A film enthusiast, lecturer, and teacher just talking about all things movie-related - some newer, some that are more classic. But I don't say "old" - as Lauren Bacall said, "It's not an old movie if you haven't seen it."
Your host may have Covid this week, but the show must go on ... 2002's Whale Rider, starring Keisha Castle-Hughes, and 2022's The Woman King, starring the incomparable Viola Davis, are the next pair of films to get the spotlight to celebrate International Women's History Month! Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Kicking off International Women's Month with a look at two female-written films starring two Oscar-winning actresses! Writer-director Nicole Holofcener once said, "What's the trick to writing a great female character? Make her human." And Sandra Bullock and Anne Hathaway bring on the humanity as multi-dimensional women in two dramadies about addiction, rehabilitation, family dynamics, and autonomy. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
The countdown to the 97th Academy Awards is winding down, and props to both Kieran Culkin, presumed frontrunner for Supporting Actor, and the criminally snubbed Jesse Eisenberg, whose directing and own acting hit the mark. At least he got an Original Screenplay nod. Meanwhile, 2004's Garden State also has likeable but emotionally complicated protagonists and a quirky blend of eccentric comedy and a powerhouse of dramatic emotion. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Return guests Brendan Manning and Zak Tauscher, both former high school film student of mine and now film industry entrepreneurs in their own right, return for our annual breakdown of the Academy Award nominees! In this second of a two-parter, we discuss Best Director, Adapted and Original Screenplays, Animated and International Features, Visual Effects, Sound, Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design, Production Design, Cinematography, Editing, Score and Song, and, of course, the four acting categories!
Return guests Brendan Manning and Zak Tauscher, both former high school film student of mine and now film industry entrepreneurs in their own right, return for our annual breakdown of the Academy Award nominees! In this first of a two-parter, we look at the 10 contenders for Best Picture.
Two actresses nominated for the Best Leading Actress Oscar for playing a sex worker who's tough on the exterior but vulnerable inside. Two megalomaniac gazillionaires looking to "buy their services" for a week for a fat wad of cash. The Oscars countdown begins with the annual series of episodes pairing a current nominee with a former one with a direct or indirect connection. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
A hard-drinking, self-absorbed, kid-hating guy is put on probation and has to perform community service by coaching a group of scrappy underdog kids to a championship. And through it all, they bond in this ice hockey version of The Bad News Bears. Emilio Estevez leads this franchise from one hat trick to the next. Return guests Stu & Al of the Stu & Al Pod join me for a look at this fan-favorite franchise from the 90s. Plus, poll results, trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Newly-minted Golden Globe winner Sebastian Stan is the man of the hour in this episode that revisits his portrayal of Jeff Gillooly in I, Tonya and explores his performance as 'Edward Lemuel' in A Different Man, for which he nabbed the trophy. There may be cheeky references to connections to Nancy Kerrigan and I Tonya's Julianne Nicholson as well. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs - let's hit the ice!
What will it take to get Amy Adams her long-overdue Academy Award? After being goose-egged each of the six times she's been nominated, this talented actress deserves it more than ever. A look back at her Golden Globe-winning performance in 2013's crime caper American Hustle and her most recent Golden Globe-nominated role in the surreal Nightbitch. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
The film that launched a thousand parodies from Carol Burnett to The Simpsons, Gone with the Wind is firmly entrenched in cinema history as one of the most influential, recognized, and quotable motion pictures ever made. Lecturer and convention regular Kathleen joins me to commemorate its 85th anniversary. Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
The film adaptation of the 1985 children's book gets the spotlight as podcaster DaveyA of DaveyATalks and blogger/YouTuber Stephen J. Holloran guest for a look at the Tom Hanks-drenched holiday favorite. So grab some hot chocolate and enjoy. Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, listener shout-outs!
