204 - The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) / The Big Sleep (1978) / Ice Castles
Added 2024-12-10 08:00:05 +0000 UTCQuentin Tarantino & Roger Avary are partners in crime in 1968's The Thomas Crown Affair. Debonaire millionaire businessman Thomas Crown, played by Steve McQueen, is no longer satisfied with his luxurious lifestyle and decides to plan the perfect heist. When the robbery goes off without a hitch, the insurance agency calls in their best operative — the ruthless Vicki Anderson, played by Faye Dunaway. What ensues is a game of cat and mouse against two people who refuse to lose. Our first Norman Jewison title of the show, Quentin and Roger discuss the mastership of the crew, how Steve McQueen was going against type, and debate the ending of the film.
Next up is 1978's The Big Sleep. Quentin and Roger discuss the differences between the Howard Hawks and Michael Winner versions, the nuances behind Candy Clark’s bizarre performance, and the importance of Philip Marlowe in American culture. Then to finish up the night, Quentin and Roger reach for the impossible in Ice Castles. An inexperienced yet naturally gifted ice skater makes her debut in the professional world before a tragic accident threatens to dash her hopes and dreams of skating in the Olympics. Quentin and Roger discuss the masterful cinematography by Bill Butler before they read a review by Video Archives favorite: Jim Sheldon.
Comments
Had a great time watching The Big Sleep last night on Prime. Don’t think I would have appreciated it as much if I hadn’t listened to the podcast first. I loved the look of the film and the story was fun, totally a movie I would have watched with my grandma as a kid. Really enjoying the podcast, definitely worth the Patreon subscription.
Sam Wall
2025-07-26 01:06:58 +0000 UTCThe late 70s were particularly good for sports cynicism films: The Bad News Bears, Slap Shot, One on One, Ice Castles (barely worthy of this company), and the greatest of them all, North Dallas Forty. Later, films like this took the basic premise to absurd extremities (Any Given Sunday). The best post-70s film of this type is probably Blue Chips (1994), but by then William Friedkin had lost the zip on his fastball.
Tommy Udo
2025-05-11 17:56:41 +0000 UTCwhen Ben Hecht wrote "hecht's prayer to his bosses"--a vicious takedown/smack down of all the studio heads – – it was bound in velvet blue and published by Stanley Rose. He had a book shop in 1935 next-door to Musso and Frank's. In the back where all the Mötley characters and small timers and big talkers. The Mark Hellinger wannabes. And the dude would are you ready – –? Sell porno in the back of the shop. That's where Chandler got the idea for the big sleep sequence, which is truly insane as Quentin says, when Bogart comes in with the glasses to spy on the other possible porno supplying bookstore.
Michael Wilson
2024-12-22 08:23:04 +0000 UTCWhen Robert Mitchum hosted SNL, he did a great sketch where he played Philip Marlowe, and the premise is he keeps saying his narration out loud for everyone to hear, even sneaking off to the closet to say his narration a little too loudly.
Alex Villarreal
2024-12-20 07:42:09 +0000 UTCIf it was mentioned, then I missed it but there was another fun actor connection in The Big Sleep. The character of Lou (who owns the garage) was played by Don Henderson who'll you know from Star Wars. He's the Imperial officer who says " And what of the Rebellion? If the Rebels have obtained a complete technical reading, etc..."
Jeremy Mullins
2024-12-20 02:48:29 +0000 UTCHearing Quentin talk about Raymond Chandler has already paid off the price of subscription for me. Gold. 👌🏽
Ayz
2024-12-18 20:15:37 +0000 UTCI don’t really like the private dick stuff. LOVE The Long Goodbye though. That’s one of those endless films. Everyone always brings up the music thing. It’s a fun little quirk but that’s the last thing I’m focusing on when watching it. I love the use of hooray for holllywood. Out of all the older director’s, Hawks is the only one whose films I can’t get into. Love Scarface but everything else bored me sadly. I had to really force myself to get through The Big Sleep and Red River
J
2024-12-17 21:46:10 +0000 UTCThe car Mitchum drives is a 1963 Alvis TD 21. Not a Mercedes as mentioned in the podcast.
