Celluloid Days: Recent Episodes
Jeff Kelley
Hello there, welcome to the first episode of Celluloid Days, my new podcast of film and film history. I’m hoping this show is a bit different as I enjoy research and I plan to use my curiosity to make things interesting. You see, this show isn’t just for the listener, but for me as well, to grow and learn, to explore films, and filmmakers.
In this week’s show, I talk about The Psychotronic Man from 1979. This film was written, produced and starred Peter G. Spelson and was directed by Jack M. Sell, It is the story of a man who goes on a murder spree after getting psychotronic powers. It was filmed all in Chicago without permits. It was also features on Rifftrax!
In this episode, I talk about Madge Meredith, who, in the late 40s, was accused and convicted of kidnapping and assault and was sentenced to 5 to life in Tehachapi prison. Two and a half years later, the California State Assembly issued a report concluding: "The case of Miss Meredith, from beginning to end, is a mockery of investigation, of defense counseling, of trial procedure, and of justice itself."
This thrilling episode, Sam Peckinpah’s 1970 forgotten classic, The Ballad of Cable Hogue. Starring Jason Robards, Stella Stevens, and David Warner, this was a change of pace for Peckinpah. Find out all about it by listening!
In this episode, I talk about the 1987 film, Evil Dead 2, Dead by Dawn. Of course, I also talk about Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and more. Join us, won't you?
In this episode, I talk about the 1939 film Lucky Night, starring Robert Taylor and Myrna Loy and directed by Norman Taurog. It is the story of two people who meet in a park, win a lot of money, get drunk, get married, and try to make their life together work.
If I told you we were going to watch a film that stars John Huston, Mel Ferrer, Glenn Ford, Lance Henriksen, and Shelley Winters, would you be interested? I would, after all, they all made great films back in the day. But The Visitor was from 1979! It is a science fiction horror film directed by Giulio Paradisi (credited as Michael J. Paradise). This is one that must be seen to be believed!
Today I look at the fantastic 2004 zombie comedy film, Shaun of the Dead. Directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg, I am a big fan of this flick. Pegg stars as Shaun, a downtrodden salesman in London who is caught in a zombie apocalypse with his friend Ed (Nick Frost). The film also features Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis, Dylan Moran, Bill Nighy, and Penelope Wilton. It is the first installment in the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy.
In this episode, I look at the 1966 Czechoslovakian surrealist comedy-drama film, Daisies! This masterpiece was written and directed by Věra Chytilová and stars Jitka Cerhová and Ivana Karbanová. It is regarded as a milestone of the Czechoslovak New Wave movement! Find out my thoughts on the bizarre little film! You can email me a daysofcelluloid@gmail.com
In this episode, I look at the bizarre film from 1971, the British dark comedy horror film, The Abominable Dr. Phibes. This film was directed by Robert Fuest and stars Vincent Price, Joseph Cotten, Peter Jeffrey, and Virginia North. It is the story of comic revenge! Find out more than you ever wanted to know about this fantastic film!
In this spine-tingling episode, we take on the 1966 spy film Secret Agent Super Dragon. I’ll talk about the original film and Nancy will tackle the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version. This film was directed by Giorgio Ferroni and stars Ray Danton, Margaret Lee, Carlo D'Angelo. Jess Hahn, and Marisa Mell. Can Super Dragon stop an evil organization was taking over the world?
In this episode, I look at the fantastic American independent black comedy film, Living in Oblivion, written and directed by Tom DiCillo. This classic stars Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener, Dermot Mulroney, Danielle von Zerneck, James LeGros, and Peter Dinklage in his film debut. It’s a low-budget film about all the problems of making a low-budget film.
In 1957, Paramount Pictures made a film of the famous gunfight and the events that lead up to the killing. It was called Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, directed by John Sturges and starring Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Rhonda Fleming, Jo Van Fleet, and John Ireland. Just how accurate is this movie? Well as it turns out, not very. Nancy and Gordon join me in talking about the classic American western.
It is Halloween so we look at the 1931 Universal classic, Dracula. This film stars Bela Lugosi, David Manners, Helen Chandler, Dwight Frye, and Edward Van Sloan. It is an American pre-Code supernatural horror film directed and co-produced by Tod Browning. I’ll take about the English Language version and Russell will dig a little into the Spanish version, made at the same time. Happy Halloween!
If you'd like to see my mini-doc on Coleman Francis, here are the links
The Search for Coleman Francis!
The Search for Coleman Francis Part 2
This week, we look at the 1964 film, The Ghost of Sierra de Cobre. It was written and directed by Joseph Stefano and stars Martin Landau, Judith Anderson, Diane Baker, and Tom Simcox. It is the story of a blind man who gets phone calls from his dead mother, and his wife hires an architect to look into the problem. And what does all this have to do with what happened at Sierra de Cobre? It is a very atmospheric made-for-TV film.
