Vintage Annals Archive Podcast

Ep. 55: Anna Biller (Filmmaker/Author/Artist) Bluebeard's Castle New Novel It was such a pleasure to talk to Anna Biller. I became a fan of her film "Viva" after seeing it in the festival circuit around 2007. I also fell in love with "The Love Witch". The fact that she did most of the costumes and sets and such also just elevated any fandom I already had. Not to mention shooting on film. She has such an amazing artistic and filmmaking vision and her work is just beautiful. She is such a great match for our page and content. I have reached out a few times and got lucky to finnaly get her when she was putting out her novel "Bluebeard's Castle". I got very lucky to get to talk to her about this amazing Jane Eyre inspired gothic love story. I am joined by Otter Castro who is our editor and producer and hit it out of the park as a co-host. Get her book! And watch all of her films. About the Book Bluebeard gets a feminist Gothic makeover in this subversive take on the famous French fairy tale — from the acclaimed director of The Love Witch, and for fans of Jane Eyre When the successful British mystery writer Judith Moore meets Gavin, a handsome and charming baron, at a birthday party on the Cornish coast, his love transforms her from a bitter, lonely young woman into a romance heroine overnight. After a whirlwind honeymoon in Paris, he whisks her away to a secluded Gothic castle. But soon she finds herself trapped in a nightmare, as her husband’s mysterious nature and his alternation between charm and violence become increasingly frightening.  As Judith battles both internal and external demons, including sexual ambivalence, psychological self-torture, gaslighting, family neglect, alcoholism, and domestic abuse, she becomes increasingly addicted to her wild beast of a husband. Why do women stay in abusive relationships? The answer can be found in the tortured mind of the protagonist, whose richly layered fantasy life parallels that of the female Gothic romance reader. Filled with dark humor and evocative imagery, Bluebeard’s Castleis a subversive take on modern romance and Gothic erotica. https://www.amazon.com/Bluebeards-Castle-Novel-Verso-Fiction/dp/1804291854 ANNA BILLER is a writer and director who creates unique, female-focused, highly visual films. She has a BA from UCLA in art and an MFA from CalArts in art and film. Her first feature Viva played in film festivals all over the world and gained minor cult status, and her second feature The Love Witch won acclaim for its elaborate visual style and feminist themes, and has screened at numerous film festivals worldwide. The New York Times called The Love Witch “a hothouse filled with deadly and seductive blooms;” The New Yorker called it “a metaphysical astonishment;” Film Comment said, “Biller’s sharp film stands in stark contrast to the complacency and crushing safeness of the vast majority of independent films made in the US. Shot in 35mm, her film displays a technical mastery that is glorious to behold;” and The Austin Chronicle said, “Anna Biller has quickly established herself as one of the most exciting filmmakers of the past decade.” In 2017 she won the Trailblazer Award and Best Costume Design at the Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle Awards for The Love Witch, and in 2019 she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is listed in a Rotten Tomatoes article as one of “The 21 Masters Of Horror Shaping The Genre Right Now.” The Love Witch appeared on many 2016 best-of-year lists, and on Rotten Tomatoes it’s ranked as the #40 horror film of all time. https://www.lifeofastar.com/about.html Credits  Co -hosted Produced and Edited by Otter Castro    Music   Richie by B.J Snowden ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bjsnowdenmusic.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  I Never Feel Alone Instrumental by Stephen Bluhm  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.vintageannalsarchive.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠   

