Altmania

Altmania

Ryan and Esteban explore the works of director Robert Altman, examining the context of his films, how they speak to the current moment, and look at his wider circle of proteges and influences. Currently covering the films of Jonathan Demme.

  1. 17.09.2025

    Haiti: Dreams of Democracy (1988)

    Bonjour, folks - it's a new episode of ALTMANIA coming at you. We're talking about a documentary that Jonathan Demme made for the PBS, a portrait of a nation in constant renewal and on the brink of their first elections — it's HAITI: DREAMS OF DEMOCRACY. We talk about Jonathan Demme falling in love with this place and its people, how he learned more about Haiti through artists and music, what set them up for the current political situation of the film, and what Haiti is currently going through at the moment, how United States intervention and neoliberal policy has left the nation in the dust after a catastrophic earthquake in 2010, and much more. It's a politics heavy episode, but we do our best to cover a beautiful place full of beautiful art and people. Resources for Haitian Aid: Haiti Adolescent Girls Network Lide Haiti Partners in Haiti Literacy St. Luke Foundation St. Vincent's Center Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com DEMME ARCHIVE Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

    1 Std. 41 Min.

  2. 10.09.2025

    Swimming to Cambodia (1986) w/ Jane Altoids

    We've sat down at our little tables, taken out our Ronald McDonald notebooks, and prepared a fantastic spoken word piece (aka podcast) for all of you. Joined by returning friend Jane Altoids from Pacino Pod, we get into Spalding Gray and Jonathan Demme's masterpiece, SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA. We talk about Gray's modern conversational nature, go over his life and it's tragic end, his frank way of speaking and how he weaves in and out of life stories to war crimes of the US government, how much this film resonates in the current moment, morality as the movable feast, the cognitive dissonance of making a film about a genocide as it's happening (i.e. The Killing Fields), and so much more. This one was a really great conversation, Jane was fantastic, and we hope you all enjoy. Follow Jane Altoids: Pacino Pod https://twitter.com/staticbluebat Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

    2 Std. 26 Min.

  3. 03.09.2025

    Something Wild (1986) w/ Peter Raleigh

    Nobody move, nobody get hurt, just sit down and listen to a new episode of ALTMANIA. Joined by writer and a regular on the show, Peter Raleigh, we dive into one of Jonathan Demme's MOST "Jonathan Demme" movies ever, SOMETHING WILD. We talked scary Ray Liotta, how he landed this role, all of the production and improvisation that shaped the film into what it is and helped it find it's central idea, how money drives the story forward and what Demme is putting into the film in terms of abandoning capitalism with Charlie Driggs' arc, Jeff Daniels as the perfect WASPy guy, identities and personas that everyone has through the film. There's a lot of great stuff here, and Peter is the perfect guy to chat about it with, please enjoy! Follow Peter Raleigh: https://twitter.com/PetreRaleigh Long Library | Peter Raleigh Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com DEMME ARCHIVE Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

    2 Std. 15 Min.

  4. 27.08.2025

    Stop Making Sense (1984)

    It's our 100th episode of the show, we've got on some big suits, we're flopping around on the ground, and we're screaming nonsense about James Brown. We talk about Jonathan Demme's documentary debut (sort of his first film, if you think about it) STOP MAKING SENSE, the live performance film from Talking Heads. We draw some oblique strategy cards, get into the band's history, Chris Frantz' bizarre book, David Byrne's good book, RISD kids, boomers playing on easy mode, Brian Eno, Lou Reed eating ice cream with a heroin spoon, John Cale, The Modern Lovers, Demme at the edge with Swing Shift, Joe Viola's return, Jordan Cronenweth also returning, Hal Ashby's insane editing rig. Then we close out with a little listening party, chatting about one of the best concert films ever. Thanks everyone for listening to us for 100 eps, and 2 years!! Here's to 100 more Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com DEMME ARCHIVE Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

    2 Std. 19 Min.

  5. 20.08.2025

    Swing Shift (1984)

    Well, isn't that something...here we promised a 100th episode celebration on STOP MAKING SENSE, and we come out with an entirely different episode?? Well, we ended up having to cover this one FIRST - so the 100th episode is on hold for now, we're going George Lucas style and doing the episodes out of order. It's SWING SHIFT. A film that has not one, not two, but THREE different cuts that you can watch (linked below). Produced at the exact same time as that Talking Heads one, it technically came out first and went through one hell of a production — Jonathan Demme gets shut out by Goldie Hawn and Warner Bros, Robert Towne comes in and starts messing with the script, editors quit, Elaine May tries to save it, a power couple blossoms. Join us this week for ALTMANIA as we talk about Jonathan Demme's loving ode to his grandmother, that got trampled on in post-production. Follow Altmania https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

    2 Std. 8 Min.

  6. 13.08.2025

    Who Am I This Time? (1982)

    We're Walken into this episode, Saranded by our listeners to talk about a little TV movie from Jonathan Demme, adapted from a 1961 Kurt Vonnegut short story... it's WHO AM I THIS TIME? A little story about a little community, our identities, showing emotion through performance, lonely individuals joining the community through collaboration and sympathy. Led by the incredible duo of Christopher Walken and Susan Sarandon. We talk Talking Heads, John Cale, Queen Latifah, American identity in the Carter era, Tarkovsky, the death of movies, a whole lot more on ALTMANIA Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

    1 Std. 40 Min.

  7. 06.08.2025

    Melvin and Howard (1980)

    We've finally reached a milestone for the Demme series, this one is a huge one for him and we pulled no stops in talking all about it. Rolling into 1980, it's the great MELVIN AND HOWARD, a film we found to be funny, pensive, endlessly spontaneous, ever-moving, and just plain beautiful. We get into the real men Howard Hughes and Melvin Dummar, before getting into Jonathan Demme's life at the time, what led him to the picture, the freedom he had to make this, and how it ultimately became his most unrestrained work for the time. There's talk of music videos, new wave bands, eccentric rich guys, dreamers, believers, fakers, hustlers, you name it and it's here on ALTMANIA! Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

    2 Std. 18 Min.

  8. 30.07.2025

    Last Embrace (1979) w/ Left of the Projector

    It's our last embrace with the dang Demme 1970s this week as we take a look at a Hitchcockian thriller starring Roy Scheider and Janet Margolin, based on the Murray Teigh Bloom novel THE 13TH MAN... it's LAST EMBRACE. This week's guest is a familiar friend, but a first time guest - Evan from the Left of the Projector podcast joins us as we get talk about this stage of Demme's career, meeting guys like Kenneth Utt, working with Christopher Walken, All That Jazz, Roy Scheider's leathery complexion, Tak Fujimoto's return, Charles Napier's head, Sandy Mcleod's haircut, and just how much we disagreed with the critics on this film. Don't believe us? Maybe this photo of Jonathan Demme's cameo in the film will change your mind... Follow Left of the Projector: https://leftoftheprojector.com https://patreon.com/LeftoftheProjectorPod Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com JONATHAN DEMME ARCHIVE Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

    2 Std. 11 Min.
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Ryan and Esteban explore the works of director Robert Altman, examining the context of his films, how they speak to the current moment, and look at his wider circle of proteges and influences. Currently covering the films of Jonathan Demme.

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