Babs and Sly: A Streisand & Stallone Podcast
At first glance, Barbra Streisand and Sylvester Stallone would seem to have nothing in common. Yet these two scrappy New Yorkers actually paved similar paths to superstardom, and their filmographies share a surprising number of common themes.
In each episode of this podcast, theatre professor Kirk Vichengrad and entertainment journalist Matt Chernov referee an epic matchup between a movie from each star’s canon. Join them as they explore the cinematic imprint and social impact of the Greatest Star and the Italian Stallion. With each Main Event, the Cliffhanger may not be who goes Over the Top, but how we remember The Way We Were.
Babs and Sly: A Streisand & Stallone Podcast
THE PRINCE OF TIDES vs. FIRST BLOOD: A Novel Adaptation
Despite the old adage that "the book is always better than the movie," our hosts Kirk Vichengrad, a theatre professor, and Matthew Chernov, an entertainment journalist, argue that a successful adaptation should capture the essence of its source material while standing on its own as an achievement in a different medium. In this episode, they explore the film adaptations of the best-selling novels The Prince of Tides and First Blood, both of which earned critical and commercial success — and the enthusiastic approval of their authors, Pat Conroy and David Morrell. Through a deep dive into Barbra Streisand's 1991 directorial triumph and Sylvester Stallone's 1982 launch of the blockbuster Rambo franchise, the conversation uncovers surprising common themes and compelling insights into "the memories that haunt us and the truth that sets us free."
We look forward to hearing from you on our social media accounts! You can find us at @BabsAndSly on Facebook, X and Instagram, or via email at BabsAndSly@gmail.com. And we invite you to subscribe to the podcast to stay informed about new episodes and other surprises. Also, please click the "Send Us a Text" button below to share your thoughts with us directly. We’d love to hear your opinions of these films, our two superstars, and the podcast itself. As we grow, we're grateful for your feedback and support, which helps us spread the word of Babs and Sly: A Streisand and Stallone Podcast.
Our show's theme music is composed and provided by Brian Kinler