The B-Side: A Film Stage Podcast
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Welcome to The B-Side, a podcast for The Film Stage! Here we talk about movie stars and directors. Not the movies that made them famous, or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. From box office fiascos, to interesting curios, and hidden gems, we examine the also-rans of Hollywood and beyond.
Available episodes
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Sep 21, 2023
Ep. 124 – Michael Keaton: Part II (feat. Cory Everett)
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!
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Aug 30, 2023
BONUS Ep. – In Conversation with: Dustin Guy Defa
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.
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Aug 18, 2023
Ep. 123 – In Conversation with: Wayne Wang
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.
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Aug 3, 2023
Ep. 122 – In Conversation with: Carl Franklin
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.
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Jul 21, 2023
Ep. 121 – Kathy Bates (feat. Billy Ray Brewton)
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!
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Jul 7, 2023
Ep. 120 – Orlando Bloom (feat. Roxana Hadadi)
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!
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Jun 23, 2023
Ep. 119 – In Conversation with: Mark Pellington – Part II
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!
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Jun 2, 2023
Ep. 118 – Tilda Swinton (feat. Dan Walber)
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!
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May 18, 2023
Ep. 117 – Billy Bob Thornton (feat. Nicholas Gray)
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!
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May 4, 2023
Ep. 116 – Russell Crowe (feat. Blake Howard)
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!
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Apr 20, 2023
Ep. 115 – In Conversation with: Richard Dreyfuss
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…
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Apr 7, 2023
Ep. 114 – Sandra Bullock (feat. Kevin Tudor)
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 Slac…
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Mar 24, 2023
Ep. 113 – Erotic Thrillers (feat. Karina Longworth)
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…
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Mar 10, 2023
Ep. 112 – 2023 Oscars Special (feat. This Had Oscar Buzz)
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.…
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Feb 24, 2023
BONUS Ep. – In Conversation with: Jim Gaffigan
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!
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Feb 24, 2023
Ep. 111 – Benicio del Toro (feat. Chadd Harbold)
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 t…
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Feb 10, 2023
Ep. 110 – Cameron Diaz (feat. Mitchell Beaupre)
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 priva…
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Jan 27, 2023
Ep. 109 – Michelle Pfeiffer (feat. Veronica Fitzpatrick)
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…
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Dec 22, 2022
Ep. 108 – Sam Raimi (feat. Josh Ruben)
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…
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Dec 8, 2022
Ep. 107 – Michelle Yeoh (feat. Jeff Zhang)
Ep. 107 – Michelle Yeoh (feat. Jeff Zhang) by The Film Stage
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Nov 23, 2022
Ep. 106 – Dylan O'Brien (feat. Billy Ray Brewton)
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 try to be cool like the cool kids. Who are the kids liking these days? Someone we hear they like is Dylan O’Brien, and our buddy Billy Ray Brewton joins us to break it down. Brewton runs the entertaining The Incinerator Podcast as well as the Scripts Gone Wild podcast. Together, we cover The First Time, American Assassin, Love and Monsters, and The Outfit. We also dig deep into The Maze Runner trilogy (A-Sides though they may be) and a little less deep into Taylor Swift’s All Too Well short film (of which O’Brien is the star).
There’s chatter on the nearly career-ending (nearly life-ending) accident O’Brien suffered on the set of Maze Runner: The Death Cure, his scene-stealing and star-making role on the hit MTV show Teen Wolf, and the enduring legacy of generational teen shows in general. The O.C.…
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Nov 11, 2022
Ep. 105 – In Conversation with: Mark Pellington
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 get to talk to the immensely-talented Mark Pellington, the filmmaker behind hits like 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.
He’s re-cut (and really remade) his directorial debut Going All The Way, starring Jeremy Davies and Ben Affleck, adapted from the Dan Wakefield novel of the same name. Going All The Way: The Director’s Edit is currently screening at Brain Dead Studios & Laemmle Glendale in Los Angeles, and will open on Dec. 16th at Quad Cinema in New York with rollout to follow. Visit this link for more info.
We discuss everything with Pellington, from his remaking his first feature to his own B-Sides Henry Poole Is Here and I Melt With You. Th…
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Oct 28, 2022
Ep. 104 – Universal Monsters (feat. Gavin Mevius)
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.
Another year, another Halloween! This year we tackle the performers who played the titular monsters from the seminal Universal Studios monster movies of the ‘30s, ‘40s, and ‘50s. To take on such a task, we brought back our good pal Gavin Mevius, talented editor and co-host of the incredible The Mixed Reviews Podcast. Be sure to listen to their podcast and support them on Patreon if you see fit!
Specifically, we examine a B-Side from Bela Lugosi (Murder by Television), Claude Rains (Crime Without Passion), Boris Karloff (Juggernaut), Elsa Lanchester (Passport to Destiny) Lon Chaney Jr. (Eyes of the Underworld), and Ben Chapman (Jungle Moon Men).
We examine why Claude Rains was one of the few to escape his monster persona, and what makes Elsa Lanchester such a natural star (despite her career in character wor…
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Oct 13, 2022
Ep. 103 – Brian De Palma (feat. Chadd Harbold)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we get a little nasty. We get a little creepy. We dig into the works of Brian De Palma! Conor and I are joined by filmmaker and returning guest Chadd Harbold, whose new film Private Property is now available on Hulu! We also examine the film Private Property from 1960, which Harbold’s 2022 film reimagines, along with the new film’s De Palma-esque inspirations.
The B-Sides discussed are: Phantom of the Paradise, Casualties of War, Femme Fatale, and The Black Dahlia. We also take lengthy pit-stops at The Fury and Mission to Mars.
Harbold explains why Femme Fatale is De Palma’s best film, why the old, great directors need to higher young DPs when shooting digital, which actors know what they’re doing in The Black Dahlia, and which actors do NOT. There’s references to this Slant Magazine art…
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Sep 30, 2022
Ep. 102 – Tom Cruise: Part III (feat. Cory Everett)
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 is part three of our Tom Cruise B-Side investigation. In this episode we dig into what is perhaps the nadir of his career: Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, The Mummy, and American Made. Just after Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation and right before Mission: Impossible - Fallout, here is our never-ending movie star returning to a character that perhaps never suited him, trying his hand at building a franchise from old IP once more, and going for something more ambitious.
Our guest today is Cory Everett, the creator of both Cinephile: A Card Game and all things 'Lil Cinephile. His new set of books My First Movie, Volume 1 “is a trilogy of beautifully-crafted board books that will take readers of all ages on a colorful journey through cinema history.”
Cory joins us with a plea to the universe: Tom Cruise please ca…
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Sep 23, 2022
Ep. 101 – Tom Cruise: Part II (feat. Ritchie Filippi)
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 where it all started: Tom Cruise! This time we explore the three of the four movies he made in between Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and Mission: Impossible - Rouge Nation. The films are Rock of Ages, Jack Reacher, and Oblivion.
To do this, we bring on filmmaker and Gerard Butler enthusiast Ritchie Filippi to discuss these three kinda-sorta B-Sides. Filippi worked on Rock of Ages himself - in the role of travel coordinator - and tells us a couple of tales from the set. Also be sure to check out his film The Eve, now streaming on Roku and Vudu!
We dive into Cruise’s voice in the rock musical, his stoic tenor in the crime thriller, and his sci-fi stiltedness in the sci-fi almost-epic. Additionally, we marvel at how far director Joseph Kosinski has come from the days of Tron: Legacy, we adm…
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Sep 9, 2022
Ep. 100 – 100th Episode Celebration
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.
And this is our one-hundredth episode! We thank you so much for listening these past four years and hope you keep listening for the next four and beyond.
Today, Dan and Conor get ambitious. For each and every B-Side subject (actors and filmmakers alike)we list an additional B-Side of theirs we have yet to cover. Our attempt to keep each recommendation under 60 seconds was always futile, but we tried our best.
So listener, get ready for 99 movie recommendations as soon as you hit play.
What a ride it’s been. And we’ve only just begun.
For more from The B-Side, you can find every actor/director 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 su…
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Jun 30, 2022
Ep. 99 – Drew Barrymore (feat. Marya E. Gates)
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 the most prominent descendants of Hollywood royalty: Drew Barrymore! Filling in for Dan Mecca, Letterboxd’s Mitchell Beaupre joins Conor as a guest host, alongside exceptionally talented writer (and Cinephile Game Night champion) Marya E. Gates! Marya’s substack is well worth the subscription, often highlighting underseen work by women directors, among other great stuff. The B-Sides featured today are: Poison Ivy, Guncrazy, Boys on the Side, and Miss You Already. The gang also takes a couple pit stops at 2007’s Lucky You, and Drew’s charming 2009 directorial debut, Whip It!
An emblematic child star, we discuss Drew’s innate magnetism and affability, on display throughout her career. After breaking out in E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial and navigating an infamously tragic childhood, she ha…
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Jun 16, 2022
Ep. 98 – Penélope Cruz (feat. Katharine Clark Gray)
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 dive into the career of the stunning and stunningly talented Penélope Cruz. The indelible actress broke on to the scene in 1992 with Jamón Jamón, followed a few years later by her first
collaboration with Pedro Almodóvar in Live Flesh. Soon enough, Cruz was in Hollywood pictures like Blow and The Hi-Lo Country.
Our B-Sides include: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Chromophobia, Twice Born, and this year’s The 355. Joining us today is returning guest Katharine Clark Gray of Uncompromised Creative. Gray is a writer for the Wait What network, and was part of the team recently awarded two Webby Awards for the episode “President Barack Obama: When the moment chooses you, part 1.”
