Zodiac (2007) – Film Analysis | Soldiers of Cinema

Zodiac

Directed by David Fincher, Zodiac is a mystery thriller that has the elements of both a newspaper and a police procedural film. The film tells the story of the Zodiac Killer, a serial killer who terrorized Sand Francisco in the 1960-1970’s and was never caught by police. As always, Clark and Cullen discuss their personal experiences with the film and breakdown nearly every element of it in a thorough deep five into one of Fincher’s best films.

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Zodiac

The Cell (2000) – Film Analysis | Soldiers of Cinema

The Cell

The Cell is a 2000 fantasy thriller directed by Tarsem Singh - Join Clark and Cullen as they discuss the film from start to finish, focusing closely on the unique storytelling and fascinating visual effects!

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The Cell

The Descendants (2011) – Film Analysis | Soldiers of Cinema

The Descendants

This week, we’re looking at Alexander Payne’s The Descendants - a layered, bittersweet story about family, change, and confronting the past. With George Clooney at the center, Clark and Cullen explore how Payne’s low-key style brings quiet emotional weight to a story set against the backdrop of a changing Hawaii.

Subscribe to Soldiers of Cinema for honest, wide-ranging conversations on film, from cult favorites to award-winners - with two filmmakers, decades apart.

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The Descendants

Network (1976) – Film Analysis | Soldiers of Cinema

Network

This week we discuss the classic 1976 political satire, Network, Directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Faye Dunaway and William Holden, the film brings Clark and Cullen’s discussion from the technical to the political, and about the lasting impact (and relevance) the film still holds.

Whether you’re discovering Network for the first time or revisiting a masterpiece, this deep-dive episode offers thoughtful film analysis and historical context.

Subscribe to Soldiers of Cinema for in-depth discussions on classic films, hidden gems, and the craft of filmmaking — from two passionate filmmakers, decades apart.

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Network

Drive (2011) – Film Analysis | Soldiers of Cinema

Drive

This week we discuss Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive, a tonal film which defined the film aesthetics of the early 2010’s, and how Clark and Cullen experienced the rise of this film’s influence in their different generational experiences.

Whether you’re a longtime fan or watching Drive for the first time, this discussion highlights what makes the film a modern classic in both form and feeling.

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Drive

Embrace of the Serpent (2015) – Film Analysis | Soldiers of Cinema Podcast

Embrace of the Serpent

This week we discuss the 2015 international film, Embrace of the Serpent, directed by Ciro Guerra. This beautifully shot black and white film was inspired by the travel diaries of Theodor Koch-Grünberg and Richard Evans Schultes and tells the story of two journeys made thirty years apart by the indigenous shaman Karamakate in the Colombian Amazonian jungle, one with Theo, a German ethnographer, and the other with Evan, an American botanist, both of whom are searching for the rare plant yakruna.

This is a layered, powerful film that rewards close reading — and this episode offers just that.

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Embrace of the Serpent

Frenzy (1972) – Hitchcock Film Analysis | Soldiers of Cinema Podcast

Frenzy

This week the discussion revolves around Alfred Hitchcock’s penultimate feature film, 1972’s Frenzy! Cullen discusses Hitchcock’s influence on him growing up and why he felt it was overdue to talk about Hitch, and Clark remarks on the intriguing thought of what Hitchcock’s work would have turned into had he lived longer.

Whether you’re a Hitchcock fan or a newcomer, this episode dives into one of his most unsettling films with insight and passion.

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Frenzy

Pather Panchali (1955) – Satyajit Ray Film Analysis | Soldiers of Cinema Podcast

Pather Panchali

In this episode of Soldiers of Cinema, Clark and Cullen explore Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali (1955) — a cornerstone of Indian cinema and a deeply humanist portrayal of rural life. An adaptation of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's 1929 Bengali novel of the same name, Pather Panchali marked Satyajit Ray’s directorial debut and features a non-professional cast laid on the backdrop of the authentically filmed Indian countryside. Clark and Cullen discuss the film’s wider importance and the trajectory of many of those involved’s careers.

This episode is a heartfelt exploration of a timeless film that changed the course of international cinema.

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Pather Panchali

Sorcerer (1977) – William Friedkin Film Breakdown | Soldiers of Cinema Podcast

Sorcerer

Back for the new year, Clark and Cullen discuss William Friedkin’s 1977 psychedelic man vs nature drama Sorcerer. Cullen discusses why he chose the film and Clark chimes in on the way the film portrays the brutality of the jungle.

