Episode 399: To Be or Not to Be (1942)

Special Guest: Joseph McBride
Guest Co-Hosts: Lutz Bacher, Ken Stanley, Paula Guthat

We conclude our discussion about Ernst Lubitsch with a discussion of his 1942 film To Be or Not To Be, the story of Joseph and Maria Tura (Jack Benny and Carole Lombard), two actors in Poland who are in a current run of Shakespeare’s Hamlet though working on a new play called Gestapo. The new play never happens on stage but they’re able to act it out in real life after Poland falls to the Nazis. The film is one of the first films to openly lampoon Nazis, made in a time before Pearl Harbor -- though released afterward -- in a time when mocking Nazis wasn’t as acceptable as it should have been.

Recorded at the studios of Podcast Detroit, Paula Guthat, Ken Stanley, and Lutz Bacher join Mike to talk about this stellar comedy of manners. In the first of a two-part interview, Joseph McBride talks about his latest book, How Did Lubitsch Do It?

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 399: To Be or Not To Be (1942)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy To Be or Not To Be on Blu-Ray
Buy The Mel Brooks Collection on DVD
Buy Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3 by Robert Matzen
Buy The Big Screen Comedies of Mel Brooks by Robert Alan Crick
Buy How Did Lubitsch Do It? by Joseph McBride
Buy Herbert Marshall: A Biography by Scott O'Brien
] Buy Kay Francis - I Can't Wait To Be Forgotten - Her Life on Film and Stage by Scott O'Brien
Buy Ernst Lubitsch's American Comedy by William Paul
Buy Ernst Lubitsch: Laughter in Paradise by Scott Eyman
Read Ernst Lubitsch: 10 essential films by David Parkinson
Visit the Ernst Lubitsch fan site

Music:
"To Be or Not to Be (The Hitler Rap)" - Mel Brooks

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Episode 398: Trouble in Paradise (1932)

Special Guest: Joseph McBride
Guest Co-Hosts: Lutz Bacher, Ken Stanley, Paula Guthat

The first of two episodes focusing on Ernst Lubitsch, this week we're discussing Trouble in Paradise (1932). The film stars Herbert Marshall as Gaston, a gentleman thief who initially connects with Lily (Miriam Hopkins), a highly skilled pickpocket, before the two begin the long con with Madame Mariette Colette (Kay Francis), the owner of a Parisian perfume company. Unfortunately for Gaston, and Lily, and Madame Colette, things aren’t so easy when it comes to the fleecing...

Recorded at the studios of Podcast Detroit, Paula Guthat, Ken Stanley, and Lutz Bacher join Mike to talk about this stellar comedy of manners. In the first of a two-part interview, Joseph McBride talks about his latest book, How Did Lubitsch Do It?

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 398: Trouble in Paradise (1932)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Trouble in Paradise on DVD
Buy How Did Lubitsch Do It? by Joseph McBride
Buy Herbert Marshall: A Biography by Scott O'Brien
] Buy Kay Francis - I Can't Wait To Be Forgotten - Her Life on Film and Stage by Scott O'Brien
Buy Ernst Lubitsch's American Comedy by William Paul
Buy Ernst Lubitsch: Laughter in Paradise by Scott Eyman
Read Ernst Lubitsch: 10 essential films by David Parkinson
Visit the Ernst Lubitsch fan site

Music:
"Trouble In Paradise" - Charles Agnew
"Trouble in Paradise" - The Crests

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Episode 397: Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Special Guests: Sandy King Carpenter, W.D. Richter
Guest Co-Hosts: Vincenzo Natali, Tony Black

John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China (1986) tells the story of Wang Chi (Dennis Dun), a restaurateur whose finance, Miao Lin (Suzee Pai), gets kidnapped by the nefarious forces of David Lo Pan (James Hong), a seemingly innocent old man who is actually the embodiment of the evil spirit of Lo Pan, a demon who needs a woman with green eyes in order to become corporeal again and begin his reign of terror on earth.

And, there are some other white people involved in the story, too.

Tony Black and Vincenzo Natali join Mike to discuss this bizarre mash-up of Chinese mysticism and American action that only W.D. Richter could write.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 397: Big Trouble in Little China (1986)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Big Trouble in Little China on Blu-Ray
Buy The Official Making of Big Trouble in Little China by Tara Bennett & Paul Terry
Learn more about Storm King productions
Learn more about the Big Trouble comic books

Music:
Music from the Original Soundtrack recording

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2018 Special Reports

Along with our weekly episodes of The Projection Booth, we also had over 30 "special report" episodes which included the two "Ego Fests", discussions of various fundraising campaigns for films, and scads of interviews.

