American film director, screenwriter, and producer
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In this episode, Sean and James discuss the 1989 film Born on the Fourth of July, directed by Oliver Stone and based on the autobiography of Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic. Tom Cruise stars as Kovic, a patriotic young man who enlists in the U.S. Marine Corps, only to be paralyzed in combat and deeply disillusioned by the war and its aftermath. The film follows Kovic’s journey from idealistic soldier to anti-war activist, chronicling his physical and emotional struggles, his alienation upon returning home, and his eventual transformation into a vocal critic of U.S. foreign policy. Take back your personal data with Incogni! Use code battles at the link below and get 60% off annual plans: https://incogni.com/battlesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mickey Huff hosts this week's show. This week, we welcome back the esteemed historian, professor at American University, and co-author with Oliver Stone of The Untold History of the United States, Peter Kuznick. Mickey Huff recently had a chance to catch up with one of America's most in-demand historians around the world to discuss the state of the Sate under Trump 2.0. They talk about ongoing tensions from the Middle East to Russia, and rising authoritarianism right here at home. This week, for the full hour, history matters as context for the present, with Peter Kuznick. The News That Didn't Make the News. Each week, co-hosts Mickey Huff and Eleanor Goldfield conduct in depth interviews with their guests and offer hard hitting commentary on the key political, social, and economic issues of the day with an emphasis on critical media literacy. The post The State of the State & Untold Recent History with Peter Kuznick appeared first on KPFA.
Shane and Andrew discover Oliver Stone's debut movie, the low budget horror film Seizure, starring Thunderball's Martine Beswick and The Man With the Golden Gun's Herve Villechaize.
A graduate of the USC School of Cinema and Television, Andrew Durham has worked under such directors as David Lynch, Christopher Guest, Wes Craven, and Oliver Stone. He began his collaborative relationship with Sofia Coppola when he produced her first short film, LICK THE STAR, and Coppola's television series, HI-OCTANE, for the Comedy Central Network. He went on to work for MTV Networks as Producer for Projects in Development, and later for Fox Television Studios where he served as Vice President of Production. He left television to pursue his passion for photography. He's shot for such publications as Vanity Fair, The New York Times, French Vogue, and Elle, and advertising campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Dior. And he's in THE BACK ROOM to discuss his terrific feature film directorial debut, FAIRYLAND, which is currently in select theaters nationwide and on VOD in November. Got somethin' to say?! Email us at BackroomAndy@gmail.com Leave us a message: 845-307-7446 Twitter: @AndyOstroy Produced by Andy Ostroy, Matty Rosenberg, and Jennifer Hammoud @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff Design by Cricket Lengyel
By Walt HickeyWelcome to the Numlock Sunday edition.This week, I spoke to Alyssa Rosenberg, Sunny Bunch and Peter Suderman, the three panelists of the outstanding film podcast Across the Movie Aisle. I really enjoy the show and have been a longtime fan of their individual work.I think that they're a group with genuinely diverse opinions but who have a lot of love for cinema and as a result have some of the most deeply interesting conversations about the art form of any show I listen to. The show just split off from The Bulwark's network and is striking it out independently. Do check them out!This interview has been condensed and edited. Hey, Across the Movie Aisle. Thank you so much for coming on Numlock. I really appreciate it.Absolutely.Thank you for having us.Yes, this is the first three-on-one conversation that I've ever done here, so we're gonna have to juggle a bit. Either way, I am just such a fan of the show. I really, really enjoyed it, subscribed to the Bulwark for it when I heard that you guys were going independent. I was really excited to see what was motivating that, what opportunities you were seeing out there. It's just such a really fun program, and I think it's so unique in the space.Before we get into talking about the movies, do you wanna talk a little bit about where this show came from, where it started, then what you would say your perspective on the film industry is?Sonny: Sure.Alyssa: Who wants to tell the story?Sonny: The origin of the show was back in 2019. I started working for an independent film studio that's based in Dallas, where I live now. I moved here for the job. The pitch was, “it's like Fangoria,” but for action movies and thrillers and heist movies, that sort of thing. And one of the things I wanted to do when we came over was a little podcast network. We were gonna have some shows, some storytelling things, et cetera. And one of the things I had wanted to do for a while (and hadn't really had an outlet for) was a show I had envisioned as like Crossfire or McLaughlin Group or something like that, but by way of movies.So Across the Movie Aisle — I've always shorthanded it as Siskel and Ebert meets Left Right Center. And the idea here is that I am a conservative. I don't know how other people would describe me, but I still think of myself as a center-right person. Alyssa is the center-left person.Peter: Would you even say that you are a neoconservative?Sonny: Well, I'm a neoconservative with libertarian tendencies, which is a funny thing.Peter: “You work at the Weekly Standard,” is a good way to think about your politics? And they basically haven't changed since you worked at The Weekly Standard. Is that fair? That's the long and the short of it.Sonny: Then Peter is whatever Peter is. I'll let him define himself. But the idea here was you have three people with differing political views talking about movies and other stories about movies. The show has two segments. The first is called Controversies and Nontroversies. The second is a review. And the Controversies and Nontroversies segment was initially thought of as we tackle some dumb internet outrage of the day and decide if it's really worth being mad about.And that evolved into something slightly different, right? Right, guys? I feel like it's now more about the business of Hollywood.Alyssa: Yes, exactly. But I think it's worth noting that our story actually starts way before 2019. The three of us were all critics in some respect or other. I was over at ThinkProgress running their culture and sports verticals. Sonny, were you at the Weekly Standard when we started or were you at the Free Beacon then?Sonny: I think I was at the Washington Free Beacon when we met. So it must've been 2012 or 13.Alyssa: The three of us were going to screenings every week and somehow just gravitated towards each other. We would sit together. We were the people who were hanging out and hashing things out together after the screening ended. When I moved to the Washington Post, I ended up bringing Sonny over as a contributor to the blog that I was working on there. They were invited to my wedding. We were authentically contentiously friends years before we started the podcast.I think that's been a little bit of the special sauce for us, right? We are capable of having conversations that are somewhat harder to have elsewhere because (even before we started working together) there were five, six years of trust built up in in-person conversations and discussions over beers at the really terrible bar near the former AMC in Friendship Heights. Nobody is here on this podcast to blow each other up. But it's also not like “We're friends for the camera!”I think the show has always been like both a reflection of our dynamic. It's also the way that we hang out every week, even though Sonny lives in Dallas, and Peter lives in Boston some of the time. So for me, it's like my night out.I mean, as a listener, I really find the appeal to be exactly that. I think that having different perspectives on something as universal as film makes the show super compelling to listen to, even if I don't always necessarily agree with the perspective on it. What makes movies just so good to view from multiple different angles? There are lowercase “c” conservative films, there are lowercase “l” liberal films, that stuff. How do you guys find approaching the current state of the film industry from these different points of view?Peter: Alyssa talked about how our story goes back even before 2019, when the podcast started. And just for people who may not be familiar with the dynamic of Washington that all of us came up in in our 20s, Alyssa was working for ThinkProgress, which was the journalism arm of the Center for American Progress, which is this leading democratic or democratic affiliated think tank. Sonny was working for the Weekly Standard and then for the Washington Free Beacon, these feisty, conservative journalistic outlets.I actually started writing movie reviews for National Review for a couple of years. When I moved over full-time to Reason Magazine, which is where I've been for more than 15 years now, and also to the Washington Times, which is someplace that both Sonny and I wrote for. It's a conservative-leaning paper that has undergone many transformations. If you live in Washington, your social circle and your conversations and your life are so frequently segmented by politics.What we liked about being friends with each other and seeing movies with each other was that we saw that it didn't have to be the case. Movies and art and pop culture, even disagreements about them, were ways that we could come together and maybe not even agree, but like learn about each other. We're really good friends, but we also like each other's minds. This is something that is really important and drew us all together. I have learned a lot about movies from Sonny. I have learned about culture from Alyssa. I don't know if they've learned anything from me. Maybe they've been annoyed about how I'm fine with A.I.Having those perspectives, it's not just that it's like, “Oh, that's nice that you're a little different.” This is a learning opportunity for all of us. It also makes the act of watching movies together much richer. When you're watching the movie, if you're watching it next to Alyssa, I know what she's thinking. Maybe not what I'm thinking, but it's like having another set of eyes. If you're a critic, if you're somebody who likes movies, if you are somebody who likes movies for the social aspect of them, seeing them with somebody else and talking about them afterwards just makes it so much more enjoyable. The fact that we then get to have that conversation in public for an audience that seems to enjoy this is really rewarding.Alyssa: I have a very hard time with certain kinds of violence in movies. But I can sit in a theater with Peter, and he can tell me when I need to cover my eyes, but also when I'm gonna be okay when it's over. And he's always right, right? And that's the thing that we get.Peter: But also when we see the Taylor Swift movie, I show up, and Alyssa has friendship bracelets for us. Everybody's bringing something to the party here.Alyssa: Peter, you joked about whether or not we've gotten anything from you. And I actually think that in some ways, I'm the one of us whose politics and aesthetics have changed most as a result of doing the show with both of you. I came up in an era of lefty cultural criticism when there were real incentives for tearing things apart. And I think I, in some ways early in my career, helped advance a fairly doctrinaire vision of what political conversations about art should be. And I have some regrets about some of the things that I wrote and some non-regrets too. I did a lot of work at that point in my career that I liked a lot.But one of the things I've come to believe in my conversation with these guys is that art is at its most politically powerful not when it affirms an agenda or a worldview that is defined by a political movement, but it is at its most powerful and interesting when it creates space for conversations that are not possible in conventional political formats and political venues. I think the unpredictability of movies and the inability to shove movies neatly into a partisan schema is where their power comes from.It is not in being subordinate to an agenda, but in opening the space for new possibilities. And I think that having a space to come to that conclusion made me a better critic and a better person. Maybe less employable as someone who writes about this stuff full-time in a predictable way. But I really enjoy seeing the