Special Report: Kimi Takesue: Crossings and Encounters

Special Guests: Kimi Takesue

Mike talks with filmmaker Kimi Takesue, whose work — spanning documentary, fiction, and experimental forms — is now collected on the Criterion Channel. Takesue grew up shuttling between Honolulu and Massachusetts, and that cross-cultural, biracial upbringing informs every frame she has made, from early shorts rooted in identity politics to acclaimed features documenting cross-cultural encounters in Uganda, Laos, and Hawaiʻi.

Her films, including Where Are You Taking Me?, 95 and 6 to Go, and Onlookers, examine those encounters through an observational lens, tracing the power dynamics and unspoken tensions that emerge when tourists and locals share the same unequal terrain. Takesue discusses her practice of traveling without research or agenda, letting one thing unfold into the next, and how a devastating failed fiction project directly led to the making of Where Are You Taking Me? She also talks about the rhythm and formalism of Onlookers, the tension between aestheticizing beauty and critiquing the tourist gaze, the influences she only fully embraced later in her career, and her current work-in-progress following tour guides at Cambodian atrocity sites.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Kimi Takesue: Crossing and Encounters" on Spreaker.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
See the full line-up at the Criterion Channel

Music:
"Reel Ten" - The Plugz

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Special Report: Chance Huskey on Linda Linda Linda (2005)

Special Guests: Chance Huskey

Blue hearts, high school dreams, and one unforgettable rock anthem — we’re diving into Nobuhiro Yamashita’s Linda Linda Linda (2005). The film follows a group of teenage girls in a Japanese high school who form a last-minute band to play the Blue Hearts’ classic “Linda Linda” at their school festival, with a quiet Korean exchange student unexpectedly stepping in as their lead singer.

Mike White is joined by Chance Huskey of GKIDS to talk about the film’s enduring charm, its place in the coming-of-age canon, and GKIDS’s North American release. From Yamashita’s understated style to Doona Bae’s breakout performance, this conversation riffs on the film’s infectious energy, youthful vulnerability, and what makes it resonate almost twenty years later.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Linda Linda Linda (2005)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Visit the official Linda Linda Linda website

Music:
"Linda Linda"- The Blue Hearts

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Special Report: First Look 2025

Special Guests: Edo Choi, Eric Hynes

Mike welcomes Eric Hynes and Edo Choi, curators of First Look 2025 at the Museum of the Moving Image, running running March 12-16 in Astoria, New York. Now in its 14th year, the festival remains a vital showcase for bold, boundary-pushing cinema from around the world.

This year’s lineup includes 38 films—20 features and numerous shorts—spanning 21 countries, with three world premieres and 24 U.S. or North American premieres. Each evening culminates in a Showcase Screening at MoMI’s Sumner Redstone Theater. The festival opens with the U.S. premiere of Durga Chew-Bose’s Bonjour Tristesse, a contemporary take on the classic novel, and closes with Giovanni Tortorici’s Diciannove, an intimate portrait of a young man’s journey across Italy.

Mike, Eric, and Edo dive into the festival’s mission of discovery, its rigorous selection process, and the importance of in-person filmmaker appearances. They also highlight First Look’s unique inclusion of work-in-progress screenings and discussions, offering a behind-the-scenes look at emerging cinematic voices. Whether you’re attending or just love adventurous filmmaking, this episode provides an insightful preview of what makes First Look a can’t-miss event for cinephiles.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: First Look 2025" on Spreaker.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Find out more at the MOMI website

Music:
"First I Look At The Purse" - The Contours

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Special Report: When We Went Mad (2024)

Special Guests: Alan Bernstein

Mike speaks with fellow-Detroiter Alan Bernstein about his feature documentary, When We Went Mad (2024), a look at the usual gang of idiots behind the irreverent publication, Mad Magazine. A film more than a decade in the making, Bernstein wonderfully captures the importance and influence of Mad from inception to demise.  

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Like the film on Facebook

Music:
"It's a Gas" - Alfred E. Neuman

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: When We Went Mad (2024)" on Spreaker.

Watch:

Special Report: Fantasia International Film Festival 2024

Special Guests: Heidi Honeycutt, Miguel Llansó, Kourtney Roy, Jason Deline, Jeffrey St. Jules

I Spit On Your Celluloid

Writer Heidi Honeycutt discusses her new book, I Spit On Your Celluloid, a look at female genre filmmakers throughout the ages. Buy her book and find out more via her website: https://heidihoneycutt.com/.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: I Spit On Your Celluloid" on Spreaker.

