POP ART (Howard Casner)

“I live, I die. I LIVE AGAIN!” Do you sometimes think we’re on the edge of an apocalypse? That tomorrow you might wake up to a barren and dog eat dog wasteland of mass destruction? And I’m not talking America after the election. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 31 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back a previous guest, the host of the Cathode Ray Mission, Adam Ferenz, who has chosen George Miller’s blockbuster reimagining of the George Miller cult classic franchise Mad Max, Mad Max: Fury Road, and I have chosen L.Q. Jones cult classic adaptation of enfant terribles sci-fi author Harlan Ellison’s cult classic A Boy and His Dog, two apocalyptic films about some very strange strangers in some very strange lands. And in this episode, we answer such questions as: How does the Brady Bunch and Green Acres fit in? What did Miller steal from Ellison that led to Mad Max: Fury Road? How did Tom Hardy break his nose? How many hours of footage was there for Mad Max and how long did it take to view it? What was the controversy over the last line in A Boy and His Dog?

And check out Adam Ferenz’s Cathode Ray Mission podcast at https://www.blogtalkradio.com/deviantlegion/2019/09/14/adam-ferenzs-cathode-ray-mission

MATCHES, MATCHES, WE DON’T NEED NO STINKING MATCHES: Join me and filmmaker Elizabeth Blake-Thomas as we talk Amy Heckerling’s classic Clueless and George Cukor’s hidden gem, The Model and the Marriage Broker.

 

“As if”. Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match. Find me a find, catch me a catch…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 107 of Pop Art, the podcast where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, director, writer, producer and actor Elizabeth Blake-Thomas, who has chosen as her film Clueless, while I have chosen The Model and the Marriage Broker, both films about matchmakers who may or may not be that good at their job.  

 

 

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What was Paul Rudd’s film debut? Why do we play matchmaker? What is it about these adaptations of classics of literature placed in high school? Why did Fox’s head Daryl F. Zanuck not push Model… preventing it from becoming more successful than it was? What did film execs at Warners want changed in the roles at first that put Clueless into turnaround? Who is the lead in The Model… and what is their billing? How much was the costume budget on Clueless? What TV star debuted in The Model…? Where does Amy Heckerling appear?

 

 

Check out Blake-Thomas’s IMDB page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6230910/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_q_elizabeth%2520blake-thomas

 

 

And be on the lookout for Shadrach and Karma’s a Bitch.

 

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.

 

TOM AND JERRIES: Join me and editor, filmmaker and blogger David Brook (Blueprint Review), as we talk Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World and The Enemy Below, both films about naval vessels playing cat and mouse with each other.

 

“To wives and sweethearts, may they never meet.” I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky, And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 103 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it.

For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, editor, filmmaker and blogger David Brook, who has chosen as his film the 18th century sea epic Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, while I have chosen the WWII drama, The Enemy Below, both films about naval vessels playing cat and mouse with each other.   

 

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is the attraction of cat and mouse films? Why did Peter Weir retire from filmmaking? Why did Dick Powell only make four movies? What do the context of the times when both films were made tell us about the films? Why did Curd Jurgens flee Germany? Where does Star Trek come in? How do both movies differ from the books? Why did Russel Crowe sell the violin he purchased to play in the movie?  

 

Check out David’s blog at https://blueprintreview.co.uk/author/david-brook/ 

And his IMDB page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1986914/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_9_tt_0_nm_8_q_david%2520brook

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

“It’s alive! It’s alive!” Do you think there may be just a bit too much ego out there? That there are people who think they can do no wrong? That morality doesn’t apply to them? And I’m not talking about politicians and lawyers…or film directors. Just in time for Episode 29 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, my guest, animater, blogger and film enthusiast Curt Headly, has chosen the Steven Spielberg blockbuster with game changing special effects, Jurassic Park, while I have chosen the timeless horror classics, a set of three, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein, all films about scientists trying to play god. And in this episode we answer such questions as: Are these simply genre films or is there more to them that first meets the eye? How does the Age of Enlightenment and Modernism fit in? Which is the most popular dinosaur? What does North by Northwest have to do with it? What was so unsettling about the special effects in Jurassic Park? Where does Nazism fit in? What is a golem and would you want to be one?

POP ART SAYS: HAPPY HALLOWEEN. THE GIRLNAPPERS: Episode 118, 10 Cloverfield Lane/The Collector

 

 

“I’m sorry, but no one’s looking for you”. For these two films, I and my annual Halloween guest, Lisa Leahey discuss two films revolving around women being abducted and held prisoner.

 

 

We especially had a great discussion on such topics as why do abduction films seem to usually focus on women? What is it about apocalyptic and alien invasion films these days? Who is William Wyler? Where does Beauty and the Beast come in? Check it out.

 

Also check out Lisa Leahey’s sites, both at Rabbit Hole Podcasts:  

https://rabbitholepodcasts.com/the-gift-of-horror/

 

https://rabbitholepodcasts.com/pictures-and-conversations/\

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

NO NERDITY ALLOWED: “Al-a-ga-ZINK! Al-a-ga-ZINK! Boola Bink! WOW”. College. The place that separates the men from the boys. The alphas from the betas. The jocks from the nerds. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 50 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest will choose a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. And yes, you read that right, this is the 50thepisode; Pop Art has reached it’s first milestone. And because of that I am happy to welcome back filmmaker and fellow podcaster, Donald McKinney, III, who was the guest on my very first episode. Donald has chosen the raunchy 1980s nerds goes to college film, Revenge of the Nerds, while I have chosen the classic silent film about a nerd going to college, Harold Lloyd’s The Freshman.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: What did Jeff Kanew say that got him the job to direct Revenge of the Nerds? What is a petting party? Where did the nerd laugh come from? What is a Grady Sutton and would you want to be one? Who is so tough he shaves with a blow torch? What is the connection to TMNT? Whatever happened to Ted McGinley?

Meanwhile, check out The Real Short Box on most streaming platforms like Apple, as well as on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+real+short+box

Donald’s website Rumblespoon Productions as http://www.rumblespoon.com/wp/index/

The web series The Blue Beetle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6a-L7kUfdE

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

Meanwhile, like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think.

FATALE ATTRACTION “Wrapped up in tissue paper with pink ribbons on it”. Valentine’s Day is here. What better way to celebrate the holiday that with films that explore everything that makes Valentine’s great…murder, greed, corruption, adultery, and, yes, most important of all, femme fatales. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 42 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For my listeners, please like, follow or comment. This time, I am happy to welcome two fellow podcasters, Richard and Amanda Kirkham, a father/daughter team, who have chosen the Curtis Hanson neo-noir about 1950s Los Angeles, LA Confidential and I have chosen the Billy Wilder/Raymond Chandler film noir classic about 1940s Los Angeles, Double Indemnity, films that tell us that, yes, Valentine’s Day can be the most fatale day of the year. And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What building code makes a scene in Double Indemnity unrealistic? How did James Elroy describe Curtis Hanson? Why did Stanwyk, Robinson and MacMurray not want to do Double Indemnity? What does Los Angeles Plays Itself have to say about these films? Where are the Spanish style homes located that are used in both films? Why is the character in Double Indemnity called Walter Neff instead of Walter Ness?

Check out Richard’s blog and podcast The Lamb at http://www.largeassmovieblogs.com/

And Amanda’s blog at https://hollywoodconsumer.wordpress.com/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

MALLED: Join me and The Vern of Cinema Recall as we discuss George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead and the controversial French film Nocturna, both films about people stuck at a mall.

“When there’s no more room in hell, the dead walk the earth”. When was the last time you’ve been to an enclosed mall? It’s a dying cultural artifact, empty sepulchers. But at one time, it seemed the center of the known universe. So much so, that many movies revolved around this iconic location. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 68 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, film enthusiast, blogger and podcaster The Vern, of Cinema Recall, who has chosen as his selection George Romero’s follow up to his classic film Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, while I have chosen Bertrand Bonello’s controversial French film, Nocturama, both about groups of people stuck at a mall.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: What went wrong with the make-up in Dawn of the Dead? What is the French extremity movement? Who played the elf zombie? Why was Nocturama so controversial? What mall gave Romero the idea for Dawn of the Dead? Why did Nocturama change its name? How does Dawn of the Dead relate to January 6? What three movies influenced Nocturama? What was the original ending of Dawn of the Dead? Why was Nocturama rejected at Cannes? What is the difference between the Romero and Argento version of Dawn of the Dead? What is the major flaw in living dead movies?

Meanwhile look up The Vern’s podcast CinemaRecall at Cinemarecall.net.

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

FANCY MEETING YOU HERE: “Wait. You want us to sell Amway?” How much does chance play in our lives and what happens to us? How much does it play when it comes to our interaction with strangers? Or when we or others are the victims of seemingly sudden and random acts of violence? Sounds like the perfect time for Episode 38 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For my listeners, please like, follow or comment. Today, I am happy to welcome back film enthusiast and podcaster of Cinemarecall, The Vern, who has chosen the dark comic riff on Pulp Fiction, the cult classic Go, where I have chosen Michael Haneke’s Austrian art house classic 71 Fragments of a Chronicle of Chance, two films about three disparate groups of people whose paths cross due to shocking acts of violence during the holidays. So, Merry Xmas, I guess. And in this episode we answer such questions as: What was Melissa McCarthy and Sebastian Stan’s first film? What did the grocery store where Go was filmed do to cause the filmmakers consternation? What does Killer Condom have to do with it? How is Family Guy like a Haneke film? In what show did Scott Wolf and Jay Mohr reunite?

Meanwhile look up The Vern’s podcast CinemaRecall at Cinemarecall.net.

“Hope for the best, expect the worst.” Running short of cash? Need some extra income? Would some rare and precious jewels help out? But what if everybody else and their cousin are after them as well? Just in time for Episode 27 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, my guest is writer/director/producer Drew Hall (Convergence, now on Amazon), who has chosen Guy Ritchie’s British crime farce Snatch, while I have chosen the Mel Brooks film nobody has seen or heard of, The Twelve Chairs, both with a disparate group of characters trying to locate some jewels. And in this episode we answer such questions as: Which movie is a vending machine snack and which is a well prepared steak? What is the primary difference between Ritchie and Tarantino? Why did Woody Allen and Mel Brooks’ careers go in different directions? Why did Gene Wilder not do The Twelve Chairs? What is a Dennis Farina and would you want to be one? How well does Ritchie’s style hold up today? What is the source material for Spaceballs?

Been seeing a lot of films during the quarantine? Then what better time to listen to a podcast about movies that are about making movies? In Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from pop culture and I choose a film from the art/classic side of cinema and in Episode 7, my guest, Adam Ferenz, host of the Cathode Ray Mission, chose the musical classic of infinite grace Singin’ in the Rain, while I, in turn, chose a classic of Olivier Assayas’ oeuvre, Irma Vep. And here we discuss such issues as how did Singin’ in the Rain move from pop culture to art status? Who steals the movie? What do these films have to say about the making of movies in their own culture? Who or what is a Madge Blake? And how does Batman fit in? Enjoy. And don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT and FOLLOW.

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.

FILM FLAM: Join me and my guest, podcaster and film enthusiast Todd Liebenow, of the Forgotten Filmcast, as we talk Ed Wood/Sullivan’s Travels, two films about filmmakers trying to get their films made.

“But with a little sex”: Don’t you hate it when this happens. You have an artistic vision. But no one else sees it. No one else will finance it. They call you crazy, a crackpot, or the worst insult possible—uncommercial. What do you do…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 92 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, film enthusiast and podcaster, Todd Liebenow, who has chosen as his film Tim Burton’s comedy biopic, Ed Wood, while I have chosen the Preston Sturges farce, Sullivan’s Travels, both films about filmmakers trying to make movies that reflect their vision.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What was inaccurate about the portrayal of Bela Lugosi in Ed Wood? Why did the NAACP write a letter to Preston Sturges after seeing Sullivan’s Travels? What is postmodern about both Ed Wood and Sullivan’s Travels? What did Raymond Chandler call Veronica Lake? Why was Ed Wood’s girlfriend the most successful of Wood’s entourage? Why is Preston Sturges so important in the history of screenwriting? What actors from Plan 9 From Outer Space appear in Ed Wood? Why is the cinematographer of Sullivan’s Travels so important in film history?

And don’t forget to check out Todd’s podcast The Forgotten Filmcast at https://forgottenfilmcast.wordpress.com/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

STALKERS: Join me and my guests podcasters and film enthusiasts Jordan Garcia and Armando Arvizu (of the Criterion Cult Film Podcast) as we discuss Ghost World and The World of Henry Orient, two films about high school BFFS who turn to stalking to past the time.

“Splitzing!” It’s friendship, friendship, just the perfect blendship/When other friendships have been forgot,/Ours will still be hot…Hminimm, maybe, maybe not. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 62 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome as my guests, podcasters and film enthusiasts Jordan Garcia and Armando Arvizu, who has chosen as their film Terry Zwigoff’s comic book adaptation Ghost World while I have chosen the somewhat unknown George Roy Hill film The World of Henry Orient, both films about BFFs in high school who turn to stalking to pass the time.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is the connection to Will & Grace? What’s significant about Ghost World’s Academy Award nomination? What is the poster connection between the two films? What does the ending of Ghost World mean? What is splitzing? What is the connection to The Munsters? And Winnie the Pooh?

Check out Jordan and Armando’s podcast The Criterion Cult Film Podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/criterion-cult-film-podcast/id1533155441

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

HAPPY HALLOWEEN—LOST AND FOUND: For my Halloween episode, join me and my guest, teacher by day, horror aficionado by night and someone who makes a career of being on other people’s podcasts as well as being a podcaster herself, Lisa Leaheey, as we talk two found footage films Hell House LLC and Man Bites Dog.

“Usually, I start the month with a postman”. It ain’t easy being a new filmmaker these days. First there’s the money. Then you have to assemble a crew. Of course, you need actors. And if all that’s not difficult enough, then you have demons trying to kill you or a serial killer who gets you involved in his gleeful crime spree. What’s an artist to do? Sounds like it’s time for Episode 67 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest for the Pop Art Halloween special, teacher by day, horror aficionado by night and someone who makes a career of being on other people’s podcasts as well as being a podcaster herself, Lisa Leaheey, who has chosen as her selection the horror found footage film Hell House LLC, while I have chosen the Belgian dark comedy found footage film, Man Bites Dog, both films about documentarians who discover that their subject matter is a little more than they bargained for.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is found footage film and how has the meaning changed? Why should first time filmmakers watch Man Bites Dog? Clowns, why is it always clowns? What is one of the faults often found in found footage films, especially in Man Bites Dog? What are the literary precedents of found footage films? What does the phrase Man Bites Dog mean? What is the first found footage film? Where was Man Bites Dog banned? 2C or not 2C? What rating did Man Bites Dog get and how did it end up in Blockbusters? What really happened in the basement?

