Movie Rankings & The Master Review

Hey guys, Raphael here at the Teenage Mutant

Ninja Turtles. Did you say podcast? Dudes, dudettes,

you're listening to a podcast on the Gatecast

Radio Network. Cowabunga! Today on episode 57

of the Cinema Geeks, we discuss the future of

the James Bond franchise and why it might be

up in the air. We let you know about a Disney

live action film that you probably didn't see

coming. We debate the merits of Phil West and

the Master. And we dissect the term original

when it comes to Hollywood. All that and more

coming up on episode 57 with the Cinema Geeks.

That's right, it is episode 57 of The Cinema

Geeks. And as you heard, we're all here. I am

one of your hosts, Kevin Optimus Solo. And joining

me, as always, is movie revolve Dan. Hello. Hey,

how's it going? Not too bad. And hard candy Mandy

Amanda. Hello. Hello. That's a mouthful to say.

Just point that out there. You're welcome. Alright,

Dan, how's your week been going? Any pooping,

peeing, or baby stories? I was trying to think.

Actually, you know, today I did have a mid -poop

-while -pooping story that was changing and then

it's like, it's still coming. So that was fun.

But no, besides that, I mean, I think last week

I talked about... uh... the Rangers uh... going

to game seven and that did not work out at all

uh... apparently uh... apparently Hiro didn't

listen until uh... from True Bromance and he

must have listened to the show like yesterday

or whatever so he's hearing us talk about who

the Rangers will play next when it's already

been at that point determined We've already had

game one with the Blackhawks and the Lightning.

We sounded dated already. I know you're a Miami

Dolphins fan, but I feel like any time a professional

on my Florida team goes to the finals, it's not

a good thing because they never support their

teams. Especially Tampa Bay. Or the Marlins.

But yeah, I'm not bitter. I'm not bitter Besides

that it's been going pretty good. How about yourself?

I'm not either because we slashed the lightning

last night. Yeah, I'm rooting hard for the Blackhawks,

you know. So you guys can be friends for this.

Original six, you know. Gotta stick together.

Amanda, how's your week been going? Pretty good.

Same old, same old. That was exciting. No poop

stories on this end. No poop stories from you

either? Nope. We'd all have one. I'm not going

to share mine anymore. So long drive home. I

don't think I have anything fun or comedic or

exciting from this week either. I must have been

pretty lame. Pretty lame. I'm glad you're agreeing

with that. So as we do every week, we'll take

a look at the box office and you guys can just

continue to build. We're not going to post a

record anywhere, are we? I was off with my prediction.

Oh, you were off too, so you joined me in the

cellar. So now Amanda must be in first place

overall. So Amanda, what was your prediction

last week? I can't keep track of my predictions.

They're too good. They just come to you in a

flash of brilliance. Then you forget about them

instantly. I do. Yeah, exactly. Did you have

San Andreas in number one? I swear you did. Yeah.

I don't remember. What did you say Dan? I believe

so, yeah. Because mine was, I said San Andreas

would be number one but only make like 30 million

dollars. Oh, so you qualified it. You shouldn't

have qualified it. Yeah, yeah. So that was my

mistake. And I had Avengers falling out of the

top five because you figured Pitch Perfect, Tomorrowland

and Mad Max were all out there. We had two new

ones with San Andreas and Aloha. I thought it

would be the first time that Avengers fell out

of the top five, yet it remained right at number

five. i am wrong for the second week in a row

so mandy you get the crown this weekend overall

so far and then sits in second place and i will

be in last i'll try to do better this week uh...

so looking at the box office like i said san

andreas came in first uh... dan's undershot a

little bit of a fifty four million pitch perfect

to remain in second place with fourteen more

million Tomorrowland went from number one down

to number three with only 14 million struggling

to even get to halfway to its budget. Mad Max

Fury Road went from the third spot to the fourth

spot. It is over the 100 million mark by a decent

amount there and it should hopefully make its

budget here in the next couple weeks. Avengers

Age of Ultron like I said stayed in the fifth

spot so now it's got a total gross of 427 million

domestically and not too shabby. And the other

new one, Aloha, opened up at number six with

bad reviews and only just shy of 10 million from

the box office. Dan, any surprises or anything

of note that you saw there at the box office

this week? Not necessarily. I guess I said like

San Andreas. I shouldn't have doubted The Rock.

I don't know what I was thinking. That wasn't

my first mistake. But no, everything else. I

mean, Aloha probably did, you know, I guess that

it's not too surprising considering I got like

awful reviews, but you know. Right. And Furious

7, for those involved in the Film Fantasy League,

I'm hoping it's done making money because it

is real close to the 350 mark. It only needs

a little bit. Probably by the time we've recorded

this, it's already passed it. So there's going

to be more points for those that have Furious

7 cast members. At the time of the weekend, it

was at 349 million. What about predictions from

this week anybody got one that they already know

that they're gonna We let's go over which new

ones are actually coming out. We have the the

comedy film spy coming out We have insidious

chapter 3 I don't know if you can't consider

any of these other ones big releases Besides

those two. I don't think so is entrees coming

out this week or is that next week? Um, I believe

entrees already came out I think it was like

a midweek release. So I believe it came out yesterday

as at the time of this record So I guess it would

qualify into the weekend too. So What are you

guys thinking who has who has a prediction that

are ready to throw out there? I'm gonna be I'm

gonna be bold I'm gonna try to be bold here and

with all those those three new films and the

fact that got Like awful awful world of word

of mouth and I don't think anyone I can't have

not seen a positive thing about it I'm gonna

say Aloha drops out of the top 10 for next week

Out of the top ten in the second week. I can

see that happening. Nobody's saying anything

good about that film. So I can see that happening.

Amanda, what about you? Going with another number

one? No, I think I want to throw Insidious 3

in the top ten. Is that too vague? I don't know.

I don't know much about how the horror films

do. I think that seems like a safe bet. But maybe

not. I don't know how Insidious 2 did. I know

the first one did well, but it was like one of

those where it just kept doing well, and I'm

not sure about the second one. I think you would

have a good chance of that happening for sure.

She's just trying to protect her lead now she's

playing defense. I am. I will make another stupid

prediction. Let's go with Spy opening up at number

one. I know that seems easy because it's the

first week out there, but so far I've heard a

lot of good things about it that I didn't expect

to hear. So maybe word of mouth is going to fuel

that into number one. Sometimes that random comedy

just does well. So I'm going to go with Melissa

McCarthy at the number one spot next week and

try to get my first correct prediction. It's

got a pretty groovy cast. Groovy? Yeah. Alright.

Alright, so that is our predictions for the box

office. Looking at the yearly totals so far,

I think I said I was going to do that this week.

If not, oh well, I'm doing it anyways. Obviously,

Avengers is in the number one spot with $428

million, Furious 7, number two with $349 million.

Cinderella still clinging onto that third spot.

Needs a few more dollars, folks. If you haven't

gone and seen Cinderella, please take your family.

I need another... Just another million or two

there so it can break the 200 million mark so

hey I got I need points all right the animated

film home is in the fourth spot with 170 50 shades

of gray and number five with 166 the only other

movies that have made over a hundred our spongebob

pitch perfect 2 Insurgent Kingsman the Secret

Service and Mad Max Fury Road, so we'll see how

that goes and Dan, how are you feeling so far

about your box office predictions from earlier

this year? Not very good. Tomorrowland up there

and I had, I know I had the Fifty Shades of Grey

within the top 15 and that might make it, but

yeah. I mean, Tomorrowland I think is going to

be the one that does not do really well. Yeah,

I'm hoping a few of those make a little bit more

money But and you guys had furious seven you

had a furious seven a little bit higher than

I did So I think you're closer with that one.

So but most of the movies I think we had in the

top ten have not been released yet So a lot still

to come especially as the summer season heats

up. So let's get into our news we're gonna do

go back to Thumbs up or thumbs down for the news

since we have a whole bunch of stuff I don't

want to skip anything because there's a quite

a few interesting Pieces of news out there. So

we'll cover in a thumbs up thumbs down fashion

starting with one thing that we teased in the

opening which was a Live -action Disney film

that you might not have seen coming. I don't

know Have you guys both seen Fantasia? Yes Okay,

so the headline here is Disney adapting the Night

on Bald Mountain Fantasia sequence into a live

action film. Do you guys remember that sequence

from Fantasia? No. Neither did I. But it's a

section that has the winged creature. According

to the article, it raises various spirits and

beings from the dead and after a night of devilish

cavorting everyone returns to their respective

worlds. Apparently they have the writers from

Dracula Untold. They want to go somewhere along

the line of the tone of Maleficent from last

year. And I don't know. We've got a whole, obviously

we have a whole bunch of Disney remakes, Disney

live -action type thing. We've already talked

about Maleficent. We had Cinderella this year.

You know, the Beauty and the Beast is in the

works. Another Alice in Wonderland film, Jungle

Book, Milan, Tinkerbell have all been rumored.

I don't know if anybody would predict a sequence

from Fantasia turning into a live -action film.

Dan, thumbs up or thumbs down for Night on Black

Mountain. Or Balm. Whatever this is called. My

first thought is go with thumbs down, just the

idea of another live action adaptation, but I

don't know, it does seem like it's different

from what they're doing so far. I mean, like

you said, Noleficent, but it might be something

different. I feel like I'd give a better answer

if I remembered that segment, which I don't at

all. But it sounds intriguing enough and something,

at least outside of their known franchises, so

I'll go thumbs up. I'm kind of in the same vein

as you. If it was just another, like if it was,

I don't know, if it was Fox and the Hound, the

live -action version, I would be a little...

Please no. That's great, I just don't think we

need a live -action version of it. Homeward Bounce

style, with a narration over the real live animals

walking around. But since I don't really recall

much about Fantasia, as far as like specific

scenes and whatnot, outside of maybe a couple,

I'm with Dan, I'm thinking this is a... different

enough idea and a little bit outside the box

that maybe it would be cool I don't know if there

would be as much of a audience for it or as much

of a you know I don't know if it's just gonna

automatically make money like Cinderella or or

some of that stuff will It might be a little

bit harder sell at the box office, but I think

maybe it has potential to be a better or more

intriguing film So I'm gonna go with thumbs up

on this one as well. What about you Amanda? I've

seen Fantasia in Fantasia 2000 and I don't remember

this scene at all, but after hearing a night

of devilish go boarding, I'm kind of in. I'm

going to do a thumbs up. Sounds like my party.

Alright, so three thumbs up for a Disney live

action adaptation. Who would have thunk it? Alright,

let's move into the requirements as far as Cinema

Geek content. We're going to talk a little bit

about Star Wars. Not just once, we're going to

talk about them at least twice. So let's start

with the first one here. The article reads, Ewan

McGregor edges closer to Obi -Wan trilogy. So

we already know that Star Wars is doing their

episodic movies with Episode 7, 8, 9, 10, etc.

And we also know that they are doing the anthology

movies, which will kind of be interspersed every

other. So we know about Rogue One and the Boba

Fett story and stuff like that. Apparently, this...

Rumor here or this news story is outside of both

of those and if that's not enough Star Wars if

one movie a year is not enough They're talking

about the possibility of could there ever be

a trilogy just strictly based on the Obi -Wan

character You and McGregor apparently has been

very vocal about the fact that he would love

to play the character again Is this overkill

thumbs up or thumbs down for an obi -wan trilogy

Dan? I go big thumbs down. I Like obi -wan. I

think human gray is probably one of the best

things about the prequels, but I just like it's

overkill I don't feel like we need it I I don't

want to get to the point where there's so many

Star Wars films that it's own its own genre like

you know like you have like you know the overkill

like we do with superhero films, so I Don't I

feel like his story has kind of been told you

know I feel like I mean there are some gaps there

But I mean me as a comic or something like that,

but I don't think we need it as a movie, so I'm

going some stuff Amanda thumbs up thumbs down

to you McGregor Obi -Wan three movies. I'll do

the thumbs up I really liked you McGregor as

Obi -Wan And I think it'd be cool to see some

more of his story I think, the only thing that

would intrigue me about that, I mean, I did,

like you guys, I did, like, Ewan McGregor as

Obi Wan. I thought that was one of the highlights

of the film, especially what we got to see from

him in episode three. And so that's intriguing,

and I guess if they were somehow, I don't know

how many possibilities there were to show any

type of gap between him and, like, Darth Maul

or something like that. It seems like we kind

of got, I don't know, it wasn't like there was

a missing... time period or something unless

I'm just blanking out on the original or the

prequel trilogy because it's burned different

things in my head but so I mean Darth Maul if

it was appearing that'd be cool and a little

bit more what we want but I think maybe we should

probably stay away from that time period in the

Star Wars universe and do a little bit more from

what we've actually heard as far as connecting

it more with the original trilogy and staying

a little bit further distance from the prequels

so I don't necessarily think I myself could get

over killed with Star Wars stuff But I want the

movies to be good and the more they do the less

likely it is that they're all gonna be great

So I'm gonna go with the thumbs down on this

one Let's stay away from the old prequel stuff.

All right going on to the next one I didn't know

much about this and maybe you guys as horror

fans know more about Stephen King but early talks

of a Stephen King movie based on the dark Now,

Dan or Amanda, do you guys know anything about

this story or Stephen King books in general?

Yeah, I mean, I've read a few Stephen King books,

like The Stand is one of my favorite. And I have

not read the Dark Tower series or the actual

book, but I've read some of the comics that are

based on Dark Tower, which is kind of like this

Western dystopia. It's an odd... Idea, but it's

intriguing I get I could definitely see it make

being a good movie an article kind of describes

it as a blend of Western sci -fi fantasy horror

and drama Yes, that's very much the case And

apparently it's a it's a long series. This isn't

just a this isn't just a novel. Yes is like a

series of books So the idea is to create a film

and then possibly create You know like everybody

create this whole little movie universe based

on this series of books Apparently also it has

been in the works or different people have wanted

to do stuff with this story for a long time and

just nothing has quite landed or happened. So

now we're talking about this individual. Does

anybody know how to say this guy's name? I do

not. Nicola Arcel? And then there's a J in there

that we're just going to pretend is silent. One

of those classic silent J's. Yeah, you know,

those are always signed on it. So he co -wrote

the original Swedish adaptation of The Girl with

the Dragon Tattoo and directed a royal affair.

So... I don't know what much to think about this

because I haven't read a lot of Stephen King

stuff so I don't know if I would like it or not

but it seems like I agree with the article that

it seems like nowadays is the time for this type

of blend of genres and it seems like there's

definitely audiences for this type of thing.

Amanda, what do you think? Thumbs up or thumbs

down on a series of movies based on Stephen King's

Dark Tower? Well, I haven't read the series or

many Stephen kick novels. I was too busy reading

Goosebumps books So sue me. I haven't read it.

But I'm hearing the description Western sci -fi

horror fantasy, whatever we're gonna call it

sounds pretty cool I'd be down to watch it. Definitely.

I'm not sure how much it'll take off But if it

does have its own little movie verse seven movies,

I think be pretty cool If it had said sci -fi

fantasy horror action Would you be more excited?

Well, there's some action westerns, there's some

gunslinging, and... It's like all of your favorite

genres. Yeah, let's just put it all in there.

But it sounds like Firefly or Serenity or whatever,

but... But Stephen King style. Wangle ears, wasn't

that Stephen King? Or am I being stupid? It's

like Joss Whedon, something like that. So you

gave it a thumbs up? I'm gonna give it a thumbs

up. Alright, Dan, how about you? Think I'll go

thumbs up as well. I know like when this this

has been talked about forever though I feel like

it's one of those projects that'll be talked

about it never ever happened because I think

Ron Howard was gonna do it originally and it

was gonna be like a TV series as well and movie

like it was gonna be like a combo which which

was intriguing which I think they like which

people are like Debated if it would happen doesn't

seem like that would I know I think it I think

you can do something like this, you know, it's

kind of like maybe do what Game of Thrones did

for Western or did for his fantasy this could

do for like that type of Western genre like different

and it's certainly like I've not read the books

like it like I mentioned with the comics they're

They're complex. I mean, there's some there's

some seriousness going on. So I think it could

lead to some good movies I know a lot of Stephen

King films of books have lots of really bad movies,

but Some good ones. I like the mist. I think

that's great, you know, stand by me good definitely

Dreamcatcher. I've never seen it. Has it on the

bad side? I'm scared. It's got the Donnie Wahlberg

in it, I think. Oh, so it's great then, right?

Donnie Wahlberg referenced on the show today.

But he went full retard. And you never go full

retard. You know that it just ruins the movie.

So thanks Donnie Wahlberg. You've ruined Dreamcatcher.

He's done that in life, though. So I would go,

I'd give a thumbs up, is what I'm saying, please.

Alright, so a thumbs up from both of you, and

I will give it a completely ignorant thumbs up,

because it's based on nothing but blue. Kind

of the genres and what you guys have said, so

I know nothing about this I have no faith that

I will like this, but I'm gonna say I'll give

it a chance And I'm not gonna write it off yet,

so thumbs up for me as well All right next up.

We were talking about her We'll be talking about

the rock a little bit later when we give a few

thoughts on San Andreas, but We're already talking

about what he might be doing next Dwayne Johnson

will Remake big trouble in little China Anyway,

so Dwayne Johnson set to star, produce, remake

of John Carpenter's action caper, Big Trouble

in Little China. Dan, have you seen the original

Big Trouble in Little China? Oh yeah, yeah. It's

John Carpenter at his most John Carpenter -ness,

I guess. Amanda, you've seen it? I haven't seen

the whole thing, so I need to revisit it. I'm

pretty sure it's on the Netflix. I think it is

on the Netflix. I don't think there's such a

thing as a NetTube. I think that's something

dangerous. And apparently a script's being worked

on by the same guys that did X -Men First Class.

