Front Row Classics welcomes historians/writers Alain Silver and James Ursini this week. The two have penned a book celebrating the quintessential film noir, Double Indemnity. "From the Moment they Met it Was Murder: Double Indemnity and Rise of Film Noir" is a valuable resource for fans of this legendary movie. Brandon and the two authors discuss t…

Brandon is currently attending the 15th Annual Turner Classic Movies Film Festival. He recently spoke with TCM's SVP of Programming, Charlie Tabesh. Brandon and Charlie preview the various aspects of this year's festival and what passholders can look forward to. Be sure to check out Brandon's daily coverage on the festival on Front Row Classics' Fa…

Front Row Classics is taking a look at one of great films of the 1960s. Brandon and Emmett Stanton are discussing The Hustler. Robert Rossen's character study features one of Paul Newman's signature performances as Fast Eddie Felson. Brandon and Emmett praise the sharp camera work, screenplay and performances by a great cast including Piper Laurie,…

Front Row Classics is "working like a dog" this week. We're celebrating the 60th anniversary of A Hard Day's Night as well as the Beatle' arrival in America. Brandon is joined by author & film historian, Sloan De Forest. Sloan is a self-proclaimed "Beatle Maniac" and helps to provide great insight into this musical comedy directed by Richard Lester…

Front Row Classics is joining forces with Beyond the Mouse this week. We're celebrating the 65th Anniversary of Walt Disney's masterpiece, Sleeping Beauty. Brandon. Craig and Vanessa are proud to welcome Disney artist and animator, Michael Giaimo. The hosts discuss the elegance and pageantry that covers every frame of Sleeping Beauty. We spend time…

Front Row Classics welcomes author Katie Gee Salisbury this week. Katie has just penned a wonderful book on one of the 20th century's greatest pioneers of film, Anna May Wong. "Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong" is a page turning exploration of Wong's life set against the Jazz Age and early days of Hollywood. Salisb…

Front Row Classics is taking a look at one of the greatest romantic screwball comedies of the 1930s. Brandon is joined by Mia Tiffany from Movies with Mia to discuss 1937's The Awful Truth. Leo McCarey's film about marriage and infidelity still packs a hilarious and poignant journey for movie goers. Brandon and Mia discuss the fantastic chemistry b…

And that's a wrap on movie awards season 2024! The 96th Academy Awards have come and gone and we have a new champion atop the movie world. Oppenheimer took home the most awards of the night including the top prize but there were plenty of fun times to be had at a ceremony that finally felt like a true celebration of film again. Jeremy, Ryan, Erin o…

The tradition continues at the Front Row as we are proud to once again bring your our Oscars Forum! We have an absolutley packed house of Front Row personalities as we break down all 10 films nominated for Best Picture, what they're nominated for and what they might be able to take home on Oscars night. Join Ryan, Jeremy, Brandon, Brett, Erin, Alex…

The tradition continues at the Front Row as we are proud to once again bring your our Oscars Forum! We have an absolutley packed house of Front Row personalities as we break down all 10 films nominated for Best Picture, what they're nominated for and what they might be able to take home on Oscars night. Join Ryan, Jeremy, Brandon, Brett, Erin, Alex…

We're taking another look at one of the greatest comedies in movie history. Billy Wilder's Some Like it Hot is celebrating its 65th anniversary and remains a fresh and funny as it was in 1959. Jackson Cooper joins Brandon this week to discuss every memorable moment/ We also pay tribute to the incomparable performances of Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon…

Front Row Classics is pleased to welcome renowned Wizard of Oz expert & Judy Garland historian, John Fricke. John has contributed his knowledge and expertise to countless books, documentaries, and home video releases over the decades. He provides insight into why Garland remains a powerful pop culture figure more than fifty years after her death. B…

