277. The 'Miami Vice' Pilot Episode (1984)
Full Cast And Crew
I've long wanted to revisit some of the great episodes of the Miami Vice TV series, and to find out if it's more influential than truly "great". So I finally did, and the result is a Roland Jazz Chorus-and-pastel-linen-suit-jacket infused trip down memory and musical lane. In this episode I take a fresh look at the two-part pilot and am reminded of the surprising context of the famous 'In The Air Tonight' nighttime driving scene. The iconic John Diehl (Zito) on to challenge himself as an actor. Phil Collins on the iconic The , Then & Now The more about gated reverb.
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276. Choices Were Made: 'Nuremberg' (2025) & 'Judgement At Nuremberg' (1961)
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Two different films tackle the same subject matter with wildly divergent results. You might be surprised which one is a vibrant, shockingly modern film that ranks amongst the greatest courtroom dramas ever made.
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275. 'Pulp Fiction': Still Crazy After All These Years
Full Cast And Crew
You see this watch? I hadn't seen Pulp Fiction probably since it came out in 1994, so when my family (including a teenager) wanted to watch it this weekend I wondered if it would hold up and if it would hold the attention of today's kids. Find out how it went in this episode! PLUS: plenty of alternative casting options and scene-setting for where the world of independant cinema was in 1994, a very strange and transitional year where the two most popular films were Pulp Fiction and...Forrest Gump.
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274. Sacred Cows: The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Full Cast And Crew
Since I contain multitudes, have run out of ideas, and since I aspire the podcast to embody Paul Krassner's iconic satirical magazine The Realist's motto of "Irreverrance is our only sacred cow", I am debuting the first in a series of occasional episodes where I revisit those films so firmly ensconced in our collective filmgoing conscience that we can be forgiven for forgetting if they're actually, you know...any good. So let's start with one of the odder films to achieve cinematic immortality: Frank Darabont's adaptation of a Stephen King short story (not that you'd know that from the films...
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273. 'My Cousin Vinny' (1992)
Full Cast And Crew
Somehow, I've never seen this film before for reasons to do with "the 90's" as described in the episode. What a great experience to watch a ruthlessly efficient screenplay in the hands of such an excellent and fun cast. Plus, it turns out there's plenty of funny off-screen content surrounding this production, including casting drama, studio interference, and some deft machinations from both screenwriter Dale Launer and director Jonathan Lynn. The Rolling Stone The .
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272. Emergency Episode: The Bachman Twist Pretzel Crisis of 2026
Full Cast And Crew
In this urgent plea for understanding in these troubled times, I veer off the normal charted waters of the podcast and into the knotty, twisted reality of a dawning awareness that all has not been as it seemed in the world of my most beloved snack food, Bachman Twist Pretzels. In this episode I will for the first time reveal the fruits of my investigative efforts uncovering the truth about Bachman Twist Pretzels no longer having a Twist. In all seriousness, my love for Bachman Twist Pretzels spans much of my entire life, and is connected to rare childhood memories of my Father, who loved...
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271. Abbas Kiarostami's 'Close-up' (1990)
Full Cast And Crew
One of the greatest, most thought-provoking yet totally accessible films is this masterpiece of cinema from Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami. It's the true story of a Tehran man who impersonates a famous filmmaker and convinces a family that he's going to cast them in a movie. Kiarostami then reconstructs the events that occurred using the real people involved, including the imposter. Part documentary, part fiction, and entirely about what we think about what we see on-screen, truth, lies, and cinema. I recommend the Criterion Channel's streaming page about this film as it contains...
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270. Robert Duvall in 'The Godfather Part II'
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From Senator Geary to Frankie Five Angels, Duvall's Tom Hagen navigated a twisty and often dirty road in the second Godfather film. Watching the movie through the lens of Tom Hagen, it's clear tha the film in its own way really focusses on Tom and Michael and how the changing times and Michael's increasing paranoia have removed the family so far from "The Good Old Days". The last two brothers left standing at the end of II are Tom and Michael. One of the great mysteries of Godfather III is if the presence of Tom Hagen would have salvaged that film from being the blight upon the memory of the...
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269. 'Night of the Juggler' (1980)
Full Cast And Crew
'Night of the Juggler' is either one of the best 70's film titles or one of the worst. Honestly I enjoy it, for it's uniqueness and complete (well...near complete) relevence to the film's plot. It's certainly memorable, if not directly speaking to the film's setting...which is mostly in the daytime of a VERY 1978 NYC. 'Night of the Juggler' had long been sort of like that Jerry Lewis Holocaust film; never-seen, long-rumored to be secretly great...elusive. But KinoLorber has finally rescued the film from obscurity with a new 4K transfer, available now on YouTube and other streaming...
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268. Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen in 'The Godfather'
Full Cast And Crew
Robert Duvall passed away at the age of 95 after more than 60 years as a working actor at the highest levels. One quick way to pay tribute to him is to revisit perhaps his most iconic and substantive role, that of Tom Hagen in The Godfather. Quietly the most important character linking the people and events in the film, Duvall's portrayal navigated complex internal issues like: when is a son not a son, and what is the reward for completing a lifetime of thankless tasks. All of these complicated things rest on Duvall's ability to read to us onscreen a whole host of emotions and thoughts. So in...
info_outlineThe 2nd episode in a series of episodes about 'The Exorcist' is inspired by my rewatch of the film. My original plan: to meticulously dissect each of three sections of the film in three subsequent episodes. My new plan? To get this episode filled with my enthusiastic and emotional reactions out to you ASAP. And to follow with two subsequent episodes if the interest (and downloads) are there.
The best way to listen to the four-part Exorcist episodes:
Listen to Part 1: Origins BEFORE re-watching or watching the film.
Listen to Part 2: The Rewatch AFTER re-watching or watching the film.
Listen to Parts 3 and 4 as commentary tracks WHILE watching the film again after all the above.