Ep. 121: Romancing the Stone (1984) - a podcast by The Twin Geeks

Capitalizing on the success of rollicking adventure films in the vein of Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), as well as the farcical popularity of booming romance novels at the time, Robert Zemeckis' Romancing the Stone saw a significant leap in his success as a director, paving the way for important projects to further bolster his career in the immediate future, and cementing his status as one of the most enterprising filmmakers of the decade. Before he becomes overwhelmed by the technological marvel of computerized filmmaking, Zemeckis demonstrated his terrific chops in whimsical, adventurous vehicles such as this, with a fine blend of humor and heart to grab an audience with pulpy appeal while maintaining their affections with earnest charm. Setting the story around a corny romance novelist who finds herself embroiled in a journey one would easily find within her own writing allows for much liberty within the parameters of this absurd adventure. It's the perfect kernel to encapsulate a cloying romance flick such as this, with Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner exuding enough palpable chemistry to credibly sell what may otherwise have been a trite and predictable Indiana Jones knockoff. While it doesn't seek to reinvent any formulas, the capable direction of Zemeckis' burgeoning talents here, as well as the tongue-in-cheek sincerity of the sappy romance combined with genuinely exciting adventure plot beats, Romancing the Stone is the definition of a good time at the movies, and a perennially charming favorite for wearing its heart on its sleeve.

Timestamps:

0:00 The Twin Geeks Weather Report

5:07 In the Heights

14:32 Bo Burnham: Inside

35:12 The Kominsky Method

43:57 Romancing the Stone

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