05/05/2024

ARTHUR'S (FILMIC) KINGDOM - A CHAT WITH "RUSH HOUR", "WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING", "LAST MAN STANDING" PRODUCER ARTHUR SARKISSIAN

Old-school retro while "new era" ballsy as hell, the films of producer Arthur Sarkissian - among them the RUSH HOUR series, WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, Walter Hill's LAST MAN STANDING, Rutger Hauer's back-in-day classic WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE, Martin Campbell's THE FOREIGNER with Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan, THE PROTÉGÉ, MEMORY and more - were all shepherded to the screen by Mr. Sarkissian not necessarily because of how critics or studios or distributors would react to them, ... but more importantly by how audiences would. And this is because Sarkissian grew up falling in love with films like THE GUNS OF NAVARONE, KELLY'S HEROES, JAWS and others while watching them in theaters surrounded by audiences laughing, screaming, cheering and more. As such, it's my great honor to present a nifty sit-down wherein "filmic king" Arthur delves into his past, inspirations, mentorship under iconic Hollywood mogul Howard W. Koch, Sr., early involvement with MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, AIRPLANE and Abel Ferrara's KING OF NEW YORK and much, much more. Ladies and gentlemen, one of the last of Hollywood's great gentleman producers, Mr. Arthur Sarkissian. __________________________________ Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

07/04/2022

"WHERE WERE YOU IN '82?": RELIVING THE GREATEST MOVIE SUMMER OF ALL TIME!

What could make the greatest film summer of them all, 1982 - where within four months POLTERGEIST, STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN, E.T., ROCKY III, BLADE RUNNER, THE THING, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, TRON, FIREFOX, AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, PINK FLOYD: THE WALL, THE SECRET OF NIMH, THE ROAD WARRIOR, NIGHT SHIFT, DINER and more, ... which 40 years ago all opened back-to-back / week-after-week - even better? How 'bout reliving that time with the people with whom you first saw many of those movies! That's what we did - inviting three of our closest life-long friends to step into the WayBack Machine with us to that most memorable summer. And, hey, in doing so we realized it wasn't just the films themselves which gave us that lifetime of memories we cherish to this day, but the fact that it was also a very special time of life associated with those movies which we came to emotionally - sometimes subconsciously - link to them. And as such, whether - like us - you got to those now-classic flicks of '82 in the first "POS" car you ever owned or on bicycles, whether those four months helped heal a first-time broken heart, or whether it was the last time you and your own personal STAND BY ME / STRANGER DAYS / FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH-like group of friends were ever together in the same room before separating to the four winds, to this day every time you rewatch one of those films a piece of you zooms back to the time and place you first saw it - and with whom you saw it - faster than Doc Brown can say "Great Scott!" or "1.21 gigawatts!". __________________________________ THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art". Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

04/28/2022

"RARA AVIS" - INDEPENDENT'S DAY, 2022 - THREE TRULY ONE-OF-A-KIND FILMS AND FILMMAKERS TO WATCH IN '22

The concept of independent cinema isn't as new as some believe, and there have always been two kinds. One is where stars break from the system to do their own thing - such as when Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin and D.W. Griffith joined to form the (then) independent company United Artists to oppose the financial and creative strangulation of the “Big Five” studios of the day. And the other where a relative upstart / outsider has the chutzpah to not only tear down long-established walls, but in the process build bridges for others into the industry - such as when 100 years before Tyler Perry African-American novelist Oscar Micheaux establish himself as the first black American “one man studio”, directing and producing 40 films and seven novels in just under 30 years between 1919 and 1948. That spirit still exists today. And in celebration THE MOVIE SNEAK sits down with three filmmakers for our annual fireside on the current state of the independent cinematic arts. Stacy Layne Wilson takes us behind-the-scenes on her new “Lo Fi, Sci Fi, Rock ‘n Roll Comedy” THE SECOND AGE OF AQUARIUS. Filmmaker Amanda Kasmira Cryer gives us a little pre-vis on her searing in-the-works documentary INSIDE MEN which delves into prison reform and the need to do away with the “for-profit” incarceration system. And ahead-of-his-time writer / director Chris Chan Lee chats with us about his acclaimed hard-hitting 1997 coming-of-age drama YELLOW, and his “currently on the festival circuit" SILENT RIVER – which begins as a Sam Shepard-like drama about a man seeking reconciliation with his estranged wife, then branches in mind-bending genre territory worthy of Rod Serling and Richard Matheson. Recently returned from Europe where just a few weeks ago SILENT RIVER picked up a Jury Award at the Paris International Film Festival, we’re honored to have Chris -- along with Stacy and Amanda – join us for our Second Annual Celebration of “INDEPENDENT’S” DAY. More on STACY LAYNE WILSON @ ... Staci Layne Wilson Official WebsiteStaci Layne Wilson - IMDbMore on AMANDA KASMIRA CRYER @ ... Amanda Cryer - IMDbKazzy Reacts - YouTubeMore on CHRIS CHAN LEE @ ... Chris Chan Lee - IMDbFILM AND TV NOW - CHRIS CHAN LEE (SILENT RIVER) INTERVIEW - YouTube__________________________________ THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art". Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

03/22/2022

THE 5TH ANNUAL "CHEAPIE BIN AWARDS" - FOR FILMS MANY DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT, ... BUT SHOULD!

