Podcasts about Gotta Have It

Send us a textOn the podcast this time, Steven and Sean are learning a lot about what it takes to be a decent guy. We watched the 1986 film from Spike Lee, She's Gotta Have It.Honestly, I'm not joking about that first sentence. I believe that Steven and I are nowhere near as bad as Jamie, Greer, and Mars. Watching them is enough to send a chill down one's spine. They are a cautionary tale to men everywhere.Nola deserves better than them, and I hope that one day she finds it. What we did was find and talk about a phenomenal director's excellent first film. Enjoy!(Recorded on April 09, 2025)Links to Stuff We Mentioned:She's Gotta Have It - The Movie Database (TMDB)She's Gotta Have It trailer - YouTubeSpike Lee — The Movie Database (TMDB)Tracy Camilla Johns — The Movie Database (TMDB)Tommy Redmond Hicks — The Movie Database (TMDB)John Canada Terrell — The Movie Database (TMDB)Raye Dowell — The Movie Database (TMDB)Follow Us:Give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Sean's Letterboxd profile!Steven's Letterboxd profile!Our Buzzsprout site!Our Instagram profile!Support the show

A day late, but not a dollar short! In Episode 107, J & L discuss the horror-effort Imaginary (2024), getting into the many disconnected subplots, what genre the film could've really benefitted from, and the fact that this film is a movie that just...happens. Ideas and concepts, y'all. Ideas and concepts...Disclaimer: We love you, DeWanda Wise (and Issa Rae)!!! And we know it's pronounced MAHN-guh—y'all know's J's heart. Timestamps4:04 - Negronomicon32:14 - Crit01:20:52 - Final CurlsGems from E107Imaginary (2024)Sinners (2025)Fruitvale Station (2013)Black Panther (2018)Love & Basketball (2000)The Substance (2024)The People Under the Stairs (1991)Get Out (2017)Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)A Minecraft Movie (2025)Despicable Me 3 (2017)Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)The X-Files (1993, television series)The Twilight Zone (2019, television series)Muder, She Wrote (1984, television series)Black Mirror (2011, television series)The Woman in the Yard (2025)Truth or Dare (2018)Kick Ass 2 (2013)The Curse of Bridge Hollow (2022)Ted (2012)She's Gotta Have It (2017, television series)Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)Coraline (2009)Don't Look Under the Bed (1999)Hide and Seek (2005)The Front Room (2024)Heart Eyes (2025)Companion (2025)Parasite (2019)Deep Blue Sea (1999)Pan's Labyrinth (2006)The Boogeyman (2023)The Monkey (2025)Danger Girl (upcoming film)Charlie's Angels (2000)Totally Spies (2001, animated series)Resident Evil: Village (2021, video game)Monster's We Make (CoryxKenshin, New Edyn Press, 2024, Print)Support the show

Lynn Nottage is joined by Soo Hugh for a conversation about approaches to adaptation for the screen, improving work-life balance by recentering collaboration, building the writers room for a show that spans several languages, countries, and times, and much more.  Soo Hugh is a writer, showrunner and producer who cut her screenwriting teeth as a staff writer on shows like the AMC crime drama The Killing, the CBS sci-fi series Under the Dome. She then went on to serve as creator and showrunner for ABC's 2015 sci-fi series The Whispers and as the co-showrunner for the first season of the AMC supernatural anthology The Terror. She is currently the showrunner, writer, executive producer, and visionary behind the drama series Pachinko, based on the international bestselling novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee. Told in three languages – Korean, Japanese, and English – Pachinko follows the hopes and dreams of four generations of a Korean immigrant family as they leave their homeland in an indomitable quest to survive and thrive.  Season 1 received the Peabody Entertainment Award, a Critics Choice Television Award for best foreign language series, an Independent Spirit Award for best ensemble cast in a scripted series, a Gotham Award for Breakthrough Series, and was notably elected as one of AFI's TV programs of the year. The series debuted on Apple TV+ in March 2022, and the highly anticipated season two premiered globally last summer. This episode is moderated by Lynn Nottage. Lynn is a screenwriter, playwright and installation artist. She is the first, and remains the only, woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice – for her plays Sweat and Ruined. As a screenwriter she was a writer and producer on the Netflix series She's Gotta Have It and a consulting producer on the third season of the Apple TV+ series Dickinson. --- Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews: www.onwriting.org/ Follow the Guild on social media: Twitter: @OnWritingWGAE | @WGAEast Facebook: /WGAEast Instagram: @WGAEast  

Pete Chatmon is one of those select few directors who is constantly working as a director on TV episodes from Ghosts, to Yellowjackets, Chicago Fire, and lots more. He's the host of the podcast Let's Shoot.Matt and Oren quiz Pete on how he sets people up to receive feedback and tough notes. And Pete talks about the importance of knowing what does not work, even though you thought it might. Off which , Oren shares how some brutal feedback changed his career for the better. But unsolicited honest feedback... hmm what about that? That's a tough one. And the guys go deep into this from both sides, giving and receiving. Like real deep. And they talk about what happens when the response to your note is "I'm not doing that."But first, Matt talks about his latest shoot with Major League Baseball (MLB) superstars and what happens when you ask them to sing!---Get a great deal on Magic Mind! https://magicmind.com/shootit NEW LINK!!Matt's Endorsement: Watch the early works of your favorite directors, like "She's Gotta Have It", Spike Lee's first film.Oren's Endorsement: The podcast "Song Exploder" https://songexploder.net/episodes Also, once an avocado is ripe, if you're not ready to eat it, you can put it in the refrigerator.Pete's Endorsement: The podcast "What Went Wrong" https://www.whatwentwrongpod.com/ Get bonus content on Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On March 20, 1957, director, producer, and writer Spike Lee was born in Atlanta. Born Shelton Jackson Lee, he became an amateur filmmaker by the age of 20 and built an impressive career with groundbreaking films that challenged social and racial issues in America. Lee gained widespread recognition with “She's Gotta Have It” (1986) and “Do the Right Thing” (1989), the latter earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay in 1990. Known for his provocative storytelling, he continued to create impactful films such as “Malcolm X” (1992) and “BlacKkKlansman” (2018), the latter winning him his first competitive Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2020, Lee directed “Da 5 Bloods,” a critically acclaimed Netflix film starring Delroy Lindo and Jonathan Majors. Throughout his career, Spike Lee has remained a vital voice in cinema, pushing boundaries and addressing social justice through his powerful storytelling. Happy birthday to the legendary Spike Lee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drama & Historical Movie Reactions! (Tuesdays) BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY... Visit http://www.liquidiv.com & use Promo Code: REJECTS to get 20% off your first order. Visit https://huel.com/rejects & receive 15% off your order. PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/thereelrejects Follow Us On Socials:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/  Tik-Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thereelrejects?lang=en Twitter: https://x.com/thereelrejects Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ Aaron Alexander & Andrew Gordon return for another Historical / Drama Tuesday as they give their First Time Reaction, Commentary, Analysis, Breakdown, & Full Movie Spoiler Review for the Eponymous 1992 Spike Lee Joint telling the life story of Activist & Civil Rights Leader, Malcolm X. The film stars Denzel Washington (Training Day, Antoine Fisher, Gladiator II) as Malcolm Little aka el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz aka Malcolm X along with Angela Bassett (Black Panther, Strange Days) as Betty Shabazz, Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods, Get Shorty) as West Indian Archie, Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, She's Gotta Have It) as Shorty, Albert Hall (Apocalypse Now) as Bains, & Al Freeman Jr. (Roots: The Next Generations) as Elijah Muhammad, along with appearances from Theresa Randle (Bad Boys, Spawn, Space Jam), Karen Allen (Indiana Jones / Raiders of the Lost Ark), John David Washington (Tenet, BlakKklansman), Christopher Plummer (Knives Out), Reverend Al Sharpton, Bobby Seale, Nelson Mandela, Ossie Davis (Grumpy Old Me, Bubba Ho-Tep), & More. Aaron & Andrew React to all the Wrenching Scenes & Most Powerful Moments including the God is Black Scene, Converting to Islam Scene, Marching to the Hospital Scene, We Were Black Scene, Pilgrimage to Mecca Scene, I Am Malcolm X Scene, Who Taught You To Hate Yourself, By Any Means Necessary, & Beyond. Follow Aaron On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealaaronalexander/?hl=en Follow Andrew Gordon on Socials:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieSource Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/agor711/?hl=en Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Agor711 Support The Channel By Getting Some REEL REJECTS Apparel! https://www.rejectnationshop.com/ Music Used In Manscaped Ad:  Hat the Jazz by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ POWERED BY @GFUEL Visit https://gfuel.ly/3wD5Ygo and use code REJECTNATION for 20% off select tubs!! Head Editor: https://www.instagram.com/praperhq/?hl=en Co-Editor: Greg Alba Co-Editor: John Humphrey Music In Video: Airport Lounge - Disco Ultralounge by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Ask Us A QUESTION On CAMEO: https://www.cameo.com/thereelrejects Follow TheReelRejects On FACEBOOK, TWITTER, & INSTAGRAM:  FB:  https://www.facebook.com/TheReelRejects/ INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/reelrejects/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thereelrejects Follow GREG ON INSTAGRAM & TWITTER: INSTAGRAM:  https://www.instagram.com/thegregalba/ TWITTER:  https://twitter.com/thegregalba Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Which players and teams in the NFL excel in the "Gotta Have It" moments full 824 Fri, 17 Jan 2025 18:51:28 +0000 qm90hazQm3B9bu1fYr7cgeTGd2dYGkpV nfl,sports The K&C Masterpiece nfl,sports Which players and teams in the NFL excel in the "Gotta Have It" moments K&C Masterpiece on 105.3 The Fan 2024 © 2021 Audacy, Inc. Sports False https://player.amperw

Check out this podcast replay of the SDCF Virtual Panel: Demystifying Pre-Production with Knud Adams, Maija García, and Delicia Turner Sonnenberg. This conversation focuses on the pre-production process, giving insights and a better understanding of all the things that happen between when a director signs a contract and first rehearsal. The panelists talked about what they have discovered over the years makes for the strongest pre-production process for them before rehearsals begin. Transcript available upon request. We hosted this panel in June 2024. Knud Adams is an Obie-winning director of artful new plays, based in New York. This season, he's directing English on Broadway. His work has been featured on "Best of the Year" lists by The New York Times, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, and The Washington Post. An avid developer of new work, his world-premiere productions include: Primary Trust (Roundabout), English (Atlantic/Roundabout), Bodies They Ritual (Clubbed Thumb), Private (Mosaic), The Headlands (LCT3), Paris (Atlantic), and The Workshop (Soft Focus). Knud also directed the radio play Vapor Trail, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Maija García is a theater director, cultural innovator and advocate for equity in the arts. She recently directed I am Betty, a world premiere hit new musical at History Theater by Cristina Luzarrága and Denise Prosek; VALOR, a Spanish golden-age play by Ana Caro; and OUR HOOD, a bi-lingual cineplay by John Leguizamo. Director of Movement for Spike Lee's Oscar award-winning Blackkklansman, CHI-RAQ and She's Gotta Have It on Netflix, and Executive Producer of Art of Dance, a documentary film, García's Theater Directing credits include Bill T. Jones' FELA! World Tour; CRANE: on earth in sky by Heather Henson and Ty Defoe and Salsa Mambo Cha Cha Cha in La Habana Cuba. Regional Theater credits include original choreography for West Side Story at the Guthrie Theater; Kiss My Aztec by John Leguizamo and Tony Toccone at Berkeley Rep, and La Jolla Playhouse; Snow in Midsummer by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig at Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Cuba Libre by Carlos Lacámara at Artists Repertory Theater (PAMTA Award); and Fats Waller Dance Party with Jason Moran and Meshell N'degeocello at Harlem Stage, SF Jazz and the Kennedy Center. Garcia founded Organic Magnetics to generate urban folklore for the future. She wrote, produced and directed Ghosts of Manhattan: 1512-2012, an interactive history and I am New York: Juan Rodriguez. Director of Education and Professional Training at Guthrie Theater, Maija served on the Tony Award Nominating Committee and is a proud member of SDC since 2008.  Delicia Turner Sonnenberg is a director, artistic leader, teacher, and mother. She is a founder and the former Artistic Director of MOXIE Theatre, which she helmed for twelve acclaimed seasons. Delicia has directed plays for the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego REP, La Jolla Playhouse, Actors Theatre of Louisville Humana Festival, Cygnet Theatre, New Village Arts, and Diversionary Theatre, among others. Delicia has directed countless workshops and staged readings of new plays for National New Play Network, Old Globe, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, San Diego REP, and Arena Stage. Delicia was twice a recipient of the Van Lier Directing Fellowship through Second Stage Theatre in New York and is an alumna of the New York Drama League's Directors Program, as well as Theatre Communication Group's New Generations Program.

Bloody hell. The world has changed, society looks different, and men and women have to find new ways of relating to each other. We're not equipped for this. Sanjana Ramachandran and Samarth Bansal join Amit Varma in episode 401 of The Seen and the Unseen to discuss how meeting and mating are both easier and, well, harder. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Sanjana Ramachandran on Twitter, Instagram, Substack, LinkedIn , FiftyTwo and her own website. 2. Samarth Bansal on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and his own website. 3. The Reflections of Samarth Bansal -- Episode 299 of The Seen and the Unseen. 4. The Romantic Idiot -- Samarth Bansal. 5. Thirty and Thriving -- Samarth Bansal. 6. The Namesakes -- Sanjana Ramachandran. 7. The 'Woman-Math' Of A 31-Year-Old, Unmarried, Bengaluru Woman -- Sanjana Ramachandran. 8. Society of the Snow -- JA Bayona. 9. Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil — Hannah Arendt. 10. This Be The Verse — Philip Larkin. 11. Quarterlife: The Search for Self in Early Adulthood -- Satya Doyle Byock. 12. A Godless Congregation — Amit Varma. 13. What's Consolation For An Atheist? -- Amit Varma. 14. Molecules Of Emotion --  Candace B Pert. 15. Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. 15. Womaning in India With Mahima Vashisht — Episode 293 of The Seen and the Unseen. 16. Scenes From a Marriage -- Ingmar Bergman. 17. Behave -- Robert Sapolsky. 18. Don't think too much of yourself. You're an accident — Amit Varma's column on Chris Cornell's death. 19. Determined -- Robert Sapolsky. 20. The Loneliness of the Indian Woman — Episode 259 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shrayana Bhattacharya). 21. The Loneliness of the Indian Man — Episode 303 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Nikhil Taneja). 22. Reinventing Love -- Mona Chollet. 23. Sex Is Not a Spectrum -- Colin Wright. 24. Understanding the Sex Binary -- Colin Wright. 25. The Naturalistic Fallacy. 26. The Double ‘Thank You' Moment — John Stossel. 27. Bad Faith in Existentialism. 28. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. 29. Whiplash -- Damien Chazelle. 30. Narendra Modi takes a Great Leap Backwards — Amit Varma on Demonetisation. 31. Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative. 32. The Gulag Archipelago — Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. 33. I Am The Best -- The Shah Rukh Khan song from Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. 34. The Madonna–Whore Complex. 35. Ranbir Kapoor on Nikhil Kamath's show. 36. Tamasha -- Imtiaz Ali. 37. Manic Pixie Dream Girl. 38. The Art of Podcasting -- Episode 49 of Everything Everything. 39. Anatomy of a Fall — Justine Triet. 40. Anatomy of a Folly — Amit Varma. 41. Marriage Story -- Noah Baumbach. 42. The Abyss and Other Stories — Leonid Andreyev. 43. Amit Varma's BTS reel as Gitanjali. 44. Peter Cat Recording Co. on Spotify, YouTube, Instagram and their own website. 45. The Life and Times of the Indian Economy -- Episode 387 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rajeswari Sengupta). 46. Lant Pritchett Is on Team Prosperity — Episode 379 of The Seen and the Unseen. 47. How to Do Development -- Episode 57 of Everything is Everything. 48. The Pleasures and Pains of Coffee — Honoré de Balzac. 49. Sasha's 'Newsletter' -- Sasha Chapin. 50. The Evolution of Desire -- David Buss. 51. Modern Family and Friends. 52. Eve Fairbanks Examines a Fractured Society -- Episode 398 of The Seen and the Unseen. 53. The Flirting Trap — Eve Fairbanks. (Scroll down on that page for this piece). 54. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind -- Michel Gondry. 55. The Bookshop Romeo -- Amit Varma. 56. The Stranger -- Albert Camus. 57. When Harry Met Sally... -- Rob Reiner. 58. Annie Hall -- Woody Allen. 59. Late Admissions: Confessions of a Black Conservative -- Glenn Loury. 60. Rob Henderson's tweet on Glenn Loury's book. 61. The Game -- Neil Strauss. 62. On Flirting -- Rega Jha. 63. Notting Hill -- Roger Michell. 64. Postcards From Utsav Mamoria -- Episode 376 of The Seen and the Unseen. 65. Malini Goyal is the Curious One — Episode 377 of The Seen and the Unseen. 66. Unboxing Bengaluru — Malini Goyal and Prashanth Prakash. 67. Indian Matchmaking -- Created by Smriti Mundhra. 68. High Fidelity -- Nick Hornby. 69. Third Place. 70. The Pineapple Game. 71. The Razor's Edge -- W Somerset Maugham. 72. Anna Karenina -- Leo Tolstoy. 73. Mating in Captivity -- Esther Perel. 74. The State Of Affairs -- Esther Perel. 75. The Poly Couple of YouTube and Instagram. 75. The School of Life. 76. Early Indians — Tony Joseph. 77. Tony Joseph's episode on The Seen and the Unseen. 78. Who We Are and How We Got Here — David Reich. 79. Eden Project: In Search of the Magical Other -- James Hollis. 80. Fallen Leaves -- Aki Kaurismäki. 81. I hired a Contract Killer -- Aki Kaurismäki. 82. Manhattan, Husbands and Wives, Crimes and Misdemeanors & Bullets Over Broadway -- Woody Allen. 83. New York Stories -- Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorcese. 84. Running with Scissors -- Augusten Burroughs. 85. Aftersun -- Charlotte Wells. 86. Elena Ferrante on Amazon. 87. Bloodline -- Todd Kessler, Glenn Kessler & Daniel Zelman. 88. Sex and the City -- Darren Star, based on Candace Bushnell's columns and book. 89. She's Gotta Have It -- Spike Lee. 90. She Said -- Maria Schrader. 91. The Take on YouTube. 92. Succession's Shiv - The Real “Woman Problem" in Business -- The Take. 93. We Are All Amits From Africa — Episode 343 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Krish Ashok and Naren Shenoy). 92. You're Ugly and You're Hairy and You're Covered in Shit but You're Mine and I Love You -- Episode 362 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Krish Ashok and Naren Shenoy). 93. Dance Dance For the Halva Waala — Episode 294 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Jai Arjun Singh and Subrat Mohanty). 94. The Adda at the End of the Universe — Episode 309 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vikram Sathaye and Roshan Abbas). This episode is sponsored by The 6% Club, which will get you from idea to launch in 45 days! Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new course called Life Lessons, which aims to be a launchpad towards learning essential life skills all of you need. For more details, and to sign up, click here. Amit and Ajay also bring out a weekly YouTube show, Everything is Everything. Have you watched it yet? You must! And have you read Amit's newsletter? Subscribe right away to The India Uncut Newsletter! It's free! Also check out Amit's online course, The Art of Clear Writing. Episode art: ‘Meetings and Matings' by Simahina.

