Episodes
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Ep 171 From Living Dead to Leprechaun: Horror Movie Franchises
Our generation has been defined by horror movie franchises: the deadites of The Evil Dead, the beasts of Poltergeist, the mascots of the Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th and Child's Play series. We decided to invite William Mendoza over for a casual discussion of some of our favorites…
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Ep 170 Alex Cox: Body Parts & Zero Tolerance
Alex Cox and Rudy Wurlitzer, the team behind 1987's Walker, collaborated on two other screenplays that never got in front of a camera. The first, Body Parts, is a thriller about a Tucson cop who stumbles onto a conspiracy involving kidnapping and organ trafficking. The second, Zero Tolerance,...
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Ep 169 Windwalker
A Cheyenne elder is prepared to be sent to the star nations above, yet is denied death until he can save his family from a renegade band of Crow warriors raiding among the snowy Utah mountains in Windwalker, a 1980 novel by Blaine M. Yorgason and Breton G. Yorgason. David Lambert and Martin…
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Ep 168 Kiss of the Spider Woman
Host Martin Kessler welcomes Felicia Maroni, host of the Seeing Faces in Movies podcast, to talk about a movie. Very appropriate, since the movie they're talking about is Hector Babenco's 1985 adaptation of the Miguel Puig book Kiss of the Spider Woman: a movie about talking about movies. The…
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Ep 167 The Seventh
Left burned and cleaned out after the events of The Jugger, Parker is forced to start fresh with a group of six other professional heisters targeting the cash receipts from a big weekend football game. The score itself goes off without a hitch, but a meddling amateur manages to make off with the...
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Ep 166 The Authentic Death of Hendry Jones
After struggling to write a novel about the last days of Billy the Kid, travel writer and Mark Twain scholar Charles Neider found his inspiration by heading to the Monterey coast and creating his own version of the "the greatest gunman alive at the time of his death." Published in 1956, The...
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Ep 165 Jim McBride's Lost Screenplays
After bursting onto the late 60's cinema scene with the independent underground hit David Holtzman's Diary and entering the 70's with the post-apocalyptic counter-cultural romance Glen and Randa, Jim McBride began work on two very different screenplays. The first was Gone Beaver, the…
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Ep 164 The Jugger
The Pink Smoke is back on track, picking up with the sixth entry of Donald E. Westlake's Parker series. A true outlier, The Jugger doesn't feature an epic heist or a ragtag mix of reliable and backstabbing criminals. In this one Parker's all alone, dropped into a situation he's not sure about,...
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Ep 163 The Maya and Science Fiction
Star Trek episodes, the title credits of Alien, the architecture of Star Wars and Blade Runner, the work of Joseph Campbell, H.P. Lovecraft, Clive Barker and Alejandro Jodorowsky. You'd be surprised how many iconic artworks have been influenced by transformative themes traced back to Mesoamerican...
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Parker Doesn't Say 'Merry Christmas': A 2025 Holiday Special
In this super-sized episode of our ongoing series where we discuss the exploits of career criminal Parker from the books by Richard Stark a.k.a. Donald E. Westlake, we're tackling three big Parker-based works. We start by jumping ahead in our chronological reviews to discuss The Handle, the…
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Ep 162 The Score
With the fifth entry of the Parker series, The Score, Richard Stark aka Donald E. Westlake puts his career criminal anti-hero in charge of his most ambitious heist yet: the 12-man robbery of a North Dakota mining town. This allows the author to expand the violent world of Parker by introducing a...
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Ep 161 I Killed Bette Davis by Larry Cohen
If you're a fan of Larry Cohen, the maverick filmmaker behind such mind-bending genre pictures as It's Alive, God Told Me To, Q: The Winged Serpent and The Stuff, you owe it to yourself to check out his newly published memoir: I Killed Bette Davis and Other Confessions of Heinous Crimes Committed...
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EP 160 Visitors from Lanulos
“I went to a different planet where the spacemen drink coffee and don't cheat on their wives.” Cryptozoologist Christopher Funderburg and parapsychologist Martin Kessler meet in an undisclosed location to perform a secret autopsy on Visitors from Lanulos, "a history book about something that…
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FiVE FROM THE FiRE / Episode 11: Becky D'Anna and Jon Laubinger
What if every single print of every single film by 5 esteemed filmmakers were housed in a burning warehouse and there was only time to save 5 of them? This is the hypothetical hot seat into which guests are placed on the recurring Five from the Fire series, tasked to choose a handful of movies to...
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Ep 159 Gremlins Rip-Offs
For this year's Halloween theme, the Pink Smoke sets its sights on the mid-80's to early 90's trend of "mischievous little monsters" horror movies modeled after a certain masterpiece by a certain Joe Dante. Is there anything of quality to be found in such creature feature cash grabs? Do any...
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Ep 158 Crow Killer / "Liver-Eating" Johnson / Jeremiah Johnson
We journey out to Montana Territory in the latter half of the 19th century to break biscuits with John "Liver-Eating" Johnson, subject of the books Crow Killer by Raymond W. Thorp and Robert Bunker and Mountain Man by Vardis Fisher, both of which were subsequently adapted by John Milius for the...