It's that time of year again where - as certain as those proverbial death, taxes and the changing of the seasons (though usually a lot more fun) - THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST unleashes its choices for the annual CHEAPIE BIN AWARDS. The world's most unpretentious awards show (which really doesn't actually give out any trophies), THE CHEAPIE BINS celebrates a love of film by delving into our favorites from the last year. The twist, though, is they aren't necessarily films which opened within the last year. But are rather films we've only just seen in that last year via taking a chance / a flyer / a gamble and picking them up for a buck or two in a local supermarket, drug store or Dollar Store / Dollar Tree cheapie bin. As such, we take into consideration old and new, and everything from studio fare and critical gems to contemporary action flicks and old-school grindhousers in our awards categories - "Best Remake or Reboot", "Most Surprising Film, ... In A Good Way", "Most Technically Impressive", "Fave Film Which The Rest of The World Absolutely Hated", "Favorite Guilty Pleasure" and "Best CHEAPIE BIN-DER Of The Year". "The envelope please" 😄 *NOTES* The audio distortion during the first 30 seconds of the episode is intentional. And some film audio clips contain explicit language which some may find offensive. Just givin' you a heads up! __________________________________ THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art". Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

09/16/2021

NEO-GEO NAZISM: THE MOVIES VS. WHITE SUPREMACY

"Neo" means "new". But from Charlottesville, to the plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, to the January 6th terror attack (and Sept.18th rally attempting to recasts the insurrectionists as "political prisoners") and beyond, it's the same age-old supremacist doctrine which earlier fueled Germany's "Beer Hall Putsch" and the Holocaust, South Africa's once all dominant Apartheid, and America's "Jim Crow". So, let's be clear there's nothing "new" about any of this at all. Art - including cinema - is society's subconscious. And in the 1980s, when long-standing ethnic / cultural barriers were being torn down (remember MTV refusing to air black artists until the success of Michael Jackson and Prince forced them too?), there was rising blowback among those who felt they were losing long-held power. And before this blowback was publicly acknowledged (or maybe even realized) by the general public, filmmakers had already picked up on it and addressed the threat in a remarkable number of mainstream films between 1988 - '89 where white supremacists and their doctrine were challenged head-on as a modern day threat: among those films - Costa-Gavras' BETRAYED and MUSIC BOX, Oliver Stone's TALK RADIO, John Frankenheimer's DEAD BANG, Clint Eastwood's PINK CADILLAC, Richard Donner's LETHAL WEAPON 2, along with MISSISSIPPI BURNING, MURDERER'S AMONG US, A DRY WHITE SEASON, TRIUMPH OF THE SPIRIT, HANNA'S WAR and others. And it's remarkable how, when re-watching these films today, they all seem as if they could have been shot as recently as just last week. In one of our most stark and raw installments (yes, we've still got film audio clips, but no background music or slick production this time around) Craig and Jim recall the era, and do in-depth retros on the various films as they related to the social / political landscape of their day, ... as well as how many still amazingly / tragically closely relate to our present. *NOTE* THIS EPISODE CONTAINS FILM AUDIO CLIPS AND LANGUAGE WHICH SOME MY FIND DISTURBING. ______________________________________________________________________________ THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art". Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

06/13/2021

AIR FORCE ONE'S TOTAL RECALL OF ROBOCOP IN THE MASTER & COMMANDER'S OUTBREAK OF THE PERFECT STORM IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA : A WHIRLWIND CHAT WITH HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION DESIGNER WILLIAM SANDELL

Ever see any of those films, ... or POSEIDON, SMALL SOLDIERS, HOCUS POCUS, NEWSIES, PAYCHECK, THE FLINTSTONES or HOTEL FOR DOGS? Whew - helluva career! Well, all of their sets - those created cinematic worlds and many more - were imagined and designed by the legendary William Sandell. And we’ve got him! So, sit back, crack one open, light ‘em if you got ‘em, open a steno pad and take some notes ... or whatever it is you do. Because Sandell’s taking us on a trip, both chill and informative as all hell at the same time, through behind-the-scenes Hollywood history - from his early days as a set dresser on films like MEAN STREETS, TRUCK TURNER, BLACK BELT JONES and Roger Corman’s BIG BAD MAMMA, to world creator on later day modern faves which have actually become traveling art museum staples like HOCUS POCUS. Prepare to have your movie mind blown. Learn more - * WILLIAM SANDELL online @ https://williamsandell.com/ ______________________________________________________________________________ THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art". Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

