A Woman Under the Influence

Peter and Andrew unpack John Cassavetes's 1974 independent character study *A Woman Under the Influence* , exploring how its uncomfortably intimate filmmaking style and incredibly nuanced performances left a lasting mark on independent cinema. They discuss the film’s themes of mental illness versus idiosyncrasy, the dark underbelly of 1970s domestic life, and the messy reality of marriage, and debate whether its challenging, unresolved narrative still resonates in a modern world. In their remake scenarios, they tackle an uncomfortable challenge: How do you adapt a harrowing domestic drama for families? Could it work as a *Mary Poppins* -style fantasy where a mother's erratic behavior translates into magical adventures for her kids? What would a no-budget "birthday party from hell" version told entirely from the perspective of an awkward visiting parent look like? Would it be better as a time-hopping TV series exploring the couple's early romance and the future lives of their children in the vein of *This Is Us* ? The hosts also launch a new segment pitching auteur directors for bizarre brand movies (featuring Edgar Wright and John Milius takes on Crocs), and share their current viewing habits, including *Shoresy* and *The Karate Kid* (1984), while referencing *Barbie*, *Battleship*, *Jumanji*, *Mean Girls*, *Red Dawn*, *Letterkenny*, *Cobra Kai*, *Black Swan*, *The Killing of a Chinese Bookie*, *Krisha*, *Blue Valentine*, *Saturday Night Live*, *Barry*, and *Entourage* in their discussion. Topics covered: The difference between a low-budget Hollywood film and true independent cinema, the dark cultural undertones of the 1970s, the ethics of the Cobra Kai dojo, the value of long, uncomfortable scenes, and why some masterpieces are deeply rewarding but incredibly unpleasant to watch.