Hot Date

In the late 80's, Pierce Brosnan was approached to assume the mantle of legendary British movie spy James Bond from Roger Moore.  But his contract with NBC and the TV show Remington Steele prohibited him from doing so.  When the part came available again in 1994, Brosnan was Eon Productions' and producer Albert Broccoli's first choice.  His run would be four films over seven years and Tomorrow Never Dies, his second film, would hold it's own against James Cameron's Titanic to become the second highest grossing film of the 1997 holiday season. Dan and Vicky almost didn't get to cover their first official James Bond movie -- listen for the long and twisted journey to finding a Tomorrow Never Dies DVD!  On the recently watched front, they talk about films The Endless, A Quiet Place, Icarus, Molly's Game, Justice League, and Mrs. Miniver among others and TV shows Killing Eve and CBS' Elton John Tribute.   You'll be shaken AND stirred by Hot Date 69: Tomorrow Never Dies.  Leave us feedback and make sure to visit o

Star Warwick Davis was only eighteen when he was cast as the lead in the Ron Howard directed, George Lucas produced fantasy epic Willow. He gamely and charismatically carries the film, often stealing the heroic spotlight from his more classically handsome costar, Hollywood It boy Val Kilmer.  Davis also met the woman who would become his wife on the set of Willow -- she was an extra in the Nelwyn community scenes at the beginning of the film.  Initially a modest hit, the film went on to gain a cult following and springboard Davis into a varied and successful career. Dan and Vicky enter the world of Willow for the first time and give their thoughts on it's effectiveness as a fantasy adventure film for kids with a dark undercurrent.  They also recap some of their recently seen including the horror films Veronica, Burnt Offerings, Unsane and Giallo, and the TV offerings Instinct on CBS and Zen Diaries of Gary Shandling on HBO. We also hear about the Hot Date our hosts had on Broadway seeing the Glenda Jackson/La

The 1977 infection-on-a-train movie The Cassandra Crossing was an international affair fraught with potential pitfalls.  Funded with British, Italian, and West German money, the movie shot in Italy, France and Switzerland and managed to avoid attempts to shut it down by vandals and the Italian government.  Also in the mix was that producer Carlo Ponti was married to the film's leading lady Sophia Loren and star Richard Harris was married to then pregnant co-star Ann Turkel. Despite a cast that also included Ava Gardner, Burt Lancaster, Martin Sheen, OJ Simpson, Alida Valli and Lee Strasberg, The Cassandra Crossing would ultimately be brought down by bad reviews and even worse US box office receipts.   Dan and Vicky bask in this lovable, wacky disaster film from the 70's and it's equally bonkers cast with a raucous discussion punctuated by audio clips from the film and one truly bad Ann Turkel croaked theme song!  In between the laughs, they give their thoughts on some recently seen including 1981's Dead and B

Inspired by the theatrical Noh dramas he loved so much, Akira Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress became a cultural and financial touchstone in 1958.  Despite being dismissed in Japan as a lesser Kurosawa effort, it nonetheless became a top moneymaker and made a successful transition to US shores in late 1960.  It stars the incomparable Kurosawa regular Toshiro Mufine and a great supporting cast including Minoru Chiaki, Kamatari Fujiwara, and Misa Uehara.   Listen to your Hot Date hosts Dan and Vicky trip over themselves -- and butcher a few Japanese names along the way -- in praising this stunning film.  They also talk about lots of recently seen in NY theatre, the movies Good Time, Creep 1 & 2, The Florida Project, Annihilation, Topaz and The Ritual, and the TV events 2 Dope Queens, The Characters, and Sebastian Maniscalco: Aren't You Embarrassed?   Enjoy Hot Date 66: The Hidden Fortress and leave us some feedback!  

The Velocity of Gary was only director Dan Ireland's second directing assignment.  He was primarily a film producer before that, co-founding the Seattle International Film Festival and producing movies for John Huston, Ken Russell and Bernard Rose, many through his role as head of acquisitions at 80's indie house Vestron Pictures.  The film marked his second collaboration with star and producer Vincent D'Onofrio after 1996's biopic The Whole Wide World.  D'Onofrio enlisted famous friends Ethan Hawke and Salma Hayek to co-star and hired realtime newcomer Thomas Jane to play the title role. Dan and Vicky have very strong opinions about The Velocity of Gary and it's attempt to be a provocative rendering of gay New York life in the 80's?  90's?  No one's really sure, least of all the film.  But they have kinder things to say about some recently seen including SyFy horror series Channel Zero and the original Twin Peaks, stand up from Chris Rock and Fred Armisen, and films Lights Out, Tangerine, Tightrope, Killing