And don’t forget to check out Lisa’s new podcast The SibList at https://anchor.fm/the-siblist/episodes/Episode-1-8-Escape-from-New-York-1981-e18lb6g?fbclid=IwAR25j9ez1GF80TT-rmX-rcHiLPA9IhS0egvgLd4IRtzmnPuPY5_ZwK9j0Xoand other streaming services

And Between the Scares at https://rabbitholepodcasts.com/between-the-scares/and other streaming services

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE. Join me and podcaster and film enthusiast Nick Rehak as we discuss two films about haunted hotels, The Shining and The Innkeepers.

THEY CHECK IN, BUT DO THEY CHECK OUT: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. It’s vacation time. You make your reservations. You find what you think is the perfect get away. You register. And then…well, I can’t say because it’s just that gruesome…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 76 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time round, I am happy to welcome as my guest, podcaster and film enthusiast, Nick Rehak, who has chosen as his film the Stanley Kubrick horror classic The Shining, while I have chosen new filmmaker Ti West’s small indie The Innkeepers, both films about haunted hotels.

And in this episode we ask such questions as: Does Kubrick believe in ghosts? What are the two kinds of haunted house/buildings movies? Who said: God is a big, black slab from outer space and the devil is a bartender named Lloyd? What did Ti West have to say about The Shining? Why did Kubrick make The Shining? What did co-writer Diane Johnson think of Stephen King? Why do horror movies focus so much on female characters? How long did it take to shoot The Innkeepers? What Razzie Awards did The Shining get nominated for? Why is it wrong to call the two girls in The Shining twins? Who dubbed Jack Nicholson in Italy?

Be sure to look up Nick Rehak at Rehak Radio https://www.mixcloud.com/TheRehak/rehak-radio-the-first-episode-51121/

His podcast at French Toast Sunday https://frenchtoastsunday.com/podcasts

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

IS IT REAL OR IS IT MEMOREX-“Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!”  Look to your right. What do you see? Are you sure? Look to your left? What do you see there? Look again. Are you sure? Are you really sure? Are you really, really, really sure? Sounds like it’s time for Episode 43 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time round, I am happy to welcome back a previous guest, writer, director, producer and actor Michelle Ehlen, who has chosen the Peter Weir directed, Jim Carrey vehicle The Truman Show and I have chosen the cult favorite, sci-fi noir Dark City. And in this episode we answer such questions as: How does Charlie Chaplin fit in? What are the similarities between the two films in plot? What are the similarities in philosophy? What is the Truman Show Delusion? Why are some parts of Dark City reminiscent of The Matrix? How does the Rocky Horror Show fit in? Why did Siskel and Ebert apologize to Jim Carrey? What is Thursdayism? Rockwell or Hopper? Sartre, Schmartre?

Meanwhile, check out Michelle’s IMDB page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1615954/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

And her films on Amazon and other streaming platforms: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=michelle+ehlen&i=instant-video&crid=37LYCT29WI1S0&sprefix=michelle+ehlen%2Cinstant-video%2C209&ref=nb_sb_ss_c_3_14_ts-doa-p

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

HIP HIP HOORAJ: “Kill for the love of Kali.” It happens over and over again. You conquer a country. Make it part of your empire. Teach them to be just like you while not giving them any real freedom or self-determination. And in response, all you expect is a little gratitude—plus the vast majority of their resources for your own exploitation. But in return, what do you get—all they do is grumble, complain and commit mass murder. Sigh. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 52 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest will choose a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome as my guest, filmmaker Micky Levy. Micky has chosen the second entry in the Indian Jones franchise, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, while I have chosen the George Stevens, Rudyard Kipling inspired classic, Gunga Din, both inspired by the Raj in India and a rebellious cult called The Thuggees.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: Why did nobody involved like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom? Who did they want for the role of Gunga Din first? What joke was played on Spielberg during the filming of the final scenes? How did Cary Grant get cast as Cutter? What effect did Temple of Doom have on the ratings system? What did Bertolt Brecht, T.S. Eliot and George Orwell say about Gunga Din and Rudyard Kipling? What happened to the characters of Willie Scott and Short Round? Why was Kipling cut from the original version of Gunga Din?

Check out Micky’s IMDB listing at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0506551/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

And her film Rails & Ties, available on various streaming platforms

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

DADDY ISSUES: “Kobayashi Maru”. Fathers and sons. Husbands and wives. Wives and sons. Friends and lovers. Set against the background of the military. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 51 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest will choose a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, screenwriter and blogger, Paul Zeidman. Paul has chosen the second entry in the Star Trek movie franchise Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, while I have chosen the John Ford classic, the last in his calvary trilogy, Rio Grande. Both films about fathers not only facing battle, but also coming to terms with an estranged son.

And in this episode we ponder such questions as: What is Captain Kirk’s address? Why did Ford make Rio Grande? What did Ricardo Montalban find frustrating in making The Wrath of Kahn? Why were the Sons of the Pioneers used in Rio Grande? What plotting error wasn’t realized until late in the filming of …Kahn? What is a Leo G. Carroll and would you want to be one? Why was Star Trek II more profitable than Star Trek I? What did John Wayne consider Rio Grande a parable of? Where did they get Kahn’s men for the movie?

And be sure to check out Paul Zeidman’s blog MaximumZ at https://maximumz.blog/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

Meanwhile, like, follow or comment on my podcast.

HAVE MURDER, WILL TRAVEL: “A pint of bitters…in a thin glass”. Trying to find out who killed someone can be murder. But what makes it really annoying is when the murderer has the temerity of committing his crime somewhere else. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 57 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this outing, I am happy to welcome as my guest, movie hyphenate writer, filmmaker, academic, businessman Tony Klinger, who has chosen as his film the 1970s cult classic and Michael Caine crime film, Get Carter, while I have chosen the Spencer Tracy/John Sturges 1955 contemporary western, Bad Day at Black Rock, both films about people traveling to another location to solve a murder.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What did they do to get Spencer Tracy for the part? What annoyance did Newcastle bartenders have to put up with after Get Carter opened? Why did they change the opening of Bad Day at Black Rock? What book is Carter reading on the train to Newcastle? Was Bad Day at Black Rock subversive? Why did Get Carter do well by critics in the US, but poorly at the box office, and do badly by critics in the UK, but did well at the box office? Whatever happened to Carl Howard?

Check out Tony Klinger’s IMDB page https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005590/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0#writer

Keep a look out for his upcoming films Peace Beats – Sisters and Dirty, Sexy and Totally Iconic and more

And his blog: https://www.tonydklinger.com/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.

 

DEVILICIOUS: Join me and producer, writer and Chairman of Here Media, Inc., Stephen Jarchow, as we talk Chinatown and The Third Man, two noirs with two of the most memorable villains of all time.

 

“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown” Simon Wiesenthal once said, For evil to flourish, it only requires that good men do nothing. Is that true? Perhaps…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 102 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, producer and writer and Chairman of Here Media Inc., Stephen Jarchow, who has chosen as his film the new Hollywood neo noir, Chinatown, while I have chosen the classic British noir, The Third Man, both films about people investigating a murder only to find out just how deep evil and corruption can run.

 

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is the attraction of evil and villains like this? Is Chinatown the perfect screenplay? Who is more influential on The Third Man, Hitchcock or Welles? What is odd about the depiction of Chinatown in Chinatown? How did Austria feel about The Third Man when it opened? Whose famous fathers appear in Chinatown? How did the Dutch angle get its name? What were the original endings to both movies and why were they changed? What happened to Polanski’s career?

 

Check out Here Media and their streaming services at https://www.heremedia.com/

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

Meanwhile, like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

A BOY’S BEST FRIEND IS HIS MOTHER: “Your mom kind of freaked me out”. Coming of age can be the most traumatic and difficult time in a young person’s life. Of course, sometimes, this rite of passage can be eased with a little help from…your mother? Sounds like it’s time for Episode 53 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. And this time I am happy to welcome as my guest, film enthusiast Cameron Kanachki, who has chosen the modern coming of age rock and roll classic Almost Famous, while I have chosen the Louis Malle classic French coming of age story Murmur of the Heart, both about teens coming of age with a little help from Mommie, dearest.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: How do Freud and Hegel fit in? Who was originally cast in the Billy Crudup role? Just how autobiographical are these movies? Vice is nice, but is incest best? Where does the famous Supreme Court statement about porn “I know it when I see it” come from? What is Cameron Crowe’s favorite scene?

Cameron, along with moi, is often a guest on the fun LAMBCast podcast. So go to that website and find out what we talk about there: http://www.largeassmovieblogs.com/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

“They’re young, they’re in love and they kill people.” Running low on cash? Need some extra pocket money? Or have you realized that banks are just an evil institution that deserve no quarter? The perfect time for Episode 24 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, my guest, film enthusiast, writer and blogger Kira Comerford, chose the modern day western Hell or High Water and I chose the game changing Warren Beatty/Faye Dunaway classic, Bonnie and Clyde, both films about bank robbers. And in this episode we discuss such issues as: How do you make characters who do bad things interesting or likeable to the audience; what is a Dale Dickey and would you want to be one; what is the double meaning in the title Hell or High Water; what major change did they make to Clyde Barrow’s character and why then did C.W. Moss’s character make no sense; why is Bonnie and Clyde one of the most important movies ever made; what do the three crosses signify; and many more.

What better time to discuss two films that take place during a plague? For this episode of Pop Art, my guest Jay Cluitt chose the brilliant comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail and I, in turn, chose the great Ingmar Bergman’s art house hit The Seventh Seal. And in this episode we answer such questions as: Who is the best Monty Pythoner; which movie has the best insult scenes; how does an acting troupe survive in a plague; where have all the existentialists gone; and what is the connection between Bergman and Twister?

CHRISTMAS CAN BE CRIMINAL: Episode 120, In Bruges/We’re No Angels

 

 

“Geez, he swears a lot, doesn't he?” For these two films, I and my annual holiday guest, Jay Cluit of the Deep Blue Sea Podcast, discuss two films revolving around escaped prisoners hiding out during the holidays.

 

 

Jay and I especially had a great discussion on such topics as what is it about dark comedy that we love? Who gives the best performance? Has Martin McDonagh gone four for four? Check it out.

 

 

Also check out Jay’s The Deep Blue Sea Podcast at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deep-blue-sea-the-podcast/id1522738259

 

 

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

NOW YOU SEE ‘EM, NOW YOU DON’T-“This is Jack Burton in the Pork Chop Express.” What would you do if someone was kidnapped, abducted right in front of you? What if you loved this person? What if this person was your fiancé? What if it was your truck? That’s right. It sounds like the perfect time for Episode 34 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome movie hyphenate, actor, director, writer, producer, stuntman and podcaster, Darin Munnell, who has chosen John Carpenter’s martial arts cult comedy classic, Big Trouble in Little China, and I have chosen French director, Philippe de Broca’s whimsical thriller/comedy spoof That Man From Rio, both about characters who see their fiancés, and a truck, abducted right before their eyes and go on an adventure to get them back. And in this episode we answer such questions as: Why did John Carpenter say he’ll never work for the studios again? How did That Man in Rio possibly influence Raiders of the Lost Arc? Who else auditioned for Sulu in Star Trek? How does James Bond fit in? Is there a structural problem with Big Trouble in Little China? And does it work anyway?

And check out Darin’s other projects:

Lone Wolf McCray, a TV series https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt5IfMB9GUBk74eIR5I-MgA

Pineapple Insurance,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FrRJpLoVBI

The Real Short Box, http://www.rumblespoon.com/wp/index/

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE:  Join filmmaker Nicole Jones-Dion, one of the winners of the Fox Writers Incubator Program, as we discuss two films about people caught between life and death-the horror/thriller Jacob’s Ladder and the romantic fantasy A Matter of Life and Death, aka Stairway to Heaven.

“Jake. New York is filled with creatures”. Don’t you hate when this happens? You’re dead. No, you’re still alive. No, you’re dead. No, you’re alive. No, you’re…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 79 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. Today, I am happy to welcome as my guest, filmmaker Nicole Jones-Dion, who has selected, as her choice, the Adrian Lyne/Bruce Joel Rubin expressionistic thriller Jacob’s Ladder, while I have chosen Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s epic fantasy A Matter of Life and Death, aka Stairway to Heaven, both films about characters caught between life and death.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: Why do these sorts of films fascinate people? Why did Lyne change the location of the courtroom scene between Tim Robbins and Jason Alexander from a hallway to a stairwell? What was the original purpose in making A Matter of Life and Death? What is the major difference between Lyne’s vision and Rubin’s vision of Jacob’s Ladder? Why was the title A Matter of Life and Death changed to Stairway to Heaven in the US? Why did Rubin do that sent him on a spiritual quest and led him to write about these themes of life and death? How does WWII and Viet Nan play into the two films? How does Planet of the Apes fit in? The Tibetan Book of the Dead? On what day did they begin filming A Matter of Life and Death and what is its significance? Who is Tom Rolf and why is he the unsung hero of Jacob’s Ladder? How do the James Bond films fit in? What does the title Jacob’s Ladder refer to? Who is Jezebel?

