Sonic Cinema Podcast

Prior to the 2025 Atlanta Film Festival beginning, I had the chance to watch the lovely short documentary, "At See", and speak to its director- Serena Dykman- about its unusual storytelling approach. I hope you enjoy!

It's interesting how this episode lined up with events around it. My guest and I had been planning for this episode for months, and we happened to have time for it shortly after one of its stars passed away. My guest is a first-timer to the podcast, my dear friend Dawn Echols, and the subject is George P. Costamos's 1993 film, "Tombstone", starring the late Val Kilmer. In addition to thoughts on the film, we also have a meaningful discussion about our friendship. I hope you enjoy!The closing composition is "Ballad for the Beloved Departed", which was performed by Dawn, and is from my 2007 album, Sonic Visions of a New Old West.

As I began to prepare for my recent episode with Jason from Binge Movies on Fascism in Cinema, it occurred to me that this would be a fascinating ongoing series in the next year or two in American history. For the next episode of the series, we are looking at authoritarian violence and the idea of due process in our society, and how it can be reflected in films. Joining me for this episode is Darin Lundberg from NostalgiaCast and Back to Bluey, and listen to us discuss Don Siegel's "Dirty Harry", Paul Michael Glaser's "The Running Man", and Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises". It's a very different discussion, but one worth taking in. I hope you enjoy!

On the next episode of the podcast, I'm joined by a fellow podcaster whom I've only talked to on social media, and will be my first new guest on 2025. The topic of the day is Mary Harron's controversial dark comedy, "American Psycho", which turns 25 this year. The guest is Pete Abeyta, one of the co-hosts of the Middle Class Film Class podcast. I hope you enjoy!

For this year's wrap-up episode of my coverage of the 2025 Renegade Film Festival, I'm taking a slightly different approach. You can read my thoughts at Sonic Cinema and In Their Own League about what I took away from the festival this year. both in terms of perspective of the time it took place, and the films I loved from it; this episode is about giving the filmmakers their voice to discuss their work, what inspired it, and how it fits into the current moment in our country. My guests include filmmakers Erin Day, Kelly Lou Dennis and Nonie Shiverick. I hope you enjoy!*This episode does involve spoilers to some of the movies, but I don't think your appreciation of the films would diminish hearing them.

It's that time again. Amanda Spears returns to discuss the Oscars and help predict the winners. I also share my 10 Best list for 2024. I hope you enjoy!

The American experiment with Democracy is in a perilous place with the re-election of Donald Trump. Art, and cinema, is inherently political by virtue of the time it was made, as well as the time in which we watch it. In the first episode of what will be a miniseries for the Sonic Cinema Podcast, we begin looking at the ways in which films have portrayed fascism and authoritarianism over the years. Joining me for this first episode is Jason from Binge Movies, and we take a deep dive into America, as well as three films that look at people standing up to authoritarianism- Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator," Roberto Rossellini's "Rome, Open City" and Herbert Ross's "Footloose." I hope you enjoy!

To kick of 2025 for the Sonic Cinema Podcast, we first return to 1999, and one of the most enjoyable movie surprises from that year. It's time to discuss "Galaxy Quest," and joining me is Robert Yaniz Jr. of Crooked Table podcasts and Back to Bluey to talk about why this comedy continues to endure after 25 years. I hope you enjoy!

We wrap up the Sonic Cinema Podcast for 2024 with an episode that I've had on the brain for a couple of years. The topic is Christmas movies, and the mainline between the two is director Bob Clark, who in 1974 directed the slasher classic, "Black Christmas", and a decade later, directed the beloved "A Christmas Story". My guest is once again Phil Fasso, and we had an enjoyable discussion on these movies. I hope you enjoy, and Merry Christmas!

Hello readers and listeners! We're wrapping up 2024 with a handful of "Class of 1999" discussions, and this is one I'm delighted to share with you. The film is John Lasseter's "Toy Story 2", and joining me is returning guest Darin Lundberg of NostalgiaCast. This was such a wonderful dialogue and experience.

