Explore every episode of the podcast The Plaza Classic Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BONUS: Behind the Scenes at the Plaza Classic Film Fest | 30 Aug 2024 | 00:21:10 | |
Podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott go behind the scenes with someone who helps behind the scenes at the Plaza Classic Film Festival. (We're going way behind the scenes!) Rudy Vasquez is the El Paso Community Foundation's Marketing Director, and he helps promote the film fest to El Paso and across the nation. Stephanie and Lisa get Rudy to answer the tough questions, such as, "What are your top three favorite movies?" The Plaza Classic Podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation. Find history on the PCFF here: https://plazaclassic.com/about | |||
| BONUS: Mira Sorvino Q&A On Stage | 16 Aug 2024 | 00:30:36 | |
On July 20, actor Mira Sorvino graced the stage of the Plaza Theatre in Downtown El Paso. The Academy Award winner was in the Sun City for the first weekend of the Plaza Classic Film Festival! She sat down for a live, onstage interview with festival advisory committee member and Plaza Classic Podcast co-host Stephanie Valle ahead of the showing of Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997). The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. | |||
| Plaza Classic Podcast 4: "Smart and Smarter" | 13 Jun 2024 | 00:22:03 | |
Hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are joined by the first woman to win the Oscar ballot contest held among the Plaza Classic Film Festival Program Committee. Keri Moe, an Associate Vice President with El Paso Community College, correctly guessed 19 of the 23 winners of the 96th Academy Awards. She now has the distinction of selecting a movie to screen during the Plaza Classic Film Festival. She mulls over her choices, which range from Dumb and Dumber (celebrating its 30th anniversary of release!) to The 400 Blows. Donate to the El Paso Community Foundation to sponsor the film festival: https://plazaclassic.com/donate The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast | |||
| Plaza Classic Podcast 3: "Brand New Local Flavor" | 06 Jun 2024 | 00:26:59 | |
Hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle are talking Local Flavor, the Plaza Classic Film Festival's showcase of locally made and connected films. Filmmakers will vie for $3,650 in cash awards — including new awards for student films! They're joined by festival program director Doug Pullen, who lays out how the showcase works, and Josh Pulido, an El Paso filmmaker whose submission “The Film Cafe” won Local Flavor’s $1,000 second prize in 2023. It was also chosen as the audience favorite, which came with another $250 purse. Read how to enter Local Flavor: https://plazaclassic.com/localflavor The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast | |||
| Plaza Classic Podcast 2: "The Greatest Oscar Contest Ever Held" | 30 May 2024 | 00:30:44 | |
Hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are joined by fellow Plaza Classic Film Festival Program Advisory Committee member Jaime Mendez. Mendez, an administrator at UTEP, is also an avid film fan and created the committee's Oscar ballot contest. He explains how the winner of the contest (historically, him!) is able to pick a movie to screen during the fest, and which films have been a product of the Oscar competition. Buy season passes to the Plaza Classic Film Festival, which runs from July 18-28, 2024: https://plazaclassic.com/tickets Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. | |||
| Plaza Classic Podcast 1: Welcome, Intro, Rocky Horror | 23 May 2024 | 00:27:33 | |
Welcome to The Plaza Classic Podcast! The brand-new podcast pulls back the curtain on the El Paso Community Foundation's annual Plaza Classic Film Festival. Hosted by PCFF’s Program Advisory Committee members, KVIA News anchor Stephanie Valle and El Paso Community College Mass Communications Professor Lisa Elliott, the podcast will be released each week through the festival, which runs July 18-28, 2024. Program Director Doug Pullen joins the hosts to talk about the festival's origins, what's in store for 17th annual festival, including the return of the fan favorite Rocky Horror Picture Show. Learn more about the festival at https://plazaclassic.com/ The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast | |||
| Plaza Classic Podcast 12: Mira Sorvino in El Paso! | 29 Jul 2024 | 00:22:57 | |
Mira Sorvino, Academy Award winning actor ("Mighty Aphrodite," 1995), was in the Sun City for the 2024 Plaza Classic Film Festival! Terri Rutter, CPA and film festival advisory committee member, joins fellow committee members, Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott, to talk about Sorvino and her cult favorite, "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion." Just like Romy's diet in the movie, this podcast is fat-free and full of candy corn (or maybe just corny jokes). The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast | |||
| Plaza Classic Podcast 11: It Came From... | 25 Jul 2024 | 00:25:40 | |
