Moonstruck (1987) with Critic Jen Johans

Hello! Welcome to another edition of the exclusive audio commentary podcast hosted by David Hughes.  For this episode, I’m delighted to be joined by director Alberto Corredor for a peek under the hood of his terrific 2023 horror movie BAGHEAD. When I first saw the film, reviewing it for Time Out, it had a very late embargo, which normally means you can expect the worst. But even though I didn’t go in with low expectations – because I like to give every film a fair shot – I was still mightily impressed, not only by Freya Allen’s terrifically spiky performance, but also by the way Corredor understood what audiences wanted, and was determined to give it to them, without ever condescending to them with a knowing wink. Now that I’ve seen the 2017 short on which Baghead was based, I’m also impressed by how far the screenwriters went to build on not only the idea at the heart of the short, but also deeper themes of grief, inherited trauma and determinism. Massive thanks are due to Alberto for jumping on board, but also to Studio Canal, especially Mubanga Mweemba, for connecting us. Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Email David *at * Rogue-Commentary *dot* com or send us a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠tweet⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We have lots of exciting episodes in the works, so if you like what you hear – or just the idea – please subscribe, and remember to rate us wherever you hear this podcast – it'll really help us to keep going. Oh, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and/or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to stay up-to-date on our forthcoming releases. Thanks for listening! A ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Synchronicity⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ production, conceived and presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠David Hughes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Produced by Sam Ibrahim. Music by Olli Oja. All content © 2024 Synchronicity II Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hello! Welcome to another edition of the exclusive audio commentary podcast hosted by me, David Hughes.  For this episode, I’m thrilled to welcome Jen Johans, award-winning writer, film critics, essayist and historian, and host of the excellent Watch With Jen podcast. Now, that has really good guests, but Jen must be short for Jenerous because she always gives her guests more of the floor than she uses herself, so I thought it’d be perfect to invite her to record a solo commentary, and choose any film she wanted, and I’m super excited she chose Norman Jewison's timeless 1987 romantic comedy-drama Moonstruck, starring Cher and Olympia Dukakis – both of whom won Oscars for their performances – Nicolas Cage and Danny Aiello, from an Oscar-winning original screenplay by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright John Patrick Shanley. I’m a huge fan of Moonstruck, and I’m really excited to bring you this exclusive audio commentary, which I’m sure you’re going to love. Even though, as we all know, "love don’t make things nice. It ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess.” Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Email David *at * Rogue-Commentary *dot* com or send us a ⁠⁠⁠⁠tweet⁠⁠⁠⁠. We have lots of exciting episodes in the works, so if you like what you hear – or just the idea – please subscribe, and remember to rate us wherever you hear this podcast – it'll really help us to keep going. Oh, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ and/or ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ to stay up-to-date on our forthcoming releases. Thanks for listening! A ⁠⁠⁠⁠Synchronicity⁠⁠⁠⁠ production, conceived and presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠David Hughes⁠⁠⁠⁠. Produced by Sam Ibrahim. Music by Olli Oja. All content © 2024 Synchronicity II Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hello! Welcome to another edition of the exclusive audio commentary podcast hosted by me, ⁠⁠⁠David Hughes.⁠⁠⁠ For this episode, I’m delighted to welcome Gonzalo López-Gallego and José David Montero, director and cinematographer respectively of the terrific neo-noir American Star, in which Ian McShane plays an ex-soldier-turned-hitman who travels to Fuertaventura, one of the Canary Islands, to do a job, and finds himself on a journey into his soul. As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, we’re doing a second episode covering the splendid neo-noir American Star, in which Ian McShane plays an ex-soldier-turned-hitman who travels to Fuertaventura, one of the Canary Islands, to do a job, and finds himself on a journey into his soul. This time, our guest is screenwriter Nacho Faerna, and not just because he wasn’t able to make the first recording we did for this film, but also because he really gave birth to the story, and I thought his insights into the development of the film could offer a broader inspiration for aspiring screenwriters. Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Email David *at * Rogue-Commentary *dot* com or send us a ⁠⁠⁠tweet⁠⁠⁠. We have lots of exciting episodes in the works, so if you like what you hear – or just the idea – please subscribe, and remember to rate us wherever you hear this podcast – it'll really help us to keep going. Oh, and follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ and/or ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ to stay up-to-date on our forthcoming releases. Thanks for listening! A ⁠⁠⁠Synchronicity⁠⁠⁠ production. Conceived, written and presented by ⁠⁠⁠David Hughes⁠⁠⁠. Produced by Sam Ibrahim. Music by Olli Oja. All content © 2024 Synchronicity II Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hello! Welcome to another edition of the exclusive audio commentary podcast hosted by me, ⁠⁠David Hughes.⁠⁠ For this episode, I’m delighted to welcome Gonzalo López-Gallego and José David Montero, director and cinematographer respectively of the terrific neo-noir American Star, in which Ian McShane plays an ex-soldier-turned-hitman who travels to Fuertaventura, one of the Canary Islands, to do a job, and finds himself on a journey into his soul. It’s an elegiac, ruminative and surprisingly affecting film, with a captivating performance by McShane. He’s so good, in fact, so mesmerizing, that you almost miss the incredible work Nora Arnezeder is doing. For me, this was the film many critics thought they were watching when they raved about David Fincher’s The Killer, another film that deals a hitman’s ennui. Can you imagine how diminished American Star would be if it was slathered in voiceover, or if Ian McShane’s character played The Smiths on an endless loop? I really appreciate Gonzalo and José-David coming on to talk about one of my favourite films of the year so far, but I also have to thank screenwriter Nacho Faerna, who put us in touch. He wasn’t able to make the recording, but don’t worry – we’re going to record a separate Rogue Commentary with Nacho that will uncover all the screenwriting secrets of the film’s development, including how it was inspired by a conversation much like the one Wilson has with Max in American Star. Keep an eye out for that episode, which will be dropping soon. Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Email David *at * Rogue-Commentary *dot* com or send us a ⁠⁠tweet⁠⁠. We have lots of exciting episodes in the works, so if you like what you hear – or just the idea – please subscribe, and remember to rate us wherever you hear this podcast – it'll really help us to keep going. Oh, and follow us on ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ and/or ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ to stay up-to-date on our forthcoming releases. Thanks for listening! A ⁠⁠Synchronicity⁠⁠ production. Conceived, written and presented by ⁠⁠David Hughes⁠⁠. Produced by Sam Ibrahim. Music by Olli Oja. All content © 2024 Synchronicity II Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hello! Welcome to another edition of the exclusive audio commentary podcast hosted by me, ⁠David Hughes.⁠ For this episode, I’m delighted to welcome Lee Roy Kunz, co-writer, co-director and star of the impressive horror movie Deliver Us (2023), which – as you know, because you wouldn’t listen to an audio commentary without seeing the film first – concerns a priest sent to investigate a nun who believes that the immaculately-conceived twins she is carrying are destined to be the messiah and the antichrist. Filmed during the pandemic, mostly in Estonia, it’s an extraordinarily accomplished film, with a scope and production value that belies its low budget, and I particularly wanted to ask Lee Roy to give tips on how to stretch a budget as far as it can go. Despite the fact that his ten-month-old son had kept him up most of the previous night, Lee Roy was generous with his time and gracious and open with his answers to my questions, and I’m really grateful for him for guesting on the pod. Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Email David *at * Rogue-Commentary *dot* com or send us a ⁠tweet⁠. We have lots of exciting episodes in the works, so if you like what you hear – or just the idea – please subscribe, and remember to rate us wherever you hear this podcast – it'll really help us to keep going. Oh, and follow us on ⁠Twitter⁠ and/or ⁠Instagram⁠ to stay up-to-date on our forthcoming releases. Thanks for listening! A ⁠Synchronicity⁠ production. Conceived, written and presented by ⁠David Hughes⁠. Produced by Sam Ibrahim. Music by Olli Oja. All content © 2024 Synchronicity II Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of the exclusive audio commentary podcast hosted by me, ⁠David Hughes.