Season 2 of our 1K podcast debuts with movie critic Sean O’Connell, a man whose reviews appear in the Washington Post, USA Today and many other national outlets.
Sean is a self-described “story-telling junkie,” who grew up watching movies on VHS tapes he borrowed from a benevolent video store manager. That arrangement brought Sean joy and cultivated an impressive breadth of film knowledge. 1,000 seconds has never felt shorter, despite the fact we both talk fast.
Podcast highlights include a revealing story about the dazzling, but disingenuous charm of one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, the authenticity of writer/director John Hughes, awkward encounters with directors AFTER unflattering reviews, and an amazing occurrence in a London theater. There are also interesting talks about the film critiquing process, writing “real” dialogue, shifting distribution models, the fate of foreign films, important movie books, and a disagreement over the value of superhero films. One of us believes they are fun and relevant. The other believes they simply suck.
Finally, a little more about a foreign film mentioned in the podcast. The movie is the 2005 Finnish film “Mother of Mine.” I met the filmmakers years ago at a party at the Heartland Film Festival. They were nice guys and so I wanted to see their film. The next day I walked into an Indianapolis theater with one of the film’s producers to catch a matinee screening. I loved it. The film is beautifully shot, the lead actress is astounding, and the story offers a glimpse into a World War II event I never knew.
I encourage you to go out and find this film. You will enjoy it and be supporting a group of talented, delightful Finns.
