As Todd Solondz explains, Dark Horse is a different kind of take on the Judd Apatow celebration of the Manchild. It’s a bit more aggressive, a lot more realistic, and complex in the way that fans have come to expect from the director of Welcome to the Dollhouse and Palindromes.

Set beyond cheerful pop music, the film follows Jordan Gelber, looking a lot like Jeff Garlin, as he attempts to navigate what he views as a cruel, unfair world in the yellow hummer his parents bought for him. He discovers something like love with the depressed Miranda (a differently-named character reprised by Selma Blair from Storytelling), and he struggles (often hilariously) to understand a world shifting around him.

Fortunately, Solondz took some time out to discuss his take on later-life childhood, how to respond to fans who laugh at child-rape, and how the indie filmmaking world has changed since the 1990s.

Download Episode #135

On This Week’s Show:

American Otaku [The Beginning - The End]: Todd Solondz on Dark Horse.

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On Last Week’s Show:

The Most Anticipated Movies of Cannes 2012

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Simon has already weighed in on Moonrise Kingdom – his first Cannes film of 2012 – but we check in with him to see what 6 films he’s looking forward to the most.

Plus, Movies.com’s Peter Hall faces off against Landon Palmer in the Movies News Pop Quiz, and we end up asking important questions about repertory screenings. Will the films of the future digitally last forever?

Download Episode #134

On This Week’s Show:

Movie News Pop Quiz [Beginning - 20:50]: It’s Hall vs Palmer in a record-breaking match followed by us imagining an historical screening of The Avengers in 2042 where the digital print hasn’t aged a bit.

The Most Anticipated Movies of Cannes 2012 [20:50 - The End]: Simon takes a break from applying sunscreen to run down his 6 most promising, and I add a few for good measure.

Please go rate us on iTunes. It means a lot to us. Promise.

On Last Week’s Show:

How to Join Panos Cosmatos’s Cult of Beyond the Black Rainbow

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The level of neon-glowing attention to detail in Panos Cosmatos‘s Beyond the Black Rainbow is intense. The first-time director has taken the images of forbidden horror VHS tapes on rental store shelves and transformed his imagined movies into something very real, and very frightening. It’s a trip into a lonely cult that mixes religion, science and pills. We’ll talk with the writer/director about his psychedelic terror-scape.

Plus, Battleship Pretension hosts David Bax and Tyler Smith battle in our Movie News Pop Quiz, and the discussion turns to the nature of superhero movies. Are they an action subgenre? Can there be a superhero movie without any action? Is The Avengers the zenith?

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Download Episode #133

On This Week’s Show:

Movie News Pop Quiz [Beginning - 22:00]: It’s Bax vs Smith in a Pretension face-off with superheroes hanging in the balance.

The Self Empowerment Cult Leader [22:00 - The End]: Panos Cosmatos on starting his own reverse cult, crafting the homage to his childhood movie nightmare fantasies, and how to build an egomaniac.

Please go rate us on iTunes. It means a lot to us. Promise.

On Last Week’s Show:

Marvel’s Pre-Assembled Avengers and How Movies are Changing Comic Books

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Did you hear? Did you hear? Go tell Paul Revere! Joss Whedon and Marvel’s The Avengers is out this weekend which marks the beginning of the summer and an end to the anticipation. To discuss the film, we turn to comic book/Avengers expert John Gholson from Movies.com.

Plus, ScreenCrush critic Jordan Hoffman plays Movie News Roulette and talks Dark Knight Rises, Star Trek and texting in theaters.

Download Episode #132

On This Week’s Show:

Movie News Roulette [Beginning - 32:15]: Jordan Hoffman braves the full-barreled action of our Movie News challenge.

Assemble [32:15 - The End]: Comic book fan from age four, John Gholson and I dissect The Avengers, celebrate its triumphs and lament its problems.

Please go rate us on iTunes. It means a lot to us.

On Last Week’s Show:

Movie Icon of the Month: A Tribute to Stanley Donen

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A decade after a bloody conflict that saw at least 50,000 dead, Sierra Leone is joining Africa and the world stage in promoting its burgeoning film community. Its storytelling is becoming more and more available, especially through the Sierra Leone International Film Festival which boasts a year-round program which leads to an annual six-day celebration of movies.

To delve deeper into the potential of this young world of filmmakers, fest director Layna Fisher joins us to discuss how we’ll be able to experience Sierra Leonean movies and what this festival means for a community emerging from violence. It might not be the only fest in the world with screenings on pristine beaches, but it might be the only one where attendees can row tree canoes to a slave port before dissecting film in a remote African village.

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From On the Town to Royal Wedding to Singin’ in the Rain, Stanley Donen revolutionized movie musicals by making them truly cinematic. Instead of being anchored to the theater stage, he tossed those anchors away and set his ambitious sights on filming a musical in the largest city in the country (impossible!), using camera work to aid the story (crazy!) and challenging old ideas.

That, and the fact that he just turned 88 this month, make him our Movie Icon of April. Let’s celebrate his work together.

Download Episode #131

On This Week’s Show:

Ready For Love [Beginning - 15:00]: A tribute to the great Stanley Donen featuring clips from his work and from interviews.

Please go rate us on iTunes. It means a lot to us.

On Last Week’s Show:

Darren Bousman Battles Depression with a Carnival

On Next Week’s Show:

All you need to know about The Avengers. Kaboom.

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Calling in from a dirty van somewhere in the American south, Darren Bousman speaks with the kind of quiet calm that has seen the heights of horror success and the self-made sweat of passion projects being wrung out in the system. It’s half electricity, half exhaustion.

His latest flick 11-11-11 hit DVD yesterday, and watching the film, it’s easy to climb inside the writer/director’s own struggles with faith and depression. He’s a remarkably open filmmaker, sharing his personal feelings (no matter how dark) with his fans, never sparing the emotional details. Fortunately, it’s that incredibly candid spirit that comes alive in this conversation.

From the bloodiness of the Bible to why 11-11-11 wasn’t his finest hour to the thrills of taking his Devil’s Carnival on the road, Bousman is as blunt as they come.

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The legendary Cloris Leachman is a salty woman with brass buttons. Her latest conquest is the suspense thriller – working alongside, seriously, Tara Reid in The Fields. Kevin Carr sits down the Oscar winner to discuss what scares her, her work with Mel Brooks and why she owns a porn shop in an upcoming movie.

Plus, Eric D. Snider and Rob Hunter go head to head Movie News Pop Quiz-style, and the discussion turns to spoiler sensitivity.

Download Episode #130

On This Week’s Show:

Movie News Pop Quiz [Beginning - 17:45]: It’s Snider vs Hunter in a surprisingly polite dust-up which leads to analyzing spoilers in the age of The Twitter.

You Can Make It Up, Whatever You Want [17:45 - The End]: Cloris Leachman saying “Fuck.” Is there anything better? As a bonus, she talks about her career, Mel Brooks, The Fields and why she once thought she was going to be kidnapped.

Please go rate us on iTunes. It means a lot to us.

On Last Week’s Show:

New York and Star Fucking in the Indie World

On Next Week’s Show:

New auxiliary podcast conversations, Darren Lynn Bousman and thrilled guests to excite and amaze.

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Meeting Evil writer/director Chris Fisher joins us to talk about how necessary movie stars are to getting financing in the indie world (and how to talk to Samuel L. Jackson on set).

Plus, we go beyond the headlines to explore the Alamo Drafthouse‘s expansion into New York City with CEO Tim League and to push the envelope of film festivals with Tribeca Executive Director Nancy Schafer.

Download Episode #129

On This Week’s Show:

Austin Invades New York [Beginning - 13:00]: Alamo Drafthouse CEO Tim League discusses expanding to NYC and setting up shop right next to a church.

A Film Festival In Your Home [13:00 - 21:40]: Tribeca Executive Director Nancy Schafer explains how they’re bringing the festival to your home computer.

Star Fuckery [21:40 - The End]: Writer/Director Chris Fisher on his new drama Meeting Evil.

Please go rate us on iTunes. It means a lot to us.

On Last Week’s Show:

Morgan Spurlock does his best Stan Lee impression

On Next Week’s Show:

The legendary Cloris Leachman.

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Take a deep breath and prepare to learn everything you need to know about Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope straight director Morgan Spurlock‘s fast-talking mouth. Will it change the world? Probably.

