The Essential Films Podcast

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Latest Episodes:

Episode 61: Episode #61 - Short Subjects: INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (2009) Dec 01, 2023

Taking a look at Quentin Tarantino's 2009 modern classic INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Episode 60: Episode #60: Short Subjects: LICENCE TO KILL (1989) Oct 07, 2023

When CIA operative Felix Leiter is left for dead by vicious drug kingpin, Sanchez, James Bond makes it his personal vendetta to take him down… going so far as becoming a rogue agent.
Links:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@adolfojacosta/
Substack: https://adolfoacosta.substack.com
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@adolfojacosta
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEssential...
Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5kOLC5r...
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/adolfoacosta
Website: https://essentialfilmspodcast.com

Episode 59: The Essential Films Podcast Episode #59: THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940) Sep 27, 2023

We're back! After an unplanned hiatus, we are back on your podcast app of choice. On this week's adventure Adolfo and Mark discuss John Ford's THE GRAPES OF WRATH.
On Today's Show:

Mark’s Hollywood Journey
Mark wins an Oscar!
Walt Disney Archives
How to properly hold an Oscar
The glory days of VHS
“A Very Special Epsidoe”
The heaviness of The Grapes of Wrath
Watching the movie instead of reading the book for school
The differences between the movie and the novel
Quick turnaround from the novel’s publishing to the release of the film
Very socialist messaging, which is odd in the times of communist scapegoating
The Great Henry Fonda
“Just following orders”
Tom’s family thinking he broke out of jail
Heartbreaking shots
Grandpa’s medicine
Holding out hope for meager rewards
The brotherhood of the working class
Giving Grandma the Weekend at Bernie’s treatment
The dwindling of the family
Movie is clearly pro-Union
The Company Store scam
Tom’s sense of dignity, duty and self respect won’t allow him to be bullied
The government working camp is good for them, but it only lasts temporarily
Tom’s sacrifice for his family and following his calling to do good
Is tom a christ figure?
“We’re the people”
The power of the work and anti corporation - basically tenets of communism
Grapes of Wrath was woke before woke was a thing
Grapes of Wrath’s Academy Award nominations and wins, stealing the Best Director from Hitchcock who never got an Oscar
An inspirational but depressing movie
Will AFI update their lists?

Films Referenced:

Rebecca (1940)
The Philadelphia Story (1940)
The Ten Commandments (1956)
White Wilderness (1958)
Some Like it Hot (1959)
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)
The House That Dripped Blood (1971)
On Golden Pond (1981)
ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Return of the Jedi (1983)
Punky Brewster (TV Series, 1984-1988)
Diff'rent Strokes (TV Series, 1978-1986)
Full House (TV Series, 1987-1995)
Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (1990)
Dinosaurs (TV Series, 1991-1994)
Boy Meets World (1993-2000)
Kill Bill: Vol 1 (2003)
Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Beau Is Afraid (2023)

Links:
Substack: adolfoacosta.substack.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@adolfojacosta
Website: essentialfilmspodcast.com

Episode 58: The Essential Films Podcast Episode #58: A CHRISTMAS CAROL @ THE MOVIES! Dec 23, 2022

Are you the podcast whose coming was foretold to me? On today's podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark play Podcast Hosts of Christmas Past as they look at the long history of screen adaptations of Charles Dickens' immortal classic A CHRISTMAS CAROL! Movies discussed include: A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938), SCROOGE (1951), SCROOGE (1970), SCROOGED (1988), THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (1992) and many more!

Episode 57: The Essential Films Podcast Episode #57: BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935) Dec 13, 2022

On today's podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark discuss the wonderful weirdness of BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)

Episode 56: The Essential Films Podcast Episode #56: FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953) Nov 20, 2022

On today's podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark return to discuss the 1953 Academy Award winning FROM HERE TO ETERNITY!

Episode 55: The Essential Films Podcast Episode #55: THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)/Remembering Peter Bogdanovich & Ivan Reitman Mar 10, 2022

Better late than never! On today's podcast adventure, our long-delayed Christmas episode is out, as we review THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER. We also spend some time discussing the careers of the late Peter Bogdonavich and Ivan Reitman.

Episode 54: Episode #54: JURASSIC PARK (1993) Dec 23, 2021

Life finds a way... On today’s prehistoric adventure, join us as we discuss the 1993 blockbuster JURASSIC PARK!

Episode 53: Episode #53: ALIEN (1979) Oct 30, 2021

Happy Halloween! On today’s terrifying adventure, no one can hear us scream as we discuss the 1979 Ridley Scott classic ALIEN (1979)!

Films Referenced:

A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)

TO CATCH A THIEF (1955)

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)

BANANAS (1971)

PHANTASM (1979)

POSSESSION (1981)

CANNIBAL FEROX (1981)

POLTERGEIST (1982)

FLASHDANCE (1983)

GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)

DUNE (1984)

PRETTY IN PINK (1986)

ALIENS (1986)

HELLRAISER (1987)

GHOST (1990)

ARMY OF DARKNESS (1992)

ALIEN3 (1992)

PULP FICTION (1994)

CLERKS (1994)

ALIEN: RESURRECTION (1997)

THE QUIET AMERICAN (2002)

ALIEN VS PREDATOR (2004)

ALIEN VS PREDATOR: REQUIEM (2007)

MARTYRS (2008)

I SAW THE DEVIL (2010)

PROMETHEUS (2012)

JODOROWSKI’S DUNE (2013)

HAPPY DEATH DAY (2017)

ALIEN: COVENANT (2017)

HALLOWEEN KILLS (2021)

DUNE (2021)

Episode 52: Episode #52: MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969) Oct 19, 2021

We're walkin' here!!! On today's podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark examine the 1969 Academy Award Best Picture winner: MIDNIGHT COWBOY.

Episode 51: Episode #51: Special Feature - 31 Essential Films to Watch This Halloween Oct 01, 2021

Happy Halloween! Midnight Cowboy has been delayed, so please enjoy this special episode: 31 Essential Films to watch this Halloween! From PSYCHO to THE WITCH and all monsters in between, this episode will give you a wicked watchlist for the spookiest time of year.

YOUTUBE:
youtube.com/adolfojacosta

SOCIAL MEDIA

TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms

SOCIAL MEDIA

TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Sportsguy515

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/essentialfilmspodcast

Music Courtesy of Marc v/d Meulen

Official Website: https://www.marcvdmeulen.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzzv...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QFHz...
AudioJungle: http://audiojungle.net/user/marcvdmeulen

Episode 50: Episode #50: Remembering Richard Donner Jul 26, 2021

On today’s adventure, we celebrate the life and career of Richard Donner.
Films Discussed:
X-15 (1961)
THE TWILIGHT ZONE: “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (TV Episode, 1963)
THE OMEN (1976)
SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978)
SUPERMAN II (1981)
THE GOONIES (1985)
THE GOONIES ARE GOOD ENOUGH (Music Video, 1985)
LADYHAWKE (1985)
LETHAL WEAPON (1987)
THE LOST BOYS (1987)
SCROOGED (1988)
LETHAL WEAPON 2 (1989)
TALES FROM THE CRYPT: Dig That Cat... He's Real Gone (1989) (TV Episode)
TALES FROM THE CRYPT: The Ventriloquist's Dummy (1990) (TV Episode)
TALES FROM THE CRYPT: Showdown (1992) (TV Episode)
LETHAL WEAPON 3 (1992)
RADIO FLYER (1992)
FREE WILLY (1993)
MAVERICK (1994)
ASSASSINS (1995)
CONSPIRACY THEORY (1997)
LETHAL WEAPON 4 (1998)
X-MEN (2000)
16 BLOCKS (2006)
SUPERMAN II: THE RICHARD DONNER CUT (2006)

Episode 49: Episode #49: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) Jun 13, 2021

On today’s adventure, Adolfo & Mark will take "No Prisoners!" as they discuss the David Lean Academy Award-winning LAWRENCE OF ARABIA!

