Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the Filmspotting app?
As discussed on episode #590 (listen below), Filmspotting's app is no longer being updated now that the show is part of the Panoply network. Here is an alternate mobile-friendly link to access all the latest shows.
How do I download older shows?
1. Go to the old Show Archive.
2. Right click on the show link (i.e. Filmspotting #301 - May 14, 2010)
3. Save file ('Save link as') to your computer
4. Open iTunes -- Library -- Add file to Library
5. Add the mp3 file... Sync your device!
Where do I hear Adam and Josh's advice to aspiring critics?
It was part of the app Bonus Content for #503. See more advice below.
Where do I hear more discussion on "Boyhood?"
It was part of the app Bonus Content for #502.
Where do I hear Adam's take on "Take Shelter's" ending?
It was part of the app Bonus Content for #368.
Where can I hear more about criticism and the start of Filmspotting?
Listen to Adam's conversation with Peter Labuza on The Cinephiliacs.
How do I advertise on Filmspotting?
Email us at: feedback@filmspotting.net.
What is the Filmspotting theme music?
"This Machine" by (defunct) Chicago band Age of the Rifle
Additional music: Alexandre Desplat's "Moving In" and "Mr. Fox's Promenade" from "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" Soundtrack.
How do I get my music played on the show?
Email us links to some of your tracks. We'll consider your songs but can't guarantee that they'll get played.
What clips are used in the Filmspotting beginning and end themes?
In this order: "Scent of a Woman" - "The Graduate" - "2001: A Space Odyssey"
What are some of the clips that are used in the various Massacre Theatre themes?
"All About Eve"
"American Movie"
"Boogie Nights"
"Extras"
"Galaxy Quest"
"The Goodbye Girl"
"Mulholland Drive"
"Reds"
"Reservoir Dogs"
"Singin' in the Rain"
"Sunset Blvd."
"Team America: World Police"
"Withnail and I"
Any chance you'll be holding a meetup somewhere near me?
Visit the Filmspotting Forum meetups section for postings and other events that may be happening in your neck of the woods.
I'm thinking of going to film school / studying film / becoming a critic. Any advice?
Thoughts from Adam...
Whether wanting to make films or write/talk about them, don't limit yourself -- be versatile, have a diverse rangle of knowledge. I was an English major before I studied film, which taught me how to write, analyze a text and think critically. Believe it or not, film schools love this stuff too. My experience is that grad programs love students who are going to bring more to the table than just being a film geek. Anthropology major as an undergrad? Sociology? Anything but film? Great.
Most importantly, just do it. Start making short films, even if they suck. Start a blog and write reviews, even if they suck and nobody reads them. Write for your high school or college newspaper, talk about movies on your high school or college radio station, even if you suck and nobody pays attention. And take it seriously; just don't take yourself too seriously.
Can we see one of Adam's film school projects?
Sure.
I want to learn more about movies and/or film criticism. What film books do you recommend?
We shared our Top 5 Movie Books on #565.
A few more recommendations from Adam...
Rebel Without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player by Robert Rodriguez
The "Sin City" director's tale of how he made his first movie, "El Mariachi." Inspiring for anybody who wants to make movies; illuminating for anybody who doesn't know that good movies can be made for less than $100 million if the filmmaker has a clear vision and plan to execute it. For what it's worth, Rodriguez considers film school a waste of time and money. And he might be right. But that's a discussion for another time...
On Directing Film by David Mamet
Mamet isn't the greatest director, and certainly not the most subtle, but he's got fascinating ideas about making movies and how to lift something off a page and enact it on screen in a very precise way.
In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch
Among many others, Murch edited "Apocalypse Now" and did the sound design for both Apocalypse and "The Godfather Part II." In other words, he knows what he's talking about. It's billed mainly as a book for editors, and it does address many practical editing issues, but Murch takes a really insightful approach that extends beyond editing to philosophical questions about how/why to make and watch movies.
Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman
From the screenwriter of "The Princess Bride," "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "All The President's Men"... Goldman's got an acerbic wit and has some great "inside" stories from the various sets and projects he's worked on. Best lesson here is that a good screenplay isn't about dialogue; it's about structure (and stakes).
Other titles to consider:
"Film Art," David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson (The ultimate Cinema 101 textbook )
"Making Movies," Sidney Lumet
"Pictures at a Revolution," Mark Harris
"Placing Movies: The Practice of Film Criticism," Jonathan Rosenbaum
"The Way Hollywood Tells It," David Bordwell
"True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor," David Mamet
"What Is Cinema?," Andre Bazin
Also, hard to go wrong reading the works of: Pauline Kael, Manny Farber, Roger Ebert and Andrew Sarris.