Special Guests: Joe Alves, Matthew Robbins, Jim Bloom, Douglas Trumbull Guest Co-Hosts: Suzen Tekla Kruglnska, El Goro
Sci-Fi Month continues with a look at Steven Spielberg's 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It’s really three stories in one. In the first it’s former cartographer David Laughlin (Bob Balaban) who’s been recruited to help French scientist Claude Lacombe (Francois Truffaut) investigate a strange series of alien visitations. The second concerns Julian Guiler (Melinda Dillon) whose little boy, Barry, is kidnapped by aliens. And, the third follows Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss), a man who’s disillusioned with his life until he witnesses a group of alien ships which plant an image in his head as kind of an invitation to join them.
Suzen Tekla Kruglnska and El Goro join Mike to discuss this landmark film. Interviews include production designer Joe Alves, screenwriter Matthew Robbins, second assistant director Jim Bloom, and special effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull.
Music:
"Theme from 'Close Encounters'" - Meco
"Main Title And Mountain Visions" - The Electric Moog Orchestra
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" - The Ventures
On this special episode of The Projection Booth we're looking at Park Chan-wook's Oldboy (2003). Based loosely on the manga by Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi, the film tells the tale of Oh-Dae-Su (Choi Min-sik), a salaryman who gets abducted and held in a cell for 15 years. Just as he's abducted without explanation he's freed just the same. From there the film becomes a mystery where Oh-Dae-Su tries to find not just who abducted him but why.
John Atom and Bill Ackerman join Mike to discuss the original manga, the 2006 Indian remake Zinda, the 2013 Spike Lee version, and the Brian DePalma film Obsession (1976).
I was recently a guest -- twice! -- on Mark Begley's Wake Up Heavy podcast to discuss two of my favorite films,
David Lynch's Eraserhead () and Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver.
I hope you enjoy listening to them as much as I enjoyed talking about them.
Special Guest: Paul Schrader Guest Co-Host: Maitland McDonagh
Just in time for Labor Day, we're looking at the 1978 film all about the working man, Blue Collar. Directed and co-written by Paul Schrader it tells the tale of three men played by Harvey Keitel, Yaphet Kotto, and Richard Pryor working the line in our fair city - Detroit - dealing with factory work, family, the union, fraud, race and more. Links:
Buy Blue Collar on DVD
Buy Blue Collar by Paul and Leonard Schrader
Buy Schrader on Schrader by Paul Schrader and Kevin Jackson
Buy Paul Schrader: Collected Screenplays Volume 1 by Paul Schrader
Visit the official Paul Schrader website
View a slideshow of Paul Schrader materials from the Harry Ransom Center
Visit Maitland McDonagh's 120 Days Books
"She re-invented the form, and pioneered an entire aesthetic of writing. She was like the Elvis or the Beatles of film criticism." - Owen Gleiberman
Mike talked to filmmaker Rob Garver about the upcoming documentary What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael. They discuss the importance of film criticism and Pauline Kael's controversial career.
Special Guests: Joe Alves, Matthew Robbins, Jim Bloom, Douglas Trumbull
Guest Co-Hosts: 
I was recently a guest -- twice! -- on Mark Begley's 
Special Guest: Paul Schrader
Special Guest: Rob Garver