We discuss the early, predictable type-casting of Cruz in Hollywood, the unfortunate failure of some of those earlier studio pi…
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Jun 3, 2022
Ep. 97 – Val Kilmer (feat. Katie Walsh)
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 the most intriguing actors of his generation: Val Kilmer! To tackle such an enigma, we bring in the legendary Katie Walsh! A must-follow on Twitter, a co-host of the insatiably-entertaining Miami Nice Podcast, and an accomplished writer. The B-Sides featured today are: Kill Me Again, At First Sight, The Salton Sea, and Mindhunters.
We discuss how Kilmer was a prodigy - the youngest student admitted into Juilliard’s drama department - before his Broadway debut in the (ultimately) star-studded Slab Boys. There’s talk of his well-documented penchant to be difficult on set, as well as those who defended him and his abilities.
We confront Dan’s deep admiration for the poorly-aged The Salton Sea, make brief mention of other B-Sides like Thunderheart, The Real McCoy, and Spartan, and referenc…
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May 20, 2022
Ep. 96 – Almost Famous: Taylor Kitsch (feat. Valerie Ettenhofer)
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 explore the agony and the ecstasy of the Almost Movie Star: young performers who found success early on and were given a few opportunities to establish themselves as bankable leading performers. Our subject on this episode: Taylor Kitsch. We focus on his full career, with a special investigation on his 2012 slate: John Carter, Battleship, and Savages.
Our guest is Valerie Ettenhofer, TV critic at Film School Rejects and News writer at Slash Film. A longtime Tim Riggins fan and incredibly well-watched critic, she brings her insights to examine what about Kitsch works so well and what may have prevented him from breaking out as a worldwide movie star.
Kitsch has been in the public consciousness for over a decade and a half, standing out among a stacked cast in the seminal show Friday Night Lights. For the…
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May 6, 2022
Ep. 95 – Gene Hackman (feat. Mitchell Beaupre)
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 perhaps the greatest living actor: Gene Hackman! Dan and Conor are joined by one of their good, good friends Mitchell Beaupre! Senior Editor at Letterboxd, co-host of their Weekend Watchlist podcast (as well as the brand new podcast Acting Out with Ryan and Mitchell), and contributor to great sites like The Film Stage (!), Paste Magazine, The Playlist, and Little White Lies. Our B-Sides today are: All Night Long, The Package, Heartbreakers, and Welcome to Mooseport.
We talk Hackman’s beginnings, Mitchell’s superb piece on Hackman’s spectacular 2001, the actor’s own reflections on his accomplished career, his mid-career hiatus, and - finally - his frequent combativeness with his directors. Additional topics include Tommy Lee Jones’ wild ‘90s, Jennifer Love Hewitt’s recollection of He…
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Apr 21, 2022
Ep. 94 – In Conversation with: Guy Pearce
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 sometimes we’re lucky enough to talk to them directly!
Today is one of those glorious days. Dan and Conor are joined by Guy Pearce, the incomparable actor who’s got a new film coming out in theaters - Memory (April 29th!) - and plenty of accomplished past work to dig into as well.
We focus on The Count of Monte Cristo, The Hard Word, and Lockout (a.k.a. Space Jail). Plenty more is touched on in our 25 minutes of Guy Talk™. Pearce explains his disappointment in Gillian Armstrong’s Death Defying Acts getting buried by Harvey Weinstein fifteen years ago, gets honest about certain movies he deems his “divorce films,” and highlights other B-Sides he’d encouraged his fans to check out (Ravenous, First Snow).
Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, g…
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Apr 8, 2022
Ep. 93 – Ethan Hawke (feat. Luke Hicks)
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.
And today we talk about Handsome Hawke himself - Ethan Hawke! The multi-hyphenate has made a career out of B-Sides, and today we choose four: Great Expectations, Snow Falling on Cedars, Tape, and Predestination. Dan and Conor are lucky to have the great Luke Hicks along for the ride.
We discuss the early films of Hawke, the hotness of “Shark Hunter Hawke” in Great Expectations, his movie star run in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, and his diverse pivot into character work up to and including the present.
There’s also talk of Hawke’s directorial career, some debate over is the deliberate pace of Snow Falling on Cedars actually works, and this in-depth piece on Predestination.
Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel,…
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Mar 25, 2022
Ep. 92 – The Final Frame: Peter Bogdanovich's Squirrels to the Nuts (feat. James Kenney)
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.
This is the third episode of what we are calling The Final Frame. Here we will dissect the final film of a great, well-respected filmmaker, wrapped in the context of said filmmaker’s entire career. Our subject today: the recently departed Peter Bogdanovich. His final film: She’s Funny That Way, starring Owen Wilson, Imogen Poots, Kathryn Hahn, Rhys Ifans, Jennifer Aniston, Will Forte, Austin Pendleton, George Morfogen, Richard Lewis, and Cybill Shepherd. But wait! That’s only half-true! Before the half-hearted release of She’s Funny That Way, there was another version of the film. Its title? Squirrels to the Nuts. This is the cut that Bogdanovich wanted the world to see. Until the studio made him change it. And our guest, James Kenney, is the man who saved Squirrels to the Nuts. He recounts the tale in…
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Mar 11, 2022
Ep. 91 – 2022 Oscars Special (feat. Joe Reid)
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 (!) that time has relegated to B-Side status. These are winners and/or nominees that have been sadly (or not so sadly) forgotten by the masses.
Today, Dan and Conor welcome the wonderful Joe Reid of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast. In their discussions, our guest and his co-host (and former B-Side guest!) Chris Feil dive into myriad films that were released to significant awards buzz, only to earn zero Academy Award nominations.
In today’s episode, we each choose one film to focus on. Conor’s pick is the 1961 Best Picture nominee Fanny. Dan’s pick is 1986 Best Picture nominee The Mission from Roland Joffe. Joe’s pick is the 1993 film Shadowlands, which features Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger in Oscar-nominated performances.
There’s plenty of talk about…
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Feb 21, 2022
Ep. 90 – In Conversation with: Joe Wright
Ep. 90 – In Conversation with: Joe Wright by The Film Stage
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Feb 4, 2022
Ep. 89 – Paul Newman (feat. Roxana Hadadi)
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’ve got a great guest on to talk about a great maker of salad dressings - Paul Newman! Conor and I are blessed to have the wonderful Roxana Hadadi (TV Critic for Vulture) on to talk through the impossibly handsome actor’s accomplished, interesting career. We focus on: The Left Handed Gun, Pocket Money, The Drowning Pool, and Harry & Son.
We discuss the incarnation of Newman amongst media-set rivals Marlon Brando and James Dean, his breakout in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, those photos of him from the Venice Film Festival, his refreshingly honest interviews, and his iconic marriage to Joanne Woodward (an amazing, Oscar-nominated performer in her own right!)
There’s also talk of Newman’s directorial career, Stephen Dorff (obviously) and that Titanic offer/casting, Newman’s involvement with The Actors Studi…
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Jan 31, 2022
BONUS Ep. – In Conversation with: Adrien Brody
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 are fortunate enough to speak with Adrien Brody himself about his new film Clean (which he stars in, produced, co-wrote, and composed), along with some of the more memorable B-Sides from earlier in his career. These highlights include Love The Hard Way, Detachment, and Cadillac Records (currently on Netflix as we publish this! Watch it!).
We dive into all of the work that went in to getting Clean made and into movie theaters, Brody’s deep bench of B-Side movies (The Last Time I Committed Suicide, Liberty Heights, Bread & Roses), and the enduring New York City setting in Love The Hard Way.
Clean is currently in theaters and everywhere you rent and buy movies.
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 sup…
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Dec 30, 2021
Ep. 88 – The B-Side New Year's Eve 2021 Spectacular
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we usually talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they produced in between! Today we give you a themed episode!
As 2022 approaches, we dive deep into New Years-set movies through the years. We start with Michael Curtiz’s influential Mystery of the Wax Museum, move over to the modern cult classic 200 Cigarettes, and finish with the 2006 remake/flop Poseidon.
This is an eclectic mix! Curtiz is one of our great filmmakers and it’s fascinating his Wax Museum, which came before his stone-cold classics Captain Blood, Casablanca, and The Adventures of Robin Hood. And 200 Cigarettes features perhaps the most specific, wonderful 1999-represented cast ever. Finally, Poseidon is certainly a film that was made and then released into theaters.
We discuss the holiday itself and why exactly it is something we celebrate, the B-Side-y career of the sneaky interesting actor Josh Lucas, an…
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Dec 17, 2021
Ep. 87 – Joan Harrison (feat. Christina Lane)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie producers! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they produced in between!
Today we dive into the career of pioneering producer Joan Harrison. Harrison began her decades-spanning career working with none other than Alfred Hitchcock both before and after he made his transition to Hollywood. Here we’re going to focus on her Post-Hitch producing and writing efforts across 9 Films:
Phantom Lady (1944)
Dark Waters (1944)
The Strange Affair of Uncle Harry (1945)
Nocturne (1946)
They Won’t Believe Me (1947)
Ride the Pink Horse (1947)
Once More, My Darling (1949)
Your Witness (1950)
Circle of Danger (1951)
Joining us to tackle Joan’s immense & impressive output is Christina Lane, biographer and author of Phantom Lady: Hollywood Producer Joan Harrison, the Forgotten Woman Behind Hitchcock.There is so much to discuss here, and we are beyond lucky (and beyond honored) to have Christ…
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Nov 19, 2021
Ep. 86 – Gene Wilder (feat. Amanda Waltz)
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 from wild to Wilder! Gene Wilder! Dan and Conor are joined by the Pittsburgh-based writer Amanda Waltz, the A&E Editor at the Pittsburgh City Paper and a co-host of the Ghoul on Ghoul Podcast.
