Ep. 103 Walking Tall and the Legend of Buford Pusser
Send us a message!Buford Pusser was the larger-than-life Tennessee sheriff whose real-life crackdown on organized crime and moonshining became a 1973 cult classic film, Walking Tall, and later a 2004 remake. His image — a one-man lawman wielding a big stick and an unshakeable moral code — turned him into a folk hero and a convenient template for American vigilante myth-making.The legend has always been messy: celebrated for taking on the Dixie Mafia and corrupt vice networks, yet shadowed by violence, unanswered questions, and recent investigations that now implicate him in his wife’s 1967 death, a development that recasts the story in darker, more complicated light. Join Joe and me as we unpack that collision of myth and evidence. We’ll trace Pusser’s rise, the making and influence of Walking Tall, the new revelations that challenge the old narrative, and what the whole saga says about American appetite for heroic violence and redemption.Warning: Spoilers ahead! ⚖🎙️ Click here for more on the Behind the Bastards podcast. Support the showFind me on X (Twitter) and Instagram @vitophone or thegatesofcimino.comhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2047429/supportThis episode brought to you by Vitophone.
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Ep. 102 The Murder of Pier Paolo Pasolini and the Shadow of Salò
Send us a message! 🎬 A Cimino Confidential Pier Paolo Pasolini was a poet, filmmaker, and political lightning rod—and his murder in 1975 remains one of Italy’s most unsettling mysteries. In this episode, we revisit the night of his death and the official story that never quite added up. We also explore the legacy of Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, Pasolini’s final and most controversial film, and how its brutal imagery and political allegory continue to provoke debate. Was Pasolini targeted for his art, his activism, or both? The answers lie in the shadows he left behind. 🎙️ Support the showFind me on X (Twitter) and Instagram @vitophone or thegatesofcimino.comhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2047429/supportThis episode brought to you by Vitophone.
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Ep. 101 The Final Act of Gig Young
Send us a message!🎬 A Cimino Confidential He won an Oscar for playing a man who presided over desperation. Offscreen, he lived it. Gig Young was Hollywood’s charming second fiddle, the witty drunk, the romantic rival, the man who never quite got the girl. But in 1969, he stunned the industry with a searing performance in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, earning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Less than a decade later, he would make headlines again—this time for a murder-suicide that left the world asking: what went wrong?In this episode, we trace the arc of a man whose life was as layered and tragic as any role he played. From studio contracts and failed marriages to the haunting final scene in a New York apartment, this is The Final Act of Gig Young. 🎙️Support the showFind me on X (Twitter) and Instagram @vitophone or thegatesofcimino.comhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2047429/supportThis episode brought to you by Vitophone.
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Ep. 100 Marjoe
Send us a message!To mark our 100th episode, actor/writer Vince Cusimano joins me for a deep dive into the electrifying, Oscar-winning documentary Marjoe (1972). We unpack the unbelievable true story of Marjoe Gortner—a child preacher turned charismatic showman—whose final revival tour became a jaw-dropping exposé of faith, performance, and manipulation.From tent revivals to Hollywood, Marjoe’s journey is as surreal as it is sobering. Spoilers abound (as always), so buckle up for a conversation that’s part film analysis, part cultural autopsy.🎧 Join us for this milestone episode!Support the showFind me on X (Twitter) and Instagram @vitophone or thegatesofcimino.comhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2047429/supportThis episode brought to you by Vitophone.
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Ep. 99 Commune
Send us a message!🎙️ Welcome to a special episode celebrating the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking 2005 documentary Commune! Join me and its director Jonathan Berman as we revisit the film that captured the spirit, struggles, and radical dreams of the Black Bear Ranch commune. We’ll explore its enduring legacy, the stories behind the camera, and why this slice of counter-cultural history still resonates today.Please visit https://www.opensignalstudios.com/films/commune for more info!And @communethemovie on social media. Support the showFind me on X (Twitter) and Instagram @vitophone or thegatesofcimino.comhttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2047429/supportThis episode brought to you by Vitophone.
The dive bar of cinema podcasts! Unscripted. All things movies. Each show is dedicated to an interesting backstory in the history of film. We'll be talking about films, actors, books on films, moments in film history, etc. So pull up a seat and join us! Warning: We spoil everything!
South Africa