June 16, 2025 • 66 mins
Father's Day 2025 finds our podcast fathers contemplating the curious state of cinema, where animation remakes break box office records while prestige directors struggle with creative stagnation.
Wes Anderson's "The Phoenician Scheme" becomes the focal point for a larger conversation about directorial signature styles calcifying into self-parody. Even devoted Anderson defenders are feeling fatigue as his meticulously composed dollhouses and deadpan performances edge closer to parody than innovation. Despite the welcome presence of Benicio Del Toro and glimpses of experimentation with violence and sports sequences, the film ultimately disappoints by prioritizing aesthetic consistency over emotional resonance.
Meanwhile, "Ballerina" emerges as a surprising standout in the John Wick universe. Ana de Armas commands the screen with physical prowess and surprising comedic timing, elevating creative action sequences featuring improvised weapons from ice skate nunchucks to television remotes. The film's narrative structure might be front-loaded with unnecessary exposition, but once it finds its rhythm, it delivers the kind of inventive, visually striking action that established the franchise while carving its own identity.
Family-friendly features continue their theatrical dominance, with "How To Train Your Dragon" joining "Minecraft" and "Lilo & Stitch" as box office champions. This enduring trend speaks volumes about audience priorities in an era of rising ticket prices – when families invest in theater outings, they gravitate toward reliable entertainment with broad appeal. On the horizon, Danny Boyle's "28 Years Later" promises to revitalize the rage virus saga with innovative iPhone cinematography and the return of original writer Alex Garland.
Join us next week as we dive deep into Danny Boyle's filmography and explore how his latest compares to the groundbreaking original that helped redefine zombie cinema for a new generation.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
how's it?
I'm alex macaulay and I'm maxfosberg and this is excuse the
intermission a discussion showsurrounding rules and
consequences.
A few recent releases caughtour attention the last few
weekends.
Some of those films have playedand performed quite well, while
others have had mixed reactionsfrom audiences and critics.
Max and I will cover that,discuss some other movie news
and look forward to the rest ofJune on this episode which gets
(00:29):
underway on the other side ofthis break.
All right, we're back and weare recording on a special day
here.
Because of our schedules, wepushed back our regular
recording date this past weekand we are now here on Sunday,
the Father's Day of 2025, june15th.
(00:53):
So, max, how are you doingtoday?
Have you talked to John Fosberg?
Have you spoken to him?
What's going on?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
yeah, yeah, I tried to uh facetime him this morning
at a reasonable hour um ofcourse didn't get a pickup, so I
sent him a video recording uhof of saying happy father's day
and who's that more for?
Speaker 1 (01:17):
is that more for you or for him, or were you?
You know it's for my face it'swell.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yeah, I mean right, I haven't seen his face.
First off, I haven't seen himsince april, uh, and so I, you
know he hasn't seen me either.
We we text quite a bit, but, um, yeah, I think it was, for I
was hoping I was going to get avideo response back, um, which I
did not.
I, I gotta thanks for the videomax text in the family thread,
(01:45):
not even in our own personalthread, um, so you know, it's
all right, we're going throughsome things with our dads do
better, john yeah, I, I, youknow, uh, which is funny too,
because two days earlier, onfriday, I texted him and was
like hey, what are you doingthis weekend?
(02:06):
I'm going to call you on Sunday,so please don't ignore it.
And lo and behold, you know.
But yeah, he's, he's, I'm surehe's living his best life.
I hope he's scooting aroundtoday.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I don't know if it's sunny up there, but uh, but if
you have a beautiful day here inthe Northwest it's 75 and sunny
, so it's nice Scooter weather.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
And you know I'm glad we're doing this on Father's
Day because we are pod fathers.
We are fathers of this pod, butdid you get to see Ron today?
Speaker 1 (02:37):
I did.
I did get to see my father thismorning.
I do like that.
We are the pod fathers.
We're the pod fathers of theChatter Network and, of course,
of ETI.
So, yeah, Ron and I got to playsome pickleball together this
morning, which is a slightdeviation from the normal.
Well, what has become thenormal birthday and father's day
(02:58):
outing of golf of?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
course, and so.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
I was a little nervous I'm not going to lie
because the last time, the theone and only time prior to this
that my dad tried to come outand play pickleball with us.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
He nearly blew out his Achilles and he's coming off
an injury.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
So he had recently been um doing physical therapy
for that injury, finally becausehe tried to just let it heal on
its own um which he could neverjust get it back to 100.
He says he's at about 90 rightnow, but now that he's in pt for
his heel, they actually havehim doing pickleball, like
(03:36):
movements, and even holding apaddle and kind of doing like
bends and squats and reaches.
Because, you know, they askedhim well, how did you injure
this?
And they said by playingpickleball.
And I said, okay, well, let'stry to replicate those same
movements we can rebuild himfaster, stronger and, and so he
came out today and played threesolid games, took breaks when he
(03:56):
needed to, never, neverredlined, never took it too far,
which I was really proud of him, for.
He's a former tennis player, um, and a pretty high level tennis
player, so it's really it'shard for him, I know, to hold
back when he's out there.
Um, he's got to work on histhird shot drives.
Uh, he should actually try todrop because he doesn't have the
drive right, I heard the dropshot is becoming extinct you
(04:20):
know in 2025 that not that I'msome elder statesman of
pickleball, but but it's.
It's a different game already in2025, not that I'm some elder
statesman of pickleball, butit's a different game already in
2025.
The finesse is fleeting.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, it's all.
Power now.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Not as many drops, not as many dinks.
But what is good about that isthat if you have, over the last
couple of years, gotten intopickleball and worked on your
dinking and worked on your dropshots, people don't expect them
now, because they just expectyou to drive, drive, drive and
right and bang it as hard as youcan at the net.
So there is something to sayabout still having a soft game,
uh.
But no, we had a lot of fun,played with some family friends,
(04:57):
got some food, um afterwards,and yeah, now we're, now I'm
back home, it's two o'clock andwe're we're locked in, ready to
pot yeah, and you know, a littleprogramming note for us.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Uh, uh, I am I.
And a little news for me I amstarting, uh, as a office.
Pa uh, on my first feature.
I start tomorrow.
Very excited uh so cool.
It's it's my first paid gig incalifornia.
It's my first feature.
It's uh, it's an indie film, um, really tight-knit uh crew.
(05:36):
I'm very excited to be a partof it.
Lots of different locations, um.
So, going forward, at least forthe next like four and a half
weeks, uh, sundays might becomeour new recording day.
We're going to kind of feel itout.
I was looking at the I did getthe schedule, um, and looking
ahead, and most most days are 12hour days, uh, on Tuesdays.
(05:58):
So so, uh, we will be probablyprobably recording mostly on
Sunday, which is cool becausewe're going to be right on
whatever is newly released,which is really exciting, and it
gives me time to record on aSunday and then possibly even
release on a Sunday on that sameSunday.
(06:19):
So, yeah, very excited aboutthat.
I'm in charge of the callsheets each day.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
I was going to say who does Max Fosberg need to be
on this set?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Yeah, so I'm in the AD department and yeah, I just
met with I actually just had ameeting with the first AD and
the second AD and yeah, we justkind of went over call sheet,
showed them.
You know the format I use andit got approved.
And you know a couple of thingsI need to polish up on.
(06:53):
But yeah, it's really.
You know, while we're on setI'll probably be doing a bunch
of different jobs, but eachnight before 8 pm call sheet for
the next day needs to go out.
So I think I feel like youwould love putting together call
sheets.
It's very like you knowspreadsheets.
Yeah it's spreadsheets, it'sorganizing, it's kind of a
(07:15):
puzzle in text form putting ittogether and once it's complete,
it's very, very satisfying.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
I love that, so do you have to then?
Are you keeping an eye on theclock while on set and making
sure things are moving?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
yeah, actually I had that conversation today with
with the first ad, where he waslike, you know, we need to make
sure we're making our days, um,because, like even tomorrow,
right on the first day, we'reshooting.
I think it's six and like onequarter of pages of script, uh
and so, and we've got, you know,eight hours or maybe 12 hours
(07:54):
to do it, um, so, yeah, he'slike, and he's never worked with
this director, so we don'treally know the director's
process or anything um, whichwill be fun to learn on on the
go, but he's like you need tojust, you know, wherever we're
at in time, just give me a timecheck every every once in a
while, and, um, so I, I know topush the director, you know, to,
(08:18):
to to get the shot and get ourget the takes done.
So, yeah, it's, it's gonna be,it's gonna be interesting.
I can't wait.
We're going to be shooting in aprison one week, which is wild
and going to be very fun.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
So okay, I mean I feel like I'm ready to go full
post-production, like you justrapped interview here and ask
you millions of questions, butI'll wait because I can't wait
to hear more and we can chatabout it as you go, if there is
no sort of embargo or anythingthat I haven't.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I haven't signed an nda yet, so okay cool.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Well, I'll tell you what.
Whatever this feature is goingto end up being, it's going to
get a lot of free pub here onthat's very true.
On eti yep, um, okay, so.
So, since it's been about 10days since our last recording,
we do have two weekends worth offilms here to talk about.
The big one from two weekendsago really two big ones from two
(09:15):
weekends ago that we want totouch on are the Phoenician
Scheme, the new film by WesAnderson and Ballerina.
I know there's another one, max, that I can't wait to hear you
talk about, because it might beyour favorite out of those three
films and one of your favoriteof the year.
But let's start with thePhoenician scheme from Wes
Anderson.
Um, a movie that it's tough tosay where his films live right
(09:39):
now in the public consciousness,like we saw this with asteroid
city at just a few years ago.
It feels like a big deal whenthey come out, but then there's
almost no shelf life.
Yeah to the film, um, so, sowhat did you think of the
phoenician scheme and what doyou think of where wes is in his
career right now in general,based off what you've seen um
(10:01):
out of this most recent film?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
so I've been, I think , as listeners will know, to
this show.
I've been a huge west fan for avery long time.
I'm a constant west defender,you know.
I know.
I think when we did asteroidcity I enjoyed that movie more
than maybe you did.
Um, I will say phoenicianscheme.
For the first time I've I feltsome fatigue.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Uh, and I.
You got to see this right.
Uh, I have seen this.
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
And, um, even though there are some, some new things
he's trying here, uh, you know,uh, particularly the, the
violence depict, depicted inthis film, even though it's very
cartoony in this film, eventhough it's very cartoony, but
they're still like, like thefilm opens with a, you know, a
half of a top half of a bodyblowing up, um, and there's
(10:50):
blood, and so that's somethingkind of new.
But man it, I, I am starting tofeel like this, this dollhouse,
and not all, not only thedesign, because I think the
design is is cool, but like evenit's just the performance style
of the actors, and that's mybiggest thing this so like it's
(11:12):
so emotionless and um it it just.
I, I I do feel it, uh, or I feltit when I was watching this
film, where I was just andthere's a lot of just and
there's a lot of, there's a,there's a lot of plot and a lot
of dialogue explaining the plotand the way it's delivered.
It's like you're constantlytrying to keep up with what's
(11:34):
going on, but then at the end itdoesn't really matter what's
going on, because it's reallysupposed to be about this father
daughter relationship, but likethere's no connection to them
because everything's soemotional everything's so dry,
yeah, and so deadpan.
um, you know, michael cera isone of the newcomers to the the
(11:54):
troop, uh, this time around andI I think he's pretty funny, but
also like kind of like overlygoofy.
And then there's like a turn inthe middle for his character
and then he just like slidesright into this again, this
performance style that everyoneelse is doing.
And, yeah, I was kind of bored.
(12:17):
I was kind of bored throughthis movie, which is too bad,
because I was very excited aboutit.
I think Benicio is really greatbecause I was very excited
about it.
I think Benicio is really great.
I'm starting to long for RoyalTenenbaums Moonrise Kingdom Life
Aquatic, where there is thisshoebox design in there but
(12:44):
there's also more human,emotional moments.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
There's real heart, for sure, and the performances
don't feel like they are justcopy-paste from a playbook.
You go to OTAs at the WesAnderson summer camp and then
it's time for the preseason.
You know summer camp and thenit's time for the pre-season and
(13:08):
what, however it shakes out,you just end up like doing what
you know you're supposed to doin a wes anderson movie like the
playbook is the playbook atthis point, and I do like the
new wrinkles of some violence,some, some new people.
Is this the first time tomhanks has been in?
Speaker 2 (13:21):
no, he wasn't.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
He was in asteroid city too was, that's right, he
was in asteroid, um.
But but so even him, becausethat's still, he's relatively
new to this world.
It just feels like guys playingdress up.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
You know, actors, I dress up in this world yeah, I
really didn't like the tom hanksbrian cranston sequence you
know, and and again there islike, okay, we're going to again
something we haven't seen in along time in a Wes Anderson
movie where someone plays sportswhich I think was done in Royal
Tenenbaums as well.
They play basketball, but likethere's Wes.
(13:58):
You have a chance here to trylike and show us something new,
something different, by shootinga basketball scene differently
than how we expect you to shootit and you don't, and it's just
kind of goofy and pointless.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Yeah, and it's tough because there's a lot of.
I think that that can go one oftwo ways, right.
It can feel like like a fishout of water, and that's what we
get in this situation.
