Episode 525: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

Special Guests: Joe Alves, Matthew Robbins, Jim Bloom, Douglas Trumbull
Guest Co-Hosts: Suzen Tekla Kruglnska, El Goro

Sci-Fi Month continues with a look at Steven Spielberg's 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It’s really three stories in one. In the first it’s former cartographer David Laughlin (Bob Balaban) who’s been recruited to help French scientist Claude Lacombe (Francois Truffaut) investigate a strange series of alien visitations. The second concerns Julian Guiler (Melinda Dillon) whose little boy, Barry, is kidnapped by aliens. And, the third follows Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), a man who’s disillusioned with his life until he witnesses a group of alien ships which plant an image in his head as kind of an invitation to join them.

Suzen Tekla Kruglnska and El Goro join Mike to discuss this landmark film. Interviews include production designer Joe Alves, screenwriter Matthew Robbins, second assistant director Jim Bloom, and special effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull.

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Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Close Encounters of the Third Kind Blu-Ray
Buy the Close Encounters of the Third Kind novelization
Buy Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Ultimate Visual History by Michael Klastorin
Buy Close Encounters of the Third Kind Diary by Bob Balaban
Buy Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Making of Steven Spielberg's Classic Film by Ray Morton
Buy Close Encounters of the Third Kind by Jon Towlson

Music:
"Theme from 'Close Encounters'" - Meco
"Main Title And Mountain Visions" - The Electric Moog Orchestra
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" - The Ventures

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Guest Spot: The Sparks Brothers (2021)

Special Guest: Paul Trewartha

Edgar Wright has been known to use music to great effect in his narrative films, so it's only appropriate that he makes a music-related documentary. The Spark Brothers (2021) tells the tale of brothers Ron Mael and Russell Mael who, as Sparks, have been writing and recording albums for nearly 5 decades. Unlike so many musicians who had an initial creative flourish then lose sight of their muse, the Maels are still creating great music right up to today.

Due to a peculiar turn of events, Tim, Bernard and Maurice handed the keys to the See Hear car over to friends of the show Mike White of the Projection Booth Podcast and musician / documentarian Skizz Cyzyk. These guys are the best, and we felt completely comfortable leaving the show in their professional hands. As a bonus, Mike also presents an interview with the film's editor Paul Trewartha. Paul cut The Sparks Brothers using Adobe Premiere.

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Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Visit the Spark Brothers website

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Episode 526: Time Bandits (1981)

Special Guests: Michael Palin, Mike Edmonds
Guest Co-Hosts: Eric J. Peterson, Maurice Bursztynski

We continue Sci-Fi Month with a look at the 1981 film from director Terry Gilliam, Time Bandits. It’s the story of a band of god’s workers who have stolen a map that allows them to travel through time. Along the way they meet a young lad named Kevin (Craig Warnock) whose parents ignore him. He joins the titular Time Bandits on their adventures as they run from god and into the arms of Satan.

Maurice Bursztynski and Eric J. Peterson join Mike to discuss this unusual family film. This episode also hosts the second part of our interview with co-writer and actor Michael Palin along with actor Mike Edmonds.

Listen/Download Now:

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Time Bandits on Blu-Ray
Buy Very Naughty Boys by Robert Sellers
Buy Halfway to Hollywood: Diaries 1980--1988 by Michael Palin
Buy An Accidental Studio on Blu-Ray

Music:
"Dream Away" - George Harrison

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Episode 524: The Black Hole (1979)

Guest Co-Hosts: El Goro, David Kittredge

Sci Fi Month continues on The Projection Booth with a look at Gary Nelson’s 1979 film, The Black Hole. It’s the story of a group of astronauts who, after an unscheduled course correction, run across the missing ship The Cygnus, which is in stasis just outside of a black hole. It’s something of a re-telling of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea with Maximilian Schell playing Captain Nemo by way of Dr. Hans Reinhardt.

El Goro (Talk Without Rhythm) and David Kittredge (The Outcast) join Mike to discuss this uneven film.

Listen/Download Now:

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy The Black Hole on DVD
Read “We Never Had an Ending:” How Disney’s ‘Black Hole’ Tried to Match ‘Star Wars’ by David Weiner

Music:
"Main Theme" - John Barry

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Episode 522: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Special Guests: Peter Suschitzky, Paul Hirsch, Jim Bloom, Rebecca Harrison, J.W. Rinzler
Guest Co-Hosts: Jamie Benning, Chris Bricklemyer

#Sci-FiMonth kicks off with a look at possibly the best sequel of all times, The Empire Strikes Back (1980). It's the second -- or fifth -- chapter in the Star Wars saga which truly tests our heroes: Luke Skywalker gets mangled, Han Solo gets tortured, and Leia Organa gets a good kiss... from her brother.

