Underworld

It is the beginning of a brand new series based on the polarizing Underworld franchise! Join us in our inaugural episode as we break down the surprisingly deep lore, the mostly great casting decisions, and the critics' hatred for this film.

Critics: 31% Audience: 79%

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Polarize Podcast, baby.

(00:23):
I am your host forever guest and vampire werewolf.
I'll never tell. This is an episode of Polarize Podcast.
This is a podcast about polarizing movies according to Rotten Tomatoes.
The types of movies that audiences and critics disagree on the most.
Sometimes audiences love it or the critics hate it or vice versa.

(00:46):
It's always a battle between the two, much like the vampires and the werewolves.
The audiences and the critics are toiling away in this
age old war that we don't know how why it got started and how and
why is it a two party system, folks?
We just don't know.
It's 31 percent by the critics.

(01:06):
It's a 79 percent by the audience on that popcorn meter.
That means it's polarizing, very polarizing.
And we're here to talk about Underworld, baby.
Not the band, but the movie.
And it's the first that came out in 2003.
It is very 2003.

(01:28):
And I was a 13 year old boy in 2003.
And let me tell you, this movie was made for a 13 year old boy in 2003.
And I can't say to just get into my little history before I introduce my
my host with the most.

(01:48):
I don't think I saw it at that age, unfortunately,
but I eventually came to it.
The movie I did see first in the series was Rise of the Lichens was my first
underworld movie that I saw in movie theaters with my friend Jason.
Shout out, Jason.
And he's like, don't worry about it.
It's a prequel.

(02:09):
So it's like a whole story in itself.
And you'll be fine.
And I was told, you know, told that story.
But to see this movie and see those flashbacks was something because I was like,
wow, that whole thing is plays out in Rise of the Lichens.
But we're not here to talk about that completely today.
We're just talking about the first iteration and I cannot for the life of me.

(02:32):
Don't make me do it alone.
I don't want to.
I need my best bud, Brandini.
Oh, yes, dude.
Yes, do it now.
Now, let's do it now, baby.
I'm here. I'm a co-host with the mostest.

(02:53):
Let's go.
All right.
So our world, I mean, our world, baby.
Well, underwear, underwear, underwear.
Oh, that's where it takes place.
James, this is a flat earth.
And then underneath is where the vampires and the werewolves live, right?
Yeah, that's what the movie posits.

(03:14):
Yeah, that's what it posits.
Yeah. Uh huh.
The werewolves live in sewers like rats, but they're dogs and they're similar.
I love that.
That's like the almost like a slur to the werewolves calling them dogs.
I know it is.
Well, because they're human beings, right?
Because they're technically like it's because that's the difference between a werewolf

(03:37):
and a like it is that a werewolf is just a wolf all the time.
In this lore and a like it is somebody who can transform back into a human.
Yeah, they say like over time, they've gotten stronger and stronger.
They can just transform whenever they want.
Absolutely.
Yeah, like a disparaging word for a vampire would be a blitz.

(03:59):
A prick.
A prick.
Yeah, that's not bad.
Well, this is this is our last scary movie of our spooky season here on Polaroid.
It's the transition, right?
It's like I was thinking about it.
No one ever talks about this movie.
This movie and what?
I guess it's not really super spooky and it's also spoiler.

(04:21):
Might be doing more other movies like this in the future.
So yeah.
So get ready and buckle up because we're starting a fucking series.
Let's go.
Let's just announce it.
Let's announce it now.
Buttercup.
It's an underworld series.
There's a polarizing series.
It's a polarizing series.
We're going through it.
We're going through it except the last.
So I'm super excited about this because this was a formative movie for me.

(04:47):
I mean, I really this this idea of this type of protagonist to me was just so attractive
and this combination of like Matrix and more matrix, I guess, like that aesthetic was so I was hungry for it.
You know, because once you see the Matrix, I don't know if I saw this in the theater.

(05:11):
It's really hard to recall, but I saw it pretty closely after.
Like, I don't think I didn't see this after the age of like 16.
It had to have happened between this releasing and coming on DVD, which makes sense because we grew up in a time where like so rated our movie as a, you know, 14 year old, 13 year old or whatever.

(05:33):
You can't go to the theater because you're not allowed to, you know, unless a parent takes you.
But like, it's not like your parents were under like, that's not you can't convince your parents.
I didn't have cool enough parents for that to be able to convince of being like, let's go see this vampire werewolf Matrix movie.
They were not going to be about it.

(05:54):
But where this lived in and into the like us and where we sit in human history is it was you get it on DVD, you know, because that's something you could convince your parents because they're going to rebuy a toaster at Best Buy.
And they're like, Hey, can I get a movie, you know, and even though this looks dark, it's not like gross forward and it's, yeah, I don't know.

(06:24):
It's.
I think I knew about this to some degree from somebody else to I feel like, because I was, yeah, I don't know I was really into the arts, the dark arts. Yeah, I was just, I was drawn to the dark arts.
The whole series, the prequel like you had mentioned, I had, I have, I think I've tried to watch but no, because this is a trilogy and it was set out to be that this, I have seen.

(06:56):
And, yeah, this has a, this has a little corner, this has a little place in my, in my place and my being in my, who I am.
So I'm really excited to talk to you. Yeah, same dude. I, like I, for someone who hasn't, yeah, didn't see it at the time, I just remember all my friends talking about it.
Well, at least a few of my friends just like, yeah, man. And then they're like the vampire goes like, and then the werewolf is like, and then like two pew pew and they got the silver nitrate bullets.

(07:26):
And then these other bullets got UV, they're like UV daylight bullets. So that's why it works.
Have you seen Matrix? It's pretty much like Matrix. Which that was one that my, like my, I was pretty sheltered in terms of like not watching any, any R rated movies.
R rated movies, yeah. Matrix was the one that like they thought was cool enough and they had seen once before, like we're going to sit down as a family and watch the Matrix.

(07:51):
And I didn't understand anything that was going on, but those action scenes were just fucking mind blowing.
And then I spent the next few years of my life like playing Matrix, like we go out on the trampoline and try to do Matrix stunt moves on the trampoline and stuff and into the pool off the roof and question, questionable stuff.
But that was fun. It was fun. Yeah, it's, it's just, it's a, it's part of our DNA, I guess, to reiterate, you know, going into this series, going into this franchise that it's part of our DNA.

(08:22):
And it's going to be interesting to be as critical as we want to be, right? We don't have to be super critical of this, because at the end of the day, it is, it's action, it's like action movie shit, you know, like this, it doesn't need to be totally serious.
And I think hopefully we've communicated that idea well enough of like movies can just being a ride being, you know, something that's for enjoyment and not a whole lot deeper than that at times is okay.

(09:00):
You know, but it's, and it's also okay to be critical of those things as well. I just hopefully we've created over time this space of like, I'm not going to get upset, say, James, if you were like, this is really stupid, you know, and that's, I guess the energy we want to put out there through this series is that of like,

(09:22):
we, you can wreck, yeah, let's, yeah, I guess maybe I'm just speaking my agenda here of this, trying to reconcile like me watching this series, where I sit now at this age and, and how I feel about it and try to be open minded and critical about it if I can be.
I'm definitely going to be operating at both of those wavelengths and within this movie alone, it's was plenty of both of like, this is fucking awesome. Hell yeah, this is sick. Like, it's vampires and werewolves fighting each other and like, and doing slow mo Matrix moves and like logic goes out the window.

(10:05):
Luckily there is a surprisingly surprising amount of lore that goes with it and a lot of backstory to all this shit.
But I absolutely am going to be critical as well. Whereas like things are stupid for sure, but in a good way. Like it's like, this is so dumb and awesome. Like it's vampires versus werewolves. Like that's what, that's what the movie is. So it's going to be kind of dumb. It should be.

(10:30):
It should be. You got to start getting on board with call them like it's though you got to start. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry everybody. That's where it's going to end.
It's okay. It's okay. It works very hard to earn that. I'm just trying to set a pace.
That, you know, we're talking about like ends and we're in like in territory because they are the essentially the offspring of Lucian, which is where like in as a term comes from.

