Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast

Oh boy did we have a ball with this one! For this ep we dive headfirst into the wild and singular world of Henry Jaglom, a true maverick who eschewed conventional narrative and filmmaking techniques to forge his own version of cinema. We traced his early New Hollywood beginnings through his Dennis Hopper starring Vietnam psychodrama Tracks (1976), through his breakthrough crime caper Sitting Ducks (1980), and finishing up with his sublime personal talkfest Someone to Love (1987), which features the final screen performance of Orson Welles. Topics include: how sneezes feel, the strange allure of Michael Emil, and an aborted threesome between Jaglom and Hopper.

Our series of New Hollywood elegies continues with no signs of stopping in sight! This episode we present a paen to visionary documentarian Frederick Wiseman, whose stark narratives of life within institutions provided not just education but true entertainment value throughout his seven decade career. We discuss Titicut Follies (1967), High School (1970), Primate (1974), and Welfare (1975). Topics include: the Pledge of Allegiance, science funding, and a murder that happened next door to us.

To quote Roger Ebert: movies are emotion machines. And in this episode we discuss a most finely-tuned piece of emotional machinery, 1979’s Oscar juggernaut Kramer vs. Kramer. From its cast full of career best performances to the somewhat undersung sure hand of writer/director Robert Benton (RIP), this film offers soul enriching depth combined with exceedingly watchable family drama. There’s kinda nothing quite like it. Topics include: Dustin Hoffman being a huge jerk, the 1980 Oscars, and Meryl Streep’s influence on her character.

Welcome back to the Woody Allen show! ugh… Last ep we covered Annie Hall and for this one we’re returning right back with his immediate follow up: Interiors. If you got a problem with that, take it up with Mary Beth Hurt, whose recent death prompted us to cover this film. But we aren’t too mad about it since this extremely serious drama prompted some good conversation. Topics include: Bergman, Chekhov, and getting drunk with Maureen Stapleton and Geraldine Page.

It’s time for everyone’s favorite and not at all problematic film topic: Woody Allen! Whatever you might think of the man, we would be remiss as a movie podcast about New Hollywood if we didn’t take the time to discuss his seminal breakthrough masterpiece, Annie Hall. Specifically, as a part of our ongoing series on all the 70s movie icons who keep dropping like flies, we wanted to talk about what is kinda inarguably THE Diane Keaton movie. We hope you find yourself capable of enjoying this episode. Topics include: Marshall McLuhan, Godard, and who is or isn’t allowed to use Yiddish.

For his follow up to MASH, Robert Altman decided to bring us all… this! The wonderfully bizarre Brewster McCloud of course stars the late great Bud Cort in the title role, but that’s hardly the only thing the movie has to recommend it. It bursts at the seams so full of ideas it will make even the most tuned in acid head do a double take. We hope you enjoy our discussion on this one of a kind cinematic experience. Topics include: Where’s Waldo, the history of the Houston Astrodome, and Michael Murphy’s singular brand of onscreen blandness.

We are thrilled and disturbed to bring you this episode on Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining! As we continue our tributes to film legends who recently died we thought it fitting to celebrate the life of Shelley Duvall by discussing her most legendary and controversial performance. It is our deepest pleasure to have Michael J. Dougherty back on the show to join in the chat. Topics include: conspiracies, the book vs the movie, and how much the Razzies suck.

Our series of elegies to 70's film heroes we lost last year continues with a discussion on The Great Santini. In this episode we pay respects to Robert Duvall - widely considered one of the greatest actors of all time - by covering one of his most recognizable lead roles, in a movie that is…not so good. Sorry if you enjoy it, but we sure didn’t have much to say about it (sorry Robert! We’ll get ya next time). Topics include: Sam’s high school Film Studies class, Pat Conroy’s parents, and the hotness of Blythe Danner.

To celebrate the life of visionary director David Lynch, we present to you a discussion of his masterpiece of uncanny parental anxiety, Eraserhead. We break down the making of and symbolism associated with this midnight movie classic. We also do a couple of impressions, read through every line of dialogue in the film, and even find the time to rank our favorite pieces of sound design. Topics include: Chucko, Buster, Pete, Bob, and Dan

We've been busy preparing a slate of episodes to pay tribute to some of the giants of New Hollywood who have recently left us. First on the “in memoriam” docket is no less than Robert Redford. Arguably the first true multi-hyphenate, with his directorial debut Ordinary People, Redford established an impressively new take on the “issues film”. Elena and Sam enjoy digging in and trying to untangle its thorny reputation as an Oscar spoiler for Raging Bull and Martin Scorsese. Topics include: the 92nd st Y, the origins of the Brat Pack, and what Mary Tyler Moore is really like.

