1941 with Mike Mitchell & Nick Wiger
Update: 2025-02-02
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He invented the summer blockbuster. He inspired millions of people around the world to “watch the skies.” And now, he has sent Griffin Newman into an existential crisis over the question “what is comedy?” Our friends Mike Mitchell and Nick Wiger of The Doughboys join us to talk about Steven Spielberg’s infamously unfunny 1941. Why IS this film - loaded with so many comedic superstars - boring as shit? Is the opening scene one of the most embarrassing exercises in hubris ever committed to screen? Would this movie be better if they just inserted the entirety of Dumbo into it? Why does Eddie Deezen keep getting banned from dining establishments? Someone has to ask these things.
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00:00:00
[MUSIC]
00:00:22
>> Blank check, the most explosive podcast ever made.
00:00:26
>> Wait, that's what you did.
00:00:28
>> Okay, so here's the thing.
00:00:29
>> Is that the tagline or something?
00:00:31
>> I was digging through all the trailers and the posters last night.
00:00:34
And there was one I was trying to find that was, I can't quite locate.
00:00:38
But all of the trailers kept using these taglines that are like the most explosive, comedy, spectacular in a case.
00:00:44
>> I just know a comedy spectator.
00:00:45
>> This is the thing, that was the tagline I know from the Facebook.
00:00:47
>> One of the advertising materials I saw combined the two.
00:00:50
Because a lot of the trailers kept on saying the most explosive movie ever made.
00:00:53
And the posters keep saying a comedy, spectacular.
00:00:56
And one of them combined it, and it speaks to the inherent issues with this movie.
00:01:01
>> Okay.
00:01:01
>> That they're selling of it was, this is so funny and so big.
00:01:05
>> I mean, that's the movie at large, but okay.
00:01:08
>> But then we're just saying that as a statement and being like, don't you want to see a movie that's really loud and expensive and has jokes in it?
00:01:15
And you're like, what's it about and they're like, don't worry about that.
00:01:18
>> Uh-huh.
00:01:19
>> The most, it's the most movie.
00:01:20
>> Yes, what about this one?
00:01:21
>> This one.
00:01:22
>> Soon the screen will be bombarded by the most explosive barrage of.
00:01:26
And it looks like the word shit in Japanese ever filmed.
00:01:30
>> Mm-hm.
00:01:31
>> So again, it's just like, right, like, most, screen filled, like there won't be a dull second.
00:01:39
>> No, and this is one of those classic cases of most equaling best.
00:01:42
>> Yes, that's, I mean, that's the story of 1941, great thing.
00:01:48
>> It's the most movie ever made and we all agree that it's probably the great American film.
00:01:52
>> He took 10 minutes to do this.
00:01:54
>> Yes, please.
00:01:55
>> It's all 10 excess.
00:01:56
>> It's spectacle, like it at least delivers on spectacle.
00:02:00
But my question for you is, did you consciously avoid a quote from the movie because you couldn't find a line of dialogue that didn't have an Asian slur?
00:02:11
>> Nick, there was a quote on the IDV page I was close to and then I realized it had an African-American slur.
00:02:17
>> Ah, very good.
00:02:18
>> I think there are very few quotes from this movie.
00:02:21
There are a few distinctive lines that don't have something.
00:02:25
I don't think there are really a lot of distinctive lines, period.
00:02:29
>> I didn't say that.
00:02:30
>> That's why I was like.
00:02:31
>> I didn't say memorable.
00:02:32
I said distinctive.
00:02:33
>> I was just like, what are you even looking for?
00:02:34
I don't really know what the killer line from 1941 was.
00:02:36
>> I was looking for this one statement, but it speaks to how this movie had like six similar tag lines that were used in alternation, all of which are just trying to get the same point across,
00:02:48
which was big and funny, expensive.
00:02:50
>> It's the Acroid monologue, but there's nothing in that that really can't, like I can even remember specifically.
00:02:58
Like when he's up on the tank and he's trying to calm everyone down during the, you know, the zoot suit, right?
00:03:04
>> Well, I can barely understand what he's saying during that.
00:03:06
>> Yeah, this is screaming.
00:03:07
>> This is how this line is.
00:03:08
>> Just his weird like fast autistic computer speak, right?
00:03:13
It's like the most extreme version.
00:03:15
>> I'm dead, I heard you having a tank, I'm shooting at you when I, yeah.
00:03:19
>> What is acting?
00:03:20
>> Car salesmanship.
00:03:21
>> Yeah, every line has the intensity of Christopher Lloyd in the Adams family, just like everyone is just shouting everything.
00:03:29
>> Here's a fun question I thought of while watching this film last night.
00:03:33
If you, if you were talking to someone who had seen this, but had no frame of reference for Dan Acroid as a person, how would you describe to them who Dan Acroid plays in this movie?
00:03:46
He is first built.
00:03:47
I know it's because of alphabetical.
00:03:48
>> But his face is big on the poster.
00:03:50
He's one of the people the movie was sold on.
00:03:52
He's a huge fucking star at this moment.
00:03:55
>> Yeah, sure.
00:03:56
>> I don't think you could explain to someone what his character does in this movie in a way that really clarifies who he was amidst the 80 characters.
00:04:05
>> It's hard to even know his function in the plot, like exactly.
00:04:10
>> The closest you could say is like there's a 10 minute stretch where he's like in cost and is doing weird shit, but you're like, that could describe almost any character in this movie during his 10 minute stretch,
00:04:21
a voice of reason, sort of, that moments amongst the various people who are going crazy.
00:04:29
Right?
00:04:30
>> Yes, but that's also, once again, you're describing it.
00:04:33
>> This is a terrible challenge.
00:04:34
I hate the challenge.
00:04:35
>> I just think it's fascinating that this movie is like, we got Acroid and you're like, how are you applying him?
00:04:40
They're like, we don't really know.
00:04:42
My first note was not enough slurs, so I, I, I, so I, I didn't really, I got, you guys are right.
00:04:54
I now and now and hindsight.
00:04:55
>> Right.
00:04:56
>> Those were really bad.
00:04:57
>> You gave it one star on Letterbox, but only for that reason.
00:05:01
You got commitment.
00:05:02
>> One star per 100 slurs.
00:05:05
>> It topped out there.
00:05:07
>> This is Blink Check with Griffin and David, the most explosive comedy podcast ever made.
00:05:11
I'm Griffin.
00:05:12
>> You look very worried.
00:05:13
>> This movie really bummed, well, bummed me out, it's too strong, but I was just kind of like, I have never seen it in full.
00:05:22
>> Yeah, same.
00:05:23
>> And I really just had that thought of like, it's going to be like, interesting.
00:05:27
>> They all think that everyone thinks this.
00:05:30
>> And like, they'll be like, kind of, you know, a lot to excavate about, and there is to some extent, like, but it's just, I was just kind of flabbergasted by how boring it was.
00:05:41
Not anyway.
00:05:42
>> Reciting the thing you texted us yesterday while you were watching it.
00:05:44
>> Let me find it.
00:05:45
>> Yeah.
00:05:46
This is a podcast about Photographies, directors who have massive success early on in their career, such as making jaws and close encounters of the third kind, and are given as series of Blink checks to make whatever crazy passion products they want,
00:05:58
such as 1941.
00:05:59
>> Sure.
00:06:00
>> I mean, a perfect example of like two mega successes followed by a no notes disaster.
00:06:07
Because have you ever had someone who's been so, like, they're so sure that they were making a disaster?
00:06:14
Because he was, because this was like, I'm going, they're going to hate this, they're going, I'm just going to buy all my life.
00:06:18
>> Yeah.
00:06:19
That's a good point.
00:06:20
>> It's a bounce that he sees coming while he's making it, I think.
00:06:23
>> But it's also weird about it is, we've maybe covered things that are like bounces the people see coming, but it's bounces where they're like, look, there's some esoteric, uncommercial thing I've always wanted to do,
00:06:34
and I have the cashier to do it.
00:06:36
And I'm leveraging it to get this out of my system, but this is like him making something ostensibly in the trappings of what should be a popcorn movie, and just doing it incorrectly.
00:06:47
And knowing he's fucking it up, there was, I watched this, there was an hour and 40-minute documentary on the Blu-ray, which has been carried over from the laser disk.
00:06:58
This thing has been ported over for like 25 years onto various editions, and it's mostly talking heads of just like Spielberg, Zamekis, John Millius, Bob Gayle.
00:07:09
And he says my operating principle on this movie was anything goes.
00:07:14
And he was like, I don't want anyone explaining to me that it's a bad idea.
00:07:18
We can do anything we want, and it doesn't matter if it doesn't make sense.
00:07:21
And I'm like, this feels like a guy who actually wants to like fuck up on purpose because he's feeling the burden of being seen as a golden child.
00:07:29
>> He's like running headlong into the wall, being like, what happens if I hit my head against the wall?
00:07:33
>> Right, and he's like, either it works and I'm literally unstoppable, or I'm grounded in a way I may be need at this moment.
00:07:40
This is a mini series on the films of Steven Spielberg, is called "Potrastic Cast."
00:07:44
Today we are talking about his first bounce, 1941, a World War II movie in a manner of speaking yes.
00:07:53
>> Sadly, because our guest today would be very, very well suited to talk about a World War I movie.
00:07:58
>> Go on.
00:07:59
>> Well, they host the "Dowboys" podcast.
00:08:01
>> Wow.
00:08:02
>> We're one war off.
00:08:03
>> We were both scratching our heads.
00:08:05
>> You guys are like, what?
00:08:09
Which ones that?
00:08:10
No, of course the "Dowboys" are, we're the names of the soldiers, the American soldiers.
00:08:17
>> Right.
00:08:18
And in World War II, they were called the action boys with a Z, right?
00:08:21
>> We should have put it in the papers, because I think the British soldiers were called Tommy.
00:08:27
>> Okay.
00:08:28
>> That was like how British soldiers were referred to, like the sort of- >> Interesting.
00:08:30
>> In World War I.
00:08:31
>> The British soldier was called Tommy.
00:08:32
>> What were American?
00:08:33
>> "Dowboys" is one of the- >> No, I'm except "Before World War II."
00:08:36
>> I don't know.
00:08:37
>> G.I.
00:08:38
Joe?
00:08:38
I don't know.
00:08:39
>> Google type away.
00:08:40
>> Nick Weiger and Mike Mitchell.
00:08:41
>> Hi.
00:08:42
>> Hey, buddy.
00:08:43
Thanks for having us.
00:08:44
>> Of course.
00:08:45
>> Can I say one thing to your listenership?
00:08:47
First of all, I'm a huge fan of the podcast, but tonight I have both big fans of the podcast.
00:08:51
>> Okay.
00:08:52
God bless you.
00:08:53
>> I'm always happy to be, to guest on, always honored to guest on the show.
00:08:55
This is the first time.
00:08:56
I feel like every time we've guessed it on blank check in the past, I think this is the case with how you tend to schedule your show.
00:09:02
We've been like 18 months in advance of when the mini series comes out.
00:09:06
>> Oh, yeah.
00:09:07
That's true.
00:09:08
Now we're close.
00:09:09
>> Exactly.
00:09:10
I was listening to the dual episode on the commute to the studio, so it's like we're very- we're almost caught up to the present with this Spielberg series.
00:09:16
>> Yes.
00:09:17
>> Isn't this also kind of the first time you guys have not been on a movie that's like a really sort of big kind of way to these movies you guys have covered?
00:09:26
>> Right.
00:09:27
>> They're all at least in conversation for that director's masterpiece.
00:09:35
If not, be undisputed one, they're at least in that talk and this is, you're getting what is like, I don't want to say in arguably, but pretty widely considered his single worst film.
00:09:47
You'll find very few people put something lower at the bottom.
00:09:51
>> Right.
00:09:52
I mean, it's like whatever George W.
00:09:55
Bush is a bottom five president, right?
00:09:58
>> Wow.
00:09:59
>> You know how people do rankings of presidents, these historians are always like ranking presidents.
00:10:03
>> Yeah.
00:10:04
>> Those things really weird.
00:10:05
>> My well is sarcastic.
00:10:06
I want to state that because no one laughs.
00:10:07
>> I like George W.
00:10:08
Bush.
00:10:08
>> I like him.
00:10:09
>> I love him.
00:10:10
>> No, what I was going to say is- >> Dogface.
00:10:13
>> They were called the Dog Faces?
00:10:17
>> Yeah.
00:10:18
>> Dogface was a nickname for US Army soldiers, especially enlisted infantrymen in World War II.
00:10:23
>> Wow.
00:10:24
>> Can I have a soul to know?
00:10:25
>> Yeah.
00:10:26
>> It's does seem insulting.
00:10:27
>> To use my first wife served.
00:10:29
>> My first wife served.
00:10:30
>> My first wife served.
00:10:32
>> My first wife.
00:10:36
>> To use my recent favorite word on the podcast, I do feel like this is kind of like, in arguably Spielberg's greatest folly, right?
00:10:45
This is like the biggest swing in a miss and the sort of public fallout kind of like humbling moment.
00:10:52
>> It is a big swing.
00:10:53
I mean, that's the thing.
00:10:54
It's, he's trying stuff and yes, and my, my debit defense of this movie, which I have seen before.
00:11:00
I don't know.
00:11:01
Had you ever seen this before?
00:11:02
>> No, I've never seen it.
00:11:03
This is my first time ever seen this before.
00:11:04
>> I watched this movie as a, as a child.
00:11:05
I saw this when I was in elementary school and it, along with another accuroid movie, Dragnet.
00:11:11
I don't know if you all remember the Dragnet.
00:11:13
>> Of course.
00:11:14
>> That was like one of the first, one of the first times I saw a comedy with someone I thought was funny where I was like, why is this not funny?
00:11:23
Like I was like, I had like a, like a nine-year-old brain of like not understanding how someone who was funny, could be, could was, was capable of being unfunny.
00:11:30
>> This is why I'm so happy you guys are on for this episode, because, I mean, as you said, because we're experts on unfunny.
00:11:37
>> Why are these comedians not making me laugh so weird?
00:11:42
>> I got the Stanley Cooper tag.
00:11:45
>> Apple tag this as a comedy podcast.
00:11:49
>> The Stanley Cooper take is, I agree with maybe.
00:11:52
>> Yeah.
00:11:53
>> The work thinks it's a great movie, but just is not funny at all.
00:11:56
>> Yeah, right.
00:11:57
You should have released it and sold it as a drama.
00:11:59
>> Which, and I'm sure you all have some of this in the dossier, but I was shocked to find that this was originally developed as a drama.
00:12:06
But like the, the thing I picked up on on, I watched it twice for this episode.
00:12:12
And, the thing I picked up as a- >> Theatrical cut, both times?
00:12:16
>> Yeah, I just watched the theatrical cut twice.
00:12:18
>> Okay.
00:12:19
>> I've maybe, I was realizing this, I've maybe saw the extended cut, because I watched it on TV as a kid.
00:12:24
Maybe that's the version I saw.
00:12:26
>> Right.
00:12:27
>> Extended cut was the one that was- >> It was a TV mainstay.
00:12:29
>> Right, yes.
00:12:30
>> And then was on home video for a while.
00:12:31
Now it's, it's optional.
00:12:33
>> Yeah.
00:12:34
>> Yeah.
00:12:35
So, watch it, but like the thing I picked up on speaking of Kubrick that I didn't pick up on as a kid, not knowing who Slim Pickens was, once Slim Pickens showed up, I was like, oh, he's trying to make, you know,
00:12:45
Dr.
00:12:45
Strange love.
00:12:47
Like this is an attempt at that sort of, that level of, of, you know, wore satire and- >> Which by the way, Slim Pickens plays a, he's a, he's a doe boy, he's a former doe boy.
00:12:56
>> That's right, he is a former doe boy.
00:12:57
>> He's serving.
00:12:58
>> He's serving.
00:12:59
>> This is true.
00:13:00
>> And he does give Wendy's foreforks in the ring.
00:13:01
>> That's right.
00:13:02
>> And I think that's something that has gotten back.
00:13:04
>> Right, even though right in the end, the app isn't as good anymore.
00:13:07
>> There's that scene where he keeps saying, cigarettes are back.
00:13:11
>> I don't know why my Slim Pickens impression is.
00:13:14
>> It's fine.
00:13:15
>> Goofy.
00:13:16
>> It was fine.
00:13:17
>> No, this is a perfect movie where you're like, why is none of this funny?
00:13:23
And you're watching it.
00:13:24
>> And you're watching it.
00:13:25
>> And you're like, there isn't like a clear like, well, this is obviously conceptually doomed, unfunny, but just every moment there's like a black hole of comedy.
00:13:34
>> I'm just kind of like, why am I laughing?
00:13:36
Like, this is fine.
00:13:37
>> What was a, you know, Vod Villian, you know, big silly slapsticky stuff, why am I kind of like, is it too good in a way?
00:13:45
Like, it's filled with footage.
00:13:46
>> These are all the questions.
00:13:47
>> It's staging action.
00:13:48
And so I'm actually kind of just like watching what happens and it's not quite, you know, goofy enough.
00:13:54
I don't know.
00:13:55
>> Oh, you think?
00:13:56
>> Things happen.
00:13:57
>> Yeah.
00:13:58
>> I have a couple takes.
00:13:59
But I, you know, the reason we're recording this closer to the date was we were trying very hard to make this an in-person record.
00:14:05
You guys being on the East Coast, and then it didn't quite work out.
00:14:08
And there was a question of like, you guys are going to be doing a live show here in a couple months.
00:14:13
Should we wait and reschedule you for something later?
00:14:15
And I was like, maybe we do something later as well, but you guys on 1941 really feels right.
00:14:19
And watching it last night, I was like, there is a larger conversation to be had here without getting academic, a dumb version of this conversation.
00:14:27
We're watching this movie genuinely makes me step back and go like, what is funny?
00:14:32
>> Yeah, right.
00:14:33
That is something.
00:14:34
>> Why is anything funny?
00:14:37
Because it's really weird to watch incredibly funny people in circumstances where you're like, I could see this being funny.
00:14:43
And things like that are not eneply crafted, you know, and are certainly given all the resources and support they need.
00:14:51
And there's like anti-lapse without it feeling like anti-humor, without it feeling like disastrous failed humor, it's just not fucking funny.
00:15:00
>> Yeah, it's like John Belushi in a fighter jet cracking a coke bottle and half and then gargling with it and then throwing it out, throwing it to the ground.
00:15:10
Like that could be funny.
00:15:12
Like that could be a bit of physical comedy watching this like, okay, all the pieces are here, but you're watching it, it just feels abrasive or like nothing at all.
00:15:19
>> I watched the extended cut, which is two and a half hours long.
00:15:23
I had a note tap that was right down every time you audibly make a sound.
00:15:29
And I believe I had five full laughs for Farts, a lot of Farts for their own.
00:15:37
I think I'd five, like, and like two, like kind of half-chuckles, but that honestly, it was a little higher than I was expecting.
00:15:46
I will say they basically ended by the one-hour mark.
00:15:51
Like at some point the movie just wore me out.
00:15:53
I think there were none in the last hour possibly, but the Belushi Coke bottle is one that got me.
00:16:00
I will say anytime Belushi is on-screen, it at least resembles comedy.
00:16:04
There's energy.
00:16:05
It is comedy adjacent.
00:16:06
You're like, I'm not laughing, but I get this as comedy.
00:16:10
Whereas other scenes, you're like, I don't even know what I'm seeing anymore.
00:16:13
>> But wait, I do want to hear, yeah, what you, so, okay, Nick, you'd already seen 1941.
00:16:17
>> Yes.
00:16:18
>> You had some memory of it.
00:16:19
What did you, I admit you'd never seen.
00:16:20
What did you guys think of 1940, just broadest reaction?
00:16:24
>> I think it's good, what Griffin was saying with the, with the, the, the, the doughboys are good guests to have on for this.
00:16:29
I can tell you why I think it doesn't work as a comedy.
00:16:31
So you were afraid of me waging, well, I have a getting my finger there, and I'm sorry.
00:16:35
>> Yeah, I'm getting riled up.
00:16:36
>> I am getting riled up here.
00:16:37
>> I'm about to say it's two-wo.
00:16:38
>> Yeah.
00:16:39
>> No, no.
00:16:40
>> I'm about to give it a little acroid-type speech right here.
00:16:42
>> Hell yeah.
00:16:43
>> Ungapachka.
00:16:44
>> There's too much.
00:16:45
>> Yes.
00:16:46
>> There's too much.
00:16:47
>> There's too much going on at once.
00:16:49
I wrote down Steven Speedberg, that's what I said, because.
00:16:52
>> Wow.
00:16:53
>> Mitch.
00:16:54
>> Steven Speedberg, he's going nuts, he's got, there's a million, you, it's a sort of thing with comedy where you're like, oh, you got to let things breathe a little bit.
00:17:03
No joke, there's not like, oh, there's almost not a single joke that gets to kind of breathe in the movie.
00:17:09
It's all so deliberate, so fast.
00:17:11
And then also at the same time, people are falling over or yelling other lines at the same time.
00:17:16
It's like such an insane, like maybe it's a mad, mad, mad, mad world or something he was trying to like, evoke that or something, but it's just too much stuff.
00:17:25
>> There's a, it has, it's the unrelenting cacophony of like a, you know, the water world stunt show at Universal.
00:17:33
You know, I mean, it's just, it's just like kind of like things are just keep happening.
00:17:36
>> Yeah.
00:17:37
>> And you can take that for 20 minutes, but if you take it for two full hours, it just, it just, you get numb to it.
00:17:43
Yeah, it's like every single scene has a car exploding or someone get a punch in the face.
00:17:49
And you get knocked over by cars, knocked over by cars, a building collapsing.
00:17:53
There's like a, there's like Robert Stack just giving exposition outside the movie theater to a certain point.
00:17:57
And the background, a Jeep just flips randomly.
00:18:00
And it, it's just, it's just hard to like, track what's happening.
00:18:03
>> By the way, one of the funniest moments for me is him just going and enjoying Dumbo.
00:18:07
That's like, which is a, which is a quiet moment.
00:18:09
>> Yes.
00:18:10
>> Yeah.
00:18:11
>> Yeah.
00:18:12
>> Yeah.
00:18:13
>> The best moment in the movie is when anytime Dumbo is playing and I'm watching Dumbo, locked the fucking Dumbo.
00:18:16
>> You're like, God Dumbo is so good.
00:18:20
>> Yeah.
00:18:21
>> Thinking about like, I should show my daughter Dumbo and then being like, Dumbo is really sad.
00:18:26
Like it really is upsetting like the mom and like having all these thoughts about the movie is by the way, you know, now like being like, moving on from Dumbo and I'm like, still thinking about Dumbo.
00:18:35
>> My friend Alejandro used to have a stand up bit about the reason why Atlas shrugged is so long as in the middle of the book, the main character reads another book.
00:18:43
And he's like, in great expectations, just you read the full great expectations and then on page 500 it goes and she closed the book and said, wow, what a good book.
00:18:52
Here's, and it's like that with Dumbo where you're like Dumbo is like famously 50 minutes long.
00:18:58
>> It's very short.
00:18:59
>> Very short.
00:19:00
>> Yeah.
00:19:01
>> Watching the extended cut of the movie, I'm like, you could have just given me Dumbo in full.
00:19:03
>> Yeah, just have people.
00:19:04
>> And I would have been happy.
00:19:05
>> Yeah.
00:19:06
>> Look.
00:19:07
Siemens spoke.
00:19:08
This is what I want to throw to you guys.
00:19:09
I'm sort of realizing is I look as my, look at my Spielberg ranking.
00:19:12
>> Okay.
00:19:13
>> I think the worst five movies he's made are his comedies.
00:19:19
>> I'm obviously right.
00:19:23
>> Things like, the Indiana Jones movies are fun adventure movies.
00:19:27
They have comic tones, like so it's same with Tintin.
00:19:31
Sugarland Express is like sort of a comedy, kind of like comedy drama, you know, Caper, right?
00:19:38
Catchy, if you can, is a comedy, but you know, it's again, like a Caper movie.
00:19:42
It's very melancholy.
00:19:43
>> I was going to say, I mean, Sugarland and Catchy, if you can, operate on a similar register of being kind of like, dramedy, keeping those with a chase structure versus straight comedy.
00:19:53
His worst films are 1941, The Terminal Hook, Always, and I'm sorry, The BFG.
00:19:59
>> No, I agree.
00:20:00
>> And like, I mean, The BFG is a kids movie, but it is sort of a comedy.
00:20:03
>> Sankson has for losers.
00:20:04
>> Right.
00:20:05
1941, The Terminal, and Hook, especially 1941 in the days, his two worst movies are his two, like, straightest attempts at a comedy.
00:20:14
>> But I feel like you hear people say this a lot, especially in the days, especially 1941.
00:20:19
>> No, but I think I have the same five as you and maybe a slightly different order.
00:20:23
When people discuss, like Spielberg, they're like, and of course his Achilles heel is, he can't do comedy.
00:20:29
And when this came out at the time, people were almost celebrating, like, thank God, this guy isn't invincible, he's got a weakness, he can't do comedy.
00:20:38
What's weird about it is, I think Spielberg is incredibly good at putting comedy into non comedic movies.
00:20:44
>> 100%.
00:20:45
>> Yeah.
00:20:46
>> He can have such a light touch.
00:20:48
>> And it's part of his magic is his balance is, like, even in something, like, saving private Ryan, which is, like, so relentless, it could be so dire, who'll have stuff, like, Jeremy Davies doing,
00:20:58
like, physical comedy, where he's, like, he's really good at the instincts of, like, when do you, like, take your foot off the gas a little, have a little reprieve, something that doesn't feel flippant to the rest of the tone.
00:21:10
All you need to know, Jones movies are funnier than this movie, for sure.
00:21:13
>> For sure.
00:21:14
>> For sure.
00:21:15
>> But it's have a sensible movie comedy.
00:21:16
>> Oh, yeah.
00:21:17
>> The classic park is funnier than this movie.
00:21:18
I bought it.
00:21:19
>> I bought it.
00:21:20
I bought the classic park he directed.
00:21:21
Yeah.
00:21:22
>> Right.
00:21:23
But it's, like, when he's, like, you know what I want to do?
00:21:25
I want to just simplify and just do a straight comedy.
00:21:25
He, like, falls apart.
00:21:26
>> Yeah, he seems to be searching for whatever, a superstructure he can't have.
00:21:31
This movie also, I mean, this movie's real problem is, what is this movie about?
00:21:35
>> This is the thing to talk about.
00:21:38
>> Because I know the movie, what the movie is about.
00:21:40
It's about a genuine historical event that they're having fun with and super sizing.
00:21:46
What the fuck is this movie about?
00:21:47
Like, what are we supposed to walk out thinking?
00:21:50
>> Exactly.
00:21:51
Like, I truly don't really know.
00:21:53
>> You were two really interesting things I found out in this special feature documentary, right?
00:21:59
And, like, I think at the beginning of it, Spielberg says, like, you know, they liked it and you're up.
00:22:03
>> Uh-huh.