Obviously the original was back in 1982, and

like we already mentioned, Kurt Russell was involved

in that. So again, part sci -fi, part horror,

and all action. Thumbs up or thumbs down. Dan,

for a remake starring The Rock, that's the important

part of Big Trouble in Little China. Like I said,

I shouldn't have doubted The Rock when it came

to box office, but... I don't... This isn't more

so based on The Rock, but it's just the fact

that every John Carpenter movie that's been remade

tends to be awful. Uh, the remake of The Thing,

Assault in Peace 613, they just... There's something

about John Carpenter like that, like you... Can't

do it with a big budget. You need to be like,

you know the low budget out of the studio system

type of movie for it to work I think I don't

know. I just maybe that's the charm to it. So

I don't know. I don't think it I Feel bad doubting

the rock, but maybe he'll surprise me but I'm

gonna go thumbs down All right, that was down

for you Amanda. I'm gonna give a thumbs up. I

feel like it's it's uh on my alley here and just

learned the rock I learned the rock and Anything

that's that even has anything remotely close

to those genres thrown together and all that.

Is it bad that we use words that we usually only

use together and we are letting them fly in podcast

land? It's only because we're weird. All right,

anyways. I am going to side with Dan on this

one. I'm going to give this one a thumbs down.

I'm not trying to doubt the rock. I love Dwayne

Johnson, but nothing about this really. intrigues

me too much, so I'm with Anne. I'm gonna say

probably thumbs down on this one unless I see

something that drastically changes my mind. You

know those t -shirts that says, like, Jesus is

my homeboy? I feel like I need one that says,

Dwayne Johnson is my homeboy. I'll look for one.

Make it happen. Christmas presents. Alright,

a couple of news stories about Spider -Man. We're

talking about, I don't know, I'm so not interested

in Spider -Man rumors anymore, but we're gonna

talk about them anyways. uh... short list of

actors once again and a short list of directors

uh... the names being thrown out there for directors

are ted melphie and jonathan alivine uh... who

did st vincent and warm bodies in reverse order

action and i like that uh... other people thrown

out there before jason more pitch perfect jared

has from the point i might uh... john francis

daly and jonathan and goldstein who are doing

upcoming vacation remake what do you think of

the names being thrown out here dan or director

of Spider -man I guess it's not really a thumbs

up or thumbs down because there's multiple different

people up there, but does anyone intrigue you

on that list? The vine does the I who did warm

bodies because he also did 50 -50 which I liked

a lot and you know I think I could see a lot

of parallels with with like you know the combination

of action comedy drama with all those films when

it comes to spider -man so I I think that name

does intrigue me and for like you know actor

I think ace of Butterfield has been the one appearing

a lot for that role and I'm indifferent towards

him, I think. To me, he seems humorless, which

would be tough for Spider -Man, but maybe he

could prove me wrong, but that would be my worry.

He doesn't have that charm that I would associate

with Spider -Man, but maybe he could turn it

on, I guess, I don't know. Who did we see recently

that we said would be perfect for Spider -Man?

We saw somebody in a movie, some kid, and we

were like, man, that kid would be perfect for

Spider -Man. I don't remember. I'm with you,

Dan, as far as some of the directors named. I

mean, I liked 50 -50. I liked Saint Vincent enough.

I liked Pitch Perfect. Undertaken. Maybe not.

What, Pitch Perfect? Maybe not as huge as everybody

else was on Napoleon Dynamite, but it was it

was decent at the time I have obviously haven't

seen Vacation so I can't talk about those guys,

but I'm not opposed to the different names that

are being thrown out here I've liked at least

one thing that each one of those guys have done,

so I'm all for that and I'm completely indifferent

on the actress so far obviously I'd prefer Andrew

Garfield, but they're going for the younger version,

so I'm just open to whatever they pick out there

and hopefully they find somebody good, but None

of the names are necessarily making me jump up

and down. What about you, Amanda, for directors

or actors for Spider -Man? In the same way. I

kind of want to give it up some sideways, because

I really can't say yes or no. I've seen Warm

Bodies, Saint Vincent, Pitch Perfect. I mean,

I've seen these, but trying to apply them to

the Spider -Man universe, or whatever you want

to call it. I just can't put them together, besides

maybe the Warm Bodies. um has like the closest

link for me so I don't know maybe we'll go with

this Jonathan Levine guy okay that one all right

so that's it for spider -man hopefully there's

people out there that are more interested in

spider -man than I am right now I like the character

he was always my favorite comic book character

when I was little but uh I think it's the same

type of thing that a lot of people have felt

with the whole Batman versus Superman or Marvel

stuff like I don't need a new article every single

week on a new short list of actors me and Thought

about for spider -man just like cast him already.

It's coming up gotta get started on a Captain

America Civil War So let's go. Let's get the

casting done and stop the rumors. I agree with

Dan. I mean like he's a butterfield I feel like

he doesn't have the comedy factor. I feel like

he's devoid of that So it'll be interesting to

to see you, you know what emerges from his rumors

for sure all right let's go back to the world

of disney why not uh... some people are going

to be upset about this news story so i apologize

up front i'm not one of them so uh... i'm not

going to be too sincere my apology i guess but

uh... we're talking about trying three and the

news is that disney has officially axed it no

more trying three not happening why probably

because disney is doing three movies a year on

Star Wars, and seven movies a year in the Marvel

Universe. And I really don't care about Tron.

I don't know. I've not seen any of the Tron films,

I don't think, because it's never been something

that's interested me. I don't know why. I know

a lot of people love them. Dan, what do you think

about Tron 3 not happening? Thumbs up, thumbs

down? And what did you think about the other

Tron stuff? I didn't like the first Tron. I didn't

like the second Tron. So I am thumbs up on Tron

3. I know it's like... Maybe sacrilegious for

some geeks, but I don't think it's a good movie

I think yeah, like there are elements for it

to be influential on like the You know when it

comes to special effects and stuff like that,

but as a movie, it's not very good At least in

my opinion, so I had no interest in strong 3

and I'm completely okay with it not happening.

So Alright, that's two of us saying thumbs up

with it being shut down. We don't care. What

about you Amanda? I'm going to see thumbs down.

I didn't see much of the 82tron, but I did see

the Olivia Wilde... Jeff Bridges? Who's in the...

There's Garrett Headland and Olivia Wilde, but

I didn't see it so I don't know. Yes, there's

Jeff Bridges and then there's young Jeff Bridges,

which was like the computer animated altered

version of him, which was not very convincing.

It wasn't very well done, but I think that, um,

uh, seeking what they're seeking off this new

one with the premise of, um, you know, Korra's

life being the focal point, I think it'd be kinda

cool. I think she was the most interesting, um,

part of Tron 2. You just wanna see Jared Leto?

With whatever role they were rumoring him to

be in? Jared Leto creeps me out after, um, Record

of a Dream. I just can't look at him this evening

anymore. Is that him? That was him, right? Yeah.

So alright, so one thumbs down and two thumbs

up for Tron 3 being axed and I have no heart

for the Tron fans out there apparently Let's

talk more about remakes and sequels layer cake

layer cake sequel in the works possibly This

is all coming from Jason Statham as he's making

the rounds to promote his new film spy talking

about 2004 gangster flick who a lot of people

probably mentioned in passing or a little bit

here with when Kingsman came out since Matthew

Vaughn was the one that did layer cake and it's

probably one of the one films if you had to pick

a film that people haven't seen a Matthew Vaughn's

it might be layer cake so now they're talking

about making a second one no clue yet if Matthew

Vaughn will actually be connected but it seems

like Jason Statham is all about this so Dan have

you seen layer cake yeah yes I have and what

do you think about a layer cake too No, just

don't do it. It's not a movie that needs a sequel

and I mean it's weird because like Daniel Craig

was like the main character in that and it does

feel like Daniel Craig is like try out to be

Bond. It's very much in that vein. I think it's

a good movie. Don't get me wrong. I like it,

but it doesn't need a sequel. I don't know why

you would do one. So I would say no to Jason

Statham. I know he can't say no to sequels, but

maybe do Spy 2 maybe instead of Layer Cake 2.

There you go. So thumbs down from Dan. What do

you think, Amanda? I feel like I dropped the

Vaughn ball here because that's one of his movies

that I haven't seen. So I can't really give it

an intelligent thumbs up or thumbs down, but...

That's fair. You can do that. So we'll do that.

All right. I will give it a thumbs down just

because it involves Jason Statham. I'm just kidding.

I just can't take that guy serious. I'm sorry.

I'm not saying that he hasn't done some... interesting

okay stuff I don't know. Let's move on to something

else. Casting as far as Independence Day 2. The

article that came out this last week was a new

cast member being named and that cast member

was William Fickner. Obviously added to a cast

that we kind of already know with a with a lot

of people outside of obviously Will Smith not

returning But we got you know, Jeff Goldblum

and and all the other people that are that are

gonna be involved What do you think about this

addition to Independence Day to Dan? Does it

make you more intrigued less intrigued thumbs

up your thumbs down on this this new cast member?

I think I'll just go with indifferent. I guess

like I'm not it just doesn't really impact my

Viewpoint either way. I mean these fine actor

But I don't know. Like I just, I feel like he's

not the type, when I think Independence Day,

I don't think William Fickner. But, you know,

could be good. You think of Shredder? You think

of Shredder? Yeah, exactly. That actually made

me, just reading the article made me mad because

it had absolutely nothing to do with Independence

Day 2. The fact that the article had to start

mentioning Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2. Yeah,

I mean, I like William Fickner, but I feel like

he's like a guy, he was in like a lot of movies.

So it's like, he's like not... it's almost like

not newscasting in the movie because he's just

always he's just like one of those like he's

just that guy in the background that's there

so right I was just more upset that he was actually

going to be reprising the role of Shredder in

Teenage Mutant Turtles 2 anyways I'm gonna give

this one I don't want to copy data just being

different I guess I guess thumbs up fine whatever

add them to the group Jeff Goldblum, Vivica A

Fox, Bill Pullman Liam Hemsworth, Charlotte Gainsburg,

William Vickner, why not? Thumbs up. Amanda,

what do you think? I'm gonna say thumbs up. I

really liked Independence Day, so it'll be cool

to see what they do with this one. I'm not going

to tie it into the first one because I don't

want it to wreck the first one for me. I don't

really care if Shredder's in it or not. I do

care that Liam Hemsworth is in it, we're gonna

say that. I think the premise of it occurring

20 years after... the first Independence Day.

Not really sure how that's going to go, but I'm

interested to find out. Alright. Let's do some

more casting here, and this one's right up your

alley. Let's talk Harry Potter spinoff casting.

We already know that Eddie Redmayne is going

to be the main star, hopefully rebounding from

his appearance in Jupiter Ascending. And the

other names being thrown out here are... I can't

say her name. I don't know how to say that either.

Does anybody know your Irish name? Does anybody

know how to say her name? Uh, Kathy McPhee. No,

that's not the right one. Dakota Fanning, Kate

Upton. Who else do we got? I'm going to just

throw a stab at it. Sorcee. Oh, CRC Ronan. I

forget that. Yes. Yeah, that's what it's supposed

to say. Thanks, Dan. Yeah, that's probably wrong.

But anyways, I mean, I know who she is, but I

can never say her name. So those are different

names that have been thrown out there. Like I

said, Kate Upton, et cetera. So let's not focus

on the casting. Let's just focus on the idea

of this spinoff, the Fantastic Beasts, and where

to find them. Does the idea of this spinoff in

general make you give it a thumbs up or thumbs

down, Amanda? You are a huge Harry Potter fan.

Yes. I'm going to say thumbs up just to see what

they're going to do with this. I have read Fantastic

Beasts and Where to Find Them and I have no idea

how they're going to make it into a movie, but

I think it's going to be just about him writing

this book and his adventures are not going to

be anything connected to the actual book besides

that. And as far as all the casting and stuff

goes, it's just a bunch of rumors besides Eddie

Redmayne being locked down, so I'm not going

to get too excited over any casting. Okay, Dan,

what about you? Um, yeah, I really like the Harry

Potter world like the universe that it's in and

My first worry is like is this gonna be like

the Hobbit is the Lord of the Rings like it's

each step down but I think the fact that it's

a Separate completely and not gonna be like tying

into that story is it's promising and Eddie Raymond

does seem like a like I could see him in that

world So I like I feel like he might be one of

the few British actors that wasn't in the Harry

Potter movie So maybe that's the only one they

had left So I'll go thumbs up, and the other

casting people seemed fine. Kate Upton, isn't

she a model? Am I mistaken? Is that someone else?

I don't know. I think that, I think you're right.

But yeah, seriously Ronan I think is a quite

great actress, so I think she would be cool too.

It does seem like a cash grab, but I think it

could still be good. Alright, I... I don't know,

I'd like to see some more about it. Like I said,

I don't really, from what I've heard from Amanda

and from other people, I don't, it seems like

a weird thing to try to tie in and try to make

a movie out of, but I'm with you, I like the

Harry Potter universe. Obviously, I just rewatched

all of them before we went to the wizarding world

of Harry Potter, so it's all fresh in my mind,

and I think it's an interesting world, so I think

there's plenty of stuff to still explore there,

so I'll give it a thumbs up as well. We got another

news story about the Aquaman movie, so we are

getting some comic book stuff in here, not just

Spider -Man here, and I can't get over how cool

I really think the poster is that shows Aquaman,

Jason Momoa. I really dig that look. I don't

know why but I know it's not necessarily traditional

and a lot of the colors aren't there but the

article that went out today was or went out this

week was about the announcement of a director

and hopefully the owner of this director in the

fantasy film league is just sleeping and won't

nominate this for casting points but... James

Wan, director of Furious 7, is now going to be

the director for the new Aquaman film. Dan, thumbs

up or thumbs down? I actually like that. I think

James Wan is an intriguing director because he's

got a horror background and I thought he did

fine with Furious 7. So yeah, I could see it.

I have not seen Furious 7. It's the only one

I haven't seen so far. So... I can't really speak

too much to his work on that, and I haven't seen

any of the horror stuff, the conjuring, etc.

So I can't really say too much. I mean, based

on what everybody says about him, it seems like

it should be a thumbs up, and it seems like it

makes sense and should be something that could

mean success. But since I haven't really seen

anything that he's done, I'm not going to make

an ignorant comment on how this makes me feel.

But I'm for the Aquaman film in general, so...

I know everyone makes fun of Aquaman and he's

the butt of jokes and everything, but I think

this movie is going to kind of throw all those

stereotypes on end, because Jason Momoa looks

like an intimidating creature there. All right.

Next up, I said there was two Star Wars stories,

and I think this one is super intriguing, super

interesting, so let's talk another Star Wars

story. This one is about something called...

Black Angel, the long -lost Star Wars precursor

to be made into crowdfunded feature film. So

this was a short that was shown alongside of,

I believe it was Empire Strikes Back, back in

the day. And for a long time it was thought that

this was lost to history and that... There was

no more copies of it, but apparently they discovered

a new copy of it back in 2011, I believe was

the year, and now it's going to be made into

a feature film. I think the interesting part

about this is not just the crowdfunding aspect

of it, but what you can get for doing that. There's

a lot of things you can get. You can get an invitation

to the red carpet premiere. You can be cast as

an extra in the Demon Kings army. You can have

an all expenses paid week of work experience

with the audio department. Or the opportunity

to own a piece of film negative from Star Wars

A New Hope. So there's definitely a lot of stuff

that you can get for helping fund this. whole

thing. Dan, have you seen the thing that this

is based off of or what do you think about this

whole article? I have not. I couldn't really

tell. Does it exist in the Star Wars universe

or is it just something completely different?

I think it's something completely different.

I think it was just something that kind of ran

alongside of it. I don't think it has anything

to actually do with Star Wars per se. I just

find it interesting that something that's tied

to Star Wars would also be tied to Get crowdfunding

it just seems but yeah, um, I don't know I mean

It's like with some other stuff like and not

seeing what it's based upon it I really have

nothing to really say except there for I had

no idea like a short film was even before Empire

Strikes Back So I'd be interested in seeing that

so I mean, I guess worst -case scenario it maybe

promotes this short film that People like myself

weren't aware of so it stubs up on that end But

I can't really say about it being a future film

not knowing really much about it Are you going

to donate to try to land yourself as an extra

in the Demon Kings army? Only if like I can get

like the ring, you know, like, you know corporal

or something I don't want to just be like a private

because I mean that that's not good I need I

need like a rank of some sort. So I think I would

do it if I got a guarantee that I was gonna be

killed in it somehow. Like, so at least there

was like a moment where you would see something

that's not just like, oh, I'm one of those faces

out there, like, nope, that was me, just got

stabbed by somebody. Honestly, I would do it

just to own a piece of the film negative from

A New Hope, probably. I'm not gonna lie, I'm

that kind of nerd. But yeah, I think this is

intriguing. Like, you had no idea that this thing

existed, so if anything, I'm just gonna watch

it and see what it's all based off of, but a

lot of people's... Giving a lot of praise to

this this short film including I believe Steven

Spielberg who said it was one of the most enigmatic

films he'd ever seen in back in 1979 or whenever

he saw it so It didn't do well. I mean it was

it had a brief run in cinema So it's not like

a lot of people saw this and obviously when it

was lost for so long as as far as the negatives

and whatnot go I feel like there's probably a

ton of people that haven't seen this so I don't

know, I just think it's an interesting piece

of thing and we'll see how the funding goes and

see what it turns into, but if Spielberg liked

it and said it's one of the best films he'd ever

seen, I guess I'll go along with it and say thumbs

up and let's see what happens with it. So, alright,

going into another bit of directing and casting.

