June 19, 2024 • 53 mins
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Join us for a captivating discussion on this episode of Film Nuts as we explore the profound themes and unique elements of Mike Flanagan's "Midnight Mass." Our special guest, the talented actress and voice actor Mo Beatty, known for her roles in "The Cleaning Lady" and "The Rookie: Feds," shares her personal connection to the show and how its themes resonate with her own experiences in the entertainment industry. Together, we dive into Flanagan's emphasis on the human aspects of horror and reflect on our personal journeys with faith, making this an episode you won't want to miss.
In this thought-provoking episode, we reflect on the intriguing connections between the fictional Crockett Island and the real Tangier Island, as portrayed in "Midnight Mass." Touching on themes of erosion, climate change, and community decline, we delve into the show's depiction of mortality, community, and the desire for eternal youth. We also highlight standout performances, particularly Hamish Linklater's complex portrayal, and discuss how the show's intricate storytelling and character development make it a compelling watch. Tune in for a captivating conversation that will leave you questioning your own beliefs and pondering the deeper meaning behind the show's mesmerizing narrative.
Prepare to be enthralled as we explore the existential themes and gripping storytelling of "Midnight Mass" on this episode of Film Nuts. From discussing the show's focus on grief, faith, and humanity in the vampire horror subgenre, to reflecting on our own personal experiences and journeys with spirituality, Mo Beatty and I leave no stone unturned. As we delve into the intricate layers of the show, we uncover the powerful connections between fiction and reality, tackling topics such as community decline, the desire for eternal youth, and the complexities of human nature. Don't miss out on this captivating conversation that will challenge your perspective and leave you hungry for more.
Notey Notes:
Mo's Instagram
Taylor talks Logan on Int. Analysis
Katie Siegel talks Midnight Mass and Tangier Island
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Support The Film Nuts Podcast on Patreon!
Get in touch by emailing filmnutspodcast@gmail.com or following us on Instagram and TikTok @filmnutspodcast.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
eyes and skin and hands, but also wings, a sense
of great wings unfolding him andhis mind, finally found the
word.
The word was unearthed by hisfear, like the tomb was
unearthed by the storm, and thewas Angel, angel.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
If you want something slow-moving and dark that
discusses what it means to behuman in a variety of categories
and forms, watch this show.
To me, it's an incrediblyrelevant show, and I mean a
beautifully well-done show,well-written and well-acted, and
you know, the monologues in itare like every actor's dream.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Hi, I'm Taylor and welcome back to the Film Nuts
podcast.
Or, if you're joining us forthe first time, welcome to the
Fold.
It's truly wonderful to haveyou all here for film and
fellowship.
The fold it's truly wonderfulto have you all here for film
and fellowship.
I'd like to start off ourepisode today with a reading.
Oh, if all this gold shouldsteal my soul away.
Oh, dear mother of mine, pleaseredirect me.
(01:16):
If this gold, bartender, yousee, this wine that's drinking
me came from the vine thatstrung Judas from the devil's
tree roots deep, deep in theground.
These lyrics are to a songcalled Bartender by Dave
Matthews Band, a song aboutgrace, temptation and
(01:39):
forgiveness, a song that playsin the background of a show
about these same ideas fromhorror auteur Mike Flanagan, a
show called Midnight Mass.
Flanagan's third Netflix seriesexamines grief, prejudice,
faith, life and death, all whileelevating the vampire horror
subgenre.
It is not only a profound pieceof art for me, but it had a
(02:03):
profound impact on my guesttoday as well.
Mo Beatty is an actress andvoice actor who has appeared in
such shows as the Cleaning Lady,the Rookie Feds and voice
characters in Star Wars,galactic Pals and the Elder
Scrolls Online video gamefranchise as an actor.
There's tons of filmmaking tolove in Midnight Mass, but it's
the themes and issues that trulyresonated with her.
(02:25):
Mo and I talk about the life ofa child actor, how Midnight
Mass portrays religion and faithand the real life places that
inspired this show.
Oh, and what happens when wedie.
You know super light stuff.
We discussed this show rightafter Easter and after about 40
minutes of technicaldifficulties we finally got
talking and it's almost like wecouldn't stop.
(02:47):
So I've got my Crockett Islandgear on here, but go ahead and
fill up the Sacramento winebottles.
Here's Mo Beatty talking aboutMidnight Mass on the Film Nuts
podcast.
What's the good stuff you gotgoing on.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Actually quite a bit of good stuff.
I just booked a feature filmthat shoots in Santa Fe, just
like you know a smaller part,but pretty excited about it.
It's a film with MatthewMcConaughey, so I'm pretty
stoked about it.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
That's awesome, and you're living in Santa Fe right
now, right?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I am, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I mean I go back and forthbetween here and LA, but yeah,
I'm here a little bit more on aregular basis, so yeah, very
cool, very cool.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah, I need to.
I need to get up there one ofthese days.
My partner is actually going tovisit Santa Fe in June for like
a week by herself.
She's super excited.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Oh she's going to have.
So much fun.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
I can give her restaurant recommendations.
So, oh dope, I'll, I'lldefinitely pass that along.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Uh, so yeah, what?
Um?
We've met like once before, uh,working working together on a
PBS show called hunger planet.
Um, but tell me how you, kindof like, got involved in acting.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Ah, that's a good question.
Um, you know, I I actually wasa child actress.
I started when I was four.
Uh, my brother and my mom werein it, into it, and uh, then I
uh got sent on on an auditionwith both of them and, um, I
ended up booking the job andthey didn't, and uh and uh, that
(04:32):
was the rest was history.
You know I've taken breaks hereand there but, um, you know, I
spent a lot of my childhoodtraveling to LA from Phoenix,
arizona, um, back and forth,like you know, once a week.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
So yeah, oh, wow, were were your.
Were your parents, uh,resentful at all that you got
the job and they didn't?
Speaker 3 (04:51):
I think my mom was a little resentful and my brother
turned out to be a lawyer.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So it's oh okay, well , there you go.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Yeah, that's, that's super interesting.
So it's kind of like a so whatyour parents were?
Were they actors or were theyjust kind of like like they did
it because it was fun every oncein a while, kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
My mom attempted to be one.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
OK.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
And you know, then to her energy kind of got put into
me a little bit once sherealized that, like you know, I
loved it and I don't know, Iguess I was good at it and I
don't know, I guess I was goodat it, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
yeah so what was that ?
Uh was that good, though, likewith the support that you got uh
trying to pursue your dream.
Was that, did you get goodsupport?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
yeah, I would say for the most part, actually fuck.
I actually I would say for thepart, she was incredibly
supportive and never once mademe or my brother feel like we
had to do it.
There was definitely a lot morepressure coming from a lot of
other sources from the industrythat I think I recall as being
(05:58):
really hard as like a four toeight year old, but she was
generally pretty, prettysupportive.
Uh, on it, yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Yeah, you hear so many.
You know any child actor storyor like we always hear, like the
bad stuff, we don't hear, thegood stuff, right, we don't.
We don't hear that.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Oh they, my parents, were super supportive of me
while I was pursuing my dream,so that's really refreshing,
yeah I mean I I remember when,when I was teen, when I was like
about 12, so not quite ateenager my agents in LA told me
, um, hey, like.
Or told my mom, like, sheeither needs to move here or
what are we doing.
And my mom asked me what Iwanted.
(06:39):
And I was like I kind of wantto be a dancer, and so I did
that for a while.
And my mom was totally cool withthat.
She didn't like you know.
I stayed in Phoenix and I didthat and you know she didn't,
she didn't make it seem like itwas a big deal, but that was my
choice.
That's great.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Well I.
So on this show, what I try todo is I try not to have a lot of
people in the industry or anykind of production background,
because I like to hear, likewhat, like a scientist, what
their favorite movie might be.
So when I do have people onthat are actors or writers or
directors, I feel like we got tocome at it from a different
(07:18):
lens.
And so when you wanted and youtold me you wanted to talk about
Midnight Mass, I was fuckingall in.
I love this thing and I'm notan actor at all and there's so
much like great stuff going onin this.
But, broad strokes, why did youwant to talk about midnight
mass?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Ooh yeah, cause I switched it last minute and you
know.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Easter being when Easter happened.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
It felt perfect that I switched it.
You know I come from areligious background.
It felt perfect that I switchedit.
You know I come from areligious background.
So the you know it strums acouple chords for me.
I think that maybe it doesn'tother people.
Flanagan is actually one of myfavorite directors right now.
I will work with him at somepoint.
I'm convinced of it.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Speak it into existence please.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah, please, yeah, please.
But also I just think that youknow it's sort of this slow
moving, pings a lot of differentareas that I think is relatable
, that even if you didn't growup in a religious household can
like hit home.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Jesus's first disciples.
They were fishermen.
One of his first miracles right, the nets are empty.
Fishermen, desperate, jesussays, put out into deep water
and let down your nets for acatch, and when they pulled up
those nets, a bounty of fish.
He sees you, oh yes, he seesyou, brothers and sisters, and
(08:37):
he will resurrect this islandand he will again fill your nets
.
It's great you're here today,but please keep coming back
those doors.
They're always open, as thegates are always open.
You just bring yourself, godwill do the rest.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
To me it's an incredibly relevant show, and I
mean a beautifully well doneshow, well written and well
acted, and you know, themonologues in it are like every
actor's dream.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Yeah, there are a lot of.
I noticed it this time around,like I, I hadn't seen it since
it first came out.
I've been meaning to re-watchit.
So thank you for wanting to dothis.
It gave me excuse to do it.
Um, but I don't remember therebeing this many monologues and I
was pleasantly.
