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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 Jan 14, 2019
Monday Jan 14, 2019
Right at the end of 2018, we lost the legendary actress/director/producer, Penny Marshall. We felt we’d be remiss if we did not discuss this brilliant woman’s life and the films she left behind, with a specific focus on one of our favorites, A League of Their Own (1992).
▶️ (4:00) A League of Their Own is the fictionalized version of the true story about the first season of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). We’ll discuss the history behind film, how the idea originated and why this all-female sports film crosses gender boundaries. We’ll also let you in how this was the hot ticket movie for every actress in Hollywood at the time.
▶️ (29:13) We’ll give you a short history on the life of the woman who resurrected the story of the AAGPBL, the wonderfully sarcastic and grumbly, sassy and smart lady from the Bronx, Penny Marshall.
▶️ (40:00) A League of Their Own May be the quintessential Marshall film, but all her movies were full the sincerest warmth, heart and laughs. Instead of our usual Picks of the Week, we tell you about each of the films Marshall directed: Jumpin’ Jack Flash (1986), Big (1988), Awakenings (1990), A League of Their Own, Renaissance Man (1994), The Preacher’s Wife (1996) and Riding in Cars with Boys (2001).
▶️ (1:15:00) As this is our Penny Marshall tribute episode, this MurrayMoment takes us back to 1977 when Saturday Night Live went live from Mardi Gras in New Orleans on primetime TV. Billy was the fresh-faced new guy on SNL, and Marshall and Cindy Williams (Laverne and Shirley) were guest starring. But did this lofty feat of going live surrounded by party-happy, belligerent drunks successfully work out? Well... there’s a reason this episode is almost impossible to find.
▶️ (1:32:50) Pretty extra special close out for this episode, “Penny Marshall,” by Erik Mauck, a song written many years ago and feels appropriate for this episode.
Whether you loved her on Laverne and Shirley, felt touched by one of her films or are maybe just learning about her now, we wanted to showcase Penny Marshall’s legacy, and spotlight the inspirational A League of Their Own. Marshall was truly a trailblazer and comedy icon who left all of Hollywood heartbroken.
Sunday Dec 23, 2018
Sunday Dec 23, 2018
Sometimes there comes a movie we never want to end. Whether it’s the characters, storyline or just a opportunity to capitalize on a movie’s initial success, this is when the Sequel is born. And while there are many, many Sequels That Don’t Suck in existence, Episode 20 is our lovesong to some awesome sequels that shouldn’t be forgotten.
▶️Main Features:
LETHAL WEAPON 3 (1992) and GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH (1990).
🎥Danny Glover and Mel Gibson re-team with Joe Pesci and newcomer Rene Russo for the third installment of the jam-packed, buddy-cop action franchise. Bustin’ some serious buns and takin’ out gun-runners, Lethal Weapon 3 shines as the series’ finest and most entertaining sequel.
🎥Well, someone gets Gizmo wet again and all hell breaks loose. This time in a crazy, high-technology mini-world corporate building set in the heart of New York City. Gremlins 2 is complete insanity, and we love every single second of the supreme creativity and lunacy.
▶️Sequel Smackdown:
We don’t need another hero, we don’t need to know the way home, all we want is to know which Mad Max sequel is better! Barring the most recent Fury Road edition, Justin and Lindsay debate Mad Max 2/The Road Warrior (1981) vs. Max Mad Beyond Thunderdome (1985). Which team are you on?
▶️Picks of the Week:
The sequels just keep comin,’ but these Picks are set apart from their predecessors. Justin goes for the sequel to The Hustler (1961) with Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money (1986). And Lindsay goes for a deep cut with podcast darling Natasha Lyonne starring in Freeway 2: Confessions of a Trickbaby (1999).
▶️MurrayMoment:
Billy is no stranger to movie sequels, but for this Moment, we go into a brief history on the multiple instances he and pianoman Paul Shaffer have mingled their talents. Get ready to tap your toes for a walk down Happy Street.
▶️Episode 20 closes out the first year with this podcast, so there’s a lot crammed into it. We also wanted to thank everyone for sticking with us... without listeners, we’re like that kid talking into an unplugged mic in Wet Hot American Summer. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and can’t wait to top our first year with new episodes!
Monday Dec 10, 2018
Monday Dec 10, 2018
There’s almost no way My Cousin Vinny wouldn’t have been a hit in 1992. You’ve either seen it or know the title of the film. The story mixes a serious crime into a film that’s clearly a comedy, and it’s easy to see why it received such critical acclaim upon its release. A well-paced, entertaining watch, and though it may seem run-of-the-mill, Vinny is a unique movie that shouldn’t be swallowed into the bin of lost films.
▶️ While on a road trip, two boys are arrested for murder they didn’t commit. Caught in a serious out-of-town jam, they call upon cousin Vinny, the only attorney that will work for free. We’ll discuss what makes this movie work as a comedy, how it sustains itself on intelligent humor and isn’t a one-trick joke. Even though Vinny is the main man, the movie is an ensemble piece, so we’ll hit on why Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Fred Gwynne and Ralph Macchio are a powerful group, supported by a whole cast of bit players who add a rich background to the story. We’ll round out the discussion with how the real-life law community has taken notice of the film, and also bring up the tiny controversy behind Tomei’s Oscar win for the film.
▶️ Although our Picks of the Week greatly differ, they also offer up unique brands of humor. Justin opted for Vinny director Jonathan Lynn’s first film, the beloved, Clue (1985). Love it or hate it, it’s a movie created after the murder mystery board game with wild, slapstick humor that never stops. Lindsay went the Marisa Tomei route and chose Slums of Beverly Hills (1998). Set in the mid-70s, Slums is a coming-of-age movie about a girl and her nomadic, neurotic family moving from place to place, and then become entrusted with taking in their troubled cousin straightening out her life.
▶️ We travel to steamy Florida for this one, back to a movie that made us rewind a more few times than usual. Back to a Billy Murray movie wherein people often forget he holds a hefty supporting role. Oh yes, we’re going back to that time Billy was the only guy not having sex in 1998’s swamp trash murder mystery, Wild Things.
▶️ Though we know we’re in for a somewhat predictable courtroom comedy, My Cousin Vinny never ceases to be a sharp, entertaining ride. The main characters are brash, but it’s for a purpose and only helps enrich this snappy depiction of a murder trial. Other movies can tend to glorify the American legal system... this is not one of them.