Essential NOLA Cinema

Michael Martin on THE SONS OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS

New Orleans theater-scene Renaissance man (and Bloody Nose Empty Pockets star) Michael Martin brings THE SONS OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS to the table, the 2011 doc about the birth of the first recognized gay Krewe in the 1960s, as told by the men who were instrumental in creating it as they put together their 40th anniversary ball. Archival home-movie footage mixes with photographs and newspapers to open a window into the culture of New Orleans in the 1960s, when Jim Garrison (aka Kevin Costner's character in JFK) was District Attorney and terrorized the gay population with public shaming campaigns and "morals raids" on clubs and bars. Michael dishes on New Orleans theater, Chicago, Mardi Gras, creating characters, and more.

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Recorded 7/10/20. Show index: Tim Wolff's baby • Krewe of Yuga • Jim Garrison vs Harry Connick Sr. • Co-co-editor Tim Watson • Home movies, 1960s-style • Miss Dixie's • New Orleans cultural civil war • Michael's journey • Krewes as country clubs • Parallels with Zulu • "A memorable and manageable amount of trouble" • New Orleans' insularity • Theater journeys • Camp vs Miss America • Mardi Gras blues • Creating "Trente-Sous Serge" from Laundry Day

Michael Martin • LAUNDRY DAY • BLOODY NOSE EMPTY POCKETS

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Sons of Tennessee Williams official site

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Nicholas Pino on EASY RIDER

Musician-writer-actor-rapper-filmmaker Nicholas Pino joins us to discuss EASY RIDER, the era-defining counter-cultural juggernaut starring Peter Fonda, directed by, co-written by, and co-starring Dennis Hopper, and financed by "Monkees money." Nick was in pre-production on his feature film debut BOSCO when COVID-19 stopped the world, a job acquired on the strength of his music videos, commercials, web series, and the great short film "The Funeral Band." The conversation between two South American-American screenwriters covers everything from the death of the counter-culture to the death of Captain America to the death of America itself, plus loads of insight into the filmmaking process.

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Recorded 6/11/20. Show index: Podcasts • Pies • Music → Film • Sound-alikes • Movie music • Groundbreakers • Taking risks • Mardi Gras '68 • Hopper & Fonda • Chaos as a plan • The Corman Effect • End of the 60s • Terry Southern • Structure & sound mix • Director Hopper • Redneck threats • Jack Nicholson • Time • End of the American Empire • Idealism • Polar opposites • Electric horses • Faces & the New Wave • Homogenization • D.I.Y. • Musician-Actors • Film=Hip-Hop • Nick's debut feature • Screenwriting • L.A. • LatinX diversity • Mardi Gras & capitalism • BOSCO & "Brown Gringo" • Jermaine Quiz • "British Quarter Hustler"

Nicholas Pino • "The Funeral Band" • Jealous Monk • DumbSmart Industries

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Jonathan Wood on THE BIG SHORT

At long last, the Hollywood South episode! New Orleans producer extraordinaire & longtime crew member Jonathan Wood joins us to discuss his first crew job on THE BIG SHORT, the Academy Award-winning true story of the 2007 housing market collapse that started the global recession. Director Adam Mackay surprised with his departure from broad comedy, whereas Wood surprised by turning his PA job into a staggering run of producing successful New Orleans-made shorts and features. Plus tales from the sets of THE BIG SHORT, GREEN BOOK, A QUIET STORM, JAY & SILENT BOB REBOOT, LAUNDRY DAY, BURNING ANNIE, and the LEH/Deep South grant-winning short "Plaquemines."

New Orleans people, A QUIET STORM is playing Chalmette Theaters this week July 3-9… Tickets on sale now!

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Recorded 5/26/20. Show index: The Production Department • Getting that 1st job • New Orleans as anywhere • A.D.s • The Future of extras • DGA • Budget & cast • Celebrities everywhere • The book • The script • The cutting room floor • Shooting in Harrah's casino • Chainsmoking cameo, FOLD, & local casting • Shared universe with LOGAN? • A Quiet Storm • NOVAC & post-Katrina training • The Bozo problem • Laundry Day crew catch-22 • Indie producing in New Orleans • Kevin Smith & indie spirit • Nickel and diming • Education gap • Square -1 • Above the Line • Deliverables • Burning Annie 1st AD story • New Orleans indie problems • Advice: -Mix & mingle -Be realistic -Share with filmmakers

Jonathan Wood • A Quiet Storm • The Reward • 9th Ward Justice • "Plaquemines"

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Stanley Gill on KING OF HERRINGS

Raised in New Orleans and seasoned in Los Angeles, local filmmaker Stanley B. Gill joins us to discuss KING OF HERRINGS, the New Orleans-shot 2013 drama from Eddie Jemison and Sean Richardson, starring a murderer's row of great character actors: David Jensen, Eddie Jemison, Wayne Peré, Joe Crest, Laura Lamson, Andrea Frankle, and John Mese.

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Recorded 5/6/20. Show index: Non-Euclidean geometry • Origins: drama school reunion • Chemistry • Taking big swings • Black & white cinematography • "Chernobyl" accents • Putting character actors in lead roles • Discovering the Michaels: Shannon & B. Jordan • Casting in New Orleans • King of New Orleans • Character as concept • Schizopolis • Big ideas, small scale • Original blog review • Poker & gambling • "Wrong Day" stories • Creativity > money

Stanley Gill • Hollywood South Blog

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Bill Arceneaux on WUSA

New Orleans film critic Bill Arceneaux dials up 1970's WUSA starring Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, and Anthony Perkins. Two drifters wander into the French Quarter to escape their past and fall in love in a 24-hour Lower Decatur dive bar, but it turns out it's their present they should be worried about. 60's counter-culture VS. Republican establishment, played out on location in the French Quarter. Is this movie mad or profound? Has New Orleans really not changed at all in fifty years? Could it be remade today? How was it almost A Confederacy Of Dunces? Does Paul Newman really have "steak at home"? Political commentary, ahoy.

