Happy Holidays from Comfort Films! We're starting off the holiday season with two unparalleled classics that originated in 1946, Miracle on 34th Street and John's mom, Eileen Macey, who is joining us for her second appearance and our second Mom for the Holidays episode. It's a first-time watch for John and Eileen, as they join veteran Miracle on 34th Street viewer Georgia to discuss how unbelievably modern and surprisingly feminist this film is, the amazing performances--including Edmund Gwenn's Oscar-winning Kris Kringle, the movies Miracle on 34th Street influenced (particularly Dear God and Elf), the perils of colorization, the production's coordination with the actual 1946 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade where Edmund Gwenn rode in the parade as Santa, and our Christmas memories of watching (and re-watching) movies with our families. This episode is a gift you can unwrap early, so give it a listen!

In this special episode, John and Georgia spoke with writer, director, producer, composer, actor and all-around fine, upstanding Pennsylvanian, John Harrison. We discuss his 2023 novel, Passing Through Veils, which combines elements of gothic horror and modern thriller for an atmospheric, eerie, and suspenseful Shirley Jackson-meets-Alfred Hitchcock read. Mr. Harrison also shares insights and stories from his film and television career, his many experiences with bringing anthology horror to both the large and small screens (with Creepshow, Tales from the Darkside, and Tales from the Crypt), his work with George A. Romero, his approach to all creative film work as various ways to be a storyteller, and his advice for today's aspiring filmmakers. He also shares information on several upcoming projects we can look forward to from him in 2024 and beyond. We are thrilled to share this amazing talk with a true screen Renaissance man! Give it a listen!

In this last episode of our Robin Williams month, we talk about Mrs. Doubtfire, which just turned 30, and features a highly characteristic Williams performance full of energy, quickfire improvisation, and an excellent mix of humor and heart. We talk about our different reactions to this film as adults (noticing a lot more of the dirty jokes and sympathizing more with Miranda than Daniel), strong connections to other films about dads faced with new responsibilities, the surprisingly non-villainous Stu, played to perfection by Pierce Brosnan, Sally Field's always rock-solid performance, our maximum adoration of Harvey Fierstein, the use of disguise and role-playing as a means to self-discovery throughout literature, and how this film, which handles the theme of children dealing with divorce so tenderly, was like free therapy to us in the 90s (and we're guessing to other Xennials as well). Give it a listen!

It's our 100th episode!! To celebrate, we welcome back one of our earliest guests, the great Kate Duffy, to discuss a film that has been our number one requested comfort film over the course of the show. We talk about the incredible Nathan Lane and his unforgettable breakout role as Albert/Starina, how the film deals with irony around conservative family values, the restrained hysteria of Robin Williams's Armand and how it relates to male anxiety, the advancements (and sometimes, lack thereof) with LGBTQ+ rights, the director/writer dream team of Mike Nichols and Elaine May, Gene Hackman's surprising improv background, Dan Futterman's Val as the villain of the film, the masterful opening shot by the great cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, the major changes in the journalism economy since the mid-90s, and Kate's memories of watching the movie over and over with her dad. We also have a quick talk about our now-extensive back catalog and which episodes stand out to us most. Grab your "pirin" tablets, relax, and join us for the episode that takes us into triple digits!

Shiver me timbers and blow me down! Comfort Films Podcast is dropping anchor in Sweethaven to start a month of celebrating Robin Williams films! In this first episode of the series, we're joined by guest Jenn Riedell for a surreal trip down memory lane as we discuss this buried treasure of a musical, directed by Robert Altman and scripted by Jules Feiffer. Featuring Robin Williams in his first lead role in film, Popeye is also a vehicle for a magical soundtrack of songs from 70s pop star Harry Nilsson. We discuss the amazing set built in Malta, which still exists as a tourist attraction, Shelley Duvall's totally iconic performance as Olive Oyl, Ray Walston's crotchety and hilariously named character Poopdeck Pappy, the bizarre religious underpinnings of Popeye's famous catchphrase, the film's comic strip origins, the many talented circus performers who bring the film to life, and the birth of home video, which paved the way for young Gen Xers to start watching and rewatching comfort movies (complete with some bad humming of the HBO theme song from the 80s). Pop open a can of spinach and give us a listen!