Episode 48: Episode #48: THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1970) May 05, 2021

Never you mind honey. On today’s Podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark head to Anarene, Texas to look into the lives and loves of its local citizens in Peter Bogdonavich’s coming of age classic, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. Plus: Adolfo and Mark discuss the recent AMC stock bonanza.
Films Referenced:
RED RIVER (1948)
THE SANDS OF IWO JIMA (1949)
FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1950)
WINCHESTER ‘73 (1950)
KISS ME DEADLY (1955)
HEAD (1968)
TARGETS (1968)
PLANET OF THE PREHISTORIC WOMEN (1968)
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
EASY RIDER (1969)
THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW (Series, 1970-77)
DRIVE, HE SAID (1970)
FIVE EASY PIECES (1970)
THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS (1972)
THE GODFATHER (1972)
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974)
WONDER WOMAN (Series, 1975-79)
THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979)
HISTORY OF THE WORLD, PART I (1981)
TRADING PLACES (1983)
THE SIMPSONS (Series, 1989-)
TEXASVILLE (1990)
THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES (1993)
BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD DO AMERICA (1996)
FAMILY GUY (Series, 1999 -)
BAD SANTA (2003)
TWO AND A HALF MEN (Series, 2003-2015)
THE OFFICE, Episode “Stress Relief” (2009)
RAISING HOPE (Series, 2010-14)
BOB’S BURGERS (Series, 2011- )
THE CROODS (2013)
WONDER WOMAN 1984 (2020)
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (2020)
MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (2020)
LINKS:
America Lost and Found: The BBS Story (https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/769-america-lost-and-found-the-bbs-story)
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/essentialfilmspodcast

Episode 47: Episode #47: Bonus Features - Mark's Deucember Part Deux Feb 13, 2021

On this Bonus Features episode, we go further into Mark’s adventures into exploitation films.
NOTE: Bonus Features episodes are raw and unedited, with little production.
Films Referenced:
THE BIG GUNDOWN (1966)
THE UNDERTAKER AND HIS PALS (1966)
MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE (1966)
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
THE WIZARD OF GORE (1970)
THE CAT O’NINE TAILS (1971)
BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)
DEEP RED (1975)
TAXI DRIVER (1976)
ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (1976)
DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE (1978)
CALIGULA (1979)
CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980)
CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980)
NEW YEAR’S EVIL (1980)
CANNIBAL FEROX (1981)
THE BEYOND (1981)
THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY (1981)
PIECES (1982)
TENEBRE (1982)
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT (1984)
DAY OF THE DEAD (1985)
PHENOMENA (1985)
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT PART 2 (1987)
THE DEUCE (Series, 2017-2019)
ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD (2019)

Episode 46: Episode #46: Bonus Features - HBO Max Changes the Game & Deucember Exploitation Films Dec 30, 2020

On this Bonus Features episode, we discuss how HBO MAX and Warner Media are radically changing the industry by releasing the entire 2021 slate on HBO MAX as well as theaters. Is this the future of movies? Plus Mark discusses his adventures into exploitation films in the month of December. And some Criterion and blu-ray talk to top it off.
NOTE: Bonus Features episodes are raw and unedited, with little production.
Films Referenced:
AND GOD CREATED WOMAN (1956)
DR. NO (1962)
THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963)
GOLDFINGER (1964)
SHELAKO (1968)
THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1970)
THE WIZARD OF GORE (1970)
DEEP RED (1975)
SALÓ, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM (1975)
DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
ZOMBI 2 (1979)
FRIDAY THE 13th (1980)
DON’T GO IN THE WOODS (1981)
COME AND SEE (1985)
NO WAY BACK (1992)
THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012)
THE DEUCE (Series, 2017-2019)
ROMA (2018)
THE IRISHMAN (2019)
MARRIAGE STORY (2019)
WONDER WOMAN 1984 (2020)
TENET (2020)
MANK (2020)
THE MANDALORIAN (Series, 2019-2020)
MATRIX 4 (2021)
THE SUICIDE SQUAD (2021)
MORTAL KOMBAT (2021)
THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK (2021)
GODZILLA VS KONG (2021)
LINKS:
Grindhouse Movie DataBase (gcbd.com)
Sleazoid Express Book https://www.amazon.com/Sleazoid-Express-Mind-Twisting-Through-Grindhouse/dp/0743215834
Dawn Of The Dead 4K Set https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=26880
Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema: https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/1427-ingmar-bergman-s-cinema
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms

Episode 45: Episode 45: THE BISHOP'S WIFE (1947) Dec 24, 2020

MERRY CHRISTMAS! On today’s adventure, we celebrate Christmas with Dudley, Henry and Julia as we discuss the 1947 holiday classic, THE BISHOP’S WIFE! We go into the original cast of the film, who was originally supposed to play the angel, the initial box office failure (and how the studios sought to fix that), guaranteed Christmas royalties, Hallmark Christmas movies, Christmas classics, the wacky trailer, and much more!
Films Referenced:
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
THE EXORCIST (1973)
SCARFACE (1983)
MRS. DOUBTFIRE (1993)
MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (1994)
JINGLE ALL THE WAY (1996)
DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2009)
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms

Episode 44: Episode 44: CHINATOWN (1974) Dec 22, 2020

On today's adventure, Adolfo & Mark discuss the 1974 noir thriller, CHINATOWN.

Episode 43: Episode 43: Remembering Sean Connery Dec 16, 2020

On today’s adventure, we celebrate the life and career of Sir Sean Connery.
(There are some audio issues in this episode. We apologize)
Films Discussed
The JAMES BOND Films (1962-1971)
INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1989)
THE UNTOUCHABLES (1987)
THE ROCK (1996)
THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER (1990)
HIGHLANDER (1986)
MARNIE (1964)
DRAGONHEART (1996)
THE LONGEST DAY (1962)
OUTLAND (1981)
FIRST KNIGHT (1995)
DARBY O’GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE (1959)
And Many Others
LINKS:
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms

Episode 42: THE SHINING (1980) Oct 31, 2020

HEEEEERE'S ADOLFO AND MARK! Join Adolfo and Mark on today’s spooky adventure: Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING (1980)
On this week’s show:
Trick or Treating in times COVID
Misguided contemporary reviews
How Kubrick decided to do a horror movie
Other actors considered for Jack Torrance
The constant script changes
Shelly Duval’s torture
The impossible window
Don’t build things on burial grounds
Charles Grady or Delbert Grady?
“The Shinning”
All the best people.
Minotaurs?
The importance of the stock room
When does Jack start going crazy
Which scene took 12 hours to film?
Naked ladies with afros
Creepy red bathrooms
You’ve always been the caretaker
Is the hotel haunted? Or is Jack crazy? Or both?
Mini reviews of ROOM 237 and DOCTOR SLEEP
Conspiracy theories
How much does Stephen King hate The Shining?
Fubo??
FILMS REFERENCED:
THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE (1921)
FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
KING KONG (1933)
PSYCHO (1960)
SPARTACUS (1960)
LOLITA (1962)
THE BIRDS (1963)
THE TWILIGHT ZONE: “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (Season 5, Episode 3, 1963)
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)
THE EXORCIST (1973)
BARRY LYNDON (1975)
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST
ROCKY (1976)
HALLOWEEN (1978)
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)
POLTERGEIST (1982)
THE THING (1982)
STEPHEN KING’S IT (1990)
THE SIMPSONS: “Treehouse of Horror V” (Season 6, Episode 6, 1994)
TWISTER (1996)
THE SHINING (Mini-Series, 1997)
EYES WIDE SHUT (1999)
ROOM 237 (2012)
READY PLAYER ONE (2018)
DOCTOR SLEEP (2019)
LINKS:
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms

Episode 41: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998) Oct 31, 2020

Join Adolfo and Mark on today’s adventure: Steven Spielberg’s SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)
On this week’s show:
Orange Fanta
Criterion Collection discussions
Organizing physical media
TCM Wine Club
Colorized newsreels
The true story that inspired Saving Private Ryan
The actors boot camp
Late 90s young Hollywood
The epic Omaha Beach sequence
Helmets are useless
Nazis are bad!
Bryan Cranston!
FUBAR
The Statue of Liberty is kaput
Are there “good” war movies?
The biggest movie of 1998
The Academy Awards snub
Spielberg’s populist movies
How it should have ended?
FILMS REFERENCED:
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1943)
THE GUNFIGHTER (1950)
DJANGO (1966)
THE GREEN BERETS (1968)
JAWS (1975)
SHIVERS (1975)
FRIDAY THE 13th (1980)
THE ELEPHANT MAN (1980)
PLATOON (1986)
OPERA (1987)
FULL METAL JACKET (1987)
SCHINDLER’S LIST (1993)
BRAVEHEART (1995)
CRASH (1996)
GOOD WILL HUNTING (1997)
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (1998)
ARMAGEDDON (1998)
DEEP IMPACT (1998)
GODZILLA (1998)
SMALL SOLDIERS (1998)
THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (1998)
A BUG’S LIFE (1998)
DOCTOR DOLITTLE (1998)
THE WATERBOY (1998)
RUSH HOUR (1998)
PATCH ADAMS (1998)
MULAN (1998)
LETHAL WEAPON 4 (1998)
GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI (1999)
BAND OF BROTHERS (Mini-Series, 2001)
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (2002)
CRASH (2005)
BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (2005)
GREEN BOOK (2018)
PARASITE (2019)
MULAN (2020)
LINKS:
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms

Episode 40: SUNSET BLVD. (1950) Sep 30, 2020

We ARE big! It's the podcasts that got small. Today we delve into the Hollywood nightmare of Billy Wilder's SUNSET BLVD. (1950)
On this week’s show:
Our weird movie year
COVID adventures
RIP Chadwick Boseman
Joe the Gigolo
Skirting the production code
How Gloria Stuart built Paramount
Why Montgomery Clift turned down the film
RIP Olivia De Haviland
Is Holden too old for Olsen?
How Wilder filmed the pool shot
The original opening of the film
What is a “reader”
“This year I’m trying to make money.”
Monkey undertakers
Greta Garbo & Steve Gutenberg
The sad story of Yvette Vickers
Norma’s great Chaplin impression
The difference between Gloria and Betty
The often misquoted line
“You’ve befowled you’re own nest”
Who WAS the better actresses? Bette Davis or Gloria Stuart
Sunset Blvd the Musical
FILMS REFERENCED:
QUEEN KELLY (1932)
CAPTAIN BLOOD (1935)
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938)
GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
THE SNAKE PIT (1948)
THE HEIRESS (1949)
SAMSON AND DELILAH (1949)
ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
BORN YESTERDAY (1950)
DRAGNET (1951 TV series)
ATTACK OF THE 50 FOOT WOMAN (1958)
THE APARTMENT (1960)
THE GODFATHER (1972)
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
42 (2013)
BLACK PANTHER (2018)
UNCUT GEMS (2019)
DA 5 BLOODS (2020)
TENET (2020)
LINKS:
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: The Essential Films

Episode 39: ALL ABOUT EVE (1950) Jun 30, 2020

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) Apr 29, 2020

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) Dec 24, 2019

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 Nov 28, 2019

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) Nov 27, 2019

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) Oct 31, 2019

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 Oct 23, 2019

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) Sep 01, 2019

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) Jun 30, 2019

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 Feb 22, 2019

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) Jan 31, 2019

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) Dec 24, 2018

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) Nov 24, 2018

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) Oct 30, 2018

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) Oct 11, 2018

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

Episode #024: Bonus Features - Vinegar Syndrome, Blaxploitation, Trashy Movies & The Woes of Physical Media Sep 30, 2018

BONUS FEATURES
Warning: The following is unedited raw audio with NSFW language.
In this episode:
Mark’s buried treasure
Vinegar Syndrome
Cult Movies
Mark’s film canister unboxing
Mark’s penchant for trash cinema
Does Cinemax exist?
Boutique Labels
Shedding some DVD weight
Films Referenced:
ORGY OF THE DEAD (1965)
THIS,THAT AND THE OTHER! (1970)
I DRINK YOUR BLOOD (1970)
SHAFT (1971)
SWEET SWEETBACK’S BAADASSSSS SONG (1971)
TROUBLE MAN (1972)
SUPER FLY (1972)
PETS (1973)
THE MACK (1973)
MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS (1973)
BLACKENSTEIN (1973)
CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE PEANUT BUTTER FREAK (1975)
HER NAME WAS LISA (1979)
CANNIBAL FEROX (1981)
DEADLY DAPHNE’S REVENGE (1987)
ICE CREAM MAN (1995)
THE RUNDOWN (2003)
MR. & MRS. SMITH (2005)
LINKS:
Vinegar Syndrome - https://vinegarsyndrome.com/
“Million Dollar” Collection - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdjQ2lxHX6A
ICE CREAM MAN trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DwC5wshQwk

Episode #023: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) May 09, 2018

What is thy bidding, our masters? On today’s adventure, Adolfo and Mark learn about the ways of the force and resist the Dark Side as they discuss the 1980 STAR WARS epic: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK! On this week’s show: The lack of hype for SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY How we first experienced EMPIRE The 1995 THX Remastered VHS tapes The film’s most famous line is often misquoted George Lucas as an independent filmmaker Hiring Irvin Kershner as Director The early versions of the story The 1997 Special Editions The proper order to watch the Saga George Lucas is Kermit Who knew the twist ending ahead of filming? When did Lucas know Leia was Luke’s sister? How do you pronounce “AT-AT”? Switching out Emperors Why is talking to a Muppet NOT goofy? “I know.” The reaction from fans in the 1980s The differences of the original cut VS the special editions “Despecialized” Editions FILMS REFERENCED: STAR WARS (1977) SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) ROBOCOP 2 (1990) CLERKS (1994) STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999) STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002) EMPIRE OF DREAMS (2004) STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005) STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015) ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (2016) STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (2017) SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (2018) BONUS CONVERSATION: THE WARRIORS (1979) AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018) LINKS: The Essential Films: essentialfilmspodcast.com AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Alamo Drafthouse Menu: https://drafthouse.com/nyc/news/eats-assemble-avengers-infinity-war-specials-are-here HOW FANS REACTED TO EMPIRE STRIKES BACK IN 1980: https://io9.gizmodo.com/heres-how-fans-reacted-to-the-empire-strikes-back-in-19-1821551259 ISLE OF DOGS Alamo Drafthouse Menu: https://drafthouse.com/nyc/news/japanese-inspired-canine-approved-isle-of-dogs-specials-are-here

Episode #021 - BONUS FEATURES - Se7en (1995), The Big Lebowski (1998), The Long Goodbye (1973), Scarface (1983) & Bad Movies Apr 19, 2018

BONUS EPISODE!
Raw unproduced audio of Adolfo and Mark shooting the breeze. On today’s adventure:
Mark’s Alamo Drafthouse Adventures
SEVEN (1995)
70 MM of HOWARD THE DUCK (1986)
BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA (1986)
THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998)
“This is what happens when you French a stranger in the Alps!”
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
VERTIGO (1958)
GREASE (1976)
THE LONG GOODBYE (1973)
GEMINI (2018)
Arnie’s mustache
PUMPING IRON (1977)
SSSSSSS (1973)
THE BIRDS II: LAND’S END (1994)
PHASE IV (1974)
OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN (1983)
COBRA (1986)
SHAKMA (1990)
BASKET CASE (1982)
FRANKEN HOOKER (1990)
BRAIN DAMAGE (1988)
80s trash
THE GARBAGE PAIL KIDS MOVIE (1987)
SECRET AGENT DOUBLE-O SOUL (1990)
BEST FRIENDS VOL. 1 (2018)
SCARFACE (1983)

Episode #022: SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978) Apr 19, 2018

We’re back from the Phantom Zone!On today’s adventure, Adolfo and Mark fight for Truth, Justice and the American way when they discuss the 1978 superhero movie pioneer SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE! On this week’s show:
Clamshell VHS Tapes
One of the first superhero films
Christopher Reeves: Adolfo’s childhood hero
Henry Cavill’s mustache
Brandon Routh’s Christopher Reeves impression
A time when Superhero films were non-existent
All superhero movies trace their origin to Superman
An important milestone for superhero films
How do you make someone fly?
The cheesiness of Can You Read My Mind
How long it takes to even see Superman
The long process of casting Superman
Marlon Brando at his laziest
Brando scored big
Green bagels
Christopher Reeves doesn’t get top billing
The wacky names considered to play the title part
Christopher Reeves’ amazing dual performance
“You’ve got me? Who’s got you?”
The electric chemistry between Reeves and Margot Kidder
Dual filming on Superman and Superman II
Krypton’s blowing up? FAKE NEWS
Lax adoption paperwork laws
The ludicrousness of Lex Luthor’s plan
Why Lex Luthor is awesome even though he differs from the comic book
Hackensack, New Jersey
Does Superman REALLY spin the Earth backwards?
“Head Canon”
The iconic score streak of John Williams
What’s missing from modern superhero films
Evil Superman flicking peanuts
The 3 Hour TV cut
FILM REFERENCES IN THIS EPISODE:
FLASH GORDON (1936)
THE ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN MARVEL (1941)
BATMAN (1943)
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1944)
BATMAN AND ROBIN (1947)
SUPERMAN AND THE MOLE-MEN (1951)
ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (TV Series, 1952-1958)
BATMAN (TV Series, 1966-1968)
THE GODFATHER (1972)
LAST TANGO IN PARIS (1972)
STAR WARS (1977)
SUPERMAN II (1980)
SUPERMAN III (1983)
SUPERMAN IV: THE QUEST FOR PEACE (1987)
BATMAN (1989)
DARKMAN (1990)
THE SHADOW (1994)
THE PHANTOM (1996)
SPAWN (1997)
STEEL (1997)
STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999)
X-MEN (2000)
SMALLVILLE (TV Series, 2001-2011)
SPIDER-MAN (2002)
STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002)
STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005)
SUPERMAN RETURNS (2006)
IRON MAN (2008)
TED (2012)
THE AVENGERS (2012)
MAN OF STEEL (2013)
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015)
JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017)
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI (2017)
KRYPTON (TV Series, 2018)
BLACK PANTHER (2018)
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018)
RED SPARROW (2018)
LINKS:
The Essential Films: essentialfilmspodcast.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: The Essential Films

Episode #020: Short Subjects - A Look at the 2018 Oscar Nominations Jan 25, 2018

In today's Short Subjects episode, Adolfo goes down the entire list of Academy Award nominees, announced on January 24th. From Best Picture to Best Visual Effects; From Get Out to Dunkirk he covers his thoughts, his predictions and why he thinks Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri is overrated.