Check out Nicole’s IMDB page at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5702566/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_4

And her film Stasis on IMDB TV and Amazon

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART SAYS HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY--EP94 - VALENTINE'S DAY LOVE AND DEATH: Join podcast, movie lover, and critic Aaron Neuwirth and me as we discuss two love stories that take place, for the most part, in the afterlife, Defending Your Life/Orpheus. “Orphée. you can't spend your life in a talking car”. The singer Cher once asked “do you believe in life after love?” Perhaps the more important question is, do you believe in love after death?…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 94 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For Pop Art’s Valentine’s Day episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, podcaster, movie lover, and critic Aaron Neuwirth, who has chosen as his film the Albert Brooks love after death comedy, Defending Your Life, while I have chosen as my film Jean Cocteau’s love after death drama, Orpheus, or Orphee, if you are French, but I’m not, so Orpheus it is, both films about dealing with love after death. And in this episode, we deal with such questions as: Why is the afterlife so often dramatized as a huge bureaucracy? What is it about love after death movies? Who is Shirley MacLaine and why is she in the movie? Who gives the better performance in Orpheus—Jean Marais or his hair? Why hasn’t Albert Brooks made a movie lately? What are some problematical aspects of both films? How were the special effects done in Orpheus? What is the connection to Roger Corman’s The Trip? Where does Jean-Pierre Melville appear? Check out Aaron’s podcast Out Now with Aaron and Abe at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-now-with-aaron-and-abe/id646631453 And the blog We Live Entertainment at weliveentertainment.com Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/ My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss Meanwhile, like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

“Do the shuffle Truffle.” Feeling attacked? That the world is closing in on you and your friends? Feeling the need to come together and fight back and protect what’s yours? The perfect time for Episode 23 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For my listeners, please like, follow or comment. I’m especially looking for more reviews on iTunes and I’d love to know what you think. This time, my guest is Hollywood hyphenate, writer, director, producer, podcaster Donald McKinney, III, who is appearing for the second time on the show. Donald joined me on the premier episode of the podcast where we discussed Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. This time round, Donald chose everyone’s favorite coming of age treasure hunt story, The Goonies, and I chose the dark German anti-war film The Bridge, both films about a group of teen friends who band together to save their home. And in this episode we ask such questions as: How did Josh Brolin ruin an important shot in The Goonies? Who dubs Dennis Quaid and Kris Kristofferson in German films? What is an Anne Ramsey and would you want to be one? What happened when Richard Donner went to Hawaii? What does Oedipus Rex have to do with it? Is it Captain Blood or The Sea Hawk? What happened to Casablanca when it premiered in Germany? And listen to Donald’s podcast The REAL Short Box at https://www.facebook.com/therealshortbox/, https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-real-short-box and other streaming platforms.

The quarantine got you spending a bit too much time with the kids? Are you getting the feeling that maybe they’re really, well…evil, underneath it all? The perfect time to listen to Episode 9 of Pop Art, the podcast where the guest chooses a movie from pop culture and I, in turn, choose a film from the more art/classic side of cinema that has a connection to it. This time my guest, Damien Riley (appropriately named), of Riley on Film, chose the eschatological horror thriller The Omen, while I chose the more low key sci-fi thriller Village of the Damned, both about evil children. And in this episode, we discuss such topics as: Why were these films so unexpectedly successful? How do they rate by today’s standards? What does The Late Great Planet Earth have to do with it? What are the scariest moments in the film? Do the eyes have it? And how does Dr. Who fit in? And whatever you do, whenever your kids are around, think about a brick wall.

This quarantine getting you down? Need some adventure in your life? The perfect time to listen to Episode 8 of my podcast Pop Art. In Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from pop culture and I choose a film from the more art/classic side of cinema. For this episode, my guest Paul Zeidman, screenwriter, script consultant, blogger and podcaster, chose George Lucas’s game changing epic space opera Star Wars, and I chose Akira Kurosawa’s great epic samurai film The Hidden Fortress, one of Lucas’s biggest influences for his film. In this episode we cover such topics as: Is Star Wars a good film or is it an important film? How did it change Hollywood? Where does it rank in the franchise? Who is Akira Kurosawa and why are they saying such things about him? What is the state of movie making today? So give it a listen. “You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll kiss three bucks good-bye.”

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE: HOME INVASION FOR THE HOLIDAYS

“Keep the change, ya filthy animal”. It’s Christmas time. Trees decorated with fairy lights and tinsel. Stockings hung up on the mantelpiece with care. Mistletoe. Presents. Snow. Thieves breaking into the house to steal everything. A psychotic Santa breaking in to kill everyone. Ah, the holidays. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 70 of Pop Art, the podcast where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. On Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time round, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, blogger, podcaster and Xmas film enthusiast, Jay Cluitt, who has chosen as his selection the yuletide classic Home Alone, while I have chosen the French cult thriller 3615 Code Pere Noel, both about kids threated by bad guys breaking into their home during the holidays, because nothing says Christmas like home invasion. And I should also add that we are doing something a little different in that the film I chose, neither Jay nor I have seen before this podcast. So we shall see how that goes.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is it about Christmas movies anyway? What happened to that kid in 3615 Code Pere Noel and what does Batman have to do with it? What happened to that kid in Home Alone? Who plagiarized who? Bare feet anyone? How much did John Candy get paid for being in Home Alone? What were all the aka’s for 3615 Code Pere Noel? Why was Pesci so difficult to work with in Home Alone? What is “responsible stock”? What was the most difficult scene to film in Home Alone?

Meanwhile, check out Jay’s podcast Deep Blue Sea (about Renny Harlin’s film) on Apple, Spotify, Podomatic and many other streaming services.

And his blog Life v. Film at https://lifevsfilm.com/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

THE HOLIDAYS CAN BE MURDER. “Don't quit your gay job.” Don’t you hate when this happens? You gather for the holidays. Christmas carols are in the air. Trees are lit with fairy lights. You’re ready to exchange gifts. And then, wouldn’t you know it? Someone gets murdered and you have to figure out who did it. Yes, sounds like the perfect time for Episode 35 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For my listeners, please like, follow or comment. Today, I am happy to welcome back a previous guest, film enthusiast and podcaster, and lover of Christmas movies, Jay Cluitt, who has agreed to join me to talk about a couple of holiday films. Jay has chosen Shane Black’s directorial debut, the dark comedy Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, while I have chosen the classic detective film based on the Dashiell Hammett novel, The Thin Man, both about murder at Christmas time. And in this episode we ask such questions as: Why was Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang not a box office hit? What was so difficult about filming the climactic scene in The Thin Man and how do oysters come into it? What is the source material for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang? Who is Skippy? Who played the bear in the commercial in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang? How does Mia Farrow fit in? What is it about Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and women?

Meanwhile, check out Jay’s podcast Deep Blue Sea (about Renny Harlin’s film) on Apple, Spotify, Podomatic and many other streaming services.

And his blog Life v. Film at https://lifevsfilm.com/

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: “Nag, nag, nag.” How hard can it be? Your assignment is to get a witness from point A to point B? What could possibly go wrong, you ask? Sounds like it’s time for Episode 55 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. Today, I am happy to welcome as my guest, blogger. podcaster and film enthusiast Thomas Stoneham-Judge, who has chosen the Ryan Reynolds/Samuel L. Jackson bromance road picture, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, while I have chosen the Clint Eastwood/Sondra Locke romantic action road picture, The Gauntlet, both about people trying to get a witness to trial against almost insurmountable odds. And don’t forget to follow my podcast and comment.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: What is the Wilhelm Scream; What is a Pat Hingle and would you want to be one; Why do Reynolds and Jackson work so well together; What did test audiences scream out at the climax of The Gauntlet; What song do the nuns on the bus sing; who were first cast in The Gauntlet; What happened to the screenplay to The Hitman’s Bodyguard a few weeks before shooting?

And check out Thomas’ blog at ForReel Movie News & Reviews at https://www.moviesforreel.net/home/category/Blogs+by+Thomas

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

BUDDY BUDDY. Join filmmaker Josh Kim (How to Win at Checkers (Every Time) and the upcoming HBO series Forbidden) as we talk buddy cop movies: Rush Hour and a precursor to the subgenre, In the Heat of the Night.

“They call me Mr. Tibbs.” Have you ever been paired for a project with someone you can’t stand? Or with someone from another culture and the two of you just didn’t get along? Were you investigating a murder and maybe wanted to kill the one you were investigating it with?…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 61 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome back, a previous guest, writer, director Josh Kim, who has chosen as his movie the Jackie Chan/Chris Tucker action movie Rush Hour, while I have chosen the Norman Jewison classic, In the Heat of the Night, both films about police officers of different and conflicting backgrounds who must come together to solve a case.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: What is the slap heard round the world? Why did Jackie Chan dislike the movie Rush Hour? Why was …Heat of the Night filmed in Sparta, Illinois rather than Sparta, Mississippi? What language does Chan speak in Rush Hour, and why? What is considered to be the first buddy cop film? What happened to Sidney Poitier’s career? What was significant about the year 1967 for movies? Why is Jackie Chan responsible for Rotten Tomatoes?

Be sure and check out Josh’s film How to Win at Checkers (Every Time) (now on streaming channels).

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.

DUMMY AND DUMMIER: Join me and frequent guest and host of the LAMBcast and Richard’s Film a Day blog Richard Kirkham, as we talk Magic and Dead of Night, two films with ventriloquists with, shall we say, some personal issues.

“Just room for one inside, sir”. So, you have a friend. He’s a dummy, but he’s smarter than you. He’s wooden, but he has more personality than you. He says awful things, but he’s way more liked than you. He’s not real…or is he…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 88 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. Today, I am happy to welcome as my guest, podcaster, film enthusiast and the host of the Lambcast podcast, Richard Kirkham, who has chosen as his film the Anthony Hopkins starrer Magic, while I have chosen the portmanteau horror film Dead of Night, both having ventriloquists with mental issues.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: Why did Anthony Hopkins leave Hollywood after Magic? How did Dead of Night influence physics? What is so creepy about ventriloquists anyway? Why did William Goldman bow out of Hollywood for a while? Who died just a year before the release of Dead of Night and what is her connection to the film? Which actor gets credited twice at the close of Magic? What stopped Dead of Night being made earlier than 1945? Who was the original choice to play Corky? What is the connection of Dead of Night to A Fish Called Wanda and Indiana Jones? Who are Lilian Ross and Elisabeth Welch?

Meanwhile, check out Richard’s Film a Day blog at http://kirkhamclass.blogspot.com/

And the LAMBCast at http://www.largeassmovieblogs.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

Afraid the world is heading toward dystopia? Worried the future may be…too futuristic? The perfect time to listen to Episode 6 of my Podcast Pop Art on Robocop/THX 1138. The premise of Pop Art is for my guest to choose a movie from pop culture and I in turn will choose a film from the art/classic side of cinema. This time my guest, film enthusiast, blogger and podcaster The Vern, of Cinema Recall, chose Paul Verhoeven’s early Hollywood directorial effort Robocop and I, in turn, chose George Lucas’s feature debut THX 1138, both dystopian tales with roboticized police forces. Here we discuss such topics as the ups and downs of Paul Verhoeven’s career; how relevant are both films to today’s world; who or what is an Ian Wolfe; what is with that white room; and other important and existential issues. Next up: Singin’ in the Rain/Day for Night.

“Audiences don't know somebody sits down and writes a picture; they think the actors make it up as they go along.” The quarantine is giving you a lot of time to write and work on your art. But are you? Sounds like the perfect time for the next episode of Pop Art, the podcast where the guest chooses a movie from pop culture and I, in turn, choose a film from the more art/classic side of cinema that has a connection to it. My guest, filmmaker Josh Kim, chose the whimsical, idiosyncratic movie Adaptation written by Charlie and Donald Kaufman, while I chose the film noir Billy Wilder classic Sunset Blvd. (the movie that shows the real tinsel behind the fake tinsel of Hollywood), both about screenwriters in crisis. And we cover such topics as: What does it say about screenwriters? Which is the better film? Why did Charlie Kaufman think his career was over? What was the original opening for Sunset Blvd. and how did they achieve the shot used now? Who else was considered for the various roles? Who or what is an H.B. Warner? And what is the connection to Rebel Without a Cause? Finally, remember, it’s the pictures that got small. Next up: Die Hard/District B13.

CURSES, FOILED AGAIN: “Out of my way, you masters of one thousand fleas”. The course of true love never did run smooth. If you’re a hawk by day, your love is a wolf by night. If you are blind, your love is in a deep sleep. Curses. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 54 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome as my guest, blogger and film enthusiast Jeanette Ward, who has chosen Richard Donner’s medieval dark fantasy Ladyhawke, while I have chosen the Alexander Korda/Michael Powell Tales of the Arabian Nights Sabu vehicle, the classic Thief of Bagdad, both fantasy films about a thief who helps overturn a curse and reunite lovers.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: What is it about fantasy films anyway? Why did Ladyhawke fail at the box office? What is a Sabu and would you want to be one? Is Leo McKern No. 1? What happened when the production of Thief of Bagdad was moved from London to Hollywood at the outbreak of the war? Who was originally cast in the Rutger Hauer role? What innovation to special effects did The Thief of Bagdad bring to movie making? Why does everyone talk to God? And what is it with Broderick’s accent?

And check out Jeanette’s blog The Mundane Adventures of a Fangirl at http://jwardadventures.blogspot.com/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

“Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need roads.” Is there something about this time period that just isn’t working for you? Wouldn’t you love to travel in time and do something to fix things? Like the apocalypse? Or maybe to stop your parents from making an absolute mess of everything? Sounds like the perfect time for Episode 26 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, my guest, writing coach, trainer and narratologist Dimitri Vorontsov chose the immensely popular time travel movie from filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, Back to the Future, and I chose the experimental, art film La Jetee from avant garde French filmmaker Chris Marker, both about going back in time to events earlier in their or their parent’s youth. And in this episode we answer such questions as: Which scene from BTTF is the funniest when seen in a Russian movie theater? Which one made Dimitri cry? What is the main difference between La Jetee and Twelve Monkeys? What is the inciting incident in BTTF and does it break all the rules of modern day film structure? What does Greek tragedy, Christianity and film noir have to do with these films? What is it with French intellectual cinema? Is BTTF racially insensitive? How does Donald Trump fit in and are we living through Back to the Future II? And check out Dimitri’s new screenwriting contest and websites: https://superstarscreenwriters.com/?fbclid=IwAR32Uul-DVYSsjy6l94Nl5B6dd6d1kP7nRAim7jtCy6JtBhOhkGLueh6IE0, https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuperstarScreenwriters/

“I don’t do requests.” Is there someone in your life you wish wasn’t? Maybe a group of people? Or maybe you’re just plain bored? I have a solution—how about taking up…hunting? Sounds like the perfect time for Episode 25 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time my guest, writer and film critic, influencer and book reviewer, Hermione Flavia chose the perhaps bit too relevant Arnold Schwarzenegger dystopian action film The Running Man and I chose the pre-code adventure classic, The Most Dangerous Game, both films about men hunting men for sport. And in this episode we answer such questions as: What are the major differences between the films and their source material? Who is the first recorded black person to play a white character in film? Who are the saving graces of each film? What was Richard Dawson’s condition for doing The Running Man? How relevant is The Running Man to the world today? And where does The Family Feud and Scooby Do come in? What is pre-code? And what is it about those fashions? And have a look at Hermione’s blog at wildfiremotionpictures.com.