(11:02):
You seem very brushed up on the war.
I'm not. You're ready to is the crazy thing is I'm just was obsessed at a period of time and I fell right back into it. I was like, yeah, so I know the whole idea.
And you have seen the other movies already too.
I've seen three. I've seen the trilogy. I've seen all the way up to. So what is it? It's evolutions next. And then what is the last one called? I think rise of the Lichens and there's the prequel and then the next one. I don't know what it's called. And then there's another one after that.

(11:36):
That is the one that's not rated super well. Maybe you've only seen two.
There's evolution then rise of the Lichens and then awakening.
I guess would complete the trilogy. And then there's blood wars.
The most recent one.
Okay, yeah. I mean, yeah, just.

(11:59):
A testament to the lower you're talking about that it establishes in this first movie generated, you know, a whole franchise out of this lore, and it was fun to experience that again watching this where this movie genuinely is a setup for another movie.

(12:22):
So the way that they hear the first of first of this is like introducing what you need to in order to understand what's going to happen next, and it kind of keeps it well enough in in line of like just giving you the information about the larger world through the plotting of this movie.

(12:46):
And it's pretty cool.
To have that established, and then having actors who want to come to play, and that you know that are going to be back in the next iteration and iteration after like to know Kate Beckinsale is just down and looks like she's having fun and you're the lead of a franchise.

(13:10):
You are totally badass and just like, what legendary stop. Yeah, absolutely. And not only that, but I mean just to start start with the cast like Michael Sheen and Bill Nye like these guys are made to be in a movie like this like, oh my god like they there it's like, it elevates it so much, and I feel like some of this would be way more

(13:34):
forgettable and just stupid without being fun and entertaining if they have, like, just not the right cast and not the right more and more of that bring like more to it.
Yeah, I wanted that to be a little bit more.
Yeah, follow through and then to be more ready needed a better actor. It needed a better actor so to your, to your point and I can understand I didn't do a terrible job but you know, I guess you know, yeah, I mean he was a little bit of a

(14:03):
yeah, I mean he was all looks, no, like, so much of his story is about this plot he's doing, and he just is always so aloof in every scene. So it's nothing interesting you don't.
He doesn't bring anything else to the table in it and it's really grating because he's, he's kind of acts as an audience surrogate to a degree because he is putting us in the places we need to be in order to understand these connections that are happening.

(14:34):
And then, he just is like so milquetoast where he just looks like, yeah, he definitely looks like a vampire for sure. But, something to is like, we potentially we're gonna have Danny on this episode and he and Craven's outfit for the party is such a Danny outfit,

(14:55):
and he had this shirt underneath that was like sparkles. It's cool, like it's, I'm not saying that it wasn't cool but it's like cool in a particular way where he's got this, like his idea of cool is having this sparkly shirt with the coat over it and having these

(15:17):
fresh shoes and stuff. But nonetheless like Craven as an actor unfortunately was a bummer for me this time around because he just like amongst what you were saying I'm sorry I'm trailing off here a bit but like this movie.
I think Bill Nye and Michael Sheen in it, really, man, you just see how, how great they are, because some of this script and stuff you can, and we will talk about, you're like, and I've seen this movie before, but poorly acted and to see a movie like this that has good actors in it

(15:55):
and really bringing it, it really, it's noticeable, I guess is what I would get at. Yeah, and everything you have said, like, kind of works for how my feelings are with Scott Speedman and a little bit too but unfortunate like I just don't, I just don't want to
be too harsh on them where it's like because I know that I'm not going to be able to T to B get the perfect cast for this movie, maybe, you know, maybe there's a world out there where those guys are a little more interesting to be with and the chemistry and everything between

(16:30):
Kate Beckinsale and the romantic lead and all that like just works a little bit better. And with Craven, I think I was bummed out as much with that as, as with like his story because when it came to I was kind of interested in his kind of in the nuance of what he was trying to do.

(16:53):
I was just like, his coup is is almost righteous. And he what he's trying to do with Lucian and everything is the way forward past. I forget Bill Nye's character name.
But it's like, he's trying to unite it and then for him to, I was really bummed out like not to get too far ahead when he makes that decision to ex-nay poor Mike, poor Lucian, poor Michael Sheen out of the picture because it's like, man, I would, I wanted that to be more of a union and for those guys not to have the disagreement as much and for them to be on the same page about what they're trying to do.

(17:34):
And for him to make that turn, I was like, I don't know, like, and to have a little bit more lead up of how that coup came to be a little bit. That was interesting enough to me that yeah, maybe you make good points where he could have been somebody to like have more subtext behind his performance to
because Michael Sheen is smoldering. Like you can, you can tell like what's going on, how much hurt and pain he's been through in his existence throughout millennia or whatever.

(18:05):
But this, this movie does well to your point of these characters that I feel like could be underwritten typically in a movie that is so just like a studio play for like, this is the hot new thing right now, let's make it and not really putting enough thought into it.
And this script actually has like these layers to that guy's character there, then the stoicism and the inability to act in the first act of the movie, then actually contributes to this like ideology that we then discover that he has.

(18:40):
And then to on top of it to come around and turn it and go like, no, but then he really just wants power. Like, whoa, this movie's thinking three levels deep on Craven.
Wow, what are we doing here? That's where it starts to go backwards a little bit for me where it's like, is this everything that I want? Or is it an hour and a half pure fun and tightening those screws a little?

(19:14):
That's still gonna be a criticism regardless. Like this definitely needs a little bit of those screws tightened a bit, whether you're going to focus more on the fun action, you're the romance or the lore, but just to have an almost two and a half hour movie of this was surprising to me.
I was like, oh wow, this is built out. But I think it's also a little sloppy and a little like, yeah, like under-in-the-mine or like a little like things, especially the third act battle just goes on a little bit too long for me.

(19:44):
But that's where it kind of succeeds too, because now with the lore presented, I am curious about those sequels, you know, like what else, what's out there, you know, like what's going on with this next hybrid?
So, I think this movie is, yeah, whenever you check in, we'll bring them in. But I mean, what you're talking about is, in my mind, the byproduct of this movie being developed by a stuntman.

(20:19):
Right. And really prioritizing, prioritizing stunts, which are pretty fantastic.
The wire work is impeccable.
Absolutely impeccable. But I agree with you that the way they built out the action sequences make the movie drag a bit.
Yeah.
Because it's just, it's a lot of, it ends up being a lot of the same stuff, I think is really the problem is once you first introduce the subway scene to bring it back to the beginning of the movie, which is so matrix-y with the color correcting of it.

(20:58):
And then the way that the light is flickering and whatnot.
And the way that they move and...
So incredibly matrix-y, which...
It's soaking wet.
Just wet.
So wet.
And she's just on top of like the ruins of a church, there's so much brooding. And then she's like narrating and that's like Carrie and Moss and Matrix and like open action scene with a woman in leather and in like this dark city.

(21:25):
But yeah, I think I heard, hello neighbor.
Hello, hey, hey, hey, hey buddy.
How's it going?
We got him.
That's great. We got him. We threw out a line for Danny and looks like he took the bait.
Yep.
Yeah, man. Yeah.
We caught ourselves a big fish.

(21:46):
Yeah, really.
And then we got a line for Danny and Albert Finney.
You know he voiced one of the Lycans with that really deep voice.
Oh, let's talk about the deep voice guy.
It was shocking when that happened. When he finally talks, I was like, whoa!

(22:12):
Also, what I thought too is that that guy's voice is so low, Trump would hate him because just like microphones, he doesn't want things too low.
Is that right?
Give that one to the Colbaker while you're at it, man.
I think Jimmy Fallon would like that.

(22:34):
You should write for Fallon.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, I already dropped my two.
What is this? Why is this a two party system?
We're on a roll.
We got the Lycans and we got the vampires.
It's a two party system, even in the underworld.

