Special Guest: Kier-la Janisse Guest Co-Hosts: Heather Drain, Jedidiah Ayres
Heather Drain and Jedidiah Ayres join Mike to take a gritty plunge into Monte Hellman's Cockfighter (1974), a controversial and fascinating portrait of obsession and redemption. Warren Oates stars as Frank Mansfield, a man so consumed by his quest to win the cockfighting championship that he’s taken a vow of silence until he claims victory. Set in the underbelly of the American South, this visceral tale pits man against his demons, much like the roosters he trains.
Adapted from Charles Willeford’s novel, Cockfighter pulls no punches in its depiction of the brutal, outlawed sport, which was illegal in 47 states at the time. Film scholar Kier-la Janisse discusses the complex themes of masculinity, pride, and obsession, as well as Hellman’s signature directorial style in her new book, Cockfight: A Fable of Failure.
Mike speaks with fellow-Detroiter Alan Bernstein about his feature documentary, When We Went Mad (2024), a look at the usual gang of idiots behind the irreverent publication, Mad Magazine. A film more than a decade in the making, Bernstein wonderfully captures the importance and influence of Mad from inception to demise.
We conclude Czechtember 2024 with a film from František Vláčil, Adelheid (1969). Based on the book by Vladimír Körner, the film stars Petr Čepek as Viktor, a former Czech soldier turned caretaker of a confiscated German estate where he encounters the titular Adelheid (Emma Černá), who is being held as a prisoner. Their evolving relationship forms the core of the film, set against a backdrop of post-war displacement and political tension.
Cerise Howard and Jonthan Owen join Mike to discuss this underseen Vláčil film.
Mike talks to writer/director Jon Spira about his latest film, The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee. It's a documentary about the Lee's life and career that features a great array of interviews and a fascinating visual style.
Czechtember* continues with one from Slovakian filmmaker Dušan Hanák, 322. Based on a short story by Ján Johanides, the film stars Václav Lohniský as Lauko, a man diagnosed with cancer. His ex-wife, Marta (Lucyna Winnicka), is fooling around with the young Peter (Josef Abrhám), while Lauko connects with the long-haired Vladko (Vladimír Weiser). Released in 1969, the film was banned immediately after its premiere.
Angela Mac and Jonathan Owen join Mike to discuss this fascinating avant-garde film.
*Czetchtember includes both Czech and Slovakian films.
On a crossover with The Kulturecast and Midnight Viewing, Mike joins Chris Stachiw and Father Malone to discuss Time Burton's latest film, the legacy sequel to Beetlejuice (1988). We discuss the many new characters and those who didn't return as well as what worked and what didn't.
We’re kicking off #Czechtember2024 with a classic of the Czech New Wave, Jan Nemec's Diamonds of the Night. Released in 1964, the film was a groundbreaking piece of cinema. Based on Arnost Lustig's semi-autobiographical novel Darkness Casts No Shadow, the film is about the escape of two boys from a train carrying them to a death camp.
Heather Drain and Rob St. Mary join Mike to discuss this harrowing film.
Special Guest: Ginette Vincendeau Guest Co-Hosts: Samm Deighan, Andrew Leavold
We conclude Art House August with a look at Jean-Pierre Melville's Army of Shadows (1969). Based loosely on Joseph Kessel's memoir about the French Resistance in World War II, the film stars Lino Ventura as Phillipe Gerbier, one of a handful of Resistance fighters we meet as we travel through the underworld, striking out at the German occupiers and those loyal to the Vichy government.
Special Guest: Kier-la Janisse
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