A24 & Midsommar (2019)

It’s the first installment in their “Spooky Month” series! On this week’s elevated episode of Dear Movies, I Love You, Millie and Casey scrutinize the overall vibe of A24 movies, as well as discuss the totemic MIDSOMMAR (2019).

Follow, rate, and review Dear Movies, I Love You wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the show on Instagram: @dearmoviesiloveyou.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ooh ah, spooky season.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Ooh, Millie, you're scaring me.

Speaker 1 (00:08):
No, I'm not impossible.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Impossible.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Hi Millie, Hi, how's your Halloween going so far?

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Oh? It's great. You know, my wife Tricia and I
every Halloween, every October we watch a horror movie every
night of October, and so this is one of my
favorite times of the year.

Speaker 1 (00:28):
Yeah, just getting started really and honestly, I say Halloween
meaning it covers the entire swath of time, which is
the entire month of October. Yeah, and maybe a little
early maybe, like you know, kind of like last day
of September, couple last days of September.

Speaker 2 (00:48):
My good friend Lucee Tomlin Brenner has a podcast called
It's Always Halloween, Yes, And she informed me that a
lot of people start celebrating Halloween one hundred days leading
up to it, which starts in July.

Speaker 1 (01:02):
I believe.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Oh yeah, So do you feel like in recent years
Halloween has really blown up? I don't remember it being
this big of a deal when I was younger.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
It's I think we talked about this, maybe did we
like maybe very like very early days of the pod,
but like, yeah, it's gotten longer. The celebration has gotten longer,
like even just the week of Many people consider the
week of Halloween the Halloween like where they dress up
every night and go and do stuff Halloween theme.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
Uh huh.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
And depending on what day of the week. Also, it's
almost like, you know, you always have to add the
if it's in the middle of the week, it's like
prior and after type of thing. So it's like it's
extended for sure. But then also I find that, maybe
to Lusay's point, that the stores get Halloween stuff way
way earlier. Now.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Absolutely, I was at home depot back in early September
full of Halloween stuff. Giant skeleton guy. I've ever seen
that big old skeleton guy you can buy It's like
fifteen feet tall.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
Things in there that's like ten years ago. Like that's
old news, like that skeleton. When I see the skeleton
guy now, I'm like, oh, yeah, that old thing. You
guys just didn't put that up. That's just up.

Speaker 2 (02:22):
Do you ever decorate the outside of your house for Halloween?

Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah, I mean I'm kind of in a weird transitional
period right now because I'm about to move into a
new house, so I'm not decorating this year. Because Okay,
all my Halloween stuff is in boxes and I'm not
getting them out because I'm moving soon. But yes, I'll
do a little light I'd like to do the lessons

(02:48):
more approach, to be honest. My thing is that a
couple of years ago, I purchased a gold skeleton ooh,
life size meaning not fifteen feet tall, but like sweet tall.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Sure, and the gold.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Skeleton is very sassy and he sits on my bench
on my front porch and he just is kind of like,
what's up to? Like all of the FedEx and ups rivers.
I also I'm a big fan of putting fingers and
hands and feet in like potted plants and sure, like
little flower beds and stuff. I always love, like yeah,

(03:25):
tricking the eye, being like is that a zombie coming
out of the garden?

Speaker 2 (03:29):
Or what I feel like when I see someone, even
if they have just a little bit of Halloween decorations,
a little ghost in the window, a pumpkin, I'm like,
this person's cool. They're down to clown there, they know
what's up? Like.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
There's also one of my favorite things, and this is
something that I've loved since I was a kid. Do
you remember there's a company, and I might be pronouncing
it wrong. Is it bistle basil be stl. And they

(04:03):
are like the og paper Halloween decoration cutout people, which
you can still buy on the internet, Like I think
you can get a lot of their stuff on Amazon.
But they've been around since like the nineteen twenties, and
they're still making these like super cool, like old school
Halloween decorations. And it would just like, you know, put

(04:23):
some scotch tape in the window. Man, I do that
shit all the time. I love seeing those old school
cutout decorations.

Speaker 2 (04:30):
They're so bad. That's kind of the classic Halloween cartoon.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
Look, that's great, Yeah, because back when I was a kid,
that was pretty much all you had. You didn't really have. Actually,
I don't even remember like spiderwebs being a thing until
I was like in high school. Yeah, but what in
the eighties, Like when I was like an elementary school kid,
like late eighties, mid to late eighties, this was all
people did for Halloween was these cutouts in the windows.

(04:58):
So I have a fondness for those very good What
about candy, what's the candy report?

Speaker 2 (05:03):
Well, I want to ask you something, how often do
you eat a candy bar in your regular life.

Speaker 1 (05:10):
Do you want me to be completely honest with you
or do you want me to lie?

Speaker 2 (05:13):
This is a no judgment zone because I need no
judgment from you when I give you my answer, So go,
you can be honest.

Speaker 1 (05:19):
I'm woofing them down like three sixty five, like I will.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
This is why we host a podcast because I was
going to say to you, and I'm not exaggerating here.
I eat a full candy bar five days a week.

Speaker 1 (05:37):
Wow, uh huh.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
There's a convenience store like near my house that I
can walk to, and I'm like, I.

Speaker 1 (05:46):
Might just stuck stop it for a quick little bite.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
It's just so easy.

Speaker 1 (05:51):
Well here's the t though.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
For me.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
I love miniature chocolates like I am. I don't think
I very rarely will buy a full sized Snickers, but
I'll be damned if I don't polish a bag of
mini Snickers and like maybe two days.

Speaker 2 (06:08):
Well those don't count.

Speaker 1 (06:09):
That's what I feel. I'm like, oh, if I have
eight of these mini Snickers, that's sort of like a
full sized Caddie or even though it's public like three,
but I'm like, I love the mini conversion.

Speaker 2 (06:24):
It's best not to look into that too deeply, you know,
because I don't think you're going to like the answers
that you find. But Halloween, I just I really go candy.
I am a candy nut, and I really go candy crazy,
and yeah, it's hard for me. I can't buy Halloween
candy too early either, because if it's just sitting there,

(06:45):
you know, to hand out to children.

Speaker 1 (06:47):
Yeah, it's oh, the bowl is empty by the time. Yeah,
it's like October seventh, and I'm like, that bowl is empty.
What are your thoughts on quickly? I know we're trying
to do a podcast, but I have to ask, what
are your thoughts on the like limited edition Halloween flavors
of certain candies, like the green Reese's pumpkins or like

(07:09):
this grave stickers, all that stuff.

Speaker 2 (07:12):
I guess I don't have too strong of an opinion
on it. Some people say the pumpkin shaped Reese's Peanut
butter cup is better than the actual regular peanut buttercup,
to which I disagree.

Speaker 3 (07:26):
So I.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
Guess I just I don't have too strong of an opinion.
I prefer the regular candy.

Speaker 1 (07:35):
I do too. I think it's actually kind of nasty. Yeah,
I think it's the new flavors, the new iterations of things.
I'm like, now I just stick with the original. You
can change the shape, but the inside needs to be
old school. Yeah, because I will eat a Reese's egg
for Easter, I'll eat a Reese's pumpkin. But I don't

(07:56):
want like a candy corn flavored, know what I mean? Like,
I don't want the variations.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
Yeah, very good. Uh, there's something in the agenda that
I don't understand.

Speaker 1 (08:07):
What I mean.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
You talked about this, and I saw you did. But
Cinnamon Broom Update. You got a Cinnamon Broom update for.

Speaker 1 (08:13):
Us, Casey. It's like you don't even know me or something.

Speaker 2 (08:19):
I don't know. I'm getting to know you through the podcast,
But you were there.

Speaker 1 (08:24):
Well, I talked about this, and I saw what you did.

Speaker 2 (08:27):
I was not there.

Speaker 1 (08:29):
I you.

Speaker 2 (08:30):
I actually started as the producer on the show after
the big Cinnamon Broom conversation.

Speaker 1 (08:36):
Okay, maybe maybe that's true. But there were ripples.

Speaker 2 (08:40):
There were And so now this is my way of saying,
I'm embarrassed that you got to explain it a little
bit to me.

Speaker 1 (08:47):
Well, I mean, as many of you know who have
listened to my other podcasts and just know me personally,
I'm a huge fan of cinnamon brooms in this time
of year. And what those are are them scented little brooms, like.

Speaker 2 (09:04):
I think you can get them at Trader Joe's.

