Reel Review is a film podcast dedicated to thinking about how the media we consume contributes to the public good.
Hosted by Erroll Southers, the podcast focuses on visual storytelling, diversity, and the public good.
This podcast is sponsored by Price Video Services and USC Bedrosian Center, and continues our ongoing efforts to bring policy and its impact into the public discourse.
Download or subscribe at ApplePodcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify, or your favorite podcasting app.
Get Involved: Join the conversation about each episode on Twitter or Facebook, & Instagram, or email us at [email protected].
October 2018 brought us RBG, the documentary about the Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Now we have On the Basis of Sex, a biopic starring Felicity Jones as this iconic leader in the fight for gender equality and justice under the law. The film is directed by Mimi Leder. Read more…
2016 brought us back to the wizarding world of Harry Potter in the prequel to the beloved books and movies: Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. 6 fictional months and two real life years later, we return to in Yates’ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. Reviews have been Read more…
? Rhymes for Young Ghouls, written and directed by Jeff Barnaby is set on the Red Crow Mi’g Maq reservation, 1976. It follows 15 year old Aila as she navigates growing up in a country which imposes taxes and violence upon those who wish to preserve heritage, language, and way Read more…
As follow up to our discussion of the film, Wind River, we are joined by partners in the Native Women in Film & Televisionorganization. Native Women in Film & Television is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting equal opportunities for American Indian & Indigenous women, encouraging the creative narrative by Read more…
Wind River, written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, is the story of Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner), a wildlife officer who finds the body of an 18-year-old woman on an American Indian reservation in snowy Wyoming. Young FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) arrives to investigate. This Florida native must work Read more…
From the left: Aubrey Hicks, Chris Finley, Frankie Morreo, Derek Duro, Jonathan Schwartz, Joanelle Romero, and Albert Chacon “Ay, every generation, every man is a part of his past. He cannot escape it, but he may reform the old materials, make something new –” – Rudolfo Anaya For many indigenous Read more…
The latest remake of A Star is Bornis, well it’s getting mixed reviews. Some are rapturous (like this, this, or thisand espeically this) others not so much (for instance: this, this, or this). Our panel discuss this latest version in the “there is always a possibility of getting discovered” American Read more…
Powwow Highway is the story of Philbert and Buddy who journey from Montana to Santa Fe to bail Buddy’s sister Bonny out of jail. For many indigenous peoples in the Americas, life can be grim. Much has been taken from them. In Powwow Highway, we begin with a view of the failed American Read more…
We are thrilled to share this conversation about Powwow Highway with you! A. Martinez, Amanda Wyss, Joanelle Romero, from the film join host Jonathan Schwartz and USC Profs Ange-Marie Hancock Alfaro and Chris Finley in conversation about the making, legacy, and meaning of this cult classic. If you haven’t seen it, be ware, there are a ton of spoilers. Powwow Highwayis Read more…
Does the biopic about a 19th century French writer Colette bring her to life? This episode features a conversation on a film which seems to be of the moment. Gender dynamics, intellectual property, relationships … history. Host Jonathan Schwartz is joined by podcast favorites Ange-Marie Hancock Alfaro, Anita Dashiell-Sparks, and Alex Ago. @BedrosianCenter, @AubreyHi, @AngeMarieH, @esouthersHVE, @jonHLYP, @USCPrice, @AlessandroAgo To listen Read more…
Sorry to Bother You, written and directed by Boots Riley. The film follows a young Cassius (Cash) Green who joins an Oakland telemarketing company, adopting a white accent to thrive, propelling him up the ladder. He is faced with the dilemma of success and the ethics of what he’s selling. Read more…
We’re serious. This podcast has spoilers!
Go see Tully, then listen to our conversation on motherhood, nostalgia, and film-making, featuring host Erroll Southers and guests Alex Ago, Ange-Marie Hancock Alfaro, and Lt. Col. Olivia Nelson.
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of The Post click the arrow in the player at the top of this post. Or download and subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Beirut: Action Thriller, Social Commentary, Both?
Erroll Southers discusses the movie & the controversy (#boycottbeirutmovie) that went with it, featuring veteran guests David Warshofsky, Lt. Col Olivia Nelson, & Jonathan Schwartz.
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of The Post click the arrow in the player here. Or download & subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Ava DuVernay’s spectacular film A Wrinkle in Time has met with mixed reviews. The book the film adapts is both classic and beloved and also one of the most banned books in American schools and libraries.
featuring host Jonathan Schwartz and guests Ange-Marie Hancock Alfaro, Anita Dashiell-Sparks, and Eshan Zaffar.
Chronicling The Washington Post’s publishing of the Pentagon Papers during the tail end of the Vietnam War and starring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep – does The Post accurately portray this important time in American History where the very nature of the First Amendment and National Security seemed in direct contrast?
