Watching Classic Movies Podcast: Underseen Giallos with Kristian Dijan

 

My guest is Kristina Dijan, writer of the longtime blog Speakeasy and a senior writer at the Dark Pages film noir newsletter. Kristina and I met at the TCM Classic Film Festival over a decade ago, where we quickly discovered a shared love for cult and genre films. In the years since we have shared hundreds of film suggestions with each other. This episode we decided to put down our phones and discuss our favorite underseen Giallos face-to-face. We had so many ideas for follow-up episodes, that Kristina suggested we start our own podcast, where we could share our conversation with fans of cult and genre films. Get ready for Psychotronic Sisters coming soon wherever you subscribe to podcasts. Stay tuned at the end of the show to learn more!

More about Kristina: https://hqofk.wordpress.com/ https://www.allthatnoir.com/newsletter/ 

Films Discussed: 

Short Night of Glass Dolls (1971) 

Possessed (1965) 

The Strangler (1970) 

In The Eye of the Hurricane/Fox with a Velvet Tail (1971) 

Queens of Evil (1970) 

Blazing Magnum/Shadows in an Empty Room (1976) 

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972)

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Single & Psycho: How Pop Culture Created the Unstable Single Woman Author Caroline Young

My guest is Caroline Young, author of Single & Psycho: How Pop Culture Created the Unstable Single Woman. We talked about the many ways unmarried women are represented in movies and television and how they are often vilified. From Fatal Attraction and its fascinating inspiration Diversion, to Gone Girl and the singletons of Bridget Jones and Sex and the City, we covered a lot of ground. 

 

Also available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, PocketCasts, and wherever else you listen to podcasts! 

More about Caroline: 

Instagram 

Official Site  

Titles discussed: 

Diversion (1979) 

Fatal Attraction (1987) 

Thelma and Louise (1991) 

Basic Instinct (1992) 

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992) Sex and the City (TV, 1998) 

Obsession (2023) 

Fatal Attraction (TV, 2023) 

The Girl on the Train (2016) 

Gone Girl (2014) 

Promising Young Woman (2020) 

The Boy Next Door (2015) 

The Real Fatal Attraction (2025) 

Baby Reindeer (2024)

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Cesar Romero: Joker is Wild Author Samuel Garza Bernstein

Though he has appeared in over two hundred films and television shows for generations of fans, Cesar Romero will always be the Joker. While his series of guest appearances in the 1960s Batman show is undeniably memorable, there’s a lot more to both Romero the man and the actor. 

My guest is Samuel Garza Bernstein, author of Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild. We discussed the most fascinating performances of this elegant, underrated talent who always maintained the heights of his stardom and lived life to the fullest with remarkable kindness and positivity. 

Available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and PocketCasts!

More about Samuel: 

Samuel's Website 

Instagram 

Samuel’s Recommendations: 

Deep Waters (1948) 

Oceans Eleven (1966) 

The Little Princess (1939) 

Wee Willie Winkie (1937) 

Other Films Discussed: 

The Devil is a Woman (1935) 

Two on a Guillotine (1965) 

Batman (1966) 

Latitude Zero (1969) 

Simple Justice (1989)

Midas Run (1969)

The Timber Tramps (1973)

The Haunted Mouth (1974) 

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: TCM Classic Movie Festival Memories with Karen Burroughs Hannsberry and Aurora Bugallo

One of the best decisions I ever made was to attend the TCM Classic Film Festival, and there are thousands of movie fans who feel the same way. I've attended for several years. This one-of-a-kind event is as much about the community it draws as it is its films, panels, guests, and welcoming TCM hosts. I have spent many hours at the festival with my guests Aurora Bugallo, who writes the Once Upon A Screen blog and who is active on social media as Citizen Screen and Karen Burroughs Hannsberry who writes the Shadows and Satin blog, is editor of the bi-monthly film noir publication the Dark Pages Newsletter and is author of Femme Noir: Bad Girls of Film and Bad Boys: The Actors of Film Noir. We had a lot of laughs and even got a bit emotional reminiscing about the many ways our days together in Hollywood were memorable, heartwarming, and even life changing. 

Available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, and PocketCasts!

More about Aurora: 

Tumblr 

Instagram 

Once Upon a Screen 

More about Karen: 

Shadows and Satin 

All That Noir 

Maureen O’Hara, interviewed by Robert Osborne at TCMFF 2014:

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Helen Morgan: The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld’s Last Star Author Christopher S. Connelly

My guest is Christopher S. Connelly, author of Helen Morgan: The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld’s Last Star. Morgan was a hugely popular singer and actress who set the template for musical theater performance style. We talked about Morgan’s big heart, her deeply emotional connection with audiences, and how her approach to life was more Auntie Mame than as the downtrodden songstress she has been typically rumored to be. 

