Best Jeff Schechtman Podcasts (2025)

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Satsuki Ina on echoes of Japanese incarceration 36:14

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3h ago36:14

36:14

Satsuki Ina was born behind barbed wire at Tule Lake, where she became one of roughly 120,000 Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II. Her parents, both U.S. citizens, lost their freedom and faith in America, leaving a legacy of silence and trauma. Today, as immigrant families are again separated and detained, Ina’s memoir "The Poet and…

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Nearly New World: Streetwalkin' 57:24

4d ago57:24

57:24

It's another sexy, sexy entry into #Sextember 3: Ménage a Trois. We are talking about 1985's STREETWALKIN'. STREETWALKIN' was made by Roger Corman's Concorde Pictures during a time he thought he was making movies for New World Pictures. Directed by Joan Freeman and stars Melissa Leo (THE FIGHTER) and Dale Midkiff (PET SEMETARY). STREETWALKIN' follo…

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Peter Jones explores privilege and vulnerability at a school for sons of the Los Angeles elite 28:51

4d ago28:51

28:51

Peter Jones turned his camera on his former classmates from the Harvard School for Boys, a former military academy for boys in Los Angeles, for his new documentary "Fortunate Sons," chronicling the lives of the 1974 graduating class through their 50th reunion. What started as pandemic Zoom calls became surprisingly honest conversations about addict…

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Ep. 153: They're Playing With Fire 1:10:58

6d ago1:10:58

1:10:58

When the leaves start to fall, and the summer temperatures goes down, you know what that means: #Sextember! Three years in to exploring the sexploitation movies released by New World Pictures, we start #Sextember 3: Ménage a Trois with 1984's THEY'RE PLAYING WITH FIRE. Starring Sybil Danning (BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, REFORM SCHOOL GIRLS) as a colle…

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Eve Quesnel on how nature always shows up 22:27

11d ago22:27

22:27

Eve Quesnel, author of the new book "Snow Fleas and Chickadees: Everyday Observations in the Sierra," joins us from her home in Truckee. For more than two decades, she's been paying close attention to the Sierra Nevada, finding evidence that "nature will show up" everywhere — even in urban cracks and sidewalks. Quesnel discusses making a conscious …

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Bonus Episode: Interview Part 1 with director Fritz Kiersch (UNDER THE BOARDWALK, TUFF TURF, WINNERS TAKE ALL) 47:20

13d ago47:20

47:20

We end #HAHAugust 2: Double Take with a bucket list guest: director Fritz Kiersch, one of the important directors of the second New World Pictures era, helming CHILDREN OF THE CORN to TUFF TURF, and lastly, UNDER THE BOARDWALK. This is really a 2-part interview, with this being the second half, but, since we're releasing it first, so it's actually …

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Ep. 152: Under the Boardwalk featuring Justin Grams 1:20:26

21d ago1:20:26

1:20:26

We continue HAHAugust 2: Double Take with an extremely underseen gem from the New World catalog, the Los Angeles set surf dramedy UNDER THE BOARDWALK, directed by Fritz Kiersch (CHILDREN OF THE CORN, TUFF TURF). Originally set to be released in 1988, New World eventually put this out at the same time as HEATHERS, the final two theatrical releases f…

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Scott Alan Lucas on San Francisco, misinformation, and the killing of Bob Lee 40:04

22d ago40:04

40:04

By Jeff Schechtman

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Ep. 151: Jimmy the Kid 1:26:23

25d ago1:26:23

1:26:23

We are kicking off HAHAugust 2: Double Take with 1982's "a guy in a dress is always funny" comedy, JIMMY THE KID starring Gary Coleman (ON THE RIGHT TRACK, DIFF'RENT STROKES), Paul Le Mat (AMERICAN GRAFFITI, PUPPET MASTER), Cleavon Little (BLAZING SADDLES, FLETCH LIVES) and Dee Wallace (ET, THE HOWLING). To say they're the stars without also mentio…

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Jim Newton on freedom, community, Jerry Garcia, and the Grateful Dead 36:14

25d ago36:14

36:14

Jim Newton joins us to discuss his new book "Here Beside the Rising Tide," exploring how Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead emerged from 1960s California to become unlikely architects of America's counterculture. Newton reveals Garcia as a reluctant icon who feared leadership yet created a multigenerational community that thrives decades after his …