Space has inspired filmmakers both past and present. But there is one classic sci-fi film that has actually served as inspiration for writers and directors over the years ever since it arrived in theaters. Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member Jay Duncan joins podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about This Island Earth. Individual tickets for this year’s Plaza Classic Film Festival are now on sale at the Plaza Theatre Box Office and Ticketmaster. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast | |||
| Plaza Classic Podcast 10: "Hidden Flora" | 22 Jul 2024 | 00:31:53 | |
Despite its name, the Plaza Classic Film Festival doesn't just screen classic films. This year, a director who has been featured in Local Flavor will have their first feature-length film make its Texas premiere. Ryan Rox, the director of Hidden Flora, joins podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about their film, which they also wrote. Flora takes an unflinching look at sexuality, sexual preference and their own sexual evolution. Hidden Flora premieres on Saturday, July 27 at 7:30pm. Individual tickets for this year’s Plaza Classic Film Festival are now on sale at the Plaza Theatre Box Office and Ticketmaster. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast
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| Plaza Classic Podcast 9: "Goonies never say die" | 18 Jul 2024 | 00:27:10 | |
The Goonies is just one of the many films programmed during this year's Plaza Classic Film Festival that is geared towards kids of all ages. Advisory Committee member Kristin Trick joins hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about The Goonies (1985), The Secret of NIMH (1982) and a very special screening at the brand-new children's museum in Downtown El Paso. La Nube opens to the public in August, but those attending the showing of Curious George (2006) on Wednesday, July 24 at 8pm will get a sneak peek! Individual tickets for this year’s Plaza Classic Film Festival are now on sale at the Plaza Theatre Box Office and Ticketmaster. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast | |||
| Plaza Classic Podcast 8: Sissy Spacek is coming to El Paso! | 11 Jul 2024 | 00:23:52 | |
Academy Award winning actor and Texas native Sissy Spacek is the first announced guest at the 2024 Plaza Classic Film Festival! Advisory Committee member Craig Holden joins hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to discuss Spacek's filmography, including Coal Miner's Daughter, which she is set to introduce on Saturday, July 27 at 7pm. Holden -- himself a writer and producer -- also talks about the film he produced that will be screened at the festival. Check out the film festival schedule: https://plazaclassic.com/schedule The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast
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| Plaza Classic Podcast 7: "Ferris Bueller's Day ON-- the schedule, that is" | 04 Jul 2024 | 00:31:07 | |
Bueller? Bueller? Yeah, we know it's a trope to use that quote from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. But podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott enjoy being corny, and they're really getting into talking about two more films being screened at this year's Plaza Classic Film Festival. Advisory Committee member Rebecca Mendez joins them in studio to talk about Bueller and Amelie (2001). Buy season passes to the Plaza Classic Film Festival, which runs from July 18-28, 2024: https://plazaclassic.com/tickets The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast | |||
| Plaza Classic Podcast 6: "Snap Out of It!" Dinner | 27 Jun 2024 | 00:24:54 | |
What's a better date than dinner and a movie? That's the idea behind the Dinner and a Movie at the Plaza Classic Film Festival, which marks its third year with a screening of Moonstruck (1987), starring Cher and Nicolas Cage. PCFF Advisory committee member Erin Ritter joins hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about Moonstruck and the advent of the dinner and movie series. Buy single/couple tickets to the Snap Out of It Dinner: https://plazaclassic.com/tickets The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast | |||
| Plaza Classic Podcast 5: "Best Screenwriter in the 915" | 20 Jun 2024 | 00:26:57 | |
The third Plaza Classic Film Festival Screenwriting Competition is accepting entries! Hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are joined by Austin Savage, one of the competition's organizers, and Carrie Silva, who won the 2023 competition with her screenplay, "Best Dive in the 915." Submit your screenplay through July 3. First prize receives $500 and second prize is $250. Go to https://plazaclassic.com/screenwriting for more information on how to enter. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation and is sponsored by an El Paso Community College Professional Development Committee mini-grant. Check out more show notes on the EPCC Library Research Guide: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast | |||
| That Time Movies Returned to the Plaza | 03 Oct 2024 | 00:30:10 | |
The El Paso Community Foundation helped revitalize the Plaza Theatre in 2006, with help from the City of El Paso. Soon after, the films were back in the theatre, too, with the launch of the first incarnation of the Plaza Classic Film Festival: Movies Return to the Plaza. Eric Pearson, the president of the EPCF, joins hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about the massive undertaking to restore the nearly century-old performing arts venue (as well as his love of 80s music). The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. | |||