06/02/2021

THE $4 DOLLAR FILM FESTIVAL: THE CHEAPIE BIN AWARDS 2021 / THE MOVIE SNEAK MASTERS SERIES: MUSICAL WARRIOR AMY ANDERSSON

The best awards show ever for "Movies No One Gives A Damn About, ... But Should!" returns with THE MOVIE SNEAK's annual CHEAPIE BIN AWARDS. Y'know those department store, Rite-Aid and Dollar Store dump bins overflowing with that disorganized mess of Blu-rays and DVDs? Well, once per year we offer up a "Best Of" list culled from films - older and newer - we've only just seen over the last 12 months because we took a flyer, dove into that pile and pulled out what turned out to be some true cinematic gems. And with categories ranging from "Biggest Pleasant Surprise", to "Best Remake or Reboot", to "Favorite Film Which The Rest Of The World Absolutely Hated!" and more, we're pretty effin' certain there's gonna be something for every taste in this our latest celebration of the "$4 DOLLAR FILM FESTIVAL". That one right around the corner and down the aisle from the paper towels and Pepto. Also ... THE MOVIE SNEAK MASTERS SERIES (begins at 5:06 min. mark) returns with a chat with conductor / award-winning filmmaker Amy Andersson. The founder of Orchestra Moderne NY, Maestra Andersson is an industry multi-tasker renowned for conducting operatic, symphonic, Broadway musical, and video game concerts globally - among the most popular being the uber-successful THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SYMPHONY OF THE GODDESSES tour. She's made appearances on THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT, the CBS MORNING and CBS EVENING SHOWs and more. And she’s the creator and producer of WOMEN WARRIORS: THE VOICES OF CHANGE - a stunning multimedia "live-to-picture" symphony production featuring the music of eight celebrated contemporary female composers synched to a silent 70 minute documentary film. Premiering at Lincoln Center to rave reviews on September 20th, 2019, the soul stirring concert creation honors the strength and heroism of global activists fighting for social justice, human and civil rights, gender equality, environmental causes, and for the right of every girl around the world to an education. Brava, Maestra Andersson! Learn more - * WOMEN WARRIORS: THE VOICES OF CHANGE @ https://womenwarriorsthevoicesofchange.com/ * Amy Andersson conducts THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: SYMPHONY OF THE GODDESSES on THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT (10/13/15) @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MgRn5Ir2Dmg ______________________________________________________________________________ THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art". Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

01/13/2021

WHAT'S UP DOC? - "THE VENTURES", "DISPOSABLE HUMANITY", "STUNTWOMEN: THE UNTOLD HOLLYWOOD STORY": THREE DOCUMENTARIES EVERY FILM LOVER NEEDS TO SEE IN 2021

