Special Report: Riverbend (1989)

The Projection Booth

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

4.6 • 709 Ratings

🗓️ 8 December 2025

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Mike talks with director Sam Firstenberg and Reelblack founder Michael J. Dennis about Riverbend (1989). The discussion examines the film’s production, its depiction of racism in the Jim Crow South, and its unusual release history. Firstenberg reflects on working with Steve James, Larry Dobkin, and Margaret Avery, while Dennis provides broader context on the film’s place within independent Black cinema. The conversation also touches on the politics surrounding Riverbend, its themes, and how the film has been received over time.

Find out more at https://www.reelblack.com/

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, filthy movie lovers. My name is Gentry Austin.
0:09.0	Now I'm Casey Scott. And we're the hosts of the Sin Syndicate, film podcast for Something
0:15.0	Weirdos, Anti-Critarian Bros, and Joseph Sarno Officianados. Join us semi-weekly as we peer into the adults-only
0:24.9	theaters and sticky-floored cinemas of the golden age of exploitation. When the morals were
0:31.5	loose, the laws were murky, and the intercourse was all simulated. Find us now on the someone's favorite productions podcast network.
0:49.8	Do you love movies?
0:51.6	So do I.
0:52.9	What's up y'all?
0:53.6	It's KB. And I love movies. Inviting you to listen to the conversation,
0:59.2	a film podcast where passion meets perspective and opinion.
1:04.5	From the old school to the new, I invite a guest on to discuss the movies that thrill us,
1:09.8	challenge us, break our hearts, or even blow our
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1:20.5	We don't just watch movies. We love talking about them too. The conversation with KB Loves
1:26.4	Movies, a part of someone's favorite productions podcast network.
1:32.0	Hello and welcome to Tumbleweeds and TV Cowboys. My name is Hunter. In this podcast, I'll be
1:37.2	joined by a different guest each week to discuss a classic Western movie or TV show. I've been a
1:42.0	fan of classic westerns for as long as I can remember, and in recent years, they've become very nostalgic for me. I love the aesthetic, the tropes, and I love seeing different filmmakers' takes on them. At their best, they're incredibly entertaining, rewatchable, and some of my all-time favorite movies are westerns. We'll mostly focus on Western movies made in Hollywood, but we'll also be covering
2:00.9	spaghetti westerns, and one thing I'm very excited to get into are Western TV shows. I've got some
2:05.7	amazing guests coming on the show, film professors, historians, and podcasters, and tumbleweeds
2:10.6	and TV Cowboys is part of the Someone's Favorite Productions Podcast Network, and many guests on the show
2:15.8	will be from other shows on the network.
	...

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