Speaker 1 (09:06):
You can definitely get him at Trader Joe's. And when
I lived in LA, when I was absolutely starved for
fall festival magic and got pretty much nothing, that cinnamon
broom from Trader Joe's was the only thing that kept
my head in the gate because fucking La no seasons,
there's no fall in LA. And it drove me.

Speaker 2 (09:25):
It's crazy, yeah, and there will be like one hundred
and two degrees on Halloween.

Speaker 1 (09:30):
It's really hard.

Speaker 3 (09:31):
I know.

Speaker 1 (09:31):
I was like, yo, can we get like an apple
spiced candle up in here? And there's like nothing, and
I was so breatht of fall sick. But you can
get a boy Trader Joe's. I have secured mine. I
will say this again, underscore this I said this last year.

(09:52):
Do not fuck with any other sense other than cinnamon.
I'm serious, Like I said, with the candy they're trying.
They're trying to put out like mohito flavored cinnamon brooms,
and I'm like this is fucking insane, Like, no.

Speaker 2 (10:06):
Don't do not fall for it.

Speaker 1 (10:09):
Don't fall for it, do not, you know, fall for
the scented broom Juggernaut. I say Juggernaut every episode, but
I mean it like they're trying to like create all
of these different sets. They're not even false sense. A
lot of them are not false sense, and it's bullshit.
The original the og is the best. And also I

(10:31):
think they've realized maybe this is me, maybe this was
my influence, but you know that people are are trying
to get their hands on more cinnamon brooms. And this
is not the cinnamon whisk by the way. The whisk
is the tiny version that's like handheld. But I've seen
them trying to charge outrageous prices for these brooms, like
in the past couple of weeks where my local publics,

(10:52):
I think somebody said that the cinnamon brooms were seven
ninety nine. Then I spat out my candy corns and
was like, absolutely not seven ninety nine for a cinnamon room.
You've got to be paying elite, like bare minimum. You're
trying to get that shit for four ninety nine. That's it. No,
nothing higher, maybe like five point fifty, but like, you

(11:14):
don't want to pay eight dollars for cinnamon room that's insane.

Speaker 2 (11:17):
You know that's a recession indicator right there. Cinnamon Well,
I mean I'm.

Speaker 1 (11:20):
Sitting here going, okay, is it a tariff thing?

Speaker 2 (11:22):
Absolutely not.

Speaker 1 (11:23):
You know who's making cinnamon Brooms's little old witches get
in the forest.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
Yeah, but those are American witches. Yeah, and they have
fallen on hard times.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
But they're just going to get like sticks, yeah, in
the woods. They're not like importing sticks from Scandinavia or something.
Come on, just be able to look out, be an
informed consumer, your eyes open. Do not get a mohito
flavored broom stick with a cinnamon and otherwise have an
amazing Halloween.

Speaker 2 (11:57):
Can I tell you a quick la Halloweens very quick?
Did you ever go on the Haunted hay Ride, which
is in Griffith Park. Basically you get on this big
hay ride. It's pulled by a tractor and they pull
you through like these big Halloween scenes. It's kind of

(12:18):
like you're in a haunted house, but you're on a
tractor going through like haunted house scenes. And it's really cool.
I think it's cool and it's like really choreographed, like
you'll go through like the tractor will like go through
like a set that's like an old church or like
an insane asylum, and then everyone will run and jump
up on the haunted hay ride cart and be like ah,

(12:39):
and it's exciting and it's in it's in Griffith Park,
so you're like in the woods kind of see.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
I want to say a friend of mine went one
year and said that she got some kind of weird
itch from the hay. Hmmm, like there was some kind
of like sugar, like a hay.

Speaker 2 (12:54):
Flea or something. Okay, we have we may have had
an infected batch of hay's. Oh yeah.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
She said that she went. She was wearing shorts. Was like,
that's your first problem, but then she got some kind
of itch on her leg from the hay and I
was like, you know, you know, but anyways, I went.

Speaker 2 (13:15):
I went for a couple of years in a row,
and one time we went. I'm with Tricia, my girlfriend
at the time, and a bunch of friends and we
go through like one of these scenes. It was like,
I don't know, an insane asylum, let's say, and a
bunch of people in scary masks and makeup, jump onto

(13:37):
our hey ride. Everyone's screaming and one of the people
gets in my face and goes, HELLU Casey and then
jumps off the Haunted hay Ride and runs into the woods.
And I was like, did anybody else fucking hear that?

(13:58):
Did anybody else hear that? Did? Did anybody else get
their name called out by one of the inmates and
everyone was like no. I was like, that person just
said my name. They said hello, Casey. So freaked me out.

Speaker 1 (14:14):
Who wasn't your friend? Who was it?

Speaker 2 (14:16):
Flash forward? I find out it was a friend of mine.
I had no idea that they were working the Haunted
hey Ray though I had no idea because I really
honestly was like, I have zero idea who that was.
And also it scared me because it would have had
to have taken My friend did not know I was there,
you know, so they must have seen me and in

(14:38):
that instant made the decision.

Speaker 1 (14:41):
To do that.

Speaker 2 (14:42):
But wow, will that really get me?

Speaker 1 (14:45):
Oh? I would be goddamn terrified. But it's also good
that you didn't know that your friends was working the
Haunted House because I used to have friends who worked
at so in Atlanta. For many years there was a
haunted house called the Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse, nice because Atlanta

(15:05):
is of course, because it's the home of the walking Dead.
Zombie crazy. Yeah, and they were zombie crazy for a
very long time, and they basically took this dilapidated motel
and made it into like a post apocalyptic zombie fallout shelter.
It was actually terrifying. It felt unsafe. I'm not gonna lie,
I felt unsafe up to code.

Speaker 3 (15:25):
No.

Speaker 1 (15:25):
I mean there was definitely trip hazards all over the
place and like actual broken glass, which I was kind
of like, Okay, that's kind of fucked up. But yeah,
we knew like half the people that worked there. And
when you would go to the Haunted House, it's like, Oh,
here's your friend who's pretending to be like some calum
duty like ops guy, like guiding you through the zombie apocalypse,

(15:46):
and we would just all scream his name and he
was trying to stay in character and we would just
be fucking with him the entire time.

Speaker 2 (15:53):
Oh so you were ruining it for them, not the
other I thought that was what the story was there
going to be, like going too far, But no, you
were you were the real mind in the course, then
there's people.

Speaker 1 (16:02):
Behind just being like, how the fuck do these people
know the So the super soldier that we're traveling with,
I'm like, yeah, that sucks, but that's so funny.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
Anyways, we got a big This was just sort of
an intro to the Halloween season with our first episode.
We're doing all horror movies this month. Say we're excited,
and we're starting this week off with Midsommer from twenty nineteen,
and we're going to talk about A twenty four movies,
which I believe Millie and I have some opinions on.

Speaker 1 (16:37):
Yes, we are the first people in cinematic criticism history
to discuss A twenty four to discuss elevated horror, the
concept of elevated horror. We're the only people that have
done it. It's been untouched, uncompletely untapped and ready for

(16:57):
vibrant new discussions. But to be completely honest with you,
this is the first time watch for me. So I
I am allowed to have opinions because I've never seen
this shit before.

Speaker 2 (17:08):
I'm not allowed to have opinions because I have seen
it before.

Speaker 1 (17:13):
You are you're allowed to have opinions? Come on, it's
our podcast, but that'll be exciting to discuss.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
And I'm excited to talk to you about because I
feel like this was a big movie when it came
out and it'll be fun to talk to you about
it all these, you know, six years after it came out.

Speaker 1 (17:31):
So and I mean, I know we don't look at
of course, because we're extremely good looking and cool, but
we're kind of horror nerds, wouldn't you say?

Speaker 2 (17:40):
I know it is shocking for people when they find
out that I watch horror movies every night of October
because I'm so hot and cool and so well.

Speaker 1 (17:51):
On that note, you are listening to the spookiest podcasts
Dear Movies. I love you.

Speaker 3 (18:02):
I love you, and I've got to know you love
me to check the books.

Speaker 1 (18:26):
Hey, everybody, you are listening to Dear Movies, I love you.
This is a podcast for those who are in a
relationship with movies. My name is Millie.

Speaker 2 (18:36):
To Jericho, my name is Casey O'Brien. I tried to
I was just trying to think of a spooky like
you know how they did it in the Simpsons credits
for a Treehouse of Horror. Do you have a spooky
version of your name.

Speaker 1 (18:50):
Chili to Jericho.

Speaker 2 (18:52):
Chili to Jericho, and mine is Casey O'Brien. Ah.

Speaker 1 (18:58):
That's good.

