Filmmaker Gabe Polsky: Edmonton's Slow Start, Surging Red Wings and why JD Hates the Avs' Throwback Jerseys.

Jason Demers and Adnan Virk dive into the Edmonton Oilers' early-season slump, Maple Leafs drama and the impressive Matthew Schaefer. Then filmmaker Gabe Polsky talks about his latest film (The Man Who Saved the World?), his college hockey days and his favorite Nicolas Cage stories. Finally, Adnan and Producer Tal talk about the new epic Martin Scorsese documentary before Jason explains why he hates Colorado's Quebec Nordiques tribute.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
NHL Unscripted is a production of the NHL and iHeart podcasts.
Coming up NHL Unscripted, that's right, the film of the Year,
mister Scorsese, Unbelievable five parts, four and a half hours

(00:27):
and Apple TV plus me and tal of Watch. We're
going to dig into it. It's unbelievable. Also the Avalanche
paying tribute to the Quebec Nordiakas.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
I love this, Let's go nordi ICs stolen.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Also Gabe Polski, filmmaker and former hockey player, I'll tell
us about paying for the Yale Bulldogs, what he thought
about playing for their head coach, and also working with
Nicholas Cage. He's got a new documentary out, and Matt
Schaefers Jason de Murz developed a bit of a crush.
All of the game's great bright lights right now eighteen years.
Always been absolutely brilliant right of the gate, Gendie, this
is a podcast in which you have done your best
to bring in players that you played with, current players

(00:59):
as well, and yet despite your best average, this is
a home for broadcasters and filmmakers. Last year we had
on Shot McDonough. This past week we've received Levy we've
had recently this Chris Berman, John Butchers, and now Gabe
Polski filmmaker. How do you feel about that?

Speaker 3 (01:14):
I mean, we're a hockey podcast that is highlighting sportscasters
and analysts and movie directors, and I might be me.
Maybe nobody wants to come on, and maybe I wasn't
as liked as I thought I was in the NHL.
Jesus Christ. Maybe Talas is trying not to He's trying
to let me down easy. But I'm giving him gold here.

(01:35):
I don't know how he's got He's got a rolodex
that some people would would spooge over in.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
The hockey world.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
Every week sends a phone number of a current or
former player. And it's not like never heard of that
kind like no, like everyone knows these guys are that
you're sending and yet just haven't delivered these guys. Is
it Talent? Is it me?

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Who knows tal what's going on? Are you even sending
text messages? Or is this just you?

Speaker 3 (01:59):
They're they're coming, You're.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Satisfying your You need to just chat.

Speaker 3 (02:05):
He's trying to get another Whaler's documentary made enough.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
I'll say this when Gabe Polski the first thing he's
gonna be popped on. He didn't say, odd Man, good
to talk to you again. I've interviewed Hi twice before
and sent a foul. He didn't go Jason Burr's big Fanny,
We're a big hockey fan. All he said was because
Tal Pincheski, Tal, have we met before? Like I definitely
know your name.

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Said he said, we've met before, Tal, and even towd
big dog.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
Tal's like, He's like, did we He's like, yeah, now, but.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
That time is I love your work, but we never
actually met. He's like, well, we we swim in the
same circles. And then he told the story, but a
guy better, We'll get to that.

Speaker 2 (02:41):
He rubbed shoulders with the greats.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
We're gonna get to Verner, Herzog and all that. There's
a lot going on right now in the hockey world,
so let's get to it. Never totally to dive back
in the early season overreactions Connor McDavid. He finally scored, hooray,
had seven assists in six games with the oiler's rank,
you know, the Bob of the league and goals for
going to have just eight goals in six teams at
five and five. That was going in the last night game,
Avan Bouchard JD he got his first point. He was

(03:07):
minus five in six games, all those right now, three
three and one. What do you make of this middling
start for a team that was in the Cup final
last year.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
Well, I was on with like Nick Kipprios and those
guys on sports Net and they kind of asked me
that same thing a couple of days ago, and I
was like, you know, I've been mullling with it, sitting
on it, and I'm like, you know, the McDavid side
of it, not scoring, even after he came out and
posted all these you know, these comments saying he wants
to score more and that's kind of been more enjoyable
to him than getting one hundred sists fifty goals, and

(03:36):
I'm and I just feel like he's maybe when you
kind of put that out there and you start talking
about that, I feel like as a player, you start
looking for it instead of just playing your game. And
in the beauty of Connor McDavid, as we all know,
is the fact that he can create space, and he's
so unique and he's so talented and otherworldly, that yeah,

(03:57):
is he's in position to score, but a lot of
the time everybody's focusing on him and he's able to
slide that little pass through defenseman's feet for a tap.
And so now he's like, seems like he's looking and
include in on scoring and scoring more goals. And I
feel like that maybe just kind of took him out
of his game a little bit instead of just just
play your.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Game, just keep playing your game.

Speaker 3 (04:15):
You're you know, like I made a joke, but I
was like, this fucking guy's on side quest right now
because he's already completed everything he needs to do in
the NHL, and he's like, ah, he's like, yeah, just
for fun this year, I'm gonna play with my skates
on backwards and he's like I'm gonna He's like, I'm
gonna do I'm gonna play to Night blindfold. And it's
like just kind of you know, and I feel like
him putting that out there that he wants to score

(04:36):
more goals maybe just made him pulled the trigger more.
But then it took him out of the positions that
he's he's accustomed to being in. So it's good to
see him get back on the scoreboard. I mean, this
team we always talk about We talked about it, you
know early last year. This team just out of the
gate is perennially slow. They they kind of always go

(04:58):
up and down until they get pissed off. It's like
their board or something, and they just want to get
to the playoffs. So I do think they're missing Hymen.
I think that's a big piece. And it was good
getting Jake.

Speaker 2 (05:07):
Walman back last night.

Speaker 3 (05:08):
The scores the overtime winner, but I think Hymen's a
big piece missing there, and once he comes back, I
think they're gonna, you know, rattle off of six seven
game winning streak.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
Yeah, Hymen's been broken, but once he's back, things will
be better. In the meantime. The Detroit Red Wings, how
about it. You praised their coach, Todd McClellan, former Sharks coach,
for call them out right out of the gate after
opening night, ripping off five straight wins. Now looking fantastic,
Dylan Larkin leading the way eleven points in six games.
You know, we've been waiting for the Eyes are playing
ninety years or this is it? Make it a break

(05:38):
it they don't make the playffs DEVI wise out of
a job. Heads are gonna roll Dylan Larkin for the heart.

Speaker 3 (05:43):
Talk to me, Dylan Larkin for the heart. Taylor Hall
asked back, with the Devils, that's what it needs to be.

Speaker 2 (05:51):
Listen.

Speaker 3 (05:51):
I think I watched their game the other night against
who'd they play last San Jose.

Speaker 2 (05:59):
I think they played San Jose.

Speaker 3 (06:00):
Last San Jose Edmonton, And I mean, I like these
young guys they brought in this Emmitt Finney is a
revelation right now. And I say that because he's part
of the coalition of the seventh rounders and myself.

Speaker 1 (06:15):
It was on Sunday four too. I don't know though
that was the game you talk about it.

Speaker 3 (06:18):
That that was it. Yes, that was the one I watched.
I was trying to think of who it was. But
Emmitt Finny scored. He scored and he had the empty netter, right, So,
but you know, coalition of the seventh rounders, and I
have solitude with those guys. I was a former seventh
rounder when I was twenty. He's a great player. Branson
Nygard really good. He's been really effective. He plays a

(06:38):
great like two way game. Then you have sandyne Pellico's
providing them a little bit of offense from the back end.
It's and the kind of undercover thing. I think we
all mentioned it this offseason and we said John Gibson
going there is going to be an interesting thing because
Cam Talbot had phenomenal numbers last year early, but then

(06:59):
he burns himself out and they didn't have anybody to
kind of pick up the slock. Now they kind of
have two like older, you know, seasoned veteran goalies. But
I think if they kind of split the split the
load a little bit Bonnie Blue style, I think they'll
be able to that's probably getting cut out.

Speaker 4 (07:17):
Who knows, if you don't call attention, there's always a
chance if you split, you know, if they split the
games and and and kind of split the split the workload,
I think it's going to surprise some people.

Speaker 3 (07:33):
John Gibson is still a great goalie when he's healthy,
so there's that could be The kind of the pickup
of the offseason was John Gibson. As we move on,
and it's kind of no one's really talked about him
because they forgot about Detroit. But more importantly and more excitingly,
I think, and I don't know how you guys feel,
but this just feels like the Atlantic this year, which
we kind of called it that it was kind of

(07:54):
a crapshoot and it was going to be with the injuries,
it was kind of gonna be. We we wouldn't know
how it would shake out. I think it's we might
see a few different teams top the in the top three,
and I think there's gonna be some teams that we
don't expect to be.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
Battling for.