The gang spends one hot day in Bed-Stuy this week, as they review the classic Spike Lee film, Do The Right Thing (1989). Spike Lee sort of stars in his 3rd feature after She's Gotta Have It and School Daze, taking place on a sweltering humid day in Brooklyn. Sal's Pizzeria is a standard eatery and hang out spot in the neighborhood until it becomes the site of a perceived racial injustice. Featuring a cast of characters that are super memorable, and a cast of actors that is a variatble who's who of Hollywood go-to's, this movie should be required viewing for sheer entertainment, and the complex social messaging wrapping it all together. No Tyler this week, so tune in to hear Joseph and Tyler's take on the classic film. Visit the YouTube channel Saturdays @ 12:30 PM Pacific to get in on the live stream!Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI1lVsk1xjMSBgZK82uAzgQThis Episode:https://youtu.be/g8N1JmMpgFchttp://www.MCFCpodcast.comhttps://www.twitch.tv/MCFCpodcasthttp://www.facebook.com/MCFCpodcasthttp://www.twitter.com/podcastMCFChttp://www.tiktok.com/middleclassfilmclasshttp://www.instagram.com/middleclassfilmclass   Email: MCFCpodcast@gmail.comLeave us a voicemail at (209) 730-6010Merch store - https://middle-class-film-class.creator-spring.com/    Join the Patreon:www.patreon.con/middleclassfilmclass Patrons:JavierJoel ShinnemanLinda McCalisterHeather Sachs https://twitter.com/DorkOfAllDorksChris GeigerDylanMitch Burns Robert Stewart JasonAndrew Martin Dallas Terry Jack Fitzpatrick Mackenzie MinerBinge Daddy DanAngry Otter (Michael)The Maple Syrup Don: StephenJoseph Navarro     Pete Abeyta  and Tyler Noe

In this episode, Anna Smith welcomes film critic Corrina Antrobus back to Girls On Film to discuss her brand new book, I Love Romcoms and I am a Feminist: A Manifesto in 100 Romcoms. Anna is also joined by film critic Jo-Ann Titmarsh who shares her highlights direct from the Venice International Film Festival. First up, Corrina begins by discussing two Girls On Film romcom favourites - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and She's Gotta Have It, which both feature in our pod's intro jingle. She highlights the romcoms that have often been overlooked in the genre, as well as the underlying feminism of the popular, mainstream romcoms which are often dismissed as anti-feminist. Corrina also notes the importance of diverse representation and some of the challenges of finding examples of trans romances in the romcom genre, but that by pushing for change, she has hope that things will change. **Note that there are mild spoilers for classic romcoms in this segment.** Next up, Jo-Ann shares the exciting buzz of this year's Venice International Film Festival and discusses her festival favourites. She notes how this year's fest consists of all-out glamour and fabulous women rocking the red carpet and discusses her film highlights, including her top performances by women including Nicole Kidman, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton and Angelina Jolie. She notes the films to look out for, and ends by discussing the long-awaited sequel to Beetlejuice. You can buy Corrina Antrobus's book I Love Romcoms and I am a Feminist: A Manifesto in 100 Romcoms at most book retailers including Waterstones, Blackwells, WH Smith and Amazon. Films mentioned in this episode: Wolfs (Jon Watts) Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks) - Rent on Google Play, Apple TV, Prime Video She's Gotta Have It (Spike Lee) - Netflix Rye Lane (Raine Allen Miller) - DisneyPlus Palm Springs (Max Barbakow) - Prime Video While You Were Sleeping (Jon Turteltaub) - DisneyPlus Pretty Woman (Garry Marshall) - DisneyPlus Magic Mike XXL (Gregory Jacobs) - Prime Video, Apple TV Kissing Jessica Stein (Charles Herman-Wurmfeld) - Rent on YouTube, Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play But I'm a Cheerleader (Jamie Babbit) - Prime Video Happiest Season (Clea DuVall) - Rent on YouTube, Prime Video A Room Next Door (Pedro Almodovar) - Releases 25 October 2024 Babygirl (Halina Reijn). Releases 10 January 2025 Maria (Pablo Larraín) I'm Still Here (Walter Salles) Familiar Touch (Sarah Friedland) Queer (Luca Guadagnino) The Wire (created by David Simon) - Sky, NowTV The Office (US version developed by Greg Daniels) - Netflix, Sky, NowTV, Prime Video Birdman (Alejandro González Iñárritu) - DisneyPlus Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (Tim Burton) - In cinemas Beetlejuice (Tim Burton) - Netflix, Prime Video Firebrand (Karim Aïnouz) - In cinemas His Three Daughters (Azazel Jacobs) - In cinemas Lee (Ellen Kuras) - In cinemas The Queen of My Dreams (Fawzia Mirza) - Releases 13 September 2024 Sign up to the Girls On Film newsletter below: http://eepurl.com/iEKaM-/ or email girlsonfilmsocial@gmail.com to be signed up. Become a patron of Girls On Film on Patreon here: www.patreon.com/girlsonfilmpodcast Follow us on socials: www.instagram.com/girlsonfilm_podcast/ www.facebook.com/girlsonfilmpodcast www.twitter.com/GirlsOnFilm_Pod www.twitter.com/annasmithjourno Watch Girls On Film on the BFI's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX…L89QKZsN5Tgr3vn7z Girls On Film is an HLA production. Host: Anna Smith Executive Producer: Hedda Lornie Archbold Assistant Producer: Jade Evans Intern: Anna Swartz Audio editor: Elliana Jay Hamer House band: MX Tyrants © HLA Agency

To wrap up our series, we're closing with director Spike Lee and actor Samuel L. Jackson. Lee spoke with Terry Gross in 2017 about growing up in Brooklyn and his acting and directorial debut, the 1986 movie She's Gotta Have It. In 2000, Jackson talked about playing tough guys, watching movies in segregated theaters, and nearly dying on the New York subway.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

To wrap up our series, we're closing with director Spike Lee and actor Samuel L. Jackson. Lee spoke with Terry Gross in 2017 about growing up in Brooklyn and his acting and directorial debut, the 1986 movie She's Gotta Have It. In 2000, Jackson talked about playing tough guys, watching movies in segregated theaters, and nearly dying on the New York subway.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Send us a Text Message.10:00 PM | Tears for Fears | Pale Shelter10:05 PM | MJ Lenderman | She's Leaving You 10:10 PM | Brendan Benson | Tiny Spark 10:14 PM | SASAMI | Honeycrash 10:17 PM | Ginger Root | All Night10:20 PM | The Sugarcubes | Hit10:26 PM | The Clash | Police & Thieves 10:32 PM | The Motors | Dancing the Night Away10:41 PM | Fleetwood Mac | Heroes Are Hard To Find 10:44 PM | Andras Jones | Dylan & Moses 10:48 PM | BLEAKNEY | House of Pain 10:53 PM | T.J. Stone | She's Gotta Have It

Director Spike Lee's first feature-length film, "She's Gotta Have It," premiered in theaters on August 8, 1986. "She's Gotta Have It" is a comedy that follows Nola Darling, a free-spirited Black woman living in Brooklyn, New York, and her relationships with three suitors. Lee himself appears in the film as one of those suitors, a bike messenger named Mars Blackmon. Among Lee's other notable works are "Do the Right Thing" and "School Daze," his second and third feature-length films. "Do the Right Thing" earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Through his production company, 40 Acres and a Mule, Lee has produced dozens of films—many of them known as "Spike Lee joints"—since the 1980s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a Text Message.This week, we are celebrating the 35th Anniversary of Nick's favorite film, Do The Right Thing (a Spike Lee Joint). Picking a mere three films from Spike's prolific filmography would be an impossible task. Thus, we've decided to explore the jaw-droopingly impressive first three films from Mr. Lee. We open with his audacious and sultry debut feature film, She's Gotta Have It.Second, we do a deep dive into Spike's dense and wildly entertaining sophomore effort, School Daze.Finally, we celebrate Do The Right Thing with an appropriate amount of gushing. Nick also dives deep into some of the technical aspects that make this classic soar. We'd love to hear your thoughts on these films and Spike's career. Support the Show.Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive Bonus Content.Follow the podcast on Instagram @gimmethreepodcastYou can keep up with Bella on Instagram @portraitofacinephile or Letterboxd You can keep up with Nick: on Instagram @nicholasybarra, on Twitter (X) @nicholaspybarra, or on LetterboxdShout out to contributor and producer Sonja Mereu. A special thanks to Anselm Kennedy for creating Gimme Three's theme music. And another special thanks to Zoe Baumann for creating our exceptional cover art.

A live taping of “Below the Line,” at LESFF 2024. ‘Sexperts' from all corners of the industry have brought some of their favorite funny, sexy, and steamy scenes to watch and discuss! Panelists include DeWanda Wise, (She's Gotta Have It), Edy Modica, (Jury Duty), Roger Kumble (Dir. Cruel Intentions), and Amy Northup (Intimacy Coordinator, Stress Positions, Fire Island). Moderated by NY Times writer Gina Cherelus, our panel chats about the role that sex plays in storytelling and dives into how today's creators are pushing the boundaries and overturning cinematic sex-pectations.

Mike and Jess welcome Seth back to discuss the seventh and final episode of season 1 of Ted, “He's Gotta Have It.” While the episode centers on Johnny's quest to lose his virginity before prom, it delves into much deeper themes—like why you should never sit on top of a moving vehicle. Join us next week for the last episode of our series, Talking Ted presented by Bear Fight Whiskey, where we'll wrap up our thoughts on the first season of Ted, look forward to the second season, and perhaps have something special to sip on. Check out Bear Fight Whiskey's amazing drink recipes on their website, and while you're there snag $20 off shipping to enjoy a bottle of your very own Bear Fight Whiskey so you can sip along with the hosts and guests! Go to https://www.BearFightWhiskey.com and enter code: BF20 at check out! Your hosts of Mission Log: The Orville have been granted Shore Leave to talk about the hit series Ted, by Seth MacFarlane, streaming now on Peacock. Join Mike Richards and Jessica Lynn Verdi for Talking Ted Presented by Bear Fight Whiskey as they invite you and actors from the show to explore each episode of the hit series. Visit our website for more information: https://podcasts.roddenberry.com/show/mission-log-the-orville/ Join our Roddenberry Podcasts community by becoming a Patreon member for as little as $1 a month! https://www.patreon.com/missionlog TALKING ted is produced by Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive produced by Eugene Roddeberry & John Champion.  Edited by Jessica Lynn Verdi Design by Scott White Mission Log: The Orville: https://www.x.com/ML_TheOrville Mike Richards: https://www.x.com/mrichards1701 Jessica Lynn Verdi: https://www.x.com/jessicalynnverdi We'll see you in the stars!

Perhaps the most poignant and heartfelt episode of season one, Mike & Jess discuss “Loud Night,” the episode where another inanimate object comes to life. They also talk to VFX master and creator of the application, ViewScreen, about is work with Ted, The Orville, Bad Robot, and so much more! Join us next week for, “He's Gotta Have It” with special guest, Seth MacFarlane! Visit their website to learn more about ViewScreen: https://viewscreen.com/ - Check out Bear Fight Whiskey's amazing drink recipes on their website, and while you're there snag $20 off shipping to enjoy a bottle of your very own Bear Fight Whiskey so you can sip along with the hosts and guests! Go to https://www.BearFightWhiskey.com and enter code: BF20 at check out!   Your hosts of Mission Log: The Orville have been granted Shore Leave to talk about the hit series Ted, by Seth MacFarlane, streaming now on Peacock. Join Mike Richards and Jessica Lynn Verdi for Talking Ted Presented by Bear Fight Whiskey as they invite you and actors from the show to explore each episode of the hit series.   Visit our website for more information: https://podcasts.roddenberry.com/show/mission-log-the-orville/   Join our Roddenberry Podcasts community by becoming a Patreon member for as little as $1 a month! https://www.patreon.com/missionlog   TALKING ted is produced by Roddenberry Entertainment. Executive produced by Eugene Roddeberry & John Champion.  Edited by Jessica Lynn Verdi Design by Scott White   Mission Log: The Orville: https://www.x.com/ML_TheOrville Mike Richards: https://www.x.com/mrichards1701 Jessica Lynn Verdi: https://www.x.com/jessicalynnverdi   We'll see you in the stars!