Speaker 2 (19:01):
Now we have to say for the next three episodes brains.
I think it'll be brains. Okay, you O get good.
We figured it out. Yes, Oh my god, Halloween season
my favorite time of the year.

Speaker 1 (19:13):
This is great. I'm so thrilled. I am too. And
we have quite an episode because we're going to try
to tackle again, like we said in the intro, this
like huge topic, which is basically elevated horror and the
movie Studio eight twenty four's influence and maybe creating that term. Yeah,
but you know, also talking about I.

Speaker 2 (19:34):
Don't know, I feel like it's a controversial term. Even
I think it is too.

Speaker 1 (19:37):
Oh no, I agree with you.

Speaker 2 (19:38):
I don't think people even like that label.

Speaker 1 (19:41):
Right because it's it's it's pejorative of something else, right,
which I'm sure we're going to talk about, yes, but
also talking about a movie like Midsummer which became this
kind of like breakout hit for them. When you say
it was a huge, huge.

Speaker 2 (19:58):
Movie, yeah, I mean he Hereditary a few years before that,
and that was big. But then I just feel like
Midsommar sort of cemented something. It kind of created a
pattern with which we understood sort of what A twenty
four was as a company or like as a brand,

(20:20):
you know.

Speaker 1 (20:20):
And I also think it popularized this sort of micro
genre that we're going to also talk about, which is
folk horror.

Speaker 2 (20:27):
Hell yeah.

Speaker 1 (20:29):
And there have been folk horror movies prior to Midsummer,
of course, but I think it kind of brought it
to this. I don't know, I want to say TikTok
level consciousness, like where the kids were like I love
folk core, I love Witches, I love hay Rides.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
I love yeah yeah, yah yah. But before we get there,
we got to open up the film diary The Funk
of forty, where we were going to talk about the
movies we both watched this last week. And and I guess,
full disclosure, we're not recording this in October, so I

(21:05):
haven't started my movie watching, my horror movie watching marathon yet.

Speaker 1 (21:13):
So why are you telling them how the sausage is
made for supposed.

Speaker 2 (21:15):
To Well, they're gonna be like, didn't you say you
watched horror movies all this month? And the movies you
are saying you watched are like not horror movies.

Speaker 3 (21:24):
You know.

Speaker 1 (21:24):
Okay, fine, but we're not doing it super No.

Speaker 2 (21:27):
This is right. We're on the cusp of October right now.

Speaker 1 (21:30):
Well go ahead and say yours then.

Speaker 2 (21:32):
Okay, sorry if I ruined the the magic of the show.

Speaker 1 (21:37):
I literally don't care who goes first or last. Does
that matter to people? It doesn't matter to me.

Speaker 2 (21:44):
No, okay, it doesn't matter to me either. I'll go first.

Speaker 1 (21:47):
If it does, you can weigh in at Deer Movies
at exactly right media dot com and I'll just tell
you that's.

Speaker 2 (21:51):
Dumb, dumb. We'll just respond dumb next. Uh Okay. I
watched two movies this week. One is Okay. So there's
a Polish director. His name is Christoph Kislowski, and he
is I mean a real art house director in the
Hall of Fame, you know. I would say he's done

(22:14):
movies like the Color Blue, the Color Red, the Color White.
He had did the movie The Double Life of Vironique.
And he also did this ten movie set called The Decalogue,

(22:36):
which is sort of based on the Ten Commandments. And
these are on television, but they are movies. They're an
hour long each. They are feature films. I consider them
feature films. Have you seen these MILLI.

Speaker 1 (22:49):
H no, but I've programmed them for a for a
thing we did on Filmstruck, which doesn't exist anymore.

Speaker 2 (22:56):
But you would consider them each movie like they're not
short films, but they are movies.

Speaker 1 (23:01):
Yeah, yeah, I would say that.

Speaker 2 (23:02):
So I watched I have the Blu ray box set
from Criterion, and I've watched a bunch of them, but
I haven't watched all of them. So I started back
on this and they're really beautiful. They're really moving, they're emotional,
they're spiritual, and he's an amazing director and I think
a real artist and poet and if you like really

(23:25):
kind of beautiful, emotional movies, he's a great filmmaker. I
don't know. Anyways, I watched Decalogue one and wept and
it was great. So then I watched there's this director

(23:47):
I'm giving I'm maybe I'm giving too much insight into
these filmmakers, but they're both sort of special filmmakers to me.
There's this filmmaker called named Jill Sprecker who did this
movie in the nineties called Clockwatchers, which is all about
these women who worked in an office and it's like
a boring office it's great. Yes, it's a great movie.

(24:09):
Came out in nineteen ninety seven. It has Lisa Kudro, Tony,
Collette Parker Posey, and Alana Ubeck. I mean that is
like Powerhouse All Star, Mount Rushmore Love. It's a great
movie about the boredom of working in an office. And
it's very like timely because I feel like people don't
work in offices in the same way. Their office culture

(24:30):
as we know it is not what it once was
in the nineties. So it's great. But this is her.
I watched her follow up movie, which is called Thirteen
Conversations About One Thing from two thousand and one, and
I thought it was great. It's very kind of philosophical.
It's a very good New York movie. But it's sort
of these intertwining lives of these people who are all

(24:53):
looking for happiness and something. They have found it, some
lose it, some think it's impossible to get in their lives.
But it's a really smart moving movie. It's got Matthew McConaughey,
it's got John Taturo Clia duval I thought it was

(25:15):
great and nobody has seen this movie, but it was
really good, and I wish Jill Spiker was able to
make more movies, but she hasn't really been able to.

Speaker 1 (25:25):
So, yeah, I need to watch this I've.

Speaker 2 (25:29):
Heard about good.

Speaker 1 (25:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (25:30):
I was stunned. I was like, I'm surprised more people
aren't talking about this movie because it's really good.

Speaker 1 (25:37):
Yeah, well, I'll definitely check it out. I have a
lot of your picks. Actually have made it onto my
watch list obviously. But then I it was funny because
the other day I was like, Oh, I need to
watch Ephis because I swear to god, we've talked about
Ephus about seven thousand times.

Speaker 2 (25:53):
Uh huh.

Speaker 1 (25:53):
And I just recently found out that one of my
uh well, actually Toya Murray, who co wrote the TC
Underground book with me, who now lives in La She
and I hung out the other night and she mentioned
that her whatever neighbors is the guy that directed Ephis.

Speaker 2 (26:09):
That is bizarre. I feel like it was sort of
odd how we had so many guests and that was
like not intentional at all. We had so many guests
who had a very close connection to that movie on
our show. Yeah, so you got to watch it.

Speaker 1 (26:23):
Yeah, it's crazy. So I didn't watch it this week. Oh,
I have it like, I was literally like teeing it
up on my Prime Video or wherever I was going
to rent it from. But then I was my I
was drawn to another section of Amazon Prime Video which
was offering Paul Thomas Anderson's twenty twelve film The Master

(26:48):
for free to watch, and I just had to. I
had to Had you seen this before? Of course I have.
I've seen it. I saw it like twice I think
when it came out, but I had not seen it
since it came out.

Speaker 2 (27:04):
Well sod in theaters too.

Speaker 1 (27:06):
Yeah, And because in about two days, I'm about to
be watching his new film, the new Paul Thomas Anderson film.

Speaker 2 (27:18):
It is called One Battle after Another.

Speaker 1 (27:20):
That's right. They're playing in seventy millimeters here, which I
think is actually pretty exciting, pretty exciting for Atlanta.

Speaker 2 (27:26):
The reviews are getting me stoked.

Speaker 1 (27:30):
I haven't read a damn thing about it, so I'm
just positive reviews. Oh well, good good. So I was like, well,
fuck if I if, I mean, if I'm going to
watch this one, this new one, maybe I should go
back and watch some of the ones that I haven't
come around because I mean, obviously stuff like Phantom Threat
I've seen like twenty seven times. But then for some

(27:52):
reason I hadn't seen The Master in a while, and damn,
it's a great film.

Speaker 2 (27:57):
Still, it's a great film. And the one thing I will.

Speaker 1 (28:01):
Say about seeing it now is that back in twenty
twelve when I saw it, I think, my you know,
part of like the subject material of the film that
I was really amped on is the whole Scientology thing, because,
as you know, like this movie was sort of inspired.