Speaker 3 (08:10):
A wild card in the Atlantic. But I a lot
to like from a lot of these teams early on,
you know, Detroit, especially coming in Montreal, like the Atlantic's
an interesting interesting I don't know how you feel, but
it's very interesting how it's gonna play out.

Speaker 1 (08:22):
I'm with you because you feel like Florida, Toronto, Tampa
is in some you know, form of top three. But
as I said, Ottawa right now, they're kind of maddling,
but you expect better than they had ninety four points.

Speaker 2 (08:31):
Of Florida's injured.

Speaker 1 (08:33):
Right Detroit's been a pleasant surprise to We talked about
Montreal's five and two right now. Just saw our boy
Lane Hudson in prime Monday night hockey Boston. I'm seeing
them two Monday. Actually they're taking the out of centers
are not they're gonna fall off. Yeah, Buffalo knock right.
Obviously that's nothing surprising, but yeah, it could be a
little bit of a I've been changing at the guard there.

Speaker 3 (08:49):
Tampa has been bad, right, Tampa has been really bad.
So it could be like Florida, I feel like is
one of those teams that could slide into the wildcard
spot if they, you know, because if those how long
those guys are out and you know, they beat Boston
last night but barely on a lucky goal.

Speaker 2 (09:04):
So is kind of one of those.

Speaker 3 (09:06):
It's gonna be interesting if they can hold on long
enough for those guys to get healthy. But yeah, it's
in Detroit. Listen, Dylan Larkin, he has wings on his back.
He's Dylan Larkin. Is not LARPing out there.

Speaker 5 (09:18):
He is.

Speaker 3 (09:18):
He's full Larkin and he's driving this team. But I
think Emmitt Finney's is somebody to watch. All you fans
out there, all you unscripted fanatics, keep an eye on
old Emmitt Finney.

Speaker 2 (09:29):
The seventh rounder.

Speaker 1 (09:31):
Well, listen, there's always a different player year that comes
up to the You go, I wasn't expecting that, right, So
if Emmitt Finny is that guy that year, then potentially
that's good for him, and I mean for Detroit it's
been long time running right now. So with Detroit sometimes
it's like we need expectations of doing well. And then
with the team on the other stuff like Vegas, you go, well,
we're expecting to be good, as you and I boasted
off the top. This is the team that we're absolutely

(09:51):
expecting to win the division, run away with it. This
is a story in its own right. They beat Carolina
four to one, which is a major statement win. Michael
has a late leading sixteen points in the season. You
flick the season just started. This guy's already wracked up
sixteen points. Dorotheev scored type for the league. He's got
seven goals. Mark stones out week to week, Aiden Hill
goes down a Kira Schmid finishes in net. Would you

(10:12):
agree to j D Vegas Carolina? I know it was
on pay for the top two teams, but I mean
the two hottest teams right now in hockey. Pretty impressive.

Speaker 3 (10:19):
Yeah, I'd say, you know, Carolina and them, And then listen,
let's not forget the old dirty New Jersey Devils. Right
now they look pretty fantastical. But to your point, I
do believe, you know, if I were to pick throughout
you know, the Atlantic, I don't really have any teams
in the top, but I would go right now Carolina, Vegas,

(10:40):
Colorado and call with Colorado potentially being at the top
of that list. They did lose a heartbreaker to Utah.
But yeah, this was a good matchup, and I think Vegas.
The one thing with Vegas, you know, we have them
all running away with the Pacific if they can stay healthy.
You know, now Mark Stone's out a little bit, they
lose Aiden Hill, we could be seeing a Mista Kata,

(11:03):
a Mista Kata heart potentially sliding in because it looked
this is like the second time the season where Aiden
Hill went down in a heap and injured. And I
don't know if Akira Schmidt's enough to really keep them
at the top of this leaderboard. But the Pacific I
think is absolute junk. You know, other other than Vegas,

(11:23):
it just hasn't been good. You know, I just think
there's not enough there to kind of knock them off
the top. But yeah, they played it. It was a
hell of a game for Vegas. Carolina I think has
played well and that was their first kind of you
saw them kind of a little bit of chink in
the armor. But to their credit, no, Jacob Slavin have
some injuries right now, they're kind of they're a little

(11:45):
banged up. Shane Gosseisberg was out of the lineup if
I'm correct too, So they're missing some guys and they
both need to kind of stay healthy because even though
they had really hot starts, it's it's it's a fickle
thing being at the top of the the top of
the mountain.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
As they say, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

Speaker 3 (12:05):
Oh fickle df protest too much.

Speaker 1 (12:09):
I like it on the way did he drop it?

Speaker 2 (12:10):
Thank you, appreciate you.

Speaker 1 (12:12):
How about this Brad Marshan, He's a guy who's polarizing
and I was just watching the highlights together of the day,
like when he got emotional, like I get emotional when
guys get choked up. Early Duke, I'm like, you know
what this shows you how much you love the game,
which you love the fans and even though he may
have this image of himself, he really does love the
game of hockey. Was really appreciati that the fans are
in Boston, rewarding him like that, having said that this
guy is such a punk. I was like, dude, he

(12:35):
was like what he did? Like I hadn't seen it yet,
And then I think Thomas Saku was telling me. He's like, hey, Sol,
guy's helmety, what are you talking? There was a scrum.
He took the fucking helmet and he started tearing it
a pregg you can't do that, Like, what's wrong with you?

Speaker 2 (12:46):
Like, yes, he can.

Speaker 1 (12:47):
I go this is unbelievable. So if you haven't seen it,
I mean, look it up, but I'll try to describe it.
He was fined five thousand dollars on sports like contact
little do we even call it? Dust up? He just,
you know, barking their last mistallean. He takes his helmet,
took it to the penalty box, starts taking out piece
by piece. It's kind of stripping out the lace a
little bit. Eventually ourf feree comes over and he's like,
can we get that back? These are the infractions. Dad

(13:09):
reportedly licked Ryan Callahan's face, grabbed Nick Cousins by the
throat of this bare hand, did Econor McGregor shelley with
a UFC champ of the building repeatedly jabbing Daniel Cidin
in the face after the whistle doing the twenty eleven Finals.
Amused by it, entertained by it, sick of it all
the above, I.

Speaker 2 (13:26):
Would say you are yeah.

Speaker 3 (13:27):
I mean, as a player, you kind of get that
feeling of like, you know, the blood starts boiling.

Speaker 2 (13:34):
But it's so funny.

Speaker 3 (13:35):
I mean, he goes in there and he just rips
apart Dollan's helmet like poor equipment co the poor and
look people will be like, ah, I rip this helmet apart.
I'm like they got extras in the back. They're basically
just gonna give them a new helmet. But that helmet
might not fit the way this one fits. So that's
where it's like kind of funny. Like it's not like
he's you know, breaking his skates or anything like that,
but yeah, he is so polarizing and then you see that,

(13:57):
you see that emotionality from him, and you're kind of
like it's one of those things when you see those
people and you're like fuck, You're like no, I can't,
you know what I mean, because like it makes you
choked up as well, because you know, we're all we're
all suckers for those moments and all of the ship
he's done in his career and all of the mess,
and you just look at he's crying and you're just
like that's a touching moment. That's like nice. Oh maybe

(14:20):
he is a good guy. You know, maybe he's a
good guy. Maybe isn't a piece of shit. But it's
like that's just that's sports for you, like you want
to you know, I'm sure there's still some fans that were.

Speaker 2 (14:30):
Like, oh, fuck this guy.

Speaker 3 (14:32):
But it's like, listen, the guy is a competitor. He's
a rat. He makes no he does not hide it
one bit. It's not like he's he's a guy being
like I'm the good guy. He plays the villain. Well,
he's on the team that is the most villainous team
around and yeah, I think, but he still loved anywhere.
He plays one of those guys you want on your team,
you wanted your organization and and uh, you know, all

(14:56):
big nos aside and and and jokes aside, Big Nose Club.
We are the coalition of the Big Nose Club as well,
so the nose goes. But yeah, he's I mean, what
a player. And you saw him The response they got
from Boston. He's the captain, he was the guy there
for for quite a long time.

Speaker 1 (15:15):
Yeah, he's definitely a guy who want my team. To
your point, he's gonna compete, he's in a fight and
from teammates. Has always been a guy. He's always been
well respected, well like despite the antics, let's talk Leafs
right now. Anthony Stillarts criticizing his team falling a four
to three loss. Still Arts frustrated by some liberties taking
by cracking players in the crease and said, we're six
games into the season. Enough is enough. We kind of
got to start picking it up here. Of course, Torontomy

(15:37):
he had jumped all over the comment. He clarified his
comments a couple of days later. William Neelander, Brandon Carlo,
and coach Rap Ruby all stood by their goalie, but
but Ruby also criticizing his team. Kind of like the Oilers, JDI.
They were a five hundred team. They're just three three
and one. They lost the Devils. Do we agree or
a good team Devils or five?

