Fight Club (25th anniversary)

Show us your Pitts - again! Put your fists in the air because this is Part 2 of "Pitt Fest" celebrating two Brad Pitt movies based on books that hit milestone anniversaries this year. Mark welcomes Brad stan OT Garcia back on the show to break the number 1 rule of Fight Club and discuss the “defining cult movie of our time” for its 25th anniversary. From David Fincher's memorable aesthetic and Tyler Durden's gigolo fashion, to Helena Bonham Carter's scene-stealing smoking and all the sweaty muscles on display, this movie left a mark on many of us (including Mark's high school art teacher). Plus, OT compares the existentialism in the dialogue to another 1999 hit: The Matrix!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
Straw Hut Media.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Hey everybody, thanks for listening to Release Date Rewind, a
podcast that celebrates milestone anniversaries in film. It's me your host,
Mark J. Parker, a movie lover and movie maker, and
thank you for listening to this show on the straw
Hut Media Network wherever you get your podcasts or watching
on YouTube. If you listen to the last episode about
Interview with a Vampire, you'll know that this episode is

(00:27):
part two of what I'm calling Pitfest. Yes, two big
Brad Pitt nineties movies are having big anniversaries this fall,
and the one we're talking about today is fight Club.
It's the famous David Fincher movie starring Brad and his
bod that made the whole world gasp. And you know,
although the studio didn't love the final film at first

(00:47):
and apparently didn't make all that much money that they
were hoping at the box office, it obviously went on
to become one of the most memorable movies of our time,
and that's why we're talking about it. If you'd like
to watch or rewatch before continue, Fight Club is currently
available on Hulu in the US. All Right, Project Mayhem members,
I want you to hit me as hard as you can,

(01:09):
because it's time to rewind, all right, everybody. I am
so excited to be talking to a friend I just
saw luckily earlier this month. But she hasn't been on

(01:30):
the pod in quite some time. Everybody, Welcome back, Ot
Garcia in the house. It's nice and Sonny on the
West coast. How lucky? She said, it's cold, but it's
not that cold over here in Maine. It's cold. But whatever,
how's it going? Ot? Good good, so good to see you.
It was so nice to have dinner with you earlier
this month in San Diego.

Speaker 1 (01:51):
What was the name of the restaurant Kindred?

Speaker 2 (01:54):
Kindred? Yes, Kindred, so nice. It was great to chat.
Dimitri didn't join us. He was busy with the kids. Yes,
we had a great time, good food, so much fun.
So short, just one night with you, it's not enough, right,
but yeah, Ot has her hands full. Everybody with the
most beautiful family. I mean, it was so fun hanging

(02:15):
with them. If you, guys, if you went to meet
your everyone to go away. I think I think I
was saying this to you. Greg thought looked at me
like I was crazy. But I will come over, I
will I will help baby sit. We're gonna play games,
we're in color, We're gonna eat candy.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
Whatever you want. So I've never seen you with kids,
and you're oh.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
So much fun and I forget, but some of them
are getting like right in my face. I was like, okay,
we are fast friends. Love it so yeah, so much fun,
love them, love them. But okay, enough of today. Everyone.
This is part two of my Brad Pitt double feature episode.
Last part was interview with the Vampire, which just turned thirty.
Now we are gonna rave about this great gritty, crazy movie,

(03:00):
Fight Club for its twenty fifth anniversary. O T you
love fight Club? This was my first time rewatching it
in years. When's the last time you think you saw it? Years?

Speaker 1 (03:11):
Like twenty years ago?

Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, isn't it crazy? I remember loving it soon after
it came out. I mean we were young, I had
I had the DVD, loved it, and I feel like
the last time I saw it in full might have
been like college, like a long time ago college. Yeah, right,
And that's so funny. It's very of that era. It's
a very like I feel like college movie where like

(03:34):
you're coming into your own you're feeling like a cool
adult like middle Finger to you know the world. Meanwhile,
we had no idea. We're like, oh yeah, I know everything.
We knew nothing. But what So when do you think
you first saw this movie? Do you? Did you go
to the theater? Did you see it at home? No?

Speaker 1 (03:52):
I didn't go to the theater. I saw it at home.
I remember when I was working at this like counterculture
coffee shop in San Diego when I was sixteen, and
it came out, and I remember one of my coworkers
saw it in the movie there. I remember the sovividly,
and he came in the next day and he quit
his job like that movie like really hit my coworker,
Like he was just like done. And then I was like,

(04:14):
oh my god, I need to see this movie. Like
what is this movie? Rented it?

Speaker 2 (04:18):
Yeah, Oh my gosh, that's so interesting. He was immediately
inspired to Yeah, like say f you to the man, right.

Speaker 1 (04:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
But it's so interesting because now twenty five years later,
it's still it still holds up. I love it and
it's funny. It's like the like when I say all
the time on the show. Even though you and I
hadn't seen it in probably twenty years, you might have
been the same way where like certain lines I was
able to just I just remembered. I'm like, oh, yeah,
this is where she says that, or this is where
he you know, like our memories just pick right up

(04:47):
even though it's been so long. But what do you
think now years later twenty twenty four, is the movie
like did the movie sort of take on a new
life with like the wrong kind of people? Do you
feel like or or is it like do you know
what I'm trying to say?

Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yeah, Well, when I was reading some of the commentary
about it, I was really struck by the like anti
feminist kind of undertones that it mentions, and I was like,
I didn't pick up on that when it first came out,
and then now and then some of the quotes, I
was like, I'm like, oh, that's I don't know how
that would do now something like that. But it's something

(05:28):
that I didn't see before that I saw this the rewatch,
and I was really surprised totally.

Speaker 2 (05:33):
There's definitely some things I didn't notice before that went
over my head, and I'm sure even now there are
things I still didn't catch. But yeah, like cause the
whole essence is that it's this generation of men mostly
you know, that are kind of sick of like being numb, right,
and they want they want to feel, they want to rebel,

(05:54):
which is cool and like Project Mayhem and all that.
But then as we see things really go off the rails,
and I just wonder, like the people that love Fight
Club now, I mean, we love it, but then I
feel like there are some people that you and I
wouldn't hang out with that love Fight Club, you know
what I mean. So it just makes me wonder, like,
you know, like like do Trumpers love Fight Club? Because

(06:16):
I feel like they do, but I think liberals like
Fight Like I just wonder, like, did this movie kind
of accidentally.

Speaker 1 (06:21):
Become you know, an anthem for them for some people?

Speaker 2 (06:27):
Do you know what I mean? I just wonder because
it kind of could go that way. You know, it
all depends on who's watching it. But I just feel
like some people that are kind of crazy think these things.

Speaker 1 (06:39):
Well it's the anti establishment, you know type libertarian vibes.
It kind of gave me. Yeah, but I love it.
I love it so much. Yeah, because it's anti consumers,
and which is you know, we are consumers and I
can I can accept that, but you have to be
conscious of it, and I think going against it I

(07:02):
think is positive.

Speaker 2 (07:03):
Yeah, absolutely, you're so right. There's a lot of brands
that are thrown around Ikia boy. You know. Yeah, it's
definitely And it's funny because I never really thought of that,
especially when I first watched this as a kid at home.
But even in college, like that wasn't totally getting through
to me, you know, as much as it does nowadays,
where I'm like, oh yeah, wow, like we are all

(07:25):
kind of like zombies to big companies and all that.
You know, maybe not so much now. We're more aware
now of like the goods and bads of big corporations.
But yeah, there's a lot of that. We'll get into
all of that. I'm so I just think of that
Gucci ad and Edward Norton says to Brad Pitt, is
that what a real man looks like?

