Don’t Push Pause

Right at the end of 2018, we lost the legendary actress/director/producer, Penny Marshall. We felt we’d be remiss if we did not discuss this brilliant woman’s life and the films she left behind, with a specific focus on one of our favorites, A League of Their Own (1992).

▶️ (4:00) A League of Their Own is the fictionalized version of the true story about the first season of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). We’ll discuss the history behind film, how the idea originated and why this all-female sports film crosses gender boundaries. We’ll also let you in how this was the hot ticket movie for every actress in Hollywood at the time.

▶️ (29:13) We’ll give you a short history on the life of the woman who resurrected the story of the AAGPBL, the wonderfully sarcastic and grumbly, sassy and smart lady from the Bronx, Penny Marshall.

▶️ (40:00) A League of Their Own May be the quintessential Marshall film, but all her movies were full the sincerest warmth, heart and laughs. Instead of our usual Picks of the Week, we tell you about each of the films Marshall directed: Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986), Big (1988), Awakenings (1990), A League of Their Own, Renaissance Man (1994), The Preacher’s Wife (1996) and Riding in Cars with Boys (2001).

▶️ (1:15:00) As this is our Penny Marshall tribute episode, this MurrayMoment takes us back to 1977 when Saturday Night Live went live from Mardi Gras in New Orleans on primetime TV. Billy was the fresh-faced new guy on SNL, and Marshall and Cindy Williams (Laverne and Shirley) were guest starring. But did this lofty feat of going live surrounded by party-happy, belligerent drunks successfully work out? Well... there’s a reason this episode is almost impossible to find.

▶️ (1:32:50) Pretty extra special close out for this episode, “Penny Marshall,” by Erik Mauck, a song written many years ago and feels appropriate for this episode.

Whether you loved her on Laverne and Shirley, felt touched by one of her films or are maybe just learning about her now, we wanted to showcase Penny Marshall’s legacy, and spotlight the inspirational A League of Their Own. Marshall was truly a trailblazer and comedy icon who left all of Hollywood heartbroken.

Sometimes there comes a movie we never want to end. Whether it’s the characters, storyline or just a opportunity to capitalize on a movie’s initial success, this is when the Sequel is born. And while there are many, many Sequels That Don’t Suck in existence, Episode 20 is our lovesong to some awesome sequels that shouldn’t be forgotten.

▶️Main Features:

🎥Danny Glover and Mel Gibson re-team with Joe Pesci and newcomer Rene Russo for the third installment of the jam-packed, buddy-cop action franchise. Bustin’ some serious buns and takin’ out gun-runners, Lethal Weapon 3 shines as the series’ finest and most entertaining sequel.

🎥Well, someone gets Gizmo wet again and all hell breaks loose. This time in a crazy, high-technology mini-world corporate building set in the heart of New York City. Gremlins 2 is complete insanity, and we love every single second of the supreme creativity and lunacy.

▶️Sequel Smackdown:

▶️Picks of the Week:

▶️MurrayMoment:

▶️Episode 20 closes out the first year with this podcast, so there’s a lot crammed into it. We also wanted to thank everyone for sticking with us... without listeners, we’re like that kid talking into an unplugged mic in Wet Hot American Summer. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and can’t wait to top our first year with new episodes!

There’s almost no way My Cousin Vinny wouldn’t have been a hit in 1992. You’ve either seen it or know the title of the film. The story mixes a serious crime into a film that’s clearly a comedy, and it’s easy to see why it received such critical acclaim upon its release. A well-paced, entertaining watch, and though it may seem run-of-the-mill, Vinny is a unique movie that shouldn’t be swallowed into the bin of lost films.

