PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (1981) - Movie Review with Armond White

Ian welcomes back Armond White for an educational (and occasionally contentious) review of PENNIES FROM HEAVEN!
Herbert Ross's 1981 musical drama stars Steve Martin as Arthur Parker, a Depression-era sheet music salesman who dreams of opening his own record store. He's also a sex maniac who puts the move on naive school teacher, Eileen (Bernadette Peters), when his wife, Joan, (Jessica Harper) refuses to get kinky. Packed with inventive fantasy musical numbers, complex characters, and a cracked-mirror moral code, PENNIES FROM HEAVEN remains one of cinema's biggest head-scratching bombs.
In this spoilerific examination, Ian and Armond talk about the film's origins (from Ross' early career to the original 1978 BBC miniseries); the thematic and stylistic choices that at once separate it from the musical pack and make it the perfect genre homage; and their wildly different interpretations of Eileen's crucial, character-changing scene!
And stick around for a savage takedown of LA LA LAND and a tease of what the guys are up to next!
Subscribe to, like, and comment on the Kicking the Seat TH-cam channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week! www.kickseat.com/
Show Links
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Watch the PENNIES FROM HEAVEN trailer:
• Pennies From Heaven (1...
Watch Ian and Armond's review of 2023's THE COLOR PURPLE remake:
• THE COLOR PURPLE (2023...
Read Armond's review of THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE at The National Review (mentioned in the show):
www.nationalre...
Order the book that inspired these regular movie chats: Armond's MAKE SPIELBERG GREAT AGAIN:
amzn.to/3rAPK1R
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Subscribe, like, and comment to the Kicking the Seat TH-cam channel, and check out kickseat.com for multiple movie podcasts each week! www.kickseat.com/

[@PurpleWarlock]

Looking forward to more Armond.

[@DisneyFan-eg3oz]

David here from Sebring Florida and I been a movie buff for over fifty years and I thought your conversation was very interesting. I just watched the movie today May 4, 2024. The last time I saw this movie I believe was in the theater. It was very different than what you think it is going to be like. All I could think about today was why could It be just like the 1930’s musicals that I loved so much. It would of done so much better at the box office that way. But it sounds like the director didn’t care how it did, he just wanted to make his film his way. If you really think about it is a very well made film. I would recommend you see original musicals from the 1930s like Top Hat The Gold Diggers movies to see what joy movies have and how they really represent Hollywood Movie Magic! 😊

[@naugello93]

Love these episodes!

[@KickingtheSeat]

Glad to hear it. Thanks for watching!

[@TOTayo-]

Who could forget Christopher Walken as a tap dancing pimp!?!?
In the last year, I looked for a Blu-Ray Edition of this musical, Pennies From Heaven. Sadly, I discovered that the movie currently is NOT available on Blu-ray.

[@KickingtheSeat]

I was bummed that it’s not on Blu, too. Had to settle for a digital Amazon purchase. Maybe for the 50th we’ll get something special. Here’s hoping.