I was late for Christmas, but I made it just in time for this holiday. So, without further ado…

 

 

I HEAR MUSIC WHEN THERE’S NO ONE THERE: Episode 122, Music and Lyrics/Once

 

 

“You seem angry - click your pen!” For these two films, Richard Kirkham (of the Lambcast and A Movie a Day blog) has agreed to be my annual Valentine’s Day guest. We have chosen the two films above, both love stories revolving around songwriters.

 

 

Richard and I especially had a great discussion on such topics as why we like rom coms; which do we prefer, rom coms or rom drams; what are some of the familiar tropes that we like; the career of Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant; and which songs do we prefer. Check it out.

 

 

Also check out Richard Kirkham The Lambcast https://largeassmovieblogs.com/ on which I am a frequent guest

 

 

And Richard’s blog A Movie A Day https://kirkhamclass.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

POP ART SAYS HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY: LOVE AND DEATH

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE: LOVE AND DEATH: “Don’t be creepy. Don’t be creepy. Don’t be creepy.” This time round, Pop Art has a very special episode for the holiday. The question? Is love dead? Is romance dead? Is being dead dead? Sounds like it’s time for Episode 74 of Pop Art, the podcast where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. On Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. Today, I am happy to welcome as my guest, film enthusiast and movie blogger Rishabh Vashishtha, who has chosen as his selection the teen romance living dead film Warm Bodies, while I have chosen the classic Val Lewton/Jaques Tournier classic I Walked with a Zombie, both about love stories revolving around dead people.

And in this episode we address such questions as: What are the source materials for both films? What is important about Val Lewton and Jacque Tournier to horror film history? How did they change the ending of Warm Bodies from the book? Is it Theresa Harris or Teresa Harris? What is the difference between a zombie and the living dead? Who are Frances Dee and Edith Barrett married to? What is a post and post post modern zombie movie? Why don’t the living dead rot away?

Check out Rishabh’s blog at https://rishabhvashishthareviews.wordpress.com/about/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE: HIT AND MYTH

“I’m you’re huckleberry.” In John Ford’s movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, we have the famous line, “This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”  Sounds like it’s time for Episode 72 of Pop Art, the podcast where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. On Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome back as my guest film enthusiast and fellow podcaster Todd Liebenow, who has chosen as his selection the epic 1990s version of Wyatt Earp, the widescreen Tombstone, while I have chosen the John Ford classic, My Darling Clementine, both about the mythical figure of the Earp brothers and the gunfight at the OK Corral.

And in this episode, we’ll ask the questions: Where did the gunfight at the OK Corral take place? What is it about westerns, anyway? Who directed Tombstone? Are you sure? Whose favorite movie is My Darling Clementine? Who is Kevin Jarre’s famous step-father? What did director John Ford think of My Darling Clementine? Who does the term “cowboy” refer to? What is a Mae Marsh and would you want to be one? Why does Robert Mitchum do the voiceover?

Check out Todd’s blog Forgotten Films at https://forgottenfilmcast.wordpress.com/

And his podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forgotten-filmcast/id620200136

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

“It’s coming out of me like lava”. Is there some event you’ve been missing out on since the quarantine kicked in? Are you having those wedding bell blues? Are you not going to the chapel? Are you not getting married in the morning? Sounds like it’s time for Episode 30 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For my listeners, please like, follow or comment. I’m especially looking for more reviews on iTunes and I’d love to know what you think. For this episode, I am happy to welcome two guests, actors, producers and radio hosts, Jasper Cole and Ralph Cole, Jr., who have chosen the hit marital farce that gave us the national treasure known as Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids, and I have chosen the art house hit from Indian filmmaker Mira Nair, Monsoon Wedding. And in this episode we ask such questions as: Does the bathroom scene hurt the film, make the film, or both? Which movie made 30 times its cost? What is the legacy of Bridesmaids? Where did the idea for Monsoon Wedding come from? Where does Miss Marple fit in? Fill in the blank: weddings are a __________? Why did Jon Hamm not get his credit?

And listen to Jasper and Ralph on their radio show at https://www.blogtalkradio.com/oneononejcole

Look for Jasper Cole in the film Kambucha Cure and as producer, Never and Again, due out in 2021

And Ralph Core, Jr. in The Undertaker’s Wife and Boy Culture

NAPPED TIME: “Tonight is the night to be young.” Don’t you hate when this happen? Someone abducts a loved one. Takes them far away. And you have to go after them and bring them back. And you haven’t even had your coffee yet. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 56 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, TV producer Casey O’Connor (Ridiculousness), who has chosen the Walter Hill rock and roll action film, Streets and Fire, while I have chosen Richard Brooks revisionist western and Burt Lancaster vehicle, The Professionals, both films inspired by the Iliad in which a group of people are sent to retrieve a loved one who has been abducted.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: Why did Streets of Fire lose money? What was odd about Diane Lane’s age in Streets of Fire? What is revisionist about The Professionals? How did Amy Madigan’s role change once she was cast? What was odd about the directing category of the 1967 Oscars? Where did the title of Streets of Fire come from and what happened in connection to it? What was the ninth most popular movie at the French box office in 1966? What famous comedian can be seen as an extra in Streets of Fire? What is Richard Brooks most lasting contribution to film noir and what did the censors do? Which song from Streets of Fire became a top 10 Billboard hit in 1984? What is the Blasters and would you want to be one?

Be sure and check out Casey’s show on MTV: Ridiculousness

And check out his cool lamps made from VHS tapes at https://www.voltagevhs.com/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE: IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT

“I’m not a Frenchie, I’m a Belgie” Don’t you hate when this happens? You’re invited to a remote mansion. You don’t know why, but, hey, it’s a free meal. It’s a dark and stormy night. The doors and windows lock. You can’t get out. And then someone starts killing off the guests. So annoying. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 73 of Pop Art, the podcast where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. On Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome as my guest, filmmaker Jonathan Wysocki, who has chosen as his selection the cult favorite Clue, based on the popular board game, while I have chosen the Neil Simon spoof of locked room detective stories, Murder By Death, both about people invited to a remote location only to encounter homicide.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: Why is the original name of the game Clue? What is problematic about Murder by Death? Who are our favorite performers in each? Who was originally thought of to play the butler in Clue? Which is funnier and why? What is the difference between high brow and low brow? Which is more post and post post modern? What happened to Neil Simon? Who had his feature debut in Murder by Death and whose last feature film appearance was in MBD? Why is Hill House called Hill House? Clue had a fourth ending and Murder By Death had a different ending; what are they? What happened to the sets in Clue?

Check out Jonathan Wysocki’s IMDB profile at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1267438/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

And his feature film Dramarama can now be seen on Amazon Prime and Tubi

And his podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forgotten-filmcast/id620200136

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

GENDER BENDER. “Nobody’s perfect.” Are you sure that person sitting across from you is male? Are you sure the person sitting next to you is female? They say clothes make the man. But do they? Or do clothes make the woman? Well, whatever the answer is, it sounds like it’s time for Episode 41 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For my listeners, please like, follow or comment. Today, I am happy to welcome writer/producer/director/novelist #DwayneAlexanderSmith, who has chosen the gender bending farce and Dustin Hoffman vehicle, Tootsie, and I have chosen the Billy Wilder/IAL Diamond classic, Jack Lemon/Tony Curtis comedy, Some Like it Hot, both about men who disguise themselves as women and try to pass. And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is a Tootsie shot? What is the greatest last line in movie history? What held up the release of Tootsie? What does Some Like it Hot mean? Is Tootsie mansplaining? What did Cary Grant think of Tony Curtis in Some Like it Hot? Why does Bill Murray not have a credit at the beginning of the movie? What is historically inaccurate about the costumes in Some Like it Hot?

Check out Dwayne’s IMDB credits and his films via https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0808051/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

And his books at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dwayne+alexander+smith&i=stripbooks&crid=2CXZXXA8I6TM4&sprefix=dwayne+alexan%2Caps%2C210&ref=nb_sb_ss_c_3_13_ts-doa-p especially Forty Acres about to be a major motion picture

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

 

NEW EPISODE: POP ART 110 says CURSES, FOILED AGAIN: Join me and my annual Halloween guest Lisa Leaheey as we talk The Ring and Curse of the Demon.

 

“Seven days.” Don’t you hate when this happens? You’re going about your day. Minding your own business. You watch a video and the phone rings telling you, you only have seven days to live. Or, someone secretly passes you a curse in runes giving you only a certain amount of time before you die. It is just so annoying…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 110 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie/foreign side of cinema with a connection to it.

And this episode is my yearly Halloween one. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back film lover and horror enthusiast, and my annual guest for my Halloween episode, Lisa Leaheey, who has chosen as her film the American remake of the Japanese horror film The Ring, while I have chosen Jacques Tournier’s Night of the Demon, both films about an object that if passed to someone only gives that person a certain amount of time to live.

 

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: Which is better, suggesting a monster or showing it? What are the differences between the Japanese and American version of The Ring? What is the difference between the English and American release of Night of the Demon? What was the original ending to The Ring and what happened to it? Why is Night of the Demon called Curse of the Demon in the US? What did screenwriter Charles Bennett say he would do to the producer of Night of the Demon if he saw him in his driveway? Where do The film The Burbs, Rocky Horror Picture Show and Rear Window fit in? What does the name Samara reference?  

 

Check out Lisa’s podcasting at The Rabbit Hole Podcast, including the new Rabbit Hole Book Club section https://rabbitholepodcasts.com/pictures-and-conversations/

 

And Lisa and Jason Soto’s podcast Between the Scares where they are covering every Blumhouse film https://rabbitholepodcasts.com/between-the-scares/

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

HOUSE HAUNTING: Join me and filmmaker Derek Wayne Johnson (the upcoming Bloodstreams, 40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic, John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs), as we talk Poltergeist and House, two movies about, well, haunted houses. 

 

First, I have to apologize to my audience and my guest. I was recording this on an old computer because my main computer got wet and couldn’t be used. I made a mistake and at about 11 minutes in, you can hear an echo when my guest speaks. I tried to erase it, but couldn’t figure out how, so I’ve just minimized it the best I can. So, please forgive me and I don’t think it’s so disruptive you can’t enjoy a really great discussion of these two seminal films.

 

“They’re here.” From Ghoulies and Ghoosties, long-leggety Beasties, and Things that go Bump in the Night, Good Lord, deliver us!…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 105 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, Hollywood hyphenate, director, writer, editor, producer Derek Wayne Johnson, who has chosen as his film the Steven Spielberg produced haunted house movie Poltergeist, while I have chosen the cult classic Japanese haunted house movie Hausu or House, both films about, well, haunted houses. 

 

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is it about haunted houses anyway? What changed when it came to where horror films took place in the 1960s and 70s in Hollywood and why? Just WTF is happening in this House movie anyway? Who directed Poltergeist: Hooper or Spielberg? How successful was House in Japan? What happened in Denver in the late 19th century that might have influenced the plot of Poltergeist; and what about that Twilight Zone episode? Where is the director’s daughter in House and what influence did she have on the film? Where is the Wilhelm Scream in Poltergeist?

 

Check out Derek’s IMDB page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2361932/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_1_nm_2_q_derek%2520wayne%2520johnson%2520

 

And be on the lookout for the upcoming Blood Streams

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

Up for a little competition? The quarantine got you playing games? In Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from pop culture and I chose a film from the more art/classic side of cinema. For this episode, my guest, filmmaker Michelle Ehlen, chose the brilliant, hysterical Christopher Guest ensemble comedy Best in Show and I chose the dark, trenchant, violent satire of reality shows Series 7: The Contenders, both mockumentaries about competitions. And in this show we deal with such issues as: Who gives the best performance in Best of Show and what does Joe Garagiola have to do with it? How long was the script for Best in Show? What does a pregnant woman want to eat after shooting someone in cold blood? How does Star Trek fit in? Don’t forget to comment, like and follow. Next up Robocop and THX 1138.

POP ART SAYS “WE’RE BACK”: I AM SPARTACUS–Episode 116, Total Recall/General della Rovere

 

 

“Consider this a divorce”. For these two films, I and Bubbawheat (Nate Winthrow) of the Fight Club Minute, had a great time discussing two films that ask the same question: are you who you are? Are you who you think you are? Or are you who others think you are?

 

 

We especially had a great discussion on such topics as modern trends in sci-fi films, the directors Roberto Rossellini and Paul Verhoeven, and the question posed above—who are we?

 

 

I highly recommend checking out Bubbawheat’s The Fight Club Minute at https://rabbitholepodcasts.com/fight-club-minute/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFhYvZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHabC_Oj7cyrjZjbcTmWGipcCMz9rKGJV-A4gQ4plRj-bS9CnakgFvFp9CA_aem_37hJ3PNyt-HGxrWCe0r3MA

 

And his blog, Flights, Tights and Movie Nights https://flightstightsandmovienights.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFhYxZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHYbVJhuZr5W_5C7uGeqLyFBbIRkIB9L04wpn5J_gblEnrPPAk9h9qWNXeQ_aem_Ef9c5eMkE6rXbPsgART81Q

 

And It’s Time to Rewind https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bubbawheat

 

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

Join me and filmmaker Andrew Johnson-Schmit, co-writer and co-director of the upcoming horror film Witch Child, as we discuss Train to Busan and North West Passage (aka Flame Over India).

TRAINING DAY: “Why is your ringtone so tacky?” Don’t you hate when this happens? You get on a train. It’s going to be a normal day. Then suddenly you find yourself assailed on all sides by zombies or warring tribesmen. It’s just so annoying. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 58 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. Today, I am happy to welcome as my guest writer/director/producer/podcaster Andrew Johnson-Schmit, who has chosen as his film the action packed South Korean new wave zombie flick, Train to Busan, while I have chosen the1950s action flick taking place during the Raj in India, North West Frontier, aka Flame over India, both about people on a train trying to get from point A to point B through territory filled with throngs trying to kill them.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: What countries are making the most interesting movies in the world and why? How long does it usually take to go from Seoul to Busan? What is the connection between North West Frontier and Stagecoach? What is it about train films? What is it about Zombie films? Where does the Suez Crisis fit in?

Be on the look out for Andrew’s new horror movie, now in post-production, called Witch Child.

And while waiting on that, check out Andrew’s IMDB page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5850732/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

Meanwhile, like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think.

SPACED: I know what you are going to say. Episode 77, shouldn’t this be episode 81? Good eye. My guest and I tried to record this episode twice and Skype let us down. But three’s the charm and Skype came through, but I decided to keep the original episode number because…let’s just say HAL made me do it.