“The grotesque has never really affected or frightened me. I guess it’s real-life stuff that frightens me much more.”  (George A. Romero)   In this special bonus horror episode, John and Georgia are pleased to welcome Ryan Carr, artist in residence at the George A. Romero Foundation, to discuss The Amusement Park, a recently rediscovered and restored Romero film that takes a unique and terrifying look at the true horrors that await us all as we age and enter our final years.  Ryan is currently hard at work illustrating a graphic novel adaptation of the film (written by Jeff Whitehead).  We discuss the unfathomably efficient three-day shooting schedule of The Amusement Park; Romero’s editing style, visual storytelling genius, and ability to perfectly balance empathy and cynicism; the challenges of translating a film into a graphic novel; how society’s treatment of the elderly (on both the micro and macro levels) has failed to improve since the time the film was made in the 70s; the amazing lead actor Lincoln Maazel and his unforgettably expressive face, which Ryan has now drawn an uncountable number of times; and we honor George A. Romero and his team from The Latent Image, who took a commission project from Lutheran Services and made it into a vivid, thought-provoking, timeless piece of art and social commentary.  This is truly a ride you don’t want to miss, so queue up and give us a listen!  

For the fourth week of our horror film series, we're looking at another collaboration between masters of horror George A. Romero and Stephen King, The Dark Half. This film explores the Jekyll and Hyde story through a seemingly mild-mannered writer and his dark side (Timothy Hutton in a dual role), an unborn twin who takes form to wreak vengeance on those who have tried to silence him. We discuss the excellent screenplay, faithfully adapted by George Romero from Stephen King's novel; Hutton's nuanced portrayal of both Thad and George; Michael Rooker's definitive performance as Sheriff Alan Pangborn; the sparrow swarm special effects; connections to Hitchcock's The Birds; whether Amy Madigan could have single-handedly taken out George Stark; and Stephen King's own alter ego Richard Bachman. Bring your evil twin to our Halloween party and give us a listen!

Was your high school prom an absolute nightmare? Carrie White can relate and then some! For the third week in our horror series, we dive into the film adaptation of Stephen King's spectacularly tragic tale, Carrie - which not only was King's first published novel, but also his first book to be adapted into a film! In this episode, Georgia and John discuss how Brian De Palma and George Lucas shared casting calls for Carrie and Star Wars, the split screen editing and cinematography choices, Pino Donaggio's haunting score, the richly deserved (and unheard of for a horror film) Oscar nominations for Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie, the impressive car stunt by Dick Ziker, the interesting differences between the book and Lawrence D. Cohen's screenplay, Hitchcock comparisons, and the genesis of the jump scare. Stop on by and geek out with us, because if you miss this episode, they're all gonna laugh at you!

What do you get when you mix together the finest in horror comics, short stories, film, and cake? The classic 1982 film Creepshow, written by the master of horror Stephen King and directed by George A. Romero, the brains behind modern-day zombie lore. For our second Halloween month selection, John and Georgia give an in-depth analysis of the six gory tales that comprise Creepshow's anthology and share personal memories of their first viewings of the film as kids. We talk Stephen King the author, screenwriter, and actor (in his only starring role to date), we praise the execution of the practical and in-camera effects, we explore how longtime Romero collaborator and Director of Photography Michael Gornick achieved the comic book look for the film, we discuss how FX wizard Tom Savini created the incredible Yeti-like monster Fluffy, Ed Harris's super smooth disco moves, the joys of international cockroach trafficking, and we applaud the talents of the all-star cast including Leslie Nielsen, Hal Holbrook, Ted Danson, and Adrienne Barbeau, who make the fantastic characters come to life. Even if your dad threw out your comic book, we've got you covered, so give us a listen!

Did you know that a group of self-taught filmmakers from Pennsylvania, whose only training were the commercials they created themselves, are responsible for redefining the horror genre as we know it today? John and Georgia take a bite out of Night of the Living Dead, the classic 1968 George A. Romero film, celebrating its 55th anniversary this week, that formally established the rules for zombies, without even using the word "zombie"! We talk independent filmmaking, the inspirations for Night of the Living Dead and the films that it in turn inspired, DIY work ethic, the controversial casting of a Black actor in a lead role, how horror films shifted from children's fare to something far greater, the power of drive-ins, flawed characters and heroes who make poor choices, the strength of single-location settings, Romero's choice to stay with black & white film stock, and much, much more. Shamble on down to the graveyard with us for a night of fun! They're coming to get you, Barbra!