Last month, we kicked off our Most Iconic Directors series with The Almodóvar Series, a monthly look at the films and legacy of Spain’s Pedro Almodóvar. This week, we continue that exploration with his first Oscar-nominated feature. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is a black comedy/drama hybrid as only Almodóvar could deliver. You can easily see the larger budget and filmmaking maturity since our last visit with Labyrinth of Passion. But what is it about Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown that inspired the Academy to nominate it? We look at that question coupled with our reactions to the film. Plus, we’re joined by Kevin Dillon who actually saw the stage musical based on the film.
Next month’s entry will be Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! with special guest Jim Keller.
But first, we engage in our weekly therapy session, Corona(virus) Corner. We continue to share what we’ve been watching since we’ve been sequestered.
We close our podcast, as always, with the Flash Forward to the media we’re most anticipating in the upcoming week.
Thanks for listening and thank you, in advance, for subscribing and rating us on Apple Podcasts!
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One of my favorite films of all time. It got me to love gazpacho too. (I prefer them without the barbiturates though.)
My favorite, and simply put, one of the best comedies in film history. Insanely engaging, it captures a snapshot of the 80’s Spain, in which everyone would REALLY believe we were becoming the center of the world (and the international success of this film and the upcoming EXPO 92 in Seville and the Barcelona 1992 Olympics would make us peak in our self-steem… do not worry, it did not last). In a fair world, the film would have won Best Picture (in my opinion, and trust me, I do not like Almodovar as a person, but as a filmmaker he is an out of question master nowadays), Director, Actress (Carmen Maura, isn’t she instantly iconic?), Supporting Actress (hard to choose between María Barranco and Julieta Serrano, but I would go for the latter), Original Screenplay and Foreign Language Film.
If you think I am overreacting, just name me foreign language films that inspired Broadway musicals…
Love Women on the Verge! Here’s a few other foreign-language films that inspired Broadway musicals: La Cage Aux Folles; 8 1/2 (Nine); Amelie; The Band’s Visit
yes, to the first 2, slipped through my mind. The other two, I did not know, wow.