Dr. Darshana Sreedhar Mini talks to Rintu Thomas & Sushmit Ghosh about WRITING WITH FIRE.

Hailed as “the most inspiring journalism movie—maybe ever” by The Washington Post, this rousing documentary spotlights the only Indian newspaper run entirely by women. Founded nearly 20 years ago by a band of fearless Dalit women in rural Uttar Pradesh, the Khabar Lahariya paper has aggressively taken on India’s patriarchy and beaten the odds to have a real-world impact on local politics. But now, its reporters are facing the directive dreaded in newsrooms the world over throughout the 21st century: it’s time to “pivot to video.” As members of India’s lowest caste, many of the paper’s staff have never handled a smartphone before, and reconfiguring their reportage for YouTube is no small hurdle. But with an online presence comes a broader reach, and as their webpage’s clicks start climbing, the self-taught team behind Khabar Lahariya finds themselves taking on national issues and gaining global recognition. This real-world David and Goliath story of women standing up to speak truth to power won both an Audience Award and Special Jury Award at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. “A stirring and inspiring documentary about some very courageous women, who deftly articulate and defend the need for accurate, fearless journalism in the pursuit of justice” (Vox). (MK)

Ep 60 - Rintu Thomas & Sushmit Ghosh WRITING WITH FIRE Q&A 2021 Wisconsin Film Festival

Ben Reiser, Scott Lucas and Jim Healy tackle one of their favorite "Christmas" movies, 1978's The Silent Partner, directed by Daryl Duke and written by Curtis Hanson. In addition to Duke and Hanson, the guys cover everyone and everything from Elliott Gould to Christopher Plummer, from Susannah York to John Candy, from David Cronenberg to Carolco, and much much much more. Also a delightful round of What Was Playing That Week?!?

Ep. 54 - The Silent Partner (1978)

On the eve of Paul Newman's centennial, Ben, Scott and Jim welcome guest Christina Martin-Wright to the show for a spirited and lengthy dissection of George Roy Hill's brilliant hockey comedy, SLAP SHOT. Pull up a bleacher and join in as the panel discusses:

* Own vs Owns
* What qualifies as a sex scene
* Network tv versions of profanity fueled classics
* Lindsay Crouse’s tipping point
* Paul Newman’s gold teeth
* The lost art of “mooning”
* The lost art of subtle “coarse” comedies
* Sssssss vs Slither
* Carlson bros vs Hanson bros
* Strother Martin vs Marv Albert

And much much more! + what was playing that week?


Ep. 55 - Slap Shot (1977)

This February at the UW Cinematheque, in our ongoing series of new international movies making their first local theatrical showings, we present the Madison Premiere of DEAD MAIL, written and directed by the talented duo of Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy.

Evocatively set in the Midwest at the dawn of the digital age, this dark comedy and thriller is one of the most exciting American movies of the decade! DEAD MAIL begins with the story of Jasper, a diligent post-office clerk played by Tomas Boykin, who discovers a blood-stained cry for help delivered to his “dead letter” office. With assistance from Jasper’s quirky colleagues and a Scandinavian hacker, an investigation uncovers a whole new story, a psychodrama played-out between a synthesizer engineer and his possessive patron. Frequently reminiscent of movies by Alfred Hitchcock, Brian De Palma and the Coen Brothers, Dead Mail’s narrative is consistently compelling and surprising. Set in the mid 1980s, the blandly evocative period details and the numerous stylistic directorial flourishes make it clear that we are in the hands of a confident and talented pair of filmmakers. On this episode of Cinematalk, Jim Healy and Ben Reiser talk to Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy about their friendship, professional history, and the making of DEAD MAIL, which premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in early 2024 and went on to play a number of other major international Festivals, including Toronto and Leeds. This podcast does contain DEAD MAIL spoilers, and we recommend seeing the movie before listening.


Ep. 94 DEAD MAIL with Joe DeBoer and Kyle McConaghy

A UW Madison Department of Communication Arts Podcast