Junk Filter

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133: Miami Vice: The Calderone Arc (with James Majure) Jun 12, 2023

Show notes

The pod’s sidebar series on NBC’s revolutionary TV crime drama Miami Vice (1984-1989) begins with returning guest and friend of the show James Majure joining us from Athens, GA.

There is so much to discuss in terms of the influence of Vice on contemporary culture but we’re starting at the beginning, with the origins of the idea of Miami Vice, a glimpse into the real world conditions in the city of Miami in the early 80s that led to the concept, how the show refined its style and formula over a long storyline arc about the war between Crockett and Tubbs and the ruthless Calderone Cartel, and how Vice reflects the vision of its two primary architects: creator Anthony Yerkovich and executive producer Michael Mann.

We also discuss the influence of Scarface on the production, the casting of playwright Miguel Piñero as Calderone, the Mozambique Drill, and the first appearance of “Crockett’s Theme”.

Miami Vice is currently available to watch for free on Tubi.

Episodes discussed on this show:

Brother’s Keeper (pilot) - Season 1, Ep 1

Calderone’s Return, Parts I & II - Season 1, Eps 4 & 5

Sons and Lovers - Season 2, Ep 23

Become a patron of the podcast to access to this entire Miami Vice sidebar series, as well as dozens of episodes of the show available exclusively to Junk Filter patrons: some notable previous Patreon guests include Jared Yates Sexton, Jacob Bacharach, David Roth, Bryan Quinby and Sooz Kempner. Sign up at ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/junkfilter

Follow James Majure on Twitter.

Opening title sequence for Episode 1 of Miami Vice

Jan Hammer performing “Crockett’s Theme” on Dutch TV

TEASER - 132: Rising Sun (with Aden Jordan) Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

Access this entire 84 minute episode (and additional monthly bonus episodes) by becoming a Junk Filter patron! Over 30% of episodes are exclusively available to patrons of the show. https://www.patreon.com/posts/132-rising-sun-84172029

I’m joined by Aden Jordan, a grant writer based in Southern California and patron of the podcast, to discuss Philip Kaufman’s 1993 deeply strange and lurid murder mystery Rising Sun, based on the bestseller by Michael Crichton, starring Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes as special agents brought in to investigate the murder of a sex worker at a Japanese corporation based in Los Angeles on the eve of its acquisition of an American microchip firm.

Although based on a novel that also served as Crichton’s jeremiad about the danger to the United States posed by Japan’s dominance over the world economy and American real estate, Kaufman complicated matters (and alienated Crichton from the project) by pushing against the source material’s agenda, most notably by casting a black movie star as the protagonist and giving the most racist dialogue to the most unpleasant characters (with an uncredited script polish by David Mamet). But Kaufman makes his own mistakes in terms of tempering the film’s racial politics.

Rising Sun is a complex text that still speaks to contemporary concerns: its depiction of the surveillance state, American Anti-Asian paranoia in the culture, and manipulation of the truth through digital trickery. But it’s also a very bizarre exercise in style, an Ambient Noir where vibes and postmodern touches clash against the plot and intentions of the source material and perhaps indicate the director’s true feelings for the project.

Coming soon to the podcast: a sidebar series throughout the summer on NBC's Miami Vice.

Trailer for Rising Sun (Philip Kaufman, 1993)

Jonathan Rosenbaum’s review of Rising Sun for the Chicago Reader, August 13, 1993

131: Tubi or Not Tubi (with Doug Tilley) May 29, 2023

Show notes

Cinema Smorgasbord’s Doug Tilley joins the pod for a discussion of the two major AVOD streaming services, Tubi and Pluto TV, and their massive libraries of free content, brought to you with short but forced advertising breaks.

Even though Tubi has over 60 million regular monthly users, it still feels like an underground streaming platform, carrying tens of thousands of obscure films and documentaries along with recognizable catalog titles from major film studios spanning decades. Doug regularly monitors new arrivals to Tubi and posts update threads on Twitter using the #TubiOrNotTubi hashtag.

