Young engaged couple Val and Barbara bring their wildly different families together for one tense dinner. To win over Barbara’s ultra-conservative father, Val’s gay, club-owning dad Armand hides his drag queen partner Albert and pretends to embody straight-laced American values. But as the evening unravels, keeping up appearances gets hilariously out of hand.

Craig, Elisabeth and guest Liz Serna talk about they gay 90’s, despicable children, the sexiness of Christine Baranski and the movie “The Birdcage” on this week’s Matinee Heroes!

Show Notes

• 0:58

  Craig, Elisabeth and Liz Serna continue June Hackman month by discovering which Gene Hackman movies are Liz's favorites.

• 5:21

  Craig, Elisabeth and Liz discuss "The Birdcage"

• 56:01

  Recasting

• 1:22:45

  Double Feature

• 1:32:52

  Final Thoughts

• 1:38:11

  A preview of next week's episode "Crimson Tide"

Next week, we continue June Hackman with him dueling Denzel in "Crimson Tide"

A meticulous surveillance expert begins to unravel when a routine wiretap reveals a conversation he doesn’t fully understand—but can’t ignore. As his paranoia grows, he’s forced to question what’s real, what’s hidden, and whether he’s complicit in something far darker than he imagined.

Craig, Elisabeth and guest Brendan Agnew talk about paranoia, Christmas cookies, clogged toilets and the movie “The Conversation” on this week’s Matinee Heroes!!

Show Notes

• 0:51

  Craig, Elisabeth and Brendan Agnew introduce June Hackman month by discovering which Gene Hackman movies are Brendan's favorites.

• 11:38

  Craig, Elisabeth and Brendan discuss "The Conversation"

• 54:10

  Recasting

• 1:09:25

  Double Feature

• 1:15:00

  Final Thoughts

• 1:23:32

  A preview of next week's episode "The Birdcage"

Next week we continue June Hackman with one of his funniest roles in "The Birdcage"

Recorded live at EmpireCon 2019 in Los Angeles, this episode of Conversations with Craig lifts the curtain on the unsung crew who brought the original Star Wars trilogy to life—Jawas, model-makers, second-unit directors, and yes, Yoda’s actual right hand. From childhood desert shoots to Harrison Ford with a saw, this panel had it all.

• Jawa Justice League: Three OG Jawas—Tim Donaldson, Andrea Wickman, and Fraser Diamond—recall what it was really like filming in Death Valley, sweating through robes, carrying disassembled droids, and surviving desert wildlife.
• Ford v. Falcon: Second-unit director Harley Cokeliss reveals how a frustrated Harrison Ford nearly sawed a hole through the Millennium Falcon during a lighting delay.
• Puppets and Persistence: Mike Quinn, the man behind Nien Nunb and Yoda’s right hand, explains how hanging around the set got him the job—and a footnote in Star Wars history.

“Star Wars is kind of like the genie that just keeps granting wishes.” - Mike Quinn

Want more exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes stories from the people who bring your favorite characters to life? Subscribe to our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or on your favorite podcasting platform for more behind-the-scenes stories and exclusive interviews.