Episodes
Pia Zadora welcomed me to her gorgeous Las Vegas home to discuss her legendary life and career. We talk The Lonely Lady, owning a plane with your name on it, the Golden Globes scandal, her marriage to Meshulam Riklis, working with John Waters on Hairspray, dealing with depression, psychoanalysis, Celebrity Wife Swap, Voyage Of The Rock Aliens, Pia’s Place & Piatinis, perseverance, touring with Frank Sinatra, NAKED GUN 33 1/3, handling haters, Jermaine Jackson, working with Talullah...
Published 08/16/24
Legendary filmmaker Alex Cox (Repo Man, Straight To Hell, Walker, Tombstone Rashomon etc) has a new film in the works, a film you can help make a reality by participating via Kickstarter. Click the link, snatch up the fabulous rewards available and thank Alex for decades of wonderful films.Alex & I discuss his collaborations with Joe Strummer, REPO MAN, studio politics, STRAIGHT TO HELL, Sam Peckinpah, Chateau Marmont, William Friedkin’s SORCERER, miserable encounters with Hunter S....
Published 07/23/24
Director, bon-vivant and raconteur Marc MacNamara joins me to talk directing gay corn, working with Falcon Nakedsword, co-hosting Discretion Advised (with our friend John Hill), getting kicked out of Micky’s, Fame Games On Fire Island, Thom Moulton, Cherry Grove, pop culture, Real Housewives, the legend of Willy Nilly and a whole lot more.
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Published 07/04/24
We continue our marathon discussion of Michael Mann’s MANHUNTER. We talk the danger of the distorted lens, the self and shadow self, how Mann’s obsession with the smallest details enriches the bigger picture, Willam Friedkin’s near casting as Hannibal, Mann's impeccable song & score selections, digital vs. film, Mann's Chicago origins & extensive work in television & The Keep.
We also address (nearly all) of your Listener Comments & Questions. Our apologies to those we...
Published 06/11/24
The one and only Salina EsTitties joins me for a lively chat about growing up in the Castro, gay uncles, bringing Mexican-American culture to the stage, chems*x and the way out, RuPaul’s Drag Race, representation, keepin’ on the hustle, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Kenny Ortega, Survivor and much much more.
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Published 05/31/24
Michael Mann's 1986 classic MANHUNTER gets the full Movie Club treatment. So full, it had to be split into 2 parts.
Gala Avary & Rich Johnson join me for a an in-depth investigation of the first film adaptation of a Hannibal Lector fable (Lecktor in this film), Michael Mann's masterful color-coding, Alex Cox's dismissive and rather confused summary of the film, Miami Vice, William Petersen, Dennis Farina, Tom Noonan's terrifying Francis Dolarhyde, the birth of forensics in crime stories...
Published 05/27/24
Adult performer & producer, pegging enthusiast & pioneer Michael Vegas joins me to talk Altoid roulette, filmmaking, color-coding, overcoming internalized shame, Taser golf, meeting the love of his love (creative & life partner Siouxsie Q) in a uniquely specific, Robert Greene & The 48 Laws Of Power, Ada & I making a cameo in Michael & Siouxsie’s upcoming passion project The Bottom Floor, realistic & rigorous approaches to maintaining happiness, overcoming a...
Published 05/02/24
Released in 1990 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES was a blockbuster smash. No one burned with the fever of Turtle Power more than my guest, Tom Schwartz (Vanderpump Rules). Get a nice cheese pizza, stay out of the sewer and enjoy our chat about this cultural phenomenon.
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Published 04/29/24
Musical pioneer Chaz Jankel welcomed me to his home to discuss his legendary musical career - from his days with Ian Dury & The Blockheads (co-writing Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick, Sex & Drugs & Rock’N’Roll and more) through his wildly influential solo career, his later foray into film scoring and that time Quincy Jones covered one of his songs. We also get deep into society’s conventions, life’s rhythms, Elkhart Tolle, the illusion of control, energy balances, exotic cheeses...
Published 04/19/24
Craig, special guest co-host Katya & Sapphira continue their chat and talk going vegan, discovering opera, straight tone, vibrato’n’viagra, Miss D’America, resting diva face, doing the thing you need to be doing and MORE!
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Published 03/29/24
Originally posted in the salad days of the pandemic (August 2020), this Encore Presentation is in honor of our beloved Sapphira Cristál gooping and gagging the world on Season 16 of RuPaul's Drag Race.
Craig & special guest co-host Katya welcome Sapphira Cristal via satellite to talk perfect pitch, homeless schooldays, sorority sister saves, carbonara complications, putin’ it out your mouth, dagger dick, proper preparation, P-town drama, rotten rumors, Perestroika, growing up in...
Published 03/21/24
Our girl for all seasons Eureka O'Hara joins me to talk the mirth, magic and mayhem of the undercover feminist cult classic GREASE 2! We get into what a T-Bird could mean these days, the majesty of Michelle Pfeiffer, shooting dance numbers before the songs are ready, the chaotic grandiosity of producer & impresario Allan Carr, the impact of RSO & Robert Stigwood on our culture, fan theories about Grease's Sandy (and our own theories about Frenchie), John Travolta, Maxwell Caulfield's...
