Welcome, one and all, to the latest episode of The Film Stage Show! Today, Brian Roan, Bill Graham, and Robyn Bahr are joined by Sheri Linden to discuss the new Val Kilmer documentary Val, directed by Ting Poo and Leo Scott, and now streaming on Amazon Prime.

Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. For a limited time, all new Patreon supporters will receive a free Blu-ray/DVD. After becoming a contributor, e-mail podcast@thefilmstage.com for an up-to-date list of available films.

The Film Stage Show is supported by MUBI, a curated streaming service showcasing exceptional films from around the globe. Every day, MUBI premieres a new film. Whether it's a timeless classic, a cult favorite, or an acclaimed masterpiece — it’s guaranteed to be either a movie you’ve been dying to see or one you’ve never heard of before and there will always be something new to discover. Try it for free for 30 days at mubi.com/filmstage.

Ep. 440 – Val (with Sheri Linden)

Welcome, one and all, to the latest episode of The Film Stage Show! Today, Brian Roan, Bill Graham, and Robyn Bahr are joined by Kristen Lopez to discuss Siân Heder's CODA, which is now in theaters and on Apple TV+.

Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. For a limited time, all new Patreon supporters will receive a free Blu-ray/DVD. After becoming a contributor, e-mail podcast@thefilmstage.com for an up-to-date list of available films.

The Film Stage Show is supported by MUBI, a curated streaming service showcasing exceptional films from around the globe. Every day, MUBI premieres a new film. Whether it's a timeless classic, a cult favorite, or an acclaimed masterpiece — it’s guaranteed to be either a movie you’ve been dying to see or one you’ve never heard of before and there will always be something new to discover. Try it for free for 30 days at mubi.com/filmstage.

Ep. 441 – CODA (with Kristen Lopez)

Welcome, one and all, to the latest episode of The Film Stage Show! Today, Brian Roan, Bill Graham, and Robyn Bahr discuss Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho, now in theaters and arriving digitally next week.

Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. For a limited time, all new Patreon supporters will receive a free Blu-ray/DVD. After becoming a contributor, e-mail podcast@thefilmstage.com for an up-to-date list of available films.

The Film Stage Show is supported by MUBI, a curated streaming service showcasing exceptional films from around the globe. Every day, MUBI premieres a new film. Whether it's a timeless classic, a cult favorite, or an acclaimed masterpiece — it’s guaranteed to be either a movie you’ve been dying to see or one you’ve never heard of before and there will always be something new to discover. Try it for free for 30 days at mubi.com/filmstage.

Ep. 450 – Last Night in Soho

Welcome, one and all, to the latest episode of The Film Stage Show! Today, Brian Roan, Bill Graham, and Robyn Bahr are joined by Jordan Raup to discuss Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, now in theaters.

Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. For a limited time, all new Patreon supporters will receive a free Blu-ray/DVD. After becoming a contributor, e-mail podcast@thefilmstage.com for an up-to-date list of available films.

The Film Stage Show is supported by MUBI, a curated streaming service showcasing exceptional films from around the globe. Every day, MUBI premieres a new film. Whether it's a timeless classic, a cult favorite, or an acclaimed masterpiece — it’s guaranteed to be either a movie you’ve been dying to see or one you’ve never heard of before and there will always be something new to discover. Try it for free for 30 days at mubi.com/filmstage.

Ep. 451 – Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (with Jordan Raup)

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.

Today, we dive into the career of the stunning and stunningly talented Penélope Cruz. The indelible actress broke on to the scene in 1992 with Jamón Jamón, followed a few years later by her first 
collaboration with Pedro Almodóvar in Live Flesh. Soon enough, Cruz was in Hollywood pictures like Blow and The Hi-Lo Country.

Our B-Sides include: Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Chromophobia, Twice Born, and this year’s The 355. Joining us today is returning guest Katharine Clark Gray of Uncompromised Creative. Gray is a writer for the Wait What network, and was part of the team recently awarded two Webby Awards for the episode “President Barack Obama: When the moment chooses you, part 1.” 

We discuss the early, predictable type-casting of Cruz in Hollywood, the unfortunate failure of some of those earlier studio pictures (All The Pretty Horses in particular), her enduring range as a performer, and the hope to see her in more comedies (Official Competition coming soon!)

Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Ep. 98 – Penélope Cruz (feat. Katharine Clark Gray)

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.

Today we talk about one of the best actresses working today: Tilda Swinton!

Our guest is the great Dan Walber, public historian and recovering (!) film critic. Walber is also part of the @closefriendscollective, which you can find on Instagram.

Our B-Sides today are: Edward II, Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon, Possible Worlds, The Deep End, and Teknolust.

Walber speaks to her immediate exceptionalism in Derek Jarman’s ‘80s films, we marvel at her endless range (from Constantine to Snowpiercer and so on and so forth), and I gush about the work of Francis Bacon and the depths of his controversial career after falling in love with Love is the Devil.

We talk about the fascination of Laurence Olivier’s final film being a Derek Jarman picture (War Requiem), how Possible Worlds feels impossibly Canadian, and the very particular, joyous world Teknolust lives in.

Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Ep. 118 – Tilda Swinton (feat. Dan Walber)

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.

