George Miller - The Witches of Eastwick

0:00 I really miss Jack. The fact that he has not been in a film since twenty ten, it just saddens me. He wasn't even the star of that movie. Yeah, I don't know. I mean it saddens you because he's so amazing. But I like that, you know, actors no when to step off the stage, like sometimes you just can't keep going to your one hundred and ten. He's only eighty seven years young. He's got that you know, if you were gonna, if you were gonna retire, retire in two thousand and six after The Departed, that was a phenomenal movie, a phenomenal role. I'm hoping. I'm hoping that he's got one more and before he rides off in to the sunset in his awesome shades. But I asked you a question, and it's a lot more difficult than I imagined as I was thinking about my answer, So I want to ask you. I basically said, hey, top three favorite Jack Nicholson roles? Did you Was this difficult for you? Not? Not as difficult, I think as it was for you, because I immediately eliminated movies that, while they are brilliant and his performance is brilliant, they're not movies that I prefer to watch.

1:26 Okay, but again we're talking favorite, favorite role, so I'm going with like what do you Got? The ones that I like to watch over and over and over again. All Right, favorite three, top top three favorite? Jack Nicholson rolls What do You Got for Me? Okay? So my third favorite is a little movie that maybe not a lot of people have seen, called Heartburn. It's based on Nora Efron's autobiography about her marriage to Carl Bernstein. Okay, I surprised that you would go with that one. That's nineteen eighty six. It didn't make the list for our limited series nineteen eighty six. I might have to look into adding that to the lost episodes on Patreona. Favorite performance. Well, you know what's awesome is that undefinable thing called chemistry, and some actors have it, and you don't know why some actors don't and you think they should. Like some married actors are terrible in movies together, but Jack Nicholson and Meryl Street together in this movie are amazing.

2:40 They are pretty electric. All Right, what do you Got? What do you Got? Number two? Number two? Roll number two. It's not the best adaptation, but the Shining Jet Torrance. Yes, like he is literally what is on the page now the rest of the movies a hot mess, but what was in that book? He completely took that and that was his performance. And I mean nobody plays frustration Jack Nicol before before you take Kubrick's name in vain, we're gonna move on. What's your number one? My number one is the Joker? Okay? I I was Batman is like all the things, all right, and it's again Jack playing a character named Jack until he becomes the Joker. Yeah, it's hard, hard, hard to beat that. It may surprise you. The Joker is not one of my top three picks. No again, I said this is difficult.

3:44 I broke it. I broke it. No, not not necessarily, but uh, I will tell you I kind of broke when I when I looked at this, its like, give me the best of the decade. So I got I got a seventies pick for you. Okay. I absolutely love RP. McMurphy one flew over the Cooper's Nest. I just I can't watch that movie like he's a mania. It's amazing. Kin of rips my heart out, like it's heartbreaking, but it's he is, He's, he is just he's at times, he's repulsive at times, he is brilliant at times, he is heartbreaking, at times, he is hilarious. Love. I love r P. McMurphy. So that's my number, that's my no, no particular order, but I'll give you r P. McMurphy. I will echo your thoughts on Jack Torrance in The Shining that was nineteen eighty And then lastly, I might quote this character more than any other Jack Nicholson character nineteen ninety four, Nathan R. Yeah, I love, I love Jessup and a few good men. So yeah, it's not easy, you know when you look at his filmography, seventy like, seventy nine movies, seventy eight movies. Yes, it's a memorable, memorable role. But Amber, I want to talk about another one of his roles that I think definitely fell by the wayside. It's critically underrated. Let's talk about what he does in a film by George Miller, Miller's nineteen eighty seven underrated classic, The Witches of

5:18 Eastwick. Hello, everybody, I'm Jeff Johnson, I'm Amber Lewis, and this is a film by podcast. Yeah, imperator. Amber Lewis returns.

5:59 You were just you were here just a few days ago. We were talking Romeo and Juliet. Yes, Amber, party parting is always such sweet sorrow with you. So that's why we got to keep bringing you back all the time. You're a regular now, right, Yes, George with my name on the door. Yeah, we're working on it. We're working on it, George Miller. This past weekend he's got his newest furiosa, A mad maxtail hit hit the big screen. I did not get to see it yet. I'm hoping to see it tomorrow, though, hoping to How about you. I haven't seen it yet, and I don't know that I can handle seeing it in the theater. I saw Fury Road when I came out on TVD and the opening like ten minutes, like when we got to the end of that chase, my brother paused the movie because he knew I was like hyperventilated. Oh, like I was falling off the couch, like I was an absolute wreck, and like I needed to take a break. I catch that movie on a on an Imax screen, on a big screen with Dolby at most sound. Oh my gosh, I think you oh, you were, you were in, you were in, you were on Furry Road that whole time. It's just like yeah. And Sam told me, he was like, take a break, go get a drink, because this whole movie is just a chase scene. That's all it is. So you gotta buckle up, you know. It's it's difficult, like you know, we I've

7:31 been I've been circling George Miller for a few years, you know, for this, for this podcast. The problem is that when you talk George Miller, you immediately connect him to the mad Max saga, you know. And we're all about trying to find those those underrated films that directors do, and Miller arguably doesn't have many underrated films. So I come at you a few weeks back and I said, hey, let's you know, Furiosi is coming out. Let's talk Miller. I'm finally ready. Let's let's uh, let's do this this little movie called Lorenzo's Oil and it's a wonderful film, right yeah. But surprisingly your response was we're not gonna talk about which is of East Week? And I was like, well we are now, okay, So I mean it's right there, and I love so much. Oh, I'm glad we're going to talk about it. So George Miller describes the shoot on this one as difficult due to the studio's assumption that he was weak.

