July 4, 2025 • 32 mins
-
Critique of Hollywood and Media Bias:
- Cruz argues that the NYT list prioritizes political messaging over storytelling and entertainment.
- He claims the list reflects elitist, left-leaning Hollywood values and ignores popular, inspirational, or patriotic films.
-
Alternative Film List:
- Cruz presents his own list of 30 films from the past 25 years that he believes are more representative of quality cinema.
- His selections include:
- Gladiator, The Patriot, A Beautiful Mind, Lord of the Rings, Saving Private Ryan, American Sniper, Hidden Figures, Top Gun: Maverick, and Avatar.
- He emphasizes true stories, war films, musicals, and movies with strong moral or patriotic themes.
-
Personal Movie Preferences:
- Cruz shares his favorite films (The Princess Bride, The Godfather, Scarface, Fletch), and discusses his love for musicals and classic comedies.
- He recounts personal anecdotes, including taking his mother to Broadway shows and watching Saving Private Ryan and Dallas Buyers Club.
-
Cultural Commentary:
- The conversation touches on broader cultural issues, such as the disconnect between Hollywood and everyday Americans, the importance of storytelling, and the role of cinema in shaping public perception.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
It is Verdicus Center, Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you.
It's so nice to have you listening today on this
fourth of July weekend. And we're gonna have a little
fun with today's show because it is look for the
July a lot of families hanging out having fun watching movies.
And there was a list that came out and it
(00:23):
irritated Center Ted Cruz the point where we're now doing
a show over it, which makes me laugh.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
I love this.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
We're gonna you're gonna get see the real Center Ted
Cruse in this show, which makes me very happy. This
list came out, you were a little cranky about it,
and I love it.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Well, let me say to everyone, I hope you're having
a fantastic Fourth of July weekend. I hope you're celebrating
America's birthday. I hope you're you're grilling hot dogs and
burgers in the backyard and playing with your kids. By
the way, if you are grilling burgers, I hope you're
doing a better job of it than Chuck Schumer does.
Do not put the cheese on the burger while the
burger is still raw. That that that's a rookie mistake.
(01:03):
But if you're anything like me, holiday weekends, what I
love to do is go to the movies. When I
was a kid, I went to the movies with my
mom my dad all the time. And I love movies.
And it happened this past week that the New York
Times put out this list of the top thirty best
films of the twenty first century, according to over five
(01:24):
hundred actors, directors, and other names in Hollywood. And I
got to say, this is the worst list I have
ever seen. This is a list of a bunch of politicized,
woke feet, out of touch Hollywood types, and no wonder
the movie business is in trouble because most of these
movies nobody's seen, and the movies that people go to
(01:47):
don't make the list. So I'm just going to read
you their top thirty, starting with number thirty. Lost in Translation, Arrival,
The Dark Night Adaptation, Anatomy of a Fall, Phantom Thread,
Her Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Royal Tenenbaums, Wolf
of Wall Street, Zodiac, Ethu, Mama, ta'm Ying, Broke Back Mountain,
(02:12):
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, City of God, Inglorious, Bastards, Children
of Men, The Zone of Interest, mad Max, Fury Road,
The Social Network, Spirited Away, Get Out, Eternal Sunshine of
the Spotless Mind, No Country for Old Men, Moonlight in
the Mood for Love, There Will Be Blood, Mulholland Drive.
(02:36):
And the number one movie of the last twenty five
years according to the New York Times, is Parasite. Now,
I gotta say there's some good movies on that list.
They're not all dogs, but number one i'd be willing
to bet of that list. Have you seen more than
five of those movies?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Ben Ah, I have seen maybe five.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
There's a couple like Inglorious Bastards that I've watched that
was pretty good.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I don't throw that one in there.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
But overall I would have to google the majority of
the list you just read right, Like the majority, I'd
have to google.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Make what is this? They were not on my top
list at all.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Well, it is a pretentious list, and it's a list
with an agenda, and I actually liked so. Twitter was
going back and forth about it. And there's this fellow
named Mike Henry who asked chat gpt to analyze that
list of film look for similarities and rank the films
by how woke they are, and it came up with
(03:30):
tier one. These are straight up ideological vehicles. Message is
greater than story and according to chat GPT, number five
Moonlight is about black queer identity, poverty, masculinity, deconstruction, Get Out,
number eight is about white liberal racism, body autonomy and
performative allyship. Number one Parasite is about anti capitalism, class warfare,
(03:53):
rich equals evil symbolism. Number twelve the zone of interest
Holocaust reimagined via ambient horror or villainy through banality. Number
seventeen Broke Back abount and least surprising movie on the
list if all was putting it together, and that is
according to chat GPT, about queer repression, masculinity and rural stigma.
(04:14):
Number eighteen itavamataming, sexual liberation, political awakening, class divide, and
number thirteen Children of Men, anti fascist immigration, dystopian surveillance society.
That's what they went with. Politics instead of good movies,
instead of movies people like, instead of movies that inspire you,
(04:36):
instead of movies that make you laugh, instead of movies
that make you hug your kids. And so I decided
to come up with my own list, I will say.
A number of reporters called and said, all right, all right,
you don't like this one, what's your alternative? And listen,
We're going to put out a list of thirty. And
I'm not going to claim it is the definitive list
of the thirty greatest films of the last twenty five years,
(04:59):
but the aready excellent movies that came out in the
last twenty five years. And I tried to think about
how to do it, because you know, I do actually
have a day drik job and I'm not a film critic.
So what I did is I went and printed out
a list of all of the nominees for the Academy
Awards for Best Picture each of the last twenty five years.
I figured, okay, that's a good place to start, and
(05:21):
starting in two thousand and one for the two thousand movies,
the winner of Best Picture in two thousand and one,
any idea, ben no clue. Gladiator one of the best
movies ever made. It is in my top ten all time,
if not top five. And these idiots didn't put Gladiator
on the list.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
That doesn't surprise me, though, Like I feel like, if
it's a movie that just makes you smile or makes
you excited or happy. You're like, no, no, no, can't have
that movie on the list, right, like, because that would
just be too normal, insane.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Gladiator was an extraordinary, fantastic movie. I can't watch it
at enough times. It's perfectly done. You know what also
came out in two thousand. It didn't get nominated to
the Academy Awards, but it came out the same year,
you know what movie The Patriot, which is another fantastic,
amazing movie. It is an amazing movie. It also makes
my top ten. It's not on their list, both of them.
(06:12):
So two thousand was a good year for movies. You
had both The Patriot and Gladiator come out that year. Fantastic, uplifting,
nowhere on their list. How about two thousand and one?
Two thousand and one, just from the list of Academy
Award nominees, the winner was A Beautiful Mind, which is
a great, powerful, touching movie. Doesn't make their list. Also
(06:36):
that year in the Academy Award, didn't win it, but
came out that year was Bulan Rouge, which was a musical.
It was fun, it was interesting.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
I laughed.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
It's a good movie. All right, doesn't make their list.
How about two thousand and two, two thousand and two,
there are two of the movies that the winner for
Best Picture was Chicago. Chicago is a great musical. You've
got Rick Richard Gear. I still like when he when
he is trying to get out of trouble and goes
(07:08):
and now a tap dance. And I will say more
than once, when I have been in trouble at home
with Heidi, I sort of think of Richard Gear going
and now a tap dance.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Also that year. All right, I got one thousand and two.
