meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Projection Booth Podcast

Episode 742: There Is No 13 (1974)

The Projection Booth Podcast

The Projection Booth

Film Reviews, Film Interviews, Film History, Tv & Film

4.8686 Ratings

🗓️ 14 May 2025

⏱️ 91 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Brace yourself for a mind-melting trip into cinematic obscurity as Mike White, Heather Drain, and Ben Buckingham dive headfirst into There Is No 13 (1974), the elusive, long-suppressed anti-war film from director William Sachs. Blending absurdist humor, surreal vignettes, and unflinching commentary on the Vietnam War, the film follows draftee George Thomas through a fractured journey of memory, fantasy, and emotional unraveling.

Almost impossible to find and never properly released in the U.S., There Is No 13 has lived more as rumor than repertory staple, with tales of government pressure and controversy haunting its legacy. First screened at the Berlin Film Festival to strong reactions, it’s become a ghost of radical cinema—one that challenges, confounds, and sticks in your brain like shrapnel.

As part of our “Maudit May” celebration of cursed and forgotten films, this episode comes with a warning: spoilers abound, so track down this rare gem if you can. Then come back for a lively, unfiltered discussion of one of the strangest anti-war films you’ve never seen.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-projection-booth-podcast--5513239/support.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hold your ears, folks. It's showtime.

0:08.6

People pay good money to see this movie.

0:10.9

When they go out to a theater, they want cold sodas, hot popcorn, and no monsters in the projection booth.

0:17.3

Everyone pretend podcasting isn't boring.

0:20.0

Shut it off.

0:25.4

Turn it off.

0:27.6

Turn it off.

0:31.5

Andrew! Today's my birthday.

0:38.3

Today's my birthday.

0:56.1

Nice to be back. Nice to see you all.

0:58.4

Listen, I got a very funny story. I got to tell you.

1:01.5

Have you ever been to an Army hospital?

1:04.1

When you see it live, there's more effect than a protest.

1:08.1

13.

1:10.3

I want a 16. I'm a very frank person, George. I'll a 16. I want a 16.

1:11.6

I'm a very frank person, George.

1:13.6

I'll lay it right on the line.

1:15.6

Your script, although it is an excellent one,

1:18.6

does not have the ingredients for a commercial success.

1:21.6

You see, I must present a project to my investors,

1:24.6

and that project must meet certain requirements.

1:30.1

You mean like Riving Love Garden?

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 27 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Projection Booth, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Projection Booth and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.