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Shiver me timbers and blow me down! Comfort Films Podcast is dropping anchor in Sweethaven to start a month of celebrating Robin Williams films! In this first episode of the series, we're joined by guest Jenn Riedell for a surreal trip down memory lane as we discuss this buried treasure of a musical, directed by Robert Altman and scripted by Jules Feiffer. Featuring Robin Williams in his first lead role in film, Popeye is also a vehicle for a magical soundtrack of songs from 70s pop star Harry Nilsson. We discuss the amazing set built in Malta, which still exists as a tourist attraction, Shelley Duvall's totally iconic performance as Olive Oyl, Ray Walston's crotchety and hilariously named character Poopdeck Pappy, the bizarre religious underpinnings of Popeye's famous catchphrase, the film's comic strip origins, the many talented circus performers who bring the film to life, and the birth of home video, which paved the way for young Gen Xers to start watching and rewatching comfort movies (complete with some bad humming of the HBO theme song from the 80s). Pop open a can of spinach and give us a listen!
Jennifer Riedell has used their drama degree to entertain and educate for over a quarter century. Jenn met John and Georgia while working with the Worcester Shakespeare Festival, where Jenn acted and served as Business Manager for many seasons. Jenn has also appeared in Into the Woods at Calliope Productions, and in the world premiere Zoom production of Grocery: The Musical. By day, Jenn makes healthcare and Medicare regulations sound cool in their day job as a computer-based training designer, and in their free time, they volunteer as the curator at their local historical society. Jenn would also like to say that Clue is the movie they know Tim Curry from (whatever that says), and source of their deep love for character acting. Enjoy!
For the second episode of our Jane Austen adaptations month, we welcome first-time guest and world class soprano Jessica Sandidge to discuss her top comfort pick, Sense and Sensibility! This film was Emma Thompson's first fea...
In this special episode, John and Georgia spoke with writer, director, producer, composer, actor and all-around fine, upstanding Pennsylvanian, John Harrison. We discuss his 2023 novel, Passing Through Veils, which combines e...
It's our 100th episode!! To celebrate, we welcome back one of our earliest guests, the great Kate Duffy, to discuss a film that has been our number one requested comfort film over the course of the show. We talk about …
“The grotesque has never really affected or frightened me. I guess it’s real-life stuff that frightens me much more.” (George A. Romero) In this special bonus horror episode, John and Georgia are pleased to welcome Ryan Carr...