Hello readers and listeners! It's time, once again, to dive back into the movie year of 1999, and the film in question is from a venerable franchise, but a film that doesn't necessarily hit all the right notes that franchise desires. The film in Michael Apted's "The World is Not Enough", and joining me is returning guest Kevin Thomas. Our discussions comes to some unusual conclusions. I hope you enjoy!

As we wrap up the horror month this year, Phil Fasso and I dig back into three absolute classics that turned 50 this year. The subject is horror of 1974, and the films are Brian De Palma's "Phantom of the Paradise", Larry Cohen's "It's Alive" before concluding with Tobe Hooper's "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". I hope you enjoy!The track at the end of this episode is "Symphonic Guitar Dread" by Brian Skutle

It's October, and that means a double dose of Phil Fasso this year. In our first discussion, Phil and I review Gary Dauberman's recently-released ”Salem's Lot”. We discuss the previous adaptations of Stephen King's novel, why a feature film may not be the best format for this story, and what engaged us in this film. I hope you enjoy!The track at the end of this episode is "Fear: The Giving and Receiving of..." by Brian Skutle

This is an episode I've been looking forward to for a while. After a long hiatus, I welcome back to the podcast my friend- and original Yahoo With a Microphone commentator- Ronnie Haynes. While the primary cinematic discussion centers of Kevin Smith's "Clerks" films, we also discuss our friendship and cosplaying Jay and Silent Bob, as well. I hope you enjoy!

Given the timing of the podcast's latest episode, it should not surprise you that the topic is my adventures at DragonCon this year. I also discuss what this time of year means to me now. I hope you enjoy!

Hello readers and listeners! It's time, once again, to dive back into the movie year of 1999, and this is a fun, silly movie to finish off the summer with. The film is Renny Harlin's "Deep Blue Sea", and joining me in discussing it is podcaster Robert Yaniz Jr. of Crooked Table Productions and the Back to Bluey podcast. You even get a brief cameo from my wife, Meredith. I hope you enjoy!

In this episode of the podcast, we take a left turn into anime, and a long-running manga character and a couple of their adventures. The character is the colorful and arrogant but wonderful Lupin the 3rd. Bringing two of the character's adventures- "Jigen's Gravestone" and "Goeman's Bloody Spray"- to the podcast is fellow podcaster Robbie Sherman, whose show- Conversations with Robbie Sherman- I was on earlier this year. I hope you enjoy!

This is an episode that I wanted to do because it gives me a chance to discuss movies I've been a fan of since my early years of movie fandom. I have never read any of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan novels, but in particular, two film adaptations of his work- 1992's "Patriot Games" and 1994's "Clear and Present Danger"- were films I really loved watching. We don't strictly stick to those two films, however, with guest Kevin Thomas, but they make for a good starting point for discussing Jack Ryan's movie history. I hope you enjoy!

In the latest episode of the podcast, Brian works through a long-time filmmaker blind spot. For a long time, I had not watched the work of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger- aka The Archers- but this discussion is a good time to do that. Joining me in talking about these great British filmmakers is film critic, and return guest, Matthew St. Clair, as we discuss "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp", "Black Narcissus" and "The Red Shoes". I hope you enjoy!

For this episode, I go a bit more introspective to lead into discussing a film that has had a profound impact on my life this year. I talk about what led me to my current profession, what I value in life, and how it relates to Wim Wender's wonderful 2023 film, "Perfect Days". I hope you enjoy!You can read more of my thoughts on the film's use of a personal soundtrack here.

Earlier this month, the 2024 Atlanta Film Festival came to a close. Today, my coverage of it does, as I discuss some of the experiences I had, the thoughts on modern politics some films inspired, as well as name check my favorites of the festival. Also included are red carpet interviews with director Michael Showalter and cinematographer Jim Frohna ("The Idea of You"), director Tyson Horne ("The South Got Something to Say") and director Yance Ford ("Power"). I hope you enjoy!

