October 13, 2025 • 57 mins
A galaxy on a cat collar, a roach in a skin suit, and two agents who turn deadpan into an art form—our take on Men in Black digs into why this 90s sci‑fi comedy still lives rent‑free in pop culture even as its plot wobbles under scrutiny. We trade first impressions—one of us is a first-time viewer—and unpack that friction between unforgettable chemistry and a story that leaves key beats off-screen. Will Smith’s looseness sparring with Tommy Lee Jones’ dry precision lights up the frame; Vincent D’Onofrio’s physical performance makes “Edgar” a villain you can’t ignore; Rip Torn’s Zed anchors the agency with a voice many of us knew from the theme park long before we met him on-screen.
We pull back the curtain on practical effects, animatronics, and oversized props that sell the illusion, from goo bombs to the neuralyzer close-ups. The MTV-era marketing machine turns out to be a character of its own—music video dominance, radio airplay, and the kind of summer blitz that doesn’t happen anymore. Then we go where the movie doesn’t: the scrapped diplomat storyline that would have sharpened stakes and clarified “Orion’s belt,” how the final marble gag aims for cosmic perspective but undercuts emotional payoff, and why this world begs for an X‑Files‑style series exploring cold cases, gray ethics, and the lives erased by a flash of light.
Along the way, we note what’s aged well (tight set pieces, witty recruitment tests, tabloid-as-truth satire) and what hasn’t (a morgue gag that feels off today). We land on a split verdict for rewatch value: comfort background viewing for some, a once-and-done for others, with broad agreement that the buddy dynamic is the engine that keeps it running. If you love 90s blockbusters, practical creature craft, and movies that shaped the zeitgeist, this one’s worth the conversation—warts, worms, and all. Hit play, then tell us: classic or just classic marketing? Subscribe, share with a friend who quotes “the best of the best,” and leave a review with your MIB rating out of 10.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Dylan (00:00):
Hey Joe, could you pass the sugar in water?
Yeah.
Welcome to have you seen themovie podcast where every movie
(00:27):
is a premiere.
This week's movie, Men inBlack, is rated PG 13.
So if that's not suitable forlittle ears, we hope you tune in
next week.
Joe (00:36):
We're sitting up for one of the most iconic sci-fi comedies
of the 90s.
And yes, Dylan had never seenit before.
Dylan (00:42):
Yeah, I don't know how I was able to miss this one.
It's definitely more of mytime.
Joe (00:48):
Yeah.
Yeah.
90s, um, you know, summer of97.
Uh, Will Smith had already doneIndependence Day.
Um, he didn't want the storygoes, he didn't want to do
another alien movie.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
Well, he failed on that one,didn't he?
Yeah.
So uh he he held off and thenfinally gave in to it.
Dylan (01:13):
Yeah, but I mean, say the the blend between like the
sci-fi and comedy was definitelydefinitely done well.
So definitely big kudos to theto the writers on that one.
Quick plot rundown.
We have an NYPD cop that getsrecruited into a secret alien
monitoring agency.
He gets partnered with a grumpyveteran and saves Earth from a
(01:36):
giant bug.
Joe, I'm not a big fan of bugs.
Joe (01:40):
Yeah, you if you're not a fan of bugs, you're not gonna be
a fan of this movie.
Dylan (01:44):
Yeah, it's definitely not high on my rewatch list.
Joe (01:48):
I will spoilers for the end of the pod, but yeah, it's
definitely buggy.
So first reaction?
Dylan (01:58):
Yeah, it's I think it was a decent watch, but like I
definitely would not go out ofmy way for a rewatch.
What was what was the bug guy'sname?
Ed Oh Edgar?
Joe (02:14):
I didn't know there was gonna be a pop quiz.
Yeah, it was Edgar.
It was Edgar.
He pretty much called him Edgarbecause that's who the host's
name was.
Dylan (02:23):
Yeah, but like he he definitely did a good job acting
the part.
And I don't know, maybe for meit was a little too good of a
job acting the part becausethere was definitely definitely
times where it was disturbingisn't really right, but it was
definitely off-putting.
(02:43):
Yeah.
So but his he definitely haslike parts in there where he
definitely plays it just right.
And then like to me, there'sother parts that's just it's
just too much.
Joe (02:56):
Yeah, yeah.
I mean it it's the thing aboutthat movie is again that Will
Smith was was writing high onThe Fresh Prince.
Yeah, he had um it it kind ofboosted his career again to to
do the men in black.
Um and that song is you know,simply forget me not.
(03:19):
It's an oldie, and so he tookthat, did a did a sample, and
then you know, this is the menin black.
Um and and like it was just itwas one of those times that we
don't I don't feel like we haveanymore.
Yeah.
Where when you did a movie youhad a good soundtrack or at
(03:40):
least a decent soundtrack topush it to to videos and to get
it MTV.
Right.
And so like the wholeexperience of coming from, you
know, when we talked about Jawsto the 90s, you go from the 70s
to the 90s to where it's an epicevent in the summer.
Yeah.
And I mean you you see the uhthe actors going on these huge
(04:03):
press releases and doingentertaining while they're doing
it.
Dylan (04:08):
Yeah, which you definitely don't get anymore.
Joe (04:10):
Yeah, it's just it it was so I think I mean the internet
was coming along and everything,but there was just so much more
pomp and circumstance, if youwill, behind the opening of a
movie as compared to to now,where it just it's not like
that.
And so the you know, everythingthat went into it um for the
(04:33):
summer was just right there, youknow.
Dylan (04:37):
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
And like the just like thechemistry between like Will
Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, likeyou know, Will Will Smith is all
you know kind of bouncy andfunny, and then Tommy Lee Jones
is just just so uh he's just uhhas such that southern dry yeah
(05:01):
humor, and it's just so good.
Joe (05:03):
And yeah, the whole you know, he had to stay as dry as
possible, right?
So that Will could just youknow just be just eat it up,
yeah, just eat it up, and um,you know, it's funny because
Tommy Lee in the director's eyeswas um was the guy, you know,
(05:24):
yeah, and uh the director saidhim and his wife were reading
the the script and and one ofthem said Tommy Lee and the
other one said Will Smith.
And so like they they pursuedthat, but in the in the midst of
it all, like being the 90s,yeah, friends was huge, and so
(05:45):
um uh the guy who played um Rossin in Friends, uh David
Schwimmer was offered the partand he turned it down.
Um who knows why?
Yeah, you know.
Dylan (06:01):
Um probably definitely missed that one, yeah.
Joe (06:04):
And and there was a couple other actors the um uh that came
up for the role, yeah.
And uh some of them didn't wantit because they felt like it
was a part that um you know theyhad played before and they
didn't want to do it again.
Dylan (06:20):
Yeah, more of like a like a juvenile role, yeah.
Joe (06:23):
Yeah and so they didn't they didn't want to get
typecast, so they chose not to,but uh Will finally relented.
Dylan (06:32):
Yeah, yeah.
Joe (06:34):
Um and and speaking of like some of the actors in there uh
so when you look at the cast,when you look at it from this
perspective, you're like, ah,you know, they're they're
they're playing these bit parts.
And it's kind of like takingthese huge actors and then
(06:55):
putting them in these like smallroles all together into a you
know a cast of you know just aum a joint cast, yeah.
So they're playing off of eachother and and it there's not one
like you know, I thinkobviously for that time they
were pushing Will Smith as thebig star of the movie, right?
But Tommy Lee has so much, youknow, has had so much credits uh
(07:20):
you know before that, butVincent D'Nafrio he was in um
Full Metal Jacket, and that wasa huge part.
It was like one of the pivotalcharacters in that movie.
Dylan (07:33):
Oh, really?
Joe (07:34):
Yeah, and so he had he had a great career and takes this
part of a basically a a roachinside of a man, right?
And so it's like it's it couldbe when you look at it, it's
such a good role, yeah, and hedoes such a good job that it
(07:55):
seems beneath a quality actor totake that, but because he's
such a good actor, he could actwith these appliances on his
face and look like the undeadthe whole time, you know.
So um, and and Rip Torn, yeah,he's from Texas as well, and so
(08:15):
Rip Torn and Tommy Lee just playthese, you know, uh very dry
humor, very Texan, uh straightlace, you know, this is by the
book, right?
Yeah uh type of guys, and andso they played off of each
other, and you know, that justmade it great.
(08:35):
There was a rumor that LindaFlorentino actually got the part
because she lost a poker betwith the director.
Oh really?
So they they've both have havehad different stories on that,
so it can't be confirmed, yeah,but that's why she did what she
did.
Dylan (08:55):
And like, was the was the coroner like was it a more of a
different role like in thescript?
Because I feel like it's I feltlike in the movie it kind of
missed its mark.
Like she tried to, you know, bea little more on the kooky
(09:16):
mysterious side, and like itjust I don't know if it was just
the way it was written or what,but like I felt like it kind of
just missed that mark with me.
So you're saying she had aQueen of the Undead vibe?
Yeah, yeah, like like tried to,but like also on the same hand,
(09:37):
like kind of missed it.
Yeah, and so like it it didn'treally make it quirky, it didn't
yeah, like it just made itweird and not in the weird kid
fashion, right?
Joe (09:50):
And it's a hard role because like was she playing it
to act like she her brain hadbeen fried a couple of times,
you know, because like everytime they reset.
Dylan (10:02):
I yeah, I guess I didn't consider that in it.
Joe (10:05):
Because like she like you notice she even comes into the
um when is it the thread?
Dylan (10:13):
Like right at the beginning, yeah.
She comes in and is like whatdoes she say?
She's like, I believe you.
Yeah, I believe you.
Joe (10:19):
Yeah, come and meet me at the you know, blah blah blah.
And then and then like then shegets, you know, then she gets
fried.
And so then that's true.
Yeah, so like it's almost likeshe had to reset each time, and
it was difficult to like youknow, so she had to play that.
And right, so yeah, it's just ahard part to to kind of get,
(10:40):
but I I get where you're comingfrom, yeah.
Dylan (10:42):
Yeah, and then like also like going off of like character
actors and stuff, like likeRiptorn as Zed is such like the
his voice is so I guess kind ofI'm gonna say iconic for the
role because I I honestly thinkthis is the first movie I've
(11:04):
seen him in.
Joe (11:04):
Okay.
Dylan (11:05):
And like also from going to like Universal Orlando a lot,
uh-huh.
Is that the same voice in theMen in Black ride?
I'm pretty sure it is.
Yeah.
Okay.
So like from riding that ride alot of times, and then like
actually watching the movie likelater on after the fact, it's
(11:26):
so funny because then I'm likethinking back in my head, I'm
like, oh, okay, that's wherethat comes to play.
And like starting, you know, inthe ride, you start off in the
training room, uh-huh, you know,that like Will Smith was in.
Yeah.
And then like, you know, in inthe story of the ride, then the
the what what is it?
(11:48):
A prison ship crashes full oflike they say it's alien bugs,
don't they?
Joe (11:54):
Yeah.
So something like that.
Dylan (11:56):
Yeah, because of the final, you know, right, right.
And so so, but yeah, um, but Iknow he he does the voice in the
ride, and so like that's whatlike that's what clicked with
me.
I'm like, oh, yeah, there itis, that's it.
He's the one.
Joe (12:13):
That's where the yeah, that's where the voice comes
from.
Like, this is why he's there.
