It is playtime in the realm of moving pictures with Steph, Ben & Bucks, traversing the vortex of strange connections, unusual histories and lunatic ideas that have made cinema the amazing art that it is. Each week we'll take a topic and see what buried treasure we can unearth as we wander across a wealth of ideas and perspectives. The video store may be gone, but the Video Vortex lives forever.
Episodes
Wednesday Oct 28, 2020
VV Drive-In Ep02: Charles Pieper
Wednesday Oct 28, 2020
Wednesday Oct 28, 2020
We welcome filmmaker Charles Pieper to the mic, discussing his excellent short horror film MALACOSTRACA, animation & experimental & Czech cinema! The hidden dangers of losing your mind in short films, festivals, random film recommendations! Join us at the Drive-In for a Video Vortex spookfest!
Find Charles Pieper on Twitter or Letterboxd.
View Malacostraca on Vimeo.
Music created by Fadge @McNandos & remixed by Ben Volchok.
Find us on Twitter @PodcastVortex & Instagram @videovortexpodcast.
Email us videovortexaus@gmail.com.
Friday Oct 16, 2020
Episode 04: Witches
Friday Oct 16, 2020
Friday Oct 16, 2020
Continuing our October season of the strange and spooky, our triumvirate coven take a stroll through the woods with a variety of witches from all walks of cinema. An incredibly diverse figure both in fiction and history, we consider some of the socio-cultural implications of this evolving archetype and discuss our favourite witchy films for Old Hallow's Eve!
Please note: We swapped the episode order to do a full month of Halloween themes, hence the reference to discussing Häxan in a previous episode. Our first November episode will be on documentaries and will feature more Häxan talk!
Vortex Rewind Recommendation:
The 1983 regional American tale of witchcraft, EYES OF FIRE.
Transformations, in 1972 a collective of women from Vermont create an experimental short depicting a coven in daily life.
Recommended Sources:
Brother Ben's Letterboxd List of Witches in Film
Film School Rejects: Witches on Screen
Criterion: Häxan The Real Unreal
Music created by Fadge @McNandos & remixed by Ben Volchok.
Find us on Twitter @PodcastVortex & Instagram @videovortexpodcast.
Email us videovortexaus@gmail.com.
Wednesday Oct 07, 2020
VV Drive-In Episode 01: The Marshes
Wednesday Oct 07, 2020
Wednesday Oct 07, 2020
Arrive at the Video Vortex Drive-In, where we interview film and media folks about their projects, experiences, and film loves. Our first episode of Drive-In features Christine Tan & Roger Scott, the producer & the writer/director of Australian indie horror film The Marshes. We discuss the highs & lows of indie filmmaking along with environmental horror & shooting in the remotest of locations.
We will be continuing our weekly release schedule, however we will be alternating episodes between our topic discussion eps and the Drive-In. All the better to bring you more research and entertainment.
The Marshes On Letterboxd.
Tuesday Sep 29, 2020
Episode 03: Cars
Tuesday Sep 29, 2020
Tuesday Sep 29, 2020
Cars and cinema have been on a long journey together. We are thumbing a ride to discuss society's relationship with cars, how the car functions in films, and the many ways in which car and cinema culture have crossed paths. Switch on the stereo and get ready for a roadcast to hell and back!
We are steadily improving our audio quality, thank you for baring with us.
Show Notes:
Recommended Viewings: The Devil At Your Heels
Recommended Readings: J.G. Ballard's Crash, Georges Bataille's Erotism: Death and Sensuality, Robert Romanyshyn's Technology as Symptom and Dream
Music created by Fadge @McNandos & remixed by Ben Volchok.
Find us on Twitter @PodcastVortex.
Email us videovortexaus@gmail.com.
Wednesday Sep 16, 2020
Episode 02: National Cinema
Wednesday Sep 16, 2020
Wednesday Sep 16, 2020
Where else to start asking questions about cinema than at home? Steph, Ben & Bucks head down the rabbit hole of National Cinema - what is it, what is it not, what can we learn from it, & what does cinema say about our concept of a national identity?
Focusing on Australian cinema, we still find time to do a couple of stopovers around the world. We also introduce a new recommendations corner for free films available online that relate to our topic of the week.
Show Notes:
Recommended Viewings: A.K.A Serial Killer & Nice Coloured Girls.
Recommended Readings: The hills have ideologies: The fûkeiron tradition in Japanese landscape cinema.
Packaging Australia: Working Dog’s The Dish.
Music created by Fadge @McNandos & remixed by Ben Volchok.
Find us on Twitter @PodcastVortex.
Email us videovortexaus@gmail.com.
Sunday Sep 13, 2020
Episode 01: A Whirlwind Introduction
Sunday Sep 13, 2020
Sunday Sep 13, 2020
In which Steph, Ben & Ben (aka Bucks) launch upon a new adventure in cinematic discussion, introducing ourselves & discussing what this podcast will be (psssst it's about film!).
Future episodes will be based around specific concepts relating to cinema, in the meantime we ramble & experiment as we find our audio feet. Sound quality will improve; Nonsense may continue.
Music created by Fadge @McNandos & remixed by Ben Volchok.
Find us on Twitter @PodcastVortex.
Email us videovortexaus@gmail.com.