This episode is a deep-dive into one of the most tense and visually driven thrillers of its era.

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Sorcerer

The New World (2005) – Terrence Malick Film Analysis | Soldiers of Cinema Podcast

The New World

In this episode of Soldiers of Cinema, Clark and Cullen immerse themselves in Terrence Malick’s The New World (2005) — a meditative and visually stunning exploration of love, nature, and the clash of civilizations in early colonial America. Clark and Cullen chat about how long it’s been since their previous Malick discussion, how this movie asks you to not worry about standard story conventions and dares you to trust your feelings!

This episode is a poetic reflection on one of the most contemplative films of 21st-century cinema.

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The New World

Koyaanisqatsi (1982) – Experimental Film Analysis | Soldiers of Cinema Podcast

Koyaanisqatsi

In this episode of Soldiers of Cinema, Clark and Cullen engage with Godfrey Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi (1982) — a mesmerizing, wordless meditation on modern life, environmental imbalance, and the relentless pace of human progress. A film made up of mesmerizing time-lapse photography, montage and beautiful landscapes of both natural wonders and cities, Reggio pairs these elements with a groundbreaking and iconic score by Philip Glass.

Whether you’ve seen the film or are just curious about it, this discussion highlights how a movie with no dialogue can say everything.

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Koyaanisqatsi

Raising Arizona (1987) – Coen Brothers Film Analysis | Soldiers of Cinema Podcast

Raising Arizona

In this episode of Soldiers of Cinema, Clark and Cullen dig into Joel and Ethan Coen’s Raising Arizona (1987) — a wild and heart-filled comedy that helped launch the Coen Brothers’ signature style. As their second feature, this film delivered their distinctive blend of offbeat humor and eccentric storytelling. With a standout cast led by Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter, Raising Arizona tells the hilariously chaotic tale of a couple's quest to build a family, only to find themselves entangled in a series of misadventures.

Whether you’re laughing at Leonard Smalls or pondering the dreamlike final scene, this episode delivers both heart and head.

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Raising Arizona

Do the Right Thing (1989) – Spike Lee Film Analysis | Soldiers of Cinema Podcast

Do the Right Thing

In this episode of Soldiers of Cinema, Clark and Cullen explore Do the Right Thing (1989), Spike Lee’s masterwork of heat, tension, and community — a vibrant and volatile depiction of one Brooklyn block on the hottest day of the year. While not Lee’s debut feature, his third film made concrete much of the style that he would become famous for and brought together an ensemble cast to tell a story of which’s cultural relevance continues to grow.

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Do the Right Thing

Eyes Wide Shut

Eyes Wide Shut

Back from a brief hiatus due to some summer travel, Clark and Cullen discuss Cullen’s pick “Eyes Wide Shut”! Stanley Kubrick’s final film, and one enveloped in an air of mystery and conspiracy, this 1999 flick takes you on a dream-like journey over the course of a single night in the hyper-elite underbelly of New York City.

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Eyes Wide Shut

In the Name of the Father

In the Name of the Father

This week Clark and Cullen talk about the 1993 historical drama In the Name of the Father. Set in Northern Ireland and England during the troubles and following the story of the Guilford Four, director Jim Sheridan focusses on Gerry Conlon (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his relationship with his father (Pete Postlethwaite), and their struggle to prove their innocence.

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In the Name of the Father

Film School and More with Chloe Leis

Film School and More with Chloe Leis

On this special episode of SoC, we chat with Chloe Leis, a young filmmaker starting her career after finishing film school (and who happens to be Clark’s niece)! Chloe talks about her experience at Chapman University, growing up with a passion for filmmaking, and working her first major gig on Mario Van Peebles’ Outlaw Posse.

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Film School and More with Chloe Leis

Phantom Thread

Phantom Thread

Clark and Cullen are back to discuss Paul Thomas Anderson’s Phantom Thread! Daniel Day Lewis’ final on-screen performance is an incredible show of talent as he portrays the eccentric, intensely passionate 1950’s Fitzrovia dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock. A visually stunning, small-scale film, the discussion covers everything from our own personal experiences with the film to the technical details of how it was made.

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Phantom Thread

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

Clark and Cullen take a different approach to today’s episode, instead covering a film unlike most others they’ve discussed. Both from a critical perspective and from the history of the film industry itself, Attack of the Clones changed how movies were made, ushering in the dawn of digital, VFX heavy blockbusters that still dominate the box office today.

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Star Wars: Attack of the Clones