69 episodes

Host Bill Ackerman talks to writers, bloggers, podcasters, fanzine publishers, programmers, preservationists and more about their creative endeavors and today’s film culture.

Supporting Characters Bill Ackerman

    • TV & Film

Host Bill Ackerman talks to writers, bloggers, podcasters, fanzine publishers, programmers, preservationists and more about their creative endeavors and today’s film culture.

    Episode 68: Imogen Sara Smith

    Episode 68: Imogen Sara Smith

    Bill speaks to author and film historian Imogen Sara Smith about her various endeavors, from writing books like BUSTER KEATON: THE PERSISTENCE OF COMEDY and IN LONELY PLACES: FILM NOIR BEYOND THE CITY to contributing audio commentaries, booklet essays and on-camera interviews to home video releases from The Criterion Collection, Kino Lorber, Eureka!, Imprint, Flicker Alley, Arrow and Indicator. Topics include: John Bengtson’s SILENT ECHOES, Eddie Muller, writing techniques, The Criterion Channel, Courtney Stephens’ TERRA FEMME,  her Phantom Light column for Film Comment, THE WELL, film lists/ranking and stumbling upon old W.C. Fields locations.

    Read Sinners’ Holiday: An Ode to Pre-Code”
    https://brightlightsfilm.com/sinners-holiday-an-ode-to-pre-code/#.Ylfx8i2ZOqA

    Read Imogen Sara Smith on SWING TIME:
    https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6424-swing-time-heaven-can-t-wait
    Read Ghost Town: Nights on Bunker Hill:
    https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/7734-ghost-town-nights-on-bunker-hill
    Buy the Kino Lorber 4K UHD for KILLER’S KISS:
    https://www.kinolorber.com/product/killers-kiss-4kuhd-blu-ray
    Read Imogen Sara Smith on the Criterion Current site:
    https://www.criterion.com/current/author/572-imogen-sara-smith

    Register for Imogen Sara Smith's online course, French Cinema: The Language of Light 1895-1960 
    https://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/french-film-history-online/

    Register for Imogen Sara Smith’s online course, French Cinema: Breaking Rules & Boundaries 1960-2022 https://www.mainemedia.edu/workshops/item/french-cinema-breaking-rules-boundaries-1960-2022-online/
    Pre-order El vampiro negro (The Black Vampire):
    https://www.flickeralley.com/classic-movies-2/#!/El-vampiro-negro-The-Black-Vampire/p/478619443/category=0
    Buy The Guilty / High Tide from Flicker Alley:
    https://www.flickeralley.com/classic-movies-2/#!/The-Guilty-High-Tide/p/442246038
    Visit the Film Noir Foundation site:
    http://www.filmnoirfoundation.org

    • 1 hr 41 min
    Bonus Episode - Travis Crawford

    Bonus Episode - Travis Crawford

    Bill remembers his friend, writer/film programmer Travis Crawford.

    • 8 min
    Episode 67: Katie Rife

    Episode 67: Katie Rife

    Bill talks to writer/editor/podcaster/programmer Katie Rife about her many endeavors, from co-founding Everything Is Terrible, inventing puns for Mr. Skin and presenting films at Facets Night School to writing/podcasting for The A.V. Club, programming for The Music Box Theatre and freelancing for outlets like Rolling Stone, Vulture and Roger Ebert.com. Topics include: Mike McPadden, Daily Grindhouse, gatekeepers, Odd Obsession Movies, her book IF YOU LIKE QUENTIN TARANTINO…, William Morris, Film Club, Fantastic Fest 2017, online harassment, Elizabeth Purchell, ironically working for Jerry Springer and getting judged for renting THE WIRE.
    Follow Katie Rife on Twitter:
    https://twitter.com/rifewithkatie
    Keep up with the latest articles by Katie Rife on Muck Rack:
    https://muckrack.com/rifewithkatie/articles
    Read Katie Rife on GHOST WORLD:
    https://www.avclub.com/20-years-on-a-self-proclaimed-enid-looks-back-at-ghost-1848132541
    Watch Everything Is Terrible: “Flirting With Magic”
    https://vimeo.com/34270515
    Watch Everything Is Terrible: “Moms On The Net!”https://vimeo.com/34523789
    Watch Everything Is Terrible: “Rock Music And The Occult”
    http://everythingisterrible.blogspot.com/2009/06/rock-music-and-occult.html
    Read Katie Rife on TAKE IT OUT IN TRADE’s controversial screening at Fantastic Fest 2017:
    https://www.avclub.com/an-unseen-ed-wood-movie-ignites-a-firestorm-of-controve-1818767773
    Read Katie Rife’s 4-part series on CARMILLA:
    https://www.fangoria.com/what-girls-do-when-theyre-left-alone-150-years-of-carmilla/
    Buy Katie Rife’s book IF YOU LIKE QUENTIN TARANTINO… https://www.abebooks.com/book-search/author/KATHERINE-RIFE
    Watch Katie Rife talk about LADY SNOWBLOOD on The Brandon Peters Show:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQxBWuiG2a0&t=1400s
    Watch the Film Club Podcast with Katie Rife and A.A. Dowd:
    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLslxeOGneMPsb4FjarRN8DByJi_xxYYni
    Read Katie Rife on her time working for THE JERRY SPRINGER SHOW:
    https://www.avclub.com/trash-class-and-free-cigarettes-my-life-with-the-jer-1828530477
    Listen to Katie Rife on Drinks On Monday with The Strike Team:
    https://drinksonmonday.libsyn.com/whats-high-in-the-middle-and-round-on-both-ends
    Read Katie Rife on The A.V. Club:
    https://www.avclub.com/author/katierife

    • 1 hr 47 min
    Episode 66: Elena Lazic

    Episode 66: Elena Lazic

    Bill speaks to Animus Magazine founder/editor and film critic Elena Lazic. Topics include: Stéphane Delorme, PETRA, having a responsibility to cinema, The Prince Charles Cinema, STRAW DOGS, filmmaker intentionality, Another Gaze, The Relentless Picnic, the Oscars, Cahiers du Cinéma, the solitary nature of writing, TITANE, Reverse Shot, Vincent D'Onofrio and developing critical faculties through disappointment with INSPECTOR GADGET.