Learn more about Christopher's book and where to buy it here: https://www.kentuckypress.com/9781985900592/helen-morgan/ 

The show is available on— Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public Like the podcast? 

Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/k-cruver/support 

You can also support my work on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/watchingclassicmovies

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: Talking Sudden Fear (1952) and Joan Crawford with Robert Bellissimo of Robert Bellissimo At the Movies

 

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Robert Bellissimo has had me as his guest on his excellent Robert Bellissimo at the Movies video podcast two times: once to discuss the sci-fi/film noir Repeat Performance (1947) and recently to talk about Joan Crawford in Autumn Leaves (1956). In this episode we discuss Sudden Fear (1952) which has the noir and theater world characteristics of that first film and the star of the second. We talked in detail about this fascinating independent production that served as a perfectly noirish backdrop for one of Crawford’s best performances. 

Robert Bellissimo at the Movies YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RobertBellissimoAtTheMovies 

Follow Robert-- 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertbellissimoatthemovies/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobertBellissimoAtTheMovies/ 

Our conversation about the film noir Repeat Performance (1947): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emz7yABM4kU 

Our conversation about another Joan Crawford film, Autumn Leaves (1956): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qq9jzs2dqOU 

Robert interviews Joan Crawford: Ferocious Ambition author Robert Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd00zZdaUIA 

Kendahl interviews Joan Crawford: Ferocious Ambition author Robert Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QE3iiOsCwM8 

The show is available on— Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public 

Like the podcast? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/k-cruver/support 

You can also support my work on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/watchingclassicmovies

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Corpses Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema co-author Willow Catelyn Maclay

 

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It is rare to find a new film book that is destined to be a classic, but Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema is just that. Co-written by Willow Catelyn Maclay and Caden Mark Gardner this well-curated mix of films, criticism, and history covers the highs and lows of trans representation both in front of and behind the camera and celebrates the wealth of trans talent now making films. I spoke with Willow about some of the stand-out films from the book, what it was like to write and research such a complex project, and what trans filmmakers need to thrive as they expand their presence in the movies.

 

Buy Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema:

https://bookshop.org/p/books/corpses-fools-and-monsters-an-examination-of-trans-film-images-in-cinema-willow-maclay/

                                                                           

Follow Willow Catelyn Maclay:

https://www.instagram.com/willowcatelyn/

https://www.patreon.com/willowcatelynmaclay

 

Follow Caden Mark Gardner:

https://www.instagram.com/corpsesfoolsandmonsters

 

Follow a trans film maker. Buy a DVD/Blu-ray/VHS/streaming access! Buy some merch!

Louise Weard:

https://louiseweard.bigcartel.com/

https://linktr.ee/LCWJ

 

Vera Drew:

https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/the-peoples-joker/umc.cmc.7h7jov9x5534llwd5a3bu5kf9

https://diabolikdvd.com/product/le-slipcover-peoples-joker-altered-innocence-blu-ray-all-region-preorder/

https://diabolikdvd.com/product/vhs-peoples-joker-altered-innocence-ntsc-vhs-preorder

https://www.patreon.com/veradrew22

 

Jane Schoenbrun

https://www.janeschoenbrun.com/

https://www.instagram.com/janedoesnotknow

 

Alice Maio Mackay

https://www.instagram.com/alice_maiomackay/

 

Isabel Sandoval

https://www.instagram.com/isabelvsandoval/?hl=en

https://www.criterion.com/current/top-10-lists/377-isabel-sandoval-s-top-10

 

The show is available on— Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

 

Like the podcast? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/k-cruver/support

 

You can also support my work on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/watchingclassicmovies

Save our Scarecrow: How to Help Preserve the 150K Archive of the World's Biggest Video Store

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With a collection of nearly 150,000 titles, Scarecrow Video in Seattle, Washington is one of the largest, if not the largest publicly available archives of film in the world. US customers can rent in the store or by mail and anyone can purchase all sorts of amazing items from its official website. Open since 1988, and a not-for-profit run by its employees since 2014, it had never been easy to keep the store going, but this collective has set a goal to raise 1.8 million dollars in order to keep its doors open and to build a sustainable structure so that its employees can focus on what they do best: sharing the amazing world of movies with its loyal customers. 

I spoke with Scarecrow Social Media Manager and Development Assistant Malakie Peters about the progress the not-for-profit has made in its fundraising efforts, how anyone can benefit from and support Scarecrow, and what her current favorite flicks are in a collection so massive that even as an employee she finds new treasures all the time. 

Direct donation link: 

https://scarecrowvideo.org/sos

Official Site: https://scarecrowvideo.org

The Scarecrow Video Shop: 

https://sv-archive.square.site/

​ The show is available on— Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public Like the podcast?

Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month: https://podcasters.spo...​ You can also support my work on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/watc...​

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Not Even Nominated: 40 Overlooked Costars of Oscar-Winning Performances Author John DiLeo

My guest is John DiLeo, author of eight film books, including his latest, Not Even Nominated: 40 Overlooked Costars of Oscar-Winning Performances. We talked about the common characteristics of great performances that nevertheless get overlooked for awards attention, some of our favorite deserving performances, and the way perception makes a movie a unique experience for each viewer. 

Listen here

Learn more about John DiLeo’s many film books, including Not Even Nominated: 40 Overlooked Costars of Oscar-Winning Performances here: https://www.johndileo.com/works.htm 

Follow John on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john.dileo.12/ 

Listen to our previous chat about his book There Are No Small Parts: 100 Outstanding Film Performances with Screen Time of 10 Minutes or Less: http://www.watchingclassicmovies.com/2022/07/watching-classic-movies-podcast-john.html 

The show is available on— Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public 

Podcast subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/k-cruver/support 

You can also support my work on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/watchingclassicmovies

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: Nat Segaloff, Author of The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear

My guest is Nat Segaloff, author of The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear. Nat is uniquely qualified to write about this controversial classic. As a publicist working for the film, he was standing guard outside the auditorium doors for the first press screening. He also knew director William Friedkin, and wrote his authorized biography and he knew novelist/screenwriter and director William Peter Blatty. We talked about the many versions and sequels of the Exorcist, the women who were integral to the creation and execution of the story, and how while nothing can match the original film, the movies it inspired have a lot to offer. 

Listen Here

More about the books we discussed: 

The Exorcist Legacy: 50 Years of Fear

Breaking the Code: Otto Preminger vs. 

Hollywood’s Censors 

The Naughty Bits: What The Censors Wouldn't Let You See in Hollywood's Most Famous Movies 

A previous episode where we discuss Nat’s book about Scarface 

More about Nat Segaloff 

The show is available on— Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public 

Like the podcast? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/k-cruver/support 

You can also support my work on ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/watchingclassicmovies

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: Talking Melodrama with Millie de Chirico

Melodrama, it’s much more than Douglas Sirk-directed mid-century dramas, I had a great talk with writer, film programmer, podcaster, and teacher Millie De Chirico about what melodrama really means, what we love about it, and the surprising places you can find melodrama, from horror to action flicks. 

Subscribe to Millie’s Substack, Professional Sweetheart 

Check out the fantastic book Millie wrote with Quatoyiah Murry TCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema 

My video review of the book 

Millie’s official website 

Millie co-hosts the fabulous I Saw What You Did podcast with Danielle Henderson 

Follow Millie-- 

Twitter: @milliedechirico 

Instagram: @debbie_country 

BlueSky: @milliedechirico.bsky.social 

The show is available on— Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public 

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month 

You can also support my work on ko-fi

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Robert Dance, Author of Ferocious Ambition: Joan Crawford's March Towards Stardom

There are few stars who have reached the heights that Joan Crawford did. In his book Ferocious Ambition: Joan Crawford’s March to Stardom my guest Robert Dance explores how she rose from childhood poverty to the top of her industry where she maintained a successful career for over four decades. We talked about her drive and talent for business and how she was a surprising feminist presence in mid-century cinema. 

You can purchase Ferocious Ambition: Joan Crawford’s March to Stardom here 

Check out the gorgeous photos on the official Ferocious Ambition Instagram account

The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month

You can also support my work on ko-fi

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Nat Segaloff, Author of Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface

The two cinematic versions of Scarface were influential films which reflected their times, the thirties and eighties respectively. The prolific Nat Segaloff explores their legacy in Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface, a fascinating book that draws on Nat’s industry experience and considerable research skills. We talked about the effect these movies had, the people who made them remarkable, and what it was like to meet Scarface director Brian De Palma. 

Learn more about Nat’s many film books at his website 

You can purchase Say Hello to My Little Friend: A Century of Scarface here

The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month

You can also support my work on ko-fi

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Odie Henderson, Author of Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras: A History of Blaxploitation Cinema

Film critic Odie Henderson has applied his vast film knowledge and solid storytelling skills to the writing of an excellent new book Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras: A History of Blaxploitation Cinema. We discussed the stars, creators, triumphs, and key films of this rich period in cinematic history. 

Buy Odie's book here 

Check out Odie's Blaxploitation playlist on Spotify 

Keep up with Odie on BlueSky 

Odie's film reviews: 

Boston Globe 

Roger Ebert

 

The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month

You can also support my work on ko-fi

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Authors of Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance Paula Broussard and Lisa Royère

 

Eleanor Powell was Hollywood’s best female tapper, but she isn’t nearly as well known as screen hoofers like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. With their book Eleanor Powell: Born to Dance my guests Paula Broussard and Lisa Royère are working to fix that cultural oversight. Having been dancers themselves, they offer a fascinating perspective on this one-of-a-kind star’s style. We talked about the uniquely skilled Powell, who was as engaging as a person as she was a performer, and Paula and Lisa’s own relationship with her in her later years.

