Ménage Á Pop is a three times a week intimate discussion between two people and a piece of pop culture.
To most of us, 1994’s THE SHADOW is best remembered as the first half of this sentence. We might think of Alec Baldwin. We might think of fedora hats. We might think the scene in the pneumatic tube went on a little too long. What we’re not thinking about is the rejuvenating benefits of Eastern meditation. Well, actually, podcaster and graphic illustrator Molly Bailen is. In fact, it was a big screen viewing of this very film that sparked her current practice of Buddhist beliefs. So let’s get off our high horse and gently reflect on what hse has to say about this.
You can follow MOLLY BAILEN on TWITTER @dharmasodapop, , listen to her minute by minute take on "Cabin In The Woods" on the CABIN MINUTE CAST and check out her galleries of illustration work at www.mbailencreative.com
POP NOTES
Prior to its July 1st 1994 release, THE SHADOW had spent 12 years in development under the guidance of Martin Bregman, noted producer of DOG DAY AFTERNOON, SCARFACE and REAL MEN.
The film was directed by Russell Mulcahy, noted auteur responsible for such music videos as “Planet Earth” (Duran Duran), “Total Eclipse Of The Heart” (Bonnie Tyler) and MTV’s first broadcast “Video Killed The Radio Star” (The Buggles).
Pop star Taylor Dane contributed a cover of “Original Sin” as the film’s main theme. The song was original composed by Jim Steinman as the title track to the sole album from 80s concept band Pandora’s Box.
The film was intended to have a more intricate climax set within a hall of mirrors. However a an earthquake measuring 6.7 on the richter scale damaged sets beyond the financial capacity for repair.
Certain scenes and lines of dialogue were lifted in homage directly from the radio and novel source material of the 30s and 40s.
The character of The Shadow exists in the WOLD NEWTON SHARED UNIVERSE born out of two novels by Philip Jose Farmer. Farmer used the actual 1795 account of the Wold Cottage meteorite as a plot device to tie together such literary characters as Tarzan, Sherlock Holmes, Phillip Marlowe, James Bond and the time traveling protagonist of HG Well’s The Time Machine.
The Shadow began as the narrator voice of the 1930 radio show program DETECTIVE STORY HOUR. In response to the program’s popularity, the character was developed into a masked crusader with the April 1st 1931 debut of THE SHADOW MAGAZINE.
In 2006, director Sam Raimi began production on a new THE SHADOW movie that would include other pulp heroes such as Doc Savage. Failing to find a compelling enough script, Raimi soon abandoned this shared universe concept.
Tune back Wednesday when Molly relates more than a back cover summary on Katherine Paterson’s 1977US National Book Award winner THE MASTER PUPPETEER.
This episode of MÉNAGE Á POP was recorded by CAST, an online audio platform that lets you create and record a multi-guest podcast straight from your web-browser. It was then mastered by AUPHONIC, a web-based post-production service. Check out both sights for trial and subscription information.
MUSIC FEATURED IN TODAY’S EPISODE:
“Three Ways To Do That” (opening theme) composed and performed Madeline Prior.” All rights reserved with Not A Holograms podcasts.
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Try to understand the present while living in the past with Tim’s weekly podcast 20TH CENTURY POP! at www.nahpods.com/20popcast
For questions, queries or, by random chance, press contact Tim Blevins at subcultist@gmail.com.