Join Sam and Jason as they discuss the 1986 filmed theatrical production of PICNIC* as well as take a crash course in the history of Labor Day, House of Gucci syndrome, writer/director conflicts, The Golden Girls, Broadway on US cable TV, flowers for Conchata Ferrell, Duckman, humble fuckability, what determines Southern belletry, and sitcom paleontology.

* in a recording that predates some of the developments regarding JJL and her social media presence.

Fearless Pretender: Twitter/X / Bluesky

Jason: Twitter/X / Bluesky / Rotten Tomatoes

Sam: Bluesky / Letterboxd

Sam and Jason welcome back Craig MacNeil (Craig and Friends) to discuss 1986's The Men's Club, a film which challenges the viewer in unexpected ways. Join them as they discuss this ensemble curiosity, as well as Gwen Welles, Vice Squad, Oliver North, deep kissing and 1980s HIV paranoia, The Before Trilogy, Sasha Grey, Psychoplasmics, shoulder dancing, Season Hubley, brothel breakfasts, '80s homophobia, and All That Jazz. 

Jason: ⁠Twitter / X⁠ / ⁠Bluesky⁠ / ⁠Rotten Tomatoes⁠

Sam: ⁠Bluesky⁠ / Letterboxd

Craig: Twitter / X

Sam and Jason take an eighteen-wheeler to tradition and welcome two guests for this month’s very special episode, talking about 1986’s THE HITCHER.

With Super Marcey (The Super Network) and William Bibbiani (The Critically Acclaimed Network) having thumbed a ride, we talk about the Rutger Hauer/JJL reunion, nihilist homoeroticism, police ethics (and the lack thereof), what makes a Dardenne protagonist, how Americans and Aussies share the special unease of living in a country with desolate roads in the starkest of deserts, Martyrs, taking moral stances, structure, digital releases for ‘80s indie cinema, potato delivery systems, the possibility that while gearing up to play Nash perhaps Jennifer did time as a short order cook, what Ryder teaches us as viewers about BDSM, Soul Man, the power of parental prophecy, Abel Ferrara’s The Addiction, The Geto Boys, justice for Zach Knighton in La Vie Nouvelle, and so much more.

Jason: ⁠Twitter / X⁠ / ⁠Bluesky⁠ / ⁠Rotten Tomatoes⁠

Sam: ⁠Bluesky⁠ / ⁠Letterboxd

Bibbs: Critically Acclaimed / Twitter/X

Marcey: The Super Network / Twitter/X

For the first episode of 2024, Jason and Sam take a break from their chronological survey of Jennifer Jason Leigh's career and discuss what might have been. In the first of several episodes that will cover films that Jennifer was ALMOST in, we look at a somewhat forgotten 80s coming of ager and an iconic rom-com that made a megastar of its lead in 1990.

First up, loose Twelfth Night riff Just One of the Guys, in which Jennifer nearly played the lead role of Terri, a high school senior who disguises herself as a guy when she's not submitted to a journalism competition. We discuss how the film plays now, eventual lead Joyce Hyser's performance, and whether Jennifer could ever have made a convincing dude.

Then, we discuss one of the biggest projects Jennifer has turned down: Pretty Woman. We get into the film, its (waning?) cultural imprint, and the difference between the version that was released and the script JJL turned down.

Jason: Twitter / X / Bluesky / Rotten Tomatoes

Sam: Bluesky / Letterboxd

This month, Sam and Jason welcome producer Heather Buckley (The Ranger, The Sacrifice Game,Blood and Flesh: The Reel Life and Ghastly Death of Al Adamson, amazing special features on the blu-rays you love for the past fifteen-plus years) to discuss the Paul Verhoeven film Flesh + Blood. It’s a wild and expansive discussion about the most violent and upsetting film ever named after a Roxy Music album that covers a lot of ground and fords some surreal technical issues.

Our guest Heather Buckley’s most recent production, The Sacrifice Game, streams on Shudder in North America next week.

This month’s bibliography includes the books Jesus of Nazareth by Paul Verhoeven, Paul Verhoeven Interviews, and Paul Verhoeven by Rob Van Scheers, the television show Black Adder, as well as the following films: Alexander (Stone), Baise-Moi (Despentes/Trinh Thi), Death in Venice (Visconti), The Devils (Russell), The Devil’s Honey (Fulci), Excalibur (Boorman), Lancelot du Lac (Bresson), Little Mother (Metzger), Monty Python and The Holy Grail (Gilliam/Jones), Poison Ivy: The New Seduction (Voss), Sauna (Annila), The Trilogy of Life (Pasolini), and Vice Squad (Sherman).

Jason: Twitter / X / Bluesky / Rotten Tomatoes

Sam: Bluesky / Letterboxd

Heather: Twitter

A full length episode for this, Jennifer's only film of 1984, in which she has a tiny supporting part covering only about 3 minutes screen time, might seem a little indulgent, but when Billy Ray Brewton is your guest, you make the most of him.

Jason, Sam and Billy Ray talk about the authenticity of the smalltown feel of this coming of ager, about the chemistry between Jamie Lee Curtis and male leads C. Thomas Howell and Patrick Swayze and about the differences between Jennifer's inexperienced characters up to this point and the much more sexually forward Candy.

