The Flick Lab

What went wrong with the Terminator sequels after the two original James Cameron movies? Karri and Henrik touch on the constant changes of studios, the revolving doors of actors, repeating story lines, poor dialogue, the difficulties of playing a terminator, the excess nature of modern action film-making, and other topics.

Films covered in this episode:
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)
Terminator: Salvation (2009)
Terminator Genisys (2015)
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

Apologies for some audio issues on this episode.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

Bela Tarr’s over 7-hour film is one of the longest movies in the world. The Hungarian director’s work is based on the novel by Laszlo Krasznahorkai. Karri and Henrik are investigating the footsteps of Chinese director Hu Bo’s “godfather”. Why is the film so long and is the length justified? Is it one of the greatest films ever seen? Is the film seen merely as a challenge not so much for its artistic merits but for its runtime? 

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

It’s episode #150 and it’s time for some celebration with mostly non-movie topics. Zachary Pen joins us to discuss mass shootings in the US, NATO and Finland, social media, paper vs. digital, language quirks, the future of The Lab, all kinds of indecent things, and more.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

What have Karri and Henrik been watching for the last years? What to recommend, what to avoid? We’ve never stopped to discuss the films we’ve watched on our ‘own time’, outside the podcast analyses. Here’s our recommendations and grievances.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

Better late than never. Here’s our long overdue recap of the 94th Academy Awards. Who won? Does it matter? Did Will Smith inadvertently slap the Oscars back into relevancy? Is there any value in even discussing the Oscars? Was the Jada Pinkett Smith joke a step too far? Is the Ukraine War detrimental to trans people specifically? Is Jennifer Lawrence fat? To be brutally honest with you, we can assure you we don’t give a damn.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

What is real? Is the film depicting reality? Is it all about perspective? Is even fantasy involved? Is in fact anything burning in ‘Burning’? Is the protagonist a ‘serial masturbator’?

Films covered in this episode:
Burning (버닝, 2018), directed by Lee Chang-dong. Starring Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, Jeon Jong-seo.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

[!! NOTE: THIS EPISODE IS APRIL FOOLS FOR THE FIRST 40 MINS.] The Academy Awards 2022, part 3 of 3: A Political Car Crash. Two male writers write a movie about a promiscuous young woman adrift in life, with heavy drug use presented in a positive light. Hey, what could go wrong? Apparently nothing, you get nominated for an Oscar for it. The Norwegian Oscar contender ‘The Worst Person in the World’ is the most bizarre cinematic experience of the last few years. It is a slacker-inspired dramedy which mishmashes ‘shrooms and witchcraft into capturing a soulmate’s soul. Additionally, the film supports the abolition of traditional morality and uses CGI to remove the real truth about its filming locations. Karri and Henrik investigate what in the world is going on here.

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

The Academy Awards 2022 International Feature Film Nominees Part 2 of 3: Change. The Japanese Oscar contender Drive My Car appears to be the audience favorite for winning the Oscars. What’s the fuss about? We also look at Bhutan’s first Oscar nominee ever – Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom, the heart-warming story of a remote community and its school.

Films covered in this episode:
Drive My Car (2021)
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (2019)

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Pictures from impradip. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

The Academy Awards 2022 International Feature Film Nominees Part 1 of 3: Searching for Home. Karri and Henrik break down the hand-drawn Danish documentary ‘Flee’ about a refugee called Amin and Italy’s coming-of-age Netflix contender ‘The Hand of God’. Both films tackle the theme of looking for home, both literally and spiritually. Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘The Hand of God’ splits opinions strongly. Films about refugees are no longer novel, but does the hand-drawn animation and heart of ‘Flee’ win people over? Which one is the stronger contender?

Films covered in this episode:
Flee (2021)
The Hand of God (2021)

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki. Pictures from giaknight. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.

In this episode of the podcast, Karri and Henrik join forces with director Nick Vaky and photographer Luke Liu from the Youtube channel Mint Volcano to discuss Taiwanese New Wave cinema. The quartet takes a close look at four distinct films across the timeline of the New Wave ‘movement’ from two key directors – Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang. The themes of history, sociopolitical issues, heartfelt memories and dark humor coalesce into an engaging long-form discussion.

Films covered in this episode:
A Summer at Grandpa’s (1984)
A City of Sadness (1989)
Mahjong (1996)
Yi Yi (2000)

Nick Vaky
Website: https://nickvaky.com
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user13406252
Instagram: @Nickvaky

Luke Liu
Website: https://lukeliu.tw
Facebook: @LukeLiuPhoto
Instagram: @Lonfom

Hosted by Karri Ojala and Henrik Telkki, with guests Nick Vaky and Luke Liu. Pictures from Andrew Haimerl. Edited by Karri Ojala. The Flick Lab theme tune written and performed by Nick Grivell.