8:39 Did you hear about this? Yeah, just because I mean he wasn't like a diva. He wasn't high maintenance. He was focused on what was important. And they were like, oh, well, he's a pushover. He doesn't want a big trailer. And he comes into a budget meeting with ideas how to reduce the budget. Hey, studio execs in nineteen eighty seven, who are high on cocaine. I'm here to save you some money. You know what, i don't need a big, fancy trailer. I'll be on set, so don't worry about that. And they look at that. They look at that as like, oh, well, he doesn't need things, so we'll just we'll keep that in mind. Go's a pushover. And so everything he asked for during production was either denied outright or they approved it with minimal support. You know, he asked for for two cameras, they give him one. He asked for one hundred extras, they give him a dozen.

9:33 It's it's insulting honestly, you know, yeah, if you care about the budget at all, you're not gonna cut it on stuff like that. Yeah. Well, I mean the guy comes in saying, hey, here's how I can save you some money, and then they just start saying, well, you know, we'll we'll dominate this set now. I mean, and I don't know if that's because this is his American film debut, but I think there was a communication breakdown. You know, he didn't know the Hollywood system. They didn't really know this guy, and it's kind of surprising the movie turns out as good as it does, knowing that there's a lot of there's a lot of tension behind the scenes. I know we're going to talk about some of those things. But before we get into that, for the folks that haven't seen this one, Amber, can you give us a little little synopsis about the Witches of Eastwick. Absolutely, we have three small town friends, Alexandra, Jane, and Suki who each find themselves single in the middle of their lives and this opens up powers that they don't really realize that they have. And into the town comes Darryl van Horn and he starts working his magic on each of them and As they spend more time with him, their powers begin to grow, and it's all fun and games until things kind of take a sour turn and they start to get concerned about what Darryl's ultimate intentions really are. This cast, I want to let's talk about this

11:07 cast, because that's a I think you paint a very good picture there, because this is this movie is is dark, but it's funny, but there's some some stuff going on you're not sure about. There's a mystery, you know, is this a supernatural movie? Is it not. We're gonna find out. But uh, you mentioned these three friends Amber. I want to I'm gonna actually rack and stack this in order of who I think was the big draw for these three friends, because when you hear these names. Nowadays we say these names and they're all three legendary actresses. But in nineteen eighty seven, you gotta wonder who was Who was the draw? Right, So let's talk about don't wonder, Okay, okay, I think was the draw.

11:54 The draw's gotta be share Share Share. Is she's playing the role of Alexandra. She is coming off of Silkwood that she was as you know, she was nominated for a Cameo Award for She was in Mask, one of my favorite movies growing up. I love that movie with Eric Stultz. Yes, and obviously she's Share Sonny and Cher you know amazing, uh, you know singer. So I think Shar's got to be the the heavy And I don't mean that in the physical sense. I mean that in the box office draw. She's got to be the go to for this this trio, right, Yes, I one hundred percent agree with that. Nobody was bigger than her in the eighties, Like she just created this whole She's had so many careers. This was like her second career where she was an amazing actress and then you know she went back to music later on, like she just there's just stopping her. No, no stopping her. Think about No, there's definitely no stopping Share. In nineteen eighty seven, she's in the Witches of Eastwick. She's in a film called Suspect with Dennis Quaid. Oh that movie is so good, you see. Okay, I'm glad you've seen it because it is it's premier of Liam Neeson. Yes, and then let's not forget she's in She's also in Moonstruck, which she wins the Oscar for Best Actress for Yes, Shares Happened to a Hell of a Year nineteen eighty seven.

13:24 Absolutely, she looks at this, she looks at this script. She's offered the role of Jane, and she says, Yeah, I think I'll go ahead and do this. I'll take the role of Alexandra. At that time, it was already given to Susan Sarandon, though, and what I would think is a bit of a faux pas in Hollywood. John Peter is the producer. He goes ahead and says, Okay, well we'll swap you guys, But no one tells the actresses about the role swap until they arrive on set. And this leads Susan Sarandon to not speak to Share for several weeks. Could you imagine your Susan Sarandon, You're you're coming in, You're you're prepping for this role, You're ready for this role, and then Hi, Share, Oh Hi, I'm ready to play Alexander. Oh me too.

14:13 Wait what you know? I know We're gonna talk a little bit about more about John Peters later, but dude, that's so like he was such a lunatic, Like just that's underhanded, you know, well, but it also I think it is of the time, and you know, I think he's probably one of those men that thinks, you know, oh, we have to pit these two against each other, so they really crackle on screen, and she he probably was stuff like that, I'm gonna throw a name at you. I'm gonna throw a couple of names at you. When we're talking about this trio. Angelica Houston auditioned for the role of Alexandra. She didn't get it. Obviously, she didn't get it, but they she knew I had it, like like before they were even looking at Susan s Randon.

15:00 They you know, she's not getting it. But I was like, think about that, Like, isn't it. Like a year later, she she does end up playing a witch and that that creepy kids movie The Witches, was that I think, Yeah, she was so good in that too. Yeah, I think that worked out well for everybody. Susan Sarandon we just mentioned. So again we're talking about box office draw up until this, she's her big hits Rocky Horror Picture Show. Obviously, Uh, she does a small movie called Pretty Baby that's that a lot of people know about, and then uh. The Hunger, which might be the weirdest, oddest vampire film I've ever watched. Amongst the general consensus among anybody that's seen that movie.

