Confessions of a Not-So-Dangerous Mind*
Oct 22, 2026 · 22 min · 7 segments
One of the most unique, distinctive actors to ever work in Hollywood, Jeff Goldblum turns 74 today. Join me for a look at his key supporting role in Philip Kaufman's terrific re-imagining of Don…
Well, today is a birthday, a big celebrity birthday, a legendary figure, arguably Hollywood's most distinctive personality.
Today marks the 74th birthday of none other than Brundlefly himself, the great Jeff Goldblum.
And I was going over some of the movies that he's been in over the decades going back to the 1970s.
And I guess the question is, what's the best movie that he was in that I think translates well for a podcast episode like this that I have not discussed in any form or fashion? And the answer to that question, dear listener, faithful viewer.
is Philip Kaufman's really terrific 1978 remake of Don Siegel's 1956 unquestioned, undisputed, all-time sci-fi classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which is such a great title.
And I would argue that the 1978 movie is closer to a horror film than the 56 original.
But it does stand as Jeff Goldblum's first really kind of juicy, important role in a major Hollywood production surrounded by numerous big hitters and more than holding his own as, at the time, a very young man.
But Don Siegel, who 15 years after the 1956 Invasion of the Body snatchers, directed one of my favorite films, the original Dirty Harry with Clint Eastwood.
Siegel's interpretation of the book was was a kind of a closer more direct adaptation than what phil kaufman did with the 78 version and there are certain filmmakers who not only appreciate film history but if given an opportunity to cast even tiny roles a certain way they will do so for example martin scorsese a big fan of the J. Lee Thompson 1962 Cape Fear, when he did his version of it in 91, which I think is a better movie, if we're being honest.
But Martin Scorsese, when he remade Cape Fear, he cast two of the primary actors from the original Cape Fear in reasonable supporting roles in Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, excuse me.
Well, in the 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Phil Kaufman cast the filmmaker Don Siegel in a cameo as a taxi driver, no, speaking of De Niro, no, not that taxi driver, but as a taxi driver in his version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Andrew McCarthy, Andrew McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, God, it's not a Brat Pack movie, Kevin McCarthy, the star of the original 1956, he kind of plays the same character 22 years later, and it's magnificent.
Well, today is a birthday, a big celebrity birthday, a legendary figure, arguably Hollywood's most distinctive personality.
Today marks the 74th birthday of none other than Brundlefly himself, the great Jeff Goldblum.
And I was going over some of the movies that he's been in over the decades going back to the 1970s.
And I guess the question is, what's the best movie that he was in that I think translates well for a podcast episode like this that I have not discussed in any form or fashion? And the answer to that question, dear listener, faithful viewer.
is Philip Kaufman's really terrific 1978 remake of Don Siegel's 1956 unquestioned, undisputed, all-time sci-fi classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which is such a great title.
And I would argue that the 1978 movie is closer to a horror film than the 56 original.
But it does stand as Jeff Goldblum's first really kind of juicy, important role in a major Hollywood production surrounded by numerous big hitters and more than holding his own as, at the time, a very young man.
But Don Siegel, who 15 years after the 1956 Invasion of the Body snatchers, directed one of my favorite films, the original Dirty Harry with Clint Eastwood.
Siegel's interpretation of the book was was a kind of a closer more direct adaptation than what phil kaufman did with the 78 version and there are certain filmmakers who not only appreciate film history but if given an opportunity to cast even tiny roles a certain way they will do so for example martin scorsese a big fan of the J. Lee Thompson 1962 Cape Fear, when he did his version of it in 91, which I think is a better movie, if we're being honest.
But Martin Scorsese, when he remade Cape Fear, he cast two of the primary actors from the original Cape Fear in reasonable supporting roles in Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck, excuse me.
Well, in the 1978 Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Phil Kaufman cast the filmmaker Don Siegel in a cameo as a taxi driver, no, speaking of De Niro, no, not that taxi driver, but as a taxi driver in his version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Andrew McCarthy, Andrew McCarthy, Kevin McCarthy, God, it's not a Brat Pack movie, Kevin McCarthy, the star of the original 1956, he kind of plays the same character 22 years later, and it's magnificent.
The rest of this transcript — segmented and speaker-labeled, so you land on the exact moment something was said
Search every transcript — by keyword, by phrase, or by meaning, across every show Radar indexes
Trends — what is surging across podcasts, measured against its own baseline
Alerts — when a name you follow appears in a newly indexed episode
No account is needed to search Radar.