Dear Movies, I Love You

Episode: "Rock Docs & DIG! XX (2024)! Plus, Craig Calcaterra!"
Hosts: Millie De Chirico & Casey O'Brien
Guest: Craig Calcaterra
Date: September 23, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on music documentaries—specifically, the new "redux" version of the iconic rock doc Dig! (now updated as DIG! XX in 2024), which chronicles the notorious rivalry between the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols. The hosts take a nostalgic deep dive into late-90s/early-2000s indie and Britpop scenes, discussing the mythos around these eras, and how documentaries immortalize (or mythologize) music subcultures. Also featured is a lively guest segment with baseball writer Craig Calcaterra, who brings his expertise on Hollywood actors portraying athletes—and vice versa.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Refreshingly Unfiltered Banter & Setting the Tone

[02:17-03:55]

• The episode kicks off with the hosts' signature playful arguments, poking fun at each other for on-air mishaps.
• Their banter riffs on god complexes, creative differences, and the inherent drama in collaborative art—a theme mirrored in the main topic of feuding bands.

2. Introduction & Main Themes

[03:55-05:09]

• Millie introduces the main focus: revisiting Dig!, originally made in 2004, and its 2024 update, DIG! XX, exploring the infamous band feud.
• Teaser for the guest appearance by Craig Calcaterra, who will discuss actors who play athletes and vice versa.

3. Film Diary: What the Hosts Watched This Week

[12:25-24:09]

Millie’s Diary:

• "Rude Boy: The Story of Trojan Records" (2018)
  • Praises subject matter but critiques use of reenactments due to lack of original archival footage.
  • Quote: "It's unfortunate because a lot of the people... are dead because of old age." [13:46 — Millie]
• "Unknown Number: The High School Catfish" (2025, Netflix)
  • Observes the endless true crime cycle: "They could be making true crime documentaries until the end of time." [15:17 — Millie]
• "Weapons" (2025)
  • Finds it "fun, weird" but questions some directorial choices.
• Rewatch: "Prince of Darkness" (1987, John Carpenter)
  • Critiques narrative clutter: "There are like 900 characters... it's ridiculous." [19:02 — Casey]
  • Appreciates the diversity and gore but ranks it as a lesser Carpenter film.

Casey’s Diary:

• "Hannah Haha" (2022)
  • A gentle Kelly Reichardt-esque indie, “mumblecore, New England summer movie.”
• "A Simple Plan" (1998)
  • Perplexed by similarities to “Fargo” and connections to the Coen brothers, describes it as “fun and...violent.”
• "Shockwaves" (1977)
  • Nazi zombie exploitation film, but deemed “pretty unsubstantial.”

Feature Segment: Dig XX (2024) — Deep Dive

[26:36–72:44]

A. Personal Connections to the Scene

[27:08–30:06]

• Millie reflects on being "in the sauce"—living through the era as a DJ and college radio tastemaker in Atlanta, attending events where these bands played.
  • "I was going to places like CMJ and South by Southwest. I was seeing the people who were around bands like this." [28:37 — Millie]

B. Synopsis and Documentary Structure

[30:06–31:26]

• Casey recaps Dig! (2004) and updates in DIG! XX (2024):
  • Chronicles the rise and rivalry of the Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre.
  • Focuses on Anton Newcombe’s self-destructive genius and the Dandy Warhols’ more conventional path to success.

C. Britpop, Indie Sleaze, and Subculture Nostalgia

[31:40–37:46]

• The hosts dissect how these bands bridged Britpop and what later came to be called "indie sleaze."
  • Millie: "This is actually more of this bridge in the BritPop to indie sleaze pipeline." [33:02]
• Reflection on 90s/00s club nights, the explosion of micro-genres, and the fashion/aesthetics that defined these scenes.

D. The Sincerity and Pitfalls of Rock Mythmaking

[37:46–41:05]

• Millie: Dig! felt self-mythologizing even as it documented real-time messiness.
  • "It was almost kind of like trying to create a legend before any time had passed." [39:12]
• Casey: "The way they lived was... so disgusting." [39:53]
• Discussion on whether documentaries glamorize/destructure dysfunctional behavior.

E. The Eternal Tension: Artistic Purity vs. Selling Out

[41:12–45:14]

• They discuss the "underground vs. mainstream" push-pull in rock, linking it to current music industry norms.
  • “There’s always going to be...the person who wants to be in a band and make money, and the other who wants to stay underground.” [42:12 — Millie]

F. Archetypes and Characters:

• Anton Newcombe: Rare creative, dangerous but magnetic, constantly self-sabotaging.
• Courtney Taylor (Dandy Warhols): Emulates rock star tropes but ultimately more functional.
• Joel Gion: The iconic "tambourine guy"—embodiment of scene fashion, loyalty, and visual branding.
  • “He’s the visual. He’s the Boss Tone.” [57:49 — Millie]

G. Scene Fashion & Subcultural Memorabilia

[55:12–56:59]

• Millie recalls "shotgun blast" hair, her own days copying Robert Smith/Jesus & Mary Chain looks.