The B-Sides featured today are: Start the Revolution Without Me, Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx, The Woman in Red, and Haunted Honeymoon.
Wilder started his career in movies a bit later than most, exploding onto the scene with Bonnie and Clyde and The Producers in 1967. Only four years later, he was Willy Wonka. In between came our first two B-Sides! He would go on to direct four feature films, including our final two B-Sides!
We compare Wilder’s Wonka to Depp’s, discuss Wilder’s earnestness in speaking about what he was trying to achieve with his comedy, marvel at the movies he made with Richard…
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Nov 4, 2021
Ep. 85 – In Conversation with: Harvey Keitel
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 sometimes, we get to talk to movie stars about some of their own B-Sides!
Dan and Conor were honored to speak with screen legend Harvey Keitel, star of Lansky, written and directed by Eytan Rockaway. In the crime drama, which is now available digitally, Keitel plays the real-life gangster Meyer Lansky, recounting his complicated life to a down-on-his-luck writer (Sam Worthington).
We chat with Keitel about some B-Sides from the early ‘90s: The Two Jakes, Point of No Return, and Dangerous Game. There’s also a bit about The Border from 1982, a Tony Richardson crime thriller well worth your time.
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 Sp…
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Oct 29, 2021
Ep. 84 – Wes Craven (feat. Joe Bandelli)
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.
Today we celebrate a master of horror: Wes Craven! And to properly celebrate, Conor and I welcome colleague, friend, and filmmaker Joe Bandelli, director of Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity, a documentary about the making of the original Paranormal Activity. The film is now available on Paramount Plus!
Our B-Sides today include: Swamp Thing, The People Under the Stairs, and Cursed. These three pictures traverse across Craven’s long, accomplished career. Long a scary stalwart, the Cleveland native often did his damndest to break away from the genre (Music of the Heart, people!), while never besmirching the good name of horror.
There are plenty of interesting, honest interviews the writer/director gave, a few of them referenced throughout the podcast. Among the many things discussed are how hor…
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Oct 19, 2021
BONUS Ep. – In Conversation with: Alessandro Nivola – Part II
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 the one-and-only Alessandro Nivola returns to the podcast, currently starring as Dickie Moltisanti in The Many Saints of Newark. The Sopranos prequel film is currently in theaters and available on HBO Max.
Nivola is generous as ever with his time, discussing in depth the character discovery that went into manifesting Dickie, as well as his myriad of upcoming projects, including Noah Baumbach’s White Noise (starring his children!), the upcoming David O. Russell picture, and The Brutalist, the new Brady Corbet film currently in pre-production.
We also chat about his and Emily Mortimer’s underrated show Doll & Em (which needs a streaming home people!), the Netflix thriller The Red Sea Diving Resort, and A Most Violent Year (one of the two films David Chase saw the actor in that helped convince him he…
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Oct 12, 2021
Ep. 83 – James Bond: Part II (feat. Gavin Mevius)
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 come to the end of our epic, two-part James Bond-inspired podcast mini-series! We are discussing one B-Side film from each actor who has played Bond, made during or right before (or after) their tenure as Agent 007. We are joined by esteemed guest and first person to appear SIX TIMES ON THE PODCAST, intrepid editor and Co-Host of The Mixed Reviews Podcast Gavin Mevius!!!
This second episode focuses on the most recent three Bonds: Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig. Craig, of course, is currently starring in his final outing as Bond, No Time To Die. The B-Sides include Brenda Starr (filmed in the mid-’80s, released in 1992), Robinson Crusoe (1997), and Flashbacks of a Fool (2008). We contextualize each film within each actor’s career and within the larger Bond franchise.
We spend the beginni…
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Oct 1, 2021
Ep. 82 – James Bond: Part I (feat. Gavin Mevius)
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 begin an epic, two-part James Bond-inspired podcast mini-series! We are discussing one B-Side film from each actor who has played Bond, made during or right before (or after) their tenure as Agent 007. For both parts we are joined by esteemed guest and first person to FIVE TIMES ON THE PODCAST, intrepid editor and Co-Host of The Mixed Reviews Podcast Gavin Mevius!!!
This first episode focuses on the first three Bonds: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, and Roger Moore. The B-Sides include Woman of Straw (1964), Universal Soldier (1971), and Gold (1974). We contextualize each film within each actor’s career and within the larger Bond franchise.
Other topics include the difference between Roger Moore as “movie star” & Connery and Lazenby as “actors,” that unfortunate earworm of a theme song from Gold, the…
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Sep 16, 2021
Ep. 81 – Nicole Kidman (feat. Glenn Dunks)
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 down under to celebrate an Aussie Icon (who was actually born in Hawaii!): Nicole Kidman! To discuss the tall, blonde wonder we have our good friend, Nicole expert, and Melbourne-based film critic Glenn Dunks! Our B-Sides today include: Birthday Girl, Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus, Australia, and Destroyer.
Conor, Glenn, and Dan dish on what it is exactly that makes Nicole Kidman so good (spoiler alert: it’s talent), how she’s tried to navigate the rather reductive cultural opinion that she only plays cold and calculating characters, and if she’ll ever leave the world of David E. Kelley-produced limited television series’ to make another horror masterpiece like The Others.
Additional topics include discussing why Destroyer works so well, why Fur does not, and what Australia does (and d…
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Sep 2, 2021
Ep. 80 – Nicolas Cage (feat. Cory Everett)
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.
Have you ever been dragged onto the sidewalk and beaten ‘til you’ve PISSED BLOOD?! No? Well today we go long on somebody who has made a career out of losing his shit: Nicolas Cage! This is the first episode to come out of our recent slew of listener-voted polls on Twitter. Dan and Conor are joined by Cory Everett, good friend, creator of Cinephile: A Card Game and Cinephile Game Night for this episode two long years in the making.
Our B-Sides today include: Red Rock West, Deadfall, Guarding Tess, and Kiss of Death. Settle in for a long one as Dan, Conor, and Cory focus in on Cage’s career between his breakout performance in Moonstruck and his Oscar-winning performance in Leaving Las Vegas. In those eight years, the movie star tried a little bit of everything, and the results were decidedly mixed. But never unint…
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Jul 30, 2021
Ep. 79 – Emily Blunt
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, Dan and Conor get blunt. Emily Blunt! As Jungle Cruise opens in theaters and on Disney+, our Blunt B-Sides include: The Adjustment Bureau, Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, Arthur Newman, and Wild Mountain Thyme. Additionally, we discuss the star’s first two films (My Summer Of Love, The Devil Wears Prada) which broke her through and her eventual rise to leading lady status a few years later.
There’s heavy chatter on what exactly makes Blunt so dynamic, a detour into how Gulliver’s Travels prevented her from playing Black Widow for Marvel, and how two of these B-sides recall the Katharine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy films from Hollywood past.
Other topics include Matt Damon’s criticisms of Tony Gilroy’s The Bourne Ultimatum script, the very captivating current season of TCM’s The Plot Thickens podcast, a…
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Jul 9, 2021
Ep. 78 – Wesley Snipes
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 try to ice skate uphill to talk about Wesley Snipes! Our Snipes B-Sides include: Boiling Point, Drop Zone, U.S. Marshals, and The Art of War. The action star broke onto the scene in the mid-80s, turned heads with Major League, then dished out a slew of hits.
We discuss what makes Snipes the perfect action star, what changed for his career (good and bad) in the late ‘90s, and his recent Hollywood comeback.
Additional topics include Snipes’ amazing character names (Flipper Purify! John Cutter!), his multi-hyphenate accomplishments, and the high energy that often separates him from the fray.
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…
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Jun 24, 2021
Ep. 77 – Marisa Tomei (feat. Jen Johans)
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, Conor and Dan discuss a fan favorite: Marisa Tomei! We’re joined by the lovely Jen Johans, host of the Watch With Jen podcast! The Tomei B-Sides we cover include: Oscar, Unhook The Stars, The Watcher, and Happy Accidents. Tomei burst onto the scene in the ‘80s.
We dig into what makes Tomei so very watchable and how that approachability has led to an incredibly diverse career. At a young age, Tomei won the Oscar for My Cousin Vinny, a victory so surprising it spurred silly rumors that persisted for some time. What followed was a slew of fascinating lead roles in the ‘90s and some strong character work in the 2000s.
Additional topics include how Keanu Reeves ended up being in The Watcher, the aggravatingly subdued and patronizing critical reaction to Unhook The Stars upon its release, and the enduring…
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Jun 11, 2021
Ep. 76 – In Conversation with: Renny Harlin
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about filmmakers! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today, Dan and Conor are honored to have a filmmaker who gave us some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters of all time: Renny Harlin! The Finnish director has a new film out called The Misfits, starring Pierce Brosnan, Nick Cannon, and Jamie Chung. Our B-Sides include Harlin’s first film Born American, his Andrew Dice Clay-starrer The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, and the much-maligned, underrated pirate adventure Cutthroat Island.
Harlin is a very honest and open guest here, and we touch on many different moments throughout his accomplished and eclectic career. From the struggles and risks of getting Born American made, to the lessons learned on hits like Cliffhanger, and the cultural appraisal of films like Ford Fairlane and Cutthroat.
Other topics include Harlin’s upcoming Inspector Palmu movie (a longtime…
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May 27, 2021
Ep. 75 – Taye Diggs (feat. Sade Sellers)
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 talk about a personal favorite: Taye Diggs! The incredibly versatile performer has made his mark in theater, television, film over the past three decades. Dan and Conor are joined by filmmaker & creator of the Afro Horror Pod Sade Sellers to discuss all things Taye. The B-Sides we cover today include: horror remake House on Haunted Hill, John McTiernan’s last film Basic, the Paula Patton-led rom-com Baggage Claim, and the complicated (and unsettling) 'Til Death Do Us Part.
