POP ART: Episode 59, Memento/Spellbound


NEW POP ART EPISODE: 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-109714494695206 soon 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

Meanwhile, like, follow or comment on my podcast. I’d love to know what you think. And check out the other episodes. On ITUNES and PODOMATIC. https://podcasts.apple.com/…/pop-art/id1511098925and https://hcasner65579.podomatic.com/, 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

POP ART: Episode 58, Train to Busan/North West Passage (aka Flame Over India)


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

Continue reading

POP ART: Episode 57, Get Carter/Bad Day at Black Rock


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?

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

Continue reading