Published 03/05/24
Nashville’s pre-eminent film critic, connoisseur & Prince devotee Jason Shawhan returns to Movie Club as we talk Prince’s 2nd film UNDER THE CHERRY MOON. We get into Prince’s ever-practical wardrobe choices, Jerome Benton’s woefully short film career, the rather progressive queerness of the film, “Martin Scorsese’s Pee Wee’s Big Adventure”, Wendy & Lisa, The Linn LM-1 drum machine, Prince’s proteges, Michael Ballhaus, smuggling pimento cheese across state lines, why this is Prince’s...
Published 02/26/24
My dear friends Mike Chapman & Maddy Paterson join me to talk writing and producing decades of hits like “Ballroom Blitz”, “Hey Mickey” “Simply The Best” and much more, Michael Des Barres, producing Agnetha from ABBA, Suzi Quatro, pairing Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne, the trouble with Sharon Osbourne, working with mentor Micky Most, Dreamland Records, The Knack, telling the truth, producing Blondie, mentoring others, the psychology of record production, Rodney Bingenheimer, singing on...
Published 02/23/24
The Muppet Movie, Phantom Of The Paradise, Bugsy Malone, A Star Is Born, “You And Me Against The World”, Smokey & The Bandit...what singular magical element do these cultural touchstones have in common? The legendary, inspirational & hilarious singer, songwriter, actor, author, recovery advocate/counselor AND President of ASCAP known as PAUL WILLIAMS. Yes, one of my all-time heroes joins me for a truly special episode full of love and laughter that is sure to lift your spirits, heart...
Published 02/09/24
This candid chat with legendary compser, co-creator of Hedwig & The Angry Inch and all-around terrific person known as Stephen Trask continues, picking up where we left off: the difficulties of coming out during the Reagan era, the extremes of youthful idealism, protest & arrests, Don Hill's and the dream of a better nightlife future coming true with Squeezebox!, meeting John Cameron Mitchell, Cheater, Leonardo the heartthrob, special slices, CBGB blizzards & more.
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Published 01/20/24
Nashville's pre-eminent film critic, curator & connoisseur Jason Shawhan returns for EATING RAOUL. We talk Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov, The Roger Corman Expanded Universe, Robert Beltran, swingers, wine-snobs, bad musical theater, the lurking terror of The Beach Boys, SCENES FROM THE CLASS STRUGGLE IN BEVERLY HILLS and much more.
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Published 01/09/24
Stephen joins me to talk scoring films, replacing Randy Newman, taking Hedwig & The Angry Inch from stage to screen, studio sabotage, leading the house band at the legendary SqueezeBox! party, negative pickups, falling in love with punk & piano lessons, the terror of coming to terms with being queer in the early 80s, hitting big at Sundance and much more. Taped in late 2020 but unreleased ‘til now due to a freshly resolved technical issue. Part 2 out next week.
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Published 01/04/24
For this merry Movie Club Monday, an encore presentation of the very first Movie Club episode. Taped in 2018 with my former co-host Katya, this is a gleeful exploration into the magic and mystery of Brian De Palma's oft-misunderstood masterpiece BODY DOUBLE.
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Published 12/25/23
The gorgeous & hilarious scientist of drag known as JUDY returns to discuss our membership in the Bipolar gang, my fairly recent diagnosis, vacation rashes, massage vibes, biblical floods, intentional consumption, calm candy moments, cognitive behavioral therapy, loving partners, Gordon Lightfoot’s guiding light, British food VS American food, the rumination rhumba and more.
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Published 12/21/23
From NYMPHOWARS, the International Amuse Douche chanteuse Macy Rodman joins me via satellite from Pittsburgh to discuss the lurid, sinister and quasi-legal pleasures of David Cronenberg’s prescient 1983 masterpiece VIDEODROME. We talk the divine Deborah Harry, Spectacular Optical, the brilliant actor yet repellent person that is James Woods, Canadian content, tax-shelter filmmaking, the continued relevance of Cronenberg’s cultural commentary, Scott Baio's bogus blacklisting, foley work...
Published 12/19/23
Willam joins me to discuss the power and particulars of the latest and greatest adaptation of a story as old as show-business itself : 2018's A STAR IS BORN. Starring Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper (who also co-wrote and directed) with William, Shangela, Andrew Dice Clay & Sam Elliott.
Willam takes us through the casting process, working with Gaga & Cooper, Stefani's backrubs, ARTPOP, Cooper's supportive collaborative nature, the ins-and-outs & ups-and-downs of a working actor...
Published 12/11/23
Shocked to learn of the death of our darling Sophie. To celebrate the laughter, love and lust she brought to this world, here is an encore presentation of our first chat in London, from 2019.
Rest In Peace, my dear 💔
Original Episode Notes:
Craig welcomes the enchanting Sophie Anderson to London HQ1 for her very first podcast! We talk Cock Destroyers, Krispy Kremes, being a Mom, finding your community, the power of spunk, sunglasses in the house days, VHS porn, plastic surgery, Trixie...
Published 12/05/23
Gala Avary of The Gala Show & The Video Archives Podcast celebrates her birthday by joining me to talk Uncle Ken’s lurid 1984 classic CRIMES OF PASSION. We examine the magic mirth and mayhem of Russell’s aesthetic, Anthony Perkins’ penchant for poppers, the majesty of Kathleen Turner, sex-worker positivity, Gala & Craig’s “Correct Cut” feud, Oliver Reed, Robert Stigwood, Paul Nicholas, Sir Paul Williams, Celebrity Big Brother as well as Movies, Cinema AND Film 🍿🎥🎬
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,...
Published 12/04/23