A discussion with Dr. Christopher Ames, the president of Russell Sage College, about his book “Movies About The Movies: Hollywood Reflected”. We focus on two movies from his book - Preston Sturges’ Sullivan’s Travels (1942), and Gene Kelly, and Stanley Donen’s Singin’ In The Rain (1952). We also look at two movies not in his book - Michel Hazanavicius’ black and white, mostly silent Best Picture winner The Artist (2011), and the Coen Bros.’ Hail, Caesar! (2016). What do these movies say about Hollywood? What do these movies say about America? And why are movies about Hollywood and the moviemaking process so popular?

Former high-school film teacher (and my cousin) Nate Duell and I discuss the 1937 Fritz Lang film You Only Live Once starring Henry Fonda and Sylvia Sydney. We explore its place in film history as an influential forerunner to the Film Noir genre and style.

Filmmaker Tinisha Brugnone talks about how a spontaneous tour of Idlewild, Michigan, not only led to her documentary film With Love From Idlewild but to the creation of the Idlewild International Film Festival.

In August of 2019 I met and talked with documentary filmmakers Rick Minnich and Matt Sweetwood in Potsdam, Germany about their current film The Strait Guys, about a plan to build a tunnel under the Bering Strait.

In this episode I talk with vintage clothing aficionado Ramona Dandridge about some of Hollywood’s most iconic looks. Ramona Dandridge owns an online vintage clothing store called Flossy’s Suitcase and her vintage clothing expertise is in high demand. She consults for private clients and has recently joined forces with AirBnB to lead a vintage clothing store tour of Detroit. We will be discussing three of her favorite high fashion films and their relevance in 2019. Movies discussed: Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Mahogany, and Harlem Nights.

In this episode, I speak with documentary filmmaker James Spooner on his groundbreaking film afro-punk (2003). We cover his experience in the punk scene, the genesis of the movie, the production, reception, and the movement it has spawned. The movie is available to watch on YouTube.

In this episode I speak with my cousin Nate Duell, a former high school film teacher and all-around film buff. We talk about our favorite movies from directors Billy Wilder and Ernst Lubitsch. Focus is on Some Like it Hot, The Apartment, The Shop Around the Corner and Ninotchka.

Maggie Mackay is the Executive Director of the legendary film archive Vidiots. She’s also been my friend since middle school. In this episode we discuss two iconic films from the 1990s - Point Break and Thelma & Louise.

Much has been both said and written about the time that F. Scott Fitzgerald spent working in Hollywood. And much of it has been negative. English professor and F. Scott Fitzgerald scholar Tom Cerasulo has a different opinion. The author of Authors Out Here: Fitzgerald, West, Parker and Schulberg in Hollywood Cerasulo and I discuss the possibility that Fitzgerald’s experience in Hollywood was not only not negative but was very positive and fruitful. Click on the title above to purchase through Amazon.

While Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was knocking on doors in the 13th district of Detroit during her congressional campaign, Michael Moore was working on his next film - Fahrenheit 11/9. He wanted her to be a part of his movie so he joined her for an afternoon of door knocking in Detroit. Recorded in January of 2019, Congresswoman Tlaib and I discuss that afternoon with Michael, their friendship, her contribution to his movie and her plans to take a group of Washington insiders to Palestine.

In this episode I speak with former elementary school film teacher Steven LaVigne about his favorite musicals to both screen and teach. Many musicals are mentioned but our focus is on three classic Hollywood musicals - The Wizard of Oz (1939), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and Gigi (1958).

Duane Ferguson and I talk about the most influential and impactful movies and directors of our childhood. From Steven Spielberg to Jim Henson to Spike Lee. Focus is on movies of the 1970s and 1980s but we also move into the present to discuss what we find most relevant today.

Side Note: This episode was to be a discussion with Jason Zumwalt on the connection between Horror and Comedy. However, we had to reschedule. That episode now appears as the second episode of season 2.

Dr. Victoria Amador is a British and American Gothic film and literature scholar, who has published numerous articles on the gothic in film and literature. She is the author of The Gothic Portal: An Online Resource for Academics and Aficionados of Gothic Cultural Productions From 1976-2008. In this episode, we discuss the character of the female vampire in cinema. Our focus is on four female-centric vampire films. Dracula's Daughter (1936), The Vampire Lovers (1970), Only Lovers Left Alive (2013), and A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014).

This is the first episode of The Reel Woman, a podcast focused on all things cinematic: past, present and future.