Episode 588: Wise Blood (1979)

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.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 588: Wise Blood (1979)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Wise Blood on Blu-Ray
Buy American Masters: Flannery on DVD

Music:
Wise Blood Soundtrack - Alex North

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Episode 428: The Apocalypse Series (1998-2001)

Special Guest: André van Heerden
Guest Co-Hosts: Jen Handorf, Dan Martin

Made between 1998 and 2001, Apocalypse: Caught in the Eye of the Storm (1998), Revelation (1999), Tribulation (2000), and Judgement (2001) tell a sprawling tale of the biblical End Times from the Rapture to the rise of the AntiChrist. There's also some Virtual Reality and Mr. T thrown in for good measure.

Jen Handorf and Dan Martin join Mike to discuss the End Times and the advantages and disadvantages of getting a Mark of the Beast tattoo. Writer/director André van Heerden discusses his work with Cloud 10 Pictures.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 428: The Apocalypse Series (1998-2001)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Apocalypse: Caught in the Eye of the Storm on DVD
Buy Revelation on DVD
Buy Tribulation on DVD
Buy Judgement on DVD

Music:
"The Antichrist" - Slayer

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Episode 412: The Passover Plot (1976)

Guest Co-Hosts: Spencer Parsons, Chris Bricklemyer

Just in time for Easter, we get passionate about a film with a very inflammatory title, The Passover Plot (1976). Directed by Michael Campus (The Mack, Z.P.G.), the film is loosely based upon the controversial book by Hugh J. Schonfield. It stars Zalman King as Jesus, Scott Wilson as Judas, and Donald Pleasence as Pontius Pilate, and co-produced by Menahem Golan.

Spencer Parsons and Chris Bricklemyer join Mike to discuss various passion plays, Jens Jørgen Thorsen's The Return (AKA Jesus vender tilbage), and more.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 412: The Passover Plot (1976)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Download The Passover Plot
Buy The Passover Plot on DVDr
Buy The Passover Plot by Hugh J. Schonfield
Visit the official Bart D. Ehrman website
Buy Screen Jesus: Portrayals of Christ in Television and Film by Peter Malone

Music:
"Heaven On Your Minds" - Terry Wallace And His Interstellar Moog Sounds
"King Herod's Song" - Christo Graham
"Superstar" - Minoru Terada

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Episode 179: Life of Brian (1979)

Special Guest: Roger Christian, Will Yapp, Owen Harris
Guest Co-Host: Ken Stanley

(Bloody) Roman Month continues with the 1979 film Life of Brian – the second feature film from the legendary British comedy troupe - Monty Python’s Flying Circus. The film finds the lads in Roman occupied Judea circa 33 AD – a time when the Jews are being oppressed and a messiah is wanted. No, it’s not Brian. He was born in the manger down the alley from Jesus. Life of Brian tells the tale of Brian of Nazareth, a regular chap, who through a few twists and turns, ends up as sort of a fun house mirror version of the messiah.

Causing a scandal upon its initial release, Life of Brian is considered one of the finest comedies to come out of U.K.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 179: Life of Brian (1979)" on Spreaker.

Music:
“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” – Monty Python
“Jesus” – Ken Stanley
“Pretentious” – Ken’s Loud Band

Links:
Buy Life of Brian on DVD
Buy Holy Flying Circus on DVD
Buy Not the Messiah on DVD
Get your own Brian action figure
Buy Monty Python's Tunisian Holiday - My Life with Brian by Kim Howard Johnson & the Pythons
See the Pythons on tour
Listen to tracks from Ken Stanley and Ken's Loud Band
Listen to our Last Temptation of Christ episode

Watch:

The Secret Life Of Brian from WILL YAPP on Vimeo.

Episode 168: The Devils (1971)

Special Guest: Richard Crouse

It's fun for the whole family as we talk about Ken Russell's controversial 1971 film “The Devils”. Censored for over 40 years because of content, The Devils tells the tale of Urbain Grandier – the priest of Loudun, France who in 1634 was persecuted through an unholy mix of Church, State and Sex.

Joining us is special guest co-host filmmaker Vincenzo Natali.

Our special guest this week is film critic/author Richard Crouse discussing his book “Raising Hell: Ken Russell and the Unmaking of the Devils.”

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 168: The Devils (1971)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Visit the official Richard Crouse website
Buy Raising Hell by Richard Crouse
Listen to the director's commentary
Buy on DVD (UK version)
Buy "The Devils" on DVD (unofficial release)
Buy "The Devils" official (cut) U.S. VHS Release
Buy "The Devils of Loudun" by Aldous Huxley
An original writing on "The Devils of Loudun" by Edmund Goldsmid (1887)
Buy "Mother Joan of the Angels" on DVD
Buy "The Devils of Loudun" – the opera by Krzysztof Penderecki
"The Devils" UNCUT discussion
Mark Kermode's BBC Blog about "The Devils"
Mark Kermode's podcast "Kermode and Mayo's Film Review"
Check out Vincenzo Natali's work on "Darknet"
Vincenzo Natali's pilot for "Darknet"
Listen to our previous episodes with Vincenzo Natali "Cube" and "Blue Velvet"
Listen to our previous episode about another controversial religious film "The Last Temptation of Christ"

Music:
"Sin" by Nine Inch Nails
"Heretic" by Soundgarden

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Episode 161: Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (2001)

Special Guests: Lee Demarbre & Ian Driscoll

From the director of the Harry Knuckles films, Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter resurrects the Christian messiah in modern day Ottawa to fight a plague of lesbian-hunting blood suckers. May the power of Christ impale you!