I was a little worried because,like when they started being
monologuey, I was like, am Igonna zone out?
Zone out, no, I did not zoneout.
(09:24):
I was all in.
Um, so super refreshing to seethat and for it to not feel um,
uh, stale, I guess is a goodword for it.
Um, but you mentioned how,outside of the religious things,
there's a lot to kind of likedraw upon this show.
What other things would that befor you?
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Well, I think a big one is um just how to be a human
addiction.
Um getting so caught up in abelief system and an idea, even
if you might be right, or ontosomething.
(10:06):
Um getting so caught up in itthat you you have like
rose-colored glasses on that youcan't actually see what's
actually happening right, likethe, the fact that towards the
beginning of the show, when westart to realize that there's a
crab shortage, that's just likea basic thing of like nobody's
really paying attention to that,the fact that there's been more
storms and all these things,they'll mention it, people will
(10:27):
talk about it.
They don't actually likeattempt to think outside the box
and be like what should we doabout it?
There's sort of like thisacceptance and then sort of this
fixation on this other thingthat's like actually not going
to help them at all Solve thefact that you know, know, their
main source of income is dying.
Does that make sense?
So it's like they're justfixating on like the in like the
(10:49):
wrong place, and I feel likethey're constantly doing that
throughout the show.
Each of the characters, um,which makes it so much more than
just like a creature feature ora you know, yeah, it's very
much.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Uh, I think I had read this about Flanagan that
like he kind of reallyemphasizes the human element of
horror, like spooky, scarythings are happening, but it's
all about the people at thecenter of it, rather than like
the big bad or the big reveal orsomething like that.
And that's something that Ireally gravitate toward as well,
as someone who enjoys a goodjump scare every once in a while
(11:24):
.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
But I really like a horror movie where I'm, or a
horror thing where I'm like oh,this, like this, is deep, like
there's something else going onhere besides creepy stuff well,
and I mean he's also created aworld right, because he uses a
lot of the same actors over andover again but in various
different points, and then youcan start to see a through line
of like oh, that actor playedthis type of character in this
(11:46):
show and this type of characterin that show and now all of a
sudden you can see like acommentary through his stuff,
not just in, like the oneparticular limited series.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Yeah, for sure.
So do you remember the firsttime like watching this, like
where were you, what was theexperience, like what was going
on in your life when you firstsaw it?
Speaker 3 (12:09):
I actually remember it really well.
I was actually in Albuquerqueshooting an episode of the
Cleaning Lady, which is a showon Fox, and I was staying with a
friend because I was in LA atthe time and I was staying with
a friend and he was like, hey,do you want to watch this new
show?
My friend Matt Bidel is in itand we worked on Narcos together
(12:30):
and I really want to watch it.
And I was like, okay, and so wemade dinner and we watched the
first episode and we both werekind of like this feels like
theater.
And first we didn't like it,like we were both like do we
watch a second episode?
And um, then I was like wait asecond, let's just watch it,
(12:54):
let's just give it a go and seewhat happens.
So we watched the secondepisode and we were hooked and
neither of us wanted to telleach other.
So then when I went back to la,I texted him and I was like so
I'm now on episode six ofmidnight mass.
He's like me too.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Like we both just kept watching it in secret so
well what was it about thatsecond episode that got you
hooked, do you remember?
Speaker 3 (13:18):
um, yes, uh, it was the, the one shot on the beach
when there's all the dead catson the beach and there is that
long shot that they do wherethey're watching the cats and
it's one take and you see, likejust the massive production that
(13:38):
would actually like therehearsal that would have to go
into this shot and howbeautifully mastered each actor
does it, and then also sort oftwirling around.
There's this one moment wherethey sort of twirl around two
actors having a conversation.
And you just realize how twistedand obsessed these people are
(14:00):
in their own little worlds andnot paying attention to what's
around them.
I mean, there's dead catseverywhere and they're talking
about something that totallyisn't relevant.
Or if it is relevant, it's,like you know, making excuses
for why the cats are there.
And oh, this happened duringthis storm and I was just like,
oh man, this is a brilliant shot.
I have to watch more of thisshow, like what is going on with
(14:20):
these people.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
He only had going on with these people, or just tell
him to come down here.
I don't think the folks aregonna much like that and that
seems a little drastic.
You know we've had strangethings happen before.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
It's public safety, really, and they'll thank you
for it.
Right, their mayor isn'twilling to gamble with public
health.
Yeah, uh, I noticed thatagainst.
I like it's one of those thingsthat re-watching I can't
remember what specificallystruck me so well the first time
around, so watching the secondone, it's almost like watching
it again for the first time,like I know what happens, but
like seeing all those thingslike long takes that are, you
(15:12):
know, with the circular cameramotion around two people as
they're trying to figure outwhat's the cause of all the dead
cats, like yeah, it's insane.
The amount of, uh, the efforttoward quality that goes into
something like this.
I think is is something to becommended.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Um, yeah, so I mean there's, so there's.
Can you talk to me a little bitactually about your, uh, you
said religious upbringing.
Was it Catholic?
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Was it something along those lines uh, lutheran
actually, um, okay, which is,you know, you know, martin
luther, kind of split off fromthe catholic church and thought
that he could make it better,which I think, on some level, if
I could choose any of like the,you know, christian religions,
I feel like l Lutheranism ismaybe, probably the safest space
(16:05):
for a lot of people, um, versussome of the other, the other
forms of Christianity.
Um, I don't know, I think I wasone of those kids that you know
.
Sorry, mom, for lack of abetter word, I didn't really get
a choice, know what I mean toactually ever think about it.
(16:26):
But I remember sitting in inchurch, you know, in sunday
school and stuff often and likeI mean I was a pretty rational
kid, you know, I was like thatkid.
That was like, yeah, but whendoes bell actually pee when
she's in journey to the castle?
You know what I mean.
Like um, like how does?
Speaker 2 (16:43):
like what is pointing out all the things that are
wrong, like right like when doeslittle mermaid eat, and what
does she eat?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
does she eat her own people, like you know?
Speaker 2 (16:51):
that's a good question.
I never thought about that Ithought about that.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I was one of those kids that thought about that um,
and so you know, for me I wouldask questions in sunday school
and get very stern sort of wordsalad responses.
What just was confused likewait, did they answer my
question?
I'm not sure, uh kind of likein that scene when, uh, I think
(17:18):
her name is uh bev the character, bev the really oh god, I hate
her.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
I hate her so much.
Shout out to the actress whodoes a great job.
I hate her.
I hate her so much.
Shout out to the actress shedoes a great job.
I hate the character of Bev somuch.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
She's just the worst.
She's the worst, but you know,when she's like sort of talking
to the sheriff about like thepoison, and yes, you're correct.
Speaker 6 (17:39):
After those cats, not knowing what on earth could
have done it, I put some outstrategically carefully around
my property.
A few others requested I do thesame for them.
And if that poor dog, if itingested some accidentally, well
, I'll just be a wreck.
Is that what you're telling me,please?
If that's what occurred, ifyou're certain, well, I don't
(18:02):
know if I'll ever forgive myselfso is it, and are you certain?
Speaker 1 (18:11):
I mean I'm not telling you that I can't say
just about anything for certainyou don't even know what she's
saying.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
At a certain point you're like she's saying
something, but I don't know whatit is.
But now I think I'm just gonnaleave.
I guess she didn't poison thedog, or did she?
You know what I mean.
It's like you don't really knowwhat she said, and like that's
how I felt in church often wow,was there like?
Speaker 2 (18:37):
was it just because you were questioning the
logistics of things, of theteachings that were in the
Catholic church, or was theresomething about you as a person
that was um, butting heads withCatholic beliefs, or something
like that?
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I think it was a mixture of both, to be honest, I
think, that, like I was neverequipped to be spiritual in that
way, um, and that was somethingthat took me, you know well,
into my twenties, to to sort ofreconcile with like, oh no, this
isn't.
This has never been for me.
I was pretending God'sblessings, you know, I was
(19:19):
saying it, but I wasn'tbelieving it.
Right, I was saying it because Iwas told that that's what I was
supposed to say, but I wasn'tbelieving it.
I was saying it because I wastold that that's what I was
supposed to say.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
You know when I ended an email, yeah, okay.
So that I mean I, as someonewho I did not grow up religious,
like I went to sometimes aBaptist church, sometimes a
Presbyterian church, but likenever really cared that I was
there, I was always bored, Ialways didn't want to be there
up until, like, I stopped, youknow, going or whatever, in high
school or something like that.
So I don't have like this kindof religious background to draw
(19:57):
upon where I'm, like you know,questioning things or never felt
like I belonged, like I just Ijust didn't want to be there.
That was just who I am.
So I think what's sointeresting about this show is
the way each character, kind oflike, has their own belief
system, both inside and outsideof Catholicism, in some cases
(20:17):
even in Islam.
Um, so if you, if you had topick one of the characters in
the show that you feel like youmight identify or relate to most
, who would it be?
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Ooh gosh, somewhere in between, coming from a place
of the present, versus maybe whoI was when I was younger would
be either the doctor that waslike trying to justify what the
(20:55):
fuck was going on or figure outwhat was going on and, honestly,
the main character.
You know I've been plagued by,by certain things that I've done
in my own life that has sort ofdriven my decision making and
you know I stepped away from thechurch, I think in a lot of
(21:15):
ways that he talks about youknow You're talking about Riley,
the main character, Riley.
Riley the main character.
Yeah, I got you, yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
I got you so that, speaking of main characters,
like we're watching this showthe whole time, riley's the main
character up until he's not.
