Fanacek

You may not know his name, but you damn well know his work.  Bennett wrote Dumb and Dumber!  He gave us Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne.  He enriched our lives with lines like "Our pets heads are falling off"! He made me a better father by providing with me with one of the greatest toilet scenes ever filmed so that I can show my children just how hilarious diarrhea can be!  And...he's a mensch.  B...

90 minutes with Mr. Andre Gower!  Andre was very generous with his time and indulged all of my questions.  We dove into all of his cool acting credits.  He shared lots of behind the scenes info regarding roles he almost got, the crowd going nuts at his Mr. Belvedere taping, and George C. Scott scaring the sh#@t out of him.  Listen and enjoy! Or...watch and enjoy on Fanacek's Youtube channel: https...

Andre Gower had had a hell of a career.  You probably know him best as Sean from the 1987 classic The Monster Squad.  But guess what? He's also done The A-Team, Knight Rider, TJ Hooker, Mr. Belvedere and tons of other Fanacek favorites.  So, in an effort to celebrate Andre, I take a deep dive into his career and credits.  Along the way I also touch on my brief addiction to The Young and the Restle...

Dwayne Epstein is a New York Times best selling author.  His new book is "Killin' Generals, The Making of the Dirty Dozen the most iconic WWII movie of all time".  I've read it and its great.  The book takes us from the author's novel, to pre-production, to principal photography, to the public's reception of the film and its influence on countless films since.  Along the way, details and fun stori...

I had the honor and privilege of spending some time with Bruce and discussing his career, the WGA strike, Star Wars, Robin Williams, and tons of other fun stuff. Enjoy. Want to see the video?  Check it out on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4AvuglnBz4k   Hit me up on Twitter @fanacekpodcast Say hello on Facebook: RealFanacek Email me at fanacekpodcast@gmail.com

We're trying something new folks.  I thought I would do an old school Fanacek style IMDB deep dive on 'ol Bruce Vilanch in addition to publishing my interview with said Bruce Vilanch.  Yep, I'm working twice as hard for my loyal, beloved listeners.  In this episode, I explore the legendary writing career of this two time Emmy Winner.  We also touch on Charo (not literally touch), Bea Arthur in the...

Brad Jones is a funny and talented dude...and he can go deep on his movie knowledge.  His area of expertise includes vintage Italian horror films, porn, Christian films, and everything in between.  He is a writer, director, actor, and Youtuber.  We spent some time discussing the Halloween franchise, the Friday the 13th franchise, porn parodies (like Strokemon!), Kirk Cameron, Corey Feldman, and Mo...

Larry Hankin is an actor, writer, director, improvisor, and Oscar Nominee. You know him from Escape From Alcatraz, Home Alone, Seinfeld, Friends, Breaking Bad, and countless other projects. His new book, "That Guy, A Cautionary Memoir" is out. You should buy, read it, and review it positively because it is fantastic.  Buy his book on Amazon here: https://a.co/d/aLPOkf9 Watch the interview on my Yo...

Burt Kearns has written an incredible book about actor Lawrence Tierney.  I read the book.  You should too.  Lawrence Tierney was a film noir actor whose career spanned almost 60 years.  He rose to fame in the 1945 classic Dillinger.  You probably know him best as Joe Cabot in Reservoir Dogs or as Elaine's dad on Seinfeld.  The book meticulously chronicles the life, love, passion, and intensity of...

Yes, folks.  You probably know him best as Eugene in the 1978 classic Grease.  He also appeared in classic movies like 1941, WarGames, and The Polar Express.  His TV credits include The Facts of Life, Magnum P.I., and The Fall Guy.  And now his podcast credits include 'ol Fanacek!  Eddie and I have fun discussing his start in stand up comedy and the transition to acting and working with such legen...

This is special.  This is really effin' cool.  I got to speak with the legendary E. Duke Vincent.  He was Aaron Spelling's producing partner.  Together, they re-shaped the landscape of television.  Duke produced Vegas, Dynasty, 90210, Melrose Place, and dozens of other iconic television projects.  We discuss working with Carl Reiner, Shannon Doherty, Heather Locklear, and the late, great Robert Ur...

Yes, the inspiration for Dr. Evil himself, Mr. Lorne Michaels!  This man is a comedy God...and possibly the wealthiest dude in all of entertainment.  Together we will take a deep dive into his career and explore SNL, The Tonight Show, 30 Rock, Kids in the Hall, etc.  We're also going to talk about my teenage antics in an old Chrysler Cordoba, my connection to Lassie, celebrities I've seen at the B...

