Better Than the Movie 24: WOMAN IN THE DUNES w/ Emily VanKoughnett

Don't drink? Don't smoke? What do you do? THE VINYL DIARIES follows Pete Crighton's journey from a closeted goody two shoes to a blissfully self-possessed lover of queer community, queer joy, and queer sex, while keeping track of the key pop music that resonated along the way. For this episode, Pete Crighton (The B-52s' Cosmic Thing) discusses releasing a memoir as a first-time writer, processing a lifetime of trauma through art, and the role music has played in the whole process. Writer-bookseller Justin Remer asks about the bands and artists that meant a lot (Adam Ant, Fleetwood Mac, Yoko Ono) and those that... well... didn't (Madonna, HAIM). They also talk about how Pete wrote his forthcoming 33 1/3 book on The B-52s in 90 days.  Pick up a copy of the book from Skylight Books or order the audiobook version from Libro.fm.  Hosted and produced by Justin Remer.  Recorded remotely via Zencastr.  Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.  Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band. 

This is so unexpected, we didn't even have a speech prepared. Author Veronica Litt joins us to talk about her new book in ECW Press's Pop Classics series, Ugh! As If!, on Amy Heckerling's classic film comedy Clueless. This is the 30th Anniversary of Clueless's theatrical release, and the book is both a warm, conversational appreciation and clear-eyed dissection of what the movie gets wonderfully right and what is a bit cringe now.   Litt talks with bookseller Justin Remer about Clueless and all sorts of tangential topics including Jane Austen, girly art, human potato Channing Tatum, footnotes, audiobooks, and the Fast and Furious franchise.   Get the book from Skylight and order the audiobook from Libro.FM please!   Hosted and produced by Justin Remer.  Recorded remotely via Zencastr.   Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.   Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band.  

The Old Man WAS Still Alive! Film writer and physical media enthusiast Conor Holt returns to Better Than the Movie to discuss a pair of classics: John Huston's film The Dead (1987), adapted from the short story by James Joyce, which first appeared in Dubliners (1914). Spoiler alert: Everyone loved them both. But between the film and the story, which did they think was better? Hosted by Allan Traylor, Justin Remer, and Tyler Austin.  Produced by Justin Remer.  Recorded at the LAPL Octavia Lab.  Check out the "Better Than the Movie" audiobook playlist on Libro.FM - https://libro.fm/playlists/skylight-better-than-the-movie Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.  Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band. 

From BITCHES BREW to "Feels So Good" and beyond, author Matthew Reed Baker delves into the funky, smooth, and transcendent records that resulted from the merging of jazz with R&B, pop, rock, and much much more in the 1970s. Miles Davis, Weather Report, Chuck Mangione, Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, and Steely Dan are just some of the acts that are discussed in 1970s Jazz Fusion, a welcome new installment from 33 1/3's spin-off series on musical genres. Bookseller and writer Justin Remer hosts this discussion of both the book and the music.   Hosted and produced by Justin Remer. Recorded remotely via Zencastr.  Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire  Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band

Abe is Bae? The wonderful Emily VanKoughnett (Los Angeles Review of Books; LIT ANGELES) returns to Better Than the Movie with a classy pick: Kobo Abe's existential psychological thriller The Woman in the Dunes. The novel, from 1962, was made a few years later into an Oscar-nominated film adapted by Abe and directed by the inimitable Hiroshi Teshigahara. Both are considered top-tier classics... but which is better?  Hosted by Justin Remer, Allan Traylor, and Tyler Austin.  Produced by Justin Remer.  Recorded at the LAPL Octavia Lab.  Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.  Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band.

Award-winning graphic novelist and illustrator Sina Grace (Superman: The Harvests of Youth) joins host Tyler Austin to discuss his new book, West Hollywood Monster Squad. A ragtag crew must make their way across West Hollywood after some unexpected pink snow begins creating giant monsters in their midst. It's a sweet, funny "turbo gay" story for our time. Sina and Tyler discuss themes of the story, as well as the intricacies of the Pokémon video games, what it's like working at Skylight, and whatever else crosses their minds during this delightful hour-long chat.  Produced by Tyler Austin & Justin Remer.  Recorded remotely via Zencastr.  Hosted by Tyler Austin.  Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.  The "Justin's music is great" music: "Don't Depend on Me (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.  Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band. 

Happy Opening Day! Baseball is back, and BTTM is back with another baseball-themed book adaptation. Bookseller and writer Jonah Lipton joins the crew to discuss Bernard Malamud's 1952 novel THE NATURAL, and its 1984 film adaptation starring Robert Redford. Famously the book is downbeat and cynical, reflecting postwar disillusionment, while the movie is upbeat and heroic, reflecting Reagan-era optimism. We know they're different but which one is better??   Hosted by Tyler Austin, Allan Traylor, and Justin Remer. Produced by Justin Remer.  Recorded at the LAPL Octavia Lab.  Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.  Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" Elastic No-No Band. 

Film journalist and critic Marya E. Gates talks with Justin about her new book, Cinema Her Way: Visionary Female Directors In Their Own Words. The book is a stylishly illustrated collection of interviews with 19 film directors, including Gillian Armstrong, Jane Campion, Mira Nair, Mary Lambert, and Katt Shea. Another great chat for our cinephile listeners! Hosted and produced by Justin Remer.  Recorded remotely via Zencastr.  Opening Music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.  Closing Music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band.  

Come to... Pod-dy? We're straining for puns over here, but we've got a fun remote-recorded episode today, featuring the return of author and podcaster Garon Cockrell (Demonic and Other Tales). It's a follow-up to last year's Nightbreed episode, in which Tyler voiced his dislike for body horror. For being such a good sport, we reward him with more Clive Barker: the 1987 film Hellraiser, directed by Barker and adapted from his own novella, The Hellbound Heart. There are discussions of the story's psychosexual dynamics and hazy mythology, plus a bit about the sequels and remakes.   Hosted by Allan Traylor, Tyler Austin, and Justin Remer. Produced by Justin Remer. (sorry about the mixed-bag sound) Recorded remotely via Zencastr.  Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental) by Duck the Piano Wire.  Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band. 

We're podcasting... Yeah yeah yay-yo! Justin speaks with Leah Kardos, the author of the new 33 1/3 book on Kate Bush's Hounds of Love. Together, they discuss the impact of the album and Kate Bush's undersung influence as a record producer. Leah also talks about the process of finding the structure and narrative for her book. There's music nerd stuff in there too, but it's GOOD, smart music nerd stuff. You'll like it. Produced and hosted by Justin Remer.  Recorded remotely via Zencastr.  Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.   Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band.