Front Row Classics is celebrating its 200th episode! I'm so very grateful for to you ,the listeners, for continuing to support this labor of love. For our 200th episode, we're welcoming a very special guest : legendary actress and wildlife activist, Stefanie Powers. Powers grew up in the heyday of Los Angeles and even attended Hollywood High School…

Front Row Classics welcome Turner Classic Movies host, Dave Karger, this week. Brandon and Dave are discussing his newest book "50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars & Filmmakers on Their Career-Defining Wins". Dave sat down with 50 past Oscar winners to recount the details of their respective victorious evenings. Some stories are triumphant & celebratory.…

Front Row Classics is celebrating Valentine's Day with one of the most popular romantic films to ever come out of Hollywood. Breakfast at Tiffany's remains one of Audrey Hepburn's most iconic works. Beyond the Mouse's Vanessa Ferguson and NPR Illinois' Bea Bonner join Brandon to discuss all aspects of the movie. The hosts discuss Hepburn's unlikely…

We at the Front Row Network love how movies still have such an impact on our culture at large. Front Row Classics host Brandon Davis welcomes professional wrestler, Benjamin Trust to the network this week. Ben is from the St Louis area and is making a name for himself in both Illinois and Missouri. We're taking a look at how Top Gun and Top Gun: Ma…

It's the best time of year for all of us cinephiles: Movie Award Season is BACK! The Guilds have begun logging their results and it's time to discuss the official nominations for the film industry's top prizes! The Academy Awards nominations are here and there is PLENTY to discuss. Ryan, Jeremy & Brandon break down the big 8 categories (actors, dir…

Front Row Classics has "got a lot of livin' to do" this week. Brandon is joined by Larry Aubrey to pay tribute to 1963's Bye Bye Birdie. Brandon and Larry discuss this fun and vibrant adaptation of the classis Broadway musical. The two talk the differences between the film and stage versions. Much of the conversation is spent lauding the star-makin…

Brandon welcome filmmaker/producer Doug Pray to Front Row Classics. Doug, along with Laura Gabbert, has helmed the six-episode docuseries "The Power of Film". The series stars UCLA Film Professor, Howard Suber, and shines a spotlight on film's impact on the human experience. Suber tells us why certain films remain forever ingrained in our memories …

Front Row Classics is taking a look at one of the most poignant melodramas of the 1950s. Brandon is joined by Jackson Cooper to discuss 1955's All That Heaven Allows. The two pay tribute to the work of director, Douglas Sirk, and his immaculate visual storytelling. We're also celebrating the performances of Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson as two people …

It's the best time of year for all of us cinephiles: Movie Award Season is BACK! The Golden Globes have come and gone and the Critics Choices are logged. But now it's time for the biggest voting block to make their winners known! That's rigth the SAG Awards are back for the 30th time and this year promises to be a truly competitive affair. Many rac…

Front Row Classics is thrilled to welcome back authors/journalists, David Fantle and Tom Johnson. David & Tom regale Brandon with incredible stories from their forty plus years of interviewing Hollywood legends. These stories can be found in their 2018 book, "Hollywood Heyday: 75 Candid Interviews with Golden Age Legends". We discuss their initial …

Front Row Classics is taking a look at one of the most popular comedies of the 1950s. How to Marry a Millionaire brought together three of Hollywood's most charismatic leading ladies: Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable. Brandon is happy to welcome Marina Tucker to discuss the movie. Marina (also known as Penelope Pink) is a professional…

It's the best time of year for all of us cinephiles: Movie Award Season is BACK! The annual kick-off of the battle for the statues begins again in 2024 with the 81st Golden Globe Awards. As usual, the Globes serve their unique place in not only honoring both film and television, but also as being the most free-for-all, anything goes, don't ask us o…

Happy New Year from Front Row Classics! We're kicking off the new year in style with something fun and frothy. Our friend Emmett Stanton joins us to celebrate the work of choreographer/director, Busby Berkeley. Brandon and Emmett are taking a look at three films with the Berkeley touch. All three films were, miraculously, released in 1933. 42nd Str…