Also, we have already covered a Tarkovsky film and a Kubrick film. So while waiting for this one, use the time to listen to Episode 76, The Shining/The Innkeepers with podcaster and film enthusiast Nicholas Rehak, as well as Episode 37, Annihilation/Stalker with filmmaker Gustavo A. Garzon.

“Open the pod bay doors, Hal” What is space? The final frontier? A place where no one can hear you scream? Or, as the introduction to one guide to the galaxy says, it’s big, really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind bogglingly big it is…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 77 of Pop Art, where we find the art in pop culture and the pop culture in art. For Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, Hollywood hyphenate, producer, director, actor, writer Adam Benish, who has chosen as his film Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, 2001: A Space Odyssey, while I have chosen as my film Andrei Tarkovsky’s masterpiece, Solaris, both films about odd occurrences in outer space.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: Why did they change the tagline on the 2001 poster to “The Ultimate Trip”? What did Tarkovsky and Kubrick think of each other’s films? What does HAL stand for? The jump cut at the end of the Dawn of Man sequence goes from a bone to a what? Was Tarkovsky murdered? What are tokusatsufilms? What did Rock Hudson think of 2001? In Solaris, where was the long drive filmed and why was it not cut from the movie? What is the theory of punctuated equilibrium? How did Kubrick end up getting all the credit for the special effects? What was the chief irony in the making of both films when it comes the country the directors came from? What did the Vatican think of 2001? What was the title of Mad Magazine’s parody of 2001?

And check out Adam Benish’s IMD page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2354563/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

You can find more information about his films on social media on YouTube, twitter and Instagram at Benish Films and @BenishFilms

His film Generations Under Sail is now making the film festival circuit.

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

CHILDHOOD BATTLES: Join me and filmmaker Dianna Ippolito (The Obscured), as we talk Kramer v. Kramer and Marriage Story, two films about divorce and child custody battles.   “What law is it that says a woman is a better parent simply by virtue of her sex?” Groucho Marx is said to have said, “Marriage is the chief cause of divorce”…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 106 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie/foreign side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, writer/director/producer Dianna Ippolito, who has chosen as her film Robert Benton’s groundbreaking Kramer vs.Kramer, while I have chosen Noah Baumbach’s more contemporary take, Marriage Story, both films about a couple going through a divorce and the custody battle that ensues.   And in this episode, we answer such questions as: Who was Laura Dern’s character based on? What was the relationship like between Streep and Hoffman on Kramer v. Kramer? What is it about Adam Driver’s looks anyway? How did Streep prevent Kramer v. Kramer from becoming misogynistic? What is incorrect when Charlie says he's "taken a residency at UCLA. I'm directing two plays at REDCAT”? Why did Meryl Streep wear a raincoat in the final scenes of Kramer v. Kramer? Whose marriage did Noah Baumbach base Marriage Story on? What is incorrect about the legal proceedings in Kramer v. Kramer? And what is it about these sorts of movies anyway?   Check out Dianna’s IMDB page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2074778/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_5_q_dianna%2520ippolito   Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/   My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss   Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

MATCHES, MATCHES, WE DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ MATCHES. Join me and my guest filmmaker David Au (Eat With Me) as we discuss The Wedding Banquet and Late Spring, what we’re calling matchmaking Asian style.

“She’ll make lots of babies”. Nag, nag, nag. That’s all parents do. Clean your room. Get married. Get good grades. Get married. Don’t stay out late. Get married. …Sounds like it’s time for Episode 66 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, filmmaker David Au, who has chosen as his selection Ang Lee’s breakthrough film, the farcical The Wedding Banquet, while I have chosen Yasujirō Ozu’s classic shōshimin-eiga drama, Late Spring, both films about parents trying to get their children married.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is a post-gay film? What is a shōshimin-eiga film? What did Emma Thompson say about Ang Lee? What censorship problems did Late Spring face? Where was the lead for The Wedding Banquet discovered (hint: it wasn’t Schwabbs)? What happened in 1947 and 1948 in regard to marriages in Japan? In what way was The Wedding Banquet a more successful film financially than Jurassic Park? Where does Late Spring land on the Sight and Sound poll? What was unusual about Ang Lee winning an Academy Award for best director?

Check out David’s film Eat With Me on Amazon.

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

ANIMAL CRACKERS. Join me and screenwriter and book author C. Courtney Joyner as we talk Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds and Byron Haskin’s The Naked Jungle, two nature horror films.

 

“They're coming! They're coming!” Sharks, Piranha, Spiders, Frogs, Snakes, Wolves, Lions and Tigers and Bears, oh my…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 109 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie/foreign side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, screenwriter and book author C. Courtney Joyner, who has chosen as his film Alfred Hithcock’s classic The Birds, while I have chosen Byron Haskin’s guilty pleasure The Naked Jungle, both films about animals attacking humankind.

 

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is nature horror? How did they produce the sounds of the ants in The Naked Jungle? How do both films differ from their source material? Why did Eleanor Parker get top billing in The Naked Jungle? What is the best written scene in The Birds? Where was The Naked Jungle filmed? What did Daphne du Maurier think of The Birds? What was the Mad Magazine version of The Birds called?

 

Check out Courtney’s IMDB page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003676/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 as well as his film commentaries and writings on film

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.

 

ARMYGEDDON: Join me and podcasters and film lovers Anna Keiser and Derek Dehanke (The 80s Movie Montage) as we talk Stripes and No Time for Sergeants, two comedies about basic training.

 

"Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do" “You’re in the army now, you’re not behind a plow, you’ll never get rich, a diggin’ a ditch, you’re in the army now.” Sounds like it’s time for Episode 101 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it.

 

For this episode, I am happy to welcome back as my guests for the third time, Anna Keiser and Derek Dehanke, who have chosen as their film, the new Hollywood army comedy, Stripes, while I have chosen what may be many a listener’s grandfather’s version of Stripes, No Time For Sergeants, both comedies about basic training.

 

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: Who was cast before Harold Ramis? Where was the n-word used in connection to No Time for Sergeants? What is it about war comedies anyway? What is the connection of …Sergeants to Invasion of the Body Snatchers? How does Bill Murray feel about making Stripes today? Who is Joseph X. Flaherty? What was the Country Broadcasting Network? What is it about toilets? Why did Andy Griffith get nominated as supporting actor at the Tonys rather than lead for the stage version of …Sergeants?

 

Check out Anna and Derek’s podcast, ‘80s Movie Montage, at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/80s-movie-montage/id1498851364 and other streaming platforms.

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

“By the way, I would have voted for Obama a third term, if I could.” Are you feeling a bit paranoid these days? Wondering if your mind’s your own? Time for Episode 14 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I choose a film from the more art/classic side of cinema. This time my guest, Anastasia Washington, stand up comedienne and co-host of the Cereal Killer podcast, chose the Jordan Peele game changing horror film, Get Out, and I chose writer/director Shane Caruth’s experimental, WTF sci-fi film, Upstream Color, both films about mind control. And we talk about such subjects as: Why is Get Out perhaps the most important movie of the 2010s? What is genre meets diversity? Pigs, pigs, pigs? Which ending for Get Out is the best? What happens when you write, direct, star in, edit, compose music, co-photograph and self-distribute a movie? What can be achieved on a nothing budget? So keep thinking good thoughts, if they are indeed your thoughts. Also, like, comment and follow

“That’ll be the day.” Concerned about your kids these days? Wondering about their safety? Just how far would you go to keep them safe? Who would you rather come after you if you are abducted? Ethan Edwards or Marlin? The perfect time for Episode 18 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, my guest, blogger and film reviewer Drew of Drew’s Movie Reviews, has chosen the Pixar/Disney animated classic and ironic fish out of water film Finding Nemo, while I have chosen the John Ford/John Wayne classic western The Searchers, both with adults who are looking for abducted children. And here we answer such questions as: Why were Albert Brooks and Ellen DeGeneres cast in the movie? What makes Pixar movies so special? What makes The Searchers a great movie…or is it one? How does the Batcave come into all this? Why was the shark named Bruce? Should Andy Serkis get an Oscar? How many Hitchcock references can you name? And what is John Wayne’s real name? And check out Drew's Movie Reviews at drewreviewmovies.wordpress.com, 

Join teacher by day, horror aficionado by night Lisa Leaheey as we talk Memento and Spellbound. Meanwhile, please like, follow and spread the news about the podcast.

MEMORIES OF MURDER: “I have a condition”. You forget your keys? No big deal. You forget where you parked your car? It’s okay, you’ll find it. You forget your phone? Well, not good, but still… It happens. But forget whether you murdered someone or not and just watch as all hell breaks loose. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 59 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time round, I am happy to welcome as my guest, teacher by day, horror aficionado by night and someone who makes a career of being on other people’s podcasts, Lisa Leaheey, who has chosen as her film the Christopher Nolan mind bending neo-noir Memento, while I have chosen the classic Alfred Hitchcock psychological thriller Spellbound, both about people who may have…oh, I forget.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: Is the structure of Memento a gimmick or a conceit? What six Hitchcock films was Leo G. Carroll in? What is the major plot hole in Memento? What is a theremin and would you want to be one? What are some other stories with unusual structures? What’s odd about Teddy’s driver’s license and telephone number? Who is Michael Chekov related to? What is it about that skiing scene?

Check out Between the Scares with Lisa Leaheey at Whatever With Jason Soto at https://open.spotify.com/episode/7a0hdhkumnnpXH0CAYr33i

And check out her upcoming podcast The SibList at https://www.facebook.com/The-SibList-109714494695206soon to be at rabbitholepodcasts.com

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE. 

OTHERWORDLY: Join me and writer Caitlin Duffy (Reacher, untitled Arnold Schwarzenegger Netflix series) while we talk two films about contact with another world, Contact and Another Earth.

“Boy, this is really going to change the Miss Universe Contest”. Are we alone in the universe? And if not, what does that mean? And what would aliens be like? And what would they want? To destroy us? To bring peace? To gain knowledge?…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 81 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time I am happy to welcome as my guest, writer Caitlin Duffy, who has chosen as her film the hard sci-fi Jody Foster film Contact, while I have chosen soft sci-fi Brit Marling film Another Earth, both films about first contact with beings from another planet.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is SETI? What is hard sci-fi as opposed to soft sci-fi? Who do they want to play the president in Contact? Who is the Saw Lady? Why did they use Bill Clinton? What is special about the opening shot in Contact? Cyanide pill or no cyanide pill? Who is Steven Ford’s father? How does Gianni Versace fit in?

Check out Caitlin’s IMDB page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3044034/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0and be sure to check out Reacher on Amazon.

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

“I have to return some videotapes.” Is the quarantine turning you a bit…crazy? Perfect time to list to the latest episode of Pop Art, my podcast where the guest chooses a movie from pop culture and I select a film from the art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, my guests Tessa Markle and Carolina Alvarez of Femme Regard Productions have chosen the adaptation of bad boy Bret Easton Ellis’s book American Psycho and I have chosen bad boy Roman Polanski’s atmospheric black and white horror film Repulsion, both concerning characters who, let us say, are going off the deep end a bit. And here we answer such questions as: Which is the more feminist film? Does the ending of American Psycho work? What does Gloria Steinem have to do with any of it? What is important about the female orgasm in Repulsion? Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT or FOLLOW.

BATTLE ROYALE: “If you have to ask, you’re missing it.” In this corner, the playboy, the Casanova, the Romeo, who only sees women as something to be conquered. In this corner, the modern woman, the feminist, the independent woman who won’t be played. Who will win? Let’s ring the bell and let the fight begin. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 49 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back fellow podcaster Amanda Kirkham who has chosen the post-modern take on Doris Day/Rock Hudson movies, Down With Love while I have chosen the Doris Day/Rock Hudson film it satirizes, Pillow Talk, both films that revolve around the battle of the sexes.

And in this episode we discuss such issues as : What is a “sex, but no sex” film? What is odd about the pairing of David Hyde Pierce and Sarah Paulson? What does The Graduate have to do with it? Why does Down With Love end with the song Here’s to Love? What is a Thelma Ritter and would you want to be one? What is Will Jordan’s connection to Ed Sullivan? Doris Day or Renee Zellweger? And many others.

Check out Amanda’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyUn3wNQuvokOKJsc6crLiQ/featured

And her Hollywood Consumer blog at https://www.facebook.com/HollywoodConsumer/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

Meanwhile, like, follow or comment on my podcast.

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Join me and my guests, filmmakers Richard and Holly Soriano (My Apocalyptic Thanksgiving) as we talk The Peanut Butter Falcon and Alice of the Cities, two films about an adult stuck with a child while on a road trip.

“You are not invited to my birthday party!” Don’t you hate when this happens? You’re on the road, minding your own business, trying to get someplace and you run into this…kid, this unaccompanied, on their own, no adult supervision…kid. What do you do?…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 91 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guests, filmmakers Holly and Richard Soriano, who have chosen as their film the modern day Huckleberry Finn update, The Peanut Butter Falcon, while I have chosen the German new wave Alice in the Cities, both films about adults suddenly finding themselves on a road trip with a child or someone childlike.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: What director is also almost as well known for being a hand model? German New Wave or The New German Cinema? Has the portrayal of people disabilities changed in film? Could Alice in the Cities be done today? How far back to road stories date? Genre meets Diversity? How does F. Scott Fitzgerald fit in? What’s wrong with the geography in Peant Butter…? Where are Wim Wenders and Peter Haneke in the film?

And don’t forget to check out Richard and Holly’s film My Apocalyptic Thanksgiving, not seen on multiple streaming platforms including Amazon. For more information go to https://www.facebook.com/MyApocalypticThanksgiving/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

HIGH AND LOW: Join me and actor, writer, producer Thomas Goersh (the award winning short film Unhappy) as we talk The Big Blue and Wings.

“I was just trying to get one more Heine for you” As Petula Clark sang in her hit song: My love is warmer than the warmest sunshine, softer than a sigh/My love is deeper than the deepest ocean, wider than the sky…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 60 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome as my guest, actor, screenwriter, TV host, festival and film director,Thomas Goersch, who has chosen as his film French director Luc Besson’s game changing The Big Blue, while I have chosen the film that won the first Oscar for best picture, Wings, both films about friends becoming rivals and rivals becoming friends in the highly tense and dangerous worlds of free diving and World War I fighter pilots.