15:45 Yeah, uh, she beats out Kim Cattrall, which I could see Kim control playing this role, playing Je playing Je. Maybe you think a little repress, little repressed and then let's out her wild side. I mean maybe eighties era Kim Katral maybe. And this is think about this, this is this is one year before Sarandon, I think really finds her stardom. Bull Durham is just so and I think maybe she got that movie because of this movie. I'm certain she got that movie because of this movie. I think about this. You know, without this movie, there's no Bull Durham.

16:26 Without Bull Durham, there's no thumb on Luise. So yeah, you know, yeah, I think, yeah, it all worked out rounding out the role that this trio of friends. For the role of Suki, they look at Daryl Hannah. Daryl Hannah refuses, she doesn't an audition, she doesn't want to read for it. She turns down the role due to quote ethical reasons. So yeah, okay, you don't you don't want to be at like a foursome with two others stars and Jack Nicholson. We get it. Sure, Okay, that's okay, because got a line she was being a fish and you know, cave woman. But yeah, this is where her line was. Mermaids and cave women are acceptable. They are ethical characters, which Sleepy with Jack Nicholson is is not that. But Michelle Pfeiffer did not have a problem with it. Probably has the least heat, certainly not the least, the least talent, but her claim to fame at this point before the Witches of East week, you know Grease too, which I will not say a bad word about because und well, okay now, and I definitely won't, but I was. I just I didn't want to get in trouble with Amanda Janic, who happens to love Grease too, so I'm just we'll leave that one alone. But Kevin's sister from our Craft episode, oh yeah,

17:56 yeah, before You, we have in common before You and Amanda fashion a voodoo doll out of wax and my my dirty laundry and a photo like I'll just say, hey, no issues with Grease too at this time, so good job. But uh, you know, she memorable role and Scarface and then Amber. How do you not fall in love with Michelle Pfeiffer in Lady Hawk? Oh my god, I'm still to this day. She is the most beautiful woman in the world. I mean in Lady Hawk, especially breathtaking and so talented, Like I just adore her. You know, it's been a while. I mean, I know we've done a Richard Donner episode.

18:37 We know we did Scrooge for Christmas, but I think you and I should do Lady Hawk. Can we do that this summer with Lady Hawk? Okay? Absolutely? You heard it here first Richard Donner. Another Richard Donner episode coming up. We're gonna do Lady Hawk because I love that film. But uh, all right, so we got our trio right. Another name mentioned, not for any role in particular, but a lot of There was a lot of buzz that this film needs Pam Greer. Pam Grier should be one of the one of the witches. I saw that and I just cannot, for the life of me figure out who she should have played. I don't know, because like when you look at these I mean, the three characters are they're very distinct. It's not like, you know, you have trouble telling their personalities apart. So you know, maybe she's maybe she's Alexandra, you know, very very That's kind of what I was thinking, because she's such a strong woman. Yeah, that I would see Pam Griers in Alpha, you know, she leads the coven. I would think. I'm you know, I love Pam Greer. So don't take this the wrong way when I say this. I'm kind of glad that this didn't happen because I feel like Pam Grier's renaissance, her comeback happens in Jackie Brown, Yes, for sure, and that is such an exceptional performance that she gives. So I'm glad that we kind of waited on Pam Greer for for the exact right role because I would love to. I would have love to have seen her in this, but I don't think it would have been absolutely right for Yeah, I mean, and I like the Kevin that we got, so absolutely.

20:08 Let's talk about the Let's talk about the male lead here. So originally this this film has Bill Murray playing Darryl van Horn and let's just let's let's let's let that marinate for just a moment, because Bill Murray in this this specific role works. This definitely could have been a Bill Murray movie. Come on, no, no, it would have been a completely different movie. It would have been. But nobody wants to go to bed with Bill Murray and they do? You want to go to bed with Jack Nicholson in this? Heck? Yeah? What? Okay? I did not see that coming, not even one hundred miles away. I will say this. In doing research on this, I saw that it was you know, they tried to make it into a television show later on, and then a Broadway musical, and it had several different iterations of them trying to get this musical off the ground, and the London production had Ian McShane. Oh now there is a perfect and oh my god, that's that's perfect casting right there. Ian McShane definitely could have played Darryl van Hold like would have been such a good well listen, so Bill Murray drops out, changes his mind and you remember this

21:41 is like you know, Bill did like a stretch where after after Ghostbusters he kind of, you know, he kind of goes off the grid for a bit. You know, he's not he's not showing up, And I think that's kind of what happened here maybe I think I think this role was like he was like, all right, I'm ready to come back, and then he doesn't, and then thankfully he does end up coming back a year later for Scrooge. But so he drops out. Rutger Hower, we're talking abou Lady Hawk. Rutger Hower meets with George Miller three times about the role. He's pretty he's pretty solid. He's thinking, all right, I got this, you know, and he's got that Hitcher heat on him where Yeah, this guy is psychotic, he's scary, but he also is charming and he's you know, and Lady Hawk. You know, I mean well, and I think Lady Hawk, I mean, we'll get into it later on excitedly.