Director Danny Boyle (Steve Jobs, Slumdog Millionaire) has said his inspiration for Millions, the only PG rated film in the filmmaker's oeuvre, was to take a complete left turn from his previous film, the violent infection thriller 28 Days Later, and challenge himself to paint with a different tonal brush.  Essentially a fantasy for children with real adult themes at the center, Millions stars the impressive kid actors Alex Etel and Lewis Owen McGibbon as brothers Damien and Anthony and James Nesbitt and Daisy Donovan as the adults in their lives. Besides the heart tugging feature, Dan and Vicky catch us up on their recent viewing.  For Vicky that included a trip to NY's finest museums, the films Ladybird, Landline, The Shape of Water, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, and TV shows The Alienist, Black Lightning, and Mosaic.  Dan has thoughts on Phantom Thread, The Commuter, 1942's Sullivan's Travels, 47 Meters Down, and his favorite recent find,  1971's The Night Visitor. And hear about the strang

Hitchcock's second to final British film before he returned to the UK in 1972 to make Frenzy, The Lady Vanishes broke UK box office records to become the highest grossing British film to date.  It was also the first and last time Hitchcock worked with leading man Michael Redgrave.  As this was Redgrave's first feature, the renowned theater actor insisted on rehearsing scenes while Hitchcock preferred to only rehearse camera moves and keep the acting more spontaneous.  Despite the conflict, Redgrave and the entire cast, including leading lady Margaret Lockwood, Dame May Whitty, Paul Lukas, Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne, deliver whip smart and engaging performances. Dan and Vicky shower the film, their third Hitchcock Hot Date, and it's players with love.  They also catch us up on their respective creative endeavors -- Dan's new Off-Broadway show The Undertaking and Vicky's production duties on friend Brian Barrentine's Funikijam.  And there's lots of recently seen including new films I, Tonya, The Florida Pr

In 1954, Japanese film production company Toho was looking to cash in on the monster movie mania inspired by the American film Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.  They conceived of Godzilla, named Gojira locally, as a way to announce the power and independence of the Japanese film industry post World War II but also as a metaphor for the destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by American weapons of war.  The film was a huge hit and American producers were eagerly looking for a way to translate Godzilla to a stateside audience.  Their answer was to cut 16 minutes from the Japanese version, shoot new scenes with actor Raymond Burr and add the King of the Monsters subtitle for a 1956 release.  It was a "monster" hit! Dan and Vicky gush over the monster movie masterpiece and the nostalgia it inspires in both it's 1954 and 1956 versions.  In addition to the film your hosts tell us what they did over the holidays and what they were watching during their time off.  Vicky checks in with Stranger Things season 2, She's Gotta H

Elia Kazan had meant to direct Tennessee Williams' original screenplay, Loss of a Teardrop Diamond, with Julie Harris as his leading lady back in 1957.  But Kazan dropped the project and it wouldn't become a film until character actress Jodie Markell secured the rights and directed the film in 2007 with Bryce Dallas Howard, Chris Evans, Ann-Margret and Ellen Burstyn starring.   Dan and Vicky discuss their first Tennessee Williams film and if it was worth the wait. They also talk about their recently seen movies Baby Driver, Patti Cakes, A Ghost Story and The Poughkeepsie Tapes; TV events like SyFy's Happy! and Carol Burnett's 50th Anniversary special and documentaries Fonda on Fonda and By Sidney Lumet.  And they can't help giving their passionate thoughts on the recent Walking Dead fall finale (Beware Spoilers!).   On a personal note, Dan tells us about his recent trip to Abu Dhabi and Vicky gets some Christmas cheer from FunikiJam: Holiday Beat.   Ring in the New Year with Hot Date 61: Loss of a Teardrop Di

Hot Date 60 will be music to your ears -- movie music that is.  Dan and Vicky offer their top ten lists for favorite movie soundtracks and scores.  A misunderstanding about the topic yielded some fascinating results -- Dan did mostly movie scores and Vicky mainly stuck to movie soundtracks.  There are even some movie musicals thrown in for good measure.  No titles revealed in this synopsis so it's all a surprise just waiting for you to listen! In addition to their top tens, hear what Vicky and Dan watched over the Thanksgiving holiday.  Vicky was on a classics kick with Night and the City, Bullitt, Westworld, The Man Who Knew Too Much and Casablanca and some newer titles like I Am Not Your Negro, Coco and Netflix's The Punisher.  Dan talks about new films The Beguiled, Lady Bird, Mudbound, and Halle Berry's Kidnap and classics like Polanski's Tess and Leone's Once Upon a Time in America.  Give Hot Date 60 a listen and tell us what your favorite movie music is!   