▶️ While on a road trip, two boys are arrested for murder they didn’t commit. Caught in a serious out-of-town jam, they call upon cousin Vinny, the only attorney that will work for free. We’ll discuss what makes this movie work as a comedy, how it sustains itself on intelligent humor and isn’t a one-trick joke. Even though Vinny is the main man, the movie is an ensemble piece, so we’ll hit on why Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Fred Gwynne and Ralph Macchio are a powerful group, supported by a whole cast of bit players who add a rich background to the story. We’ll round out the discussion with how the real-life law community has taken notice of the film, and also bring up the tiny controversy behind Tomei’s Oscar win for the film.

▶️ Although our Picks of the Week greatly differ, they also offer up unique brands of humor. Justin opted for Vinny director Jonathan Lynn’s first film, the beloved, Clue (1985). Love it or hate it, it’s a movie created after the murder mystery board game with wild, slapstick humor that never stops. Lindsay went the Marisa Tomei route and chose Slums of Beverly Hills (1998). Set in the mid-70s, Slums is a coming-of-age movie about a girl and her nomadic, neurotic family moving from place to place, and then become entrusted with taking in their troubled cousin straightening out her life.

▶️ We travel to steamy Florida for this one, back to a movie that made us rewind a more few times than usual. Back to a Billy Murray movie wherein people often forget he holds a hefty supporting role. Oh yes, we’re going back to that time Billy was the only guy not having sex in 1998’s swamp trash murder mystery, Wild Things.

▶️ Though we know we’re in for a somewhat predictable courtroom comedy, My Cousin Vinny never ceases to be a sharp, entertaining ride. The main characters are brash, but it’s for a purpose and only helps enrich this snappy depiction of a murder trial. Other movies can tend to glorify the American legal system... this is not one of them.

We close out November with one of the best dramatic films to come out of the 90s, Ang Lee’s The Ice Storm (1997). It’s a simple story, but how this Rick Moody novel was adapted into a movie perfectly embodies American families going through transition. Although it was highly praised by critics and viewers alike, this movie often slips by the radar. Lee takes human realness, struggling with the mundane, familial claustrophobia and sexual repression, then wraps it into a story that feels familiar. Perhaps, it may even hit too close to home for some.

▶️ Set around Thanksgiving in 1973, The Ice Storm explores the inner disconnection existing in two neighboring families, and also how they are individually (and secretly) involved with one another. We’ll discuss how the film looks at human desires and what happens when we suppress our feelings or decide to act on impulses. The themes of this film run deep, focusing on the political climate of the decade, the inability for parents and children to relate, subdued emotions, adulterous escapades and the sexual exploration parallel existing from adolescence to adulthood. We also go into how the ending of the film was an extremely bold move, along with how the all-star cast greatly assists in bringing this relatable story to life.

▶️ Picks of the Week focus on other films by Sigourney Weaver. Justin opted for 1993’s Dave, which not only stars Weaver, but also Kline of The Ice Storm. The Ivan Reitman film is about what happens when a presidential impersonator assumes the place of the real Commander-in-Chief. Lindsay chose Weaver’s gut-wrenching Gorillas in the Mist (1988), a biopic about the passionate primatologist and conservationist, Dian Fossey — her life’s mission, work with gorillas and untimely murder.

▶️ This week’s MurrayMoment takes us on the journey between Weaver and Billy Murray. They’re both very different types of actors, so is it possible they could come together on a grassroots stage drama?

▶️ Though our main feature is set in the 1970s, The Ice Storm is a timeless story. It’s not just a about people experiencing their miserable lives — it’s about realizing what your life has become and what how one chooses to react. The American Dream is over, but the hangover is just beginning.

A dark November begins with our most controversial movie yet, Larry Clark’s, Kids (1995). It received an NC-17 rating upon its release, and in the subsequent years, a lot of kids have felt accurately represented on film, while parents are still shocked and the rest of the world feels sucker-punched in the gut. Nineteen-year-old Harmony Korine wrote this film about an unsupervised teenage world full of immediate gratification, curiosity, unbridled vulgarity and never thinking about consequences. Kids was a wake-up call to the world.