| Oculto Film Fest ¡en Español! | 26 Sep 2024 | 00:20:34 | |
La segunda temporada del Plaza Classic Podcast comienza con una conversación sobre un festival de cine diferente. El Oculto Film Fest fue creado por cineastas de El Paso y Ciudad Juárez para promover el cine de terror y fantasía en la frontera. El festival ofrece una experiencia completa a sus audiencias y brinda oportunidades de conexión y visibilidad para los cineastas participantes. El director del festival, Carlos “Cabe” Tejeda y el subdirector Ángel Benítez hablan con nuestro amigo Jaime Méndez sobre la edición 2024 del Oculto Film Festival, que regresa este otoño a El Paso del 4 al 6 de octubre y en Juárez del 11 al 13 de octubre. Más información del Plaza Classic Film Festival aquí: https://plazaclassic.com/about Más informacion de este episodio: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast | |||
| The Oculto Film Festival Lives! | 26 Sep 2024 | 00:26:48 | |
Season 2 of the Plaza Classic Podcast launches with a conversation about a different film festival. The Oculto Film Fest was created by filmmakers from El Paso and Ciudad Juarez to promote horror and fantasy cinema in the Borderland. The festival offers a complete experience to its audiences and provides connection and visibility opportunities for participating filmmakers. Festival director Carlos “Cabe” Tejeda and deputy director Angel Benitez join podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about the 2024 edition of the Oculto Film Festival, which returns this fall to El Paso and Juarez on Oct. 4-6 and Oct. 11-13. Get background on the Plaza Classic Film Festival here: https://plazaclassic.com/about Check out the show notes on this episode: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast | |||
| BONUS: Plaza Classic Podcast Behind the Scenes | 12 Sep 2024 | 00:24:22 | |
If you've listened to the credits of this podcast, you hear hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott thank several crucial people working behind the scenes. One of those people is Marcos Tellez-Rodriguez, podcast editor, recent graduate of El Paso Community College and current film student at New Mexico State University. Marcos is now sitting (somewhat uncomfortably) in the "hot seat" as Stephanie and Lisa ask probing questions about his favorite movies and who he would want to have play him on screen. Get background on the Plaza Classic Film Festival here: https://plazaclassic.com/about Check out the show notes on this episode, including Marcos' favorite movies: https://epcc.libguides.com/plazaclassicpodcast | |||
| Crazy for Swayze | 21 Nov 2024 | 00:31:22 | |
Patrick Swayze became a heartthrob in the 1980s, and broke hearts when he died at age 57 after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. The star of Dirty Dancing and Ghost has been gone for 15 years, but Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are doing everything they can to preserve his legacy by advocating for the screening of as much of his filmography as possible during the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Festival advisory committee member Erin Ritter joins the Swayze Fan Club's El Paso Chapter to talk about the movie star and their favorite films. November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and Nov. 21 is World Pancreatic Cancer Day. Learn about diagnosis, prevention and treatment. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. | |||
| Holiday Movies at WinterFest! | 14 Nov 2024 | 00:24:23 | |
It will begin to look a lot like Christmas in El Paso come Nov. 23, when WinterFest blasts through downtown. Even though it pains Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to skip over Thanksgiving, in this episode, they're talking turkey about Free Holiday Movies at WinterFest. A dozen films are showing from Nov. 24 to Jan. 5, 2025 at both the Plaza Theatre and the El Paso Museum of Art. El Paso Community Foundation Program Director Doug Pullen joins Stephanie and Lisa to lay out the schedule. Free Holiday Movies at WinterFest and this podcast are sponsored by the El Paso Community Foundation. | |||
| Film Noir | 07 Nov 2024 | 00:23:59 | |
It was a dark and stormy night, and Lisa and Stephanie were working late at the office on the latest episode of the Plaza Classic Podcast, when suddenly the door creaked open. There stood-- Okay, clearly writing classic noir is not our forte. But we do enjoy talking about our favorite film noir with Leanne von Mittenwald, a retired educator who teaches film classes for UTEP’s OLLI program. She is also a part of the Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee with podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott. Holiday Movies at the Plaza launch the weekend of Nov. 24. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. | |||
| Spending Spooky Season with the Final Girl | 31 Oct 2024 | 00:29:50 | |