Tony Nominee Jocelyn Bioh is an Award-winning Ghanian-American playwright and actress. Her most recent play, JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING, is Tony-nominated for Best Play this season. Jocelyn's work can be seen across screen and stage. SCHOOL GIRLS; OR, THE AFRICAN MEAN GIRLS PLAY, won numerous awards including Lortel and Outer Critics Circle, and earned Drama Desk, Drama League, and Off-Broadway Alliance nominations. As an actress, Bioh received a Drama Desk nomination for IN THE BLOOD, and a Lortel nomination for her work in EVERYBODY. She is the Book writer for Broadway-bound musical GODDESS. Jocelyn has also written for TV on “Russian Doll”, Spike Lee's “She's Gotta Have It,” and “Tiny Beautiful Things.” In this episode, Jocelyn discusses the history and spirituality within hair braiding, the importance of originality in the American musical theater, and how her perspective on work and life has changed with motherhood. Jaja's African Hair Braiding History of Hair Braids Milton Hershey School

本期我和老周聊了聊近期我们看过的这两部电影。我对 The Book of Clarence 的简单记录：《 38: The Book of Clarence，不了解圣经不会影响你感受这部电影，但不懂黑人文化梗一定会》老周在《北方公园》上对 American Fiction 的评论：《美国小说》 究竟什么是黑人文学？  本期我们聊到的一些信息说明&补充：* 导演  Jeymes Samuel （节目中我有口误！） 2021 年的黑人西部片 The Harder They Fall 和 2013 年的短片 They Die By Dawn * Flannery O'Connor 的短篇小说 The Artificial N**** (1955)* Bamboozled (2000) by Spike Lee * 播客节目 Pop Culture Happy Hour 关于 American Fiction 的讨论 * 黑人YA 小说 The Hate U Gave (2017) by Angie Thomas， 我关于这部小说的读书记录 《22: The Hate U Gave: 让我们这个时代的流行文化和青少年文学成为行动主义力量》 * Spike Lee 的电影 She's Gotta Have It(1986), 2017 年改编为同名剧集* 黑人当代艺术家 Kara Walker 受到的批评* 在 YouTube 上制作流行文化评论视频的博主 Tee Noir Hammer Time Newsletter & 播客 Substack 地址： hidesssss.substack.com通过RSS订阅播客：https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/1282982.rss给主播写信：sonicelsa@gmail.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hidesssss.substack.com

Welcome to Bad Dad Rad Dad, where Kylie and Elliott talk about the movies they watch each week while searching for better cinematic dads. Along the way, they watch the third film from two directors (and go all in on them), reflect on cynical reflections of the times, and marvel at being in their romance era. This week's movies are: The Doom Generation (1995), The Sweet East (2023), She's Gotta Have It (1986), and Sometimes I Think About Dying (2023). Check out our announcement video and follow Snack Labs' InstagramFollow along onInstagram: @baddad.raddadLetterboxd: kylieburton Letterboxd: ElliottKuss Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trey's Table Season 3 Episode 10 The genius of Spike Lee Do the right thing. Malcolm X. Jungle Fever. Black Klansman. Spike Lee has firmly established himself as one of the greatest filmmakers of our time. The movies I just mentioned are the first ones you think about when his name is mentioned. In this podcast I'd like to focus on a few of his movies, which in my opinion don't get enough credit and attention. These films reflect the best of Spike Lee's creativity, humor and his passion for using cinema to raise consciousness about the pressing issues facing the African-American community. Spike Lee, born Shelton Jackson Lee on March 20, 1957, in Atlanta, Georgia. Lee's filmmaking journey began at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he honed his skills and developed his unique style. In 1986, he burst onto the scene with his breakthrough film, "She's Gotta Have It," a trailblazing independent feature that explored contemporary relationships and launched Lee's distinct voice. One of Spike Lee's defining characteristics as a filmmaker is his ability to tackle important social and political themes head-on. His films often provide thought-provoking commentary on race, identity, and the complexities of the African American experience.

In this episode of the show we are officially beginning our new long-term project where we will comprehensively go through the cinema of Spike Lee and there's only one way to begin such a journey, which is with his debut She's Gotta Have It. Over the course of our conversation you will hear us talk about how this movie, short as it may be, fosters a truly nuanced discussion, how it comments on different shades of feminism and how Spike Lee begins his lifelong mission of bringing the black experience to the cultural foreground. We also talk about Wizard of Oz, black-and-white cinematography as a vessel for people to connect with art and that Spike Lee's films may be better received if you pay very close attention to them. Tune in and enjoy! Hosts: Jakub Flasz & Randy Burrows Featuring: Jak-Luke Sharp Intro: Infraction - Cassette Outro: Infraction - Daydream Head over to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠uncutgemspodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to find all of our archival episodes and more! Follow us on Twitter (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UncutGemsPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠), IG (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UncutGemsPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Facebook (@UncutGemsPod) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Buy us a coffee over at Ko-Fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (ko-fi.com/uncutgemspod) ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (patreon.com/uncutgemspod)

In their first proper review of Beanie Sigel, Moulz & Mel find him creating through an era of tumult in their review of his third studio album, The B. Coming. SPECIAL GUEST REVIEWER: @Cam_Is_Like ---------------------------- Intro (0:00) -- The Rating System, Explained (11:52 - 14:33) -- The Rap Rankings Game (35:29) -- RAB Express: Redman, Redman Presents... Reggie (1:47:28) -- This Week In Moulz & Mel (2:27:19) -- The B. Coming Info (2:45:20) -- Track 1: "Feel It In The Air" (3:02:43) -- Cam's Cove Intro (3:43:56) -- Track 2: "I Can't Go On This Way" [w/ @Cam_Is_Like] (3:58:55) -- Cam's Cove Outro (4:38:48) -- Track 3: "One Shot Deal" (5:15:07) -- Track 4: "Gotta Have It" (5:34:19) -- Track 5: "Don't Stop" (5:47:36) -- Track 6: "Purple Rain" (5:56:20) -- Track 7: "Oh Daddy" (6:28:18) -- Track 8: "Change" (6:42:27) -- Track 9: "Bread & Butter" (6:56:24) -- Track 10: "Lord Have Mercy" (7:14:54) -- Track 11: "Flatline" (7:43:00) -- Track 12: "Tales Of A Hustler Pt. 2" (7:57:50) -- Track 13: "Look At Me Now" (8:06:58) -- Track 14: "It's On" (8:20:50) -- Track 15: "Wanted (On The Run)" (8:32:37) -- Ranking The B. Coming (8:45:28) -- Outro (8:48:16)

NINE-NINEWe've got one question... Do you like Phil Collins? Get ready for a deep dive into the dark and stylish world of American Psycho (2000) as we dissect the enigmatic Patrick Bateman. Join Lauren, Jared, and returning guest El'Ja Bowens for a thrilling discussion on this psychological thriller, exploring the film's satirical edge, haunting visuals, and Christian Bale's unforgettable performance.We'll unravel the layers of Bateman's psyche, discussing the blurred lines between reality and delusion, the cultural and intersectional commentary, and the film's enduring impact on pop culture.Sign Up for our NewsletterFind Us Onlinewww.scarycritpodcast.comTwitter @ScaryCritPodInstagram @ScaryCritPodThank you again to our lovely guest El'Ja! Buy his book hereFollow him on InstagramCheck out his website, Poetry-N-MotionTimestamps00:06:52 - Negronomicon00:57:06 - Crit02:13:2 9- Final CurlsGems from E99Five Nights at Freddy's (2023)Five Nights at Freddy's (2014, video game)Coraline (2009)Hereditary (2018)Mockingjay Part II (2015)Goosebumps (1995 - 1998)Slender: The 8 Pages (2012, video game)M3GAN (2023)Imaginary (2024)Channel Zero: The Dream Door (2018)Slasher (2016)The Murdoch Mysteries (2008 - Present)Inside Out (2015)She's Gotta Have It (2017 - 2019)Someone Great (2019)Jurassic World: Dominion (2022)The Harder They Fall (2021)Luigi's Mansion (2001)Pan's Labyrinth (2006)Scream VII (upcoming)Scream (1996)Scream 2 (1997)Scream 3 (2000)Scream 4 (2011)Scream (2022)Scream VI (2023)Wednesday (2022 - Present)Happy Death Day (2017)Cheers (1982 - 1993)The Cell (2000)American Psycho (2000)Charlie's Angels (2000)American Psycho (Bret Easton Ellis, Vintage, 1991, Print)The Real Housewives (2006, franchise)Henry: Portrait of a Serial Kiiller (1986)Dexter (2006 - 2013)Barbie (2023)Black Swan (2010)The Walking Dead (2010 - 2022)American Psycho 2Renaissance (2023)The Marvels (2023)Talking Black in America: Performance Traditions (2023)Talking Black in America: Roots (2022)Before: A Collection of Poems (Lejuane Bowens, Lulu, 2023, Print)Support the show