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Corman Graduates: Jack Hill Part 4: Coffy and Foxy Brown with Odie Henderson 1:27:02

1M ago1:27:02

1:27:02

We continue our series on exploitation filmmaker Jack Hill with special guest Odie Henderson, columnist for the Boston Globe and author of Black Caesars and Foxy Cleopatras. In this episode, we move out from Jack's New World era to his AIP era with 1973's COFFY and 1974's FOXY BROWN, two of Hill's biggest hits. They were also big hits for star Pam …

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Sam Yebri on L.A.'s decline and a path forward 26:44

1M ago26:44

26:44

Sam Yebri, a young Yale-educated labor attorney and board president of the civic organization Thrive LA, offers a stark assessment of Los Angeles's decline. Yerbi arrived as a refugee from Iran to L.A., where he has embodied the American dream in a city that has served as a beacon for immigrants and dreamers. But he paints a not-so hopeful picture …

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Bonus Episode: Interview with director Brian Trenchard-Smith (ESCAPE 2000/TURKEY SHOOT, DEAD END DRIVE-IN) 50:38

1M ago50:38

50:38

A lot has happened over #SciFiJuly Presents: Dystopian Summer 2: Dystopian HARDER. For one, we celebrated our 150th New World Pictures title with ESCAPE 2000 aka TURKEY SHOOT and now we close out the month with an interview with the film's director, Brian Trenchard-Smith, who returns to the show! We get into the beginnings of Brian's career and wha…

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Ep. 150: Escape 2000 aka Turkey Shoot featuring Austin Trunick 1:42:37

2M ago1:42:37

1:42:37

We celebrate the end of #SciFiJuly Presents: Dystopian Summer 2: Dystopian HARDER and our 150th New World Pictures title with director Brian Trenchard-Smith's ozploitation classic ESCAPE 2000. Or, as it was originally titled, TURKEY SHOOT. Joining us for this episode is returning guest and Cannon Film Guide author Austin Trunick! How does this comp…

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Matt Ritter and Michael Kauffmann on California's iconic native trees 30:20

2M ago30:20

30:20

Matt Ritter, a botany professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and Michael Kauffmann, a research plant ecologist, have written a new definitive guide to California's 95 native tree species, "California Trees." The authors discuss their field work across the state, from the rare conifers of the Klamath Mountains to the Joshua trees of the Southern Cal…

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Gene Seroka: At the helm of America's busiest port 25:10

2M ago25:10

25:10

Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, oversees a gateway that handles 20% of America's incoming cargo and powers one in nine jobs in Southern California. In this conversation, he reveals how the 7,500-acre complex serves as an economic bellwether, highlighting trends months before consumers feel them. From automation debates t…

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Nearly New World: Wheels of Fire 51:36

2M ago51:36

51:36

We are coming in hot (think wearing leather pants in the desert hot) for #SCI-FI-JULY Presents: Dystopian Summer 2: Dystopian HARDER. This week, we talk about WHEELS OF FIRE, a nearly New World movie directed by the famous/infamous Cirio H Santiago and starring Gary Watkins (Hunter), Laura Banks (Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan) and Lynda Wiesmeier …

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Christopher Beam on how AI safety birthed a killing spree 46:29

2M ago46:29

46:29

Christopher Beam, in a recent New York Times investigation, reveals how a group of brilliant minds from Google, NASA, and the rationalist movement in Berkeley became part of a murderous cult-like group known as the "Zizians." He story recounts six deaths, from a blood-soaked Vallejo property to a fatal Vermont shootout. Unlike Charles Manson's drop…

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Bonus Episode: Interview with Jeff Schechtman (PIRANHA, PIRANHA II: THE SPAWNING, BODY ROCK) 1:06:19

2M ago1:06:19

1:06:19

Producer and former New World Pictures Senior Vice President of Production Jeff Schechtman joins us to talk about his career at New World, starting with 1978's PIRANHA and into the post-Roger Corman era where he also producer 1984's BODY ROCK! From starting out as an Assistant to the Producers on projects like TRUCK TURNER, BLACK BELT JONES, and EN…

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Sharona Nazarian on leading Beverly Hills' Iranian diaspora through crisis 19:06

3M ago19:06

19:06

Beverly Hills Mayor Sharona Nazarian fled Iran with her family during the revolution to escape religious persecution, learning English as her third language before building a career in clinical psychology. Now the first Iranian American woman to lead the city, she governs a diverse community where roughly 20% of the population trace its roots to Ir…

