Shows
KPBS Midday EditionHow a sister duo explores stories from the borderlands through theater, comicsThis week on KPBS Midday Edition, we shine the spotlight on Hispanic Heritage Month, highlighting local theater group Teatro Las Hermanas. We explore how they use theater, visual art and comic book illustrations to put together productions with a focus on social justice.Then, the San Diego Italian Film Festival is back for its 19th year and kicks off on Oct. 1. We sat with our Midday Movies film critics, KPBS Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando and Moviewallas podcaster Yazdi Pithavala, to talk about the festival’s history and creating community around film.Guests:Mabelle Reynoso, playwright, Teatro Las HermanasZulema Reynoso, ar...
2025-09-2631 min
Cinema JunkieUnconventional Shakespeare filmsCinema Junkie presents this month's Midday Movies, with Beth Accomando and Yazdi Pithavala, and an exploration of unconventional cinematic adaptations of the Bard.
2025-08-0816 min
Cinema JunkieThe Silent Film UniverseCinema Junkie Beth Accomando speaks with musician Ben Model who has written a book defining the cinematic language of "The Silent Film Universe."
2025-06-0426 min
Cinema JunkieCelebrating Asian Cinema, Old and NewCinema Junkie Beth Accomando speaks with PacArts artistic Brian Hu and filmmaker Jota Mun about some Asian cinema classics as well as bold new work.
2025-04-1720 min
Cinema JunkieDark City Dames to die forCinema Junkie once again hosts Midday Movies. Hit the dark alleys of film noir with the usual suspects from the Midday Movies gang to find some Dark City Dames to die for. With KPBS Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando, Moviewallas' podcaster Yazdi Pithavala, and Midday Edition's Andrew Bracken.
2025-03-2718 min
Cinema JunkieMidday Movies celebrate Black womenTo close out Black History Month, Cinema Junkie presents Midday Movies as critics create a suggested viewing list to celebrate Black women on screen and behind the camera. AND to remind people that celebrating Black film does not have to end on February 28th. Once again KPBS Midday Edition host Jade Hindmon welcomes KPBS Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando and Moviewallas’ podcaster Yazdi Pithavala. WARNING: Clips contain explicit language and violence.
2025-02-2721 min
Cinema JunkieMidday Movies Christmas SmackdownCinema Junkie presents a Christmas Smackdown between KPBS Midday Movies critics Beth Accomando and Yazdi Pithavala. They face off in a battle between Christmas action/horror and feel good holiday fare. The Christmas Smackdown is refereed by KPBS Midday Edition host Jade Hindmon. You can also watch the video podcast: https://youtu.be/vAeH9g34gis.
2024-12-1916 min
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes: The PodcastFrom VHS to Comic-Con: The Wild World of Attack of the Killer TomatoesIn this lively episode, Costa takes us to Comic-Con in San Diego, where he interviews a fantastic lineup of guests, all centered around the cult classic Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Zak Shaffer, a passionate fan of the franchise, shares his deep-rooted love for the film, while Beth Accomando offers fascinating insights from her experiences editing the sequels. Mindy Schwartz adds a personal touch, recounting her uncle’s role in the original 70s movie and how this “so bad it’s good” film has become a beloved part of her family’s story. The conversation explores the importance...
2024-09-2419 min
Cinema JunkieBONUS Episode: Holiday MoviesCinema Junkie's Beth Accomando and Moviewallas' Yazdi Pithavala go shopping for the best films to watch this holiday season... and the lumps of coal to avoid.
2023-12-2123 min
MONSTER PARTYWHAT WE'RE WATCHING VOL. 3!!! With BETH ACCOMANDO!MONSTER PARTY IS WATCHING! DO YOU DARE WATCH BACK?! JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD, pull themselves away from their baccanale of binge-watching, to bring you another blast of audio-visual audaciousness! So get ready, get set, go download... WHAT WE'RE WATCHING VOL. 3!!! With the seemingly endless procession of genre product coming out of our various screens, there's more for monster kids to watch than ever. But whether it's TV shows, independant films, or big ticket blockbuster releases, separating the good, the bad, and the god awful, can be quite the challenge. What...
2022-10-082h 40
Screen DraftsGODZILLA mini-MEGA (with Graham Skipper, Beth Accomando, Drew McWeeny, & Toshi McWeeny)The King of the Monsters finally gets its due as Graham Skipper ("The Ultimate Guide to the King of the Monsters"), Beth Accomando (Cinema Junkie Podcast), Drew McWeeny, (The Last '80s Newsletter You'll Ever Need) and Toshi McWeeny rank the 13 best films featuring the world's most recognizable atomic monster!