We've had a few of those. How about Clint Eastwood's

next project? I know a lot of... has it really

been six years i guess is the main question for

me on this whole thing with uh... the hudson

what do they call him the hudson river hero or

something like that uh... the the pilot that

uh... was able to land yeah uh... solinger yes

only yeah yes so apparently that was six years

ago in and things that make you feel old but

uh... that's going to be in clint eastwood's

uh... next project apparently direct and produce

a new film about the pilot who successfully landed

the doomed plane in the hudson river six years

ago uh... he did well with american sniper most

recently can cash in the same gold mined with

Hudson River hero. What do you think Dan? Are

you interested or not interested in this? No,

I mean like interested in a documentary maybe

but I don't know I mean maybe the guy might have

amazing life. I really don't know but it does

seem like it's a like kind of too late not too

late, but the same random time for it, but I

Yeah, I know American sniper was a huge hit and

it was fine. But uh, you know, he did Jersey

boys before that and like he had like You know

as a director Eastwood tends to be hit and miss

for me so And this story doesn't seem like it

has a huge amount of material I mean just as

someone who knows nothing about the actual guy

maybe has like this amazing life but I want to

go thumbs down just because I tend to be indifferent

as with a direct with Eastwood as a director

and I'm just kind of tired of his same look that

he has for every movie and I feel like it'd be

the same thing here I'm gonna go with you. I'm

complete thumbs down, but I'm not gonna deny

the fact that this does have the potential to

make a bunch of money. This is the exact type

of thing that just, you know, the average people

that are watching Oprah and stuff like that,

you know, the same type of people that just clamor

for this type of story would go crazy over it

and everybody would want to see it and they'd

be talking about it over coffee or over lunch

with all their other friends. Are we called American

pilots? that put Americans somewhere in there.

So, I mean, I'm not going to deny that it probably

wasn't afterwards about this guy too and kind

of some stuff that he did maybe that made it

not seem like he wasn't trying to get something

out of it as well. I don't remember exactly the

stories, but I thought there was some kind of

questionable choices he made. afterwards that

seemed like he was trying to kind of milk it

for some things but I honestly wasn't paying

that much attention so I could be completely

talking nonsense but I'll give it a thumbs down

as well. Director of a different type of, this

is different director news, instead of talking

about someone getting involved we're talking

about someone who is quitting a movie and we

already talked about some other live action uh...

shows that are similar to are based on disney

properties and we had talked about the fact that

the little mermaid was in the pipeline from uh...

sophia coppola but apparently not anymore she

has quit apparently there was some not seen eye

to eye when it came to her and the studio or

the bigwigs as far as who should play ariel and

uh... so she has quit the film so little mermaid

has no director currently dan Thumbs up or thumbs

down on Sophia Coppola walking out of The Little

Mermaid? I never understood the pairing to begin

with, so I give a thumbs up. it didn't really

make sense to me because she doesn't seem like

someone who would work within that system and

this kind of seems like that is proof of that

so I think it's probably for the best for both

people so I give them so yeah I'm kind of with

you on this I'm gonna give a thumbs up as well

I don't necessarily see the see the match there

and I think someone else might be a better fit

I don't know who or you know what direction that

that should go, or if the project should die,

or if they should go forward. I'm kind of indifferent

on that. I mean, I loved the animated film. It

seems like an interesting one that they tried

to make into a live action, but we'll see how

it goes. But yeah, I don't think Sofia Coppola

was the person, so thumbs up on that one. I know

this next story will be right up your alley because

you are... A huge Bond fan and you are definitely

looking forward to Spectre this year. It was

on your most anticipated list earlier that we

did. So let's talk about the future of James

Bond. The article coming out is talking about

the fact that Sony, their contract with the Bond,

with the rights to the Bond films is actually

up after this next film. And there might be a

bidding war that commences as far as the studios

trying to vie for the rights to make the James

Bond films. Is it a good thing or bad thing that

the rights will be up for grabs? Do you want

Sony to somehow retain those rights with what

they've done with Skyfall and the previous films

and kind of the direction that that's going?

Or do you think it's time for a new studio to

get their hands on the James Bond universe? Just

want the rights of James Bond to stay like intact

and together for a little bit of time because

there's been this like huge back and forth like

the the rights of James Bond are just insane

because it's like you had the whole thing with

them being split and you had like the never seen

ever again, which was like the other people doing

a Bond film and then They couldn't use, like,

Blofeld and Spectre for the longest time. It's

a huge mess. So I felt like, oh, it's finally

fixed, and now it's like, oh, well, they might

be losing rights. So I'm going thumbs down, because

it's like, how do you let that expire? Like,

why are you? Like, as the Sony, like, how do

you not see that and think we should probably

renew? We should probably. This is our biggest

franchise. Maybe we should look into renewing

this. But I don't know. I think it's. My worry

is that Disney will just buy it. They have everything

else. I just don't want them to add Bond to the

list. Yeah, I mean I too would like the Bond

franchise to find a stable home and not have

to jump around or not to have any type of kind

of issues or back and forth. I don't know if

Sony is the most stable company to be with right

now. given everything that's been going on with

them and given how they've handled some of the

other franchises that they have had their hands

on so maybe it's better for the Bond universe

to be controlled by somebody else but at the

same time the last few Bond movies have been

you know especially the last one was really good

and if Spectre is anything like that maybe it's

Would be better for Sony to have have their hands

on it So I don't know I mean Sony is is an interesting

thing right now with everything that is going

on I'm not just talking about the hacks and then

that type of stuff But with everything they haven't

with the amazing spider -man and it seems like

they're just kind of grasping at straws right

now you know we've had the different talks about

ghostbusters and 21 Jump Street Men in Black

crossovers, and all that type of stuff. Maybe

the Stephen King's The Dark Tower series will

help it out. There's some other comic adaptations

from Valiant that they're trying to do, but they

definitely need the Bond franchise, but I don't

necessarily have an opinion on where it would

be better to be, you know what I mean? I don't

know, Skyfall was good, so I'm fine with it doing

exactly what it's doing right now. So yeah, I

don't know if I have a big opinion, but it will

be kind of interesting to see what happens because

that franchise is obviously worth some money.

And it's also got a long history, probably a

longer history than most movie franchises out

there. I don't know, is there any other movie

franchise that has had more films than the Bond

films? Ah, I don't know if it's off my head.

There probably is some, like, um... Probably

is, but I can't really think of anything. It's

some franchise, but they've all been, like, released

straight to... Yeah, I mean, you have, like,

a little serial... Like, the 50s and, like, you

know, that time period has so many, like, uh...

And especially if you consider some foreign films,

there are some... Right. But I think, like, notable,

like... studio franchises I think by far the

one at least most longevity when it comes to

like being in the forefront of pop culture. Anything

else news -wise that you wanted to come up with?

You want to talk about Sister Act 3 or whatever

they're doing? I swear to God hope that's not

a thing. There is an article somewhere out there

I did not include it in the in the the notes

here, but it's because it hit too late It hits

just today and I decided not to try to include

that as a last -minute addition Yeah, I'm gonna

go thumbs down on that big time and that's all

I got so man Well, let's get to some trailers

then there we're talking about this off -air

before the record and usually every week we have,

you know 8 to 15 trailers and 90 % of them are

garbage or not that interesting or something

that we don't have that strong of an opinion

about. This is not one of those weeks there seems

to be a whole bunch of interesting trailers that

came out this week Whether it was the first trailer

or second trailer or a teaser trailer or whatever

So a lot of stuff to talk about Dan will let

you go first What is one trailer that you saw

this week that caught your eye and either a negative

or a positive way? I'll go with the positive

way to start with and And hopefully this movie

wins all the Oscars, so it can help me with the

fantasy league. And that's the trailer for Macbeth

with Michael Fassbender and Marion Coulter -Yard.

I don't like a lot of Shakespeare movies. There

are movies that are based off of Shakespeare

material. I think they're hit and miss. But this

one looks really intriguing. It looks really...

really down and dirty, like gritty, which is

kind of an overused word, but it does seem to

fit this, but I'm super intrigued, and I feel

like it's considering the pedigree and the source

material, and it looks good. I'm highly interested.

It's not at all what I would expect, but I think

that's a good thing. I'm gonna go with you on

this one, too, and I'm glad you brought that

one up, because then I can talk about another

movie, too. I'm with you. I don't mind Michael

Fassbender winning some awards or doing whatever

for a variety of movies he's been in. It's not

going to hurt me too much. Anybody that can get

some points to try to compete with the blockbuster

guys, I'm fine with. But I am someone... I know

you said that the Shakespeare films are hit or

miss, and I will agree with that, but I'm someone

that will watch all of them regardless. Like,

even though they are hit or miss, I will watch

every one of them just to see how good or how...

terrible it is. I'm a huge Shakespeare fan as

far as the actual writing and the plays. And

so I'm always just more intrigued to see how

they're going to adapt it or what way, what style

they're going to do. So I'm definitely intrigued

by this one. Michael Fassbender and the rest

of the cast definitely seems like some perfect

casting as far as these roles and it looks like

an interesting take. I think you use the word

gritty and whether it's overused or not I think

it's the right word to use for this one. It just

to me is something that could be surprisingly

good, I think, for a lot of people. So I think

it was kind of under the radar at the beginning

of the year. Not a lot of people were talking

about it as most anticipated or anything like

that. But I think it could surprise some people

as to how good it possibly could be. So I am

with you. I think that's a yay for me as well.

One that caught my eye again in a positive way

I'm gonna be talking mostly positive today guys

is the trailer for film a walk in the woods This

one's Robert Redford, and I didn't realize Nick

Nolte was in this but when he came when that

was who he Was was searching out in the trailer.

I was like you got to be kidding me So the idea

of Robert Redford and Nick Nolte on a trek Through

the woods. I mean come on Do I need to say anything

more? That seems intriguing enough for me. And

there's a bunch of other supporting cast along

the way. I mean, you even have Kristen Schaal

show up from, I know her most from Flight of

the Conchords. I know she's been in more pop,

more stuff recently that people would know her

from, but I think she's hilarious. She shows

up. There's just a lot of people that are in

this film that seem like it would make it a pretty

good ensemble cast. But even if you take all

that away and just give me Robert Redford and

Nick Multe. Doing stuff, you know as they as

they make this trek through the what is it the

Appalachians? Yeah I'm for this one. I'm I'm

ready for it. What about you? I was I was with

it until like the last mmm, I don't know 45 seconds

minute when I like the like musical montage I

don't know the song choice kind of turned right

just That kind of it was like I was up to it

with it until then I I don't know like I like

Robert Rufford and Nick hopefully do seem intriguing

together Though Robert Rufford lately. I mean,

no, he just did all this loss. That was quite

good. But That was my only issue was like the

end it just like it did had like that like, you

know TV little bit too To that but that also

just could be the trailer too. So that's right.

Hopefully. Yeah Alright, back to you then. Let's

talk about another one each. What else do you

got? Wow, there's so many to choose from I'm

gonna go with this one because I think the other

one I might want to talk about you might bring

up so I'm gonna go with it's actually a documentary

trailer, which don't really talk about much but

I actually saw this on reddit and looked quite

good and it's produced by Katherine Brighlow

who who directed Zero Dark Thirty and Hurt Locker

and it's called The Cartel Land which is this

documentary that kind of going over the cartels

and Mexico and the border of the United States

and the documentary itself is quite intriguing

and I'm really interested in it because of looking

at this it seems like they had some like intense

footage and had some incredible access to like

what was going on in these towns and stuff like

that. So it looks rather like, you know, intense

is the word that I feel like I'm using over.

But yeah, I'm looking forward to that. It looks

quite quite good. And I like I tend to trust

Catherine Bigelow's judgment with things. So

I'm really looking forward to it. It's kind of

I had knew nothing about it and saw the trailer

and now it's like one of my most anticipated

movies. I'm looking forward to it right now.

I think it's a great topic for that type of thing,

too. I think documentaries on whether it be cartels

or canisters or anything kind of like behind

the scenes of those types of things or that delves

into those things a little bit more is intriguing

to me. I just think it's something that's rich

with interesting stories that, you know... us

everyday folk don't necessarily run into on a

daily basis. And I like that it's like not on

talking heads. It looks like it's really just

getting the people that are there. And it's like

a lot of, well, you know, a lot of that, like

not, you know, not not just trying to tell this

story of these people that are there, which I

think is will lend itself to be quite quite good.

So it's quite intriguing. All right. So we're

all positive so far. Now I feel like I have a

pressure, though, because you were hoping that

I was going to talk about one specifically. I

honestly have about three that I want to talk

about. So let's see. The one I will go with,

and we can talk about some of the other ones

if we need to as well, but I think 99 Homes seemed

interesting to me. Maybe I'm alone on that one,

but this is the Andrew Garfield one with Michael

Shannon. And I knew absolutely nothing about

this before I clicked on the trailer. Like I've

never seen this talked about this year. I've

never seen any information about it. I didn't

even know that Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon,

and company were doing this film. And it seems

like a weird combination. Like if I said Andrew

Garfield and Michael Shannon, you're probably

thinking it's like some type of superhero film

where, you know, Garfield's Spider -Man and Michael

Shannon's some type of Zod or some type of villain

or something like that. But this is obviously

completely different. The premise seems to be

that Andrew Garfield's home is foreclosed on

Michael Shannon plays the part of. either the

company or the banker or whoever's taking the

home from him and then offers him a job and then

he starts working for the same business and taking,

you know, informing other people that their homes

are foreclosed on and it seems somewhat dramatic.

I'm probably way off on this. It's probably going

to be a piece of garbage, but they're talking,

the trailer seemed like it had everything I was

looking for in that type of film. It seemed like

it was a character study in a way that you're

gonna see Andrew Garfield play somebody and maybe

it'll be a test for him and see if you can pull

this off but someone who is kind of on that line

like he's walking that line where he's trying

to do what's best for his family he's trying

to put food on the table and support his wife

and his child but at what cost and you know what's

acceptable Way to make that money to do that

So it seemed like it's gonna raise some interesting

questions and maybe open up for some discussion

There's some debate on some of those choices.

So I guess I was intrigued by that I'm guessing

this is not the one you were hoping I picked.

No, it was a different one but this one I'm kind

of interested in the trailer didn't grab me great

deal, but It's from the director of shop shop.

It's a movie. I really really liked that's like

a really small indie film from like early like

late Aughts that I like a lot streaming on Netflix

and I like the actors as well. So but the the

one I was thinking about was uh... suffragette

or suffragette suffragette yeah i don't know

uh... which you know meryl streep again from

the uh... finish leading so you know she's doing

like a circle period piece taking place in in

england that has to win an oscar at least be

nominated for that i think i think she already

won yeah i'm sure but it looks i think it looks

pretty good i mean uh... again another song choice

i was a little bit i just think it's a little

odd when you have like a Trust me like a piece

from back. Yeah, like a modern day song with

something that's so much of a classical time

period That's a little bit questionable to me.

But again, it's a trailer, but I guess it worked

in Selma. Yeah true true true It's not impossible

for it not to work but uh, I guess too but that

was a song made just for the movie where that's

right, you know, it was a little different but

I don't know. It looks good. I think it could

be I feel like it's like this Mcbeth or two films

I feel like well it seems just based upon pedigree

will be like in you know the Oscar talk But obviously

there's no way that this film there's no way

this film doesn't at least get one nomination

for something Yeah, at least even just for like

our direction or costume of them sure it'll have

something I mean this looks like it I was going

talk about this one. I figured we'd find a way

to talk about it anyways. But yeah, from the

historical side of things, I find it's definitely

interesting. I can't believe this story really

hasn't been told to this extent, I don't think.

I mean, there's probably been a lot of movies

about this event in US history? I don't think

so. But this is England, right? So it's not US

history? Oh, is that? I'm looking at the trailer

like an idiot then. I was thinking it was all

about the the US Women right to vote and the

suffragettes that were that were fighting in

early America. I think it's happening around

the same time So I don't know if it's connected

by but it's set in England. I've got jokes I

think Brennan Gleason is one of the police officers,

right? That's right. That's what happens when

you watch 12 trailers. Hey, it's But no, yes,

I'm glad you brought Brendan Gleason up because

it seemed like there was definitely some interesting

kind of relationships between him and obviously

the Suffragettes, plural. But yeah, this seems

like it has a lot going for it. I don't see how

this is gonna be too terrible. There's always

films that get hyped up like this and that seem,

I hate to use the phrase, but like Oscar -baity.

but and you know sometimes they do fall flat

and sometimes they don't come away with many

awards but this one seems like it has a whole

lot going for him and there's a lot of pedigree

like you're saying involved so I'm definitely

intrigued in this one I was not beforehand like

just based on the title and kind of the description

I didn't I thought you know there's no way they're

gonna make this that interesting or you know

that appealing to me but based on the trailer

I'm actually on board now so Any other trailers

that you just want to bring up there quickly

that caught your eye that you think are deserving

of a watch or increase your interest in a film?

Like a dinosaur that looks I mean that intrigued

me. I mean there was not much there. It's literally

just a teaser but I'm Pixar doing a dinosaur

story. I'm all for so right. That's what were

your thoughts on cop car? I did not see that

one. Okay, that one is interesting. It basically

it has two young boys I don't know if it's necessarily

going to be like a coming -of -age story, but

it's two young boys who come across a cop car

that is seemingly abandoned and the keys are

in it. So like any eight or nine -year -old kids

would do, if you come across a police car and

there's nobody around and it's in a field and

you find the keys, you're going to start driving

it and turning the sirens on and acting like

you're police officers. So they do that and then

basically... The character played by, I believe,

is Kevin Bacon, if I'm getting my trailers not

mixed up here. Probably. He could just say that.

You have a good chance of being right. Kevin

Bacon is starting to talk to them on the radio

and telling them that he wants his car back and

have you looked in the trunk and this, that,

and the other. And it seems like the trailer

takes a turn at that point where it is becoming

more of a, almost like a psychological thriller

or something where he's trying to hunt down this

car and these kids for whatever reason. He seems

like he's not a very nice person. I don't know

I thought it was interesting but it just seems

like with the title cop car that I don't know

there's something that doesn't bode well for

me with that. That does seem kind of strange.

Paper Town I can't like there's some things about

it like that looks intriguing and I get kind

of like a perks of the wall perks of being a

wallflower flower feel and then other times I'm

like I don't know it seems a little bit much

but so I'm that that one I'm intrigued by I'm

a little worried and please know for Jodo 2 like

I don't No, we don't. The world does not need

Joe Dirt 2. That is one I am 100 % in agreement

with you. That is probably something that I would

not watch if you paid me. I don't even know if

I've seen the first one. I've seen a little segment

of the first one and I think that was in passing

and I decided that that's not something I needed

to continue to do. So I'm sure there's Joe Dirt

fans out there. I'm sure if Amanda was here right

now she would be champion the Joe Dirt 2. But

luckily she's on a call at the moment for work.

