23. Dial M for (A Perfect) Murder

In this episode of Adapt or Perish, we discuss Dial M for Murder and A Perfect Murder!

For this episode, we watched and discussed:

• Dial M for Murder, 1954, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and starring Grace Kelly, Ray Milland, and Robert Cummings. Watch on iTunes or Amazon.
• A Perfect Murder, 1998, directed by Andrew Davis, and starring Michael Douglas, Gwyneth Paltrow, Viggo Mortensen, and David Suchet. Watch on iTunes or Amazon.

Footnotes:

• Alfred Hitchcock Presents
• A Rube Goldberg machine
• Noises Off
• Wall Street vs. The American President
• Prenuptial Agreements and Death of a Spouse
• Andrew Davis, The Fugitive, and Under Siege

You can follow Adapt or Perish on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and you can find us online at adaptorperishcast.com.

If you want to send us a question or comment, you can email us at adaptorperishcast@gmail.com or tweet using #adaptcast.

22. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

In this episode of Adapt or Perish, we discuss Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!

For this episode, we read and watched:

• Roald Dahl’s original novel, published in 1964. Read on Amazon or iBooks.
• Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the 1971 movie directed by Mel Stuart, adapted by Dahl and David Seltzer, and starring Gene Wilder and Peter Ostrum. Watch on iTunes or Amazon.
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the 2005 movie directed by Tim Burton, adapted by John August, and starring Freddie Highmore and Johnny Depp. Watch on iTunes or Amazon.
• Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the 2017 direct-to-DVD animated musical comedy adaptation of the Gene Wilder movie. Not the book. It’s weird. Watch (or don’t) on iTunes or Amazon.

Footnotes:

• Mr. Bucket, buckets of fun!
• Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, written by Dahl and published in 1972.
• Quentin Blake’s Willy Wonka vs. Joseph Schindelman’s Willy Wonka
• A comparison of the old, racist Oompa Loompas, and the revised Oompa Loompas
• Cracked.com’s The 6 Most Secretly Racist Children’s Books
• Was beloved children’s book author Roald Dahl a raging bigot?
• The Dead Authors Podcast Chapter 34: “Roald Dahl featuring Ben Schwartz”
• Scriptnotes, a podcast hosted by John August and Craig Mazin
• “Cheer Up, Charlie”
• The scene where the little girl almost gets hit in the face during the filming of Willy Wonka
• Matt Gourley’s I Was There Too: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Big Fish with John August”
• The trailer for Tom and Jerry: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (and Arielle’s reaction to watching it for the first time)

You can follow Adapt or Perish on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and you can find us online at adaptorperishcast.com.

If you want to send us a question or comment, you can email us at adaptorperishcast@gmail.com or tweet using #adaptcast.

21. La Cage aux Folles & The Birdcage

In this episode of Adapt or Perish, we discuss the films La Cage aux Folles and The Birdcage!

For this episode, we watched and discussed:

• La Cage aux Folles, the original 1973 play, written by Jean Poiret.
• The 1978 French/Italian movie La Cage aux Folles, directed by Édouard Molinaro, and starring Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault. Watch on Amazon or iTunes.
• The 1983 Broadway musical, written by Harvey Fierstein and Jerry Herman.
• The Birdcage, the 1996 American remake, directed by Mike Nichols, written by Elaine May, and starring Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Weist, and Hank Azaria. Watch on Amazon or iTunes.

Footnotes:

• Kowtow, verb: act in an excessively subservient manner; kneel and touch the ground with the forehead in worship or submission as part of Chinese custom. Yep, not cool.
• We discuss different special features (e.g. footage of the original play) available on the fantastic Criterion Collection edition of La Cage aux Folles.
• Harvey Fierstein and his distinctive voice.
• Kevin Smith telling the story of working with Jon Peters on Superman Lives (watch the entire clip, it’s worth it).
• George Hearn performs “Epiphany” from Sweeney Tood. Judge for yourself.
• “I Am What I Am,” from La Cage aux Folles, performed by George Hearn, Harvey Fierstein, and John Barrowman. (Bonus version performed by Dame Shirley Bassey.)
• Frank Rich’s original review of La Cage aux Folles on Broadway, published in the New York Times in 1983.
• Nichols and May perform “Mother and Son.” A photo of the duo.
• Elaine May salutes Mike Nichols at the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award

You can follow Adapt or Perish on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and you can find us online at adaptorperishcast.com.

If you want to send us a question or comment, you can email us at adaptorperishcast@gmail.com or tweet using #adaptcast.