Back by Popular Demand with Dennis Camlek

Few filmmakers left a greater mark in the 1980’s than the late John Hughes. A student of character, dialogue and the human condition, the prolific writer and director had a keen ability to understand the teenage point of view. He was one of us; and those talents were on full display in 1985’s “The Breakfast Club," widely considered his career defining work. Jason Wagenheim returns to the pod and j...

A young, upstart FBI agent infiltrates a tight-knit group of surfers who rob banks so they can afford a nomadic lifestyle of spiritual enlightenment. This is the actual plot of acclaimed filmmaker Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 action thriller, “Point Break.” Is it ludicrous? Yes. Is it absurd? Certainly. However, this muscular entertainment became a highly quotable cult classic and the reasons are justif...

Fans were disappointed when they learned the film adaptation of the 1995 bestselling novel High Fidelity was being moved from London to Chicago. Author Nick Hornby felt it was a ridiculous thing to have any objection to…that the nationality of record store owner Rob Gordon really had no bearing on anything. He was right. John Cusack and his fellow screenwriters knew exactly what they were doing, b...

The Best Bond. A topic that’s been fiercely debated for generations…and all it took was an efficient, black and white cold open to confidently announce to the world that Daniel Craig had something to say about it. In “Casino Royale,” a new James Bond had arrived: a brooding, flawed 007, a man wounded by life, yet still believed in the cause. Jim Camlek returns to the show to revisit this spectacul...

When Martin Scorsese first read the 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy , he immediately called author Nicholas Pileggi and told him “I’ve been waiting for this book my entire life.” To which Pileggi replied, “I’ve been waiting for this phone call my entire life.” And that is how 1990’s “GoodFellas” came to be. Scorsese instantly knew how to make the film - 'to begin the story like a gunshot and have it...

John Milius' "Red Dawn" was released in 1984 against the backdrop of the Cold War, when tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union were at an all-time high. A premise only Hollywood could love: World War III is waged on U.S. soil and a group of high schoolers decide to take up arms against their aggressors. Hell yes! Rob Bohn joins Dennis for his second tour of duty to celebrate this...

As a suffering, lifelong Cleveland fan, filmmaker David S. Ward figured the only way the Indians would ever win the World Series is if he wrote a movie allowing them to do so. And it would need to be a comedy, of course, because “ nobody would believe it as a drama .” Ward’s dream came to fruition with 1989’s “Major League,” the film that players will tell you is their favorite baseball movie hand...

When Richard Donner’s “Lethal Weapon 2” was released in 1989 it not only conquered the box office, it quickly and assuredly climbed the ranks of movie sequels which surpassed their predecessors…a rare feat. This rousing entertainment wears its heart on its sleeve. Laced with wit and spectacular action, the film is widely considered the best of the franchise. Author and media executive, Andrew Frye...

It’s hard to imagine a film as treasured as 1996’s “Swingers” actually failing at the box office. But it happened. Only a shrewd marketing push by Buena Vista Home Video gave the movie a second life, and in short order it became a highly-quotable cult classic. It also catapulted the careers of Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn and director Doug Liman. Ad tech executive Jason Zollan, the guy behind the guy...

Media heavyweight and first time guest Jason Wagenheim didn’t bat an eye when asked which movie he wanted to discuss: Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction.” What can we say, Wagenheim doesn't screw around. Featuring three interlocking stories about thugs, palookas and divine intervention, this landmark achievement from 1994 hijacked the social conversation, resuscitated John Travolta’s career and ins...

Jean Shepherd's razor sharp wit and keen eye for period detail provide the perfect holiday cheer in 1983's "A Christmas Story." Scot Safon and Jim Camlek return to the show and join Dennis to discuss why this heralded gem became one of the most treasured holiday films on record. It's a major award! (Dedicated to the loving memory of Barbara Camlek). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

Jason Thompson is our resident expert on crime author James Ellroy. So it surprises no one when he leapt at the chance to join Dennis to discuss Curtis Hanson’s critically-acclaimed “L.A. Confidential” from 1997. This muscular, exquisitely crafted thriller about celebrity, crime and police corruption not only pays homage to classic noir of the 40’s and 50’s, but confidently earns its place al...

Wes Anderson's critically-acclaimed 2001 film "The Royal Tenenbaums" is the kind of movie that takes on new meaning once you've danced a few rounds with life. Perhaps a comedy on the surface, this is a film about regret, loss, the passage of time...and Old Custer. Nick Malone returns to the show to revisit one of Anderson's greatest cinematic achievements. It's about putting a brick through the ot...

