1985's After Hours

Martin Scorsese doing a dark comedy? This week on Off the Shelf with Phil and Dave, we revisit the bizarre, frustrating and increasingly absurd nightmare that is After Hours (1985). Phil thinks this overlooked Scorsese film is hilarious; Dave just watched wanted the night to end. We get into Griffin Dunne’s performance, the film’s strange cast of characters, its brand of deadpan comedy, the never-ending obstacles keeping Paul Hackett from getting home, and whether all that frustration is exactly what makes the movie work—or what makes it unbearable. Plus: Teri Garr, Catherine O’Hara, John Heard, Rosanna Arquette, Cheech & Chong, papier-mâché, subway fares and one very long night in SoHo.