Electric Shadow Channel

This episode is nothing but spoiler talk regarding The Force Awakens, with John Gholson and Moisés reflecting on what they absorbed having just seen the film at an early critics' screening, prior to its public opening. Pictured above: John Gholson, age 5, being "choked" by a grown man. Part 1 of this conversation can be found here. Brought to you by * Casper: premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Use coupon code ELECTRICSHADOW to save $50 on your choice of Casper mattress.  Terms and Conditions Apply. Note: no Bothans were harmed in the making of this ad. * Warby Parker: Affordable eyewear with a free 5-day, 5-pair home try-on program. Get free 3-day shipping by using our referral link.

Without spoiling The Force Awakens, John Gholson joins Moisés to reminisce about the rise, fall, and potential “re-awakening” of Star Wars fandom . From childhood to anticipation of the new movie, what triggers your Star Wars sense memory? Pictured above, John Gholson, age 5. In our next episode, we will dig into spoilers for The Force Awakens. In addition to holding publication until public screenings start Thursday night, it’ll carry warnings (and no spoilers in its show notes). Brought to you by * Casper: premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Use coupon code ELECTRICSHADOW to save $50 on your choice of Casper mattress.  Terms and Conditions Apply. Note: no Bothans were harmed in the making of this ad. * Warby Parker: Affordable eyewear with a free 5-day, 5-pair home try-on program. Get free 3-day shipping by using our referral link.

Modern TV has melded the old-school “chapter play” format with modern, lower-cost (and at once higher quality) production methods. The result is episodic content that is more than giving feature-length movies a run for their money. Erika Ensign (Verity, Lazy Doctor Who) joins Strax the Sontarran himself Dan Starkey to reveal how Doctor Who is succeeding where multimillion-dollar franchise features are hit-and-miss. Brought to you by * SaneBox: Stop letting your email eat you alive. Do the 2-week free trial and get $25 off your new membership when you sign up by visiting SaneBox.com/esn.

Remastered and re-edited, this 2012 interview with Crimson Peak director Guillermo del Toro found him in post-production on Pacific Rim and nearing production on Crimson Peak(still in theatres) and The Strain, which just completed its second season. He talks about the power of monsters, video games, and his devout fervor for Hitchcock. Interview originally broadcast 21 December 2012.

Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie (Chris Sarandon and Ken Page) take center stage in this very special Halloween bonus installment of our Behind the Microphone series, discussing their formative creative influences, strange things they've signed, and the power of the theatre. Behind the Microphone: part 3 in an ongoing series Brought to you by * SaneBox: Stop letting your email eat you alive. Do the 2-week free trial and get $25 off your new membership when you sign up by visiting SaneBox.com/esn.

Cowboy Bebop changed the perception of anime dubbed into English. Steve Blum (Spike) and Mary McGlynn (Julia and ADR Director on Bebop) discuss their origin stories as performers and voice actors in the latest installment of our Behind the Microphone series. Stick around for a falling-in-love story that's never been told on-the-record. Brought to you by * Casper: premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Use ELECTRICSHADOW to save $50 on your choice of mattress. Terms and Conditions Apply. * Warby Parker: Affordable eyewear with a free 5-day, 5-pair home try-on program. Get free 3-day shipping by using our referral link. * Symbolicons: by Jory Raphael, designer of all our new artwork. Get 40% off any icon set bundle with ESN1 * SaneBox: Stop letting your email eat you alive. Do the 2-week free trial and get $25 off your new membership when you sign up by visiting SaneBox.com/esn.

Out of print since 2000, this out-of-character commentary track by stars Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer was originally recorded in 1994 for Criterion's Laserdisc release. It was ported to the 1998 DVD edition, along with the 20-minute "pitch reel" cut and a second commentary featuring director Rob Reiner, producer Karen Murphy, and editors Robert Leighton and Kent Beyda. Christopher Guest would not begin directing his series of improvisational comedy-documentaries until two years after this was recorded (and over ten years after the original film was completed) with 1996's Waiting for Guffman. Syncing Tip On this audio track (which opens with a few seconds of silence), pause just after Rob Reiner says "Hi. I'm Marty DiBergi." Get your DVD/Blu-ray/Download/Holo-Implant of the film started and pause just after the same line.

This Is Spinal Tap is probably the most-selected OOP title on filmmakers' Criterion Top Ten lists. The 1994 Laserdisc (1998 DVD) features the only out-of-character commentary track ever recorded by the headline trio. Featured here: excerpts from that track, as well as a mournful recounting of the now-fifteen-years-out-of-print features that really "lick [the] love pump" for fans.

