Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast

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 e...

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 ea...

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 f...

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, ...

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 ‘L...

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 ...

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 Musi...

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 lev...