'Tis the season for Bing Crosby, as Going My Way turns 80 and White Christmas blows out 70 candles! An affectionate look at both holiday classics that'll make you want to sing with Bing about glistening treetops. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
A pair of post-war holiday films are in season with 1945's Christmas in Connecticut, starring Barbara Stanwyck, and 1947's It Happened on 5th Avenue, Oscar nominee for Best Writing (Original Story) ... plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Mary Tyler Moore, Tony Curtis, Jonathon Brandmeier, Joseph Bologna, and, in a brief but satisfying cameo, Sonny Bono all deliver the turkey in this spoof about a dysfunctional family with about 300 different storylines compressed into an 89-minute-long running time! Return guest Cesare of The Rad Revival House Podcast joins me in a spirited discussion about this head-scratcher of a network TV movie. Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Alfred Hitchcock was an auteur in every sense, and he knew how to create atmosphere. He wasn't called the "Master of Suspense" for nothing. Two of his celebrated films both celebrate their 70th anniversary, and Carlo of The Movie Loot Podcast returns to join me in taking a closer look at both! Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
The three co-hosts of The Gold Standard Oscars return to join me as we revisit Eddie Redmayne in his Oscar-winning role as Stephen Hawking the same year that Benedict Cumberbatch gave Alan Turing his long-overdue recognition in his own Oscar-nominated performance. Two real-life geniuses who left their mark on the world, two tragic stories, two superlative portrayals! Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
It's been 85 years since Dorothy melted the Wicked Witch and Jefferson Smith held the Senate floor for 23 hours straight. A look back at two classic films that are both timely and timeless as ever. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Halloween season draws to a close with one last pairing of horror films (for now): 1966's Eye of the Devil, starring David Niven, Deborah Kerr, David Hemmings, the beautiful and talented Sharon Tate, and horror icon Donald Pleasence and 1968's Witchfinder General, starring the dashing, debonair, and diabolical Vincent Price! Friend Dan J. joins to discuss both obscure films that deserve more recognition than they get. Happy Halloween!
A low budget, a willing cast, deplorable working conditions, a Volkswagen van, and a chainsaw - what more could be needed to create an enduring cult classic of the horror genre? Chris, aka The Movie Psycho, of the Just Go Watch Podcast, returns to join me in blowing out 50 birthday candles to this unforgettable piece of cinema legend! Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Return guest Ian of the Cult Connections podcast joins me for a look at two horror films with a lake in a woodsy area as the eerie setting for a slasher: the titular bay in Mario Bava's A Bay of Blood (1971) and Crystal Lake in Sean S. Cunningham's Friday the 13th (1980)! We excitedly dissect these films as every horror fan should. Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shoutouts! Music used : " Dark Horror Theme " composed and produced by "Vivek Abhishek" - Music link : • [No Copyright Music] HORROR THEME | ... SUBSCRIBE us on YOUTUBE: • [No Copyright Music] Dark Horror Them... Follow on Facebook: https://bit.ly/33RWRtP Follow on Instagram: https://bit.ly/2ImU2JV
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, here's a look at two fine spooky chillers: Alejandro Amenábar's The Others, starring Nicole Kidman, and Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak, starring Mia Wasikowska! A pair of films that show both directors at the top of their game - plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
While reflecting on how it's been three years since friends of the show Jamie and Eric guested to talk about the Halloween franchise, speak of the devil - here they are again for a look at the child spawn of Satan in the 1976 chiller The Omen! We talk favorite scenes, the portrayal of 'Damien,' behind-the-scenes fun facts, and more - plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Joining me in celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of Wes Craven's original Nightmare on Elm Street is Andrew of The Revisionist Almanac Podcast! We talk first viewings, favorite moments, behind-the-scenes fun facts, and more. Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
It's back to school for Matthew Lawrence and Emma Stone in their respective comedies that portray a little slice of the more sordid aspects of the adolescent life of academia. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
And the new semester is underway as students return to school ready to devour knowledge. And while they're doing that, devour some knowledge about 1955's Blackboard Jungle and 1989's Lean on Me, two stories of educators in rough school districts who are doggedly determined to whip things into shape! Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