Speaker 3 (07:43):
Like?

Speaker 2 (07:44):
Just all these questions of like what you're throwing in
my face? Is that? Is that really what I'm supposed
to be? Is that what I'm supposed to want? You know?
Very interesting stuff? Right?

Speaker 3 (07:55):
Yeah, I want you to hit me as hard as
you can.

Speaker 4 (08:00):
Why how much can you know about yourself.

Speaker 1 (08:01):
You never been a fine Wait let me start earlier.

Speaker 2 (08:04):
Well, let me set the scene for you. OT, anyone listening,
we are going back in time to October fifteenth, nineteen
ninety nine, twenty five years ago. This is what was
happening everybody. OT, I want to hear your thoughts because
this is a blast from the past. The top song
at this time was Heartbreaker, one of my faves from
Mariah Carey and jay Z. Gimme a Love, Gimme a

(08:26):
lov Ugh loved that song. That was a number one song,
followed by here were the top five the Music of
My Heart from Gloria Estefan and n Sync. Now that
song was for a movie that I just posted about
the other day that I think OT, I think you commented.
Maybe maybe you sent me a message about it. I
can't remember. But Music of the Heart was a Wes
Craven film, one of the very rare non horror films

(08:49):
that he made with Meryl Streep. It was originally going
to be Madonna and Gloria A. Stefan was in it.
Oh yeah, I still haven't seen it because at that time,
especially I'm like, get back to scream, give me screams three.
I don't care about Meryl teaching kids, although now I
feel like I would love it. Did you ever see
that movie Music of the Heart.

Speaker 1 (09:05):
No, No, I've never heard of it.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah I think I think I.

Speaker 1 (09:08):
Think that's what you told me.

Speaker 2 (09:10):
Yeah, I think you told me, Like I've never even
heard this movie. I'm like, oh, well, at a day list,
we got to watch it. But the song was more
popular with n Sync. Of course, who were you know,
Kings of the Castle? So that was number two. The
number three song Smooth from Santana and Rob Thomas. Yeah,
that was a good one. But geeze, when that comes
on now you're like, oh my god, enough we let

(09:31):
this go right when that comes on like the grocery
store or like, I don't.

Speaker 1 (09:35):
Know, Rob Thomas, I'm sorry.

Speaker 2 (09:41):
So funny, random flun fact about Rob Thomas. Years ago,
when I was a cater waiter as my side job,
we were somewhere in Connecticut. We were at like a
car dealership that turned into like an event center. So random,
and Rob Thomas was the honorary whatever recipient of I
guess he does a lot of like animal like charity work,

(10:02):
like he's pro you know, so like it was just
so random. I'm like that, Rob, because I was looking
at the paper, I'm like Rob Thomas, like that Rob Thomas. No,
And then he comes out and then they sing just
Lock the old Show, you know, and it's like, oh, wow, okay,
that's that Rob Thomas. So random. But yeah, so Smooth
was a big song. The next one was Unpretty from TLC.

(10:22):
What a great song. That was one of their slower ones.
And then number five was fittingly Mambo number five from Loop.

Speaker 1 (10:31):
That one I could not listen to any.

Speaker 2 (10:34):
Yeah that rip to that song Goodbye, But isn't it
funny looking at that list, I'm like, wait, lou Bega,
I thought that was earlier. That seems earlier, Yeah, right
to me. Then total line with those other songs. But yeah,
so that was still kicking on the TV side. Quickly,
I'll tell you on the WB I was a big
w B kid. Did you watch the WB around this time?

Speaker 1 (10:56):
No, we didn't really have like channels.

Speaker 2 (11:01):
Okay if you were a channel as home, okay, you
didn't really have channels. I was a WP kid all
the way, especially at this time. And so Angel, the
Buffy spin off with David borionis Oh, it just started
didn't love the show. It was a little too sci
fi for me personally, but I mean David Brionis can't
go wrong. And then Roswell, which I was really into Aliens,

(11:24):
pretty people, you know, that had just started on the
WB So those were new hits for my young brain.
And then on the movie side, everybody, these were other
popular movies that were out around this time. Double Jeopardy
with Ashley Judd. That was a big one. The Story
of Us which was a little less big, but that
came out the same day. That was with Michelle Pfeiffer

(11:44):
and Bruce Willis, like a marital drama. And then two others,
Three Kings if you remember that one in like in
the Middle East with George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and Ice Cube,
So that was a that was a bigger one.

Speaker 1 (12:00):
And then I don't even know that movie.

Speaker 2 (12:02):
Oh that one was with Oh God, directed by David
o' russell. If you've ever heard of the drama between
David Russell and George Clooney, Like I think they were
like fistfighting, like that director was like really crazy. That's
that movie. Three Kings, Yeah, and then the last one
I just have to shout out Superstar, Molly Shannon, Hello,
Will Ferrell, Hello.

Speaker 1 (12:22):
I haven't seen that one.

Speaker 2 (12:23):
Oh oh my god, you and the kids would probably.
I mean, there is a little bit of cursing. There
is a famous line that Greg and I like to
say sometimes to each other that does have the F word. Yeah,
that might be fine. I mean whatever, right, they're already
saying it. Let's be honest, they're on the playground cursing
each other out. But oh my god, Superstar so silly
and dumb and funny an SNL movie. So that was popular.

(12:44):
Those were all in the top ten. But here comes
Fight Club. It opened at number one, naturally with these
big stars. So Ot, I want to throw it over
to you for a second. I know we already kind
of started talking about some themes, but I want to
hear in your own words. It can be a short,
little brief summary. What's fight Club about? For anyone out
there who really has no idea?

Speaker 1 (13:03):
I practiced with Dimitri, so I'm ready for this. So
A Fight Club is about an unnamed man. He's the
main character, but we don't know his name. He suffers
from insomnia and he can't really sleep. So his doctor
says he needs to go to these I don't know

(13:26):
what they're called, like groups like help groups at a
church where they're like people with cancer they talk about, Oh,
they're so sad and whatnot. And he needs and he
starts crying when he starts to go to these groups,
and that kind of like heals him of his insomnia.
He's able to sleep. So he just starts going to
all these groups and he loves it. He meets a woman,

(13:51):
Marla Singer at these groups who's wild and I just
a very interesting character. And then he also meets Tyler
Dirden on an airplane on a flight. Oh, he's also
an insurance adjuster. Sorry, like something like that, an insurance
like investigator investigates things for a car company, a big

(14:11):
car company he works for, which is weird and yeah,
and so he meets Tyler. He forms this like friendship
with him. He like stays with him in his house
that he lives in, this really weird JANKI like kind
of amazing like mansion that's completely dilapidated. And then it's

(14:37):
kind of their journey on creating this fight club together
where they bite each other it seems like. But as
the story goes on, you start to kind of question
where the two of them begin an end, and if
they're in person.

Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yes, oh wow, nicely done, beautiful will be right back.

Speaker 1 (15:02):
Like many of you, I was stuck. You want me
to deprioritize my current reports. Yeah, until you guys have
status upgrade, make these your primary reaction items. I couldn't sleep, No,
you can't die from insomnia.

Speaker 5 (15:13):
I'd flip through catalogs and wonder what kind of dining
set defines me as a person. This is your life
and it's ending one minute at a time.

