Comfort Films Podcast

For the fifth and final episode in our Comfort Crime month, we continue the Corleone family saga with The Godfather Part II, which manages to be both a prequel and a sequel in one.  We talk sibling rivalry, evil clownish buffoon antagonists, Al Pacino's masterful Michael Corleone and his complex game of chess, the tragedy of John Cazale's ignoble yet pathetic Fredo, whether it's possible for a criminal to go legitimate, Lee Strasberg's Hyman Roth and his vicious vengeance, the acceptable criminality of politics, and Robert De Niro's stellar, Oscar-winning turn as young Vito Corleone, a storyline that takes the Godfather films from brilliant to totally epic. Give us a listen or break our hearts!

For the fourth week in our comfort crime series, we go straight to the source with the grandfather of all modern mafia movies, The Godfather. Coincidentally, this is also the 51st anniversary of the release of this landmark film, based on the novel by Mario Puzo and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. We create a new personality test based on the Godfather characters, discuss the anxiety and fear of firing that fueled the production, praise Marlon Brando's acting comeback and the stellar contributions of the whole cast, explore the family dynamics of the Corleone family, and break down Michael's transformation from straight-laced military man to cold-blooded mafia don. Travel with us from New York to Sicily and back, and don't forget to take the cannoli!

For the third week in our Comfort Crime Month, we take a trip back to a sweaty August day in 1970s Brooklyn to ride shotgun with Al Pacino and John Cazale on a bank robbery gone very wrong in Sidney Lumet's Oscar-nominated Dog Day Afternoon. We talk about the real-life 1972 robbery that inspired the film, the Gen X/Millennial interest in true crime (a seed probably planted by Unsolved Mysteries), the improvisational rehearsal process that supported and enhanced screenwriter Frank Pierson’s Oscar-winning script, Sidney Lumet’s naturalistic approach to telling this story, the birth of sensationalist news, the uniquely unforgettable John Cazale, and the choice to limit music apart from the amazing opening song "Amoreena" by Elton John, an incredibly nuanced pick that both contrasts and amplifies the themes of the film. Release your hostages and give us a listen!

For the second week of our Comfort Crime month, John and Georgia deep dive into the Los Angeles underworld with Michael Mann's 1995 epic cops and robbers movie, Heat.  This movie brings you so far into the symbiotic relationship between law enforcement and crooks that it's difficult to know what side you're on.  We discuss the real life story of Chicago detective Chuck Adamson, whose coffee break with career criminal Neil McCauley inspired Mann's film, the iconic first-ever onscreen scene between acting heavyweights Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro, the many parallelisms between Hanna and McCauley, Michael Mann's collaboration with celebrated cinematographer Dante Spinotti (which began with Manhunter in 1986), the incredibly well-researched screenplay, the loneliness of existing outside regular society, and the rigorous training the actors went through to perform their roles.  This episode is more jam-packed than the 405 at rush hour, so flip on the blue flashing lights, hit the siren, and ride along with us!

For the first week of our paradoxical Comfort Films Crime Month, John and Georgia team up with special guest Christopher Witty to make a move against the Lucchese crime family as they discuss the quintessential crime classic, Goodfellas.  We discuss Martin Scorsese’s flawless direction, Michael Ballhaus’s stunning cinematography, the late great Ray Liotta's unforgettable and unmatchable portrayal of Henry Hill, Robert DeNiro’s stone cold Jimmy Conway, Joe Pesci’s Oscar-winning turn as Tommy Devito, the emotional depth in Lorraine Bracco’s Karen Hill, Scorsese's improv-based rehearsal process, Nicholas Pileggi's Wiseguy and its transformation into a screenplay, why we love Frankie Carbone, and last, but certainly not least, the hilarious dinner scene with Martin Scorsese’s mother, Catherine, with Frank Vincent "waiting" in the car. Take some advice from Jimmy Two Times and give us a listen, give us a listen!

This week Georgia and John are joined by their longtime friend and artistic collaborator, Wayne Cardwell, to discuss one of his all-time favorite films, Slumdog Millionaire. We talk about the boundless love which guides Jamal, the insatiable greed which drives Salim, the impeccable story structure that utilizes Jamal’s answers on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? as a jumping off point to explore Jamal’s past, the innovative combination of film and digital cinematography, the knockout performances of the entire cast, the power of destiny, and more! Lock in your final answer and join us as we discuss this vibrant film which racked up eight Oscars including Best Picture!

 For the third week of our love month, John and Georgia turn up the heat to take on the 2013 romance/horror film Warm Bodies, starring Nicholas Hoult and Teresa Palmer. We discuss the parallels with William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, sensitive zombies, who have a lit vinyl collection, how friends are just as important as lovers, and what it means to be truly alive.  Don't be a zombie - listen to this heartwarming episode that will make you feel human again!

For the second week of our love & romance month, we're taking a nostalgic trip back to the late 90s to revisit 10 Things I Hate About You--one of the standouts among the rash of teen movies that came out around the same time.  This adaptation of William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, which John and Georgia also have a special connection to, features a number of fantastic performances by young actors who have gone on to have strong careers, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Julia Stiles, and, of course, the late great Heath Ledger.  We discuss 90s riot grrrl and post-riot grrrl music, father/daughter relationships, the perils of not seeking popularity, adapting Shakespeare to modern times (and how screenwriters Karen McCullah and Kirsten Smith are great at it), how Patrick and Kat could have turned dating for cash into lucrative moneymaking endeavor, and how much we love David Krumholtz as Michael and every other role he's taken on.  Strike up the marching band and give us a listen!

To kick off a month of love & romance films, we welcome special guests Kate Duffy and Danny Zeliger to discuss Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.  We talk about the origins of modern day rom-coms, the difficulty of overcoming a bad first impression, the cardinal social sin of awkwardness, romanticizing the past, Tom Hollander's serial killer vibes as Mr. Collins, and which characters we identify with most.  Take a turn about the room and give us a listen!

For the last episode of our first sci-fi series, we decided to go straight back to the source and tackle the grandfather of all modern science fiction films, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.  We discuss the zeitgeist of the 60s that gave birth to the space race, 2001, and Star Trek, the ways that 2001 changed the way we view sci-fi, the production design that shaped the way we think about humans in space (even more than actual footage of humans in space), the perils of artificial intelligence, amazingly engineered trippy practical special effects, savior space babies, and what the heck a bunch of monkeys are doing standing around a big black rectangle. Jump in the repair pod and give us a listen, but grab your helmet just in case!