One chilly picture

In fitting with the bone-chilling season, now's a perfect time to rediscover a film from the eighties that certainly left its stamp on that decade: It's "The Big Chill," directed by Lawrence Kasdan, which is considered a baby boomer classic.

Just seeing the all-star cast–including Kevin Kline, Jeff Goldblum, Glenn Close, William Hurt, JoBeth Williams and the gang –in their younger days makes this a worthwhile home rental. The current version on DVD includes up‑to‑date interviews with the cast and filmmakers and behind‑the‑scenes footage. And crank up the home theater sound system: Motown music lovers will appreciate the toe-tappin’ digitally restored soundtrack featuring the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles and all the rest.

CineVerse dissected "The Big Chil" back in the summer of 2008, and many cogent observations and insights were recorded. To listen to a podcast of that discussion, click here.

–Erik J. Martin