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The Projection Booth PodcastThe Projection Booth has been recognized as a premier film podcast by The Washington Post, The A.V. Club, IndieWire, Entertainment Weekly, and Filmmaker Magazine. Author: Weirding Way Media
The Projection Booth has been recognized as a premier film podcast by The Washington Post, The A.V. Club, IndieWire, Entertainment Weekly, and Filmmaker Magazine. With over 700 episodes to date and an ever-growing fan base, The Projection Booth features discussions of films from a wide variety of genres with in-depth critical analysis while regularly attracting special guest talent eager to discuss their past gems.Visit http://www.projectionboothpodcast.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support. Language: en Genres: Film History, Film Interviews, TV & Film Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Episode 784: Arizona Dream (1993)
Episode 784
Wednesday, 28 January, 2026
Emir Kusturica’s Arizona Dream drifts between deadpan comedy and waking dream, a film where ambition, escape, and American myth collide at odd angles. Written by David Atkins and directed by Emir Kusturica, the 1993 features Axel (Johnny Depp) stranded between New York routine and Arctic fantasia after his cousin (Vincent Gallo) drags him west to Arizona. There, Axel falls into orbit around his Uncle Leo (Jerry Lewis) and the Stalkers—mother and daughter played by Faye Dunaway and Lili Taylor—each chasing a private version of freedom.Mike, joined by co-hosts Andras Jones and David Rodgers, unpacks how Arizona Dream bends tone and narrative into something closer to folklore than plot, balancing melancholy against absurdity. The conversation explores Kusturica’s outsider view of America, the film’s uneasy relationship with realism, and the way dreams—Inuit or otherwise—function as both refuge and trap. Mike also talks with screenwriter David Atkins about shaping the script, collaborating with Kusturica, and navigating a studio-era release that never quite knew what to do with a movie this strange.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.Become a supporter of The Projection Booth at http://www.patreon.com/projectionbooth
