On Episode 287 of the Enormocast, I connect through to America’s hat with Swiss crack-master, Didier Berthod. You might have heard about Didier from his recent send of Cobra Crack. The media mentions Didier disappearing from climbing for 10 years, returning to slay the Cobra, yada, yada, but that Didier’s completion of the Cobra has … Continue read…

In the early 2000s, Didier Berthod was the best crack climber in the world, then he dropped out of climbing and essentially disappeared from the world. When we left Didier Berthod in Facing the World Part 1, he had emerged from monastic life, contacted the daughter he had never seen, and returned to climbing. In … Continue reading "Enormocast Tween…

Access this entire 105 minute episode (and additional monthly bonus shows) by becoming a Junk Filter patron for only $5.00 (US) a month! Over 30% of episodes are exclusively available to patrons of the show. ⁠https://www.patreon.com/posts/169-cannons-with-105061266 The film writer Jessica Ritchey returns for a show about Cannon Films, and the aggre…

On Episode 285 of the Enormocast, after long last, I connect with Belgian rock-climber and alpinist, Nico Favresse. Nico is certainly a contender for the most experienced expedition rock-climber of all time. Perhaps only rivalled by his ubiquitous partner, Sean Villanueva-O’Driscoll? Nevertheless, Nico is an all-arounder who has tackled the biggest…

Elana Levin from Graphic Policy Radio returns to the show for a deep dive into the second wave of Ska music, a brief but influential era when black and white UK musicians fused Jamaican dance music of the sixties into punk and new wave music of the seventies to create a sound that would further revolutionize American popular music in the nineties. …

Access this entire 87 minute episode (and additional monthly bonus shows every month) by becoming a Junk Filter patron! Over 30% of episodes are exclusively available to patrons of the show. https://www.patreon.com/posts/167-civil-war-102981212 The comedy writer Ursula Lawrence (Drunk History, Adam Ruins Everything) returns to the show from Madison…

The writer Sean T. Collins joins the pod from Long Island for a deep dive into the original 1989 Road House and the 2024 remake now streaming on Amazon Prime. Sean’s book Pain Don’t Hurt offered daily meditations on specific elements of Road House for an entire year, and we discuss the many virtues of this eighties classic about Dalton, the second-…

On Episode 284 of the Enormocast, we connect across the pond to North Wales in the U.K. and into the living room of Emma Twyford. Emma is a pioneering woman in that rarified air of hard, desperate trad that only the old country can serve up. She is the first British woman to climb 9a … Continue reading "Enormocast 284: Emma Twyford – Getting on Wit…

On Episode 283 of the Enormocast, I sit down in a hotel in Munising, Michigan at the Michigan Icefest with Alaska-based alpinist, Clint Helander. What with the Chris Kalous Dance Party and the last call nightcap(s) at a bar literally called Whisky Dick’s, it had been a long night and an early morning for both … Continue reading "Enormocast 283: Cli…

CW: This episode discusses cinematic sexual violence. The founder of Fun City Editions, Jonathan Hertzberg, joins the podcast from New York City to discuss the boutique video label and their latest blu-ray release, 1983’s Deep in the Heart, aka Handgun, directed by Ken Loach’s longtime English producer Tony Garnett. Deep in the Heart, a brutal port…

Access this entire 89 minute episode (and additional monthly bonus shows every month) by becoming a Junk Filter patron! Over 30% of episodes are exclusively available to patrons of the show. https://www.patreon.com/posts/164-ghostbusters-101387544 The writer and friend of the pod Adam Jackson returns for a show about the Ghostbusters series, which …

The writer Corey Atad joins me from Phuket, Thailand for a sequel to our Junk Filter episode about Bane that turned into a discussion about Tenet, and we return to the topic because of the recent cultural reconsideration of Christopher Nolan’s 2020 time-bending thriller, which was released during the pandemic and has taken some time to find an audi…

