Filmspotting

Adam and Travis welcome Samantha N. Sheppard, PhD, Associate Professor of Cinema and Media Studies at Cornell University, to discuss Steve James's landmark 1994 documentary Hoop Dreams.
Drawing on research from her new book, The Basketball Film: A Cultural and Transmedia History, Sheppard explains why Hoop Dreams stands as the defining work of the basketball film genre. The conversation explores the film's complicated relationship to competition, bell hooks' famous critique, and why the stories of Arthur Agee and William Gates continue to resonate more than three decades later.
Along the way, Sheppard reflects on her own path to becoming one of the leading scholars of sports cinema and shares some personal favorites from the basketball movie canon.
Next Episode:
–The Hurricane with Grant Wiedenfeld, Ph.D., MFA (University of Toronto)
Links:
–Email the show at fos@filmspotting.net.
-Sporting Blackness: Race, Embodiment, and Critical Muscle Memory on Screen
Theme Music:
–King of the Corpse Flowers by Oxykitten | Spotify
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For Halloween week, Adam and Josh revisit the movie that reanimated the slasher, Wes Craven’s 1996 meta-horror classic Scream. Plus, highlights from the 5th annual Refocus Film Festival and Massacre Theatre.
This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code FILMSPOT26 to take 15% off.
(Timecodes will not be precise with ads.)
Intro (00:00:00-00:01:55)
Scream at 30 (00:01:56-00:30:43)
Filmspotting Family (00:30:44-00:34:56)
Scream cont. (00:34:57-00:1:03:28)
Refocus Film Festival (00:1:03:29-01:15:07)
Massacre Theatre (01:15:08-01:22:23)
Credits / New Releases (01:22:24-01:26:47)
Notes:
-Refocus Film Festival
https://refocusfilmfestival.org/
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-Email us at feedback@filmspotting.net⁠⁠
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A few weeks out from The Social Reckoning’’s tepid theatrical debut, it’s safe to say Aaron Sorkin’s “spiritual sequel” to 2010’s The Social Network won’t match its successor’s box-office success, nor is it likely to be as fondly remembered in 16 years’ time. There are many ways in which the newer film goes astray, which we cover in our opening discussion of Reckoning, before bringing Network back in for Connections to consider how much of each film’s vision of Mark Zuckerberg’s social-media empire can be attributed to/blamed on Sorkin specifically. Then in a Zuck-inspired Your Next Picture Show, we briefly review a very long documentary about another tech billionaire whose name has become something of a four-letter word over the years: Alex Gibney’s Musk.
Please share your thoughts about The Social Network, The Social Reckoning, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.
Next Pairing: Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s You Can See Everything and Albert Brooks’ Real Life.
This episode is presented by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Regal Unlimited⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For Halloween week, we're going deep into the Archive for Adam and Josh's 2013 Sacred Cow review of William Friedkin's The Exorcist.
Unlock the full archive, Filmspotting Discord, ad‑free + bonus episodes, and more when you ⁠join the Filmspotting Family⁠.
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For the final episode in Spook-tober, Jordan and Matt share the defining scares of their childhoods and respond to listener requests for campy and creeping dread horror movies. And then — the horror! — Jordan takes a turn hosting America’s fastest growing game show: Portmanteau-To-Toe.
Intro (00:00:00–00:03:07)
The Movies That (De)Formed Us (00:03:08–00:39:56)
Listener Request Seg: Campy and Creeping Dread Horror Movies (00:39:57–01:09:09)
Notes / Game: Portmanteau-To-Toe (01:09:09–01:24:09)
New to Streaming / Credits (01:24:10–01:32:31)
Show Notes
Now Streaming on Bazooga - A Filmspotting: SVU Archive⁠ https://letterboxd.com/samvanhallgren/list/now-streaming-on-bazooga-a-filmspotting-svu/⁠
Order Matt's book "Funny Business: The Old-School Wedding Crashers and Knocked-Up Virgins Who Changed Comedy Forever" (available now!):⁠ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/790241/funny-business-by-matt-singer/⁠
Matt’s book tour!
matt-singer.net
Bazooga jingle by Andy Wilkowske
https://www.andrewwilkowske.com/
Feedback: Email us at feedback@filmspottingSVU.com
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Follow Jordan on Blue Sky: @jhoffman.bsky.social
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Follow the Show:⁠ https://www.instagram.com/superpulse/⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/FilmspottingSvu⁠
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