Episode #19: Short Subjects - The Holiday Classics Dec 24, 2017

Join Adolfo on this solo adventure as he discusses some of the cherished Holiday Hollywood classics such as:
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938)
HOLIDAY INN (1942)
THE BISHOP'S WIFE (1947)
SCROOGE (1951)
WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)
A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983)
and more!

Episode 18: MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (1947) Dec 21, 2017

It's cold outside. A man's gotta do something to keep warm. On today's podcast adventure: Adolfo and Mark deck the halls and jingle them bells as they celebrate the holidays with MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (1947). The duo are plastered...err--- feeling gay as they discuss the charming wonderfulness of this holiday classic as well as: Kris does NOT take any crap; Fred Gailey is a pimp; you couldn't make this film in 2017; Is Gimbels still in business?; the legal accuracy of the courtroom scenes; Russian princes; and "Mr. Macy." All this plus a conversation on STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, Alamo Draughthouse adventures, holiday movie classics, The Rankin Bass Holiday specials, HOLIDAY INN (1942), The many adaptations of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, including SCROOGE (1951), SCROOGED (1988) and THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (1992), HOME ALONE (1990) and ELF (2003). Do a wonderful thing and download now!

Episode #017: The Wizard of Oz (1939) Nov 25, 2017

There’s no place like home. On today’s Thanksgiving podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark discuss the 1939 MGM classic: THE WIZARD OF OZ! On this week’s show:
More Alamo Drafthouse!
Watching CASABLANCA on the big screen
It’s not an isosceles triangle!
What human being on this planet hasn’t seen Wizard of Oz?
A Thanksgiving tradition
The troubled production and box office woes of Oz
Dark Side of the Moon
The power of watching a movie on the big screen
The rotating door of directors
Wizard of Oz on stage
High school productions
The Jitterbug
A Thanksgiving tradition
Engrained in pop culture
Roseanne Barr as the Wicked Witch?
The bankability of Fantasy films in the 30s.
Why the film was a dream sequence
The darkness of RETURN TO OZ
“Over the Rainbow” was almost cut from the film
Dorothy and Scarecrow love connection?
The pros and cons of blu-ray
The amazing make-up artistry
Shirley Temple: The original Dorothy?
Ray Bolger originally cast as Scarecrow
Buddy Ebsen’s allergic reaction to the silver Tin Man make up, causing him to be recast by Jack Haley
Who were WC Fields and Ed Wynn considered to play?
Frank Morgan, the MGM character actor
Margaret Hamilton severely burned on a stunt
Juvenile Oscars
The television broadcast gave the film new life
Urban legends
Midgets groping Judy Garland
There is still one Munchkin left!
Sequels & spinoffs!
Wicked the Broadway Musical
The debut of the Random CHRISTMAS Movie Generator
FILM REFERENCES IN THIS EPISODE:
THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ (1910)
THE WIZARD OF OZ (1925)
SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938)
GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940)
CASABLANCA (1942)
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
THE BISHOP’S WIFE (1947)
ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951)
SCROOGE (1951)
REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (1959)
MARY POPPINS (1965)
BONNIE & CLYDE (1967)
GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER (1967)
WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971)
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)
STAR WARS TRILOGY (1977-1983)
MOMENT BY MOMENT (1978)
THE WIZ (1978)
THE SHINING (1980)
BLOW OUT (1981)
THE THING (1982)
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
MICHAEL JACKSON’S THRILLER (1982)
SCARFACE (1983)
A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983)
GREMLINS (1984)
RETURN TO OZ (1985)
CAPTAIN EO (1986)
THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987)
THE LOST BOYS (1987)
MOONWALKER (1988)
DIE HARD (1988)
GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH (1990)
HOME ALONE (1990)
MGM WHEN THE LION ROARS (1992)
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (1992)
FALLING DOWN (1993)
ED WOOD (1994)
BATMAN & ROBIN (1997)
STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999)
POKÉMON: THE MOVIE - I CHOOSE YOU! (2000)
THE ROOM (2002)
TIN MAN (2007)
500 DAYS OF SUMMER (2009)
THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY (2001-2003)
ROOM 237 (2012)
THE AVENGERS (2012)
THE HOBBIT TRILOGY (2012-2014)
OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (2013)
SPOTLIGHT (2015)
THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (2017)
JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017)
AMERICAN ASSASSIN (2017)
KINGSMAN THE GOLDEN CIRCLE (2017)
THE DISASTER ARTIST (2017)
IRVING BERLIN’S HOLIDAY INN: THE MUSICAL (2017)
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN (2017)
THE POST (2017)
LINKS:
The Essential Films: essentialfilmspodcast.com
Key & Peele: Gremlins 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x01l_jMhjVM
Moment by Moment TV Spot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYyjvyvx6c0
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpV29YZ7Ksw
The Wizard of Oz (1925) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CBmDZjvjGs
Return to Oz Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CklyKCKFtwE
Maragaret Hamilton on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I89lklpp8cM
Michael Jackson in The Wiz (1978) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r1ssg1LIt4
Moonwalker Trailer (1988) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFoVHVeLk-M
Captain EO - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONRTzWy26Ko
Tin Man trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUWyDjuHEC0
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: The Essential Films: https://www.facebook.com/The-Essential-Films-130585803634489/?fref=ts

Episode #016: The Exorcist (1973) Oct 30, 2017

What an excellent day for an exorcism. On today’s Halloween podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark discuss the 1973 William Friedkin classic: THE EXORCIST! On this week’s show:
Alamo Drafthouse adventures
Has Edgar Wright ever made a bad film?
Halloween season movies
When did we first experience THE EXORCIST?
Terrifying even for a lapsed Catholic
The exorcism of Roland Doe
William Friedkin sounds like a more educated Donald Trump
William Peter Blatty’s power as producer
Friedkin making the cast and crew film in a freezer
The urban myths and legends of the film production
Mercedes McCambridge
The power of nitroglycerin
The prologue confuses first time viewers
The amazing make-up job on Max Von Sydow
The secret behind Captain Howdy’s subliminal messages
The banned trailer
Who owns a Ouija board?
How the parallel stories of Regan and Damien Karras intersect
The GREAT Lee J. Cobb
The “Exorcist” Steps
The Crucifix Scene
Audience reactions: fainting, barf bags, etc.
Friedkin, the sadist
Campbell’s Pea Soup
How Jason Miller got the role
The original Damien Karras
“Help Me”
The iconic shot of Merrin arriving at the McNeil house
“Why you do this to me, Dimi?”
Angering the crew by slapping a priest
Damien Karras’ story arc and crisis of faith
The differences between the Theatrical and Extended cuts
The Spider Walk
The massive box office success of the film
The disappointing sequels
REPOSSESSED does not hold up
FILM REFERENCES IN THIS EPISODE:
THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
ALL THE KING’S MEN (1949)
THE WAGES OF FEAR (1953)
ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968)
THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
THE STING (1973)
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)
EXORCIST II: THE HERETIC (1977)
SORCERER (1977)
ALIEN (1979)
THE SHINING (1980)
AIRPLANE (1980)
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)
THE THING (1982)
THE RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD (1985)
THE NAKED GUN: FROM THE FILES OF POLICE SQUAD (1988)
REPOSSESSED (1990)
THE EXORCIST III (1990)
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993)
FIGHT CLUB (1999)
THE ROOM (2003)
SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004)
EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING (2004)
DOMINION: A PREQUEL TO THE EXORCIST (2005)
HOT FUZZ (2007)
GRINDHOUSE (2007)
THE DARK KNIGHT (2008)
SCOTT PILGRIM VS THE WORLD (2010)
THE DARK KNIGHT (2012)
THE WORLD’S END (2013)
WNUF HALLOWEEN SPECIAL (2013)
OUIJA (2014)
BABY DRIVER (2017)
LINKS:
The Essential Films: essentialfilmspodcast.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: The Essential Films: https://www.facebook.com/The-Essential-Films-130585803634489/?fref=ts

