Episoder
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After two episodes about 'The Shining' and a couple weeks wondering what to do for Episode 200 of the podcast....events at the Presidential Debate pointed me in the direction of 'Peanuts' and the relatively terror-free childhood presented specifically in the 1972 Election special 'You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown'.
In this Special, Charlie Brown neither runs for office nor is or isn't elected. But the satirical pleasures abound otherwise in this still-incisive takedown of political and campaign mores and realities.
As ever, the incredible music of Vince Guaraldi and his Trio provide accompaniment. Musings range far and wide in this episode.
Thank you for listening for 200 episodes!
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In Episode 197, I covered much of the backstory and making-of history behind 'The Shining'.
In this episode, I cover many of the scenes in the film that I didn't get to in Part 1, along with other commentary and observations about the film, Kubrick, 'Doctor Sleep', and 'Room 237'. Come and play with us, for ever...and ever...and ever.
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Manglende episoder?
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I went from not really ever wanting to watch 'The Shining' again...to now doing my first-ever two-part episode!
Funny how often the answer to 'why did that film affect me so much as a child?' turns out to be 'DUH!'.
Part 1 covers the origin story of the film, some of the King/Kubrick interplay over the years, the casting, the sound design, the music, and some cinema speculation on what it's all about.
Will post all episode materials and links when I post Part 2, which will cover the design and build of the sets, specific scenes, and MORE.
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Paul Brickman's 'Risky Business' is one of the greatest films of the 80's and is so much more than the "teen sex comedy" many people thought they were getting at the time. Frame by frame, it's really a masterpiece with so many aspects and elements of brilliance. The score by Tangerine Dream, Tom Cruise at NINETEEN, Rebecca De Mornay, the genius editing of Richard Chew...on and on...what an incredible film. And Paul Brickman would direct only ONE more feature film in his career to date. Astounding. Worthy of a rare Saturday pod!
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Little-seen but worthy, the 1985 John Candy comedy 'Summer Rental' is due for a little revisit and respect!
On the news of a forthcoming and hopefully definitive John Candy documentary directed by Colin Hanks and produced by Ryan Reynolds, I stumbled across this film (which I'd never even heard of) and found myself gleefully experiencing an expertly-cast superior comedy of its era with a typically warm, truthful, harder-than-it-looks John Candy performance at its center. It's a pleasant surprise of a great family movie and I hope you'll see it out!
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I gave up drinking. I gave up drugs. I don't smoke. BUT I CAN'T QUIT DEAD & COMPANY! And I hope I never do!
With the wife and daughter overseas on a girl's trip, I went back to Vegas for Week Seven of the Dead and Company shows over the 4th of July Weekend at the Sphere Las Vegas.
This short (18 minutes) episode is not an inside-Dead show rundown, but a paen to the joys of live music played at this incredible level of proficiency and a call-to-arms to all musicians especially to make the trek before it's too late!
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Well, it's not really a summer movie but nonetheless I ended up appreciatiating the weird-in-a-good-way 'Vision Quest'. Join me, won't you?
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Peter Yates' 'Breaking Away' is the greatest Townie Movie of all time.
A heart-warming, feel-good film with an extraordinary sense of place.
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Say hello to my little podcast about Brian DePalma and Oliver Stone's 1983 Cocainesterpiece, 'Scarface'.
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Before I get to Oliver Stone and Brian DePalma's 1983 Miami-set remake of 'Scarface'...here's a background episode about the 1932 'Scarface', written by Ben Hecht and directed by Howard Hawks, the Steven Spielberg of the 1930's and 40's.
From that still-vital, seminal gangster film, I also found my way to some others:
Little Caesar is a 1931 American pre-Code crime film distributed by Warner Brothers, directed by Mervyn LeRoy, and starring Edward G. Robinson, Glenda Farrell, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
The Public Enemy (Enemies of the Public in the UK)[6] is a 1931 American pre-Code gangster film produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The film was directed by William A. Wellman and stars James Cagney, Jean Harlow, Edward Woods, Donald Cook and Joan Blondell. Underworld (also released as Paying the Penalty) is a 1927 American silent crime film directed by Josef von Sternberg[1] and starring Clive Brook, Evelyn Brent and George Bancroft. The film launched Sternberg's eight-year collaboration with Paramount Pictures, with whom he would produce his seven films with actress Marlene Dietrich. Journalist and screenwriter Ben Hecht won an Academy Award for Best Original Story.[2]Watch Scarface on Amazon Prime.