Ep. 200: Guy Maddin (Filmmaker) Guy Maddin has directed thirteen feature-length movies, most recently Rumours (2024), starring Cate Blanchett and Alicia Vikander; as well as The Forbidden Room (2015), My Winnipeg (2007), and The Saddest Music in the World (2003). He has also mounted over seventy performances of his films around the world featuring live elements – orchestra, sound effects, singing and narration — most recently, The Green Fog (2016), which was accompanied live by the Kronos Quartet. His screenplay collaborators include Nobel Laureate Kazuo Ishiguro and poet John Ashbery. His movies Archangel (1990) & The Heart of the World (2000) both won National Society of Film Critics Awards for Best Experimental Film. For the past 15 years he has partnered with co-directors Evan and Galen Johnson."No one makes films like fabulist Guy Maddin. From his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Maddin is isolated from the facile preoccupations and coarse trends which plague the majority of Hollywood films nowadays. It could be argued, though, that he is also estranged from what passes for independent cinema. Truly a stranger in a strange land. But what a strange land indeed! His films are black comedic excursions into the netherworlds of silent film, but he also has an uncanny feel for replicating images and sounds from painting, classical music, and literature. They could easily become a pretentious mess in less-skilled hands, yet Maddin’s melodramatic films are anything but. They’re playful, complex, hilarious, and exquisite; a perfect melange of high art and camp. Cinematic images that can only be described as post-modern phantasms. Perhaps the only other filmmaker today who is so comfortable reworking such melodramatic terrain is - Lars von TrierHis films include 1988 - Tales from the Gimli Hospital1990 - Archangel1992 - Careful1995 - Sissy-Boy Slap-Party 2002 - Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary 2003 - Cowards Bend the Knee2003 - The Saddest Music in the World 2006 - Brand Upon the Brain!2007 - My Winnipeg2017 - The Green Fog2024 - Rumours Guy is currently busy colour-correcting the 4K restoration of his film CAREFUL (1992) so please keep an eye out on his Instagram guy.maddin for updates.https://www.instagram.com/guy.maddinPLEASE SUPPORT OUR PATREON AND/OR BANDCAMP so we can pay our guests!!! And do another 5 seasons. You will receive video only releases of the episodes for most episodes via Patreon or Bandcamp Episodes available there for subscribers who am sad I get free ads and collabs opportunities on our Instagram with 191,000 followers! Great value! https://vintageannalsarchivepodcast.bandcamp.comhttps://patreon.com/VintageAnnalsArchiveCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer https://www.instagram.com/vintageannalsarchiveandpodcast⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

ART SHOW! WITH CAPTAIN SKINNERA “how-to” series unlike any other. Bob Ross on LSD meets The Evil Dead… in Space.Premiering on YouTube and Substack on Friday, February 13 with new episodes weekly from Friday, March 6.TUNE IN!YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@EtchFilmSUBSCRIBE: etchstudio.substack.comART SHOW! WITH CAPTAIN SKINNER follows the misadventures of a doomed PBS-style television series. As Skinner and his tiny crew (including the stop motion animated Space Cowboy) attempt to produce a television series in outer space, their efforts are constantly thwarted by – well – everything from meteor showers to intrusive thoughts to the stark horror of an uncaring cosmos. ART SHOW! WITH CAPTAIN SKINNER is comprised of 10 episodes, each running around 15 minutes in length. In each episode, we watch as Skinner creates a unique and stunning piece of artwork. The show is a bombastic, futuristic, gore and color-saturated love letter to shows like The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross and Commander Mark and the Secret City. ART SHOW! flips the script by oozing hyper-phantasmagorical slapstick, body-horror, and off-the wall comedy. SKINNERCo-creator/Writer/StarSkinner is a beloved artist, creator, comedian, writer, and general manifestation of psychedelic nightmare experiences who has infected many medias worldwide! He’s created art for Grammy winning albums and bands like High on Fire and Mastodon, award-winning music videos and films, commercial experiences for Adult Swim, Warner Brothers, and hosted shows for Super Deluxe and various music festivals.You can find his art on murals the world over as well as on skateboards and comics and t-shirts and toys.Skinner exists as a bizarre mixture of entertainment and visual intensity. https://www.theartofskinner.comhttps://www.instagram.com/theartofskinnerALLEN CORDELLCo-creator/Writer/DirectorAllen is an award-winning filmmaker obsessed with things that are weird and beautiful, especially when filmed at 24 frames per second and layered with insane sound design. He’s directed a handful of music videos for Beach House, Dan Deacon, Girl Talk (and others!), as well as the short film The Lizard Laughed adapted from a comic book by Noah Van Sciver. ABOUT ETCH ETCH is an independent animation and production company run by the award-winning trio of Emmy and WGA Award-winner Philip Gelatt (The Spine Of Night, Europa Report, They Remain, The Bleeding House and Love Death + Robots), Will Battersby (The Spine Of Night, They Remain, Trumbo) and Morgan Galen King (The Spine Of Night). Specializing in the provocative, intelligent and innovative, as well as fantastical and horrific, Etch seeks to put the dark magic back into moving images. ETCH has expertise in animation, documentary and feature production and a core philosophy of maintaining ownership and creative control through novel approaches to production and distribution. Recent projects include FIRST WORD ON HORROR featuring award-winning authors Stephen Graham Jones, Paul Tremblay, Elizabeth Hand, Laird Barron, and Mariana Enriquez. Upcoming projects include CASSIE WORKMAN IS WITCHY AF, featuring Australian comedienne Cassie Workman and Produced by Lily Wachowski and ART SHOW! WITH CAPTAIN SKINNER featuring infamous Oakland artist and multi-hyphenate Skinner.FOLLOW ETCH:etchfilm.com / @etchfilmCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