So what are the catches for using a streaming service with a massive library for free? Beyond learning to navigate their algorithms to discover content, some may be uncomfortable with its ownership (Rupert Murdoch’s Fox Corporation) or put off by some of the questionable material that can be found (their “documentary’” category is loaded with agit-prop documentaries about Trumpism or some pushing COVID paranoia). We offer tips on how to sift through the trash to find the treasure, and we also discuss highlights from Tubi’s main competitor, the more upscale Pluto TV.

There are dozens of premium episodes of the show available exclusively to Junk Filter patrons: some notable previous Patreon guests include Jared Yates Sexton, Jacob Bacharach, David Roth, Bryan Quinby and Sooz Kempner. Coming this summer to the podcast: a summer sidebar series on the influential TV show Miami Vice! Sign up at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/junkfilter

Follow Doug Tilley on Twitter.

Liam O'Donnell and Doug Tilley serve up a platter of cinematic sensations, falling under a variety of unusual and unique categories celebrating undervalued actors and underseen favorites, over at their podcast hub Cinema Smorgasbord. Follow them on Twitter too!

Trailer for Cop Killers (Walter R. Cichy, 1973)

“Rabbit Hole” - Tubi Super Bowl commercial, 2023

TEASER - 130: Return of the Jedi (with Rob Rousseau) May 23, 2023

Show notes

Access this entire 90 minute episode (and additional monthly bonus episodes) by becoming a Junk Filter patron! Over 30% of episodes are exclusively available to patrons of the show. https://www.patreon.com/posts/130-return-of-83425574

Rob Rousseau returns to the show from Montreal for an episode commemorating this week’s 40th anniversary of Return of the Jedi.

Episode VI of “The Skywalker Saga” is not on the level of the first two films in the original trilogy but it’s still a lot of fun, even if it shows the signs of what would become problems for the franchise. We talk about all the changes George Lucas made to Jedi over several revised “Special Editions” (to their detriment), how the successes of this film illustrate the failures of the other trilogies, and we discuss the sleazy Steely Dan vibes we got from revisiting Jabba’s Palace and the “Jizz-wailing” sounds of the Max Rebo Band.

Plus: the hypocrisy of Crime Minister Trudeau’s stated passion for Return of the Jedi.

You might be able to find the Despecialized version of Return of the Jedi at the Internet Archive.

Follow Rob Rousseau on Twitter, and check out his podcasts @insurgentspod and @TRRSpod. And The Insurgents has a Substack.

Teaser trailer for Revenge of the Jedi (Richard Marquand, 1983)

129: History of the Eagles (with Maggie Serota) May 14, 2023

Show notes

The writer Maggie Serota returns to the show for a deep dive into the 2013 music documentary for Showtime, History of the Eagles, directed by Alison Ellwood.

This comprehensive 3 hour documentary is the official story of one of America’s biggest rock bands, spanning their massive popularity in the seventies, their solo careers in the eighties and their reunion in the nineties, but Maggie and I think that as entertaining as the movie must be for fans of The Eagles, it’s even more fun to watch if you’re not a fan. As sanitized and flattering the film is towards the group’s two leaders Glenn Frey and Don Henley, their legendary arrogance and the shocking mistreatment of the other members of the group (in particular the guitarist Henley coldly refers to as “Mr. Felder”) bursts through the constructed image to create a very funny portrayal of toxic masculinity and fevered egos on the rampage.

We discuss our favourite moments of hubris and chaos, compare this epic documentary to the more recent Beatles film Get Back (which also includes appearances from the great producer Glyn Johns, who clearly didn’t enjoy working with the Eagles), and praise the MVP of the band and the film, guitar god Joe Walsh.

There are dozens of premium episodes of the show available exclusively to Junk Filter patrons: some notable previous Patreon guests include Jared Yates Sexton, Jacob Bacharach, David Roth, Bryan Quinby and Sooz Kempner. More to come! Sign up at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/junkfilter

Follow Maggie Serota on Twitter, and subscribe to her wonderful substack Professor Garbage.

Trailer for History of the Eagles (Alison Ellwood, 2013)

Music video for “I Can’t Tell You Why”, Eagles, 1979

“Choice of a New Generation” - Pepsi commercial featuring Don Johnson and Glenn Frey, directed by Ridley Scott, 1985

128: How to Blow Up a Pipeline (with Corey Atad) Apr 20, 2023

Show notes

The writer Corey Atad returns to the pod for a discussion of the controversial new eco-thriller How to Blow Up a Pipeline, an action film inspired by Andreas Malm’s best-selling non-fiction work that argues in favour of direct and destructive action against the fossil fuel industry to escalate the battle against climate change. The film dramatizes the blowing-up of a pipeline by depicting the act as if it were a heist film, with stopwatch-precise editing and flashbacks explaining how the members of the crew found each other.

