Legends Then, Legends Always: Dolly & Tim

0:00Welcome to Popcorn Popper Otsi. The podcast that answers the only movie question that really matters. Is this movie worth the trek to the theater? Or are you better off saving your money and watching it from the couch? Every week we watch the newest releases, break down what worked, what didn't, and then take you behind the scenes with fun facts, production secrets, casting stories, and everything that makes the movie even better. I'm Sarah, and I'm Cassie. We've been best friends in high school, and lifelong movie fanatics. So whether you're deciding what to see this weekend, or just live hearing how the movie magic happens, grab your popcorn, add a little extra butter, because it's time to find out if this week's movie is worth the ticket, or better from the couch. Let's get into it. Welcome back, Popcorn lovers. This week is going to be a little different. Normally Cassie and I are here debating the newest movie, arguing over whether something

1:00deserves three buckets or four of popcorn, and ultimately answering our favorite question. Is it worth the trek to the theater, or should you stay home and stream? But this week, we're putting the buckets down, because we're celebrating two performers who gave us some of the most unforgettable characters, moments and movies in pop culture, Dolly Parton, and Tim Curry. And what an incredible pair to celebrate. Someone gave us big hair, rhinestones, southern charm, and a smile that could light up an entire room. The other gave us fishnets, murder mysteries, terrifying clowns, and perhaps the greatest eyebrow rays in cinematic history. Underneath all of that camp, glamour, and larger than life personality, Dolly Parton and Tim Curry had something very important in common. They were originals. Neither one ever seemed particularly interested in fitting into the box Hollywood created for them. And then said, find out who you are and do it on purpose. And honestly, that could describe both of them. They didn't just play memorable characters. They gave people permission to be a little louder, a little stranger, a little more glamorous,

2:03and maybe a little bit more themselves. So today, we're not trying to cover every song, every movie, or every performance. We're going back to some of the ones that made us fall in love with them. Let's get into it. Starting with a woman who somehow made revenge against your sexist boss, look absolutely delightful. That's right, you guys. We are starting with 9-5, the classic from 1980. Start the amazing Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin. Three women, versus possibly one of the worst bosses ever put on film. And somehow a movie from 1980 about sexism, workplace harassment, unequal treatment, and horrible bosses still feels surprisingly relevant. Isn't that funny? Even decades later, we're still dealing with the Me Too movement.

3:05Sexism, we're still tackling these things that this movie showed us back in the 80s. Crazy. Patriarchy is a bitch. What's amazing is that this was Dolly Parton's first movie. I know. Jane Fonda was developing the film and had already become interested in Lily Tomlin. Then one day Fonda was driving, and one of Dolly Parton's songs came on the radio, two doors down. Suddenly, she just pitched her Dolly sitting behind the typewriter, and that was it. She was like, I want her to play this role. Which I think is great, because I couldn't see anyone else playing that character. No, exactly. I mean, no. Dolly apparently had the perfect attitude about it. She figured she was working with Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. So if the movie succeeded, then hey, she got some of the credit. And if it bombed, she could just blame them. That's Dolly Parton Logic, and I'm into it. I like it. We get that logic. Okay, here are some fun favorites from behind the scenes.

4:07So Dolly agreed to make the movie on one condition. She wanted to write the theme song. And while she was sitting around between takes, she started clicking those acrylic fingers and nails together, and then she realized, it sounded like a typewriter. Exactly. So that clicking actually did become part of the rhythm for 9-5. Dolly eventually brought the song to Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin on set, and performed it for them using her fingernails for percussion. They immediately knew that she had something special. And that song, as we know, didn't just become the movie theme, but an anthem. And I mean, the opening line, and I'm telling you since Dolly has passed away, I've heard the song a lot more. It's playing around on social. I'm listening to it. And that opening line of tumbling out of bed, and I stumbled at the kitchen and poured myself a cup of ambition. Yes. It just makes me laugh. It's absolute perfection. And I've been singing it nonstop. Like annoyingly, I'm only singing that line, nonstop over and over again. It's like, I don't really know the rest of the words after working 9-5.

