Fearless Pretender: The Jennifer Jason Leigh Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

A TECHNICAL NOTE: Some of y'all may notice it's been longer than usual since our last show, and it's been very heartwarming to hear from listeners checking in to make sure that we're okay, what with general and specific chaos that is currently reshaping the world. The episode on Buried Alive was marked by a catastrophic technical situation that affected the entire second half of Jason's audio track, and while we reconstructed what we could, if things seem a tad 'off' or imbalanced, this is why. We thank you for your patience with this and hope that you are as well as possible.

Join Sam and Jason and special guest film critic Liam McCloud as they talk about Frank Darabont’s 1990 directorial debut Buried Alive. You’ll also hear about ‘90s neonoir, the wrong time to decide to be fully honest, the comedy of tension and the tension of comedy, the many varieties of bastardry, a return of Blue Fang, William Atherton and unctuousness, tropical fishcraft, some Shawshank heresy, abortion judgments, the moral foundations of Gremlins, power imbalances in male friendships, buried alive cinema, inescapable Nashville movies, “Tasty Fish,” what unfinished homes and communities signify, Scooby-Doo villainy, malign smarm, Chekhov’s Rottweiler, getting real about Fantasia, buried accents, the art of the dawdle, the shameful legacy of Walter Peck and the enduring sins of Ghostbusters, the difference between compromise and acquiescence, heart attacks, how resurrection makes you inherently interesting, noble fat guys, an unexpected Emperor’s New Groove reference, trap cinema, and intense color coordination.

In addition to discussing George Armitage's Miami Blues, join Sam and Jason this month for an ongoing debate about the intelligence of the character Susie, Desperation Pies, confrontational chest hair, the most unexpected Star Trek comparison you’ll ever encounter, the concept of The Generic becoming oddly Specific by being Generic in multiple spaces, The legacy of the Mayflowers, “Hour Back… Get It,” the Michael Hanekeness of Cockfighter (read Keir-La Janisse’s book!), Tom Tykwer’s Heaven, Koos Van Den Akker, “Somewhere That’s Green”- the person, the novels of Paul Beatty, Kṛṣṇa Consciousness as reflected in popular culture, the Bernard Goetz case, a Blair Witch-related schism, the Suzanne Vega multiverse, gardening skills, and Voight-Kampff Empathy Tests. At Sam’s insistence, certain material was excised from this episode.

Vinegar Pie recipe: https://www.allrecipes.com/what-is-vinegar-pie-8401486

Context on what was cut: Boy George: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boy_George#Assault_and_false_imprisonment_conviction James Franco: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Franco#Sexual_misconduct_accusations_and_lawsuit

For the first episode of 2024, Jason and Sam take a break from their chronological survey of Jennifer Jason Leigh's career and discuss what might have been. In the first of several episodes that will cover films that Jennifer was ALMOST in, we look at a somewhat forgotten 80s coming of ager and an iconic rom-com that made a megastar of its lead in 1990.

First up, loose Twelfth Night riff Just One of the Guys, in which Jennifer nearly played the lead role of Terri, a high school senior who disguises herself as a guy when she's not submitted to a journalism competition. We discuss how the film plays now, eventual lead Joyce Hyser's performance, and whether Jennifer could ever have made a convincing dude.

Then, we discuss one of the biggest projects Jennifer has turned down: Pretty Woman. We get into the film, its (waning?) cultural imprint, and the difference between the version that was released and the script JJL turned down.

Jason: Twitter / X / Bluesky / Rotten Tomatoes

Sam: Bluesky / Letterboxd

This month, Sam and Jason welcome producer Heather Buckley (The Ranger, The Sacrifice Game,Blood and Flesh: The Reel Life and Ghastly Death of Al Adamson, amazing special features on the blu-rays you love for the past fifteen-plus years) to discuss the Paul Verhoeven film Flesh + Blood. It’s a wild and expansive discussion about the most violent and upsetting film ever named after a Roxy Music album that covers a lot of ground and fords some surreal technical issues.

