The Excellent COMEDY of the Last American French-Exchange Babe of the 80’s (AKA the Better Off Dead Tribute Book) By Diane Franklin
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Episode 1 Blog Notes (Recorded 4/11/2021)

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Welcome to the premiere episode of Popped!, where Daniel and Ben take of the responsibility of cultivating your pop culture upbringing.  Popped! kicks off with a discussion of one of our favorite films—Better Off Dead.  We discuss our love for this box office flop turned cult classic, and why it is one of Daniel’s favorite Christmas films.  Daniel describes it as “imminently quotable” and “perfect in its imperfection”, while it allowed Ben to laugh at the “horrible weirdness” of our collective teen years.  We’ve all been there, folks!

Important questions will be posed.  What are the rules of ski racing?  What do you call a frilly robe?  Are Lane and his crew channeling Peanuts characters?  Is an aardvark fur coat possibly the best gift ever?  We also had the immense pleasure of interviewing the lovely and talented Diane Franklin, who played the quirky heroine and undeniable role model, Monique.  Listen in and enjoy the ride!

Commentary Segment

Daniel and Ben began by discussing what they consider to be the standout moments in the movie, of which there are several. They talked about the scenes that brought home the awkwardness of the teenage years, such as the relatable cringe-worthiness of THAT chalkboard scene and the ever-present paper boy. They also discussed their fondness for both the dance and ski race scenes.
As a musician, it is not surprising that Daniel spent some time ruminating about Better Off Dead’s soundtrack, which he deemed to be underrated. He and Ben talked about some of their favorite songs in the film.

E.G. Daily A Little Luck

They also raved about Rupert Hine, a man whose work you are intimately familiar with, even if you think you aren’t. He sadly left us in June of 2020.
Learn more about Rupert Hine:

Rupert Hine Wiki

Rupert’s Website

Better Off Dead Soundtrack Contributions

Rupert Hine 1947-2020

 

For some fun facts and Better Off Dead conversation with other fans, check out the Better Off Dead Facebook page.

Better Off Dead on Facebook

Unfortunately, Better Off Dead is currently not available to stream. However, the DVD and Blu-ray are both available for purchase on Amazon.

• DVD
• Blue Ray 

Interview Segment:
What better way to kick off an interview with the charming and amazing Diane Franklin than by having a French feast? (cue the Perrier!). The conversation bridged many topics, we will share some nuggets with you here.
Diane discussed how female roles have changes throughout the years, as well as throughout her career. With regards to Better Off Dead, she really enjoyed playing Monique, as she was “a force of courage” vs. many female characters at that time that were seen as damsels in distress. She was very pleased to have a well-rounded female role that went beyond just being an object of desire, which was groundbreaking for that time.
Speaking of Better Off Dead, Daniel and Ben talked with Diane about what it was like to work on the film. She spoke very fondly of director Savage Steve Holland, who fostered great energy for the crew, saying that he was always excited and in the moment. The energy on the set allowed her to get fully immersed in her character and she says that when that happens, it’s the greatest high…like magic. We are happy to report that Better Off Dead still makes her laugh.
She is currently writing a THIRD book comprising “all the things”, and we are here for it! You can learn more about her first two books on her webpage, which we highly recommend!

Diane’s Webpage

Because we love her, of course, we wanted to know what she is up to now. She let us know about recent/upcoming films that she has recently wrapped. She is in the comedy High Holiday (2021) with Tom Arnold, Jennifer Tilly, and Cloris Leachman. It is currently streaming on Peacock.

You can also catch her in Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman (2021), which also features her daughter, Olivia Delaurentis. How awesome is that?!? It is available to stream on Hulu with a subscription, and you can rent it on Amazon or Apple TV.

Links to her events/conventions and films can be found on the separate Diane Franklin Blog on the Popped! blog page.

 

Podcast Episode Details:
Written, recorded and edited by Daniel Hendrix.
Performed by Daniel Hendrix and Ben Wilson
Blog Notes by Tanya  Blog Entry by Daniel
Popped Intro Music: Spooky-Funk-Instrumental
Voice Over Introduction, Segue and Outro by Glenn Thayer.