Comfort Films Podcast

This week, we're kicking off a month-long mystery series with the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock!  We discuss Hitchcock's comprehensive approach to filmmaking, his fruitful collaboration with Jimmy Stewart (whose wholesome image Hitchcock expertly exploited), the line between simple curiosity and voyeurism, and when a telephoto lens is not just a telephoto lens.  Grab your binoculars, step into the shadows, and join us!

To close out our four weeks of John Carpenter horror, we decided to watch him end the world not once, but twice!  Both of these films (two and three in Carpenter's apocalypse trilogy, which started out with The Thing, our film from last week) involve questioning reality as we know it.  In Prince of Darkness, we go way below the surface of this evil-takes-over film to explore the intersection of religion and science, theoretical physics, and if it's possible to prove the existence of objective reality.  And of course, Alice Cooper stabbing a dude with a bike frame.  With In the Mouth of Madness, we explore the creator as destroyer, whether insanity is merely a problem of perception, and the influence of Lovecraft's cosmic evils on modern horror.  This was a satisfying wrap-up worthy of Carpenter's complex visions, so prepare for the coming of Cthulu by giving us a listen!  

For this third week of our John Carpenter horror month, we decided to take inspiration from our episode number and go to Area 51 for an alien adventure with The Thing, Carpenter's 1982 alien invasion movie starring Kurt Russell in a Yosemite Sam hat.  We talk isolation and paranoia in the frozen underbelly of the world, Rob Bottin's genius (and gruesome) creature creations (with an assist from Stan Winston), nontraditional westerns, the Oscar-worthy performance of Jed the wolfdog, and saving the world from an apocalypse when you've probably had too much whiskey.  Make sure your flamethrower is fueled and join us!

It's week two of our John Carpenter horror movies month, and since we're also hitting the big 5-0 in our episode count, we decided to do a double feature!  We talk about Halloween and The Fog, two Carpenter classics that are very different but share some strong common bonds too.  We discuss both films' Hitchcock roots, the many contributions of the brilliant writer/producer Debra Hill, Dean Cundey's stellar cinematography, babysitters in peril, keeping your pants on for safety, what Michael Myers did on the drive to Haddonfield, and the fine art of revenge negotiations.  Sharpen your knives and join us!  

It's scary season, and this year, we've decided to focus on a series of horror films from a director we love in the genre, John Carpenter.  For the first in the series, we're taking a closer look at They Live, the 1988 sci-fi action horror film about our evil alien overlords and the drifter hero who brings them down.  We discuss the handling of serious themes like homelessness and rampant consumerism, Carpenter's DIY filmmaking style, pro wrestler Rowdy Roddy Piper's surprisingly nuanced performance as John Nada, the ubiquitous and uber-talented Keith David's role as the definitive alien-fighting sidekick, long street fights between friends, and the importance of having a healthy disrespect for authority.  Put on the sunglasses of truth and join the revolution with us!

In this final episode of the "straight to the sequel" series, John and Georgia revisit Indiana Jones in the third film of the original trilogy, The Last Crusade.  What can we say, we love a grail story!  (See episode 23, The Fisher King.) We talk about the many Indiana Jones/James Bond links (not limited to the Sean Connery connection), stupid guys who are easily dazzled by shiny things, Henry and Indy's troubled relationship, creepy-crawly phobias, what could have been with River Phoenix, and Elsa, the problematic love interest.  Jump in the sidecar and let's ride!  

For our third in the straight to the sequel September series, we're talking about Christopher Nolan's 2008 film, The Dark Knight.  We discuss the dark/light motif that weaves through every aspect of the film, the significant overlap between good guys and bad guys, the mysterious background of the Joker and Heath Ledger's incredible performance, the technical innovations Nolan's team made shooting narrative film on IMAX for the first time, and whether "honest politician" is an oxymoron.  This isn't your run of the mill superhero flick, so gas up the Batpod and join us!

In this super-sized episode, we discuss one of our most beloved movie sequels, The Empire Strikes Back!  For this second episode in our "straight to the sequel" September series, we talk about all the things that make this a major favorite, including the appearance of Yoda (aka "The Bunny"), Luke's growth, Leia's continuing transition from rebel princess to military leader, Han Solo's development from lone wolf to full-fledged pack member, Lando's tough decision, Darth Vader's workplace woes, sound and special effects marvels that dazzled us as toddlers (and continue to do so today), and how director Irvin Kershner brought real heart to this space opera.  Jump in your snowspeeder, grab your tow cable, and take on the Empire with us!

For the first episode in our "straight to the sequel" September series, we're talking Terminator 2: Judgment Day.  We love this movie so much, we can watch it as a standalone film without needing to start at the beginning of the  series (although we like watching it that way too).  We discuss the T-1000, the most terrifying liquid metal entity we've ever encountered, John Connor's daddy issues, Sarah Connor's transformation from sweetheart to murderous badass, the importance of Guns N' Roses to the development of sentient machines, and of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger's definitive, unforgettable performance as the deadpan cyborg T-800.  So, come with us if you want to live, and remember, there is no fate but what we make!

For the big finish to our sun and sand series, we doubled up on the sandiest movie we could find--Dune!  Not only did we watch both movies and hours of special features, but we also listened to the audiobook.  We basically ARE sandworms now.  We talk about the influence of Dune on the last 50 years of sci-fi, religious and philosophical themes, and of course, the spice melange, which is a symbol used to discuss the world's dependence on oil, but somehow also an analog for tripping on shrooms.  We also attempt to pronounce a lot of names, some of characters and some of actors.  Strap into your stillsuits and join us for Dune!