world through the lenses that Peter and Sonny helped me apply to all of this.Peter: And just to underline that really quickly, a little bit more. One of the things that brings all of us together is that we are all three people who moved to Washington to work in political journalism, to work in discourse about politics. We have very strongly held beliefs. At the same time, I think all three of us come to movies, to art and to culture thinking, “You know what, you can make good art. You can make a great movie that maybe I find doesn't in any way align with my beliefs, right?” It has nothing to do with my political world or is even critical of my political worldview, but it's still a great movie.And this is a thing that you see very rarely in Washington and political discussions of art and film, but also in criticism. You have so much criticism that is out there, especially in the movie criticism world, that is just straightforwardly, politically determined. I don't think that that is the best way to approach art and to live a life that is about art because. Of course, it engages with politics. And of course you have to talk about that. And of course, you have to deal with that, but it's not just politics. If what you want from a movie is for it to be an op-ed, then what you want isn't a movie, it's an op-ed.I think that's really interesting. And actually, let's dive into that real quick. We'll go around the horn, perhaps. Peter, you brought it up. What is an example of a film or a piece of media that maybe either subverts or goes upstream compared to your personal politics that you nevertheless enjoyed? Or you, nevertheless, in spite of where you were coming from on that, really tended to like?Peter: So we all had mixed reactions to Paul Anderson's, P.T. Anderson's One Battle After Another, which is quite a political film, just came out. All of us thought that on a micro level, scene by scene, as a piece of filmmaking, it's genius. But on a macro level, its big ideas are kind of a mess. I go back to another Paul Anderson film from the aughts, There Will Be Blood, which is fairly critical of capitalism and of the capitalist tendencies that are deeply rooted in America. And it's not just a polemic, just an op-ed. It's not something that you can sum up in a tweet. It is quite a complex film in so many ways. And I'm a capitalist. I am a libertarian. I am a markets guy. And it is, I love that movie.Sonny and I frequently have arguments over whether There Will Be Blood is the first or second best movie of the last 25 years or so. Sonny thinks it's maybe the best. I think it's the second best. This is a movie that I think offers a deep critique of my ideology and my political worldview. But it is so profound on an artistic character narrative, just deep engagement level. I could talk about it for a long time. It's a movie I really love that doesn't support what I believe about politics in the world.Yeah, Sonny, how about you?Sonny: Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor is commie agitprop, but it's also very good. It's one of those movies where the lesson of the movie is literally “The elite overclass needs to be taught how to pee correctly in a bucket, so as not to annoy the normals.” But it's a beautiful movie, including the bucket. You don't have to agree with a film's politics to recognize that it is a great movie. It certainly doesn't hurt. I flipped through my rankings, and a lot of it does line up.But another one is JFK. Oliver Stone's JFK is a movie that is nonsense as history. If you look at it as a history text, you are reading the film wrong. What it excels at and the way that it is great is that it's the absolute perfect distillation of sitting next to an insane conspiracy theorist and hearing them ramble. The way that Oliver Stone edits together all of these disparate ideas — the way he edits is like hearing a conspiracy theorist talk.The way a conspiracy theorist talks is that they overwhelm you with information. They will just throw out random things and be like, “And this is connected to this, and this is connected to this.” And you are not able to actually judge these things because you have no idea really what they're talking about. You're not steeped in this stuff like they are, but it all sounds right. And all of a sudden, yeah, I believe that the military industrial complex murdered JFK at the behest of a fascist homosexual conspiracy, which is just another amusing little element to JFK by Oliver Stone.Those would be two examples, I would say.I love that. Alyssa, how about you?Alyssa: I would say Dirty Harry. I did a huge project about 10 years ago on depictions of the police in pop culture. And the ways in which law enforcement, as an industry, has actually really shaped their depictions on film. And look, I don't think the police always get everything right. And I think that shooting people is not a viable solution to a crime, especially without a trial. But God damn, does Clint Eastwood make like a sweater and a blazer and a real big gun look awesome, right?Sonny: Those are things that look awesome. Of course, they look awesome on Clint Eastwood.Alyssa: Of course, they look awesome, but they look especially awesome on Clint Eastwood. And they look even more awesome when he's shooting a crazed hippie who has commandeered a busSonny: Full of children.Alyssa: Yes, a bus full of children. The evil hippie deserves to get shot, and Clint Eastwood is the man to set things right. The thing about aesthetics is that they can get you to set aside your politics momentarily in a theoretical way. But I also think that good movies can get you access to spaces and mindsets that you might not have access to otherwise.When you asked that question, the movie that I immediately thought of, not necessarily of challenging my politics, but like bringing me a place I can't go, is Alex Garland's Warfare from earlier this year. It is one of the best movies I've seen this year. And also a movie about (both as a social and cultural environment) an all-male combat unit in the US military and a situation (the war in Iraq) that I have no access to. I cannot go there. My being in the space would fundamentally transform the space. And that opening sequence with this platoon watching this music video in a weird, sexualized group bonding ritual, I just found fascinating and oddly touching in a way that I think is interesting to watch, especially if you're steeped in left-leaning critiques of traditional masculinity in all-male spaces.And I found that movie, despite how harrowing it was, kind of beautiful and tender to watch in a way. And I just felt very grateful for it.Awesome. Yeah, again, I really appreciate how much thought goes into viewing not only movies as cultural entities, but also their space in politics, but also how the culture can overwhelm that. I really think that you guys have such fun takes on this. I wanna back out a little bit and talk a little bit about this year and this moment. I think one thing I really enjoy about your show is that it's obvious how much you guys really enjoy going to the movies, enjoy consuming this stuff. I know that there's a lot of fairly understandable doom and gloom sometimes around the movie industry, around the exhibition industry. A lot of that, I think, comes from some of the more industry side of things and infects the viewing public's view.I'll just throw it to you. What is a trend or something going on these days within movies or Hollywood that you actually think is a good thing, that you're actually enjoying? Or a transitional moment that you think could be fun? I guess, Sunny, I'll start off with you. I don't know.Sonny: That's a hard question to answer because everything is bad right now.Alyssa: To be clear, this is Sonny's default position about all eras and all things. All things.Peter: He's a cheerful man.Sonny: All things, really. No, everything is bad. But if I were looking at a few green shoots, I like the rise of the draft house style theater, a combination of dining, bar, movie space. I know some people have issues with the waiters scurrying back and forth. And it's not my real cup of tea either, but that's all right. You mentioned this question right before we started taping. I was trying to sketch something out, so I didn't have nothing.But I do think the rise of the boutique Blu-ray and 4K UHD retailers has been a good thing. I don't know that it's enough to save physical media in the film context, but the rise of your Vinegar Syndromes. Criterion, of course, is the longest player in this space, and they've been doing it since the days of Laserdisc. They're very good at what they do, and they have a great catalog.But even smaller places, like your Vinegar Syndromes or your Shout Factory and your Scream Factory. The studios themselves are getting into it. Lionsgate has their Lionsgate limited thing that they do, which is just sucking money out of my pockets. A24 has also been good in this space. I like the idea that there is a small but committed cadre of collectors out there. And it's not just ownership for the sake of ownership. It's not the high fidelity, “the things you own matter. So you should show them off so everybody can see them and see how cool you are” kind of thing. There are actual quality differences to having a disc as opposed to a streaming service, which always come in at lower bit rates, and they look and sound worse.But this is so niche. Very few people who collect this stuff (Blu-rays, 4Ks, et cetera) really understand how niche they are.If you look at the monthly pie chart of sales of discs every month, it's still 50 percent DVD, 20 percent to 25 percent Blu-ray, and then 25 percent to 30 percent 4K, depending on what's out at any given time. But 50 percent of discs are still being bought by people browsing Walmart shelves, like “Ooh, I'll watch this new movie for $5. Sure, why not?”Yeah, having something for the sickos is always something viable, right? Peter, I'll throw it to you.Peter: So, on this podcast, I have probably been the biggest MCU, Marvel Movie Universe booster. What I think is a good thing that is happening right now is that the MCU is in a decline, or at least a reset period. It's not overwhelming Hollywood in the way that it was throughout the 2010s. It's hurting theaters and exhibition because those movies are not performing the way they used to, and that's a downside for real.But what it is doing is creating a space for young filmmakers and for young acting talent to rise up without having to immediately be sucked into the MCU or something comparable, like the DC movies that were trying to start up and never really got going. Now they've rebooted the DC universe with the James Gunn Superman film. But, it really felt like in the 2010s, anyone who was in their 20s or 30s and was a really promising actor or a really promising director was gonna make one or two movies. And then they were gonna get sucked into the Marvel or maybe the Star Wars machine, one of these big franchise things.It wasn't like even 25 years ago when Sam Raimi was making Spider-Man films, and they were very distinctly Sam Raimi films. I mean, you watch the Dr. Octopus POV sequence in Spider-Man 2, and it's the same thing he was doing in Evil Dead, except he had $150 million to make that movie, right?These weren't even altruistic superhero films. They were just being brought in to lend their names a small amount of flavor to whatever it was they were doing. And now, in an era in which the MCU is not gone, but is diminished, a lot of acting talent and a lot of directing talent are going to be free to spend that formative period of third, fourth, fifth, sixth movies to make the things that they wanna make and to experiment.Like I said, this does have downsides. This is not great for theatrical exhibitors who are suffering right now because there are fewer movies and because the big movies are not as big. But in that space, you get the opportunity to try new things. And I love seeing new things, and I love watching new talent develop.That is cool. I like that. Alyssa?Alyssa: I'm glad you said that, Peter, because what I was gonna say is I am delighted to see some of the directors who did time in the MCU or other franchises coming back and making original movies. Obviously, Sinners is one of the big success stories of the year. It's also a success story because Ryan Coogler is not only making franchise movies.I saw Seeing Fruitvale, which turned Fruitvale Station, at the Sundance Film Festival. It was like a seminal moment for me early in my career as a critic. I was like, “Holy God, this guy is great.” Even though I like what he did with the Rocky movies and I like the first Black Panther, I just felt this sense of profound regret for him getting diverted from telling these original stories. I'm