25 years ago, Julia Roberts pounced on the summertime box office like John Cena at WrestleMania with two back-to-back rom-coms that ended the 90s for her on a high note like no other. Notting Hill brought her together with Hugh Grant, while Runaway Bride reteamed her with her Pretty Woman co-star Richard Gere. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Antonio of The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast returns for the third in a series of episodes having a look at films, or in this case, one film, showcasing the range of an actor known mostly for one particular genre. 1962's Gigot broke TV comedian Jackie Gleason's 'Ralph Kramden' and The Honeymooners mold and brought him to the countryside of France, just outside Paris, as a non-verbal, warm-hearted simpleton who takes in a selfish prostitute and her innocent little girl. Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Meryl Streep is regarded as one of the greatest - if not THE greatest - actress of all time, with 3 Academy Awards out of a staggering 21 nominations. But for every drama that she illuminates like 2008's thought-provoking Doubt, she proves her comedic skills in eccentric, absurd comedies like Death Becomes Her. A look at both films in this second of a few episodes focusing on typecast actors who successfully branch out into new territory. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs! "Darren Curtis - It's In The Fog" is under a Creative Commons (BY 3.0) license: https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbldxbUFrZDNNME45MEJ4amppYkMzUXhOTlpXZ3xBQ3Jtc0tsb0xCV19EdDNRMm44TEg5UkduS0dPWDlHdmluRk9VNnEtN05ackFGTTFnUkpfWGItOW54RTFiejlXczlVRjZUbmdnZ2daR3FoZmRGWFlELVRfWnVxRFZrbXJPYTVha3g1d0FZQThlS1l1TmNCSUp2MA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fcreativecommons.org%2Flicenses%2Fby%2F3.0%2F&v=5oF5lS0sajs Music powered by BreakingCopyright: 'It's In The Fog' by @DarrenCurtisMusic
Steve Carell is perhaps best known for his onscreen persona of the socially inept fool such as in TV's The Office. But for every wacky comedy like the enjoyable Date Night, he proves his acting chops in hard-hitting dramas like Beautiful Boy. A look at both films in this first of a few episodes focusing on typecast actors who successfully branch out into new territory. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
A 90-year-old film and a 15-year-old one may not appear to have much in common, but a closer look at one of the first and finest examples of the genre known as "screwball comedy" and a 21st century romantic comedy that yeah, brings Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds together, but has THE QUEEN BETTY WHITE in the cast will prove otherwise! Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
In a year filled with sequels and big-budget spectacles, two unassuming, original romantic comedies came out - one with an iconic Peter Gabriel-filled boombox moment that was a box office fizzle but gained a following on home video, and the other a smash hit that spawned two sequels and a short-lived sitcom. Dive into the creative process and real-life scenarios that inspired both films! Behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
35 years ago this month, actress Rebecca Schaeffer was on her way to superstardom, thanks not only to the acting credits she had already accumulated in her 21 years, but also to her excellent prospects with director Francis Ford Coppola. Unfortunately, she is now known more for the circumstances surrounding her tragic murder at the hands of an obsessed stalker than for her acting achievements. This carefully researched episode aims to keep her name and memory alive beyond the anti-stalking legislation that her death brought about. If you or anyone you know have been affected by crime, you can visit victimconnect.org for a weekday helpline for emotional support and your legal rights and options. You can also visit rainn.org for resources for survivors of stalking and cyberstalking, as well as numerous other resources. Rebecca's story entails these very issues that may be triggers for some, so listener discretion is advised.
Chris, aka The Movie Psycho, from the Just Go Watch Podcast returns to join me for a look at the only two films that Paul Newman and Robert Redford ever made together. Will it be 1890s-era Wyoming or 1930s-era Great Depression that is the preferred offering? Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Goooooooood morning, VietNAM!!!! It's a Robin Williams tribute with one of his most iconic comedies and one of his (perhaps) lesser-known dramatic performances - plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Summer's in full swing, and so is baseball season! A look at two biopics of the greatest players in MLB history, Pride of the Yankees starring Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig and 42, starring Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson. Two incredible actors playing two amazing ball players. Do the films themselves knock it out of the park or strike out? Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Two sprawling estates, two wealthy aristocratic families, and two potential usurpers. What's an affluent and dysfunctional family to do? Screenwriter and attorney Matthew Pike joins me for a lively discussion on this pair of films, one a period drama and the other, a biting, shock-laugh-inducing satire. Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
"Dishes are done, man." The summer's here, and according to these two outrageously nonsensical comedies set in the sunny season, it's a time for pretending that asocial psychopaths who unexpectedly die are still alive and kicking - literally. Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman are the lunkheads keeping their boss Bernie moving, while Christina Applegate and Keith Coogan make use of a skateboard and trunk for their babysitter. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs! "I'm right on top of that, Rose!"