Speaker 3 (15:52):
They got beat by the Devils. They had to lose
to the Devils. They got beat by the Devil.

Speaker 1 (15:56):
What do you make of this Leafs team? Right now.
They lose five too. They're just not looking great so far.

Speaker 3 (16:00):
Yeah, they're you know, once again, I think we we
may be right on this depending on how the season
chicks up. But we said this isn't necessarily the team
that the Toronto Apo leaps team that's going to be
great in the season. This is a team that they
just want to get to the playoffs and lean on
teams in over a seven game series. This team will
beat you, you know, New Jersey, that kind of makeup.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
That's more of the season.

Speaker 3 (16:24):
They're just not the team that they were, This high flying,
high flutant team. But you know, the life without Marner.
I think he's going to take some adjusting, you know,
you neique guys to step up. I think Austin hasn't
really found his groove yet. He's he still got four
goals to assist, but hasn't found his groove without Matthews.
I Brube came out with some comments about kind of
him getting sick of the top line. It's been Matthews

(16:45):
and Nis pretty firm, but like that third, that winger
has been just an absolute just a revolving door of
players and it just does nothing. Seems to work. They
tried Mitchelli, they tried Domey. So I mean when you
look at that, you're like, well, there's probably a trade
out there where they can maybe bring in somebody, you know,
maybe Mitch. You know, he's out there, he's available.

Speaker 2 (17:07):
Mitchie comes home, Mittie comes home twelve and a half.

Speaker 3 (17:10):
No, I think you know, they might need to find
somebody or somebody's gonna have to step up. I mean,
what a what a what a great role too if
you're a player on that team to kind of push
for it. You know, this is you get to play
with Matthews and I So I'd like to see maybe
Calli yarncrock up there. He's kind of had a decent
start to the season. And you know, other than that,
maybe Dakota Joshua making it maybe make it a really

(17:32):
heavy line.

Speaker 2 (17:33):
But it's tough.

Speaker 3 (17:34):
They don't have they don't they're missing that piece obviously
with Marner leaving, and it's hard to replace that.

Speaker 2 (17:39):
So you try to replace it in the way you play.

Speaker 3 (17:41):
As the team, and they've just been up and down
and going to Stillars's comments, I mean, keep that ship
in the room, Like I'm just not a I'm not
a fan of that keep that.

Speaker 2 (17:51):
Ship in the room.

Speaker 3 (17:52):
But but he we obviously knew who he was calling out.
He was calling out Nilander on that play like it
was a pretty.

Speaker 1 (17:59):
I was gonna see what I was stop as now
was especially when the goldie calls him out, like to me,
I wish look at teams as your leader. And I
was talking Mike Johnson time. So you know, it's rare
when the goalie is actually like the verbal leader. Can
you give me an example when he's like, like I go,
like Patrick Wall was fiery, He's again maybe Wall a
little bit, but bernerv was never the leader of these
devil's teams, right, Staneko, It's other guys, Scott Stevens, you see,
the one was Sean Brooke. Sean Brook was like a

(18:20):
very verbal guy. He was a very vocal leader among goalies. Goalies, right,
are not the guys who were in the room and
shouting yelly. So whatever a goalie chirps, I'm like, dude,
you better be at the elite level. It's just it
was so unusual for a goalie to be critical like that.

Speaker 3 (18:32):
He's been good too, so it's hard to come after him.
And he wasn't wrong. He was warranted. But it's one
of those you know, you're you know that's going to happen.
You're emotional. If the game finishes, he's probably pissed off,
probably broke his stick. Come into the room, the media
throws a camera in your face and says, talk to
me about that goal. You're kind of like, well, the
the fuck do you?

Speaker 2 (18:52):
What do you think? Look at the look at the play.

Speaker 3 (18:54):
Somebody got blown blown by it was a breakaway and
he didn't make the same. So I think it was
a level of frustration. I think that's just Toronto for you.
It's you know, there's it's never a dull moment. It's
you'd think that they'd be the Broadway, the New York,
the drama. The drama would would be in New York
and not there. And even though there is some drama

(19:15):
New York, I mean, it always seems to fall more
in Toronto. It's just an it's just a circus there
right now. And it's just you know that you knew
that the Marner leaving would it was one of those
things if you signed Marner, you're there's talk about Marner
there all year, and they probably overpaid him, and then
he leaves, and now everybody goes, why do we leave
a hundred point player leave? And it's like they're gonna
just have to figure out their identity and keep kind

(19:36):
of staying with it. And I still think I'm still
I still believe in this team, that this is a
team that could go could go far in the playoffs,
and I think they're more better built for the playoffs
and there for the season.

Speaker 1 (19:49):
So hopefully nothing too much story about they're in Leafland.
Your favorite quote of the week. San Jose Sharks the
NHL's only winless team. But why Ryan Warsovski is keeping
a sense of humor or maybe just being honest? Let
it fly started, I'd saying, I give up one of
my kids for a fucking win. We're assuming he's joking.
We did later apologize. It always takes you thinks about
when coaches make these comments. You know, Brad Oustmas, who's

(20:11):
a Yankees coach years ago, is managing the Tigers. This
is early in his tenure and we're Safti's still a
young coach. Somebody asked me, how bad is the loss?
What are you gonna do after a loss of this?
He goes, I'm gonna go home and beat my wife.
It was such a circus. After he's like come, he's like,
I don't beat my wife. There was like women like,
you know, picketing outside the Tigers games. He did like
donate money to domestic abuse. I'm like, you have to
be careful about you say, and clearly why Marsaci's wife

(20:34):
didn't appreciate his comment.

Speaker 3 (20:36):
I'm sure he got home and his wife absolutely whooped
the shit out of him because you know, you know,
he knew which kid it was as well, because you
all have your favorites as a dad, so he knew
the kid that was getting getting sacrificed like a lamb.
But I mean, can you just imagine him walking in
and the wife just being like, are you fucking kidding me?

(20:59):
But I was on air with Bruce Breudo and you know,
we were we weren't on air, and he kind of
said something similar where we were watching something and we
were watching one of the games and it wasn't going good,
and he's like, oh, He's like, can you imagine He's like,
you're just sitting here and you you know, give up
that goal and he's like, then you go home. And
just take it on. Your wife beat the shit out

(21:20):
of our We're like, what, Bruce, you now, I don't
actually mean that. I'm just saying you can imagine boil
over like Bruce Jesus man. But in all in good jess.
He then he then walked it back and said his
wife would beat him so so then ended up becoming
funny as well. But but yeah, I mean, this Shark's

(21:42):
team is it's not good right now. You know, they
drop a game on the island. Schaeffer has two points.
You know, they look they kind of got beat. Ask
Groff hasn't been great to start the season. They thought
he would kind of take the net. It's not pretty
in Shark'sland right now whatsoever.

Speaker 2 (22:00):
So it's it's tough. I think they're one of them.

Speaker 3 (22:02):
They're the only team in franchise history to lose their
first five games four years straight. So they haven't won
a game in the last four years in TYW. You
can check this up on me if you want, but
the last four years and now they're down to I
think they're to six now five or six. But the
first five games they've lost the past four years, so

(22:23):
that's not pretty out there.

Speaker 5 (22:26):
No.

Speaker 1 (22:26):
But speaking of pretty, one more top before we get
to our buddy, Gabe Polski Shaeffer one goal, one assist
last night, second in defenseman points. My man is eighteen
years old and no greater authority than his head coach
Patrick Waugh is even impressed by what Shaffer is doing
right now on Long Island. Amazing.

Speaker 3 (22:43):
Yeah, I think I think we kind of set it
to like, hey, don't compare me to kill mccarr. But
this kid is definitely his own version of just a
stud defenseman. And I watched that game yesterday too, and yeah,
he's he's fun to watch man. He's effortless when he skates,
he seems excited, loves the game, plays a great two

(23:03):
hundred foot game. He plays PK plays power plays, been
the top power play unit. So you know you're getting
some points that way as this, you know you're getting
those second apples. But I mean, he gets up in
the rush so quickly, he stays up in the rush.
He stays in front of the net. That goalie scored,
he was on the he was on the post, and
he was the first guy at the net. And basically

(23:25):
Douclaire gets that puck tries to shoot it, wraps it
around and he stays at the net. Most most dee
will vacate, but you know, because they're nervous and you're
you're kind of trained as a defenseman to get back
on the d side of the puck. So you know,
very I mean, it's just such a good kid to
root for. Man, you just you love it. Everybody's you know,
I said it on the last pot and and you know,

(23:48):
like I feel like the energy and the positive vibes
that every single human being that watches Hockey's throwing towards
him is also propelling him and making him even It's
just like he looks like he's floating out there and
having a fun time. And you know, obviously he's going
to encounter some adversity. That's it's not going to be
like this his whole career, but for right now the start,
he's having a young kid eighteen on this Islanders team

(24:08):
and willing them to wins. They're now five hundred. It's great, man,
It's an awesome.

