It's a new season at SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FILM, which means all new recommendations! To kick things off, Rob by recommending one of his favorite films of all time, the 1986 neo-beat noir DOWN BY LAW! This Jim Jarmusch classic stars John Laurie (STRANGER THAN PARADISE), Roberto Benigni (LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL, THE TIGER AND THE SNOW) and the titan that is Tom Waits (COFFEE AND CIGARETTES, THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR PARNASSUS). 

This off-beat comedy centers on Zack, Jack and Bob. Three men who find themselves incarcerated through set ups and acts of self-defense. Eschewing the tropes of normal prison film, Jarmusch turns his microscope on only the interpersonal relationships of his leads by keeping his camera in their cell alone. As we witness the ups and downs of the psychology of jailed people, the friendships that can be found are anything but conventional. With special appearances by Ellen Barkin (THE BIG EASY, JOHNNY HANDSOME) and Benigni's real-life wife, Nicoletta Braschi (MYSTERY TRAIN, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL), DOWN BY LAW proves to be a pillar of 80s independent filmmaking and a film that solidified Jarmusch in the pantheon of the era's directors. 

Will the off-kilter humor and slow-paced camerawork imprison Ray in boredom? Or will the undeniable chemistry of cool in the trio of Waits, Laurie and Benigni free his mind? Tune in this week to find out!    

THEME SONG:

Music & Lyrics: Jeremy Catarelli 

INTERMISSION: 

Music: Jay You

Voice: Jeremy Catarelli 

It's a time of celebration here at Car RayRob! We have successfully completed our first year as a podcast and the finale of our flagship show, SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FILM! In this special year end episode, Ray and Rob reflect on 2024 and take turns ranking their top 5 favorite recommendations from the season!  Join us as we celebrate our milestone and look forward to 2025! Be sure to stick around for a special announcement about future of Car RayRob in the new year! 

We are grateful to each and every one of you in our listening audience who have spent even a moment of your time with Car RayRob!

THEME SONG: Jeremy Catarelli 

INTERMISSION: 

Music: Jay You

Voice: Jeremy Catarelli 

Car RayRob is back with their final episode of HELLO MOVIES, MY OLD FRIEND of 2024! We are ringing in the new year with a revisit a much-maligned Richard Donner (SUPERMAN, THE GOONIES) comedy starring Richard Pryor (SILVER STREAK, STIR CRAZY) and Scott Schwartz (KIDCO, A CHRISTMAS STORY), THE TOY! 

This blast from the past revolves around Jack Brown, a down on his luck writer who is forced to take a job as a cleaning person in a department store owned by ruthless businessman U.S. Bates. When U.S.'s son Eric (Schwartz) arrives for his yearly visit, Eric decides that he wants his "present" from the store to be Jack! A controversial storyline, even for the time, THE TOY has been an infamous entry in Donner's filmography and has been labeled a movie that would never see the light of day today.  

Will Ray and Rob's lighthearted memories of this Richard Pryor comedy be able to outweigh the obvious problems with the narrative? Or will the lens of adulthood show the movie to be what the critics have always said? Tune in for this year's finale to find out! 

Theme Song:

Music: Jay You

Voice: Rob Morgan

Intermission:

Voice: Jeremy Catarelli

Music: Jay You

We've made it, friends! Car RayRob is officially calling it a wrap on the first season of SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FILM! For this landmark achievement (and to wrap up a tumultuous year for our world), Ray has the audacity to recommend a political satire, as if the real world hasn't become satirical on its own! Ray's final recommendation of the year is the 2017 black comedy THE DEATH OF STALIN!

Directed by Armando Iannucci, this political satire follows the struggle for power in the days after the sudden death of Russian dictator Joseph Stalin. This power vacuum sends the members of the Soviet Politiburo into a tailspin lead by two key figures, Nikita Krushchev and Lavrenti Beria. As the men look to form alliances with other key members of Stalin's government, including his deputy Georgy Malenkov (in a command performance by comedic legend Jeffrey Tambor), the absurdity of absolute power is laid bare in a comedy of errors that culminates in the legendary funeral of the fame Russian leader. With a powerhouse supporting cast that includes Steve Buscemi (THE BIG LEBOWSKI, RESERVOIR DOGS), Michael Palin (MONTY PYTHON, A FISH CALLED WANDA) and Jason Issacs (HARRY POTTER, BLACK HAWK DOWN), THE DEATH OF STALIN seeks to pull the curtain back on the myth of the powerful and leave the audience in stitches along the way. 

Will Rob be able to keep his sanity watching a satire that so closely mirrors real life? Or will the genius performances and sharp writing snap him into line? Tune in this week to find out! 

THEME SONG: Jeremy Catarelli 

INTERMISSION: 

Music: Jay You

Voice: Jeremy Catarelli 

We're nearing the end of the year and it's time for Rob's last recommendation of the year! He's bringing the thunder this December by recommending to Ray the 1978 crime thriller THE SILENT PARTNER!

This Christmas-tinged caper stars the indelible Elliot Gould (THE LONG GOODBYE, M*A*S*H*) as Miles Cullen, a mild-mannered bank teller who catches wind that someone is going to rob his bank. This information leads him to the resident mall Santa, and career criminal, Harry Reikle in a chilling performance by the late Christopher Plummer (THE SOUND OF MUSIC, KNIVES OUT). When Miles takes it upon himself to outsmart Harry by stealing a large portion of the money but pinning it all on Harry, he finds himself in a game of cat and mouse that leads to an explosive showdown worthy of Alfred Hitchcock. With a supporting cast rounded out by Susannah York (IMAGES, THEY SHOOT HORSES, DON'T THEY?) and a young John Candy (UNCLE BUCK, SUMMER RENTAL), THE SILENT PARTNER is the perfect movie for fans of the two Cs, Christmas and Crime! 

Will the eerie nature of Christopher Plummers performance prove too much for Ray? Or will the undeniable (albeit idiosyncratic) charm of Elliot Gould lure him into the plot? Tune in this week to find out!  

THEME SONG: Jeremy Catarelli 

INTERMISSION: 

Music: Jay You

Voice: Jeremy Catarelli 

CAR RAYROB is back with a brand-new episode of their new podcast HELLO MOVIES, MY OLD FRIEND! This month, Ray and Rob are bringing you the movie that was the genesis for the entire podcast, the 1989 cult comedy BIG MAN ON CAMPUS.

This staple of their collective childhood stars Corey Parker (FRIDAY THE 13th: A NEW BEGINNING, THE LOST LANGUAGE OF CRANES), Melora Hardin (THE OFFICE, MONK) and Tom Skerritt (ALIEN, STEEL MAGNOLIAS). A modern retelling of Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, BIG MAN ON CAMPUS spins the tale of Bob Maloogaloogaloogaloogalooga, A notorious hunchback who haunts the campus of UCLA. When his obsession with college co-ed Cathy (Hardin) collides his existence with her boyfriend Alex (Parker), Bob becomes a subject of the college psych department who want to help him adapt to the rest of society. In the face of loud protests of a rival psychiatrist Doctor Fisk (played by the fantastic Jessica Harper), Bob must prove to everyone he's more than just a childlike creature who poses a danger to society. 

The fond memories of this classic film mount high as Ray and Rob venture into this blast from the past. Will it hold up? Tune in to find out! 

Theme Song:

Music: Jay You

Voice: Rob Morgan

Intermission:

Voice: Jeremy Catarelli

Music: Jay You

On this week's episode, Ray takes Rob completely by surprise by recommending the first black and white film on SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FILM. Ray does this in the form of the 1952 western HIGH NOON, starring Gary Cooper (MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN, FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS) and Grace Kelly (REAR WINDOW, TO CATCH A THIEF). 

In this controversial film (which John Wayne called "The most un-American thing" he'd ever seen in his life), Gary Cooper plays Will Kane, the outgoing marshal of a small town that is ready to start his new life with his new bride Amy (Grace Kelly). When Will gets word that an old nemesis Frank Miller (Ian McDonald) is out of jail and on his way to kill him, he has 90 minutes to decide either to run with Amy or stay and fight for the town he's protected for so long. With commanding supporting players such as a young Lloyd Bridges and Katy Jurado, this fast paced thriller shines a light on society not seen in previous studio westerns and set the stage for what would become the existentional westerns of the 60's and 70's.  

