Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

#41 in the Film 101 series is 'Modern Times'—a film that anticipates the anxiety of the present day by laying bare the anxieties of the moment it was…

Nov 21 • 

Andrew E. Johnson

1

Disney is for consumers, not lovers, now

What might Disney look like now were it to try to live up to the spirit and vision of its creator.

Nov 12 • 

Andrew E. Johnson

October 2025

Exploring the Outer Limits of David Lynch

Listen now | Eraserhead (1977), Blue Velvet (1986), The Straight Story (1999). Throughout, the episode, we continue to touch on Lynch’s unique creative…

Oct 27 • 

Andrew E. Johnson

, 

Andrew Stewart

, and 

Ben Elsener

1:05:30

A permanently altered state

'One Battle After Another' is many things, and one of them is a reflection of growing up Millennial.

Oct 19 • 

Andrew E. Johnson

September 2025

'They lie, even to themselves'

#40 — 'Rashomon' is a template-setting film. While many of its successors have delivered more slick and stylized versions of the pioneering story, few…

Sep 30 • 

Andrew E. Johnson

The natural

Robert Redford has shaped the film industry like few others have.

Sep 19 • 

Andrew E. Johnson

August 2025

As Gentle(ish) an Introduction to David Lynch as Possible

Listen now as we kick off our first season of Crash Course with three films from David Lynch: Elephant Man (1980), Dune (1984), Wild at Heart (1990)

Aug 30 • 

Andrew E. Johnson

, 

Andrew Stewart

, and 

Ben Elsener

2

1:07:50

Dust in the wind

#39 in the Film 101 series is 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre', a film that plays as a Greek tragedy about greed and an indictment of a particular…

Aug 20 • 

Andrew E. Johnson

1

Introducing Crash Course

Listen now | Introducing a new adventure and expansion of the Film 101 project

Aug 18 • 

Andrew E. Johnson

1

3:41

July 2025

Who needs a laugh?

The adults do. It's the adults. But Hollywood seems as confused as ever about how to serve an audience that has gone underserved for a decade or more.

Jul 15 • 

Andrew E. Johnson

June 2025

In the year 2000 …

Ruminations on that New York Times list, and my own hastily assembled ballot of the 10 best movies of the 21st century.

Jun 27 • 

Andrew E. Johnson

2

May 2025

Earning it

On Memorial Day - or any other - film #38 in the series - ‘Saving Private Ryan’ - examines the debt owed to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

May 26 • 

Andrew E. Johnson