🍕🎥The Russo Brothers’ Pizza Film School Season 1: A Yummy Episode Guide

By: AGBO Staff

When the Russo brothers first conceptualized the Pizza Film School podcast during the early days of the pandemic, they wanted to connect with other like-minded creators to exchange thoughts about some of the movies that inspired the brothers to become filmmakers, frame by frame.

Throughout the inaugural season of the podcast, the AGBO co-founders dive into some of the films that they learned from directly on their path from scrappy, emerging artists to award-winning, blockbuster filmmakers. The Russos and illustrious guests like Mark Hamill, Josh Brolin, and Taika Waititi discuss groundbreaking films such as La Haine, Ronin, The Empire Strikes Back, and No Country for Old Men – virtually, and over pizza.

“I’m the kind of guy who watches films 20 to 30 times to study them,” says Joe Russo.

Here’s your guide to season one of Pizza Film School. We suggest you order a pie, watch the movies discussed in each episode, and then sink into some of the most insightful conversations about filmmaking available at your fingertips. Just be sure to wipe the pizza grease off them first.  

Watch all Pizza Film School episodes here

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EPISODE 1: La Haine

To kick off the season, Joe Russo introduces one of the films that shaped his career, La Haine, and discusses the 1995 French action drama with film critic Pete Hammond. The black-and-white film, which earned director Matthieu Kassovitz the prize for Best Director at Cannes, was released during a time of heightened tensions between police and the immigrant community of the Parisian outskirts, and explores themes of brutality, race, social stratification, and anger. Pizza provider: Prime Pizza (which as Joe says, has amazing gluten-free offerings).  Watch the full episode.

EPISODE 2: Ronin

For this episode, the Russo brothers sit down with screenwriters Chris Markus and Stephen McFeely to talk about Ronin, the 1998 Robert De Niro-helmed action thriller. The group goes deep on the camera work, depth of field, and focus – particularly in the first ten minutes of the film – and likens the composition to Orson Welles’s 1941 classic, Citizen Kane. Pizza providers: Mulberry Street Pizza (Joe Russo), John and Vinnie’s (Chris Markus), Maria’s Italian Kitchen (Stephen McFeely), & Super Fine (Anthony Russo). Watch the full episode.

EPISODE 3: The Evil Dead

Chris Markus and Pete Hammond return to dissect The Evil Dead, the genre-defining 1981 horror film which Joe Russo labels “a really interesting intersection of U.S. film history on this $300,000 horror film shot in Tennessee.”  Pizza providers: Vito’s Pizza (Joe Russo), Patsy D’Amore (Chris Markus), Love & Salt (Pete Hammond). Watch the full episode.

EPISODE 4: The Empire Strikes Back

Dream guest actor Mark Hamill, a.k.a. Star Wars’ Luke Skywalker, joins this conversation about 1980’s Episode V Star Wars film. There’s so much to talk about that the episode is broken into two parts. The Brothers, Stephen McFeely, and Hamil discuss the iconic film’s realism, accessibility, and relatability, all of which served to “elevate the genre,” Joe Russo says. Pizza providers: Super Fine (Joe Russo), Roberta’s (Mark Hamill), Gino’s East (Stephen McFeely), frozen pizza (Chris Markus), Marc and Vinny’s (Anthony Russo). Watch episode 4, part 1.  Watch episode 4, part 2.

EPISODE 5: No Country for Old Men

Here our hosts bring on actor Josh Brolin to discuss the “impeccable” film by the Coen brothers, who Joe Russo says “elevates [the genre] while deconstructing it.” The film was seminal for the Russos, who said that they aspired to achieve a similar level of perfection. No Country for Old Men which stars Brolin and Javier Bardem (who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor) tells the story of a high-stakes drug deal that takes a disastrous turn. “ (who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), tells the story of a high-stakes drug deal that takes a disastrous turn.Pizza provider: Pizzana (Joe Russo), Triple Beam (Anthony Russo). Watch the full episode (who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), tells the story of a high-stakes drug deal that takes a disastrous turn.

EPISODE 6: Flash Gordon

Academy Award-winning writer and director Taika Waititi joins the Russo brothers to discuss the cult classic, Flash Gordon, which follows footballer Flash Gordon as he grapples with tyrannical forces to save the Earth. The trio focuses on the structure, turning points, key plot changes, and “the pinch,” where the hero and the villain usually intersect to remind the audience of the tension going on between the two, Joe Russo explains. “I just love the way they embrace the rock opera style and it’s just over the top, and I think it’s just so perfect to match that with Flash Gordon… It’s some of the most exciting visuals ever, with that music,” says Waititi. Pizza provider: Apollonia (Joe Russo). Watch the full episode.

EPISODE 7: Blue Velvet

Written and Directed by David Lynch, Joe Russo says that the Blue Velvet screenplay is one of his favorite of all time. Joined by Chris Markus and Pete Hammond, Joe discusses inspiration, and the difference between what can appear to be beautiful on the surface, and the darkness underneath.  “I think he lets it cook in the stew of his subconscious before he can have a feeling that guides his construction of the film,” says Russo of Lynch’s style. Pizza providers: Pitfire Pizza (Joe Russo), Ghost Pizza (Chris Markus),  Fleming’s (Pete Hammond). Watch the full episode.

EPISODE 8: Once Upon a Time in The West

In this episode, actor Silvia Bizio, Joe Russo, and Chris Markus discuss Once Upon a Time in the West, the 1968 classic by Sergio Leone. “It really shows how this country was based on these characters [...] he is making a very strong Marxist political statement and that’s what I love about this film… How it goes well beyond the Western genre,” Bizio shared. Pizza providers: Pizzana (Silvia Bizio), Prime Pizza (Joe Russo & Chris Markus). Watch the full episode.

EPISODE 9: Back to the Future

In the season finale, Back to the Future co-creator and co-writer Bob Gale tells the Russos how the film came to be: “The future was predicted at 1939 World Fair and [the 1964] World Fair: We were fascinated by the visuals and all of this technology that people believed would happen, but never did,” he said. Joe Russo celebrates the film’s “mind-blowing” screenplay throughout the episode, and says, “The thesis of the film is to literally reset the status quo by effecting the past… Every story point that’s part of the status quo has some sort of pay off. It’s a master class in set-up and pay off.” Pizza providers: La Morra Pizzeria (Joe Russo), Gino’s East (Stephen McFeely), Ghost Pizza Kitchen (Chris Markus). Additional Pizza Shoutouts: Ammazza in Atlanta, GA (Anthony Russo) and Imo’s Pizza in St. Louis, MO (Bob Gale). Watch the full episode.

Craving more Pizza Film School? Fast-forward to PFS Season 2, where the Russos go even deeper on the directing process with some of the names behind their recent faves, like Emerald Fennnell, Nia DaCosta, R.J. Cutler, Justin Chon, and more – conversations that of course, take place with a pizza box within reach. Explore Season 2.

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