(28:25):
I mean, he says it's not like one hundred percent
inspired by but it is you know, features a character
that's very close to l Ron Hubbard, you know, and
it talks about his early career and his you know
kind of ramp up to create, you know, creating what
would eventually become scientology. And I remember back in twenty twelve,
that was a huge iceberg. That was like a something

(28:50):
you just like did not want to talk about because
you were just afraid to talk about. I feel like
people weren't talking about it in the way that they
do now, or like it was still it was sort
of sort of verboten to speak, to be critical or
speak of it in that way. I think in twenty
twelve we were like I think that the whole concept
of it and the whole mystique of it was still

(29:11):
able to thrive because people were like doing the research
that they do on things like that. Now right like now,
it's like because so much time has passed between like
that whole era where they were thriving and it was
like this really secret and mysterious world that it's just

(29:32):
like now, you know, there's like TikTok videos about everything
under the sun that has like amateur sleuths and other
like factfinders kind of dismantling everything. So it's like there's
no way that mystique could have thrived. Yeah, over a
certain period of time. But back in twenty twelve, I
think it was still going pretty strong.

Speaker 2 (29:52):
It seemed like they were getting a lot of young
people still into scientology back then too. And I don't
know if that's the I have no no research on
this whatsoever, but it just seems like no one would
willingly join now.

Speaker 1 (30:08):
I don't know anyway.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
That's it semester, All right, let's close it up, all right,

(30:34):
moving on to our main discussion A twenty four and
Midsummer from twenty nineteen. Now, Millie, when you think of
an a twenty four horror movie. All right, maybe I'll
just say a twenty four movie in general? What comes
to mind for you?

Speaker 1 (30:53):
Let me throw out some adjectives. Maybe that's the.

Speaker 2 (30:55):
Yes, please.

Speaker 1 (30:58):
Hip who, urban city folk, young, contemporary, modern chic, candles,
limited edition, merch culty, zeitgeisty. I think that's it.

Speaker 2 (31:21):
I think I would throw in like polished. They're very
kind of beautifully composed, and there's sort of an elegance
to them muted colors.

Speaker 1 (31:34):
Sometimes, sure the directors that are making movies with them
feel a little artsy.

Speaker 2 (31:44):
Yes, yes, it's an artsier horror movie because and they
didn't invent this, but I think they popularized a certain
type of horror movie that is less schlocky and more intentional.

(32:09):
I guess you could say, but a twenty four is
responsible for what you referred to in the beginning of
the episode as elevated horror.

Speaker 1 (32:17):
Right, But I also think that, like I think, across
the board, even in their non horror films, Yeah, they
work with directors who are you know, a little cool
and hip and like, you know, not you know, they're
not making Adam Sandler movies. Whatever, they're making, you know,

(32:37):
movies by you know, the Sadfee Brothers and Barry Jenkins
and Greta Gerwig and you know, a lot of times
these are directors that you know, some of them are foreign,
like Clared Knee or you know, Gaspard Away or whatever.
But it's just like it's it's more of a curatorial

(32:57):
I I think it's what it is. They're not just
like putting out these to make money. They're really trying
to create a vibe.

Speaker 2 (33:03):
Yes, And I feel.

Speaker 1 (33:05):
Like when you extend that to the ways in which
they decide to produce horror films, yeah, I think it
does create a specific type of horror that now people
are calling elevated horror, which again we said this earlier,
feels pejorative, feels like it means other horror is dumb.

(33:29):
Really yeah, yes, but I think it's because I think
that their horror films, and I won't say every single
one of them, but a lot of them don't rely
on old school horror methods of like the jump scares

(33:49):
or the slashers or you know, like the monster films.
They're almost more atmospheric, yes ror, Yes, atmosphere, like more
creepy and not schlocky, like you said, I think with
a lot of horror, there's a really big tradition of

(34:10):
horror being maligned, right, and because of that, they were
made cheaply and were rough around the edges for many
many years. I mean, certainly they were well made looking
horror films made by major studios over the years, you know,

(34:31):
like Hitchcock films, and you know, even I would argue
that some of the universal horror movies of the thirties
and some of the like Rko Valuton movies look really good,
even though technically these movies are cheap movies, right, Yeah,
But it's like, for the most part, you know, horror
was this malign genre that they weren't going to spend

(34:53):
a lot of money on it, and they just wanted
to put them in drive ins and just like have
kids show up, and they were putting two at a
time out there, and that was it. And then I
think that as the decades were on, with like the
seventies horr and especially eighties horror, Yeah, you still have
this genre that's appreciated a lot by young people, and

(35:14):
so you know, a major studio is just trying to
like make the money you're gonna pump out twelve sequels
create a little universe, and it doesn't matter if they're
beautiful or textured or whatever. It's just Freddy Krueger is

(35:35):
going to come kill a bunch of teenagers and that's
what has to happen. So I think you've got the
decades of this stuff, especially like in the two thousands
when you had things like Saw or like you know,
these franchise movies that are just extremely violent but also
like ridiculous. Yeah, a lot of times still hostile, and

(35:59):
these concepts, right, I think that that is what influenced
this concept of quote unquote elevated horror because it's basically
being like, oh, well, we're gonna make like thoughtful art films,
but make them kind of scary.

Speaker 2 (36:16):
Yeah, uh okay. Synopsis Time Danny played by Florence Pugh
is an American college student who both experiences a truly
horrific tragedy, a horrific family tragedy, and also at that
same time is in a very shitty relationship with her

(36:37):
shitty boyfriend, Christian played by Jack Rayner. Now, as a
result of this tragedy, Christian feels bad for her, so
he invites her along on his boy's trip. The boys
are not happy about this at all, but the trip
is to Sweden, and specifically it's to this ancest stroke

(37:00):
commune called the Harga, And this trip is sort of
led and prompted by their friend from college, Pele played
by Wilhelm Broungum, and he grew up in this commune,
so they are going to go celebrate and be a
part of their Midsommer celebration. At first, the American visitors

(37:21):
think this will be more of kind of a like
october Fest party situation with hot Swedish babes, but soon
they learned that some of these traditions are a little
more ancient and a little more barbaric than they were expecting. Midsommer.

Speaker 1 (37:40):
Very good, that's thurd. That covered it. Well, why don't
you tell me? I'm curious you saw this when it
came out. Yeah, you obviously thought it was a horror movie.
What wasn't about it that you were scared of?

Speaker 2 (37:54):
Well, you just don't know. You think you know the
intentions of these people, these weeds. Slowly you're kind of like, huh,
what's going on here? This is like different and a
little more intense than maybe I thought and I feel
like just the slow revelation of the true nature of

(38:14):
this celebration I found frightening because you don't know how
far it's going to go.

Speaker 1 (38:19):
Right Well, and also too, and this was something that
I had heard about throughout the years, almost became like
a meme in a weird way.

Speaker 3 (38:29):
Is the.

Speaker 1 (38:32):
Horror, I guess if you will, of a relationship where
the boyfriend is sort of an unreliable narrator. Do you
know what I mean? Where, Because like you said in
the synopsis, I mean, basically like Florence Pugh's character Danny

(38:54):
Right is experiencing this insane family tragedy. Right, Her entire
family is basically murdered.

Speaker 2 (39:03):
Yes, her bipolar sister murders her entire family by carbon
monoxide poisoning by putting a hose from the car into
their house. And it's horrifying. I mean the level of
tragedy that you're not used to a character experiencing like

(39:24):
such a high level tragedy so quickly in a movie
like this.

Speaker 1 (39:30):
I felt like it was shocking to me Right, and
I felt like her character is being set up in
a way, and this is just purely from a narrative
perspective to be questioning whether or not her feelings are real, right,
because it's like, yeah, at the very beginning gets established,

(39:51):
he's in this relationship with her boyfriend, Christian, Yes, and
he wants to break up with her. Like he's basically like, oh,
she's such a drag all she She's just a mess?
And that was that is like a common I don't know.
Actually I don't want to say that because then I'm
just hating men.

Speaker 2 (40:10):
No, do it, Millie, Well, this is a good comment
I feel like I like this commentary about men in
this movie because it really makes these guys look like shitheads, right.

Speaker 1 (40:21):
Which I have to say is true. Like this is
I think the point I was trying to make is that.
And I stopped myself because I was like, I don't know,
Like I said, I drag you men all the time,
all the time. But it's also that feeling of, you know,
a man basically being like, my girlfriend is fucking crazy

(40:42):
and I got to break up with her. But I
can't break up with her because she's too fragile and
fucked up and she'll kill herself if I'm not in
her life. You know. It's like that's the setup, and
all of us bros Are like, dude, your girlfriend cut weight.
She sucks, like you know, And it almost felt like
because prior to the actual reveal of the murder suicide thing,

(41:07):
they were painting her as this needy person like they were,
you know, her sister was missing. You know, they were like, God,
your girlfriend calls too much. And then you know, she's
popping adavan in the next scene, and you're like, okay, well,
you know she's being set up as this, as this needy,
crazy woman character, and then she has this horrible tragedy

(41:30):
and then the vibe instantly turns to well, the boyfriend
now he has to stay because what is he going
to do break up with his girlfriend who just experienced
this like family annihilation scenario.

Speaker 2 (41:45):
There's a Curb Your Enthusiasm episode that's sort of like this,
like there's a guy who is going to break up
with his girlfriend, but her beloved aunt, I think, dies
and he's confiding in Larry.

Speaker 1 (41:57):
He's like, oh, it's going to break up with her.

Speaker 2 (41:59):
How long do I have to wait after this tragedy
to dissipate to break.

Speaker 1 (42:05):
Up with her?

Speaker 2 (42:06):
And uh, I feel like the boyfriend is doing those
calculations in his head. He's like, Okay, yes, horrible tragedy,
but how long do I gotta stay where I don't
look like a shithead asshole? But can still break up
with her? So well?

Speaker 1 (42:23):
And it's the whole reason why they, I guess, allow
her to go on this boy's trip, because they're all like,
oh god, we feel bad, like you know, he's in
a bye gonna let her come. I would walk that
back a few steps and be like, why would I
want to go with these fucking chuckle heads if I

(42:44):
was going through the most horrific time of my life
in the way that her character does. Do you think
I want to be with his bros? In any capacity? No?

Speaker 2 (42:53):
Yes, I know. But she's a she's in college, she's
a child, and she I feel like she like really
likes her boyfriend, or it's like she doesn't maybe doesn't
like him, but she's in that horrible thing where I've
been in this. A lot of people have been in
this where they're like, I feel like this person doesn't
like me, and I'm doing everything in my power to

(43:16):
appease them or to be as near them as possible
so that they will like me more.

Speaker 1 (43:24):
Right, It's a codependency. And when you're a young person,
that is all relationships are to you or is like
this codependent like need to be loved by someone, even
if that person is a terrible person, it is not
right for you.

Speaker 2 (43:40):
Right, And.

Speaker 1 (43:43):
Of course if she didn't feel that way, we wouldn't
have a fucking movie.

Speaker 2 (43:45):
So I can.

Speaker 1 (43:46):
But I'm just saying personally, after my years of wisdom
and life experience, the last place that I would be
is in Sweden with a bunch of dudes a night.

Speaker 2 (44:00):
It sounds like a nightmare.

Speaker 1 (44:02):
And here's what makes it a nightmare. From jump to
where I'd be like, I made the wrong choice and
I need to just go home. Okay, they enter, They
basically get on this flight, fly to Sweden, then get
into a car and drive to the country where Pelee right,

(44:24):
who is their sweedish friend, is taking them to his
like little community of happy sprites and creatures, right, his
little co little commune. Yes, I'm sitting there after a
long ass flight and then a long ass car ride
in the same clothes that I probably put on fourteen

(44:47):
hours before. Get out of the car. We haven't we
haven't even like pulled into the main part of the thing.
Yet we're just like on the outskirts and there's all
these people tripping in a field like being hippie nippy,
like psychedelic fucking hippies in the in the field, right

(45:08):
and they get out of the car and that are
pretty much instantly offered mushrooms.

Speaker 2 (45:12):
Mm hmmm, hmm.

Speaker 1 (45:14):
Okay, And these motherfuckers want to do mushrooms immediately after
getting off of a fucking plane and a car ride.
And I'm like, turn around and go home. Girl, you
don't want to do mushrooms right now. You don't even
know where you are. And she even says it. She
even says like, hey, I think I want to get
like my bearings first before we trip for the next

(45:36):
twelve hours. And then of course one of their friends
who is the worst friend, Mark absolutely a terrible person
with a terrible.

Speaker 2 (45:46):
Face, played by Will Poultier.

Speaker 1 (45:49):
Yeah, he looks like the asshole of the friend group,
like his sorry, will you have that face for it.
I'm sure you're a lovely human being, but you were,
you were were perfectly cast for this role. He is like, well,
if you don't trip, then we're all going to be
tripping at different times and that doesn't work, We're going

(46:09):
to be off schedule. I'm like, in what context does
that even matter? Dude, Like we're in the middle of nowhere.
Who cares?

Speaker 2 (46:16):
And then the boyfriend is like, oh, well, I'm not
going to do mushrooms either.

Speaker 1 (46:21):
It's fine.

Speaker 2 (46:21):
No, it's fine, it's fine.

Speaker 1 (46:22):
You know, one of those situations. But it's not fine.

Speaker 2 (46:25):
You know.

Speaker 1 (46:27):
Listen, I have never been into this, and I don't
care if I was eighteen or forty eight whatever. People
who like get pissed at you for not like drinking
or doing drugs at their level. Yeah, is one of
the most annoying things in the world. And I have

(46:47):
so many friends that try to pull that shit on me,
and I'm like, get a grip, yeah, okay, Like why
do I have to be as drunk as you? Why
why do I even have to be drunk at all? Like,
don't force me to be tripping with you when I

(47:09):
don't want to be tripping, Okay, Like have the confidence
to trip on your own and don't worry about what
other other people do, Like, give me a break. But
I guess these people are in their twenties and they care. Yeah,
but it just annoyed me because then she capitulated to it,
Like basically, she's like, well, I guess I'll be tripping
then because everybody's making me feel bad about it. Yeah,

(47:32):
And that is where I would be like, hell, no,
I'm going back, Like.

Speaker 2 (47:35):
This is not I was going to ask you, at
what point would you turn around and get out of there?
And it sounds like pretty immediately.

Speaker 1 (47:43):
Oh, I wouldn't have even made it to the fucking
gates of the commune. I'd be like, oh, we're these
like stupid idiot dudes that are friends with my boyfriend
are like making me feel bad for not wanting to
do mushrooms after a fifty hour flight. I guess I'm
going back to the city and going to a hotel. Yeah,
because this is obviously their bro hang. Yeah, and I

(48:03):
don't want to be a part of it. Well, yeah,
she should have seen that beforehand anyway.

Speaker 2 (48:09):
But you know, I think the question, if it's asked
of me, when would I have left? Yes, Now, if
I was a twenty two year old, I think her
character is like twenty one or twenty two in this movie.
I feel like I would be doomed to death. Honestly,
I would never have left, because I feel like I

(48:32):
could totally see myself as a young person being like, well,
this is their culture, and you know, human sacrifices are
kind of a part of it. I guess I can
accept that, like it would have I would have. I
feel like I would.

Speaker 1 (48:46):
Have been killed in this situation. Frankly, yeah, also not
gonna lie. My investment in what is happening in this
community is in direct proportion to how interested I am
in this culture. Like, I hate it. I hate that

(49:09):
I thought this, but I'm sure I'm not the only
person I thought this, And this is such a boneheaded observation,
but it was giving very ikea to me, this entire film,
like even the words in the names, but just like
the vibe of it, the vibe of like beautiful Swedish
people in all white linens with flower crowns. I was

(49:32):
just kind of like, not really Karen about this vasting.

Speaker 2 (49:38):
Well, I'm an eighth Swedish, I'm twelve point five percent Swedish,
so I think I maybe have a little bit more
investment in the Swedish culture than others do. I was
I was intrigued.

Speaker 1 (49:56):
Well, I'm a south side girl, meaning all my family,
my ancestors come from the water. I'm not like, I've
never been one to be fascinated by like Viking cultures
and things of this nature. That makes sense, Yes, it does,
it does.

Speaker 2 (50:16):
So so they, you know, they enter the camp. They
were tripping balls. They enter the camp and it's beautiful
and it seems like a fun summer camp. And I
guess the first indication that things are going wrong are
the sacrifice of the two elders in the community that

(50:39):
turn seventy four, because they kill people. They kill old
people that have turned seventy four, right, that's the whole things. Yes,
And honestly, most of them, including Florence Pew, it seems
like they're kind of okay with staying after that point.
There are two friends that are like, we're out of here,

(51:00):
but most of them are like, oh, we'll stay.

Speaker 1 (51:02):
It's fine that that happened. Yeah. I mean again, I
would have left way earlier, so this is probably moot.
But I mean even when they roll up to the camp,
they're just like meeting people. They're taking in all the sites,
all of the white linens, the flower crowds, the triangle

(51:23):
shaped creepy buildings, which I feel like is a fucking
ariostro thing. I don't know if you thought that did.

Speaker 2 (51:28):
He have a triangle shaped building and hereditary.