I’m in need of doing the podcast for now on in an independent manner and going to be working on that over the next 3-6 months. All prior episodes will stay up! There is no such thing as a free podcast, album, film, and most of these platforms keep 95% of the profits. It’s just not a system I can ethically support any longer. I don’t mind spending $4000-5000 a year to do this but I’m sick of not benefiting from these systems. My patreon has been updated a lot as of late and has a lot of amazing uncensored content I can’t post on Instagram. I’m releasing early episodes and video only episodes. If you like the podcast I need to ask you to support it. I get no money from Spotify and no money from Apple Podcasts and yet they sell ads and still make money. I’m just done working my ass off to make billionaires richer. I’d also like to have enough money to throw some of it to our guests. We are going to be putting out our 200th episode as a two parter with Bonnie Prince Billy and Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin. I’m lucky to get some amazing guests but I’m done with having no way to monetize any of it. Please do your part to help if you consume the podcast. www.patreon.com/vintageannalsarchive

Deborah Dash Moore Walkers in the City: Jewish Street Photographers of Midcentury New York - In the middle of the twentieth century, good cameras became smaller and lighter, enabling street photographers to roam alleyways, ride elevated trains and subways, and stroll beaches in summertime to capture daily life with urgency and intimacy. Walkers in the City showcases the distinctive urban vision that working-class Jewish photographers produced with these new cameras on New York City's streets and in public spaces. Drawing on the experiences of and photographs by a generation of young Jewish photographers who belonged to the New York Photo League, Deborah Dash Moore offers a new perspective on New York as seen through their eyes--a cityscape of working-class people and democratizing public transit. With their cameras, they pictured Gotham's abrasive social milieu and its evanescent textures and light, creating an archive of vernacular images of city life and a distinctive tradition of street photography that would be widely imitated. Walkers in the City documents how these roving, imaginative New Yorkers, entranced by the medium of photography, transformed everyday sights into rousing, joyous, and poignant moments of time, creating visual poetry out of the fabric of social life.About Deborah Dash Moore - Deborah Dash Moore is an American Jewish historian whose scholarship focuses on Jewish urban life, the creation of ethnic identity, and visual culture. Much of her work has concentrated on New York’s vibrant Jewish community, uncovering its neighborhoods, streets, institutions, and photographic images.  She has also explored the postwar Jewish culture of America’s Sunbelt, ventured into the experience of Jews who served in World War II, and examined the impact of women and gender in Jewish life.  Moore has been a trailblazer in the field of American Jewish history who has chronicled the myriad expressions of Jewish culture in 20th-century America. She has been an influential teacher and mentor as well as a key leader in the field of modern Jewish history.https://lsa.umich.edu/history/people/faculty/ddmoore.htmlCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

Beau McCall—proclaimed by American Craft magazine as “The Button Man creates visual and wearable art by hand-sewing clothing buttons onto mostly upcycled fabrics, materials, and objects. His artworks offer commentary on an array of topics such as pop culture and social justice. Buttons are a universal fastener connecting the world through an everyday item. Through this medium I create visual and wearable artworks by hand-sewing clothing buttons onto mostly upcycled fabrics, materials, and objects. My goal is to generate a dialogue by using buttons to expand the definition of art, stimulate one’s curiosity and imagination, draw attention to the unique history of buttons, and address a vast array of themes including pop culture and social justice.https://beaumccall.comSouleo Creative. Curator. Impresario. Consultant. Muse. Souleo has been hailed as an “Icon of Harlem” (Ruth Millington, art historian and author of Muse) and “Harlem’s Heart & Soul” (NY Daily News). An acclaimed creative, curator, writer, impresario, consultant, and muse he seamlessly merges the worlds of visual art, fashion, literature, media, and the performing arts to document and amplify the stories of the emerging and underrepresented via exhibitions, events, and writing.https://souleouniverse.comCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

