The Projection Booth

Mike talks with Grady Hendrix and Chris Poggiali about their new book These Fists Break Bricks which looks at the phenomena of how martial arts influenced American popular culture. Order the book at https://amzn.to/2WROuhP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Becom...

Noirvember 2021 continues with a look at Orson Welles’s The Lady from Shanghai. It’s the story of Michael O’Hara (Orson Welles), a sailor who falls in with a weird group of people: A gorgeous blonde, Elsa (Rita Hayworth), the titular lady from Shanghai, her husband, Arthur Bannister, a high-powered lawyer, and his partner, Grisby, a…well, he’s kind of a weirdo who wants to fake his own death and p...

On this special episode of The Projection Booth, Mike talks with John Alan Simon and Elizabeth Karr about the restoration of Dennis Hopper's Out of the Blue. Learn more at http://outofthebluedennishopper.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter...

Noirvember 2021 continues with a look at John Boorman’s POINT BLANK.  Released in 1967, the film was based on the 1962 novel by Donald Westlake writing as Richard Stark.  The film stars Lee Marvin as Walker, a man who was betrayed by his wife and his best friend.  Now he’s back, seemingly from the dead, and goes on a quest to kill his friend and get back the money he feels he’s owed.  Jedidiah Ayr...

Noirvember 2021 kicks off with a look at Daryl Duke’s The Silent Partner. Released in 1978, it was from a screenplay by Curtis Hanson and based on the book Think of a Number by Anders Bodelsen. The film stars Elliott Gould as Miles Cullen, a rather mild mannered bank teller -- and keeper of the vault -- who figures out that his bank has been targeted for a robbery. With this piece of information h...

We’re wrapping up #Shocktober 2021 with a look at Brian De Palma's Carrie (1976). Based on the novel by Stephen King, the film stars Sissy Spacek as the titular Carrie White. She’s a young woman who’s lived under her mother’s thumb and religious fervor. When she experiences her first period, she also experiences a new ability to move objects with her mind. Keith Gordon and Jamey Duvall join Mike t...

Mike spoke with Jez Conolly and Emma Westwood about their Constellations book on John Frankenheimer's Seconds (1966). Pick it up at https://amzn.to/2Xdp2mW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/pro...

Shocktober 2021 continues with a look at Jack Gold’s The Medusa Touch. It’s the story of John Morlar (Richard Burton) a man with a special gift who is "murdered" in the first few minutes of the film. It then becomes an investigation by Detective Brunel (Lino Ventura) who tries to learn more about Morlar, who murdered him, and why. Agatha Luz and Jeff Meyers join Mike to discuss psychic films, "dog...

Mike spoke with cinematographer Ed Lachman about some of his earlier films (The American Friend, The Limey) along with his latest work with Todd Haynes, The Velvet Underground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http:...

As a cross-over with The Kulturecast, Chris Stachiw joins Mike to discuss Denis Villeneuve's Dune (2021), a rather dour, joyless adaptation of Frank Herbert's seminal sprawling sci-fi story. The film stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, a young man who is seen as a savior by the native people of Arrakis, also known as Dune. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Become...

#Shocktober2021 continues with a look at Paul Wendkos’s The Mephisto Waltz (1971). Based on the novel by Fred Mustard Stewart, the film stars Alan Alda as Myles Clarkson, a pianist turned author along with Jacqueline Bisset as Myles’s wife Paula who isn’t a big fan of Myles’s new friend, the crotchety professional pianist Duncan Ely (Curd Jürgens), who harbors a dark secret. Rahne Alexander and An...

Mike spoke with filmmaker Lynne Sachs about her career including an octet of films that are currently showing on The Criterion Channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth 

#Shocktober2021 continues with a look at Álex de la Iglesia’s 2013 film Witching & Bitching (AKA Las brujas de Zugarramurdi). It’s the story of two men (Hugo Silva and Mario Cassas) who rob a gold re-buyer along with one of the men’s sons. On the run from the cops they cross paths with a trio of witches in the spooky village of Zagurramurdi. Chaos ensues. Elena Romea (Spanish Fear) and Andrew Leav...