(22:58):
I dropped more like to mileage.
Okay.
How the hell are you?
What's your underworld history?
Are you a diehard seen them all?
Or are you a first time arrival or are you the first one sort of guy?

(23:24):
I've like poked around in the series a little bit, like really like, like I remember, I think I remember seeing this.
I think you're, you're breaking up a little bit.
There's a way you can get a better signal.

(23:46):
Oh, geez.
Let me see if I let me see if I can fix that.
I can hear you a little better right now.
Your poke around in the series a little bit.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Like I definitely, I definitely like it.

(24:08):
But I definitely saw this one in theaters and everything.
But I remember it getting like pretty kind of like cheesy as it went.
Like I think I definitely fell off of this series at the time.
Like the third one came out and everything.
I think it just got kind of too ridiculous.

(24:32):
But I mean, I definitely like it.
I enjoy the content of the content stuff, but I'm not the biggest fan.
The biggest what? Sorry.
I kind of cut in.
I don't know.
For some reason.
I don't know.

(24:56):
Let me see. Maybe if I just I don't want to take it off of the headphones, though.
Well.
You can fiddle with it for a little bit. I mean, I mean, that's.
That is funny because yeah, it's like.
I'm not sure at the rate of these movies coming out,
but I think they're pretty good.

(25:18):
And the reason we're here is that this is a polarizing series.
This is not just one movie,
but this is a series that the audience is down for throughout, you know,
until I guess we get to the last one is where they start to turn according to
Ron tomatoes a little bit, but.
It just tells me that the audience doesn't give a fuck.
They're not.

(25:43):
They're not made for the critics are made for popcorn entertainment
and should be viewed as such as just having a good time.
Yeah.
Enjoying the ride.
That's fair.
But it's surprising.
We were mentioning a little bit earlier to the amount of lore and depth with
some of it.
While also some of it being under and there's time for action.

(26:04):
There's time for lore.
There's time for just actress to chew up all of the dark,
senior dark and wet scenery all around.
One of which I had to timestamp it.
Bill Nye does not show up in the movie until like 45 minutes in.
And there's a lot of buildup to it, but he does not show up until yeah,

(26:27):
45 minutes.
And God, this was the time of Bill Nye, not even being Bill Nye.
But a good time for acting,
even though you're not in a movie that you're not in a movie that you're
not in a movie that you're not in a movie.
You'd have to be either a squid, Davy Jones, man.
You don't even see his face or covered in,

(26:50):
or looks like he's missing his skin like in this one.
I feel like that he's already so good of an actor.
He could do it without any sort of makeup,
but I feel like it's also one of those guys that.
Yeah, leading up to that.
Yeah. You mentioned the subway train or the train scene.
Yeah. Yeah.
Two train sequences in this movie as well.

(27:10):
The first one. Yeah.
Yeah. There's the first one in the second one.
Yeah. It's something that really kind of
got stuck in my craw was this idea of like, what city are we in?
You know, because there's this idea that is being posited
that the vampire stronghold has been in this city.

(27:33):
And that stronghold is now being
contested by this growing number of Likens.
Transylvania.
OK, maybe. Yeah. You know what?
I'm into that. I'm into that idea.
No, I don't know.
It's got this big.

(27:54):
I was in a church.
It almost looks castle-ish.
But then it all looks like there's a state and manners and
there's a bunch of stuff.
I mean, in this movie, one thing that's true is there's a bunch of stuff in it.
Oh, stuff.
But it does have that going for it.
Just one thing that this movie has going for his stuff.

(28:17):
What other movies have? Yeah.
Oh, man.
A fair amount of movies have to think
like the Bosnian movie Bosnian movies have lots of stuff.
It has lots of stuff.
And you're like, you know, I thought I would have a Bosnian movie.
Mulan. Wow. Mulan region is great.
That was a lot of stuff.
Therefore, I like it.
It is just a plethora of of shit.

(28:40):
All that stuff on the screen.
But yeah, so OK.
The reason too, is that like kind of why the cross-sticking
happened is that this movie is positing that another coven
is coming to do this ceremony to resurrect Marcus
because it's his turn to rule and to be alive

(29:03):
because the two asleep, one alive.
Two asleep, one alive, which still ends up being the case.
But those that coven was so nondescript as well.
And I would have really loved if it was more of like,
this is the UK coven and this is like maybe the New York coven

(29:24):
or something like that.
Like I wanted a little bit more of that lore,
which we just don't get because this movie is more concerned
about Scott Speedman becoming a half vampire, half like it hybrid,
which has never been seen before.
Michael Corvin is way more interesting than anything else going on.

(29:45):
What I want to know is more about Michael Corvin.
Corvin Corvin Corvin is family.
I think I've already said, yeah, as far as that idea, you know,
and they've been searching for him with this red string,
like a serial killer board that they have in the silver

(30:06):
the medical bay, because they're just capturing people
and vampires to test their blood to see if they're a good match
with like blood. So I love that it's like, it's like just trial and error.
Yeah. Well, I mean, totally.

(30:27):
That sounds very arduous.
No, they put both of them together and then they look in the microscope
and then they see the cell.
I love how they show the cells like mitosis.
No, mitosis just like dissipates or whatever.
Like, oh, that's no good. You know, that's no good.
You want them to what do you want them to do?
You want them to do not that
but I want it to turn blue or like purple or like, hey,

(30:52):
I guess he turns all all dark and right.
Yeah. But I like that.
It's like a crazy German scientist.
That looks like he was once he was like he was for sure
a Nazi vampire at some point in his history.
I love a crazy German scientist, too.
I know it's such a James Bond.

(31:12):
It's such a well, and there's a cue scene in this.
It's so James Bond where we.
Yeah, that's true.
We have to be, you know, part of the experience of the vampire
lore where silver bullets were invented and we got to see that.

(31:33):
That's where it's like, this is so dumb, but so cool at the same time.
Like, I know, like,
their logic of why they would still use guns against each other
and have it be even like be able to have those new technology.
Yeah. Is because these are they have the silver nitrate bullets
and they have the daylight UV bullets.
Yeah. Not only do they look fucking cool, like they have a purpose, you know,

(31:56):
and you get to see the silver come out or you see the daylight effects,
the vampire and it's like the vampire.
And then they can have their own style of guns and just oh,
and then Kate Beckinsale can for some reason can have infinite bullets.
It's great. Yeah.
I mean, the best
the best situation of that is where and who does this often in the movie,

(32:19):
but the most egregious would be her shooting into the ground
in a circle to break through the floor of a building.
That blew my mind.
That blew my mind when so fucking when she has that many bullets,
can't you just shoot the people coming at you like it seems

(32:42):
like that would be more of a that's your problem.
Yeah, like there was like
well, there was a ring coming at her and she's like, you know what I got to do?
I got to shoot the ground so fucking much that I all right through it.
It's like, yeah, OK, whatever.
Like that is like that is the that is the epitome of like

(33:03):
like something that is so purposeless, but so far.
So fucking rad.
But told I agree like that was it was a good time.
Like totally make up for it.
But as far as like as as far as all the like vampire lore and stuff,
they like decide what they should do and what they should.

(33:24):
Because like at the first part where she goes to visit Marcus is like to her
fucking Victor's tomb and shit like she walks up to that.
She walks up to that glass like to talk to that guy.
And she has a reflection.
And I'm like, wow.
But she walked up to that.

(33:44):
She walks up to that control booth and there's like glass right there
and you can see a reflection.
And I was like, wait a second, why do we see a reflection?
And I'm like, oh, is it because she's like a half green daywalker or something?
And then later, like one of the other vampires
is like looking into the mirror and I was like, oh, no, no,

(34:05):
they just all have reflections like that.
Like, I mean, there's certain stuff like that.
We like these vampires just don't do that.
Whatever. Sure.
It it it pauses.
Like it pauses. You know, I mean, they can do it.
It's a vampire world. But yeah, it's inconsistent for sure.

