Reel Rap S6 E3: Elaine May's 'A New Leaf' (1971)

Reel Rap pivots to Elaine May's filmography in this week's episode. May stars in her 1971 directorial debut, A New Leaf, alongside Walter Matthau in the high-society comedy about a rich man who goes broke and decides the quickest way to rebuild his fortune is marry a rich woman (May) and kill her. Shane and Bennett marvel at May's near-perfect comedic timing on script and screen, the film's ability to bounce between beats and how quickly May and Nichols both became technically advanced directors. A comedy duo straight out of William Penn’s backyard, Bennett Glace, an adult Disney fan, and Shane Pfender, an ordained minister, have for years lent a critical eye to Hollywood’s most tedious auteurs. They are a comedy duo for film snobs and slobs alike. Exhausted by the current uninspired landscape of film criticism, the two work to find a new language with which to understand and interact with the films they cover on their inimitable podcast, Reel Rap.