Sam and Beth have pulled out all the stops for this Christmas Special EXTRAVAGANZA!

We take a meandering deep dive into the 1951 Christmas classic, and make our lists for some of the best versions of this time honored tale, as well as examine the ancient traditions celebrated during this time of year.

But wait, there’s more!

We have fashioned, by our own humble hands and feeble minds—Christmas gifts for you dear listeners, that await you, and that we lovingly tucked under the tree.

Please grab a cup of warming grog or nog, and sit with us by the fire, won’t you?

May all your holiday prayers and wishes be realized with the coming of the New Year.

Kids, it’s that time of year again. Who needs hunky bachelors decked out in flannel in some quaint little New England or Midwestern hamlet oozing Christmas drip?

Not us.

Sam picked out a nice alternative to the typical film faire for the Yuletide season. Dead End is a strange little film, but well crafted given its modest budget, and wonderfully acted by veterans Ray Wise and Lin Shaye.

The film plays with the gruesomeness possessed in one’s imagination. It doesn’t go for the cheap jump scares, but instead builds on atmosphere and the tension of the mundane, like getting lost on a never ending lonely two lane road, and wondering what will happen in the dark when the needle hits “E” .

For those of you who are purists about your Christmas scares, fear not, because we have a classic to follow up this episode, right before the fat man in the red suit arrives. Have fun this holiday season, be safe, and most of all, don’t take any shortcuts.

The year is 1976, America is busy finding new ways to celebrate their Bicentennial. Somewhere across the Atlantic, in a wine shop in Paris, a somewhat anonymous British wine merchant evolves a plan for a wine “showdown” — the great wines of France vs those young hippie upstarts of Napa and Sonoma, California in a head to head wine tasting, hosted in France. This event would later go down in history as the “Judgement of Paris” and from that day forward, it would have global and historic implications for wine commerce and wine enthusiasts.

Bottle Shock is an amusing and palatable little film for any oenophile. It is always a pleasure to have my friend Bill come on as a guest, but when he speaks on wine, it’s a heady and deep discussion on the subject. The man has a passion for what he does, and his knowledge on the subject of wine is expansive. This is a great episode to pair up with the episode Bill and I did for the film Sideways, and we think both films would pair well as a double feature and a nice Virginia, Petit Verdot and some Gruyère.

By the way, all 50 states now have at least one winery. I hear New Jersey makes a kickass Rose’

https://youtu.be/5CauYc4VSJU?si=-VTBLAcwMxQfCZAS

Join us later this week as we tackle Quentin Tarantino’s and Robert Rodriguez’s monster double feature and homage to low budget thriller exploitation cinema. “Planet Terror” and “Deathproof” are a perfect pair to wake us out of the doldrums on a hot summer night!

This 1999 Spike Lee film features a heatwave in New York in 1977, rolling blackouts, a deranged serial killer on the loose, disco & punk rock, orgies, infidelities, vigilantes, the Mob...and oh so much more! Did Spike Lee manage to cover all of those bases? Oh yes. Mad respect for Professor Lee. Please join us, but also please check out the film for yourself. Here is a terrific retrospective and dialogue Elvis Mitchel conducted with Spike Lee: https://youtu.be/pAkER9YPjaQ. Here’s a frank episode of Charlie Rose with Mira Sorvino and John Leguizamo. They are enchantingly down to earth. https://charlierose.com/videos/9425.

First there was Alien (1979), and it was meet and good. From its cells sprang forth a new species. Ridley Scott and Sigourney Weaver created a character as intriguing and formidable as the alien foe encountered on LV426. James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd saw the greatness in “Ripley” so much so that despite hemming and hawing of studio execs they were determined to center their epic Sci Fi/Action major motion picture on a woman as the hero. There is a truth in “Aliens” that supersedes all arguments in our current political retrograde. Women are strong, capable, intelligent, and brave. Women have proven themselves. Women are downright HEROES.

This time it’s war. Coming to a podcast near you this Thursday, July 14, 2022. Don’t go into space alone!

