Framed & Bound

A podcast about movies set in the world of books and publishing. Each episode, host Tobias Carroll is joined by a new guest to talk about a different film.

"The Front" (With Melanie Anagnos) 10/23/2025

"The Front" (With Melanie Anagnos) This time out, we're discussing The Front, written by Walter Bernstein and directed by Martin Ritt, about an unambitious man asked to work as a "front" for several blacklisted writers in the 1950s. The film stars Woody Allen, Zero Mostel, Michael Murphy, Herschel Bernardi, and Andrea Marcovicci. Our guest this episode is , author of the crime novel , set in 1979 Paterson. Discussed: the greatness of Zero Mostel, the parallel universe where Woody Allen became a character actor, what we can learn from blacklist narratives today, and more. The Front is available to rent digitally from most major platforms; there's also with some interesting-looking special features. /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/38738390

"Harriet the Spy" (with Kerri Sullivan) 06/30/2025

"Harriet the Spy" (with Kerri Sullivan) On the latest episode of Framed and Bound, host Tobias Carroll and guest Kerri Sullivan revisit the 1996 film Harriet the Spy. Subjects discussed in this episode: how to tell when a movie set in NYC was not shot in NYC; a Kids in the Hall connection; the number of Tony Award winners involved with this film; Diane Duane's novels about wizards; the comic book Friday; childhood journals; the movie Quills; general Monmouth County lore. is the proprietor of and organized the . /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/37214910

"Ask the Dust" (with Constance Squires) 04/29/2025

"Ask the Dust" (with Constance Squires) After an unexpected break, Framed and Bound returns with a new episode focusing on writer-director Robert Towne's 2006 adaptation of John Fante's novel Ask the Dust! Joining host Tobias Carroll for this episode is , author of Low April Sun, available wherever books are sold. Discussed this episode: the ideal director to adapt John Fante; when you cast the right actor at the wrong age; The Brutalist; The Committments; Saul Bellow; the hard-living literary dude canon; David Peace; Modernist literature....and so much more. /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/36334940

"Misery" (with Lee Matthew Goldberg) 01/30/2025

"Misery" (with Lee Matthew Goldberg) In this episode of Framed & Bound, host Tobias Carroll and guest discuss the 1990 film Misery, an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name. It’s also the third King adaptation to be covered on this podcast. One of these days, we’ll get to Secret Window. Discussed in this episode: the greatness of Kathy Bates, Rob Reiner’s suspense chops, the challenges of adapting Stephen King, Tobias’s issues with season one of Castle Rock, Misery and toxic fandom, and when bestselling writers have bizarre subway ads. As discussed in the episode: reviews of the graphic novel and the documentary . In two weeks, Constance Squires stops by to discuss another literary adaptation about the life of a writer: Ask the Dust. Our logo is by . /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/35078610

"The Shining" (with Jesi Bender) 01/13/2025

"The Shining" (with Jesi Bender) The first Framed & Bound episode of 2025 is, appropriately enough, about one of the wintriest movies ever made. This time out, Tobias Carroll and guest discussed the 1980 film The Shining, an adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name. It may be the sole cinematic podcast in which you’ll hear both The Killing of a Sacred Deer and Top Gun: Maverick invoked. Also discussed this episode: Elizabeth Hardwick’s cameo appearance, when bad CGI happens to good ideas, the perennial appeal of Stephen King, the role of room decor in this film, and whether a prequel to this would be a good idea. Jesi Bender’s latest book is . This time out, we mentioned past episodes focusing on and . Next up: another discussion of a literary Stephen King adaptation. Which one? Well, you’ll have to listen in to find out. Our logo is by . /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/34819725

