PODCAST · tv
Ticklish Business
by Ticklish Biz Productions
Hollywood's golden era produced some of the greatest films ever made. Ticklish Business is the podcast where film critic Kristen Lopez digs into it with enthusiasm. Classic stars, forgotten gems, and the chaotic genius of Old Hollywood, examined with sharp humor and excellent guests.
Episodes
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Carol Burnett Live From the TCM Classic Film Festival 2026
Missed this year's TCM Classic Film Festival? Or do you just want to relive some great moments from this year's event? Well, Ticklish Biz has you covered starting with one of the hottest tickets at this year's festival: Ben Mankiewicz's conversation with Carol Burnett. Burnett talks about her...
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Bullitt (1968) with Marshall Terrill
It's Kristen's birthday and you might be saying, "What musical or costume drama are you picking this year?" Nope, this year I'm all about fast cars, the streets of San Francisco and hanging out with the King of Cool, Steve McQueen, in 1968's Bullitt. And joining me on this cinematic road trip is...
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237. Robert Redford Top 3 (with Adam Kautzer)
Robert Redford is our August birthday boy and with his passing in September it seemed the perfect time to do a proper Redford Top 3. Longtime Ticklish Biz guest Adam Kautzer joins me to give our lists as well as lay out why Redford changed the movie biz forever. We also discuss '70s cinema, why...
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236. How to Steal a Million (1966) with Princess Weekes
We're pulling a heist in this week's episode. An art heist! YouTube essayist and critic Princess Weekes joins Kristen to talk Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole in William Wyler's How to Steal a Million. The duo talk about this being a game changer for both Hepburn and O'Toole (as well as being the...
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235. International Month: The Third Man (with Jeremy Fassler)
We've got one more cinematic trip around the world before International Month closes! We're visiting our British Ticklish Biz patrons with a look at Carol Reed's iconic 1949 noir The Third Man. And to help us talk Orson Welles, sewer fights, and David O. Selznick I'm joined by political…
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234. International Month - Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975 with Alicia Malone)
It's time to pack our bags and take another cinematic vacation around the world for International Month! And this year, in honor of Ticklish Biz's 10 year anniversary, I'm going to take a vacation by watching the films of some of our international Patrons. First, we're stopping off in Australia,...
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233. Cape Fear (1962 with Emily Edwards)
Ticklish Business host Kristen Lopez and author Emily Edwards sit down to discuss 1962's CAPE FEAR, in honor of the new Apple TV+ series. The duo discuss Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck's personas, the movie's harsh themes, and how it upends the idea of Old Hollywood in the 1960s. **Note, this...
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Marilyn Monroe Centennial Top 3 (with Alisha Soper)
We're celebrating Marilyn Monroe's centennial with an episode fit for a legend! Kristen and guest Alisha Soper look at Marilyn's filmography and lay out their top 3 favorite films from the blonde bombshell. Along the way, Soper talks about being an actress with a skillset in playing Monroe. We…
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231. Elaine in May - Ishtar (1987 with Elizabeth Alsop)
Our tribute to beleaguered director Elaine May closes with a look at the movie that ruined her career, 1987's Ishtar. Is it the worst film ever made? May biographer Elizabeth Alsop joins Kristen to break down the infamous flop and what went wrong. The pair discuss Warren Beatty as the Patient…
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Pride and Prejudice (1940 with Ann Foster)
We have a great bonus episode! Friend of the podcast Ann Foster joins us to talk about her new book Rebel of the Regency (a must-read for history buffs). But we aren't just talking about Ann's fabulous book. We're also talking about the 1940 take on Pride & Prejudice, breaking down Laurence...
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230. Elaine in May - A New Leaf (1971 with Carrie Courogen)
The sun's out and we're kicking off our Elaine in May series! The entire month is devoted to the female filmmaker and we're kicking things off with a look at her 1971 debut feature A New Leaf with May biographer Carrie Courogen. Courogen discusses May's foray into directing, the challenges of...
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229. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946 with Alison Macor)
The TCM Classic Film Festival is upon us and we're honoring both a movie playing at the festival and one celebrating its 80th (!) anniversary: 1946's The Best Years of Our Lives. Giving insight alongside Kristen is author Alison Macor, author of Making the Best Years of Our Livesand who will be...
