Info

Supporting Characters

Host Bill Ackerman talks to writers, bloggers, podcasters, fanzine publishers, programmers, preservationists and more about their creative endeavors and today’s film culture.
RSS Feed
Supporting Characters
2022
August
July
June
May
April
March


2020
December
October
September
August
July


2019
June
April
March


2018
November
October
August
July
June
March
February
January


2017
December
November
August
July
June
May
April
March


2016
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March


All Episodes
Archives
Now displaying: 2020
Dec 4, 2020
Bill talks to writer and film historian Chris Poggiali about his many endeavors in film culture, from co-creating the Temple Of Schlock fanzine and founding the long-running blog of the same name, to contributing to various magazines and video releases, distributing BLACK SAMURAI and working on books with Grady Hendrix, Michael Gingold and Sam Sherman. Topics include: Jack Starrett, the impact of crack on 42nd Street theatres, Steve Puchalski’s SLIMETIME and horror fanzines, The Journal of Interstitial Cinema, William Smith, blogathons, Paul Talbot, lost and endangered films, the link between THE GREEN HORNET and WANDA, bootlegs, THAT’S HOLLYWOOD, screenwriting for William Grefé, identifying PETS with Vinegar Syndrome and how interviews can become derailed by criminal confessions. 
 

Read Temple Of Schlock:

https://templeofschlock.blogspot.com

Read “A Seagull Film”, Chris Poggiali’s essay on CHARLEY VARRICK:

http://www.journalofic.com/a-seagull-movie.php

Read “The American Dreamer and the Heyday of Campus Film Programming”: 

https://templeofschlock.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-american-dreamer-and-heyday-of.html


Read “Zodiac Hunter: An Interview with Tom Hanson”:

http://templeofschlock.blogspot.com/2012/12/zodiac-hunter-interview-with-tom-hanson.html

Visit The Paperback Film Projector:

http://paperbackfilmprojector.blogspot.com


Read The Journal of Interstitial Cinema:

http://www.journalofic.com


Buy Xerox Ferox: The Wild World of the Horror Film Fanzine:
https://headpress.com/product/xeroxferox-2/


Buy He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection:
https://www.diabolikdvd.com/product/he-came-from-the-swamp-the-william-grefe-collection-arrow-us-blu-ray/


Visit Chris Poggiali’s IMDB page:

Oct 26, 2020
Bill speaks to filmmaker, author, podcaster, film programmer and home video label founder Justin Decloux about his many endeavors in film culture, including the Laser Blast Film Society, The Important Cinema Club podcast, the Gold Ninja Video label, the feature films TEDDY BOMB and IMPOSSIBLE HORROR and the book RADIOACTIVE DREAMS: THE CINEMA OF ALBERT PYUN. Topics include: Will Sloan, ARMY OF DARKNESS, the importance of good collaborators, the films of Charles Roxburgh and Matt Farley, RADIOACTIVE DREAMS, Canadian cinema, Fred Olen Ray, Letterboxd, Emily Milling, the Loose Cannons podcast, CRITTERS 4 and playground deception.

 

Visit Justin Decloux’s official site:

https://justindecloux.com


Visit the official site for The Laser Blast Film Society:
https://www.laserblastfilmsociety.com

Watch TEDDY BOMB:
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Bomb-Christian-Murdoch/dp/B07DZ2F6RX

Watch IMPOSSIBLE HORROR:
https://www.amazon.com/Impossible-Horror-Creedance-Wright/dp/B07ZDLSV2Z


Buy movies and books from Gold Ninja Video:

https://goldninjavideo.com


Listen to The Important Cinema Club Podcast:

https://soundcloud.com/the-important-cinema-club


Support the Important Cinema Club Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/theimportantcinemaclub

Listen No Such Thing As A Bad Movie:
https://soundcloud.com/nosuchthingasabadmovie


Buy RADIOACTIVE DREAMS: THE CINEMA OF ALBERT PYUN:
https://www.amazon.com/Radioactive-Dreams-Cinema-Albert-Pyun/dp/1078206481/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2TIYP3941KK67