Front Row Classics welcomes content creator and independent filmmaker, Hey Marianne to the podcast. Brandon is always excited to speak with someone who is engaging young people in watching classic film. The two discuss several topics including introducing classic film to millennials, holiday movies and movie musicals. Much of the discussion is spen…

Merry Christmas from Front Row Classics! We're celebrating the season with a classic holiday farce from Warner Bros. The Man Who Came to Dinner remains one of the greatest adaptations from stage to screen. Ben Burke, from the Hollywood Babylonians, podcast joins Brandon to discuss all of the wacky fun from this 1942 film. Discussion includes topics…

Front Row Classics is thrilled to welcome actress/producer, Jennifer Grant this week. Jennifer, the daughter of Cary Grant and Dyan Cannon, has co-produced the series Archie for BritBox. The series, starring Jason Isaacs, gives viewers a personal look at the man named Archie Leach. Leach would overcome childhood poverty and abandonment and create t…

Front Row Classics is taking a look at the Best Picture winner of 1944. Leo McCarey's Going My Way is a charming film that lifted the spirits of war weary audiences in 1944. IndieWire's Christian Blauvelt returns to pay tribute to this uplifting film that is perfect holiday viewing. Brandon and Christian discuss the Oscar winning performances from …

Front Row Classics welcomes celebrated author & film historian Donald Bogle. Bea Bonner ,with NPR Illinois' Community Voices, joins Brandon to discuss Bogle's new book, "Lena Horne Goddess Reclaimed". The book tracks Horne's trailblazing life & career which spanned remarkable triumphs and heartbreaking disappointments. Bogle discusses Horne's early…

Front Row Classics is taking another look at a holiday staplee 1942's Holiday Inn. This joyous musical is perfect for any time of year. But. it's especially fitting to view during the Christmas season. Brandon is joined by Kevin Hart and Jacqueline Keysear. Kevin is currently directing a production of Holiday Inn at the Hoogland Center for the Arts…

Feeling like you didn't get enough leftovers from Turkey Day? Well have no fear because we've got the latest episode of #FullDisclosure breaking down the new horror film sensation #Thanksgiving. Ryan Lootens and Steve Sykes return to spoil everything in what many are calling the new horror classic in the vein of the greatest slasher films of all ti…

Happy Thanksgiving from Front Row Classics. We're celebrating Noirvember with the Czar of Noir himself, Eddie Muller. Eddie has penned a new children's book, "Kid Noir: Kitty Feral and the Case of the Marshmallow Monkey". The book is a charming introduction to the world of classics film for younger kids. Brandon and Eddie discuss the inspiration be…

November 22 will be the 60th anniversary of one of the darkest days in American History. President John F. Kennedy's assassination has long been the subject of discussion and debate. Brandon Davis (Front Row Classics) and Lou Hare (Guilty Pleasures) are marking this anniversary by discussing one of the most talked about movies of the last generatio…

Front Row Classics is taking a look at one of the great film epics, George Stevens' Giant. This 1956 film still resonates with its themes of family, changing times and race relations. Tristan Tapscott joins Brandon to discuss the legendary production. The two take a look at the fine performances from Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean. Th…

The next episode of Beyond The Mouse is one for the history books...... but which history are we talking about exactly? We're jumping through time and timelines to talk to the Head Writer for the hit Marvel Cinematic Universe series Loki on Disney+, Eric Martin. Martin is known as a fantastic writer on Heels and fellow time travel adventure Rick an…

Front Row Classics is celebrating Veterans Day with one of the greatest home front dramas of Word War II. We're taking a look at Since You Went Away from 1944. This stellar production from David O. Selznick is a warm and sentimental story of a family's struggle to keep the home fires burning. Jessica Pickens joins Brandon to discuss this landmark f…

