The Film That Blew My Mind cover art

The Film That Blew My Mind

The Film That Blew My Mind

By: Film That Blew My Mind
Listen for free

About this listen

Filmmakers, actors, and creators of all kinds answer one simple question: What is a film that blew your mind?!


No film is off limits as each episode centers around one guest and one film that has had a profound impact on their life, work, and art. Co-hosts John Cooper and Tabitha Jackson, former directors of the Sundance Film Festival, call upon decades at the forefront of independent film to bring their insider knowledge, lived experiences, and signature chemistry to conversations that dive straight into the heart and soul of cinema.


From Molly Shannon on The Wizard of Oz, and Jon Hamm on Cinema Paradiso, to Ryan Coogler on Un Prophete, and Jinks Monsoon on the Hollywood classic All About Eve, each episode explores a film that has shaped one of the most dynamic artists working today.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Film That Blew My Mind Art
Episodes
  • Andrew Ahn on In the Mood for Love

    Andrew Ahn on In the Mood for Love
    Oct 3 2025
    Last spring, filmmaker Andrew Ahn (Wedding Banquet, Spa Night, Fire Island) joined Cooper, Tabitha, and a live audience at PAM-CUT Tomorrow Theater in Portland, Oregon for a deep dive into Wong Kar-wai’s masterpiece In the Mood for Love (2000). We explore the film’s meticulous visual language—from Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping-bin’s luminous cinematography to the precision of William Chang’s production and costume design—and how its framing, repetition, and color palette shape the emotional landscape of repressed desire. Andrew reflects on the film’s lasting influence on contemporary cinema, its dialogue with Hong Kong’s cultural memory, and its influence on generations of filmmakers -- including Andrew himself.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • Christine Vachon on The Boy with the Green Hair

    Christine Vachon on The Boy with the Green Hair
    Sep 18 2025

    Christine Vachon - the legendary producer behind films like The Brutalist, Past Lives Carol, Far From Heaven, Boys Don’t Cry, and many more - joined Cooper and Tabitha for a live conversation at the Sonoma International Film Festival to uncover the film that blew her young mind...Joseph Losey’s 1948 The Boy with the Green Hair. In this episode, Christine shares why this story of a kid who literally wakes up different has stuck with her, what it says about standing out in a conformist world, and how it connects to the kinds of outsider stories she’s championed her whole career. It’s part Hollywood oddity, part timeless fable—and a perfect excuse to dive into why movies about being different matter so much.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • Catherine Hardwicke on Harold and Maude

    Catherine Hardwicke on Harold and Maude
    Sep 10 2025

    Recorded live on the shores of the Salish Sea at the Port Townsend Film Festival, this episode features Cooper in conversation with filmmaker Catherine Hardwicke. From Thirteen, to Lords of Dogtown to Twilight, Catherine is known for films that offer an unflinching, naturalistic lens on youth culture. The film that blew her mind? Hal Ashby’s 1971 Harold and Maude, a cult classic that challenges traditional notions of propriety, death, youth, and love.


    Here Catherine reflects on how the unconventional love story shaped her creative vision, from its bold visual style to its fearless embrace of the offbeat and the taboo. She shares how stories about outsiders, misfits, and rule-breakers inspired her own filmmaking journey. We hear about her background in architecture and set design, how acting classes informed her work as a director, and her experience of co-writing Thirteen with 13-year-old Nikki Reed.


    Plus, the fan who fainted upon meeting Catherine and what it means to her to see cast members like Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson continue to make their own waves on and off screen.



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.