The final squad room door closes on The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller, and we’re going out with one heck of a sendoff. In this emotional farewell episode, Mike and Chris are joined by returning guests Otto Bruno and Richard Hatem to break down the landmark three-part series finale—aptly titled Landmark.
Together, they explore the bittersweet end of one of television’s most quietly groundbreaking sitcoms, from Barney’s unexpected promotion to the fate of the squad room regulars we've come to love. It’s a deep dive into the final notes of a show that blended comedy, humanity, and social commentary like no other.
The gang reflects on what made Barney Miller so enduring—and why its goodbye still hits home all these years later.
Guest Co-Hosts: Jonathan Melville, Maurice Bursztynski
Co-hosts Maurice Bursztynski and Jonathan Melville join Mike to take on a Patreon request from listener John Atom -- Nevil Shute’s On the Beach. They dive into both the 1959Stanley Kramer film and the 2000 TV mini-series directed by Russell Mulcahy. Set in the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, the story centers on a U.S. submarine that finds refuge in Melbourne, Australia, where residents face the grim reality that the fallout is heading their way.
The episode explores the emotional depth and existential dread of both adaptations, from the restrained melancholy of Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner to the more modern approach with Armand Assante and Rachel Ward. With perspectives shaped by different eras, the hosts unpack how each version captures the quiet devastation of waiting for the end.
Along with doing the various podcast Mike already host/co-hosts (The Projection Booth, The Shabby Detective, The Life & Times of Captain Barney Miller, Midnight Viewing, What No Fucking Ziti?!, Chasing Chevy Chase, etc), he occasionally gets asked to be on other podcasts. Here's a colleciton of the latest guest appearances he's made.
We start with Cinema Chat with David Heath where Mike joined David to discuss William Friedkin's The Night They Raided Minsky's, a period piece about the death of vaudville.
We continue with:
Cinematic Smorgasbord: Episode 267 - You Don’t Know Dick - Used Cars:
Love That Album Episode 184 - Record Store Memories Part 2:
Chris Stachiw makes the same mistake every year when he asks Mike to program a month of movies at The Kulturecast. For 2025 a handful of films from Robin Williams are on deck. The movies rank on Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb at the bottom of Robin Williams's filmography and range from the maudlin (Jack, Patch Adams) to the derivitive (RV, License to Wed) to the truly exerable (Man of the Year). Joining Mike and Chris are many Kulturecast favorites like Mark Begley, Cullen Gallagher, Ryan Verrill, and Richard Hatem.
Special Guest: Ginette Vincendeau Guest Co-Hosts: Samm Deighan, Andrew Leavold
Film historian Samm Deighan and cult cinema expert Andrew Leavold join Mike to shine a light on Jean-Pierre Melville's Two Men in Manhattan (1959). Often overshadowed by his better-known crime films, this moody noir follows a journalist and a photographer as they comb the streets of New York in search of a missing French diplomat. The trio digs into Melville’s fascination with American style, the film’s ethically murky characters, and how it fits within the director’s larger body of work. They also explore the tension between documentary realism and stylized noir, and why Two Men in Manhattan deserves a second look.
Special Guests: Noah Isenberg, Alan K. Rode Guest Co-Hosts: Bill Ackerman, Federico Bertolini
The Projection Booth wraps up another month of Patreon picks with what might be the most obscure film ever discussed on the show--Casablanca (1942), that little-known wartime romance directed by Michael Curtiz. Big thanks to Brian Tessitore for this hidden gem.
Mike is joined by Bill Ackerman and Federico Bertolini to unpack the fog, flashbacks, and unforgettable lines of this cinematic unicorn. Humphrey Bogart stars as Rick Blaine, the brooding American expat running a nightclub in Vichy-controlled Morocco, where refugees gather in hopes of escaping the tightening grip of the Nazi regime. Things get complicated when Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) strolls in—out of all the gin joints, etc.--alongside her resistance-leader husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henried).
We're thrilled to be joined by two heavy-hitting guests: film historian Noah Isenberg, author of We'll Always Have Casablanca, and Alan K. Rode, author of Michael Curtiz, A Life in Film which sheds light on the director’s layered legacy. Together, we explore the myth, the making, and the magic of one of Hollywood’s most enduring classics.
Special Guest: Bennett Yellin Guest Co-Hosts: Ryan Luis Rodriguez, John Walker
Mike is joined by co-hosts Ryan Luis Rodriguez and John Walker to revisit Dumb and Dumber (1994), the oddball road movie that redefined gross-out comedy and became a surprise cultural touchstone. The trio unpacks the film’s absurdist tone, its unexpected structural tightness, and how it helped catapult the Farrenlly Brothers and Jim Carrey into the Hollywood mainstream.
Screenwriter Bennett Yellin stops by to reflect on the film’s long development process, the writing collaboration with the Farrenlly Brothers, and what it was like shaping one of the most quotable comedies of the decade.
Guest Co-Hosts: Jedidiah Ayres, Ryan Luis Rodriguez
The Projection Booth’s Patreon Picks series charges ahead with Blood and Diamonds (1977), a gritty crime saga from Fernando Di Leo. Claudio Cassinelli stars as Guido Mauri, a man fresh out of prison and ready to settle old scores in a world where loyalty is a fleeting illusion. As Guido cuts a ruthless path through former allies, betrayal and bloodshed go hand in hand.
Host Mike White is joined by crime fiction aficionado Jedidiah Ayres and podcast favorite Ryan Luis Rodriguez to dissect this pulpy revenge tale, discussing Di Leo’s signature style, the film’s place in the Eurocrime pantheon, and why Blood and Diamonds deserves a closer look.
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Chris Stachiw makes the same mistake every year when he asks Mike to program a month of movies at 
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