We're closing in on the holiday season, which means it will soon be time to enjoy our favorite Christmas movies once again. Brandon is thrilled to welcome back, author/film historian, Jeremy Arnold. Jeremy recently penned "Christmas in the Movies (Revised & Expanded Edition) : 35 Classics to Celebrate the Season". The book offers more than 70 pages…

Our last pod of #MonsterCast is a doozy and we've been anxiously awaiting releasing it. What better time than Halloween to bring back the creepiest show on the Network! Don't call it comeback....... except it IS! You've been asking and Sara and Jeremy RETURN with a brand new episode of #AreYouAfraidOfThePodcast. For the comeback episode they're pic…

We're nearing the end of #MonsterCast and as such HAVE to give you the definite rankings of ALL 21 FILMS in Hulu's #BiteSizeHalloween short film festival. The season 3 crop of films has some truly creepy and some incredibly unique and striking films and Sara and Jeremy take the time to give you the rundown on every single one of them. Enjoy! BITE S…

We're continuing MonsterCast with another director interview of last year's Huluween Horror Short Film Festival entries. Today we're concluding our series by talking with director Zoey Martinson about her film #Incomplete. This film is near the top of our list for the entire festival. It's creepy, well-executed and has a deeper meaning that you can…

#MonsterCast rolls right along towards it's conclusion but not before getting one more offering from the crazy folks over at #Flashback. For their final offering of the creepy season, they're taking a look at a true gem of the late 80s, #TheGate. Two young boys accidentally release a horde of nasty, pint-sized demons from a hole in a suburban backy…

We're continuing MonsterCast with another director interview of last year's Huluween Horror Short Film Festival entries. Today we're talking with director Brandon Espy about his film #MrCrocket. This is one of our top picks from the festival and has the extra creepy factor of redefining something from our childhoods for terror. A hyperactive young …

#MonsterCast continues with a truly fantastic offering from the crew over at Super GG Radio. For their 2023 #SpookySession, they're taking a look at Telltale Games' innovative take on the "choose your own adventure" style of gaming with their adaptation of the graphic novel and TV hit The Walking Dead. This game has a style all its own not only in …

We're continuing MonsterCast with another director interview of last year's Huluween Horror Short Film Festival entries. Today we're talking with directors Minsun Park & Teddy Tenenbaum about their film Ride or Die. This one is a truly original concept that is execture to perfection. It's literally "ride-or-die" for newly licensed teen driver Jemma…

We're continuing MonsterCast with another director interview of last year's Huluween Horror Short Film Festival entries. Today we're talking with director Natalie Metzger about her film Sleep Study. This film is a fantastic slow build to an insane finish which made it one of our absoute FAVORITES of the entire festival. A restless new mother confro…

#MonsterCast spotlights are continuing and we're back on the franchise train! This year, and in honor of the truly fantastic 3rd season of the USA & Sci-Fi series, we're breaking down the entire #ChildsPlay franchise. Spanning 7 feature films and a remake in 2019, this franchise features one of the most iconic horror characters of all time, Chucky …

We're continuing MonsterCast with another director interview of last year's Huluween Horror Short Film Festival entries. Today we're talking with director Robin Takao D'Oench about his film Trespassers. This is an old school throwback to the fake-out style of horror and the results are impressive and creepy. In their old family home, a woman and he…

We're continuing #MonsterCast with another director interview of last year's #Huluween Horror Short Film Festival entries. Today we're talking with director Samantha Aldana about her film #Angels. This film is very unique in how it deals with ideas of illness and faith in a sci-fi horror framework. A farmer caring for her dying mother has her praye…

We're continuing #MonsterCast with another director interview of last year's #Huluween Horror Short Film Festival entries. Today we're talking with director Michael Schwartz about his film #Snatched. This film has some fascinating metaphors at play and boasts the star-power of Emmy-winner Tatiana Maslany. After coming out as gay, a 15-year-old boy …