Kathy Shorr was born in Brooklyn, New York.  Her work crosses the borders of documentary, portraiture and street photography.  She received her undergraduate degree in photography from The School of Visual Arts and has an MS in Education, earned while working as a New York City Teaching Fellow working in the public schools in crisis.  Her work has been shown in galleries throughout the United States and Europe including the celebrated Visa Pour L’Image for photo journalism in Perpignan, France.   Her first book, SHOT … 101 Survivors of Gun Violence in America was published by powerHouse Books in 2017. Her second book, Limousine was published in December 2024 by Lazy Dog Press. She lives and works in New York City.https://www.kathyshorr.comhttps://www.instagram.com/katshorrCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

Scarlet Page has been a passionate photographer her whole life and her education culminated in studying a degree in photography in the early ’90s. She quickly developed her own fresh, documentary style of reportage. She travelled America with The Smashing Pumpkins, The Beastie Boys and the other acts on the Lollapolooza tour of 1994.  The following year she had a shot feature in the album artwork of The Verve’s ‘A Northern Soul'. Working on ‘A Northern Soul’ accelerated Scarlet’s career and since then she has gone on to work with some of the music world’s biggest acts. She worked closely with Robbie Williams on several projects including album artwork, behind the scenes material and the acclaimed book ‘Somebody Someday’. She has toured the World extensively with bands such as The Darkness, Placebo, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Rolling Stones and Stereophonics. Her photographs have been used to grace album covers, album artwork, tour material, book covers and as collected prints. She continues to be commissioned by all the major record labels to shoot artwork, press and marketing campaigns for international bands. Scarlet’s calm demeanour and professional approach have enabled her to diversify the subjects that she photographs. Subsequently she now works closely with an interesting variety of clients including Fearne Cotton and her Happy Place Festival brand, The Henley Literary Festival (capturing celebrity writers, politicians, bloggers, TV personalities etc) and inspiring business women such as Jo Tutchener Sharp, founder of clothing brand Scamp and Dude, to create content for all of her platforms. Scarlet has also worked extensively for charities including CALM, PDSA, Teenage Cancer Trust and Warchild. Exhibitions of her work have been shown at The Royal Albert Hall, Proud Gallery, Camden and, in 2019, Scarlet exhibited and worked with local celebrated musicians in Buenos Aires as part of her Resonators + project. Since the pandemic there has been a huge interest in Scarlet’s archive work - her limited edition prints alongside her weekly ‘words behind the shot’ videos have been gaining a cult following. In 2020 she was selected as a winner of The British Journal of Photography’s ‘Portrait of Britain’ award and she has become an active member of the Association of Photographers and its associated women’s group f22.In 2022 Scarlet proudly became a Nikon Ambassador, she has used the brand throughout her 30 year career.In 2023 Scarlet exhibited simultaneously in Oxfordshire, New York and Sydney Australia. In September 2024 Behind The Gallery presented '30' Exhibition in London, celebrating 30 years of being a music photographer. In 2025 Scarlet was a judge for The Abbey Road Music Photography Awards. EXPOSED: Three Years With Placebo book was released in October 2025 and the deluxe edition sold out in minutes. https://www.scarletpage.comhttps://www.instagram.com/scarletpageCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

Ep. 194: Fck My Son w/ Director Todd Rohal Todd Rohal is a writer and director whose work has appeared on Adult Swim, Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Max, AMC, Amazon, and The Criterion Channel. His feature credits include The Guatemalan Handshake, which he self-distributed worldwide with a single 35mm print; The Catechism Cataclysm (IFC Films), which premiered at Sundance; Nature Calls, starring Patton Oswalt, Rob Riggle, and Johnny Knoxville; and Uncle Kent 2, winner of the Audience Award for Visions at SXSW. His most recent feature, Fuck My Son!, premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival and is currently being distributed around the world as a theatrical-only event. An alumnus of the Sundance Writers Labs, Rohal’s short film Rat Pack Rat won the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision at Sundance, and his work has been selected as a Vimeo Staff Pick on six occasions. He has created original work for Adult Swim, directed episodes of Netflix’s Haters Back Off series and Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell, and wrote the screenplay for Chris Columbus’s third Christmas Chronicles film for Netflix.About Fck My SonSprung from the irreverent imagination of Johnny Ryan, whose notorious comics have satirically provoked every sacred cow under the sun since the early 1990s, and copulating with the sensibilities of Todd Rohal (The Catechism Cataclysm), one of America’s most anarchic contemporary surrealists, Fuck My Son! is the most abject exercise in poor taste since Pink Flamingos. Akin to being sneezed upon by Dan Aykroyd’s penile nose from Nothing But Trouble (google it), this is an uncut, unclean geek show of odious viscosity and a gleefully depraved spectacle that will leave Midnighters gasping, gagging, and/or guffawing with infectious laughter — at least for those who have accepted their eternal damnation in Hell.Instagram Fck My Son https://www.instagram.com/fckmysonTodd Rohal https://www.instagram.com/toddrohalCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