And then there's other timeswhen you see directors who maybe
aren't the biggest sports fansor don't make sports movies or
whatever sort of sub-genreyou're dipping your toes into,
(14:35):
and then, you're right, it comesacross as really creative and
inventive.
I think that's why people love,say, the tennis scenes in
Challengers.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
so much is because.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Luca's.
Like I never watched tennis.
I find tennis boring actually.
So the way I'm going to shootthis is going to be to make it
really exciting.
And that's not to say that Weshas lost his fastball or
anything, because again, I thinkthe playbook is the playbook,
so he's doing what he wants todo and it's not like the actors
are being asked to do anythingunexpected of them.
(15:05):
But the, the, you know, we justkind of keep returning to these
words like bored and fatigued,and we've seen this before, and
and the hope and the want forhim and these, these films to
again like show us something, um, it's getting kind of
unbearable for me yeah and I've,I've, it's been.
(15:26):
It's been a long time comingwith west.
I think asteroid city reallycemented, even though I did find
asteroid city more funny thanthe phoenician scheme.
Um I I think that I'm just likeI'm, I'm kind of out, I'm, I'm
out in the next west andersonmovie that is released is going
to be like a home release.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Um you know like wait till it's on demand yeah, yeah,
wait till it's on demand for meand it's frustrating too,
because I know there are.
He shows, there's a glimpse.
Uh, I feel like in this filmwhere and we're getting into
spoiler territory for all thesewhen our main character, benicio
del toro, faces off againstbenedict cumberbatch in the
(16:11):
movie, right, they have a combatat the end and like for a split
second, like the camera likegoes like pov and then kind of
like it's moving.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Yeah, like this.
And I was like, oh that, likethis, and I was like, oh, that's
a new move.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Yes, but like let's do more of that, more of that
experimental stuff in a WesAnderson movie would be good, um
, but yeah, man it.
It really is starting to feellike he's chasing grand Budapest
.
Um, because grand Budapest wasthe first one that was like
completely designed in deadpan,and then since then you know
(16:48):
other than you know Isle of Dogswhich is you know the animated
um all his live action stuff hasbeen like trying to to do Grand
Budapest again.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Yeah, just symmetrical blocking production
design whip pans instead ofactual camera movement.
Camera movement, uh so, buteven grand budapest has more
like the.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Even the actors are giving more emotion in that too
though so more naturalperformances, uh, where?
Yeah, I don't know.
It's too bad, I wasdisappointed been like sneaky
good hits um.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
He directed the first underworld film, and and so
ballerina is the latest chapterin the john wick universe.
(17:53):
It acts as a standalone film,however.
It takes place during the eventsof john wick 3 and we do get a
cameo um from keanu reevesplaying john wick, and he
actually becomes more of a likesupporting character during the
third act of the film.
On a day, armis is the titlecharacter here.
(18:13):
She is the ballerina, the, thefemale hitman, hit person,
contract killer that we spendtime with um and I don't know.
I'll tell you what.
For for however long we want togo, I'm here to talk about
ballerina.
I really liked this movie, so Ihave I have a half a page of
notes here to to go off of what.
(18:34):
What did you think of thismovie?
Speaker 2 (18:36):
So I had a similar feeling to when I came out of
mission impossible.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
I was like I'm so happy you brought that up,
because I could not, I'm, I waslike I'm going to ask him to
tell me just flat out whatmovies better.
Because just to paint, paintthe picture a little bit, a
little bit of context.
You love mission impossible.
You ride for mission possible.
I think you're definitely moreattached to the mission
impossible franchise than youare the john wick movies.
(19:05):
However, I went back and toread some of your receipts on
letterbox john wick four wasjohn wick four is a five-star
movie was an exciting film.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
I was very excited coming out of the theater um you
were uh, yes you knew I wasgoing there.
Yeah, yeah, uh, I went back andlooked myself as well, uh, and I
could have changed it couldhave.
Um, anyways, uh, I, I feel likethe first 45 minutes of this
movie is unneeded if we startthe movie where she is in the
(19:43):
bathroom taking the picture ofthe person she just killed and
we go from there to the end.
I, this movie fucking rocks andrips and is great, and it saves
the keanu cameo for him gettingoff the train like a sergione
leone or sergio leone SergioLeone Spaghetti Western, which I
(20:05):
think is what they wanted to do.
But I've read a bunch ofarticles about how this movie
was.
They went back and reshot tonsof stuff.
They brought Chad Stahelski in,who has done all the other John
Wick movies, to reshoot somethings, um, and action sequences
(20:29):
in particular.
Um, you know, I, I, I felt likenorman reedus was really wasted,
like he is in the movie for 15minutes running around with a
shotgun and then he's in ahospital bed for the rest of the
movie, which you don't evenlike, know, until the very, very
end.
Yeah, which I thought was was abad decision.
(20:51):
And if you're if, he's if, andlisten, norman Reedus has been
around the block, he's too oldto do a bunch of stunts and
stuff.
Get somebody else.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Yeah, let me, let me stop you and talk.
Let's talk about the.
The first yeah 30 to 40 minutesof this film.
Then, because I the cold open,because I'm looking at this, I'm
coming into this movie assomeone who I feel like I had
less and less interest in theJohn Wick movies as that
(21:23):
franchise continued.
I think number one is actuallya really good like mid budget,
almost quasi like independentaction film that it's very
simple, it's very it's so simpleand so much has been written
about it.
Um, so I'm, there's no need forme to you know, try to reinvent
the wheel here and call thatmovie Great, like.
(21:44):
I think that movie isunequivocally great in the best
film in the franchise, includingballerina, and then two's, much
of the same, which, as a sequel, goes, goes, I don't think is
the worst thing in the world.
And then arabellum, numberthree, and then john wick four,
especially, I felt was just likepretty nonsensical and overly
(22:04):
long and really drawn out.
And the rules of the world, um,of of this world that we've
grown to understand with um,like the buying of equipment and
the continental and the rulesand the consequences that come
along with being a contractkiller in this, in this universe
, um, kind of all just go outthe window.
(22:24):
So, yeah, I quite enjoyedreturning back to someone else's
origin story within the sameworld and I I'm always going to
I don't know, you know, I.
I think that when the moviestarts out and you actually show
some emotional stakes and youunderstand like, okay, this is
(22:46):
what's going to motivate thisperson going forward, is that
Gabriel Byrne, who's just likehaving so much fun in this movie
?
Um, is is going to be the bigbad and he's responsible and he
will ultimately be the one that,on a day, armis uh needs to
track down.
I thought that that was prettyeffective and you know, there's
just like there's, there's greatat that's a great set piece to
(23:07):
open the film to.
There's a great like raid on ahouse.
Um, it was pretty awesome whenthose frog men just come out of
the water with the cross,absolutely the crossbows are so
cool, that was really sickimagery and then and then, from
there you go right into.
You know, like 15 minutes intothe movie, we're into the
(23:28):
training montage and I, whodoesn't love, like I wanted more
.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
I wanted more, though .
More, though, like I hear that.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I hear you on that, you know, because we've seen the
Angelica Houston characterbefore, the person who trains um
, these, these contract killers,these hit men and hit women,
and so I think part of it wasthe movie's definitely
over-reliant on yourunderstanding and familiarity
with the John Wick universe andI think that's probably why they
(23:56):
didn't show us too much moreother than just her.
You know, maybe going from ifyou're going to if, if, if we're
grading on a day Armis isballerina character, um Eve,
like she's a C, she's a Cstudent, and then we see her
kind of take it to the nextlevel and become like top of her
class, basically during thistraining montage, um, and then
(24:18):
that's when we get our firstlook at at Keanu, at at John
Wick as he's coming back in umto to basically whatever it is
in number three, to to kind ofbe like excommunicado from from
the I forget what they're called, but basically from the school
(24:43):
here, and so that part I feltwas kind of unnecessary.
And then of course, you, we canhave the whole debate, and I
don't even really think it's adebate, because the answer is
just don't show us John Wick inthe, in the trailer, and that's
not totally like that.
That's the movie's fault, butit's it's more the studio and
the marketing department's faultto feel like they need to do
(25:04):
that, because if they don't andthat's still in the movie and
then we don't have our firstlook at him here, like the 25
minute mark, and he just comesin at that third act, like you
said, um, like the man, the mandressed in black coming into
town.
Yep, I think that that, like youknow, my theater was already
hyped, but I think they wouldhave been like hooping and
hollering, um, when that happens.
(25:26):
But but then I totally agreewith you.
Like I have written down here,like 30 minutes into this movie
we have our first nightclub setpiece and it's fucking awesome.
Ana de Armas looks so good inthis giant coat that she's in
and I'm taking right back to noTime to Die, where it's just
like show me one of the mostbeautiful women in movies right
(25:50):
now, shooting people in the faceand breaking their arms.
Hand-to-hand combat with thisincredible cinematography.
Like all these great neonlights in the club.
The John Wick movies are sofunny.
At least this movie actuallyhad some people like running
once gunfire happened, but likepeople are just, you know like
still dancing during thesefights, which is kind of like a,
(26:11):
you know, a funny hallmark ofthis series, honestly, um.
And then, yeah, you go fromthere into what you mentioned,
where now, all of a sudden, sheis like earning it does like a
time jump right it does like twomonths, two months later, two
years later I forget exactlywhat it is um one of those two,
and then, yeah, she's, she'sgetting 75 or 750 thousand
(26:35):
dollars per kill.
She's almost, you know, likemaking a million dollars a kill,
um, and then also, too, likethat's I.
I love that scene that reallystarts the movie.
I do agree that that really iswhere, like, the movie takes, it
, takes itself to another leveland then it withstand, or like
it can um, sustain that level,which is really good, because
then it also introduces, whilelike furthering the plot and
(26:58):
increasing the stakes, it's alsointroducing some comedy that
actually thought, like workedreally well and those, those,
especially like three and four,those john wick movies took
themselves so seriously and so Ireally really appreciated.
Like there's a few things thatI have written down here, like
After she takes the picture ofthat kill and then she's working
her way from a higher level ofthis building.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
She's at multiple floors up, and now she's going
through rooms and she's justcollecting knives that she's
thrown into people.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
That was so great, this is hilarious.
This is really, really funny.
There's another moment whereshe's beating somebody with a
television remote and thechannels are changing behind her
.
Really funny and intentional.
And then there's another scenewhere there's a fight in the
kitchen and a scramble for a gunand plates have broken and
fallen everywhere and we're justhitting each other.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Yeah, tech savory.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
It's like a Buster keaton scene all of a sudden,
and so I think that this movieit's doing a lot.
It's doing a lot really well.
That surprised me, um, forbeing a movie within the john
wick universe, where I do thinkit's still taking itself serious
, but it definitely has a senseof humor yeah, I totally agree.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
And and even like the grenade play.
Uh, that happens when she's atlike the hunting depot or
whatever where she's trying tobuy guns, like there's some some
great like grenade play orgrenade comedy kills, um.
Within that sequence that I wasreally into, I love the idea of
(28:32):
like this snowy alps town whereeveryone in the town is a
killer.
And like she, you know, sheenters this town and then she
has to fight everyone in thetown.
That's really fun stuff.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
And also, too, because it adds another layer
again to this, to this worldthat we're already familiar with
.
That that, I think, helps ushave just more buy-in than like
seeing Bill Skarsgård sitting ina museum on some luxurious
couch looking at pieces of artand we're just like, okay,
whatever, like I've seen a badguy that looks like this in a
(29:06):
million other movies.
This is really exciting becauseand no offense to your beloved
five-star, john wick for butlike this is really exciting
because there's like anotherlevel to this movie.
That's like I don't think it'strying to really talk about like
human trafficking and andkidnapping children and all
(29:29):
these other things that we'resort of introduced to.
But there is something to besaid about like this town that
is not like the whole normanreed is character that we find
out.
You know a little bit about itduring that character's
introduction and then a littlebit more at the end, and then
also through the eve sister, orthe eve and her sister, um,
(29:49):
their relationship is that likenot only are there trained
killers, um, and and hit men andhit women living in this town
and those are the only peopleliving there, but they're trying
to like raise a family ofkillers, and and if someone
tries to leave, then we'rekidnapping the kids and we're
bringing them back and the wholeidea is to, um, you know like,
(30:11):
grow this thing for generationsand generations.
So I thought that, you know,there's like a cult aspect to
this film as well.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
That was really interesting yeah, I, I, I agree,
I, I just think that I, I, Ithink, if we're, if we're
relying on people to know, uh,about the john wick like
universe and and, and you know,recognize angelica houston and
all that, like we can lancereddick.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
And yeah, we can start.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
We don't have to have the first 45 minutes to explain
kind of who the ballerinas are,the training sequence.
We can start again in thatbathroom scene and right away
it's just like okay, she, thisis an assassin.
Obviously she's really good ather job and you know.
And then you know you get likea call from, from angelica
(31:06):
houston later or whatever, andyou know telling her to.
You know you need to come in,you stop being on the run.
I also thought you know thewhole reveal of her sister in
this village very quick, right,and even though, like I kind of
guessed when that woman firstshowed up on screen, I think
(31:26):
it's when they're chasing NormanReedus.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
She's in the hotel lobby.