Another December passes into January on the old calendar and we’re just out here doing the same thing we do every year: counting down our favorite films of the season, as well as our top picks from 50 years ago. That’s right, 2025 and 1975 are the contenders this episode. One is often cited as one of the greatest years in the history of the medium, and the other featured lots and lots of Pedro Pascal! Who will win? Ya gotta listen to the episodeeeee…

Come on in and celebrate with the Kael Your Idols Christmas Crew! Join Sam and Elena, and their special yearly Christmas guest: Ameerah Holliday, as the three proudly break down the current crop of cable/streaming-service-era Christmas-themed romcoms. It’s the REAL reason for the season! Join them as they straighten out the tinsel draped tangle of this special seasonal tradition. For once we’re actually getting the episode out in time for Christmas! Topics include: Shakespeare, the NFL, and depressed dogs.

In our first ever episode dedicated to an actor we train our sights on the man, the myth, the legend that is Jack Nicholson. Specifically our focus is on his four 1975 calendrical releases: Ken Russell’s Tommy, Michelangelo Antonioni’s The Passenger, Mike Nichols’ The Fortune, and finally we top things off with a brief discussion of his Oscar Winning turn in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. It’s a fun one! We talk about some weird movies, the hosts certainly get in a few attempts at Jack impressions, and everyone should leave with a little more knowledge of that marvelous year in film that was 1975. Topics include: Nicholson’s house on so-called “Bad Boy Lane”, Elena’s mom’s crush on Roger Daltrey, and the charms of a young Stocking Channard…I mean Stockard Channing.

For Elena’s Birthday this year we decided to break format and discuss the German New Wave classic Kings of the Road. This three hour Wim Wenders film is a quietly meditative look at West German cinema culture seen through the eyes of two aimless men. The hosts have a fun time discussing the history of German film from the 20s through the 70s and even make space to share a couple manifestos with each other. Topics include: Hitler candles, Werner Herzog’s level of self-awareness, and poop on screen.

In a surprising birthday TWIST, Sam has decided to make us cover not just one film for their birthday but FIVE! And guess what? They’re all delightfully quirky and weird. We set our sights on Robert Altman's 1977-1980 period during which - thanks to Alan Ladd Jr.’s protective stewardship of 20th Century Fox - Altman was able to operate with complete freedom, churning out weird movie after weird movie. Sure, all of them utterly tanked at the box office, but they certainly do make for some interesting conversation! In this ep we discuss: 3 Women, A Wedding, Quintet, A Perfect Couple, and HealtH. Topics include: Elena’s brief stint as a caterer, the music of Keepin’ ‘Em Off The Streets, and whether or not the game of Quintet seems fun.

The word “vamp” has multiple meanings. To some it might mean a seductive woman. To many it will bring to mind a sanguinarily obsessed undead creature with long fangs that sleeps in coffins. To others it connotes stretching out some nonsensical patter in order to fill time! We are happy to report that two out of these three working definitions will be in play for this episode we did on House of Dark Shadows, the 1970 film spinoff of the popular television soap opera Dark Shadows. We detail the various storylines that the film somehow both drags out and hopelessly rushes as we get to know Barnabas Collins, Maggie, and all those other beloved Collins’s of Collinsport and Collinswood. If that sounds like nonsense to you… don’t worry we barely understand any of it either. Topics include: Vampire Diaries, Soapnet, and the 2012 Tim Burton Adaptation’s overall suckiness.

Listen here you little twerps! We’re gonna getcha with this one. Elena and Sam are gonna show you no mercy as they discuss Wes Craven’s first feature film: The Last House on the Left. That’s right, we’re inaugurating the Halloween season here in this quiet little spot, and no one’s gonna hear you scream for mercy. Jeeze, gotta get out of this voice - uh, hey! This is a fun episode! We swear. It won’t be too disturbing at all. And only tastefully exploitative as we get into the semiotics of early slasher/revenge movies. Topics include: Tarot the Musical, whether Last House even counts as a horror film, and if early Swedish is similar to modern Swedish (spoiler: we didn’t actually look it up so we still don’t know).

Keep it under your hat but we got a good tip for ya: listen to the latest KYI, you might learn somethin’ useful. That is, if you consider hot goss about the sex lives of Peter Boyle and Robert Mitchum useful! Sam and Elena are joined by David Heath of the podcast Cinema Chat to dissect this talky, under-seen crime classic. A jolly good time is had by all as they take cracks at impressions of Hollywood luminaries, and even find time to mangle a few Boston accents. Topics include: hockey (is it boring?), Peter Yates’ interest in American cities, and whether or not Paul Monash was a nerd. Check out David Heath's podcast Cinema Chat: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cinema-chat-with-david-heath/id1613847131 Or follow Cinema Chat on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19TVmKjMcP/?mibextid=wwXIfr

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.