Don’t Push Pause

Episode 15 : A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

Bonus episode time! And in celebration of Halloween, we wanted to stick to a classic horror film — Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). It’s the movie that revived the tired slasher genre of the 1980s with a pizza-faced, claw-wielding fiend named Fred Krueger. Nightmare made him a household name, spawned six sequels and influenced countless films after it. Non-stop merchandising for Nightmare still persists today, thus showing what a strong hold the film still has on the psyche of anyone who crosses Krueger’s path.

▶️ A Nightmare on Elm Street follows a group of kids being terrorized by the same murderous creeper in their dreams, Freddy Krueger. The film easily attacks the subconscious because there’s no physical way to escape these terrifying dreams. We’ll dive deeper into the dearly departed Wes Craven’s career and how he came up with Nightmare, some history of the film, the legacy of the franchise, Robert Englund and Heather Langenkamp, as well as why Nightmare is still significant to the horror genre.

▶️ Both Picks of the Week were inspired by Wes Craven, of course. Justin goes for a surprisingly shocking, under-the-radar Craven film about black magic and living zombies, The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988). Lindsay revisits The People Under the Stairs (1991), a title you may remember, but have forgotten the sociopolitical element of eating the rich and disturbing humor under the surface.

▶️ For this extra special Episode 15, Lindsay and Justin are inspired to share their own worst nightmares. And who knows, maybe they have something in common!

▶️ What real-life person have both Billy and Nightmare’s Johnny Depp portrayed in separate movies? Although having a shared experience, Billy had a warning to give Depp for the future of his career. Find out the details in this weeks MurrayMoment!

▶️ No matter how dated it seems at times, the complexity of Nightmare’s story remains solid and deeper than ever expected, especially since it originated 30 years ago. It’s still a strong, smart film that never lets up. Our bonus episode this week is jam-packed with everything A Nightmare on Elm Street, so don’t. fall. asleep.

Episode 14 : Serial Mom

Horror movies don’t always have to scare you senseless or be overflowing with blood. When you’re a legendary director like John Waters, horror could certainly mean violence, but it can also be the horrid human behavior capitalizing on said violence or the suppressed psycho living under your same roof. Serial Mom (1994) is a perfect satire about a murderous mother’s influence on pop culture and how society views these unbelievable, “true” crime events.

▶️ When an ideal, all-American mom played by Kathleen Turner starts defending her family from life’s annoyances, the bodies begin to mount up. Waters’ film pokes a hole in what people think of as a “normal” family, and makes us think about our own exposure to media. With an uncommon female lead, how does Serial Mom fit in with other serial killer films? Is it possible Serial Mom is even more relavent nowadays? We deconstruct the themes behind the film, and also relive some of favorite scenes that never get old. The brilliant cast of the movie and Waters’ intended vision for the film are discussed, as well as hitting on his supremely influential career, in general.

▶️ Justin and Lindsay stick with two Waters-related movies for their Picks of the Week. The writer/director had always, and famously, teamed up with the amazingly over the top, cross-dressing actor known as Divine. The two made some of Waters’ most memorable films together. But for this Pick, Justin went with Lust in the Dust, one of very few films not written or directed by Waters, but that starred Divine. Lindsay takes the opportunity to talk about her favorite Waters film, Desperate Living— a film so trashy and filled to the brim with filth, it makes you want to shower after watching it.

▶️ If you didn’t think there was a way to connect Billy Murray to John Waters, you’re sorely mistaken. We take you behind the scenes of the Waters and Divine classic, Polyester (1981), and reveal the Murraymoment that has been hiding in plain sight.

▶️ The genre-blending Serial Mom may not frighten you to the core, but the performances and deeper understanding of the film may chill your bones on another level. Episode 14 is a truly fun film — laughing through the horror is highly advised.

Episode 13 : Pet Sematary

We’re kicking off October with another Stephen King brainchild, Pet Sematary (1989). King has always been a sought after writer, but during the 1980s, people started to get burnt out on seeing his name. Director Mary Lambert takes this incredibly dark, heartbreaking story and makes it come to life with the ability to scare on multiple levels.

▶️ When a father crosses into some sour, supernatural territory and brings the family cat back from the dead, the way he approaches death moving forward has disastrous results. The themes of death and the ability to not let go run deep in Pet Sematary — this isn’t a light film. But because of the subject matter, almost any person can relate to the story. Does this movie still hold up almost 30 years after its release? What sets this film apart from other horror films? Justin and Lindsay answer these questions, go behind-the-scenes into the making of the film and finally have a major disagreement involving the ending of the movie.

▶️ Picks of the Week this time out are just as deep as our main feature, but buckle up for major tonal changes. Both films involve the legendary Fred Gwynne of Pet Sematary. Justin opted for the undermentioned, deeply dramatic, Ironweed (1987), starring A-list actors, Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep and co-starring singer songwriter Tom Waits. Lindsay switches it up for a movie you surely haven’t seen in a very long time (if at all), the fantastical tale of autism, The Boy Who Could Fly (1986).

▶️ This week’s Murray moment answers the question: For an actor who is usually so particular about film roles, why did Billy Murray decide to be the voice of the title character in 2004’s Garfield? The answer, and aftermath, may surprise you and leave you questioning his initial attention to detail.

▶️ There’s non-stop drama in Episode 13! So much to talk about with Pet Sematary, who woulda known? This episode gets pretty emotional, but hey, it’s an October favorite of the podcast, so we better have a lot of ground to cover!