The Wilder Ride

Here is a quick promo about our upcoming season two breakdown of the Gene Wilder comedy, Blazing Saddles. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our podcast through your pod-catcher of choice. We go by The Wilder Ride everywhere, including our website, www.TheWilderRide.com. We even have a Patreon page for those who may be willing to provide some additional support to our show. Don't forget to apply to enter from our public Facebook page. 

During our bonus show where we began to look at the film Christmas Vacation one minute at a time, we had the chance to speak with actress Beverly D'Angelo who plays Ellen Griswold in the film franchise. We only had an hour of her time and it was a true WILD RIDE to try to stay focused on the film, while learning a little more about her. We covered her intro into films, her love of singing, some fun memories from the set and her thoughts on some of the actors and so much more!

The remaining episodes of our breakdown of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation are only available to our Patreon subscribers. However, we wanted to put out a short teaser of what you can expect to hear if you join us at the $10/month or higher level. In this excerpt, Clark Griswold is at the lingerie counter at the mall and has regressed to a 14 year old's brain. We find a way to tie it to the theme of 2001: A Space Odyssey. You may never think of that piece of music the same way ever again. 

In the next of our special Patreon shows, our listeners have spoken and we are going to breakdown the holiday classic, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. In our first episode, we discover "The Griswold Effect" as we move from the opening credits with Santa Claus and end just as the big boss is about to talk to Clark Griswold about his "crunch enhancer." In between, the Griswold's pick a fight with two red-necks, bring home a tree far too big for their home, breaking two windows.

This is a teaser promo for our Patreon podcast, breaking down the 1982 ghost story classic, Poltergeist, in five episodes. Alan and Walt give the film the Wilder Ride treatment, analyzing the movie while taking listeners on several side trips along the way. If you like what you hear, you'll love taking the deep-dive into all five episodes of Poltergeist. TheWilderRide.com Patreon.com/TheWilderRide Facebook.com/TheWilderRide Twitter.com/TheWilderRide Instagram.com/TheWilderRide

As part of a Halloween-themed special bonus show, we decided to break down the 1982 ghost classic, Poltergeist, in a five-part series. We open with a discussion over how we chose this film and our earliest memories of it. We then start with the playing of the Star Spangled Banner. Once the static comes on the TV, something about it wakes young Carol Anne and she comes downstairs to have a conversation with someone on the other side of the screen. We end this episode as we began, with static on the TV.

This is a bonus to the end of season one where we spent time with Gene Wilder Biographer, Brian Scott Mednick. We discuss the impetus behind the biography and then focus on the big three films of Gene Wilder. We start with a short history of Gene Wilder, including the film, Bonnie and Clyde and The Producers before shifting to Willy Wonka, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein.

We've come to the end of Young Frankenstein. As part of our final thoughts on the film, we brought back several of our guest hosts to provide their final thoughts as well. After going through all the guests, Alan and Walt spend time discussing their final thoughts before revealing the film they will do in season two. With franchises, it is easy to know the next movie. But, when using the body of work of a particular actor, the audience has no idea what to expect next. We hope you like our Season Two choice.

The final moments mirror the scene between Elizabeth and the monster. Dr. Frankenstein, still in a trance, makes his way into bed. Inga wonders if the doctor gave some of his wonderful brain to his creature, what did he get in return? The doctor smiles and as the camera pushes in, he rolls over onto Inga in an embrace. Inga begins to sing the same song lyric from Naughty Marietta. As the penultimate episode comes to a close, we cut to Igor playing his silly rams horn on the edge of the castle wall.

We begin with Inga still singing from the bathroom and Freddy seeming to be falling into a stupor. We then shift to a brightly lit New York apartment. The monster is in bed, reading the Wall Street Journal. From their bathroom, Elizabeth asks if he saw the two hampers: one for shirts and the other for socks and poo-poo undies. When she exits the bathroom, she has the full-on beehive of the classic Bride of Frankenstein. We return to Transylvania with Freddy, now in jammies, doing the zombie walk to his bed.

Inga opens the minute expressing her love of the name, Mrs. Frankenstein. Dr. Frankenstein begins to undress, but makes sure to keep his hat on his head. As he unbuttons his collar, Inga starts to hum the Transylvanian lullaby. Freddy becomes momentarily transfixed. In his pose, we are given a visual reminder of so many of the elements of Young Frankenstein in this one shot. As we end the minute, we discuss many of the films other moments with Crystal Beth, who leaves us after today.

Inspector Kemp declares this is an entirely different situation. They shake and the villagers begin to cheer in earnest. The inspector invites everyone to his house for sponge cake and a little wine, when suddenly his arm pops off. Kemp grabs it from the monster, utters a brief dirty word and then yells, "To the lumber yard!" The villagers leave as the monster, Inga and Igor all lean down to see if there is a heartbeat inside the doctor. We dissolve and Dr. Frankenstein carries Inga, across the threshold.

We begin the minute with Inspector Kemp affirming the creature is in fact Frankenstein's monster. Peter Boyle finally gets a chance to speak and does he! He delivers a Shakespearean soliloquy for the angry mob, explaining who he had been and and who he is now. By the end of the speech, it seems he has won over both Inspector Kemp and the angry mob. In fact, by the end of the minute, Kemp tells everyone, based on the new information, that this is an entirely different situation.

The angry mob continues to storm through the castle. The villagers, somehow find their way through to the secret laboratory. Inspector Kemp is once again used as a battering ram. With just three seconds left, the villagers destroy the equipment. As the villagers pick up the unconscious Dr. Frankenstein, his monster suddenly yells, "Put that man down." The Inspector demands to know who he thinks he is to order the good people about? In response, the creature yells, "I am the monster!"

We continue today with Igor switching off all the controls to the laboratory equipment. Even though we have been dealing with electricity once again, a close up of the doctor shows what looks like some liquid goop running through tubes. Outside the castle, Inspector Kemp becomes a battering ram, allowing the angry mob access to the castle. Before we conclude, we check in one last time with Malte Derks, our German counterpart to The Wilder Ride about the German words Kemp yells.