22:32 But he shows that he has a sense of humor in that movie. Yeah, it's very subtle, but it's there. It's there. But Miller's said, you know, Miller's not feeling him. And meanwhile, Angelica Houston goes home to tell her boyfriend at the time, Hey, I tried out for this part. I'm not gonna get it. Oh, what's the part? Which is a Beastwick. Boyfriend is Jack Nicholson, who likes the idea of playing the devil or a devil, and you know the connection between him and Miller is immediate. Oh so so share and yeah, okay, yeah, I'll call George. We're gonna do this. And Miller's just pleased his pie that you know he's got Jack Nicholson. So I like the fact that Nicholson protects George Miller here because we talked about Miller and the studio, right think your power for good. Yeah, So the studio like they're fighting back and forth with Miller. Miller is like, well, you guys don't know who I am. I'm I'm from the Wasteland. You know, I made mad Max. So he starts refusing to shoot anything until they give him what he asked for. So now we're wasting all kinds of money. They threatened to fire him. Jack Nicholson says, if you fire him, I'm off the project. So absolutely love the Yeah, the chemistry between between those two guys is fantastic in this I think can we talk Can we talk about the I know we gotta get I know, I know we're we're going long here

24:03 already, but uh, can we talk real quick about the show stealing performance in this film? Because I know you love her. We gotta talk about Veronica Kart right, I mean, do we have to? I like, fast forward through all of that. Shame on you, fast fast forward Verroca krt right. She is off the rails. She's stealing every scene she's in. Yeah, but it's so gross, Like I just, well, okay, I cannot It is gross, but but in a in a a twisted humorous way, what do you Okay, let me ask you this. You know what, We'll move We'll move away from Veronica Kart right here. But I gotta I gotta know better use of Cherry's and vomiting in a film?

24:48 Is it? Is it Nicholson and Veronica Krart right in the Witches of Eastwick? Or is it pretty much everybody in town? And stand by me? You gotta do you got a favorite? I'm like, is there another movie that's this gross? I'm gonna have to go stand by me projectile vomiting. Yeah, the scene Isley you're your Your love of alien is well documented. So I just I thought, Veronica Cartwright, you're And I do love her in that movie for sure. She's a great actress and everything. I don't know how much she gives to the story other than you do need a sort of climax to their powers. They need to know how dangerous what they're playing with it well, and we need to know how dangerous he is, because she's kind of like his his amusement, because she starts off she's this pious woman, she's singing at the school function. She's like the epitome of of of wholesomeness. And then she starts doing like a a Reagan McNeil in The Exorcist, Like she starts saying some really crass dialogue and she starts getting a little nasty looking, and yeah, only like unfortunately for good, but she looks so crazy that nobody's listening to what she's saying. And she's telling the

26:19 truth, like she's they are playing with the devil in that house. Her character is important because she I feel like she's like the prophet right She's she's she's telling she's trying to warn the town about the devil, and because of his machinations, like she doesn't have a chance to be held, like no one's could taking her seriously because she's disgusting and losing her mind. And yeah, you mentioned, uh, you mentioned that they had done a spin off. Uh, she's the only one that reprised her role that the spin offs called Eastwick, and she actually reprises her role which I never saw it. I don't know if it's any good. Probably not, because it didn't last more than a couple episodes. I don't think. Yeah, I think they didn't even get a whole season. Yeah. Well, unfortunately, like it's a great story, it would be, it would be. I don't know why they can't get it off the ground. Maybe because the movie is so good. Maybe I'll tell you what we'll we'll talk about that and more when we return from these messages. We were back Amber Lewis talking about the Witches of east Wick. Amber. This is based off of the nineteen eighty four novel by John Updike, the same name. I hadn't seen this in a long time. I was surprised when I saw the name John Williams for score, because this is you know, you don't think Witches of Eastwick when you think John Williams, but you should, because that man never took a day

27:52 off in his life. Never, He's still working. This gets nominated for Best Score, Best Sound as well, but William's getting a nomination for Best best score. Your thoughts on his work in the Witches of Eastwick. Oh my gosh, I love the theme for this movie. We were the house on the corner growing up that like blared music and Halloween and like went all out with decorations and stuff. So this piece of music was one of the things we played every year. I watched this recently. I'm going through the credits, the credit, the sequet, the music playing of the credits might be my favorite music of the of the of the movie. And I send you this message. William's score has a bit of Harry Potter vibe, especially the end credits. It feels related your your immediate response, I really disagree with this take. Well, I did say a bit. I mean it's whimsical, like, okay, am I am I way off on this.

29:00 I mean I feel like he really dialed Intoto the witchiness of it, and I think Harry Potter is more about, Hey, Harry Potter has fun of Yeah, magic and magic is not dangerous. Magic is just fun and candy and you know, stuff like that. So this to me is much darker and and creepier and be careful what you wish for kind of a vibe. So this is women dancing naked around a bonfire. You know this is not little kids playing with sticks? All right, well, I'll I told you I think well kids playing with hey, people are dying at Hogwarts. I'll remind you, like it was, there was some darkness going on there.

29:49 But you know, naked women dancing at bonfires, kids playing with sticks, well, you know that's that's the talk for another time. So there's there's two interesting things going on behind the scenes. I want to talk about real quick. Can we First let's let's discuss the madness of John Peters. He's he's producing this movie. Now, Anyone that is a fan of Kevin Smith or the Tim Burton Superman knows that John Peters loves to like insert himself into the story making process and for reasons no one ever understands. He just wants, hey, let's have a giant spider. Why, you know, he tries to put a giant spider that you know, as the stories go, tries to put like a giant you know spider in the Superman movie That never happens, but guess what it does end up in the wild, wild West with Will Smith. He's always thrown up these goofy ideas, and he has a really goofy one, well not goofy, it's just it's just downright stupid.