Happy July! We are deep in summer—it’s a mood (especially if you have no air conditioning). We had a great time recording this episode on July 3rd with our dear friend and fellow movie lover Mr. Bill (Luckey). So get yourself a cold drink, your beach umbrella and most comfortable string bikini or baggies. Slap on some extra SPF 100 and dig those toes in the sand and listen to our latest ep. celebrating the original Summer Blockbuster— JAWS. Bonus: enjoy The Little Kintner Boys track “Same Old Life (Barroom)” —beach shanty mellow vibes abound. https://youtu.be/xBu0sdnaWDo

Join us and one of our bestest friends Mr. Bill (Luckey) as we celebrate the 4th and discuss the grandpappy of all Summer Blockbusters. Coming this Thursday! #July4 #JAWS

In light of recent events--yes, those events that just took away constitutional rights from women, we decided to do a flying lead change and cover the aptly-named Portrait of a Lady on Fire. The year is 1770, and a woman must make a decision about her body, her future and what she will do about it. But this is no grim tale of bloody hangers and sepsis (though the latter must surely have been a risk in these days and now *these* days), but a world where women are supportive of one another, do not flinch from the social or personal gaze in so private a choice, and take control without fanfare. This film is about many things, and we were hoping to save it for a rainy day, but alas that rainy day has come. It is an exquisite and relevant film about being a woman, an artist, a human being. A terrific article on the theme of abortion in Portrait of a Lady on Fire: https://www.bitchmedia.org/article/portrait-of-a-lady-on-fires-abortion-scene-was-radical. More about artist Hélène Delmaire https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/7084-the-brush-behind-the-film-how-painter-h-l-ne-delmaire-created-our-portrait-of-a-lady-on-fire-cover.

Kyss Mig (Kiss Me) is a beautiful Swedish film from 2011 that throws some love to the red-headed stepchild of Queer Identity: Bisexuality. Every frame of this film is a delight, and the actors deliver fantastic and nuanced performances. Love is fluid and familial relationships are complicated. All relationships are complicated. Producer Interview link https://youtu.be/0BjyYergtT8 . Also, some Swedish Reggae for your Summer listening pleasure https://open.spotify.com/track/4UOIr6hSZ0b9gwembEIbd9?si=8IjzzbolRgqXc0sv717fwQ Join us as we serve up a smörgåsbord of a discussion for our third film of Pride Month. 🌈🌈🌈🌈

Rivalry. Jealousy. Competition. Foundation-wear on a rolling trolley. The dolly zoom. Whigs & Tories. Big beds and bloomers and wicked candlelit trysts. Just what *doesn’t* this lush and beautiful period piece have? Well…a male lead. That’s right. We said it. And what’s more, we’re here to talk about it. At length. Please join us in the East Gallery. Link to all 12 episodes of “The First Churchills” 1969 BBC https://youtu.be/zhniu4qFtqQ and additional link for the scene in this series: Anne and Sarah’s last meeting https://youtu.be/jZ1VSW5fnf0

To kick off Pride month, the first film in our Pride series is Dirk Bogarde's 1961 film Victim. This film was written and directed for the purpose of social justice and awareness in the UK at a time when same sex relations between men was a criminal and jail-able offense. 90% of all blackmail cases before the decriminalization Act in 1967 pertained to extortion of Gay men. We highly recommend this film. You will find nuanced performances set against a noir--sequence setting. This was a great pick (Thanks, Beth!) for our first film of Pride, and it yielded a thoughtful discussion. 🌈 You can watch it for free here: https://youtu.be/s2xUteY_emM. Also available on Amazon. Some informative links: Steve Dryden article https://www.bl.uk/lgbtq-histories/articles/a-short-history-of-lgbt-rights-in-the-uk Also Dirk Bogarde documentary 2001 https://youtu.be/adoKWuYvXQY

With the long weekend coming up, and Summer just around the corner, we thought it might be fun to cover a film that evokes vibes of late night drive-ins and Sci Fi blockbusters. Tim Burton’s 1996 version of space invaders turns the first contact trope on its head. It is mercilessly satirical and simultaneously hilarious. It features a cast of many A-listers (Burton wished he could have had more), and some of what we think is the best cinematic use of CGI compared to other films of the era. Strap in for some fun and many senseless tangents.

ACK! ACK! to you all.

