I’m a Guest on the Cinema Shame Podcast!

I’m proud and honored to be the very first guest on Cinema Shame, a new podcast where movie lovers talk about iconic films they haven’t seen — and why.

You may recognize host Jay Patrick from his work as the evil mastermind behind the James Bond Social Media Project and as moderator of the weekly #Bond_age_ live tweet-alongs. His social media output is staggering, and he somehow manages to do this with a family to take care of. (All I have are two cats and I can’t manage to find time to write a blog post since December.)

Jay and I first met a few years ago the TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood and immediately hit it off despite our vast age difference. (I’m easily old enough to be his grandfather.) And I think that rapport is apparent in this podcast. (We’re pictured above with our good friend Colleen aka “Fussy” in 2014 after a long day of watching movies together.)

Jay invited me on to talk about my (non-existent) shame over not having seen POLICE ACADEMY (1984) nor any of its endless sequels. But, like every conversation I have with fellow film lovers, our chat was delightfully discursive. We talked about the experience of seeing a film in its proper historical context, what makes a film a “classic,” the role nostalgia plays in our love for older films, and what makes a popular film endure. We even touched on my personal experience in high school, and why that four-year period back in the 1980s is a “cultural black hole” for me.

So have a listen here. Or use the player below. And let me know if you disagree with my rather strong feelings about the film. To interact with Cinema Shame follow the project on Twitter.