5:11Would it make a living? Yeah. I get it. I'm going to start with you. Crazy enough, that song went on to earn an Academy Award nomination and won two Grammys. Now, I don't know if you know this, but this would be a little fun fact. But she actually had it in her contract that with every movie that she's in, she does the theme song. But the only exception to that was with Steele Magnolia's. That was the only film where the studio rejected her song, Eagle when she flies. I kind of wish we had heard that song. Because now I'm curious. But I don't like the title. That feels weird. Eagle when she flies. You know what I mean? I don't. When she flies like an eagle maybe? I don't know. I mean, I don't know. But I wish we heard it. Me too. I'll be good at hearing it. Let's get back to 9-5. Her character, Dorley Rhodes. Everyone in the office assumes she's sleeping with the boss because he's been telling everyone

6:11that she is. While Dorley finally discovers what's happening and we get one of those great Dolly Parton movie moments, she basically informs Mr. Hart that if he ever says another word about her, she's going to turn him from rooster into a hen. Only Dolly Parton could threaten bodily harm while looking completely adorable. God, I mean, quick pause for a minute. Have you, when was the last time you watched this movie? Actually like just a couple days ago. Okay. So you've watched it like in RIP memory of Dolly. Yes. Before that, it probably had been a minute, huh? It had been a minute, but I've watched it several times throughout the year. Like it's a movie that I'm okay to go back to. Yeah. And I just, I just want to say because it came out in 1980, like the other day I was trying to tell my friend's daughter who's 16 to watch it. I'm like, even though it feels like it's going to be old and it is and it was old for us at the time, but it still feels so well done. Yeah. I was thinking about this moment in the movie and then when she's like plays the cowgirl

7:14and she's got the last so and it's just a, or when Lily Tomlin's character is, you know, snow white in the animal, like just, yes, there's so many great moments that still land in this film. I just can't say enough that people should go back and watch it. Yes, it was made in the 1980s, but I feel like when you watch it, it still feels, and maybe because of the relevancy of the theaming of the movie itself, but I still feel like it feels fresh. Yeah. If that makes sense, it does. I agree. This is why Dorley works. People look at her and see the hair, the clothes, the body, and they decide they know exactly who she is, which you're going to be wrong. Fun fact for you, Dolly actually bought nearly her entire wardrobe from the movie and the outfits that she wore are actually on display in her museum in Dollywood. And this is my new life's mission now is to go to Dollywood. So I think we need to make a trip and we need to do that. We do. Where is Dollywood? Is that Tennessee or okay?

8:14We should do that one day. I know. I have another fun fact for you for nine to five this movie. She thought that she had to memorize the whole entire script. So she did. She thought it was shot like a play would be and she didn't realize that it was shot out of order and like you're only doing the lines that you need on the day of like she didn't know all of that. I have. God bless her little heart. I know. I mean, I'm still sad that we've lost her. I said I can't get over it. I know. I can't either. Basically Dolly's story is kind of like Dolly's own story. People underestimated her because of the image that she deliberately created. And meanwhile behind that image there was this and as we're saying extraordinary songwriter, business woman and performer who exactly what she was doing. I just can't say enough. That's why I love nine to five. It's funny. It's ridiculous. It's a revenge fantasy. But underneath it is something real. Stop underestimating women.

9:14And I think that that messaging stands a test of time for the film. Stop underestimating women. Stop treating us like second class citizens. We're not here just to get your coffee. Exactly. Amongst our things. That's the same. You'll find rap poison in it. And then we move from Dolly making us laugh to Dolly being part of a movie that has emotionally destroyed generations of women. And you guys, if you didn't already guess what this next one is, it's still magnolias from 1989. And it's still ever. Oh, we're still crying. We're still crying. I mean, Shelby, I can't even. Okay. I know. I know. If you've ever watched this movie with your mom, your sister, your girlfriends by yourself, you already know you laugh for most of the movie. And then Sally Field literally rips your heart out from your chest with that monologue after Shelby has passed away. Tears cannot, like no matter what, everyone should also equally watch this movie.

10:15If you have not seen this, we're saying this we can add to your watch list. I'm saying it right now. And Dolly plays Truvee Jones, the owner of the beauty salon where everybody gathers. Honestly, this movie is probably one of the most perfectly cast films ever. I agree. Everyone down to like the littlest parts. Perfect. Perfectly cast. Truvee salon, you know, it's not just about hair, which our salons never are. It's a place where women go to talk gossip, laugh, fight, confess things, take care of one another. And this movie, it is ridiculously quotable. There are so many quotes from this film that I still use today. And I thought, you know what, Cassie, let's throw a little of those out here for each other. I'm down. Okay, here's a couple. This one comes from Dolly herself as Truvee. Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion, which might actually summarize steel magnolias in a hole. And of course, there's no such thing as natural beauty.

11:16I love it. I don't trust anyone that does their own hair. I don't think it's normal. Smile. It increases your face value. This is one of my favorite ones from the film. Time marches on and eventually you realize it's marching across your face. He's true. We didn't know about Botox. I was just about to say that's why we have Botox. And filler, God bless both. Or this one, I have a strict policy that nobody cries alone in my presence. Same Dolly, I'm going to cry with you. I'm going to cry with you. I use that quote anytime someone's crying. I will say no one cries alone in my presence. And then I'm crying too. Oh, this one so funny. Honestly, I have said this one too. If you don't have anything nice to say to anybody, come sit next to me. I love the tea. Please spill. spill. I mean, we could literally go on and on because this movie is perfect. But behind the scenes, I can't even believe I'm saying this.

12:18Things weren't always quite as warm and fuzzy. Director Herbert Ross could be extremely tough on the cast. Dolly later recalled that he told her she couldn't act. And I love how Dolly came back to him. She said, you're right. I'm not an actress. I'm a personality. That's why you're the director. You're supposed to help me, which may be one of the most, I know, amazing responses. She also had a great response to about when she was being interviewed once about being called a hillbilly. And she did that exact same thing, which is she took on an own that, yeah, I am. And also, we might not be academic smart, but we're street smart and we're good people. She just had such a classy way in which to respond to criticism. And I think that's why people always gravitated towards her. And she like in the, when she was getting that feedback from Ross, she didn't just storm off. She didn't pretend she was someone, may using an actress like Meryl Streep and Bia Diva, how could you? She basically said, okay, then direct me. And eventually the two of them did find the rhythm together and get along.

13:20And so crazy to me how some directors think that they can just talk to people. I know. Like you're supposed to be creating a safe, comfortable environment for your actors. And you're also supposed to foster the acting. Yeah. Mind boggling. I know. And through all of this, Dolly was incredibly professional. People who worked on the film remembered her being prepared, knowing her lines and being ready to work. Fun fact about the work and being serious. Her and Darryl Hannah studied hairstyles. So there are scenes where they were actually doing hair would look authentic. So we know that Dolly always comes prepared. God, there was some high, high hair in my eyes. So it did their work. God between them studying for hairstyles and her memories in the whole script, it's like between the wigs and the rhinestones. Everyone thought maybe that Dolly just was a frivolous person, but underneath all that sparkle was truly somebody who had an amazing work ethic. Dolly once described herself as a workhorse who looks like a show horse.

14:23A workhorse that looks like a show horse. I like it. I know. And that might be, I think, one of the best descriptions of her career. I almost wonder if I want that on my tombstone. I love it. She was a workhorse that looked like a show horse. And let me tell you another fun fact. I read about like what her daily routine was like her morning routine. She would naturally wake up at 3 a.m. Never need an alarm, which is amazing. Her exercising, her workouts would be her putting on gospel music and running and singing throughout her house, which girl, that would be my mind too. That sounds like an amazing morning workout. I know. I know. She said that her most productive time would be from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m. That's where she would write her music. That's where she would have meetings. She got more done in that span of time than most people do in a whole day.

15:27Can you imagine like, oh, Dolly's calling a meeting at 4 a.m. Because that, no, she does her best work. Like, I really don't want to. So now, how exactly do we transition from one legend, Dolly Parton to another Tim Curry? Easy sequence. Oh my god. You're right. Dolly had rhinestones. Tim Curry had a corset. And suddenly our tribute makes perfect sense. Because if Dolly taught us to find out who we are and do it on purpose, Tim Curry taught generations of people that being different could be absolutely fabulous. Now there are movie performances. And then there are performances that become part of culture. Tim Curry, coming down that elevator as Dr. Frank and Furter is one of them from Rocky Horror Picture Show in 1975. Fishnets, pearls, corset, heels, cape, confidence, so much confidence.

