The Essential Films Podcast show

The Essential Films Podcast

Summary: A podcast devoted to the discussion of the greatest movies ever made, or The Essential Films. From the beginning of cinema history to present day, these films are crucial to the education of anyone who loves the art of film making.

Podcasts:

 Episode 39: ALL ABOUT EVE (1950) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 6960

Fasten your seatbelts as Adolfo and Mark take you on a bumpy podcast! On today’s adventure: ALL ABOUT EVE (1950) On this week’s show: • Quarantine movie woes • Mark’s sleazy movie tastes • How we first experienced the film • Unmatched dialogue • Adolfo owns the film in multiple formats • Barbara Stanwyck, Claudette Colbert and Joan Crawford were all considered for Margot Channing. • Bette Davis’ “difficult” reputation. • Ronald Reagan was a ham • The on-set conflict with Davis and a young Marilyn Monroe • The entire opening sequence tells you everything you need to know by the character body language • Smoking looks so cool in black and white • Thelma Ritter should have been in more of the film • Adolfo’s terrible frame of reference at the time he saw the film for the first time • Margot’s drunken speeches • “A milkshake?” • A roller coaster of tension • People aged differently in the 50s • Bill is a good boyfriend • Classy restrooms • How Addison DeWitt is interpreted in 2020 • Only film in Oscar history to have 4 female acting nominees FILMS REFERENCED: • SUNSET BLVD. (1950) • BEN-HUR (1959) • APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) • ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST (1980) • HELL OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980) • CANNIBAL FERROX (1981) • THE BEYOND (1981) • THE NEW YORK RIPPER (1982) • PLATOON (1986) • BORN ON THE 4TH OF JULY (1989) • HAMBURGER HILL (1987) • SINGLE WHITE FEMALE (1991) • FORREST GUMP (1994) • PULP FICTION (1994) • THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (1994) • TITANIC (1997) • TROPIC THUNDER (2008) • ZOMBIES VS STRIPPERS (2012) • LA LA LAND (2016) • MOONLIGHT (2016) • THE VIETNAM WAR (Mini-Series, 2017) • JOKER (2019) • BIRDS OF PREY: THE FANTABULOUS EMANCIPATION OF HARLEY QUINN (2020) • THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020) • SONIC THE HEDGEHOG (2020) • CORONA ZOMBIES (2020) • TIGER KING (mini-series, 2020) LINKS: SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515 FACEBOOK: The Essential Films

 Episode 38: ROCKY (1976) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 6901

Yo, Adrian! Take your mind off what’s going on in the world and join Adolfo and Mark on today’s adventure: John G Avildsen’s ROCKY (1976) On this week’s show: How the current pandemic has affected the movie industry. How people’s first impression of Rocky is often wrong Thunderlips: The Ultimate Male Stallone is a carny Stallone’s story of the making of Rocky is a little too Hollywood The unlikely names suggested for the role of Rocky before Stallone insisted on playing the role himself The bluff that paid off for Stallone The real story is better than the myth Is ROCKY a better Oscar movie than TAXI DRIVER? Casting choices for Adrian and why did Talia Shire have to audition? The Rocky steps The paradox of the opening theme and the first shot The difference between the first and last fight in the film Lloyd Kauffman’s cameo Willie Cici “That pet shop dame” The differences of Stallone and Burgess Meredith at 69. How the production used its limitations to its benefit Rocky would have gotten #MeToo’d DO NOT DRINK RAW EGGS! Running in Converse All-Stars seems unwise The emergence of the steadicam Chicken bones Going the distance “Cut me, Mick” The alternate ending for the film Favorite sequels. FILMS REFERENCED: THE PARTY AT KITTY AND STUD’S (1970) BANANAS (1971) THE GODFATHER (1972) THE GODFATHER PART II (1974) THE LORDS OF FLATBUSH (1974) JAWS (1975) CAPONE (1975) DEATH RACE 2000 (1975) NETWORK (1976) TAXI DRIVER (1976) ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (1976) STAR WARS (1977) ROCKY II (1979) RAGING BULL (1980) ROCKY III (1982) THE KARATE KID (1984) ROCKY IV (1985) ROCKY V (1990) THE GODFATHER PART III (1990) STOP OR MY MOM WILL SHOOT (1992) INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996) ROCKY BALBOA (2006) CREED (2015) CREED II (2018) THE MANDALORIAN (TV Series, 2019) SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515 FACEBOOK: The Essential Films

 Episode 37: HOLIDAY INN (1942) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 1800

Merry Christmas! Happy Holiday! On today's podcast adventure, Adolfo goes solo as he dives into the 1942 Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire Christmas classic, HOLIDAY INN! We go deep into the origins of the film, what song was SUPPOSED to be the big single, the legacy of the "White Christmas" song and the controversy of the "Abraham" number. Just in time for Christmas Eve, enjoy this present from the Essential Films Podcast!

