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All About Al: The Pacino podcast
Episode 38: Cruising with Dion Baia
Cruising was a notorious movie upon release. It stoked up a lot of controversy over its footage and themes of homosexuality and violence. It also bombed at the box office and started Pacino's slump for the next few years. It derailed director William Friedkin's career for a couple of years too. However, over the past decade it has started to be re-assessed by film critic and cinephiles.
Joining the podcast to discuss the film and it's legacy is film critic and podcaster Dion Baia. Not only does Baia discuss the film and it's themes, but he also talks about a man named Randy Jurgensen, who was instrumental in helping get the film made and worked closely with Friedkin on the film.
All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, presented and produced by Mark Searby.
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 - 56. Episode 56: Angels In America with Brian Markinson37:53||Ep. 56Angels In America was a huge success on stage and on TV. The HBO mini-series, adapted from the Tony Kushner play, was a huge critical and commercial hit. It won awards left, right and centre. It featured an incredible ensemble cast including Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Justin Kirk, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeffrey Wright, Patrick Wilson and many more. Actor Brian Markinson appeared in many scenes with Al Pacino. He joins the podcast to discuss the mini-series, what it was like watching Pacino work, why it was such an impressive piece of work and how he was disarmed when first meeting Al.All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, produced and presented by Mark Searby.
 - 55. Episode 55: Two for the Money with Petros Patsilivas43:40||Ep. 55Two for the Money is written by Dan Gilroy and directed by D.J. Caruso, it see's Matthew McConaughey play Brandon Lang, a former college football star, who aligns himself with one of the most renowned touts in the sports-gambling business, Walter Abrams (played by Al Pacino). It is loosely based on the true story of Brandon Link, a former college footballer turned sports broker.The film celebrates it's twentieth anniversary on 7th October 2025. Podcaster Petros Patsilivas joins the podcast to celebrate the film's milestone and talk about his feelings towards having never seen it before. Patsilivas discusses the boxset the film randomly appears in, why he was hoping it would go bigger and what he thought to the surrogate father/son relationship between Pacino's character and McConaughey's.All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, produced and presented by Mark Searby.
 - 54. Episode 54: Dog Day Afternoon with Sheila O'Malley43:03||Ep. 54Dog Day Afternoon tells the story of a man, Sonny (Played by Al Pacino), and his best friend, Sal (played by John Cazale), as they decide to rob a bank to pay for Sonny's lover's sex change operation. But things don't go according to plan, Sonny & Sal end up taking hostages in a stand-off against the Police. Based on real events, this film features one of Al Pacino's greatest ever performances. It is still seen as a masterpiece fifty years after it was released.Film Critic Sheila O'Malley was exposed to Dog Day Afternoon from a very young age and it stayed with her through the years. She joins the podcast to explain why the film means so much to her, what going to the Actors Studio did for her to understand movies like this in greater detail and how Pacino's performance is full of vulnerability. All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, produced and presented by Mark Searby.
 - 53. Episode 53: Phil Spector with Jacqueline Cutler33:53||Ep. 53The film is based on the murder trials of record producer, songwriter and musician Phil Spector. It details the complicated relationship Spector had with his defence attorney, Linda Kenney Baden. Written and directed by playwright David Mamet, this HBO movie has Al Pacino starring opposite Dame Helen Mirren in a movie that said it was "an exploration of the client–attorney relationship". TV critic Jacqueline Cutler joins the podcast to talk about Pacino's second TV movie, why Pacino would have been aware of Spector from a young age and how Pacino once sang to her during an interview.All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, produced and presented by Mark Searby.
 - 52. Episode 52: Chinese Coffee with Libby Langdon29:14||Ep. 52Chinese Coffee received it's world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in 2000. So this podcast episode is celebrating it's 25th anniversary. Sort of. As it's a film that had three screenings and then disappeared. Directed by Pacino and based on the Ira Lewis play. It featured a small cast including Jerry Orbach, Susan Floyd, Ellen McElduff.One other actor who did appear in the film was Libby Langdon. But she left the film industry behind decades ago to become a successful interior designer. However, she joins the podcast to discuss appearing in Chinese Coffee. Libby talks about the audition process, the confusion over the start/stop filming schedule and why she will always have a soft spot for Al and his work.All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, produced and presented by Mark Searby.
 - 51. Episode 51: 88 Minutes with Stephen Moyer16:42||Ep. 5188 Minutes is a real-time thriller that saw Dr. Jack Gramm (Al Pacino) receive a phone call from a mysterious serial killer informing him that Gramm has just 88 minutes left to live. Directed by Jon Avnet and starring Alicia Witt, Leelee Sobieski, Amy Brenneman, Deborah Kara Unger, Benjamin McKenzie, Stephen Moyer and Neal McDonough.British actor Stephen Moyer joins the podcast to discuss appearing in the film. Moyer talks about how he got the call to appear in the film at the very last minute, why he had to wear a leather outfit and what it was like acting opposite Al Pacino via a telephone. All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, produced and presented by Mark Searby.
 - 50. Episode 50: Donnie Brasco with Tim Robey42:49||Ep. 50Donnie Brasco is based on the true story of Joe Pistone aka Donnie Brasco, who goes undercover in a New York mafia gang but finds himself being drawn more into their world thanks to his friendship with enforcer Left Ruggerio. A two-hander between Johnny Depp and Al Pacino ensures this quiet and unassuming mobster flick deserves huge praise. But is it all too often overlooked when talking about New York mafia movies?British film critic Tim Robey joins the podcast to discuss if it is overlooked. Tim also talks about why the film is about seduction, what the relationship between Lefty and Donnie is about and how he believes it is one of Pacino's best internal performances. All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, produced and presented by Mark Searby.
 - 49. Episode 49: Simone with Kristen Lopez41:07||Ep. 49Nobody was ready for a film about Artifical Intelligence in Hollywood back in 2002. Simone tells the story of film director Viktor Taransky (Al Pacino) who creates a new female lead actress from a computer programme for his new film because the real lead actress has quit. But Taransky is being blackmailed by two reporters who know the truth. The film flopped at the box office and has, over the years, been forgotten about. But now with the advent of A.I. everywhere, is it time to say Simone was ahead of it's time?Film critic, author and disability expert Kristen Lopez joins the podcast to discuss the film. She talks about why it failed to find an audience, whether it has come of age and is this a comedy performance from Al Pacino?All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, produced and presented by Mark Searby.
 - 48. Episode 48: Modigliani: Three Days on the Wing of Madness with Riccardo Scamarcio39:31||Ep. 48Al Pacino and his producing partner Barry Navidi have been trying to make a biopic of the Italian painter & sculptor Amedeo Modigliani for decades. Either Pacino was too busy or they couldn't get the financing or the script wasn't right. To the point where they both almost gave up. That is until Pacino told his friend Johnny Depp that he should direct the film. Depp stepped up and made Modigliani: Three Days on the Wing of Madness starring Al Pacino, Stephen Graham, Sally Phillips, Antonia Desplat and Bruno Gouery.Starring in the lead role as the legendary Modigliani is Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio, who joins the podcast to discuss the film. Scamarcio talks about how he became involved in the film, why it meant so much to him personally to play Amedeo Modigliani and what it was like doing twenty-seven pages of dialogue with Al Pacino.All About Al: The Pacino Podcast is written, produced and presented by Mark Searby.