Switch The Envelope

We can all agree that Annette Bening is one of the classiest and most talented actresses working today. Well, everybody but the Academy Awards apparently. Over the course of her 30 plus years dominating the screen with her dynamic presence, the Academy has passed over Bening 4 times, twice for the new Karate Kid. It’s a travesty of celebrity justice, and Jeff and Cory are here to shine the light back in Oscar’s face. Annette deserves gold.

Hollywood is always looking for that next big idea or franchise. The practice of borrowing stories from other media is so ingrained in the history of filmmaking, that there’s even an Adapted Screenplay Oscar given out every year. Even though writers and producers try to adapt anything they can get their hands on, stories still slip through the cracks. Some great stories never get their time on the big screen. Well, Jeff and Cory are here to help with four stories that would make killer movies. From recent record breaking sports to a rock n’roll concept album from the 70s to the real stories of significant times in American history, join us in asking, “why these stories haven’t been adapted into movies yet?”

Our journey through the history of SFX makeup concludes in this third and final installment, but not before telling the tale of one of the most impactful and influential artist to wield a makeup brush. From his early days working for WNBC TV in NY to his peak cinematic work in films like The Exorcist, Dick Smith would cinnovate his way in to the annals of Hollywood history. Between Smith and John Chambers (remember him from Part II?), modern makeup would find its roots. Countless artists bred from their tutelage would reshape and further drive the art form of SFX and SFX makeup into over a half century of cinnovation after cinnovation.

Welcome to another edition of Switch the Envelope presents History of Fiction. On this installment, Jeff and Cory explore the real history behind the legend of Robin Hood as depicted in the Kevin Costner film Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. Turns out the Robin Hood story that we all know and love is wrought with historical inaccuracies including, but not limited to, misplacing the era it takes place by almost a century. Journey with us to 12 (or 13th) Century England, deep into the forest of Barnsdale as we seek to find the true history of this fiction.

Not every character in a horror film makes it out alive. If they did, the film probably wouldn’t be a very good horror film. Nevertheless, as an audience we’re always rooting for the survivors. Those few that make it to Saturday the 14th. The small group that wake from their nightmares on Elm St.. They are what makes all the jumps cares and gore worth wincing through. But what makes a horror survivor? Randy Meeks in the movie Scream has his set of horror rules, so Jeff and Cory compiled their own set of rules, that if followed, just might help you survive to make the sequel.

Jeff and Cory venture out of the shadows of black and white film into the merry ole land of color, where makeup practices open the door to the future. The new invention of foam rubber becomes a real game changer for those willing to adapt to new techniques, while those who carved paths with the films of the previous era found themselves working on the smaller screens of television. New technology and practices give way to a new class of masters of the trade. When progress in Hollywood’s makeup stiffens, the next wave of artisans emerges from an unlikely place.

Makeup has played an important role in moviemaking since the earliest days of the film industry. It can transform actors into wild characters or grotesque monsters. On this episode, Jeff and Cory explore those early days of film where a world on screen without color, meant actors on set done up in makeup that looked rather odd. Until color film became the new normal, the science behind how black and white film translated real world colors made the art of makeup, in and of itself, one of Hollywood’s first widely used special effects. Join us for the first of two episodes celebrating the pioneers, artisans, and cinnovators of special effects makeup!

On this episode Jeff and Cory get to the bottom of the question: Did M. Night Shyamalan write She’s All That? The answer to the question is one that has lurked on forgotten webpages and cryptic comment sections for nearly a decade. One brave twitter user dared to uncover the controversy, and so our fearless host fell deep into an internet rabbit hole to find the truth. Was M. Night responsible for the rich characters in the teen flick? Was the credited writer, R. Lee Fleming, the sole hand penning the story? Was the Studio under special contract stipulations to only hire writers with an initial for a first name? All will be answered and more!

In 1999, many moviegoers were wowed by the time-stopping fx shots in the Matrix. The success of the film’s stunning visual shots branded the technique with the moniker Bullet Time. The origins of this Cinnovation, however, take its roots from some unlikely sources that predate motion pictures. Join Jeff and Cory as they uncover the history of a sensation that was a century in the making.

On this episode our hosts find out just how intimately they know each other (cinematically speaking) with a movie themed revamp of the Newlywed Game. Jeff and Cory go back and forth answering the important question for each other, like “which Star Wars film should you show first to someone who’s never seen a Star War?” or “top comfort binge watch tv series?” Will our dynamic duo prove their significant other right by knowing far more about each other than they do about their life partners? Or will their lack of co-host knowledge mark the end of a podcast friendship? Play along at home, or on the freeway you’re commuting on, and find out just how well these Movie-weds know each other.