Today we have the return of the great Mark Pellington! The filmmaker is back to talk about his new film Survive, now available on VOD. We also discuss his recent, experimental dance film The Severing (also on VOD). Plenty more is covered here, Pellington ever the open book to chat about the creative process, the business behind each project, and the motivation to work in every aspect of the film medium. Here’s a reminder that this is the guy who made Arlington Road and The Mothman Prophecies, some of the best music videos ever made, some of the weirdest, coolest stuff ever on MTV, and a slew of other interesting, powerful pieces of work.

Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also now on Spotify and Stitcher. Enjoy!

Ep. 119 – In Conversation with: Mark Pellington – Part II

Cinephile Game Night has returned this year for Cinephile Summer, a brand new season featuring your favorite podcasters and filmmakers going head-to-head to see who is the ultimate cinephile. Hosted by The Film Stage’s Jordan Raup, Conor O’Donnell, and Dan Mecca along with Cinephile: A Card Game creator Cory Everett, the series will debut new episodes bi-weekly on The Film Stage Show podcast feed & The Film Stage YouTube channel.

For the first episode of Cinephile Summer, we were thrilled to face off against our friends at The Letterboxd Show, featuring Mitchell Beaupre, Matt “Slim” Kolowski, Mia Vicino, and special guest Chandler Levack, whose debut feature I Like Movies is now available digitally in Canada. Watch & stay tuned for episodes featuring One Heat Minute, We Hate Movies, and more!

Learn more: https://thefilmstage.com/cinephile

Cinephile Game Night S3E1 vs. Letterboxd

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.

Today we talk about one of the prettiest actors in the world: Orlando Bloom!

Our guest is Roxana Hadadi, TV Critic for Vulture and fellow lover of Kingdom of Heaven: The Director’s Cut. 

Our B-Sides today are: Ned Kelly, Haven, and Kingdom of Heaven.
We talk with Hadadi about Bloom’s growth as an actor, as evidenced in the 2-season Amazon Prime show Carnival Row. We discuss all the ways the Director’s Cut of Kingdom of Heaven is superior to the Theatrical Cut, Eva Green included.

Additional fun tidbits include: Bloom was one of the victims of the infamous “Bling Ring;” he got solid notices for his Romeo on Broadway in 2013; he’s the best part of the subpar Ned Kelly; he replaced Ashton Kutcher in Elizabethtown (about 22 minutes into the clip); and the mosaic-styled social drama was very popular in the early 2000s (Haven, Babel, 21 Grams, Syriana, Traffic, among many many more).

Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. We are also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Enjoy!

Ep. 120 – Orlando Bloom (feat. Roxana Hadadi)

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today we discuss a character actress, multiple Oscar nominee (and winner) and living legend who is still somehow underrated: Kathy “Bobo” Bates!
Our B-Sides today are: A Home of Our Own, Dolores Claiborne, Love Liza, and Richard Jewell.
The actress made her bones in the theater, originating roles in iconic stuff such as ‘Night Mother and Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean.
Our guest is Billy Ray Brewton, host of the superb The Incinerator Podcast, the Movie Mixtapes podcast, and the Center Clueless podcast. Brewton is also the Festival Director/Lead Programmer of Make Believe Seattle.

We talk to Brewton about why Bates is his favorite working actress, her innate Southern charm, her late break into movies, her essential performance in Dolores Claiborne, and why Fried Green Tomatoes is so important to the state of Alabama.

Additional fun tidbits include: the strange career of A Home of Our Own director Tony Bill, the underrated Bates-led TV show Harry’s Law, the exciting acting Oscar wins that happened in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and some of Bates’ other B-Sides (Angus, Primary Colors, Bonneville). 

Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. Enjoy!

Ep. 121 – Kathy Bates (feat. Billy Ray Brewton)

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.

Today we’re honored to chat with director Carl Franklin, whose seminal noir One False Move is now available from The Criterion Collection as a Director-Approved Special Edition Blu-ray. 

Our B-Sides today are One True Thing, Out of Time, and Bless Me, Ultima. 

We talk to Franklin about his early days as an actor, how he got the directing bug (he made his short Punk while at AFI, working with Don Cheadle for the first time), what he learned making movies with legendary producer Roger Corman (and the other producer on one of the films who allegedly stole 80k of a 200k budget!), and the extremely underrated HBO mini-series Laurel Avenue from 1993. 

There’s also some discussion about Devil in a Blue Dress of course, working with Denzel Washington (and how the above-the-line numbers on Out of Time distort what the working budget actually was), and why a sequel to Laurel Avenue sadly did not get made just a few years back. There’s also a little bit on the pleasant making (and not-so-pleasant post process) of Bless Me, Ultima, adapted from the seminal novel by Rudolfo Anaya.

Be sure to give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor. 

Ep. 122 – In Conversation with: Carl Franklin

Welcome to The B-Side, a podcast for The Film Stage! Here we talk about movie stars and directors. Not the movies that made them famous, or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. From box office fiascos, to interesting curios, and hidden gems, we examine the also-rans of Hollywood and beyond.

Ep. 98 – Penélope Cruz (feat. Katharine Clark Gray)

The B-Side: A Film Stage Podcast

Related tracks