Will High Noon prove to be as John Wayne said, the "most Un-American thing" he'd ever seen? or will Rob be taken in by its hard hitting look at society and the role we play in it? Tune in this week to find out! 

Theme Song:

Music & Lyrics: Jeremy Catarelli

Intermission:

Voice: Jeremy Catarelli

Music: Jay You

On this week's SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FILM, we hit blackjack for our 21st episode! It's Rob's turn and he hits the table with the 1996 erotic, neo-noir thriller BOUND. This landmark film of LGTBQ+ representation in mainstream film stars Jennifer Tilly (BRIDE OF CHUCKY, LIAR LIAR), Gina Gershon (SHOWGIRLS, FACE/OFF) and Joe Pantoliano (RISKY BUSINESS, THE MATRIX).

In this dark noir, Violet (Tilly) and her mob underboss boyfriend Caesar (Pantoliano) encounter ex-con Corky (Gershon) working for the landlord remodeling the apartment next door. The sexual tension is thick when Violet begins to pursue this new arrival to the building, steaming up the screen with her unabashed attraction to Corky (who would give James Dean a run for his money in the "cool" department). But when Violet, who is beginning to question her loyalty to Caesar and the life she has found herself in, enlists Corky to help her steal $2 million dollars of embezzled cash that Caesar has recovered from a fellow mobster, their newfound relationship is put to the test as trust is the name of the game in this crime caper that could end with both of them in a watery grave.

Directed by sci-fi giants The Wachowski's (THE MATRIX, SPEED RACER), this noir thriller may initially seem out of their wheelhouse, but the DNA of their future style is clear and present as they prove their talents at taut storytelling and pure tension. 

Will this edge of your seat noir be enough to keep Ray's eyes glued to the screen? Or will this humble origin of these sci-fi legends leave him feeling underwhelmed? Tune in to find out!

Theme Song:

Music & Lyrics: Jeremy Catarelli

Intermission:

Voice: Jeremy Catarelli

Music: Jay You

In a very special CAR RAYROB premiere, Ray and Rob present their brand-new podcast HELLO MOVIES, MY OLD FRIEND! Re-inventing their formula, Ray and Rob have ditched recommendations and instead created a list of movies from their past that they haven't revisted in at least 20 years to see if these movies still hold up to their nostalgic memories. 

For their maiden voyage, the dynamic duo have settled on the 1999 standard setter for the found footage genre, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT. Both Ray and Rob's initial viewing experience of this horror classic helped shaped the long-held memories of its quality and efficacy as the origin of a cultural movement. Telling the story of 3 twenty somethings who go missing in the Maryland wilderness filming a documentary about the local myth known as The Blair Witch. Told only through their footage found abandoned in the woods, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT inspired dozens of copycats that we still see in popular film culture today. 

Will the cultural significance and ubiquitous visuals of this movie prove Ray and Rob's memories correct about its place on top of the found footage mountain? Or will the advancements in the genre in the last 25 years show being the first out of the gate doesn't always make you the winner? Join us this week to find out! 

Theme Song:

Music: Jay You

Voice: Rob Morgan

Intermission:

Voice: Jeremy Catarelli

Music: Jay You

On this week's episode of SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FILM, Ray and Rob are wrapping up the spooky season with Ray's episode, who loyal listeners know is not a fan of the horror genre. So, in an attempt to join in the fun, Ray recommends to Rob the 2017 Japanese indie zombie comedy ONE CUT OF THE DEAD. This send-up of the genre centers on a small film crew hard at work filming a movie of the same name, but ultimately find themselves living the fictional horrors they're trying to capture! Starring Takayuki Hamatsu and Yuzuki Akiyama, One Cut of the Dead examines how far you'll go for your art and the relationships you build (and lose) getting the job done!

Will ONE CUT OF THE DEAD'S technical prowess and heart prove enough to sway Rob? Or will this zombie romp just be white noise in a sea of Romero wannabes? Tune in this week to find out! 

Theme Song:

Music & Lyrics: Jeremy Catarelli

Intermission:

Voice: Jeremy Catarelli

Music: Jay You