Podcast: Sunset Boulevard

Noir meets sunny California in this episode about a golden age classic

99 Cent Rental Podcast

Episode 08: Sunset Boulevard

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99 Cent Rental is a comedy podcast revisiting the low-budget action, comedy, and science fiction films that clogged video store shelves throughout the 1980s and early 90s.

Every other week, hosts Bryan and Dave White, hosts of the Bring Me The Axe! horror podcast, dive deep into the nearly forgotten world of ninjas, breakdancers, skateboarders, action hero knockoffs, and Cold War paranoia that embodied the excess and over-the-top attitude of the 1980s and celebrate them for everything they were and weren’t.

This week, Bryan and Dave are ready for their close-up as they address a listener request to explore Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard through the lens of horror and cult and, well, they don't exactly pull it off but they do turn in a deep dive into Hollywood's silent era, the golden age of sound, and how it manages to keep up the fabulous illusion of fantasy with a ruthless stranglehold on every piece of machinery that surrounds it and supports it, including the very people that make it all possible.

Sunset Boulevard is a drag queen's dream come true. Silent star, Gloria Swanson returns to the screen to portray the larger-than-life fallen star, Norma Desmond with grand sweeping gestures and some of the most quotable dialog in Hollywood history. Every aspect of this movie is lifted up and supported by every other piece. From Billy Wilder's writing and direction, to the photography of John Seitz, to the costuming of Edith Head, to the score provided by Franz Waxman.

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