Not much to say other than this film was groundbreaking in creating a new genre, and responsible for introducing one of the most iconic heroes in cinema. Rick Tetrault joins Beth for this episode.
We also close the episode with our recommendations for Halloween viewing, some titles both familiar and obscure, but with guaranteed creep factor.
Happy Halloween kids, and may all your candy be delicious. 🎃👻💀🪦
Do you struggle with emotional upsets? Are you self-conscious, or chronically shy? Are you missing out on all the good weenie roasts? If you don’t want your friends to think you are a “drip” then put those ear buds in and check out our latest episode featuring our in depth discussion on Coronet Films. These films were extremely popular and common tools in public school classrooms from the 1940s all the way up to the 1980s. With production based in Chicago, the films were extremely homogeneous and saturated with Midwest sensibilities. While Coronet was not the only company producing educational social guidance films, they are probably the most widely known. It is easy to criticize these films for their lack of diversity, sexism, and obvious whitewashing of the social landscape. However, they did provide some sound fundamental life strategies especially when addressing issues like self-confidence, communication, and interpersonal relationships with friends and family. In this episode we look at all of it —the good, the bad, and the ugly. These films are great to poke fun at, but they are also an important frame of reference to see both how far, or how little we have grown as one American community.
May we all buy ranges with “Deep Well Cookers” in the future.
Sam and Beth discuss an intriguing little film about the artistic awakening of the groundbreaking photographer Diane Arbus. Imagine it is the late 1950s, and you are being suffocated by crinoline and your girdle. There is an insatiable curiosity within you to go to places you have never been, and to bear witness to people and lifestyles outside of the homogenized social norms of the time. Suddenly a mysterious stranger appears, who is both spirit guide and seducer, holding a candle to your pathway of liberation. Nicole Kidman, Ty Burrell, and Robert Downey Jr. execute the machinations of this parlor film perfectly.
Fur probably feels itchy in August.
Episode links: “Masters of Photography Diane Arbus” (1972) https://youtu.be/Q_0sQI90kYI?si=d1PieZbEBJofkJxt
“Female Photographers - Brief History of Women With a Camera” https://blog.bridgemanimages.com/blog/brief-history-of-women-and-photography
Beth and Rick chop it up about our favorite summer films, more specifically about our favorite blockbuster faire in these dog days when the chill of the theater (or our living rooms) is a welcome reprieve from the midday sizzle.
Is a great blockbuster merely defined by commercial success and dollars and cents? There may be more to it than the gross. One thing we agree on is that summer is a great time to enjoy action on the big screen as well as surprise and sleeper hits. We try to cover all the flavors and levels in that cinematic blockbuster snow cone, to get to the bottom and find the gum ball.
Have a listen, stay cool out there. Comments are open.
Hey gang,
Sam and I wanted to squeeze one more episode in as a Pride recap. This episode we go marathon with film recommendations to keep you busy, comforted, or inspired for all those months that are not June. Pride month might be over, so let the months of Gay wrath commence! 😉
But seriously, we think we’ve put a good list together to make you want to go digging up some of these older or lesser known titles.
Be sure to hydrate. We’ve got your six.
WE STILL OUT HERE. 🌈
Take care fam. 💕
It is 90+ degrees outside and the heat index is climbing. It is hard to stay chill or to feel celebratory when the “dog days” of summer really feel so oppressive. The key to survival is to hydrate and find your people. I am happy to report Sam is back in the co-host chair for this episode. It has been too long, and time with one’s favorite people is very precious. We welcome back our friend Thomas and his friend Mindy for this special episode for Pride. This will be our third year celebrating on the Pod (even though we are pretty chock full of queer content year round).
“Camp” is a lovely and gentle tale about finding that safe place where we belong, with people that love us, for our flawed, beautiful selves. Get out of the heat, mix something fruity and effervescent to drink. Bring snacks, and invite friends for a watch. Remember, The Rainbow is always rising. Happy Pride. 🌈
The year is 1976, America is busy finding new ways to celebrate their Bicentennial. Somewhere across the Atlantic, in a wine shop in Paris, a somewhat anonymous British wine merchant evolves a plan for a wine “showdown” — the great wines of France vs those young hippie upstarts of Napa and Sonoma, California in a head to head wine tasting, hosted in France. This event would later go down in history as the “Judgement of Paris” and from that day forward, it would have global and historic implications for wine commerce and wine enthusiasts.
