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.

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.

The Cell is a 2000 fantasy thriller directed by Tarsem Singh - Join Clark and Cullen as they discuss the film from start to finish, focussing closely on the unique storytelling and fascinating visual effects! Subscribe to Soldiers of Cinema for honest, wide-ranging conversations on film, from cult favorites to award-winners - with two filmmakers, decades apart.

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.

This week we discuss the classic 1976 political satire, Network! Directed by Sidney Lumet and 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.

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.

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 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.

An adaptation of Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay's 1929 Bengali novel of the same name, 1955’s 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.

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 time we discuss Clark’s pick, Terrence Malick’s The New World! 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!

Join us for an in depth discussion about Cullen’s pick Koyaanisqatsi - Godfrey Reggio’s 1982 experimental film! A film made up of mesmerizing timelapse photography, montage and beautiful landscapes of both natural wonders and cities, Reggio pairs these elements with a groundbreaking and iconic score by Philip Glass.

This week, we’re diving into the Coen Brothers’ 1987 film Raising Arizona! 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.

This week, we’re discussing Spike Lee’s 1989 film “Do the Right Thing”! 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Clark and Cullen discuss Tobe Hooper’s 1974 horror masterpiece The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Arguably the godfather of the slasher genre, this low budget flick still holds its weight, and with a new watch even pulls some welcome surprises from its sleeve.

Today Clark and Cullen sit down with writer/director Benjamin Koppin to discuss his upcoming film “Pastor’s Kid”, as well as his career as an independent filmmaker.