What's your favorite scary movie? That's not just an appropriately dropped quote from the slasher hit Scream, it's also the focus of this special Halloween episode of the Plaza Classic Podcast. Hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle talk about their favorite horror films as well as the popularity of the genre across the country. Plus, they're joined by Liz Kern, the Sun City's "final girl"! Kern, a former El Paso newscaster, is a radio host in Fresno and our favorite 1980s horror film actress with ties to the Sun City. Kern starred in The Wraith (1986), Night of the Creeps (1986) and she topped the credits as Jennifer Ross in Intruder (1989). The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Listen to Liz on the airwaves: kmjnow.com Follow Liz on social! IG: @lizikernnews X: @LiziKernNews | |||
| Domestic Violence in Films | 24 Oct 2024 | 00:27:32 | |
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and the Plaza Classic Podcast wants to shine a light on how this vast societal problem is depicted in the movies. Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member and licensed therapist Kristin Trick joins hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about on-screen intimate partner violence. If you or someone you know needs help, call El Paso's Center Against Sexual and Family Violence at (915) 593-7300. If you suspect a child is living in a dangerous situation or is the victim of abuse, call Child Protective Services at 1-800-252-5400. The El Paso County Attorney’s Office handles protective orders. For more information, call (915) 273-3238. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. | |||
| At the Drive-In, Part 2 | 17 Oct 2024 | 00:22:17 | |
From the eastside to the lower valley, and up to the westside, El Paso was dotted with drive-in theater screens. Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member and UTEP Assistant Dean of Students Jaime Mendez joins Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about a time when it was totally acceptable for families to hide friends and family in the trunk of their car for a trip to the outdoor movies. Hey, the 1980s were a different time. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. | |||
| At the Drive-In, Part 1 | 10 Oct 2024 | 00:24:40 | |
During the COVID pandemic in the summer of 2020, organizers scrambled to find a way to salvage the Plaza Classic Film Festival schedule without sacrificing safety. They resorted to screening movies the old-fashioned way: at the drive-in. Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee member and film historian Jay Duncan revisits El Paso's rich history of drive-ins with hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott. We're going way back, so grab your snacks. (Remember when you had to hang the drive-in speaker on the window of your car? Ah, nostalgia.) The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. | |||
| The Plaza Classic Podcast Pt. III | 23 Jan 2025 | 00:25:10 | |
Sequels can get a bad rap for not living up to the expectations set by the original. With that perspective front of mind, the Plaza Classic Podcast aims to make season 3 better than before! Hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are joined by fellow Plaza Classic Film Festival advisory committee member Craig Holden to talk about film sequels. Which sequels live up to expectations? And is Grease 2 simply underappreciated, like Lisa claims? The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here. | |||
| Oscar nom predictions with Felipa Solis | 12 Dec 2024 | 00:27:57 | |
Will Wicked sweep the Oscars with a witch's broom? Could Demi Moore's substantive performance in The Substance earn her an Academy Award nomination for the first time? El Paso's favorite film critic, Felipa Solis, joins hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk all things Oscars. Solis is a member of the Critics Choice Association. Get your popcorn ready, as Solis lays out a list of potential Best Picture nominations! The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Free Holiday Movies at Winterfest, presented by the El Paso Community Foundation, will be shown at the Plaza Theatre and the El Paso Museum of Art until Jan. 5. | |||
| Holiday Scamps | 05 Dec 2024 | 00:24:45 | |
Holiday Movies at Winterfest are taking over Downtown El Paso until Jan. 5, and they're all free! The mini film fest is presented by the El Paso Community Foundation Plaza Classic Film Festival, El Paso Live, and the City of El Paso. What's your favorite holiday movie? Chances are, it features a lovable scamp, like Buddy the Elf or Kevin McAllister. Rebecca Mendez - a member of the Plaza Classic Film Festival advisory committee and the United Way of El Paso's Philanthropy and Relations Manager - joins Lisa and Stephanie to talk about our go-to holiday films. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. Read about the Plaza Classic Film Festival. | |||
| Journalism drama | 28 Nov 2024 | 00:29:18 | |