Speaker 2 (15:22):
I remembered very well. Of course everyone knows if you've
seen this movie, they end up being the same person.
They are not two different men. Yeah, the narrator is
Tyler Dirden. You know, we don't know if that's his
real name. That's what he says Tomorla and different people.
That's who he is. But it's funny rewatching it for
the first time in so long, I forgot that, Like

(15:42):
there are definitely seeds planted, Like there's little hints throughout
the whole movie that what you know, she often is
saying what And it's funny seeing this younger. I didn't
catch on to that, Like for me, the reveal later
on in the last twenty minutes or so is like
a reveal, but actually it's kind of not, you know,
and maybe that's just us rewatching and we knew the ending, right,

(16:04):
but they all hints here and there throughout, which I
think is so interesting. So that when there is when
when Edward Norton's character realizes it, I think by then
most people watching are like, oh, yeah, I knew this.
I had a feeling, do you know what I mean? Right?
But younger me, I was just like, wow, you know,
totally oblivious, right, I guess I wasn't fully list was

(16:25):
kind of.

Speaker 1 (16:26):
When I first saw I think when I first saw
the movie, that was kind of like the aspect of
it that was just like wow, it wasn't that they
were like fighting each other or fighting themselves at the end.
It was more like they were the same person, right, yeah,
because that was like the first time I ever saw
that in a movie, you know, uh huh oh.

Speaker 2 (16:42):
Yeah, definitely. Since this was because how old were you
at this time? Were you in were you in high school?
You said you were like sixteen? Oh yeah, yeah, so yeah,
this was this was a big, fresh and new movie
to do. Something like that, not that this was the
first time to ever do that, but for us in
our lives, like whoa, yeah, yeah, so it is interesting
the little hints, especially with Marla, you know, and how

(17:05):
the narrator says like they were never in the same
unless they were in the bedroom. They were never in
the same room together. And it's like, well, yeah, because
you are here with Marla, you know, like he's coming
in and out because you know, it's so interesting and
so well made that way.

Speaker 5 (17:21):
I prayed for a different life soap. Make this so soap,
and this is how I'm met Tyler Dirty.

Speaker 1 (17:28):
Come on before I.

Speaker 2 (17:29):
Lose my nerve. Wow in a. This is based on
the nineteen ninety six novel of the same name by
I never know how to say his name, Chuck Paliniuk.
Is that how you say it?

Speaker 1 (17:40):
Ot, I looked it up. It's pollinick polinick.

Speaker 2 (17:43):
Oh okay, easy, all right, I'm adding more symbols. Did
you ever read the book?

Speaker 1 (17:48):
I did, yeah, a long time ago. I don't remember
any of it, but I went like a through a
Chuck Pollinick phase and I just read like three four
piece books.

Speaker 2 (17:55):
Yes, oh yeah, I remember, loving I don't think I've
ever finished any of Chuck's books, but I went on
a buying craze because I loved I loved the covers.
There was one that I loved so much. I think
it was called Invisible Monsters, if I believe. I think
it was called that. But it had a really cool cover,
if anyone knows what I'm talking about. It was like

(18:16):
white with like colors, and it was like a woman's face,
but then you turned it around and it was like
a different face, and I was just like, oh my god,
I need this. I was definitely maybe still am a judge.
Don't judge a book by its cover. I totally do. So. Yeah,
I don't think I've ever finished because they're a little crazy,
of course. But so you did you read it after
seeing the movie? Probably or what do you think?

Speaker 1 (18:37):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, aft Oh for sure?
Yeah in college I read it.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
Yeah, okay, yeah, so yeah. Based on that book. Laura Ziskin,
who was the head of Fox twenty twentieth century Fox,
she had listened to a tape that the producers made
of some actors reading through parts of the book, kind
of like a I guess it was like a forty
five minute kind of abridged version of the book, and
once she heard the actors kind of read out these lines,

(19:02):
she purchased the rights to the book for only ten
thousand dollars. Really not that much money. Oh back then,
that's really like, that's it. But Chuck said yes, and
so here they got the rights. Now, the screenplay was
written by a guy I'm gonna butcher his last name.
I think it's Jim Owles Ooles, but crazy enough, I
did some research on him. This was his first produced screenplay.

(19:24):
Like WHOA, what an undertaking because this movie could not
have been easy to write, and I guess Chuck has
said it's a very faithful adaptation of his book. So
I mean, can you imagine, like I'm going to write
a screenplay and that's going to be my first one.
I think I would. I think I would have to pass.
I'd be like, ooh, gonna need some more practice with
some normal stories, right. But so that was Jim Owles. Now,

(19:47):
of course, this is directed by David Fincher, who had
a big hand in the screenwriting with Jim, as did
the actors. Apparently they worked on multiple drafts to really
get the dialogue right. But Ot. Do you like David
fincher movies? Do you usually like his stuff?

Speaker 1 (20:01):
Love them? Yeah?

Speaker 3 (20:03):
Right?

Speaker 2 (20:03):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (20:03):
I love hist, love the music. I love who he
pairs with, you know, Trent Resnor.

Speaker 2 (20:07):
Love lots of Trent Reznor in his movies. Yeah. This,
I think the original music I think was by a
band called the Dust Brothers. I think I'm I'm right
saying that not the Key's the Dust Person. But a
great soundtrack too. We'll talk about that Pixies ending. Oh
my god, that song. I was just like, oh my god, alone,
I'm like, this is the song of my life. Oh

(20:28):
my god. Loved it. But so David Fincher up until
this point he had the OT is dying, but it's true.
Oh my god, me at like, I don't think I
saw this in nineteen ninety nine. It might have been
two thousand or so, but so I was like thirteen.
But when that ending, I was like, I was like,
oh my god, I see I see the light. Wow
the Pixies. But anyway, so David Fincher had made Alien

(20:52):
three seven with Brad Pitt, iconic movie that I've talked
about long ago on the show, and the Game Is
seven was a big one, and then The Game with
Michael Douglass. Right, yeah, that was a really chanting yeah
sean to Yes, very spooky and really edgy. Absolutely, so
he had made those hits, and it's interesting the producers

(21:14):
were first considering these directors to direct this movie. Peter Jackson,
how funny, but he was busy at the time filming
The Frighten Nurse with Michael J. Fox. If you've ever
seen that weird horror comedy, so he.

Speaker 1 (21:26):
Was busy heard of it.

Speaker 2 (21:27):
Oh, check it out. Sometimes it's weird, it's so weird,
but it's it's fun and it looks so good, like
something about the mid nineties minto late nineties, like movies
just looks so good. So Peter Jackson, Brian Singer, who
we know now is problematic and not a good guy.
But Brian Singer had apparently received the book and was
considered to direct it, but he didn't read it. He
wasn't interested. Danny Boyle, which makes a lot of sense.

(21:50):
He had done train spotting, you know up until this time.
Oh yeah, was considered, right and met with them and
read the book, but he, I guess, had pursued other
stuff and going back to three Kings. That director David
or Russell, who went on to do iHeart Huckabees and
Oh my God, what silver Lining's playbook was a big one.
He was also sent the book and they wanted him

(22:12):
to do it, but he admitted he just couldn't understand it.
He didn't know what it was about, and just couldn't
make it. So in comes David Fincher and fun fact,
going back to Alien three, that was a Fox movie,
and that was, like notoriously behind the scenes, a mess,
and that was his first big movie. That was his
first movie. I believe he had only done music videos.
So he had a terrible time making that movie. Some

(22:33):
of you out there might know lots of drama behind
the scenes on that big movie, and so he was
very hesitant to work with Fox again. But I guess
this woman Laura Ziskin and the producers really like you know,
met with him and made him feel more comfortable and
said like, you know, you're amazing an amazing director now,
so you're the one to do this. So that's that.
Now onto the actors real quick, I'll just talk about

(22:55):
our three leads. That Ot was mentioning the characters. Brad
Pitt what a babe. Oh my god, what do you
think of Brad Pitt in this era? Ot? I have
to add, this is.

Speaker 1 (23:03):
Oh absolute favorite for sure. The hair, the body, and
he's just always like kind of like sweaty and dirty,
you know, like he's always has his hair is always
wet for some reason. And his lips he's always licking
them and just like, oh my god, oh.

Speaker 2 (23:21):
My god, he looks. I mean, there's a reason why.
Twenty five years later and I was googling. I was
googling Brad pit waistline Fight Club because it's very pretty.
But also did you notice and I had noticed this
years ago too, his waist is always being shown. It's
like David Fincher was like, you look so good. We
will always show some skin. But like even when he's

(23:43):
wearing like his kind of you know, his jacket, his
button downs, the stomach at least a little bit is always.

Speaker 6 (23:50):
Showing when he's in the department store, when he's in
the department store selling his soap, I noticed it his
waist Like it's like Pink, you know how, Like Pink's
waist is always like showing that area, yes, where you
can like.

Speaker 7 (24:02):
See exactly and that that scene really stands out as well.
I'm glad you brought up that department store where I
think the narrator says a great line something like we
sold we sold soap to rich women and basically sold
their fat back to them. Or I'm butchering the quote,
but it's a great quote.

Speaker 1 (24:20):
Them they're fat.

Speaker 2 (24:21):
Them, Yeah, yes, exactly. But yeah. He's like leaning on
the counter, leaning on his pants, and we're just seeing
like pelvis and it's like, oh my god, David, like,
thank you for constantly telling Brad to always show pelvis.
But I just wonder and I was google. I was
trying to google, but instead everything that came up was
pictures of course, and like do the ab workout that

(24:43):
Brad Pitt did. Here's Brad Pitt's diet, here's his weight.
He apparently was only one hundred and fifty five pounds.
I'm like, whoa, that's it. Wow. I mean, I guess
because he was apparently five percent body fat, so like
all all muscle. I mean, it was thank you, Brad,
thank you for thank you for your service. But I'm
glad you caught that too, because I was trying to
just google. What was David Fincher going for what was

(25:06):
Brad going for there? But I couldn't really find anything
because of all the workouts. But long story short, I
mean there's a reason why twenty five years later people
are still talking about the Brad Pitt fight Club body
and workout. I mean it's as iconic as this story.
I mean his which ab is your favorite? Which muscle
is your favorite?

Speaker 5 (25:27):
We were finding out more and more that we were
not alone. It was on the tip of everyone's tongue,
Tyler and I just gave.

Speaker 1 (25:34):
It a name.

Speaker 3 (25:35):
Gentlemen, Welcome to fight Club. The first rule of fight
club is you do not talk about fight club. Second
rule of fight club is the do not talk about
fight club.

Speaker 2 (25:47):
And the shadows that David Fincher loves, you know how,
it's a lot of darkness. They really cling to, like
the body in the best ways.

Speaker 1 (25:54):
So yeah, yeah, His style in the movie reminded me
like of a jigglo like pimp style, you know, interesting
because he kind of had some he had like the
glasses and like just very flamboyant clothes too, as and
it was I just thought it was great.

Speaker 2 (26:11):
I love his style, and especially because he is so
macho and you know, very masculine and like we're saying,
you know, anti establishment, just very manly. It's fun and
I'm so glad they give him all these crazy colors.
And I love his robe with the like coffee cups
on them, and there's a lot of reds, and like

(26:33):
I love I forgot how much I love the big
crazy fight with them towards the end in the garage
and down the stairs. It's brutal, right, this is when
he has a shaved head. I love that colorful like
red trimmed tank top that he's wearing. It's just some
of the best fashion, right. I remember I had a
poster not it was the movie, but it wasn't like

(26:56):
official movie. It was just Brad Pitt holding soap that
said club and like doing something like weird with his face.
And he was wearing like a bright black, right, like
bright blue and green, like funny T shirt. And I
was just was like, oh my god, this style is
so fun. Maybe I'll start dressing like Tyler Dirdan again.
I don't know. I think I'm past that age. I
feel like, no, I think I'm in Maine and the suburbs.

Speaker 1 (27:18):
There's oh yeah, no for sure, you can't do that
in May.

Speaker 2 (27:23):
Maybe maybe maybe you guys, maybe Dimitri can do that.

Speaker 6 (27:27):
Right.

Speaker 2 (27:28):
He's so funny. I love how he looks as well,
all the accessories, even just even the facial hair. Everything
is just so perfect and it's so different than what
he was doing at the time. So leading up to this,
of course he was in seven so he had worked
with David Venture before, but he just in the year
or two prior, he was in the Devil Zone with
Harrison Ford. This was in his like bright Blonde era,

(27:50):
you know, so Devil' Zone seven years in the Joe
Joe Black. Oh my god, jo Black. I don't remember
the movie at all. I know it's quite slow, but
that where she is taking off his shirt and he's
I just remember as a kid, I was like, whoa, Okay,
I'm feeling things and this is very interesting. What's happening
to me right now?

Speaker 4 (28:11):
So?

Speaker 2 (28:11):
Wow, meet Joe Black. Oh I met him. I met him.
So he was in those movies and totally forgot because
I hadn't seen this in so long. He has a
cameo as himself same year as this in the movie
being John Malkovich. Totally forgot. I haven't seen that in years.

Speaker 1 (28:28):
I haven't seen that.

Speaker 2 (28:30):
Yea, that too. Ninety nine has like so many crazy, wacky,
amazing movies.

Speaker 1 (28:36):
Love, I haven't seen you on the new one really
for men only.

Speaker 2 (28:44):
Then moving on to Edward Norton, equally brilliant in this movie,
so good and still pretty new in his career. He
had done you know, a few movies each year, but
only in nineteen ninety sixty he really get started with
Primal Fear, so he was still pretty new and star
you know. So leading up to this he had done
American History X. My god, what a movie, remember that one? Right?

(29:08):
So then I love, I mean so great and his
body and that I mean, wow, what a chameleon. I mean,
I know we think of like pale and like, you know,
different guys changing their bodies, but we forget sometimes Edward Norton, like, whoa,
he can really change himself for a role. So American
History X and Rounders, which he did with Matt Damon

(29:28):
that was like a like a gambling movie. I never
saw it, but I remember seeing mister Alone, you know
what I mean. And then last but not least, what
a scene stealer. Helena Bonham Carter I love her in
this movie. What do you think of her?

Speaker 1 (29:44):
I love her too. Yeah, She's When I was reading
like the different actresses that they were gonna I could,
I'm like, it's so hard to imagine anybody but her
because she's just so unique and yes, got these characteristics
about her that make the character. Is that your blood.

Speaker 2 (30:12):
Some of it?

Speaker 1 (30:13):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (30:14):
After fight Club, we all started seeing things differently.

Speaker 1 (30:17):
You have to keep me up, and she ruined everything.
You're not into her, no, God, not at all.

Speaker 2 (30:26):
She's sexy, which I do think you need because some
of the women that were, you know, in the mix
make a lot of sense, but like you need someone
who does have that attraction that like sexuality, you know,
and she's got it. And she's so quirky and she's funny,
she's got She made me laugh out loud, you know

(30:47):
a few times with her physicality. She is brilliant in
this movie. I think she steals the movie. I know
it's all about the guys, but man, every scene Marla
is in. Just hearing her walk in, I'm like, oh boy,
like here we go, you know, so.

Speaker 1 (31:03):
With here a cigarette all the time everywhere. And then
I think when we first meet her, she has like
a bun on, like a like a tiny little bun
on the top of her head. Like her hair, it's
like so cute, like a little child.

Speaker 2 (31:14):
Yes, yes, because her hair is always kind of ratty,
you know, always looking kind of like Brad's like a
little unwashed and like. But yes, then she's able to like, Yeah,
that iconic shot when we first meet her in the
group where she's got she looks like she's at a funeral.
I think she has like a black hat on at first,
with sunglasses. Yeah, that slow motion smoke. I mean, kids
don't smoke, but wow, Marlon knows how to smoke. Oh

(31:37):
my god. The DP, the cinematographer was like, just blow
those rings and we'll just record. She's so good in
this movie. Right. So up until this point, you know,
she was mostly doing like lots of period pieces, so
it was kind of this was one of her most famous,
first like modern day kind of films. She was at
Frankenstein with Kenneth Brenna and Robertson Niro, which I do love.

(31:58):
It's a little little all over the place, but I
do love it. That was earlier. She was nominated for
an Oscar By this point for a film I've never
seen called The Wings of the Dove, but I know
people love that one. Yeah. And then she was in
a TV mini series back in the day, remember when
like we actually had like, you know, a two night
mini series and that was it. It wasn't like ten
episodes or like you know Merlin with Sam Neil. Did

(32:20):
you ever catch that? Do you remember like Merlin on
NBC or anything? That was like a big thing. I
remember I was excited about that. She was like the
female lead, so she was starting to become a thing.
And then I really feel like fight Club and her
oscar nob like really put her on the map. You know,
she's really in this.

Speaker 1 (32:38):
He had a plan.

Speaker 5 (32:42):
To what purpose in Tyler, we trusted we gotta take
a fight club up.

Speaker 3 (32:47):
And each one of you has a homework sign.

Speaker 4 (32:50):
You're gonna start a fight with total stranger.

Speaker 1 (32:53):
That's not necessary.

Speaker 4 (32:54):
You gotta lose.

Speaker 1 (32:56):
That hurt. The first thing that that like really drew
me to the movie was its like anti consumer's agenda
that he had that I mean that you see. And
I was sixteen when I first saw it, and I
was in that stage in my lap where like underground music,

(33:17):
drum and bass type stuff like and everybody I was
surrounded with like like you know, fuck the man, you know,
like and so that's what Tyler was like telling himself
in this with his uh just it's like, I just
have so many quotes from the movie. It's insane, and
I just kind of love how he just took that

(33:38):
took the mentality to the streets with his like guerrilla
warfare with Project Mayhem, like this is this needs to
happen everywhere, right.

Speaker 2 (33:47):
It's kind of crazy how like I never really thought
of it this way until today. He creates a cult,
like there is the cult Tyler Durden. These guys. It's
wild how towards the end they everyone knows that Edward
Norton is Tyler Durdan, right, But when he says, like, guys,
we have to stop this Project Mayhem's getting out of

(34:07):
hand all that stuff, They're like, yeah, you told us
that you would say this at some point, we have to.
They want to cut his balls off for going against
the mission, like that's now he raised And that's why
I'm kind of like, is this like did Trumper's watch this?
And that's not like how they think, like even if
Trump isn't even saying things or if he dies eventually,

(34:29):
like are they still going to be doing all this
crazy stuff? You know? So that's why I get nervous,
because it's like, that's what, right, we are seeing a
guy create this weird little thing that grows quickly and
spreads everywhere. Right, He's traveling all around and people are
nodding and winking and and they will actually they will
stop him to continue the mission that he started if

(34:52):
he's having some psychological breaks because they were in struct
it's just it's scary. Actually, it's like, whoa, this is
too much.

Speaker 1 (34:59):
You know, well, I thought the like one of the
first things that I feel like is actually happening right
now is when he says when deep space exploration ramps up,
it will be the corporations that name everything. And I'm
just like, oh, well that's happening, like as we spay,
but like Tesla.

Speaker 2 (35:14):
Yep, your son, Like it was crazy.

Speaker 1 (35:17):
And Edward Norton, his character, says that he's talking about
like branding.

Speaker 4 (35:22):
You are not your job, you know, not how much
money you have in the bank, not the car you drive.
You're not the contents of your wallet. It's all been
raised on television to believe that one day we'd all
be millionaires and movie gods and rock stars.

Speaker 5 (35:40):
But we won't very very.

Speaker 2 (35:43):
Hissed off one line. I like that. I forget who
says this. I just kind of wrote quotes when people
think you're dying, they really listen to you, So not
as like not as like uh fortuitous as that line,
but like I just thought that was so interesting, And
that's why he has these He makes these connections in
these in these group therapy sessions because it's like, yeah,

(36:06):
like he once, once you're on your last leg, that's
actually where when people care about you. And that's kind
of what he's missing in his life, is like no
one really cares about He's numb. He has no one right.

Speaker 1 (36:17):
Well, one thing. I don't know if I can do this,
but I've found parallels between this movie and The Matrix
because like both are super philosophically deep, you know. With this,
like the Matrix questioning the reality that we live in
and if it's real. It was more like Bike Club

(36:38):
is more like internal like introspective of like who we
are and the outside things that are making us who
we are, where the Matrix was more of like the
external outside world and the reality that it is and
it creates. I don't know, I just I just love
those two movies, like two my favorite movies top for sure.

(37:00):
And they were so many parallels.

Speaker 2 (37:02):
So good what a good I like, good connection you
just made there? I didn't even think about that, but
you're right. And how funny they came out the same year. Yeah,
Meatrix was earlier in ninety nine. Ninety nine, like everyone
was really thinking, not like today. I feel like creators
and writers were really tapping into like, you know, existential
stuff and making it cool and not too complicated for

(37:23):
you know, especially like younger people. You know, absolutely what
a good similarity right there? Yeah, yeah, especially with you knows.
As the movie goes on, as Fight Club goes on,
the narrator is even saying like, am I awake? Did
I sleep? Like even just things like am I in
the real world right now? Or is this all fake?
Am I making? You know? So even just on that level,

(37:44):
the surface level of that, and then going deeper, Yeah,
very smart. Ot, I like it. Good cash, Tyler, we trusted.

Speaker 1 (37:56):
My favorite scene is probably the bar scene where he
at d his house burns down, he his condo catches
on fire. And explodes. He's in the bar with with Tyler,
and he's kind of just like going over the stuff, like, oh,
you know, I had this couch and that was the
couch I was going to have for the rest of
my life. And I had all these things, all these things,

(38:16):
and Tyler's just like they're just things, like and like
we've become a society that's focused on that, Like what's
a duvet? Like why the fuck do I wouldn't even
know what a duvet is? Like I'm not worried about
poverty and crime. I'm worried about like the magazines and
stuff like what is going on? And then he's like
Martha's stuer fuck Martha's doing. I love that so much.

