EPISODE #16: THE BREAKFAST CLUB

A brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal walk into school… No this isn’t the beginning of a joke, it’s the opening of John Hughes trend-setting 1985 dramedy, The Breakfast Club. (starring Emilio Estevez, Paul Gleason, Anthony Michael Hall, John Kapelos, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, and Ally Sheedy). Join us in episode #16 for a memorable Saturday detention at Shermer High School.

SHOWNOTES

• The Breakfast Club - Criterion

• John Hughes - Director

  • Sixteen Candles (1984)

  • The Breakfast Club (1985)

  • Pretty In Pink (1986)

  • Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)

  • Uncle Buck (1989)

• Emilio Estevez (as Andrew Clark)

• Anthony Michael Hall (as Brian Johnson)

• Judd Nelson (as John Bender)

• Molly Ringwald (as Claire Standish)

• Ally Sheedy (as Allison Reynolds)

• Paul Gleason (as Richard Vernon)

• John Kapelos (as Carl)

• A Charlie Brown Christmas dance

• All Psych episodes featuring cast members from The Breakfast Club

  • Judd Nelson

    • Season 4 Episode 13 - “Death is in the Air”

  • Molly Ringwald

    • Season 6 Episode 6 - “Shawn Interrupted”

  • Ally Sheedy

    • Season 3 Episode 16 - “An Evening With Mr. Yang”

    • Season 4 Episode 16 - “Mr. Yin Presents…”

    • Season 5 Episode 16 - “Yang 3 in 2D”

    • Season 7 Episode 15 - “Psych: The Musical”

  • Anthony Michael Hall

    • Season 7 Episode 14 - “No Trout About It”

    • Season 8 Episode 2 - “S.E.I.Z.E. the Day”

    • Season 8 Episode 4 - “Someone’s Got a Woody”

  • John Kapelos

    • Season 7 Episode 10 “Santa Barbarian Candidate”

    • Season 8 Episode 6 “1967: A Psych Odyssey”

• This American Life (episode 526, Act Three)

  • Molly Ringwald and her daughter watch The Breakfast Club together for the first time.

• Music

  • Don’t You Forget About Me - Simple Minds

  • Fire In the Twilight - Wang Chung

  • We Are Not Alone - Karla Devito

  • I’m The Dude - Keith Forsey

• The “naked blonde” joke that Bender tells himself (while in the ceiling) never had a punchline.

• Additional Movie references

  • David Margulies

    • As The Mayor in Ghostbusters

  • William Atherton

    • As Walter Peck in Ghostbusters

    • As Richard Thornburg in Die Hard and Die Hard 2

    • As Professor Jerry Hathaway in Real Genius

EPISODE #15: ELECTION

Corruption? Scandal? A rigged election? In episode #15 we discuss director Alexander Payne's high school political dramedy, Election (starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon).

SHOWNOTES

• Election - Criterion
  • Alexander Payne - Director
  • Citizen Ruth (1996) Starring Laura Dern
  • About Schmidt (2002)
  • Sideways (2004)
  • Paris, je t’aime (2006)
  • The Descendants (2011)
  • Nebraska (2013)
• Matthew Broderick (as Jim McAllister)
  • Also starred in Godzilla (1998) and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)
• Reese Witherspoon (as Tracy Flick)
• Chris Klein (as Paul Metzler)
• Jessica Campbell (as Tammy Metzler)
• Mark Harelik (as Dave Novotny)
• Phil Reeves (as Principal Walt Hendricks)
• Delaney Driscoll (as Linda Novotny) - also played Ruth’s sister in Citizen Ruth
• Holmes Osborne (as Dick Metzler) - also played Donnie’s Dad in Donnie Darko
• Movie Trivia
  • Thora Birch, who starred in Ghost World (2001) was originally cast to play Tammy
  • Election was filmed in Papillion LaVista High School in Papillion, Nebraska
• Josie and The Pussycats (2001) was also a Universal Pictures/MTV Films production
• Unlike “Stadium High School” in 10 Things I Hate About You, the high school in Election seems pretty realistic
• Tom Perrotta (who originally wrote Election) also wrote the novel The Leftovers which was later turned into an HBO series starring:
  • Justin Theroux
  • Liv Tyler
  • Janel Moloney
  • Scott Glenn (not to be confused with David Carradine)
  • And written by Damon Lindelof
• Election - Alternate Ending
• Three Times A Lady - The Commodores
• Navajo Joe - Ennio Morricone (from the 1966 movie Navajo Joe starring Burt Reynolds)
• Mystery Men (starring Ben Stiller and Janeane Garofalo)
  • Wes Studi as Sphinx
• Paul falls asleep reading The Celestine Prophecy (by James Redfield)

EPISODE #14: THE GRADUATE

In episode #14 we discuss Dustin Hoffman's breakout role in The Graduate. Based on the novel by Charles Webb and featuring the music of Simon & Garfunkel, The Graduate tells the tale of one young man's struggle to start the next chapter of his life while also becoming involved in a forbidden affair.

SHOWNOTES

• The Graduate - Criterion
• Mike Nichols - Director
  • Charlie Wilson’s War
  • Wit
  • Regarding Henry
  • Working Girl
  • Closer
• Anne Bancroft - Mrs. Robinson
• Katharine Ross - Elaine Robinson
• Murray Hamilton - Mr. Robinson
• Dustin Hoffman - Ben Braddock
• William Daniels - Mr. Braddock
• Elizabeth Wilson - Mrs. Braddock
• Simon & Garfunkel
  • The Sound of Silence
  • Mrs. Robinson
  • Scarborough Fair / Canticle
  • Bookends (not featured in The Graduate)
• The Simpsons - Lady Bouvier’s Lover (The Graduate spoof)
• 1966 Alfa Romeo Series 1 Spider 1600
• The Giver (movie)
• Home School (sequel to The Graduate)
• Donnie Darko
• Harper Simon
  • Berkley Girl - Official Video (featuring Jena Malone)
• Overlord - J.J. Abrams’ new supernatural WWII movie
• Carly Simon
  • Let the River Run (from Working Girl)
• A Christmas Story
• Group photo of MGM stars
• Criterion on the Couch episodes referenced:
  • Harold & Maude
  • Easy Rider