The Dana Gould Hour

Our old friend Thom Shubilla is here. Thom joined us previously to discuss his book, Prime Time 1966-1967, which was the story of how network television’s first all color season revolutionized the way we watch TV. His new book is entitled James Bond and the Sixties Spy Craze. They say pop culture in the 1960s was comprised of the Three Bs, Beatles, Batman and Bond. The first James Bond films in 1962, Dr. No, kicked off a pop culture craze the dominated movies and television for the next five pr six years. Some good, a ton bad, some laughably, laughably bad, and Thom Shubilla is here to discuss them. 

Rachel Feinstein is here. Rachel is a really, really, funny stand-up comedian whoes new special Big Guy, is now in Netflix. You may know Rachel from Inside Amy Schumer, the show Not The Place, she’s also on Amy’s new show Life and Beth, she’s been on Crashing, Red Oaks, and you will probably recognize her voice from Grand Theft Auto if you happen to play that. Do you play Grand Theft Auto, or do you just live it? I’m not sure. 

Speaking of spies True Tales From Weirdsville tells the sordid tale of the origin of the CIA, from its sketchy beginnings in World War 2 as the OSS into the mysterious behemoth it is today.

Phil Hendrie is here. Phil Hendrie is a genius, and if you are unfamiliar with his work I am so happy that you get to learn about him through me. Starting out as a rock DJ he moved into talk radio and then perfected his very unique, very specific, very, very hilarious The Phil Hendrie Show, and now has his podcast, The World Of Phil Hendrie. There is a new documentary out about him called, quite simply, Hendrie, that will either introduce you to his incredible talent or will reinforce your appreciation of it. Phil Hendrie, so happy to have him on. 

Additionally, we have nothing short of a broadcasting legend, George Schlatter, who re-invented how sketch comedy is presented on television, with the legendary Laugh-In, he produced series and specials for Cher, Mohammad Ali, Frank Sinatra, he is 93 and still going strong and he has a new book out entitled Still Laughing: A Life In Comedy and he is here to talk about it. George Schlatter. 

True Tales From Weirdsville takes you into the world of cinematic legend Roger Corman, from the Creature From The Haunted Sea up through his two late 60’s counter-cultural epics The Wild Angels and The Trip.

Max Evry is here. Max is the author of a fantastic new book called A Masterpiece in Disarray, the oral history of David Lynch’s Dune. Those of you who have seen the Denis Villeneuve version may only be dimly aware of the David Lynch’s Dune. It was only his third film, and it’s the only film of his that he claims not to love in some form or another. David Lynch’s Dune was, at its time, the most expensive science fiction film Universal had ever made. It starred an unknown actor named Kyle MacLaughlin and the guy who had only directed two film and one of them was Eraserhead. If you don’t think that’s going to be an interesting story, I can’t help you. 

Christina Ward, like Max, is a pal o’ mine. She is the Vice President and Editor at Feral House Publishing, and she has written a book called Holy Food: How Cults, Communes and Religious Movements Influence What We Eat. I learned a whole bunch of stuff I didn’t know including, what major religion used to suggest that after someone died, it was a good idea to eat cake off their corpse.

True Tales From Weirdsville tells the stranger than fiction tale of California’s weird association with religious cults, focusing on two strange organizations that were both HUGELY popular, that both started out with seemingly good intentions, and how, one, specifically, went VERY off the rails. This is the tale of Aimee Semple Mcpherson’s Four Square Gospel Church, and Charles Dederich’s Synanon. You won’t believe your ears!

We have our usual stellar line up to get the season off to, in this case, a rockin’ good start. 

Our old friend Greg Proops is back! Greg has a new album out called French Drug Deal. He is also in a new film called First Time Caller. He’s out on the road with Who’s Line Is It Anyway and is getting ready to record the follow up to French drug Deal AND, greg is going to tell us all about what it is like to perform the Nightmare Before Christmas LIVE concerts, which he does, and about which I am so jealous. 

Also, Leland Sklar is with us. If you own a radio, you have heard Leland’s work. Leland is one of the preeminent session musicians on Los Angeles a bass player of world renown. To let you know how long Leland has been making music, he tells a story in the interview where he was doing a session with another guitarist, and that guitarist was just forming a new band, but was unsure what to call it so he asked Leland, “I don’t know, do you think The Eagles is a good name?” 

Leland can be seen in a new documentary by Denny Tedesco, who made the documentary The Wrecking Crew. This new film is called The Immediate Family and it is available now to stream, and I can’t recommend it strongly enough. And we will be hearing all about it, in today’s episode. 

True Tales From Weirdsville goes deep on of my favorite musicians who is also tangentially featured in Immediate family, Warren Zevon. That story is stranger than fiction.

This is our annual holiday spectacular, with great guests, True Tales From Weirdsville and, of course, hours and hours of Christmas songs and holiday games. Not really. 

Kliph Nesteroff is here. Kliph is a fantastic writer who has been here before discussing his books, The Comedians and We Had A Little Real Estate Problem. He is here to talk about his spectacular and, in my opinion, mandatory reading new book, Outrageous, A History Of Showbiz and the Culture Wars. It’s one of my top five books of this year, just phenomenal and I’m really excited for you to hear him talk about it. 

Also, actor Steven Weber is here. You know Steven from Wings, the TV miniseries The Shining, Chicago Hope and so much more. He is also a hilarious guy, a monster kid, and a terrific storyteller, so happy to have finally nabbed him to be on. Steven Weber is here. 

True Tales From Weirdsville takes the idea of no good deed going unpunished to a whole new level, it’s the making of Monty Python’s Life Of Brian.

It’s that time of year again! It’s mid October. The leaves are turning, there’s a chill in the air and the whole world smells pumpkin spice, which, oddly, smells neither like pumpkin or spice, but what can you do? Regardless, all that stuff adds up to two very important things! It’s time for our annual Halloween spectacular, and Target has already put up its Christmas shit. Well, tough toenails Target! We’re sticking with Halloween up to, well,  Halloween, which is really just the night before the countdown to next Halloween, so there!

Aaron Lee is with us today. He is what you’d call a fellow traveler. A horror movie nerd, comic book fan and The Cramps devotee who has come to unburden his sympatico soul with us. Aaron is a hilarious writer who’s been an essential writer on, among others, Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, the upcoming TED TV and so many more. But it’s Halloween, so we’re talking monsters, with Aaron Lee.

Also, my very dear friend Bill Corso is here. Bill is one of the most famous and successful make-up men in Hollywood today. In addition to being the governor of the make-up branch of the Motion Picture Academy, he is also the personal make-up artist of Jim Carrey, Harrison Ford and so many others. Here to talk latex, glue and other fun things to sniff, it’s Bill Corso! 

True Tales From Weirdsville is going to take you down to the basement and unearth the down and the dirty in the world of James Warren Publications, which gave the world Creepy Magazine, Eerie, Magazine, Vampirella Magazine and, of course, Famous Monsters Of Filmland Magazine. It’s the weird and wonderful world of James Warren and Forrest Ackerman, two dudes who could not be more different if they tried to be.

Two terrific guests on this episode, lordy. There is a new book out called The Exotic Ones, which tells the take of filmmaking duo Ron and Julie Ormond. They were contemporaries of Ed Wood and their story is every bit as bizarre. The book was written by the legendary Jimmy McDonogh, who wrote The Ghastly One about Andy Milligan. He’s also written biographies of Russ Meyer, Tammy Wynette, Neil Young and more. Jimmy McDonough is here today in all his psychotronic glory. And then we have our resident film critic Katharine Coldiron to further unpack the Ormond oeuvre but also to discuss her new book, Junk Film, Why Bad Movies Matter. True tales From Weirdsville is going to take you down to rabbit hole to uncover all things Kenneth Anger, and there is, as always, so much more. 

