74. The Journeyman: Curtis Hanson #6: White Dog (1982)

May 21, 2026 by Armando Gonzalez in Film Movies Cinema, Curtis Hanson

Spoiler alert: Bryan and A.J. are very excited to talk about White Dog (1982), directed by the great Samuel Fuller and co-written by Fuller and Curtis Hanson (we also give away plot details and the ending). Paramount executives were expecting this story, about an actress who realizes the dog she has taken in has been trained to attack Black people on sight and the animal trainer who tries to retrain the dog, to be a sensational horror movie, but Fuller (director of Shock Corridor and The Naked Kiss) created a thoughtful art film that deals directly with racism. In going through the history and release of White Dog a familiar pattern emerges: Hanson writes a screenplay hoping to direct, does not direct, the film is made, and then shelved or not released, at least not in America. We marvel at the talent involved on and off screen, including great performances from Kristy McNichol and Paul Winfield and a score by the legendary Ennio Morricone. We also talk about the film’s non-release, speculate on what White Dog would have been like if Hanson had directed, and are impressed by Hanson’s resilience after another career setback that should have been a breakthrough. This episode’s themed drink was: Jim Beam.

73. The Journeyman: Curtis Hanson #5: The Little Dragons (AKA Karate Kids USA) (1979/80)

April 02, 2026 by Armando Gonzalez in Film Movies Cinema, Curtis Hanson

Curtis Hanson is finally back in the director’s chair, from start to finish, and it is for the now quite obscure kids movie The Little Dragons, AKA Karate Kids USA (1979) Unsurprisingly, this is not a movie that comes up in interviews with Hanson so we had a hard time digging up any background or behind the scenes information. Bryan and A.J. try to make sense of this movie about a pair of young brothers who use their karate skills to foil a kidnapping that is trying to be a mix of The Bad News Bears, The Hardy Boys, and Deliverance. We speculate on how and why this movie changed titles, marvel at the long life and career of character actor Charles Lane, and share the moments that broke our brains. This episode’s themed drink was: cans of beer.

71. The Journeyman: Curtis Hanson #4: The Silent Partner (1978)

December 22, 2025 by Armando Gonzalez in Film Movies Cinema, Curtis Hanson

It’s our 2nd annual Christmas Episode! Our journey through the work of Curtis Hanson brings us to the Christmas crime thriller The Silent Partner (1978). Hanson wrote the screenplay, based on a Danish novel, with the hope that he would direct. Things didn’t work out that way but he did have a hand in completing the film. We talk about Christopher Plummer’s incredible and frightening performance as a psychopathic bank robber; it might be his most intense performance as a villain. We also talk about Elliott Gould’s great performance as a mild mannered bank teller who only seems average and unassuming. There’s a lot to discuss from how the film balances sometimes wildly different tones, to the Canadian tax shelter film era, an appearance of a young John Candy, and how, despite very positive reviews, The Silent Partner went mostly unseen in America. Tangents include: First Blood and the Rambo movies and declaring that Showgirls is forever. This episode’s themed drink was: Glühwein

69. The Journeyman: Curtis Hanson #2: Sweet Kill (1972) AKA The Arousers

October 29, 2025 by Armando Gonzalez in Curtis Hanson, Film Movies Cinema, Horror

Curtis Hanson began his directorial career by working for none other than the legendary Roger Corman with the Psycho knock off Sweet Kill (1972). Even though the final version was not the film either Hanson or Corman wanted, it is still an interesting first film and gives us plenty to talk about. We go into how the movie came together, was reshot and retitled, and how the same thing happened to Martin Scorsese with his first film for Roger Corman. We also talk about Tab Hunter and his lowkey performance of a psycho killer. This episode’s (somewhat themed) drink was: All Kings Brut Classic Sparkling White Wine.

68. The Journeyman: Curtis Hanson #1: The Dunwich Horror (1970)

September 12, 2025 by Armando Gonzalez in Film Movies Cinema, Curtis Hanson, Horror

Season 4 is here and we begin our journey through the career of of Curtis Hanson with his first credited work as a co-screenwriter for The Dunwich Horror (1970). A.J. explains why he chose Curtis Hanson and Bryan provides some background on Hanson’s early life and career beginnings. We discuss how The Dunwich Horror fits into the post-Rosemary’s Baby horror landscape and how it helped Sandra Dee shed her child-star persona. We also talk about the influence of American International Pictures (AIP), Roger Corman, and H.P. Lovecraft. This episode’s themed drink was: spiked tea.