Plus, Junkfood Cinema enthusiast Brian Salisbury accepts the dangerous mission to play Movie News Roulette.

Download Episode #128

On This Week’s Show:

Movie News Roulette [Beginning - 18:55]: Brian Salisbury tries to avoid the bad news hidden amongst the words Natural, Boobspray, Tired, Lucky, Foolish and Raspberry.

You Can’t Buy It At The Store [18:55 - The End]: Documentary director Morgan Spurlock shares Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope with geeks and non-geeks alike. Then, he saves Neil’s life.

Please go rate us on iTunes. It means a lot to us.

On Last Week’s Show:

Exploring Parenting in a Hoodie and Positive Youth Culture with Mandela and Mario Van Peebles

On Next Week’s Show:

A Tribeca Film Festival rep raps on new technology and a young director talks Meeting Evil.

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From a family legacy to positive portrayals of black youth to showing up at the club with your kids, Mario Van Peebles and his son Mandela cover it all while discussing their forthcoming flick We The Party. To the bass beat of The Rej3ctz and Snoop Dogg, we discuss rising above racism, staying hip, heading out in a hoodie and a whole lot more.

Plus, Hollywood.com Movies Editor Matt Patches joins us for Movie News Roulette and weighs in on Bully and Ninja Turtles.

Download Episode #127

On This Week’s Show:

Movie News Roulette [Beginning - 20:00]: Matt Patches braves the 6 buzz words of the week and the looming danger of bad news.

You Can’t Buy It At The Store [20:00 - The End]: Mario and Mandela Van Peebles discuss We The Party.

Please go rate us on iTunes. It means a lot to us.

On Last Week’s Show:

Jackie Chan’s Legacy, Gareth Evan’s Redemptive ‘Raid’ and 5 Other Great SXSW Movies Coming to a Theater Near You

On Next Week’s Show:

Morgan Spurlock dressed up in CosPlay for Comic-Con: Episode IV – A Fan’s Hope

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If you’ve been rocking back and forth with anticipation for The Raid: Redemption, your wait is almost over. It hits theaters this weekend (alongside another certain highly-anticipated movie), and to whet your appetite, we talk with writer/director Gareth Evans who dissects an action scene for us.

Plus, Kate Erbland and Rob Hunter join us for the Movie News Pop Quiz and to share their favorites from SXSW that will be coming to your neck of the woods.

Download Episode #126

On This Week’s Show:

Movie News Pop Quiz [Beginning - 15:15]: It’s Erbland vs Hunter in a war to see who knows what Michael Bay plans to do with Turtles and what superhero movie just got a viral video.

Fighting Words [15:15 - 40:25]: The Raid: Redemption writer/director Gareth Evans talks action and offers the perfect double feature for his film.

Out of SXSW [40:25 - The End]: Erbland and Hunter return to give you some movies to add to your watch list.

Please go rate us on iTunes. It means a lot to us.

On Last Week’s Show:

The Depths of Development Hell and the Appeal of Movies From an Alternate Universe: Author David Hughes explains the mechanisms of the major studio development process and the potentially great movies that never made it through.

On Next Week’s Show:

Filmmaker interviews of topical import.

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Wish you could watch the Frank Darabont-scripted Indiana Jones 4? Dying to see Terry Gilliam’s Watchmen? Curious as to how a ton of great scripts got passed over before Tim Burton made his remake of Planet of the Apes? “Tales From Development Hell” author David Hughes joins us to dissect why we’re fascinated with stories of flicks that were never made, explains why At The Mountains of Madness got canned and explains how the big damned system of tentpole studio production works.

Download Episode #125

On This Week’s Show:

Movie News Roulette [Beginning - 18:25]: Kevin Carr joins us to play the most dangerous game – born from The Deer Hunter – involving the casting, development and trailers from the week.

Tales From Development Hell [18:25 - The End]: Author David Hughes discuss the murky world of how big budget Hollywood development actually works and shares the long strange trips of movies that were never made.

Please go rate us on iTunes. It means a lot to us.

On Last Week’s Show:

Movie Piracy and Bloody Knuckles – We invite an illegal downloader to share his views, talk with writer Evan Goldberg about hockey comedy Goon, and speak with the possibly crazy Detachment director Tony Kaye.