Hello! And welcome back to The Dana Gould Hour Podcast. It’s the dog days of summer and what better way to work through those hot summer days then to walk around in the heat holding a sign that says you want a fair deal from the people who work in the buildings behind you even though they’re all on Martha’s Vineyard at the moment? 

Two fantastic guests today, my lordy. First off, a guy that I cannot believe that I know. He is in my favorite movie of all time, he has appeared repeatedly in one of my favorite TV shows, and he lived in my favorite city during one of its most fascinating periods. From Planet Of The Apes, and Dragnet and so much more, actor Lou Wagner is here. 

Also, comedian and author Wayne Federman is here. In addition to being a fine comedian in his own right, Wayne is a comedy historian. He is the author of a terrific book called The History Of Stand Up, from Mark Twain To Dave Chapelle and he was also the producer of the fabulous two part HBO documentary George Carlin’s American Dream, directed by Judd Appatow and Michael Bonfiglio, Wayne Federman is here. 

True Tales From Weirdsville takes a deep dive into a famous L.A. murder that occurred right down the street from good old Falcon’s lair Recording Studio, of course this was long before I got here, but our guest Lou Wagner was here. And although he’s all alibi’s up he’s got some stories to share, so we’ll give you some background to boot. 

We’ve a grand show, I tells ya, grand. One of the smartest, funniest comics out there, Beth Stelling is here today. Beth is not only a phenomenally talented stand up but she’s a terrific writer and she has a new special coming out soon called If You Didn’t Want Me Then. 

Also, the author Ed Canfield is here to talk about his book Fact, Fictions, and the Forbidden Predictions of the Amazing Criswell. As usual, truth is stranger than fiction, and Mr. Criswell, God Bless ‘em was a delightful five star nutball with a shithouse crazy wife. Hooray! 

True Tales From Weirdsville takes a look back to a time when conspiracies were harmless fun, that you could enjoy and indulge in even if you liked Jewish people. It’s true! There really was such a time! Specifically, we’re looking at the at the radio show that defined an era, Art Bell’s Coast To Coast AM. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, oh my Lord, just you wait. 

Hello! And welcome back to yet another long in the oven but oh, so tasty episode of The Dana Gould Hour Podcast. Again, as I said last month it’s a busy and hectic time here at Falcon’s lair with season 3 of Dr. Z in pre-production and, as I said last month, another project with Mr. Goldthwait and road gigs and festivals and blah blah blah. But we’re all working diligently. We don’t dump shit episodes out there on you so sometimes it takes a bit longer thank you want it to so thank you for understanding. 

Our first guest today, is a returning champion. Burt is the co-author, along with Jeff Abraham of The Show Won’t Go On, the true stories of performers and actors who have literally died on stage. Burt has a new book that he’s written solo, it’s autobiography of actor Lawrence Tierney. Lawrence Tierney broke the big time when he came out of obscurity to star as Dillinger in the 1945 films of the same name, and went on to a career playing tough guys and criminal psychos. Unfortunately for Mr. Tierney, it was not a big leap. Lawrence Tierney was in jail as much if not more as he was on the screen. He’d go up for drinking, fighting, fighting while drinking and drinking while fighting. Burt’s new book, Lawrence Tierney, Hollywood’s Real Life Tough Guy, tells the story of a truly larger then life genuine old school Hollywood nutball and I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

Also, comedian Zach Noe Towers is here, Zach was the co-host of the show Sex Before The Internet, I figured what’s a lot of violence without at least a little sex. Zach is based here in LA and is incredibly funny. Zach Noe Towers. 

True Tales From Weirdsville takes a deep dive into origins and effects of the of the rumor, started in 1969, that Paul McCartney was dead. A rumor so pernicious that McCartney had to take to the covers of Time, Life and Rolling Stone to assure the world that he was not, in fact, dead.