miniseries Archives -

MAKE A NOISE: FATSO (1980) In this episode, Mel Brooks trades the spotlight for the producer’s chair, using Brooksfilms to let other artists make noise. Eric Samaniego is joined by Shira More, host of Necromancer on OneOfUs.net, to discuss Fatso, the only directorial effort of legendary actress and Mel’s great love, Anne Bancroft, a small […]

MAKE A NOISE: BLAZING SADDLES (1974) Mel Brooks took the Western and blew it to pieces with Blazing Saddles. Eric Samaniego is joined by Chris Cox, founder of OneOfUs.net, to discuss one of the most outrageous comedies ever made, from its fearless take on race and the American myth to the unforgettable performances of Gene […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: BONUS EP.2- HURRY SUNDOWN/THE DEADLY TRAP On this bonus episode of Hollywood Royalty, we take a look at two of Faye’s B-sides, a pair of films that don’t readily come to mind when you think of Faye Dunaway. The first of the two titles, 1967’s Hurry Sundown for director Otto Preminger, represents Faye’s […]

MAKE A NOISE: THE TWELVE CHAIRS (1970) Mel Brooks followed the outrageous success of The Producers with his most personal film, a bittersweet treasure hunt about greed, obsession, and the things people spend their lives chasing. Eric Samaniego is once again joined by Trash in the Can co-host Wright Sulek to discuss The Twelve Chairs. […]

A BETTER YESTERDAY – EP 5: THE KILLER’S CURSE The conversation series about the origins and evolution of Hong Kong action cinema culture continues! In this episode, Ross O’Brien sits down again with the Chronicler of Kung Fu Cinema Bey Logan in his Lantau lair to trace how Hong Kong’s post-kung fu boom birthed a […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY – BONUS EP.1: THE WOMAN I LOVE/THE DISAPPEARANCE OF AIMEE Hollywood Royalty returns with the first in a series of bonus episodes where we’ll be looking at, among other things, more 60s/70s Faye. We’re kicking things off with made-for-TV Faye and two TV movies the actress made during her 1970s glory days that […]

MAKE A NOISE: THE PRODUCERS (1967) Mel Brooks’ directorial debut launched one of comedy’s greatest careers by asking an impossible question: could Adolf Hitler be funny? Eric Samaniego is joined by One of Us contributor and The Movie Buff critic Nathan Flynn to discuss The Producers. Listen as they discuss the unforgettable performances of Zero […]

MAKE A NOISE: TEN FROM YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS Before the movies, before the legend, Mel Brooks was a young writer in the chaotic world of live television. In the premiere episode of Make a Noise, Eric Samaniego and his Trash in the Can co-host Wright Sulek explore Ten from Your Show of Shows, the […]

HALF MAN SERIES REVIEW A lot can go wrong on your wedding day. The wrong flowers are delivered and placed in the wrong areas. The in-laws are outlaws and fighting with your parents. Cold feet and no warm socks for your wingtips. Also, your brother from another mother confronts you about the lives you’ve both […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: EP.11 – IT HAD TO BE YOU/ALIAS/MISC. GUEST APPEARANCES This week on Hollywood Royalty, we tune in to prime time Faye and her two prominent stints on series television in the 90s and 00s. First up, host of Heart/Felt, and co-host of Trash in the Can, Eric Samaniego, and I explore Faye’s short-lived […]

A BETTER YESTERDAY – EP. 3: EXIT THE DRAGON THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP In the third episode of A Better Yesterday, Ross O’Brien and Hong Kong Cinemissimo Bey Logan cover the last three years of Bruce Lee’s life. In this short time, a young leading man transformed himself into an auteur; his death transformed him […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY MINISODE 9 – PUZZLE OF A DOWNFALL CHILD Next up on the classic 60s/70s Faye front, 1970s Puzzle of a Downfall Child, the stirring directorial debut from photographer turned writer/director Jerry Schatzberg. Faye stars as Lou Andreas Sand, a once sought-after model whose complicated past and sudden rise to success has resulted in […]

LORD OF THE FLIES SERIES REVIEW Unless you’ve been living on a desert island, you’ve probably heard of William Golding’s classic 1954 novel Lord of the Flies; you’ve probably even had to read it in school. The novel has been adapted multiple times for film, as well as for stage, radio, and at least one […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: MOTHER FAYE – BURNING SECRET/THE TWILIGHT OF THE GOLDS/THE YARDS This week on Hollywood Royalty, Faye is mother. Literally. In this episode, we look at three notable times the actress took on mother/matriarchal roles in the years since Mommie Dearest‘s release. First up is the 1988 arthouse film Burning Secret, where Faye plays […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: MINISODE 8 – CHINATOWN Our next stop through 60s/70s Faye sees us taking a visit to Chinatown, the 1974 Oscar-winning movie that recreates 1937’s Los Angeles for a tale of murder and corruption. An Oscar-nominated Faye enjoys one of the best roles of the decade as a femme fatale harboring dark secrets, which local […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: EP.8 – ON A MOONLIT NIGHT/GIA/THE RULES OF ATTRACTION On this episode of Hollywood Royalty we look at Faye as the quintessential director’s actress; the kind of screen performer whose choices and collaborations tended to challenge traditional movie conventions. We begin with 1989’s On a Moonlit Night, where Faye plays an executive blackmailed by […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: MINISODE EP 7: THE ARRANGEMENT For our next venture into 60s/70s Faye, we look at the reunion between the actress and her early mentor, writer/director Elia Kazan with 1969’s The Arrangement, adapted from his own novel. The film tells the story of a top advertising executive named Eddie (Kirk Douglas), who experiences a […]

HEART/FELT – A VIABLE FRANCHISE: MUPPETS MOST WANTED In the final regular episode of Heart/Felt, I’m joined by Chris Cox to revisit Muppets Most Wanted. We explore the stellar soundtrack, standout gags, and its place in the Muppet legacy. Don’t worry, I’ll be back with special one-off installments! Until then, as Jim once said, “It’s […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: EP 7: ELLIS ISLAND/CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS On this special episode of Hollywood Royalty, we break from the show’s traditional three-title format of TV movie/arthouse film/mainstream title to look at Faye: The Miniseries and the two plum roles the actress found herself taking on in a pair of lavish, large-scale productions made for the small […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: MINISODE 6 – THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR On this round of 60s/70s Faye, we look over our shoulder to make sure no one is watching before we revisit the actress in paranoia mode with 1975’s Three Days of the Condor. Sydney Pollack directs this tale of a CIA researcher named Turner (Robert […]

HEART/FELT – START AT THE BOTTOM: THE MUPPETS (2011) In this episode of Heart/Felt, I’m joined by media producer Jarred Schiff to revisit The Muppets (2011). We explore how the film balances nostalgia with a fresh perspective, reintroducing these beloved characters to a new generation while showing why their sincerity still resonates.   YOUR HOST […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: EP 6 – COLUMBO: IT’S ALL IN THE GAME/DRUNKS/THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR (1999) Up next on Hollywood Royalty, we flashback a bit to see Faye in throwback mode, with the actress taking on three 90s titles that feel as if they came straight from her new Hollywood era. We begin with the 1993 […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY: MINI EP.5: THE TOWERING INFERNO For our next minisode foray into the Faye classics of the 60s and 70s, we take the scenic elevator up to the promenade room for 1974’s The Towering Inferno. Irwin Allen’s big-budget action spectacular about a San Francisco high-rise that becomes engulfed in flames remains a hallmark in […]

HEART/FELT – TOGETHER FOREVER: THE ADVENTURES OF ELMO IN GROUCHLAND In this episode of Heart/Felt, I’m joined by One Of Us podcaster Kim Brown to revisit The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. We explore the film’s heartfelt lessons about friendship and sharing, Elmo’s place in the Muppet universe, and the strange world beneath Oscar’s trash […]

HOLLYWOOD ROYALTY EP.5: COLD SASSY TREE/THE CHAMBER/ALBINO ALLIGATOR Up next on Hollywood Royalty, we head down south for three movies that make use of Faye’s Southern background. First, we travel to Georgia at the turn of the century to see Faye play a fiercely independent woman who enters into a May/December romance with a recently […]