On Next Week’s Show:

Bringing SXSW to you (by checking out movies that made it beyond the fest) and a face-smashing chat with The Raid director Gareth Evans.

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Getting the other side of the piracy debate, I speak directly to an online pirate about why he does it and how he sees it.

Plus, Goon co-writer Evan Goldberg talks hockey and the violence of comedy while Detachment director Tony Kaye proves he’s still slightly crazy.

Download Episode #124

On This Week’s Show:

Telling Jokes With a Bloody Mouth [Beginning - 14:00]: Evan Goldberg, co-writer of movies like Superbad and the forthcoming hockey flick Goon explains how going to bars is a great way to hear stories.

They Wobble, But That’s What  They Do [14:00 - 39:15]: The debate isn’t going away, so we’re digging deeper into it by talking directly to an online pirate who has a lot to say about the laws, the entitlement issue, and the not-at-all-simple act of sharing.

Detached [39:15 - The End]: Tony Kaye torched his own career after American History X. Now, he’s emerging again with teacher drama Detachment, which stars Adrien Brody, and he’s still crazy after all these years.

By the way, Goon is available On Demand currently, and you can seek it out here.

Please go rate us on iTunes

On Last Week’s Show:

A View From Below the Line – conversations with production assistants.

On Next Week’s Show:

Tales from Development Hell!

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Directors and writers aren’t the only one with viewpoints on filmmaking, so we’re starting at the beginning and the bottom as two production assistants give us their stories and share their insights into starting out in Hollywood.

Plus, Fat Guy Kevin Carr joins us to play Good News/Bad News and deliver his own TED Talk.

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On This Week’s Show:

Good News/Bad News [Beginning - 22:45]: It was a slow week with the Oscars dominating, but Kevin and I manage to find some things that made us joyous and a few things that made us cover our ears and pretend we weren’t listening.

Soft Core Comedy [22:45 - 39:25]: Production Assistant and aspiring writer/director Isaiah Lester talks on hard work, not making your contacts look like idiots, and the importance of finding out where a job is for soft core porn before you sign on.

Getting Organized [39:25 - The End]: A former Bad Robot assistant, Adam Gaines, speaks on his unique method of getting the right people to pay attention to his writing work and the lessons of becoming a script coordinator for Fringe.

Check out Adam’s concept title sequence here:

Then go rate us on iTunes

On Next Week’s Show:

Exploring piracy with those that steal and those that are stolen from.

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On the eve of the 2012 Oscars, we speak with writer/director Michael R. Roskam – the mind behind Best Foreign Nominee Bullhead (Belgium). Plus, we get to know the mystery nominee, Albert Nobbs, with producer Bonnie Curtis to learn about its secret geek credibility.

What’s more, I toss out my predictions for this year’s winners and give you the chance to win fabulous prizes by out-guessing me.

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On This Week’s Show:

The Complexity of Being a Man [Beginning - 18:45]: Bullhead‘s Michael R. Roskam compares his bovine hormone-dealing hero to Batman, tells a terrible story of how accidents can harm or save us, and tries to define manhood.

The Complexity of Being a Woman Dressed as a Man [18:45 - 44:30]: What the hell is Albert Nobbs? A perfectly fine question. Did you know its director co-wrote Alfonso Cuaron’s forthcoming sci-fi epic Gravity? Or that Kick-Ass is in it? Or that its producer co-produced Saving Private Ryan? These are true facts, and Bonnie Curtis reveals even more surprises as she discusses the film’s 3 Oscar nominations.

Beat My Oscar Predictions [44:30 - The End]: I’m publicly point to the stands. Last year I beat Ebert. This year, we see if it’s a fluke, and if you beat me, you could win something truly excellent. Listen to find out how, and feel free to tell me I’m a moron in the comment section.

Then go rate us on iTunes

On Next Week’s Show:

What a television pilot really means to an aspiring writer and other tales from the bottom up.

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After two years of operation, Flickchart has gathered an incredible amount of information supplied by movie fans on what their favorite movies are. On the cusp of finding out what “the best movie of the year is” from a bunch of people in tuxedos, the popular ranking website’s co-founder, Nathan Chase, joins me to discuss what makes us tick, the illusion of objectivity, and the mathematical search for greatness.

