Long before 'Waiting For Guffman', Christopher Guest directed 'The Big Picture', a heartfelt, hilariously incisive movie about making movies. The film was greenlit during British film executive David Puttnam's brief tenure running Columbia Pictures. Co-written by Guest's 'Spinal Tap' co-star Michael McKean, who also turns in an unexpectedly warm and heartfelt performance, 'The Big Picture' is worthy of rediscovery for its impressively spot-on send-up of both Los Angeles and the studio executives who populate the business. The film stars Kevin Bacon, McKean, J.T. Walsh, Emily Longstreth, an uncredited Martin Short, Fran Drescher, Jennifer Jason Leigh. You can watch the film here. I've launched a newsletter that contains recommendations for movies, tv shows, books, podcasts, and music and you can subscribe and check out last week's issue here. Or here: https://mailchi.mp/d32d4f0985fa/indistinct-chatter
--------
1:20:22
228. 'Sinners'
Ryan Coogler's original film 'Sinners' defied the so-called conventional wisdom of Hollywood and dropped only 6% week-to-week in its box office performance. It was also the subject of a fascinating online discourse about how the film's box office performance was written about in industry media. In this episode I recount the online controversy surrounding some of the reporting on the film and give you my own take on having seen the film. Enjoy! The McKinsey Report mentioned in the podcast: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/black-representation-in-film-and-tv-the-challenges-and-impact-of-increasing-diversity
--------
1:13:56
227. 'Caddyshack' (1980)
'Caddyshack', it turns out, is kind of a miracle of last-minute producer-led stitching together and salvaging, resulting in one of the more quotable films in comedy history. Hard to believe that at the time, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Rodney Dangerfield were not yet the massive film stars they'd become as a result of this movie. This episode delves into the coke-fueled nonstop party that was this film's production, a production that would contribute to the untimely death of co-writer Doug Kenney on a cliff in Hawaii where he'd gone to dry out. Doug's death was one of the first casualties of this scene due to drugs, soon followed by John Belushi's. LINKS: Watch Caddyshack: https://youtu.be/ROfwYphXTC4?feature=shared&t=67 Great Book on Guber and Peters: https://www.amazon.com/Hit-Run-Peters-Peter-Hollywood/dp/0684809311 More on Peters: John Schnepp's The Death of Superman Lives: What Happened? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFNJ-9EVe74 Chris Nashawaty's book Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story https://www.amazon.com/Caddyshack-Making-Hollywood-Cinderella-Story/dp/1250105951
--------
1:15:23
226. 'A Minecraft Movie'
Why doesn't anyone believe me when I say I loved going to see this movie??
--------
37:57
225. Val Kilmer: I'm Your Huckleberry
An episode in memoriam of Val Kilmer, who died this week. Mentioned in this episode: 'Val', the excellent, moving, insightful, thoughtful documentary compiled from decades of Val Kilmer's home movies. 'Tombstone' is many people's favorite Kilmer film. 'Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's The Island of Dr. Moreau' is a fantastic making-of-a-trainwreck documentary about one of the most hilariously troubled film sets in Hollywood history. Watch 'Heat'. It's always good for you. Enjoy Val as Gay Perry in Shane Black's 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang'. One of the best 80's comedies is 'Real Genius'. Read the Digital Renegade newsletter.
The Full Cast and Crew Podcast loves searching for that perfect, telling anecdote or soundbite from a writer, director, actor, or crew member as we revisit the films of our shared 70s and 80's childhoods with an appreciation for the cinematic arts and without pretension or annoying fan-boy antics. Proudly independent and advertising-free.
UK