Buonopalooza rolls on with Robert Aldrich’s Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964). Following the massive success of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Aldrich re-teamed with Bette Davis for another Southern Gothic nightmare. This time, Davis plays Charlotte Hollis, a reclusive woman haunted by whispers of murder and locked in a decaying Louisiana mansion where secrets fester and madness simmers. The film co-stars Olivia de Havilland, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, and—of course—Victor Buono in a pivotal role. Mike White is joined by Tim Madigan and Otto Bruno to dig into the history, the production troubles, and the legacy of one of the juiciest entries in the “Psycho-Biddy” cycle.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth

Buonopalooza rages on with Victor Buono front and center in The Strangler (1964). One of his rare leading roles, Buono embodies Leo Kroll, a smothered man-child whose repressed rage against women spills into murder. Loosely modeled on the Boston police department’s profile of the Boston Strangler—and hitting theaters mere months after Albert DeSalvo’s confession—the film walks a fine line between crime drama and exploitation, delivering Buono at his creepiest. Mike is joined once again by Otto Bruno and Tim Madigan to dig into this twisted artifact of ‘60s true-crime cinema.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth

We’re kicking off a month devoted to the inimitable presence of Victor Buono — though in our opening pick, “starring” might be generous. Let’s say “featuring,” and featuring with impact. Robert Aldrich’s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) stands as the grand dame of “Hagsploitation” — or “Psycho Biddy,” if you prefer — with Joan Crawford and Bette Davis locked in a barbed-wire sister act as Blanche and Baby Jane Hudson. Mike White is joined by authors Otto Bruno and Tim Madigan to unpack the film’s camp, cruelty, and craft.Plus, actor Dominic Burgess — who portrayed Buono in Ryan Murphy’s Feud — drops in to talk about stepping into the oversized shoes of this unforgettable supporting player.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth

The mics are on for Shaun Michael Colón’s Age of Audio (2025), a whirlwind 82-minute tour through the origins, growth, and current state of podcasting. Narrated by and featuring Ronald “Big Ron” Young Jr. — host of multiple award-winning shows — the documentary blends his personal journey with a broader look at the voices, tech, and cultural shifts that shaped the medium. Mike is joined by Chris Stachiw (The Kulturecast) and James Cridland (Podnews Daily Newsletter) for a conversation on how Age of Audio captures the podcasting boom, why the history matters, and what the film says about where the medium is headed next.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth

Mike is joined by Emily Intravia (The Feminine Critique) and screenwriter Howard A. Rodman for a sobering descent into Panic in Year Zero! (1962), directed by and starring Ray Milland. Loosely inspired by Ward Moore’s chilling short stories “Lot” and “Lot’s Daughter,” the film imagines a Los Angeles family thrust into chaos after a nuclear attack decimates the city. As Henry Baldwin, Milland leads his wife (Jean Hagen) and children (Mary Mitchel and Frankie Avalon) on a desperate quest for survival in a world unraveling by the hour.With Cold War dread baked into every frame, Panic in Year Zero! is an eerily prescient slice of apocalyptic Americana—a proto-survivalist tale that predates The Road and The Walking Dead by decades. We unpack its moral ambiguity, its place in the post-bomb canon, and why it remains a startling relic of atomic-age anxiety.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth

Mike is joined by Father Malone (Midnight Viewing) and Chris Stachiw (The Kulturecast) to dig into Marvel’s latest reboot attempt, Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025), the long-awaited introduction of Marvel’s First Family into the MCU. Directed by Matt Shakman and starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn, the film blends retro aesthetics with multiversal madness as Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny leap from the 1960s into present-day chaos.Does Shakman finally crack the code that’s eluded three previous FF films? Or does Marvel’s Phase 6 entry stretch itself too thin? The trio tackles the film’s performances, its ties to Kang and the Secret Wars setup, and whether this version lives up to the legacy of Jack Kirby and Stan Lee’s original cosmic explorers.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth

Sci-Fi July wraps up with Return of the Jedi (1983), the final installment of the original Star Wars trilogy—directed by Richard Marquand, guided by George Lucas, and packed with new creatures, recycled plot beats, and merchandising gold. Joining Mike to explore the film's legacy and limitations are Jamie Benning (Filmumentaries) and Stephen Scarlata (Best Movies Never Made), along with special guest Jim Bloom, associate producer on Empire and Jedi.From Jabba's palace to yet another Death Star, Jedi tries to close the saga with spectacle and sentiment—but not without creative compromises. We dig into the behind-the-scenes drama, the tonal whiplash between Ewoks and existential stakes, and how Jedi served as both a climax and a commercial pivot point for the franchise. Was it a fitting finale or just a soft landing pad for action figures? Strap into your speeder bike, it's going to be a bumpy ride.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth

Mike speaks with co-director Fax Bahr and archivist James Mockoski about the stunning new 4K restoration of Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse (1991), the definitive behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling the infamously turbulent production of Apocalypse Now. What began as a Vietnam War epic in the Philippines became one of the most harrowing shoots in cinematic history—captured on 16mm by Eleanor Coppola and transformed into a raw, revelatory portrait by Bahr and co-director George Hickenlooper. Bahr discusses the collaborative assembly of Eleanor’s intimate footage, audio diaries, and newly recorded interviews with stars like Martin Sheen and Dennis Hopper.Meanwhile, Mockoski details how American Zoetrope restored the film from the original elements for the first time, regrading in 4K, restoring the original 2.39:1 aspect ratio, and remixing the sound in 5.1. With the full blessing of Francis Ford Coppola, this restoration brings fresh clarity and depth to a film that remains a blistering, essential look at artistic obsession, collapse, and endurance.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth

Sci-Fi July dives deep into the sublime with Upstream Color (2013), Shane Carruth’s mesmerizing meditation on identity, connection, and control. Co-hosts Ben Buckingham and Jim Laczkowski join Mike to untangle the film’s elliptical narrative, which follows a woman who is drugged, robbed, and psychically linked to a pig as part of a surreal cycle of manipulation and rebirth. A bold, enigmatic follow-up to Primer, Carruth’s film is an audiovisual trance, blurring the line between organism and environment, memory and self. We explore the film’s layered metaphors, sound design, and experimental structure — and maybe, just maybe, crack its code.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth

Mike talks with director Lisa D’Apolito about her 2025 documentary Shari & Lamb Chop, an affectionate and revealing portrait of Shari Lewis, the groundbreaking performer, writer, and puppeteer behind the beloved sock puppet Lamb Chop. D’Apolito—best known for Love, Gilda—crafts another tender exploration of a complex, trailblazing woman who was far more than a children’s entertainer.Drawing from never-before-seen footage and interviews with everyone from Shari’s daughter Mallory Lewis to celebrities like David Copperfield, the film revisits the rise, fall, and resurgence of a TV icon who balanced charm and discipline, softness and ambition. We discuss Lewis’s unlikely path through the male-dominated worlds of television and puppetry, the lasting cultural imprint of Lamb Chop, and the evolution of the project itself—from personal archives to a full-scale production with the support of TIME Studios and White Horse Pictures.Whether you grew up with Lamb Chop’s Play-Along or are just discovering the powerhouse behind the puppet, this conversation offers a moving and joyful look at a singular career in entertainment.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth