There is no period in film history quite like theso-called pre-Code era, where the new production code put in place to keep thefilm industry in line didn’t quite do what it was intended to do for a few years. Kim Luperi of I See a Dark Theater and the Pre-Code Instagram account and Danny Reid of Pre-Code.com have studied and written about this cinematicperiod for several years. We talked about their new book from TCM, Pre-Code Essentials: Must-See Cinema from Hollywood's Untamed Era, 1930-1934, unpacked some of the most intriguing films from their selections, and mulled over why Pre-Codes are endlessly fascinating and popular with classic film fans

Buy a signed book from Larry Edmunds:

https://www.larryedmunds.com/product-page/pre-code-essentials-must-see-cinemafrom-hollywood-s-untamed-era-1930-1934

Book event information:

https://linktr.ee/precodehollywood

Keep up with Kim:

https://www.iseeadarktheater.com/

https://www.instagram.com/precodedotcom/

Keep up with Danny:

https://pre-code.com/

My guest is Esther Bley, creator of the beautifully-curated Queer Animation database and writer for Cartoon Research. We talked about queer images in animation from the pre-Code era to the present day, how cartoon representation differs from live action, and the animation they find most interesting from each era.

Queer Animation

https://queeranimation.omeka.net/

Esther’s Work at Cartoon Research

https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/category/the-cartoon-closet/

More links for Esther:

Patreon

https://www.patreon.com/queeranimation

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/queeranimation/

Tiktok

https://www.tiktok.com/@queeranimation

Tumblr

https://queeranimations.tumblr.com/

Queer Animation Playlist

(includes titles discussed in this episode)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUZBEz-FrZM&list=PLj3-hIKmvt6Xnqq3XbNA7HOtmvKJZlyan

The six films that Humphrey Bogart and director John Huston made together are some of the best of Hollywood’s golden age. These men are also complex and endlessly fascinating. I spoke with author Nat Segaloffabout their shared legacy and his new book, Bogart and Huston: Their Lives,Their Adventures, and the Classic Movies They Made Together.

Check out Nat Segaloff’s many books, and see a cute pic of his Italian Greyhound Louie at his official site:

http://www.natsegaloff.com/

Lately I’ve been fascinated by the roles Hayley Mills played in her early adult years. The parts she picked in an effort to shake off the Disney child-star image are a mixed bag, but through it all Mills was always mesmerizing. I could think of no one better to discuss this with thanKate Gabrielle, artist and author of the Scathingly Brilliant blog.

Kate’s official site:

https://kategabrielle.com/

Kate’s Hayley Mills pin sets for sale:

https://kategabrielle.com/search?type=product&q=hayley+mills

Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/kategabrielle

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/kategabrielle

Linktree

https://linktr.ee/kategabrielle

From the first rebellious strains of the title tune by the Red Crayola, I knew Born In Flames (1983) was going to be a special movie. It was anhonor to talk about this timeless film with Director Lizzie Borden. She was deeply involved with the production of a new Blu-ray release of the film from Criterion Collection and we had a great talk about how Born in Flames was made,its evolving influence over the years, and how it felt to look back on it all in the production of this remarkable release.

Born in Flames Soundtrack Playlist

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj3-hIKmvt6VrjorUn01M3ub4_W6C7J94&si=BYys5Gqfy3765vlD

The Official Born in Flames Website

https://www.borninflamesmovie.com/

Kathleen Hanna discusses Born in Flames

https://thedissolve.com/features/mad-love/298-kathleen-hanna-on-the-film-thats-inspired-her-for-/

Criterion Collection Release of Born in Flames

https://www.criterion.com/films/30707-born-in-flames

My guest is Kristina Dijan, writer of the longtime blog Speakeasy and a senior writer at the Dark Pages film noir newsletter. Kristina and I met at the TCM Classic Film Festival over a decade ago, where we quickly discovered a shared lovefor cult and genre films. In the years since we have shared hundreds of film suggestions with each other. This episode we decided to put down our phones and discuss our favorite underseen Giallos face-to-face.

We had so many ideas for follow-up episodes, that Kristina suggested we start our own podcast, where we could share ourconversation with fans of cult and genre films. Get ready for Psychotronic Sisters coming soon wherever you subscribe to podcasts. Stay tuned at the end of the show to learn more!

More about Kristina:

https://hqofk.wordpress.com/

https://www.allthatnoir.com/newsletter/

Films Discussed:

Short Night of Glass Dolls (1971)

Possessed (1965)

The Strangler (1970)

In The Eye of the Hurricane/Fox with a Velvet Tail (1971)

Queens of Evil (1970)

Blazing Magnum/Shadows in an Empty Room (1976)

The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972)

My guest is Caroline Young, author of Single & Psycho: How Pop Culture Created the Unstable Single Woman. We talked about the many ways unmarried women are represented in movies and television and how they are often vilified. From Fatal Attraction and its fascinating inspiration Diversion to Gone Girl and the singletons of Bridget Jones and Sex and the City, we covered a lot of ground.

More about Caroline:

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/carolinejillyoung/

Official Site

www.carolinejyoung.com

Titles discussed:

Diversion (1979)

Fatal Attraction (1987)

Thelma and Louise (1991)

Basic Instinct (1992)

The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992)

Sex and the City (TV, 1998)

Obsession (2023)

Fatal Attraction (TV, 2023)

The Girl on the Train (2016)

Gone Girl (2014)

Promising Young Woman (2020)

The Boy Next Door (2015)

The Real Fatal Attraction (2025)

Baby Reindeer (2024)

Though he has appeared in over two hundred films and television shows for generations of fans, Cesar Romero will always be theJoker. While his series of guest appearances in the 1960s Batman show is undeniably memorable, there’s a lot more to both Romero the man and the actor. My guest is SamuelGarza Bernstein, author of Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild. We discussed themost fascinating performances of this elegant, underrated talent who always maintainedthe heights of his stardom and lived life to the fullest with remarkable kindness and positivity.

More about Samuel:

https://samuelgarzabernstein.com/SAM-Work.html

https://www.instagram.com/starringsamuelgarzabernstein/

Samuel’s Recommendations:

Deep Waters (1948)

Oceans Eleven (1966)

The Little Princess (1939)

Wee Willie Winkie (1937)

Other Films Discussed:

The Devil is a Woman (1935)

Two on a Guillotine (1965)

Batman (1966)

The Haunted Mouth (1977)

Latitude Zero (1969)

The Timber Tramps (1973)

Simple Justice (1989)

Midas Run (1969)