149 minutes

Up for Discussion

1. 1. Introduction with Ariel Fisher from After All, Petula Neale from In a TIFF, and Lindsay Ragone
2. THE FIVES (4:01)
3. THE FOURS (21:10)
4. THE THREES (43:37)
5. THE TWOS (1:04:22)
6. THE ONES (1:43:46)

The Songs:

Thoughts from your host…

As I’ve grown older, my thoughts on one year turning to another have slanted somewhat.

Once I saw a brand new year as a blank canvas; something pristine and inspiring, just waiting to be filled with whatever expressions an artist wished to unleash. However, as the years have passed and I’ve experienced more of what life is about, I’ve wondered if this moment isn’t just a breath between coughing fits. I ask myself if there really are new possibilities, or if we get what we get and every new year is just more of the same.

But then I think about things like both the films discussed on this episode, and the women who discuss them with me.

I have known all three of my guests for a long time. Long enough to have said or done something dumb to each of them. Every time, it was entirely my fault. When these moments occurred, mending fences sometimes took days or even weeks. And yet, here they all are. They still care enough about me to look past my dumbest moments, and still willing to encourage my silly little projects.

If my cynicism about new years and new possibilities was correct, then they are proof of the opposite: that there are always more chances – more blank pages.

Then there are the films that we discuss.

We talk about films from other countries, indie darlings that didn’t get much audience attention, documentaries, and a few mainstream films to-boot.

Ten years ago, when this space was still fairly new to me and this podcast was in its infancy, the films that made-up these sorts of discussions were titles that were much higher-profile.

That’s not to say that I’ve turned into some sort of elitist, or any type of film snob (heck, my number one is still a major studio picture)…only to underline that my taste in film continues to evolve. Once upon a time, my top five could have been made up by blockbusters with a bit of brains, and new offerings by Hollywood’s old guard. Now, I find myself much more enamoured with films that offer a different point of view…and voices I haven’t heard enough from.

Clemency is real. Tastes can change. Perhaps my slanted perceptions of new years needs to be levelled?

While I reflect on that, please enjoy this lively discussion with three of my favorite people in the whole wide world. We talk about some of the very best things that played on-screens this year – including what that made us think about ourselves and the world around us.

Thank you for helping me paint on the canvas of 2019, messy as the final work turned out.

Midnight brings about a blank canvas, and a fresh possibility.

As mentioned in the intro, if you’re curious about the songs used as bed music, the track list can be found above in the show notes.

Also as mentioned within the intro, if you find the bed music distracting, a music-free version of this episode can be found here.

Links from The Show:

Graveyard Shift Sisters – a site Ariel highly recommends, specifically Ashlee Blackwell’s piece discussing US.

Matineecast 225 where Ariel and I reviewed BOOKSMART

Thanks for tuning in to episode two-hundred-thirty-eight, and all the best for the new year!

Ariel’s Personal Twitter feed can be found here. Petula’s Twitter feed can be found here. Lindsay’s Twitter feed can be found here.You can subscribe to the Matineecast via iTunes or RSS

Comments and feedback are welcome, and thank-you very much for listening.

Enjoy!

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