Retro Grade Podcast

“BUT YOU AIN’T GOT NO LEGS, LIEUTENANT DAN.“

On today’s podcast, we talk about a movie so popular, it turned the novel it was based on into a best seller 8 years after it was published. So beloved, it swept the 67th Academy Awards, beating the Shawshank Redemption for Best Picture! A film so embedded into the American psyche, generations of girls named Jenny might actually hate this movie. Today we are talking about Forrest Gump from 1994, directed by Robert Zemeckis, starring America’s favorite everyman, Tom Hanks!

Even though we both loved this movie when we first saw it, thinking about it now there are some things that raise questions, both in the story telling and in how we feel watching it. How do we feel about seeing Tom Hanks, an able-bodied neurotypical actor play a character that is suggested to have some kind of intellectual disability? What’s the deal with Jenny? What is the theme of this movie? Is this a comedy or an inspirational drama? Wait…Forrest Gump is named after WHO??

To help us talk about this classic 90’s film is fellow UCI Alumni and Video Producer at Vice, Heather Hoang! You can find the video series she oversees HERE and the latest video she’s produced about the infamous Waco siege HERE.

Also, stay tuned to our social media for a special announcement!

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

“TAKE YOUR STINKING PAWS OFF ME, YOU DAMN DIRTY APE!“

On this episode, we go back to the oldest movie we’ve done to date, with Planet of the Apes , directed by Franklin J. Schaffner starring the controversial Hollywood icon, Charlton Heston. We go back to 1968 and try to figure out just why this film based off of the ‘63 novel by Pierre Boulle inspired 4 sequels, a remake, a reboot trilogy, and multiple TV series, comic books and video games. Was this film even good, or was the bar for science fiction pre- Star Wars films just low?

We talk about how the future NRA president and early champion of the anti political correctness movement, Charlton Heston, might have been accidentally perfect in taking the role as George Taylor, a deeply flawed and hypocritical character. We also get into how Twilight Zone creator and known progressive, Rod Serling wrote the early drafts of the film, and what remains of his vision after former blacklisted writer, Michael Wilson finished the screenplay. What do these contrasting personalities bring to the modern viewing experience?

Even though this film is over 50 years old and very dated in terms of special effects and other things that contemporary audiences might find off putting, we learn just how much work went into the making of the prosthetics and make up to create the anthropomorphic Apes, and how that might have effected the Academy Award.

Also, what’s the deal with the sequel’s names? Beneath the Planet of the Apes? Escape from the Planet of the Apes? Conquest of the Planet of the Apes? Wait…what’s beneath the Planet of the Apes?

We’ve got a lot of opinions and factoids on this one! Come give us a listen, and make sure you stay tuned for our next episode. See you in two weeks!

Our music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Our podcast artwork was made by @jannelle_o

"EVERYTHING IN THIS ROOM IS EATABLE, EVEN I'M EATABLE. BUT THAT IS CALLED ‘CANNIBALISM,’ AND IS IN FACT FROWNED UPON IN MOST SOCIETIES."

In conclusion to our two-part Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory episode, we examine the film by comparing it to the 2005 “remake,” Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Tim Burton. Having re watched both films in close succession, we talk about the changes made between the films and how different generations of kids have reacted to each film. We look into Johnny Depp's polarizing performance and whether or not it's as bad as people thought it was, or if his interpretation was simply misunderstood and wrongly compared to Gene Wilder's performance. We compare each film's musical segments, and how much influence this film had on the music industry itself.

We don’t really see eye to eye on this one, but that’s part of the fun! So sit back and enjoy this virtually chocolate-covered episode of Retro Grade Podcast! See you again in two weeks for Planet of the Apes from 1968!

Our music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Our podcast artwork was made by @jannelle_o

"WE ARE THE MUSIC MAKERS... AND WE ARE THE DREAMERS OF DREAMS."

On this week's episode of Retro Grade Podcast, we watch the beloved film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from 1971. Considered by many to be a classic, we revisit the film and see why it has earned so much adoration from viewers all over the world. We dive into the structure of the screenplay and how effectively it showed the desperation the characters felt to find one of Wonka's Golden Tickets. We talk about Mr. Wonka himself, played by the legendary Gene Wilder, and how he beautifully switches between being a mad scientist to a warm father figure to Charlie.

On this episode, Austin tries to expose a candy conspiracy about the whole Golden Ticket situation, and Jorge isn’t having it. We also talk about the depiction of Oompa Loompas and how it's changed over the years from the original book. Speaking about the book, we talk about the author, Roald Dahl and some controversial things we never heard as children. And as always, we see whether the film can survive the authors own dark past.

So sit back and enjoy the first part of this special two-part episode of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!