Access this entire 99 minute episode (and additional monthly bonus shows every month) by becoming a Junk Filter patron! Over 30% of episodes are exclusively available to patrons of the show. https://www.patreon.com/posts/162-zone-of-with-100893723 The writer James Slaymaker, author of Time is Luck: The Cinema of Michael Mann, returns to the pod fro…

On Episode 282 of the Enormocast, I sit down with US Olympic qualifier, Natalia Grossman. That’s right, Natalia is headed to Paris to represent the US in Lead and Boulder combined (speed is separate this time around). But this moment was caught during a bit of down time for Natalia as she ramps up for … Continue reading "Enormocast 282: Natalia Gro…

On this in-between episode of the Enormocast, Harvey Wright from Episode 222 returns to discuss his ongoing treatment and recovery for addiction. But more importantly, Harvey is here to talk about his new album, Patio Pacifica, written almost entirely while in a Vancouver treatment facility. Also, we talk about the rough and dirty years since … Con…

The author Jacob Bacharach returns for a sequel to our Junk Filter episode about Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, with a look at his long-awaited Dune: Part Two. Villeneuve said in interviews that he thought of Frank Herbert’s novel as an allegory for the French Canadians under the thumb of the authoritarian government of Maurice Duplessis that used the Ca…

The writer and podcaster Will Sloan is back for a show about Burt Reynolds, who started the eighties as the most popular movie star in America but who by the end of the decade was consigned to a series of B-movies that asked less and less of him, in the years before his unexpected mid-nineties comeback in Boogie Nights (a film he hated even though …

In honour of Oppenheimer winning the Oscar for Best Picture, we're unlocking our July 26, 2023 premium episode about the film. Over 30% of Junk Filter episodes are available exclusively to patrons of the podcast: you can support the show directly and get every episode by going to patreon.com/junkfilter The film writer Corey Atad returns to the show…

On Episode 281 of the Enormocast, Jon Hawk and Tye Liggins from Memphis Rox join to discuss the mission of the famous pay-what-you-can gym, Memphis Rox, in the inner-city of Memphis, TN. Jon is director of operations, and Tye went from walk-in to head coach and course-setter. Memphis Rox, founded by Tom Shadyac in 2018, … Continue reading "Enormoca…

CW: This episode discusses cinematic sexual violence and racist themes. The film critic and author Adam Nayman returns to the show for a deep dive into Michael Cimino’s 1985 pulp crime thriller Year of the Dragon, starring Mickey Rourke, John Lone and introducing the fashion model Ariane Koizumi as the female lead. Year of the Dragon was Cimino’s a…

On Episode 280 of the Enormocast we present the 2024 Taps edition of the Enormocast. This is the annual episode where we lay to rest traditions, foibles, and notions in climbing that are either sadly going to sleep never to reawaken, or should be put to bed for good. The Enormocast is joined by our … Continue reading "Enormocast 280: Taps 2024 – Th…

This week, a Melbourne Rock n Roller…. Jacob Fitzgerald! He’s had a recent support slot with UK outfit Sea Girls and is opening for Pacific Avenue in Sydney next month. Jacob takes us through his love of Bruce Springsteen, old school rock and his band, The Electric City. Find out about the labour of love that is living - and creating music - with l…

The film writer Brandon Streussnig (Vulture, Fangoria, GQ) joins the pod for a discussion about the undersung director Peter Hyams through four of his science fiction movies across a career full of genre work, films that reveal a singular style can be applied to a craftsman, a former Chicago newsman turned director who also (controversially for his…

Artist Information Connect with Cannon Brand Instagram @CannonBrandMusic Youtube Spotify Apple Music Website Tour Merch Special thanks to Kate Martin for her contribution to this podcast. If you’d like a professional voice over for any of your projects, be sure to reach out to her via: Website Fiverr --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.…

On episode 279 of the Enormocast, we have an allt-ime double-header. First, David Smart joins from Toronto to talk about his life as a climber and his new book from The Mountaineers, Royal Robbins: The American Climber. Royal Robbins was one of the most influential climbers of all time, and David’s book is the most … Continue reading "Enormocast 27…

Lead guitarist. Vocalist. Master on the keys. There's not much The Vanns' Cameron Little can't do. Here, he drops in for a chat with Luke Scanlan to chat through his experience of the music biz and how The Vanns have developed such widespread appeal - all ahead of the band's huge regional tour across Australia across the next few months! As for his…

Masego. The artist carving out a whole genre of his own. TrapHouseJazz with splices of R&B, Soul and Rap. This guy isn’t afraid to express – isn’t afraid to experiment. On this episode of Alt. Down Under, the US star runs us through the brilliance of his band Sax Fifth Avenue, the fluid jazz style in his live shows and why he is dead-set on pulling…

Access this entire 89 minute episode (and additional monthly bonus shows every month) by becoming a Junk Filter patron! Over 30% of episodes are exclusively available to patrons of the show. https://www.patreon.com/posts/157-five-corners-96799903 The music and film writer and editor Kieran Grant joins us to discuss the 1987 comedy/drama Five Corner…

Time for an episode of Alt. Down Under with an artist with a real exciting future ahead of them… It’s Melbourne’s Ruby Cannon! Ruby drops by for a chat about her retro-inspired tunes that are based on her love of music that runs deep through both her life and her work as an artist. She also opens up on the challenges facing artists that are trying …

On Episode 278 of the Enormocast, I connect with Thomas Bukowski from my home to his van sitting in Yosemite. Thomas had just completed three El Cap routes in three days, and was recovering. His next adventures in Patagonia were just on the horizon. Thomas is an American citizen, but is also half Chinese and … Continue reading "Enormocast 278: Thom…

2024 is here and Alt. Down Under is back with a huge episode! Hit the link in the bio now to hear our chat with the ever-adapting and ever-changing Declan McKenna, fresh from his tour in AUS/NZ and appearance at Heaps Good in Adelaide. He tells all about coming through as a younger artist, with breakout hit ‘Brazil’, building confidence in his care…

As we stare down into the howling void of Government regulation of our dear sport, let us give thanks and a listen to Armando Menocal from 2015. Armando has made it his life’s work to keep the simpering bureaucrats in Washington and elsewhere at bay. But lately, they have reared their heads in an attempt … Continue reading "Enormocast Rebroadcast: …

Arizona-based writer and playwright Ashley Naftule returns to the podcast for a look at the Czechoslovak New Wave of the 1960s, focusing on the recently rediscovered 1963 film The Cassandra Cat, and its director Vojtěch Jasný. In the strange fairy tale The Cassandra Cat, a village is disrupted when a travelling circus comes to town featuring a magi…

Access this entire 107 minute episode (and additional monthly bonus shows every month) by becoming a Junk Filter patron! Over 30% of episodes are exclusively available to patrons of the show. https://www.patreon.com/posts/155-o-j-made-in-95579279 In the second part of our salute to Ezra Edelman’s 2016 documentary O.J.: Made in America, Karen Geier …

The writer and content strategist Karen Geier returns for a deep dive into Ezra Edelman’s Oscar-winning documentary from 2016, O.J.: Made in America, made for ESPN’s film unit ’30 for 30’ but released in theatres (the Academy changed the rules for the Documentary category after this 5 part docuseries won). This episode covers the first half of this…

On Episode 277 of the Enormocast, we connect with the inimitable Kurt Smith. Kurt grew up in the 70s in Tahoe and through friendships with local climbers like Rick Lovelace and encounters with Yosemite Climber, Kurt found himself in Joshua Tree amongst the Stonemasters in the early 80s. Soon, Kurt and his crew were making … Continue reading "Enormo…

Access this entire 93 minute episode and additional monthly bonus episodes by becoming a Junk Filter patron! Over 30% of episodes are exclusively available to patrons of the show. https://www.patreon.com/posts/153-godzilla-one-95000376 The cartoonist and co-creator of Justice Warriors, Ben Clarkson, joins the pod from Montreal to talk about Godzill…

This week in the Dream Gig Venue....it's Dulcie! Have you ever wondered how Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Freddie Mercury might handle event security? Then look no further. Ashleigh Carr White - vocals & keys for the WA outfit - runs us through how the two icons are set to take care of things at AshSLAY's. Plus - a look at Dulcie's rise over the pa…

HERE IT IS! Alt. Down Under’s interview with Foals, ahead of their upcoming tour of Aus & NZ. Listen in to hear Luke Scanlan’s chat with Foals guitarist Jimmy Smith! Jimmy tells all about being a part of the mid-late noughties Indie scene in the UK, how touring days haven’t really changed over the years and who out of the band rocks the budgie smug…

When we left the boys in the last Episode, they had just summited the Trango Tower via the 2nd ascent of Cowboy Direct. In this installment, the summit emotions and revelations come fast and furious as well as the realization that hits every alpinist on the summit: “Oh, shit, we still gotta get off this … Continue reading "Enormocast Tweener: A Can…

On Episode 276 of the Enormocast, three guys dreamed big and got it done. Climbers Jordan Cannon and Jesse Huey hitched their wagons to Matt Segal‘s long standing dream of free climbing the second ascent of Todd Skinner et al’s master piece, Cowboy Direct, on Trango Tower in Pakistan (AKA Nameless Tower). What ensued was … Continue reading "Enormoc…

The author Jacob Bacharach returns for a show about Ridley Scott’s latest, the 200 million dollar epic Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby. History nerds, YouTube film cranks and the Roman statue bluechecks on Twitter are up in arms about the latest from the Riddler, for straying too far from the real history and most egregiously f…

4 albums in 4 years. Countless tours. Big plans in 2024. Find out how the hell The Grogans are doing it! Here, drummer Jordan Lewis explains the love the band have for creating new music, how they are part of an ever-growing Alternative scene in Australia and why their name is actually Aussie slang for.....shit! Plus - his Dream Gig Venue - why are…

FIRST EPISODE IS HERE! Alt. Down Under is a new alternative music podcast with Luke Scanlan - your resident pomme who is on a mission to check out the hottest artists Australia has to offer - and the artists that travel all this way on tour. Kicking things off in episode numero uno is Lenny (Sam Barrett-Lennard) - the drummer of WA indie rockers, D…

On Episode 275 of the Enormocast, I sit down face to face with Finnish climber Anna Laitenin. After a youth in gymnastics, Anna found climbing and then almost accidentally found herself one of the best climbers in Finland. A life of competitions and pursuing hard climbs at home and beyond followed, as did becoming a … Continue reading "Enormocast 2…

The writer Jessica Ritchey returns to the pod for a show about the continuing collapse of the superhero movie as the dominant American film genre with the latest MCU entry, Nia DaCosta’s The Marvels, which cost $270 million dollars and after 4 release date changes finally opened last week and bombed as hard as a Marvel movie has ever bombed, especi…

On Episode 274 of the Enormocast, I connect over the Atlantic with Swiss alpinist, guide, and Eiger North Face aficionado, Roger Schaeli. Roger was born directly in the Swiss alps and learned to climb at an early age with his father. Surrounded by deep Swiss climbing culture, an early accident did not deter Roger, rather … Continue reading "Enormoc…

For the 150th episode of the podcast, returning guest Meg Shields joins me from Vancouver for a show about William Friedkin’s legendary horror film The Exorcist, which turns 50 years old this December. I had always been TOO SCARED to watch the original Exorcist (even though I had seen the first two sequels) so for this podcast, as a farewell tribut…

Access this entire 83 minute episode and additional monthly bonus episodes by becoming a Junk Filter patron! Over 30% of episodes are exclusively available to patrons of the show. https://www.patreon.com/posts/149-terence-with-91945894 To mark the passing of the great British filmmaker Terence Davies, I’m joined for this episode by two returning gu…

On Episode 273 of the Enormocast, I reconnect with Brette Harrington who appeared on the Enormocast in 2016. Just after that first appearance, Brette and Mayan Smith-Gobat left for an audacious attempt on free climbing Riders on the Storm on Torre Central on the Torres de Paine massif. Even though they failed in their ultimate … Continue reading "E…