Right, yeah.
Dylan (12:21):
Yeah, I think it's funny too of how the like you have the
the secret alien society, likethe men in black guys, like just
hidden right in plain sight.
Joe (12:35):
Yeah, yeah.
And there's several severalthoughts of just, you know,
these guys are these heroes thatare um, you know, they're doing
all this work and they get nocredit for it.
Right.
And and they have to make upthese stories, and they have to
uh, you know, if they don't havefamilies, they have to, you
(12:58):
know, pull up pull away fromeverything that they they, you
know, and that that kind of uhyou know, I think that drives
the story for this one too.
Dylan (13:09):
Yeah, because then like also at the end of the movie,
then it has Agent K as likewaking up from a coma after you
know so many years.
Joe (13:20):
Yeah.
Dylan (13:20):
So that's kind of a funny a nice ending for for that
character.
Yeah.
Yeah, the the Danny Elfmanscore, like in it is I think
same thing, like it's good.
Joe (13:34):
Yeah.
Dylan (13:34):
I mean, everything Danny Elfman does, I've always I've
always liked.
Yeah.
You know, it's it's hard notto.
Joe (13:41):
Yeah.
Dylan (13:41):
But like definitely, definitely not one of my
favorite scores.
Joe (13:46):
Like just kind of middle of the road.
Dylan (13:50):
Right, just super middle of the road, and honestly, not
very memorable.
Like, I think I remember likethe opening score of it so much
is because I got annoyed by thedragonfly buzzing, uh, yeah,
just constantly through thewhole opener.
Joe (14:06):
Yeah.
And and it's funny because theyspent a lot of time getting
that shot and like going backand forth whether they were
gonna do it, and like well, theywasted their time, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, because they, youknow, I mean, pretty much they
they did a studio shot um of theroad and all the background,
(14:28):
and then they added the the uhthe dragonfly over it uh in CG.
And yeah, and so like they youknow, so they took a lot of time
and a lot of effort into it.
Dylan (14:41):
Yeah.
And uh which at that point, Iguess once you have what is it?
It's the sunk cost fallacy.
Yeah, like once you get to theend of it, you just have to see
it through at that point.
Joe (14:50):
Well, the funny thing about it is, and what you should like
about it with not liking it, isat the end of the sequence he
splats on the window.
Honestly, the best part.
Yeah, exactly.
Dylan (15:04):
Yeah.
It's funny too, like when whenJay gets down into the MIB
headquarters for the first timeto go through like the the uh
the testing and stuff, and likethe the uncomfortable egg
chairs, yeah, and like himpulling over the the screechy
(15:26):
table.
Yeah, and he's like, You guyswant to get in on this?
And they just stare at it.
Joe (15:30):
And they're just like, nah, you're crazy.
But yeah, I mean that that justserves to the plot because I
don't know, I um you you justsee the difference.
Like, first he's running afterthe alien, right?
And obviously, Kay is like, ohman, like he just went after
(15:53):
this uh was it Karillian orsomething like that, yeah, and
and on foot, and so he's like,This guy can can do some stuff,
you know, and he doesn't want toblow up his head right away,
but he's obviously like thisguy's got it.
Dylan (16:10):
You've got you've got what we're looking for, yeah,
right.
Joe (16:13):
And then you see his skill set because these other guys um
have this this just this umattitude of like staying within
the box and this is how it is,right?
And Will's like, I just need togo from point A to B.
So if that means I'm gonna goget that table over there and
(16:33):
bring it over here so I canwrite this test better, yeah,
I'm gonna do that, you know.
If it if you know, especiallywith his hesitation, you know,
that's like the one of the bestthings.
He hesitates on shooting whatalien and he shoots the the
little girl.
Um, and he explains why, youknow.
(16:54):
Yeah, she's like, she has uhwhat is it?
Uh the quantum science book.
Quantum science book.
That's that's she's the whitegirl in the middle of the
ghetto.
Yeah, like she's eight yearsold.
What is she doing?
You know, up at night.
Like, there's just all thesethings are like, yeah, that's
clear clearly the the uh alien.
Dylan (17:15):
After like the first scene, too, uh huh, and like we
first get introduced to Jay,uh-huh, and he's running, you
know, through the streets of NewYork after the alien.
It's like it's such aninteresting way to kind of
introduce a character that way.
Joe (17:33):
Yeah.
It I I I love it becausethere's such a huge contrast
from you know, the illegal alienlooking for the illegal alien
amongst the illegal aliens, andthen and then having that
character, you know, at first helooks like cute, and then once
he gets discovered, he goes nutsand he's like these big teeth,
(17:56):
and and then kind of thecalmness with both agents of not
freaking out, but everybodyelse around them is shows like
their their kind of wherewithaland they're seasoned.
Yeah, and so it it sets him upas this like seasoned
professional, totally, totally,you know, like uh one thing I
(18:17):
noticed was you know, he hesays, put up your hands and
fins, you know, like it's nor anormal thing, you know, like
it's just this is what we youtell him.
This he has fins, we're gonnatell him to do that, you know.
It's not like he hesitates oranything, and then you see this
kind of like um, you know, thisdetective who's who's out to get
(18:39):
the main guy, and then youknow, he's out running these fat
cops, which he talks aboutlater, you know, and people are
jealous of him and um just don'twant to see him succeed, but he
obviously has the you know thejuice, right?
He got what it takes, yeah.
So yeah, it it it seems uh youknow, it seems kind of
(19:03):
interesting when you look at it.
Dylan (19:05):
So with the opening scene too, like how how did they how
did they make that big oldsplat?
Oh with the with the uh withthe goo.
Joe (19:15):
Oh with the goo, oh yeah, there was like they used like tw
they said 25 to 50 pounds ofthis goo that they made up.
Yeah, and and it just like theymade uh basically a bomb of
this goo.
And then they had, you know,once they were ready to explode
it, you know, they moved thingsout of the way, right, and then
just exploded it, and and itjust just went nuts.
Dylan (19:39):
Wow.
Because that was a that was agood shot of the alien, you
know, getting getting shot bythe laser gun.
Yeah, and then and then justexploding into goo.
Yeah, you know, and they havethe have the shot where it's you
know zoomed out and just showsthe zoo the goo just going
everywhere, yeah.
Joe (20:00):
And and it was such a a mix of like a guy in a suit, yeah,
to CGI, you know, to the goo, tolike mixing that all in.
Dylan (20:10):
Yeah, yeah.
The the way that they also likeintroduced the the bug Edgar is
is kind of interesting too, isthe spaceship crashes into the
truck, folding it in half, yeah,into the ground.
Yeah.
And um the the man Edgargetting sucked into the yeah,
(20:36):
into the alien spacecraft then.
And yeah, like you don't seeanything that happens, but then
like you see like what is prettymuch the skin suit like flop
out, yeah, and then kind of justlike get sucked back in.
Yeah.
Just kind of wiggles across theground.
Joe (20:51):
It's it's it's hilarious.
It's like this big silicone,you know, body that just flops
out of the dirt, you know.
And yeah, I like the whole thewhole approach because he's
like, um, he's just this, youknow, country bumpkin, and he's
gonna go check out what's goingon.
And and you know, he's like,you know, he he just has that
(21:14):
interaction with the alien.
And yeah, I forget what hesays, like, you know, he oh, the
alien tells him, uh, put yourweapon down, and he's like,
You're gonna pry it.
I don't have to cold dead.
Dylan (21:29):
Yeah, and then what what does the alien say?
That is acceptable.
Yes, and then just grabs him.
Yep, he just got yoinked.
Joe (21:38):
Yeah, yeah.
And then he has the, you know,he goes in there with like his
face drooping, and yep.
She's like, he's like, your faceis drooping.
Dylan (21:52):
Oh yeah, and then you kind of have that kind of the
like definitely like the weird90s, like weird CGI mix of when
he like stretches his face outthen.
Yeah, it's better.
Joe (22:10):
But it's still not, you know, the Scorpion King level of
CGI.
That was that was amazing, ifyou know anything about that.
Dylan (22:17):
See, like I guess my like my reference for like amazing
CGI, yeah, would be like I wouldsay Pirates of the Caribbean.
Oh, okay.
Like, like Davy Jones.
Joe (22:29):
Yeah.
Dylan (22:29):
Like because like tentacles.
Yeah.
Like, yeah, which you just thatoh yeah, like to me, that's
peak.
Right.
And I'm like, yeah, like thethis the care that went into
that.
Joe (22:42):
Scorpion King is known for having the worst CGI.
Oh, see, I totally missed that.
I just he has not seen it.
Could you tell?
Yeah.
Yeah, for being universal parklovers, uh, you know, we're
(23:03):
we're covering a lot of thesemovies.
Dylan (23:07):
Yeah, and it's like just like going to the parks and like
being in the parks and havingno idea.
Yeah, what the references arethe references behind it and
stuff.
Joe (23:17):
Yeah.
Dylan (23:19):
What what did you think about the uh the alien giving
birth in the car scene?
Joe (23:25):
Yeah, I thought that was pretty cool.
Um behind the scenes.
Uh they talked about how likeit it it really hurt Will's back
because he was on a like a uhgimbal or something to get the
shot.
So it was like they had the CG,but he was like actually
flopping around and stuff.
Like there were so manypractical things that they did
(23:48):
for that.
Um just going back to even thatfirst uh running scene.
I mean, they're actuallyrunning, and then the the stunt
man, uh kind of like with Jaws,um the stunt person was the
actor, yeah, and they were like,you know, he was so nervous,
(24:08):
not about the stunt, which wasbasically falling backwards.
Uh, you know, he was on a wire,but he had he had to just fall
backwards, like a you know, thehugest trust ball you can think
of, right?
You know, and then uh, but hewas more nervous about the
acting part of it than he wasabout the the stunt.
Yeah, and then acting alongsideWill Smith.
Dylan (24:30):
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Joe (24:32):
And then so like with um, you know, some of that other it
was such a mix of practical andbecause again, going back to the
90s, you know, the one of thebiggest uh at the time examples
of CG was that was Terminator 2,but that was so practical as
(24:52):
well.
Yeah, and so uh back then youhad to do so many practical
things, uh physical things tosell the CG.
Because yeah nowadays, likeyou're like you're selling the
practical because of the CG.
And you know, before it waslike the uh opposite.
So uh yeah, he got hurt a lot.
Dylan (25:15):
Yeah, because like I was I was just assuming that that
that the the tentacle scene withWill Smith, I assumed that that
was pretty much all CG.
Joe (25:26):
Yeah, no, it these days it would be, you know.
Um oh what was a movie that Irecently seen that was like
that, where it was like theperson was flopping around and
you could tell it was CG, and itwas just like oh, you know, I
don't know if it was HarryPotter or something like that,
something that was adventurous,but it was like it was just the
(25:48):
little like you know, yeah,yeah.
Dylan (25:51):
That's a little too on the nose.
Joe (25:52):
Yeah, yeah.
Dylan (25:53):
Or he was like I felt like I also felt like with what
they did with the the alienprinces kind of role like
storyline there, yeah.
I feel like they could havelike flushed it out a little bit
better, yeah.
Because I feel like I feel likewatching it, you are not it
(26:21):
kind of just drops you into themiddle of his story, it kind of
I kind of felt like.
Joe (26:25):
Yeah.