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On This Week’s Show:

The Best Around [Beginning - End]: What compels us to argue that one movie is better than another? Nathan Chase discusses his own Flickcharting habits as well as what he’s learned in two years as the site’s co-founder with insights that hit home.

Love ranking things? Rate us on iTunes

On Next Week’s Show:

Three minds behind Oscar-nominated films share their stories and storytelling techniques.

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On the eve of the Berlinale, Swedish director Daniel Espinosa joins us to talk about waterboarding Denzel Washington and the mind games of Safe House. Plus, we look forward to a few films to catch in Berlin, and it’s Matt Singer versus Alison Willmore in a Filmspotting: SVU showdown of Movie News Quizzing.

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On This Week’s Show:

Movie News Pop Quiz: [Beginning - 17:00] It’s Singer vs. Willmore, and we discuss Redbox‘s dominance of suburbia which they plan to take to the streaming world.

Our House: [17:00 - 33:30] Punk rock director Daniel Espinosa talks about cranking up the action in Safe House, the connection between Scandinavia and the US, and working with iconic cinematographer Oliver Wood.

Kino Berlin: [33:30 - End] In the final moments, I toss out a few movies we’ll be trying to see at the Berlin International Film Festival as we check out next year’s Oscar contenders when they make their world premiere.

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On Next Week’s Show:

Sharing Berlin with the world.

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With the Oscar nominations out terrorizing the community, we turn to IMDB Managing Editor Keith Simanton to discuss why the Academy Awards still matter, how the voting environment works, and why Harvey Weinstein always seems to control the conversation. Plus, Landon Palmer explores the death of the movie star and the rise of franchises. Could it help the revival in independent filmmaking?

As if that weren’t enough, Cinema Blend‘s Editor-in-Chief Katey Rich squares off with Hollywood.com Movies Editor Matt Patches in a Movie News Pop Quiz that will change everything.

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On This Week’s Show:

Movie News Pop Quiz: [Beginning - 20:00] It’s Rich vs Patches in an impressively fought Movie News Pop Quiz that leads us to discuss Sundance and whether anyone really cares or not. ‘Tis the season.

Take My Envelope, Please: [20:00 - 43:20] A different kind of Oscar discussion. Keith Simanton sits down to discuss what really goes on with voting and why we all still watch.

Rust Era Hollywood: [43:20 - End] The days of Rock Hudson and Cary Grant are long over. With movie stars no longer being manufactured, how will the industry change? Landon Palmer brings his Culture Warrior thoughts to a tough subject as we explore the shift and share a vision for the future.

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On Next Week’s Show:

We’ll be packing for the Berlin International Film Festival and talking with Safe House director Daniel Espinosa.

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This week, on a very special Reject Radio, we talk with the filmmakers behind The Devil Inside about going guerrilla in Vatican City (and responding to negative reviews) and writer Derek Haas (3:10 To Yuma, Wanted) about jumping between screenwriting, short stories, and his “Silver Bear” novel series.

Plus, it’s Rob Hunter vs. Robert Fure in the first Movie News Pop Quiz of the season. Let the slap fight commence!

Download This Episode

On This Week’s Show:

Movie News Pop Quiz: [Beginning - 19:40] It’s Hunter vs Fure in an all out brawl of movie news guessing. The challenge will take both contestants to the mat, and the victor will emerge sweaty and ready to talk about MMA movies. So, guess who that is.

Sweet Talking the Swiss Guard: [19:40 - 36:00] Writer/director Brent Bell, writer/producer Matthew Peterman and producer Morris Paulson drop by on the day of The Devil Inside‘s release to respond to the barrage of negative reviews and to explain filmmaking methods that could have seen them arrested in the Catholic holy city.

Contract Killer: [36:00 - End] “Dark Men” author Derek Haas talks stacking the deck against a main character, murdering protagonists, repeatedly killing his screenwriting professor and the deadliness of Angela Lansbury. Just, a ton of death in this conversation. But then we keep it light and fluffy with some Popcorn Fiction.

Pick up a copy of “Dark Men”

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On Next Week’s Show:

A thrilling segment in which I buy a monthly planner in order to schedule things ahead of time. Plus, more talking about movies! Huzzah!

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