Episode #015: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) Sep 21, 2017

We’ll...be….right….HERE. On today’s podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark discuss the 1982 Steven Spielberg classic: E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL! On this week’s show:
More Alamo Drafthouse adventures from Mark
Unoriginal cosplayers
Our thoughts on the passings of Jerry Lewis, Harry Dean Stanton and Tobe Hooper
The infamous unreleased Jerry Lewis film THE DAY THE CLOWN CRIED
Harry Dean Stanton should get a posthumous Academy Award nomination for LUCKY
“Avenge me!”
The 35th Anniversary of E.T.
When did we first experience E.T.
Probably the greatest family film of all time
Last day of school movies
The long stretches of time we went before rewatching the film
How the film is entrenched in pop culture
Experiencing it again for the “first time”
The movie still works on 2017 audiences
ET and Elliot going across the moon is the most iconic image in cinema
Kids smoking and swearing in family films
Why did you drop the pizza Elliot?!
The origins of E.T. from the mind of a young Steven Spielberg
How 1941’s production problems helped pave the way for E.T.
1941: Spielberg’s worst film
Columbia passed on E.T.
The tragic mistake of M&Ms
Reese’s Pieces!
Mark’s INCORRECT opinion on Reese’s Pieces VS M&Ms
E.T. taught kids how to play hooky from school
The cuteness of young Drew Barrymore
Why don’t we see the adult’s faces for half the film?
The trauma of frog dissection
Henry Thomas delivers one of the great child actor performances
Harrison Ford’s deleted cameo
TV versions of movies re-adding deleted scenes
The 20th Anniversary version
Walkie Talkies are not guns
Practical effects are always better than digital
Why the film was shot in chronological order
E.T. 2: NOCTURNAL FEARS
E.T.’s cameo in STAR WARS
The biggest movie of all time until 1993 when Spielberg beat the box office record again with JURASSIC PARK
E.T. The Atari Game
E.T. Adventure @ Universal Studios… kind of a lame ride.
“Penis breath!”
“Wolfman’s got nards!”
We’re not ready for 4K yet
FILM REFERENCES IN THIS EPISODE:
GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
CITIZEN KANE (1941)
THE QUIET MAN (1952)
ARTISTS AND MODELS (1955)
CINDERFELLA (1960)
PSYCHO (1960)
THE LADIES MAN (1961)
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963)
THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)
COOL HAND LUKE (1967)
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)
THE GODFATHER (1972)
THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE (1974)
JAWS (1975)
KING KONG (1976)
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)
STAR WARS (1977)
HALLOWEEN (1978)
ALIEN (1979)
1941 (1979)
ALTERED STATES (1980)
THE SHINING (1980)
ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981)
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
THE KING OF COMEDY (1982)
FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982)
POLTERGEIST (1982)
TRON (1982)
CHRISTINE (1983)
PARIS, TEXAS (1984)
RED DAWN (1984)
REPO MAN (1984)
INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984)
GREMLINS (1984)
FIRESTARTER (1984)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)
THE GOONIES (1985)
PRETTY IN PINK (1986)
FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (1986)
STAND BY ME (1986)
THE MONSTER SQUAD (1987)
FULL METAL JACKET (1987)
BIG (1988)
STEPHEN KING’S IT (1990)
JURASSIC PARK (1993)
PULP FICTION (1994)
JINGLE ALL THE WAY (1996)
STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999)
THE LADIES MAN (2000)
SUPER 8 (2011)
THE AVENGERS (2012)
MAX ROSE (2013)
STRANGER THINGS (TV Series, 2016)
IT (2017)
LUCKY (2017)
SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING (2017)
LINKS:
The Essential Films: essentialfilmspodcast.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: The Essential Films: https://www.facebook.com/The-Essential-Films-130585803634489/?fref=ts

Episode #014: Star Wars (1977) Jul 31, 2017

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away. On today’s podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark discuss the 1977 George Lucas classic: STAR WARS! On this week’s show:
Growing up Catholic as a Star Wars fan
More Alamo Drafthouse discussions
Christopher Nolan’s distaste for CGI
What’s the perfect date movie of 2017?
The Star Wars/San Diego Comic-Con connection
All the trailers coming out of Comic-Con 2017
Disney hunting down trailer leaks
Jeff Goldblum makes everything better
A tribute to Martin Landau, George Romero and John Heard
Star Wars’ 40th Anniversary
The many titles George Lucas went through before settling on “Star Wars”
Why is A New Hope so good? Was it a fluke?
George Lucas was not tested in a big budget environment
George Lucas, the world’s biggest independent filmmaker
Star Wars changed the movie licensing game
The complex ownership between 20th Century Fox and Disney
When did we first experience Star Wars?
The Special Edition releases in 1997
Star Wars action figures!
Fast Food Star Wars tie-ins
The multiple VHS releases
Star Wars as a holiday film
Why did Adolfo get in trouble when he saw Star Wars in theaters in 1997?
Who won that damn Star Wars Hummer?
When did “Star Wars” become “Episode IV: A New Hope”?
How the naming convention was inspired by the old chapter movies of the 30s and 40s
Serials were not meant to be watched all at once
How the film was plagued with multiple production problems
Hammer Horror icons Peter Cushing and his on-screen rival Christopher Lee both appeared as Star Wars villains
The use of CGI to bring back younger versions of older actors (or dead actors)
Empire of Dreams: the best documentary on Star Wars
How Star Wars changed the sci-fi game in the 70s
How the crew completely disrespected George Lucas
George Lucas: Control Freak
The New Hollywood directors
The director has final say on a film
What Brian De Palma and Steven Spielberg thought of the film when they saw the rough cut
“It rhymes.”
Why Jabba the Hutt isn’t needed in Star Wars Special Edition
Marcia Lucas is the real MVP
Star Wars: a space fairy tale
Did Lucas rip-off The Dam Busters?
David Prowse was not pleased he was dubbed over
The movie was really made in post-production
Ben Burtt: Sound genius
Inventing new technology just make the film
The birth of Industrial Light & Magic
How the Death Star trench run was filmed
The Prequels and their loyal defenders
The joint casting sessions for Star Wars and Carrie
Who was Mark Hammill’s competition for Luke Skywalker
The wacky names considered for Han Solo
Harrison Ford and Alec Guinness grew to resent the films
“I Was Going to Toshi Station to Pick Up Some Power Converters”
Is Princess Leia English?
Are you Luke Skywalker or Han Solo?
The great chemistry between Fisher, Ford and Hammil
Anthony Daniels does not have a career outside of C-3PO
The inspiration for C-3PO and R2D2
The second act problems of Return of the Jedi
Boba Fett: a great looking character without substance
What is the proper viewing order of the saga?
What Adolfo considers to be the WORST Star Wars movie
The most recognizable movie theme of all time
Star Wars launched a merchandising empire
Adolfo’s vintage Burger King Star Wars glasses
The “Empty Box” campaign
The Star Wars Holiday Special
Prequels, sequels, spin-offs and sequels
“When will then be now?” “Soon”
George Lucas can’t leave well enough alone
How can you watch the original theatrical versions (legally). Hint, it involves going on eBay and some outdated technology
The “De-Specialized” Editions
Han shoots first!
FILM REFERENCES IN THIS EPISODE:
FLASH GORDON (1936)
BATMAN (1943)
CAPTAIN AMERICA (1944)
BATMAN AND ROBIN (1949)
THE DAM BUSTERS (1955)
THE HIDDEN FORTRESS (1958)
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968)
PLANET OF THE APES (1968)
THX 1138 (1971)
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)
AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)
THE GODFATHER PART II (1974)
JAWS (1975)
LOGAN’S RUN (1976)
CARRIE (1976)
DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)
SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE (1978)
THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL (1978)
MAD MAX (1979)
STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979)
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO (TV Series, 1981-1983)
BLADE RUNNER (1982)
RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983)
THE A-TEAM (TV Series, 1983-1987)
SCARFACE (1983)
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
MUPPET BABIES (TV Series, 1984-1991)
BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)
DAY OF THE DEAD (1985)
STAR WARS: DROIDS (TV Series, 1985-1986)
BIG (1988)
SPACEBALLS (1988)
CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS (1989)
HOME ALONE (1990)
JURASSIC PARK (1993)
ED WOOD (1994)
PULP FICTION (1994)
BATMAN FOREVER (1995)
THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO (1996)
BATMAN & ROBIN (1997)
THE IRON GIANT (1999)
THE SOPRANOS (TV Series, 1999-2007)
STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999)
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE (2001)
STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002)
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL (2003)
EMPIRE OF DREAMS: THE STORY OF THE STAR WARS TRILOGY (2004)
STAR WARS: EPISODE III - REVENGE OF THE SITH (2005)
STAR WARS: THE FORCE UNLEASHED (Video Game, 2008)
THE WALKING DEAD (TV Series, 2010-Present)
THOR (2011)
THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2014)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014)
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015)
ANT-MAN (2015)
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY (2016)
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016)
DUNKIRK (2017)
WAR OF THE PLANET FOR THE APES (2017)
SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017)
THE BIG SICK (2017)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (2017)
READY PLAYER ONE (2018)
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018)
JUSTICE LEAGUE (2018)
THOR: RAGNAROK (2018)
LINKS:
The Essential Films: essentialfilmspodcast.com
Star Wars glasses: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f3/4b/d1/f34bd1b1f58cbb9e586c826120a0c206.jpg
Harmy’s Despecialized Editions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmy%27s_Despecialized_Edition
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: The Essential Films: https://www.facebook.com/The-Essential-Films-130585803634489/?fref=ts

