Cocoon

In this episode, Anna and Derek chat about Tom Cruise versus Wilford Brimley, casual mentions of Atlantis, and much more during their discussion of Ron Howard's Cocoon (1985).

Connect with '80s Movie Montage on Facebook, Bluesky or Instagram! It's the same handle for all three... @80smontagepod.

Anna Keizer and Derek Dehanke are the co-hosts of ‘80s Movie Montage. The idea for the podcast came when they realized just how much they talk – a lot – when watching films from their favorite cinematic era. Their wedding theme was “a light nod to the ‘80s,” so there’s that, too. Both hail from the Midwest but have called Los Angeles home for several years now. Anna is a writer who received her B.A. in Film/Video from Columbia College Chicago and M.A. in Film Studies from Chapman University. Her dark comedy short She Had It Coming was an Official Selection of 25 film festivals with several awards won for it among them. Derek is an attorney who also likes movies. It is a point of pride that most of their podcast episodes are longer than the movies they cover.

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Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_00 (00:00):
You would be students, of course, but you'd
also be teachers.
And the new civilizations thatwe'll be traveling to will be

(00:21):
unlike anything you've everknown.
But I promise you, will all leadproductive lives.

SPEAKER_02 (00:33):
Forever?

SPEAKER_00 (00:35):
We don't know what forever

SPEAKER_02 (00:36):
means.
Hello and welcome to 80s MovieMontage.
This is Derek.

SPEAKER_01 (00:41):
And this is Anna.

SPEAKER_02 (00:42):
And that was Brian Dennehy as Walter talking to
Wilford Brimley as Ben in 1985'sCocoon.

SPEAKER_01 (00:52):
Cocoon! So this was a listener request and I'm I'm
glad that we finally knockedthis one out.

SPEAKER_02 (01:01):
Yeah.
I enjoyed Walter's pitch.
And I enjoyed the movie.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (01:09):
Yeah.
There's a lot to kind of minefrom...
In a way, the message of themovie that being old is
terrible.
I

SPEAKER_02 (01:21):
think we can all agree being old is the fucking
worst.
And I would literally ratherleave the planet forever.
than experience it.

SPEAKER_01 (01:32):
Kind of in a way.
What the movie's about.
And

SPEAKER_02 (01:36):
I'm willing to kill aliens to achieve

SPEAKER_01 (01:39):
that.
Well, they didn't want to dothat.
They

SPEAKER_02 (01:40):
didn't want to

SPEAKER_01 (01:41):
do that.
They didn't want to do that,yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (01:42):
They were quite reckless.

SPEAKER_01 (01:44):
But, yeah.
Well, let's dive in becausethere's actually a pretty huge
ensemble cast.
There

SPEAKER_02 (01:50):
is.
That

SPEAKER_01 (01:50):
we're going to have to get through.

SPEAKER_02 (01:51):
We got to keep moving so we can get to Don
Amici's breakdancing.

SPEAKER_01 (01:56):
Oh, no.
No.
I'm glad you brought it up nowbecause I am not bringing that
up again.
That was...
I had to look away.
I'm going to bring

SPEAKER_02 (02:04):
it up.
I'll bring it up again.
So

SPEAKER_01 (02:07):
really quickly, just want to say, well, you just...
mentioned one of the two oscarwinners

SPEAKER_03 (02:13):
yeah

SPEAKER_01 (02:14):
for this film which is really interesting because we
don't normally bring up thiscategory just want to say so
it's nominated for two oscarswon two oscars meaning the only
nominations they won for notlike four total um got it well
didn't know if that was clearbut the other one was for best
effects visual effects

SPEAKER_02 (02:35):
i yeah i mean look for for 85 they did They did
fairly well, which is to saythey won an Oscar for it.

SPEAKER_01 (02:44):
They won an Oscar for it.

SPEAKER_02 (02:46):
I mean, the aliens, when they were unzipping their
human skin suits, were a littlecreepy.
Their faces were a littlecreepy.

SPEAKER_01 (02:55):
They were kind of a little creepy.
And they were also kind offairies.
Like they could kind of fly.

SPEAKER_02 (03:00):
Buzzing around.

SPEAKER_01 (03:01):
Buzzing around.
Yeah.
It was interesting.
Yeah.
So yes, you already mentioned1985.
So we are right in the middle ofthe decade.
And we have two writing creditsfor this one.
Gentlemen who, I think they bothwere kind of doing other things
because their writing creditsaren't extensive.

(03:21):
The first is Tom...
Sure.
He wrote Pinocchio?
Oh.
Okay.
Yeah.

(03:51):
And then we have DavidSaperstein.
So he has the story by credit.
So presumably he maybeoriginated it.
And then maybe Tom came in toflush out the screenplay.
Maybe.
Possibly.

SPEAKER_02 (04:04):
Who knows?

SPEAKER_01 (04:06):
And David himself only has six writing credits.
So...
Beyond this movie, he...
So, I didn't know.
I did not know there was asequel to this movie.
It's going to come up a lotbecause so many, especially the
actors, they almost entirely allcome back for the sequel.
So, David has a credit for thesequel.

SPEAKER_02 (04:30):
Because...

SPEAKER_01 (04:30):
Because he like originated the story.
I don't know.
Maybe he was more involved thanthat.
And then a couple other creditsI have for him, A Killing Affair
and Beyond the Stars, which iskind of similar to this.

SPEAKER_02 (04:42):
Yeah, it sounds like it.

SPEAKER_01 (04:44):
So before we get to the actors, this is always how
we do it.
We do like a lot of the mainplayers behind the camera.

SPEAKER_02 (04:52):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (04:52):
We're going to have a lot of familiar names that
actually came up not too longago.
Oh,

SPEAKER_02 (04:57):
really?
Yes.
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (04:58):
Because I think...
Wasn't it our season opener?
We did Willow.

SPEAKER_02 (05:03):
Yes.
Maybe.
We did Willow.

SPEAKER_01 (05:06):
I think it was our season opener.

SPEAKER_02 (05:07):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (05:08):
So we're back to Ron Howard.
Okay.
He directed that movie.
He directed this movie.
So...
couple of these people not totake away from the achievement
of this film but we're gonnakind of fly through them a
little more quickly because wejust talked about them to be
honest

SPEAKER_02 (05:28):
also go listen to Willow

SPEAKER_01 (05:29):
yeah go listen to Willow so Howard I mean he does
have an interesting filmographyin that like there's There is a
lot of range.
I mean, he's not doing likehorror or things like that, but
like he...
I

SPEAKER_02 (05:47):
don't know.
There were a couple scenes inCocoon that kind of
horror-esque.

SPEAKER_01 (05:53):
But, you know, like he does get a little bit into
action or adventure, I shouldsay.
Yeah.
Definitely comedy and thenstraight drama for sure.
But among his credits, and Ihave all films for him...
Funny, because he kind of gothis start, not kind of, he did
get his start in television, buthe is like solidly in the film

(06:14):
world now.
So we have Grand Theft Auto,Night Shift, which we could
totally cover.
We did cover Splash.
That's

SPEAKER_02 (06:23):
a great

SPEAKER_01 (06:23):
movie.
Love the movie.
I've said it a million times.
Gung Ho, Willow.
Go listen to that episode.
Go listen to Splash 2.
Parenthood would probably be thenext Howard film that I would
want to cover.

SPEAKER_02 (06:35):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (06:36):
So that'll happen at some point.

SPEAKER_02 (06:38):
The Steve Martin one.
I think they did a reboot.
There's like a series, I think.

SPEAKER_01 (06:44):
Yeah, I think even more than one.
But there was a TV show.
I mean, none of the samecharacters, but it had Craig T.
Nelson.
in it

SPEAKER_02 (06:55):
oh really yeah okay I didn't

SPEAKER_01 (06:57):
know that I watched it for like a second but not to
like no shade now we're gettingto the 90s backdraft far and
away I feel like in the same waythat we always because I'm about
to get to it like always justhave Da Vinci Code on another
weird comfort film for me isApollo 13 which I just told you

(07:19):
the other day that the gentlemanwho actually was responsible for
putting together the very kindof MacGyver way of getting those
guys back to Earth.
He just passed away.
In

SPEAKER_02 (07:30):
particular, like the retrofitted air filter.

SPEAKER_01 (07:34):
Yep, 95 years old.
He saved those men's lives.
He directed Ed TV, How theGrinch Stole Christmas, and he
is an Oscar-winning director.
He won Best Director, andbecause he produced it, he won
Best Picture for Beautiful Mind.
Oh, yeah.
He did Cinderella Man.
Again.

SPEAKER_02 (07:53):
Both Russell Crowe movies, right?

SPEAKER_01 (07:54):
Sure are.

