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December 11, 2024

Episode 720: Downtown (1975)

Episode 720: Downtown (1975) Guest Co-Hosts: Jessica Shires, Heather Drain

When cult cinema maestro Jess Franco turns his lens to noir with Downtown (1975), you know you're in for a sleazy, surreal ride! Join Mike White, Heather Drain, and Jessica Shires as they unravel the tangled web of private eyes, femme fatales, and Franco’s unmistakable flair.

This Patreon-requested episode, brought to you by the fabulous Pat Radke, dives deep into one of Franco’s lesser-seen gems. Is Downtown a gritty noir, an erotic fever dream, or something in between? Tune in to find out as the crew discusses its place in Franco's prolific filmography, its unique style, and why it deserves more love.

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Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Downtown on Blu-Ray

Music:
"Downtown" - Petula Clark

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December 6, 2024

Episode 719: The Grifters (1990)

Episode 719: The Grifters (1990) Special Guests: Peggy Rajski, Barbara De Fina
Guest Co-Hosts: Jedidiah Ayres, Andrew Nette

Noirvember 2024 ends with a bang as we delve into Stephen Frears's electrifying neo-noir The Grifters (1990). Adapted from ’s novel by screenwriter , this razor-sharp film stars Angelica Huston as Lily Dillon, a veteran con artist manipulating the odds at the racetrack. Her uneasy reunion with estranged son Roy (John Cusack) and his cunning girlfriend Myra (Annette Bening) sparks a volatile triangle of deception and betrayal in the high-stakes world of grifting.

Mike is joined by crime fiction experts Andrew Nette and Jedidiah Ayres to untangle this web of cons and double-crosses. Plus, executive producer Barbara De Fina and producer Peggy Rajski reveal what it took to bring this stylish, unsettling tale to life.

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Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy The Grifters on Blu-Ray
Buy The Grifters by Jim Thompson
Buy Savage Art: A Biography of Jim Thompson by Robert Polito
Find out more about The Trevor Project
Buy Revolution in 35mm: Political Violence and Resistance in Cinema from the Arthouse to the Grindhouse, 1960–1990 by Andrew Nette and Samm Deighan

Music:
Original Soundtrack - Elmer Bernstein

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December 4, 2024

Episode 718: Avanti Popolo (1986)

Episode 716: Avanti Popolo (1986) Special Guest: Zohar M. Sela
Guest Co-Hosts: Will Youmans, Yaniv Eidelstein

Yaniv Eidelstein and Will Youmans join Mike to discuss Avanti Popolo (1986), from writer/director Rafi Bukai. Set at the end of the Six-Day War, this poetic and darkly comedic masterpiece follows a group of Egyptian soldiers navigating the vast Sinai Desert on their journey to the Suez Canal. Along the way, they're thrust into surreal and precarious scenarios, exposing the absurdity and humanity of war.

We explore the film's rich cultural commentary and unforgettable performances. Plus, we welcome the film’s editor, Zohar Sela, who provides behind-the-scenes insights into the creative process and the enduring impact of Bukai's vision.

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Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Stream Avanti Popolo

Music:
"Bandiera Rossa" - Angelic Upstarts

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November 26, 2024

Episode 717: Angel Face (1952)

Guest Co-Hosts: Jedidiah Ayres, Lexi Van Dyke

#Noirvember 2024 shines a spotlight on Otto Preminger's Angel Face (1952), a twisted tale of obsession and betrayal. Robert Mitchum stars as Frank Jessup, an ambulance driver entangled with the wealthy Tremayne family. Torn between the dangerously alluring Diane Tremayne (Jean Simmons) and his steadfast girlfriend Mary (Mona Freeman), Frank is drawn into a deadly web of manipulation and deceit.

Jedidiah Ayers and Lexi Van Dyke join Mike to discuss this gripping exploration of desire and duplicity.

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Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Angel Face on Blu-Ray

Music:
"Angel Face" - The Bobby Fuller Four

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November 20, 2024

Episode 716: The Woman on the Beach (1947)

Episode 717: Woman on the Beach (1947) Guest Co-Hosts: Robert Bellissimo, Otto Bruno

We continue #Noirvember 2024 with a look at Jean Renoir's The Woman on the Beach.  Released in 1947, the film tells the tale of veteran Scott Burnett (Roobert Ryan).  He’s plagued with nightmares caused by his PTSD and is assigned to the mounted division of the Coast Guard where he patrols the beach on his horse, meeting the comely Peggy Butler (Joan Bennett).  She’s married to blind painter Tod Butler (Charles Bickford).  All three of them are plagued by "ghosts" from their past.

Otto Bruno and Robert Bellissimo join Mike to discuss this compromised film and what could have been.

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Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy The Woman on the Beach on DVD

Music:
"Goin' Blind" - KISS

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November 14, 2024

Guest Spot: Shock Corridor (1963)

Shock Corridor (1963) As a follow-up to our episode on The Naked Kiss, Philip Marinello invited Spencer Parsons and Mike to The Substance to discuss Samuel Fuller Shock Corridor (1963), a harrowing tale of a reporter (Peter Breck) who goes undercover at an asylum where he meets an array of patients who reflect the ills of contemporary society.

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Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Shock Corridor on Blu-Ray

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November 7, 2024

Episode 715: The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953)

Guest Co-Hosts: John Monaghan, David MacGregor

On this special episode, we’re diving into the curious 1953 fantasy The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. Produced by Stanley Kramer, directed by Roy Rowland, and uniquely penned by , the film stars Hans Conried as Dr. Terwilliker, a sinister piano teacher who’s devised the “Terwilliker Method” for the obedient fingers of child pianists. Tommy Rettig plays Bartholomew Collins, an imaginative boy determined to derail Dr. T's grand plans.

Join Mike, playwright David MacGregor, and critic John Monaghan as they delve into the film's quirky charms, elaborate set pieces, and iconic status.

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Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T on Blu-Ray
Buy The Seuss, the Whole Seuss and Nothing But the Seuss: A Visual Biography of Theodor Seuss Geisel by Charles D. Cohen
Buy Moments To Remember With Peter And Mary: Our Life In Show Business From Vaudeville To Video by Peter Lind Hayes & Mary Healy
Watch an interview with Hayes & Healy

Music:
All songs from the Original Soundtrack

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November 6, 2024

Episode 716: Pitfall (1948)

Episode 716: Pitfall (1948) Guest Co-Hosts: Philip Marinello, Ian Brownell

We to kick off Noirvember 2024 with a delve into Pitfall (1948), a classic film noir André De Toth, based on the book by , starring Dick Powell as an insurance man caught in a web of deception and danger. When Powell's character falls for Lizabeth Scott’s femme fatale, his seemingly mundane life spirals into chaos, bringing betrayal, blackmail, and murder

Ian Brownell and Philip Marinello join Mike to explore the film’s themes of moral ambiguity, post-war disillusionment, and the pitfalls of desire in this rich discussion of this noir gem.

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Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Pitfall by Jay A Dratler
Buy Pitfall on Blu-Ray

Music:
"Pitfall" - Louvin Brother

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