(34:28):
Which this movie as a whole is uneven in places as well. You know.
Yeah, you can't hold it up to a candle.
As well, you have to just enjoy the ride.
That's what we're doing.
I mean, but OK, Danny, that's a great point, though.
Before you got here, we were talking about this idea
because we're going to start a whole where this is the start of a whole series

(34:49):
that we're doing about the underworld movies.
And there there is a level of like
love for this.
Yeah, I don't know the right of it all.
Yeah, I mean, but just like just like Resident Evil, like where
like by the time you get to the last couple, it's like, OK.

(35:11):
We've done absolutely another movie born in this time of wanting
to be a Matrix style action movie.
I feel it's like definitely stuck in those trappings.
And that one screen is not
does not kneel down in what the story and lore is going to be.
And I think what's so fun about this one, it is an original IP,

(35:34):
original story that they're doing and they don't have to adhere to any rules,
whether it be mirror or whatever.
And it can just make up its own thing and worry
so much more about the stunts and then the style and the action
and stuff like shooting a hole in the ground and everything.
It just it made me think of like an anime or something.

(35:57):
And I was like, the Wachowskis are very inspired by that kind of stuff as well.
And it just it felt like when the music swells
and they have a moment to themselves that you just feel like they're
powering up or something, I just that that kind of stuff
is so melodramatic and purely for style points.

(36:18):
And it's I don't know, the self seriousness goes so far over that it becomes
somewhat camp, but also like I take it very much at face value as well.
When it's Michael Sheen, Bill Nye and Kate Beckinsale believe me on everything
they're fucking saying, then it's like, I just have I have no problem.
Like they know they're cool.

(36:39):
They know they're buying into this whole thing.
And they're seeing some cuckoo ass dialogue.
So that shit line that they had to deliver,
like when Michael Sheen first shows up and everything and he's like, right.
The guys like turn back into normal.
Well, let's talk about that real quick.
What's the put some pads on the brakes?

(37:00):
I'm just saying his delivery in that moment is amazing
because their lines, I should say, is bananas.
Right. But that whole sequence is such a rip off of Fight Club.
It was so funny.
The transition of the matrix

(37:20):
subway train sequence and then going into
running into the Fight Club that they're having amongst the Likens is so funny
because it just really is cribbing off of these things
that are so popular at the time and doing in a way that's very blatant. But.
It's not like I'm totally mad about it.

(37:41):
No, same. They're not even being shy about it.
They're just like, no, we want to be like the matrix.
I'm not upset.
I'm seeing things I think are cool in a movie, you know.
Yeah, the Wachowskis didn't sell out.
And, you know, they did three other Matrix movies and everything,
but they got very deep and philosophical and everything,

(38:02):
which I like those movies for what they are for sure.
Yeah. But Underworld, it's like, now we just want that style
and we just want to have fucking vampires and werewolves fight each other.
And it's like, yeah, sign me the hell up.
Well, and also, too, we start to establish this idea
that the Likens are this underground like insurgents, these

(38:22):
coups that are trying to claw back, if you will,
like this vampiric imperialism.
I mean, my God.
Funny that you say Coors.
It's funny that you say Coors because that's the silver bullet.
Maybe shut the fuck up.

(38:44):
Well, Kraven is a Coor too.
And if you would just if you just had a near inner circle, then.
I'm sorry.
Is that what Coors stands for too?
It's just Coors is brood by Likens.

(39:06):
Is what we're bossing.
No, it sounds like it sounds like what baby birds do.
Well, I mean, I mean, they can't even touch it.
They can't even touch.
They'd be all all by what?
Yeah.
Oh, my God, if they had a moment where.
Likens joining good Coors in.
Vaping.

(39:27):
Pass me a beer.
Not that one.
Oh, they totally drink Stella.
A toa, those fucking snobby ass.
Oh, my God.
In this movie. Oh, yeah.
Yeah. It's and I'd say it's been about like,
you know, I love enjoy it.
Every time Kate Beckinsale comes back into that mansion

(39:48):
and like every time all of the all the other vampires are doing
the exact same thing every time, they're all just sitting around
moving and drinking, like being like fancy pants, little bitches.
And like, it's like like they all do nothing besides like
sit in the same chairs all day long drinking and smoking.

(40:10):
They're so much brooding in this movie by and when everyone.
Yeah. Whenever they return, they're just in a different outfit.
All drinking their their red blood.
And I like how all the blood looks like different styles or different types,
you know, and that's how right.
That's what different types of blood look like.
I was going to ask you guys, which which one would you rather?

(40:32):
Yeah, exactly.
Which which would you rather hang out in?
But I mean, it's I mean, you want to be in that mansion hanging out
and nice clothes, smoking and drinking.
Oh, I can see pretty cool.
Yeah, but sure.
I mean, maybe they just need better digs.
And that's what they're trying to do.
They're trying to find a better place.
So there's all the yeah.
But for now, they're just sewers.
That's not fun.

(40:54):
Yeah, I'd rather be in the mansion.
No, pretty bad.
Yeah, yeah. I mean.
Yeah, I probably stuck in the in like the Likens.
It was probably like my dog, too.
Are there where the lady likens?
Where my lady likens at?
Yeah. Hey, that's a great question.
I didn't see any lady likens.
Is that why Lucien fell in love with the vampire?

(41:15):
It's like, I don't want to essentially reproduce anymore.
Let's talk about that.
Let's talk about that, because
this movie is positing this uprising that the likens
are the progenitors of.
They are the ones that are sick and tired of this empirical vampire rule.
And this stems from the very first Liken Lucien,

(41:41):
which is why they're called that,
is leading that charge.
And he comes off as the villain in the beginning.
But I mean, this movie takes a turn in the middle of it, does it not?
I love how we get into Lucien's backstory.
I don't love the little every now and then flashback,

(42:05):
how they how they kind of pepper that in throughout the movie.
I didn't care for how they did that.
I'm not sure what the best way would be like,
show that right at the beginning and then have him be a Liken
in his Liken form so you don't see his.
I know they're trying not to show that, but I think
what I see is I know they're trying not to show his face.
I get that.

(42:25):
But that reveal is so stretched out that I kind of and I didn't like
how they made the flashbacks like shaky and everything.
But I like where the narrative leads us in terms of having these two factions
and then getting into both of them and then having this reveal

(42:49):
of what happened so far in the past.
That's like something I like about like Game of Thrones or something,
you know, or like Lord of the Rings, these these big kind of lore.
It's just like you are entering into the narrative at a particular time.
But this war has been going on for fucking ages.
So obviously some big shit has happened and we're in trace.

(43:10):
Yeah, we're here for a reason.
And to have the vampires not be fully trustworthy
and then have the Lichens have such a sympathetic sort of turn at the end
of why they are the way they are.
That was a winning thing for me.
And through Michael Sheen, it was the most successful

(43:31):
and it was bullshit that they killed them off.
I hated that.
Yeah.
Danny, what do you overall what do you think about the lore?
Yeah, I like I enjoyed it.
Yeah, like I think I think they did a good job of like, like you guys said,
I think they did do like a decent job with kind of kind of creating

(43:55):
their own mythos and stuff.
I thought that the that you know, you were getting something new
with with how the whole like human hybrid like kind of thing comes about.
You know how you have you have this bloodline of people of Scott's

(44:19):
feedman's people like I and I like that.
Like it was like, oh, this is we there was one survivor of like
a plague village and all of that.
And that's how, you know, we were able to discern that this was like a carrier
and like that.
That was kind of an interesting storyline.
And you know, through like pseudo, like, you know,

(44:44):
bullshitty like science seems mixed with, you know, the flashbacks and stuff
that we got.
But like, you know, it was it was it was loosely, loosely done,
but good enough for us to be like, yeah, I'll buy that.
Let's go.
Let's you know, don't get mad about stuff.

