Talking Pondo

Clifton Campbell, Marty Ketola
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Film Reviews
  • Weekly

From summer blockbusters to indie darlings, Talking Pondo celebrates the joy of watching, questioning, and occasionally roasting the movies that shape our lives. Every week, hosts Clif Campbell and Marty Ketola sit down to swap movies and swap opinions. Each of them brings a film to the table and together they dig into what makes it work (or not). Sometimes, there's a guest!Whether you’re a casual moviegoer or a die-hard cinephile, there’s always room for more movie talk. And yes, there will be spoilers! Making Pondo is a discussion with Clif, Marty and a guest from one of their many productions.

  1. 6d ago

    The Tingler and Heretic? with C. Courtney Joyner - Talking Pondo

    Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, C. Courtney Joyner joins the podcast. He brings along the movie The Tingler. Marty and Clif give Courtney the movie Heretic to watch.  Marty and Clif welcome screenwriter C. Courtney Joyner for a conversation that takes a detour almost immediately. The guys watched Heretic (2024), the Hugh Grant thriller about two young missionaries who find themselves trapped in a dangerous game of faith and manipulation. Courtney, however, heard the title and assumed they wanted to discuss Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), John Boorman's notoriously divisive sequel starring Richard Burton and Linda Blair. What follows is an unexpected deep dive into a film nobody else at the table watched this week, exploring Boorman's striking visual style, the troubled production, the movie’s reputation and whether it deserves a second look. Next on the agenda: William Castle's The Tingler (1959), starring Vincent Price as a scientist investigating a strange creature that grows inside people experiencing extreme fear. Castle was never content to simply put a movie on a screen, and The Tingler is a perfect example of his theatrical showmanship, complete with the legendary “Percepto” gimmick that made theater seats vibrate when the creature was supposedly loose in the auditorium. Courtney brings a wealth of film-history knowledge to the discussion, sharing stories about Castle's promotional stunts, the studio system, the film's ingenious black-and-white and color effects and the creative choices behind it's most memorable moments. Meanwhile, Marty and Clif revisit the film's wonderfully odd plot, it's gloriously strange dialogue and it's unsettling imagery. Along the way: Courtney shares stories about John McTiernan's unforgettable lessons on storyboarding, Mystery Science Theater 3000, making a bad movie, “director jail,” the appeal of older films and how science fiction keeps inspiring real-world technology.  A huge thanks to C. Courtney Joyner for joining Marty and Clif for a fascinating, funny, and wonderfully unpredictable conversation as Talking Pondo wraps up Season 4. We’ll be back next week to kick off Season 5! #TalkingPondo #Heretic #TheTingler #CCourtneyJoyner #VincentPrice #WilliamCastle #ExorcistIITheHeretic #HorrorMovies #MoviePodcast Support the show Find our films here: The Love Song of William H Shaw Revenge of Zoe Writing Fren-Zee Making Pondo on Facebook Bluesky Instagram Making Pondo on Letterboxd: Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Season Five Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace Photos by Geoffrey Notkin

    The Tingler and Heretic? with C. Courtney Joyner - Talking Pondo

  2. Oct 19

    Monster House and Carrie (1976) with Isabel Teran - Talking Pondo

    Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, Isabel Teran ("That's Bodacious, Dude! 80 Radical Movies from the '80s!") returns to the podcast. She brings along the movie Monster House. Marty and Clif give Izzy the movie Carrie to watch.  First up is Monster House, the 2006 animated horror-comedy about three kids who discover the creepy house across the street is much more than just creepy. Clif, Marty and Izzy dig into the movie's surprisingly dark themes, it's nightmare fuel and motion-capture animation. All while trying to answer the question: how the hell did this get a PG rating? They also examine the movie's bizarre combination of childhood adventure, genuine horror and some surprisingly heavy ideas hiding underneath all the animation. Then it's time for Carrie, Brian De Palma's 1976 adaptation of Stephen King's novel. The gang revisits the story of Carrie White, a painfully isolated teenager whose classmates torment her while her deeply religious mother attempts to control every aspect of her life. Clif, Marty and Izzy talk about Sissy Spacek's unforgettable performance, Piper Laurie, the visual style, Jack Fisk's production design, the film's religious imagery and that legendary prom sequence. They also discuss why Carrie's final moments remain one of the most influential nightmare endings in horror history. Along the way: Telekinesis, the X-Men arriving way too late, Brian De Palma's love of shower scenes, Zapped! and smoking PE teachers. #TalkingPondo #FilmPodcast #MonsterHouse #Carrie #HalloweenMovies #StephenKing #SissySpacek #BrianDePalma Support the show Find our films here: The Love Song of William H Shaw Revenge of Zoe Writing Fren-Zee Making Pondo on Facebook Bluesky Instagram Making Pondo on Letterboxd: Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Season Five Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace Photos by Geoffrey Notkin

    Monster House and Carrie (1976) with Isabel Teran - Talking Pondo

  3. Oct 12

    Shock Waves and Dawn of the Dead (1978) with Frank Dietz - Talking Pondo

    Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, Frank Dietz returns to the podcast. He brings along the movie Shock Waves. Marty and Clif give Frank the movie Dawn of the Dead to watch.  First up is Shock Waves, the 1977 low-budget horror film starring Peter Cushing, Brooke Adams, John Carradine and a group of very creepy waterlogged undead Nazi super-soldiers. Clif, Marty and Frank dig into the movie’s atmospheric cinematography, underwater sequences and how much this little 16mm production manages to accomplish with it's limited budget. They also discuss Peter Cushing’s ability to sell just about any piece of scientific gobbledygook with complete conviction and whether these things are really zombies at all. Then it’s time for George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, the 1978 classic that takes the zombie apocalypse into a suburban shopping mall. Clif, Marty and Frank talk about Romero’s direction, Tom Savini’s groundbreaking effects work, the movie’s incredible ensemble, it's social commentary and why the film still packs a punch nearly fifty years later. Frank also shares his personal experience seeing Dawn of the Dead in theaters in 1978 and how the movie scared the hell out of him. Along the way: zombie optometry, Peter Cushing and Grand Moff Tarkin, Flipper, Fred Olen Ray, the magic window and the original ending of Dawn of the Dead. #TalkingPondo #FilmPodcast #ShockWaves #DawnOfTheDead #FrankDietz #GeorgeRomero #PeterCushing #ZombieMovies  Support the show Find our films here: The Love Song of William H Shaw Revenge of Zoe Writing Fren-Zee Making Pondo on Facebook Bluesky Instagram Making Pondo on Letterboxd: Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Season Five Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace Photos by Geoffrey Notkin

    Shock Waves and Dawn of the Dead (1978) with Frank Dietz - Talking Pondo

  4. Oct 5

    Friendship and I Like Movies - Talking Pondo

    Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, Marty gives Clif the movie Friendship to watch and Clif gives Marty the movie I Like Movies to watch. First up is Friendship, the 2025 comedy starring Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd and Kate Mara. Clif and Marty dive into this wonderfully uncomfortable story about a suburban dad who becomes fascinated with his charismatic new neighbor. The guys dig into the movie's painfully awkward humor, escalating social disasters and Tim Robinson's particular talent for "cringe." They also debate just how much of what we're watching is supposed to be funny, uncomfortable or both. Then it's time for I Like Movies, the 2022 coming-of-age comedy about 17-year-old film obsessive Lawrence Queller, who gets a job at a video store and forms an unexpectedly complicated friendship with his older manager. Clif and Marty connect with the movie's love of cinema and it's awkward teenage protagonist. The film explores the idea that a passion for movies can sometimes become a way of avoiding the much harder work of dealing with actual people. They also discuss the movie's Canadian setting, it's video-store nostalgia and why Lawrence's journey feels considerably more complicated than a simple "kid grows up" story. Along the way: A24, Terry Fox, video stores, movie snobbery, the difference between liking movies and loving movies and why nobody at Clif's workplace wants to hear the phrase "teamwork makes the dream work." #TalkingPondo #FilmPodcast #Friendship #ILikeMovies #TimRobinson #PaulRudd #A24 #MovieReview  Support the show Find our films here: The Love Song of William H Shaw Revenge of Zoe Writing Fren-Zee Making Pondo on Facebook Bluesky Instagram Making Pondo on Letterboxd: Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Season Five Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace Photos by Geoffrey Notkin