Bottle Shock is an amusing and palatable little film for any oenophile. It is always a pleasure to have my friend Bill come on as a guest, but when he speaks on wine, it’s a heady and deep discussion on the subject. The man has a passion for what he does, and his knowledge on the subject of wine is expansive. This is a great episode to pair up with the episode Bill and I did for the film Sideways, and we think both films would pair well as a double feature and a nice Virginia, Petit Verdot and some Gruyère.
By the way, all 50 states now have at least one winery. I hear New Jersey makes a kickass Rose’
https://youtu.be/5CauYc4VSJU?si=-VTBLAcwMxQfCZAS
With the long weekend coming up, and Summer just around the corner, we thought it might be fun to cover a film that evokes vibes of late night drive-ins and Sci Fi blockbusters. Tim Burton’s 1996 version of space invaders turns the first contact trope on its head. It is mercilessly satirical and simultaneously hilarious. It features a cast of many A-listers (Burton wished he could have had more), and some of what we think is the best cinematic use of CGI compared to other films of the era. Strap in for some fun and many senseless tangents.
ACK! ACK! to you all.
We decided to uncork April and let Spring breathe a little. Please excuse our brief hiatus. But we’re back with a film title that many might relate to, especially if you’ve been side eyeing your 401k lately. Margin Call is an amalgamation of the players and pieces involved in the 2008 economic crisis. We are happy to welcome Marty Kady back on the show for this episode, as he had a front row seat for some of the real life drama that happened in Congress for the financial services bail outs. While some may regard Wall Street the iconic film of the world of high finance, or The Big Short as more intellectually accessible, we think Margin Call is a film that has depth, and is elegantly succinct in revealing the culture and values of the financial sector.
Episode links: https://youtu.be/yL_PQ81vf74?si=fvRbSzMHrEevLR6O
https://youtu.be/W-Q9AOp2FW8?si=n-hyZcbPh9jQtNU_
https://youtu.be/J_IFGV9Y13c?si=bcX2Kqx8CpZPwwUO
https://youtu.be/Mj82-QxN1Ww?si=UkfWds33pBTuNTxL
We are happy to be able to squeeze one more episode into the month of March as we slowly rebuild our programming. Think of this episode as a delayed Valentine— an episode we could’ve and should’ve been able to bring to you back in February.
This quirky surrealist fairytale about finding love in the back drop of Los Angeles was directed by Mick Jackson, who co-wrote the screenplay with the very funny and multi-talented Steve Martin. While it doesn’t have a cast of thousands it does feature great performances from many familiar favorites from both the big and small screen—and supporting appearances by Richard E. Grant, and Sarah Jessica Parker (before Sex and the City fame) absolutely make this film bubble with humor and warmth. Patrick Stewart turns in a hilarious cameo as well.
We welcome back former guest and self-proclaimed “non-fluffy man” Rick Tetrault for this episode. This clever, odd, and sophisticated little film is the perfect antidote for the same old Hollywood RomCom rehash. We think you will love it.
Welcome back friends, it’s been a hard slog getting the pod up and running again, but I’m happy to report we all get by with a little help from our friends. While we’ve done quite a few SciFi titles in previous episodes, we haven’t quite covered a film that would qualify as a Western. This episode we get to do both.
“Serenity” is Jose Whedon’s film follow up for the abruptly cancelled Fox tv series “Firefly”— a scifi drama set in the 2500s; a time of pre-warp exploration, pioneer terra forming settlements, and brutal vandals known as “Reavers”.
The series didn’t quite get a fair shake from Fox as the episodes were aired out of sequence leaving some viewers confused about the overall story arch. By the end, the show was cancelled only airing 11 of its 14 episodes.
