Reels of Cinema

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In this episode, actress-writer-director Allison Marie Rogers joins me to discuss her 2023 live action short horror film Don't Wake Daddy, which you can find available in its entirety on YouTube at the link provided below. Among other things, we talk about the film, the different hats that she wore during the production, and her overall career to date!

YouTube link to Don't Wake Daddy: https://youtu.be/u5vyNrW2yHg?si=mngV7V_QDXUXsE2_ 

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On August 18, 1973, four youths in a Volkswagen van ran out of gas along a deserted Texas road. From there, they were plunged into the worst nightmare imaginable. And today is August 18, the perfect day to re-edit, repackage, and rerelease a 2024 episode on the Tobe Hooper-directed classic from my previous podcast (Silver Screeners), especially when the guest was Chris, the co-host of The Cinematic Travelers Podcast. Enjoy this rerun from 2024, the 50th anniversary of the grim but trailblazing horror flick!

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Something different for this episode - I have a great conversation with San Francisco movie and TV location tour guide Bryan Rice, owner of San Francisco Movie Tours! We talk about different location stops along his tour, amusing anecdotes from his experiences, and even his work as an extra in a few films shot in the area. Plus, poll results, movie news, the cooking segment Cinemunch, and the interactive trivia with listener shout-outs!

Email: info@sanfranciscomovietours.com

Web: sanfranciscomovietours.com

Facebook: sfmovietours

Instagram: @sanfranciscomovietours

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In this episode, filmmaker MJ Alhabeeb, Jr. joins me to discuss his unflinching, thought-provoking dramatic psychological thriller Plight, a story of grief and loss, revenge and retaliation, regret and conscience, and the theme of loved ones and how far you would go to protect them. Mr. Alhabeeb wrote, directed, and co-produced this independent feature, which you can find available on DVD and Blu Ray, as well as streaming on Tubi, Fawesome, and for rental and purchase on Amazon Prime.

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55 years ago, Gene Wilder delivered his iconic performance as Willy Wonka, aka 'The Candy Man'! Director Mel Stuart brought out the best in his cast and crew with this adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic book. Hear about the book, the film, the songs, behind-the-scenes fun facts, and what the child actors are up to now! Plus, poll results, entertainment news, the interactive listener trivia, and listener shout-outs!

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Award-winning actor and writer Tom Ward-Thomas guests to talk about his new independent feature, the AI-themed dramatic thriller Double Edge, as well as his acting experience in short films. Links to his showreel and two of his short films that we discuss below!

Tom Ward-Thomas. Showreel 2025

MAFIA (BIFA Qualified short film 2025)

Mail Man | Award Winning Short Film | (2023)

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Previous guest filmmaker Tommy Jay Dwyer returns to talk about his new documentary feature Burnin' down the House. It explores the living conditions and infrastructure of Massachusetts firehouses, as well as the health effects on the firefighters themselves. A personal project for him, as he comes from a family of firefighters, the film will premiere at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, MA (his home city) on Thursday, August 6, 2026. All listeners can get 10% off the ticket price by using the code "FIRE." Get ready to hear some surprising and thought-provoking discussion points that the...

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In this episode, filmmaker Glenn Garrabrant joins me to discuss his superb independent dramatic feature Local Area Network, the story of a group of millennials who rally in support of their friend who has attempted suicide. It is a tasteful, dignified, and nuanced story inspired by a real-life event. If you or anyone you know is struggling and having thoughts of suicide, remember there is hope and help. Call 988 or text "TALK" to 741741. Given the subject material that may be triggering for some, listener discretion is advised.

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It's a Jack Black double bill with School of Rock and Tenacious D: Pick of Destiny! D.C. of The Full Circle Podcast guests for a look at two of Black's most prominent comedy feature films. Plus, poll results, entertainment news, the cooking segment Cinemunch, and interactive listener trivia!

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An actor, a writer, a director, a producer, and an editor all combined into one creative mind ... that is this episode's special guest, Sean Michael Gloria. His acting credits alone are wide and varied, ranging from guest spots on shows like Law and Order and FBI to live action short dramas and comedies to campy fun slasher films like Halloween at Aunt Ethel’s. But his latest project is a dramatic series with social and cultural significance called _civilian. He and I talk about all of this, and more!

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Aussie Xavier Coy, an award-winning writer, director, and actor for film, TV, and live theater, guests to talk about his new independent feature, the mockumentary-comedy-drama Unremarkable, available for streaming on Amazon Prime! The considerable time difference between Australia and Boston did nothing to stop this discussion about his career, his filmmaking experience, and the production itself. Plus, poll results, the interactive listener trivia, and listener shout-outs!