I love you, aaron green.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
I love you my whole life.
One way or another, I love youtoo.
I did my best.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
I did my best.
I did my best like I was.
I was so I was upset when thathappened because I was like what
, you can't do that.
But then afterward I was like,okay, I get it like things are
still moving, things still havemeaning.
He's still kind of in the showafter his like, like terrifying
(22:26):
and beautiful demise.
I don't know how else to put it.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Yeah, I mean, he literally went up in smoke.
Yeah, he had to, though, inorder for the story to move on
and conclude.
In my opinion Because I dothink the story is he was a
vehicle in which another storyneeded to be told, so he had to
go at a certain point that's agood way, don't you agree?
Speaker 2 (22:55):
yeah, I, I do.
But at the same time, like Idon't know if you ever watch
friday lights, but that's my guyman, that's qb1 matt saracen.
I was so sad to see him, I wasso sad to see him go, but but it
makes sense, like it totallymakes sense within the the world
of this show.
So sorry for the interruption,but I will be brief.
(23:17):
I am so grateful that youdecided to listen to the film
podcast today.
If you are enjoying what you'rehearing, please consider
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(23:40):
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Okay, enough of me ramblingback to the good stuff.
(24:02):
Do you have a favorite?
I know there's so much we'vealready talked about as far as
scenes and moments, but do youhave a favorite scene or moment
from it on the show?
Speaker 3 (24:13):
Outside of the beach scene um outside of the dead
cats the dead cat scene.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
I think that.
I think that's might saysomething about you.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Probably does Somebody.
Somebody asked me once theywere like do you like any comedy
?
Like do Somebody somebody askedme once they were like do you
like any?
Comedy Like do you watchcomedies?
I was like, of course I lovecomedy, coraline.
Speaker 6 (24:34):
Oh wait, Big Mouth.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Oh wait, you know, that's you know just the moment
in Breaking Bad when the bodyfalls from the ceiling.
Oh wait, that's not comedy.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Are you the only?
Are you laughing?
Are you laughing during?
Speaker 3 (24:50):
those moments are you 100, 100?
I'm laughing during thosemoments that's so.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Yeah, so I guess you lean toward the darker sense of
of things 100.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Um, yeah, I guess I'm a cynic at heart.
I would say, actually myfavorite moment is when Riley
talks about what happens whenyou die.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
I dream, bigger than I have ever dreamed before,
because it's all of it, just thelast dump of DMT all at once
and my neurons are firing andI'm seeing this firework display
of memories and imagination andI am just tripping.
I'm really tripping ballsbecause my mind's rifling
(25:45):
through the memories you knowlong and short term and the
dreams mixed through thememories.
You know long and short termand the dreams mixed with the
memories, and it's a curtaincall.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
That moment got me on such a deep level.
I mean I was like weepingduring both those monologues.
Hmm, Because we think about ita lot.
I mean I don't know if you do,Do you think about death?
I do.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
You know what, more often than I'd like to.
I don't know what it is, Idon't know what happens, but I
don't like it.
I don't like thinking about it.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
No, but at some point during your 30s, I feel like
you do you think about howyou're going to die or what
happens when you die?
And what is true, what is real?
And can something be true andreal?
For me that's totally differentthan for somebody else.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
So what do you think happens when we die?
Speaker 3 (26:50):
I probably shouldn't have laughed at that.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
At this point it's on brand for you.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
So just go with it.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Just keep rolling with it Gosh.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
I think that Riley's right.
I forget the other character'sname.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Aaron.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Aaron Gosh sorry Names are, they've escaped me.
You know, when Aaron describesLittlefoot, her baby, she
describes what she thinks, shesees when she goes and how she
meets up with Littlefoot, andI'll see my father and my
(27:33):
grandmother and I'll see mylittle girl, and she will be
happy and safe.
Speaker 5 (27:43):
And I will be so glad to meet her I really hope
you're right.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
She really is just describing what happens when you
get that huge impact of dmt inyour body, cause you probably do
experience something like thatVisions, you know, the people
that you love, memories itprobably does hit you all at
once and I, I think, I thinkthat's what happens, sadly.
(28:23):
That's what I think.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
You can feel free to dodge this question if you want
to, but God forbid, somethinghappens tomorrow.
What do you think you'll see?
What do you think that DMT willtrigger for you?
Speaker 6 (28:42):
Oof.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Probably A lot of like nature.
I have like these really heavynature moments with, um, just
myself and solitude, uh, andalso other people.
You know, I have this verydistinctive memory of someone
(29:07):
incredibly important to mehanding me a flower as we were
running, going for a run, and Iremember that moment as if I
could taste it right now and Ifeel like things like that would
probably come back to me, maybesome regret, standing alone on
a stage and whatever thatfeeling is that euphoric feeling
(29:30):
, yeah, and my regrets.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
So good, both good and bad stuff.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
I think both good and bad stuff, because I think, you
know, the idea of euphoriadoesn't necessarily mean good or
bad, it just means like aheightened sense of reality.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Hmm, I had not heard that.
That's an interestingperspective.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
At least that's my perspective.
I like it.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Yeah, it's not, you know, sunshine and roses, like
it's just a better appreciationof just everything.
Sure, Like I mean sunshine androses, like it's just a better,
like a better appreciation ofjust everything.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Sure, like I mean, think about it.
Like you know, if you've everbeen on a drug trip, you're not
necessarily going to get thedownload.
That is always positive.
That's why people have bad drugtrips.
But it still is technically adownload of, you know, dmt or
serotonin or whatever it is thatthat drug causes.
But that's why people can fallinto a bad cycle with it and
(30:35):
that's why addiction is sointeresting and weird is that
you're not necessarily addictedto the good of something.
You might actually be addictedto the bad of something you
might actually be addicted tothe bad of something.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Yeah, so just an addiction to the feeling in
general correct so this took aturn.
Uh, I think like, well, there'sjust this show, man, it's, it's.
It's so powerful in a lot ofways, even coming from me, who I
(31:12):
don't like particularlyidentify with any particular
character or like thematicelement.
But I do really appreciate thiskind of theme of the lengths
people will go to to hold on towhatever faith they can, oh yeah
(31:32):
, which brings in our whole, ourwhole creature discussion about
our angel, our, our vampire, um, which they never.
What I love about the show isthey never call a spade a spade
like it's, it's this, it's thisthing, it's this angel, it's
this gift from god.
There's no like, there's neverlike vampire or like.
That word is never used or like,but still, going through all of
(31:59):
the tropes of vampire stories,like sunlight and all this, you
know, all this other stuff, andthat's what I love about this.
It was like, it was subtlebecause they're like hey, like,
literally you can see it's afucking vampire, but we're not
gonna call it that.
This isn't, you know, like thisisn't one of the Blade movies
which they all rule from whatI've seen 100%.
(32:20):
But yeah, it's just so subtleabout things, which I think is
really great If you were to everplay a creature or a monster,
what kind of creature or monsterwould you want to play?
Speaker 3 (32:37):
uh, gosh, you know, I kind of probably like some sort
of weird goblin-y.
You know, um, um creaturesounds fun to me like some sort
of goblin-y you know um creaturesounds fun to me like some sort
of goblin, okay.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Okay, do you?
Do you talk normal or do youhave like a goblin language or
like what do you think?
I definitely have a goblinlanguage okay, okay, what does
it sound like?
Give me a little taste let's dothis perfect.
That's gonna be the intro.
I'm just gonna play that onesoundbite just get people hooked
(33:15):
.
So one of the things I feellike goes uh underappreciated is
like I had to do a deep dive,basically on um the actor that
plays the creature, because hedoesn't have a headshot on imdb.
I was like a guy plays angellike I, to look up and see all
the stuff that he's done, whichis I really love actors who play
um creatures like the iconicDoug Jones and people like that.
(33:37):
Yeah, um, when you were, whenyou were kind of watching this
and you were thinking about allthe different layers that have
to go on with this show.
One of the things I've heard alot of criticism about for the
show is that it kind of tries tocram too much thematically into
(33:58):
one show.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
I can see why someone would say that, but I think
it's so well done that itdoesn't matter.
But I think it's so well donethat it doesn't matter because
if we would have drawn it outmore?
And don't get me wrong, I lovethis show.
It's also one of my favorites.
I clearly have some sort ofobsession with, um, religious
stuff, but the leftovers, youknow they they really do draw it
(34:23):
out right like for like fourseasons and it's also a
beautiful show.
but I do think there's somethinginteresting about keeping it
seven episodes or eight episodesand just like doing with what
you will with it.
Because, think about it too,like we have a lot of themes
that go on in our life every day.
I mean, I'm living like tenrealities right now.
(34:45):
You know this being one of them, you know, but I have a lot of
other things going on that arealso very real and probably have
themes in it too.
So I'm okay with it.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Cool Um.
So what about?
Speaker 3 (35:00):
you.
What about I?
I'm actually curious cause youbring that up.
What about you?
Speaker 2 (35:04):
Um, I, yeah, I don't think so.
Yeah, kind of like you, like Isee where people can come off
like that, because you'retackling grief, you're tackling
addiction, you're tackling faith, you're kind of tackling um, uh
, economics, um, in a way for asmall I also think there's a lot
(35:29):
of climate change to climatechange, for sure, yeah.
Which, which, uh so speaking of, do you know um the place, the
actual Island that CrockettIsland is based on?
Speaker 3 (35:46):
It's off of it's off the coast of Maine, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (35:54):
No, uh, no.
So on, it's off of.
It's off the coast of Maine,isn't it?
No, uh, no.
So it's filmed in Vancouver,british Columbia area.