This is one of our longest, most wide-reaching, and most rewarding episodes to be sure. We reference a great podcast Diggs did with Van Lathan from a few years back, in which he touches on the struggles of being Black in Hollywood. We, of course, also mention Diggs’ matinee idol looks and why exactly he struggled in making the leap fr…
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May 13, 2021
Ep. 74 – Alan J. Pakula (feat. Blake Howard)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about filmmakers! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today, Dan and Conor bring in the big guns(One Heat Minute Productions creator Blake Howard) to discuss one of the great filmmakers: Alan J. Pakula. After making a name for himself as a producer (he earned an Oscar nomination for To Kill a Mockingbird), Pakula emerged as a seminal New Hollywood director with his “paranoia trilogy:” Klute (1971), The Parallax View (1974), and All the President's Men (1976). And yet, he is rarely acknowledged in the upper-echelon of great 70s filmmakers like Coppola or De Palma.
On this episode we focus on Pakula’s underseen, unassuming western Comes a Horseman, his over-cooked domestic thriller Consenting Adults, and his final film The Devil’s Own, which stars Harrison Ford and Brad Pitt. Conor, Blake and Dan also take worthwhile detours to discuss Presumed Innocent and The…
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May 6, 2021
BONUS Ep. – In Conversation with: Bill Morrison
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about filmmakers! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today, Dan and Conor have a brief, lovely chat with filmmaker Bill Morrison, who blew many cinephiles away with Dawson City: Frozen Time a few years back. We were lucky enough to speak with him then about the film and its inception. This time around, Morrison has a short film called let me come in, which is having its world broadcast premiere as part of the TCM Classic Film Festival on May 7th.
let me come in re-purposes footage from the lost 1928 silent film Pawns of Passion with the entrancing touch that only Morrison can employ, accompanied by a new song by composer David Lang and performed by soprano Angel Blue.
We discuss the new film with Morrison, the negative review Pawns of Passion actually got from The New York Times back in 1929 (!), and his upcoming film The Village Detective: A Song Cycle, which just…
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Apr 29, 2021
Ep. 73 – In Conversation with: Shari Springer Berman & Robert Pulcini
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about filmmakers! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today, Dan and Conor have an incredibly interesting and wide-ranging conversation with directing duo Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini. We chat about their new movie Things Heard & Seen (now available on Netflix), then dive back into their eclectic, accomplished career. From the serendipitous way they came to make the doc Off the Menu: The Last Days of Chasen's to the unintentional development of the underrated The Extra Man, starring Kevin Kline and Paul Dano. Their HBO film Cinema Verite is briefly mentioned, a wonderful telling of the making of the groundbreaking PBS documentary An American Family from 1973.
Other topics include a failed reimagining of Bride of Frankenstein, the nightmarish post-production process on The Nanny Diaries thanks to Harvey Weinstein, and why Robert has edited most of their fi…
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Apr 15, 2021
Ep. 72 – Oscars Special (feat. Chris Feil)
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 (!) that time has relegated to B-Side status.
To tackle such a task, Dan and Conor welcome the incredible Chris Feil of the This Had Oscar Buzz podcast. In their discussions, our guest and his co-host Joe Reid dive into myriad films that were released to significant awards buzz, only to earn zero Academy Award nominations.
In today’s episode, we each choose one film to focus on. Conor’s pick is the 1976 Woody Guthrie biopic Bound For Glory. The film earned six Oscar nominations, including wins for Cinematography and Best Music, Adapted. Chris’ pick is Ironweed from 1987, starring Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep, adapted from William Kennedy’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Both stars earned lead acting nominations at the 1988 Oscars, though…
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Apr 2, 2021
Ep. 71 – In Conversation with: Dariusz Wolski, ASC
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie makers! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today we chat with someone who bends light and shadows to sculpt a beautiful frame. He’s also an Academy Award nominee for Cinematography! His name is Dariusz Wolski and he was nice enough to join us on The B-Side to discuss his recent, nominated work on Paul Greengrass’ News of the World (now available to own on Blu-Ray and 4K), his current Ridley Scott projects The Last Duel and House of Gucci, and the whole of his impressive career. Other highlights include Romeo is Bleeding, Dark City, A Perfect Murder, and The Counselor.
Wolski discusses breaking into the cinematography world by making music videos with artists like Alex Proyas and David Fincher, and then parlaying what they learned into making feature films. On the topic of A Perfect Murder (an adaptation of Hitchcock’s Dial M For Murder), Wolski tal…
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Mar 18, 2021
Ep. 70 – The Final Frame: Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut (feat. Bilge Ebiri)
Editor’s Note: We wanted to take a moment to acknowledge some of the terrible events in the news recently. Our guest, Bilge Ebiri, is a staffer at New York Magazine, and the editors there have assembled a great resource via The Strategist entitled 61 Ways to Donate in Support of Asian Communities. Please take a look and donate if you can. Be kind to each other, always.
LINK: https://nym.ag/3vysZz3
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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 trying something new - again!. This is the second episode of what we are calling The Final Frame. Here we will dissect the final film of a great, well-respected filmmaker, wrapped in the context of said filmmaker’s entire career. Our subject today: the insurmountable Stanley Kubrick. His final film: Eyes Wide Shut, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
Released in 1999, this adaptation of A…
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Mar 4, 2021
Ep. 69 – Michael Keaton (feat. Andrew Jupin)
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 talk about Pittsburgh’s own Michael Keaton. Born Michael Douglas, then forced to change his name because there was, ahem, already a Michael Douglas in the Screen Actors Guild, Keaton sparked to stardom immediately in Ron Howard’s Night Shift, then quickly followed it up with the surprise hit Mr. Mom. His harnessing of chaotic energy within the body of an every-man is a true wonder to behold. To delve in Keaton’s career we bring in the big guns: Andrew Jupin, one of the co-hosts of the We Hate Movies podcast and the senior film programmer at the Jacob Burns Film Center.
The B-Sides we cover today include: The Squeeze from 1987, Speechless from 1994, and Game 6, which premiered at Sundance in 2005. There’s also two heavy and welcome detours into discussion about the 1998 thriller Desperate Measures and…
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Feb 19, 2021
Ep. 68 – In Conversation with: Steve Zahn
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 great Steve Zahn, currently starring in the impressive indie Cowboys. Dan and Conor were lucky enough to speak with Zahn about his eclectic career, including highlights such as Safe Men, Riding in Cars with Boys, and A Perfect Getaway.
We discuss the immense variety in his resume, from Reality Bites to Rescue Dawn, the slightly infamous legacy of Sundance fave Happy, Texas, the way he approaches each role, and a little-seen film called Blowin’ Smoke (Freak Talks About Sex).
Cowboys is currently available in virtual cinemas and on VOD.
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!
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Feb 11, 2021
Ep. 67 – Ewan McGregor (feat. Fiona Underhill)
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’ve got a great guest on to talk about a great Scotsman - Ewan McGregor! Conor and Dan are blessed to have the wonderful Fiona Underhill (of JumpCut Online) on to talk through the (still, somehow) underrated actor’s incredibly diverse career. We focus on: The Pillow Book, A Life Less Ordinary, Down With Love, and Perfect Sense.
We dish on Ewan’s iconic looks, the full frontal nudity that punctuated his early films, the conflicted accent work, that James Joyce movie he did, and the long feud between him and Danny Boyle that happened because of The Beach.
Additional items include the animated film Robots (from the now-shuttered studio Blue Sky), an especially-effective short film called Desserts, and Max Richter’s luminous score for Perfect Sense.
And, last but not least, a special shout-out to Mark O…
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Jan 28, 2021
Ep. 66 – Marion Davies (feat. Emily Kubincanek)
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 talk about the great Marion Davies! One of the most famous starlets of the 1920s and 1930s, Davies’ legacy is heavily overshadowed by her pseudo-portrayal in Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. As Amanda Seyfried’s impressive turn as Davies in the David Fincher film Mank (which has gotten mixed reviews over at The Film Stage) makes its rounds in the awards circuit, Conor and Dan join forces with the uber-talented film writer Emily Kubincanek to discuss the actress’ lesser-known roles. Namely, When Knighthood Was in Flower, The Red Mill, and Cain and Mabel.
We talk about the heavy meta-elements of Seyfried playing Davies, the gifts and curses that came with Davies’ decades-long relationship with William Randolph Hearst, how When Knight Was in Flower was the Titanic of its time, and the brutal tale of “Fatt…
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Jan 14, 2021
Ep. 65 – The Final Frame: Alfred Hitchcock's Family Plot (feat. Nate Washburn)
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 trying something new. This is the first episode of what we are calling The Final Frame. Here we will dissect the final film of a great, well-respected filmmaker, wrapped in the context of said filmmaker’s entire career. Our first subject: Alfred Hitchcock. His final film: Family Plot, starring Karen Black, William Devane, Barbara Harris, and Bruce Dern.
Released in 1976, the loose thriller-comedy was received warmly enough, though the raves were few and far between. The film performed admirably, though one wagers it has been mostly lost in the ocean of great works by the director. Only four years later, Hitchcock would pass away as he prepared to film a spy thriller entitled The Short Night, a project we briefly speak on as well.
The idea was pitched to us by friend of the show Nate Washburn…
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Dec 23, 2020
Ep. 64 – 2020 Holiday Special (feat. Deon Taylor)
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.
