Czechtember 2025 kicks off with Cosy Dens (AKA Pelíšky), Jan Hřebejk’s bittersweet 1999 coming-of-age dramedy adapted from Petr Šabach’s novel Hovno Hoří (Shit on Fire). Written by Petr Jarchovský, the film unfolds between Christmas 1967 and the Prague Spring of 1968, chronicling the warmth, absurdity, and heartbreak of two neighboring families caught between tradition, rebellion, and history itself.
Rob St. Mary and Philip Marinello join Mike to unpack this Czech classic’s mix of humor and melancholy, its cultural specificity, and its universal resonance.
Guest Co-Hosts: Robert Bellissimo, Philip Marinello
Mike is joined by Robert Bellissimo and Philip Marinello to explore O Pagador de Promessas (1962), the landmark Brazilian drama from director Anselmo Duarte. Also known internationally as The Given Word, the film adapts Dias Gomes's acclaimed stage play into a sharp critique of institutional power.
The story centers on Zé do Burro (Leonardo Villar), a simple farmer who treks over 20 miles into Salvador while bearing a heavy cross—honoring a vow to Saint Barbara after his donkey, Nicholas, falls ill. What begins as a devout act of gratitude becomes a battleground of bureaucracy, media exploitation, and religious gatekeeping. Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Duarte’s film remains a bold and timely meditation on class, faith, and the politics of devotion.
As a follow-up to our episode on The Naked Kiss, Philip Marinello invited Spencer Parsons and Mike to The Substance to discuss Samuel FullerShock 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.
We to kick off Noirvember 2024 with a delve into Pitfall (1948), a classic film noir André De Toth, based on the book by Jay A. Dratler, 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.
Special Guests: Michael Dante, Constance Towers Guest Co-Hosts: Philip Marinello, Spencer Parsons
Philip Marinello and Spencer Parsons join Mike to look at Sam Fuller's 1964 film The Naked Kiss. The film stars Constance Towers as Kelly, a call girl who turns over a new leaf by becoming the best darned nurse a small town hospital that specializes in the care of special needs kids has ever seen. She’s torn between two men, the sheriff who thinks she’s trash and needs to be run out of town to a nearby brothel (Anthony Eisley) and the successful entrepreneur who holds a shocking secret (Michael Dante).
Constance Towers and Michael Dante (from a Noircon 2022 event) talk about working with Sam Fuller and the making of The Naked Kiss.
Special Guests: Steven Cohan, Jeffrey Schwarz Guest Co-Hosts: Agatha Luz, Philip Marinello
We conclude Noirvember 2022 with a look at Billy WIlder's Sunset Blvd. Released in 1950, the film tells the story of Joe Gillis (William Holden), a screenwriter who meets a faded star of yesteryear, Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). Gillis becomes a kept man while helping to fuel Norma’s Desmond’s delusion that she’s returning to the silver screen in a lavish production of Salome.
Agatha Luz (Cinemaspection) and Philip Marinello (The Substance Podcast) join Mike to discuss one of the best films ever made. Interviews include Steven Cohan (author of the new BFI book on Sunset Blvd) and Jeffrey Schwarz (director of Boulevard! A Hollywood Story).
Special Guests: Jean W. Cash, Michael Fitzgerald, Dan Shor, Amy Wright Guest Co-Hosts: Maitland McDonagh, Philip Marinello
Maitland McDonagh and Philip Marinello join Mike to discuss the 1979 film from John Huston, Wise Blood. Based on the book by Flahnery O’Connor, the film stars Brad Dourif as Hazel Motes, a veteran who goes to the big city and decides to become a street preacher and he’s not out to make a quick buck though everyone else around him does.
Interviews on this episode include Prof. Jean W. Cash (author of Flahnery O'Connor: A Life), writer/producer Michael Fitzgerald, actor Dan Shor, and actress Amy Wright.
Guest Co-Hosts: Philip Marinello, Rob St. Mary
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