Ep. 193: Weird Paul “Weird Paul has been composing and recording catchy, funny pop/rock music for almost 42 years. He's performed over 700 concerts over nearly 40 years. He’s also known for his large amount of archived videos filmed of him and his family back in the 80s. He does weekly live streams on Twitch and TikTok and creates mostly nostalgia based content for many different internet platforms."Instagram https://www.instagram.com/weirdpaulpYouTube https://youtube.com/channel/UCsFmlmYZYAIFddxpeoLCc8A?si=BAVM6ycvfIbnw8zkFacebook https://www.facebook.com/share/1KAHe5aeuk/?mibextid=wwXIfrTik Tokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@weirdpaulpTwitch https://m.twitch.tv/weird_paulCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

Ep. 192: Charles Traub (Photographer/Educator) Charles H. Traub was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1945. He studied English literature at the University of Illinois, and joined the Peace Corps after graduation in 1967. An accident in Ethiopia forced him home to Kentucky where he met Ralph Eugene Meatyard, who became an important inspiration and friend. After service in the United States Army in 1969, he decided to pursue photography at the Institute of Design in Chicago. There he studied with Aaron Siskind, Arthur Siegel and Garry Winogrand. His thesis of abstracted black-and-white landscapes “Edge to Edge” was widely exhibited, and featured in a solo show at the Art Institute of Chicago. Following his landscape work he made three well-known series of black-and-white photographs: Street and Parties (from The Chicago Period), and his first monograph, Beach, all used an innovative vignette on a Rolleiflex SL66.In 1971 Traub began teaching full time at Columbia College, Chicago and was responsible for developing new curriculum for the growing public interest in the medium. Traub was instrumental in developing the school’s Contemporary Trends Lecture Series that celebrated renowned international photographers and image-makers. Subsequently, he became chairperson of the department and founded the Chicago Center for Contemporary Photography, which became the Museum of Contemporary Photography (MOCP). In 1973, along with his colleague Douglas Baz, Traub went on a sabbatical to make the Cajun Document, an extensive look at the culture of the Louisiana bayous.Traub’s first major body of work in color, Street Portraits, began in 1976, continued after his move to New York City, and culminated in the book Lunchtime. His move to New York was followed by his first solo exhibition of photographs at the Light Gallery. It’s owner, Tennyson Schad, then hired Traub to become director of this prestigious gallery. Traub curated numerous exhibitions there, including The New Vision: Forty Years of Photography at the Institute of Design; Aaron Siskind’s Harlem Document; Designed for Photography; and The Color Work of the FSA. Traub also showcased major photographers new to the gallery: William Klein, Luigi Ghirri, Ray Metzker, Mario Giacomelli and Louis Faurer among others.After leaving the gallery in 1980 Traub continued his personal work and formed the Wayfarer partnership with Jerry Gordon—a specialized editorial and corporate photography agency. Their work was featured in many magazines, including Life, Time, Forbes, Fortune, Business Week, New York and Avenue as well as annual reports for Fortune 500 companies. Throughout the 1980s Traub traveled to Italy, Brazil, Haiti, Morocco and the Far East for his personal work. Dolce Viaand In the Still Life are compendiums of photographs from that period.In 1987 Traub was asked to design a graduate studies program for the School of Visual Arts, which became the MFA Photography, Video and Related Media Department. Since its inception, the program has been distinguished for its innovative use of digital technology, the inclusion of all aspects of the lens and screen arts and its internationally celebrated faculty. As an early advocate of the power of digital photography, Traub adapted it to his own practice. His philosophy about the importance of digital thinking is reflected in the manifesto “Creative Interlocutor” and the textbook In the Realm of the Circuit. Creative projects that highlight Traub’s integration of new technologies include the interactive website Still Life in America and the iBook No Perfect Heroes: Photographing Grant. CreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