Our guest Heather Buckley’s most recent production, The Sacrifice Game, streams on Shudder in North America next week.

This month’s bibliography includes the books Jesus of Nazareth by Paul Verhoeven, Paul Verhoeven Interviews, and Paul Verhoeven by Rob Van Scheers, the television show Black Adder, as well as the following films: Alexander (Stone), Baise-Moi (Despentes/Trinh Thi), Death in Venice (Visconti), The Devils (Russell), The Devil’s Honey (Fulci), Excalibur (Boorman), Lancelot du Lac (Bresson), Little Mother (Metzger), Monty Python and The Holy Grail (Gilliam/Jones), Poison Ivy: The New Seduction (Voss), Sauna (Annila), The Trilogy of Life (Pasolini), and Vice Squad (Sherman).

Jason: Twitter / X / Bluesky / Rotten Tomatoes

Sam: Bluesky / Letterboxd

Heather: Twitter

A full length episode for this, Jennifer's only film of 1984, in which she has a tiny supporting part covering only about 3 minutes screen time, might seem a little indulgent, but when Billy Ray Brewton is your guest, you make the most of him.

Jason, Sam and Billy Ray talk about the authenticity of the smalltown feel of this coming of ager, about the chemistry between Jamie Lee Curtis and male leads C. Thomas Howell and Patrick Swayze and about the differences between Jennifer's inexperienced characters up to this point and the much more sexually forward Candy.

Digressions include discussions of Velamints, seeing films as a product of their time and the way the hosts saw their own towns change, much like Grandview does.

Our theme music comes courtesy of composer Tim Kutz. Follow him on Twitter ⁠@Rockub420⁠ and check out his brand new album at http://theeuphoricrecall.bandcamp.com/album/side-b.

Twitter / X

@JJLPodcast

@jshawhan

@BillyRayBrewton

Around the Web

Sam: Bluesky / Letterboxd

Jason: Bluesky / Rotten Tomatoes

Billy Ray: Linktree

For episode 8, Sam and Jason delve into the theatrical cut of Jennifer's exploitation TV movie, directed by Jonathan Kaplan. First screened as Girls of the White Orchid, but released theatrically with some more overtly sleazy ingredients as Death Ride to Osaka.

This time, we're joined by Jonathan Hertzberg of Fun City Editions, who released the film in their excellent Primetime Panic blu-ray set, and brings some insider knowledge having interviewed Kaplan for that release.

Among the things up for discussion are Mako and Soon Teck-Oh's subversive use of Japanese in the film's TV version; the merits of each title; Jennifer's nonchalant attitude to nudity; the film's chaotic location shoot in Japan, and much more.

Our theme music comes courtesy of composer Tim Kutz. Follow him on Twitter ⁠@Rockub420⁠ and check out his brand new album at http://theeuphoricrecall.bandcamp.com/album/side-b.

Twitter / X

@JJLPodcast

@24FPSUK

@jshawhan

@FunCityEdition

Around the Web

Sam: Threads / Bluesky / Letterboxd: All @24FPSUK

Jason: Rotten Tomatoes

Fun City Editions

For Episode 7, Jason, Sam and guest Craig MacNeil confront the cultural divide provoked by Rodney Dangerfield and his 1983 Brewster's Millions-alike comedy Easy Money.

Among the subjects up for discussion are the genius (?) of Rodney Dangerfield; how good a year the pizza guy at Ridgemont High had after everyone graduated; the merits of RC Cola and Panda Pops; the comic potential of precarious cakes, oh, and Jennifer Jason Leigh's part as Rodney Dangerfield's daughter.

Join us for this epic deconstruction of a near forgotten (and, in the UK, barely released) movie.

PS: Sam got the preview wrong at the end of this episode, Grandview USA is the September episode. Next month we'll be covering Girls of the White Orchid / Death Ride to Osaka with a very special guest.