H. Don’t Romanticize: Then vs. Now

[64:01–72:44]

• The fate of bands: Dandy Warhols find stability, Brian Jonestown Massacre do not—"could they have made it if they'd just cleaned up?"
• Modern music’s lack of big, chaotic indie bands; the ‘brand’-ification of culture; and the nostalgia for more "raw" days.

Notable Quotes:

• "If Anton Newcombe had just worn more Stone Island parkas, if only, and not done heroin... would they now be Oasis?" [66:24 — Millie]
• "Is this why Gen Z are so neutered and careful about everything, because their parents were this?" [68:13 — Millie]

Guest Interview: Craig Calcaterra — Actors Playing Athletes & Vice Versa

[72:59–103:54]

A. Craig’s Area of Expertise

[80:15–84:22]

• The believability of actors as athletes in sports films, regardless of their “acting” ability.
• Top tier: Kevin Costner (variously convincing baseball player, golfer) and Burt Reynolds ("longest yard" — an athlete-turned-actor).

B. Second Tier & The Art of Selling a Sport

[84:22–87:42]

• Robert De Niro in Raging Bull and Charlie Sheen in Major League—actors who truly "sold it."
• Notoriously bad: Freddie Prinze Jr. in Summer Catch — “has this weird hitch in his throw...looks like he saw baseball for the first time when he got to the set.” [88:01 — Craig]

C. The Reverse: Athletes Who Can Actually Act

[93:32–97:55]

• Wrestlers (The Rock, Dave Bautista, John Cena, Roddy Piper) highlighted as the most successful.
• NFL → blaxploitation/action movies pipeline, especially in the 70s (Jim Brown, Carl Weathers et al.).
• Honorable mentions for athletes in non-action roles (Jason Lee, Nnamdi Asomugha in "Sylvie's Love").

D. Cultural Change & Media Training

[101:13–102:24]

• Craig laments the homogenization of athletes in the social media age—“the personality is kind of drained out of them by design” [101:13].

E. Notable Quotes:

• “You need a certain level of ego and confidence in football that you don’t necessarily need in the other sports.” [97:55 — Craig]
• On Costner: “He still has the arrogance and the ego...but he manages to make himself vulnerable as an athlete too.” [82:46 — Craig]
• On Slap Shot: “[Paul Newman] nails even more so than Costner the whole athlete at the end of the line attitude.” [91:03 — Craig]

Staff Picks: Music Documentaries

[105:49–111:36]

• Millie’s Pick: Depeche Mode 101 (1989, dir. D.A. Pennebaker)
  • “If you go to the desert and do mushrooms and watch it, it will be a fantastic experience.” [106:25 — Millie]
• Casey’s Pick: Instrument (1999, dir. Jem Cohen) — Fugazi doc: “There’s no band that sold out less than Fugazi.” [108:55 — Casey]
• Acknowledges the recent glut of music documentaries, even about the smallest acts: "Kind of spoiled for choice, and I think they're all entertaining—even if they're terrible." [111:18 — Millie]

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• “Yo, let me tell you something, though. In every spiritual tradition, you burn in hell for pretending to be God and not being able to back that up, bro.” [03:10 — Millie]
• “There’s always going to be two types of people in this scene: one that wants to stay underground and not sell out, and the other...that wants to be in an actual band and make money and be able to buy their mom a house...” [42:12 — Millie]
• “I kept thinking to myself, is this why Gen Z are so neutered and careful about everything?” [68:13 — Millie]
• On Joel Gion: “He’s the tambourine...He’s the visual. He’s the Boss Tone.” [57:46/57:49 — Millie]

Structurally Important Timestamps

• [02:17] – Signature host banter & intro
• [03:55] – Main episode overview (Dig! and DIG! XX)
• [12:25] – Start of "Film Diary" segment
• [26:36] – Deep dive: Dig!/DIG! XX
• [72:59] – Introduction of guest Craig Calcaterra
• [80:15] – Actors as athletes discussion
• [105:49] – Staff picks: Top music docs
• [111:36 – End] – Outro, contact info, upcoming topics

Tone & Language

The discussion maintains a conversational, irreverent tone rich with nostalgia, subcultural detail, and affectionate critique. The hosts freely mix sharp observations with self-deprecating humor and lived experience, fostering a sense of people “who have been there.” The guest segment leans into analytical enthusiasm and subject expertise—in a way that invites both hardcore film and sports fans into the conversation.

For New Listeners

By the end, listeners gain:

• A deep understanding of the DIG! documentary’s cultural and mythic importance
• Broader context for the rise/fall of indie, Britpop, and "indie sleaze"
• Insight into the evolution of music docs as cultural artifacts
• A fun detour into sports movies and the physical believability of actors
• A sense of how film both reflects and constructs the very subcultures it documents.

Next episode tease:
The hosts will cover Scorsese’s The King of Comedy (1982) and the theme of obsessed-fan movies.

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