Crooked Table Podcast: ‘Starman’ (featuring JC Screen Fix)

What comes to mind when you think of John Carpenter? Most people probably go straight to classic horror films like Halloween or The Thing. Or perhaps cult sci-fi thrillers such as Escape from New York and They Live. The point is, we’re willing to bet few would think Carpenter had a romantic sci-fi drama in him. And yet Starman exists.

Starring Jeff Bridges and Karen Allen — who we just covered in our Raiders of the Lost Ark episode — the 1984 release barely broke even at the box office. Yet, it remains critically beloved and, according to this episode’s guest, the ultimate comfort movie during the insanity that is 2020.

JC of Screen Fix joins us to discuss why Starman is a forgotten gem of the 1980s. We’ll get into where the unlikely film fits in Carpenter’s career, the chemistry between Bridges and Allen, and — of course — why Starman shines so very bright in today’s world.

So join us as we hitch our crooked wagon to Carpenter’s Starman.

SYNOPSIS

Answering a NASA message intended, an alien tries to contact mankind, but an American missile grounds his ship. Scrambling, the so-called Starman (Jeff Bridges) inhabits the body of a late Wisconsinite and kidnaps the dead man’s widow, Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen). Determined to reunite with a vessel from his home planet at a predetermined site, Starman and Jenny travel to Arizona. Pursued by military officials trying to kill him, Starman forges a lasting bond with Jenny.