The time between Spooky Season and the Holiday Season is the Serious Season - for movies, that is. November is when we typically see a roll-out of heavier films that go on to become contenders for Academy Awards (a.k.a., future classics to be screened at the Plaza Classic Film Festival). Nov. 27, 2024 marks the 48th anniversary of the release of Network; it's unremarkable, yes, but what better reason to talk about one of the most prescient films of the 20th century? It's also a great take on "journalism drama." Joining podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle is Doug Pullen, the program director for the El Paso Community Foundation and the Plaza Classic Film Festival artistic director. He's also a former news reporter, and he is "mad as hell" about film portrayals of newsrooms. The podcast is brought to you by the El Paso Community Foundation with support from El Paso Community College. | |||
| Movies Marking Milestones | 30 Jan 2025 | 00:28:13 | |
If you were old enough to see Jaws when it premiered in theaters in 1975, then you likely don't want to be reminded that happened 50 years ago. Sorry. But Jaws, which has been screened three times at the Plaza Classic Film Festival, is just one of many movies celebrating significant anniversaries of release in 2025. Festival advisory committee member Jaime Mendez joins podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to travel down cinema's memory lane and highlight which ones have been (and should be!) shown during the world's largest classic film fest. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here. | |||
| The Film Festival's "Star Handler" | 20 Feb 2025 | 00:25:58 | |
She's the "Star Whisperer of El Paso!" For the last decade or so, Kathrin Berg has taken on the task of touring El Paso with the Plaza Classic Film Festival's special guests -- from Sam Elliott, to Kathleen Turner, to Al Pacino. Now, Kathrin is in the spotlight and getting the red carpet treatment she deserves! Hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott (no relation to Sam) chat with Kathrin, the El Paso Community Foundation's Executive Vice President, about her most memorable moments with some remarkable Hollywood stars. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here. | |||
| Classic Rom-Coms for Valentine's Day! | 13 Feb 2025 | 00:27:26 | |
Chance meetings, heartbreaking obstacles and big gestures of love are all crucial to the plots of our favorite romantic comedies. On the eve of this lover's holiday, podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle are joined by Erin Ritter, fellow Plaza Classic Film Festival advisory committee member and self-proclaimed Rom-Com guru, to discuss romantic comedies over the decades and their place in the film fest. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and recorded at El Paso Community College. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here. | |||
| Guest: Evan Vourazeris of "Ozark" | 06 Feb 2025 | 00:19:09 | |
Evan George Vourazeris broke into Hollywood when he was cast as Tuck on the hit Netflix show Ozark. Tuck became a fan favorite, and Vourazeris appeared on the show in its final season in 2022. Vourazeris, a Houstonian, now calls El Paso home. He joined Plaza Classic Podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott in studio to talk about his experience on the Ozark set, his future work goals, and his philanthropic efforts in the Sun City. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a coproduction of the El Paso Community Foundation and El Paso Community College. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here. | |||
| The Oscar Ballot Contest Winner is... | 20 Mar 2025 | 00:24:44 | |
Each award season, the dedicated cinephiles on the Plaza Classic Film Festival Advisory Committee try to guess who the voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will pick to win Oscars. This contest isn't just for bragging rights. The winner of the Oscar Ballot Contest gets to select one movie to screen during that year's Plaza Classic Film Festival. For the second year in a row, committee member Keri Moe has claimed the honor, correctly guessing the winner in 18 of 23 categories (she even picked Mikey Madison to win Best Actress)! Keri joins Oscar Ballot Contest losers Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to share her selection secrets, and to discuss what she might want to show at this year's film fest. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here. | |||
| "The Man Who (Fill in the Blank)" | 13 Mar 2025 | 00:26:24 | |
Whether he knew too much, shot the bad guy, or arrived to Earth from space, a man sure can accomplish a lot on the big screen. Film critic Felipa Solis joins Plaza Classic Podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about the various takes on "The Man Who..." -- specifically, Alfred Hitchcock's two renditions of The Man Who Knew Too Much, John Ford's 1962 classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) starring Ziggy Stardust, AKA David Bowie. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here. | |||
| Local Flavor Showcase | 06 Mar 2025 | 00:17:53 | |
Attention local filmmakers: for the eighth consecutive year, the Plaza Classic Film Festival is accepting entries for its Local Flavor showcase and awards. More than $3,500 in cash prizes will be awarded. PCFF Artistic Director Doug Pullen, AKA "Friend of the Pod," is back in the studio with Stephanie and Lisa to talk about the showcase, which is sponsored by the El Paso Film and Creative Industries Commission and the Texas Film Commission. Find the submission form here. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.
