IMMP

In 1984 Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds share the screen in a ... a thing. Comedy? Mystery? Drama? Violent action movie? Whatever it is, it's called CITY HEAT.

Not necessarily a "fun" film this time, but an interesting one to talk about. Matthew and Ian discuss the influential 1971 Clint Eastwood movie about a violent cop versus the rules. Does the existence of Dirty Harry imply the existence of Clean Harry?

After learning the ropes in Sergio Leone's Italian Westerns, Clint Eastwood took the reins to direct the 1973 film HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER. Not an easy movie to watch, but it makes for an intersting conversation.

In 1964, the dream team of actor Clint Eastwood, director Sergio Leone and composer Ennio Morricone changed westerns forever, with A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. And Akira Kurosawa had something to say about that. Join Ian and Matthew for a discussion of the movie and its impact on decades of moviemaking.

In 1974, John Boorman created a trippy, futuristic ... thing, full of broad social commentary (as well as sex, violence and very, very odd wardrobe choices). And Sean Connery starred, in an effort to break free of the James Bond persona. Did they succeed? Can Ian and Matthew make any sense of this? Listen to find out.

Matthew and Ian return to the strange land of 1962 for a discussion of the very first James Bond movie, DR. NO. Along the way they take a few detours, including a pitch for a SPIDER-BOND crossover series.

In 1980, three years after their animated adaptation of The Hobbit, Rankin/Bass returned to Middle Earth in a very confusing way. They jumped straight to the third volume of The Lord of the Rings, to bring us THE RETURN OF THE KING as an animated TV musical. Join Ian and Matthew as they try to makes sense of this baffling media artifact.

Weddings bells ring at the Inter-Millennium Media Project! To celebrate the upcoming nuptials, Ian and Matthew welcome Ian's bride-to-be* Jennifer Ogden to discuss the 1991 remake of FATHER OF THE BRIDE starring Steve Martin and Diane Keaton. *By the time you hear this, they will be husband and wife! Special Guest: Jennifer Ogden.

As wedding bells approach at the IMMP headquarters, Ian and Matthew discuss the 1979 action comedy THE IN LAWS starring Peter Falk and Alan Arkin.

We Kept Watching! On this return to Leonard Nimoy's 1970s - 1908s TV series IN SEARCH OF, Ian and Matthew watched all the episodes they could find about aliens and UFOs.

As 2025 begins, the IMMP hits the ground running: Ian and Matthew discuss the 2001 story-driven platformer game SONIC ADVENTURE 2 on this edition of THE MILLENNIAL STRIKES BACK.

For Christmas week, Ian and Matthew discuss a holiday classic from 1988 - Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman in John McTiernan's DIE HARD.

Christmas is a time for parties, bright lights and surprises. So this year the IMMP kicks off our holiday theme with 1974's THE TOWERING INFERNO from disaster master Irwin Allen.

After our prior episode about No Way Out, a 1987 adaptation of the novel The Big Clock, this time we talk about the original 1948 adaptation of The Big Clock called... THE BIG CLOCK.

From the heyday of the techno thriller, we've got a very 80s movie with Gene Hackman, Kevin Costner, and lots of political and criminal intrigue. It's NO WAY OUT.

In 1983, Walt Disney Productions released an interesting experiment: A children's horror movie set in an old-timey American town menaced by an evil carnival, with a screenplay adapted by Ray Bradbury himself from his classic novel. Doesn't sound very Disney, does it? It's SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES.

For Halloween 2024 Matthew had Ian read Ray Bradbury's classic novel, in which a spooky dangerous carnival threatens a small town...by offering the people what they want. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES.

In 1986 James Cameron brought us another look at the creature from Ridley Scott's 1979 classic ALIEN. Plus some Space Marines. Plus a Space Yuppie. Plus an extra "S". It's ALIENS!

In 1984, John Carpenter brought to earth a movie than blended road trip, romance, sci fi, and just a touch of Stockholm Syndrome. It's Karen Allen and Jeff Bridges in STARMAN.

Before INITIAL D...Before REDLINE... before OVERTAKE!...there was SPEED RACER! This special live episode was presented at the Nan Desu Kan anime convention in Aurora, Colorado.

Before UFO, before SPACE:1999, Sylvia. and Gerry Anderson went to the far side of the sun for a movie known to most of the world as DOPPELGANGER. For this special episode of the IMMP Podcast, Ian and Matthew are joined by Jim Porter. (He's Matthew's brother, and he's Ians uncle!) Special Guest: Jim Porter.

For the IMMP's 150th episode, we revel in what may be Ian and Matthew's shared favorite movie: John Carpenter's incomparable BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA.

Ian takes over to teach Matthew how to play MAGIC: THE GATHERING, to talk about how what the classic Collectible Card Came means to him, and to discuss how it opens up new ways to tell and appreciate stories. For a recording of the live stream where Ian and Matthew play Magic and open some card packs, see the IMMProject YouTube channel! (Links in show notes may include affiliate links which help support the podcast at no cost to you.)

Upcoming live stream! On July 10 at 10 PM Eastern / 8 PM Mountain, Ian will teach Matthew to play MAGIC: THE GATHERING live on YouTube. Join us here: https://youtube.com/live/HinZiYo-QYA?feature=share

The 2024 Summer Road Trip continues through post-apocalypse Australia...without highways? And mainly without cars? It's a strange parable of civilizations and the stories they tell themselves. It's MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME.

The IMMP Summer Road Trip continues with the story of a heroic gyro copter pilot. And some guy named Max. It's THE ROAD WARRIOR.