Missing any episodes? Make sure your RSS feed is up to date.

Bonus Episodes:

1. Craigslist Allstars (2016)
2. Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977)
3. Mission Caligula (2018)
4. Surfer© Teen Confronts Fear (2018)
5. The Last Movie (1971)
6. The Piano Teacher (2001)
7. The Predator (2018)
8. The Public Image is Rotten (2018)
9. The Writer with No Hands (2014/2017)

Interviews:

1. 7 Splinters in Time (2018)
2. Alicia Malone on The Female Gaze
3. Amy Scott on Hal (2018)
4. Art House Theater Day
5. Bill Duke: My 40-Year Career on Screen and behind the Camera
6. Dan Mirvish on Bernard & Huey (2017)
7. Daniel Roebuck on Getting Grace
8. King Cohen: The Wild World of Filmmaker Larry Cohen (2017)
9. Lisa D'Apolito on Love, Gilda (2018)
10. Mario van Peebles on Armed (2018)
11. Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley on All the Rage (2016)
12. Michael Kallio on Hatred of a Minute (2002)
13. Pam Grier on Bad Grandmas (2017)
14. Rock Steady Row (2018)
15. Rüdiger Suchsland on Hitler's Hollywood (2018)
16. Survival of the Film Freaks (2018)
17. Susanne Bartsch - On Top (2018)
18. The 25th Chicago Undergound Film Festival
19. The Rabbi Goes West (2018)
20. Time Trap (2017)
21. Timon Singh on Born to Be Bad
22. Vernon Wells on City of Gold (2016)

Ego Fests:

1. Ego Fest VI
2. Ego Fest VII

Episode 396: Fat City (1972)

Special Guest: Stacy Keach
Guest Co-Hosts: Heather Drain, Jedidiah Ayres

Based on a book by and adapted by Leonard Gardner, Fat City (1972) was directed by John Huston and stars Stacy Keach as Tully, an over the hill fighter who says he wants to pick himself up and revive his career after he meets Ernie (Jeff Bridges), a kid who seems to have a lot of promise in the boxing world. We see their stories parallel and contrast one another as we watch Fat City unfold.

Jedidiah Ayres and Heather Drain join Mike to discuss this wonderfully downbeat film.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 396: Fat City (1972)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Read A Day On The Set Of Fat City, John Huston's Cult Classic by Grover Lewis
Read John Huston Part 3: Fat City (1972) by William Hare

Music:
"If" - Bread
"Unchained" - Van Halen
"Help Me Make It Through The Night" - Kris Kristofferson

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Special Report: Surfer© Teen Confronts Fear (2018)

Special Guests: Douglas Burke, Carol Connors
Guest Co-Hosts: Timon Singh

Timon Singh of The Bristol Bad Film Club joins Mike to discuss the 2018 film from writer/director/actor/producer/etc. Douglas Burke, Surfer: Teen Confronts Fear. It's the story of Sage (Sage Burke), a teen who confronts his fear of the ocean with help from the astral projection/squid + electricity incarnation of his father. There's military intrigue, inspirational monologues, and lots and lots of surfing.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Surfer© Teen Confronts Fear (2018)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Learn more about Carol Connors
Be sure to LIKE the Surfer: Teen Confronts Fear Fan Page
Read People Are Saying This Christian Surfing Movie Is the Next 'The Room' by Grant Pardee
Read ‘Surfer: Teen Confronts Fear’ Delivers an Incompetent, Bizarre and Worthy Successor to ‘The Room’ by Andrew Todd

Music:
"To Know Him Is To Love Him" - The Teddybears
"Hey Little Cobra" - The Rip Chords
"Theme From Rocky" - Bill Conti
"Go It Alone" - Carol Connors
"With You I'm Born Again" - Billy Preston
"Lonely Surfer Girl" - Carol Connors

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Episode 395: The Saragossa Manuscript (1965)

Guest Co-Hosts: Samm Deighan, Rob St. Mary

Based on a novel from the early 19th century book by Jan Potocki, The Saragossa Manuscript / Rekopis znaleziony w Saragossie (1965) tells the rather oblique tale of Alphonse Van Worden (Zbigniew Cybulski), a Walloon captain of the guard, and his circular adventures in the region of Zaragoza which is in modern day Spain.

Rob St. Mary and Samm Deighan join Mike to discuss Wojciech Has and the multilayered nature of The Saragossa Manuscript.

Links:
Read about The Duchess of Avila
Read Martin Schell's Saragossa Manuscript outline

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 395: The Saragossa Manuscript (1965)" on Spreaker.

Music:
Title Theme by Krzysztof Penderecki

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2018 Year End Wrap Up: EgoFest VII + Top Ten + Music Mix

Answering questions, thanking patrons, giving updates, and talking smack.... it's Ego Fest VII just in time to wrap up 2018.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Ego Fest VII" on Spreaker.

Top 10 Episodes of 2018:

1. Episode 356: Falling Down (1993)
   
2. Episode 353: Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
   
3. Episode 364: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
   
4. Episode 351: Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)
   
5. Episode 354: The Maltese Falcon (1941)
   
6. Episode 363: Demolition Man (1993)
   
7. Episode 352: Marnie (1964)
   
8. Episode 375: Society (1989)
   
9. Episode 366: The Dark Crystal (1982)
   
10. Episode 384: Suspiria (1977)
    

Links:
See our list of 2019 episodes on the Facebook Group
Support The Projection Booth Patreon

Music:
"Dirty Back Road" - Technicolor Odyssey
"Strobe Light" - The B-52s

2018 Music Mix:

2018 Music Mix Track Listing

Name	Artist	Episode
Children of the Revolution	T-Rex	ZPG / Children of Men
Demolition Man	Grace Jones	Demolition Man
Kill the Poor	Dead Kennedys	Society
Dream Police	Cheap Trick	Who Wants to Kill Jessii?
Detroit Rock City	KISS	Detroit Rock City
Antichrist Superstar	Marilyn Manson	Begotten
Fiend Without a Face	Misfits	Fiend Without a Face
Kiss Me Deadly	Generation X	Kiss Me Deadly
Easy Rider, 1970	Chris Sikelianos	The Last Movie
Knocking On Heaven's Door	Bob Dylan	Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid
Freedom Isn't Free	Trey Parker	An American Carol
The Last Of The Independants	Rory Gallagher	Charley Varrick
Fifth Horseman Of The Apocalypse	Ultimate Spinach	The Fifth Horseman is Fear
The Court Of The Crimson King	King Crimson	ZPG / Children of Men
Mother Sky (Reedited From Soundtracks)	Can	Deep End
Magic And Ecstasy	Snakefinger	Exorcist II: The Heretic
Theme Of The Mack	Willie Hutch	The Mack
Public Image	Public Image Limited	The Public Image is Rotten
Mr.Vampire Theme	Jie'er Choir	Mr.Vampire
Love & Craigslist	Ruth	Craigslist All-Stars
The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)	Fun Boy Three	Winter Kills
Vigilante	Front Line Assembly	Falling Down
Fly Away	Lenny Kravitz	The Getaway
The Look Of Love	Dusty Springfield	Fat City
The Long Goodbye	John Williams / Dave Grusin Trio	The Long Goodbye
Sleep Walk	Santo & Johnny	12 Monkeys
(The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance	Gene Pitney	The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Psycho	Eddie Noack	Psycho
Dial "O" For Bigelow	Fred Lane	Ego Fest VI
Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive	Johnny Mercer	L.A. Confidential
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen	Jimmy Smith	Kings & Deperate Men
And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine	Anita O'day	The Big Sleep
Is That All There Is?	Peggy Lee	Wanda
The Dark Crystal Overture	Trevor Jones	The Dark Crystal
Suspiria (Main Theme)	Goblin	Suspiria
Marnie	Bernard Herrmann	Marnie
Yojimbo Suite	Masaru Satoh	Yojimbo
Bloody Christmas	Jerry Goldsmith	L.A. Confidential
Maltese Falcon	Warner/Chappell Productions	The Maltese Falcon
Farewell, My Lovely	Yeong-Wook Jo	Murder, My Sweet
L'amour m'emporte, Walze	Veronika Kincses	The Earings of Madame De…
The Morrow	Michael Nyman	Gattaca
Dita Saxová	Luboš Fišer	Dita Saxova
Parallax Test	Michael Small	The Parallax View
Piece for Tape Recorder	Climax Golden Twins	Session 9
The Big Sleep	The Gathering	The Big Sleep
Muse	Nicolas Jaar	The Color of Pomegranates
The Dispute	Vladimír Hirsch	Marketa Lazarova
Addio Zio Tom	Riz Ortolani	Mandingo
Winterreise - Zwölf Lieder Von Franz Schubert, S561 - No 12 - Im Dorfe	Franz Liszt	The Piano Teacher
End theme from Scarecrow	Fred Myro	Scarecrow
End Credits	Lalo Schifrin	Man on a Swing

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