Talking Pictures

On today’s episode, I’m excited to be joined by screenwriter Eric Luke to talk about Joe Dante’s 1985 sci-fi adventure EXPLORERS – a film starring River Phoenix and Ethan Hawke, both in their mid-teens. After the success of GREMLINS, EXPLORERS was expected to become Joe Dante’s next amazing success story. But unfortunately, the movie wasn’t finished properly, and after it was released to some very lukewarm reviews, it quickly disappeared – only to become a minor cult classic later on, thanks to its unique tone and humor. The film is about three youngsters who build themselves a home-made spaceship to

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Today’s conversation was a hugely thrilling and exciting occasion for me, because the man I spoke to is a true pioneer and a legend of sci-fi cinema, and the movie which he’s most famous for is one which really resonated with me when I first saw it as a teenager, and it’s continued to hold that fascination throughout the years. I’ve had the immense pleasure of talking to Steven Lisberger, the writer and director of TRON, an immensely influential 1982 movie in which Jeff Bridges travels into the virtual world inside the computer, which to a young kid interested in

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For today’s episode, I’ve had the immense pleasure of talking to screenwriter Mike Rich about his very first film, FINDING FORRESTER. Directed by Gus Van Sant, the film came out in the year 2000 and features the legendary “original James Bond” Sean Connery as a reclusive writer in the vein of J.D. Salinger, named William Forrester, who starts mentoring a young 16-year old black kid from the Bronx, Jamal, played by then-newcomer Rob Brown, who divides his time between playing basketball with his friends and at school and his secret interest in writing and literature. The film also stars a

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Today’s guest is Mike Curb, best known as the head of the independent record label Curb Records, which started out in 1964 as Sidewalk Records and is still going strong in 2025. Over the years, Curb have released records like the best-selling COYOTE UGLY soundtrack album and music by Gloria Gaynor, Willie Nelson, Bananarama, The Four Seasons, LeAnn Rimes, Sixpence None the Richer and many other great artists. Mike Curb has also served as the lieutenant governor of California from 1979 to 1983, he’s owned a NASCAR team, he renovated a house owned by Elvis Presley, he supports many charity

The post #41 – “Roger Corman Said I Was More Radical”: Composer/Music Producer Mike Curb on THE WILD ANGELS and Other Biker & Counterculture Films appeared first on Talking Pictures.

Today’s guest is Bob Blackburn – he’s the son of the famous sportscaster by the same name, Bob Blackburn, who was the play-by-play voice of the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA and was inducted into the Sports Halls of Fame in both Oregon and Washington. Bob, the son, also has a background in radio, but the reason I’m talking to him today is the book he just released: KATHY WOOD & I – HOW I FELL DOWN THE ED WOOD JR. ANGORA RABBIT HOLE. Bob, you see, is the custodian of the estate of the independent filmmaker Ed Wood –

The post #40 – “He Would Have Been So Happy About This Notoriety”: Ed Wood Heir Bob Blackburn on the PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE Director’s Legacy appeared first on Talking Pictures.