60. Coppola Cast Redux: Sofia #5: Somewhere (2010) w/Jenny McKeown

To help us breakdown Sofia Coppola’s “experimental” film, Somewhere (2010), we are joined by special guest Jenny McKeown, programmer and host of the A Woman of Taste film series. After the large scale production of Marie Antoinette (2006), Coppola took a scaled back, minimalist approach to her story about a listless movie star reconnecting with his daughter. We talk about Sofia’s further lean into “arthouse” style, her collaboration with the late, great cinematographer Harris Savides, Stephen Dorff’s career, and A.J. pitches a Sofia Coppola adaptation of Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. We also talk about Coppola’s commercial for Miss Dior Cherie and the Somewhere crossover episode of the reality TV series The Girls Next Door. This episode’s themed meal and drink were sad spaghetti and whatever liquor was around the room. 

For more on A Woman of Taste check out: https://www.instagram.com/awoman_oftastepresents/

58. Coppola Cast Redux: Sofia #4: Marie Antoinette (2006)

Thanks to the success of Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola was able to cash in her “I won an Oscar” chip and make an ambitious, big budget movie about Marie Antoinette. The catch…she did her way. This movie was booed at the Cannes Film Festival and was heavily criticized for its use of modern music, lack of French accents, and breaking from the traditional biopic format. However, it now seems that Sofia’s Marie Antoinette may have just been ahead of its time. Bryan and A.J. discuss the great cast, Coppola’s unique approach to a notorious historical figure, how the movie defies its grand scale to tell an intimate story, the great use of modern music, and ponder why Sofia’s movies stick so well in our memory. We also talk about Baz Luhrmann movies, bash Ridley Scott’s Napoleon, and, of course, talk about the 2006 Oscars. This episode’s themed drink was: Sofia Brut Rosè. 

52. Coppola Cast #32: Youth Without Youth (2007)

On this hot, humid summer day, Bryan and A.J. discuss Francis Coppola’s return to the director’s chair after a decade away, Youth Without Youth (2007). This thematically ambitious, low-key arthouse film about an elderly man who regains his youth, and supernatural powers of sorts, after being struck by lightning is not only a curious choice for a comeback but also marks the beginning of a distinct career phase for Coppola. We talk about the beginning of Coppola’s late career indie phase, what is interesting and what is confusing about this movie, the performances of Tim Roth and Bruno Ganz, the makeup choices (or lack thereof) for Alexandra Maria Lara, and we try to pin down whether there is anything to pin down. This episode’s Coppola wine was: Diamond Collection Pinot Grigio 2022.

37. Coppola Cast #19: Rumble Fish (1983) w/Shane Hazen

The Motorcycle Boy Reigns. To help tackle Francis Coppola’s “art film for teenagers” we’re joined by Shane Hazen of the Phi Phenomenon podcast for a special crossover episode! Though this S.E. Hinton adaptation is light on plot there is a lot to discuss. We delve into the philosophical and existential themes, the experimental approach taken by Coppola and the rest of the crew, and begin to wonder if the 1980’s was a more interesting decade for films than it gets credit for.

In addition to hosting the Phi Phenomenon podcast Shane Hazen has also worked as an editor on films like To the Wonder and The First Girl I Loved. Check out more of Phi Phenomenon here: https://phiphenomenon.com/ and wherever you find podcasts.

30. Coppola Cast 12: The Conversation (1974)

After the massive success of The Godfather, Francis Coppola was finally able to make his passion project: a small scale personal film, The Conversation. Though Coppola first had the idea for the story of a surveillance expert that suspects the people he spied on are going to be murdered in the mid-60’s, The Conversation was made during the height of the Watergate scandal and released just after Nixon’s resignation, no doubt giving it a special resonance for audiences in 1974. We discuss Gene Hackman’s low-key performance, the contribution of Walter Murch, Catholic guilt, and how themes of privacy and surveillance keep The Conversation relevant today. We also marvel at the lineup at the 1974 Oscars and wonder if Adam Sandler has succeeded where Coppola did not. This episode’s Coppola wines were: Diamond Collection 2017 Black Label Claret and Diamond Collection Chardonnay 2018.