Yes.  Once again, I failed to do research for the podcast, so I invited a guest to come in and talk movies.  Whatever.  It doesn't make you better than me.  We start with Pretty Woman and make our way to Goodfellas.  Two 1990 classic films with whores.  We also talk about a lady I know who knows Vince Vaughn, Richard Gere's weird acting choices, John Travolta's horrible career choices, secret mess...

This episode is a little break from the norm.  Instead of diving deep into the career of a TV legend, I thought I'd invite a guest into the studio and just yap about movies.  The rules are simple.  We each have a movie title written down, we reveal them, and then we talk about them....brilliantly.  We start with As Good As It Gets and then we transition to Catch Me If You Can.  Along the way we'll...

Stephen J. Cannell is a TV Gawd.  His vanity card at the end of his programs feels like home to me.  Many of us grew up on Mr. Cannell's awesome shows.  The Rockford Files, Baretta, The A-Team, and 21 Jumpstreet are among his many contributions to the boob tube.  As we discuss his life and career, we'll also make sure to talk about the first time I saw porn, my obsession with Robert Culp, getting...

If you've watched TV at ALL in the past 25 years, you know Chuck Lorre's work and contribution to sitcom culture.  Dharma & Greg, Two and a Half Men, Big Bang Theory, etc.  He's a comedy gangsta and we're gonna honor him with his own Fanacek episode.  Whilst talking about Mr. Lorre, I will also broach the following topics: my day on the Warner Brothers lot, my horrible childhood and obsession with...

Donald P. Bellisario is one bad mutha.  He created Magnum PI, JAG, and NCIS.  He also gave us Airwolf, which was loosely based on Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice*.  We're gonna hold our breathe and take a deep dive on this fella's career.  However,  y commitment o you is that I will also discuss the musical stylings of one Telly Savalas, my time on the set of JAG, dogs & cops, the (almost) death...

Let's discuss Mr. Steven Bochco.  For some of you this will be a review.  For others, an education in television awesomeness.  This guy gave us Hill Street Blues, Doogie Howser MD, L.A. Law, and NYPD Blue among others.  He also wrote 7 episodes of a little known detective series starring Peter Falk.  Steven Bochco is a man amongst men.  I shall discuss his life and work.  I shall also touch on suc...

Welcome to Fanacek Island....Season 3 is here!!!  And it does not disappoint.  We're gonna take a deep dive on the most prolific producer in television history, Mr. Aaron Spelling.  We're gonna explore his successes and the cultural impact of such shows as Mod Squad, Love Boat, Fantasy Island, 90210, and Melrose Place.  We'll also look at the shows that were very short lived and the pilots that ne...

Season 3 is coming, folks!  Here's a sneak peak.

We've come to the end of the road for Season 2.  Along the way, we've laughed, we've cried, and I've talked too much.  It was a blissful journey of movies that became failed TV shows.  So, alas, I am saying goodnight and God bless to Season 2...but not before I finish what I started on this damn 9 to 5 fiasco.  I'm also gonna educate you on watching ALF in the 21st century, the kinda racist market...

That's right.  1980's classic film 9 to 5 became a TV show.  And I'm gonna force you to learn about it.  I'm also going to address Facebook hate regarding Hec Ramsey, explain the ins and outs of syndication, get all mushy about Barry Levinson and Mike Nichols, offer insight into early live television, educate you on Howard Stern's Wack Pack, mention blackface, and share the classic children's tune...

An exciting action packed Sci Fi episode of Fanacek!  First, we'll explore the TV version of John Carpenter's 1984 film Starman.  Then we'll dive into the short lived TV version of 1988's Alien Nation.  Lots of aliens and space things.  A real Nerd's paradise.  But be warned.  I will also discuss such topics as Tina Yothers auditioning for the Laker Girls, the early days of the Fox Network, my lov...

Yep.  Parenthood was made into a 2010 hit TV show with Craig T. Nelson.  But, why discuss a good show when you can dive into a crappy one?  That's right, folks.  We're gonna explore the short lived 1990 TV version of the 1989 Ron Howard classic movie Parenthood.  But fear not, for I shall also discuss brain matter in rental cars, a back tattoo on a chubby George Clooney, stalking Philip Seymour Ho...

Jenna Terranova-Frisby is passionate about actor William Windom.  And now I am too.  Mr. Windom's career spanned over 60 years.  He did Broadway, Off-Broadway, One Man Shows, Summer Stock, Film, and Television.  He is likely most known for The Farmer's Daughter, My World and Welcome To It, and Murder She Wrote.  His autobiography, "Journeyman Actor" can be found on Amazon, and a documentary is cur...