2022-09-134h 33
SpyHards - A Spy Movie Podcast094. Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965) - Guest: Beth Accomando from Cinema JunkieAgents Scott and Cam, along with guest operative Beth Accomando of the Cinema Junkie blog and podcast, evade swimsuit-clad robots in San Francisco while tackling the 1965 Vincent Price spy spoof Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine.Directed by Norman Taurog. Starring Vincent Price, Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, Susan Hart, Jack Mullaney and Fred Clark.The Cinema Junkie podcast is available everywhere! Make sure to check out Beth's Geeky Gourmet videos and more on the show's blog.Become a SpyHards Patron and gain access to top secret "Agents in the Field" bonus ep...
2022-06-281h 30
KPBS Midday EditionCalifornia car owners could get up to an $800 rebateFor a month straight, San Diego’s gas prices have been steadily climbing. The average price for a gallon of gas Friday is $5.99 a gallon. But if state lawmakers agree to a proposal this week from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, car owners, transit riders and long-haul truck drivers could soon see some financial relief. Plus, a preview of Gounod’s grand opera “Roméo et Juliette,” based on Shakespeare's famous tale of star-crossed lovers, at the San Diego Opera. And, the Academy Awards are this weekend. KPBS arts reporter Beth Beth Accomando and Moviewallas podcaster Yazdi Pithavala discuss all things Oscars.
2022-03-2518 min
Cinema JunkieBond. James Bond. Part OneCinema Junkie Beth Accomando goes on a special mission with spy aficionados Gary Dexter and Jeff Quest to explore the cinematic and literary universe of James Bond 007. Get a spoiler-free review of "No Time To Die" and then enjoy part one of an in-depth and geeky exploration of the fantasy spy world of Ian Fleming's James Bond.
2021-10-0830 min
Cinema JunkieCritical Thinking And The Marvel Cinematic UniverseCinema Junkie has been on a quarantine break but I decided that July, the month of Comic-Con, would be a great time to make a comeback. My first guest is someone who not only fits the spirit of Comic-Con, but also is a longtime friend and frequent Cinema Junkie guest and that is Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg, a.k.a. Doctor of the Dead. We've bonded over zombies in the past and now I want to tap into a different side of his expertise to talk about comic book movies.
Blumberg has the distinction of teaching the first of its...
2021-07-1434 min
Cinema JunkieEscape From Quarantine"Cinema Junkie" has been on a quarantine break, but returns healthier than ever on July 14.
It will be a leaner, 30-minute format, but will still feature in-depth interviews with filmmakers, scholars and cinephiles.
Hosted by KPBS film critic Beth Accomando, the new format will also feature new segments. Guests and listeners will share their rants and raves about movies through fun segments called "Share Your Addiction" and "Cold Turkey."
Plus, Beth is adding a companion video for each podcast called "Geeky Gourmet." She'll demonstrate how to make drinks, desserts and food themed to the films discussed in each episode.
The...
2021-07-0103 min
Cinema ShameZombie Not Zombie / Beth AccomandoFilm critic for KPBS San Diego and host of the Cinema Junkie podcast, Beth Accomando, talks about Zombies and Not Zombies for our Halloween 2020 horror special. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Stitcher Radio / Spotify / Google Podcasts / Amazon Podcasts CREDITS Talking Heads: James David Patrick (@007hertzrumble) Beth Accomando (@cinebeth) Music Contained in this Podcast: Preacher Boy – “Shamedown”
2020-10-302h 02
Cinema JunkieThe Role Of Horror In A Scary WorldAs the real world feels scarier each day with a pandemic in full swing, police brutality and people just behaving badly filling social media, and a president fanning the flames of hate and unrest, the horror genre has had to adjust.
This year's Horrible Imaginings Film Festival has had to move online for its annual showcase of horror, sci-fi and fantasy. Festival founder and executive director Miguel Rodriguez says that the films this year serve up less gore and tales of physical harm and instead focus on horror relating to undefined dread, to not being able to distinguish what's real...
2020-09-021h 02
Cinema JunkieFirst Look: Troma Takes On The BardGet a first look, I mean, listen, to Troma Entertainment's latest film "#Shakespeare's Sh--storm." Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman talks with me about finally being old enough to play Prospero in his 100% Troma-tized adaptation of the Bard's "The Tempest."
We also talk about being kicked off YouTube, starting a streaming channel, and surviving more than four decades outside Hollywood as a truly independent film studio. But be warned, this podcast contains potentially offensive material because, well, it's all about Troma, which specializes in gross-out, gore-filled, politically incorrect yet somehow endearing z-grade films. But if you don't know Troma, maybe don't listen...
2020-08-2258 min
Cinema JunkieHow COVID Is Ruining The Zombie ApocalypseAs if the zombies knew a real pandemic was heading our way, there was a surge of undead films in 2019 with more than a dozen infecting cinemas. So as we deal with a real pandemic Cinema Junkie gets its annual check up with the Doctor of the Dead, Arnold T. Blumberg, whose diagnosis is that COVID is ruining the fun of the zombie apocalypse by giving us something far scarier in the willful ignorance of humans facing the coronavirus in the real world. So to celebrate the 200th episode of the podcast we discuss zombies in the time of coronavirus...