She's in the continental lobby.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and uh, but
yeah, again, like she kind of soonce, once they get to the
snowy Alps town, she likereveals like I'm your sister,
your long lost sister, orwhatever, and then all of a
sudden she's dead.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Gabriel Byrne says to her it's your sister.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Yeah, yeah and then, and then it's just like she's
dead right away, so like there'sjust no.
I just felt like there was no.
There was no you knowconnection or stakes, or like
why am I supposed to care aboutthat?
Um, and, and that felt a littlejust like overwritten, like
does she have to have a longlost sister?
I mean, I guess because of theopening where the dad gets you
(32:15):
know, run up on or whatever, butI don't know.
I I did think it was just alittle, just a bit overstuffed,
but a lot of the action's reallygreat again the, the climax in
this in the alps and and andjohn wick coming in on a on a
train and then like kind of justbeing like this overseer while
(32:36):
she's trying to carry out thismission.
I thought that was a lot of fun.
I thought that was reallyreally good stuff.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
I also have to give a shout out to a couple other
kills that happen once we are inthe third act there, when she
duct tapes the knife to thebottom of her pistol yeah, that
was, that's some great stuff.
And then she also is is wearing.
Two different things happen hereinvolving some ice skates at
(33:05):
one point at one point she hastwo ice skates on her hands like
gloves and she's just swingingthe blades which is phenomenal
stuff and then at some point thelaces get tied together and she
is swinging around these ice.
It's like nunchucks.
Yeah, it's really so.
(33:25):
Like you know, the john wickmovies have always been praised
by people for their gunplay.
I thought that this movie was socreative with its action, set
pieces in ways that the moviefor it to hit.
For someone like me that Ithink had less and less interest
in the John Wick series becausethose movies they had their
(33:47):
formula they stuck to becausefor the most part for audiences
and for critics, that's whatthey wanted to see.
I suppose I love the chancesthat this movie took, and maybe
not so much I shouldn't callthem chances, but just the
creativity in which this movieplayed with um.
I thought that was really good.
There were a couple other justlike great shots, like again
when she's in the nightclub.
I thought that was awesome.
And then there's a scene whereshe has a sword.
(34:08):
She has, like you know, shealmost has her kill bill moment
in this movie and she's in cabin.
It's after her sister has beenum, she has been murdered and
the whole cabin is on fire andshe walks out of the darkness
with this sword and there's justflames behind her and it's kind
of slow motion and she juststarts chopping people down, um,
with this blade, and so I don'tknow, there's there's a lot of
(34:32):
I will say no more, no moreflamethrower guns.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
We did that in John Wick four, we've done that here.
Uh, let's, let's stay away fromthat.
Cause again that.
Do you think?
If I had a flamethrower gun andyou had a hose, do you think
that works?
Speaker 1 (34:51):
No, I think that's like I'll.
I'll watch that on.
You know, mythbusters orsomething like that.
I don't need that in my actionmovies, like again, and you know
, I think that these, this iswhat happens.
You just get into thesetrappings when it's like the
fifth film franchise and so muchof, so much of.
(35:11):
I think what drives these,these creative decisions,
obviously are like what's workedin the past, um and so for that
to.
When that happened again, I waslike, oh boy, that's too bad,
but I'm going to, I'm going totake with me you know the um,
the, the duct tape, knife pistol, the ice skate gloves, you know
(35:32):
the collecting of the knives,the tv remote all those really
fun things that the grenadekills, obviously during, um,
during that, that set piecethere in the second act, and so
there's enough for, I mean, thismovie.
I'll just I'll say this, thismovie really I I was really
surprised at how much I likethis movie.
Um, because, for not being theworld's biggest John Wick fan, I
(35:55):
had, I had moderateexpectations that I might like
it more, just because of on aday armistice.
But I also didn't think that Iwould like be willing to
recommend this movie to somepeople, or even anticipating,
like the blu-ray release.
But I'm, I'm there now, like Iwill definitely rewatch this
movie and try to own it yeah,it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
It does seem like she has been chasing something like
this since the no time to diesequence.
I will say, if they do a sequelto this, let her.
Let her be a bit more charming,like, like we, we got through
the revenge, kind of like goth,like tattoo my back, uh, with a
(36:37):
fallen angel thing.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
Now, like, let her like play more in the next one
um, use, use, like, kind ofbecome more of like the la femme
, nikita, like you're usingevery bit of your sexuality, of
your charisma, um, of your charm.
Yeah, uh, I do agree with that.
I think that would be fun tosee Because, I mean, she's got
it going on Like we're talkingabout.
(37:00):
I love that she did this movie.
I know she had been tapped todo this movie for a really long
time, but what an interestingturn for her, because we're
talking about someone who islike she's probably under 30.
She's probably in her late 20s,I don't know for sure.
But like, she's already beennominated for a Best Actress
(37:21):
Academy Award for her work inBlonde.
She's obviously extremelycharming, but now we've seen her
be able to and she's proven ittwice, once in no Time to Die,
and that was like a teaser whatwe ended up getting here in
ballerina.
But, like, she can also be anaction superstar.
So, um, really good, reallygood for on a day armistice.
(37:43):
Um, I think you're good, goodshowing in ballerina, yeah
please, please, don't play asuperhero what?
what?
Just don't be a superhero, yeah, so what movie do you like more
Ballerina or the finalreckoning?
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Ah, you know what I?
I probably smiled and fistpumped and had more fun at
Ballerina.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Yeah, yep, uh and yeah.
Go check out our missionimpossible episode for uh, for
reasons why there's no ai inballerina, which is nice.
That is nice.
Yeah, hopefully that's not thesequel.
Uh, which one did you like more?
Speaker 1 (38:25):
I like ballerina more , yeah, um, and, and that's
having liked both movies, um,I've yet to log ballerina, I've
yet to log phoenician schemingand ballerina on my letterbox,
um.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
I think I rated them the same, but I had definitely
had more fun at ballerina.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Yeah, I mean ballerina, and again, I haven't.
You know I'm not cranking outthe movies yet.
Come summertime here, we'relike the by the time this
episode releases.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
Wait, um, so I haven't watched a ton of new
releases yet this year, but, uh,ballerinas, ballerinas probably
my top 10 right now.
Yeah, yeah, uh.
Well, I want to talk about amovie that is in my top 10 right
now wait to hear you talk aboutthis.
So it is called the life ofchuck.
It is from director mikeflanagan.
It is adapted from a novella bythe stephen king.
(39:17):
It is an extremely earnestdepiction of, kind of the
meaning of life.
Um, it's, it's told in aninteresting way in a film where,
like, I've heard people ask ifthis even is a movie.
Uh, it's told in an interestingway in a film where, like, I've
heard people ask if this even isa movie.
It's told much like the book,in three acts, but in reverse
(39:45):
order, right, so you start outwith Act 3 as your first act in
the movie and and then act twoand then act one.
So it works backwards, from,from, from finish.
Yeah, from end to start, butstart to finish too.
Um, and I, I found this movie,I you know the first, I think
(40:08):
the.
So when I say the first act, Imean the third, the third act
and the second act, the middleact, the first act and the
middle act.
Uh, I found really, really, um,compelling and like, just like
good old school filmmaking.
This is not a horror movie,it's not a horror story.
It's told more kind of like ina shawshank redemption or green
(40:32):
mile Mile style of StephenKing's story.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
That's a note not only for the King aspect of it,
but Flanagan, for the most part,has only been making horror or
horror-adjacent stuff for thelast five or six years.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
Totally, and he's obviously a huge fan of King,
he's done.
He's done Dr Sleep.
Uh, I don't know if he had ahand in Pet Cemetery, um, but
yeah, and, and this beinganother adaptation of King, um,
the first act especially isreally really good, because the
other interesting thing aboutthis movie is like there's not
really a main character.
(41:10):
Um, you know, these thesecharacters all seem to exist in
the same like world or town, butyou're, you're kind of getting
glimpses of different characterslives in each act.
Um, it's funny that tomhiddleston is on the poster of
this film, because it makes youthink like, oh, this is a tom
(41:30):
hiddleston movie, but reallyhe's in like 20 minutes of it,
which is, you know, kind of aspoiler, but and, and he doesn't
even really have a lot of lines, which is also really
interesting, but he comes in anddoes like some some great, some
great work in in that secondact, in that middle act.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
Tom Hiddleston is Loki correct, correct, tom.
Hiddleston is Loki correct,correct, yeah.
So that's his big thing forpeople.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
Yeah, yes, yeah.
I believe that's the biggestthing.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
So it's nice to see him out of spandex, even though,
again, he's not in the movie alot, but kind of something where
you feel like he needed a movielike this Totally.
It's been a long time sinceCrimson Peak.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
Yeah, so that first act you're following gosh, I can
never pronounce this guy's nameEjiofor, chilite Chilite.
Ejiofor and Karen Gillan arekind of the two main characters
in that first act and it is.
It's really compelling because,um, and I, I don't even know if
(42:38):
I want to say because it'sgoing to be spoiled, you know a
spoiler.
No, no, no, Keep, keepeverything close to the close to
the okay, okay, yeah, so theresomething is going on in the
world and it's kind of a mysteryand like they never over
(42:58):
explain what's happening.
Um, you know, matthew lillardshows up for like two minutes,
three minutes in this movie andlike gives a great performance.
Um, mark hamill shows up in thethird, at the third part of the
movie, which is the first act,as, like this alcoholic, grumpy
grandpa, uh, uh, mia the, thewoman who was in Ferris
(43:23):
Bueller's day off, is also inthis film.
Uh, and she looks Mia Sarah,who I haven't seen in a movie
and I probably since FerrisBueller's day off.
Um, and she's fantastic.
Uh, and it's just, you know,again, it's a very earnest movie
.
There's one moment that likefeels very horror, um, which
(43:45):
Mike Flanagan, you know it playsreally well and directs really
well.
Um, but yeah, man, I, I just Ihad a.
Really it was just a nicesentimental, sweet movie again
about the meaning of life, andthen also, like there are some
like supernatural turnshappening and you know, it makes
(44:08):
you ask more questions as youleave the theater than answers
your questions, and I really,really enjoy that as you leave
the theater than answers yourquestions, and I really really
enjoy that, um, so I, I, Irecommend going out and seeing
this on a big screen.
I got to see it on 35millimeter, which I've heard
that scan looks way better thanwhat people are seeing on
digital.
Apparently, on digital it looksa little bit more like TV, far,
(44:33):
you know, when it's cleaned up,but like on film, it was just,
it was beautiful.
But, yeah, I recommend, Irecommend it.
And again, like, don't you know, yes, it's Mike Flanagan, yes,
it's Stephen King, but don'texpect anything that they've
done before.
This, right Like it is, is muchmore of a sweet, sweet movie,
(44:56):
um, and, and you know, makes youthink about, uh, who we are in
existence.
I love that.
I, we need movies like thistotally.
I think that was a huge thingtoo.
Right like it is a breath offresh air compared to a lot of
the stuff we have been seeingthis year.
Speaker 1 (45:14):
I feel like uh, it's nice to have this movie in
theaters too, because everythingyou just said I hate to.
I hate it in 2025.
You hear a movie like thisdescribed and you're like, wow,
it sounds like a great HBO maxmovie, totally.
Or it sounds like your greatHulu movie, no this sound like.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
This is the kind of movie that can also play in
theaters, you know, for adults.
Yep, yep, totally, yeah, uh.
So, yeah, go see the life ofchuck.
Uh, I also am gonna touch onthis next movie very briefly
because I know, alex, this isvery anticipated on your list
for the year and I want to giveyou a chance to see it.
It is the materialists boy.
That's a shitty image of that.
Um, and this is the new moviefrom, uh, celine song.
(46:04):
Uh, who did past lives.
Uh, we've got a love triangle.
I will say this is I.
I feel like it's been marketedas a romantic comedy.
Um, when you go in, expect moredrama than comedy.
Um, you know, it's a little.
It's definitely lighter thanpast lives.
Uh, it is much more Hollywoodthan past lives.
(46:28):
Um, but man, I, I will say I, I.
So we went and saw it lastnight with some friends and we
all came out of the theater andthey were like what did you
think?
And I said this is a perfectlygood movie.
It's just like I was neverchecked out, I was locked in.
(46:49):
I still don't understand DakotaJohnson and her style of acting
.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know, Iknow, I still don't understand
Dakota.
Speaker 1 (46:57):
Johnson and her, her style of acting.
Speaker 2 (46:57):
Um, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know, I know, listen,
she keeps getting jobs.
So uh, I, I I always feel likeat arm's length with her.
Um, because of her, her again,she's just got very dry.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
She would be great in a Wes Anderson movie.
Speaker 2 (47:12):
Uh, would be great in a Wes Anderson movie, and and
there's.
But there's.
There's some funny momentsthroughout.
There's some, you know, sadmoments throughout.
There's Pedro Pascal is isdoing something very different
than what we've ever seen him do.
I don't know if it completelyworks.
The big thing I took out ofthis is like this version of
(47:36):
chris evans is is is what weneed.
This is what I love when chrisevans is either a total dick and
a villain or when he is ahanged dog loser.
And uh, yeah, I really enjoyedchris chris evans in this movie.
Um, it's photographedbeautifully, uh, really good
(47:58):
music, some great needle dropsand the score is really well
done.
I don't know if it's as good asPast Lives.
I don't think so.