Speaker 2 (38:39):
And honestly, I feel like I don't know if many
people were saying that at the time, but I feel
like a lot of people say that that kind of
sentiment now, you know his line, the things you own
end up owning you. I feel like a lot of
people think that now, you know, even going back to
a few years ago with Marie Condo on Netflix and
like everyone was doing like the tiny fold and like

(38:59):
taking up less space, like I feel like and obviously
with hoarding, and like, I feel like reality definitely help
people realize like, whoa, I have too many things. I
need to rearrange and get rid and purge. You know.
But Tyler Diurden was saying that long before. You know,
I also love in that scene, he says before he
he says the line the things you own end up

(39:19):
owning you. He says, I say stop being perfect. And
it's interesting because you don't really get a sense that,
like the narrator wants to be perfect. But it's like
all the stuff that we're thinking about at all times,
and it goes back to the advertising and the messages
we're seeing that it's like, oh, yeah, I need to
do that. I need to be more like that, you know,
that idea of perfect. He's like, no, I say stop

(39:42):
being perfect. I just thought that was pretty cool and
starts to really show us how charming and appealing he is.
And it's like, yeah, I don't want to be perfect.
I want to just be who I am and kind
of follow your lead, you know. So that's an interesting
scene at the bar. That's really when like the two
of them really because close, and that leads to starting

(40:03):
to fight. I'm pretty sure they leave the bar and
then he says, I want you to hit me as
hard as you can, right.

Speaker 1 (40:09):
And then in the right Yeah, Hilary, Yes, And.

Speaker 2 (40:13):
It's so crazy. I love later on once Edward Norton realizes,
holy crap, we are the same person. I love the
montage of clips showing that scene, showing different moments where
he's by himself, and it's even though we know it's
still so like disturbing that you're like, whoa, I'm watching
like security footage of this skuy you know, flailing in

(40:36):
a parking lot or doing this alone. It's like, you know,
it is, it's heavy, it's twisted, you.

Speaker 1 (40:41):
Know, it is very right, like the scene with the
boss when he goes to blackmail his boss. Like that
entire scene is just wild.

Speaker 2 (40:50):
Yes, I forgot about that scene. I didn't mean too right, whoa,
it's and Ed's acting how he's you know, as he's
doing it, he's going back and forth between kind of
you know, being serious and like a little threatening and
then like no, you know, and the blood and on
his knees right as the cops come in. Wow, that
whole scene is really something. Yeah, the boss is good

(41:14):
because they did a good job kind of building that
tension between the two of them. How like they did right.
It's like we see him a few times and it's
like is that your blood? And like go home, go
get a tie on, and then that big scene.

Speaker 4 (41:28):
Oh boy, you were looking for a way to change.

Speaker 1 (41:30):
Your life, you got it. Generation of men raised by women.
I'm wondering if another woman is really the answer we need.

Speaker 2 (41:38):
I wrote that one down too. I just saw it,
yes o T. Yeah. So going back to what you
were saying a little while ago when we started, Yeah,
like what do you think is that a little like
anti feminist? Like what's going on there?

Speaker 5 (41:51):
It?

Speaker 1 (41:51):
Yeah, like that's the first thing I thought of. But
then he's wondering if another woman. He's talking about being
abandoned by his dad, you know, like his dad's never
been there, Like he really wants another man, and like
he really like wanted That's why they created fight Club too,
you know, to have this like camaraderie with other men

(42:11):
in a brotherhood in a way. So I don't not
totally convinced that it's like anti feminists, but it's like
he's had a lot of women and he he needs
a guy.

Speaker 2 (42:22):
Which is interesting because there are very few women in
the movie. Of course, there's Marlon She for a long
time is the only one. We see some women in
the groups. Oh god, one woman. I have to shout
out every time I watch. She always she's a great actress.
I don't know her name, but it just shows you, everybody,
some of the best actors just have like a couple
of lines in a random movie the woman who's a
cancer patient who really wants to have sex, and she's

(42:46):
like on her you know, in her last days, and
she's like, I have lubricants. Oh my god, I feel
for her. Every time is that her name? I have
to look away because she looks so good. She is
so good and so raw and honest. Wow, give her
the oscar. Whoever her name is, I love you because
every time I watch a cringe, I'm like, I can't.

(43:07):
I can't listen to her because it's just so sad.
It's just so sad. And it's like and she gets
closer to the mic, and the woman's like, okay, thanks guys,
and it's like and the guys in the room are
just like like people are numb. They're just like al right, whatever. Chloe, like,
oh god, she just wants some loving just give it

(43:29):
to her please, So I just have to shout out
that out. But yeah, very few women and going along
with that line you mentioned about you know we do
we need another woman? Then it is interesting how then
they do kidnap Marla and the very very end and
they bring her and it seems like they you know,
and he's telling her before that, like you need to
get on this bus. You need to go. For whatever reason,

(43:50):
they see you as a threat. You need to get
out of here and save yourself. So that's interesting. I
fred forgotten all that as well, that like the only
woman in the whole story is seen as a threat,
and like are they going to kill her? Like it
seems like why are they bringing her to this building
to Tyler, you know, what's gonna happen to her? So luckily,

(44:10):
you know, they end up holding hands together, which I
love that shot, but yeah, it worried me, like as
an adult having seen this moo where I'm like, wait, yeah,
what is the motive here with like Marla's Marla has
no idea what their plan is, she doesn't care, you know,
but they are pulling her in and want to do
something to her. So yeah, there's something weird going on
with with the only woman in the movie. You know

(44:33):
what I mean. M hm. Hey, Rewinders, if you're loving
this episode as much as I am, please leave a
rating and review on the podcast app you're using, or
a thumbs up on YouTube.

Speaker 1 (44:47):
I'm stopping this.

Speaker 2 (44:48):
It's already done.

Speaker 3 (44:49):
Shut up.

Speaker 2 (44:50):
I think Edward Norton says it. He says, I'm a
thirty year old boy. So that's in that scene scene yeah,
And I thought it's a funny line. But also it's like, yeah, interesting,
and that goes along with we are the middle children
of history, that generation like maybe still feeling like a boy,
like a kid, not feeling maybe in control or like

(45:11):
you have agency in your life. You're just kind of
going through the motions. So I thought that was interesting.
I do love when Marla and Brad Pitt leave her
apartment building because she's they they've called the cops on
her for the xanax, and I just wrote down I
love how she says about herself. She's just shouting to
them she's infectious, human waste, good luck trying to save her.

(45:34):
That whole scene's really funny. And then oh boy, and
then all their crazy sense. She says, you're gonna have
to keep me up all night because I didn't know this,
but I guess because she took all that XANX, if
she falls asleep, it makes sense. I guess she won't
wake up, so they need to keep her awake. And
what do they do? Oh? Boy, lots of lots of
sexy time. But what else? What else? Do you love?

(45:55):
Any other amazing notes? You want to shout out.

Speaker 1 (45:59):
The one I put in bold because it kind of
is reflective of our times right now. The people you're
after are the people you depend on. We cook your meals,
we call your trash, we connect your calls, we drive
your ambulances, we guard you while you sleep. Do not
fuck with us. That's kind of.

Speaker 2 (46:17):
Like, yes, tell me more? Do you mean? Like? Because
I am right there with you. When I heard that,
I was like, WHOA, that feels very current.

Speaker 1 (46:26):
Because we're rounding up people. We were going to round
up all the illegals and we're going to deport that
right exactly, and it's scary and it could depend on
these people exactly.

Speaker 2 (46:39):
I know that's a great line O good thinking writing
that down, that's so good, And I thought, WHOA, that
line holds up very well, right, what are you playing?