2020-08-081h 09
Cinema JunkieAim For The Head: Max Brooks On Zombies And CoronavirusEverything you need to know you can learn from zombies. Author Max Brooks pretty much laid out a lot of what we're been dealing with during this coronavirus pandemic in his novel "World War Z" that came out in 2006. He will have a virtual panel at this year's Comic-Con@Home called "Zombies and Coronavirus: Planning for the Next Big Outbreak." Brooks says of his panel, "People can expect to hear us discuss this real plague that we're dealing with. But through the metaphor of zombies, because the best tool of education is pop culture." His panel is at noon on...
2020-07-2443 min
Cinema JunkieQuarantined With 'Mythic Quest'While in quarantine I discovered the Apple TV show "Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet" created by "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's" Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Megan Ganz. The show debuted in February but had a bonus quarantine episode released at the end of May. So for this podcast I wanted to look to the gaming world and creating a show about the dynamics of running a game design company. I also wanted to focus on the ingenious quarantine episode so I speak with two of the writers from that show Megan Ganz and actor David Hornsby (who you may remember...
2020-07-1038 min
Cinema JunkieBonus Podcast: Revisiting The Black PanthersDavid F. Walker, author of the upcoming "The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel," talks more about the research he's done for his book and I have my full interview with a member of the San Diego Original Black Panther Party, Henry Lee Wallace V. So I stray off the film path for this bonus or perhaps it's better titled a companion podcast to Black Films That Matter. Walker talks about the Black Panthers and their legacy while Wallace recounts how he joined the party as a teenager and now serves as chairman of the reactivated San Diego Black Panther...
2020-07-0757 min
Cinema JunkieBlack Films That MatterDavid F. Walker (writer of "Shaft" and "Luke Cage" comics, and graphic novels on Frederick Douglas and The Black Panther Party) picks some Black films that matter to provide context for today's protests. We discuss the controversial 1973 film "The Spook Who Sat By The Door" that United Artists pulled from release; Melvin Van Peebles' "The Watermelon Man" in which Godfrey Cambridge plays a white man who wakes up Black one morning; "Cornbread, Earl and Me" about an innocent Black kid shot dead by police; and more. We explore why these films are still relevant and how that provide insight into...
2020-07-041h 08
Cinema JunkieFrom Final Girls To The Final BoyThis month and into July Shudder is hosting the Etheria Film Festival, a showcase of genre shorts by women filmmakers, and a Queer Horror Collection featuring the new documentary "Scream Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street." I will highlight the best of Etheria and then speak with filmmakers Tyler Jensen and Roman Chimienti about making "Scream Queen!" and finally speak with Mark Patton (Jesse in "Nightmare on Elm Street 2") about how being in a film labeled "the gayest horror film ever made" impacted the career of a young actor in 1985 Hollywood when the AIDS pandemic was at its height. So...
2020-06-2055 min
Cinema JunkieYes! The Matt Berry PodcastMatt Berry has given us a gallery of hilarious characters from the buffoonish Douglas Reynholm in "The IT Crowd" to full of himself actor Steven Toast in "Toast of London" to the Staten Island vampire Laszlo Cravensworth in "What We Do In The Shadows," which has its season finale on June 10, 2020. I had the pleasure of speaking with Berry about his career including such cult classics as "Snuff Box" and "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace." Plus I get to play some of his music. WARNING: This podcast contains explicit language and adult humor... because it contains Matt Berry.
2020-06-0835 min
Cinema JunkieThe Global Pandemic Film PrimerCinema Junkie has been exploring escapist films to distract you from our current coronavirus pandemic but as parts of the country and some businesses start to reopen I decided it was time to explore some unconventional pandemic films that raise issues beyond just the virus itself. I will be speaking with neuroscientist and emotion researcher Eric Leonardis who has been spending his quarantined time at home watching pandemic films but he has an interesting take on these movies because he wants to see how emotions like panic and fear can spread as readily as a virus and how words can...
2020-05-221h 10
Cinema JunkieBecome A Digital Explorer During The PandemicWrite, blogger, and classic film enthusiast Will McKinley will be your guide to becoming a more adventuresome digital explorer as you navigate the quarantine landscape. He suggest skip the entertainment fast food and pick more nourishing options from the digital buffet. We'll discuss everything from free services to boutique streaming services to bulking up on physical media. There really are so many choices!
2020-05-091h 03
Cinema JunkieBond, Not James Bond Spy FilmsApril was to have been the month we got Bond 25, "No Time To Die" but the film has been postponed to November because of the current pandemic. So here's a discussion about the best and most outrageous Bond rip off spy films that provide perfect escapist fare while sheltering at home. To help guide us through this fun terrain is #Bond_age espionage aficionado James Patrick. We also pay tribute to Honor Blackman, Pussy Galore of "Goldfinger," who died earlier this month.