On this strangest of holiday seasons, Conor and I had a lovely conversation with filmmaker Deon Taylor, whose new thriller Fatale is now in theaters and available on demand. We chat about the genre flicks that Hollywood won’t make anymore and Taylor’s determination to keep making them. He talks about his hope for people to seek out Fatale in theaters where safe, his journey to directing stars like Hilary Swank and Michael Ealy, and the 90s thrillers he’s used as inspiration for his own pictures.
We also dive into some lesser-known, Christmas-set noirs from the 1940s: Christmas Holiday (written by Mank himself!) and Lady in the Lake, Robert Montgomery’s adaptation of the Raymond Chandler mystery. There’s some additional recommendations for holiday-ish movies, some you may know, some you may not.
Fina…
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Dec 10, 2020
Ep. 63 – In Conversation with: Alessandro Nivola
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movies 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 one-and-only Alessandro Nivola, a star who has played every manner of character in his illustrious, nearly twenty-five year film career. Conor and Dan were lucky enough to speak with Nivola about his entire filmography, while focusing specifically on: Love’s Labour’s Lost, Ginger & Rosa, and Disobedience.
We discuss his big break on Broadway in the mid-90s, his break on the silver screen as Pollux Troy in Face/Off, how many thought he was from the United Kingdom for a good long while, and that part of Jurassic Park III.
We also bring up a solid indie dramedy he produced called To Dust, his new show Black Narcissus on FX, and his starring role in the upcoming, much-anticipated The Many Saints of Newark. This a frank, funny conversation that we were beyond grateful to be a part of. Yo…
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Nov 25, 2020
Ep. 62 – Mark Wahlberg
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, Dan and Conor return to The City on a Hill to discuss the career of Mark Wahlberg. The B-Sides include: Contraband, Broken City, The Gambler, and All the Money in the World.
Among the many Wahlberg-related topics that come up, one of the biggest is his continued, consistent success as a movie star. Contrary to what I wrote the Broken City review seven years back, Mark Wahlberg is anything but a “second-tier movie star.” If anything, he’s a more successful version of Bruce Willis when analyzing the box-office receipts.
Additional issues include the two kinds of Mark Wahlberg (tough guy with a heart of gold or high-pitched intellectual), and what the latter kind can get you. Sometimes it’s The Happening, other times it’s We Own The Night. Or I Heart Huckabees. And, of course, there’s also this amazin…
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Nov 12, 2020
Ep. 61 – Kate Beckinsale
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, Conor and Dan dish on our movie crushes. More specifically, the movie crush from Dan's life as a young cinephile: Kate Beckinsale.
The B-Sides in the pipeline are: Laurel Canyon, Tiptoes, Nothing but the Truth, Whiteout, and Everybody’s Fine.
The sheer diversity of these five pictures cannot be overstated. Beckinsale, while known by most Americans for her role in the Underworld franchise, comes from a comedy lineage in the U.K., the daughter of sitcom legend Richard Beckinsale. Soon enough, period pieces like Much Ado About Nothing gave way to Hollywood dramas like Brokedown Palace and indie spotlights like The Last Days of Disco for Kate Beckinsale. And then...Pearl Harbor!
All of these B-Sides are what happened after the Michael Bay epic and the spark-plug start that was Underworld. We discuss how exactly…
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Oct 29, 2020
Ep. 60 – Peter Cushing (feat. Gavin Mevius)
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 celebrate Halloween by discussing the B-Sides of Peter Cushing, one-third of The Unholy Trinity (including Christopher Lee and Vincent Price), star of many Hammer Films and Grand Moff Tarkin from Star Wars. To tackle a master such as Cushing, we bring in the inestimable Gavin Mevius, talented editor and co-host of the incredible The Mixed Reviews Podcast. We mention their Vincent Price episode from Halloween last year and their more recent episode of Jamie Lee Curtis. Give them a listen!
For this episode, we discuss Violent Playground, Sword of Sherwood Forest, Cash on Demand, and The Masks of Death. Of course, the Universal Monsters movies come up, as do the Hammer Films that Cushing and Lee made legend. There’s some discussion of how fun (and rare) it is to watch Cushing lose control, the movie-star e…
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Oct 15, 2020
Ep. 59 – George Clooney (feat. Rob Scheer)
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, Dan and Conor tackle multi-hyphenate George Clooney, and are joined by the Clooney Disciple himself to do it: friend of the podcast and publicist extraordinaire Rob Scheer!
We talk about the Soderbergh remake Solaris, the Soderbergh “reimagining” of Casablanca that is The Good German, Clooney’s own sports comedy Leatherheads and, finally, the criminally-underrated The American.
Topics broached included Spielberg’s advice to Clooney on the set of E.R., unavoidable Cary Grant comparisons, the sexiness of Out of Sight, Akira Kurosawa’s thoughts on Tarkovsky’s Solaris, and the failed ambition of The Good German.
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.…
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Aug 28, 2020
Ep. 58 – Toshiro Mifune (feat. Moeko Fujii)
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.
This is the final selection from our listener-selected series we started earlier this year. Not to play favorites, but this is one of our favorite episodes about a favorite subject: Mr. Toshiro Mifune!
Conor and Dan are honored to be joined by Moeko Fujii (www.moekofujii.com, a NYC-based writer who provided this amazing essay for The Criterion Channel’s “Mifune At 100” Series. Together, we discuss five lesser-known Mifune pictures: Wedding Ring (1950), Hell In The Pacific (1968), Red Sun (1971), The Challenge (1982), and Shadow Of The Wolf (1992).
We dig into Mifune’s start, what makes Mifune one of (if not the) greatest to ever do it, his complicated relationship with legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, and that part of that one movie where he turns into a hawk!
There’s the incredibly revealing interview…
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Aug 14, 2020
Ep. 57 – Bill Murray (feat. Evan Cutler Wattles)
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 analyze the lesser-known films of a legend: Mr. Bill Murray. From his early SNL days to his latter days as Coolest Guy Not Invited To Your Wedding But There Anyway, myself, Conor O’Donnell, and esteemed guest Evan Cutler Wattles question what works and does not work within the whole Bill Murray legend. Our B-Sides include: Where The Buffalo Roam, The Razor’s Edge, Quick Change, and Mad Dog and Glory.
Evan explains why he grew up more a fan of Steve Martin than Murray and we debate the pros and cons of Hunter S. Thompson and the Gonzo style. Also, how exactly did Chevy Chase’s legacy go so far in the opposite direction of Murray’s?
There’s also the committed promotion Bill Murray did for The Razor’s Edge (a remake and one of his only screenwriting credits) that got overshadowed by the success of G…
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Jul 30, 2020
Ep. 56 – Samuel L. Jackson
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 dive into the highest-grossing actor in the history of cinema: Samuel L. Jackson. The man of many franchises, he’s one bad mother––SHUT YOUR MOUTH!
Our B-Sides include Sphere, The Red Violin, Rules of Engagement, and Formula 51 (a.k.a. The 51st State a.k.a. woof). We talk about what the “L” in Samuel L. Jackson stands for, we marvel at the legend’s insane activist past, and his late-breaking career.
There’s also a deep dive into the historical origins of The Red Violin (inspired by a violin currently played by the great Elizabeth Pitcairn), the downfall of Sphere’s plot, and the troubled politics of Rules of Engagement. We do not talk too much about Formula 51, in full transparency.
Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our…
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Jul 17, 2020
Ep. 55 – Joel Schumacher
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.
Today we pay our respects to Joel Schumacher, who passed away on June 22, 2020. A costume designer-turned-director, Schumacher made a name for himself with St. Elmo’s Fire and The Lost Boys in the mid-to-late 1980s. As demonstrated in those hit films, the filmmaker had an unparalleled eye for young talent. We examine four of lesser-remembered pictures: Cousins, Dying Young, Flawless, and Veronica Guerin.
There’s plenty of tangents here, as Schumacher was quite an outspoken sort. There are many interviews to reference and admire. We discuss his championing of young star Julia Roberts during her tumultuous rise to fame, the deep love he reveals for his characters (as evidenced in Cousins especially), the passionate failure of Flawless, and the complicated canonization of the title character in Veronica Guerin. W…
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Jul 2, 2020
Ep. 54 – Robert Pattinson
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 celebrate a dark knight. The Batman himself, Robert Pattinson. Over a decade ago, the young actor leapt into the hearts of many a young fan playing Edward in the Twilight series. As his star rose, Pattinson would get weirder and weirder in his role choices. The ultimate result is a filmography primarily built by B-sides. Today, dan and Conor focus on four: Remember Me, Water For Elephants, Queen of the Desert, and Damsel.
We bring up that GQ profile that got some traction at the start of quarantine, The Takeout’s attempt to make Pattinson’s “fast food pasta,” the quite-memorable ending of Remember Me, the impressive life of Gertrude Bell (on which Queen of the Desert is based), and the tragedy that nobody has watched Damsel.
Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter…
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Jun 18, 2020
Ep. 53 – Kasi Lemmons
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.
Today we celebrate an impressive artist: writer/director Kasi Lemmons! After breaking out as an actress in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Lemmons impressed with her directorial debut Eve’s Bayou in 1997. Roger Ebert championed it and the film emerged as one of the biggest indie hits of the year. What followed for Lemmons were three films that disappointed at the box office, though all of them offer plenty to chew on: The Caveman’s Valentine in 2001, Talk To Me in 2007 and Black Nativity in 2013. We admire the performances Lemmons gets from her actors, the aesthetic flourishes that pervade each work and a frequently unapologetic look at race, identity and stereotypes.