Please join us for our discussion of one of the most beautiful celluloid valentines to art, artists and all things sensuous. Or sensual. Both of those things. We love this film and we love the unexpurgated diaries of Anaïs Nin that inspired and informed the film. Beth poured herself a large glass of wine (she thought it necessary). RIP Fred Ward. You were born to play Henry Miller. You are greatly missed. You can watch the entire film for free here: https://ww1.soap2dayhd.co/film/henry-and-june-18600/ We encourage you to do so! And here's a little music (Je M'Ennuie) to get you in the mood: https://youtu.be/DugAwcM5XVI

We had so much more to say about Joan Crawford and Faye Dunaway. Beth will use any excuse to talk about Barbara Stanwyck. We open up about certain Supreme Ct drafts. Sam’s opinions on scrubbing powder are publicly vindicated.

Oh boy. This is our second film for Mothers of May. In this case, dysfunctional mothers of May. How could we NOT look at this campy classic from the 80s??

For May we’re celebrating mothers in film! There are SO many great films out there, and we’re starting with a superb treatment of Carrie Fisher’s eponymous autobiography Postcards from the Edge. The chemistry between Meryl Streep and Shirley MacClean truly captures the essence of Carrie Fisher’s competitive yet ride or die relationship with her mother Debbie Reynolds. Carrie also wrote the screenplay, and I know if she’s watching from above (may she rest in peace) she will enjoy our valentine to this fantastic and re-watchable film. Please join us as we discuss the film and also wax philosophic about mother/daughter relationships.

Please join us as we discuss one of our favorite films: Concussion. NOT to be confused with a 2015 film by the same title (that one is about football injuries). In our discussion of Concussion 2013 we hope to inspire you to watch this movie. It is a sublime indie film that is funny, sexy, touching, and ultimately extremely satisfying. We are delighted to add this film to our repertoire.

The full episode for our discussion of Concussion (2013) will be posted on April 28! We LOVE this film. It truly is unique.

We just had to get a few things off our bosoms. Receive our love, our walk of shame, our redemption, and our absolution. We recorded on 4/20 and speak of things one might celebrate on that day.

You made it! Now we will exhaust all reserves of stamina to deliver the final part of our Caligula discussion!

Please stay with us as we continue with our second installment of our Caligula epic discussion.

In this epic two-parter, we attempt to deconstruct the movie, the man, the god, the myth, and the more aptly epic production crew and their flights of fancy, fits of indignation and squabbles of enduring lore. Please join us as we attempt the impossible. Link to Rome: “Empire Without Limit” by Mary Beard https://youtu.be/img2acHgiCs

We decided to uncork April and let Spring breathe a little. Please excuse our brief hiatus. But we’re back with a film title that many might relate to, especially if you’ve been side eyeing your 401k lately. Margin Call is an amalgamation of the players and pieces involved in the 2008 economic crisis. We are happy to welcome Marty Kady back on the show for this episode, as he had a front row seat for some of the real life drama that happened in Congress for the financial services bail outs. While some may regard Wall Street the iconic film of the world of high finance, or The Big Short as more intellectually accessible, we think Margin Call is a film that has depth, and is elegantly succinct in revealing the culture and values of the financial sector.

Episode links: https://youtu.be/yL_PQ81vf74?si=fvRbSzMHrEevLR6O

https://youtu.be/W-Q9AOp2FW8?si=n-hyZcbPh9jQtNU_

https://youtu.be/J_IFGV9Y13c?si=bcX2Kqx8CpZPwwUO

https://youtu.be/Mj82-QxN1Ww?si=UkfWds33pBTuNTxL

What a terrific pick for the first of our films during April F*Vck Fest. Jävla Fest in Swedish. There’s a whole lotta shaking going on. And it takes a village. Please join us as we irreverently talk you through this half folk horror/half slasher film that made one of us (okay it was Sam) blush wildly because of her day job, and one of us (Beth) gleefully point out macabre and distressing elements of a film designed just to make you uncomfortable. We watched it so you don’t have to! Confidentially speaking, we prefer our production. Join us! Take some shrooms or lemonade vodka, grab a meat pie and ENJOY! Link to banned IKEA ad: https://youtu.be/AIf1fydxrfo

In this episode we discuss Tim Burton’s fantastic tribute to schlock-n-shock B-movie filmmaker Ed Wood. Ed Wood was famous for his (really) bad movies, including Plan 9 from Outer Space, and the surprisingly prescient and relevant Glen or Glenda. He was a winsome wheeler-dealer in the dog-eat-dog movie machine of 1950’s Hollywood, an open Transvestite when such things were far from understood, and pulled Bela Lugosi from his post-stardom decline back into the spotlight. Ed Wood might have been lacking in production know-how, but he made up for it with heart and enthusiasm.

“Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else’s dreams?”

In this episode we tackle Mike Nichols’ debut wundermaisterfest of marital discord and drunken academic revelry. We may have been sipping along with the actors to get through the merriment-hate-love fusion cocktail of Liz Taylor and Richard Burton on the big screen. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Sláinte! ☘️

Here’s a little short for your Thursday listening pleasure. We—your co-hosts Sam and Beth—have some unfinished business and news. What’s our frequency? Tune into ours as we receive yours.

In tomorrow’s “Short,” we’ll discuss some things that are going on in the world, some mortifying gaffs from our Dolores Claiborne episode, which film we’ll be discussing for St. Paddy’s Day (VERY EXCITED), and also let you know about some good works Celluloid Pudding is doing in the name of peace and harmony on Earth. Please join us now AND tomorrow!

Please join us for one of our rawest discussions yet. We went light on the editing and kept it real. We also have an interview Beth conducted with the fantastic Mona—a native of Maine—who provides us with terrific insights about the era in which she grew up, her memories of Stephen King, and some of the linguistic and cultural idiosyncrasies of the great state of Maine. Thank you, Mona! End song ‘Prayer for Ukraine’ performed by Endpin Project Cello Choir. Composed by Mykola Lysenko.

It’s Wednesday night and we can’t stop thinking about you! This is a little freestyle riff, along with some fact corrections that embarrassed us from previous episodes. But we mostly just wanted to commune with you before we release our next episode next Thursday.

“I like simple pleasures, like, butter in my ass and lollipops in my mouth.” If you like old school disco mixes, you’ll love this channel: https://m.youtube.com/user/DJDiscoCatV2

“There are shadows in life, babe.”

We are happy to be able to squeeze one more episode into the month of March as we slowly rebuild our programming. Think of this episode as a delayed Valentine— an episode we could’ve and should’ve been able to bring to you back in February.

This quirky surrealist fairytale about finding love in the back drop of Los Angeles was directed by Mick Jackson, who co-wrote the screenplay with the very funny and multi-talented Steve Martin. While it doesn’t have a cast of thousands it does feature great performances from many familiar favorites from both the big and small screen—and supporting appearances by Richard E. Grant, and Sarah Jessica Parker (before Sex and the City fame) absolutely make this film bubble with humor and warmth. Patrick Stewart turns in a hilarious cameo as well.

We welcome back former guest and self-proclaimed “non-fluffy man” Rick Tetrault for this episode. This clever, odd, and sophisticated little film is the perfect antidote for the same old Hollywood RomCom rehash. We think you will love it.

Boy are you in for a big surprise!

In this episode, we take a wonderfully difficult look at Lorraine Hansberry’s play-adapted-to big screen, A Raisin in the Sun, starring a fantastic ensemble, including the late, GREAT Sidney Poitier. This is more than a film; it is an entire multi-generational experience captured by the skill and imagination of a true artist. This time we refer to the writer; though director Daniel Petrie and two famed producers were able to explore so many themes with grace and nuance. Listen as we try our best to do this work of art justice in our discussion. Perhaps we didn’t quite get there…but we did our damnedest to honor the film, the themes, and the artists. We hope you are inspired to watch the film and to dig more deeply into themes that are just as relevant today as they were in 1961. Related episode links: https://girlsinmitsouko.medium.com/the-double-life-of-lorraine-hansberry-out-magazine-september-1999-a60c1d471d49, https://www.theroot.com/a-raisin-still-in-the-sun-1790875491, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o-yD0wGxAc, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnnjS4ivBJI, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot7xCM-Oeig, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hdVFiANBTk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkFR_6DGJ3o.

In this episode, your co-hosts Beth and Sam—and our resident expert and German veteran—take on American Sniper (2014), a Clint Eastwood film based on Chris Kyle’s autobiography of the same title. We do warn you that the subject matter we cover might be disturbing to some listeners. Included in our discussion are the subjects of war and guns, which are integral parts of the film. We would love to interact with you, our listeners, and get to know you. Please follow us on Twitter @CelluloidPuddn. As always, be kind and rewind.