So we don't get to hear her praise Joe dirt too.

I'm just kidding a minute. All right. I'm in

the dog house now. Damn it. The beauty of podcast

editing. It can all go away. It can all go away.

She'll never know. All right. Well, we're going

to take a Quick break and we are going to be

back with our main discussion. We've kind of

switched the order. I didn't talk about that

in the beginning. Usually by now we will talk

about what we've been watching right now, but

we're going to actually save that until a little

bit closer to the end. That way we can have a

little bit more freedom in either talking more

or less about some of those films as time permits.

But before that, we're going to have a main discussion

on a couple of different things. First one is

going to be in relation to some feedback that

we got in the comments on the website about our

ratings and kind of what goes into how we rate

films and what each number kind of means to us.

And then something else I kind of wanted to talk

about is the idea of originality in Hollywood.

So we're kind of having a discussion segment

this week. Each week you can look for something

special coming up here in the main attraction

kind of shifting gears. Sometimes we will be

talking about a new movie that's in theaters

currently, if it's a big release or something

like that. But we're also going to spend this

time to do some... the stuff we've done in the

past, whether it be actor spotlights, maybe like

a top five, top 10 list or just some general

discussion. So we're going to start it this week

with some general discussion. So we hope you'll

stick with us and we'll be right back after the

break. trying to make our spot sound more exciting

by adding explosions yeah i'm pretty sure you

could have got the point across with sound effects

not the real thing download the show on itunes

or if simplistic reviews dot blog spot dot com

i'm sure your insurance company will cover that

no they won't no they probably won't hi this

is greg this is chuck and this is dan and we

are talking in circles Because the world needs

another podcast, we are here as Geekcast Radio's

newest edition. And as the title says, each week

we get lost in conversation about a wide range

of topics, including movies, comics, games, art,

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and discuss pivotal topics like who would win

in a fight, the Kool -Aid man or Tony the Tiger,

and examine the hot button issues of the world

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topics in new directions. We are simply three

friends having a fun time talking about life's

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.com Right, and welcome back. And as Kevin mentioned

up top, we are kind of going to do some different

things with the main attraction. Unfortunately

for me, getting out to film has become a little

bit more difficult. But we still want to talk

about movies. And I think, in a lot of ways,

a lot of people do movie reviews. But maybe we

can look at something different. So I think this

ends up being kind of a cool opportunity. And

this actually spurs from some comments we got

on the last episode regarding how we rate movies,

what rating means. Apparently, uh... Rating the

rating of Raiders of the Lost Ark sparked a lot

of controversy So it did it did so the question

becomes like what does it mean? Like what does

the rating mean? Because I think it's easy to

say like it's always something's an eight But

what does that necessarily mean is there could

be some things? More into that so we can kind

of get into like how we go about it because I

think there are different methods stuff like

that. So it should be interesting. Yeah. And

there's a lot of different methods just amongst

movie podcasters too. You see a lot of different

scoring systems, a lot of different ratings,

whether it be like five stars, whether it be

one through 10, whether it be a letter grade.

But I still think it serves a purpose in us kind

of defining how our ratings, what it means to

us personally so that people can kind of understand

where we're coming from and what each number

means since we've been scoring things on a 10

scale. But go ahead with what you're saying.

I didn't mean to interrupt. Oh, yeah, sure. I

mean, yeah. And the question is, even beyond

just what each number means, like how, I think

someone mentioned, do you differentiate when

you do your rating? Does like a eight for one

movie mean the same thing for another one? So

I guess that's kind of some way to start. So

we can start with something like Raiders of the

Lost Ark. And I think the question that was...

I don't remember exactly, but. The question was,

I had made a comment, because I'd given it an

eight and a half, and you had said something

in the podcast about you thought that that was

probably a little bit lower than you would say,

or too low, because I was giving Amanda a hard

time for reading it even lower. And I said, well,

I've got to leave some room out there just in

case on rewatch I like one of the other Indiana

Jones films better, which obviously sparked the

discussion of why would. Why would any other

film have anything to do with how I rated Raiders

of the Lost Ark? No kind of I was just saying

that uh Not necessarily tongue -in -cheek, but

just kind of like making up an excuse on the

fly for why I didn't rate it as high as you think

I should So it wasn't I wasn't necessarily leaving

room, but I think in the back of your head You

know maybe subconsciously when you're watching

you know like let's say like when I was doing

the Harry Potter series You know I got what is

it seven films to watch? It'd be very hard for

me if I'd never seen them to see the first one

and automatically give it a 10 out of 10. Even

if later on in retrospect I did that, I think

it's different. I think when I'm rating a movie

in a series or if I'm doing like a series spotlight

or a look through like a franchise or something

like that, the scores that I'm giving then might

differentiate from... What I would give the movie

overall in the grand scheme of things if that

makes sense Hey, I guess so you're almost You're

kind of it's it's almost like a grade within

the spotlight of what I'm doing if that makes

sense like Okay, I'm gonna watch all seven Harry

Potter films, and I'm reading them for people

as I go through them There has to be I have to

leave room in my in my opinion I have to leave

room for one of them to be better than the other

one instead of just give them all tens. But what

if like say for example you watch Emperor uh

Emperor Strikes Back would you then and say it's

the first Star Wars movie you ever watched and

it's like well I can't give that a ten so I'm

not gonna do that I'm gonna give it a nine because

I want to see other ones first It's a terrible

it's a terrible explanation of and logic for

why I would do that But I'm saying if I'm only

reading it amongst like if I'm just doing it

for a series if I'm saying I'm gonna I'm gonna

do it now I'm gonna rate it a nine and a half

Just to leave a chance that there might be something

better within the series But if I'm reading that

like overall for like let's say my general you

and I are both list geeks We're not just cinema

geeks, but we're listing database geeks as well.

So if I'm rating, you know, I have a rating for

all my movies overall and it might differentiate

from what I was doing just within that thing.

I know that's terrible and that makes no sense

to probably anybody out there. But it's just

a way for me to compartmentalize what I was doing

with just that franchise and within that franchise

and then kind of taking a step back and saying,

okay, now if I'm just generally looking at that

movie in an overall terms, where does it fall?

And I'm saying the purpose that I'm using for

a series is not necessarily something that I

would say is good. That's not necessarily something

that I would say is the best way to do things.

It's just my own way of trying to keep track

of which movies I like better within that franchise.

And I know if a movie's a 10, it should be a

10. If there's another 10, it should be another

10. I get that, and that's how I would judge

it in an overall sense. But I still want to,

let's say you took every movie that you've ever

rated a 10. All right, let's say you had your

universal rating system was out of 10. I know

it's not for you and me, but let's say you've

seen 2 ,000 movies over the time of your life,

and you've rated 15 of them 10 out of 10. If

you were looking at those 15 movies and trying

to decide or decipher what was the ranking within

those 10 instead of just having them all perfect

scores, if you were trying to kind of differentiate

and say, let's rank those 10, one through 10,

you're technically going to do what I'm talking

about in a kind of a reverse fashion. Does that

make any sense? Yeah, and I guess I would also

say to that though, kind of within that line,

because I think, for me when I do a rating, I

guess I don't think comparatively outside of

whatever it is I'm rating. For example, like

I don't like 110 110 for one movie may not be

the same thing for another 10 so it like it is

kind of what you're saying for example, like

Thinking of something like the Avengers is a

movie. I really like, you know, it's great. It's

a lot of fun So when I think when I'm writing

it I'm writing it based upon What it is like

what and what's it trying to accomplish? So I

might write it like a nine like it's Avengers

as a nine. Does that mean? it is like Oscar worthy

or like compared to something like I'll talk

about it later today, which is Elephant Man,

which I would also read a nine film making standpoint,

vastly different. And if I was, if, you know,

same score, but clearly the score is different.

I think it like a, like a four star horror film

is not the same thing as a four star, like serious

drama. So for me, the rating, like one, like

the score itself. kind of like what you're saying.

It's not something that you can necessarily take

and compare from one movie to the next. It's

more of an indication of how well that movie

is at, how successful that film is at accomplishing

what it says to accomplish. Right, and I think

there is a lot to say about doing that and that

way of ranking movies Like you should be ranking

it based on on what it's trying to do and what

it's what it's trying to accomplish like you

can't compare like you were just saying you can't

compare a horror film to You know a dramatic

biopic or something like that like you can't

compare Schindler's List to Avengers That we

do every night when we do our top ten We do do

it and that's kind of I don't know so that's

what that was kind of my logic I'm saying I'm

admitting admitted that it's flawed logic when

I was looking at like within a franchise But

it's just kind of like the way I do it Kind of

outside of my actual ratings to just kind of

say okay if I'm just judging these Three films

that are similar these seven films that are similar

or these you know in the Marvel You know you

know like these eleven or twelve films that are

similar if I'm just rating those amongst each

other You know, what are the different grades

or what are the different levels between those?

It's just kind of my way of keeping those straight

as far as films that are similar in what they're

trying to do and kind of how I rate them in between

each other. And then after I've done that, then

I can start looking at the bigger picture as

far as where they would rank on an overall rating.

So to expand it outside of movies that are similar,

do you... when you're rating a movie like are

you hesitant to give it like a 9 .5 when it's

simply say you watch a Movie in January this

rarely ever happens, but it's like wow that was

a great film I really loved it But are you hesitant

to give it something like a 9 and a 9 .5 or 10?

Knowing that that would probably mean it would

Perhaps qualify for your top 10 knowing you have

12 more months to go through does that I don't

I don't feel like I do that I don't feel like

that's the same type of situation because if

I, you know, let's say last year I see Grand

Budapest is a good example. Grand Budapest came

out early in the year. I had no problem rating

that one high and not necessarily worrying about

if there's going to be something better. Like,

I don't remember what I rated it off the top

of my head, but let's say I gave Grand Budapest

a, you know, eight and a half or nine or something

like that. You know, yeah, there's not a lot

of room for something to beat that, but there

is the potential for something to be on that

level or above in like an overall, because when

I'm rating a film like that, I'm just rating

it in an overall sense, like what you were talking

about, what it's trying to do, how successful

it was, what was the entertainment value, what

was the, you know, was there plot error, holes,

or was there acting, you know, was it suffered

off from some of the acting or direction choices,

stuff like that. I'm not rating it like... Compared

to like let's say I did a whole Wes Anderson

series and I was reading all those films My readings

might be different within that series and which

is like I said, I'm not saying that this is the

right way to do things It's just how my OCD brain

has to do it But no if I'm if I'm seeing a film

in February that I think is a nine I'm gonna

give it a nine and it has a good chance of being

in the top ten unless there's a bunch of tens

So kind of with because you know, we talked about

being less persons. So if you're Would you ever

rate a movie higher on your top 10 list per se,

even though the score you gave it, like your

number two for that year is actually a 9 .5 when

your number, or sorry, let me read. Three is

a 10. Yeah, or something like that, yeah. Basically

where, or is it, you know, would you ever do

that? I think the only thing that would cause

that is, let's say it's a film I see in, you

know. in April or something like that, and I

give it an 8 .0. I give it an 8 out of 10. There

is that potential that sometimes a film could

either increase over time or decrease. or even

on a rewatch where something can go up or down.

So I mean, there is always that chance that you

give something an eight on the first viewing

when we're reviewing it a week after we see it.

And then come December, January, when you're

doing a top 10 list, it's either increased or

decreased from that time. So I mean, I think

there is a chance for your ratings to evolve.

You know, like I said, whether it's a rewatch

or whether it's just something that you start

thinking over and over and over again, like you

can't get it out of your head. That maybe you

didn't it didn't raise the same questions that

you had originally But you know in the weeks

and the months ahead and you keep thinking about

it then obviously the ratings gonna go up So

I mean, I think there is that potential but outside

of that. No, I don't think I would adjust the

the top ten list Put something I rated higher

because I have I will fully meant I have done

that because like Because there are though there

are times where like, you know I feel like a

movie is a nine or whatever Like I personally

I prefer like the five point scale but like the

ten point they're pretty they're pretty like

five and ten. They're kind of Go together sometimes

like the recommend or not recommend is maybe

the easiest because at the end of the day that's

what we're doing but Like, yeah, there are times

where like a movie might be, you know, an eight,

an eight, a nine, but it's a nine for what it

is. It's not necessarily in, I might like other

movies, rated movie in eight, but it's, this

is almost like the opposite of what you were

saying, where, but I rated it an eight, but it's

like, what it accomplishes is more, is, the only

reason that it's not a nine is because it's of

where it is and the type of movie it is, like,

I guess I would say, like. Thinking of something

like ghost protocol like adds it to me like it's

a great action film It's you know it fits within

that genre really well, but if you're you know

something like we'll get to later We talked about

it like I think came out the same year made no

it did not I think something else that came out

that same year Drive came out that same year,

and maybe I would give it the same score or give

Drive maybe even a lesser score, which I wouldn't.

But given it an equal or lesser score, just because

I think for this type of film, it's not... There

are things that it doesn't accomplish completely

or so. But I think more so the reason why that

would happen is like you said, it's like... Your

initial thoughts. Okay, it's this but then after

thinking are we watching it because you know,

there are movies That that happens to like I

because I tend to rework my top tens like after

every year like I go back and redo them I see

them and they change drastically movies that

weren't on it or on it like Looking back at it

now like nightcrawler to me It's like I've rewatched

it like a few weeks ago and I had that to me

Maybe even bumped higher than I did and blip

lashed the same way So I do think rewatching

can have that or just distance because you know

your your rating is very much the initial response

and Sometimes it's it's hard to really Great

that especially in the podcasting world when

a lot of people are doing it like either the

day they saw the movie or the weekend You know

right after they saw it or something like that.

It's very fresh in their minds It's like you

said it's an initial reaction and sometimes you

as you're thinking about stuff here You'll come

up with stuff like well that didn't make sense

or or why did they do that or vice versa? You

know you're still questioning character decisions

or something like or all the different possibilities

for what that ending could mean or something

like that that could kind of build on But overall,

if we're doing a 10 scale, and we're reading

things out of 10, for you, is it just simple

math? Is anything five or above something you're

reading positively? Yeah, I think that the way

I kind of look at it, because just a thing in

a five -point scale, which I know is probably

confusing, but... Yeah, it is to me it's it's

simple simple math where you know five and below

is failing six and above is successful uh, you

know something like um to me be like, uh, you

know ten is A masterpiece considering the like

it's it's legitimately either the best of like

the decade or you know, it's it's you know tends

to me or should be Rare it should be special

occasion. Um, I used to not always be that way

I used to give out perfect scores way too often

but I think I realized like how It's important

to kind of differentiate like a nine and a half

to me would be something that is like You know

best with within the given year one of the best

of the year like it's it's moving That's probably

gonna be my top ten nine is super successful

has a possibility like it's it does a lot of

great things it just maybe has a few things and

like Eight to me like I think like eight to me

is like a really good movie. It's not like Amazing,

but it's really really solid really good highly

recommend it like six is just average Seven is

like above average and so on so that's kind of

the way I look at it I think I'm very similar

and as far as just looking at the top half like

I don't even remember the last time I would have

given a ten out No, those are should be more

few and far between if you have one of those

a year or two at the very most maybe But like

you said, sometimes it's more of a like a best

of the decade type thing. Tens are very hard

to come by, but you know, nine, nine and a half

is like the best of the best almost. I do know

the last movie I gave a perfect score, and I

don't want to say it because I think it will

ruin my top of the decade list if I say it, but

I think you probably know what it is. We'll hold

that. I think I know the last time I gave a ten

as well, and I'll say that thought as well. But,

you know, and like you said, Eight is a real

good movie. Eight and a half, you know, something

that I really liked, but maybe just had a few

minor flaws that kind of holds it back. You know,

six or seven are just stuff that I think is worth

recommending. It's stuff that I didn't hate.

So it's kind of just, you know, a positive review,

like you said. And then if you're in the five

range, it's just kind of one of those that didn't

go either way for you. It just kind of was there.

It was a movie you saw. You didn't hate it. You

didn't like it. And I think it just, I think

when you get down to the lower numbers, I don't

know if we're quite as detailed in what each

number necessarily means. I would say, looking

at it, five, like you said, it's indifferent.

It's like, eh, take it or leave it. Four is not

recommend. It is unsuccessful. It's not awful.

It's not something that is completely awful.

It's just, you know, it's not good. Three would

be, I guess, like one to me would be something

that is just like worst of the year, kind of

the opposite of ten. The difference between some

of those numbers for me is the difference between

there was just flaws in the movie, like there

was a bunch of things wrong with the movie that

makes it so I can't recommend it or that I don't

like it compared to a movie that literally makes

me angry. Because there's some films that just

make me mad that the decisions are so bad. Like,

take Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from last year.

That's not just a bad movie, that's a movie that

made me mad because of... how stupid some of

these decisions are. So that's going to get something,

you know, that's going to get a two or a one

or something compared to like a four for me.

Yeah, exactly. I think four is just obviously

bad, but it's not like it is not going to make

you like want it. Like, one of your favorite

phrases, punch a baby, right? Is that the...

Why is that one of my favorite phrases? Why do

I use it so often? Yeah, exactly. Which is maybe

not something you want to be known for. No. Punch

a baby, Kevin Optimus Solo. Especially now that

you have a baby, I don't want to say that on

the podcast. I don't want to say that too loud,

because that would not go over well. But yeah,

so I do think when it gets to the bottom, it's

a little bit trickier, which is usually why I...

The five -point scale is a little cleaner, but

I do think having more options is a good thing

because it's tough because there are those movies

where it's like, you know, you end up giving

everything. I got three point five. I feel like

one letter box if it's like, you know, it's it's

not average, but it's not good. Great. So it's

a three. I don't want to trash on this, but I

don't want to say it's the best film ever. It's

a three. I guess maybe last question. But do

you think overall ratings are this sounds stupid,

but ratings are overrated where people they're

made bigger than they should be, or do you think

they're important in reviewing a film? I think

they're important from a certain aspect because

I have read reviews on movies that don't give

an actual score, don't give a rating, don't give

a grade, and sometimes those people are not the

most clear on where they land on a movie. And

I think you do need to know more than just, obviously

it should just be about the discussion and you

should be able to get enough out of what they're

saying is good and what they're saying bad. But

I think it helps me to kind of place everything

in my understanding if I also have a score going

along with it or some type of pass, fail, recommend,

don't recommend, yay, nay, something. Because

sometimes it can be a film that's, you know,

polarizing or film that's controversial or a

film that has a lot of different things that

you could discuss and you could feel good or

bad about different aspects of the film but I

think if you don't have an actual rating or something

to tell you that this is where I fall on this

and I think this is the best film ever I think

this is a good film I think this is a bad film

I think this is trash I think that review becomes

kind of ambiguous and hard to read sometimes.

