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Cinema Junkie

Satisfy your celluloid addiction with the "Cinema Junkie" podcast, where you can mainline film 24/7. This film and entertainment series is run by KPBS Film Critic Beth Accomando. So if you need a film fix, want to hear what filmmakers have to say about their work, or just want to know what's worth seeing this weekend, then you've come to the right place.

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Queer Horror at the End of the World

Cinema Junkie talks about queer horror and indie filmmaking with Michael Varrati and Brendan Haley, the filmmakers behind a new apocalyptic, supernatural horror tale called 'Scorch Marks.' Their film will have its world premiere at FilmOut, San Diego’s LGBTQ Film Festival.

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Best of KPBS Podcasts - Cinema Junkie

Best of KPBS Podcasts brings the best of KPBS storytelling to our listeners. Each episode features curated highlights from across the KPBS podcast lineup, paired with conversations with the producers and hosts. This episode features the podcast Cinema Junkie

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Midday Movies: Is 'The Odyssey' worth the journey?

Christopher Nolan wants you to see his epic tale of ancient Greece in 70mm IMAX but is it worth a trip to the cinema? Cinema Junkie hosts Midday Movies to find out.

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'Your Fluff is Enough'

Find out how a film critic and a drag queen created and self-published a delightful children's book about 'Your Fluff is Enough.'

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Cinema Junkie and Midday Movies go on a summer viewing vacation

This summer there are big Hollywood blockbusters like 'Supergirl' but also indie hits like 'The Furious,' so here's a rundown of what's in theaters now and coming up in cinemas later this season.

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'Dead, White and Blue' -- A green movie!

'Dead, White and Blue' is made from 100 percent recycled film and filmmaker Mike Davis explains what that means.

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Cinema Junkie Book Club: 'Black Film' by David F. Walker

Cinema Junkie has a new book recommendation, David F. Walker's "Black Film: A History of Black Representation and Participation in the Movies."

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Cinema Junkie and Midday Movies celebrate women directors

To close out Women's History Month, here's a tribute to both the women directors who blazed a trail as well as the provocative new female voices emerging today.

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Tackling Tactical Frivolity, Part Two: Joy as Rebellion

"Protest is a form of art. Let's treat it as such." And that's what Cinema Junkie is doing as we go a little off topic to don an inflatable T-Rex costume and discuss tactical frivolity as a protest tool and then see how it has played out in movies.

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Pre-Code Essentials

Cinema Junkie speaks with authors Kim Luperi and Danny Reid about their new book, “Pre-Code Essentials: Must-See Cinema from Hollywood’s Untamed Era 1930-1934," which is the perfect gift for any cinephile.

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Tackling Tactical Frivolity, Part One

Since current protests have taken on a decidedly more theatrical and even humorous tone, Cinema Junkie explores the notion of tactical frivolity as a tool in both movies and the real world. In Part One Moviewallas' Yazdi Pithaval joins the discussion.

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Tura! Tribute to an Icon

The new documentary Tura! pays tribute to bad ass actress and pop culture icon Tura Satana. Cinema Junkie speaks with director Cody Jarrett and Tura's friend and manager Siouxzan Perry. Warning: episode contains mature language.

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Unconventional Shakespeare films

Cinema Junkie presents this month's Midday Movies, with Beth Accomando and Yazdi Pithavala, and an exploration of unconventional cinematic adaptations of the Bard.

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The Silent Film Universe

Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando speaks with musician Ben Model who has written a book defining the cinematic language of "The Silent Film Universe."

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Celebrating Digital Gym Cinema

Cinema Junkie joins Midday Movies to celebrate San Diego's last indie art house cinema.

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Unpacking the virtues of Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners'

Ryan Coogler’s "Sinners" has been dominating the box office the last two weeks. One of the reasons is that people don't just want to see it once, they want to see it multiple times. That’s because the film is not just an action packed vampire tale but it is also a deeply personal film for Coogler and it is packed with both history about his Southern roots and with Black culture. To unpack the film…

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Joe Bob Briggs and Halfway to Halloween

Cinema Junkie celebrates Walpurgisnacht with Joe Bob Briggs, host of Shudder's "The Last Drive-In."

