Surprise: Same Day Coincidence

Hollywood Historian Manny Pacheco has a surprise for John Coleman and Art Kirsch of Celebrating Act 2™ — a series of historical film-related coincidences that will shock you and make you question your memory! Can you guess what he will be talking about? Watch and be surprised! and let us know what you think of … Read more

Great War Movies!

The drama of war has been captured in so many ways for so many years by cinema, it’s a question of what kind of war movie is best? Or is it? Join Manny Pacheco and Celebrating Act 2™’s Art Kirsch and John Coleman as the debate and ruminate about the different ways war has been … Read more

Movies About Presidents

Lots of movies include ‘the President’ as a character, but how many movies can you name that were really ABOUT a president real or fictional? Art and John put Hollywood Historian, Manny Pacheco to the test and in so doing have a fun time talking film!  

Scary Cinema

Scary Movies So many scary movies–even different sub-genres like Horror, or Monster, or Slasher films…And what fun to talk about movies that scare the daylight out of you! Hollywood Historian, Manny Pacheco, discusses with Celebrating Act 2™’s Art Kirsch and John Coleman which movie is the perfect film for our annual fright night-HALLOweeN! You’ll have … Read more

End of the Hollywood Studio System

A great discussion about how movies changed with the downfall of the Hollywood Studio System and why it came about. Manny Pacheco take us on a historic tour of studios, independent filmmakers, rebellious Stars and big finance. It’s a great look behind the scenes of historic Hollywood.

Great Screenwriters

Often unheralded, the history of screenwriting is uniquely diverse. Hollywood Historian Manny Pacheco talks about the Hollywood Studio’s changing outlook on writers and screenwriters over the decades and discusses some of the great screenwriters–many of whom were novelists.

Stunt Casting

John explains the concept of stunt casting in television–to boost ratings for a show–and asks Hollywood Historian, Manny Pacheco, if Feature Film history has anything comparable. It spurs an interesting conversation about uncredited cameos as well as gratuitous music scenes and even the treatment of minorities in films of the first half of 20th century. … Read more

Space Movies

Who doesn’t love space movies? The genre is as old as Cinema itself. They can be part adventure, sci-fi, monster, heroic saga, and more! In this discussion, Manny Pacheco explores today’s special effects technology and compares it to some of the classic space film..harkening all the way back to early film by Geo. Melies. The … Read more

Hollywood’s ‘Pre-Code’ Women!

Hollywood Historian, Manny Pacheco delves into the difference in actresses and women’s roles before and after the “Hayes Code” of the 1930’s. Think of Mae West, Marlene Dietrich, Grata Garbo and others who before censorship could be bawdy, overtly sexual and influential – not only on screen but in the halls of power in the … Read more

‘Screwball’ Comedies

We all love the ‘Screwball Comedies’ of the 30’s and Hollywood Historian, Manny Pacheco, Celebrating Act 2™’s regular contributor for entertainment, goes into the difference between that genre and a later, related brand of Hollywood comedy better known as ‘Sophisticated’ Comedies. You’ll recognize all the films and the stars of these popular classic films and … Read more