Eye! Knife! Raven! Doll! Coffin! Sam is back for your monthly Monday Afternoon adventure. Today's wild movie? Sweet, Sweet Rachel , a 1971 TV movie starring Pat Hingle , Louise Latham , and Alex Dreier . When a murderer strikes using psychic power as a weapon, an expert on paranormal and ESP abilities uses his knowledge to try andtrack down the killer. Juicy subplot: Will Sam's voice make it to the end without a functioning humidifier? Tune in to find out! Sam's guest today is Bridger Winegar : ...
Jul 01, 2025•1 hr 30 min
Let the prison tropes begin! Sam Pancake has a hot caged piece of heat for you with this episode. The movie? WOMEN IN CHAINS , the 1972 American television film directed by Bernard L. Kowalski . Originally released for ABC's Movie of the Week, the film stars Ida Lupino , Jessica Walter & Belinda Montgomery . Sam's guest today is Pete Zias : actor, commedian, and alum of The Groundlings Sunday Company and The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Love what you hear? Want to show your support for ...
May 27, 2025•1 hr 26 min
Let the Ritual of Evil begin! This month's episode of Monday Afternoon Movie brings back super podcast guest Stacie Ponder to dissect the classic RITUAL OF EVIL, a 1970 American made-for-television drama directed by Robert Day and starring Louis Jourdan. It was made as a sequel to Fear No Evil (1969) Want to show your support for Sam & The Monday Afternoon Movie? Make sure to follow on the official Patreon page and pledge a few bucks if you are able. PATREON PAGE Show Links: Sam Pancake's In...
Apr 29, 2025•1 hr 52 min
The Monday Afternoon Movie hiatus is officially over! Sam Pancake is back to recap and analyze your favorite made for TV movies and specials, in a way that only he can. He continues his march into 70's and 80's TV movie madess with Five Desperate Women, a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week starring Robert Conrad & Joan Hackett. To help Sam break down the plot for us, he's bringing back actor & comedian Sarah Burns (of HBO's Enlightened & Barry). You may also remember her from the previous ep...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 52 min
What better Christmas present could Monday Afternoon Movie offer you than a holiday special with special guest Lauren Graham ? Not only is she one of the titular Gilmore Girls, she’s also a bona fide Christmas movie star in her own right as a result of starring in both Bad Santa and appearing in this year’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. And she’s also Sam’s IRL bestie, and they’re joining forces to discuss 1972’s THE HOUSE WITHOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE, starring Lisa Lucas and Jason Robards. Watch...
Dec 23, 2024•1 hr 16 min
We don’t like to brag on this podcast — we don’t, we swear! — but presented for your holiday delight is possibly the best union of guest and subject matter we’ve done so far: kickass drummer Patty Schemel and the 1968 made-for-TV Christmas classic, The Little Drummer Boy. Yes, this is a non-scary episode of the podcast, unless you find the Rankin/Bass stop-motion animation slightly unsettling, and many of us do. Listen to Sam and Patty reminisce about the 90s, her days in the band Hole, drugs an...
Dec 16, 2024•1 hr 28 min
Welcome to a special Halloween edition of Monday Afternoon Movie, in which we discuss not a hilarious made-for-TV gem that is enjoyable on a camp level but instead a TV movie that is actually scary. We speak of GHOSTWATCH, a 1992 BBC broadcast that took many an at-home viewer by surprise when it first aired. To say too much would ruin a first-time viewing experience, so Sam — joined by returning guest Roz Hernandez ! — will not be giving away the whole plot. Instead, let their conversation inspi...
Oct 28, 2024•1 hr 7 min
A hero returns just when we need him most! Is it Darren McGavin’s Carl Kolchak? No! It’s Sam Pancake, here to discuss the second of the Kolchak movies in which a host of crabby white men go on and on in the face of supernatural peril. This time, Sam is joined by professional funny-acting person Jack Plotnick , to discuss the highs and lows of the made-for-TV horror subgenre. Get even more Monday Afternoon Movie on Patreon ! Follow Sam on X (formerly known as Twitter)...
Sep 30, 2024•1 hr 39 min
You might think that if anyone was going to follow up the iconic film Rosemary's Baby with further tales of the plucky Woodhouse family, they would do so with the skill and thoughtfulness that made the original so celebrated. Well, you woulnd't be correct, because the 1976 ABC TV movie LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ROSEMARY'S BABY tosses out the prestiga of the original for the wackadoo kookiness that you'd find in any made-for-TV horror flick of the era. Fortunately for Sam, his guest for the explora...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 56 min
Have you ever been watching reruns of That Girl and felt like Ted Bessell seemed too villainous to be playing Marlo Thomas’s boyfriend? If yes, then we’ve got the movie for you. Originally airing in 1973, SCREAM, PRETTY PEGGY has Bessell starring opposite Bette Davis and Sian Barbara Allen in a thriller that sure wants to earn the adjective “Hitchcockian.” Sam is joined by Andrew Hopf to discuss whether it earns it. Get even more Monday Afternoon Movie on Patreon ! Follow Sam on X (formerly know...
