This Artist of the Month selection is sponsored by Kim Cady, loyal Widescreen Warrior. Interested in sponsoring an Artist of the Month yourself? Email us (rafe (at) widescreenwarrior.com) for more information!

As a child of the ‘80s, I grew up in a world where Bill Murray was one of the dominant comedy players of the time. As a member of Second City, Murray’s name became known between SCTV and Saturday Night Live before the comedian went on to overwhelm theater patrons with landmark films like Stripes, Ghostbusters, and Scrooged.

But Murray isn’t just a comedian – a fact that should have become crystal clear when the actor took on The Razor’s Edge as a pet project, trading his appearance in Ghostbusters for financing on the drama. Murray’s serious side has continued to emerge, most notably in Lost in Translation as the world-weary actor that seems so close to Murray’s own existence, but also throughout the art films of Wes Anderson, which merge comedy and drama but always seem to stick Murray on the abstract and poignant side (even his brief appearance in The Darjeeling Limited is a question mark open to interpretation).

Nothing about Murray is crystal clear, however. The actor has become renowned for bizarre behavior, barely communicating with directors and producers before appearing on the set for a film he lightly committed to, or failing to appear on the set for a picture where a stronger agreement was in place. As a result, Murray himself has become something of an enigma – a comedic icon turned into a question mark that rivals his contemporary character choices. That status is particularly interesting to those of us in Widescreen Warrior central, as Murray has been known to randomly appear in Roanoke, VA for no rhyme or reason, having become fond of the area after filming locally for What About Bob?.

This month we celebrate the movies of Bill Murray, from his iconic comedic roles to his more eccentric choices. As always, we invite you to join us on the Weekly Blend Audio Show for our weekly discussions or to sound off in our comments section below or on our forums with your own thoughts about Murray.

Widescreen Warrior Presents: Bill Murray – Sponsored by Kim Cady

August 8th

• Stripes
• Ghostbusters
• Meatballs

August 14th

• Rushmore
• The Life Aquatic
• The Royal Tenenbaums

August 21st

• Lost in the Translation
• Broken Flowers
• Razor’s Edge

August 28th

• Groundhog Day
• Scrooged
• Caddyshack

Full filmography available at IMDb