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The B-Side Ep. 161 – Maggie Cheung (with Nick Newman) May 09, 2025

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Welcome to The B-Side! 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. It’s a day to celebrate! We discuss the legend Maggie Cheung! Our B-Sides include Lost Romance (a.k.a. Story of Rose), Full Moon in New York, Green Snake, and Sausalito. Our esteemed guest for this episode is Nick Newman, host of the Emulsion podcast for The Film Stage. We talk about the Hong Kong New Wave, Maggie’s aborted performance in Inglourious Basterds, the true B-Sidey-Ness of Sausalito, and Maggie Cheung’s brief, lovely, recent Sight and Sound interview. There’s also Nick’s Sight and Sound List, that GQ piece, Julia Ormond’s tackling a famous Audrey Hepburn role, and Nick’s great interview with filmmaker Olivier Assayas back in 2022. By 2004, at the young age of forty, Cheung retired from acting. Her legacy has only cemented further in the decades since her final films, something we discuss in this episode as well.

The B-Side Ep. 160 - Debra Winger (with Murtada Elfadl) May 02, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to The B-Side! 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 the great Debra Winger! Our B-Sides include Legal Eagles, Betrayed, The Sheltering Sky, and Forget Paris. Our guest is the inestimable Murtada Elfadl, Culture Writer, Critic, and Film Curator. We discuss Winger’s stratospheric rise to stardom, her indescribable performance in Terms of Endearment, and her (unfair?) reputation for being “difficult.” There’s also plenty of discussion about Rosanna Arquette’s documentary Searching for Debra Winger, a film in which Arquette speaks with many famous actresses about aging in Hollywood. The motivation of the piece was partly motivated by Winger’s exodus from the business for over half a decade in the mid-1990s. There’s also conversation about Shirley MacLaine's 1984 Oscars speech, Tom Berenger being deeply proud of Betrayed and his performance in the film, and all those NBA players that appear in Forget Paris. Janet Maslin and Roger Ebert’s superb reviews of Betrayed are mentioned, as is Debra’s perfect laugh. Finally, we touch on when Raquel Welch sued MGM and won for being fired from Cannery Row (Winger replaced her in the role), Winger’s dropping out of A League of Their Own after Madonna was cast (bonus Patti LuPone on Evita clip here!), Melanie Griffith and William Hurt being director Bernardo Bertolucci’s first choices for the leads in The Sheltering Sky, and Debra Winger’s infamous Watch What Happens Live episode.

Emulsion Ep. 5 - Chloë Sevigny & Amalia Ulman on Magic Farm Apr 25, 2025

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Amalia Ulman has followed El Planeta, one of this decade's most auspicious debuts, with the equal-parts caustic and sincere Magic Farm. With its limited release beginning today, Nick Newman had the fortune of speaking with her and Chloë Sevigny in an interview that highlights the particular relationship between a writer-director-actor and her co-star.

The B-Side Ep. 45 – Ben Affleck (with Marie Bardi) Apr 24, 2025

Show notes

Hello everybody and welcome to The B-Side podcast for The Film Stage, here we talk about movie stars; not the films that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between! And today, with The Accountant 2 out in theaters, we thought we’d revisit our episode on the B-Sides of Ben Affleck! Originally recorded in March 2020, at the time of the release of The Way Back, our friend Marie Bardi joins us to talk about our love for a sad Ben Affleck performance, and his ups and downs in B-Sides like Forces of Nature, Bounce, Changing Lanes, and Hollywoodland. We reflect on how his work seems to constantly mirror his life offscreen, and what makes him such an appealing movie star to root for. We get into a lot, so please enjoy this look back at the B-Sides of Ben Affleck.

The B-Side Ep. 159 - The Coen Brothers (with Stephen Sajdak) Apr 11, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to The B-Side! 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 talk about two American icons: Joel and Ethan Coen. Our guest is an icon all his own: Stephen Sajdak from the We Hate Movies podcast! We discuss the B-Sides The Hudsucker Proxy, The Man Who Wasn't There, Intolerable Cruelty, and Burn After Reading. There’s also time given to their remake The Ladykillers. We make many references to Adam Nayman’s well-researched and well-considered book The Coen Brothers This Book Really Ties the Films Together, explore the critical success the filmmakers had with Fargo, and how they filmed The Man Who Wasn't There in color and then printed it to black-and-white film. Other topics include the Coen Brothers’ film Hail Caesar! and their childhood fascination with biblical epics like Quo Vadis, their amazing commentary on The Man Who Wasn’t There disc, Spielberg’s advice to George Clooney on how to become a movie star, or that time Clooney recalled being bewildered that Quentin Tarantino thought the two of them looked alike while they were promoting From Dusk Till Dawn. Finally, Tracy Zooms In comes up (obviously), the new Barry Levinson gangster picture The Alto Knights, and the James Gandolfini holiday picture Surviving Christmas.

