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#083 Yorgos Lanthimos: Dogtooth vs. Alps

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Download MP3 In today's episode Nate and Austin compare Yorgos Lanthimos' best and worst rated films, Dogtooth (2009) and Alps (2011), respectively. Nate feels like he's watching a porno, Austin exclusively watches Black Mirror, and they both sounding pretentious about experimental films. Check back next Sunday at 7pm PST where we will compare Terrence Malick's Badlands (1973) and Knight of Cups (2015), his best and worst rated films.
Also check out this interview with director Yorgos Lanthimos about his new film, The Killing of a Sacred Deer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MOe5nfvLeM

Alps Notes

Worst Rated

PLOT: A group of people start a business where they impersonate the recently deceased in order to help their clients through the grieving process.
  • Ratings: IMDb 6.4 | RT 74% C / 52% A
  • Released: 2011
  • Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
  • Writer(s): Efthymis Filippou (screenplay), Yorgos Lanthimos (screenplay)
  • Cinematographer: Christos Voudouris (Before Midnight, Love Is Strange)
  • Notable actors: Angeliki Papoulia, Aris Servetalis, Johnny Vekris, Ariane Labed
  • Budget: N/A
  • Box office: N/A
  • Fun Facts:
    • The 15 Rules of the Alps: An Alps member: 1. Must declare in advance the things he or she is unwilling to do by filling out Form 1 (e.g. kissing, lifting weights, travelling, etc.). 2. Must also declare in advance the things he or she is good at by filling out Form 2 (e.g. dancing, waterskiing, discussing, etc.). 3. Must have some basic knowledge of psychology and sociology. 4. Is obliged to support, under all circumstances, the interests of the Alps group. 5. Must respect other Alps members. 6. Has the right to change their nickname only twice. They cannot choose a nickname belonging to another Alps member. The nickname must strictly be the name of a mountain in the Alps, and not something general or irrelevant (e.g. Blonde, Master, Dragon, etc.). 7. Can never talk about Alps activities with non-Alps members. 8. Is obliged to take the Gymnastics Club Test, if necessary. 9. Must be over 14 years of age. 10. Should always be smart, clean, punctual, and in complete control. 11. Must never get emotionally involved with clients, or have intimate relations with them. 12. Cannot change his or her physical appearance without the Leader's permission (e.g. dye their hair, lose or gain weight, wear coloured contact lenses, etc.). 13. Must be able to make convincing facial expressions (sadness, happiness, despair, etc.). 14. Must honor the title of their membership, and be ready to kill or die for it. 15. Must never attack another Alps member, and must believe in teamwork.
    • Efthymis Filippou, screenwriter, had to step in as the "owner of the lighting shop" two days before shooting of the film started.

Dogtooth Notes

Best Rated

PLOT: Three teenagers live isolated, without leaving their house, because their over-protective parents say they can only leave when their dogtooth falls out.
  • Ratings: IMDb 7.3 | RT 92% C / 75% A
  • Released: 2009
  • Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
  • Writer(s): Efthymis Filippou (writer), Yorgos Lanthimos (writer)
  • Cinematographer: Thimios Bakatakis (The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Lobster)
  • Notable actors: Christos Stergioglou, Michele Valley, Angeliki Papoulia, Hristos Passalis, Mary Tsoni, Anna Kalaitzidou
  • Budget: $240 thousand
  • Box office: $1.4 million
  • Fun Facts:
    • The entire film was shot on only one lens: an anamorphic lens with 50mm focal length.
    • The inspiration for the film came about because of a discussion Yorgos Lanthimos was having with some friends who were about to get married. When Lanthimos expressed doubts about the institution and family itself, he was struck by the idea about what would happen to a man who went to the ultimate extreme of protecting his family.
    • The first film from Greece to be officially selected for the Cannes Film Festival in a decade.
    • Because the subject matter was so claustrophobic, the choice was made to set the film in as big and expansive a house as the production could find, complete with swimming pool and enormous garden.
Intro music by Eric Lynch

Check out this episode!

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