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley interviews "She's Gotta Have It" star Tracy Camilla Johns, who presents her new photography exhibit at the Laurel Museum in Laurel, Maryland now through Thanksgiving. They discuss her shift from acting to photography, as well as memories of Spike Lee's breakthrough 1986 film and how she hit rock bottom before her spiritual awakening. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WTOP Entertainment Reporter Jason Fraley interviews "She's Gotta Have It" star Tracy Camilla Johns, who presents her new photography exhibit at the Laurel Museum in Laurel, Maryland now through Thanksgiving. They discuss her shift from acting to photography, as well as memories of Spike Lee's breakthrough 1986 film and how she hit rock bottom before her spiritual awakening. (Theme Music: Scott Buckley's "Clarion") Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We finally complete our mini-series on the 1980s movies released by Miramax Films in 1989, a year that included sex, lies, and videotape, and My Left Foot. ----more---- TRANSCRIPT   From Los Angeles, California, the Entertainment Capital of the World, it's The 80s Movies Podcast. I am your host, Edward Havens. Thank you for listening today.   On this episode, we complete our look back at the 1980s theatrical releases for Miramax Films. And, for the final time, a reminder that we are not celebrating Bob and Harvey Weinstein, but reminiscing about the movies they had no involvement in making. We cannot talk about cinema in the 1980s without talking about Miramax, and I really wanted to get it out of the way, once and for all.   As we left Part 4, Miramax was on its way to winning its first Academy Award, Billie August's Pelle the Conquerer, the Scandinavian film that would be second film in a row from Denmark that would win for Best Foreign Language Film.   In fact, the first two films Miramax would release in 1989, the Australian film Warm Night on a Slow Moving Train and the Anthony Perkins slasher film Edge of Sanity, would not arrive in theatres until the Friday after the Academy Awards ceremony that year, which was being held on the last Wednesday in March.   Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train stars Wendy Hughes, the talented Australian actress who, sadly, is best remembered today as Lt. Commander Nella Daren, one of Captain Jean-Luc Picard's few love interests, on a 1993 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, as Jenny, a prostitute working a weekend train to Sydney, who is seduced by a man on the train, unaware that he plans on tricking her to kill someone for him. Colin Friels, another great Aussie actor who unfortunately is best known for playing the corrupt head of Strack Industries in Sam Raimi's Darkman, plays the unnamed man who will do anything to get what he wants.   Director Bob Ellis and his co-screenwriter Denny Lawrence came up with the idea for the film while they themselves were traveling on a weekend train to Sydney, with the idea that each client the call girl met on the train would represent some part of the Australian male.   Funding the $2.5m film was really simple… provided they cast Hughes in the lead role. Ellis and Lawrence weren't against Hughes as an actress. Any film would be lucky to have her in the lead. They just felt she she didn't have the right kind of sex appeal for this specific character.   Miramax would open the film in six theatres, including the Cineplex Beverly Center in Los Angeles and the Fashion Village 8 in Orlando, on March 31st. There were two versions of the movie prepared, one that ran 130 minutes and the other just 91. Miramax would go with the 91 minute version of the film for the American release, and most of the critics would note how clunky and confusing the film felt, although one critic for the Village Voice would have some kind words for Ms. Hughes' performance.   Whether it was because moviegoers were too busy seeing the winners of the just announced Academy Awards, including Best Picture winner Rain Man, or because this weekend was also the opening weekend of the new Major League Baseball season, or just turned off by the reviews, attendance at the theatres playing Warm Nights on a Slow Moving Train was as empty as a train dining car at three in the morning. The Beverly Center alone would account for a third of the movie's opening weekend gross of $19,268. After a second weekend at the same six theatres pocketing just $14,382, this train stalled out, never to arrive at another station.   Their other March 31st release, Edge of Sanity, is notable for two things and only two things: it would be the first film Miramax would release under their genre specialty label, Millimeter Films, which would eventually evolve into Dimension Films in the next decade, and it would be the final feature film to star Anthony Perkins before his passing in 1992.   The film is yet another retelling of the classic 1886 Robert Louis Stevenson story The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mister Hyde, with the bonus story twist that Hyde was actually Jack the Ripper. As Jekyll, Perkins looks exactly as you'd expect a mid-fifties Norman Bates to look. As Hyde, Perkins is made to look like he's a backup keyboardist for the first Nine Inch Nails tour. Head Like a Hole would have been an appropriate song for the end credits, had the song or Pretty Hate Machine been released by that time, with its lyrics about bowing down before the one you serve and getting what you deserve.   Edge of Sanity would open in Atlanta and Indianapolis on March 31st. And like so many other Miramax releases in the 1980s, they did not initially announce any grosses for the film. That is, until its fourth weekend of release, when the film's theatre count had fallen to just six, down from the previous week's previously unannounced 35, grossing just $9,832. Miramax would not release grosses for the film again, with a final total of just $102,219.   Now when I started this series, I said that none of the films Miramax released in the 1980s were made by Miramax, but this next film would become the closest they would get during the decade.   In July 1961, John Profumo was the Secretary of State for War in the conservative government of British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, when the married Profumo began a sexual relationship with a nineteen-year-old model named Christine Keeler. The affair was very short-lived, either ending, depending on the source, in August 1961 or December 1961. Unbeknownst to Profumo, Keeler was also having an affair with Yevgeny Ivanov, a senior naval attache at the Soviet Embassy at the same time.   No one was the wiser on any of this until December 1962, when a shooting incident involving two other men Keeler had been involved with led the press to start looking into Keeler's life. While it was never proven that his affair with Keeler was responsible for any breaches of national security, John Profumo was forced to resign from his position in June 1963, and the scandal would take down most of the Torie government with him. Prime Minister Macmillan would resign due to “health reasons” in October 1963, and the Labour Party would take control of the British government when the next elections were held in October 1964.   Scandal was originally planned in the mid-1980s as a three-part, five-hour miniseries by Australian screenwriter Michael Thomas and American music producer turned movie producer Joe Boyd. The BBC would commit to finance a two-part, three-hour miniseries,  until someone at the network found an old memo from the time of the Profumo scandal that forbade them from making any productions about it. Channel 4, which had been producing quality shows and movies for several years since their start in 1982, was approached, but rejected the series on the grounds of taste.   Palace Pictures, a British production company who had already produced three films for Neil Jordan including Mona Lisa, was willing to finance the script, provided it could be whittled down to a two hour movie. Originally budgeted at 3.2m British pounds, the costs would rise as they started the casting process.  John Hurt, twice Oscar-nominated for his roles in Midnight Express and The Elephant Man, would sign on to play Stephen Ward, a British osteopath who acted as Christine Keeler's… well… pimp, for lack of a better word. Ian McKellen, a respected actor on British stages and screens but still years away from finding mainstream global success in the X-Men movies, would sign on to play John Profumo. Joanne Whaley, who had filmed the yet to be released at that time Willow with her soon to be husband Val Kilmer, would get her first starring role as Keeler, and Bridget Fonda, who was quickly making a name for herself in the film world after being featured in Aria, would play Mandy Rice-Davies, the best friend and co-worker of Keeler's.   To save money, Palace Pictures would sign thirty-year-old Scottish filmmaker Michael Caton-Jones to direct, after seeing a short film he had made called The Riveter. But even with the neophyte feature filmmaker, Palace still needed about $2.35m to be able to fully finance the film. And they knew exactly who to go to.   Stephen Woolley, the co-founder of Palace Pictures and the main producer on the film, would fly from London to New York City to personally pitch Harvey and Bob Weinstein. Woolley felt that of all the independent distributors in America, they would be the ones most attracted to the sexual and controversial nature of the story. A day later, Woolley was back on a plane to London. The Weinsteins had agreed to purchase the American distribution rights to Scandal for $2.35m.   The film would spend two months shooting in the London area through the summer of 1988. Christine Keeler had no interest in the film, and refused to meet the now Joanne Whaley-Kilmer to talk about the affair, but Mandy Rice-Davies was more than happy to Bridget Fonda about her life, although the meetings between the two women were so secret, they would not come out until Woolley eulogized Rice-Davies after her 2014 death.   Although Harvey and Bob would be given co-executive producers on the film, Miramax was not a production company on the film. This, however, did not stop Harvey from flying to London multiple times, usually when he was made aware of some sexy scene that was going to shoot the following day, and try to insinuate himself into the film's making. At one point, Woolley decided to take a weekend off from the production, and actually did put Harvey in charge. That weekend's shoot would include a skinny-dipping scene featuring the Christine Keeler character, but when Whaley-Kilmer learned Harvey was going to be there, she told the director that she could not do the nudity in the scene. Her new husband was objecting to it, she told them. Harvey, not skipping a beat, found a lookalike for the actress who would be willing to bare all as a body double, and the scene would begin shooting a few hours later. Whaley-Kilmer watched the shoot from just behind the camera, and stopped the shoot a few minutes later. She was not happy that the body double's posterior was notably larger than her own, and didn't want audiences to think she had that much junk in her trunk. The body double was paid for her day, and Whaley-Kilmer finished the rest of the scene herself.   Caton-Jones and his editing team worked on shaping the film through the fall, and would screen his first edit of the film for Palace Pictures and the Weinsteins in November 1988. And while Harvey was very happy with the cut, he still asked the production team for a different edit for American audiences, noting that most Americans had no idea who Profumo or Keeler or Rice-Davies were, and that Americans would need to understand the story more right out of the first frame. Caton-Jones didn't want to cut a single frame, but he would work with Harvey to build an American-friendly cut.   While he was in London in November 1988, he would meet with the producers of another British film that was in pre-production at the time that would become another important film to the growth of the company, but we're not quite at that part of the story yet. We'll circle around to that film soon.   One of the things Harvey was most looking forward to going in to 1989 was the expected battle with the MPAA ratings board over Scandal. Ever since he had seen the brouhaha over Angel Heart's X rating two years earlier, he had been looking for a similar battle. He thought he had it with Aria in 1988, but he knew he definitely had it now.   And he'd be right.   In early March, just a few weeks before the film's planned April 21st opening day, the MPAA slapped an X rating on Scandal. The MPAA usually does not tell filmmakers or distributors what needs to be cut, in order to avoid accusations of actual censorship, but according to Harvey, they told him exactly what needed to be cut to get an R: a two second shot during an orgy scene, where it appears two background characters are having unsimulated sex.   So what did Harvey do?   He spent weeks complaining to the press about MPAA censorship, generating millions in free publicity for the film, all the while already having a close-up shot of Joanne Whaley-Kilmer's Christine Keeler watching the orgy but not participating in it, ready to replace the objectionable shot.   A few weeks later, Miramax screened the “edited” film to the MPAA and secured the R rating, and the film would open on 94 screens, including 28 each in the New York City and Los Angeles metro regions, on April 28th.   And while the reviews for the film were mostly great, audiences were drawn to the film for the Miramax-manufactured controversy as well as the key art for the film, a picture of a potentially naked Joanne Whaley-Kilmer sitting backwards in a chair, a mimic of a very famous photo Christine Keeler herself took to promote a movie about the Profumo affair she appeared in a few years after the events. I'll have a picture of both the Scandal poster and the Christine Keeler photo on this episode's page at The80sMoviePodcast.com   Five other movies would open that weekend, including the James Belushi comedy K-9 and the Kevin Bacon drama Criminal Law, and Scandal, with $658k worth of ticket sales, would have the second best per screen average of the five new openers, just a few hundred dollars below the new Holly Hunter movie Miss Firecracker, which only opened on six screens.   In its second weekend, Scandal would expand its run to 214 playdates, and make its debut in the national top ten, coming in tenth place with $981k. That would be more than the second week of the Patrick Dempsey rom-com Loverboy, even though Loverboy was playing on 5x as many screens.   In weekend number three, Scandal would have its best overall gross and top ten placement, coming in seventh with $1.22m from 346 screens. Scandal would start to slowly fade after that, falling back out of the top ten in its sixth week, but Miramax would wisely keep the screen count under 375, because Scandal wasn't going to play well in all areas of the country. After nearly five months in theatres, Miramax would have its biggest film to date. Scandal would gross $8.8m.   The second release from Millimeter Films was The Return of the Swamp Thing. And if you needed a reason why the 1980s was not a good time for comic book movies, here you are. The Return of the Swamp Thing took most of what made the character interesting in his comic series, and most of what was good from the 1982 Wes Craven adaptation, and decided “Hey, you know what would bring the kids in? Camp! Camp unseen in a comic book adaptation since the 1960s Batman series. They loved it then, they'll love it now!”   They did not love it now.   Heather Locklear, between her stints on T.J. Hooker and Melrose Place, plays the step-daughter of Louis Jourdan's evil Dr. Arcane from the first film, who heads down to the Florida swaps to confront dear old once presumed dead stepdad. He in turns kidnaps his stepdaughter and decides to do some of his genetic experiments on her, until she is rescued by Swamp Thing, one of Dr. Arcane's former co-workers who got turned into the gooey anti-hero in the first movie.   The film co-stars Sarah Douglas from Superman 1 and 2 as Dr. Arcane's assistant, Dick Durock reprising his role as Swamp Thing from the first film, and 1980s B-movie goddess Monique Gabrielle as Miss Poinsettia.   For director Jim Wynorski, this was his sixth movie as a director, and at $3m, one of the highest budgeted movies he would ever make. He's directed 107 movies since 1984, most of them low budget direct to video movies with titles like The Bare Wench Project and Alabama Jones and the Busty Crusade, although he does have one genuine horror classic under his belt, the 1986 sci-fi tinged Chopping Maul with Kelli Maroney and Barbara Crampton.   Wynorski suggested in a late 1990s DVD commentary for the film that he didn't particularly enjoy making the film, and had a difficult time directing Louis Jourdan, to the point that outside of calling “action” and “cut,” the two didn't speak to each other by the end of the shoot.   The Return of Swamp Thing would open in 123 theatres in the United States on May 12th, including 28 in the New York City metro region, 26 in the Los Angeles area, 15 in Detroit, and a handful of theatres in Phoenix, San Francisco. And, strangely, the newspaper ads would include an actual positive quote from none other than Roger Ebert, who said on Siskel & Ebert that he enjoyed himself, and that it was good to have Swamp Thing back. Siskel would not reciprocate his balcony partner's thumb up. But Siskel was about the only person who was positive on the return of Swamp Thing, and that box office would suffer. In its first three days, the film would gross just $119,200. After a couple more dismal weeks in theatres, The Return of Swamp Thing would be pulled from distribution, with a final gross of just $275k.   Fun fact: The Return of Swamp Thing was produced by Michael E. Uslan, whose next production, another adaptation of a DC Comics character, would arrive in theatres not six weeks later and become the biggest film of the summer. In fact, Uslan has been a producer or executive producer on every Batman-related movie and television show since 1989, from Tim Burton to Christopher Nolan to Zack Snyder to Matt Reeves, and from LEGO movies to Joker. He also, because of his ownership of the movie rights to Swamp Thing, got the movie screen rights, but not the television screen rights, to John Constantine.   Miramax didn't have too much time to worry about The Return of Swamp Thing's release, as it was happening while the Brothers Weinstein were at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. They had two primary goals at Cannes that year:   To buy American distribution rights to any movie that would increase their standing in the cinematic worldview, which they would achieve by picking up an Italian dramedy called, at the time, New Paradise Cinema, which was competing for the Palme D'Or with a Miramax pickup from Sundance back in January. Promote that very film, which did end up winning the Palme D'Or.   Ever since he was a kid, Steven Soderbergh wanted to be a filmmaker. Growing up in Baton Rouge, LA in the late 1970s, he would enroll in the LSU film animation class, even though he was only 15 and not yet a high school graduate. After graduating high school, he decided to move to Hollywood to break into the film industry, renting an above-garage room from Stephen Gyllenhaal, the filmmaker best known as the father of Jake and Maggie, but after a few freelance editing jobs, Soderbergh packed up his things and headed home to Baton Rouge.   Someone at Atco Records saw one of Soderbergh's short films, and hired him to direct a concert movie for one of their biggest bands at the time, Yes, who was enjoying a major comeback thanks to their 1983 triple platinum selling album, 90125. The concert film, called 9012Live, would premiere on MTV in late 1985, and it would be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video.   Soderbergh would use the money he earned from that project, $7,500, to make Winston, a 12 minute black and white short about sexual deception that he would, over the course of an eight day driving trip from Baton Rouge to Los Angeles, expand to a full length screen that he would call sex, lies and videotape. In later years, Soderbergh would admit that part of the story is autobiographical, but not the part you might think. Instead of the lead, Graham, an impotent but still sexually perverse late twentysomething who likes to tape women talking about their sexual fantasies for his own pleasure later, Soderbergh based the husband John, the unsophisticated lawyer who cheats on his wife with her sister, on himself, although there would be a bit of Graham that borrows from the filmmaker. Like his lead character, Soderbergh did sell off most of his possessions and hit the road to live a different life.   When he finished the script, he sent it out into the wilds of Hollywood. Morgan Mason, the son of actor James Mason and husband of Go-Go's lead singer Belinda Carlisle, would read it and sign on as an executive producer. Soderbergh had wanted to shoot the film in black and white, like he had with the Winston short that lead to the creation of this screenplay, but he and Mason had trouble getting anyone to commit to the project, even with only a projected budget of $200,000. For a hot moment, it looked like Universal might sign on to make the film, but they would eventually pass.   Robert Newmyer, who had left his job as a vice president of production and acquisitions at Columbia Pictures to start his own production company, signed on as a producer, and helped to convince Soderbergh to shoot the film in color, and cast some name actors in the leading roles. Once he acquiesced, Richard Branson's Virgin Vision agreed to put up $540k of the newly budgeted $1.2m film, while RCA/Columbia Home Video would put up the remaining $660k.   Soderbergh and his casting director, Deborah Aquila, would begin their casting search in New York, where they would meet with, amongst others, Andie MacDowell, who had already starred in two major Hollywood pictures, 1984's Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, and 1985's St. Elmo's Fire, but was still considered more of a top model than an actress, and Laura San Giacomo, who had recently graduated from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in Pittsburgh and would be making her feature debut. Moving on to Los Angeles, Soderbergh and Aquila would cast James Spader, who had made a name for himself as a mostly bad guy in 80s teen movies like Pretty in Pink and Less Than Zero, but had never been the lead in a drama like this. At Spader's suggestion, the pair met with Peter Gallagher, who was supposed to become a star nearly a decade earlier from his starring role in Taylor Hackford's The Idolmaker, but had mostly been playing supporting roles in television shows and movies for most of the decade.   In order to keep the budget down, Soderbergh, the producers, cinematographer Walt Lloyd and the four main cast members agreed to get paid their guild minimums in exchange for a 50/50 profit participation split with RCA/Columbia once the film recouped its costs.   The production would spend a week in rehearsals in Baton Rouge, before the thirty day shoot began on August 1st, 1988. On most days, the shoot was unbearable for many, as temperatures would reach as high as 110 degrees outside, but there were a couple days lost to what cinematographer Lloyd said was “biblical rains.” But the shoot completed as scheduled, and Soderbergh got to the task of editing right away. He knew he only had about eight weeks to get a cut ready if the film was going to be submitted to the 1989 U.S. Film Festival, now better known as Sundance. He did get a temporary cut of the film ready for submission, with a not quite final sound mix, and the film was accepted to the festival. It would make its world premiere on January 25th, 1989, in Park City UT, and as soon as the first screening was completed, the bids from distributors came rolling in. Larry Estes, the head of RCA/Columbia Home Video, would field more than a dozen submissions before the end of the night, but only one distributor was ready to make a deal right then and there.   Bob Weinstein wasn't totally sold on the film, but he loved the ending, and he loved that the word “sex” not only was in the title but lead the title. He knew that title alone would sell the movie. Harvey, who was still in New York the next morning, called Estes to make an appointment to meet in 24 hours. When he and Estes met, he brought with him three poster mockups the marketing department had prepared, and told Estes he wasn't going to go back to New York until he had a contract signed, and vowed to beat any other deal offered by $100,000. Island Pictures, who had made their name releasing movies like Stop Making Sense, Kiss of the Spider-Woman, The Trip to Bountiful and She's Gotta Have It, offered $1m for the distribution rights, plus a 30% distribution fee and a guaranteed $1m prints and advertising budget. Estes called Harvey up and told him what it would take to make the deal. $1.1m for the distribution rights, which needed to paid up front, a $1m P&A budget, to be put in escrow upon the signing of the contract until the film was released, a 30% distribution fee, no cutting of the film whatsoever once Soderbergh turns in his final cut, they would need to provide financial information for the films costs and returns once a month because of the profit participation contracts, and the Weinsteins would have to hire Ira Deutchman, who had spent nearly 15 years in the independent film world, doing marketing for Cinema 5, co-founding United Artists Classics, and co-founding Cinecom Pictures before opening his own company to act as a producers rep and marketer. And the Weinsteins would not only have to do exactly what Deutchman wanted, they'd have to pay for his services too.   The contract was signed a few weeks later.   The first move Miramax would make was to get Soderbergh's final cut of the film entered into the Cannes Film Festival, where it would be accepted to compete in the main competition. Which you kind of already know what happened, because that's what I lead with. The film would win the Palme D'Or, and Spader would be awarded the festival's award for Best Actor. It was very rare at the time, and really still is, for any film to be awarded more than one prize, so winning two was really a coup for the film and for Miramax, especially when many critics attending the festival felt Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing was the better film.   In March, Miramax expected the film to make around $5-10m, which would net the company a small profit on the film. After Cannes, they were hopeful for a $15m gross.   They never expected what would happen next.   On August 4th, sex, lies, and videotape would open on four screens, at the Cinema Studio in New York City, and at the AMC Century 14, the Cineplex Beverly Center 13 and the Mann Westwood 4 in Los Angeles. Three prime theatres and the best they could do in one of the then most competitive zones in all America. Remember, it's still the Summer 1989 movie season, filled with hits like Batman, Dead Poets Society, Ghostbusters 2, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Lethal Weapon 2, Parenthood, Turner & Hooch, and When Harry Met Sally. An independent distributor even getting one screen at the least attractive theatre in Westwood was a major get. And despite the fact that this movie wasn't really a summertime movie per se, the film would gross an incredible $156k in its first weekend from just these four theatres. Its nearly $40k per screen average would be 5x higher than the next closest film, Parenthood.   In its second weekend, the film would expand to 28 theatres, and would bring in over $600k in ticket sales, its per screen average of $21,527 nearly triple its closest competitor, Parenthood again. The company would keep spending small, as it slowly expanded the film each successive week. Forty theatres in its third week, and 101 in its fourth. The numbers held strong, and in its fifth week, Labor Day weekend, the film would have its first big expansion, playing in 347 theatres. The film would enter the top ten for the first time, despite playing in 500 to 1500 fewer theatres than the other films in the top ten. In its ninth weekend, the film would expand to its biggest screen count, 534, before slowly drawing down as the other major Oscar contenders started their theatrical runs. The film would continue to play through the Oscar season of 1989, and when it finally left theatres in May 1989, its final gross would be an astounding $24.7m.   Now, remember a few moments ago when I said that Miramax needed to provide financial statements every month for the profit participation contracts of Soderbergh, the producers, the cinematographer and the four lead actors? The film was so profitable for everyone so quickly that RCA/Columbia made its first profit participation payouts on October 17th, barely ten weeks after the film's opening.   That same week, Soderbergh also made what was at the time the largest deal with a book publisher for the writer/director's annotated version of the screenplay, which would also include his notes created during the creation of the film. That $75,000 deal would be more than he got paid to make the movie as the writer and the director and the editor, not counting the profit participation checks.   During the awards season, sex, lies, and videotape was considered to be one of the Oscars front runners for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and at least two acting nominations. The film would be nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress by the Golden Globes, and it would win the Spirit Awards for Best Picture, Soderbergh for Best Director, McDowell for Best Actress, and San Giacomo for Best Supporting Actress. But when the Academy Award nominations were announced, the film would only receive one nomination, for Best Original Screenplay. The same total and category as Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, which many people also felt had a chance for a Best Picture and Best Director nomination. Both films would lose out to Tom Shulman's screenplay for Dead Poet's Society.   The success of sex, lies, and videotape would launch Steven Soderbergh into one of the quirkiest Hollywood careers ever seen, including becoming the first and only director ever to be nominated twice for Best Director in the same year by the Motion Picture Academy, the Golden Globes and the Directors Guild of America, in 2001 for directing Erin Brockovich and Traffic. He would win the Oscar for directing Traffic.   Lost in the excitement of sex, lies, and videotape was The Little Thief, a French movie that had an unfortunate start as the screenplay François Truffaut was working on when he passed away in 1984 at the age of just 52.   Directed by Claude Miller, whose principal mentor was Truffaut, The Little Thief starred seventeen year old Charlotte Gainsbourg as Janine, a young woman in post-World War II France who commits a series of larcenies to support her dreams of becoming wealthy.   The film was a modest success in France when it opened in December 1988, but its American release date of August 25th, 1989, was set months in advance. So when it was obvious sex, lies, and videotape was going to be a bigger hit than they originally anticipated, it was too late for Miramax to pause the release of The Little Thief.   Opening at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas in New York City, and buoyed by favorable reviews from every major critic in town, The Little Thief would see $39,931 worth of ticket sales in its first seven days, setting a new house record at the theatre for the year. In its second week, the gross would only drop $47. For the entire week. And when it opened at the Royal Theatre in West Los Angeles, its opening week gross of $30,654 would also set a new house record for the year.   The film would expand slowly but surely over the next several weeks, often in single screen playdates in major markets, but it would never play on more than twenty-four screens in any given week. And after four months in theatres, The Little Thief, the last movie created one of the greatest film writers the world had ever seen, would only gross $1.056m in the United States.   The next three releases from Miramax were all sent out under the Millimeter Films banner.   The first, a supernatural erotic drama called The Girl in a Swing, was about an English antiques dealer who travels to Copenhagen where he meets and falls in love with a mysterious German-born secretary, whom he marries, only to discover a darker side to his new bride. Rupert Frazer, who played Christian Bale's dad in Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun, plays the antique dealer, while Meg Tilly the mysterious new bride.   Filmed over a five week schedule in London and Copenhagen during May and June 1988, some online sources say the film first opened somewhere in California in December 1988, but I cannot find a single theatre not only in California but anywhere in the United States that played the film before its September 29th, 1989 opening date.   Roger Ebert didn't like the film, and wished Meg Tilly's “genuinely original performance” was in a better movie. Opening in 26 theatres, including six theatres each in New York City and Los Angeles, and spurred on by an intriguing key art for the film that featured a presumed naked Tilly on a swing looking seductively at the camera while a notice underneath her warns that No One Under 18 Will Be Admitted To The Theatre, The Girl in a Swing would gross $102k, good enough for 35th place nationally that week. And that's about the best it would do. The film would limp along, moving from market to market over the course of the next three months, and when its theatrical run was complete, it could only manage about $747k in ticket sales.   We'll quickly burn through the next two Millimeter Films releases, which came out a week apart from each other and didn't amount to much.   Animal Behavior was a rather unfunny comedy featuring some very good actors who probably signed on for a very different movie than the one that came to be. Karen Allen, Miss Marion Ravenwood herself, stars as Alex, a biologist who, like Dr. Jane Goodall, develops a “new” way to communicate with chimpanzees via sign language. Armand Assante plays a cellist who pursues the good doctor, and Holly Hunter plays the cellist's neighbor, who Alex mistakes for his wife.   Animal Behavior was filmed in 1984, and 1985, and 1987, and 1988. The initial production was directed by Jenny Bowen with the assistance of Robert Redford and The Sundance Institute, thanks to her debut film, 1981's Street Music featuring Elizabeth Daily. It's unknown why Bowen and her cinematographer husband Richard Bowen left the project, but when filming resumed again and again and again, those scenes were directed by the film's producer, Kjehl Rasmussen.   Because Bowen was not a member of the DGA at the time, she was not able to petition the guild for the use of the Alan Smithee pseudonym, a process that is automatically triggered whenever a director is let go of a project and filming continues with its producer taking the reigns as director. But she was able to get the production to use a pseudonym anyway for the director's credit, H. Anne Riley, while also giving Richard Bowen a pseudonym of his own for his work on the film, David Spellvin.   Opening on 24 screens on October 27th, Animal Behavior would come in 50th place in its opening weekend, grossing just $20,361. The New York film critics ripped the film apart, and there wouldn't be a second weekend for the film.   The following Friday, November 3rd, saw the release of The Stepfather II, a rushed together sequel to 1987's The Stepfather, which itself wasn't a big hit in theatres but found a very quick and receptive audience on cable.   Despite dying at the end of the first film, Terry O'Quinn's Jerry is somehow still alive, and institutionalized in Northern Washington state. He escapes and heads down to Los Angeles, where he assumes the identity of a recently deceased publisher, Gene Clifford, but instead passes himself off as a psychiatrist. Jerry, now Gene, begins to court his neighbor Carol, and the whole crazy story plays out again. Meg Foster plays the neighbor Carol, and Jonathan Brandis is her son.    Director Jeff Burr had made a name for himself with his 1987 horror anthology film From a Whisper to a Scream, featuring Vincent Price, Clu Gulager and Terry Kiser, and from all accounts, had a very smooth shooting process with this film. The trouble began when he turned in his cut to the producers. The producers were happy with the film, but when they sent it to Miramax, the American distributors, they were rather unhappy with the almost bloodless slasher film. They demanded reshoots, which Burr and O'Quinn refused to participate in. They brought in a new director, Doug Campbell, to handle the reshoots, which are easy to spot in the final film because they look and feel completely different from the scenes they're spliced into.   When it opened, The Stepfather II actually grossed slightly more than the first film did, earning $279k from 100 screens, compared to $260k for The Stepfather from 105 screens. But unlike the first film, which had some decent reviews when it opened, the sequel was a complete mess. To this day, it's still one of the few films to have a 0% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and The Stepfather II would limp its way through theatres during the Christmas holiday season, ending its run with a $1.5m gross.   But it would be their final film of the decade that would dictate their course for at least the first part of the 1990s.   Remember when I said earlier in the episode that Harvey Weinstein meant with the producers of another British film while in London for Scandal? We're at that film now, a film you probably know.   My Left Foot.   By November 1988, actor Daniel Day-Lewis had starred in several movies including James Ivory's A Room With a View and Philip Kaufman's The Unbearable Lightness of Being. He had even been the lead in a major Hollywood studio film, Pat O'Connor's Stars and Bars, a very good film that unfortunately got caught up in the brouhaha over the exit of the studio head who greenlit the film, David Puttnam.   The film's director, Jim Sheridan, had never directed a movie before. He had become involved in stage production during his time at the University College in Dublin in the late 1960s, where he worked with future filmmaker Neil Jordan, and had spent nearly a decade after graduation doing stage work in Ireland and Canada, before settling in New York City in the early 1980s. Sheridan would go to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where one of his classmates was Spike Lee, and return to Ireland after graduating. He was nearly forty, married with two pre-teen daughters, and he needed to make a statement with his first film.   He would find that story in the autobiography of Irish writer and painter Christy Brown, whose spirit and creativity could not be contained by his severe cerebral palsy. Along with Irish actor and writer Shane Connaughton, Sheridan wrote a screenplay that could be a powerhouse film made on a very tight budget of less than a million dollars.   Daniel Day-Lewis was sent a copy of the script, in the hopes he would be intrigued enough to take almost no money to play a physically demanding role. He read the opening pages, which had the adult Christy Brown putting a record on a record player and dropping the needle on to the record with his left foot, and thought to himself it would be impossible to film. That intrigued him, and he signed on. But during filming in January and February of 1989, most of the scenes were shot using mirrors, as Day-Lewis couldn't do the scenes with his left foot. He could do them with his right foot, hence the mirrors.   As a method actor, Day-Lewis remained in character as Christy Brown for the entire two month shoot. From costume fittings and makeup in the morning, to getting the actor on set, to moving him around between shots, there were crew members assigned to assist the actor as if they were Christy Brown's caretakers themselves, including feeding him during breaks in shooting. A rumor debunked by the actor years later said Day-Lewis had broken two ribs during production because of how hunched down he needed to be in his crude prop wheelchair to properly play the character.   The actor had done a lot of prep work to play the role, including spending time at the Sandymount School Clinic where the young Christy Brown got his education, and much of his performance was molded on those young people.   While Miramax had acquired the American distribution rights to the film before it went into production, and those funds went into the production of the film, the film was not produced by Miramax, nor were the Weinsteins given any kind of executive producer credit, as they were able to get themselves on Scandal.   My Left Foot would make its world premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival on September 4th, 1989, followed soon thereafter by screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 13th and the New York Film Festival on September 23rd. Across the board, critics and audiences were in love with the movie, and with Daniel Day-Lewis's performance. Jim Sheridan would receive a special prize at the Montreal World Film Festival for his direction, and Day-Lewis would win the festival's award for Best Actor. However, as the film played the festival circuit, another name would start to pop up. Brenda Fricker, a little known Irish actress who played Christy Brown's supportive but long-suffering mother Bridget, would pile up as many positive notices and awards as Day-Lewis. Although there was no Best Supporting Actress Award at the Montreal Film Festival, the judges felt her performance was deserving of some kind of attention, so they would create a Special Mention of the Jury Award to honor her.   Now, some sources online will tell you the film made its world premiere in Dublin on February 24th, 1989, based on a passage in a biography about Daniel Day-Lewis, but that would be impossible as the film would still be in production for two more days, and wasn't fully edited or scored by then.   I'm not sure when it first opened in the United Kingdom other than sometime in early 1990, but My Left Foot would have its commercial theatre debut in America on November 10th, when opened at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas in New York City and the Century City 14 in Los Angeles. Sheila Benson of the Los Angeles Times would, in the very opening paragraph of her review, note that one shouldn't see My Left Foot for some kind of moral uplift or spiritual merit badge, but because of your pure love of great moviemaking. Vincent Canby's review in the New York Times spends most of his words praising Day-Lewis and Sheridan for making a film that is polite and non-judgmental.    Interestingly, Miramax went with an ad campaign that completely excluded any explanation of who Christy Brown was or why the film is titled the way it is. 70% of the ad space is taken from pull quotes from many of the top critics of the day, 20% with the title of the film, and 10% with a picture of Daniel Day-Lewis, clean shaven and full tooth smile, which I don't recall happening once in the movie, next to an obviously added-in picture of one of his co-stars that is more camera-friendly than Brenda Fricker or Fiona Shaw.   Whatever reasons people went to see the film, they flocked to the two theatres playing the film that weekend. It's $20,582 per screen average would be second only to Kenneth Branagh's Henry V, which had opened two days earlier, earning slightly more than $1,000 per screen than My Left Foot.   In week two, My Left Foot would gross another $35,133 from those two theatres, and it would overtake Henry V for the highest per screen average. In week three, Thanksgiving weekend, both Henry V and My Left Foot saw a a double digit increase in grosses despite not adding any theatres, and the latter film would hold on to the highest per screen average again, although the difference would only be $302. And this would continue for weeks. In the film's sixth week of release, it would get a boost in attention by being awarded Best Film of the Year by the New York Film Critics Circle. Daniel Day-Lewis would be named Best Actor that week by both the New York critics and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, while Fricker would win the Best Supporting Actress award from the latter group.   But even then, Miramax refused to budge on expanding the film until its seventh week of release, Christmas weekend, when My Left Foot finally moved into cities like Chicago and San Francisco. Its $135k gross that weekend was good, but it was starting to lose ground to other Oscar hopefuls like Born on the Fourth of July, Driving Miss Daisy, Enemies: A Love Story, and Glory.   And even though the film continued to rack up award win after award win, nomination after nomination, from the Golden Globes and the Writers Guild and the National Society of Film Critics and the National Board of Review, Miramax still held firm on not expanding the film into more than 100 theatres nationwide until its 16th week in theatres, February 16th, 1990, two days after the announcement of the nominees for the 62nd Annual Academy Awards. While Daniel Day-Lewis's nomination for Best Actor was virtually assured and Brenda Fricker was practically a given, the film would pick up three other nominations, including surprise nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. Jim Sheridan and co-writer Shane Connaughton would also get picked for Best Adapted Screenplay.   Miramax also picked up a nomination for Best Original Screenplay for sex, lies, and videotape, and a Best Foreign Language Film nod for the Italian movie Cinema Paradiso, which, thanks to the specific rules for that category, a film could get a nomination before actually opening in theatres in America, which Miramax would rush to do with Paradiso the week after its nomination was announced.   The 62nd Academy Awards ceremony would be best remembered today as being the first Oscar show to be hosted by Billy Crystal, and for being considerably better than the previous year's ceremony, a mess of a show best remembered as being the one with a 12 minute opening musical segment that included Rob Lowe singing Proud Mary to an actress playing Snow White and another nine minute musical segment featuring a slew of expected future Oscar winners that, to date, feature exact zero Oscar nominees, both which rank as amongst the worst things to ever happen to the Oscars awards show.   The ceremony, held on March 26th, would see My Left Foot win two awards, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, as well as Cinema Paradiso for Best Foreign Film. The following weekend, March 30th, would see Miramax expand My Left Foot to 510 theatres, its widest point of release, and see the film made the national top ten and earn more than a million dollars for its one and only time during its eight month run.   The film would lose steam pretty quickly after its post-win bump, but it would eek out a modest run that ended with $14.75m in ticket sales just in the United States. Not bad for a little Irish movie with no major stars that cost less than a million dollars to make.   Of course, the early 90s would see Miramax fly to unimagined heights. In all of the 80s, Miramax would release 39 movies. They would release 30 films alone in 1991. They would release the first movies from Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith. They'd release some of the best films from some of the best filmmakers in the world, including Woody Allen, Pedro Almadovar, Robert Altman, Bernardo Bertolucci, Atom Egoyan, Steven Frears, Peter Greenaway, Peter Jackson, Neil Jordan, Chen Kaige, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Lars von Trier, and Zhang Yimou. In 1993, the Mexican dramedy Like Water for Chocolate would become the highest grossing foreign language film ever released in America, and it would play in some theatres, including my theatre, the NuWilshire in Santa Monica, continuously for more than a year.   If you've listened to the whole series on the 1980s movies of Miramax Films, there are two things I hope you take away. First, I hope you discovered at least one film you hadn't heard of before and you might be interested in searching out. The second is the reminder that neither Bob nor Harvey Weinstein will profit in any way if you give any of the movies talked about in this series a chance. They sold Miramax to Disney in June 1993. They left Miramax in September 2005. Many of the contracts for the movies the company released in the 80s and 90s expired decades ago, with the rights reverting back to their original producers, none of whom made any deals with the Weinsteins once they got their rights back.   Harvey Weinstein is currently serving a 23 year prison sentence in upstate New York after being found guilty in 2020 of two sexual assaults. Once he completes that sentence, he'll be spending another 16 years in prison in California, after he was convicted of three sexual assaults that happened in Los Angeles between 2004 and 2013. And if the 71 year old makes it to 107 years old, he may have to serve time in England for two sexual assaults that happened in August 1996. That case is still working its way through the British legal system.   Bob Weinstein has kept a low profile since his brother's proclivities first became public knowledge in October 2017, although he would also be accused of sexual harassment by a show runner for the brothers' Spike TV-aired adaptation of the Stephen King novel The Mist, several days after the bombshell articles came out about his brother. However, Bob's lawyer, the powerful attorney to the stars Bert Fields, deny the allegations, and it appears nothing has occurred legally since the accusations were made.   A few weeks after the start of the MeToo movement that sparked up in the aftermath of the accusations of his brother's actions, Bob Weinstein denied having any knowledge of the nearly thirty years of documented sexual abuse at the hands of his brother, but did allow to an interviewer for The Hollywood Reporter that he had barely spoken to Harvey over the previous five years, saying he could no longer take Harvey's cheating, lying and general attitude towards everyone.   And with that, we conclude our journey with Miramax Films. While I am sure Bob and Harvey will likely pop up again in future episodes, they'll be minor characters at best, and we'll never have to focus on anything they did ever again.   Thank you for joining us. We'll talk again soon, when Episode 119 is released.   Remember to visit this episode's page on our website, The80sMoviePodcast.com, for extra materials about the movies we covered this episode.   The 80s Movies Podcast has been researched, written, narrated and edited by Edward Havens for Idiosyncratic Entertainment.   Thank you again.   Good night.