    Friendship and I Like Movies - Talking Pondo

  5. Sep 28

    Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! and Rush Hour 2 - Talking Sequels

    Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, Marty gives Clif the movie Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! to watch and Clif gives Marty the movie Rush Hour 2 to watch. First up is Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!, the 1989 follow-up to the cult favorite about the mysterious rock star who faked his own death. This time, Eddie is alive, living in Canada and apparently trying to leave his rock-and-roll past behind. Clif and Marty take a trip back to the end of the '80s to see what happened when the filmmakers decided to bring Eddie back. They discover a movie filled with new music, old memories, hair-metal-era production choices and some truly goofy sequel logic. They also revisit the first film's place in music history and wonder how a movie made in 1989 could feel both current and old at the same time. Then it's Rush Hour 2, the 2001 action-comedy sequel starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Carter and Lee head to Hong Kong for what is supposed to be a vacation, only to become involved in a counterfeit-money operation. Clif and Marty dig into the chemistry between Chan and Tucker, the action sequences, the comedy, the supporting cast and the very specific early-2000s flavor of a movie that couldn't resist putting Jeremy Piven in the middle of the film. Along the way: Scotti Bros. Records, Weird Al Yankovic, hair metal, the mysterious power of a mustache and Brett Ratner's Entourage connection.  #TalkingPondo #FilmPodcast #EddieAndTheCruisers2 #RushHour2 #MichaelPare #JackieChan #ChrisTucker #MovieReview  Support the show Find our films here: The Love Song of William H Shaw Revenge of Zoe Writing Fren-Zee Making Pondo on Facebook Bluesky Instagram Making Pondo on Letterboxd: Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Season Five Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace Photos by Geoffrey Notkin

    Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! and Rush Hour 2 - Talking Sequels

  6. Sep 21

    East Side Sushi and A Prairie Home Companion with Eric Schumacher - Talking Pondo

    Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, return guest Eric Schumacher joins the podcast. He brings along the movie East Side Sushi, while Marty and Clif give Eric the movie A Prairie Home Companion to watch. First up is Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion, the 2006 ensemble comedy inspired by Garrison Keillor's long-running radio program. With a cast that includes Meryl Streep, Lily Tomlin, Woody Harrelson, John C. Reilly, Lindsay Lohan, Kevin Kline and more, the film follows the backstage antics surrounding what may be the show's final broadcast. Clif, Marty and Eric talk about Altman's loose, overlapping style, the movie's bittersweet tone, it's enormous ensemble and the strange feeling of watching a film about artists facing the end of something they love. They also discuss why the movie might hit a little differently for people who make their own art. Next is East Side Sushi, the 2014 drama about Juana, a single mother who discovers a passion for sushi and decides to pursue her dream of becoming a sushi chef. The gang gets into the movie's portrayal of hard work, family, tradition and the discipline required to master a craft. Eric also brings some firsthand perspective on the importance of actors actually learning the skills their characters are supposed to possess. Along the way: Kuala Lumpur, the wonders of Minneapolis, martial arts movie training montages and the possibility of creating a Pondo movie where Eric is legally required to eat for twelve straight hours. #TalkingPondo #FilmPodcast #APrairieHomeCompanion #EastSideSushi #EricSchumacher #RobertAltman #FoodMovies #MovieReview Support the show Find our films here: The Love Song of William H Shaw Revenge of Zoe Writing Fren-Zee Making Pondo on Facebook Bluesky Instagram Making Pondo on Letterboxd: Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Season Five Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace Photos by Geoffrey Notkin

    East Side Sushi and A Prairie Home Companion with Eric Schumacher - Talking Pondo

