From Silent to Streaming

EPISODE 6: "THELMA AND LOUISE" - Although set in the 1990's, with 2 female leads, Ridley Scott's tale of outlaws on the run has all of the makings of a classic Western.

EPISODE 5: "TRUE GRIT" - The Coen Bothers' 2010 remake is brilliantly shot and brilliantly told through the eyes of Mattie Ross, a young girl out for revenge. It is proof that Westerns are still viable more than a century after their debut.

Robert Altman's outstanding "North" Western is another product of the anti-hero. Warren Beatty, like Newman, was excellent as a bumbling outlaw who is no match for the Sears company trying to take away his business or the ruthless and cunning businesswoman, Mrs. Miller.

EPISODE 3: "THE WILD BUNCH" - Sam Peckinpah's classic, made the same year as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid takes a much darker and more violent sendup of the "Anti-Western."

Quite possibly the most famous Western of all time, this film broke the mold of the genre by having one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Paul Newman, play a bumbling bank robber who gets killed in the end. The film also featured one of the first powerful roles for a woman in Westerns with Etta Place, played by Katherine Ross.

The Western Film was born out of the legends of the American West and folk tales of Cowboys, Outlaws, Gunslingers, and Native Americans. Beginning with the first "Western" star, Buffalo Bill to The Great Train Robbery to Stagecoach, I'll talk about how the Western became a Hollywood staple for more than 50 years.

From Silent to Streaming is back with Season 4: THE WESTERN

Starting next week I'll be discussing the origins and impacts of Hollywood's oldest genre and naming the 5 best "Anti-Westerns" of all time.

July 12th. Episode 1 - "Most of what follows is true"

The Western film was born out of the legends of the American West and folk tales of Cowboys, Outlaws, Gunslingers, and Native Americans. Beginning with the first "Western Star," Buffalo Bill Cody to The Great Train Robbery to Stagecoach, I'll talk about how the Western became a Hollywood staple for more than 50 years.

July 19th Episode 2 - Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid

Quite possibly the most famous Western of all time, this film broke the mold of the genre by having one of Hollywood's biggest stars, Paul Newman, play a bumbling bank robber who gets killed in the end. The film also featured one of the first powerful roles for a woman in Westerns with Etta Place, portrayed by Katherine Ross.

July 26th Episode 3 - The Wild Bunch

Sam Peckinpah's classic, made the same year as Butch Cassidy proves to be much more violent and intense in its portrayal of the changing landscape of the Wild West.

August 2nd Episode 4 - McCabe and Mrs. Miller

Robert Altman's outstanding "North" Western is another product of the "Anti-Hero" as Warren Beatty plays a bumbling outlaw who is no match for the "Sears" company who is trying to take over his business or the cunning businesswoman, Mrs. Miller.

August 9th Episode 5 - True Grit

The Coen Brothers' 2010 remake is brilliantly shot and brilliantly told through the eyes of Mattie Ross, a young girl out to avenge the death of her father. It is proof that Westerns are still viable more than a century after their debut.

August 16th Episode 6 - Thelma and Louise

Although set in the 1990's with 2 female leads, Ridley Scott's tale of outlaws on the run has all of the makings of a classic Western.

The foundation for modern Horror classics like Halloween and Friday the 13th comes from Universal Horror with several familiar signs still on display.

Boris Karloff's second most famous role is Universal's most original Horror Classic and one that would spawn several lucrative remakes and sequels starring some of contemporary Hollywood's biggest stars.

An unknown actor named Boris Karloff wins the role that would shape his life forever after and become the most enduring image of the franchise.

Bela Lugosi kicks off the phenomenon that would become UNIVERSAL HORROR.

The origins of Hollywood's first film franchise come from "German Expressionism" and films like Nosferatu, the Vampire and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Today, the movie landscape is dominated by franchises.  From some that started in the 1970's like STAR WARS and HALLOWEEN to the current clash between Super Hero titans MARVEL and DC, Hollywood just can't resist pumping out sequel after sequel of recycled content to the salivating audiences.

But what if I told you that franchises were nothing new.  There's one, in fact, that goes back almost 100 years.  It gave life to some of the most famous characters in movie history and laid the foundation and techniques for every single film that followed in its path.  This franchise is not only Hollywood's greatest but it was also its first.  It was called...UNIVERSAL HORROR.

So, join me, Brendan Lee, for a new season of FROM SILENT TO STREAMING, where over the next 5 weeks we will go back in time almost a century to discover the origin and legacy of Hollywood's original "Film Franchise."

SEASON 3:  UNIVERSAL HORROR  begins March 1st.

The Searchers, John Ford's classic Western which gave birth to the anti-hero sect of the Western genre had a direct influence on one of the greatest films of the 1970's, Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver.

Inspired by John Ford, Akira Kurosawa went onto a legendary filmmaking career by using and expanding John Ford's legendary style.

John Ford's influence on Orson Welles inspired Welles to use ace cinematographer Gregg Toland, who shot The Grapes of Wrath and The Long Voyage Home in 1940 for Ford, just prior to shooting Citizen Kane.

John Ford arrives in Hollywood and works his way up from actor/stuntman to Hollywood legend.  The seeds of Ford's brilliance finally come to fruition with a pair of classics in the 1930's, THE INFORMER(1935) and STAGECOACH(1939).

Season 2 of FROM SILENT TO STREAMING will be the first edition of 'The Director's Spotlight.'  Kicking things off is an in depth analysis of the legendary John Ford.

Ava Duvernay's groundbreaking second feature about a young African-American medical student struggling with family conflicts and the threat of her husband remaining in prison is explored.  The film earned Duvernay the "BEST DIRECTOR" prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival which catapulted her into larger projects such as the Oscar nominated "SELMA".

From 2019, The Farewell, is a film by Lulu Wang. The film follows Billie as she copes with her family's decision to follow a Chinese custom and withhold her grandmother's diagnosis of terminal lung cancer.  Through this family crisis, Wang explores the culture clash of East vs West through the experiences of her main character played by an excellent Awkwafina(*Best Actress/Golden Globe).

The outstanding debut film by Soviet director Larisa Shepitko follows a former Soviet fighter pilot named Nadya and her struggle to cope with post war life.

Agnes Varda's revolutionary film about the meaning of "Happiness" as it related to young married women in the 1950's and 60's.

From 1971, directed by Louise Alaimo and Judy Smith and produced by an all female crew, The Woman's Film captures the birth of 'Consciousness-Raising Groups' and their effect on the Feminist Movement.  Women from the whole spectrum of ethnicities and cultures provide details of the struggle to live in a patriarchal society.

Welcome to "From Silent to Streaming", the only podcast dedicated to the Silent-era, the Streaming-era, and everything in between! Each season will cover a different genre, topic, issue, or even have a "Director Spotlight" which will be a season dedicated to a specific director. Tune in now!