Written & Starring Stephen WinchellAudio Production & Recording by Adam GoronDirected by Lara UnnerstallMusic by Takuya Yoshida & Stephen WinchellREFERENCES:1. February 9th, 1993, 112 Beacon Street, Boston (Frasier S9E14 Juvenilia),  (Cheers S11E7 The Girl in the Plastic Bubble).2. His career, at one point an aspect of his life he had been the most proud of, had grown stagnant. (Frasier S1E1 The Good Son)3. He had once considered this woman the “candle that [lit his] way.” (Cheers S7E19 The Gift of the Woodi)4. her affair was the most painful and humiliating experience of his entire life. (Frasier S1E8 Beloved Infidel)5. Not a real bear- certainly not - but a pewter bear - about a foot tall with a clock sculpted into its chest. It was crafted in Moscow for Alexander II of Russia.  (Frasier S7E7 A Tsar Is Born)6. This one we know a little bit about; he liked to smoke  (Frasier S3E17 High Crane Drifter)7. and he liked to travel. (Frasier S7E2 Father of the Bride)8. He also had a long career as a police officer, (Frasier S7E18 Hot Pursuit)9. and he married a woman who had a fondness for corncob pipes  (Frasier S6E7 The Seal who Came to Dinner)10. Marty Crane was born in [...] Seattle, WA (Frasier S1E1 The Good Son)11. His father was emotionally distant, the type of man who went his whole life without telling his son that he loved him. (Frasier S2E20 Breaking The Ice)12. Marty had a brother, Walter.  (Frasier S5E16 Beware of Greeks)13. Marty had a sister - Vivian - who was known as ‘The Mouth.' (Frasier S1E8 Beloved Infidel)14. He would personally oversee monthly mixers affectionately named Marty Parties, (Frasier S5E22 The Life of the Party)15. His own personal pièce de résistance was a suede jacket that left his dates purring  (Frasier S10E17 Kenny on the Couch)16. Marty had an uncompromising moral strictness (Frasier S8E20 The Wizard And Roz)17. Marty served under Lt. Franks  (Frasier S8E20 The Wizard And Roz)18. Hank “Bud” Farrell,  Stinky, Wolfman, and who can forget Boom Boom (Frasier S4E1 The Two Mrs. Cranes)19. Together they fought in foxholes (Frasier S6E10 Good Samaritan)20. and their assignments took them to places like the South Korean county of Pyeongchang (Frasier S6E7 The Seal who Came to Dinner)21. and the North Korean city of) Panmunjom. (Frasier S3E17 High Crane Drifter)22. During their time in Korea, Marty cheated death. (Frasier S9E24 Moons Over Seattle)23. Marty, ever the ladies man, seemed to charm the women of Pyeongchang, and he found time to date (Frasier S6E7 The Seal who Came to Dinner)24. There he met Stan Wojadubakowsk (Frasier S7E17 Whine Club)25. (Marty's father, a secret sentimentalist, gave Marty his beloved bolo tie to commemorate the graduation) (Frasier S4E8 Our Father, Whose Art Ain't Heaven)26. As a chalk outline was made around the body, something caught Marty's eye.  (Frasier S4E24 Odd Man Out)27. Through the flashing blue lights of the coroner's wagon, he spotted the silhouette of a young woman, and in that moment he realized that he was a goner. (Frasier S2E8  Adventures in Paradise Part 1)28. While Marty's ancestors came to America with some stolen money and a pewter bear, Hester's arrived on these shores with a personal fortune, (Cheers S4E2 Woody Goes Belly Up)29. She had a sister, Louise (Frasier S3E3 Martin Does It His Way)30. and a brother, Frank.  (Frasier S5E7 My Fair Frasier)31. a non-syndicated radio host (Frasier S9E22 Frasier Has Spokane)32. It's very clear that Frasiers' ex-wife took a lot of money in their divorce.  (Frasier S3E16 Look Before you Leap)33. Hester drove Marty crazy; she was always so upbeat (Frasier S3E10 It's Hard to Say Goodbye if you Won't Leave)34. and once got caught naked in the back of Marty's squad car. (Frasier S5E19 Frasier's Gotta Have It)35. They ran into a rough patch and broke up for a time. (Frasier S3E13 Moondance)36. During this break Marty pursued other women, but nothing took. (Frasier S3E13 Moondance)37. He was extremely nervous the night he proposed and got drunk, likely on his beloved Ballantine beer. (Frasier S9E15 The Proposal)38. Marty, undaunted, worked up the courage to ask again. To help the proposal move in a happier direction he whipped up a batch of hot buttered rum, one of his specialties. This second time, Hester accepted. (Frasier S5E14 The Ski Lodge)39. Hester was pregnant. (Frasier S9E15 The Proposal)40. Getting married was a good start, so in Saint Bartholomew's Church, a very pregnant Hester waddled down the aisle to meet Marty. The minister could not contain his shock (Frasier S9E15 The Proposal)41. She began an experiment with a pair of lab rats named Frasier and Niles. She kept meticulous notes about them, she monitored what they ate, their behavior, and she became quite fond of the little creatures. It was with a heavy heart that she recorded the death of Frasier on April 14th, 1953. Frasier S4E22 Are You Being Served?)42. Shortly thereafter in Seattle, WA, Frasier Crane was born (Frasier S1E21 Travels with Martin)