Infinite Summer

As part of our coverage of Fantasia 2024, director Miguel Llansó (Crumbs, Jesus Shows You The Way to the Highway) returns to the Projection Booth to discuss his latest film, Infinite Summer (2024), in which a girls weekend becomes a transhumanist romp.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Infinite Summer (2024)" on Spreaker.

Krptic

As part of our coverage of Fantasia 2024, Mike spoke with director Kourtney Roy and actor Jason Deline about their new film, Kryptic (2024), a horror/drama about a woman searching for a lost monster-hunter.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Kryptic (2024)" on Spreaker.

Silent Planet

As part of our Fantasia 2024 coverage, Mike spoke to writer/director Jeffrey St. Jules about his new film, Silent Planet. The film stars Briana Middleton and Elias Koteas in a story of two convicts imprisoned on a distant planet.

Listen/Download Now:
Listen to "Special Report: Silent Planet (2024)" on Spreaker.

Special Report: Axelscares Horror Movie Marathon

Special Guest: Axel Kohagen

Axel Kohagen joined Mike to discuss his annual horror movie marathon for charity. The event takes place September 22-24, 2024.

Follow Axel on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/axelscares for live updates and prizes.

Donate to the cause at: https://give.thetrevorproject.org/fundraiser/5625245.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Axelscares Horror Movie Marathon" on Spreaker.

Special Report: John Michael McCarthy Interview

Special Guests: John Michael McCarthy

Our story takes us to Memphis where Mike White is hot on the trail of John Michael McCarthy... a so-called "filmmaker" that trades in skin and sin, making lurid movies like The Sore Losers, Teenage Tupelo, Superstarlet A.D., and so much more.

White gets every filthy detail about JMM's rap sheet and about his new book filled with depravity and available via Fantagraphics.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: John Michael McCarthy Interview" on Spreaker.

Music:
"(I'm a) Sore Loser" - The Royal Pendletons

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Special Report: 35000 Watts - The Story of College Radio (2024)

Special Guest: Michael Millard
Guest Co-Hosts: Skizz Cyzyk, Maurice Bursztynski

Skizz Cyzyk and Maurice Bursztynski join Mike White to discuss Michael Millard's 2024 documentary, 35000 Watts: The Story of College Radio, a look at the history and impact of college radio, most notably in the 1990s and the advent of "alternative radio".

The two former (and one present) DJs discuss the documentary as well as their time on the air.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: 35000 Watts - The Story of College Radio (2024)" on Spreaker.

Isolated Music Mix:

The Projection Booth · 35000 Watts Mix

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy 35000 Watts for downkload
Listen to Mike's WCBN play list
More about WCBN's Brendan Gillen
More about WCBN's Craig Maki
Maurice recommends 106.7 PBS

Music:
"Mexican Radio" - Wall of Voodoo
"The Wait" - The Holy Cows
"You Just Like Me 'Cos I'm Good in Bed" - Skyhooks
"Clever Trever" - Ian Dury and The Blockheads
"Add It Up" - The Violent Femmes
"Signals" - Squalls
"16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought-Six" - Tom Waits
"Lawn Dart" - Ed's Redeeming Qualities
"Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal" - They Might Be Giants

Watch:

Special Report: The Baristas Vs. The Billionaire

Special Guests: Mark Mori

On this special episode, Mike talks with Mark Mori (Bettie Page Reveals All) about his latest project, The Baristas Vs. The Billionaire, which tells the story of the unionization of Starbucks. They also discuss Mark's first feature documentary, Building Bombs (1989), and his upcoming The Lost Print.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: The Baristas Vs. The Billionaire" on Spreaker.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Back The Baristas Vs. The Billionaire on Kickstarter
Visit the film's Official Site

Music:
"There's a Starbucks (Where the Starbucks Used to Be)" - John Wesley Harding

Watch:

Special Report: Sharksploitation (2023)

Friend of The Projection Booth, Stephen Scarlata (co-host of The Best Movies Never Made podcast) discusses his directorial debut, Sharksploitation (2023), a terrific documentary about the vilification and exploitation of sharks in movies.

