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Bro, on this special episode of The Projection Booth we’re looking at the 2001 movie from R. D. Robb, Don’s Plum. The film remains officially unreleased in the U.S. while available legally in other parts of the world. The film stars a group of young actors known as “The Pussy Posse” including Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Macguire. It’s about a group of guys who bring their dates to the titular diner where they talk, boast, and engage in bathroom-bound monologues. Mike Sullivan (Shock Cinema, Cinema Sewer) and Andrew Rausch (My Best Friend’s Birthday: The Making of a Tarantino Film) join Mike to boast, debase women, and talk about the history of the film. Producer Dale Wheatley provides insights from behind-the-scenes.

French Month concludes with a look at Jean Rollin’s Lips of Blood (1975). The film stars Jean-Loup Philippe as Frederic, a man who, one night at a party, sees a photograph of a gothic castle that triggers a memory. He suddenly recalls a time when he was young when a young woman gave him shelter for the night. After that he’s plagued by visions of her and feels the need to reconnect. Maitland McDonagh and Samm Deighan join Mike to talk about Rollin, cinemafantastique, and Suck Me, Vampire.

French Month continues with a look at Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Le Corbeau. Also known as The Raven, the film was released in 1943 and made by Continental Films, a German company operated in France during World War II. It’s the story of the small town of Saint Robin which is plagued by a poison pen letter writer who torments citizens with scandalous details of their lives, turning people against one another and casting a net of suspicion across the entire region. Special guest Judith Mayne (Woman at the Keyhole) discusses Occupation Cinema in general and Le Corbeau in particular. Kat Ellinger and Ken Stanley help Mike unpack this incredibly fascinating film.

On this special episode of The Projection Booth we’re looking at a new series called Time Warp: The Greatest Cult Films of All Time. Directed by Danny Wolf, the title might tip you off that this is a documentary about cult movies with an audacious title and scope. Rod Lott and Chris Stachiw join Mike to discuss this 5 1/2 hour, 3 part series.

French Month continues with a look at Alain Renais’s Last Year at Marienbad (1961). Based on a script by Alain Robbe-Grillet, the film tells the tale of three characters, M, A, and X, as they wander the halls and grounds of a vast hotel in Marienbad. What are their relationships? What are they doing in Marienbad? How does this film take apart everything that we think we know about narrative storytelling? We’ll try to figure some of that out as we go along. Jim Vendiola and Samm Deighan join Mike to discuss this challenging film.

On this special episode, Mike talks with director Andrew Ahn (Spa Night) about his latest film, Driveways. It’s a touching story of a mother and son who are cleaning up a relative’s house after her death. The son makes friends with their new neighbor, played by Brian Dennehy in one of his final performances.

We kick off French Month with a look at Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Doulos. The second of his several and seminal gangster films, Le Doulos is the story of two men — Silien (Jean-Paul Belmondo) and Faugel (Serge Reggiani). They are denizens of the underworld where loyalty and honor are everything. When a burglary Faugel has planned goes awry he thinks that it’s Silien who set him up. Is Silien the titular “Doulos,” an informer? Samm Deighan and Ken Stanley join Mike to wax fondly about Jean-Pierre Melville and his rich career.

We wrap up Polish Month on the Projection Booth with a look at Wojciech Has’s Hourglass Sanatorium. Based on a 1937 book from Bruno Schulz, the 1973 film stars Jan Nowiki as Josef, a man who travels to the titular sanatorium to see his father who is somewhere between life and death. Things only get stranger from there.

Polish month continues with a look at Walerian Borowczyk’s Goto, Island of Love. Released in that magical year of 1969, the film tells the tale of a thief (Guy Saint-Jean) on the Island of Goto which is ruled over by Governor Goto III (Pierre Brasseur). After being pitted in armed combat and somehow surviving he is put in charge of the Governor’s dogs, boots, and the killing of flies. Daniel Bird (Camera Obscura: The Walerian Borowczyk Collection) and Kat Ellinger join Mike to discuss Borowczyk’s live action feature debut as well as his early shorts.

On this special episode of The Projection Booth, Mike talks to director Ben Kasulke who’s had a long career as a cinematographer, working often with Lynn Shelton, Guy Maddin, and Todd Rohal. Ben’s feature debut, Banana Split, is an endearing coming-of-age story and is now available on Amazon Prime.