really excited for Chloe Zhao's Hamnet. I expect to be emotionally incapacitated by that movie. Honestly, it is great for people who love movies that Immortals was just such a disaster.Peter: Eternals.Sonny: Eternals, that's how good it is we can't even remember the title.Alyssa: Yes, Destin Daniel Cretton is working on a Shang-Chi sequel, but he is also collaborating with Ryan Coogler on a project that I think is drawn from their childhoods.Sonny: He's directing a new Spider-Man movie right now.Alyssa: But there's other stuff coming. There's the possibility of life outside franchises. And, I'm excited to see what some of these folks do when they're not in front of a green screen and when they're telling stories about actual human beings. I am excited to just see more movies like Weapons, like Materialists, coming from younger directors who are still figuring things out, but have interesting things to say. And this year, at least, appears to be able to do okay at the box office.I love that. People are recovering from their exile in Atlanta and have a chance to make some cool movies. You guys have been so generous with your time. I do want to just finish on one last note: where do you assess Hollywood's position within the world to be?Obviously, in the States, they've had a lot of pressure from things like TikTok coming from below, things like the federal government coming from above. But even internationally and geopolitically, you've seen international players start to compete with Hollywood at the Oscars. For instance, in Best Animated Film last year, as well as some big markets shutting down for them, like China is not really doing anything. From a political perspective, where do you assess the state of Hollywood right now?Peter: From a political perspective, I think Hollywood is going to start producing movies that read less overtly liberal, less conventionally left-leaning. I think we're already seeing some of that. I don't mean that Hollywood is suddenly going to be MAGA, that it's suddenly gonna be like reading Buckley's National Review or anything like that. I just mean that at the margins, you're gonna see more movies that don't toe the line in the way that you saw movies before. There was a moment, especially right before and right after the pandemic, where it really felt like too many movies were towing a very predictable left-of-center political line. And it was obvious and there was no nuance to it.Again, I do not oppose movies that may have a different worldview than mine, but it felt like they were running scared in a lot of cases. I mean, in sports, if your team is behind, that's the time when you try new stuff. You don't use the same strategy if you are losing. Hollywood's losing right now. They're losing economically and they're losing as a cultural force. While that's in some ways not great for the art form, that is going to be good for experimentation. And that's gonna be formal and craft experimentation. That's going to be talent. We're going to see new and interesting people. And that's also going to be ideas both for stories and for politics and ideology.Sonny: A big question is what happens with the retrenchment of the global box office? Because I do think, for a long time, you could count on basically two-thirds of the box office of a major Hollywood release coming overseas and one-third coming domestically. And those numbers have, in some cases, inverted. It's closer to 50/50 for more of them. It's not universally true. F1 did more business overseas than domestically, which you might expect for something that's based on F1 racing. But the big question is what happens if the rest of the world is like, “We're not that interested in the big Hollywood blockbuster stuff that we have been eating up for the last 15 or 20 years”?This goes hand in hand with Alyssa's point about originals. That's probably a good thing, honestly. It's probably a good thing to get away from the theory of the movie industry being like, “We need to make things that appeal despite language barriers.” Language matters; words matter. And tailoring your words to the correct audience matters. American movie studio should tailor their stuff to American audiences.Alyssa: And also getting away from the idea of appealing to the Chinese censors who controlled which American movies got access to Chinese markets, which was not the same thing as appealing to Chinese audiences. But yeah, I totally agree.My father-in-law works in the foreign exchange industry, and he said something that I've been thinking about a lot. They're just seeing real declines in people who want to come here or feel comfortable coming here. Until July, I was the letters editor at The Washington Post, and it was astonishing to me just how much rage Canadians were feeling towards the United States. I don't know that these will translate into a rejection of American movies. American culture exports have been unbelievably strong for a long time.But I do see an opening for Korean pop culture, which has already been very popular abroad. I think there's a real chance that we will see a rejection of American culture in some ways. And, it will take Hollywood a while to respond to that. It always lags a little bit. But I do think it would be very interesting to see what more aggressively American movies look like. And I think that could take many forms.But scale is in many ways the enemy of interestingness. If there is not and opportunity to turn everything into a two billion dollar movie because you sell it overseas, what stories do you tell? What actors do you put on screen? What voices do you elevate? And I think the answers to those questions could be really interesting.Peter: I agree with all of this in the sense that I think it will be good for the art form, like I have been saying. But there's a cost to this that all of us should recognize. When budgets get smaller and the market shrinks, that is going to be bad for people who work in the industry. And in particular, it's going to be rough for the below-the-line talent, the people whose names you see at the end credits — when these credits now scroll for 10 minutes after a Marvel movie because they have employed hundreds, maybe even a thousand people.And there was a story in The Wall Street Journal just this summer. You mentioned the time in Atlanta about how Marvel has moved most of its production out of Atlanta. There are people there who had built lives, bought houses, had earned pretty good middle-class incomes, but weren't superstars by any means. Now they don't know what to do because they thought they were living in Hollywood East, and suddenly, Hollywood East doesn't exist anymore.We may be in a position where Hollywood West, as we have long know it, L.A., the film center, also doesn't exist anymore, at least or at least as much smaller, much less important and much less central to filmmaking than it has been for the last nearly 100 years. And again, as a critic, I like the new stuff. I often like the smaller stuff. I'm an American; I want movies made for me. But also, these are people with jobs and livelihoods, and it is going to be hard for them in many cases.Sonny: Oh, I'm glad to see the A.I. King over here take the side of the little guy who's losing out on his on his livelihood.Peter: I think A.I. is going to help the little guy. Small creators are going to have a leg up because of it.Sonny: Sure.All right. Well, I love some of those thoughts, love some of those lessons. Publicly traded companies are famously risk-taking, so we're going to be fine, definitely. Either way, I really do love the show. I really, really enjoy it. I think it's one of the best discussion shows, chat shows about any movie podcast out there. It is really, really fun. It is very cool to see you guys go independent.I just want to throw it to you a little bit. What is your pitch? What is the show? Where can they find it? What's the best way to support it? And where can they find you all?Sonny: The show's a lot like this, like what you just listened to.Alyssa: Peter has developed this catchphrase when Sonny asked him how he's doing to kick off the show, and he always says that he's excited to be talking about movies with friends. We want to be your movie friends. You should come hang out with us. Hopefully, we will be going live a little bit more, maybe meeting up in person some. I will hopefully be doing some writing for our sub stack, if you have missed my blatherings about movies and movie trends.But yeah, come hang out with us every week. We're fun.Sonny: Movieaisle.substack.com. That's where you should go. You should I'm I'm I'm sure I'm sure there will be a link to it or something. Movieaisle.substack.com is where it lives now. We'll have a proper URL at some point.Terrific. And wherever you get your podcasts?Sonny: And wherever you get your podcasts!That's great. Peter, Alyssa, Sonny, thank you so much. This is really, really fun. Again, I really dig the show so much. I'm very, very happy for you guys being able to spring out independent. So really, thanks for coming on.Edited by Crystal WangIf you have anything you'd like to see in this Sunday special, shoot me an email. Comment below! Thanks for reading, and thanks so much for supporting Numlock.Thank you so much for becoming a paid subscriber! Send links to me on Twitter at @WaltHickey or email me with numbers, tips or feedback at walt@numlock.news. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.numlock.com/subscribe
Speakers BBQ conference, www.enargia.be Alasdair MacLeod speaking at the Speakers BBQ 2024, Brussels Video Here Len Osanic speaking at the Speakers BBQ 2023, Brussels Watch Here Simon Michaux, PHd on energy solutions. Speakers BBQ 2024, Brussels View Videos Here Belgian sovereign debt out of control Article Here Budget problems in France connected to the CFA Watch Here Gilt crisis looming in Great Britain Read Here Italy becoming more and more difficult to govern Read Article Here Chat Control postponed Wow Broken Glass, French economist Frederic Bastiat (1801-1850) (easily translated into English) Check out Alasdair Macleod and Dr. Richard Werner on debt and debt crisis. What it it, how it comes about, why it is easily avoidable, how monetary and financial crisises are engineered. The green transition is a myth. Author Jean Baptiste Fressoz, More and more and more: an all-consuming history of energy Hardcover - 9 Jan. 2025, ISBN 978-0241718896 Excellent speakers on Russia and geopolitics : Alex Krainer Alastair Crook, Jacques Baud Ukraine on fire by Oliver Stone, Maidan February 2014 Ukranian civil war CNN 2015 Another must watch video clip ! Donbass 2018 - a dark documentary by French moviemaker Anne-Laure Bonel View Here Check out Louis Vincent Gave on world Trade, BRICS 'The dollar has become too toxic' How China, Russia and India will undermine the dollar as a trade currency and why that spells budgetary problems for the west (easily translatable into English) Since April 4th 2025 China bans all export of refined metals, minerals, rare earths or products containing these elements. Predeiction l China will throttle back it lending spree, ending a 20 year free for all in providing credit to build industrial overcapacity on top of existing capacity. Not adding more capacity will allow existing companies finally to make money. Real money. Earnings of Chinese companies will sky rocket over the next 10 to 15 years. 2025 : Chinese has 60.000km of high speed rail The SCO : Shanghai Cooperation Organization, check world map Dr Richard Connolly (EU and NATO official advisor) speaking on the transformation of the Russian Economy. Ukraine was a failed state reported as the most corrupt in Europe Conservative values on the rise Many African countries dropping colonial ties China, Russia, India, have become self sufficient and trade without the US. Governments cannot govern without censorship The Petro dollar has come to an end Sanctions on Russia have had the opposite effect Biden bragged he had Ukrainian prosecutor fired Watch Here BRICS is now the largest exporter of crude Oil than OPEC To be a friend of the US is dangerous, but to be a friend is fatal - Henry Kissinger Chinese Airlines fly over Russia, cheaper than other airline routes Don't be paralyzed by fear
In part two of this interview, historian Peter Kuznick — co-author (with Oliver Stone) of The Untold History of the United States — joins Barry Stevens to reflect on the USA's lost chances for peace. He traces a throughline from the sidelining of VP Henry Wallace to the aggressive Cold War policies of Eisenhower and Reagan, who, while avoiding outright nuclear war, escalated militarism to unprecedented levels. Today's panic over China, Kuznick argues, revives that same dangerous playbook — but with even fewer constraints and less public awareness.
