Ticklish Business

It's time to pack our bags and take another cinematic vacation around the world for International Month! And this year, in honor of Ticklish Biz's 10 year anniversary, I'm going to take a vacation by watching the films of some of our international Patrons.  First, we're stopping off in Australia, the home of our most international Patrons and talking about Peter Weir's 1975 feature Picnic at Hangi...

Ticklish Business host Kristen Lopez and author Emily Edwards sit down to discuss 1962's CAPE FEAR, in honor of the new Apple TV+ series. The duo discuss Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck's personas, the movie's harsh themes, and how it upends the idea of Old Hollywood in the 1960s. **Note, this episode discusses sensitive topics.** Listen to Emily's Silver Screen Sleuths on Apple Podcasts or Spotif...

We're celebrating Marilyn Monroe's centennial with an episode fit for a legend! Kristen and guest Alisha Soper look at Marilyn's filmography and lay out their top 3 favorite films from the blonde bombshell. Along the way, Soper talks about being an actress with a skillset in playing Monroe. We also grouse about Don Murray in Bus Stop and why Arthur Miller screwed up everything. I have a new book d...

Our tribute to beleaguered director Elaine May closes with a look at the movie that ruined her career, 1987's Ishtar. Is it the worst film ever made?  May biographer Elizabeth Alsop joins Kristen to break down the infamous flop and what went wrong. The pair discuss Warren Beatty as the Patient Zero for everything, debunking established stories, and if telling the truth really is a dangerous busine...

We have a great bonus episode! Friend of the podcast Ann Foster joins us to talk about her new book Rebel of the Regency (a must-read for history buffs). But we aren't just talking about Ann's fabulous book. We're also talking about the 1940 take on Pride & Prejudice, breaking down Laurence Olivier's uncomfortable Mr. Darcy, costume inauthenticity, and whether this adaptation does anything for the...

The sun's out and we're kicking off our Elaine in May series! The entire month is devoted to the female filmmaker and we're kicking things off with a look at her 1971 debut feature A New Leaf with May biographer Carrie Courogen.  Courogen discusses May's foray into directing, the challenges of making her debut feature, and how it started to show the cracks that would see May exit Hollywood. We als...

The TCM Classic Film Festival is upon us and we're honoring both a movie playing at the festival and one celebrating its 80th (!) anniversary: 1946's The Best Years of Our Lives. Giving insight alongside Kristen is author Alison Macor, author of Making the Best Years of Our Livesand who will be introducing the movie at the festival. Kristen and Alison talk about the movie's legacy, including its d...

It's not everyday you get to interview one of the sons of the most famous actress in Hollywood. Ferrer sits down with Kristen to discuss the release of the book, Intimate Audrey, an authorized biography of the star that seeks to go beyond the films she starred in. Ferrer also talks about growing up as one of Audrey's sons, the current state of filmmaking, and Old Hollywood AI. Buy Intimate Audrey...

Director Bill Malone, former owner of Robby the Robot, joins Kristen to go deep into space for a discussion on 1956's Forbidden Planet. Kristen and Bill discuss the movie's production history, why Walter Pidgeon wasn't a fan, and why Robby became the de facto star. Bill also gives some great backstory on how he came to obtain Robby, and spending time on the dying MGM lot back in the 1970s. Follow...

Bruce David Klein, director of Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story, joins Kristen to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the iconic actress. The two talk about Minnelli's struggles, both personal and professional, her connections to her mother, and why she remains a legend today. You can ⁠⁠⁠⁠now watch episodes of Ticklish Business over on our YouTube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠! Be sure to like and subscri...

It's Oscar time and we've got guests Kim Luperi and Danny Reid, author of the great Pre-Code Essentials, talking with us. The duo lay out how the Oscars, still at their origin era, navigated the pre-Code landscape. We also talk about some where Oscar nominations that could have only existed at that time. Buy Kim and Danny's book here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kristen is back to flying solo and she didn't burn the joint down! We're celebrating the life and career of the great Diane Keaton, looking at her career-changing performance in 1987's Baby Boom. Joining Kristen is James Spader superfan and '80s lover, Kate Hagen! Kate and Kristen talk about women of the '80s, the Charles Shyer/Nancy Meyers ouevre, and Diane Keaton's best moments in this movie. Ar...

