Russell On Dolan

Handsome, talented, and possessed of an undeniably seductive accent. Yes, it was a pleasure having Stephen on the show, and as a bonus, he wanted to talk about Xavier Dolan, who is also all of those things.

Stephen is passionate about film and never shy of an opinion, which is why we were so eager to finally have him on the show. He joined us to talk about some of the key films of the past month, including Disneyâ€s sequel-to-a-classic Mary Poppins Returns, Paolo Sorrentinoâ€s fictitious biopic Loro, M Night Shyamalanâ€s superheroic trilogy-capping Glass, and Aussie remake Storm Boy.

We also take a moment to finally, once-and-for-all, no-backsies settle the big Oscars debate: is it empty pageantry that reduces artistic endeavor to a horse race, or are we simply dead inside? Someone will have their minds changed before this nine minute segment is up.

Then, Stephen takes us through the works of Xavier Dolan. He dives into the emotion and artistry that makes Dolanâ€s works so compelling. Sadly, Dolan is a thousand years old and not much to look at, so itâ€s a relief heâ€s good at making movies.

And yeah, sorry about Stephenâ€s mic. Weâ€re still not entirely sure what happened there.

Further reading:

• “Thanks to some convenient fridging.” If youâ€re wondering what that means, hereâ€s the wiki, and hereâ€s the website that started it all
• Okay, so why didnâ€t Julie Andrews do Mary Poppins Returns? Most of the media around this supports the idea that it because she didnâ€t want to step on Emily Bluntâ€s toes. Some tabloids said it was because she wanted more money. Upon reflection, weâ€re all inclined to believe the former.
• So when are we going to get to the fireworks factory?
• Hereâ€s that delightful Richard E Grant video he posted after receiving his first Oscar nomination
• And hereâ€s Spike Leeâ€s family exploding at the news of BlacKkKlansmanâ€s nomination
• Hereâ€s the trailer for Xavier Dolanâ€s next film, The Death and Life of John F Donovan
• And here is the infamous letter that eight-year-old Dolan sent to Leonardo DiCaprio
• If youâ€ve never seen it (and even if you have), here is the video for Adeleâ€s Hello, directed by Dolan
• And speaking of hello, was this moment in Dolanâ€s Mommy (left) really inspired by this moment in Tim Burtonâ€s Batman Returns (right)? You be the judge:

Outro music: Tired of America by Rufus Wainwright from Tom at the Farm (2013)

The latest episode of Hell Is For Hyphenates, featuring Stephen A Russell talking the films of Xavier Dolan, can be heard on Stitcher Smart Radio, subscribed to on iTunes, or downloaded/streamed directly from our website.