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Author Nathan Gibson guests to discuss his debut novel, the LGBT mystery/romance The Missing Heart. Among other things, the Colorado native and advocate for “queer fiction” and I talk about his creative process and the films that have inspired his writing. Read more about him and purchase his book at the links below!
www.ngibsonauthor.com
https://a.co/d/042hvA33

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Celebrating Pride Month with a look at two comedy-dramas, both, ironically, with a lead character named Simon. From singles clubs and wedding banquets to Ferris wheels and first kisses, these stories come straight from the heart. Plus, poll results, entertainment news, the interactive listener trivia, and listener shout-outs!

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Are pink and gold your favorite colors? Would you say that French fries and ketchup is your favorite food? How'd you like some ice cream, Doc? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you've come to the right place. Liz M., my sister-in-law, with whom for years I've been playing a Shining quote game every chance we get, joins me to talk about the 1980 Stanley Kubrick-directed classic, as well as the largely-forgotten Stephen King-penned TV miniseries remake from 1997. Just don't go into room 237 or else Grady will have to ... correct you.

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Iranian filmmaker Saeid Ghasemi guests in this episode, and with his thought-provoking short film Blood Enough, he proves that there is power in cinematic storytelling, fiction and non-fiction. A semi-finalist for Best Screenplay for Live Action Short at the Oscar-qualifying Dallas International Film Festival, Blood Enough encompasses themes of internal and external moral conflict, controversial traditions, and the pressures of the societies in which we live.

https://www.instagram.com/blood_enough?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

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What if the lead P.I. at a murder scene were a ventriloquist with a dummy as his sidekick? Writer-star-professional ventriloquist Jonathan Geffner and co-stars Deborah Twiss and Ed Altman bring their talents to the screen in an offbeat, quirky, and thoroughly entertaining spoof of the murder mystery genre in their comedy-mystery-thriller The Dummy Detective! Sean Young (1982's The Blade Runner, 1984's Dune, 1994's Ace Ventura: Pet Detective) joins a solid cast for an entertaining whodunnit that flips expectations on their head! Currently streaming on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Plex, and other channels. Plus...

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Co-directors and co-stars Adam Burke (who also wrote the screenplay) and Jud Nichols bring to the screen a story about the possibility of change in a person in their psychological drama-thriller Wet Paper Bag. From the film's official logline: To find her missing sister, a journalist infiltrates a psychedelic therapy center and uncovers a treatment far more dangerous than the trauma it claims to heal. If you loved Midsommar, Saltburn, or The White Lotus, this is your next watch.

Instagram: @wetpaperbag_film (underscore matters)
Facebook: @WetPaperBagfilm
Site: wetpaperbagfilm.com<...

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If student loans drag you down, don't do what Tomas Varley (played by Haulston Mann) does in writer-director-co-producer Wes Clark's dark comedy-satire-thriller How to Start a Cult in 5 Easy Steps! Clark joins me for an eye-opening conversation about his inspiration for this story, his own filmmaking background, and his thoughts on the dos and don'ts for aspiring filmmakers. Enjoy this episode on repeat with 0% interest! Plus, the interactive listener trivia segment with listener shout-outs!

Letterboxd review: https://boxd.it/cDZG4j

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Actor-writer-director-stunt performer Chris Guttadaro guests for a conversation about his career in both entertainment and as a NYC firefighter. We discuss his acting credits, his upcoming projects, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes from some of his films. Plus, poll results, interactive listener trivia, and listener shoutouts! Watch his indie horror films and visit his website at the links below:

Watch The Omicron Killer (2024) - Free Movies | Tubi

Watch Stream (2024) - Free Movies | Tubi

Chris Guttadaro

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Award-winning writer-director Braden Barton guests for a conversation about his 2022 live action short Waltz of the Angels (HollyShorts Film Festival winner for Best Sci-Fi) and his upcoming feature The Fiddler's Stroke, currently in pre-production. We discuss his filmmaking background to date, his creative process, and the production of his work. Plus, poll results! Watch Waltz of the Angels at the link below!

WALTZ OF THE ANGELS | Videos & Movies on Vimeo

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Filmmaker Devlin Blevins is joined by two actresses in his company, Marleigh Arnold and Amber Brooke, for a conversation with me about their Halloween fan films, their proof of concept Dasher Slasher, and their movie The Forsaken Few, currently in pre-production! Among other things, we discuss the inspirations for these stories and their filmmaking and acting backgrounds. Plus, poll results and the interactive listener trivia! Watch Devlin's films on YouTube at the links below!