Director Spike Lee's first feature-length film, "She's Gotta Have It," premiered in theaters on Aug. 8, 1986. "She's Gotta Have It" is a comedy about Nola Darling, a free-spirited African-American woman in Brooklyn, New York, and her three suitors. Lee makes an appearance in the film as one of those suitors, a bike messenger named Mars Blackmon. Some of Lee's other notable works include "Do the Right Thing" and "School Daze," his second and third feature-length films.  "Do the Right Thing" earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule, has produced dozens of films -- several of them dubbed "Spike Lee joints" -- since the '80s. "She's Gotta Have It" was also a Netflix series from 2017 to 2019. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we continue out look back at the films released by Miramax in the 1980s, focusing on 1987. ----more---- TRANSCRIPT   From Los Angeles, California. The Entertainment Capital of the World. It's the 80s Movie Podcast. I am your host, Edward Havens. Thank you for listening today.   On this episode, we are continuing our miniseries on the movies released by Miramax Films in the 1980s, concentrating on their releases from 1987, the year Miramax would begin its climb towards the top of the independent distribution mountain.   The first film Miramax would release in 1987 was Lizzie Borden's Working Girls.   And yes, Lizzie Borden is her birth name. Sort of. Her name was originally Linda Elizabeth Borden, and at the age of eleven, when she learned about the infamous accused double murderer, she told her parents she wanted to only be addressed as Lizzie. At the age of 18, after graduating high school and heading off to the private women's liberal arts college Wellesley, she would legally change her name to Lizzie Borden.   After graduating with a fine arts degree, Borden would move to New York City, where she held a variety of jobs, including being both a painter and an art critic for the influential Artforum magazine, until she attended a retrospective of Jean-Luc Godard movies, when she was inspired to become a filmmaker herself.   Her first film, shot in 1974, was a documentary, Regrouping, about four female artists who were part of a collective that incorporated avant-garde techniques borrowed from performance art, as the collective slowly breaks apart. One of the four artists was a twenty-three year old painter who would later make film history herself as the first female director to win the Academy Award for Best Director, Kathryn Bigelow.    But Regrouping didn't get much attention when it was released in 1976, and it would take Borden five years to make her first dramatic narrative, Born in Flames, another movie which would also feature Ms. Bigelow in a supporting role. Borden would not only write, produce and direct this film about two different groups of feminists who operate pirate radio stations in New York City which ends with the bombing of the broadcast antenna atop the World Trade Center, she would also edit the film and act as one of the cinematographers. The film would become one of the first instances of Afrofuturism in film, and would become a cultural touchstone in 2016 when a restored print of the film screened around the world to great critical acclaim, and would tie for 243rd place in the 2022 Sight and Sound poll of The Greatest Films Ever Made. Other films that tied with include Preston Sturges' Sullivan's Travels, Woody Allen's Annie Hall, David Cronenberg's Videodrome, and Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. A   Yes, it's that good, and it would cost only $30k to produce.   But while Born in Flames wasn't recognized as revolutionary in 1983, it would help her raise $300k for her next movie, about the lives of sex workers in New York City. The idea would come to her while working on Born in Flames, as she became intrigued about prostitution after meeting some well-educated women on the film who worked a few shifts a week at a brothel to earn extra money or to pay for their education. Like many, her perception of prostitution were women who worked the streets, when in truth streetwalkers only accounted for about 15% of the business. During the writing of the script, she began visiting brothels in New York City and learned about the rituals involved in the business of selling sex, especially intrigued how many of the sex workers looked out for each other mentally, physically and hygienically.   Along with Sandra Kay, who would play one of the ladies of the night in the film, Borden worked up a script that didn't glamorize or grossly exaggerate the sex industry, avoiding such storytelling tropes as the hooker with a heart of gold or girls forced into prostitution due to extraordinary circumstances. Most of the ladies playing prostitutes were played by unknown actresses working off-Broadway, while the johns were non-actors recruited through word of mouth between Borden's friends and the occasional ad in one of the city's sex magazines.   Production on Working Girls would begin in March 1985, with many of the sets being built in Borden's loft in Manhattan, with moveable walls to accommodate whatever needed to be shot on any given day. While $300k would be ten times what she had on Born in Flames, Borden would stretch her budget to the max by still shooting in 16mm, in the hopes that the footage would look good enough should the finished film be purchased by a distributor and blown up to 35mm for theatrical exhibition.   After a month of shooting, which involved copious amounts of both male and female nudity, Borden would spend six months editing her film. By early 1986, she had a 91 minute cut ready to go, and she and her producer would submit the film to play at that year's Cannes Film Festival. While the film would not be selected to compete for the coveted Palme D'Or, it would be selected for the Directors' Fortnight, a parallel program that would also include Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It, Alex Cox's Sid and Nancy, Denys Arcand's The Decline of the American Empire, and Chantel Akerman's Golden Eighties.   The film would get into some trouble when it was invited to screen at the Toronto Film Festival a few months later. The movie would have to be approved by the Ontario Film and Video Review Board before being allowed to show at the festival. However, the board would not approve the film without two cuts, including one scene which depicted the quote unquote graphic manipulation of a man's genitalia by a woman. The festival, which had a long standing policy of not showing any movie that had been cut for censorship, would appeal the decision on behalf of the filmmakers. The Review Board denied the appeal, and the festival left the decision of whether to cut the two offending scenes to Borden. Of all the things I've researched about the film, one of the few things I could not find was whether or not Borden made the trims, but the film would play at the festival as scheduled.   After Toronto, Borden would field some offers from some of the smaller art house distributors, but none of the bigger independents or studio-affiliated “classics” divisions. For many, it was too sexual to be a straight art house film, while it wasn't graphic enough to be porn. The one person who did seem to best understand what Borden was going for was, no surprise in hindsight, Harvey Weinstein. Miramax would pick the film up for distribution in late 1986, and planned a February 1987 release.   What might be surprising to most who know about Harvey Weinstein, who would pick up the derisive nickname Harvey Scissorhands in a few years for his constant meddling in already completed films, actually suggested Borden add back in a few minutes of footage to balance out the sex with some lighter non-sex scenes. She would, along with making some last minute dialogue changes, before the film opened on February 5th, not in New York City or Los Angeles, the traditional launching pads for art house films, but at the Opera Plaza Cinema in San Francisco, where the film would do a decent $8k in its first three days.   Three weeks after opening at the Opera Plaza, Miramax would open the film at the 57th Street Playhouse in midtown Manhattan. Buoyed by some amazing reviews from the likes of Siskel and Ebert, Vincent Canby of the New York Times, and J. Hoberman of The Village Voice, Working Girls would gross an astounding $42k during its opening weekend. Two weeks later, it would open at the Samuel Goldwyn Westside Pavilion Cinemas, where it would bring in $17k its first weekend. It would continue to perform well in its major market exclusive runs. An ad in the April 8th, 1987 issue of Variety shows a new house record of $13,492 in its first week at the Ellis Cinema in Atlanta. $140k after five weeks in New York. $40k after three weeks at the Nickelodeon in Boston. $30k after three weeks at the Fine Arts in Chicago. $10k in its first week at the Guild in San Diego. $11k in just three days at the TLA in Philly.   Now, there's different numbers floating around about how much Working Girls made during its total theatrical run. Box Office Mojo says $1.77m, which is really good for a low budget independent film with no stars and featuring a subject still taboo to many in American today, let alone 37 years ago, but a late June 1987 issue of Billboard Magazine about some of the early film successes of the year, puts the gross for Working Girls at $3m.   If you want to check out Working Girls, the Criterion Collection put out an exceptional DVD and Blu-ray release in 2021, which includes a brand new 4K transfer of the film, and a commentary track featuring Borden, cinematographer Judy Irola, and actress Amanda Goodwin, amongst many bonus features. Highly recommended.   I've already spoken some about their next film, Ghost Fever, on our episode last year about the fake movie director Alan Smithee and all of his bad movies. For those who haven't listened to that episode yet and are unaware of who Alan Smithee wasn't, Alan Smithee was a pseudonym created by the Directors Guild in the late 1960s who could be assigned the directing credit of a movie whose real director felt the final cut of the film did not represent his or her vision. By the time Ghost Fever came around in 1987, it would be the 12th movie to be credited to Alan Smithee.   If you have listened to the Alan Smithee episode, you can go ahead and skip forward a couple minutes, but be forewarned, I am going to be offering up a different elaboration on the film than I did on that episode.   And away we go…   Those of us born in the 1960s and before remember a show called All in the Family, and we remember Archie Bunker's neighbors, George and Louise Jefferson, who were eventually spun off onto their own hit show, The Jeffersons. Sherman Hemsley played George Jefferson on All in the Family and The Jeffersons for 12 years, but despite the show being a hit for a number of years, placing as high as #3 during the 1981-1982 television season, roles for Hemsley and his co-star Isabel Sanford outside the show were few and far between. During the eleven seasons The Jeffersons ran on television, from 1975 to 1985, Sherman Hemsley would only make one movie, 1979's Love at First Bite, where he played a small role as a reverend. He appeared on the poster, but his name was not listed amongst the other actors on the poster.   So when the producers of the then-titled Benny and Beaufor approached Hemsley in the spring of 1984 to play one of the title roles, he was more than happy to accept. The Jeffersons was about to start its summer hiatus, and here was the chance to not only make a movie but to be the number one listed actor on the call sheet. He might not ever get that chance again.   The film, by now titled Benny and Buford Meet the Bigoted Ghost, would shoot in Mexico City at Estudios America in the summer of 1984, before Hemsley was due back in Los Angeles to shoot the eleventh and what would be the final season of his show. But it would not be a normal shoot. In fact, there would be two different versions of the movie shot back to back. One, in English, would be directed by Lee Madden, which would hinge its comedy on the bumbling antics of its Black police officer, Buford, and his Hispanic partner, Benny. The other version would be shot in Spanish by Mexican director Miguel Rico, where the comedy would satirize class and social differences rather than racial differences. Hemsley would speak his lines in English, and would be dubbed by a Spanish-speaking actor in post production. Luis Ávalos, best known as Doctor Doolots on the PBS children's show The Electric Company, would play Benny. The only other name in the cast was boxing legend Smokin' Joe Frazier, who was making his proper acting debut on the film as, not too surprisingly, a boxer.   The film would have a four week shooting schedule, and Hemsley was back to work on The Jeffersons on time. Madden would get the film edited together rather quick, and the producers would have a screening for potential distributors in early October.   The screening did not go well.   Madden would be fired from the production, the script rewritten, and a new director named Herbert Strock would be hired to shoot more footage once Hemsley was done with his commitments to The Jeffersons in the spring of 1985. This is when Madden contacted the Directors Guild to request the Smithee pseudonym. But since the film was still in production, the DGA could not issue a judgment until the producers provided the Guild with a completed copy of the film.   That would happen in the late fall of 1985, and Madden was able to successfully show that he had directly a majority of the completed film but it did not represent his vision.   The film was not good, but Miramax still needed product to fill their distribution pipeline. They announced in mid-March of 1987 that they had acquired the film for distribution, and that the film would be opening in Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Nashville, St. Louis, and Tampa-St. Petersburg FL the following week.    Miramax did not release how many theatres the film was playing in in those markets, and the only market Variety did track of those that week was St. Louis, where the film did $7k from the four theatres they were tracking that week. Best as I can tell from limited newspaper archives of the day, Ghost Fever played on nine screens in Atlanta, 4 in Dallas/Fort Worth, 25 screens in Miami, and 12 in Tampa-St. Pete on top of the four I can find in St. Louis. By the following week, every theatre that was playing Ghost Fever had dropped it.   The film would not open in any other markets until it opened on 16 screens in the greater Los Angeles metro region on September 11th. No theatres in Hollywood. No theatres in Westwood. No theatres in Beverly Hills or Santa Monica or any major theatre around, outside of the Palace Theatre downtown, a once stately theatre that had fallen into disrepair over the previous three decades. Once again, Miramax didn't release grosses for the run, none of the theatres playing the film were tracked by Variety that week, and all the playdates were gone after one week.   Today, you can find two slightly different copies of the film on a very popular video sharing website, one the theatrical cut, the other the home video cut. The home video cut is preceded by a quick history of the film, including a tidbit that Hemsley bankrolled $3m of the production himself, and that the film's failure almost made him bankrupt. I could not find any source to verify this, but there is possibly specious evidence to back up this claim. The producers of the film were able to make back the budget selling the film to home video company and cable movie channels around the world, and Hemsley would sue them in December 1987 for $3m claiming he was owed this amount from the profits and interest. It would take nine years to work its way through the court system, but a jury in March 1996 would award Hemsley $2.8m. The producers appealed, and an appellate court would uphold the verdict in April 1998.   One of the biggest indie film success stories of 1987 was Patricia Rozema's I've Heard the Mermaids Singing.   In the early 1980s, Rozema was working as an assistant producer on a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation current affairs television show called The Journal. Although she enjoyed her work, she, like many of us, wanted to be a filmmaker. While working on The Journal, she started to write screenplays while taking a classes at a Toronto Polytechnic Institute on 16mm film production.   Now, one of the nicer things about the Canadian film industry is that there are a number of government-funded arts councils that help young independent Canadian filmmakers get their low budget films financed. But Rozema was having trouble getting her earliest ideas funded. Finally, in 1984, she was able to secure funding for Passion, a short film she had written about a documentary filmmaker who writes an extremely intimate letter to an unknown lover. Linda Griffiths, the star of John Sayles' 1983 film Lianna, plays the filmmaker, and Passion would go on to be nominated for Gold Hugo for Best Short Film at the 1985 Chicago Film Festival.   However, a negative review of the short film in The Globe and Mail, often called Canada's Newspaper of Record, would anger Rozema, and she would use that anger to write a new script, Polly, which would be a polemic against the Toronto elitist high art milieu and its merciless negative judgements towards newer artists. Polly, the lead character and narrator of the film, lives alone, has no friends, rides her bike around Toronto to take photographs of whatever strikes her fancy, and regularly indulges herself in whimsical fantasies. An employee for a temporary secretarial agency, Polly gets placed in a private art gallery. The gallery owner is having an off-again, on-again relationship with one her clients, a painter who has misgivings she is too young for the gallery owner and the owner too old for her.    Inspired by the young painter, Polly anonymously submits some of her photographs to the gallery, in the hopes of getting featured, but becomes depressed when the gallery owner, who does not know who took the photos, dismisses them in front of Polly, calling them “simple minded.” Polly quits the gallery and retreats to her apartment. When the painter sees the photographs, she presents herself as the photographer of them, and the pair start to pass them off as the younger artist's work, even after the gallery owner learns they are not of the painter's work. When Polly finds out about the fraud, she confronts the gallery owner, eventually throwing a cup of tea at the owner.   Soon thereafter, the gallery owner and the painter go to check up on Polly at her flat, where they discover more photos undeniable beauty, and the story ends with the three women in one of Polly's fantasies.   Rozema would work on the screenplay for Polly while she was working as a third assistant director on David Cronenberg's The Fly. During the writing process, which took about a year, Rozema would change the title from Polly to Polly's Progress to Polly's Interior Mind. When she would submit the script in June 1986 to the various Canadian arts foundations for funding, it would sent out with yet another new title, Oh, The Things I've Seen.   The first agency to come aboard the film was the Ontario Film Development Corporation, and soon thereafter, the National Film Board of Canada, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Council would also join the funding operation, but the one council they desperately needed to fund the gap was Telefilm Canada, the Canadian government's principal instrument for supporting Canada's audiovisual industry. Telefilm Canada, at the time, had a reputation for being philosophically averse to low-budget, auteur-driven films, a point driven home directly by the administrator of the group at the time, who reportedly stomped out of a meeting concerning the making of this very film, purportedly declaring that Telefilm should not be financing these kind of minimalist, student films. Telefilm would reverse course when Rozema and her producer, Alexandra Raffé, agreed to bring on Don Haig, called “The Godfather of Canadian Cinema,” as an executive producer.   Side note: several months after the film completed shooting, Haig would win an Academy Award for producing a documentary about musician Artie Shaw.   Once they had their $350k budget, Rozema and Raffé got to work on pre-production. Money was tight on such an ambitious first feature. They had only $500 to help their casting agent identify potential actors for the film, although most of the cast would come from Rozema's friendships with them. They would cast thirty-year-old Sheila McCarthy, a first time film actress with only one television credit to her name, as Polly.   Shooting would begin in Toronto on September 24th, 1986 and go for four weeks, shooting completely in 16mm because they could not afford to shoot on 35mm. Once filming was completed, the National Film Board of Canada allowed Rozema use of their editing studio for free. When Rozema struggled with editing the film, the Film Board offered to pay for the consulting services of Ron Sanders, who had edited five of David Cronenberg's movies, including Scanners, Videodrome and The Fly, which Rozema gladly accepted.   After New Years 1987, Rozema has a rough cut of the film ready to show the various funding agencies. That edit of the film was only 65 minutes long, but went over very well with the viewers. So much so that the President of Cinephile Films, the Canadian movie distributor who also helped to fund the film, suggested that Rozema not only add another 15mins or so to the film wherever she could, but submit the film to the be entered in the Directors' Fortnight program at the Cannes Film Festival. Rozema still needed to add that requested footage in, and finish the sound mix, but she agreed as long as she was able to complete the film by the time the Cannes programmers met in mid-March. She wouldn't quite make her self-imposed deadline, but the film would get selected for Cannes anyway. This time, she had an absolute deadline. The film had to be completed in time for Cannes.   Which would include needing to make a 35mm blow up of the 16mm print, and the production didn't have the money. Rozema and Raffé asked Telefilm Canada if they could have $40k for the print, but they were turned down.   Twice.   Someone suggested they speak with the foreign sales agent who acquired the rights to sell the film at Cannes. The sales agent not only agreed to the fund the cost from sales of the film to various territories that would be returned to the the various arts councils, but he would also create a press kit, translate the English-language script into French, make sure the print showing at Cannes would have French subtitles, and create the key art for the posters and other ads. Rozema would actually help to create the key art, a picture of Sheila McCarthy's head floating over a body of water, an image that approximately 80% of all buyers would use for their own posters and ads around the world.   By the time the film premiered in Cannes on May 10th, 1987, Rozema had changed the title once again, to I've Heard the Mermaids Singing. The title would be taken from a line in the T.S. Eliot poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, which she felt best represented the film.   But whatever it was titled, the two thousand people inside the theatre were mesmerized, and gave the film a six minute standing ovation. The festival quickly added four more screenings of the film, all of which sold out.   While a number of territories around the world had purchased the film before the premiere, the filmmakers bet big on themselves by waiting until after the world premiere to entertain offers from American distributors. Following the premiere, a number of companies made offers for the film. Miramax would be the highest, at $100,000, but the filmmakers said “no.” They kept the bidding going, until they got Miramax up to $350k, the full budget for the film. By the time the festival was done, the sales agent had booked more than $1.1m worth of sales. The film had earned back more than triple its cost before it ever opened on a single commercial screen.   Oh, and it also won Rozema the Prix de la Jeunesse (Pree do la Jza-naise), the Prize of the Youth, from the Directors Fortnight judges.   Miramax would schedule I've Heard the Mermaids Singing to open at the 68th Street Playhouse in New York City on September 11th, after screening at the Toronto Film Festival, then called The Festival of Festivals, the night before, and at the Telluride Film Festival the previous week. Miramax was so keen on the potential success of the film that they would buy their first ever full page newspaper, in the Sunday, September 6th New York Times Arts and Leisure section, which cost them $25k.   The critical and audience reactions in Toronto and Telluride matched the enthusiasm on the Croisette, which would translate to big box office its opening weekend. $40k, the best single screen gross in all Manhattan. While it would lose that crown to My Life as a Dog the following week, its $32k second weekend gross was still one of the best in the city. After three weekends in New York City, the film would have already grossed $100k. That weekend, the film would open at the Samuel Goldwyn West Pavilion Cinemas, where a $9,500 opening weekend gross was considered nice. Good word of mouth kept the grosses respectable for months, and after eight months in theatres, never playing in more than 27 theatres in any given week, the film would gross $1.4m in American theatres.   Ironically, the film did not go over as well in Rozema's home country, where it grossed a little less than half a million Canadian dollars, and didn't even play in the director's hometown due to a lack of theatres that were willing to play a “queer” movie, but once all was said and done, I've Heard the Mermaids Singing would end up with a worldwide gross of more than CAD$10m, a nearly 2500% return on the initial investment. Not only would part of those profits go back to the arts councils that helped fund the film, those profits would help fund the next group of independent Canadian filmmakers. And the film would become one of a growing number of films with LGBTQ lead characters whose success would break down the barriers some exhibitors had about playing non-straight movies.   The impact of this film on queer cinema and on Canadian cinema cannot be understated. In 1993, author Michael Posner spent the first twenty pages of his 250 plus page book Canadian Dreams discussing the history of the film, under the subtitle “The Little Film That Did.” And in 2014, author Julia Mendenhall wrote a 160 page book about the movie, with the subtitle “A Queer Film Classic.” You can find copies of both books on a popular web archive website, if you want to learn more.   Amazingly, for a company that would regularly take up to fourteen months between releases, Miramax would end 1987 with not one, not two, but three new titles in just the last six weeks of the year. Well, one that I can definitely place in theatres.   And here is where you just can't always trust the IMDb or Wikipedia by themselves.   The first alleged release of the three according to both sources, Riders on the Storm, was a wacky comedy featuring Dennis Hopper and Michael J. Polland, and supposedly opened in theatres on November 13th. Except it didn't. It did open in new York City on May 7th, 1988, in Los Angeles the following Friday. But we'll talk more about that movie on our next episode.   The second film of the alleged trifecta was Crazy Moon, a romantic comedy/drama from Canada that featured Keifer Sutherland as Brooks, a young man who finds love with Anne, a deaf girl working at a clothing store where Brooks and his brother are trying to steal a mannequin. Like I've Heard the Mermaids Singing, Crazy Moon would benefit from the support of several Canadian arts foundations including Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board of Canada.   In an unusual move, Miramax would release Crazy Moon on 18 screens in Los Angeles on December 11th, as part of an Oscar qualifying run. I say “unusual” because although in the 1980s, a movie that wanted to qualify for awards consideration had to play in at least one commercial movie theatre in Los Angeles for seven consecutive days before the end of the year, most distributors did just that: one movie theatre. They normally didn't do 18 screens including cities like Long Beach, Irvine and Upland.   It would, however, definitely be a one week run.   Despite a number of decent reviews, Los Angeles audiences were too busy doing plenty of other things to see Crazy Moon. Miramax, once again, didn't report grosses, but six of the eighteen theatres playing the film were being tracked by Variety, and the combined gross for those six theatres was $2,500.   It would not get any award nominations, and it would never open at another movie theatre.   The third film allegedly released by Miramax during the 1987 holiday season, The Magic Snowman, has a reported theatrical release date of December 22, 1987, according to the IMDb, which is also the date listed on the Wikipedia page for the list of movies Miramax released in the 1980s. I suspect this is a direct to video release for several reasons, the two most important ones being that December 22nd was a Tuesday, and back in the 1980s, most home video titles came out on Tuesdays, and that I cannot find a single playdate anywhere in the country around this date, even in the Weinstein's home town of Buffalo. In fact, the only mention of the words “magic snowman” together I can find for all of 1987 is a live performance of a show called The Magic Snowman in Peterborough, England in November 1987.   So now we are eight years into the history of Miramax, and they are starting to pick up some steam. Granted, Working Girls and I've Heard the Mermaids Singing wasn't going to get the company a major line of credit to start making films of their own, but it would help them with visibility amongst the independent and global film communities. These guys can open your films in America.   Thank you for joining us. We'll talk again next week, when we continue with story of Miramax Films, from 1988.   Remember to visit this episode's page on our website, The80sMoviePodcast.com, for extra materials about the movies we covered this episode.   The 80s Movies Podcast has been researched, written, narrated and edited by Edward Havens for Idiosyncratic Entertainment.   Thank you again.   Good night.