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| Extreme Makeover: Plaza Theatre Edition | 27 Feb 2025 | 00:27:49 | |
If you've ever watched a building renovation show, you know there's a whole lot of work to rehabilitate an old structure to its original glory. That same labor intensive effort went into the restoration of the Plaza Theatre in Downtown El Paso. Gary Williams, the Vice President of Programs for the El Paso Community Foundation, and Neal Vogel, the Principal of Restoric, LLC in Chicago, join Lisa and Stephanie in the studio to talk about that work. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here. | |||
| Femme Frontera Film Showcase | 27 Mar 2025 | 00:22:12 | |
This Women's History Month, the Plaza Classic Podcast wants to take a moment to spotlight a showcase focused on local female filmmakers. Femme Frontera is both a Borderland-based organization of Latine women and gender-expansive filmmakers and a curated film selection featured during the classic film fest since 2019. Filmmakers Jackie Barragan and Celina Galicia join Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about the showcase and what inspires them to create their stories. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here. | |||
| "Her Husband's Trademark" | 22 May 2025 | 00:28:03 | |
A silent film that partly takes place in the Borderland is making its Plaza Classic Film Festival debut this summer. When "Her Husband's Trademark" lights up the Plaza Theatre screen on July 27, it will feature something it didn't have when it premiered in 1922: an original score. You could say this moment was over 100 years in the making. But in actuality, the festival's Program Director Doug Pullen has been trying to bring "Trademark" to life for the last decade. Pullen and local composer Enrique Ponce join podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about the process. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Get Plaza Classic Film Festival passes and more here. Check out the festival schedule here. | |||
| World War II in Film | 10 Apr 2025 | 00:20:49 | |
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and as more and more Americans who witnessed the tragedies firsthand are lost to time, it's more important than ever to study this moment in history. A wartime movie doesn't always depict violence on the battlefield. They can also capture the mood of a nation at a time when its soldiers are fighting overseas. Doug Pullen, the Plaza Classic Film Festival's Program Director, joins Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about a festival theme that has been years in the making. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here.
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| The Horse Movie Whisperer | 03 Apr 2025 | 00:17:16 | |
El Pasoan Terri Rutter grew up around horses. She rides them, trains them, and trains people how to behave around them. Now, she's sharing her horse sense with Lisa and Stephanie. She's talking about her favorite films featuring fillies (and mares, colts, and stallions) that have been featured at the Plaza Classic Film Festival, and the ones she'd like to see shown on the big screen this summer. The Plaza Classic Film Festival is July 17-27, 2025. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. | |||
| No-no-no-Notorious | 29 May 2025 | 00:25:51 | |
The Master of Suspense is making his mark on the Plaza Classic Film Festival once again. Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious (1946), featuring Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant, will screen during the festival, which takes over Downtown El Paso July 17-27, 2025. The festival Advisory Committee's Hitchcock expert, Leanne von Mittenwald, joins podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle in the studio to talk about why Notorious is her favorite Hitchcock film - and why you should make plans to watch it on the big screen. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Get Plaza Classic Film Festival passes and more here. Check out the festival schedule here. | |||
| "The Empire Strikes Back" | 12 Jun 2025 | 00:22:58 | |
The sequel to the Star Wars, the 1977 sci-fi film that defined the genre and shaped a generation, is blasting its way onto the Plaza Classic Film Festival schedule this summer. Jaime Mendez, a member of the film festival's advisory committee and an avid Star Wars fan, joins Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to convince them -- and all of you -- that "Empire" isn't just the best film in the series, but one of the best movies ever made. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Find "The Empire Strikes Back" and other screenings on the festival schedule here. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Get Plaza Classic Film Festival passes and more here. | |||
| The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ | 05 Jun 2025 | 00:26:08 | |
Do you remember when the Mighty Wurlitzer organ was encased in glass near the food court in Sunland Park Mall? That was just one unlikely stop before the classic instrument returned to its home in the Plaza Theatre. Gary L. Williams, the Vice President of Programs for the El Paso Community Foundation, and Richard Garven, Organist-Choirmaster Emeritus, join podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle to talk about the journey to revive the Heart of the Plaza. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Check out the schedule here. Get festival passes and more here.
