Criterion On The Couch

Episode #27: Wall-E

Adam and Jim have finally tunneled out of their respective trash heaps to discuss the 2008 Pixar film Wall-E.

SHOWNOTES

• Wall-E - Criterion

• Directing

  • Andrew Stanton, (Writer / Director)

    • A Bug's Life (1998)
    • Finding Nemo (2003)
• Acting
  • Ben Burtt - WALL·E / M-O
    • Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
    • Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
  • Elissa Knight - EVE (Also Benn Burtt)
    • Cars (2006)
    • Up (2009)
    • Inside Out (2015)
  • Jeff Garlin - Captain
    • Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000 - 2021) (Larry David's Agent in the show)
    • Arrested Development (2005-2013)
  • Fred Willard - BNL CEO
    • Best in Show (2000)
    • Anchorman (2004)
  • Kathy Najimy - Mary
    • Sister Act (1992)
    • Sister Act II (1993)
    • Hocus Pocus (1993)
  • John Ratzenberger - John

    • Cheers (1982-1993)

  • Sigourney Weaver - Ship's Computer
    • Alien (1979)
    • Gorillas in The Mist (1988)
    • Avatar (2009)

• Misc

  • Team Deakins podcast

  • Roger and James Deakins’ closet picks - Criterion Youtube channel

  • Safety Last! (1923)

  • Häxan (1922)

  • Buster Keaton - The Art of the Gag - Every Frame a Painting

  • Psych - High Noon-ish (Season 4 episode 3) - Buster Keaton gag

  • Taylor Kitsch movies:

    • John Carter (2012)

      • Based on the book A Princess of Mars

    • Battleship (2012)

  • Apple MacInTalk

  • Criterion On The Couch - episode #4 - Brazil

  • Hello Dolly (1969)

  • Heat (1995)

  • 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968)

  • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds - Subspace Rhapsody (Season 2 episode 9) - Status Report

  • Foundation (2021)- Apple TV

  • Weta's "Massive" software

  • A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again - David Foster Wallace

  • The Tank Chair - by Brad Soden

Episode #26: The Silence of The Lambs

Join Adam and Jim as they have an old friend for dinner, and discuss the 1991 crime thriller, The Silence of The Lambs.

SHOWNOTES

• The Silence of The Lambs - Criterion

• Directing

  • Jonathan Demme, Ethan Coen (Writer / Director)

    • Philadelphia (1993)

    • Something Wild (1986)

    • The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

• Acting

  • Jodie Foster - Clarice Starling

  • Anthony Hopkins - Dr. Hannibal Lecter

  • Scott Glenn - Jack Crawford

  • Ted Levine - Buffalo Bill

  • Brooke Smith - Catherine Martin

  • Anthony Heald - Dr. Frederick Chilton

  • Darla - Precious (the dog)

• Cinematography

  • Tak Fujimoto - Director of Photography

    • Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

    • Gladiator (1992)

    • The Sixth Sense (1989)

• Music / Audio

  • Howard Shore - Score

    • That Thing You Do! (1996)

    • High Fidelity (2000)

    • The Lord of The Rings Trilogy (2001)

  • Goodbye Horses - Q Lazzarus

  • American Girl - Tom Petty

• Misc

  • Team Deakins podcast - episode 93

    • Interview with Sound Designer Skip Lievsay

  • First Aid Fail - The Office

  • Donaghy can’t read Kenneth at Poker - 30 Rock

  • Spooky Sunday Funday - You’re The Worst

Episode #25: Blood Simple

A seedy Texas bar, a dangerous love affair, and a murder-for-hire gone bad. What’s there not to love? Join Adam and Jim on their examination of Joel and Ethan Coen’s first feature-length movie, Blood Simple.

SHOWNOTES

• Blood Simple - Criterion

• Directing

  • Joel Coen, Ethan Coen (Writer / Director)

    • Miller's Crossing (1990)

    • The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

    • Fargo (1996)

• Acting

  • John Getz - Ray

  • Frances McDormand - Abby

  • Dan Hedaya - Julian Marty

  • M. Emmet Walsh - Loren Visser

  • Samm-Art Williams - Meurice

• Cinematography

  • Barry Sonnenfeld - Director of Photography

    • Raising Arizona (1987)

    • Big (1988)

    • When Harry Met Sally (1989)

• Music / Audio

  • Carter Burwell - Score

    • Rob Roy (1995)

    • Being John Malkovich (1999)

    • Serenity (2005)

  • It’s The Same Old Song - The Four Tops

• Misc

  • Paul Thomas Anderson (Director)

    • Magnolia (1999)

      • “Raining frogs” scene

    • Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

    • There Will Be Blood (2007)

    • The Master (2012)

    • Inherent Vice (2014)

    • Phantom Thread (2017)

Episode #24: Bull Durham

Longing to get outdoors? Looking for an escape from your home office? Then head on out to the ballgame with Adam and Jim. This time they’re heading out to see the Durham Bulls in Ron Shelton’s 1988 iconic sports dramedy, Bull Durham.

SHOWNOTES

• Pocket Casts - Addressing Racism

• Bull Durham - Criterion

• Directing

  • Ron Shelton (Writer / Director)

    • White Men Can’t Jump (1992)

    • Blue Chips (Writer) (1994)

    • Tin Cup (1996)

• Acting

  • Crash Davis - Kevin Costner

    • The Big Chill (1983)

      • Criterion On The Couch episode #002

    • Dances With Wolves (1990)

    • Field of Dreams (1989)

    • For the Love of The Game (1999)

    • Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

    • The Bodyguard (1992)

    • Waterworld (1995)

    • Tin Cup (1996)

    • The Postman (1997)

  • Annie Savoy - Susan Sarandon

    • The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

    • The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

    • Thelma & Louise (1991)

  • Ebby Calvin ‘Nuke’ LaLoosh - Tim Robbins

    • The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

    • The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)

    • Mystic River (2003)

  • Skip (Manager) - Trey Wilson (died 1 year later in 1989)

    • Love Is A Battlefield (Pat Benatar’s Dad) (1983)

    • Raising Arizona (1987)

    • Twins (1988)

  • Jimmy (the religious one) - William O’Leary

    • Marty Taylor (Tim’s youngest brother) - Home Improvement (1991 - 1999)

  • Millie - Jenny Robertson

    • Maggie Winters (1998 -1999 TV Series)

    • Rude Awakening (1998 -2001 TV Series)

    • Reno 911! (2003 - )

  • Other baseball movies

    • The Natural (1984)

    • A League of Their Own (1992)

    • The Sandlot (1993)

    • Rookie of The Year (1993)

    • Little Big League (1994)

    • Angels in The Outfield (1994)

• Cinematography

  • Bobby Byrne - Director of Photography

    • Sixteen Candles (1984)

    • Mad About You (1992-2019)

• Music / Audio

  • Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets

  • Only A Memory - The Smithereens

  • Born To Be Bad - George Thorogood & The Destroyers

  • I Idolize You - Ike & Tina Turner

  • Middle of Nowhere - House of Schock

  • La Vie En Rose - Edith Piaf

  • Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien - Edith Piaf

  • Try A Little Tenderness - Otis Redding

  • I Got Loaded - Los Lobos

  • When will I be loved - The Everly Brothers

  • Centerfield - John Fogerty

  • Sixty Minute Man - Billy Ward & The Dominoes

  • A Woman Loves A Man - Joe Cocker

• Misc

  • The real Durham Bulls

EPISODE #23: M

Lock your doors, hide your kids, and stay inside. There’s a murderer on the loose! Join Adam and Jim as they hunt the elusive killer that has all of Berlin in a panic. In episode 23 we’re discussing the 1931 “talkie” classic from director Fritz Lang: M.

SHOWNOTES

• Criterion on The Couch - Episode #023: M

• M - Criterion

• Directing

  • Director: Fritz Lang

    • Metropolis (1927)

• Acting

  • Peter Lorre (Hans Beckert)

    • The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

      • Criterion On The Couch episode #005

    • Casablanca (1942)

  • Ellen Wildmann (Frau Beckmann)

  • Inge Landgut (Elsie Beckmann)

  • Otto Wernicke (Inspector Karl Lohmann)

  • Theodor Loos (Inspector Groeber)

  • Gustaf Gründgens (Schränker)

  • Friedrich Gnaß (Franz)

• Cinematography

  • Fritz Arno Wagner (Cinematography)

    • Nosferatu (1922)

• Music

  • Adolf Jansen (Sound)

    • Titanic (1943) Propaganda film by Germany

  • Paul Falkenberg (Sound editor)

    • Vampyr (1932)

  • In the Hall of The Mountain King - Trent Reznor, The Social Network (2011)

  • Twisted Nerve - Bernard Herrmann, Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

  • Theme from Jaws - John Williams, (1975)

• Other

  •  Based on Peter Kurten, “The Vampire of Düsseldorf” aka “The Düsseldorf Monster.”

