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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 Feb 11, 2019
Monday Feb 11, 2019
In 1996, Joel and Ethan Coen brought us the highly celebrated independent film, Fargo. Together, the Coen Brothers wrote, directed, produced and edited this little-film-that-could, while making Minnesotan niceties a familiar staple in American households. Receiving critical and commercial success, this picturesque journey from Minnesota to North Dakota remains haunting over 20 years later, forever covering the great white North with blood-spotted snow.
▶️(05:00) After a man hires two thugs to kidnap his wife in order to extort money, it’s up to a small Minnesotan town police chief to connect a triple homicide to the kidnapping. Among discussing how Fargo fits into the Coen Brothers catalogue, we’ll dissect the unflappable ensemble cast, the solid character development within, the usage of the film’s realistic tone and noir style, as well as how the violence and black humor of the film intertwine.
▶️(37:14) Picks of the Week:
Keeping with the isolated feeling of winter in Fargo, Justin goes for Sam Raimi’s neo-noir, “what would you do if...” crime thriller, A Simple Plan (1998). Conversely, Lindsay takes us out of blustery cold to Southern California, finding Fargo’s Frances McDormand playing a record producer reconnecting with her uptight son and fiancé in Laurel Canyon (2002).
▶️(53:20) Justin Hayward drops by to highlight Fargo’s cinematographer, Roger Deakins. For this Fargo segment, Hayward deconstructs why and how Deakins chose to light a disturbing night scene involving Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare being pulled over by a police officer.
▶️(1:03:00) Wouldn’t ya know it? Billy dropped in on McDormand in the HBO mini-series, Olive Kitteridge (2014). We dive into their scenes together, and how the final moment of the series ends in an eerily similar way as Fargo.
Fargo is chocked full of unforgettable, beautifully staged scenes and nuanced performances showing the interconnectedness of characters. Certainly a crime drama and thriller with black humor weaved throughout, Fargo remains a brilliantly constructed atmospheric film, evocative of a special time in independent film history. Yassir, you betcha, eh.
Monday Jan 28, 2019
Monday Jan 28, 2019
No matter what incarnation you prefer, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Batman, the masked crime fighter of Gotham City. In this episode, we take it back to 1989 for Tim Burton’s beautifully-crafted world of Batman.
▶️ (09:00) With a standard good vs. evil plot, Batman is an incredibly dark action/adventure film with a healthy dose of sadistic humor to back it. A masked millionaire looks to strike fear into the hearts of criminals in his downtrodden city. First, we go into how this version of Batman stacks up against the original comic, ‘60s TV series and subsequent films.
▶️ (17:50) Special guest and comic book savant, Wade Durbin, weighs in on Burton’s Batman being brought to the big screen, and the feelings churned up within true comic book fans.
▶️ (21:50) How did Burton’s Batman set the tone for the massive superhero genre of today? How does this movie work without a super deep plot? We’ll also go behind the scenes of film, discussing Michael Keaton’s portrayal of Batman, Jack Nicholson’s Joker and Kim Basinger’s involvement and how this film wasn’t easily greenlit.
▶️ (39:50) Picks of the Week: Lindsay continues with Jack Nicholson by way of Mike Nichols’ horror-lite, romantic werewolf thriller, aptly titled, Wolf (1994). Justin ropes us back into the comics universe with the live-action, unforgettable fan-favorite superhero movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)!
▶️ (54:06) MurrayMoment: We all know Billy is a massive Chicago Cubs fan, but ever hear about the summer he joined the Grays Harbor Loggers minor league baseball team?
Whether it was your love of superhero comics, Prince’s music, action-packed adventure movies or being suckered into brilliant mass marketing, Batman got almost everyone engaged in 1989. Episode 22 reminds you why it’s one of the best action films not to be forgotten!
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.