I mean, sometimes it's very clear that they either

like it or dislike it, but I've read a bunch

that don't have a grade and I'm left at the end

saying, well, how did they feel about... this

overall. Like, besides just breaking down the

little parts, overall as a film, how did they

feel about it? And I think that's where the rating

comes in. Like, you can have your review and

you can talk about, you know, the acting was

good or the acting was bad or the cinematography

was good or bad and you can go into like paragraphs

or an essay on that type of stuff. But at the

end, I want to know overall when you put all

those pieces together, how did the film do for

you? Yeah, I think that's important, especially

for a written review. I think, or I'll rephrase

that, I think it... Typically, I think a written

review you should be able to like a good written

review tell someone's overall opinion based upon

what they wrote but I think when it comes to

like a podcast review since it's discussion based

and Sometimes the most interesting things to

discuss about a movie would be what it doesn't

do well Even if it's a successful film just because

of what it does. Well, it's just kind of your

typical norm so you may sound harsher on a movie

than you really all really think you are and

then like it kind of puts it in perspective because

I think You know like the conversation may go

just a certain direction So you may actually

seem like you hate a movie more than you do or

like a movie more than you do So I do think it's

important in that aspect So it gives a clear

idea since it it can get kind of convoluted at

times But I will say and it is overrated in the

sense where I think people Like that's like the

only thing people go to which it's like oh you

gave it this and it should be this I'm like it

gets to the point where it's like you're just

like grasping at straws or really just kind of,

you know, you gave it a 7 .5 when it should be

an eight. It's like, well, it's half a star.

It's like, let's not make a big, big deal of

it. I think that's, that's where it gets a little

bit unnecessarily scrutinized, but I do think

it plays a role. And I think, you know, people

do want to see it. You know, people, like you

said, if it's not there, sometimes you can, you

know, you'd be like, well, what do they really

think? So. Right, and like I said, I think it

gives more of the overall picture, whereas you

can kind of go in depth about things you like

and dislike about each aspect of the film, but

for me, the score has kind of given me an idea

of overall if it all works or if it all doesn't

when you put it all in one package. The other

thing I don't like when people do with scores

or ratings is when they say, you know, like they'll

name an actor or they'll name a scene and be

like, well, that gives it a point, or I have

to take a point off for that. Maybe that's just

not how my brain works, but... I can't do that.

Like, oh, Megan Fox was in this film, so I have

to take two points off. Like, that doesn't make

sense to me. I mean, I would do that in jazz,

but like, if it's like, yeah, no, it had like

this person in it. So nope. And they're like,

I use this song and I hate this song. So now

I can't give it this. Yeah. Give it a nine because

I had one song in it. Or, you know, a lot of

people like this movie. So I'm going to give

it this score because yeah, that or that. I gotta

ask though, one other thing kind of based on

this that I've heard a lot, and I even quoted

it on Twitter once when Barry from True Bromance

said this quote, and I'm gonna get the quote

wrong, but I wanna ask you about, we were talking

about judging a film based on what it's trying

to do, and you're judging Avengers based on what

it's trying to do as a summer blockbuster, as

an action film, as a superhero comic book film,

et cetera. and what kind of beats it's going

for but sometimes that same argument then is

used for things like Sharknado or or whatever

it might be and then people are saying well that's

a great movie because it didn't take itself serious

or it knew what it was doing and it knew you

know its intentions were to do that and and what

Barry was saying was I'm going to get the quote

completely wrong, but something about you can't

give me a bowl of cereal and say this is the

best bowl of cereal ever. It's still cereal.

It's still not necessarily a great breakfast,

like a gourmet breakfast. just because it's cereal

and you're saying you did a good job giving me

cereal. I butchered that, what he said completely,

but hopefully it gets the same point across.

So, as far as you... Do you get points just because

your ambition is not very high, basically? Right,

if your ambition's not to do anything and you

don't do anything well... Like, is that enough

to rate a movie high just because, hey, we're

basing it on what it's intending and what its

mission is? I think there is, like, a defined

line in certain instances where it's like...

Or I think you can be judgmental over what it's

trying to do, per se. I think that is part of

the discussion. I think that, like, maybe, you

know, it's something like Sharknado 2 and maybe

it... I would argue Sharknado is not actually

successful at what it's trying to do. I haven't

seen it, so I can't speak for that. I would say,

yes, I understand. You can't just because of

movies. I'm just trying to be a piece of crap

and I'm a piece of crap, so that's OK. But I

do think there are... It is important... My response

to that would be it's also like going to McDonald's

and complaining that it's not a five -star meal

and like that's what you You know what I mean?

Like it's I think it's important to understand

the context of the movie and I think yeah Sharknado's

like is a good example because it's like that's

trying to be one of those awful piece of garbage

like the corny perfect purposely, but I think

what like the issue with a movie like that is

that it's trying to I have an issue with what

it's Think it's ambition is false in that sense

words. It's trying to take advantage of like

that that words. It's not really It's trying

to be like a word joke, but also be serious at

the same time or like it like so I think you

can argue just the foundation in which a movie

is made so But I do think it does get get to

the point where in certain instances It can just

be matter of taste like the fast and furious

movies like I don't necessarily think They're

a good example because I think there are there

there is a certain Thing they're going for and

I think it's there sir in I think they're good

at what they are trying to do in that sense But

I think it's also okay to say well, I don't think

what they are trying to do is Adequate enough

for for a movie like or it's not I think that's

fine. I think that could be part I think but

that That's the purpose of the review then, explaining

that, yeah, it's this, but what it's trying to

be isn't very interesting. Right. And it makes

me think of one more thing. I know I said that

was going to be my last thing, and I'm dragging

this on a little bit. But the other thing it

makes me think of is when people use the term,

and it kind of goes back into ratings and if

you're rating it for what it's trying to do and

whatnot, is when people say that something is

dated or when they say that it doesn't hold up.

doesn't that also play into the fact that Maybe

the movie wasn't trying to hold up ten years

later maybe the film was trying to speak to the

audience of that time period and Maybe it was

tailored towards a certain demographic and had

a goal at that time So is it fair for us then

to judge it? Ten or fifteen years later and say

things like it doesn't hold up or it doesn't

stand the test of time I guess I guess it like

it depends on why it doesn't hold up is it not

holding up because they were lazy and I just

made Generic pop culture reference jokes that

like were cheap and easy wins that you know weren't

really creative So is that why it doesn't hold

up because it like that's you know, it was a

movie I think the thing is that comes to my mind

is movie I like but in Chronicle there's like

a thing mentioned like they mentioned like Tebow

time because it was like long after that happened

which now in retrospect means Absolutely, it's

like, you know, right. It's probably gonna mean

nothing. So and I think by Which was clearly

added because it happened like that movie came

out like a month after that It was it was clearly

added post post film. So it was right So it that

could cause maybe not to hold up the thing that

that's just like really minute example but I

do think if there are elements in what you're

trying to take advantage or go for cheap wins

and you know another thing that comes to mind

is like the Shrek films like it's just pop culture

references they have like classic ones but a

lot of ones all the time so it that I was I second

more along the lines of like a film that is geared

towards like maybe a younger audience or a film

that's geared towards kids and that you know

as a grown -up then you're saying oh well it

doesn't you know it doesn't hold up and doesn't

appeal to me as an adult well that movie was

never intended to appeal to you as an adult,

maybe. You know what I mean? Like, I don't know

if I have a specific example, but I've heard

people say that before, like, oh, I love this

as a kid, and then I saw this, you know, last

week, and it just wasn't very good. It didn't

hold up. And to me, that's a weird thing to say

for certain films. Like, I'm not saying, like,

okay, somebody sees, this is a terrible example,

but since we just talked about Raiders of the

Last Stark, you know, that's a film from back...

you know when we were kids and for someone to

see it now obviously they'd be stupid if they

said it doesn't hold up but if they said you

know a caliber of that type of film where they're

like oh you know that I saw this kid and I loved

it it was a fun adventure now I saw it and it

doesn't hold up that's one thing but if it's

a film like I'm trying to think of a film you

know from our childhood that was that was more

geared towards appealing to children those films

I don't think necessarily have to hold up then

if you watch them as an adult do they? I think

certain aspects. Yes or certain aspects No, like

is it the fact that you liked it as a kid because

you're a kid and you didn't know any better You

know what I mean? Like the thing that I'm thinking

of is like GI Joe the cartoon as a kid. I liked

it watching it now it's awful like the 80s cartoon

is awful and You know that goes that doesn't

hold up. Why did I like it as a kid? Because

I was you know, I it was all I knew of the time

Yeah, I would say like yeah, it should be accredited

for what it did it for the time I didn't think

you should take that away, but I do think a film

should also be recognized for you know standing

the test of time or being ahead of its time so

I I wouldn't take What it accomplished away during

that time period, but I also would say that My

issue more so is that I don't think it was ever

good. It's just that I was a kid and I know any

better It's like watching a kid movie today Would

you like watch a kid movie today that like say

something on Nickelodeon the cartoons? I think

it's just easier and you know That's geared to

the same audience that GI Joe was and you probably

would hate it because it's like, you know, this

is stupid Right, but you like the one because

that's when you were kids on nostalgia. You can

kind of like Can't affect you and and that way

so it's it's tough, but I do think like Because

then you have other things like in classic films

or just film in general, there's certain techniques

that were used, which could be like, why do they

why do they do that? Or what are they like stop

motion animation or something like that? And

it's like, well, that's all they had at that

time. So it's tough because I guess the question

just becomes like, is it you know, why doesn't

hold up? I think is a key to look at. And I'm

not saying I disagree with you. I just kind of

wanted to hear some of your thoughts on that.

I think the whole nostalgia question would be

a discussion for a different time period and

kind of how that all plays into it. But I think

they're all interesting things that kind of go

into your rating of a film and when you're seeing

it and how you're creating it and that type of

thing. But I think you made a good point. Was

it a bad movie and you just took it a different

way at the time? Or I think that's a good way

to look at it. So I think we also should probably

table our discussion on originality in Hollywood

and maybe save that for another week so that

we can get more in -depth and we don't have to

rush through that. So if you're not opposed to

it, do you want to get into what we've been watching?

Yeah, definitely I could do that. All right.

So let's get into the what we've been watching

from this week. I will start with a film that

I had never seen before. And I would tell you

what year it was from, but I can't remember off

the top of my head. within the last five years,

isn't it? Jack Reacher? That was from 2000...

2013. 2013? Wow. Yeah. I feel like it was longer

than ago than that. But obviously Jack Reacher

starring Tom Cruise. You saw this film, I know,

back in... No, it was 2012, that was mistaken.

Okay, 2012. I know I had been kind of... pooping

on Tom Cruise for a long time and You'd you'd

said, you know, some of these films weren't that

bad. I can't remember what your opinion on Jack

Reacher was I thought it was okay. It felt like

like a really watered -down generic version of

like Jack Bauer meets meets Jason Bourne so I

and I felt like it had moments that I liked that

but I thought overall it just was just kind of

a Generic I thought so it was fine. It was just

kind of forgettable I think that's a great description

of that. I don't think I need to say anything

else about that. No, I think so, too. I think

it's a little bit watered down. I think they

kind of set it up where it could have been a

lot better than it ended up being. I didn't realize

how many times in film that guys punch girls.

Well, if you think of the scene, you do it all

the time. I'm not talking about like in a domestic

abuse, like battery type. I mean, I guess it

still is, but I'm not talking about like a husband

and wife just going crazy and trying to beat

each other up or an abusive husband or whatever,

but just like random guys punching random girls.

Like it happens way more than I ever thought

it did. And it happens in this film too, where

the girl just gets clocked out of nowhere. And

I'm just like, man. Have you seen Wicker Man

with Nicolas Cage? Because it has one of the

most... No. It has a moment. You don't need to

see it. You can just Google the moment. Has one

of those where it's like he just punched that

old lady like why Just the way it was executed

just I mean it's hard I mean it feels like a

bad thing to laugh at but just seeing it you're

like that happened Wow But uh, I don't know I

liked Robert Duvall and Jack Reacher, I guess

he's an interesting character I guess but I like

her dog is just the crazy Russian. Oh, yeah I

felt like it was just like they didn't even like

give him a script. They're like just be Vernon

Herzog And that's exactly what he did. Yeah,

that's for sure Jai Courtney, of course is in

this film Man the guy who was created just to

make Sam Worley didn't feel like he was charismatic

But yeah, like I I agree with you a hundred percent

this is this is watered down This is not as good

as it could have been And I would give this one

probably on a scale of ten I'm gonna go right

in the four range. Yeah, that's about, I would

probably be maybe a little higher, but yeah,

not a movie I'm very passionate about by any

means. I guess I'll start with, last week I talked

about my goal is at least to watch one 2015 film,

whatever movie I'm assigned in a classic film.

So I don't get like... the classic film I ended

up watching was elephant man for the first time

David Lynch and And I end up really really enjoying

it and I feel like elephant man is To David Lynch

the same way like the killing is to Stanley Kubrick

Where both of those people have really the same

styles, right? That can be polarizing but you

know the elephant man in the killing those styles

are really toned down maybe come a little bit

before they kind of reach where they were willing

to kind of go beyond the broad approach because

they're very unique. They're unique styles. But

Elephant Man tells the story of Elephant Man

based on a true story. This movie has been around

for a long time, so I don't have a great deal

to say about it. Mostly I just think it's just...

it's interesting in today's society like looking

at watching it now because it does uh they have

some interesting things to say about fame the

way we treat people and it just it's just intriguing

looking at that and how it's handled in this

compared to like the current state of like pop

culture and celebrity worship and stuff like

that like looking in how they relate like how

we uh in all sense of the word love a freak show

and just love kind of creating these things and

like Audities and stuff like that whatever they

may be if it's someone like the elephant man,

or it's just some random celebrity Which is interesting,

but great performances. It's you know looks great

black and white which is I think it's a smart

choice and I guess what's what's funny about

this I guess history wise a few things and Mel

Brooks, I guess was the person who really Proposed

to the studio to get David Lynch to direct this

movie who other people didn't think he would

be able to do like a joke like a Overall, you

know broad -haul good film, but he did and it

was great It also was responsible and great deal

for creating the makeup award because it wouldn't

know Oscar for makeup because it didn't exist

at the time or it was the next year after that.

But the makeup in it is incredible. And the performances

are all solid. So it's a powerful movie, no doubt.

I think it ranks up there as one of the best

movies of the 80s, for sure, or at least of 1980

when it came out. So I think it's a... classic

by every sense of... imagination and I think

it deserves the praise that it gets. So I actually

gave this, I know, after talking about ratings,

I feel like maybe hyperbolic, but I definitely

gave it a 9 .5. I think it's quite a great movie.

And I'm not a Lynch fan. I can recognize his

talent, but I tend to not like his movies a great

deal. I just don't enjoy them as experiences,

just not for me. So I know maybe for Lynch fans,

like he's like Mulholland Drive or other things

are better, Blue Velvet, which I haven't, which

I think I might try to see this weekend, but

I have not seen it. I've liked Elephant Man,

so I enjoyed it a great deal. Awesome. Great

recommendation there. I might have to put that

on the list to see with that high of a score.

The next one that I saw here that we saw this

week was a film called Welcome to the Punch.

Have you ever seen this? I did last year, I believe,

and I don't remember anything about it. It's

a 2013 film. The IMDB synopsis goes, when a notorious

criminal is forced to return to London, it gives

a detective one last chance to take down the

man he's always been after, starring James McAvoy

and Mark Strong. James McAvoy plays a detective

who is injured in one of his first encounters

with the Mark Strong character, who is a notorious

criminal. There's a storyline about something

that happens with Mark Strong's son that kind

of brings him back out of hiding and puts him

back into exposure and James McAvoy basically

goes back on the trail to try to track him down.

It also involves different conspiracies and different

things as far as the police force and the criminals

and whatever happened involving... Mark Strong's

son and that type of thing. I don't know if that

makes you remember anything about this film or

not. Not at all. Okay. I saw I remember kind

of a bad thing. I remember watching it like in

December when it's like I'm watching tons of

movies and I think it's just one that just It

was the bad thing about doing that. Sometimes

you have those movies that just come and go and

that's that one. I don't. I remember the movie

looking like good. Like I remember it looking

good as in the sense of just like, you know,

filmmaking standpoint. But I don't remember anything

about it. There's probably a reason for that.

It was on Netflix. We came across it. So obviously

it was free. And we saw James McAvoy and Mark

Strong were attached to it. And we're like, whatever,

we'll check it out. And it. It was interesting.

Amanda fell asleep during it and then had to

re -watch the last 45 minutes later. But I can

totally see why it didn't have a big impact on

you as well. I think it's kind of like your paint

by numbers criminal conspiracy with good cops

and bad cops and good politicians and bad politicians

and I think I've seen this a number of different

times and it didn't necessarily do too much to...

Kind of stand out or to to break that mold for

me. So, you know, I like mark strong I like what

he does and you know, James McAvoy is a good

actor as well But I don't think there's enough

in this film to really recommend it or to champion

it for any reason So I'm probably kind of in

the middle of the road on this one. It wasn't

necessarily something that was bad But it wasn't

something that was good So I'm probably gonna

be right at right at a five out of ten for welcome

to the punch which was from 2013 already What

do you got? Well, I got one that you talked about.