Buy UNMASKED PART 25, featuring an audio commentary with producer Mark Cutforth, moderated by Peter Kuplowsky and Justin Decloux:
https://vinegarsyndrome.com/products/unmasked-part-25


Listen to The Bay Street Video Podcast:

https://soundcloud.com/thebaystreetvideopodcast


Listen to the IMPOSSIBLE HORROR soundtrack by Emily Milling:
https://emilymilling.bandcamp.com/releases


Subscribe to Film Trap on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWLpWvJv2paIaa6U9gcw4AA


Follow Justin Decloux on Letterboxd:

Oct 12, 2020

Bill speaks to novelist, screenwriter and film historian Andrew J. Rausch about his various endeavors, from early experiences in journalism, hip-hop and microbudget horror movies to a writing career that has yielded over 40 books to date. Topics include Quentin Tarantino and MY BEST FRIEND’S BIRTHDAY, Rod Lurie, interview techniques, Jack Hill, identifying homophobic aspects in the work of Edward D. Wood Jr., freestyling with The Roots, writing crime fiction and the challenges of adapting CARNIVAL OF SOULS into a novel.


Visit Andrew J. Rausch’s Amazon author page:
https://www.amazon.com/Andrew-J-Rausch/e/B001JS5VZQ?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_29&qid=1602456356

Read Andrew J. Rausch at Diabolique Magazine:

https://diaboliquemagazine.com/author/andrewjrausch/

Read Andrew J. Rausch’s Wikipedia entry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_J._Rausch

Visit Andrew J. Rausch’s official site:

https://authorandyrausch.wordpress.com

Buy Shock Cinema Magazine:
https://www.shockcinemamagazine.com


Hear Andrew J. Rausch on Just Some Podcast:
https://heliumradio.com/podcast/just-some-podcast-episode-10/

Hear Andrew J. Rausch discuss THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND on The Projection Booth: http://www.projectionboothpodcast.com/2015/05/episode-217-other-side-of-wind.html

Sep 28, 2020

Bill speaks actress and singer Mink Stole about her life and career. Topics include the rehearsal process on John Waters movies, Andy Warhol’s Exploding Plastic Inevitable show, taking friends from The Cockettes to see PINK FLAMINGOS (and their reactions), her “Think Mink” advice column, LOST HIGHWAY, Peaches Christ, learning new skills in public, Prescott Townsend, Peggy Gravel’s opening rant in DESPERATE LIVING, the pleasures of voting in person, THE BROWNIE STORY, Dreamland fashions and what color shoes she wore the day after Labor Day.


Watch Mink Stole as Peggy Gravel in the opening to DESPERATE LIVING
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc3QsZHu5SI

Follow the Mink Stole fan page for all the latest news and event details:
https://www.facebook.com/minkstolefans

Listen to Do Re MiNK by Mink Stole And Her Wonderful Band:
https://theminkstole.bandcamp.com/album/do-re-mink-2

Buy MULTIPLE MANIACS, FEMALE TROUBLE and POLYSTER from The Criterion Collection:
https://www.criterion.com/shop/browse?director=waters-john

Read Gerald Peary’s interviews with Mink Stole, John Waters, and other Dreamlanders discussing their Provincetown experiences in the 1960s:

http://www.geraldpeary.com/interviews/wxyz/waters-p-town.html

 

Read Chloé Griffin’s  Edgewise: A Picture of Cookie Mueller:
https://www.amazon.com/Edgewise-Picture-Mueller-Chloé-Griffin/dp/3942214202

Read the Wikipedia on Dreamlanders:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamlanders

Sep 21, 2020
Bill speaks to Gary Tooze about his home video review site, DVDBeaver, now in its 18th year. They discuss his experiences with film, from encountering Charlie Chaplin on television and renting 35mm Basil Rathbone movies with his father to creating the Listserv discussion group that evolved into his website. Topics discussed include audio commentaries, the 4K UHD format, David Cronenberg, nostalgia, Jonathan Rosenbaum, content warnings, Jesús Franco, Tim Lucas, contemporary pop culture in James Bond movies, online negativity, DETOUR and the pleasures of simple storytelling.
 