Speaker 1 (51:31):
There was some kind of like treehouse, see like slanted roof.

Speaker 2 (51:35):
Maybe that's it, slanted slanted roof.

Speaker 1 (51:37):
Yeah, yeah, but looking around, everything is real stark, very
very scandy. It was like very scandy, which I think
is why I thought about Ike. I was like, oh, yeah,
this is like beautifully designed, Like most communes are disgusting
by the way they're filled with like gross hippie shit,
and this was this beautiful Scandinavia and architecture ikea paradise.

(52:03):
And I was like, Okay, they're walking around, you know,
they realized she they quickly realized that they all have
to sleep in the same room because they're not of
a certain age or something like you all have to
sleep all.

Speaker 2 (52:16):
The kids got to sleep in the same room.

Speaker 1 (52:18):
Yeah, And they were in these like rickety tiny dollhouse beds,
And I'm like, damn, this is this looks uncomfortable And
you have to sleep open air with a bunch of kids.

Speaker 2 (52:27):
Yeah, that would be tough for me. I like to
be alone even now as a you know, a man
with a family. I like, I'm my office is in
my basement and like a little cupboard down here. I
like to be removed and away from other people. So
I think a commune like this situation would be hard
for me.

Speaker 1 (52:44):
Well even when I was like, you know, in my twenties,
and I'd be like backpacking or like traveling on the
cheap and sleeping on people's couches. If you told me, oh,
you have to sleep in this house with a bunch
of babies and kids, I'd be like, fuck, no, I'm
gonna go sleep at the airport. Kids they stay up
all night long cry like no, thank you. Yeah, but

(53:06):
you know, basically like they're taking it all in and
I'm just like, again, I just would I wouldn't. I'd
be like, all right, I don't know if this is
my vibe. This is feeling very not my thing. It's
not very cozy. It just feels kind of like stark
and creepy.

Speaker 2 (53:22):
Well, I feel like, you know, like we're talking about
horror movies and we're talking about this movie. It's like
when would you leave? Yes, you know, when would you
get out of there to survive? Because a lot of
times you watch horror movies and you're like, what are
they doing? They're they're not noticing all these red flags,
you know. But do you feel like in general, when

(53:47):
you're watching a horror movie, You're like, I would not
be in that situation. Correct, I would have gotten out
of there.

Speaker 1 (53:54):
Correct, Yes, Because I'm like, I'm the I don't know
about this guy's person in every horror movie. I'm not brave.
I'm like a complete and utter pussy. I'm like, I
don't like it. I don't like the vibe. I'm out
of here, and it's usually the other people that are
trying to force me to stay that I end up

(54:14):
staying a lot of times. But for the most part,
I'm like, uh, instantly, not a cool vibe. I'm out.

Speaker 2 (54:19):
I am I'm a sententighly sensitive person, and I feel
like when the vibes are off, I can sense immediately.
But I also have in the past been victim to
not wanting to make waves, sure, you know, And so
that's why I fear for my life that I will

(54:40):
be the headed, you know, whacked against a tree by
Jason or something because I didn't follow my instinct.

Speaker 1 (54:47):
Yeah, well, I'm like, this is you know, you mentioned
the people that jump off the cliffs when they're seventy
four or whatever. Yes, this was actually the only part
of the movie that I actually thought was terrifying, which
is that the in which people were getting their faces
smashed by those like big ballots, those like Donkey Kong,
Super Mario Brothers mallets. I was like, damn, that is brutal.

Speaker 2 (55:10):
Yeah, they show it too, which they do.

Speaker 1 (55:14):
As a horror person, I was all right, I appreciate
your impress Yeah, but that to me was scary. Didn't
really understand why. I thought the reasoning was kind of dumb. Okay,
this is again. I think what I want to go
back to is the idea of my investment in this
world is only as strong as the customs that I

(55:36):
have to learn, that the rules of the world that happens.
If I feel at all that the rules become stupid
and annoying, that I'm out.

Speaker 2 (55:45):
Oh and you felt the rules got annoying and stupid
in this movie, yes.

Speaker 1 (55:50):
Sadly to say, I was like, there's a lot of
meat on this boat. There's a lot going on, very
high concepts, a lot of like weird potions and.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
Like pubes in your food, and.

Speaker 1 (56:05):
People just like simply drinking stuff without questioning it at all,
Like just yeah, I'll take a swig of this thing.
It looks like actual piss. And I get that you
don't want to be rude in another person's home country
or their culture. But I'm also like, I don't know you.
I really don't know you, and I I don't mind

(56:28):
tasting dishes, but like drinking strange liquids, that feels like
a poison scenario.

Speaker 2 (56:35):
I guess so, but you're you're a guest at there.
I guess I wouldn't. I just wouldn't jump to what
is this? I would be like okay, But.

Speaker 1 (56:46):
They're not even explaining what's it. They're just being like, oh,
it's supposed to make you really nice, Like, oh cool,
So I'm just gonna drink it. What does that even mean?
Why don't you tell me, like a couple of ingredients,
tell me that, you know, give me a little bit
more of an explanation, and then oh, you should just
drink it. It tastes good. Like here's the thing. When
people start disappearing again, I think you and I would

(57:07):
both have been out way way before this. But then
people start disappearing, and this happens in every single movie
I've ever seen about a cult or a commune or anything,
is that people start disappearing and they don't say bye
to their friends.

Speaker 2 (57:25):
Yeah, and the other people are like, oh, they left
without saying goodbye, don't worry, they're fine.

Speaker 1 (57:29):
Yeah, And you're told by an elder or somebody that's
in the group, Oh, we dropped them up at the airport,
they'll be fine. And I'm like, that is a huge
like a red flag, like being flown off the hillside.
I mean, you gotta get out then, yeah, you gotta
get out. Yeah. But the thing that becomes more apparent

(57:53):
after the scene is that they're bringing these people, primarily
Danny and Christian into the rituals more and they're they're
basically setting them up to participate in the activities of
this class, including the May Queen fandango.

Speaker 2 (58:15):
Yes, it becomes less of a celebration and more of
a ritual that they didn't realize that they were a
part of.

Speaker 1 (58:25):
Right, that maybe that they were handpicked to come and participate.
And I guess that's the horror part.

Speaker 2 (58:32):
Of the full horror part that just got that give
me chills when you just said that yeah.

Speaker 1 (58:36):
But the may Queen is what the princess of the
yes like the Miss USA pageant of this commune, and uh,
it becomes clear that Danny is becoming part of it.
She just immediately jumps in from what I saw, Like
she's just like, sure, i'll learn the dances, I'll learn Swedish,
I'll be making meat pies with y'all in no time.

(58:59):
And then all of a sudden, she's crowned the queen.
That's where you get the image of what I was,
what I saw as part of the Midsummer you know,
mythology when I Beforeheadedvid's in the movie, was seeing Florence
Pew and all the flowers and looking fucking disheveled and

(59:21):
sad covered in beautiful flowers, which I think conceptually is
actually pretty tight. Like I'm like, oh, okay, it is
wonderful to see somebody covered, covered in beautiful flowers, but
looking like they want to die. But so she becomes
part of this ritual, she becomes the queen, and then
I suppose to spoiler alert, she might end up last

(59:45):
woman standing, final girl style. Yeah, she might her beloved,
her fuck boy boyfriend who wanted to break up with
her maybe has his own way of h transcending to
the next realm.

Speaker 2 (01:00:03):
Yeah, which they just may that'll see.

Speaker 1 (01:00:09):
By the way, Wow, that was very like I felt
like I was watching Suspiria. They yeah, yeah, about which
is what the fuck there?

Speaker 2 (01:00:20):
You're you're right on, I you know, I think something
overall I appreciate about this movie. It is about tragedy
and trauma, and Florence Pugh is carrying a lot. Danny
is carrying a lot of trauma in this movie, and
it's kind of like a burden upon her that her
boyfriend and these bros are in no way attempting to

(01:00:45):
alleviate or help. But she gets to this community, which
yes they're murderous, okay, but I feel like they see
her and are willing to and happy to take on
and help her remove her trauma, to help her work

(01:01:07):
through it, and to even take it out. Like there's
that whole scene where the women are screaming, you know,
scream crying with her. I liked that. I thought that
was moving in a way, and I think that's sort
of something that I.

Speaker 1 (01:01:24):
Took away from the movie enjoying. Well, I'm glad that
you thought that, actually, because I was sitting there thinking,
I'm feeling less and less connected to her story as
the movie moves on. I think it's because there was
just too much going on.

Speaker 2 (01:01:39):
Okay, there's too much.

