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Don’t Push Pause is a monthly podcast bringing you discussions on movies from the 70s, 80s and 90s. DPP consists of a main discussion on a featured film, followed up by our Picks of the Week, and closing with our signature (Bill) Murray Moment.
Episodes
Monday Oct 19, 2020
Monday Oct 19, 2020
Not only did GINGER SNAPS (2000) challenge typical horror movie tropes, but it was also a vibrant kick to the werewolf genre. This Canadian film is a true testament to satire & sharp creativity being able to depict the horrific transformations of youth through the modern metamorphosis of the werewolf. Though only celebrating its 20th anniversary, GINGER SNAPS has “cult classic” written all over it.
▶️Synopsis: United in their morbid discontentment with life, Brigitte and Ginger are two sisters with an intensely close bond. When the onset of puberty strikes the same night as Ginger being attacked by a werewolf, their connection is tested as Brigitte tries to save her sister before the transformation becomes final.
⏩⏩Discussions include: Origin, script development, blending of horror, the macabre, dark humor, relatable metaphor & emotions; brief history of the werewolf genre, how GINGER SNAPS fits in, stands apart & intentionally challenges multiple tropes; visual intensity, special effects & animal deaths in the film; production challenges & morality controversy; the positively charged vibe between the lead actors, plus supporting cast; release, reception, resurgence and rabid fan base; sequels & some of our favorite scenes.
**Starring Emily Perkins, Katharine Isabelle, Mimi Rogers. Directed by John Fawcett.**
▶️**PICKS OF THE WEEK**
—Lindsay’s Pick, IT (1990): Taking place in the ‘60s & ‘90s, seven adolescent outsiders are bonded through mutual torment by their worst fears manifested in a child-killing clown. When the murders start happening again, they return to their hometown to confront childhood traumas & end the reign of terror.
**Starring Tim Curry, Jonathan Brandis, Emily Perkins, John Ritter. Directed by Tommy Lee Wallace.**
—Justin’s Pick, WOLFEN (1981): After a string of grisly murders go unsolved, a NYC police detective’s path leads him to thinking a mythical, wolf-like creature may be responsible.
**Starring Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Edward James Olmos, Gregory Hines. Directed by Michael Wadleigh.**
▶️MURRAYMOMENT: A look back at The Toronto International Film Festival declaring Sept. 5th the Official Bill Murray Day.
▶️FINAL THOUGHTS: Perkins and Isabelle starring in X-FILES episodes, Vancouver love & giving some recognition to a recent werewolf film, LATE PHASES.
▶️Next Up: DAWN OF THE DEAD (‘78)!
Monday Oct 05, 2020
Monday Oct 05, 2020
Sometimes movie sequels are lackluster or go off the rails, but rarely do they attempt a franchise reinvention. With original Exorcist writer in full control, William Peter Blatty created a new crop tension-building scares with the unconventional, THE EXORCIST III. An often overlooked film, this unsettling story cranks out the creeps and ties in the original blockbuster without being a knockoff, but it wasn’t an easy task to accomplish.
▶️Synopsis: A string of killings lead a police lieutenant to a psychiatric ward where he finds his faith tested, along with uncanny similarities between a dead serial killer & a familiar priest who supposedly died during an infamous exorcism.
⏩⏩Discussions include: How Blatty began his writing career, leading up to The Exorcist, then to the novel which inspired EXORCIST III; backstory, development & methodical emotional escalation of the story, plus drastic reshoots/rewriting of the film’s ending; intentionally extreme tonal shifts & usage of humor; uniquely abstract & ambient synth-heavy score; cast performances & bit parts; reception over the years, resurrected original ending, on-set stories & our favorite scenes.
**Starring George C. Scott, Ed Flanders, Brad Dourif, Jason Miller. Directed by William Peter Blatty.**
▶️**PICKS OF THE WEEK**
—Lindsay’s Pick, CHILD’S PLAY II (1990): The serial killer living inside a doll named Chucky is reanimated, out for revenge & determined to possess the body of his previous victim.
**Starring Alex Vincent, Brad Dourif, Christine Elise. Directed by John Lafia.**
—Justin’s Pick, THE FIRST POWER (1990): A detective must track a serial killer put to death, then resurrected by Satan & given supernatural powers.
**Starring Lou Diamond Phillips, Tracy Griffith, Jeff Kober. Directed by Robert Resnikoff.**
▶️MURRAYMOMENT: On Sister Nancy Murray, Billy’s older sibling, becoming a nun, the reaction of her family, her acting career and shared family traits.
▶️FINAL THOUGHTS: Reshooting EXORCIST III’s climax, plus THE X-FILES and SEVEN connections to the film.
⏩Next Up: GINGER SNAPS (2000)!
Monday Sep 21, 2020
Monday Sep 21, 2020
ALMOST FAMOUS has not aged a day since its release in 2000. Writer/director/producer Cameron Crowe is known for films which speak to romantic or nostalgic sensibilities. ALMOST FAMOUS gave him the opportunity to tell an unconventional & endearing story from his youth. This cinematically poetic love letter to music shepherds a coming of age story on the road with a touring band & a teenager clinging to his morals while carving his path into journalism. Timeless & inspiring, this story is alllllmost completely true.
▶️Synopsis: In 1973, a 15-year-old music journalist went on tour with an up-and-coming rock band. While uncovering intimate truths about the music world, interpersonal & romantic relationships, he tries not to involve himself in the story, which is headed for the cover of Rolling Stone.
⏩⏩Discussions include: A brief history on Crowe’s career pre-ALMOST FAMOUS; origin of the script, influences, blurring together fact & fiction; musical guidance on songwriting & authenticity; journalism, realism, fandom & heart of the film; the vibrant cast & character breakdowns, plus casting stories & Crowe’s style of emotional manipulation, creating a mood & mixing tones; the “Bootleg Cut,” critical & box office reception, along with the film’s extreme rewatchability.
**Starring Patrick Fugit, Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand. Directed by Cameron Crowe.**
▶️**PICKS OF THE WEEK**
—Lindsay’s Pick, DESERT BLUE (1998): Driven by a need to posthumously complete his father’s desert waterpark, a young man falls for a stranded out-of-towner and lets her into his unfamiliar, small town world.
**Starring Brendan Sexton III, Kate Hudson, Christina Ricci, Casey Affleck. Directed by Morgan J. Freeman.**
—Justin’s Pick, SINGLES (1992): Set during Seattle’s grunge-era, this story follows people living in one apartment complex, all in a state of change, experiencing effects of past relationships on current ones and searching for companionship.
**Starring Bridget Fonda, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, Matt Dillon. Directed by Cameron Crowe.**
▶️MURRAYMOMENT: Firsthand details on musician Laena Geronimo’s weekend hanging out with Billy at 2010’s South By Southwest.
▶️FINAL THOUGHTS: A serendipitous moment Hudson shared with her mom, Goldie Hawn, and the awesome “Stairway to Heaven” deleted scene in ALMOST FAMOUS.
▶️EXTENDED CUT: A peek into the Laena Geronimo’s band FEELS’ second album, Post Earth, with the incendiary track, “Find a Way.”
▶️ Next Up: THE EXORCIST III!