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
A STAR IS BORN vs. RHINESTONE: That’s Showbiz, Kid!
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Cinema often relies on tropes to tell a story. The familiar rags-to-riches, Pygmalion, fish-out-of-water motifs all surface in the two films theatre professor Kirk Vichengrad and entertainment journalist Matthew Chernov explore in this episode: Barbra Streisand's 1976 hit A Star Is Born and Sylvester Stallone's 1984 flop Rhinestone. With music woven into their narratives, both movies try to convince audiences that supernova stars like Streisand and Stallone can dim their shine and quiet their egos to make their transformations believable. Essential to these classic teacher-student showbiz tales is strong chemistry between co-stars as they attempt to create beautiful music together. Discover whether these two icons find harmony… or hit a few sour notes.
Listen all the way to the very end of the episode for a surprise celebrity interview!
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 directly with us. We'd love to hear your opinions of these films, our two superstars, and of course, the podcast itself. As we grow, we are so grateful for your feedback and support, which helps us spread the word of Babs and Sly: A Streisand and Stallone Podcast.
Show theme music composed and provided by Brian Kinler.