The Projection Booth Podcast

On this special episode Mike speaks with Chie Hayakawa the director of the 2022 film Plan 75. It's a slightly sci-fi look at Japan in ten years and how they handle the elderly. Find out where the film is playing near you at: https://www.kimstim.com/film/plan-75/

On this special episode, Mike talks with writer/director/actor Mickey Reece on his latest film, Country Gold, which tells the tale of an up-and-coming star's time with legend George Jones.Country Gold is now streaming.

On this special episode Mike speaks with Goran Topalovic. He currently serves as a Board Director and programmer at Subway Cinema and he's one of the folks who programmed the 10th Old School Kung Fu Fest: Swordfighting Heroes Edition which plays the Metrograph theater in New York April 21st to 30th 2023. See the line-up and buy tickets at https://metrograph.com/category/oldschool-kungfufest/

On this special episode, Mike talks with Michelle Garza Cervera about her feature film debut, Huesera: The Bone Woman (2022).The film is now available to stream!

Mike speaks with writer and co-director Dan Katzir about American Pot Story: Oaksterdam, a documentary about the struggle to legalize marijuana in California. Find out more at https://www.americanpotstory.com/

Black History Month continues with a look at Phillip Fenty’s 1977 film The Baron. Originally known as Baron Wolfgang Von Tripps, the film stars Calvin Lockhart as Jason, a filmmaker who is trying to complete his film on Von Tripps only to have everything go wrong. His money man, Coke Man (Charles McGregor), is in dutch with one of his connections in the mob while Jason’s people in California want to re-cast the movie with a white guy and remove him from the project.Father Malone and David Walker join Mike to discuss the movie. Cinematographer Alan Metzger and director Phillip Fenty discuss their careers and making this often-overlooked film.

On this special episode, Mike speaks with Lise Akoka and Romane Gueret about their feature film directing debut, The Worst Ones (Les Pires).The film is now available on Blu-Ray/DVD from Kino-Lorber.The French-Only interview is available at https://soundcloud.com/projectionbooth/lise-akoka-and-romane-gueret-on-the-worst-ones-french-version

Cinematographer Julia Swain discusses her career including her latest work, Scrambled and The Wrath of Becky. Find out more at her website https://www.juliaswain.net/

Chris Stachiw joins Mike to discuss the 1993 film from directors Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton, Super Mario Bros. It's the story of two brothers, Mario Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi Mario (John Leguizamo) who cross over from Brooklyn, USA to another dimension ruled by the ruthless King Koopa (Dennis Hopper), in an attempt to rescue Princess Daisy (Samantha Mathis).Is their princess in another castle or will they be able to rescue her and make some coin along the way?This episode is a little out of the ordinary. It features a montage of interviews from a dozen people integral to making the film. Visit http://www.smbmovie.com to learn more about Super Mario Bros.

We conclude Black History Month with a look at Jamaa-Fanakaa’s Welcome Home Brother Charles. Released in 1975 it’s the story of our titular Brother Charles (Marlo Monte) who is picked up by the police and possibly castrated for being too “uppity”. Amid the crime and corruption of mid-seventies Los Angeles we follow Charles as he’s railroaded into jail and swears revenge upon his release.Gary Phillips and Jackie Stewart join Mike to discuss this bizarre story of vengeance. Sam Ingraffia talks about his role in the film (as well as his work on Barney Miller).

Mike talks with writer Randy Schmidt about his biography on Karen Carpenter and the 2023 documentary, Karen Carpenter: Starving for Perfection. Find out more at https://karencarpenterdoc.com/

French Month continues with a look at Jean Renoir’s Rules of the Game. Released originally in 1939, the film was based on Alfred de Musset's Les Caprices de Marianne and skewers French nobility in a comedy of manners. Released on the eve of World War II, the film was not a hit cut down to a mere 86 minute running time. It would later be expanded another 20 minutes in a version that not even Renoir had ever seen.Robert Bellissimo and Otto Bruno join Mike to discuss this beloved film.

Lee Demarbre (Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter) returns to The Projection Booth to discuss his latest film, Enter the Drag Dragon, a rollicking tale of kung fu, independent film, and drag.Do not watch this movie if you're from Tennessee.

Yaniv Eidelstein and Stephen Scarlata join Mike to look at Adrian Lyne’s 1990 film Jacob’s Ladder. It’s the story of Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins) who’s platoon in Vietnam is attacked by unknown forces. He suffers from flashbacks of this horrific event in 1970s New York where he’s left his wife and is living with his co-worker, Jezebel (Elizabeth Peña). He is plagued, as well, by horrific visions of demons. Is Jacob going mad? Is he a victim of a government plot? Or is it something else entirely?Special guests writer Bruce Joel Rubin and director Adrian Lyne discuss the making of the film and its fate.

On this special episode, Mike talks with Quentin Dupieux all about his latest film, Smoking Causes Cancer, which is now playing at film festivals and will be streaming in late March, 2023.

On this special episode, Mike talks with Artistic Director 
Kevin Monahan and Director of Programming
 Nicole McControversy about the 2023 Boston Underground Film Festival, a five-day fest focused on offbeat shorts and features. Check out the full program and buy tickets at https://bostonunderground.org/

On this special episode, Mike talks with Nate Orloff about his career as an editor from his early days at Bad Robot to his most recent gig, editing the fourth chapter of the John Wick series.

French Month continues with a look at Marcel Carne’s Children of Paradise. Released in 1945 and set in the early-mid 1800s, the film tells a winding tale of the woman Garance (Arletty) and the four men in her orbit: The mime Baptiste, the actor Frederick, the criminal Larcenaire, and the aristocrat Edouard.Keith Gordon and Samm Deighan join Mike to discuss the film as well as the compelling circumstances around its making.

On this special episode, Mike talks with Austin and Meredith Bragg about their feature film debut, Pinball: The Man Who Saved the Game. Based on the story of Roger Sharpe, the GQ journalist who proved that pinball is a game of skill, no chance, it's an ambitious and delightful debut. Find out more at https://pinballfilm.com/

On this episode Mike talks with Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak about their new film A Disturbance in the Force. It's all about the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special and just had its premiere at South By Southwest.Be sure to visit their website https://www.holidayspecialdoc.com/ to find out when it's playing near you.