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.