Episode #22: The Rock

Join Adam, and Jim as they delve down the incinerator chute, on the mine car, through the tunnels to the power plant, under the steam engine and into the cistern through the intake pipe. That’s right, in episode 22 it’s time to retake The Rock along with special guest: former U.S. Navy Seal - Joe.

SHOWNOTES

• Criterion On The Couch - Episode #22 - The Rock

• The Rock - Criterion

• Directing

  • Director: Michael Bay

    • Armageddon (1998)

      • Criterion On The Couch episode #019

  Acting

  • John Patrick Mason - Sean Connery

    • Also Executive produced

  • Stanley Goodspeed - Nicolas Cage

  • General Francis X. Hummel Ed Harris

  • F.B.I. Director Womack - John Spencer

  • Tom Baxter - David Morse

  • Ernest Paxton - William Forsythe

  • Chief Justice - Philip Baker Hall

    • Bookman the Library Cop - Seinfeld (1989)

    • Senator Matt Hunt - 3 episodes of The West Wing (1999)

  • Commander Anderson - Michael Biehn

  • Carla Pestalozzi - Vanessa Marcia

  • Marvin Isherwood - Todd Louiso

    • Dick - High Fidelity (2000)

  • Captain Frye - Gregory Sporleder

  • Marine Captain Hendrix - John C. McGinley

    • Dr. Perry Cox - Scrubs (2001)

  • Private McCoy - Steve Harris

  • Sergeant Crisp - Bokeem Woodbine

  • Captain Darrow - Tony Todd

    • CIA Director Graham - Chuck (2007)

  • Francis Reynolds - Willie Garson

  • Jade Angelou - Claire Forlani

    • Mystery Men (1999)

  • The President - Stanley Anderson

  Music

  • Hans Zimmer

    • Pirates of The Caribbean (2003)

  • Rocket Man - Elton John

  • A World Without Love - Peter and Gordon

  • San Francisco - Scott McKenzie

  • Leaving On A Jet Plane - Frank Sinatra

• Other Media

  • Put the bunny back in the box: is Nicolas Cage the best actor since Marlon Brando? - Steve Rose, The Guardian

EPISODE #21: THIEF

Get out your vision boards and lock up your jewelry! In episode #21 Adam and Jim are discussing the 1981 classic heist movie, Thief. (starring James Caan and directed by Michael Mann)

SHOWNOTES

Thief - Criterion

Directing

     Director: Michael Mann

          Miami Vice (2006)

          Manhunter (1986)

          Heat (1995)

Acting

     Frank - James Caan

          The Godfather (1972)

          Las Vegas (2003-2007)

          Elf (2003)

     Jessie - Tuesday Weld

          The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (1959-1962)

          Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

     Barry - Jim Belushi

          According to Jim (2001-2009)

     Okla - Willie Nelson

     Leo - Robert Prosky

          The Natural (1984)

          Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

     Mechanic # 3 - John Kapelos

          The Breakfast Club (1985)

Music

     Tangerine Dream

          Thief soundtrack

     Craig Safan

          Confrontation

Other Criterion on The Couch episodes

     Episode #16: The Breakfast Club

          Apple

          Stitcher

Other Media

     The Home Invaders:Confessions of A Cat Burglar

          By Frank Hohimer

Other Movies

     The American (2010)

          Featuring George Clooney

     The Blues Brothers (1980)

          Featuring John Belushi

     Spider-Man (2002)

          Featuring Toby Maguire

Episode #20: Dazed and Confused

School’s out for summer! Break out the 8-tracks, put on your favorite bell bottoms, and join Adam and Jim as they travel back to May 28, 1976 to get Dazed and Confused.

SHOWNOTES

Dazed and Confused - Criterion

Directing

   Director: Richard Linklater

   Where’d You Go Bernadette (2019)

   BoyHood (2014 - Criterion)

   Before Sunrise / Sunset / Midnight (1995, 2004, 2013 - Criterion)

   Slacker (1991 - Criterion)

Acting

   Randall “Pink” - Jason London

      To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar

      Aerosmith videos for Crazy and Amazing

   Pickford - Shawn Andrews

   Mitch - Wiley Wiggins

   Don - Sasha Jenson

      29 years old when the movie came out.

