Cinema Junkie
459 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 41 ratingsSatisfy your celluloid addiction with the "Cinema Junkie" podcast, where you can mainline film 24/7. This film and entertainment series is run by KPBS Film Critic Beth Accomando. So if you need a film fix, want to hear what filmmakers have to say about their work, or just want to know what's worth seeing this weekend, then you've come to the right place.
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Episodes
Crew Call: 'Anatomy of a Fall' film editor
February 20, 2024 16:47 - 29 minutes - 66.6 MBCinema Junkie is doing another Crew Call edition, this time to speak with Laurent Sénéchal whose fine work on 'Anatomy of a Fall' just garnered him a Best Film Editing Oscar nomination. He’ll explain what a film editor actually does and discuss the fine art of building tension, suspense, and a sly sense of ambiguity.
BONUS Episode: Holiday Movies
December 21, 2023 20:45 - 23 minutes - 43.4 MBCinema Junkie's Beth Accomando and Moviewallas' Yazdi Pithavala go shopping for the best films to watch this holiday season... and the lumps of coal to avoid.
Apple TV+: From 'Slow Horses' to big monsters
December 18, 2023 21:30 - 36 minutes - 67.5 MBApple TV Plus recently launched Season 3 of Slow Horses starring Gary Oldman as the disheveled, flatulent, and often drunk Jackson Lamb. It is also midway through its Monarch Legacy of Monsters show that expands Legendary’s Monsterverse. I had an opportunity to speak with some of the creative folks behind both shows. First, I’ll be speaking to Oldman and co-star Jack Lowden about where their characters are in this latest season of Mick Herron’s espionage tale. Then I will talk to the people b...
Discover 'The Secret Art of Human Flight'
November 10, 2023 23:30 - 32 minutes - 58.9 MBCinema Junkie speaks with Fil-Am filmmaker H. P. Mendoza about human flight, ghosts on the set, and 'grief release.'
Halloween 365
November 03, 2023 18:06 - 31 minutes - 57.6 MBCinema Junkie wants to extend the spooky season to 365 days a year with some home haunting and scary movies.
Errol Morris' 'The Pigeon Tunnel'
October 21, 2023 17:00 - 40 minutes - 55.7 MBCinema Junkie speaks with filmmaker Errol Morris about his new documentary "The Pigeon Tunnel," which explores the life and work of David Cornwell, better known by his pen name of John Le Carré.
Hispanic Heritage Month Film Recommendations
September 29, 2023 23:00 - 35 minutes - 33 MBCinema Junkie invites Moises Esparza to look back on ten years of programming for the San Diego Latino Film Festival and Digital Gym Cinema to curate a list of film recommendations for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Anna May Wong's Rendezvous with American History
August 24, 2023 17:10 - 38 minutes - 35.3 MBIn the early Twentieth Century, Anna May Wong was deemed too Chinese to play white roles and too American to play Chinese roles but that did not stop her from becoming an international icon. Cinema Junkie speaks with Yunte Huang, author of a new biography on the Asian American Actress.
Noir Bar
June 28, 2023 18:30 - 37 minutes - 69 MBGet ready for some intoxicating cocktails as well as hard drinking as TCM Noir Alley host Eddie Muller invites you to the Noir Bar on the latest Cinema Junkie.
Bringing Silent Films To Life
June 06, 2023 16:00 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MBBen Model has dedicated himself to creating music scores to bring silent films back to glorious life. This month marks a special anniversary for Model since it was ten years ago that he created Undercrank Productions to produce and distribute quality DVD and now Blu-ray releases of rare silent films featuring scores he has created. He discusses the process to creating these scores and his passion to save these films and share them with new audiences.
Film Noir Road Trip
May 11, 2023 00:30 - 37 minutes - 67.9 MBCinema Junkie takes a film noir road trip to Shanghai and the Old West by way of the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs. Can't make it? Then just use this as a roadmap for your own noir journey.
Celebrating TCM Underground
February 25, 2023 03:24 - 32 minutes - 74 MBFormer TCM programmer Millie DeChirico talks about her new book, "TCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema."
Get Shooked Part 3: Kevin Grevioux
February 11, 2023 18:12 - 18 minutes - 42.8 MBIn the final episode of Cinema Junkie's three-part series focused on Black Com!x Day's Get Shooked! New Masters of Horror panel, Kevin Grevioux talks about his latest projects, owning your own IPs, and monsters.
