Released in 1994, The Coen Brothers' The Hudsucker Proxy stars Tim Robbins as Norville Barnes, a graduate of Muncie Indiana’s business school. He gets a job at Hudsucker Industries whose CEO, Waring Hudsucker (Charles Durning), happens to join the great hereafter the day Norville begins work. After a mix-up, Barnes goes all the way from the mail room to the boardroom and becomes the new interim head of the corporation.
Rahne Alexander and David Kittrredge join Mike to discuss the ins, the outs, and the what-have-yous about this oft-overlooked tribute to classic screwball comedies told only in the way that the Coen Brothers (and Sam Raimi) could tell it.
Western Month continues with a look at Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar. Released in 1954 the film stars Sterling Hayden as the titular Mr. Guitar. However, he’s outshone in the film by Joan Crawford
as Vienna and Mercedes McCambridge as Emma, two women with a history.
Special Guests: Bruce Bilson, Don Tait, Edward Herrmann Guest Co-Hosts: David Kittredge, Rod Lott
David Kittredge and Rod Lott join Mike to look at the 1979 film The North Avenue Irregulars. Based on the non-fiction book by Reverend Albert Fay Hill, the film stars Edward Herrmann as Reverend Mike Hill, a minister who arrives with his two children at their new congregation to find a rather wacky group of women who help run the church. When one of them loses the church’s money on some illegal gambling Hill tries to get it back. Humiliated and chagrined by the mob who run the gambling there, Hill teams up with the Treasury Department in order to take down crime with his team of irregulars.
Interviews include director Bruce Bilson, screenwriter Don Tait, and actor Edward Herrmann.
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.
Special Guest: Richard Kelly Guest Co-Hosts: Rob St. Mary, David Kittredge
Southland Tales (2006) tells the sprawling story of a world in which alternative energy is a big business and teams up with the political police state. Meanwhile actor Boxer Santaros (Dwayne Johnson) has a schizophrenic break and thinks he's the character that he and part-time prophet/full time porn star Krista Now (Sarah Michelle Gellar) have created, Jericho Cane. Also in the mix are Roland and Ronald Taverner (Seann William Scott), a cop and his twin who may hold the secret to ending the world.
The episode features an interview with writer/director Richard Kelly.
David Kittredge and Rob St. Mary join Mike to discuss the various cuts of the film, Philip K. Dick, and much more.
Special Guests: Alan Heim, Keith Gordon, Deborah Geffner Guest Co-Hosts: Emma Westwood, David Kittredge
It's showtime, folks! On this episode we're talking about Bob Fosse's 1979 film All That Jazz. It’s definitely not an autobiographical picture about a choreographer slash director (Roy Scheider) who's working on his previous film about a groundbreaking stand-up comedian (Cliff Gorman) while rehearsing his next Broadway sensation. It's definitely not about Fosse facing down the specter of mortality and expressing it the best way he knows how.
Cinema Novo month continues with a look at Joaquim Pedro de Andrade's Macunaíma (1969). Based on the 1928 Modernist novel of the same name by Mário de Andrade (no relation).
Some see the Cinema Novo movement ending around 1967 while others say that it simply entered another phase. Regardless, Macunaíma is unlike any other movie we’ve discussed this month so far and it might be in the running as a favorite film overall. It’s wild, colorful, and filled with enough subtext to choke a horse.
Chris Stachiw and David Kittredge join Mike to discuss this wild tale of jungle and urban life in Brazil in 1969.
Guest Co-Hosts: Maitland McDonagh, David Kittredge
James Bidgood's Pink Narcissus (1971) is a wordless film which tells the story of a young hustler (Bobby Kendall) who engages in a series of fantasies throughout an evening. The film was shot on 8mm but still presents a lush, fantastic color palette and incredible sets that are even more incredible when the viewer remembers that this was all shot in Bidgood's Hell's Kitchen apartment.
Maitland McDonagh and David Kittredge join Mike to discuss lyrical pornography, New York real estate, and the importance of finishing projects.
