-teleports himself, accidentally fusing his DNA with a house fly. You know that feeling? Geena Davis surely does in this week’s pick, David Cronenberg’s body horror classic THE FLY (1986). The only available men are jerks, exes, or fly-man hybrids. Sigh. Cool stuff: David Cronenberg Virtual Exhibition (TIFF) Austin Film Festival 2019  Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

People are complicated, neither wholly bad nor good; they make bad decisions, they hurt people they love, and yet they are also capable of great kindness and laughter. They long for things: to be better, to be different, for connection with others. Writer Mike White is able to capture that humanity in characters that are simultaneously the best and worst of us. Ashley’s picks, THE GOOD GIRL (2002) starring Jennifer Aniston and HBO's ENLIGHTENED (2011) with Laura Dern, showcase White’s unique gift. Dave is along for the enjoyable, if somewhat uncomfortable, ride. 

Ashley has a major gap in her knowledge of American history, and it is shaped like the modernist Watergate Hotel in Washington DC. This week, Dave’s pick, ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976) seeks to fill that gap with intrigue, secret parking lot meetings, inappropriate nicknames for anonymous sources, and a whole lot of phone calls. For Dave this is a flashback to film school and one of his favorite screenwriting books by William Goldman. A good time for all involved, except perhaps the US democracy and Richard Nixon. Book: Adventures in the Screen Trade - William Goldman Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

Some films become so much a part of who you are that you can’t remember a time that they were not part of your life, and so it is for Ashley with this week’s pick, the 1995 BBC miniseries PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. Staring Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet and Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, this is the definitive adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1813 novel, and it has been beautifully restored for the Blu-ray release. Dave was too busy with fencing lessons, brooding near fireplaces, and other man things to see the series before. This oversight has now been corrected. Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

This week we’re going back to 1984 to review BEVERLY HILLS COP. What could possibly go wrong for a street smart detective from Detroit who heads to Beverly Hills for an unauthorized investigation into his friend’s murder? Apparently, much less than one might expect from that sort of set up. This fun, breezy film featuring a star-making turn by Eddie Murphy as Axel Foley, was one of teen Dave’s favorites. Ashley is a little astounded by how this film seems to be from another era entirely, certainly a time before “gritty” cop shows like NYPD BLUE, THE WIRE, or even LAW AND ORDER became the mainstream. Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

Sometimes you just need to watch something delightful and frivolous. Screwball comedies like Gregory LaCava’s MY MAN GODFREY (1936) are just the thing. Fueled by a major crush on William Powell, this is one of Ashley’s favorite films. She’s tried to show it to Dave before on a few occasions, but due to circumstances and sleepiness, he’s never made it through until now. On this episode we talk the joys of escapism, the talents of Carole Lombard and finding the right time to introduce your partner to your favorite films. Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

Ashley HATES westerns, generally speaking, which is why Dave has been reluctant to make Sergio Leone’s restored 1968 classic ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST required viewing. Then our local art cinema happened to have a showing, and Dave couldn’t resist the urge to see it on the big screen once again. This film has everything: saloons, vengeful sharpshooters, corrupt railroad entrepreneurs, a retired lady of the evening with requisite gold heart, and XCUs, which are that thing where the camera zooms in so close you can see the molecular structure of Charles Bronson’s face. Plus an Ennio Morricone soundtrack! Dave is all in on this one. Will Ashley come around? The book Dave mentions: Once Upon a Time in the West: Shooting a Masterpiece - Christopher Frayling (2019) Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other

This week we finally review HANDS ON A HARDBODY: THE DOCUMENTARY (1997) thanks to a tip from Ashley’s brother about streaming options. This surprisingly moving film by S.R. Bindler documents the human drama surrounding an endurance competition to win a Nissan Hardbody pickup where 24 contestants stand with their hands on the truck until only one is left standing. This was Ashley’s introduction to the wonderful world of independent documentaries. Somehow Dave never managed to see it even though it was still playing at the dearly departed Dobie Theater across from UT when he started film school there. Links: Stream Hands on a Hardbody "You Gotta Have the Mettle" - Leah Churner, Austin Chronicle. 4/19/2013 Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

Dave’s been sitting on this one for awhile, a little hesitant about Ashley’s reaction. This week’s pick, THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER (1989) is definitely not for everyone. Peter Greenaway’s film is visually and structurally bold. It is shocking in it’s portrayal of violence and barbarism, and the titular Thief is perhaps one of the worst humans to ever appear on screen. Yet there is something about it, a teetering balance, like a waiter carrying an overloaded tray. Will Ashley find this film as rich and fascinating as Dave does, or will it leave her cold? Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