Speaker 1 (24:13):
Story, no doubt about it. Easy got to root for.
As you said, good news there in Long Island Ubs Arena,
as Matthew Schaeffer has been one of the best defensemen
in hockey, early favorite for the Calder when we come
back here in NHL unscripted Gabe Polski. That's right, former
college player at Yale. He's got stories about Tim Taylor,
or does he also stories from Beer League Hockey filmmaker

(24:34):
behind Red Army in Search of Greatness in his new film,
which has joined comparisons of Werner Herzog, plus what's it
like to work with Nicholas Cage? Why I had a
slightly antagonistic relationship with his leading man? The Man who
Saved the World name of his film. We're talking to
Gabe Polski after this. Our next guest is an accomplished

(25:01):
director and producers. Films include Red Army in Search of Greatness,
Red Penguins, and Butcher's Crossing. His latest is The Man
Who Saved the World. It premieres this month, is being
hailed as one of those innovative and compelling films of
the year. It is Gabe Polsky. Gabe, great to see
you again, man.

Speaker 5 (25:17):
How you doing you too? You too? I'm doing well.

Speaker 1 (25:22):
That's been the same in Portland right now? Keeping it weird.
You're all over the place. Obviously, I've talked to you
twice in the past about Red Army and about In
Search of Greatness. We'll get your new film in just
a second. But Red Army, there's a connection because our
friend Tal Pinchowski wrote a terrific book about all those
players defecting in similar crossovers, particularly Slava Fatisov, who was
so well illustrated in your film and well depicted in

(25:44):
Tallas book. You know, you made waves with Red Army,
and I think people still talk about a great documentary
that was clearly your passion for hockey and as a
hockey player came through. But Fatisa up to me, is
still the guy. I want to talk about that last
shot where he gives you the finger. I mean, it
was so funny that you included that relationship you had
with him.

Speaker 5 (26:02):
Yeah, I still kind of unpacking that really relationship. And
you know, every time I see him, which is not
often now obviously because he's in Russia and you know,
in the government there, and I haven't talked to him
for a while. But yeah, he's he's sort of a
weird guy. And I bet you most people that you
know met him have a hard time, you know, deciphering

(26:26):
the inner workings of his mind. He's a tough dude,
but he's also at the same time, you know, has
a really soft spot inside and it's kind of like
a bear and it is incredibly once you kind of
get in. He does have a kind of a big
warmth to him. You could you could see that a
bit in the film.

Speaker 3 (26:46):
It is that something that was kind of surprising to
you kind of diving into both of these films. And
was there anything else that that shocked you throughout the
process that you didn't know beforehand.

Speaker 5 (26:57):
About Red Army. Yeah, yeah, it's been a long time,
but yeah, I mean I think you know, meeting meeting
these guys and getting to know them and kind of
what they went through living in the Soviet Union and
how how they trained and the coaching and all that

(27:19):
was definitely eye opening. I knew a little bit, but
then you know all the all the little details about
living in the camp and on the army base, and
and also how the Soviet government was, you know, essentially
taking all their money. You know, if they wanted to
go to the NHL, they get like, you know, a

(27:41):
tiny amount of money and the rest of it's paid
to the Soviet you know, government and sort of how
they're trying to enslave them essentially. So it was it
was eye opening. But you know, the most things you
learn about these films is not necessarily facts, but like
really you start to absorb their character as people and

(28:03):
the extit tricities. You know that that's what I'm left
with more.

Speaker 3 (28:08):
I mean, I played in the KHL three four years ago,
when you know, it's kind of changed, but we lived
in the barracks. I lived on the barracks, on the base,
the basa we called it, and I mean, it's it's
just so interesting the way they live and the way
they carry themselves on a day to day basis, even
just in that league. So it's like so eye opening

(28:29):
culturally to see that, and also you know, see that
it somehow works for them. You know, for me it
was a little bit different, but for them it worked
and some it didn't. But it was just so weird
and interesting in eye opening to see all that.

Speaker 5 (28:47):
Yeah, it's it's funny, you know, I know that on
a lot of other podcasts, you know, you know, there's
so many stories that come from that, especially kind of
when North American players go over there. It's just so
funny the culture shock. I haven't thought that. I was
actually thinking the other day that funny to do like
a slap shot kind of movie in.

Speaker 1 (29:11):
Who Are the Handsome Brothers?

Speaker 5 (29:13):
Right, yeah, exactly, like like it would be just a
hilarious comedy. And I'm like, man, maybe I should write
something like that, you know, like.

Speaker 3 (29:22):
That would be interesting, Like, yeah, a slapshot style comedy
or like goon but about imports playing overseas.

Speaker 1 (29:31):
Yeah, I mean, as I mentioned, Tal wrote the book
break Away from Behind the Iron Curtain, the NHL the
Untold Street Hockey's Great Escape. So Tal, go ahead. You
can bomb with Gabe right now for shared histories here.

Speaker 6 (29:41):
Appreciate it. Thanks AV. Hey Gabe, I'm so excited. Hey, yeah, stoked.
I'm glad Gabe's here, very exciting. I actually want to
ask about someone else we both know, which is Howard
Baldwin or who is Howard Baldwin? And I'm so fascinated
by Red Tenguins, which is another great film you made
in the world of hockey, and you talked about this

(30:02):
strict centralized program in the Soviet Union, in Red Army,
in Red Penguins. It's the complete opposite, you.

Speaker 2 (30:09):
Know, the.

Speaker 6 (30:10):
Cold War ends and its absolute lawlessness in the former
Soviet Union, and you got a pretty unique look into
kind of how that functioned with Howard and the Penguins
when they bought a team, a Russian pro team, and
it was absolute chaos. I mean, what do you recall
about kind of about that time in Russia.

Speaker 5 (30:30):
Yeah, so the Red Army. So the Pittsburgh Penguans bought
the Red Army team, you know, that same team that
was featured in Red Army, Red Army. So you know
that that's in itself as a just incredible because it
was the national team and it's just insane. You know
that everything was for sale. But what I vowed to
myself after Red Army that I'll never tell a story

(30:52):
in russ are even really hockey, because I felt like,
you know, that's enough. You know, I did a lot there. Anyways,
then this story came along, which I resisted for a
long time him and but what I felt about this
story read Penguins, was that I could tell kind of
a comedy, like in a way, it was like a

(31:14):
dark Cone Brothers comedy about mafia and gangsters. You know
how how strange and crazy life was, and that when
the Soviet Union collapsed right at that period, and so
it was just a real crazy story that got really dangerous.
And you had this central character Steve Warshaw, who Howard Baldwin,

(31:36):
who himself was sort of this eccentric, you know, hockey
owner of the Penguins and before that, the Hartford Whalers.
He hired this guy, Steve Warshaw, who was a you know,
almost like a Ben Stiller character, to go over and
run in Russia, to Russia to run this team, the
Red Army team with Victor Tikinoff the coach, who's this

(31:57):
sort of Nazisque character, and it just it it was
just a clash of cultures and complete insanity.

Speaker 1 (32:08):
Uh.

Speaker 5 (32:08):
And so the movie I had a lot of fun with.
I mean, there was dangerous points when I was in
Moscow and you know, getting chased around, I don't know
by people KGB or whatever. Like you know, we were
stopped a couple of times shooting and I was happy
to kind of get out of there safely. But it

(32:29):
was it was an incredible story, and yeah, that was
that was interesting to do.

Speaker 1 (32:37):
Did a fantastic job with Searts of Greatness and my
buddy Ben Lyons, of course, is involved in producing it.
Ben's like, you gotta have gay bonds and a file
talking about I remember Jerry Rice actually called me like
direct cell, and I remember getting voice was, Hey, it's
Jerry Rice, call me back. So I hope he sells
the same number, so I hope that I can call him.
But you talked to Jerry Rice, Pale, and of course
Gretzky and of the three game but all three are excellent.

(32:58):
But I thought Gretzky was particularly illuminating because he came across,
as you know, insightful, but also j only modest, and
I loved at the end when you're asking him just
literally wrapping up the whole concept of greatness and getting there,
and he kind of just gives a shrug. He's like, yeah,
a little luck along the way too. I guess, like,
like how cool is it? Like of all these great players,
Wayne seems to have the genuine humility to him.

Speaker 5 (33:20):
Yeah. He he's an interesting guy. I mean, I I
love him, and I'm so thankful that he agreed to
do the film. He he he's always sort of humble
like that, and he's he I think he really liked
the film and what he was trying to do because
I I remember after he did the film, he went

(33:43):
on like you know, masterclass and started telling the same
stories and then he went on, you know, he would
just go on and talk about the similar stories that
he told and in search of greatness. And so I
take that as a compliment, you know, but yeah, it
was it was. It was you know, obviously because I

(34:04):
in hockey in college. So to be able to do
that and to build to me, it was like a
mic drop about everything that I really thought about sports
and about what I felt about sports and what was
wrong with with it, with particularly coaching and you know,

(34:28):
the creative aspect of sports. I was finally able to
kind of express that all all that I believed, you know,
and so to have Gretzky to kind of narrated or
tell those points that that I'd been thinking my whole
life was great because you know, no one's gonna really
care about what I say. They care about what the

(34:50):
greatest of all times saying. So it's just like, you know,
it just felt amazing.

