The Film-Flam Man Podcast with Mat Bradley-Tschirgi

We interview Kenny Williams about his boutique blu-ray label Yippee Ki-Yay Mother Video. He also runs a video rental store and micro cinema by the same name in Alpha, Michigan.

Among other things, we discuss Kenny’s love of movies on physical media, how he ended up producing his own Blu-rays, and his experiences working with Albert Pyun (Captain America, Interstellar Civil War) and Uwe Boll (Citizen Vigilante, Run) on making boutique special editions of their latest films.

Disclaimer: I contributed to audio commentaries for the Run and Citizen Vigilante Blu-rays available from Yippee Ki-Yay Mother Video.

Buy Citizen Vigilante + Run on Blu-ray (use discount code BOLLSRUN50 to get Run for half-off!) from Yippee Ki-Yay Mother Video.

Follow Yippee Ki-Yay Mother Video on Instagram.

Learn more at Yippee Ki-Yay Mother Video’s official website.

Visit Yippee Ki-Yay Mother Video’s retail store and micro cinema in person at Yippee Ki-Yay Mother Video, 514 Main St., Alpha, MI 49902.

The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.

Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp.

We interview filmmakers Carissa Goble and Eamonn Cogan about Prescott Confidential, a new feature they are launching a fundraising campaign for. Described as a home invasion thriller with western flair that has family as its beating heart, this film from Othered Productions shows a lot of promise.

Among other things, we discuss their early days working at movie theaters and going to film school, why Prescott, Arizona was chosen as the shooting location for Prescott Confidential, and why special needs characters are often limited to condescending supporting roles in dramas.

Donate to Prescott Confidential’s fundraising campaign at Givebutter.

Watch the Prescott Confidential campaign video on YouTube.

Learn more about Prescott Confidential on its official website.

Follow Carissa Goble on Instagram.

Follow Eamonn Cogan on Instagram.

The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.

Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp.

We interview author James Mielke about his new biography Nobuo Uematsu: On the Record available now from Viz Media. Uematsu-san is perhaps best known as the sole composer of Final Fantasy I-IX. He’s also contributed music tracks to several other games including Chrono Trigger and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Among other things, we discuss the tight-knit work culture at SquareSoft in the 1980s, what kind of beer gave James the liquid courage to pitch Uematsu-san on being his biographer, and what interviewing techniques work best. In the back half of the episode, we share a few of each other’s favorite Final Fantasy tracks (you can listen to the music we discuss on this custom playlist).

Purchase James Mielke’s book Nobuo Uematsu: On the Record in hardcover and on Kindle.

Follow Viz Media on Instagram.

Follow James Mielke on Instagram.

Learn more about James Mielke on his website.

We interview burlesque performer and writer Audra Wolfmann about her participation in the Weird Al themed burlesque troupe Tight & Nerdy, the subject of the feature film documentary Tight & Nerdy directed by Jeff Nucera and Jonathan Ruane.

Among other things, we discuss how Audra got into burlesque, what is was like being in a documentary, and her reaction to seeing the finished film for the first time.

Follow Audra Wolfmann on Instagram.

Subscribe to Audra Wolfmann’s substack Raised by Wolfmanns.

Listen to The Fourth Space, a podcast Audra Wolfmann co-hosts with Raymond Wiley, about counterculture, community, and the universe of the mind.

We interview author David F. Walker (The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History, The Second Chance of Darius Logan) about his new book Black Film: A History of Black Representation and Participation in the Movies.

Among other things, we discuss the decline in film literacy, how challenging it can be to narrow down all of black cinema history into one book, and the saving graces of Shaft in Africa.

Purchase David F. Walker’s book Black Film: A History of Black Representation and Participation in the Movies in hardcover and on Kindle.

Follow David F. Walker on Instagram.

Support David F. Walker on Patreon.

The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.

Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp.

We interview actress Stephanie Romanov (Angel, Spy Hard, The Final Cut, Thirteen Days) about her career in film and TV.

Among other things, we discuss what it’s like interacting with your fans at conventions, the wonders of Leslie Nielsen’s fart machine on the set of Spy Hard, and how Robin Williams responded to an acting choice she made when filming The Final Cut.

Photo credit: Grayson Wilder

Follow Stephanie Romanov on Instagram.

Visit Stephanie Romanov’s official website.

The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.

Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp.

We interview actor Billy West (Futurama, Ren & Stimpy, Doug, Space Jam) about his new memoir Voice-A-Versa: Finding My Voice(s) Behind the Mic from Abrams Books. We also go into his storied career in radio and cartoon voice-acting.

Among other things, we discuss his hellish childhood that’s a focus of much of his memoir, why relatively modern diagnoses like ADHD and autism matter, and how challenging it was to do the Audible for his memoir in his real voice.

Purchase Billy West’s memoir Voice-A-Versa in hardcover, e-book, and on Audible.

Follow Billy West on X.

Visit Billy West’s official website.

The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.

Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp.

We interview writer Steve Young (Bathtubs Over Broadway, Late Show with David Letterman) about his comedy writing career, how his interest in industrial musicals led to the acclaimed documentary Bathtubs Over Broadway, and his current venture into writing and acting in short comedy films.

Among other things, we discuss why the type of guests changed over the decades from Late Night with David Letterman to Late Show with David Letterman, why industrial musicals are more than just kitschy curiosities, and what it’s like taking short films on the film festival circuit.

Follow Steve Young on Instagram.

Visit the Bathtubs Over Broadway website.

Learn about the wonderful world of industrial musicals in Steve Young and Sport Murphy’s book Everything’s Coming Up Profits: The Golden Age of Industrial Musicals.

Photo by Dee Sullivan for the Woods Hole Film Festival.

The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.

Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp.

We interview author and journalist Max Evry (A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch’s Dune) about his latest book Stranded on Earth: How Night Skies Became E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

Among other things, we discuss the challenges of booking interview subjects, how the premise of Night Skies led to the creation of Steven Spielberg’s (Munich, The Terminal) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and our thoughts on the trailer for Denis Villeneuve’s (Blade Runner 2049, Polytechnique) highly anticipated Dune: Part Three.

Pre-order Stranded on Earth in hardcover and on Kindle.

Follow Max Evry on Instagram.

Follow 1984 Publishing on Instagram.

The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.

Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp.

We interview directors Jeff Nucera and Jonathan Ruane about their new documentary feature Tight & Nerdy. It’s a great look at a burlesque troupe that performs to the music of Weird Al!

Among other things, we discuss why “Weird Al” Yankovic music and burlesque make for a good pairing, the challenges of making a documentary feature film, and how welcoming the burlesque community tends to be.

Learn about the latest Tight & Nerdy screenings on their official website.

Follow Tight & Nerdy on Instagram.

Follow Tight & Nerdy on TikTok.

The theme music for The Film-Flam Man Podcast is by Tom Shad.

Follow Tom Shad on Bandcamp.

Tight & Nerdy is playing at select film festivals. A complimentary copy was provided for review.