Chris Bricklemyer (Outside the Cinema) and Jamie Benning (The Filmumentaries Podcast) join Mike to discuss Irving Kershner's first and only foray into the Star Wars universe.

Interviews include cinematographer Peter Suschitzky, editor Paul Hirsch, associate producer Jim Bloom, author Rebecca Harrison, and author J.W. Rinzler.

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Listen to More Jim Bloom:

Listen to our Star Wars episode:

Listen to the Star Wars Music Mix:


Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy The Empire Strikes Back on Blu-Ray
Download The Empire Strikes Back de-specialized version
Buy A Long Time Ago in a Cutting Room Far, Far Away: My Fifty Years Editing Hollywood Hits—Star Wars, Carrie, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Mission: Impossible, and More by Paul Hirsch
Buy The Empire Strikes Back (BFI Film Classics) by Rebecca Harrison
Buy The Making of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back by J.W. Rinzler
Visit 365 Star Wars
Visit the OriginalTrilogy.com website
Visit the official Star Wars website

Music:
"Luke's First Crash" - John Williams
"Empire Strikes Back (Medley) Darth VaderYoda's Theme" - Meco
"Seagulls! (Stop It Now)" - Bad Lip Reading

Watch:

Building Empire, A Filmumentary By Jamie Benning @jamieSWB from Filmumentaries - Jamie Benning on Vimeo.

Special Report: Gone in Sixty Seconds (1974)

Guest Co-Hosts: Chris Stachiw, El Goro

Released in 1974, Gone in Sixty Seconds was directed, written by, and stars H. B. Halicki as Maindrian Pace. He’s an accident investigator by day… and a car thief by day too. He gets charged with stealing 48 cars for the unscrupulous Mr. Villas. All of the cars are given female nicknames and it’s the car named Eleanor that seems to haunt him as he and his crew get to work filling a very tall order.

El Goro (Talk Without Rhythm) and Chris Stachiw (The Kulturecast) join Mike to discuss Halicki's movie empire and the 2000 Dominic Sena remake starring Nicholas Cage.

Listen/Download Now:

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Gone in Sixty Seconds on Blu-Ray
Buy the H.B. Halicki Collection on DVD
Buy Gone in Sixty Seconds remake on Blu-Ray

Music:
"Gone in Sixty Seconds" - Philip Kachaturian

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Episode 521: Eternity and a Day (1998)

Special Guest: Andrew Horton
Guest Co-Hosts: John Atom, Agatha Luz

Theodoros Angelopoulos's 1998 film, Eternity and a Day, stars Bruno Ganz as Alexandros, a poet who thinks he’s at the end of his life. He rescues an Albanian refugee boy (Ahilleas Skevis) who lives on the street and wipes windshields for spare change.

Agatha Luz (Cinemaspection) and John Atom (Heroic Purgatory) join Mike to discuss the films while Andrew Horton (The Films of Theo Angelopoulos: A Cinema of Contemplation) talks about his relationship with Angelopolous.

Listen/Download Now:

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Eternity and a Day on DVD

Music:
Original Soundtrack - Eleni Karaindrou

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Episode 520: Khrustalyov, My Car! (1998)

Special Guests: Jonathan Brent, Guy Seligmann
Guest Co-Hosts: Gianna D’Emilio, Spencer Parsons

Released in 1989, Aleksey German's Khrustalyov, My Car! is set in 1953 agains the death of Josef Stalin and his "Doctor's Plot". The film centers on General Klensky, a huge man with a penchant for cigars and cognac-laced tea, who is doomed to be replaced by a double who will give the right answers during his inevitable show trial.

Gianna D’Emilio and Spencer Parsons join Mike to discuss this chaotic film (which was lambasted upon its screening at Cannes). Professor Jonathan Brent (author of Stalin's Last Crime: The Doctor's Plot) talks about the state of the Soviet Union in 1953 while producer Guy Seligmann provides the history of the film.

Listen/Download Now:

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Khrustalyov, My Car! on Blu-Ray

Music:
"Gasthaus Zum Lachenden Stalin" - Jan Delay
"Goodbye Lenin, Hello Stalin" - Kullhammar Osgood Vgan

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