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228. Sean Hepburn Ferrer Interview
It's not everyday you get to interview one of the sons of the most famous actress in Hollywood. Ferrer sits down with Kristen to discuss the release of the book, Intimate Audrey, an authorized biography of the star that seeks to go beyond the films she starred in. Ferrer also talks about growing…
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227. Forbidden Planet (1956 with Bill Malone)
Director Bill Malone, former owner of Robby the Robot, joins Kristen to go deep into space for a discussion on 1956's Forbidden Planet. Kristen and Bill discuss the movie's production history, why Walter Pidgeon wasn't a fan, and why Robby became the de facto star. Bill also gives some great...
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226. Liza Minnelli's 80th Birthday Celebration (with Bruce David Klein)
Bruce David Klein, director of Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story, joins Kristen to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the iconic actress. The two talk about Minnelli's struggles, both personal and professional, her connections to her mother, and why she remains a legend today. You can...
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Pre-Code Oscars (with Danny Reid and Kim Luperi)
It's Oscar time and we've got guests Kim Luperi and Danny Reid, author of the great Pre-Code Essentials, talking with us. The duo lay out how the Oscars, still at their origin era, navigated the pre-Code landscape. We also talk about some where Oscar nominations that could have only existed at…
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225. Diane Keaton Tribute - Baby Boom (1987 with Kate Hagen)
Kristen is back to flying solo and she didn't burn the joint down! We're celebrating the life and career of the great Diane Keaton, looking at her career-changing performance in 1987's Baby Boom. Joining Kristen is James Spader superfan and '80s lover, Kate Hagen! Kate and Kristen talk about…
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224. Wuthering Heights (1939 with Frances O'Connor)
The listeners spoke and you wanted Kristen and Emily on the Moors to talk about Heathcliff, Cathy, and 1939's Wuthering Heights. But we couldn't just talk about the movie and Emily Bronte. We needed a Bronte expert. And who better to join us as a guest than the director of the Emily Bronte biopic...
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Doctor Dolittle (1967)
Emily and Kristen wanted to do a makeshift Flop-uary and we're doing so by watching what many consider the worst Best Picture winner ever: 1967's Doctor Dolittle. Emily and Kristen break down how the movie got made (blame My Fair Lady), Rex Harrison's talk singing, and the host of issues that…
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222. New Discoveries of 2025 (with Samantha Richardson)
We're back for our 10th anniversary season!!! And we're kicking things off with a listener favorite: our first time new discoveries of 2025. We look back at the year that was and the classic films we fell in love with. And we have former Ticklish Biz co-host, Samantha Richardson (nee Ellis)…
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Author Scott Eyman Talks Joan Crawford (From the Patreon Vault)
We're on hiatus this week but here's one from our Patreon vault! Author, and Ticklish Biz friend, Scott Eyman joins Kristen and Emily to discuss his latest book, Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face. Eyman talks about dispelling many of the rumors about the star, including those crafted by her daughter...
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221. Top 5 Christmas Movies
We all made it to the end of 2025! This podcast did a lot to keep me sane this year. Chatting with Emily about these movies has meant a lot, and the fact that many of you stuck around for our hiatus...I can't say what it means to us. As we prep for the new year we're doing an old standard: a top…
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220: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
The Christmas movie we'd planned to discuss last year finally gets its due as we're talking about the Rankin-Bass classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. It's just us this week and you know what that means: expect the unexpected. We go down some paths with this episode, from talking about the…
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219. Gable & Lombard (1976 with Robert Matzen)
An episode literally four years in the making! Maybe even five. Who knows how long Kristen has been promising this episode but the day has finally arrived! It was one of the most that ushered in the death knell for Old Hollywood biopics, and Carole Lombard biographer Robert Matzen joins Kristen…
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218. Coming Home (1978 with Lawrence Carter-Long) - Films of Resistance
Viva la resistance! We're closing the book on our Films of Resistance series as well celebrating the release of Kristen's latest book, Popcorn Disabilities, by talking about a movie looking at disabled activism. The 1978 feature Coming Home attempted to tell an authentic story about the struggles...
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217. Hair (1979 with Alex Steed) - Films of Resistance Series
Viva la resistance! Over the next four episodes we'll be looking at how Old Hollywood talks about politics, independence and democracy and we're looking at the end of the 1970s with this counterculture musical. Hair shook up Broadway but how did it come off in the movies? Special guest Alex Steed...