Visit DVDBeaver:
 
Read the DVDBeaver Top 100 desert island discs list:
 
Read the DVDBeaver analysis of Universal's 4K Ultra HD edition of VERTIGO:

 

Sep 7, 2020
Bill talks to Kino Lorber’s Director of Repertory Sales and Acquisitions, Jonathan Hertzberg, about his many film cultural endeavors, from creating the Obscure One Sheet Blog and programming for the Chicago International Film Festival to developing his DIRTY OLD NEW YORK video essays and launching the new Fun City Editions home video label. Topics include THE WANDERERS, virtual cinemas, Michael Ferrari, Montclair in the 90s, THE SWIMMER, Milestone Films, the Wisconsin Union Directorate Film Committee and how discovering Danny Peary’s CULT MOVIES books during adolescence can both expand one’s taste and lead to a bad back.

Visit the Fun City Editions website:
https://funcityeditions.com


Follow Fun City Editions on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/FunCityEdition


Follow Fun City Editions on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/funcityeditions/


Visit the Kino Lorber Repertory site:
https://kinorep.com/


Visit Obscure One-Sheet:
http://knifeinthehead.blogspot.com


Visit Jonathan Hertzberg’s Vimeo page:
https://vimeo.com/user4815515


Watch DIRTY OLD NEW YORK SUBWAY:
https://vimeo.com/65108638


Buy the Fun City Editions ALPHABET CITY Blu-Ray:
https://vinegarsyndrome.com/collections/frontpage/products/alphabet-city-fun-city-editions


Hear Jonathan Hertzberg on Just The Discs:

http://justthediscs.libsyn.com


Hear Jonathan Hertzberg on Crackpot Cinema:
Ep 22 - Alphabet City with special guest Jonathan Hertzberg by Crackpot Cinema Podcast

 

Aug 24, 2020
Bill speaks to lecturer, editor and film programmer Abraham Castillo Flores about his path in film, from directing short films and cutting promos for the Independent Film Channel to programming for Mexico’s Mórbido Film Fest and hosting The Morbido Crypt's Guide to Mexican Fantasy and Horror Cinema events. Topics include: Luz María Rojas, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Luchador films, Liliana V. Blum, the documentaries of Paulina del Paso, contextualizing extreme films at festivals, Lucio A. Rojas’ TRAUMA, the programming work of Evrim Ersoy and Nicole McControversy, employing terror to promote safe sex, Lex Ortega, DIAMOND FLASH, the magic of editing and sharing a quiet smoke with David Lynch.  

Follow Abraham Castillo Flores on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/aullidosp


Follow Abraham Castillo Flores on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/aullidos_panteoneros/


Visit Abraham Castillo Flores’ Vimeo page:

https://vimeo.com/aullidospanteoneros


Watch THE TESTAMENT OF THE MEXICAN MUMMY:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kN-cXH-ZFmk


Read a list of films from Abraham Castillo Flores's lecture at Fantastic Fest 2019: 

https://letterboxd.com/noahphex/list/the-morbido-crypts-guide-to-mexican-fantasy/


Visit the official Mórbido Film Fest site:

Aug 10, 2020
Bill speaks to film programmer Nellie Killian about her pursuits in film, from attending Orson Welles and Fritz Lang retrospectives as a child to co-founding the Migrating Forms Film Festival and teaching film courses at the Pratt Institute. They discuss her career in programming, from her work with venues like Brooklyn Academy Of Music to such recent efforts as the acclaimed TELL ME: WOMEN FILMMAKERS, WOMEN’S STORIES, now streaming on The Criterion Channel. Topics include: The Cinema Worker Solidarity Fund, experimental films, the New York Underground Film Festival, producing live subtitles for 35mm Andrzej Zulawski movie screenings, virtual cinema rentals, the publicity work of Michael Lieberman and Ryan Werner, the impact of COVID-19 on New York film culture and moderating Q&As while injured.
 
