Cinema Has Something to Say: Defining the 30s
On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I sit down to talk the 1930s and so many of the brilliants films that came out of that generation. This week we take a look at films from a wide variety of directors including: Michael Curtiz, Victor Fleming, Frank Capra, Lewis Milestone, Leni Riefensthal, John Ford, Howard Hawks, and Fritz Lang. It's a good conversation. Take a listen.  Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks. 

Beautiful Darkness - A Few Thoughts on Film Noir

On this week's episode, I go solo to talk my favorite genre . . . Film Noir. Take a listen as I ramble and bumble my way through a rudimentary understanding of the (supposed) genre. There's a lot to unpack here and I'm doing the best that I can to get my ideas down. Take a listen and let me know what you think. As always I can be reached at gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks for your continued love and support. 

Not a Comedian . . . Lenny Bruce

On this week's episode, Ibrahim & I dive into the life of one of the great comics of The Modern Stand-Up Era - a man that it can be argued changed the format of stand-up comedy - Lenny Bruce (October 13, 1925 - August 03, 1966). Often times recognized as a Christ-like martyr "who died for the sins of all future comics" this description may be extreme, however Bruce's status as an innovator and artistic & cultural hero cannot be denied. This week Ibrahim & I are thrilled to discuss one of the greats, including Bob Fosse's 1974 (loosely) biographical look at Bruce's life, Lenny featuring Dustin Hoffman as Bruce and an Academy Award nominated Valeria Perrine as his wife, Honey. We also look at three documentaries of varying quality. 1998's Lenny Bruce: Swear to Tell the Truth (dir. Robert Weide), 1972's Lenny Bruce: Without Tears (dir. Fred & Barbara Baker), and Elan Gale's 2011 documentary Looking for Lenny.  We talk Bruce, his legacy, controversies, and the current state of stand-up comedy and cancel culture. It's a good discussion. Take a listen. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks. 

The Roaring Silents - The 1920s

On this week's episode, Ibrahim & I sit down to continue our look at the cinema of each decade. This week we focus on the 1920s and the great films and directors whose films continue to enthrall us. Whether Chaplin's The Gold Rush (1925), Robert Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), F.W. Murnau's Sunrise - A Song of Two Humans (1927)and The Last Laugh (1924), Buster Keaton's The General (1926) and Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928), Walt Disney's Steamboat Willie (1928) and Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1927). It's a fun and interesting conversation about the history of film and the importance of these great pictures. Take a listen and let us know what you think. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks. 

The History of Rock N Roll Part XII - Troubled Harmony: Brian Wilson & The Beach Boys

This week Mr. Chavez & I continue our exploration into The History of Rock N Roll with a look at one of the seminal bands in the history of Southern California music . . . The Beach Boys. We take a look at the history with a focused look at band co-founder and principal songwriter Brian Wilson. Long heralded as a musical genius, it has been an interesting and compelling look into his life. This week we focus on four documentaries: Malcolm Leo's  hagiography The Beach Boys: An American Band (1985), Don Was's Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times (1995), Brent Wilson's Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (2021), and Bill Pohlad's 2014 Bio-Pic Love & Mercy featuring Paul Giamatti as psychologist, Dr. Eugene Landy, Elizabeth Banks as Wilson's second wife, Melinda Ledbetter, and as Wilson, Paul Giamatti (as the young Brian Wilson) and John Cusack as the older 1980s Brian Wilson. With the exception of Leon's doc, the films are interesting and thought-provoking regarding artistry, mental illness, and the combination of the two. It's a good talk and we're thrilled to go - a bit - outside of our comfort zone. Thanks for listening. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. 

The History of Rock N Roll Part XI - Frank Zappa: Absolutely Free

Ibrahim and I keep moving through the artists, recordings, songs, and magic that have defined The History of Rock N Roll. This week we take a look at censorship, independence, artistic integrity and their coming together in the work of Frank Zappa. A polarizing figure both artistically and politically, there has never truly been an artist comparable to Zappa, before or since.  Neither of us is completely sold on Zappa's music, however we feel it important to dedicate an episode to this powerful figure, and three documentaries that profile his career and life: Salvo Cuccia's Summer 82: When Zappa Came to Sicily (2013), Thorsten Schütte's Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words (2016), and Alex Winter's Zappa (2020).

It's a good talk; we hope you enjoy it.

Questions, Comments, Complaints, and Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Our Continued Thanks.

 

Like a Thread Throughout the World: Andrei Tarkovsky's Mirror

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I are thrilled to discuss one of the truly great artists of the medium, Andrei Tarkovsky. In the short span of seven films, Tarkovsky expanded and re-defined the possibilities for Cinema. For this episode we look at a Tarkovsky masterpiece, 1975s Mirror; a hazy and dream-like examination of the filmmaker's life and the life of The Soviet Union in the 20th Century. This is a film that has baffeled, confused, enthralled, and captivated untold numbers of viewers for nearly a half century. Take a listen as Ibrahim & I discuss why this is the case.

Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Our Continued Thanks.

The History of Rock N Roll Part X - Soundtrack of the Century: 20 Feet from Stardom/Standing in the Shadows of Motown/Muscle Shoals

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Mr. Chavez & I continue our exploration of The World of Rock N Roll with a look at the foundation of any song . . . the bands and the background singers that give every song structure, power, and drive. This week we look at Morgan Neville's 20 Feet From Stardom (2019) - profiling Tata Vega, Judith Hill, Jo Lawry, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, and the great Darlene Love - Paul Justman's Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002) - profiling the great Motown backing band The Funk Brothers. composed of: Jack Ashford (percussion), Bob Babbitt (bass), Uriel Jones (drums), Joe Hunter (keyboards), Joe Messina (guitar), Richard "Pistol" Allen (drums), Benny "Papa Zita" Benjamin (drums), Eddie "Bongo" Brown (percussion), Johnny Griffith (keyboards), Earl Van Dyke (keyboards), and Robert White (guitar). Finally, we close out the show with an incredible film showcasing The Birth of the Deep South Soul & Rock N Roll Sound birthed by the great Alabama Producer Rick Hall and FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals Alabama . . . I'm talking about Greg "Freddy" Camalier's Muscle Shoals (2013). An incredible film that showcases the legacy of Hall and the Swampers including: Barry Beckett (keyboards), Roger Hawkins (drums), David Hood (bass), Jimmy Johnson (guitar), Chips Moman (guitar), Junior Lowe (guitar), Dan Penn, Tommy Cogbill, Pete Carr (guitar), and Spooner Oldham (organ and piano). This is a fun episode that will - hopefully - introduce three great films and a host of music that you owe it to yourself to embrace. Take a listen and let us know what you think. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com. Many Thanks. 

The Films that Defined Their Decades - The 1910s: A Southern Gentlemen Re-Writes History With a Lightning Bolt - D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation

On this week's episode of WatchThis W/RickRamos, Ibrahim & I, begin a new series examining a film from each cinematic decade; A film that defines the era and changes the way we look at the movies. This week we take a look at D.W. Griffith's controversial, problematic, and ground-breaking depiction of The Civil War, The Reconstruction, and The Birth of the Ku Klux Klan - The Birth of a Nation. This is not an easy film to talk about, but it's one of the most important films in The History of Cinema. From its controversial release in 1915 through continued attempts to screen Birth in public, the film remains a lightning rod for anger, resentment, and censorship. We hope that we are able to add intelligence and thought-provoking criticism to this argument.

Thanks for the Continued Love & Support. Questions, Comments, Complaints, & Suggestions can be directed to gondoramos@yahoo.com.