⁠  This is a bittersweet episode; basically an edited and extended version of the audio commentary I recorded with director David Leland eighteen months before his death on Christmas Eve at the age of 82. The commentary was ostensibly for his 1990 drama The Big Man, starring Liam Neeson, Billy Connolly, Ian Bannen, Joanne Whalley – then Joanne Whalley-Kilmer – Hugh Grant and Peter Mullan, but David was so generous with his time we ended up talking about other films, including Mona Lisa, Personal Services, and Wish You Were Here, with sidebars about Harvey Weinstein, Ennio Morricone, Jeremy Irons, Pierce Brosnan and Tennesse Williams. It doesn’t really cue up with the film, but if you haven’t seen The Big Man, I urge you to check out Plumeria Pictures’ extras-packed Blu-ray, available from PlumeriaPics.co.uk I feel so privileged to have been able to meet David to discuss his incredible body of work, and hope you enjoy this look back at a brilliant career. Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Email David *at * Rogue-Commentary *dot* com or send us a ⁠tweet⁠. We have lots of exciting episodes in the works, so if you like what you hear – or just the idea – please subscribe, and remember to rate us wherever you hear this podcast – it'll really help us to keep going. Oh, and follow us on ⁠Twitter⁠ and/or ⁠Instagram⁠ to stay up-to-date on our forthcoming releases. Thanks for listening! A ⁠Synchronicity⁠ production. Conceived, written and presented by ⁠David Hughes⁠. Produced by Sam Ibrahim. Music by Olli Oja. All content © 2024 Synchronicity II Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hello! Welcome to another edition of the exclusive audio commentary podcast hosted by me, ⁠David Hughes.⁠ For this episode, I’m delighted to be joined by John Walsh, author of the exceptionally detailed, exhaustively researched and endlessly entertaining The Wicker Man: The Official Story of the Film, just out from Titan Books. We’re going to be watching the version of The Wicker Man known as The Final Cut, which has slightly different running times depending on the frame rate, but should stay in sync throughout our chat. John has spoken to almost literally everyone for the book, anyone who had anything to do with the making of the 1973 masterpiece, which happens to be my favourite horror film, and be celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. By the end of the commentary, you’ll think you know everything there is to know about the making of The Wicker Man, but I promise you, John has only scratch the surface: to dig deeper, you’ll really need to pick up that book – ideally a physical copy, as it’s a beautiful thing in its own right, packed with archive material, rare and previously unseen photographs and all kinds of other buried treasures. I’m really grateful to John for walking through the film with me, and for unearthing so much incredible background for the book and the commentary. Apologies for the slight quality degredation in the opening 20 minutes or so, likely due to dark magic by the people of Summerisle. Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Email David *at * Rogue-Commentary *dot* com or send us a ⁠tweet⁠. We have lots of exciting episodes in the works, so if you like what you hear – or just the idea – please subscribe, and remember to rate us wherever you hear this podcast – it'll really help us to keep going. Oh, and follow us on ⁠Twitter⁠ and/or ⁠Instagram⁠ to stay up-to-date on our forthcoming releases. Thanks for listening! A ⁠Synchronicity⁠ production. Conceived, written and presented by ⁠David Hughes⁠. Produced by Sam Ibrahim. Music by Olli Oja. All content © 2023 Synchronicity II Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hello! Welcome to another edition of the exclusive audio commentary podcast hosted by me, David Hughes. For this episode, I’m delighted to welcome the legendary Daniel Waters, screenwriter of Heathers, Demolition Man, Batman Returns and the film we’re here to talk about today: Hudson Hawk. It's well known that Hudson Hawk went wildly off the rails during production, but whether you love it or loathe it – for me it’s a little from column 'A', a little from column 'B' – it was fascinating to hear Steven De Souza’s exclusive Hudson Hawk commentary right here on Rogue Commentary back in March, and to re-examine the film here with Daniel Waters, who inherited the project from De Souza in 1990, and substantially rewrote it, for director Michael Lehmann, producer Joel Silver and star Bruce Willis. Hudson Hawk was arguably the victim of a perfect storm of a troubled production, poor marketing, anti-Bruce Willis sentiment, and ahead-of-its-timeism, and all four of those things are discussed here. I’d like to thank Daniel Waters for his time, and for revisiting the film with me, and for former Rogue Commentary guest Josh Olson for putting us in touch. Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Email David *at * Rogue-Commentary *dot* com or send us a tweet. We have lots of exciting episodes in the works, so if you like what you hear – or just the idea – please subscribe, and remember to rate us wherever you hear this podcast – it'll really help us to keep going. Oh, and follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram to stay up-to-date on our forthcoming releases. Thanks for listening! A Synchronicity production. Conceived, written and presented by David Hughes. Produced by Sam Ibrahim. Music by Olli Oja. All content © 2023 Synchronicity II Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hello! Welcome to another edition of the exclusive audio commentary podcast hosted by me, David Hughes. For this episode, I’m delighted to welcome esteemed critic and essayist Priscilla Page for a walk through Phil Alden Robinson’s unimprovable 1992 classic Sneakers. The commentary was recorded for Plumeria Pictures’ formidable 30th anniversary Blu-ray release, which also includes two other commentaries and a brilliant 45-minute video interview with the writer and director. It's available more or less exclusively from PlumeriaPics.co.uk with worldwide shipping available. Huge thanks to Priscilla and Plumeria for allowing us to air this super informative commentary from not only one of the leading voices in film criticism, by which I mean analysis and knowledgeable enhancement, but arguably the world’s biggest Sneakers fan. Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Email David *at * Rogue-Commentary *dot* com or send us a tweet. We have lots of exciting episodes in the works, so if you like what you hear, please subscribe, and remember to rate us wherever you hear this podcast – it'll really help us to keep going. Oh, and follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram to stay up-to-date on our forthcoming releases. Thanks for listening! A Synchronicity production. Conceived, written and presented by David Hughes. Produced by Sam Ibrahim. Music by Olli Oja. All content © 2023 Synchronicity II Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hello! Welcome to another edition of the exclusive audio commentary podcast hosted by me, David Hughes. On this episode, we take a deep dive into Martin Scorsese’s 1991 remake of J. Lee Thompson’s 1962 thriller Cape Fear, itself based on John D. MacDonald’s 1957 novel The Executioners, in which lawyer Sam Bowden and his family are terrorised by Max Cady, a violent rapist whom Sam testified against in a trial that helped put him in prison for more than a decade. In crafting his own exceptional take on the source materials, screenwriter Wesley Strick twists the knife still further, by making Sam Bowden the lawyer who defended Cady, rather than merely testifying against him, burying testimony that could potentially have exonerated Cady, despite his guilt. In addition, Strick added marital infidelity into the mix, muddying the moral and ethical waters of the story and enhancing the female roles of Sam’s wife and daughter, played here by Academy Award® winner Jessica Lange and newcomer Juliette Lewis, as well as adding a brand new character, Lori, played by Scorsese’s then girlfriend Illeana Douglas. Leading the cast are Nick Nolte as Sam and Robert De Niro as Max Cady, while three members of Thompson’s cast – Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Martin Balsam – make cameo appearances, Elmer Bernstein retools Bernard Herrmann’s original score for the new production, and the whole thing is shot by veteran British cinematographer Freddie Francis. Even on paper, it’s quite a heady mix. Everything in Scorsese’s remake, originally intended to be directed by Steven Spielberg, is turned up to 11, but although many assume that this was Scorsese’s influence, much of what we see in the film was present in Strick’s very first draft, and I’ve always been fascinated by the evolution of the story from its relatively straightforward dual source material as straight thriller to grand guignol monster movie, so I was thrilled when Wes kindly agreed to join me for his first full audio commentary for the 1991 film, now that, as he points out, more time has passed since his version was released than the 29 years that passed between the original and remake. Comments? Feedback? Suggestions? Email David *at * Rogue-Commentary *dot* com or send us a tweet. We have lots of exciting episodes in the works, so if you like what you hear, please subscribe, and remember to rate us wherever you hear this podcast – it'll really help us to keep going. Oh, and follow us on Twitter and/or Instagram to stay up-to-date on our forthcoming releases. Thanks for listening! A Synchronicity production. Conceived, written and presented by David Hughes. Produced by Sam Ibrahim. Music by Olli Oja. All content © 2023 Synchronicity II Ltd. All rights reserved.