Jayme Van
2024-12-17 01:14:16 +0000 UTCIt’s funny - if you want to see what Oliver Reed might have been like check out The Assassination Bureau. Very Bondian
Chris Bumbray
2024-12-16 20:07:06 +0000 UTCFor The Big Sleep I enjoyed all of the actors especially Mitchum but like Gala I had very little idea wtf was going on with the plot. I could not keep up with all the characters and their motivations and relationships with each other.
David Rozycki
2024-12-16 03:50:08 +0000 UTCIt is great. I found a VHS copy at a local market.
David Rozycki
2024-12-16 03:46:22 +0000 UTCTheir needs to be a Cannino spinoff from The Big Sleep. I rewatched Thomas Crowne and found that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did when I first saw it in Junior High in the 80s, but also rewatched Great Escape recently and liked it 100% more than when I was young..
DevinJ
2024-12-16 01:15:35 +0000 UTCI had the pleasure of seeing The Amsterdam Kill and The Big Sleep on the same afternoon in NYC. Both opened i March 1978.
Louis Letizia
2024-12-16 00:20:22 +0000 UTCI think comparing Robbie Benson character in Ice Castles to Eric Roberts character in Star 80 is way off. They are nothing alike
Scott
2024-12-15 06:34:24 +0000 UTCIce Castles was electrifying, I fell in love with the protagonist since the opening scene and it went up from there. Thank you so much for exposing me to this movie!
stmtpls
2024-12-14 19:11:50 +0000 UTCIn The Thomas Crown Affair, why would the thieves not just keep all the money for themselves instead of waiting for installments that may never arrive? Seems like a major flaw in the plot.
David Rozycki
2024-12-14 19:11:05 +0000 UTCGreetings from the west of Ireland, great episode!!!
Orson Wellies
2024-12-14 18:51:39 +0000 UTCI grew up not too far from where Magnetic Video HQ was!
hawkikwah
2024-12-14 09:33:59 +0000 UTCIm from México. Please discuss “Satanico Pandemónium”
Fabian Romero Barba
2024-12-14 08:46:31 +0000 UTCGreat show!
Aleksandar Adzic
2024-12-13 13:53:19 +0000 UTCI guess you shouldn’t believe everything that you read. I remember when Reservoir Dogs came out and critics were saying QT was obviously influenced by “the Thomas crown affair” when writing the screenplay for reservoir dogs. But to hear QT say that this was the first time seeing it and he didn’t even like it. Reinforces that concept “don’t believe everything you read.”
John Imperio
2024-12-13 13:09:22 +0000 UTC"He forgot to bring a movie with him" 😂😂...Nah, Chandler would throw in a more intricately written simile 😂😂
Neil G.
2024-12-13 03:19:00 +0000 UTCFave - Straw Dogs / Wishlist - The shout
British Way
2024-12-12 22:47:14 +0000 UTCSo true as to the halo effect the great cinematography and set design really sell Ice Castles. The gritty realism is a major appeal, and elevates the film a bit past the level of the script and acting. I grew up in a town like that!
Tom
2024-12-12 19:58:45 +0000 UTCIf you do decide to a Ken Russell film, please consider ‘The Devils.’ I’ve never seen it, it’s reviewed fairly well, and it’s a bit hard to find!
Tom
2024-12-12 06:22:22 +0000 UTCI would never normally have considered watching this version of The Big Sleep - but coming straight off listening to the podcast it seemed to be the perfect film for a drinking-beer-and-margarita-to-head-off-the-flu evening at home. My first Michael Winner film I think. And I enjoyed it from pretty much beginning to end. It helped to be forewarned about Candy Clarke's performance - but maybe the way she played it - as a completely strung-out wild kid - is more convincing than the sexy slightly wayward Martha Vickers in the original. And actually I think Mitchum does a better job of telling the story than Bogart, great though that is. In the original, we enjoy Bogart doing what he does, in this version we follow the story (convulted as it is). As a Londoner, I loved every second of the outdoor footage, shot in chichi locations either side of the river Thames. Even the signs for the estate agents Chestertons, very familiar until their recent rebranding, tickled me. I did recognise one setting - Festing Road - where Mitchum catches the young guy hiding beside the car - because it's a) round the corner from the Putney boathouse where my son spent many hours as a young sea scout and b) it's the inspiration for Festive Road, the location of the beloved British animated children's show, Mr Ben.
