Schrader Ep. 1: The Yakuza (1975)

Pod Casty For Me

The time has come, listeners, to discuss the films of Paul Schrader. That's right: Pauld Casty For Me has arrived, and this is the first episode. Of a new series about Paul Schrader movies. Basically imagine how the Clint Eastwood episodes went, roughly, but just replace all the specifics with Paul Schrader stuff. It'll make sense once you start listening.

To kick things off, we're digging into Schrader's first produced screenplay, the 1975 Sydney Pollack neo-noir-yakuza picture THE YAKUZA, co-written with his brother Leonard Schrader and rewritten by Robert "China" Towne. We go deep on Schrader's strict Calvinist upbringing, early career as a film critic, persistent prickliness, and mentorship from Pauline Kael. Then, we turn our focus to THE YAKUZA (the movie), the yakuza (the guys), Robert Mitchum, and white dude who are obsessed with Japan. Plus, each of us is audibly succumbing to his own respiratory disease throughout the episode. Great way to start off the new series!

Topics include: Paul's letters to Leonard, being a cinephile in the late 60s, LA movie theaters that no longer exist, how to pronounce "primer," Jake's very normal time visiting Japan, connections between the yakuza and Japan's far right, Ian's childhood arrow tricks, and more!

Further Reading:

Paul Schrader's "Letters to Len"

Yakuza-Eiga: A Primer by Paul Schrader

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