(45:04):
But I mean, yeah, again, James has already said this,
and I totally agree is there are goofy on paper
lore that is delivered so well by competent actors that make a huge difference
in whether this movie is cool or not realistically,

(45:25):
because this could be so stupid and silly.
We could be this movie could easily be a movie that us as movie fans
on that's talking here present here is like we like stupid movies,
but there's something a little bit more to this that like it finds a good balance
between pretty silly stuff, but positing it really, really well by

(45:48):
competent actors that makes it like intriguing that there's this whole,
you know, three legendary vampires and this conflict that's been happening
for centuries with the like ends and whatnot that, yeah, you're like.
Invested in I was going to I was pulling on my notes.

(46:10):
So one thing that was just brought up.
It's the flashbacks.
There was one, though, not a flashback, but it is a cut to
like somebody doing something potentially just like recently in the past.
But nonetheless, like this is a conversation being had by Scott

(46:30):
Speedman and Kate Beckinsale.
And while they're having the conversation in the middle of it,
they cut to Michael Sheen doing stuff.
And it really blew me away.
This like conversation scene essentially being broken up by a POV
of another conversation happening that's moving the plot along that made

(46:51):
the overall like part of the plot and part of the movie like kind of
ratatatat, kind of keeping that piece.
And.
And this movie has some pretty is pretty well paced.
I know that we could talk about the action scenes being longer more if we wanted to,

(47:11):
especially the last sequence as we get close to wrapping up, but like.
If this movie cranks, I think my mind, the broad like the swaths
of of where things are going are great.
Like, like from chunk to chunk to chunk, like it all makes sense in my mind of like that.

(47:31):
Yeah, it works just tightening up the screws a little bit and finding a way to
make those a little less chunky, I'd say.
But I think I like how she.
I just keep Beckinsale's character as well, takes initiative in such a cool way,
and she doesn't take shit and it's not like super performative in sort of like,

(47:55):
I don't know, she just is badass and it's not any sort of she doesn't need to prove it or anything.
She just she's doing what she wants.
She's just fucking chilling on her laptop and in the library on her, you know,
in her leather, I love that she's like, that's her lounge where she is,
you know, the guy's giving her shit.
And then she goes and just revives Bill Nye just like on her own

(48:16):
and all of her research into Scott Speedman is kind of like she's investigating.
There's a kind of somewhat of a mystery and she's crying, you know,
and interrogating him and everything and just making moves without over
it's like implicating to the audience about what she's doing and why she just does it.

(48:38):
And you kind of have to play catch up a little bit.
There's a little bit of spoon feeding with like those cutaways of like, remember this?
Remember that? Yeah.
Well, that relates to this right now.
It's not super necessary, but she does so much heavy lifting
when it is those scenes with Scott Speedman
that like it's kind of amazing how well she's able to do everything top to bottom.

(49:02):
And then, yeah, totally.
Yeah, that's a well set period.
Yeah, absolutely.
Kate Beckinsale fucking rocks in this movie.
And she carries so much of this.
Like we've talked about this weird dialogue about vampires
and all of these echelons of like different types of vampires

(49:22):
and the connection that they have with this history to the Likens
and introducing that concept like she nails it.
Absolutely.
And like whatever whatever stunts there is, I see her like that's actually her.
I feel like a lot of times she's having all the wire. Yeah.
And yeah, the stunts are great in this.

(49:43):
They are. They're cool.
They're a little into the like fun of it or the amusement park ride of it all.
It's like they are very extra or very stunts.
Spectacular.
Yeah, very stunt spectacular.
But that's not a bad thing, necessarily.
Right. You know, it's it.

(50:05):
This movie to me shows you the story.
It shows you like if you.
Aren't like the audience is cachet by taking something serious
and really like living in that world, you are then allotted
like more leniency,

(50:26):
leniency on things that are overblown or spectacular, like too much, you know?
And yeah, I think this movie fucking nails that.
Straight up, like I.
Like, OK, so then there's the Scott Speedman of it all,
which is like the center of this movie that it's like just circling around.

(50:48):
And I feel like that that gradual bleeding of information about who and why he's so important.
I think that's where it gets a little repetitive to me in terms of the narrative,
because there's this period of time in the movie where he's just getting filled with the story.
He's just getting fucking tossed around.
He gets a bit by the Lakin and then he gets dropped off at the vampires

(51:12):
and like, we don't fucking want you.
And they go back to like is back to the vamp.
And then like the fake cops are after him.
And like, it's just a lot of chasing after Scott Speedman without really fully knowing
why you I mean, you know, but like, you know, they reveal it like this.
It's like this big thing. I was like, yeah, no, I pretty much got it.
And I thought that was like just the only like kind of repetitive thing when it got to like the cops

(51:36):
with him in the car and the back and everything, like taking them,
taking him back from Cape Econ sail when he's like handcuffed and stuff.
I was like, didn't you guys just have him and bite him and then give him to the vampires?
Now you got to come back.
Like there's so much of we need Scott, Scott Speedman.
Sure. It's in this movie fascinates me.

(51:59):
And then McGuffin's in the Scott Speedman of it all,
because that seems like such a studio direction is you have to have a hardened soul
in this vampire movie.
You need something that's very classic movies, this will they won't they relationship
that then carries on throughout this entire trilogy. And.

(52:20):
Yeah, it's.
Again, it's the Scott Speedman of it all, where he is
in my mind is more cast because of looks than because of acting quality.
And so that's why this movie has this unevenness where you have like really amazing actors
like Kate Beckinsale, Michael Sheen, Bill Nye.

(52:41):
And then you have Scott Speedman with like me and James.
I feel like I've watched movies because we watch movies all the time.
That's why we do what we do.
And like a ton of movies we've seen is like that character in the story is played by a looks guy.
And is kind of a little bit underwritten because of the capability of that actor.

(53:02):
And it is somewhat distracting in these movies where you're like,
I need you to have more emotion in this.
And you're really just providing more of like mood setting and look of it rather than like hair.
Yeah. Yeah. Then actually providing something interesting about your playing life,
which is very harrowing in this movie because he's transforming into a whole different beast.

(53:24):
And then getting involved in all of this vampire lichen struggle.
And he just acts like, OK, the thing that drives me nuts about him is he is the epitome of.
Like the grunge era. Yeah.
It's almost like Eddie Vedder.
Like, yeah, it really is so clearly in my mind, like a studio thing of 2003.

(53:51):
They still aren't with the times yet.
They still think that an Eddie Vedder type is what the audiences want.
And then you just get them and then you get Scott Speedman, which is like, it's not again,
he's not bad, but he just doesn't bring anything else.
It's just so serviceable.
And when you have people like Bill Nye in this movie, which I had to make a note of is.

(54:14):
In this movie, he's almost like working on the what ends up becoming the Davy Jones,
like clicking of his mouth.
Oh, yeah, he's doing some of that for sure.
Yeah, he's doing mouth work in this.
And I loved it.
Saying that enough of it.
I'm weird.
You're a vampire like and he nails it.

(54:36):
It's just such a great casting to cast Bill Nye as that vampire is inspired to be an inspired Davy
Jones, I'm sure in a way, too, that he could do something like that.
And I mean, to to touch on the Scott Speedman a little bit more is like the yeah, the parallel
would be probably Keanu and Matrix, since that's been such a big comparison of like of someone in

(55:01):
that role.
But another one that I'm thinking of is James McAvoy and wanted and what James McAvoy does in
that movie is he's brought into a world of assassins that he doesn't understand.
And Angelina Jolie is kind of like the Carrie Anne Moss or the Kate Beckinsale to have a
connection to him in that movie.

(55:21):
And his reaction to Angelina Jolie, like putting him through the wringer of what he's to expect
in this world the whole time in that movie.
I remember him just being like, whoa, this is great.
Well, what do you mean?
There's a sass.
No way.
Like he is like losing his mind.
He cannot believe like what's happening and that's a normal reaction.
Right.
And that's a normal reaction.

