Consider for a moment your go-to movies or television shows. You know, the ones you stream decades (or perhaps just a year or two) after their release and they still make you laugh, make you cry, or just stir something inside you. Would you consider these works to be “classics” and, if so, why? The answers often spur intense debate because the subject is personal. In this episode, we discuss what makes a classic and expound on it with plenty of cinema that exemplifies it.

So, what are your criteria for a film industry classic? Send us a note to let us know!

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References

David Rubin and Jacqueline Stewart. Academy Conversations 2020: What Makes a Movie a Classic. Turner Classic Movies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGLXg8u7RFc

Hare, Breeana. (2019 July 5). What Makes a Movie a Classic? CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/05/entertainment/movies-what-makes-a-classic

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Last fall, COTC reviewed the Peacock series, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, starring Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, and Don Cheadle. The series is based on a true story about a robbery that occurred at a party after the Muhammad Ali‑Jerry Quarry fight in Atlanta in 1970. Big afros, platform shoes, and even plaid suits abound in this story. Seeing the eight‑part series took Terry and I back to our days as children, and Brandon and Chris began to reminisce on films that reminded them of their own childhoods. In this episode, we discuss nostalgia and throwback films. How do these productions make us feel and how do filmmakers pull it off?

Throwback films are meant to spur feelings of nostalgia in us. Which films do this for you and how so?

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References

Nostalgia. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/nostalgia#:~:text=Nostalgia%20is%20a%20longing%20and,a%20coherent%20sense%20of%20identity.

The Psychology of Nostalgia. University of Florida. (8 January 2025). https://online.aging.ufl.edu/2025/01/08/the-psychology-of-nostalgia/

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Remember movies like Little Big League, Any Given Sunday, Mighty Ducks, Major League, and Sandlot? From the 1990s to the early 2000s, the film industry released about four sports movies like these every year. But in recent years, we’re lucky to see two such films in theaters. What happened? Why have sports movies all but disappeared from the big screen? Join us as we discuss several contributing factors.

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References

How is the success of films and TV shows measured? IMDBPro. https://pro.imdb.com/content/article/entertainment-industry-resources/featured-articles/how-is-the-success-of-films-and-tv-shows-measured/GLFTC8ZLBBUSNTM3

Smith, Chris. Whatever happened to the sports movie? Sports Business Journal. (2024 June 6). https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/06/24/whatever-happened-to-the-sports-movie/#:~:text=Adjusting%20for%20inflation%2C%20no%20sports,in%20the%20prior%2014%20years

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Ryan Coogler’s recent hit movie, Sinners, starring Michael B. Jordan, has sparked a lot of buzz. What is the appeal of vampires and what adds credibility to a vampire production? In this episode, we dive into the mystique of this century-long cinematic spectacle. After sharing our thoughts on the new blockbuster, we discuss the classic vampire movies, like Dracula and Nosferatu, as well as the contemporary hit shows, such as Buffy and The Vampire Diaries.

Send us a note to let us know your favorite vampire production. Also, if there’s a topic you would like us to cover, text us your idea.

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In this episode, we delve into cinema on difficult topics and social issues. Be aware that samples of these works and some aspects of our discussion may be triggering for some listeners. Many movies and TV series mirror real‑life circumstances and experiences. When handled deftly, the works often resonate with us or at minimum inform our perspectives about aspects of life or life encounters that are unfamiliar to us. We hope you find our talk on these issues affirming, comforting, and informative. Below, we have compiled a list of hotlines obtained from endcan.org and psychiatry.org should you be in need of support.

National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN) - 1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673)

Teen Dating Violence & Abuse (Love is Respect hotline) - 1-866-331-9474

National Suicide Hotline - 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433)

National Alliance on Mental Illness - 1-800-950-NAMI (1-800-950-6264)

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) - 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357)

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Call 800-273-8255 or Chat with Lifeline.

Crisis Textline – Text TALK to 741741.

Veterans Crisis Line - Call 800-273-8255 or text 838255.

Is there a topic you would like us to cover? Text us your idea.

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Have you ever wanted to remove your name from something that turned out badly? Maybe it was a group project, a paper you wrote, or a decision with an undesirable outcome. A little-known pseudonym adopted by the Directors Guild Association has allowed its members to do just that when their films don’t turn out as planned. In this episode, we dive deep into the Alan Smithee moniker, exploring its history and debating its merits. The question at the core of Alan Smithee is ‘should we really disown our mistakes?’

What is your Alan Smithee moment? Text to let us know, so we can give you a shout‑out on the show.

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References

Amber, Katelyn (Host). (2024 April 28). Directed by Alan Smithee: Death to Smithee (Season 5, Episode 16), [Audio podcast episode]. In The Tinsel Factory: A Film History Podcast. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/directed-by-alan-smithee-death-to-smithee/id1518589138?i=1000653803759

Dubi, S. (2022 August 22). One of Hollywood’s Most Prolific Directors Doesn’t Actually Exist. Vice. https://www.vice.com/en/article/one-of-hollywoods-most-prolific-directors-doesnt-actually-exist/

Siskel and Ebert - An Alan Smithee Film : Burn Hollywood Burn review (1998). (1998 February 28). (Season 12, Episode 26). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzm5svmI0zc

Wallace, A. (2000 January 15). Name of Director Smithee Isn’t What It Used to Be. The Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jan-15-ca-54271-story.html

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Music can certainly exist outside of movies, but do you think movies can thrive without music? Have you ever thought about the crucial role that music plays in film? Or is music so integrated into film today that it is tough to think about the latter without the former? In this show, we take a deep dive into the undeniable value of music in film, beginning with early movie industry strategies to blend the two art forms to the contemporary and varied methods of scoring films. After listening, think of your favorite films without the music. Do you enjoy them more or less? Text to let us know, so we can give a shout‑out on the show.

For future updates, subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen, and for email updates on all things COTC, subscribe to our website using the link below:

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References

Brand, Neil (Presenter). (2013). Sound of Cinema [Film]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUoL6Jtj4Lo.

Chaisson, Chris. (2023). “A Conversation with Film Composer Greg Sgammato.” Cup of Tea Critiques. https://www.cupofteacritiques.com/team/greg-sgammato.

Chaisson, Reba. “What’s that Sound?” Cup of Tea Critiques. https://www.cupofteacritiques.com/crumpets/what's-that-sound%3F.

Schrader, Matt (Director). (2016). Score [Film]. Prime Video. https://www.score-movie.com/.

Soundfly. (2023). A Brief History of Film Scoring [Film]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lSM0jmhq4w.

Thomas, Pete. Taming the Saxophone. https://tamingthesaxophone.com/about/credits.

Waletzky, Joshua (Director). (1992). Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann [Film]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36Bej6w8yXQ.

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Do you consider the rating of a film before deciding if you will go to the theater to see it? While they may be useful now, those seemingly benign letters that make up the ratings carry a lot of historical weight. For much of the 20th century, they were used as a means of defining morality for the movie-going public while suppressing freedom of speech and expression for filmmakers. Based on the Cup of Tea Critiques article, “A Clash of Knuckles,” which can be found in the Crumpets section on cupofteacritiques.com, this podcast continues our discussion of the Motion Picture Association’s (MPA) movie ratings system, its tension with filmmakers, and its efforts to suppress the hearty cinematic appetites of then movie-goers.

How important is the movie rating to your decision-making process? Leave us a review and share your thoughts!

A Clash of Knuckles: Movies and the System of Rating Them

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