Dylan (26:26):
Because the it it picks up with the bug going and
hunting him down in New York.
And like the bug already knowsthat he's trying to go after the
galaxy, yeah.
And the like I guess you youdon't I I would like to have
(26:49):
more of a reason why.
Joe (26:51):
Uh-huh.
Dylan (26:52):
So I I feel like it just kind of picks up in the middle
of that story more.
Joe (26:57):
Yeah.
Dylan (26:57):
And it it to me it just kind of missed something.
Joe (27:01):
Yeah.
So what was missing is theactual plot because originally
those two, you know, uh princesat the at the restaurant.
Dylan (27:14):
Oh, the other one was a prince too?
Yeah.
Oh, okay, because I thoughtthat he was like kind of working
for the city.
Joe (27:22):
Yeah, like they were they were both mutual, you know, of
the same planet, right?
Uh-huh.
Well, originally it wassupposed to be two opposing
diplomats meeting to like workout things, and he was there to
the bug was there to like umdisrupt it, disrupt it.
(27:43):
And see that like that wouldhave made so much more sense.
Yeah.
So like that scene was umfilmed with like that original
dialogue, and then they wentback and did all the like um
subtitled dialogue with a weirdalien uh you know language
(28:03):
between.
Um the dog had a different uhdialogue and everything because
it was like they were it like alot of these scenes were driving
all of this.
The scene where um they'relooking up at the at the uh
teleprompter or whatever, yeah,and they show the the big ship
(28:25):
driving and all that.
Well, originally it was gonnabe this thing where it was two
ships and the the two opposing,and they were shooting at the
earth together, like some weird,like like yeah, some reason
they had to shoot at Earth forsome reason, and it was just
like they decided not to go withthat, and so they went all the
(28:46):
way back to that whole thing,changed the plot, and then moved
it along.
So, yeah, it it's okay.
So, yeah, so you're right, itit there was something there
that just was missing, yeah.
Dylan (29:02):
Cause like even the way you just described that, like
what would have just made somuch more sense in like the plot
of the story.
Joe (29:14):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Dylan (29:16):
And it it yeah, it definitely would have helped
drive the the story alongbetter.
Joe (29:22):
I've never read the comic book, but I know it was based on
a comic book.
Dylan (29:25):
Oh, really?
Yeah.
Oh, that's that yeah.
See, and I bet like pulling itout of the comic book like that
too, like I bet that probablywould have also just gone over
the plot line so much better andbeen more coherent.
Joe (29:44):
Yeah, I I mean there's a lot of references to where you
know they get their news fromthe tabloids.
Dylan (29:50):
Yeah.
And yeah, and like getting thenews from the tabloids is is
like such a funny take on thatbecause like we look at that.
And just like a bunch of gossiprags.
Right.
And they're like, oh no, thisis our news.
Yeah, this is our news.
Joe (30:06):
Like this is actually happening.
Right.
Like it it's like one of thosethings where like the most
far-fetched thing that you canthink of is is for them the most
obvious thing.
Yeah.
You know?
And and so like they're livingthat life of being, you know,
seeing these aliens, knowing allthese people and and knowing
(30:26):
what's going on.
And so then um, but yeah, itwas it was based on a comic
book.
And uh Tommy Lee actuallysigned on because he knew the
comic book.
He didn't even oh really, yeah,he didn't even see the script
and he was like, I'll do itbecause he knew.
Oh, that's cool.
Yeah, yeah, it's kind of he hadfaith.
(30:46):
Yeah, he did, he did, and youknow, having Steven Spielberg
that attached to a movie helpedtoo.
Dylan (30:53):
Right, right, because like definitely going forward,
like you know, Jaws in '75 andthen this in '97, like Steven
Spielberg also had severalmovies in between there.
He he already had the wholestudio behind him.
Joe (31:12):
Yeah.
There's just so many, you know,movies in the future we'll
cover that he had to do with,but being an executive producer,
he could just, you know, callin the favors.
Right.
Um, you know, there was there'sthe uh again, like the the
screens that are in the uh theuh headquarters, uh they had
(31:36):
just um they had done did anoriginal run or a first run of
the movie, yeah, and peopledidn't recognize people on
screen, so they had to go backand change who was on there.
And some some guy tied with auh talent agency, yeah uh had
(31:57):
just signed Sylvester Stallone,so they got him and they got a
bunch of other stars that peoplewould know internationally,
right, rather than local newspeople or people only, you know,
in America that right, youknow, so right, because it's
that's definitely one of thosethings that it's like you know,
on a screen of what is it, 12?
Dylan (32:20):
I think I recognized two of them.
Yeah, yeah.
And like, you know, it'sdefinitely one of those things
that it's like if you're if youknow you're like, oh, that's a
good shot.
Yeah, but then it's like if nota little bit more of you know
where I'm coming from, I'm justlike, look at all those people.
Joe (32:40):
Yeah, right.
And and that whole scene uh ispretty cool because there's so
much mix of CGI and practical.
Dylan (32:49):
For when for when like they first kind of come down
like the elevator and and walkout into the room, like that was
definitely a worthwhile mix ofCGI and you know, actual um like
practical stuff too.
Yeah, like it was kind of theit was done very tastefully and
(33:13):
done very well meshing it alltogether on that one.
Joe (33:17):
Yeah, they had they only had a you know a certain budget,
so they could only build somany suits or aliens and things
like that.
So then they filled it out withCGI, but um one of the actors
that's in that scene is the guywho would go on to play Mini Me
and the uh uh what do you callit?
(33:38):
Uh Austin Powers movie.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
Uh and so like there's justtons of different actors that
are in there that like that thatyou don't know are there,
right?
You know, um, but uh with thewith the practical effects, um
(33:58):
Rick Baker was the main uh youknow effects guy.
Yeah.
And he did thriller, he did alot of 80s movies.
Um gotcha.
He's he's like one of the kingsof um makeup effects, artist
effects.
Um we'll probably find someother movies that he's part of.
Dylan (34:21):
Yeah.
Yeah, it would definitely beinteresting, like being able to
kind of pick that out and seewhat else he's in.
But yeah, kind of like what youwere saying, kind of at the at
the at the beginning there, oflike the the music of it, like
(34:42):
you know, and the music videobeing on MTV.
MTV, thank you.
I was like, what do you callit?
Like that young yeah, like withit being on MTV, like that you
like because people used to justhave MTV just playing, yeah,
(35:03):
like all the time.
Joe (35:04):
It was yeah, you you got home from school, you threw on
MTV.
Yeah, I mean, there's a pointwhere like they would do total
requests live, and like theywould shoot show the newest
videos, and you could call inand request a video, and like or
or vote for videos, and thatwould get you know an MTV award,
and oh you know, so it was likeit all played off of itself,
(35:28):
yeah.
And you know, with uh againwith with Will Smith and having
that success from the FreshPrince and all that was going
on, and he was just starting tobe in action sta.
Dylan (35:45):
Yeah, it like it definitely but it definitely
just pushed the whole movie likejust deeper into its kind of
pulp culture oh yeah roots therethan yeah, it took over the
summer, let's put it that way.
Yeah, at least I felt like youknow, thinking back on it, it
was like yeah, it was uh yeah.
You couldn't couldn't turnaround without running running
(36:08):
into it, yeah.
Joe (36:09):
And they you know, nobody knew like how how successful
this was gonna be or not, youknow.
I mean you you obviously lineall your actors up and go, okay,
this person's talented, thisperson's talented.
We have Spielberg, we have youknow Barry's son.
Right, here's our star studycast, yeah, and let's see what
happens, and yeah, you know.
Dylan (36:31):
Um what did okay, what did you think about the scene in
the morgue where Will Smiththought that the girl was being
all like provocative about it?
Joe (36:46):
Oh, right, is that when she was like, you really need to
take a look at this and thatpart or yeah, yeah, and like
where he's like totally justreading it wrong, right?
Dylan (36:56):
Yeah, and like I don't know, to me, like watching it,
I'm like cringe, yeah, like youknow, because I'm I don't know,
I've just watched it and I'mlike like he should I guess like
him in his role should knowbetter, yeah.
And like you know, he's notthinking with his head, yeah, at
(37:22):
that point, yeah, but I thinkhow like okay, how much of that
was in the writing versus howmuch of that was like Will Smith
kind of wanting to kind ofspoof that?
Joe (37:36):
Yeah, I don't I as far as that scene, I don't know, but I
know that he wrote the uh thepart where in the in the first
scene when they're runningaround and he falls into the bus
and he talks about uh you knowuh it's random black people.
It's random black people in NewYork, yeah.
That was totally him.
He wrote that and and he justyou know, I guess it was over a
(38:00):
a break and uh lunch break orsomething, and he was talking
about it with people who waslike, What if we did this?
And so we tried it and itworked, and I thought it was
funny, and for the time it'slike you know, like that's the
funny part, yeah.
So I don't know if that wassomething they tried and they
thought it was funny.
Um, but obviously it's one ofthose scenes that hasn't aged
(38:20):
well.
It doesn't age well, yeah.
Dylan (38:23):
Yeah, yeah, but like just like you you kind of touched
on, just sitting there watchingit, it's like you just kind of
yeah, you just kind of grinsinto your chair.
Joe (38:33):
Like well, the funny thing, and what I think what I think
makes it funny is that even thealien is like, come on, dude.
Like you can see his face likeraw, all right.
If he could roll his eyes, hewould.
Yeah, yeah.
It just he's just like, yeah.
So I think I think part of thatis playing off of like the the
(38:57):
whole um character arc of himgrowing as a as a agent and
learning uh how to be uh youknow more serious and more
professional and things likethat.
Dylan (39:13):
Taking his job seriously, yeah.
Joe (39:15):
I think it's it's kind of funny that at the beginning he
makes fun of Kay, uh the way heyou know describes how some
event had just happened and youknow uh in the first scene with
with uh you know Edgar's wife.
Right.
And he makes he's like, that'sthe best you can come up with,
and and all that.
And then and then like youknow, a couple scenes later,
(39:36):
it's like in days later, andhe's trying to copy him, he
can't remember the exact words.
Yeah.
Dylan (39:43):
Because what is what is he's trying to talk about, like
the the sun sunbeams refractingoff of a gas cloud of and like
you know, obviously I'm tellingit as good as Rick Smith right
there, right?
Yeah, but yeah, like thatcallback though is is funny, and
(40:05):
like I would not have picked upon that if you didn't point
that out while we were watchingit.
Yeah, like my brain would nothave connected the two.
Yeah, so that it just that's afunny, funny moment right there.
Joe (40:18):
Yeah, and there's some payoffs like that that are so
subtle that you know you missthem if you blink, but right,
right, yeah.
Dylan (40:26):
I like I thought the scene in the morgue too, like of
when they're like autopsyingthe the kind of the the fake
body, uh-huh, and like his faceopens up to the side and yeah,
reveals the little guy.
Like, I thought that was a coolscene though, and that that
(40:46):
definitely was a good payoff.
Joe (40:48):
Yeah, yeah.
It's the crazy thing aboutthat.
So I learned this from the guywho does uh who originally uh
Adam Savage.
Um originally did um theMythbusters and all that.
Um so for the for the uh umlaser, the um the nebulizer?
(41:15):
Yeah, the nebulizer.
Nebulizer?
Dylan (41:17):
No, neuralizer.
