For the second of our DisComfort Films episodes forHalloween month, we’re joined by special guest and real life pal Cathleen Mortensen Bittner to discuss the one and only Stephen King adaptation directed by the man himself, Maximum Overdrive! Though this gory, darkly humorous film has never received its due from critics, all three of us consider it…

It's October again--that time of year when comfort gives way to DIScomfort, the fog rolls in, the slashers sharpen their blades, and we gleefully indulge in rewatching some of our spooky season favorites! First up, we're talking about Shaun of the Dead, an Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg collaboration and the first of the Cornetto trilogy, celebrating its …

Have you ever had one of the those days when you just wanted to stop the world and have an adventure with your best friends? We know that we sure have! Along with special guest Jessica Sandidge we dive back in time to reminisce about the blissful freedom of high school skip days as we discuss the John Hughes classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off. We ask…

School just started, but we're already ready for a couple of skip days! First off, we're joining Riff Randell (PJ Soles) and The Ramones to take on Principal Togar (Mary Woronov) and her fascist high school administration in this cult classic midnight movie from executive producer and B-movie godfather Roger Corman. We discuss the surprisingly long…

We've got a golden ticket! For the second of our duo of kids' classics, we're indulging in a sweet treat - Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory! We discuss Roald Dahl's wildly imaginative source novel, art director Harper Goff's fantastical visual interpretations of Wonka's candy factory wonderland, the unforgettable soundtrack, the real-life candy …

I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore... This month, we're talking about kids' classics, and it doesn't get much more classic and comforting than The Wizard of Oz! Claire from Why the Flick podcast joins us to discuss the (occasionally dark and dangerous) history of this landmark movie, the challenges of producing a Technicolor fantasy musical…

For the second film in our war movies month, we're staying with WWII but heading over to the Pacific theater to discuss Terrence Malick's modern classic, The Thin Red Line. Unlike its film peer Saving Private Ryan, which came out the same year, The Thin Red Line has not always received universal acclaim, with mixed reactions from viewers and critic…

Can a war film also be a comfort film? This month we're exploring that question. First up this week, special guest Martin Harries of Film Vs. Film Podcast joins us to discuss one of his favorite comfort picks and a perennial rewatch around the holidays with family, The Guns of Navarone. We talk about the paradox of comforting war films; Carl Forema…

Have you ever wanted to go back in time to right a wrong? Whether it's correcting an injustice, avoiding a mistake, or preventing an accident, all of us would love to get a second chance to make things right. In Frequency, John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel) gets to live that fantasy, when a freak solar storm causes a disturbance in earth's magnetic field…

To celebrate Fathers' Day in June, we're turning our attention to a pair of films about dads and time travel. (It's a niche, but there are more options than you think!) For our first selection, we're going with Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, which combines complex theoretical physics concepts with a deeply emotional story of a father and daughte…

What happens when Star Wars superfans make a Star Wars movie? Rogue One - the missing piece of the Star Wars saga we never knew we needed. It started as a pitch for a standalone Star Wars story from an ILM Visual Effects Supervisor, got a director who had vacationed in Tunisia to visit Star Wars sets and always wanted to be a member of the Rebel Al…

May the fourth be with you!! To celebrate Star Wars day, we're talking about the last film of the original trilogy (and the only one we haven't yet discussed), and we've brought back the brilliant Christopher Witty (previously on our Goodfellas and Mr. Nice Guy episodes) to help us break down Return of the Jedi. We talk Ewoks, Palpatine, the questi…

"WARRIORS, COME OUT TO PLAY-AY!" For the second of our juvenile delinquency duo of films, we cover Walter Hill's 1979 cult classic The Warriors. The film is adapted from Sol Yurick's 1965 novel of the same name, which itself is adapted from Xenophon's Anabasis. Walter Hill takes this classical text and filters it through youth gang culture, comic b…

April is John's birthday month, and this year, we're highlighting his adolescent penchant for juvenile delinquency with a couple of cult favorites. First up is Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of S.E. Hinton's novel, Rumble Fish, starring Matt Dillon and Mickey Rourke. Conceived of as an art film for kids and an antidote to Coppola's previous Hint…

It's showtime! The second film in our celebration of cinematic sandworms is Tim Burton's 1988 horror comedy Beetlejuice. John and Georgia hit the dunes of Saturn by way of East Corinth, Vermont, to dig up the ghost with the most. We talk about Michael Keaton's career-defining performance as the titular unhinged bioexorcist, the stellar on-camera pr…