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| From BlacKkKansman to the Hip Hop Cop | 19 Jun 2025 | 00:28:14 | |
El Pasoan Ron Stallworth had an eventful career in law enforcement. He helped sabotage KKK activities in Colorado Springs as an undercover member of the Klan, and he also uncovered Bloods and Crips activity in Salt Lake City's Mormon Country. His true life stories are more fascinating than fiction, prompting screenwriters to bring his published memoirs "BlacKkKlansman" and "The Gangs of Zion" to the big and small screen, alike. Stallworth joins Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about his life, his work, and his efforts to support budding writers with the help of the El Paso Community Foundation. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Check out the schedule here. Check out this week's show notes here. Get festival passes and more here. | |||
| A Night at the Museum(s) | 26 Jun 2025 | 00:30:50 | |
2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. As part of a massive collaborative effort, the Plaza Classic Film Festival is teaming up with FIVE of El Paso's museums to showcase "Hollywood Goes to War," the festival's major theme commemorating the anniversary. Podcast hosts Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott are joined in studio by representatives of the Mexican American Cultural Center, the El Paso Museum of Art, and the El Paso Holocaust Museum, so they can share the special World War II-themed exhibits and programs taking place during the festival. Check the show notes for the special exhibits and features at La Nube STEAM Discovery Center and the El Paso Museum of History. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Check out the schedule here. Get festival passes and more here. | |||
| Get Scared with Your Favorite Actor's Favorite Actor | 30 Oct 2025 | 00:32:39 | |
Is Alien a sci-fi, a horror, or both? What about Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Whichever you choose, both are good options for rewatches on Halloween. Veronica Cartwright ("Lambert" in Alien and "Nancy" in Invasion of the Body Snatchers) joins podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle for a brand-new interview from her home in Los Angeles, where she's preparing to give out candy to trick-or-treaters on Oct. 31. And you have to hear about her favorite costume. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here. | |||
| Hit Us With Your Best Pitch | 23 Oct 2025 | 00:16:54 | |
Great films often begin as strong pitches. But oftentimes, those pitches are critiqued, revised, and refined before they truly shine. That was the process behind the 2025 Plaza Classic Film Festival's Pitch Fest. And out of the ten budding local screenwriters, one El Paso Community College English professor came out on top. Jorge Gomez joined Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to talk about his pitch and his method. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. Check out this week's show notes here. Learn more about the Plaza Classic Film Festival here. | |||
| The Film Fest's Special Guests are... | 17 Jul 2025 | 00:23:00 | |
Luis Valdez and Veronica Cartwright may not be household names, but they have both played large roles in some memorable films you surely have seen. Valdez directed "Zoot Suit" with Edward James Olmos and "La Bamba" with Lou Diamond Phillips; Cartwright portrayed both Cathy, the teen girl in "The Birds," and Lambert in "Alien." And both stars will be gracing the stage during the Plaza Classic Film Festival. Festival Program Director and "Friend of the Pod" Doug Pullen is back in the podcast studio with Stephanie Valle and Lisa Elliott to run down the schedule of the 18th film festival. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Find the full schedule here. Get festival passes and more here. Want more? Check out the show notes. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. | |||
| "I'm Just A Girl" Dinner | 10 Jul 2025 | 00:25:15 | |
If you're a fan of "Notting Hill" starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, then you're in luck. The 1999 rom-com is the star of the newest date night event held during the Plaza Classic Film Festival. The "I'm Just a Girl" Dinner is on Monday, July 21 with a screening of "Notting Hill" to follow. In this episode, podcast hosts Lisa Elliott and Stephanie Valle are just two girls, sitting in front of two fellow committee members Craig Holden and Rebecca Mendez, asking them to talk about "Notting Hill." Get "I'm Just A Girl" Dinner tickets here. The Plaza Classic Film Festival runs from July 17-27, 2025. Find the full schedule here. Get festival passes and more here. Want even more? Check out the show notes. The Plaza Classic Podcast is a production of the El Paso Community Foundation and is recorded on the El Paso Community College campus. | |||