As the former caretaker of the Arlene Gottfried Legacy Instagram Project, I spent over 60 hours of research and around 18 hours of doing 12 interviews. Having done all of that, the name Maria Mayer Feng kept coming up again and again. It was my understanding she was considered to have had a huge role in Arlene finally putting out books of her own personal photography which had been hiding under her bed for years. Maria helped her make mach ups of book projects, and walked her lovingly through the process. It was such a pleasure to speak to Maria and it was abundantly clear how much she cared about Arlene and how clear it was to Maria that Arlene had a rare talent. I mean there were a lot of folks who had big parts in this process as well, but I truly believe that Maria light the first match in the process. Maria Mayer Feng is a NYC-based luxury photo book designer, founder of Studio Maria Mayer Feng, who creates bespoke, artful keepsakes from personal photos and mementos, merging tactile design with memory, also known for her greeting card line, Vision & Paper, in Ridgefield, CT, blending paper craft with digital stories. She transforms "photo chaos" into beautifully designed heirloom books, offering a physical, artistic way to preserve personal histories, drawing on her interest in memory and interactive design from NYU. https://www.mariamayerfeng.comEdited by Otter Castro Interview by Rich Wexler

Zach Posnan is the founder of Brass Monkey Bread Co. a sourdough bakery in Philadelphia that started during the pandemic when he was a virtual teacher. The company is known for its 100% sourdough breads and baked goods, which are sold through pop-ups, collaborations with other businesses, and directly to consumers. Posnan, who is also involved in community outreach, left teaching to pursue his dream of opening a full-time bakery. https://www.instagram.com/brassmonkeybreadcoCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

Ep. 189: VIDEOHEAVEN with Alex Ross Perry and Clyde Folley Socio-cultural hub, consumer mecca, and source of existential dread; the video rental store forever changed the way we interact with movies. With narration by Maya Hawke over footage culled from hundreds of sources (from TV commercials to blockbuster films), Alex Ross Perry's VIDEOHEAVEN tells the story of an industry's glorious, confusing, novel, sometimes seedy, but undeniably seismic impact on American movie culture.WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY ALEX ROSS PERRY
EDITED BY CLYDE FOLLEYINSPIRED BY AND FEATURING SELECTED EXCERPTS FROM “VIDEOLAND: MOVIE CULTURE AT THE AMERICAN VIDEO STORE"
BY DANIEL HERBERTNARRATED BY MAYA HAWKEPRODUCED BY ANDREW ADAIR 
JAKE PERLIN
DANIEL HERBERT
ALEX ROSS PERRYTEXT EDITED BY
MICHAEL KORESKYSOURCING BY 
DREW TOBIAADDITIONAL SOURCING BY 
ANDREW ALVAREZ 

ASSISTANT EDITING BY
DEIDRE HAMIDhttps://www.videoheaven.movie

THIS ORDINARY THING- SYNOPSISHaunting and unforgettable, THIS ORDINARY THING tells the story of non-Jews who helped save Jewish people across Europe during The Holocaust. The film combines never-before-seen archival footage with the testimonies of over forty different people who, working independently and at great risk to themselves and their families, saved thousands of Jewish strangers from almost certain death. Narrated by an all-star cast, the film is a timely reminder of the pockets of goodness that can rise in a sea of evil: everyday people helping others who were “different" from them. Notably, none of the people featured in the film thought of themselves as heroes. And yet the film, with immense contemporary resonance, causes each of us to ask ourselves “What would I have done?” The film employs some of the world’s greatest actors, performing excerpts translated from the original transcripts. The cast, including Helen Mirren, F. Murray Abraham, Carrie Coon, Jeremy Irons, Ellen Burstyn, and Stephen Fry, have amassed five Oscars (and over twenty nominations), over sixty Emmy nominations, and over twenty-five Tony nominations in their illustrious careers.THIS ORDINARY THING- DIRECTOR STATEMENTNo film has ever changed me nearly the way this one has. To be honest, I never wanted to make it. I never wanted to make a Holocaust film. I never even wanted people to know I was Jewish. But now all that has changed. Here’s how it happened: one day in the Spring of 2022, a wonderful man I’d worked with in the past, Albert M. Tapper, called me and said what all filmmakers dream of hearing: “Do you have any films that need funding?” I didn’t - but said yes, then quickly drew up a list of seven possible projects and went to lunch with him. As we sat down and made small talk, before we could even get to my list, Al and I stumbled across a funny coincidence: we both knew about an organization called The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous, that honored and supported non - Jewish people who had helped Jewish families during the Holocaust.Al’s face lit up -- as a staunch defender of the Jewish faith, he wanted to make a film that would honor and thank those people who had helped Jews during World War 2. As a non - practicing Jew in his mid - 50s, who had grown up delighting in the fact that because of my surname, no one would ever know I was Jewish, I knew it was too late. Given the state of the world, could I really afford NOT to make a film that honored people who tried to point out the essential sameness of all humans? By the end of the meal, the die was cast. In my researching, I soon found a treasure trove of interviews that had been conducted with the people who would become the subjects of the film – who are often called ‘The Righteous’ or ‘The Righteous among Nation s. ’ I had heard of Oskar Schindler, of course, but I had been totally unaware that there were more than 20,000 people who had been honored at Yad Vahsem in Jerusalem. These were all people who, working independently, at great risk to themselves and their families, saved thousands from almost certain death. The interviews I read were amazing and wildly varied – people from all walks of life, every part of Europe – these astonishing pockets of goodness in a sea of evil. And I realized what the film would be: celebrated actors reading from these remarkable transcripts, from people helping those who were "different" from them, with real archival footage from the time. I wanted to bring this all to life as best as I possibly could, telling the stories of these incredible people. Of course, none of the subjects of the film thought of themselves as heroes. Years later, many of them were inscribed on 'The Avenue of the Righteous' in Yad Vashem in Israel, given awards, and had trees planted in their honor. These stories remind us of In the end, what does it even mean to be “different”? -Nick Davis, November 2025