Get Shooked Part 2: John Jennings
February 10, 2023 07:17 - 29 minutes - 67.8 MBCinema Junkie continues its three-part series talking with the Get Shooked panelists coming for Black Comix Day. In this episode, John Jennings talks about cosmic superheroes, a crowd-funded horror anthology, and getting hooked on comics.
Get Shooked Part One: Rodney Barnes
February 09, 2023 07:30 - 33 minutes - 77.2 MBCinema Junkie speaks with three of the new masters of horror contributing stories to the new comics anthology "Shook." In Part One, Rodney Barnes talks about vampires, real world horror and juggling a career in TV, film and comics.
Official guide to Godzilla
December 21, 2022 18:19 - 41 minutes - 38.5 MBAt 68, Japan's Godzilla is nowhere near ready for retirement. Toho's iconic monster was born out of an atomic blast in 1954 and now is poised for a live action series called "Godzilla and the Titans" as well as a cinematic rematch with Kong set for 2024 . Plus the famous kaiju is the topic of a new coffee table book that makes a perfect gift. Cinema Junkie talks with author Graham Skipper about "Godzilla: The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters."
Viva Hollywood
December 17, 2022 21:54 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBAuthor Luis Reyes explores the legacy of Latin and Hispanic artists in American film in his new TCM book "Viva Hollywood."
Bonus Episode: Giving Thanks for TÁR
November 24, 2022 21:14 - 20 minutes - 18.7 MBFor Thanksgiving Moviewallas' Yazdi Pithavala joins Cinema Junkie to give thanks for the film "TÁR."
Bonus Episode: See It on 16mm
October 19, 2022 19:32 - 14 minutes - 12.9 MBWhat makes someone feel driven to tour around with a film projector in tow and screen films on 16mm? Find out on this Bonus edition of Cinema Junkie.
The slow burn of 'Speak No Evil'
September 17, 2022 17:24 - 26 minutes - 36.1 MBGet ready for slow burn horror of "Speak No Evil.” I got to see “Speak No Evil” at virtual Sundance earlier this year. It was my favorite film of the festival and it’s in my top ten for 2022. It’s intense and anxiety inducing but executed with such an elegant, subdued style that I was completely riveted from opening frame to last. It takes a left turn that shocked me in a way similar to Bone Tomahawk and it made me uncomfortable in the same way Michael Haneke’s films make me feel. So I can’t ...
Celebrating Star Wars
July 29, 2022 17:32 - 42 minutes - 39.4 MBVICE TV’s Icons Unearthed Star Wars and Disney Plus’ Light and Magic serve up a wealth of interviews and behind the scenes materials that will dazzle and delight not just Star Wars fans but anybody who loves movies and the creative process. Icons Unearthed boasts the first on camera interview with Lucas’s ex-wife and the Oscar winning editor of A New Hope, Marcia Lucas, while Light and Magic was made by Lawrence Kasdan with the full support of Lucasfilm and access to its archives. Both shows ...
Cinema Junkie Goes Bonkers Ass
July 15, 2022 15:45 - 47 minutes - 44.1 MBGet ready for a bonkers ass ride through the wildest and most extreme horror and exploitation cinema as Greg Dohler and author Matt Rotman take the wheel to kick a new season of Cinema Junkie into high gear.
Bonus Episode: Bold Visionaries
June 18, 2022 19:30 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBCinema Junkie is on a season break but serves up this Bonus Podcast on the bold visionaries behind "Mad God" and "Neptune Frost."
Bonus Episode: TCM Classic Film Festival
April 21, 2022 23:49 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBTCM Classic Film Festival is back in person in Hollywood. TCM host Alicia Malone and TCM programmer Scott McGee will both be at the festival to sign copies of their new books. Cinema Junkie speaks with both authors.
Bonus Episode: 'Slow Horses'
April 02, 2022 14:00 - 31 minutes - 58 MBCinema Junkie speaks with actors Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas and Jack Lowden as well as director James Hawes about bringing Micke Herron's acclaimed spy novel "Slow Horses" to the small screen. The Apple Original series is currently streaming.