Digressions include discussions of Velamints, seeing films as a product of their time and the way the hosts saw their own towns change, much like Grandview does.

Our theme music comes courtesy of composer Tim Kutz. Follow him on Twitter ⁠@Rockub420⁠ and check out his brand new album at http://theeuphoricrecall.bandcamp.com/album/side-b.

Twitter / X

@JJLPodcast

@jshawhan

@BillyRayBrewton

Around the Web

Sam: Bluesky / Letterboxd

Jason: Bluesky / Rotten Tomatoes

Billy Ray: Linktree

For episode 8, Sam and Jason delve into the theatrical cut of Jennifer's exploitation TV movie, directed by Jonathan Kaplan. First screened as Girls of the White Orchid, but released theatrically with some more overtly sleazy ingredients as Death Ride to Osaka.

This time, we're joined by Jonathan Hertzberg of Fun City Editions, who released the film in their excellent Primetime Panic blu-ray set, and brings some insider knowledge having interviewed Kaplan for that release.

Among the things up for discussion are Mako and Soon Teck-Oh's subversive use of Japanese in the film's TV version; the merits of each title; Jennifer's nonchalant attitude to nudity; the film's chaotic location shoot in Japan, and much more.

Our theme music comes courtesy of composer Tim Kutz. Follow him on Twitter ⁠@Rockub420⁠ and check out his brand new album at http://theeuphoricrecall.bandcamp.com/album/side-b.

Twitter / X

@JJLPodcast

@24FPSUK

@jshawhan

@FunCityEdition

Around the Web

Sam: Threads / Bluesky / Letterboxd: All @24FPSUK

Jason: Rotten Tomatoes

Fun City Editions

For Episode 7, Jason, Sam and guest Craig MacNeil confront the cultural divide provoked by Rodney Dangerfield and his 1983 Brewster's Millions-alike comedy Easy Money.

Among the subjects up for discussion are the genius (?) of Rodney Dangerfield; how good a year the pizza guy at Ridgemont High had after everyone graduated; the merits of RC Cola and Panda Pops; the comic potential of precarious cakes, oh, and Jennifer Jason Leigh's part as Rodney Dangerfield's daughter.

Join us for this epic deconstruction of a near forgotten (and, in the UK, barely released) movie.

PS: Sam got the preview wrong at the end of this episode, Grandview USA is the September episode. Next month we'll be covering Girls of the White Orchid / Death Ride to Osaka with a very special guest.

Craig and Friends @ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/craig-friends/id1361582513

Easy Money vs Modern Woman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYt1tznPduQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdzQi_hh7Qc

trailer for Elvira Mistress of the Dark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZdrAqH78l8

Klingon culture not samurai culture / John Ford’s novel The Final Reflection

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Final_Reflection

LaToya Jackson’s “Just Say No” video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwLpuOHOjcQ

Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t Drive Drunk”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0IhxqRzJgQ

Anthrax’s “I’m The Man”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiHdr4rWG98

sadly, extant footage of Taylor Negron’s appearances on The Dating Game are not available

James Adomian at The Midnight Suggestion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJU0KVN4eek

The “Rappin’ Rodney” video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWTKhQzQl1A

Contact Us

Sam

Twitter: https://twitter.com/24FPSUK

Threads: Username 24FPSUK

Jason: https://twitter.com/jshawhan

Craig: https://twitter.com/CraigAndFriends / https://twitter.com/VideodromeDisco

Music

theeuphoricrecall.bandcamp.com

This time, Jason and Sam tackle another couple of TV projects from Jennifer Jason Leigh's early 80s career. After School Special "Have You Ever Been Ashamed Of Your Parents?" defies the stereotype of these shows by having some excellent writing and nuanced performances (and, yes, a slightly clunkily inserted moral). TV movie "The First Time" sees Jennifer among a quality cast with some great roles for the film's women, in a story that deals with coming of age from a different angle than Fast Times. Among the topics: Playing an only child convincingly. A co-star with an amazing career path. Everyone should have a grandma like Charlotte in The First Time. Sam HATES the score for one of these.

Our theme music comes courtesy of composer Tim Kutz. Follow him on Twitter ⁠@Rockub420⁠ and check out his brand new album at theeuphoricrecall.bandcamp.com/album/side-b.

Twitter

@JJLPodcast

@24FPSUK

@jshawhan

Sam and Jason tackle the first of this show's white whales: Jennifer's breakthrough role in era defining teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Among the subjects up for discussion are the incredibly stacked cast of character actors the film introduced; the existence or otherwise of Linda's boyfriend Doug and the differences between the theatrical and TV versions of the film. We also touch on Roger Ebert's review of the film; male friendship as represented by Rat and Damone; the value of the class clown; THAT nude scene... and American house numbering.

Note: Sam wanted to call this episode "Doesn't anybody f**king knock anymore?", but we decided it had to be a JJL line in the title.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is available on Criterion Blu Ray in both the US and the UK

Tree of Knowledge is included in the 10 film Nils Malmros boxset from Nordisk film (Region 2, includes English subtitles)

and because we love you, here's the trailer for Blue Fang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8QlOOEChAg

Twitter

@JJLPodcast

@24FPSUK

@jshawhan