For this episode, our special guest lends his perspective as a non-national and former member of the German military, while we (your co-hosts Beth & Sam) attempt to discuss a rather controversial film about a decidedly difficult subject. The material we cover may be disturbing to some listeners. We respectfully claim fair use of the opening montage snippets from the film American Sniper, 2014, which we do not in any way claim as our own. This segment is for reference only. Thank you.

This week we kick the ball around with a very exciting guest for Run, Lola, Run! Do you know what time it is? Trick question. Join us as we discuss this groundbreaking film by the great Tom Tykwer, starring the most exquisite Franka Potente. We wax a little nostalgic about the age of the mall cinema, and then do a deep dive. What a treat our guest brought us with his energy and knowledge. We had such fun making this episode and hope you enjoy it, too.

Do you ever wish life had a reset button? In our next episode we discuss the German film Lola Rennt aka “Run Lola Run” (1998). Director Tom Tykwer takes us on a frenetically paced adventure against the backdrop of pre-Millennium Berlin as Franka Potente races to beat demon time and change the variables in her chaotic universe. The techno soundtrack (also credit to Tykwer) is (chef’s kiss) superb!

In episode #4 of The Celluloid Pudding Podcast, we examine the 1982 film The World According to Garp, and consider some great themes the movie (and the book) throw at viewers. Is it a film ahead of its time? Or a film that time forgot? We aim to find out. Join us!

Bonus episode where we briefly discuss the contributions of Hollywood legends Betty White, Sidney Poitier, and Peter Bogdanovich. We look forward to honoring their work in future episodes.

We’re striving to overcome a few technological difficulties.

Arguably one of Billy Wilder’s greatest cinematic achievements is his film The Apartment. In this episode we talk about the exquisite cinematography, the outstanding performances, and also the social milieu of the time (1960) and how much has changed—and maybe hasn’t changed—since that time. We are super excited to discuss this cinematic gem.

Welcome back friends, it’s been a hard slog getting the pod up and running again, but I’m happy to report we all get by with a little help from our friends. While we’ve done quite a few SciFi titles in previous episodes, we haven’t quite covered a film that would qualify as a Western. This episode we get to do both.

“Serenity” is Jose Whedon’s film follow up for the abruptly cancelled Fox tv series “Firefly”— a scifi drama set in the 2500s; a time of pre-warp exploration, pioneer terra forming settlements, and brutal vandals known as “Reavers”.

The series didn’t quite get a fair shake from Fox as the episodes were aired out of sequence leaving some viewers confused about the overall story arch. By the end, the show was cancelled only airing 11 of its 14 episodes.

In spite of this, the show had already established a cult following which only grew with the release of the series DVD, and its popularity was evident with loyal fans —self proclaimed “Brown Coats” supporting the show, and making their presence known at Cons and online.

Whedon had been working on a feature film script since the show’s cancellation and finally got the backing from Universal Studios (who eventually bought the rights). The project came in under budget, and though it received overall positive critic reviews, winning Hugo and Nebula awards, it only broke even at the box office.

The Firefly universe continues to have a devoted fan base and done good work in the name of the franchise, with charity benefit screenings coordinated with “Equality Now”.

Whedon and the wonderful ensemble cast of Firefly have created a memorable addition to the genre where the future seems not so distant, and sometimes not so shiny. The space and flight action sequences are beautifully choreographed and production carefully blended CGI with practical effects and sets. The script incorporates much of what Whedon wanted to expand on had the series continued. The crew of the Serenity are heroes we can sympathize with through their failures and vulnerability— each individual expressing their unique perspective as they face the great black void of space, and an uncertain future.

Episode link: https://sojo.net/articles/keeping-force/firefly-and-dignity-humanity

We will have a look at Billy Wilders masterpiece The Apartment. This will be a fun movie to talk about, and we guarantee you’ll want to watch it immediately.

We continue our discussion of the The Innocents. Join us as we dissect this film to bits.

Part 1. In our bonus episode of Celluloid Pudding we discuss the 1961 film The Innocents. We chose this film to expand upon the time-honored tradition of telling ghost stories around Christmas. Sam and Beth—that’s us!—hope to regale listeners with anecdotes, trivia and observations as we explore this confounding masterpiece. Please check out Part 2 as we delve more deeply into this fascinating tale. Our biggest hope is to engage our listeners. If you have additional input for the topics/films we will be covering, let us know! We will have an audience participation segment soon!