The New Plaza Cinema Podcast

After a brief hiatus, the New Plaza Cinema crew is thrilled to share their deep-dive discussion on the 1976 satirical black comedy classic Network , which touches upon the murky ethics of sensationalism and how corporate influence corrupts the journalistic integrity of broadcast news--an incredibly poignant topic considering our current political climate. So make sure to sit back, relax, and tune...

Acclaimed Emmy-nominated documentarian and author Steven C. Smith ( ⁠⁠Music by Max Steiner: The Epic Life of Hollywood's Most Influential Film Composer⁠⁠ , ⁠⁠A Heart at Fire's Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Hermann⁠⁠ ) hops back into the New Plaza Cinema talk back circuit to share the lore behind all the creative decisions that shaped Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 classic Vertigo into...

This time around, esteemed Emmy-nominated documentarian and author Steven C. Smith ( ⁠Music by Max Steiner: The Epic Life of Hollywood's Most Influential Film Composer⁠ , ⁠A Heart at Fire's Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Hermann⁠ ) joins the New Plaza Cinema crew in sharing insights on the creative genius behind Otto Preminger's film noir classic Laura--from the directorial choi...

Today, in honor of what film buffs lovingly call Hitchcocktober, we’re going to be revisiting the 1956 remake of Hitchcock’s original work The Man Who Knew Too Much: starring lovable 50s icons Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day. So be sure to sit back, relax, and enjoy this episode as the New Plaza Cinema crew delves into the film’s most suspenseful production lore and narrative moments alongside Emmy-no...

On this wonderfully mysterious talk back, Max Alvarez and Dan Cahill discuss the behind-the-scenes scoop and creative direction that molded the 1971 neo-noir classic Klute into what it's seen as today: a refreshingly modern take on a cliché genre, punctuated with incredible performances by Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland. Be sure to subscribe to New Plaza Cinema wherever you get your podcasts...

Written and directed by former blacklistees of the McCarthy Era (Walter Bernstein and Martin Ritt), the 1976 gem The Front confronts Hollywood's dark history of censorship and blacklisting during the height of the Red Scare--and Max, Gary, and Dan are here to discuss the lore of it all alongside Andrea Marcovicci, who made her film debut on the project opposite Woody Allen. Be sure to subscrib...

Based in the town of Anarene, Texas...where nothing much has changed, Peter Bogdonavich's 1971 classic The Last Picture Show encapsulates the growing pains and awkwardness associated with coming-of-age along with the bleakness that permeates a neglected small town with little opportunity--and Max and Gary are here to talk all about it (and facilitate a fascinating Q&A)! Be sure to subscrib...

This time around, the New Plaza Cinema crew does a deep dive into the production/censorship lore and the immense cultural impact behind Michaelangelo Antonioni's 1966 magnus opus Blow-Up: his first English-language and the quintessential mod film of the decade. Be sure to subscribe to New Plaza Cinema wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch the full, unedited conversation  here ⁠⁠ !...

Film historian Max Alvarez, resident film curator Gary Palmucci, and cinematography expert Dan Cahill have Violet Remus Steele (Harold Ramis’s daughter) on this special New Plaza Cinema talkback to relive the behind-the-scenes lore and iconic moments of the classic 1994 meta-comedy Groundhog Day. Be sure to check Violet Ramis-Stiel's heartwarming biography on her father: ⁠ Ghostbuster's Da...

On this special episode of the New Plaza Cinema Podcast, we decided to revisit an incredible conversation on the behind-the-scenes scoop and production stages behind the famed 1970 film The Conformist with frequent Bernardo Bertolucci collaborator and cinematographer of the Italian classic, Vittorio Storaro. Be sure to purchase tickets for Sunday May 14th's special screening of The Conformist ...

With history seemingly repeating itself as nationalism takes hold and talks of a potential Second Cold War talk hold, we decided to revisit the incredibly prevalent 1962 classic The Manchurian Candidate: starring Frank Sinatra, Angela Lansbury, Lawrence Harvey, and Janet Leigh. Be sure to tune in as film historian Max Alvarez and resident film curator Gary Palmucci discuss the insider production s...

On this throwback New Plaza Cinema Talk Back, prolific Emmy-nominated film historian and writer Joseph McBride [ Billy Wilder: Dancing on the Edge , What Ever Happened to Orson Welles?: A Portrait of an Independent Career , Hawks on Hawks (Screen Classics) ] joins resident film historian Max Alvarez in discussing the lasting legacy of Billy Wilder's 1960 Oscar-winning classic The Apartment, how it...