Speaker 3 (34:56):
Is is there anything specific from that that maybe changed
your perception of it or like maybe strengthened your resolve
in what you believe the kind of the search for
greatness is just talking and learning from those guys.

Speaker 5 (35:11):
I think just that these guys and you guys, it's
still people don't like to say it because it might
sound corny for the athletes, but that it's really all
about creativity. You know, greatness is all about creativity because
you see it over and over even with Tom Brady,
with all these guys who just don't fit the conventional mold,

(35:34):
and so they figure out, you know, they're not faster
or stronger this and that, like Messi who is shorter,
they figure out another style on how to change the
game and they sort of take it to another level
because of that and that weakness that they had, you know,

(35:55):
And so I always felt, yeah, exactly like you take
that weakness that you have and you sort of lean
into it and figure out how to how to use
that uniqueness, that sacred uniqueness to to to change the
game instead of trying to be like everybody else. And

(36:15):
you know the problem is that a lot of the
coaches they say, oh no, no, no, he's not fast enough,
he's not this, but they're not really seeing yeah, a
player holistically.

Speaker 3 (36:24):
You know, that's an interesting take on it because my
dad was a lot like that of like, you know,
finding out what you do well, or like finding out
a way to stand out and being creative with those
ways of like feeling out a game, feeling out the
process of a game, and understanding like hey, if you're
not a top end guy or you don't have that

(36:44):
you know, natural natural ability to find ways to be
creative in in standing out and being unique.

Speaker 2 (36:51):
So that's an interesting take.

Speaker 3 (36:52):
I haven't anybody seen anybody frame it like that, so
that's pretty cool.

Speaker 5 (36:55):
But scoring goals has nothing to do with strength or
speed or it's all about understanding the game. And Tom Brady,
I mean, just as an example, he just understood the
game better. He didn't need to move faster. He knew
the game better, you know what I'm saying. He was
moving in his mind ten times faster than everybody else.
Same with Gretzky. You know, it's great when you can

(37:17):
combine that skill like Jordan. Jordan is a great example
of a guy who just had a you know, incredible abilities,
you know, and and then also he understood the game
and you.

Speaker 1 (37:31):
Know, yeah, and a massive you're gonna go along with it.
Two we're right now. But yeah, we know I'm not
a big Jordan guy. We know you played Division one
hockeyt Yale under Tim Taylor. I want some of your
favorite memories playing pucks at Yale for the Bulldogs.

Speaker 5 (37:47):
Well, my favorite favorite memories are are not Tim Taylor.
I'll tell you.

Speaker 2 (37:52):
That that's.

Speaker 5 (37:55):
The absolute worst part of playing there by a thousand.
But but playing with at the Yale Whale and and
with my teammates was you know, unbelievable. You know, I
just love being I just loved playing in games. I

(38:18):
know it sounds corny, but it just it felt like
freedom and and and just like I was at home,
you know, when I was just on the ice, and
when when you have the puck, you know you can
do anything with it. You know, you know you have
the puck, so what are you going to do with it?
I just love that feeling that that you can make

(38:40):
anything happen.

Speaker 2 (38:43):
It is It is a nice sense of freedom to
have that.

Speaker 3 (38:46):
And uh, did your when did your are you still playing?
Did your are you still skating or or enjoying beer
League or anything like that now?

Speaker 5 (38:55):
The last time I played, and it's not I mean
I definitely would would do it. But I I went
to I was in a beer League game and and
the players weren't very good. I was just doing all
those friends invited me and I a guy literally he
was on cocaine or something, but he he checked me
straight from behind, like a like a one eighty. So

(39:16):
you can't really look this way or that way. Was
that one spot that blind spot right behind me? Yeah,
checked me from behind, and I, because I didn't have
my equipment really secured because it's beer League or just
like whatever, my kneepad slipped and I cracked my knee
in half.

Speaker 2 (39:33):
No.

Speaker 5 (39:34):
Yeah, vertical horizontal, horizonal.

Speaker 2 (39:38):
Horizontal two on top of that.

Speaker 5 (39:40):
That's brutal and so uh yeah, that was the last
time I've played, But I would play. I would do
it again. I mean just you know, but I haven't.
I haven't really played.

Speaker 1 (39:51):
What have a terrible way if you have your career
end beerly cockey from a guy.

Speaker 5 (39:55):
On burle career. Yeah, no, no, that that's what I said.
I'm not done. I'm not going to end it that way.
I'm going to go again some other time.

Speaker 1 (40:06):
On the subject of legends, you directed Nicholas Cage in
Butcher's crossing. What's the fondest memory you have a work
with Nick Cage?

Speaker 5 (40:15):
Wow, that guy is really interesting.

Speaker 3 (40:20):
I can imagine and he I mean I almost like
blacked it out, but he Well, first of all, the
film was so difficult to shoot.

Speaker 5 (40:29):
We like shot it in eighteen days and it was
all over Montana. Was like such a complicated shoot. So
I was just like, I was just like, I don't
know if you guys ever have gotten this way, but
you're like in survival mode and you're just literally like
trying to focus. You're not thinking about anything else but

(40:52):
just execution and nothing else, you know what I'm saying.
And so like all these problems, thousands of them, and
then meanwhile Nick Cage is like losing his mind, you know,
on the shoot, and I'm just like total zen, like
you know, like you just have to get through it
no matter what. He was playing a character Miller who
was like really intense. Well he always you know, he's

(41:14):
always intense, But imagine Nick Cage, yeah, doing this really
mysteriously kind of like he's Mike Michael Jordan. We talked
about it on set that he's he's Michael Jordan and
that kind of confidence. But intensity and kind of you know,
domination that he wanted to dominate everybody, you know, and

(41:36):
so he he was in character the whole time, and
he was I would say slightly antagonistic at times with me,
but I think we we love each other and respect
each other. But it was it was a challenging shoot.
Creativity is amazing. His lines like talk about like we're
talking about sports. But he he was so prepared that

(41:59):
he knew the script a lot better than me. Like
even though I wrote the script, but I didn't like
re memorize every line, remember every you know. He knew
everybody else's line, you know, and he could memorize it
so quickly. And but then also he'd have these like
phenomenally creative ideas that you know, I'd be like, all right,

(42:20):
let's let's try that, you know, because I wanted he's
just creative, you know, I want people to be creative.
You know what do you mean by like one time
he said, you know, I want to take I want
to take this meat. It was raw buffalo meat, little
bloody or raw, and I want to I want to
like smack his face with it, this guy, the other
other character, and I'm like, all right, Let's let's try that.

Speaker 2 (42:42):
I want to.

Speaker 5 (42:46):
Like a big, like five pound piece of meat.

Speaker 1 (42:50):
So that he's showing the creative How would you describe it?
He was slightly antagonistic towards you can you give me
an example of that.

Speaker 5 (43:01):
I don't know if I should say that, but one time,
like at the very beginning of the shoot, he was
sort of playing trying to find his his accent, and
it was like the first day, and I was like,
you know, he started, you know, basically using the accent,
and on the first day of the shoot, the first scenes,
and I'm like, you know, Nick, I think it should
be a little bit less kind of accenty. Maybe I

(43:25):
couldn't like quite articulately say what do you mean? What? What? What? What?
Like like what tell me? Show me what what do
you what do you mean? And I could tell he
was getting you know, really, I was like, you know,
just your normal voice, you know, you're you know, you
don't you don't need to do the accent. It was
just like, you know, I almost like caused a huge fight,
you know, right on the first day. And so I

(43:45):
was like, Okay, this is gonna be this is gonna
be an interesting shoot, you know, but I had worked
with Nick Cage on on Bad Lieutenant with Werner Herzog
and I produced the first kind of film that I
was involved with, and that was that was a wild shoot.
But anyways, Nick knew me from there and kind of,
you know, we were friendly.

Speaker 3 (44:06):
So you know, yeah, I can only imagine the countless stories.
But I want to unpack your your most recent and
probably the most fascinating subject you've tackled, the man who
Saved the World. I mean for our audience members, just
to kind of give a kind of brief description of it.
But I find it's so fascinating kind of the story

(44:27):
of you know, River, Patrick McCollum, you know, it's connection
with Jane Goodall and all that. I just think it's
such a cool, cool concept and just wanted to have
you break it down for us.

Speaker 1 (44:37):
And you mentioned Herzog game. It definitely feels her Zoggi
And if one might say, go ahead.

