Episode 156: Revisiting 'Christmas Smackdown' Cinema Junkie is taking a holiday break and will be re-posting popular podcasts in the interim. This week I pull up an archive show appropriate for the Christmas season but with some perverse holiday cheer and that means revisiting "Christmas Smackdown" with Mark Nutter and Cynthia Carle. It is "all ...…

Episode 155: Stunt Driver Picks Best Car Movies Stunt driver Steve Lepper takes us from Buster Keaton to Mad Max as we discuss the best car movies and best car chases. He has great behind the scenes trivia including a trick used in "To Live and Die In L.A." to disorient the viewer and the most common thing stunt drivers are asked to do on a fil ...…

Episode 154: Raymond Chow and San Diego Asian Film Festival Join me on a journey through Asian cinema that begins by paying tribute to one of its towering figures, Raymond Chow, who died earlier this month, and then highlights films and filmmakers from this year's San Diego Asian Film Festival with its artistic director Brian Hu. If you can't a ...…

Episode 153: Witches in History and on Film Halloween is just around the corner so get in the mood with a discussion of witches through history and on film from ancient Rome to "Rosemary's Baby" and Monty Python. SDSU Professor Elizabeth Pollard points to how in witchcraft accusation scenarios in both history and on film, it’s important to exam ...…

Episode 152: Remembering Your First Scary Movie Cinema Junkie pulls up an archive edition and adds some new voices as I ask people about the first film they remember scaring them. Listen to memories from horror fans and some famous horror celebrities like Guillermo Del Toro, Tony Todd, Tom Holland, and Lance Henriksen. Subscribe to the Cinema J ...…

Episode 151: Teaching Zombies It's time for our annual checkup with the Doctor of the Dead to take the pulse of the zombie genre. Arnold T. Blumberg uses zombies to teach media literacy and critical thinking. He's also just written a geeky, well-researched history of the zombie, "Journey of the Living Dead." Blumberg talks about zombie films to ...…

Episode 150: Adapting Shakespeare A stage director, a playwright, and a filmmaker discuss how to adapt William Shakespeare's plays for a modern audience. Plus a film review of 'Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich.' Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Support the podcast at kpbs.org/feedthejunkie.…

Episode 149: Happy Birthday H.P. Lovecraft Aug. 20 will mark the 128th anniversary of H.P. Lovecraft’s birth. But how did this man who was born in Providence, Rhode Island come to create a body of horror fiction that continues to influence the public consciousness and other artists? Explore that question with the latest podcast and Mike Dalager ...…

Episode 148: Remembering Tab Hunter Actor and heartthrob Tab Hunter died last month of cardiac arrest at the age of 86. This podcast pays tribute to the ridiculously good looking star with a 2015 archive interview as well as an interview with Jeffrey Schwarz who directed the documentary "Tab Hunter Confidential." Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie ...…

Episode 147: Comic-Con, Fans, and Creators It's Comic-Con week and here's my tribute to my home away from home with a pair of interviews. First fan Nathan Donovan and then independent black comics creator Keithan Jones of KID Comics. Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Support the podcast at kpbs.org/fe ...…

Episode 146: One Man Bond And Boots Riley Time to geek out about two very different things: James Bond and the directorial debut of rapper Boots Riley. I talk secret agent 007 with actor Tom Steward who created a one-man show for the San Diego International Fringe Festival called "One Man Bond" in which he takes us through all 24 Bond films in ...…

Episode 145: Celebrating Master Showman William Castle If you do not know the name William Castle then it's time for you to discover the master showman who invented Illusion-O, Fright Break, Coward's Corner, Percepto, Emergo and much more. And if you already know this cinematic genius then come share some love with his daughter on this 50th ann ...…

Episode 144: TCM Mad About Musicals TCM is offering its fourth annual free online movie course and this one is Mad About Musicals. Cinema Junkie talks with TCM host Alicia Malone and Dr. Vanessa Theme Ament, veteran Foley artist and endowed chair of telecommunications at Ball State University about the musical's place in cinematic history. Subs ...…

