Babs and Sly: A Streisand & Stallone Podcast

Cinema often relies on tropes to tell a story. The familiar rags-to-riches, Pygmalion, fish-out-of-water motifs all surface in the two films theatre professor Kirk Vichengrad and entertainment journalist Matthew Chernov explore in this episode: Barbra Streisand's 1976 hit A Star Is Born and Sylvester Stallone's 1984 flop Rhinestone . With music woven into their narratives, both movies tr...

Every actor yearns to stretch, proving their range of capabilities with each role. For superstars like Barbra Streisand and Sylvester Stallone, that desire also means transcending the "persona" that made them stars in the first place. In this episode, our silver screen icons trade the big studio picture for something resembling the emerging independent film scene that exploded in the lat...

Despite the old adage that "the book is always better than the movie," our hosts Kirk Vichengrad, a theatre professor, and Matthew Chernov, an entertainment journalist, argue that a successful adaptation should capture the essence of its source material while standing on its own as an achievement in a different medium. In this episode, they explore the film adaptations of the best-sellin...

For Barbra Streisand, it was the resilient culmination of a 15-year passion project. For Sylvester Stallone, it was the formidable task of following up an all-time movie classic. In 1983, they tackled those challenges from the director’s chair, bringing two very different films with music to life. By exploring the harmonies and histories of Yentl and Staying Alive , theater professor Kirk Vichengr...

In this premiere episode, you’ll get to know our hosts as they discuss the origin and objective of this fresh and fun new series devoted to Hollywood heavyweights Barbra Streisand and Sylvester Stallone. Whether you’re a fan of these superstars, an avid moviegoer, a pop culture connoisseur or a purveyor of unique podcasts, you’re invited to come along on this journey down Paradise Alley and Up The...

The elements of farce – that classic comedic genre defined by physical humor and mistaken identities – connect this episode’s battle between Barbra’s What’s Up, Doc? and Sly’s Oscar . Though comedy is especially subjective, our hosts Kirk and Matt appear to be in agreement over the winner of this contest…. and by much more than a hare!  We look forward to hearing from you on our social media accou...

Memories of family road trips intersect with the related, and relatable, theme that links this episode’s two cinematic contenders: The Guilt Trip and Over The Top . So take a journey with our hosts as they reminisce about their travel adventures and share their surprising thoughts about this unlikely double-feature. And don’t miss an exciting detour featuring a very special guest! We look forward...