I haven't revisited that moviein a long time.
Past.
Speaker 1 (48:12):
Lives is pretty phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (48:13):
Yeah, I think that movie's a bit more polished.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
Past Lives.
You could have made theargument.
People did make the argumentthat it should have won best
pitcher, right here so I don'tthink it's on that level, but I
think again.
Speaker 2 (48:28):
This is like a different type of movie than
what we're getting in theatersrecently.
So go out and support it.
Speaker 1 (48:35):
So no sophomore slump from Celine is what you're
saying.
I think understanding that ifwe've set the bar, at past lives
, then yes, it's a nominee.
Right, if we've set the bar atbest picture nominee.
Sure it's a slump but it's aperfectly fine movie.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
It's not like it's sucked yeah, it didn't suck, I
don't think.
But at the same time it's notgoing to get any nominations
right, I think.
Okay, um, but yeah, I don'tknow, it's really interesting
it's.
It's very jane austen in its uhtelling of this love story, um,
where it kind of touches onsome of those themes that jane
austen really likes to touch on.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
Um, but you know, trying to have, because what the
impression that I got now maybethis is going back to your,
your disclaimer there at thebeginning is that expect more
drama than comedy.
But I was under the impressionafter just listening to a few
dakota johnson interviews, thatthere was also the, there was a
(49:37):
bit of an intent to try to, totry to recognize and make a
rom-com.
That felt something, that feltakin to something that we would
have gotten in, like 2000, 2001,2002, like a Bridget Jones
diary or how to lose a guy in 10days or the wedding planner,
like now those movies, I think,are those operate, operate on a
(50:00):
on a lower level of prestige,but have a lot of enduring
qualities to them a lot ofendearing and enduring qualities
.
Like those, movies are endlesslyrewatchable.
Um so I don't know, would yousay that that materialist feels
like any of those?
Speaker 2 (50:18):
yeah, I, I think it does feel like a, yeah, like a
mid tooth, but but a littlehigher, a little little better
than a little elevated yeah,than something like bridget
jones diary.
Um, it's interesting.
One of one of our friends thatwe saw it with last night, like,
is convinced that this is asatire, and so I'll be really
(50:40):
interested on your opinion,because I didn't read it that
way, I, but you know, I, I feellike I, I think it's possible to
read it that way and I haven'tdone more research on you know
what, uh, selena said?
I know it's based on you knowshe spent time in new york as a
(51:02):
matchmaker, yeah, which is whatdakota johnson's job is in this
in this like a high profile highsociety matchmaker.
Yeah, and so I don't, I don'tthink it's trying to satirize,
because there are like there's abunch of different like
storylines going on throughout.
Um, there's like a, an, a, a, band a, c, and I feel like if
(51:23):
they were trying to make itsatirical there, one of the
storylines just would not, wouldnot work and be a bad look.
But, um, interesting again.
Uh, just really interested tohear your take.
Um, you know, again, I, again,I, I think I'm just allergic to
(51:44):
Dakota Johnson, uh, but she's,she's out there doing the work,
I, she great, gives greatinterviews.
Um, and uh, as I said, pedro isdoing something different.
I don't know if it, if it worksall the time, but at least it's
something different than whathe has been doing.
And we have officially begunthe Pedro Pascal summer because
(52:08):
he's got Editing Next and thenFantastic Four.
So, he is going to be everywhereand I bet you this will be the
most different than what heusually does.
Um, which is interesting, um,and then, yeah, I just uh,
really interesting opening andending to this movie as well.
(52:30):
Uh, cold open and cold ending,um, so I I can't wait for you to
see it and we can talk aboutmore.
Speaker 1 (52:39):
Yeah, I'm hoping that it has maybe a two or three
week run like a first run in alot of theaters, because Our
theater was packed.
Speaker 2 (52:50):
Packed, was it?
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:51):
That's good.
I know it did.
I think it did 12 million thispast weekend.
Box office numbers did justcome in like an hour ago, so I
can, I can confirm that here injust a second.
Yeah, it opened at $12 million,$15 million, $15.5 million
worldwide total and that'splaying on 2,800 screens.
(53:13):
So not great, but not terrible.
Not nothing.
Can't imagine that it costs toomuch to make.
Probably terrible, not nothing.
Um, can't imagine that it coststoo much to make.
Probably, um.
So, so yeah, I'm hoping it getsa, gets a run here for a couple
of weeks, because not this weekbut but the following week.
(53:34):
Um, I would love to check thisone out when I have more time.
Yeah, um, okay, and then justsomething.
And then now here's.
Here's, really like the big one.
This has happened two weeks ina row Well, really, I guess two
out of the last three weeks, twoout of the last four weeks
where really the biggest movieof the weekend that really
dominated the box office andtook up multiple screens in
(53:57):
theaters was another animatedfamily film.
We saw this with Lilo andStitch.
That's what I was referring to asecond ago and now we're seeing
it with the live action, if youwill, adaptation of how to
Train your Dragon.
This movie opened on 4,300screens worldwide and did $83
(54:19):
million domestically, $114million dollars internationally
good for a worldwide openingweekend of just under 200
million dollars.
Um, so I mean, whether it's acouple of years ago with the
super mario movie or minecraft,earlier year the aforementioned
Lilo and stitch, and now how totrain your dragon, like we talk
(54:43):
about this, it's, it seems, likeevery other month.
Horror movies and family,family friendly films, something
you can get everybody togetherand go see.
These are keeping theaters open.
Speaker 2 (54:56):
Yeah, Totally, and you know this open and in
business, Totally.
Uh, and you know this, this runof live action animated remakes
yeah.
Uh, just continues, and and nowyou know, it's not only Disney
doing it, it's now dreamworks,right?
So, uh, they should put theiruh mouth where their money is,
(55:19):
or their money where their mouthis, and make a, a shrek live
action and also I mean warnerbrothers too, because warner
brothers was minecraft yeah,right, yeah so so everyone's
getting in on it like it's.
Speaker 1 (55:31):
Everyone wants to do horror, everyone wants to make a
family.
Family feature now right, itseems.
Speaker 2 (55:36):
Yeah, I haven't seen this film, but I heard it's.
It's pretty much like a shotfor shot remake it's.
It's directed by the same guywho who directed the original
animated trilogy, which are,which are fantastic movies like
honestly great movies, yeah, um,so, so I don't know.
Speaker 1 (55:54):
I like we're going to have to dedicate max and I've
been mulling this over we'regoing to have to dedicate Max
and I have been mulling thisover we're going to have to
dedicate an entire episode to.
You know, we can't call it aphenomenon.
These movies have always playedwell in theaters.
But just like what is happeninghere recently, because between
(56:14):
the handful of films we justmentioned, like we're talking
about a couple billion dollarsworth of worldwide box office um
, between some of these films,so pretty remarkable stuff Um, I
was talking to a few people atwork this past week.
Um, you know, most of themteachers, so they understand, uh
, because they have students intheir class who talk about this,
(56:35):
or they have familiesthemselves and when, it's no
surprise, with the you, you knowthe cost of everything going up
that, like these movies aregoing to do.
Well, because if you take afamily of four to go see even a
matinee, and it's near twentydollars a ticket and there's
four of you, and then if you buyconcessions or whatever, not
(56:55):
that that goes towards boxoffice, but you get the picture
is that, like this is what youdo with your family over the
weekend, like this is yourouting, um, if it is something
like father's day, I'm sure that, um, you know, this movie is
going to continue to play wellinto summer because you have
people who are now out of school.
You have something likefather's day pretty soon.
(57:16):
It's going to be um fourth ofjuly week in this movie.
I'm sure we'll still be in alot of theaters and so just
giving people something to do,giving family something to do,
um, there, there's something tobe said for that, because these
movies are crushing it at thebox office this year.
Speaker 2 (57:30):
Yeah, yeah, they really are.
And, uh, it'll be interestingto see what, what the next, what
the what?
The next film is that they,that they do?
Because, again, yeah, I feellike disney's getting kind of
close.
I mean, what, what other couldthey do?
A monster's ink?
No, probably not.
(57:51):
Uh, could they do I, I don'teven soul, no, they can't do
soul.
Or inside the idea of a liveaction Shrek.
Speaker 1 (58:01):
A live action Shrek would be really interesting.
Sure.
You know, the to watch theprogression of this to see, like
, where it goes, when, whenyou're talking about live action
, remakes of animated classicseven though I think the first,
how to train your dragon, waslike 2010, but whatever, we'll
call it a classic.
Um, but whatever we'll call ita classic.
(58:46):
But then you know, you haveMinecraft, video game adaptation
, super Mario Brothers story, orat least pull from a similar
source material, like AlexGarland making a Skyrim film, or
is it Skyrim or Elden Ring?
I forget which one.
Speaker 2 (58:52):
I think it's Elden Ring.
Speaker 1 (58:54):
Elden Ring.
So like again, we've seen,we've seen, we've seen video
games that have more appeal toan older generation struggle at
the box office.
I think we saw this with theWorld of Warcraft movie.
There's hundreds of millions ofpeople who still, to this day,
play World of Warcraft and noone cared about that movie.
(59:15):
They were too early, I guess.
So.
The Dragon Ball Z movie, movieum, they were too early, I guess
so, um, and and so the dragonwe'll, we'll see what happens
when, when different filmmakersand different target
demographics start to get movieslike this aimed towards them,
and and what?
The response is um, because thefamily stuff will always play.
(59:38):
But will they try to capitalize?
Will studios try to capitalizein other areas?
You know we have um, is it ZachCrager?
Who's?
Who's the filmmaker behindbarbarian, and he's rebooting
the resident evil franchise.
So different different things tokeep our eye on, I think Um
well, and, to be fair, residentevil did like what?
Speaker 2 (01:00:01):
nine movies.
I fucking love every single oneof them.
Yeah, I mean they were, theywere very successful, right they
, they had a huge and again Ithink that plays into the horror
right evergreen uh genre.
So yeah, it is going to bereally interesting, like I, you
know, I wonder if anyone's evergoing to make like a, you know,
like a fall guys uh movie, right, and and yeah, that play though
I guess that could be morefamily friendly.
(01:00:23):
I'm trying to think of like apg-13 or like video.
You know, assassin's creed,they tried that and that that
failed.
So it's, who knows, uh, maybe,maybe it is just you have to do
it.
Kid, kid friendly.
Speaker 1 (01:00:39):
Yeah, um, okay.
Well, something that's not goingto be kid friendly, that we are
really, really, really excitedabout next week is, 28 years
later, the long awaited thirdinstallment into um the rage
virus story, and so we haveDanny Boyle back at the helm
(01:00:59):
directing this project.
The film is written by AlexGarland, who helped him on the
first film with the script, andso we're we can't wait to not
only talk about that film butDanny Boyle, a director who
we've yet to have theopportunity to really explore
his, his catalog, and so that'llbe really fun to do like a
(01:01:20):
rankings episode or however wedecide to do that, someone who
you know, I think we're bothvery familiar with.
But until we have these moments, right, we talk about this time
and time again, episode andepisode again, like until we
really have the time to sit downand start to compare a film
like, maybe, slumdog millionaireversus train spotting, like,
(01:01:40):
right, you don't think about allthe different things um that
that someone has accomplished intheir, in their career.
So it'll be really fun to do adanny boyle episode next week
yeah, I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (01:01:52):
Uh, do we call this?
Is this a legacy sequel?
Speaker 1 (01:01:56):
because it's been 20 years it's, it's, it's honestly,
it's in the title, right?
If it's in the title, I thinkwe have to abide by it uh, yeah,
it's, it's gonna be, uh, it'sgonna be rip-roaring.
Speaker 2 (01:02:10):
I can't wait to see this in in in theaters and this
will be gnarly, this this moviewas shot all on using iphones,
uh, which is really interesting.
so think about that while you'rein the theater.
I've seen like crazy picturesI'll try and cue some up for
next week of like these rigsthey bought, where they had like
40 phones on like a, like ametal arm that they were like
(01:02:34):
running around and then they'recapturing every angle you know
of whatever scene they'reshooting on these phones.
It's insane.
So, yeah, I can't wait to goback into this world.
You know, I don't really evenremember 28.
Was it?
28 weeks later is the sequel 28weeks later.
(01:02:57):
I just remember it not being asmonumental as 28 days, uh, but.
Speaker 1 (01:03:04):
You know it's funny, it has a lot of the same energy
that final destination two has,where I think the the opening of
28 weeks later is so good andalmost rivals anything that we
get in the original.
So because of that that, Ithink people think of it very
fondly, but the story is just alot less interesting in the
(01:03:26):
second one once you get pastthat opening set piece.
Um, still a fine film, thoughthat, um, you know, is going to
have a lot of a lot of peoplerevisiting it here over the next
week or so yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:03:39):
And then you know, I, you know we get to, if we, if
we're going to go into deep,into into boil, we get to talk
about the beach, we get to talkabout sunshine yeah you know, I
mean he has made some somereally amazing movies that I
think both of us like the venndiagram kind of kind of unites
(01:03:59):
on a lot of his films.
Um, so yeah, I'm I'm veryexcited to to take a look at
that.
Speaker 1 (01:04:06):
That'd be great.
Um, and then also coming up toit's near the halfway mark of
2025 already.