We gotta hit pause here. I'm noticing a trend. Hold on,
You're not getting out of jail on this one. All right,
I got it. There's a trend here. Are you a
Broadway musical guy? I'm not making fun I just have
never asked you this question before. I've gone to I
don't know, maybe four or five you know plays. Hamilton's
(07:40):
one of them, for example, that I've seen. Wicked was
another one. Most of the time, it's going to New
York with my wife and we'll go see a play
because that's on her list. But I'm noticing a trend here.
Do you like will you go to the Kennedy Center
this year for some of the plays.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Absolutely hell, yes, And in fact I have already. I
saw Le Miz just a couple of weeks ago in
the Kennedy Center. It was fantastastic Ley Miz, Ley Miz
or Hamilton or I think the two greatest musicals ever died.
I love Le Miz. In fact, I'll tell you a
story in just a minute about Ley Miz. Back when
I was living for the summer in New York after
(08:16):
my first year of law school. I'm living there and
I send my mother an airplane ticket via FedEx flyer
to New York, take her to Le Miz, take her
to see Camelot, and take her out to a fancy dinner.
We had a great weekend, just just my mom and me.
Also in two thousand and two was Gangs in New York.
(08:36):
It didn't win Best Picture, but great film. Daniel day
Lewis rough Rugged, really well done. The next year, two
thousand and three, the Best Picture winner was Lord of
the Rings Return of the King. All three of the
Lord of the Rings movies came out in the two thousands.
All three were nominated for Best Picture, only number three
one none of them make the list. All three of
them are great movies, fantastic adaptations of of probably the
(09:01):
greatest fantasy book ever written. All right, let's move forward
to two thousand and six. Two thousand and six, a
movie that came out that is not on this list
and should be is a movie called Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace.
If you haven't seen it, I would recommend you go
see it. I'd recommend you take your kids to it.
Amazing Grace is the true story of William Wilberforce. William
(09:23):
Wilberforce was a Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom
and he led the fight to end the slave trade
in Britain and Britain at the time, the slave trade
was the leading industry in the UK and Wilberforce, as
a young MP, he leads the fight and it is inspirational,
(09:44):
it is powerful, and at the end of his life
he succeeds in getting the slave trade abolished. And do
you know where the title comes from? Ben, Where's that
the title of the movie, Amazing Grace comes from? Of course,
the Great Gospel him Amazing Grace. Uh. The person who
wrote it, who was a friar, was friends with Wilberforce,
(10:07):
and before he became a friar, he had been the
captain of a slave ship. And you think of the
words of amazing grace, amazing grace, how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost
but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see,
and you think like it. It is hard to think
(10:28):
of a more evil profession than being the captain of
a slave ship. He had murdered people, he had whipped people,
he had obviously enslaved people, and yet he repented and
became a friar and gave his life to Christ. And
that you think of the guilt and horror and evil
that man had committed. To write maybe the greatest, greatest
(10:50):
him ever ever written. That's where the title comes from.
That it's from a book by Eric but Texas. Fantastic movie,
of course, not on the New York Times list.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
You look at these movies that are left off, and I'm.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
A true story guy. I love true stories. There are
some movies that I just I think of instantly. If
someone said, hey, give me ten movies that you got
to see. One of those, I don't know if you've
ever watched it. Man on Fire with Denzel Washington. True story,
actually great movie, incredible movie, and I go to those
(11:23):
and Saving Private Ryan, I go, you know, these are
the types of movies that I watch over and over again,
and it's like Hollywood hates them, and they were successful.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Well, and Saving Private Ryan is another phenomenal movie. And
I went last year to Normandy for the eightieth anniversary
of D Day and I actually got to meet Tom
Hanks and Steven Spielberg. And look, both of their politics
are are left. But I said to both of them,
thank you, thank you for bringing bringing World War two
alive to so many people. And I will say the
(11:57):
first thirty minutes of Saving Private Ryan, when they're landing
on that beach and the war, I will tell you
that genuinely changed my view about war. Listen, I've never
served in the military. I've never been in combat. And
you know, look, when you're growing up as a kid,
as a young boy, you're like, Okay, if I was
in war, I'd be tough and I'd try to survive.
(12:18):
And one of the things that opening thirty minutes for
me like made me see in a way I never
had before, was how utterly random it can be. One
guy is dead because his head was in the wrong place.
And if his head had been six inches to the
left or right, he'd still be alive. And just the
utter randomness and brutality of it. And I'll tell you
(12:40):
something interesting, Ben, My uncle was a Vietnam vet and
he spent about forty years as a counselor at the VA.
And he said when the movie Saving Private Ryan came out,
it was the first movie that had gotten the sound
of warfare right, the sound of gunshots and ricochet. And
my uncle said he had that's who'd been at Vietnam,
(13:02):
and the movie triggered their PTSD. They were back in
combat and they would come in and and and seek
counseling because it brought them back. And I mean, that's
the power of cinema to trans transport you to a
different life, a different time, a different world. And and
and it's it's powerful and beautiful if it's not just
just a agenda for left wing propagandizing.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, and you go back to, as you mentioned, propagandizing,
and that's one of the core things here. I also
look at some of these movies that are on this list,
and they do have just a disdain also for family.
Did you notice that, like it's it's the extreme of
Hollywood that they're promoting is quote the best.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
No, I think that's exactly right, and and it's there
is look the fact that people don't go see these movies.
People like to see movies there. There are a lot
of big blockbusters. It's just the folks running Hollywood don't
actually like anything that that that moviegoers go go see.
(14:06):
You know, if you move on to to two thousand
and seven, two thousand and eight, two thousand and nine,
a couple that were on the list, No Country for
old Men, great movie. I agree with them on that
there will be blood another excellent movie. One of the
movies they left off was that Departed. Departed as a
great great story and in fighting organized crime, and it
(14:27):
really well done. And then one another one they included
that I agree that I agree with is The Dark Knight.
And The Dark Knight I got to say, was a
fantastic superhero movie. Yes, but but Heath Ledger's Joker was
twisted it. I think it will go down as one
of the greatest villain portrayals in cinema. It's right right
(14:49):
up there with with Hannibal Lecter. It's right up there
with Darth Vader of like classic all times. The creepy
nonchalance of the evil of he Ledger in Dark Knight
was truly spectacular.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
All right, Senta, let's get back into it. I do
want to ask real quick, you're if you were on
a desert island. This is what I love doing shows
like this. You're on a desert island. You can only
take five DVDs with you. Now, I've given you a
Blu Ray, but I'm giving you above VHS quality only five.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
What five movies are you taking with you?
