Death Don't Do Fiction

NoEscApril - Body Double (1984)

Episode Summary

Welcome to another episode of Death Don’t Do Fiction, the AIPT Movies podcast! The podcast about the enduring legacy of our favorite movies! It’s April, so that means it’s time for our “No EscApril” series, where we celebrate the wonder of thrillers! Not quite horror, not quite action, that sweet spot in the middle where danger is afoot, and lives are still on the line! In this week’s episode, Alex, Tim, and guest K-Tron discuss Brian De Palma’s 1984 entry in the “pro-peeping tom propaganda” subgenre, Body Double! Excessive voyeurism! Open disdain for subtlety! Inept cops! A hotdog-shaped hotdog store! A bizarre and touchy acting class/therapy session! Troy McClure's weird Chemosphere house from The Simpsons! An insane Frankie Goes To Hollywood music video in the middle of the movie! Hide and seek-related trauma! A claustrophobic sardine who can't scream! A platinum blonde 80s vampire! Motion sickness-inducing bed drinking! A blatantly labeled door! Cultural insensitivity! A dizzying and confusing makeout session! A disturbing drill with a surprisingly short power cord! The Gone with the Wind of adult films! A random Nostromo hat from Alien! R-rated end credits! Rear projection and matte paintings! Great cinematography and camerawork, including several split diopter shots! An excellent musical score from Pino Donaggio! A fun cast that includes Dennis Franz, Barbara Crampton in her first role, Craig Wasson being convincingly pervy, and a fearless Melanie Griffith! All that and more in this unapologetically 80s thriller that explores the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, and may be the pinnacle of HitchSchlock! In addition, Tim recommends Sam Raimi’s Send Help, K-Tron discusses the trippy 1961 film The Mask, while Alex gives his spoiler-free thoughts on Lee Cronin's The Mummy, the new Faces of Death, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and the Netflix shark thriller Thrash!

Episode Notes

Welcome to another episode of Death Don’t Do Fiction, the AIPT Movies podcast! The podcast about the enduring legacy of our favorite movies! It’s April, so that means it’s time for our “No EscApril” series, where we celebrate the wonder of thrillers! Not quite horror, not quite action, that sweet spot in the middle where danger is afoot, and lives are still on the line! In this week’s episode, Alex, Tim, and guest K-Tron discuss Brian De Palma’s 1984 entry in the “pro-peeping tom propaganda” subgenre, Body Double!

Excessive voyeurism! Open disdain for subtlety! Inept cops! A hotdog-shaped hotdog store! A bizarre and touchy acting class/therapy session! Troy McClure's weird Chemosphere house from The Simpsons! An insane Frankie Goes To Hollywood music video in the middle of the movie! Hide and seek-related trauma! A claustrophobic sardine who can't scream! A platinum blonde 80s vampire! Motion sickness-inducing bed drinking! A blatantly labeled door! Cultural insensitivity! A dizzying and confusing makeout session! A disturbing drill with a surprisingly short power cord! The Gone with the Wind of adult films!  A random Nostromo hat from Alien! R-rated end credits! Rear projection and matte paintings! Great cinematography and camerawork, including several split diopter shots! An excellent musical score from Pino Donaggio! A fun cast that includes Dennis Franz, Barbara Crampton in her first role, Craig Wasson being convincingly pervy, and a fearless Melanie Griffith! All that and more in this unapologetically 80s thriller that explores the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, and may be the pinnacle of HitchSchlock!

In addition, Tim recommends Sam Raimi’s Send Help, K-Tron discusses the trippy 1961 film The Mask, while Alex gives his spoiler-free thoughts on Lee Cronin's The Mummy, the new Faces of Death, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and the Netflix shark thriller Thrash!

You can find Death Don’t Do Fiction on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. As always, if you enjoy the podcast, be sure to leave us a positive rating, subscribe to the show, and tell your friends!

The Death Don’t Do Fiction podcast brings you the latest in movie news, reviews, and more! Hosted by supposed “industry vets,” Alex Harris and Tim Gardiner, the show gives you a peek behind the scenes from two filmmakers with oddly nonexistent filmographies. You can find Alex on Twitter, Bluesky, or Letterboxd @actionharris. You can follow K-Tron on Letterboxd @puddingtaco. Tim can’t be found on social media because he doesn’t exist. If you have any questions or suggestions for the Death Don’t Do Fiction crew, they can be reached at aiptmoviespod@gmail.com, or you can find them on Twitter or Instagram @aiptmoviespod.

Theme song is “We Got it Goin On” by Cobra Man.