This week, Chain Link Theater steps out of the shadow of Xanadu to follow the understated elegance of a Hollywood mainstay. We’re tracing the silver-screen poise of Joseph Cotten from the inner circle of the Mercury Theatre to the sweltering, overcrowded streets of 1973’s Soylent Green.

We’ll explore how Kane’s oldest friend transitioned from the heights of the Golden Age to the gritty realism of the 70s, playing the high-society victim whose ***** kicks off cinema’s most infamous culinary conspiracy. Is it a haunting eco-thriller ahead of its time, or just a grim recipe for the future?

Mind the humidity and watch your rations—we’re uncovering the secret ingredient of Soylent Green.

This week, Chain Link Theater abandons the wreckage of 1980s animation to trace the lineage of a legend. We’re following the booming baritone of Orson Welles back to where the myth truly began: 1941's Citizen Kane.

We’ll explore how a 25-year-old radio wunderkind was handed the "keys to the kingdom" and used them to dismantle the American Dream. Is it still the greatest movie of all time?

Grab your cigars and your opera tickets—we're going big with the life and times of Citizen Kane.

This week, Chain Link Theater shifts from the absurd pastures of Britain to the neon battlegrounds of outer space! Join us as we explore the voice of Wreck-Gar in the 1986 cult classic, The Transformers: The Movie. It’s a high-octane leap into a world of heavy metal soundtracks, planet-eating planets, and the chaotic charm of Eric Idle.

We’ll dive into how Idle’s signature wit brought a touch of "junkion" madness to this epic toy commercial and discuss the film’s legacy as a bold, often traumatizing, turning point for a generation of fans.

Buckle up and prepare for universal greetings—Chain Link Theater transforms and rolls out with Eric Idle in The Transformers: The Movie(...The 1986)

This week, Chain Link Theater(celebrating our TENTH episode!) journeys back to medieval England—very loosely—to follow John Cleese into our oldest movie yet! Join us in 1975 with Monty Python and the Holy Grail, where low budgets, high absurdity, and anarchic comedy rewrote the rules of parody forever.

We’ll trace Cleese’s many faces and dig into how this film became both a cult phenomenon and a permanent fixture of pop culture shorthand.

Sharpen your swords and mind the shrubbery—Chain Link Theater rides forth with Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

This week, Chain Link Theater follows the trail from the San Francisco convent to the high-stakes desert of Nevada. We’re tracking Kathy Najimy as she sheds the habit and joins an ensemble of eccentrics in Jerry Zucker’s chaotic pursuit of gold: Rat Race.

We'll explore Najimy’s transition from singing sister Mary Patrick to the loving mother Beverly Pear, and break down whether this 2001 treasure hunt still crosses the finish line.

Pack your bags—Chain Link Theater is hitting the road with Rat Race.

This week on Chain Link Theater, we follow the chain from the bloody warehouse floor and color-coded nicknames straight into the Reno lounge scene and the holiest hideout in San Francisco. We’re tracking Harvey Keitel, an actor who usually solves problems with a gun, as he chases Whoopi Goldberg right into the habits of Emile Ardolino’s musical juggernaut, Sister Act.

We talk about the whiplash of seeing Keitel apply his signature intensity to a Disney comedy villain, and we discuss how his specific brand of menace fits into a world of singing nuns and slapstick humor.

Then we crack open Sister Act itself: the box office smash, the cultural nostalgia, and the bizarre collision of mob violence and gospel music. We break down the structure of the script, the mechanics of the musical numbers, and the "fish out of water" formula to see how this 90s staple holds up today.

Put on your habit and get ready for choir practice—because this week, Chain Link Theater is going undercover in the convent to find out if this movie still hits the high notes.

This week on Chain Link Theater, we follow the chain from awkward side characters and scene-stealing weirdos straight into a warehouse full of black suits, thin ties, and very bad decisions. We’re tracking Steve Buscemi, an actor who built an entire career out of feeling slightly off, as he barrels headfirst into Quentin Tarantino’s debut pressure cooker, Reservoir Dogs.

We talk about how Buscemi carved out a lane no one else could occupy, and how he became one of the most recognizable faces of ’90s independent cinema without ever trying to be cool.

Then we crack open Reservoir Dogs itself: the low-budget miracle, the Sundance walkouts, and the movie that announced a new voice in American filmmaking with profanity, pop music, and blood-soaked confidence. We break down the film’s structure, its razor-sharp dialogue, the ensemble chemistry, and why a movie with no heist, no heroes, and no mercy still rewired crime movies overnight.

Put on your black suit, don’t ask about the diamonds, and maybe stop arguing about tipping—because this week, Chain Link Theater is bleeding out in a warehouse and loving every second of it.

This week on Chain Link Theater, we follow the chain away from the triple-dog-dares of Indiana and into the absurdist, dodgeball-fueled halls of 1995’s Billy Madison. We’re tracking the "Old Man" himself, Darren McGavin, as he trades his flickering leg lamp and "fra-gee-lay" crates for finding an heir to his corporate empire of Madison Hotels.

We dive into how McGavin brings his signature "grumpy but gold-hearted" patriarch energy to the mid-90s, acting as the perfect foil to Adam Sandler’s chaotic, shampoo-obsessed man-child. We talk about the sheer whiplash of moving from 1940s nostalgia to a world of giant imaginary penguins, O’Doyle family dominance, and the most high-stakes academic decathlon in cinematic history.

Pack your Lunchables, watch out for the flaming bags of poop, and hold on to your butts—it’s time to go back to school with Chain Link Theater!