Speaker 3 (15:23):
And why oh look, my number one favorite movie is
The Princess Bride. I've probably seen it one hundred times
or more. I would take the Godfather trilogy, and I
would take Scarface. Those are my top three. I might
well throw Fletch onto that list. Fletch is pretty fabulous, great,
(15:44):
great movie, funny as all get out. Early Eddie Murphy
I love just about everything, but Beverly Hills cop or
Trading Places are probably two of the very best early
Eddie Murphy that are just hysterical. So that Ingladiator might
(16:04):
well make the list. So so you know, I'm sort
of rejecting your hypo and taking more than five. But
but that's that would be the bag from which I
was pulling.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Ha ha, And you all right, I'm gonna I'm gonna
tell you there is a different there's a difference between
you and I. By the way, because in age, this
is when it shows, Senator, I have never seen the
movie Fletch.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
I just googled it. As you said it.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
It came out at nineteen eighty five. I was four
years old. You were obviously older than I am. Uh,
and we're able to see it. So I don't even
know what Fletch is about.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Okay, Ben, I love you, but you're a communist. You're
a philistine. You have been raised by wolves in a cave.
Go watch Fletch. It's Chevy Chase. It is hysterical. I've
probably seen Fletch fifty times. And and then you know, well, Grant,
who heads up my security detail. Grant and I are
(16:54):
about the same age, and I think the only way
Grant and I communicate is in movie quotes, most of
which are from Fletch. Like It's It's every line of it,
much like The Princess Bride. Every line of Fletch is exquisite.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
So it's Chevy Chase. But what's the premise of the movie.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
So Fletch Irwin Fletcher is an investigative reporter for the
La Times. But it's a comedy, and so he goes
under cover. But he wears all sorts of different outfits
on the beach and he's investigating drug dealing on the beach.
But it's just it's funny as hell. There are all
sorts of lines, love your body, Larry. It's all ball
(17:32):
bearings these days, none of it. This will make sense
without I will say one scene that that everyone who
knows the movie knows is Moon River. I will say
that that would That would be when when Fletch was
getting an exam and he does does say to the doctor,
(17:54):
ever do time. Doc at the end of the day
said I'm sorry, I couldn't find anything. Well, it's not
for lack of looking.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
All right, you're convinced me. Now I need to watch
this movie. I just hope they still have it out there.
It may have to borrow. Do you have it on
HS or or is it like Beta CAS.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
That's probably Beta max. Like like there's a point where
Fletch falls asleep and he's sleeping and dreaming and he's
watching a Lakers game and he and he Irwin Fletcher,
the star of the Lakers six' five six' nine with,
the afro and it has him flying through the air
and like biting people's arms. And defense it's it is
one of the best comedies. Ever written but it is not.
(18:34):
The last back To The. Hollywood list let's get to
two thousand and Eight And. Glorious bastards they put it on.
Their list, they're right. Terrific Movie. Quentin tarantino just About
everything tarantino does. Is great he's a. Fabulous Writer But
glorious bastards is a Great pro america film About killing
Nazis or Nazis as Brad Put brad pitt, Puts it Nazi.
(18:57):
KILLING nazis, i mean it's it's exquisite. And powerful. All
right go to. Twenty eleven another movie that came out
in twenty Eleven With brad pitt And. A moneyball you're
a big. Sports. Guy moneyball both the book and the
movie changed, true story but changed till everyone thought about
baseball and putting a baseball.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Team together, All right so you're gonna laugh So at
moneyball came OUT and i Love Again, True stories like
if it Says, true story there's a ninete Percent chance
i'm gonna go.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
SEE it I. Love sports the movie comes OUT and
i was so excited to. SEE it i kid. You
not my wife fell asleep in the.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
MOVIE and i was, Like rivaged like that was one
of the most Boring movies i've ever seen in my.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Entire LIFE and i, was like how did you?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Fall asleep like this kid figured it out and then
like he got traded for him And It's, Brad pitt
like you should just stayed away Because It's brad pitt for.
Goodness sakes and she so to, THIS day i don't
think she's ever watched the. Entire movie i've probably watched
that movie Every time I'm. ON united i fly a
time You're, on united probably ninety percent, of time and
money balls on there right now on, Their flights AND
(20:06):
so i literally watched it like five.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Days Ago and i'll, tell you by, The way heidi
falls asleep in just about. EVERY movie, i mean she
she doesn't, do movies and she can't sit still for.
Two hours and if you put her in a dark
room with the, lights out she'll she'll be asleep within.
Ten minutes now you are going.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
To movies by, THE way i.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Like being in. THE theater i like the, big screen,
the sound, the popcorn every bit. OF it i like the.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Real experience all, Right, now senator this and making a break.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Good question it's gonna it's gonna show how true you
are to the. Theater experience are you a must get
there for the, previews moviegoer or do you say the
movie says it starts, today Fifteen so i'm gonna get
there at eight.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
TWENTY eight i usually sit through, the PREVIEWS but i
don't Cry if i'm a few minutes late and miss
a preview. Or Two but i'm usually there pretty close to.
Dow time on the, BACK end i stay till the
very end of. THE credits i will. NOT leave i
view it as like there's a complete experience that the
artist to put. This together and so many of the
movies have like a tiny bit of content at the
(21:08):
end of. The, credits ANYWAY and i. LEARNED something i
read the CREDITS and i. LEARNED something i bet you
half THE movies I see i learn oh that was so,
and so or you just find interesting things in.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
The, CREDITS hey i love that you're giving credit to
those that made. The movie well played on. That one,
all right let's get back to the list and where
they got?
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Another? One? Maybe right?
Speaker 3 (21:28):
All right Twenty Twelve zero dark thirty that did not make,
their list, of course not because it's a true story
of Taking out Osama. Bin laden it makes you Cheer
for america that could never make their list of the,
best Movies because america's got to be the.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Bad guy one of my, top five by, the way
on my List Is zero. DARK thirty i Bought the
blu ray right when it, came out paid full price
because that's HOW much i want to support movies like that.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Being.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Made amen, all right let's go to. Twenty thirteen the
Winner Of best picture of that Year Was twelve Years.
Of slave, great story true story About An african american
man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery and spent
twelve years as a slave. And escape it's an amazing
story and it's a. True story didn't make. Their List
(22:14):
the Wolf Of wall street that made, their LIST and,
I agree Wolf Of wall street. Was terrific it, was fun.
Great acting that's on their list and. Belongs There but
i'll tell you what didn't make their list, Same Year Dallas,
buyer's club, fantastic movie another true Story And Dallas. Bier's
club matthew McConaughey.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Is the, weight loss just the.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Weight, loss yeah so you've heard. THIS story i spent several,
years ago got to hang out With with matthew mcconniey
and spend spend a weekend with him and his wife
and his kids and another couple of their kids and
our kids and. Great guy really enjoyed getting to, know
him hanging out. With him but we talked. A lot
we Talked About Dallas, buyer's club and it's a true
(22:57):
story about a a guy in the Rodeo In fort
worth who gets injured and has a blood transfusion and
he ends UP GETTING Hiv aids and this is early
on IN the, aids crisis and so. He's dying there
are not a lot. Of treatments and. You're right for,
the movie McConaughey lost i, don't know like forty. Fifty
(23:19):
pounds he was emaciated by the end of. The movie
but he began driving Down to mexico AND buying aids
medicines on the black Market in mexico and bringing them
Back to Dallas And fort worth and selling THEM to,
aids patients mostly gay men who HAD contracted aids in.
