In the early 60s in London, there were a cottage industry for blackmailers targeting homosexual activity, which was illegal in England until 1967. The 1961 film Victim tells the story of a rising star in London's legal system who has to face a decision - fight back against a group of blackmailers or continue to stay closeted, risking his marriage, reputation, and career. Dan and Jon celebrate director Basil Dearden's measured approach and the exquisite acting of the film's stars, Dirk Bogarde and Sylvia Syms. They also imagine new ways this story could be revisited in the present day.

Next episode: Uncle Buck (1989) • The 3rd season of Ruined Childhoods is a year-long cinematic/alphabetic yo-yo, taking listeners from A-Z and then Z-A.

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Ruined Childhoods is produced & edited by Jon Richardson • jrmediaservices.net

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Most known for the Michael Jackson song written for its sequel, the 1971 film Willard was a surprise box office success, leading to a sequel the following year and a 2003 remake starring Crispin Glover. Dan and Jon celebrate the ways that Willard stands out from other films of its generation, character dynamics, thematic connections, and the portrayal of isolation and revenge. They also, as always, share how they would revisit the film in the present day.

Next episode: Victim (1961) • The 3rd season of Ruined Childhoods is a year-long cinematic/alphabetic yo-yo, taking listeners from A-Z and then Z-A.

Watch this episode on YouTube or Spotify

Contact us, follow us on social media, or buy some merch at linktr.ee/RuinedChildhoods & RuinedChildhoodsPod.com

Ruined Childhoods is produced & edited by Jon Richardson • jrmediaservices.net

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For the 2nd X film of Ruined Childhoods, we discuss the strengths and issues with the 1980 musical fantasy, Xanadu. With such a strong cast, what could go wrong? Not only is it Gene Kelly's final film, but it's the follow-up film for both Olivia Newton-John and Michael Beck after their smash successes, Grease (1978) and The Warriors (1979), respectively. Dan and Jon also share their ideas for how Xanadu could be revisited today.

Next episode: Willard (1971, 2003) • The 3rd season of Ruined Childhoods is a year-long cinematic/alphabetic yo-yo, taking listeners from A-Z and then Z-A.

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Contact us, follow us on social media, or buy some merch at linktr.ee/RuinedChildhoods & RuinedChildhoodsPod.com

Ruined Childhoods is produced & edited by Jon Richardson • jrmediaservices.net

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On our 2nd Y film of this season, we celebrate Akira Kurosawa's iconic 1961 samurai smash, Yojimbo. What has become an inspiration for generations of filmmakers, Yojimbo is a prime example of the dawn of a new legacy, introducing audiences to a flawed protagonist set out to manipulate 2 rival gangs. And we've got plenty of ideas for how this film could be revisited in new and exciting ways.

Next episode: Xanadu (1980) • The 3rd season of Ruined Childhoods is a year-long cinematic/alphabetic yo-yo, taking listeners from A-Z and then Z-A.

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Contact us, follow us on social media, or buy some merch at linktr.ee/RuinedChildhoods & RuinedChildhoodsPod.com

Ruined Childhoods is produced & edited by Jon Richardson • jrmediaservices.net

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We are officially on our way BACK DOWN the alphabet in the 3rd season of Ruined Childhoods. We went from Anaconda to Zardoz and we're beginning our descent with the 1969 French/Algerian classic Z! This is the fictionalized version of the very true story of a political assassination conspiracy carried out in Greece just a few years prior to the film's release and the novel its adapted from. But this political thriller doesn't look or feel like many others of its ilk, so definitely seek it out if you haven't already watched the film.

Next episode: Yojimbo (1961) • The 3rd season of Ruined Childhoods is a year-long cinematic/alphabetic yo-yo, taking listeners from A-Z and then Z-A.

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Contact us, follow us on social media, or buy some merch at linktr.ee/RuinedChildhoods & RuinedChildhoodsPod.com

Ruined Childhoods is produced & edited by Jon Richardson • jrmediaservices.net

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WE DID IT! This episode marks our half-way point through season 3 where we are going A-Z and then Z-A through movie titles. We're thrilled to cap off the first half with Sir John Boorman's 1974 heady fantasy, Zardoz. What is now considered a cult classic was at the time considered a flop and embarrassment, but we're here to tell a different side of the story, celebrating what makes it special and worthy of conversation in 2025.

Next episode: Z (1969) • The 3rd season of Ruined Childhoods is a year-long cinematic/alphabetic yo-yo, taking listeners from A-Z and then Z-A.

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Ruined Childhoods is produced & edited by Jon Richardson • jrmediaservices.net

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In our journey working from A-Z then Z-A in movie titles, it's hard to get to Y and not explore Barbra Streisand's 1983 directorial debut, Yentl. This adaptation from a short story is a tough nut to crach - it's the story of an Orthodox Jewish woman from a Polish shtetl who challenges the traditions of her own faith in order to better learn its very own teachings. The movie's legend perhaps surpasses its own success, but that's what we're here to do on this episode - celebrate the elements that make it special and imagine new ways to revisit the film through a 2025 lens.

Next episode: Zardoz (1974) • The 3rd season of Ruined Childhoods is a year-long cinematic/alphabetic yo-yo, taking listeners from A-Z and then Z-A.

Watch this episode on YouTube or Spotify

Contact us, follow us on social media, or buy some merch at linktr.ee/RuinedChildhoods & RuinedChildhoodsPod.com

Ruined Childhoods is produced & edited by Jon Richardson • jrmediaservices.net

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Richard Donner. Charles Bronson. Mary Tyler Moore. Jimmy Stewart. Yup - these unlikely bedfellows teamed up for a government-funded film to market a new rocket-powered jet meant to propel the US Air Force and NASA into outer space. X-15 contains a lot of firsts - it boasts that it's the first movie filmed in space as it uses actual footage from test flights, this is the first feature film in Mary Tyler Moore's oeuvre, and it's the first movie directed by film legend Richard Donner. Dan and Jon discuss what sets this film apart from others of its kind and share thoughts on how it could be revisited today.

Next episode: Yentl (1983) • The 3rd season of Ruined Childhoods is a year-long cinematic/alphabetic yo-yo, taking listeners from A-Z and then Z-A.

Watch this episode on YouTube or Spotify

Contact us, follow us on social media, or buy some merch at linktr.ee/RuinedChildhoods & RuinedChildhoodsPod.com

Ruined Childhoods is produced & edited by Jon Richardson • jrmediaservices.net

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.