Episodes

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!), and we relish in the fact that the film is comprised solely of practical effects. We're talking matte paintings, miniatures, hand puppets, mechanical p...

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 studio directing credit, and his detailed, rich visual style is evident in every frame. Jessica draws on her deep knowledge of music to discuss Patrick Do...

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 a film that is both perfectly period and surprisingly modern. From the collaborative use of color in the production design and costume, to the master...

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 obsessions like insects and ghosts to put his distinctive stamp on the genre, honoring its tropes in some ways and subverting them in others to bring ...

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 film also earned an Oscar for cinematographer George Barnes, whose talents with light, shadow, and camera movement created the moody atmosphere that pe...

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 Geisel, AKA Dr. Seuss, translating the fantastical and imaginative world of Seuss into the medium of moving images, the story behind the now-classic so...

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 34th Street viewer Georgia to discuss how unbelievably modern and surprisingly feminist this film is, the amazing performances--including Edmund Gwenn's...

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 Hitchcock read. Mr. Harrison also shares insights and stories from his film and television career, his many experiences with bringing anthology horror to both...

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 sympathizing more with Miranda than Daniel), strong connections to other films about dads faced with new responsibilities, the surprisingly non-villainou...

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 family values, the restrained hysteria of Robin Williams's Armand and how it relates to male anxiety, the advancements (and sometimes, lack thereof) w...

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 N...

“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, artist in residence at the George A. Romero Foundation, to discuss The Amusement Park, a recently rediscovered and restored Romero film that takes a unique and terrifying look at the true horrors that await us all as we age and enter our final years. Ryan is currently ha...

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 those who have tried to silence him. We discuss the excellent screenplay, faithfully adapted by George Romero from Stephen King's novel; Hutton's nua...

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 discuss how Brian De Palma and George Lucas shared casting calls for Carrie and Star Wars, the split screen editing and cinematography choices, Pino D...

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 gory tales that comprise Creepshow's anthology and share personal memories of their first viewings of the film as kids. We talk Stephen King the author,...

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, that formally established the rules for zombies, without even using the word "zombie"! We talk independent filmmaking, the inspirations for Night of...

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, style, and innovation of the cinematography, the mixing of survival horror video game and slasher horror conventions that make this a unique action ...

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 film stars Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, comedy greats the Marx Brothers, and dance legend Gene Kelly on the movies of Jackie Chan; Sammo Hung, Chan...

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 Bond film structure, the excellent stunt team which included legends Sammo Hung and Jackie Chan, stellar supporting performances from black belts Joh...

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 the lovable loser, the family chemistry of Barbara Barrie, Paul Dooley, and Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid's bitter and heartbreaking former quarterba...

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 Shooter McGavin, Carl Weathers's hilarious yet heartfelt one-handed golf pro Chubbs, Caddyshack parallels and Burt Reynolds connections, our own persona...

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 debut as the unforgettable underdog Marla Hooch; the war's lasting effect on gender roles; Tom Hanks's unique role reversal as the disgusting yet char...

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 elevate the movie above simple comedy (with special emphasis on Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, and our universal MVP John C. Reilly), we dive into Cal and Ri...

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 discuss all aspects of this landmark film: casting, cinematography, the indelible Ennio Morricone score, Sergio Leone's directing style that combines op...