Ep. 187: Josh Fadem (Actor/Comedian/Writer) It was great talking to Josh Fadem and we got into some great stuff including working with David Lynch, working with Bob Odenkirk, his love of Film Noir, and his comedy. Check out dates for his upcoming tour!Josh Fadem is an actor, comedian, and voice artist originally from Tulsa, OK. He has numerous television credits including recurring roles on TWIN PEAKS for David Lynch, AMC's BETTER CALL SAUL as "Camera Guy", FX's RESERVATION DOGS, Showtime's ON BECOMING A GOD IN CENTRAL FLORIDA starring Kirsten Dunst, and as Liz Lemon's agent "Simon" on 30 ROCK. Other credits include Disney +'s LOKI, FX's IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, and Comedy Central's RENO 911 and ANOTHER PERIOD. Josh can be seen in FX's new Sterlin Harjo series THE LOWDOWN starring Ethan Hawke and Dan Levy's upcoming Netflix series BIG MISTAKES.Josh has been named a "Comic to Watch" by Variety, Nylon Magazine, Comedy Central, New York Comedy Festival, San Francisco Sketchfest, and Playboy Magazine. He has performed at Montreal's Just for Laughs, Austin's Moontower Comedy Festival, Fun Fun Fun Fest, and SXSW, and Tulsa's Blue Whale Comedy Festival. Josh's work as a voice artist includes AMERICAN DAD, POWERPUFF GIRLS, ADVENTURE TIME and JEFF AND SOME ALIENS. As a writer, Josh wrote for the Emmy nominated ERIC ANDRE SHOW and has written for Funny or Die. Josh hosts a form-bending video podcast show called "Here Come the Details" which can be streamed and heard on Spotify and YouTube JOSH FADEM SOCIALS https://youtube.com/@joshfademhttps://www.instagram.com/joshfademHERE COME THE DETAILS PODCAST https://www.instagram.com/herecomethedetailshttps://youtube.com/@herecomethedetailsNOIR NIGHTS WITH JOSH FADEMhttps://www.circlecinema.org/movies-events/noir-nights-with-josh-fademCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastroJOSH FADEM LIVES ON STAGE11/23 Seattle - The Rabbit Box Theatre11/24 Portland, OR - Siren Theater11/26 Tulsa, OK - Noir Nights: Crack-Up on 35mm Circle Cinema12/4 Philadelphia, PA - PhilaMOCA12/6 Bethlehem, PA - ArtsQuest SteelStacks12/9 Washington, D.C. - City State Public House

Ep. 186: Crispin Glover Talks No! You're Wrong. or: Spooky Action at a Distance (Episode Part Two)I had a great chat with Crispin Glover about his latest film No! You're Wrong. or: Spooky Action at a Distance. We got into his unique filmmaking process, his past films, and some very old school film processes that any film nerd would love to hear about. It was a great honor to talk to him about his work. He is currently touring with his new film and a few of his older films and I highly recommend you see them! Glover started developing the screenplay in 2007, as a project for he and his father, actor Bruce Glover, to act in together. Production of the film started in 2013 and originally wrapped in 2015, before Glover shot additional production segments yearly thereafter, wrapping principal photography in 2018. The film was primarily shot on sets constructed on shooting stages within the former horse stables on his property in the Czech Republic.It was the first of Glover's films to be shot on 35mm film stock, having previously only shot his films on 16mm film. To create an aesthetic comparable to films of the silent era, a hand-cranked camera previously owned by Karel Zeman was used for the segments of the film set in 1868 and 1888.Film is currently on tour, go to https://www.crispinglover.comNo! YOU’RE WRONG.or: Spooky Action at a Distance“No! YOU’RE WRONG. or: Spooky Action at a Distance” Shot on 35mm film negative/Big Slide Show (live profusely illustrated book dramatic narration)Q&A Book Signing​Nov 14 -17 Mayfair Theatre, Ottawa It is fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE. on November 16 What is it? on November 17​Nov 30–Dec 1 — Parkway Theatre, Minneapolis​Dec 4–6 — Sun Ray Theatre, Tampa It is fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE. December 4 December 12–13 — Texas Theatre, Dallas It is fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE. on December 13Sign up for the newsletter to be informed of future tour dates:CrispinHellionGlover.comCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

Ep. 185: Jess Rotter (Illustrator) Jess Rotter is a Los Angeles–based illustrator whose hand-drawn work spans album and book covers, film posters, murals, apparel, and editorial projects. Raised in New York and inspired by her father’s vinyl covers and comic books, Rotter has collaborated with artists and brands including Joni Mitchell, Jeff Buckley, the Grateful Dead, Nike, Questlove, and Parker Posey. Her illustrations bring warmth, wit, and a distinctly personal touch to every project.An important voice in the reissue record boom of the mid-2000s, Rotter’s artwork helped shape the visual language of a new generation discovering rare music through vinyl. Beyond her commissioned work, she founded Rotter and Friends, a cult-favorite T-shirt line featured in Vogue, Rolling Stone, Spin, and more. Her art has appeared in NY Magazine, The Washington Post and in collaborations with Gibson Guitars, Rodarte, and major publishers including Chronicle, Penguin Random House, and Abrams. Her book I’m Bored (Hat and Beard Press) captures her signature mix of humor and nostalgia, rooted in the rock ’n’ roll counterculture of the 1960s and ’70s.jessrotter.comi: @rotterandfriendsCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

Ep. 184: Busy Beaver Button Museum w/ Christen CarterSince pinback buttons were patented in 1896, people have communicated and built community through these little wearable items. The mission of the Button Museum to show how as much American history as possible through pinback buttons. The words, artwork, printing style, color, and size were the final result of a vision they wanted to communicate. Buttons tell a peoples' history like anything else!The physical museum is located in Busy Beaver Button Co.'s office where custom buttons are made!We also happily accept button donations!We have a book! Published and designed by the amazing Princeton Architectural Press. You can buy Button Power: 125 Years of Saying It with Buttons directly from us. Button Power is also available for purchase from your favorite bookseller. Please contact us if you have something to add or find any missing information. Thank you,Joel and Christen Carter(brother/sister button making/collecting duo)The Button Museum3407 W. Armitage Ave.Chicago, IL 60647https://buttonmuseum.orgCreditsStephen Bluhm - Sound Engineer and episode editor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.stephenbluhm.fun⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rich WexlerProducer/Interviewer ⁠⁠⁠http://www.vintageannalsarchive.comEpisode EditorsOtter Castro https://www.instagram.com/ottercastro

Ep. 183: Richard Michael Gomez (Soft Sculptor, Digital Artist, Friend of Puppets) I had a great chat with Richard about his love of The Muppets, his art, and his path to becoming a puppeteer. I’m putting this out today to help promote The Muppet Script returns to bring you THE MUPPETS TAKE SCRIPTHATTAN! Richard will be a featured performer at the live show! W/: Marc Evan Jackson, Nina West, Paul F. Tompkins, John Hodgman, James Monroe Iglehart, Janet Varney, Loosey LaDuca, Griffin Newman, Oscar Montoya, Aabria Iyengar, Erika Ishii, Mark Gagliardi, Hal Lublin, David Burtka, Aaron Chen, Leslie Carrara-Rudolph & Murray Hill. Produced & Directed by Matt Wilkie. *Lineup Subject to Change.This performance will raise funds for BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS.Show Time: 7:30pm. Online Tickets Only Available! https://veeps.com/dynastytypewriter/74f60a52-e5a6-45e5-9bfd-2a50d9a6c00d