Cineversary

In Cineversary podcast episode #72, host Erik Martin is joined by guest Ken Womack—author of several books on the Fab Four including The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles and Living the Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans—as they celebrate the 60th birthday of A Hard Day’s Night, directed by Richard Lester. Together, they rediscover the euphoria of of Beatlemania, examine this film’s widespread influence, and explain why the movie still matters. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #71, host Erik Martin is joined again by Eddie Muller, host of TCM’s Noir Alley and founder/president of the Film Noir Foundation, to mark the golden anniversary of Chinatown (1974), directed by Roman Polanski and starring Jack Nicholson. Together, they investigate what makes this movie tick like precision clockwork 50 years later, why it still matters, crucial themes, and more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #70, host Erik Martin lights 70 birthday candles for Elia Kazan’s On the Waterfront, starring Marlon Brando. Two esteemed guests join him this time around: Stephen Rebello, author of the forthcoming book A City Full of Hawks: On the Waterfront Seventy Years Later; and Michael Phillips, film critic for The Chicago Tribune. Together, they examine why this movie still matters seven decades later, what makes it a movie masterwork, salient themes, and more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #69, host Erik Martin sends 70th birthday wishes to Akira Kurosawa’s epic masterwork Seven Samurai. This month, he’s joined by Asian cinema expert and University of Illinois film professor David Desser, as well as Stuart Galbraith IV, author of The Emperor and the Wolf: The Lives and Films of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune. Together, they explore what makes this film a treasure of world cinema, how it has stood the test of time, prominent themes, and more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #68, host Erik Martin celebrates the diamond anniversary of Carol Reed’s The Third Man with two outstanding guests: David Thomson, renowned film critic, cinema historian, and author of The Fatal Alliance: A Century of War on Film; and Charles Drazin, film historian and author of In Search of The Third Man. Together, they scour the streets and sewers of Vienna on the trail of Harry Lime and the truths behind this now 75-year-old masterwork. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #67, host Erik Martin and guest Joseph McBride, a film professor at San Francisco State University and author of Frankly: Unmasking Frank Capra, send a valentine to It Happened One Night, directed by Frank Capra, which celebrates a 90th birthday this month. Erik and Joseph hitchhike across Hollywood history to examine how this granddaddy of the romcom and screwball comedy remains a classic, its influence on later films, what it reveals about Capra, and much more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #66, host Erik Martin heads to the War Room with former LA Times and NPR film critic Kenneth Turan and Hofstra University film professor Rodney Hill to decipher the top secret codes behind Dr. Strangelove, directed by Stanley Kubrick, in celebration of the movie’s 60th anniversary. Erik and his guests explore how this black comedy masterwork remains evergreen, Kubrick’s brilliant directing choices, and key themes underpinning this supreme political satire. Erik also chats briefly with Tom Lucas from Fathom Events, who unveils Fathom’s 2024 lineup of Big Screen Classics returning to theaters this year. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #65, host Erik Martin talks Chinese turkey with leg lamp expert Andrew Scahill, a film studies professor at the University of Colorado Denver known for his holiday movies course, as they commemorate the 40th anniversary of A Christmas Story, directed by Bob Clark. Andrew and Erik cover this film from soap to fudge, exploring why this film remains timeless and deserves celebration four decades later, how it became a pop culture phenomenon, and much more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #64, host Erik Martin is joined by David Desser, emeritus professor of cinema studies at the University of Illinois and one of the world’s foremost experts on Asian cinema, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Tokyo Story, directed by Yasujirō Ozu. They discuss why and how this film remains a masterwork, Tokyo Story’s prominent themes , Ozu’s unique style, and much more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #63, host Erik Martin honors big birthdays of 2 great horror films. First, he’s joined by Alexandre O. Philippe, director of Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist, to honor the 50th anniversary of The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin; and then he partners with classic horror historian and author Gregory Mank to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Erik and his guests indulge in some Halloween frights and fun, exploring why these two films remain masterworks, how they’ve stood the test of time, and more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #62, host Erik Martin sends golden birthday wishes to American Graffiti, directed by George Lucas. Riding shotgun with him for this 50th birthday party is Barna Donovan, film professor at Saint Peter’s University and author of several books on the cinema, including Conspiracy Films: A Tour of Dark Places in the American Conscious. Erik and Barna will go cruising back to the early rock and roll era to explore the moviemaking, music, and messages behind American Graffiti, why this film is deserving of our attention five decades later, and what we can learn from the picture today. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #61, host Erik Martin commemorates the 90th anniversary of the Marx Brothers’ comedy classic Duck Soup, directed by Leo McCarey. His copilot this month is Robert S. Bader, director of the documentary Groucho & Cavett and author of Four of the Three Musketeers: The Marx Brothers on Stage. Erik and Robert will examine the lasting comedic power and influence of Duck Soup and the Marx Brothers and what makes this film worthy of kudos nine decades since its release. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #60, host Erik Martin honors the 30th anniversary of Schindler’s List and the 25th anniversary of Saving Private Ryan, both directed by Steven Spielberg. Joining him this month is Annette Insdorf, professor in the Graduate Film Program of Columbia’s School of the Arts and author of Indelible Shadows: Film and the Holocaust; and James Kendrick, professor of film at Baylor University and author of Darkness in the Bliss-Out: A Reconsideration of the Films of Steven Spielberg. Erik, Annette, and James will explore why these films still resonate all these years later, ways they were inspiring and innovative, what they reveal about Spielberg, and more.Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

This is your friendly neighborhood Cineversary podcast host, Erik Martin, here to let you know that we will not be posting a Cineversary episode for June, in case you were patiently waiting for this month's installment. And the reason being is that I've been doing some vacationing with family and then recuperating from some minor surgery – nothing serious, rest assured – which means I've not had the bandwidth or ability to create an episode for June. But the good news is that Cineversary will be back a month from now with a double feature of sorts – we will be celebrating major anniversaries of two different Spielberg works in July: the 30th anniversary of Schindler's list, and the 25th birthday of Saving Private Ryan. I've got a pair of fantastic guests lined up for that show, the first being acclaimed film historian Annette Insdorf, and the second our go to Spielberg expert Baylor University film professor James Kendrick, who returns for his third consecutive summer time appearance on Cineversary. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support

In Cineversary podcast episode #59, host Erik Martin celebrates the 60th birthday of one of the greatest foreign films ever made, 8½, directed by Federico Fellini. His guest this month is Antonio Monda, known for directing and producing several films and being an associate professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Erik and Antonio will examine why 8½ is deserving of kudos six decades later, its important themes, what it reveals about Fellini, and more. Learn more about the Cineversary podcast at www.cineversary.com and email show comments or suggestions to cineversarypodcast@gmail.com. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cineversary/support