Links:
Buy Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter on DVD
Follow Lee Demarbre on YouTube
Read about screenwriter Ian Driscoll Shopping for Pants with Martin Kove

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 161: Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter (2001)" on Spreaker.

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Episode 124: Cleanflix (2009)

Special Guest: Andrew James & Joshua Ligairi

We discuss sex, violence, ratings, and censorship just in time for Pioneer Day. We're looking at Cleanflix, a documentary about the "sanitization" of films for Mormon audiences.

Links:
Visit the offical Cleanflix website
Buy Cleanflix on DVD
Buy This Film is Not Yet Rated on DVD

Music:
"Sex, Violence And Drugs" - Rasties
"Turn it Off" - Book of Mormon
"Nasty" - The Damned

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 124: Cleanflix (2009)" on Spreaker.

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Episode 117: Battlefield Earth (2000)

Special Guest: Roger Christian & J.D. Shapiro

We conclude our two-part look at Scientology and the movies with Battlefield Earth. We debate the veracity that it's "The Worst Film Ever Made" and discuss the making of the film with the film's director, Academy Award winner Roger Christian, and original screenwriter J.D. Shapiro.

Links:
Buy Battlefield Earth on DVD
Buy L. Ron Hubbard's Battlfield Earth
Buy L. Ron Hubbard's Space Jazz
Buy The Road to Freedom on CD
Read Roger Christian's How dare they call my film a turkey
Read J.D. Shairo's I penned the suckiest movie ever - sorry!
Visit JD Shapiro's website

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 117: Battlefield Earth (2000)" on Spreaker.

Music:
Songs used this episode include
"Disclaimer" - A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant
"March of the Psychlos" - L. Ron Hubbard
"Battlefield Earth Theme" - Elia Cmiral
"Terl, The Security Director" - L. Ron Hubbard
"Windsplitter" - L. Ron Hubbard
"The Road to Freedom" - L. Ron Hubbard & Friends

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Episode 116: Mock Up on Mu (2008)

Special Guests: Craig Baldwin & Adam Parfrey

In the first of our two-part series on Scientology in Film, we look at Craig Baldwin's Mock Up on Mu, a story of sex magick, science fiction, and technology.

We discuss Jack Parsons, one of the "characters" in Mock Up with Adam Parfrey of Feral House, the publishers of Sex & Rockets: The Occult World of Jack Parsons. We also discuss Peter Alexander's The Profit, a re-telling of Scientology-founder L. Ron Hubbard's life, and compare it with Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 116: Mock Up on Mu (2008)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Buy Mock Up on Mu on DVD
Buy Lawrence Wright's Going Clear
Read the "rebuttal" site
Listen to The Projection Booth episode on Kenneth Anger
Visit the Cameron-Parsons Foundation
Visit Other Cinema
Visit Feral House Press
Buy Wormwood Star: The Magickal Life of Marjorie Cameron by Spenser Kansa
Buy Sex and Rockets: The Occult World of Jack Parsons by Jack Carter
Buy Strange Angel: The Otherworldly Life of Rocket Scientist John Whiteside Parsons by George Pendle
Read The Marvel: A Biography of Jack Parsons by R.S. Carbonneau
Visit the official Church of Scientology website

Watch:




Watch The Profit by Peter N. Alexander

Episode 107: The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

Special Guests: Michael Ballhaus
& Darren J. N. Middleton

Just in time for Easter, we're looking at Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ. Initially slated for release in 1984, the film was derailed for years. We examine the history, the controversy, and the film.

Links:
Buy Scandalizing Jesus? by Darren J. N. Middleton
Buy Film, Faith, and Cultural Conflict: The Case of Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ by Thomas Robin Riley
Buy Hollywood Under Siege: Martin Scorsese, the Religious Right, and the Culture Wars by Thomas R Lindlof
Buy The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis
Buy The Last Temptation of Christ on Blu-Ray
Buy Passion: Music for the Last Temptation of Christ by Peter Gabriel
Check out the works of Bart D. Ehrman

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 107: The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)" on Spreaker.

Music Mix:
Jesus Was Way Cool - King Missile
Too Much Heaven On Their Minds - Carl Anderson
Ten Wheels For Jesus - Elvis Hitler
Jesus Built My Hot Rod - Ministry
Jesus Christ Pose - Sound Garden
Chocolate Jesus - Tom Waits
Plastic Jesus - Jello Biafra
Always Look on The Bright Side of Life - Harry Nilsson
Man Up - Book of Mormon Soundtrack
Jesus Is Back In Black
American Jesus - Dean Gray
Too Much Heaven on Their Minds
Jesus Christ Superstar - Laibach



Download the Music Mix

Episode 89: Ricky 6 (2000)

Special Guest: Peter Filardi
Guest Co-Host: Josh Gravel

Say, do you love Satan? Ricky Kasso did. Writer/director Peter Filardi based Ricky 6 on the Kasso case.

We're joined this week by Arkham Film Society's Josh Gravel as we talk about "satanic panic," backward masking, and the finer points of devil worshiping.

Links:
Visit the Arkham Film Society on Facebook
Visit the official Arkham Film Society website
Watch Ricky 6 on YouTube
Read Say You Love Satan
Watch the Satan in the Suburbs documentary
Read Josh's article about Ricky 6 in the latest Cashiers du Cinemart
Buy Satanic Panic: Pop-Cultural Paranoia in the 1980s edited by Kier-La Janisse and Paul Corupe

Listen / Download Now:

Listen to "Episode 89: Ricky 6 (2000)" on Spreaker.

Music
Music used on this week's episode:
"Hell's Bells" by ACDC
"Ozzy and I" by James Kochalka Superstar
"Number of the Beast" by Iron Maiden

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