Cineversary

In Cineversary podcast episode #85, host ⁠Erik Martin⁠ is ready for his close up as he celebrates the 75th anniversary of Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard. Accompanying him on this diamond jubilee is Eddie Muller, host of TCM’s Noir Alley and founder/president of the Film Noir Foundation. Together, they explore what makes this movie timeless and relevant, its influence on other filmmakers, prominent themes, and much more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com.

In Cineversary podcast episode #84, host ⁠Erik Martin⁠ powers up the old DeLorean and takes a scenic drive around Hill Valley to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future. Joining him for the ride is the film’s co-screenwriter Bob Gale; and Michael Klastorin, author of Back to the Future: The Ultimate Visual History. Together, they examine the movie’s lasting impact on pop culture, the clockwork precision of its script, key themes, and much more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com.

In Cineversary podcast episode #83, host ⁠ErikMartin⁠ takes a deep dive to search for the perfect summertime thriller and finds it in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, which celebrates a 50th anniversary this month. Accompanying him on this voyage is TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, and Baylor University film professor James Kendrick, author of Darkness in the Bliss-Out: A Reconsideration of the Films of Steven Spielberg. Together, they explore how Jaws marked a sea change in cinema, dissect the elements that make it a masterwork, hunt for key themes, and much more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com

In Cineversary podcast episode #82, host ⁠Erik Martin⁠ hunts on horseback for the perfect film and finds it in Charles Laughton's The Night of the Hunter, which celebrates a 70th birthday this year. Joining him on this journey is Imogen Sara Smith, author of In Lonely Places: Film Noir Beyond the City, editor-in-chief of Noir City Magazine, and frequent contributor to the Criterion Collection. Together, they travel upriver to explore what makes this movie a masterpiece, the filmmakers it inspired, key thematic takeaways, and much more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com.

In Cineversary podcast episode #81, host ⁠Erik Martin⁠ goes prospecting for comedic gold by revisiting Charles Chaplin’s The Gold Rush on its 100th anniversary. Accompanying him on this expedition is Jeffrey Vance, a film historian, film archivist, and author of the book Chaplin: Genius Of The Cinema. Together, they mine the priceless merits of the Little Tramp’s hilarious and impressive adventure, examining how it has stood the test of time, what makes the laughs evergreen, and how scores of imitators have been influenced by this masterwork. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com.

In Cineversary podcast episode #80, host ⁠Erik Martin⁠ lifts a golden chalice to toast the golden anniversary of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones. Joining him on this quest is Darl Larsen, a film and animation professor at Brigham Young University and author of A Book About the Film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Together, they collect several nice and inexpensive shrubberies, decipher obscure Swedish subtitles, and try to convince listeners that they’re not quite dead as they explore why this film still matters 50 years later. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com.

In Cineversary podcast episode #79, host ⁠Erik Martin⁠ marks the 65th anniversary of one of the crown jewels of world cinema,La Dolce Vita, directed by Federico Fellini. Accompanying him this month is filmmaker and Fellini scholarAntonio Monda, associate professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Together, they explore how the movie broke new ground, why it’s still relevant, its multiple themes, and much more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com.

In Cineversary podcast episode #78, host ⁠Erik Martin⁠ celebrates the 30th anniversary of one of the greatest romance films of the last three decades, Before Sunrise, directed by Richard Linklater. Joining him in this installment is the film’s Oscar-nominated co-screenwriter Kim Krizan, author of Original Sins: Trade Secrets of the Femme Fatale; and filmmaker Rob Stone, a professor of film and television studies at the University of Birmingham in the UK and author of The Cinema of Richard Linklater: Walk, Don't Run. Together, they examine why Before Sunrise still matters, the many movies it influenced, its major themes, and much more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com.

