On The Waterfront (1954) w/ Jae Kim

"My mother thanks you, my father thanks you, my sister thanks you, and I thank you." Dr. Vaughn Joy joins us on the show to talk about the musical biopic that won James Cagney his Academy Award, the patriotic propaganda piece Yankee Doodle Dandy. We talk George M. Cohan's cultural significance, the film's seemingly waning place in the consensus cinematic canon, and how the film laid the groundwork for the type of Hollywood pro-American propaganda films of the Cold War (the subject of Dr. Joy's new book, Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy). Buy Selling Out Santa: Hollywood Christmas Films in the Age of McCarthy here, or wherever you buy your books. Follow the Show:TwitterInstagramWebsite Music by Mike Natale

“All I want is a place to live and a job.” – Nothing But a Man (1964) This week, we’re taking time to honor the life and legacy of filmmaker Michael Roemer, who passed away in May 2025. Roemer’s work has always stood apart as quiet, honest, deeply human, and we start with the film that introduced so many people to his voice: Nothing But a Man. It’s a landmark in independent cinema, a National Film Registry inductee, and one of the most compassionate portrayals of Black working-class life ever put on screen. From there, we spend some time with Roemer’s other major works, Vengeance Is Mine and Dying. Each of these films shows a different side of what made him such a singular filmmaker: his empathy, his curiosity, and his ability to sit with people at their most vulnerable without ever forcing sentiment or judgment. This episode is both a reflection and a celebration: an appreciation of a filmmaker whose perspective mattered, and whose films continue to resonate in ways that feel as immediate now as they did when he first made them. Follow the Show:TwitterInstagramWebsite Music by Mike Natale

A quick update on an upcoming absence Follow the Show:TwitterInstagramWebsite Music by Mike Natale

"The Year's Wildest, Wittiest Whirlwind of a Love Battle... Outrageously Racy... Sparkling... Gay!" Bella Zaydenberg returns to the show to talk about the beloved Howard Hawks screwball comedy, His Girl Friday (1940). We'll talk about journalism, rom-coms, and weddngs. Wait, weddings? Why weddings? Listen to find the worst kept secret in the history of our show! Follow the Show:TwitterInstagramWebsite Music by Mike Natale

In this episode, Dr. Will Dodson joins us to take a look at Eaux d'Artifice, an early inductee in the registry from avant-garde legend Kenneth Anger. We discuss why the seemingly tranquil film has a lot going on beneath the surface (including the salacious) and tackle an overview of the controversial provocateur's whole film-making career to determine whether Eaux d'Artifice's subversive subtext was missed by the Registry's selection board, or if that was precisely why they picked it. Follow the Show:TwitterInstagramWebsite Music by Mike Natale

"Dead men tell no tales!" For this episode, we've recorded a feature length commentary track for the big-budget blockbuster that solidified Douglas Fairbanks' Hollywood immortality, 1926's The Black Pirate. Watch our upload on YouTube (in its original colorized version, done at Fairbanks' insistence), sync it up with your own copy, or just listen along as producer Kyle Lampar takes the lead to discuss his admiration for Hollywood's original swashbuckling action star. Follow the Show:TwitterInstagramWebsite Music by Mike Natale

"Time...marches on..." Josh Shepperd, author of Shadow of the New Deal, joins the show to talk about the powerful propaganda piece Inside Nazi Germany, an installment of the influential newsreel series The March of Time. The first major Hollywood film to take an explicitly anti-Nazi stance, the short stands as a testament to the power of the visual medium during wartime, and its ability to both present, and manipulate, the truth. Follow the Show:TwitterInstagramWebsite Music by Mike Natale

"Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer""A rock? These little bears are nuts" That's right, folks. It's a Patrick Cotnoir episode. This time, for his fifth appearance, we're talking The Godfather Part II, and...some Ewok movie. Nobody is really sure which one, honestly. It's been five years of this, guys. You know what you're getting here. Keep up with what Patrick is doing here Follow the Show:TwitterInstagramWebsite Music by Mike Natale

"I know something about this dog. She's going somewhere - she's on her way." Hunter Robinson, the host of the Tumbleweeds and TV Cowboys podcast, joins the show to talk about one of the biggest movie stars in cinema history. No, not John Wayne, it's Lassie. We'll talk about the massive Lassie franchise, the dog star at the heart of the film, and even share a personal family connection to the four-legged hero of Hollywood. Follow the Show:TwitterInstagramWebsite Music by Mike Natale

This week, our hosts bridge the gap between Cat People and Lassie Come Home with an informal conversation about animal folklore and animal companions in film. Plus, Mike sits down with Roye Okupe, the creator of Iyanu, the graphic novel and hit animated series on Cartoon Network and HBO Max. We'll be back to our regular format next week! Follow the Show:TwitterInstagramWebsite Music by Mike Natale