SPEAKER_02 (07:55):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (07:55):
Yeah.
And then here we go.
The trilogy of The Da VinciCode, Angels and Demons, and
Inferno.
Never even saw the second two,but we love The Da Vinci Code.

SPEAKER_02 (08:07):
Yeah.
I think there was somethingweird about the order of the
books versus the movies.
Oh.

SPEAKER_01 (08:14):
Yeah.
Okay.
He gets the same nominations.
He doesn't win, but again, he'snominated for Best Director and
Best Picture for Frost Nixon.

SPEAKER_03 (08:22):
Hmm.

SPEAKER_01 (08:23):
And then a little bit more recently, he's done
Rush in the Heart of the Sea,which I believe are both Thor.

SPEAKER_02 (08:31):
Oh, Hemsworth.

SPEAKER_01 (08:32):
Correct.

SPEAKER_02 (08:35):
Rush for sure is.
I've wanted to see that.
There is no reason why Ihaven't.

SPEAKER_01 (08:39):
And I'm pretty sure in the Heart of the Sea is him
as well.

SPEAKER_02 (08:42):
I think so, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (08:43):
Solo, a Star Wars story.
And I do remember in the lasttime we brought him up for
Willow, a little bit talkingabout how I really respect him
for the fact that he came intothat project.
Solo.
He didn't have to.
He's like a huge director.
And he picked up the slack forwhat was some kind of fallout

(09:03):
between the previous twodirectors and Disney.
And he came in and I think we'rein agreement that we both like
that movie.

SPEAKER_02 (09:12):
It was good.
Yeah.
I mean, that was good.
The sequel trilogy is like awhole other conversation.
Yeah.
It's just, it's amazing to methat in spite of themselves, in
spite of their just lack ofawareness of what to do with
that universe, that they somehowgot Andor made.
It's amazing.

SPEAKER_01 (09:32):
I am actually shocked that they didn't, I
think it was on the roster andthen it got killed.
They should have done aCalrissian film because, I'm
sorry, his name escapes me.
He...
is phenomenal as a younger Lando

SPEAKER_02 (09:50):
yeah he is

SPEAKER_01 (09:51):
yeah so

SPEAKER_02 (09:52):
enough of these space alien things let's get
back to Cocoon

SPEAKER_01 (09:54):
sorry uh Hillbilly Elegy Jim Henson Idea Man and
then I didn't even realize thiscame out last year did you hear
of a movie called Eden no sothat was his last film

SPEAKER_02 (10:05):
I how many I would say there's like at least 3,000
movies named Eden So

SPEAKER_01 (10:12):
maybe interesting number you call.
Yeah.
OK.
Cinematography.
Donald Peterman.
He passed away.
So, OK.
Hey, guys, everybody listening.
Because we cover 80s movies.
Often enough, there areindividuals who are attached to
whatever film we're talkingabout that are no longer with

(10:33):
us.
Apologies, but they're going tobe almost entirely...
This

SPEAKER_02 (10:39):
was a real serious break.
Sorry.
Hey, everybody.

SPEAKER_01 (10:44):
Hold

SPEAKER_02 (10:44):
up.

SPEAKER_01 (10:45):
I feel bad, but...
The film features at that time.

SPEAKER_02 (10:50):
These people were like in their 70s, 80s, except
for Wolford Brimley.

SPEAKER_01 (10:54):
But he also has passed away.

SPEAKER_02 (10:57):
And they were that old in 85.

SPEAKER_01 (10:59):
There's like two people from the cast that we're
going to call out that are stillwith us.

SPEAKER_02 (11:04):
They would have needed to really get on that

SPEAKER_01 (11:06):
spaceship.
It would have had to have been adocumentary for them to still.
Okay.
Just saying.
Good heads up.
And behind the camera as well.
So Peterman, he passed away.
in 2011 uh not the first timethat we have covered him he did
have like a relationship withhoward but like he didn't cover

(11:28):
all his films or shoot i shouldsay all his films but some of
his credits include when he hada really strong filmography like
he doesn't have a very extensiveone but all of them are like
really strong films uh and hewas oscar nominated too He did
When a Stranger Calls, YoungDoctors in Love.
So we covered him.
I don't remember in what order,but we've covered him for

(11:50):
Flashdance.
He gets his first cinematographynomination for that film.
He also does Splash, so wecovered him for that.

SPEAKER_03 (11:58):
Yep.

SPEAKER_01 (11:59):
American Flyers, which I know you want to do that
movie at some point.
Gung Ho.
He gets another Oscar nom forStar Trek IV The Voyage Home.
I

SPEAKER_02 (12:09):
did enjoy that.
There were a lot of whalesthere.

SPEAKER_01 (12:12):
The most recent time that we've covered him was for
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

SPEAKER_02 (12:17):
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (12:18):
So now we're getting into the 90s.
He does Point Break.
Brought it up a million times.
Love this movie.
Get shorty.
His final credit was a Howardfilm.
It was How the Grinch StoleChristmas.

SPEAKER_02 (12:28):
Okay.
Was that the Jim Carrey one?
Correct.
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (12:32):
Okay.
So another person that we havevery recently covered who is
also part of this film, JamesHorner, is...
He also has passed.
He passed in 2015.
So going to go through hiscredits.
There was a lot of them still,but going to go through them
somewhat quickly.
And he was very lauded as far asthe Oscars are concerned.
He got a double win one year.

(12:54):
The rest are all noms.
But he composed for The Pursuitof D.B.
Cooper.
We brought him up for Star TrekII, The Wrath of Khan.

SPEAKER_02 (13:04):
The best Star Trek intro theme ever.
I'll

SPEAKER_01 (13:09):
say it.
I won't argue that because I'mjust not a Trekkie, but he did
48 Hours as well as another 48Hours, another Star Trek film.
He did three, The Search forSpock, The Journey of Natty Gan,
Commando.
So the score that probably wasripped off from his own work on

(13:30):
Khan, he does Aliens.
That wasn't really his fault,though.
I have listened to a number ofpodcasts myself.
Cameron gave him basically notime to do this score.
Really?
So, like, he kept saying, hey, Ineed the film.
I need the film.
And Cameron's like, yeah, yeah,yeah.
It's not ready.

(13:50):
It's not ready.
Gave him, like, as far as, like,I don't know what would be the
proper amount of time for acomposer to have, but he was
given very little time.
But he gets an Oscar nominationout of it.
So, go figure.

SPEAKER_02 (14:02):
Whatever he, like, changes one thing, send it.

SPEAKER_01 (14:05):
Done.

SPEAKER_02 (14:07):
It worked.

SPEAKER_01 (14:08):
He got another nomination for an American tale,
and then he does its sequel, anAmerican tale, Fievel?

SPEAKER_02 (14:16):
Fievel goes west, right?
Correct.

SPEAKER_01 (14:18):
Yeah.
I don't even really know thismovie, but it feels like a
spiritual companion to Cocoon.
Batteries not included.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (14:28):
I have seen it.
Because

SPEAKER_01 (14:30):
it's also aliens and friendly aliens, right?

SPEAKER_02 (14:33):
Yeah.
And the elderly.

SPEAKER_01 (14:35):
And the elderly.

UNKNOWN (14:37):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (14:37):
Yes.

SPEAKER_01 (14:39):
Maybe we'll have to cover that at some point.
Maybe we should have doneDoubleheader.
Oh, maybe we should do aDoubleheader one day.
He did do Willow.
That's why we brought him up nottoo long ago.
He also comes back for Cocoonthe Return.
He gets another nomination foranother film we've covered.
Feel the Dreams.
That is a great score.

SPEAKER_02 (14:58):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (14:59):
Honey, I Shrugged the Kids.
The one that I clearly rememberbringing this up the last time
when we talked about Willow.
How...
how I weep when I watch Glory inlarge part because of his score.
Also because of the real thingsthat happened, but that score
really takes it up a notch.
He did Patriot Games as well asClear and Present Danger.

(15:22):
A childhood obsession of mine, AFar Off Place.
I was obsessed with that moviefor a while.
This score is very memorable.
I don't know if it's one of myfavorites, but it is Legends of
the Fall.

SPEAKER_02 (15:36):
Oh, yeah.
Very, very dramatic score.
And every time you bring it up,I probably bring up the fact
that I can't keep that distinctor separate from A Far Off
Place.
They feel like they're the same,even though I know they're very
different.

SPEAKER_01 (15:48):
Very different movies.
Yeah.
But I understand.

SPEAKER_02 (15:51):
Are they both dramatic movies with a lot of
drama and moving music?