The EIGHTIES and i Was, TELLING matthew, i said, you
(23:40):
know that is a profoundly. Conservative movie and. He didn't
he didn't quite see it through. That lens but, you know, he, asked,
me well what do. YOU mean, I, say look it's
all about, government regulations ridiculous Regulations from washington that made
it illegal for people to get life, saving medicines medicines
they needed to have the right. To have i'm a
(24:01):
big believer in right. TO try i THINK the fda
puts huge barriers to getting medicines we ought to be able.
To have and it's a true story of in the
face of that, oppressive regulation this guy just went Down
to mexico and saved countless. People's lives it's just a,
fantastic movie.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
All right so what's next on? The list?
Speaker 3 (24:23):
All right in, Twenty Fourteen, american sniper another, true story
the Story Of, chris kyle SOMEONE actually i got, to
Know the navy's deadliest sniper that we, ever had sadly
was killed by a fellow VETERAN. With ptsd. Terrific movie
another movie that same Year Was The, imitation game another
true Story Of alan turing that the scientists who Cracked
(24:48):
the nazis code and helped Us Win World. War two.
Great movie neither of those make. Their, lists instead they
go with Movies where america is the bad guy and
anyone fighting To defend america's especially the. Bad guy, all
right so we've. Done twenty we have ten more to
do of movies that came out in the twenty. First
(25:09):
century in, twenty sixteen two movies, In particular, Number One,
hidden figures. Great movie. TERRIFIC movie i took, my wife,
my daughters my mom to see true story Of The
african american women mathematician who were FOUNDATIONAL to nasa going To.
The moon it's an. Amazing Story, and ben as, you
(25:29):
know my mom was also a mathematician at the dawn
of the. Computer Age hidden figures Begins with sputnik being
launched in the space race. Being started my mom in
the nineteen fifties worked At. The smithsonian one of her
first projects was helping to compute the Orbit. Of sputnik,
and actually in honor of, THIS movie i introduced legislation
(25:52):
that resulted in the street WHERE the nasa headquarters IS
in dc being Changed To hidden figures way to Honor
Those african american women mathematician who were foundational In our
going To. The moon it's Not on hollywood's, list either
but it's a, great movie and it's a fabulous. Family
movie another great, Family Movie La la land. Same year it's,
(26:15):
a musical, it's fun, it's light It's about hollywood. It
is it's a, terrific movie and yet it's nowhere on.
Their list. Twenty seventeen twenty seventeen a, Great Movie The
Darkest Hour winston churchill in the Middle Of WORLD. War
Ii Powerful gary oldham does a terrific Portrayal. Of churchill highly.
(26:35):
Recommend it. Twenty Eighteen. Black Panther black panther was a.
Terrific movie it's a comic. Book movie but there's a
reason so many people go go go see them because they're.
Really good. Twenty nineteen once Upon a Time in Hollywood Another.
QUENTIN tarantino i thought it, was terrific. Loved It brad
pitt was in it. As Well, brad Pitt when tarantino is,
(26:57):
directing him is really. Really good you then get on
to twenty Twenty Two Top. Gun maverick just a great,
fun movie. Action film fun to go to the theater
and see the jets rocketing through the sky fighting the.
BAD guys i will note That no hollywood theater will
(27:17):
Now Make communist china the, bad guys because they all
want to sell Movies, in china so the bad guys
are always some made up. Fictional place onto twenty. Twenty
three two movies in twenty twenty three on, The. List
oppenheimer oppenheimer, was terrific, true, story, powerful interesting really. Well done,
(27:40):
Same year killers Of The flower moon another, true story,
really powerful. Well done, all right Pull.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
THE scorture i missed that movie apparently when it. Came
out what's? It about Because now.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
I'm Interested So martin scorsese. Did it and it's based
on a. True story so it's Set in oklahoma in the,
nineteen twenties and it focuses on a series of Murders
Of osage indians after oil is discovered on their. Tribal
lands and it's got a. Fabulous Cast leonardo DiCaprio's, In
(28:12):
it Robert de niro is, in it and look. It's
brutal it doesn't paint a pretty insanitized picture, of history but.
It is our history has moments, of brutality moments of evil,
and Oppression and scorsese can tell a story as well
as anyone in.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
The, Business awesome i'm gonna have to grab that movie
and check. It out.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
Keep, going well that takes us to Twenty eight and
for the LAST two, i said, YOU know, i figured,
all right who ought to decide what are really? Good
MOVIES and i came up with a, crazy idea how
about the? Ticket buyers AND so i just pulled what
are the top ten highest grossing films from twenty to twenty?
(28:55):
Twenty five any idea with the number one film of
the last twenty five years has been in terms of box,
Office dollars.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
And god's a. HARD one i have no clue go.
For it.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
I'm ready so number One is avatar two thousand and
nine and it brought in two point nine. Billion Dollars,
And avatar i'm Gonna put avatar on my list because
it's a. Great film it really was novel how it
sort of stretched but brought you into an entirely, different
world and the effects. Were fantastic it was a well.
(29:28):
Done story the number two grossing film of the last
twenty five Years Was, avengers endgame and that brought in
two point eight. Billion dollars i'm gonna include both of
those as the final two on. My list they're the
top two. Grossing films. THEY'RE fantastic i like most comic,
book MOVIES but i Do think Avengers at endgame was,
(29:49):
was really, really good and it. Says something if you
look at the list of, top ten none of the
top ten grossing films Are on. HOLLYWOOD'S list i have
number Three As Avatar the way Of. The water number
Four Is star wars, Episode Seven The, force awakens number
Five As Avengers. Affinity war number Six Is Spider Man No,
way HOME which i thought was the best Of The spider.
(30:11):
Man movies number Seven Was. NIJA ti i don't know,
that Movie, MAYBE chinese I just i don't know. That
movie number Eight Was inside, Out too number Nine Was,
jurassic world and number Ten Was The lion king in.
Twenty nineteen it says something when you have a product
and the people making the product don't like the product
(30:35):
that people like and, are buying there's a real. Disconnect there,
you know you go back To That New york. Times
list most of the movies on the list nobody has
seen and nobody wants. To see and that really. Is
sad there used to be. A time look what's fun
about going to? The movies you'll. Notice THEMES so i like.
(30:57):
TRUE stories i like. WAR movie i like, gangster movies
Things like Godfather. AND scarface i, LIKE westerns i. LIKE
comedies i like. Some MUSICALS but i like. A STORY
when i go to the to, THE movies i want
to tell me. A story it can be a, sad
(31:19):
story it can be a. Funny story it can bring
me in, an adventure, you know CLASSIC movies i grew,
up With Like, indiana jones like like it can be,
You Know, star wars The Whole star, wars Series The. Hero's, journey,
Actually bet i'm going to say something, really funny really
good buddy of MINE that i went to high, school
(31:39):
with you Bet him, joel's's name great friend of mine
came came to our place IN. D c. Last weekend
he and his family were in town and, He, said
HEY can i crash at? YOUR place i, Said sure
and HE and i have gone to a lot of,
movies together and he's A Huge star, wars buff and
so he went To The STAR wars I, Guess museum
(32:02):
AND when i get back TO my, dc apartment he's
replaced my Sheets With star wars sheets And A star
wars Comforter In star wars pillowcases and it looks like
a nine year old, boys ROOM and i just cracked.
