Podcasts Steven Benedict

The impact of Gillo Pontecorvo's masterpiece is so great that it extends far beyond cinema and into terrorist organisations, as well as the US Pentagon. The post The Battle of Algiers appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Woody Allen's romantic drama draws from unusual sources; the Great American Songbook, Italian opera and Russian literature. The post Hannah and her Sisters appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Long thought to be a satire on bourgeoise marriage, Luis Buñuel's masterpiece is really a study of the traumas suffered by a sexual assault victim. The post Belle de Jour appeared first on Steven Benedict.

With an Oscar-winning script from Frank Pierson, Dog Day Afternoon is a masterclass in breaking the basic rules of screenwriting. The post Dog Day Afternoon appeared first on Steven Benedict.

All countries have troubled histories they would rather forget. The Leopard is a masterpiece that admits to those troubles as well as the failure to fix them. The post The Leopard appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Taxi Driver was written in ten days by first-time screenwriter, Paul Schrader as a means to exorcise his festering, masochistic, narcissistic anger. The post Taxi Driver appeared first on Steven Benedict.

The influence of Fritz Lang's Metropolis extends far beyond sci-fi and can be seen in films are varied as Casablanca, An American in Paris and The Birds. The post Metropolis appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Is Hitchcock's Vertigo really the greatest film ever made? Certainly, it is a compilation of his many themes and tropes, as well as a critique on cinema itself. The post Vertigo appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Reviled and banned upon its release, then seemingly destroyed and lost forever, Jean Renoir's The Rules of the Game stands today as a victory for liberalism. The post The Rules of the Game appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Are classics always instantly recognized? If ever there were proof that critics cannot assess a film’s merits on a single viewing, it is Ridley Scott's masterpiece. The post Blade Runner appeared first on Steven Benedict.

When it comes to making movies about making movies, many directors choose to venerate the medium. Not Jean-Luc Godard. He treats it with contempt. The post Le Mépris appeared first on Steven Benedict.

When we think of American cinema in the seventies, all too often we all too quickly think of the great directors. But what of the cinematograph-auteurs? The post Deliverance appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Francois Truffaut created the auteur theory, and with Day for Night he delivered a tribute to the art form without which he felt his life could not make sense. The post Day for Night appeared first on Steven Benedict.

The plot to Miller's Crossing is so complex, it's hard to even figure out where and when it is set. And that's before we discuss the meaning of Tom Reagan's hat. The post Miller’s Crossing appeared first on Steven Benedict.

Fellini's masterpiece is often described as a film about not being able to make a film. But really it is about responsibility, liability, lying, loving and living. The post 8 1/2 appeared first on Steven Benedict.

What makes for a great opening? Character? Conflict? Poetry? Hopefully, more than something we’re supposed to just listen to. The post Great Openings – Part Four appeared first on Steven Benedict.

When great art heralds great change, it often experiences a difficult birth. Bonnie and Clyde is a seminal moment in American film that almost never happened. The post Bonnie and Clyde appeared first on Steven Benedict.

What makes for a great opening? Character? Conflict? Poetry? Hopefully, more than something we’re supposed to just listen to. The post Great Openings – Part Three appeared first on Steven Benedict.

All boring films are alike; every great film is great in its own way. Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk belongs not just to the latter but amongst the greatest ever made. The post Dunkirk appeared first on Steven Benedict.

What makes for a great opening? Character? Conflict? Poetry? Hopefully, more than something we're supposed to just look at. The post Great Openings – Part Two appeared first on Steven Benedict.