 THANKSGIVING BONUS! Episode #036: Short Subjects - 3 Essential Thanksgiving Films | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 600

Happy Thanksgiving! Let's celebrate those rare movies that celebrate annual autumn holiday that gives us pause to say thanks. So, to thank YOU for listening to the Essential Films Podcast, here's a bonus episode.

 Episode #035: FRANKENSTEIN (1931) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 4080

It's Alive! On today’s adventure, Adolfo and Mark know what it feels like to be God as they discuss James Whale's FRANKENSTEIN (1931) On this week’s show: How we first discovered the classic monster film Featuring ? as the Monster Feeling sympathy for the Creature Book Fairs and Famous Movie Monsters Mr. Willie’s Represent How Universal came to be known as the monster studio Bela Lugosi as the Monster?? The Bela Lugosi/Boris Karloff “feud” The legend of how James Whale discovered Karloff How the film was censored, despite being pre-code Fritz VS Karl VS Igor How the film defined the monster for decades The cold open carny trick The influence of German Expressionism Henry NOT Victor Victor’s Friendzoned “Abby Normal” The greatness of the “It’s Alive!” scene Karloff’s physical performance The infamous Maria sequence How the hell did Henry survive? Universal Cinematic Universe The cancelled Guillermo del Toro remake The fate of the Dark Universe Universal Monsters stage show FILMS REFERENCED: NOSFERATU (1922) THE GOLEM (1922) DRACULA (1931) THE MUMMY (1932) THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) THE BLACK CAT (1934) BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939) THE WOLF MAN (1941) THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942) FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943) HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944) HOUSE OF DRACULA (1945) ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957) THE MUNSTERS (TV Series, 1964) SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN’ TO TOWN (1970) YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) ED WOOD (1994) MARY SHELLEY’S FRANKENSTEIN (1994) GODS AND MONSTERS (1998) HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (2012) THE MUMMY (2017) SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515 FACEBOOK: The Essential Films

 Episode #034: SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 7080

Magic Mirror, on the wall, what is the greatest movie podcast of them all?... On today’s adventure, Adolfo and Mark sit down to discuss SNOW WHITE AND THE DWARFS (137) On this week’s show: The voice casting process The differences between the film and the Brothers Grimm story Deafy, Jumpy, Baldy, Tubby, Hickey, Dizzy and Burpy? Rotoscoping The multiplane camera The storybook opening trope Misquoted movie lines Prince Charming is not woke The Queen's awesome transformation Snow White is a dummy The Prince has a weird fetish for dead ladies The live action remake in the works Alternate theories on the ending Disney World adventures FILMS REFERENCED: NOSFERATU (1922) DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE (1931) THE OLD MILL (1932) ROMEO & JULIET (1936) THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) FANTASIA (1940) PINOCCHIO (1940) DUMBO (1941) IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) SONG OF THE SOUTH (1946) CINDERELLA (1950) THE HOBBIT (1977) THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989) BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991) ALADDIN (1992) THE LION KING (1994) ANASTASIA (1997) RATATOUILLE (2007) 500 DAYS OF SUMMER (2009) AVATAR (2009) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012) SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN (2012) THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 (2014) RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET (2018) LINKS: Walt Disney's MultiPlane Camera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdHTlUGN1zw SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515 FACEBOOK: The Essential Films

 Episode #033: Bonus Features - The Goonies Are Good Enough | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2353

Join Adolfo and Mark on this bonus episode as they discuss Mark’s Alamo Adventures, CREEPSHOW (1982), MIDSOMMAR (2019), VERTIGO (1958), READY OR NOT (2019), THE GOONIES (1985), Cyndi Lauper, APOCALYPSE NOW: THE FINAL CUT, HOT SHOTS PART DEUX (1993), THE GODFATHER: THE COMPLETE EPIC, THE GODFATHER PART III (1990) and The GODZILLA Criterion Collection Set

 Episode #032: THE GRADUATE (1967) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 10381