Episode #013: The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) Jul 06, 2017

On today’s podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark discuss the 1957 David Lean classic: THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI! On this week’s show:
Mark takes another EPIC trip to Alamo Drafthouse
Mark’s retweet from an 80’s icon
Jelly donuts
Toy guns
Korean exercise videos
2017 Summer Movies
Adolfo is done with Minions
Adolfo butchers Japanese and French
The benefits of Netflix Disc subscription
The slow start to Bridge
The David Lean Trilogy
Why William Holden was cast
William Holden’s record breaking salary
Why Alec Guinness thought the film was Anti-British
Why Adolfo trusts Alec Guinness without question
The anti-Japanese sentiment of the film
Does the film romanticize the building of the bridge?
The central conflict of Col. Nicholson
Major Shears’ redemption
Jack Hawkins: Bad Ass
Building an actual bridge for the film
Mark makes a Simpsons reference (SHOCKING)
Nicholson’s ambiguous finale
Women Bearers!
The hokey final words
The Hollywood Blacklist rears its ugly head
Masterful editing for the climax of the film
FILM REFERENCES IN THIS EPISODE:
THE GENERAL (1926)
BRIEF ENCOUNTER (1945)
OLIVER TWIST (1948)
WINCHESTER ‘73 (1950)
SUNSET BLVD. (1950)
STALAG 17 (1953)
PATHS OF GLORY (1957)
SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959)
SPARTACUS (1960)
WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963)
THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1964)
THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY (1965)
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
BATMAN: THE MOVIE (1966)
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
THE LOSERS (1970)
JAWS (1975)
NETWORK (1976)
ZOMBI (1979)
APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
MANIAC (1980)
AIRPLANE! (1980)
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (1982)
A PASSAGE TO INDIA (1984)
BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985)
FULL METAL JACKET (1987)
TOP GUN (1987)
BATMAN (1989)
PACIFIC HEIGHTS (1990)
HEARTS OF DARKNESS (1991)
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)
FORREST GUMP (1994)
INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996)
MEN IN BLACK (1997)
ALI (2001)
HITCH (2005)
THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS (2006)
I AM LEGEND (2007)
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012)
THE AVENGERS (2012)
INTERSTELLAR (2014)
JUPITER ASCENDING (2015)
MINIONS (2015)
FURIOUS 7 (2015)
STRANGER THINGS [Netflix Series] (2016)
TRANSFORMERS: THE LAST KNIGHT (2017)
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES (2017)
COLOSSAL (2017)
LUCKY (2017)
DUNKIRK (2017)
ATOMIC BLONDE (2017)
SPIDER-MAN HOMECOMING (2017)
WAR OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2017)
THE EMOJI MOVIE (2017)
ANNABELLE CREATION (2017)
THE DARK TOWER (2017)
VALERIAN AND THE CITY OF A THOUSAND PLANETS (2017)
BABY DRIVER (2017)
LINKS:
The Essential Films: essentialfilmspodcast.com
The Losers (1970) - Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQU3cRBoWGo
GI Joe Commercial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLL67CN2hnw
Paths of Glory (1957) - Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmDA60X-f_A
Nancy Sinatra “These Boots Are Made for Walking” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2fPkzJsMU8
R. Lee Ermey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPlKXBnLbK0
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: The Essential Films: https://www.facebook.com/The-Essential-Films-130585803634489/?fref=ts

Episode #012: Rear Window (1954) May 19, 2017

On today’s podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark discuss the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock classic: REAR WINDOW! On this week’s show:
An in-depth discussion of Disney World Parks
Jedis are gender neutral
Adolfo’s favorite Hitchcock film
Thelma Ritter: The MVP
The inevitable “Simpsons” discussion
How sound plays such an important role in the film
Hitchcock’s growing pains in cinema
The movie is completely set up in the first two minutes
The believable cast of characters in the courtyard
How the film turns the audience into voyeurs
Grace Kelly at the peak of her Grace Kelly
How Hitchcock places doubt in the viewer’s head
Lars Thorwald is more sinister being kind to a dog than being cruel to it
How long does it take to walk up a flight of stairs?
How Hitchcock makes you feel bad for the killer
Sacrificing realism for suspense
An exercise in reaction editing
Differences to the original short story
Hitchcock likes to get around the censors
Thorwald and Jeff mirror each other
“It’s almost as if it’s being written for us”
The camera as a phallic symbol
The made for TV Movie remake starring Christopher Reeve
PLUS CONVERSATIONS ON:
WINGS (1927)
THE LODGER: A STORY OF THE LONDON FOG (1928)
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1934)
THE 39 STEPS (1935)
SABOTAGE (1936)
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938)
THE LADY VANISHES (1938)
HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940)
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
IN A LONELY PLACE (1950)
DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954)
A MAN ESCAPED (1956)
VERTIGO (1958)
NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
PSYCHO (1960)
“THE SIMPSONS” BART OF DARKNESS (TV Episode 1994)
REAR WINDOW (1998)
DISTURBIA (2007)
AVATAR (2009)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 (2017)
LINKS:
The Essential Films: essentialfilmspodcast.com
Rear Window 1998 TV Movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bqrzWLRNEw
Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUNZPHbwA-U
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: The Essential Films: https://www.facebook.com/The-Essential-Films-130585803634489/?fref=ts

Episode #011: Some Like it Hot (1959) Mar 06, 2017

(NOTE: There are a few audio issues during this episode that unfortunately we could not fix. We apologize.)

Well, nobody’s perfect.
On today’s podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark discuss the 1959 Billy Wilder classic: SOME LIKE IT HOT! On today’s discussion:
AMC Best Picture Showcase
The Best way to watch a movie is to know nothing about it
Why Mark can’t drink Red Bull
Discussing the 2016 Oscar contenders
How we didn’t take notes for this screening
How open-minded Some Like It Hot is about “Alternative lifestyles”
How we first experienced Some Like It Hot
The funniest movie ever made
Joe E Brown & Jack Lemmon: The MVPs of the movie
Billy Wilder’s epic career
The unlikely origins of SOME LIKE IT HOT
A remake of a remake of a remake
Frank Sinatra in drag?
Marilyn Monroe’s delays to the production schedule
47 takes for 3 words
Why Tony Curtis had to be perfect on every take
Why Marilyn Monroe was underrated as an actress
That weird Cary Grant accent
How the film addressed multiple issues that are prevalent today: homosexuality, transgender issues and the objectification of women
The film is half a gangster movie
George Raft: Tango Dancer
Oh boy, am I a boy.
Our terrible Cary Grant impressions
Great gangster casting
Why the film was shot in black and white
Adolfo doesn’t get Jerry Lewis’ humor
More Simpsons references (of course)
The final line was almost cut
A discussion on Alamo Draught House and dine-in theaters.
Coke is better than Pepsi
Is there a funnier comedy than Some Like It Hot?
The Funniest movies of all time according to AFI
PLUS REFERENCES TO:
SAFETY LAST! (1923)
SCARFACE (1932)
DUCK SOUP (1933)
IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES (1938)
DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
MURDER MY SWEET (1944)
THE LOST WEEKEND (1945)
SUNSET BLVD. (1950)
ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
THE ASPHALT JUNGLE (1950)
ACE IN THE HOLE (1951)
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952)
STALAG 17 (1953)
GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES (1953)
HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE (1953)
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
DUCK AMUCK (1953)
SABRINA (1954)
THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH (1955)
WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1957)
RAINTREE COUNTY (1957)
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (1957)
BEN-HUR (1959)
THE APARTMENT (1960)
THE MISFITS (1961)
JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG (1961)
THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963)
DR. STRANGELOVE: OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (1964)
MARY POPPINS (1964)
THE GRADUATE (1967)
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
M*A*S*H (1970)
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)
THE GODFATHER (1972)
BLAZING SADDLES (1974)
ANNIE HALL (1977)
CADDYSHACK (1980)
MANIAC (1980)
THE SHINING (1980)
AIRPLANE! (1980)
GANDHI (1982)
TOOTSIE (1982)
FULL METAL JACKET (1987)
MAJOR LEAGUE (1989)
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN (2011)
AMOUR (2012)
ZERO DARK THIRTY (2012)
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (2016)
LA LA LAND (2016)
LION (2016)
MOONLIGHT (2016)
HACKSAW RIDGE (2016)
SILENCE (2016)
LINKS:
The Essential Films: essentialfilmspodcast.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: The Essential Films: https://www.facebook.com/The-Essential-Films-130585803634489/?fref=ts