2020-04-2650 min
Cinema JunkieTCMFF Home Edition Plus Screwball ComediesCinema Junkie offers up some quarantine viewing options that provide escapism. First up, TCM Classic Film Festival had to cancel its Hollywood event but has moved it to its TCM cable channel for a Home Edition that anyone can enjoy while sheltering at home. Charles Tabesh, senior vice president in charge of programming at Turner Classic Movies, previews the festival. The Nora Fiore, author of the Nitrate Diva blog, highlights the best screwball comedies to take your mind off the coronavirus pandemic. She suggests some well-known classics as well as under-appreciated gems. Plus enjoy a rendition of "The Good Ship...
2020-04-111h 09
Cinema Junkie'Contagion' Film As Teaching Tool For Coronavirus PandemicUC San Diego professor Joel Wertheim uses the 2011 Steven Soderbergh film "Contagion" to teach a class every fall in epidemiology because it is so accurate in depicting a global pandemic. I talk to Wertheim about viruses and what we might be able learn from pop culture about dealing with the current coronavirus pandemic.
2020-03-2530 min
Cinema JunkieFilmmaker Benh Zeitlin And 'Wendy'I became a fan of Benh Zeitlin after his first film "Beasts of the Southern Wild." Now almost eight years later he has a second film that once again captures the wonder of childhood through a young girl's eyes. For "Wendy" he has reimagined "Peter Pan" from her point of view and place the idea of motherhood front and center. I speak to him about shooting on 16mm, working with non-professional child actors, and keeping reality as part of the magical world he creates.
2020-03-1229 min
Cinema JunkieCelebrating Women In Horror Month With Jen And Sylvia SoskaFebruary is Women In Horror Month and Cinema Junkie checks in with the Twisted Twins Jen and Sylvia Soska. The Soskas have a new film currently streaming, it's the remake of fellow Canadian David Cronenberg's 70s cult favorite, "Rabid." I have been following the rise of the Twisted Twins since their feature debut "Dead Hooker in a Trunk" in 2009 and their brilliant and most personal project "American Mary" in 2012. The good news is that they are returning to another very personal horror project that I can't wait to see.
2020-02-2148 min
Cinema JunkieCinema Junkie Awards For Best Of 2019The Academy Award nominations always incite me to give out my own awards for best of the year. So here are the Cinema Junkie Awards to highlight the films that I loved this year, some of which I feel were severely under-appreciated.
2020-02-0633 min
Cinema JunkieGiallo: Killing It With Style... AgainImagine a body as your canvas, a knife as your paintbrush, and blood as your medium. That in a nutshell is the Italian giallo film.
Cinema Junkie is on holiday break so I am serving up a tasty archive from 2017 when I looked to Italian giallo cinema. I’ll be back with a new episode in two weeks where I give out the Cinema Junkie Awards. But since I am co-hosting a film series in San Diego at Digital Gym Cinema focusing on Italian Genre Cinema, I decided to replay this podcast to whet your appetite for our latest Film Ge...
2020-01-091h 20
Cinema JunkieGearhead Cinema RepriseFasten your seatbelts! Cinema Junkie is racing off on a vacation break and playing a favorite archive episode this week. I'll be back with new episodes in January. Since I will be co-hosting a yearlong Gearhead Cinema program at San Diego's Digital Gym Cinema in 2020 I am digging into the archives for my interview with stunt driver Steve Lepper who talks about the best car movies and car chases of all time. Lepper came to San Diego in late 2018 to see the Bullitt car at the San Diego Air and Space Museum. He will return to San Diego to introduce...
2019-12-281h 10
Cinema JunkieFilmmaker Trey Edward ShultsAt a time when much of Hollywood's award hopefuls feel familiar in their storytelling formula, it's refreshing to find films like "Waves" and the upcoming "A Hidden Life" from Terrence Malick that speak in an audaciously cinematic language that is pure visual poetry.
"Waves'" filmmaker Trey Edward Shults grabbed my attention two years ago for "It Comes At Night," an unconventional horror film that was poorly served by its misleading ad campaign. I had the opportunity to speak to Shults back in 2017 when "It Comes At Night" opened. With his new film in theaters I thought it would be fun...
2019-12-1320 min
Cinema JunkieGiving Thanks For Cinematic MemoriesIt's the holidays and I'm feeling sentimental. My dad died on Aug. 23 this year and he's the person responsible for making me fall in love with movies. So for my holiday edition of Cinema Junkie I give thanks to my dad for passing on his passion for movies to me and I highlight some of my favorite movie memories I shared with my dad. So it's a personal edition of the show and you'll get some insights into why I became a film critic.