Speaker 1 (01:01:42):
To learn and know about what these people do and
who these people are, and then there's all these other
characters interacting with them that I kept thinking, Oh, I
forgot that she's going through this huge scenario. Why you know,
But now you got me thinking about why is the

(01:02:03):
black guy doing a dissertation on Swedish culture? Why is
this asshole that everyone hates following this woman that he
wants to fuck into the woods. And he didn't come
out like no, you know, there's all these like different
side quests that I was just like, you're distracting me
from what I'm here for, which is that I want

(01:02:26):
this woman to get her revenge, yeah, in some way,
And you know, it just felt like I was disconnecting
slowly from her story, which is unfortunate because I felt like,
obviously that's the most compelling story out of all these people.

Speaker 2 (01:02:39):
Uh huh, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:02:41):
Yeah. I the scene with her boyfriend, I felt like, okay,
well that's interesting. Which scene the yes, when he's basically
creating a new life.

Speaker 2 (01:02:53):
With Yes, he gets wrapped up, he gets kind of uh,
I don't know, poisoned or like drugged two and he's
been chosen to thornicate with a woman to create a baby.
And there's a lot of women that are a part
of it, including like chanting around this woman as they're

(01:03:14):
dwinking in the middle of this big house. And uh,
there's even an old lady who comes behind and starts
pushing his butt. I thought that was funny.

Speaker 1 (01:03:24):
Listen. I between Suspiria the remake, this movie, maybe elevated
horror has done something amazing, which is that it's bringing
in a lot of old lady boobs. And I love it.

Speaker 2 (01:03:36):
A lot of old lady boobs in The Witch too.

Speaker 1 (01:03:39):
Yes, it's about fucking time.

Speaker 2 (01:03:43):
I'm like, I'll think of some more if I can
like those.

Speaker 1 (01:03:47):
Let's get some more droopers out out for these people
to see, because it's it's important the men need to
know that this is what boobs do when you age. Okay,
it's like, we're not all perky, and you know, the
reality is is that we carry a lot of wisdom
in these saggy tits. It's just the way it is, and.

Speaker 2 (01:04:05):
Maybe the wisdom is what brings them down to earth.
There's a whole This.

Speaker 1 (01:04:14):
Is so such a sidebar, but like there's this whole
storyline in the valley about saggy boobs after like giving birth.
So I've got it on the brain, I suppose. But
it's like, you know, at the end of the day,
that is something good about elevated horror, maybe even folk horror,
is there is like a naturalism that comes into play

(01:04:37):
with some of these stories that I actually think is
pretty tight and I really appreciate it on that level.
But it's like, you know, that was the thing, is
that He's going through this entire scenario and I'm just
sort of like, all right, what's up with Danny. Let's
go let's find out what she's doing. May queen? What
does that get you? Is there a parade?

Speaker 2 (01:04:58):
You know?

Speaker 1 (01:04:58):
Is she going to be a spokes woman for Revlon? Like?
What what happens in these scenario?

Speaker 2 (01:05:03):
Yeah? I guess what what do you think her life
is like after this? What do you think happens to her?

Speaker 1 (01:05:09):
I mean, I think she stays in that commune in
is Yeah, then getting impregnated by weird American dudes in
a ritual, you know, like she just becomes a part
of the crew.

Speaker 2 (01:05:20):
You don't think she goes back to Colorado. I guess
she doesn't have a family to go back to.

Speaker 1 (01:05:26):
No, why the fuck would she go back there if
she's the may queen and that probably gives her a
little bit of clout.

Speaker 2 (01:05:31):
Yeah, you know she can watch Austin Powers on her
Did you like that part? For kids? Are right?

Speaker 1 (01:05:43):
I was like, where are y'all even watching Austin Powers?
Like this looks like a damn dollhouse.

Speaker 2 (01:05:48):
Yeah, I guess they have electricity and I was guessing
like a VHS tape for some reason.

Speaker 1 (01:05:53):
Again, a lot of a lot of questions when it
comes to this, Like it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:56):
Made me laugh hard because you know, we used to
have these fans reunions at this cabin resort every year.
Well we still do, but we would stay at this
resort and my cousins would bring their VHS TV, you know,
the little TVs with the VHS player in it, and
one of the movies we would watch was Austin Powers.
So I was like very tickled that that was I listen,

(01:06:20):
I sit down in front of Loston Powers. Now, Yeah,
anytime it's on. I'm in, you know, But oh my goodness, well, Millie,
what else is there to say about Midsommer ari astro
A twenty four.

Speaker 1 (01:06:35):
I don't know. I wanted to like it more than
I didn't. I think I think it had a lot
of mystique and it was a it was a curiosity
since it came out and I was not I had
not really like, read too too much about it. I
had heard about it. I you know, obviously had seen

(01:06:57):
the flowers in the floor and pewness of it so
many times. But I guess I just didn't really know
much about it on that level of what the film
could actually be about. I think I was a little like, Okay,
maybe I just missed the train on this a little bit,
which is unfortunate. And I feel like that's the unfortunate

(01:07:18):
thing about watching movies like this much much later, because
you can't help but be informed by just the fallout
of big juggernaut movies.

Speaker 2 (01:07:28):
That's so interesting. I think you're totally right.

Speaker 1 (01:07:32):
I mean, listen, when I I watched Titanic like within
the past like year and a half for the first time,
I actually in that case, I actually liked it a
lot more than I thought I would, because I think
everybody began to hate that movie in a way, and
then I was like, I actually kind of like it.
So I don't know. Maybe it's like.

Speaker 2 (01:07:53):
I mean, I think about movies like La La Land.
When that came out, people were like, I loved this movie,
And if you had seen it at the high of
people being excited about it, you might think differently about
it than watching it now when everyone was like, actually,
that movie sucks and I hate it, you know, because
that had like a big backlash to it, and not

(01:08:13):
that Midsummer I had a big backlash. But I think
there is something to be said about seeing a movie
in the window of time when it is like a
big point of conversation or really popping off with the culture,
you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (01:08:27):
Well, that's the thing too, about if you go back
and you even watch movies that won like Oscars from
like five eight years ago.

Speaker 2 (01:08:35):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:08:36):
I want to say that I was reading a letterbox
review from a really good, like reliable letterboxed follower that
I have that I follow, who has great taste and
is always like somebody that I kind of admire, and
I think it was I don't know if it was
Past Lives or it was like some movie that came

(01:08:57):
out that was huge, the kind of indie circuit slash
oscar circuit maybe from like five years ago or something
like that, and they were like shitting on it, and
I was like, whoa, that's crazy because everybody, everybody else
had rated it like five stars. Yeah, you know, and
then this one persons like this movie actually fucking.

Speaker 2 (01:09:18):
Sucks and yeah, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:09:19):
I don't know, but it was something like that.

Speaker 2 (01:09:22):
And I was thinking about that with the movie Coda.
You remember the movie Coda. Yeah, yeah, it won Best
Picture at the Academy Awards in twenty twenty one, and
I'm like, I forgot that movie existed. No one ever
brings up that movie. I didn't think that movie was
particularly good, but people really liked that movie. But it
has no cultural standing whatsoever.

Speaker 1 (01:09:45):
You know, yes, absolutely, so, yeah, I mean that's interesting.
I guess it's like your mileage may vray on this
kind of stuff. But I mean, I'm glad I watched it.
I'll always be glad to watch a movie that I've
never seen before. And I guess I don't. Oh, the
Horror The Elevated horror, the A twenty four horror thing.
I don't know if we were able to seal the

(01:10:07):
deal on that, but it's you know, it's definitely like
an interesting conversation to have.

Speaker 2 (01:10:11):
So I'm I'm not bummed that you don't like it.
I don't care if you don't like a movie or not.
But I I really love this movie. I'm kind of
midsommer pilled, I think.

Speaker 1 (01:10:23):
And I know you've seen it quite a bit. Huh.

Speaker 2 (01:10:25):
Yeah, I've seen it like five times, and I really
like this movie. So it's just interesting. But I did
see it in theaters, you know, so yeah. And the
elevated horror thing, I think it. I don't know if
there's much more to discuss, but it is something where

(01:10:47):
there is sort of a line in the set. There's
like a designation that it's like this is elevated horror,
meaning it's good, and that's regular horror and that's bad.
So I don't know. It's an interesting time in the
development of horror movies. I like movies that are considered
elevated horror, and I like movies that are just considered schlocky,

(01:11:09):
stupid horror.

Speaker 1 (01:11:10):
But imagine if they like remade. Think of like a
a real funny, shitty like eighties or nineties horror movie
that if they remade in the A twenty four elevated style,
would be so funny.

