Who can say what dark magic brought together so many creative geniuses (and problematic ones at that) to make Rosemary’s Baby? Whatever dark forces may have conspired, their plan worked! The movie endures as a beloved classic and guidepost of the early New Hollywood period. Whether you want to hear about Paramount’s resurrection through Robert Evans or the difference between John Cassavetes’ independent cinema vs William Castle’s, this episode is for you! Topics include: questionable erotic fantasies, the history of the Dakota Hotel, and how much the prequel film Apartment 7A suckssss.

A true high point of the New Hollywood era gets the Kael Your Idols treatment this episode: Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon. We attempt to get to the bottom of this true tale of a robbery-gone-wrong by putting together the character’s complex motivations piece by piece. Along the way we manage to show some love to Pacino, who puts in probably his best performance, and of course the legendary John Cazale as well. Other topics include: early portrayals of gay activism, Lumet’s book ‘Making Movies’, and Johnny Wojtowicz: the larger-than-life figure at the center of the actual event.

This week Elena and Sam tackle that spoof of spoofs- the 1980 comedic smash, Airplane! This film rewrote the existing theories of comedy from what kind of people should star in it, to how many directors it should have. Join us as we delve into the world of classic TV and film culture upon which the Zucker brothers and their friend Jim Abrahams (aka ZAZ) set their sights. And please! Do not call us “Shirley”. Topics include: Leslie Nielsen’s fame in the 90s, a disaster film renaissance, and which jokes do or don’t hold up.