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Recorded 5/8/20. Show index:  To Georgia and back • Perkins in my kitchen • Welcome to New Orleans • Lower Decatur Street, 1969 • 50 years vs today • Fighting City Hall • The Plantation Set • Happy endings • Woodward's end • City justice • Tryptic structure, tryptic theme • Redneck Riviera in the Playboy Club • Trump • Hippies • Director Stuart Rosenberg • Paul Newman • A Confederacy of Dunces alternate timeline • When trends hit New Orleans • Political movie fantasies • Parting advice

Bill Arceneaux • Neaux Reel Idea • Bill's newsletter

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Harry Shearer on BIG CHARITY

Renowned writer-musician-actor-filmmaker Harry Shearer on Alexander Glustrom's award-winning 2014 documentary BIG CHARITY which uses archival footage & new interviews to tell the story of how Charity Hospital survived Hurricane Katrina thanks to the dedication & loyalty of the staff, only to have LSU abandon the 269-year-old institution in order to chase federal money so they could— checks notes— build a new hospital… Thus depriving New Orleans of medical and mental health care when the city needed it most. Why aren't LSU officials doing time for their criminal negligence? Why don't more people know about this? All is explained.

VOTE on whether BIG CHARITY is "essential NOLA cinema"

Recorded 5/31/20. Show index: Test screening at the Joy • Documentary integrity • LSU: criminals • Psychiatrists doing carpentry • The Big Uneasy • Media narratives • National vs local apathy • Misinformation • Potemkin networks • Newsgathering • Wire services • Liars in suits • YWOs at protests • Hijacking the narrative • The Attention Merchants • "Catalogue-Heads" • The Lens & ProPublica • LSU = Army Corps of Engineers • Public/Private • Utopian fantasies • Satire and coping • Presidential body counts • Post-script: protest audio

Harry Shearer • THE BIG UNEASY

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John Beyer IV on (THE) BAD LIEUTENANT: PoCNO

New Orleans editor-filmmaker John H. Beyer IV on Werner Herzog and a small zoo's worth of animals in 2009's (THE) BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS, a film straight from the heyday of Hollywood South. Nicolas Cage chews the scenery with "blue privilege," while local character actors desperately try to keep him in line. Politics ensue as we cover everything from the NOPD to the white gaze to Trump to iguanas.

VOTE on whether BAD LIEUTENANT PoCNO is "essential NOLA cinema"

Recorded 5/17/20. Show index: New Orleans "authenticity" • White privilege • That title • Tales of Hollywood South • First impressions • Werner in Hollywood • The Herzog app • 80's cop vibes • Geography • Development • Reptiles • Drugs • Moving it here • Nic Cage: director • NOPD approval • Opiates • Katrina films • "Treme" • Time & Laundry Day • Cops on the run • "Sledge Hammer!" • Unearned coda • Bad sergeant • Fairuza Balk • Local cast • Man in a maelstrom • The white gaze/NOPD • "The Wire in New Orleans" • Extra Ordinary 

JB4 on Twitter • Popcorn Piss & Vinegar

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Glen Pitre on KING CREOLE

The Godfather of Cajun Cinema meets the King of Rock n' Roll… New Orleans history comes alive in the hands of GLEN PITRE, renowned filmmaker and leader of The Old Firehouse production facility. 1958's KING CREOLE remains the greatest Elvis movie ever made, produced and directed by the team who made CASABLANCA. Real locations, fake apartments, gangsters, showgirls, prostitutes, thugs, and (omg) narratively-motivated singing.

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Recorded 5/4/20. Show index: Glen in New Orleans • Not an "Elvis film" • Street cart culture • Sets vs Locations • The Novel • Casting Elvis • Bourbon Mafia • New Orleans immigration history • Yellow Fever • Independent means & tone • End of the road • Cold War allegory • Lyrical storytelling • New Orleans films • 50's issues • Bourbon St films • Cabaret stigma • Bad dates • Detail power • The villain • Grittiness • Old Firehouse news • Roger Ebert & regional filmmaking • Glen's final thoughts • Glen's final final thoughts

Glen Pitre • Glen's new book "Advice From the Wicked"

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Greg Tilton on LOOPER

Low budget filmmaking tricks from the past and future— podcaster, cinematographer-editor & NOLA native GREG TILTON joins us to talk about Rian Johnson's third film LOOPER (2012) starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Emily Blunt. Big budget(-ish) action film that's secretly a scrappy indie, it shot in New Orleans because they didn't need set-dec to make it look like a dystopian future. Has ~7 locations but also shot on location in Shanghai. Plus time travel effects from 1889. Lots to dig into.

VOTE on whether LOOPER is "essential NOLA cinema"

Recorded 4/27/20. Show Index: Bang for the buck • Drugs & jargon • JGL • Budget • China • Primer • Concept • Set pieces • Genre-shifting • Finale • Locations • Door frames & buys • Firestarter • Star Wars • Dark Phoenix • Power levels • Comics • Scale & Emotion • Hiding the reveal • The Short • "Code 8" • New Orleans • Ethnic Allegories

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Talk to Greg Tilton, listen to Greg Tilton, hire Greg Tilton

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