Christopher Media

This week we are discussing E. Elias Merhige’s Begotten. Released in 1990, the film is an experimental narrative. It’s about… well, I’m not sure what it’s really all about but I hope we come to some sort of consensus by the end of the episode, Heather Drain and Ben Buckingham join Mike to discuss experimental films, music videos, and much more.

Mike talks to co-directors Kyle Kuchta (Fantasm) and Bill Fulkerson (Outside the Cinema) about their documentary, Survival of the Film Freaks (2018). Find out where the documentary is playing via the Survival of the Film Freaks Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Survivalofthefilmfreaks/

We kick off #Shocktober2018 with a discussion of Dario Argento’s 1977 film Suspiria. The film stars Jessica Harper as Suzy Banyon, a young dancer who travels from New York to Germany to attend a prestigious dance academy to not do lot of dancing but, instead, to become embroiled in a mystery… Maitland McDonagh (Broken Mirrors/Broken Minds) and Rob St. Mary join Mike in the discussion of the original film (and the 2018 re-imagining). Special guests include Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of the Devil’s Advocate book for Suspiria and musicologist Clare Nina-Norelli who talks about the wonderful Goblin score.

Shocktober 2018 begins with the 1958 film from director Arthur Crabtree, Fiend without a Face. Written by Herbert J. Leder and based loosely on a story by Amelia Reynolds Long, the movie stars Marshall Thompson as Major Cummings, an Army officer stationed at that pivotal American/Canadian border where he’s investigating the strange goings on in and around his base. Unfortunately, he’s got a case of Brains Gone Wild… Maitland McDonagh and Troy Howarth join Mike to discuss this classic sci-fi film as well as some other naughty brain movies.

On this special episode, Mike shares an episode of The Kulturecast where he joins hosts Chris and Eric to discuss the latest film from Shane Black that continues the saga of the Predator. Be sure to visit www.kulturecast.com for more of The Kulturecast!

We wrap up #Czechtember2018 with a look at Vaclav Vorlicek’s Who Wants to Kill Jessie? (1966) The film was co-written by Vorlicek and Milos Macourek and concerns a couple, Henry and Rosie. Rosie is a prestigious scientist who has discovered how to manipulate dreams — though there are some unexpected consequences. While Henry makes his own discovery as he reads a comic series about Jessie and sees her anti-gravitational gloves, just the thing to help him out at his job. Jonathan Owen and Jim Laczkowski join Mike to discuss this inventive and hilarious Czech film.

On this special episode of The Projection Booth, Mike talks with the writer/director/star of Armed (2018), Mario van Peebles — who also talks a bit about his roles in Baadasssss!, Heartbreak Ridge, Ali, and more.

On this special episode of The Projection Booth, Mike talks to director Lisa D’Apolito about her feature documentary debut, Love, Gilda (2018), a portrait of Detroit’s own Gilda Radner who took the world by storm in the 1970s and whose legacy continues to make a difference today. Visit https://www.lovegilda.com/ for more information.

On this special episode of The Projection Booth we fly upon the wings of a demon as we discuss John Boorman’s 1977 film Exorcist II: The Heretic. It’s been a few years since we’ve seen Regan MacNeil, the little girl who, on the cusp of womanhood, was possessed by a demon in William Friedkin’s 1973 film. She’s back… And so’s the demon, Pazuzu…This time the titular exorcist is Father Philip Lamont (Richard Burton) who is investigating what happened to the ill-fated Father Merrin (Max Von Sydow) with the help of Dr. Gene Tuskin (Louise Fletcher) and her hypnosis machine. Heretical super-fans Samm Deighan (Diabolique Magazine) and David Kittredge (who’s directing a documentary about Exorcist II) join Mike (who did a commentary track on the new Scream Factory blu-ray release) to look at the film, how it came to be, and its fate after release. Professor Brian Hoyle (The Cinema of John Boorman) and writer Paul Talbot (The Unmaking of Exorcist II) join the fray to try and explain this cinematic oddity.

On this special episode of The Projection Booth Mike talks to Art House Theater Day co-directors Gabe Chicoine (Austin Film Society) and Lawren Desai (a/perture cinema). They discuss what AHTD is, how it came to be, and what patrons can expect at the September 23, 2018 event that takes place at select independent theaters across the USA. Mike also talks to Joseph A. Ziemba (Bleeding Skull) about one of this year’s AHTD selections, SCHLOCK, as well as other films from the American Genre Film Archive. To find out more about Art House Theater Day visit http://www.arthouseconvergence.org