Piano music courtesy of Harpeth Presbyterian Church, recorded via iPhone.Oliver Stone doesn't know Jack about history, American or recent history (JFK) either…Certainly, Christopher might have been better off with a one-and-done. After his first voyage, his only reward was the title Admiral of the Ocean Sea. It's not well known that he returned from his last voyage in chains. So much for Ollie's assertion that CC plundered those peaceful savages he encountered. The Columbian series was a pictorial history of the 1492 event, and if you are interested, locate a copy of Pictorial Treasury of US Stamps, 1974©.Content Matters this week will include an interview I made last weekend with cricket bowlers on the lawn of Forest Hills Methodist Church.
In this episode, James Maude talks with Ralph Echemendia “the ethical hacker” whose journey from Miami phone phreak to Hollywood's top cybersecurity consultant is stranger than fiction. Ralph shares how hacking printers and hospital records jump-started his career, why tracking down an Eminem album leak turned into an international manhunt, and what Oliver Stone learned about the NSA at DEF CON. From securing the Snowden film against nation-state attacks to uncovering that studios store entire movies in Dropbox, Ralph exposes Hollywood's biggest security blind spots and the rise of AI-powered deepfake heists worth hundreds of millions.
Neste episódio, recebo Tiago Laranjo para celebrar o 10º aniversário deste podcast. É verdade, foi a 10 de Outubro de 2015 que, numa noite em branco, nasceu este projecto que, para ser sincero, chegou muito mais longe do que alguma vez sonhei. Não podia contar com melhor companhia para esta efeméride, e o programa das festas inclui a discussão com o Tiago de um filme esquecido de Oliver Stone, ‘Quando o Céu e a Terra Mudaram de Lugar', o 3º capítulo da trilogia do Vietname do realizador. Inclui também uma reflexão sobre uma década de podcasts cinéfilos e a revelação de novidades para o futuro do Segundo Take, por isso deixem-se ficar por aí e participem nesta celebração connosco. Se gostas do podcast, segue-me nas redes sociais! Estou no YouTube, onde encontras também este episódio seguindo esta ligação, no Letterboxd, no Instagram, no Facebook e agora também no BlueSky. A tua ajuda faz toda a diferença, por isso interage, comenta e partilha para fazer crescer a comunidade Segundo Take. Encontra aqui todos os links onde podemos continuar esta conversa sobre cinema: Site: https://www.segundotake.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@segundotake Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/segundotake/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/segundotakepodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/segundotake/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/segundotake.com Substack: https://substack.com/@segundotake Desde já, obrigado pelo teu apoio! Tema ‘Wonder Cycle' interpretado por Chris Zabriskie sob a licença CC BY 3.0
What happens when journalism isn't about uncovering corruption in boardrooms, but surviving on the front lines of a civil war? Oliver Stone's Salvador (1986) throws James Woods into the chaos of Central America's brutal conflict, where photojournalism becomes both a weapon and a death sentence. The hosts dissect how Salvador critiques America's political interests abroad, captures the moral decay of wartime journalism, and showcases one of Woods' greatest performances. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Kyle MacLachlan starred as Special Agent Dale Cooper in Twin Peaks and Charlotte's husband Trey in Sex and the City His new podcast is called “What are we even doing?”Kyle Talks: -His podcast and how does he like it compared to acting-"That was such a wonderful experience working on Sex & the City. We shot in New York City, no better place to film. And I worked with some amazing people""-Playing Ray Manzarek in Oliver Stone's "The Doors"- To subscribe to The Pete McMurray Show Podcast just click here
With Wall Street (1987), Oliver Stone continues both his search for the figure of the "good father" and his consideration of the legacy of 1960s idealism, this time through a critique of 1980s economic greed. We discuss those themes and how the movie is largely a limited hangout, with Gordon Gekko functioning as a fall guy for the true money power. Finally, we note a surprising amount of 9/11 predictive programming in the film.If you enjoy Psyop Cinema, check out the Decoding Culture Foundation and Cultural Engineering Studies magazine - https://decoding-culture.com/magazine-home/CORRECTION: The title of Eric Kaufmann's book is The Rise and Fall of Anglo-Americahttps://twitter.com/CinemaPsyophttps://www.patreon.com/PsyopCinemahttp://psyop-cinema.com/https://linktr.ee/psyopcinemathomas-psyopcinema@protonmail.combrett-psyopcinema@protonmail.com
Send us a textA horrible toxic accident transforms an alien Kryptonian into a downtrodden janitor. When this new toxic version of him is exposed to Earth's selfish, inconsiderate ways he turns into a new evolution of a hero: Incel Space Jesus! On Episode 688 of Trick or Treat Radio we are joined by the Vegan Prince of Wales, Linus for his Patreon Takeover! Linus has selected an unlikely duo of Superhero films, The Toxic Avenger (2025) and Superman (2025) for us to discuss! We also talk about; the Frankenstein sequel the world needs now, well known actors who started out in Troma films, and how bad marketing can impact a film's release! So grab your toxic mop, save all the dogs and squirrels you can, and strap on your Kryptonian Bum Bag for the world's most dangerous podcast!Stuff we talk about: Remembering 1990, MC Hammer, The Curse of Frankenstein, Hammer Films, UK theatrical cuts, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Brexit, BST, Patreon Takeover, Linus, Atomsk, Wulf Gas, noise shows, basement shows, Xiphoid Dimentia, The Brute Man, The Abominable Snowman, Macabre, Attack of the Giant Leeches, Night of the Living Dead, Night of the Strangler, House on Skull Mountain, The Stranger Within, Mansion of the Doomed, Prey, Patrick, The Slayer, My Best Friend is a Vampire, Open House, Dark Carnival, Things, Night Terror, Jacquelin Hyde, Night of the Flesh Eaters, The Dead, 90210 Shark Attack, Cracoon, Insidious, Rupert Friend, Curse of Chucky, The Taking of Deborah Logan, Jeremy Holm, The Ranger, Brooklyn 45, Michelle Bauer, Demon Warp, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Granny, The Manitou, Peeping Tom, Guillermo del Toro, Frankenstein, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Toxic Avenger, Peter Dinklage, Macon Blair, David Prowse, James Earl Jones, Sebastian Shaw, Billy Bob Thornton, Samuel L. Jackson, Oliver Stone, Kevin Costner, Vanna White, Graduation Day, Marisa Tomei, Chopper Chicks in Zombie Town, David Boreanaz, Terror Firmer, Paul Sorvino, John G. Avildsen, Troma Films, Lloyd Kaufman, Father's Day, Cannibal: The Music, Roger Corman, Blue Ruin, The Shitheads, Buttcrack, Elijah Wood, Avator, The Crow without Eric Draven, Alan Scott and Hal Jordan, Brian Michael Bendis, Slimetime, The Toxic Crusaders, CHUDHaven, Swamp Thing, Evil Dead, Fede Alvarez, The Mighty Crabjoys, Savatage, Hall of the Mountain King, Night on Bald Mountain, Ernest Borgnine, Jesus Lizard, James Gunn, Superman, Krypto, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, David Corenswet, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, Alan Tudyk, Edi Gathegi, Nathan Fillion, Guy Gardner, John Byrne, The New Gods, Mr. Terrific, Brainiac, Jimmy and Stiggs, Joe Begos, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, mate rate, RobertRodriguezMusic, RIP Renato Casaro, Space Jesus for Incels, Kryptonian Bum Bag, and The Four Swordsmen of the Girthening!Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/trickortreatradioJoin our Discord Community: discord.trickortreatradio.comSend Email/Voicemail: mailto:podcast@trickortreatradio.comVisit our website: http://trickortreatradio.comStart your own podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=386Use our Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2CTdZzKFB Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/trickortreatradioTwitter: http://twitter.com/TrickTreatRadioFacebookSupport the show
In Search of... “The Great Lakes Triangle” Recorded: 21 Sep 2025 Edited: 02 Oct 2025 Released: 03 Oct 2025 Links: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Wikipedia Gordon Lightfoot - Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald (Official Audio) The Great Lakes Triangle (1980 NOAA Teacher's Guide, rev. 1982, pdf) What is a seiche? Lake Michigan Triangle - Wikipedia Skeptoid Podcast #464: The Lake Michigan Triangle The UnBelievable: Lake Michigan Triangle's Mysterious Phenomena (Season 1) Navigating the Mysteries of the Lake Michigan Triangle - Discovery UK Great Lakes Lore #18: The Lake Ontario Triangle Ghost Ships of the Great Lakes: Lost Beneath the Waves (Full Episode) | National Geographic On this date in 1863, the schooner Rose Belle was launched Looking back: schooner Rosa Belle's vanished crew Columbine 25th Anniversary Memorial Edition Elephant (2003 film) - Wikipedia (the movie by GusVan Sant, not Oliver Stone, Nic was trying to remember) Music: “Dark Science” by David Hilowitz “The Truth Is What We Make of It” by The Agrarians “True North” by Bad Religion All our episodes are at iwtrw.com (or at iwanttorewatch.com, if you want to type more letters for some reason). Links for everything else I Want To Rewatch-related (including our sweet merch) are at the IWTRW Bio Site.