"Adaptation" (with Drew Buxton) 11/13/2024

"Adaptation" (with Drew Buxton) After a brief delay due to, well, current events, there’s a new episode of Framed & Bound. This time out, joins Tobias Carroll to get very metafictional as they discuss 2022’s Adaptation, featuring two of Nicolas Cage’s best performances. Discussed: writing about wrestling, Brian Cox’s agelessness, Charlie Kaufman’s work as a director, the challenges of adapting unadaptable books, and the greatness of Wojciech Has. Drew Buxton’s is available directly from the publisher and wherever books are sold. If you’ve ever been curious to read The Orchid Thief, it’s from Bookshop and your local bookstore. Shout Factory’s blu-ray of the film can be ordered . Tobias wrote about for Literary Hub. Our logo is by . /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/33894192

"Barfly" (with William Lessard) 10/19/2024

"Barfly" (with William Lessard) Framed & Bound is back with a look at the 1987 film Barfly, directed by Barbet Schroeder and written by Charles Bukowski. Host Tobias Carroll and guest William Lessard discuss the pros and cons of Bukowski adaptations, Mickey Rourke’s career, and the Stallone family. You can find out more about William Lessard on his . Our new logo is by . /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/33521502

"Best Seller" (with David James Keaton) 10/07/2024

"Best Seller" (with David James Keaton) On the sixteenth episode of Framed and Bound, David James Keaton joined host Tobias Carroll to discuss the 1987 film Best Seller, starring Brian Dennehy and James Woods. Turns out we were not the only ones to find the end credits song to be a little bit stylistically jarring, as makes clear. You can find Keaton at his ; his latest book is the novel . And if you enjoyed hearing these guys talk about movies and books, there are where that came from. /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/33164202

"The Game" (with Ian S. Maloney) 09/23/2024

"The Game" (with Ian S. Maloney) On this week’s episode of Framed and Bound, author Ian S. Maloney joins host Tobias Carroll to unravel the twisty conspiracies of David Fincher’s 1997 film The Game — and explain what it has to do with the publishing industry. The Criterion Collection’s for the film has some terrific analysis of the film’s themes and images. (Apparently it’s a favorite of both Ty Segall and Brie Larson, so that’s cool.) We also referenced an earlier episode about Wolf, which you can listen to . You can find Ian S. Maloney online . /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/33164177

"The Forty-Year-Old Version" (with Caroline Hagood) 09/09/2024

"The Forty-Year-Old Version" (with Caroline Hagood) In the latest episode of Framed & Bound, guest Caroline Hagood and host Tobias Carroll discussed The Forty-Year-Old Version, writer/director/star Radha Blank’s engaging look at a playwright reckoning with art, ethics, and definitions of success. There’s been a lot of excellent writing on the film, including , , and . More information on Caroline Hagood’s writing and books can be found on . /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/32866562

"Can You Ever Forgive Me?" (with Dmitry Samarov) 08/26/2024

"Can You Ever Forgive Me?" (with Dmitry Samarov) On episode 13 of Framed & Bound, host Tobias Carroll and guest discussed the 2018 film Can You Ever Forgive Me? In 2008, Julie Bosman at The New York Times the publication of the memoir that inspired the film — and what some of the real-life buyers of author Lee Israel’s forged letters felt about her years after the fact. Dmitry Samarov’s latest book is . He’s also the co-host of the podcast and publishes a regular . You can read his 2018 review of this film at . /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/32721982

"Storm Center" (with Christian Niedan) 07/24/2024

"Storm Center" (with Christian Niedan) On the 12th episode of Framed & Bound, host Tobias Carroll and Christian Niedan of discuss the 1956 film Storm Center, about book banning in a small town. There’s also for the film that can be found on YouTube — which literally shows the final scene of the movie. Niedan about his experience as a blacklisted writer; he also maintains a fantastic . If you’re interested in more discussion of a film that Daniel Taradash was involved in, we Bell, Book and Candle last year. /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/32271122

"Irish Wish" (with Mairead Case) 07/02/2024

"Irish Wish" (with Mairead Case) For episode 11 of Framed & Bound, (, ) joins host Tobias Carroll to discuss Irish Wish, a movie in which an editor played by Lindsay Lohan creates a parallel universe where she’s engaged to the rakish author whose book she made a bestseller. The essay Mairead mentioned at episode's end can be found . Discussed in this episode: Irish saints, parallel universes, David Bowie, and whether the editor/author working progress in this film bears any resemblance to editor/author working progress in real life. /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/31972922