The listeners spoke and you wanted Kristen and Emily on the Moors to talk about Heathcliff, Cathy, and 1939's Wuthering Heights. But we couldn't just talk about the movie and Emily Bronte. We needed a Bronte expert. And who better to join us as a guest than the director of the Emily Bronte biopic Emily: Frances O'Connor! O'Connor, Kristen and Emily discuss Bronte's life, whether Heathcliff was a p...

Emily and Kristen wanted to do a makeshift Flop-uary and we're doing so by watching what many consider the worst Best Picture winner ever: 1967's Doctor Dolittle. Emily and Kristen break down how the movie got made (blame My Fair Lady), Rex Harrison's talk singing, and the host of issues that made this another expensive disaster for 20th Century Fox. We ran into some issues, technical and personal...

We're back for our 10th anniversary season!!! And we're kicking things off with a listener favorite: our first time new discoveries of 2025. We look back at the year that was and the classic films we fell in love with. And we have former Ticklish Biz co-host, Samantha Richardson (nee Ellis) joining us. The trio give their lists and share the movies that almost made them. We also read some of your...

We're on hiatus this week but here's one from our Patreon vault! Author, and Ticklish Biz friend, Scott Eyman joins Kristen and Emily to discuss his latest book, Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face. Eyman talks about dispelling many of the rumors about the star, including those crafted by her daughter Christina, Crawford's power as a star and more. Ticklish Business returns with new episodes on January...

We all made it to the end of 2025! This podcast did a lot to keep me sane this year. Chatting with Emily about these movies has meant a lot, and the fact that many of you stuck around for our hiatus...I can't say what it means to us. As we prep for the new year we're doing an old standard: a top 5 on our favorite Christmas movies. We share the ones that make us think of the holiday season, and one...

The Christmas movie we'd planned to discuss last year finally gets its due as we're talking about the Rankin-Bass classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It's just us this week and you know what that means: expect the unexpected. We go down some paths with this episode, from talking about the LGBTQ community this has fostered, to its disability storyline, and whether it's eschewing capitalism or n...

An episode literally four years in the making! Maybe even five. Who knows how long Kristen has been promising this episode but the day has finally arrived!  It was one of the most that ushered in the death knell for Old Hollywood biopics, and Carole Lombard biographer Robert Matzen joins Kristen and Emily to separate fact from fiction in Gable & Lombard! The trio talk about James Brolin playing Ga...

Viva la resistance! We're closing the book on our Films of Resistance series as well celebrating the release of Kristen's latest book, Popcorn Disabilities, by talking about a movie looking at disabled activism.  The 1978 feature Coming Home attempted to tell an authentic story about the struggles disabled Vietnam War vets were experiencing. Along the way, it became a landmark for disabled represe...

Viva la resistance! Over the next four episodes we'll be looking at how Old Hollywood talks about politics, independence and democracy and we're looking at the end of the 1970s with this counterculture musical.  Hair shook up Broadway but how did it come off in the movies? Special guest Alex Steed joins Emily to discuss hippiedom and more. Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish_biz on...

Viva la resistance! Over the next four episodes we'll be looking at how Old Hollywood talks about politics, independence and democracy and we jump into the Cold War 1960s with this Stanley Kubrick satire.  Dr. Strangelove is the de facto movie about the Cold War, though it's presented alongside a spate of movies specifically in 1964 looking at nuclear fears. Film critic Jeff Ewing joins Kristen an...

Viva la resistance! Over the next four episodes we'll be looking at how Old Hollywood talks about politics, independence and democracy starting with this George Cukor comedy.  Born Yesterday isn't a movie associated with any political group, but it celebrates the joys of being an informed person and our country's history of freedom. Plus, Judy Holliday is perfect and Bill Holden looks hot in glass...

The Halloween season comes to a close with director Rodman Flender talking to us about Roger Corman's A Bucket of Blood. Flender actually worked with Corman and lays out what he was like. We also talk the beatnik movement on-screen! Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish_biz on X and @ticklishbiz everywhere else. Also like and subscribe to us on all podcast apps and, if you love us, le...

We're kicking off spooky season with the OG vampire movie: 1922's Nosferatu. Author of Vampire Movies, Charles Bramesco, joins Kristen and Emily to break down the movie's unfortunate flaws, the benefits of stealing its source material, what the hell happened to F.W. Murnau's skull?  You can buy Charles's book Colors of Film: The Story of Cinema in 50 Palettes here. Have you signed up for our Patre...