Speaker 5 (44:42):
Well, I've got a story about that. But the story
is about a kind of a spiritual outlier named Patrick
McCollum that is approached by elders of the of the
Amazon rainforests, many of them at a peace gathering they
came to him and said, Patrick, we think you're this
guy in this prophecy that we've had for hundreds of years,

(45:04):
when the world is in a dire place, there will
be a man who comes that helps essentially unite the
tribes of the Amazon to restore the Amazon and essentially
save the earth. And Patrick McCombs says, you know, I
don't think i'm the guy. I'm just a regular guy,
you know whatever. But then ultimately, after several years, he says,

(45:26):
you know what I'm gonna I'm gonna just see what
this is and I'm gonna go down and try and
fulfill this prophecy. And I kind of learned about the
story reluctantly, really and just and decided to ultimately kind
of follow this guy as he tries to fulfill this prophecy.
But really it's a character study. This guy's like a fascinating,

(45:47):
kind of really eccentric character that's very it's funny, you know,
And and that's what the.

Speaker 1 (45:55):
Story is, Like I said, because the doc is about me,
who's so quirky. Now she makes you think of Werner
Herzog cause you said you worked together about the Tenor protocol. Yeah,
give me the Herzog story to.

Speaker 5 (46:04):
This, Oh god, this is this is good. Well, I
don't want to well anyway, So I screen a cut
for Verner Hertzog in my house and I start to
notice that he's kind of squirming, and you know, like
it might not you know, I was like, man, I
wonder what's going on. And so after the film he

(46:25):
tells me, you know, Gabe, there's gonna be like a
lot of people that like this film, you know, these
new age kind of people and you know, these sort
of pseudo spiritual people whatever, you know, But I'm I'm
not one of them. And you know, Verner supported my
work and and you know, he was an executive producer.

(46:45):
He you know, he really genuinely loves my work. And
you know, obviously I wasn't devastated because I'm a big
boy and like, you know, some people aren't gonna like
your film. But he basically goes on to tell me
that it was too painful. It was painful for him
to watch. I'm like why, He's like, well, because my

(47:07):
dad was like this essentially mentally ill guy. He was
actually in the National Socialist Party Party where he came
back from the war, and he would basically have people
over and he would tell them all these stories, like
and the kids would sit around the table and be
like dad, like in their head, like, what the hell

(47:28):
is he talking about? He's making up all this crazy stuff.
And afterwards they go to their dad and say, this
is all what are you talking about? He would just
stare at them with like a blank stare, and everyone
knew that he was just like literally crazy. So for Werner,
I think it was just too painful to see a
guy who kind of is like that, and he couldn't

(47:52):
watch it, like, you know. The irony is that everybody
who I've shown the movie to the one of the
first things that say, oh, that's kind of like Herzog.
It's like, yeah, so I knew that if anything is
like Herzog, it's like this movie morally, you know. So
I find it very ironic that hers yeah, that that

(48:13):
he sort of says that, and a lot of his
characters are like guys like.

Speaker 3 (48:17):
This, speaking of greats that are misunderstood, let me go.
I was gonna say, speaking of greats that are misunderstood,
let me wrangle this back. Connor McDavid, here h, I
saw you post something about watching Connor McDavid live and yeah,
and kind of being amazed by the way he creates
plays And is he kind of somebody you keep an
eye on or do you have a player right now

(48:38):
in the NHL that is a favorite yours. I know
you're super busy kind of promoting the film and all that,
but just checking in on the stories right now that
are happening in the NHL.

Speaker 5 (48:47):
Yeah, I I the fact. Unfortunately, the first time I
tried to watch Connor McDavid in LA, he was injured
and I actually went to the game and he was scratched.
I brought a friend and I was super bummed. And
then the next time it was the Stanley Cup final
when they lost and and he just didn't do anything.

(49:09):
So but I I what I love is is is
somebody who always does not necessarily but always does something
productive with the puk, you know, trying to make place people,
trying to to be creative and and and doing making

(49:31):
a play, you know, not just not just to be fancy,
but to really, you know, be be productive. So I
need some help from you guys. Who should I be?
But there are and there are also players that are
sort of unexpectedly uh you know, like I was saying earlier,
they they might not look like they're the most talented,

(49:54):
but they're always like making stuff happen and and and
I find that really interesting or like unconventional players, you know,
uh so I.

Speaker 1 (50:04):
Could see you liking the Kachucks, Kape, Matthew and Brady
because they play with the kids. Are exciting players.

Speaker 5 (50:09):
Yeah, yeah, who would be a Werner Herzog to you
of a player?

Speaker 1 (50:16):
Who would be Brad Marshan just crazy out there. Brad
Marshank came out, what about the fight? He took the
other guy's helmet and he literally started ripping up the
helmet in the penalty box. He started ripping it out,
and you gotta get that fucking helmet back. He's like,
oh okay, here you go. He got five twenty five
undred dollars this who the hell the fight takes helmet?

Speaker 3 (50:37):
I'd say Brandon tannev with the thousand yards stare. He
has all the pictures where he doesn't blink. I feel
like that would be that'd be a close comparable. But
I mean you're in La so so you see Anse Copatar.
I mean, that's an unconventional guy in today's NHL. Like
he's not super fast, but he's able to create and
be creative within his frame because he's not the fastest,

(50:59):
but he's able to buy time in space and kind
of you know, make these plays a seemingly nothing.

Speaker 5 (51:06):
Yeah. Yeah, and and and it's just so cool how
every player has just like a little bit of a
different style about them, you know, and that that's that's
kind of the cool thing about the NHL is just
you know, like I just remember the days of like
Yager and Lemieux. I mean, everyone's just like has such

(51:27):
a unique and Gretzky and eyes, you know, Sakic has
another style and this guy, you know, everyone has like
just a little bit of a different style and players
instead of like I said, you know, conforming, but it's
you have to really develop your own thing, you know.

Speaker 1 (51:48):
Well he's definitely developed his own thing. And Gabe Polsky
has been a remarkable filmmaker. I encourage everyone to go
check out his new film. It's called The Man Who
Saved the World. Gave tell everybody where they can see
this terrific movie.

Speaker 5 (51:58):
Yeah. So on the website The Man who Saves Theworld
dot com are all the show times, Uh, and events
that we're we're having and they'll be updated. We're going nationwide.
We're going kind of not necessarily super fast, but we'll
be around in every city. And on social it's who
saves the World and yeah, that's that's.

Speaker 3 (52:22):
Be on the lookout and go see it please. And
also we're starting to write a KHL import comedy for
for a hockey based movie. So let's let's get it.
I will I will throw my hat in the ring
to play a Russian.

Speaker 1 (52:39):
I'll do it.

Speaker 2 (52:40):
I'll throw it in the ring. I can still skate
at beer League.

Speaker 5 (52:44):
All right, all right, let's do it.

Speaker 1 (52:49):
Mm hmm, all right, more hockey talk on the way,
Maybe a little bit of baseball talk here, as the
Blue Jays are in the World Series. But first Cinophile
in sixty Mistress Scorsese landing an Apple TV plus credible
comprehensive five part four and a half documentary from Rebecca Miller,
also known as Daniel Day Lewis's wife. So she has

(53:11):
known Marty for a long time and of course d
DL loves Marty worked to them on the Age of
Innocence and Gangs of New York. Unforgettably is Bill the Butcher.
It's absolutely fabulous for guys like me and Tell and
Hey JD. If you love moves, who does love Martin Scorsese.
The first bread I thought was the most educational because
that was about his upbringing. Who would have thought a
guy who is in his eighties still has buddies from
the neighborhood. That, to me is my favorite party. Guy's

(53:32):
talked about little Marty running around little Italy when he's ten, eleven, twelve,
the fact he studied to be a priest, and as
one of the guys said, I know it wasn't gonna happen.
Marty had a heavy eye for the ladies, and I
was like, all right, that's why Marty couldn't be a
priest one day. And then you go through. One of
the favorite parts of this early section is, you know,
the first episode builds beautifully as I texted Tell, a

(53:52):
couple of jump cuts, you know, Jumping Jack Flash comes on,
which is the music that De Niro entered to in
Mean Streets, and Jay Cox, who's Marty's longtime friendly collaborator, goes,
you gotta meet this guy. I gotta meet this guy.
I've got a party who then he cut to a
shof is smirking Robert de Niro. Cut to the credits
episode one in the books, So episode two is about
Mean Streets and now Bob and Marty are working together
and guys from the neighborhood. And one of the funniest
parts is they're talking about de Niro's character in Mean Streets.

(54:14):
Mean Streets literally lit up the revolution in the seventies, right,
people love movies. Pauline Kale said, this marks the beginning
of a singular filmmaking talent in Martin Scorsese. And they
asked you here, who's your character based on He says,
what was what in Marty's uncles? And also another guy
from the neighborhood, and they said, we're gonna talk to him,
and Denier kind of gives that pause, like is he
still alive? Like these guys are old now, right, they're
in their eighties. So they find the guy. The guy

(54:34):
calls me. He's like, hey, yeah, they're doing this documentary
on Marty. They want to talk to you. The guy comes,
he's like, you're the guy that Deannio's playing. Basically, Mean
Streets is like, yeah, yeah, Money did a good job
with it. Money did a good job with it. These
guys are so authentically from that era and from that time.
The documentary then, of course goes into Taxi Driver, one
important film that was not only you know, sound from Denio,

(54:54):
but obviously people were just influenced by the movie. Daniel
D Lewis says, I watched Taxi Driver six times when
it came and I just kept going over and over
to go see this movie. Jodie Foster talks with the
impact it had on her. We get to Raging bullcanp Comedy.
The final part is leader to DiCaprio because Marty kind
of thought he was dead in the nineties. He's like, oh,
you know what, Condone didn't work out religious epic about
the Dalai Lama bringing up the Dead, which reunited him
with Paul Strader and starred Nicholas Cage. Gay Polski's buddy

(55:18):
didn't do well at the box officuely because I think
it might just be done, and all of a sudden,
DiCaprio says, because oh my god, my hero is Martin Scorsese.
I'll work with him. Really, So we get like the
third or the fourth act of Marty's career, Gangs of
New York The Aviator of the Departed. He finally wins
an oscar, Wolfe of Wall Street, which is his most
successful financial film, made over four hundred million dollars worldwide,
The Irishman, ten Oscar nominations, and of course Killers of

(55:40):
the Flower Moon. It's an incredible documentary. Tell there's a
lot to take away from it, but I love the
fact Marty himself is the most engaging guy. He's funny,
he's interesting, he's honest, five marriages, cocaine addiction, overcame an
overdose which led to Raging Bull. He's very open about
his life and open about the films that he loves.

Speaker 6 (55:58):
I mean, just an amazing life. I would have liked
to see more about his performance in Shark Tale, but
maybe that'll be for another story. But I mean, he's
it's such a tribute to his resilience as a person
and as a filmmaker. I mean, the thing I love,
other than the fact that he had to wear a
bulletproof vest to the Oscars because of the John Hinckley shooting,
which is crazy, inspired this guys driver, right, and so

(56:22):
he has this run where he makes mean streets taxi
driver and Raging Bull, and then he makes a couple
of flops and his career is over, and then he
has this run in the nineties, and this might be
one of the best runs any filmmakers that ever had.

Speaker 1 (56:35):
From ninety to ninety.

Speaker 6 (56:36):
Five Good Fellas, Cape, fear Age of Innocence, Michael Jackson's
Bad Video, and Casino, just one after the other. Then
he does kon Doing which you mentioned and bringing out
the Dead, and his career.

Speaker 1 (56:49):
Is over again.

Speaker 2 (56:50):
It's just crazy.

Speaker 6 (56:50):
And then he's done again after making all these incredible films.
And then, as you mentioned, he teams up with DiCaprio
and he just goes right back at it.

Speaker 1 (56:58):
Some of the best collaborators of stories are his longtime
friend and oftentimes people compare them his rivals, but they're
good friends. And Steven Spielberg's Peber talks about how much
he loves Taxi Driver and he said, when I watched
Raising Bolam, like he's done it, Like he's done again.
To paulma again close friend. In many ways a father
figured that Marty was like, God, damn it. He's like
what he goes you watch good fuzdzs He go, shit,
you go, what do you go? Marty's done? It again
because we're all competitive, we're all directors. Go Marty beat

(57:21):
us again, like this sucks man, Marty got us again,
you know, the great shot and then touchable as JD.
Remember when the baby carriage is coming down and Kevin
Coster is running Andy Gercy's ready tosses the gun to him.
It's a beautiful, right slow motion tracking shot. Marty goes,
I'm gonna top that. So in Goodfellas, that's where they
have that copra shot of Henry Hall taking Karen into
the club going in the back. He's like, oh, how

(57:41):
long was Di Pauma's tracking shot? Three minutes. I'm gonna
make mine five minutes. We'll make it even more glorious.
And people talk about that inning as well. So it
doesn't matter what that world is. They're all super competitive,
but they're all great, great guys and great friends. I
encourage everyone to check out Mistres Scorsese. The Flora is
Jason de Burr's Good Fortune New Disease in Sorry movie,
Talk to me.

Speaker 2 (58:00):
This is a great film.

Speaker 1 (58:03):
You felt like we went long with polls because you're
going quick on your come on now, I mean, yeah,
just it's it's kind of one of those like you know,
tugs of your heartstrings a bit, and and you know
there's the undertones of like does money solve problems?

Speaker 3 (58:17):
And and yes it does, but does it really? And
you know, is losing yourself and losing the life you
have and being happy where you are more important than
you know, chasing something or also just chasing something that's
you know, worthwhile to you and and you know, so
it's just weird. They just kind of play on the
whole you know, upper class, lower class. You know, countter

(58:38):
Reeves is a is also an angel that's not happy
in the position he's in even though he's doing good work,
you know, stopping people from texting and driving. And that
is the funny thing. He is the he is the
angel that touches your shoulder when you were texting and
driving about to crash. So he saves lives but doesn't
believe he's doing enough and wants to save a lost soul,
and in doing that, he ends up overstepping his boundaries

(59:00):
because he is an angel of you know, texting and driving,
not you know, fixing lost souls. So he ends up
diving into that and trying to fix his He's on
sorry who hates his life and is a lost soul
and wants to be gone, so gives his He's on, sorry,
all this rich in wealth and says he won't be happy,
you won't enjoy all this rich in wealth because that's
not like the point of life. And he's like, I'm

(59:21):
gonna check back on you in a week. And in
a week he comes back and he's on sorry. He's like,
I'm not leaving, and he's like and they're like, so
wait a minute. He's like, you know, he's like, what
do you mean I'm not leaving? And he's like he's
like yeah, he's like this is great. He's like, you're
telling me. He's like, why would I want to go
back to my life? So then you know it's Count
of Reeves talking with the angel, the head of the angels,

(59:41):
and she's saying, you know, why.

Speaker 2 (59:44):
What did you What the hell did you do? Why'd
you overstep your boundaries.

Speaker 3 (59:47):
He's like, I was trying to show him that money
doesn't solve your problems, and she goes and and he
goes it solves ninety five percent of your problems, but
becomes this weird kind of mix of it of like
is money the key to happiness and all these things.
So in Seth Rogan's great, count who's great. He plays
his kind of like mumbling, fumbling actor that we all

(01:00:08):
love and love to watch, and you know, he's just
he's he's one of those he's one of those actors
you root for and no matter what he's in it,
no matter if he's got awful, you just it's you
enjoy to watch him.

Speaker 2 (01:00:19):
So good, good watch, good film.

Speaker 3 (01:00:21):
Good pacing, and uh yeah, it's kind of one of
those movies you smile at the end.

Speaker 1 (01:00:25):
Blue Jays in the World Series first time since ninety three.
The Krack and war Mariners jerseys to the rink before
their four to three overtime win against the Leafs in Toronto.
That propped the Blue Jays to reach it to Crack
and Ford Shane Wright, who's your product of Burlington Turior?
That felt the first pitch out of Jay's game. Next season,
the Jays win the Game seven. Quasi jersey swap. Austin
Matthews and Vlad Junior. Matthews were a Guerrero jersey before

(01:00:48):
the game Tuesday night, Vlad sporting in Matthews jersey before
Game seven. How about this Jays run in the fact the
hockey guys JD are paying you know what this is
like Sanose guys pay attention, Niners giants for the local
team is Warriors, right.

Speaker 3 (01:01:00):
Toronto Blue Jays are Canada's team. Let's go no hockey team,
that's if they witness thing, which you know, I think
this might be quick, but but I mean, what a
what an astonishing feat that they've pulled off. And I
mean it's I'm an Expos fan and that's as far
as my kind of baseball documen goes, you know, growing up,

(01:01:22):
and you know, I watched Vladdie. You know, I watched
Lattie and and you know I watched his dad and
and you know what Moises Alul, Larry Walker and all
these amazing names, and it was so much fun. And
you know, Canada can handle a baseball culture. And I
think there is a lot of huge baseball fans in
Canada and it's fun to see, you know, them make

(01:01:42):
it here.

Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
And I mean, listen this.

Speaker 3 (01:01:45):
They say it might be easy, and I think, you know,
Dodgers probably walks all over him, but Boba Schet's back.
I mean, there's there who knows, you know, Cinderella story
it's what is it like one billion versus three hundred
and thirty million, It's like some crazy number. But the funny,
the funniest part of that is when when Vladdie was
wearing the Matthews jersey and everybody posted poor Matthews. They

(01:02:07):
posted all his playoff stats and they're like, it's over.

