Our coverage of Fantastic Fest continues with Mike talking with writer/director Toby Jones, star AJ Thompson, and producer Ben Hansen -- three of the talents behind AJ Goes to the Dog Park (2024).  It's a delightful story of local politics.

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Also known as Legend of Doom House, Malpertuis is a gothic horror film starring Matthew Carriere as Jan, a sailor back at his home port where he visits the estate known as Malpertuis where he encounters a group of colorful kooks including the formidable Cassavius played by Orson Welles. 

Jessica Shires and Matthew Asprey Gear join Mike to discuss the film while director Harry Kumel talks about the making of it.

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On this cross-over episode with The Kulturecast, Mike joins Chris to discuss the latest work from auteur Todd Phillips, Joker: Folie à Deux (2024), a jukebox musical continuation of the Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) story where he's joined by Harley "Lee" Quinzel in a courtroom drama. That run-on sentence pretty well sums it up.

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Heather Drain and Jedidiah Ayres join Mike to take a gritty plunge into Monte Hellman's Cockfighter (1974), a controversial and fascinating portrait of obsession and redemption. Warren Oates stars as Frank Mansfield, a man so consumed by his quest to win the cockfighting championship that he’s taken a vow of silence until he claims victory. Set in the underbelly of the American South, this visceral tale pits man against his demons, much like the roosters he trains.

Adapted from Charles Willeford’s novel, Cockfighter pulls no punches in its depiction of the brutal, outlawed sport, which was illegal in 47 states at the time. Film scholar Kier-la Janisse discusses the complex themes of masculinity, pride, and obsession, as well as Hellman’s signature directorial style in her new book, Cockfight: A Fable of Failure.

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Mike speaks with fellow-Detroiter Alan Bernstein about his feature documentary, When We Went Mad, a look at the usual gang of idiots behind the irreverent publication, Mad Magazine. A film more than a decade in the making, Bernstein wonderfully captures the importance and influence of Mad from inception to demise.  

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As part of our coverage of Fantastic Fest, Mike spoke with writer/director Danny Villanueva Jr. about his first full-length feature narrative, What Happened to Dorothy Bell? It's a creepy found footage movie about a young person investigating their own past and their complicated relationship with their grandmother, Dorothy Bell.

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As part of our coverage of Fantastic Fest, Mike spoke with writer/director Sander Maran and producer Jan Andresson about their film which has been 11 years in the making, Chainsaws Were Singing, an Estonian horror comedy musical.

Find out more at the official website: https://chainsawsweresinging.com/ 

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We conclude Czechtember 2024 with a film from Frantiscek Vlacil, Adeliheid.  Released in 1970, the film stars Petr Čepek as Viktor, a former Czech soldier turned caretaker of a confiscated German estate where he encounters the titular Adelheid (played by Emma Černá), who is being held as a prisoner. Their evolving relationship forms the core of the film, set against a backdrop of post-war displacement and political tension.

Cerise Howard and Jonthan Owen join Mike to discuss this underseen Vlacil film.


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Mike talks to writer/director Jon Spira about his latest film, The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee. It's a documentary about the Lee's life and career that features a great array of interviews and a fascinating visual style.

Pre-order the film at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jonspira/the-life-and-deaths-of-christopher-lee

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#Czechtember2024 continues with one from Slovakian filmmaker Dusan Hanak, 322. Based on a short story by Ján Johanides, the film stars Václav Lohniský as Lauko, a man diagnosed with cancer. His ex-wife, Marta (Lucyna Winnicka), is fooling around with the young Peter (Josef Abrhám), while Lauko connects with the long-haired Vladko (Vladimír Weiser). Released in 1969, the film was banned immediately after its premiere. 

Angela Mac and Jonathan Owen join Mike to discuss this fascinating avant-garde film.

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