In Los Angeles, you never know who's sitting at the next table. Sometimes it's an accomplished, award-winning filmmaker who's worked in film and television for over thirty five years. Call it chance, call it serendipity, but when you bump into the director of "Halloween II" and "Halloween: Resurrection," you invite him onto the pod. Hollywood veteran Rick Rosenthal joins Dennis to discuss his prol...

You've got Steven Soderbergh, a rising filmmaker eager to take his craft to the level, two budding movie stars in Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney, and an acclaimed novel by Elmore Leonard, a national treasure. "Out of Sight" was lightning in a bottle, a perfect storm that changed the course of everyone's careers. So why did it tank at the box office? Filmmaker Matthew C. Mills joins Dennis to ge...

It’s rare when a film comes along that strikes a chord with the critics while also becoming a massive commercial success. Such was the case with “The Fugitive.” The second highest grossing film of 1993 was universally acclaimed and also recognized with seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture (and a Supporting Actor win for Tommy Lee Jones). That doesn’t happen often and it begs the...

Patrick Swayze injures himself while shooting a grueling fight scene in 1989's “Road House.” As a result he’s unable to star in "Predator 2" or “Tango & Cash,” and opts for the less strenuous role of Sam Wheat in “Ghost.” Which only becomes the highest-grossing film of 1990, a career move that catapulted him to another level of stardom. All because he said yes to play the Double Deuce's brawny...

When a work of art can speak to you so profoundly that you think it was specifically made for you, breathe that in deeply because that's rarified air. That’s how Lance Neuhauser and Dennis both feel about the FX series “The Bear.” Neuhauser makes his annual visit to the show to not only sing the praises of this terrific creative achievement but to also question whether criticism and optimism can c...

How can “Coming to America” not be considered one of the most quoted movies of the 80’s? It features a treasure trove of delightful characters. Reverend Brown. Randy Watson. Cleo McDowell. The My-T-Sharp barbers. Priceless. So, prepare the royal baggage as David O’Sullivan joins Dennis to celebrate the film’s 35th Anniversary and relive a glorious time of their youth when they both worked the conc...

It's late at night, you’re flipping channels and land on a movie you know you probably shouldn’t be watching. After all, you’ve got better things to do, right? Wrong. Some refer to them as guilty pleasures but we call them Good Bad Movies. As Jason Thompson puts it, “These films are chicken pot pies, they are fish sticks.” Movies with no nutritional value, but let's face it, they sure taste great....

The story of San Diego’s top ranked news anchorman getting upstaged by a budding female reporter is the perfect film to break format on a podcast. When the host of this show got the call from network brass that they wanted to give Nick Malone - a rising, hot shot talent from the local affiliate in Viera, Florida - his shot at guest hosting duties, he graciously agreed to the proposition. After all...

The late Tom Sizemore said it best, “For me, the action is the juice.” In 1995 few filmmakers had the juice to convince Warner Bros. to green light an ambitious three hour movie featuring two of the greatest actors of their generation. But visionary director Michael Mann was determined to finally realize his sprawling Los Angeles crime saga, and he did so with the critically acclaimed “Heat,” a se...

Imagine having so much love for a film that you stakeout a video store in the dead of winter just so you can be the first person to rent the VHS (and bring it home and illegally dub it!) That’s the kind of heart Steve Cozzolino and Dennis have for the 1988 masterpiece “Die Hard;” but let’s be clear, their 40+ year friendship goes way beyond film piracy. These life-long best friends return to Nakat...

Young filmmakers rarely become overnight sensations however that is exactly what M. Night Shyamalan accomplished. With his massive breakout "The Sixth Sense," the writer/director became an immediate household name. A brand even. He hit the trifecta with his two subsequent films "Unbreakable" and "Signs," both of which cemented his arrival as master storyteller. Jim Camlek returns to the show and j...

“You don’t beat this river.” Words to live by. Ed, Lewis, Drew and Bobby leave their Atlanta homes for a canoe trip down the Cahulawassee and a harmless weekend getaway goes horribly awry in John Boorman’s critically-acclaimed “Deliverance.” Nominated for Best Picture in 1972, it is considered one of the greatest films ever made, and it turned Burt Reynolds into a movie star. Marketer and film ent...