Watch Underworld for free here.
Watch The Public Enemy on YouTube.
Watch Little Caesar on YouTube.
Read about the fascinating life of Ben Hecht.
Read the BFI 10 Classic 1930's Gangster Films Article.
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One of the stranger and most poorly-marketed films of the 70's is Nicholas Gessner's adaptation of Laird Koenig's 1974 novel 'The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane'. Far from the horror film the poster and trailer tried to sell audiences on, it's instead an unsettling but realistic portrait of a young girl in an uncertain situation, and a film that I find particularly resonates with people who themselves were 10 or 12 years old in the late 70's.
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It's almost Memorial Day Weekend in the States and that means it's time for Yacht Rock!
The term didn't exist before the 2005 web series of the same name was written, directed, and produced by J. D. Ryznar, David Lyons, Hunter D. Stair, and Lane Farnham.
You can revisit their highly specific genius here.
Before that, music of the type we now refer to as 'Yacht Rock' was known as "The West Coast Sound" and that meant it had characteristics such as being recording in Los Angeles between, roughly, 1972 and 1982, or that heavy session musicians played on the tracks, tracks that often featured electric piano, lyrical tales of romantic failure and ennui, layered backing vocals, and light jazz and R&B elements.
In this episode I recount my journey from a Yacht Rock generalist, to someone who now believes there is a pure YR essence, discernible in the tracks I reference in this episode...and there are other songs considered Yacht Rock that don't really belong in the canon. For example, by my analysis, Steely Dan and Hall & Oates: Not Yacht Rock due to a combination of not being recorded in Los Angeles and being outside the scope lyrically and compositionally. But as my friend and YR Guiding Light Rick Brown says: half the fun is debating what belongs and what doesn't.
In preparing the episode I came to believe strongly in the qualitative superiority of the tracks recorded in Los Angeles. I think it's demonstrable upon hearing them. For the sake of your ears, I prepared two Spotify Playlists:
Yacht Rock: Recorded In LA
And
Yacht Rock: Nyacht From LA
I also explore a few examples of really fun outlier tunes from unexpected sources and encourage you to suggest additional songs that do or don't fit the criteria.
Thanks for listening, and do me a favor and share this or your favorite episode with one or two friends who you think might enjoy it! Jason -
Some thoughts on gratitude and appreciation, and a few anecdotes about how quickly humans go from wide-eyed wonder and astonishment to entitled self-centered expectations, drawn from my three-concert experiences during Dead & Company's recent inaugural stint at MSG's groundbreaking new concert and film venue, Sphere Las Vegas.
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OK so today in Las Vegas I learned it's "Sphere" and not "The Sphere". And we're back recording for posterity impressions of the 2nd night of the inaugural 3-show residency kick-off for Dead & Company at Sphere Las Vegas.
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Some thoughts on an extraordinary in-person collective entertainment experience...remember those??
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The female actors of 'Blade Runner 2049' are a huge part of the brilliance of Denis Villenueve's 2017 sequel to Ridley Scott's 'Blade Runner'. They bring to life such wonderfully complicated, original, genre-bending, emotionally resonant, funny, and strong characters.
In this special episode of the podcast, I take a look at all of the scenes featuring the incredible actors who brought the characters of Luv, Joi, Madam, and Dr. Stelline to life: Sylvia Hoeks, Ana de Armas, Carla Juri, and Robin Wright.
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Denis Villenueve's masterpiece 2nd part of his 'Dune' trilogy.
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Barry Sonnenfeld and Scott Frank's adaptation of Elmore Leonard's 1990 crime novel 'Get Shorty' was the 2nd film that John Travolta made after returning to top stardom with a bang in Tarantino's 'Pulp Fiction'. This vibe-y, enjoyable, smartly-written and brilliantly-acted mid-90's example of the $20-30 million-dollar studio movie that now seems like a vestige of another time and place.
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I'm joined again by multi-hyphenate Brad Caleb Kane for a discussion about Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett's iconic 1950 satirical noir Hollywood cautionary tale 'Sunset Boulevard' and various other digressions!
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The second in my growing collection of episodes devoted to 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood'...this time it's an episode celebrating all the brilliant Cliff Booth scenes...scenes representing some of Brad Pitt's finest acting to date and the heart and soul of Tarantino's greatest homage to the Hollywood of his youth.
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