Hello Darkness, my old friend... On today’s adventure, Adolfo and Mark sit down to discuss THE GRADUATE (1967) On this week’s show: Adolfo goes into detail as to why he doesn’t like the film, but thinks everyone should watch it Netflix Disc Rentals Criterion Flash Sales Trying to impress girls with your wokeness Interesting names considered for Mrs Robinson and Benjamin Braddock roles Mrs Potts as Mrs Robinson? Redford as Benjamin Braddock The (lack of) significant age difference between Ben and Mrs Robinson Plastics The wonderful awkwardness of Dustin Hoffman Scotch and Bourbon Is this Ben’s first time? Popularizing montages to pop music Benjamin’s depression Mrs. Robinson is the most interesting character Mrs. Robinson symbolizes what 60s youth was trying to avoid The exact point where Adolfo starts to hate the movie Ben is an insufferable creep THIS IS NOT A LOVE STORY Benjamin Braddock: Incel The sense of entitlement of Benjamin Braddock FILMS REFERENCED: THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939) GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) GILDA (1946) A STAR IS BORN (1954) THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (1955) JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961) CAPE FEAR (1961) THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962) GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER (1967) IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967) BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967) BARBARELLA (1968) WAYNE’S WORLD 2 (1993) JACKIE BROWN (1997) 500 DAYS OF SUMMER (2009) LINKS: SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515 FACEBOOK: The Essential Films

 Episode #031: 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 6001

On today's podcast odyssey, Adolfo and Mark journey into the unknown across time and space as they take a deep dive into Stanley Kubrick's enigmatic 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968). Listen as they discuss the origins of the film, how it was co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, the ahead-of-their time visual effects, the meaning of that head-scratching ending and the "soul" of HAL 9000. Plus: God, the creation of the universe and everything in between.

 Episode #030: Bonus Features - Goldblum Mania | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 2016

In this Bonus Features episode, recorded before our Silence of the Lambs episode, Adolfo and Mark discuss the glory that is Jeff Goldblum. From EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY to THE FLY to THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK to... VIBES?

 Episode #029: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 5820

On today’s adventure, Adolfo and Mark sit down with some fava beans and a nice chianti as they discuss Jonathan Demme’s horror classic THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)   On this week’s show:   The Polar Vortex Mark’s mother subjects him to the horrors of Hannibal Lecter Brian Cox: always a bad guy Gene Hackman… director? RIP Jonathan Demme Original casting choices including Michelle Pfeiffer and Sean Connery The “real life” Jack Crawford: John Douglas Buffalo Bill is Captain Stottlemeyer??? Demme puts us in Clarice’s shoes with characters directly addressing camera How Lecter’s plexiglass cage was conceived Lecter never says “HELLO CLARICE” Lecter has super powers The Courtship of Clarice and Hannibal The hidden joke of the “fava beans” quote Why does Bill even need night vision goggles? The 3 serial killers that inspired Buffalo Bill The unsung real life actress, Chris McGinn, who was the autopsy victim BOB THE GOON! Addressing the controversy over LGBT representation (or misrepresentation) in the film “Where will it tickle you?” “Get this THING out of here” The beauty of the cinematography and direction of the final meeting between Clarice and Lecter. The terrifying sequence of Hannibal Lecter’s “face off” escape The masterful suspense of the climax Hopkins wins a Best Actor Oscar for only being on camera for 16 minutes   FILMS REFERENCED:   PSYCHO (1960) THE EXORCIST (1973) THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974) JAWS (1975) THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980) STOP MAKING SENSE (1984) CONAN THE DESTROYER (1984) MANHUNTER (1986) SOMETHING WILD (1986) MARRIED TO THE MOB (1988) THE ACCUSED (1988) BATMAN (1989) TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991) PHILADELPHIA (1993) MATILDA (1996) INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996) THE SIXTH SENSE (1999) HANNIBAL (2001) RED DRAGON (2002) MONK (TV Series, 2002-2009) HANNIBAL RISING (2007) BLACK SWAN (2010) HANNIBAL (TV Series, 2013-2015) GET OUT (2017) CONVERSATIONS WITH A KILLER: THE TED BUNDY TAPES (TV Series, 2019)   SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515 FACEBOOK: The Essential Films  

 Episode #028: WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 4320

MERRY CHRISTMAS! On today’s holiday podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark discuss: 45 minutes all to myself Holiday shopping Holiday favorites Rosemary Clooney’s phenomenal performance of “Love You Didn’t Do Right By Me” Fred Astaire was the original choice to play Phil Davis. VistaVision and the beautiful colors that pop off the screen. George Chakiris cameo Vera-Ellen’s tiny waist What happened to this business? Modern Musicals VS Classic Musicals Weirdsmobile! FILMS REFERENCED: HOLIDAY INN (1942) CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945) IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (1947) AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951) WE’RE NO ANGELS (1955) SOUTH PACIFIC (1958) WEST SIDE STORY (1961) SCROOGED (1988) HOME ALONE (1990) THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (1992) HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK (1992) THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (2017) MARY POPPINS RETURNS (2018) BLOCKERS (2018) BUMBLEBEE (2018) SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515 FACEBOOK: facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms/

 Episode #027: BEN-HUR (1959) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 5340

