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PODCAST

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast

Sam Ludwig and Elena Gibson

Kael Your Idols is a film discussion podcast focused on the "New Hollywood" era of American cinema. From the glamorized hippies and paranoid anti-heroes of the 60s and 70s, to the merchandise-driven blockbusters of the early 80s, join hosts Alana Gibson and Sam Ludwig as they dive into this wild period in studio filmmaking!Logo artwork by: the_illuminator

tv & film film history

All Episodes

114:17

I'm Streaming of a Trite Christmas

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/12/25

Come on in and celebrate with the Kael Your Idols Christmas Crew! Join Sam and Elena, and their special yearly Christmas guest: Ameerah Holliday, as the three proudly break down the current crop of cable/streaming-service-era Christmas-themed romcoms. It’s the REAL reason for the season! Join them as they straighten out the tinsel draped tangle of this special seasonal tradition. For once we’re actually getting the episode out in time for Christmas! Topics include: Shakespeare, the NFL, and d...

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122:30

Jack Nicholson '75

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/12/12

In our first ever episode dedicated to an actor we train our sights on the man, the myth, the legend that is Jack Nicholson. Specifically our focus is on his four 1975 calendrical releases: Ken Russell’s Tommy, Michelangelo Antonioni’s The Passenger, Mike Nichols’ The Fortune, and finally we top things off with a brief discussion of his Oscar Winning turn in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. It’s a fun one! We talk about some weird movies, the hosts certainly get in a few attempts at Jack impr...

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96:15

Meanwhile in Germany: Kings of the Road (1976)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/11/27

For Elena’s Birthday this year we decided to break format and discuss the German New Wave classic Kings of the Road. This three hour Wim Wenders film is a quietly meditative look at West German cinema culture seen through the eyes of two aimless men. The hosts have a fun time discussing the history of German film from the 20s through the 70s and even make space to share a couple manifestos with each other. Topics include: Hitler candles, Werner Herzog’s level of self-awareness, and poop on sc...

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124:13

Robert Altman: Five at Fox

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/11/05

In a surprising birthday TWIST, Sam has decided to make us cover not just one film for their birthday but FIVE! And guess what? They’re all delightfully quirky and weird. We set our sights on Robert Altman's 1977-1980 period during which - thanks to Alan Ladd Jr.’s protective stewardship of 20th Century Fox - Altman was able to operate with complete freedom, churning out weird movie after weird movie. Sure, all of them utterly tanked at the box office, but they certainly do make for some inte...

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99:37

Blood Sudser: House of Dark Shadows (1970)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/10/25

The word “vamp” has multiple meanings. To some it might mean a seductive woman. To many it will bring to mind a sanguinarily obsessed undead creature with long fangs that sleeps in coffins. To others it connotes stretching out some nonsensical patter in order to fill time! We are happy to report that two out of these three working definitions will be in play for this episode we did on House of Dark Shadows, the 1970 film spinoff of the popular television soap opera Dark Shadows. We detail the...

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97:46

The Parent’s Traps: The Last House on the Left (1972)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/10/09

Listen here you little twerps! We’re gonna getcha with this one. Elena and Sam are gonna show you no mercy as they discuss Wes Craven’s first feature film: The Last House on the Left. That’s right, we’re inaugurating the Halloween season here in this quiet little spot, and no one’s gonna hear you scream for mercy. Jeeze, gotta get out of this voice - uh, hey! This is a fun episode! We swear. It won’t be too disturbing at all. And only tastefully exploitative as we get into the semiotics of ea...

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113:58

Tattle Tales: The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/09/20

Keep it under your hat but we got a good tip for ya: listen to the latest KYI, you might learn somethin’ useful. That is, if you consider hot goss about the sex lives of Peter Boyle and Robert Mitchum useful! Sam and Alana are joined by David Heath of the podcast Cinema Chat to dissect this talky, under-seen crime classic. A jolly good time is had by all as they take cracks at impressions of Hollywood luminaries, and even find time to mangle a few Boston accents. Topics include: hockey (is it...

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104:33

Bun in the Coven: Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/08/30

Who can say what dark magic brought together so many creative geniuses (and problematic ones at that) to make Rosemary’s Baby? Whatever dark forces may have conspired, their plan worked! The movie endures as a beloved classic and guidepost of the early New Hollywood period. Whether you want to hear about Paramount’s resurrection through Robert Evans or the difference between John Cassavetes’ independent cinema vs William Castle’s, this episode is for you! Topics include: questionable erotic f...

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108:55

Sirius Rising: Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/08/10

A true high point of the New Hollywood era gets the Kael Your Idols treatment this episode: Sidney Lumet’s Dog Day Afternoon. We attempt to get to the bottom of this true tale of a robbery-gone-wrong by putting together the character’s complex motivations piece by piece. Along the way we manage to show some love to Pacino, who puts in probably his best performance, and of course the legendary John Cazale as well. Other topics include: early portrayals of gay activism, Lumet’s book ‘Maki...

