This week Renan and Bill welcome back season 2 guest Mark Netter to talk about what might just be the original mindfuck movie: 1961's French-language LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD, directed by Alain Resnais in collaboration with novelist Alain Robbe-Grillet. If you've never seen Marienbad, worry not, there is nothing we can say about it that will ruin this movie. Even after multiple viewings and a long discussion, we still don't know what it means—but that doesn't stop your hosts from trying! Also discussed: how Bill and Renan failed Marienbad on first viewing; how WWII and the Nazi occupation influenced the filmmakers; what major philosophical rabbit holes the movie opens up; how Resnais staged things to disorient the viewer; what that matchstick game is all about; how it was received in Paris and New York upon release; what Kubrick and Lynch and the Nolans—and even Blur—borrowed from it; plus, the "cameo" by none other than Alfred Hitchcock.
Film links:
Marienbad at IMDB Marienbad at Wikipedia Ebert on Marienbad Criterion on Marienbad Mark Harris on Marienbad AV Club on Marienbad Senses of Cinema on Marienbad NYT, 1961: "Paris Still Stirred..." ($) NYT, 1961: "L'Affaire 'Marienbad'" ($) NYT, 1961: "Director of Enigmas" ($) NYT, 1962: Bosley Crowther review Pauline Kael's negative review ($) More Kael trashing Marienbad WSJ on Marienbad's 50th anniv. "Minotaur" theory of Marienbad Essay on Descartes and Marienbad Night and Fog at Wikipedia Nim game on Wikipedia Movies inspired by Marienbad Blur's "To The End" music video 1987 Calvin Klein Obsession TV ad LAST YEAR AT THE OVERLOOKGuest links:
Mark Netter on Twitter Nightmare Code trailer Nightmare Code on the web Nightmare Code on IMDb Nightmare Code on iTunes Nightmare Code on Amazon Nightmare Code on FacebookShow links:
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