Censored and banned around the world for it's frank depiction of the anonymous sexual relationship between a middle age hotel owner and a 19 year old actress, Bernardo Bertolucci's Last Tango In Paris nonetheless went on to gross nearly 100 million dollars and return tarnished star Marlon Brando to the top of the list of the world's greatest actors.  His co-star Maria Schneider however was not as lucky.  She continued to act but dealt with years of addiction and depression and passed away from breast cancer in 2011.   Dan and Vicky take on the sexy classic and discuss it's recent controversial return to the limelight.  They also give their thoughts on the recent sexual harassment scandals plaguing the industry.  On a lighter note, their recently seen includes thoughts on the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis, the 1980 slasher Eyes of a Stranger, Peter Lorre's M, the new Orient Express, 70's anthology film Asylum, and Netflix's The Babysitter.   Hot Date 59 invites you to dance a sultry Tango in Paris.  Take a s

Emily Watson had never acted for the camera before her career making and Oscar nominated turn in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.  The 1996 film was the first film von Trier made after founding the film movement Dogma 95 which set down specific rules for any film created under the banner - namely, no filming on built sets, no use of post-dubbed music and no CGI.  With Breaking the Waves, von Trier adhered to none of those rules and in turn created what many feel to be his most successful and accessible film. After a busy summer, Dan and Vicky are back at 330 Studios covering their first Lars von Trier film, Breaking the Wave. They catch us up on their lives and the many things they've watched recently.  Vicky expounds on TV shows like Santa Clarita Diet, Top of the Lake, The Exorcist, American Vandal and the George Michael documentary Freedom while Dan checks in with Big Little Lies and Channel Zero.  And they both gives us their thoughts on the movies Blade Runner 2049, The Snowman, The Bad Seed, The Cab

An all star cast populates the tiny fictional island of Gloucester Island, MA in 1966's The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming.  Alan Arkin, Carl Reiner, Eve Marie Saint, Jonathan Winters, Brian Keith, Theodore Bikel and John Phillip Law appear in the Cold War comedy, actually shot in Northern California.   Along with a discussion of this madcap caper, Dan and Vicky, coming to you from Washington, DC, talk about what they've been watching recently.  Vicky brings up TV shows The Defenders, Twin Peaks: The Return, Playing House, Broadchurch and The Sinner and movies including Rogue One, Colossal, Passing Strange and T2: Trainspotting.  Dan covers three film with Elizabeth Taylor and recent films The Girl With All The Gifts, mother! and monster hit IT.   You'll also hear about the best way to see the Washington monuments, the proper way to pronounce Sidney Lumet and what it's like to record the podcast in a fishbowl.   The Russian Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming to the Hot Date podcast.  Once you'v

Snapped up by Roadside Attractions at the Sundance Film Festival for 3 million dollars in 2006, director/writer Chris Gorak's first film and passion project Right At Your Door only managed to make it into 20 venues it's opening weekend.  It would eventually deliver more than 2 million dollars in sales worldwide, enough to get him hired on the bigger budget science fiction/horror movie The Darkest Hour from Summit Entertainment. After two months away from the podcast, Dan and Vicky discuss this forgotten, intense gem from 2007 starring Rory Cochrane and Mary McCormack as a couple dealing with the fallout from a dirty bomb attack on Los Angeles.  There's also LOTS of recently seen to talk about like the summer blockbusters Atomic Blonde, The Mummy, Wonder Woman and War for the Planet of the Apes, TV shows like True Detective, The Keepers, and Orphan Black and documentaries about Whitney Houston and Nora Ephron. Vicky talks about the thrill of getting her first NY Library card, seeing Oscar Isaac play Hamlet on

Since the publication of Malcolm Lowry's novel Under The Volcano in 1947, Hollywood had tried in vain to adapt it for the big screen.  Artists as varied as Joseph Losey, Luis Bunuel and Ken Russell attempted to corral the novel's stream of consciousness structure and penchant for flashbacks and monologues into an accessible narrative thread.  When the property landed on John Huston's desk, his career and health were both on a downward slide.  The 78 year old director suffered from emphysema and lung disease and was coming off a string of well made but impersonal films like Victory, Phobia and Annie.  Under the Volcano, with great performances from Albert Finney and Jacqueline Bisset, turned his creative fortunes around.  Nominated for several big awards and critically lauded, the film began a winning streak for Huston that would end with his swan song, 1987's The Dead.   Dan and Vicky discuss the film and their love for Finney and Bisset.  In the recently seen segment, they talk about new films It Comes At Ni

