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October 2, 2024

Episode 709: Cockfighter (1974)

Episode 709: Cockfighter (1974) 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 ’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.

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Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Cockfighter by Charles Willeford
Buy Cockfighter on DVD

Music:
"The Cockfighter" - Ed Kuepper

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September 30, 2024

Special Report: When We Went Mad (2024)

Special Report: When We Went Mad (2024) Special Guests: Alan Bernstein

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.  

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Like the film on Facebook

Music:
"It's a Gas" - Alfred E. Neuman

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September 25, 2024

Episode 708: Adelheid (1969)

Episode 708: Adelheid (1970) Guest Co-Hosts: Cerise Howard, Jonathan Owen

We conclude Czechtember 2024 with a film from František Vláčil, Adelheid (1969). Based on the book by , 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.

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Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Adelheid on Blu-Ray
Buy Valley of the Bees on Blu-Ray

Music:
"Intensity" - Zdeněk Liška

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September 19, 2024

Special Report: The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee (2024)

Special Guest: Jon Spira

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.

Pre-order the film at Kickstarter.

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Music:
"Ghost Riders in the Sky" - Christopher Lee

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September 18, 2024

Episode 707: 322 (1969)

Episode 707: 322 (1969) Guest Co-Hosts: Angela Mac, Jonathan Owen

Czechtember* continues with one from Slovakian filmmaker Dušan Hanák, 322. Based on a short story by , 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.

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Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy 322 on DVD
Watch 322 on Archive.org

Music:
"Intensity" - Ladislav Gerhardt

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September 12, 2024

Episode 706: Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice (2024)

Episode 706: Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice (2024) Guest Co-Hosts: Chris Stachiw, Father Malone

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.

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Music:
"MacArthur Park" - Goober and the Peas

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September 11, 2024

Episode 705: Diamonds in the Night (1964)

Episode 705: Diamonds in the Night (1964) Guest Co-Hosts: Heather Drain, Rob St. Mary

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 '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.

Listen/Download Now:

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Diamonds of the Night on Blu-Ray
Learn more about The National Memorial to the Heroes of the Heydrich Terror Museum
Find out more about the Museum of Communism in Prague

Music:
"Diamonds of the Night" - Forgotten Silence

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September 4, 2024

Episode 704: Army of Shadows (1969)

Episode 704: Army of Shadows (1969) 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 '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.

Andrew Leavold and Samm Dieghan join Mike for an insightful conversation while special guest Ginette Vincendeau, author of Jean-Pierre Melville: An American in Paris, discusses Melville's career at the time and the reaction to the film.

Listen/Download Now:

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Army of Shadows on Blu-Ray

Music:
Original Soundtrack - Eric Demarsan

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