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Ep. 149: Firecracker featuring Chris Iannacone 1:27:48

3M ago1:27:48

1:27:48

We close out #JuneBOOM with 1981's FIRECRACKER, advertised by New World to be "the first erotic martial arts thriller." How true is this statement? And is the film erotic enough in the way that middle aged folks would like? We examine with the help of Get Me Another Podcast co-host Chris Iannacone, who also watched New World's TNT JACKSON, a movie …

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Josh Jackson discovers California's BLM lands 31:05

3M ago31:05

31:05

Josh Jackson, author of the new book "The Enduring Wild," found a hidden refuge in the mountains and prairies of California's 15 million acres of Bureau of Land Management lands. In times of crisis and uncertainty, we often turn to nature for solace and perspective. These overlooked "commons," dismissed as leftover lands too harsh for homesteaders …

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Corman Graduates: Jack Hill Part 3 with Elijah Drenner 1:33:09

3M ago1:33:09

1:33:09

In our continuing series on exploitation filmmaker Jack Hill, director Elijah Drenner (THAT GUY DICK MILLER, AMERICAN GRINDHOUSE) joins us to discuss Jack's women-in-prison films he made for Roger Corman's New World Pictures: THE BIG DOLL HOUSE and THE BIG BIRD CAGE. With 20 years of experience making featurettes and extras for Blu-rays and DVDs (i…

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Ep.148: Stand Alone featuring Ryan Verrill 1:31:13

3M ago1:31:13

1:31:13

We're kicking off #JuneBOOM with a cap gun as we bravely tackle 1985’s STAND ALONE, a movie that dares to ask: what if DEATH WISH had a smaller budget, barely any action, and Charles Durning hanging around a diner for 90 minutes? STAND ALONE stars Charles Durning as Louis Thibadeau (a name you will hear repeated too many times in this film) as a fo…

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Gustavo Arellano on demonstrations, deportations, and downtown L.A. 31:45

3M ago31:45

31:45

Gustavo Arellano, the longtime Los Angeles Times columnist and chronicler of the Latino community, brings his deeply personal perspective to the immigration crackdown unfolding in Los Angeles. He shares observations from the epicenter of protests that have drawn President Trump's National Guard deployment. Born to a Mexican father who snuck across …

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Michael Hiltzik deconstructs the California dream 31:34

3M ago31:34

31:34

Michael Hiltzik, the author of "Golden State: The Making of California," examines five centuries from the Spanish conquistadors to Silicon Valley, challenging the enduring mythology that has shaped both California and America. Rather than offer another celebration of the California dream, Hiltzik reveals how the state has served as America's testin…

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Bonus Episode: Interview with Editor Daniel Gross (UNDER THE BOARDWALK, THE ANNIHILATORS) 1:13:13

3M ago1:13:13

1:13:13

One of the biggest inflection points for New World Pictures was when Roger Corman bought a former lumberyard and turned it into a studio to shoot BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS, which jumpstarted many careers from James Cameron to this week's guest, editor Daniel Gross! Daniel may have started with New World on BATTLE, but he went on to work on New World …

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Eleni Gastis and the ghost students stealing millions from California community colleges 25:23

4M ago25:23

25:23

Eleni Gastis, the journalism department chair at Oakland's Laney College, was shocked to discover that half her students weren't human. California's community colleges are under siege by sophisticated "ghost students" — bots designed to steal financial aid money. What started as a $3 million-a-year problem exploded to $13 million over the last 12 m…

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Audio Commentary: The Death of the Incredible Hulk 1:34:38

4M ago1:34:38

1:34:38

We close out Marc’s Miserable Marvelous May 3: Très Misérables with an audio commentary that lets us revisit 1990's THE DEATH OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK, the third and final of the INCREDIBLE HULK TV movies produced by New World. Directed by and starring Bill Bixby, we once again see David Banner attempting to rid himself of the Hulk monster within him…

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Matthew Specktor's Hollywood: when art, commerce, and family danced together 28:22

4M ago28:22

28:22

Matthew Specktor, in his new memoir "The Golden Hour," offers a unique perspective on Hollywood's transformation — as both the son of legendary talent agent Fred Specktor and a thoughtful cultural observer. He explores how the movie industry shifted from a close-knit "family business," where art and commerce balanced, to today's corporate-dominated…