In spite of this, the show had already established a cult following which only grew with the release of the series DVD, and its popularity was evident with loyal fans —self proclaimed “Brown Coats” supporting the show, and making their presence known at Cons and online.
Whedon had been working on a feature film script since the show’s cancellation and finally got the backing from Universal Studios (who eventually bought the rights). The project came in under budget, and though it received overall positive critic reviews, winning Hugo and Nebula awards, it only broke even at the box office.
The Firefly universe continues to have a devoted fan base and done good work in the name of the franchise, with charity benefit screenings coordinated with “Equality Now”.
Whedon and the wonderful ensemble cast of Firefly have created a memorable addition to the genre where the future seems not so distant, and sometimes not so shiny. The space and flight action sequences are beautifully choreographed and production carefully blended CGI with practical effects and sets. The script incorporates much of what Whedon wanted to expand on had the series continued. The crew of the Serenity are heroes we can sympathize with through their failures and vulnerability— each individual expressing their unique perspective as they face the great black void of space, and an uncertain future.
Episode link: https://sojo.net/articles/keeping-force/firefly-and-dignity-humanity
Hey guys, sorry for dropping the ball this month, but a big change happened with the podcast. Other than that, everything is fine? *insert cartoon dog in burning room meme here*
Seriously though, things are indeed getting a little weird out there. This week’s episode is truncated and more of a film recommendation. Ira Levin penned some of the most popular novels from the 1960s through the 70s: Rosemary’s Baby, The Stepford Wives, and The Boys From Brazil — all three had successful film adaptations. Levin had a gift for tapping into the popular consciousness and scaring the bejeezus out of the public. Given the political landscape of the day, The Boys From Brazil went to the top of my viewing list. Episode links:
The Manhunt for the Angel of Death/Nazi Hunters/Timeline https://youtu.be/pdUdr172yGU?si=5YOganXu1aW7EXKS
NYTs archive 1985 https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/10/world/couple-will-face-a-german-inquiry-on-aid-to-mengele.html
“My Mission to track down Josef Mengele” Jewish Journal, Feb 19,2020 https://www.thejc.com/news/features/my-mission-to-track-down-josef-mengele-auschwitzs-angel-of-death-rrq3pqm0
Book recommendations:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mengele-gerald-l-posner/1100065993
https://www.alibris.com/search/books/isbn/9781783789252
Hello beautiful plants and people! Please join us for a deep dive discussion of the 1978 incarnation of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Relevant? Yes. To YOUR life? Yes. This film holds its own oh so many decades later, even when compared to the frightfully lovely original 1956 film adaptation of the book. It is about losing your power, agency, and identity in a world gone mad. Sure there is an alien invasion and a resident expert, and a pop psychologist villain (played by a smooth 70s Leonard Nimoy); and yes, a fetching Brooke Adams as the capable botanist, and Donald Sutherland as a dishy Health inspector...but there are layers and layers here. Please join us for some deep thoughts and deep laughter. Bonus: here's a link for the 1956 original on Internet Archives - a wonderful and FREE resource you should know about ! Take care of one another!
https://archive.org/details/invasionofthebodysnatchers1956_201911
Drones reported in Bayonne, New Jersey!
No —actually it’s our episode celebrating Stephen Spielberg’s epic Sci-Fi thriller based on H. G. Wells novel. This classic earned notoriety from the now famous production of the radio play by Orsen Welles Mercury Theater, which was so convincing that some listeners really believed Martians had landed in Grover’s Mill, NJ.
In 1953, Paramount would release a full cinematic treatment with some of the most impressive visual effects at the time, and we’re rewarded with an Oscar for their efforts. Spielberg’s installment is updated and brilliantly paced, and the visual effects are (we think) some of best in an era dominated by digital “gloss”. Tom Cruise turns in one of his best performances, and a young Dakota Fanning makes another entry as a child actor into what has been a long and successful transition to present day. This film is a gripping and fun ride. And we thank Tim Robbins for totally creeping us out in the role of Harlan Olgivy.