2019-11-2832 min
Cinema JunkieFord, Ferrari, And 20 Best Asian American FilmsIt's crazy gearheads to crazy rich Asians as Cinema Junkie goes from the Le Mans track to debating the best in Asian American films from the past two decades. First up, director James Mangold discusses his new film "Ford v Ferrari," about the showdown between the two car icons in 1966 at the 24-hour Le Mans race. It may be called "Ford v Ferrari" but the story is really more about American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles who collaborated on designing and racing the car.
Then San Diego Asian Film Festival artistic director Brian Hu talks about the...
2019-11-0943 min
Film SenseFILM SENSE Episode 14: The Cinematic Experience What's the best way to watch a movie? Is the cinematic experience becoming a thing of the past? That's the topic of my FILM SENSE discussion with to co-founders of Film Geeks- San Diego Beth Accomando and Miguel Rodriguez. How important is it to see movies the way they were meant to be seen? For over 100 years, the ideal venue was always a darkened theater. With an audience. A communal affair. Today, however, people can catch the latest release at home, on their computer, tablet or smartphone. And while the age of stream...
2019-11-041h 09
Cinema Junkie'The Lighthouse' And 'Jojo Rabbit'Two films that will make my ten best list are arriving in theaters: "The Lighthouse" and "Jojo Rabbit" so I'm thrilled to be able to highlight both films with interviews. I speak with filmmaker Robert Eggers (who previously directed "The Witch") about his new film "The Lighthouse" starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson and set in an 1890s remote New England lighthouse. And then I talk with actor Stephen Merchant who enlightens us about how to tackle playing a Nazi for laughs in Takia Waititi's anti-hate satire "Jojo Rabbit."
2019-10-2530 min
Cinema JunkieDolemite, Eddie Murphy, And Rudy Ray MooreEddie Murphy stars in the Netflix film "Dolemite is My Name." The film introduces audiences to singer, musician, stand up comic, actor and film producer Rudy Ray Moore. Moore found success in the 1970s with a string of Blaxploitation films that began with the 1975 film "Dolemite."
I speak with award-winning comic book writer David Walker, who knew the real Rudy Ray Moore, as well as with independent filmmakers Sanns Dixon and Dante Moran about the dual legacies of Moore and Murphy.
This podcast includes explicit language.
2019-10-121h 58
Cinema JunkieAuthor Joe Hill On NOS4A2 And HorrorWith AMC's "NOS4A2" renewed for a second season Cinema Junkie digs into the archives for a 2013 interview with author Joe Hill at the KPBS studios. He talks about his best-selling novel, horror, and comics. Plus he reads a selection from his novel and we'll hear from fans about what they love about his writing.
2019-09-2730 min
Cinema JunkieSteam Room StoriesJohn Waters' Odorama has inspired filmmaker JC Calciano to make his new film "Steam Room Stories: The Movie" in Cinema Scent. I talk with Calciano about scratch 'n' sniff cards, going from YouTube to feature films, and working with Traci Lords.
2019-09-1318 min
Cinema JunkieTalking Horror And HIFFHorrible Imaginings Film Festival celebrates its tenth anniversary this Labor Day Weekend at the Frida Cinema so that is the perfect excuse to speak with the festival's founder and executive director Miguel Rodriguez about all things horror. We will discuss trends as well as some of the standout films from the festival.
2019-08-2330 min
Cinema JunkieRadio Silence's 'Ready Or Not'The new horror film 'Ready or Not' was brought to the screen by a collaborative known as Radio Silence. Filmmakers and online pranksters Chad Villella, Matt Bettineli-Olpin, and Tyler Gillett have a very singular vision about how to make movies. They discuss how they went from online videos to making a film in Hollywood, and how a board game helped them seal the deal for "Ready or Not."
2019-08-0930 min
Cinema JunkieNational Whistleblowers Day: 'Official Secrets'In honor of National Whistleblowers Appreciation Day Cinema Junkie speaks with director Gavin Hood. His new film "Official Secrets" tells the story of Katherine Gun (played by Keira Knightley), a British intelligence specialist who leaked a memo when she felt her government was lying to the people. The film has a special screening July 30 and opens in San Diego theaters on Sept. 12.
2019-07-3026 min
Cinema JunkieReflecting On Comic-Con 50Comic-Con celebrated its 50th show and I celebrated my 41st. Join me as I speak with a trio of people who have attended all 50 shows plus some exhibitors who describe the changes they have seen over the years. I also pull out some archive footage from past Cons and visit Godzilla in his first Toho booth at Comic-Con.
2019-07-2745 min
Cinema JunkieLulu Wang's 'The Farewell'Chinese-American filmmaker Lulu Wang talks about her film "The Farewell" that she says is based on an "actual lie." The Sundance hit draws on her own family and first came to life as an episode on "This American Life." She also reveals how a trip to Ikea led to her career in filmmaking.