In this talk back recorded during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, film historian Max Alvarez and resident film curator Gary Palmucci discuss the political turmoil, civil rights discourse, and censorship issues surrounding the 1950 hidden gem No Way Out , which also happens to be Sidney Poitier's film debut. Coupled with an audience Q&A, this discussion not only delves into the J...

With Valentine's Day right around the corner, film historian Max Alvarez and cinematography expert Dan Cahill talk about the groundbreaking musical score and behind the scenes production scoop behind the classic 1962 François Truffaut romance film Jules and Jim–the first foreign film we’ve ever covered on the podcast.  Be sure to subscribe the New Plaza Cinema wherever you get your podcasts....

On this wonderful episode of the New Plaza Cinema Podcast, Emmy-nominated documentarian and author ( Music by Max Steiner: The Epic Life of Hollywood's Most Influential Composer , A Heart at Fire's Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Hermann ) Steven C. Smith  joins resident curator Gary Palmucci, film historian Max Alvarez, and cinematography expert Dan Cahill in discussing the otherworldl...

In light of Casablanca (1942) reaching its 80th anniversary milestone, resident film curator Gary Palmucci and film historian Max Alvarez joined cinematography expert Dan Cahill and esteemed film noir scholar and preservationist Alan K. Rode ( Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film , Charles McGraw: Biography of a Film Noir Tough Guy ) in discussing the insider producer-director drama, casting scoop, and...

In paying homage to classic New York street scenes, resident film curator Gary Palmucci and film historian Max Alvarez join esteemed author Richard Barrios ( A Song in the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film , Screened Out: Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall, and West Side Story: The Jets, the Sharks, and the Making of a Classic ) and cinematography expert Dan Cahill in discussing t...

In light of Martin Scorsese's 80th birthday, resident film curator Gary Palmucci and cinematography expert Dan Cahill join esteemed film historian Max Alvarez in discussing the history and cultural impact surrounding arguably one of the most prophetic films in recent memory surrounding America's growing obsession with fame and celebrity culture--Scorsese's 1982 underrated classic The King of Comed...

In the latter half of New Plaza Cinema Podcast's fascinating Paris Blues discussion, Wayne Winborne and Melissa Newman are joined by Nicole Flender (who’s father Harold Flender wrote the original novel) and Suzanne Kay (Diahann Carroll’s daughter) to discuss the narrative differences between the novel and the film and dissect how both works address the racial dynamics present within the 1960s jazz...

On the first ever two-parter episode of the New Plaza Cinema Podcast, film historian Max Alvarez and film curator Gary Palmucci moderate a fascinating discussion on Paris Blues between the Executive Director of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University Wayne Winborne and esteemed artist and jazz enthusiast Melissa Newman--the daughter of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Be sure to tune in as we delve int...

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the classic 1950s musical Singin' in the Rain, New Plaza Cinema's talk-back host and film historian Max Alvarez joins cinematography expert Dan Cahill in discussing the lore behind this iconic film, how the final product came to fruition, and how its legacy impacted the cast--Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Hagen, and Donald O' Connor--moving forward.  B...

Welcome to the fourth episode of the New Plaza Cinema podcast, the podcast for the full spectrum of movie lovers. To celebrate the start of Black History Month, we are presenting our conversation between Gary Palmucci, Max Alvarez , and the Executive Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, Wayne Winborne , about Gordon Parks's 1969 film THE LEARNING TREE . Don't forget to...

Welcome to the third episode of the New Plaza Cinema podcast, the podcast for the full spectrum of movie lovers. Film curator Gary Palmucci is joined by the Executive Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, Wayne Winborne , to moderate a conversation between the director of the 2019 documentary, MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL , the prolific Stanley Nelson , along with his...

Welcome to the second episode of the New Plaza Cinema podcast, the podcast for the full spectrum of movie lovers. Film curator Gary Palmucci and film historian Max Alvarez discuss the 1953 film THE BIGAMIST , directed by the trailblazing Ida Lupino . Don't forget to subscribe to our show on your podcast app.  Follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook , and subscribe to our YouTube chann...

Welcome to the first episode of the New Plaza Cinema Podcast, the podcast for the full spectrum of movie lovers. Established in 2018, the New Plaza Cinema aims to show independent and foreign films, and provide educational programs on classic cinema. Film curator Gary Palmucci and film historian Max Alvarez discuss the 1957 film, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS , directed by Alexander Mackendrick . Don't f...