There's like an island theyfilmed, uh, off of there, that's
what they filmed it, but it'sactually based on an island that
, uh, I've been obsessed withsince I was a little kid.
Um, it's called Tangier Islandand it's in the middle of the
Chesapeake Bay and it is wastingaway, so people won't be living
there in 50 years.
It's very much like it's anactual place and the name
(36:18):
Crockett Island Crockett isactually a common last name in
the area.
The last name, pruitt, isactually a common last name.
On the island itself, there's acharacter named Uker, the mayor
of Tangier.
His nickname is Uker.
It's literally that's likewhere everything comes from, and
there's a section of the Island.
(36:39):
It used to be one whole Islandand then it got divided into two
sections and one of thesections is called upwards.
So that's the upwards that wetalk about and it's literally
when they talk about, you know,dead cats and bones of relatives
washing up, that's that's stuffthat literally happens on that
(37:00):
Island because it's wasting awaydue to both erosion and climate
change, like there's a wholebunch going on.
So when I was watching the showand they said Crockett Island,
I was like I already that name'salready in the back of my head.
And then the more they keptexposing about the show, like
ukrain uppers I was like what?
And I had like going on theinternet and be like, is this
based on Tangier Island?
And turns out it was uh, both,um, uh, uh, I'm sorry.
(37:24):
Uh, katie Siegel had a has a uh, an article about talking about
it.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
And then there's like a, a whole.
Reddit thread about like peoplemaking the connections, which
is pretty wild, that's sointeresting to me because I
thought Midnight Mass was hisonly show where it wasn't based
on something, it was just hisown creation.
But this actually makes it morecool for me that it is actually
based on something, somethingit's just based on a historical
(37:49):
place instead of like a poem orwhatever, like some of his other
shows yeah, very much, I think.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Uh, yeah, I think they were actually from from
what I've read, theycontemplated actually filming
there, but it is it in from aninfrastructure standpoint?
they can't handle it like itdidn't make sense to do all that
, but they did visit and checkit out, from what I've read is
like the possible, like location.
So there's a lot of inspirationthere, which I thought was like
(38:16):
my worlds were colliding when Iwas like watching the show I
was like this is nuts, this isso cool.
There's a bunch ofdocumentaries on how it's like
gonna be uninhabitable in 50years due to climate change and
everything and people leavingtoo, cause it's like, yeah, the
population has dwindled.
Much like, much like CrockettIsland in the show.
So if you had to recommend theshow to someone who had not seen
(38:41):
it, what would you say?
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Do you like thrillers ?
I don't know If you wantsomething slow, moving and dark
that discusses what it means tobe human in a variety of
categories and forms.
Watch this show.
Yeah, that's a good one If youenjoy good story and good acting
(39:08):
and well-developed charactersand you're also fine.
You know, getting jump scaredfrom time to time.
Watch the show, yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
Is there any?
Before we kind of wrap up, isthere anything that we haven't
touched upon that you would liketo discuss, either with
something you've got going on orthe show itself?
Speaker 3 (39:29):
pond that you would like to discuss, either with
something you've got going on orthe show itself.
I actually want to mention oneother thing that I don't know if
it was michael flanagan'sintention with the show, but it
was what I got from.
It is the final moment with thetwo kids on the boat.
Do you call it a buoy?
What do you call it a?
Speaker 1 (39:43):
dinghy is probably the dinghy because it's not a
kayak, it's a robot.
It's a robot it's a robot.
Speaker 3 (39:50):
And it's the girl who has been recovered with her
legs, right, you know, becauseshe's been drinking the juice
like everyone else, is keepingthat youth, which is probably a
whole nother conversation and,and you know, episode, but um,
or yeah, um, but she, she andand boyfriend, let's say, are
the only two survivors.
So the kids survive, right,they don't drink that final you
(40:14):
know bout and turn into vampiresand they're not going to burn.
And they're watching the islandburn.
And all of a sudden she says Ican't feel my legs Because the
reality kicked back in.
The reality her truth is isthat she was drinking this juice
.
It is now worn off and nowthey're watching the island burn
(40:37):
that all the people older thanher made happen.
And so now it's like sort offor me, this metaphor of what
we're leaving our youth with.
Like we've been burning ourworld up for so long and we're
just going.
Here you go, oh go to themainland.
Go, go, go on that boat there.
(40:58):
Oh wait, I can't feel my legsthere's nothing I can do,
because you've wrecked me withyour own addictions and vices
and rose colored glasses.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Hmm.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
What do you think about that?
Speaker 2 (41:15):
I never thought of it that way, no no, no.
That makes sense to me.
To me it seemed like I mean A.
It's literal because Sure, yes,yeah, but also service level.
For me was, yeah, kind of thatreality check where, like you
know, there isn't a fix for thecurrent situation, but I never
(41:41):
broadened that scope to takeinto account the world or
anything beyond that, and so Ithink that's a really I think
that's something reallyinsightful you pointed out, but
I can't let you go by the thisis a topic for another episode
(42:03):
kind of thing.
So can you expand a little bitupon the One way we're talking
about the different?
Speaker 1 (42:11):
age gaps.
Speaker 3 (42:13):
Yeah, I mean the fact that you know the blood that
they all have been drinkingturns them back into their
youthful state.
I mean that's what we all wantall the time.
That's what we're taught bysociety to want is to constantly
be 17 or 20 or wherever,whenever we were at our best,
instead of just being presentwith where we're at now.
(42:35):
You know what my back hurts.
I now need reading glasses.
I, you know I have dementia.
We all we constantly want toget back to the place that we
were at when things were goodwhen in reality, it's all good,
even if you are going throughsomething that is incredibly
(42:56):
stressful or hurtful or painful.
That's just like part ofactually existing and I just I I
really like how it highlightsthat a little bit about how, how
we do that, how we just havelike like this natural sort of
acceptance of it based on whatsociety has told us.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
I think the way in which the show conveys kind of
this regression intoyouthfulness, I think is so
tactful.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:24):
Like it's something where, like all of a sudden,
bradley's mom just she looks,she's like, oh, I don't need my
sunglass or my reading glasses,and she just kind of puts them
away and then his dad likegradually gets a little less
gray, like the.
The extreme example is, um, uh,the doctor annabeth annabeth
gish's character's mom.
Right, that is the one that islike it's insane Her regression
(43:49):
based on the individual massesthat Paul aka John is giving to
her, which, yeah, watching thesecond time, I was like you know
, you know what happens.
You're like, oh, but look howthey're doing it.
They're doing it so well, it'sso subtle, like you might even
not notice it.
I think that's what, to me, islike.
(44:09):
The true mark of somethingbeing successful is that you
could notice it if you're reallypaying attention, but also you
could not and still have a greattime like witnessing whatever
you end up watching.
And then that second rewatch youknow how everything going.
You're like, oh, look at allthe fucking breadcrumbs they
left.
It makes so much sense, likethat was like, that's so cool,
(44:30):
um, yeah, so actually one more.
One last thing I really want totalk about um, uh, hamish
lincolner's performance in thisshow like dude should have got
an emmy or something like it wasinsane how good he was in this
whole thing.
Speaker 3 (44:47):
A hundred percent.
I mean, you know who his mom isright.
Speaker 2 (44:51):
No, who's his mom?
Speaker 3 (44:52):
His mom is Kristen Linklater.
She wrote, like you know, thevoice of Shakespeare.
I forget the names of the books.
Speaker 2 (44:58):
Bad after me.
Speaker 3 (45:01):
You know how to, how to hone your voice, how to hone
your Shakespeare there's she'swritten a bunch of books about
like fascinating OK.
So to me it like makes sensethat he's so good.
But he is so good, I mean, heis just spot on, because you
feel for him, even though he'skind of the person causing all
of it on some level, you knowyeah um, you feel bad for him,
(45:24):
like when he stands on thatbridge with the love of his life
and says I'm sorry.
It's like, oh god, you just likefeel it so deep in your soul
yeah, my opinion, yeah, it waslike you start.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
You slowly start to recognize that well, not even
slowly, you know something isamiss from the get-go, yeah, but
you still.
You kind of like, like he'snice to everyone, um, he's super
curious, he's helping a bunchof people out, um, and then when
you start to realize, likeactually, who he is and the fact
(46:01):
that he's then trying to takethe gift from god, as he put it,
the this, this, this angel'sblood, and try and restore his
community, like the fact thatthe community itself is
struggling both from physicalailments and anything beyond
that Like you feel for him, youwant him like he wants to make
things better and we all, we allwant that, even if it's not,
(46:24):
you know, the youthful, trans,youthful regression, it's just
to make things better.
Speaker 4 (46:29):
I was lost and confused, tired and old, on the
road to Damascus when, lo andbehold, an angel of the Lord
appeared unto me and bestowedupon me the healing graces of
God and I was restored.
As you have all been restored,I returned to you all and I
brought with me that angel ofthe Lord so that he might bless
(46:52):
us all.
And we have seen the miraclesour new bodies, the resurrection
of the body, new andeverlasting life.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
But then you know, vampire shit happens and he's
like oh I I can't control theselike hungers and all this other
stuff, and then and then bevjust ruins like everything and I
mean, she is the ultimate liferuiner, I think.
But yeah, no I mean, he is thebest of intentions, in my
opinion yeah, I think that'swhat's great about him as the
(47:28):
character, as, like I guess he'sa villain, but also not like
it's.
There's so many gray areas withall these characters.
You definitely have charactersthat are like these are supposed
to be your heroes, howeverflawed they are.
You have all theseintermediates that are just
doing the best they can, andthen and then there's bev and
whatever.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
Uh, she may be the only one that doesn't have the
best of intentions.