In the third installment of our ongoing series on the films and career of Yasujiro Ozu, we find a filmmaker in transition, with Ozu finding elements of his voice and themes that will persist over the following three decades. Part 3 in Ozu Seasons, an ongoing series Brought to you by * SaneBox: Stop letting your email eat you alive. Get a no-credit-card-required, 2-week free trial and $25 off your new membership when you sign up by visiting SaneBox.com/esn. Films Covered * 9: Fighting Friends: Japanese Style (1929) * 10: I Graduated, But... (1929) * 11: The Life of an Office Worker (1929) * 12: The Knock-Down Kid (aka "A Straightforward Boy") (1929) * 13: An Introduction to Marriage (1930) * 14: Walk Cheerfully (1930) * 15: I Flunked, But... (1930)

At his final convention appearance in 2011, Leonard Nimoy revealed more in one sitting than anyone expected, at once telling his life's story and reminding us that "There's always room for one more good one". Pictured above: Nimoy (r.) and his son Adam (l.) Brought to you by * Warby Parker: Affordable eyewear with a free 5-day, 5-pair home try-on program. Get free 3-day shipping by using our referral link. * Casper: premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Use coupon code ELECTRICSHADOW to save $50 on your choice of Casper mattress.  Terms and Conditions Apply.

A look at the different paths taken by actors known best for their various voices, featuring the incomparable Tom Kenny (Spongebob Squarepants,  Adventure Time) and Charles Martinet (the voice of Nintendo's Mario). There's more to voice acting than just doing "funny voices". As an exclusive treat, you'll hear the first meeting between SpongeBob and The Ice King and learn the definitive pronunciation of "Mario". Brought to you by * Warby Parker: Affordable eyewear with a free 5-day, 5-pair home try-on program. Get free 3-day shipping by using our referral link. Guests * Tom Kenny maintains absolutely no social media accounts. If you see one, it's fake. * Charles Martinet has a website and valiantly tries to keep up with  Twitter and Instagram.

A look at the sensation that is Sailor Moon, which has always been more than "just another anime for girls". Rockstar comic creators Babs Tarr and Jess Fink talk about the series' deep influence over them as creative professionals. Creators like Babs and Jess are now in turn driving stronger, more complex and relatable roles for women in their industries as well as in the stories they are telling. Brought to you by * Casper: premium mattresses for a fraction of the price. Use coupon code ELECTRICSHADOW to save $50 on your choice of Casper mattress.  Terms and Conditions Apply. * The Shuttle: Save $10 while they last with coupon LOSTMYREMOTE.

In the second installment of our ongoing series on the films and career of  Yasujiro Ozu, we blaze through his first eight films (seven of which are competely lost) as we watch a Japanese slacker who loves American movies find his voice. Ozu Seasons Part 2

Just after Disney acquired LucasFilm in the fall of 2012, Moisés spoke with film critic Drew McWeeny about the doors opened by a regime change, the early days of Ain't It Cool, his being officially banned from Skywalker Ranch, and the best way to watch Star Wars with your kids, among other things. 2.5 years later, and on the heels of the opening of Star Wars Celebration 2015, Drew comes off as more prescient than anyone gave him credit for being...at the time or since. The discussion featured in this Newly Remastered, Re-Edited Special Edition episode first posted on 5 November 2012. Brought to you by * Squarespace: Use offer code ELECTRIC at checkout to get 10% off your new account signup.

Roger Ebert's voice introduces us to a new, "seasonal" (in more than one sense) series focusing on Yasujiro Ozu. Ozu Seasons Part 1

Ex Machina writer/director Alex Garland grew up a fan of science fiction. His new film sets itself apart by happily eschewing on- and off-screen obstacles that get in the way of sci-fi cinema being great. At SXSW 2015, he and Moisés discuss the formative and professional influences that brought Ex Machina to the screen. Enter to win a copy of the Ex Machina soundtrack by leaving Electric Shadow a fresh iTunes review and email us using the contact form. Brought to you by * Squarespace: Use ELECTRIC at checkout to get 10% off  

When you ask someone the name their favorite Charles Chaplin film, I've found that it generally is not The Great Dictator (1940). Popularity be damned, it may be his most culturally significant and important. This is a taste of why, especially in the WikiLeaks Era of the Information Age, I think you should make time for it.

The Hundred-Foot Journey is anything but shy on the subject of flavor. The film's star, Manish Dayal, talks about his upbringing in two cultures and helps answer what makes a "food film" worth watching. Brought to you by * The Warner Archive Collection: whether you're watching DVDs and Blu-rays, or live in a streaming-only household, there's something new from them each week, like White Comanche (1968), where William Shatner plays the dual role of half-Comanche twins.

Keith Calder and Simon Barrett return for an all-spoiler discussion of The Guest, now on VOD, DVD, and Blu-ray in the U.S. None of this will make much sense unless you've seen the movie, and is full of spoilers.Consider this "Electric Shadow episode 16B", with a continuity-free, "regular" episode to come before the week ends.Brought to you byESN Members: if you love our shows, you're going to love some of the new things we have coming soon. Members get a first look at new stuff, with more benefits to come in 2015.GuestsKeith Calder (twitter) produces movies and runs Snoot Films with his wife Jess Calder. He also "Tumbls" and is bravely forging ahead as a pioneer on Ello., which has basically died since last he was on Electric Shadow.Simon Barrett (twitter) writes movies and is still a licensed Private Investigator.Related EpisodesElectric Shadow 16: Earned Surprise is required listeni

We look at the "Banned Bond" commentaries from the Laserdisc Era of Criterion, using clips from the Dr. No track as context for why they're important and unique. Listen to them on their own or synced up with the movies.The long-out-of-print and never-to-be-reissued commentaries for Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and Goldfinger were posted on 21 December 2014 alongside this blog post.