We reference multiple interviews the filmmaker has given over the years, reflecting on what it was like to watch the rise of black voices in c…
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Jun 5, 2020
Ep. 52 – Meryl Streep (feat. Murtada Elfadl)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we bring in a heavy hitter - Murtada Elfadl of Sundays With Cate - to discuss the most-accomplished actress in the history of Hollywood: Meryl Streep. Among her TWENTY-ONE Oscar nominations, there are 4 B-Sides we dig up to examine: The Seduction Of Joe Tynan, Falling In Love, Before and After, and Prime.
We marvel at the cultural moment in which Alan Alda was a HUGE movie star, how handsome Bobby De Niro is in Falling In Love, how Alfred Molina nearly saves Before and After, and the wasted potential of Prime. Also noted is the limited, impressive career of director Ulu Grosbard and the propensity for movie studios to adapt provocative, best-selling novels in the ‘90s.
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 su…
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May 21, 2020
Ep. 51 – Saoirse Ronan (feat. Bill Graham)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we celebrate a young actress whose Oscar nominations are outmatched only by her B-Sides! It’s Saoirse Ronan time! The esteemed Bill Graham of The Film Stage Show joins us to discuss the Bronx-born, Ireland-raised starlet. B-Sides include Peter Weir’s The Way Back, Andrew Niccol’s The Host, Neil Jordan’s Byzantium, and Dominic Cooke’s On Chesil Beach.
We dive into the historical accuracies and inaccuracies of The Way Back, the similarities between The Host and The Twilight Saga, the slightly immortality-positive POV of Byzantium, the narrative structure of On Chesil Beach and Ronan’s penchant for making movies based on books!
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 Pa…
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May 7, 2020
Ep. 50 – 50th Episode Special
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we celebrate our 50th episode! What a ride it has been. So many B-Sides, so little time! Dan and Conor go down memory lane a bit, recalling some past subjects and other B-sides of theirs we *did not* cover. We talk about movies we’ve been watching during quarantine, including Justin Kurzel’s True History of the Kelly Gang, the Chris Hemsworth-actioner Extraction, Vin Diesel’s Bloodshot and the Columbia Noir Collection on The Criterion Channel.
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!
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Apr 23, 2020
Ep. 49 – Keira Knightley (feat. Joel Arnold)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we celebrate a modern-day star with a penchant for the past: the one & only Keira Knightley! Dan and Conor are joined by writer, comedian, podcaster, and friend Joel Arnold, of Ineffable! A Cats Movie Podcast & DnDnDPod. The four Keira B-Sides we discuss include Domino, The Duchess, Never Let Me Go, and last year’s immediate wartime B-Side The Aftermath. We also mention Lynn Shelton’s Laggies and Lorene Scafaria’s Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.
We gush over how great Mark Romanek’s Never Let Me Go is, dish on the real-life history behind The Duchess and talk through the narrative choices made in The Aftermath. As for Domino, well, that’s a whole other thing.
Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channe…
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Apr 9, 2020
Ep. 48 – Katharine Hepburn (feat. Nate Washburn)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we travel back in time to talk Katharine Hepburn. Conor and Dan are joined by Nate Washburn, the talented actor/writer who runs the great The Classic Hollywood Movie You Should Know. The four Hepburn B-Sides we discuss include: Sylvia Scarlett, Mary of Scotland, Keeper of the Flame, and Undercurrent. It’s an eclectic mix of performances from one of the best to ever do it.
We dig into the lifelong relationship between Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, examine the differences between Mary of Scotland and 2018’s Mary Queen of Scots, praise the theater actress Audrey Christie, discuss the ways one could reimagine the thriller Undercurrent for the modern day and tiptoe around Charles Lindbergh while we discuss Keeper of the Flame.
Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our givea…
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Mar 26, 2020
Ep. 47 – In Conversation with: Brian Koppelman
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about filmmakers and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they directed in between.
As we all stay safe and keep our social distance, here is a very special episode for you all. The incredibly-talented writer/director Brian Koppelman joined us to discuss his accomplished career, specifically the two feature films he directed with David Levien: Knockaround Guys and Solitary Man. If you’re a film fan, you know Koppelman and Levien for Rounders, the John Dahl movie starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton that gained cult status as poker became a mainstream sport. The duo wrote the script for the film, highlighting their specific style of dialogue that lives on to this day.
Koppelman and Levien are currently busy with their hit show Billions, which we discuss as being a culmination of their work in some ways. We also mention Koppelman’s discovering Tracy Chapman many years ago, his masterful 30 f…
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Mar 19, 2020
Ep. 46 – Jet Li (feat. Brian J. Roan)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we dig deep into the surprisingly eclectic career of action star Jet Li. Yes, Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan (in which Li appears) has been delayed. But we decided to go ahead and record anyway, virus be damned!
Now, although the Wushu legend made a name for himself stateside with an effective villain role in 1998’s Lethal Weapon 4, he had helped revitalize the martial arts film in China a half-a-decade earlier.
Our B-Sides for this episode include: Kiss Of The Dragon, Cradle 2 The Grave, War, and The Forbidden Kingdom. Despite our focus on Li’s Hollywood output, we encourage our listeners to seek out stuff like Once Upon A Time In China, Hero, Fearless and Ocean Heaven. Conor and Dan are joined by good friend, Master Distiller at Shmidt Spirits, and The Film Stage Show host Brian J. Roan (@Brian…
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Mar 5, 2020
Ep. 45 – Ben Affleck (feat. Marie Bardi)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we don our phoenix tattoos, we get honest with ourselves, we blaze our very own comeback trail talking Ben Affleck! With his drama The Way Back in theaters, we discuss four past B-Sides you may have missed: 1999’s Sandy Bullock-meets-Ben rom-com Forces of Nature, 2000’s Gwyneth-meets-Ben high-concept romance Bounce, 2002’s Sam Jackson-meets-Ben thriller Changing Lanes and, last-but-least, 2006’s Ben-Plays-Superman noir Hollywoodland. In between these B-sides exists the movie star’s career nadir, including Gigli, Paycheck and Surviving Christmas (which we already discussed in our holiday episode). Conor and Dan are joined by Marie Bardi (@mariebardi), New York-based producer and avowed Ben Affleck fan.
We talk about the phrase “strip dancing” and if anybody actually says it, we debate the traject…
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Feb 20, 2020
Ep. 44 – Harrison Ford
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we discuss the greatest movie star of them all: Mr. Harrison Ford! With his new film The Call Of The Wild now in theaters, Dan Mecca and Conor O’Donnell talk about a handful of B-Sides from the legend’s long career. After being a contract player in the late ‘60s, Ford began popping up in stuff like Getting Straight and American Graffiti in the early ‘70s ahead of his breakout turn as Han Solo in 1977’s Star Wars.
Following his first (and only) Oscar nomination for Witness, Ford re-teamed with director Peter Weir for our first B-Side, The Mosquito Coast. Two years later, he worked with Roman Polanski on the Hitchcockian thriller Frantic. After an incredible box office run from 1988 to 1997, his luck turned a bit with the adventure comedy Six Days, Seven Nights. Finally, we cover a couple of notable, l…
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Feb 6, 2020
Ep. 43 – Jim Carrey (feat. Evan Cutler Wattles)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we talk about some serious movies from iconic funny guy Jim Carrey, star of the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog. After making his bones on In Living Color, the elastic performer had what is arguably the greatest movie star year ever. With The Mask, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Dumb and Dumber all coming out in 1994 to various degrees of large success, Carrey was a household name. We talk about what happened after. Joining the podcast is Evan Cutler Wattles, a filmmaker in New York City who runs the impressive production company SILENTFACE.
Our movies include the 2001 Frank Darabont flop The Majestic, the 2005 remake Fun With Dick And Jane, the 2007 thriller The Number 23 and, finally, the based-on-a-true-crime drama Dark Crimes.
We discuss how and why someone makes a movie like The Number 23, the insane real-l…
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Jan 23, 2020
Ep. 42 – Hugh Grant (feat. Joseph Galbo)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we cross the pond to talk about Hugh Grant, the floppy-haired Brit who made his fortune in rom-coms and never felt great about it. Though he is in character actor mode now - currently in Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen - we look back to the 90s and his stratospheric rise to stardom. Conor and I are joined by Joseph Galbo, a good friend and big-time film fan who does impressive work for the wonderfully bizarre USCPSC, the social media account for the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Our movies include the little-seen Mike Newell picture An Awfully Big Adventure, the incredibly charming The Englishman who Went up a Hill but Came down a Mountain, the high concept Extreme Measures, and 1999’s mobster comedy Mickey Blue Eyes.
We discuss the fascinating unlikeability of An Awfully Big Adventure as well as it…
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Jan 9, 2020
Ep. 41 – Jack Nicholson (feat. Katharine Clark Gray)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today we tackle legend Jack Nicholson, a movie star whose got enough B-Sides to warrant a handful of episodes. We bring back one of our favorite guests to do the job: Katherine Clark Gray, playwright & screenwriter for Uncompromised Creative as well as podcast writer for “Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman”.
The films we cover today include: The Two Jakes, Man Trouble, The Evening Star, The Pledge and How Do You Know. We discuss Jack Nicholson and Robert Towne’s failed hopes for a third Chinatown movie, the insane amount of money Jack was paid for How Do You Know and why his performance in The Pledge is one of the best he’s ever given.
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 contri…
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Dec 24, 2019
Ep. 40 – A Very B-Side Holiday
Happy Holidays from The B-Side and The Film Stage! Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. Today we break precedent and talk genre baby.
As we round out 2019, we decided we’d chat about a few B-Side holiday movies we love and a few we...do not like as much. These include the top-notch dark comedy The Ice Harvest, the weird-as-heck The Nutcracker and the Four Realms and the new Disney+ film Noelle.
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!