30:52 And this have you do? You know? Okay, yeah, like what does he want? What does he want? The Witches of beast Wick? He wants Aliens to arrive, which has nothing to do with anything anything, right, He goes so far. He brings a man dressed up like an alien on set, demanding George Miller put him in any scene, not just write as you know, he doesn't say, hey, write a scene that makes sense. He just says, put this guy in any scene. Rumor has it he was a huge fan of Aliens James Jim Cameron's Aliens from nineteen eighty six, which, hey, who is it you? And I love that movie. Everyone loves that movie. Doesn't mean you just throw a Xeno morph into a New England town. I mean, right, hire Sigourney Weavers then, like show your love that way. That would make that would have made a lot of sense. I could see Sigourney Weaver ver Attica Cartwright together again, together again. Sigourney could have played the Jane role. You know, Jane's a musician. Sigourney was Dana Barrett and Ghostbusters that Nope.

32:01 He he just says, put an alien in here somehow so. But that's that like a cocaine fueled Hubris, Like this started out at fourteen as a hairdresser. Like he's not afraid of anything. He bullied his way. It's Hollywood in a way that's just legendary. So I'll never understand how he got to where he is, you know. Aside from this, like we said, Share shows up, says I want this role, not that one. He says, Okay, he doesn't even bother to call Susan's Rand and he just says, I guarantee you the day Susan's Randon shows up on set and finds that out, it's it's him telling like a PA, like, hey, I need you to go tell the Susans Rand and this I'm not available for comment. He probably leaves, you know, he's yep, he's probably in the theater watching Aliens for like the fifth time, which I don't blame him for that, but yeah, John Peter's just just being weird man.

32:53 Yeah, I don't get it. Another thing I really don't understand. George Miller has a real disdain for Share and it's one thing to not be happy about working with someone, but George Miller is incredibly transparent and open the entire time they're filming. Did you were you aware of this? No? Okay, So he is on set and anytime he wants to complain about something, he's complaining about Share allegedly he when he says her name, he says it like using air quotes and openly and not just complaining like on set, complaining on set in front of her Shares autobiography, she even talks about how difficult their relationship was working together. She claims that he called her on her like to wish her happy her fortieth birthday, calls her and what she thinks is at first is like a roast because he's just saying everything he doesn't like about her physically and profession He just keeps keeps ripping and like she hung up the phone in tears, like I don't want you on this movie. You're not right for this role, you're too old. Me and Jack both don't want you on here, like you know, and kind of throwing Jack Nicholson's name around. I was like, that's if there's true, if that's true, like that is that is just terrible. I don't know. I wonder if it has something I mean, I have no idea, but I wonder if

34:23 it has something to do with like, like we said, she was so huge, yeah, and she's I don't think she's anybody to be pushed around, and maybe he was like intimidated. If I don't kind of bully her, she's not gonna do what I say. You think there's Well, that doesn't make it right the control things. Oh no, absolutely not. I'm just saying, like, I just don't understand like that kind of behavior. So m hm. That's the only reason why I can think you would do something like that is if you're intimidated by this person, you're going to try to bully them first, you know, when you think that's the way you have to relate to them. I am set a fan of share in this film, especially when she replies to Jack Nicholson after like their lunch date and he he like strips in front of her with his manservant and SLINKs into his bed. She's like, what do you what do you think you're doing?

35:15 And he's I'm not gonna repeat what he says, you know, But her reply is it's a Hall of Fame. Apply reply, It's like Chevy Chase and Christmas Vacation on that that that that rant listeners. If you have not seen this movie, I don't. I haven't checked in, but I'm hoping that's on YouTube at least so you could you could at least see that scene because Chaer is just crushing it in her response and like what she thinks of Jack Nicholson's character in that in that moment. I love that moment for share. Let's any scene come to mind for you, any anything that you want to talk about, anything that, like, you know, you absolutely loved or we My absolute I have two My absolute two favorite scenes are when they are working their magic together. The first scene is in the very beginning.

36:13 They get together for a girl's night and they don't even know that they're conjuring, and they're just talking about, you know, okay, if we're gonna go out there and we're going to try to find somebody, you know who, who do we want? Who's the ideal man? And this is how they conjure Jack Nicholson and pull him to the town. And that whole scene is just every I mean without the conjuring but it's every girl's night I've ever had. You know, you're eating junk and drinking martinis and bitching about you know, the guy in town that's a slub, and you know it's just perfect. Like the chemistry between the women is just it's delightful. It's fantastic.

37:00 Now I'm gonna I'm gonna bring back something that you said at the start of this. So they're talking about the ideal guy, right, and they're the traits, the characteristics, yes, and they more or less do describe like what we get in Darryl Van Horn Jack or Jack Jack Nicholson's character. He basically fits the bill because like when he shows up, you know, I'm like this, Jack Nicholson is what they're what what the ideal guy is, because like they're talking about like he's gotta be good looking, and then one of them is like, no, not too good, just you know, good looking, and I'm thinking, so, so Nicholson with a with a ponytail, That's that's what you're going and and I'm just thinking he's repulsive.