What better way to acknowledge graduation season than by looking at how two different generations approached their big day? The unkindly dubbed "Brat Pack" of the 80s and Generation X of the 90s grab the spotlight as they cope with questions about careers, relationships, finances, self-identity, and personal values. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
The film community lost one of the greats with the passing of Roger Corman. What better way to remember his contributions than to take a look at two of his collaborations that both feature Jack Nicholson, Jonathan Haze, and Dick Miller? Throw Boris Karloff into the mix, and now we're talking lasting legacy of the King of the B-Movies! Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
It's Mother's Day - a happy day for some, a difficult one for others for any number of reasons. In 50/50 and Lady Bird, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's 'Adam' and Saoirse Ronan's 'Christine/Lady Bird' confront the conflicted relationships with their mothers, Anjelica Huston and Laurie Metcalf, respectively. This one's dedicated to mothers and all mother figures out there. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Celebrate International Dance Day with two films turning 40 years old - 1984's Breakin' and 1984's Footloose. Does 'Special K' look like Three's Company's Joyce DeWitt? Who's the internationally-known action star who makes an early appearance as a breakdancing extra? Does the talented, charismatic Kevin still bring home the bacon for the new generation? All this and more. Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, listener shout-outs, and behind-the-scenes fun facts!
If 'tough guy' actor Robert Mitchum's cellmate hid $10,000 he stole for his family and was executed, would Mitchum go after his widow and kids for the cash? Would he become an informant for the authorities against his associates for a lighter prison sentence for his own criminal activity? For the answers to these burning questions about the terror/suspense film Night of the Hunter (1955) and the crime thriller/gangster picture The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973), give episode 136 a download! Plus, poll results, behind-the-scenes fun facts, interactive trivia, listener shout-outs!
Previous guest DJ Nik returns for a look at Miss Potter and Goodbye, Christopher Robin, two biopics of the authors of classic children's story characters. You'll feel the nostalgia for Peter Rabbit and Pooh Bear as you hear about these portrayals of Beatrix Potter and A.A. Milne, the impact of their families on their creations, and Margot Robbie's British accent. Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Tom Hanks wins the Oscar-winning smackdown in this episode that explores his "goofball comedy" era of the 80s and his "actor with a capital A" era of the 90s through Splash and Forrest Gump, respectively! Behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs, nary a box of chocolates.
Actress Amy Steel shows both 'Jason Voorhees' and 'Buffy St. John' what she's made of as the 'Final Girl' in two 80s-era slasher flicks, while TV personality and broadcaster Dana Hersey of The Movie Loft gets his overdue thanks. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
The 2014 Alejandro González Iñárritu-directed Best Picture winner turns 10! Return guest Chris of the Just Go Watch Podcast joins me for a look back at the Michael Keaton headliner that melds together haughty actors, fractured relationships, washed-up superhero movie stars, ambiguous endings, and that most tragic of Shakespeare's plays, Macbeth. And Chris does not hold back with his thoughts on Eddie Redmayne's winning Best Actor that year, either. Plus, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
Director Yorgos Lanthimos and 2-time Oscar-winning actress Emma Stone bring out the most eccentric in each other in these two films. With Academy Award nods for Best Picture (as producer) and Best Director for both, Lanthimos is a creative force that defies description. And with Oscar nods (and one win) for both films, Emma Stone is willing to play it to the hilt no matter what it takes. Behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
The 96th annual Academy Awards are doled out tonight, so here is part 2 of a two-parter where return guests Brendan and Zak - former high school film students of mine, now college grads and film entrepreneurs in their own right - join me for the second consecutive year to discuss the nominees - specifically, the four acting categories, Director, Original Score, Original Song, Costume Design, Hairstyling and Makeup, Animated Feature, and International Feature Film!
Released ahead of schedule to get the jump on the 96th annual Academy Awards in three days, return guests Brendan and Zak - former high school film students of mine, now college grads and film entrepreneurs in their own right - join me for the second consecutive year to discuss the nominees. Part 1 of 2: Best Picture (Part 2 of 2 coming soon!)
Writer-director Wes Anderson gets the spotlight as we dive into 2023 Oscar nominee for Best Live Action Short, his adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar, as well as the 10th anniversary of his 4-time Oscar winner The Grand Budapest Hotel. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs! (Bring your own courtesan au chocolat and lobby boy uniform.)
It's a Margot Robbie Best Picture nominee two-fer as her performances as Sharon Tate for Quentin Tarantino and as Barbie for Greta Gerwig come front and center! With her total Oscar nominations to date including two for acting (2017's I, Tonya and 2019's Bombshell) and one for producing (2023's Barbie), her Hollywood career is one that's on a hot streak. Plus, behind-the-scenes fun facts, poll results, interactive trivia, and listener shout-outs!
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