Emulsion Ep. 4 - Zach Lewis on Henry Fonda for President Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Alexander Horwath's Henry Fonda for President stands among the most notable releases of a still-young year, is certainly the most lauded essay film in recent memory, and was assuredly of personal interest when my friend Zach Lewis offered his approval. As adventurous and open-minded a cinephile as any I know, Zach has equal-parts interest in both the films of Henry Fonda and essayistic, landscape-centered cinema––some Thom Anderson or Harun Farocki come to mind with the former, James Benning the latter––in which Horwath is trading here. I couldn't have been happier to connect with him to discuss the film, and hope our chat is fruitful for you in turn.

The Encampments Director on Documenting Pro-Palestine Protests Apr 08, 2025

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An essential document of a moment in time for a story very much still unfolding, The Encampments is a thorough, engrossing portrait of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. Beginning in April 2024, the protest was formed by Columbia University students who called for their university to divest from U.S. and Israeli weapons companies that are aiding in the deaths of thousands upon thousands of Palestinian people. Following an opening weekend that resulted in the highest-grossing per-theater average for a documentary in history, Michael T. Workman and Kei Pritsker's film now playing in theaters nationwide. As The Film Stage's Editor-in-Chief Jordan Raup in his review, "With insights from those most directly involved in the protests––including many now fearing for their safety and future as America’s newly instated fascist regime continues to strip rights––the documentary becomes a sobering, infuriating look at the dismantling of free speech and nefarious, calculated ways those in power will go to any lengths to silence those that are of opposing interests. Rather than employing a bleak view of persistent struggle, directors Michael T. Workman and Kei Pritsker find the unfolding story’s hope and inspiration, crafting a powerful, clarifying portrait of collective action. As other universities and organizations drew inspiration, we witness how small acts of courage can cause ripple effects worldwide." Jordan had the opportunity to speak with Pritsker about being trusted to film from inside the encampment, why it was important to show a side that mainstream media wasn't portraying, inviting those with opposing views to watch the film and judge for themselves, the corporatization of universities, fast-tracking the theatrical release, and dedicating his life to the Palestinian struggle.

Emulsion Ep. 3 - Edward McCarry on Shinji Somai and Love Hotel Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

The restoration and release of Shinji Somai's Love Hotel is no small occasion, and dovetails nicely with this show's ambition to speak with people outside the well-known confines of film culture. Thus this new episode is an interview with Edward McCarry, whose work at Cinema Guild has made the Japanese master, by leagues and bounds, more accessible than was ever thought possible. In our conversation, McCarry shares his passion for Somai, the thrill of sharing his films with larger audiences, some particulars of successfully marketing work with so little commercial imprint, and a preview of the next filmmakers Cinema Guild hopes to give a greater platform.

The B-Side – Remembering Val Kilmer Apr 02, 2025

Show notes

In honor of the legendary Val Kilmer, who has passed away at the age of 65, we're sharing The B-Side's episode from 2022 discussing his career and most overlooked films. Subscribe to The B-Side: https://pod.link/520164968 See the original description below: Today, we discuss one of the most intriguing actors of his generation: Val Kilmer! To tackle such an enigma, we bring in the legendary Katie Walsh! A must-follow on Twitter, a co-host of the insatiably-entertaining Miami Nice Podcast, and an accomplished writer. The B-Sides featured today are: Kill Me Again, At First Sight, The Salton Sea, and Mindhunters. We discuss how Kilmer was a prodigy––the youngest student admitted into Juilliard’s drama department––before his Broadway debut in the (ultimately) star-studded Slab Boys. There’s talk of his well-documented penchant to be difficult on set, as well as those who defended him and his abilities. We confront Dan’s deep admiration for the poorly-aged The Salton Sea, make brief mention of other B-Sides like Thunderheart, The Real McCoy, and Spartan, and reference both Kilmer’s autobiography I’m Your Huckleberry and the 2021 documentary Val. Finally, we acknowledge that perhaps Val Kilmer was ultimately a movie star that never really wanted to be a movie star.

The B-Side Ep. 158 - Powell and Pressburger (with Katie Walsh) Mar 23, 2025

Show notes

Welcome to The B-Side! 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 talk about two legends: Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger! Our B-Sides include I Know Where I’m Going!, The Small Back Room, Gone to Earth, and The Elusive Pimpernel. Our guest is the legend Katie Walsh, podcaster and film critic at the Tribune News Service & LA Times. We talk about her lovely experiences watching Powell & Pressburger restoration prints on the big screen, the extent of moviegoing etiquette (put that phone down please!), and the Frank Marshall creature feature Arachnophobia. Also discussed is Powell’s infamous (and masterful) opus Peeping Tom, the duo’s later work (Oh... Rosalinda!!, The Battle of the River Plate), Powell’s autobiography, and the career of Jennifer Jones.

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