37:46 He's he's he's one step away from Danny DeVito and twins with the ponytail. I'm just looking at but you said you said yes to Jack Nicholson earlier, like Jack Nicholson is is he's bringing the heat in this amber. It's less about his looks, although I think he is very handsome. He's unusual looking. But yeah, with Jack Nicholson though, for me, it's the charisma, like it's the way he says what he says. And I mean he's just a smooth operator, I think, especially in this movie. I mean, he can be disgusting. You know, it depends on the movie you're watching. We on our limited series nineteen ninety six, we did We did that Jackyl and Hyde movie. What was it? Mary Riley? Yes?

38:39 And I put you if I remember right, I put you at the bar and I said, hey, John Malkovich, Jekyl is at one end, John Malcovich Hide is at the other end where your head. And you want to let it say you went with John Malcovich Hide, which surprised me. So I'm gonna put you. I'm sending you back to the bar and here comes a drink from nineteen eighty seven Jack Nicholson, or at the other end, here's nineteen eighty seven Bill Murray, and you're telling the bartender to send Bill Murray's drink back. Well, I'll tell you what like when Jack Nicholson, when Darryl Van Horn first propositions Alexandra, it's very crude, it's extremely crude, and she just rubs him apart. Yeah, and she starts to walk away and he turns over on the bed and he looks at her and goes, well, if that's the way you feel about it, that's you feel about it? Is that the way you feel about it? And I'm telling you Panny's off. I'd be like, okay, I can't believe you just used that expression. That's I mean, it's a right, No, this is not this is a worst dream. Oh no, I'm sorry for everything. Oh no, don't apologize. Well edit that out. We will not hit that out. You know your your creed behavior stands your your your your Van Horne stands. Darren can get it saying okay that that that

40:10 surprises me. I would I would love to hear you know almost half of our audience is female. I would love if they would just email us, hit us up to tell me. You wouldn't be like, all right, I want to know where I want to know where our listeners lie. On this one, you know, is it is it Nicholson or is it Murray in nineteen seven? Who's who is dropping your panties? Remember that's fantastic? All right? So I'll tell you what. Let's take one more break so we can compose ourselves, and then when we get back we got we're gonna talk a little bit about George Miller and his his filmography. We are back and we are ready to discuss George Miller. So so Amber, I'm gonna give you two fun facts that you may or may not know, our listeners may or may not know. And I and a pretty nice quote from the man who doesn't get along with share. First off, and if you have listened to our limited series of film at forty five, I know last month Scott and David did an awesome episode on Mad Max. This is where and this is where I learned it. So I'm cheating. I'm kind of stealing their homework. But George Miller was a medical doctor before he was a film director. No, no go, I did the fact check. They're right,

41:44 that's actually that's how he made money. He made money for the budget for Mad Max. He was a medical doctor. He went to some Film Festival, fell in love with movies and decided I want to make one myself. So you know, wow, yeah, medical Doctor. He's like the Australia and Michael Creighton. Yeah. Another fun fact and I you know, I don't mean to make this a mad Max faq, But in nineteen ninety seven he was supposed to be directing a film for Warner Brothers called Contact. Did you ever see that one with Matthew McConaughey and Jodie Foster. It's only like one of my favorite books and one of my favorite mecas. Yes, it almost was. He was, and there was a there was some serious, uh creative differences happening. The only way Warner Brothers could figure out a way to get rid of him because they, you know, they I think of what is who is? It's a mechas that directs that one. Yes, yeah, so they they've got some mechas waiting in the wings, and they're like, we got to get rid of George. They give him the rights to Mad Max too, The Road Warrior and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.

42:54 They give him the rights to make him go away. And had they not done that, we wouldn't have mad Max Fury Road. We wouldn't have Furiosa, a Mad Max tale in theaters this this past weekend. So someone at Warner Broth, thank you Warner Brothers exactly right in the late nineties because they just you know, there wasn't there wasn't gonna be any more mad Max and now that. And then once he gets complete control over it, he's like, oh, I'll do whatever I want now, so right, take my gazillion dollars now. On the process of filmmaking, this is what George Miller has to say. He says, and I quote, I see filmmaking as a strange journey. In mythology, the trickster leads you into the forest.

43:42 Film is to me the trickster. I think I can be around one thousand years and never understand the process. Kind of poetic, wouldn't you say, Yes, I love it. Let's uh, we're gonna, we're gonna, We're gonna cruise through his filmography as if we were on Fury Road. Listen, we talked about he does his directory. W If We're being Fair is an Australian film called The Devil in Evening Dress from nineteen seventy five. There's no information. You can't you can't stream it. I wonder why I even bring it up. But nineteen seventy nine he blows the doors off of the entire world with Mad Max and a young Mel Gibson. I'm not gonna say another word about it. Go check out our episode a film at forty five Mad Max because Scott and Dave are just dropping all kinds of amazing information.

44:39 Amber, I know you're a Mad Max fan. Where's the original life for you? Are you a fan? Uh? Sue? I have never seen a single frame of the first three that I know from Mad Max before Fury Road is the Tina Turner. We don't need another hero music video. I can't stand that kind of future. And everybody is gross and just rotting things and skulls and yeah, it's post apocalyptic nop. I have never killed each other for gasoline yep, never once watched any of them. And then until Fury you are missing out on some awesome, awesome movies. I'm so sad.