We discuss (in some detail) the criticism the film has received from the left and from the right: some on the left feel the movie fails a purity test by being marketed and released in multiplexes by film financiers and studios with ties to Big Oil, while some on the right are furious this pro-terrorist “Hollywood propaganda” is meant to turn the audience into radical extremists. But we also talk about the film itself, and how its in league with classic genre entertainments like First Bloodthat function both as dynamic thrillers and delivery devices for deeper social commentary.

Plus: Corey and I prepare to say ‘farewell’ to our ‘legacy verified’ Twitter bluechecks on 4/20, and we discuss Elon picking a fight with the CBC.

There are dozens of premium episodes of the show available exclusively to Junk Filter patrons: some notable previous Patreon guests include Jared Yates Sexton, Jacob Bacharach, David Roth, Bryan Quinby and Sooz Kempner. More to come! Sign up at ⁠https://www.patreon.com/junkfilter

Follow Corey Atad on Twitter.

Trailer for How to Blow Up a Pipeline (Daniel Goldhaber, 2023)

“How to Blow Up a Pipeline Filmmakers Hope You Take Their Advice”, by Corey Atad, for Gawker, September 21, 2022

“How to Blow Up a Pipeline Is A Film About Action”, by Corey Atad, for Defector, April 12, 2023

“The Bomb Hardly (Agit)Pops: An Essay on How to Blow Up a Pipeline” by A.E. Hunt, for Cine Móvil NYC, April 4, 2023

TEASER - 127: The Benaissance: Air (with Ursula Lawrence) Apr 14, 2023

Show notes

Access this entire 77 minute episode (and additional monthly bonus episodes) by becoming a Junk Filter patron! Over 30% of episodes are exclusively available to patrons of the show. https://www.patreon.com/posts/127-benaissance-81474016

The comedy writer Ursula Lawrence returns to the podcast from Madison, Wisconsin for a discussion of the latest film from Ben Affleck as a director, Air, a film made by Amazon Studios that was so well-received when it screened at SXSW that it got picked up by Warner Bros. and fast-tracked into cinemas before its streaming premiere.

Air tells the story of how Nike landed a sponsorship deal with Michael Jordan before his rookie year in the NBA thanks to the efforts of talent scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) who has to convince CEO Phil Knight (Affleck) that Jordan is a once-in-a-generation talent worth risking everything on: they design a new shoe around him, at a time where the company was known more for its running shoes than for basketball.

So why is a hagiographic movie about corporate executives and star athletes making a fortune so much fun, even if you are on the left and understand the dark side of Nike’s legacy? It has to do with the current Benaissance: this is a movie made by a happy man that also serves as a mission statement for a new production company founded by Ben and Matt, Artists Equity, aiming to make entertainment that fairly compensates the creative talent, a film that like its superstar subject displays a relaxed confidence. The film’s unexpected use of basic semiotic theory and period detail make it crowd-pleasing entertainment that is destined to be a perennial Movie for Dads; comfort viewing that we’ll be watching on cable for years. Who knew the formerly Sad Affleck had it in him?

Plus: Ben speaking fluent Spanish, and former governor Scott Walker losing his mind as younger voters in Wisconsin reject the GOP!

Follow Ursula Lawrence on Twitter.

Trailer for Air (Ben Affleck, 2023)

TEASER - 125: Sexy Beast (with Dan Siber) Mar 10, 2023

Show notes

Access this entire 84 minute episode (and additional monthly bonus episodes) by becoming a Junk Filter patron! https://www.patreon.com/posts/125-sexy-beast-79799951

Dan Siber, an avid listener of the show and a Junk Filter patron, pitched his way on to the show for a discussion of Jonathan Glazer’s British crime drama Sexy Beast (2000), which is getting a prequel streaming series on Paramount+ this fall.