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Ep 157 Arthur and Arthur 2: On the Rocks
We watched Arthur. A New York love story. Pure lightning in a bottle. The little movie that went on to become the #4 biggest hit of 1981. And we watched Arthur 2: On the Rocks. A critical punching bag. An outcast. Something considered a travesty of elegance and taste, when it's considered at all....
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Ep 156 The Mourner
We continue our series on the Parker books by Donald E. Westlake, published under the nom de guerre Richard Stark, which follow the various criminal activities of hard-boiled heister Parker and the shady characters surrounding him looking to screw up the score. Coming after the 'Outfit Trilogy'...
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Ep 155 Dogfight
Ever since Dogfight was released in 1991 to middling reviews and invisible box office, it's slowly developed a following among viewers who appreciate Nancy Savoca's empathetic story of two young people making a meaningful connection at a pivotal point of the early 60's. Two such viewers are host...
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1974: Fifty Years Later / Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
Last year, the Pink Smoke Podcast created a series called 1974: 50 Years Later, each episode featuring a different guest who chose a 1974 movie to talk about, ranging from giant blockbusters to minor cult curios and everything else in between. But since all our guests are cool outsiders with...
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Ep. 154: The Prophecy
Host Martin Kessler finds himself in the middle of an angelic civil war, complete with soul-sucking seraphims, ritual exorcism, apocalyptic implications and an intervention from Lucifer himself, as he opens the ancient book (or should it be a scroll?) on Gregory Widen's 1995 theological thriller...
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Ep. 26 Peterloo
Host John Cribbs is joined on the latest episode of The Pink Smoke podcast by Martin Kessler of Flixwise: Outpost Canada to discuss Mike Leigh's latest film, Peterloo. A historical drama looking at the semi-forgotten massacre at St. Peter's field in 1819, the film sees Manchester-ite Leigh...
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Ep. 39 American Dharma
Hosts John Cribbs & Christopher Funderburg discuss the legendary documentarian Errol Morris' latest film AMERICAN DHARMA, an extended interview with Steve Bannon (the architect of Donald Trump's successful 2016 presidential campaign). It's another typical Morris study of self-deception, specious...
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Ep. 54 Eastwood Double Feature
For Clint Eastwood’s 90th birthday, hosts Christopher Funderburg and John Cribbs have each selected one of the actor/director’s films to discuss. This Eastwood Double Feature looks at Don Siegel’s The Beguiled and Eastwood’s own Unforgiven, a pair of films that illustrate why the star-auteur...
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Ep. 153 Earp Adjacent Westerns
The myth of Wyatt Earp ignited at the ascent of cinema, his alleged Old West exploits embellished on celluloid during the Silent Era so that he was a full-fledged American legend come the golden age of Hollywood. Earp westerns were such an established staple that Law and Order, the first movie to...
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Ep. 152 Major Dune-dee
Support our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke Sam Peckinpah and David Lynch, two of the most recognized directors of their day, were each in their mid-30's when they embarked on their third feature film: an epic studio movie to be shot in Mexico (headquartered at Estudio Churubusco). In both...
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1974: Fifty Years Later / A Wife To Be Sacrificed & Castle Of Sand
Support our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke 1974 was a landmark year for film, a convergence of exciting international cinema and the original voices of New Hollywood that still resonates 50 years later. In our new series we invite a different guest for each episode to choose a 1974 movie…
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1974: Fifty Years Later / Female Trouble
Support our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke Who better to spend the holidays with than rebellious hair hopper Dawn Davenport, who goes from pinning her screaming mother under a Christmas tree for failing to provide the desired gift of Cha Cha heels to becoming the brightest star to light up...
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PSP 1974 The White Dawn
1974 was a landmark year for film, a convergence of exciting international cinema and the original voices of New Hollywood that still resonates 50 years later. In our new series we invite a different guest for each episode to choose a 1974 movie to talk about, ranging from giant blockbusters to...
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1974: Fifty Years Later / Symptoms
Support our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke 1974 was a landmark year for film, a convergence of exciting international cinema and the original voices of New Hollywood that still resonates 50 years later. In our new series we invite a different guest for each episode to choose a 1974 movie…
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1974: Fifty Years Later / The Nickel Ride
Support our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke 1974 was a landmark year for film, a convergence of exciting international cinema and the original voices of New Hollywood that still resonates 50 years later. In our new series we invite a different guest for each episode to choose a 1974 movie…
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1974: Fifty Years Later / The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
What is there left to be said about the greatest horror film ever made? Support our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke The Pink Smoke site: www.thepinksmoke.com The Pink Smoke on X: twitter.com/thepinksmoke Christopher Funderburg on X: twitter.com/cfunderburg John Cribbs on X:...
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1974: Fifty Years Later / Killdozer
All episodes are made available to Patreon subscribers, the most killer-ish and dozer-y of all audiences, one week before their general release Support our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke The Pink Smoke celebrates the Spooky Season with the most terrifying subject imaginable: a sentient,...