The film is streaming on Shudder.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Stephen Scarlata on Sharksploitation (2023)" on Spreaker.

Music:
"Mack the Knife" - Bobby Darrin

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Special Report: We Kill for Love (2023)

Special Guest: Anthony Penta

Mike talks with Anthony Penta, the creative force behind the new documentary video essay We Kill for Love (2023) all about the erotic thriller phenomenon of the 1980s and '90s. The film looks at the history, production, themes, and impact of the genre.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Anthony Penta on We Kill for Love (2023)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Visit the film's official webpage
Read Crimes of Desire: A Casefile on the Erotic Thriller by Anthony Penta
Buy The Erotic Thriller in Contemporary Cinema by Linda Ruth Williams

Music:
"Main Title (Theme From Basic Instinct)" - Jerry Goldsmith

Watch:

Special Reports: Tribeca 2023

Special Guests: Jonathan Penner, Julie Cohen, Sarah Taylor, Georden West, Russell Sheaffer, H.P. Mendoza

Mike talked with several of the filmmakers and a programmer from the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.

Jonathan Penner on Escape from Tribeca:

Listen to "Special Report: Jonathan Penner on Escape from Tribeca" on Spreaker.

Julie Cohen on Every Body (2023):

Listen to "Special Report: Julie Cohen on Every Body (2023)" on Spreaker.

Sarah Taylor on Hey, Viktor! (2023):

Listen to "Special Report: Sarah Taylor on Hey, Viktor!" on Spreaker.

Georden West and Russell Sheaffer on Playland (2023):

Listen to "Special Report: Georden West and Russell Sheaffer on Playland (2023)" on Spreaker.

HP Mendoza on The Secret Art of Human Flight (2023):

Listen to "Special Report: HP Mendoza on The Secret Art of Human Flight" on Spreaker.

Special Report: Alexandre O. Philippe on Lynch/Oz (2022)

Special Guests: Alexandre O. Philippe

Director Alexandre O. Philippe (78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene, Memory: The Origins of Alien) discuses one of his latest films, Lynch/Oz (2022); an incredible essay film about the influence of The Wizard of Oz on the films of David Lynch. He also discusses some of his other new films including The Taking (2022) and You Can Call Me Bill (2023).

Music:
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" - Blixa Bargeld

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Alexandre O. Philippe on Lynch/Oz (2022)" on Spreaker.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth

Watch:

Special Report: Chie Hayakawa on Plan 75 (2022)

Special Guest: Chie Hayakawa

On this special episode Mike speaks with Chie Hayakawa the director of the 2022 film Plan 75. It's a slightly sci-fi look at Japan in ten years and how they handle the elderly.

Find out where the film is playing near you at: https://www.kimstim.com/film/plan-75/

Music:
"In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree" - Shoji Yokouchi

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Chie Hayakawa on Plan 75 (2022)" on Spreaker.

Watch:

Special Report: Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game (2023)

Special Guests: Austin Bragg, Meredith Bragg

On this special episode, Mike talks with Austin and Meredith Bragg about their feature film debut, Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game (2023). Based on the story of Roger Sharpe, the GQ journalist who proved that pinball is a game of skill, no chance, it's an ambitious and delightful debut.

Find out more at https://pinballfilm.com/

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Pinball - The Man Who Saved the Game (2023)" on Spreaker.

Music:
"Pinball Machine" - Lonnie Irving

Watch:

Special Report: Sex, Power, and Money - Films by Beth B

Special Guests: Beth B

On this special episode, Mike spoke with underground filmmaker and No Wave founder Beth B about her career including her retrospective at the Metrograph as well as the upcoming Kino release of her films.

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Sex, Power, and Money - Films by Beth B" on Spreaker.

Music:
"Atomic Bongos" - Lydia Lunch

Watch:

#ICYMI Holiday Edition

Bonus episodes continue to come hot and heavy at The Projection Booth. You may have missed some of the latest but fear not, here's a whole collection of some great interviews.

Trebecxploitation

Listen to "Special Report: Trebecxploitation" on Spreaker.

Joshua Grannell on All About Evil (2010)

Listen to "Special Report: Joshua Grannell on All About Evil (2010)" on Spreaker.

Neysan Sobhani on Guidance (2021)

Listen to "Special Report: Neysan Sobhani on Guidance (2021)" on Spreaker.

