66. Coppola Cast Redux: Sofia #10: On the Rocks (2020)

We’re off to the bright lights of the big apple for Curtis Hanson’s return to writing and directing with The Children of Times Square, a made for television movie of the week dealing with teenage runaways getting caught up in a life of crime in a grimy 1980’s (pre-Disney) Times Square. Though we found no background information about this movie, it's clear that Hanson took this opportunity to make his own version of Oliver Twist. For being a typical parental nightmare/scared straight story, this turns out to be a surprisingly engaging and compelling movie, thanks in large part to a very talented cast. Bryan and A.J. talk about some of the hokey elements (a band named the Raybops and a gang named The Leopards), memories of being a kid in the 80’s and early 90’s, and how this fits in with the Reagan-era fear of crime. We are also delighted to see Joe Spinell in his third Curtis Hanson movie. This episode’s themed drink was: The Algonquin.

This episode takes us into the arctic wilderness for Never Cry Wolf (1983), a very peculiar live action Disney film directed by Carroll Ballard, who also directed The Black Stallion (1979), and written by Curtis Hanson…and five other writers. Bryan and A.J. go into the troubled 3-year production of Never Cry Wolf, its unlikely ethereal tone, and speculate on when and how much Hanson was involved. We also talk about Ballard’s other animal movies, how star Charles Martin Smith spent so much time on set in Canada that he became a Canadian, and the origins of Touchstone Pictures and the PG-13 rating. This episode’s themed drink was: Alaskan Amber beer and beer w/absinthe (which we do not recommend).

Sofia Coppola has two new projects for us to talk about: one short, the other feature length. First up, Sofia directed the music video for A-Lister, a pop song by her daughter, Romy Mars, leading to the unofficial debut of a new segment called “Dad Describes Modern Music Video.” Then, Bryan and A.J. review Sofia’s first feature length documentary, Marc by Sofia, following her friend, fashion designer Marc Jacobs, as he prepares a new collection for the runway. We may not be the best people to talk about fashion, but we talk about Sofia's approach to the documentary, how she retains her cinematic style in a new genre, and how this is ultimately more of an intimate portrait of a friend by a friend. Tangents include: past experiences with coffee, Project Runway, and the most divisive movies & TV shows we ever watched at Vulcan Video. This episode’s themed drink was: cold-fashioned

The 1982 teen sex comedy Losin’ It put Curtis Hanson back in the director’s chair for a movie that was actually released in theaters (unlike some of Hanson’s previous projects). Today, Losin’ It is most notable as Tom Cruise’s first starring role, but neither Cruise or Hanson spoke kindly of the film, on the rare occasions either talked about it at all. Bryan and A.J. discuss how the screenplay doesn’t live up to the potential of the talent involved, where Losin’ It fits in the career trajectories of the cast and crew, and how it compares to other 80’s teen sex comedies (surprisingly tame, especially compared to the notorious Porky’s (1981)). Tangents include: From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), what Mad Men taught us about how to get a divorce, and proposing a double feature of Losin’ It and Eyes Wide Shut (1999). This episode’s drink was: Margaritas.

Spoiler alert: Bryan and A.J. are very excited to talk about White Dog (1982), directed by the great Samuel Fuller and co-written by Fuller and Curtis Hanson (we also give away plot details and twists). Paramount executives were expecting this story, about an actress who realizes the dog she has taken in has been trained to attack Black people on sight and the animal trainer who tries to retrain the dog, to be a sensational horror movie, but Fuller (director of Shock Corridor and The Naked Kiss) created a thoughtful art film that deals directly with racism. In going through the history and release of White Dog a familiar pattern emerges: Hanson writes a screenplay hoping to direct, does not direct, the film is made and then shelved or not released, at least not in America. We marvel at the talent involved on and off screen, including great performances from Kristy McNichol and Paul Winfield and a score by the legendary Ennio Morricone. We also talk about the film’s non-release, speculate on what White Dog would have been like if Hanson directed, and are impressed by Hanson’s resilience after another career setback that should have been a breakthrough. This episode’s themed drink was: Jim Beam.