(55:42):
And that's my point with Scott Speedman is like he has only like one or two of those
moments where he's like at one point he's like I've been bit by a fucking human.
Like what do you mean?
Like when he's talking to his buddy at the hospital or whatever.
But there needed to be a lot more like what the fuck is going on and what is happening
to me?
There is not enough urgency and not enough fear, not enough spectrum of those emotions,

(56:07):
not to harp so hard on poor Scott Speedman because I'm sure he did.
Go for it.
He did.
He did what the director told him to do in a lot of ways.
And he was put in this position for whatever reason.
But when you put Michael Corvin, but when you put him next to these other actors and
it just kind of highlights it a little bit more.

(56:30):
Yeah.
The difference is too great between other players in this movie.
You know, and the other thing, like I didn't for some reason didn't clock it of like when
I didn't I didn't do too much research, but I was just like Googling underworld and all
that stuff and then it was like, oh, based on a story, Romeo and Juliet.
I was like, oh, duh.
Like, of course.

(56:51):
But then, of course, like that's more of Michael Sheen's story is the Romeo and Juliet of it
all.
But if they were to add a little bit more of that Romeo and Juliet into this is another
way they could have gone.
It's already two almost two and a half hour movie.
So maybe there's not enough room for romance and maybe that's more an evolution or

(57:12):
something.
But their scenes together like had no real chemistry that was to be desired, unfortunately.
But I know they're going through a lot in this movie.
So even when that kiss happened, I'll do what?
Of course, you're handcuffing.
OK, that that makes more sense.
Well, right.
And the kiss happens because of Kate Beckinsale.

(57:34):
Like she is the initiator of it, you know, because she is not only kissing him, but she
is tying him down because she understands that he's going to become a like it.
And there's so much more work being done by her while Scott Speedman on the other hand
just seems like, OK, I guess I'm going to be here and you're like, yeah, like, I mean,

(57:56):
it's at a bare minimum.
I think all of us can agree.
He set his lines and hopefully showed up to work on time.
Like, I don't know.
Dude, I bet he's then I could maybe is not I know nothing about it.
I could totally see that.
Him just being a consummate professional.
It did exactly what the director said and nothing more.
You know, you bring you bring someone else like, yeah, we're just going to this whole

(58:19):
podcast is going to be Michael Sheen, Bill Nye.
Yeah, it's going to be that we're starting.
Actually, the name of the series is Scott Speedman could have done more.
I wonder how he takes on that.
Yeah, that hybrid role in an evolution.
I guess we will find out.
I'm not sure how I feel about what it what do you guys think about how the hybrid looks

(58:42):
now that we're kind of getting into what are missing in this movie?
Yeah, I think it was smart to do a pretty minimal like it's it's an in-between transfer
of the two.
I think that they nailed pretty well.
Like, it's just his essentially his rib cage, like his chest is larger and then his skin

(59:07):
turns like a great color.
But overall, yeah, I think they were smart to choose something that didn't require a
lot because I think we could probably already tell that Scott Speedman adding more to his
play might not have been a better move.
So I think the movie did well to make sure that Scott Speedman was as comfortable as

(59:28):
he could be so that he could just deliver his lines and show up to work.
I feel like there's some element of him being able to do some of those stunts.
They're like, oh, he's in shape and he can move around.
Well, you know, we can put the makeup on him and he'll look good.
Would you would you think of the how the werewolf I mean, sorry, sorry, the werewolf.
How do you think how the Likens looks, Danny?

(59:52):
I liked him.
Honestly, I like I did think that although there was a few different like attacks that
the Likens did that it looks like really, really like kind of like like cheesy kind
of like like I can't remember what it was.
It was like what it was like one of the times that they're attacking people.

(01:00:15):
And like breaking through glass and like just it like they just do like a quick shot of
some of like a claw and like some teeth on somebody, but you can't quite tell anything.
And like I like I wanted in the in the beginning, like I wanted to be a little less like,
you know, I always gravitate less, less towards the CG and more towards the practical effects.

(01:00:41):
But then when there was actual practical effects with like the the Likens, it was like maybe.
Maybe we what?
Sorry.
With the practical effects.
They were like the practical effects.
Oh, shit, dude.
I know it's not better.

(01:01:02):
Yeah, I think.
Yeah, we I think I got what you're saying.
It was just like, that's hard.
That's a hard one to do.
Because the CG looks, I think, even worse.
Worse.
But I know what you mean.
Where the like I usually want practical effects.
And I still think I do.
And I understand that there needed to be some combination of the two.

(01:01:23):
I totally understand that.
And this is what they want.
They wanted storyboarded out of what it should look like.
And they just made it happen with whatever CG that they could.
But just to think that at this point in time, there were so many things that they could
do that at this point in time, there were still a guy in a werewolf costume and a big dumb
rubber mask.
And they had to just act opposite each other.

(01:01:46):
And there's a moment in the movie where a guy pulls out two whips that are made of silver.
And there's just a big guy in a werewolf costume.
I'm like, peak cinema.
Like, this is it, man.
This is what it's all about.
And he's just like, oh, and the guy's like, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
Yeah, yeah.

(01:02:08):
This is awesome.
I love those whips.
I'm whipping that like, oh, man.
I fucking love that whip guy, man.
That was so, I'm writing like, so calibrated.
And then his whip got stuck.
And then he got to eat.
Isn't dual wielding is a thing of this time?
I feel like dual wielding is like on a lot of shit right now.

(01:02:30):
A lot of two guns.
Yeah.
And then he was doing a lot of that.
And I don't know, I think like Legolas and his knives.
Dual wielding is cool.
There was so many times though where like Steve would put like, she's a terrible shot in this movie.
Like, every time she fires people, like she misses so much that it's like you kind of lose faith in her.

(01:03:00):
Well, when she's at the shooting range, she's shooting all those busts of different like.
I love that scene.
I would love to shoot into marble busts of like, I don't know, what was that, William Shakespeare or something?
A famed Lycan, let's shoot his head.
Yeah.
Just shooting the silver bullets off.

(01:03:22):
And then there's, yeah, there's a Q that exists in the world.
And then also to the wardrobe is so funny to me because you like as a wardrobe is you, not me, but I'm just thinking like them for this is like, it must be difficult to find a balance between like.

(01:03:44):
Okay, vampires have been around for a while, so they have this old aesthetic to their clothing, but then we need to update it and we need to make it, you know, BDSM.
And striking that balance.
Yeah, and I feel like they put it all into Kate Beckinsale because yeah, like, I mean, not that the other vampires outfits are bad, but it's just like they, they, yeah, they all look, they all look good and everyone looks like their models hanging out at like, I don't know what kind of.

(01:04:17):
Yes, like, like, is this a Balenciaga shoe?
Yeah, and her friend and everything.
I like how her friend like is faithful to her as well like helps her out and get the Q and stuff and.
Me too.
And yeah, like both her and her friend like have the most like symmetrical faces I've ever seen in my life or they're just, yeah, they look like everyone in vampire land looks like just models.

(01:04:48):
But Kate Beckinsale is a tire man. It's just, it is so cool and like the way that they fit in like this corset sort of thing and how she never has lounge wears.
I don't know why I'm talking that more because I just like to be cozy, but I'm just like throughout the whole movie there's another point where Kate Beckinsale can like have a moment to chill and when she does I'm telling you she's just in the library sitting very straight up on her laptop

(01:05:14):
and like get this girl some leather PJs or something. I don't know.
Leather PJs.
I just, I mean what what does she wear when she goes to sleep? I don't know any of these vampires. They just like they all hang out at the mansion and just the finest, finest wear all the time.

(01:05:35):
New vampires sleep though, you know.
Yeah, maybe.
I like to think they all like hanging out upside down, you know, on top of the ceiling.
I did, I did really like like the, the whole like sarcophagus room like I loved how that, that shit was rad.
Like how it like, it pops up from the ground and then she like turns it and everything. And then it has the whole like little blood loon.

