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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 Sep 17, 2018
Monday Sep 17, 2018
We’re big fans of Bill Murray here at the podcast, so we’d be remiss if we didn’t have a special episode the week of his birthday. This time out, we went for some stellar deep cuts, focusing on 1990’s Quick Change. It’s been called the best Billy Murray movie you’ve never seen, so we think it’s high time to reintroduce this mainstream, yet obscure favorite.
▶️ Three New York bank robbers (Murray, Geena Davis and Randy Quaid) successfully pull off a multi-million dollar heist, but that wasn’t even the hard part. Getting out of New York proves to be the worst part of the entire nightmare. Quick Change is a bittersweet, breakup love letter to New York— it’s obvious there is love for the city, but the frustration and irritation of daily life has finally taken its toll. We’ll discuss the perfectly selected cast, how the film was received by critics and how this is Murray’s only directing credit to date.
▶️ For our Picks of the Week, we decided to go for supporting roles that could have used more Murray. Justin revisits Kingpin (1996), and how Murray is clearly the standout star of that film, even though he only has a few scenes. Lindsay digs deep for a partially uncredited supported role in Tootsie (1982) — yes, he did have a significant role in this cross-dressing classic.
▶️ And for this special birthday episode of Billy, we go into the 21-year long rift between our guy and his former close friend and comedy partner, Harold Ramis. What exactly happened between the two, and was it ever resolved before Ramis passed away?
▶️ Quick Change is another film that inspired this podcast, both because it’s a fabulous film and largely because it’s still not given enough credit. Twists and obstacles propel this movie forward, making it an engaging, off-beat comedy. It’s not typical one-liner style or predictable. It was a risky move to make this type of unusual comedy in the early 90s, and we bring it up from the archives so as to not forget this quirky and smart film.
Sunday Sep 09, 2018
Sunday Sep 09, 2018
For Episode 11: Part Two, Justin and Lindsay interview the creative duo behind the documentary about The Monster Squad, Wolfman’s Got Nards! André Gower, the Squad’s main star and writer/director/producer of the documentary, and writer/producer/cinematographer/editor/jack-of-all-trades, Henry McComas, talk about the ins and outs of making their film possible, the fans, legendary status of the original film that inspired this documentary, as well as their thoughts on contemporary cinema and tropes of today. Definitely a fun dive into all things Monster Squad and continuing to develop the legacy of the film!
Monday Sep 03, 2018
Monday Sep 03, 2018
It’s not a horror movie. It’s not a kids movie. The Monster Squad (1987) is in a class all by itself. It’s a film you either have loved from a long time or have somehow escaped. And for its hardcore fans, it’s a movie that will never die.
▶️ Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, the Mummy and Gillman all descend upon an unsuspecting town and it’s up to a group of kids to stop them from wreaking total havoc. Hey, it’s the 1980s, the time when kids totally battled evil, other worldly forces all the time, and Episode 11 susses out what makes this hybrid genre film so special. The careers of writer/director Fred Dekker and writer Shane Black are discussed, as well as the adorably perfect cast who brought this hair-raising journey to life. The practical special effects aren’t anything to sneeze at either, and neither is the rabid fan base which inspired the documentary about the film’s lasting longevity and cult status, Wolfman’s Got Nards.
▶️ Picks of the Week this time out hang tough with two films from the mind of Dekker. First, Justin explores House (1985), a film that combines horror and comedy. The camp and goofball factors may be high on this one, but the special effects and well-known tv actors of the time hold it together. Lindsay’s Pick is Dekker’s next film, Night of the Creeps (1986). For his directorial debut, Dekker combined sci-if, comedy, horror and 1950s nostalgia to piece together this film that never ceases to be entertaining and is still a mega crowd-pleaser today.
▶️ Episode 11’s MurrayMoment is a dive into where Billy developed his love for golf. Hint: It goes deeper than Caddyshack. We go into Billy’s childhood and learn about life lessons taught to him while caddying, and how he’s carried this into adulthood.
▶️ Episode 11 is a Two-Parter for The Monster Squad. Next week, we’ll release Part Two — an interview with the duo behind the documentary, Wolfman’s Got Nards! André Gower, the Squad’s main star and writer/director/producer of the documentary, and writer/producer/cinematographer/editor/jack-of-all-trades, Henry McComas, talk with Justin and Lindsay about the ins and outs of the doc, their journey into making the film possible, the fans and legendary status of The Monster Squad.
We couldn’t be more excited to present The Monster Squad, Parts One and Two! If you haven’t seen this film yet, we really hope you seek it out before or after the podcast. If you know this classic close to our hearts, Episode 11 is going to be a real treat for you!