 

Connect with Paula and Lisa: 

Facebook page 

Facebook group 

Instagram  

Website 

Paula’s Twitter/X: @PMBroussard 

Lisa’s Twitter/X: @pamelisa 

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month

You can also support my work on ko-fi

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: The Turbulent, Remarkable Life of Veronica Lake with Brian Brown

While the actress Veronica Lake dealt with her share of trauma, her life was not quite the tragedy that it has long been rumored to be. Before she hit her mid-twenties she had appeared in six bonafide classic films, including Sullivan’s Travels, three noirs with Alan Ladd starting with This Gun for Hire, I Married a Witch and So Proudly We Hail. She left Hollywood behind, but never stopped working on the stage and in television, while pursuing the life she was unable to have as a young star. I spoke with UCLA Cinema and Media Studies Program Manager and Lake enthusiast and researcher Brian Brown about the highs and lows of this remarkable actress. 

For more great Veronica Lake content, follow Brian on Twitter 

Titles discussed: 

Sullivan’s Travels (1941) 

This Gun for Hire (1942) 

The Glass Key (1942) 

I Married a Witch (1942) 

So Proudly We Hail (1943) 

The Blue Dahlia (1946) 

Ramrod (1947) 

The Sainted Sisters (1948)

Slattery’s Hurricane (1949) 

The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month

You can also support my work on ko-fi

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: Talking Toshiro Mifune with Jill Blake

 Toshiro Mifune was one of the first classic film stars I loved and yet I didn’t know much about him personally. I decided to remedy that by talking to writer and CineJourneys co-founder Jill Blake. Jill has researched and written about Mifune and had a lot to share about his life, career, and remarkable partnership with filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.

 

Check out Jill's work: 

CineJourneys Substack

CineJourneys website 

Read Jill’s piece on Mifune 

The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month

You can also support my work on ko-fi

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Eve Golden, Author of Strictly Dynamite: The Sensational Life of Lupe Vélez

 

Biographer Eve Golden returns to the show to discuss her latest Strictly Dynamite: The Sensational Life of Lupe Velez. 

This vivacious star deserves a reputation overall. Lies, rumors, and misperceptions have clouded Velez’ legacy. While she didn’t have the opportunities and regard that her talent and starpower should have brought her, she had a remarkable, decades-long career and was a beloved, fascinating woman. 

Content warning: we discuss Lupe’s suicide from 21:04 to 24:58 if you would prefer to skip that part of the conversation.

The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Strictly Dynamite: The Sensational Life of Lupe Vélez is a publication of University Press of Kentucky and is available wherever you buy books!

You can learn about Eve Golden's other books on her official website

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month

You can also support my work on ko-fi

Watching Classic Movies Podcast--Classic Film Picks from Brian Sauer of Pure Cinema Podcast and Just the Discs

I love the movie suggestions Brian Sauer shares as co-host of the Pure Cinema Podcast and as host of Just the Discs podcast and YouTube show. He always comes up with intriguing films I haven’t seen for my ever expanding to-watch list. In this episode, Brian shares five classic film picks and two spares, that would be his selections if he were scheduling the TCM Classic Film Festival. I loved the element of surprise in our conversation, especially because some of his picks sounded great and I can't wait to watch them. 

Listen Here!

The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Films discussed in this episode: 

Christmas in July (1940) 

The Enemy Below (1957) 

Ride Clear of Diablo (1954) 

Pushover (1954) 

Two on a Guillotine (1965) 

Shakedown (1950) 

The Devil Doll (1936) 

I highly recommend following Brian on social media and getting more film recommendation from his shows: 

Instagram 

Brian on Letterboxd 

Pure Cinema Podcast 

Just the Discs Podcast 

Just the Discs on YouTube

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month

You can also support my work on ko-fi

Watching Classic Movies Podcast: The Wild World of Sixties Film Fashion with Fashion Instagrammer Rachel Boyce

Fashion Instagrammer and actress Rachel Boyce lives her love of 60s and 1700s period fashion. While we tend to refer to previous decades when talking about fashion trends, Rachel looks back centuries when sharing her extensive knowledge about how past looks influence the present. We talked about how many years of different styles found their way into the cultural explosion of the sixties, including the wide variety of films made in that decade. 

Follow Rachel on Instagram 

Listen to our previous episode about Sharon Tate and owning vintage fashion:

The show is available on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, PocketCasts, Google, and Radio Public

Like the podcast? Want to hear more frequent episodes? Subscriptions are as low as 99 cents a month

You can also support my work on ko-fi