SPEAKER_01 (15:56):
Yeah.
That actually describes a lot, Iguess.
Legend of the Fall is definitelymore so, as much as I used to
love A Far Off Place.
Is Tom Cruise in A Far OffPlace?
No.
And Nicole

SPEAKER_02 (16:03):
Kidman?
No.

SPEAKER_01 (16:04):
That's far and away.
God damn it.
But that is a Howard film.

SPEAKER_02 (16:07):
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (16:08):
Yeah.
So, okay, now just a slew ofnominations sprinkled in with a
couple wins.
So he gets a nomination forBraveheart.
He gets another nomination forApollo 13.
Here we go.
So he gets his double win forscore and original song for,
take a guess, Cameron film.

SPEAKER_02 (16:27):
Oh, Titanic.
Correct.
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (16:30):
So those are his only wins.
He does A Beautiful Mind, gets ascore for that.
He gets a nomination for that.
Another nomination for House ofSand and Fog.
His final nomination was for theoriginal Avatar.
When was that?

SPEAKER_02 (16:46):
That was like 30 years ago, right?
Then we just got the second oneout.
When

SPEAKER_01 (16:50):
was it?
Like 2008 or 2009?

SPEAKER_02 (16:53):
I'm honestly going to need Brian Dennehy to show up
and grant me immortality if Iwant to see the last few Avatar
movies.

SPEAKER_01 (17:01):
And then he also did The Amazing Spider-Man and The
Magnificent Seven.

SPEAKER_02 (17:05):
So The Amazing Spider-Man was the Garfield one,
right?
I

SPEAKER_01 (17:09):
believe so.

SPEAKER_02 (17:09):
Okay.

UNKNOWN (17:11):
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (17:11):
Okay, so two more figures that we really recently
covered because they also havehad a very– well, unfortunately,
one of them has passed– but alongstanding collaboration with
Howard.
So for film editing, it is atrue partnership between these
two gentlemen, Daniel P.
Hanley and Mike Hill.
Not that– Literally every singlecredit they had is the same, but

(17:35):
pretty much.
So to quickly go through theircredits, I think the only thing
I might have for Hanley that Idon't have for Hill is the fact
that Hanley worked on Laverneand Trilley.

SPEAKER_03 (17:48):
Oh.

SPEAKER_01 (17:50):
But otherwise, yeah.
Well, I have 20 credits forHanley and 18 for Hill, so
there's something else there.

SPEAKER_02 (17:58):
One other thing.

SPEAKER_01 (17:59):
One other thing.

SPEAKER_02 (18:00):
Call to action.

SPEAKER_01 (18:01):
Call to action.
What is it?
Yeah.
What's on my list?
We have Night Shift, Splash,Gung Ho, Willow.
So here we go.
Like you can see those are all,well, yeah, I think they're all
Howard films.
Pet Sematary, not a Howard film.
Parenthood, Problem Child,Backdraft, Far and Away.
They did get an Oscar winbecause Apollo 13 won for best

(18:26):
film editing, which they did.
Okay.
In-N-Out.
Ed TV, How the Grinch StoleChristmas.
More nominations.

SPEAKER_02 (18:34):
In-N-Out is, I think, a Kevin Kline movie in
addition to A DeliciousHamburger Place.

SPEAKER_01 (18:39):
It is.
And I remember it got a lot ofreally positive, it got a very
positive reception.
And if I'm rememberingcorrectly, I don't remember if
she won, but I do believe thatJoan Cusack was at least
nominated for that film.

SPEAKER_02 (18:54):
Yeah, it was good.
I liked it.

SPEAKER_01 (18:55):
So they get a slew of nominations for A Beautiful
Mind, Cinderella Man, FrostNixon.
In between those, they also workwith Howard on the trilogy of
the Da Vinci Code, Angels andDemons.
It is a trilogy.

SPEAKER_02 (19:11):
The trilogy.

SPEAKER_01 (19:13):
The trilogy.
And Inferno.
And then they did Rush and Inthe Heart of the Sea.
So, and...
Mike Hill, he passed away veryrecently in 2023.
And everything that I mentionedfor Hanley applies to Hill.
Okay.

(19:34):
Except for now I'm likewondering what other credit?
I can't like, oh, it's In-N-Out.
Oh, okay.
For whatever reason, Hill didnot work on In-N-Out, but
everything else applies to him.
All right.
So now we're at the stars of thefilm.
Like I said, a huge ensemblecast.
It's a lot.
And it was really interesting towatch this film.

(19:56):
I mentioned at the tail end ofthe last episode when we gave
our sneak peek that I wasexcited to watch this film
because I do really love whenfilms feature older actors.
I mean, still to this day,Hollywood is such a
youth-obsessed industry that Ifeel...
Hopefully, there's a little bitmore of leaning into casting

(20:19):
older actors, but...
Certainly in the 80s.

SPEAKER_02 (20:25):
Here's...
Here's the thing.
And it...
I mean, it was obviously, like,the whole plot of this movie
was, like, their age and whatthat meant and everything else.
But I also like it when there'sa movie with older individuals
where they just happen to...
They're allowed to exist asolder people and the entire...

(20:47):
Like, their entire existenceisn't revolving around the fact
that they're old.

SPEAKER_01 (20:51):
And...
I should have realized that thatobviously would have been the
crux of this film, but it didhit a little differently because
of that.
I think that what I didn'treally think about before seeing
the movie is just this is suchan interesting touchstone in
terms of how we look at agingthen versus now.

SPEAKER_02 (21:14):
Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (21:16):
um because when i was like kind of after the fact
i was doing a little bit moreresearch and i guess there was
this like thing that went aroundthat was kind of a comparison of
brimley and tom cruise becausewhen tom so brimley was 50 50
years it's hilarious that he'scast for this and when we get to
that um when we get to him wecould talk a little bit more

(21:38):
about like I don't know.
Just the circumstances.
Not the circumstances, but...

SPEAKER_02 (21:43):
He was 49 during production.

SPEAKER_01 (21:46):
Right! That's my point! And so

SPEAKER_02 (21:48):
all they did was they dyed his hair gray.

SPEAKER_01 (21:51):
Yeah, he looked like almost a surfer because it was
like sun-bleached white almost,but...

SPEAKER_02 (21:57):
Yeah, I don't...
He...
it it wasn't just the gray hairhe like he legitimately seemed
like he was in a shape kind ofsimilar

SPEAKER_01 (22:08):
yeah because they go swimming a ton yeah like if you
look at his physique

SPEAKER_02 (22:12):
yeah

SPEAKER_01 (22:13):
it anyway that's body shape um but but yes i mean
when you look at like who he isat the age that he was at that
time and like look it is part ofa actor's repertoire to be able
to age up aged like they'resupposed to be somewhat like
chameleon so so like i get thatbut when we look through the
other actors who are allsupposed to be peers of this

(22:34):
character yeah and when theywere actually born in real life
it's really kind of interestingum i mean it's

SPEAKER_02 (22:42):
it's acting it's it's acting so like if he's he
was the right person for thatrole um but yeah in terms of
like him versus cruz at thoseages it's it's funny but like
realistically look around waymore brimleys than cruises
walking around at that

SPEAKER_01 (23:01):
age yeah yeah at that point in time or today i

SPEAKER_02 (23:05):
think today depending on where you are

SPEAKER_01 (23:08):
people definitely but when you look at like i
don't know if we really touchedon it a ton i think the biggest
thing that i like and it's notan 80s movie is like i always
comment even If it's only in myhead, like when we watch Jaws
and that kid's mom looks likehis grandma and like the parents
look so much older than theirkids.

SPEAKER_02 (23:29):
There's something about like the style or fashion
that like we associate.

SPEAKER_01 (23:33):
I mean, life was harder.

SPEAKER_02 (23:35):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (23:36):
People age more quickly.
Smoking.

SPEAKER_02 (23:38):
Yeah, smoking for sure.
Because it wasn't just that youwould smoke, but wherever you
would go, it was in the air.
Yeah.
You couldn't go to a restaurant.

SPEAKER_01 (23:45):
I mean, we could go down a whole rabbit hole about
how the younger generation,probably Gen Z, is like, now
we're kind of going in the wrongdirection as far as lifespan.
Yeah.
But...
at least for a moment in time,like we were, we've been aging
better than the previousgeneration.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (24:05):
And,

SPEAKER_01 (24:05):
and I think that comes through clearly, like
obviously also Tom Cruise haslike everything at his disposal
to, to be the healthiest he canbe.
I mean, I'm not even talkingabout the Scientology stuff.
Yeah, no, that's what I wasgoing to say.
I'm talking about the moneystuff.

SPEAKER_02 (24:18):
No, I'm talking about the, obviously the
Scientology works and we shouldall follow it.
Just look at

SPEAKER_01 (24:23):
Cruise.
Derek, Derek.
You need to clarify that, like,do the backslash S.
Sarcasm.
You

SPEAKER_02 (24:31):
know, I didn't think the backslash S was necessary
there, but yes.
Yes.
Obviously

SPEAKER_01 (24:35):
sarcasm.
You don't want people taking aclip of what you...
Anyway.

SPEAKER_02 (24:39):
I'd love to think there are people scanning
through our episodes like, oh, Igot

SPEAKER_01 (24:45):
him! Breaking news.
Derek Dankey supportsScientology.

SPEAKER_02 (24:48):
that's the clip they're gonna use damn it

SPEAKER_01 (24:52):
but all to say it is fascinating to watch this this
film through that lens and imean we'll get maybe we'll get
to it but the scene where allthe other seniors make a mad
dash for the pool oh my god it'sactually really sad it

SPEAKER_02 (25:09):
it looked like a bunch of people trying to break
into a costco for pokemon cardsit was wild

SPEAKER_01 (25:14):
it did kind of touch me on a level where I was like,
Oh, this doesn't feel, I think,I think that was the intention.
I don't think it was, I don'tknow.
I don't think it was supposed tobe humorous.
I think it was supposed to showkind of the sad desperation of
people who are, who are justgrabbing at anything to feel
like they once did to, to retainthat youth to whatever.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (25:36):
I think that's exactly, which is why, once
again, I would say that theseare the chillest aliens in any
movie I've ever seen becauseDenny, he's like, yeah, Yeah.
All your friends.
Way too chill.
All your friends who areresponsible for the death of a
couple of my friends.
Yes.
Bring them too.

SPEAKER_01 (25:50):
Yes.
And there was another really sadscene when he was like holding
his friend and his friend.
Jesus Christ.
Yeah.
Like, anyway.
Don Amici.
So he plays Art.
He did.
So the other Oscar win is forhim.
He won Best Supporting Actor.

SPEAKER_02 (26:05):
For the breakdancing.

SPEAKER_01 (26:07):
I think in spite of the breakdancing.
And look, this is notage-shaming, but I'm just trying
to give context when we comparesome of these actors.
He was born in 1908.

SPEAKER_02 (26:18):
1908.

SPEAKER_01 (26:22):
So when he did this movie, he was on the cusp of
being 80.

SPEAKER_02 (26:25):
He looked great.
He looked great.
For 80 and 85?
He looked

SPEAKER_01 (26:31):
great.
And so this was 85.
He passed in 93.
So all to say, long careerbefore this movie came along.
And I love some of the titles.
I've kind of mentioned titlesfrom the 1930s are the best.

SPEAKER_02 (26:48):
They are so fucking dramatic.

SPEAKER_01 (26:50):
They are so fun.
So here are some of them.
Sins of Man.
Dramatic.
Ladies in Love.
Wow.
Love is News.
Is it?
This one.
And then some of them that Iactually have heard of.
You Can't Have Everything.
He was in the 1939 version ofThe Three Musketeers.
He does a couple movies that Iwas like, oh, this is fun.

(27:11):
They're all places.
Down Argentine Way, That Nightin Rio, Moon Over Miami.
He was in the 1943 version ofHeaven Can Wait.
Okay.
This one's kind of a dark title.
He was in a movie called PictureMommy Dead.
Fuck.

(27:31):
dark then we're skipping wayahead uh we brought him up
before he is famously one of theduke brothers in trading places

SPEAKER_02 (27:44):
really that's right yeah that's right yeah of

SPEAKER_01 (27:47):
course yeah of course yeah uh he's in harry and
the hendersons he makes a veryfun cameo in coming to america
same guy same is the samecharacter yeah yep So he's the
first of almost every singleactor I think we have who comes
back for Cocoon the Return.
His final credit was KarinaKarina.

(28:11):
And in between all the manyfilms that he did, he also was
on a lot of one-offs andtwo-offs for TV.

SPEAKER_02 (28:17):
Yeah.
He was amazing in this.
He

SPEAKER_01 (28:21):
was great.
I don't know if I have afavorite character, but I do
really like him in this film.

SPEAKER_02 (28:27):
I mean, I have a least favorite character and
it's not him, but we'll get tohim, I'm sure.
Okay.
Maybe.

SPEAKER_01 (28:33):
So Wilford Brimley.
Wilford

SPEAKER_02 (28:36):
Brimley.

SPEAKER_01 (28:36):
He plays Ben.
So for a little context, he wasborn almost 30 years after Don
Amici.

SPEAKER_02 (28:44):
We're going to hammer this point home.
He

SPEAKER_01 (28:46):
was born in 1934, which still means that like, but
for the 80s, like I said, he wasjust about 50.
I mean, 34 ain't 08.
It's not 08.
He passed in 2020.
And it feels like he kind ofjust was always an older actor
in everything that he did.
No, well,

SPEAKER_02 (29:07):
yeah.
And obviously we'll get toJessica Tandy, but I probably
made the remark in Cocoon, like,Has she just only existed at
this age?
And that's kind of how I feelabout Wilford Brimley is like, I
don't know if I can rememberever seeing him something where
he's like a young WilfordBrimley.

SPEAKER_01 (29:25):
And I'm jumping the gun a little bit, but to my
knowledge, Tandy still holds therecord for being the oldest
actress to win an Oscar.
So there's that.
And that's great.
That's great, though.
Yeah.
I do feel like, I guess, eventhough a lot of films don't
feature older actors, I feellike maybe of late, more older
actors are being recognized bythe Academy.

SPEAKER_02 (29:47):
We're recognizing like half of them just with this
movie.

SPEAKER_01 (29:51):
So, okay.
Some of his credits.
I mean, he did do film,obviously, because we're
covering one.
But I do think that to somedegree, he's better known for
his TV work.
So he was on The Waltons.
Hmm.
A little bit earlier in hiscareer.
The China Syndrome.
He was, of course, in the thing.

(30:12):
I think the only time we'vecovered him.
There's definitely room for usto cover him again.
Yeah.
I said Tender Mercies, right?
You

SPEAKER_02 (30:22):
just did.

SPEAKER_01 (30:22):
I just did.
Okay.
The Natural.
So that's the one that Ithink...
he would come up again for.

SPEAKER_02 (30:28):
Probably, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (30:30):
Remo Williams, The Adventure Begins.
Oh my

SPEAKER_02 (30:34):
God, I forgot about that movie.

SPEAKER_01 (30:35):
I think you say that every time I bring

SPEAKER_02 (30:38):
it up.
Well.

SPEAKER_01 (30:39):
But we can cover it at some point.

SPEAKER_02 (30:40):
We're going to have to,

SPEAKER_01 (30:41):
huh?
Okay.

SPEAKER_02 (30:42):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (30:42):
He also comes back for Cocoon the Return.
I think a certain generationknows him from Our House, the TV
series.
I think he's like ShannonDoherty's grandpa, I think.
I am not

SPEAKER_02 (30:54):
familiar with that program.

SPEAKER_01 (30:55):
The Firm, which is a funny crossover because it's
talking about how Tom Cruise isin that movie.
Yeah,

SPEAKER_02 (31:05):
yeah.
So you can just like, look atthis piece of crap.
And then look at Tom

SPEAKER_01 (31:11):
Cruise.
He was in the movie In-N-Out.
And then his final credit was IBelieve.

SPEAKER_02 (31:18):
One other title that I want to mention.
I did not know there was asequel to Where the Red Fern
Grows.

SPEAKER_03 (31:25):
And

SPEAKER_02 (31:25):
I'm not going to watch it because I'm also not
going to ever watch the originalWhere the Red Fern Grows again.
Ever.
But he's in it.
He's in the sequel.

SPEAKER_01 (31:34):
Okay.
Yeah.
Moving on to Hume, H-U-M-E,Cronin.

SPEAKER_02 (31:40):
That's the guy I can't stand.
I

SPEAKER_01 (31:42):
knew

SPEAKER_02 (31:42):
that's who you were thinking of.
This guy, this guy's like, hey,what would

SPEAKER_01 (31:46):
you do?
What a fucking bastard.
Way to just show that at anyage, men are bastards.

SPEAKER_02 (31:52):
You're healed.
You're no longer sick.
You feel great.
What's the first thing you'regoing to do?

SPEAKER_01 (31:56):
I'm going to cheat on my wife.
Yeah, what a dick.
So he plays Joe and Cronin, theactor, he was born in 1911.
He passed in 2003.
So 2003.
Wow.
So, yes.
Interesting character.
I feel like Amici's character,he finds this newfound vigor and

(32:24):
really parlays it into trying toachieve a better life.
Like he...
I think there was already somekind of spark between him and
that woman.
Who

SPEAKER_02 (32:35):
was running the activity or the dance stuff.

SPEAKER_01 (32:40):
But he uses it to be like, hey, I don't want to miss
this chance at love again.
They get married.
They

SPEAKER_02 (32:46):
do.

SPEAKER_01 (32:46):
He just really wants to enjoy himself.
Joe?

SPEAKER_02 (32:49):
Also wants to enjoy himself.

SPEAKER_01 (32:51):
He wants to enjoy himself.
He takes it to a place where,yeah, you're kind of like,
you're a real jerk.
And

SPEAKER_02 (33:03):
it sounds like he was.

SPEAKER_01 (33:05):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (33:05):
Because like, it's not the first time that he's
been unfaithful.
And so, yeah, he's just like he,they all go out bowling and
they're like showing up whoeveris there because they have old
man alien superpowers now.

SPEAKER_03 (33:22):
Right.

SPEAKER_02 (33:23):
And then when Brimley is like, why don't we
like, be a little discreet aboutwhat we're doing, a little
subtle.
He's like, fuck you, I'm goingto go party.
Yeah,

SPEAKER_01 (33:34):
essentially.
So he

SPEAKER_02 (33:35):
basically does.

SPEAKER_01 (33:36):
He

SPEAKER_02 (33:36):
doesn't say it exactly like that, but I think
that's what he meant.

SPEAKER_01 (33:40):
Yeah.
And those three are the mostprominent of the cast.
They are, yeah.
Joe, Ben, and Art.
And so Cronin, same as Amici,had a huge career before this
movie came along.
Did I say that Amici was?

(34:02):
Hold on, because I can't evenremember.
No, it was a different film.
Okay, so Cronin was in the 1943Phantom of the Opera.
He was in Lifeboat.
He gets his one and only Oscarnomination Best Supporting Actor
for The Seventh Cross.

(34:23):
He was in The Postman AlwaysRings Twice.
Always.
I do remember him fromCleopatra.
uh the liz taylor cleopatra healso was in the 1964 hamlet now
we're skipping ahead we'realready in the 80s the world
according to garp oh yeahbrewster's millions he's in

(34:43):
batteries not included

SPEAKER_02 (34:44):
is he yeah i don't know if he's like the the main
guy or if he's just like yeah

SPEAKER_01 (34:51):
not sure either He, too, comes back for Cocoon the
Return.
He's in The Pelican Brief.
And then his final credit wasthe TV movie of A Separate
Piece, which I remember I wenton a long-winded tangent about
that and how I really didn'tlike that book when I had to
read it in high school.

SPEAKER_02 (35:09):
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (35:10):
And also just a lot of TV appearances sprinkled in
throughout his film career.

SPEAKER_02 (35:14):
And I do remember him.
I don't know if you mentionedthis.
He was in 1997's 12 Angry Men.

SPEAKER_01 (35:21):
Oh, thank you.

SPEAKER_02 (35:22):
Juror number nine.

SPEAKER_01 (35:23):
Thank

SPEAKER_02 (35:23):
you.
Excellent movie.

SPEAKER_01 (35:26):
So now we are coming to, you've mentioned him,
Walter.
Walter the alien.

SPEAKER_02 (35:32):
No last names.
They don't know what forevermeans and they don't know what
last

SPEAKER_01 (35:35):
names mean.
So really interesting castingfor who they are like, you're
going to be an alien.
He's

SPEAKER_02 (35:44):
like, cool, so I'm the villain?

SPEAKER_01 (35:45):
Yeah.
No,

SPEAKER_02 (35:46):
you're pretty good.
I

SPEAKER_01 (35:47):
don't.
I don't know if I'd go so far asto say is casting against type,
but it was just, I think, areally interesting choice for
him to be like, I don't know,the head alien.
Yeah.
He's good.
He's good.
I like seeing him in a rolewhere he's not the villain.

SPEAKER_03 (36:03):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (36:04):
So Dennehy, he's also passed.
He passed in 2020.
He was born in 1938.
So he's just four.
He was just four years youngerthan Brimley.
Yeah.
We covered him a minute agobecause we first talked about
him in First Blood.
So go check out that episode.
There are a few other films forsure that we could bring him up

(36:27):
again for.
He was in 10.
The, oh my goodness, the guyfrom Arthur.
Oh,

SPEAKER_02 (36:34):
like the Bo Derek.

SPEAKER_01 (36:35):
Yes.
So he's in that.
Never Cry Wolf, which I've doneanother tangent about why my dad
let me watch that movie as akid.
I don't know.
Gorky Park, Silverado, you'vewanted to cover that.

SPEAKER_02 (36:49):
I have.
Yeah, it's a decent Western witha pretty amazing cast.
Kevin Kline, Danny Glover.
That's right.
Dennehy, Kevin Costner.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (37:01):
One day.
He's in Legal Eagles, Return toSnowy River, also Cocoon the
Return.
But from what I read, he's justin one quick scene.
I don't think he's really aprominent part of it.
We just totally not part of thispodcast saw him in Presumed
Innocent.
That's

SPEAKER_02 (37:19):
right.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (37:19):
Yeah.
Not too long ago with somefriends.
Tommy Boy, he's his dad, isn'the?

SPEAKER_02 (37:24):
I believe so.
Yeah.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (37:27):
The...
Leonardo DiCaprio, Romeo andJuliet.
I think he's Juliet's dad.

SPEAKER_02 (37:35):
I have not seen that movie.

SPEAKER_01 (37:38):
I mean, I'm glad I saw it.
I don't really need to revisitit.
Was

SPEAKER_02 (37:44):
that a 90s movie?
So is it like a 90s teen spin ofRomeo and Juliet where it's like
kind of that 90s vibe

SPEAKER_01 (37:51):
to it?
Yeah, is it Baz Luhrmann?
It is very...
like hip to yeah like musicalsand

SPEAKER_02 (37:59):
it's like what if hackers was romeo

SPEAKER_01 (38:01):
and julia yeah yeah kind of

SPEAKER_02 (38:02):
kind of

SPEAKER_01 (38:03):
that's a good way of putting it uh he was in the tv
series the fighting fitzgeraldshe was in the film assault on
precinct 13 you probably knowthis he is one of the voices in
ratatouille

SPEAKER_02 (38:17):
he is um yeah what's the rat's name remy

SPEAKER_01 (38:22):
yeah

SPEAKER_02 (38:22):
yeah he's his uh dad

SPEAKER_01 (38:24):
yeah

SPEAKER_02 (38:25):
yeah

SPEAKER_01 (38:25):
And then one of his final credits was the TV series
The Blacklist.

SPEAKER_02 (38:31):
Did you mention FX?

SPEAKER_01 (38:32):
I didn't.

SPEAKER_02 (38:33):
Because we're probably going to have to cover
that one time too.
Yeah.
Where they solve crimes andsomehow solve like a
presidential assassinationattempt with special effects.

SPEAKER_01 (38:44):
Okay.

SPEAKER_02 (38:44):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (38:46):
Moving on to...
So this is actually a veryinteresting character.
Bernie, played by Jack Guilford.
So...
Really quickly, the actor, alsoborn in 1908, passed away just a
few years after this film.
He passed away in 1990.
But he is among this group ofseniors who very early on

(39:09):
catches on to what's going on.
And that somehow these otherfellas that he's friends with
have, like he calls it like thefountain of youth.

SPEAKER_02 (39:20):
Yes.

SPEAKER_01 (39:21):
And he wants actually no part of it.

SPEAKER_02 (39:25):
He doesn't until he does.

SPEAKER_01 (39:26):
Right, but not for himself.

SPEAKER_02 (39:28):
No, for Rose, for his wife.
Correct.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (39:30):
It's a really interesting...
And I'm actually really gladthat there's a character there
that is this character becausehe is...
kind of the one person who'slike I like our life it's fine
that we're old and that actuallyreally means something because
his wife I believe has it seemslike she maybe has a little bit
of dementia I

SPEAKER_02 (39:51):
think so they wouldn't have like said it like
that yeah talked about it orcalled it that in the 80s right
but I think that's what was

SPEAKER_01 (39:59):
I think you pick up on that a little bit she like
introduces herself to is it Benand they were like you know Ben
yeah I'm not sure if it was Benbut like she doesn't recognize
one of their friends at somepoint so i found that really
really interesting that he andthen he like almost gets
belligerent about it in terms oflike i don't i don't want to be

(40:22):
a part of this you can go doyour thing don't try to make me
don't try to make my wife andthey do kind of use that against
him and saying like your wifecould really use this

SPEAKER_02 (40:30):
i mean amici's character because they're all
like fired up on their eugenicsor whatever it is from the pool
and He's kind of

SPEAKER_01 (40:38):
antagonizing him.
And all

SPEAKER_02 (40:40):
their boners.
Yeah.
Oh, God.
The three of them getting

SPEAKER_01 (40:42):
out of the pool.
I did not need to hear that.
Talking about their...

SPEAKER_02 (40:45):
Hey, we're just three old dudes swimming around
with their boners in the alienpotato

SPEAKER_01 (40:50):
pool.

SPEAKER_02 (40:51):
Uh-huh, uh-huh.
Yeah, he egged them on, and thenhe kicked the shit out of the
two staff there, which it's notlike...
These weren't supposed to belike the staff in the...

SPEAKER_01 (41:00):
It's not like one flew over the cuckoo's nest.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (41:04):
They weren't in the institution from Terminator 2.
Yeah, yeah.
He kicked the shit out of ClintHoward, I think.

SPEAKER_01 (41:11):
Yes, which, yeah, nice fun little cameo by Clint
Howard.
So it is really sad, though.
It is very sad.
So basically what happens foranybody who hasn't seen this
film.
And

SPEAKER_02 (41:25):
if you haven't, good luck finding it.

SPEAKER_01 (41:28):
Yeah, it's a little tough.
Not easy to find.
A little tough to find it.
So his wife passes away.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.

(41:57):
In large part because there arecocoons that are like having to
utilize the like rejuvenationproperties of the water.
I don't really know how thealiens made the water the way
that they did.
Yeah, I know.
There's no way to– there's noexplanation.
But that's like– that's why thecocoons are in the water.
They– again, sorry to kind ofmaybe– we don't usually do a

(42:18):
deep dive into the story becausethere's kind of an assumption
that people have seen it.
But essentially the aliens cameto Earth because at some point
10,000 years ago I think– Theyhad to leave behind crew.

SPEAKER_03 (42:27):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (42:28):
But the crew are in these cocoons that have
preserved them.
They've been in the ocean.
The aliens come back, fish themout of the ocean, and put them
in this pool so they canrejuvenate enough to be able to
make the trip home.

SPEAKER_02 (42:40):
Also, I think it's worth mentioning that where they
were placed or where they wereleft in the ocean...
The Lost City of Atlantis.

SPEAKER_01 (42:47):
Yeah.
Which

SPEAKER_02 (42:48):
apparently is just off St.
Petersburg, Florida.

SPEAKER_01 (42:51):
When the opening credits are coming, I'm like,
what am I looking at?
Because it looks like anunderwater city.
And

SPEAKER_02 (42:58):
I wasn't sure if you asked that just because watching
a pirated version,hypothetically, of Cocoon.

SPEAKER_01 (43:03):
No, I think it was intentional that there was this
kind of distortion because ofthe water.
But in any case, so what hadhappened is that The Secret gets
out.
And like I had mentioned- Almostthe rest of this nursing home or
assisted living retirementcommunity, however you want to
call it, they just book it.

(43:27):
for the pool.
And so now all of a sudden youhave about 30 people.
And the thing is, is that it

SPEAKER_02 (43:31):
was like people hitting up a Walmart Black
Friday morning.

SPEAKER_01 (43:33):
Oh, it's terrible.
It was like really anuncomfortable scene to watch.
I

SPEAKER_02 (43:36):
don't know why they took a pod out and started
trying to beat it against the

SPEAKER_01 (43:39):
side of the pool.
Yeah, it was terrible.
Terrible.

SPEAKER_02 (43:41):
If they send 30 other people, just make sure
it's not those two.

SPEAKER_01 (43:45):
I get it that they didn't know what it was, but it
was just like an awful thing tosee.
I thought that it

SPEAKER_02 (43:50):
was the pods.
But it was the water that theydid something to.
And he tells, like, when they'rerenting this property, he tells
them that he wanted to, like,he'll handle that.
Yes.
I thought it was because theydidn't want someone coming in
and seeing, like, these giantpotatoes.
But,

SPEAKER_01 (44:04):
yeah.
So...
What ended up happening, though,it was fine if it was just like
the three guys, the threefriends.
But any time from what I pickedup from the film, a human goes
into that water, they take alittle bit of that life force.
And so because all those peoplecame in all at once, they
completely they didn't drain thewater, but they drained the life

(44:26):
force from the water.
Yeah.
So that put all the cocoons indanger, which is also why when
Bernie tried to bring Rose torejuvenate her.
There's nothing left.
There's nothing.
left to rejuvenate her and it isa really sad scene because
Walter watches what's happeningand Bernie is begging him to

(44:47):
help him and he just says I'msorry like he's not saying in a
cruel way he's just like I'msorry there's there's nothing I
can do and Bernie is like I'llgive you anything and yeah

SPEAKER_02 (44:58):
he didn't he didn't want it For himself, he just
wanted to bring her back.
Which

SPEAKER_01 (45:02):
is actually making me emotional.
It's really sad.

SPEAKER_02 (45:05):
I don't even know if it would have even worked if she
had already...

SPEAKER_01 (45:09):
Yeah.
I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 (45:10):
Who knows how the magic pool works?

SPEAKER_01 (45:12):
But the actor, Jack Guilford, so his credits, a
funny thing happened on the wayto the forum.

SPEAKER_03 (45:19):
The

SPEAKER_01 (45:20):
film, They Might Be Giants, he too was an
Oscar-nominated actor.
He got Best Supporting for Savethe Tiger.
I know I've brought this upbefore because I think it's kind
of a funny title.
He was in the film Cheaper toKeeper.
Man, this film keepsauto-playing and it's so lame.
Caveman.

SPEAKER_02 (45:41):
Is that the one where at the end...
No, I'm thinking of Icemanmaybe.

SPEAKER_01 (45:45):
But it's a very similar vibe.

SPEAKER_02 (45:46):
Yeah, okay.
Where they discover...

SPEAKER_01 (45:49):
Yes, and it's really...
I mean, it's 80s, like,animatronic.
Like, it's just...
Anyway.
Yeah.
But he does come back for Cocoonthe Return, and then over the
course of his career, also manyTV appearances.

SPEAKER_02 (46:01):
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (46:02):
Okay, so finally...
He

SPEAKER_02 (46:03):
was also...
There was one other movie thathe was in that I must give you
the title to.
It is...
Anna to the infinite power.
Oh,

SPEAKER_01 (46:11):
thanks.
We have one, two, three, four,like five, four and a half
people to cover.
Four and a half.
Because I don't think that's avery prominent person.
But anyway.

SPEAKER_02 (46:23):
Speed run.
Let's go.

SPEAKER_01 (46:24):
So Steve Guttenberg.

SPEAKER_02 (46:26):
The Goot.

SPEAKER_01 (46:28):
He plays Jack.
He is.
Owns a boat that he runs out forstuff.

SPEAKER_03 (46:36):
Mm hmm.

SPEAKER_01 (46:37):
Seems on the verge of financial collapse.

SPEAKER_02 (46:39):
He seems just past the verge.

SPEAKER_01 (46:42):
And...

SPEAKER_02 (46:43):
He's on the wrong side of the verge.

SPEAKER_01 (46:44):
The aliens decide to tap him to help.
They don't tell him what's goingon, but they say, we want your
boat for 27 days.
I love how there's always these,like, really arbitrary
restrictions in films where it'slike, why 27?
Why can you only be here 720?
Ah,

SPEAKER_02 (47:00):
because that brought them up to the lunar eclipse.

SPEAKER_01 (47:03):
Oh, okay.
Fair enough.
So...
effort I mean I feel like it isa somewhat realistic response to
finding out that they're alienslike he goes from like being on
the physical defensive he's likea blowtorch stay away from me he
jumps from his own boat realizesthat That's not going to work.

(47:25):
They're completely calm thewhole time.
They're not dangerous aliens.
They're very kind.
They're the

SPEAKER_02 (47:33):
least dangerous aliens you will ever encounter.

SPEAKER_01 (47:36):
Yes.
And when he kind of realizesthat and they basically have to
explain to him what they'redoing, he agrees to help them.

SPEAKER_02 (47:45):
I mean, it was great when Walter says it's so hard to
know who you can trust and justlike pulls his eyelid down a
little bit and the The alienlight shines out.

SPEAKER_01 (47:56):
Yeah.
I

SPEAKER_02 (47:56):
thought that was probably as sinister as you're
going to get with Brian Dennehyin this movie.

SPEAKER_01 (48:01):
And the reason why I said four and a half is because
he does kind of strike up arelationship with why they name
her Kitty.
I don't know.
Her character name is Kitty.
And, you know, he's a littlepervy because he is literally
peeping Tom.
He's peeping her while she's inher

SPEAKER_02 (48:20):
skin suit.
And she takes off her clothes.
And then she takes off her skinsuit.
And that is probably thecreepiest, most horror-esque
moment.