And in this episode, we ask such questions as: Where is the nudity in Wings? What are the differences between the true story and the film of The Big Blue? What was unique about the aerial scenes in Wings? What is an “It” girl or guy? Why wasn’t The Big Blue not shown in Italy for years? What is the Cinema du Look? What was the end of French Cinema as know it?

Look for Thomas’ short film Unhappy at a film festival near you.

And check out his IMDB page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1591928/?ref_=tt_ov_dr

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

Meanwhile, like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES: Join me and film enthusiast and blogger James Wilson, Blogging by Cinema Light, as we talk Vertigo/Mississippi Mermaid, two films about woman who are one thing in the first half, but something else in the second half.

“You shouldn’t keep souvenirs of a killing.” You meet someone. You fall in love. But something seems…off. In fact, you begin to wonder, is this the person they claim to be or are they somebody totally different…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 85 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, film enthusiast and blogger James Wilson, who has chosen as his film Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece, Vertigo, while I have chosen Francois Truffaut’s tribute to Hitchcock, Mississippi Mermaid, both films about men who become involved with women who appear to be one thing in the beginning, but turn out to be something entirely different by the end.

And in this episode, we answer the such questions as: Why were Vertigo and four other movies taken out of circulation and why wasn’t Psycho? What is a Cornell Woolrich and would you want to be one? How and why did Hitchcock go from being a pop culture filmmaker to an artist? How do Truffaut and Hitchcock treat women differently? What is the Vertigo effect? What about the French? What is a before and after picture? Red, green, red, green, red, green…? What was the alternative ending to Vertigo?

Be sure to check out James’ blog Blogging by Cinema Light at https://bloggingbycinemalight.blogspot.com/2022/09/booksmart.html?fbclid=IwAR0A3PFc9_wxqTdiO5kjQMRdme4aoapvetsWBDXeZ-7CKvDVJGfXwDk_fyU

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

THE PLAY’S THE THING: “Love ya.” Ah, romance. It’s still the same old story. You meet a guy. He wines and dines you. He sleeps with you. He dumps you. He tries to kill you. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 48 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this podcast, I am happy to welcome as my guest, Hollywood hyphenate, writer/actor Kelly Campbell, who has chosen the Nancy Meyers directed, Diane Keaton vehicle, Something’s Gotta Give and I have chosen the classic Joan Crawford film noir Sudden Fear. Both movies with plots revolving around female playwrights and their love lives.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: Are women dating younger men as believable as men dating younger women? What Does Robot Monster have to do with it? Keanu Reeves, really? Lillian Hellman, really? Who is Theresa Harris? How do Superman and Superwoman fit in? What is a women in danger/peril film and who may have created the first one? Where does the title of Something’s Gotta Give come from? What is a homme fatale?

Check out Kelly’s imdb page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4943645/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_5

And her series Spellagram on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtO0Sw6uMrA1B4KqnivfHAg

Her blog at https://kellythinksthis.com/

And her very funny short film: The Bachelorette Party at https://vimeo.com/254262647

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

Feeling a bit trapped? Longing to escape? So are the characters in the latest installment of my podcast series POP ART. So what better time to sit down and indulge? For this episode, my guest movierob selected the epic John Sturges WWII prison escape film The Great Escape. I in turn chose the more austere, minimalist Robert Bresson WWII prison escape film, A Man Escaped, both based on true stories. And in this episode we cover such topics as: Did the Simpsons do it? Why was Steve McQueen not chosen most popular actor on the set of The Great Escape? What liberties did the writers take for The Great Escape? Why is anti-cinema at times more emotional than cinema? And what does A Man Escaped have to do with The Incredible Hulk? So come along with us as we explore man in captivity.

“We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Feeling a bit bored? Need some outside activity? Maybe you should take up hunting? If so, who would you want helping you? John Wilson or Quint? Sounds like the time for Episode 19 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, my guest, writer and filmmaker Steve Wise (the award winning Sur’vi, soon to be seen on Amazon), has chosen the Steven Spielberg game changing summer blockbuster Jaws, while I have chosen the Clint Eastwood movie nobody has seen or heard of, White Hunter Black Heart, both with stories about characters obsessed with hunting down wild beasts. And in this episode, we’ll answer such questions as: Why is the shark named Bruce? What did the IRS have to do with the casting? Who was supposed to originally play Quint? Why doesn’t Hooper die in the film? Why is Clint Eastwood so good in WH, BH? Who plays Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn? Has Clintwood ever lost a fight in his movies? And may more. And don’t forget to check out Steve’s website at https://stephenjwise.com/?fbclid=IwAR0zlhdz9uw02JPLQ9zdwQPr7fszNUZd5usKsGtakWBluEbjMTP-5Nkb7x8and company page at http://realitycheckent.com/?fbclid=IwAR1QeY1zK8OnPdOVs82DOe5BU1uiONNHXmrOCvcU--AtlUttMIhFaw8-sAE

THE RACE IS ON: “Wake up, Wake up, Wake up.” Black Lives Matter. Antifa. Breonna Taylor. George Floyd. January 6th. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 46 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome producer/director Martina Silcock who has chosen the controversial and game changing Spike Lee joint Do The Right Thing, and I have chosen the astounding first feature by French filmmaker Ladj Ly, Les Miserables, both about racial tensions that explode in a single neighborhood leading to acts of violence and a riot.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What are the source materials for each film? Who did Spike Lee want for Sal first? What happened at Cannes and the Oscars? How does Parasite fit in? How does the Twilight Zone fit in? Are the endings satisfactory? What movie did Michelle and Barak Obama see on their first date?

Check out Martina’s IDMB page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3697341/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

Check out her films at:

Lines in the Sand: https://www.amazon.com/Lines-Richardson-Michael-Gilroy-Kerensa/dp/B01N14BWH5/

The Nest Egg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIWcjZE-vSM&t=360s

Mogul Mowgli: https://www.mogulmowgli.co.uk/

Her site: http://www.notthetennisplayer.com/

A site for underrepresented groups: https://www.lookbeyondthelist.com/

And keep a look out for Pig, starring Nicholas Cage

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

“Wax on, wax off. Wax on, Wax off.” Feeling the world is ganging up on you? Feeling targeted in some way? Even bullied by those around you? Who would you rather have on your side? Mr. Miyagi or Eli? The perfect time for Episode 18 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, my guest, film enthusiast and podcaster, Todd Liebenow (of The Forgotten Film and Walt Sent Me Podcasts) chose the Ralph Macchio/Pat Morita iconic coming of age martial arts classic, The Karate Kid, and I chose Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson’s moody, atmospheric new take on vampire films, Let The Right One In, both about bullying. And here we answer such questions as: How can you combine getting free labor while training someone for martial arts; who was the original choice for Mr. Miyagi; where the heck are the adults, for God’s sake; what does Let the Right One In bring to the vampire genre; what happens when you don’t invite a vampire in and they come in; and how are the issues of bullying dealt with and resolved in each movie, if they are indeed.

POP ART SAYS MERRY XMAS: I know, I know, I’m coming down the chimney late on this one. I’ve been slowed down by some various health issues, and the holidays, though I’m feeling a lot better now, thanks for asking. I hope I don’t get coal in my stocking for this.

 

But on to Pop Art, the podcast where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie/foreign side of cinema with a connection to it.

 

 

LONESOME HIGHWAYS: “I just forgot the number to 9-1-1!” For episode 113, I welcome back my annual Christmas guest, Jay Cluitt (of The Deep Blue Sea podcast), who really loves holiday movies. We have chosen to discuss two Christmas adjacent horror films: Wind Chill and Dead End. Blizzards, stalled cars, dead ends, getting lost, ghosts, dead people. What is worse than coming home for Christmas? It’s the drive home for Christmas.

 

In this episode we discuss why Christmas adjacent films are so popular. We also discuss the rise of Christmas horror films; just what is it with that? Jay liked Dead End more than Wind Chill, but both are quite scary and we certainly agree Emily Blunt was great. In the end, we learned the moral of the story is that if you come across a baby carriage on a lonely road, do not, DO NOT, stop. Drive off.

 

Check out Jay’s The Deep Blue Sea podcast https://www.spreaker.com/user/11106493/bodies-atrest?fbclid=IwAR330zZ_q9ywDj5o6FBwaU_JJ8dTfCnDF7O3k8AhggE2av3ufcvsEoHWzwk

 

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes. On ITUNES https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-art/id1511098925, Anchor: https://anchor.fm/howard-casner, and Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/5jX4noVGArDJdmcFtmrQcG, Sticher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/pop-art, Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/..., Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/pop-art, Pocketcasts: https://pca.st/vfjqj6j6, Radiopublic: https://radiopublic.com/pop-art-GExxNband other streaming sites

POP ART SAYS: JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU’RE OUT–Episode 115, The Fantastic Mr. Fox/Straight Time

 

 

“Because I’m going to get caught”. For this episode, I and Todd Liebenow of Forgotten Filmcast, had a great time discussing two films in which ex-cons try to go the straight and narrow…or do they?

 

 

We especially had a great discussion on such topics as movies about ex-cons; how attitudes town ex-cons has changed over the movie years; existentialism; the female characters and how they are portrayed.

 

 

I highly recommend checking out Todd’s Forgotten Filmcast, https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/forgottenfilmcast always a good discussion on overlooked or forgotten films.

 

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT: For the annual Pop Art Halloween Show, join me and my guest, teacher by day, horror aficionado by night, Lisa Leaheey, as we discuss two films about exorcisms, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Requiem, both films based on the same real life incident.

“Crazy people don’t know they’re crazy” You have a friend. They seem fine, normal, just like the next person. Then, suddenly, they start having fits. They start hearing and seeing things. They speak in foreign languages. Is it epilepsy? Is it schizophrenia? Or is it, could it be, maybe it’s…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 87 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, teacher by day, horror aficionado by night, Lisa Leaheey, who has chosen as her selection The Exorcism of Emily Rose, while I have chosen the German film Requiem, both films, not just about exorcisms, but about exorcisms based on the same real life incident.

Lisa has been my guest twice before. So be sure to check out Episode 59 where we talked Memento and Spellbound, and her first time on for Halloween, Episode 67, where we talked Hell House, LLC and Man Bites Dog.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: Who did Jennifer Carpenter’s contortions? Who is a fan of Deep Purple? Why did Derrickson choose Boardman to help write …Emily Rose? What’s a Lola and would you want to be one? What urban legend has sprung up relating to …Emily Rose? What is true horror? Who are Campbell Scott’s parents? What is it about exorcisms anyway? What is the coincidence behind Carpenter being cast? Why are there no MRIs in the two movies?

Check out Between the Scares with Lisa Leaheey at Whatever With Jason Soto at https://open.spotify.com/episode/7a0hdhkumnnpXH0CAYr33i

And check out her podcast The SibList at https://www.facebook.com/The-SibList-109714494695206

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE. Join me and podcaster, blogger and film enthusiast Richard Kirkham as we discuss Bull Durham and This Sporting Life, two films about athletes in existential crises.

I know what you’re thinking. What happened to Episode 77. Well, we recorded that episode on 2001 and Solaris twice, but Skype failed to download it. But everything seems fine now and we should be doing that episode in the near future. For some illogical reason, I decided to keep it Episode 77. Don’t ask me.

IT TAKES A LOT OF BALLS: I believe in the Church of Baseball. It’s spring when a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of…sports; or sport for our English listeners. Yes, sounds like it’s time for Episode 78 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time round, I am happy to welcome back, for the fourth time, Richard Kirkham, who has chosen as his film the Ron Shelton low key classic Bull Durham, while I have chosen the Lindsay Anderson’s angry young man, kitchen sink drama This Sporting Life, both films about athletes going through an existential crisis.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: What is it about sports films? What does it mean to win by losing? What do the writers of both films have in common? What happened during the Broadway production of David Storey’s The Changing Room that didn’t shock little old ladies? Where did the names come from? If a baseball player hits the bull do they really get a free steak dinner? How does Ron Shelton resemble his Bull Durham hero? How does Lawrence Olivier fit in? Who did the producers of Bull Durham want for Tim Robbin’s role first and how did Ron Shelton react? Why were young men angry in Britain?

Check out the LAMBcast at http://www.largeassmovieblogs.com/

Check out Richard’s blog at https://kirkhamclass.blogspot.com/?fbclid=IwAR3YYgDVY-42zT8hsDDo5ECSNe1xyPP9x2bvUAmm_XsVDDjtUjp3Aj8smCQ

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE, SAYS HAPPY ANNIVERSARY POP ART:  Yes, it’s the 75th episode of Pop Art, which means diamonds.

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRLS’ BEST FRIEND. “Cops! What the hell do they want? I haven't done anything... lately!” Traditionally, the gift for 75th anniversaries is diamonds. So my gift to you are two films about the search for precious jewels. Yes, it’s time for Episode 75 of Pop Art, the podcast where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. On Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time round, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, Donald McKinney, who has chosen as his selection the 1980s tongue in cheeky, postmodern Romancing the Stone, while I have chosen 1950’s MGM epic King Solomon’s Mines, both about a dangerous search for lost treasure.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is it about the hair? Why did Diane English only have one screenplay produced in her lifetime? What does the name Quatermain mean? What did the critics misunderstand about Romancing the Stone when it first came out? Where does Valley of the Dolls come in? What does the phrase “romancing the stone mean”? What beat out King Solomon’s Mines for best picture? What’s the in joke about American Express Travelers Checks?

Meanwhile, check out The Real Short Box on most streaming platforms like Apple, as well as on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=the+real+short+box

Donald’s website Rumblespoon Productions as http://www.rumblespoon.com/wp/index/

The web series The Blue Beetle https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6a-L7kUfdE

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

“Those aren’t pillows”. We’ve all been there. We have to be somewhere. We only have a certain amount of time to get there. And when we try…we hit nothing but obstacle after obstacle after obstacle. That’s right. It sounds like the perfect time for Episode 33 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back a previous guest, film enthusiast and blogger movierob, who has chosen teen scene John Hughes’ first adult movie, the Steve Martin/John Candy farce, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, and I have chosen the classic Russian antiwar film, Ballad of a Soldier, both films about characters trying to get someplace by a certain time, and find it, well, just a tad difficult. And in this episode, we answer such questions as: Why did Planes, Trains and Automobiles get an R rating? What did Ballad of a Soldier signify when it came to Russian films? What was the original ending of Planes, Trains…? Who is “one righteous dude”? How successful was Ballad of a Soldier? What does Planes, Trains… say about class in the US? What was the director of Ballad… able to get away with more than other Russian filmmakers?