Watch on TELL ME: WOMEN FILMMAKERS, WOMEN’S STORIES on The Criterion Channel:
https://www.criterionchannel.com/tell-me-women-filmmakers-women-s-stories
 

View Nellie Killian's official site:

 
Visit the Screen Slate Twitch page:
 
Watch the Movie Club Q&A with Nellie Killian and Miriam Bale:
 
Read Eric Allen Hatch's interview with Nellie Killian:
 
Read the Artforum article on the Cinema Worker Solidarity Fund:
Jul 27, 2020
Bill speaks to writer, producer/screenwriter and professor Ashlee Blackwell about her various endeavors, from organizing events like Philly Loves Women In Horror and developing the Graveyard Shift Sisters website to teaching film at St. Joseph’s University and co-writing, co-producing and appearing in the documentary HORROR NOIRE: A HISTORY OF BLACK HORROR. Topics include: James Bond III, the value in narrowing one’s focus, R. Shanea Williams, THE EXORCIST, Dr. Robin R. Means Coleman, unwinding to stand-up comedy and having one’s feminist sensibilities awakened by A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER.
 
Follow Ashlee Blackwell on Twitter: 
https://twitter.com/AshleeTakesNote  
 
Read Graveyard Shift Sisters: 
https://www.graveyardshiftsisters.com  
 
Watch HORROR NOIRE: A HISTORY OF BLACK HORROR: https://www.shudder.com/movies/watch/horror-noire-a-history-of-black-horror/4548652  
 
Listen to Ashlee Blackwell and Diandra Lazor interview actress Toy Newkirk on Elm Street Radio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeWEUoYmqek
 
Read "Why We Exist: A Call For Community":
https://www.graveyardshiftsisters.com/2013/10/why-we-exist-call-for-community.html
 
Watch the films of R. Shanea Williams: 
https://vimeo.com/user3681349
Jul 13, 2020
Bill speaks to film historian, preservationist and filmmaker E. Purchell about their various endeavors, from programming and creating pre-screening short films for the Florida Avalon microcinema to the development of ASK ANY BUDDY, their Artforum 'Best of 2018' Instagram feed and acclaimed collage film companion. Topics include: Gregg Araki, Man Parrish, the Don’t Look In The Closet podcast, the film programming of Jazmyne Moreno, Everything Is Terrible!, Dark Entries Records, Instagram and Vimeo restrictions, Tom DeSimone and the contradictory qualities of adult films.
 
Follow the ASK ANY BUDDY Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/askanybuddy/


Visit the official ASK ANY BUDDY film website:

https://www.ask-any-buddy.com


Follow Evan Purchell on Letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/schlockvalue/


Follow Evan Purchell on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/schlockvalue


Read Evan Purchell’s lists for Rupert Pupkin Speaks:

http://www.rupertpupkinspeaks.com/2017/09/underrated-77-evan-purchell.html

http://www.rupertpupkinspeaks.com/2019/01/film-discoveries-of-2018-evan-purchell.html

http://www.rupertpupkinspeaks.com/2020/02/film-discoveries-of-2019-evan-purchell.html


Read A Most Unusual Film List: 50 Years of Radical Queer Cinema:

https://talkfilmsociety.com/articles/a-most-unusual-film-list-50-years-of-radical-queer-cinema


Read Heather Drain’s interview with Evan Purchell:

https://diaboliquemagazine.com/nights-in-black-leather-an-interview-with-ask-any-buddy-creator-evan-purchell/


Watch BFI Flare Programmer Brain Robinson speaks with Evan Purchell about ASK ANY BUDDY:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lsNxUgeCQQ


Listen to the ASK ANY BUDDY Spotify Playlist:

1