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 In this episode, Marty gives Clif the film Road Games to watch and Clif gives Marty A Boy And His Dog to watch.

First, Clif and Marty head into the wasteland for A Boy and His Dog (1975), a post-apocalyptic science-fiction film starring a young Don Johnson and his telepathic canine companion. Written by legendary sci-fi author Harlan Ellison, the film imagines a future where nuclear war has left humanity with very little civilization, even less compassion, and some seriously questionable priorities. The guys explore the film's satirical take on humanity, it's bizarre underground society and it's place in the evolution of post-apocalyptic cinema. They also trace a surprising line from this oddball '70s film to the Mad Max franchise, including Fury Road. It's a movie that gives you plenty to talk about, even if you aren't sure you enjoyed watching it.

Then it's off to the Australian outback for Road Games (1981), a thriller starring Stacy Keach as a truck driver who becomes convinced that a fellow traveler may be a serial killer. With Jamie Lee Curtis along for the ride, the film promises a tense game of cat and mouse across the open road. The guys debate whether the film successfully builds suspense, question some truly baffling plot choices and wonder why Jamie Lee Curtis takes so long to show up in a movie that features her name in the conversation. There's appreciation for the film's scenery and a few interesting visual touches, but the ratings are about as far apart as two trucks traveling in opposite directions.

Along the way: Two very different movie dogs, the finer points of the trucker-movie hierarchy, Brian May and Mo Henry.

#TalkingPondo #ABoyAndHisDog #RoadGames #DonJohnson #JamieLeeCurtis #CultMovies #MoviePodcast #80sMovies

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Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace

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 In this episode we talk to Julie Schaffer. Julie played the character Sarah in four of our films, "Comic Book Diaries," "Writing Fren-Zee," "Revenge of Zoe" and "The Love Song of William H. Shaw."

Comic Book Diaries Trailer

Writing Fren-Zee Trailer

The Love Song  of William H. Shaw Trailer

Rocky Horror Trailer

Wizard of Oz Trailer

Mary Poppins Trailer

Forrest Gump Trailer

Footloose - Dance Scene Link

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Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace

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 In this episode, Marty gives Clif the film Animal Crackers to watch and Clif gives Marty Grosse Point Blank to watch.

Clif and Marty travel all the way back to 1930 for Animal Crackers, the second feature film starring the legendary Marx Brothers. Clif and Marty discuss the film's vaudeville roots, it's early-talkie growing pains, and the remarkable influence the Marx Brothers had on generations of comedians, from Bugs Bunny to modern filmmakers. Clif appreciates the anarchic energy and sharp dialogue, even if the production feels a little creaky in places, while Marty gives the film a rare five-star rating. And somewhere along the way, they decide Harpo would probably have some explaining to do in a modern HR department.

Then it's off to the late '90s for Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), the dark comedy starring John Cusack as Martin Blank, a professional hitman who returns to his hometown for his high school reunion. Minnie Driver, Dan Aykroyd, and Alan Arkin round out a terrific cast in a movie that mixes assassination, romantic regret, existential angst and some seriously questionable career choices. Clif enjoys the film's offbeat humor, excellent soundtrack, and Marty has a more complicated relationship with it, thanks in part to some very specific late-'90s nostalgia. The guys also dig into the film's unusual production approach, including shooting scenes three different ways and debate how it's escalating violence fits with it's otherwise laid-back comedy.

Along the way: Clif remembers Crystal's Pizza Palace, Marty connects the Marx Brothers to Mystery Science Theater 3000, the glory days of AOL, whether a hitman can have a midlife crisis and notice a familiar face seems to keep turning up in their movie selections.

#TalkingPondo #AnimalCrackers #GrossePointeBlank #MarxBrothers #JohnCusack #MoviePodcast #ClassicComedy #90sMovies

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Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace

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 In this episode, Marty gives Clif the film When Harry Met Sally to watch and Clif gives Marty Everything Everywhere All At Once to watch.

This week on Talking Pondo, Clif and Marty kick things off by heading into the multiverse with Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), the Oscar-winning cinematic fever dream. Clif is blown away by the film's wild imagination, emotional core and sheer technical achievement. Marty admires what it accomplishes but wonders if it's nonstop visual chaos and increasingly absurd detours might be a little much. The guys talk about the movie's surprisingly universal story of a family falling apart, it's inventive take on alternate realities, the incredible work of Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Jamie Lee Curtis and James Hong.

Then it's time to trade universe-hopping for the streets of New York with When Harry Met Sally (1989), Rob Reiner and Nora Ephron's romantic comedy classic. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan play two people who keep crossing paths over the years while debating whether men and women can really be friends without sex getting in the way. Clif praises the razor-sharp writing, endlessly quotable dialogue, and remarkable rewatchability, while Marty takes a fresh analytical look at a movie he's seen many times. Is it really a character-driven love story, or is it more like a string of brilliantly executed routines about relationships?

Along the way: the multiverse connections to The Matrix, Quantum Leap, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and even Mystery Science Theater 3000. Clif and Marty debate the best romantic comedies, discover a little Rob Reiner/Stephen King movie trivia and once again find themselves looking at two very different films through the Talking Pondo microscope.

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Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace

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 In this episode, Marty gives Clif the film Get Crazy to watch and Clif gives Marty The Manhattan Project to watch.

First up is Alan Arkush's Get Crazy (1983), a madcap New Year's Eve comedy set inside a rock-and-roll theater preparing for it's big annual blowout. Daniel Stern anchors the story, while Malcolm McDowell steals plenty of attention as a flamboyant rock star who gets more than he bargained for. Clif and Marty discuss the movie's rapid-fire gags, it's anything-goes attitude toward comedy, it's parade of familiar faces and the strange time-capsule quality of a film that seems to be spoofing the 1980s while the decade is still happening. There are laughs to be found and Clif has some very specific thoughts about Lou Reed.

Then it's time to trade rock clubs for radioactive green goo with The Manhattan Project (1986), a Cold War thriller about a teenage science whiz who discovers a secret government nuclear facility and decides that the best way to expose it is to build an atomic bomb of his own. Christopher Collet plays the brilliant young troublemaker, whose plans escalate from a science-fair ambition into a genuinely dangerous confrontation with the government. Clif and Marty revisit the movie's clever gadgets, memorable supporting cast, surprisingly cheerful bomb-building montage and nerve-racking finale. For Clif, it's a highly rewatchable discovery; for Marty, it's a long-lost piece of his childhood moviegoing experience finally clicking back into place.

Along the way: a first-ever Talking Pondo sighting from the movie The Party Animal, a very recognizable early version of Sheldon Cooper, the lost art of renting a VHS tape and Malcolm McDowell having a conversation with a rather unexpected scene partner.

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Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace

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 In this episode we talk to Rachel Netherton. Rachel played the comic book super hero "Fren-Zee" and her counter part "Zoe" in two of our films, "Revenge of Zoe" and "The Love Song of William H. Shaw."

The Love Song of William H Shaw Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz4VOHtdid0

Bradford Trojan-Game Day Music Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUHgzhM4sEY&pp=ygUpQnJhZGZvcmQgVHJvamFuLUdhbWUgRGF5IE11c2ljIFZpZGVvIExpbms%3D

Fractured:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6557404/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_lk

That Thing You Do! Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhyO3Pc6oSI

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Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace

Photos by Geoffrey Notkin

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 In this episode, Marty gives Clif the film Dark Star to watch and Clif gives Marty The Abyss to watch.

First up is John Carpenter's Dark Star (1974), the director's early, low-budget science-fiction oddity about four astronauts drifting through space, blowing up unstable planets and generally behaving like the universe’s least concerned employees. Marty picked it as a look at the beginning of Carpenter's career, while Clif spends much of the movie wondering when something, anything, is going to happen. Between the rough acting, bargain-basement effects, questionable comedy and a crew that seems perfectly happy to let its spaceship fall apart, there’s plenty to discuss. But there are flashes of the filmmaker Carpenter would become, including atmospheric music, a few clever ideas and a memorable showdown with a very talkative smart bomb.

Then it's down to the ocean floor for The Abyss (1989), James Cameron's ambitious underwater adventure about a team of deep-sea workers, a Navy SEAL mission gone sideways and something mysterious lurking in the depths. Clif is a big fan of this one, praising its atmosphere, practical effect and place in Cameron's filmography. Marty finds himself appreciating the movie more than he expected, even as he questions it's pacing, it's larger-than-life characters and some very 1980s storytelling choices. The discussion gets into the film's famously punishing production, the risks of shooting actors underwater, the differences between the theatrical and extended cuts and whether Cameron occasionally needs to trust his audience to figure out the message without spelling it out

Along the way: the strange career beginnings of Carpenter and Cameron, a muffin tin disguised as science-fiction technology, some questionable fashion choices in space and the kind of movie-to-movie connections that only Marty could find. 

#TalkingPondo #DarkStar #TheAbyss #JohnCarpenter #JamesCameron #MoviePodcast

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Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace

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 In this episode, Marty gives Clif the film Dragonslayer to watch and Clif gives Marty Bottle Shock to watch.

First up is Bottle Shock, the dramatization of the 1976 Judgment of Paris wine competition that put California wines on the map. Alan Rickman leads a terrific cast as a British wine expert who underestimates the Napa Valley crowd, while Chris Pine sports a wig that may deserve a credit of it's own. Clif and Marty enjoy the film’s gorgeous scenery, charming performances and underdog true-story foundation. But they have questions about the meandering subplots, some oddly placed romance and the film's occasional detours away from it's most interesting story.

Then it’s back to 1981 for Dragonslayer, a dark, strange fantasy adventure that feels like a Dungeons & Dragons campaign brought to life. Marty revisits a movie tied to childhood memories, while Clif appreciates it's distinctive storytelling and impressive practical effects. They discuss the apprentice who may be less wizard-in-training and more clever opportunist, the film’s unusually grim moments for a PG adventure and a dragon whose eventual reveal is worth the wait.

Along the way: the cinematic crimes of bad wigs, Miguel Sandoval’s unexpected connection to Repo Man, the golden age of practical effects, why fantasy films from the early ’80s felt so different and whether a dragon qualifies as a kaiju. 

#TalkingPondo #FilmPodcast #BottleShock #Dragonslayer #AlanRickman #ChrisPine #FantasyMovies #MovieReviews

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Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace

Photos by Geoffrey Notkin

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 In this episode, Marty gives Clif the film The Ballad of Buster Scruggs to watch and Clif gives Marty Violent Night to watch.

First up is The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, the Coen Brothers’ western anthology that takes the romantic image of the Old West and shoots it full of holes. Across six very different stories, Clif and Marty discuss everything from the gleefully absurd opening segment to the bleak, unsettling “Meal Ticket,” the gorgeous cinematography of “All Gold Canyon” and the strange, ghost-story atmosphere of “The Mortal Remains.” Marty appreciates the anthology’s variety and visual craftsmanship, while Clif finds the relentless darkness a little exhausting. They also debate the uneven pacing, the stories that linger a little too long and whether this is a movie they’ll be rushing to revisit.

Then it’s time for Violent Night, in which David Harbour’s Santa Claus discovers that Christmas Eve is a perfectly reasonable time to dispense with the niceties and start kicking some serious ass. Built from a familiar Die Hard setup, with a little Home Alone thrown into the mix, this action-comedy combines Christmas sentiment, outrageous kills, crude humor and a Santa who may have a few more warrior instincts than the average gift-giver. Clif enjoys the movie’s refreshingly violent holiday spirit and sees it becoming part of his annual Christmas rotation. Marty has fun with it, too, but questions the runtime, the pacing and just how many times a movie needs to say the F-word.

Along the way: the Coen Brothers’ place in modern filmmaking, Stephen Root’s wonderfully strange banker, the increasingly crowded shelf of violent Christmas movies, the joys of a proper holiday-movie rotation and Clif’s potentially brilliant idea for a Netflix print-on-demand Blu-ray business.

#TalkingPondo #FilmPodcast #TheBalladOfBusterScruggs #ViolentNight #CoenBrothers #DavidHarbour #MovieReviews #ChristmasMovies

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Season One

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Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace

Photos by Geoffrey Notkin

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 In this episode we talk to Bradford Trojan. Bradford played Billy Shaw in two of our films, "Revenge of Zoe" and "The Love Song of William H. Shaw." He is also a father, musician, yoga instructor and all around great person.

Love Song Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz4VOHtdid0

Bradford Trojan-Game Day Music Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUHgzhM4sEY&pp=ygUpQnJhZGZvcmQgVHJvamFuLUdhbWUgRGF5IE11c2ljIFZpZGVvIExpbms%3D

Dr. Dog:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Dog

Tombstone Rashomon Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w_cd94noGA&t=6s&pp=ygUaVG9tYnN0b25lIFJhc2hvbW9uIFRyYWlsZXI%3D

Bradford's Mellow Yellow Commercial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmaNi_DoBso&list=PL39BRMBl9re7IFast47G-AD91GSYn0OpH&index=4

Bradford Trojan & Friends Podcast:
https://www.bradfordtrojan.com/podcast

Decline of Western Civilization Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiCTq_AHcqw&pp=ygUnRGVjbGluZSBvZiBXZXN0ZXJuIENpdmlsaXphdGlvbiBUcmFpbGVy

Forbidden Zone (1980) Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_WKItgD_Ng&pp=ygUVRm9yYmlkZGVuIFpvbmUgKDE5ODAp

A Tuesday Wedding Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqOp9UU6F8g&pp=ygUZQSBUdWVzZGF5IFdlZGRpbmcgVHJhaWxlcg%3D%3D

Support the show

Find our films here:

The Love Song of William H Shaw

Revenge of Zoe

Writing Fren-Zee

Making Pondo on Facebook

Bluesky

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Making Pondo on Letterboxd:
Season One

Season Two

Season Three

Season Four

Season Five

Theme Song "The Rain" by Russ Pace

Photos by Geoffrey Notkin