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of The Post click the arrow in the player at the top of this post. Or download and subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Our nerd quotient is rising with the discussion of Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Listen now to our nerdy discussion of the continuing saga of Luke, Leia, Kylo, Rey, Poe, Finn, and new characters we meet along the way.
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of Star Wars: The Last Jediclick the arrow in the player on this post. Or download and subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Gary Oldman is Winston Churchill in the new WWII film, Darkest Hour.
The first month of Churchill’s historic time as Prime Minister, he faced a great decision; one that would lead either to war or to a negotiated peace with Hitler. The compressed timeline of the film drops the viewer in the midst of the “darkest hour” of British history. The decisions made during these days could have changed the course of history.
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of Mudboundclick the arrow in the player on this post. Or download and subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Strong female characters ground Mudbound as it tells of the challenges returning soldiers with different world views as they return to family and a small Mississippi community that hasn’t weathered the storms and triumphs they have seen half a world away. A spoilery conversation on this ensemble film about war at home and abroad.
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of Mudboundclick the arrow in the player on this post. Or download and subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Is Blade Runner 2049 the sequel we didn’t know we needed? Set in a dystopian future Los Angeles, Ryan Gosling’s K is a replicant who hunts down dis-loyal replicants: a Blade Runner. When a secret is uncovered, he sets out on a quest. The journey becomes one to not only find the secret but to answer some of the fundamental questions. What does it mean to be alive, to be human?
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of Blade Runner 2049 click the orange arrow in the Soundcloud player at the top of this post. Or download and subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Director Michael Cuesta brings the fictional hero of Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp novels to the big screen in the new film, American Assassin. The all-star cast includes Dylan O’Brien, Michael Keaton, and Taylor Kitsch as part of a threesome tied together through the specter of betrayal and revenge, set upon a backdrop of international espionage and nuclear threat.
We discuss the level of violence in the film, its portrayal of U.S. black-ops and anti-terrorism efforts, the film’s space within the spy thriller genre, the motivations of the studio, the acting, the gender themes, how millennials may be viewing it, and so much more.
Featuring host Erroll Southers and guests Alessandro Ago, Lt. Col. Olivia Nelson, and David Warshofsky.
Let us know what you think of the film and our conversation at Facebook or Twitter.
Hulu has adapted The Handmaid’s Tale, the classic novel by Margaret Atwood, into a 10 episode saga of life in the dystopia of Gilead. Gilead is a totalitarian society in what was formerly the United States, ruled by a twisted Protestant fundamentalism in its ‘return to traditional values’. Host Jonathan Schwartz is joined by three fierce women of USC to discuss the series’ timeliness, its narrative of motherhood, the fear of religious fundamentalism, feminism, and the absence of a discussion on race.
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of The Kingdom click the orange arrow in the Soundcloud player at the top of this post. Or download and subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Let us know what you think of the film and our conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
Peter Berg’s The Kingdom is an action procedural which tries also to be a lesson in cross-cultural tolerance. Released in 2007, we wonder if this film makes the same amount of sense after ten years. The film follows an FBI team which travels to infiltrate and find a terrorist cell in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia following an attack killing many American citizens (as well as fellow FBI agent). If art is an imitation of life, have we moved on in the last ten years, or does this remain salient?
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of The Kingdom click the arrow in the player at the top of this post. Or download and subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Wonder Woman is finally on the big screen!
After dozens of superhero films, has director Patty Jenkins revitalized the DC universe with this superheroine? Amid all the “rep-sweats,” did the film do justice to this classic comic heroine? Why is this film so important? What do we think of the women-only showings at Alamo Drafthouse? Did we enjoy this film?
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of Wonder Women click the arrow in the player here, or download and subscribe through Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
This episode of the Price Projection Room features a conversation on the popular film, Hidden Figures directed by Theodore Melfi and starring the dream team of Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, among many others.
We discuss how the film both illustrated the racial divide in America while showcasing the work & struggle of African American women. Though we all have some criticism of the work, in the end it may be the representation of strong, smart black women that matters the most.
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of Hidden Figures click the arrow in the player on this post. Or download and subscribe through ApplePodcasts, Soundcloud, or Google Play.
Our third episode of the Price Projection Room features a discussion of the sci-fi film Ghost in the Shell directed by Rupert Sanders, based on the famous Japanese Manga written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow.
The film has also sparked controversy on its casting choices, with many critics claiming another instance of Hollywood whitewashing due to film’s Japanese origin. We discuss the nature of remakes, the whitewashing controversy, whether the film adds to the Ghost world, and Scarlett Johansson – is Ghost in the Shell the perfect conversation starter for the cultural moment?
To listen to the Price Projection Room discussion of Ghost in the Shell click the arrow in the player here. Or download and subscribe through iTunes, Soundcloud, or Google Play.