45:34 I told you I player oh man, Yeah, at the commercial break, You're like, I'm gonna blow your mind. When we talked about from like, oh what'd you learn what you bought? Yeah? I didn't. I didn't see that coming. No man, nineteen eighty one, Mad Max two, The Road Warrior, and I talked to Dave about this. That was my introduction to Mad Max. I saw it on HBO with my older cousins supposed to like thought the Road Warrior was. It loved it well because it was built as the Road Warrior Wasn't you know? It was only selected markets that called it Mad Max two. And when my older cousins were like, oh, you don't even know, and then we went to the video store and got Mad Max, I was, oh, I was in post apocalyptic Kevin. Okay, let's let's jump to nineteen eighty three. I know you've seen this film. Well no, I shouldn't say I no. I hope you show the film twilight Zone the movie. He directs what I think is probably my favorite segment of the of the film. He does the segment Nightmare at twenty thousand feet with John. At least it's the segment where no one was murdered, so you know, well, yeah, I's got that going before it. It's got a lot more than that going for it.

46:43 It's there are this is Yes, it's a really good segment because you're remaking one of the most famous Twilight Zone episodes. Yeah, William Shatner, but John Lithgow does a great job. I think. I think Shatner's Tilet's Own episode is one of my all time favorite Twilights episodes. But but let Go really dials it up. He makes that character's own. It's scary. Well, and they came up with such a better gremlin too. Oh goshya that grip. That thing scared me. That thing is terrifying. So nineteen three, I was terrified of seeing that thing outside, Like we're taking a trip and it's dark and rainy. I'm terrified that thing's you know, it's gonna be be out there. Begrudgingly, I will skip past nineteen eighty five when it's Mad Max Beyond Thunderdoom, which is awesome, but you haven't seen it, so I just know that the glorious Tina Turner did a bang song for it. Well, she does a She has a glorious performance too. You're missing out. She is fantastic in the role. I digress. You want to talk briefly nineteen ninety two, you want to talk about Lorenzo's Oil.

47:52 Yeah, I mean, it's it's too bad we couldn't have done both. But they're so completely different. But Lorenzo's Oil is a beautiful story. It's based on a true story about a little boy with a degenerative disease and his parents, you know, working to find any kind of treatment that will, you know, alleviate his symptoms, that give him a better quality of life. This is a this is just a few years after The Witches of Eastwick. He's uh, he reconnects with Susan Sarandon. Clearly, Share is not going to be the one, right, No one called for Lorenz's Oil. But Sarandon just incredible in this film, right, She's she's nominated for the Best Actress oscar Yeah, I can't remember who she lost out to, but ninety two might have been Jeddi Foster. Well it was ninety this was ninety three, So all you're all you're saying, maybe she lost out to Jeddy Foster. Bad maybe at any rate, I mean, she really plays a very you know, forceful, loving, fierce mother. You know, kind of sets her up to play more moms in the future. Yeah, George Miller, he gets the uh, the nomination the Best Screenplay just it's it's a it's a fantastic film. Yeah, it really is beautiful, and I mean from the guy that made that next you get there, yeah, like

49:23 yeah, yeah that the idea that that the wasteland can give birth to something like Lorenzo's Oil is truly spectacular. And that's something that a lot of people have always said about George Miller. He has one of the most eclectic catalogs. I mean, he is all over the map and nothing could be further from the truth. Because in nineteen ninety eight he does Babe, Pig in the City. I'll do Pig George Miller, Babe, come on, get me serious, and then follows it with the Happy Feet, with that Happy Fee in two thousand and six he does Happy Feet. Now, now it's like, hey, this this amazing animated film that's got all this critical claim is out. Oh who did it? Oh you know the guy that did Mad Max. Yeah yeah it's him. No, no, it's not no, no really, And anyone could say maybe he's lost his edge, and then well, well yeah, because two thousand and six he does Happy Feet.

50:25 Twenty eleven, it's Happy Feet two. Now we're starting to think we're the the Warner Brothers exects right, and is he soft? Is he a weak? Is he weak? Well, he answers everybody, because twenty fifteen he's back with mad Max Fury Road. He took all that Warner Brothers, all those rights, gives us this high octane, explosive chase sequence that takes two hours to get to get finished. I love Fury Road. It is fantastic, so good and not I mean we already said not remotely my movie at all, but boy, did I enjoy it. I'll tell you it's something I might have to I might have to load you my copy. But you might not know this. There there is on the Collector's edition, the Blu Ray. There is a black and white version of Matt Max Ferry Road called It's the Black and Chrome Edition. And you would think, like, because this movie had it's so the colors are so vivid, and the cinematography is gorgeous and the action is just intense, you think I can't watch this in black and white, And you would be wrong, because it's awesome.

51:30 It sounds really interesting. All right, I'll tell you what I'm gonna get. I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna get you. I'm gonna loan you my copy because you gotta see it. I think I think you're gonna like it. Okay, so something, I'll be fair. I haven't seen it, so I don't know if I'm liking it, but I remember sitting in a theater. I was sitting in a theater. I don't even remember what the movie was, but I remember the preview. Me and Dave are about to watch something, and then from visionary director George Miller, and I got excited in a hurry because Furry Road had just had happened, and it's this movie called Three Thousand Years of Longing. Have you seen one yet? I have not, but I was definitely on my list. Uh, just because of Idris Elba. Is this one of the weirdest trailers you've ever seen?

