Special Guests: Bill Svanoe, Tom Holland Guest Co-Hosts: Kevin Lehane, Rob St. Mary
#Whoopbruary keeps the action rolling with Fatal Beauty (1987), a hard-hitting crime thriller starring Whoopi Goldberg as tough-talking detective Rita Rizzoli. Directed by Tom Holland and based on a script by Bill Svanoe, the film follows Rizzoli as she battles to keep a deadly designer drug off the streets. Co-hosts Rob St. Mary and Kevin Lehane join the discussion, and we’ve got exclusive interviews with writer Bill Svanoe and director Tom Holland to break down the film’s mix of action, comedy, and social commentary.
Special Guests: Lawrence Block Guest Co-Hosts: Kevin Lehane, Cullen Gallagher
Whoopbruary rolls on with Burglar (1987), a comedic crime caper starring Whoopi Goldberg as Bernice Rhodenbarr -- Hugh Wilson's reimagining of the literary burglar created by Lawrence Block.With Bobcat Goldthwait bringing his signature chaos as her loyal sidekick and G.W. Bailey on her trail, this one’s packed with familiar faces and offbeat energy.
Special Guest: David H. Franzoni Guest Co-Hosts: Kevin Lehane, Ian Brownell
Whoopbruary is here! We're dedicating a whole month to the incomparable Whoopi Goldberg, spotlighting a trio of films she made after her powerhouse performance in The Color Purple -- plus one extra for good measure.
Kicking things off is Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986), the high-energy spy comedy directed by Penny Marshall. Whoopi stars as Terry Doolittle, a quick-witted computer technician who unwittingly stumbles into international espionage when she makes contact with a British spy. With a script originally penned by David H. Franzoni, Whoopi's signature charm is on full display.
Ian Brownell joins Mike and this month's co-host, Razzie-nominated writer Kevin Lehane, for a fun discussion of where and how this fits into Whoopi's filmography.
If you’re looking for more Mike White, here’s where you can find him!
Mike stopped by Caliber 9 From Outer Space to talk about two films: Border and The Rift, two films that are as weird as they are entertaining. Listen to the episode
Mike also joined Dark Habits: An Almodóvar Podcast for the second part of their Hitchcock series. In this episode, they dig into Hitchcock’s Sabotage and the original The Man Who Knew Too Much.
Buckle up for a journey through the absurd, anarchic, and audacious as The Projection Booth takes on Jean-Luc Godard's Weekend (1967). Hosts Mike White, Rob St. Mary, and Andrei Idu (who requested the episode via Patreon) dive headfirst into Godard's biting critique of consumerism, class, and chaos, dissecting the film's surreal narrative, infamous tracking shots, and unapologetically subversive tone. From the traffic jam to the revolutionaries, they explore how this incendiary masterpiece continues to provoke and puzzle audiences decades later.
Special Guest: Aaron Hunter Guest Co-Hosts: Suzen Tekla Kruglinska, Maurice Bursztynski
Mike White is joined by Maurice Bursztynski and Suzen Tekla Kruglinska to explore Hal Ashby's Being There (1979), a satirical masterpiece based on Jerzy Kosinski’s novel. This listener request from Patreon supporter Jordan Nash examines the story of Chance, played brilliantly by Peter Sellers, a sheltered, developmentally delayed man who steps out of isolation after his caretaker's death.
Wandering the streets of Washington, D.C., Chance is swept into the elite world of Benjamin and Eve Rand (Melvyn Douglas and Shirley MacLaine) and influential power players, including the President (Jack Warden), thanks to a series of misunderstandings. The trio delves into the film's themes of perception, power, and simplicity, discussing its layered satire, unforgettable performances, and enduring relevance.
We dive into Red Lights (2012), a psychological thriller that blends skepticism, belief, and the enigmatic world of psychic phenomena. Written and directed by Rodrigo Cortés (Buried), the film stars Cillian Murphy and Sigourney Weaver as a pair of investigators determined to expose fraudulent psychics. Their sights are set on Simon Silver (Robert De Niro), a legendary blind performer whose mysterious powers defy explanation—or do they?
Co-hosts Rod Lott and Ryan Luis Rodriguez team up to discuss this layered tale of science versus the supernatural, unraveling its twists and themes. Along the way, they explore if this overlooked gem from James Brummel's Patreon request deserves a closer look. Is Red Lights a misunderstood thriller or a missed opportunity?
Over the years of doing this show, we've lost a lot of people that we've talked to in the past. Though we never had the opportunity to talk with David Lynch, his work is a personal favorite and the subject of many episodes of the show. Since first seeing Eraserhead in high school, Lynch's oeuvre has been the subject of fascination and much discussion on the show. Enjoy our ongoing conversation of some of his work including a discussion on the Wake Up Heavy podcast: