100th Episode Special
After 100 episodes, the time has come for Clark and Cullen to challenge each other! Or rather, pose a set of questions to one another and learn more about the lesser-known side of their love for cinema.
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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100th Episode Special
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Clark and Cullen discuss Cullen's pick, Wes Anderson's 2004 film, The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou. Clark isn't a huge fan of Mr. Anderson's films, so this discussion should be interesting! Will Cullen convince him of the merit of this wacky tale? Find out on this episode!
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The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Thief (Part Two)
In the second part of our special two-parter, Clark and Cullen continue their discussion of Michael Mann’s 1981 feature film debut Thief! They talk about the stylistic and thematic mainstays of Mann’s career, the patient, subtle intensity of the film’s staging and setpieces, and much more!
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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Thief (Part Two)
Thief (Part One)
In a special two-parter, Clark and Cullen discuss Michael Mann’s 1981 feature film debut Thief! They talk about the stylistic and thematic mainstays of Mann’s career, the patient, subtle intensity of the film’s staging and setpieces, and much more!
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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Thief (Part One)
Osama
This episode, Clark and Cullen discuss the 2003 Afghan film Osama, which follows a preteen girl living in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime who disguises herself as a boy to support her family. Clark and Cullen also chat about Cullen’s experience shooting a documentary in Afghanistan and how the film struck him having been there recently.
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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Osama
Sweet Smell of Success
Sweet Smell of Success is a 1957 American film noir satirical drama film directed by Alexander Mackendrick, which tells the story of powerful and sleazy newspaper columnist J.J. Hunsecker who uses his connections to ruin his sister's relationship with a man he deems unworthy of her. Clark and Cullen discuss the ins and outs the film and breakdown nearly every element of it in this week’s episode!
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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Sweet Smell of Success
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.
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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Zodiac
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Copyright 2017, Clark Coffey and 54-40 Films.