THE FILM & WATER PODCAST
Episode 31: STARMAN
Host Rob Kelly welcomes writer and historian Chris Cummins (SCI-FI EXPLOSION) to discuss John Carpenter's 1984 sci-fi thriller STARMAN, starring Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen!
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Man, it has been DECADES since I saw this film! I don’t think I’ve really watched it as an adult. It does seem kind of lost, which is weird considering Carpenter’s other films show up on TV from time to time, and Jeff Bridges is certainly still a relevant actor. I really need to re-watch this one. I’m sure I’d get a lot more out of it as an adult than I did in my teens.
I’m with you on Karen Allen. Well, maybe not quite as passionately. As a huge fan of Superman: The Movie (as you well know, Rob), I’ve often wondered how Allen would have been as Lois Lane. She and Margot Kidder were of a similar type at a similar time, but, no offense to Margot, I think Allen had a deeper well of acting talent to pull from. The mind boggles.
I do remember the TV series! It seemed to last longer than 13 episodes, but then again, it was the late 80s, where sci-fi shows seemed to be put on the air just to be cancelled.
Go ahead and book Chris to return in December for Scrooged!
Chris
I believe there were 22 episodes of the Robert Hayes Starman…
I saw Starman in college, at a dorm showing (we got movies circulated among the residence halls and had a movie night each week), not too long after it was in theaters. It’s a nice little film; not a big Spielberg production, or some deep Kubrick metaphorical piece, just good storytelling.
I never really watched the tv series (too busy, really); but, it seemed to be another in the long line of 70s and 80s sci-fi tv that used the Fugitive template.
Carpenter is a filmmaker I enjoy, though I’m not a horror fan; so, I haven’t seen many of those films. I love his work with Kurt Russell and really wish they had just done a new Snake adventure, rather than rehash things in Escape from LA. The dialogue about gunfighting in Bangkok sounded like a more interesting starting point for an adventure. One of the interesting things I discovered was that he was a pro wrestling fan, in his younger days. He appeared on the late Roddy Piper’s podcast, who, of course worked with Carpenter on the excellent They Live! Carpenter grew up in Kentucky and rattled off some classic names, like The Sheik and Bobo Brazil, and others who worked the Detroit, Indianapolis, and Tennessee territories. Of course, he also cast Ox Baker as Slag, the gladiator in Escape from New York. I could kind of see it, though, since pro wrestling is really about telling a story (usually good vs evil), rather than an actual competition.
I enjoyed the discussion and would love to hear you guys talk about Scrooged; so add my vote for a future episode. And, if you ever want to talk about Carpenter’s They Live!, I’d be happy to volunteer. Love that film!
What is it with the Network lately? Is it a Starman festival no one told me about?
I’ve got to tell fellow Lonely Heart Marty about this; he’s at least as big a Carpenter fan as you two are.
Siskoid-
Yes please tell Marty, I would love to have him on the show.
I could do nothing but Carpenter films on F&W if I didn’t think it would drive some listeners away.
I did! He’s the Marty who commented! 🙂
Can’t believe I didn’t put that together. No Batman’s Junior Detectives Club Certificate for me.
Yesss, I’d love to.
Siskoid is right. I love me some Carpenter gushing. I smiling the whole way through.
One thing I’d love see is a Carpenter Western, because he has been quoted a few times saying that he always wanted to do a western movie. You can kind of see that idea in Vampires.
Marty-
Would love to have you on the show to talk some Carpenter!
This is a movie I haven’t thought about in a long time and really should revisit. I saw it in my very early teens and enjoyed quite a bit but I think I only watched maybe one other time. It’s one of those that I think would be good to look back at now with my more developed (aka rotted) adult mind with years of jaded movie going experiences weighing me down. Yup, I’m sure it’ll be a good time.
Great episode as usual, and hopefully before too long Jeff Bridges will help finance the Tron/Starman crossover where we learn that the Isos from Tron Legacy were a digital extension of the Starman’s alien technology.
Lest we forget, their is a little notation in the film’s credits that Starman is a trademark of DC Comics. Karate Kid had a similar notation, in its credits. In the 70s and 80s, DC even ruled movies that didn’t feature their characters!
I think Robinson connecting Prince Gavyn to Will Payton was his sly way of connecting this film to his Starman comic, via a very similar premise.
Chris
When I saw you were reviewing Starman, I thought great a Ted Knight movie, and not the “too close for comfort” movie we have all been waiting for. Sorry to start off with two bad jokes but did you pick this film because of the First issue special you did a few weeks before? I never saw this movie all the way. I watched parts when my mom had it on. But I did like the way you guys talked about it, it makes me want to check it out.
But mostly what I gathered from this episode is, that this must be a “back door pilot” to Rob’s new show; Kelly on Karen: a Karen Allen tribute podcast. A show that I would listen to. Because I too have always loved her and she is in some of my favorite movies and that counts The Sandlot. I’m just a few years younger so it came out at just the right time for me and I can see if it came out when I was in high school I might have not liked as much because I would have been “too cool” for it. I better wrap up. But I also think you should do Scrooged this Christmas or heck this summer. It’s one of my favorites and I just introduced it to my wife this year. Talk to you soon
I finally saw this movie for the first time a couple months ago (although I watched the TV series in the 80s; weird, I know). Such a touching movie and one that captures the spirit of 80s optimism.
Really enjoyed your coverage! I’m not so good with the words and stuff. You guys really brought out all the feelings I couldn’t articulate. It was a very entertaining 45 minute Karen Allen celebration! Looking forward to the K-AL Podcast!
Oh yeah, Karen Allen is smokin’ hot too!