Things are getting real heavy this week, because Adonis Gonzalez is here to talk about the two best movies of 1985, which happen to be radically different from one another! We start with a harrowing exploration of Elem Klimov’s Come and See, an anti-war film depicting the Nazi invasion of Belorussia through the eyes of a young boy. We discuss the history of the film’s reputation, the drama associated with the production, the way that it emerges as (potentially) the only War movie that actually matters, and why we find it so difficult to even recommend. After that, we were happy to cleanse our palate with a discussion on Robert Zemeckis’s iconic Sci-Fi Family Comedy Back to the Future, covering its deft narrative construction, effective antagonist, and curious soundtrack decisions, as well as a deserved commendation for the recently deceased Ron Cobb.
SHOW NOTES:
- 00:05:10 – Come and See
- 00:37:35 – Come and See (Spoilers)
- 00:55:00 – Back to the Future
NEXT WEEK: Will Ashton and Andrew McMahon are both returning to Extra Milestone to cover the triple feature to end all triple features: Barbara Loden’s Wanda (1970), Tim Burton’s Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985), and Agnès Varda’s Vagabond (1985).
Music in this Episode: “Lacrimosa” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry, music from the trailers for Come and See and Back to the Future.
Cinemaholics in this Episode: Sam Noland and Adonis Gonzalez
Come and See is a true masterpiece, brutal as it is. I’d go as far to say it’s probably the best film you’ve covered on EM thus far.
It’s definitely up there! Really sticks in the mind in a way most movies don’t.
In COME AND SEE, I love how you can see the actor’s eyes change over the course of the movie. Though I have to see overall I can’t stand this movie in general, which is probably my own fault.
As if the other physical transformations weren’t enough, right?! No shame at all in being averse to it; it’s certainly one of the harder watches one can endure.
Another pretty good time Traveller type of movie is Peggy Sue got Married, with Kathleen Turner and Nicholas Cage, directed by Francis Ford Coppala.