Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast

Welcome to a world of thrills and chills as we continue to eulogize recently deceased new Hollywood figures with the most terrifying dead celebrity of them all: Joe Don Baker! We discuss two horror-adjacent projects he took on in 1977. The Shadow of Chikara and The Pack! One’s a civil war era treasure hunt with a haunted mountain and the other is about a bunch of dogs chasing tourists around an island. Join us for this terrifying peek into the abyss of exploitation schlock. Topics include: MST3K, jean jackets, and whether or not dogs are scary.

We recorded a conversation about a recorded conversation! Join us for this deep dive into Francis Ford Coppola’s seminal New Hollywood Palme d’Or winner The Conversation. The eulogies continue with this episode celebrating the great Gene Hackman. We discuss his masterful performance as Harry Caul, a surveillance whiz who hears something on a job that he wishes he hadn’t and gets caught up in a moral conundrum. Topics include: the Severance theme song, John Cazale’s “type”, and why The Directors Company failed.

Oh boy did we have a ball with this one! For this ep we dive headfirst into the wild and singular world of Henry Jaglom, a true maverick who eschewed conventional narrative and filmmaking techniques to forge his own version of cinema. We traced his early New Hollywood beginnings through his Dennis Hopper starring Vietnam psychodrama Tracks (1976), through his breakthrough crime caper Sitting Ducks (1980), and finishing up with his sublime personal talkfest Someone to Love (1987), which features the final screen performance of Orson Welles. Topics include: how sneezes feel, the strange allure of Michael Emil, and an aborted threesome...

Our series of New Hollywood elegies continues with no signs of stopping in sight! This episode we present a paen to visionary documentarian Frederick Wiseman, whose stark narratives of life within institutions provided not just education but true entertainment value throughout his seven decade career. We discuss Titicut Follies (1967), High School (1970), Primate (1974), and Welfare (1975). Topics include: the Pledge of Allegiance, science funding, and a murder that happened next door to us.

To quote Roger Ebert: movies are emotion machines. And in this episode we discuss a most finely-tuned piece of emotional machinery, 1979’s Oscar juggernaut Kramer vs. Kramer. From its cast full of career best performances to the somewhat undersung sure hand of writer/director Robert Benton (RIP), this film offers soul enriching depth combined with exceedingly watchable family drama. There’s kinda nothing quite like it. Topics include: Dustin Hoffman being a huge jerk, the 1980 Oscars, and Meryl Streep’s influence on her character.

Welcome back to the Woody Allen show! ugh…

Last ep we covered Annie Hall and for this one we’re returning right back with his immediate follow up: Interiors.  If you got a problem with that, take it up with Mary Beth Hurt, whose recent death prompted us to cover this film. But we aren’t too mad about it since this extremely serious drama prompted some good conversation. Topics include: Bergman, Chekhov, and getting drunk with Maureen Stapleton and Geraldine Page.

It’s time for everyone’s favorite and not at all problematic film topic: Woody Allen! Whatever you might think of the man, we would be remiss as a movie podcast about New Hollywood if we didn’t take the time to discuss his seminal breakthrough masterpiece, Annie Hall. Specifically, as a part of our ongoing series on all the 70s movie icons who keep dropping like flies, we wanted to talk about what is kinda inarguably THE Diane Keaton movie. We hope you find yourself capable of enjoying this episode. Topics include: Marshall McLuhan, Godard, and who is or isn...

For his follow up to MASH, Robert Altman decided to bring us all… this! The wonderfully bizarre Brewster McCloud of course stars the late great Bud Cort in the title role, but that’s hardly the only thing the movie has to recommend it. It bursts at the seams so full of ideas it will make even the most tuned in acid head do a double take. We hope you enjoy our discussion on this one of a kind  cinematic experience. Topics include: Where’s Waldo, the history of the Houston Astrodome, and Michael Murphy’s singular brand of onscreen...

We are thrilled and disturbed to bring you this episode on Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining! As we continue our tributes to film legends who recently died we thought it fitting to celebrate the life of Shelley Duvall by discussing her most legendary and controversial performance. It is our deepest pleasure to have Michael J. Dougherty back on the show to join in the chat. Topics include: conspiracies, the book vs the movie, and how much the Razzies suck.

