POP ART

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE: IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT

“I’m not a Frenchie, I’m a Belgie” Don’t you hate when this happens? You’re invited to a remote mansion. You don’t know why, but, hey, it’s a free meal. It’s a dark and stormy night. The doors and windows lock. You can’t get out. And then someone starts killing off the guests. So annoying. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 73 of Pop Art, the podcast where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. On Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome as my guest, filmmaker Jonathan Wysocki, who has chosen as his selection the cult favorite Clue, based on the popular board game, while I have chosen the Neil Simon spoof of locked room detective stories, Murder By Death, both about people invited to a remote location only to encounter homicide.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: Why is the original name of the game Clue? What is problematic about Murder by Death? Who are our favorite performers in each? Who was originally thought of to play the butler in Clue? Which is funnier and why? What is the difference between high brow and low brow? Which is more post and post post modern? What happened to Neil Simon? Who had his feature debut in Murder by Death and whose last feature film appearance was in MBD? Why is Hill House called Hill House? Clue had a fourth ending and Murder By Death had a different ending; what are they? What happened to the sets in Clue?

Check out Jonathan Wysocki’s IMDB profile at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1267438/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

And his feature film Dramarama can now be seen on Amazon Prime and Tubi

And his podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forgotten-filmcast/id620200136

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE: HIT AND MYTH

“I’m you’re huckleberry.” In John Ford’s movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, we have the famous line, “This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”  Sounds like it’s time for Episode 72 of Pop Art, the podcast where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. On Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome back as my guest film enthusiast and fellow podcaster Todd Liebenow, who has chosen as his selection the epic 1990s version of Wyatt Earp, the widescreen Tombstone, while I have chosen the John Ford classic, My Darling Clementine, both about the mythical figure of the Earp brothers and the gunfight at the OK Corral.

And in this episode, we’ll ask the questions: Where did the gunfight at the OK Corral take place? What is it about westerns, anyway? Who directed Tombstone? Are you sure? Whose favorite movie is My Darling Clementine? Who is Kevin Jarre’s famous step-father? What did director John Ford think of My Darling Clementine? Who does the term “cowboy” refer to? What is a Mae Marsh and would you want to be one? Why does Robert Mitchum do the voiceover?

Check out Todd’s blog Forgotten Films at https://forgottenfilmcast.wordpress.com/

And his podcast at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/forgotten-filmcast/id620200136

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE: CARRY ON CAMPING-The Bridge on the River Kwai/King Rat

“What have I done?” People do it different ways. Some use sleeping bags under the stars. Some use tents. Some use air mattresses and bring along TVs. Some dress up in drag. Others do it spending time as POWs. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 71 of Pop Art, the podcast where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. On Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, blogger and podcaster movierob, who has chosen as his selection the David Lean/Alec Guinness epic The Bridge on the River Kwai, while I have chosen the more cynical Bryan Forbes angry young man film, King Rat, both about prisoners in a Japanese internment camp during World War II.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: Who was the first actor considered for the Alec Guiness role in The Bridge on the River Kwai? What happened to George Segal’s career? What mistake did Pierre Boulle make about the location of the river and what did the government of Burma do in response? Where was King Rat filmed? Where did the Corporal Bogey march come from and how did it end up in the movie? Are both films about being at war, or are they really about the British class system? What did William Holden have to do to his body to take the role in …Kwai? What game show host appeared at the end of King Rat? What horror film did author James Clavell write that launched his screenwriting career?

Check out Movierob’s The Great Escape Minute Podcast aka MovieRob Minute Season 1 https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/podomatic71335

And his blog at https://movierob.wordpress.com/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE: HOME INVASION FOR THE HOLIDAYS

“Keep the change, ya filthy animal”. It’s Christmas time. Trees decorated with fairy lights and tinsel. Stockings hung up on the mantelpiece with care. Mistletoe. Presents. Snow. Thieves breaking into the house to steal everything. A psychotic Santa breaking in to kill everyone. Ah, the holidays. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 70 of Pop Art, the podcast where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. On Pop Art, my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time round, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, blogger, podcaster and Xmas film enthusiast, Jay Cluitt, who has chosen as his selection the yuletide classic Home Alone, while I have chosen the French cult thriller 3615 Code Pere Noel, both about kids threated by bad guys breaking into their home during the holidays, because nothing says Christmas like home invasion. And I should also add that we are doing something a little different in that the film I chose, neither Jay nor I have seen before this podcast. So we shall see how that goes.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is it about Christmas movies anyway? What happened to that kid in 3615 Code Pere Noel and what does Batman have to do with it? What happened to that kid in Home Alone? Who plagiarized who? Bare feet anyone? How much did John Candy get paid for being in Home Alone? What were all the aka’s for 3615 Code Pere Noel? Why was Pesci so difficult to work with in Home Alone? What is “responsible stock”? What was the most difficult scene to film in Home Alone?

Meanwhile, check out Jay’s podcast Deep Blue Sea (about Renny Harlin’s film) on Apple, Spotify, Podomatic and many other streaming services.

And his blog Life v. Film at https://lifevsfilm.com/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

POP ART, WHERE I FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE: PUTTING THE FUN IN FUNERALS

UPCOMING EPISODE (to be uploaded 11/26/21): “That’s not my father”. It’s fall. The leaves are dying. The plants are dying. The earth is dying. It’s nothing but death, death, death. But is that going to get us down? Well, we shall see. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 69 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, film enthusiast, blogger, and host of the LAMBCast podcast Richard Kirkham, who has chosen as his selection the Frank Oz farce, Death at a Funeral, while I have chosen the perhaps more subtle, but no less effective Japanese film by Juzo Itami, The Funeral, two films that put the fun in funerals.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What’s so funny about funerals? Why did Juzo Itami make so few films? Where have I seen that actor before? Why was Japanese comedy so oxymoronic for such a long time? What is Frank Oz’s best film? Who is Itami’s brother-in-law? What are the here remakes of Death at a Funeral? Where does 55 Days at Peking and Lord Jim come in? What married couple play a married couple in what film? Who was Itami married to?

Check out the LAMBcast at http://www.largeassmovieblogs.com/

Check out Richard’s blog at https://kirkhamclass.blogspot.com/?fbclid=IwAR3YYgDVY-42zT8hsDDo5ECSNe1xyPP9x2bvUAmm_XsVDDjtUjp3Aj8smCQ

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

MALLED: Join me and The Vern of Cinema Recall as we discuss George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead and the controversial French film Nocturna, both films about people stuck at a mall.

“When there’s no more room in hell, the dead walk the earth”. When was the last time you’ve been to an enclosed mall? It’s a dying cultural artifact, empty sepulchers. But at one time, it seemed the center of the known universe. So much so, that many movies revolved around this iconic location. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 68 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, film enthusiast, blogger and podcaster The Vern, of Cinema Recall, who has chosen as his selection George Romero’s follow up to his classic film Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, while I have chosen Bertrand Bonello’s controversial French film, Nocturama, both about groups of people stuck at a mall.

And in this episode we answer such questions as: What went wrong with the make-up in Dawn of the Dead? What is the French extremity movement? Who played the elf zombie? Why was Nocturama so controversial? What mall gave Romero the idea for Dawn of the Dead? Why did Nocturama change its name? How does Dawn of the Dead relate to January 6? What three movies influenced Nocturama? What was the original ending of Dawn of the Dead? Why was Nocturama rejected at Cannes? What is the difference between the Romero and Argento version of Dawn of the Dead? What is the major flaw in living dead movies?

Meanwhile look up The Vern’s podcast CinemaRecall at Cinemarecall.net.

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

HAPPY HALLOWEEN—LOST AND FOUND: For my Halloween episode, join me and my guest, teacher by day, horror aficionado by night and someone who makes a career of being on other people’s podcasts as well as being a podcaster herself, Lisa Leaheey, as we talk two found footage films Hell House LLC and Man Bites Dog.

“Usually, I start the month with a postman”. It ain’t easy being a new filmmaker these days. First there’s the money. Then you have to assemble a crew. Of course, you need actors. And if all that’s not difficult enough, then you have demons trying to kill you or a serial killer who gets you involved in his gleeful crime spree. What’s an artist to do? Sounds like it’s time for Episode 67 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest for the Pop Art Halloween special, teacher by day, horror aficionado by night and someone who makes a career of being on other people’s podcasts as well as being a podcaster herself, Lisa Leaheey, who has chosen as her selection the horror found footage film Hell House LLC, while I have chosen the Belgian dark comedy found footage film, Man Bites Dog, both films about documentarians who discover that their subject matter is a little more than they bargained for.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is found footage film and how has the meaning changed? Why should first time filmmakers watch Man Bites Dog? Clowns, why is it always clowns? What is one of the faults often found in found footage films, especially in Man Bites Dog? What are the literary precedents of found footage films? What does the phrase Man Bites Dog mean? What is the first found footage film? Where was Man Bites Dog banned? 2C or not 2C? What rating did Man Bites Dog get and how did it end up in Blockbusters? What really happened in the basement?

And don’t forget to check out Lisa’s new podcast The SibList at https://anchor.fm/the-siblist/episodes/Episode-1-8-Escape-from-New-York-1981-e18lb6g?fbclid=IwAR25j9ez1GF80TT-rmX-rcHiLPA9IhS0egvgLd4IRtzmnPuPY5_ZwK9j0Xoand other streaming services

And Between the Scares at https://rabbitholepodcasts.com/between-the-scares/and other streaming services

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

MATCHES, MATCHES, WE DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ MATCHES. Join me and my guest filmmaker David Au (Eat With Me) as we discuss The Wedding Banquet and Late Spring, what we’re calling matchmaking Asian style.

“She’ll make lots of babies”. Nag, nag, nag. That’s all parents do. Clean your room. Get married. Get good grades. Get married. Don’t stay out late. Get married. …Sounds like it’s time for Episode 66 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, filmmaker David Au, who has chosen as his selection Ang Lee’s breakthrough film, the farcical The Wedding Banquet, while I have chosen Yasujirō Ozu’s classic shōshimin-eiga drama, Late Spring, both films about parents trying to get their children married.

And in this episode, we answer such questions as: What is a post-gay film? What is a shōshimin-eiga film? What did Emma Thompson say about Ang Lee? What censorship problems did Late Spring face? Where was the lead for The Wedding Banquet discovered (hint: it wasn’t Schwabbs)? What happened in 1947 and 1948 in regard to marriages in Japan? In what way was The Wedding Banquet a more successful film financially than Jurassic Park? Where does Late Spring land on the Sight and Sound poll? What was unusual about Ang Lee winning an Academy Award for best director?

Check out David’s film Eat With Me on Amazon.

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

THEY’RE REVOLTING: “It’s a trap.” Join filmmaker and fellow podcaster Derek Diamond (The Derek Diamond Experience) as we talk The Empire Strikes Back and The Battle of Algiers, two films about a revolutionary forced trying to throw off the yoke of their empire owners.

Also, I was a guest on The Derek Diamond Experience and you can find it here among other streaming platforms: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-derek-diamond-experience/id954082680

Isn’t always the same. You take over a country or planet. Teach them your ways. Make them civilized. But are they grateful? Do they welcome your world domination and tyranny? No. The thankless peons dare to ask, no demand, their freedom. Unappreciative miscreants…Sounds like it’s time for Episode 65 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome as my guest, filmmaker and fellow podcaster, Derek Diamond, who has chosen as his film the sequel to the blockbuster Star Wars, the not-so-blockbuster, but perhaps superior, The Empire Strikes Back, while I have chosen the French neo-realist classic The Battle for Algiers, both films about people fighting an empire for their freedom.

And in this episode we answer such questions: Does Star Wars have a diversity issue? What is scientifically wrong with the asteroid belt scene? Who is Sartre? Is the director’s cut better? What did Harrison Ford say about the screenplay to Lucas? What is unusual about the Oscars and Battle? What warning was attached to screenings of Battle in some countries and why? Why is Alec Guinness in Empire for such a little time? What is Manicheism? Why was Battle banned in France? Who wrote Empire? What line was David Prowse given to say because he tended to leak information? Where do the Black Panthers and the Baader-Meinhof complex come in? Where does the Wilhelm scream come?

And don’t forget to check out the Derek Diamond Experience https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-derek-diamond-experience/id954082680

And his short film on YouTube, The Parker Syndrome https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKarHgnYs9A

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss

MONSTERBATING: “You can hop, but you can’t hide”. Join film enthusiast and blogger Tony Cogan (Coogs Reviews) as we discuss Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were Rabbit and the 1931 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, two films about experiments that go wrong and result in the creation of a monster (don’t you hate when that happens?).

Also, enjoy an episode that covers some of the same ideas: Jurassic Park/Frankenstein/Bride of Frankenstein/Son of Frankenstein at https://anchor.fm/dashboard/episode/elsfomas well as Apple, Spotify and other streaming services.

Don’t you hate it when something goes a little wrong? You create a person out of spare body parts and they go on a murderous rampage. You create dinosaurs out of DNA and they go on a murderous rampage. You create a serum to get rid of the bad part of you and you go on a murderous rampage. You create a mind manipulator for bunny rabbits and you end up going on a murderous rampage of…well, vegetables, but the principle is the same. Sounds like it’s time for Episode 64 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, I am happy to welcome as my guest, film enthusiast and blogger Tony Cogan, who has chosen as his film the stop motion animated comedy Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, while I have chosen the pre-code horror film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, both films about scientific experiments gone wrong resulting in the creation of a monster.

And in this episode we’ll answer such questions as: How do you pronounce Jekyll? What does a director do on an animated film? How were the special effects achieved in Dr. Jekyll…? What is the difference between American and British horror/sci-fi films of the 1950s and 60s? Why did Wallace Beery tie with Frederic March for Best Actor at the Oscars? Just what is it about animated films and their increase in popularity? What’s innovative about the opening scene in Dr. Jekyll? What movie beat out Wallace and Gromit by $200,000 the 2nd week of opening? Why did posters have to be altered in Portland, Dorset, UK? Who is Rose Hobart and why were they saying all those terrible things about her? What is the Wilhelm scream?

Check out Tony’s blog Coogs Review at https://coogsreviews.wordpress.com/author/tonycoogs/

Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/

My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss