Gobbledygeek

For the next installment in our That Was Then series, Paul and Arlo cast their minds back to 1964–a year that predates both of them, though the era’s Beatlemania might as well be Arlo’s spiritual birthplace. This time, they’re popping paisley parasols for Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, a sung-through opera told in the style of a Hollywood musical with some of the most stunning colors you’ll ever see. Hollywood extraordinaire and From Out of the Past host Michael Holland is on hand to help the boys discuss how the film defies romantic conventions while adhering to them, the magic of Jean Rabier’s camerawork, the way Demy uses color to convey feeling, and why the film deserves to be mentioned alongside classics of the French New Wave.

NEXT: it’s a mystery, gang!

BREAKDOWN

00:00:33  -  Intro / Guest / The Year 1964

00:21:00  -  The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

01:28:00  -  Outro / Next

LINKS

• From Out of the Past Podcast

• Holland_Imaginarium

MUSIC

• “Le Parapluies De Cherbourg” by Michel Legrand

• “Umbrella (feat. Jay-Z)” by Rihanna, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 

• Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate

• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/

• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

• The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org

• Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 

• National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org

• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/ 

• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/

• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

Who ya gonna call? Gobbledygeek! For the first installment of our That Was Then series, taking a look back at movies celebrating anniversaries in 2024, Paul and Arlo take residence at Spook Central for 1984’s Ghostbusters. Turning a frightful 40 this year, Ivan Reitman’s classic comedy began as a high-concept riff on the “slobs v. snobs” template made popular by Animal House before becoming an inescapable pop cultural juggernaut. The boys discuss the thoughtfulness of Reitman’s direction in tandem with the great László Kovács’ photography, the perfectly structured script by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis, how much of Pete Venkman is just Bill Murray, and why the right-wing backlash to the 2016 remake is ironic in light of the original’s sketchy politics.

NEXT: a little of this, a little of that.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:48  -  Intro / The Year That Was 1984

00:18:19  -  Ghostbusters (1984)

01:36:29  -  Outro / Next

MUSIC

• “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr., Ghostbusters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1984)

• “Cleanin’ Up the Town” by The Busboys, Ghostbusters (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1984)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 

• Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate

• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/

• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

• The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org

• Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 

• National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org

• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/ 

• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/

• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's the Gobbledygeek season 15 premiere! Breaking from vaguely defined tradition, Paul and Arlo are kicking off the season with a Four-Color Flashback, and their pal Eric Sipple is on hand to help turn the pages. Arlo has chosen to subject Paul and Eric to the classic Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale collab Superman for All Seasons, which may prove a tough sell to a couple of Super-skeptics. The gang discusses the book’s Rockwell-influenced aesthetic, the simplicity (or flatness, depending on taste) of the cast, how Sale’s big dopey Superman conveys Clark Kent’s decency, and the surprising love triangle at the book’s core. Plus, Arlo explains the very personal reasons he chose this book to start the season. You'll believe a man can cry.

NEXT: introducing our That Was Then series, wherein Paul and Arlo will be taking a look at various movies that are celebrating anniversaries in 2024. First up is perennial Gobbledy-fave Ghostbusters, which is turning a frightful 40.

BREAKDOWN

00:00:43  -  Intro / Guest

00:13:05  -  Superman For All Seasons

02:02:28  -  Arlo kills the conversation (TW: dead dads)

02:21:30  -  Outro / Next

LINKS

• Making the Scene podcast

MUSIC

• “Time of the Season” by The Zombies, Odessey and Oracle (1968)

• “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by The Byrds (1965)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 

• Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter

• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate

• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/

• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/

• The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org

• Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 

• National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org

• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/ 

• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/

• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/

• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/