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by Why This Film?
🎬 Exploring the Criterion Collection, one spine at a time.In each episode, I sit down with film historians, critics, filmmakers, and scholars for in-depth conversations about a single film from the Criterion Collection.I'm Ron, and I guide these expert-driven discussions examining the artistry, cultural significance, and historical context of classic and contemporary cinema. From French New Wave masterpieces to American westerns, from experimental shorts to beloved classics, we unpack what makes these films essential viewing.Whether you're a longtime Criterion collector, a film student, or simply curious about cinema history, Why This Film? offers thoughtful analysis and engaging conversations about the movies that shaped filmmaking.New episodes release 1-2 times monthly. Subscribe to join me for deep dives into the Criterion Collection.
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- Today1h 13m
La cérémonie (1995, Claude Chabrol) with Girish Shambu - Criterion Spine #1199
"It's an incredibly rich film." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by film critic and scholar Girish Shambu to explore La cérémonie, Claude Chabrol's 1995 masterpiece and Criterion Collection Spine #1199. La cérémonie follows Sophie, a withdrawn live-in maid hired by the welcoming Lelièvre family at their country estate. The family is pleasant. The job is fine. And then Sophie meets Jeanne, the local postmistress. Jeanne is sharp, reckless, and already on bad terms with Sophie's ne...
- 4 days ago51 min
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022, Guillermo del Toro & Mark Gustafson) with Caleb Tyson - Criterion Collection Spine #1201
"It's a perfectly imperfect film." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by film editor Caleb Tyson to explore Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022), the Academy Award-winning stop-motion feature and Criterion Collection entry that reimagines one of the world's oldest stories through an entirely new lens. Set in Mussolini's fascist Italy, del Toro's Pinocchio follows a grieving woodcarver named Geppetto who, lost in sorrow after losing his son Carlo, carves a puppet from a pine tree g...
- Apr 25, 20261h 15m
Kagemusha (1980, Akira Kurosawa) with Michael Repsch - Criterion Collection Spine #267
"Is our identity predetermined or something we can create?" In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by Michael Repsch, President of Dark Star Pictures, to explore Kagemusha - Akira Kurosawa's sweeping historical epic and Criterion Collection Spine #267. Released in 1980, Kagemusha follows a thief who is spared execution because of his uncanny resemblance to the powerful warlord Takeda Shingen. When Shingen dies, the thief is forced to assume his identity, a...
- Apr 7, 20261h 16m
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001, Wes Anderson) with Chris Cook - Criterion Collection Spine #157
"To me, it's a perfect film." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by assistant director Chris Cook to explore The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), Wes Anderson's meticulously crafted family drama and Criterion Collection Spine #157. Released in 2001, The Royal Tenenbaums follows the once-brilliant Tenenbaum siblings - Chas, Margot, and Richie - whose early promise has long since faded. When their estranged father Royal suddenly re-enters their lives under false pret...
- Mar 17, 20261h 19m
The Thin Red Line (1998, Terrence Malick) with Jared Frederick - Criterion Collection Spine #536
"I think of it as Saving Private Ryan for thinkers." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by historian, author, and educator Jared Frederick to explore The Thin Red Line (1998), Terrence Malick's philosophical World War II epic and Criterion Collection Spine #536. Released in 1998 after a 20-year hiatus from filmmaking, The Thin Red Line marked Malick's long-awaited return to cinema. Adapted from the 1962 novel by James Jones, the film follows soldiers of C Company as they arrive on ...
- Mar 5, 20261h 22m
Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985, Tim Burton) with Jesse Thorn - Criterion Collection Spine #1293
“The regular world still has something special for someone who is weird.” In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by comedian, broadcaster, and Maximum Fun founder Jesse Thorn to explore Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985), the feature film debut of Tim Burton and one of the most unique comedies of the 1980s. Released in 1985, Pee-wee's Big Adventure follows Pee-wee Herman, played by Paul Reubens, as he embarks on a cross-country journey to recover his stolen bicycle. What begins as a ...
- Feb 9, 20261h 14m
Repo Man (1984, Alex Cox) with James Chestnut - Criterion Collection Spine #654
"Otto is Forrest Gump." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by assistant director James Chestnut to dive into Repo Man (1984), Alex Cox's punk-rock, sci-fi, anti-Reagan cult classic that refuses to sit still or make sense in a conventional way. Released in 1984, Repo Man follows Otto, a disaffected LA punk who stumbles into a world of car repossession. He soon finds himself caught up in conspiracies, aliens, the government, and the "lattice of coincidence." The film moves with delib...
- Jan 25, 20261h 7m
Winchester '73 (1950, Anthony Mann) with Brady Crytzer - Criterion Collection Spine #1248
"The gun really doesn't mean anything until people start obsessing over it." In this episode of Why This Film?, I'm joined by historian and author Brady Crytzer to explore Winchester '73 (1950), Anthony Mann's landmark Western starring James Stewart. Released as Criterion Collection Spine #1248, Winchester '73 helped redefine the Western genre by shifting focus from frontier justice to obsession, revenge, and moral ambiguity in postwar America. Directed by Anthony Mann, Winchester '73 centers...
About Why This Film?
🎬 Exploring the Criterion Collection, one spine at a time.In each episode, I sit down with film historians, critics, filmmakers, and scholars for in-depth conversations about a single film from the Criterion Collection.I'm Ron, and I guide these expert-driven discussions examining the artistry, cultural significance, and historical context of classic and contemporary cinema. From French New Wave masterpieces to American westerns, from experimental shorts to beloved classics, we unpack what makes these films essential viewing.Whether you're a longtime Criterion collector, a film student, or simply curious about cinema history, Why This Film? offers thoughtful analysis and engaging conversations about the movies that shaped filmmaking.New episodes release 1-2 times monthly. Subscribe to join me for deep dives into the Criterion Collection.
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