Are Ya Ready for some FOOOTBAALLLLL?!?! Guest Adam Beam returns for a football-packed double feature. First up is Him—the new Jordan Peele–produced thriller that puts America's favorite pastime under a very different kind of spotlight. Then we hit rewind with Oliver Stone's late-90s fever dream, Any Given Sunday—a kitchen-sink collision of locker room politics, sweaty machismo, and eyeball-popping monologues. To keep pace with the gridiron chaos, we're cracking open a Real Ale Brewing TXPA and cooling off with Turning Point Brewing's Sportz, a fruit-punch Gatorade–inspired brew that feels like halftime in a can.
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveToday's guest is Geoff Shullenberger, the managing editor of Compact and a writer whose articles and reviews have appeared in American Affairs, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The New Atlantis, UnHerd, and more. Last week, after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, Geoff wrote an incisive piece titled, “The Return of the Assassin.” In it, he observes that the nature of violence has shifted in recent years, away from the mass shooting and towards the targeted political assassination. Why this is the case, and what it bodes for the future, is the subject of this week's podcast.The conversation provides historical perspective by comparing contemporary political (or quasi-political) violence to radical groups from the 1960s and 1970s like the Baader Meinhof group, the Red Brigades, the Black Panthers, and figures like Huey Newton and Eldridge Cleaver. Shadi Hamid distinguishes between left-wing violence (utopian, seeking new systems) and right-wing violence (preservationist, maintaining hierarchies). Geoff challenges this framework, noting that recent shooter profiles don't fit neatly into these categories. Damir Marusic notes that human beings always want events to “mean” something, but it may very well be that all this violence is essentially senseless.In our bonus section for paid subscribers, the guys discusses Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver; Geoff explains why he doesn't think we are on the brink of civil war; was the Charlie Kirk assassination an “honor killing”?; was January 6 a “mobilization”?; what Trump does next; were we living under a liberal dictatorship in 2020?; Damir on “the rotten Democratic Party”; Shadi says: “Nobody is blameless, but that doesn't mean everyone is equally to blame”; and more!Required Reading and Viewing:* Geoff Shullenberger, “The Return of the Assassin" (Compact).* Geoff Shullenberger, “Popular Justice” (The Point).* Tom Wolfe, “Radical Chic” (New York).* Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish (Amazon).* Martin Scorsese, Taxi Driver (IMDB). * Oliver Stone, JFK (IMDB).* Oliver Stone, Talk Radio (IMDB).* Eric Bogosian, Talk Radio (Amazon).* La Verkin City, Utah, United Nations-Free Zone Ordinance.* Punk rock picture of Oswald and Ruby.Free Preview Video:Full video for paid subscribers below:
America has a long history of political assassinations, with the most recent killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk sending shockwaves across the world. Robert F Kennedy was fatally shot 57 years ago - and now legendary filmmaker Oliver Stone and his son Sean Stone have delved into his incredible story in new film RFK: Legacy. They join Piers Morgan to discuss the documentary and their views on the assassination of Kirk plus Piers asks them about Putin's Russia and the recent passing of Hollywood great Robert Redford. Piers Morgan Uncensored is proudly independent and supported by: Oxford Natural: To watch their full stories, scan the QR code on your screen or visit https://oxfordnatural.com/piers/ to get 70% off your first order when you use code PIERS. Ground News: Go to https://groundnews.com/PIERS for 40% off the Vantage subscription and find the truth mainstream media doesn't want you to see. 00:00 Introduction and monologue 01:11 Oliver Stone and Sean Stone interview begins 02:00 Charlie Kirk's assassination 06:22 Oliver and Sean Stone discuss their new documentary 'RFK: Legacy' 08:52 Piers asks Oliver: “How do you think RFK was killed?” 10:58 AD: Oxford Natural - https://oxfordnatural.com/piers/ for 70% off first order with code PIERS 11:57 Sean Stone on RFK's bodyguard 13:50 The CIA's involvement, the JFK files and the RFK files 22:10 AD: Ground News - https://groundnews.com/PIERS for 40% off the Vantage subscription 23:21 “Could a 22-year-old radicalized man pull off Kirk's assassination without help?” 27:19 Oliver Stone on Robert Redford 30:13 Oliver Stone on Putin and the war in Ukraine Subscribe to stay up-to-date on all Uncensored content. Follow Piers Morgan Uncensored on: X: https://x.com/PiersUncensored Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piersmorganuncensored/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piersmorganuncensored TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@piersmorganuncensored Follow Piers Morgan on: X: https://x.com/piersmorgan Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piersmorgan #rfk #charliekirk #film #piersmorgan
America has a long history of political assassinations, with the most recent killing of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk sending shockwaves across the world. Robert F Kennedy was fatally shot 57 years ago - and now legendary filmmaker Oliver Stone and his son Sean Stone have delved into his incredible story in new film RFK: Legacy. They join Piers Morgan to discuss the documentary and their views on the assassination of Kirk plus Piers asks them about Putin's Russia and the recent passing of Hollywood great Robert Redford. Piers Morgan Uncensored is proudly independent and supported by: Oxford Natural: To watch their full stories, scan the QR code on your screen or visit https://oxfordnatural.com/piers/ to get 70% off your first order when you use code PIERS. Ground News: Go to https://groundnews.com/PIERS for 40% off the Vantage subscription and find the truth mainstream media doesn't want you to see. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
National Double Cheeseburger day. Entertainment from 1996. 1st 8 track tape players installed in cars, Tanks used for the 1st time in battle, Penicillin discovered. Todays birthdays - Marco Polo, Roy Acuff, William Howard Taft, Agatha Christie, Fay Wray, Oliver Stone, Tommy Lee Jones, Kelly Keagy, Wendie Jo Sperber. Ric Ocasek died.Intro - God did good - Dianna Corcoran https://www.diannacorcoran.com/McDonald's burger rap - Sherman GanMacarena - Los Del RioSo much for pretending - Bryan WhiteBirthdays - In da club - 50 Cent http://50cent.com/The wabash canonball - Roy AcuffSister christian - Night RangerShake it up - The CarsExit - A memory I can't drown - Anthony Price https://anthonypricemusic.com/countryundergroundradio.com History & Factoids webpage
PETER SAPHIER is a veteran producer and creative executive at studios including Universal and Paramount. At Universal, he acquired JAWS, co-produced SCARFACE and supervised over 150 movie and TV projects. Career highlights include working with Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, James Cameron, Al Pacino, Oliver Stone, Sylvester Stallone and Michelle Pfeiffer, among others. He is a member of the Motion Picture Academy, evaluated screenplays for the Academy's Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting for 20 years and runs a consulting firm for producers and screenwriters. Host Jason E. Squire is Editor of The Movie Business Book and Professor Emeritus, USC School of Cinematic Arts. Music: “The Day it All Began and it All Ended” by Pawel Feszczuk (License: CC by 4.0).
The week, Book Boys say goodbye to the Summer of Bad Vibes by discussing Don DeLillo's opus "Libra". We discuss paranoid reading, Lee Harvey Oswald as American everyman, Hysterial Realism. At the end, we even take a brief detour to Tinsel Town and chat a bit about Oliver Stone's "JFK".As always, we hope that you enjoy our conversation!Works Cited"Paranoid and Reparative Reading" by Eve Sedgewick"Varieties of Religious Experience" by William James
In this episode, we break down SCARFACE, Brian De Palma's legendary gangster film starring Al Pacino as Tony Montana. We talk about what makes this movie one of the most iconic crime epics ever made — from the themes of greed and power, to the brutal violence, and the way it shaped pop culture. We analyze Tony Montana's rise and fall, discuss the incredible performances, and dive into why this film still resonates with audiences decades later. Chapters: 00:00 Behind the scenes stories 5:14 The masculine urge to become Tony Montana 15:21 The softer side of Tony Montana 19:20 Manny's death & his crush on his sister 28:46 Oliver Stone living the life of Tony Montana 33:57 The fall of the gangster 41:03 Was Omar an actual snitch? 44:19 Pacino's acting method, and cuss word count 49:21 Why it's impossible not to like this movie 54:25 Our official rating & final thoughts 1:01:23 Cue the music
In this episode, we dive into the world where cinema meets the gridiron. We kick things off by revealing our Top 5 football movies, from heartfelt underdog stories to hard-hitting dramas that capture the spirit of the game. Then we shift focus to Oliver Stone's electrifying Any Given Sunday, a film that goes beyond touchdowns and tackles to expose the politics, egos, and chaos behind professional football. We'll unpack its larger-than-life characters, memorable speeches, and the way it captures both the beauty and brutality of the sport. Whether you're a film buff, a football fanatic, or both, this episode breaks down why these stories continue to inspire, challenge, and entertain.________Feel free to email at silverscreenvideopodcast@gmail.com with any comments or thoughts. Also be sure to follow us on Instagram @silverscreenvideopodcast, Twitter @SilverVideo, and TikTok silver.screen.vid.