Speaker 1 (01:02:12):
Yeah. Whereas VOT has been a playoff monster, ALCS MVP
has been absolutely incredible and it was really cool seeing
the crowds erupting at the hockey games in Montreal and
Calgary for the Jay's. I was in Montreal, as tal knows,
doing Sabers habs. What else would you want to be
doing during Game seven of the Blue Jays Mariner series,
and I had my producer in my ear, Just go, George,
And I just said to John Fordon, who was the
voice of the Seattle Crack and gay by the way,

(01:02:34):
for as he congratulations three one Mariners. Looking good. He so, hey,
I'm objective. I'm really happy for those guys. I'm pulling
for Seattle, like I know you're so. Then, literally, as
we're wrapping up, thanks to what you're watching, Habs win
four two, lighton Houtson, What a straight prices Americas. George
Springer three run home run. I go and I like
the Walter Crockett. I'm being told that George Springer has
just hit a three run home run, the Blue Jays
have taken lead, and you just hear the crowd erupt

(01:02:55):
and I'd asked Jeff Gordon, the president of the ABS.
I talked to Marty Saint Louis. I said, they said,
we're watching the Jays, and I said, I don't know
if people are interested in much. Rob'd assume, like JD,
you're an Expos family. They left, Okay, I'm just not
gonna like baseball. He said, yeah, but you're getting like
fifteen year olds. I don't even remember. The experts were
just baseball fans, so then they're Jays fans, and then
you will get the older guy who goes, well, the
Exposts guys still like baseball? Why not?

Speaker 5 (01:03:15):
So?

Speaker 1 (01:03:15):
I was actually Taladell if you've seen that, but in
Murell walk around the bars and stuff. They were maybe
because it was a Game seven, and I don't know
baseball fans there.

Speaker 3 (01:03:22):
And quickly tell tad to that like that would this
would never happen in hockey, Like when you look at
because there's only one team in Canada for baseball. But
like if Toronto makes it to the finals, like no
Calgary Flames fan or Edmonton Oris fans is gonna be
rooting for the Toronto even though we haven't won in
fucking forty years. So it's like crazy to see Canada

(01:03:43):
kind of unite continue.

Speaker 6 (01:03:45):
Yeah, I think the country would be. It would be
very challenging for Canadians if say the Leafs made the
Cup final, because as much as Canadians want to see
a Canadian team finally win the Cup, they don't want
to see the Leafs do it.

Speaker 2 (01:03:57):
Like that's that's the team that is.

Speaker 6 (01:03:59):
So overexposed because of who they are and where they're located.
That I think a lot of Canadians are just tired.
Plus there's six other Canadian teams for them to root for.
In baseball it's just the Jays, and basketball it's just
the Raptors. So those are Canada's teams. And you know,
like you mentioned Ad, now there's there's a whole a
couple of generations now of baseball fans in Montreal never

(01:04:19):
even got a chance to see the Expos.

Speaker 1 (01:04:21):
So it's exciting.

Speaker 2 (01:04:23):
I think it's exciting.

Speaker 6 (01:04:24):
I think, look, Nick Schuzooki's a captain of the Habs,
He's a JAS guy. All these NHL players from Canada
are a Jay's guy. They're clearly Canada's team.

Speaker 2 (01:04:31):
They're going to be a.

Speaker 6 (01:04:32):
Monster underdog against the Dodgers. But I think that'll make
it pretty exciting. And I will add the fact that
they crushed the Yankees. I think everyone started when that happened.
Everyone started piling on the Jay's bandwagon and it's just
been growing since then.

Speaker 1 (01:04:46):
Yeah, Dodgers a formidable opponent. They're starting. Pitching is unbelievable.
Otani had the best playoff game I've ever seen in
my life. Six innings, two hits, ten strikers, and he
hit three home runs. So Otani pitching is going to
be unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (01:04:58):
It's say with me, guys.

Speaker 3 (01:04:59):
Yeah, ooh Canada, ooh Canada.

Speaker 2 (01:05:04):
I can't damn Canada.

Speaker 1 (01:05:08):
Last thought, bring it home with my Quebec boys. Big
announcement from the Avalanche unveiled now bec Nordik's Throwback seventy season,
commemorating the thirtieth anniversary the team moving to Colorado two
games against the former Hartford Whalers were now the Hurricanes.
Do you love this tribute to the great city of
Quebec City, Michelle Gully the Stasites JDS.

Speaker 3 (01:05:27):
Signal stolen valor do not take my goddamn beloved Nordiick's
and bring them to Denver, Colorado. I don't care if
it's a tribute. It's not a tribute. Are you donating
that money to Quebec, to the city, to the rink
that was built for Quebec Nordiak's team?

Speaker 2 (01:05:44):
And I don't care.

Speaker 3 (01:05:45):
I'll say it. It doesn't sit right with me. I
don't like it, and I don't want to see any
part of it. I don't care how nice the jerseys are, because.

Speaker 1 (01:05:53):
No, you're not.

Speaker 3 (01:05:54):
You are You're keeping all the money though, You're keeping
all the fucking money, just like the Whalers. Same thing
with the Whalers in Carolina. That is not your team.
That is not your team. You are the Carolina her Urricanes.
You are not the Carolina Whalers. You were the Hurricanes.
You stole our team, You stolen Colorado from under us,
and oh god, the Nordeeks need to come back.

Speaker 2 (01:06:14):
To go back, because now what do you do now?

Speaker 3 (01:06:16):
If the Nordieks come back, or if Quebec it's a team,
well you're gonna take it back from Denver to fucking Colorado.
I never liked the avalanche. I never did. Never did.
Stolen Valor, Stolen Valor.

Speaker 1 (01:06:28):
I like that. That's because you get tunnel for this podcast.
Just called it stolen vallord. This is Stolen Valor episode.
It's great.

Speaker 2 (01:06:33):
Yeah, let's just pay tribute to everybody, to make money
off everybody.

Speaker 3 (01:06:35):
Let's just do that. Let's pay tribute. Let's do spitting
chick lits and let's pay tribute to them. And we're
spitting chick litscre and call ourselves spitting chicklets.

Speaker 2 (01:06:43):
And then just make it take all the money from it.

Speaker 1 (01:06:47):
We'll talk a bit, we'll make it happen. Tall your
thoughts and whether pay homage the Nordiks. Are you with
JD A's Stolen Valor?

Speaker 2 (01:06:53):
So?

Speaker 6 (01:06:54):
When I spoke to Howard Baldwin about a topic.

Speaker 2 (01:06:56):
He's a fucking turn He's a fucking turncoat.

Speaker 6 (01:06:59):
Tell he's you know, we talked about whaler's name in Carolina.
He basically called it a cash grab and said that
if the hurricanes really cared about Hartford they'd played an
exhibition game or a regular season game there, so I
would I would probably make the same point. I love
the throwbacks. I love seeing the retro stuff out there.
But I do think, I do think if the Avalanche
really do care about their history, particularly the history in Quebec,

(01:07:22):
they should play at least a preseason game in Quebec City.

Speaker 2 (01:07:26):
I don't know why they haven't.

Speaker 6 (01:07:27):
They can wear the Canadians against the throwback jerseys. Yeah,
where the where the Nordics throwbacks against the Canadians in
Quebec City for a preseason game.

Speaker 2 (01:07:36):
It would be a lot of fun.

Speaker 3 (01:07:38):
They should do like a They could do an inner
squad game. They could do three days there and play
you know, Toronto. You could do everything. It's again to me,
it's it's lazy marketing and I don't like it. Listen
do which I can like a lot of things the
NHL does, and a lot of the things the NHL
team said, this is not one of them. Team my dad,

(01:07:59):
my dad's company basically provided the glass for the Sante
video that was built for the NHL hockey team, and
that was never used. It's used by the ramparts now.
But and it's I did play in it, but it's
absolute bullshit.

Speaker 2 (01:08:16):
And I liked nipops.

Speaker 1 (01:08:17):
I didn't know the salt or video throlle No.

Speaker 3 (01:08:19):
But I mean, I'm I'm I was born in Montreal,
but I've lived most of my life in Quebec City,
so it's like I understand the pain, the sorrow, the
hurt right from under us.

Speaker 1 (01:08:30):
As you said, exhibition game in Quebec City. Then talk
to me, I asked TJ. Raddick years ago. I said,
you know you have like a wish list if you're
the ANHL commissioner. She asked mego, I'd love to see
a team Inquebec City again. I go, just tell me
about what it would take, and he goes, A billionaire
owner and a new rink. I go, okay, well, I'll
just pray for those things to happen.

Speaker 3 (01:08:46):
Maybe one a fine one. Let's get there. If we
sell unscripted, we could maybe buy it.

Speaker 1 (01:08:52):
Billionaire owner and a new rink, bring back the Nordics.
Thanks so much for checking up NHL and scripted. Perhaps
the farewell next week, No plenty more HL and in
scripted to come. Thanks so much for checking us out
spread the word we appreciate you. Let's go Jay's but
probably Dodgers and six. NHL Unscripted is a production of

(01:09:22):
the NHL and iHeart Podcasts. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio,
visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts.