Behind The Marquee | Ann Arbor District Library: Recent Episodes
Ann Arbor District Library
The Michigan Theater Foundation's round-table discussion podcast that takes you behind the scenes of an independent Art House Cinema. Featuring discussions on what's new and interesting playing outside the megaplex theater, film festival roundups, and the general love of movies that drives us.
Nick has a conversation with Roger Rapoport, writer/producer of 'Coming Up For Air', about shooting in West Michigan, writing about mental health, the difficulties of filming high divers, and so much more.
Roger will attend a screening of the film on Friday, September 30 with writer/actress Deborah Staples, actor Chase Yi, and mental health professions Julia Kyle, Rachel Amity and Victor Hong.
Articles referenced in the conversation:
https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/midaily/mdp.39015071754183/156
https://digital.bentley.umich.edu/midaily/mdp.39015071754183/111
Nick has a conversation with Matt Schwarz and Jordan Frank of the band Quasar Wut-Wut and Olivia Babler of the Chicago Film Archives about 'The First Degree', a silent film long believed to have been lost that will screen at the Michigan Theater on Saturday, Sept. 17 with live accompaniment of an original score by the band. Olivia describes how the film was re-discovered, Matt and Jordan detail their process for writing film scores, and so much more.
Nick talks to actor, filmmaker and author Greg Sestero, "oh hi, Mark", of The Room. The two discuss his ongoing tour of the cult classic (coming to the Michigan Theater on Friday, September 2), what makes The Room different from other "bad movies", his thoughts on Tommy Wiseau as an actor and director, and much more.
Nick discusses the upcoming Summer Classics series at the Michigan Theater with some fun facts about the films coming up, context and background, and why they were programmed this year.
Nick talks with writer/director Anna Baumgarten and producer Danny Mooney of the film 'Disfluency' about its origins from short to feature, filming and editing during the pandemic, and more!
You can see the film at the Michigan Theater on Tuesday, March 8, at which they will both be in attendance for a post-film Q and A.
Nick and Sarah welcome Ellen for her first time on the podcast! The three discuss the recent Oscar nominations, including what they're happy to see, what they're disappointed didn't make the cut, and what they predict to happen on March 27. And as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick has a conversation about all things Hitchcock with Al Sjoerdsma, host of Presenting Alfred Hitchcock Presents from the Ann Arbor District Library. They discuss the research that goes into Al's show, some of his favorite episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, the legacy of Hitchcock and the problematic points of his work, and a whole lot more. Plus, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick has a conversation with Midge Costin, Bobette Buster and Karen Johnson, the team behind the documentary 'Making Waves: The Art of Cinema of Cinematic Sound'. The three discuss their intentions to make a documentary that highlights women in the industry, their decade long journey in making the film, anecdotes involving Steven Spielberg and Barbra Streisand, and so much more.
Nick flashes back to February 2020, to our Direct from Sundance screenings of 'The Last Shift' and 'Dinner in America' where he spoke with directors Andrew Cohn and Adam Rehmeier. Andrew and Adam talk about their time growing up in metro Detroit, how their individual experiences shaped their films, and so much more! New episode next week!
Nick and Makenzie discuss a couple of their favorite films from the 2021 Virtual Sundance Film Festival, covering 'Playing with Sharks', 'Together Together', 'Mass', 'Wild Indian', and 'Summer of Soul'. And as always, they conclude with the Movie Magic Moments of the Week!
Nick has a conversation with Joe Gantz, Emmy winning filmmaker for 'Taxi Cab Confessions' and director of 'The Race to Save the World', a new documentary playing in virtual cinemas about Climate Change activists. They talk about his life as an activist, his philosophies as a filmmaker, the protests that went into the making of his film, and more!
Nick has a conversation with actor, producer, writer, director, and cult legend: Bruce Campbell. They discuss his early cinema experiences in Michigan, a bit about what informed his performances as Ash Williams, why he feels the character is still relevant today and a whole lot more.
Nick is joined by Sarah, Jared, and Ben for a discussion about the last year in programming, how the Virtual Cinema will continue as cinemas reopen, what they're looking forward to this Summer, and as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the week.
Inspired by the virtual release of 'Her Name is Chef', Sarah Escalante, Director of Programming and Communications, has a virtual conversation and Q and A with local chefs: Abby Olitzky from Spencer, Allie Lyttle from Lala's, Ji Hye Kim from Miss Kim, and Eve Aronoff from Frita Batidos.
Sarah Escalante has a conversation with the filmmakers behind the documentary '17 Blocks': Director Davy Rothbart, born and raised in Ann Arbor, the subjects/filmmakers Cheryl and Smurf Sanford, and with music supervisor Mike DiBella.
Nick speaks with Mitchell Kezin, director of the film Jingle Bell Rocks!, about his “obsession” with collecting obscure Christmas records, the digital age of music, modern Christmas music, his projects since releasing the documentary in 2014 and a whole lot more.