Speaker 2 (01:11:24):
Like yeah, leprecawn, leprecawn. I was gonna say Critters, Yeah,
the Bugs, Bugans or.

Speaker 1 (01:11:34):
Child's play. What if they made like an atmospheric chucky movie.

Speaker 2 (01:11:41):
You know what I'm gonna say about elevated horror. There
is a humorlessness.

Speaker 1 (01:11:50):
To them.

Speaker 2 (01:11:51):
Yes, they take themselves very seriously. You know.

Speaker 1 (01:11:55):
Listen, if we're grasping at the mere mention of Austin
Powers in Midsummer, that means it's not a very funny film.

Speaker 2 (01:12:14):
Let's move on to employees pics. Yes, MILLI, what do
you got?

Speaker 1 (01:12:22):
Well, here's a t I am not going to recommend
an A twenty four movie. No, is that a problem?
Is that a problem?

Speaker 3 (01:12:31):
No?

Speaker 1 (01:12:31):
I was being silly, Okay, I was gonna say, you
can fire me. I guess technically if you won't.

Speaker 2 (01:12:38):
Technically I could fire you. No, I couldn't. If I
wanted to fire you, I don't think I could.

Speaker 1 (01:12:43):
I know, but these are employee picks. Maybe you would
at least tell the manager like this bitch.

Speaker 2 (01:12:47):
Oh okay, I caught Millie smoking cigarettes in the bathroom.
It stinks in there.

Speaker 1 (01:12:55):
She's listening to Steely Dan in the bathroom smoking cigarette.
I but here's the thing. I'm not going to recommend
an eight twenty four movie. I'm not going to recommend
a horror or elevated horror movie. Really, I'm actually going
to recommend a documentary which is essentially about a cult

(01:13:16):
and it is scary in a different way. Is it
is a terrifying documentary, but it's because it's about true
life criminals and scary weirdos from our history. But also
just like the way in which shot, it's very raw,

(01:13:38):
very rough around the edges. But it's this documentary called
Manson from nineteen seventy three, and it is a documentary
that was essentially made in the time like right, the
few years after the Manson murders, right, And it was
directed by Robert Hendrickson and Lawrence Merrick. And it's basically

(01:14:02):
like they go to like Spawn Ranch and they interview
like Squeaky from Me and like you know Sandy, and
they are in the throes of their dedication to Charles
Manson and the Manson family that it is like pretty scary,

(01:14:24):
and they're wearing like much like midsummer they're wearing like
animal pelts and stuff for some weird reason, and they're
carrying guns, and they're being interviewed by a documentary team
and they're just like so reverent towards the family. It
just feels so like this is not something that's like

(01:14:48):
being made like twenty thirty years after the fact, that
it's being made like really close. I mean, I don't
know if the trial was still technically happening, but it
was like all the shit had pretty much just happened,
and like everybody, you know, Manson's in jail, all of
the you know, people who participated in the crimes were
in jail, and there was just all these like people

(01:15:08):
left that were part of the family, and they were
just kind of like hanging out on this fucking ranch,
like trying to figure out what to do with their
lives now that their leader has been, you know, convicted
of these crimes. And so it was just like felt
very fairal and unhinged and terrifying. But it is pretty
it's a pretty raw documentary, and like there's actually this

(01:15:30):
part of it that is trippy, and I think it's
because it's made in nineteen seventy three. I mean it's
like very psychedelic, but like Bobby Bolselet is involved, and
it's this like triptich of like they're kind of like,
you know, they were making music and it was just
kind of this creepy murder music and it was just
kind of like, it's very trippy. It feels very of

(01:15:51):
the era. I don't know, you might have to rent
it somewhere, like we have a video store. It might
be on the internet archive. It's really hard to find
or it was for very long time, but I don't
know what I watched Midsummer I was kind of like, yeah,
this is kind of the vibe I'm going for for
a employee pick.

Speaker 2 (01:16:07):
So very good.

Speaker 1 (01:16:10):
It's a good curiosity like to watch if you're especially
if you're interested in the Manson family, but even if
not just a historical artifact.

Speaker 2 (01:16:19):
Very good. Well. I was sort of I'm going to
recommend to H twenty four movie and one that I
feel like may have been sort of forgotten to time.
This isn't I would not consider this a horror movie,
but it does have horror movie elements. To it. It's
a movie called Lamb from twenty twenty one. It's with
Numi Rapachi. It's an Icelandic slash Swedish film. It's directed

(01:16:42):
by Vladimir Johansen and Numia Rapace and her husband experience.

Speaker 1 (01:16:51):
A tragedy of course, that's what you gotta do in
a twenty four movies.

Speaker 2 (01:16:56):
And one day they discover and they're in farmers and
one of their sheep has given birth to a half lamb,
half human.

Speaker 1 (01:17:11):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (01:17:11):
And it's sort of disturbing and sweet and scary. And
it's set in like the real farm country of Iceland,
so they're out in the middle of nowhere. So it's
sort of, you know, some similarities to Midsommer in that way.
But it is a really creepy movie, beautiful movie.

Speaker 1 (01:17:34):
And.

Speaker 2 (01:17:36):
You should check it out. And it's very a twenty
four e you know, it's got that a twenty four
vibe to it.

Speaker 1 (01:17:45):
So interesting.

Speaker 2 (01:17:47):
Yeah, Lamb Lamb. Saw it at the Alamo Draft House
in LA with my friend Christian Duaneyus.

Speaker 1 (01:17:57):
Wow, good shot, that's it.

Speaker 2 (01:18:00):
Good job in our first spooky episode.

Speaker 1 (01:18:04):
Well, I don't know if you want to email us
about any of this, and just other things too, Deer
Movies at exactly rightmedia dot com. Again, if you need
film advice, if you've got a film gripe, if you've
got a consensual film group, and groups as we've talked about,
and grets I'm sorry, and groups and gropes and grets

(01:18:27):
and groups and grits.

Speaker 2 (01:18:29):
Oh my god, that's good.

Speaker 1 (01:18:32):
You're gonna have to redo it. I didn't even realize
that film growth part of it. And grets andts. If
you have the three g's, please email us at Deer
Movies at exactly rightmedia dot com. You could also leave
us a voicemail. Any of those things are about pretty
much anything at all, including telling us that we're attractive.

(01:18:53):
Just record it on your phone, make sure it's under
a minute, and again email it to Deer Movies at
exactly rightmedia dot com.

Speaker 2 (01:19:00):
And you can follow us on our socials at Deer
Movies I Love You on Instagram and Facebook. Our letterboxed
handles are at Casey Leo O'Brien and at m decerco.
And please listen to Deer Movies I Love You on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts,
and rate and review our show. Please that helps get

(01:19:21):
the word out there.

Speaker 1 (01:19:23):
What about next week, let's talk about it.

Speaker 2 (01:19:26):
Have you seen this movie?

Speaker 1 (01:19:28):
Nope? First tame watch.

Speaker 2 (01:19:29):
Again another first time watch. We're watching car and Kusama's
two thousand and nine movie Jennifer's Body, written by Diablo Cody.
I'm curious to see what you think of this one.

Speaker 1 (01:19:48):
Yeah, I mean, listen, I have been wanting to watch
this movie for a very long time. If I'm glad
we're finally doing it, and I've heard so many good
things about it, so.

Speaker 2 (01:20:00):
Oiler alert, I like this movie too.

Speaker 1 (01:20:03):
Oh good to no, Good to no.

Speaker 2 (01:20:06):
Mellie, thank you for a great episode. It was so
fun digging in to horror stuff and have a spooky week.

Speaker 1 (01:20:17):
Please wolfed down as many miniature Kenny or non miniature
candy bars as you can.

Speaker 2 (01:20:23):
I'm trying. I really am trying and succeeding.

Speaker 1 (01:20:27):
All right, guys, see you next week.

Speaker 2 (01:20:29):
Bye.

Speaker 1 (01:20:32):
This has been an exactly right production hosted by me
Millie to Cherco and produced by my co host Casey O'Brien.

Speaker 2 (01:20:40):
This episode was mixed by Tom Bryfocal. Our associate producer
is Christina Chamberlain. Our guest booker is Patrick Cottner and
our artwork is by Vanessa Ilac.

Speaker 1 (01:20:49):
Our incredible theme music is by the best man in
the entire world, The Softies.

Speaker 2 (01:20:54):
Thank you to our executive producers Karen Kilgareff, Georgia hart Stark,
Daniel Kramer and Millie. To Jerco, we love you goodbye.
Became