So after we do our just to kindof look ahead a few weeks here,
after we do our 28 years slashjenny boyle episode, we will be
doing a best of recap for theyear so far.
(01:04:29):
Um, so a lot, a lot to lookforward to here on the show.
Until next time, please followexcuse the intermission on
instagram and the two of us onletterboxd to track the movies
that we're watching betweenshows, and we'll talk to you
next time on ETI, where moviesstill matter.
how's it?
I'm alex macaulay and I'm maxfosberg and this is excuse the
intermission a discussion showsurrounding rules and
consequences.
A few recent releases caughtour attention the last few
weekends.
Some of those films have playedand performed quite well, while
others have had mixed reactionsfrom audiences and critics.
Max and I will cover that,discuss some other movie news
and look forward to the rest ofJune on this episode which gets
(00:29):
underway on the other side ofthis break.
All right, we're back and weare recording on a special day
here.
Because of our schedules, wepushed back our regular
recording date this past weekand we are now here on Sunday,
the Father's Day of 2025, june15th.
(00:53):
So, max, how are you doingtoday?
Have you talked to John Fosberg?
Have you spoken to him?
What's going on?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
yeah, yeah, I tried to uh facetime him this morning
at a reasonable hour um ofcourse didn't get a pickup, so I
sent him a video recording uhof of saying happy father's day
and who's that more for?
Speaker 1 (01:17):
is that more for you or for him, or were you?
You know it's for my face it'swell.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yeah, I mean right, I haven't seen his face.
First off, I haven't seen himsince april, uh, and so I, you
know he hasn't seen me either.
We we text quite a bit, but, um, yeah, I think it was, for I
was hoping I was going to get avideo response back, um, which I
did not.
I, I gotta thanks for the videomax text in the family thread,
(01:45):
not even in our own personalthread, um, so you know, it's
all right, we're going throughsome things with our dads do
better, john yeah, I, I, youknow, uh, which is funny too,
because two days earlier, onfriday, I texted him and was
like hey, what are you doingthis weekend?
(02:06):
I'm going to call you on Sunday,so please don't ignore it.
And lo and behold, you know.
But yeah, he's, he's, I'm surehe's living his best life.
I hope he's scooting aroundtoday.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
I don't know if it's sunny up there, but uh, but if
you have a beautiful day here inthe Northwest it's 75 and sunny
, so it's nice Scooter weather.
Speaker 2 (02:27):
And you know I'm glad we're doing this on Father's
Day because we are pod fathers.
We are fathers of this pod, butdid you get to see Ron today?
Speaker 1 (02:37):
I did.
I did get to see my father thismorning.
I do like that.
We are the pod fathers.
We're the pod fathers of theChatter Network and, of course,
of ETI.
So, yeah, Ron and I got to playsome pickleball together this
morning, which is a slightdeviation from the normal.
Well, what has become thenormal birthday and father's day
(02:58):
outing of golf of?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
course, and so.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
I was a little nervous I'm not going to lie
because the last time, the theone and only time prior to this
that my dad tried to come outand play pickleball with us.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
He nearly blew out his Achilles and he's coming off
an injury.
Speaker 1 (03:14):
So he had recently been um doing physical therapy
for that injury, finally becausehe tried to just let it heal on
its own um which he could neverjust get it back to 100.
He says he's at about 90 rightnow, but now that he's in pt for
his heel, they actually havehim doing pickleball, like
(03:36):
movements, and even holding apaddle and kind of doing like
bends and squats and reaches.
Because, you know, they askedhim well, how did you injure
this?
And they said by playingpickleball.
And I said, okay, well, let'stry to replicate those same
movements we can rebuild himfaster, stronger and, and so he
came out today and played threesolid games, took breaks when he
(03:56):
needed to, never, neverredlined, never took it too far,
which I was really proud of him, for.
He's a former tennis player, um, and a pretty high level tennis
player, so it's really it'shard for him, I know, to hold
back when he's out there.
Um, he's got to work on histhird shot drives.
Uh, he should actually try todrop because he doesn't have the
drive right, I heard the dropshot is becoming extinct you
(04:20):
know in 2025 that not that I'msome elder statesman of
pickleball, but but it's.
It's a different game already in2025, not that I'm some elder
statesman of pickleball, butit's a different game already in
2025.
The finesse is fleeting.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, it's all.
Power now.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
Not as many drops, not as many dinks.
But what is good about that isthat if you have, over the last
couple of years, gotten intopickleball and worked on your
dinking and worked on your dropshots, people don't expect them
now, because they just expectyou to drive, drive, drive and
right and bang it as hard as youcan at the net.
So there is something to sayabout still having a soft game,
uh.
But no, we had a lot of fun,played with some family friends,
(04:57):
got some food, um afterwards,and yeah, now we're, now I'm
back home, it's two o'clock andwe're we're locked in, ready to
pot yeah, and you know, a littleprogramming note for us.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Uh, uh, I am I.
And a little news for me I amstarting, uh, as a office.
Pa uh, on my first feature.
I start tomorrow.
Very excited uh so cool.
It's it's my first paid gig incalifornia.
It's my first feature.
It's uh, it's an indie film, um, really tight-knit uh crew.
(05:36):
I'm very excited to be a partof it.
Lots of different locations, um.
So, going forward, at least forthe next like four and a half
weeks, uh, sundays might becomeour new recording day.
We're going to kind of feel itout.
I was looking at the I did getthe schedule, um, and looking
ahead, and most most days are 12hour days, uh, on Tuesdays.
(05:58):
So so, uh, we will be probablyprobably recording mostly on
Sunday, which is cool becausewe're going to be right on
whatever is newly released,which is really exciting, and it
gives me time to record on aSunday and then possibly even
release on a Sunday on that sameSunday.
(06:19):
So, yeah, very excited aboutthat.
I'm in charge of the callsheets each day.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
I was going to say who does Max Fosberg need to be
on this set?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Yeah, so I'm in the AD department and yeah, I just
met with I actually just had ameeting with the first AD and
the second AD and yeah, we justkind of went over call sheet,
showed them.
You know the format I use andit got approved.
And you know a couple of thingsI need to polish up on.
(06:53):
But yeah, it's really.
You know, while we're on setI'll probably be doing a bunch
of different jobs, but eachnight before 8 pm call sheet for
the next day needs to go out.
So I think I feel like youwould love putting together call
sheets.
It's very like you knowspreadsheets.
Yeah it's spreadsheets, it'sorganizing, it's kind of a
(07:15):
puzzle in text form putting ittogether and once it's complete,
it's very, very satisfying.
Speaker 1 (07:23):
I love that, so do you have to then?
Are you keeping an eye on theclock while on set and making
sure things are moving?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
yeah, actually I had that conversation today with
with the first ad, where he waslike, you know, we need to make
sure we're making our days, um,because, like even tomorrow,
right on the first day, we'reshooting.
I think it's six and like onequarter of pages of script, uh
and so, and we've got, you know,eight hours or maybe 12 hours
(07:54):
to do it, um, so, yeah, he'slike, and he's never worked with
this director, so we don'treally know the director's
process or anything um, whichwill be fun to learn on on the
go, but he's like you need tojust, you know, wherever we're
at in time, just give me a timecheck every every once in a
while, and, um, so I, I know topush the director, you know, to,
(08:18):
to to get the shot and get ourget the takes done.
So, yeah, it's, it's gonna be,it's gonna be interesting.
I can't wait.
We're going to be shooting in aprison one week, which is wild
and going to be very fun.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
So okay, I mean I feel like I'm ready to go full
post-production, like you justrapped interview here and ask
you millions of questions, butI'll wait because I can't wait
to hear more and we can chatabout it as you go, if there is
no sort of embargo or anythingthat I haven't.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
I haven't signed an nda yet, so okay cool.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
Well, I'll tell you what.
Whatever this feature is goingto end up being, it's going to
get a lot of free pub here onthat's very true.
On eti yep, um, okay, so.
So, since it's been about 10days since our last recording,
we do have two weekends worth offilms here to talk about.
The big one from two weekendsago really two big ones from two
(09:15):
weekends ago that we want totouch on are the Phoenician
Scheme, the new film by WesAnderson and Ballerina.
I know there's another one, max, that I can't wait to hear you
talk about, because it might beyour favorite out of those three
films and one of your favoriteof the year.
But let's start with thePhoenician scheme from Wes
Anderson.
Um, a movie that it's tough tosay where his films live right
(09:39):
now in the public consciousness,like we saw this with asteroid
city at just a few years ago.
It feels like a big deal whenthey come out, but then there's
almost no shelf life.
Yeah to the film, um, so, sowhat did you think of the
phoenician scheme and what doyou think of where wes is in his
career right now in general,based off what you've seen um
(10:01):
out of this most recent film?
Speaker 2 (10:02):
so I've been, I think , as listeners will know, to
this show.
I've been a huge west fan for avery long time.
I'm a constant west defender,you know.
I know.
I think when we did asteroidcity I enjoyed that movie more
than maybe you did.
Um, I will say phoenicianscheme.
For the first time I've I feltsome fatigue.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
Uh, and I.
You got to see this right.
Uh, I have seen this.
Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
And, um, even though there are some, some new things
he's trying here, uh, you know,uh, particularly the, the
violence depict, depicted inthis film, even though it's very
cartoony in this film, eventhough it's very cartoony, but
they're still like, like thefilm opens with a, you know, a
half of a top half of a bodyblowing up, um, and there's
(10:50):
blood, and so that's somethingkind of new.
But man it, I, I am starting tofeel like this, this dollhouse,
and not all, not only thedesign, because I think the
design is is cool, but like evenit's just the performance style
of the actors, and that's mybiggest thing this so like it's
(11:12):
so emotionless and um it it just.
I, I I do feel it, uh, or I feltit when I was watching this
film, where I was just andthere's a lot of just and
there's a lot of, there's a,there's a lot of plot and a lot
of dialogue explaining the plotand the way it's delivered.
It's like you're constantlytrying to keep up with what's
(11:34):
going on, but then at the end itdoesn't really matter what's
going on, because it's reallysupposed to be about this father
daughter relationship, but likethere's no connection to them
because everything's soemotional everything's so dry,
yeah, and so deadpan.
um, you know, michael cera isone of the newcomers to the the
(11:54):
troop, uh, this time around andI I think he's pretty funny, but
also like kind of like overlygoofy.
And then there's like a turn inthe middle for his character
and then he just like slidesright into this again, this
performance style that everyoneelse is doing.
And, yeah, I was kind of bored.
(12:17):
I was kind of bored throughthis movie, which is too bad,
because I was very excited aboutit.
I think Benicio is really greatbecause I was very excited
about it.
I think Benicio is really great.
I'm starting to long for RoyalTenenbaums Moonrise Kingdom Life
Aquatic, where there is thisshoebox design in there but
(12:44):
there's also more human,emotional moments.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
There's real heart, for sure, and the performances
don't feel like they are justcopy-paste from a playbook.
You go to OTAs at the WesAnderson summer camp and then
it's time for the preseason.
You know summer camp and thenit's time for the pre-season and
(13:08):
what, however it shakes out,you just end up like doing what
you know you're supposed to doin a wes anderson movie like the
playbook is the playbook atthis point, and I do like the
new wrinkles of some violence,some, some new people.
Is this the first time tomhanks has been in?
Speaker 2 (13:21):
no, he wasn't.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
He was in asteroid city too was, that's right, he
was in asteroid, um.
But but so even him, becausethat's still, he's relatively
new to this world.
It just feels like guys playingdress up.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
You know, actors, I dress up in this world yeah, I
really didn't like the tom hanksbrian cranston sequence you
know, and and again there islike, okay, we're going to again
something we haven't seen in along time in a Wes Anderson
movie where someone plays sportswhich I think was done in Royal
Tenenbaums as well.
They play basketball, but likethere's Wes.
(13:58):
You have a chance here to trylike and show us something new,
something different, by shootinga basketball scene differently
than how we expect you to shootit and you don't, and it's just
kind of goofy and pointless.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Yeah, and it's tough because there's a lot of.
I think that that can go one oftwo ways, right.
It can feel like like a fishout of water, and that's what we
get in this situation.
And then there's other timeswhen you see directors who maybe
aren't the biggest sports fansor don't make sports movies or
whatever sort of sub-genreyou're dipping your toes into,
(14:35):
and then, you're right, it comesacross as really creative and
inventive.
I think that's why people love,say, the tennis scenes in
Challengers.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
so much is because.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Luca's.
Like I never watched tennis.
I find tennis boring actually.
So the way I'm going to shootthis is going to be to make it
really exciting.
And that's not to say that Weshas lost his fastball or
anything, because again, I thinkthe playbook is the playbook,
so he's doing what he wants todo and it's not like the actors
are being asked to do anythingunexpected of them.
(15:05):
But the, the, you know, we justkind of keep returning to these
words like bored and fatigued,and we've seen this before, and
and the hope and the want forhim and these, these films to
again like show us something, um, it's getting kind of
unbearable for me yeah and I've,I've, it's been.
(15:26):
It's been a long time comingwith west.
I think asteroid city reallycemented, even though I did find
asteroid city more funny thanthe phoenician scheme.
Um I I think that I'm just likeI'm, I'm kind of out, I'm, I'm
out in the next west andersonmovie that is released is going
to be like a home release.
Speaker 2 (15:47):
Um you know like wait till it's on demand yeah, yeah,
wait till it's on demand for meand it's frustrating too,
because I know there are.
He shows, there's a glimpse.
Uh, I feel like in this filmwhere and we're getting into
spoiler territory for all thesewhen our main character, benicio
del toro, faces off againstbenedict cumberbatch in the
(16:11):
movie, right, they have a combatat the end and like for a split
second, like the camera likegoes like pov and then kind of
like it's moving.
Speaker 1 (16:22):
Yeah, like this.
And I was like, oh that, likethis, and I was like, oh, that's
a new move.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
Yes, but like let's do more of that, more of that
experimental stuff in a WesAnderson movie would be good, um
, but yeah, man it.
It really is starting to feellike he's chasing grand Budapest
.
Um, because grand Budapest wasthe first one that was like
completely designed in deadpan,and then since then you know
(16:48):
other than you know Isle of Dogswhich is you know the animated
um all his live action stuff hasbeen like trying to to do Grand
Budapest again.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Yeah, just symmetrical blocking production
design whip pans instead ofactual camera movement.
Camera movement, uh so, buteven grand budapest has more
like the.
Speaker 2 (17:13):
Even the actors are giving more emotion in that too
though so more naturalperformances, uh, where?
Yeah, I don't know.
It's too bad, I wasdisappointed been like sneaky
good hits um.
Speaker 1 (17:26):
He directed the first underworld film, and and so
ballerina is the latest chapterin the john wick universe.
(17:53):
It acts as a standalone film,however.
It takes place during the eventsof john wick 3 and we do get a
cameo um from keanu reevesplaying john wick, and he
actually becomes more of a likesupporting character during the
third act of the film.
On a day, armis is the titlecharacter here.
(18:13):
She is the ballerina, the, thefemale hitman, hit person,
contract killer that we spendtime with um and I don't know.
I'll tell you what.
For for however long we want togo, I'm here to talk about
ballerina.
I really liked this movie, so Ihave I have a half a page of
notes here to to go off of what.
(18:34):
What did you think of thismovie?
Speaker 2 (18:36):
So I had a similar feeling to when I came out of
mission impossible.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
I was like I'm so happy you brought that up,
because I could not, I'm, I waslike I'm going to ask him to
tell me just flat out whatmovies better.
Because just to paint, paintthe picture a little bit, a
little bit of context.
You love mission impossible.
You ride for mission possible.
I think you're definitely moreattached to the mission
impossible franchise than youare the john wick movies.
(19:05):
However, I went back and toread some of your receipts on
letterbox john wick four wasjohn wick four is a five-star
movie was an exciting film.
Speaker 2 (19:19):
I was very excited coming out of the theater um you
were uh, yes you knew I wasgoing there.
Yeah, yeah, uh, I went back andlooked myself as well, uh, and I
could have changed it couldhave.
Um, anyways, uh, I, I feel likethe first 45 minutes of this
movie is unneeded if we startthe movie where she is in the
(19:43):
bathroom taking the picture ofthe person she just killed and
we go from there to the end.
I, this movie fucking rocks andrips and is great, and it saves
the keanu cameo for him gettingoff the train like a sergione
leone or sergio leone SergioLeone Spaghetti Western, which I
(20:05):
think is what they wanted to do.
But I've read a bunch ofarticles about how this movie
was.
They went back and reshot tonsof stuff.
They brought Chad Stahelski in,who has done all the other John
Wick movies, to reshoot somethings, um, and action sequences
(20:29):
in particular.
Um, you know, I, I, I felt likenorman reedus was really wasted,
like he is in the movie for 15minutes running around with a
shotgun and then he's in ahospital bed for the rest of the
movie, which you don't evenlike, know, until the very, very
end.
Yeah, which I thought was was abad decision.
(20:51):
And if you're if, he's if, andlisten, norman Reedus has been
around the block, he's too oldto do a bunch of stunts and
stuff.
Get somebody else.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
Yeah, let me, let me stop you and talk.
Let's talk about the.
The first yeah 30 to 40 minutesof this film.
Then, because I the cold open,because I'm looking at this, I'm
coming into this movie assomeone who I feel like I had
less and less interest in theJohn Wick movies as that
(21:23):
franchise continued.
I think number one is actuallya really good like mid budget,
almost quasi like independentaction film that it's very
simple, it's very it's so simpleand so much has been written
about it.
Um, so I'm, there's no need forme to you know, try to reinvent
the wheel here and call thatmovie Great, like.
(21:44):
I think that movie isunequivocally great in the best
film in the franchise, includingballerina, and then two's, much
of the same, which, as a sequel, goes, goes, I don't think is
the worst thing in the world.
And then arabellum, numberthree, and then john wick four,
especially, I felt was just likepretty nonsensical and overly
(22:04):
long and really drawn out.
And the rules of the world, um,of of this world that we've
grown to understand with um,like the buying of equipment and
the continental and the rulesand the consequences that come
along with being a contractkiller in this, in this universe
, um, kind of all just go outthe window.
(22:24):
So, yeah, I quite enjoyedreturning back to someone else's
origin story within the sameworld and I I'm always going to
I don't know, you know, I.
I think that when the moviestarts out and you actually show
some emotional stakes and youunderstand like, okay, this is
(22:46):
what's going to motivate thisperson going forward, is that
Gabriel Byrne, who's just likehaving so much fun in this movie
?
Um, is is going to be the bigbad and he's responsible and he
will ultimately be the one that,on a day, armis uh needs to
track down.
I thought that that was prettyeffective and you know, there's
just like there's, there's greatat that's a great set piece to
(23:07):
open the film to.
There's a great like raid on ahouse.
Um, it was pretty awesome whenthose frog men just come out of
the water with the cross,absolutely the crossbows are so
cool, that was really sickimagery and then and then, from
there you go right into.
You know, like 15 minutes intothe movie, we're into the
(23:28):
training montage and I, whodoesn't love, like I wanted more
.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
I wanted more, though .
More, though, like I hear that.
Speaker 1 (23:36):
I hear you on that, you know, because we've seen the
Angelica Houston characterbefore, the person who trains um
, these, these contract killers,these hit men and hit women,
and so I think part of it wasthe movie's definitely
over-reliant on yourunderstanding and familiarity
with the John Wick universe andI think that's probably why they
(23:56):
didn't show us too much moreother than just her.
You know, maybe going from ifyou're going to if, if, if we're
grading on a day Armis isballerina character, um Eve,
like she's a C, she's a Cstudent, and then we see her
kind of take it to the nextlevel and become like top of her
class, basically during thistraining montage, um, and then
(24:18):
that's when we get our firstlook at at Keanu, at at John
Wick as he's coming back in umto to basically whatever it is
in number three, to to kind ofbe like excommunicado from from
the I forget what they're called, but basically from the school
(24:43):
here, and so that part I feltwas kind of unnecessary.
And then of course, you, we canhave the whole debate, and I
don't even really think it's adebate, because the answer is
just don't show us John Wick inthe, in the trailer, and that's
not totally like that.
That's the movie's fault, butit's it's more the studio and
the marketing department's faultto feel like they need to do
(25:04):
that, because if they don't andthat's still in the movie and
then we don't have our firstlook at him here, like the 25
minute mark, and he just comesin at that third act, like you
said, um, like the man, the mandressed in black coming into
town.
Yep, I think that that, like youknow, my theater was already
hyped, but I think they wouldhave been like hooping and
hollering, um, when that happens.
(25:26):
But but then I totally agreewith you.
Like I have written down here,like 30 minutes into this movie
we have our first nightclub setpiece and it's fucking awesome.
Ana de Armas looks so good inthis giant coat that she's in
and I'm taking right back to noTime to Die, where it's just
like show me one of the mostbeautiful women in movies right
(25:50):
now, shooting people in the faceand breaking their arms.
Hand-to-hand combat with thisincredible cinematography.
Like all these great neonlights in the club.
The John Wick movies are sofunny.
At least this movie actuallyhad some people like running
once gunfire happened, but likepeople are just, you know like
still dancing during thesefights, which is kind of like a,
(26:11):
you know, a funny hallmark ofthis series, honestly, um.
And then, yeah, you go fromthere into what you mentioned,
where now, all of a sudden, sheis like earning it does like a
time jump right it does like twomonths, two months later, two
years later I forget exactlywhat it is um one of those two,
and then, yeah, she's, she'sgetting 75 or 750 thousand
(26:35):
dollars per kill.
She's almost, you know, likemaking a million dollars a kill,
um, and then also, too, likethat's I.
I love that scene that reallystarts the movie.
I do agree that that really iswhere, like, the movie takes, it
, takes itself to another leveland then it withstand, or like
it can um, sustain that level,which is really good, because
then it also introduces, whilelike furthering the plot and
(26:58):
increasing the stakes, it's alsointroducing some comedy that
actually thought, like workedreally well and those, those,
especially like three and four,those john wick movies took
themselves so seriously and so Ireally really appreciated.
Like there's a few things thatI have written down here, like
After she takes the picture ofthat kill and then she's working
her way from a higher level ofthis building.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
She's at multiple floors up, and now she's going
through rooms and she's justcollecting knives that she's
thrown into people.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
That was so great, this is hilarious.
This is really, really funny.
There's another moment whereshe's beating somebody with a
television remote and thechannels are changing behind her
.
Really funny and intentional.
And then there's another scenewhere there's a fight in the
kitchen and a scramble for a gunand plates have broken and
fallen everywhere and we're justhitting each other.
Speaker 2 (27:51):
Yeah, tech savory.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
It's like a Buster keaton scene all of a sudden,
and so I think that this movieit's doing a lot.
It's doing a lot really well.
That surprised me, um, forbeing a movie within the john
wick universe, where I do thinkit's still taking itself serious
, but it definitely has a senseof humor yeah, I totally agree.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
And and even like the grenade play.
Uh, that happens when she's atlike the hunting depot or
whatever where she's trying tobuy guns, like there's some some
great like grenade play orgrenade comedy kills, um.
Within that sequence that I wasreally into, I love the idea of
(28:32):
like this snowy alps town whereeveryone in the town is a
killer.
And like she, you know, sheenters this town and then she
has to fight everyone in thetown.
That's really fun stuff.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
And also, too, because it adds another layer
again to this, to this worldthat we're already familiar with
.
That that, I think, helps ushave just more buy-in than like
seeing Bill Skarsgård sitting ina museum on some luxurious
couch looking at pieces of artand we're just like, okay,
whatever, like I've seen a badguy that looks like this in a
(29:06):
million other movies.
This is really exciting becauseand no offense to your beloved
five-star, john wick for butlike this is really exciting
because there's like anotherlevel to this movie.
That's like I don't think it'strying to really talk about like
human trafficking and andkidnapping children and all
(29:29):
these other things that we'resort of introduced to.
But there is something to besaid about like this town that
is not like the whole normanreed is character that we find
out.
You know a little bit about itduring that character's
introduction and then a littlebit more at the end, and then
also through the eve sister, orthe eve and her sister, um,
(29:49):
their relationship is that likenot only are there trained
killers, um, and and hit men andhit women living in this town
and those are the only peopleliving there, but they're trying
to like raise a family ofkillers, and and if someone
tries to leave, then we'rekidnapping the kids and we're
bringing them back and the wholeidea is to, um, you know like,
(30:11):
grow this thing for generationsand generations.
So I thought that, you know,there's like a cult aspect to
this film as well.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
That was really interesting yeah, I, I, I agree,
I, I just think that I, I, Ithink, if we're, if we're
relying on people to know, uh,about the john wick like
universe and and, and you know,recognize angelica houston and
all that, like we can lancereddick.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
And yeah, we can start.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
We don't have to have the first 45 minutes to explain
kind of who the ballerinas are,the training sequence.
We can start again in thatbathroom scene and right away
it's just like okay, she, thisis an assassin.
Obviously she's really good ather job and you know.
And then you know you get likea call from, from angelica
(31:06):
houston later or whatever, andyou know telling her to.
You know you need to come in,you stop being on the run.
I also thought you know thewhole reveal of her sister in
this village very quick, right,and even though, like I kind of
guessed when that woman firstshowed up on screen, I think
(31:26):
it's when they're chasing NormanReedus.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
She's in the hotel lobby.
She's in the continental lobby.
Speaker 2 (31:33):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and uh, but
yeah, again, like she kind of soonce, once they get to the
snowy Alps town, she likereveals like I'm your sister,
your long lost sister, orwhatever, and then all of a
sudden she's dead.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Gabriel Byrne says to her it's your sister.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Yeah, yeah and then, and then it's just like she's
dead right away, so like there'sjust no.
I just felt like there was no.
There was no you knowconnection or stakes, or like
why am I supposed to care aboutthat?
Um, and, and that felt a littlejust like overwritten, like
does she have to have a longlost sister?
I mean, I guess because of theopening where the dad gets you
(32:15):
know, run up on or whatever, butI don't know.
I I did think it was just alittle, just a bit overstuffed,
but a lot of the action's reallygreat again the, the climax in
this in the alps and and andjohn wick coming in on a on a
train and then like kind of justbeing like this overseer while
(32:36):
she's trying to carry out thismission.
I thought that was a lot of fun.