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216. Dr. Strangelove (1964 with Jeff Ewing) - Films of Resistance Series
Viva la resistance! Over the next four episodes we'll be looking at how Old Hollywood talks about politics, independence and democracy and we jump into the Cold War 1960s with this Stanley Kubrick satire. Dr. Strangelove is the de facto movie about the Cold War, though it's presented alongside a...
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215. Born Yesterday (1950 with Nell Minow) - Films of Resistance Series
Viva la resistance! Over the next four episodes we'll be looking at how Old Hollywood talks about politics, independence and democracy starting with this George Cukor comedy. Born Yesterday isn't a movie associated with any political group, but it celebrates the joys of being an informed person…
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214. A Bucket of Blood (1959 with Rodman Flender)
The Halloween season comes to a close with director Rodman Flender talking to us about Roger Corman's A Bucket of Blood. Flender actually worked with Corman and lays out what he was like. We also talk the beatnik movement on-screen! Be sure to follow us via social media at @ticklish_biz on X and...
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213. Nosferatu (1922 with Charles Bramesco)
We're kicking off spooky season with the OG vampire movie: 1922's Nosferatu. Author of Vampire Movies, Charles Bramesco, joins Kristen and Emily to break down the movie's unfortunate flaws, the benefits of stealing its source material, what the hell happened to F.W. Murnau's skull? You can buy...
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212: Amadeus (1984 with Richard Kirkham)
Our unintentional Musical Month in September ends by going classical, to the original OG of music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! Special guest Richard Kirkham joins Kristen and Emily to talk about this Milos Forman classic, the way this became an '80s classic, and who the hell is Tom Hulce? Be sure to...
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#211: This is Spinal Tap (1984 with Alan Cerny)
It's Kristen's birthday month and she decided to celebrate with the biggest (fake) rock band of all time. Kristen, Emily, and guest Alan Cerny sit down to talk This is Spinal Tap, the way it plays with the documentary format, and try hard not to spend the whole time quoting it. Next Time: We...
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#210: Saturday Night Fever (1977 with Margo Donohue)
**This episode was recorded prior to Margo's unfortunate passing towards the end of July. Our thoughts are with her family and loved ones.** We're hitting the dance floor with Margo Donohue, the author of Fever: The Complete History of Saturday Night Fever. Margo joins Kristen and Emily to…
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#209: Giant (1956, with Julie Gilbert)
Edna Ferber biographer Julie Gilbert joins us to discuss the 1956 Western epic Giant. The trio talk about James Dean, Liz Taylor's feminism, and how the movie isn't afraid to deconstruct the genre it's set in. Buy Julie's book Giant Love by clicking this link. Be sure to follow us via social…
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#208: Dangerous When Wet (1953)
Summer comes to a close and we're saying farewell to the beach with Esther Williams and the 1953 movie Dangerous When Wet. It's been a minute since we've disagreed on a movie and we look at Williams as a swimming star, her relationship with Fernando Lamas, and Kristen does dramatic readings from...
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#207: Beach Blanket Bingo (1965 with John Malahy)
John Malahy, author of the literal book on Summer Movies, joins us on the beach with Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello for a discussion on 1965's Beach Blanket Bingo. John, Emily and Kristen talk about what makes a summer movie, the power of Frankie and Annette, and why Harvey Lembeck is the...
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#206: Jaws (1975 with Christopher Shaw Myers)
You're gonna need a bigger boat to listen to this episode! We're hitting the water and trying to avoid becoming a hot lunch with a look at the 50th anniversary of Jaws. Christopher Shaw Myers, author and nephew to star Robert Shaw, joins us to break down the movie's significance, Shaw's...
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#205: High and Low (1963 with Scott McGee)
International Month comes to a close with a look at Akira Kurosawa's contemporary noir feature High and Low! And who better to join us than TCM producer and author Scott McGee. Scott joins Kristen and Emily to talk about this morality tale, its connections to today's society, and what the "right...
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#204: International Month — Seven Samurai (1954 with Alicia Malone)
We're going on vacation through the world of classic film! Yes, International Month is back. But unless the previous two years, where we did two movies from different countries, we're spending June in one country with a single director: Akira Kurosawa. TCM host and author of the new book TCM...
