Owen Roizman's New York Cinematography, with Special Guest Brendan McDonald: 'The French Connection' (1971), 'The Taking of Pelham One Two Three' (1974), and 'Network' (1976)

Julian, Madeline, and Emilio are joined by Brendan McDonald, the producer of 'WTF with Marc Maron,' to finish off their cycle of New York City movies with a "Close-Up" on the works of legendary cinematographer Owen Roizman. A versatile visual talent ready for whatever came his way, Roizman burst out of the gate with William Friedkin's crime drama "The French Connection" (1971), in which he unforgettably and frantically photographed a plethora of New York locales. This showcase of his skills made him the perfect choice to shoot "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" (1974), the Joseph Sargent-directed, subway-set thriller infused with workplace humor that indelibly captures a timeless spirit of New York. But Roizman's aptitude also extended beyond the grimy streets and subway tunnels, and rose up to the broadcasting towers of Midtown Manhattan in "Network" (1976), the darkly prescient media satire written by Paddy Chayefsky and directed by Sidney Lumet. Blending their eyes for detail with their lived experience as New Yorkers, the group get into how Roizman's visual sense cemented the iconic status of these films, and why they stand the test of time even as they were made just a few years apart from one another. 

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Chapters

• 4:10 We're All New Yorkers Here
• 7:00 Intro to Owen Roizman
• 14:53 What Does A Cinematographer Do?
• 17:06 "French Connection" Not-to-be-Confused-With and Plot Summary
• 21:15 "French Connection" Personal Histories
• 25:43 "French Connection" Visual Highlights and Contrasts
• 32:50 Method Directors
• 37:10 "French Connection" Film Stock + More Highlights
• 42:29 "French Connection" Notable Details/Comparisons
• 52:40 "Pelham One Two Three" Not-to-be-Confused-With and Plot Summary
• 56:32 "Pelham One Two Three" Personal Histories + NYC Hallmarks
• 1:08:19 "Pelham One Two Three" Visual Highlights + Distinctions
• 1:15:23 The NYC Aura in "Pelham One Two Three"
• 1:22:40 Character Actors in "Pelham One Two Three"
• 1:26:54 The Runaway Train Sequence
• 1:30:23 "Network" Plot Summary and Not-to-be-Confused-With
• 1:32:17 "Network" Personal Histories
• 1:38:28 The Ongoing Resonance of "Network"
• 1:42:48 "Network" Visual Highlights
• 1:52:05 Relationship Dynamics in "Network"
• 2:01:12 The NYC of "Network" + Little Details
• 2:04:55 Owen Roizman Closing Remarks
• 2:09:13 Unlikely Shared Universe
• 2:20:43 Closing Thoughts/Plugs/What We're Discussing Next