Up laughing and then actually it was RIGHT after i
Had The tucker carlson interview that was a lot. Of
(32:22):
fireworks so He Bought tucker carlson's book and he rested
it on. The PILLOWCASE so i was doubled over LAUGHING
when i walked in Walked in monday morning to the
apartment and saw my bedroom
Welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
It is Verdicus Center, Ted Cruz, Ben Ferguson with you.
It's so nice to have you listening today on this
fourth of July weekend. And we're gonna have a little
fun with today's show because it is look for the
July a lot of families hanging out having fun watching movies.
And there was a list that came out and it
(00:23):
irritated Center Ted Cruz the point where we're now doing
a show over it, which makes me laugh.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
I love this.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
We're gonna you're gonna get see the real Center Ted
Cruse in this show, which makes me very happy. This
list came out, you were a little cranky about it,
and I love it.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Well, let me say to everyone, I hope you're having
a fantastic Fourth of July weekend. I hope you're celebrating
America's birthday. I hope you're you're grilling hot dogs and
burgers in the backyard and playing with your kids. By
the way, if you are grilling burgers, I hope you're
doing a better job of it than Chuck Schumer does.
Do not put the cheese on the burger while the
burger is still raw. That that that's a rookie mistake.
(01:03):
But if you're anything like me, holiday weekends, what I
love to do is go to the movies. When I
was a kid, I went to the movies with my
mom my dad all the time. And I love movies.
And it happened this past week that the New York
Times put out this list of the top thirty best
films of the twenty first century, according to over five
(01:24):
hundred actors, directors, and other names in Hollywood. And I
got to say, this is the worst list I have
ever seen. This is a list of a bunch of politicized,
woke feet, out of touch Hollywood types, and no wonder
the movie business is in trouble because most of these
movies nobody's seen, and the movies that people go to
(01:47):
don't make the list. So I'm just going to read
you their top thirty, starting with number thirty. Lost in Translation, Arrival,
The Dark Night Adaptation, Anatomy of a Fall, Phantom Thread,
Her Boyhood, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Royal Tenenbaums, Wolf
of Wall Street, Zodiac, Ethu, Mama, ta'm Ying, Broke Back Mountain,
(02:12):
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, City of God, Inglorious, Bastards, Children
of Men, The Zone of Interest, mad Max, Fury Road,
The Social Network, Spirited Away, Get Out, Eternal Sunshine of
the Spotless Mind, No Country for Old Men, Moonlight in
the Mood for Love, There Will Be Blood, Mulholland Drive.
(02:36):
And the number one movie of the last twenty five
years according to the New York Times, is Parasite. Now,
I gotta say there's some good movies on that list.
They're not all dogs, but number one i'd be willing
to bet of that list. Have you seen more than
five of those movies?
Speaker 1 (02:52):
Ben Ah, I have seen maybe five.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
There's a couple like Inglorious Bastards that I've watched that
was pretty good.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
I don't throw that one in there.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
But overall I would have to google the majority of
the list you just read right, Like the majority, I'd
have to google.
Speaker 1 (03:06):
Make what is this? They were not on my top
list at all.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Well, it is a pretentious list, and it's a list
with an agenda, and I actually liked so. Twitter was
going back and forth about it. And there's this fellow
named Mike Henry who asked chat gpt to analyze that
list of film look for similarities and rank the films
by how woke they are, and it came up with
(03:30):
tier one. These are straight up ideological vehicles. Message is
greater than story and according to chat GPT, number five
Moonlight is about black queer identity, poverty, masculinity, deconstruction, Get Out,
number eight is about white liberal racism, body autonomy and
performative allyship. Number one Parasite is about anti capitalism, class warfare,
(03:53):
rich equals evil symbolism. Number twelve the zone of interest
Holocaust reimagined via ambient horror or villainy through banality. Number
seventeen Broke Back abount and least surprising movie on the
list if all was putting it together, and that is
according to chat GPT, about queer repression, masculinity and rural stigma.
(04:14):
Number eighteen itavamataming, sexual liberation, political awakening, class divide, and
number thirteen Children of Men, anti fascist immigration, dystopian surveillance society.
That's what they went with. Politics instead of good movies,
instead of movies people like, instead of movies that inspire you,
(04:36):
instead of movies that make you laugh, instead of movies
that make you hug your kids. And so I decided
to come up with my own list, I will say.
A number of reporters called and said, all right, all right,
you don't like this one, what's your alternative? And listen,
We're going to put out a list of thirty. And
I'm not going to claim it is the definitive list
of the thirty greatest films of the last twenty five years,
(04:59):
but the aready excellent movies that came out in the
last twenty five years. And I tried to think about
how to do it, because you know, I do actually
have a day drik job and I'm not a film critic.
So what I did is I went and printed out
a list of all of the nominees for the Academy
Awards for Best Picture each of the last twenty five years.
I figured, okay, that's a good place to start, and
(05:21):
starting in two thousand and one for the two thousand movies,
the winner of Best Picture in two thousand and one,
any idea, ben no clue. Gladiator one of the best
movies ever made. It is in my top ten all time,
if not top five. And these idiots didn't put Gladiator
on the list.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
That doesn't surprise me, though, Like I feel like, if
it's a movie that just makes you smile or makes
you excited or happy. You're like, no, no, no, can't have
that movie on the list, right, like, because that would
just be too normal, insane.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Gladiator was an extraordinary, fantastic movie. I can't watch it
at enough times. It's perfectly done. You know what also
came out in two thousand. It didn't get nominated to
the Academy Awards, but it came out the same year,
you know what movie The Patriot, which is another fantastic,
amazing movie. It is an amazing movie. It also makes
my top ten. It's not on their list, both of them.
(06:12):
So two thousand was a good year for movies. You
had both The Patriot and Gladiator come out that year. Fantastic, uplifting,
nowhere on their list. How about two thousand and one?
Two thousand and one, just from the list of Academy
Award nominees, the winner was A Beautiful Mind, which is
a great, powerful, touching movie. Doesn't make their list. Also
(06:36):
that year in the Academy Award, didn't win it, but
came out that year was Bulan Rouge, which was a musical.
It was fun, it was interesting.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
I laughed.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
It's a good movie. All right, doesn't make their list.
How about two thousand and two, two thousand and two,
there are two of the movies that the winner for
Best Picture was Chicago. Chicago is a great musical. You've
got Rick Richard Gear. I still like when he when
he is trying to get out of trouble and goes
(07:08):
and now a tap dance. And I will say more
than once, when I have been in trouble at home
with Heidi, I sort of think of Richard Gear going
and now a tap dance.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
Also that year. All right, I got one thousand and two.
We gotta hit pause here. I'm noticing a trend. Hold on,
You're not getting out of jail on this one. All right,
I got it. There's a trend here. Are you a
Broadway musical guy? I'm not making fun I just have
never asked you this question before. I've gone to I
don't know, maybe four or five you know plays. Hamilton's
(07:40):
one of them, for example, that I've seen. Wicked was
another one. Most of the time, it's going to New
York with my wife and we'll go see a play
because that's on her list. But I'm noticing a trend here.
Do you like will you go to the Kennedy Center
this year for some of the plays.