Craig and Friends @ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/craig-friends/id1361582513

Easy Money vs Modern Woman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYt1tznPduQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdzQi_hh7Qc

trailer for Elvira Mistress of the Dark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZdrAqH78l8

Klingon culture not samurai culture / John Ford’s novel The Final Reflection

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Final_Reflection

LaToya Jackson’s “Just Say No” video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwLpuOHOjcQ

Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t Drive Drunk”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0IhxqRzJgQ

Anthrax’s “I’m The Man”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiHdr4rWG98

sadly, extant footage of Taylor Negron’s appearances on The Dating Game are not available

James Adomian at The Midnight Suggestion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJU0KVN4eek

The “Rappin’ Rodney” video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWTKhQzQl1A

Contact Us

Sam

Twitter: https://twitter.com/24FPSUK

Threads: Username 24FPSUK

Jason: https://twitter.com/jshawhan

Craig: https://twitter.com/CraigAndFriends / https://twitter.com/VideodromeDisco

Music

theeuphoricrecall.bandcamp.com

This time, Jason and Sam tackle another couple of TV projects from Jennifer Jason Leigh's early 80s career. After School Special "Have You Ever Been Ashamed Of Your Parents?" defies the stereotype of these shows by having some excellent writing and nuanced performances (and, yes, a slightly clunkily inserted moral). TV movie "The First Time" sees Jennifer among a quality cast with some great roles for the film's women, in a story that deals with coming of age from a different angle than Fast Times. Among the topics: Playing an only child convincingly. A co-star with an amazing career path. Everyone should have a grandma like Charlotte in The First Time. Sam HATES the score for one of these.

Our theme music comes courtesy of composer Tim Kutz. Follow him on Twitter ⁠@Rockub420⁠ and check out his brand new album at theeuphoricrecall.bandcamp.com/album/side-b.

Twitter

@JJLPodcast

@24FPSUK

@jshawhan

Sam and Jason tackle the first of this show's white whales: Jennifer's breakthrough role in era defining teen comedy Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Among the subjects up for discussion are the incredibly stacked cast of character actors the film introduced; the existence or otherwise of Linda's boyfriend Doug and the differences between the theatrical and TV versions of the film. We also touch on Roger Ebert's review of the film; male friendship as represented by Rat and Damone; the value of the class clown; THAT nude scene... and American house numbering.

Note: Sam wanted to call this episode "Doesn't anybody f**king knock anymore?", but we decided it had to be a JJL line in the title.

Our theme music comes courtesy of composer Tim Kutz. Follow him on Twitter @Rockub420 and check out his brand new album at https://theeuphoricrecall.bandcamp.com/album/side-b.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is available on Criterion Blu Ray in both the US and the UK

Tree of Knowledge is included in the 10 film Nils Malmros boxset from Nordisk film (Region 2, includes English subtitles) Seventeen is available... if you look for it

and because we love you, here's the trailer for Blue Fang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8QlOOEChAg

Twitter

@JJLPodcast

@24FPSUK

@jshawhan

Join Sam and Jason as they explore four of Jennifer Jason Leigh’s performances from late 1981 through 1982, including the feature film Wrong Is Right, an episode of Trapper John MD, and the made-for-television one-two punch of The Killing of Randy Webster and The Best Little Girl In The World. Along the way we’ll debut Jason’s Currency Conversion Corner, come up with a game involving the many Trappers John, and get real about eating disorders, police violence, the American healthcare system, Lisa Whelchel hair, and The Gregory Harrison Moment in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Content warnings apply: all of them.

Melanie Mayron’s film Slap Her, She’s French was released in the US under the title She Gets What She Wants.

Freeway II: Confessions of a Trickbaby was just issued on 4K and remastered blu-ray by Vinegar Syndrome.

Martyrs is available on an uncut region-free blu-ray from Umbrella Entertainment in Australia.

The Thin Blue Line is available from The Criterion Collection.

We’re debuting our new theme music this month courtesy of composer Tim Kutz. Check out his work at kingchron.bandcamp.com