Citizen Dame

Episode 188: The Dames Answer All the Questions

You asked and we answered! In this episode, we answer listener questions about all sorts of things: book recommendations, film movements we'd love to erase, favorite directors, imagining a Tom Cruise/Alfred Hitchcock collab and more!
For additional context to some of our answers, check out our previous Hitchcock-related episodes:
https://citizendame.podbean.com/e/episode-125-the-dame-vanishes/
https://citizendame.podbean.com/e/episode-169-hitchcockian-dames/

Episode 187: The Wicker Dame

The Dames go deep on folk horror, the new Shudder documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched, and why inclusivity and diverse perspectives are so important. Plus! We answer some overdue listener questions about villains, heroes, and Spencer. 

Episode 186: The Tragedy of MacDame

In this week's episode, the Dames take on morality in film, the difference between critique and censorship, why morally complex characters are tricky to portray, and where some of the best filmmakers have gotten right — and wrong.
 
We also discuss Joel Coen's new adaptation, The Tragedy of Macbeth on Apple TV+.

Episode 185: The Dames are Team Elmo

Happy 2022! The Dames return to celebrate the remarkable lives of Sidney Poitier, Betty White, and Peter Bogdanovich. We also discuss upcoming female-directed films, and weigh in on the greatest celebrity feud since Bette and Joan. 
A special shoutout to our lovely patrons, who are keeping us going! We hope to bring more bonus episodes and fun content to you all this year, so keep an eye on the page! 
Elmo v. Rocco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d26DWgx9Ly0 
Female filmmakers: https://www.pajiba.com/film_reviews/films-directed-by-women-to-look-out-for-in-2022.php 

Episode 184: A Dame for Christmas

We're back! This week the Dames are talking about:
The career of Lina Wertmuller
Our favorite first-time watches of 2021
What we're excited to see in 2022

Episode 183: The Power of the Dame

The Dames discuss favorite (and problematic) holiday movies, including why we love 80s commercials, Elf, and...Hercule Poirot. Plus, we go deep on Jane Campion's deconstructive western The Power of the Dog. 

Episode 182: The Velvet Dame

This week! The Dames finish up Noirvember with a look at gender tropes and traits in classic noir. From The Velvet Touch and Black Widow to The Blue Dahlia and The Dark Mirror, we take a particular look at the women of noir, the femme fatales and the virginal girls. 
We also spend a little bit of time talking about the talk around Licorice Pizza and revisit the disturbing way social media treats people with opposing views.

Episode 181: I Ain‘t Afraid of No Dames

The Dames take a break from a noir to discuss everything GHOSTBUSTERS, including:
Why we are fans of all the Ghostbusters films (that we've seen)
How Ghostbusters II has been unfairly treated
Why Ghostbusters: Answer the Call was the perfect sequel
Plus! Karen rounds up some AFI fest news and recommendations. 

Episode 180: His Kind of Dame

This week is all about Robert Mitchum! From The Night of the Hunter to His Kind of Woman and plenty of movies in between, the Dames talk about his career, his unexpected charisma, and how we still find him a little terrifying. Also, Lauren hypothesizes that he is, in fact, a vampire. We also talk a *little* bit about the hoopla over Eternals.

Episode 179: Scarlet Dame

The Dames ease from Spooky Season into Noirvember with a discussion of Expressionist director Fritz Lang. Including:
Is Metropolis Lang's most watched work?
What can M and The Testament of Dr. Mabuse say about contemporary America?
How Lang's interest in unlikable protagonists and likable villains contributed to the development of film noir
Plus: Karen justifies her Dune reaction. 

Episode 178: A Nightmare on Dame Street

This week! The Dames are talking all about the films of Wes Craven! From The Hills Have Eyes to Scream 4, the horror master has given us some of the genre's most iconic characters, with a few other gems thrown in.
Also, in memory of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, her husband and the American Film Institute have created a scholarship fund to help pave the way for future cinematographers. If you would like to donate, please click this link. 

Bonus: The Matrix (1999)

For this bonus episode, the Dames discuss Lana and Lilly Wachowski's Oscar-winning film, The Matrix. What still works? What definitely doesn't? And how is Keanu Reeves NOT the coolest part of this movie?

Bonus: The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)

For this bonus episode, the Dames discuss the perfection of James Whale's 1935 classic, The Bride of Frankenstein.

Episode 177: Dame Stoker‘s Dracula

As Spooky Season continues, the Dames discuss all things vampiric, including:
A brief history of sexy scary monsters
Transgressive sexuality, Freudian nightmares, and rapacious aristocrats
Why Bela Lugosi is the best Dracula
Twilight's de-fanging of the vampire
Why Coppola's Dracula is really problematic
Plus! The Last Duel kerfuffle and why a medieval epic about rape might not be such a big hit right now. 
For more sexy/scary vampires, check out our Letterboxd list: https://letterboxd.com/citizendame/list/sexy-scary-sexy-vampire-movies/
 

Episode 176: There‘s Some Dame Inside Your House

This week! The Dames are kicking off Spooky Movie Season with a deep dive into the evolution of horror, especially in the later years. From the Satanic Panic of the 70s and 80s to the social justice films of today, we explore all the things we love about modern horror movies, with a little bit of classic appreciation thrown in for good measure.
We also spend a little bit of time discussing Neon's elitist release strategy of Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Memoria: https://twitter.com/IndieWire/status/1445403907161792523

Episode 175: Documenting Dames

The Dames take on documentary and film criticism this week, discussing how we talk about documentary filmmaking and why it's important for critics to divide their feelings about the subject from critique of the film itself. 
Plus! Are we intimidating? Why is Crisp Rat playing Mario? And other important questions of the day. 

Episode 174: Genre Theory

This week we're talking genres! What are the genres, how do they work, or why do they matter? Plus listener questions and deep dives into Nia DaCosta's Candyman and the 1947 film, Nightmare Alley.

Episode 173: Film Criticism 201

The Dames teach a master class in film criticism, including:
How to read a film beyond the plot and dialogue
When critics should take a step back
Historical and cultural context and subtext
Subjectivity and objectivity
Plus! The Matrix Resurrections trailer and our reactions to James Wan's Malignant. 

Episode 172: Theater of Dames

This week!
How are people getting things so wrong?
Why do we love movies?
Is Taxi Driver more of a Paul Schrader film than a Martin Scorsese film?
Stuff we've been watching like Theater of Blood, Sunset Boulevard, and What We Do in the Shadows - Season 3 is finally here!

Episode 171: Candydame, Candydame...

The Dames provide their most whiplashy of whiplash episodes, discussing:
Disney films and cultural context
Why you're all wrong about the current season of Ted Lasso
Horror films based on urban legends
Nia DaCosta's Candyman