Silver Screeners

In this third in a series of episodes leading up to Oscar night 2022, rewind to early 1987 when the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences bestowed Best Picture honors to 1986's Platoon, written and directed by Oliver Stone, and Best Cinematography to The Mission, starring Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons. The regular segments of plot setups, behind-the-scenes fun facts, listener shout-outs and trivia, and highlights of that year's Oscars ceremony in the feature "The Good, the Bad, and the Outrageous", all set to new intro music for the new year!

In this second in a series of episodes leading up to Oscar night 2022, rewind to early 1982 when the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences hurled the golden trophy for 1981's Best Picture at Chariots of Fire with Leading Actor and Actress honors landing in the hands of Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn for On Golden Pond. The regular segments of plot setups, behind-the-scenes fun facts, listener shout-outs and trivia, and highlights of that year's Oscars ceremony in the feature "The Good, the Bad, and the Outrageous"! As an added bonus, hear the personal connection between Jim Morrison, Downton Abbey's Christmas album, and Vangelis's iconic Chariots of Fire score!

In this first in a series of episodes leading up to Oscar night 2022, step back in time to 1976, when the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences awarded Rocky the Best Picture prize and Taxi Driver became a controversial cultural landmark! Each episode in this series will look at the Best Picture winner of a particular year, and you vote on social media or email which other nominee from that year you want to hear about. Plus, the usual behind-the-scenes fun facts, trivia segment, listener shout-outs, and a new segment called "The Good, the Bad, and the Outrageous" - keep on screening!

With the holidays in the rear-view mirror, it's time to gear up for the annual Academy Awards ... listen here for quick updates on the next batch of episodes and how you can get involved!

It's Christmastime for real-life mother and daughter 'Scream Queens' Janet Leigh (Psycho) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Halloween) as 1949's Holiday Affair, co-starring Robert Mitchum and Wendell Corey, and 2004's Christmas with the Kranks, with Tim Allen and Dan Aykroyd, are brought front and center. How does Holiday Affair foreshadow Leigh's character in Psycho? How does Christmas with the Kranks tip the hat to Halloween? And what does "Ring Christmas Bells" by the Ray Conniff Singers have to do with it? Plus. the usual behind-the-scenes fun facts, trivia segment, and shout-outs to listeners ... Happy Yuletide!

Curious about the origins of the Rudolph story or the song? Or even better, the beloved 1964 Rankin/Bass TV classic? Decades' worth of questions and a couple of fun facts round out this special mini-episode. Plus, find out what happened to a couple of those stop-motion puppets!

75 years ago, an innocent little girl excitedly told her daddy that because a bell rang on their Christmas tree, an angel got its wings. Call it tradition, call it corny, call it art, call it contrived, but you have to call it a cinema legend. The first post-WWII film for both director Frank Capra and leading actor James Stewart may have been a financial disappointment when it was first released, but generations of fans have proven its long-lasting impact. A tribute to this beloved holiday classic brings it all home. Plus, the usual behind-the-scenes fun facts, trivia segment, and shout-outs to listeners!

Oscar-winning brothers Joel and Ethan Coen have spent their careers co-writing, co-producing, and co-directing both short and feature-length films. Now Joel is flying solo for the soon-to-be-released The Tragedy of Macbeth starring his wife, Oscar winner Frances McDormand, and Oscar winner Denzel Washington. Stu and Al from the Stu & Al Pod join me for a retrospective on the Coen Brothers' highly decorated film career! They contribute to the usual fun behind-the-scenes facts as we talk about our personal favorites and stump each other on trivia. Plus, the usual poll results, listener trivia segment, and shout-outs to listeners!

Decades' worth of questions about this quirky oddity rise to the surface in this special mini-episode. Plus, find out how this TV special relates to two direct-to-video Amityville Horror sequels, 2013's Gravity, 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road, and 2018's Ready Player One!

It's Thanksgiving Day for the Larsons in the Jodie Foster-directed Home for the Holidays and the Burns family in Pieces of April, written and directed by Peter Hedges. A behind-the-scenes look at these two holiday dramadies that throw a spotlight on family dynamics that are the source of satirical humor and maybe even a small iota of sentiment. What better holiday than Thanksgiving for families to try to put aside their problems for the day only to create brand new ones? Plus, the usual fun facts, poll and trivia results, and shout-outs to listeners!