I think it was last week or two weeks ago. I

don't really remember. Man, these things go by

quickly. And it's when I think you don't remember

what score you gave it, but I remember you being

disappointed by it. And that was Slow West. Yeah,

I liked the film and I don't want I don't want

things to go. My review probably made it seem

like I was harder on the film than I was. I did

enjoy the film. I just felt. Disappointed might

be too strong of a word. I just felt maybe a

little A little more underwhelmed than I wanted

to be like I felt like I it could have been even

that much better So I just kind of wanted something

more out of that film, but I still fall positively

on it. Okay, but go ahead Yeah, I think liking

it quite quite quite a month Quite a bit. And

for those that don't know it, it sort of stars

Cody McPhee as this kind of young, innocent kid

who is kind of trekking across the US to find

his supposed lover or lost long love, I would

say. And what I find interesting about it is

that, like, I find he works really well as this,

like, you know... Young kid and who's night?

He was very naive and his like romantic view

of the world is very Idealistic and it's a fun

intriguing is seeing him get broken down bit

by bit and how He's a type of guy who basically

thinks he's prepared for the world when all he

has to travel across the United States is this

you know this book he bought of a thrift store

and his gun doesn't really even work he he's

clearly well over his head and even like you

wonder if that his you wonder if his overall

mission is is in jazz is he romanticizing his

relationship with this person is it real or not

so I think there's a lot of interesting things

thanks to that and I think McPhee works well

as that like There's even like this like porcelain

doll like texture to his skin, which is interesting

compared to like something like like a Fassbender

or Mendelsohn the other actors who just seem

gritty and dirty and Grimy where he's just like

clean -shaven and just it's intriguing in that

aspect as a visual standpoint So I find that

I find that kind of works well. And I don't think

it's accidental that you have this kid who is

very, um, overall has good intentions and you

see him being taken advantage of by all these

different parties with the, you know, the background

and the subtext of what's having to the gate

of Americans going on. Uh, doesn't focus a great

deal on that, but certainly in the background

there. So I obviously, you know, some allegorical

implications you can pull from that. Um, and

what I find, what I really love about movies

are those. kind of place you into a world that's

active and already going and ones that are you

feel like there's much more going on outside

of what you're watching and I think it does that

really well on a number of occasions like you

come upon it like a campsite that's burnt out

and uh this Native American Indian campsite that's

been destroyed or just these different accidents

of someone who uh was that happening or like

there will be elements that aren't explained

like some upon some Native Americans try to steal

this this horse and what they're like or there's

relationships with characters that go beyond

what you're told that there's not really delved

that into. There's a lot of just things that

happen and you can just do contacts and to figure

out what's there, which I liked. I like it when

a movie does that where it's just like things

are happening, there's a world here outside of

the one you're seeing and you can kind of just

keep up with it. Yeah, I agree with that. I think

that's a good aspect of it as well. And I like

the idea that not everything's explained. I like

the idea that there's people... Coming from this

direction going that direction, you know vice

versa Everybody's just trying to make their way

and trying to find their place and I think that

adds something to it as well I guess my biggest

thing was I I just think it would have benefited

I know we talked about runtimes and length of

movie and whatnot I honestly think this one would

have benefited from 15 or 20 minutes more in

the journey section of this I don't think there

needed to be more time spent with the last act

and what happened there. I don't really feel

like we needed much more as far as setting up

everything. I think that was fine. We just kind

of got plunged right into it and it was easy

to pick up and kind of figure out what was going

on. I just kind of wish the journey was just

a little bit longer. I could see that. I could

think it definitely could have maybe flushed

out the relationship between Fassbender and Ricky

a little bit more. I don't know. Pacing wise

it like it felt like appropriate and I think

it really no I and I don't think it was a pacing

thing I never thought it would felt it was I

mean I think it is slow first It would be come

across as slow for some people, but I don't think

it was necessarily a pacing thing That's why

I'm saying that it was more. I just would have

I was just clamoring for more, like you said,

of the relationship aspect of, let me see even

more. Like, I'm intrigued about these characters,

give me even more now. And it was just a jealous,

or not a jealous, a greedy thing for me, I guess.

I could see that. I guess I kind of like it when

it's like, okay, it's just... Doesn't overload

you because I think that's a tendency with movies

today give you too much So maybe that's just

a preference where I'd rather have that aspect

of it And I think it too it just like when I

was talking about just that world that Kind of

giving you an idea that there's a world here

that's taking place outside of what you're seeing

it also kind of hammers on the dangers of everything

that's going on which I think gets into like

how morality is a detriment to these people and

to survive which i think tells you so much more

about their motivations and what they're doing

than any type of exposition ever could which

i which i really liked and i think to me though

like my biggest takeaway and maybe that's because

like my I like the relationship between McPhee

and Fastbender, but it wasn't really what I really

enjoyed about it. I think, honestly, what I really

took away from it, what I really appreciated

was just the direction of John McLarian and the

work of his DP, which was Robbie Ryan. And I

just thought there was a lot of really great

visual punctuations to certain scenes, like certain

things would happen and there's just a little

extra element that would just help it a little

bit. The one that comes first to mind is that

there is a... situation occurs in this like trading

post and you know as it's I think overall that

scene is done really well but then at the end

there's just a little extra element that is revealed

in the way it's revealed that that was really

just well it just the framing of a shot was perfect

how it just stayed there for just the right amount

of time to kind of let it soak in I thought that

that was brilliant and in that way well maybe

brilliant is the wrong word but overall too I

just think it shot really well the last shootout

I find really interesting. There's a moment of

like Where it there's a specific shot where you're

seeing this? Character kind of laying on the

ground and there's almost like this element of

camouflage that where someone steps out of into

the frame where it's like where did he come from

which I thought was really Intriguing and it's

just a lot of interesting ways in that end and

I just like to there's like I don't want to spoil

this but at the end Lot of people either liked

or disliked how it ended. I actually really liked

how it ended specifically there is like a rather

Change of events like a strong something happens

that you'll know it when you see it like it kind

of just happens and I like how it a it just happened

and how it almost and you you wondered like is

it even going to acknowledge the fact of what

just happened happened and it just let that linger

and You're like, well, maybe they won't like

maybe they will maybe this like what so it which

I really liked and then the last shot to of just

Again, don't want to spoil anything where you

just kind of went back and you kind of saw all

this kind of the, you know, the journey that

you went through and just the, and how that happened.

I think that was really good. So I think that

to me was my favorite part of it, just the overall

look of it. And I thought it was quite intriguing.

I thought that's where it really, it really sold

me. Yeah, I think visually it's something that's

great. I think the choice of how it was shot

was great. I think the cinematography was great.

The scene you're talking about is an early favorite

for probably one of my top scenes of the year

at the end there. And I think there is a lot

to like, like I said. I think it's just the greedy

person of me wanted a little bit more of that

journey, a little bit more of the, whether it

be Mendelsohn's character or Cody Smith and Fee's

character or Fassbender or whoever it was, I

would just want a little bit more. So that was

the only reason why I kind of fell a little bit

shorter on it. But still a positive score for

me. What score did you get it? I am I was hovering

like seven point five eight But I'm thinking

okay eight because it's for me. I don't know

where it would fall like considering the movies

I've seen this year, which I haven't seen a great

deal to be honest, but it's one of One I kind

of had high expectations for and when I think

that actually kind of fell through which has

not happened a lot so far of what it's There's

a conversation on Twitter lately about most disappointment

most disappointing film of the year. Yeah. Yeah,

that'd be a battle right now Let me tell you

there's a lot of films vying for that spot All

right Well, obviously you've been here and Amanda

kind of coming and out of the record today since

she's been on call for work So she's had to disappear

at times and she's had to reappear but she's

here now So we'll give her a second to talk about

one of the movies she's seen this week So what

do you got up first Amanda? I saw a 2014 film,

The Quiet Ones, directed by John Pogue, starring

Jared Harris and Sam Claflin. What is that? I

don't know what that last name is. Not gonna

help me? Claflin? That sounds good. And it's

allegedly inspired by actual events. It takes

place in a 1974 part of England. I think they're

at Oxford University. And it's got some Quote

-unquote Documented footage and some actual normal

perspective Filming so that was a nice mix it

also has Aaron Richards who is Barbara from Gotham.

Oh really yeah She plays the same kind of crazy

slutty confused lady a lot of problems a lot

of issues works for her The movie is, the premise

is a professor and a few of his students are

trying to prove that the paranormal happens based

on what is already in the mind, that they manifest

this kinetic energy. I think you lost me there.

Well, this doctor uses these extreme methods

to cure what are clearly events. the supernatural

or the occult and Seems like he experimented

on his own son who even suffered from the same

kind of afflictions and They're keeping a girl

who is possessed and they're trying to cure her

and this doctor always has these Rational explanations

for everything that he's seeing that you know

they're in his face supernatural events, but

he still has all these rational Rational ways

to explain away what he's seeing I thought it

was a really, really good film. It obviously

inspired by actual events. I don't know how true

to form that would be, but it was entertaining.

It wasn't your normal run -of -the -mill possession

film. I thought it had some really cool aspects

and the relationships between all the characters

are pretty complex. Would you consider yourself

an expert on possession films? I have seen quite

a few, yes. So this is near the top. I would

say this is, yes. It's not as scary as, you know,

like the exorcism of Emily Rose or even the exorcism,

but it's got some creepiness. Any downside to

the film? I think that the Aaron Richards character

was pretty cheesy and kind of unneeded, but other

than that, I liked it. And what would you give

it for a score? Out of ten, I would give it,

let's say a six. Six out of ten for The Quiet

Ones from 2014. We also saw San Andreas in the

theater this week from The Rock, of course, and

Amanda fell probably a little bit more positive

on this one than I did. This is one that I can't

give it a negative review because it kind of

goes back to what we were talking about earlier

in the ratings section as far as I think the

movie does what it sets out to do. It's a disaster

film. It's the rock. It's a summer popcorn flick

that wants to keep you on the edge of your seat

or interested or take you on this little journey.

I think it does succeed on those aspects. Obviously

with most disaster films you have to throw the

science out the window and ignore everything

you know about science, weather, physics, whatever

it might be. It all has to go out the window.

or through a crack in the earth, I should say,

I guess. So it does do that. I don't know. I

think the biggest thing for me, and this is not

necessarily... I don't think I can spoil anything

in this film. I really don't think I can. So

if someone's mad at me for spoiling something

about San Andreas, I deeply apologize. But Paul

Giamatti plays a seismic... I'm going to say

seismic scientist, and that's completely the

wrong term. But he's someone that studies earthquakes,

works at Caltech. They're trying to develop a

way to predict earthquakes and that type of thing.

And his storyline is completely separate from

The Rock's. They never interact. They're never

on screen together. It's nothing like that. But

what I find funny is Chiamati's character, they're

trying to warn people. They're trying to get

that warning out before to tell people that...

this earthquakes coming or that you know bigger

shocks are coming telling people what to do whether

you know it be to vacate or you know evacuate

or take cover whatever it might be and basically

the whole movie I don't know remember the runtime

but let's say for two hours people are dying

in this film like there was millions of people

that died at least over the course of this film

and it's it's kind of funny because in the last

scene there They're kind of flashing back to

Giamatti's warning and saying how many people

they saved by warning everybody of the earthquake.

But they didn't show any of these people that

were saved. They just showed a whole lot of people

dying. So I don't know how effective that warning

was. And if it did save people, I don't think

the movie actually showed us who those people

were outside of a select few. So it just seemed

kind of funny from that aspect. But the rock

was good. I think a lot of people are praising

the rock from this performance. Someone said

that his tear ducts don't work. I don't know

if that was a joke or if they actually don't.

But there was one scene where I kept waiting

for him to cry and he didn't. So I'm now curious.

I'm going to have to look up Rock Trivia to see

if he can actually cry or not. No, I'm just kidding.

I think it's Chuck Norris or something. He doesn't

have tear ducts. But yeah, overall, the biggest

thing I learned out of this film is that The

Rock can pilot anything. It doesn't matter if

it's a plane, a helicopter, a boat, a car, a

bus. He can drive everything. So if you're ever

in a disaster situation, Try to be near the rock

because he can get you out of there perfect.

It's like the switch army knife of pilots He

is he is so but I mean I think it was fun I think

visually there was a lot of a lot of crazy things

to see you know I think I think that's one of

the things that was The first time I probably

remember it was from like in Independence Day

kind of that effect that you have when you're

watching something and they do it on a scale

where you're literally seeing like things you

know being destroyed or Just seeing the United

States and this ripple effect of this earthquake

going through California and things shifting

and moving and stuff like that, it's just something

crazy to kind of see when it's visually done

like that. So I think it is a fun experience

like that. I did not see it in 3D or IMAX or

anything like that, so maybe it was even better

than that. I didn't care to spend the extra money

to do that. But I think overall, if you go into

it knowing what to expect and just trying to

have fun with a disaster film, I think you won't

be disappointed. If you're going in thinking

this is going to be some type of epic film that's

going to rock your world, you might be thinking

the wrong thing. But overall, I'd probably give

this one a 6 out of 10. It's decent, but it's

nothing I'm going to start. jumping up and down

about. It's not something I want to buy on DVD

to have or something like that. So 6, 7, 10 for

me for San Andreas. What about you? What's up

next? I think I have two more. This one I'm not

going to say a great deal about. OK. I just don't

have a lot to say to it. You might. I already

know which one you're talking about. Maybe. I

don't know. Pitch Perfect 2. Yeah. Okay. Have

you talked about this yet? I don't remember if

you did or not. Yeah, I don't think we ended

up, the week we saw it we didn't talk about it

on the podcast because we were kind of running

long and I ended up skipping it. But no, we did

see this. Amanda hates the Pitch Perfect films

and I'm the one that likes them. But I don't

think this one was... Good in comparison to the

first one. Yeah, I like I mean I I'll be the

first one I went into Having no interest whatsoever

and I'm like, oh that was you know, that was

interesting enough. It was enjoyable You know,

it's better than having to watch an episodically.

So that was good It was nothing like and I like

Anna Kendrick's it was it was charming enough,

but I felt for pitch perfect, too was just the...

I just felt like the nullity is kind of worn

off. The songs I didn't think were... I mean,

I'm not a musical guy by any means, but I just

didn't think they were as interesting or as fun

and I just... I think it's hard to do comedy

sequels no matter what it is. And I think this

kind of follows a lot of the same issues, like

having to repeat a lot of the same jokes. I thought,

like, the additional, like, they have, like,

the legacy character that Ken's own comes in,

this young girl, I thought her swirling I wasn't

that interested in. I felt like they had to artificially

create a lot of drama, like, with her Anna Kendrick's

character getting this other job and trying to

be afraid to say... And it just felt like it

was just trying to get... to a point where they

were in the first movie like that's always my

issue with when it comes to comedies it's like

it kind of just basically tries to um kind of

take away everything that they built up to the

last film to get back to where you started just

to build yourself up again and i think that that

is what happens here and my you know there are

some funny parts here and there but i thought

like They you know give fat Amy a lot more screen

time and a lot more story, which I just think

is a mistake I like that actress thinks she's

funny, but I just it's just to the point where

it's like I get it like that You can't it's like

Melissa McCarthy. It's like the same type of

joke or really any Act the comedy actor. It's

like okay that give me something new here, and

I guess my biggest issue too was that It didn't

feel like like the last thing that they were

doing was just like this like Contest this worldwide

contest like they had to win in order to be able

to compete But I guess I was like they will look

they graduated. So they're not competing anymore.

Anyways, and They are even competing like throughout

the film already, so it felt like, I don't know,

it felt like it, I'm like, this is for nothing

really, and I guess that's kind of the point,

it was like, it was for them type of thing, or

I don't know, so that to me, it's not, like if

they kind of. I think there was some issues with

that whole setup, and it didn't even make sense

to a point, like, you have to win this world

competition to be able to compete in this national

competition, was that, I get that right. I guess

that was more the issue, too, I felt like it,

this one. Thought it took the like itself too

seriously in that aspect where it's like it really

made it like the competition like the Important

part with it where I felt like the last movie

really that was just kind of an afterthought

It was more about these characters and and I

think that was kind of another issue. So I didn't

hate it. I just thought it just You know, I can't

believe it really. Yeah, I would rather it been

something similar where they're just competing

against other colleges and kind of Developing

the characters more. I don't think I necessarily

needed it to go, you know global I thought my

favorite part of the first one was the riff -off

that they did and because I thought it was clever,

you know trying to match a word and then get

it to a different song and this one they tried

to Shift that and they did it like where you

had to match the beat and that completely just

was pointless to me like Maybe it's because I'm

more of a lyric person than than a musical person

but That scene didn't, like that was one of my

favorite scenes of the first film and the scene

that they did that in the second film where they're

just matching the beat didn't work for me at

all. And I also found it very odd and I don't

quite understand why they made the choice to

have Anna Kendrick so infatuated with the manly

looking woman. The German woman? Yeah. Yeah.

I thought some of those jokes were kind of funny

but I didn't really... I just didn't get what

was going on. Okay, that's kind of funny, but

why? I don't know. Yeah, it was just like, okay,

there you go. I don't know, this reminds me of

like, I guess it's like any sequel, but it's

almost like Despicable Me 2 compared to Despicable

Me. It's just like, it's all the same people,

but I just didn't feel like it was as good in

any way, shape, or form. So, I still like it

because I like music and whatnot, and I like

acapella a lot, even though everyone judges me

for that. I still, like I said, didn't think

it was as good as the first one. Are you writing

like, I'm guessing you're like at a five or a

four or something like that? Yeah, I'm straight

at a five out of ten for this one, so. All right.

Did you give it a grade or? I think I gave it

probably a five and a half, six. I think I was

probably a six if I'm being honest with myself.

Just slightly above average for the musical aspect.

All right, let's get back to Amanda and give

her a chance to talk about another film that

she saw this week. So what else did you have

this week? I saw another 2014 flick called Before

I Go to Sleep. Did you watch this before you

went to sleep? I did. I actually could not sleep,

so I got out of the bed and watched Before I

Go to Sleep. And then you were able to sleep

afterwards? Yes, I was. I wasn't expecting to

stay up for the entire film, but I really got

into it, so I ended up staying up for the entire

duration of the movie, but I selected it based

on the cast. It has Colin Firth, Mark Strong,

and Nicole Kidman. Two out of three is not bad.