"The Ninth Gate" (with Kurt Baumeister) 05/16/2024

"The Ninth Gate" (with Kurt Baumeister) For the tenth episode of Framed & Bound, host Tobias Carroll teams up with Kurt Baumeister — author of and — to discuss the 1999 film The Ninth Gate. This was co-written and directed by Roman Polanski, and adapts Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s novel . In The Ninth Gate, an expert in rare books is sent in search of a centuries-old book that may contain information on gaining uncanny abilities. Does Satan play a part? He just might. Discussed in this episode: things you should never do to a rare book, intriguing facial hair choices, unseen Frank Langella roles and how they dovetail with this film, buildings on fire, and more. /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/31330272

"Possession" (with Arianna Reiche) 04/10/2024

"Possession" (with Arianna Reiche) On this episode, Tobias Carroll and Arianna Reiche discuss the 2002 film adaptation of A.S. Byatt’s Possession. is the author of the acclaimed novel At the End of Every Day, available wherever books are sold. You can read her short story “Potassium” , too! Possession is about a pair of academics researching the possible connection between two poets who lived decades earlier — two parallel storylines that trace the growing attraction between each pair of characters. Discussed in this episode: what the ideal way to adapt A.S. Byatt’s novel would actually be, whether “Jennifer Ehle is the best part of the movie” is a universal truth, the sheet amount of corduroy on screen here, and the film’s action-packed denouement. If you’re seeking a contrary perspective to our take on this movie, it’s probably worth noting that Roger Ebert a lot. /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/30759878

"You Hurt My Feelings" (with Michele Filgate) 03/18/2024

"You Hurt My Feelings" (with Michele Filgate) In this episode, writer — editor of the anthology What My Mother and I Don’t Talk About: Fifteen Writers Break the Silence — visits Framed & Bound to discuss Nicole Holofcener’s acclaimed 2023 film You Hurt My Feelings. Discussed in this episode: whether writing is like therapy, authors behaving badly in bookstores, writing workshops on screen and in reality, only children, the greatness of Zach Cherry, and ineffectual weed store robbers. /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/30414933

"Wolf" (with Matthew Specktor) 02/21/2024

"Wolf" (with Matthew Specktor) Welcome to the seventh episode of Framed & Bound! This week, my guest is , author of and . We discussed the 1994 film Wolf, directed by Mike Nichols and written by Jim Harrison and Wesley Strick. It’s available to rent or purchase digitally, and there are several Blu-Ray editions out there as well. Discussed in this episode: Wolf’s weird use of locations; the very odd plotting at work here; Jim Harrison cinematic adaptations; the ubiquity of Richard Jenkins; the charm of David Hyde Pierce; and slow-motion werewolves. /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/29766943

"Wonder Boys" (with Jonathan Russell Clark) 02/06/2024

"Wonder Boys" (with Jonathan Russell Clark) For this episode, I’m joined by — author of, most recently, the book Skateboard — to discuss the 2000 film Wonder Boys, about the personal and professional crises that come to a head in one writer’s life. Discussed in this episode: what was and was not changed in adapting Michael Chabon’s novel; great titles of fictional books; the nature of the nonfiction novel; whether Misery falls into the purview of this podcast; this film’s secret message about the importance of editors. Wonder Boys is available digitally at the usual places where you can rent a movie digitally; I believe there's also a Blu-Ray out in the world. On a personal note: I am glad to report that I loved this movie every bit as much as I did when I first saw it, albeit for some different reasons. (It also contains possibly my favorite Robert Downey Jr. performance.) /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/29766938