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Corman Graduates: Jack Hill Part 2 with Elle Schneider 1:33:25

4M ago1:33:25

1:33:25

For our second episode in the "Corman Graduates: Jack Hill" series, we talk with director, writer and cinematography, Elle Schneider (THE FOOD THAT BUILT AMERICA, PLEDGE NIGHT: AN INTERVIEW WITH ROGER CORMAN, BLISS BLUE, THAT GUY DICK MILLER), about Jack Hill's MONDO KEYHOLE and PIT STOP. In addition to being friends with Dick Miller and interviewi…

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Adam Nagourney on the endangered California Dream 26:39

4M ago26:39

26:39

Adam Nagourney, a veteran New York Times reporter based in Los Angeles, wrote recently about whether the California Dream had become a mirage. Even as the state has grown into the world's fourth-largest economy, the promise of reinvention that defined the Golden State feels increasingly elusive. As young people flee, wildfires destroy neighborhoods…

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Ep. 147: Spider-Man: The Venom Saga 1:02:35

4M ago1:02:35

1:02:35

We continue Marc’s Miserable Marvelous May 3: Très Misérables with your friendly, neighborhood wall crawler himself, Spider-Man, in SPIDER-MAN: THE VENOM SAGA! Culled from episodes of the Spider-Man Animated series from the 1990s made by Marvel, which was, at the time, owned by New World! But how will they squeeze the whole story of Spider-Man find…

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Joe Kloc explores Sausalito's vanishing 'anchor-out' community 27:43

4M ago27:43

27:43

Joe Kloc spent nine years immersed with Richardson Bay's "anchor-outs," a community living on abandoned vessels just offshore from multimillion-dollar Sausalito homes. In his book "Lost at Sea," Kloc chronicles their struggles against the authorities and residents who ultimately dismantled the century-old floating community. Kloc captures the ancho…

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Ep. 146: The Incredible Hulk Returns featuring Peter Fluet 1:39:29

4M ago1:39:29

1:39:29

Our annual tradition of talking Marvel movies and properties created by New World while it owned Marvel returns and two thirds of us are happy about it. We start Marc's Miserable Marvelous May 3: Tres Miserable with THE INCREDIBLE HULK RETURNS which brought back Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno for what would be a trilogy of TV movies, most of which wou…

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Laurie Kirby looks behind the music festival curtain 30:45

5M ago30:45

30:45

Laurie Kirby, the founder of FestForums, brings insider expertise on what makes music festivals succeed. She explores California's vibrant festival scene from Coachella and Stagecoach to BottleRock and Outside Lands, examining how these events reflect the state's economic trends and cultural influence. She discusses how California's festivals funct…

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Bonus Episode: Interview with writer/actor George "Beau" Bishop (TEEN VAMP) 46:43

5M ago46:43

46:43

As we close out #VAMPril 2: Double Suck, we have a special interview with a movie that truly delighted us during the first VAMPril, and that's 1989's TEEN VAMP. Released on VHS by New World Video, this curio stars Beau Bishop as Murphy Gilcrease, a nerdy teen in the 1950s who becomes a vampire, which may sound a bit like TEEN WOLF, but don't worry,…

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Ben Fritz weighs Hollywood's Next Act 28:34

5M ago28:34

28:34

Ben Fritz, who covers the entertainment industry for The Wall Street Journal, explores Hollywood's perfect storm of existential threats — empty theaters, streaming wars, production flight, artificial intelligence. If that wasn't enough, as Fritz has reported: audiences today seem to be rejecting both franchise tentpoles and original films. He discu…

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Ep. 145: Beverly Hills Vamp featuring Tommy Bechtold 1:26:45

5M ago1:26:45

1:26:45

#VAMPril 2: Double Suck continues as we explore the dark and mysterious graveyard of vampire films produced by New World Pictures. This week, we are joined by the always hilarious Tommy Bechtold as we discuss 1989's BEVERLY HILLS VAMP starring Eddie Deezen (WAR GAMES), Britt Ekland (MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN) and Tim Conway Jr. (KFI, AM 640). Imagine…

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Erica Hellerstein on how improving farm worker conditions are now halted by a new wave of fear 28:46