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Dec 19, 2019
Ep. 39 – Carrie Fisher (feat. Courtney Enlow)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
Today, we celebrate royalty. Carrie Fisher had an eclectic career, to say the very least. From her tumultuous childhood with mother Debbie Reynolds to her young career defined as Princess Leia to her final stage as an accomplished writer and advocate for those struggling with depression. Conor O’Donnell and I are joined by Courtney Enlow, associate editor of Syfy Wire fangirls and the co-host on podcasts Trends Like These and Strong Female Characters.
The B-Sides discussed include Under The Rainbow, Garbo Talks, Hollywood Vice Squad, The Time Guardian, Appointment With Death, and She’s Back. Carrie had a long, B-Sidey 80s folks!
Of course, Postcards From The Edge comes up, as does Carrie Fisher’s final book and her brief tryst with Harrison Ford. We also shout-out Courtney’s fantastic piece on Britney Spear…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 38 – Adam Sandler (feat. Jordan Raup)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
With the Safdie Brothers’ Uncut Gems soon out in theaters, we dive into the B-Sides of Adam Sandler with esteemed guest & Click lover Jordan Raup. Along with podcast producer Conor O’Donnell, we discuss the buddy comedy Bulletproof, the buddy dramedy Reign Over Me, the family comedy Bedtime Stories, and Men, Women & Children, a movie that did, in fact, get made.
Don’t fret, The Cobbler is not forgotten. Other subjects include Sandler’s unceremonious departure from SNL, his everlasting likeability and willingness to give himself over to the filmmakers.
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!
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 37 – Robert De Niro and Al Pacino (The Irishman Edition)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
In honor of Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, myself and Conor O’Donnell dig into the directorial efforts of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. While the two performers are often lumped together in the world of cinema, their filmmaking styles are about as different as their acting styles. That is to say VERY different! We examine A Bronx Tale and The Good Shepherd from the more formalist De Niro, and Looking For Richard, Chinese Coffee, Wilde Salome and Salome from a process-obsessed Pacino.
We talk about the duo’s long friendship, Pacino’s humble awareness of his own legacy, De Niro’s growth as a storyteller between his two films and much, much more.
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 Pat…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 36 – Matt Damon
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. Today we explore the career of a B-Side prince: Matt Damon. From his Oscar-laden breakout film Good Will Hunting to the upcoming Ford v Ferrari, the Boston-born filmmaker has made many hit movies, and twice as many that were underseen. And don’t get us started on all of the cameos!
Our Damon-focused episode explores Gerry, The Brothers Grimm, Hereafter and The Great Wall. We discuss the career of Terry Gilliam and his many troubles making Grimm. We dive into the tragic inspiration behind Gerry as well as Gus Van Sant and Matt Damon’s desire to experiment with long camera shots. We gauge how accurate podcast producer Conor O’Donnell’s review of The Great Wall was from a couple of years back. And, finally, we talk about that weird tagline for the new Clint Eastwood movie.
Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitc…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 35 – John Carpenter (feat. Alex Sherman)
Happy Halloween! In keeping with a now two-year tradition, we are examining the B-Sides of those involved with the Halloween franchise in honor of the spooooky holiday. This time, we talk John Carpenter. The master filmmaker has been doing a lot with a little for a long time, while fighting to keep his originality when given a bigger budget.
Here, we discuss Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992), Vampires (1998), Ghosts of Mars (2001), and The Ward (2010) with special guest, author and editor Alex Sherman.
The director has been very honest about his process, extremely critical of the Hollywood system, and famously protective of his creations. Case in point, his contract regarding Snake Plissken.
We discuss the reasons why Ice Cube laments making Ghosts of Mars and the reasons why Carpenter laments critics taking it seriously. We discuss the two Jason Statham vs. Jet Li action movies (The One & War). And, finally, we discuss this stunning photo of young Ralph Fiennes.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 34 – Will Smith
Here we are once again, folks. This time on The B-Side, from The Film Stage, we go Big Willie Style. An enduring bright light in a time of fading movie stars, myself and producer Conor O’Donnell talk through the films that didn’t quite hit.
Specifically, Seven Pounds, After Earth, Focus and Collateral Beauty. So, as Gemini Man hits theaters, join us as we dissect why exactly the Fresh Prince made these movies, what works, what doesn’t and what’s next.
We talk about the Kevin Smith/Wild Wild West spider story, the insane voice cast for Dreamworks’ Shark Tale and the Scientology-ish undertones in After Earth.
Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and Overcast. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 33 – Sylvester Stallone (feat. Chadd Harbold)
Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy this new episode of The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we examine movies from established movie stars that have flopped at the box office, been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones.
And, man oh man, does Sly have a bunch of other ones. We cover one movie from each decade of the movie star’s career: his directorial debut Paradise Alley in 1978, the prison drama Lock Up from 1989, James Mangold’s Cop Land (1997), the remake Get Carter and, finally, Bullet To The Head from 2013.
We get a bad impression from podcast producer Conor O’Donnell and some sharp insight from our guest Chadd Harbold, an accomplished filmmaker with two films in theaters right now: Depraved, directed by Larry Fessenden, and Villains, starring Bill Skarsgård and Maika Monroe. He’s also the writer/director of the film Long Nights, Short Mornings.
The three of us discuss Sl…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 32 – Angela Bassett
Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy this new episode of The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we examine movies from established movie stars that have flopped at the box office, been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones.
From strong early work in masterpieces like Boyz n The Hood and Malcolm X to her recent work in Netflix’s Otherhood and Fox’s television show 9-1-1, Angela Bassett has done it all. Here we focus on Kathryn Bigelow’s Strange Days, Wes Craven’s Vampire in Brooklyn, Walter Hill (er Thomas Lee)’s Supernova and John Sayles’ Sunshine State. It’s an eclectic foursome that reflects Bassett’s dynamic range.
Other digressions include Eddie Murphy blaming the failure of Vampire in Brooklyn on his wig and Angie confidently declaring that she WAS robbed of an Oscar for her performance in What’s Love Got to Do With it.
Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or Ove…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 31 – Jennifer Lopez (feat. Lucas Verga)
Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy this new episode of The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we examine movies from established movie stars that have flopped at the box office, been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones.
Today, as we all celebrate the forthcoming release of Lorene Scafaria’s Hustlers in our own way, here we discuss Jennifer Lopez, the multi-hyphenate queen herself. We take a tour of her acting career, starting with Oliver Stone’s nutty U Turn in 1997, passing through the strange melodrama Angel Eyes (2001), tackling a more comedic performance in 2013’s Parker and finishing up with the camp mini-classic The Boy Next Door from 2015.
We mention the infamous Movieline interview and her reaction to it, we debate first edition copies of The Iliad, settle on how J-Lo continues to be an underrated actress and how something like that is even possible.
Subscribe on iTunes,…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 30 – Gerard Butler
Ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy this new episode of The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we examine movies from established movie stars that have flopped at the box office, been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. Today, in honor (?) of Angel Has Fallen, we discuss Scotland’s own Gerard Butler. Following his star-making turn in Zack Snyder’s 300, Butler headlined a slew of projects, mostly action programmers and romantic comedies.
In 2011 & 2012, he released four unsuccessful movies that ran the gamut of available genres: the misguided awards push Machine Gun Preacher, the Ralph Fiennes-directed Coriolanus, the based-on-a-true-story surfer drama Chasing Mavericks and the soccer rom-com family dramedy (?) Playing For Keeps.
We talk about the modes where Butler’s rugged good looks are best utilized, the controversies that surrounded Machine Gun Preacher upon its release, the…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 29 – Pierce Brosnan (feat. Michael Snydel)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies from established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. Today, we talk Pierce Brosnan, Ireland’s first son. Per request from our lovely guest, The Film Stage Show’s own Michael Snydel, we dive into the actor’s immediate post-Bond filmography. More specifically, we talk Evelyn, The Matador, Seraphim Falls & Married Life.
First famous in the early ‘80s with starring roles in the television mini-series Manions of America & hit show Remington Steele, Brosnan built out a diverse resume into the ‘90s before winning the role as James Bond in 1995’s GoldenEye. The rest, as they say, is history.
Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, or Pocket Casts. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 28 – Leonardo DiCaprio (feat. Gavin Mevius)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies from established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. Today, in conjunction with the release of Quentin Tarantino’s new film Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, we talk Leonardo DiCaprio with the very talented Gavin Mevius, co-host of The Mixed Reviews Podcast.
Perhaps the biggest movie star in the world at the young age of 23, Leo followed up his lead role in Titanic with a couple of quintessential B-Sides: The Man In The Iron Mask and The Beach. We also make quick mention of Woody Allen’s ‘98 film Celebrity, in which DiCaprio cameos as a pampered star. Our final two B-Sides consist of Body of Lies from 2008 and the oft-forgotten Oscar play J. Edgar. Watch out for those eye-color contacts and heavy make-up people!
Of course, the infamous “Pussy Posse” comes up, a…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 27 – Jake Gyllenhaal
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies from established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones.
With his superhero film now in theaters, we discuss the diverse career of Jake Gyllenhaal. Conor O’Donnell and I specifically dive into the quartet of b-sides: Proof, Brothers, Prince of Persia, and Stronger. As always, much more is covered and referenced. We also discussed how Gyllenhaal nearly took over the role of Spider-Man from Tobey Maguire before they would go on to collaborate in Brothers.
Subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, Overcast, Pocket Casts, or stream below. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 26 – Tom Hanks and Tim Allen (Toy Story Edition)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies from established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones.