Harley R
2024-12-11 22:13:46 +0000 UTCAn interesting sidebar to me: UA was arguably the last big studio holdout to releasing movies on tape - they had tried a rental-only plan with a mail order company but people kept not returning the tapes. They finally partnered with Magnetic Video in 1980 to put out their catalog. So naturally, for that first batch, they did the titles they felt were the most urgent, and somehow, THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR was in that wave. And look at the company it was in... CL-4501 The Jazz Singer (1927) CL-4502 42nd Street (1933) CL-4503 The Black Stallion (1979) CL-4504 Apache (1954) CL-4505 The Barefoot Contessa (1954) CL-4506 La Cage aux folles (1978) CL-4507 Last Tango in Paris (1972) CL-4508 Let It Be (1970) CL-4509 The Pink Panther (1963) CL-4510 The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) CL-4511 Tom Jones (1963) CL-4512 (undetermined) CL-4513 Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) CL-4514 Casablanca (1942) CL-4515 Carrie (1976) CL-4516 Coming Home (1978) CL-4517 Semi Tough (1977) CL-4518 Annie Hall (1977) CL-4519 West Side Story (1961)
Marc Heuck
2024-12-11 22:13:34 +0000 UTC“ burning time till Death Wish 2 “ 😁😁 Another great episode.. I’m a big fan of Mitchum’s 70’s films and always liked his Big Sleep and don’t live too far from some of the locations.. Enjoying this season just as much as first , more films that I’ve already seen but that’s cool.. Oliver Reed would’ve been a great Bond..
Robert Tyler
2024-12-11 17:44:37 +0000 UTCThe thing is I wouldn't call it a Masterpiece Theatre version of Marlowe. I'd call it Euston Films. Now, the film is made by ITC, who were a TV company, the film-series arm of ATV, who were the Midlands ITV affiliate. Now, Euston were the film arm of the London ITV affiliate/region, Thames, and while ITC were known for glossy international shows like the Saint, the Prisoner, the Champions, Danger Man, the Persuaders, the Gerry Anderson shows, the Baron, the Protectors, shows which invariably had American imports, Euston specialised in doing cop/crime shows like The Sweeney and Minder that were shot on 16mm on location, in grimy real locations while ITC shot mostly in 35mm. usually on the backlots at Pinewood or Elstree. And one of their regulars was a guy called David Wickes who later did the ITV/HBO series of Marlowe, with Powers Boothe, which was initially made with the weekend ITV company London Weekend Television (Thames were only for weekdays). But that was all set in LA in the 40s, with some shooting there, but mostly recreated in London. But there is a real Euston quality to the Big Sleep, or maybe at this time because Euston were so successful, ITC set up their own version of Euston, variously known as Black Lion, and this feels like Black Lion. Black Lion's most notable production was the Long Good Friday, which they got cold feet, and sold it to Handmade. And they did a few other things. A few TV movies, a thing with Bernard Cribbins called Dangerous Davies the Last Detective, and a really interesting TV movie called the Hard Way, which is PATRICK MCGOOHAN and Lee Van Cleef as rival hitmen in rural Ireland (literally in my home town of Bray, McGoohan's house is on the same street as my dad's longtime girlfriend's house). There was a series called Wolcott, which was the first black British cop show, and was basically buried, which is tragic cos it's excellent, DOP Roger Deakins. But this feels like a Black Lion project but with ITC gloss and the stars ITC would get. And that's interesting. I also feel also that Winner is kind of homaging the 50s British B-noirs he would have grown up, that usually had a slightly down at heel American star in them (ie Hammer's noirs, where you'd have Cesar Romero or George Brent or John Ireland or Robert Preston or Lloyd Bridges or George Raft or Howard Duff). Richard Boone particularly feels like that kind of name.
