1970s
The first of six in our Horror Debuts series. Before ‘American Graffiti,’ before ‘Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,’ before ‘Howard the Duck,’ there was ‘Messiah of Evil.’ We talk about where husband and wife team Gloria Katz and Willard Huyck got their start.
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How well does this heist comedy work, particularly as we go through all four heists? Does Robert Redford work well in an ensemble cast? Why did this Peter Yates film fail at the box office? Tune in to this week’s member bonus episode to get answers to these questions and more!
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How well do the filmmakers use the location, cinematography, and music to create a tone for this film? Does the film make sense once the secrets are revealed? How well does this film work as social commentary of life under the Soviet rule in the 70s? Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more!
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Does this film work better than last week’s Tentacles? How well does Joe Dante’s trademark horror-comedy come through in this early film of his? What’s more terrifying – piranhas or octopuses – and should we really be afraid of them in real life? Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more!
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In the realm of rip-offs, how does this one hold up? Can an animal attack movie succeed without a strong story or protagonist? Does anyone buy that John Huston and Shelley Winters are brother and sister? Tune in to the show this week to get answers to these questions and more!
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Is this film built for regular filmgoers or specifically Ingmar Bergman fans? Is the color red brilliantly used or overused? How good are the performances in the film? Tune in to this week’s show to get answers to these questions and more!
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When asked to adapt the hit stage show “La Cage Aux Folles” to the big screen, director Édouard Molinaro knew he had to get comedy writer/director Francis Veber involved to not only get the story out of the one-set show and open up the world, but also — and more importantly — to flesh out the core relationship so the film wasn’t just all stereotypes.
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How well do the jokes work for today’s world? Do Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase work as a romantic duo? Does Colin Higgins nail it for his first time directing? Tune in to this week’s show to get these answers and more!
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Is it obvious right out of the gate that Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor would make a great comedy duo? How are the thrills versus the laughs? Are there too many tropes used throughout this film? Tune in to this week’s show to get these answers and more.
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Who is this Colin Higgins fellow and why are we talking about him? How resonant is Harold and Maude still? Are jokes about suicide okay in a context like this? Tune in to this week’s show to get these answers and more!
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