Comfort Films Podcast Comfort Films Podcast

May the fourth be with you!! To celebrate Star Wars day, we're talking about the last film of the original trilogy (and the only one we haven't yet discussed), and we've brought back the brilliant Christopher Witty (previously on our Goodfellas and Mr. Nice Guy episodes) to help us break down Return of the Jedi. We talk Ewoks, Palpatine, the question of Luke Skywalker's loyalty, Darth Vader's big change of heart, Princess Leia's transformation from firebrand politician to rebel leader, Jabba the Hutt, Han and Lando going legitimate, Max Rebo and the jizz-wailers, special effects, puppetry, sound effects, John Williams's score, and so many other awesome facets of this classic film, in a super-sized episode packed with trivia, laughs, and great memories of a movie that shaped all three of us as 5-7 year olds. Come overthrow the empire with us!

"WARRIORS, COME OUT TO PLAY-AY!"

For the second of our juvenile delinquency duo of films, we cover Walter Hill's 1979 cult classic The Warriors. The film is adapted from Sol Yurick's 1965 novel of the same name, which itself is adapted from Xenophon's Anabasis. Walter Hill takes this classical text and filters it through youth gang culture, comic books, and classic film westerns, using a soundtrack from Barry De Vorzon that fuses synth and rock, imaginative costume choices from Bobbie Mannix for creatively named gangs, and a cast of then-unknown actors who have gone on to become household names. Can you dig it? We've got a heavy rep, so press play to check out our little piece of turf.

April is John's birthday month, and this year, we're highlighting his adolescent penchant for juvenile delinquency with a couple of cult favorites. First up is Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of S.E. Hinton's novel, Rumble Fish, starring Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke. Conceived of as an art film for kids and an antidote to Coppola's previous Hinton adaption of The Outsiders, Rumble Fish brings together existential philosophy, German Expressionist film, and a percussion-forward score from Stewart Copeland of The Police to tell the story of Rusty James and The Motorcycle Boy. We discuss parallels with Shakespeare and Christianity, themes of freedom and time, the use of color in a mostly black and white film, and many other topics. Channel your inner street tough and punch play (right in the face) to hear all about this amazing film!

It's showtime! The second film in our celebration of cinematic sandworms is Tim Burton's 1988 horror comedy Beetlejuice. John and Georgia hit the dunes of Saturn by way of East Corinth, Vermont, to dig up the ghost with the most. We talk about Michael Keaton's career-defining performance as the titular unhinged bioexorcist, the stellar on-camera practical effects and Oscar-winning makeup, the comedic talents of the all-star cast (including the incomparable Catherine O'Hara, whose Delia Deetz could be a prototype for the zany Moira Rose of Schitt's Creek), the changes in the story from original script to finished film, and our take on Tim Burton's philosophy of death. Grab your copy of The Handbook for the Recently Deceased and meet us on the other side!

To begin Sandworm Appreciation Month (in honor of the release of Dune Part Two), John and Georgia burrow deep into the desert earth of Perfection, Nevada to explore the 1990 cult classic Tremors, starring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and the graboids. Tremors plays like Jaws set in the desert (the original title of the film was actually Land Sharks!), and we relish in the fact that the film is comprised solely of practical effects. We're talking matte paintings, miniatures, hand puppets, mechanical puppets, and more! The stellar supporting cast boasts the likes of Michael Gross (fresh from his Family Ties run), Reba McEntire (in her film debut), and the incomparable Victor Wong (The Last Emperor, Big Trouble in Little China, and Prince of Darkness). Push play, crack a cold one, and meet us in Burt and Heather Gummer's rec room for one motherhumper of a nostaglic party in the desert!

For the second episode of our Jane Austen adaptations month, we welcome first-time guest and world class soprano Jessica Sandidge to discuss her top comfort pick, Sense and Sensibility! This film was Emma Thompson's first feature screenplay writing credit, and it sparkles with Jane Austen's signature wit and wisdom. It was also Ang Lee's first studio directing credit, and his detailed, rich visual style is evident in every frame. Jessica draws on her deep knowledge of music to discuss Patrick Doyle's score, Georgia puts on her English major hat to explain some of the history and conventions of the Regency period, and John brings in his theatrical expertise and extensive movie knowledge to explore the amazing performances of Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman and to make some interesting connections between Sense and Sensibility and other, sometimes not-so-obvious, films. But don't worry--we also talk about fainting sheep and gassy horses! Saddle up, preferably on a mount that doesn't have IBS, and give us a listen!