Magic at the Movies
Mike Schindler, Film Programmer at Classic Cinemas (US), movie enthusiast and all-around good guy discusses current movie releases at Classic Cinemas in this short and fun podcast.
Episodes
113 episodes
113: The Variety Pin: Minions and Monsters
This week, Mike welcomes dear friend of the show and dedicated champion for children across Illinois, Angelique Barthel of Variety of Illinois Children's Charity. Angelique stops by the studio to discuss Variety's adaptive activity programs, th...
112: Spielbracket - The BEST Spielberg movie ever?!
With Disclosure Day now in theatres, host, programmer, cinemaniac, and mad scientist inventor Dr. Mike Schindler unveiled his latest creation: Spielbracket. Assisted by laboratory assistants (and occasional test subj...
111: A Critics’ Roundtable
Mike sits down with longtime Chicago film critic Nick Digilio for a wide-ranging conversation that clicks along with the easy rhythm of a film projector! Two seasoned movie minds trading ideas, comparisons, and the occasional spirited disagreem...
110: Backrooms!
Mike sat down with Jim to talk about this week’s out-of-nowhere phenomenon, BACKROOMS. As they dissect their experiences with the film, they also dive into the growing wave of YouTube creators making the leap from phones and home screens to gia...
109: Summer Movies 2026
Mike and Mark take a long walk through the absolutely packed Summer 2026 movie slate… and there are plenty of stops along the way.From meaningful conversations about Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Pixar’s Toy Story 5,...
108: My First Star Wars Movie Moment!
We know a thing or two about first movies. We’re lucky enough to see them happen every day. 🍿And when a Star Wars movie arrives in theatres, it creates a whole new generation of “FSWM” moments… First Star Wars Movie.On th...
107: A Paul Anderson Double Feature
Mike takes the show on the road to Elk Grove Village to sit down with Smash Cut Cinema and F This Movie host Patrick Bromley to talk double features… and this one’s a brain-bender.Two films. Same year (1997). Two completely diff...
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106: Stories From the Booth—36 Years in Film Projection
Mike sits down with Alan Gilbertson, who joined Classic Cinemas 36 years ago after already establishing himself as a projectionist in the industry.Now, on the verge of retirement, Alan looks back at a career that spans one of the most tr...
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105: The THX Documentary
This week on MATM, Mike and Jim dive headfirst into the world of cinematic sound, THX trailers that rattled your ribcage, and the surprisingly tangled hyperspace lanes connecting Lucasfilm, Star Wars, film edits, and somehow... Seth Ro...
104: A Wrap on CinemaCon 2026
CinemaCon 2026 brought out the stars—Mike was there (along with Jim) to witness the glory of modern Hollywood. From the latest packed studio slates to unforgettable stage moments featuring celebrity royalty like Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg, Ro...
103: A Cinemacon Pause...
While we’re in Las Vegas taking in everything CinemaCon has to offer, we’re getting a front-row seat to the movies, stars, and cinema tech that the studios and the industry have in store for us here at Classic Cinemas.We’ll be back next ...
102: A 90th Anniversary for our Lake Theatre!
Mike returns with a look at April anniversaries, highlighted by a major milestone: the 90th anniversary of Classic Cinemas’ Lake Theatre in Oak Park.He dives into the story of the Lake and the thoughtfully curated anniversary series that...
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101: Mike's Back! Movie Posters!
We welcome Mike back to the driver’s seat 🎬After a few months off—plus a new baby and his first move in 17 years—Mike is settling in… and spending a lot of time deciding which movie posters make the cut.There are 8 spots....
100: The 100th Episode Celebration
Hip hip hooray—100 episodes! 🎉To celebrate, guest host Mark Mazrimas and CEO Chris Johnson welcome back Mike Schindler from paternity leave, following the arrival of his new baby girl. After nearly five months behind the mic, Mark hands ...
99: Our Director of Operational Excellence!
Just one episode away from the big 100th episode (and the long-awaited return of Mike Schindler), Mark sits down with Classic Cinemas’ new Director of Operations, Daniel Alleman, for a conversation rooted in operational excellence and a shared ...
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98: Red Carpet Memoirs
With Mike Schindler (still) on paternity leave, Mark welcomes Special Ops Director Randy Pollock to the mic for a stroll down memory lane as Oscar season approaches. Randy and Mark swap stories from years of red carpet experiences, inclu...
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97: GMs: From the Booth to the Box Office
Today on the podcast, Mark, still holding down the fort for Mike, sits down with one of our long-tenured General Managers, Bob Parella of Classic Cinemas La Grange XQ, for a conversation that blends movie passion, theatre memories, and a little...
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96: Location: Chicago! – The Movies Shot in Our City
Mark is still in the host chair and welcomes longtime friend and film industry insider Dave Sikich for a love letter to one of Hollywood’s most recognizable backlots: Chicago.From The Blues Brothers and Ferris Bueller’s Day ...
95: Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture
With Mike still out on paternity leave, Mark once again steps up to the mic, joined by his favorite librarian and resident literary brain, Jessi Wakefield. Together, they turn the page on Hollywood’s ongoing love affair with the written word.
94: Be My Galentine
With Mike still on baby duty, Mark Mazrimas steps into the host chair this week, joined by our resident office Galentines and rom-com authorities, Beth and Heather. Together, they share their all-time favorite romantic comedies, their Valentine...
93: Director Sam Raimi
With Mike out on baby duty (still), Mark Mazrimas steps in this week as we dig into the critically acclaimed Send Help, a darkly comic survival horror that strands its characters on a deserted island. Mark takes a deep dive into what mak...
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92: Oscar Predicitions
With Mike still out on baby duty, Mark makes a call to LA LA Land to catch up with dear friend, author, and film expert Mike McClellan. (Please excuse the call audio quality… that one’s on Jim.)The timing couldn’t be better. Wit...
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91: 2026 | Movie Anniversaries
With Mike Schindler still on baby duty (and sleep being but a distant memory), Mark and Randy seize control of the microphones and celebrate 100 years of movie anniversaries. This episode looks ahead to the films turning many a milestone age in...
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90: The Best of 2025
Mark sits down with podcast producer and certified movie nut Jim Toth to break down the very best of 2025 at the movies — from the films that kicked off the year to the standouts still lighting up screens in early 2026.With awards...
89: Will 2026 Be a $10B Box Office Year?
With Mike still out, Mark takes the mic and sits down with Classic Cinemas CEO/CPE (Chief Popcorn Eater,) Chris Johnson, to talk about his favorite subject: movies. Together, these two industry insiders break down what could make 2026 a banner ...