Speaker 2 (47:49):
She is like here's the thing as soon as you heard
an animal, it's over.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (47:56):
Like what are we doing?
Speaker 2 (47:57):
Bev Like yes, come on .
Come on, mo.
Thank you so much for doingthis.
This is.
This has been a lot of fun.
I know it took us 40 minutes tofigure out how this interface
works, but we got there, man, wedid it.
So this is a part of the showwhere I try and say something
profound that ties up what hashappened in the conversation.
(48:20):
Just listened to and, honestly,I'm at a loss for words.
While Midnight Mass is atechnical marvel, there's a lot
going on from the filmmakingside that is super impressive.
There's almost too much for meto dive into.
I failed to write my outro forthis episode.
(48:44):
I'm making it up right now asI'm talking.
Things have been really busy,really crazy, with everything
that I have going on outside ofthis podcast, and I want to
thank you all for tuning inevery other week for whatever
show or movie I end up talkingabout with whatever guest.
Of all the depressing things inMidnight Mass, there's one
(49:06):
thing that I really can't stopthinking about, and that's this
sense of community.
Yes, there are people on theisland looking at you, bev, that
truly have possibly evilintentions, but it truly is what
she believes is good.
Ignoring that part, everyone onthis island is looking out for
(49:30):
one another.
There is a considerable amountof grace and compassion
happening and, no matter whathappens in the end, everyone was
really trying to do their best.
But obviously this show has avery unhappy ending, but it
still makes me want to believein the idea of community.
(49:51):
So I really want to thank youall for all the episodes that
you've listened to, you'vewatched, you've downloaded.
It really does mean a lot, andthis is a project that I started
during the pandemic and I didnot think I would be still doing
it four years later.
So thank you for that.
(50:11):
I would love to make the showsomething bigger, something
better, something we can all beinvolved in, and I hope it's
just a vehicle for us tounderstand each other a little
bit better.
So thank you all so much.
(50:32):
Okay, enough with the sappystuff.
A huge thanks to Mo forchatting with me today and a
thank you the size of angel'swings to you for joining us.
Please check out the show notesto follow Mo on social media so
you can keep up with all thestuff she's up to and whatever
she might be appearing in next.
You never know.
And really quickly before yougo, I want to shout out the
awesome guys over at theinterior analysis podcast for
(50:54):
having me on recently to talkabout my favorite superhero
movie ever possibly Logan.
We had a really great talk andyou can check out the link to
that in the show notes below.
And please check out theirother episodes as well as the
video essays that they do onsome very insightful and
interesting topics.
Also, a big thanks to Applepodcast user who Did what Now
for leaving us a wonderfulreview recently.
(51:16):
Quote I meant to check out a fewminutes of an episode and ended
up listening to three episodesin one day.
The host has fun and meaningfulconversations with guests about
their favorite movies.
Highly recommend it.
End quote.
Thank you so much.
Who Did what Now?
That really does mean a lot.
If you enjoyed the show today,please go ahead and subscribe on
your favorite podcast platformof choice, and if you happen to
(51:37):
be listening to this on ApplePodcasts, please leave a rating
and review, just like who Didwhat Now.
It helps us get noticed by moreawesome folks like yourself.
If you want to help the showgrow and get some cool perks in
the process, please considerbecoming a patron of the show.
Just a small amount per monthhelps us keep the show going and
helps us grow and get betterand all that fun stuff.
(51:59):
For more info on that, checkout the show notes or visit
patreoncom.
Slash film nuts Our theme thisseason is brought to us by the
Deep End.
Our artwork is designed byModongwa Sibuhudi and all
episodes of the Film Nutspodcast are produced and edited
by me, taylor D Adams.
If you want to get in touch,you can email filmnutspodcast at
gmailcom or follow us onInstagram and TikTok at
(52:20):
filmnutspodcast.
And don't forget to join theNuthouse Discord community
absolutely free by checking outthe link in the show notes as
well.
Thank you all again.
So much for listening to thisepisode and all the episodes
that we've put out so far.
We're at over 50, which is nuts, and we got a couple more
before our season four is over.
So thank you again and untilnext time.
(52:42):
Be good to each other.
eyes and skin and hands, but also wings, a sense
of great wings unfolding him andhis mind, finally found the
word.
The word was unearthed by hisfear, like the tomb was
unearthed by the storm, and thewas Angel, angel.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
If you want something slow-moving and dark that
discusses what it means to behuman in a variety of categories
and forms, watch this show.
To me, it's an incrediblyrelevant show, and I mean a
beautifully well-done show,well-written and well-acted, and
you know, the monologues in itare like every actor's dream.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Hi, I'm Taylor and welcome back to the Film Nuts
podcast.
Or, if you're joining us forthe first time, welcome to the
Fold.
It's truly wonderful to haveyou all here for film and
fellowship.
The fold it's truly wonderfulto have you all here for film
and fellowship.
I'd like to start off ourepisode today with a reading.
Oh, if all this gold shouldsteal my soul away.
Oh, dear mother of mine, pleaseredirect me.
(01:16):
If this gold, bartender, yousee, this wine that's drinking
me came from the vine thatstrung Judas from the devil's
tree roots deep, deep in theground.
These lyrics are to a songcalled Bartender by Dave
Matthews Band, a song aboutgrace, temptation and
(01:39):
forgiveness, a song that playsin the background of a show
about these same ideas fromhorror auteur Mike Flanagan, a
show called Midnight Mass.
Flanagan's third Netflix seriesexamines grief, prejudice,
faith, life and death, all whileelevating the vampire horror
subgenre.
It is not only a profound pieceof art for me, but it had a
(02:03):
profound impact on my guesttoday as well.
Mo Beatty is an actress andvoice actor who has appeared in
such shows as the Cleaning Lady,the Rookie Feds and voice
characters in Star Wars,galactic Pals and the Elder
Scrolls Online video gamefranchise as an actor.
There's tons of filmmaking tolove in Midnight Mass, but it's
the themes and issues that trulyresonated with her.
(02:25):
Mo and I talk about the life ofa child actor, how Midnight
Mass portrays religion and faithand the real life places that
inspired this show.
Oh, and what happens when wedie.
You know super light stuff.
We discussed this show rightafter Easter and after about 40
minutes of technicaldifficulties we finally got
talking and it's almost like wecouldn't stop.
(02:47):
So I've got my Crockett Islandgear on here, but go ahead and
fill up the Sacramento winebottles.
Here's Mo Beatty talking aboutMidnight Mass on the Film Nuts
podcast.
What's the good stuff you gotgoing on.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Actually quite a bit of good stuff.
I just booked a feature filmthat shoots in Santa Fe, just
like you know a smaller part,but pretty excited about it.
It's a film with MatthewMcConaughey, so I'm pretty
stoked about it.
Speaker 2 (03:21):
That's awesome, and you're living in Santa Fe right
now, right?
Speaker 3 (03:25):
I am, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I mean I go back and forthbetween here and LA, but yeah,
I'm here a little bit more on aregular basis, so yeah, very
cool, very cool.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah, I need to.
I need to get up there one ofthese days.
My partner is actually going tovisit Santa Fe in June for like
a week by herself.
She's super excited.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
Oh she's going to have.
So much fun.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
I can give her restaurant recommendations.
So, oh dope, I'll, I'lldefinitely pass that along.
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (03:53):
Uh, so yeah, what?
Um?
We've met like once before, uh,working working together on a
PBS show called hunger planet.
Um, but tell me how you, kindof like, got involved in acting.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
Ah, that's a good question.
Um, you know, I I actually wasa child actress.
I started when I was four.
Uh, my brother and my mom werein it, into it, and uh, then I
uh got sent on on an auditionwith both of them and, um, I
ended up booking the job andthey didn't, and uh and uh, that
(04:32):
was the rest was history.
You know I've taken breaks hereand there but, um, you know, I
spent a lot of my childhoodtraveling to LA from Phoenix,
arizona, um, back and forth,like you know, once a week.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
So yeah, oh, wow, were were your.
Were your parents, uh,resentful at all that you got
the job and they didn't?
Speaker 3 (04:51):
I think my mom was a little resentful and my brother
turned out to be a lawyer.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
So it's oh okay, well , there you go.
Speaker 1 (04:59):
That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Yeah, that's, that's super interesting.
So it's kind of like a so whatyour parents were?
Were they actors or were theyjust kind of like like they did
it because it was fun every oncein a while, kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
My mom attempted to be one.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
OK.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
And you know, then to her energy kind of got put into
me a little bit once sherealized that, like you know, I
loved it and I don't know, Iguess I was good at it and I
don't know, I guess I was goodat it, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
yeah so what was that ?
Uh was that good, though, likewith the support that you got uh
trying to pursue your dream.
Was that, did you get goodsupport?
Speaker 3 (05:37):
yeah, I would say for the most part, actually fuck.
I actually I would say for thepart, she was incredibly
supportive and never once mademe or my brother feel like we
had to do it.
There was definitely a lot morepressure coming from a lot of
other sources from the industrythat I think I recall as being
(05:58):
really hard as like a four toeight year old, but she was
generally pretty, prettysupportive.
Uh, on it, yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Yeah, you hear so many.
You know any child actor storyor like we always hear, like the
bad stuff, we don't hear, thegood stuff, right, we don't.
We don't hear that.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Oh they, my parents, were super supportive of me
while I was pursuing my dream,so that's really refreshing,
yeah I mean I I remember when,when I was teen, when I was like
about 12, so not quite ateenager my agents in LA told me
, um, hey, like.
Or told my mom, like, sheeither needs to move here or
what are we doing.
And my mom asked me what Iwanted.
(06:39):
And I was like I kind of wantto be a dancer, and so I did
that for a while.
And my mom was totally cool withthat.
She didn't like you know.
I stayed in Phoenix and I didthat and you know she didn't,
she didn't make it seem like itwas a big deal, but that was my
choice.
That's great.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
Well I.
So on this show, what I try todo is I try not to have a lot of
people in the industry or anykind of production background,
because I like to hear, likewhat, like a scientist, what
their favorite movie might be.
So when I do have people onthat are actors or writers or
directors, I feel like we got tocome at it from a different
(07:18):
lens.
And so when you wanted and youtold me you wanted to talk about
Midnight Mass, I was fuckingall in.
I love this thing and I'm notan actor at all and there's so
much like great stuff going onin this.
But, broad strokes, why did youwant to talk about midnight
mass?
Speaker 3 (07:34):
Ooh yeah, cause I switched it last minute and you
know.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Easter being when Easter happened.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
It felt perfect that I switched it.
You know I come from areligious background.
It felt perfect that I switchedit.
You know I come from areligious background.
So the you know it strums acouple chords for me.
I think that maybe it doesn'tother people.
Flanagan is actually one of myfavorite directors right now.
I will work with him at somepoint.
I'm convinced of it.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Speak it into existence please.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah, please, yeah, please.
But also I just think that youknow it's sort of this slow
moving, pings a lot of differentareas that I think is relatable
, that even if you didn't growup in a religious household can
like hit home.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
Jesus's first disciples.
They were fishermen.
One of his first miracles right, the nets are empty.
Fishermen, desperate, jesussays, put out into deep water
and let down your nets for acatch, and when they pulled up
those nets, a bounty of fish.
He sees you, oh yes, he seesyou, brothers and sisters, and
(08:37):
he will resurrect this islandand he will again fill your nets
.
It's great you're here today,but please keep coming back
those doors.
They're always open, as thegates are always open.
You just bring yourself, godwill do the rest.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
To me it's an incredibly relevant show, and I
mean a beautifully well doneshow, well written and well
acted, and you know, themonologues in it are like every
actor's dream.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Yeah, there are a lot of.
I noticed it this time around,like I, I hadn't seen it since
it first came out.
I've been meaning to re-watchit.
So thank you for wanting to dothis.
It gave me excuse to do it.
Um, but I don't remember therebeing this many monologues and I
was pleasantly.
I was a little worried because,like when they started being
monologuey, I was like, am Igonna zone out?
Zone out, no, I did not zoneout.
(09:24):
I was all in.
Um, so super refreshing to seethat and for it to not feel um,
uh, stale, I guess is a goodword for it.
Um, but you mentioned how,outside of the religious things,
there's a lot to kind of likedraw upon this show.
What other things would that befor you?
Speaker 3 (09:42):
Well, I think a big one is um just how to be a human
addiction.
Um getting so caught up in abelief system and an idea, even
if you might be right, or ontosomething.
(10:06):
Um getting so caught up in itthat you you have like
rose-colored glasses on that youcan't actually see what's
actually happening right, likethe, the fact that towards the
beginning of the show, when westart to realize that there's a
crab shortage, that's just likea basic thing of like nobody's
really paying attention to that,the fact that there's been more
storms and all these things,they'll mention it, people will
(10:27):
talk about it.
They don't actually likeattempt to think outside the box
and be like what should we doabout it?
There's sort of like thisacceptance and then sort of this
fixation on this other thingthat's like actually not going
to help them at all Solve thefact that you know, know, their
main source of income is dying.
Does that make sense?
So it's like they're justfixating on like the in like the
(10:49):
wrong place, and I feel likethey're constantly doing that
throughout the show.
Each of the characters, um,which makes it so much more than
just like a creature feature ora you know, yeah, it's very
much.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
Uh, I think I had read this about Flanagan that
like he kind of reallyemphasizes the human element of
horror, like spooky, scarythings are happening, but it's
all about the people at thecenter of it, rather than like
the big bad or the big reveal orsomething like that.
And that's something that Ireally gravitate toward as well,
as someone who enjoys a goodjump scare every once in a while
(11:24):
.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
But I really like a horror movie where I'm, or a
horror thing where I'm like oh,this, like this, is deep, like
there's something else going onhere besides creepy stuff well,
and I mean he's also created aworld right, because he uses a
lot of the same actors over andover again but in various
different points, and then youcan start to see a through line
of like oh, that actor playedthis type of character in this
(11:46):
show and this type of characterin that show and now all of a
sudden you can see like acommentary through his stuff,
not just in, like the oneparticular limited series.
Speaker 2 (11:57):
Yeah, for sure.
So do you remember the firsttime like watching this, like
where were you, what was theexperience, like what was going
on in your life when you firstsaw it?
Speaker 3 (12:09):
I actually remember it really well.
I was actually in Albuquerqueshooting an episode of the
Cleaning Lady, which is a showon Fox, and I was staying with a
friend because I was in LA atthe time and I was staying with
a friend and he was like, hey,do you want to watch this new
show?
My friend Matt Bidel is in itand we worked on Narcos together
(12:30):
and I really want to watch it.
And I was like, okay, and so wemade dinner and we watched the
first episode and we both werekind of like this feels like
theater.
And first we didn't like it,like we were both like do we
watch a second episode?
And um, then I was like wait asecond, let's just watch it,
(12:54):
let's just give it a go and seewhat happens.
So we watched the secondepisode and we were hooked and
neither of us wanted to telleach other.
So then when I went back to la,I texted him and I was like so
I'm now on episode six ofmidnight mass.
He's like me too.
Speaker 2 (13:10):
Like we both just kept watching it in secret so
well what was it about thatsecond episode that got you
hooked, do you remember?
Speaker 3 (13:18):
um, yes, uh, it was the, the one shot on the beach
when there's all the dead catson the beach and there is that
long shot that they do wherethey're watching the cats and
it's one take and you see, likejust the massive production that
(13:38):
would actually like therehearsal that would have to go
into this shot and howbeautifully mastered each actor
does it, and then also sort oftwirling around.
There's this one moment wherethey sort of twirl around two
actors having a conversation.
And you just realize how twistedand obsessed these people are
(14:00):
in their own little worlds andnot paying attention to what's
around them.
I mean, there's dead catseverywhere and they're talking
about something that totallyisn't relevant.
Or if it is relevant, it's,like you know, making excuses
for why the cats are there.
And oh, this happened duringthis storm and I was just like,
oh man, this is a brilliant shot.
I have to watch more of thisshow, like what is going on with
(14:20):
these people.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
He only had going on with these people, or just tell
him to come down here.
I don't think the folks aregonna much like that and that
seems a little drastic.
You know we've had strangethings happen before.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
It's public safety, really, and they'll thank you
for it.
Right, their mayor isn'twilling to gamble with public
health.
Yeah, uh, I noticed thatagainst.
I like it's one of those thingsthat re-watching I can't
remember what specificallystruck me so well the first time
around, so watching the secondone, it's almost like watching
it again for the first time,like I know what happens, but
like seeing all those thingslike long takes that are, you
(15:12):
know, with the circular cameramotion around two people as
they're trying to figure outwhat's the cause of all the dead
cats, like yeah, it's insane.
The amount of, uh, the efforttoward quality that goes into
something like this.
I think is is something to becommended.
Speaker 3 (15:28):
Yes, absolutely.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Um, yeah, so I mean there's, so there's.
Can you talk to me a little bitactually about your, uh, you
said religious upbringing.
Was it Catholic?
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Was it something along those lines uh, lutheran
actually, um, okay, which is,you know, you know, martin
luther, kind of split off fromthe catholic church and thought
that he could make it better,which I think, on some level, if
I could choose any of like the,you know, christian religions,
I feel like l Lutheranism ismaybe, probably the safest space
(16:05):
for a lot of people, um, versussome of the other, the other
forms of Christianity.
Um, I don't know, I think I wasone of those kids that you know
.
Sorry, mom, for lack of abetter word, I didn't really get
a choice, know what I mean toactually ever think about it.
(16:26):
But I remember sitting in inchurch, you know, in sunday
school and stuff often and likeI mean I was a pretty rational
kid, you know, I was like thatkid.
That was like, yeah, but whendoes bell actually pee when
she's in journey to the castle?
You know what I mean.
Like um, like how does?
Speaker 2 (16:43):
like what is pointing out all the things that are
wrong, like right like when doeslittle mermaid eat, and what
does she eat?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
does she eat her own people, like you know?
Speaker 2 (16:51):
that's a good question.
I never thought about that Ithought about that.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I was one of those kids that thought about that um,
and so you know, for me I wouldask questions in sunday school
and get very stern sort of wordsalad responses.
What just was confused likewait, did they answer my
question?
I'm not sure, uh kind of likein that scene when, uh, I think
(17:18):
her name is uh bev the character, bev the really oh god, I hate
her.
Speaker 2 (17:22):
I hate her so much.
Shout out to the actress whodoes a great job.
I hate her.
I hate her so much.
Shout out to the actress shedoes a great job.
I hate the character of Bev somuch.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
She's just the worst.
She's the worst, but you know,when she's like sort of talking
to the sheriff about like thepoison, and yes, you're correct.
Speaker 6 (17:39):
After those cats, not knowing what on earth could
have done it, I put some outstrategically carefully around
my property.
A few others requested I do thesame for them.
And if that poor dog, if itingested some accidentally, well
, I'll just be a wreck.
Is that what you're telling me,please?
