Christopher Media

On this special episode we’re discussing Better Off Dead (1985) from writer/director Savage Steve Holland. The film stars John Cusack as Lane Myer, a high school student obsessed with his girlfriend, Beth. When Beth breaks up with him — throwing Lane over for Roy Stalin, a jock douchebag who can ski the most dangerous mountain around — Lane attempts suicide several times… like you do in a good comedy. Jess Byard and Mike “McBeardo” McPadden, author of Teen Movie Hell, join Mike to discuss the film and its fast follow-up, One Crazy Summer.

Cinema Novo month continues with a look at Joaquim Pedro de Andrade’s Macumaia. Based on the 1928 Modernist novel of the same name by Mário de Andrade (no relation). Some see the Cinema Novo movement ending around 1967 while others say that it simply entered another phase. Regardless, Macunaima is unlike any other movie we’ve discussed this month so far and it might be in the running as a favorite film overall. It’s wild, colorful, and filled with enough subtext to choke a horse. Chris Stachiw and David Kittredge join Mike to discuss this wild tale of jungle and urban life in Brazil in 1969.

On this special episode of The Projection Booth, Mike talks to writer/director/actor Oliver Robins about his latest film, Celebrity Crush (2019). The film stars Robins as a celebrity who is kidnapped by an obsessive fan after a one night fling at a convention. Hear the rest of our interview with Mr. Robins on our Poltergeist episode in October!

Cinema Novo month continues with a look at Glauber Raucha’s Terra em Transe also known as Entranced Earth or Land of Anguish. It’s the story of the mythical country of El Dorado where the events seem to oddly parallel the political upheaval of Brazil from 1960 to 1966. It was initially banned by the Brazilian government until enough public outcry allowed it to be shown domestically as well as in film festivals.

Cinema Novo month continues with a look at Glauber Rocha’s Black God, White Devil (and its follow-up, Antonio Das Mortes). It’s two stories in one as our main character, Manuel, kills his boss and then goes on the run, becoming a follower of Sebastian (the Black God of the title) before eventually becoming a follower of Corisco (the White Devil). Ken Stanley and Chris Stachiw join Mike to discuss Rocha’s work before and after the political coup that changed Brazilian history.

We are kicking off a month of shows discussing the Cinema Novo movement from Brazil with a look at Nelson Pereira dos Santos’s 1963 film Vidas Secas. Also known as Barren Lives, the film is based on a 1938 novel by Graciliano Ramos. It’s the story of a family trying to survive in the scraggly countryside of Northeast Brazil. We join them as they search for a place to live, a way to put food on their table, and how to make enough money to buy a leather bed. Chris Stachiw and Trevor Gumbel join Mike to try and unpack this “First Wave” Cinema Novo film.

Can Dialectics Break Bricks? is the 1973 film from Rene Vienet which is a re-dubbing of the 1972 film Crush. The film re-tells re-tells the story of Crush as the story of a bunch of rotten bureaucrats who have oppressed the working class long enough. The workers look forward to a day when the landlords will all hang, priests will be cut in two and the churches will be burned to the ground. Spencer Parsons and Rob St. Mary join Mike to to discuss the Situationist movement, detournement, and its modern implications.

We’re looking at the 1971 film from James Bidgood, Pink Narcissus. It’s a wordless film which tells the story of a young hustler played by Bobby Kendall who engages in a series of fantasies throughout an evening. The film was shot on 8mm but still presents a lush, fantastic color palette and incredible sets that are even more incredible when the viewer remembers that this was all shot in Bidgood’s Hell’s Kitchen apartment. Maitland McDonagh and David Kittredge join Mike to discuss lyrical pornography, New York real estate, and the importance of finishing projects.

Jess Byard and Heather Drain join Mike to discuss the Panic Movement and Fernando Arrabal’s freshman film, Viva La Muerte. It’s the surrealistic tale of Fando, a boy whose mother sold his father out to the fascists during the Spanish Civil War.

Daniel Kremer and Jarrod Labine join Mike to discuss The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart. Based loosely on Robert T. Westbrook’s book of the same name, the film follows the exploits of the unlikely-named protagonist who’s not very likable, Stanley Sweetheart (Don Johnson). He fancies himself an underground filmmaker and Lothario. The film follows him on his exploits as he navigates life, women, and the scene in 1970’s New York. Our episode features interviews with Robert Westbrook, actress Linda Gillen, and actor Brandon Maggart.