Murder, Mayhem, and Media Frenzy! Join the CineNerds gang as they dissect the 1994 cult classic film "Natural Born Killers" directed by Oliver Stone. Get an in-depth analysis of the film's themes, characters, and its commentary on violence, media, and American culture. Tune in for CineNerds' expert discussion on this iconic and provocative film, featuring performances by Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis. #CineNerdsPodcast #NaturalBornKillers #OliverStone #CultClassic #90sCinema #WoodyHarrelson #JulietteLewis #ControversialFilms
Actress Ever Carradine (The Handmaid's Tale, Goliath, Shameless) joins Matt and Tim to discuss the 2008 Oliver Stone film, W.. Josh Brolin stars as George W. Bush and Richard Dreyfuss plays Dick Cheney. Matt Walsh https://www.instagram.com/mrmattwalshTimothy Simons https://www.instagram.com/timothycsimonsEver Carradine https://instagram.com/officialevercarradine Second In Command https://instagram.com/secondincommandpodcastEmail questions to: secondincommandatc@gmail.com For more full length episodes like this, and the entire back catalog of Veep rewatches, go to patreon.com/secondincommand and become a Patron.
Actress Ever Carradine (The Handmaid's Tale, Goliath, Shameless) joins Matt and Tim to discuss the 2008 Oliver Stone film, W.. Josh Brolin stars as George W. Bush and Richard Dreyfuss plays Dick Cheney. Matt Walsh https://www.instagram.com/mrmattwalshTimothy Simons https://www.instagram.com/timothycsimonsEver Carradine https://instagram.com/officialevercarradine Second In Command https://instagram.com/secondincommandpodcastEmail questions to: secondincommandatc@gmail.com For more full length episodes like this, and the entire back catalog of Veep rewatches, go to patreon.com/secondincommand and become a Patron.
Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski look ahead in the world of physical media and reveal what you can add to your library this week and next. For those who have seen Spike Lee's remake, Highest 2 Lowest, Crtierion offers up the Kurosawa original in OK. You may have been issued it when you first bought your DVD player but now you can get the TV sci-fi adaptation with a unique stake in box office history. Universal has upgraded a pair of Best Actress-winning biopics and Warner upgrades a horror original in time for its final sequel. Oliver Stone has James Woods in one of his very best performances. Dwayne Johnson gets 4K'd in one of his few good movies. There are a pair of detective stories including the unfairly maligned sequel to Chinatown. Plus Walter Hill's prison boxing film is also worth another look4:20 - Criterion (High and Low (4K), Compensation)17:13 - Arrow (Lost in Space (1998) (4K))28:21 - Universal (Coal Miner's Daughter (4K), Erin Brockovich (4K))45:09 - Shout Factory (Salvador (4K))55:14 - Warner (The Conjuring (4K))1:01:50 - Kino (Huckleberry Finn (1931), Father Brown Detective, The Two Jakes (4K), The Lords of Discipline (4K), Smoke/Blue in the Face, The Rundown (4K), Undisputed (4K))1:56:21 - New Theatrical & TV Titles On Blu-ray (Ballerina: From the World of John Wick (4K), Jurassic World: Rebirth (4K), Elio (4K), Materialists, Ice Road: Vengeance, The Surfer, Clown in a Cornfield (4K), The Ritual, Bride Hard, Little House on the Prairie: The Complete Series (1974-1983))2:02:51 - New Blu-ray AnnouncementsCLICK ON THE FILMS TO RENT OR PURCHASE AND HELP OUT THE MOVIE MADNESS PODCASTBe sure to check outErik's Weekly Box Office Column – At Rotten TomatoesCritics' Classics Series – At Elk Grove Cinema in Elk Grove Village, ILChicago Screening Schedule - All the films coming to theaters and streamingPhysical Media Schedule - Click & Buy upcoming titles for your library.(Direct purchases help the Movie Madness podcast with a few pennies.)Erik's Linktree - Where you can follow Erik and his work anywhere and everywhere.The Movie Madness Podcast has been recognized by Million Podcasts as one of the Top 100 Best Movie Review Podcasts as well as in the Top 60 Film Festival Podcasts and Top 100 Cinephile Podcasts. MillionPodcasts is an intelligently curated, all-in-one podcast database for discovering and contacting podcast hosts and producers in your niche perfect for PR pitches and collaborations. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit erikthemovieman.substack.com
Send us a textIn today's episode, I'm honored to chat with Le Ly Hayslip, internationally known Vietnamese-American author, philanthropist, peace activist, and speaker. Le Ly grew up in central Vietnam during the American-Vietnam War and later authored two bestselling memoirs, When Heaven and Earth Changed Places and Child of War, Woman of Peace. Her story of resilience inspired Oliver Stone's 1993 film Heaven & Earth. Beyond her writing, she founded two humanitarian organizations—East Meets West Foundation and Global Village Foundation—dedicated to rebuilding Vietnam through education, medical care, and essential resources.Episode Highlights:Her upbringing in a rice-farming family of 6 children in central Vietnam, living under the pressures of both American forces and the Viet Cong.The importance of protecting family gravesites and places of worship as a way of preserving identity and tradition.Why her book cannot be published in Vietnam, and how Oliver Stone's film adaptation offers another way to experience her story.How returning to Vietnam in the 1980s inspired her lifelong humanitarian work.Her invitation to visit the beauty of Vietnam, where she leads trips in both the spring and fall.✨ Le Ly also shared with me about the upcoming Global Village Foundation Awards Gala to celebrate 30 years of U.S. & Vietnam diplomatic relations at the on 11/15/25. You can find more information on the Global Village Foundation website. Le Ly's story is one of survival, forgiveness, and hope. As she says, “We cannot change the past. But if each of us stands up to change the world, we will change the world.”Connect with Le Ly:WebsiteGlobal Village FoundationInstagramShow NotesSome links are affiliate links, which are no extra cost to you but do help to support the show.Books and authors mentioned in the episode:Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East by Baird T. SpaldingMany Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. WeissRamtha: The White Book by RamthaBook FlightOn the Ho Chi Minh Trail by Sherry BuchananPerfect Spy by Larry BermanDancing in the Light by Shirley MacLaine
Welcome to a new sub-series of the podcast devoted to screenplays for movies that never got made. There are tons of famous screenplays from Oliver Stone's first draft of Conan to Del Toro's At the Mountains of Madness. For each episode in this series, we will read and review a script that never got made.In this episode, I am joined by author Anthony Trevino and Musician/Filmmaker Issa Diao to discuss The Unproduced Shadow Company by Shane Black and Fred Dekker which was supposed to be John Carpenter's follow-up to They Live in 1988. This cult classic script that was cross between Platoon and Night of the Living Dead is something of a legend. We break it down.
This Week for your Daily Ratings Movie News: Tarantino talks about his next project. Oliver Stone finally gets funding for his film and will be shooting this Fall. Ben Stiller is working on WW2 survival movie. James Gunn is fast tracking Superman 2 and Universal is moving quick on Jason Bourne. Want to check out all our Movie Scores and so much more? Stop by our Website! - The Daily Ratings! Would you'd like to support The Daily Ratings and become a Producer? Check out our Donation Page! - Support Us Here! Want to see the ratings on all the latest movies? Here are all the movies playing in theaters! - Now Playing Here! Don't forget to stop by our shop for all the T-shirts, Hoodies, and Daily Ratings Gear! - Shop the Store!
It's been a long time coming for this show, but JFK (1991) is a cult classic in every sense of the term. With a star studded cast, a frenetic pace, incredible editing and a more than loose grip on reality, the film is truly a special one. Enjoy this review of Oliver Stone's crackpot feature! Cinema Spectator is a movie podcast hosted by Isaac Ransom, Juzo Greenwood, and Cameron Tuttle. The show is executive produced by Darrin O'Neill and recorded & produced in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. You can support the show at patreon.com/ecfsproductions. Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter under ECFS Productions (@ecfsproductions). Isaac and Cameron started recording podcasts with their first project, Everything Comes from Something (2018), and are now focusing on new weekly content for Cinema Spectator. Cameron Tuttle is a full-time professional cinematographer who majored in SFSU Film School to collaborate with corporate, private, and creative productions. Cameron is the expert. Isaac Ransom works full-time as a marketing leader, with creative experience in brand, advertising, product, music, and film. Isaac is the student. And Juzo, he knows everything about cinema. The podcast is a passion project between three longtime friends; we hope you can enjoy our project with the limited time we have! Thank you for your time, your generosity, and support.
Andy's Nurturing Legacy and the Aura of Old Hollywood So cool to sit down with veteran entertainment advertising executive Mark Trugman to continue our tribute and honor the legacy of Andy Kuehn — a pioneer of the modern movie trailer industry and beloved founder of Kaleidoscope Films. And we're joined once again by our special co-host, Benedict Coulter. Mark shares his journey from graphic design and television promotion into the world of trailers, his first encounters with Andy, and the profound influence Andy's leadership style had on generations of creative talent. Together, they reflect on the culture Andy fostered, the careers he helped launch, and the personal memories that made him unforgettable. What We Discuss How Mark Trugman transitioned from television graphics to running one of the industry's most respected trailer companies. The leadership philosophy Andy Kuehn embodied — nurturing, non-proprietary, and deeply passionate. Inside stories about the unique culture at Kaleidoscope Films during its heyday. The ripple effect of Andy's mentorship on multiple generations of creative leaders in entertainment marketing. Anecdotes that reveal Andy's charisma, generosity, and larger-than-life presence both in and out of the office. Episode Highlights [00:02:00] Mark recalls his first job with Kaleidoscope Films — and a rookie mistake involving a “two-pop” that still makes him laugh. [00:09:00] The first meeting with Andy Kuehn, complete with a calf tan, a parrot, and quick-witted banter. [00:13:00] Life inside a small but mighty Kaleidoscope team — and the rite of passage that was Andy's 5 p.m. wine gatherings. [00:16:00] How Andy's and Steve's management styles gave editors room to create and clients reason to trust. [00:22:00] A vivid description of Andy's Moroccan villa and legendary holiday parties. [00:27:00] The last-minute speech Mark delivered at the Key Art Awards, honoring Andy after his passing. [00:36:00] Reflections on what Mark misses most about Andy and why his presence might have made the industry a kinder place. [00:42:00] The hilarious Academy Awards “seat switch” story that put Andy in Oliver Stone's spot on live television. Featured Quotes “Andy was the most passionate, supportive, enthusiastic person I've ever dealt with — there wasn't an ounce of cynicism in him.” – Mark Trugman “It wasn't about heavy-handed management; it was about giving you the space to create and the encouragement to solve problems your way.” – Mark Trugman “If you love doing something, why stop? It feeds your soul.” – Benedict Coulter “The Beatles are always going to be the Beatles for a reason… Benedict, you're one of those rock stars.” – Mark Trugman Our Sponsors: 24/96 Sound & Music Design: 2496soundandmusic.com The Golden Trailer Awards: goldentrailer.com/ Soundstripe: app.soundstripe.com Call to Action: Please leave us a rating and review: https://apple.co/3QYy80e You can find Corey on all the socials @coreysnathan such as www.linkedin.com/in/coreysnathan. Want to hear how the best in the business craft the world's most exciting movie trailers? Tune in every week to Trailer Geeks and Teaser Gods!
This week in physical media with Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski they look at a staple of Egyptian film noir as well as a noir box that features an early version of Gatsby. There's a double feature with Sylvia Sidney and a double dip of Sleepaway Camp. Hear about the horror film that Peter despises as well as the better one also getting the 4K upgrade. The Poseidon Adventure gets a modern remake and Oliver Stone does his 9/11 film. Erik also proves to be a bit fonder of the trio of anniversaries being released, particularly the one he considers to be one of the absolute best of modern comedies and kicked off an era that many wish would return to the big screen.3:16 - Criterion (Cairo Station)6:55 - Kino (Confessions of a Co-Ed/Ladies of the Big House, The Farmer's Daughter, Film Noir: The Dark Side of Cinema XXVI)22:58 – Shout Factory (World Trade Center (4K), Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers (4K), Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland (4K))35:08 – Lions Gate (High Tension 4K, It Follows 4K)50:21 - Arrow (Poseidon (4K))54:59 - Universal (Meet the Parents (2000) (4K), Casper (4K), The 40-Year-Old Virgin (4K))1:22:35 - New Theatrical Titles & TV on Blu-ray (The Accountant 2 (4K), How to Train Your Dragon (2025) (4K), 1923: A Yellowstone Origin Story: Season Two, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder: Season One)1:24:39 - New Blu-ray AnnouncementsCLICK ON THE FILMS TO RENT OR PURCHASE AND HELP OUT THE MOVIE MADNESS PODCASTBe sure to check outChicago Screening Schedule - All the films coming to theaters and streamingPhysical Media Schedule - Click & Buy upcoming titles for your library.(Direct purchases help the Movie Madness podcast with a few pennies.)Erik's Linktree - Where you can follow Erik and his work anywhere and everywhere.The Movie Madness Podcast has been recognized by Million Podcasts as one of the Top 100 Best Movie Review Podcasts as well as in the Top 60 Film Festival Podcasts and Top 100 Cinephile Podcasts. MillionPodcasts is an intelligently curated, all-in-one podcast database for discovering and contacting podcast hosts and producers in your niche perfect for PR pitches and collaborations. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit erikthemovieman.substack.com
TVC 700.4: Part 2 of a conversation that began last week with Kathleen Bradley, the first African-American model to join ranks with Barker's Beauties on The Price is Right, and the actress known around the world as Mrs. Parker in Friday. Topics this segment include Kathleen's years traveling the world as a member of the female soul and disco group The Love Machine; the time when director Oliver Stone met with Kathleen to discuss her playing a role in one of his films; and why, in many respects, Kathleen can be considered “the Jackie Robinson of The Price is Right.” Kathleen's memoir, Backstage at The Price is Right, is available both at Amazon and at KathleenBradley.tv.
We've reached the month of August, so that means a new series from us that we are calling This Means War where we will be covering 5 movies that are at least adjacent to war. First up is Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning depiction of the Vietnam War as seen through his eyes: Platoon.Our Links: https://lnk.bio/neverseenitMovie Info: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091763/
There is almost no doubt at this point that the government, via the intelligence agencies, was a main player in the assassinations of both JFK and RFK. What the latest releases of files say is filled with evidence of that reality. While the Wall Street Journal and New York Times want to portray all of it as a giant nothing of a story, the real researchers and people who have spent their lives looking into this say the new documents confirm their suspicions about all of it. Today, we talk with Matt Armstrong, an independent journalist who has taken a deep look into the files and has some incredible insights to share about it. Have a listen and find out some dark truths about the government that you might have suspected, and now seem confirmed by the government's own paper trail. Matt is a friend from the Kennedy campaign days, and he found his way to politics via the Oliver Stone movie, JFK, and his subsequent curiosities about it all. In the last ten years, Matt has written extensively on the topic of the assassinations and is a citizen journalist expert on the subject. Enjoy the show.
Continuing our Oliver Stone series, we turn to Platoon (1986), the film that established Stone as a superstar director and inaugurated the most celebrated phase of his career, revolving around the ghosts of the 1960s. Brett discusses the reception of Platoon in terms of the cultural politics of New Hollywood and of the Reagan era, and he considers the real reasons for the emergence of the Vietnam film at this time. He also takes a closer look at Hemdale, the sus production company behind this and Stone's previous effort, and he offers some personal reflections on the film's legacy. Thomas discusses the neo-shamanic, countercultural spirituality invested in the Willem Dafoe character and offers an analysis of the “two fathers” theme that would come to define Stone's work. If you enjoy Psyop Cinema, check out the Decoding Culture Foundation and Cultural Engineering Studies magazine - https://decoding-culture.com/magazine-home/https://twitter.com/CinemaPsyophttps://www.patreon.com/PsyopCinemahttp://psyop-cinema.com/https://linktr.ee/psyopcinemathomas-psyopcinema@protonmail.combrett-psyopcinema@protonmail.com
In this episode, Hal Schild shares a childhood lesson in perseverance, tales when working for THE Agency, fixing it “in post”, easier vs. better, having nothing to do, keeping the business simple, and looking at the bigger picture.Hal Schild is an award-winning editor, producer, animator, and director with over three decades of experience in the video and post-production industry. Throughout his career, he has led the creation of over 500 video projects, spanning 48 states and three continents. Hal's dynamic portfolio includes collaborations with iconic figures such as RuPaul, Mariah Carey, Steven Meisel, Oliver Stone, Donald Fagen, and Michael Jackson, demonstrating his versatility and creativity in high-profile productions. His work spans a wide range of formats, from animated educational videos to major televised events. A Grammy nominee and CINE Golden Eagle winner, he brings a deep understanding of visual storytelling and adult learning principles to every project. Hal remains a trusted creative force in the media industry.He is currently the co-founder of Missing Link, a strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, Missing Link crafts human connections through intelligent, engaging, and informative content. Missing Link is based in Alexandria, VA, a women-owned, minority owned company with staff across the globe.Previously serving as SVP of Creative Services and later as SVP/COO at Yes& Agency in Alexandria, Virginia, Hal was instrumental in managing multimillion-dollar budgets, guiding creative strategy, and producing impactful multimedia content. In these roles, he also oversaw IT infrastructure and led teams in crafting social media assets, events, and videos tailored to client branding and messaging. His leadership style combined innovation with a rigorous attention to detail, consistently meeting internal benchmarks and exceeding client expectations.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halschild/ Company website: https://www.missinglink.company To learn more, visit:linkedin.com/in/jason-Shupp-18b4619bListen to more episodes on Mission Matters:https://missionmatters.com/author/Jason-Shupp/
The 13th Annual Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival takes place July 30 to August 1, 2025, with hybrid events from July 27 to August 3. Join us as we celebrate those who speak truth to power and help build a more transparent, accountable world.Whistleblower FestivalFilm Link13th Annual Whistleblower Summit and Film FestivalJuly 30-August 1, 2025Washington, D.C.Fletcher Prouty was the real-life inspiration for “Man X”, unforgettably portrayed by Donald Sutherland in Oliver Stone's 1991 film “JFK”. At the time of the film's release, Prouty was a retired Air Force Colonel turned author and public speaker. Although not technically a whistleblower, Prouty had stories to tell of the hidden history of the Cold War - from its origins in postwar planning during WW2, to the rise of national security interests associated with the CIA in the 1950s, and through the controversies of the brief Kennedy administration. Utilizing Prouty's personal records, interviews, and historic archival materials, Fletcher Prouty's Cold War also features new interviews with Oliver Stone and Len Osanic describing Prouty's involvement with the “JFK” film and his influence in a wider community of interest.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.