The IMMP 2024 Summer Road Trip starts off on the deadly highways of Australia with George Miller and Byron Kennedy's original MAD MAX from 1979. Ian and Matthew talk about heroes, antiheroes, mythology, and a romcom prequel "Rockatansky & Jess."

Back In 1968, Charlton Heston played a misanthropic space commander who journeyed to a world free of human bureaucrats....but not free of bureaucracy! It's PLANET OF THE APES.

Back in 1979 Ridley Scott, Dan O'Bannon and an intrepid crew encountered a terrifying unknown entity and influenced decades of science fiction cinema. And Matthew became a seventh grade hero for seeing it on opening night.

Way back in 1971, when the Apollo program was still cool, a TV pilot imagined a techno-utopia in orbit. Governed by D&D. It's EARTH II.

It's almost Founder's Day at Antonio Bay, so the IMMP celebrates by rolling into John Carpenter's 1980 movie THE FOG.

Now that we've talked about Leonard Nimoy as host of IN SEARCH OF..., it's finally time for the IMMP to discuss the dramatic action-adventure series whose ensemble included Leonard Nimoy, years earlier. It premiered in 1966, and while it had fans from the very start it exploded in popularity in the years that followed. It came back in the 1980s with a revival series, and also gave rise to a long-running movie franchise. (Spoiler: It's MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE!)

In the 1970s, kids interested in paranormal weirdness received an amazing new cornucopia of ...well, lots of stuff. It was IN SEARCH OF... hosted by Leonard Nimoy.

Is the Weirding Module code for Transcendental Meditation? Was Kyle MacLachlan way too old to portray Paul Atreides? Did the Guild Navigator really need that guy with the shop vac? Ian and Matthew discuss these questions and more after a trip to the Alamo Drafthouse to see David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Frank Herbert's DUNE.

Melodrama month continues with 1942's NOW, VOYAGER. Bette Davis and Paul Henreid star in a saga of metal health, personal transformation, and really, really bad parenting.

Before THE CELESTINE PROPHECY...before THE SECRET...before female characters had agency?...there was...John M. Stahl's 1935 film MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION starring Irene Dunne and Robert Taylor.

An epic American quest of danger and self-discovery through the mythic land of Chicago. The IMMP looks at 1987's ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING.

Ian takes over podcast and reaches into the world of computer games for a discussion of one of the most formative media properties of his life: MYST.

Christmas 2023 at the IMMP wraps up with one of the weirdest of all Rankin/Bass Christmas specials: THE YEAR WITHOUT A SANTA CLAUS. Listen for tales of elemental magic with the Miser Brothers, the terrible power of Mother Nature, and speculation about the abyssal Lovecraftian horrors that lurk in Santa Claus' dreams.

The IMMP Rankin Bass Christmas continues with the sprawling Santa Claus fanfic SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN. Which leads in turn to talk of Adventure Time, creepy 70s musical numbers, and a Game of Thrones for Sombertown.

We kick off the holiday season at the IMMP with a Rankin/Bass Christmas classic: RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER. And some detours into human (and elf) dignity, identity, the biology and diet of Abominable Snow Monsters, and psychotherapy for toys.

It's a little early for New Year's, but never too early for an Irwin Allen disaster movie like 1972's THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE.

One final Halloween treat for 2023. This is a discussion from the Patron feed, and from the Drafthouse Diary video series, about the 1931 Spanish version of DRACULA starring Carlos Villarías and Lupita Tovar.

Ian and Matthew close out Halloween 2023 with another Universal monster movie: the psychological mystery of THE WOLF MAN. But they can't help themselves from also arguing some more about THE INVISIBLE MAN, and whether any Universal monster movies really have a hero at all. Except for Van Helsing in DRACULA. Professor Van Helsing remains awesome.

At long last, Ian and Matthew have seen a mysterious, legendary part of the Sid and Marty Krofft universe: THE LOST ISLAND. It's a mash-up of Lidsville, Land of the Lost, H.R. Pufnstuff, and more, and appeared as a segment of the Krofft Superstar Hour hosted by the Bay City Rollers!

Halloween season 2023 continues at the IMMP as Ian and Matthew watched (well, sort of watched?) Claude Rains in Universal's 1933 THE INVISIBLE MAN. WARNING: Includes a very nerdy digression about hidden movement boardgames.

This year's Halloween theme at the Inter-Millennium Media Project surveys more of the Universal movie monster landscape, starting with Boris Karloff in 1932's THE MUMMY, a tale of love, death, magic, and dangerous jewelry.

Come visit the live television industry of 1954 through the lens of a movie from the 1980s: MY FAVORITE YEAR directed by Richard Benjamin, starring Mark Lin-Baker and Peter O'Toole. Truly a movie for fans of movies!

Recorded live at Nan Desu Kan 2023 in Colorado, this special episode takes on STAR BLAZERS -- the Americanized version of Leiji Matsumoto's SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO, and the object of Matthew's first anime fan geek-outs with his middle school friends, way back in the 1970s. Video version will be on the IMMP YouTube channel soon!

Our 2023 Summer Road Trip season wraps up with a beloved car movie out of Swinging England of 1969: THE ITALIAN JOB!

The IMMP Summer Road Trip continues with a 1977 classic about an intrepid truck driver (Jerry Reed), with his buddy (Burt Reynolds) and his buddy's sudden new girlfriend (Sally Field) hauling bootleg beer one step ahead of the law (Jackie Gleason). It's SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT!