The Essential Films Podcast

Adolfo Acosta

A podcast devoted to the discussion of the greatest movies ever made, or The Essential Films. From the beginning of cinema history to present day, these films are crucial to the education of anyone who loves the art of film making.
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TV & FilmTV & Film

Episodes

Episode 59: The Essential Films Podcast Episode #59: THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
Sep 27 2023
Episode 59: The Essential Films Podcast Episode #59: THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
We're back! After an unplanned hiatus, we are back on your podcast app of choice. On this week's adventure Adolfo and Mark discuss John Ford's THE GRAPES OF WRATH.On Today's Show:Mark’s Hollywood JourneyMark wins an Oscar!Walt Disney ArchivesHow to properly hold an OscarThe glory days of VHS“A Very Special Epsidoe”The heaviness of The Grapes of WrathWatching the movie instead of reading the book for schoolThe differences between the movie and the novelQuick turnaround from the novel’s publishing to the release of the filmVery socialist messaging, which is odd in the times of communist scapegoatingThe Great Henry Fonda“Just following orders”Tom’s family thinking he broke out of jailHeartbreaking shotsGrandpa’s medicineHolding out hope for meager rewardsThe brotherhood of the working classGiving Grandma the Weekend at Bernie’s treatmentThe dwindling of the familyMovie is clearly pro-UnionThe Company Store scamTom’s sense of dignity, duty and self respect won’t allow him to be bulliedThe government working camp is good for them, but it only lasts temporarilyTom’s sacrifice for his family and following his calling to do goodIs tom a christ figure?“We’re the people”The power of the work and anti corporation - basically tenets of communismGrapes of Wrath was woke before woke was a thingGrapes of Wrath’s Academy Award nominations and wins, stealing the Best Director from Hitchcock who never got an OscarAn inspirational but depressing movieWill AFI update their lists?Films Referenced:Rebecca (1940)The Philadelphia Story (1940)The Ten Commandments (1956)White Wilderness (1958)Some Like it Hot (1959)The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971)The House That Dripped Blood (1971)On Golden Pond (1981)ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)Return of the Jedi (1983)Punky Brewster (TV Series, 1984-1988)Diff'rent Strokes (TV Series, 1978-1986)Full House (TV Series, 1987-1995)​​Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue (1990)Dinosaurs (TV Series, 1991-1994)Boy Meets World (1993-2000)Kill Bill: Vol 1 (2003)Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)Beau Is Afraid (2023)Links: Substack: adolfoacosta.substack.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@adolfojacostaWebsite: essentialfilmspodcast.com
Episode 48: Episode #48: THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1970)
May 5 2021
Episode 48: Episode #48: THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1970)
Never you mind honey. On today’s Podcast adventure, Adolfo and Mark head to Anarene, Texas to look into the lives and loves of its local citizens in Peter Bogdonavich’s coming of age classic, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW. Plus: Adolfo and Mark discuss the recent AMC stock bonanza.Films Referenced:RED RIVER (1948)THE SANDS OF IWO JIMA (1949)FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1950)WINCHESTER ‘73 (1950)KISS ME DEADLY (1955)HEAD (1968)TARGETS (1968)PLANET OF THE PREHISTORIC WOMEN (1968)BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)EASY RIDER (1969)THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW (Series, 1970-77)DRIVE, HE SAID (1970)FIVE EASY PIECES (1970)THE KING OF MARVIN GARDENS (1972)THE GODFATHER (1972)YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974)WONDER WOMAN (Series, 1975-79)THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979)HISTORY OF THE WORLD, PART I (1981)TRADING PLACES (1983)THE SIMPSONS (Series, 1989-)TEXASVILLE (1990)THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES (1993)BEAVIS AND BUTTHEAD DO AMERICA (1996)FAMILY GUY (Series, 1999 -)BAD SANTA (2003)TWO AND A HALF MEN (Series, 2003-2015)THE OFFICE, Episode “Stress Relief” (2009)RAISING HOPE (Series, 2010-14)BOB’S BURGERS (Series, 2011- )THE CROODS (2013)WONDER WOMAN 1984 (2020)THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (2020)MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM (2020)LINKS:America Lost and Found: The BBS Story (https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/769-america-lost-and-found-the-bbs-story) SOCIAL MEDIATWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Sportsguy515FACEBOOK: facebook.com/TheEssentialFilmsINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/essentialfilmspodcast
Episode 46: Episode #46: Bonus Features - HBO Max Changes the Game & Deucember Exploitation Films
Dec 30 2020
Episode 46: Episode #46: Bonus Features - HBO Max Changes the Game & Deucember Exploitation Films
On this Bonus Features episode, we discuss how HBO MAX and Warner Media are radically changing the industry by releasing the entire 2021 slate on HBO MAX as well as theaters. Is this the future of movies? Plus Mark discusses his adventures into exploitation films in the month of December. And some Criterion and blu-ray talk to top it off.NOTE: Bonus Features episodes are raw and unedited, with little production.Films Referenced:AND GOD CREATED WOMAN (1956)DR. NO (1962)THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963)GOLDFINGER (1964)SHELAKO (1968)THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE (1970)THE WIZARD OF GORE (1970)DEEP RED (1975)SALÓ, OR THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM (1975)DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978)ZOMBI 2 (1979)FRIDAY THE 13th (1980)DON’T GO IN THE WOODS (1981)COME AND SEE (1985)NO WAY BACK (1992)THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (2012)THE DEUCE (Series, 2017-2019)ROMA (2018)THE IRISHMAN (2019)MARRIAGE STORY (2019)WONDER WOMAN 1984 (2020)TENET (2020)MANK (2020)THE MANDALORIAN (Series, 2019-2020)MATRIX 4 (2021)THE SUICIDE SQUAD (2021)MORTAL KOMBAT (2021)THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK (2021)GODZILLA VS KONG (2021)LINKS:Grindhouse Movie DataBase (gcbd.com) Sleazoid Express Book https://www.amazon.com/Sleazoid-Express-Mind-Twisting-Through-Grindhouse/dp/0743215834Dawn Of The Dead 4K Set https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=26880 Ingmar Bergman’s Cinema: https://www.criterion.com/boxsets/1427-ingmar-bergman-s-cinema SOCIAL MEDIATWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Sportsguy515FACEBOOK: facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms
Episode 42: THE SHINING (1980)
Oct 31 2020
Episode 42: THE SHINING (1980)
HEEEEERE'S ADOLFO AND MARK! Join Adolfo and Mark on today’s spooky adventure: Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING (1980)On this week’s show:Trick or Treating in times COVIDMisguided contemporary reviewsHow Kubrick decided to do a horror movieOther actors considered for Jack TorranceThe constant script changesShelly Duval’s tortureThe impossible windowDon’t build things on burial groundsCharles Grady or Delbert Grady?“The Shinning” All the best people.Minotaurs?The importance of the stock roomWhen does Jack start going crazyWhich scene took 12 hours to film?Naked ladies with afrosCreepy red bathroomsYou’ve always been the caretakerIs the hotel haunted? Or is Jack crazy? Or both?Mini reviews of ROOM 237 and DOCTOR SLEEPConspiracy theoriesHow much does Stephen King hate The Shining?Fubo??FILMS REFERENCED:THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE (1921)FRANKENSTEIN (1931)KING KONG (1933)PSYCHO (1960)SPARTACUS (1960)LOLITA (1962)THE BIRDS (1963)THE TWILIGHT ZONE: “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” (Season 5, Episode 3, 1963)2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)THE EXORCIST (1973)BARRY LYNDON (1975)ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NESTROCKY (1976)HALLOWEEN (1978)THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)POLTERGEIST (1982)THE THING (1982)STEPHEN KING’S IT (1990)THE SIMPSONS: “Treehouse of Horror V” (Season 6, Episode 6, 1994)TWISTER (1996)THE SHINING (Mini-Series, 1997)EYES WIDE SHUT (1999)ROOM 237 (2012)READY PLAYER ONE (2018)DOCTOR SLEEP (2019)LINKS:SOCIAL MEDIATWITTER: @EssentialFilms, @FPMoviePodcast, @Adolfo_Acosta, @Sportsguy515FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/TheEssentialFilms