Joe (41:19):
Neuralizer, yeah.
For the neuralizer, they hadtwo sizes, and one of them was
like a huge, like, like youknow, like two-handed
contraption, like a whole likefoot, uh huge contraption, oh
man, so that they could have theL L C D screen on it, um, and
(41:39):
have it functioning and allthat.
Because back then parts weren'tthat small, right?
So chunky.
Yeah, so they to to doclose-ups, they filmed a huge,
like a bigger version of it.
Oh and then when you had it,you know, when Tommy Lee was
pointing it or or whatever,right?
It was a smaller one that hadlimited function.
(42:02):
Oh, that's interesting.
And so with the alien, withthat alien, it was an eight-foot
uh alien.
Really?
They they kind of filmed withthe screens and like all that
stuff to like, you know, to getthat shot.
Wow.
Yeah, because they had himmoving and all that kind of
(42:22):
stuff.
And in order to do that, youneed the hydraulics, you need
the you know, the stuff.
So wow, okay.
And again, with Rick Baker,he's a practical effects guy, so
it's like you're you're gonnaget movement, you're gonna get,
you know, right.
Dylan (42:37):
You're you're gonna get the life out of it.
Joe (42:39):
Yeah, and not to be uh, you know, to mention honorable
mention, the worm guys, yeah,they were all practical puppets,
and there was like, you know,for for each each each puppet,
there was a voice, and and sothey made them give give them
personalities and things likethat, but they were all
(43:01):
practical.
And and you know, when they'rewhen they're leaving their CGI,
but when they're when they're inthat place, kind of like in the
ride, they they're all movingwith puppetry and that's cool.
Yeah.
Dylan (43:16):
So yeah, when they're when they're leaving with their
marble seven seven packs ofmarble armor.
So so what did you think aboutlike the whole like plot line of
the galaxy being on the collaror on Orion's belt?
Joe (43:37):
Yeah, man, I don't know.
Um it it's it's a plot, youknow.
Yeah, uh, it wasn't like it waskind of cool the first viewing,
but I after you watch it,you're just kind of like, yeah,
it makes sense, you know.
Does it make sense though?
Yeah, I don't know.
Dylan (43:58):
There were some things that were not just it just
doesn't line up well, and I feellike that really hinders kind
of your viewing experience ofit.
Yeah, like you're missing a lotof plot beats that set up ones
down the road, and so it's likegoing through it, you're like,
(44:22):
this is happening, why is thishappening?
Yeah, oh the galaxy is onOrion's belt.
Joe (44:30):
Uh-huh.
Dylan (44:30):
Well, like, we don't we don't understand what that
means.
What's you know, what's theidea of the galaxy?
You know, why why is it there?
Yeah, why is it seemingly beingprotected, right?
Kept under watch.
Joe (44:52):
I had a laugh at the end because spoiler alert, um the
aliens are playing marbles,marbles with it, right?
And I'm like, was that thewhole plot?
Right.
Dylan (45:04):
Like you're going to destroy the you know, the earth
to get your marble back, yeah.
But is that is that yourfavorite marble?
Right.
Like, did do you win all thetournaments with that marble?
Joe (45:17):
Yeah.
Dylan (45:18):
So it's just a little like right, yeah.
And then, like, you know,dumping it into the bag with all
the other marbles of all theother galaxies, and like, you
know, is that trying to besymbolic of like is there a
deeper meaning?
Joe (45:36):
Like right, we're all meaningless and and we're in
this marble galaxy, and right,getting rolled around and yeah,
but yeah, like it just to me itjust did not line up.
Dylan (45:49):
And I think if they that that really makes me want to go
kind of check out the comicsnow, yeah, yeah.
And like kind of see, oh okay,like that was supposed to be
right more of storyline for it.
Joe (46:05):
Yeah.
And I and I wonder if that waswhy um they they tried to reboot
it recently.
Like they basically took theThor Ragnarok people and put
them in the suits.
Yeah.
And uh it's like I forget whatit's called, like M IB
International or something.
Um but but yeah, they they tryto reboot it.
(46:27):
And I and I would because Iwould even think like, let's
look at the comics, how faithfulcan you be?
Like, even if it wasn't ourrating, like how how could you
make it more because I thinkabout the X Files and the
potential that that could havewith Men in Black and how uh you
(46:51):
know the sh that show exploredso many sci-fi things, like you
know, just so many other things.
And like if you just slapped amen in black label on it, how
cool that would be.
Dylan (47:05):
Yeah, you know, yeah, because you like you could even
take that and have it like, youknow, like men in black cold
files, right?
Where they're like trying to goback on previous things and get
stuff figured out.
Yeah.
You could easily have like amen in black like TV show of
(47:28):
where they're you know almostspoofing off of like current,
you know, cop and detectivepolice TV shows.
Yeah.
Joe (47:39):
I like the cold files thing.
If if anybody's listening, thatwould be a good idea.
Because I I you know there'sthat show Cold Files, and if you
had that meet X Files and uhyou explored all that, it would
it would be really cool, how howfar you could go with it and
how how cool it could be touncover some things, you know.
And I love like just droppingsome lines about how you know
(48:06):
when when they're going throughthe tunnel and and Tommy Lee is
singing Elvis, and how he'slike, you know, Elvis, you know,
he's like, he's dead.
He's like, no, he's not, hejust went home.
He just went home.
Yeah, that's a good throw in.
Yeah.
Um yeah, just acknowledgingcertain things like that.
Like even his his what was afourth grade teacher or
something.
(48:26):
Yeah.
I swore she was an alien,right?
Dylan (48:30):
And like, you know, like let you know, like if we if you
were to do a TV series, likethat's so I feel like it's easy
to like take that and be like,okay, we go to the file, you
know, go to that file on herbecause kind of by the way they
(48:52):
were acting, it seemed like theyhad already resolved that yeah
situation, whatever was going onwith that, yeah, and like going
back into it and like kind ofjust going through it and what
men in black did to resolvethat.
Joe (49:07):
And and kind of where uh they show how they're monitoring
people, they're monitoringaliens, and like the you know,
well, you have the illegalalien, but then you have that
couple that's trying to, youknow, get it get out of town.
Dylan (49:22):
That they're they're allowed to be in Manhattan, but
then yeah, you know, trying toleave Manhattan for for the
pregnant wife.
Joe (49:29):
Yeah, and so it's it's there's so many elements that
could be explored more than whatwas.
Dylan (49:36):
Right.
Right.
Well, what what did you thinkof for like rewatch value?
Joe (49:42):
Um, you know, I put it in that category of like if it's
on, you know, I might leave iton in the background and like if
I'm if I'm putting some dishesaway, and you know, just having
having one of those kind of youknow the lines already.
Right.
Because it it's such, like Isaid, it's such a pop culture
thing that it's always on cable,um, or it, you know, it's
(50:05):
streaming somewhere, or and soum, yeah, it's one of those
comfortable rewatches, right?
Like I don't know that I would,you know, kind of like Lord of
the Rings, like sit down and anddo a uh MIB marathon or
something like that, but yeah,because how many MIB movies are
there?
Um with Tommy Lee, I think it'sthree, and then there's that
(50:31):
international one, yeah.
Dylan (50:32):
Wait, so because they definitely set up the first one
as that was going to be his oneand only, didn't they?
Joe (50:40):
Right, yeah.
So that they originally wantedto have the Linda Florentino
character continue, yeah, butthere was some stuff behind the
scenes that didn't, you know,they didn't want that to happen.
Okay.
And so because of the you know,it was kind of like the having
(51:06):
the Abbott and Costello comedypair, right?
They were like the pairing ofTommy Lee and Will Smith is
amazing, like let's not changeit.
Like they didn't know what theywere getting into when they
started, and so it was like theit was just overwhelming until
they decided okay, we're gonnafind a reason in part two to
bring them back, and we're gonnafind a reason in part three to
(51:29):
bring them back, and so yeah,because they neuralize his
character.
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
We'll have to watch part two.
Dylan (51:42):
Oh boy.
Joe (51:44):
Yeah, it's kind of like one of those things where like uh
those soap operas are whatever,like, you know, the person dies
and like how you bring themback.
Yeah, you know, I was left thewhole time, you know.
Right.
But you went through a youknow, like a chopping machine.
Yeah, yeah, and they put youback together.
Dylan (52:03):
You crashed into the ocean and we watched your body
float away.
Joe (52:07):
Yeah.
Dylan (52:07):
How were you alive?
Joe (52:09):
Yeah.
We saw you get eaten by a giantshark.
Dylan (52:18):
On a rewatch scale, like out of 10, what would you rate
it?
Joe (52:25):
Rewatch scale, I think like a 6.5.
6.5, yeah.
Which is not terrible to me.
Dylan (52:36):
Yeah, like definitely like on a first-time first-time
watcher, like I don't know, Iwould rate it probably a three
or a four to be honest.
Like, yeah, I really trulydon't have an interest in
sitting down and really watchingit again.
Joe (52:56):
Uh-huh.
Dylan (52:57):
Like yeah, the the back and forth between Tommy Lee and
Will Smith, like great.
Yeah, it was hilarious.
Joe (53:06):
Yeah.
Dylan (53:07):
And it honestly truthfully had like a lot more
comedy and humor in it than Iwas expecting it to.
Joe (53:14):
Oh, really?
Dylan (53:15):
And um, so you know, that was a good surprise there, but
like I feel like with how brokenthe the plot of it is, yeah,
it's I felt kind of hard to kindof keep engaged and like follow
along.
Joe (53:32):
Uh-huh.
Dylan (53:33):
And like, you know, I'm kind of guilty of like looking
away from a movie and then, youknow, tuning it out and then
going back into it and be like,oh, I'm lost now because that,
you know, five minutes justpassed, and I guess there was
something important in there.
Right.
Like, I got that feelingwatching Men in Black, and I
(53:54):
like tried to sit there andstay, stay in tune with it,
yeah.
You know, as best as I could.
Uh-huh.
But like, I don't know.
Would you say that it's like amust watch of the 90s
blockbusters?
Joe (54:08):
I mean, it's definitely on the list.
Um think so.
I guess I guess what else wouldbe on that list is really what
the question is.
Because uh you would knowbetter than I.
I'll I'll say this.
Uh I haven't seen IndependenceDay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Because I just it just neverappealed to me.
(54:32):
Yeah.
And and so with Men in Black, Igave it a chance.
And I think with the overallcast of of everybody, especially
um Edgar's Edgar's wife andbeing so dry humor and just
playing that part, you know.
Yeah, there's a lot of good.
I think I think there's a lotof good, and then there's some
(54:55):
bad.
And and I think like, yeah, asyou bring it up, just the the
morgue scenes, some of them arejust like, what?
What is this?
You know, um the bug guy, ornot the bug guy, but when the
when Edgar goes after the guy atthe morgue, um the he's the guy
(55:19):
who like manages the morgue,uh, and he takes him out because
he's like killing the bugs.
That was a little to me.
Yeah, yeah.
Dylan (55:30):
Ooh, and the bugs cross across the counter.
We could have done withoutthat.
Joe (55:35):
Yeah.
So but my 90s movies are likePulp Fiction and things like
that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Matrix is definitely on thelist.
Dylan (55:45):
Um yeah, I think you kind of yelled at me a little bit
for not having watched TheMatrix before.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, you know.
All the good fun.