Sexy Beast stands apart from the other cool British crime films of the period because the film is not so easy to classify: it swings across genres like comedy, suspense and psychological horror, as our hero Gal Dove (Ray Winstone), a retired ex-con living in sunny Spain, is pulled back for one last job in London for a criminal syndicate by two different psychopaths: the relentlessly menacing hatchetman Don Logan (Oscar-nominated Ben Kingsley), and the Final Boss, crime lord Teddy Bass (Ian McShane) who is ultimately even more terrifying than Logan.

We talk about the psychology of these characters, this film’s exploration of class, crime and power, how influential Sexy Beast must have been on Christopher Nolan, and what we might expect from the upcoming prequel series.

UK trailer for Sexy Beast (Jonathan Glazer, 2000)

Don Logan Band Aid 20 commercial directed by Glazer, 2004

124: Raquel Welch and Myra Breckinridge (with Karen Geier) Feb 28, 2023

Show notes

Toronto-based writer and content strategist Karen Geier returns to the show to discuss the late screen goddess Raquel Welch and her greatest role as a trans woman out to destroy the Hollywood patriarchy in the 1970 film version of Gore Vidal’s controversial best-selling novel Myra Breckinridge, produced on a high budget by 20th Century Fox in the early days of the new X rating.

Long considered one of the worst movies ever made, Karen and I mount a defense of Myra Breckinridge as a ruthless satire of Hollywood that is intentionally distasteful and accidentally based in terms of its sexual politics. We discuss the troubled production and the cast of creatives including the British director Michael Sarne (who hated the book), the film critic Rex Reed (who made his acting debut here and trashed the movie when it was released) and the original screen sex goddess Mae West, coaxed back on the screen after nearly 30 years, who refused to appear on screen with Raquel and demanded she get top billing and two musical numbers (even though the film was not a musical).

Karen and I also discuss Raquel’s insane prime-time network tv specials and her comeback in the eighties as the star of a series of salacious workout videos.

You can watch Myra Breckinridge for free over at the Internet Archive.

There are over three dozen premium episodes of the show available exclusively to patrons: some notable previous Patreon guests include Jared Yates Sexton, Jacob Bacharach, David Roth, Bryan Quinby and Will Sloan. More to come! Sign up at https://www.patreon.com/junkfilter

Follow Karen Geier on Twitter.

Trailer for Myra Breckinridge (Michael Sarne, 1970)

Raquel!(TV special for CBS from 1970)

From Raquel With Love (TV special for ABC from 1980)

Highlights from Welch’s eighties at-home workout videotape A Week With Raquel (1986)

“Swinging Into Disaster”, an in-depth article on the making of Myra Breckinridge, by Steven Daly for Vanity Fair, April 2001

TEASER - 123: The Dick Tracy Trilogy (with Will Sloan) Feb 19, 2023

Show notes

Access this entire 70 minute episode (and additional monthly bonus episodes) by becoming a Junk Filter patron! https://www.patreon.com/posts/123-dick-tracy-78893447

The writer and podcaster Will Sloan returns for a show about Warren Beatty and his now-decades long relationship to Chester Gould’s classic thirties comic strip detective Dick Tracy.

We discuss what we can now call The Dick Tracy trilogy: the gorgeously crafted 1990 blockbuster he starred in and directed, and two curious no-budget followups he has made for Turner Classic Movies in the ensuing decades: 2010’s Dick Tracy Special, which aired only once and became a cult object for the true Beatty heads, and the surprise followup that dropped without warning this week, Dick Tracy Special: Tracy Zooms In. In both these specials Beatty gives an interview as the “real” Dick Tracy where he airs long-held grievances with how Beatty messed up the movie about “my life”.

So what’s going on here? Is the 85-year-old Beatty just doing this to hang on to the screen rights to maintain his artistic control of the property? Is he using the property to make avant-garde comedy where half the joke is the lack of energy being put into them? Is Beatty commenting on the state of modern cinema (and his own screen legacy) in his twilight years?

Will and I are obsessed with Late Style Beatty and his latest instalment of “the franchise” snaps this entire project into perspective for us: we discuss all three works in detail.

Follow Will Sloan on Twitter and subscribe to his wonderful podcasts The Important Cinema Club and Michael and Us.

Trailer for Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty, 1990)

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