And be sure to check out movierob’s blog at https://movierob.wordpress.com/

“Stick this is your trophy case.” It’s November, and to paraphrase Alfred Lord Tennyson, in fall a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of…sports, or, since one of our films is British, sport. And since we are still in quarantine, what better idea that to combine sports with prison. Sounds like the perfect time for Episode 32 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back a previous guest, film enthusiast, creator of the Film a Day blog, and host of the LAMBCast podcast Richard Kirkham, who has chosen the Robert Aldrich directed Burt Reynolds vehicle, The Longest Yard, and I have chosen the angry young man Tony Richardson drama, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, both about sports and prisons. And in this episode we answer such questions as: What was the alternative ending for The Longest Yard? Which people associated with the movies are part of long film dynasties? What did Aldrich think of Reynolds and what did Reynolds think of Aldrich? How does James Bond and Alfred Hitchcock fit in? What is the difference between James and Edward Fox? Who started the crazy old ladies films? What is an angry young man and what do they want?

Meanwhile, check out Richard’s Film a Day blog at http://kirkhamclass.blogspot.com/

And the LAMBCast at http://www.largeassmovieblogs.com/

OH, FRABJOUS DAY. CALLOOH! CALLAY!” HE CHORTLED IN HIS JOY.

 

 

Yes, that’s right. Pop Art is back and:

 

 

POP ART SAYS: AT LONG LAST LOVE– Episode 113, Ghost/Madly, Truly, Deeply

 

 

Yes, this is the Valentine’s Day episode and, yes, it is very, very late. This is due to the good (an incredible vacation to Sydney and New Zealand) and bad (getting Covid the day we were flying back). So, thanks for your patience to my regular listeners. As for those who aren’t regular listeners, please become so, so that I can thank you for your patience.

 

 

“Ditto”. For these two films, I and Richard Kirkham of such vlogs and blogs like The Lambcast and The Strother Martin Film Project, had a great time discussing two romantic dramas about lovers coming back from the afterlife to interact with those left behind.

 

 

We especially had a great discussion not only as to why such films are so popular, but whether there is a difference between films where the ghost is a man or a woman (we thought there might very well be). Both films came out the same year, but thematically and stylistically, they are so very different. But only one has Alan Rickman in it.

 

 

So, join us with this great discussion where after death your loved ones may come back, whether you want them to or not.

 

 

I highly recommend checking Richard Kirkham’s various blogs:

 

 

The Lambcast https://largeassmovieblogs.com/category/podcasts/lambcast

 

 

The Strother Martin Film Project https://strothermartinfilmproject.wordpress.com/

 

 

A Movie a Day https://kirkhamamovieaday.com/

 

 

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.

 

IT’S HARD TO BE THE BARD: Join me and filmmaker David Au (Eat With Me, Don’t Be Sorry), as we talk My Own Private Idaho and Chimes at Midnight, two adaptations of William Shakespeare’s Falstaff stories.

 

“I only have sex with a guy for money” What’s a father to do? You’re rich and powerful, maybe a king even—hey, it could happen; but your son, your heir, would rather become a male prostitute or hang out with some lazy ne’er do wells, drinking and bedding wenches. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 104 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie/foreign side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, filmmaker David Au, who has chosen as his film Gus Van Sant’s indie My Own Private Idaho, while I have chosen Orson Welles’ indie, Chimes at Midnight, both films that are based on some history plays by a guy named William Shakespeare.

 

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is it with adaptations of Shakespeare? What is the one scene in each film that helps the films achieve transcendence? What’s odd about the statue of the elk in Portland when the characters in …Idaho first arrive? Why did Welles have such a difficult time getting films made? Where can the director be seen in …Idaho? What do the titles mean? Why did Chimes at Midnight flop? What is the new queer cinema? What is historically incorrect about knights getting on their horses in Chimes at Midnight?

 

 

Check out David’s IMDB page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1614404/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_5_tt_0_nm_8_q_david%2520au

 

And be on the lookout for his new short film Don’t Be Sorry

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

PEEK A BOO: Join me and blogger and film lover James S. Wilson as we talk two masterpieces, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window and Krzysztof Kieslowski’s A Short Film About Love, two films about voyeurs and voyeurism.

 

 

“Why would a man leave his apartment three times on a rainy night with a suitcase and come back three times?” You’re alone in your own apartment. Doing your thing. Maybe you’ve murdered someone. Or maybe you’re having sex. When suddenly you get this feeling…Am I…being watched? Probably…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 108 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie/foreign side of cinema with a connection to it.

Today, I am happy to welcome as my returning guest, blogger and film enthusiast, James S. Wilson, who has chosen as his film one of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpieces, Rear Window, while I have chosen one of Krzysztof Kieślowski’s masterpieces, A Short Film About Love, both films about voyeurs and voyeurism.

 

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: Who slept on the set of Rear Window while it was being made? Why did Kieslowski decide not to use different directors for each entry in The Dekalog? Who is Bess Flowers? Why did Kieslowski expand A Short Film About Love into a feature film? Who is Ross Bagdasarian and what is his contribution to children’s culture? How does both Hitchcock and Kieslowski’s Catholicism influence their films? Who played Jeff’s agent in Rear Window? What are the differences between the source materials and the final feature for both films?

 

Check out James’s blog Blogging by Cinema-light at http://bloggingbycinemalight.blogspot.com/

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

Be sure to like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.

 

REBELS WITH AND WITHOUT A CAUSE: Join me and filmmaker Derek Nguyen (The Housemaid, now available on Amazon) as we talk Hair and No Regrets for Our Youth, two films about young people protesting a war.

 

“It’s the age of Aquarius.” War. What is it good for. Absolutely nothing, except maybe munitions manufacturers, politicians, war contractors, oh, and of course movies, can’t forget movies…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 98 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, writer, director, producer Derek Nguyen, who has chosen as his film the Milos Foreman musical Hair, while I have chosen an early Akira Kurosawa film, No Regrets for Our Youth, both films about young people protesting war.

 

And in this episode we answer such questions: Why is there such a dearth of war protest films? What great songs did they leave out of Hair? What is the real history behind the events in No Regrets…? What did the authors of the original Broadway version of Hair think of the movie? Is Henry David Thoreau full of it? What musical pieces are played on piano in No Regrets…? Where is the lyric The Rest is Silence from? What doesn’t quite compute about the ending of Hair? Where does Nicholas Ray appear in Hair?

 

Check out Nguyen’s IMDB profile at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1532529/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_8_q_dereke%2520nguyen. The Housemaid can be seen on Amazon Prime.

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

Meanwhile, like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes.

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.

 

FATALE ATTRACTION: Join me and film enthusiast The Vern of Cinema Recall as we discuss two movies about film fatales, To Die For and Ossessione.

 

“You're not really anybody in America unless you're on TV.” You meet someone. You fall in love. She’s married. She manipulates you into killing her husband so you can be with her forever. She betrays you. Hey, it’s happened to the best of us…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 97 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, film enthusiast and podcaster The Vern, who has chosen as his film the dark comedy, Gus Van Sant’s To Die For, while I have chosen Luchino Visconti’s feature film debut, Ossessione, both films about woman manipulating men to commit murder for them. Fun times. Fun times.

 

And in this episode we answer the following questions: What did the writers get wrong about driving in New Hampshire? Why was Ossessione banned in Italy and then prohibited in the US after the war? What happened in real life that was different in To Die For? Who ran screaming from the film festival premier of Ossessione screaming—This is not Italy? What is the appeal of femme fatales? What is a homme fatale? Who is G. Clifford Prout? Why didn’t Anna Magani play the lead in Ossessione? Where does the author of the book To Die For appear in the movie? Is there a coded gay character in Ossessione? Why does Illeana Douglas have a cast on in the second half of the movie?

 

Meanwhile look up The Vern’s podcast CinemaRecall at Cinemarecall.net.

 

The Vern has been a previous guest on my podcast. For episode 6, we discussed two films revolving around roboticized police forces, Robocop and THX1138.

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

Meanwhile, like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think.

“Lies, deceit, mixed messages... this is turning into a real marriage”. Not quite feeling yourself these days?  Do you suspect you might not be who you think you are? Maybe that you might even be…someone else? Just in time for Episode 17 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, my guest, filmmaker and screenwriter AJ Bermudez, chose Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo’s over the top action thriller Face/Off while I have chosen David Lynch’s surrealistic neo-noir Mulholland Drive, both with characters who are not exactly themselves for most of the story. And here we answer such questions as: What happened to John Woo in America? What the hell is going on in Mulholland Drive? Is John Travolta better at playing Nicholas Cage, or Cage better at playing Travolta? What are the best scenes in each movie? What do I and David Lynch have in common and what do the French have to do with it? What is the weakest scene in Face/Off? Who or what is Harve Presnell and would you want to be one?

SOMETHING FISHY’S GOING ON: Join me and novelist, film enthusiast and podcaster, Heather Baxendale-Walsh, as we talk Lost in Translation/Toby Dammit, two fish out of water stories about actors in an existential crisis while visiting another country. What could go wrong?

It’s difficult to be a fish. It’s even more difficult to be a fish out of water. It’s even more difficult to be a fish out of water actor having a mid-life crisis on the verge of a breakdown suffering jet leg and not speaking the native language…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 84 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome as my guest, novelist, film enthusiast and podcaster, Heather Baxendale-Walsh, who has chosen as her film Sofia Coppola’s existential exploration of alienation, Lost in Translation, while I have chosen Federico Fellini’s surrealist classic Toby Dammit, both films about actors in crisis in a foreign country.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: Who is the part Anna Faris played not, definitely not, most definitely not, based on? Who was originally cast in the Terence Stamp? What is it about portmanteau films? Where did the idea for the Suntory commercial come from? Is there a Mandela effect here? What do the two Germans say in the sauna? Where does Silent Hill fit in? What did the elderly man in the hospital say?

Be sure to check out Heather’s new book now available on Amazon, The Prophecy https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hb+walsh+the+prophecy&i=stripbooks&crid=3VBTWBQF3LCZE&sprefix=hb+walsh%2Cstripbooks%2C231&ref=nb_sb_ss_fb_1_8

And her website at heatherbaxendale.com

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE: PUTTING THE FUN IN FUNERALS

UPCOMING EPISODE (to be uploaded 11/26/21): “That’s not my father”. It’s fall. The leaves are dying. The plants are dying. The earth is dying. It’s nothing but death, death, death. But is that going to get us down? Well, we shall see. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 69 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, film enthusiast, blogger, and host of the LAMBCast podcast Richard Kirkham, who has chosen as his selection the Frank Oz farce, Death at a Funeral, while I have chosen the perhaps more subtle, but no less effective Japanese film by Juzo Itami, The Funeral, two films that put the fun in funerals.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What’s so funny about funerals? Why did Juzo Itami make so few films? Where have I seen that actor before? Why was Japanese comedy so oxymoronic for such a long time? What is Frank Oz’s best film? Who is Itami’s brother-in-law? What are the here remakes of Death at a Funeral? Where does 55 Days at Peking and Lord Jim come in? What married couple play a married couple in what film? Who was Itami married to?

Check out the LAMBcast at http://www.largeassmovieblogs.com/

Check out Richard’s blog at https://kirkhamclass.blogspot.com/?fbclid=IwAR3YYgDVY-42zT8hsDDo5ECSNe1xyPP9x2bvUAmm_XsVDDjtUjp3Aj8smCQ

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

“I want my lavender spats.” What is about kids? Those annoying little rug rats and curtain climbers that cause you nothing but misery, pain and despair? Wouldn’t it be great if you could do something about them? But you can’t, can you? Because they’re kids. Can’t live with them, can’t kill them…or can you? Just in time for Episode 28 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back a returning guest who earlier joined me on Pop Art to discuss The Omen and Village of the Damned, Damien Riley. As someone especially interested in horror, I was thrilled to have him return for the Halloween episode. Damien has chosen perhaps the underrated non-Halloween Halloween movie, Halloween III, Season of the Witch, while I have chosen the overlooked and also perhaps underrated Dr. Seuss fantasy/musical The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T, both with diabolical plots aimed at children. And in this episode, we answer such questions as: why did neither film succeed or meet expectations? What did Dr. Seuss have to say about The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T? Who is or were married while working on these two films? Who dubbed Timmy Rettig’s voice? Who was the voice of the curfew announcer in Halloween III? What is a Hans Conried and would you want to be one? And did the Simpsons do it?

And be sure to check out Damien’s blog: rileyonfilm.com

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.

GO WESTERN, YOUNG MAN: Join me and film producer Colin Vaines (Gangs of New York, Young Victoria, My Week with Marilyn, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool) as we talk The Wild Bunch/Once Upon a Time in America.

First, a mea culpa caveat. There were some technical issues, so at the end, some things were cut short, mainly in how I listed my suggested films, and then I left out what’s coming up for me and the podcast. But other than that, it was a great recording venture.

“When you side with a man, you stay with him!” Oh, the good old days of the west where it was easy to tell the good buys from the bad guys. The bad guys wore black hats; robbed and killed innocent people; and hated Indians; the good guys wore white hats, brought law and order to the community, and hated Indians …Sounds like it’s time for Episode 89 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, producer and filmmaker Colin Vaines, who has chosen as his film the existentialist revisionist western, Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch, while I have chosen the more postmodern revisionist western, Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West, both films not just about the changing West, but about the change in Westerns.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: Why did the two filmmakers make so few films? What is the connection between the Mexican warlord Mapache and the Oscar statuette? Who dubbed Claudia Cardinale’s voice and what is she most famous for? What movie did Lee Marvin turn down The Wild Bunch to do? Dario Argento and Bernardo Bertolucci…together? What did John Wayne say about The Wild Bunch? Why did a French movie projectionist hate Once Upon a Time…? What did Peckinpah do after Robert Ryan wouldn’t stop complaining about not getting top billing? What fashion influence did Once Upon a Time… have and what did it have to do with escalators?

Check out Colin’s Wikipedia page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Vainesand his films which can be found on various platforms as well as coming to a theater near you.

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

For this episode of Pop Art, my guest Richard Kirkham chose the James Bond blockbuster Goldfinger and I, in turn, chose the brooding, dark adaptation of John Le Carre's spy novel The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. John Le Carre called Bond an "international gangster" and in this episode we answer such questions as: how did the screenwriter resolve a major hole in the original Ian Fleming story; what line from Goldfinger was removed for censorship purposes; can someone actually die from being painted gold; what is an Oskar Werner and would you want to be one; who makes the best spy, Bond,James Bond, or Alec Leamus?