If that's what occurred, ifyou're certain, well, I don't
(18:02):
know if I'll ever forgive myselfso is it, and are you certain?
Speaker 1 (18:11):
I mean I'm not telling you that I can't say
just about anything for certainyou don't even know what she's
saying.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
At a certain point you're like she's saying
something, but I don't know whatit is.
But now I think I'm just gonnaleave.
I guess she didn't poison thedog, or did she?
You know what I mean.
It's like you don't really knowwhat she said, and like that's
how I felt in church often wow,was there like?
Speaker 2 (18:37):
was it just because you were questioning the
logistics of things, of theteachings that were in the
Catholic church, or was theresomething about you as a person
that was um, butting heads withCatholic beliefs, or something
like that?
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I think it was a mixture of both, to be honest, I
think, that, like I was neverequipped to be spiritual in that
way, um, and that was somethingthat took me, you know well,
into my twenties, to to sort ofreconcile with like, oh no, this
isn't.
This has never been for me.
I was pretending God'sblessings, you know, I was
(19:19):
saying it, but I wasn'tbelieving it.
Right, I was saying it because Iwas told that that's what I was
supposed to say, but I wasn'tbelieving it.
I was saying it because I wastold that that's what I was
supposed to say.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
You know when I ended an email, yeah, okay.
So that I mean I, as someonewho I did not grow up religious,
like I went to sometimes aBaptist church, sometimes a
Presbyterian church, but likenever really cared that I was
there, I was always bored, Ialways didn't want to be there
up until, like, I stopped, youknow, going or whatever, in high
school or something like that.
So I don't have like this kindof religious background to draw
(19:57):
upon where I'm, like you know,questioning things or never felt
like I belonged, like I just Ijust didn't want to be there.
That was just who I am.
So I think what's sointeresting about this show is
the way each character, kind oflike, has their own belief
system, both inside and outsideof Catholicism, in some cases
(20:17):
even in Islam.
Um, so if you, if you had topick one of the characters in
the show that you feel like youmight identify or relate to most
, who would it be?
Speaker 3 (20:29):
Ooh gosh, somewhere in between, coming from a place
of the present, versus maybe whoI was when I was younger would
be either the doctor that waslike trying to justify what the
(20:55):
fuck was going on or figure outwhat was going on and, honestly,
the main character.
You know I've been plagued by,by certain things that I've done
in my own life that has sort ofdriven my decision making and
you know I stepped away from thechurch, I think in a lot of
(21:15):
ways that he talks about youknow You're talking about Riley,
the main character, Riley.
Riley the main character.
Yeah, I got you, yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
I got you so that, speaking of main characters,
like we're watching this showthe whole time, riley's the main
character up until he's not.
I love you, aaron green.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
I love you my whole life.
One way or another, I love youtoo.
I did my best.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
I did my best.
I did my best like I was.
I was so I was upset when thathappened because I was like what
, you can't do that.
But then afterward I was like,okay, I get it like things are
still moving, things still havemeaning.
He's still kind of in the showafter his like, like terrifying
(22:26):
and beautiful demise.
I don't know how else to put it.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Yeah, I mean, he literally went up in smoke.
Yeah, he had to, though, inorder for the story to move on
and conclude.
In my opinion Because I dothink the story is he was a
vehicle in which another storyneeded to be told, so he had to
go at a certain point that's agood way, don't you agree?
Speaker 2 (22:55):
yeah, I, I do.
But at the same time, like Idon't know if you ever watch
friday lights, but that's my guyman, that's qb1 matt saracen.
I was so sad to see him, I wasso sad to see him go, but but it
makes sense, like it totallymakes sense within the the world
of this show.
So sorry for the interruption,but I will be brief.
(23:17):
I am so grateful that youdecided to listen to the film
podcast today.
If you are enjoying what you'rehearing, please consider
supporting the show on patreon.
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The Nuthouse itself is free tojoin and is full of other film
(23:40):
and TV lovers, so you'll fitright in.
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like yourself.
Okay, enough of me ramblingback to the good stuff.
(24:02):
Do you have a favorite?
I know there's so much we'vealready talked about as far as
scenes and moments, but do youhave a favorite scene or moment
from it on the show?
Speaker 3 (24:13):
Outside of the beach scene um outside of the dead
cats the dead cat scene.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
I think that.
I think that's might saysomething about you.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Probably does Somebody.
Somebody asked me once theywere like do you like any comedy
?
Like do Somebody somebody askedme once they were like do you
like any?
Comedy Like do you watchcomedies?
I was like, of course I lovecomedy, coraline.
Speaker 6 (24:34):
Oh wait, Big Mouth.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Oh wait, you know, that's you know just the moment
in Breaking Bad when the bodyfalls from the ceiling.
Oh wait, that's not comedy.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Are you the only?
Are you laughing?
Are you laughing during?
Speaker 3 (24:50):
those moments are you 100, 100?
I'm laughing during thosemoments that's so.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Yeah, so I guess you lean toward the darker sense of
of things 100.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
Um, yeah, I guess I'm a cynic at heart.
I would say, actually myfavorite moment is when Riley
talks about what happens whenyou die.
Speaker 5 (25:23):
I dream, bigger than I have ever dreamed before,
because it's all of it, just thelast dump of DMT all at once
and my neurons are firing andI'm seeing this firework display
of memories and imagination andI am just tripping.
I'm really tripping ballsbecause my mind's rifling
(25:45):
through the memories you knowlong and short term and the
dreams mixed through thememories.
You know long and short termand the dreams mixed with the
memories, and it's a curtaincall.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
That moment got me on such a deep level.
I mean I was like weepingduring both those monologues.
Hmm, Because we think about ita lot.
I mean I don't know if you do,Do you think about death?
I do.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
You know what, more often than I'd like to.
I don't know what it is, Idon't know what happens, but I
don't like it.
I don't like thinking about it.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
No, but at some point during your 30s, I feel like
you do you think about howyou're going to die or what
happens when you die?
And what is true, what is real?
And can something be true andreal?
For me that's totally differentthan for somebody else.
Speaker 2 (26:42):
So what do you think happens when we die?
Speaker 3 (26:50):
I probably shouldn't have laughed at that.
Speaker 2 (26:54):
At this point it's on brand for you.
Speaker 4 (26:55):
So just go with it.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
Just keep rolling with it Gosh.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
I think that Riley's right.
I forget the other character'sname.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Aaron.
Speaker 3 (27:10):
Aaron Gosh sorry Names are, they've escaped me.
You know, when Aaron describesLittlefoot, her baby, she
describes what she thinks, shesees when she goes and how she
meets up with Littlefoot, andI'll see my father and my
(27:33):
grandmother and I'll see mylittle girl, and she will be
happy and safe.
Speaker 5 (27:43):
And I will be so glad to meet her I really hope
you're right.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
She really is just describing what happens when you
get that huge impact of dmt inyour body, cause you probably do
experience something like thatVisions, you know, the people
that you love, memories itprobably does hit you all at
once and I, I think, I thinkthat's what happens, sadly.
(28:23):
That's what I think.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
You can feel free to dodge this question if you want
to, but God forbid, somethinghappens tomorrow.
What do you think you'll see?
What do you think that DMT willtrigger for you?
Speaker 6 (28:42):
Oof.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Probably A lot of like nature.
I have like these really heavynature moments with, um, just
myself and solitude, uh, andalso other people.
You know, I have this verydistinctive memory of someone
(29:07):
incredibly important to mehanding me a flower as we were
running, going for a run, and Iremember that moment as if I
could taste it right now and Ifeel like things like that would
probably come back to me, maybesome regret, standing alone on
a stage and whatever thatfeeling is that euphoric feeling
(29:30):
, yeah, and my regrets.
Speaker 2 (29:36):
So good, both good and bad stuff.
Speaker 3 (29:40):
I think both good and bad stuff, because I think, you
know, the idea of euphoriadoesn't necessarily mean good or
bad, it just means like aheightened sense of reality.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Hmm, I had not heard that.
That's an interestingperspective.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
At least that's my perspective.
I like it.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Yeah, it's not, you know, sunshine and roses, like
it's just a better appreciationof just everything.
Sure, Like I mean sunshine androses, like it's just a better,
like a better appreciation ofjust everything.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Sure, like I mean, think about it.
Like you know, if you've everbeen on a drug trip, you're not
necessarily going to get thedownload.
That is always positive.
That's why people have bad drugtrips.
But it still is technically adownload of, you know, dmt or
serotonin or whatever it is thatthat drug causes.
But that's why people can fallinto a bad cycle with it and
(30:35):
that's why addiction is sointeresting and weird is that
you're not necessarily addictedto the good of something.
You might actually be addictedto the bad of something you
might actually be addicted tothe bad of something.
Speaker 2 (30:51):
Yeah, so just an addiction to the feeling in
general correct so this took aturn.
Uh, I think like, well, there'sjust this show, man, it's, it's.
It's so powerful in a lot ofways, even coming from me, who I
(31:12):
don't like particularlyidentify with any particular
character or like thematicelement.
But I do really appreciate thiskind of theme of the lengths
people will go to to hold on towhatever faith they can, oh yeah
(31:32):
, which brings in our whole, ourwhole creature discussion about
our angel, our, our vampire, um, which they never.
What I love about the show isthey never call a spade a spade
like it's, it's this, it's thisthing, it's this angel, it's
this gift from god.
There's no like, there's neverlike vampire or like.
That word is never used or like,but still, going through all of
(31:59):
the tropes of vampire stories,like sunlight and all this, you
know, all this other stuff, andthat's what I love about this.