Nick speaks with writer/director Haroula Rose, author Bonnie Jo Campbell, and producer David Macias of Once Upon a River. The Q and A includes discussion points about how Bonnie’s book was adapted and the relationship between the author and screenwriter, casting and location decisions, Annie Oakely, the fictional Stark River and more!
Nick speaks with Kevin Smokler and Christopher Boone, directors of the documentary Vinyl Nation, about the resurgence of vinyl over the past decade, filming across the country, their personal connections with records, and more!
Nick speaks with Melissa Haizlip, director of Mr. SOUL!, about her uncle Ellis’ television program Soul!, the legacy of Ellis Haizlip, the state of television today, and the 10 year journey that was taken to make this film.
Nick hosts a virtual Q and A with Brigitte Amiri, deputy director at the ACLU’s Reproductive Freedom Project, an Ann Arbor native, and on-screen subject of the ‘The Fight’. Brigitte discusses the trust she had with the filmmakers while making the documentary, how she guards herself from outside criticism, and what she finds most rewarding about the job.
Nick has a virtual discussion with Rik Cordero and Hafsah Mijinyawa from the A2 Tech Film Showcase to discuss the history and inspiration of their showcase, this year’s curation, silver linings of going virtual, and what the films mean for our times.
It’s been 4 months since the Michigan and State Theatre debuted the Virtual Movie Palace, so Nick Alderink is joined by Sarah Escalante, Fionn Pooler and Jared Van Eck to discuss some of their favorite films now playing virtually, as well as what they’ve learned over the past four months, some of their favorite moments so far, where they see it all heading, and as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick is joined by Meredith Finch, Festival Director and Founder, and Alana Davis, Director of Artist Relations, of the Nevertheless Film Festival being held virtually July 9-12! Discussion includes the silver linings of holding a virtual film festival, some exciting things that must be held for next year, and a few of their personal favorites from this year’s film selection.
Nick is joined remotely by Makenzie and Jay to discuss life in quarantine and the Classic Movie Madness bracket challenge being held on social media! 32 classic movies matched against each other to find the find the best of the best. And as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments!
Nick is joined by Adam Rehmeier, director of Dinner in America, at the Michigan Theater to discuss filming in Michigan, how his characters were conceived, music and more!
Nick is joined by Andrew Cohn, director of The Last Shift, at the Michigan Theater to discuss his Ann Arbor roots, his path as a filmmaker, working with Richard Jenkins, and more!
Nick is joined by Ashkan Kazemi of the Iranian Graduate Student Association at the University of Michigan to discuss the upcoming Abbas Kiarostami retrospective beginning in March at the Michigan Theater. They discuss the impact of Kiarostami on each other's lives, the role of the artist in Iran, Iranian humor, and more. And as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick is joined by Michigan Theater house organist David Hufford to discuss his work to restore the historic Barton Organ, what makes it unique, a bit of its history, and what it’s like to accompany a silent film or sing-along.
Nick, Makenzie, Ariel and Jay recap 2019, discuss their favorite films of the last decade, what they’re most looking forward to in 2020, what trends they hope to continue in the next decade, and conclude with their “Movie Gifts”.
Nick is joined by Zoe Clark (Program Director of Michigan Radio and Co-Host of ‘It’s Just Politics’) and Robert Yoon (Visiting Professor of Journalism at U of M and former CNN Director of Political Research) to talk about the upcoming Journalism on Screen film series at the State Theatre! Discussion includes journalism’s depiction in the movies, its impact on our daily lives, takeaways from each film in the series, and as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Nadeem and Ariel dive into everything that's happening at the Michigan and State Theatre in October including 'Joker', 'El Camino', Late Nights, DOCtoberfest, an anniversary for the Michigan, and more! About half-way through Nick suffers through a coughing fit, and as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Sarah, and Nadeem discuss the discrepancies between critical and audience reviews, where they stand in the great divide, some films they're willing to defend, and as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Nadeem, and Jonathan dig into Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and discuss some of the controversies, its themes, the 1960s, pros of 35mm presentation, and as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Makenzie, and Andi sit down to talk about their favorite movies to watch around the Fourth of July that you can find on the shelves of the Ann Arbor District Library, and as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nadeem, Nick, Andi, and Thomas discuss their time working in Front of House in this much looser episode of the Behind the Marquee. They give some Michigan and State Theatre history, what they love most about working in a 90 year old building, what they’ve learned, dig into the FOH Log, and as always, conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick and Nadeem recap the 2019 Cinetopia Film Festival before discussing what movies they're looking forward to this Summer, favorite summer movie memories, and which films they predict to be huge successes. And as always, they end with their Movie Magic Moments.
Nick, Makenzie, and Ariel give a day-by-day breakdown of the Cinetopia 2019 schedule and discuss which films they would be attending.