Special Guests: Douglas Trumbull, Louise Fletcher, Bruce Joel Rubin, Philip Frank Messina, Robert Stitzel, Joseph Maddrey Guest Co-Hosts: Samm Deighan, David Kittredge
For the last episode in our Sci-Fi December series it's a five hour journey into Douglas Trumbull's Brainstorm (1983) which stars Christopher Walken as scientist Michael Brace who has helped in the discovery of a new technology that records the sensations of a person and allows for playback directly into another person's brain.
Co-hosts Samm Deighan and David Kittredge join Mike to discuss the film, the tragic death of Natalie Woods that overshadowed it, and the film's spiritual sequel, Strange Days (1995).
Special Guests: Jeff Werner, Carel Struycken Guest Co-Hosts: David Kittredge, Maurice Bursztynski
On this special episode, Maurice Bursztynski and David Kittredge join Mike to discuss the 1980 film from director Jeff Werner, Die Laughing. The film stars Robby Benson as Pinsky, a cab driver who is also an aspiring rock star. As most cab drivers do, he inadvertently gets mixed up in a web of international intrigue.
Director Jeff Werner and actor Carel Struycken discuss the behind-the-scenes of this unusual spy thriller comedy.
Music:
Grease Paint And Monkey Brains - White Zombie
Hot Rod Monkey - James Kochalka Superstar
Mr. Weinstein's Barber Shop - Robby Benson (and Rush Hour)
All I Want Is Love - Robby Benson (and Rush Hour)
Special Guests: Daniel Edwards, Jeremy Birchall, Chad Taylor Guest Co-Hosts: David Kittredge, Spencer Parsons
Scott Reynolds's, Heaven (1998) is a New Zealand film that features crime, sex, and the supernatural. It's the story of our titular Heaven (Daniel Edwards), a transsexual, precognitive stripper who works for a violent member of the underworld, Stanner (Richard Schiff). Moreover, it’s the story of gambler Richard Marling (Martin Donovan>), his wife and her lover, a psychiatrist. And, believe it or not, both of those storylines are all tied together into one larger piece.
Special Guest: Andrew Birkin Guest Co-Hosts: David Kittredge, Josh Stewart
Tom Tykwer's Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006) is based on the 1985 book by Patrick Süskind. The film tells the story of Jean-Baptiste Grenouille (Ben Whishaw), a man born without scent and an acute sense of smell. He goes on a quest to capture the most beautiful scent in the world...
David Kittredge and Josh Stewart join Mike to discuss the film and Parfum the recent Netflix series somewhat inspired by Süskind's novel. Writer Andrew Birkin discusses the writing of the film.
Music:
"Scentless Apprentice" - Nirvana
"Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met...)" - Panic! At The Disco
"Du Riechst So Gut" - Rammstein
"Redhead Girl" - AIR
Special Guests: Brian Hoyle, Paul Talbot Guest Co-Hosts: David Kittredge, Samm Deighan
On this special episode of The Projection Booth we fly upon the wings of a demon as we discuss John Boorman's 1977Exorcist II: The Heretic.
It’s been a few years since we’ve seen Regan MacNeil (Linda Blair), the little girl who, on the cusp of womanhood, was possessed by a demon in William Friedkin’s 1973 film. She’s back... And so’s the demon, Pazuzu…This time the titular exorcist is Father Philip Lamont (Richard Burton) who is investigating what happened to the ill-fated Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow) with the help of Dr. Gene Tuskin (Louise Fletcher) and her hypnosis machine.
Music:
"Magic and Ecstasy" - Mocket
"Magic and Ecstasy" - Ugly Papas
"Regan's Theme (From “Exorcist II The Heretic”)" - The City of Prague Philharmonic
"Magic and Ecstacy" - Snakefinger
"Pazuzu" - Ennio Morricone
"Exorcist II" - Yasuto Tanaka
Guest Co-Hosts: Rahne Alexander, David Kittredge
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