Episode 37 – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (w. Adam and Ally)

Seasoned guests Adam and Ally are back in the studio to talk about 1969’s Robert Redford/Paul Newman vehicle Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. As it turns out, we were all a bit perplexed by the film and what, if anything, it was trying to say. Or is it just a fun Western romp that we shouldn’t think too hard about? At least we can agree on two things: it was a lot of fun, and it was definitely NOT Smokey and the Bandit.

Clarifications:

At first it appears that we simply fail to discuss Burt Bacharach’s Oscar winning score and original song. The truth is, we bashed it into oblivion but really failed to say anything of substance about it (and that sort of stuff often hits the cutting room floor). But Adam and Ally are on the record as having really hated it, and we were all put off by the “anachronism for anachronism’s sake” feel of the “Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head” sequence. There was no clear reason for that particular score, though the scene was clearly some sort of “Garden of Eden” reference complete with apple chomping. If you’ve got some theories about why the modern 60’s score was implemented, please, let us know!

(Though I do admit I have a special place in my heart for another of Burt Bacharach’s original movie songs, “Beware of the Blob”.)

And somehow with all this Robert Redford talk, we completely forgot to mention anything about his Sundance Resort, or the Sundance film festival, or his Sundance Theaters which are named after his character! It’s only a slight stretch to say those things might not exist but for this film!

Things We Reference:

Smokey and the Bandit (1977)

Blazing Saddles (1974)

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)