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Celebrating Asian Cinema, Old and New

Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando speaks with PacArts artistic Brian Hu and filmmaker Jota Mun about some Asian cinema classics as well as bold new work.

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Dark City Dames to die for

Cinema Junkie once again hosts Midday Movies. Hit the dark alleys of film noir with the usual suspects from the Midday Movies gang to find some Dark City Dames to die for. With KPBS Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando, Moviewallas' podcaster Yazdi Pithavala, and Midday Edition's Andrew Bracken.

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Midday Movies celebrate Black women

To close out Black History Month, Cinema Junkie presents Midday Movies as critics create a suggested viewing list to celebrate Black women on screen and behind the camera. AND to remind people that celebrating Black film does not have to end on February 28th. Once again KPBS Midday Edition host Jade Hindmon welcomes KPBS Cinema Junkie Beth Accomando and Moviewallas’ podcaster Yazdi Pithavala.…

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David F. Walker, Mark Twain, and Big Jim

Cinema Junkie welcomes back David F. Walker but this time to discuss his new graphic novel "Big Jim and the White Boy," a clever reimagining of Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

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Caitlin Cronenberg on her directorial debut and her horror film family

Check out what our critics and San Diego Cinephiles think about the 97th Academy Award nominations plus what to look forward to in 2025.

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Cinema Junkie presents Midday Movies Oscars Hot Takes!

Check out what our critics and San Diego Cinephiles think about the 97th Academy Award nominations plus what to look forward to in 2025.

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Midday Movies Christmas Smackdown

Cinema Junkie presents a Christmas Smackdown between KPBS Midday Movies critics Beth Accomando and Yazdi Pithavala. They face off in a battle between Christmas action/horror and feel good holiday fare. The Christmas Smackdown is refereed by KPBS Midday Edition host Jade Hindmon. You can also watch the video podcast: https://youtu.be/vAeH9g34gis.

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In Appreciation of Grindhouse Cinema

Film programmers Matt Rotman of Bonkers Ass Cinema and Eddie Gurrola of Popcorn Reef join Cinema Junkie to sing the praises of grindhouse cinema.

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BONUS EPISODE: Snow leopards, giant ants and Oscar-winning special effects artists

A cinephile's dilemma of having two film festivals happening at the same time: TCM Film Festival and San Diego Asian Film Festival's Spring Showcase.

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Crew Call: 'Anatomy of a Fall' film editor

Cinema Junkie is doing another Crew Call edition, this time to speak with Laurent Sénéchal whose fine work on 'Anatomy of a Fall' just garnered him a Best Film Editing Oscar nomination. He’ll explain what a film editor actually does and discuss the fine art of building tension, suspense, and a sly sense of ambiguity.

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BONUS Episode: Holiday Movies

Cinema Junkie's Beth Accomando and Moviewallas' Yazdi Pithavala go shopping for the best films to watch this holiday season... and the lumps of coal to avoid.

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Apple TV+: From 'Slow Horses' to big monsters

Apple TV Plus recently launched Season 3 of Slow Horses starring Gary Oldman as the disheveled, flatulent, and often drunk Jackson Lamb. It is also midway through its Monarch Legacy of Monsters show that expands Legendary’s Monsterverse. I had an opportunity to speak with some of the creative folks behind both shows. First, I’ll be speaking to Oldman and co-star Jack Lowden about where their…

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Discover 'The Secret Art of Human Flight'

Cinema Junkie speaks with Fil-Am filmmaker H. P. Mendoza about human flight, ghosts on the set, and 'grief release.'

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Halloween 365

Cinema Junkie wants to extend the spooky season to 365 days a year with some home haunting and scary movies.

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Errol Morris' 'The Pigeon Tunnel'

Cinema Junkie speaks with filmmaker Errol Morris about his new documentary "The Pigeon Tunnel," which explores the life and work of David Cornwell, better known by his pen name of John Le Carré.

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Hispanic Heritage Month Film Recommendations

Cinema Junkie invites Moises Esparza to look back on ten years of programming for the San Diego Latino Film Festival and Digital Gym Cinema to curate a list of film recommendations for Hispanic Heritage Month.