Prolific Polish American director Rudolph Mate found early success in Hollywood as an acclaimed cinematographer.  For five consecutive years, from 1940-44, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography.  Starting in 1950, he directed 26 films before his death in 1966, including well regarded films like D.O.A., When Worlds Collide, The Far Horizons, The 300 Spartans and this podcast's The Violent Men.   Dan and Vicky tackle their first official Western on the podcast this week, giving some love to stars Barbara Stanwyck, Edgar G. Robinson and Brian Keith and the impressive on location shooting.  They also talk about Dan's latest film appearance in Future '38 and Vicky's sexy new haircut.  On the docket for recently seen are the new Wonder Woman, 1971's The Beguiled, JK Rowlings' Fantastic Beasts, and the classic Night of the Living Dead.  Recent TV includes Australian prison drama Wentworth and Hulu's Difficult People, for which Vicky has a bone to pick with star Julie Klausner.   Saddle up an

By the time the script for Soldier landed with star Kurt Russell it had been kicking around Hollywood for almost 15 years.  Russell, testing his status as a reliable and likable lead actor, asked for a reported 20 million dollars and a year to get in shape for the role. He was granted both.  By all accounts, Russell earned his salary -- he spent 3 to 4 hours a day in the gym, completed most of his own stunts, and even acted through a nasty broken ankle for most of the shoot.  The film, however, didn't prove equally as hardy. It sank quickly at the box office, despite a great cast including Jason Isaacs, Gary Busey, Connie Nielsen, Jason Scott Lee, and Sean Pertwee and successful action director Paul W.S. Anderson. Dan and Vicky wrestle with this mostly forgotten action film, extolling the talents of Kurt Russell but less enthusiastic about the movie surrounding him.  They also discuss recently seen movies including Alien: Covenant, Baywatch, Hardcore Henry, Neon Demon and Bonnie and Clyde and select TV like T

Movie producer Charles K. Feldman (A Streetcar Named Desire, What's New Pussycat?) was in a bind with the rights to the first James Bond novel, Ian Fleming's Casino Royale.  Albert Broccoli, Howard Saltzman and Eon Productions had beat him to the punch, releasing four successful Bond films with star Sean Connery, and using many of Casino Royale's best set pieces.  Feldman felt the only feasible way to approach the story was in a psychedelic, satiric direction, hiring five directors and a who's who of sixties movie stars to blow up and blow out the James Bond story to epically wacky proportions.  David Niven, Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, Deborah Kerr, Woody Allen, Orson Welles, Joanna Petit, John Huston and Barbara Bouchet star.   Dan and Vicky have fun trying to make sense of this very odd addition to the James Bond legacy.  They also talk about a car accident and FaceTime affecting their Mother's Day plans, Dan getting cast in the new web series "West 40s" and Dan's surprise phone conversation with a Casin

Humphrey Bogart, on loan from his home studio of Warner Brothers, would often show up to the set of Columbia's 1943's war film Sahara hung over and ready for battle -- both on and off camera.  He was known to mix it up with Hungarian director Zoltan Korda, continually fighting over his character's dialogue.  Bruce Bennett, who played Waco in the film, later told Korda that Bogart was using the conflicts as an opportunity to memorize his lines!  The stellar supporting cast includes Dan Duryea, Rex Ingram, Kurt Krueger, Oscar nominee J. Carol Naish and a tank named Lulubelle. With Sahara, Dan and Vicky discuss their first war movie and their first movie starring Humphrey Bogart.  Their recently seen includes 1943's Heaven Can Wait, Lady in Cement, Three Days of the Condor, slasher film Lighthouse, the Keanu Reeves' starring 47 Ronin and Aussie shark thriller Bait.  Vicky's also catches us up on her TV viewing -- some Handmaid's Tale and lots and lots of Mystery Science Theatre 3000. Hot Date 51 also touches on

What do a killer whale, Lucy Lui, rampaging trucks and crystal skulls have in common?  They all appear in the films on our Hot Date top ten lists.  For our milestone 50th episode we're giving some love to movies that were box office flops, hated by critics, had troubled production histories or suffered from all of the above.  A lot of people think these movies are stinkers but we're bringing them out of the shadows and wrapping them in a warm Hot Date embrace. You'll hear about big budget no-nos and low-fi freak shows.  From the reaches of outer space to mysterious fog shrouded islands, here are 20 plus movies to scream, laugh and jeer at, often in the same movie!  And as a fun extra get treated to random clips from the films! Dan and Vicky also give us a host of recently seen including the movies Ghost in the Shell, Nocturnal Animals, Eyes of My Mother, The Blackcoat's Daughter and Hitchcock's The Wrong Man.  For TV, Doctor Who, Chewing Gum, Trevor Noah and Ash Vs. Evil Dead are discussed.   It's out 50th Ho