Who can say what dark magic brought together so many creative geniuses (and problematic ones at that) to make Rosemary’s Baby? Whatever dark forces may have conspired, their plan worked! The movie endures as a beloved classic and guidepost of the early New Hollywood period. Whether you want to hear about Paramount’s resurrection through Robert Evans or the difference between John Cassavetes’ independent cinema vs William Castle’s, this episode is for you! Topics include: questionable erotic fantasies, the history of the Dakota Hotel, and how much the prequel film Apartment 7A suckssss.

A true high point of the New Hollywood era gets the Kael Your Idols treatment this episode: Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon. We attempt to get to the bottom of this true tale of a robbery-gone-wrong by putting together the character’s complex motivations piece by piece. Along the way we manage to show some love to Pacino, who puts in probably his best performance, and of course the legendary John Cazale as well.  Other topics include: early portrayals of gay activism, Lumet’s book ‘Making Movies’, and Johnny Wojtowicz: the larger-than-life figure at the center of the actual event.

This week Elena and Sam tackle that spoof of spoofs- the 1980 comedic smash,  Airplane! This film rewrote the existing theories of comedy from what kind of people should star in it, to how many directors it should have. Join us as we delve into the world of classic TV and film culture upon which the Zucker brothers and their friend Jim Abrahams (aka ZAZ) set their sights. And please! Do not call us “Shirley”. Topics include: Leslie Nielsen’s fame in the 90s, a disaster film renaissance, and which jokes do or don’t hold up.

In this episode of KYI, the hosts discuss Gene Siskel’s favorite movie: Saturday Night Fever. A singular achievement in the history of the medium, if only for its unusual influence on a non-filmmaking aspect of culture. See, without this movie the entire musical genre of Disco probably wouldn’t have become a popular as it was. And conversely, if Disco hadn’t had its trendy day in the sun, no one would ever have had to think about this absurdly upsetting film ever again! A fascinating alternate history to imagine but seeing as we inhabit this timeline, Elena and Sam made time for a lively conversation about this very very odd artifact of a film. Topics include: John Travolta as an actor, Disco Dead, and the hosts’ relationships to dance.

In this episode we are delighted to bring you a discussion on Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep. This first feature by the great pioneer of indie filmmaking is a tenderly poetic look at life in South Central LA during the 70s. Difficult to see for many years after its release, we were lucky enough to catch a restored print of it playing at our local theatre and we couldn’t pass up the chance to see and talk about this masterpiece. Topics include: masks in indie movies, film school, and the ‘LA Rebellion’

Oooh! We got a grimy one for ya today. We dive right into the dirt with famed auteur Sam Peckinpah’s minor (but still fascinating) work: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. Warren Oates leads a quirky cast populated by Mexican sex workers and suspiciously corporate hitmen in this tale of sexual jealousy, work, and morality and we just have a ball talking about it! Topics include: the hosts' views on violent cinema, the strange life of “the world’s most interesting man” and Peckinpah’s friendship with Pauline Kael.

Sing Hallelujah, come on get happy! Please, we implore you: get happy already! For this episode we train our gaze at William Friedkin’s minor masterpiece, The Boys in the Band. Although it is a landmark film in queer cinema, Boys has by now acquired a rather tricky reputation and we dig right into that. We laugh and cry along with these characters as they navigate the vagaries of identity and performative friendship. Topics include: comparisons to the Netflix version, Leonard Frey’s stunning performance, and Friedkin’s relationship to masculinity.

It is our deepest pleasure to bring you this episode on Norman Jewison’s masterpiece of non-auteurism: Fiddler on the Roof. Both of the hosts have a long and complex relationship to both this film and its source material and could wax for hours on its rich humanism and craft. The tale of Tevye the Dairyman and his daughters remains as fascinating and exciting today as ever! We promise! This movie is not boring at all (except for maybe a couple scenes with Perchik). Topics include: changes from the original stories, Jerome Robbins’ opening numbers, and a major change in Elena’s life.

In this episode we delve into one of the signature commercial and critical flops of New Hollywood: Dennis Hopper’s The Last Movie. This gorgeous yet impenetrable film was a crucial turning point bridging the early hippie-influenced films of the late 60s with the more cynical and popular mainstream cinema that came to define the 1970s. We are joined by Stephen Lee Naish, author of two different books discussing this week’s subject - Create or Die: Essays on the Films of Dennis Hopper, and Music and Sound in the Films of Dennis Hopper. So enjoy listening to someone actually qualified to talk about this stuff for a change! Topics include: American New Wave vs. New Hollywood, Jorge Luis Borges, and Charles Manson.

Imagine that you could sleep with anyone you wanted in the world, now ask yourself: how would this affect my participation in the American Electoral system? We’re diving into the New Hollywood deep end with this episode as we discuss Hal Ashby’s Oscar-winning smash, Shampoo! Who knew watching Warren Beatty doing hair and kissing pretty ladies could be such a fun time at the cinema? Topics include: Lee Grant’s blacklisting, getting turned on by haircuts, and the death of the 60s.