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 48 min
Also known as Night Drive, this 1974 made-for-TV thriller stars none other than Valerie Harper as a lady motorist pursued by a psychopath. Is it a distaff Duel or an even scarier Crossroads? Here to answer that question are two of Sam's comedy chums, performers Carrie Aizley and Christen Sussin . Sam Pancake's X (Formerly known as Twitter)
Jul 01, 2024•1 hr 40 min
Warning: This episode (and this TV film) concerns child pornography and might be upsetting for some listeners. What’s this? A return to the “teen trauma” wave of TV movies? YES! And it’s all thanks to this week’s guest, Margaret Cho , who made the suggestion that Sam look into this real doozy of a telefilm. FALLEN ANGEL stars Melinda Dillon as the mother of a tween who runs afoul of child pornographers. So yeah, this is heavy, but Sam and Margaret treat it like a real-life horror film… because i...
May 27, 2024•1 hr 43 min
Will Shelley Winters finally have her revenge on Sam Pancake and the Monday Afternoon Movie? Now that we're back to the horror genre, Sam has invited iconic filmmaker and confirmed cult leader Peaches Christ into the fold to talk about REVENGE!, the 1971 ABC movie of the week starring Sam's nemesis, Dame Shelley Winters, Bradford Dillman, and Stuart Whitman. In what very much feels like a precursor to the classic Stephen King story Misery, a vigilante mother will do anything to get revenge again...
Apr 29, 2024•1 hr 39 min
Just like the Langoliers, the Monday Afternoon Movie marches on. Covering part two of the Stephen King (or Stephanie Queen if you prefer the drag version) two-part miniseries The Langoliers. The film stars some heavy hitters of television at the time: Bronson Pinchot from Perfect Strangers, Dean Stockwell from Quantum Leap, and three-time Emmy winner Pattricia Wettig from Thirtysomething. Help support Monday Afternoon Movie by pledging a few bucks a month on our Patreon ! The top subscribers can...
Mar 25, 2024•1 hr 4 min
Let the horror continue on the new season of Monday Afternoon Movie, with your host Sam Pancake. We are bringing out Stephen King for this episode, specifically the 1995 TV mini-series THE LANGOLIERS, starring Patricia Wettig, Dean Stockwell, Bronson Pinchot, and Tom Holland (no, not Spider-Man). Joining Sam on this mysterious departure into the light is a returning guest, comedian and writer Jonathan Cerda-Rowell! A group of passengers on a plane are flaberghasted when they fly through a strang...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 30 min
Welcome back to the Monday Afternoon Movie! Sam's return to horror continues with this 1975 episode of ABC's Wide World of Mystery that features the premiere of the one and only Kate Mulgrew. Here to probe into this 70's television masterpiece is none other than drag queen, activist, actor and Drag Race veteran Nina West, aka Andrew Levitt. A lonely teen struggles emotionally after the loss of her parents and begins a strange amorous relationship with a man named Marc that lives inside of a tele...
Feb 27, 2024•1 hr 46 min
Let the new season of horror begin! Sam Pancake is here in the new year to get back to the Monday Afternoon Movie roots, which is all that is shocking and scary and sometimes ridiculous. He's asked actor and now returning guest Alec Mapa to sit down with him to watch the 1972 film THE PEOPLE, starring William Shatner, Kim Darby, and Diane Varsi. A school teacher takes a job teaching at a very rural school where she discovers that the locals adhere to very strict rules regarding their society as ...
Jan 29, 2024•1 hr 32 min
OMG OMG OMG Bruce Vilanch! Okay, now that that is out of the way... Part two of the Monday Afternoon Movie holiday special has arrived, and it has brought with it not frankincense and myrrh, but definitely two wise men in Sam Pancake and THE legendary Bruce Vilanch. We just had to include him in any conversation revolving around the Star Wars holiday special as he was one of the writers of this "timeless" classic. 😉 Bruce also touches on some of the other greatest hits of his career, such as Ma...
Jan 01, 2024•53 min
It wouldn't quite feel like the holidays without a Monday Afternoon Movie holiday special. For that special, why not cover the infamous pinnacle of all holiday variety shows, The Star Wars Holiday Special?! The whole crew is begrudgingly and contractually back to bring a truly forgettable viewing experience to your late 1970's television sets. Mark Hamill is here as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford is back as Han Solo, and everyone's favorite space Mom Carrie Fisher is back as Princess Leia Organa....
Dec 26, 2023•56 min
It's the Halloween Special part two, covering the fourth installment of one of the most famous horror series ever. That infamous New England house is back in Amityville: The Evil Escapes aka A HIDEOUS GAY LAMP IS KILLING MY FAMILY aka DON'T STICK YOUR HAND IN A GARBAGE DISPOSAL aka DON'T OPEN YOUR MOUTH UNDER AN OPEN SEWER PIPE. Joshua Tonks is back, all the way from England (supposedly) to share his thoughts and quips with all of us. He says he's English, but is he really? Only Sam knows the sh...