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCATCHER CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of sexism, misogyny, rape, rape culture, manipulation, narcissism, sex. We're starting a new director series, and this year we're watching the films of one of Hollywood's most controversial and iconic directors: Spike Lee. This week, we check out his first joint, a sex comedy that's shockingly progressive and thoughtful for its time. It's refreshing for one of the greatest low-budget films of all time to be far more thoughtful than most comedies of its era. And it's incredibly funny to boot, provided you remember it's 1986 and off-color jokes cross the line more often than not. It's not the greatest movie, but it's a great start for one of the best directors of all time. Please baby, pleasebaby, please baby baby please join us as we watch 1986's She's Gotta Have It this week on Macintosh & Maud Haven't Seen What?! You can email us with feedback at macintoshandmaud@gmail.com, or you can connect with us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Also please subscribe, rate and review the show on your favorite podcatcher, and tell your friends. Intro and outro music taken from the Second Movement of Ludwig von Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Hong Kong (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 HK) license. To hear the full performance or get more information, visit the song page at the Internet Archive. Excerpt taken from “Who Will Be The One” from the soundtrack to the movie She's Gotta Have It, written and composed by Bill Lee. Copyright 1986 Island Records Inc. Excerpt taken from “Who Will Be The One” from the soundtrack to the movie She's Gotta Have It, written and composed by Bill Lee. Copyright 1986 Island Records Inc. Excerpt taken from Nike's “It's Got To Be the Shoes” commercial, starring Spike Lee and Michael Jordan. Excerpt taken from “Fight the Power” from the soundtrack to the movie Do the Right Thing, written by Carlton Ridenhour, Eric Sadler, Hank Shocklee and Keith Shocklee and performed by Public Enemy. Copyright 1989 Universal City Studios, Inc.; Motown Record Company, L.P.

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE ON YOUR FAVORITE PODCATCHER CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of child neglect, child abuse, teen drug use, teenage pregnancy, racism, systematic racism, manipulation. It wouldn't be a series on this show without a dud to end things on. 1989 had its fair share of great movies, but it also contained this absolutely terrible piece of work. On paper, this movie should be fantastic: Morgan Freeman, John G. Avildsen of Rocky directing, a compelling drama. But the low expectations of our writer and our director's absolute devotion to hitting emotional story beats undercuts a really complicated and unique story from an urban high school. It's bad enough that the movie completely rewrites history; it also just does a really terrible job of it too. Pull your pants up and take your hat off as we watch Lean on Me this week on Macintosh & Maud Haven't Seen What?! You can email us with feedback at macintoshandmaud@gmail.com, or you can connect with us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Also please subscribe, rate and review the show on your favorite podcatcher, and tell your friends. Intro and outro music taken from the Second Movement of Ludwig von Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Licensed under an Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Hong Kong (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 HK) license. To hear the full performance or get more information, visit the song page at the Internet Archive. Excerpt taken from “Rap Summary (Lean On Me)” from the soundtrack to the movie Lean on Me, written and performed by Big Daddy Kane. Copyright 1989 Warner Bros. Records Inc. Excerpt taken from the movie Lean on Me, copyright 1989 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. Excerpt taken from “Who Will Be The One” from the soundtrack to the movie She's Gotta Have It, written and composed by Bill Lee. Copyright 1986 Island Records Inc.

John Pierson wrote the definitive book about '90s independent cinema, "Spike, Mike, Slackers, & Dykes," and he wrote it from the inside - he was the producer's rep who made the deals that put such legendary pictures as "She's Gotta Have It," "Roger & Me," "Slacker," and "Clerks" on your screens. He brings that insider's perspective to our conversation about the year 1989, a crucial tipping point in the indie scene's move to the mainstream.  Become a member for Bonus Episodes, personal stories of working in the industry, and yes - EVEN MORE MOVIES. https://plus.acast.com/s/a-very-good-year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's Casually Criterion episode, Mike, Justin, and Chris try to uncover the identity of The Third Man while trying to get that catchy theme music out of their heads. However, before that they also discuss the premiere episode of Season 3 of The Mandalorian. Plus Justin talks about his recent appearance on the CineMusts podcast to discuss Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It. - Intro (00:00:00 - 00:03:19) - News on the March! (00:03:19-0:27:06)     - Justin's CineMusts Appearance/She's Gotta Have It     - The Mandalorian Season 3 Premiere - The Third Man - (00:27:06 - 01:06:56) - New Criterion Poll!  (01:06:56 - 01:11:38) Outro (01:11:38 - 01:12:28) For all your movie and game news, reviews, and more, check out our friends at www.cinelinx.com. Follow us on: Twitter Facebook Instagram Email us at: casualcinemedia@gmail.com Talk Criterion Collection, film, tv, and other stuff with us in our Facebook group at:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/casualcinecast Intro/Outro Music courtesy of Jake Wagner-Russell at www.soundcloud.com/bopscotch

In 1987, Robert Townsend co-wrote, directed, starred in and self-financed (using his savings and credit cards) “Hollywood Shuffle” as a reaction against the lack of opportunities for black actors at the time. 36 years later, the film stands alongside “Stranger Than Paradise,” “She's Gotta Have It,” and “sex, lies, and videotape” as a classic of the independent film movement and has been newly released on Blu-ray by the Criterion Collection. Townsend sat down with Toolkit to talk about the “dark ages” of 1980s independent film, how he turned his frustrations into the raw material of hilarious farce, and how the lessons learned on “Hollywood Shuffle” continue to fuel his successful directing career.

Invite Justin and Myke over for Scrabble as they discuss 80s progressivism, stilted acting, and going all out on your first feature film. Make sure you're following us on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook to vote on the must-see status of She's Gotta Have It this Friday 3/3. SHOW NOTES 0:00 – 12:02 Intro & Casual Cinecast Plug 12:03 - 24:04 General Impressions and Votes 24:05 – 1:18:42 She's Gotta Have It (Spoilers) 1:18:43 – 1:25:21 Double Feature Recommendations 1:25:22– 1:27:46 Outro

Movie Mental Breakdown is our version of movie reviews with a mental health spin. Today's session focuses on the 1986 classic, She's Gotta Have It by Spike Lee. This movie follows the love life of Nola Darling as she expresses her desires to have a polyamorous lifestyle and the men that desire to be chosen by her. The movie stars Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond, Spike Lee, John Canada Terrell, Joie Lee, Bill Lee, Raye Dowell, and S. Epatha Merkerson.

