Episode 288: ONE CUT OF THE DEAD (2017) with Benjamin Savard

Trylove

You’ve never seen a zombie movie like Shinichirou Ueda’s cult hit ONE CUT OF THE DEAD. It’s best if I don’t type anything more about it here, actually, just in case you haven’t seen it. (Little peek behind the curtain in keeping with the theme of the movie: It’s also because your editor is typing this on his lunch hour at his day job.) Suffice to say it’s one of the most clever takes on the genre we’ve seen, and a fun, heartwarming tale on its own.

Regardless, returning guest Benjamin Savard was, like the rest of us, rather taken with this weird, warm darling of a movie, so we’ve welcomed him back to the show to discuss it! We talk anime, the psychology of movie-watching, “making of making of making ofs,” the value of a great in-joke with your audience, and Ben’s favorite René Descartes joke. (I assume there’s more than one.)

References:

• Watch ONE CUT OF THE DEAD on the Internet Archive
• “POM! One Cut of the Dead & the Sanctity of Surprise” by Chris Ryba-Tures for Perisphere, the Trylon blog
• “A Postmodern Roadmap for a Gag” by Cole Seidl for Perisphere, the Trylon blog

Find Ben…

• On Twitter at @ItBenjaminScott
• On Trylove episodes about himself, CHRISTINE (1983), CRUISING (1980), THE PLAYER (1992)
• At the Trylon, where he volunteers regularly

Contribute to Perisphere, the Trylon blog: https://www.perisphere.org/perisphere-blog-post-guidelines/

#TheLongTake #DCP

Follow us on Twitter at @trylovepodcast and email us at [e-mail] to get in touch! Buy tickets and support the Trylon at trylon.org.

Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Outro music: “Keep Rolling (映画『カメラを止めるな！』主題歌)” by kensonlovers feat. MAYUMI YAMAMOTO from the ONE CUT OF THE DEAD soundtrack.

Timestamps

0:00 - Episode 288: ONE CUT OF THE DEAD (2017) with Benjamin Savard

6:06 - The Patented Aaron Grossman Summary

7:55 - What we think makes ONE CUT OF THE DEAD special

17:36 - A movie that trains you to deepen your appreciation for filmmaking

22:44 - “First as tragedy, then as farce”

32:34 - Taking on the human side of zombie survival stories in a unique way

35:11 - Is it rewatchable?

41:29 - First-act moments that get recontextualized in the middle act

53:22 - Complicating what it “teaches” you about watching the movie

58:18 - The Junk Drawer

1:10:57 - To All the Loves We’ve Tried Before: 2017

1:13:01 - Cody’s Noteys: Haiku of the Dead