POP ART: Episode 28, Halloween III: Season of the Witch/The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T

10/27/20 • 43 min

“I want my lavender spats.” What is about kids? Those annoying little rug rats and curtain climbers that cause you nothing but misery, pain and despair? Wouldn’t it be great if you could do something about them? But you can’t, can you? Because they’re kids. Can’t live with them, can’t kill them...or can you? Just in time for Episode 28 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back a returning guest who earlier joined me on Pop Art to discuss The Omen and Village of the Damned, Damien Riley. As someone especially interested in horror, I was thrilled to have him return for the Halloween episode. Damien has chosen perhaps the underrated non-Halloween Halloween movie, Halloween III, Season of the Witch, while I have chosen the overlooked and also perhaps underrated Dr. Seuss fantasy/musical The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T, both with diabolical plots aimed at children. And in this episode, we answer such questions as: why did neither film succeed or meet expectations? What did Dr. Seuss have to say about The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T? Who is or were married while working on these two films? Who dubbed Timmy Rettig’s voice? Who was the voice of the curfew announcer in Halloween III? What is a Hans Conried and would you want to be one? And did the Simpsons do it?

And be sure to check out Damien’s blog: rileyonfilm.com

And be sure to check out Damien’s blog: rileyonfilm.com

Previous Episode

POP ART: Episode 27, Snatch/The Twelve Chairs

“Hope for the best, expect the worst.” Running short of cash? Need some extra income? Would some rare and precious jewels help out? But what if everybody else and their cousin are after them as well? Just in time for Episode 27 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, my guest is writer/director/producer Drew Hall (Convergence, now on Amazon), who has chosen Guy Ritchie’s British crime farce Snatch, while I have chosen the Mel Brooks film nobody has seen or heard of, The Twelve Chairs, both with a disparate group of characters trying to locate some jewels. And in this episode we answer such questions as: Which movie is a vending machine snack and which is a well prepared steak? What is the primary difference between Ritchie and Tarantino? Why did Woody Allen and Mel Brooks’ careers go in different directions? Why did Gene Wilder not do The Twelve Chairs? What is a Dennis Farina and would you want to be one? How well does Ritchie’s style hold up today? What is the source material for Spaceballs?

Next Episode

POP ART: Episode 29, Jurassic Park/Frankenstein/Bride of Frankenstein/Son of Frankenstein

“It’s alive! It’s alive!” Do you think there may be just a bit too much ego out there? That there are people who think they can do no wrong? That morality doesn’t apply to them? And I’m not talking about politicians and lawyers...or film directors. Just in time for Episode 29 of Pop Art, the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture and I’ll select a film from the more art/classic side of cinema with a connection to it. This time, my guest, animater, blogger and film enthusiast Curt Headly, has chosen the Steven Spielberg blockbuster with game changing special effects, Jurassic Park, while I have chosen the timeless horror classics, a set of three, Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein, all films about scientists trying to play god. And in this episode we answer such questions as: Are these simply genre films or is there more to them that first meets the eye? How does the Age of Enlightenment and Modernism fit in? Which is the most popular dinosaur? What does North by Northwest have to do with it? What was so unsettling about the special effects in Jurassic Park? Where does Nazism fit in? What is a golem and would you want to be one?