2019-07-1228 min
Cinema JunkieThe Female Perspective in Film, Part Two: 'Ophelia'In this two-part Cinema Junkie podcast I look to the female perspective in film. In part two, I explore the film "Ophelia," which reimagines Shakespeare’s "Hamlet" from Ophelia’s point of view. I will be speaking with director Claire McCarthy as well as with Lisa Klein, author of the novel the film is based on. The film stars Daisy Ridley (of "Star Wars" fame) as the title character.
2019-06-2831 min
Cinema JunkieThe Female Perspective in Film, Part One: Etheria Film NightIn this two-part Cinema Junkie podcast I look to the female perspective in film. In this first part I speak with Heidi Honeycutt, director of programming for Etheria Film Night. Founded in 2014, Etheria Film Night is a showcase of horror, science fiction, fantasy, action, thriller, and dark comedy directed by women and for an audience that includes producers, managers, showrunners, distributors, and genre fans.
Etheria says its goal is to put the women directors who want to make genre films and TV in front of the people who want to hire them. Etheria is hosted by American Cinematheque and takes...
2019-06-2829 min
Cinema Junkie'Hollywood Black' Author Donald BogleAfrican Americans and Hollywood have a long, troubled, and complicated past. I am going to explore that history with Donald Bogle author of the new book "Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers" from Turner Classic Movies. His comprehensive exploration begins in the silent era and wraps up with 2018's "Black Panther." Bogle has been writing about blacks in Hollywood and on screen for decades and over a half dozen books.
2019-06-1434 min
Cinema JunkieSummer ShakespeareShakespeare has been dead for four centuries but this summer there is a film about his life called "All is True," an adaptation of the book "Ophelia" that looks at "Hamlet" from Ophelia's point of view, and a pair of his plays and a lecture about his work at the Old Globe Theatre. Cinema Junkie looks to the two new films, and then speaks with Globe artistic director and Shakespeare scholar Barry Edelstein
2019-05-3130 min
Cinema Junkie'John Wick 3' and Director Chad Stahelski"John Wick: Chapter 3 -- Parabellum" finally arrives and stuntman-turned-director Chad Stahelski delivers an exhausting, exhilarating film. I have a review of the new film and have a 2017 interview with Stahelski where he explains exactly why John Wick raises the bar on action films. And learn the difference between having a star do action versus doing stunts.
2019-05-1629 min
Cinema Junkie'Tolkien' Director Talks About Making A BiopicJ.R.R. Tolkien famously wrote "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings" books that inspired Peter Jackson's recent films. Now a film biography about the author hits theaters. I'll discuss the allure of Tolkien's fellowship, have a review of the biopic "Tolkien" and speak with the film's director Dome Karukoski about making connections between the man and his books.
2019-05-1025 min
Cinema JunkieReel Science 3.0Reel Science returns with the San Diego Natural History Museum and Digital Gym Cinema pairing sci-fi films with real scientists to put the movie science into a broader context. Whether you want preview of the film series or if you can't make the films but want to watch sci-fi films with some questions to ask you'll want to hear entomologist Michael Wall and cognitive scientist Eric Leonardis dissect "Damnation Alley" and David Cronenberg's "The Fly."
2019-05-0331 min
Cinema JunkieAcademy Film ArchiveI may hate the Academy for some of its Oscar choices but I have nothing but praise for the work it does to preserve film history. I speak with Josef Lindner, the preservation officer at the Academy Film Archive about the challenges of preserving and restoring films. As an example we discuss the pre-Code comedy naughtily titled Cock of the Air.
2019-04-2630 min
Cinema JunkieTCM Classic Film Festival, Part TwoIn part one of my look at the 10th Annual TCM Classic Film Festival I spoke with TCM Film Festival programmer Charles Tabesh. Now for part two, I speak with Fox archivist Schawn Belston about the studio's past, future, and exactly what it is an archivist does. He also discusses some of the strange places he has discovered film elements.
2019-04-1229 min
Cinema JunkieTCM Classic Film Festival, Part OneTCM Classic Film Festival is a four-day event held in Hollywood and showcasing films from the silents on up into the 1980s. In part one of this week's podcast I speak with TCM Film Festival programmer Charles Tabesh about what it takes to put on the festival and about the special Fox Appreciation presentation. In part two, I will speak with Fox archivist Schawn Belston about the studio's past and the challenges of restoring films.
2019-04-1129 min
Cinema JunkieDissecting 'Us'This spoiler-filled episode examines the hidden meanings of Jordan Peele's latest box office hit with the help of a UC Riverside professor of media and cultural studies.
2019-03-2929 min
Cinema JunkieGuillermo Del Toro And San Diego Latino Film FestivalWith Alfonso Cuaron’s recent multiple Oscar win and San Diego Latino Film Festival entering its second quarter century, I felt it was the perfect time to pull up an archive interview I did with Mexican director Guillermo del Toro.