Some Links to the Sources I usedSci-Fi Zone on Facebook
The Beatles Uncommon Chords A HARD DAY'S NIGHT Album by Mike Pachelli
A Hard Day’s Night: Criterion Releases 4K UHD - Solzy at the movies
THE BEATLES | A HARD DAY'S NIGHT | Documentary Film
Richard Lester on the Beatles and A Hard Day's Night - BFI
Here are a few links you may be interested in.
The Making of the Elephant Man
The True Story of The Elephant Man
The Elephant Man: a study in human dignity by Ashley Montagu
You Can watch both the original film and the MST3K version on YouTube
The Crawling Hand (1963)
The Crawling Hand MST3K (1989)
Rod Lauren - If I Had A Girl
To watch Unknown Chaplin:Unknown Chaplin: I -- My Happiest Years
Unknown Chaplin - Episode 2 (The Great Director)
Unknown Chaplin - Episode 3 (Hidden Treasures)
In this episode, I talk about the life and time of French illusionist, actor, and film director, Georges Méliès. He was one of the considered among the most important early science fiction films, known for his use of special effects, popularizing such techniques as substitution splices, multiple exposures, time-lapse photography, dissolves, and hand-painted color.
In this week’s episode, we are talking about lost world type film. You know, those films where a group of people find an island or a planet filled with prehistoric animals, dinosaurs and such as The Lost World (1925), Unknown Island (1948), Lost Continent (1951), King Dinosaur (1955), The Land That Time Forgot (1974) and much, much more! I hope you will join us!
Here are some of the links to sources I used for this episode:
Nigel Lythgoe looks back on disastrous disco movie 'The Apple'
How Did This Get Made: The Apple (An Oral History)
My Year Of Flops Case File #79 The Apple
You can see the trailer for this film here!
Two Weeks In Another Town - Trailer!
The Crazy Driving Scene!
Here are some links you should check out:La Jetée (1962) - Chris Marker
Legends of Film: David and Janet Peoples
A Plague of Madness
She was born Florence Annie Bridgwood on January 2, 1886. The public would know her as the “Imp Girl”, or "The Biograph Girl" but later as Florence Lawrence. She is often referred to as the "first movie star", at least in the United States. Florence appeared in almost 300 films for various motion picture companies throughout her career.
In this final episode of our History Month series for July 2022, we dive into the 1956 Roger Corman western, "Gunslinger". Specifically, the MST3k treatment of it. Gordon gives some historical context, and Nancy covers the riff.
It's week three of History Month. Join us as Nancy and Gordon discuss the 1976 Clint Eastwood western, "The Outlaw Josey Wales". We get a little behind the scenes from Nancy, while Gordon, as per usual, gives us the historical context.
This week on History Month, Gordon and Nancy talk about the 1982 Tex/Mex Western, "Barbarosa", starring Willie Nelson and Gary Busey.
While Jeff takes a break, Gordon and Nancy take over July for "History Month". Since this episode is dropping on the 4th, which is Independence Day in the USA, we're tackling "The Patriot", the Roland Emmerich/Mel Gibson Rev War epic. Nancy tackles mostly movie stuff, while Gordon dives into the historical setting. Enjoy, and Happy Independence Day!
We had to do it, tackle the “Classic” film, Manos: The Hands of Fate! Written, directed, and starring El Paso’s own, Harold P. Warren! This film was so bad that both TV's Frank and Dr. Clayton Forrester thought it necessary to apologize! I’ll tell you a little Manos history while Nancy will talk about the MST3K take and we even hear from Russell! Join us, won’t you?
Return to Oz is a sequel to the 1939 film, and yet, it is not. It is the story of Dorothy’s return to the place of the first events. Today, Nancy, Russell, and I, talk about this strange and underrated film from Disney. Directed by Walter Murch and starring Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Piper Laurie, and Fairuza Balk as Dorothy Gale in her first screen role. Join us as we talk about this film!
This week we talk about Werner Herzog's 1972 cult classic, Aguirre, the Wrath of God. I talk about the making of the movie and Gordon and Nancy Frye give us a quick history lesson about the real Spanish soldier Lope de Aguirre. It is the story of a journey down the Amazon River and one man’s descends into madness.
Links to some of the sources I used to write today's story:
Directors Guild of American: The Contradictions of D.W. Griffith
Senses of Cinema: Griffith, D.W.
D.W. GRIFFITH: FATHER OF FILM (video)
For more information about Master Ninja, check out:
The Mystery Science Theater 300 Wiki Page
In this episode, Nancy and I talk about the British film, Miranda from 1948, This is the story of a man who is captured by a mermaid and brings her home to London. It was directed by Ken Annakin and written by Peter Blackmore, it stars Glynis Johns, Googie Withers, Griffith Jones, Margaret Rutherford, John McCallum, and David Tomlinson.
Links!
Liquid Sky on YouTube
Siskel & Ebert 1984 - Liquid Sky
“Trust Your Vision”: An Interview with the Filmmakers of the Cult Classic “Liquid Sky” (1982)
In this episode, we talk about the story of Mayhem and zaniness when a valuable painting goes missing during a party in honor of famed African explorer Captain Spaulding. This s all you ever wanted to know about the 1930 film Animal Crackers.