Yeah, a little Nicole Kidman. It also has a little

appearance. I don't know what the actor's name

is, but he's Tom and Baratheon from Game of Thrones.

So everybody else will know who you're talking

about. Yeah, yeah. Okay. But it was a really

awesome movie. It had all kinds of twists and

turns. And it's about a woman who wakes up every

day remembering nothing as a result of a traumatic

accident in her past. Are you sure that wasn't

played by Drew Barrymore? This is a much more

dramatic intense thriller version of 50 first

dates. So which movie do you prefer? See I really

really do like 50 first dates. I feel like it

is a feel -good movie and I've revisited a ton

of times and I can probably watch it, you know

Billion more times if I wanted this this I feel

was a lot more dramatic But I can't I can't really

put them on the same level. I don't I don't know

I can't make it make a choice there recommend

this movie or not I would definitely recommend

this movie There's some really outstanding performances

all the way across the board And it was really

cool to see her impact on everybody in her life

Since she has this, I don't know what she calls

it, amnesiac is what they're called. So it was

a really awesome movie. And what would you score

this one? You had, let's see, your last film

you said 6 out of 10 for The Quiet Ones, which

is barely above average. What do you think about

before I go to sleep? I'm going to give it a

7 .5. 7 .5, that's a high score for you. It was

really good, I enjoyed it. Alright. If we could

now before we get to my homework assignment,

I'd love it for you to go first Okay, my my bias

enough time to have another voice when we talk

about your homework assignment. So Sure. Yeah,

did you have it? Did you have a chance to see

open grade? I did and it was actually It was

streaming on star. So I got to see it actually

quite easily And yeah, so open grave and I think

honestly if it wasn't for you, I never would

have heard of this movie. And for those that

don't know, it stars, uh, Charlie Copley, the

guy from Chappie and District 9 and whatnot.

And, uh, film opens up in one of those scenarios

where it's like he opens up, as the title suggests,

in an open grave. Uh, like he... Bodies all around

him and he doesn't really know where he is who

he is why he's there He ends up something across

another group of other people similar situation.

They don't know who they are And then it kind

of goes from there, you know, it's clearly things

aren't good or strange things are happening You

have obviously this massive grave bodies are

everywhere. There are these other people who

are kind of like They seem like feral human beings.

They're zombie -like, but not quite zombies.

So it's trying to figure out why exactly they're

there, who they are. And then they see that there's

a date that's circled, and knowing what that

means. So it's all this mystery that's going

on. I like movies that are like that, right?

It's just like, okay, here's this thing, and

let's try to figure it out. A lot of mystery.

The question becomes... like I think the the

determination of how good it is is how well it

answers that mystery and I think logically like

what the answer to it makes sense I think it

but I think that sometimes like you start building

it up in your own head and similar to like what

you said with slow s where you kind of get greedy

you want it to be something and when it's and

when it's kind of like what like the I don't

say obvious but it You thought it maybe would

be a little bit more. I thought maybe would be

a little bit more out there or maybe a little

bit more Maybe something that wasn't Was different

or vastly different than what was expected and

I mean there were some little bit twists and

turns here when it came to the just a general

mystery, but I felt like it kind of I was kind

of Once you found out a little bit about the

information, it almost felt like you can kind

of put the pieces together already, and I was

hoping it would just jumble up a little bit more.

But I did like the idea of this world, and the

little touches they have, and how they find out

the scarecrows, that's all I will say, and how

they discover that, and the idea of how... Why

they don't have a memory and they kind of this

like cycle they set they follow themselves in

so I did like that as well So I did it overall

enjoy it. I'm kind of surprised you like this

movie because I'm just thinking You know because

it is, you know horror ish It's not I wouldn't

say too gory. I mean it is graphic and certain

certain aspects like the there are creatures

I would say that kind of reminds me of like the

creatures in other people in 28 days later but

not as a little bit more put together like it

so it That was interesting. Yeah. What did you

what did you think of the last scene? Was that

the one that I praised it's been so long since

I mean the last scene was interesting, but I

was I don't know if it like what Specifically,

it was go back and look at my notes It wasn't

I guess that was part of it too a thinking there

was gonna be this giant twist at the end and

Set it up. Yeah, and I mean and they're necessarily

wasn't I mean it was like There was like a slight

reveal but I guess it I don't know like it didn't

seem like it wasn't like say like a Twilight

Zone ending where it's like oh that completely

we contextualize is everything or it just Think

it may be the ending ending kind of Realize how

big of a scope you're dealing with right compared

to before so that was that was interesting It

was a good final thought that was probably the

part that I liked about yeah The scale that you

didn't necessarily realize you were on. Yeah,

which was like kind of horrifying in that aspect

But yeah, I mean like I said didn't enjoy I think

it is like a Good I think it has a good concept

and it executes as well. I guess I was just hoping

that I would Be a little bit more creative in

how it answered it, but I gave it like a six

and a half out of ten so okay Yeah, I think I

was actually pretty similar on my score as well

I think I was in the you know six seven range

as well And I'm not really sure why I liked it

as much as I did It's definitely not something

that you would if you know me. You're not gonna

like recommend this and be like oh you're gonna

like this film and I don't even know what made

me watch it either it just kind of was on a whim

and I think maybe that was part of it was that

I kind of went in thinking I know nothing about

this type of thing and then I was like oh I was

actually somewhat intrigued and like at least

wanted to pay attention and figure out what was

going on so So I liked it even more than I thought

I would when I went in to watch it. But I think

we're pretty similar on our scores for that one.

Six and a half, seven, somewhere in there for

me. So all right, well, I didn't do what I told

you I was going to do and give you something

you hated. So I'll have to try again at some

point. But that leaves the other homework assignment,

which is the master, which is obviously from

Paul Thomas Anderson. And what I realized is

I haven't seen as many Paul Thomas Anderson films

as I thought I had. I've seen this, I've seen

There Will Be Blood, I've seen Inherent Vice,

and I believe those are his last three, if I'm

thinking right. But I haven't seen Punch, Drunk,

Love. And I haven't seen Boogie Nights. Definitely,

great. Yeah, and I think... Maybe I've seen bits

of Magnolia, but that came out when I was a senior

in high school So if I did see bits and pieces

it was back then and I don't really remember

much about it So I might have to revisit the

early half of his filmography just to kind of

get a better Better bearing on things. I really

enjoyed there will be blood But I also really

enjoy anything that Daniel Day -Lewis does so

So I don't know if that was the main part of

it, but I liked most of There Will Be Blood.

We weren't doing podcasts back in 2007, but I

have a feeling it would have been somewhere in

the conversation for top 10 of the year without

taking a real close look right now at all the

movies that came out there. So I liked There

Will Be Blood. His most recent film, Inherent

Vice, I gotta say that I kind of hated that.

I know it's supposed to be, according to everybody

that likes it, about the journey and kind of

just about the experience and just to go on that

journey with the characters, but it just wasn't

enough for me in that film. It might be in some

other films, but that one, it wasn't. And I'm

a fan of most of the people that were involved

in that film, as far as the cast and everything

like that. It just didn't work for me on a lot

of levels. For as far as Paul Thomas Anderson,

if you're just judging it off of those two films,

there will be Blood and Inherent Vice. Really

liked one of them, really disliked one of them.

So I'm kind of in between on him. I'm not going

to put him up there as the best director going

these days, as a lot of people do. But I do think

he does a lot of original, unique, and interesting

stuff, which leads us to 2012's The Master. Now

I know you rewatched this as well, and you had

seen it. prior to that so why don't you start

with give me your thoughts on kind of where you

sat at it beforehand and and on the rewatch kind

of where it fell for you okay yeah it was it

was my top 10 of the year came out uh which was

i think 2012 as well uh and uh i saw in theater

i liked it a great deal um inherent various i'm

indifferent on uh mostly because i i guess i

wasn't a big the characters didn't really uh

like grab me as much as other ones but um so

yeah this is about the you know the third time

i've probably seen it straight straight through

beginning and i saw it in the theater i saw when

i got it on blu -ray and this is like anytime

i'm watching it but i've watched scenes here

and there on occasion like i mentioned the first

time i saw it i uh i liked it obviously made

me i liked it a great deal it made my top 10

of that year and After each subsequent viewing,

I've enjoyed it more and more because it reminds

me of kind of the same reason I like her a lot.

There's just it has a lot of what I look for

in great movies. And starting with performances,

which I think are fantastic here, there's just

for me a lot to take out of it thematically wise

and a lot of theories. And one of those movies

where it's like. I can go into it with a certain

idea of what I think it's about and even having

supporting information and even writing up a,

you can write a paper supporting, this is what

I think this movie's about and why, and then

watch it again and like, no, I'm completely rewriting

what I'm thinking. I think this is what it's

focusing on, which I think is, the reason I think

it works here is just because there are, there

are there's so much going on in a sense of like

uh what what it's saying and a lot of ideas i

think are expressed in interesting ways and i

think similar to that of like we talked about

slow ass i just also think it's just fantastically

made movie when it comes to elements of cinematography

or gorgeous the score by I think is one of one

of my favorites of this decade so far yeah and

Johnny Greenwood who did the score I think it's

not as good as the score he did for this one

there will be blood but I think it fits this

movie really well and I think to be the biggest

takeaway Initially is the the like the trio of

amazing at performances by you know, Amy Adams

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix who

are all who are all doing something vastly different

I think you know, there are some it's like some

big moments for those characters specifically

that of Hoffman and Phoenix But I think there

are a lot of subtleties to performances as well

so I just I don't know to me I from the first

time I saw it I was intrigued by it and then

I just, I don't know, I really just enjoy it

and I, maybe enjoy is a wrong word, I am captivated

by just what he's doing with this movie. Okay.

As far as, I mean obviously you've seen it three

times, this is just the first time that both

myself and Amanda have seen it. I... finished

watching it and I was trying to kind of put everything

you know put everything together and and come

to terms with what I what I thought about the

film and I was looking on Wikipedia because that's

a great place to go for quality information to

see kind of what his what Paul Thomas Anderson's

view on it was or what what he was trying to

do with it or whatever and I actually wasn't

surprised when I read this. I'm reading straight

from here, but it says that he combined unused

scenes from early drafts of There Will Be Blood,

the life stories of John Steinbeck, the life

stories of L. Ron Hubbard, who was obviously

the founder of Scientology, and stories Jason

Robards had told him on the set of Magnolia about

his drinking days in the Navy during the war.

Like, the fact that there's that many different

things influencing it... to me is very noticeable

in the film. You can see that there's a lot of

different things, there's a lot of different

aspects that are kind of being thrown together

and creating one film. And I think for me that's

where it doesn't work as well. It seems too disjointed

for me. I like the Philip Seymour Hoffman part.

I like his storyline, and if that would have

been the main crux of the film... and all of

Joaquin Phoenix stuff would have been more of

a smaller supporting aspect of the film, then

I think I would be more on board with it because

I enjoy the commentary and the thematic stuff

that a lot of people would kind of associate

and probably some of the stuff that you were

talking about as far as the different thematic

things that you can see on this when it comes

to the formation of this cult and the inner workings

of it and between Philip Seymour Hoffman and

Amy Adams, between Philip Seymour Hoffman and...

walking phoenix and between him and his son or

just between him and the naysayers or people

that are trying to, you know, kind of question

his tactics, his means or whatever he's purporting

to be able to do. I found all that more interesting,

more intriguing. I think my favorite scene in

the whole thing is when Philip Seymour Hoffman

is going back and forth with the young man at

the... I don't know. The skeptic? Yeah, the skeptic

who was kind of going at him. That was also the

moment where I literally laughed out loud like

for a couple minutes when Philip Seymour Hoffman

lets out the pig fuck line. I'm literally dying

at that. So, I mean, I liked all of that. I didn't

care for as much the stuff that was directly

related to Walking Phoenix, and I'm not saying

that he wasn't needed or he didn't show another

angle to the whole thing, but when it was more

of the stuff just centered on him, it was more

of the stuff that kind of turned me off a bit.

But that's just kind of my initial thoughts.

I'll kind of break it down a little bit more,

but I'll let Amanda say kind of what her initial

takeaway from The Master was first. I'm kind

of in the same... vote as you as far as I would

have liked it more I think if it would have been

focused more on Philip Seymour Hoffman and his

relationships and life versus me sitting there

for however many hours trying to figure out why

Joaquin Phoenix is drinking things that develop

photos I just I couldn't I couldn't Process what

his thought process was I couldn't even rationalize

anything that he was doing. I didn't know why

he was doing anything And it was just confusing

me the whole time and then throw in some some

really crazy scenes between him and Philip Seymour

Hoffman and I was I was Trying to like it. I

was intrigued. I do like Philip Seymour Hoffman

Joaquin Phoenix I mean, props to him for being

able to morph his body to look like that. Like,

even at one point when his shirt ripped off and

he was in the jail, his shoulder blade just looks

out of place and he just looks really creepy.

I don't know. Really creepy. See, I like Joaquin

Phoenix. I like Philip Seymour Hoffman. I like

the people involved. I like Amy Adams. You know,

I like Paul Thomas Anderson as far as there will

be blood, so I mean, I wasn't against any of

those people. but I just wasn't interested in

the character of Walking Phoenix as far as being

one of the main characters. Like I said, if it

was a smaller supporting character, then I would

have been probably more on board. This movie

also did something that a lot of movies can't

do. There was a scene in which I was disturbed

and I literally turned to Amanda and was like,

I'm never gonna be able to burn that image out

of my head. And then the movie follows it up

with a scene that's even worse. As far as...

the image that was burned into my head. And I'm

not saying that there wasn't reasons for it or

there wasn't a purpose for maybe part of it.

See, I don't think so. I think the use of nudity

in this was completely useless. It was almost

in those, like, what I qualify as senseless.

boobies movies where there's just random boobs.

I didn't understand it. It would have made more

sense if everybody in the room was slowly losing

their clothes or whatever, but it was just the

women and I couldn't understand that. And I'm

like, are they objectifying them? Like, what's

going on here? And then I found that the whole,

even like Joaquin Phoenix and maybe just the

use of sexuality throughout the film wasn't done

in a way that was, I'm not necessarily saying

it has to be provocative, but it just wasn't

well done to me. See, and I get part of it because

they're developing Joaquin Phoenix's character

as someone who is both, obviously, dealing with

his alcoholism or whatever you want to call it

when it's not technically... There's alcoholism.

And then also his... I don't know if you want

to call it a sex addiction or if it's just his

general... Hornyness or or whatever like I get

that that's kind of what they're trying to paint

a picture for that But again that kind of goes

into the whole thing that I didn't necessarily

care for his character at all as much in the

and The amount of time that they dedicated to

him So I kind of get what they're doing as far

as in the process of developing his character.

I do Also say that I didn't need to see that,

you know with with the 70 year old ladies dancing

with all their stuff hanging out. Can I just

touch upon that? Yeah, go ahead. I think, well,

I think it being provocative, I think it removing

the provocation of sex is kind of what it's getting

at where you have a character where sex is not

about pleasure. It's not about provocation. It's

about it's just an obligation. And I think that's

what you see with him is that it's a lot of things

he does is like it's not through pleasure, but

out of obligation or need or just. like the desire

for finding or what have you and um and I think

regarding like the disjointedness of it I I think

if you look at it saying like a narrative standpoint

maybe but I think as an overall film I don't

think it's disjointed at all because I think

it's thematically they fit together really well

uh when you look sorry well they're fine um because

what you have you know with Phoenix I think there's

a lot to take from I think there are a lot of

different ideas that's going for so maybe you'd

say its Ambition is really high, but I think

the aspect of like the the cult and scientific

You know what's saying about Scientology? I think

that's really just I don't think that's really

what it's trying to focus on or that's a real

its desire I think what it's really getting at

it first and foremost is the relationship of

these two characters and You know how they affect

one another and I think overall what it's saying

about sex is how like again like the obligation

of it and how it's used for control because you

look at like the scene between Adam Adams and

Phil team Hoffman you see that her control is

she subverts Jesus basically sex is a subversion

of control over Hoffman and even though Hoffman

has this facade of being a leader I think in

that scene you really see how much Amy Adams

is really the person who's making the decisions

and how it's like again a sexual act that is

not through pleasure but again obligation so

I think the that scene in particular that you're

talking about where you know there's nudity there

and by adding in kind of By showing all women

in that aspect of it because I think it's clear

that you're you're through philip seymour or

not philip seymour happened, but phoenix uh,

uh walkie phoenix viewpoint in that aspect I

think you're just getting a view into his head

where it's just no matter who the person it doesn't

matter What the woman looks like it's just the

idea of it's just sex. It's just again It's not

it's not even like he finds pleasure in the human

body anymore or anything like that It's it's

just it's just there just something that happens.

There's no There is no glamor clarification of

it at all. It's lost its luster in that aspect

of it. So I think that's what I liked about it.

And I think that's where the relationship between

him and Hoffman is key because it's like the

thing he has that he can get something out of.

It's like the one thing that he has. And I think

that's interesting. And you see what he does

to fight for it, even though I think it's pretty

evident he doesn't necessarily believe anything

he's really saying. I'm not saying that the film

is trying to be about the Scientology aspect

or about Philip Seymour Hoffman. I think the

film is completely intending to tell the story

of Joaquin Phoenix's character. from beginning

to end that's what the main focus is. I'm just

saying like I might have preferred a film that

was more focusing on Philip Seymour Hoffman with

Joaquin Phoenix as a side character instead of

vice versa. Like I feel like it's completely

centered on Joaquin Phoenix. So is the issue

because you don't like the character? Like what

is the issue with that character percent? I just

didn't find him as interesting I think. I think

I found something more interesting about the

Philip Seymour Hoffman character like what you're

saying where he's this guy who has this facade

and he has this following and he has to put on

this face. has to say certain things and he has

to fight the critics, but then you get to see

his relationship with his family, his relationship

with his son, the fact that Amy Adams is more

so the one that's in control or calling the shots

or trying to tell him or dictate to things what

he should do and shouldn't do, his interaction

with even some of the followers as he changes

his opinions. And you have Laura Dern, I believe

it was Laura Dern. you know character question

like I found all that more interesting and I

just don't find as much interesting out of the

aspect of you know you have I think just more

of a personal preference on the character like

walking Phoenix's you know the ex -military person

who obviously has baggage from that you know

he has the the alcohol issues he has the like

you know even to the therapist when all he's

seeing is you know the sex images in his head,

you know, with the inkblot, and that's all he's

seeing. Like he said with the women, like that's

all he sees them as. It's just like they're just

for that purpose or whatever. He doesn't necessarily

find, you know, he's not someone looking for,

there's no part in this whole story where he's

looking for like a soulmate or, you know, like

a, you know, women don't... Satisfy that need

for him like they're like you said They're just

an obligation that type of thing and and so that

character in it of itself for me I would prefer

to see more about Philip Seymour Hoffman's character

and kind of the things that are going on inside

his head My worry of doing that is that it I

think it's I find it more interesting if you

don't know if if he believes what he's saying

Like if it is is he is it hubris? Is it you know,

is that what what's causing him it? Is it just

him trying to you know, or is it him? Like is

it a motive like financially like what exactly?

Is driving him and I like not knowing that I

don't say I'm not saying I need to know that

I just like seeing I like I find it more entertaining

seeing his reactions and his interactions with

the different people, I guess, is what I'm saying.

And I'm not saying Joaquin Phoenix couldn't play

a part of that because obviously he's someone

who he's clung onto and he's tried to kind of

like have as his little, you know, I don't know

if you want to use it. Like a lackey. Like a

lackey or a sheep that he's kind of dragging

along. Like I don't think that, I think Joaquin

Phoenix is still valuable in telling that story.

I just didn't, since I didn't care for Phoenix's

character as much and I didn't find it as entertaining,

I just would have liked more time on some of

the other characters and had Phoenix just be

more of a character that's still giving you that

element, still giving you that element that there

is someone that, you know... it's almost like

a lackey or something like that where he's kind

of stringing them along or doing that type of

thing. I still think it adds something to it.

I guess to me I felt very balanced between those

two characters. I didn't feel like, I mean you

probably spend a little bit more time with Phoenix

because it is him, you know it is. Just a little.

I think it's pretty balanced but it's a little,

it tips a little towards Phoenix. I guess I like

that. I don't, I guess I don't know. I don't

know I find that character really interesting

and I find him just like the like his plates

intriguing, you know this guy who I think his

story very much, if you make him less of the

movie, I think you fundamentally change a lot

of what the movie's about. It definitely even

ties into things like the need of family. Especially

if you look at right after he is in the Navy,

the first thing he's doing is taking photos of

these families. kind of what you would assume

is some sort of family within the Navy and he's

like placed into a world where he's basically

again with that facade of trying to showcase

the idea of what a family should be during this

time, and clearly that's not what he's in, and

I think within those characters he finds that,

which is why I think he sticks with them, even

though I don't think he completely buys into

what they're saying. So I guess that's the play

that I found interesting was him, and then again

that relationship between him and Hoffman, I

loved every moment they were seeing them together,

like you have the jail scene, you have the...

I forget what they call it, but the you know

the scene where he's being audited you know I

guess if you don't like that character feel of

Phoenix, and I think he's can easily be very

unlikable. He's not the most He Unhinged is the

word I would use I guess but I don't know if

that's your issue. Maybe that would be the problem,

but I guess My worry of doing that would be that

it would change a lot of what what I like about

the movie Do you think Paul Thomas Anderson knew

exactly the message that he was trying to give

with this one or was he trying to, or do you

think he was just trying to craft an interesting

story that leaves for a lot of ambiguity as far

as what he might be trying to tell or what he

might not be trying to say? Do you think he had

a crystal clear image in his mind of what he's

trying to say with this film? I would say so.

I mean, I don't know for sure. I think, I don't

know if any director does to a certain extent,

but I also think that what the direct, I don't,

I think if that was not the case, like, oh, he

didn't know what he was trying to do. It really

wouldn't affect my take on the movie at all.

Like, if a director has a certain way he feels

the movie should be seen or. what he's trying

to do, that doesn't affect me one way or another.

To me, it's not about what the director's trying

to say. What the director's trying to say doesn't

necessarily mean what the movie's going to say.

I get that, but I still think there sometimes

is a need for the movie to know what it's trying

to say. I'm not saying this film doesn't. The

only reason I'm asking is because I was trying

to read on different praises, different critiques,

different criticism, et cetera. kind of drawn

to what Roger Ebert said, and he kind of alludes

to some of that, and I wasn't sure how I felt

about it one way or the other, but he says, he

said, fabulously well acted and crafted, but

when I reach for it, my hand closes on air. It

has rich material and isn't clear what it thinks

about it. It has two performances of Oscar caliber,

but do they connect? And I was just trying to

think of that line and think of that phrase and

see where I fell, or kind of what that said to

me. I'm not sure. I'm not saying that he doesn't

have a clear picture of what he's trying to say

or the movie doesn't have a clear picture. I

think it does. I think it is telling a certain

thing, but I don't know. I just find it weird

that it's where he got the influences for everything,

kind of how it came together, and I'm not saying

that, maybe disjointed is the wrong word, but

because I do think, like you said, I do think

they go together and I do think there is a balance

there and I think they all kind of, there is

an interconnection. I'm not saying that there's

not connections between all the different parts

of it I just when you put it all together for

some reason I wasn't I mean I would think like

all movies are in a lot of ways if you are amalgamations

of a lot of different ideas or you know taking

I don't think that's like you know unique for

just this movie you know I mean like I don't

right no no I'm not saying it is I I guess I

mean and I also don't think necessarily that

a movie has to be super clear on exactly what

it's trying to say or if it has to say just one

thing or it can't or it can't or maybe it's like

you know there's a lot of ways to take this I

think by like I said every but I think there's

one thing not to try to I'm not trying to cut

you off but I think there's one thing in intentionally

doing that and one thing and just unintentionally

putting a bunch of stuff together and then not

having a clear vision of what it's saying like

Christopher like there was an article in our

news story that we didn't get to that's available

for people to click on on the website post from

Christopher Nolan about about inception, and

about, obviously he made a clear choice to not

hold our hands and not say, this is what this

is about, or you know, I'm intentionally leaving

some ambiguity there. I'm intentionally not going

to say that this is crystal clear what this movie

is saying, so I will let people interpret what

they want to. That's one thing. But if you're

doing it unintentionally, I think that's something

completely different. Yeah, I don't feel like

it. I don't think anything about this movie is

unintentional. I think I think every like, you

know, every design of every frame like it, you

know, I think Anderson is Kubrickian in that

aspect where everything is purposeful. I mean,

that's what I was trying to decide in my head

if it was or was not. I'm not saying I felt it

was or was not, but that's what I was grabbed.

Like if you look at the thing that you mentioned

with. Philip Seymour Hoffman's character, like

when he is being the skeptic. And I think if

that's a perfect example of how everything is

purposeful, because if you just even look at

the placement of every character in that scene,

I think it says a lot. You have the fact that

that camera is always distant in that aspect

of it, where you have the senders in one location,

you have Freddie Quill, who's in another location.

Dodd, who's in another one and similar with Amy

Adams. You're always at a distance. You're never

just in one location. And and it's always like

you're never getting that clear perspective.

And I think, too, like what you see in that is

when you see him like the camera is almost on

the person listening, never more so than the

person talking. And what you end up seeing, I

think, is like when when he's being questioned,

is the people around him and their reactions

and almost an ability to kind of Like in holding

their emotions like Amy Adams is like brilliant

in that moment because there are times where

it does this focus on her and she's just like

amazing like this look on her face of just Disgust

and like like it looks like she's gonna like

snap in that aspect of it But I think it's interesting

too that you have quill in the background like

separate from it all Just as like this overseer

or just as like the observer in that situation

I think I think those type of moments are purposeful

and I think That's saying a lot, again, without

saying anything, without it being spoken to you

within the context of a plot or narrative, just

the placement of the character. So I don't think,

by any means, for someone to be unintentional,

the ambiguity of a film to be unintentional would

mean to me that the filmmaking in itself is...

Sloppy or it's you know, not not purposeful and

I don't get that at all. Like I think there's

a you know, there are certain I get it's kind

of a little bit unfair because I'm someone who's

seen this more multiple times but there are like

certain elements that run throughout in that

use of water or even bodily fluids in some ways

and how they punctuate scenes. So I don't get

the sense that it's at all accidental that there's

interpretation here. And I think that's not necessarily

a bad thing. I think it... that you know, they're

even in the sense of What's real and what's dream

like, you know near the not to give them anything

away But like near the end, you know, they're

in the theater scene where he's in the theater

by himself and if that's in fact, you know, I

Dream a really happening and I think it's also

This is kind of a spoiler, but I guess not necessarily

really but the fact that the only time that we

see Philip Singer Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, and

Amy Adams in a scene together, like in one shot

together at the very end. They're always, they're

never seen in the same shot. So, and I, like,

I think those things, like, show that, like,

are like kind of the breadclums that tell you

that there's more, that there is things here

outside of just a narrative or outside of just

me telling you a story. There are... There are

elements in here that are meant to kind of interpret

what he's trying to say. So I never got that

sense of like, I just don't know what I have

here. And if that's if that's the case, I don't

think there's ever going to be a clear answer

of. Is this intentional or unintentional? But

I think the way you can kind of make a criticism

of that is by looking at how well the film's

made. And to me, it's it is pretty it's, you

know, methodical in that way. Amanda, we haven't

given you a chance to talk. Yeah, I feel like

I've been really interrupting everyone. No, you're

fine. We've been going back and forth, but anything

that you wanted to add that you didn't get to

say about the master or reactions to what we've

been saying? Um, well... I don't know. Having

just seen this once, I can't pick it apart too

much. So I think Dan has the advantage on us

there where he's been able to, you know, take

in the movie a second time and pick up some of

those things that we might have missed. But as

far as what I was doing throughout the whole

movie was trying to figure out the relationships

between the characters as far as, you know, the

characters... with relationships that have the

power and the control flow back and forth to

other relationships where I'm trying to figure

out what is this person gaining by being in a

relationship with this person? Why do they want

to have the relationship that they do with that

person? I thought that was pretty interesting.

I'm probably coming across as like I hated the

film and I don't think I necessarily... I didn't

hate it. I think this is for me... 10 times better

than Inherent Vice. So I definitely like it better

than that film. But if I was given a score on

The Master, I'm probably like right in the six

range for me, like a six out of 10. What do you

think, Amanda? I'll give it a four. A four? Much

lower than me. Dan, I'm assuming you're in the

nine, 10 range? I want to give it a... 10 9 and

a half because I I would like I I do think like

I said that I didn't say anything negative but

like um, I think uh, and I made a good point

about the Like what like what the purpose of

like what are they getting out of this relationship?

I think that's a treating aspect of it. Um, but

I do I do think you know, there is some question

like although I would say that I I don't think

um, uh, it's unintentionally and that it's me

I'm sorry I'm gonna rambling although I do think

that there that there's meaning here that that

is purposeful I do think that it probably could

have done you know like the only thing I think

that I would have done differently maybe was

I think it Phoenix's character there are times

where I think that it's almost borderline I can't

think of the word. I don't know. Sorry. We kept

you up too late. Yeah. I hope we can edit this

out. We can. I'm just trying to think of the

word. I'm trying to think of the word. I just

rewind and start over. Just the reason I want

to give it a 10 I think is I think sometimes

like there are scenes or moments I think it's

just Phil maybe Tom Anderson being a little too

much in love with Anderson and Like I'm like,

okay, I think you can cut this back I don't think

you literally need to have an actor punch another

actor to make this point, which I think happens

It's almost like it's just actors kind of taking

them taking it a little bit too far in certain

scenes like that that kind of was a little taken

it back by it where it's like I get it's an exercise

in acting but I think there's a point where it's

like you can kind of like, you know not I think

you you can take that too seriously and almost

become a little bit pretentious in that end.

It's not a great deal, but there are certain

moments that I felt that way. But yeah, I mean,

it's like a 9 .5, you know, 9, 9 .5 within there.

And when we get to our best of the decade so

far, I'm sure it'll come up again. So we're all

across the board on master from nines to sixes

to fours. Honestly, you giving a six is about

four, about two. Two two letter not two letters

between it, but a little is higher than I expected

you to give it All right. See I surprise you

every once in a while. All right Well looking

ahead here to next weekend and stuff that's either

coming out in theaters as you're listening to

this or stuff That's coming out to blu -ray here

this next coming Tuesday We got some options.

Remember, you can only pick to either go see

one, and it's your only chance to see that film

in the theater. If you don't pick it, you never

get to see that film in the theater, or it's

a Blu -ray, and if you don't pick to buy it,

you can never buy it on Blu -ray here. So we

got Kingsman The Secret Service being released

on Blu -ray, Red Army, Mission Impossible The

Quadrilogy. Is that a word? I think Alien started

it with Alien Quadrilogy, and it's gone since

then. We got Serena. uh... justified the final

season thunderbirds the complete series or victor

hugo's the hunchback of nother dame old classic

for blue -rated leases and theater releases like

we talked about uh... the one that i forgot to

mention we're talking about our box office in

the opening was love and mercy which is the brian

wilson movie uh... with john kusek and paul danno

and paul giamatti and elizabeth banks so that

one's coming out we had entourage We have a film

called Testament of Youth starring Alicia Vikander

and Kit Harrington and Taryn Edgerton and Emily

Watson and Haley Atwell, goodness. Spy, like

we talked about with Melissa McCarthy, Insidious

Chapter 3 and then some other ones. So if you

can only buy one or watch one, Amanda, which

one are you doing? I'm gonna buy Kingsman The

Secret Service. You're buying Kingsman The Secret

Service, that's... You're taking, you're stealing

my thunder. Dan, what would you do there? I would

justify the final season. Alright. I don't know

if that's cheating, but... No, you can do that.

I'd actually go see Love and Mercy, because I

loved the Beach Boys when I was growing up, so

I'm interested to see that story, even though

maybe it'll be disappointing, but I would like

to see more about that. Alright, as far as the

question for this next week, I was interested

in what your guys' take was on Dan and I's conversation

about ratings, kind of what you take away from

that. How you feel Raiden should be or just anything

kind of expounding and they're expanding on our

conversation For that so before I close out Dan

anything else that you wanted to say this week

or you want to do the assignments for next? Yes,

that's usually a good thing to do. I'm glad you

remembered it because otherwise I would have

forgot it So what do you got for me? Okay, so

I gave you movie last week. I felt like I've

been giving you and Amanda like movies that are

kind of a You know church room 12, which is like,

you know kind of a you know, it's definitely

a depressing and movie I know you didn't Probably

weren't gonna like but I thought was important.

So I'm trying to I thought I would give you options

to this end and just So I have one which is I

know I don't know if I'm an Alexis director But

I know Kevin you do and it's a it's like an adventure

film based upon a real life like true life historical

event I have another movie which is See it's

a foreign film a drama for starring one of my

favorite actors working today And I have, it's

more of a romantic, not romantic comedy is a

strong word, but it's a low budget indie comedy,

say in the same vein as a Woody Allen film, but

more modern day. I think Amanda would probably

go with the first one. Oh yeah. It is a, okay,

is that, okay. Yeah, on her behalf, I'll go with

the first one. So the director is Peter Weir.

Okay, which I think I know you like Master and

Commander if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, and the

movie We're currently streaming on Netflix. It's

like an epic Adventure film called the way back.

Have you seen it? I have not seen that yet the

way back the way back It's about it starts calling

Farrell Ed Harris a few other people. It's about

basically people who escaped from a war to prison

and try to like free to try to travel to India

and it's like they're Third class, it's not like

essay, like a groundbreaking movie, but like

knowing you like those epic, like kind of like

the base on true events, historical film that

maybe that'd be up your alley. Cool. We'll definitely

watch that. Now I consulted your database and

hopefully I'm not wrong, but I don't believe

you've seen this one. And I figured since we're

doing our, our look back at the last five years,

that maybe it's something that I've heard a lot

of other people talking about. If you've seen

it since I've gotten your database, I apologize,

but have you seen. The film Shame? I have not

seen Shame. Alright, so I'm going to put that

one out there because it seems like one that

a lot of people talk pretty highly about. Also

starring your fantasy guy, Michael Fassbender.

We might watch that one as well because neither

one of us has seen it either. So it might be

one that all three of us could watch. But I'm

going to put it out there because I think it's

something that we should at least check off the

list before we make our decade list. I have not

seen that one. Alright so there we go for the

assignments for next week and anybody listening

out there you can watch some of those movies

too and then be ready for the discussion along

with us so you can always join in on the homework.

So thanks as always for tuning into the Cinema

Geeks this week. You can contact us in a bunch

of different ways. First we have a Twitter so

you can follow us on Twitter. The show name there

is Cinema Geekcast. So it's a combination of

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Radio Networks. You have Cinema Geekcast. Follow

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Amanda? Hard Candy Mandy. Eyes, no eyes. Dan?

I'm at Movie Revolt. O's and V's, I guess. You

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can keep up to date with everything that the

network puts out. So that is it for us. Be sure

to check in next week for your next chance to

listen to us, the Cinema Geeks. Sorry if I yeah,

I felt like I blacked out during the master discussion

Yeah, so I just No, that's right. It's late.

You're up late and the baby's ready to eat. Oh,

yeah We're like old pros print I'm gonna do one

take here Ray Charles I only know that from the

movie We were playing this movie trivia game

the other day with one of our friends and it's

like Has cards on it or you have cards and it

has like a it gives you like a year in a genre

So it'll be like oh 1996 drama or something like

that And then there's four different types of

clues that you can ask for, depending on what

cards you have. And you can either ask for cast,

characters, a quote, or a story, a little blurb.

And one of them was the movie Ray. It's like

a blind R &B singer. We're like, what? Come on.

I crushed it. That is giving it away. Stevie

Wonder? No, it's not.