The Authorized Biography of Rudy Ray Moore

Listen to "Special Report: The Authorized Biography of Rudy Ray Moore" on Spreaker.

Stacey Souther on Valerie (2019)

Listen to "Special Report: Stacey Souther on Valerie (2019)" on Spreaker.

Bryan Mason on Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022)

Listen to "Special Report: Bryan Mason on Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022)" on Spreaker.

Jake Wachtel on Karmalink (2021)

Listen to "Special Report: Jake Wachtel on Karmalink (2021)" on Spreaker.

Anna Gutto on Paradise Highway (2022)

Listen to "Special Report: Anna Gutto on Paradise Highway (2022)" on Spreaker.

Harrison Atkins on The Year Between (2022)

Listen to "Special Report: Harrison Atkins on The Year Between (2022)" on Spreaker.

Jeremy Richey on Sylvia Kristel

Listen to "Special Report: Jeremy Richey on Sylvia Kristel" on Spreaker.

Mario Panagiotopoulos on RuPaul's Drag Race

Listen to "Special Report: Mario Panagiotopoulos on RuPaul's Drag Race" on Spreaker.

Kendall R. Phillips on Kolchak: The Night Stalker

Listen to "Special Report: Kendall R. Phillips on Kolchak: The Night Stalker" on Spreaker.

Christin Baker Interview

Listen to "Special Report: Christin Baker Interview" on Spreaker.

Peter Stormare on Food and Romance (2022)

Listen to "Special Report: Peter Stormare on Food and Romance (2022)" on Spreaker.

The Leech (2022)

Listen to "Special Report: The Leech (2022)" on Spreaker.

achael Stoeltje and Laura Rooney on AMIA

Listen to "Special Report: Rachael Stoeltje and Laura Rooney on AMIA" on Spreaker.

Casper Kelly on Adult Swim's Yule Log (2022)

Listen to "Special Report: Casper Kelly on Adult Swim's Yule Log (2022)" on Spreaker.

Vanessa Vasquez

Listen to "Special Report: Vanessa Vasquez" on Spreaker.

Jesse Pires on the Lightbox Film Center

Listen to "Special Report: Jesse Pires on the Lightbox Film Center" on Spreaker.

Guest Spots:
Listen to It's the King of the Movie Deep Dive, Mike White, of "The Projection Booth"! by The Podcast Sherpa



Watch:

Special Report: Patrick Read Johnson on 5-25-77 (2022)

Special Guests: Patrick Read Johnson

Eighteen years in the making, Patrick Read Johnson's 5-25-77 (2022) is a partially autobiographical film about a young man (John Francis Daley) in the Midwest who sees an early screening of Star Wars and how it changes his life.

Mike talks to Johnson about the journey of the film along with the story behind the end theme to Spaced Invaders (1999).

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy 5-25-77 on Blu-Ray
Buy Spaced Invaders on Blu-Ray

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Patrick Read Johnson on 5-25-77 (2022)" on Spreaker.

Music:
"Takin' Over the World" - David E. Russo, Kirk R. Thatcher, Michael McClure and David Friendly

Watch:

Special Report: David Ehrlich on Princess Mononoke

To commemorate 25 years since its 1997 release New York's Japan Society screened Hayao Miyazaki’s mystical epic Princess Mononoke on July 22, 2022. Mike spoke with IndieWire's David Ehrlich about the seminal anime film.


Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: David Ehrlich on Princess Mononoke" on Spreaker.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Find out more about The Japan Society
Buy Princess Mononoke on Blu-Ray

Music:
"Princess Mononoke Theme Song (Mononoke Hime)" - Sasha Lazard

Watch:

Special Report: Inspector Ike (2020)

Special Guests: Graham Mason, Ikechukwu Ufomadu

On this special report, Mike spoke with director Graham Mason and star Ikechukwu Ufomadu about their 2020 film Inspector Ike, one of the best films of 2022 and a must-watch for "Columbo" fans.

Links:
Become a supporter of The Projection Booth
Buy Inspector Ike on Blu-Ray

Music:
"Columbo" - Tredici Bacci

Listen/Download Now:

Listen to "Special Report: Inspector Ike (2022)" on Spreaker.

Watch:

Inspector Ike Trailer from Factory 25 on Vimeo.