Our music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Our podcast artwork was made by @jannelle_o

“WE’RE ON A MISSION FROM GOD.“

On this episode, we cover a comedy musical classic, “The Blues Brothers“ from 1980, directed by the (in)famous John Landis. Joining us for this episode is one of the hosts over at the podcast Cinenation, Brandon Sparks!

Brandon is a fellow movie lover, film major, podcaster, but also happens to LOVE Blues Brothers, and has a great deal of trivia and answers to our questions about the film, like:

Why was this even made?

How did this film manage to get so many talented Black artists to be in the movie?

Why is this your favorite movie?

And of course, how do you feel about this movie after learning about John Landis and the infamous Twilight Zone shoot where 3 actors lost their lives? As time goes on and we learn about some of the people behind the entertainment we love, how does this effect how we see their work?

Find out on the episode! Hope you enjoy!

Our music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Our podcast artwork was made by @jannelle_o

"EVERY CIVILIZATION FINDS IT NECESSARY TO NEGOTIATE COMPROMISES WITH ITS OWN VALUES"

On this episode of Retro Grade, we go over Steven Spielberg's Munich, the 2005 film about the massacre at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. After 11 Israeli athletes are killed, Israel green lights the assassinations of the men involved with the attack. This is the beginning of a battle that ravages through most of Europe, taking the lives of many innocent people with it. We delve into the story of the film, trying to discern the real from the fictionalized, the moral to the immoral and whether the actions from the main characters were justified or miscalculated.

Not only do we go over Steven Spielberg's own thoughts on Israel's response to the massacre, but we also see what Israel thinks of the film, and how they interpret the film and its final shot in particular. We breakdown how the film creates suspense through the music and the cinematography leading up to the assassinations, and how they are used to communicate the characters state of mind in quieter scenes. And finally, we try and relate the film to our modern world, to how we see acts of terrorism today and how media might have a hand in shaping the viewer's opinions about a real like conflict and the groups within it.

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

On the conclusion of our New Year’s special, we talk with a mutual friend, and a professional in film distribution, Dillan Damodar.

We try to get some answers to some of the questions raised in our previous episode and talk about how the pandemic has changed the film industry. We talk about the importance of subscribers vs box office numbers, how expensive it is to get a film to play in theaters, how tech companies have infiltrated the movie making business and how their objectives might be different from tradition movie studios.

We thank you for listening to the show, and we give you a sneak peak of what to expect from Retro Grade Podcast in 2021 towards the end of the episode!

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

On this special New Year’s Day episode of Retro Grade, we discuss the 2012 documentary Side by Side. This is the first part of a two-part episode about the film. Featuring Keanu Reeves, the documentary is about the rise of digital filmmaking technology in the film industry, more specifically about film cameras and the creation and use of digital sensors to capture images.

The reason we wanted to watch this film for the New Year is because 2020 was a historic year for the film industry. With Warner Brothers announcing that their entire 2021 film slate will be releasing in both theaters and their streaming service, HBO Max, at the same time, this decision is one that will be felt in the industry for years to come. In order to try and see where this decision might lead to, we decided to visit another shift that the industry had to go through not too long ago, the switch to digital technology in both production and distribution. Watching the film, we couldn’t help but see certain sentiments that are being echoed today by some of the most famous filmmakers, and we wanted to see if could see the predictions they made back in 2012 about digital technology and see if we can use those predictions to see where the industry might go from here.

With special guest filmmaker Christopher Mims, we dive into Side and Side, and see if we can get a clearer image of what the future holds for this industry.

Hope you are all having a safe holiday season in 2020. This episode and the next are special, off format episodes to share about what Christmas means to Austin and Jorge, and what the future of movies might look like while we are getting through this pandemic.

On this episode, we talk about our relationship, or lack thereof, to the holiday, and what movies we associate with it. Then at the end of the episode, we quiz each other with 5 Christmas movie synopses, and have to guess whether or not the films exist or are made up to fool each other.

Let us know via twitter or instagram @retrograde_pod if you like hearing episodes like these or if you’ve seen any weird ones we should cover for next time.

See you next year!

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o

“I DON’T NEED BACKUPS. I’M GOING TO HARVARD.“

This week we change it up and talk about a different kind of movie. A certain legal comedy that came out in 2001 called Legally Blonde! (Anyone who says it’s a rom-com is wrong, sorry, we don’t make the rules.)

Austin’s girlfriend, Leanna, makes her podcast debut and talks about what this movie meant to her as a child. Austin and Jorge also reminisce on their childhood and how boys tend to hate things meant for women without even giving them a chance. We learn new words like, “femmephobia“ and terms like “respectability politics,” the hurdles that Reese Witherspoon went through to be respected in Hollywood, talk about whether or not Legally Blonde is a feminist film, and the problem with Enid.

Also, stay tuned for our deep dive on Enrique and Chuck’s relationship. Enjoy!

Music is from Triune Digital and audio clips pulled from movies we will be reviewing in other episodes.

Artwork by @jannelle_o