Speaker 1 (46:48):
Oh my god?

Speaker 2 (46:54):
Tyler says, Oh god, that crazy Lie burn On Edward
Norton's hand, remember when he Oh God? And then you
realize a lot of them have it freaky. Brad says
to him, it's only after we've lost everything that we're
free to do anything. I thought that was really cool too,
because yeah, it's I imagine, right, losing everything physical, emotionally, right,

(47:18):
losing everything, then you're free to do anything, like there's
nothing keeping you anywhere or with anything. Right. Very interesting?

Speaker 1 (47:27):
Yeah, yes, there's lots of like spiritual existential tones and themes.

Speaker 2 (47:37):
You know.

Speaker 1 (47:38):
Another one, our fathers were models for good. If our
fathers bailed, what does that tell you about god?

Speaker 2 (47:44):
M that's interesting. It's so sad and bleak. Yeah. Yeah,
there's definitely some Dad in the story. It's not it's
not overt, it's not like really in your face, but yeah,
there's definitely some stuff with dad. And I feel like
I read somewhere while ago that it seems like maybe
Chuck didn't have a great relationship with his dad. Is

(48:05):
that what you think? Do you did? Have you heard that?

Speaker 1 (48:07):
Sounds? I haven't seen yeah, I'll look after the show,
but I'm interested to see if that's.

Speaker 2 (48:12):
Why, right, because even Brad says I want to fight
my dad. And then that line you mentioned, like there's
a few colonels here, yeah, about like what a dad do?
Or like why am I this way because of dad?
You know things like that that just make you think, yeah.

Speaker 1 (48:29):
It says too much.

Speaker 7 (48:33):
Wow. Wow.

Speaker 2 (48:36):
I love when she gets on the bus and she goes, Tyler,
You're the worst thing that ever happened to me, and
then the door shut and he's just standing there and
I'm just like, yeah, honestly, I believe it, and you've
had a crazy, like not great life, so you know,
because I guess by that point the like Project Mayhem
members have been hounding her, and she says something like yeah,

(48:57):
your guys came over and that that's when they, for
whatever reason, are seeing her as a threat. So I
just love that line. I forgot about this. Edward Norton
puts his gun right before he puts his gun in
his mouth, and he's talking to Tyler Jurden. He already
knows that they are the same people, but you know
there's like I'm I'm holding the gun, You're holding the gun, right,

(49:19):
he says the line, and I think it's so interesting.
He says, my eyes are open and then shoots, but
shoots in a way where he doesn't kill himself. Right.
He kind of shoots I guess, like in his throat
or something. It's crazy, and that kills and kind of
vanquishes Tyler Jurden, who we know, Brad Pitt. Right. I

(49:41):
thought that was really interesting and clever. And I still
don't even know if I have wrapped my head around
that moment, but I think that's interesting, right, like that way.

Speaker 1 (49:52):
I forgot that that's what happened. And then I'm like, oh, wait, no,
does he die? And I was like, no, he doesn't
because he's standing up at the end, right, and so
he just like kills that part of his brain that
I guess, how is Tyler or something? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (50:04):
Right, yeah, yeah, because she even she says, what happened
to your face? And all the guys are like, whoa,
you look bad? So but it hasn't killed him. I
guess we're almost I don't know, maybe he is dead.
I don't know, right, because how weird? And they the
guy's even say in the elevator when he says oh,
get out of here. They're like, how did he survive
that shot? Like he is one strong fucker or whatever

(50:26):
they say. So it's almost like making me wonder, I
guess he could be alive or are we now in
like this other place and not that Marla is dead
or maybe I don't know. I don't know. The ending
is so cool because they.

Speaker 1 (50:43):
Did they disable the bombs that were supposed to be
in that building, so the bombs didn't go off in
their building but all the other ones, so they guess.
So yeah, because I'm like, well, maybe the bombs went
off in their building and then they're dead.

Speaker 2 (50:54):
I don't know, right right, It's a great open ended
kind of ending there. And I I saw a quote
from was it David Fincher? I think, I think so,
where he said something like, you know, because they are terrorists,
they are now becoming like fascists, you know, like and
he said something along the lines of the crazy thing

(51:14):
about fascism is like there's no clear solution, there's no
clear like way to win to get things back to normal.
So the movie's gonna be like that. And it's kind
of true. They're surrounded by explosions, they're either going to
die or get in huge trouble. I mean, like there's
no clean, easy ending, you know. And maybe that's why

(51:35):
I love it, because it's just it ends in a
way where you're like, wait, it can't end here, Like
what's going to happen to them now, you know? So
that's why I'm wondering maybe they did die from the explosions,
you know. I don't know, but I just love that ending.
I love it so much me too.

Speaker 1 (51:52):
Yeah, shot, if you didn't know who the Pixies were,
then you definitely didn't.

Speaker 2 (51:56):
The Pixies that song and how it's just such genius,
Like as the song really picks up with the drums
and it's about to really do the Diner diarner like
then the first explosion goes off and Helena's reaction is
brilliant and just the visual even just looking at just
the style of behind them. I fun fact about that ending,

(52:17):
ot You'll love this. When I was a senior in
high school, of course, I was obsessed with this movie
to the point where it was one of the movies
I talked about in my college application essays, like the ending,
especially like applying to different film schools, I'm like I
want to make a movie with the like that has
an ending like fight Club and like blah blah blah
blah blah. They're probably like, yeah, you and like a
million other kids, okay, next. But I actually I think

(52:40):
I drew on a big, you know, poster board thing.
We had to do some project. I can't remember what
the rules were, but I was obsessed with this movie,
and so I drew there, you know, silhouettes in black,
and I wrote in like messy writing. It might have
even actually been like magazine clippings letters, saying a lot
I've loved for since the first time I saw this movie.

(53:02):
You met me at a very strange time in my life, right,
that's like the last line of the movie. Love it.
So I wrote that in like weird ways and it's
them and explosions. And I ripped the paper so that
it kind of looked like and crumpled it up so
it looked like garbage. And I was like, Wow, this
looks really cool. I mean, I'm just like kind of
making my own version of a scene. It's not like
super original. My art teacher, I'm not lying. She was

(53:24):
kind of weird. She stole it. She stole it. She
took my art. I could not take it home. She
was like, if anyone wants to give me their art
to like save to show through the years. I'm like, no,
I like this. I want to keep it. I did.
I couldn't find it. It went missing, and then I
found out. I think I saw like a year later,
you know, when you go back to visit your high school.
It was on the wall in the art class. She

(53:45):
took my art. So I just want to say, I
can't remember her name, but you took crazy. So anyway,
I guess she was a big Fight Club fan too.
Maybe she's like, oh my god, I also love it's abs.
I have to keep this. But yeah, I love the end.
I loved the song. Oh and we didn't even talk

(54:06):
about what do you what do you want to say?
Ot quickly before we wrap up? What do you want
to say about the very funny? Because this movie has
a lot it's heavy, but there's a lot of good humor, right,
What do you want to say about that shot of
the penis at the end and how Tyler in the
you know, inserts these porn shots into these various movies
Cinderella and I mean, that's seen earlier in the in

(54:27):
the Family film and like how everyone's just slowly brilliant.
What do you think of that?

Speaker 1 (54:34):
I love it.

Speaker 2 (54:35):
It's so funny, right.

Speaker 1 (54:37):
I love it. Yeah, and industry it's great.

