Dec 22 2014
This Week’s Underappreciated Movies
Every Monday, each of us will suggest a film that we feel too few people have seen.
Windy’s Pick of the Week: Jumpin’ Jack Flash
We all know that Whoopi Goldberg used to do movies, right? Like silly comedies, right? Before she went all legit with Ghost and The Color Purple. Jumpin’ Jack Flash is the story of bank computer technician Terry – the type of computer guru everybody depends on. One day, Terry gets an odd message on her servers and quickly becomes embroiled in an espionage ring as she works to assist her mysterious message sender – a spy in danger, and only Terry can save him! Whoopi shows why she became a star (she’s so charmingly energetic), and the spy caper plot is always a fun trope.
Melissa’s Pick of the Week: The Stone Tape
The Stone Tape is a 1972 made-for-the-BBC film, and thus may take a little homework to find. However, it’s worth the work, because it’s written by Nigel Kneale, who brought us things like the Quatermass films.
The plot details the story of a research team who takes over an old mansion to revamp as a data center. Imagine their surprise when they find out that the server room is haunted! Well, what does a group of scientists and programmers do upon finding a bona fide ghost? Well, they throw science at it, of course!
The Stone Tape is full of Grade A technobabble, but it has a truly unique angle on haunted house stories, and it is an interesting time capsule of the brief period of computer technology where programmers were usually women. As I said, it’s worth tracking down.
Dec 18 2014
Episode 45: Time Is a Beard
, with special guest: Chris Bowlsby, Eve Adam, Gordon Smuder, Matthew Kessen, Rob Callahan, Sharon Stiteler
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This is our 45th episode, which means it is time for our third Off Topic extravaganza! If you’re a longtime listener, you already know what this means, but in case you’re new to the Pleasure Dome, here’s what’s going on:
Our episodes are heavily edited, because we record drunk and edit sober. Most of what we cut out are things that nobody will miss, but sometimes we have to clip out something that is entertaining, but it doesn’t fit in the episode. So, we save all those clips until we can just make a whole damn episode out of them. It’s like a crazy quilt, but with drunken ramblings.
(In case you are curious, here are Off Topic #1 and Off Topic #2.)
The audio bits you are about to hear were recorded between August and November 2014. The audio quality will vary, the subject matter will roam wildly, and our level of sobriety will be completely unpredictable. You will also hear the beautiful voices of:
Matt Kessen
Gordon Smuder
Sharon Stiteler
Rob Callahan
Chris Bowlsby
Windy’s Mom
Also, here’s a series of photos showing Sharon Stiteler reacting during one of the clips you’ll hear:
Please enjoy our third Off Topic spectacular!
Dec 15 2014
This Week’s Underappreciated Movies
Every Monday, each of us will suggest a film that we feel too few people have seen.
Melissa’s Pick of the Week: Nightmare Alley
This astoundingly strange film noir can be hard to find, but it’s worth the work. Tyrone Power plays an ambitious carney who steals the mentalist sideshow act of Joan Blondell and begins his own career as a psychic. Along the way, there is alcoholism, scheming, psychologists, and a certain outmoded definition of “geek”. Nightmare Alley is also a great example of women’s roles in classic film noir: the ladies are just as dangerous as the men. The whole thing is a dark carnival of deceit, and it never quite goes where you expect. Great stuff.
Windy’s Pick of the Week: Murphy’s Romance
This 80s comedy stars Sally Field in the central role of a recently divorced woman with teenage son moving to a small town to make a go of running a horse ranch. Shortly after arriving she meets the cranky (and much older) town pharmacist played by James Garner. Garner’s character clearly takes a liking to this spunky woman and quietly starts sending business her way. Things have reached the point of interesting when the ex-husband (Brian Kerwin) shows up needing a place to stay. A fairly typical romantic comedy that actually has a bit of comedy, along with some delightful chemistry between Field and Garner.
