Altmania

Bonjour, folks - it's a new episode of ALTMANIA coming at you. We're talking about a documentary that Jonathan Demme made for the PBS, a portrait of a nation in constant renewal and on the brink of their first elections — it's HAITI: DREAMS OF DEMOCRACY. We talk about Jonathan Demme falling in love with this place and its people, how he learned more about Haiti through artists and music, what set them up for the current political situation of the film, and what Haiti is currently going through at the moment, how United States intervention and neoliberal policy has left the nation in the dust after a catastrophic earthquake in 2010, and much more. It's a politics heavy episode, but we do our best to cover a beautiful place full of beautiful art and people. Resources for Haitian Aid: Haiti Adolescent Girls Network Lide Haiti Partners in Haiti Literacy St. Luke Foundation St. Vincent's Center Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com DEMME ARCHIVE Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

We've sat down at our little tables, taken out our Ronald McDonald notebooks, and prepared a fantastic spoken word piece (aka podcast) for all of you. Joined by returning friend Jane Altoids from Pacino Pod, we get into Spalding Gray and Jonathan Demme's masterpiece, SWIMMING TO CAMBODIA. We talk about Gray's modern conversational nature, go over his life and it's tragic end, his frank way of speaking and how he weaves in and out of life stories to war crimes of the US government, how much this film resonates in the current moment, morality as the movable feast, the cognitive dissonance of making a film about a genocide as it's happening (i.e. The Killing Fields), and so much more. This one was a really great conversation, Jane was fantastic, and we hope you all enjoy. Follow Jane Altoids: Pacino Pod https://twitter.com/staticbluebat Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

Nobody move, nobody get hurt, just sit down and listen to a new episode of ALTMANIA. Joined by writer and a regular on the show, Peter Raleigh, we dive into one of Jonathan Demme's MOST "Jonathan Demme" movies ever, SOMETHING WILD. We talked scary Ray Liotta, how he landed this role, all of the production and improvisation that shaped the film into what it is and helped it find it's central idea, how money drives the story forward and what Demme is putting into the film in terms of abandoning capitalism with Charlie Driggs' arc, Jeff Daniels as the perfect WASPy guy, identities and personas that everyone has through the film. There's a lot of great stuff here, and Peter is the perfect guy to chat about it with, please enjoy! Follow Peter Raleigh: https://twitter.com/PetreRaleigh Long Library | Peter Raleigh Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com DEMME ARCHIVE Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

It's our 100th episode of the show, we've got on some big suits, we're flopping around on the ground, and we're screaming nonsense about James Brown. We talk about Jonathan Demme's documentary debut (sort of his first film, if you think about it) STOP MAKING SENSE, the live performance film from Talking Heads. We draw some oblique strategy cards, get into the band's history, Chris Frantz' bizarre book, David Byrne's good book, RISD kids, boomers playing on easy mode, Brian Eno, Lou Reed eating ice cream with a heroin spoon, John Cale, The Modern Lovers, Demme at the edge with Swing Shift, Joe Viola's return, Jordan Cronenweth also returning, Hal Ashby's insane editing rig. Then we close out with a little listening party, chatting about one of the best concert films ever. Thanks everyone for listening to us for 100 eps, and 2 years!! Here's to 100 more Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com DEMME ARCHIVE Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

Well, isn't that something...here we promised a 100th episode celebration on STOP MAKING SENSE, and we come out with an entirely different episode?? Well, we ended up having to cover this one FIRST - so the 100th episode is on hold for now, we're going George Lucas style and doing the episodes out of order. It's SWING SHIFT. A film that has not one, not two, but THREE different cuts that you can watch (linked below). Produced at the exact same time as that Talking Heads one, it technically came out first and went through one hell of a production — Jonathan Demme gets shut out by Goldie Hawn and Warner Bros, Robert Towne comes in and starts messing with the script, editors quit, Elaine May tries to save it, a power couple blossoms. Join us this week for ALTMANIA as we talk about Jonathan Demme's loving ode to his grandmother, that got trampled on in post-production. Follow Altmania https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

