Episode 198: The Crazed Everyday of Lucrecia Martel

== Show Notes ==
: We discuss the work of Argentinian Writer/Director Lucrecia Martel, her clear-eyed view of societal rot, and focus on her films THE HOLY GIRL (2004) and THE HEADLESS WOMAN (2008)
== Films Discussed ==
*Directed by Lucrecia Martel
**The Swamp (2001)
**The Holy Girl (2004)
**The Headless Woman (2008)
**Zama (2017)
*Grand Hotel (1932) Dir. Edmund Goulding
*Red Desert (1964) Dir. Michelangelo Antonioni
*Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) Dir. Woody Allen
== Discussion Notes ==
*Lucrecia Martel - Joker fan #1!
**Described as "the Argentinian Terence Malik" and "the greatest living Argentinian director"
*Martel's films
**Precise, beautifully composed, opaque, challenging, and slow
**Contain overarching visual and metaphorical themes of rot and middle-class value stagnation
***There are no climaxes because there are no resolutions
*Justin - "Movies about rich people are very difficult for me, just to care"
*The Swamp
**Won a Sundance writers prize
**Criticism of the middle class for their inaction during military dictatorships
*The Headless Woman
**A story of psychological disillusion, guilt, and sanity
***Compare with Crimes and Misdemeanors
**Will - it has "actively unpleasant visual style"
**A possible metaphor for the disappeared people of the Dirty War
*The Holy Girl
**Martel's most narratively conventional film, in our hosts opinions
**A coming-of-age story focusing on sexuality, faith, and abuse
*Zama
**Our hosts found it a funnier story than her prior works
***More surreal images and a conventional ending
*Her works aim to shock the middle-class out of their complacency - but are they watching them?
*Does she have a possible science fiction movie in her future?
**Martel on superhero movies - "Those Marvel films are too loud"
== Listener Letters ==
*Ben Booth
**Recommendations for films that still work on a tiny screen?
***Justin - Watch anything as long as you give it your full attention!
****Or bust out the Antonioni
***Will recommends short films, classic animation, Looney Tunes
****Remember that Citizen Kane remains Citizen Kane no matter where you watch it
***Or just watch Eraserhead to spite David Lynch!
*Alexander Ross
**Rotten Tomatoes - why are there so many over 90% movies these days?
***Justin: maybe there aren't more, but we just hear about more of them
***Will once gave The Artist a B- Cinemascore!
***Our hosts reminisce about the good ol' days of the IMDB message-boards
== Post-Outro Discussion ==
*Our hosts discuss the upcoming 4K restoration of Fist of Fear, Touch of Death
**Originally from Terry Levene, noted schlock producer/distributor of Deep Throat, Doctor Butcher M.D., and Cannibal Ferox
**The centerpiece is a (totally fictional) dubbed Bruce Lee biopic
**Will on the film - it's "like a dispatch from an alternate reality"
*Justin is very insistent on the difference between samurai and Taiwanese swordplay films
*Welcome to the new Brucesploitation wave!
Category:Episodes
Category:Lucrecia Martel