The B-Side: A Film Stage Podcast

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. Today we go back to celebrate Pittsburgh’s first son - Michael Keaton. Our B-Sides today are: Clean and Sober, The Dream Team, One Good Cop, and My Life. Our guest is official five-timer Cory Everett, creator of Cinephile: A Card Game.  We dive deep into analyzing how the actor took boring lead roles and made them sing. We marvel at the surprisingly small filmography of model-turned-movie star Rene Russo. We lament the early-90s politics of One Good Cop and we celebrate the fact that The Dream Team has basically aged okay! Which is a near-miracle. Finally, Cory and I describe the difficulty of even finishing watching My Life as fathers with young kids. Perhaps more importantly, does My Life has a premise that is far more famous than the movie itself? Yes! What are other movies like that? Additionally, we mention how 1990 mega-hit is great actually despite its cultural ridicule, and Tony Goldwyn (Ghost co-star) is underrated, and Keaton has a new directorial effort that just premiered at TIFF. There’s also his early history as a funny stand-up comedian, his amazing voice work in Porco Rosso, and every moment in the comedy The Other Guys. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Having long admired the work of Dustin Guy Defa, I was glad to speak with him on the occasion of two major moments: a Criterion Channel retrospective boasting nearly all his shorts- and feature-directing work, and the release of his excellent new film The Adults. Although we had a conversation with him and star Michael Cera at Berlinale earlier this year, the opportunity to go in-depth on a still-young, commendable career––while I experimented with an audio format, i.e. the horrors of letting people hear me ask questions––was simply too intriguing.

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Surprise! Here’s a bonus episode in which we speak to the talented, prolific, and dynamic director Wayne Wang. Our main B-Side is Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart, whose Director-Approved Special Edition Blu-ray is now available from Criterion. Additional B-Sides include Eat a Bowl of Tea, Life Is Cheap... But Toilet Paper Is Expensive (also on Criterion Channel), Smoke (and its own B-Side Blue in the Face), Chinese Box, and A Thousand Years of Good Prayers. We talk to Wang about making films efficiently, his career-long ambition to make a different kind of film every time, how to construct the perfect “pillow shot” (an homage to filmmaker Yasujirō Ozu), combating boredom on set with ambition, and some smaller films he hopes more people discover. There’s also talk on his faltered first step into Hollywood (Slam Dance), what he could’ve bought with the production budget on Maid in Manhattan (a pink elephant!), and the fear that drove him while making Dim Sum. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we’re honored to chat with director Carl Franklin, whose seminal noir One False Move is now available from The Criterion Collection as a Director-Approved Special Edition Blu-ray.  Our B-Sides today are One True Thing, Out of Time, and Bless Me, Ultima.  We talk to Franklin about his early days as an actor, how he got the directing bug (he made his short Punk while at AFI, working with Don Cheadle for the first time), what he learned making movies with legendary producer Roger Corman (and the other producer on one of the films who allegedly stole 80k of a 200k budget!), and the extremely underrated HBO mini-series Laurel Avenue from 1993.  There’s also some discussion about Devil in a Blue Dress of course, working with Denzel Washington (and how the above-the-line numbers on Out of Time distort what the working budget actually was), and why a sequel to Laurel Avenue sadly did not get made just a few years back. There’s also a little bit on the pleasant making (and not-so-pleasant post process) of Bless Me, Ultima, adapted from the seminal novel by Rudolfo Anaya. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we discuss a character actress, multiple Oscar nominee (and winner) and living legend who is still somehow underrated: Kathy “Bobo” Bates! Our B-Sides today are: A Home of Our Own, Dolores Claiborne, Love Liza, and Richard Jewell. The actress made her bones in the theater, originating roles in iconic stuff such as ‘Night Mother and Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Our guest is Billy Ray Brewton, host of the superb The Incinerator Podcast, the Movie Mixtapes podcast, and the Center Clueless podcast. Brewton is also the Festival Director/Lead Programmer of Make Believe Seattle. We talk to Brewton about why Bates is his favorite working actress, her innate Southern charm, her late break into movies, her essential performance in Dolores Claiborne, and why Fried Green Tomatoes is so important to the state of Alabama. Additional fun tidbits include: the strange career of A Home of Our Own director Tony Bill, the underrated Bates-led TV show Harry’s Law, the exciting acting Oscar wins that happened in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and some of Bates’ other B-Sides (Angus, Primary Colors, Bonneville). Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we talk about one of the prettiest actors in the world: Orlando Bloom! Our guest is Roxana Hadadi, TV Critic for Vulture and fellow lover of Kingdom of Heaven: The Director’s Cut. Our B-Sides today are: Ned Kelly, Haven, and Kingdom of Heaven. We talk with Hadadi about Bloom’s growth as an actor, as evidenced in the 2-season Amazon Prime show Carnival Row. We discuss all the ways the Director’s Cut of Kingdom of Heaven is superior to the Theatrical Cut, Eva Green included. Additional fun tidbits include: Bloom was one of the victims of the infamous “Bling Ring;” he got solid notices for his Romeo on Broadway in 2013; he’s the best part of the subpar Ned Kelly; he replaced Ashton Kutcher in Elizabethtown (about 22 minutes into the clip); and the mosaic-styled social drama was very popular in the early 2000s (Haven, Babel, 21 Grams, Syriana, Traffic, among many many more). Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we have the return of the great Mark Pellington! The filmmaker is back to talk about his new film Survive, now available on VOD. We also discuss his recent, experimental dance film The Severing (also on VOD). Plenty more is covered here, Pellington ever the open book to chat about the creative process, the business behind each project, and the motivation to work in every aspect of the film medium. Here’s a reminder that this is the guy who made Arlington Road and The Mothman Prophecies, some of the best music videos ever made, some of the weirdest, coolest stuff ever on MTV, and a slew of other interesting, powerful pieces of work. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we talk about one of the best actresses working today: Tilda Swinton! Our guest is the great Dan Walber, public historian and recovering (!) film critic. Walber is also part of the @closefriendscollective, which you can find on Instagram. Our B-Sides today are: Edward II, Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon, Possible Worlds, The Deep End, and Teknolust. Walber speaks to her immediate exceptionalism in Derek Jarman’s ‘80s films, we marvel at her endless range (from Constantine to Snowpiercer and so on and so forth), and I gush about the work of Francis Bacon and the depths of his controversial career after falling in love with Love is the Devil. We talk about the fascination of Laurence Olivier’s final film being a Derek Jarman picture (War Requiem), how Possible Worlds feels impossibly Canadian, and the very particular, joyous world Teknolust lives in. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we go down south to talk about Billy Bob Thornton! To do this, we bring in devoted Billy Bob fan, friend, writer, director, and producer Nicholas Gray of Uncompromised Creative. We have a super-sized B-Side collection today: (deep breath) Homegrown, Daddy and Them, Waking Up In Reno, The Badge, Levity, Chrystal, and Jayne Manfield’s Car. Conor makes the observation that Thornton may be a leading man trapped in a character actor’s body, Nicholas marvels at the nuance of Jayne Manfield’s Car, and I mention liking movies that start with an original sin of sorts (i.e. Levity, Chrystal). We talk about how Burt Reynolds helped Billy Bob break into the business, the long cultural legs of his film Sling Blade, the tragedy that became of his All The Pretty Horses adaptation, and that incomparable A Simple Plan performance. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Today we talk with a legend (Blake Howard of One Heat Minute Productions) about a legend: Russell Crowe. Born in New Zealand and settled in Australia, Crowe had starred in a dozen films (he was even a child actor!) before his American breakthrough in Curtis Hanson’s L.A. Confidential. Our first B-Side is an Australian picture he made with icon (and close friend) Jack Thompson: The Sum of Us. Our second is the wines & vines rom-com A Good Year! Number three is the Pittsburgh shot-and-set action drama The Next Three Days. And, finally, we get a little Unhinged. Don’t worry, during this part of the show you will find nary a hinge. Blake dishes out an essential Russell Crowe theory that’s worth the listen alone. We reminisce about the moment Gladiator had (and how it still lingers in pop culture to this day). And, finally, we make the connection between late period Crowe and late period Marlon Brando. To be clear, this is a connection made with only love. Last but not least, be sure to listen to Blake’s new podcast mini-series, Podcaster and Commander, which breaks down the minutiae of Peter Weir’s 2003 masterpiece, as only a One Heat Minute Production can! Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. And today we talk to the legend Richard Dreyfuss, currently starring in the film Sweetwater, in theaters now. Written and directed by Martin Guigui, the film tells the true story of basketball icon Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, the first African-American player to sign an NBA contract. Dreyfuss plays league president Maurice Podoloff, stuck between a desire to integrate the sport and a perceived need to keep the more racist team owners happy. We chat with Dreyfuss about the new film and a select few of his lesser-seen gems. Among them are the Steven Spielberg 1989 romance Always (“It was my chance to play Spencer Tracy,” Dreyfuss says of the film), the gambling comedy Let It Ride, and the Sidney Lumet drama Night Falls on Manhattan. We marvel at Dreyfuss’ ability to play complex characters, often understanding two opposing things as true at the same time. His innate charm often serves as a balm when playing thornier cads and conmen. The man himself speaks to what he searches for in his characters, marks the pronounced post-war change in Jimmy Stewart’s career as an essential reference point, and comments on his reputation preceding him unfairly at times. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. Today we discuss one of our biggest, most enduring movie stars: Sandra Bullock! To do this, we’ve brought our good friend and the co-host of the great Almost Major podcast: Kevin Tudor! Our B-Sides today include: Love Potion No. 9, 28 Days, The Lake House, and Our Brand Is Crisis. We dig into Bullock’s peaks and valleys as a star, her humble beginnings on TV (she played Tess on the TV adaptation of Working Girl!), and her breakout mid-90s.  We marvel at the incredible misogyny-tinged criticism she endured early on in her career, wonder if we’ll ever see the short film she directed, and discuss why we love (or don’t love!) The Lake House. Trust us, our brands are most assuredly…crisis. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we usually talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. Today is a very special episode with a very special guest. Karina Longworth of the incredible You Must Remember This podcast joins us - ahead of the release of her new season “Erotic 90s” - to discuss Erotic 90s B-Sides like Sliver, Boxing Helena, and Jade.  We discuss the era of Joe Eszterhas, the appeal of Sliver, the failure of Jade, and the fractured ambition of Boxing Helena. We also discuss the famous Kim Basinger lawsuit that goes along with the film. Basic Instinct and its ignored sequel (Basic Instinct 2: RISK ADDICTION) are also discussed, and this line read gets a lot of time. Oh and, just for fun, enjoy this clip of Jim Carrey impersonating David Caruso on CSI: Miami. It’ll brighten your day. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we usually talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. Today, however, we talk about Oscar movies (!), or better yet, movies that were snubbed of Oscar! Conor and Dan welcome the wonderful Joe Reid & Chris Feil of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast. An official podcast crossover! In today’s episode, we each choose an Oscar snub that still sticks in our craw, and use them as a jumping off point for the categories of that respective year. We reference two great past Oscar Buzz eps (A Thousand Acres & Elizabethtown), the lasting influence of Lisa Gerrard, Dan’s favorite film performance, Joe’s love for Marcelo Zarvos’ brilliant score for The Door in the Floor, Chris’ admiration of the singular costume (and production) design in Down With Love, and Conor’s need to speak up for the masterful Deep Cover. Laurence Fishburne’s lead performance specifically. And also, we cannot get around talking about that infamous 2011 James Franco hosting debacle. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and directors and producers! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. In a special Bonus Episode, we talk with the great Jim Gaffigan! You can catch him now starring alongside Rhea Seehorn and Tony Shalhoub in the charming new film LINOLEUM (Out Now!). Affable as ever, Gaffigan chats with us about Indies in the time of COVID, his desire to play fulfilling parts big and small, as well as some choice B-Sides like Target Number One (a.k.a. Most Wanted). Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and directors and producers! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. Today we talk about a true professional. An actor’s actor. The great Benicio Del Toro! Conor and Dan are joined by filmmaker and returning guest Chadd Harbold, who produced the new, impressive film Linoleum, starring Jim Gaffigan and Rhea Seehorn, out in theaters now. The Benicio Del Toro B-Sides discussed are: The Funeral, Excess Baggage, The Hunted, and The Wolfman. Plenty more Del Toro films are referenced, including the masterful Things We Lost in the Fire. We discuss his perfect accent in The Usual Suspects, his deep love for The Wolf-Man, the elemental beauty of The Hunted, and all of the scene-stealing he did as a young actor in small parts.  There’s discussion on how Chadd and his team filmed Linoleum safely (and successfully) in pre-vaccine COVID times, how impossibly good the late Chris Penn is in The Funeral, and his desire to work with great filmmakers. Oh, and here’s that insane Benicio death scene from Licence To Kill. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. Today we bring back the great Mitchell Beaupre (Letterboxd’s Senior Editor, @itismitchell on Twitter, co-host of Weekend Watchlist for The Letterboxd Show) to discuss our final Listener’s Choice ‘22 pick: Cameron Diaz. Our B-Sides are: The Last Supper, The Invisible Circus, The Box, and Gambit. We chat about Diaz’s underrated range, her penchant for taking risks, the stratospheric, star-making entrance in her first movie The Mask, and the similarities she shares with recent B-Side subject Michelle Pfeiffer. Dan, Mitchell, and Conor discuss how weirdly great Any Given Sunday is (and how great Diaz is in it!), how well those Charlie’s Angels movies have aged, and that whole Green Hornet moment. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. Today, we chat about one of the most famously beautiful (and talented!) actors of all time: Michelle Pfeiffer! We’re honored to have Veronica Fitzpatrick - of Brown University and The Bright Wall/Dark Room Podcast - on to talk Pfeiffer B-Sides Sweet Liberty, Tequila Sunrise, Wolf, and The Deep End of the Ocean. We discuss what makes Michelle so iconic, how hard she had to work to push past being dismissed as just a pretty face, the incredible roles she’s turned down in her career, the extreme range she’s boasted during her time in the spotlight, and her willingness to take challenging roles. The propensity of Oprah Book Club film adaptations in the late ‘90s/early 2000s (and Michelle’s propensity to star in them) is dished on, as is the beautiful lurid-ness of Wolf. Finally, we dig into why Whoopi Goldberg got some much criticism for her role in The Deep End of the Ocean, the interesting filmography of Ulu Grosbard, and Alan Alda’s decade of creative decadence. Two podcasts recommended and used for research: The Mixed Reviews Podcast & This Had Oscar Buzz. Please check both of these linked Pfeiffer-focused episodes out! Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. For this––our last episode of 2022––we bring on the extremely talented filmmaker Josh Ruben to discuss the legendary Sam Raimi. We primarily focus on some of Raimi’s earlier B-Sides: namely Crimewave (currently streaming on Tubi), The Quick and the Dead, and For Love of the Game. Ruben himself stars in the new film A Wounded Fawn, now streaming on Shudder. This is a brutal, gnarly, allegorical piece of horror that earns a solid recommendation from The B-Side. Seek it out and enjoy! Ruben has also directed two top-notch features: Scare Me and Werewolves Within. We discuss plenty with Ruben, from his own College Humor beginnings (this video in particular, I still cry every time I watch) to Raimi’s own The Evil Dead beginnings. From the troubled production of Crimewave to the initial negative reaction to The Quick and the Dead. There’s some discussion on Raimi’s masterful A Simple Plan, his underseen Southern Gothic The Gift, and Ruben’s experiences in the industry and future endeavors. For more from The B-Side, you can check out highlights of actors/directors and the films discussed in one place here. Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, and Stitcher. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.

Ep. 107 – Michelle Yeoh (feat. Jeff Zhang) by The Film Stage