Season 4 : The OTHER Paul Williams

SEASON OVERVIEW

Paul Williams, the director (not the songwriter or the rock critic or the architect…) shares excerpts and outtakes from his memoir “Harvard, Hollywood, Hitmen & Holy Men” currently available as part of the Screen Classics collection from the University Press Of Kentucky. Williams is the director of “The November Men” which World is Wrong listeners will already be familiar with, as well as films like “Out Of It” (1969) and “The Revolutionary” (1970) both starring a young Jon Voight. Williams, with his production partner Edward Pressman, was a producer of films like Brian DePalma’s “Sisters” & “The Phantom Of The Paradise” as well as Terrence Malick’s “Badlands”. Beyond the movies, Paul rode the many of the movements of 1960’s, 70’s & 80’s, both political and cultural, with characters as varied as Julie Christie and Huey P. Newton, Fidel Castro and most of the “important” directors associated with New Hollywood

If you’re interested in the story of New Hollywood, Paul’s memoir fills in some major gaps. And if you’re too lazy (or cheap) to get the book, this podcast will give you a taste of what you’re missing.

EPISODE ONE - INTRODUCING PAUL WILLIAMS

In the inaugural episode of Season 4 of The World Is Wrong podcast: The Other Paul Williams, host Andras Jones conducts a brief interview/conversation with Paul about his book “Harvard, Hollywood, Hit Men & Holy Men” from the University Press of Kentucky…and previews what is to come.

EPISODE TWO - ALCHEMICAL BADLANDS

In this episode Paul Williams reads a segment from his memoir in which his alchemical transformation is interrupted by a labor dispute on the set of “Badlands”.

EPISODE THREE - MARGOT & THE GANG

When Paul and Margot Kidder fell in love in Hollywood in 1971 they found themselves at the center of a scene that included Brian DePalma, Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Jennifer Salt, Waldo Salt, Jill Clayburgh, Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel, Steven Spielberg, and Margot’s neighbors; producers Julia Phillips and her husband Michael.

Paul wanted to start a commune. Everyone else wanted to get rich and famous.

EPISODE FOUR - OUT OF IT

In 1967 Paul Williams wrote and directed the film “Out Of It”. His production partner Edward Pressman, cinematographer John G. Avildsen, and a cast of future TV stars and Jon Voight fell in with his sophisticated take on high school. By the time “Out Of It” was released in 1969 films like “The Graduate” & “American Graffiti” had already mined the territory and rendered “Out Of It” quaint. Today, it is celebrated by filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Larry Karaszewski, and shares some powerful resonance with the latest from Paul’s old friend Steven Spielberg, “The Fablemans”.

EPISODE FIVE - HUEY

Paul's relationship with The Black Panthers began on the streets of New Haven, Connecticut and led him to Algiers where he shot a film about the party with Eldridge Cleaver as plans were being laid for a guerilla attack on New York City which ultimately never happened. Years later, in California, Paul became friends with Huey P. Newton which in a roundabout way led him to Cuba and a basketball game with Francis Ford Coppola, Terrence Malick and Fidel Castro.

EPISODE SIX - MEISNER DILGO

Paul's experiences with Buddhist master Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche are a pre-cursor to his immersion in the Sanford Mesiner acting technique in a class led by Jon Voight and David Proval that featured some pretty impressive participants. Also in this episode: We announce screenings of Paul Williams' films in NYC at The Roxy Cinema during the last week of March and in Los Angeles at The New Beverly Cinema on April 18th & 19th.

EPISODE SEVEN - WITH BARRY GORDON at THE NEW BEVERLY CINEMA

In the final episode of Season 4 of The World Is Wrong podcast we visit The New Beverly Cinema (where filming and recording is strictly prohibited) to hear (and see) Paul W. Williams discuss his films "Out Of It" & "The Revolutionary" on April 18th & 19th, 2023.

In the second half (recorded on 4/19) Paul is joined by Barry Gordon, the star of "Out Of It". It is the first time the two have spoken in over 50 years.

The closing song is "Action" by Andras Jones from his upcoming album Recognize, De-escalate & De-code