Have You Ever Seen

Marilyn Monroe was a gorgeous blonde, the kind who made men's tongues hit the floor. She also played innocent, cute and dumb as well as anyone. Case in point, The Seven Year Itch is where that famous image of her skirt being blown up while she's standing over a subway grate comes from. And the cinematic icon aced all of those angles in Billy Wilder's comedy. Yes, the director had to compromise and cut out much of the risque material that was in the play, yet he's still got the gift of Monroe...and Tom Ewell too, who won a Tony for playing a man who has an overactive imagination and can't stop thinking about cheating while his family is away for the summer. But are we supposed to ROOT for him to be unfaithful? And is "The Girl" even real? This flawed movie HAS remained funny, at least, especially in the over-the-top fantasy sequences. So try to keep cool in the scorching summer heat as Have You Ever Seen #678 digs into the elegant and/or delicate shenanigans in The Seven Year Itch. Maybe it would be wise to go with a cold brew this time of year, but whatever temperature you prefer, invest some of your bucks in Sparkplug Coffee. Our listeners get a onetime 20% discount just by using our "HYES" promo code. Go to "sparkplug.coffee/hyes" and get shopping. Subscribe to our channel in your podcast app and also on YouTube (@hyesellis in the search bar), but also help us grow the show by rating, reviewing, following, liking, commenting and so on. Tell us your own thoughts about the movies we review. Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com" and/or try us on the socials. Ryan is @moviefiend51 on Twi-X and ryan-ellis on Bluesky while Bev is @bevellisellis on the first and bevellisellis on the second.

The least-well-known title we'll be covering in this month of mirth-filled movies is Tom Di Cillo's sharp satire about the stresses of independent filmmaking. But those who aren’t aware of it should know that Living In Oblivion will bust some guts. Steve Buscemi and Catherine Keener are terrific in the lead roles as the director and his temperamental star, but James Le Gros hilariously steals the show, essentially playing Brad Pitt. As we analyzed this story filled with compromises and dream sequences, we were able to talk about our own backgrounds in the media. So slip your screenplay to the star who's slumming on your set while others fantasize about slinging crappy burgers at a dive diner (and eating them) as the 677th edition of Have You Ever Seen spends time Living In Oblivion. Even if you're just a mediocre talent--as all these characters seem to be--you can order Sparkplug Coffee the same way they can. Use our "HYES" promo code and you'll even get a onetime 20% discount. It's "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Subscribe to our podcast in your app or even on YouTube (@hyesellis in the 'Tube's search bar). Rate our show, review the podcast, comment on YouTube, tell your friends about us. And contact us. Prefer social media? We're @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis on Twi-X and ryan-ellis and bevellisellis on Bluesky. Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com".

This second week in Have You Ever Seen's month of funny films has Ryan covering the more sweet than hilarious WWII war comedy Mister Roberts. The legendary director John Ford and his co-director Mervyn LeRoy had a strong cast to work with, although Ford's mean-spirited temper comes up often in this episode. Henry Fonda is not at his very best in the title role, but he's still awfully good. James Cagney plays the ship captain, William Powell is likably charming as the doctor and Jack Lemmon won his 1st Oscar for playing Ensign Pulver with plenty of panache. So dive into our 676th episode as it pieces through the goofy hijinks and the occasionally powerful emotion of Mister Roberts. Have faith that an enemy pilot doesn't fly his plane into you while you drink Sparkplug Coffee...but order plenty of it whether he might do that or not! Sparkplug gives our listeners a onetime 20% discount. Those who use our "HYES" promo code get that. The website: sparkplug.coffee/hyes. We'd love if you would subscribe to Have You Ever Seen in your podcast app...and on YouTube, for that matter (@hyesellis in your browser). Rate, review, comment, you know the deal. Email us: haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com. Socials? We're @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis on Twi-X and ryan-ellis and bevellisellis on Bluesky.

Put out a bowl of memberberries because episode #675 of Have You Ever Seen is a fond reminiscence of the greatest parody of disaster thrillers ever made. Airplane is still the crowning achievement of the Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker team who made many other funny farce flicks like Top Secret and The Naked Gun. What Team ZAZ perfected their first time out as directors was to make an uproarious comedy out of a deadly serious situation by casting likable newcomers like Robert Hays and Julie Haggerty, then team them up with old pros who weren't known for comedy...Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves and Leslie Nielsen. They're all phenomenal at playing it straight while delivering the silly dialogue. There's too much of Otto and the zany guy in the tower, but, still, Airplane is 90 minutes of pure gut-bustery. So, Joey, get away from those weird pilots. Instead, get in the Slap Line, commit suicide during boring stories and land that airplane because we’re all counting on you, Shirley. He might never ask for a second cup of MY coffee, but he would if I served Sparkplug Coffee. They offer our listeners a onetime 20% discount. Just our "HYES" promo code. The website is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Subscribe to Have You Ever Seen in your podcast app, but also do that on YouTube. Our link is "@hyesellis" in the search bar when you're on the 'Tube. Comment there, hit the like button, but do that and rate/review us on your app too. Feedback: we're @moviefiend51 and @bevellisellis on Twi-X and ryan-ellis and bevellisellis on Bluesky. Our email address is "haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com".

While Sofia Coppola's second film, Lost In Translation, remains her finest, the '70s-set The Virgin Suicides was a good start to her writing and directing career. Her debut is far from perfect, although it's lyrical, haunting and it looks fantastic. Now, we had issues with Coppola's loyalty to Jeffrey Eugenides' book, especially the narration and the inconsistent use of 5 boys across the street. Still, the movie is a good one. James Woods and Kathleen Turner as the parents and Kirsten Dunst as the most-rebellious of 5 daughters are the key members of a family of cloistered Catholics who live in the Michigan suburbs. The title of the movie gives away what happens...but why did they do it? We speak at length about the unknowable. So as June ends, take in Have You Ever Seen's 674th podcast as we throw it back and forth about The Virgin Suicides. Well, Actually: Bev is correct that Lux is 14 and is the second-youngest Lisbon...and because Ryan spent this episode thinking she was older than that, we didn't get as much into how she's a minor having sex with grown men as we probably should have. Also, this movie was playing at festivals before Freaks And Geeks hit TV screens in the fall of '99, so the movie used "Come Sail Away" in their homecoming dance before the TV show did. Sparkplug Coffee! They sponsor us and they offer our loyal listeners a onetime 20% discount. Just use our "HYES" promo code. The website in question is "sparkplug.coffee/hyes". Subscribe to Have You Ever Seen in your podcast app, but also find us on YouTube (@hyesllis in the searchie dealie). Rate, write a review, comment, follow, all that. We use social media. Ryan is @moviefiend51 on Twi-X and ryan-ellis on Bluesky. Bev is @bevellisellis on the first and bevellisellis on the second. And we read all your emails, even if we're slow to respond (haveyoueverseenpodcast@gmail.com).