Speaker 3 (07:53):
Absolutely hell, yes, And in fact I have already. I
saw Le Miz just a couple of weeks ago in
the Kennedy Center. It was fantastastic Ley Miz, Ley Miz
or Hamilton or I think the two greatest musicals ever died.
I love Le Miz. In fact, I'll tell you a
story in just a minute about Ley Miz. Back when
I was living for the summer in New York after
(08:16):
my first year of law school. I'm living there and
I send my mother an airplane ticket via FedEx flyer
to New York, take her to Le Miz, take her
to see Camelot, and take her out to a fancy dinner.
We had a great weekend, just just my mom and me.
Also in two thousand and two was Gangs in New York.
(08:36):
It didn't win Best Picture, but great film. Daniel day
Lewis rough Rugged, really well done. The next year, two
thousand and three, the Best Picture winner was Lord of
the Rings Return of the King. All three of the
Lord of the Rings movies came out in the two thousands.
All three were nominated for Best Picture, only number three
one none of them make the list. All three of
them are great movies, fantastic adaptations of of probably the
(09:01):
greatest fantasy book ever written. All right, let's move forward
to two thousand and six. Two thousand and six, a
movie that came out that is not on this list
and should be is a movie called Amazing Grace. Amazing Grace.
If you haven't seen it, I would recommend you go
see it. I'd recommend you take your kids to it.
Amazing Grace is the true story of William Wilberforce. William
(09:23):
Wilberforce was a Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom
and he led the fight to end the slave trade
in Britain and Britain at the time, the slave trade
was the leading industry in the UK and Wilberforce, as
a young MP, he leads the fight and it is inspirational,
(09:44):
it is powerful, and at the end of his life
he succeeds in getting the slave trade abolished. And do
you know where the title comes from? Ben, Where's that
the title of the movie, Amazing Grace comes from? Of course,
the Great Gospel him Amazing Grace. Uh. The person who
wrote it, who was a friar, was friends with Wilberforce,
(10:07):
and before he became a friar, he had been the
captain of a slave ship. And you think of the
words of amazing grace, amazing grace, how sweet the sound
that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost
but now I'm found. Was blind, but now I see,
and you think like it. It is hard to think
(10:28):
of a more evil profession than being the captain of
a slave ship. He had murdered people, he had whipped people,
he had obviously enslaved people, and yet he repented and
became a friar and gave his life to Christ. And
that you think of the guilt and horror and evil
that man had committed. To write maybe the greatest, greatest
(10:50):
him ever ever written. That's where the title comes from.
That it's from a book by Eric but Texas. Fantastic movie,
of course, not on the New York Times list.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
You look at these movies that are left off, and I'm.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
A true story guy. I love true stories. There are
some movies that I just I think of instantly. If
someone said, hey, give me ten movies that you got
to see. One of those, I don't know if you've
ever watched it. Man on Fire with Denzel Washington. True story,
actually great movie, incredible movie, and I go to those
(11:23):
and Saving Private Ryan, I go, you know, these are
the types of movies that I watch over and over again,
and it's like Hollywood hates them, and they were successful.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Well, and Saving Private Ryan is another phenomenal movie. And
I went last year to Normandy for the eightieth anniversary
of D Day and I actually got to meet Tom
Hanks and Steven Spielberg. And look, both of their politics
are are left. But I said to both of them,
thank you, thank you for bringing bringing World War two
alive to so many people. And I will say the
(11:57):
first thirty minutes of Saving Private Ryan, when they're landing
on that beach and the war, I will tell you
that genuinely changed my view about war. Listen, I've never
served in the military. I've never been in combat. And
you know, look, when you're growing up as a kid,
as a young boy, you're like, Okay, if I was
in war, I'd be tough and I'd try to survive.
(12:18):
And one of the things that opening thirty minutes for
me like made me see in a way I never
had before, was how utterly random it can be. One
guy is dead because his head was in the wrong place.
And if his head had been six inches to the
left or right, he'd still be alive. And just the
utter randomness and brutality of it. And I'll tell you
(12:40):
something interesting, Ben, My uncle was a Vietnam vet and
he spent about forty years as a counselor at the VA.
And he said when the movie Saving Private Ryan came out,
it was the first movie that had gotten the sound
of warfare right, the sound of gunshots and ricochet. And
my uncle said he had that's who'd been at Vietnam,
(13:02):
and the movie triggered their PTSD. They were back in
combat and they would come in and and and seek
counseling because it brought them back. And I mean, that's
the power of cinema to trans transport you to a
different life, a different time, a different world. And and
and it's it's powerful and beautiful if it's not just
just a agenda for left wing propagandizing.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, and you go back to, as you mentioned, propagandizing,
and that's one of the core things here. I also
look at some of these movies that are on this list,
and they do have just a disdain also for family.
Did you notice that, like it's it's the extreme of
Hollywood that they're promoting is quote the best.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
No, I think that's exactly right, and and it's there
is look the fact that people don't go see these movies.
People like to see movies there. There are a lot
of big blockbusters. It's just the folks running Hollywood don't
actually like anything that that that moviegoers go go see.
(14:06):
You know, if you move on to to two thousand
and seven, two thousand and eight, two thousand and nine,
a couple that were on the list, No Country for
old Men, great movie. I agree with them on that
there will be blood another excellent movie. One of the
movies they left off was that Departed. Departed as a
great great story and in fighting organized crime, and it
(14:27):
really well done. And then one another one they included
that I agree that I agree with is The Dark Knight.
And The Dark Knight I got to say, was a
fantastic superhero movie. Yes, but but Heath Ledger's Joker was
twisted it. I think it will go down as one
of the greatest villain portrayals in cinema. It's right right
(14:49):
up there with with Hannibal Lecter. It's right up there
with Darth Vader of like classic all times. The creepy
nonchalance of the evil of he Ledger in Dark Knight
was truly spectacular.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
All right, Senta, let's get back into it. I do
want to ask real quick, you're if you were on
a desert island. This is what I love doing shows
like this. You're on a desert island. You can only
take five DVDs with you. Now, I've given you a
Blu Ray, but I'm giving you above VHS quality only five.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
What five movies are you taking with you?
Speaker 3 (15:23):
And why oh look, my number one favorite movie is
The Princess Bride. I've probably seen it one hundred times
or more. I would take the Godfather trilogy, and I
would take Scarface. Those are my top three. I might
well throw Fletch onto that list. Fletch is pretty fabulous, great,
(15:44):
great movie, funny as all get out. Early Eddie Murphy
I love just about everything, but Beverly Hills cop or
Trading Places are probably two of the very best early
Eddie Murphy that are just hysterical. So that Ingladiator might
(16:04):
well make the list. So so you know, I'm sort
of rejecting your hypo and taking more than five. But
but that's that would be the bag from which I
was pulling.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Ha ha, And you all right, I'm gonna I'm gonna
tell you there is a different there's a difference between
you and I. By the way, because in age, this
is when it shows, Senator, I have never seen the
movie Fletch.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
I just googled it. As you said it.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
It came out at nineteen eighty five. I was four
years old. You were obviously older than I am. Uh,
and we're able to see it. So I don't even
know what Fletch is about.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
Okay, Ben, I love you, but you're a communist. You're
a philistine. You have been raised by wolves in a cave.