Robert Duvall reflects on 'The Godfather'
March 22, 2022 21:30 - 12 minutes - 23.4 MBThis year marks the 50th anniversary of Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather." Actor Robert Duvall played Tom Hagen and talks about working on the classic film.
Bonus Episode: The Tragedy of Macbeth
January 24, 2022 23:00 - 2 weeks - 37.7 MBJoel Coen’s "The Tragedy of Macbeth," currently streaming on Apple TV+, came in at number three on my ten best list for 2021. It’s breathtakingly cinematic and delivers Shakespeare’s play in a kind of stripped down, minimalist fashion that removes all excess props, scenery and even color. For a play whose language is soaked in blood, Coen boldly renders it in stark black and white. His adaptation is strikingly clean and crisp even as it is shrouded in fog and darkness. Coen, making his solo...
Talking noir dames with the Nitrate Diva
December 17, 2021 20:00 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBCinema Junkie extends Noir-vember because one month was not enough time to explore the spectrum of women found on the shadowy streets of film noir. Nora Fiore, the Nitrate Diva, returns for part two of Noir Dames, a look beyond the usual suspects of femme fatales to check out such intriguing female characters as the Lady Sleuth, The Glamorous Victim and the Good Girl. Yes, believe it or not film noir offers up some admirable dames who challenge expectations by providing, as Fiore says, "a g...
Talking noir dames with The Nitrate Diva, Part One
November 26, 2021 17:00 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBNoir dames. None were sassier, sexier or more lethal than the women of film noir. They lied, stole, cheated, murdered and more importantly just refused to conform to any standard notions of femininity. They might not have been positive role models but they were fascinating and they had agency. Cinema Junkie celebrates Noir-vember by continuing its discussion of film noir with a look to Noir Dames with Nora Fiore, The Nitrate Diva. We explore such favorite femme fatales as Jane Greer in "Out ...
Down Noir Alley With Eddie Muller
November 13, 2021 00:59 - 48 minutes - 49.6 MBFemme fatales, private dicks, wooden kimonoes... welcome to the world of film noir. The term was coined by French film critics to describe a style of cinema rooted in hard-boiled crime fiction of the 1940s. It revealed a darkness and cynicism that challenged audiences with something new — a world where women used sex to get what they wanted, where betrayal and deceit were to be expected, and murder was a given. Classic noir is usually defined as films made between 1941 and late 1950s. It’s ma...
John Le Carré's Real World Spies
October 29, 2021 19:00 - 52 minutes - 61.8 MBCinema Junkie takes on another mission, this time to explore the world of spies presented in the film and television adaptations of John Le Carré's books. Previously on Cinema Junkie we looked at the fantasy world of Ian Fleming’s James Bond and now we move on to the grittier, more realistic world of John Le Carré’s spies of the Cold War and beyond. Joining Cinema Junkie once again are spy aficionados Gary Dexter and Jeff Quest, both are regular contributors to Shane Whaley's Spybrary Podca...
Bond. James Bond. Part Two
October 22, 2021 16:00 - 43 minutes - 51.6 MBCinema Junkie speaks again with espionage aficionados and Spybrary Podcast contributors Gary Dexter and Jeff Quest (of spywrite.com) to look at the evolution of female characters across nearly six decades of films, and to assess what makes a good Bond and what each of the six actors in the Eon Productions' official 25 007 movies have brought to the role. We also discuss producer Barbara Broccoli's contribution to the franchise and where it might go after "No Time To Die." Please check out pa...
Bond. James Bond. Part One
October 08, 2021 19:00 - 30 minutes - 34.6 MBCinema Junkie Beth Accomando goes on a special mission with spy aficionados Gary Dexter and Jeff Quest to explore the cinematic and literary universe of James Bond 007. Get a spoiler-free review of "No Time To Die" and then enjoy part one of an in-depth and geeky exploration of the fantasy spy world of Ian Fleming's James Bond.
Asians On Screen From Yellow Peril To Superhero
September 22, 2021 19:00 - 45 minutes - 46.4 MBEarlier this month Marvel delivered its first Asian superhero in its cinematic universe with "Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." But it’s been a long hard road getting to this point in Hollywood. For the latest episode of Cinema Junkie, I speak with Brian Hu, artistic director of the San Diego Asian Film Festival, about the evolution of Asian images on screen from the stereotypes of yellow peril to Shang Chi. Hu will take us on a tour through early negative stereotypes of Fu Manchu...