SPEAKER_01 (48:31):
Especially when she realizes that he's watching her.

SPEAKER_02 (48:33):
And she zooms in to where he is.
That is

SPEAKER_01 (48:37):
terrifying.
It's a little creepy.
So...
Gutenberg, he had a very strong80s, very strong 80s.

SPEAKER_02 (48:45):
To be fair, his character saw her like that and
he's like, I'm still in.

SPEAKER_01 (48:48):
I'm still into you.
So he was in Diner, the man whowasn't there.
He is mostly, especially for thefirst half of the franchise, he
drops out after number four, butthe Police Academy movies.

SPEAKER_02 (49:02):
Yeah, he is the Police Academy.
Him in the Taggart, I think.
Maybe.
Not sure who the nemesis was.

SPEAKER_01 (49:12):
Oh, sure.
I know who you're talking about.
He's Mahoney in all those films.
So he's in the first one.
I'll give this to Police Academymovies.
They do a great job of namingtheir sequels.

SPEAKER_02 (49:21):
They tell you exactly what's happening.

SPEAKER_01 (49:23):
And they're fun, unlike a ton of other movies
that give you the worst sequelnames ever.
Or sometimes they're so fuckinglazy, they just name it the same
as the original.
All those franchises know whoI'm talking about.
Yeah.
But he was in the first one.
Police Academy 2, The FirstAssignment.
Police Academy 3, Back inTraining.
And Police Academy 4, Citizenson Patrol.

SPEAKER_02 (49:45):
Oh, it was probably Lieutenant Harris that was the
nemesis.
I don't know why I thought ofthat.
That's from Beverly Hills Cop.

SPEAKER_01 (49:53):
Oh, that's right.
He was in Short Circuit.
Three men and a baby as well asthree men and a little lady.
He, too, comes back for Cocoonthe Return.
Home for the holidays.
He has done TV work.
He was in Veronica Mars.
This I thought was hilarious.
I had to call this out.
He's in Sharknado 4, The FourthAwakens.

(50:15):
Love that.
And then more TV work.
He was in Ballers.
This makes a lot of sense to me.
He had a stint on the Goldbergs.

SPEAKER_02 (50:23):
I mean, you mentioned it during the movie.
He is...
Like it's interesting seeing himacting side by side with like a
Brian Dennehy.
Yeah.
Is he just like a goofy,charismatic, good guy?
Is that because he's been in alot?

SPEAKER_01 (50:39):
Yeah.
Maybe.
I don't know.
I don't think he has a lot ofrange.
I hate to be rude.

SPEAKER_02 (50:46):
I don't look.
I don't think he does either.
But what does it matter?
Because he's been a fairlysuccessful actor.
Yeah.
Right.

SPEAKER_01 (50:53):
And then he's also been in Paper Empire.

SPEAKER_02 (50:55):
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (50:56):
Okay.

SPEAKER_02 (50:56):
Is it Scientology?
Just kidding.
I retract the comment.

UNKNOWN (50:59):
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (51:01):
Maureen Stapleton.
So she is Ben's wife, MaryLuckett.
She was born in 1925, passed in2006.
So here's, if I may, just reallyquickly, the women in this film
get a little bit short shrift.
I think it could be reallyinteresting to do a reboot of
Cocoon from more so theperspective of the women in it.

(51:22):
Yeah.

UNKNOWN (51:22):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (51:22):
I think that could be kind of an interesting
sequel.

SPEAKER_02 (51:26):
Yeah, they're all side characters

SPEAKER_01 (51:27):
to the guys, right?
Yeah, they don't have reallyarcs.
Tandy...
the most.
She does,

SPEAKER_02 (51:31):
yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (51:32):
But there's not a huge arc there for any of them,
for the most part.
But Stapleton, boy, was she apowerhouse.
She had an amazing career.
She multi-nominated andOscar-winning actress.
All her nominations and the winwere for a supporting actress.
She gets her first nom for afilm called Lonely Hearts.

(51:54):
She was in A View from theBridge.
Bye Bye Birdie.
She gets her next Oscar nom forAirport.
Follows that up with anotherOscar nom for Interiors.
Follows that up with an Oscarwin for Reds, which we could
cover.
She was in Johnny Dangerously,The Money Pit, Heartburn, Nuts.

(52:16):
She too comes back for Cocoonthe Return.
And then her final credit was afilm called Living and Dining.
Okay.
Not dying, but dining.
I

SPEAKER_02 (52:27):
just want to say I appreciate that I don't think a
single time you have said thatsomeone returned for Cocoon the
Returns.

SPEAKER_01 (52:34):
I'm trying not to.

SPEAKER_02 (52:35):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (52:36):
And she also...
This is kind of on par foreverybody.
Did a lot of TV work.
Okay, so moving on to Alma.
That is Joe's wife, played byJessica Tandy, Hume Cronin's
real wife.
Oh,

SPEAKER_02 (52:51):
really?

SPEAKER_01 (52:51):
They were...
really married

SPEAKER_02 (52:54):
that's always interesting to me when i mean
when they're in those roles inthat situation and they're like
really married that because theythey probably have like the um
most difficult challengingrelationship like between what

(53:14):
he did to her in terms of likebeing unfaithful before any of
this happened and then onceagain once he started feeling
better and then you mentionedthis like laying this on her
like if i stay here if i stay onearth

SPEAKER_01 (53:27):
yeah

SPEAKER_02 (53:28):
i'm going to die because the remission like

SPEAKER_01 (53:31):
the cancer he had cancer

SPEAKER_02 (53:32):
yeah went into full remission But

SPEAKER_01 (53:35):
because of the pool,

SPEAKER_02 (53:36):
because of it, because of the exposure to that.
But if he remained on Earth andhe was going to die and he said,
I want to go with them.
But if the choice is livingforever without you or like
having six more months with you,I'm going to stay with you.
And you're like, that's a lot tolay on someone.
That's really unfair.
It's very unfair.
When

SPEAKER_01 (53:56):
you cheated on her, you're like, I'm going to die if
you don't go with me, but that'swhat I'll do.

SPEAKER_02 (54:02):
But it also made a lot of sense for her to be in
that role to deal with that.
She was excellent, obviously.
Oh, she was amazing.
She was great.

SPEAKER_01 (54:11):
Tandy was born in 1909.
So she actually was two yearsolder than Cronin.
She passed in 94.
So unfortunately, he lived about10 more years without her.
Same as all the gentlemen,almost.
She had a very long careerbefore this film came along.
She was in a film called TheIndiscretions of Eve.
Her and her husband did star ina number of other films

(54:34):
together, other projects.
One of them was The SeventhCross, for which he got his
Oscar nom.
She was in The Birds.
jumping way ahead she is also inthe world according to garp she
also was in batteries notincluded so

SPEAKER_02 (54:47):
they must be like the main couple in it

SPEAKER_01 (54:49):
must be yeah she too comes back for cocoon the return

SPEAKER_02 (54:53):
returns

SPEAKER_01 (54:54):
she at the very tail end of her career really amps it
up she gets her oscar win like imentioned still holds the record
for oldest actress for drivingmiss daisy

SPEAKER_03 (55:06):
and

SPEAKER_01 (55:07):
She gets another nomination.
I do love this film.
She gets a Best SupportingActress nomination.
She's great in Fried GreenTomatoes.
And then her final credit wasNobody's Fool.

SPEAKER_02 (55:18):
With Paul Newman.

SPEAKER_01 (55:19):
Correct.
Yeah.
Okay, really quickly, I wantedto mention them, but they really
don't have prominent roles.
But the person who plays Art'slove interest that he ties the
knot with, character name isBess, played by Gwen Verdon.
She was born in 1925.
Passed away in 2000.
She does have acting credits,but I think she was more so

(55:43):
maybe a dancer.
I think that's why this role fither so well.

SPEAKER_02 (55:46):
Because she was like the dance instructor at the
retirement community.

SPEAKER_01 (55:51):
Correct.

SPEAKER_02 (55:51):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (55:52):
So some of her credits, this was a musical,
Damn Yankees.
So right up her alley.
Moving way ahead to the 80s forCotton Club.
Nadine.
Also, Cocoon the Return.
Alice.
Alice.
Marvin's room.
And then her final credit wasBruno sprinkled in with a lot of
TV appearances, including

SPEAKER_02 (56:12):
five episodes of the Magnum P.I.
show.

SPEAKER_01 (56:16):
Oh,

SPEAKER_02 (56:16):
I don't know why I called it the Magnum P.I.
show.
I

SPEAKER_01 (56:18):
don't know.

SPEAKER_02 (56:19):
That's not what it was ever called.

SPEAKER_01 (56:21):
Finally, we're at.
The character of Kitty.
So she is the female alienplayed by Tawny Welch.
Did not realize that is RaquelWelch's daughter.
Looks just like her, though.
She does.
Looks just like her.
Just short hair.
Short hair.

SPEAKER_02 (56:39):
Basically.

SPEAKER_01 (56:40):
Not a ton of credits.
It seems like she probablyhasn't acted in about 25 years.
Besides her also...
Coming back for Cocoon theReturn, she was in I Shot Andy
Warhol.
It seems like she did a lot ofItalian projects.
I noticed a number of those.
Okay, film synopsis.
When a group of trespassingseniors swim in a pool

(57:02):
containing alien cocoons, theyfind themselves energized with
youthful vigor.

SPEAKER_02 (57:10):
Yeah.
Yeah.
That is mostly what happens.

SPEAKER_01 (57:13):
Yeah.
It's an interesting filmbecause, like, honestly, the
first half of it, it's atwo-hour movie.
The first half of it doesn'thave a ton of conflict.
It's kind of just them livingthere.
They find out about the pool.
Yeah.
Meanwhile, the aliens are kindof just doing their thing and
retrieving cocoons.
Yeah, they are.
Like, the first half of the filmis just kind of that.

(57:35):
And then all of a sudden, youknow, like, yes, there is a
storyline of Joe having hiscancer.

UNKNOWN (57:40):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (57:40):
um but beyond oh and you know what i forgot to
mention quick shout out cameo tothe kid from never ending story
he is ben's grandson that'sright yeah yeah

SPEAKER_02 (57:50):
yeah

SPEAKER_01 (57:51):
but in any case the conflict really comes when those
seniors like really oversteptheir bounds and in the most
compassionate kind way thealiens have to be like hey like
We need to protect this poolbecause of these cocoons.
Like, these are actual beingsthat are in these cocoons.

SPEAKER_02 (58:13):
They've been there for thousands of years.
They are back to try to retrievethem to bring their friends
back.
But in the beginning, you'renot...
I mean, you know what movie thisis.
You know it's not like a horrormovie, so...
I guess from their perspective,from the Wilford Brimley and
crew perspective, you're notsure how they're going to react.

(58:36):
But they're like, yeah, well,we've made mistakes before.
So you and your friends canenjoy the pool.
It's fine.

SPEAKER_01 (58:43):
Yeah.
I mean, they're incrediblygracious about it all.
I mean, I think nowadays therewould have been a lot more
conflict between the aliens andthe seniors.

SPEAKER_02 (58:54):
You would have expected it.

SPEAKER_01 (58:55):
You would have expected it.
So, yeah, the conflict comesreally at the tail end where the
seniors fuck up and like thethree guys, like they...
especially joe joe really fuckseverything up for everybody
because he just literally can'tcontrol himself he in in
multiple ways he can't controlhimself with the cheating he

(59:17):
can't control his anger and hebeats the shit out of those uh
retirement home workers which ofcourse alerts everybody to oh
this is actually real likewhat's happening yeah and And so
they fuck up.
Because of that, several of thecocoons with those beings inside
die.

(59:37):
And now their trip has failed.
I mean, the only redeemingfactor is the fact that the
seniors say, hey, we'll help youput them back in the ocean
because they will...
be preserved so to speak untilthey can come back to retrieve
them again which i thought washilarious because like are you
seriously telling me that like80 year olds who have presumably

(59:59):
never scuba died before they'rejust going to throw on that
equipment and go in the oceanthat doesn't happen there

SPEAKER_02 (01:00:03):
is a throwaway line while they're getting set up uh
one of the characters whilegutenberg is helping him get
ready is like it's okay i'vegone diving before and he's like
oh okay

SPEAKER_01 (01:00:13):
Okay.
And so we're all like, oh, okay.
That truly saves that scene.
So it's like, look, I've gonethrough training.
You don't just put on the gearand go in the ocean, but
especially at night.
So, yeah, it's an interestingfilm and the pacing of it and
where the conflict comes in.
I think for me, anyway, we'vealready mentioned it.

(01:00:37):
The most interesting thing isjust the way that the film
portrays aging.
And

SPEAKER_02 (01:00:44):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (01:00:45):
How the characters respond to being in that period
of their lives.

SPEAKER_02 (01:00:49):
I mean, there's only the...
Is it Bernie?
Bernie.
Bernie's the only one who...
I don't know how to characterizeit.
It's like, of course, they allwant to feel better.
They want more time.
I think having regrets orwanting to...

(01:01:11):
be able to redo something or getrid of the feeling that there's
nothing left for you to do.
It seemed like he was in a placeof peace with his life.
But They almost weaponized it.

(01:01:32):
There was everybody against him.
He is in, obviously, the sequel,and he is still alive when they
all come back.
So I don't know what any of thatmeans.
I don't know if I will everwatch the sequel.
I've heard that it is not in thesame place as far as quality as
the first one.

(01:01:53):
But it is interesting.
It's very much just like afantasy movie in terms of like,
hey, old people who are sick andliving in this place and you're
not not real happy about it.
What if I told you we could gosomeplace where you will live
forever and never be sick?
And I thought it was interestingthat Walter says, you will have

(01:02:15):
a productive life.
Like, maybe I want to chill forthe rest of...

SPEAKER_01 (01:02:21):
I think he meant kind of you'll make a
difference.

SPEAKER_02 (01:02:23):
Yeah, probably.

SPEAKER_01 (01:02:24):
But that's the way I interpreted that.

SPEAKER_02 (01:02:26):
So it felt like there was a lot of, like, here's
a group of people that just...
aren't satisfied with how theirlives maybe have gone, or they
just have this need to keep ongoing that literally leads them
to leave the planet.

SPEAKER_01 (01:02:44):
And that is Cocoon.
So as far as watching the filmagain...

SPEAKER_02 (01:02:50):
How?
If you can find an old VHScopy...

SPEAKER_01 (01:02:59):
That makes me sad.
That is the one thing that Iwish...
wasn't an obstacle still forpeople.
So

SPEAKER_02 (01:03:04):
it is a movie that was made by 20th Century Fox.
They were acquired by Disney.
After that happened, it becamenearly impossible to find.
You will not find it on atraditional, shall I say,
streaming service.
But you will find there is theability to stream it for those
who know where to look.

SPEAKER_01 (01:03:24):
Who are motivated to watch

SPEAKER_02 (01:03:26):
it.

SPEAKER_01 (01:03:27):
As far as Call to Action, I guess I would just be
really curious...
what other people's take on thefilm is in regards to aging like
did they get the same takeawayas us in terms of like kind of
having like a super negativeview of being older and not
really having much going on inyour life at that point and
again I think things have come along way since the 80s in that

(01:03:50):
regard so

SPEAKER_02 (01:03:52):
yeah and it is very interesting we talked about this
after we saw it how much thisaligns with the story one of the
stories from the Twilight Zonemovie only in that The message
in that was interesting becausethe residents there got to enjoy
just like they got a glimpse ofthat again.
And then they went back for themost part to their old lives.

SPEAKER_01 (01:04:15):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (01:04:16):
As opposed to space.

SPEAKER_01 (01:04:20):
So if you want to get in touch with us, we'd love
to hear from you.
You can reach out throughFacebook, Instagram, or Blue
Sky.
The handle is at 80s MontagePod, and it is the same handle
for all three.
Sneak peek.
What do you got?
I don't have a clue because I'venever seen this film, but you
suggested it to me.
And

SPEAKER_02 (01:04:39):
I don't know.
It might be rubbish.
But Dabney Coleman, the kid fromE.T., Cloak and Dagger.

SPEAKER_01 (01:04:51):
Cloak and Dagger.

SPEAKER_02 (01:04:52):
Yeah.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (01:04:53):
I, at this moment in time, have nothing to say about
it because I have not watchedit.
I

SPEAKER_02 (01:04:57):
remember really enjoying it as a kid.
It's like a spy movie with oldvideo game stuff.
So yeah, I really enjoyed it.
I think Dabney Coleman is greatin everything.
Awesome.

SPEAKER_01 (01:05:09):
I'm looking forward to it.
I'm

SPEAKER_02 (01:05:10):
looking forward to watching it in 2025 and
thinking, oh my God.

SPEAKER_01 (01:05:14):
So on that note...
Thank you to everybody forhanging with us.
We really appreciate it,especially with all the many
podcast choices you have.
Too

SPEAKER_02 (01:05:24):
many.

SPEAKER_01 (01:05:25):
And we will talk to you again in two weeks time.