The Projection Booth

Taking a look at the 2014 Cinetopia film festival taking place in Detroit and Ann Arbor from June 4-8, 2014.

It's fun for the whole family as we talk about Ken Russell's controversial 1971 film “The Devils”. Censored for over 40 years because of content, “The Devils” tells the tale of Urbain Grandier – the priest of Loudun, France who in 1634 was persecuted through an unholy mix of Church, State and Sex.

We're joined by Mr. Chris of the Outside the Cinema and Are You Serious podcasts to talk about Andrzej Zulawski's 1981 film Possession, a beautiful and challenging tale of a marriage falling apart in Cold War Berlin.

Boss Nigger is one of the American Westerns that worked used the feel of the Euro-westerns that came to the fore in the mid-1960s, but with an African-American twist. The film stars Fred “The Hammer” Williamson as “Boss” and D'Urville Martin as “Amos” – two bounty hunters who become sheriff and deputy of a small western town. The twosome battles bad guys, civic corruption and racism with words and guns.

We're taking the stage and talking about Martin Scorsese's comic masterpiece, The King of Comedy. Joining us is our old friend Skizz Cyzyk to talk to us about his Pride & Joy.

Mike talks to John Badham about his book, John Badham On Directing: Notes from the Set of Saturday Night Fever, War Games, and More.

Take a look at one of cinema's greatest tragedy's (and greatest influences), Alejandro Jodorowsky's Dune. The 2013 documentary Jodorowsky's Dune tells the incredible tale of the surrealistic filmmaker gathering one of the most impressive rosters of talent around in order to make an ill-fated attempt at adapting Frank Herbert's seminal science fiction tome.

Danger signal! It's an episode all about Allen Baron's 1961 neorealistic Blast of Silence, the story bad boy Frankie Bono, a hit man who comes to New York City at Christmas to fulfill a contract. He's torn between his obligation to pull the trigger and his heart.

We're talking about Bad Lieutenant - the original and the sort of loose re-make by filmmakers Abel Ferrara and Werner Herzog. The 1992 original stars Harvey Keitel as the Bad Lieutenant in question who gets in over his head with drugs, prostitutes and a gambling debt. The 2009 The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans stars Nicolas Cage as the Bad Lieutenant in the days around and after Hurricane Katrina. He plays a cop who gets in over his head with drugs, prostitutes and a gambling debt.

On this special episode of The Projection Booth, Mike talked to Joey Figueroa about co-directing the feature documentary Milius. Figueroa discusses his early work with Kevin Smith and the challenges of capturing the larger-than-life persona of writer/director John Milius.

On this special episode of The Projection Booth, Mike talks to Alexia Anastasio about a few of her current projects -- Little Fishes & Ginger Girls -- as well as crowdfunding and her earlier films such as Adventures in Plymptoons.

A run for the border is in order. We're talking about the Mexican icon, El Santo, and his thirteenth film, El hacha diabólica, with El Goro of the Talk Without Rhythm podcast. Plus, we discuss the idea of luchadores (Mexican masked wrestlers) with Bobb Cotter, author of The Mexican Masked Wrestler and Monster Filmography.

Called "The Ingmar Bergman of 42nd Street," Joe Sarno delivered an usual blend of artfulness and sexiness to the raincoat crowd. On this special episode of The Projection Booth, we talked to Wiktor Ericsson, the director of The Sarnos: A Life in Dirty Movies which is a much a love story between Joe and Peggy Sarno as it is a documentary about Joe Sarno's career and final years of his life.

From the creators of the Harry Knuckles films, Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter resurrects the Christian messiah in modern day Ottawa to fight a plague of lesbian-hunting blood suckers. May the power of Christ impale you!

Mike and Brett are zombies. Somehow, they awake and decide to take a road trip to find Mike's lost love. The pair are unaware they are being chased by a company trying to hush up the zombie invasion. Deadheads is a zom-rom-com with heart.