To begin Sandworm Appreciation Month (in honor of the release of Dune Part Two), John and Georgia burrow deep into the desert earth of Perfection, Nevada to explore the 1990 cult classic Tremors, starring Kevin Bacon, Fred Ward, and the graboids. Tremors plays like Jaws set in the desert (the original title of the film was actually Land Sharks!), a…

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 feature screenplay writing credit, and it sparkles with Jane Austen's signature wit and wisdom. It was also Ang Lee's first stud…

It's February, and love, as always, is in the air this month. So we're celebrating movie love with a duo of Jane Austen adaptations! First up is the Autumn de Wilde feature film directorial debut Emma. De Wilde perfectly marries Eleanor Catton's excellent screenplay adaptation of Austen's novel with her own exceptionally rich visual style to create…

In this second pick for our Gothic Romance month, we discuss the stylish and evocative Guillermo Del Toro film Crimson Peak. This movie is Del Toro's homage to the great literature and film in the genre, including Hitchcock's Rebecca, Jane Eyre, The Mysteries of Udolpho, The Monk, and the work of Mario Bava. Del Toro also brings in some of his own …

Welcome to season 3! We're kicking off this season with a couple of episodes on our favorite films from the Gothic Romance genre, and who better to start us off than the master of the macabre, Alfred Hitchcock? Rebecca, starring Joan Fontaine and Sir Laurence Olivier, was Hitchcock's first film made in the US and his only Best Picture winner. The f…

For our closing episode of season 2, we are revisiting our annual tradition of talking about a much-beloved holiday special from our youth. This year, it's Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, the classic cartoon that was a holiday staple in both our homes. We discuss the partnership between Looney Tunes animation great Chuck Jones and Ted G…

Happy Holidays from Comfort Films! We're starting off the holiday season with two unparalleled classics that originated in 1946, Miracle on 34th Street and John's mom, Eileen Macey, who is joining us for her second appearance and our second Mom for the Holidays episode. It's a first-time watch for John and Eileen, as they join veteran Miracle on 34…

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 elements of gothic horror and modern thriller for an atmospheric, eerie, and suspenseful Shirley Jackson-meets-Alfred Hitchcoc…

In this last episode of our Robin Williams month, we talk about Mrs. Doubtfire, which just turned 30, and features a highly characteristic Williams performance full of energy, quickfire improvisation, and an excellent mix of humor and heart. We talk about our different reactions to this film as adults (noticing a lot more of the dirty jokes and sym…

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 incredible Nathan Lane and his unforgettable breakout role as Albert/Starina, how the film deals with irony around conservative …

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 …

“The grotesque has never really affected or frightened me. Iguess 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, artist in residence at the George A. Romero Foundation, to discuss The Amusement Park, a recently rediscovered and restored R…

For the fourth week of our horror film series, we're looking at another collaboration between masters of horror George A. Romero and Stephen King, The Dark Half. This film explores the Jekyll and Hyde story through a seemingly mild-mannered writer and his dark side (Timothy Hutton in a dual role), an unborn twin who takes form to wreak vengeance on…

Was your high school prom an absolute nightmare? Carrie White can relate and then some! For the third week in our horror series, we dive into the film adaptation of Stephen King's spectacularly tragic tale, Carrie - which not only was King's first published novel, but also his first book to be adapted into a film! In this episode, Georgia and John …

What do you get when you mix together the finest in horror comics, short stories, film, and cake? The classic 1982 film Creepshow, written by the master of horror Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero, the brains behind modern-day zombie lore. For our second Halloween month selection, John and Georgia give an in-depth analysis of the six go…

Did you know that a group of self-taught filmmakers from Pennsylvania, whose only training were the commercials they created themselves, are responsible for redefining the horror genre as we know it today? John and Georgia take a bite out of Night of the Living Dead, the classic 1968 George A. Romero film, celebrating its 55th anniversary this week…

In this last episode of our martial arts film month, we welcome guest Frank Bonanno as we shift our focus from Hong Kong to Indonesia with Gareth Evans's bone-crunching film The Raid: Redemption. We discuss the many types of martial arts featured in the film - most notably, pencak silat, an indigenous class of martial arts from Indonesia, the speed…

For the second of our three martial arts episodes, we welcome back the always brilliant Chris Witty (who guested on our Goodfellas episode) to discuss Mr. Nice Guy and all other things Jackie Chan! We talk about Jackie Chan's boundless energy and all-around talent as a martial artist, acrobatic stunt pro, and comedy genius; the influence of silent …

This week we're kicking off a martial arts movie month with the film that's widely recognized as the genre founder, at least where Western audiences are concerned, Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon. We talk about Bruce Lee's ability to extol philosophy through action, his unequaled power and mastery of kung fu, the story's many similarities to the James…