Yeah.
Joe (56:03):
We'll get there.
We'll get there.
Well, thank you guys forlistening to the Have You Seen
podcast.
We encourage you to uh send anymovie suggestions that you want
us to uh watch, and we willgive you a review on it.
Dylan (56:18):
Yeah, definitely.
And don't forget to uh dropdown into the socials and and
check the links down in thedescription and go follow on all
the socials.
Joe (56:29):
And before you hesitate at any suggestions, just realize
that Dylan has not seen a lot ofmovies.
Dylan (56:38):
Yep, that's very true.
Well, I've been Dylan.
That's been Joe.
Hi.
Joe (56:45):
Now go over to Bloomingdales, get yourself
something to wear.
Get a home makeover becausedang.
Dylan (56:51):
We hope you enjoyed this episode.
But if you didn't, don't worry.
Just like run at it here, thislittle red light, and you loved
it.
Perfect.
Hey Joe, could you pass the sugar in water?
Yeah.
Welcome to have you seen themovie podcast where every movie
(00:27):
is a premiere.
This week's movie, Men inBlack, is rated PG 13.
So if that's not suitable forlittle ears, we hope you tune in
next week.
Joe (00:36):
We're sitting up for one of the most iconic sci-fi comedies
of the 90s.
And yes, Dylan had never seenit before.
Dylan (00:42):
Yeah, I don't know how I was able to miss this one.
It's definitely more of mytime.
Joe (00:48):
Yeah.
Yeah.
90s, um, you know, summer of97.
Uh, Will Smith had already doneIndependence Day.
Um, he didn't want the storygoes, he didn't want to do
another alien movie.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
Well, he failed on that one,didn't he?
Yeah.
So uh he he held off and thenfinally gave in to it.
Dylan (01:13):
Yeah, but I mean, say the the blend between like the
sci-fi and comedy was definitelydefinitely done well.
So definitely big kudos to theto the writers on that one.
Quick plot rundown.
We have an NYPD cop that getsrecruited into a secret alien
monitoring agency.
He gets partnered with a grumpyveteran and saves Earth from a
(01:36):
giant bug.
Joe, I'm not a big fan of bugs.
Joe (01:40):
Yeah, you if you're not a fan of bugs, you're not gonna be
a fan of this movie.
Dylan (01:44):
Yeah, it's definitely not high on my rewatch list.
Joe (01:48):
I will spoilers for the end of the pod, but yeah, it's
definitely buggy.
So first reaction?
Dylan (01:58):
Yeah, it's I think it was a decent watch, but like I
definitely would not go out ofmy way for a rewatch.
What was what was the bug guy'sname?
Ed Oh Edgar?
Joe (02:14):
I didn't know there was gonna be a pop quiz.
Yeah, it was Edgar.
It was Edgar.
He pretty much called him Edgarbecause that's who the host's
name was.
Dylan (02:23):
Yeah, but like he he definitely did a good job acting
the part.
And I don't know, maybe for meit was a little too good of a
job acting the part becausethere was definitely definitely
times where it was disturbingisn't really right, but it was
definitely off-putting.
(02:43):
Yeah.
So but his he definitely haslike parts in there where he
definitely plays it just right.
And then like to me, there'sother parts that's just it's
just too much.
Joe (02:56):
Yeah, yeah.
I mean it it's the thing aboutthat movie is again that Will
Smith was was writing high onThe Fresh Prince.
Yeah, he had um it it kind ofboosted his career again to to
do the men in black.
Um and that song is you know,simply forget me not.
(03:19):
It's an oldie, and so he tookthat, did a did a sample, and
then you know, this is the menin black.
Um and and like it was just itwas one of those times that we
don't I don't feel like we haveanymore.
Yeah.
Where when you did a movie youhad a good soundtrack or at
(03:40):
least a decent soundtrack topush it to to videos and to get
it MTV.
Right.
And so like the wholeexperience of coming from, you
know, when we talked about Jawsto the 90s, you go from the 70s
to the 90s to where it's an epicevent in the summer.
Yeah.
And I mean you you see the uhthe actors going on these huge
(04:03):
press releases and doingentertaining while they're doing
it.
Dylan (04:08):
Yeah, which you definitely don't get anymore.
Joe (04:10):
Yeah, it's just it it was so I think I mean the internet
was coming along and everything,but there was just so much more
pomp and circumstance, if youwill, behind the opening of a
movie as compared to to now,where it just it's not like
that.
And so the you know, everythingthat went into it um for the
(04:33):
summer was just right there, youknow.
Dylan (04:37):
Yeah, yeah, for sure.
And like the just like thechemistry between like Will
Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, likeyou know, Will Will Smith is all
you know kind of bouncy andfunny, and then Tommy Lee Jones
is just just so uh he's just uhhas such that southern dry yeah
(05:01):
humor, and it's just so good.
Joe (05:03):
And yeah, the whole you know, he had to stay as dry as
possible, right?
So that Will could just youknow just be just eat it up,
yeah, just eat it up, and um,you know, it's funny because
Tommy Lee in the director's eyeswas um was the guy, you know,
(05:24):
yeah, and uh the director saidhim and his wife were reading
the the script and and one ofthem said Tommy Lee and the
other one said Will Smith.
And so like they they pursuedthat, but in the in the midst of
it all, like being the 90s,yeah, friends was huge, and so
(05:45):
um uh the guy who played um Rossin in Friends, uh David
Schwimmer was offered the partand he turned it down.
Um who knows why?
Yeah, you know.
Dylan (06:01):
Um probably definitely missed that one, yeah.
Joe (06:04):
And and there was a couple other actors the um uh that came
up for the role, yeah.
And uh some of them didn't wantit because they felt like it
was a part that um you know theyhad played before and they
didn't want to do it again.
Dylan (06:20):
Yeah, more of like a like a juvenile role, yeah.
Joe (06:23):
Yeah and so they didn't they didn't want to get
typecast, so they chose not to,but uh Will finally relented.
Dylan (06:32):
Yeah, yeah.
Joe (06:34):
Um and and speaking of like some of the actors in there uh
so when you look at the cast,when you look at it from this
perspective, you're like, ah,you know, they're they're
they're playing these bit parts.
And it's kind of like takingthese huge actors and then
(06:55):
putting them in these like smallroles all together into a you
know a cast of you know just aum a joint cast, yeah.
So they're playing off of eachother and and it there's not one
like you know, I thinkobviously for that time they
were pushing Will Smith as thebig star of the movie, right?
But Tommy Lee has so much, youknow, has had so much credits uh
(07:20):
you know before that, butVincent D'Nafrio he was in um
Full Metal Jacket, and that wasa huge part.
It was like one of the pivotalcharacters in that movie.
Dylan (07:33):
Oh, really?
Joe (07:34):
Yeah, and so he had he had a great career and takes this
part of a basically a a roachinside of a man, right?
And so it's like it's it couldbe when you look at it, it's
such a good role, yeah, and hedoes such a good job that it
(07:55):
seems beneath a quality actor totake that, but because he's
such a good actor, he could actwith these appliances on his
face and look like the undeadthe whole time, you know.
So um, and and Rip Torn, yeah,he's from Texas as well, and so
(08:15):
Rip Torn and Tommy Lee just playthese, you know, uh very dry
humor, very Texan, uh straightlace, you know, this is by the
book, right?
Yeah uh type of guys, and andso they played off of each
other, and you know, that justmade it great.
(08:35):
There was a rumor that LindaFlorentino actually got the part
because she lost a poker betwith the director.
Oh really?
So they they've both have havehad different stories on that,
so it can't be confirmed, yeah,but that's why she did what she
did.
Dylan (08:55):
And like, was the was the coroner like was it a more of a
different role like in thescript?
Because I feel like it's I feltlike in the movie it kind of
missed its mark.
Like she tried to, you know, bea little more on the kooky
(09:16):
mysterious side, and like itjust I don't know if it was just
the way it was written or what,but like I felt like it kind of
just missed that mark with me.
So you're saying she had aQueen of the Undead vibe?
Yeah, yeah, like like tried to,but like also on the same hand,
(09:37):
like kind of missed it.
Yeah, and so like it it didn'treally make it quirky, it didn't
yeah, like it just made itweird and not in the weird kid
fashion, right?
Joe (09:50):
And it's a hard role because like was she playing it
to act like she her brain hadbeen fried a couple of times,
you know, because like everytime they reset.
Dylan (10:02):
I yeah, I guess I didn't consider that in it.
Joe (10:05):
Because like she like you notice she even comes into the
um when is it the thread?
Dylan (10:13):
Like right at the beginning, yeah.
She comes in and is like whatdoes she say?
She's like, I believe you.
Yeah, I believe you.
Joe (10:19):
Yeah, come and meet me at the you know, blah blah blah.
And then and then like then shegets, you know, then she gets
fried.
And so then that's true.
Yeah, so like it's almost likeshe had to reset each time, and
it was difficult to like youknow, so she had to play that.
And right, so yeah, it's just ahard part to to kind of get,
(10:40):
but I I get where you're comingfrom, yeah.
Dylan (10:42):
Yeah, and then like also like going off of like character
actors and stuff, like likeRiptorn as Zed is such like the
his voice is so I guess kind ofI'm gonna say iconic for the
role because I I honestly thinkthis is the first movie I've
(11:04):
seen him in.
Joe (11:04):
Okay.
Dylan (11:05):
And like also from going to like Universal Orlando a lot,
uh-huh.
Is that the same voice in theMen in Black ride?
I'm pretty sure it is.
Yeah.
Okay.
So like from riding that ride alot of times, and then like
actually watching the movie likelater on after the fact, it's
(11:26):
so funny because then I'm likethinking back in my head, I'm
like, oh, okay, that's wherethat comes to play.
And like starting, you know, inthe ride, you start off in the
training room, uh-huh, you know,that like Will Smith was in.
Yeah.
And then like, you know, in inthe story of the ride, then the
the what what is it?
(11:48):
A prison ship crashes full oflike they say it's alien bugs,
don't they?
Joe (11:54):
Yeah.
So something like that.
Dylan (11:56):
Yeah, because of the final, you know, right, right.
And so so, but yeah, um, but Iknow he he does the voice in the
ride, and so like that's whatlike that's what clicked with
me.
I'm like, oh, yeah, there itis, that's it.
He's the one.
Joe (12:13):
That's where the yeah, that's where the voice comes
from.
Like, this is why he's there.
Right, yeah.
Dylan (12:21):
Yeah, I think it's funny too of how the like you have the
the secret alien society, likethe men in black guys, like just
hidden right in plain sight.
Joe (12:35):
Yeah, yeah.
And there's several severalthoughts of just, you know,
these guys are these heroes thatare um, you know, they're doing
all this work and they get nocredit for it.
Right.
And and they have to make upthese stories, and they have to
uh, you know, if they don't havefamilies, they have to, you
(12:58):
know, pull up pull away fromeverything that they they, you
know, and that that kind of uhyou know, I think that drives
the story for this one too.
Dylan (13:09):
Yeah, because then like also at the end of the movie,
then it has Agent K as likewaking up from a coma after you
know so many years.
Joe (13:20):
Yeah.
Dylan (13:20):
So that's kind of a funny a nice ending for for that
character.
Yeah.
Yeah, the the Danny Elfmanscore, like in it is I think
same thing, like it's good.