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88:52

ZAZ-ed up Gags: Airplane! (1980)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/07/17

This week Elena and Sam tackle that spoof of spoofs- the 1980 comedic smash, Airplane! This film rewrote the existing theories of comedy from what kind of people should star in it, to how many directors it should have. Join us as we delve into the world of classic TV and film culture upon which the Zucker brothers and their friend Jim Abrahams (aka ZAZ) set their sights. And please! Do not call us “Shirley”. Topics include: Leslie Nielsen’s fame in the 90s, a disaster film renaissance, ...

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99:52

Disco Depress-o: Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/06/22

In this episode of KYI, the hosts discuss Gene Siskel’s favorite movie: Saturday Night Fever. A singular achievement in the history of the medium, if only for its unusual influence on a non-filmmaking aspect of culture. See, without this movie the entire musical genre of Disco probably wouldn’t have become a popular as it was. And conversely, if Disco hadn’t had its trendy day in the sun, no one would ever have had to think about this absurdly upsetting film ever again! A fascinating alternat...

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82:39

Grace and Risk: Killer of Sheep (1978)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/06/04

In this episode we are delighted to bring you a discussion on Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep. This first feature by the great pioneer of indie filmmaking is a tenderly poetic look at life in South Central LA during the 70s. Difficult to see for many years after its release, we were lucky enough to catch a restored print of it playing at our local theatre and we couldn’t pass up the chance to see and talk about this masterpiece. Topics include: masks in indie movies, film school, and the ‘L...

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109:30

Dirty Gigs: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/05/10

Oooh! We got a grimy one for ya today. We dive right into the dirt with famed auteur Sam Peckinpah’s minor (but still fascinating) work: Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. Warren Oates leads a quirky cast populated by Mexican sex workers and suspiciously corporate hitmen in this tale of sexual jealousy, work, and morality and we just have a ball talking about it! Topics include: the hosts views on violent cinema, the strange life of “the world’s most interesting man” and Peckinpah’s friends...

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87:48

A Step Forward: The Boys in the Band (1970)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/04/19

Sing Hallelujah, come on get happy! Please, we implore you: get happy already! For this episode we train our gaze at William Friedkin’s minor masterpiece, The Boys in the Band. Although it is a landmark film in queer cinema, Boys has by now acquired a rather tricky reputation and we dig right into that. We laugh and cry along with these characters as they navigate the vagaries of identity and performative friendship. Topics include: comparisons to the Netflix version, Leonard Frey’s stunning ...

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108:57

Topol-ing Traditions: Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/03/27

It is our deepest pleasure to bring you this episode on Norman Jewison’s masterpiece of non-auteurism: Fiddler on the Roof. Both of the hosts have a long and complex relationship to both this film and its source material and could wax for hours on its rich humanism and craft. The tale of Tevye the Dairyman and his daughters remains as fascinating and exciting today as ever! We promise! This movie is not boring at all (except for maybe a couple scenes with Perchik). Topics include: changes fro...

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109:30

Cowboy Colonialist: The Last Movie (1971)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/03/01

In this episode we delve into one of the signature commercial and critical flops of New Hollywood: Dennis Hopper’s The Last Movie. This gorgeous yet impenetrable film was a crucial turning point bridging the early hippie-influenced films of the late 60s with the more cynical and popular mainstream cinema that came to define the 1970s. We are joined by Stephen Lee Naish, author of two different books discussing this week’s subject - Create or Die: Essays on the Films of Dennis Hopper, and Musi...

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114:46

Styles of a Bummer Night: Shampoo (1975)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/02/08

Imagine that you could sleep with anyone you wanted in the world, now ask yourself: how would this affect my participation in the American Electoral system? We’re diving into the New Hollywood deep end with this episode as we discuss Hal Ashby’s Oscar-winning smash, Shampoo! Who knew watching Warren Beatty doing hair and kissing pretty ladies could be such a fun time at the cinema? Topics include: Lee Grant’s blacklisting, getting turned on by haircuts, and the death of the 60s.

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82:38

A Christmas BONUS from KYI!

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/01/19

Merry Christmas! Here’s your gift! Sorry it’s a bit late but we never officially said we would be exchanging gifts in the first place so... anyway here it is! This episode is a break from our usual format. Absolutely zero New Hollywood or 70s film content to be found under this tree. Instead, Alana wanted to take some time out to do a treatise on Hallmark and streaming-era Christmas rom-com films. Luckily we had the perfect guest available: Ameerah Holliday, whose breadth of knowledge and lev...

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108:39

Our top 5 movies of 1974 and 2024

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2025/01/07

Yet again we gather at the beginning of a new year. The reason? To pit the films of the previous calendar year against the films released 50 years ago. That's right, it's 74 v 24 baby! Will New Hollywood reign supreme? Or will Alana and Sam pretend like they prefer a bunch of Netflix movies instead? Listen and find out!

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81:57

Mother Days: Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974)

Kael Your Idols: A New Hollywood Podcast ·

2024/12/08

What? What I are your problems with this episode huh? Go ahead and take a piece of paper and write them all down. Go ahead! Tell us what’s wrong! Well?? Why aren’t you writing?? Look, I promise you we WILL discuss the 1974 Ellen Burstyn vehicle Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. We WILL litigate Scorsese’s overactive camera. And we WILL describe the episode we watched of the sitcom Alice with guest star Art Carney. Topics include: “realism”, “feminism”, and Kris Kristofferson AKA Big Daddy Sant...

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