Today, we get animated! Ahead of The Film Stage Show's Toy Story 4 review, we dive into the B-Sides of the voices behind Woody and Buzz, Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. Conor O’Donnell and myself talk The Man With One Red Shoe, Joe Versus The Volcano, Big Trouble, and Redbelt. It’s a wide variety that speaks to the diversity of these two talented performers. As always, much more is covered and referenced.
Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 25 – Warren Beatty (feat. Adam Drosin)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies from established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones.
Today, we talk about one of the movie stars. A man who has been famous for longer than you have been alive. We’re talking Warren Beatty. Conor O’Donnell and myself bring on movie nerd & good friend Adam Drosin to discuss McCabe & Mrs. Miller, The Fortune, Dick Tracy and Rules Don’t Apply. Yes, we cheated with a couple of A-Sides in there, but not to worry, we talk about a whole lot more.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 24 – Meg Ryan (feat. Julie Mecca)
Welcome to The B-Side. Here we explore movies from established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones.
Today, we celebrate America’s blonde-haired sweetheart Meg Ryan. In honor of a belated Mother’s Day and making her triumphant return, Dan and Conor are joined by Dan’s mom Julie to talk Hanging Up, Proof of Life, and Against The Ropes. Don’t fret, In The Cut and Restoration get some play as well. So many accents! So little time!
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!
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 23 – John Singleton
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies from established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones.
Today, however, we break the mold to celebrate a legend. Host Dan Mecca is joined by podcast producer Conor O’Donnell to talk about the films of director John Singleton, who passed away at the young age of 51 in late April. Though we go through all nine feature films he directed, we focus on Poetic Justice, Rosewood, and Baby Boy.
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!
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 22 – The Avengers: Part II (Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth)
Welcome to The B-Side, a podcast from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies featuring established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of the most well-known names in the business.
Specifically, we pick out the original six Avengers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and talk about some of their B-Sides. After discussing the B-Sides of Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Evans on Part I, this week we turn to Mark Ruffalo (The Brothers Bloom), Jeremy Renner (Kill the Messenger), and Chris Hemsworth (In the Heart of the Sea and a dash of Rush). We also discuss Avengers: Endgame and what we hope to see from these stars following each of their elongated stints in superhero-land.
Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and sup…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 21 – The Avengers: Part I (Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Joahnsson, Chris Evans)
Welcome to The B-Side, a podcast from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies featuring established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of the most well-known names in the business.
Specifically, we pick out the original six Avengers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and talk about some of their B-Sides. This one’s a two-parter so get ready! We start with Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Evans, discussing the B-Sides The Singing Detective, The Perfect Score, and The Nanny Diaries. Next week we’ll tackle Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Jeremy Renner, plus our reactions to Avengers: Endgame and what we hope to see from these stars following each of their elongated stints in superhero-land. Also, stay tuned to The Film Stage Show for the…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 20 – Humphrey Bogart (feat. Nate Washburn)
Welcome to The B-Side, a podcast from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies featuring established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of the most well-known names in the business.
In the latest episode, Dan Mecca is joined by podcast producer Conor O’Donnell and Nate Washburn, a New York City-based actor and writer who is also the host of “The Classic Hollywood Movie You Should Know,” an online series that explores a variety of, well, classic Hollywood movies you should know. We discuss the B-Sides of Humphrey Bogart, the hard-edged star of Casablanca and The Treasure of Sierra Madre.
The films discussed here include Dead Reckoning, Dark Passage, Deadline U.S.A., and Beat The Devil. Also discussed is Bogie’s famous marriage to the far-younger sta…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 19 – Ryan Gosling (feat. Rachel Ingram)
Welcome to The B-Side, a podcast from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies featuring established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of the most well-known names in the business.
In the latest episode, Dan Mecca is joined by podcast producer Conor O’Donnell and Rachel Ingram, New York City-based actress and writer of the short film Homegoing, to discuss the B-Sides of Ryan Gosling. The films discussed include Murder by Numbers, The Slaughter Rule, The United States of Leland, Fracture, Lars and the Real Girl, and Song to Song. Plenty more is discussed, including Gosling’s penchant(?) for accents, different acting styles, and what we’d like to see him do next.
Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 18 – Colin Farrell (feat. Brian J. Roan)
Welcome to The B-Side, a podcast from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies starring established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones.
In a new episode, Dan Mecca is joined by podcast producer Conor O’Donnell and The Film Stage Show host Brian Roan to discuss the career of Irishman Colin Farrell, from the films that may have been met with a shrug but have aged beautifully (The New World, Miami Vice) to the rough spots (Hart's War, Daredevil) to the curiosities (Alexander) and beyond.
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!
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 17 – An Ode To The Almost-Movie Star: Julia Stiles
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies starring established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones.
This time around, we are mixing it up once more with another episode in our series called “Ode To The Almost Movie Star.” These are actors who don’t have B-Sides as much as they are B-Sides. This week we are talking Julia Stiles. From 10 Things I Hate About You to Jason Bourne, we explore the career of an actress who got the movie star shot at a very young age and found some quick success before it all went in another direction.
As she currently stars on the television show Riviera, join us in a dissection of what worked, what went wrong and what is still to come.
Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are als…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 16 – Arnold Schwarzenegger (feat. Cory Everett)
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies starring established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of the biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca is joined by podcast producer Conor O’Donnell and Cory Everett, creator of Cinephile: A Card Game (coming out summer 2019), to discuss the b-sides of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The films discussed include End Of Days, The 6th Day and Collateral Damage. Plenty more is explored, including Barbra Streisand’s cloned dogs (for real), that embarrassing final line in The World Is Not Enough, and those unforgettable puns from Batman & Robin. We also briefly mention some lesser-seen recent films he’s made, including Killing Gunther, Maggie & Aftermath.
Ente…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 15 – Kevin Costner (feat. Nicholas Gray)
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies starring established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca is joined by podcast producer Conor O’Donnell and writer/director Nicholas Gray to discuss the b-sides of Kevin Costner.
The films discussed include A Perfect World, The War, The Postman, Thirteen Days, 3000 Miles To Graceland and Dragonfly. Plenty more is discussed, including a brutal story about the Tony Scott movie Revenge and gossip on the set of Waterworld and what happens when two movies about the same subject come out around the same time.
Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patre…
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 14 – Brad Pitt
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca is joined by Conor O'Donnell to discuss the early b-sides of Brad Pitt's career, namely Meet Joe Black and Spy Game.
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!
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 13 – Denzel Washington
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca is joined by Conor O'Donnell on to discuss the early B-sides of Denzel Washington's career.
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!
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 12 – Charlize Theron (feat. Katharine Clark Gray)
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established movie stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca invites Katie Clark Gray and Conor O'Donnell on to discuss the b-side Charlize Theron's career.
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!
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 11 – An Ode To The Almost-Movie Star: Josh Hartnett
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established movie stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca expands his lens and takes a look at the history of the movie star and those that nearly entered the A-list, but never made it, notably Josh Hartnett.
Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
The Film Stage is supported by MUBI, a curated online cinema streaming a selection of exceptional independent, classic, and award-winning films from around the world. Each day, MUBI hand-picks a new gem and you have one month to watch it. Try it for free at mubi.com/filmstage.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 10 – Richard Gere (feat. Julie Mecca)
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established movie stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca and a very special guest, his mom Julie Mecca, discuss the b-side to Richard Gere's career.
Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
The Film Stage is supported by MUBI, a curated online cinema streaming a selection of exceptional independent, classic, and award-winning films from around the world. Each day, MUBI hand-picks a new gem and you have one month to watch it. Try it for free at mubi.com/filmstage.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 09 – Winona Ryder (feat. Cory Everett)
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established movie stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca and Cory Everett discuss the b-side to Winona Ryder's career.
Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 08 – Jamie Lee Curtis (feat. Theresa Scott)
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established movie stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca and Theresa Scott discuss the b-side to Jamie Lee Curtis's career, including Perfect, Blue Steel, and more.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 07 – Anne Hathaway (feat. Jared Mobarak)
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established movie stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca and Jared Mobarak discuss the b-side to Anne Hathaway's career.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 06 – Cate Blanchett (feat. Karen Kemmerle & Gavin Mevius)
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established movie stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca, Karen Kemmerle, and Gavin Mevius discuss the b-side to Cate Blanchett's career, specifically her post-Elizabeth roles.
If you're in Buffalo, don't miss Dan Mecca in person as he presents his new short film Regular, playing this Saturday at 9pm at Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center as part of the Buffalo International Film Festival. Get tickets here.
Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 05 – Matthew McConaughey
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established movie stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca and Conor O'Donnell discuss the b-side to Matthew McConaughey's career, specifically the films he made in between How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and the beginning of The McConaissance, The Lincoln Lawyer.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 04 – Hugh Jackman (feat. Gavin Mevius)
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established movie stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca and Gavin Mevius discuss the b-side to Hugh Jackman's career, specifically the films he made in between X-Men and X2, in advance of this fall's The Front Runner.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 03 – Keanu Reeves
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established movie stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca and Conor O'Donnell discuss The B-Side to Keanu Reeves' career, specifically the films he made in between The Matrix and its sequels, in advance of the release of Destination Wedding.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 02 – Jason Statham (feat. Jordan Raup)
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established movie stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In the latest episode, Dan Mecca and Jordan Raup discuss The B-Side to Jason Statham's career, in advance of the release of The Meg.
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Dec 5, 2019
Ep. 01 – Tom Cruise
Welcome to The B-Side, a new podcast from The Film Stage where we explore movies starring established movie stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time or remain hidden gems. These aren't the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of biggest names in the business. In this first episode, Dan Mecca and Conor O'Donnell discuss The B-Side to Tom Cruise's career, in advance of the release of Mission: Impossible - Fallout.
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