Speaker 2 (54:41):
Oh yeah right, And like it kind of makes me
wonder because we see that shot of the penis at
the end with the two of them that like, yes,
it's a funny, little hot, you know moment, which is brilliant.
But then I also kind of thought like whoa like
are we seeing like a movie? Like are we now
getting We're like, oh, we're watching this movie and Tyler

(55:03):
is in the projection booth, you know what I mean.
There's like also that kind of fun thing to think about,
you know, with the ending there. But yeah, I just
think that's so great, especially with such a heavy ending
with explosions and terrorism and then you know a penis
which did you also think that was Brad Pitt? I
know that rumor was going around where it's like I
think that's Brad Pitt, but I guess it's not. It's
like an actual like porn actor's buzzy. Oh You're like, oh,

(55:29):
I knew that.

Speaker 1 (55:32):
You can find anyone who would just find Shatner. I'd
fight William Shatner. You know, Jared Lotto was such a funny,
weird character, so blonde. Yeah, I know, that was so weird,
and that.

Speaker 2 (55:48):
Was scary when when Edward Norton is just unleashing on
him because it's kind of like out of jealousy, right,
like he doesn't like how this group is now getting
so close and following Tyler. That, yeah, that's brutal. I
thought the first time I saw it, I thought, oh,
he's gonna kill him, you know, yeah, me too, Yeah, brutal.
And the makeup on him later on. Yeah, oh when

(56:10):
we got it, we do have to shout out meat Loaf.
Oh my gosh. He is brilliant in this movie too.
He's another one that steals his scenes. He's so I
do love that. The narrator kind of loves Bob. You know,
at first, it's like, oh god, Bob and his his
bitch tits terrible not my quote everyone that's in the movie,
but you know, oobs and his body and and but

(56:33):
then when poor Bob dies, which is gross, ooh that
that head blood.

Speaker 1 (56:38):
That's so sad.

Speaker 2 (56:40):
It's sad that he you know, and and no one
really cares except for the good version of Tyler, you know,
saying like no he had a name like and then
that becomes a whole thing. That's another thing that I
thought was kind of scary and also timely, where it's
like one person saying one thing, but then the group
takes that on to be this like slogan and it's

(57:00):
like why bait wait, no, no, no, no, you know, and he
can't control them anymore, right, h yeah. And I mean
it's definitely one of the most famous cult movies I
think in the history of film. I mean, people know
this movie. They love it, right, And I thought this
was interesting The New York Times in two thousand and nine,
so on the film's tenth anniversary, the New York Times

(57:23):
did say that it is the defining cult movie of
our time. So that's pretty interesting. What do you think, OT,
Do you agree with that quote?

Speaker 1 (57:31):
Oh yes, I mean, it's just hard to believe that
it is a cult movie because it is such an
iconic movie and growing up for me even now, you know.

Speaker 2 (57:40):
Oh yeah, Brad Pitt voluntarily you might have known this, OT.
I heard about it a long time ago, but I
forgot Brad Pitt had visited a dentist to have pieces
of his front teeth chipped off so that his character
wouldn't be so perfect, which is so crazy. Oh my god.
I wonder what Jennifer Anis didn't on at the time
because they were together, So I wonder if she's really
you're really good. You can't just like I don't know,

(58:03):
put like tape over it or something, right. But so
once filming was done, he went back to I guess
have little fake teeth put in or something. So crazy,
But I do. I do totally commend because you know,
Brad Pitt's still to this day, people I know he
he seems to be a little problematic. I know there's
the Angelina Jolie drama and the kids and all that,
but I mean, I really do like him as an

(58:24):
actor at least. But I know a lot of people
still every now and then they're like, oh, yeah, Brad Pitt.
But I always think he's really good. I think he
like when he commits to something, he's electric, you know.
But yeah, other other actors they were thinking of, like
we were saying, Russell Crowe was talking to them about
being Tyler, which is interesting, very I mean, I could
see it, but I mean, Brad is the guy. And

(58:47):
then for the narrator, Sean Penn, going back to Sean
Penn from the game and Matt Damon. They were in
consideration for the narrator. I could see Sean Penn, but
he was a little older than Ed Norton. But Matt
Damon I think is just too I don't think he'd
be right for this. He's just too especially back then,
too sweet, too cute, like you know what I mean.

Speaker 1 (59:07):
Doesn't have enough after mister Ripley.

Speaker 2 (59:12):
It was right before because talented mister Ribe's about to
turn to in a couple of weeks, so so just
to like basically the same time, the same time. But yeah,
good point, because he's so good in that, but not
so at Norton in this, like they're two different guys,
you know. And then for the women, did you see
some of the names that were being thrown around for Marla?

Speaker 1 (59:34):
Yes?

Speaker 2 (59:35):
What do you think of them? Apparently first choice from
David Fincher was Janine Garoffalo, who I love and I
loved at this time. I would have been into her,
but I don't. But going back to the that like
sexual you know, I don't know if Janine had it,
do you know what I mean?

Speaker 1 (59:52):
I yeah, it was really hard for me to see
her sexy. Yeah yeah, like the comedic part of it,
in the snart and the weird and all that stuff
she has, but I've never seen I mean, other than
the Truth about cats and dogs. You know, there's like
a little bit kind of right actual sensual.

Speaker 2 (01:00:10):
But yep, not wild right there with you. I remember
that movie so well, and I remember watching it as
a kid and being like, oh, this is surprisingly sensual.
I don't know if I should be watching this, but okay,
but yeah, Janine Garofolo was at one point. She has
even revealed that I guess she did accept the role.
But did you hear this? It was apparently Ed Norton
who had said she's not right for the role, and

(01:00:33):
I guess he had enough say to have them let
her go. So yikes, But she apparently did have it.
But other names Julie Luis Dreyfus, which is so interesting.
I mean, love her to death, but WHOA. I feel
like her life would be very different if she took
that role Courtney Love, which makes a whole lot of sense.

(01:00:55):
But I don't know if she's at the hell and
a level of like skill, you know, Winona Ryder, which
I could see, especially at that time, I could totally
see and I think she could have pulled it off.
Who else? Oh, and then these are this is kind
of crazy, but it just shows you how powerful young
women were with getting roles at this time. Reese Witherspoon

(01:01:18):
was I guess thrown around by the studio, but David
Fincher thought she was just too young, which she was,
like early twenties, come on. And Sarah Michelle Geller going
back to Buffy, but she had scheduling conflicts with Buffy,
so it seems like she turned it down according to
different sites. So that would have been wow, really interesting.
But they were so young. I feel like Marla's got

(01:01:38):
to have a little bit of life experience, you know
what I mean. It was like Helena's given me like
late twenties, maybe thirty, you know, early twenties is just yeah,
definitely right, too young to be smoking and taking all
the xanax. I don't know if that's sad, right, yeah, yeah,
But that is it. That's all I got for this

(01:02:01):
great movie. Any final words from you ot about Fight Club?

Speaker 1 (01:02:05):
Don't talk about it.

Speaker 2 (01:02:06):
I know, I guess we broke the number one rule
because we're talking about it, so sorry, right, And that's
a wrap on Pitfest at least for this year. Everybody.
Thank you to my friend ot Garcia for being my
guest this time. Couldn't have done it without you. Thank
you all for listening to us chat follow me on
Instagram at release date. Rewind to see more great stuff
related to this episode and to the podcast in general.

(01:02:28):
Thanks straw Hat Media, Kyle Motsinger, Greg Clemens, and Portland
Media Center. And on the next episode, we are going
back to the seventies and we're celebrating the holidays with
black Christmas.