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Anna May Wong's Rendezvous with American History

In the early Twentieth Century, Anna May Wong was deemed too Chinese to play white roles and too American to play Chinese roles but that did not stop her from becoming an international icon. Cinema Junkie speaks with Yunte Huang, author of a new biography on the Asian American Actress.

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Noir Bar

Get ready for some intoxicating cocktails as well as hard drinking as TCM Noir Alley host Eddie Muller invites you to the Noir Bar on the latest Cinema Junkie.

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Bringing Silent Films To Life

Ben Model has dedicated himself to creating music scores to bring silent films back to glorious life. This month marks a special anniversary for Model since it was ten years ago that he created Undercrank Productions to produce and distribute quality DVD and now Blu-ray releases of rare silent films featuring scores he has created. He discusses the process to creating these scores and his passion…

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Film Noir Road Trip

Cinema Junkie takes a film noir road trip to Shanghai and the Old West by way of the Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs. Can't make it? Then just use this as a roadmap for your own noir journey.

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Celebrating TCM Underground

Former TCM programmer Millie DeChirico talks about her new book, "TCM Underground: 50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema."

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Get Shooked Part 3: Kevin Grevioux

In the final episode of Cinema Junkie's three-part series focused on Black Com!x Day's Get Shooked! New Masters of Horror panel, Kevin Grevioux talks about his latest projects, owning your own IPs, and monsters.

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Get Shooked Part 2: John Jennings

Cinema Junkie continues its three-part series talking with the Get Shooked panelists coming for Black Comix Day. In this episode, John Jennings talks about cosmic superheroes, a crowd-funded horror anthology, and getting hooked on comics.

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Get Shooked Part One: Rodney Barnes

Cinema Junkie speaks with three of the new masters of horror contributing stories to the new comics anthology "Shook." In Part One, Rodney Barnes talks about vampires, real world horror and juggling a career in TV, film and comics.

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Official guide to Godzilla

At 68, Japan's Godzilla is nowhere near ready for retirement. Toho's iconic monster was born out of an atomic blast in 1954 and now is poised for a live action series called "Godzilla and the Titans" as well as a cinematic rematch with Kong set for 2024 . Plus the famous kaiju is the topic of a new coffee table book that makes a perfect gift. Cinema Junkie talks with author Graham Skipper about…

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Viva Hollywood

Author Luis Reyes explores the legacy of Latin and Hispanic artists in American film in his new TCM book "Viva Hollywood."

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Bonus Episode: Giving Thanks for TÁR

For Thanksgiving Moviewallas' Yazdi Pithavala joins Cinema Junkie to give thanks for the film "TÁR."

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Bonus Episode: See It on 16mm

What makes someone feel driven to tour around with a film projector in tow and screen films on 16mm? Find out on this Bonus edition of Cinema Junkie.

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The slow burn of 'Speak No Evil'

Get ready for slow burn horror of "Speak No Evil.” I got to see “Speak No Evil” at virtual Sundance earlier this year. It was my favorite film of the festival and it’s in my top ten for 2022. It’s intense and anxiety inducing but executed with such an elegant, subdued style that I was completely riveted from opening frame to last. It takes a left turn that shocked me in a way similar to Bone…

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Celebrating Star Wars

VICE TV’s Icons Unearthed Star Wars and Disney Plus’ Light and Magic serve up a wealth of interviews and behind the scenes materials that will dazzle and delight not just Star Wars fans but anybody who loves movies and the creative process. Icons Unearthed boasts the first on camera interview with Lucas’s ex-wife and the Oscar winning editor of A New Hope, Marcia Lucas, while Light and Magic was…

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Cinema Junkie Goes Bonkers Ass

Get ready for a bonkers ass ride through the wildest and most extreme horror and exploitation cinema as Greg Dohler and author Matt Rotman take the wheel to kick a new season of Cinema Junkie into high gear.

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Bonus Episode: Bold Visionaries

Cinema Junkie is on a season break but serves up this Bonus Podcast on the bold visionaries behind "Mad God" and "Neptune Frost."

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Bonus Episode: TCM Classic Film Festival

TCM Classic Film Festival is back in person in Hollywood. TCM host Alicia Malone and TCM programmer Scott McGee will both be at the festival to sign copies of their new books. Cinema Junkie speaks with both authors.

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