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.
HAVE MURDER, WILL TRAVEL: Join me and filmmaker, screenwriter, academic, and businessman Tony Klinger (The Who documentary, The Kids are Alright; The Man Who Got Carter; Dirty, Sexy and Totally Iconic; and the upcoming Peace Beats – Sisters) as we talk about a film his father Michael Klinger produced, one of the most iconic British films of all time Get Carter, along with the Spencer Tracy classic, Bad Day at Black Rock.
“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?
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
NEW POP ART EP 55: 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?
Ever wonder what a reader for a contest or agency thinks when he reads your screenplay? Check out the second edition of my screenwriting book, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader published on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GD1XP9Y
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?
Ever wonder what a reader for a contest or agency thinks when he reads your screenplay? Check out the second edition of my screenwriting book, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader published on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GD1XP9Y
Other episodes: Raiders of the Lost Ark/The Treasure of the Sierra Madre; Goldfinger/The Spy Who Came in From the Cold; Monty Python and the Holy Grail/The Seventh Seal; The Great Escape/A Man Escaped; Best in Show/Series 7: The Contenders; Robocop/THX 1138; Singin’ in the Rain/Irma Vep; Star Wars/The Hidden Fortress; The Omen/Village of the Damned; Aliens/Attack the Block; Adaptation/Sunset Boulevard; Die Hard/District B13; American Psycho/Repulsion; Dumb and Dumber/Too Late For Tears; Get Out/Upstream Color; Galaxy Quest/The Seven Samurai; Face/Off/Mulholland Drive; The Karate Kid/Let the Right One In; Finding Nemo/The Searchers; Jaws/White Hunter, Black Heart; Constantine/The Wailing; The Blues Brothers/Silence (1971); The Goonies/The Bridge (1959); Hell or High Water/Bonnie and Clyde; The Running Man/The Most Dangerous Game; Back to the Future/La Jatee; Snatch/The Twelve Chairs; Halloween III/The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T; Jurassic Park/Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein; Bridesmaids/Monsoon Wedding; Mad Max: Fury Road/A Boy and His Dog; The Longest Yard/The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner; Planes, Trains and Automobiles/Ballad of a Soldier; Big Trouble in Little China/That Man From Rio; Kiss Kiss Bang Ban/The Thin Man; Captain America: The Winter Soldier/Manhattan Melodrama; Annihilation/Stalker; Go/71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance; Superbad/American Graffiti; Dead Calm/Knife in the Water; Tootsie/Some Like It Hot; LA Confidential/Double Indemnity; The Truman Show/Dark City; Fast Times at Ridgemont High/The Last Picture Show; True Romance/Pierrot le Fou; Do The Right Thing/Les Miserables; Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse/Coherence; Something’s Gotta Give/Sudden Fear; Down With Love/Pillow Talk; Revenge of the Nerds/The Freshman; Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan/Rio Grande; Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom/Gunga Din; Almost Famous/Murmur of the Heart.
NEW POP ART EPISODE: 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/
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?
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?
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 50th episode; 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?
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.