George White
2024-12-11 15:48:26 +0000 UTCI first saw The Thomas Crown Affair very early this year and I thought it was trying too hard to be clever. It succeeded in being clever, cool, a date movie vibe. But in 1968 it probably didn’t feel like it was trying too hard but being ahead of its time. I liked the movie because if it didn’t try so hard then I wouldn’t have liked it. 🤣 Now I’m trying to hard to be clever.
Jeffrey Hemphill
2024-12-11 07:45:22 +0000 UTCHere's the Letterboxd list compiling every film mentioned in this week's episode. Enjoy!.. https://letterboxd.com/vidiot1987/list/the-video-archives-podcast-29-the-thomas/
Mike Kenny
2024-12-11 03:17:56 +0000 UTCDescription of style in architecture, clothing, hair and personal grooming are more the trademark of Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep than the dialogue. Does Mitchum convey that interior intellectual acuity of Marlowe? I'm not convinced. And compare the different Marlowes as they interact with the taxi driver when tailing the books being moved to Brody's place. In Chandler, Marlowe sees possibility and talent in the eager young driver and appreciates the driver's cool calmness when it seems like the truck has been lost. Mitchum's Marlowe is a jerk to the driver. He doesn't see or care about other talent. That's something that makes the Mitchum Marlowe less intriguing to me.
Andrew Hageman
2024-12-11 01:16:14 +0000 UTCWishing to be helpful, not pedantic: "Le Mans" is pronounced "L' Mon".
Romeo Delta Charlie
2024-12-10 23:12:06 +0000 UTCGood show but Roger, it’s “Who Goes There?” Not “Who’s That Knocking At My Door.”
Lars Nilsen
2024-12-10 22:30:54 +0000 UTCI prefer the Jewison/McQueen film The Cincinnati Kid (1965). I wonder if this one was also passed over.
Jamie Phillippe
2024-12-10 21:23:04 +0000 UTCIt's like My Heart Will Go On...the wrong kind of earworm!
Mark Ibarra
2024-12-10 20:50:29 +0000 UTCRe: Ice Castles, I hadn’t seen this since I was a child and I remembered nothing, but give me Colleen Dewhurst in anything and I’m wild with rapture! Marilla Cuthbert! Mrs George C. Scott! Twice! She’s magnificent. The whole movie is worth it just for her. I didn’t love the movie in general and she saves the experience. She is so someone who would be a take no shit coach. She and Tom Skerritt were great together. He is mean to her, but he also really nails her with “you think you’re some kind of character”. It had a lot of depth the way he said it. And he constantly plays dads, but this was my favorite “dad under pressure” performance of his apart from the tv movie Parent Trap 2 (it’s better than you’d think). That doctor also cracked me up and really made a meal of his scene, so enthusiastic! “Nice scan, Diane!” You know he loved saying that line.
Meghann Salus
2024-12-10 20:27:43 +0000 UTCAlso, love the ONTV shootout. "Channel 52, Corona/Los Angeles..."
Mark Ibarra
2024-12-10 20:06:55 +0000 UTCI see what you mean about Faye Dunaway. And the Ice Castles theme seems to be permanently stuck in my brain no matter what else I listen to.
Meghann Salus
2024-12-10 20:06:33 +0000 UTCRe: The Big Sleep, Mitchum’s “I don’t give a FUCK” -ness really makes sense for this version of Marlowe. He is absolutely still sexy here, like when he opens that door for Sarah Miles at his office. They (reportedly) had an affair during The making of Ryan’s Daughter a few years before. Their dubious acting chemistry was overcome by what felt like real life chemistry, looking at each other the way you look at someone who is your bad idea ex, finding reasons to end up back in bed with for a while. That’s a very exciting circumstance that we can all likely relate to at some point in life, and it seems like that could’ve actually been happening there. She isn’t giving a very good performance, but the real life of it all made it work for me and I was completely into their whole weird thing. Also, I saw a real parallel between this movie and Cukor’s The Philadelphia Story. At beginning of this movie, the butler is walking around with Robert Mitchum who is verbally rolling his eyes, and their conversation is rather like in the Philadelphia Story, the scene where the butler is greeting Jimmy Stewart and Ruth Hussey and walking them to the parlor of the Lord Estate where they’re supposed to wait for Katharine Hepburn and co. Then, the butler in this movie takes Mitchum to see Jimmy Stewart, and there are tons of parallels to the Philadelphia Story in the dialogue of this whole scene, including the reference to blackmail. The guy who played Harry I adored in Murder on the Orient Express and he was great in this, too. Colin Blakely! There are a lot of fun lines. “Eddie’s a handful of mush. Camino could take him with a teaspoon.” Also, JOAN COLLINS. And Oliver Reed! I found Candy Clark SO annoying and I couldn’t get into her to the point that I watched her through hands over eyes, and there were a million other problems, but by and large, I loved this movie for its good moments and what it was aiming to do.