16:28And then a line that came from that movie that we all remember, don't dream it, be it. And that line became something much bigger than the movie itself. Basically, meaning you should stop hiding your true self, start living your real desires out in the open instead of just imagining them. Tim Curry actually originated Frank and Furter on stage before playing him in the movie. And years later, Curry talked about what the character ultimately meant to audiences. He said Frank gave a lot of teenagers permission to be different. And I thank you Tim. We thank you. Curry also said that he was happy the character had that power that might be the real legacy of Rocky Horror because the movie wasn't initially some gigantic mainstream success. It became a phenomenon because audiences found it. And I feel like that's true for every movie we're talking about today. You know, still magnolias and nine to five so far also the same thing like their success came later. And for Rocky Horror, it became super popular.

17:28These midnight screenings and they started developing their own traditions. People dressed as the characters. They shouted at the screens. They threw props. They performed alongside the movie. I have to say this is actually how I saw the movie back in Fremont. There used to be a movie theater down I think on Fremont, I'm gonna say a Padre somewhere. Do you remember like where the old Pier One imports that we put together was? I think so. Yeah. On that street there used to be a movie theater there. And that is where I saw Rocky Horror when I was in. I believe 11th grade. I went and saw it. Midnight showing, this is exactly what happened. What's crazy is that like I remember there's kind of like a host in the beginning kind of like getting the audience ready and riled up and you're getting rice handed to you, toilet paper handed to you. And then I remember them doing different like skits up at the front before the movie started. And him asking someone in the audience and then he chose me and I was with my boyfriend at the time to come up and simulate sex acts.

18:29Yeah. And I just told you I was in 11th grade. Yeah. Looking back, I don't love that. I was gonna say how my thought was amazing. Very problematic. Very problematic. But it was a night I will never forget and such a fun way to see that film. I bet. I'm jealous. I wish I had the opportunity to do that because it sounds like it would have been so much fun. Maybe not the simulated sex part. Um, actually it would be trust me. Watching Rocky Horror became as much of a performance as the movie itself. Exactly. It definitely created a place where being that weird kid wasn't a problem. Being where was basically the admission price and right in the middle of all of it was Tim Curry. Fearless, sexy, funny, dangerous and completely unforgettable. And 10 years later, Tim Curry gave us another cult classic, one of my favorites. Clue, which was released in 1985. God, I loved this movie.

19:30It feels weird. Going down memory lane on all these old movies, you know what I mean? Like, God, him as Wadsworth might be one of the greatest showcases of Tim Curry's particular brand of controlled chaos. Yeah. Clue is essentially 94 minutes of people running through doors screaming, accusing one another of murder and delivering dialogue at approximately 700 miles per hour. I like to just picture him because his character is the butler. Yeah. And he is just running. I can picture his face as we're talking about it. And he's like, co-tails, flapping in the wind as he's like running up and down the stairs. God, he was just amazing. And here is a fun fact about the film, which I did not know. Clue originally went into theaters with three different endings. Yeah. Now, I'm curious if you know, it's like, so depending on which theater you went to, obviously you got to see a different solution to the murder. Which sounds like a brilliant marketing idea. Well, except audiences did not like it because they were like, wait a second, we got one

20:31ending, but someone else got a different one across the way. Like, that's not fair. Eventually the home video version put all three endings together, which is how most of us know the movie now. And also didn't know if you knew this, but there was apparently even a fourth ending conceived in which Wadsworth himself was a murderer, but it wasn't used. The director hated it, but Tim loved it. How many endings can I guess you could have a whole combination? Everyone can be the murderer. As we say, it's there. Yeah, there's lots of murder. Cassie, I'm going to take a deep breath. It's been a long week. It's been a long life. I am what I am. I am what I am. Oh, God. And throughout all those endings, we get Wadsworth racing through the entire mansion, explaining the murders. He's upstairs. He's downstairs. He's through the hallways.