    Read Animus Magazine:
    https://animusmagazine.com

    Subscribe/Read Animus on Patreon:
    https://www.patreon.com/animus_mag/posts

    Visit Elena Lazic’s website:
    https://elenalazic.wordpress.com

    Read Elena Lazic’s interview with Abel Ferrara:
    https://elenalazic.wordpress.com/2020/07/19/abel-ferrara-on-the-driller-killer/

    Read Elena Lazic on WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED - A HISTORY OF FOLK HORROR:
    https://animusmagazine.com/2021/08/23/a-man-who-would-come-here-of-his-own-free-will/

    Read Elena Lazic on ONIBABA for The Criterion Collection:
    https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/7556-onibaba-masks-and-faces
    Hear Manuela and Elena Lazic discuss THE PARENT TRAP on Blank Check:
    https://soundcloud.com/griffin-and-david-present/the-parent-trap-with-elena-lazic-and-mani-lazic
    Hear Elena Lazic on The Evolution Of Horror:
    https://www.evolutionofhorror.com/elenalazic
    Watch Manuela and Elena Lazic discuss the films of Robert Pattinson:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu2STc_wQ7k
    Watch Manuela and Elena Lazic discuss iconic cinema serial killers:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_ZnIt58bic&t=1009s
    Buy Indicator’s limited edition Blu-Ray for Don Siegel’s MADIGAN, with a new booklet essay by Elena Lazic:
    https://www.diabolikdvd.com/product/madigan-le-indicator-uk-blu-ray-region-b/
    Visit Another Gaze:
    https://www.anothergaze.com
    Read Daniel Bird on POSSESSION for Animus:
    https://animusmagazine.com/2021/12/31/everything-old-is-new-again-or-how-we-grew-to-stop-hating-and-love-possession/

    • 2 hrs 46 min
    Episode 65: Brad Stevens

    Episode 65: Brad Stevens

    Bill speaks to author and film critic Brad Stevens about his film cultural endeavors, from contributing to publications like The Dark Side, Sight & Sound and Video Watchdog to writing books like MONTE HELLMAN: HIS LIFE AND FILMS and ABEL FERRARA: A MORAL VISION. Topics include: Auteurism, Robin Wood, BBC’s “The Great American Picture Show” season, alternate versions of films, Sight & Sound’s Greatest Films of All Time poll, SCHINDLER’S LIST, Nicole Brenez, writing the novel THE HUNT, warming up to the films of Steven Soderbergh, physical media versus streaming and Abel Ferrara.

    Read Brad Stevens’ “Bradlands” articles for Sight & Sound:
    https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/comment/bradlands

    Visit Brad Stevens’ Amazon author page:
    https://www.amazon.com/Brad-Stevens/e/B001KHCUEQ?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3&qid=1654470806&sr=1-3

    Buy Arrow Video edition of THE DRILLER KILLER, with commentary by Abel Ferrara moderated by Brad Stevens
    https://www.diabolikdvd.com/product/driller-killer-arrow-us-dvd-blu-ray-combo/
    Buy MONTE HELLMAN: HIS LIFE AND FILMS:
    https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/monte-hellman/

    • 2 hrs 1 min
    Episode 64: Anna Bogutskaya

    Episode 64: Anna Bogutskaya

    Bill speaks to film programmer, broadcaster, writer, podcaster and festival director Anna Bogutskaya about her many endeavors in film culture, from co-founding The Final Girls collective and programming for BFI Southbank to serving as director of Underwire Festival, producing podcasts and recording Blu-Ray audio commentaries. Topics include: THE WIZARD OF OZ and tiny philistines, The Hot Fuzztival at the Prince Charles Cinema, TROUBLE EVERY DAY and arthouse horror, Yhara Zayd, Russian dubbing practices, “The B word” programming controversy, The Filmcast and parasocial relationships, the WE ARE THE WEIRDOS touring program and reediting a Pedro Almodóvar movie to discourage internet piracy. 
    Visit Anna Bogutskaya’s official site:
    https://www.annabogutskaya.com

    Visit The Final Girls site:
    https://www.thefinalgirls.co.uk/home
    Hear The Final Girls podcast:
    https://thefinalgirlspodcast.transistor.fm
    Learn about Underwire Festival:
    https://filmfreeway.com/UnderwireFestival
    Buy the Second Sight 4k UHD / Blu-Ray:
    https://www.diabolikdvd.com/product/the-witch-le-second-sight-uk-4k-uhd-blu-ray-see-note-preorder/

    Read about Cruel Flesh: Films of the New French Extremity:
    https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=newfrenchextremity
    Watch Anna Bogutskaya discuss Pedro Almodóvar’s ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWHrRxRrlxA

    Follow Anna Bogutskaya on Twitter:
    @annabdemented

    • 3 hrs 22 min

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