Episode #010: It's a Wonderful Life (1946) Dec 21, 2016

Hot dog! Merry Christmas!
On today’s special holiday podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark discuss the 1946 holiday classic: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE! On today’s discussion:
Mall shopping on the last weekend before Christmas
The NES Classic
The movie that defines all Christmas movies
How the film touches even Adolfo’s cold heart
The miracle that is Mr. Pibb
How the sentimentality is earned
At which point we get teary eyed
“The Greatest Gift” Christmas card
How Cary Grant was all wrong for the role
A mini history of Liberty Films
Capra and Stewart’s favorite film
The secret origin of Jimmy Stewart
The Christmas Tree capital of the world
Why Lionel Barrymore was a perfect choice for Mr. Potter
Mr. Potter = Ebeneezer Scrooge without the redemption
The framing device of the film
Why does Mr. Gower even have a bottle of poison?
Apparently adults are allowed to slap children around in 1946
How many It’s a Wonderful Life references are there in The Simpsons?
A deleted scene where George meets Potter much earlier in life
Jimmy Stewart playing a teenager
Donna Reed’s beautiful introductory shot
“Aw pop, just a little.”
George’s constant sacrifices
Thomas Mitchell’s great adlib
“We’ll wait for ya, baby…”
The one-shot take of Reed and Stewart’s first kiss
Bert and Ernie!
Eyes swimming with tears
How many kids does Martini have?
How James Stewart didn’t want to glorify war on screen
When you finally see George break
A terrifying Santa mask
The innovative new “chemical snow” created for the film
The bridge guy!
The one flaw of the movie!
Not finding your true love means your vision fails
“Merry Christmas you old Building and Loan!”
“To my big brother George, the richest man in town!” ONIONS.
The film’s failure at the box office, with awards and with critics
The ridiculous copyright history
Why Paramount owns the rights even though the film itself is technically in the public domain
The Colorized version
The kick to the gut that was 2016
PLUS REFERENCES TO:
THE BISHOP’S WIFE (1947)
YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU (1938)
FORREST GUMP (1994)
BRUCE ALMIGHTY (2003)
HOME ALONE (1990)
HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK (1992)
BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (1989)
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)
JINGLE ALL THE WAY (1996)
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (1992)
SCROOGED (1988)
SCROOGE (1951)
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1984)
A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1999)
DISNEY’S A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2009)
MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (1947)
SANTA CLAUS (1959)
SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS (1964)
A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983)
THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (1993)
BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)
WHITE CHRISTMAS (1954)
DIE HARD (1988)
BATMAN RETURNS (1992)
GREMLINS (1984)
LINKS:
Can You Survive Home Alone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NhijmGTwwo
The Essential Films: essentialfilmspodcast.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
TWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515
FACEBOOK: The Essential Films: https://www.facebook.com/The-Essential-Films-130585803634489/?fref=ts

Episode #009: Gone With the Wind (1939) Dec 14, 2016

Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered...
On today’s EPIC podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark discuss the 1939 Hollywood classic: GONE WITH THE WIND! On today’s discussion:
Hattie McDaniel becoming first African American to win an Academy Award
One of the earliest films to sweep the Oscars
The ups and down of respect amongst film critics
How much money has GONE WITH THE WIND made?
The Billion Dollar Club
Our hesitation to watch the film our first time
How Blockbuster didn’t carry anything older than the year 2000
How David O Selznick got the film made
#NotMyRhett
Why Gary Cooper turned down the role of Rhett Butler
“Selznick’s Follie”
The revolving door of directors
The most unlikeable protagonist in history
Mark can’t keep his potty mouth clean!
The search for Scarlett O’Hara
Leslie Howard’s least convincing southern accent
An appearance by Superman
The themes of masculinity throughout the film
No one ends up happy
How they faked Clark Gable dancing
How the film got around the Hayes Code
The best shot in the film
How the “burning of Atlanta” was filled
Uncle Billy!
Scarlett as a feminist icon
Survival as theme
The rewriting of history
A thinly veiled Ku Klux Klan raid
How Rhett carrying Scarlett up the stairs is NOT the romantic scene many people think it is
How Scarlett matures yet remains selfish
“Frankly, my dear…” has more impact in context
How Hattie McDaniel was not allowed to attend the Atlanta premiere
Why it took so long for Gone with the Wind to air on television
PLUS REFERENCES TO:
ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
KING KONG (1933)
THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
BEN-HUR (1959)
GETTYSBURG (1993)
SCARLETT (1994)
TITANIC (1997)
THE LORD OF THE RINGS (2001-2003)
AVATAR (2009)
WATCHMEN (2009)
THE ARTIST (2011)
FIFTY SHADES OF GREY (2015)
SAN ANDREAS (2015)
THE HATEFUL EIGHT (2015)
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS (2015)

Episode #008: Halloween (1978) Oct 29, 2016

Happy Halloween!
Just in time for Halloween, on today’s podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark discuss the 1978 John Carpenter classic: HALLOWEEN! On today’s discussion:
How Rob Zombie put his own spin on the much maligned remake
When did Adolfo and Mark experience Halloween?
How an iconic horror movie has little to no blood and gore
Elementary school book fairs!
Local video stores! (Shout out to the late Mr. Willie’s)
John Carpenter’s early film career before he got the HALLOWEEN job
Weird Al and Chris Hardwick in a HALLOWEEN movie?
The William Shatner connection
The film’s connection to PSYCHO
The POV murder sequence that opens the film
Slasher movies as morality plays
The “Final Girl” trope
Why we laugh at Tommy’s pain
The relatively low body count
Why you must always check the backseat of your car.
Who cares about the the motivation of Michael Myers?
Did the WWE rip off HALLOWEEN?
You can’t kill Evil
Carpenter’s excellent film score and how he can’t even read music.
The glory days of VHS tapes!
Is the film Misogynist or Feminist?
The nany sequels and remake
The ATARI 2600 video game!
This week in Film History
David Pumpkins (ANY QUESTIONS?)
PLUS REFERENCES TO:
• ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (1976)
• BATMAN RETURNS (1992)
• BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA (1992)
• THE CABIN IN THE WOODS (2012)
• DARK STAR (1974)
• THE DEVIL’S REJECTS (2005)
• THE FRIDAY THE 13th Series
• HALLOWEEN (2007)
• HALLOWEEN II (1981)
• HALLOWEEN III: SEASON OF THE WITCH (1983)
• HALLOWEEN H20 (1998)
• GRINDHOUSE (2007)
• MANIAC (2012)
• THE NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Series
• THE PAGEMASTER (1993)
• PSYCHO (1960)
• THE THING (1982)
• THE THING (2011)
• THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951)
LINKS:
• www.essentialfilmspodcast.com
• https://www.facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms/
• https://twitter.com/Adolfo_Acosta
• https://twitter.com/EssentialFilms
• https://twitter.com/FPMoviePodcast
• https://twitter.com/SportsGuy515

