Begins with overview of Clint Eastwood’s 70s Westerns (with special attention paid to THE BEGUILED), then segues into genre deconstruction, defined as unconventional stories/aesthetics/directorial choices. Films discussed include McCABE AND MRS. MILLER/BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS (Altman), BAD COMPANY (Robert Benton and David Newman), THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN (John Huston, John Milius), ZANDY’S BRIDE (Jan Troell), THE MISSOURI BREAKS (Arthur Penn, Thomas McGuane, Marlon Brando), and PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID (Sam Peckinpah, Rudolph Wurlitzer).

Discussion of the simultaneous theater/streaming releases RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON and IN THE HEIGHTS. Also mentioned: how HBOMAX gets more criticism than Disney+ and how both WB and Disney hide the viewership numbers and streaming grosses from the trade press and mainstream media.

First of a sporadic series of episodes about the decline of the Western genre in the 1970s. John Wayne, reluctant to stretch the boundaries of his image, made two Westerns which, more or less, did just that (TRUE GRIT, THE COWBOYS). Otherwise, he cranked out programmers for his core audience—both Westerns and cop films not departing markedly from his Western persona. Films from this period that go slightly out of the corral (BIG JAKE, McQ) are discussed. Also, his two final films (ROOSTER COGBURN, THE SHOOTIST) in the Western genre are discussed—plus Wayne’s farewell to playing his Western persona as a pitchman for both a headache remedy and Great Western Bank.

Begins with discussing two types of sequels—the ones that build on the artistic success of their predecessors and the mediocre kind offloaded to directors who care more about making studio release dates. The third CONJURING film is the latter, and A QUIET PLACE PART II is, thankfully, the former.

Discussion of six films (Too Late For Tears, Woman On The Run, The Scar aka Hollow Triumph, The Devil Thumbs A Ride (shoutout to Barry Gifford’s book of film noir essays sharing the same title), Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (now known mainly for co-star Barbara Payton, who later became part of a scandalous, violent triangle—Karina Longworth and poet Michael Shepler’s differing approaches to Payton’s life story are mentioned) and Fritz Lang’s less loved followup to THE BIG HEAT—the bleak HUMAN DESIRE, reteaming Glenn Ford and Gloria Grahame.

Ten films either so bad they’re good or good mistakenly classified as bad. Includes Westerns starring William Shatner and Marty Robbins, Bette Davis and Ernest Borgnine as bank robbers disguised as hippies, Roger Corman underwater and in outer space, Doris Day and Richard Harris as spies in the cosmetics industry, Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland’s counterculture CANNONBALL RUN, the indescribable THE MANITOU and 50s pop star Fabian as Pretty Boy Floyd