We're Walken into this episode, Saranded by our listeners to talk about a little TV movie from Jonathan Demme, adapted from a 1961 Kurt Vonnegut short story... it's WHO AM I THIS TIME? A little story about a little community, our identities, showing emotion through performance, lonely individuals joining the community through collaboration and sympathy. Led by the incredible duo of Christopher Walken and Susan Sarandon. We talk Talking Heads, John Cale, Queen Latifah, American identity in the Carter era, Tarkovsky, the death of movies, a whole lot more on ALTMANIA Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

We've finally reached a milestone for the Demme series, this one is a huge one for him and we pulled no stops in talking all about it. Rolling into 1980, it's the great MELVIN AND HOWARD, a film we found to be funny, pensive, endlessly spontaneous, ever-moving, and just plain beautiful. We get into the real men Howard Hughes and Melvin Dummar, before getting into Jonathan Demme's life at the time, what led him to the picture, the freedom he had to make this, and how it ultimately became his most unrestrained work for the time. There's talk of music videos, new wave bands, eccentric rich guys, dreamers, believers, fakers, hustlers, you name it and it's here on ALTMANIA! Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

It's our last embrace with the dang Demme 1970s this week as we take a look at a Hitchcockian thriller starring Roy Scheider and Janet Margolin, based on the Murray Teigh Bloom novel THE 13TH MAN... it's LAST EMBRACE. This week's guest is a familiar friend, but a first time guest - Evan from the Left of the Projector podcast joins us as we get talk about this stage of Demme's career, meeting guys like Kenneth Utt, working with Christopher Walken, All That Jazz, Roy Scheider's leathery complexion, Tak Fujimoto's return, Charles Napier's head, Sandy Mcleod's haircut, and just how much we disagreed with the critics on this film. Don't believe us? Maybe this photo of Jonathan Demme's cameo in the film will change your mind... Follow Left of the Projector: https://leftoftheprojector.com https://patreon.com/LeftoftheProjectorPod Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com JONATHAN DEMME ARCHIVE Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

Oh, just one more thing... it's a new ALTMANIA coming down the chubes for you all, this week we're joined by our dear friend Chris Woodward to talk about Jonathan Demme's episode of COLUMBO. Made in a down period of his career, hot off the flop of CITIZEN'S BAND; a fortuitous phonecall comes in the form of Peter Falk, who happened to be part of the handful of people to see that movie. He hires Demme on to direct an episode centered around the restaurant biz and a murder involving rare fish! We get into all things Columbo, our love for the show - a new love for one host and a returning favorite for the other - all of the fun idiosyncracies Peter Falk brings to the character, his populist appeal, his devotion to the show and character, the writers banging their head on the wall trying to adhere to the show's quirky structure, how the show made a good vehicle for up-and-coming filmmakers, and a whole lot more on ALTMANIA... Follow Chris Woodward: Podside Picnic https://patreon.com/PodsidePicnic https://twitter.com/cww_0 Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com JONATHAN DEMME ARCHIVE Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

Breaker breaker, calling all cars, it's a big 10-4 on a new Altmania. We're talkin about Jonathan Demme's third or fourth "first movie" at this point - but this time it's his first film outside of the Corman wing. We talk about CB Radio fever of the 70s, other frequent fevers of the nose in the 70s, the writer of Citizens Band getting kicked off set, Freddie Fields and Tony Curtis tinkering with the movie, a mysterious threat from Roman Polanski, and we go all over joking and laughing the whole dang way. We hope you enjoy the episode, we're gonna 10-7 on outta here! Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

Following the rushed production of Crazy Mama, Jonathan Demme was finally able to put together a passion project. After putting together the pieces of different revenge films of the era, combined with real life influence ripped from the headlines, and a little help from Roger Corman; he brings his first big production... FIGHTING MAD. We look at Demme's final project of the Corman Film School, read some old Peter Fonda tweets, how Crazy Mama's failure nearly doomed this movie, and talk about more Barbecue Sauce Cinema. All of that, and so much more... on ALTMANIA! Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

We're hitting the road with our good friend and three-timer guest Girl (@summeroffilm), to check out Jonathan Demme's 1975 film CRAZY MAMA. We see Demme find himself in a bit of an Alan Rudolph situation, wanting to get FIGHTING MAD made - but he has to do ol' Roger Corman a favor - direct a movie with a bad script that the cast hates, and he's gotta do it quickly. With the help of Cloris Leachman and crew, they fix the script and transform the film into a strange, '50s Americana, vibey hangout with undercurrents of colonialism, the cold war, and protestantism. All of that and so much more on.... CRAZY MAMA. Stay tuned after the show for a new song from RYAN, too... Gigi's Plugs: Pacino Pod Mimi Zima Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Jonathan Demme Compendium Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

