Cinema Smorgasbord

Episodes of the Cinema Smorgasbord podcast

Cinema Smorgasbord – How Do You Do, Fellow Kids? – Vibes (1988)

HOW DO YOU DO, FELLOW KIDS? (the world’s finest Steve Buscemi-themed podcast) returns with its first episode of 2024 with a surprising early Buscemi role in the 1988 psychic-themed comedic adventure film VIBES starring Cyndi Lauper, Jeff Goldblum and Peter Falk! It’s weird as hell! We also chat about Steve Buscemi’s recent birthday, listening to terrestrial radio, Bad Bunny (and his music video for “Baticano” starring Steve Buscemi), the recent cancellation of MIRACLE WORKERS and SO MUCH MORE. Listen and tell your friends!

Cinema Smorgasbord – Further Reeding – The System (1964)

New year, new episode of FURTHER REEDING, a podcast all about the life and career of actor Oliver Reed! On this episode we’re joining Reed and all his seaside buddies as they take in (and take out) the tourist trade in 1964’s THE SYSTEM (also known by the confusingly titled THE GIRL-GETTERS in the US). Directed by regular Reed collaborator (and notorious scumbag) Michael Winner, it’s a fascinatingly layered drama with a star making performance from Reed in the lead. BUT IS IT ANY GOOD? Listen and find out!

Cinema Smorgasbord – The Cinema Smorgasbord Holiday Special – Tokyo Godfathers (2003) & The Wolf of Snow Hollow (2020)

It’s the Cinema Smorgasbord HOLIDAY SPECIAL (with a touch of Cinema Fantastica) where we’re once again traveling to the 2021 edition of the Weihnachtsfilmfestival (Christmas Film Festival) in Berlin, Germany where we’re checking out 2003’s TOKYO GODFATHERS and THE WOLF OF SNOW HOLLOW from 2020. Enjoy and we’ll be back in the new year, jerks!

Cinema Smorgasbord – Wild in the Streets – Killer Cop (1975)

On this episode of WILD IN THE STREETS, oddball cop Rolandi (Claudio Cassinelli) is trying to track down those responsible for a fatal hotel bombing but finds himself in the midst of a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. It’s the politically charged poliziottesco-crime film KILLER COP from 1975, directed by Luciano Ercoli (best known for his 1970s gialli like DEATH WALKS ON HIGH HEELS) and starring Cassinelli, Arthur Kennedy (as a well-meaning judge assigned to the case), Franco Fabrizi, and Bruno Zanin. While not as action packed as some of the Eurocrime classics we’ve covered thus far, it still has its share of gunplay and suspense – even if it doesn’t quite live up to its title. CHECK IT OUT!

Cinema Smorgasbord – 200th Episode Celebration – Real Genius (1985) & Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985)

It’s the 200th episode of Cinema Smorgasbord, a podcast devoted to obsessively examining the careers of underloved and underappreciated actors and directors. Since we started in 2020 we’ve created over a dozen sub-podcasts devoted to such diverse topics as the careers of Paul Bartel (Bartel Me Something Good), Dick Miller (You Don’t Know Dick), Steve Buscemi (How Do You Do, Fellow Kids?), Jackie Chan (We Do Our Own Stunts), Oliver Reed (Further Reeding), George Kennedy (George Kennedy is my Co-Pilot) and many more, and we can’t thank you enough for joining us on this wonderfully strange trip. On this episode we decided to do something a little different, starting with a lighthearted chat about our thoughts on the podcast as a whole over these last few years, before discussions on two of our favorite, formative films from the 1980s; starting with Martha Coolidge’s brainy comedy REAL GENIUS (picked by Doug) and ending with the Tim Burton-directed delight PEE-WEE’S BIG ADVENTURE (picked by Liam). We finish with an announcement of what’s coming in 2024, so stick around, jerks!

Cinema Smorgasbord – Praising Kane – Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? (1983)

This is a Cinema Smorgasbord first! An episode of Praising Kane where one host NEVER FOUND HER in the film! Admittedly, tracking down Carol Kane in CAN SHE BAKE A CHERRY PIE? is a bit of a feat, especially when she’s competing with the talents of Karen Black and Michael Emil at the core of Henry Jaglom’s odd 1983 romantic comedy. Somehow she’s in it less than both Larry David (who has a memorable scene) and ORSON WELLES, who appears on a television screen in some old footage. What did our hosts make of the film? I GUESS YOU’LL HAVE TO LISTEN AND FIND OUT. Bonus: All the latest Carol Kane news!

Cinema Smorgasbord – We Do Our Own Stunts – The Cannonball Run (1981)

Jackie Chan ends his first American excursion on this episode of WE DO OUR OWN STUNTS with Hal Needham’s star-studded 1981 cross country race movie THE CANNONBALL RUN, where he plays a Japanese (?) race car driver who watches porn in his futuristic vehicle and also kicks the hell out of Peter Fonda for some reason. He’s racing against a who’s who of early 80s celebs, including – of course – Burt Reynolds and (Liam O’Donnell favorite) Dom DeLuise, as well as Farrah Fawcett, Roger Moore, Jamie Farr, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Adrienne Barbeau and SO MANY MORE. It’s wild! We also chat about the latest Jackie Chan news and discuss Jackie’s experience making the film (spoiler: it wasn’t great) so CHECK US OUT!

Cinema Smorgasbord – You Don’t Know Dick – I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978) (/w Luke Higginson)

On a brand new episode of YOU DON’T KNOW DICK (the world’s finest Dick Miller-themed podcast) we’re joined by director/writer/editor Luke Higginson (director of the Rhys Darby-starring sci-fi comedy RELAX, I’M FROM THE FUTURE!) to discuss the fab four (aka THE BEATLES), Eddie Deezen,  the career of Robert Zemeckis and the 1978 rock ‘n roll comedy I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND! Oh, and we also talk about Dick Miller, of course.  JOIN US!

Cinema Smorgasbord – Whatever Happened to Vic Diaz? – Project: Kill (1976)

Leslie Nielsen is leading a group of brainwashed, drugged up SUPER SOLDIERS in the Philippines but after taking a break from his daily dose of super soldier serum he starts to grow a conscience and goes on the run, with his first-in-command Gary Lockwood hot on his trail in William Girdler’s conspiracy action film PROJECT: KILL from 1976. If you like seeing two old, not-very-flexible actors throwing kicks and uppercuts while Filipino stuntmen go flying, this is the movie for you. Best of all SPECIAL GUEST Vic Diaz shows up to gnaw on the scenery. Check it out!

Cinema Smorgasbord – JodoWOWsky Part 13 – Jodorowsky Hodge-Podge (/w Kaena: The Prophecy (2003))

JodoWOWsky returns with a hodge-podge of Alejandro Jodorowsky projects, including some acting roles from the early 2000s, a television adaptation of one his Métal hurlant comics, and a somewhat bizarre credit for the 2003 French computer animated feature KAENA: THE PROPHECY! We investigate what all of this could mean, while digging deep on all the latest Jodorowsky news. CHECK IT OUT!