Our series of elegies to 70's film heroes we lost last year continues with a discussion on The Great Santini. In this episode we pay respects to Robert Duvall - widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time - by covering one of his most recognizable lead roles, in a movie that is…not so good. Sorry if you enjoy it, but we sure didn’t have much to say about it (sorry Robert! We’ll get ya next time). Topics include: Sam’s high school Film Studies class, Pat Conroy’s parents, and the hotness of Blythe Dan

To celebrate the life of visionary director David Lynch, we present to you a discussion of his masterpiece of uncanny parental anxiety, Eraserhead. We break down the making of and symbolism associated with this midnight movie classic. We also do a couple of impressions, read through every line of dialogue in the film, and even find the time to rank our favorite pieces of sound design. Topics include: Chucko, Buster, Pete, Bob, and Dan

We've been busy preparing a slate of episodes to pay tribute to some of the giants of New Hollywood who have recently left us. First on the “in memoriam” docket is no less than Robert Redford. Arguably the first true multi-hyphenate, with his directorial debut Ordinary People, Redford established an impressively new take on the “issues film”. Elena and Sam enjoy digging in and trying to untangle its thorny reputation as an Oscar spoiler for Raging Bull and Martin Scorsese. Topics include: the 92nd st Y, the origins of the Brat Pack, and what Mary Tyler Moore is really like.

Another December passes into January on the old calendar and we’re just out here doing the same thing we do every year: counting down our favorite films of the season, as well as our top picks from 50 years ago. That’s right, 2025 and 1975 are the contenders this episode. One is often cited as one of the greatest years in the history of the medium, and the other featured lots and lots of Pedro Pascal! Who will win? Ya gotta listen to the episodeeeee…

Come on in and celebrate with the Kael Your Idols Christmas Crew! Join Sam and Elena, and their special yearly Christmas guest: Ameerah Holliday, as the three proudly break down the current crop of cable/streaming-service-era Christmas-themed romcoms. It’s the REAL reason for the season! Join them as they straighten out the tinsel draped tangle of this special seasonal tradition. For once we’re actually getting the episode out in time for Christmas! Topics include: Shakespeare, the NFL, and depressed dogs. 

In our first ever episode dedicated to an actor we train our sights on the man, the myth, the legend that is Jack Nicholson. Specifically our focus is on his four 1975 calendrical releases: Ken Russell’s Tommy, Michelangelo Antonioni’s The Passenger, Mike Nichols’ The Fortune, and finally we top things off with a brief discussion of his Oscar Winning turn in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. It’s a fun one! We talk about some weird movies, the hosts certainly get in a few attempts at Jack impressions, and everyone should leave with a little more knowledge...

For Elena’s Birthday this year we decided to break format and discuss the German New Wave classic Kings of the Road. This three hour Wim Wenders film is a quietly meditative look at West German cinema culture seen through the eyes of two aimless men. The hosts have a fun time discussing the history of German film from the 20s through the 70s and even make space to share a couple manifestos with each other. Topics include: Hitler candles, Werner Herzog’s level of self-awareness, and poop on screen.

In a surprising birthday TWIST, Sam has decided to make us cover not just one film for their birthday but FIVE! And guess what? They’re all delightfully quirky and weird. We set our sights on Robert Altman's 1977-1980 period during which - thanks to Alan Ladd Jr.’s protective stewardship of 20th Century Fox - Altman was able to operate with complete freedom, churning out weird movie after weird movie. Sure, all of them utterly tanked at the box office, but they certainly do make for some interesting conversation! In this ep we discuss: 3 Women, A Wedding, Quintet, A Pe...

The word “vamp” has multiple meanings. To some it might mean a seductive woman. To many it will bring to mind a sanguinarily obsessed undead creature with long fangs that sleeps in coffins. To others it connotes stretching out some nonsensical patter in order to fill time! We are happy to report that two out of these three working definitions will be in play for this episode we did on House of Dark Shadows, the 1970 film spinoff of the popular television soap opera Dark Shadows. We detail the various storylines that the film somehow both drags out and hopelessly rush...

Listen here you little twerps! We’re gonna getcha with this one. Elena and Sam are gonna show you no mercy as they discuss Wes Craven’s first feature film: The Last House on the Left. That’s right, we’re inaugurating the Halloween season here in this quiet little spot, and no one’s gonna hear you scream for mercy. Jeeze, gotta get out of this voice - uh, hey! This is a fun episode! We swear. It won’t be too disturbing at all. And only tastefully exploitative as we get into the semiotics of early slasher/revenge movi...

Keep it under your hat but we got a good tip for ya: listen to the latest KYI, you might learn somethin’ useful. That is, if you consider hot goss about the sex lives of Peter Boyle and Robert Mitchum useful! Sam and Elena are joined by David Heath of the podcast Cinema Chat to dissect this talky, under-seen crime classic. A jolly good time is had by all as they take cracks at impressions of Hollywood luminaries, and even find time to mangle a few Boston accents. Topics include: hockey (is it boring?), Peter Yates’ interest in American citi...

