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On the latest episode of PRAISING KANE we’re looking at the beloved family film THE MUPPET MOVIE from 1979 featuring – of course – The Muppets! We go deep into our own history with Jim Henson’s creations, get weepy when talking about the movie (and its incredible soundtrack) and discuss Carol Kane’s performance as Myth! CHECK IT OUT!
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
We crack the Steve Buscemi universe WIDE OPEN on the latest episode of HOW DO YOU DO, FELLOW KIDS? This time we’re talking about Tim Burton’s 2003 fantasy-drama BIG FISH, which made a lot of people cry at the time (we’ve also cried at a lot of his films since then, for other reasons). We also talk about Steve Buscemi receiving the key to New York City, dressing as his 30 Rock character on Halloween and SO MUCH MORE! Check it out!
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
On this very special 100th episode of Cinema Smorgasbord we kick off 2022 with the wonderful Sarah Jane to look at another George Kennedy classic on GEORGE KENNEDY IS OUR COPILOT. This time we’re looking at the mind-bending horror of Adam Simon’s BRAIN DEAD. Penned by the late Charles Beaumont, the film features both Bill Pullman AND Bill Paxton, with the former having to question his reality after an accident leaves him with potential brain damage! We also discuss the rise and fall of Breath Asure, celebrity pitchmen, face blindness and – of course – all things George Kennedy. CHECK IT OUT!
Check out Sarah Jane on Twitter @FookThis, as well as the White Slaves of Chinatown YouTube page. And check out her writing over at the Austin Chronicle right here.
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
On our special HOLIDAY episode of Cinema Smorgasbord we travel once again to the Weihnachtsfilmfestival in Berlin, Germany to talk about two Christmas-themed films! We start with the black and white South Korean dramedy MERRY CHRISTMAS MR. MO from 2016, and finish with the made-for-TV Newfoundland-set film A CHRISTMAS FURY from 2017. We also learn about some holiday television traditions, get deep into our daddy issues, and discuss the previous year of Cinema Smorgasbord podcasts. CHECK IT OUT and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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Podcast: Play in new window | Download
On this episode of WHATEVER HAPPENED TO VIC DIAZ? we’re heading back to 1973 and the surprisingly Filipino-centric war film A TASTE OF HELL. Starring William Smith as an American soldier helping local villagers fight off the Japanese during World War II and John Gardwood as a soldier who gets horribly burned by a Japanese attack and haunts the nearby villages as a monstrous hunchback! It’s real weird. But it does have a delightful moustache twirling performance by Vic Diaz, and also a pretty amazing decapitation that may or may not directly involve the man. Check it out!
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After the collapse of Jodorowsky’s Dune project, the work that went into it went on to influence countless other future film projects, but it also provided the inspiration for another work: the comic series THE INCAL, which began in 1981 in the pages of Metal Hurlant (aka Heavy Metal) and continued the collaboration between Alejandro Jodorowsky and Moebius (aka Jean Giraud). That story took seven years to tell, finally finishing in 1988. Since then there’s been a prequel (Before The Incal), an abandoned sequel with Moebius (After The Incal) and a true sequel finished in 2014 (Final Incal). On this episode of JodoWOWsky we check out the entire Incal saga, starting with Jodorowsky’s comic background and his first work with Moebius before moving into discussing each novel, before finishing with some final thoughts on the series, as well as our thoughts on the upcoming film version directed by Taika Waititi. And we finish by fan-casting our ideal John Difool! An epic project like The Incal requires an epic-length episode, so grab a whisky and a box of SPV and prepare to experience the greatest graphic novel series ever written.
On this episode we refer to the recent article from The Guardian about the auctioning off of the book of Jodorowsky’s DUNE. Check that out here.
We also referred to a recent interview that Jodorowsky did with The Hollywood Reporter about his 40 years with The Incal. Read that here.
Much research for this episode came from the wonderful Jodoverse wikipedia page. Check out its page on The Incal right here.
The Incal, Before The Incal, After The Incal and Final Incal are available through most booksellers online, but you can also purchase them directly through the Humanoids website. Check that out here.
Your hosts are Cinema Smorgasbord regulars Doug Tilley (@Doug_Tilley) and Liam O’Donnell (@LiamRulz), but they are joined on this adventure by the always wonderful and incisive Julia Marchese!
Julia is a filmmaker, actor, writer, film programmer and podcaster. Julia’s first film was Out of Print, a documentary about the importance of revival cinema and 35mm to culture. The film has played all over the world in film archives, art house cinemas and universities. The 35mm print of the film is now housed at The Academy Film Archives. Her next project is a short film adaptation of Stephen King’s short story “I Know What You Need”. She is the co-host of Horror Movie Survival Guide, a weekly podcast that takes a deep dive into a different horror film each week, focusing on how to become the final girl. You can follow her on her social media platforms
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PRAISING KANE returns with one of Carol Kane’s finest performances, and a truly bizarre cult item. It’s 1978’s THE MAFU CAGE, and we guarantee you’ve never seen anything quite like it. Featuring incest, colonialism, orangutan murder and so much more, the film has gained a strong following over the past decade, and we’re here to find out why. But we’re not alone! Joining us is Cinepunx contributor and film programmer Adrianna Gober to help us unlock the secrets of The Mafu Cage!
Check our some recent interviews with Carol Kane about her career and her Academy Award nominated performance in HESTER STREET.
Here’s an interview from The New Yorker Radio House
and Here’s an interview with Vulture.
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On this episode of WILD IN THE STREETS we continue our look at the Eurocrime films of the 70s (and beyond) with Sergio Sollima’s 1973 poliziottesco film REVOLVER, starring Oliver Reed and Fabio Testi. Featuring a dynamite score from Ennio Morricone, the film has Reed’s prison warden Vito Cipriani being blackmailed into releasing a prisoner after his wife is taken hostage. Featuring a twisty plot that ends in pretty depressing fashion (our favorite!), it’s both a successful action film and a critique of oppressive governmental infrastructure. FUN! But is it any good? Let’s find out!
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We made it! Ten(-ish) movies deep, Jackie Chan’s career is floundering. Desperate for a hit, Lo Wei pairs him with James Tien and Bruce Leung for a western-inspired fantasy action epic featuring bizarre twists, excessive face-ripping, and music shamelessly stolen from Star Wars and.. heck.. let’s make the whole thing 3D! MAGNIFICENT BODYGUARDS may have been Jackie’s final film before his breakthrough role in SNAKE IN THE EAGLE’S SHADOW, but it’s far from forgettable. Let’s check it out!
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The good news is your dates are here. The bad news is.. they’re DEAD! On this episode of YOU DON’T KNOW DICK we’re joined by filmmaker and critic Scout Tafoya (author of Cinemaphagy: On the Psychedelic Classical Form of Tobe Hooper) to discuss Fred Dekker’s beloved horror-comedy NIGHT OF THE CREEPS from 1986. Along the way we chat about Tobe Hooper, horror movie “secret handshakes”, The Monster Squad and, of course, all things Dick Miller. Check it out!
You can follow Scout on Twitter at @Honors_Zombie and don’t forget to support him on Patreon and read his tremendous The Unloved series over at RogerEbert.com.
And you must pick up a copy of Scout’s book Cinemaphagy: On the Psychedelic Classical Form of Tobe Hooper. Find a link right here: http://miniverpress.com/book/cinemaphagy-psychedelic-classical-form-tobe-hooper/
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