Meghann Salus
2024-12-10 19:57:01 +0000 UTCAm I crazy for sensing a pattern with Faye Dunaway? Seems like studios in the 70s loved showcasing her as a strong character with agency, and at some point in the scripts they just *had* to take her down a notch to prove...something? Never mind, just a ramble. Also, my strongest memory of ICE CASTLES is repeatedly practicing Through the Eyes of Love in middle school choir. We were terrible.
Mark Ibarra
2024-12-10 18:15:47 +0000 UTCYes but it’s the first one to appear on the main show. Don’t worry we love Rollerball.
Video Archives Podcast
2024-12-10 16:19:09 +0000 UTCI think technically it was a bonus episode shared later after it was omitted from another episode so maybe that is the distinction.
David Rozycki
2024-12-10 16:18:19 +0000 UTCI see a theme here all three of these movies have a remake and The Big Sleep is the remake being discussed.
David Rozycki
2024-12-10 16:16:48 +0000 UTCDidn't Rollerball appear on the podcast on Season 1, therefore Thomas Crown is not the first Norman Jewison film on the show.
Jordan Rivers
2024-12-10 16:08:12 +0000 UTCI agree with Gala's take on the ending of Thomas Crown. It's a terrific ending. I've seen it many times, and it still holds up for me. As a Steve McQueen afficiando, it's not my favorite performance, but I admire that he convinced Jewison he could do it, and he and Dunaway are dynamite together. Great show all around, guys! Thanks!
Darren Franz
2024-12-10 16:07:54 +0000 UTCFirst on the main show, but you know how we feel about Rollerball!
Video Archives Podcast
2024-12-10 16:04:20 +0000 UTCice castles chat reminded me of star 80, some parallels there. i knew something was gonna go wrong at the kiss where robby made a weird reaction. also colleen dewhurst: she could go from rough/tough/almost dude-like to a really beautiful lady. tom skerritt was great as the dad and also thought of him playing strawberry in up in smoke same year. thats range! def prefer winners big sleep over hawks' (which i find confusing).
Pete
2024-12-10 14:27:44 +0000 UTCCan't wait until after work to listen! I hope there'll be talk about the "Robert Mitchum in greenhouses" theme we've got going. =]
Andrew Hageman
2024-12-10 14:21:51 +0000 UTCI'll watch the movies this week and then play the podcast. One thing I wanted to say is, I love the movie selection so far! Especially that the first movie is always a more "mainstream" movie easy to watch with my wife. So big thanks and kudos to the team!
stmtpls
2024-12-10 13:18:28 +0000 UTCWould watch a 3 installment spinoff series of Oliver Reed as Eddie Mars pictures
Craig & Friends
2024-12-10 11:26:27 +0000 UTCLoving this ep so much, a perfect companion as I rearrange my apt. The Big Sleep was such a fun watch - Oliver Reed is the greatest, Candy Clark is reliably bonkers and Winner injects just enough of his trademark sleaze. High camp, agree with Roger's Ken Russell comments.
Craig & Friends
2024-12-10 11:25:31 +0000 UTCI'm looking forward to reading "Suspense in the Cinema," by Gordon Gow (1968) which Tarantino mentions. Has a terrific cover -- a dramatic still showing Barbara Stanwyck in "Sorry, Wrong Number." (BTW, it would be a terrible injustice if Miss Stanwyck doesn't feature in any of the VAP titles!)
Damion Matthews
2024-12-10 09:50:01 +0000 UTCBut it’s not your first Norman Jewison… Rollerball!
John Connell
2024-12-10 08:51:02 +0000 UTC
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