I thought that was reallyreally good stuff.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
I also have to give a shout out to a couple other
kills that happen once we are inthe third act there, when she
duct tapes the knife to thebottom of her pistol yeah, that
was, that's some great stuff.
And then she also is is wearing.
Two different things happen hereinvolving some ice skates at
(33:05):
one point at one point she hastwo ice skates on her hands like
gloves and she's just swingingthe blades which is phenomenal
stuff and then at some point thelaces get tied together and she
is swinging around these ice.
It's like nunchucks.
Yeah, it's really so.
(33:25):
Like you know, the john wickmovies have always been praised
by people for their gunplay.
I thought that this movie was socreative with its action, set
pieces in ways that the moviefor it to hit.
For someone like me that Ithink had less and less interest
in the John Wick series becausethose movies they had their
(33:47):
formula they stuck to becausefor the most part for audiences
and for critics, that's whatthey wanted to see.
I suppose I love the chancesthat this movie took, and maybe
not so much I shouldn't callthem chances, but just the
creativity in which this movieplayed with um.
I thought that was really good.
There were a couple other justlike great shots, like again
when she's in the nightclub.
I thought that was awesome.
And then there's a scene whereshe has a sword.
(34:08):
She has, like you know, shealmost has her kill bill moment
in this movie and she's in cabin.
It's after her sister has beenum, she has been murdered and
the whole cabin is on fire andshe walks out of the darkness
with this sword and there's justflames behind her and it's kind
of slow motion and she juststarts chopping people down, um,
with this blade, and so I don'tknow, there's there's a lot of
(34:32):
I will say no more, no moreflamethrower guns.
Speaker 2 (34:36):
We did that in John Wick four, we've done that here.
Uh, let's, let's stay away fromthat.
Cause again that.
Do you think?
If I had a flamethrower gun andyou had a hose, do you think
that works?
Speaker 1 (34:51):
No, I think that's like I'll.
I'll watch that on.
You know, mythbusters orsomething like that.
I don't need that in my actionmovies, like again, and you know
, I think that these, this iswhat happens.
You just get into thesetrappings when it's like the
fifth film franchise and so muchof, so much of.
(35:11):
I think what drives these,these creative decisions,
obviously are like what's workedin the past, um and so for that
to.
When that happened again, I waslike, oh boy, that's too bad,
but I'm going to, I'm going totake with me you know the um,
the, the duct tape, knife pistol, the ice skate gloves, you know
(35:32):
the collecting of the knives,the tv remote all those really
fun things that the grenadekills, obviously during, um,
during that, that set piecethere in the second act, and so
there's enough for, I mean, thismovie.
I'll just I'll say this, thismovie really I I was really
surprised at how much I likethis movie.
Um, because, for not being theworld's biggest John Wick fan, I
(35:55):
had, I had moderateexpectations that I might like
it more, just because of on aday armistice.
But I also didn't think that Iwould like be willing to
recommend this movie to somepeople, or even anticipating,
like the blu-ray release.
But I'm, I'm there now, like Iwill definitely rewatch this
movie and try to own it yeah,it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
It does seem like she has been chasing something like
this since the no time to diesequence.
I will say, if they do a sequelto this, let her.
Let her be a bit more charming,like, like we, we got through
the revenge, kind of like goth,like tattoo my back, uh, with a
(36:37):
fallen angel thing.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
Now, like, let her like play more in the next one
um, use, use, like, kind ofbecome more of like the la femme
, nikita, like you're usingevery bit of your sexuality, of
your charisma, um, of your charm.
Yeah, uh, I do agree with that.
I think that would be fun tosee Because, I mean, she's got
it going on Like we're talkingabout.
(37:00):
I love that she did this movie.
I know she had been tapped todo this movie for a really long
time, but what an interestingturn for her, because we're
talking about someone who islike she's probably under 30.
She's probably in her late 20s,I don't know for sure.
But like, she's already beennominated for a Best Actress
(37:21):
Academy Award for her work inBlonde.
She's obviously extremelycharming, but now we've seen her
be able to and she's proven ittwice, once in no Time to Die,
and that was like a teaser whatwe ended up getting here in
ballerina.
But, like, she can also be anaction superstar.
So, um, really good, reallygood for on a day armistice.
(37:43):
Um, I think you're good, goodshowing in ballerina, yeah
please, please, don't play asuperhero what?
what?
Just don't be a superhero, yeah, so what movie do you like more
Ballerina or the finalreckoning?
Speaker 2 (37:56):
Ah, you know what I?
I probably smiled and fistpumped and had more fun at
Ballerina.
Speaker 1 (38:05):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:06):
Yeah, yep, uh and yeah.
Go check out our missionimpossible episode for uh, for
reasons why there's no ai inballerina, which is nice.
That is nice.
Yeah, hopefully that's not thesequel.
Uh, which one did you like more?
Speaker 1 (38:25):
I like ballerina more , yeah, um, and, and that's
having liked both movies, um,I've yet to log ballerina, I've
yet to log phoenician schemingand ballerina on my letterbox,
um.
Speaker 2 (38:35):
I think I rated them the same, but I had definitely
had more fun at ballerina.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Yeah, I mean ballerina, and again, I haven't.
You know I'm not cranking outthe movies yet.
Come summertime here, we'relike the by the time this
episode releases.
Speaker 2 (38:57):
Wait, um, so I haven't watched a ton of new
releases yet this year, but, uh,ballerinas, ballerinas probably
my top 10 right now.
Yeah, yeah, uh.
Well, I want to talk about amovie that is in my top 10 right
now wait to hear you talk aboutthis.
So it is called the life ofchuck.
It is from director mikeflanagan.
It is adapted from a novella bythe stephen king.
(39:17):
It is an extremely earnestdepiction of, kind of the
meaning of life.
Um, it's, it's told in aninteresting way in a film where,
like, I've heard people ask ifthis even is a movie.
Uh, it's told in an interestingway in a film where, like, I've
heard people ask if this even isa movie.
It's told much like the book,in three acts, but in reverse
(39:45):
order, right, so you start outwith Act 3 as your first act in
the movie and and then act twoand then act one.
So it works backwards, from,from, from finish.
Yeah, from end to start, butstart to finish too.
Um, and I, I found this movie,I you know the first, I think
(40:08):
the.
So when I say the first act, Imean the third, the third act
and the second act, the middleact, the first act and the
middle act.
Uh, I found really, really, um,compelling and like, just like
good old school filmmaking.
This is not a horror movie,it's not a horror story.
It's told more kind of like ina shawshank redemption or green
(40:32):
mile Mile style of StephenKing's story.
Speaker 1 (40:38):
That's a note not only for the King aspect of it,
but Flanagan, for the most part,has only been making horror or
horror-adjacent stuff for thelast five or six years.
Speaker 2 (40:49):
Totally, and he's obviously a huge fan of King,
he's done.
He's done Dr Sleep.
Uh, I don't know if he had ahand in Pet Cemetery, um, but
yeah, and, and this beinganother adaptation of King, um,
the first act especially isreally really good, because the
other interesting thing aboutthis movie is like there's not
really a main character.
(41:10):
Um, you know, these thesecharacters all seem to exist in
the same like world or town, butyou're, you're kind of getting
glimpses of different characterslives in each act.
Um, it's funny that tomhiddleston is on the poster of
this film, because it makes youthink like, oh, this is a tom
(41:30):
hiddleston movie, but reallyhe's in like 20 minutes of it,
which is, you know, kind of aspoiler, but and, and he doesn't
even really have a lot of lines, which is also really
interesting, but he comes in anddoes like some some great, some
great work in in that secondact, in that middle act.
Speaker 1 (41:50):
Tom Hiddleston is Loki correct, correct, tom.
Hiddleston is Loki correct,correct, yeah.
So that's his big thing forpeople.
Speaker 2 (41:57):
Yeah, yes, yeah.
I believe that's the biggestthing.
Speaker 1 (42:09):
So it's nice to see him out of spandex, even though,
again, he's not in the movie alot, but kind of something where
you feel like he needed a movielike this Totally.
It's been a long time sinceCrimson Peak.
Speaker 2 (42:16):
Yeah, so that first act you're following gosh, I can
never pronounce this guy's nameEjiofor, chilite Chilite.
Ejiofor and Karen Gillan arekind of the two main characters
in that first act and it is.
It's really compelling because,um, and I, I don't even know if
(42:38):
I want to say because it'sgoing to be spoiled, you know a
spoiler.
No, no, no, Keep, keepeverything close to the close to
the okay, okay, yeah, so theresomething is going on in the
world and it's kind of a mysteryand like they never over
(42:58):
explain what's happening.
Um, you know, matthew lillardshows up for like two minutes,
three minutes in this movie andlike gives a great performance.
Um, mark hamill shows up in thethird, at the third part of the
movie, which is the first act,as, like this alcoholic, grumpy
grandpa, uh, uh, mia the, thewoman who was in Ferris
(43:23):
Bueller's day off, is also inthis film.
Uh, and she looks Mia Sarah,who I haven't seen in a movie
and I probably since FerrisBueller's day off.
Um, and she's fantastic.
Uh, and it's just, you know,again, it's a very earnest movie
.
There's one moment that likefeels very horror, um, which
(43:45):
Mike Flanagan, you know it playsreally well and directs really
well.
Um, but yeah, man, I, I just Ihad a.
Really it was just a nicesentimental, sweet movie again
about the meaning of life, andthen also, like there are some
like supernatural turnshappening and you know, it makes
(44:08):
you ask more questions as youleave the theater than answers
your questions, and I really,really enjoy that as you leave
the theater than answers yourquestions, and I really really
enjoy that, um, so I, I, Irecommend going out and seeing
this on a big screen.
I got to see it on 35millimeter, which I've heard
that scan looks way better thanwhat people are seeing on
digital.
Apparently, on digital it looksa little bit more like TV, far,
(44:33):
you know, when it's cleaned up,but like on film, it was just,
it was beautiful.
But, yeah, I recommend, Irecommend it.
And again, like, don't you know, yes, it's Mike Flanagan, yes,
it's Stephen King, but don'texpect anything that they've
done before.
This, right Like it is, is muchmore of a sweet, sweet movie,
(44:56):
um, and, and you know, makes youthink about, uh, who we are in
existence.
I love that.
I, we need movies like thistotally.
I think that was a huge thingtoo.
Right like it is a breath offresh air compared to a lot of
the stuff we have been seeingthis year.
Speaker 1 (45:14):
I feel like uh, it's nice to have this movie in
theaters too, because everythingyou just said I hate to.
I hate it in 2025.
You hear a movie like thisdescribed and you're like, wow,
it sounds like a great HBO maxmovie, totally.
Or it sounds like your greatHulu movie, no this sound like.
Speaker 2 (45:43):
This is the kind of movie that can also play in
theaters, you know, for adults.
Yep, yep, totally, yeah, uh.
So, yeah, go see the life ofchuck.
Uh, I also am gonna touch onthis next movie very briefly
because I know, alex, this isvery anticipated on your list
for the year and I want to giveyou a chance to see it.
It is the materialists boy.
That's a shitty image of that.
Um, and this is the new moviefrom, uh, celine song.
(46:04):
Uh, who did past lives.
Uh, we've got a love triangle.
I will say this is I.
I feel like it's been marketedas a romantic comedy.
Um, when you go in, expect moredrama than comedy.
Um, you know, it's a little.
It's definitely lighter thanpast lives.
Uh, it is much more Hollywoodthan past lives.
(46:28):
Um, but man, I, I will say I, I.
So we went and saw it lastnight with some friends and we
all came out of the theater andthey were like what did you
think?
And I said this is a perfectlygood movie.
It's just like I was neverchecked out, I was locked in.
(46:49):
I still don't understand DakotaJohnson and her style of acting
.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know, Iknow, I still don't understand
Dakota.
Speaker 1 (46:57):
Johnson and her, her style of acting.
Speaker 2 (46:57):
Um, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I know, I know, listen,
she keeps getting jobs.
So uh, I, I I always feel likeat arm's length with her.
Um, because of her, her again,she's just got very dry.
Speaker 1 (47:09):
She would be great in a Wes Anderson movie.
Speaker 2 (47:12):
Uh, would be great in a Wes Anderson movie, and and
there's.
But there's.
There's some funny momentsthroughout.
There's some, you know, sadmoments throughout.
There's Pedro Pascal is isdoing something very different
than what we've ever seen him do.
I don't know if it completelyworks.
The big thing I took out ofthis is like this version of
(47:36):
chris evans is is is what weneed.
This is what I love when chrisevans is either a total dick and
a villain or when he is ahanged dog loser.
And uh, yeah, I really enjoyedchris chris evans in this movie.
Um, it's photographedbeautifully, uh, really good
(47:58):
music, some great needle dropsand the score is really well
done.
I don't know if it's as good asPast Lives.
I don't think so.
I haven't revisited that moviein a long time.
Past.
Speaker 1 (48:12):
Lives is pretty phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (48:13):
Yeah, I think that movie's a bit more polished.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
Past Lives.
You could have made theargument.
People did make the argumentthat it should have won best
pitcher, right here so I don'tthink it's on that level, but I
think again.
Speaker 2 (48:28):
This is like a different type of movie than
what we're getting in theatersrecently.
So go out and support it.
Speaker 1 (48:35):
So no sophomore slump from Celine is what you're
saying.
