What's in the Basket

Surprise Noirvember ep! It's Tierney Time once again as we discuss John M. Stahl's Technicolor noir masterpiece Leave Her to Heaven (1945). Topics include monkeys and coconuts, Vincent Price club bangers, boat massacres of all kinds, and more Bosley Crowther bullshit. Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-gj Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"

In this, the spookiest of seasons, we emerge from the shadows to discuss the RKO horror classic Cat People (1942). Topics include Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur locking eyes across a crowded room, the mysterious world of Serbian stews, and a little too much about Lionel Atwill's extracurriculars. Irena did nothing wrong! Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-fW Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"

It's time for Evil Cats Week as Amelia and Tiff cover two feline-centric horror movies, Denis Héroux's anthology film The Uncanny (1977) and Greydon Clark's exploitation schlockfest Uninvited (1987). We discuss Ray Milland's big round head, Peter Cushing's secret kitty war crimes, terrible '80s swimsuits, and little mutant cats inside regular cats. Happy birthday, Gul! Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-fD Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"

This week the Gruesome Twosome returns to tackle Irwin Allen's star-studded disaster epic The Swarm (1978), which has nothing to do with the holiday season but does feature the gift of bees, bees, millions of bees! We discuss Michael Caine's marcel waves, Henry Fonda's squeaky wheelchair, the sweeping love triangle between Olivia de Havilland, Ben Johnson, and Fred MacMurray, and the unfair denigration of popcorn disaster movies. High in potassium, low in sodium! Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-cr Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"

It's another shot of Gregory Peck this week as we wrap up our Halloween cursed film series with Richard Donner's demon-child classic The Omen (1976). We explore what the movie has to say about motherhood and post-Watergate political anxiety, pay tribute to the unsung women who have been bringing films to life behind the scenes for over a century, and sing the praises of our newfound favourite sequel Damien: Omen II (1978), in which friend of the pod Lew Ayres endures the single greatest death scene ever committed to celluloid. Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-bD Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"

Our Halloween theme continues this week with another notoriously "cursed" horror movie: Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg's haunted house classic Poltergeist (1982). We tackle the question of just who actually directed the film, explore its iconic special effects, and confront the moral implications of the popular "curse" narrative. Please note that this podcast has not been and will never be censored by Pizza Hut. Finally, another content warning—today's episode addresses the deaths of two of Poltergeist's young stars, Dominique Dunne and Heather O'Rourke, and in doing so includes some discussion of real-life violence against women. Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-bh Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"

This week all the crickets in the state of California join us to celebrate the show's one-year anniversary with a look at Basket Case 2 (1990), belated and beloved sequel to the first movie we ever covered. Topics include the Belial Babies, our own tragic Hollywood endings, and—somehow—Tony Randall. Thanks for sticking with us this year, and here's to the next one! Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-aH Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"

Amusement parks may be off limits this summer, but at least we've got the disaster flick Rollercoaster (1977) to hold us over. Join us for this week's bonus episode as we discuss George Segal's tiny hat, Timothy Bottoms' stinky bomber jacket, Richard Widmark's Sophia Petrillo glasses, and Henry Fonda's enviable late-in-life disaster movie cameo grift. Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-a6 Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"

This week the Gruesome Twosome heads back to the ol' Dana Andrews well for a research-free look at the World War II thriller Berlin Correspondent (1942). We discuss the film's extremely poor attempts at emulating Foreign Correspondent (1940), the evolution of Hollywood's approach to the war as it unfolded, Hans Gruber's Super Cool Postage Stamp Emporium, and that time Dana's adult braces fused his jaw shut. This episode was recorded prior to the onset of protests against racism and police brutality across the United States and around the world. If you're unsure how to help, a list of resources can be found at https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-9M Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"

After three seemingly endless months, we're finally back with a fully-researched episode—and it's our longest yet, so heat up some lasagna and settle in as we tackle William Friedkin's adaptation of Mart Crowley's play The Boys in the Band (1970). Topics include the influence of both play and film on the LGBT rights movement, the use of Old Hollywood references as shorthand by an isolated minority that took refuge in the movies, and Natalie Wood's unmatched gift-giving skills. Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-8K Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"

It's another Candice-and-Amelia Special this week as the Gruesome Twosome take on Service de Luxe (1938), the Constance Bennett romantic comedy that served as Vincent Price's film debut. Recorded way back on March 7th, we discuss toilet paper shortages from the perspective of that long-ago time before Tom Hanks got COVID-19, then we dig into tractors, arson, fourth-wall breaking, and our dream cast for a remake of the lost Bessie Love vehicle Pegeen (1920). Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-8F Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"

This week we're taking a research-free look at two romantic comedies that combine nineteenth-century tragic poetry with Hollywood's love of bigamy: My Favorite Wife (1940) and its remake, Move Over, Darling (1963). We discuss our love of Doris Day and ambivalence towards Irene Dunne, the confounding screen dynamic between rumoured real-life couple Cary Grant and Randolph Scott, and whom among both casts we'd invite to our respective Bigamy Squads. Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-8k Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"

On this week's bonus episode of What's in the Basket, we're peeping in on the Van Heflin-Evelyn Keyes film noir The Prowler (1951). We discuss big ol' foreheads, Dalton Trumbo's handling of female characters, ghost towns, sarsaparilla, and Heflin's presence in the films of Van Johnson (hint: he isn't in them). Show Notes & Sources: https://wp.me/pbeIfn-7J Theme Music by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.filmmusic.io): "Dark Hallway (Distressed)" and "The Show Must Be Go"