5M ago28:46

28:46

Erica Hellerstein's reporting for El Tímpano follows the story of Pedro Romero Perez, a survivor of the 2023 Half Moon Bay mass shooting that left seven people dead, including his brother Jose. The tragedy exposed deplorable conditions in San Mateo County's agricultural industry: farm workers earning less than minimum wage while living in shipping …

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Corman Graduates: Jack Hill Part 1 with Calum Waddell 1:19:21

5M ago1:19:21

1:19:21

We're unveiling a new series on the podcast: Corman Graduates, where we chronologically discuss the filmography of a director who went through "the Roger Corman school of filmmaking" and we're starting with Jack Hill, director of films like TEH BIG DOLL HOUSE and COFFY. Joining us for this first episode is writer, film historian, and filmmaker Calu…

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Olaf Groth explores California’s high-stakes dance amid trade and tech turmoil 28:54

5M ago28:54

28:54

Olaf Groth, a futurist and professor at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, examines how global trade tensions, artificial intelligence advancements, and economic shifts are reshaping California's position in the world economy. He analyzes how intensifying tariff wars threaten the state's tech sector while driving up consumer prices. Groth exp…

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Ep. 144: Nick Knight featuring Dirk Marshall 1:30:34

5M ago1:30:34

1:30:34

It's that time again: VAMPril! Specifically VAMPril 2: Double Suck! Once again we return to the world of bloodsuckers for another month! And there's no better way to start than with NICK KNIGHT, a movie-length TV pilot starring Australian rock star Rick Springfield! And joining us is returning guest Dirk Marshall from the VH US podcast (https://www…

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Alissa Wilkinson explores Joan Didion's warning about America's entertainment politics 32:46

5M ago32:46

32:46

New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson discusses her new book, "We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine," which explores the California author's prescient understanding of how entertainment would colonize American political life. Wilkinson examines Didion's work through the lens of a Hollywood insider and cultural…

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5th Annual Roger Corman Birthday Celebration 57:48

5M ago57:48

57:48

For the fifth year in a row, the New World Pictures Podcast celebrates the work of director/producer Roger Corman by watching his past work and sharing what we loved and what we hated. As you might recall from our first Roger Corman Birthday Celebration, we all planned to watch the same movie but one of us (Marc) didn't read the email and watched a…

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Bonus Episode: Interview with Editor Barbara Pokras (SUMMER SCHOOL TEACHERS, FADE TO BLACK) 1:06:44

6M ago1:06:44

1:06:44

We close out #PrisonMarch 2: Second Offense with an interview with someone who there at New World from the very beginning: editor Barbara Pokras! After graduating from USC (where she went to school with Dan O'Bannon with whom she would work on RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD), Barbara found her way to Roger Corman's newly-formed New World Pictures, where…

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John Garamendi talks insurance, water, and farming under Trump 26:29

6M ago26:29

26:29

Rep. John Garamendi, a Bay Area Democrat, draws on his experience during two terms as California's insurance commissioner to discuss the state's insurance challenges. Garamendi argues that the state's current insurance chief, Ricardo Lara, has surrendered much of his authority to industry, creating market instability while failing to require transp…

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Ep. 143: The Big Bird Cage featuring Ali Davis 1:46:00

6M ago1:46:00

1:46:00

Listen up, #PrisonMarch is back this week for more of Prison MarcH 2: Second Offense! This week's women-in-prison movie released by New World Pictures is 1972's THE BIG BIRD CAGE written and directed by Jack Hill and starring NWPP favorites Pam Grier, Sid Haig, and Vic Diaz. Returning again for the fifth time to dish out her thoughts on this flick …

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Chris Roberts unearths San Francisco's toxic nuclear legacy 35:57

6M ago35:57

35:57

Journalist Chris Roberts discusses the long-forgotten history of the U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory at San Francisco's Hunters Point Naval Shipyard. Following atomic bomb tests in 1946, the Navy towed radioactive ships to San Francisco, creating a research program that exposed more than a thousand people to varying levels of radiation. …

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Ep. 142: The Big Bust-Out featuring Chris Iannacone 1:39:58

6M ago1:39:58

1:39:58

That's right, #PrisonMarch is back for Prison Marc H 2: Second Offense! Once more, we plumb the depths of the women-in-prison movies released by New World Pictures, this time with an Italian knock-off created after New World's THE BIG DOLL HOUSE became a huge success! Yes, plenty of studios were making knock-offs by 1973, but only Roger Corman woul…