I think understanding that ifwe've set the bar, at past lives
, then yes, it's a nominee.
Right, if we've set the bar atbest picture nominee.
Sure it's a slump but it's aperfectly fine movie.
Speaker 2 (48:53):
It's not like it's sucked yeah, it didn't suck, I
don't think.
But at the same time it's notgoing to get any nominations
right, I think.
Okay, um, but yeah, I don'tknow, it's really interesting
it's.
It's very jane austen in its uhtelling of this love story, um,
where it kind of touches onsome of those themes that jane
austen really likes to touch on.
Speaker 1 (49:15):
Um, but you know, trying to have, because what the
impression that I got now maybethis is going back to your,
your disclaimer there at thebeginning is that expect more
drama than comedy.
But I was under the impressionafter just listening to a few
dakota johnson interviews, thatthere was also the, there was a
(49:37):
bit of an intent to try to, totry to recognize and make a
rom-com.
That felt something, that feltakin to something that we would
have gotten in, like 2000, 2001,2002, like a Bridget Jones
diary or how to lose a guy in 10days or the wedding planner,
like now those movies, I think,are those operate, operate on a
(50:00):
on a lower level of prestige,but have a lot of enduring
qualities to them a lot ofendearing and enduring qualities
.
Like those, movies are endlesslyrewatchable.
Um so I don't know, would yousay that that materialist feels
like any of those?
Speaker 2 (50:18):
yeah, I, I think it does feel like a, yeah, like a
mid tooth, but but a littlehigher, a little little better
than a little elevated yeah,than something like bridget
jones diary.
Um, it's interesting.
One of one of our friends thatwe saw it with last night, like,
is convinced that this is asatire, and so I'll be really
(50:40):
interested on your opinion,because I didn't read it that
way, I, but you know, I, I feellike I, I think it's possible to
read it that way and I haven'tdone more research on you know
what, uh, selena said?
I know it's based on you knowshe spent time in new york as a
(51:02):
matchmaker, yeah, which is whatdakota johnson's job is in this
in this like a high profile highsociety matchmaker.
Yeah, and so I don't, I don'tthink it's trying to satirize,
because there are like there's abunch of different like
storylines going on throughout.
Um, there's like a, an, a, a, band a, c, and I feel like if
(51:23):
they were trying to make itsatirical there, one of the
storylines just would not, wouldnot work and be a bad look.
But, um, interesting again.
Uh, just really interested tohear your take.
Um, you know, again, I, again,I, I think I'm just allergic to
(51:44):
Dakota Johnson, uh, but she's,she's out there doing the work,
I, she great, gives greatinterviews.
Um, and uh, as I said, pedro isdoing something different.
I don't know if it, if it worksall the time, but at least it's
something different than whathe has been doing.
And we have officially begunthe Pedro Pascal summer because
(52:08):
he's got Editing Next and thenFantastic Four.
So, he is going to be everywhereand I bet you this will be the
most different than what heusually does.
Um, which is interesting, um,and then, yeah, I just uh,
really interesting opening andending to this movie as well.
(52:30):
Uh, cold open and cold ending,um, so I I can't wait for you to
see it and we can talk aboutmore.
Speaker 1 (52:39):
Yeah, I'm hoping that it has maybe a two or three
week run like a first run in alot of theaters, because Our
theater was packed.
Speaker 2 (52:50):
Packed, was it?
Oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (52:51):
That's good.
I know it did.
I think it did 12 million thispast weekend.
Box office numbers did justcome in like an hour ago, so I
can, I can confirm that here injust a second.
Yeah, it opened at $12 million,$15 million, $15.5 million
worldwide total and that'splaying on 2,800 screens.
(53:13):
So not great, but not terrible.
Not nothing.
Can't imagine that it costs toomuch to make.
Probably terrible, not nothing.
Um, can't imagine that it coststoo much to make.
Probably, um.
So, so yeah, I'm hoping it getsa, gets a run here for a couple
of weeks, because not this weekbut but the following week.
(53:34):
Um, I would love to check thisone out when I have more time.
Yeah, um, okay, and then justsomething.
And then now here's.
Here's, really like the big one.
This has happened two weeks ina row Well, really, I guess two
out of the last three weeks, twoout of the last four weeks
where really the biggest movieof the weekend that really
dominated the box office andtook up multiple screens in
(53:57):
theaters was another animatedfamily film.
We saw this with Lilo andStitch.
That's what I was referring to asecond ago and now we're seeing
it with the live action, if youwill, adaptation of how to
Train your Dragon.
This movie opened on 4,300screens worldwide and did $83
(54:19):
million domestically, $114million dollars internationally
good for a worldwide openingweekend of just under 200
million dollars.
Um, so I mean, whether it's acouple of years ago with the
super mario movie or minecraft,earlier year the aforementioned
Lilo and stitch, and now how totrain your dragon, like we talk
(54:43):
about this, it's, it seems, likeevery other month.
Horror movies and family,family friendly films, something
you can get everybody togetherand go see.
These are keeping theaters open.
Speaker 2 (54:56):
Yeah, Totally, and you know this open and in
business, Totally.
Uh, and you know this, this runof live action animated remakes
yeah.
Uh, just continues, and and nowyou know, it's not only Disney
doing it, it's now dreamworks,right?
So, uh, they should put theiruh mouth where their money is,
(55:19):
or their money where their mouthis, and make a, a shrek live
action and also I mean warnerbrothers too, because warner
brothers was minecraft yeah,right, yeah so so everyone's
getting in on it like it's.
Speaker 1 (55:31):
Everyone wants to do horror, everyone wants to make a
family.
Family feature now right, itseems.
Speaker 2 (55:36):
Yeah, I haven't seen this film, but I heard it's.
It's pretty much like a shotfor shot remake it's.
It's directed by the same guywho who directed the original
animated trilogy, which are,which are fantastic movies like
honestly great movies, yeah, um,so, so I don't know.
Speaker 1 (55:54):
I like we're going to have to dedicate max and I've
been mulling this over we'regoing to have to dedicate Max
and I have been mulling thisover we're going to have to
dedicate an entire episode to.
You know, we can't call it aphenomenon.
These movies have always playedwell in theaters.
But just like what is happeninghere recently, because between
(56:14):
the handful of films we justmentioned, like we're talking
about a couple billion dollarsworth of worldwide box office um
, between some of these films,so pretty remarkable stuff Um, I
was talking to a few people atwork this past week.
Um, you know, most of themteachers, so they understand, uh
, because they have students intheir class who talk about this,
(56:35):
or they have familiesthemselves and when, it's no
surprise, with the you, you knowthe cost of everything going up
that, like these movies aregoing to do.
Well, because if you take afamily of four to go see even a
matinee, and it's near twentydollars a ticket and there's
four of you, and then if you buyconcessions or whatever, not
(56:55):
that that goes towards boxoffice, but you get the picture
is that, like this is what youdo with your family over the
weekend, like this is yourouting, um, if it is something
like father's day, I'm sure that, um, you know, this movie is
going to continue to play wellinto summer because you have
people who are now out of school.
You have something likefather's day pretty soon.
(57:16):
It's going to be um fourth ofjuly week in this movie.
I'm sure we'll still be in alot of theaters and so just
giving people something to do,giving family something to do,
um, there, there's something tobe said for that, because these
movies are crushing it at thebox office this year.
Speaker 2 (57:30):
Yeah, yeah, they really are.
And, uh, it'll be interestingto see what, what the next, what
the what?
The next film is that they,that they do?
Because, again, yeah, I feellike disney's getting kind of
close.
I mean, what, what other couldthey do?
A monster's ink?
No, probably not.
(57:51):
Uh, could they do I, I don'teven soul, no, they can't do
soul.
Or inside the idea of a liveaction Shrek.
Speaker 1 (58:01):
A live action Shrek would be really interesting.
Sure.
You know, the to watch theprogression of this to see, like
, where it goes, when, whenyou're talking about live action
, remakes of animated classicseven though I think the first,
how to train your dragon, waslike 2010, but whatever, we'll
call it a classic.
Um, but whatever we'll call ita classic.
(58:46):
But then you know, you haveMinecraft, video game adaptation
, super Mario Brothers story, orat least pull from a similar
source material, like AlexGarland making a Skyrim film, or
is it Skyrim or Elden Ring?
I forget which one.
Speaker 2 (58:52):
I think it's Elden Ring.
Speaker 1 (58:54):
Elden Ring.
So like again, we've seen,we've seen, we've seen video
games that have more appeal toan older generation struggle at
the box office.
I think we saw this with theWorld of Warcraft movie.
There's hundreds of millions ofpeople who still, to this day,
play World of Warcraft and noone cared about that movie.
(59:15):
They were too early, I guess.
So.
The Dragon Ball Z movie, movieum, they were too early, I guess
so, um, and and so the dragonwe'll, we'll see what happens
when, when different filmmakersand different target
demographics start to get movieslike this aimed towards them,
and and what?
The response is um, because thefamily stuff will always play.
(59:38):
But will they try to capitalize?
Will studios try to capitalizein other areas?
You know we have um, is it ZachCrager?
Who's?
Who's the filmmaker behindbarbarian, and he's rebooting
the resident evil franchise.
So different different things tokeep our eye on, I think Um
well, and, to be fair, residentevil did like what?
Speaker 2 (01:00:01):
nine movies.
I fucking love every single oneof them.
Yeah, I mean they were, theywere very successful, right they
, they had a huge and again Ithink that plays into the horror
right evergreen uh genre.
So yeah, it is going to bereally interesting, like I, you
know, I wonder if anyone's evergoing to make like a, you know,
like a fall guys uh movie, right, and and yeah, that play though
I guess that could be morefamily friendly.
(01:00:23):
I'm trying to think of like apg-13 or like video.
You know, assassin's creed,they tried that and that that
failed.
So it's, who knows, uh, maybe,maybe it is just you have to do
it.
Kid, kid friendly.
Speaker 1 (01:00:39):
Yeah, um, okay.
Well, something that's not goingto be kid friendly, that we are
really, really, really excitedabout next week is, 28 years
later, the long awaited thirdinstallment into um the rage
virus story, and so we haveDanny Boyle back at the helm
(01:00:59):
directing this project.
The film is written by AlexGarland, who helped him on the
first film with the script, andso we're we can't wait to not
only talk about that film butDanny Boyle, a director who
we've yet to have theopportunity to really explore
his, his catalog, and so that'llbe really fun to do like a
(01:01:20):
rankings episode or however wedecide to do that, someone who
you know, I think we're bothvery familiar with.
But until we have these moments, right, we talk about this time
and time again, episode andepisode again, like until we
really have the time to sit downand start to compare a film
like, maybe, slumdog millionaireversus train spotting, like,
(01:01:40):
right, you don't think about allthe different things um that
that someone has accomplished intheir, in their career.
So it'll be really fun to do adanny boyle episode next week
yeah, I can't wait.
Speaker 2 (01:01:52):
Uh, do we call this?
Is this a legacy sequel?
Speaker 1 (01:01:56):
because it's been 20 years it's, it's, it's honestly,
it's in the title, right?
If it's in the title, I thinkwe have to abide by it uh, yeah,
it's, it's gonna be, uh, it'sgonna be rip-roaring.
Speaker 2 (01:02:10):
I can't wait to see this in in in theaters and this
will be gnarly, this this moviewas shot all on using iphones,
uh, which is really interesting.
so think about that while you'rein the theater.
I've seen like crazy picturesI'll try and cue some up for
next week of like these rigsthey bought, where they had like
40 phones on like a, like ametal arm that they were like
(01:02:34):
running around and then they'recapturing every angle you know
of whatever scene they'reshooting on these phones.
It's insane.
So, yeah, I can't wait to goback into this world.
You know, I don't really evenremember 28.
Was it?
28 weeks later is the sequel 28weeks later.
(01:02:57):
I just remember it not being asmonumental as 28 days, uh, but.
Speaker 1 (01:03:04):
You know it's funny, it has a lot of the same energy
that final destination two has,where I think the the opening of
28 weeks later is so good andalmost rivals anything that we
get in the original.
So because of that that, Ithink people think of it very
fondly, but the story is just alot less interesting in the
(01:03:26):
second one once you get pastthat opening set piece.
Um, still a fine film, thoughthat, um, you know, is going to
have a lot of a lot of peoplerevisiting it here over the next
week or so yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:03:39):
And then you know, I, you know we get to, if we, if
we're going to go into deep,into into boil, we get to talk
about the beach, we get to talkabout sunshine yeah you know, I
mean he has made some somereally amazing movies that I
think both of us like the venndiagram kind of kind of unites
(01:03:59):
on a lot of his films.
Um, so yeah, I'm I'm veryexcited to to take a look at
that.
Speaker 1 (01:04:06):
That'd be great.
Um, and then also coming up toit's near the halfway mark of
2025 already.
So after we do our just to kindof look ahead a few weeks here,
after we do our 28 years slashjenny boyle episode, we will be
doing a best of recap for theyear so far.
(01:04:29):
Um, so a lot, a lot to lookforward to here on the show.
Until next time, please followexcuse the intermission on
instagram and the two of us onletterboxd to track the movies
that we're watching betweenshows, and we'll talk to you
next time on ETI, where moviesstill matter.
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