Nov 07, 2023•1 hr 18 min
Ok y’all- for my Halloween episode(s) this year, I decided to take us on a trip to that fated Dutch Colonial Mansard-Roofed House of Horror with the Glowing Demonic Window/Eyes. I had never seen the fourth installment and first TVM iteration of the frenetic “Amityville Horror” franchise, 1989’s AMITYVILLE HORROR: THE EVIL ESCAPES aka AMITYVILLE 4: THE EVIL ESCAPES aka A HIDEOUS GAY LAMP IS KILLING MY FAMILY. Y’all. Y’all!??! Y’ALL. The good news is that you can watch this jaw-dropper most anywhe...
Oct 31, 2023•1 hr 13 min
Time to drop back into the satanic panic of 1982 with the second half of the Tom Hanks led TV film Mazes and Monsters, also starring Wendy Crewson and Chris Makepeace. Joining Sam again is TableCakes own Meika Grimm, editor of this very podcast. She has also edited a number of our sister podcasts, including Smart Mouth. She is an L.A. based digital creator, musician, and audio/video engineer. We return to the story with our lead Robbie experiencing vivid dreams of his missing brother Hall. After...
Oct 23, 2023•1 hr 31 min
You're going to want to bring out the 20 sided dice, blacklights, and Mountain Dew for this one. We're staying in the year 1982, but after a string of teenage wasteland themed episodes, it's time to get back to the show's roots. That right! Horror! Specifically the Tom Hanks led film Mazes and Monsters, also starring Wendy Crewson and Chris Makepeace. Joining Sam today is TableCakes own Meika Grimm, editor of this very podcast. She has also edited a number of our sister podcasts, including Smart...
Oct 16, 2023•1 hr 16 min
We're back in good ol' 1982 for part two of the apex of the teenage wasteland movies, Desperate Lives, starring Helen Hunt, Diana Scarwid, and Doug McKeon. Joining Sam again for the conclusion is actor, writer, and comedian Arden Myrin (Secret Chef, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). Two high school kids from anytown, USA get involved with the wrong crowd and fall heavily into drugs, causing progressively worse and worse things to happen to them and their friends. Will they be able to pull themselves out a...
Oct 09, 2023•1 hr 52 min
The pinnacle of the teenage wasteland made for TV specials is here and Sam has asked actor, writer, and comedian Arden Myrin (Secret Chef, Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) to join him in breaking down the hard to find 1982 CBS movie Desperate Lives. It stars Helen Hunt, Diana Scarwid, and Doug McKeon. Two high school kids from anytown, USA get involved with the wrong crowd and fall heavily into drugs, causing progressively worse and worse things to happen to them and their friends. Will they be able to pu...
Oct 02, 2023•1 hr 37 min
The end of Summer Sam-a-thon continues with COTTON CANDY Part 2 with podcast giant Sarah Marshall! It's the conclusion of the 1978 Ron Howard film Cotton Candy, starring Clinton Howard, Leslie King, Charles Martin Smith, and Kevin Lee Miller. Fellow podcaster and writer Sarah Marshall returns to breakdown Torbin's fashion habits and lack of tact, Clint Howard's choice writing, and the long lost mystery of how the film actually ends. When high schooler George fails to make the football team, he d...
Sep 25, 2023•1 hr 9 min
The movie of the week this time around is the 1978 Ron Howard film Cotton Candy, starring Clint Howard (naturally), Leslie King, Charles Martin Smith, and Kevin Lee Miller. Joining Sam is fellow podcaster and writer Sarah Marshall , of the popular podcast You're Wrong About. Listen as they talk about trying to make "flush you" a thing, as well as the intricacies of "donkey basketball." When high schooler George fails to make the football team, he decides to dream big and starts a band, in the ho...
Sep 18, 2023•1 hr 15 min
The exciting conclusion! Rejoin Sam, his nephew Nic, and his niece Julia (real kids from the valley!) as they wrap up the second half of the 1979 made-for-TV movie The Survival of Dana, starring Melissa Sue Anderson, Robert Carradine, Marion Ross, & Judge Reinhold. When a high school girl's family moves from North Dakota to the San Fernando Valley in California, she finds a world far different from what she had known and quickly falls into terrible trouble. Will she fall victim and become an...
Sep 11, 2023•1 hr 18 min
Happy Monday Afternoon to you all. The troubled teens theme continues, this time with real teens as guests! Sam is joined by Julia and Nic, two actual teens from the valley who were forced to watch all 95 minutes of THE SURVIVAL OF DANA for this podcast. This CBS made-for-TV movie originally aired in 1979, and starred Melissa Sue Anderson, Robert Carradine, Marion Ross, Talia Balsam, and Judge Reinhold. When a high school girl's family moves from North Dakota to the San Fernando Valley in Califo...
Sep 04, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Sam Pancake and the amazing Gedde Watanabe are back for part two of their walkthrough of Angel Dusted, the NBC TV Special starring Jean Stapleton and Arthur Hill. An affluent family's son begins to have violent outbursts while away at college and they soon discover that he has fallen into drugs, specifically the dangerous new trendy drug called PCP, otherwise known as Angel Dust. Will parents Betty and Michael be able to reach their son in time to stop his descent into addiction? Will the young,...
Aug 28, 2023•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 104