Remember when documentaries were the purview of PBS, Jacques Cousteau, the Disney Nature films of the 60s, and they felt like junior high Social Studies? Not anymore! Since filmmakers Barbara Koppel, Michael Moore, Ken Burns and others entered the field the documentary has become one of the primary contemporary catalysts for environmental change, setting straight the long-bent historical record, and instigating a wide spectrum of social change – from setting the innocent free, sending those who “got away with it” up the river, bringing abusive political, religious and other leaders to justice … . And, oh, yeah, very often they're as damned entertaining (and poignantly moving) as any narrative film. But what sets one apart as unique or special? We've got three films we believe by year's end will be forefront in the hearts and minds of many, ... and we've got a sit-down with each of the filmmakers behind them. Staci Layne Wilson's THE VENTURES: STARS ON GUITARS (begin 4:10) is a fast and fun retrospective of her father Don Wilson and The World's All Time Bestselling Instrumental Band - featuring testimonials, accolades and fandom from everyone from Jimmy Page, John Fogerty and The Surfragettes, to Lalo Schifrin, Billy Bob Thornton and more. With DISPOSABLE HUMANITY (begin 16:15) documentarian Cameron Mitchell traversed Europe to bring to light WWII Germany's tragic (but little known) medical genocide program "Aktion T4" which took the lives of 300,000 physically disabled, and served as a developmental precursor to gas chamber "technology", death camps and ultimately the Holocaust. And finally with STUNTWOMEN: THE UNTOLD HOLLYWOOD STORY (begin 29:44) director April Wright and THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS' Michelle Rodriguez pull out all the stops and let the film industry's greatest stuntwomen tell their own story with stirring (and at times heartbreaking) recollections ... and the best scenes from some of Hollywood’s greatest action flicks. Wright calls her film an “action documentary”. But truth is it’s a bad-assed contemporary action classic in it’s own right - with the participation of over 50 filmmakers and (of course) those high flying, physics smashing stuntwomen themselves! Learn more - * THE VENTURES: STARS ON GUITARS @ https://theventuresstarsonguitars.com/movie * DISPOSABLE HUMANITY @ https://www.disposablehumanity.com/?fbclid=IwAR0QCqtmtHi4RI1vci9dMrt1O0x72khEzPNiUfev1DI1d29jQlgeSvyCY1M * STUNTWOMEN: THE UNTOLD HOLLYWOOD STORY @ https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/stuntwomen-untold-hollywood-story-watch-150057359.html https://instabio.cc/StuntWomen?fbclid=IwAR3sjTqDbpfh2NXH1u6P3MISaewQR5zMy60pGjj5HwpZhPLXAWWkeMFW-ac ______________________________________________________________________________ THE MOVIE SNEAK PODCAST is part of The GullCottage/Sandlot - a film blog, cinema magazine, growing reference library and online network "Celebrating The Art of Cinema, ... And Cinema As Art". Explore the GULLCOTTAGE / SANDLOT @ www.gullcottageonline.com Rights to film / TV clips and other audio excerpts held by copyright owners. Presented here for educational and criticism purposes.

The Movie Sneak

ARTHUR'S (FILMIC) KINGDOM - A CHAT WITH "RUSH HOUR", "WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING", "LAST MAN STANDING" PRODUCER ARTHUR SARKISSIAN

"WHERE WERE YOU IN '82?": RELIVING THE GREATEST MOVIE SUMMER OF ALL TIME!

"RARA AVIS" - INDEPENDENT'S DAY, 2022 - THREE TRULY ONE-OF-A-KIND FILMS AND FILMMAKERS TO WATCH IN '22

THE 5TH ANNUAL "CHEAPIE BIN AWARDS" - FOR FILMS MANY DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT, ... BUT SHOULD!

NEO-GEO NAZISM: THE MOVIES VS. WHITE SUPREMACY

AIR FORCE ONE'S TOTAL RECALL OF ROBOCOP IN THE MASTER & COMMANDER'S OUTBREAK OF THE PERFECT STORM IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA : A WHIRLWIND CHAT WITH HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION DESIGNER WILLIAM SANDELL

THE $4 DOLLAR FILM FESTIVAL: THE CHEAPIE BIN AWARDS 2021 / THE MOVIE SNEAK MASTERS SERIES: MUSICAL WARRIOR AMY ANDERSSON

WHAT'S UP DOC? - "THE VENTURES", "DISPOSABLE HUMANITY", "STUNTWOMEN: THE UNTOLD HOLLYWOOD STORY": THREE DOCUMENTARIES EVERY FILM LOVER NEEDS TO SEE IN 2021

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The Movie Sneak

Episodes

ARTHUR'S (FILMIC) KINGDOM - A CHAT WITH "RUSH HOUR", "WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING", "LAST MAN STANDING" PRODUCER ARTHUR SARKISSIAN

"WHERE WERE YOU IN '82?": RELIVING THE GREATEST MOVIE SUMMER OF ALL TIME!

"RARA AVIS" - INDEPENDENT'S DAY, 2022 - THREE TRULY ONE-OF-A-KIND FILMS AND FILMMAKERS TO WATCH IN '22

THE 5TH ANNUAL "CHEAPIE BIN AWARDS" - FOR FILMS MANY DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT, ... BUT SHOULD!

NEO-GEO NAZISM: THE MOVIES VS. WHITE SUPREMACY

AIR FORCE ONE'S TOTAL RECALL OF ROBOCOP IN THE MASTER & COMMANDER'S OUTBREAK OF THE PERFECT STORM IN THE DEEP BLUE SEA : A WHIRLWIND CHAT WITH HOLLYWOOD PRODUCTION DESIGNER WILLIAM SANDELL

THE $4 DOLLAR FILM FESTIVAL: THE CHEAPIE BIN AWARDS 2021 / THE MOVIE SNEAK MASTERS SERIES: MUSICAL WARRIOR AMY ANDERSSON

WHAT'S UP DOC? - "THE VENTURES", "DISPOSABLE HUMANITY", "STUNTWOMEN: THE UNTOLD HOLLYWOOD STORY": THREE DOCUMENTARIES EVERY FILM LOVER NEEDS TO SEE IN 2021

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