Bonus Episode: Unpacking 'Candyman'
September 17, 2021 13:00 - 27 minutes - 26.2 MBThe new "Candyman" has a lot to unpack for a 90-minute horror film. It cleverly continues the story of the original 1992 film that boasted Tony Todd in the title role but it is also a stunning reimagining of the character through a Black lens. The new film was directed by Nia Da Costa and co-written by Da Costa and Jordan Peele. I invited UC Riverside professor of media and cultural studies John Jennings to join me for a bonus podcast where we peel back just a few of the many layers of this ...
Marvel's 'Shang-Chi' Director Destin Cretton
September 08, 2021 19:00 - 43 minutes - 39.7 MBIt's not often that I get to say that I was there when a filmmaker's career began but I can say that about Destin Cretton. Currently he is ushering in Marvel's first Asian superhero with "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" but two decades ago he was a student who had not yet even thought about being a filmmaker. But then he attended the student film festival I ran called Film School Confidential and met San Diego State University professor and filmmaker Greg Durbin and decided to enro...
Hooray For Bollywood, Part 2
August 25, 2021 19:00 - 36 minutes - 35.3 MBGet ready for the Indian Macbeth, Mumbai noir, and Bollywood rap. Cinema Junkie returns to India for Hooray For Bollywood, Part 2. This time we look to contemporary Bollywood cinema and redefine the term for India's film industry today. Joining me again are the podcasters of Moviewallas: Yazdi Pithavala, Rashmi Gandhi, and Joseph Djan. And joining us for Share Your Addiction is Ryan Bradford of Awkward San Diego. Plus, check out the latest Geeky Gourmet video where I will show you the perf...
Hooray For Bollywood, Part 1
August 11, 2021 17:00 - 34 minutes - 47.9 MBThere is nothing quite like a Bollywood film. It’s about impossibly gorgeous stars, deliciously overripe melodrama, spectacular production numbers, an explosion of colors, and music with such an irresistible beat that even someone with two left feet feels inspired to get up and dance. This month, in honor of Indian Independence, I look to Bollywood cinema. In order to tackle the huge expanse of Bollywood film I decided to invite the trio of Moviewallas podcasters --Yazdi Pithavala, Rashmi G...
Crew Call: Stunt Performers Edition
July 28, 2021 21:00 - 34 minutes - 47.7 MBWhen Brad Martin goes into work there’s a very real possibility his boss could ask to set him on fire. That's because he’s a stunt man. Comic-Con just wrapped up another virtual edition and I’ll be wrapping up July’s theme of celebrating pop culture by highlighting Brad Martin and Mickey Faccinello, who have both worked on the wildly successful Marvel franchise. They share stories about how you can become a stunt person and what the job entails from being set on fire to wire work to motion ...
Critical Thinking And The Marvel Cinematic Universe
July 14, 2021 16:00 - 34 minutes - 47.2 MBCinema Junkie has been on a quarantine break but I decided that July, the month of Comic-Con, would be a great time to make a comeback. My first guest is someone who not only fits the spirit of Comic-Con, but also is a longtime friend and frequent Cinema Junkie guest and that is Dr. Arnold T. Blumberg, a.k.a. Doctor of the Dead. We've bonded over zombies in the past and now I want to tap into a different side of his expertise to talk about comic book movies. Blumberg has the distinction of ...
Escape From Quarantine
July 01, 2021 16:45 - 3 minutes - 3.71 MB"Cinema Junkie" has been on a quarantine break, but returns healthier than ever on July 14. It will be a leaner, 30-minute format, but will still feature in-depth interviews with filmmakers, scholars and cinephiles. Hosted by KPBS film critic Beth Accomando, the new format will also feature new segments. Guests and listeners will share their rants and raves about movies through fun segments called "Share Your Addiction" and "Cold Turkey." Plus, Beth is adding a companion video for each po...
Black People And A Sense Of Place
February 27, 2021 14:00 - 58 minutes - 106 MBTo close out Black History Month I will be speaking with Caroline Collins, a post doctoral fellow in the department of Communication at UC San Diego, about films that look to Black people and a sense of place. We discuss films such as "Daughters of the Dust," "Eve’s Bayou," "Get Out," "Sorry To Bother You," "Last Black Man in San Francisco," and "Black Panther," and look to how each of those films defines a connection to the land or a place. She says, "There's just so much that we learn ab...