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Ep. 151 Devil Girls
Episodes are made available to Patreon subscribers one week before their general release. www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke "'It doesn't seem important anymore.' Her eyes held a vacant stare which bothered Dee. They appeared to be looking but not seeing anything. 'I didn't think I'd ever want anything...
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1974: Fifty Years Later / Mahler
All Pink Smoke Podcast episodes are made available one week before their general release to Patreon subscribers. Subscribe to get early access & so much more: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke 1974 was a landmark year for film, a convergence of exciting international cinema and the original voices of...
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1974: Fifty Years Later / Murder On The Orient Express
All Pink Smoke Podcast episodes are made available one week before their general release to Patreon subscribers. Subscribe to get early access & so much more: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke A dead body! A trainful of suspicious movie stars! Real authentic exotic locations! Sidney Lumet's all-star...
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An Epilogue to The Pink Smoke's time at the Toronto International Film Festival
Support our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke All good things must come to an end. Hosts John Cribbs and Christopher Funderburg are joined by Marcus Pinn to discuss their memories of attending the Toronto International Film Festival over the course of twenty years. This set of personal...
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Ep. 150 Toronto International Film Festival 2024 Wrap Up
Support our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke John Cribbs & Christopher Funderburg are back with their rundown of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival! From the highest highs (Hard Truths) to the lowest lows (It Doesn’t Get Any Better than This) and the poutine in between, they take a...
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Ep. 149 Toronto International Film Festival 2024 Preview
All episodes are made available to Patreon subscribers, the most vioiently anti-Canadian and finestkind of all audiences, one week before their general release. Support our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke John Cribbs & Christopher Funderburg return to the Queen City for our 20th trip to the...
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Ep. 148 The Queen Of Spades
Host Martin Kessler is joined by Ally Pitts to discuss Thorold Dickinson's 1949 British fantasy-horror film, The Queen of Spades. Support our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke The Pink Smoke site: www.thepinksmoke.com Movie Kessler on X: twitter.com/MovieKessler The Pink Smoke on X:...
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1974: Fifty Years Later / Deadly Weapons
All episodes are made available to Patreon subscribers, the most pulchritudinous and buxom of all audiences, one week before their general release. Support our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke It's time to talk tits. We're joined by the peerless Wendy Mays to discuss softcore porn...
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Ep. 147 The Outfit
All episodes are made available to Patreon subscribers, the most secertive and sinister of all audiences, one week before their general release. {www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke} Continuing our episodes on Richard Stark's 24-book Parker series, we delve into the third book The Outfit, in which Stark...
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Ep. 146 Little Drummer Girl
The Pink Smoke welcomes back fan favorite John Arminio for a companion episode to our epic 100 Years of Spy Movies two-parter from last year to discuss the 2018 mini-series The Little Drummer Girl, starring Florence Pugh and Michael Shannon, directed by Park Chan-wook. Adapted from the 1983 novel...
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1974: Fifty Years Later / Blood For Dracula
1974 was a landmark year for film, a convergence of exciting international cinema and the original voices of New Hollywood that still resonates 50 years later. In our new series we invite a different guest for each episode to choose a 1974 movie to talk about, ranging from giant blockbusters to...
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Ep. 145 Peter Pan
Host Martin Kessler welcomes film writer and curator Vanya Garraway to discuss the various film versions of J. M. Barrie's oft-adapted Peter Pan, from the 1924 silent film to last year's Peter Pan & Wendy. Giving their personal assessment of each movie, they dig into the history of the...
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Ep. 144 Cattle Drive Westerns
All episodes are made available to Patreon subscribers, the most tender and sensitive of all audiences, one week before their general release. https://www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke We're joined by the great David Lambert to discuss one of the greatest Western subgenres, stories of cattle drives…
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1974: Fifty Years Later / Pray For The Wildcats
1974 was a landmark year for film, a convergence of exciting international cinema and the original voices of New Hollywood that still resonates 50 years later. In our new series we invite a different guest for each episode to choose a 1974 movie to talk about, ranging from giant blockbusters to...
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Ep. 143 Amatuer & Pulp Fiction
All episodes are made available to Patreon subscribers, the most determined and unsparing of all audiences, one week before their general release. {www.patreon.com/thepinksmoke} The Cannes Film Festival, May 1994. Two independent American crime films featuring guns, gangsters, torture…
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1974: Fifty Years Later / The Education Of Sonny Carson
1974 was a landmark year for film, a convergence of exciting international cinema and the original voices of New Hollywood that still resonates 50 years later. In our new series we invite a different guest for each episode to choose a 1974 movie to talk about, ranging from giant blockbusters to...
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1974: Fifty Years Later / Young Frankenstein
1974 was a landmark year for film, a convergence of exciting international cinema and the original voices of New Hollywood that still resonates 50 years later. In our new series we invite a different guest for each episode to choose a 1974 movie to talk about, ranging from giant blockbusters to...
About this show
A podcast on cinema & literature, from Action Jackson to Zeder.
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The Pink Smoke
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