Links to some of the sources I used to write this:
Alice Guy Blaché - Women Film Pioneers Project
San Francisco Silent Film Project - The Solax Films of Alice Guy Blaché
The memoirs of Alice Guy Blaché by Alice Guy
Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché (2018)
Tom Graeff was a young man who was as outgoing, energetic, creative, and a born salesman. He also had a love of film. After graduating film school at UCLA, he worked with Roger Corman as his assistant. Soon after, he attempted to write and direct his own low-budget, science fiction movie. He called it, “The Boy from Outer Space”, and then “The Ray Gun Terror”, but Warner Brothers renamed it, “Teenagers from Outer Space”. In this episode, we look at the original film and the MST3K version!
In this episode, we talk about the story of a young orphan girl with a magic crystal who is being chased by the military and air pirates. With an orphan boy, they look for the flying castle Laputa, a land that might have the answers to their questions. This is the 1986 animated film Castle in the Sky, a Japanese fantasy adventure film by Hayao Miyazaki.
In this episode, we look at Theodor Dreyer‘s 1928 film, The Passion of Joan of Arc. Often hailed as one of the best films of the silent area, this film deals with the trial and execution of Jeanne d'Arc, condensing her 18-month trial and death into a day. Also, Nancy and Gordon give us a history lesson in what led to this teenager being burned alive. Enjoy!
Link to some of the sources I used to write this episode.
Auguste & Louis Lumière and the rise of motion pictures by Jim Whiting
The Lumiere Brothers - The Fathers of Cinema
MST3k fandom MST3K 204 - Catalina Caper
New Horizons in Music Appreciation -- Beethoven's Fifth Sports Commentary
THE DUSTWALKER Official Trailer (2020) Sci-Fi Horror Movie
Summer Series | A conversation with Sandra Sciberras
On this episode, we talk about the 1966 film El Dorado, and American Technicolor Western film produced and directed by Howard Hawks, starring John Wayne and Robert Mitchum, and written by Leigh Brackett. film is about a gunfighter who comes to the aid of an old friend who is a drunken sheriff struggling to defend a rancher and his family against another rancher trying to steal their water. The supporting cast features James Caan, Charlene Holt, Ed Asner, Paul Fix, Arthur Hunnicutt, Michele Carey and Christopher George. Thanks to Nancy and Gordon Frye for there help!
Here are the links to the sources I used for writing this episode:
History - Thomas Edison
Britannica - Edison and the Lumière brothers
loc.gov - The Kinetoscope
American Experience | PBS - The Kinetoscope
Here are the links to the videos Nancy recommended.
Turkish dance, Ella Lola (1898)
Princess Rajah (1904)
Princess Ali (1895)
Spanish dancers at the Pan-American Exposition (1901)
Here is Nancy's Blog post featuring this episode!
Celluloid Days #9 - Thomas Edison: The Variety Stage & Oriental Dance
And you can email me at DaysofCellulloid@gmail.com
Here are some links that you might find interesting.
MST3k fandom MST3K_904-Werewolf
DADDY-O's DRIVE-IN DIRT
Werewolf (1995) VHS FULL MOVIE!!! JOE ESTEVEZ!!! NON-MST3K VERSION!!!
MST3K Werewolf FULL MOVIE with annotations
MST3K - Best of Werewolf
For more information on Beauty and the Beast:
Audio Commentary #1 by Film Historian Arthur Knight
Audio Commentary #2 by Writer and cultural historian Sir Christopher Frayling
Beauty and the Beast movie review (1946) | Roger Ebert
Jean Cocteau documentary
It’s the second Friday of the month and so I talk about one of my favorite Films. This show is all about “Tremors”. This 1990 American monster horror comedy film was directed by Ron Underwood and stars Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, Finn Carter, Michael Gross, and Reba McEntire. I talk about how it was made, how it failed, rebounded, and now is a classic! Also, Nancy Frye gives her opinion about Tremors!
This week I talk about Louis Le Prince, a man who created a motion picture long before anyone else, including Thomas Edison and the Lumière brothers. But Le Prince never got to show his work, as he mysteriously disappeared on his way to America to show off his new inventions.
In 1958, The Trollenberg Terror was released in the UK. It would be released as the Crawling Eye in the USA. 31 years later it would be poked fun at on the TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000. On the forth episode of Celluloid Days, I talk about both, the original film and the riffed version It is the nightmare terror of a slithering eye that unleashes agonizing horror on a screaming world.
Links to some vital information about this show:
Oz Wiki Page
Melbourne independent filmmakers
OZ: A ROCK 'N' ROLL MOVIE (Archive.org)
It’s the second Friday of the month and so I talk about one of my favorite Films. This show is all about “The Third Man”. This 1949 British film noir classic was directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene, and stars Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Trust me, you don’t get much better than this film. What really happened to Harry Lime, and who was the third man? There will be spoilers!
In the late 19th century, a man accidentally learned to create the illusion of movement by projecting a series of images onto a screen. His name was Eadweard Muybridge whose discovery began with a question about horses. This is part 1 of the history of film!