00:22:04
>> And he's like, so I go to Europe when I want to feel better about 1941, but he was, like, basically, it felt like we made this movie that only, like, me, Milius and the two bobs enjoyed.
00:22:13
>> Right.
00:22:14
>> Like, he sort of, like, none of us have any shame.
00:22:15
We had such a good time making this and it felt like our big fuck you to everything and everyone.
00:22:19
And we just had uninhibited fun, right?
00:22:21
>> Right.
00:22:22
>> But the two things they said that stuck out to me, one is they're talking about the development of this project, which, as you said, Wigor started out as a drama and then at some point, transformed into a comedy and they're talking about how the two bobs,
00:22:33
the meckas and Gail discovered this real incident that they morphed and combined with a couple other things, the idea of there being a Japanese attack on California.
00:22:43
And they're talking about, like, that felt like a great starting point for a movie.
00:22:47
And then Bob Gail goes, I mean, in real life, the event happened in 1942.
00:22:50
And I'm like, wait a second.
00:22:52
So right off the bat, why the fuck is this movie called 1941?
00:22:56
>> It's a fair point.
00:22:57
It's a good point.
00:22:58
And the Battle of Los Angeles did take place in 1994.
00:23:00
>> That is not the big problem, but it feels emblematic of, like, you can't even explain to me why you're doing this.
00:23:06
Why is the title of a movie a different year than when the thing happened?
00:23:10
Why are we changing things really nilly?
00:23:12
The other thing was he talked about how the Robert Stack character, he originally offered to John Wayne.
00:23:19
That was his-- >> This is what I know.
00:23:21
Yes, John Wayne to do the film.
00:23:24
And he had, like, developed a friendship with John Wayne.
00:23:28
They get the script to John Wayne, and John Wayne is like, you shouldn't make fun of this.
00:23:32
>> The way Spielberg put it, he was like, I'm on the phone with John Wayne.
00:23:37
John Wayne pitched me a project he wanted to do.
00:23:39
I was like, I actually have a script, would you mind reading it?
00:23:41
He's like, absolutely send it over.
00:23:43
And he's like, John Wayne, like, called me within two hours of the messenger dropping the script off.
00:23:49
He clearly had read it immediately, and was, I read it.
00:23:52
>> It was really mad.
00:23:53
It was like, how fucking dare you?
00:23:55
American soldiers thought-- >> He said, fought and died for this fight.
00:23:57
>> I thought you were an American.
00:23:59
I thought you were going to make a movie to honor World War II.
00:24:01
This dishonors the memory of what happened.
00:24:03
Don't even make this film.
00:24:04
I'll be very disappointed if you wind up making this picture.
00:24:07
>> Oh my God.
00:24:08
>> And the way Spielberg put it, he was like, John Wayne was like,
00:24:19
this script is a slap in the face to the US military.
00:24:22
And Spielberg's report was, I don't think it's a slap in the face.
00:24:25
I think it's a pie in the face.
00:24:27
I have respect for the US military.
00:24:29
I just think it's fun to put pie in faces.
00:24:32
And I'm like, there's the whole problem right there.
00:24:34
This movie has no fucking point of view.
00:24:36
>> It doesn't really have-- >> John Wayne's like, this is offensive because it's not taking the military seriously.
00:24:41
And Spielberg's like, I have nothing critical to say about the military.
00:24:44
I just think it's funny when pies go in people's faces.
00:24:47
>> Right.
00:24:48
>> It's going back to the kind of attempt at making Dr.
00:24:53
Strangelove, it's like Dr.
00:24:55
Strangelove has a point of view.
00:24:56
Like you understand what it's saying about like Cold War hysteria.
00:24:59
This one I have no idea what it's trying to convey.
00:25:02
>> Dr.
00:25:03
Strangelove is anti-war, just anti-war.
00:25:06
These are movies with like, 1941, I kind of agree with John Wayne?
00:25:11
Like yeah?
00:25:12
>> I'm like-- >> I agree with him a lot of things.
00:25:15
>> I agree with him a lot of things.
00:25:17
Just like his playboy interviews.
00:25:20
Where I'm kind of like, well, and I guess that we can talk about how it turned from a drama to a comic.
00:25:25
Because it's like, yeah, that what it's about is like a paranoid on edge nation.
00:25:29
>> Right.
00:25:30
>> After Pearl Harbor kind of like, you know, exploding into suspicion and chaos and all that.
00:25:37
And the movie's like, I guess it's kind of like, yeah, these dorks and I'm like, they're not dorks.
00:25:41
>> Right.
00:25:42
>> They're freaking out and it's causing problems.
00:25:45
Like-- >> But that's even scary.
00:25:47
>> Like the Russians are coming, the Russians are coming, which is another movie that feels like a big influence on that.
00:25:51
>> That to me is the most obvious handle.
00:25:53
>> Right.
00:25:54
>> And that's a movie about paranoia that is funny.
00:25:55
The Russians are coming.
00:25:56
>> It's funny, yeah.
00:25:57
>> And it's also like, that movie functions more as social satire, where it's about like the American public reacting to something rather than like, a scathing indictment of the military.
00:26:08
>> Yeah.
00:26:09
>> And it's like, that's a take too.
00:26:10
>> Yeah.
00:26:11
>> I know.
00:26:12
>> And instead, this movie is just kind of like, everyone's dumb.
00:26:13
>> No, to me, this movie is like, we have lots of money.
00:26:16
>> Yes.
00:26:17
>> Also, but anyway, Nick, where are we going to start?
00:26:18
>> Oh, I was just going to say, and Micheal, I want to hear what you have to say as well.
00:26:21
But like, I was just going to say that it's, it's 1941 is the movie, right?
00:26:25
It's set before like the kind of the outbreak of the, the, the full-fledged American involvement in the, you know, European and Pacific theaters.
00:26:34
But like, for this to work is satire, World War II would have had to be a big nothing, right?
00:26:39
>> Right.
00:26:40
>> Because it would have been like, look at all this hysteria.
00:26:42
These people getting worked up over this thing that was like this, you know, whatever that was, that was a false alarm.
00:26:48
But it like, it completely, again, yeah, kind of sympathized with John Wayne's perspective.
00:26:53
By the way, how much John, how much John Wayne have felt, like, you know, towards the end of his career, towards the end of his life, Spielberg makes close encounters and jaws.
00:27:02
He hears Spielberg is making a World War II movie and he wants him, and he gets the script delivered, reads it immediately, and then like on page five, a lady's trying to fucking airplane.
00:27:11
Like.
00:27:12
>> Hey, John, I mean, I think John Wayne, you who is a fascinating figure, like had, you know, he had this whole complex-- >> Fasting political figure.
00:27:21
>> Well, how he didn't serve, right?
00:27:23
>> Yes, yes.
00:27:24
>> And he plays all these servicemen and movies and stuff like that, and he, I think, had a weird chip on his shoulder about like, you know, being a phony actor instead of a real hero.
00:27:33
>> Which was a, what was like, it was a, he had like, imposter syndrome.
00:27:36
>> Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
00:27:37
And the whole thing with John Wayne is, I grew up just thinking that he was this like super square, right?
00:27:42
Like, that was what I knew about him.
00:27:44
Then you start watching John Wayne movies, you know, like, this guy really pops, this guy fucking rocks, the screen eats this guy up, he's so good.
00:27:49
>> He's one of the definitive, I don't know if he's a good actor, but he's an unbelievable movie star.
00:27:54
>> Like, I just want to watch this guy like poor beers, like this, but yeah, yeah, like the zoot suit riots, which are part of this movie.
00:28:03
>> Big part.
00:28:04
>> And by the way, the extended cut, I was like trying to look up what the differences are.
00:28:08
I think it's 90% that plot line put back in.
00:28:12
>> That's like a, which is the main thread of the version I watched.
00:28:15
>> That's like a really interesting, charged, scary part of history where like white soldiers started beating up black people in Mexicans and stuff in like the middle of the war and like patriotism is curdling.
00:28:27
Again, not in Spielberg's like, well, it's like a big set piece where like a bunch of punching happens.
00:28:33
Like, this is great.
00:28:34
>> When I say that his take on the movie is everyone is dumb, I don't mean that in a pointed way where he's like trying to comment on like human fallibility or whatever.
00:28:43
It's just like going against the adage, like the comedy adage of like play to the top of your intelligence.
00:28:49
Like, it's very hard to make audiences find dumb people funny, especially at like played at length.
00:28:56
>> That's great.
00:28:57
>> And this is a movie where everyone is just low intelligence in a way that doesn't feel like it's commentary on anything.
00:29:02
>> That was not exactly like another reason why the movie isn't funny.
00:29:05
It's just a comedy of misunderstandings where you're like, oh, they shoot John Belushi shoots, treat Williams's plan, you know what I mean, it's like,
00:29:15
and then the Japanese submarine is out at sea lost for most of the movies, it's like, and I get that it's not a real threat in that they're just paranoid, but you're just like, the comedies of misunderstanding is bad.
00:29:27
>> Right.
00:29:28
>> It's boring.
00:29:29
There's no stakes.
00:29:30
>> It's boring.
00:29:31
>> It's boring.
00:29:32
>> It's boring as movie.
00:29:33
Get it right away what the joke is, and then there's not really, yeah, there's so much smarter than the characters.
00:29:39
>> Right.
00:29:40
>> Into your point, like page five, minute five or whatever, you're like, okay, Nancy Allen really wants to fuck airplanes.
00:29:45
Where's this going?
00:29:46
It goes just there across ten more scenes.
00:29:49
She just keeps wanting to fuck airplanes.
00:29:51
>> She's horny about airplanes.
00:29:52
>> I was excited.
00:29:53
>> I was excited.
00:29:54
>> Like evolution.
00:29:55
>> When Slim Pickens found the, in the cracker jack box, when they actually, when they found, when the Japanese found the compass, I was like, thank God, they're going to go to Hollywood.
00:30:04
And then Slim Pickens swallows it and I was like, fuck, sucks, I want them to go, I want something to happen here.
00:30:11
That's why I actually, I liked, I liked the Zoot Suit stuff just because I, at that point, I was like, this is fun to watch.
00:30:19
>> Right.
00:30:20
>> You know what I mean?
00:30:21
>> It's fun to, yeah, he's a good director, like, that's what, the Zoot Suit right, I'm not mad about it in sort of a, like, I can't believe he didn't remark on those seriousness.
00:30:29
I'm just, again, I'm kind of like, well, there is something to that.
00:30:33
But the movie is not interested in whatever there is to that.
00:30:36
>> It's not saying anything.
00:30:37
>> Yeah.
00:30:38
>> And it's depiction.
00:30:39
I mean, it obviously completely sucks out, you know, removes the racial element from the historical thing.
00:30:45
But like, it also is like, it's depicting it, but not, not saying anything, but this, this goes back to a thing I was going to say earlier, like, my tenant defense of this movie is, you watch that sequence and you watch,
00:30:57
it begins in the dance hall and that whole, that big dance contest sequence that turns into a fight.
00:31:02
It's like, that's pretty dazzling to watch.
00:31:05
>> Yeah.
00:31:06
>> It's an impressive bit of staging and to contrast it with another one, 1941 versus red one, like two, like, action copies that absolutely do not,
00:31:17
that do not work.
00:31:18
Red one is just like a, like, a muddy, I actually do, now I'm, now I think I like the movie way more.
00:31:25
>> Yeah, because red one is like a muddy, ugly mess.
00:31:27
There's nothing to look at in that 250 million dollar CG, you know, goop fest.
00:31:32
It's at all, like, appealing visually.
00:31:34
And this movie at least has stuff where it's like, oh, okay.
00:31:36
He's doing stuff.
00:31:37
>> I got a, I got a pitch.
00:31:39
>> Yeah.
00:31:40
>> 1940 red one.
00:31:41
>> Yeah, there we go.
00:31:42
>> We pitched that to the rock, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's a, it's a period piece with, yeah, with gallum drift.
00:31:48
>> That's great.
00:31:49
>> Right.
00:31:50
>> To your John Wayne point wags, like, a thing I kept thinking about in that whole anecdote, it made you killed it.
00:31:56
Bezos is fucking blowing your phone up right now.
00:32:00
>> John Wayne, similarly, in this period of time, a couple years earlier, was Mel Brooks's first choice for the Waco kid in Blazing Saddles.
00:32:11
>> Sure.
00:32:12
I mean, John Wayne tied the year this movie came out.
00:32:13
He was also like, this is the very end of his life.
00:32:15
>> Yeah.
00:32:16
>> He obviously suffered from cancer at the end of his life, yes.
00:32:18
>> Sends him Blazing Saddles script.
00:32:20
John Wayne reads it, calls Mel Brooks back immediately, is like, this is the funniest thing I've ever read.
00:32:26
I could never do this movie.
00:32:28
>> Right.
00:32:29
Okay, so he had good taste on Blazing Saddles.
00:32:30
>> I don't know.
00:32:31
>> He was like, you know, my-- >> I remember, again, he was like, I love the slurs, that's so many.
00:32:35
>> And I get to say all of them, they're like, no, those are the other characters.
00:32:39
You're supposed to be a good guy.
00:32:40
>> To be clear, I'm slandering John Wayne, would you say that?
00:32:43
>> That is a movie that is very pointedly commenting on American racism.
00:32:48
>> Yes, sure.
00:32:49
>> And he got it.
00:32:50
>> And he's a racist old man, right?
00:32:52
And was basically like, this script is really funny.
00:32:55
I think it'll be a great movie.
00:32:56
His famous line was, I won't do it, but I'll be first in line to see it.
00:32:59
>> Sure.
00:33:00
>> And he just was like, I think my fans will murder me.
00:33:03
And I don't think it will help your movie.
00:33:04
I think it will, like, lend too much time to it.
00:33:06
>> I think it-- >> I would have fucked up the movie.
00:33:08
>> I think he's too right.
00:33:09
He's too big a deal for that.
00:33:10
>> He was off 100% right, but like, he read that script and was like, I get it.
00:33:14
I get what you're doing here.
00:33:16
Which makes like the framework of his, like, absolute debt on precision.
00:33:21
This is the problem with 1941 on paper.
00:33:24
All the more, like, he wasn't just reacting to something being counter-cultural.
00:33:29
You know, he wasn't just being conservative.
00:33:32
He was like, this sucks.
00:33:33
>> Yeah.
00:33:34
>> Yeah.
00:33:35
>> Do you know what John Wayne's tombstone says?
00:33:38
>> Lera rep?
00:33:39
That's what it was in his tombstone.
00:33:41
That's my favorite tombstone of all time.
00:33:43
>> His tombstone says, "Feio, Fuerreque de Yfón Mau, Spanish for ugly, strong, and dignified.
00:33:50
He requested that, beyond his tombstone."
00:33:53
Anyway.
00:33:54
David, it's February, which means it is my birthday month.
00:34:06
And all I ask for as a present this year is a robust slate of new theatrical motion picture releases.
00:34:15
And that our listeners, perhaps, use our sponsor regal and their regal unlimited program to see such releases.
00:34:23
>> Yeah, what do we got?
00:34:24
>> A monkey, actually called the monkey, new film from Oz Perkins, whose long legs I loved last year, starring another one of our friends past and future guest Tatiana Mazzani.
00:34:35
>> That's right.
00:34:37
And it looks very, very funny and cool and scary, also very intrigued by this Martin Campbell action or cleaner with Casey Ridley.
00:34:46
>> Yeah, Starring Daisy Ridley.
00:34:47
Someone I've always had very, very calm opinions about on this podcast.
00:34:51
I'm very excited for, it feels like she's kind of ramping up her movie career again.
00:34:55
>> Here's the thing.
00:34:56
>> Yeah.
00:34:57
>> And then there's the Davey Earth Blue.
00:34:58
>> I was gonna say, if that weren't enough, February ending with the first original feature length animated Looney Tunes movie ever that I have heard is excellent.
00:35:07
>> And here's the thing.
00:35:08
>> The Davey Earth Blue has been a Looney Tunes movie.
00:35:10
>> What's awesome about all this is that there's lots of interesting different kinds of movies.
00:35:15
>> It's in theaters that you can go see.
00:35:16
And with Regal Unlimited, the whole point is you sign up and seeing three, four, five, six of those movies is easy and affordable.
00:35:25
>> And I find that once, you know, you have the Regal Unlimited, right?
00:35:30
You know, sort of the option to basically, like, let me pop over to my theater.
00:35:33
>> I have three out.
00:35:34
>> Three out more.
00:35:35
>> That's what's nice.
00:35:36
>> You're doing more.
00:35:37
>> You're doing more.
00:35:38
>> Go see the movies.
00:35:39
>> Go see the movies.
00:35:40
>> Sign up now in the Regal app.
00:35:41
>> Yes.
00:35:42
>> Or at the link in the description in our show notes.
00:35:45
>> You can use code blank check to get 20% off your three month subscription.
00:35:50
And then you're going to be in the crown club.
00:35:52
You're going to get rewards.
00:35:53
You're going to build up points.
00:35:54
>> You can get free popcorns and sodas and up great on Tuesdays, 50% off popcorn, discounted ticket.
00:36:01
>> Oh, this is a wrinkle crown club website.
00:36:03
And as I said, it's a little deep, it's a little buried in here.
00:36:06
There is a section where you can redeem your points for old promotional movie memorabilia, like red one socks.
00:36:12
>> Right.
00:36:13
>> Follow the link in the show notes.
00:36:14
Go to the Regal app, click on the unlimited banner and then follow the instructions to sign up and enter promo code blank check when prompted to receive your discount.
00:36:22
And look, I'm just going to say it again, David, signing up for Regal Unlimited or maybe gifting a membership to a moviegoer in your life.
00:36:29
>> Sure.
00:36:30
>> Great way to support the show.
00:36:31
This is a dream advertiser, a dream partner for us.
00:36:35
We want to keep this going.
00:36:37
We think it could benefit everybody, especially the movies.
00:36:40
[MUSIC]
00:36:49
1941.
00:36:50
So in 1973, Steven Spielberg made a movie called The Sugar Land Express.
00:36:54
He had a preview screening for the USC's film school.
00:36:57
And in attendance was Robert Zemeckis, who is attending film school and tracks down Spielberg and says, please watch my 15-minute short film,
00:37:07
A Field of Honor, about a combat veteran who's gone crazy and he'd written it with his friend Bob Gale.
00:37:14
It won the special jury prize at the Student Academy Awards and Spielberg was blown away by it.
00:37:19
>> And we covered Zemeckis years ago.
00:37:21
That short is notably like a pitch black, hyper like political, sort of like countercultural satire.
00:37:30
>> Right.
00:37:31
>> It is the kind of tone that this movie is going for.
00:37:34
That's what first gets Zemeckis on Spielberg's radar.
00:37:39
Those guys graduate as Zemeckis and Gale, the two bobs, as you call them.
00:37:44
They write some TV.
00:37:46
They work on a movie called Tank about oil protesters.
00:37:50
>> This is where this sort of, who are going to blow up a building with a Sherman tank.
00:37:54
>> Right.
00:37:55
They have Spielberg's ear.
00:37:57
His star just keeps on rising.
00:37:58
He's kind of taken him under his wing as protégés.
00:38:00
He's also introduced them to John Millius.
00:38:02
>> Yes, this is how they meet John Millius.
00:38:04
>> Spielberg once a week goes ski shooting with John Millius, I believe.
00:38:10
>> I guess so.
00:38:11
>> They certainly, they go out hunting or whatever.
00:38:15
>> Sure.
00:38:16
>> And he introduces them and they're sort of like, how do we write a script that one of these guys will buy?
00:38:25
And Millius had some sort of deal set up where he was guaranteed two pictures of director and three pictures as a producer.
00:38:34
And this is coming off the success of Patton, where there was a big, let's valorize the military kind of like trend in Hollywood.
00:38:41
So the tank thing I think starts as them being like, how do we write something that would appeal to Millius and also would likely get green lit?
00:38:48
They're just looking to get something off the ground.
00:38:50
>> Yes, they wrote a script called The Night, the Japanese attacked.
00:38:55
Initially it had a slur in the title.
00:38:58
And it was called The Rising Sun and they were like, yeah, Wesley Snipes is going to want to make a rising sun movie.
00:39:02
So we'll hold off on that.
00:39:04
So it gets called 1941.
00:39:06
This outrageous concept about history on the home front after Pearl Harbor.
00:39:11
It is based on three events, none of which happened at the same time.
00:39:14
The Japanese sub being cited off the coast of Santa Barbara in February 1942.
00:39:18
That happened.
00:39:19
That led to the Battle of Los Angeles where people started shooting in the sky at probably nothing because they thought they were being invaded.
00:39:26
In the 1943, the sort of zoot suit riots between sailors and zoot suitors who were being seen as unpatriotic for not signing up.
00:39:34
They were like, anti-authority.
00:39:35
>> But they're like pulling all these pieces of like the whole Ned Baydie plot line of this guy getting a fucking like aircraft gun in his backyard did happen, but not in California and in a different year,
00:39:48
but they were just sort of like, plucking.
00:39:50
Tank, I'm forgetting what the take on tank was, but it was some other pitch.
00:39:55
And then they bring it to Millius, he's like, eh, but what else you guys thinking in terms of war?
00:40:01
They start talking about the Battle of California, then it morphs into like, try writing something like that.
00:40:09
They think to write it as a drama.
00:40:11
And then at some point, it shifts into comedy.
00:40:14
>> Well, Spielberg is looking to make a movie.
00:40:16
So Spielberg had made these movies draws in close encounters.
00:40:19
So you guys like those movies?
00:40:20
>> Yeah.
00:40:21
>> Yeah, yeah.
00:40:22
>> I'm so glad.
00:40:23
>> I'm so glad.
00:40:24
And by the way, I just want to say that I might just get fail on my grave, just ugly.
00:40:31
>> Forget the strong and dignified.
00:40:34
I've been holding that in for a long time.
00:40:36
I won.
00:40:37
>> That would return.
00:40:38
>> You should have fired that off.
00:40:39
>> I, I, I, I, I, I, JAWS is probably my top 10 films of all time.
00:40:44
>> You're a big JAWS guy.
00:40:45
>> Love JAWS.
00:40:46
>> I, I, I love JAWS.
00:40:47
I love close encounters.
00:40:48
I actually maybe I have close encounters with rank above JAWS and my personal list, but they're both like incredible movies.
00:40:53
>> Jurassic Park to me is, was, is the king.
00:40:57
I mean, like that's like the perfect age.
00:40:58
I saw that movie.
00:40:59
>> Yeah.
00:41:00
>> Yeah.
00:41:01
>> It's similar.
00:41:02
>> Yeah.
00:41:03
And, and, and, but JAWS is like going down to Cape Cod when I was younger and JAWS being on in the summer.
00:41:09
It's like what, like the idea of movies even just came from JAWS, I feel like in that.
00:41:13
>> Right.
00:41:14
>> So that's like, and they're the best.
00:41:15
It's the, it's one of the best of all time and, you know, 1941 is a, it's a movie.
00:41:21
>> Yeah.
00:41:22
>> Yeah.
00:41:23
So Spielberg's thinking of, how do I follow those two movies?
00:41:26
He's circled a pirate movie.
00:41:28
>> Uh-huh.
00:41:29
>> That was being written by Jeff Fiskin that he wanted to be like an old-fashioned sort of Aero Flynn movie.
00:41:34
He exits that movie because pirate movies are just not hot.
00:41:38
He's briefly attached to something called the Bingo Long Traveling All Stars and Motor Kings.
00:41:43
>> That was made.
00:41:44
Was it not?
00:41:45
>> Yeah.
00:41:46
John Badam.
00:41:47
>> Okay.
00:41:48
>> He also gets it.
00:41:49
>> Sounds like a Troy McCleur movie.
00:41:50
>> Yeah.
00:41:51
>> It really does.
00:41:52
The Contabulous fan traction of whatever.
00:41:55
>> It is a Robin's love, right?
00:41:56
>> I'm Matthew Robbins wrote it with How Bar With These Sugar Lines Express Guys.
00:42:01
He also circled Magic, the Haunted Puppet movie with Anthony Hopkins that Richard Attenborough ends up making.
00:42:09
>> Wow.
00:42:10
>> He was going to make it with De Niro.
00:42:12
>> Imagine how that puppet looked like.
00:42:14
>> Yeah.
00:42:15
>> I don't know.
00:42:16
>> But then he was like, Attenborough did a great job with it, did a better job than me.
00:42:20
I don't know.
00:42:22
Instead, he's sort of thinking like, what if I do a big swerve, right?
00:42:27
>> Yeah.
00:42:28
>> How about a comedy?
00:42:30
Millius, I think, was sort of initially going to direct this movie.
00:42:34
>> Yes.
00:42:35
>> So John Millius, obviously a very chill and normal guy who was kind of older.
00:42:42
I feel like maybe a little older than the Spielberg department, but we sort of friends with all of them.
00:42:47
>> The chain of sort of Coppola mentored Millius and the Millius kind of apocalypse now.
00:42:55
>> Right.
00:42:56
>> Yeah, yeah.
00:42:57
>> And Coppola kind of stamped him and verified him.
00:42:59
And then he kind of took Spielberg and Lucas under his wing and De Palma.
00:43:03
There was this chain in the way that Millius-- >> But then they pass him.
00:43:06
Millius is like-- >> Yes, they all do.
00:43:08
>> I mean, I've Millius's big best known movie is Conan, the barbarian, if you've heard of him.
00:43:13
>> But all those guys talk about Millius as like the greatest writer amongst all of them.
00:43:16
>> Liger took a banana out of his pocket.
00:43:18
>> Yeah.
00:43:19
>> I thought he was happy to see us.
00:43:20
And in fact, there was a banana in his pocket, and now he's eating a banana.
00:43:24
>> We were enjoying your guys' combo.
00:43:26
You guys were doing a better job than we could ever do talking about this movie.
00:43:30
And we looked at each other and we nod and we took out food and we started eating.
00:43:33
>> We decided what we were on.
00:43:34
>> We were on a John Millius tangent.
00:43:36
We're like, we're going to deploy Chekhov snacks.
00:43:38
So many grab his kind bar and I grab my banana.
00:43:42
And we're having a great time.
00:43:43
But we're having a great time, right?
00:43:45
>> And Jimmy's sitting on the couch, by the way, for all the reason.
00:43:48
>> We should credit Jimmy in the title of the episode as the third guest.
00:43:51
>> Jimmy is Emma's dog for people who aren't regular dope boys, listeners, MR producer.
00:43:57
So.
00:43:58
>> Well, what I was going to say is Millius has this deal at the time, right?
00:44:03
Set up at MGM.
00:44:05
So he brings the script to MGM.
00:44:07
The first note is you got to change that fucking title, right?
00:44:11
That's when they change the title.
00:44:12
And the head of MGM, at the time, reads it and is like, I don't get this absolutely not.
00:44:16
Passes on it.
00:44:17
Then a year passes and when Spielberg's like, I don't know what to do next, which I get.
00:44:21
I understand how if you make jaws when you're in your 20s and is the biggest movie in history, then you follow it up by making this incredibly personal movie that is going over budget and over schedule and everyone thinks is going to be your folly.
00:44:35
And then that succeeds wildly.
00:44:36
>> Right.
00:44:37
>> You're like, what the fuck do I do now?
00:44:39
And you're reading a script like magic that is good on paper.
00:44:43
But you're like, is this too small?
00:44:45
How do I outdo myself?
00:44:47
What feels like it's living up to the expectation I've set for myself?
00:44:51
Like it is safer to do the thing that on paper seems more dangerous in a certain way.
00:44:57
>> He's drawn to two things.
00:44:58
He likes the Ferris wheel sequence.
00:45:00
His Spielberg brain immediately is sort of like, that'd be fun to do.
00:45:04
>> Because he's originally just reading it as a friend of the kids.
00:45:07
But then secondly, more importantly, he's like, yeah, what if I did something wild and funny, like I didn't approach it like as an experiment,
00:45:17
but I thought it'd be a great opportunity.
00:45:20
He says to break a lot of furniture, see a lot of glass shattering, it was basically written and directed as one would perform in a demolition derby.
00:45:28
>> Yes.
00:45:29
>> I mean, he's sort of saying his mistake right there where he's basically like leading with the spectacle.
00:45:34
>> Right.
00:45:35
>> He's like, this is his metal machine music where he's like, what if it's like all antagonistic and extreme and it's just chaos, it doesn't have a passion project so this becomes the clearest thing for him to do.
00:45:47
>> And Close Encounters felt like this is my most personal movie.
00:45:50
This is the most personal film I'm capable of making at this point.
00:45:53
So he's like, cashed in that chip already and it's worked.
00:45:56
This was the other, the reason I'm winding up this whole thing is when Spielberg signs on, they go to Columbia because he had just done Close Encounters with them to say this is the next movie I want to make.
00:46:07
And in the year that it passed, the now head of Columbia was the guy who had passed on the movie at MGM and he rereads the script and he's like, I still think this isn't good.
00:46:18
I stand by my assessment, this isn't good, but I guess if Steven Spielberg wants to make it.
00:46:24
>> But it wasn't a Columbia movie, it was a universal movie.
00:46:27
So then he had a first look deal at Universal still left over from Jaws and the budget was getting so big that he went to Universal and convinced them to team up on it and Universal ended up getting the bigger piece of it,
00:46:39
but it was a co-production.
00:46:41
But I just like that everyone involved was like, we said no to this movie two years ago.
00:46:47
We stand by that you haven't fixed it.
00:46:49
But I guess if Spielberg sees something in it that there's something we're not getting.
00:46:54
So everyone's kind of going into this movie being like bad idea.
00:46:58
>> It makes total sense why everyone would say yes to it, given his recent track record and also makes total sense why he would feel a bit of hubris.
00:47:05
You know, I understand absolutely how everyone arrived at this.
00:47:11
It's just a return to the Ferris wheel real quick, which I think is another good sequence.
00:47:16
Like it's like, you know, again, there's stuff to, there's stuff purely from a visual standpoint that's very engrossing in this movie.
00:47:24
I mean, just even just a high angle shot he does to connect the, you know, the people in the Ferris wheel cart to the ground.
00:47:32
It's just like, you know, like we're talking one perfect frame.
00:47:36
I mean, it's like, it's a good shot, you know.
00:47:39
But I feel like the Ferris wheel will be coming on board from its hinges and rolling down the boulevard.
00:47:44
That feels like something Ben would like.
00:47:46
Ben, am I correct there?
00:47:47
Oh, this is what a great instinct wiker.
00:47:50
Did you like 1941, Ben?
00:47:52
Yeah.
00:47:53
We haven't checked in with your opinion.
00:47:54
Well, okay.
00:47:55
So I wanted to be comprehensive, right?
00:47:56
Going into this.
00:47:57
So you started from watching 1900 and worked it right at one, actually, I started with year one.
00:48:03
Yeah.
00:48:04
Good.
00:48:05
Good.
00:48:06
A better joke, a better joke, a better joke.
00:48:07
No, it's okay.
00:48:08
I stepped on it.
00:48:09
But I'm familiar enough with the Ferris wheel and to answer your question.
00:48:12
Why?
00:48:13
Yeah.
00:48:14
A hundred percent, man.
00:48:15
Oh, yeah.
00:48:16
And why, why is this onto something here, which on paper, this should be your kind of movie.
00:48:21
Like you loved crime wave, the rainy movie that Ramy's kind of disowned, that is similarly all kind of like live action cartoon, like people bunking each other on their head and chaos.
00:48:32
Very slapsticky.
00:48:33
Yeah.
00:48:34
Right.
00:48:35
It's done at a very small budget.
00:48:36
But like at this kind of manic pitch the entire time, this movie has elements that feel like they should be fucking catnip to you.
00:48:43
Yeah.
00:48:46
And even just like the kind of porch-esque quality of it, right?
00:48:48
Yeah.
00:48:49
I watch a TV movie.
00:48:50
Yeah, exactly.
00:48:51
Yeah.
00:48:52
But no, this could just not grab my interest.
00:48:55
It's a real like eye-sliding off the screen thing.
00:48:58
That's how I felt watching it.
00:49:00
The thing I said to you, I already forgot, was I'm watching the 1941 right now and it's such a slog.
00:49:06
I think it's ruining my day.
00:49:07
Definitely that, not just Sunday with three children.
00:49:12
This anecdote I really like, Spielberg's making close encounters.
00:49:15
He's talking to Francois Truffaut, one of the great filmmakers and an idol of Steven Spielberg says in the film.
00:49:21
Just be clear, he is actively developing this script, overseeing rewrites while he's making close encounters.
00:49:27
Truffaut is says, and this is Spielberg quoting him, "I like you with kids.
00:49:33
You are wonderful with kids.
00:49:34
You must do a movie with just kids."
00:49:37
And Spielberg's like, "Well, yeah, I've always wanted to do something like that, but I've got to finish this, and then I'm going to do 1941."
00:49:42
It's just this movie about the Japanese attacking Los Angeles.
00:49:45
And Truffaut just apparently said, "You are the child."
00:49:48
It was like, "You're making a huge mistake."
00:49:51
So Truffaut was right and he takes Truffaut's advice and is like, "Yeah, I guess I'll knock out a kind of like Raiders ET double bill after this, just kind of fucking level it out."
00:50:02
That's the thing about Spielberg where you're like, "Oh, 1941, what a bomb.
00:50:06
How do you follow that up?"
00:50:07
It's like, "I don't know, Raiders of Lost Ark and ET is."
00:50:10
So maybe just go and like suck his dick.
00:50:12
But this is, well, I, gladly, but this is, this is what is fascinating to me.
00:50:16
Talking about this movie, just like the weirdness of it treating World War II, like it was a connard, right?
00:50:24
Like this movie tries to like wag the dog World War II or like the thing that like Dr.
00:50:29
Strangelove does where it like creates an incident that never happened, right?
00:50:33
Just around like the Cold War and the Missile Crisis and paranoia and all this sort of stuff, he's like riffing on a thing that we know turned out horrifically for like most of the planets.
00:50:46
Yes, bad.
00:50:47
Right.
00:50:48
And then the movie he does right after this is a like adventure serial where the villains are the Nazis set during the exact same time period.
00:50:55
True.
00:50:56
And he finds the right way to thread the needle.
00:50:59
And of course, like post Shindler, he said, like I couldn't do another Indiana Jones movie where the villains are Nazis because I took it too seriously at that point.
00:51:07
And I didn't want to make light of it.
00:51:09
But you're like fucking last crusade and Raiders have this balance on like somehow keeping in mind the enormity of the tragedy and the villainy and all of that sort of stuff without it being distracting.
00:51:21
Right.
00:51:22
Whereas this movie you're just like, hey, can we just like remember what's going on in the background here?
00:51:27
Yeah.
00:51:28
You're right.
00:51:29
There's so much to say.
00:51:31
I mean, he also tried to make this movie called Growing Up.
00:51:33
I'm just going to kind of move past that we can talk about it later.
00:51:35
Okay.
00:51:36
And for so was growing up the original sort of fable man's kind of people sort of think that Zemeckas and Gail wrote it for him because he was like, do you want to write a movie about kids for me?
00:51:46
Yeah.
00:51:47
And they said like it kind of, it was like a nerd versus jocks thing.
00:51:50
It wasn't like a sensitive like divorce movie.
00:51:53
Yeah.
00:51:54
And that they like got some money and Spur was like casting kids and Caleb Dation, all the cinematographer was like, this fucking sucks.
00:52:01
This script is ass.
00:52:03
And like, I don't think you have a good idea here.
00:52:06
And Spurberg is like, yeah, forget it.
00:52:07
I won't do this.
00:52:08
And he ET is what he sort of settles on later.
00:52:12
Yeah.
00:52:13
Anyway, instead he decides to do this gigantic, you know, overwhelming, expensive movie.
00:52:19
Even though this is a comedy about again, nothing in particular, it just screams like money.
00:52:26
It's crowdsets, explosions like you're saying, like it's like that Armageddon commentary where, you know, the iconic DVD commentary for Armageddon where Ben Affleck is like three sheets of the wind.
00:52:38
And like in the first scene, there's the helicopter is taking off behind Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck on the oil rig.
00:52:44
And Ben Affleck's like, that just costs $250,000.
00:52:48
It doesn't need to be there.
00:52:49
It's not part of the plot.
00:52:50
There doesn't need to be a helicopter picking off right now.
00:52:53
And that's just $250,000, like right behind us, just like drowning us out.
00:52:57
That's what this movie is all the time.
00:52:58
This movie feels like that is the explicit purpose of every scene.
00:53:01
Right.
00:53:02
Like the center of every scene is the most expensive thing that's happening in the scene, not just as a background element.
00:53:08
But also who is the star of this movie?
00:53:10
Great question.
00:53:11
Great question.
00:53:12
Because I walked into this movie.
00:53:13
I loaded this movie up being like, well, Belushi is kind of the star, right?
00:53:16
And it's like, now Belushi is just punctuation.
00:53:19
Oh, it's a classic Acroid Belushi two-hander.
00:53:22
And I'm watching it.
00:53:23
And like an hour and 20 minutes in, I was like, Jesus Christ, are they never going to interact in this movie?
00:53:29
Yeah.
00:53:30
There's the point where they're both on the same street.
00:53:31
But I think Acroid's knocked out and Belushi's on the other end.
00:53:35
And I'm like, but they're physically in the same space or they're finally going to link up.
00:53:38
And then they go off in opposite directions.
00:53:41
And at the end of the movie, they salute each other in coverage.
00:53:45
They literally never appear in the same shot.
00:53:47
It is so insane to make a Belushi Acroid comedy in 1979 and go, what if they never talk to each other?
00:53:56
That's, that, that was, I feel like it has that problem of like a catty shack or something, which by the way, I love catty shack, of course.
00:54:04
Catty shack's pretty good, but, but the, the, the Wally is maybe, and Wally doesn't do a bad job.
00:54:11
That guy Wally.
00:54:12
A young guy.
00:54:13
A young guy.
00:54:14
He's the cat's name.
00:54:15
I just, I'm like, he, this is, this is maybe the main character of the movie, right?
00:54:20
This is the character wins the dance contest.
00:54:22
Yeah.
00:54:23
Yeah.
00:54:24
So it's kind of the zoot-suiter.
00:54:25
Yeah.
00:54:26
So that's right.
00:54:27
Yeah.
00:54:28
He's the closest thing there is to a lead, but it's even he's like kind of hard to track.
00:54:31
And he seems like a peripheral character of the way he's introduced.
00:54:34
The extended cut is mostly adding in the meat of his story.
00:54:38
Cause he's in a, I want to hold your hand.
00:54:40
He's in the Izamaka movie.
00:54:41
Yes.
00:54:42
I want to hold your hand, right?
00:54:43
He was over Wendy Joseph Spurber and Eddie Deezon and a lot of early Zamekis stock company people that we talked about when we did that series.
00:54:50
I think he's pretty good in this.
00:54:51
I was actually surprised that he didn't, he didn't do too, I mean, he'd worked consistently, but nothing really huge.
00:54:57
Never got famous.
00:54:58
He did kind of just fizzle out.
00:55:00
He does.
00:55:01
Yeah.
00:55:02
Yeah.
00:55:03
I mean, maybe it's just sort of like there's other guys like him.
00:55:04
Yeah.
00:55:05
But they talked about like as the script was getting unwieldy gale in Zamekis, we're like, we should identify a kind of like central viewpoint character that you can go back to,
00:55:16
with like an emotional through line to track as we're like cutting across all these story lines.
00:55:21
Sort of.
00:55:22
Sort of.
00:55:23
Look, he's not bad, but in the like a Coffinie of this movie, it, it doesn't like help clarify the movie.
00:55:31
And you're also like, this isn't that gripping against the scale of the other shit happening.
00:55:36
Universal famously like freaked out like six weeks before this movie came out.
00:55:41
And we're like, this thing is unwieldy.
00:55:44
And their expectations are another Spielberg blockbuster.
00:55:46
You need to cut 30 minutes out.
00:55:48
And they cut 30 minutes out like last second and unsurprisingly, they cut down the 30 minutes with the least famous person.
00:55:54
Right.
00:55:55
Right.
00:55:56
Right.
00:55:57
So, so he is, he is the most boring though.
00:55:58
I mean, like it also is like, I do want to see more believes, I want to see the other people, but it just doesn't totally.
00:56:02
Yeah.
00:56:03
No character, but, but, but although Vanilla is a flavor, but the, he's like, he's like the most, like, just kind of straight lace, like, you know, like the closest thing in the movie has to protect us.
00:56:11
But even the way he's introduced in the diner, he's, Glenn Miller is in the mood is, is playing and he's doing, you know, the Jitterbug, like, he seems crazy there the way that you're on boarded to this character because they're making,
00:56:23
like, he's washing dishes.
00:56:24
They're doing a little hobbit dish washing song and, and you don't even know if you're supposed to like him.
00:56:29
Yeah.
00:56:30
And then the other guy who's making breakfast is like dropping whole eggs with shell onto the flat top.
00:56:35
And it's just like, what is going on here?
00:56:36
Everyone's just, the amount of shit that happens in the first 15 minutes of this movie, it is disorienting because you like cannot find a handle of like, what am I supposed to be focusing on?
00:56:45
Yeah.
00:56:46
Let's also just acknowledge the cold open of this movie is like, I feel like one of the most infamously, hebristic moments.
00:56:52
Yes.
00:56:53
Yes.
00:56:54
It is the thing where like Spielberg talks about everyone wanted to take him down a peg.
00:56:57
They were looking for like a way to ding his armor.
00:57:01
Everyone's going into this movie.
00:57:02
The expectations are unreasonable.
00:57:04
Even if it had been good, but not great, people would have had their knives out.
00:57:08
And the opening scene of the movie is Spielberg parodying himself.
00:57:11
Yeah.
00:57:12
And people just take out machetes and they're just like, fuck this so hard right off the bat.
00:57:18
I look, we were, we talked about this a little before we started recording.
00:57:23
And I did that.
00:57:24
The first thing that I wrote down, of course, is the first thing that happens in a movie, but I was like, would the jaws parody annoy me today?
00:57:29
Like it was a different director that was parodying his own movie.
00:57:33
And I don't know if it, I maybe would even like it.
00:57:36
I can't tell, but it is, there's a lot of hubris from Spielberg, but I, yes, it doesn't bother me that much, I guess, but also is that through the lens of me being a child that was raised on jaws and loving jaws.
00:57:50
I don't know.
00:57:51
It's, I think it plays pretty, it like feels pretty obnoxious to like parody your own thing.
00:57:57
It feels a little, you know, I understand as a way, to way to start the movie.
00:58:03
It's a little off-putting.
00:58:04
Yeah.
00:58:05
I was just saying, I gave it a red shot.
00:58:06
I gave it points for being hornyer.
00:58:08
It is a little hornyer.
00:58:09
It's the same actress, right?
00:58:10
The way hornyer, it's the same actress.
00:58:13
And part of this is maybe the weird Zamekis thing, because Zamekis is, as we uncovered, maybe the horneous man alive.
00:58:19
Not like horny in a very old school, kind of like a GI, or as, like a sort of busty lady pinned up in his locker or whatever, where he's like, "Check all out,
00:58:29
ayy, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa."
00:58:32
You know, like that's his of his horny vibe.
00:58:33
Did I say this in our hero episode?
00:58:35
I don't know.
00:58:36
I, I was communicated to by, by someone who had worked with Zamekis on developing a project that didn't happen in the last five years and said that they had a meeting with him for three hours and the only two things you want to talk about were boobs and special effects.
00:58:51
What did you want to say about boobs?
00:58:55
Everything.
00:58:56
Apparently.
00:58:57
I don't know if you're, like, like, had no, like, story notes, casting it.
00:59:00
He's just, like, I'm thinking big boobs for this one, but just like, you know what I like?
00:59:05
Ariolas.
00:59:06
Jesus Christ.
00:59:07
By the way, if there was, like, if the shark was there and his fin got bigger after seeing the girl or something, I would have liked something like that, like give me the dick and that's already funny.
00:59:17
That's already a bit better.
00:59:18
Give me the naked gun version.
00:59:20
Why, why, why are you holding a backboard just a half way point?
00:59:24
Spielberg is too smart and I think Zamekis and Gail are too smart to actually do the great naked gun shit where it's like, yeah, this should have no rocks in its brain.
00:59:34
Like, it should be so dumb.
00:59:35
Can I, can I open a little naked gun tangent here?
00:59:37
Please.
00:59:38
I do a yearly rewatch of the trilogy, the first, second and third funniest movies ever made.
00:59:44
Did that pretty recently, right?
00:59:47
Naked gun two and a half, which is the first one that David Zucker directs solo, but Jerry Zucker and Jim Abraham's were still producers and writers on it,
00:59:58
so they were all involved.
01:00:00
Comes out after Ghost, which Jerry had directed solo, had been this big transition, I'm a serious filmmaker movie that's a huge blockbuster and an Oscar nominee and winner and everything.
01:00:11
If you could gun two and a half parodies Ghost, it is like the only other example I could really think of of the exact same thing you're saying is doing it that closely after,
01:00:22
right?
01:00:22
There's the slight bit of difference of like, this is David kind of ribbing his brother, right?
01:00:28
So it's not quite the same director, but Jerry's still involved.
01:00:31
It's not the cold open.
01:00:32
It was the trailer for the movie, right?
01:00:35
It doesn't feel galling.
01:00:37
It feels like kind of funny that it's like this guy who went serious is cutting himself back down to size and also it's within a framework where that is what is expected.
01:00:46
If you're going to make a naked gun movie after you've made a best picture nominee, you have to make fun of yourself, right?
01:00:52
Everything needs to be on the table, but watching that and thinking of other spoof movies and everything, it hit me while watching 1941 last night, is there a fundamental rule that if you're spoofing something,
01:01:06
it has to cost less money than the real thing you're spoofing.
01:01:11
It should look a little jankier, yeah, it should look better.
01:01:13
I think that's kind of like just kind of like a sketch comedy sort of rule.
01:01:18
And I feel like, you guys have worked in the same kind of like sketch comedy doldrums that I have, and especially like 2000s video sketches.
01:01:27
There is a level where the production value is so bad that it actually fails to function as a parody.
01:01:33
I think of like a lot of like what if Wes Anderson directed blank videos that are bad, you're like, if you can't successfully approximate his style, the satire doesn't work.
01:01:43
But yet you need to get within spitting distance and like Mel Brooks movies, naked gun movies, like all of them hit the right balance of like, this is dumb with genuine craft,
01:01:55
they approximate the thing just enough, but it doesn't feel like you're thinking about how much it costs.
01:02:02
There's almost like a dust, yeah.
01:02:03
Did this cost more than any other war movie that had been made up into that point?
01:02:09
That's a great cost.
01:02:10
It's kind of the last action hero sort of issue too, right?
01:02:12
It feels like kind of two and last action hero works better than 1941.
01:02:17
But it kind of feels too expensive to be parody, to be a parody.
01:02:21
Yeah, it's there's kind of like a weird like double uncanny valley with parody because it's like, there's also, you can though have like a tick tock where someone has like a paper bag over their head and that kind of works.
01:02:33
But then once you start making it feel like a real thing, it needs to have a certain level of fidelity behind it to feel like a parody.
01:02:41
But then you go too far and then it stops feeling like it's any fun at all.
01:02:45
Dead on.
01:02:46
Right.
01:02:47
Because you can get away with nothing or you can get away with getting fairly close.
01:02:49
But you can't go over and ideally you want to exist in that like middle space, which is really hard to hit.
01:02:55
And you're right precisely.
01:02:57
That whole sequence of her going up on the Paris, Periscope or like it looks great.
01:03:04
It like it looks impressive.
01:03:06
It looks impressive.
01:03:07
It does.
01:03:08
Yeah.
01:03:09
But the payoff is like a Japanese man being like Hollywood, like seeing the girl and truly doing like Borat horny noises at her.
01:03:16
Like you're just like, oh, okay, cool, great because the bit is you start with the same actress doing the same night swimsuit from jobs and then they're kind of mimicking the music and then they're just doing the music.
01:03:27
To be a John Williams score for 1941 kind of goes.
01:03:30
He showed up.
01:03:32
It was it was ear warmed into my head last night when I was trying to fall asleep.
01:03:36
But you know, rather than a shark, the thing that pops out of the water is this German submarine and she's riding on the like Periscope and it feels very phallic.
01:03:44
And as you said, these soldiers all come out.
01:03:46
The Joe's opening is just this classic like man, look at the fucking Spielberg magic.
01:03:51
They couldn't get the shark to work.
01:03:53
He had to design a sequence where you don't see the shark.
01:03:56
It's all suggestion.
01:03:57
You're like, that sequence costs so little money to construct.
01:04:01
The moment the submarine starts coming out of the water and she's like, straddling the Periscope, you're like too expensive, too expensive, too complicated, not funny.
01:04:09
You know, it's like you have made something more technically complex than the thing you're parodying.
01:04:15
There's another bit of self reference in this as well, right?
01:04:17
Is it because I believe it's, is it the actress from Duel, the gas station operator?
01:04:22
Yes.
01:04:23
So the snake plate, the snake plate, the blue she fills up his plane and then, right, like I'm almost kind of honest, this movie doesn't have a close encounters very as well.
01:04:33
That sequence is kind of funny.
01:04:36
I think the plane like, you know, that the gas are up and then like, that this, you know, that the gas going everywhere, it's kind of funny.
01:04:44
Yeah.
01:04:45
I guess the nozzle, the unwieldy nozzle kind of like, you know, being similar to the snakes, I guess that's what it's trying to reference.
01:04:52
I don't know, maybe it's that that one's that the parts okay.
01:04:55
I just like see them so half hardly be like, it's kind of funny.
01:04:58
I know.
01:04:59
It's sort of chucklin.
01:05:00
Yeah.
01:05:01
But also like Spielberg says this on the fucking laser desk where he's like, this is something only dual die hearts will pick up.
01:05:07
And I'm like, right, at the time of this release, it's like, what is a TVF movie if you caught it on television?
01:05:12
Right.
01:05:13
It's like you can go check out the VHS.
01:05:14
That's not a thing that most people are going to pick up on.
01:05:17
Can I just read my full 1941 laugh list?
01:05:19
Okay.
01:05:20
I love it.
01:05:21
"Reveal of Japanese soldiers disguised as ex-mystries."
01:05:24
Oh, sure.
01:05:25
Which is cut.
01:05:26
Which is close up.
01:05:27
It's cut in the version.
01:05:28
Oh, it's not identical.
01:05:29
That's an extended cut.
01:05:30
That's an extended cut.
01:05:31
Okay.
01:05:32
And then I found out in watching this making up, that's a direct lift from a Marks Brothers movie that he was like, I want to do the Christmas tree bed.
01:05:39
Number two, I wrote almost everything Slim Pickens does.
01:05:42
Yeah.
01:05:43
I think this is the most wholly successful performance, but also like sub subplot.
01:05:49
He's just Slim Pickens.
01:05:50
That guy is fucking funny.
01:05:51
But to Mitch's point, there's kind of like a clearer comedic game in his little section that makes sense.
01:05:58
We'll circle back to this.
01:06:00
Number three, I did put down Balushi with the Coke bottle.
01:06:02
Got it.
01:06:03
That's loud, huh, for me.
01:06:04
Number four, Eddie Dees and revealing the ventriloquist dummy.
01:06:08
Insane.
01:06:09
By the way, I was just the way it's revealed.
01:06:11
It's really weird.
01:06:12
And we'll get to it.
01:06:13
I have a question for you guys.
01:06:15
Please.
01:06:16
I posted this movie magic and then I was like, was this a nod to that to be it must be right?
01:06:22
Wow.
01:06:23
Wow.
01:06:24
Because the other thing is they wrote the script word the two guys in the carousel were supposed to be.
01:06:30
Uh, Arty Arty and Jackie Gleason, that's okay.
01:06:35
The honeymoon.
01:06:36
Sure.
01:06:37
And they even wrote it as like one guy's a mailman and the other guys are like they wrote it in the script that way.
01:06:42
Then they have Spielberg on board.
01:06:43
They're like, we can get anyone they want.
01:06:45
They reach out to Jackie Gleason's agent and they relay back Jackie Gleason refuses to ever work with Art Carney again.
01:06:51
Oh, jam.
01:06:52
Okay.
01:06:53
Right.
01:06:54
Well, Jackie Gleason was a bit of a tough customer.
01:06:56
And I want to hold your hand had come out at this point.
01:06:58
And Spielberg was like, where did you find this fucking Eddie Dees and guy rewrite it and make it Dees and an old guy.
01:07:04
So it's Dees and in the mayor from Jaws, but like, I don't think he would have given Art Carney a ventriloquist dummy.
01:07:11
I think you're dead on that that was like a weird him making jokes about movies.
01:07:15
He didn't direct.
01:07:16
But I can't.
01:07:17
It just kind of feels like, you know, it's just, well, let's throw more props at this and more explosions and more.
01:07:23
Yeah.
01:07:24
I'm sorry.
01:07:25
I'm not going to laugh at it.
01:07:26
The physicality at the reveal of you see a blanket next to him.
01:07:30
And it's slowly rise pretty funny.
01:07:32
And then the head lifts up.
01:07:33
I gave a half chuckle at Balushi as old man eating spaghetti.
01:07:37
The weird cutaway to Balushi's cameo as a second non speaking character.
01:07:42
I gave a half chuckle to water coming out of the dummy's nose at the end of the film.
01:07:46
That's pretty good.
01:07:47
That was good.
01:07:48
Yeah.
01:07:49
And then two full laughs at the dummy getting its own credit and the end credit.
01:07:52
Yeah, that was good.
01:07:53
And the explosions during the credits, which are the most I laughed in the entire movie.
01:07:57
Joe Flierdy getting the width in the ass of all these people.
01:08:02
And Joe Flierdy's good.
01:08:03
He's good.
01:08:04
He's good.
01:08:05
He's good.
01:08:06
In terms of this movie, recently passed on funny in a way that almostifies logic.
