Season Finale: Sunset Boulevard & How We All Became Norma Desmond

For this season finale, we break format to pair a film, not with another film, but with a concept. Pushing the structure of a double-feature podcast to breaking point,  we look at Billy Wilder's 1950 noir classic, then look at how contemporary film culture has transformed us all into a strange version of Gloria Swanson's iconic femme fatale - Norma Desmond.

Desmond lives in a memory palace built from her years of stardom, fruitlessly longing for another moment in the spotlight, desperate to recapture the victories of years passed.  For many, the decline of cinema's cultural relevance and the increasing share given over to corporate, IP-driven interests has led to a similar retreat into film history. We explore cinema's prevalent obsession with the past, from American auteurs' drift towards nostalgia to deep-faking and dieting dead or aging stars. Finally, we look ahead, and try and conceive of a  future for the movies.

Thank you for listening, and stay tuned for a special announcement very soon.

email us: cinemarisingshow@gmail.com
Instagram: @cinema_rising

Intro music: Joel Oldham @old.joel
Artwork:  Fred Sanders @fredsanders.creative