Episode 143: LGBTQ Cinema And FilmOut At 20 FilmOut San Diego is celebrating its 20th anniversary in June so it seems the perfect time to check in with its founder and its current programmer about the state of LGBTQ cinema and how it has evolved over the past two decades. Plus I speak with filmmakers premiering their new films at FilmOut 2018. ...…

Episode 142: TCM 50 Must-See Sci-Fi Films Making film lists can be agony. What do you include, what do you leave off? Author Sloan De Forest talks about the challenges of compiling a list of films for her new book, "TCM Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies That Are Out Of This World." The films range from "A Trip to the Moon" to "Arrival." Subscribe to t ...…

Episode 141: TCMFF and Reel Science 2.0 This episode is a week late so that I could include a wrap-up from the TCM Classic Film Festival that ended Sunday and provide a preview of the San Diego Natural History Museum's new Reel Science Film Series that runs through May. Enjoy four real scientists — an entomologist, a neuroscientist and two phys ...…

Episode 140: Hemlock Society And Right To Die FIlms Nobody likes to talk about death much less think about how their own life might end but films can help us confront our fears and educate us about exiting this world. Faye Girsh, president and founder of the San Diego Hemlock Society, talks about right to die films and what we can learn from th ...…

Episode 139: Comic-Con Museum And More Comic-Con International is opening a museum and I sat down with the new executive director Adam Smith at WonderCon to discuss what it might be and if museum is event the right word to describe it. Plus highlights from the WonderCon Cartoon Voices panel and in honor of the Easter holiday, a little Easter eg ...…

Episode 138: Armando Iannucci And Political Satire In The Age Of Trump Armando Iannucci, creator of "Thick of It" and "Veep," makes his feature film writing and directing debut with "The Death of Stalin." I talk with the comic genius about the challenges of doing political satire at a time when the real world is crazier than anything he can ima ...…

Episode 137: ACE Eddie Nominated Editors Talk About Their Oscar-Nominated Films Cinema Junkie speaks with Tatiana S. Riegel, Oscar-nominated editor for "I, Tonya" and winner of this year's ACE Eddie award for best best edited feature comedy; Paul Machliss, Oscar-nominated editor for "Baby Driver," and Gregory Plotkin, ACE Eddie nominee of the O ...…

Episode 136: A Valentine To Wong Kar-Wai For Valentine's Day there is only one contemporary filmmaker to turn to for lush romanticism and that's Wong Kar-Wai. For this podcast I send a Valentine to the Hong Kong filmmaker and turn to archive interviews from 1995 to 2008 with Wong and his favorite stars Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung. Swoon with m ...…

Episode 135: Holy Nostalgia! Batman '66 Exhibit and Tribute Take a tour of the Batman '66 Exhibit at the Hollywood Museum with exhibit organizer Roger Neal. Then celebrate the "Batman" '66 TV show with fan and guest curator Wally Wingert and collector Alex Zsolt, who loaned items from his personal collection to the exhibit. I'll also talk with ...…

Episode 134: TCM's Eddie Muller On All Things Noir Eddie Muller, host of TCM's Noir Alley and founder/president of the Film Noir Foundation talks about his Noir City Festival that's coming up, the literary roots of noir, and femme fatales versus female agency. And find out what really defines film noir. Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podcast on ...…

Episode 133: Horror Movies As Spiritual Practice For some, cinemas are churches and for Katherine Buffington movies can provide a foundation for spiritual practice. She looks to "Star Wars" and more fully to horror movies as spiritual practice. Find out what horror movies from "Beetlejuice" to "Alien" to "It Follows" can tell us about how to li ...…

Episode 132: Revisiting David Cronenberg's 'Crash' I go back into the archives for a 1997 interview with David Cronenberg for a discussion of his controversial film "Crash." The film that looks to people who get sexually aroused by car crashes just celebrated its 20th anniversary. Find out why Cronenberg is not interested in making comfortable ...…