Joe (13:34):
Yeah.
Dylan (13:34):
I mean, everything Danny Elfman does, I've always I've
always liked.
Yeah.
You know, it's it's hard notto.
Joe (13:41):
Yeah.
Dylan (13:41):
But like definitely, definitely not one of my
favorite scores.
Joe (13:46):
Like just kind of middle of the road.
Dylan (13:50):
Right, just super middle of the road, and honestly, not
very memorable.
Like, I think I remember likethe opening score of it so much
is because I got annoyed by thedragonfly buzzing, uh, yeah,
just constantly through thewhole opener.
Joe (14:06):
Yeah.
And and it's funny because theyspent a lot of time getting
that shot and like going backand forth whether they were
gonna do it, and like well, theywasted their time, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, because they, youknow, I mean, pretty much they
they did a studio shot um of theroad and all the background,
(14:28):
and then they added the the uhthe dragonfly over it uh in CG.
And yeah, and so like they youknow, so they took a lot of time
and a lot of effort into it.
Dylan (14:41):
Yeah.
And uh which at that point, Iguess once you have what is it?
It's the sunk cost fallacy.
Yeah, like once you get to theend of it, you just have to see
it through at that point.
Joe (14:50):
Well, the funny thing about it is, and what you should like
about it with not liking it, isat the end of the sequence he
splats on the window.
Honestly, the best part.
Yeah, exactly.
Dylan (15:04):
Yeah.
It's funny too, like when whenJay gets down into the MIB
headquarters for the first timeto go through like the the uh
the testing and stuff, and likethe the uncomfortable egg
chairs, yeah, and like himpulling over the the screechy
(15:26):
table.
Yeah, and he's like, You guyswant to get in on this?
And they just stare at it.
Joe (15:30):
And they're just like, nah, you're crazy.
But yeah, I mean that that justserves to the plot because I
don't know, I um you you justsee the difference.
Like, first he's running afterthe alien, right?
And obviously, Kay is like, ohman, like he just went after
(15:53):
this uh was it Karillian orsomething like that, yeah, and
and on foot, and so he's like,This guy can can do some stuff,
you know, and he doesn't want toblow up his head right away,
but he's obviously like thisguy's got it.
Dylan (16:10):
You've got you've got what we're looking for, yeah,
right.
Joe (16:13):
And then you see his skill set because these other guys um
have this this just this umattitude of like staying within
the box and this is how it is,right?
And Will's like, I just need togo from point A to B.
So if that means I'm gonna goget that table over there and
(16:33):
bring it over here so I canwrite this test better, yeah,
I'm gonna do that, you know.
If it if you know, especiallywith his hesitation, you know,
that's like the one of the bestthings.
He hesitates on shooting whatalien and he shoots the the
little girl.
Um, and he explains why, youknow.
(16:54):
Yeah, she's like, she has uhwhat is it?
Uh the quantum science book.
Quantum science book.
That's that's she's the whitegirl in the middle of the
ghetto.
Yeah, like she's eight yearsold.
What is she doing?
You know, up at night.
Like, there's just all thesethings are like, yeah, that's
clear clearly the the uh alien.
Dylan (17:15):
After like the first scene, too, uh huh, and like we
first get introduced to Jay,uh-huh, and he's running, you
know, through the streets of NewYork after the alien.
It's like it's such aninteresting way to kind of
introduce a character that way.
Joe (17:33):
Yeah.
It I I I love it becausethere's such a huge contrast
from you know, the illegal alienlooking for the illegal alien
amongst the illegal aliens, andthen and then having that
character, you know, at first helooks like cute, and then once
he gets discovered, he goes nutsand he's like these big teeth,
(17:56):
and and then kind of thecalmness with both agents of not
freaking out, but everybodyelse around them is shows like
their their kind of wherewithaland they're seasoned.
Yeah, and so it it sets him upas this like seasoned
professional, totally, totally,you know, like uh one thing I
(18:17):
noticed was you know, he hesays, put up your hands and
fins, you know, like it's nor anormal thing, you know, like
it's just this is what we youtell him.
This he has fins, we're gonnatell him to do that, you know.
It's not like he hesitates oranything, and then you see this
kind of like um, you know, thisdetective who's who's out to get
(18:39):
the main guy, and then youknow, he's out running these fat
cops, which he talks aboutlater, you know, and people are
jealous of him and um just don'twant to see him succeed, but he
obviously has the you know thejuice, right?
He got what it takes, yeah.
So yeah, it it it seems uh youknow, it seems kind of
(19:03):
interesting when you look at it.
Dylan (19:05):
So with the opening scene too, like how how did they how
did they make that big oldsplat?
Oh with the with the uh withthe goo.
Joe (19:15):
Oh with the goo, oh yeah, there was like they used like tw
they said 25 to 50 pounds ofthis goo that they made up.
Yeah, and and it just like theymade uh basically a bomb of
this goo.
And then they had, you know,once they were ready to explode
it, you know, they moved thingsout of the way, right, and then
just exploded it, and and itjust just went nuts.
Dylan (19:39):
Wow.
Because that was a that was agood shot of the alien, you
know, getting getting shot bythe laser gun.
Yeah, and then and then justexploding into goo.
Yeah, you know, and they havethe have the shot where it's you
know zoomed out and just showsthe zoo the goo just going
everywhere, yeah.
Joe (20:00):
And and it was such a a mix of like a guy in a suit, yeah,
to CGI, you know, to the goo, tolike mixing that all in.
Dylan (20:10):
Yeah, yeah.
The the way that they also likeintroduced the the bug Edgar is
is kind of interesting too, isthe spaceship crashes into the
truck, folding it in half, yeah,into the ground.
Yeah.
And um the the man Edgargetting sucked into the yeah,
(20:36):
into the alien spacecraft then.
And yeah, like you don't seeanything that happens, but then
like you see like what is prettymuch the skin suit like flop
out, yeah, and then kind of justlike get sucked back in.
Yeah.
Just kind of wiggles across theground.
Joe (20:51):
It's it's it's hilarious.
It's like this big silicone,you know, body that just flops
out of the dirt, you know.
And yeah, I like the whole thewhole approach because he's
like, um, he's just this, youknow, country bumpkin, and he's
gonna go check out what's goingon.
And and you know, he's like,you know, he he just has that
(21:14):
interaction with the alien.
And yeah, I forget what hesays, like, you know, he oh, the
alien tells him, uh, put yourweapon down, and he's like,
You're gonna pry it.
I don't have to cold dead.
Dylan (21:29):
Yeah, and then what what does the alien say?
That is acceptable.
Yes, and then just grabs him.
Yep, he just got yoinked.
Joe (21:38):
Yeah, yeah.
And then he has the, you know,he goes in there with like his
face drooping, and yep.
She's like, he's like, your faceis drooping.
Dylan (21:52):
Oh yeah, and then you kind of have that kind of the
like definitely like the weird90s, like weird CGI mix of when
he like stretches his face outthen.
Yeah, it's better.
Joe (22:10):
But it's still not, you know, the Scorpion King level of
CGI.
That was that was amazing, ifyou know anything about that.
Dylan (22:17):
See, like I guess my like my reference for like amazing
CGI, yeah, would be like I wouldsay Pirates of the Caribbean.
Oh, okay.
Like, like Davy Jones.
Joe (22:29):
Yeah.
Dylan (22:29):
Like because like tentacles.
Yeah.
Like, yeah, which you just thatoh yeah, like to me, that's
peak.
Right.
And I'm like, yeah, like thethis the care that went into
that.
Joe (22:42):
Scorpion King is known for having the worst CGI.
Oh, see, I totally missed that.
I just he has not seen it.
Could you tell?
Yeah.
Yeah, for being universal parklovers, uh, you know, we're
(23:03):
we're covering a lot of thesemovies.
Dylan (23:07):
Yeah, and it's like just like going to the parks and like
being in the parks and havingno idea.
Yeah, what the references arethe references behind it and
stuff.
Joe (23:17):
Yeah.
Dylan (23:19):
What what did you think about the uh the alien giving
birth in the car scene?
Joe (23:25):
Yeah, I thought that was pretty cool.
Um behind the scenes.
Uh they talked about how likeit it it really hurt Will's back
because he was on a like a uhgimbal or something to get the
shot.
So it was like they had the CG,but he was like actually
flopping around and stuff.
Like there were so manypractical things that they did
(23:48):
for that.
Um just going back to even thatfirst uh running scene.
I mean, they're actuallyrunning, and then the the stunt
man, uh kind of like with Jaws,um the stunt person was the
actor, yeah, and they were like,you know, he was so nervous,
(24:08):
not about the stunt, which wasbasically falling backwards.
Uh, you know, he was on a wire,but he had he had to just fall
backwards, like a you know, thehugest trust ball you can think
of, right?
You know, and then uh, but hewas more nervous about the
acting part of it than he wasabout the the stunt.
Yeah, and then acting alongsideWill Smith.
Dylan (24:30):
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Joe (24:32):
And then so like with um, you know, some of that other it
was such a mix of practical andbecause again, going back to the
90s, you know, the one of thebiggest uh at the time examples
of CG was that was Terminator 2,but that was so practical as
(24:52):
well.
Yeah, and so uh back then youhad to do so many practical
things, uh physical things tosell the CG.
Because yeah nowadays, likeyou're like you're selling the
practical because of the CG.
And you know, before it waslike the uh opposite.
So uh yeah, he got hurt a lot.
Dylan (25:15):
Yeah, because like I was I was just assuming that that
that the the tentacle scene withWill Smith, I assumed that that
was pretty much all CG.
Joe (25:26):
Yeah, no, it these days it would be, you know.
Um oh what was a movie that Irecently seen that was like
that, where it was like theperson was flopping around and
you could tell it was CG, and itwas just like oh, you know, I
don't know if it was HarryPotter or something like that,
something that was adventurous,but it was like it was just the
(25:48):
little like you know, yeah,yeah.
Dylan (25:51):
That's a little too on the nose.
Joe (25:52):
Yeah, yeah.
Dylan (25:53):
Or he was like I felt like I also felt like with what
they did with the the alienprinces kind of role like
storyline there, yeah.
I feel like they could havelike flushed it out a little bit
better, yeah.
Because I feel like I feel likewatching it, you are not it
(26:21):
kind of just drops you into themiddle of his story, it kind of
I kind of felt like.
Joe (26:25):
Yeah.
Dylan (26:26):
Because the it it picks up with the bug going and
hunting him down in New York.
And like the bug already knowsthat he's trying to go after the
galaxy, yeah.
And the like I guess you youdon't I I would like to have
(26:49):
more of a reason why.
Joe (26:51):
Uh-huh.
Dylan (26:52):
So I I feel like it just kind of picks up in the middle
of that story more.
Joe (26:57):
Yeah.
Dylan (26:57):
And it it to me it just kind of missed something.
Joe (27:01):
Yeah.
So what was missing is theactual plot because originally
those two, you know, uh princesat the at the restaurant.
Dylan (27:14):
Oh, the other one was a prince too?
Yeah.
Oh, okay, because I thoughtthat he was like kind of working
for the city.
Joe (27:22):
Yeah, like they were they were both mutual, you know, of
the same planet, right?
Uh-huh.
Well, originally it wassupposed to be two opposing
diplomats meeting to like workout things, and he was there to
the bug was there to like umdisrupt it, disrupt it.
