Cineversary

In Cineversary podcast episode #46, host Erik Martin honors the 70th birthday of what most regard as the finest Hollywood musical of them all, Singin’ in the Rain , directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen. Joining Erik for this installment is Turner Classic Movies host Alicia Malone , author of the newly released book Girls on Film: Lessons From a Life of Watching Women in Movies . Erik and Alici...

In Cineversary podcast episode #45, host  Erik Martin  commemorates the 50th anniversary of perhaps the best American film of the 20th Century, The Godfather , directed by Francis Ford Coppola, by talking with Harlan Lebo , author of The Godfather Legacy and a senior fellow at the Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California Annenberg. Erik a...

In Cineversary podcast episode #44, host  Erik Martin  honors the 80th anniversary of To Be or Not to Be , directed by Ernst Lubitsch, by interviewing Steve Darnall , host of the Those Were the Days radio show and publisher of Nostalgia Digest magazine. Erik and Steve explore what makes this film both a comedy gem and a gripping wartime thriller as they examine why To Be or Not to B...

In Cineversary podcast episode #43, host  Erik Martin celebrates the 20th anniversary of The Fellowship of the Ring , directed by Peter Jackson, by interviewing Brian Sibley , the author of Jackson's biography who is also renowned for writing the famous BBC radio adaptation of The Lord of the Rings and other works, including The Lord of the Rings: Official Movie Guide . Erik and Brian take th...

In Cineversary podcast episode #42, host  Erik Martin  honors the 75th anniversary of It's a Wonderful Life , directed by Frank Capra, by interviewing Jeanine Basinger , the recently retired film studies professor at Wesleyan University and the author of The It’s A Wonderful Life Boo k. Together, they take the scenic route to Bedford Falls and explore why the film is worth celebrati...

In Cineversary podcast episode #41, host Erik Martin celebrates the 70th anniversary of A Place in the Sun , directed by George Stevens, by interviewing two great guests: George Stevens Jr. , son of the director, founder of the American Film Institute, and author of the forthcoming book My Place in the Sun ; and David Thomson , revered film critic and historian, author of numerous books on cinema...

In Cineversary podcast episode #40, host Erik Martin has a monster of an interview with Boris Karloff's daughter Sara Karloff and David Skal , a highly respected horror film historian and author of the book Fright Favorites . Together, they commemorate the 90th anniversary of the 1931 Universal horror classic Frankenstein , examining why the film is worth celebrating all these years later, its cul...

For Cineversary podcast episode #39, host Erik Martin tackles a tantalizing but tricky cinematic text, David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive , which celebrates a 20th anniversary this year. Joining Erik this month are two terrific guests: Dennis Lim , director of programming at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and author of the book David Lynch: The Man From Another Place ; and Chris Rodley , a UK-base...

For Cineversary podcast episode #38, host Erik Martin welcomes back Barna Donovan , film professor at Saint Peter’s University and author of several books on the cinema, including Blood, Guns, and Testosterone: Action Films, Audiences, and a Thirst for Violence , and Conspiracy Films: A Tour of Dark Places in the American Conscious. Erik and Barna revisit the Royal Theater, turn that dusty old pro...

For Cineversary podcast episode #37, host Erik Martin teams up with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and film scholar Glenn Frankel , author of The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend , to honor the 65th anniversary of one of the greatest western of all time: The Searchers , directed by John Ford. Erik and Glenn probe deep into the dark psychological crevices of this celebrated but c...

In Cineversary podcast episode #36, host Erik Martin is joined by James Kendrick , Baylor University film professor and author of  Darkness in the Bliss-Out: A Reconsideration of the Films of Steven Spielberg , to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the greatest action/adventure movie of all time, Raiders of the Lost Ark . Together, Erik and James explore deep and dark caves, pits, to...

In Cineversary podcast episode #35, host Erik Martin takes an extensive tour through Xanadu with three special guests to celebrate the 80th birthday of what many still consider to be the best film ever made: Citizen Kane , directed by Orson Welles, originally released in May 1941. This king-sized installment features interviews with Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips , TCM's senior...

In Cineversary podcast episode #34, host Erik Martin revisits Weimar Republic-era Germany to commemorate the 90th birthday of quite possibly that country's finest film export ever: Fritz Lang's M , originally released in May 1931 and starring Peter Lorre in his breakout performance as a serial killer of children. Accompanying Erik on this outing is Jan-Christopher Horak ―past director of the UCLA...

