165 - Man Bites Dog (1992) with Scott Sawitz
Content Disclaimer: This episode examines a film with extremely challenging subject matter.\xa0 Exceptionally graphic depictions of violence, murder, racism, and brutal sexual assault are both celebrated and trivialized in Remy Belvaux's\xa0Man Bites Dog.\xa0\xa0Listeners who are sensitive to such content and the frank discussion of it are strongly encouraged not to listen to this episode.\xa0 The hosts disliked the film and disliked talking about the film.
Nevertheless,\xa0Man Bites Dog\xa0is a documentary-style film wherein the director and crew follow - and are slowly drawn into the world of - serial killer Ben (played by Benoit Poelvoorde.)\xa0 Realist film techniques amplify the alternating fantastic and all-to-real sequences that attempt to use humor and brutality to offer commentary on film-viewers' and movie-makers' complicity in violent entertainment.\xa0 We are joined this week by filmmaker Scott Sawitz.
If you'd like to watch ahead for next week's film, we will be discussing and reviewing Kon Ichikawa's The Makioka Sisters (1983).