(27:43):
And see that like that wouldhave made so much more sense.
Yeah.
So like that scene was umfilmed with like that original
dialogue, and then they wentback and did all the like um
subtitled dialogue with a weirdalien uh you know language
(28:03):
between.
Um the dog had a different uhdialogue and everything because
it was like they were it like alot of these scenes were driving
all of this.
The scene where um they'relooking up at the at the uh
teleprompter or whatever, yeah,and they show the the big ship
(28:25):
driving and all that.
Well, originally it was gonnabe this thing where it was two
ships and the the two opposing,and they were shooting at the
earth together, like some weird,like like yeah, some reason
they had to shoot at Earth forsome reason, and it was just
like they decided not to go withthat, and so they went all the
(28:46):
way back to that whole thing,changed the plot, and then moved
it along.
So, yeah, it it's okay.
So, yeah, so you're right, itit there was something there
that just was missing, yeah.
Dylan (29:02):
Cause like even the way you just described that, like
what would have just made somuch more sense in like the plot
of the story.
Joe (29:14):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Dylan (29:16):
And it it yeah, it definitely would have helped
drive the the story alongbetter.
Joe (29:22):
I've never read the comic book, but I know it was based on
a comic book.
Dylan (29:25):
Oh, really?
Yeah.
Oh, that's that yeah.
See, and I bet like pulling itout of the comic book like that
too, like I bet that probablywould have also just gone over
the plot line so much better andbeen more coherent.
Joe (29:44):
Yeah, I I mean there's a lot of references to where you
know they get their news fromthe tabloids.
Dylan (29:50):
Yeah.
And yeah, and like getting thenews from the tabloids is is
like such a funny take on thatbecause like we look at that.
And just like a bunch of gossiprags.
Right.
And they're like, oh no, thisis our news.
Yeah, this is our news.
Joe (30:06):
Like this is actually happening.
Right.
Like it it's like one of thosethings where like the most
far-fetched thing that you canthink of is is for them the most
obvious thing.
Yeah.
You know?
And and so like they're livingthat life of being, you know,
seeing these aliens, knowing allthese people and and knowing
(30:26):
what's going on.
And so then um, but yeah, itwas it was based on a comic
book.
And uh Tommy Lee actuallysigned on because he knew the
comic book.
He didn't even oh really, yeah,he didn't even see the script
and he was like, I'll do itbecause he knew.
Oh, that's cool.
Yeah, yeah, it's kind of he hadfaith.
(30:46):
Yeah, he did, he did, and youknow, having Steven Spielberg
that attached to a movie helpedtoo.
Dylan (30:53):
Right, right, because like definitely going forward,
like you know, Jaws in '75 andthen this in '97, like Steven
Spielberg also had severalmovies in between there.
He he already had the wholestudio behind him.
Joe (31:12):
Yeah.
There's just so many, you know,movies in the future we'll
cover that he had to do with,but being an executive producer,
he could just, you know, callin the favors.
Right.
Um, you know, there was there'sthe uh again, like the the
screens that are in the uh theuh headquarters, uh they had
(31:36):
just um they had done did anoriginal run or a first run of
the movie, yeah, and peopledidn't recognize people on
screen, so they had to go backand change who was on there.
And some some guy tied with auh talent agency, yeah uh had
(31:57):
just signed Sylvester Stallone,so they got him and they got a
bunch of other stars that peoplewould know internationally,
right, rather than local newspeople or people only, you know,
in America that right, youknow, so right, because it's
that's definitely one of thosethings that it's like you know,
on a screen of what is it, 12?
Dylan (32:20):
I think I recognized two of them.
Yeah, yeah.
And like, you know, it'sdefinitely one of those things
that it's like if you're if youknow you're like, oh, that's a
good shot.
Yeah, but then it's like if nota little bit more of you know
where I'm coming from, I'm justlike, look at all those people.
Joe (32:40):
Yeah, right.
And and that whole scene uh ispretty cool because there's so
much mix of CGI and practical.
Dylan (32:49):
For when for when like they first kind of come down
like the elevator and and walkout into the room, like that was
definitely a worthwhile mix ofCGI and you know, actual um like
practical stuff too.
Yeah, like it was kind of theit was done very tastefully and
(33:13):
done very well meshing it alltogether on that one.
Joe (33:17):
Yeah, they had they only had a you know a certain budget,
so they could only build somany suits or aliens and things
like that.
So then they filled it out withCGI, but um one of the actors
that's in that scene is the guywho would go on to play Mini Me
and the uh uh what do you callit?
(33:38):
Uh Austin Powers movie.
Oh, really?
Yeah.
Uh and so like there's justtons of different actors that
are in there that like that thatyou don't know are there,
right?
You know, um, but uh with thewith the practical effects, um
(33:58):
Rick Baker was the main uh youknow effects guy.
Yeah.
And he did thriller, he did alot of 80s movies.
Um gotcha.
He's he's like one of the kingsof um makeup effects, artist
effects.
Um we'll probably find someother movies that he's part of.
Dylan (34:21):
Yeah.
Yeah, it would definitely beinteresting, like being able to
kind of pick that out and seewhat else he's in.
But yeah, kind of like what youwere saying, kind of at the at
the at the beginning there, oflike the the music of it, like
(34:42):
you know, and the music videobeing on MTV.
MTV, thank you.
I was like, what do you callit?
Like that young yeah, like withit being on MTV, like that you
like because people used to justhave MTV just playing, yeah,
(35:03):
like all the time.
Joe (35:04):
It was yeah, you you got home from school, you threw on
MTV.
Yeah, I mean, there's a pointwhere like they would do total
requests live, and like theywould shoot show the newest
videos, and you could call inand request a video, and like or
or vote for videos, and thatwould get you know an MTV award,
and oh you know, so it was likeit all played off of itself,
(35:28):
yeah.
And you know, with uh againwith with Will Smith and having
that success from the FreshPrince and all that was going
on, and he was just starting tobe in action sta.
Dylan (35:45):
Yeah, it like it definitely but it definitely
just pushed the whole movie likejust deeper into its kind of
pulp culture oh yeah roots therethan yeah, it took over the
summer, let's put it that way.
Yeah, at least I felt like youknow, thinking back on it, it
was like yeah, it was uh yeah.
You couldn't couldn't turnaround without running running
(36:08):
into it, yeah.
Joe (36:09):
And they you know, nobody knew like how how successful
this was gonna be or not, youknow.
I mean you you obviously lineall your actors up and go, okay,
this person's talented, thisperson's talented.
We have Spielberg, we have youknow Barry's son.
Right, here's our star studycast, yeah, and let's see what
happens, and yeah, you know.
Dylan (36:31):
Um what did okay, what did you think about the scene in
the morgue where Will Smiththought that the girl was being
all like provocative about it?
Joe (36:46):
Oh, right, is that when she was like, you really need to
take a look at this and thatpart or yeah, yeah, and like
where he's like totally justreading it wrong, right?
Dylan (36:56):
Yeah, and like I don't know, to me, like watching it,
I'm like cringe, yeah, like youknow, because I'm I don't know,
I've just watched it and I'mlike like he should I guess like
him in his role should knowbetter, yeah.
And like you know, he's notthinking with his head, yeah, at
(37:22):
that point, yeah, but I thinkhow like okay, how much of that
was in the writing versus howmuch of that was like Will Smith
kind of wanting to kind ofspoof that?
Joe (37:36):
Yeah, I don't I as far as that scene, I don't know, but I
know that he wrote the uh thepart where in the in the first
scene when they're runningaround and he falls into the bus
and he talks about uh you knowuh it's random black people.
It's random black people in NewYork, yeah.
That was totally him.
He wrote that and and he justyou know, I guess it was over a
(38:00):
a break and uh lunch break orsomething, and he was talking
about it with people who waslike, What if we did this?
And so we tried it and itworked, and I thought it was
funny, and for the time it'slike you know, like that's the
funny part, yeah.
So I don't know if that wassomething they tried and they
thought it was funny.
Um, but obviously it's one ofthose scenes that hasn't aged
(38:20):
well.
It doesn't age well, yeah.
Dylan (38:23):
Yeah, yeah, but like just like you you kind of touched
on, just sitting there watchingit, it's like you just kind of
yeah, you just kind of grinsinto your chair.
Joe (38:33):
Like well, the funny thing, and what I think what I think
makes it funny is that even thealien is like, come on, dude.
Like you can see his face likeraw, all right.
If he could roll his eyes, hewould.
Yeah, yeah.
It just he's just like, yeah.
So I think I think part of thatis playing off of like the the
(38:57):
whole um character arc of himgrowing as a as a agent and
learning uh how to be uh youknow more serious and more
professional and things likethat.
Dylan (39:13):
Taking his job seriously, yeah.
Joe (39:15):
I think it's it's kind of funny that at the beginning he
makes fun of Kay, uh the way heyou know describes how some
event had just happened and youknow uh in the first scene with
with uh you know Edgar's wife.
Right.
And he makes he's like, that'sthe best you can come up with,
and and all that.
And then and then like youknow, a couple scenes later,
(39:36):
it's like in days later, andhe's trying to copy him, he
can't remember the exact words.
Yeah.
Dylan (39:43):
Because what is what is he's trying to talk about, like
the the sun sunbeams refractingoff of a gas cloud of and like
you know, obviously I'm tellingit as good as Rick Smith right
there, right?
Yeah, but yeah, like thatcallback though is is funny, and
(40:05):
like I would not have picked upon that if you didn't point
that out while we were watchingit.
Yeah, like my brain would nothave connected the two.
Yeah, so that it just that's afunny, funny moment right there.
Joe (40:18):
Yeah, and there's some payoffs like that that are so
subtle that you know you missthem if you blink, but right,
right, yeah.
Dylan (40:26):
I like I thought the scene in the morgue too, like of
when they're like autopsyingthe the kind of the the fake
body, uh-huh, and like his faceopens up to the side and yeah,
reveals the little guy.
Like, I thought that was a coolscene though, and that that
(40:46):
definitely was a good payoff.
Joe (40:48):
Yeah, yeah.
It's the crazy thing aboutthat.
So I learned this from the guywho does uh who originally uh
Adam Savage.
Um originally did um theMythbusters and all that.
Um so for the for the uh umlaser, the um the nebulizer?
(41:15):
Yeah, the nebulizer.
Nebulizer?
Dylan (41:17):
No, neuralizer.
Joe (41:19):
Neuralizer, yeah.
For the neuralizer, they hadtwo sizes, and one of them was
like a huge, like, like youknow, like two-handed
contraption, like a whole likefoot, uh huge contraption, oh
man, so that they could have theL L C D screen on it, um, and
(41:39):
have it functioning and allthat.
Because back then parts weren'tthat small, right?
So chunky.
Yeah, so they to to doclose-ups, they filmed a huge,
like a bigger version of it.
Oh and then when you had it,you know, when Tommy Lee was
pointing it or or whatever,right?
It was a smaller one that hadlimited function.
(42:02):
Oh, that's interesting.
And so with the alien, withthat alien, it was an eight-foot
uh alien.
Really?
They they kind of filmed withthe screens and like all that
stuff to like, you know, to getthat shot.
Wow.
Yeah, because they had himmoving and all that kind of
(42:22):
stuff.
And in order to do that, youneed the hydraulics, you need
the you know, the stuff.
