Flashback

Revisiting films from the past with a modern critical eye.

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About the Show

Every two weeks, film critics Dana Stevens (Slate) and K. Austin Collins (Rolling Stone) revisit notable films from the past—movies outside of the current releases and that have influenced modern culture and canon—and analyze them with a contemporary, critical eye.

Hosts

  • Dana Stevens is Slate’s movie critic.

  • K. Austin Collins is a film critic for Rolling Stone and a crossword constructor for the New Yorker and the New York Times.

Cat People (1942)

Despite its corny premise, this Jacques Tourneur–Val Lewton collaboration remains creepy and horrifying because of what it chose to leave off-screen.

Grey Gardens (1976)

The Maysles’ documentary about the reclusive aunt and cousin of Jacqueline Kennedy living in their decrepit mansion has become a favorite among camp and fashion enthusiasts.

Husbands (1970)

John Cassavetes’ unwieldy and uncomfortable dramedy following three men on a midlife crisis bender.

Alexandria…Why? (1979)

A coming of age drama set in Egypt during WWII occupation, directed by Youssef Chahine.

Roman Holiday (1953)

The role that catapulted Audrey Hepburn to Hollywood stardom.

Late Spring (1949)

A moving tale about the unspoken bond between a father and daughter in postwar Japan by one of the masters of subtlety, Yasujirô Ozu.

Diabolique (1955)

A French psychological horror film that was admired by Alfred Hitchcock.

Malcolm X (1992)

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington capture the power of Malcolm X’s rhetoric in this sweeping biopic.

Within Our Gates (1920)

The oldest known surviving film made by an African American director.

The Lady Eve (1941)

A breezy screwball comedy about a witty card sharp who falls in love with her clumsy, unassuming mark.

A Brighter Summer Day (1991)

A Taiwanese epic that follows the violence and the sorrow that happens when the system fails you.

The Naked Kiss (1964)

A former sex worker tries to start anew in suburbia, and then comes upon a sinister secret.

Starship Troopers (1997)

A critically maligned sci-fi romp that’s become a cult classic.

The Birds (1963) and Marnie (1964)

An Alfred Hitchcock–Tippi Hedren double feature.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

A teen movie that didn’t settle for portraying all the usual teen movie tropes.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

The psychological melodrama with feuding stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford became legendary for its campiness.

The Petrified Forest (1936)

In Humphrey Bogart’s breakout film performance, it’s easy to see why he became a star.

A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

Whose husband ran away with Addie Ross?

The French Connection (1971)

The Gene Hackman crime thriller that was all about the chase.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

The psychological thriller swept the big Academy Awards that year and had audiences screaming in theaters.