01:08:13
This is a movie that has four cast members from stripes, three cast members from Laverne and Shirley, two S and L people, two S and L people.
01:08:22
It is pulling from all the groups of the peaks of comedy, both commercial and in snob circles at the time.
01:08:30
And top of like, 10 dramatic film legends, including Toshiro Mufune, he's only like movie that he spoke English in or whatever, yes.
01:08:40
Every other American film he made, he was dubbed over by Paul Fries, who I believe is the ghost host from or the narrator from the haunted mansion ride.
01:08:49
Right.
01:08:50
Victor Fries, of course, was Batman's enemy.
01:08:52
Well, fell in a red face cubes, right?
01:08:55
He's sort of a tragic figure because his wife Nora Fries was.
01:08:58
Wait, they dubbed over him over Mr.
01:09:01
Fries, yes.
01:09:02
They would dub over Toshiro Mufune in every other American film he did.
01:09:06
Oh, wow.
01:09:07
English dialogue.
01:09:08
Yes.
01:09:09
This is the only film American studio film in which he actually speaks.
01:09:13
Right.
01:09:14
I heard that he like yelled at all the like extras off.
01:09:17
He like got them in line for the movies with the IMDB, IMDB trivia says that he like got all the extras in line and was like, that's not how soldiers act and like got them acting out.
01:09:29
Yeah.
01:09:30
That's what he yelled at me.
01:09:31
I would melt into the water by the end of filming those men would have died for him.
01:09:35
Oh, yeah.
01:09:36
But like now, now is my wife walked out because she didn't watch any of the movie, but she came out when I was watching it once and she, she, you know, she came to the living area during the credits and the credit she was packing her bags.
01:09:49
Yeah.
01:09:50
Yeah.
01:09:51
Just signed a new lease.
01:09:53
We're very happy for her.
01:09:55
So like every like third card or whatever, there's just like a random explosion that comes up.
01:10:01
Yeah.
01:10:02
And she watches it and she does laugh at it because she's like, why the fuck are things exploding during the credits?
01:10:06
Yeah.
01:10:07
But it's kind of a microcosm for the movie as a whole, right?
01:10:09
You're just watching it.
01:10:10
It's like, why are there inexplicable explosions every like, you know, like like every like four seconds?
01:10:15
Like what is going on?
01:10:16
Exactly.
01:10:17
I have that is.
01:10:18
Yeah.
01:10:19
I have one thought on the credits as well.
01:10:20
Um, first of all, there's two thoughts here.
01:10:22
And the dummy is sentient because it notices things before the guy from critters notices things.
01:10:28
I forgot his name already.
01:10:29
Eddie Deeson.
01:10:30
Eddie Deeson.
01:10:31
Who didn't have these big careers?
01:10:32
I thought either.
01:10:33
I was surprised.
01:10:34
He was in a lot of stuff.
01:10:35
A specific career.
01:10:36
Yes.
01:10:37
Very specific.
01:10:38
We covered him when we were doing those amicus movies, but he was this discovery and they were like, he's just like this and no one else is like this and you put him on screen and he goes.
01:10:47
Right.
01:10:48
And then he started getting bigger opportunities and people were like, oh, he can't memorize dialogue.
01:10:52
He can't take direction.
01:10:54
He can't hit marks.
01:10:56
You can sort of just let him like spin out.
01:10:59
Yeah.
01:11:00
But it was hard for people to figure out how to put him in any other context.
01:11:03
I love watching him spin out.
01:11:04
He is very.
01:11:05
And when I first heard his voice, I was like, what is this character?
01:11:07
And then I was like, oh, my God, it's Eddie Dees.
01:11:09
It's the guy from critters.
01:11:10
Eddie Deeson.
01:11:11
So he famously was also the voice of Mandark on Dexter's laboratory.
01:11:16
Oh, yeah.
01:11:17
Oh, right.
01:11:18
It's a Dexter's enemy.
01:11:19
Yes.
01:11:20
The sort of grimes to Dexter's.
01:11:22
And he's probably old enough for his entire childhood, like, was pre-dees nuts.
01:11:26
So he avoided that.
01:11:27
That's that's that's that would have been tough.
01:11:29
That's a really good point.
01:11:30
Yeah.
01:11:31
He is he is very active on Facebook and he is often posting about how he never had good side.
01:11:36
He is often posting.
01:11:37
Get ready.
01:11:38
Yeah.
01:11:39
He's often posting about how he's been banned from local LA diners because the waitresses got uncomfortable by his compliments.
01:11:46
Oh boy.
01:11:47
He's one of these with the dummy.
01:11:48
He tell a lady to smile anymore.
01:11:50
I'm hoping the dummy is the one doing, which by the way, the dummy is credited in the in the end credits.
01:11:58
The dummy.
01:11:59
Yeah.
01:12:00
Got a full impression that is one of his laugh lines.
01:12:01
Oh, oh, oh, that's what was only sorry about that.
01:12:04
Yeah.
01:12:05
But just be clear.
01:12:06
Two of the laugh lines were things that happened to read.
01:12:09
Yes.
01:12:10
Right.
01:12:11
Which you have to especially if the director's commentary is two and a half hours.
01:12:15
Two and a half.
01:12:16
I'm going to read something for the dossier that I do think underlines what we're saying, which is Zamek isn't gay or like, look, our script was cynical.
01:12:23
It was like a dark comedy and then Steve comes in and, you know, his tone is very different and it becomes more of a screwball comedy.
01:12:33
And Spielberg's like, yeah, I was just trying to max out visual gags.
01:12:37
My mom, role models were hell's a poppin with red skeleton, Preston Sturgis, screwball comedies, you know, basically kind of like, there shouldn't be like every, something should be happening every second,
01:12:49
right?
01:12:49
Like that sort of, to me, that's, if you think that of a Preston Sturgis movie, you're reading it wrong.
01:12:55
Correct.
01:12:56
But like, obviously, Preston Sturgis movies, the dialogue is very fast.
01:12:57
There's lots of jokes.
01:12:58
But they are so intricately set up that the bleak laughs come from like, oh my God, you put all the pieces in place perfectly.
01:13:05
And for 15 minutes, it's been leading to this very clear understandable sort of like conflict or whatever it is.
01:13:12
I mean, here are a couple of things he said in this retrospect that we look at.
01:13:15
Looney Toons becomes the thing he's referring to.
01:13:18
Bring Chuck Jones in during development and says Chuck, I want you to come up with the wildest visual gags you can.
01:13:25
And like, Chuck Jones comes up with a gag that's sort of like an explosion of the moment where Tim Matheson drops the bomb and it's rolling towards the speech where the bomb is sentient and it's like rolling through the town on Main Street.
01:13:39
And driving everyone crazy and it's like five minutes of the bomb rolling everywhere in town.
01:13:44
And Spielberg was like, I don't know how to achieve this.
01:13:47
And he was like, it was a great sequence and it would have been great in animation, but I couldn't even begin to figure out how to film it.
01:13:52
Yeah.
01:13:53
And then he says, and this interview is from maybe the early 90s or the late 80s.
01:13:58
He goes, you know, today you probably could figure out a way to do it with CGI at the computer generated imagery.
01:14:02
Right.
01:14:03
It's a new concept.
01:14:04
Right.
01:14:05
What a time capsule that he was like, oh, I used insider lingo.
01:14:07
Right.
01:14:08
The first thing he said was he was like, at the time people complained that the movie was too loud and too chaotic and cacophonous.
01:14:14
And I look at it now and I'm like, it's no different than playing Doom.
01:14:18
Oh, wow.
01:14:19
Spielberg the gamer.
01:14:21
And then he went like, not true, Doom is very like kind of quiet and creative.
01:14:26
Yeah.
01:14:27
Exactly.
01:14:28
A swear.
01:14:29
Uh, but no, but he was like, yeah, I don't think the movie is that different from one of the CD ROM games that kids would play.
01:14:37
Dear God.
01:14:38
Uh, current Doom is very similar, but he didn't have a pre-copy of Doom in 2016 or whatever.
01:14:45
No.
01:14:46
No, he's talking about that.
01:14:47
Yeah.
01:14:48
No, no, no.
01:14:49
It's, yeah.
01:14:50
There's maybe like whatever.
01:14:51
There's some demons.
01:14:52
Yeah.
01:14:53
There's, you know, there's, there's, but it's like, there are moments of just walking down corridors.
01:14:56
You know?
01:14:57
Right.
01:14:58
Doom is like skin-maring.
01:14:59
Like the first doom is like a liminal horror.
01:15:01
Yes.
01:15:02
Much better paced.
01:15:03
There's moments of quiet and it's, it is, it feels much better than that.
01:15:07
Right.
01:15:08
Which this, there's also a, there's also a BFG in Doom, but it has a, the big F gun.
01:15:14
Yes.
01:15:15
BFJ is quake, is quake just like kind of golf doom?
01:15:22
Is that all quake really did to Doom?
01:15:24
Huge question.
01:15:25
I guess it's got some more lovecraft in it too.
01:15:27
Yeah.
01:15:28
Kind of like a little more.
01:15:29
Yeah, but it's, but yeah, it's, it's kind of, I mean, the big quake thing was a, it was a fully 3D engine.
01:15:35
It was like this kind of two and a half D thing they were doing with, with, with Doom and Wolfenstein.
01:15:40
Right.
01:15:41
You can't actually, right?
01:15:42
You're strafing and stuff.
01:15:43
Yeah.
01:15:44
That's the difference.
01:15:45
Okay.
01:15:46
You still have quake anyway.
01:15:47
This is the most interesting things Spielberg says.
01:15:48
Okay.
01:15:49
I, so he says, I sort of saw the movie 1941 as a big Hollywood musical, like an old fashion golden age musical.
01:15:56
And I had talked with John Williams about doing like eight big, big band numbers, like big, big numbers, and the, you know, the Jitterbug contest is kind of the only thing that remains of that concept.
01:16:08
And he's like, I kind of regret not making it just a big musical.
01:16:11
Yeah.
01:16:12
Now, that's one of those things I hear where I'm like, that is a good idea.
01:16:15
Yeah.
01:16:16
But you're insane.
01:16:17
Right.
01:16:18
Like, if that's your idea, then that's a different movie and you should make that way.
01:16:21
You should make that way.
01:16:22
You should make that way.
01:16:23
You should make that way.
01:16:24
You should make that way.
01:16:25
You should make that way.
01:16:26
Exactly.
01:16:27
Now, he frames it as- It really just sounds like they're like, oh, could we have explosions and musical sequences?
01:16:29
And like boobs and, yeah, money and, you know, it's just, it's just throwing every thing in there.
01:16:32
He frames it in this interview as I didn't have the courage of my convictions at that time to follow through on that, right?
01:16:38
And then he's like, you know, I had this, anything goes principle.
01:16:41
And basically, at the beginning of Temple of Doom, I do the type of musical number I wanted to do in 1941.
01:16:48
There is one other movie Spielberg has made that was originally developed or at least temporarily developed as a musical.
01:16:56
And then he Welshed on it for the same reasons where he's like, I got scared.
01:16:59
I didn't know if I could tackle it.
01:17:00
I took all the songs out.
01:17:01
I'm a star.
01:17:02
Do you know what movie that is?
01:17:04
Crash.
01:17:05
No.
01:17:06
Do you know what it is, David?
01:17:07
I feel like I do.
01:17:08
And I'm going to be annoyed when I, I'm going to guess- It is spoilers.
01:17:12
The other movie I put on the same tear as this Spielberg's homography.
01:17:15
Cracked.
01:17:16
Cracked.
01:17:17
Which is also left with one song where the daughter sings on the ship.
01:17:22
Which is a nice sequence.
01:17:23
But I believe five songs were written for that movie.
01:17:26
Yeah.
01:17:27
I mean, just similarly said, I just, I got freaked out by doing it.
01:17:29
And you hear this thing across his career that he always wanted to make a musical.
01:17:33
And I do think it's fascinating that when he finally did it, he was like, if I start with West Side Story.
01:17:39
Right.
01:17:40
I'll just make one of the most famous musicals of all time and then I'll, this is kind of prove it.
01:17:45
Nail it.
01:17:46
I'll just like do all the other stuff real good.
01:17:47
But he kept toying with trying to make his own original musical and then being like, I don't know.
01:17:52
I don't know if I can pull it off.
01:17:53
Yeah.
01:17:54
That's interesting.
01:17:55
Yeah.
01:17:56
You'll like his West Side Story.
01:17:57
I'm a big fan.
01:17:58
I think it is one of the most like jaw-dropping, incredible movies ever made in Krippenuth.
01:18:02
It was okay.
01:18:03
I like you quite a bit.
01:18:04
Which gets framed.
01:18:05
Does me hating it?
01:18:06
I think set new up for this.
01:18:07
Yes.
01:18:08
I think some of it is extraordinary.
01:18:10
I think Ansel Elgord is kind of the Achilles heel of the movie, which feeds into a bigger Spielberg failing to identify good young leading men thing that hits the last 10, 15 years of his career.
01:18:20
What's he been up to?
01:18:21
Yeah, what's he been up to?
01:18:22
Where'd he go?
01:18:23
Hi.
01:18:24
Ansel.
01:18:25
Where's the boy at?
01:18:26
Mitch, you like the West, the Spielberg West Side Story?
01:18:28
I like it quite a bit.
01:18:30
Yeah.
01:18:31
I'm probably in between Griffin Sims, I would say, is probably where I'm going on it.
01:18:36
I'll say this.
01:18:37
Great place to be.
01:18:38
Because this let me think of it.
01:18:39
It's empty right now.
01:18:40
There's no one here.
01:18:41
I'd fit in perfect.
01:18:42
I'd fit in perfect.
01:18:43
A little puzzle piece.
01:18:44
I jumped through the screen.
01:18:48
My question to you, and this is a kind of a hot take, that the dance sequence in this, the punch fight dance sequence, if that came out this, this decade, would it be amongst the one of the best dance sequences in the last 10 years?
01:19:02
This is the fucking thing with Spielberg.
01:19:04
You're like, I feel like we talk about this.
01:19:07
We use this as like a gauge or descriptor a lot, but the types of movies were like, if you were at a bar, and this was playing on TV or projected on the wall behind you with the sound off and you're catching glimpses of it,
01:19:18
you're like, does this rule?
01:19:20
Right.
01:19:21
You need to watch this and the second you actually lock it in and watch it sound on as a movie, you're like, this is a mess, but if you just looked over your shoulder while you were drinking and saw that staging for 15 seconds,
01:19:32
you'd be like, oh, so this is one of his masterpieces.
01:19:36
It looks rad.
01:19:37
And again, you know, I don't want to belabor red one, but if you took the crampus set piece and red one, the slap fight, crampus locked, crampus locked, and you remove that and instead substituted this jitter bug dance contest.
01:19:50
It'd be like, hey, you know what, at least red one has blank, at least that sequence is cool.
01:19:55
So yeah, I think you're right.
01:19:57
But I did feel very like it does feel like a proto west side story, like even the scoring there, the John Williams kind of simulacrum of like a Louis Prima sort of a big band number is kind of Leonard Bernstein.
01:20:07
It is kind of like, like it's, I don't know, that's one of the few times in the movie where I feel like everything just kind of comes together.
01:20:15
But take better than any dance sequence in La La land, for instance, yeah, I mean, sure, I mean, I don't feel like that's a film that's like,
01:20:25
it's choreography is mind blowing.
01:20:28
Yeah.
01:20:29
That's fine.
01:20:30
But I think that is the sailing of almost all modern movie musicals.
01:20:33
Yeah.
01:20:34
I think La Land is even right.
01:20:35
I mean, that's why better man, which is out in theaters right now probably probably gone by the time I was going to say, it might be gone by the time we finish recording.
01:20:45
Better man.
01:20:46
Three days ago.
01:20:47
Exactly.
01:20:48
It's really trying to solve those problems of like, you know, it's like, well, how do I shoot a musical sequence in a movie?
01:20:54
Do I just have a wide so you can see all the dancing and see the sort of choreography altogether?
01:20:59
That's boring, though.
01:21:00
It's static.
01:21:01
Or do I cut into the action a bunch?
01:21:02
And now I'm like, you know, messing up the rhythm of the songs and of the, you know, of everything.
01:21:07
And the CGI goop layers, I mean, it doesn't help the better man.
01:21:11
No, not at all.
01:21:12
I saw a better man.
01:21:13
I saw a better man.
01:21:14
That's a tip.
01:21:15
And I, I don't hate better man, weirdly, it's a very confusing movie.
01:21:19
But I do think that this, this dance sequence feels so much more authentic and real than almost anything.
01:21:26
It's a huge set.
01:21:27
It's a huge crowd.
01:21:28
Yeah.
01:21:29
I think you're spot on.
01:21:30
And like, it's the thing I always complain about is I see modern movie musicals and I either feel like the choreography was sort of an afterthought.
01:21:37
It was the last piece of the puzzle and the one they didn't devote enough time and practice and thought to or the dance has been worked out and we can't see it.
01:21:46
There is not confidence in the way it is shot and cut.
01:21:48
We're just not getting to see it as the, you know, and in its sort of full form.
01:21:52
And it feels like it's always either or and it's part of what like makes you wish that Spielberg had made five musicals in his career where you're like the way he treats action and the basic staging and blocking of like dialogue scenes shows such an understanding of how you should approach a musical and you'll get those moments that are static.
01:22:11
Yeah.
01:22:12
But also to your point, Mitch, there is the moment in Kingdom of the Crystal Skull where like the, the Russian spies or whatever like circling them and he's at the diner with Mutt Williams.
01:22:23
And Mutt like starts a fake fight between like the preppy college guys are a true canonically dead.
01:22:32
And of course.
01:22:33
I know.
01:22:34
I know.
01:22:35
He had the courage that John Wayne lack.
01:22:36
Yeah, John Wayne that yellow belly couch.
01:22:40
But do you know the moment I'm talking about where Mutt basically like, sure, yeah, starts the fight at the diner.
01:22:44
He starts a fight between like the preppies and the bikers that there's a distraction.
01:22:48
They can break out.
01:22:49
And I'm like, that's like a version of Spielberg almost trying to do the same thing he does in the Zutsu sequence visually that he is able to contain within like 25 seconds where you're like,
01:23:00
there is an economy and a cleanness to that.
01:23:02
He's the best at that.
01:23:03
Yeah, yeah, whereas this is the one time I feel like almost in his entire career where he's not doing the incredible Spielberg math of how do I simplify the sequence as much as possible.
01:23:14
His greatest skill set is to like, shop on the day and go like, how do we make this the fewest number of shots?
01:23:20
How do we like find the way to like convey this information as quickly and cleanly as possible and with a little bit of charm and wit.
01:23:27
David.
01:23:28
Yeah.
01:23:29
I love how about quince new year, new chance for a new clothes.
01:23:35
Okay.
01:23:36
Well, listen to me.
01:23:37
I think everyone needs to try and refresh their local quality pieces, but stay on budget.
01:23:42
I think everyone needs quince's man go mongolian cashware sweaters from $60.
01:23:48
I genuinely love quince.
01:23:49
I think I've talked about this on the show before, but I am quince-pilled.
01:23:52
Right.
01:23:53
I be loading up quince and buying some nice soft shirts and good fit and pants all the time and got some active wear, performance T's, tech shorts, they've got soft shirts that are warm,
01:24:05
which have been really favoring in the winter and their price 50 to 80% less than the similar brands because they partnered directly with the top factories, no middlemen.
01:24:14
Perfect.
01:24:15
And they only work with factories that use safe ethical and responsible manufacturing practices.
01:24:19
No sharks.
01:24:20
Anyway, so yeah, if you want to upgrade your closet this year without the upgraded price tag, you should go to quince.com/check for 365 day returns plus free shipping on your order.
01:24:30
That's q-u-i-n-c-e.com/check to get free shipping and 365 day returns quince.com/check.
01:24:39
Bye.
01:24:40
Bye.
01:24:41
David.
01:24:42
Oh, hello.
01:24:43
Hi.
01:24:44
How are you doing?
01:24:45
I'm good.
01:24:46
I'm good.
01:24:47
I mean, Valentine's Day is coming up.
01:24:50
I mean, I was going to bring it up.
01:24:51
You're a married man.
01:24:52
Sure.
01:24:53
For me, there's only one place I trust, 1-800-flowers.com.
01:24:56
You got to show your wife that you love her, and that you care.
01:24:59
Each year, I'm ordering stunning high quality bouquets from 1-100-flowers that my wife absolutely loves, and we're partnering with 1-800-flowers to make sure you're a Valentine's hero with this exclusive offer for listeners.
01:25:11
And easy sell.
01:25:12
This is a great time of year to encourage people to order flowers for the love of their life.
01:25:18
And they-- This doesn't need extra spin on it.
01:25:20
You don't need to put any mustard on this ad read.
01:25:22
The offer with double the flowers and double the roses for free.
01:25:24
When you get one dozen, they'll double your bouquet of two dozen.
01:25:27
It's the perfect way to say I love you without breaking the bank.
01:25:30
Yeah.
01:25:31
1-800-flowers.
01:25:32
It always delivers.
01:25:33
Trust you.
01:25:34
When you say that.
01:25:35
Yeah, this is all that needs to be said.
01:25:36
Ding, dong.
01:25:37
And who's that at the door?
01:25:39
We should check quickly.
01:25:40
Right.
01:25:41
I mean, I know we're almost-- we're getting through this ad read.
01:25:44
OK, great.
01:25:45
I'll tell you that I got a great bouquet from 1-100-flowers and arrived right away.
01:25:49
I'm just going to walk to the door quickly.
01:25:50
It's really nice.
01:25:51
Why don't you get roses?
01:25:52
I've got some sort of double-blue.
01:25:54
Yeah, yeah.
01:25:55
And that raged.
01:25:56
Comes in a really nice container.
01:25:58
Yes?
01:26:00
Who can plant a rose bud?
01:26:03
My god, Dan.
01:26:04
Pluck betonious, too.
01:26:06
It's been a while.
01:26:07
How are you?
01:26:08
Dan, candy man, can.
01:26:10
Been a dog's age.
01:26:11
It has.
01:26:12
It's been a long time since you guys have invited me to come over.
01:26:15
No one invited you.
01:26:16
I felt like it.
01:26:17
I felt it in the air.
01:26:18
My ears were burning.
01:26:20
Wow, Dan, candy man, you look like crap.
01:26:24
It's been a rough couple of years.
01:26:26
Why, what's going on, Dan?
01:26:27
I come from the candy man family, of course, of the Montreal candy man's.
01:26:32
And we're a flower family, by trade.
01:26:35
The name does tend to confuse people, along with me singing a song that's a modified version of the candy man.
01:26:41
The Willy Wonka song.
01:26:42
And it always confuses people.
01:26:44
So I'm actually here today selling candy.
01:26:46
OK.
01:26:46
Well, I'll buy some candy.
01:26:47
To raise money for my high school's basketball team.
01:26:50
OK, cool.
01:26:51
How much?
01:26:51
You're not going to ask any questions about that?
01:26:53
What are m in head?
01:26:54
I did.
01:26:55
Well, you know.
01:26:57
These are just gray shells.
01:26:59
There's not a color in sight.
01:27:00
Look, I'll admit.
01:27:01
Yes, I'm selling candy.
01:27:02
That's not really why I came in here today.
01:27:04
OK, what's going on here today?
01:27:05
I need flowers.
01:27:06
I no longer have the hook up.
01:27:07
My family has completely divested.
01:27:09
Oh, well, and I actually do have great news for you.
01:27:12
Because all roses from 1-800 flowers are picked at their peak.
01:27:17
Here for every step of the way.
01:27:18
And ship fresh to ensure lasting beauty the bouquet I got came fresh sat on our table looking great for ages in like will after two days.
01:27:29
Like some local sort of bodega flowers you might buy.
01:27:33
Come have a little packet to sort of spruce them up and make them all alive.
01:27:38
Oh, gosh.
01:27:39
Because this is a stressful time of year for me.
01:27:41
Valentine's Day is really rough on day and candy man.
01:27:44
I don't-- Because I'm part of a very large molecule.
01:27:46
I have to get a lot of flowers.
01:27:49
I hate all your lore.
01:27:50
I think it's interesting.
01:27:51
And people are going to be excited.
01:27:53
Well, you better get on it because bouquets are selling fast lock in your order today.
01:27:57
And of course, if you do order a dozen roses, they'll double the rose bouquet for free.
01:28:00
That's a great value.
01:28:02
To claim your double roses offer, go to 1-800-flowers.com/check.
01:28:08
That's 1-800-flowers.com/check to get your double your roses offer.
01:28:13
2-800-flowers.com/check.
01:28:15
Now that sounds great, but I have to admit many, many partners have some pretty specific tastes.
01:28:19
Double roses sounds nice, but by any chance, does 1-800-flowers offer kaleidoscope roses, hand dyed, 24 stems, and a purple vase with wind chime included?
01:28:30
I'm looking at it.
01:28:31
OK, they do have it.
01:28:32
Great.
01:28:32
What a great product.
01:28:33
Would you like to buy 1-M?
01:28:35
Sure.
01:28:36
Fine.
01:28:36
Give me an M.
01:28:37
There you go.
01:28:38
Thanks.
01:28:38
That'll be $25 per wait a second.
01:28:40
I have to raise money!
01:28:42
1-800-flowers.com/check.
01:28:44
I will say that-- and I don't know how much of what we're going here, but the-- I don't think we can,
01:28:54
because I don't remember the sequence.
01:28:56
Like, it's too boring.
01:28:58
It's not a coherent sequence of events.
01:28:59
It's just a bunch of shit that happens.
01:29:01
There's big sequences, right?
01:29:02
But they don't really knock onto each other that importantly anywhere.
01:29:05
So Balushi going into the city, and his plane is pursuing the other plane with the horny airplane lady and the guy who's trying to seduce her.
01:29:17
It's God bless her.
01:29:18
God bless her.
01:29:19
Tim Matheson.
01:29:20
Tim Matheson, right.
01:29:21
This straight around.
01:29:22
You've just hornied the jaws open.
01:29:23
Who's talking to Animal House actors?
01:29:25
Oh, you're right.
01:29:26
As hornied as the jaws opening is, I wanted the movie to be more horny.
01:29:29
So I was happy with the horned plane stuff.
01:29:31
That is fun.
01:29:32
So they're like-- The titan.
01:29:34
The titan.
01:29:37
It's kind of a titan.
01:29:38
The plane titan.
01:29:39
Yeah.
01:29:40
Yeah.
01:29:41
So there, yeah, the birthing sequence at the end is really.
01:29:45
Suddenly, after she pretends to be a guy's dead son for an hour, it was wild,
01:29:56
man.
01:29:57
Anyway, so there's the two-- there's like the dog fight, right?
01:30:02
The plane pursuing the other plane through the city.
01:30:04
And his sense of geography, he uses the Roosevelt hotel like sign is like kind of a landmark.
01:30:12
And there's like four consecutive shots where you're seeing the Roosevelt hotel.
01:30:15
I think that's whatever the sign is.
01:30:17
Like from four different angles, just so you can get a sense of like, where all the anti-aircraft batteries and where all the civilians on the ground and where the planes are in relation to each other.
01:30:25
And it's just like, this guy is the fucking best at this.
01:30:28
Like this is so-- He makes this, the 3D environment is represented a 2D plane in a way that makes complete visual sense to anyone who's watching it.
01:30:39
So yeah, you do have stuff like that where it's just like, again, this is just like really exceptional craft.
01:30:44
- Which by the way, there is a moment in that where I got annoyed where they're like, we're gonna take Hollywood to Highland.
01:30:49
And I was like, you're at Hollywood in Highland.
01:30:51
We're gonna remember one of the tank guys on that.
01:30:53
- Oh, yeah.
01:30:54
- It fucked up.
01:30:54
- It fucked up.
01:30:55
- It's geography.
01:30:56
- Right, right.
01:30:56
Sorry.
01:30:57
- To the point of what Sim's just said.
01:30:58
No, no, no.
01:30:59
(laughing)
01:31:00
What's crazy is that like he can't stop himself from doing that shit.
01:31:05
From like the constant like geographical centering, like giving the audience the visual information to understand the relationship between images.
01:31:13
Story-wise, he is almost pointedly doing the opposite.
01:31:16
Like you saying it's hard to recount this movie in order.
01:31:19
It feels like there is very little relationship between scenes in this movie.
01:31:24
- Yes, right.
01:31:25
- And like I understand part of it is that it's doing this kind of tapestry like 10 different plot thread stuff.
01:31:30
But it's like actually hard to keep track of any level of cause and effect in this movie.
01:31:35
- 100%.
01:31:36
- And part of it is just realizing this as we were saying it, like there are like six different fundamental misunderstandings in this movie.
01:31:44
- Right.
01:31:45
- Like unlike something like a lot of these sort of like satirical war movies, right?
01:31:52
Where you're like, the Russians are coming.
01:31:54
There's like one thing of like a Russian shows up in town and they think it's an invasion.
01:31:58
You know, like Dr.
01:31:59
Strangelove, one wrong call is made, kind of shit.
01:32:03
This movie just keeps stacking up misunderstandings.
01:32:06
- And it don't really enter, I mean some interact and some don't.
01:32:09
- But a lot of them don't.
01:32:09
- Right.
01:32:10
- Exactly.
01:32:11
So you're like the submarine thing kind of is a self-contained story.
01:32:14
- And it sort of has nothing to do with Belushi who's just on his shits, but thinks he's being attacked because Tim Matheson is trying to get laid because Nancy Allen only wants to fuck inside a plane.
01:32:26
- Right.
01:32:27
And then there's like the Warren Oates character who's kind of like the sterling hating character - Dr.
01:32:32
Strangelove.
01:32:32
- Dr.
01:32:33
Strangelove.
01:32:33
- But we barely see him.
01:32:35
- Yes.
01:32:35
- And he's like only spoken of for a while.
01:32:37
And then when he shows up, it's kind of like an hour into the movie and you don't care.
01:32:41
- Right, and you're like, they're right.
01:32:43
Everyone's right that the Japanese do want to attack California, but also the Japanese have no understanding of geographies.
01:32:49
So you have this whole misunderstanding based on where they are.
01:32:53
So it's like everyone reacting to a threat that is real, that they're misunderstanding, but also the people who are the threat are fucking up.
01:33:00
- The threat is also not real, but of course it is real.
01:33:03
In that World War II is real, and will be a thing, just not here.
01:33:09
- Right, this ties into the treat Williams character.
01:33:13
I did know if he was a good guy, I was like, is he gonna end up with a girl at the end of the movie?
01:33:20
And then he's an ass, he's somewhere between Bluto and the Hillside Strangler.
01:33:25
He's like, he's either like a fun villain or the worst man in the world.
01:33:31
He's like, trying to wrap-- - No, he's kind of, he's soft.
01:33:34
- Yeah.
01:33:34
- He's kind of, right, just a straight-up sort of sociopath bully.
01:33:38
I mean, treat Williams is fine at that, but you're kind of like, what's his character doing here?
01:33:43
- Bob Gale was saying that one of their big ideas they had when they were like, Spielberg saying, like, keep on coming up with more, more and more.
01:33:50
And they were like, you know what's a funny setup?
01:33:52
A guy desperate to lose his virginity in the middle of warfare.
01:33:56
- Yeah, sure.
01:33:58
- And I was like, okay, and they were like, so we had this whole scene written where they're like hiding out under tanks trying to fuck because the guy's so worried he's gonna die before he loses his virginity.
01:34:07
And then as he's explaining it, I realize he's talking about the treat Williams work.
01:34:12
- Oh my God.
01:34:13
- Oh, wow.
01:34:14
- And in the movie, there's the reveal of the tank moving and her running away in terror because he's been trying to sexually assault her.
01:34:22
- Yeah, it's right.
01:34:23
- And it's not just that he's been like a pushy creep the whole movie.
01:34:26
That moment is like, he is grabbed her and pulled her under a tank.
01:34:29
And she is like running away and pulling her skirt back up.
01:34:32
And I'm like, how did this go from this being a character you're kind of rooting for to get laid?
01:34:38
- Well, I will say there's a thing like him being like a rapier bluda race.
01:34:43
- But my understanding is that and I didn't watch the extended cut, my understanding the extended cut there is a scene where he fucks a pie, right?
01:34:49
(laughing)
01:34:52
Yeah, there's also a big like glory hole scene where they're like spying on girls in the shower.
01:34:56
- Yeah.
01:34:57
- And then a woman comes out and yanks her.
01:34:59
- And then a dog gizzes into a, when is he in Claire?
01:35:02
- And they Claire in the wilder era.
01:35:04
- They dog come and Claire.
01:35:05
- That's right.
01:35:06
- Yeah.
01:35:07
- There's also a scene where retreat Williams is looking for hair gel.
01:35:14
- Oh, right.
01:35:14
- Interesting.
01:35:15
- And he finds it, right?
01:35:16
- He puts on the ear of a friend.
01:35:18
- It's as if it's a fact, it is.
01:35:20
- It's just a lot of things where America was like, there's this great sequence with the hair gel and everyone loves it.
01:35:26
And I'm like, so what's the sequence?
01:35:27
Like I jerked off and comes on his ear and it sticks there.
01:35:29
And I'm like, doesn't do that.
01:35:31
That's not a thing that happens.
01:35:32
- It is so funny.
01:35:33
- That's never happened to anyone in the history of society.
01:35:36
- They talk about the fairies.
01:35:37
- Commissars.
01:35:38
- Glue.
01:35:39
- The Academy Award winning Fairly Brothers.
01:35:41
- Yeah.
01:35:42
- Talk about.
01:35:43
- Well, just one of them.
01:35:44
- Did they not, did Bobby not have any credit?
01:35:47
That's insane.
01:35:48
- Poor Bobby.
01:35:49
- They talk about how when they were filming that on the day, stiller was spiraling over the logic.
01:35:55
- This doesn't make any fucking sound.
01:35:57
- Why would it go all the way just vertically into my ear?
01:36:02
- And you're like, that's not how like, come holes.
01:36:04
It looks wrong.
01:36:05
Like, what are you talking about?
01:36:06
And there's the moment earlier where he comes, she knocks on the door and he's like, hold on.
01:36:12
And it's like, he's looking for where the come went so he could clean it up.
01:36:15
- Right.
01:36:16
- And in that moment, he turns 360 degrees and you see there's nothing on his ear.
01:36:20
And they were like, stiller was freaking out over this.
01:36:22
And we were just like, Ben, you gotta trust us.
01:36:24
It's funny.
01:36:25
And I feel like there's so many stories about stiller doing something like that.
01:36:30
And it being like, he's freaking out over nothing.
01:36:33
He's overthinking it.
01:36:34
- But this sort of kind of way them, yeah.
01:36:35
- He was right.
01:36:36
And yet, results were undeniable.
01:36:39
- Yeah.
01:36:40
- She put that fucking come in her hair and that moved me $200 million.
01:36:43
- Yeah.
01:36:44
- Because everyone at every office was like, you gotta see what this fucking hair gel is.
01:36:49
- I remember my mom and dad were just laughing so much at that moment.
01:36:52
I saw it with my mom and dad and sister and they were just going nuts.
01:36:54
I was like, that's fucking gnarly.
01:36:56
That was the poster for the movie.
01:36:59
Was her in a red dress in like a Marilyn Monroe seven-year-itch pose with the hair flipped up.
01:37:05
And every article in the view, I remember about that movie is like, you're not gonna believe what happens in the hair gel scene.
01:37:11
You have to see it for yourself.
01:37:13
- By the way, another issue.
01:37:15
Treat Williams not a virgin.
01:37:17
Is it bad?
01:37:18
- No.
01:37:19
- He's not a virgin at all, breast and piece treat.
01:37:20
But like, he's a Chad.
01:37:22
- He's a Chad.
01:37:23
- He doesn't read as, I mean, I guess you could buy it as like, oh, it's all, you know, it's all show with him and he's think, actually, right, like covering up for it.
01:37:31
- It doesn't make any sense in this movie.
01:37:33
- Oh, we're a game of telephone of like this thing getting like so far away from the original idea.
01:37:37
- Have you guys seen used cars, these Mechus movie that he made shortly after this with Kurt Russell?
01:37:43
- I've never seen used cars.
01:37:44
I've never seen it before.
01:37:45
I think it is maybe playing at the Vista right now.
01:37:48
- It's worth seeing it.
01:37:48
- It's probably a car better than this one.
01:37:50
- It is incredibly funny and it is the exact tone this movie is going.
01:37:53
This movie is close to that movie in just manic tone.
01:37:58
But used cars is about something really stupid, which is used car salesmen across the street from each other basically getting into like a prank war.
01:38:06
And this movie is about world war two.
01:38:09
And it's sort of like, the tone is all wrong and maybe there's a way to make it right for 1941 that they just didn't figure out.
01:38:16
But with used cars, it's like, yeah, just simplify a little bit.
01:38:19
And then I can root for people and think they're stupid.
01:38:22
Without spoiling it, use cars also builds to one big set piece that is like a logistical production like Wauzer, right?
01:38:31
And that maybe it was not really expensive because the movie didn't cost that much, but certainly is like a big to do.
01:38:36
And it like earns pulling off this one sequence where the movie at that point has been so moderate in scale that you're like laughing at the excess of it because it's so out of nowhere.
01:38:47
You can't believe suddenly this movie's heightening to this level versus like 1941 starting at that point.
01:38:54
He also Spielberg in this fucking documentary I'm quoting 8,000 times says like, you know, he's like, I'm proud of the movie.
01:39:02
I had fun making it.
01:39:03
I should have led to mech is directed.
01:39:05
Their voice and their sensibility was like, they're on the page and I didn't get it and I didn't have a take.
01:39:13
And they were much angrier and more political and like they maybe could have pulled it off.
01:39:17
But there's the incredible ripple effect of like, I wanna hold your hand bombs which they make while they're sort of developing this script.
01:39:28
Comes out before this, this bombs and then people are like, oh, those guys are trouble.
01:39:34
I wanna hold your hand is great, but it's like a flop and then they write Spielberg's first flop and they wanted to make back to the future next.
01:39:44
And Spielberg was gonna produce it and they were like, if you produce our next movie, we will seem like your cronies and no one will ever take us seriously on our own.
01:39:52
So Zamekis like puts out, I'm a director for hire.
01:39:55
I need to just do a studio job and like impress people.
01:39:59
Gets remancing the stone, over delivers on remancing the stone.
01:40:03
Remancing the stone is a success.
01:40:05
And then that leads to him getting to make back to the future with Spielberg as producer and everyone like trusting that he's his own guy.
01:40:12
If they had directed 1941, it probably would have been better than this, but I don't think it would have, like we would have not had the next 10 to 15 years of Zamekis we got.
01:40:25
I'm guessing.
01:40:27
- Yeah, and I also, I don't know like a stronger directorial voice, I haven't read the script, but a stronger directorial voice or a more dialed in directorial voice to what the script is going for necessarily compensates for the problems in the script.
01:40:42
Which I think is the main issue with this movie.
01:40:46
It's just a little overstuffed and the narrative is hard to track.
01:40:48
Gryffind going back to treat Williams real quick.
01:40:50
Did you feel seen up on screen seeing a character who is defining characteristic as he hates eggs?
01:40:56
(laughing)
01:40:57
- Does hate eggs.
01:40:58
- Yikes, to a degree, you can't imagine.
01:41:01
- Wow.
01:41:02
- Every time the egg shit was called out, I like physically held a film so it's up to the screen.
01:41:08
Which I was not doing it any other point in the film.
01:41:10
I'm like, I hate that I'm rooting for this guy that I'm relating to him.
01:41:14
- Well, he's right about eggs.
01:41:16
- Zamek has figured out the treat Williams character with Biff.
01:41:19
He basically, who else hates me, no.
01:41:21
- Yeah, you're right.
01:41:22
The manure bit at the end is that same payoff as the eggs bit at the end.
01:41:25
He ends in a pile of it.
01:41:27
- And also treat Williams.
01:41:28
- And he's like similar a date rate best.
01:41:29
- Right.
01:41:30
- Like in back to the future, you enjoy his come up with his vindicating.
01:41:34
- And in this one, I guess treat Williams also gets kind of like assaulted by the lady is kind of what his come up with.
01:41:39
- A little bit.
01:41:40
- But then like that's a good point of like this, the Wally character feels like Crispin Glover in back to the future with like less of a take.
01:41:49
- Yes, we less of a take.
01:41:51
- Right?
01:41:52
- Yeah.
01:41:52
- Here's the thing I want to throw out, just like into the conception of this movie, right?
01:41:58
And like the idea that like Zamek is maybe would have directed this better, but should this not have been directed by anybody?
01:42:05
Why, Zamek, have you had this experience as well?
01:42:07
'Cause I was thinking this while watching it of like reading scripts that come across as like potential jobs or just like things that are like floating around the industry that you get your eyes on and you're like, "Oh my God,
01:42:18
this is so funny.
01:42:19
This is the funniest script I've read in a long time."
01:42:22
And then the movie comes out two years later, it's a disaster.
01:42:25
But the movie isn't really that different from the script.
01:42:28
And you like the realization I've had sometimes of like there are certain things that are funny on paper that just immediately fall apart if they are realized where you're like,
01:42:39
this is funny in mind's eye and the second you have real people doing it in front of like a proper set, you can't stop thinking about the fact that like, "Oh, World War II is happening."
01:42:50
- Yes.
01:42:50
- You know, like shit like that.
01:42:51
- I know what you're describing, I can't think of a specific example.
01:42:54
- Well, that was also every week with Joe, we write the "Dowboys" episodes.
01:42:57
- That's true.
01:42:58
- And the script are great.
01:42:59
- The script are really really good.
01:43:00
- Yeah.
01:43:01
You have Rose and Thal do a pass and then you're like, "This is the best one yet."
01:43:04
(laughing)
01:43:07
- I know exactly what you're talking about just with auditioning and stuff and like, for me, it's always more like, "Oh, this kind of this works."
01:43:14
Like, it seems like the person gets this or something and then when you see it made, you're like, "Oh, something was lost in translation or whatever."
01:43:21
But I can't think of it.
01:43:22
- I think it's also very often with kind of high concept special effects comedies where I read it and I'm like, this one's actually well written.
01:43:29
It has good jokes and good structure.
01:43:31
And then the execution of those things is so fine for like how it stays funny, but within stakes.
01:43:38
Like the one I kept thinking of while watching this, a radically different movie, but like the sitter, the Jonah Hill David Gordon Green movie, was like this really hot script and it was like,
01:43:48
"Oh my god, they're like 10 incredible lines on every page of this thing."
01:43:52
And then you watch it as a movie and you're like, it's less funny the second they're actual kids.
01:43:57
- Yeah.
01:43:58
- Sure, yeah.
01:43:59
'Cause you just can't stop thinking about like, is this like child abuse?
01:44:02
- Right.
01:44:03
- Like.
01:44:04
- Yes.
01:44:05
- And I'm trying to think of a specific version of that, but like I mean like, I know that there's been so many instances of it.
01:44:10
And I do have a couple of my head and I'm not gonna say them, but because I don't, I'm not gonna say them.
01:44:15
But I remember, just remember when like year one was coming, how you mentioned it earlier.
01:44:20
- Yeah, perfect example.
01:44:21
- How excited everyone was about that movie and the cast was great.
01:44:25
And then that movie just fell apart based, I mean.
01:44:28
- But that was like the hottest script.
01:44:30
- Yeah.
01:44:30
- That like the hottest people were attaching - Old comedy legend directing it.
01:44:33
- New comedy stars starring in it.
01:44:35
- Right, and it's a big concept.
01:44:36
- Yeah.
01:44:37
- Like a new project after Knocked Up.
01:44:40
- Year one, it kind of feels like an old Mill Brooksy movie, right?
01:44:42
- He's bringing greatness back.
01:44:44
- Yeah, you know cavemen, that's funny.
01:44:45
- Everyone's like, this script is funny on paper, but it's one of those scripts where you're like cool.
01:44:48
It'll take $60 million to mount.
01:44:50
- Right.
01:44:51
- Because it needs like giant sets and extras and whatever.
01:44:54
And you watch it and it just like falls apart in real time.
01:44:57
- Can I throw out a theory?
01:44:58
- Yeah.
01:44:59
- Is the number one cursed?
01:45:01
- Who gave fuck?
01:45:02
- Okay, let's.
01:45:03
- Movies with one.
01:45:04
- Wow.
01:45:05
- 1941.
01:45:06
- I know one.
01:45:07
- Red one.
01:45:08
- Red one.
01:45:09
- Well, red one, sure.
01:45:10
- Yeah.
01:45:11
- But that's three still.
01:45:11
- Yeah, I know, but I can't.
01:45:12
- Look up movies with the number one.
01:45:14
Like you know what I mean?
01:45:15
- Yeah, I know.
01:45:16
- She's got a point.
01:45:17
- She's got a point.
01:45:18
- Transformers 1.
01:45:20
- I like that movie.
01:45:21
- That's good, but was a big flop.
01:45:22
- Didn't do well.
01:45:23
- Yeah.
01:45:24
Transformers 1 is one of those movies where it's like, you know, it starts out with like, oh, I'm just like an ordinary transformer working in the mines.
01:45:32
And I'm like, he's a fucking robot that turns into the shit.
01:45:36
Like, it's such a weird thing.
01:45:38
- And then get by the charm.
01:45:39
- That's the thing.
01:45:40
By the last 10 minutes, you're like, is this like perfect diamond-cut screen?
01:45:43
- Did you guys see Transformers 1?
01:45:46
- I did not.
01:45:47
- Can a 1 be in the title?
01:45:48
Like 1917, see, it's 19 and 17 is there's no 1.
01:45:52
- There's no 1.
01:45:53
- I don't know the 1.
01:45:54
- Yeah, that doesn't count.
01:45:55
- How about this for a recent bomb?
01:45:56
- Why is it set out loud?
01:45:57
- Horizon in an American saga chapter 1.
01:46:00
- I mean, certainly a big flop.
01:46:01
- Yeah, but a big flop, bit of a flop.
01:46:03
- Air Force 1 is the only title that's coming to mind as well- liked hit that has stood the test of time and has won in the time.
01:46:10
- And I'm a huge fan of the airplane when a certain president is a board, the current one by the time this episode drops.
01:46:18
- Ready Player 1.
01:46:20
- Wow.
01:46:21
- A huge fan.
01:46:21
- I get a light fight over, yeah.
01:46:23
- I think Ready Player 1 is a terrific film, but a lot of people don't.
01:46:27
- Yeah.
01:46:28
- And it's one of those theories.
01:46:29
- A weapon one?
01:46:30
- Mmm.
01:46:31
- I'm saying that's a flop.
01:46:33
- I've never seen it.
01:46:34
I wonder if it's any good.
01:46:36
- I have seen it, I remember it making me laugh when I was like 13.
01:46:39
- It's just funny that it's Emilio Estevez and Samuel L.
01:46:43
Jackson.
01:46:44
And you're like, "Oh, so it's like an action movie?"
01:46:45
They're like, "No, no, no, it's a parody."
01:46:46
And I'm like, "But those guys could just be in an action."
01:46:48
- Yes, right, yeah.
01:46:49
- They could have actually been alternate casting in any of the buddy-cups movies of the previous five years.
01:46:54
- So are they funny?
01:46:55
And I guess I've never had the question answered for me.
01:46:57
- And Samuel Jackson can pretty much do anything.
01:46:59
- Agreed.
01:47:00
- Yeah.
01:47:01
- That must have been a Emilio getting jealous of Harley.
01:47:04
- This is the thing of his fucking brother.
01:47:06
- Yes.
01:47:07
- That he was like, "I can fucking make fun of "series movies too."
01:47:09
- You're doing hot shots, I'll do this.
01:47:10
- Yeah, yeah.
01:47:11
- A wiger series bad.
01:47:13
There's a fall upon you guys.
01:47:14
- There's a ton of good ones.
01:47:15
- I got Godzilla minus one.
01:47:17
You got good one.
01:47:19
One of my favorite movies last year.
01:47:21
- One for Robert LeCook is nice, yeah.
01:47:23
- I'm not the biggest Robert LeCook is nice, yeah.
01:47:24
- I'm not the biggest Robert LeCook is nice, yeah.
01:47:25
But it is a good movie.
01:47:26
- That's a good movie.
01:47:27
- That's a pretty good movie.
01:47:28
- All right.
01:47:29
You fucked it up bad.
01:47:30
- Yeah, this is Tara's socks.
01:47:32
- I want to say about John Felucci.
01:47:34
Who we have talked about, but you know.
01:47:37
- We've never covered, well, obviously.
01:47:39
'Cause he's made fun of movies.
01:47:41
- He's made fun of movies, yeah.
01:47:42
He was, as we've, you know, Spielberg was like obsessed with SNL.
01:47:46
He knew, I guess, you know, like many people that had a lot of juice.
01:47:51
And he was like, kind of a groupie for the first season.
01:47:53
And he went to almost every tape thing.
01:47:56
- Wow.
01:47:56
- Did we talk about this in our group text?
01:47:58
- Okay.
01:47:58
- So, that's like, that's like much publicized.
01:48:03
- He's kind of dorky of him.
01:48:04
- Yeah.
01:48:05
Much publicized that during those first five seasons, he would go to almost every tape thing.
01:48:09
- He was hanging out.
01:48:09
- And he was like entranced by the production and like the machinery and everything.
01:48:14
What's crazier is that I have heard from people who currently work on SNL.
01:48:17
- He's still hanging out.
01:48:18
- That he still goes to more episodes than he doesn't.
01:48:21
- Yeah, that's wild.
01:48:22
- He'll just show up.
01:48:24
And they'll be like, yeah, he's like giving disheavings.
01:48:27
- He's standing in the back.
01:48:28
No, he doesn't have anything.
01:48:30
He's just like, I love watching this happen.
01:48:32
- I mean, good for him.
01:48:33
If I was even spielberg, I would like to, I would just do the things I wanted to do.
01:48:35
- Totally.
01:48:36
- Wait, was he at the infamous taping depicted in Saturday night?
01:48:41
- Was he, was he certainly at that real taping?
01:48:43
- I'm not actually sure about that.
01:48:45
I mean, that taping was so crazy.
01:48:47
- Yeah.
01:48:48
- Actually, I heard that there is a moment where Sammy Fableman is in the back.
01:48:54
(laughing)
01:48:56
- Now playing a dual role, like Lucy.
01:49:00
- Yeah, in one shot, he's actually playing Sammy Fableman, right?
01:49:05
- If you look really closely, it's eagle eyed viewers watching a right-man Saturday night.
01:49:11
You can see an actor dressed like Stephen Spielberg is laying one of the famous bricks in those final seconds before George Carlin's monologue.
01:49:19
- Finally did it.
01:49:21
Matthew Rhys, kind of a curve ball is Carlin, not good.
01:49:25
- This is the thing.
01:49:26
I'm gonna say this, I think I fully hate that movie.
01:49:30
- Fair enough.
01:49:31
- And I try to reserve throwing the hatred out at films, but that movie drove me insane.
01:49:35
I think it basically has like 10 borderline great performances.
01:49:39
- Yeah, there's some bad performances in it.
01:49:40
There's some bad ones too.
01:49:42
- But I did think this watching 1941 last night, where I'm like, if they announced tomorrow that Stephen Spielberg wanted to make a movie about any version of the first five years of SNL,
01:49:54
even just having scenes Saturday night, I'd be like, "Send me the fuck up."
01:49:57
- I'm sure.
01:49:58
- I will say, I'm seeing here in the notes that Stephen Spielberg was the guy who told Agent Brody to do the roster dance which we've seen in the show.
01:50:05
- Oh, yeah.
01:50:06
- He also told Ashley Simpson to- - He told Ashley Simpson, right?
01:50:09
Just lip-synced, and he did give a picture of the Pope-Dishonado Connard.
01:50:13
- He did.
01:50:14
- Was it the only thing he was gonna do with ever-given notes?
01:50:16
- Yeah, he was just like, "Hey, do you want this?"
01:50:17
- Yeah, it's Pope-Dishonado.
01:50:18
- He actually gives a picture of the Pope-Dew every musical guest.
01:50:21
- Yeah, he's just the only one who did anything.
01:50:22
- Everyone else folds it up, puts it in their pockets.
01:50:23
- You should rip up a picture of the two popes on "Dowboys," see what happens.
01:50:27
(laughing)
01:50:28
- You should.
01:50:29
- You should.
01:50:29
- Wait, have a Pope-Month.
01:50:30
- Yeah.
01:50:31
- Pope-Month is Vaughn.
01:50:32
- Conclay-Pose.
01:50:33
- Conclay.
01:50:34
- Yeah.
01:50:35
- Man, if the "Dowboys" went to the Vatican, yeah, "Dowboys" go to the Vatican and invisible force throws them out.
01:50:41
(laughing)
01:50:42
Like, you try to cross the border and you're just like expelled.
01:50:46
- What would Vatican-Month be called?
01:50:48
- Oh, man.
01:50:49
- Well, hey, this is the "Pun Master."
01:50:50
- Is there like a McDonald's in the Vatican?
01:50:52
Like, is there like a...
01:50:53
- Yeah, I wonder if that's true.
01:50:54
- There's a Vatican City Sparrow.
01:50:55
There's gotta be some-- - Oh, Vatican?
01:50:57
- Yeah, Vatican's pretty good.
01:50:58
- Vatican's pretty good.
01:50:59
- Yeah, Vatican's shitty.
01:51:00
- Vatican's shitty.
01:51:01
(laughing)
01:51:02
- Wait a second, Vatican's shitty is pretty good.
01:51:05
(laughing)
01:51:06
- Is there actually a Sparrows in the Vatican City?
01:51:10
- There's no way there's a Sparrows.
01:51:12
- I don't know.
01:51:12
- No.
01:51:13
- There's one at some point.
01:51:15
- I don't know.
01:51:16
- I haven't seen Conclave yet.
