Very high stakes, an intelligent but troubled preteen, a plucky sidekick, an imaginary super spy friend, and Atari–put them all together and you’ve got Richard Franklin’s Cloak & Dagger (1984). As a nine year-old, I was thrilled by the twisting plot, effective performances and very real danger at the core of this film. I dreamed of solving mysteries and dodging bad guys. Decades later, I was thrilled again to discover that the special place I’d reserved in my heart for this film was not misplaced. Cloak & Dagger holds up very well because it’s simply well-made. I can truly appreciate just how well-made it is even more so now, while still connecting to how terrifying and exciting it was to me as a child.

We are also celebrating a milestone! This episode marks our one year anniversary of doing the show and we thought it appropriate to do something special to commemorate that. We were delighted to welcome Bryan and Selah Douglas, our first guests ever, of Pathway Comics! We had a great time having them on the show, discussing this film, family entertainment, comics, navigating the pitfalls of growing up, and publishing their own title, an exciting new comic for young and old alike, The Dimensionals!

What you’ll find in this episode: an exploration of the significance of color palette in costume design, kids in jeopardy as a genre, junior Hitchcock techniques used in the film, Uno for one, why this stands apart in “kid” entertainment, and an alternate theory of the ending.

– Ericca

Links and Recommendations:

Check out Cloak & Dagger on IMDB.

Ericca’s further viewing pick of Young Sherlock Holmes.

Cole’s further viewing pick of The Window.

Bryan’s further viewing pick of Steven Universe.

Selah’s further viewing pick of Fresh.

Check out Pathway Comics and their new title, The Dimensionals!