On today’s adventure, Adolfo and Mark unsheath their swords and grab some sandals as they discuss William Wyler’s 1959 cinematic epic, BEN-HUR! On this week’s show: •Sauce or gravy? •Thanksgiving Movie Traditions •William Wyler’s work on the original BEN-HUR •“It took a Jew to make a good movie about Jesus.” •The genre of Christian Epics •Not showing Jesus’ face •No CGI, just a lot of money put into practical effects, props and sets •Charlton as a Jew or as a Mexican? •Homoerotic subtext? •Christian fan service •Jesus cameos •Heston is JACKED •BROWN FACE!! •Leprechaun Colonies •Ben-Her and Ben-His FILMS REFERENCED: •THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915) •BEN-HUR: A TALE OF THE CHRIST (1925) •ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930) •GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) •MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (1947) •QUO VADIS (1951) •THE ROBE (1953) •THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956) •TOUCH OF EVIL (1958) •SPARTACUS (1960) •BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S (1961) •THE KING OF KINGS (1961) •LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) •THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1964) •THE GREATEST STORY OF EVER TOLD (1965) •THE BIBLE… IN THE BEGINNING (1966) •CALIGULA (1979) •REDS (1981) •PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES (1987) •THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST (1988) •FORREST GUMP (1994) •TITANIC (1997) •SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998) •STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999) •THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003) •THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (2004) •THE HATEFUL EIGHT (2015) SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515

 Episode #026: PSYCHO (1960) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 5100

On today’s adventure, Adolfo and Mark go a little mad for Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO (1960) On this week’s show: • Discovering Hitchcock • One of the earliest “slasher” films • The Bernard Herrmann score and Mark’s uh… impression(?) of it. • Hitchcock’s A-list B-Movie • “No Bail for the Judge” • How Hitchcock convinced Paramount to distribute the film • The book by Robert Bloch • Ed Gein and the on-screen villains he “inspired” • The “Inside Psycho” podcast • Setting a new level of violence • The dissolving of the Production Code • A flushing toilet! • Hitchcock’s marketing strategy • William Castle’s carnie antics • Marion Crane has NO chill • The differences between the book and the film • Norman portrayed as a sympathetic character • The Shower Scene • How Bernard Herrmann earned double his salary • Chocolate Syrup for blood • Killing your main character halfway through the film. • Martin Balsam’s underrated performance. • “What the hell did I just see?” • The psychiatrist sequence and why it’s a flaw of the film • The Sequels and the horrible 1998 remake • The death of Filmstruck • Always buy physical media! FILMS REFERENCED: • REBECCA (1940) • SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1944) • SPELLBOUND (1945) • NOTORIOUS (1946) • REAR WINDOW (1954) • DIABOLIQUE (1955) • VERTIGO (1958) • THE TINGLER (1959) • NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) • HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959) • THE BIRDS (1963) • THE EXORCIST (1973) • THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974) • HALLOWEEN (1978) • DRESSED TO KILL (1980) • ROCKY III (1982) • ROCKY IV (1985) • THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) • THE ADDAMS FAMILY (1991) • ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES (1993) • SCREAM (1996) • GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997) • ARMAGEDDON (1998) • PSYCHO (1998) • HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES (2003) • THE DEVIL’S REJECTS (2005) • HITCHCOCK (2012) • CREED II (2018) LINKS: • INSIDE PSYCHO PODCAST: https://wondery.com/shows/inside-psycho/ • Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection: https://www.amazon.com/Alfred-Hitchcock-Masterpiece-Collection-Limited/dp/B008DCAG9M • YouTube Page: youtube.com/adolfojacosta SOCIAL MEDIA: • TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515 • FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms/

 Episode #025: CITY LIGHTS (1931) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 5100

NOTE: Watch Adolfo Acosta on Turner Classic Movies, introducing CITY LIGHTS with Ben Manciewicz, this Sunday, October 14 at 11 AM CT/12 PM ET On today’s adventure, Adolfo and Mark go back to the silent era for Charles Chaplin’s CITY LIGHTS (1931)! The film that got Adolfo a fan programmer spot on TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES(!) On this week’s show: Discovering Charlie Chaplin movies. The best introduction to Chaplin Silent films in the “Talkie” era CITY LIGHTS isn’t really a “silent” film Chaplin’s reluctance to transition to talking pictures How the film was originally conceived The hate-hate relationship between Chaplin and Virginia Cherrill The butler is a jerk Chaplin’s favorite scene in the film “Can you see now?” FILMS REFERENCED: THE KID (1921) THE GOLD RUSH (1925) THE JAZZ SINGER (1927) MODERN TIMES (1936) GONE WITH THE WIND (1939) THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940) MONSIEUR VERDOUX (1947) BICYCLE THIEVES (1948) LIMELIGHT (1952) SALO OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM (1975) LINKS: SOCIAL MEDIA TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515 FACEBOOK: The Essential Films

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