01:51:17
Do they show a Sparrow or anything like that?
01:51:20
- Yeah, they get a big pizza in Conclave.
01:51:21
I mean, two Popes actually does have a pizza sequence.
01:51:24
- Oh, right.
01:51:25
- Two Popes.
01:51:25
- Yeah, yeah, where Hopkins says, "That's my pizza."
01:51:29
That's a real scene.
01:51:30
- I'll say it.
01:51:31
- I'll say it.
01:51:32
I did hear a rumor about the Vatican City's Sparrows.
01:51:34
- What's that?
01:51:35
- That I just established, man, why not exist?
01:51:37
I heard a rumor that someone I know went there and they looked in the mirror tank.
01:51:42
- Oh God.
01:51:43
- And they were doing a jaws parody inside of them.
01:51:45
- Oh, wow.
01:51:46
- And then they went back the next day.
01:51:48
And in the Marinerah, they were doing a parody of the ol' thing on 1941.
01:51:54
- I hear the, I hear that the Sparrow at the Vatican City is where they store all the holy water.
01:52:02
- Oh, yeah, I've heard that too.
01:52:03
- For the entire world.
01:52:05
- That's wet.
01:52:06
Remember that joke is that it's wet?
01:52:08
- Yes, no, he knows.
01:52:09
He knows.
01:52:10
We all know the joke.
01:52:11
And you guys should listen to Griffin Sparrow episode of "Dowboys" for a moment where I was thinking dinner.
01:52:17
I think while I was listening to it.
01:52:18
And I started to have that moment with comedy podcast.
01:52:21
Sometimes where I'm like, am I having like a panic attack or a brain of it?
01:52:25
Or have they just been talking about fucking water for a half hour?
01:52:28
Like it feels like you've lost your mind.
01:52:30
- It sounds like you hate us, which is the right way to actually-- - No, I love it too.
01:52:32
- It was so funny.
01:52:33
- Which by the way, my reaction to anything "Saturday Night Live" does is like most comedians is that they can do no wrong.
01:52:38
- I love "Saturday Night Live" and "Saturday Night Live" and everything about it is great.
01:52:42
- You text us every Saturday night.
01:52:45
- You were like, my review A+.
01:52:46
- A+.
01:52:46
(laughs)
01:52:47
- It's another one for the record books, boys.
01:52:49
(laughs)
01:52:51
- Ten out of ten.
01:52:52
- Ten out of ten.
01:52:52
The street continues.
01:52:54
- Yeah, no, no, no.
01:52:55
- No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
01:52:55
- No, no, no, no, no.
01:52:56
- Quick, sorry, I just, I heard it the Vatican.
01:52:57
I remember the Vatican's city Sparrow.
01:53:00
(laughs)
01:53:00
That in the pasta water where they cook the tortellinis that the shape of water guy hangs out in there.
01:53:06
(laughs)
01:53:07
- And then the fish guy?
01:53:08
- Yeah, he's in there.
01:53:09
- Yeah.
01:53:10
- Wags, I was coming up with a Sally Hawkins take, and I think you had the better one.
01:53:14
I was drafting it in my hand.
01:53:15
- She jerks off in the tortellini water.
01:53:16
- Yeah, exactly.
01:53:17
That's what I was gonna do.
01:53:19
- No, the shape of water guy got fully baptized in the Sparrow.
01:53:22
(laughs)
01:53:25
- He's hardcore Catholic now.
01:53:26
He's like a JD Vance, like latent life conversion.
01:53:28
- Right, he's weird about it.
01:53:30
- Yeah.
01:53:30
- Right, he keeps saying ecumenical.
01:53:33
- You're like, "Lax."
01:53:34
(laughs)
01:53:35
- Do you think, do you think, "Saturday Night Live" time?
01:53:37
Do you think "Saturday Night Live" is the most bullet proof of all shows still?
01:53:41
'Cause I still do think that people are not as critical as I know comedians are of it.
01:53:47
- Yeah, it's probably, what are you trying to do?
01:53:49
- It's so much shit though.
01:53:51
- It's so much shit though.
01:53:51
- It does get shit, but I think, yeah.
01:53:53
- I think you're right, Mitch, that I will hear people say, like, "Oh my God, that's not so irrelevant."
01:53:59
Like, "Why is that still on the air?"
01:54:01
And I'm like, "You clearly don't engage with it anymore, "but you cannot deny that this show "has basically stayed culturally important for like, "the first like 20 years of SNL,
01:54:13
it's like, "Oh, there obviously peaks and valleys."
01:54:15
I would say they've basically remained kind of center of the culture for like 25 years uncontested.
01:54:22
- And it's also kind of one of those, like, "Well, why don't you go do a better one?"
01:54:25
And no one's ever, like, what I'm gonna pull it off.
01:54:27
- And also this movie is kind of, this, you want this movie to be an SNL feeling movie, and it should be.
01:54:34
- That's probably the kind of anarchic feeling Spielberg wants.
01:54:39
And that's why just to finish my point about John Belushi, that character was a minor character in the script, and they kind of beefed it up once they cast him.
01:54:47
- Right, his, that character was only supposed to enter into the film basically at the point where he lands on the ground.
01:54:54
He was supposed to just be a last act.
01:54:56
Here's one final element of chaos.
01:54:58
Cast Belushi, they're like, "We gotta thread "Belushi through the first two thirds of this."
01:55:02
Belushi and Accord are both doing SNL.
01:55:04
They could only do three days a week of filming.
01:55:07
And Belushi, I don't know if you guys know this, was very interested in using the drug cocaine all the time.
01:55:14
- Does JJ have a citation for them?
01:55:16
- And Spielberg, I think probably because Belushi died so young, and so on, you know, it has always just been like, it was wonderful working with him.
01:55:23
It was a great time.
01:55:24
But I think on set, he was a bit of a nightmare, and at one point Spielberg yelled at him, like, "You can't do this to me."
01:55:30
Like, for $350,000, you got to show up on time.
01:55:33
'Cause like, Belushi was always late to set and didn't know his lines.
01:55:36
- But like, that's how Animal House was made, right?
01:55:38
Where he had like two to three days off per week, and he would like, shuttle back and forth, and was like, delirious, and it comes out the year before this, and it's like a revolution in it.
01:55:48
- He's amazing in it.
01:55:49
- It's like, culturally like, shattering.
01:55:51
- Right?
01:55:52
Do you guys like Belushi?
01:55:53
- I love him.
01:55:54
- Yeah, I mean, I think he's like, I think all of us, he's like, a little bit before our time.
01:55:58
- Yeah, very much so.
01:55:59
I think if you watch his, you know, totemic, like, performances, it's like, okay, this guy had the juice, and you know, obviously life tragically cut short.
01:56:06
- It was interesting to see a movie that I, like, I see Belushi doing stuff that I haven't seen before with 1940, not that he did something different, but I'm saying like, "Oh, this is just footage of him I haven't watched 'cause I'd never seen the movie."
01:56:18
And it was like, I get it, you know what I mean?
01:56:21
I get why he was a star, and-- - And that's it?
01:56:24
Like, as I said before, every time he's on screening, it at least resembles a comedy.
01:56:29
Which you can't say for, like, John Candy and Dan Acroix.
01:56:32
- And what?
01:56:33
- The other wildly funny people in this movie who are all basically at the peaks of their careers.
01:56:38
Belushi is the only one who, like, actually has that level of juice.
01:56:42
To your point, there are basically, if you're, like, discounting small supporting roles, there are four Belushi, like, movies.
01:56:50
It, even in Animal House, he's in a lot less of it than people remember, but it's Animal House 1941, Blues Brothers, it's five, I'm sorry.
01:56:58
Content will divide neighbors, which I've never seen.
01:57:00
- Those are the five movies where, like, Belushi's above the title, his face is the biggest on the poster.
01:57:05
I was such a big SNL kid.
01:57:07
I discovered SNL, and I was, like, eight or nine, and the video store across the street from us had a bunch of VHS's of the first five seasons of SNL.
01:57:15
So I was, like, rapidly watching first five seasons SNL.
01:57:19
- Right.
01:57:20
- And it was, like, canonized for me in this massive, massive way.
01:57:23
And, like, my father was such a big Belushi fan.
01:57:25
He showed me Animal House and Blues Brothers way too young.
01:57:28
And I was, sort of, like, raised at the altar of this guy.
01:57:31
I remember, at some point, when I was young, my father sang to me, and then, you know, Steven Spielberg made 1941, which was this big flop.
01:57:39
- Right.
01:57:40
- And I was, like, what's that?
01:57:41
And he was, like, it's, like, a war comedy with Dan Acquired and John Belushi.
01:57:44
And I was, like, how have you not seen this?
01:57:45
- Oh, so it's the best movie ever made.
01:57:47
And he was, like, no, it sucks, and it's not funny.
01:57:50
And I was, like, how is that possible?
01:57:52
But I think that's, like, the way in which this was received in a way that also doesn't help this movie upon releases, like, the idea of, like, oh my God, Spielberg is going to work with the most exciting people in comedy,
01:58:05
like, the people who are fucking burning down the institutions.
01:58:08
And the first, these trailers that I was searching for that fucking tagline I wanted, the first teaser trailer for this movie, which is a year before the film comes out,
01:58:18
was by all accounts directed by John Melius.
01:58:21
And I would say is funnier than the entirety of the finished film is, is John Belushi landing a plane and then doing direct address to the camera, sort of, like,
01:58:31
war, ad, like, I'm out there fighting for you.
01:58:33
You, I need to enlist you to come see my movie next year.
01:58:37
Like, it's, he's pitching Rex Christmas.
01:58:40
And it's just Belushi doing straight to camera chaos.
01:58:43
And if you see that trailer, and it says, like, from the director of JAWS and closing counters, one year from now, there's a John Belushi comedy.
01:58:50
And then you sit in the theater, you're later and this is what you get.
01:58:54
Like, the poster is like his giant caricatized head.
01:58:59
- Right, 20 minutes of them total, maybe, in the movie, right?
01:59:01
- Maybe, maybe, and a lot of it is silent.
01:59:03
Like, it's just him driving a plane.
01:59:05
- But like, that's what they were leading with.
01:59:07
- Yeah, well, what else are you gonna fucking lead, right?
01:59:09
- The second teaser trailer.
01:59:10
- The second teaser trailer says you what?
01:59:13
- A model set of Los Angeles.
01:59:15
- And then giant-- - And there's a big stone 1931 letters, numbers, rise out of the ground.
01:59:21
And then it just does like Superman flying credits of every cast member, which, you go into the list of like Ned Bady, Christopher Lee.
01:59:29
- Sure, sure.
01:59:30
- All this shit, which is giving you all the names and then says like the most explosive comedy event in the year, those first two trailers show combined, zero seconds of footage of the movie.
01:59:40
And all they're doing is get ready.
01:59:42
This is gonna be the biggest shit of all time.
01:59:46
Like, they like put a fucking target on their backs.
01:59:48
- Yeah, they did.
01:59:49
They also meant to make it for 12 million and it cost 31.
01:59:52
- Which is so much slower than I even thought it was, honestly.
01:59:55
But I guess with 1979, that's quite a bit, right?
01:59:58
But it's a lot of money.
02:00:00
- It would be over 100 million dollars.
02:00:01
- It basically made its money back domestically, barely, and that's it.
02:00:06
It made some more worldwide.
02:00:08
So I don't think it was a total disaster, but it made Spielberg look bad.
02:00:13
- Because Jaws had gone over budget and over schedule.
02:00:16
And now the close encounters, they kind of fucked around, right?
02:00:20
Exactly.
02:00:20
And like kind of made it seem like a low budget movie and turned into a really big budget movie.
02:00:24
And so by Raiders is when he's like, I need to demonstrate that I can like contain a budget.
02:00:29
- Because those two were like, you can get away with it if you keep making one of the highest grossing movies of all time.
02:00:35
- Right, right.
02:00:36
- And then this time it's like, if you're just breaking even where you're done with your shit, when it came out, like I said, it basically turned to profit.
02:00:47
Pauline Kale did like it.
02:00:49
Pauline Kale is like one of his earliest fans, but that turns on him by Raiders.
02:00:53
- Turns out him for Raiders.
02:00:54
- The next movie, she's like, "Fuck this, it's Kitty Bullshit."
02:00:57
But largely critics hated it.
02:00:59
And, you know, it would, like you say, Griff, like they had just set themselves up for disappointment.
02:01:05
Like, you know, the audiences were just, I think expecting the funniest and biggest movie.
02:01:10
And it's like, you're not getting funny.
02:01:13
I guess you're getting big.
02:01:14
- Yeah, but the big isn't funny.
02:01:16
- Oh, and it feels like you're being yelled at.
02:01:18
- Yeah, very strange.
02:01:19
- That's insane, it turned on over Raiders.
02:01:21
- Yeah, so I mean, like I-- - Yeah, Pauline Kale was basically like Raiders.
02:01:24
She was just like, "Barrang, this is like schematic.
02:01:27
He's like lost the plot."
02:01:28
- And she was the one person who, when Sugarland Express came out, her review is like, this is one of the greatest debuts by a filmmaker ever.
02:01:35
He's gonna be one of the great American filmmakers.
02:01:37
Like, pulled it dead on.
02:01:40
And then by Raiders, she's like this fucking kid playing with his stupid toys.
02:01:45
- Oh, yeah.
02:01:46
- Yeah.
02:01:47
John Candy is like barely in this movie.
02:01:48
- Yes.
02:01:49
- But he does have-- - But he does have like one of the few hard jokes that worked for me, Griffin, which is the, when Dan Ackerer gets knocked out, he gets hit in the head.
02:01:58
And John Candy's like, "Oh, he always had a glass head."
02:02:01
- Yeah, that's funny.
02:02:02
- Like that glass head.
02:02:03
But-- - There you go.
02:02:04
- There's also, he also has the bit where him was the actor's ain't John McRae.
02:02:10
- Yeah.
02:02:11
- John McRae.
02:02:11
- Who was the Nana Felt player?
02:02:12
- How McRae is a baseball player?
02:02:13
What am I talking about?
02:02:14
- Oh, okay.
02:02:15
- Frank McRae.
02:02:16
- Frank McRae.
02:02:17
- He was the best baseball player.
02:02:19
- That guy was the best baseball player.
02:02:20
- Yeah.
02:02:21
- He gets, he gets, he gets sit on his face and he looks like a black man.
02:02:23
And then he throws flatwoods.
02:02:24
So, flour part is like, why is he throwing flour at him?
02:02:27
- Yes.
02:02:28
- And then they laugh at each other while Candy's panicking because they look like they're doing opposite menstrual.
02:02:36
It's like a very weird way that goes on for a while.
02:02:38
- It's weird, man.
02:02:39
- He's also in use cards.
02:02:40
- I actually liked that there was like-- - Oh, yes.
02:02:43
- 'Cause he's like, to the back of the, he tells Candy go to the back of the tank.
02:02:46
And I think I actually liked that there was like, a guy participate, even though it's white people who wrote this joke.
02:02:52
I'm like, there's a man participating in these kind of racy jokes.
02:02:56
Which before it's like, we're pointing and laughing at, like the movie is pointing and laughing at people.
02:03:02
- That he's more active.
02:03:04
But it's like, it's one of those things where it's like, I'm not even framing it as like, a punching down, like punching up thing.
02:03:11
It just so often in this movie, you're like, I don't understand who the target of the joke is, right?
02:03:17
And like for how much Spielberg would cite the Marks Brothers and like Looney Tunes and these things that had this sort of like, chaotic a million things are happening and nothing's too big moments.
02:03:28
All of those things have a very simple like a Nate setup of like, the Marks Brothers usually go into fancy places.
02:03:36
They're at opera houses or like dinner parties and you surround them with a bunch of, well, I never.
02:03:41
And you're like, wait, I wanna see those people be taken down.
02:03:44
- Right, right.
02:03:45
- It's funny to see Margaret Demont get taken down a bit.
02:03:47
Bugs Bunny can be an asshole to a hunter because a hunter is pointing a gun in his hole and he has to like fight to survive, right?
02:03:55
And that way it's funny when he like, is a stinker.
02:03:59
This movie is like, everyone's just yelling at everyone and doing shit.
02:04:03
- Yes.
02:04:03
- And you're like, I don't know, like, I have no perspective on who I'm supposed to be.
02:04:07
I don't wanna say who I'm supposed to be rooting for.
02:04:09
But just sort of like, who any joke is at the expense of?
02:04:13
- Why did John Fanny throw a flower at him?
02:04:14
It doesn't even, we don't know.
02:04:16
It doesn't even make sense.
02:04:17
That hole and again, yeah, you're not sure who's supposed to be the butt of this joke.
02:04:22
And then within that tank though, there's all sorts of shit like that happening.
02:04:25
Like there's also Dan Acroid who's like, yeah, he Dan Acroid puts a sack of oranges over his head.
02:04:32
And then he puts the two oranges on his eyes and is like, I'm a bug.
02:04:36
And that's the sort of things like, if that's in the script, I like, I have no idea how they reach that point.
02:04:42
But like, it's probably, it's not in the script, right?
02:04:46
So Spielberg is just pointing camera at a funny guy and saying, I don't know, it's just something funny.
02:04:50
And so it just feels completely random.
02:04:52
- I mean, is it very funny to think of me if I'm like interior, you cut back to interior, you take off that.
02:04:57
- I'm a bugger, I'm a cat's back.
02:04:59
- Spielberg helps.
02:05:00
- Here's like a great encapsulation of the movie for any listeners who did not bother to watch it, right?
02:05:06
There are like eight major plot threads just within this one thread of the tank guys, right?
02:05:13
You have John Candy and Frank McCray doing this like race swapping play, right?
02:05:19
Then you have Dan Acroid in the back.
02:05:21
This is all in the last like 20 minutes of the movie when it's reaching a fever pitch.
02:05:24
- Everyone's in the street that's crazy.
02:05:25
- A fever pitch, right?
02:05:27
So Candy McCray are doing this.
02:05:29
Acroid is directly behind him with oranges on his eyes, going, I'm a bug.
02:05:33
And then immediately after that, the tank runs through the walls of a paint factory into giant vats of color paint, making like huge colored explosions.
02:05:43
And you're like, there is too much going on.
02:05:46
- This is far too early.
02:05:47
- And none of it has to do with anything else.
02:05:49
- And this is just one of the strings.
02:05:52
And then we're like cutting back to like Tim Matheson like trying to fucking in a plane or Ned Beatty like blowing up his own house or whatever.
02:05:59
Yeah, you know, like shit, we were just like, - I can't talk about the Ned Beatty.
02:06:02
- No, because like what's going on with that?
02:06:03
- I don't know.
02:06:04
- And it's just sort of like, I want to shout out Greg Jean, I think is his name.
02:06:09
- Okay.
02:06:10
- Who did the miniatures on this movie?
02:06:11
- Yes.
02:06:12
- As a legendary miniature guy, he'd done close encounters because I mean, Spielberg says it's like, they did the most incredible job, like making Hollywood Boulevard.
02:06:20
Like the details on all these buildings are amazing.
02:06:23
Like, it's an incredibly masterful technical achievement.
02:06:28
Like what they're doing, all in the service of the bullshit you're talking about and blowing it all up.
02:06:34
Greg Jean, I also want to say, did Star Trek the next generations.
02:06:38
- Okay.
02:06:39
- He built the ships.
02:06:40
- Yeah.
02:06:41
- And there's a famous, my favorite episode of Star Trek, one of my favorite episodes is cause and effect, which is the episode where they get stuck in a time loop because a ship keeps coming out of a black hole and crashing into them.
02:06:50
And like then the day, it's a Groundhog Day episode.
02:06:53
And when that episode ends, they avoid the ship and it turns out that it's the USS Boseman and Kelsey Grammer is the captain and he calls in.
02:07:03
And he's like, oh, how are you doing?
02:07:04
And it turns out he's from like 80 years ago.
02:07:06
He's been stuck in a time loop for 80 years.
02:07:08
And the USS Boseman is NCC 1941.
02:07:11
As homage to this film.
02:07:13
- Wow.
02:07:14
- There you go.
02:07:15
And when Kelsey Grimmer falls into the time work, does he go, oh my lord.
02:07:18
It's just so funny that it's Kelsey Grammer.
02:07:21
- Yeah.
02:07:22
- It's like Frasier Era Kelsey Grammer wearing an old star for a few years.
02:07:25
- Thank you for recognizing what I was getting at.
02:07:27
- I was very good.
02:07:27
- Thank you.
02:07:28
- Anyway.
02:07:29
(upbeat music)
02:07:34
- David.
02:07:35
- Yes.
02:07:36
- If I know one thing about you.
02:07:37
- Okay.
02:07:38
- It's that you're tired of figuring out what's for dinner every night after night, especially on those busy weekdays.
02:07:43
When you walk into the studio every day and you go, I'm so tired.
02:07:46
I go, don't even finish the sentence.
02:07:48
I know the one root cause of that problem.
02:07:51
- Busy weekdays.
02:07:53
I just had it, busy weekdays.
02:07:55
- No, I'm saying it's you trying to decide what to make for dinner night after night.
02:07:59
- Busy weekdays.
02:08:00
- How do you make my weekdays less busy?
02:08:02
- These issues are linked.
02:08:04
I go, how are the twin sleeping?
02:08:06
- Oh, great.
02:08:06
- No problem there.
02:08:08
I'm sleeping through the night.
02:08:09
- Yes.
02:08:10
- I have to feed my family.
02:08:11
- You have more mouths to feed.
02:08:12
- And that is true.
02:08:13
Although they just eat, they don't eat lovely meals.
02:08:16
But I have to make lovely meal.
02:08:17
And I get home and my time limit is, my time window is limited.
02:08:21
And it is hard to just kind of, you know, find a magic recipe in the fridge every single day.
02:08:29
- What a compelling personal.
02:08:30
- It is.
02:08:31
- Sort of experience this is.
02:08:33
- Yeah.
02:08:34
- I mean, if you really want to get into it, - I do.
02:08:35
- It's basically like it's 5.30, right?
02:08:37
Dinner's got to kind of be on the table cause everyone's going to bed around 7.
02:08:40
- Right, podcasting has ended 15 minutes before that.
02:08:42
- That is why anyone who listens to the show might notice that in a little, but look, it's easy to find time to eat.
02:08:49
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02:08:50
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02:09:04
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02:09:09
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02:09:12
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02:09:13
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02:09:29
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02:09:32
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02:09:34
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02:09:35
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02:10:26
- Gale set.
02:10:35
- Bob Gale.
02:10:36
- When they were just like running wild, just throwing any single idea at the screenplay, right?
02:10:42
And he was like, once we were commissioned to write this movie, we just started doing a ton of research and looking into all the things that happened like in this area, in this time period, interesting weird stories from the war that we could fold into the script and the way that like the baby thing is based on something that happened.
02:10:58
They were looking for real life inspiration.
02:11:00
And he was like, I found out about this incredible thing.
02:11:02
I'm gonna speak about this very quickly and probably get a lot of the major details wrong, but just try to do it quickly.
02:11:06
- Oh, amazing, cool.
02:11:07
- Yeah, get ready.
02:11:09
There's this thing called the Boeing Wonderland, which was when the Boeing company was making all the war planes, all their factory plants where they were being constructed in the house, they were worried we're gonna be targets by the Japanese to be,
02:11:24
you know, bombed or whatever.
02:11:25
So they built, faked, hyper detailed, force perspective, miniature towns.
02:11:32
- A pretend town named the Boeing Wonderland.
02:11:35
- I'd hop the roof of this plant so that anyone flying overhead would think it was just another suburban neighborhood.
02:11:42
And it was basically a thing that only worked from the vantage point of someone in a plane from a reasonable distance that far above.
02:11:49
And he was like, this is such an interesting thing.
02:11:51
I can't believe this is real.
02:11:53
People don't know about it because it was like keptop secret at the time.
02:11:57
- Right.
02:11:57
- And like wrote it in as a whole plot thread and was like, we had this scene where they're like touring the town.
02:12:01
And then we decided like it was just one thing too many in the movie.
02:12:03
And I'm like, that sounds more interesting than 90% of the shots ended up in the movie.
02:12:08
This is the whole thing.
02:12:09
It's just like, maybe that should just be a movie.
02:12:10
- Totally.
02:12:11
- Like rather than, whatever this is.
02:12:14
Before-- - And in 30 years later, we get welcome to Marwin.
02:12:16
- Well, okay.
02:12:18
A better movie.
02:12:19
- He's welcome Marwin better than 1941, yes or no.
02:12:24
- This is really difficult.
02:12:27
Have you guys been welcomed to Marwin?
02:12:29
- Yeah.
02:12:30
- Can you weigh in?
02:12:30
- I mean, Nick lives in Marwin call to be clear.
02:12:35
This is one of the action figures.
02:12:37
- This is true.
02:12:37
- I think I'd rather, I think I'd rather re-watch 1941 than Marwin.
02:12:44
- Okay.
02:12:44
- That's fair.
02:12:44
- I like 1941.
02:12:47
That's my big, my-- - Well, how much she like it, Mitch?
02:12:50
Like, I just weren't winding it.
02:12:51
I think it's a C.
02:12:52
- Right, so you're saying kind of like, it's over the border of enjoyable for you.
02:12:57
- You give it a lot like a great movie, but you don't mind.
02:13:00
- I wanna watch the extended cut 'cause because the, by the way, what happens to Holly Wood?
02:13:05
Holly, what's his name?
02:13:07
- Slim Pickens.
02:13:08
- He's just kind of dropped from the movie.
02:13:09
I mean, that's the other interesting thing he said is that Spielberg wanted Slim Pickens in the film as a reference to Dr.
02:13:16
Strange, of course, explicitly, right?
02:13:19
Originally, he was going to be in one shot non-speaking, which is like very hubristic in the same way we're talking about him like, referencing his own movies and pointing at the best example of what he's trying to do through a visual reference to one of the actors.
02:13:34
And Gail and Zamek is very smartly, and we're like, hey, Slim Pickens is one of the best character actors alive.
02:13:40
- Right, you might as well use it.
02:13:41
- You might as well use him.
02:13:42
This entire plot line didn't exist.
02:13:45
- Uh-huh, so that's why it's kind of separate from him.
02:13:46
- Meal is suggested they were like, we should come up with something for Slim Pickens to do.
02:13:51
And they were like, what if there's a who's on first situation?
02:13:53
This guy is, that's right, you can do this whole thing.
02:13:56
And it's like, this is the strongest comedic idea in the entire movie.
02:14:00
It is the thing they came up with last.
02:14:01
- He's funny.
02:14:02
- Basically reverse engineered from having the actor, but it's also the only comedic set up in the movie where I'm like, the game is really clear to me.
02:14:09
The stakes are really clear.
02:14:10
The interplay is clear.
02:14:12
The sort of like culture clash between the two of them.
02:14:15
He plays it so well of like being terrified but also feeling like, what is the patriotic thing to do to how to stay in my ground?
02:14:22
And then like interrogating him with prune juice because-- - Prune juice down his throat is pretty funny.
02:14:28
- It's prune juice is funny.
02:14:29
It's like funny.
02:14:31
And it's like, they landed on a bi mistake at the last-- - How did they not have him come in at the end?
02:14:36
- Yeah, it's like an extended sketch that's just like a self-contained and an abandoned.
02:14:40
It doesn't even actually impact the plot because it's like the compass, they don't get it out of him.
02:14:44
So they figure out to use, they're like tracking the radio to figure out where Hollywood is, right?
02:14:49
- They should have had him in the end.
02:14:50
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:14:50
- They should have, they should have, from a toilet perspective, you should have seen the compass coming out of his asshole, I think.
02:14:57
- That would have been good image.
02:14:58
I think that's a great solve.
02:14:59
I think we should have seen-- - Nickel boys, but he'll be shot from a toilet of a compass falling out of a man's asshole.
02:15:06
- What if you do an upside down, Nickel boys, and you shoot an entire movie from a perspective of football?
02:15:11
- Ed Spielberg's film works like it has to be in the movie.
02:15:14
They're like, the film is unreleasable.
02:15:16
- Yeah.
02:15:17
- You have a naked asshole shitting on the camera.
02:15:20
It's now like an x-rated film.
02:15:22
I don't care.
02:15:23
- If you got a brown compass falling on the camera at the end, I think that that's pretty good.
02:15:28
- Yeah, no, I'm just like, you could build the entire movie out of this.
02:15:33
Like, there is something bad about like, you know, just like a small town guy gets abducted by like confused Japanese soldiers and they have this weird standoff within a summer.
02:15:44
- That's the thing though.
02:15:45
- There's half a dozen plot lines in here.
02:15:47
They probably would make a funny 90 minute, you know, not this big budget movie.
02:15:52
And maybe you can like, put two or three of them together and weave it into like a silly farce.
02:15:57
And this is just too much.
02:15:58
- I remember, and you know what?
02:15:59
- Sims, I've never seen you this, like, you're just like, we just need, it sounds like you want to end this movie itself and end this episode is just too silly for you.
02:16:09
- Really, you've never seen him live?
02:16:10
- I did.
02:16:11
- And every time we've done the podcast, you just press the one.
02:16:13
- Oh, I think my daily existence-- - I must end this episode, but no, no, no.
02:16:16
But I kind of, that's how he felt about the movie.
02:16:19
The whole time I was just like, and I think-- - It's a real bolster, guys.
02:16:22
Let's wrap it up.
02:16:23
- But I also just feel like, I don't usually like these kinds of movies.
02:16:27
They're not usually good.
02:16:28
- No.
02:16:29
- Anytime anyone's like, "Oh, I want to do like my take and I'm like, "Have you watched it's a map?"
02:16:33
But it's so-- - Yeah, it's not very good.
02:16:35
Like, is there one of those-- - It has some funny stuff.
02:16:37
- Yeah.
02:16:38
- Like, you know, as all these things do, Rat Race has some funny stuff.
02:16:40
Rat Race is pretty good at work.
02:16:41
- Rat Race, head directed by Jerry Zucker.
02:16:43
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:16:44
- Rat Race, it's a map in the world.
02:16:47
Gets a lot of juice just out of being the first time someone tried that, and you can even feel it now, like living in the present and having watched all the things that have attempted to do it.
02:16:56
It has a certain energy from like, the novelty and the ambition of what they're pulling off.
02:17:00
- Yeah.
02:17:01
- And it also just like, it cast a wide net.
02:17:05
They correctly got all the funny people.
02:17:07
They let all of them do their funny things, but it is like an incredibly long misshapen movie.
02:17:12
- It's like three hours long.
02:17:13
- Yes.
02:17:14
- You're just like, "All right, enough all right."
02:17:15
- I think it's also trying to be funny and different.
02:17:18
- Like, this feels, this is confused about what funny it's supposed to be in ma, ma, ma, mad world.
02:17:22
It doesn't, it isn't like the thing that's gonna make you like fall over laughing, but it is like, it knows the type of humor it is, I guess, and this one, it just feels confused.
02:17:33
- You also know what it's all watching.
02:17:34
It's like, "Oh, they're all trying to get the money."
02:17:37
Like, it's like, "Okay, I get, there's a big W with money underneath it."
02:17:41
- They're all trying to get it.
02:17:42
- So, the setup is incredibly simple, and it's just like, "Now we'll just have sketches."
02:17:46
The setup is great.
02:17:47
- And they're all on the road, which means they can run into other funny people, but you have the main five threads, and you understand them in relation to each other, because they're all working towards the same end goal.
02:17:56
- We're just thinking about that movie, is it sort of like Spielberg following up close encounters, even more seriously, it is Stanley Kramer's follow up to Judgment at Nuremberg.
02:18:02
- Yes.
02:18:03
- Like, he was like, "I'll do something silly after this."
02:18:05
- Right.
02:18:06
- Starring Spencer Tracy.
02:18:07
- Which this, you know, should be.
02:18:10
And instead, it feels like, whatever.
02:18:13
Like, it feels like an epic in search of, you know, more jokes or a plot or a point.
02:18:19
I don't like it.
02:18:20
- I don't either, but I don't hate it.
02:18:22
- No, I don't.
02:18:23
- It is just like, it is a confounding effect.
02:18:25
- I did it like a chore.
02:18:27
- I did as well.
02:18:28
- You know, like kind of like.
02:18:29
- Not held by the extra 30 minutes, I committed to.
02:18:31
- Yeah, I wanna watch that now.
02:18:33
- I wanna watch the extended version.
02:18:34
Is that, is it not?
02:18:35
- Maybe you're gonna give it a B minus.
02:18:37
Maybe you're gonna like that even more.
02:18:38
- Sims, which one did you watch?
02:18:39
- I mean, I think, I watched the regular version.
02:18:44
Mitch, I also feel like you, especially, you're sort of take on a lot of modern cinema is kind of like, I'm crying out for a Spielberg here.
02:18:50
Like as much as, you know, you're, you know, 1941 is flawed.
02:18:53
You're just recognizing like, there's craft.
02:18:55
- Yeah.
02:18:56
- And like, that's something that's just missing unless, you know, it's read one obviously, which is the best crafted movie.
02:19:01
No, I still haven't seen read it once.
02:19:02
(laughing)
02:19:03
- I'm gonna watch it.
02:19:04
- This is, this is reductive.
02:19:05
Movies are things that you look at and listen to.
02:19:09
And at the end of the day, this is directed by Steven Spielberg, the DP, whose name I forget, but like, it just shot a ton of like, it like, you know, great movies.
02:19:17
And.
02:19:18
- Guys, let me double check.
02:19:20
- William Fraker.
02:19:21
- Yeah.
02:19:22
- Great.
02:19:22
- And, and, and, and, you know, it's got a John Williams score.
02:19:25
I mean, there's, it at least has that going for it.
02:19:27
- Which is good.
02:19:28
- Yeah.
02:19:29
- The John Williams score is genuinely.
02:19:30
- Is genuinely good.
02:19:31
- It's got like, you gotta let it end it.
02:19:32
- And it co-flend in it.
02:19:33
- Yeah, exactly.
02:19:34
It's kind of, I feel like it's on the right side of making it.
02:19:36
- It's got a really strong, hummable theme.
02:19:38
Like the, the, the score is more in tune with the humor this movie is attempting than the movie itself.
02:19:44
- The theory of this film's humor.
02:19:46
- Yeah.
02:19:47
But it's, I mean, it's like, it is fascinating as a sort of like, we'll talk about sometimes like, people like,
02:19:57
who seemingly walks straight into a cultural cancellation, where it's like, oh, there's some part of them that wants to be caught.
02:20:04
- It's very like.
02:20:05
- Well, that's, that's the most extreme version.
02:20:07
- Right.
02:20:08
- Right.
02:20:09
- Hey, we know, we know, we know, we know, we know.
02:20:13
- You know.
02:20:14
But there's also like the version of people who will sort of like self-sabotage a career because they can't handle the pressure.
02:20:20
- Who are you, is there someone in particular thinking of?
02:20:22
- Well, you know what?
02:20:23
This is the first credited screen appearance.
02:20:26
He only appears at the very end, is the only, I clocked him, of Mickey Hors.
02:20:29
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:20:30
- And he is someone who talks that way about his night.
02:20:32
- Right, I basically behaved in a way of like, get me out of famous people.
02:20:35
- But even just what he picked, like the projects he took on and how he behaved on set was partially that like, he could not handle the pressure of everyone being like, you're the new Danerox,
02:20:45
you have it, right?
02:20:47
Like we're all looking at you.
02:20:49
And I think it's not quite the same thing, but like kinds of kindness, I remember when you walked out, you were like, this is your guest being like, I need to fight back against the idea that I'm like automatic prestige guy.
02:21:00
- Right, your guest being like, I am not the next Tim Burton, fuck you, Jesus Christ.
02:21:04
- Right, I wanna make people angry at me again.
02:21:06
So I can like reset the table and still feel transgressive.
02:21:10
I do think the way Spielberg talks about the making of this movie and the decision making process and being like, I just like wanna not hold myself to any standard is like almost consciously him trying to get his biggest flop out of the way so we can move on from it.
02:21:24
- I like that.
02:21:25
- Yeah, maybe there's something to that.
02:21:26
And again, he follows it up with his, you know, kind of his two biggest hits, right?
02:21:31
Apart from Joe, I mean, I don't know.
02:21:32
- And like Raiders is arguably his tightest movie.
02:21:34
- It is, it's his tightest movie in every way and it's storyboarded to hell and it's, came in under budget and on time and all that.
02:21:40
And it's him being like, I learned my lesson from a good little boy.
02:21:44
- Right.
02:21:44
- Before we play the box office game, is there anything else you guys noted in this bloated-ass movie that we have not touched on?
02:21:50
- Sims, I wanna say this, that as much as I say, I do like it and I appreciate it.
02:21:54
I did pause the movie and read the entire Wikipedia for Dumbo during the movie.
02:22:00
- Hell yeah.
02:22:01
- And then, - Much better movie.
02:22:02
- And then read the entire Wikipedia for Trumbo because it's just reminding me of Trumbo.
02:22:07
- Yeah, sure.
02:22:07
- So I was very distracted and took like an hour break.
02:22:11
I thought the second half of the movie, I thought once it gets to the, the zoot suit riot is basically when I, I was like, that was more when I was on board and all the big spectacle and the house sliding off the goonies,
02:22:24
is the goonies clip.
02:22:25
- It's cool.
02:22:26
- I know David is always very skeptical about the notion of fan edits and the fan edit community.
02:22:31
- I am, yes.
02:22:32
- One of our listeners recently emailed us and I scanned through it, I haven't sat down and watched it but we have our infamous, infamous battle about which half of the holiday is good and which half is bad.
02:22:43
And a listener emailed them was like, I agree with your take.
02:22:47
So here is my cut of the holiday that is just the Kate Winslet half of the movie where Jude Law and Cameron Day has never appeared on screen.
02:22:55
That cut itself is an hour and 10 minutes which speaks to how blogging that film is.
02:22:59
But even at the end where the two like cross over, he cut around any time that you see that.
02:23:05
- You never see that.
02:23:06
- Okay.
02:23:07
- But this sent me down a rabbit hole of similar fan edits and there's one guy I found on Reddit, I've been meaning to pass this along to you Mitch who is advertising that he did a cut of Romulus where he took out all the dumb fan service callbacks.
02:23:21
- Wow.
02:23:21
- That's interesting.
02:23:22
- He took out that, took out all the lines and people were like, this is...
02:23:26
- I would watch that, so then I message this guy to get a link to it and he was like, I have a couple other edits you might be interested in.
02:23:33
And one was a similar cut of solo where he did a similar like take out the dumb fan edit shit or the dumb fan service shit and like streamline the story.
02:23:42
- It's right, there's not too much of, right.
02:23:43
- And he did a cut of Miami Vice that he called Miami Nice - Okay.
02:23:48
- Where he was like, can you combine the superior aspects of the directors and theatrical?
02:23:53
- Right.
02:23:53
- And I'm like, this guy seems really interesting.
02:23:55
I like all of his thought experiments.
02:23:57
What I want someone, maybe this guy to do next is do a cut of 1941 where you just put in the entirety of Dumbo.
02:24:05
It's a clean, it's a, it's a, it's a pretty light lift.
02:24:08
- Yeah, I'm just watching like the elephant, the mom elephant caress Dumbo while she sings baby mine and I'm just like, animation is so beautiful.
02:24:17
And then I'm thinking about like in 1941, this must have felt like really revolutionary to watch something like this.
02:24:25
- Yeah.
02:24:25
- And then we're not watching Dumbo anymore and I'm like, boring, like back to this shitty movie.
02:24:30
- You can obviously go, you can certainly go full frame with some of the Dumbo.
02:24:33
You've got the, you've got some wides of the screen with the theater watching it.
02:24:37
You've also got some reaction shots of Robert Stack.
02:24:40
I wonder if you have enough to sustain the full movie just between like kind of, you know, running through to this movie.
02:24:45
- Yeah.
02:24:46
- But I think probably if we just, come back to Robert Stack like 80 times, like still good.
02:24:51
- Yeah.
02:24:52
- Robert, I was reminded, my thing is, I was reminded of how good Robert Stack is and Beavis and Butt head do events.
02:24:57
- So funny.
02:24:58
- He's so funny.
02:24:59
- He's gonna do it too.
02:25:00
- He's getting this, he's like the funniest part.
02:25:02
- He's so funny.
02:25:02
- He's a leader.
02:25:03
- He's so good.
02:25:04
- Immediately after this figure out how to use him in comedies properly, he's pretty good in that.
02:25:09
- He's good in this, but he actually just sort of seems like a serious person who's trying to clean up the mess.
02:25:13
And you're like, I support you, Robert Stack, but right, airplane gets the straight arrow joke with him much better.
02:25:19
- I want to call out the fan editor is, username straight cuts no chaser.
02:25:24
And if they tell me that they don't want me saying their username on Mike, then I will have this cut out.
02:25:29
- Sure, I'm sure that I would be happy.
02:25:31
- I just have one last, just two last thoughts, basically.
02:25:35
One, I liked that it was lighthearted because there's like sirens going off and it's about the destruction of Hollywood, which is like, if it was a dramatic movie watching that this week it probably would feel like,
02:25:46
do you know what I'm saying?
02:25:47
- Yeah, yeah, it's the timing.
02:25:48
- See all the time.
02:25:49
- The other movie we watch this week is Always, which is entirely about like forest fires and guys trying to like, - You know, airplane.
02:25:58
- Extinguish in planes flaming trees.
02:26:01
It's just a weird too spielberg to watch in a very tragic week for the Los Angeles era.
02:26:06
- So I was happy that it was lighthearted.
02:26:08
I, the end there, I want to ask you guys this, he's like 42 is going to be an even bigger year.
02:26:16
Were they angling first?
02:26:17
Was that a sequel angle?
02:26:18
- It feels like it.
02:26:19
- It's Christ.
02:26:20
- It feels like it.
02:26:21
- That would be, and they could watch Bambi.
02:26:24
- They call it that.
02:26:25
- That was, yeah, yeah.
02:26:26
- That's just, the movie is just like, the guys who didn't go overseas or just like, we watch a movie and they go watch Bambi.
02:26:32
- I think a decent franchise set up to just be like, yeah, we can make one for every year.
02:26:35
- Yeah, Jesus, we got these years on the lot.
02:26:36
(laughing)
02:26:38
- We're like 38 years ahead right now.
02:26:40
- Go ahead.
02:26:41
- I have two more quick things.
02:26:42
One is, and y'all may have the factual answer there, but like, so in this one is fictionalized where the land of Hollywood land is busted off by John Belushi's plane,
02:26:53
right?
02:26:53
- Right.
02:26:54
- I think the famous Hollywood side used to say Hollywood land.
02:26:57
- Well, my understanding is, 'cause I always, what I learned is that the land was destroyed by the rocketeer.
02:27:04
- Oh.
02:27:05
- So do you know which is true?
02:27:06
- Oh boy, that rocketeer.
02:27:07
- You're a rocketeer.
02:27:08
- You're a rocketeer.
02:27:09
- Yeah, you're a rocketeer, yeah.
02:27:11
- Right.
02:27:11
- Yeah, no, it's definitely a Billy Campbell, is that the rocketeer?
02:27:14
- Yeah, okay, I feel like in the movie, Hollywood land.
02:27:18
- The Ben Affleck movie.
02:27:19
- Adrian Brody.
02:27:20
- Adrian Brody, right, yeah.
02:27:21
- Where they used the like, the crumbling of the land as like a metaphor.
02:27:27
- Darkness.
02:27:28
- The darkness is so great.
02:27:29
This place isn't even a land anymore.
02:27:31
It's just an idea.
02:27:32
But I feel like they explain in that what actually happened to the letters.
02:27:37
What did happen?
02:27:38
- I think, Adrian Brody.
02:27:40
- Adrian Brody in that movie, as Lazlototh takes it down as an architectural experiment.
02:27:46
- He pours water off.
02:27:47
- Yeah, he runs his hang alone.
02:27:49
- There's a Brody verse that is slowly building up where his village character, unfortunately, is gonna pop into the camera.
02:27:56
- Only one man who can stop it.
02:27:58
- I have a buddy who-- - Private Royce from "Pretters."
02:28:01
- I'm sure.
02:28:02
- Or what about the mean record executive from Cadillac Records?
02:28:05
I've just heard it like that.
02:28:06
- Yes, exactly.
02:28:07
- I think it's Arthur.
02:28:08
It's definitely Chess.
02:28:09
- It's Chess Records.
02:28:10
- I have a buddy who confronted the rocketeer on that of a hotel and said that he didn't believe that he was the reason that the land went down and he punched him.
02:28:16
- Oh, he punched him.
02:28:17
- And the rocketeer punched him.
02:28:18
- Yeah, that's amazing.
02:28:19
I'm kind of with the rocketeer there, honestly.
02:28:21
- Yeah.
02:28:22
- I mean, even if it was a thing that he was made up, you'd still-- - He's a man alone, he's an old man.
02:28:28
- Did you read that op-ed where the rocketeer said he was voting for Trump?
02:28:31
- Yeah.
02:28:32
- Yeah.
02:28:32
- And just pointing.
02:28:33
- Yeah.
02:28:34
- I mean, I guess I should have seen it coming from like an art deco 30s here.
02:28:39
- Yeah.
02:28:39
- I was like kind of iron red coat.
02:28:42
- Yeah, and it's also just like, I don't know.
02:28:43
He's an old man and like, what's he done recently outside of dancing with the stars, you know, and punching the guy.
02:28:49
- I have one more-- - I have one more-- - I heard that.
02:28:52
- He almost did a movie a few years ago and he was going to do red rock.
02:28:55
It was actually gonna be red rocketeer.
02:28:57
- Oh, yeah, I did read that.
02:28:58
- He just didn't want to show dick on screen.
02:29:01
- Yeah.
02:29:02
- Yeah, Sean Baker insisted.
02:29:03
- Yeah.
02:29:04
- What was your other thought?
02:29:05
- Yeah, what's your other thought?
02:29:07
- My other thing, going back to a Trumbo, a fun fact, the wikipedia-- - Of course, let's please go back to Trumbo.
02:29:14
- The gotta go back to the wikipedia entry for Trumbo was written in a bathtub.
02:29:18
All right.
02:29:19
- Yeah, of course, there you go.
02:29:20
- Yeah, there you go.
02:29:21
- The page itself is wet.
02:29:22
- Yeah.
02:29:23
- By the way, Los Angeles has an idea to help battle the fires in the future.
02:29:27
They're gonna build a bunch of sparrows.
02:29:29
(laughing)
02:29:31
- That's crazy.
02:29:32
- That's crazy.
02:29:32
- That's good.
02:29:33
- You know, I actually heard, I heard...
02:29:36
I went to the spa room last week 'cause I was just like, we're dealing with fires out here and it's like you kind of like, I just want some trashy food to kind of comfort me and it's gonna be all these fast food workers are still on the job,
02:29:46
God bless them.
02:29:47
- Yeah, yeah.
02:29:48
- So I went to the spa room at the Fox Hills Mall to get myself some comfort food and they're boiling the marinara back there.
02:29:56
In the marinara, is Trumbo with a typewriter in the screen, like...
02:30:00
(laughing)
02:30:03
- But he's got a mustache in his chef's head.
02:30:05
- Yeah, yeah.
02:30:06
- Hey, I'm already writing my screenplay, I'm Italian Trumbo over here.
02:30:09
- Also, I know we finished, we moved on from our Adrian Brody, little side by the time.
02:30:13
I don't want to offer spoilers for anyone who hasn't seen the brutalist yet.
02:30:16
You know, my favorite scene was in that movie.
02:30:19
When they go to Italy and the old guy pours the marinara on the marble.
02:30:23
- That is really fulfilling, yeah.
02:30:25
- That was very touching and very sensitive culturally, I found.
02:30:29
- From Sparrows, of course.
02:30:30
You see, I'm gonna go to Sparrows, ask for a cup of marinara.
02:30:33
- I want to one of those hydrants that wasn't working.
02:30:36
And I followed it back, I guess we're gonna end up.
02:30:40
Is it Sparrows?
02:30:42
- Oh boy, that's an issue.
02:30:45
That was not the part of the issue.
02:30:46
- I'm really glad he gave us the time to answer much.
02:30:49
- Rather than just telling us.
02:30:51
- My only last thought is that in this thumbs up this movie to me, this thumbs up this movie to me is that when they do the, I mean, I know we've talked about the credits a lot, but when they do the credits and maybe we said this already,
02:31:05
the explosions, we mentioned it.
02:31:06
- Before the explosions.
02:31:07
- Yeah.
02:31:08
- Every character they show is just like, "Ah, they're all scared."
02:31:11
- Yeah.
02:31:11
- Just putting that effort into this.
02:31:13
- There's no clip of anyone being quiet in this movie that you could find.
02:31:18
- And can I actually just say one more thing before we play the lights off this game?
02:31:21
- Yeah, I think you need to.
02:31:22
- I forgot to bring this up earlier.
02:31:24
The wiger, when you were saying that this movie has the manic energy of the water world stunt show, which can sustain for 20 minutes, but not like a, for two hours.
02:31:32
Did you hear the rumor that Universal is gonna replace that with a Superhero stunt show?
02:31:36
(laughing)
02:31:39
- Again, for any listener who doesn't know what's going on, please listen to Dove Boys every week.
02:31:46
- It's a wonderful fight, I guess, but especially Griffin Sparrows at the same time.
02:31:49
- The Super Nintendo adaptation of Sparrow World actually has an amazing soundtrack.
02:31:54
It's a weird thing that does.
02:31:55
- I heard that.
02:31:56
- It does, yeah.
02:31:57
So this film came out.
02:32:00
This actually is weird.
02:32:02
This one came out of Christmas time.
02:32:03
I don't think this is a particularly good Christmas movie.
02:32:07
- But as I said, that teaser trailer is for going for, your Christmas movie is nearly the end.
02:32:12
When he knocks his house into the, yeah.
02:32:14
It's kind of like a very light Christmas movie.
02:32:17
- I also think that like before Spielberg, you know, basically created the modern blackbuster with "Jaws in a Summer" release, Christmas was the number one most desirable release?
02:32:27
- Christmas is much more wide open, you're right.
02:32:30
- It was the best one.
02:32:30
- All of these movies are big.
02:32:32
So it's opening number three, which is pretty decent, but you know, it wasn't like the success they hoped for.
02:32:39
And number one of the box offices, kind of the biggest play of the year, sort of, it's a big sci-fi movie.
02:32:49
- It's a big sci-fi movie.
02:32:50
- We've covered it in our Patreon.
02:32:51
- In 1979, we covered it on our Patreon.
02:32:54
Is it 2010?
02:32:55
- No.
02:32:56
- Are we making content?
02:32:56
- No.
02:32:57
- Is it Star Trek the Motion Picture?
02:32:58
- That's what it is.
02:32:59
- Okay, there we go.
02:33:00
- Star Trek the Motion Picture, which of course, was a television show.
02:33:05
They were gonna make Star Trek phase two.
02:33:07
And then Star Wars came out and they were like, "Fuck, this needs to just be a movie."
02:33:10
These are movies now.
02:33:11
And Star Trek the Motion Picture arrived and did well, but was also disappointed.
02:33:16
- But it's also-- - It's also like, almost like if they announced tomorrow that they were greenlighting a $200 million NYPD Blue movie with the original task.
02:33:26
- Oh, literally, yes.
02:33:27
I mean, maybe, okay.
02:33:29
- It's not, I'm trying to think of it.
02:33:30
- It's kind of better antelope.
02:33:31
- It's kind of a good antelope.
02:33:32
- It's kind of a good antelope, I guess.
02:33:34
- But only-- - But they've already done movies of that.
02:33:36
- It would be the X-Files.
02:33:37
If X-Files didn't have two movies in a revival.
02:33:39
- Yeah, or, yeah, I don't know.
02:33:42
I mean, some kind of big cult show.
02:33:44
- Yeah, it just, but not the biggest show.
02:33:46
- It's not the biggest show.
02:33:47
- How massive the Star Wars closing counters effect was combined with like, Trek being the original cult show that lingered.
02:33:54
- Real quick, Sim, I know you've covered in the Patreon.
02:33:56
People have heard your take.
02:33:57
But Sim's, as a Trek-y, what do you think of Star Trek?
02:34:00
- I am a huge fan and huge defender of, as it was known at the time, Star Trek the Slow Motion Picture.
02:34:07
I think it just-- - Or the motion was pictured.
02:34:09
- Or the motionless picture.
02:34:10
I've been, I saw it when I was a kid and I was just very taken with it.
02:34:14
It is objectively boring and it is objectively kind of like, not very good at like the Star Trek stuff.
02:34:21
Like it doesn't really have a really good handle on Kirk and Spock and stuff.
02:34:24
- I think it's a great mood piece.
02:34:25
- But it's such a cool, weird, moody movie and all the visual effects are so cool and I love the story and I always will defend it.
02:34:32
But Kahn is, you know, Star Trek 2, Wrath of Kahn, is them figuring everything out.
02:34:38
Like the formula for these movies, Kirk and Spock's dynamic, everything.
02:34:42
I mean, I love that movie.
02:34:44
- I want to shout out while we're talking Star Trek.
02:34:46
Nicholas Meyer, who was the director of Star Trek 60 in Discovery Country.
02:34:51
- And of Wrath of Kahn.
02:34:52
- Yeah, it's, but Nicholas Meyer, when I was on the, during the WGA strikes, he was out on the picket lines like every day.
02:34:59
I'd see that guy all the time and he's like, you know, he's a, I believe it was born in the 40s.
02:35:05
So like, you know, he's still out there.
02:35:06
He's like in his late 70s.
02:35:08
- Yeah.
02:35:09
- He rocks.
02:35:10
- Yeah.
02:35:11
- I mean, I love it.
02:35:11
- Yeah.
02:35:12
- You think.
02:35:13
(laughing)
02:35:14
- David, do you have the Star Trek, the motion picture soundtrack on vinyl?
