What Akira Kurosawa Taught Us About Movies—and Morality
This week, Elliot and Kiriko dive into the legendary world of Akira Kurosawa—Japan’s master filmmaker and, let’s be honest, probably your favorite director’s favorite director. From samurai epics like Seven Samurai and Rashomon to powerful character dramas like Ikiru and High and Low, Kurosawa knew how to tell a story that hits you in the heart and keeps you on the edge of your seat.They unpack the big questions his films tackle—truth, justice, mortality—and connect the dots between Kurosawa’s personal life and the unforgettable worlds he brought to the screen. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just Kurosawa-curious, this episode is a love letter to one of cinema’s all-time greats—and a reminder that great storytelling never goes out of style.Get tickets to The Films of Kurosawa @ LAB111
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Why Zombies Refuse to Die
With 28 Years Later lurching toward the screen, Laura Gommans and Tom Ooms revisit the undead legacy of the zombie in cinema — a genre that, much like its subject, refuses to stay buried.From its racist roots in early 20th-century depictions of Haitian slavery to its reinvention as a metaphor for mass consumption, pandemic anxiety, and societal collapse, the zombie has shuffled through countless cinematic incarnations. But what keeps this creature so relentlessly alive in the cultural imagination? Why are they always so hungry for brains, and why, despite their numbers, can they never quite organize?In this episode, our hosts unearth the genre’s origins, dissect key works from White Zombie to Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later, and beyond, and share personal favorites that speak to the zombie’s enduring power.
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Dogme 95, The Phoenician Scheme, Twin Peaks: Why Wes Anderson Should Try Dogme-Style Filmmaking
With Dogme 95 turning 30 this year, hosts Laura Gommans and Elliot Bloom reflect on the radical movement that dared to strip cinema down to its bare bones—and what that legacy means today. Returning to last episode's ranking of Wes Anderson's films, the duo discuss The Phoenician Scheme, the American director's latest film that only seems to reinforce the “all style, no substance” label. Rounding out the episode is a look at David Lynch’s TV series Twin Peaks, soon to be screened at LAB111 on June 18. Laura and Elliot explore its haunting genius and why it still feels ahead of its time.Get tickets to Dogme 95 Films @ LAB111Get tickets to The Complete Filmography of Wes Anderson @ LAB111Get tickets to The Phoenician Scheme @ LAB111
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Dispatch from Cannes (2025)
Reporting from the Croisette, host Hugo Emmerzael is joined by fellow film critic Savina Petkova who together reflect on two unforgettable selections from the 2025 Cannes Film Festival—films that stood apart amid a blur of screenings and industry spectacle.Joachim Trier’s Sentimental Value, led by a luminous Renate Reinsve, is a quietly devastating meditation on memory, loss, and emotional inheritance. Meanwhile, Óliver Laxe's Sirat propels us into a dystopian rave-scape, where pulsing techno and stark imagery evoke a world on the brink of collapse.Together, Hugo and Savina unravel the layers of these two very different films, offering a glimpse into the bold cinema we can look forward to on screen at LAB111.
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Ranking Every Wes Anderson Movie
To mark LAB111’s full Wes Anderson retrospective, hosts Laura Gommans and Tom Ooms rank every film in his colorful, quirky career. They dive into what makes his work so distinct—asking whether it’s all style and no substance, or if there’s real emotional depth beneath the surface. Along the way, they share which actors they’d love to see in the Wes Anderson universe, and Laura makes the surprising case that one of his films doesn’t have enough color. Producer Elliot, ever the skeptic, adds his own take on the Anderson mythos.Get tickets The Complete Filmography of Wes Anderson @ LAB111
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