The Black Panther Party, Part Two
February 13, 2021 14:00 - 32 minutes - 59.8 MBMy celebration of Black History Month continues with Part Two of my interview with David F. Walker, author of the new graphic novel "The Black Panther Party." We finish our discussion about the Black Panthers with a focus on their social programs and how the FBI infiltrated the organization from its very beginning in order to bring it down. This leads into our discussion of the new film "Judas and the Black Messiah" that just started streaming on HBO Max. The film looks to Black Panther membe...
The Black Panther Party, Part One
February 05, 2021 20:00 - 33 minutes - 45.4 MBFor Black History Month I am dedicating a two-part podcast to the Black Panthers and speaking with author David F. Walker ("Bitter Root," "Shaft," "The Life of Frederick Douglas") about his new graphic novel "The Black Panther Party." In Part One, we discuss what inspired the book, about historical context (including the Kerner Commission Report), and about Marcus Kwame Anderson who illustrated the book. In Part Two we extend the conversation to the new film "Judas and the Black Messiah."
Giving Thanks To Film Editors, Part Three
December 19, 2020 21:30 - 47 minutes - 64.6 MBThe final episode in Cinema Junkie's Giving Thanks to Film Editors trilogy. This time I speak with Oscar-nominated film editor Paul Machliss. He has had a wildly creative and innovative partnership with director Edgar Wright on films such as "Baby Driver" and "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World." He talks about having to edit on the set for "Baby Driver" and then has some surprising recommendations for films that highlight diverse editing styles.
Giving Thanks To Film Editors, Part Two
December 04, 2020 17:00 - 42 minutes - 76.9 MBOn the last episode of Cinema Junkie I kicked off a trio of podcasts that give thanks to film editors. I started with an interview with Tatiana S Riegel, the Oscar-nominated film editor of "I, Tonya." Now I speak with Stephen Mirrione who has worked repeatedly with Steven Soderbergh and Alejandro Gonzales Innaritu, and won an Oscar for his editing on "Traffic." He provides insights into the craft of film editing and recommends what films you need to watch to appreciate how an editor can impac...
Giving Thanks For Film Editors, Part One
November 18, 2020 14:00 - 37 minutes - 50.9 MBJoin me in a three-part tribute to film editors. Most people can name a film's director and maybe even its writer, cinematographer or composer but far fewer can name editors. But film editors can alter performances, determine pace, and affect cinematic storytelling in so many ways. To kick off this three-part series is Tatiana S. Riegel, Oscar-nominated editor of "I, Tonya."
Halloween Double Dare Radio Dramas
October 31, 2020 10:12 - 37 minutes - 50.8 MBThis episode of Cinema Junkie serves up a Halloween Double Dare, playwright Michael Mizerany and I dare you to listen to a pair of his one-act horror plays. So turn out the lights, put on some headphones and enjoy an audio treat while sheltering at home this Halloween. Please note the plays contain explicit language and mature content. "Johnny and Babs Versus the Apocalypse" by Michael Mizerany Babs: Sydney Joyner Johnny: Marc Caro Stage Directions: David Janisch Inspired by the film "Nigh...
Bonus Episode: San Diego Asian Film Festival Innovates For Pandemic
October 21, 2020 21:00 - 25 minutes - 34.3 MBSan Diego Asian Film Festival's artistic director Brian Hu gives Cinema Junkie a preview of the most exciting films from Johnnie To's new boxing romance to Lav Diaz' epic Philippine melodrama to zombies in the Taiwan parliament. Festival runs Oct. 23 through 31 with Mystery Kung Fu Theater streaming live on Twitch!
Fascism Through The Lens Of Italian Cinema
October 17, 2020 19:00 - 1 hour - 82.4 MBCan films help us remember history so that we don't repeat it? That's the question Cinema Junkie poses to Kimber Quinney, professor of history at Cal State San Marcos, and Antonio Iannotta, artistic director of the San Diego Italian Film Festival. We look at the rise of fascism in Italy in the 1920s, 30s and 40s to see what lessons we might be able to learn that might apply to the U.S. right now. We discuss films such as "Rome, Open City," "Anni Difficilli," "The Garden of the Finzi-Continis,...