Halloween Genesis: https://youtu.be/VtsWLlwbyLM?si=Z6I73SWYztsKE_4N

Halloween Ultimatus: https://youtu...

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Producer Caitlin Weis, writer-leading actor Daniel Figueroa, and leading actor Derek Vaudry join me for a conversation about their first live action short film, the upcoming The Last Favor, a crime thriller that they promise pushes independent filmmaking to the limit! Among other things, we discuss their labor of love and passion, as well as inspirations for their original story. Plus, the interactive listener trivia!

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Writer-director Thom Harp joins me to talk about his family comedy-drama Home Delivery, featuring a pitch-perfect ensemble cast delivering quality dialogue about a plus-sized supermodel who, with her husband, invites her eccentric family to their home for the delivery of their first child. Old conflicts and tensions arise, battle lines are drawn, character idiosyncrasies bring on the laughs, and then there's that child's pull-along wagon. Plus, the interactive listener trivia!

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What if a traumatized young man finds himself shunned by his religious community because of their twisted beliefs? And what if those who do take it upon themselves speak to him mysteriously vanish? Writer-director Matthew G. of the M.T. Grave Studio joins me to talk about his upcoming folk horror film Exiled! Plus, poll results, the cooking segment Cinemunch, and interactive listener trivia!

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"Reach the stars, fly a fantasyyyyy, dream a dream, and what you see will beeeee, cuz rhymes that keep their secrets will unfold behind the clouds, and there upon a rainbow is the answer to a never-ending storyyy." And maybe even the Purple Buffalo Atreyu is hunting. And just what is Bastian's mother's name that he hollers into the rainstorm? As for Jim Henson's labyrinthian Muppet-populated world of goblins and David Bowie music, why does Sarah hate Baby Toby so much? Dive into 1984's The Neverending Story and 1986's Labyrinth! Plus, poll results...

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The 98th annual Academy Awards may be over, but let's allow for one final round of predictions that was recorded before Hollywood's big night! Writer-director-producer Brendan Manning and producer Zak Tauscher, both former high school film studies students of mine, join me to continue our annual tradition started on my previous podcast, Silver Screeners, to make predictions for this year's nominees. In this second of a two-parter, we predict Cinematography, Adapted and Original Screenplays, International Feature, Director, the four acting categories, and Best Picture. What did we get right? What did...

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Writer-director-producer Brendan Manning and producer Zak Tauscher, both former high school film studies students of mine, join me to continue our annual tradition started on my previous podcast, Silver Screeners, to make predictions for the current Academy Award nominees! In this first of a two-parter, we look at the new category of Best Casting, as well as Live Action Short, Sound, Visual Effects, Costume Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Production Design, Editing, Musical Score and Best Song.

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Grab your Dunkin' iced coffee, or just hydrate with a sip of water from the bubblah, bang a uey, and head over to the "download" icon to hear author Daniel Dain (A History of Boston) and I share thoughts on two Massachusetts-set films, 1948's Portrait of Jennie (starring the legend Joseph Cotten and the Oscar-winning Jennifer Jones) and 1982's The Verdict, starring Paul Newman and directed by Sidney Lumet. Plus, poll results and Dain's thoughts on Boston's historical and cultural landscape! Link to his book and his bio below.

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Celebrating 50 episodes by interviewing award-winning actor-director-writer-producer Tommy Jay Dwyer, a fellow MA native who featured in topshorts.net's list of "25 Exceptional Filmmakers to Watch in 2025," about his background and career. He tells an anecdote from the set of 2010's The Social Network, speaks of his work in two Mark Wahlberg films (2010's The Fighter, 2015's Ted 2), and shares his passion for projects that he wrote, produced, directed, and acted in, including the horror short Solus (2025) that will screen at Boston's Southie Film Festival in March 2026. Among his upcoming credits are the documentary Burnin...

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Child-rearing is no easy responsibility, but the payoffs can be immeasurable. 1989 saw two comedies, Ron Howard's Parenthood and John Hughes's Uncle Buck, depict family life in ways that are relatable, sentimental, and sometimes confusing and frustrating. But in the hands of comedy pros like John Candy, Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and two-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest, you know you're in for some real laughs - and stories with heart. Plus, poll results, entertainment news, the cooking segment Cinemunch, and interactive listener trivia! For WDMF with love.

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Creative artists Kyle Valle and Erin Aine join me to discuss their careers as independent filmmakers. Our conversation focuses primarily on their 2024 horror-comedy ZombieCON Vol. 1, sharing anecdotes and behind-the-scenes information about everything ranging from financing to casting to distribution to their infectious passion for storytelling. Joining them is their 10-month-old daughter who honestly brings this episode up to the next level. Plus, poll results, the cooking segment Cinemunch, and the interactive listener trivia!

https://www.instagram.com/zombieconmovie?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

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Get ready for the upcoming horror movie The Weeping with my interview with its writer-director-producer Spyder Dobrofsky and leading actor Jonathan Charles! Among other things, we talk about their careers, their experiences with this production, and their vision for the film. You'll never enter the woods alone again because, as the film's tagline informs us, "You can't escape." Plus, the cooking segment Cinemunch, and interactive listener trivia!

https://www.instagram.com/weepingmovie?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

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In this second of a two-parter on a pair of 1950 films that mercilessly skewer the politics and egos in show business, Josh of The Couch Critics Podcast and I discuss All about Eve, starring a temperamental Bette Davis, a devious Anne Baxter, a patience-strained Gary Merrill, an acid-tongued George Sanders, an overly-trusting Celeste Holm, a debuting Marilyn Monroe, and the incomparable Thelma Ritter! With 6 Oscar wins, including Best Picture, director Joseph L. Mankiewicz had the Academy talking ... all about Eve. Plus, the cooking segment Cinemunch and interactive listener trivia!

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In this first of a two-parter on a pair of 1950 films that mercilessly cast a critical eye on the seedy underbelly of show business, Josh of The Couch Critics Podcast joins me for a look at Sunset Blvd., starring Gloria Swanson as former silent film superstar 'Norma Desmond', William Holden as struggling screenwriter 'Joe Gillis', Erich von Stroheim as Norma's sketchy butler 'Max', Nancy Olson as script reader 'Betty Schaefer', and a pre-Dragnet Jack Webb as filmmaker 'Artie Green'! Director Billy Wilder crafted a classic that received 3 Oscars out of a whopping 11 nominations...

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In this special episode, Vinny Pacifico, world traveler/professional wrestler/professional actor/entrepreneur, joins me to discuss his multi-faceted career journey, his appearance on a Times Square billboard, his personal values, his love of Disney, and his promising acting opportunities. With roles and appearances in music videos and upcoming films and series such as Crimzon Harvest and Menspeaking, his is a story you don't want to miss!

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What do two Oscar-winning actors do next after facing off against the frigid waters of the northern Atlantic once the Titanic sinks? They face off (in separate films) against the wintery elements of nature in the mountains and plains of the western U.S., that's what! Leo DiCaprio bagged his Oscar for wrestling a grizzly bear in The Revenant, while Kate Winslet, already a winner, joined forces with Idris Elba to survive a plane crash in the snow-covered High Uintas Wilderness in Utah. Will they live to reunite and sail on the Atlantic...

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Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant are the sizzle to the bacon of George Cukor's Holiday (1938), while Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law, and Jack Black charm each other in the Nancy Meyers-written and directed The Holiday (2006). Ring in 2026 in style with this reedited, repackaged, and rereleased 2023 episode from my previous podcast, Silver Screeners, that looks at both films with me and special guests Max and Daniel, co-hosts of The Bitches with Beards Podcast!

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In 1989, unsuspecting movie audiences met two fictional characters who became the standard against which all others in the romantic comedy genre would be judged: Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) and Sally Albright (Meg Ryan). Directed by Rob Reiner from Nora Ephron's Oscar-nominated screenplay, When Harry Met Sally uses witty dialogue, Harry Connick, Jr.'s covers of jazz standards, and the setting of Manhattan on two New Year's Eves to set the tone for a romantic journey with characters you root for. Enjoy this reedited, repackaged, and rereleased 2024 episode from my previous podcast, Silver Screeners...

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A haunting Christmas tale told with both witty comedy and suspense thick enough to crack fingernail polish, this psychological thriller laid down the blueprint for what came after, from Michael Myers to Jason Voorhees to Chucky the Good Guy doll. Chris, Sean, and Tyler of The Cinematic Travelers Podcast guest for a look at the work of Bob Clark, who skillfully directs an exceptional cast that includes Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, Andrea Martin, Art Hindle, and John Saxon. Plus, poll results, entertainment news, the cooking segment Cinemunch, and interactive listener trivia!<...

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In December 1843, the modest book A Christmas Carol, by author Charles Dickens, appeared in print. Since then, it has been adapted for film, TV, the stage, and even animated series like The Flintstones and Mr. Magoo. But of the countless iterations, from faithful adaptations to parodies, two stand out as arguably the best of the best. Enjoy this reedited, repackaged, and rereleased 2022 episode on 1951's Scrooge, starring Alastair Sim, and 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol, starring Michael Caine, from my previous podcast, Silver Screeners, with special guests Stu and Al, co-hosts of The...