We are kicking off Shocktober 2021 with a look at William Beaudine’s Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952) which stars Bela Lugosi (as you may have guessed) as well as comedy duo Sammy Petrillo and Duke Mitchell. They’re a knock-off Martin & Lewis team and they’re found on a little island in the Pacific that is populated by stock footage of African animals. Rich Whitley, Jamie Klein, and Fre...

We’re wrapping up Czechtember 2021 with a look at Jiri Menzel’s Capricious Summer. Released in 1968, it’s based on a book by Vladislav Vancura, it’s the story of three men on holiday who spend most of their time philosophizing and avoiding one woman while trying to woo another and getting nowhere. Kat Ellinger and Jonathan Owen join Mike to discuss the film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

Kat Ellinger and Jonathan Owen join Mike to discuss Juraj Herz's Oil Lamps (1971), a tragic fin de siecle melodrama about the Stepa Kilianova (Iva Janzurová) and her husband Pavel (Petr Cepak), a former solider who suffers from syphilis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/...

#Czechtember2021 continues with a look at Václav Vorlícek's Girl on a Broomstick, the story of a young witch who would rather escape to the world of human beings than be stuck in detention for 300 years(!). Gil Kenan and Kat Ellinger join Mike to discuss the film while author Hermína Franková (and her granddaughter, Hana Frank) discuss the writing of the original story and the 2019 musical version...

#Czechtember2021 continues with a look at Václav Vorlícek's 1977 comedy What Would You Say to a Nice Plate of Spinach? The film stars Vladimir Mensik and Jiri Sovak as a couple of nogoodniks who get involved in some industrial espionage to steal parts of a machine that ages, de-ages, and shrinks creatures. Just don't eat any spinach before undergoing treatment! Ben Buckingham and Jonathan Owen joi...

Mike talks with director Roger Donaldson about his work from Smash Palace to The World's Fastest Indian. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth--5513239/support . Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth 

Czechtember continues with a look at Otakar Vavra’s Witchhammer. Based on the 1963 book by Václav Kaplický, the film looks at the paranoia of a witch hunt in Moravia during medieval times.  And, being released in 1970, the film also looks at the persecution of women as well as show trials in the Communist system. Samm Deighan and Rahne Alexander join Mike to discuss this harrowing film. Learn more...

It's that time! Aaron Peterson (The Hollywood Outsider) and Mark Begley (Wake Up Heavy) help Mike pull back the curtain and discuss the inner-workings of The Projection Booth. Mike answers listener questions, thanks Patreon donors, jaws on about how the sausage is made, and reads some bad reviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Become a supporter of this podcast: ht...

We conclude African Cinema month with a look at 2017's I Am Not A Witch in which a little girl lives with a group of witches in Zambia while being exploited by a government official.  Samm Deighan and Spencer Seams join Mike to discuss this beautiful and harrowing film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podca...

On this special episode we’re looking at the 1996 film from writer/director/actor Larry Bishop, Mad Dog Time (AKA Trigger Happy). Released in the wake of Pulp Fiction, it’s something of a metaphysical gangster film with one of the most astounding casts ever put together. The film stars Gabriel Byrne as Brass Balls Ben London, the man who’s been left in charge while his boss, Vic (Richard Dreyfuss)...

African Cinema month continues with a look at Dakan. Directed by Mohammed Camara, it’s the story of two young men -- Manga and Sori -- in Guinea who are in love. Everyone and everything tries to tell them that they shouldn’t love one another including Manga’s mother and Sori’s father. Chris Stachiw and Spencer Seams join Mike to discuss the controversial 1997 film. Learn more about your ad choices...

African Cinema month continues with a look at Mahamat-Saleh Haroun's 2006 film Daratt (AKA Dry Season) in which a young orphan, Atim, is set on a path of vengeance by his grandfather. Spencer Seams and Chris Stachiw join Mike to discuss the film while Professor Kenneth Harrow discusses his career writing about African films. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Become a s...