Who can say what dark magic brought together so many creative geniuses (and problematic ones at that) to make Rosemary’s Baby? Whatever dark forces may have conspired, their plan worked! The movie endures as a beloved classic and guidepost of the early New Hollywood period. Whether you want to hear about Paramount’s resurrection through Robert Evans or the difference between John Cassavetes’ independent cinema vs William Castle’s, this episode is for you! Topics include: questionable erotic fantasies, the history of the Dakota Hotel, and how much the prequel film Apartment 7A suckssss.

A true high point of the New Hollywood era gets the Kael Your Idols treatment this episode: Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon. We attempt to get to the bottom of this true tale of a robbery-gone-wrong by putting together the character’s complex motivations piece by piece. Along the way we manage to show some love to Pacino, who puts in probably his best performance, and of course the legendary John Cazale as well.  Other topics include: early portrayals of gay activism, Lumet’s book ‘Making Movies’, and Johnny Wojtowicz: the larger-than-life figure at the center of the actual even

This week Elena and Sam tackle that spoof of spoofs- the 1980 comedic smash,  Airplane! This film rewrote the existing theories of comedy from what kind of people should star in it, to how many directors it should have. Join us as we delve into the world of classic TV and film culture upon which the Zucker brothers and their friend Jim Abrahams (aka ZAZ) set their sights. And please! Do not call us “Shirley”. Topics include: Leslie Nielsen’s fame in the 90s, a disaster film renaissance, and which jokes do or don’t hold up.

In this episode of KYI, the hosts discuss Gene Siskel’s favorite movie: Saturday Night Fever. A singular achievement in the history of the medium, if only for its unusual influence on a non-filmmaking aspect of culture. See, without this movie the entire musical genre of Disco probably wouldn’t have become a popular as it was. And conversely, if Disco hadn’t had its trendy day in the sun, no one would ever have had to think about this absurdly upsetting film ever again! A fascinating alternate history to imagine but seeing as we inhabit this timeline, Elena and Sa...

In this episode we are delighted to bring you a discussion on Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep. This first feature by the great pioneer of indie filmmaking is a tenderly poetic look at life in South Central LA during the 70s. Difficult to see for many years after its release, we were lucky enough to catch a restored print of it playing at our local theatre and we couldn’t pass up the chance to see and talk about this masterpiece. Topics include: masks in indie movies, film school, and the ‘LA Rebellion’

Oooh! We got a grimy one for ya today. We dive right into the dirt with famed auteur Sam Peckinpah’s minor (but still fascinating) work: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. Warren Oates leads a quirky cast populated by Mexican sex workers and suspiciously corporate hitmen in this tale of sexual jealousy, work, and morality and we just have a ball talking about it! Topics include: the hosts' views on violent cinema, the strange life of “the world’s most interesting man” and Peckinpah’s friendship with Pauline Kael.

Sing Hallelujah, come on get happy! Please, we implore you: get happy already! For this episode we train our gaze at William Friedkin’s minor masterpiece, The Boys in the Band. Although it is a landmark film in queer cinema, Boys has by now acquired a rather tricky reputation and we dig right into that. We laugh and cry along with these characters as they navigate the vagaries of identity and performative friendship. Topics include: comparisons to the Netflix version, Leonard Frey’s stunning performance, and Friedkin’s relationship to masculinity.

It is our deepest pleasure to bring you this episode on Norman Jewison’s masterpiece of non-auteurism: Fiddler on the Roof. Both of the hosts have a long and complex relationship to both this film and its source material and could wax for hours on its rich humanism and craft. The tale of Tevye the Dairyman and his daughters remains as fascinating and exciting today as ever! We promise! This movie is not boring at all (except for maybe a couple scenes with Perchik). Topics include: changes from the original stories, Jerome Robbins’ opening numbers, and a major change in E...

In this episode we delve into one of the signature commercial and critical flops of New Hollywood: Dennis Hopper’s The Last Movie. This gorgeous yet impenetrable film was a crucial turning point bridging the early hippie-influenced films of the late 60s with the more cynical and popular mainstream cinema that came to define the 1970s. We are joined by Stephen Lee Naish, author of two different books discussing this week’s subject - Create or Die: Essays on the Films of Dennis Hopper, and Music and Sound in the Films of Dennis Hopper. So enjoy listening to someone actu...

Imagine that you could sleep with anyone you wanted in the world, now ask yourself: how would this affect my participation in the American Electoral system? We’re diving into the New Hollywood deep end with this episode as we discuss Hal Ashby’s Oscar-winning smash, Shampoo! Who knew watching Warren Beatty doing hair and kissing pretty ladies could be such a fun time at the cinema? Topics include: Lee Grant’s blacklisting, getting turned on by haircuts, and the death of the 60s.

Merry Christmas! Here’s your gift! Sorry it’s a bit late but we never officially said we would be exchanging gifts in the first place so... anyway here it is! This episode is a break from our usual format. Absolutely zero New Hollywood or 70s film content to be found under this tree. Instead, Elena wanted to take some time out to do a treatise on Hallmark and streaming-era Christmas rom-com films. Luckily we had the perfect guest available: Ameerah Holliday, whose breadth of knowledge and level of thought given to the subject of Christmas movies far exceeds the...

Yet again we gather at the beginning of a new year. The reason? To pit the films of the previous calendar year against the films released 50 years ago. That's right, it's 74 v 24 baby!  Will New Hollywood reign supreme? Or will Alana and Sam pretend like they prefer a bunch of Netflix movies instead? Listen and find out!

What? What are your problems with this episode huh? Go ahead and take a piece of paper and write them all down. Go ahead! Tell us what’s wrong! Well?? Why aren’t you writing?? Look, I promise you we WILL discuss the 1974 Ellen Burstyn vehicle Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. We WILL litigate Scorsese’s overactive camera. And we WILL describe the episode we watched of the sitcom Alice with guest star Art Carney. Topics include: “realism”, “feminism”, and Kris Kristofferson AKA Big Daddy Santa Claus.

The time has come to wish a hearty Happy Birthday to Elena! We said she could choose any movie she wanted to talk about and out of all the wonderful New Hollywood classics, she chose this one. Love Story itself might be astoundingly mid, but this discussion we had about it was a rollicking good time! More than half of the episode gets spent just gabbing about the our favorite classic film romances, as well as what it even means to be “romantic”. Topics include: Instagram, Erich Segal’s alleged populism, and literacy rates then vs. now. One topic that d...

Join us in celebrating Sam’s birthday with this special episode on the John Frankenheimer film version of Eugene O’Neill’s play The Iceman Cometh. The hosts dig in to the unusual experiment in cinematic stage plays that birthed this project. You might think a four-hour-long play about alcoholism and despair sounds like a weird birthday present to give oneself but this discussion actually turned out to be rather charming and fun. Happy Birthday Sam! Topics include: Jason Robards vs. Lee Marvin, 1950s television, and Elena’s thoughts on Jack Lemmon.

The scares continue all through Halloween over here at KYI! The hosts, and their guest Levi Butner, wander the graveyards and get stuck in the muck as they discuss Don Coscarelli’s cult classic Phantasm. The obvious connections to Spielberg and Raimi are noted, as are the film’s roots in the Universal Monster tradition. Join us as we celebrate this massive achievement in low-budget filmmaking. Just watch out for the Tall Man, that motha’s stronggg! Topics include: actors watching their own work, “nerd-horror”, and the many places to hide flying orbs inside a person.

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Horror comedy comes to life this episode with the Mel Brooks classic Young Frankenstein. This might be the first movie we’ve covered that almost everyone we’ve ever met has undoubtedly seen! The gags remain evergreen, but this watch through the hosts were primarily impressed by the beautiful filmmaking and imaginative storytelling on display. The writing, cinematography, performances, music, and direction are all the stuffs of geniuses working at the top of their game. The effect is almost symphonic. It was good luck indeed that the movie came along at just the right time when the creatives, as well...

This is a big one, folks. Elena and Sam take a deep dive into cinematic meta-fiction as they explore the relationship between the seminal film 8 1/2 (1963) and its three most prominent New Hollywood descendants: Alex in Wonderland (1970), All That Jazz (1979), and Stardust Memories (1980). We approached this project with the seriousness and rigor we feel it deserves which apparently to us means making you listen to us talk for nearly four hours! Topics include: the 1976 Tonys, acting teachers in 70s movies, and the ontological argument.

Start timecodes for each segment: 
Federico Fellini’s 8 1/2 - 0:00:00
Paul Mazursky’s Alex...

Elena and Sam search for the familiar within the unknown as they immerse themselves in the world of Ridley Scott’s genre-defining classic Alien. They ruminate on the disturbing picture it paints of space and the cycles of nature and remark upon the hilarious improv skills of Yaphet Kotto. They also find time to touch on the recently released Alien: Romulus so that they can, you know, hitch onto the crass bandwagon of nostalgia along with everyone else. Topics include: I, Claudius, exploitative nudity, and the relatively high percentage of knights involved in the making of this film.

Put on your spectacles, nerds! We’re talking some long-form PROSE in this episode. Our subject today is Peter Biskind’s Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood. That’s right, not a MOVIE like we typically feature on this podcast, but a BOOK instead. We aim to give you a tour through the thrilling yet crass world Biskind maps out in this book and also take time check in with ourselves as to our general impressions of the Movie Brats. Topics include: Bogdanovich vs. Platt, Coppola’s megalomania, and crocodile tears for a dead pig