2019-03-151h 06
Cinema JunkieThe Lady From The Black LagoonYou may not know Milicent Patrick's name and that's precisely why filmmaker, monster lover, and author Mallory O'Meara decided to write "The Lady From the Black Lagoon." It reveals the lost legacy of this woman who created one of Hollywood's most iconic monsters.
2019-03-0135 min
Cinema JunkieBlack Comix And Scary Black FolksCinema Junkie celebrates Black History Month by speaking with Keithan Jones, founder of Black Comix Day, about black comics and movies, and professor John Jennings about a new collective called Scary Black Folks.
2019-02-151h 16
Cinema JunkieBreaking the Commandments With Pre-Code HollywoodFilms made between 1930 and 1934 have come to be known as pre-Code and display defiance of the self-censorship rules Hollywood laid down for itself. I will talk about the delicious naughtiness and sensational social realism of these films with Danny Reid of Pre-Code.com.
2019-02-0152 min
Life's A BingeLAB EP 180 - The Return of BethThis week we welcome back Beth Accomando to the show to chat and promote her newest festival/ Check them out on the film geeks or find her at cinema junkies. We chat about all sorts of trailers and remakes. Enjoy!
Patreon.com/LifesABinge
2019-01-211h 47
Cinema JunkieWomen Editors Discuss The Art, Craft Of EditingOscar nominations come out Jan. 22 and, since many people may not know a lot about what a film editor does, here is an archive edition of Cinema Junkie that will enlighten you about the art and craft of film editing.
2019-01-181h 00
Cinema JunkieCinema Junkie Awards And Reel Science RevisitedCinema Junkie is technically on holiday break but here's something old and something new to start the year: an archive of my Reel Science episode plus my picks for the best films of 2018.
2019-01-041h 53
Cinema JunkieHoly Archives BatmanHoly archives! Cinema Junkie is on holiday break but enjoy this popular episode dedicated to the 1960s Batman TV show and movie, which are the subject of The Hollywood Museum's exhibit that runs through the end of the year.
2018-12-211h 30
Cinema JunkieRevisiting ‘Christmas Smackdown’Cinema Junkie is taking a holiday break and will be re-posting popular podcasts in the interim. This week I pull up an archive show appropriate for the Christmas season but with some perverse holiday cheer and that means revisiting "Christmas Smackdown" with Mark Nutter and Cynthia Carle. Proceed with caution.
2018-12-0755 min
Cinema JunkieStunt Driver Picks Best Car MoviesStunt driver Steve Lepper picks his favorite car movies as well as the best car chases ever put on film.
2018-11-271h 10
Cinema JunkieFrom Raymond Chow To Current Asian CinemaLegendary Hong Kong producer Raymond Chow died earlier this month. This podcast pays tribute to his legacy with San Diego Asian Film Festival artistic director Brian Hu. Plus we get a preview of the 19th annual festival.
2018-11-0855 min
Cinema JunkieWitches In History And On FilmA discussion of witches through history and on film from ancient Rome to "Rosemary's Baby" and Monty Python.
2018-10-301h 49
Cinema JunkieRemembering Your First Scary MovieCinema Junkie asks people about the first film they remember scaring them. Listen to memories from horror fans and some famous horror celebrities.
2018-10-1240 min
Cinema JunkieTeaching ZombiesThe Doctor of the Dead, Arnold T. Blumberg, uses zombies to teach media literacy and critical thinking. He has also just written a geeky, well-researched history of the zombie, "Journey of the Living Dead."
2018-09-141h 05
Cinema JunkieAdapting ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare's plays are more than four centuries old yet they can still captivate an audience and deliver themes that resonate. On today's podcast, I speak with theater and film artists about how to bring the Bard to life for modern audiences. Plus a review at the top of "Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich."
2018-08-311h 12
Cinema JunkieHappy Birthday H.P. LovecraftAug. 20 will mark the 128th anniversary of H.P. Lovecraft’s birth. But how did this man who was born in Providence Rhode Island come to create a body of horror fiction that continues to influence the public consciousness and other artists? Explore that question with the latest podcast.
2018-08-171h 23
Cinema JunkieRemembering Tab HunterLast month actor and golden boy Tab Hunter died of cardiac arrest at the age of 86. I got to interview him in 2015. Here's a podcast dedicated to him.
2018-08-0333 min
Cinema JunkieComic-Con Fans And CreatorsComic-Con, my home away from home, is this week and I wanted to provide a little insight into why it gives me such joy.
2018-07-2055 min
Cinema JunkieOne Man Bond And Boots RileyTime to geek out about two very different things: James Bond and the directorial debut of rapper Boots Riley.