Episode 131: Films To Be Thankful For For Thanksgiving here are two films to be thankful for: "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" and "The Shape of Water." Filmmaker Martin McDonagh talks about creating a role for Frances McDormand in "Three Billboards" and suit actor Doug Jones describes the challenges of wearing a creature costume and ...…

Episode 130: Larry Cohen, King of the B Movies Larry Cohen is a genius because he managed to have the best of both worlds in the entertainment industry. Not many can claim to have enjoyed both a traditionally successful career within the mainstream Hollywood system as well as cult status outside the studio system making audaciously independent ...…

Episode 129: Bruce Campbell, Hail to the Chin Baby Bruce Campbell, the man who has been fighting deadites with a chainsaw hand and a smart-alecky attitude for decades has just written his third book. It’s called "Hail to the Chin" and is the follow up to his 2002 book "If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor." "Ash Vs. Evil Dead" se ...…

Episode 128: Gay Horror and The Final Boys You all know about the final girl in horror, that feisty possibly virginal heroine who is the last one left standing after some serial killer goes on a rampage. But are you familiar with the final boy? The final boy screamed his way into pop culture existence in 1985 with "Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Fr ...…

Episode 127: Giallo, Killing It With Style Italian "giallo" cinema is something everyone needs to experience at least once. It consumes you like a fever dream and assaults your senses with an audacious excess of style. Soak up some glorious giallo elegance with this podcast. For this podcast, I speak with Bret Berg of AGFA; Troy Howarth, author ...…

Episode 126: Horrible Imaginings And 'Uncharted Regions' A wrap up from Horrible Imaginings Film Festival with founder Miguel Rodriguez and a behind the scenes look at the creation of the radio drama "Uncharted Regions: Some Day, Over You." Plus get an exclusive first listen to the radio drama that had its world premiere at Horrible Imaginings. ...…

Episode 125: To Be, Or Not To Be Hamlet A look at various screen Hamlets to go with an interview with Barry Edelstein who has a bold new production of "Hamlet" onstage at the Old Globe Theatre. Edelstein talks about breathing new life into Shakespeare's play and I'll play clips from some famous and not so famous melancholy Danes. Subscribe to t ...…

Episode 124: RIP George A. Romero, Godfather of the Undead George A. Romero passed away on July 16, 2017. But his legion of zombies will never die. Here is a tribute to Romero from fans as well as archive interviews with him. May the godfather of the undead rest in peace. Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcatc ...…

Episode 123: TCM Spotlight on Hitchcock Alfred Hitchcock is a filmmaker who has left an indelible mark on cinema. His career spanned the silents and talkies, black and white, Technicolor, and 3D, plus film industries on both side of the pond. To celebrate Hitchcock, I speak with TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and Ball State University’s Richard L. Edw ...…

Episode 122: In Praise of Edgar Wright Director Edgar Wright makes insanely fun films and makes it all look so easy that audiences may not appreciate just how skilled and meticulous he is. Here is an appreciation of Wright along with an interview about his new film, "Baby Driver." Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podcast on iTunes or your favorit ...…

Episode 121: Shakespeare, The Film's The Thing Old Globe artistic director Barry Edelstein discusses the "Julius Caesar" controversy and Shakespeare on film. Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Support the podcast at kpbs.org/feedthejunkie.