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#203: The Old Man Is Still Alive (with Karina Longworth)
You Must Remember This host Karina Longworth sits down with us to talk about the new season of her show, "The Old Man Is Still Alive." We discuss which directors weathered the collapse of the studio system best, why Stanley Donen's Blame It On Rio gets so much guff, and John Huston's third act...
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#202: TCM Classic Film Festival Audio
Another TCM Classic Film Festival has come and gone, but whether you were on the ground in LA or you couldn't make it, Ticklish Biz has you covered with some great audio from the festival. We start off with Ben Mankiewicz, and Elle and Dakota Fanning introducing Michelle Pfeiffer at her hand and...
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#201: Nancy Kwan Interview
Flower Drum Song star Nancy Kwan sits down with Ticklish Business in anticipation of her new autobiography! Nancy talks about being discovered young, what her costars were like, and more. We also talk about the joys of actor James Shigeta. Buy The World of Nancy Kwan now. This episode was created...
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TCM's Eddie Muller Talks 'Dark City Dames'
TCM's "Czar of Noir" Eddie Muller joins us once again to discuss the women of his latest book Dark City Dames: The Women Who Defined Film Noir. Eddie chats about interviewing some of the most iconic film noir women and how his new book seeks to tell their stories more fully. You can pre-order…
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Interview With Merle Oberon Biographer Mayukh Sen
Your eyes don't deceive you! Ticklish Business is back, kinda. Kristen sits down with author Mayukh Sen to talk all about Merle Oberon, the subject of Sen's latest book, Love, Queenie: Merle Oberon, Hollywood's First South Asian Star. Sen breaks down the stereotypes about Oberon he wanted to…
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#198: The Wizard of Oz (1939, with Front Row Classics)
Kristen and Emily return with Front Row Classics podcast host Brandon Davis to celebrate the release of Wicked by looking at the film that started it all: 1939's The Wizard of Oz. The trio discuss Judy Garland's casting, the economics of Oz, and various rumors. This episode was created thanks to...
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#197: The Shining (1980 with Lee Unkrich)
It's All Hallows Eve and we're closing out spooky season with a legendary Halloween treat. Director and Shining historian Lee Unkrich joins Kristen to discuss Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of The Shining. The pair discuss the nature of adaptation, Shelley Duvall's performance (RIP), and why…
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#196: The Tingler (1959)
Halloween inches ever closer much like the centipede? earwig? that dominates William Castle's 1959 horror film The Tingler. Emily and Kristen discuss Bill Castle and his gimmicks, Vincent Price, and why Warren Chapin might be the worst doctor character ever. This episode was created thanks to our...
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#195: Night of the Living Dead (1968 with Levie Isaaks)
Emily and Kristen may be a week later than usual but spooky season kicks off with a bang as the duo talk George Romero's 1968 feature Night of the Living Dead! And along for the ride is acclaimed cinematographer Levie Isaaks. Levie, watching this for the first time (!), discusses the film's…
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#194: Superman (1978 with Jon Bogdanove)
It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a new episode! Kristen and Emily are back celebrating the release of the Christopher Reeve doc Super/Man with a discussion of the 1978 film that made Reeve a star. And joining us is legendary comic artist Jon Bogdanove. We talk about why this superhero movie is...
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#193: Anne of the Thousand Days (1969 with Vulgar History)
It's Kristen's birthday which means she's picking the movie! Things take a turn for the historical with special guest Ann Foster of the Vulgar History podcast to discuss 1969's Anne of the Thousand Days. We discuss Hollywood's love of historical episodes in the late-1960s, Richard Burton bringing...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Hollywood's golden era produced some of the greatest films ever made. Ticklish Business is the podcast where film critic Kristen Lopez digs into it with enthusiasm. Classic stars, forgotten gems, and the chaotic genius of Old Hollywood, examined with sharp humor and excellent guests.
HOSTED BY
Ticklish Biz Productions
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Ticklish Business have?
Ticklish Business currently has 273 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Ticklish Business about?
Hollywood's golden era produced some of the greatest films ever made. Ticklish Business is the podcast where film critic Kristen Lopez digs into it with enthusiasm. Classic stars, forgotten gems, and the chaotic genius of Old Hollywood, examined with sharp humor and excellent guests.
How often does Ticklish Business release new episodes?
Ticklish Business publishes regularly with 273 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Ticklish Business?
You can listen to Ticklish Business on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Ticklish Business?
Ticklish Business is created and hosted by Ticklish Biz Productions.
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