001: "Summer of '82" (aka The Pilot)
It was a summer like no other, with Conan, Rocky III, The Road Warrior, Star Trek II, Poltergeist, E.T., Blade Runner, The Thing, Tron, Secret of Nimh, The World According To Garp, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Night Shift and Pink Floyd The Wall. Between the months of May and August, over fifteen films would be released that would not only define their genre, but become an enduring classic that would inspire future generations of artists, actors, writers and filmmakers.
So excited to listen to this.
ReplyDeleteQuick request: could you expose the RSS podcast feed, so those of us that don't use iTunes can subscribe? I just need the RSS URL you gave iTunes so I can put it in my podcast program.
...I know iTunes is important so I'll go subscribe/rate there for you guys, but I use an Android phone meaning iTunes is pretty inconvenient for actually downloading them is a pain.
No problem. RSS Feed link now added to main post.
ReplyDeleteOR
http://www.hollywood-gauntlet.com/hollywoodgauntlet.xml
Enjoy!
Great show, almost done. Really like the breakdown, and man there were a ton of good movies that year.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the direct RSS feed.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, loved the first episode. Surprisingly polished and put together for a pilot, though I guess John has a bit of experience...
My only suggestion is that with 4 people, all of whom are men of about the same age, it's kind of hard to keep track of who's who. I know John from having to listened to hundreds of hours of him talking, but the other 3 people kind of blended together. I suppose if they're regular panelists it will get easier, but I almost wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to call each other by name slightly more. Not saying to descend into used car salesman mode ("Okay, Steve, what'd you think of that movie, Steve?") but I could have used a tiny bit of help distinguishing voices.
Truth be told, I left the podcast thinking I was listening to THREE people conversing. So, you may be nto something there...
DeleteThanks for the suggestions. It all helps.
DeleteThe names of all three guests are introduced by name with a direct individual quote that appears later in the show. This was an idea to try to connect the name to the voice at the very beginning of each show. But I decided to have a little fun with the Dragon vs. Dragon intros, so I can see where the guests names and voice might get missed.
The show is still a works-in-progress, so any and all suggestions are welcome. But no, we will not be dropping into used car salesman mode. We tried some stereo separation to place each voice in a certain part of the mix, but found that longer stretches of talking felt unbalanced.
Since we already recorded the first six shows together, maybe by #3 or #5, they will be more familiar and easier to pick out. Hopefully for now, the content of what is said will drive the show and maintain interest, even in moments where the voices sound alike.
It's funny because I didn't care who was talking since the content had my attention. It could've been ten different guys but it didn't matter since I was so engrossed.
DeleteOh for sure the content is great and worth listening to. It's not even a big deal, because I'm sure over time it'll be clearer. Just a little suggestion.
ReplyDeleteJohn,
ReplyDeleteI've been a huge fan of your previous endeavor, The Hollywood Saloon, since its inception. I've listened to every episode (some more than once) in the series including all of the ancillary releases such as Saloon Shots and film-specific commentaries. I've always enjoyed your insightful comments, witty repartee and balanced criticism. Your ability to seamlessly interweave clips, commercials, music and interviews into the podcast is an incredible accomplishment. I'm often amazed at the wealth of information compiled within each episode. So I am thrilled to see that you are continuing to uphold the the high standards of the Saloon with The Hollywood Gauntlet.
I just finished listened to the initial Gauntlet episode. The podcast brought back so many great memories from the summer of '82. The program was like a trip down nostalgia lane in which I got to revisit countless of my favorite movie moments. I feel that I can relate to your experiences as we share a very similar sensibility toward movies and film culture in general (I'm a film school grad and I believe that we are about the same age). I've listened to a myriad of film-based podcasts and I consider this particular episode to be my favorite of all time. I've already recommended it to a number of my friends.
I want to thank you for producing the podcast and I wish you good luck on the new show. If the first episode is any indication then it should be a stellar series.
Great show!
ReplyDeleteI always find that with a new podcast, and new people, it takes a while to learn who everyone is and recognise all their voices. It probably does seem more pronounced with The Hollywood Gauntlet - but only because we are in the unusual position of knowing one voice very well.
Can I request a special guest presenter for a future show? I'm going to request that John tracks down "Milo" the "Cock-blocking" cinema manager from his childhood. :o)
Milooooooo. This note really made me laugh!
Delete- Hargrove
YES!
DeleteSolid first episode. I'm glad you're continuing John, and the more the better.
ReplyDeleteOne critique: I think it would flow better if the guys just spoke, instead of being asked what their thoughts were. There were a few points where I think John would say something like "what do you remember about that" or something to that effect, to begin a conversation. I don't know, it's not a big deal, and I'm probably being nitpicky, but that's all I have to say.
Also Spielberg completely regrets making those changes to ET. He definitely wants people to only watch the original version on blu ray.
Thanks John, for an absolutely fantastic podcast.
ReplyDeleteThis episode is GREAT... and I am not even done with it yet!
I just had to post this link...
ReplyDeletehttp://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6wrvh0pCG1qf1yxjo1_r1_500.jpg
Loved the '82 podcast. I wouldn't mind if you focused on other years as well, because you get to touch on multiple films in different genres within the same show. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMonster podcast! In fact this goes well beyond typical throwaway podcasting, it's one for the library!
ReplyDeleteGreat chemistry between the participants, it sounds so natural even if there's probably hours of editing involved. I was too young in 82 but you guys were the perfect age when these movies landed.