Fri, Nov 11, 2011
Everything about Steven Spielberg's 1981 adventure film, "Raiders of the Lost Ark," is iconic. From the unforgettable lines that are so easy to quote, to the brilliant characters saying them and the pitch-perfect actors playing them, to the countless scenes full of adventure and danger, to John Williams' score, to Jones' hat and whip. Join us - Pete Wright and Andy Nelson - on this week's episode as we start our Indiana Jones series and talk about the influence this film had on our childhoods and how it still plays an important role in our movie-going sensibilities. We talk about the origins of the story with George Lucas and Philip Kaufman, how it transitioned to Lawrence Kasdan, and how Spielberg joined in. We discuss the script and how well it works, particularly because of the great characters that all feel fully fleshed out, as well as how some of those characters unfortunately get a short shrift in the sequels. We discuss the special effects and how well they work, even if the techniques are a bit dated for today's audiences. And we chat about the interesting nature of the protagonist and antagonist, and how similar they are in this film. The whole 'two sides of the same coin' trope. It's definitely in there. It's one of the greatest adventure films out there, one we've seen innumerable times, and certainly a movie we like. It makes a worthy start in our series on the films of Indiana Jones. Listen in! When the movie ends, our conversation begins. Series: Indiana Jones #1 of 4
Thu, Nov 17, 2011
Steven Spielberg and George Lucas both approached their 1984 follow-up to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" from a dark place while they were simultaneously going through divorces. Perhaps because of this, or perhaps because they were trying to create something different, "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" has always been the ugly red-headed stepchild of the series, having a schizophrenic imbalance between goofy camp and gruesome horror. That being said, one of us is in the minority and still really likes this movie. Join us - Pete Wright and Andy Nelson - as we continue our Indiana Jones series with this second film. We talk about our memories of the film from our childhood and what still stands out. We walk through the project's history, from writer to writer to writer, and debate if that's from where the problems in the finished film started. We reflect on the comedy bits that work - the opening scene and the raft is one - and the ones that don't - Willie Scott in particular. We discuss the performances from Harrison Ford, Ke Huy Quan, Kate Capshaw and Amrish Puri as well as what they bring to the table. We delve into the interesting character arc Indiana Jones has and how it really defines his character well and sets us up for "Raiders," even if the filmmakers botched it with the opening of "Crusade." And we chat about the fantastic set pieces that still hold up, regardless of whether other elements of the film don't. Hated by most but loved by Andy, it's part of an important and iconic movie series and we still have a great time talking about it. It's a fun follow up to Raiders of the Lost Ark in our Indiana Jones series. Listen in!