We're finally here, Demme's big moment to direct his first film - and he comes out of the gate swinging. We're talking about 1974's CAGED HEAT! We discuss this film's place in exploitation cinema, within the genre of "women in prison" films, their history as a genre, and in the context of the American Prison Complex both in the 1970s and today. We touch on current issues in US prisons, how they seek not to rehabilitate but to punish anyone within the system, before we talk about this film's production. We really flex our Demme muscles here by seamlessly shifting from very serious subjects to having a good time, and we thought we did a good job on this one! So we hope you like it. Articles mentioned: Appendix: Psychosurgery | National Institutes of Health (NIH) Are Prisons Obsolete? | Angela Y. Davis Feminist Filmmaking Peaked with Women-In-Prison Exploitation Films | Nicole Stunwyck Golden Gulag | Ruth Wilson Gilmore Inside Women's Prisons | Virginia Kellogg Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie, 2025 | Prison Policy Initiative There's No Going Back: The Life and Work of Jonathan Demme | David M. Stewart Torture and Abuse of Prisoners | Amnesty International  Women in Prison Movies as Feminist Jurisprudence | Suzanne Bouclin Women, Film, and Law | Suzanne Bouclin Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Demme Compendium Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

If you're thinking about my MAMA, it don't matter if she's black or white, ooh! In this case, we get the best of both worlds when Altmania returns to close out our final Demme / Viola screenplay collaboration, and one final another production from the Philippines. This time around, Jonathan Demme gets a story by credit, and his buddy Joe uses a pseudonym for the screenwriter. Originally called WOMEN IN CHAINS, we take a look at BLACK MAMA WHITE MAMA; a movie that is full of a lot of funny moments and is pretty tame by exploitation standards of the time. We get into Pam Grier's incredible stories of her life and acting career, that combined with exploitation genre stuff, women's empowerment, the radical attitudes of blaxploitation, Roger Corman buying up Ingmar Bergman films that get huge in the United States, Demme selling this script for $500, we gush over Sid Haig's great acting, and then we talk about this fun ass movie! Sound good??? Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com The World of Robert Altman | Esteban Noel **NEW!!!** Demme Compendium Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

A fresh, piping hot episode of Altmania straight out of the Hot Box. We're looking at another Jonathan Demme-penned, Joe Viola-directed film from New World Pictures -  1972's THE HOT BOX. We discuss Corman's core (no pun intended) mission for filmmaking: boobs and action. The ways he allowed filmmakers to imbue exploitation films with serious, real-life stuff while attempting to gel it with that entertainment factor. We chat about the New World crew heading out to the Philippines for a bunch of productions (another of which we'll talk about next week), throwing stones at rats, corrupt governments, guns on planes. Then we talk about this funny little film, its sometimes tonal imabalances; and ultimately how, more often than not, it tends to speak on the right side of history and about violence against imperial oppression - thanks in part to Jonathan Demme at the typewriter. Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com The World of Robert Altman | Esteban Noel **NEW!!!** Demme Compendium Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

We're soooo back, folks - it's time to kick off the Demme deep-dive! We re-introduce ourselves and talk about one cool thing we've both been up to, before officially kicking off our new series on the life, times, and art of one JONATHAN DEMME. We talk about his early upbringing in Long Island, NY - his immediate love for cinema and writing, his father's work as a writer, his mother's encouragement to log his films in diaries, before the family moves down to Miami, FL and his whole life changes. Jumping between his passion as a veterinarian and film scholar, we slowly track his life leading up to working as a publicist for United Artists, before he meets the Big Kahuna himself, Roger Corman. We get into Corman's Hollywood success story, how he, Demme, and Joe Viola strike up a deal that leads us to ANGELS HARD AS THEY COME - his first written feature and production credit. Follow Altmania: https://altmaniapod.com https://estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/altmania