52:16 I mean, I honestly couldn't tell you what's gonna be about, but I'm I mean, it looks there I'm in well, okay, so it looks like it almost looks like like, uh, this woman has taken like some kind of eat prey, love tour or pilgrimage. She buys this little lamp and then she she's cleaning it and oh guess what it's a magic lamp, a genie appears, and in the genies a ginormous Idris Elba. It's got this weird music and like I never have Well, the last time I saw a trailer that was was this confusing and and yet intriguing was probably pulp fictions back in the nineties. I was thinking everything everywhere all at once. Okay, yeah, you know what, I will thank you for clarifying that.

53:07 Yeah, that's I watched that trailer and I was like, what's going on? What the hell is going on? And I had that feeling with three thousand years of longing, but it wasn't enough for me to go I want to know what's going on. And it's streaming right now. I you know, it's out there, and I still have. I brought myself to watch it because and I'm like, wait, what's what? Want? You love eat Yourselba? You love George Miller. Well, it's kind of like you don't know what mood you need to be in to watch it. Like I don't want to be a romance or an adventure or a fantasy from the trailer. I just assume I need to be high as a kite, you know, because because I don't know what the hell is going on that one that's a holiday weekend. Maybe this is the weekend. Uh, not for me, not for me. Uh. So we got to talk about what's next for mister Miller because I'm excited. He is in production on Mad Max The Wasteland. Now. I am hoping and praying that Furiosa. It's so far it hasn't blown the box office up just yet, but you know, it's only had one weekend, so I think we're gonna get there. But it did. It is up against a big budget, so you know, the word has it. Tom Hardy is back as Max, and The Wasteland is supposed to take place after Furiosa and before Fury Road. So why Miller is doing this? I've got a trilogy, and I'm gonna give you three.

54:38 Then I'm gonna give you one. The I'm gonna give you two. He's all over the place with it. But sign me up. If the words mad Max are the title, I don't care who's starring. As long as George Miller's directing. I'm there for it. You're there, yeah, Amber, I know you recommend seeing this film. Any final thoughts about the Witches of Eastwick. You know, it really holds up. It's an eighty six movie that you know, I feel or excuse me, eighty seven that does not feel like you know, you're watching some dated thing. It's got, you know, great performances, great chemistry. You know, do a double feature with The Craft for Halloween. You know I was gonna offer you, I was, I got a different double feature. I'll offer you because that one is pretty fantastic. I think that. I think the Witches of Eastwick.

55:30 Without that, you might not get something like The Craft maybe, or practical magic or hocus Pocus. I think I think this one kind of put Witches on the map, made him cool again in Hollywood. Yeah, for sure, I like that. I like that double feature. I was going to give you a different double feature. I say, you pair this with Needful Things. Oh yes, mysterious Stranger comes to a New England town and turns it upside down. And because I love that one, and Meanful Things is so good, great book rate film adaptation, the great Max Fon. Yeah, Max ed Harris and he's playing the Devil. So this is this is your if you want your for me, it's the Devil comes to New England double feature Max Foncido, Jack Nicholson, Yeah, it's these two movies.

56:21 Absolutely love this one. It's it's not streaming, but you can't rent it. I rented this one on Prime. What about you? Yeah, I went ahead and bought it on Prime. Oh you went and bought it? Okay, I should have. I regret that now, listeners, what do you think of the Witches of Eastwick? You can let us know on social media. We are on Facebook, Instagram x. You can check out a Film by Podcast dot com for all of our episodes. They are streaming free on the platform of your choice. You can write to us at a Film by Podcast at gmail dot com with your questions, comments and concerns. We may just read your response on the show and send you some a Film by swag. You can join us tomorrow for our Star Trek theme series Phasers Set to Stun. Wayne, David and Scott are continuing the recap of the final season of Discovery. I think they only got a couple episodes left and then I'm not sure what those guys got for us next, but it'll it'll.

57:13 I can't wait. They're knocking out of the park so far. I don't know, but I'm sure it will be stellar. Speaking of Stellar, On Friday, our limited series A Film at forty five will celebrate the forty fifth anniversary of Ridley Scott's Alien, and next time on a film by Amber, our friend Dayton Johnson will be here. He is going to discuss a film by Stephen Herrick talking about Rockstar with Mark Wahlberg. Ah, Okay, I have to believe he's gonna love it. You know, I thought Rockstar eighties metal. That's Dayton Johnson. Right, it's as well. I think he's gonna love it. I could be wrong, though, we'll find out.

57:57 But as always, I definitely want to thank you, uh, you know for hanging out this week. You know you just did. We just talked about Romeo and Juliet a couple days ago, and now we're talking about uh George Miller. Sounds like we're gonna be talking about Lady Hawk in the New York future. So I'm definitely excited for that. But uh yeah, it was a good time. Absolutely, it was uh yeah. We got to and then we got on Patreon, you know you and I got we got another lost episode from nineteen eighty six coming up. We're doing Armed in Dangerous. Yeah, Armed and Dangerous. I'm looking forward to that one. That's that one was a favorite of mine in childhood. As a reminder you, if you're not ready to sign up and get all the exclusive episodes and the bonus content that we're dropping on Patreon, go ahead and go over there sign up for free because Amber we're doing free episodes here and there right.

58:51 Yes, it's such a great way to kind of dip in and say what we're all about. Yeah, I'll tell you you check out a free episode and then maybe sign up for a free seven day trial and if you like what you like what you hear, just keep subscribing and listeners. As always, for those of you subscribing, sharing and following the film by podcast, we thank you. I think about this. You know, without this movie, there's no Bull Durham. Without Bull Durham, there's no lead of their own. She's not in the lead of their own. So I'll scratch all edit that out later