2018-07-071h 50
Cinema JunkieCelebrating Master Showman William CastleIf you do not know the name William Castle then it's time for you to discover the master showman who invented Illusion-O, Fright Break, Coward's Corner, Percepto, Emergo and much more. And if you already know this cinematic genius then come share some love with his daughter.
2018-06-2226 min
Cinema JunkieTCM Mad About MusicalsCinema Junkie Podcast goes Mad About Musicals as Turner Classic Movies launches new online film class.
2018-06-081h 02
Cinema JunkieLGBTQ Cinema And FilmOut At 20Since San Diego’s LGBTQ film festival FilmOut celebrates its 20th anniversary this year I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the state of LGBTQ cinema and what a festival focusing on that community might need to look like moving forward.
2018-05-251h 41
Cinema JunkieTCM 50 Must-See Sci-Fi FilmsAuthor Sloan De Forest talks about the challenges and agonies of compiling a list of films for her new book, "TCM Must-See Sci-Fi: 50 Movies That Are Out Of This World."
2018-05-1155 min
Cinema JunkieTCMFF And Reel Science 2.0My apologies for getting this podcast out a week late, but I had the TCM Classic Film Festival and Reel Science 2.0 to cover!
2018-05-042h 12
Cinema JunkieHemlock Society And Right To Die FilmsDeath. No one likes to talk about it and no one likes to think about how he or she might actually exit this world. But the Hemlock Society of San Diego has some film suggestions that might change your mind.
2018-04-131h 12
Cinema JunkieComic-Con Museum And MoreIf you are a geek like I am, then the news that Comic-Con is going to open a museum was something to be excited about. Cinema Junkie sits down with executive director Adam Smith to discuss what the museum might be like and if the term is even appropriate to describe what's coming.
2018-03-301h 15
Cinema JunkieArmando Iannucci, Political Comedy In The Age Of TrumpArmando Iannucci, creator of "Thick of It" and "Veep," makes his feature film writing and directing debut with "The Death of Stalin." I talk with the comic genius about the challenges of doing political satire at a time when the real world is crazier than anything he can imagine.
WARNING: This podcast contains explicit, Malcolm Tucker language.
2018-03-1632 min
Cinema JunkieACE Editors On Oscars PodcastThe 90th Academy Awards are Sunday and one of the most misunderstood and least appreciated of the craft categories is film editing. So here is a trio of brilliant film editors to talk about their work on this year's Oscar-nominated films and to provide insights into just what film editors do.
2018-03-032h 06
Cinema JunkieA Valentine To The Rapturous Romanticism Of Wong Kar-WaiMy idea of a good date movie is "Shaun of the Dead." So maybe I'm not the best person to be making Valentine's Day recommendations. But there's one contemporary filmmaker who consistently tackles love with such lush romanticism that even I swoon at his movies. That filmmaker is Wong Kar-Wai. So as much as I hate Cupid's silly holiday, here's a Valentine to Wong Kar-Wai.
2018-02-1426 min
Cinema JunkieBatman ‘66 ExhibitFifty-two years ago ABC launched the TV show "Batman" and forever changed the pop culture landscape.
2018-02-021h 30
Cinema JunkieTCM's Eddie Muller On All Things NoirNoirchaelogist, Czar of noir, host of TCM's Noir Alley, founder and president of the Film Noir Foundation... whatever title you want to refer to him by, Eddie Muller is simply the man to go to when you want to know anything about film noir.
2018-01-131h 00
Cinema JunkieHorror Movies As Spiritual PracticeThe holidays are upon us so what better time to think about spirituality. For some, movie theaters are like churches and the movies they screen can teach about how to live life.
2017-12-221h 28
Cinema JunkieRevisiting David Cronenberg's 'Crash'For this podcast, Arts & Culture Reporter Beth Accomando turns to her archives for an interview with David Cronenberg about his 1996 film "Crash," adapted from J.G. Ballard's controversial 1973 novel revolving around people with symphorophilia, in this case, car-crash sexual fetishism.
2017-12-0800 min
Cinema JunkieA Pair Of Films To Be Thankful ForIt's Thanksgiving and I have a pair of films that I am feeling very thankful for right now: "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri" and "The Shape of Water." Filmmaker Martin McDonagh talks about writing a film for Frances McDormand and Doug Jones talks about "suit acting" for Guillermo Del Toro.
2017-11-2345 min
Cinema JunkieLarry Cohen, King Of The B MoviesMaverick filmmaker Larry Cohen died on March 23, 2019 at the age of 77. His schlocky B-movies won him a devout cult following and Cinema Junkie had a chance to speak with him in 2017 about his long and wild career.
2017-11-111h 15
Cinema JunkieBruce Campbell, Hail To The Chin Baby"Ash Vs. Evil Dead" season three opener has been postponed to February! So if you want your Bruce Campbell fix in October, check out this podcast and his new book, "Hail to the Chin."
2017-10-2850 min