"Bag of Bones" (with Katharine Coldiron) 01/29/2024

"Bag of Bones" (with Katharine Coldiron) In this episode, writer and editor visits Framed & Bound to discuss the 2011 adaptation of Stephen King’s novel Bag of Bones, about a writer dealing with grief, writer’s block, and ghosts. She’s the author of the books Ceremonials and Junk Film: Why Bad Movies Matter — as well as the forthcoming collection Wire Mothers: Stories. Discussed in this episode: Canadian locations, the very unsettling implications of this miniseries’s climax, refrigerator magnets, whether or not ghosts can make cars explode, and several other films that have nothing to do with writers or ghosts, but are pretty entertaining. Bag of Bones features one of the most memorable ever. You can purchase it via Apple TV. Bag of Bones director Mick Garris is among the writers and directors interviewed in the documentary King on Screen, which in late 2022. /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/29689293

"The Hoax" (with Colin Dodds) 01/10/2024

"The Hoax" (with Colin Dodds) In this episode, writer Colin Dodds joins host Tobias Carroll to discuss director Lasse Hallström’s 2006 film The Hoax, inspired by the real-life case of author Clifford Irving and his entirely fictional autobiography of Howard Hughes. Discussed in this episode: fabulism on film, the absurdly good cast of this film, the way certain members of this film’s absurdly good cast are underused, the long shadow of Orson Welles’s F For Fake, and the art of false mustaches. The real Clifford Irving died in 2017; his New York Times has a good overview of his career. Ed Simon wrote about Irving’s hoax in . And if you haven’t yet seen Orson Welles’s F For Fake yet, . Colin Dodds is online at . His latest novel, available everywhere books are sold, is . /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/29423298

"Bell, Book and Candle" (with Lauren Cerand) 12/21/2023

"Bell, Book and Candle" (with Lauren Cerand) Bell, Book and Candle has it all: a high-powered book publisher! New York's magical underground! Jack Lemmon playing the bongos! And it's (kind of) a Christmas movie! Publicist joins host Tobias Carroll for this episode of Framed & Bound. Bell, Book and Candle is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and Tubi. It stars Kim Novak, James Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold, and Elsa Lanchester. The film was directed by Richard Quine. The screenplay was written by Daniel Taradash and adapts John Van Druten's play. /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/29190843

"Swimming Pool" (with Matthew Keeley) 12/07/2023

"Swimming Pool" (with Matthew Keeley) In the second episode of Framed & Bound, host Tobias Carroll and guest Matthew Keeley discussed the 2003 psychological thriller Swimming Pool. The film was directed by François Ozon and stars Charlotte Rampling, Charles Dance, and Ludivine Sagnier. Ozon wrote the screenplay with Emmanuele Bernheim. Discussed: editors with fancy houses in the south of France, precisely what kind of mysteries Charlotte Rampling's character in the film writes, and what genre this movie actually is. Roger Ebert's of the film is well worth reading: "Let us say that Francois Ozon, the director and co-writer (with Emmanuele Bernheim), understands as Hitchcock did the small steps by which a wrong decision grows in its wrongness into a terrifying paranoid nightmare." Ludivine Sagnier discussed her experience working on the film in . /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/28968058

"In the Mouth of Madness" (with duncan b. barlow) 10/29/2023

"In the Mouth of Madness" (with duncan b. barlow) "Space creature does not beat creepy clown. In any universe." In the first episode of Framed & Bound, writer and publisher duncan b. barlow joins host Tobias Carroll for a discussion of In the Mouth of Madness, director John Carpenter's 1994 take on cosmic horror and metafiction. Discussed in this episode: can footage of print production be metal? Does In the Mouth of Madness have the wrong main character? What's the best kind of door to prevent an eldritch invasion of Earth? And so! Much! More! Thanks to duncan b. barlow for appearing on the show! You can learn more about his writings and his music at . If you’re interested in learning more about Astrophil Press, you can do so . In the Mouth of Madness can be streamed . A deluxe Blu-Ray is available . In the Mouth of Madness is the third installment in John Carpenter’s . Sam Moore has written about all three films for Little White Lies. /episode/index/show/5231779a-76d4-45ca-8823-60a823fd254d/id/28451159

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