   O’Bannion - Ben Affleck

   Wooderson - Matthew McConaughey

   Mike - Adam Goldberg

      How to Lose A Guy In 10 Days (with Matthew McConaughey)

   Slater - Rory Cochran

      Empire Records

   Simone - Joey Lauren Adams

   Michelle - Milla Jovovich

      The Fifth Element

      Resident Evil

   Darla - Parker Posey

   Cynthia - Marissa Ribisi

      Pleasantville

   Clint - Nicky Klatt

   Hirshfelder (Mitch’s friend) - Jeremy Fox

      Gilmore Girls, Dawson’s Creek, Beverly Hills 90210

Music

   Dazed and Confused Soundtrack

      iTunes

      Spotify

Other Media

   Recent interview on The Guardian with Richard Linklater and Wiley Wiggins

Other Movies

   American Graffiti (1973)

      Directed by George Lucas

   The Big Chill (1983)

      Directed by Lawrence Kasdan

Episode #19: Armageddon

It’s the end of the world, and you’re all invited! Join Adam and Jim and a group of roughneck oil drillers as they travel to the edge of space (and their sanity) in order to save the Earth from Armageddon.

SHOWNOTES

Armageddon - Criterion

Director: Michael Bay

     Bad Boys

     The Rock

Acting:

     Harry Stamper: Bruce Willis

     Grace Stamper: Liv Tyler

          The Leftovers

     A.J. Frost: Ben Affleck

     Dan Truman: Billy Bob Thornton

     Chick: Will Patton

     Rockhound: Steve Buscemi

     Lev Andropov: Peter Stormare

          Steve and Peter previously appeared together in the 1996 movie Fargo

     Colonel Willie Sharp: William Fichtner

     Oscar: Owen Wilson

          The Royal Tenenbaums 

     Bear: Michael Clark Duncan

     Jennifer Watts: Jessica Steen

     Flight Director Clark: Chris Ellis

          Apollo 13

          That Thing You Do

     Psychologist: Udo Kier

          Melancholia

     Guest Comedians

          Eddie Griffin

          Mark Curry

               Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper

Movies:

     Independence Day

     Deep Impact

     The Right Stuff

Cinematography:

     5 Things That Happen In Every Michael Bay Movie(including slow motion)

Music:

     Bon Jovi - Mister Big Time

     Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion

     Ben Affleck sings “Leaving On A JetPlane” to Liv Tyler

Episode #18: The Princess Bride

Adam and Jim are discussing The Princess Bride? Inconceivable! Join us in episode #18 as we travel with Westley, Fezzik and Inigo Montoya across the countryside of Florin, past the Cliffs of Insanity, to rescue Princess Buttercup from the castle of Prince Humperdinck, all the while avoiding the shrieking eels, flame spurts, lightning sand and Rodents of Unusual Size.

SHOWNOTES

The Princess Bride - Criterion

Director: Rob Reiner

   This Is Spinal Tap

   A Few Good Men

   Sleepless in Seattle

   The American President

Writer: William Goldman

   Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

   All the President's Men

   Misery

   Absolute Power

   The General's Daughter

Actors:

   Westley - Carry Elwes

   Psych - Pierre Despereaux

      Extradition - British Columbia

      Extradition II - The Actual Extradition Part

      Indiana Shawn and the Temple of the Kinda Crappy Rusty Old Dagger

      Lock, Stock, Some Smoking Barrels, and Burton Guster’s Goblet of Fire

   Inigo Montoya - Mandy Patinkin

      Homeland

   Buttercup - Robin Wright

      Forrest Gump

      House of Cards

   Vizzini - Wallace Shawn

      My Dinner with Andre (Criterion #479)

      COTC episode #12

      Toy Story - Dinosaur

   Fezzik - Andre the Giant

   Humperdinck - Chris Sarandon

   Count Ruben - Christopher Guest

      This is Spinal Tap (Criterion #12)

      Waiting for Guffman

      Best in Show

   Miracle Max - Billy Crystal

   Valerie - Carol Kane

   The Albino - Mel Smith

   Clergyman - Peter Cook

   Fred Savage & Peter Falk have no names

      Wonder Years

      Columbo