WATCH THE SKIES. “It's not destroying. It's making something new.” When we’re visited from another world, how will it happen? Will it be with a bang or a whimper? Will it be a war of the worlds, a day the earth stood still, a close encounter? Or will it be a subtler arrival with a philosophical bent? Sounds like the perfect time for Episode 37 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. Today, I am happy to welcome director, writer, producer, Gustavo A. Garzon, who has chosen the female driven sci-fi epic Annihilation, whereupon I have chosen the Andrei Tarkovsky philosophical sci-fi art house classic Stalker, both about alien arrivals that resulted in the creation of a mysterious location the government has cut off from the general public. And in this episode we answer such questions as: What do these movies mean, or do they mean anything? Why did Annihilation flop? Why was Stalker filmed three different times? How does Annihilation support post-modernism and how does it address the ideas of female leads in film and the new era of genre meets diversity? How did Stalker contribute to the death of the director, the director’s wife and the lead actor?

Be sure to check out Garzon’s IMDB page and his many films and videos at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3126261/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.

OOPS, I DID IT AGAIN: Join me and my guest, playwright, director and screenwriter Steven Peros (The Cat’s Meow, Footprints), as we talk Psycho/Peeping Tom, two films about serial killers that changed movies forever.

It happens to the best of us. You get these urges. You can’t help yourself. Someone dies. Then someone else dies. Then someone else dies. What’s a serial killer to do…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 93 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. I am your “A boy’s best friend is his mother” host, Howard Casner. Today, I am happy to welcome as my guest, playwright, director and screenwriter Steven Peros, who has chosen as his film the Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho, while I have chosen the Michael Powell thriller Peeping Tom, both voyeuristic films about characters who go a little mad sometimes.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: Why was Psycho such a hit and Peeping Tom such a flop? What is it about serial killer movies anyway? Is Psycho postmodern? Why was Rebecca such an important film in Hitchcock’s history? Why did Peeping Tom get reevaluated? From a Freudian standpoint, what is interesting about the Bate’s House? Why does the central character in Peeping Tom have a German accent when he is supposed to be British? Was Psycho really responsible for Perkin’s and Leigh’s lackluster careers afterwards? Who was compared to the Marquis de Sade? Why does Psycho start on Friday, December 11th?

Check out Steven’s IMDB page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0674432/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_3

The Cat’s Meow and Footprints are as of now available on Tubi

And he can be contacted on Facebook (he is the only Steven Peros who is not a realtor); he can be found on twitter at @StevenGPeros; and his website is at https://stevenperos.com/.

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

MONSTERBATING: “You can hop, but you can’t hide”. Join film enthusiast and blogger Tony Cogan (Coogs Reviews) as we discuss Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit and the 1931 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, two films about experiments that go wrong and result in the creation of a monster (don’t you hate when that happens?).

Also, enjoy an episode that covers some of the same ideas: Jurassic Park/Frankenstein/Bride of Frankenstein/Son of Frankenstein at https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/elsfomas well as Apple, Spotify and other streaming services.

Don’t you hate it when something goes a little wrong? You create a person out of spare body parts and they go on a murderous rampage. You create dinosaurs out of DNA and they go on a murderous rampage. You create a serum to get rid of the bad part of you and you go on a murderous rampage. You create a mind manipulator for bunny rabbits and you end up going on a murderous rampage of…well, vegetables, but the principle is the same. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 64 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome as my guest, film enthusiast and blogger Tony Cogan, who has chosen as his film the stop motion animated comedy Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, while I have chosen the pre-code horror film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, both films about scientific experiments gone wrong resulting in the creation of a monster.

And in this episode we’ll answer such questions as: How do you pronounce Jekyll? What does a director do on an animated film? How were the special effects achieved in Dr. Jekyll…? What is the difference between American and British horror/sci-fi films of the 1950s and 60s? Why did Wallace Beery tie with Frederic March for Best Actor at the Oscars? Just what is it about animated films and their increase in popularity? What’s innovative about the opening scene in Dr. Jekyll? What movie beat out Wallace and Gromit by $200,000 the 2nd week of opening? Why did posters have to be altered in Portland, Dorset, UK? Who is Rose Hobart and why were they saying all those terrible things about her? What is the Wilhelm scream?

Check out Tony’s blog Coogs Review at https://coogsreviews.wordpress.com/author/tonycoogs/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

STRANGER DANGER. “I left the cucumbers behind” Our mothers always warned us. Always wear clean underwear. Always finish the food on your plate, there are children starving in other countries. Never pick up strangers. But do we listen to her? Of course, not. And because of that, we have to pay the penalty. Sounds like the perfect time for Episode 40 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For my listeners, please like, follow or comment. For this episode, I welcome writer/producer/director Robert Brody, who has chosen the Nicole Kidman, San Neill, Billy Zane three-handed thriller Dead Calm, and I have chosen Roman Polanski’s freshman feature, the Polish arthouse classic Knife in the Water, both about a couple who pick up a stranger and find themselves in sexual and physical conflict while on a boat at sea. And in this episode, we answer such questions as: Why do you never ask Billy Zane to go boating? Who dubbed the voice of the hitchhiker in Knife in the Water and why? What are the technical accuracies and inaccuracies of both movies? How and why did they change the ending to Dead Calm? What is significant about Knife in the Water and the Oscars? Why didn’t Polanski remake Knife in the Water in Hollywood?

And be sure and stay tuned to the end where Robert very generously gives me a wonderful recommendation for my coverage service. Thank you, Robert.

“We’re on a mission from God.” Feel like there’s something you should be doing that you aren’t? Are you ignoring some calling, perhaps? Maybe that there is some sort of goal, or even a mission, that you should be on? The perfect time for Episode 22 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For my listeners, please like, follow or comment. I’m especially looking for more reviews on iTunes and I’d love to know what you think. This time around, my guests, fellow podcasters Anna Keizer and Derek Dehanke, have chosen the Dan Ackroyd/John Belushi musical extravaganza The Blues Brothers, while I chose the austere 1971 Japanese masterpiece by Masahiro ShinodaSilence, both with stories about characters on a mission from God. And here we answer such questions as: Are Nazis funny? Who or what is a Mako and would you want to be one? Is there cultural appropriation here? Why didn’t the Blues Brothers do better at the box office than it did? Why did it go over budget? Which is the better film—Shinoda’s or Scorcese’s? Listen to Anna and Derek’s podcast 80’s Movie Montage on popular streaming sites. And look out for Anna’s supernatural dark comedy short She Had it Coming.

THE WRONG MANS: Join me and filmmaker, podcaster, author and film scholar, Steven Jay Rubin (The James Bond Encyclopedia) as we talk North by Northwest and Tell No One, two films about men accused of a murder they didn’t commit and have to go on the run to prove their innocence.

 

“You gentlemen aren't REALLY trying to kill my son, are you?” It happens to the best of us. We’re just going our merry way when someone gets murdered. We get blamed for it when we’re totally innocent. So do we work with the authorities and hire a good lawyer and private investigator? Of course not. We do what any normal person would. We go on the run and find the murderer ourselves. Ah, fun times, fun times…

 

Sounds like it’s time for Episode 99 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie/foreign side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, filmmaker, podcaster, author and film scholar, Steven Jay Rubin, who has chosen as his film the Alfred Hitchcock classic North By Northwest, while I have chosen Guillaume Canet’s Tell No One, both films about someone who has been accused of a murder they didn’t commit and have to go on the run to prove their innocence.

 

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is the appeal of wrong man films? Who is the murderer in the book as opposed to the film of Tell No One? What about that crop duster scene? What about that chase over the freeway and through the market scene? Whose idea was it to make Marin Landau’s character gay? What actor in Tell No One plays the lead in the French version of The Office? Why do the French adapt so many American and British authors of thrillers and mysteries? Where does the title North by Northwest come from? Is Hercule Poriot French? What is the age difference between Cary Grant and Jessie Royce Landis?

 

Check out Rubin’s IMDB profile at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0748169/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_0_nm_1_q_steven%2520jay%2520rubin

 

His podcast Saturday Night at the Movies can be found at https://www.stevenjayrubin.com/podcast

 

And his books are available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=steven+jay+rubin&i=stripbooks&crid=3Q0CWCUZ3OQF1&sprefix=steven+jay+rubin%2Cstripbooks%2C186&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

 

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

 

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

 

Meanwhile, like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes. On ITUNES https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pop-art/id1511098925, Anchor: https://anchor.fm/howard-casner, and Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/5jX4noVGArDJdmcFtmrQcG, Sticher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/pop-art, Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/..., Breaker: https://www.breaker.audio/pop-art, Pocketcasts: https://pca.st/vfjqj6j6, Radiopublic: https://radiopublic.com/pop-art-GExxNb and other streaming sites

THEY’RE REVOLTING: “It’s a trap.” Join filmmaker and fellow podcaster Derek Diamond (The Derek Diamond Experience) as we talk The Empire Strikes Back and The Battle of Algiers, two films about a revolutionary forced trying to throw off the yoke of their empire owners.

Also, I was a guest on The Derek Diamond Experience and you can find it here among other streaming platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-derek-diamond-experience/id954082680

Isn’t always the same. You take over a country or planet. Teach them your ways. Make them civilized. But are they grateful? Do they welcome your world domination and tyranny? No. The thankless peons dare to ask, no demand, their freedom. Unappreciative miscreants…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 65 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome as my guest, filmmaker and fellow podcaster, Derek Diamond, who has chosen as his film the sequel to the blockbuster Star Wars, the not-so-blockbuster, but perhaps superior, The Empire Strikes Back, while I have chosen the French neo-realist classic The Battle for Algiers, both films about people fighting an empire for their freedom.

And in this episode we answer such questions: Does Star Wars have a diversity issue? What is scientifically wrong with the asteroid belt scene? Who is Sartre? Is the director’s cut better? What did Harrison Ford say about the screenplay to Lucas? What is unusual about the Oscars and Battle? What warning was attached to screenings of Battle in some countries and why? Why is Alec Guinness in Empire for such a little time? What is Manicheism? Why was Battle banned in France? Who wrote Empire? What line was David Prowse given to say because he tended to leak information? Where do the Black Panthers and the Baader-Meinhof complex come in? Where does the Wilhelm scream come?

And don’t forget to check out the Derek Diamond Experience https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-derek-diamond-experience/id954082680

And his short film on YouTube, The Parker Syndrome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKarHgnYs9A

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.

WHO DOOD IT: Join me and founder and editor in chief at For Reel, Thomas Stoneham-Judge, as we talk Knives Out/Gosford Park, two locked door, closed circle of suspects murder mysteries.

“We have the nanny cam footage.” It’s a remote mansion. Someone has been murdered. It has to be someone who is staying there. What do you do?…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 83 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It’s the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, founder and editor in chief at For Reel, Thomas Stoneham-Judge, who has chosen as his film Rian Johnson’s modern day locked room/closed circle of suspects murder mystery, Knives Out, while I have chosen Robert Altman’s period locked room/closed circle of suspects murder mystery, Gosford Park, both murder mysteries that take place at remote mansions with a limited number of suspects.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is a locked room, closed circle of suspects murder mystery? Who did Ryan Philippe replace in Gosford Park? What does Benoit Blanc’s name in Knives Out translate as? What did Raymond Chandler say about these types of murder mysteries? Why did Robert Altman use two cameras constantly moving in every scene? Is Gosford Park a bait and switch? How did Knives Out get around the reading of the will cliche? What is the relationship between Gosford Park and Downton Abbey?

Check out Thomas’ website for ForReel at https://thisisforreel.com

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE: CARRY ON CAMPING-The Bridge on the River Kwai/King Rat

“What have I done?” People do it different ways. Some use sleeping bags under the stars. Some use tents. Some use air mattresses and bring along TVs. Some dress up in drag. Others do it spending time as POWs. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 71 of Pop Art, the podcast where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. On Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, blogger and podcaster movierob, who has chosen as his selection the David Lean/Alec Guinness epic The Bridge on the River Kwai, while I have chosen the more cynical Bryan Forbes angry young man film, King Rat, both about prisoners in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: Who was the first actor considered for the Alec Guiness role in The Bridge on the River Kwai? What happened to George Segal’s career? What mistake did Pierre Boulle make about the location of the river and what did the government of Burma do in response? Where was King Rat filmed? Where did the Corporal Bogey march come from and how did it end up in the movie? Are both films about being at war, or are they really about the British class system? What did William Holden have to do to his body to take the role in …Kwai? What game show host appeared at the end of King Rat? What horror film did author James Clavell write that launched his screenwriting career?

Check out Movierob’s The Great Escape Minute Podcast aka MovieRob Minute Season 1 https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/podomatic71335

And his blog at https://movierob.wordpress.com/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

"Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs..." Have things reached a point where the world desperately needs a hero to save us? Find out with the twelfth episode of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I, in turn, will choose a film from the art/classic side of cinema. This time, my guest, screenwriter and producer Ann Kimbrough, has chosen everyone’s favorite Christmas movie, Die Hard, and I, in turn, have chosen the French parkour/martial arts classic District B13, in which the lives of a group of people rest in the hands of some unexpected heroes. And here we discuss such topics as: Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? What part did Cybil Shephard’s pregnancy have to do with everything? To parkour or not parkour? What is the lasting influence of Die Hard? How does the movie Taken fit in? Is this the end of French cinema as we know it? What can screenwriters learn from these movies?

BFFs: “On your left.” Does this sound familiar? You have a best friend growing up. You’re inseparable. You’d give your life for them. But as you get older, you find yourselves going your separate ways. While you go the straight and narrow and fight for law and order, your former friend joins the forces of evil to take down all that is worthwhile. It’s happened to all of us. Sounds like the perfect time for Episode 36 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. Today, I am happy to welcome film enthusiast and podcaster, Kevin Myth, who has chosen the Marvel blockbuster Captain America: The Winter Soldier and I have chosen the favorite film of John Dillinger, the pre-code Manhattan Melodrama, both films about best friends who grew up to find themselves fighting each other on opposite sides of the law. And in this episode we answer such questions as: Who is the modern day Clark Gable? What is the difference between the Marvel and DC universes? Who played Clark Gable as a child? How relevant is Captain America: Winter Soldier to today’s world? What does John Dillinger have to do with it? Why did Robert Redford do the movie? What is significant about Nick Fury’s gravestone in Captain America?

And check out Kevin’s podcast: The Real Short Box, http://www.rumblespoon.com/wp/index/