209. 'Goodfellas' Part 3
Full Cast And Crew
In part 3 of my three-episode take on Martin Scorcese and Nicholas Pileggi's masterpiece 'Goodfellas', we pick the film up just after the halfway point, which is Tommy's killing of Spider. Test audiences and studio executives were completely discombobulated by the loss they felt of the breezy, funny, enjoyable glamorization of the gangster life that the first half of the film represents. And the descent into depraved, violent madness was a truthfulness that not every audience...or cast member... could embrace immediately.
info_outline
208. 'Goodfellas' Part 2
Full Cast And Crew
In Part 2 of my 3-part exploration of the brilliance, humor, and bravura filmmaking of Marty Scorcese's 'Goodfellas', I talk about iconic scenes from the film's first half, including: The Bamboo Lounge Crew Introduction scene with Pete The Killer, Freddie No-Nose, and Jimmy Two Times. The Jimmy/Henry "I'm a clown" scene. The Copa Entrance scene. The Bruce beat-down scene. Morrie's Wigs The Billy Batts Shinebox scene. Tommy's Mom's House. The Spider sequences. This brings us to the halfway point of the film, and the Spider killing represents the turning point, away from the idolization of...
info_outline
207. 'Goodfellas' Part 1
Full Cast And Crew
This is the first of at least 2 episodes about Martin Scorcese's 1990 masterpiece 'Goodfellas'. Let's be honest: it'll probably take three episodes to cover all the genius onscreen in this epitome of the perfect film. In this episode, I explore the film's roots in Nick Pileggi's classic non-fiction book 'Wiseguy', and the early involvement of vital creative participants in the film like producer Irwin Winkler, actors Robert DeNiro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Paul Sorvino, and Lorraine Bracco, and production team members like Micheal Ballhaus and Thelma Schoonmaker. In Episode 2, we'll get...
info_outline
206. Teri Garr
Full Cast And Crew
RIP Teri Garr. Star Trek After Hours Tootsie Michael Mr. Mom Young Frankenstein
info_outline
205. Watch-Along: 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood'
Full Cast And Crew
I'm traveling for work this week so in lieu of a typical episode I'm taking a wild flyer on something new; maybe it'll work maybe it won't! It's a watch-along episode. It's like sitting next to me at a screening of 'Once Upon A Time In Hollywood' and me talking all the through the movie with salient interjections like "Oh I love this part" and "How cool is Brad??". THIS IS HOW I FIND THE REAL FCAC HEADS! Should you actually want to watch along with me...there's a countdown a couple minutes into the episode where you can press play on the media of your choice. We should be in sync...
info_outline
204. 'American Psycho' (2000)
Full Cast And Crew
Director Mary Herron and her co-screenwriter Guinevere Turner did what 'American Psycho' author Bret Easton Ellis thought was impossible: made a film of his controversial, considered-unfilmable 1991. novel. And the lens through which they espied Patrick Bateman proved exactly the right way to gain something meaningful out of what, frankly, is a pretty unreadable and repetitive novel. The astonishing lead performance from Christian Bale catapulted him to the stardom and rarified air he continues to occupy as an actor today. And the performance is a wonder to dissect, if you'll...
info_outline
203. 'Hackers' (1995)
Full Cast And Crew
Brains addled after 'Megalopolis', I attempted and then discarded the idea to do 'Blazing Saddles' but was left wanting. So then, in a way I don't fully understand, but probably having to do with the idea of films that are said to be 'so bad they're good', I somehow arrived at the idea of doing Iain Softley's 1995 film 'Hackers' starring Angelina Jolie in her first onscreen role, Johnny Miller, and pre-fame Wendell Pierce and Felicity Huffman.
info_outline
202. 'Megalopolis' (2024)
Full Cast And Crew
I went and saw Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' so you don't have to. You're welcome.
info_outline
201. 'Clean and Sober' (1988) With Very Special Guest Kathy Baker
Full Cast And Crew
Actor Kathy Baker joins the podcast this week for a very special episode about her 1988 film 'Clean and Sober'. Director Glenn Gordon Caron probably needed a stiff drink or 20 after coming off the tumultuous four-season run of 'Moonlighting' with its famously fractious co-stars. Instead he chose to direct one of the most underappreciated film gems of the 80's in 'Clean and Sober', co-produced by Ron Howard and starring Michael Keaton, Kathy Baker, Morgan Freeman, and M Emmet Walsh in the story of a commercial real estate broker spiralling into...and reluctantly out of...cocaine and...
info_outline
200. 'You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown' (1972)
Full Cast And Crew
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...
info_outlineLittle-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!