So wow, okay.
And again, with Rick Baker,he's a practical effects guy, so
it's like you're you're gonnaget movement, you're gonna get,
you know, right.
Dylan (42:37):
You're you're gonna get the life out of it.
Joe (42:39):
Yeah, and not to be uh, you know, to mention honorable
mention, the worm guys, yeah,they were all practical puppets,
and there was like, you know,for for each each each puppet,
there was a voice, and and sothey made them give give them
personalities and things likethat, but they were all
(43:01):
practical.
And and you know, when they'rewhen they're leaving their CGI,
but when they're when they're inthat place, kind of like in the
ride, they they're all movingwith puppetry and that's cool.
Yeah.
Dylan (43:16):
So yeah, when they're when they're leaving with their
marble seven seven packs ofmarble armor.
So so what did you think aboutlike the whole like plot line of
the galaxy being on the collaror on Orion's belt?
Joe (43:37):
Yeah, man, I don't know.
Um it it's it's a plot, youknow.
Yeah, uh, it wasn't like it waskind of cool the first viewing,
but I after you watch it,you're just kind of like, yeah,
it makes sense, you know.
Does it make sense though?
Yeah, I don't know.
Dylan (43:58):
There were some things that were not just it just
doesn't line up well, and I feellike that really hinders kind
of your viewing experience ofit.
Yeah, like you're missing a lotof plot beats that set up ones
down the road, and so it's likegoing through it, you're like,
(44:22):
this is happening, why is thishappening?
Yeah, oh the galaxy is onOrion's belt.
Joe (44:30):
Uh-huh.
Dylan (44:30):
Well, like, we don't we don't understand what that
means.
What's you know, what's theidea of the galaxy?
You know, why why is it there?
Yeah, why is it seemingly beingprotected, right?
Kept under watch.
Joe (44:52):
I had a laugh at the end because spoiler alert, um the
aliens are playing marbles,marbles with it, right?
And I'm like, was that thewhole plot?
Right.
Dylan (45:04):
Like you're going to destroy the you know, the earth
to get your marble back, yeah.
But is that is that yourfavorite marble?
Right.
Like, did do you win all thetournaments with that marble?
Joe (45:17):
Yeah.
Dylan (45:18):
So it's just a little like right, yeah.
And then, like, you know,dumping it into the bag with all
the other marbles of all theother galaxies, and like, you
know, is that trying to besymbolic of like is there a
deeper meaning?
Joe (45:36):
Like right, we're all meaningless and and we're in
this marble galaxy, and right,getting rolled around and yeah,
but yeah, like it just to me itjust did not line up.
Dylan (45:49):
And I think if they that that really makes me want to go
kind of check out the comicsnow, yeah, yeah.
And like kind of see, oh okay,like that was supposed to be
right more of storyline for it.
Joe (46:05):
Yeah.
And I and I wonder if that waswhy um they they tried to reboot
it recently.
Like they basically took theThor Ragnarok people and put
them in the suits.
Yeah.
And uh it's like I forget whatit's called, like M IB
International or something.
Um but but yeah, they they tryto reboot it.
(46:27):
And I and I would because Iwould even think like, let's
look at the comics, how faithfulcan you be?
Like, even if it wasn't ourrating, like how how could you
make it more because I thinkabout the X Files and the
potential that that could havewith Men in Black and how uh you
(46:51):
know the sh that show exploredso many sci-fi things, like you
know, just so many other things.
And like if you just slapped amen in black label on it, how
cool that would be.
Dylan (47:05):
Yeah, you know, yeah, because you like you could even
take that and have it like, youknow, like men in black cold
files, right?
Where they're like trying to goback on previous things and get
stuff figured out.
Yeah.
You could easily have like amen in black like TV show of
(47:28):
where they're you know almostspoofing off of like current,
you know, cop and detectivepolice TV shows.
Yeah.
Joe (47:39):
I like the cold files thing.
If if anybody's listening, thatwould be a good idea.
Because I I you know there'sthat show Cold Files, and if you
had that meet X Files and uhyou explored all that, it would
it would be really cool, how howfar you could go with it and
how how cool it could be touncover some things, you know.
And I love like just droppingsome lines about how you know
(48:06):
when when they're going throughthe tunnel and and Tommy Lee is
singing Elvis, and how he'slike, you know, Elvis, you know,
he's like, he's dead.
He's like, no, he's not, hejust went home.
He just went home.
Yeah, that's a good throw in.
Yeah.
Um yeah, just acknowledgingcertain things like that.
Like even his his what was afourth grade teacher or
something.
(48:26):
Yeah.
I swore she was an alien,right?
Dylan (48:30):
And like, you know, like let you know, like if we if you
were to do a TV series, likethat's so I feel like it's easy
to like take that and be like,okay, we go to the file, you
know, go to that file on herbecause kind of by the way they
(48:52):
were acting, it seemed like theyhad already resolved that yeah
situation, whatever was going onwith that, yeah, and like going
back into it and like kind ofjust going through it and what
men in black did to resolvethat.
Joe (49:07):
And and kind of where uh they show how they're monitoring
people, they're monitoringaliens, and like the you know,
well, you have the illegalalien, but then you have that
couple that's trying to, youknow, get it get out of town.
Dylan (49:22):
That they're they're allowed to be in Manhattan, but
then yeah, you know, trying toleave Manhattan for for the
pregnant wife.
Joe (49:29):
Yeah, and so it's it's there's so many elements that
could be explored more than whatwas.
Dylan (49:36):
Right.
Right.
Well, what what did you thinkof for like rewatch value?
Joe (49:42):
Um, you know, I put it in that category of like if it's
on, you know, I might leave iton in the background and like if
I'm if I'm putting some dishesaway, and you know, just having
having one of those kind of youknow the lines already.
Right.
Because it it's such, like Isaid, it's such a pop culture
thing that it's always on cable,um, or it, you know, it's
(50:05):
streaming somewhere, or and soum, yeah, it's one of those
comfortable rewatches, right?
Like I don't know that I would,you know, kind of like Lord of
the Rings, like sit down and anddo a uh MIB marathon or
something like that, but yeah,because how many MIB movies are
there?
Um with Tommy Lee, I think it'sthree, and then there's that
(50:31):
international one, yeah.
Dylan (50:32):
Wait, so because they definitely set up the first one
as that was going to be his oneand only, didn't they?
Joe (50:40):
Right, yeah.
So that they originally wantedto have the Linda Florentino
character continue, yeah, butthere was some stuff behind the
scenes that didn't, you know,they didn't want that to happen.
Okay.
And so because of the you know,it was kind of like the having
(51:06):
the Abbott and Costello comedypair, right?
They were like the pairing ofTommy Lee and Will Smith is
amazing, like let's not changeit.
Like they didn't know what theywere getting into when they
started, and so it was like theit was just overwhelming until
they decided okay, we're gonnafind a reason in part two to
bring them back, and we're gonnafind a reason in part three to
(51:29):
bring them back, and so yeah,because they neuralize his
character.
Uh-huh.
Yeah.
We'll have to watch part two.
Dylan (51:42):
Oh boy.
Joe (51:44):
Yeah, it's kind of like one of those things where like uh
those soap operas are whatever,like, you know, the person dies
and like how you bring themback.
Yeah, you know, I was left thewhole time, you know.
Right.
But you went through a youknow, like a chopping machine.
Yeah, yeah, and they put youback together.
Dylan (52:03):
You crashed into the ocean and we watched your body
float away.
Joe (52:07):
Yeah.
Dylan (52:07):
How were you alive?
Joe (52:09):
Yeah.
We saw you get eaten by a giantshark.
Dylan (52:18):
On a rewatch scale, like out of 10, what would you rate
it?
Joe (52:25):
Rewatch scale, I think like a 6.5.
6.5, yeah.
Which is not terrible to me.
Dylan (52:36):
Yeah, like definitely like on a first-time first-time
watcher, like I don't know, Iwould rate it probably a three
or a four to be honest.
Like, yeah, I really trulydon't have an interest in
sitting down and really watchingit again.
Joe (52:56):
Uh-huh.
Dylan (52:57):
Like yeah, the the back and forth between Tommy Lee and
Will Smith, like great.
Yeah, it was hilarious.
Joe (53:06):
Yeah.
Dylan (53:07):
And it honestly truthfully had like a lot more
comedy and humor in it than Iwas expecting it to.
Joe (53:14):
Oh, really?
Dylan (53:15):
And um, so you know, that was a good surprise there, but
like I feel like with how brokenthe the plot of it is, yeah,
it's I felt kind of hard to kindof keep engaged and like follow
along.
Joe (53:32):
Uh-huh.
Dylan (53:33):
And like, you know, I'm kind of guilty of like looking
away from a movie and then, youknow, tuning it out and then
going back into it and be like,oh, I'm lost now because that,
you know, five minutes justpassed, and I guess there was
something important in there.
Right.
Like, I got that feelingwatching Men in Black, and I
(53:54):
like tried to sit there andstay, stay in tune with it,
yeah.
You know, as best as I could.
Uh-huh.
But like, I don't know.
Would you say that it's like amust watch of the 90s
blockbusters?
Joe (54:08):
I mean, it's definitely on the list.
Um think so.
I guess I guess what else wouldbe on that list is really what
the question is.
Because uh you would knowbetter than I.
I'll I'll say this.
Uh I haven't seen IndependenceDay.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Because I just it just neverappealed to me.
(54:32):
Yeah.
And and so with Men in Black, Igave it a chance.
And I think with the overallcast of of everybody, especially
um Edgar's Edgar's wife andbeing so dry humor and just
playing that part, you know.
Yeah, there's a lot of good.
I think I think there's a lotof good, and then there's some
(54:55):
bad.
And and I think like, yeah, asyou bring it up, just the the
morgue scenes, some of them arejust like, what?
What is this?
You know, um the bug guy, ornot the bug guy, but when the
when Edgar goes after the guy atthe morgue, um the he's the guy
(55:19):
who like manages the morgue,uh, and he takes him out because
he's like killing the bugs.
That was a little to me.
Yeah, yeah.
Dylan (55:30):
Ooh, and the bugs cross across the counter.
We could have done withoutthat.
Joe (55:35):
Yeah.
So but my 90s movies are likePulp Fiction and things like
that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Matrix is definitely on thelist.
Dylan (55:45):
Um yeah, I think you kind of yelled at me a little bit
for not having watched TheMatrix before.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, you know.
All the good fun.
Yeah.
Joe (56:03):
We'll get there.
We'll get there.
Well, thank you guys forlistening to the Have You Seen
podcast.
We encourage you to uh send anymovie suggestions that you want
us to uh watch, and we willgive you a review on it.
Dylan (56:18):
Yeah, definitely.
And don't forget to uh dropdown into the socials and and
check the links down in thedescription and go follow on all
the socials.
Joe (56:29):
And before you hesitate at any suggestions, just realize
that Dylan has not seen a lot ofmovies.
Dylan (56:38):
Yep, that's very true.
Well, I've been Dylan.
That's been Joe.
Hi.
Joe (56:45):
Now go over to Bloomingdales, get yourself
something to wear.
Get a home makeover becausedang.
Dylan (56:51):
We hope you enjoyed this episode.
But if you didn't, don't worry.
Just like run at it here, thislittle red light, and you loved
it.
Perfect.
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