Program guides are now available for pick-up! Get yours and follow along with their discussion.
Nick, Makenzie, and Nadeem discuss the 2019 Cinetopia Film Festival schedule, the anticipated hits, and a few their favorite outlying selections. And as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the week.
Nick, Makenzie, and Nadeem discuss Captain Marvel, the latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the latest blockbuster to follow the trend of being helmed by former indie directors. Plus, they get into the long awaited conversion of "toxic fandom" and as always, conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Makenzie, and Tyler discuss their experiences from the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, the best movies they saw, and as always, conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week
Nick, Nadeem and Ariel give the first updates to the Cinetopia Film Festival and their favorite films in consideration so far, discuss the documentary The Biggest Little Farm, and as always conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Nadeem, and Jean-Marie discuss Roma and The Favourite, as well as the varying styles and themes of anime, classic musicals, the legacy of Nicolas Roeg, and as always, conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Nadeem, and Jean-Marie welcome Jonathan to discuss Mamoru Hosoda's new film Mirai, discuss upcoming features like Mary Poppins Returns, delve into holiday classics like Rare Exports, Gremlins, Elf, and It's a Wonderful Life, and as always, they conclude with their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick and Nadeem discuss the new films opening in December at the Michigan and State Theatre, and as always, their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Sarah, and Jean-Marie discuss the upcoming Ingmar Bergman Film Series coming up at the State in celebration of his 100th birthday, including his common themes, a little bit of history, our personal favorites and more! Plus, their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Nadeem, and Sarah are joined by Michigan Theater member and podcast listener Chris Steffen to answer questions about what goes on behind the scenes, including how we plan and book our films, how we strategize our programming, our surprise successes and disappointments, and more! Plus, their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Nadeem, and Tyler discuss the upcoming Halloween themed schedule at the Michigan and State Theatre including Late-Nights, Nosferatu, Young Frankenstein and more, plus, their favorite experiences watching horror movies at the theater. And as always, their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Nadeem, and Sarah discuss the new movies they're anticipating in the fall season. Plus, their Movie Magic Moments of the Week!
Nick, Nadeem, and Makenzie reminisce and discuss the Summer of 2018 including their favorite films, Summer blockbusters, movies that surprised them, and more. Plus, their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Sarah, and Makenzie discuss the 3rd annual Art House Theater Day including its history, who is involved, and everything that is included in this joyous day of celebrating Art House and independent cinema.
Nick is joined by Connie Crump and Jay Simrod for a discussion on Film Noir in anticipation of the arrival of Eddie Muller, the 'Czar of Noir', and a special film series dedicated to the Femme Fatale.
Nick, Makenzie, Tyler, and Nadeem discuss the recent news surrounding MoviePass, what Art Houses are trying to preserve in theater exhibition, their ideal movie-watching environments, and always, their Movie Magic Moments of the Week
After the Opening Night screening of 'Eighth Grade' at the Cinetopia Film Festival, Writer/Director Bo Burnham joined Shelley Schulz on-stage for a live Q and A.
Nick, Sarah, and Makenzie discuss their reactions to seeing Bo Burnham's 'Eighth Grade', their own 8th Grade memories, favorite movies from Middle School, and as always, their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Makenzie, and Fred celebrate the return of Midnight Movies at the State Theatre with a discussion of their history, the current state and potential future, and some of their personal favorites.
Nick, Ariel, Sarah, and Taylor delve into the world of cinematic nostalgia with a discussion of the new Mr. Rogers documentary "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" before reminiscing about the TV shows and movies that make them happy; plus, their Movie Magic Moments of the Week.
Nick, Caitlin, Sarah, and Brian talk about the upcoming Summer Classic film series and their favorite summer movie memories. Plus, they get into their ideal Cinetopia film schedules and as always, their Movie Magic Moments.
Nick, Caitlin, and Brian talk about all things Cinetopia, including some of their favorite films arriving this year. Plus, their Movie Magic Moments of the week.
A deleted scene pulled from Episode 4: Nick, Caitlin, and Ariel talk about the four films that define them.
Nick, Caitlin, and Ariel sit down to talk about the Cleveland International Film Festival before getting into details about this year's Cinetopia lineup, including our exciting Opening Night premiere! Plus, their Movie Magic Moments of the week.
Nick, Caitlin, Sarah, and Makenzie discuss the role and history of the Art House Convergence, the worldwide alliance of independent theaters started at the Michigan, and get into the pros and cons of the subscription-based ticketing phenomenon known as MoviePass.
Nick, Caitlin, and Sarah discuss the Oscars, Film Independent Spirit Awards, and what to be excited for this summer! Plus, their Movie Magic Moments of the week.
Nick, Caitlin, and Brian discuss their adventures at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, what the festival means, and their favorite picks. PLUS, their Movie Magic Moments of the week.