For the final week of our Spectator Sports month, we discuss Peter Yates's Breaking Away, which combines a sweet and funny coming-of-age comedy, a class-struggle drama, and a fantastic underdog sports film. We discuss the real-life origins of Steve Tesich's Oscar-winning screenplay, the film debut of character actor Daniel Stern and his niche as th…

Do you love Bob Barker? Well, then do we have a great episode for you! For the third week of our spectator sports month, we hit the green with everyone's favorite angry hockey player turned golfer, Happy Gilmore. We discuss how this comedy is also a solid sports film with the story structure to prove it, Christopher McDonald's incredible villain Sh…

Georgia and John take the field to talk about one of their all-time favorite baseball films, Penny Marshall's A League of Their Own. We discuss the documentary on the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) that inspired the film; the fiery sibling rivalry between Geena Davis's Dottie and Lori Petty's Kit; Megan Cavanaugh's screen …

Get ready to shake and bake with special guests Christina and Mac Hare from World of Horror Podcast as we talk a blue streak about the hilarious and heartfelt 2006 Adam McKay/Will Ferrell comedy, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. We explore how a film this funny manages to lampoon with love, we praise the many brilliant performances that…

Georgia and John finish out their month of westerns hanging loose from the noose with the iconic Sergio Leone-directed spaghetti western The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, as they tag along with Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach in their ruthless search across the westernmost front of the Civil War for $200,000 in Confederate gold. We di…

For the third week of our westerns month, we're discussing another early 50s classic, Shane. This movie has it all - family drama, good versus evil (with plenty of gray area to explore), a coming-of-age story, beautiful western scenery, history, and plenty of suspense. We also discuss the unforgettable performances from Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van …

In this second film of our Westerns month, we talk about another classic film that both defines and subverts the genre, High Noon, starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, and the unknown yet soon-to-be staple western bad guy, Lee Van Cleef. We discuss the masterful use of the clock to build suspense, the many excuses (both go…

This week, Martin from Film vs. Film Podcast joins us as we kick off a month of westerns with the movie that totally changed the genre, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the title characters. We talk about the perfectly balanced William Goldman screenplay that is equally hilarious and tragic, the excepti…

For our fifth and final episode of the School's Out for Summer series, we're taking a long summer vacation with The Karate Kid Part II. Snatched from the certain doom of a summer in Fresno, Daniel accompanies his mentor Mr. Miyagi to Okinawa, where they face off with a new set of enemies, Sato and his sharply dressed nephew Chozen. We talk about ou…

It's the fourth week of our School's Out for Summer series, and it's time to stop messing around and get a summer job. In this episode, we discuss Adventureland (2009), starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, and the always pitch-perfect Martin Starr as hapless and occasionally hopeless amusement park employees. We talk about our own summer job …

Holy Schnikes! For the third week in our School’s Out series, we’re celebrating dads and grads as we take to the road with the 1995 Chris Farley/David Spade comedy Tommy Boy, the only movie we can think of where you’re actually rooting for a nepo baby. Farley’s Tommy is fresh out of college with a D+ in history, and he teams up with Spade’s Richard…

In this second week of School's Out for Summer month, we're going to summer camp with our guest Etta Goodridge! Directed by David Wain, written by Wain and Michael Showalter, and featuring many other members of MTV's The State sketch comedy series, Wet Hot American Summer has become a cult classic, with a huge cast of actors that have gone on to be…

School's out for summer! That's our theme for this month, and we're kicking it off with the 1993 cult classic Dazed and Confused, traveling back to the last day of school in a Texas town in 1976. We discuss the film's incredible soundtrack, which gives the story its structure and mood and opened us up to a whole lot of new old music when the film c…

For the final week of our ani-MAY-tion month, we spring into the action with Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. We discuss the landmark animation, which combines CGI and hand-drawn animation along with color offset, giving the film a totally unique comic book look. We also talk about the enormous comic contributions of Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, and Ja…

For the third week of our aniMAYtion month, we take a look at Wes Anderson's stop-motion adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's book Fantastic Mr. Fox. We discuss Anderson's practical and playful approach to recording dialogue and sound for the film, the script (penned by Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach, at Dahl's home!) which creatively expands on…

For this second week of our AniMAYtion month, we're taking a look at one of our favorites from Studio Ghibli, Howl's Moving Castle (English dubbed). We talk aesthetics, from steampunk fairy tale to Dark Academia to Steve Martin, Howl as superhero, the freedom of living in disguise, the corrupting power of magic, Hayao Miyazaki's boundlessly creativ…