Go watch Fletch. It's Chevy Chase. It is hysterical. I've
probably seen Fletch fifty times. And and then you know, well, Grant,
who heads up my security detail. Grant and I are
(16:54):
about the same age, and I think the only way
Grant and I communicate is in movie quotes, most of
which are from Fletch. Like It's It's every line of it,
much like The Princess Bride. Every line of Fletch is exquisite.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
So it's Chevy Chase. But what's the premise of the movie.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
So Fletch Irwin Fletcher is an investigative reporter for the
La Times. But it's a comedy, and so he goes
under cover. But he wears all sorts of different outfits
on the beach and he's investigating drug dealing on the beach.
But it's just it's funny as hell. There are all
sorts of lines, love your body, Larry. It's all ball
(17:32):
bearings these days, none of it. This will make sense
without I will say one scene that that everyone who
knows the movie knows is Moon River. I will say
that that would That would be when when Fletch was
getting an exam and he does does say to the doctor,
(17:54):
ever do time. Doc at the end of the day
said I'm sorry, I couldn't find anything. Well, it's not
for lack of looking.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
All right, you're convinced me. Now I need to watch
this movie. I just hope they still have it out there.
It may have to borrow. Do you have it on
HS or or is it like Beta CAS.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
That's probably Beta max. Like like there's a point where
Fletch falls asleep and he's sleeping and dreaming and he's
watching a Lakers game and he and he Irwin Fletcher,
the star of the Lakers six' five six' nine with,
the afro and it has him flying through the air
and like biting people's arms. And defense it's it is
one of the best comedies. Ever written but it is not.
(18:34):
The last back To The. Hollywood list let's get to
two thousand and Eight And. Glorious bastards they put it on.
Their list, they're right. Terrific Movie. Quentin tarantino just About
everything tarantino does. Is great he's a. Fabulous Writer But
glorious bastards is a Great pro america film About killing
Nazis or Nazis as Brad Put brad pitt, Puts it Nazi.
(18:57):
KILLING nazis, i mean it's it's exquisite. And powerful. All
right go to. Twenty eleven another movie that came out
in twenty Eleven With brad pitt And. A moneyball you're
a big. Sports. Guy moneyball both the book and the
movie changed, true story but changed till everyone thought about
baseball and putting a baseball.
Speaker 2 (19:18):
Team together, All right so you're gonna laugh So at
moneyball came OUT and i Love Again, True stories like
if it Says, true story there's a ninete Percent chance
i'm gonna go.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
SEE it I. Love sports the movie comes OUT and
i was so excited to. SEE it i kid. You
not my wife fell asleep in the.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
MOVIE and i was, Like rivaged like that was one
of the most Boring movies i've ever seen in my.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
Entire LIFE and i, was like how did you?
Speaker 2 (19:45):
Fall asleep like this kid figured it out and then
like he got traded for him And It's, Brad pitt
like you should just stayed away Because It's brad pitt for.
Goodness sakes and she so to, THIS day i don't
think she's ever watched the. Entire movie i've probably watched
that movie Every time I'm. ON united i fly a
time You're, on united probably ninety percent, of time and
money balls on there right now on, Their flights AND
(20:06):
so i literally watched it like five.
Speaker 3 (20:08):
Days Ago and i'll, tell you by, The way heidi
falls asleep in just about. EVERY movie, i mean she
she doesn't, do movies and she can't sit still for.
Two hours and if you put her in a dark
room with the, lights out she'll she'll be asleep within.
Ten minutes now you are going.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
To movies by, THE way i.
Speaker 3 (20:25):
Like being in. THE theater i like the, big screen,
the sound, the popcorn every bit. OF it i like the.
Speaker 1 (20:30):
Real experience all, Right, now senator this and making a break.
Speaker 2 (20:32):
Good question it's gonna it's gonna show how true you
are to the. Theater experience are you a must get
there for the, previews moviegoer or do you say the
movie says it starts, today Fifteen so i'm gonna get
there at eight.
Speaker 3 (20:46):
TWENTY eight i usually sit through, the PREVIEWS but i
don't Cry if i'm a few minutes late and miss
a preview. Or Two but i'm usually there pretty close to.
Dow time on the, BACK end i stay till the
very end of. THE credits i will. NOT leave i
view it as like there's a complete experience that the
artist to put. This together and so many of the
movies have like a tiny bit of content at the
(21:08):
end of. The, credits ANYWAY and i. LEARNED something i
read the CREDITS and i. LEARNED something i bet you
half THE movies I see i learn oh that was so,
and so or you just find interesting things in.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
The, CREDITS hey i love that you're giving credit to
those that made. The movie well played on. That one,
all right let's get back to the list and where
they got?
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Another? One? Maybe right?
Speaker 3 (21:28):
All right Twenty Twelve zero dark thirty that did not make,
their list, of course not because it's a true story
of Taking out Osama. Bin laden it makes you Cheer
for america that could never make their list of the,
best Movies because america's got to be the.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Bad guy one of my, top five by, the way
on my List Is zero. DARK thirty i Bought the
blu ray right when it, came out paid full price
because that's HOW much i want to support movies like that.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Being.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Made amen, all right let's go to. Twenty thirteen the
Winner Of best picture of that Year Was twelve Years.
Of slave, great story true story About An african american
man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery and spent
twelve years as a slave. And escape it's an amazing
story and it's a. True story didn't make. Their List
(22:14):
the Wolf Of wall street that made, their LIST and,
I agree Wolf Of wall street. Was terrific it, was fun.
Great acting that's on their list and. Belongs There but
i'll tell you what didn't make their list, Same Year Dallas,
buyer's club, fantastic movie another true Story And Dallas. Bier's
club matthew McConaughey.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
Is the, weight loss just the.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Weight, loss yeah so you've heard. THIS story i spent several,
years ago got to hang out With with matthew mcconniey
and spend spend a weekend with him and his wife
and his kids and another couple of their kids and
our kids and. Great guy really enjoyed getting to, know
him hanging out. With him but we talked. A lot
we Talked About Dallas, buyer's club and it's a true
(22:57):
story about a a guy in the Rodeo In fort
worth who gets injured and has a blood transfusion and
he ends UP GETTING Hiv aids and this is early
on IN the, aids crisis and so. He's dying there
are not a lot. Of treatments and. You're right for,
the movie McConaughey lost i, don't know like forty. Fifty
(23:19):
pounds he was emaciated by the end of. The movie
but he began driving Down to mexico AND buying aids
medicines on the black Market in mexico and bringing them
Back to Dallas And fort worth and selling THEM to,
aids patients mostly gay men who HAD contracted aids in.
The EIGHTIES and i Was, TELLING matthew, i said, you
(23:40):
know that is a profoundly. Conservative movie and. He didn't
he didn't quite see it through. That lens but, you know, he, asked,
me well what do. YOU mean, I, say look it's
all about, government regulations ridiculous Regulations from washington that made
it illegal for people to get life, saving medicines medicines
they needed to have the right. To have i'm a
(24:01):
big believer in right. TO try i THINK the fda
puts huge barriers to getting medicines we ought to be able.