Episode 120: 'Dawson City' Serves Up Real Found Footage Film Experimental and documentary filmmaker Bill Morrison serves up a cinematic fever dream with "Dawson City: Frozen Time," which uses nitrate film unearthed from the permafrost under a hockey rink in Canada. Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Su ...…

Episode 119: Queer Horror Paul Etheredge-Ouzts’ 2004 film “Hellbent" was billed as the first gay slasher film. I speak with him and a quartet of new, young filmmakers to see how Queer Horror has evolved since "Hellbent." I also speak with FilmOut San Diego's programmer Michael McQuiggan about his first queer horror shorts block, FrightOut. Subs ...…

Episode 118: David Lynch Revisited With "Twin Peaks: The Return" on Showtime, I dig back into the archives for a 2005 interview with David Lynch about how Transcendental Meditation plays a role in his art. And you might be surprised by the two characters he most identifies with in his films. Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podcast on iTunes or y ...…

Episode 117: The Beauty And Danger Of Nitrate Film Nitrate film contains a substance also used in explosives and if it catches film it can burn underwater. Join me for a tour of the projection booth at The Egyptian Theatre that was brought to fire code specification in order to screen highly combustible nitrate prints at the 2017 TCM Classic Fi ...…

Episode 116: 'Casablanca' At 75 Author Noah Isenberg talks about his new book "We'll Always Have Casablanca" about the legacy of the 1942 film that gave Humphrey Bogart his most iconic role. Plus people at the TCM Film Festival, wher the film screened for its 75th birthday, talk about why theu love the film. Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podca ...…

Episode 115: Stuart Gordon, Kurt Vonnegut and 'Sirens Of Titan' Journey across the galaxy for a talk with Stuart Gordon about adapting Kurt Vonnegut's "The Sirens of Titan' to the stage 40 years ago and seeing it revived now at Sacred Fools Theater Company. Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Support th ...…

Episode 114: TCM Film Festival 2017 Focuses on Comedy TCM senior vice president of programming and production Charles Tabesh previews the 2017 TCM Film Festival and talks about building a nitrate projection booth. Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcatcher. Support the podcast at kpbs.org/feedthejunkie.…

Episode 113: Gourmet Cannibal Films And Stuart Gordon's 'Taste' Cannibal films — in which people mindlessly slaughter and eat others or where carnage soaks the screen — are a dime a dozen. But films in which great care is taken with both the filmmaking and the preparation of human flesh for consumption are more rare. Here's a look at gourmet ca ...…

Episode 112: Alejandro G. Iñárritu And Latin Cinema So Good It's Scary Here's my interview with Alejandro González Iñárritu from 2001, when he screened his debut film, 'Amores Perros,' at the San Diego Latino Film Festival. Festivals are the perfect place to discover new talent, so this podcast looks at Iñárritu and a scary good new generation ...…

Episode 111: The Voice Behind Samurai Jack After a 13-year hiatus Genndy Tartakovsky's 'Samurai Jack' finally returns and so to does voice actor Phil LaMarr. I speak with LaMarr about what makes 'Samurai Jack' the best cartoon on TV; and I share my geeky fandom for the show with Mike Salva, an animator living in Nashville.. Subscribe to the Cin ...…

Episode 110: In Bed With Twisted Twins Jen And Sylvia Soska As February's Women in Horror Month comes to a close I get into bed with Twisted Twins Jen and Sylvia Soska to pay tribute to 'American Mary.' Here's a series of interviews from my archives as I followed the progress of 'American Mary.' I also speak with make-up artist Todd Masters who ...…

Episode 109: How Chad Stahelski And 'John Wick' Are Changing American Action Stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski is raising the bar on American action with his "John Wick" films. I speak with Stahelski, actor Common, and author Bey Logan about what these changes are all about. Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podcast on iTunes or your favorit ...…

Episode 108: James Baldwin and 'I Am Not Your Negro' Filmmaker Raoul Peck talks about his Oscar-nominated documentary "I Am Not Your Negro" based on the writings of James Baldwin, and his unfinished book on Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr. The film points out how resonant Baldwin's words still are and how maybe now we should ...…

Episode 107: ACE Editors Talk About The Art Of Editing Find out what an editor does and what makes a good editor as Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker and Emmy-winning editor Janet Ashikaga talk about the art and craft of editing, and how an editor can sculpt an actor's performance. Subscribe to the Cinema Junkie podcast ...…