For Cineversary podcast episode #33, host Erik Martin heads to the Upper Midwest to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Coen brothers' Fargo , which first hit theaters in March 1996. Joining him for this installment is Minneapolis StarTribune film critic Chris Hewitt , who's been singing the praises of this film for a quarter century. Together, they explore why Fargo is worth honoring all t...

In Cineversary podcast episode #32, host Erik Martin sends birthday wishes to The Silence of the Lambs , which was released 30 years ago on Valentine's Day, 1991. The film's co-producer Ed Saxon joins Erik to examine why this film is worth celebrating all these years later, its cultural impact and legacy, what we can learn from the movie today, how it has stood the test of time, and more. Lea...

In Cineversary podcast episode #31, host Erik Martin wishes a happy 90th birthday to Charles Chaplin's City Lights with film historian Jeffrey Vance, author of the book Chaplin: Genius of the Cinema and film archivist for the Chaplin family's Roy Export Company. Jeffrey and Erik will explore why this movie is worth celebrating all these years later, its cultural impact and legacy, what we can lear...

In Cineversary podcast episode # 30, host Erik Martin and animation professor, historian, author, and ex-Disney animator Tom Sito travel to infinity and beyond in their admiration of “ Toy Story ,” which turns 25 this year. Erik and Tom examine why this film is worth celebrating all these years later, its cultural impact and legacy, what we can learn from the movie today, how it has stood the test...

For Cineversary podcast episode #29, host Erik Martin and “All About All About Eve” author Sam Staggs crash the Sarah Siddons award ceremony to dish delicious details about “ All About Eve ,” directed by Joseph L Mankiewicz, which celebrates a 70th anniversary this year. Erik and Sam explore why this film is worth commemorating all these years later, its cultural impact and legacy, what we can lea...

For Cineversary podcast episode #28, host Erik Martin celebrates the 60th anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock's ultimate treatise on terror, "Psycho." Erik checks into the Bates Motel with Alexandre Phillipe , the director of " 78/52: Hitchcock's Shower Scene ," which deconstructs the infamous shower murder sequence from Psycho. He and Alexandre explore why this film is worth commemorating all these y...

For Cineversary podcast episode #27, host Erik Martin wears a wire and goes undercover with film critic Glenn Kenny , author of the new book Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas , to uncover the secrets behind perhaps the greatest mob movie ever made, “ Goodfellas ,” directed by Martin Scorsese, which celebrates a 30th anniversary this month. Erik and Glenn explore why this film is worth commemoratin...

For Cineversary podcast episode #26, host Erik Martin treks back 1,000 years to Japan, accompanied by Akira Kurosawa expert Stephen Prince , a film professor at Virginia Tech; together, they honor the 70th birthday of a milestone work of world cinema, " Rashomon ," directed by Kurosawa. Erik and Stephen explore why this movie is worth honoring all these years later, its cultural impact and legacy,...

In Cineversary podcast episode #25, host Erik Martin journeys back to the newsroom, circa 1940, with feminist film critic extraordinaire Molly Haskell , author of the groundbreaking cinema text " From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies ," to celebrate the 80th anniversary of quite possibly the best screwball comedy ever made, " His Girl Friday ," directed by Howard Hawks. Erik...

For Cineversary podcast episode #24, host Erik Martin takes an eerie trip into the Overlook Hotel with film critic and horror movie expert Kim Newman to commemorate the 40th anniversary of " The Shining ," directed by Stanley Kubrick. Erik and Kim explore why this horror masterwork is worth honoring all these years later, its cultural impact and legacy, what we can learn from the picture today, ho...

For Cineversary podcast episode #23, host Erik Martin treks to China with Kenneth Chan , director of film studies at the University of Northern Colorado, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of " Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ," directed by Ang Lee. Erik and Kenneth explore why this standout film is worth honoring all these years later, its cultural impact and legacy, what we can learn from the pict...

For Cineversary podcast episode #22, host Erik Martin sings the praises of " The Sound of Music ," celebrating a 55th anniversary this month, and is joined by Julia Hirsch , former story editor for director Robert Wise and author of the book "The Sound of Music: The Making of America’s Favorite Movie." Erik and Julia examine why this beloved musical is worth celebrating all these years later, its...