The Shop Around the Corner (1940) and Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) – Central European Christmas Special

The ninth episode of the Grey Album Podcast – an audio companion to the newsletter that takes a free-wheeling look at pop culture.

This episode we look at two films as part of our Central European Christmas Special: The Shop Around the Corner (1940), a tender Christmastime romance set in inter-war Budapest and Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Wes Anderson's pastel-coloured meditation on the decline of civilization.

Featuring:

* Hungarian (mis)pronounciation

* A Christmas bonus anecdote

* The fashion sense of the Austrian School

* Pre-internet e-girls

* A double order of apple strudel with vanilla sauce.

* Hapsburg nostalgia

* The origin of the croissant

* Overinterpretations about fascism

and much, much, more!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thegreyalbum.substack.com