In this gripping episode of The Tracklist, hosts Daron Jenkins (@thedaronjenkins) and Chris Saunders (@chrissaunders_music) dive deep into Platoon (1986)—Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning war epic that redefined Vietnam cinema. We break down the hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, anchored by Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, and how it shaped the emotional tone of the film. From The Doors to Motown classics, we explore how Platoon's music elevated its brutal realism and gave voice to the soldiers' inner turmoil.We also spotlight the all-star cast—Charlie Sheen, Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, Forest Whitaker—and Keith David who just received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!Like and subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen/watch!Please...support the podcast by purchasing a hoodie or t-shirt! Visit our Merch store at https://tracklist-shop.fourthwall.com
We end the week on yet another Filmmaker retrospect and documentary specialist Robert Cohen gets to share thoughts on Oliver Stone's overall career. TOPICS INCLUDE: *Who would've guessed he'd be the go-to guy for awhile at assembling moody biopics, business satires and war dramas? *Has he given up moviemaking to now focus on just doing interviews? *Who would've taken his place in conspiracy thrillers had he not gotten there first? *Plus, some audio clips from Stone's 2016 interview with BAFTA Guru.
Meg identifies who was actually responsible for Saturday Night Lives' worst season ever. Jessica reveals how MTV used Remote Control to increase ad sales while launching comedy legends.Please check out our website, follow us on Instagram, on Facebook, and...WRITE US A REVIEW HEREWe'd LOVE to hear from you! Let us know if you have any ideas for stories HEREThank you for listening!Love,Meg and Jessica
Join this channel to get access to perks: EARLY Access, EXCLUSIVE Episodes & Much More! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpeD7roEp99UANH0HVZ3dOA/joinWhat's Your Story - Actor Toby Kebbell? #LIFEINFILM #113 Toby Kebbell is a BAFTA Nominated Actor who's big break came with Shane Meadows's 'Dead Man's Shoes', he ha gone on to work with the best including Oliver Stone, Steven Spielberg, Woody Allen, Ridley Scott & Guy Richie to name a few but insists he doesn't want to be a leading man...We chat about going from problem child to driving a Ferrari through Time Square, what to do when the phone stops ringing after two blockbuster flops, his latest boxing movie 'Salvable' with Shia LaBeouf and why it's all about putting in the effort.Toby's Credits Include - Dead Mans Shoes / Control / RocknRolla / War Horse / Dawn of the Planet of the Apes / Servant / For all Mankind / Prince of Persia / Black Mirror / Match Point / The Sorcerer's Apprentice / The Veteran / Wrath of the Titans / The Councellor / Fantastic Four / Ben-Hur / Warcraft / Kong Scull Island / Gold / The Conspirator... etc-----------------------------Host - Actor/Writer Elliot James Langridge Please contact (Scott Marshall Partners) -----------------------------Our SponsorsMoviePosters.com is the #1 place for movie posters old and new!Get 10% off with code LIFEINFILM10BetterHelp provides you with access to the largest online therapy service in the world. Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/lifeinfilm-----------------------------'Salvable' is in cinemas & available to stream now-----------------------------Thank you to our guest Toby, thank you to producers Connor & Jamie, Emma at Strike Media & as always thank you to our Sponsors Movieposters.com & BetterHelp-----------------------------If you enjoyed this episode, please review and follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and You Tube etc and please share. It makes a huge difference. -----------------------------Join us on Twitter, Tik Tok, Instagram, @LIFEINFILMpod. Check out the Patreon at patreon.com/Lifeinfilmpodcast & Join this channel to get access to perks: EARLY Access, EXCLUSIVE Episodes & Much More! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpeD7roEp99UANH0HVZ3dOA/join-----------------------------Please don't forget to LIKE & SUBSCRIBE! ╔═╦╗╔╦╗╔═╦═╦╦╦╦╗╔═╗ ║╚╣║║║╚╣╚╣╔╣╔╣║╚╣═╣ ╠╗║╚╝║║╠╗║╚╣║║║║║═╣ ╚═╩══╩═╩═╩═╩╝╚╩═╩═╝Thanks for watching this episode ... see you in the next video!
In this episode, James and Sean review the classic, multiple Oscar-winning 1986 film Platoon, directed by Oliver Stone and based on Stone’s own experience as a soldier in the Vietnam War.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In the conclusion of Kim Masters' two-part conversation with Barry Diller, the veteran businessman reflects on his time helping build Rupert Murdoch's Fox empire. Diller also criticizes studios for spreading misinformation—citing Oliver Stone's JFK in particular—and weighs in on the now-resolved Trump-Paramount dispute, and the prospect of a David Ellison-led studio. Plus, Paramount's looming merger with Skydance has South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker lawyering up. The duo is eyeing legal action over billion-dollar licensing deals they claim are being undercut. At the center of it all: South Park's future on Paramount+. New execs Jeff Shell and David Ellison are feeling the heat; Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw are on hand to explain what's at stake.
In the conclusion of Kim Masters’ two-part conversation with Barry Diller, the veteran businessman reflects on his time helping build Rupert Murdoch’s Fox empire. Diller also criticizes studios for spreading misinformation—citing Oliver Stone’s JFK in particular—and weighs in on the now-resolved Trump-Paramount dispute, and the prospect of a David Ellison-led studio. Plus, Paramount’s looming merger with Skydance has South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker lawyering up. The duo is eyeing legal action over billion-dollar licensing deals they claim are being undercut. At the center of it all: South Park’s future on Paramount+. New execs Jeff Shell and David Ellison are feeling the heat; Matt Belloni and Lucas Shaw are on hand to explain what’s at stake.
Send us a textSPECIAL NOTE: SEASON 15 OF THE GOOD, THE POD AND THE UGLY CELEBRATES THE USE OF THE PRACTICAL AND DIGITAL EFFECT KNOWN AS THE SQUIB. IRL GUN VIOLENCE IS INTOLERABLE AND RENOUNCED BUT... CINEMATIC VIOLENCE WILL BE CELEBRATED IN A WAY WILL DISTURB SOME LISTENERS. Season 15's temporal pincer movement is inverted with this week's pairing to present its earlier film first. So, one week early, we present to you SCARFACE (1983) with returning guest Erik Van Der Wolf from the Blood & Popcorn podcast filling in for Jack who had a boat to catch. After last week's meager showing with First Blood, we return to the blood-filled squib in full force in a movie whose violent reputation Erik disputes, taking a chainsaw to arguments by contemporary critics and noting the various cutaways and reaction shows in lieu of direct onscreen violence. He also makes a case that director Brian De Palma shows uncharacteristic restraint in camera flourishes. What's unrestrained— agreed then and now—is the profanity, clocked at 1.32/minute “f's” given, timed by some film nerd and diligently regurgitated by one of your chin beard hosts who watched the Blu-ray commentary. Typically, we make a halfhearted attempt here in the show notes for a plot recap, but we all know the story of Scarface who's got his word and his balls. This 1980's remake marks a rare confluence of film and actual contemporary events as its Scarface, aka cocaine cowboy Tony Montana played by Al Pacino, is a Cuban refugee, mapping the original immigrant story of the 1932 movie onto real Florida violence. The film is also credited as giving Michelle Pfiefer her breakout role (if one discounts Grease II) in portraying coke whore arm candy. And actual Cuban immigrant and total hottie Steven Bauer plays Montana's bestie (and friend's sister-fucker) Manny Ray. Blood packets explode during a hotel drug deal gone wrong and again when Montana promotes himself over his boss's dead body and then again when given cocaine super powers at the end of the film as Scarface holds off a mercenary army of hitmen, but surprising no squib explodes when Montana shoots Ray in a fit of rage for what could be interpreted as incestual cockblocking. But you knew the plot already. Listen as adult boys who grew up in the VHS era (and Thomas) discuss a film that guest Erik loves and the others find a lesser entry in the De Palma 80s filmography. Guest Erik brings a reread of the Oliver Stone screenplay and filmic muscle memory to recite scenes from the formative flick; Ryan stays bullish on the original black and white gangster picture (and on the film Two of a Kind, the 1983 feature that reunited John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John after Grease I), mainly wishing the De Palma film was closer to the original film's runtime; Ken warms to the film and to Erik; and Thomas might have an opinion after his first watch but is more interested in the sequel videogame for the PS2 and prequel novels by comic book and erotic vampire author L.A. Banks. Next week, Jack returns to discuss the school shooter film Elephant. THEME SONG BY: WEIRD A.I.Email: thegoodthepodandtheugly@gmail.comFacebook: https://m.facebook.com/TGTPTUInstagram: https://instagram.com/thegoodthepodandtheugly?igshid=um92md09kjg0Bluesky: @goodpodugly.bsky.socialYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6mI2plrgJu-TB95bbJCW-gLetterboxd (follow us!):Podcast: goodpoduglyKen: Ken KoralRyan: Ryan Tobias
Andrew begrudgingly admits that a listener was right about something. Luke speculates on Oliver Stone's football fandom. And one of TBTL's favorite babies gets surprisingly political.