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We continue Noirvember 2020 with a look at Peter Yates’s The Friends of Eddie Coyle. Based on the novel by George V. Higgins, the film stars Robert Mitchum as the titular Coyle, an over-the-hill small time crook who’s trying to get by in the milieu of Boston’s underground. The film is rich with incredible character actors like Peter Boyle, Richard Jordan, Alex Rocco, and more. Andrew J. Rausch and Eric J. Peterson join Mike to discuss the film as well as crime writing and the Boston beat.

On this special episode, Mike talks with author Glenn Kenny about his new book, Made Men, the Story of Goodfellas, a terrific tome all about Martin Scorsese’s seminal 1990 gangster film. Get the book at https://amzn.to/2Kj23Ab

Noirvember 2020 continues with a look at Robert Montgomery’s Ride the Pink Horse. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Dorothy B. Hughes, the film also stars Montgomery as Lucky Gagin, a man who comes to the small town of San Pablo, New Mexico during their annual fiesta…. Jedidiah Ayres and Carol Borden join Mike to discuss the various adaptations of Ride the Pink Horse. Sarah Weinman discusses Dorothy B. Hughes’s career.

#Noirvember 2020 kicks off with a look at John Farrow’s The Big Clock (1947). Based on the 1946 novel by Kenneth Fearing, it’s the story of George Stroud (Ray Milland) an editor at Crimeways magazine and employee of Earl Janoth (Charles Laughton). When a woman that both Stroud and Janoth have been sleeping with is murdered, Stroud is put on the case to find out who was last seen with the victim. And, of course, that last person looks a lot like him. Terry Frost and Tim Luz join Mike to discuss the film as well as it’s official… and unofficial remakes.

On this special episode of The Projection Booth we’re looking at David Cronenberg’s The Brood. It’s the story of the Carveth family and how the sins of the past visit the children of the next generation. Frank Carveth (Art Hindle) and his wife Nola (Samantha Eggar) have separated. She’s under the care of Dr. Hal Raglan (Oliver Reed). He’s the head of the Somafree clinic and has mastered the art of psychoplasmics where negative thoughts and feelings are manifested physically. This is the second part of a two-part conversation about Cronenberg’s early features. You can hear the first part via Mark’s podcast, Wake Up Heavy.

I couldn’t speak to Stephen Bissette about his monograph on The Brood without also asking him about his decades working in the comic book industry. He dishes a bit about his beginnings, his work on Swamp Thing, and more. Hear the rest of our interview on The Brood episode.

We conclude #Shocktober2020 with a look at Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners. Made between Heavenly Creatures and the Lord of the Rings series, the film was a signal to Hollywood that Peter Jackson could play by the rules. It’s the story of Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox), a man with a gift that he can commune with the dead. He uses this to bilk the people of Fairwater out of money by haunting houses via his dead friends. Unfortunately for Frank and the rest of Fairwater there’s a serial killer who plagues the city in hopes of scoring a record number of kills. Chris Stachiw and Jeff Meyers discuss the film with Mike while Production Designer Grant Major and co-star Jeffrey Combs talk about the making of the movie.

It takes all kinds of critters to make Farmer Vincent’s fritters! Heather Drain and Ben Buckingham join Mike to talk about Kevin Connor’s 1980 horror/comedy starring Rory Calhoun and Nancy Parsons, Motel Hell. Connor discusses his work on the film as well as his earlier work while Frank Cotolo dishes about working with Wolfman Jack.

On this special episode of The Projection Booth we’re not talking about a movie for once but, instead, we’re looking at Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated. It was the eleventh incarnation of the Scooby gang and it ran from 2010 to 2013 with a total of 52 episodes spread over 156 weeks. It was also one of the best and most self-referential animated series that I’ve ever seen. Producer Mitch Watson shares some behind-the-scenes stories about the creation of the show and the challenges it faced. Father Malone (You’ve Never Seen) and Carol Borden (The Cultural Gutter) discuss the show with Mike.

#Shocktober2020 continues with a look at Neil Jordan’s The Company of Wolves. It’s a melange of tales based on the writings of Angela Carter which intertwine and layer upon one another. At the heart is a re-telling of the Little Red Riding Hood tale but there’s more… much more… than that. Kat Ellinger and Heather Drain join Mike to discuss the film and women’s burgeoning sexuality. This episode features an interview with James Gracey, author of the Devil’s Advocates book about The Company of Wolves.