02:35:19
- No, I have Wrath of Kahn on vinyl.
02:35:22
- Okay.
02:35:23
- I bought it and then a better version came out.
02:35:24
I'll give you the old version, the less good version.
02:35:26
Second thing, this episode's coming on in February 2nd.
02:35:29
- Okay.
02:35:30
- Yesterday, February 1st on our Patreon, we finished the Jelly Trilogy Context.
02:35:34
- Uh-huh, and we're about to start.
02:35:35
- And now, the next generation.
02:35:37
- We're about to start doing all the Picard movies.
02:35:40
- Wow.
02:35:40
- Very excited for that.
02:35:41
- Yeah.
02:35:42
- Great layout.
02:35:43
- Four of them is only four.
02:35:44
But then we have a little treat for movie fun.
02:35:46
- We can say it.
02:35:47
- Galaxy Quest.
02:35:48
- Galaxy, Galaxy Quest on.
02:35:49
- Why not?
02:35:50
Why not?
02:35:51
Now, but listen to this, box of a scheme, sorry.
02:35:53
- Okay.
02:35:54
- 1941 is opening number three.
02:35:55
No, I'm just saying, I didn't know this until now.
02:35:57
This is devastating for 1941.
02:35:59
Number two at the box office knew this week, opening against 1941 is one of the best comedies of the '70s.
02:36:06
- Wow.
02:36:07
- And like a shot out of a cannon holy shit, like movie star movie.
02:36:10
- Is it the jerk?
02:36:11
- It's Steve Martin.
02:36:12
- Oh, yeah.
02:36:13
- That is devastating.
02:36:14
- So like, that movie is what?
02:36:15
- 85 minutes longer, whatever.
02:36:17
You know what I mean?
02:36:18
Like, and like, so fucking funny.
02:36:19
- A guy who had never been in movies before, probably cost what?
02:36:22
- Five million dollars.
02:36:23
- Yeah, exactly.
02:36:23
- Cost no money.
02:36:24
- Yeah.
02:36:25
- And just like, it cost four million dollars, it made a hundred.
02:36:28
- Right.
02:36:29
And it's just like two generations of comedic geniuses, Carl Reiner, and like Steve Martin, just building a perfect comedy out of nothing.
02:36:35
- Right.
02:36:36
- So that's tough for 1943.
02:36:37
- Yeah.
02:36:38
- I can just go see the jerk, like, that's much better.
02:36:40
- Yeah.
02:36:41
- Number four at the box office.
02:36:42
- And jerks office.
02:36:43
- And handily, I'll gross it.
02:36:44
- Yep.
02:36:45
- I'm right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right.
02:36:46
- Yeah.
02:36:47
- Number four is also a kind of 1941-esque movie, but it's a very serious war masterpiece.
02:36:53
But it's also an out of control.
02:36:56
- Is it apocalypse now?
02:36:57
- Apocalypse.
02:36:58
- Wow.
02:36:59
- Wow.
02:37:00
- So you could also just go see the real thing, you know what I mean?
02:37:02
- That's insane.
02:37:03
- Just fucking go see Apocalypse now.
02:37:05
If you want to see a bloated, amazing war epic.
02:37:08
- Yeah.
02:37:08
- Can I, can I?
02:37:09
- Number five, go ahead.
02:37:10
- Can I quickly interject here?
02:37:11
Isn't it weird that Billy Corgan doesn't sing about 1941 and 1979?
02:37:16
- That's a great.
02:37:17
- You like the movie?
02:37:18
- It is weird.
02:37:18
- He should be like- - Great.
02:37:20
- Not much.
02:37:21
- Yeah, cool.
02:37:22
- Yeah.
02:37:23
- Take that movie is good, isn't it, like that?
02:37:25
- I give it a C.
02:37:27
- Corgan's hard to do.
02:37:29
(laughing)
02:37:30
- Yeah.
02:37:32
- That's a little Corgan, right?
02:37:33
(crickets chirping)
02:37:34
- 1997.
02:37:35
- Just keep doing that, right?
02:37:36
I mean, why are you and I will do it in a case.
02:37:37
- That's good, Mitch.
02:37:38
- Yeah, that was good.
02:37:39
- That was a good Corgan.
02:37:40
- But he should have sang about 1941.
02:37:42
- It's his favorite year, but he should have sang about another year.
02:37:45
- Yeah.
02:37:46
- Yeah.
02:37:46
- Let's go see 1941, like that should have been in the song.
02:37:48
- Yeah, let's go see 1941.
02:37:50
- Nope.
02:37:51
- It sounds like Cartman.
02:37:52
(laughing)
02:37:54
- And get some cheesy poos.
02:37:56
(laughing)
02:37:57
- Yeah, you know what?
02:37:57
He should have sang like Cartman too, honestly.
02:37:59
- He should, why didn't he sing like Cartman?
02:38:01
(laughing)
02:38:02
- Can I turn a big take?
02:38:03
- Like, what if Rick Rubin started doing that when he's like brought in as like, you know, a big budget producer or a third of a new record?
02:38:09
He's like, you should sing it like Cartman.
02:38:10
- Yeah, more.
02:38:11
- It's my one note.
02:38:12
- More butters, less timid.
02:38:13
(laughing)
02:38:14
I feel like South Park has strayed away from its real core, which is cheesy poops.
02:38:20
I feel like they barely mention cheesy poops anymore.
02:38:22
- I have not seen South Park in like 15 years.
02:38:24
- Still not.
02:38:25
- Well, I'll tell you what you have to miss.
02:38:26
Cheesy poops come.
02:38:26
- Oh shit.
02:38:27
(laughing)
02:38:28
- Number five, I just want to, so you know, we've got Star Trek, The Jerk, 1941.
02:38:32
- Yeah.
02:38:33
- Parkloops now.
02:38:34
Number five is a hit movie.
02:38:36
- Okay.
02:38:37
- But it's also a number movie.
02:38:39
- Oh.
02:38:40
- It's like, so 1941's even getting outboxed in the number title realm.
02:38:44
- Is it a year as well?
02:38:46
- No, it's just a number.
02:38:47
- It's just a number.
02:38:48
- Is it 10?
02:38:49
- It's like 10.
02:38:50
- It's like 10.
02:38:51
- Blake Edwards is 10 with Dudley Moore and Bo Derek.
02:38:54
- Another, dare I say it.
02:38:55
And I know this term has been retired, but I think it applies too directly for this film.
02:38:59
- Big, big fat.
02:39:00
- It is a big tidied hit.
02:39:01
- Big tidied.
02:39:02
- 10 is a big tidied hit.
02:39:03
- I've heard it.
02:39:04
- And it's another low blow to open against two comedies that are really sticking with the culture.
02:39:08
- I've never seen 10.
02:39:09
- I mean, I just know it's got big boobs on it.
02:39:11
- You guys seen 10?
02:39:12
- I saw it.
02:39:13
- I saw it in many years ago.
02:39:15
- I remember it being like- - It's just like, no, wait a second.
02:39:17
It's one and- (laughing)
02:39:20
- It just turned into Zemeckas here.
02:39:21
(laughing)
02:39:24
- You've seen it in many years ago.
02:39:26
- I remember, I just, I think I remember it just like, 'cause I knew I liked Dudley Moore.
02:39:31
And so, I don't, I think it might have been, I might have been too young for like the comedy, but like the right age for the ranch memory serves.
02:39:39
- Right, right, of course.
02:39:41
- It was a right age for the ranch.
02:39:42
(laughing)
02:39:43
- It's funny that the set up for that movie is Dudley Moore, who is two foot negative six inches, is married to Julia Andrews.
02:39:52
- Statue of Schoolman.
02:39:53
- They go on vacation and he sees a younger woman who is so fucking hot that the movie is basically like cheat on your life.
02:40:01
- And Blake Edwards was married to Julia Andrews.
02:40:04
- Also at the box office, we've got, and Justice For All, the Pacino movie, which is Silly, but you know, not bad,
02:40:14
but you've got the film Starting Over, which is the Burt Reynolds sort of romantic dramedy with Jill Caper, that's a good movie.
02:40:23
Pretty good movie, kind of one of his more serious, like actually pretty good movies.
02:40:27
You've got the Rose with Bet Middler, which was her kind of breakout right now film.
02:40:33
- Playing not Janice Joplin.
02:40:34
- You're playing a Janice Joplin-esque diva.
02:40:37
You've got the black stallion with Mickey Rooney.
02:40:40
- Oh sure.
02:40:41
- I think I'm the late in life Oscar nom.
02:40:43
Never seen.
02:40:44
- Me neither, actually.
02:40:45
Yeah, I saw the, or Carol Ballard did the remake, right?
02:40:49
- It's Carol Ballard.
02:40:50
- Yeah, I saw that.
02:40:51
- No, that's this one.
02:40:52
That's this one.
02:40:53
- Oh wait, then who did the, I don't fuck now.
02:40:55
- There's the 90s black stallion.
02:40:57
Yes, there is.
02:41:00
- Yes.
02:41:00
- Carol Ballard did the remake.
02:41:01
- Is it just about a horse?
02:41:04
- Like what is it doing?
02:41:05
- Can I, can I, look, I know I flopped with my R1 movies cursed earlier.
02:41:09
Like I know that didn't take.
02:41:11
How about this?
02:41:12
- Our horse movies cursed.
02:41:16
- Interesting.
02:41:17
- You mean like it has to be like, 'cause there's horse movies with horses in it, man.
02:41:21
- No, but yeah, no.
02:41:21
- Like a movie centered on a horse.
02:41:23
- Right, spirit stars.
02:41:24
- Horse in the title.
02:41:26
- Spirit, stallion of the simmer.
02:41:27
- Yeah.
02:41:28
- We don't like war horse.
02:41:29
You and I both put that pretty low in our space.
02:41:30
- Yeah, I'm not a big fan of war horse.
02:41:31
- What's the best movie with the horse in the dreamer?
02:41:35
- Never saw Dreamer.
02:41:36
- But that's my favorite line in the movie, Hamlet II.
02:41:38
- Oh sure.
02:41:39
- When he's introducing Kim, what's your name?
02:41:43
What's your fucking name?
02:41:44
- Elizabeth Shoes.
02:41:45
- Yes.
02:41:46
- And he's like trying to get the kids excited about Elizabeth Shoes.
02:41:49
And they're like, they don't know who she is.
02:41:50
And he's like, Dreamer with the fucking horse.
02:41:53
- It always makes me laugh.
02:41:53
- Spirit, I haven't seen spirit running for you or whatever the reason one was called.
02:41:57
The original spirit is very well animated and a bit of a snooze.
02:42:00
- I've been thinking about showing spirit to my daughter because it seems kind of chill.
02:42:04
- I was gonna say.
02:42:05
It's a perfect like that age movie.
02:42:08
But no, I think Yger, you might have redeemed yourself with this tape.
02:42:13
- Hedolgo, do we like Hedolgo?
02:42:14
- No one likes Hedolgo.
02:42:16
- Yeah.
02:42:17
- I shouldn't have been Hedolgo right off the bat.
02:42:18
- Hedolgo was gone through a sea biscuit.
02:42:20
- Oh, sea biscuit.
02:42:21
- Sea biscuit is like as good as you can get.
02:42:25
That's like the ceiling for a horse movie.
02:42:27
And that movie's mostly not about the horse.
02:42:30
- Yeah, but does anyone give a shit about what was the other fucking, the Malkovich one called?
02:42:34
- They made a secretariat movie.
02:42:35
- Secretariat.
02:42:36
- Oh, yeah, that one's even worse.
02:42:37
- Yeah, that one's not bad.
02:42:38
- Yeah, that one's not bad.
02:42:39
- Sea biscuit's all right.
02:42:40
- The number 10 of the box office is.
02:42:41
- This is pretty good take, why?
02:42:42
- It looks like it's a re-release of a George P.
02:42:44
Cosmodus movie called Sin or Restless starring Raquel Welsh.
02:42:48
This is not important.
02:42:49
Anyway, that's the box office came from 1941.
02:42:52
And I just think it illustrates how badly its lunch is getting eaten by better movies.
02:42:58
And like next week, Kramer versus Kramer comes out.
02:43:01
- Wow.
02:43:01
- Which is like one of the biggest movies of that year.
02:43:03
- Is it number one?
02:43:04
- It certainly is up there and it wins Oscar and all that.
02:43:07
So it's sort of like, I've never seen Kramer versus Kramer.
02:43:09
I think it's coming to the vista.
02:43:10
Never seen it.
02:43:11
I know.
02:43:12
- It's a Kramer versus Kramer.
02:43:12
- It's good.
02:43:13
It's dated, but it's like a very watchable movie.
02:43:15
- I think the sequel is better.
02:43:16
- Go ahead.
02:43:17
- You're versus Kramer versus Matt Locke versus Ethan.
02:43:19
(laughs)
02:43:22
- What the fuck is that?
02:43:23
- Someone's behind Undo.
02:43:25
- Oh, am I?
02:43:27
I am because I got addicted to playing.
02:43:28
- I transmuted the joke a bit.
02:43:30
You've been addicted to Band Splat.
02:43:32
- I was saying to her, Brit Pops here.
02:43:33
- I turned its a versus, of course, and Mitch's original joke, the purity of it is that they meet, they don't fight, they meet.
02:43:39
- I appreciate you, Griff, even making a joke off of that joke, which I think no one liked what I said.
02:43:45
- It's a good joke.
02:43:46
- It's a good joke.
02:43:48
I like it the more it has to be explained.
02:43:50
- How about Kramer versus Kramer versus Kramer?
02:43:53
- And then a Seinfeld movie underneath it.
02:43:55
How's that?
02:43:56
- That's fine.
02:43:57
- That's right.
02:43:58
- Kramer versus Kramer, yeah, I like it.
02:44:00
- Yeah.
02:44:01
- You could do Kramer versus Kramer versus Kramer versus the laugh factory.
02:44:04
(laughs)
02:44:07
- So are just one or Hoffman and Streep doing in that movie, what?
02:44:11
- They're there.
02:44:12
- They're just there.
02:44:13
- They're just there.
02:44:14
- They're just there.
02:44:15
- On the stand.
02:44:16
- Right?
02:44:17
- And she's like crying about the wall with the clouds in the boys' bedroom.
02:44:21
- Right.
02:44:22
- And then we just cut to Richards.
02:44:24
- No, they're on stage, all of them are on stage at the laugh factory.
02:44:27
But she's like on the witness stand.
02:44:29
- Yeah.
02:44:30
- And then Michael Richards, she's like, the movie is just happening.
02:44:33
- Slurs, and Justin Hoffman's like, "Are you supposed to be defending?"
02:44:36
- You know what's still crazy?
02:44:37
- What?
02:44:38
- Michael Richards doing that shit.
02:44:39
- Can I say?
02:44:40
- It's so crazy.
02:44:41
- I, at least once a year, watched the sign felt on letter.
02:44:46
- Oh, we were laughing.
02:44:48
- I was like, he's a real bit of TV.
02:44:50
- Stop laughing.
02:44:51
It's not fun.
02:44:51
- Stop laughing.
02:44:52
- But we were just talking about this.
02:44:53
- Yeah.
02:44:54
- Probably the similar people you were talking to about it.
02:44:56
I'm sure.
02:44:57
- Yeah, probably.
02:44:58
I watch it so much.
02:45:00
It's so fascinating because it is like, the last moment culturally, where the news travels slowly enough.
02:45:08
- Right.
02:45:09
- That the studio audience hasn't heard it.
02:45:10
- Right.
02:45:11
- They haven't actually heard it.
02:45:12
- I mean, they've heard about it.
02:45:13
- No, no.
02:45:14
- Okay, okay, okay.
02:45:15
- That's the thing they start laughing because they think it's a comedic setup.
02:45:17
- Right.
02:45:18
- And you're like, today if that happened, it would hit the internet so fast that the night before anyone going in to see Letterman would have heard this already.
02:45:28
And this taping happening 12 hours after the event was a little too fast for people to have content.
02:45:35
- I was saying it's the last new laughs at Kramer.
02:45:38
Kramer never gets that new fresh laughs never happened with Kramer ever again after that moment.
02:45:44
- That is how I think that's right.
02:45:47
- It's the truth, it's the truth.
02:45:49
- I think, no, I think it's right.
02:45:51
- It was worth it.
02:45:52
- We are done.
02:45:52
- We're done.
02:45:53
- We're done with 1941.
02:45:54
- Guys, thank you so much for that.
02:45:55
- You guys did a great job.
02:45:56
- Thank you so much for having us.
02:45:58
- Of course.
02:45:59
- Just a great, I'm so glad you're doing the first half of Spielberg's Filmography.
02:46:03
And yeah, it's a really, always, again, always such a treat to come on the podcast.
02:46:08
- I think we'll do it.
02:46:09
We'll do an in-person episode this year.
02:46:11
- I think so too.
02:46:12
- If you guys are in New York, at some point this year, it'd be great to finally cut it up.
02:46:17
- It almost happens, it's gonna happen.
02:46:19
- It almost happens.
02:46:20
- It's gonna happen.
02:46:21
- So hopefully it happens.
02:46:22
- You guys got some live shows scheduled in the area.
02:46:24
And we have our designs on it and hopefully by the time, yeah, we know far enough out on the schedule what we can do forever.
02:46:31
- It'll be in person to commemorate you guys joining the Five Timers Club.
02:46:35
- Oh, that's fun.
02:46:37
- Do we get jackets?
02:46:38
Is it like SNL?
02:46:38
Do we get jackets or anything or no?
02:46:39
- Fuck yeah, I guess we'll get some jackets.
02:46:41
- Fuck it, fuck it, fuck jacket.
02:46:44
- We're gonna do a pizza tour in Connecticut.
02:46:45
We're very excited.
02:46:46
Also, we have a big text that blank doe.
02:46:50
We get to get your movie takes every day on the day.
02:46:55
- Well, I'm vice versa.
02:46:58
And especially the takes we don't wanna say on Mike.
02:47:01
I will say I did a show with Tammy Sager.
02:47:05
A great friend at your show, great person, upcoming guest on our show if everything works out.
02:47:10
But I did a show with her and she came up to me backstage and said, what are the three most recent texts in blank doe?
02:47:16
That was the first thing she said.
02:47:18
I wanna see what the last three texts were.
02:47:20
- Was it you guys explaining the end of the brutalist to me because it was pretty helpful, honestly.
02:47:25
It made me like the ending more.
02:47:26
- That was people performance from the blank doe thread.
02:47:29
When we're all talking about-- - That was people doing a good job.
02:47:31
That was pretty-- - It was all thread hanging in there.
02:47:34
- Yeah, absolutely, it was us at SP.
02:47:37
Yeah.
02:47:38
- Can I shout out, someday we'll create the mutual million dollar Patreon tier where you get to read the text.
02:47:43
- Yep, yep, yep.
02:47:44
- We will, that sounds good.
02:47:45
- We will only ever make it public if it's a $1 million join.
02:47:47
- A poor person.
02:47:49
- You get to join the thread.
02:47:50
You can't participate.
02:47:52
- Right, it's gonna watch.
02:47:52
- Exactly.
02:47:54
- Can I shout out Griffin real quick?
02:47:55
Griffin, I don't know if you have a steel book or related nickname yet.
02:47:58
- I don't.
02:48:00
- I would pitch the man of steel.
02:48:02
But you could also be a green book riff for the steel book.
02:48:06
I don't know.
02:48:07
It's just whatever you want to run with there.
02:48:09
But-- - I like man of steel books.
02:48:11
- The man of steel books.
02:48:12
- You like that man of steel book?
02:48:14
- The steel book unclear what it's referencing and what it's referencing as a bad movie.
02:48:21
The man of steel book connected me with the site you sent me to did not feel like an actual retailer.
02:48:29
But the Ninja Scroll Blu-ray, which the steel book, which was in very limited release and my pre-order got canceled.
02:48:36
I was like Griffin, yeah, I'm in a jam here.
02:48:38
You got to help me out here.
02:48:40
- You had pre-order from Crunchyroll and they ran out and I went to my Blu-ray message boards and was like, this seems to be a recurring problem.
02:48:47
I'm gonna dig into who people say.
02:48:49
'Cause at this point, everyone else had sold out of it.
02:48:51
- And the URL you sent me was like-- - I think I sent you to bull moves?
02:48:53
- Yeah, whatever it was, it was like one of those weird Estonian sites that illegally streams NBA games that you find that was such a weird website that actually delivered and actually had I ended up getting my steel book.
02:49:08
So I really appreciate it.
02:49:09
- You got your steel book?
02:49:10
- I did, yeah.
02:49:11
- Yeah, this is why you told me-- - This is why Natalie's had a go-back long before the fire started.
02:49:16
- The way you confirmed that the steel book had arrived successfully been delivered was you took a picture of your hand holding it and just wrote in all caps.
02:49:29
Griffin Newman has a 10-inch cock.
02:49:31
(laughing)
02:49:33
And I said, that is the coolest way anyone has ever been given credit for knowing which retailers to get steel books from.
02:49:41
(laughing)
02:49:43
- I stand by this.
02:49:44
- Exactly, a deeply dorky thing.
02:49:46
No, but I was happy to do that, it's fun.
02:49:50
You guys are the best.
02:49:52
- It's always a trick.
02:49:53
- Griffin is hung like sea biscuit.
02:49:54
(laughing)
02:49:55
- Alright.
02:49:56
- Jesus.
02:49:57
- Let's start there.
02:49:58
- Sea biscuit had a famously small penis.
02:50:00
(laughing)
02:50:01
- That damn it.
02:50:02
(laughing)
02:50:05
- He could run real fast.
02:50:07
- I called him sea peanut in the locker room.
02:50:10
(laughing)
02:50:11
- Anything you guys want to plug outside of Doboy's at large?
02:50:15
- Sure, 41, should check it out.
02:50:16
- Yeah, I took a 19-inch plug, 1941.
02:50:18
- I, yeah, Doboy's podcast about chain restaurants.
02:50:20
Me and Mike Mitchell, Simson and Griffin have both been on.
02:50:23
If you haven't listened, good jumpin' on points available in recent memory.
02:50:27
- Yeah.
02:50:28
- And people should watch on, Mitch's show on PCA, twisted metal, which is play stew and twisted metal.
02:50:34
Twisted metal is really funny and it's got a lot of good action.
02:50:37
And you know what, it succeeds in an action, as an action comedy in a way that 1941 doesn't, so.
02:50:43
- I would, I would strongly agree with that.
02:50:44
And season two is coming out sometime this year.
02:50:47
- Season two is coming out sometime this year, yes, for sure.
02:50:49
- Yeah, it needed more candy.
02:50:50
- Oh, go ahead, target.
02:50:52
- No, no, what were you gonna say?
02:50:53
- I just, we talked about this a little bit, 94 and one needed more candy, I need more candy.
02:50:57
- Need more candy, yeah.
02:50:58
- Need more candy.
02:51:00
No, I was just gonna say, not to force your guy's hand, you're calling out that you've had Simson and I on the show a couple times.
02:51:08
The person you gotta get on, on Doboy's is Mr.
02:51:12
Ben Haasley.
02:51:13
- Wow.
02:51:14
- Wow.
02:51:15
- I think, I think there is a real, like kind of, heater of an episode, untapped.
02:51:22
- I mean, it would be the next few-- - The next few bench in Los Angeles.
02:51:24
- It would be a huge honor, yeah.
02:51:26
For sure, yeah, let's, let's make it happen.
02:51:28
- He's got a pin.
02:51:29
- Ben, you were great on, I loved your PTR episode.
02:51:32
So yeah, definitely, next time you're in LA, we'll figure it out.
02:51:34
- Yeah, we got, come on.
02:51:35
- All right.
02:51:36
- I mean, it's not gonna be fun for you, Ben, but come on, come do it.
02:51:39
(laughing)
02:51:41
- All right, I get super through.
02:51:42
(laughing)
02:51:44
- Thank you guys for doing this.
02:51:45
Thank you all for listening.
02:51:47
Tune in next week for, let me see another stinker from Steven Spielberg, Raiders of the Lost Ark.
02:51:52
- Wow.
02:51:53
- It is just, I say it at the beginning of that episode, it's one of the greatest comeback movies of all time.
02:51:57
If not, the undisputed greatest.
02:51:59
- Recorded that episode with the great-- - Brian Michael Bendis.
02:52:03
- Brian Michael Bendis.
02:52:03
- Wow, wow.
02:52:04
- Yeah, legendary comics writer.
02:52:05
- Yep.
02:52:06
- Yeah.
02:52:07
- An Indiana Jones Superfan.
02:52:08
So Tune in for that, as we said, next generation Picard Trek movies coming up on Patreon.
02:52:13
- That's right.
02:52:14
- We'll start off with the generation.
02:52:15
- But also February 11th, doing Spielberg TV movies.
02:52:18
- Yeah, something even-- - And Wicked.
02:52:21
- Yeah.
02:52:22
- Isn't that what it's savage?
02:52:23
- Savage, not Wicked.
02:52:25
Anyway.
02:52:25
- I had Wicked on the brain.
02:52:26
- It's kind of just a damp ending, but yep, that's true.
02:52:31
- And as always, that ending was so damn.
02:52:33
(laughing)
02:52:34
I briefly mistook it for a subordinate.
02:52:36
(laughing)
02:52:37
- Should I put pepperoni on it?
02:52:38
(laughing)
02:52:40
(upbeat music)
02:52:42
- Sims, when's your out?
02:52:47
- Oh, whatever.
02:52:49
- Great question.
02:52:50
- Okay.
02:52:50
- I mean, I'd love to be done by in two hours, but we'll see.
02:52:54
- I mean, this movie is less-- - Casey just laughed at that.
02:52:57
(laughing)
02:52:58
- God.
02:52:59
- Come on.
02:52:59
(laughing)
02:53:01
- This movie is not weighty enough, you know.
02:53:05
- Right.
02:53:06
- I think there's-- - There's plenty to discuss out there.
02:53:08
- That's right, man.
02:53:09
- But it's not like, well, but it's like, it's like, you know, like where it's like fucking jaws and you're like, did we, you know, forget one of the 10 most famous movie sequences of all time, you know, or whatever,
02:53:19
like it's-- - The jaws episode we forgot to talk about, like half of his teeth.
02:53:23
We only covered the top half.
02:53:24
(laughing)
02:53:25
- What's the quotes?
02:53:27
- Fuck, I'm trying to find them.
02:53:29
- Oh, my God, we like a dot, not a man.
02:53:31
- Oh, yes it's-- - Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
02:53:33
- We're very much talking about that, Emma.
02:53:35
- A subtle tip of the cap.
02:53:39
- Yeah, very subtle.
02:53:40
- More funny, though.
02:53:44
- Mm-hmm.
02:53:45
- I like that aspect.
02:53:46
- Is it a little horny?
02:53:47
- This is Gold Griffin, we're missing this great gold.
02:53:49
- Hold on, hold on.
02:53:50
(laughing)
02:53:52
- That's true, that's true.
02:53:53
We're recording it.
02:53:54
[BLANK_AUDIO]
02:54:03