Episode #007: Jaws (1975) Oct 08, 2016

On today's podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark are going to need a bigger boat as they go back into the water for Steven Spielberg's classic blockbuster JAWS. On today's show they discuss:
• How did they first experience Jaws
• The perfect blockbuster film
• The Universal Studios Jaws Ride
• Richard D. Zanuck’s sweet mustache
• Steven Spielberg getting shut out for Best Director
• The iconic John Williams score and how it trained the audience to expect the shark
• The perfect use of jump scares
• The difference between PG in 1975 and PG in 2016
• How an unseen monster is more terrifying
• The greatest movie poster ever created
• How Peter Benchley didn’t think anyone could make the film
• The magic of movies in the 70s and 80s
• The film’s major production problems and why they were serendipitous
• Why Spielberg always skips the last day of shooting on every movie he does
• What parts were Lee Marvin, Robert Duvall and Sterling Hayden considered for?
• The Jaws tourism industry
• Bryan Singer’s connection to Jaws
• Perfect foreshadowing in the script
• A discussion on Mondo Posters
• Quint’s iconic entrance into the film
• “A Whaaaaat?”
• The real life fisherman Quint was based on
• Two different genre mash-ups: Horror and Adventure
• Why did Mark watch BASIC INSTINCT 2?
• How the most famous line in the film was improved
• How a little person helped film the real shark footage
• The story behind the Indianapolis speech
Quint’s manly death
• Spielberg’s brashness in thinking he could take this on as such an inexperienced director
• The unprecedented marketing campaign
• How Jaws started the summer blockbuster tradition
• The difference between “So Bad it’s Good” and just plain bad movies
• JAWS: The Video Game!
As always, we go off on tangents on:
•
VERTIGO (1958)
• DUEL (1971)
• THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS (1974)
• STAR WARS (1977)
• JAWS 2 (1978)
• PIRANHA (1978)
• 1941 (1979)
• CADDYSHACK (1980)
• JAWS 3D (1983)
• A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
• JAWS THE REVENGE (1987)
• LETHAL WEAPON (1987)
• BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II (1989)
• TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)
• BRAVEHEART (1995)
• THE MAKING OF ‘JAWS’ (1995)
• INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996)
• CHASING AMY (1997)
• THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK (1997)
• STAR WARS: EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE (1999)
• THE FAST AND FURIOUS Franchise (2001-Present)
• JOYRIDE (2001)
• THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING (2001)
• SHARKNADO (2013)
• MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)
LINKS:
essentialfilmspodcast.com
https://www.facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms/
https://mondotees.com/collections/archive/products/jaws-var-poster
https://mondotees.com/collections/archive/products/jaws-pcc-var-poster
http://www.slashfilm.com/ape-meets-girl-jaws-posters/
TWITTER
@EssentialFilms
@Adolfo_Acosta
@Sportsguy515

Episode #006: The Searchers (1956) Aug 14, 2016

On today's podcast adventure, Adolfo Acosta and Mark Espinosa join Ethan Edwards and Martin Pawley on the trail of some Comanche when they discuss John Ford's essential classic THE SEARCHERS. On the show, Adolfo and Mark discuss:
• The insane fact that the Academy Awards ignored the film
• Patrick Wayne’s terrible acting
• How we first experienced THE SEARCHERS
• The stunning cinematography
• The John Wayne “charachter”
• The “true story” that inspired the film
• The magnificent opening and closing shots
• Ethan and Martha’s secret love
• Ford’s influence on the likes of Lucas, Scorsese, Bogdanovich, Tarantino, Milius
• Ford’s exploration of racism
• Ethan and Scar as mirror images of each other
• Is this John Wayne’s greatest performance?
• Ethan Edwards: the anti-hero
PLUS: Mini Discussions on:
• DUMBO (1941)
• SONG OF THE SOUTH (1946)
• BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE (2016)
• SUICIDE SQUAD (2016)
• BATMAN V SUPERMAN: ULTIMATE EDITION (2016)
• SALO, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM (1975)
• CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980)
• THE FLY (1986)
• TRUE GRIT (1969, 2010)
• THE KING OF KINGS (1961)
• STAR WARS (1977)
• The book EASY RIDERS, RAGING BULLS by Peter Biskind
• Michael Cimino
• THE CONQUEROR (1956)
• TOUCH OF EVIL (1958)
• STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (2002)
• HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962)
• BAMBI (1942)
And More!

Episode #005: On The Waterfront (1954) Jul 18, 2016

On today's podcast adventure, Adolfo Acosta and Mark Espinosa are a couple of bums, that were never contenders to begin with, and take a one-way trip to Palookaville in their discussion Elia Kazan's ON THE WATERFRONT.
On this show, Adolfo & Mark discuss:
• The beautiful Criterion Collection release of the film
• Our first introduction to Marlon Brando in his prime
• The masterful cinematography by Boris Kaufman
• The history of the production
• The 1999 Academy Awards where Elia Kazan was snubbed by his peers
• Elia Kazan’s ties to Communism, and his controversial testimony before HUAC
• The parallels between Kazan and Terry Malloy
• Our favorite moments
• Karl Malden: The conscience of the film
• A dissection at the “I coulda been a contender” scene
• The differences in aspect ratios in different versions of the film
• Brando and Lee J. Cobb’s powerhouse performances
PLUS side discussions of upcoming Criterion Collection releases, DE PALMA, DRESSED TO KILL, A FACE IN THE CROWD and more
WEBSITE EssentialFilmsPodcast.com
EMAIL EssentialFilmsPodcast@gmail.com
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/The-Essential-Films-130585803634489
TWITTER @EssentialFilms @FPMoviePodcast @Adolfo_Acosta @Sportsguy515
Theme song by nemuel reikall

Episode #004: Vertigo (1958) Apr 15, 2016

On today's podcast adventure, Adolfo Acosta and Mark Espinosa go into deep analysis on the Alfred Hitchcock classic, VERTIGO.
On this show, Adolfo & Mark discuss:
• Their favorite Hitchcock films
• Hitchcock’s epic run in the 1950s and early 1960s that included canon classics like REAR WINDOW, NORTH BY NORTHWEST, VERTIGO, PSYCHO and THE BIRDS
• The origins of VERTIGO
•How the opening chase scene is ultimately irrelevant to the plot
•VERTIGO's connection to the New York production of SLEEP NO MORE
•How Hitchcock leads the viewer into what they think is a supernatural mystery, and then completely switches gears on them, two years before PSYCHO would also manipulate viewer expectations
• The themes of overwhelming guilt and dangerous obsessions
• Bernard Herrman’s musical score
• The "Vertigo" shot
• In a Hitchock film, the story is less important than visual impact
•The film's COMPLETE snub at the Academy Awards
• Phallic symbols and necrophilia? Yes, Hitchcock slipped that into this film
• Plus side discussions of CITIZEN KANE, THE SHINING, ROOM 237, JAWS and KNIGHTY KNIGHT BUGS
WEBSITE
EssentialFilmsPodcast.com
EMAIL
EssentialFilmsPodcast@gmail.com
FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/The-Essential-Films-130585803634489
TWITTER
@EssentialFilms
@FPMoviePodcast
@Adolfo_Acosta
@Sportsguy515

Episode #003: The Godfather (1972) Mar 11, 2016

On this episode, Adolfo and Mark discuss the greatest gangster film (and arguably one of the top 5 films ever made... period) of all time: Mario Puzo's THE GODFATHER.
On this show:
• How were we introduced to the film for the first time?
• Who did Paramount want to direct the film before finally settling on Francis Ford Coppola?
• Our favorite scenes
• The beauty of Gordon "The Prince of Darkness" Willis' cinematography
• The behind-the-scenes stories behind some of the more iconic scenes
• The Johnny Fontane/Frank Sinatra connection
• Which famous actors tested for the parts of Michael and Sonny
• The three insane conditions Paramount gave Coppola if he insisted on hiring Marlon Brando
• How did the studio want to change and "update" the story from the book's original setting of 1940s New York?
• All this and much more. So leave the gun, take the cannoli and join us as we take it to the mattresses. It's an offer you can't refuse.

Episode #002: Citizen Kane (1941) Feb 18, 2016

We are back with a new format and a new direction! Join Adolfo Acosta and new co-host Mark Espinosa as we discuss, arguably, the greatest film of all time: CITIZEN KANE!
On this show:
• How did we first experience the film?
• The pros and cons of Laserdisc
• How did Orson Welles get into Hollywood, including a discussion on the War of the Worlds Broadcast
• Discussions on both THE BATTLE OVER CITIZEN KANE and RKO 281
• If you’re Orson Welles, how do you top CITIZEN KANE?
• The similarities between Charles Foster Kane and William Randolph Hearst
• The brilliance of the narrative device and how innovative it was
• Gregg Toland’s gorgeous cinematography
• Rosebud: What does it symbolize and does it matter?
• The greatest dirty joke in movie history
• The similarities between CITIZEN KANE and THE INTERVIEW. (Yes, we make a connection!)
• How did Hearst blackmail the Hollywood studios to almost kill CITIZEN KANE
• HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY is the FORREST GUMP of 1941
• What happened to Welles post-KANE?
• How did the film, after its initial box office failure, become to be regarded as the greatest film of all time?
•What other box office bombs of the modern era could potentially be considered a classic in 40 years?
• Orson Welles as Jesus?
• And much more!

Episode 1 - CASABLANCA (1942) Jul 06, 2014

The first episode of The Essential Films Podcast introduces the concept of our show plus we look at the greatest film of all time: Casablanca!

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