Home is one of the most powerful words in any language. It is not simply a place, but a symbol of something more, a visceral feeling of safety, of belonging, of community. So what happens to a person when that place, that community, that belonging is slowly but surely dismantled? In this week’s extra episode, we review THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO. This film confronts the effects of gentrification on identity and belonging through the eyes of tragic hero Jimmie Fails. This film is a swirl of poetry and music made visual, and we just had to talk about it. Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

When Ashley first saw WOMAN ON THE RUN at the Noir City Film festival in 2015, she just knew her good friend Dave, a proud San Francisco native, would absolutely love it. It only took four years for him to see it, partly because Ashley couldn’t remember what it was called. Shot on location in mid-century San Francisco, this noir thriller by director Norman Foster features great visuals, an outstanding lead performance by Ann Sheridan as a woman searching for her husband after he witnesses a mob murder, and some top-rate character actors to keep things interesting. Twice thought lost forever, the story of saving and restoring this film has almost as many twists as the film itself, almost...   Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

As it turns out, this week’s pick is not a hardboiled modern noir set on a train, as Ashley expected. Instead Dave’s pick, Wong Kar-wai’s CHUNGKING EXPRESS (1994), features the stories of two lovelorn policemen as they try to move on from their past relationships. Equal parts sweet and quirky with a good mix of interesting camera work, a pretty killer soundtrack, and thirty cans of pineapple, Chungking Express is miles away from Ashley’s expectations, and has her wanting to see more of Wong’s films. Dave is particularly taken with pixieish heroine Faye from the second story who recalls new wave and neo-realist heroines Patricia (Jean Seberg) and Cabiria (Giulietta Masina). Both Dave and Ashley found this film to be a delight, and there is even a femme fatale for those of you that need a little noir with your whimsy. Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider le

This week Ashley’s pick is Ron Howard’s 1989 ensemble comedy/drama PARENTHOOD. Supported by some fine performances by the likes of Dianne Wiest, Steve Martin, and even Keanu Reeves, this film does a pretty good job of representing the ups and downs of parenthood from the viewpoint of a large, multigenerational family. Ashley is pleasantly surprised that this childhood favorite seems to stand the test of time with a few notable exceptions. And Dave is ultimately charmed despite some initial misgivings about content and a Randy Newman song with lyrics that are perhaps a tad precious. Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson

A US government agent (Cary Grant), the daughter of a convicted spy (Ingrid Bergman), and a scheming Nazi in Brazil (Claude Rains). Add a whole lot of repressed emotions and you have the makings of this love-triangle thriller, Alfred Hitchcock's 1946 masterpiece NOTORIOUS. Ingrid Bergman is luminous as Alicia, a patriot who risks everything for love and country. Cary Grant as Dev is…..kind of a dick, though a charming one. This is a top ten film for Dave, one of those seminal films that reveals the storytelling power of cinema. Can Ashley get past her unease watching a man throw away happiness with both hands to appreciate this Hitchcock classic? As Dev puts it, “A man doesn't tell a woman what to do. She tells herself.” Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr &

This week we have committed false report; moreover, we have spoken untruths, secondarily, we are slanders; sixth and lastly we have belied a lady; thirdly, we have verified unjust things; and, to conclude, we are lying knaves. All this is true, except the lady bit, as we did not watch Hands on a Hardbody as promised. Instead we watched Joss Whedon’s adaptation of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. This is Ashley’s favorite Shakespeare play due largely to the spirited banter of Beatrice and Benedick. Dave talks about settling into the Shakespearean dialect for the first time since college and the fine stable of actors that Joss Whedon has pulled together. Plus passing mentions of Buffy, Kurosawa, Cary Grant, and Keanu Reeves’ finest performance, for man is a giddy thing, and this is our conclusion. Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rati

People are complicated, at once noble and cowardly. We laugh at inappropriate times and cry over morning tea; find beauty and terror in the wind and rain. And somehow Akira Kurosawa captures all of this humanness in a film that is somehow both epic and intimate all at once. That’s right, this week we tackle Kurosawa’s 1954 film SEVEN SAMURAI. This film shaped Dave’s understanding of cinema and probably life in general. It is an exercise in vulnerability to show such an important film to someone you love, and a bit intimidating for the new viewer as well. In one of our best conversations we talk art, humanity, the history of feudal Japan, and a kinder, gentler cinematic education. Won’t you join us? Subscribe in iTunes, Android, or Spotify. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Visit our site: shutupwatchthis.wordpress.com Send your feedback to shutupwatchthis@gmail.com Please consider leaving a review or a star rating on iTunes, so other folks can find us. © 2019 Ashley Carr & Dave Wilson