CriterionCast

The Eclipse Viewer – Episode 27- Up All Night with Robert Downey Sr.

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This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor discuss Eclipse Series 33: Up All Night with Robert Downey Sr.

About the films:

Rarely do landmark works of cinema seem so . . . wrong. Robert Downey Sr. emerged as one of the most irreverent filmmakers of the New York underground of the sixties, taking no prisoners in his rough-and-tumble treatises on politics, race, and consumer culture. In his midnight-movie mainstay Putney Swope, an advertising agency is turned on its head when a militant black man takes over. Like Swope, Downey held nothing sacred. Presented here are five of his most raucous and outlandish films, dating from 1964 to 1975, each a unique mix of the hilariously crude and the fiercely experimental.

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Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/Background (00:00:01 – 00:27:50)

Babo 73 (00:27:51 – 00:50:31)

Chafed Elbows (00:50:32 – 01:04:14)

No More Excuses (01:04:15 – 01:15:09)

Putney Swope (01:15:10 – 01:38:17)

Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight (01:38:18 – 01:47:22)

Conclusion (01:47:23 – 01:55:38)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

ES33_Downey_3D_slipcase

Episode Links:

Director Overview:

Late 2014 Media Blitz Sampler:

Box Set Reviews:

Babo 73:

Chafed Elbows:

No More Excuses:

Putney Swope: 

Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight:

Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 42: Silent Ozu – Three Crime Dramas

Contact us:

David Blakeslee

David hosts the Criterion Reflections podcast, a series that reviews the films of the Criterion Collection in their chronological order of release. The series began in 2009 and those essays (covering the years 1921-1967) can be found via the website link provided below. In March 2016, the blog transferred to this site, and in August 2017, the blog changed over to a podcast format. David also contributes to other reviews and podcasts on this site. He lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan and works in social services. Twitter / Criterion Reflections

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