(01:06:09):
Yeah, dude.
Yeah, that was really fucking cool.
And then once you pop all the tubes out and then it's like yeah, that was great. I mean, he, and then his, his slow transition to being like, like, like flesh, like, like not a dried up like raisin was fucking great.

(01:06:37):
I love that the vampire jerky is what I call it.
I like how it showed when when the blood was going into his body, it showed that there was like spider webs and stuff.
I love that. And that was one of my notes.
The inside body CG in this movie blows it's so shitty looking. To your point, how funny is that that the CG inside of his body has cobwebs in it.

(01:07:15):
That reminded me kind of like the opening of Fight Club 2 or it's just kind of like that opening where it's going through the all of the body.
It's the body. Yeah, I forget. Like it's just going going like there's points in Fight Club where it does like into the inner workings of something like when the fridge or whatever shows them like oh it'll light up a fire, it'll explode or whatever.

(01:07:50):
It's just seeing it's cool. It's funny to see like trademarks of CG at a certain time and
Trademarks of movies in general at this time. I mean to bring it back full circle to where we started is like this movie wears its influences on its shoulder wholeheartedly.
Like yeah, there's just clear ripping off of what this movie thinks is cool.

(01:08:13):
And it's also very of the time in its own way of things that haven't stuck around. And like yeah those those trademarks of the time. But I was thinking of the soundtrack and these certain moments not just shooting the hole in the ground.
But you guys remember when Michael Sheen. He's all shot up from her but then he has to have his moment to push the bullets out of his skin. Yeah, all of a sudden this song starts. It's like yeah.

(01:08:47):
He's like pushing it all out and it just yeah like that kind of stuff is like evanescence hot topic sort of shit that hits me in a way that's not going to happen.
So the same way if they see that movie for the first time without without living through it.

(01:09:08):
He got some hungry kiddies over there. I know. Yeah, Kara is going to be back any moment Luna I promise. She's going to feed you when she gets back. She's gonna be back any moment. Let's get to the notes.
Let's get to the yeah. Well yeah I was just gonna my final thing about that. No just the final action scene I thought was yeah like I said a little long and just when they were like have those gunfights I thought they look so that's where it looked.

(01:09:30):
The sons were not good sometimes because you just see two people with automatic weapons like big rifles that could shoot a yak from 300 yards away.
They would be like 20 feet from each other and just they'd be moving at each other to pew pew pew pew and then some of them roll over and that happened like five times at the end I'm like we don't need these shots like just get those little like pops of moments

(01:09:57):
and that kind of violence that drag and then yeah Bill Nye's death was rad you know like so rad like him sitting there like the whole process of him being confidence. I got this.
Wait a minute.
Something's wrong and then it will go to Kate Beckinsale and her blade is bloody he's like oh something's definitely wrong.

(01:10:20):
He curved around with a severed head that's not what you would do. Like that's not how things happen. Like you can't just keep your head cut in half and then turn around have a moment.
That's not helpful. And if it does happen it's got to be directly horizontal so gravity can at least hold it flat on your lower half. If it's diagonal it's gonna slide off immediately.

(01:10:47):
And that's just how that works.
It made it remind me like yeah final destination kind of that's life.
One of my notes was when Scott Speedman is transforming into starts transforming into a werewolf in the back of the cops car what do the cops do first thing they turn on the radio.

(01:11:17):
He's like, he's transforming. Let's turn on some tins.
Drag.
This photograph.

(01:11:45):
It plays the location which you can't have that is this town exists nowhere not London.
It was perfect.
Yeah, it could be London.
God forbid.
It's so sound.

(01:12:07):
Yeah, one awake to sleep. I was. Yeah, there's a.
When was there vampire sex. I think that was the craven and the lady is her friend. Oh yeah, and I just wrote so there must be so many hickeys after vampire sex because they're just like terrible their neck would be.

(01:12:29):
When he says he's gonna fill her in on these things. Oh yeah. He's like, he's like, come on, it comes in my rooms like Billy.
I wrote down I was like, do you have to take your top off to get your neck.

(01:12:50):
Like if you have blood is that, I don't know.
I'm gonna.

(01:13:21):
Sweet.
Get off this pot and go watch Top Gear.
I'm not a big car guy and I'm doing my best in your okay bread and what's good.

(01:13:54):
I think that's it.
There gears and grease.
I'm not good enough to grease down.
Okay, well I am going to move on to the next section of the podcast.
Nice. Take a break at.

(01:14:16):
Take a break. If you want right now or should we power through.
Take a quick break and then power through.
Okay.
Okay, be right back.
Okay.
Let's check out some news of underworld 2003. It was a 31% by critics a 79% by audiences. Let's check out some little blurbs by critics.

(01:14:45):
One Peter travers from Rolling Stone gave it a one out of four.
Maxing says the chief vampire Bill Nye, a line that pretty much nails the rusty blade.
Oh and Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly the sort of movie in which the head vampire telegraphs is evil by using a cell phone and dressing like kinks Ray Davies in the early 80s.

(01:15:13):
Wow, that can write.
Didn't it? Yeah Davies in the 80s. Scott Von Doviak Fort Worth Star Telegram. Let's check it out. Dark shadow. He says it's a dark shadows for the PlayStation 2 generation. Okay. Okay.
Okay.
Okay. Okay.
Claudia Puig gave it a one out of four features some of the year's most laughable dialogue is what she says. Jonathan Forman New York Post sometimes talent and good looks just aren't enough.

(01:15:45):
Beckinsale lacks the movie star presence needed to give life a supernatural hero in a pre-genre film.
Not true.
Liam Lacey Globe and Mail. It's hard to recall a more sexless vampire flick two out of four.
Oh, she's wanted more horn. Yes.
You want to more vampires. Yeah.

(01:16:07):
I will. Yeah, just wait a look for you more years for Twilight. I'm telling you. It'll be great. I'm telling you.
Roger Ebert said this movie is this movie is so paltry in its characters and shallow in its story that the war seems to exist primarily to provide graphic visuals, two out of four. His full review is pretty good.
But I won't go more into that.
Nita Gates New York Times achieves only loudness aggressive confusion and one of the silliest head split things in film history. Two out of five.

(01:16:36):
Manola Dargis LA Times alas as is often the case with lower and genre movies the story cooked up by Wiseman and his friends actor Kevin Graveau and film screenwriter Danny McBride is decidedly less important than the look of the film and its influences.
Two out of five. And that's our little tasting of the critics. They're much they're just too good for this movie, I guess.

(01:17:03):
Let's hear from the people five stars on letterboxed Zoe says, everybody say it with me and there's a little claps here so I'll try to get the claps where she has them in the emoji Lucian deserved better.
Lucian deserved better.

(01:17:24):
Love that. Yeah, love that. Isabel five stars this makes me want to buy a leather trench coat and do parkour.
Good for you.
Alleybug five stars if you give me a gothic film with sexy werewolves and vampires Kate Beckinsale wearing latex and a soundtrack with skinny puppy in a perfect circle. Do you really expect me not to fall in love with it?

(01:17:45):
Stop it.
Oh, Eliza five stars basically mid tier maybe worse vulgar autism but my brother was very into this and the matrix and Christian new metal like skill and pod when I was like five so when I was like five so the goofy edgy early 2000s goth aesthetics of this call out to a very formative moment in my life, like a Proustian Madeline and therefore it gets five stars.

(01:18:15):
Special things get it because I'm gothic to my brother. Yeah, I like the shitty vampire movie largely because of him. But he also taught me how to be really fucking good at dance dance revolution and let me steal his PS2 games. So it all shakes out in the end.
Yeah.

(01:18:39):
I love how PS2 is just mentioned. It just brings me back.
Noah five stars hot people in leather and latex who are out in the constant rain is what I'm looking for in a partner.
And finally by Tony five stars freaking phenomenal and utterly amazing. This is like a huge favorite of mine. I just love the world in this movie with the vampires and likens. God dang gate beckonsills just kick ass is Celine such a great character.