In Cineversary podcast episode #77, host ⁠Erik Martin⁠ commemorates the 80th anniversary of one of the most beloved musicals in Hollywood history, Meet Me In St. Louis, directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Judy Garland. Joining him to discuss this seasonal favorite is Jeremy Arnold, a film historian, commentator, and author of Christmas in the Movies, and The Essentials: 52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter. Together, they examine the many musical, mirthful, and melodramatic merits of the movie, how it has stood the test of time, its brilliant songcraft, and much more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #76, host ⁠Erik Martin⁠ honors the 50th anniversary of the greatest sequel ever made, The Godfather Part II, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. This time around he’s joined by Harlan Lebo, author of The Godfather Legacy, and Glenn Kenny, film critic and author of Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas. Together, they explore what makes Part II an exemplary follow-up to the original, how the movie remains evergreen, key themes that resonate today, and much more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #75, host Erik Martin celebrates the golden birthdays of two classics for the Halloween season. First, he’s joined by author and classic horror historian Gregory Mank to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein; and then he teams up with horror film scholar and author Kim Newman to honor the 50th anniversary of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, directed by Tobe Hooper. Erik and his guests provide plenty of discussion treats, with no tricks, examining why these two movies are worthy of kudos five decades onward, how they’ve stood the test of time, and more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #74, host Erik Martin commemorates the 30th anniversary of the most crowd-pleasing picture of the past three decades and the greatest prison movie ever: The Shawshank Redemption. Partnering with him on this installment is Mark Dawidziak, author of The Shawshank Redemption Revealed: How One Story Keeps Hope Alive. Together, they chisel away at this impressive cinematic edifice and examine why this film remains so beloved, how it has stood the test of time, resonant themes viewers appreciate, and more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #73, host Erik Martin marks the 70th anniversary of perhaps Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest work: Rear Window. Joining him for this installment is Patrick McGilligan, author of Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light and an adjunct professor of film at Marquette University; and Josh Larsen, co-host of the Filmspotting podcast and author of Fear Not! A Christian Appreciation of Horror. Together, they take a telephoto lens to this movie and explore the craftmanship and thematic brilliance of Rear Window and its lasting influence. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #72, host Erik Martin is joined by guest Ken Womack—author of several books on the Fab Four including The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles and Living the Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans—as they celebrate the 60th birthday of A Hard Day’s Night, directed by Richard Lester. Together, they rediscover the euphoria of of Beatlemania, examine this film’s widespread influence, and explain why the movie still matters. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #71, host Erik Martin is joined again by Eddie Muller, host of TCM’s Noir Alley and founder/president of the Film Noir Foundation, to mark the golden anniversary of Chinatown (1974), directed by Roman Polanski and starring Jack Nicholson. Together, they investigate what makes this movie tick like precision clockwork 50 years later, why it still matters, crucial themes, and more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #70, host Erik Martin lights 70 birthday candles for Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront, starring Marlon Brando. Two esteemed guests join him this time around: Stephen Rebello, author of the forthcoming book A City Full of Hawks: On the Waterfront Seventy Years Later; and Michael Phillips, film critic for The Chicago Tribune. Together, they examine why this movie still matters seven decades later, what makes it a movie masterwork, salient themes, and more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #69, host Erik Martin sends 70th birthday wishes to Akira Kurosawa’s epic masterwork Seven Samurai. This month, he’s joined by Asian cinema expert and University of Illinois film professor David Desser, as well as Stuart Galbraith IV, author of The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune. Together, they explore what makes this film a treasure of world cinema, how it has stood the test of time, prominent themes, and more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #68, host Erik Martin celebrates the diamond anniversary of Carol Reed’s The Third Man with two outstanding guests: David Thomson, renowned film critic, cinema historian, and author of The Fatal Alliance: A Century of War on Film; and Charles Drazin, film historian and author of In Search of The Third Man. Together, they scour the streets and sewers of Vienna on the trail of Harry Lime and the truths behind this now 75-year-old masterwork. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #67, host Erik Martin and guest Joseph McBride, a film professor at San Francisco State University and author of Frankly: Unmasking Frank Capra, send a valentine to It Happened One Night, directed by Frank Capra, which celebrates a 90th birthday this month. Erik and Joseph hitchhike across Hollywood history to examine how this granddaddy of the romcom and screwball comedy remains a classic, its influence on later films, what it reveals about Capra, and much more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #66, host Erik Martin heads to the War Room with former LA Times and NPR film critic Kenneth Turan and Hofstra University film professor Rodney Hill to decipher the top secret codes behind Dr. Strangelove, directed by Stanley Kubrick, in celebration of the movie’s 60th anniversary. Erik and his guests explore how this black comedy masterwork remains evergreen, Kubrick’s brilliant directing choices, and key themes underpinning this supreme political satire. Erik also chats briefly with Tom Lucas from Fathom Events, who unveils Fathom’s 2024 lineup of Big Screen Classics returning to theaters this year. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support