39. Coppola Cast #21: Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

For this episode we’re whisked away to 1960 for a second chance at high school senior year in Peggy Sue Got Married (1986). Francis Coppola was a director for hire on Peggy Sue Got Married, replacing Jonathan Demme and Penny Marshall, but still committed fully to the project turning in a memorable picture. This time travel fantasy that takes the main character back to 1960 hit theaters a year after Back to the Future, which takes its main character back to 1955, but audiences were still in the mood to time travel. Peggy Sue Got Married was a hit with audiences and critics ending up on Siskel and Ebert’s Best of 1986 list and earning 3 Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Kathleen Turner. We talk about Kathleen Turner’s great performance, the emphasis on the wistful, melancholy side of nostalgia, Nicolas Cage’s peculiar performance, and find out about the Edsel. We also take detours to discuss the 1986 Oscars and compare Peggy Sue Got Married to George Lucas’s American Graffiti. This episode’s Coppola wines were: Diamond Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 and Sauvignon Blanc 2019

38. Coppola Cast #20: The Cotton Club (1984) & The Cotton Club Encore (2019)

Robert Evans needed a hit. Francis Coppola needed a job. The result of the bitter rivals teaming up again to make another gangster movie, this time set in Harlem in the 1920’s and 30’s: The Cotton Club, starring Richard Gere, Gregory Hines, and Diane Lane. Their contentious working relationship had previously resulted in The Godfather, with each claiming to be the real cause behind the movie’s success. Neither wanted to work with the other again but both were at points in their careers where, for better or worse, they needed each other. Like many Coppola films The Cotton Club had a troubled production. Evans secured financing though some unsavory channels and found himself tied up lawsuits and police investigations. Coppola expanded the scope of the story running overschedule and over budget. The film flopped at the box office and was hit or miss with critics. In 2019, Coppola reworked the film releasing The Cotton Club Encore, adding and expanding scenes (such as musical numbers) and deleting others. We discuss the differences between the two versions, like pacing and which characters got more scenes to develop, the problems with each version, characters we wish had more screen time, the unexpected and incredible duo of Bob Hoskins and Fred Gwynne, and, of course, the musical performances. This episode’s Coppola wines were: Rose of Pinot Noir 2019 and Rosso Bianco Rosso.

37. Coppola Cast #19: Rumble Fish (1983) w/Shane Hazen

The Motorcycle Boy Reigns. To help tackle Francis Coppola’s “art film for teenagers” we’re joined by Shane Hazen of the Phi Phenomenon podcast for a special crossover episode! Though this S.E. Hinton adaptation is light on plot there is a lot to discuss. We delve into the philosophical and existential themes, the experimental approach taken by Coppola and the rest of the crew, and begin to wonder if the 1980’s was a more interesting decade for films than it gets credit for.

In addition to hosting the Phi Phenomenon podcast Shane Hazen has also worked as an editor on films like To the Wonder and The First Girl I Loved. Check out more of Phi Phenomenon here: https://phiphenomenon.com/ and wherever you find podcasts.