Lots of good episode links to share: “The Night that Panicked America” Paramount Television https://archive.org/details/night-that-panicked-america-1975
“The Night America Trembled” 1957 https://youtu.be/7jeW30vLwds?si=Im1tSlR7PN08KEUz
“Orsen Welles-War of the Worlds, 1938 radio broadcast” https://youtu.be/Xs0K4ApWl4g?si=dcQoCQKmJHshWdOd
Hello and welcome to our holiday episode of Celluloid Pudding. Wherever you are on the globe and however you celebrate this time of year, we wish you love, our heartfelt thanks, and good wishes. This time we--your co-hosts Beth and Sam--decided to discuss a beautiful Korean film called Moonlit Winter. The setting is chilly and wintry, but the heart and soul of the film is warm, complex, generational and lovely. This film is truly poetry in motion. We hope you will come along for the ride and also think about renting the film after our discussion. We do have some bonus content that is a little out there. Waaaay out there, concerning the phenomena hovering over New Jersey and elsewhere. We lead with the so-called orbs, but then get down to business with our snow treasure, Moonlit Winter. A very heartfelt Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and Winter Season to all of you from both of us. You mean the world to us.
The frantic holiday season is upon us, but we are breaking from our seasonality trend for this special episode to celebrate our favorite soon-to-be college graduate. Broadcast News has long been a favorite film of ours, and it’s a great feeling when a film can be handed down to the next generation and they love it as much as we do.
Holly Hunter, William Hurt, Albert Brooks, Joan Cusack present a believable and engaging ensemble (supported by a deft cameo performance by Jack Nicholson). Written and directed by James L. Brooks, the film won critical praise and 7 Oscar noms, and was designated for preservation by United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress, as well as making several of AFIs top lists since it’s 1987 release.
As our Information Age moves into uncharted territory with multiple social media platforms, streaming services, and the increased use of AI for media production, we think it’s a film well worth revisiting, if only to remind ourselves (and hopefully our listeners) of the standards that constitute ethical, well sourced, and reliable journalism. “Vincit Omnia Veritas”
Well it’s that time of year again, no we aren’t talking about post general election hangover, we are referring to that annual culinary and quintessentially American Bacchanalia where we stuff ourselves to the gills with too many carbs, too much gravy, and bad football (the American variety).
Yes kids, it’s Thanksgiving. This little tale written by Chris Radant, and brought to the screen by Jodie Foster as her second work as director, is one of two films we’ll cover in November that are Turkey Day-centric. Featuring lovely performances by an ensemble cast:
Charles Durning, legendary Anne Bancroft, Robert Downey Jr., Geraldine Chaplin —with great supporting performances by Steve Guttenberg, and at the time, somewhat “new faces” Dylan McDermott and David Strathairn. The film is a great amuse-bouche to prepare our listeners for the unavoidable annoyances, absurdities, and grievances served alongside the turkey. While we can’t always pick our family, we can certainly choose how, and to what extent we get sucked up into the madness at the dinner table. Take what dishes appeal to you (feed the rest to the dog). Sam and I offer our strategies for survival at the end of the episode, or as the saying goes in the film,“just float” —and don’t forget to pass the gravy.
Hello all our Goblins, Ghouls, and lovely minions of the dark. We hope you will enjoy our cap off of the most wonderful time of the year. Sam and I gave it a lot of thought, and perhaps in keeping with what seems to be a trend for us in 2024, we opted for a film from South Korea. “The Wailing” is definitely “the full horror film experience”
Written and directed by Na Hong-jin, this tale delivers a unique and authentic supernatural experience. Leave any pre-conceived ideas you may have about ghosts, possession, and demons in the lobby, before pressing the play button, and we assure you that you will have a satisfying Halloween watch.
What better way to celebrate the most wonderful time of year than this chaotic, but fun episode with guest (g)hosts Lynda and Michael Hardy. Ari Aster re-invigorated the sub-genre of Folk Horror as writer and director of this film, that has no cheap scares. Break out your Ouija boards and dog-eared copies of “The Key of Solomon” (or whatever favorite Grimoire you have laying around) light a candle and dig into this modern horror masterpiece. Episode links: https://www.horrorhomeroom.com/hereditary-as-folk-horror/