  7. Sep 14

    Inside Llewyn Davis and The American Friend - Talking Pondo

    Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, Marty gives Clif the movie Inside Llewyn Davis to watch and Clif gives Marty the movie The American Friend to watch. First up is The American Friend, Wim Wenders' 1977 crime drama starring Dennis Hopper and Bruno Ganz. Clif and Marty dig into this strange, visually striking adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novel, following a picture framer who gets pulled into a world of art forgery and murder. They talk about Wenders' deliberately paced visual style, the film's sparse score, it's international cast and Dennis Hopper's fascinating performance as Tom Ripley. Then it's off to Greenwich Village in 1961 for Inside Llewyn Davis, the Coen Brothers' melancholy, darkly funny look at a struggling folk musician trying to find his way through the New York music scene. Clif and Marty examine Oscar Isaac's performance, the film's looping structure, it's gorgeous cinematography and Llewyn's seemingly limitless ability to sabotage himself. They also debate whether he's a tortured artist, a grieving man who can't move forward or simply a guy who desperately needs somebody to tell him to get his shit together. Along the way: Dennis Hopper's cowboy hat, Wim Wenders fighting with a film lab, Criterion releases, Bob Dylan and highway hypnosis. Support the show Find our films here: The Love Song of William H Shaw Revenge of Zoe Writing Fren-Zee Making Pondo on Facebook Bluesky Instagram Making Pondo on Letterboxd: Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Season Five Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace Photos by Geoffrey Notkin

    Inside Llewyn Davis and The American Friend - Talking Pondo

  8. Sep 7

    The Wrong Missy and Married to the Mob - Talking Pondo

    Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, Marty gives Clif the movie The Wrong Missy to watch and Clif gives Marty the movie Married to the Mob to watch.  First up is Married to the Mob, Jonathan Demme's 1988 crime comedy starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Modine, Alec Baldwin and a whole lot of familiar faces. Clif and Marty take a look at Angela DeMarco, a mobster's widow trying to escape the life she's married into, only to find the FBI and the mob making that considerably more difficult. They also dig into Demme's strange, cartoon-like tone, the eclectic David Byrne soundtrack and the staggering amount of 1980's energy packed into one movie. Then it's time for The Wrong Missy, the 2020 Netflix comedy starring David Spade and Lauren Lapkus. A simple texting mistake sends the wrong woman to a company retreat in Hawaii. Clif and Marty spend the next thirty minutes asking the most important question imaginable: after the first few minutes of this date, why didn't this guy just run? The discussion covers the movie's broad comedy, Lauren Lapkus' commitment to the material, David Spade's need for someone to play off of and why this particular brand of Netflix comedy can feel both entertaining and remarkably disposable. Along the way: Blondie, David Byrne, Matthew Modine still being Louden Swain, Joan Cusack's five-second appearance, Tom Cruise choosing Cocktail over Married to the Mob, 1980's title design and bad blind dates. #TalkingPondo #FilmPodcast #MarriedToTheMob #TheWrongMissy #MichellePfeiffer #80sMovies #MovieReview  Support the show Find our films here: The Love Song of William H Shaw Revenge of Zoe Writing Fren-Zee Making Pondo on Facebook Bluesky Instagram Making Pondo on Letterboxd: Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Season Five Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace Photos by Geoffrey Notkin

    The Wrong Missy and Married to the Mob - Talking Pondo
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

From summer blockbusters to indie darlings, Talking Pondo celebrates the joy of watching, questioning, and occasionally roasting the movies that shape our lives. Every week, hosts Clif Campbell and Marty Ketola sit down to swap movies and swap opinions. Each of them brings a film to the table and together they dig into what makes it work (or not). Sometimes, there's a guest!Whether you’re a casual moviegoer or a die-hard cinephile, there’s always room for more movie talk. And yes, there will be spoilers! Making Pondo is a discussion with Clif, Marty and a guest from one of their many productions.

Information

  • Creator
    Clifton Campbell, Marty Ketola
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    144
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Talking Pondo
  • Show Website
    Talking Pondo