We always hate to say goodbye... but we must close this chapter of the podcast and officially send off our Alan Rudolph series out to the beautiful blue ocean. We honor the man himself talking about what we learned looking at all of these movies he made, what he and Altman showed us about American filmmaking, read some choice quotes from the man himself, his top 10 favorite movies. AND... we announce our upcoming subject for the next season, before we hand out some Bob awards for these final 10 Rudolph movies, our ranked list of them, and what we're looking for in the next series. From both of us hosts, thank you to everyone who's listened to us ramble about movies for these 20+ episodes, whether you're a new listener or a day-oner, we appreciate having you around. Thank you to everyone in our discord for keeping the conversation going and for anyone that went and watched even one Alan Rudolph movie from our discussions let alone all of them. And thank you to all of our guests who we'll list below, but the biggest thanks of all goes to our pal Jason Miller who really got the fire cooking on this season, who got us so psyched about a guy that made some seriously unparalleled movies right under the radar of the Hollywood machine, thanks Jason! And to all of our other guests - Thank you so much to…VALERIE KEATON, PETER RALEIGH, ESME HOLDEN, CHRIS WOODWARD, AARON CASIAS, ETAN WEISFOGEL, JANE ALTOIDS, JORDAN FISH, GIGI, IAN RHINE, JAKE SERWIN - and our guests who couldn't quite make it in ANNABEL JESSICA GOLDSMITH and TORREY PAQUETTE, we'll catch you again next time.  See you all in June for Series 4 of Altmania! Follow Altmania: altmaniapod.com estebannoel.com Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/altmania

Alan Rudolph returns from his 15-year hiatus from filmmaking with a paintbrush in his hand a copy of premiere pro to bring us RAY MEETS HELEN. Joining us are two Clint Eastwood experts, Jake and Ian from Sōd Casty for Me, to help us talk about what would end up being Sondra Locke's final film, green screen, digital filmmaking, and the growing list of the things that baffled us about this movie. If you're a big Rudolph-head and you love this movie, we're so sorry for this one, but its still a lot of fun to listen to - lots of laughs to be had. We love you bobbleheads, stay tuned for the finale next week, you can write into our mailbag if you'd like us to answer any questions or just read a comment from you on that episode! Follow Sōd Casty for Me: podcastyforme.com patreon.com/podcastyforme Follow Altmania: Linktree Esteban Noel - Short Stories Altman / Rudolph Archive Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/altmania Music: American Sunset - Jack Adkins Audrey - John Andrews & the Yawns California - Drug Cabin

Whatever happened to toothpaste flavored toothpaste... this week we're hanging out with the ghost of Denis Leary in Alan Rudolph's THE SECRET LIVES OF DENTISTS. A movie about a guy that is so scared of being a cuckold that he runs away from his wife to mow the lawn. We get into what drew Rudolph to this script, how we miss his signature curveball to help what is otherwise a simple midlife crisis movie, read some wise words from Rudolph on the state of filmmaking in the 2000s, Campbell Scott and Hope Davis' great acting, kids throwing up, Dennis Leary telling you to murder your wife, and a whole lot more. Don't forget to write into our mailbag for the upcoming Rudolph finale!! Follow Altmania: Linktree Read Este's writing Altman / Rudolph Archive Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/altmania

Get out your pipes and magnifying glasses, Sherlock HOLES is on the case. This week we're joined by our good friend Detective Gigi to look into these matters on Alan Rudolph's INVESTIGATING SEX, aka INTIMATE AFFAIRS. We get into the film's setting, its depiction of real surrealist artists and intellectuals, Andre Breton, post-WWI artists and philosophers, their bankrolling by the upper class, the characters' posturing and the women they've hired to transcribe their arcane discussions, incel behavior, sex demons, and how this film speaks not just to the 2020s, but to 2001 and the 1920s. Also, don't forget to WRITE INTO THE MAILBAG, we'll answer all of your questions when we wrap up on Alan Rudolph in a few weeks. Hi Femme article mentioned in the episode Hyper-femininity, Transaction and ‘Showgirls’ with Carlee Gomes Follow Gigi: Twitter Bluesky Conversation w/ Karthik Puru Follow Altmania: Linktree Subscribe to Este's Writing Altman / Rudolph Archive Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/altmania