This week Tonya Lewis Lee—producer, film director, writer, entrepreneur, women's health advocate and Founder of Movita Organics—discusses her mission to share culturally relevant stories that inspire people to take action, her mindset to find positivity in everything, and her non-negotiables. She takes us deeper on a journey of understanding the importance of a healthy lifestyle and how her work as a film producer to address the maternal and infant mortality crises led her to embark on a new entrepreneurial path. Tonya credits her team for the launch and growth of Movita Organics, a premium vitamin supplement brand, saying that “Team is Everything.”  Through Movita Organics, she is leading the conversation around womens' access to  healthy outcomes as well as providing the community with a high-quality resource to aid their well-being and overall vitality.    Tonya leaves us with several key lessons: “Be as excellent as you can be”  “Patience is important”  “Collaboration is the name of the game”  “Being an entrepreneur is being a problem-solver, so you just need to show up and solve to the problem every day”  “You have to run your race and be who you are”  “Never give up. Just at that moment when you're about to give up is when it happens.    Bio: Tonya Lewis Lee is a producer, film director, writer, entrepreneur, and women's health advocate, delivering meaningful content that resonates with marginalized communities for over twenty years. Her work often explores the personal impact of social justice issues, health and wellness. Most recently, Lee co-directed and co-produced the documentary AFTERSHOCK, now streaming on Hulu, which examines the Black and Brown maternal mortality crisis in America. The film premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Special Jury Award for Impact for Change, and continues to garner rave reviews and noteworthy press. As a film and television writer, producer, and director, her work has spanned family-friendly features like The Watsons Go to Birmingham as well as the episodic series She's Gotta Have It, streaming on Netflix. Lee also produced Monster, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and is streaming on Netflix.  In 2007, Tonya became the spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health's infant mortality awareness campaign, A Healthy Baby Begins with You, which ignited her lifelong passion of advocating for better health outcomes for all women in the United States, especially women of color. Through the campaign, Tonya produced the film Crisis in the Crib: Saving our Nation's Babies.  This work led Tonya to embark on her journey as an entrepreneur to create Movita Organics, a premium vitamin supplement brand, to continue the conversation with women about accessing healthy outcomes and provide them with a high-quality resource to aid their well-being and overall vitality. An acclaimed author, Lee created books, including Please, Baby, Please, that have entertained children and young adults throughout her career.Lee has been featured in notable outlets including ABC's Nightline, CBS Mornings, New York Magazine's The Cut, ESSENCE, VOGUE, and more.  She is the mother of two adult children and lives in New York City with her husband, Spike Lee. “It takes time. An overnight success is at least 10 years in the making.” Tune in to learn more from Kendra and Tonya!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Tonya Lewis Lee—producer, film director, writer, entrepreneur, women's health advocate and Founder of Movita Organics—discusses her mission to share culturally relevant stories that inspire people to take action, her mindset to find positivity in everything, and her non-negotiables. She takes us deeper on a journey of understanding the importance of a healthy lifestyle and how her work as a film producer to address the maternal and infant mortality crises led her to embark on a new entrepreneurial path. Tonya credits her team for the launch and growth of Movita Organics, a premium vitamin supplement brand, saying that “Team is Everything.”  Through Movita Organics, she is leading the conversation around womens' access to  healthy outcomes as well as providing the community with a high-quality resource to aid their well-being and overall vitality.    Tonya leaves us with several key lessons: “Be as excellent as you can be”  “Patience is important”  “Collaboration is the name of the game”  “Being an entrepreneur is being a problem-solver, so you just need to show up and solve to the problem every day”  “You have to run your race and be who you are”  “Never give up. Just at that moment when you're about to give up is when it happens.    Bio: Tonya Lewis Lee is a producer, film director, writer, entrepreneur, and women's health advocate, delivering meaningful content that resonates with marginalized communities for over twenty years. Her work often explores the personal impact of social justice issues, health and wellness. Most recently, Lee co-directed and co-produced the documentary AFTERSHOCK, now streaming on Hulu, which examines the Black and Brown maternal mortality crisis in America. The film premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Special Jury Award for Impact for Change, and continues to garner rave reviews and noteworthy press. As a film and television writer, producer, and director, her work has spanned family-friendly features like The Watsons Go to Birmingham as well as the episodic series She's Gotta Have It, streaming on Netflix. Lee also produced Monster, which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and is streaming on Netflix.  In 2007, Tonya became the spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health's infant mortality awareness campaign, A Healthy Baby Begins with You, which ignited her lifelong passion of advocating for better health outcomes for all women in the United States, especially women of color. Through the campaign, Tonya produced the film Crisis in the Crib: Saving our Nation's Babies.  This work led Tonya to embark on her journey as an entrepreneur to create Movita Organics, a premium vitamin supplement brand, to continue the conversation with women about accessing healthy outcomes and provide them with a high-quality resource to aid their well-being and overall vitality. An acclaimed author, Lee created books, including Please, Baby, Please, that have entertained children and young adults throughout her career.Lee has been featured in notable outlets including ABC's Nightline, CBS Mornings, New York Magazine's The Cut, ESSENCE, VOGUE, and more.  She is the mother of two adult children and lives in New York City with her husband, Spike Lee. “It takes time. An overnight success is at least 10 years in the making.” Tune in to learn more from Kendra and Tonya!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Driven to inspire other people with art, Brandon Victor Dixon has been sharing his talent with the world for decades now. And this month, the actor slash theatrical producer is part of the much-anticipated world premiere of the award-winning "MacGyver: The Musical's" album which will be released on January 27th. Apart from theatre, Brandon is also doing advocacy work. He talks about the We Are Foundation which he created, and how he uses it to bridge gaps between art and us as communities. He brings up a good point on human behavior, what makes it for some people to be kind, and how art can be a gateway to understanding and helping them. In choosing a role or a piece, he considers the tools that can make his role and the exchange between him and the audience the most effective. He adds that the pieces choose him and come into his life at a time when he needs them the most. When he was just starting, Brandon had to pause his graduation to go on a national tour, come back, finish school, and then originate a role on Broadway for which he got a Tony nomination. He recalls his audition process for the role of Simba, why he thinks he shouldn't have been cast, and how he overcame his doubts and the challenges he encountered as it was happening. As one of the stars in the world premiere album of “MacGyver: The Musical”, Brandon talks about his character, doing comedy, and how his process usually adapts to the show his doing. Brandon reflects on his role as Haywood Patterson in “The Scottsboro Boys”, why he considers it his favorite role, and how it ultimately goes back to his advocacy: to change and help people with the power of art. Brandon Victor Dixon is an actor, singer, advocate, and theatrical producer known for his Tony Award-nominated Broadway performances as Harpo in the 2005 musical "The Color Purple" and Eubie Blake in "Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed". Apart from originating both roles, he also originated the leading role of Berry Gordy Jr. in Broadway's "Motown: The Musical", which earned a nomination for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. In 2016, Brandon assumed the role of Aaron Burr in the Broadway company of "Hamilton". He also played the role of Hayward Patterson in "The Scottsboro Boys" both Off-Broadway and in London's West End, and was nominated for a 2014 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical. As a producer, his credits include Broadway revivals of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch which won the 2014 Tony Award and the Drama Desk Award for best revival of a musical, and "Of Mice and Men". In 2018, he played Judas in NBC's live concert version of Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice's rock opera, "Jesus Christ Superstar" where he received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. His other stage credits include "Chicago", "The Lion King", "The Color Purple", "Rent", and "Shuffle Along" among others. His tv credits include "Power", "She's Gotta Have It", "Modern Love", and "The Best Man: The Final Chapters". Brandon is part of the much-anticipated album of the award-winning "MacGyver: The Musical'" which will be released on January 27th, 2023. Connect with Brandon: Instagram: @brandonvdixon Twitter: @brandonvdixon Website: www.brandonvictordixon.com Connect with The Theatre Podcast: Support us on Patreon: Patreon.com/TheTheatrePodcast Twitter & Instagram: @theatre_podcast TikTok: @thetheatrepodcast Facebook.com/OfficialTheatrePodcast TheTheatrePodcast.com Alan's personal Instagram: @alanseales Email me at feedback@thetheatrepodcast.com. I want to know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join LaTangela as she chats with the beautiful and talented Pauletta Washington. She has been gracing stages across the world for many years and also stars as the real-life leading lady of one of the most dynamic entertainers in the world.  The sexy legal drama Reasonable Doubt – which streams on Hulu – follows criminal defense attorney Jax Stewart, one of the top defense attorneys in Los Angeles, who tries to balance her career while holding together a complicated personal life and a failing marriage. The series, directed and produced by actress Kerry Washington, also stars acclaimed stage & screen actress Pauletta Washington as Jax's mother, “Mama Lu.”  Pauletta (the wife of Denzel Washington for nearly 40 years) has appeared in films such as She's Gotta Have It, Wilma and Beloved as well as Broadway productions including Jesus Christ Superstar and Shakespeare's Cabaret.   ********************************************************************** NEW MUSIC ALERT NEVER KNEW - LaTangela Fay NEW BOOK ALERT P.O.O.F. (Power Over Obstacles Forever) - LaTangela Fay Sherman ************************************************************************************ THE LATANGELA SHOW RADIO -  WEMX- Baton Rouge, La. Mon-Fri 10a.m.-3p.m.CST TV - WLFT - Baton Rouge, La. KGLA  - New Orleans, La. The Louisiana Film Channel YouTube - #LaTangelaFay Podcast - ALL digital platforms www.LaTangela.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We have been looking at black films that are considered classics, that we have missed, so we were bound to run into a Spike Lee joint at some point. In this episode, we discuss 1986's She's Gotta Have It. It becomes the first movie we have reviewed to get a very special score.  Listen to discover what we thought of this culture classic.  We discussThe best and worst parts of the movieBlack & White FilmsDouble StandardsAnd moreWhat did you think of the movie? Email us at UnsceneCC@gmail.com to let us know your thoughts on She's Gotta Have It and what other movies we should include in our journey!Enjoyed the episode? Let us know by leaving a review!

On today's nerdtastically newsworthy episode of #NerdORama, acclaimed stage & screen actress Pauletta Washington (‘She's Gotta Have It,' ‘Wilma' and ‘Beloved' as well as Broadway productions including ‘Jesus Christ Superstar' and ‘Shakespeare's Cabaret') joins the program to introduce her co-starring role as “Mama Lu” on the new Hulu Legal Drama “Reasonable Doubt”…

Episode Description: Narratives are powerful. They can influence policy, shift cultural norms, and drive systemic change. What about the narrative in Black maternal health? How do we shift the mainstream narrative in Black birth and breastfeeding away from doom and gloom and negative statistics to centering joy and possibility? What is needed, who is missing and quite frankly, will the powers in Hollywood ever let us own this narrative? In this episode, Kimberly talks with New York Times best-selling author, award-winning writer and producer, Tonya Lewis Lee, whose most recent work, Aftershock, takes a compelling look at the Black maternal mortality crisis. About Guest, Tonya Lewis Lee: Tonya Lewis Lee is an award-winning producer, entrepreneur, and advocate for women's health. She has produced several TV projects including The Watsons Go To Birmingham[7] which Lewis Lee wrote, The Giver, She's Gotta Have It and MONSTER. Back in 2009, Tonya produced Crisis in the Crib, a documentary about the nation's unconscionable Black infant mortality crisis, centered in Memphis Tennessee. This year, she co-produced Aftershock, now streaming on Hulu, a powerful documentary which follows the stories of two amazing men whose lives are forever changed by Black maternal deaths. Follow @aftershockdoc on Instagram. For more resources, visit www.BirthrightPodcast.comCatch up on episode extras from season 1 and 2 on BIRTHRIGHT'S YOUTUBE PAGE!Subscribe to be notified for new episode releases every Wednesday! Love Birthright? Leave a rating and review.Get full episode details and transcripts on www.BirthrightPodcast.com Follow Kimberly Seals Allers on Twitter on Instagram: @iamKSealsAllersBirthright is funded by the California Health Care Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tonya Lewis Lee is a producer, film director, writer, entrepreneur, and women's health advocate who has been delivering meaningful content that resonates with marginalized communities for over twenty years. Her latest project, Aftershock, is an Original Documentary from Onyx Collective and ABC News Studios, streams Tuesday, July 19 on Hulu. It journeys into the world of childbirth complications experienced by minority women.Topics CoveredWhat is MOVITA ORGANICS PLEASE, BABY, PLEASEMaternal death rate during birth. Why C-Sections are so prevalent during birth. THe importance and history of mid-wives.More on Tonya Lewis LeeTonya Lewis Lee is a producer, film director, writer, entrepreneur, and women's health advocate, delivering meaningful content that resonates with marginalized communities for over twenty years. As a television producer, Lee served as Executive Producer on the episodic Netflix series She's Gotta Have It. She produced her first limited series, Miracle's Boys, at Nickelodeon based on the Jacqueline Woodson Novel of the same name which remains classic television today.Tonya Lewis Lee created Movita to help women gain a baseline of good nutrition, and a practice of positive choices that support a lifestyle of well-being. Tonya's professional journey into health and wellness started in 2007 when she began serving as the National Spokesperson for the “A Healthy Baby Begins with You” campaign initiated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. It was through this work as a women's health advocate that her own health journey took form, ultimately embarking on a lifestyle of wellness. This personal health journey coupled with her entrepreneurial spirit led Tonya to create Movita for women.Support the show: https://www.steveharveyfm.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“I told him, 'You didn't have a long, lucrative NBA career, but that doesn't make you a failure. Yet if you let other people tell your story, that's how you're going to be depicted.”  –Dr. Kevin Harrison In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Kevin talk about how Kevin started writing what he calls "smut novels," how he sold them at the grassroots level, and how people reacted to them (3:30); what it's like to represent lesser-known places like Wichita in urban fiction and other writing, and how Kevin came to co-write NBA player Korleone Young's book (20:00); and the way Kevin's music is another form of storytelling that draws on specific experiences and places (29:30). Dr. Kevin Harrison is a writer, musician, and assistant teaching professor at Wichita State University. He is the author of Cameron Banks: The Reality Show, and co-author of One and Done: The Korleone Young Story. Notable Links: Urban fiction (literary genre) Kaye-Monk-Morgan on Deviate Korleone Young (basketball player) Zane (erotic fiction author) Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens novel) Iceberg Slim (writer and former pimp) Dolemite (Rudy May Moore film) Gordon Parks (Kansas-born photographer and filmmaker) She's Gotta Have It (1986 Spike Lee film) Selena Montgomery (pen name of politician Stacey Abrams) Barry Sanders (football player) Curtis McClinton (football player) The Forgotten Phenom, by Jonathan Abrams (article) LeBron James (basketball player) Hot Water Cornbread (Kevin Harrison song) Note: We don't host a “comments” section, but we're happy to hear your questions and insights via email, at deviate@rolfpotts.com.

If you're not familiar with DeWanda Wise, get ready for that to change because she is one of the best new additions to the Jurassic franchise since the release of the 1993 original. Come June 10th, you'll get to meet Kayla Watts in Jurassic World Dominion. She's a contract pilot who gets gigs from Biosyn, a biotech company that created a safe haven for dinosaurs in the Dolomites in Italy. She's usually all business — complete an assignment, get the money, move on — but when she crosses paths with Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen (Chris Pratt), she's compelled to change course. In honor of Jurassic World Dominion's big debut, Wise took some time to join us for an episode of Collider Ladies Night. While Dominion may mark her very first massive studio blockbuster, Wise has been busy racking up impressive titles for quite some time including Spike Lee's Netflix series She's Gotta Have It, the delightful romantic comedy Someone Great, and so much more. Hear all about it on this edition of Collider Ladies Night! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The brilliant DeWanda Wise in our guest this week, and baby, we should pay her to become *our* therapist! If you don't know DeWanda, she was the titular "she" in She's Gotta Have It, and you've seen her in everything from Underground to Fatherhood to the forthcoming Jurassic World Dominion (Eeee!). Anyway, her parents weren't kidding when they gifted DeWanda her surname, and on this episode, we hear about her academic dating style, her short courtship to her husband, how they navigate their relationship in the business of show, and so much more! PLUS, of course, we answer YOUR advice questions! If you'd like to ask advice questions, call 323-524-7839 and leave a VM or just DM us on IG or Twitter! Also, support the show on Patreon or with a t-shirt (or a Jewboo shirt) and watch us every once in a while on Twitch or check out clips on YouTube! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.