Michael May's Blog, page 28

Hellbent for Letterbox | Django (1966)

Pax and I drag our coffins to a Spaghetti Western legend: Sergio Corbucci's original Django starring Franco Nero.
Plus: Lots of listener feedback on our 100th episode covering The Searchers.

Download or listen to the episode here.

Seriously Felicity | Drawing the Line, Part 2

Following up on the previous episode, Kristi and I discuss the aftermath of what happened and how the show handles it. But also, Noel grows a goatee and Felicity hosts a club-happy high school student.
Download or listen to the episode here.

AfterLUNCH | Mystery Movie Night – Monoliths, Mansions, and Makeovers

What secret connection do 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Being There (1979), and Clueless (1995) have in common? Erik Johnson asks me, Evan Hanson, Dave Roof, and David May to find out.

As always with Mystery Movie Night discussions, opinions and spoilers abound, so if you haven't seen a film and prefer not to listen to that part of the episode, here are the time stamps to help you skip to the parts you want to listen to:

00:02:38 - Review of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
00:23:25 - Review of Being There (1979)
00:46:20 - Review of Clueless (1995)
01:06:51 - Guessing the Connection

Download or listen to the episode here.

AfterLUNCH | After Dinner Lounge - Let It Go in the Sewer, Georgie

Rob, Evan, Pax, and I gather for another after-dinner conversation sparked by what we've been listening to, reading, watching, and thinking about. Discussions start from the following topics, but meander: Podcasts like Bonanas for Bonanza and The Untitled GenX Podcast. Albums like Disney's Heigh-Ho! Mozart, Yesterday's Wine by Willie Nelson, and This Is What I Live For by Blue October. Other audio material like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio series and SiriusXM Books like Growing Gills by Jessica Abel, The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, and The Light of the Jedi by Charles Soule. Comics like The Essential Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson, Baltimore by Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, and Ben Stenbeck, Winter Soldier by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting, Truth: Red, White, and Black by Robert Morales and Kyle Baker, and Eternals by Peter Gillis, Sal Buscema, and Walt Simonson. Movies like Romeo and Juliet (1968) and the trailer for Shang Chi. TV shows like Reign, the Disney+ MCU shows, The Witcher, and Invincible. And real talk about Planning for the Future, Fears and Anxieties, Self Checkout Aisles, and Social Ills and Process Improvements.Download or listen to the episode here.

Hellbent for Letterbox | Return of Sabata (1971)

Pax and I finish up the Sabata series as Lee Van Cleef comes back to the role for Return of Sabata. 
And something else that returns is the "Whatchoo Been Westernin'?" segment with Pax reading the comic The Legend of Oz: Wicked West by Tom Hutchinson and Alisson Borges and listening to Zaron Burnett's Black Cowboys podcast. Meanwhile, I've been watching the 1998 sorta-Western TV series, Little Men.  
Download or listen to the episode here.

AfterLUNCH | Sexify Something for The CW

In response to The CW's producing sexy, modern versions of Jane Austen stories, Rob, Sue London, Evan Hanson, and I made our own sexy CW shows based on things that weren't super sexy to begin with. Tune in for hot versions of The Ropers, IKEA, the life of Richard Milhous Nixon, and Richie Rich.

As promised on the show, here's part of the script that Sue wrote for the pilot episode of The Ropers:

ESTABLISHING SHOT

Outdoor pan of California apartment complex. Cream stucco, palm trees, three stories.

INTERIOR, DAY

The apartment is clearly high end California casual. Helen is lying on the couch in a white diaphanous robe with feather accents, flipping through a catalog. Stanley is peering through a curtain.

STANLEY

I think they’re doing it again. They’re all gathered around the pool like a pack of wolves. There’s going to be a party.

HELEN

You really need to stop that, you know.

STANLEY

What? Why? As the landlord it’s my job to keep track of everything and make sure tenants are…. Safe.

HELEN RAISES AN EYEBROW AT HIS DISTRACTION AND TOSSES DOWN THE CATALOG

And not stare at them when they wear bikinis at the pool.

STANLEY, LOOKING AFFRONTED

This has nothing to do with bikinis, I’ll have you know. That kid Cory is out there with a drone.

HELEN, PERKING UP AND GETTING OFF THE COUCH

He’s not a kid, he’s thirty, and what is he wearing?

STANLEY, STEPPING BACK AS HELEN WORMS HER WAY IN FRONT OF HIM TO LOOK OUT THE WINDOW

You really undermine yourself when you stare at the boys more than I stare at the girls.

HELEN

I’m a middle-aged woman, we’re considered harmless no matter what we do.

STANLEY SNORTS

THERE IS A KNOCK AT THE DOOR AND STANLEY OPENS IT. THERE IS A YOUNG, ATTRACTIVE WOMAN WRAPPED IN A SWIM ROBE

STANLEY

Amber, what’s up?

AMBER

Sorry, Mr. Roper, but I was hoping you could let me into my apartment? I forgot my keys again.

STANLEY

We’ve talked about this, Amber. I’m not your personal butler.

AMBER

I’m sorry. Pleeeeaase?

STANLEY ROLLS HIS EYES AND GRABS HIS KEYS. HELEN WAVES FROM THE WINDOW

HELEN

Be careful out there, honey. Watch out for the wolves!

AMBER, LOOKING CONFUSED

Wolves, Mrs. Roper?

HELEN

Don’t worry, you’ll start to recognize them. But you don’t need to worry about the ones whose teeth have worn down.

HELEN WINKS AT HER HUSBAND. STANLEY BARES HIS TEETH IN A SARCASTIC SMILE AND FOLLOWS AMBER OUT OF THE DOOR.

And here's Evan's proof-of-concept visual for sexy IKEA:

Download or listen to the episode here.

Seriously Felicity | Drawing the Line, Part 1

Kristi and I talk about an extra serious episode of Felicity that's all about drawing boundaries. Some of them are fun, like Noel's trying to set boundaries on what Felicity can complain to him about. Others are much more somber.
Download or listen to the episode here.

AfterLUNCH | Trendy Movies - Höllenküche

To quote David St. Hubbins and Nigel Tufnel, "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever." In this episode, Rob and I are joined by Sue London and Jeff Somogyi to test that line by workshopping a movie based on whatever was trending on Twitter at the time. 
Download or listen to the episode here.

Hellbent for Letterbox | Once Upon a Time in China and America (1997)

Pax and I are joined by our pal Jeeg (Nerd Lunch) to revisit another East-meets-Western mash-up. This time with Jet Li in the sixth film of the Once Upon a Time in China series.
Download or listen to the episode here.

Luchador Gringo & el Mayo | Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monsters (1970)

My buddy Dan Taylor and I have worked on a few different podcasts together and our latest collaboration is a lucha libre cinema show called Luchador Gringo and el Mayo. We're basically exploring and learning about lucha libre movies together (though he's way ahead of me on the curve) starting with the classic Santo and Blue Demon vs. the Monsters. Available wherever you like to listen to podcasts.