Welcome to The B-Side, a podcast for The Film Stage! Here we talk about movie stars and directors. Not the movies that made them famous, or kept them famous, bu...
Ep. 157 – In Conversation with: Amy Irving & Peter Riegert
Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk to movie stars! About a movie that people love and the hidden gems they've also made!
We were lucky enough to speak with Amy Irving and Peter Riegert, on the occasion of the Criterion release of Joan Micklin Silver’s Crossing Delancey. We discuss the legacy of the film nearly forty years later. With Irving we touch on Honeysuckle Rose, Carried Away, and her new music album. With Riegert we talk about Chilly Scenes of Winter (also directed by Micklin Silver), the feature he directed, King of the Corner, and the eclectic rangle of characters he’s played over the years.
Additionally, we mention Steven Soderbergh’s oeuvre (they were both in Traffic!), the actor’s directorial debuts Riegert starred in (Infinity and Jerry & Tom specifically), and how they’ve both grown as performers over time.
Be sure to give us a follow on social at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
--------
1:15:47
Ep. 156 – 2025 Oscars Special (feat. This Had Oscar Buzz)
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we usually talk about movie stars and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. Today, however, we talk about Oscar movies (!), or better yet, movies that remind us of Oscar movies!
Conor and I welcome back the lovely Joe Reid (co-host of This Had Oscar Buzz, creator of Cinematrix, and Vulture's Movies Fantasy League) & Chris Feil (co-host of This Had Oscar Buzz and writer of a series of great pieces of Oscar history for Vanity Fair). Today, we each choose a movie adjacent to a current Best Picture Oscar nominee.
The movies include Seconds, The Name of the Rose, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and The Wolverine. Also discussed is filmmaker Bill Morrison’s nomination for his incredible short film Incident, Jean-Jacques Annaud’s 1981 film Quest for Fire, and our recent This Had Oscar Buzz guest appearance talking about The Devil’s Own.
Additionally, there’s conversation about Rob McElhenney’s Hot Ones episode (in which he discusses the trauma of being cut out of The Devil’s Own as a young actor!), the “Hellfire” sequence in Hunchback, and how exactly The Wolverine counts as a B-Side.
Be sure to give us a follow on Bluesky at @tfsbside.bsky.social. Enjoy!
--------
2:03:03
Ep. 155 – Peter Hyams (feat. Mike Ryan)
Happy Valentine’s Day from The B-Side! Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today we appreciate one of the great, under-appreciated Hollywood directors: Peter Hyams! Our B-Sides include Peeper, Hanover Street, The Star Chamber, 2010: The Year We Make Contact, and Running Scared.
Our guest is Mike Ryan, great writer, interviewer, and deep fan of Hyams’ eclectic body of work. Sudden Death is a favorite, along with 2010.
We discuss the auteur versus the “workman director,” why some filmmakers gather an intense following and others don’t, and the lasting effect many of Hyams’ films have had on the culture as well as other filmmakers.
There’s much talk about Hyams’ ability as a cinematographer, and how rare it is to be a director that films their own movies.
Mike makes the case that 2010 is more watchable than 2001: A Space Odyssey, Conor attempts to get over how corrupt Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines are as cops in Running Scared, and Dan sings the praises of Hyams’ Narrow Margin.
There’s extended conversation about Robert Blake, co-star of Hyams’ debut Busting, an appreciation of director John Badham (specifically Blue Thunder), and a reflection on the enormity of the production of End of Days.
Be sure to give us a follow on social at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
--------
1:48:49
Ep. 154 – Queen Latifah (feat. KT from "For Your Reference")
Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today we talk about someone who is one of the most well-liked celebrities alive: Queen Latifah! Our guest today is KT from the great podcast "For Your Reference." Our B-Sides today are: Living Out Loud, Last Holiday, Just Wright, and Joyful Noise.
We also discuss Queen’s book, her iconic BET Lifetime Achievement Award Speech, her music career, and her chances of making it to E.G.O.T. status. There’s lively discussion about her undeniable, universal likeability, her impeccable taste in leading men, a deep appreciation for Michael Ealy, and complements to Queen’s performance in Bessie.
There’s respect paid to the full life she’s lived, there’s criticism levelled at the basketball Common plays in Just Wright, as well as a thorough discussion of Paula Patton’s contributions to the film. We marvel at the ‘90s sheen of Living Out Loud and the timelessness of Last Holiday’s message and positive energy. And, finally, there’s that scene between Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton in Joyful Noise.
Be sure to give us a follow on social at @TFSBSide. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
--------
2:13:27
Ep. 153 – In Conversation with: Julia Stiles
Welcome to The B-Side! Here we talk about movie stars and move directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between. Sometimes we are lucky enough to even speak with them about their work. And sometimes, they are both a movie star and a movie director. Today that’s Julia Stiles, director of Wish You Were Here, now in theaters and available digitally on February 4th.
Our B-Sides today include O, The Business of Strangers, and It’s a Disaster. Stiles discusses the filmmakers she’s worked with in the past and how they influenced her decisions sitting in the director’s chair (the best ones “set a tone of calmness” she says), making friends on the South Carolina set of O, and becoming more intentional with the creative choices in her career (including auditioning for Silver Linings Playbook).
We also chat about Wish You Were Here, her feature debut as a filmmaker. Stiles mentions guarding against the saccharine to tell “a mature love story.”
There’s also considerable praise of lead actress Isabelle Fuhrman and her incredible range, as well as a story about calling filmmaker Doug Liman for sailing advice. Speaking of Liman, Dan and Conor take a moment to unpack Nicky Parsons from the Bourne franchise, the efforts(?) of Tony Gilroy, and a crucial line read in Ultimatum that adds so much depth to Stiles’ role.
Finally, we cover how exactly Stiles got the great Vanessa Carlton and her partner John McCauley to do the score to her film. Early 2000s icons unite! And there is a brief, insightful conversation on why exactly Stiles chose to do all of those Shakespeare adaptations early on in her career.
Be sure to give us a follow on social at @tfsbside.bsky.social. Also enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
Welcome to The B-Side, a podcast for The Film Stage! Here we talk about movie stars and directors. Not the movies that made them famous, or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between. From box office fiascos, to interesting curios, and hidden gems, we examine the also-rans of Hollywood and beyond.
UK