To have and it's a true story of in the
face of that, oppressive regulation this guy just went Down
to mexico and saved countless. People's lives it's just a,
fantastic movie.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
All right so what's next on? The list?
Speaker 3 (24:23):
All right in, Twenty Fourteen, american sniper another, true story
the Story Of, chris kyle SOMEONE actually i got, to
Know the navy's deadliest sniper that we, ever had sadly
was killed by a fellow VETERAN. With ptsd. Terrific movie
another movie that same Year Was The, imitation game another
true Story Of alan turing that the scientists who Cracked
(24:48):
the nazis code and helped Us Win World. War two.
Great movie neither of those make. Their, lists instead they
go with Movies where america is the bad guy and
anyone fighting To defend america's especially the. Bad guy, all
right so we've. Done twenty we have ten more to
do of movies that came out in the twenty. First
(25:09):
century in, twenty sixteen two movies, In particular, Number One,
hidden figures. Great movie. TERRIFIC movie i took, my wife,
my daughters my mom to see true story Of The
african american women mathematician who were FOUNDATIONAL to nasa going To.
The moon it's an. Amazing Story, and ben as, you
(25:29):
know my mom was also a mathematician at the dawn
of the. Computer Age hidden figures Begins with sputnik being
launched in the space race. Being started my mom in
the nineteen fifties worked At. The smithsonian one of her
first projects was helping to compute the Orbit. Of sputnik,
and actually in honor of, THIS movie i introduced legislation
(25:52):
that resulted in the street WHERE the nasa headquarters IS
in dc being Changed To hidden figures way to Honor
Those african american women mathematician who were foundational In our
going To. The moon it's Not on hollywood's, list either
but it's a, great movie and it's a fabulous. Family
movie another great, Family Movie La la land. Same year it's,
(26:15):
a musical, it's fun, it's light It's about hollywood. It
is it's a, terrific movie and yet it's nowhere on.
Their list. Twenty seventeen twenty seventeen a, Great Movie The
Darkest Hour winston churchill in the Middle Of WORLD. War
Ii Powerful gary oldham does a terrific Portrayal. Of churchill highly.
(26:35):
Recommend it. Twenty Eighteen. Black Panther black panther was a.
Terrific movie it's a comic. Book movie but there's a
reason so many people go go go see them because they're.
Really good. Twenty nineteen once Upon a Time in Hollywood Another.
QUENTIN tarantino i thought it, was terrific. Loved It brad
pitt was in it. As Well, brad Pitt when tarantino is,
(26:57):
directing him is really. Really good you then get on
to twenty Twenty Two Top. Gun maverick just a great,
fun movie. Action film fun to go to the theater
and see the jets rocketing through the sky fighting the.
BAD guys i will note That no hollywood theater will
(27:17):
Now Make communist china the, bad guys because they all
want to sell Movies, in china so the bad guys
are always some made up. Fictional place onto twenty. Twenty
three two movies in twenty twenty three on, The. List
oppenheimer oppenheimer, was terrific, true, story, powerful interesting really. Well done,
(27:40):
Same year killers Of The flower moon another, true story,
really powerful. Well done, all right Pull.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
THE scorture i missed that movie apparently when it. Came
out what's? It about Because now.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
I'm Interested So martin scorsese. Did it and it's based
on a. True story so it's Set in oklahoma in the,
nineteen twenties and it focuses on a series of Murders
Of osage indians after oil is discovered on their. Tribal
lands and it's got a. Fabulous Cast leonardo DiCaprio's, In
(28:12):
it Robert de niro is, in it and look. It's
brutal it doesn't paint a pretty insanitized picture, of history but.
It is our history has moments, of brutality moments of evil,
and Oppression and scorsese can tell a story as well
as anyone in.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
The, Business awesome i'm gonna have to grab that movie
and check. It out.
Speaker 3 (28:35):
Keep, going well that takes us to Twenty eight and
for the LAST two, i said, YOU know, i figured,
all right who ought to decide what are really? Good
MOVIES and i came up with a, crazy idea how
about the? Ticket buyers AND so i just pulled what
are the top ten highest grossing films from twenty to twenty?
(28:55):
Twenty five any idea with the number one film of
the last twenty five years has been in terms of box,
Office dollars.
Speaker 1 (29:03):
And god's a. HARD one i have no clue go.
For it.
Speaker 3 (29:06):
I'm ready so number One is avatar two thousand and
nine and it brought in two point nine. Billion Dollars,
And avatar i'm Gonna put avatar on my list because
it's a. Great film it really was novel how it
sort of stretched but brought you into an entirely, different
world and the effects. Were fantastic it was a well.
(29:28):
Done story the number two grossing film of the last
twenty five Years Was, avengers endgame and that brought in
two point eight. Billion dollars i'm gonna include both of
those as the final two on. My list they're the
top two. Grossing films. THEY'RE fantastic i like most comic,
book MOVIES but i Do think Avengers at endgame was,
(29:49):
was really, really good and it. Says something if you
look at the list of, top ten none of the
top ten grossing films Are on. HOLLYWOOD'S list i have
number Three As Avatar the way Of. The water number
Four Is star wars, Episode Seven The, force awakens number
Five As Avengers. Affinity war number Six Is Spider Man No,
way HOME which i thought was the best Of The spider.
(30:11):
Man movies number Seven Was. NIJA ti i don't know,
that Movie, MAYBE chinese I just i don't know. That
movie number Eight Was inside, Out too number Nine Was,
jurassic world and number Ten Was The lion king in.
Twenty nineteen it says something when you have a product
and the people making the product don't like the product
(30:35):
that people like and, are buying there's a real. Disconnect there,
you know you go back To That New york. Times
list most of the movies on the list nobody has
seen and nobody wants. To see and that really. Is
sad there used to be. A time look what's fun
about going to? The movies you'll. Notice THEMES so i like.
(30:57):
TRUE stories i like. WAR movie i like, gangster movies
Things like Godfather. AND scarface i, LIKE westerns i. LIKE
comedies i like. Some MUSICALS but i like. A STORY
when i go to the to, THE movies i want
to tell me. A story it can be a, sad
(31:19):
story it can be a. Funny story it can bring
me in, an adventure, you know CLASSIC movies i grew,
up With Like, indiana jones like like it can be,
You Know, star wars The Whole star, wars Series The. Hero's, journey,
Actually bet i'm going to say something, really funny really
good buddy of MINE that i went to high, school
(31:39):
with you Bet him, joel's's name great friend of mine
came came to our place IN. D c. Last weekend
he and his family were in town and, He, said
HEY can i crash at? YOUR place i, Said sure
and HE and i have gone to a lot of,
movies together and he's A Huge star, wars buff and
so he went To The STAR wars I, Guess museum
(32:02):
AND when i get back TO my, dc apartment he's
replaced my Sheets With star wars sheets And A star
wars Comforter In star wars pillowcases and it looks like
a nine year old, boys ROOM and i just cracked.
Up laughing and then actually it was RIGHT after i
Had The tucker carlson interview that was a lot. Of
(32:22):
fireworks so He Bought tucker carlson's book and he rested
it on. The PILLOWCASE so i was doubled over LAUGHING
when i walked in Walked in monday morning to the
apartment and saw my bedroom
Host
Ben Ferguson
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