In July 1994, my moviewatching trajectory was changed forever when I finally watched Alex Proyas's "The Crow". The film had already become a cult hit, and had been on my radar, but it wasn't until I saw it for myself that I just came out of the theatre different. As it turns 30, it is time to finally have a discussion of the film, and its legacy, on the Sonic Cinema Podcast. Joining me on the podcast is Chris Salazar, someone whom I've known on Film Twitter for a few years, and who loves the film as well. I hope you enjoy our discussion, and listen to the other episodes I've contributed to about the film over the years.The music at the end of this episode is my 1999 composition, "In a Lonely Place," inspired by Graeme Revell's music for "The Crow." "In a Lonely Place" is on my 2000 album, "Dark Experiments".More of Brian's thoughts on "The Crow" can be found:On Sonic Cinema:25 Years of "The Crow"Episode 31 - "The Crow," and the Evolution of "In a Lonely Place"On Other Podcasts:Close Watch: Episode 4- "The Crow"Untitled Cinema Gals Project - All the Bops

As we hit 25 years after one of the greatest film years of my lifetime, I thought it would be a good idea to begin adding more films to this podcast series. We start with the wonderful teen rom com, "10 Things I Hate About You," adapted from Shakespeare, starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles. Joining me in the discussion is critic and podcaster Morgan Roberts, host of Female Gaze: The Film Club. I hope you enjoy!

For this discussion, I bring in Darin and Jonny from NostalgiaCast to discuss some classic films they were introduced to as kids, and which gives them that hit of nostalgia, as a result. We begin with Jonny's choice of "The Sting", and continue with Darin's selection of "The Sound of Music" before concluding with my choice of "Arsenic and Old Lace". I hope you enjoy!

It's that time again. Amanda Spears returns to discuss the Oscars and help predict the winners. I also share my 10 Best list for 2023. I hope you enjoy!

In the first episode of the podcast in 2024, I bring back Phil Fasso to discuss an actor he has always loved, Joseph Cotten. As we went through George Cukor's "Gaslight", Carol Reed's "The Third Man" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt", we get an idea of his full range as an actor, and wonder further why he feels so underrated. I hope you enjoy!

To wrap up the 2023 season of the podcast, I'm pleased to bring a different type of guest for a different type of discussion. The subjects are the 1975 and 2004 adaptations of Ira Levin's The Stepford Wives. The guest bringing the discussion to the podcast is Ella Dawson, a culture critic, blogger and author whom I wanted to have on to get her ideas on the ways movies bring relationship issues to the screen. The result is a fascinating look at perspective, adaptation and how society at the time influenced both films. I hope you enjoy!

The last few months have been rough in terms of getting podcasts recorded- you'll notice that November had no episodes released. The truth is, with my new work schedule, as well as my review schedule, it's hard to watch stuff for the podcast as well. But I hope to get back in the habit for 2024.That said, for now, I've got a couple of great episodes to finish up on. We're starting with a long-in-gestation discussion about James Wan's 2018 superhero film, "Aquaman". I have some very particular opinions on this, and the DCEU, as well, and it was great to bring back Darin Lundberg from NostalgiaCast and Kevin the Critic to the podcast. They do a lot of heavylifting, and I'm so grateful. I hope you enjoy!

To close my October, I am so pleased to share this discussion. World cinema is important to look at as a way of exploring the breadth of cinema. Vietnamese cinema is something I have not really delved into...until now. My guest is Nguyen Le, a Vietnamese critic who can be found at various places, and hopes to bring more recognition to his home country's films. For this episode, we talk about the Vietnamese film industry before focusing in on three different entries in Vietnamese horror cinema, 2004's "Spirits" and 2014's "Hollow" and "Vengeful Heart." I hope you enjoy!The closing piece is "The Cold Wind of Horror", composed by Brian Skutle, from my album, "The Cold Wind of Horror".

As we begin our month of horror at the podcast, frequent guest Phil Fasso and I decided to take a different perspective on the genre. Inspired by two big swings at bringing Dracula to the screen, our discussion today centers on the history of Bram Stoker's Prince of Darkness onscreen, and why the iconic ones stand out to us. The piece at the end of the episode is "The Dreadful Tick of Time," from my forthcoming album, "The Cold Wind of Horror," coming out at Bandcamp on Friday, October 13, 2023.

With so many unknown films right now, what does it mean to have Oscar buzz? Do any films actually have Oscar buzz? In a bit of a change from what I was planning, and what we typically do when it comes to the Oscars, I bring back Amanda Spears to talk about Barbenheimer, filmmakers making movies for Oscar consideration, "Dune" delay theories and what could- or could not- get nominated. It's a wild discussion.**About halfway into the episode, my audio starts to get fuzzy. But everything is still intelligible.

It's after Labor Day, so you know what that means? Time for me to recount my annual trip to Dragon*Con, the genre convention that takes place in Atlanta. Because of the SAG-AFTRA strike, things were a bit different, but I loved the weekend down there all the same. I hope you enjoy!

I wouldn't say that I love David Fincher as a filmmaker, but the films of his I love, I really love. Of those films, few have my affection more than his 1997 thriller, "The Game". This is one of those movies I've wanted to discuss for a while- and I missed it for its 25th anniversary- but with Fincher having a new film coming out later this year, the time seemed right to finally talk about this film. (It also provides a good complimentary episode to my Frankenheimer episode earlier in the month.) Joining me to discuss the film is Carlo from The Movie Loot podcast, which will have its own Fincher discussion soon. I hope you enjoy!

This is another episode I've been looking forward to for a year or so. John Frankenheimer is one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time, but also someone who doesn't get their due respect. In the 1960s he directed a trilogy of thrillers that delve into the anxieties of a changing political and societal landscape, and in preparing for this episode, they all continue to exert a hold now, and feel very relevant in their own ways. Join myself and actor Timothy J. Cox as we discuss "The Manchurian Candidate", "Seven Days in May" and "Seconds". I hope you enjoy!The closing piece is Brian's End Credits track for the short film, "The Case: Running Deadman."

Last year, it appeared that the greatest film composer of all-time, John Williams, might be retiring after "The Fabelmans" and "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." Now, we are not sure, but it's still a great time to honor the maestro whose music has led so many people to listening to film music. In this episode, I'm joined by Darin Lundberg from NostalgiaCast, Dr. Becky O'Brien, Danielle Solzman from Solzy and the Movies, and Kelly from Big Shiny Robot. I hope you enjoy!The closing piece is "Ahsoka's Theme," composed by Brian Skutle, inspired by the work of John Williams.

**This podcast was recorded during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the movies being covered here wouldn't exist.Film preservation is vital to keeping film alive, and right now, we are at a perilous moment for the practice. Today's guest was on in 2022 as he launched a new streaming site for showing classic films as a part of Film Detective; this year, he is still in the film preservation industry, but with a new venture, Film Masters. Joining me once again is Phil Hopkins, and we discuss the challenges of restoring classic B-movies, some of the films that matter to him, and why a resource like "Mystery Science Theater 3000" can aid in passing films down. I hope you enjoy!

After an episode record required being rescheduled, Brian takes time to reflect on the podcast, where it's been, and where it's going, as well as share some meaningful film experiences from the past few years.

This ended up being a much deeper discussion than intended, but it is one worth listening to. Sexploitation cinema can mean selling sex for a number of reasons, and in my talk with Jason from Binge Movies, we run the gamut in terms of three of those reasons. Listen to us discuss the state of film criticism before diving into "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", "Emmanuelle" and "The Blue Lagoon," and the sometimes-problematic ways they exploit our reasons for wanting sex on screen.

After a brief break, the Sonic Cinema Podcast returns, and with a guest that has been away for far too long. This time, independent filmmaker Chris Esper returns, and the subject is one of the godfathers of the American independent film movement as we know it, John Cassavetes. All of these were blind spots for both of us, as we discuss "Shadows," "Faces," "A Woman Under the Influence," as well as the modern independent filmmaker struggle along the way. I hope you enjoy!

The Atlanta Film Festival for 2023 has come to a close. In this episode, I discuss the experience of the festival, some of my favorite films of the fest, and share my interviews with George R.R. Martin and Vincent D'Onofrio on the red carpet for "Night of the Cooters." I hope you enjoy!

One of my favorite films of the 2023 Atlanta Film Festival was the meditative sci-fi film, "Red Earth". On the night of its premiere, I had the chance to discuss it with director Georg Koszulinski, cinematographer Kate E. Hinshaw and producer Tiffany Albright, and it was great to discuss this complex film with them.

One of the great things about the interviews I did at the 2023 Atlanta Film Festival was that they feel more like conversations than just basic Q&As. This one, with Georgia filmmaker Brian Lonano, is no different. In addition to his short film, "Content: The Lo-Fi Man," we discuss content vs. film, inspiration, film scores and the value of film festival. I hope you enjoy!

One of my early favorites from the 2023 Atlanta Film Festival came from watch Geoff Marslett's "Quantum Cowboys" ahead of the festival. As a result, I was able to set up some time prior to the film's screening at the festival to talk with the director and one of his producers, Melodie Sisk, about the film, and it was a great, expansive discussion. I hope you enjoy!Continuing with the Western motif, the piece that plays at the end is my own "At Peace Under the Stars" (Reprise) from my 2007 album, "Sonic Visions of a New Old West".

Darren Aronofsky has been a bold, and polarizing, filmmaker since he first hit the scene with 1998's "Pi." In this episode, I am joined by filmmaker K/XI as we explored Aronofsky's films, with a particular focus on "The Fountain," "mother!" and "The Whale." I hope you enjoy!

We're not quite done with our Oscar discussion for this year, but in this episode, it ties into the past, and one of the great stars of Hollywood's Golden Age. Barbara Stanwyck is an actor I've been familiar with by name, but not as much by her work. When my guest- film critic Matthew St. Clair- suggested this topic, however, I got excited in being able to rectify that. Listen as we discuss Stanwyck's four Oscar-nominated films, "Stella Dallas," "Ball of Fire," "Double Indemnity" and "Sorry, Wrong Number," and how the Oscars haven't really changed much over the years. I hope you enjoy!

In this episode, I close my coverage of the Renegade Film Festival this year by sharing my thoughts on the films that played the 2023 festival, several that stood out, and interviews with "Give Me an A" filmmakers Natasha Halevi and Jessica Taylor Galmor, screenwriter Megan Fitzgerald and "Number Twelve" filmmaker Nonie Shiverick.

It's that time of year again when every movie podcast and their brother discusses the Oscars, and who would I be to deprive you of that? Joining me once again is Amanda Spears to discuss the chaos of the 95th Oscar nominations before I wrap things up with my 10 Best films of 2022. I hope you enjoy!See my yearly retrospective from December here.

There's a lot to set up in this episode- which I try to in the episode- but this is, simply, a discussion with my mother, Victoria Skutle. She was an actress, a lifelong movie fan, and obsessive about the TV shows she loved. This was recorded in December 2018, after I noticed her memory starting to slip, and before we officially heard her dementia diagnosis from doctors. I hope you enjoy- it's as enlightening about me as it is her.

As we've moved through the podcast, and guesting on podcasts, I've realized a lot of what I focus on in terms of these discussions are things and movies that I really want to talk about, and with people I want to talk about them with. We are at that point with a film that is one of my very favorites about the struggle to create. It is Spike Jonze's "Adaptation.", and joining me in the discussion is return guest David Rosen, a composer and the host of the Piecing It Together podcast. I hope you enjoy!*There are some blips that you'll hear. Zoom was muting me periodically during the record, and so it resulted in a lot of stops in the record. I edited as many out as I could.**The end music is my original composition, “Creative Beginnings.”

Our guest on this episode was actually on the Sonic Cinema Movie Chat back in 2021, and that discussion is what inspired this one. When a lot of people think about "blind buying" movies, they typically think about buying movies they've never seen. But if you think you're going to get greatness, how much of a blind buy is that? We talked more about that on the chat, but in this episode, I'm joined by Simon Watson of the Extra Features podcast, and we discuss a multitude of subjects before getting to our respective blind buys for this episode, 1972's "The Stepmother" for me, and 2003's "Kung Phooey!" for Simon. I hope you enjoy!

After a slight delay, the "Established Classics" series continues, and begins the 2023 podcast year. As always, I am joined by actor Timothy J. Cox to discuss three terrific classics from Hollywood's Golden Age. This year, we begin with Preston Sturges's 1941 classic, "Sullivan's Travels". Next, we discuss Elia Kazan's Oscar-winning masterpiece, "On the Waterfront" before concluding with Alexander Mackendrick's "Sweet Smell of Success". I hope you enjoy!