(01:19:09):
I love the vision Len Wiseman brings to this movie Len I miss you please come back to direct. He'll be directing a john wick spin off ballerina. I need his direction back man. I highly recommend this movie. It's incredible. I also just love the sequel.
I wish this movie was talked about more. Oh yeah there's this one. I found out I'll read this one from Jay Munyon titled this movie qualifies for a 20 star rating. Seriously, this is a Danny malignant situation. Yeah.

(01:19:39):
Oh no they go on to say all other vampire werewolf movies before or since this release wish they were worthy of being in this series and business week there are benchmark ideals, the elite best of the best that set the standard for everything else in this category to measure up to
or be measured by underworld sets the bar for all vampire and werewolf movies. Kate Beckinsale demonstrates how female leads are supposed to take charge in this 2003 release underworld and just FYI, she continues this great performance throughout the underworld sequels, underworld evolution and underworld rise of the likens.

(01:20:13):
I don't think she's in that but okay. All three are the very best there is in this genre. I can't believe you haven't ordered your own DVD. By all three in this series right now. You'll thank me.
You'd have to not know anything about vampires or werewolves not to love this film or be under 20 years old so you want somebody more your age and headliner roles.

(01:20:36):
So you watch the TV series softer milder less scary stuff. Who on that get the real stuff. This series has all the terror, all the gore, all the legend and all the antiquity with Kate Beckinsale.
I almost bought two copies in case one gets damaged. I hate to go too long between opportunities to watch one of the underworld series films. Oh yes, definitely five stars.

(01:21:04):
Oh, I love that guy.
That guy gets like points on distribution of that movie or something.
Oh, I said something tells me that can I get to buy it.
There was a call to action for sales.
My favorite in an audience review.

(01:21:29):
Code word like it.
I don't know. I love the love. It's fun to end on that.
Those kind of reviews because it's almost kind of contagious the love coming from them. It's just more fun to to love movies in general it's there sometimes where it's impossible and you can't do it even how hard you try and I think we always try to love whatever we see and it doesn't always work out that way.

(01:21:57):
That being said, Danny, what would any final thoughts and a score you give the whole underworld.
Yeah, I'd say like, you know, you guys made a lot of the points you guys were making about about our breath got feeding there were right on. Like, I thought that, you know, like, he definitely, he definitely parking like an Eddie better type and like I wish that, whether we got, you know, a better performance or even just a different care person.

(01:22:32):
I think that this movie would could have stood to have that a little bit more as well as like, you know, I did want like, I did think that there was some things that were lacking but as far as like it being like you said a popcorn movie the stunts were good.
The, the, you know, the, the delivery by the actors that we that we have to mention like, like, you know, definitely carries this thing in a big bad way home.

(01:23:03):
The, the stuff for great.
Breaking up a bit.
Stunts are great.
The stuff for great I don't know if we mentioned like, you know, there was some movies that they were biting off of.

(01:23:29):
But, you know, I don't know if we mentioned that that it felt definitely like kind of a blade. There was blade as qualities to that, you know, like, to Brandon statement of just because that was there does not mean that it that it wasn't fun to do.

(01:23:50):
Yeah, and fun to watch.
But overall like you know I was, I was entertained. And like I had a good time with it.
So I mean I'm going to give it, I'm going to give it like a 70.
Like, like, like, just, just, just, just above bad, or just above like, you know, like, okay.

(01:24:18):
Because, because I mean like it was fun throughout.
But yeah, yeah, I think it's 70s is right where I want to land. Nice, right on brandy James. No, you go first. Okay, I'll go for it. I'll, I'll go after.
Danny, I had fun watching this movie. The performances for sure elevated as Danny said those Cape Econ sail helming. The thing went a really long way.

(01:24:52):
And Bill Nye and Michael Sheen being being who they are and really coming to play and having fun with it and being willing to add some character and some personality and some color to an otherwise pretty stark film brought this movie to another level in

(01:25:15):
for them in particular because I'm not sure with all the other factors if I would have enjoyed it as as much. But the other things I did enjoy were the action for sure.
And the lore surprised me how much I got invested in it, particularly Lucien's whole backstory and everything because I was somewhat familiar with it.

(01:25:39):
Having seen rise of the Lakers.
I liked how it surprised me and I was worried that I was really going to be more on the just this is stupid side, not like this is stupid. Awesome. Like this. This is fun action and it is done in a way that's not too self serious. If anything, it's, it's so self serious that it by I buy into it as well.

(01:26:13):
Yeah, and some other performances that weren't great. But, you know, we're a serviceable enough I guess with Craven and Scott Speedman.
The matrix aesthetic and everything like brings me back and I think it's totally fine that it was borrowing so much from it, because it.

(01:26:34):
It had a clear idea in mind of what it wanted to do.
I think it's just tighten up those screws a little bit on some of the scenes, namely like the last 20 minutes or so in that in that super fight I thought were extenuated a little too long.
I would have something that would even be higher for me but for today it will be yeah right there with Danny I'll do a 72. I think it's it's a super solid fun popcorn movie about vampires and likens and werewolves fighting each other man like if you know that going into it like.

(01:27:10):
And if you yeah you're like oh and that doesn't sound good to me then yeah go watch something else but like if that intrigues you enough like you get what you get what you paid for you get vampires and werewolves fighting each other baby.
And then like this whole backstory about why they're doing it which I don't know I thought it paid off pretty well and then a hybrid thing that was like a kicking the stone forward of the mythology of vampires werewolves of like, I don't know.

(01:27:36):
That's what alien predator predator did right at the end to except you don't get really see that alien predator I didn't really see Requiem but yeah 72 fun time excited for evolution I'm excited to see where the Lord takes us next.
Nice, nice.
Yeah, so I don't know it's probably unsurprising given the way that I've commented on this movie already but I think this movie could have been really silly and stupid and it ends up actually being pretty interesting.

(01:28:07):
And I want to give credit where credit is due that I think the world building in this first movie nails a lot of what needs to happen for you to be interested in what is going to happen in the second movie as opposed to just being lackluster or not thought out, or yeah just undercooked,
and there are some very overcooked things in this and I would much rather a well done pizza than a raw pizza so yeah I think this movie is great for what it is like on honestly to finish my review similarly to James's like, if you know you're going into this movie with the

(01:28:49):
understanding that this is a movie about vampires versus werewolves, like it gives you exactly that and then excites you in new lore that it created for those characters so yeah I think this movie does well for what it's trying to do and I'm going to give this movie an 82%
Wow! Nice! Coming from the brandini man. Hell yeah. I'm curious to see when it shakes out when we do these next couple movies, I reserve the right to re-review this one. I'm going to go ahead and say it now.

(01:29:19):
Maybe as I go through the series new things will come to light as well but we'll see what happens. I'm happy with that score, I'm happy that we're all fresh boys on Underworld and as I've said before, fresh boys! Fresh boys! Fresh boys! We're fresh boys today! Watch out! Watch out we're fresh boys!

(01:29:43):
So we're moving on now. Underworld Evolution 2006 came out three years later. Went to a 17% for the critics, they hate it even more than the 31% for the first one and then from a 79% for the first one in the audience to a 72% from the audience for Underworld Evolution.

(01:30:09):
A little synopsis here.

(01:30:39):
We hope you join us on the continuation of the Underworld series. Danny, thank you so much for stopping by. Appreciate it all the time, every time.
Creator of the Polarized Kingdom, Polar Daddy is presiding.
Thank you so much for having me.

(01:31:01):
Ah, pleasure man. Thank you for coming on. Yeah man, we appreciate your time and energy put into all of our past episodes as well and always a fun conversation to be had whether we're recording it or not.
So I'm glad we got this one on wax.
If you guys care to watch us live or on twitch.tv slash polarize pod when we do record and send us or yeah rate review subscribe on Apple podcasts or anywhere else you are.

(01:31:32):
That would be super awesome.
Polarize the pod at gmail.com if you want to send us a line polarize the pod at gmail.com. We love you all and we'll see you next time. Bye bye.