21:32He's into the rooms. Tim Curry essentially turns an exposition dump into an Olympic event. The comedic timing, the memorizing of those lines, the acting itself, the physicality of it is just so impressive. The sequence was so physically demanding that reports say Curry ended up needing medical attention after Phil. He is. It's crazy to think that delivering lines could cause a medical emergency. I know, but I think it's just the amount of moving around he was doing and like the pace at which he was like delivering those lines. Yeah. I mean, you guys watch it. You have to watch it. You have to. But again, that's Tim Curry. He doesn't just deliver the joke. He commits his entire body to the joke. And then Tim Curry decided, apparently, we were just all sleeping a little too well at night. Enter Pennywise, the clown from 1990 Stephen King's hit it. No. If you are from our generation, this movie, it was everything.

22:32It was amazing. It was amazing. I remember when you first saw it, yes, I couldn't get enough of it. I literally could not get enough of it. Although the ending was so disappointing, but that is on par for Stephen King books. Pennywise, the clown was so good with poor little Georgie in the storm drain. I, my God, to this day, I still can picture that scene perfectly. Yeah. Basically, Tim Curry made an entire generation, deeply suspicious of those storm drains, head of clowns and balloons, and possibly like the entire sewer system. I know I would always think about as I walk by or ride a bike by those storm drains. Always wonder what could be lurking down there. I literally will still to this day when I'm coming past one. I will say we all float down here. And most of the time I wish someone who doesn't know what I'm talking about. And thanks, you're crazy. We're like, let's check you into the hospital. We can all.

23:33And what's interesting is how different his Pennywise is. He can actually seem friendly, which makes him worse. He looks like a kind of clown. Like you would see performing at a child's party. And then something changes, you know, to get that smile that lasts a little too long. His voice changes, his eyes, his teeth, remember? Yep. Suddenly, you realize something is very, very wrong. And then like I just mentioned, he delivers that iconic line, which is we all float down here. Karina need enormous amounts of CGI. He used his face, his voice, his timing, and that smile. And somehow that was enough to permanently traumatize us. But I loved it so much. So much. You guys have to watch it. If you have not seen it, you need to watch that. In fact, stop the podcast, put it on, and then come back after. Yeah, don't forget to come back. So we've got a country music legend from Tennessee and an English actor who became famous playing a course that wearing alien mad scientist, which sounds like two people who should have

24:35absolutely nothing in common. But the more you look at their careers, the more I think they actually did. Neither one apologized for being larger than life. Neither one sanded down the edges of who they were to make other people comfortable. They understood something about performance. Sometimes being more yourself is what makes people connect with you. Maybe that's why both of them became so beloved. They gave us permission, permission to laugh louder, dress louder, be strange, glamorous, can't be funny, and stop worrying so much about whether everyone else understands you. We'll be right back with our buckets of popcorn. 9-5 Steel Magnolias, the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Clue It. Every single one gets five buckets of popcorn from us, not because every movie is perfect, but because these are classics that have stood the test of time.

25:38Decades later, we're still watching them. We're still quoting them. We're still laughing, crying, singing along, and in the case of it, we're still avoiding those storm drains. And at the center of them are two performers who understood how to make a character unforgettable. So our assignment to you this weekend is simple. Pick one or better yet pick all five. Pour yourself a drink. Make a giant bowl of popcorn and spend the weekend with Dorley, Truvie, Frankenfurter, Wadsworth, and Pennywise. These are five bucket movie classics and absolute bust watches. And remember, life is short. Wear the rhinestones, do the time warp, laugh through the tears, and maybe stay away from storm drains. Like, definitely guys, we're still scarred, stay away from those storm drains. Five buckets of popcorn across the board. That does it for us today. We'll see you back here next week and until then, enjoy the movies everyone. Bye. Bye. And that's our verdict on this week's movie. Does it worth the trek to the theater? Or better from the couch?

26:39We'll let you decide. If you enjoyed today's episode, we'd love your support. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok, popcorn poperazzi for movie news, bonus content, behind the scenes fun, and plenty of extra butter. And if you haven't already, be sure to follow, rate, and review the podcast wherever you're listening. It helps more movie lovers find the show and keeps the popcorn popping. Thanks for hanging out with us this week. I'm Sarah and I'm Cassie. We'll see you at the movies. Bye.