It was like, it was subtlebecause they're like hey, like,
literally you can see it's afucking vampire, but we're not
gonna call it that.
This isn't, you know, like thisisn't one of the Blade movies
which they all rule from whatI've seen 100%.
(32:20):
But yeah, it's just so subtleabout things, which I think is
really great If you were to everplay a creature or a monster,
what kind of creature or monsterwould you want to play?
Speaker 3 (32:37):
uh, gosh, you know, I kind of probably like some sort
of weird goblin-y.
You know, um, um creaturesounds fun to me like some sort
of goblin-y you know um creaturesounds fun to me like some sort
of goblin, okay.
Speaker 2 (32:54):
Okay, do you?
Do you talk normal or do youhave like a goblin language or
like what do you think?
I definitely have a goblinlanguage okay, okay, what does
it sound like?
Give me a little taste let's dothis perfect.
That's gonna be the intro.
I'm just gonna play that onesoundbite just get people hooked
(33:15):
.
So one of the things I feellike goes uh underappreciated is
like I had to do a deep dive,basically on um the actor that
plays the creature, because hedoesn't have a headshot on imdb.
I was like a guy plays angellike I, to look up and see all
the stuff that he's done, whichis I really love actors who play
um creatures like the iconicDoug Jones and people like that.
(33:37):
Yeah, um, when you were, whenyou were kind of watching this
and you were thinking about allthe different layers that have
to go on with this show.
One of the things I've heard alot of criticism about for the
show is that it kind of tries tocram too much thematically into
(33:58):
one show.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
I can see why someone would say that, but I think
it's so well done that itdoesn't matter.
But I think it's so well donethat it doesn't matter because
if we would have drawn it outmore?
And don't get me wrong, I lovethis show.
It's also one of my favorites.
I clearly have some sort ofobsession with, um, religious
stuff, but the leftovers, youknow they they really do draw it
(34:23):
out right like for like fourseasons and it's also a
beautiful show.
but I do think there's somethinginteresting about keeping it
seven episodes or eight episodesand just like doing with what
you will with it.
Because, think about it too,like we have a lot of themes
that go on in our life every day.
I mean, I'm living like tenrealities right now.
(34:45):
You know this being one of them, you know, but I have a lot of
other things going on that arealso very real and probably have
themes in it too.
So I'm okay with it.
Speaker 2 (34:57):
Cool Um.
So what about?
Speaker 3 (35:00):
you.
What about I?
I'm actually curious cause youbring that up.
What about you?
Speaker 2 (35:04):
Um, I, yeah, I don't think so.
Yeah, kind of like you, like Isee where people can come off
like that, because you'retackling grief, you're tackling
addiction, you're tackling faith, you're kind of tackling um, uh
, economics, um, in a way for asmall I also think there's a lot
(35:29):
of climate change to climatechange, for sure, yeah.
Which, which, uh so speaking of, do you know um the place, the
actual Island that CrockettIsland is based on?
Speaker 3 (35:46):
It's off of it's off the coast of Maine, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (35:54):
No, uh, no.
So on, it's off of.
It's off the coast of Maine,isn't it?
No, uh, no.
So it's filmed in Vancouver,british Columbia area.
There's like an island theyfilmed, uh, off of there, that's
what they filmed it, but it'sactually based on an island that
, uh, I've been obsessed withsince I was a little kid.
Um, it's called Tangier Islandand it's in the middle of the
Chesapeake Bay and it is wastingaway, so people won't be living
there in 50 years.
It's very much like it's anactual place and the name
(36:18):
Crockett Island Crockett isactually a common last name in
the area.
The last name, pruitt, isactually a common last name.
On the island itself, there's acharacter named Uker, the mayor
of Tangier.
His nickname is Uker.
It's literally that's likewhere everything comes from, and
there's a section of the Island.
(36:39):
It used to be one whole Islandand then it got divided into two
sections and one of thesections is called upwards.
So that's the upwards that wetalk about and it's literally
when they talk about, you know,dead cats and bones of relatives
washing up, that's that's stuffthat literally happens on that
(37:00):
Island because it's wasting awaydue to both erosion and climate
change, like there's a wholebunch going on.
So when I was watching the showand they said Crockett Island,
I was like I already that name'salready in the back of my head.
And then the more they keptexposing about the show, like
ukrain uppers I was like what?
And I had like going on theinternet and be like, is this
based on Tangier Island?
And turns out it was uh, both,um, uh, uh, I'm sorry.
(37:24):
Uh, katie Siegel had a has a uh, an article about talking about
it.
Speaker 3 (37:28):
And then there's like a, a whole.
Reddit thread about like peoplemaking the connections, which
is pretty wild, that's sointeresting to me because I
thought Midnight Mass was hisonly show where it wasn't based
on something, it was just hisown creation.
But this actually makes it morecool for me that it is actually
based on something, somethingit's just based on a historical
(37:49):
place instead of like a poem orwhatever, like some of his other
shows yeah, very much, I think.
Speaker 2 (37:55):
Uh, yeah, I think they were actually from from
what I've read, theycontemplated actually filming
there, but it is it in from aninfrastructure standpoint?
they can't handle it like itdidn't make sense to do all that
, but they did visit and checkit out, from what I've read is
like the possible, like location.
So there's a lot of inspirationthere, which I thought was like
(38:16):
my worlds were colliding when Iwas like watching the show I
was like this is nuts, this isso cool.
There's a bunch ofdocumentaries on how it's like
gonna be uninhabitable in 50years due to climate change and
everything and people leavingtoo, cause it's like, yeah, the
population has dwindled.
Much like, much like CrockettIsland in the show.
So if you had to recommend theshow to someone who had not seen
(38:41):
it, what would you say?
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Do you like thrillers ?
I don't know If you wantsomething slow, moving and dark
that discusses what it means tobe human in a variety of
categories and forms.
Watch this show.
Yeah, that's a good one If youenjoy good story and good acting
(39:08):
and well-developed charactersand you're also fine.
You know, getting jump scaredfrom time to time.
Watch the show, yeah.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
Is there any?
Before we kind of wrap up, isthere anything that we haven't
touched upon that you would liketo discuss, either with
something you've got going on orthe show itself?
Speaker 3 (39:29):
pond that you would like to discuss, either with
something you've got going on orthe show itself.
I actually want to mention oneother thing that I don't know if
it was michael flanagan'sintention with the show, but it
was what I got from.
It is the final moment with thetwo kids on the boat.
Do you call it a buoy?
What do you call it a?
Speaker 1 (39:43):
dinghy is probably the dinghy because it's not a
kayak, it's a robot.
It's a robot it's a robot.
Speaker 3 (39:50):
And it's the girl who has been recovered with her
legs, right, you know, becauseshe's been drinking the juice
like everyone else, is keepingthat youth, which is probably a
whole nother conversation and,and you know, episode, but um,
or yeah, um, but she, she andand boyfriend, let's say, are
the only two survivors.
So the kids survive, right,they don't drink that final you
(40:14):
know bout and turn into vampiresand they're not going to burn.
And they're watching the islandburn.
And all of a sudden she says Ican't feel my legs Because the
reality kicked back in.
The reality her truth is isthat she was drinking this juice
.
It is now worn off and nowthey're watching the island burn
(40:37):
that all the people older thanher made happen.
And so now it's like sort offor me, this metaphor of what
we're leaving our youth with.
Like we've been burning ourworld up for so long and we're
just going.
Here you go, oh go to themainland.
Go, go, go on that boat there.
(40:58):
Oh wait, I can't feel my legsthere's nothing I can do,
because you've wrecked me withyour own addictions and vices
and rose colored glasses.
Speaker 1 (41:10):
Hmm.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
What do you think about that?
Speaker 2 (41:15):
I never thought of it that way, no no, no.
That makes sense to me.
To me it seemed like I mean A.
It's literal because Sure, yes,yeah, but also service level.
For me was, yeah, kind of thatreality check where, like you
know, there isn't a fix for thecurrent situation, but I never
(41:41):
broadened that scope to takeinto account the world or
anything beyond that, and so Ithink that's a really I think
that's something reallyinsightful you pointed out, but
I can't let you go by the thisis a topic for another episode
(42:03):
kind of thing.
So can you expand a little bitupon the One way we're talking
about the different?
Speaker 1 (42:11):
age gaps.
Speaker 3 (42:13):
Yeah, I mean the fact that you know the blood that
they all have been drinkingturns them back into their
youthful state.
I mean that's what we all wantall the time.
That's what we're taught bysociety to want is to constantly
be 17 or 20 or wherever,whenever we were at our best,
instead of just being presentwith where we're at now.
(42:35):
You know what my back hurts.
I now need reading glasses.
I, you know I have dementia.
We all we constantly want toget back to the place that we
were at when things were goodwhen in reality, it's all good,
even if you are going throughsomething that is incredibly
(42:56):
stressful or hurtful or painful.
That's just like part ofactually existing and I just I I
really like how it highlightsthat a little bit about how, how
we do that, how we just havelike like this natural sort of
acceptance of it based on whatsociety has told us.
Speaker 2 (43:15):
I think the way in which the show conveys kind of
this regression intoyouthfulness, I think is so
tactful.
Speaker 1 (43:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:24):
Like it's something where, like all of a sudden,
bradley's mom just she looks,she's like, oh, I don't need my
sunglass or my reading glasses,and she just kind of puts them
away and then his dad likegradually gets a little less
gray, like the.
The extreme example is, um, uh,the doctor annabeth annabeth
gish's character's mom.
Right, that is the one that islike it's insane Her regression
(43:49):
based on the individual massesthat Paul aka John is giving to
her, which, yeah, watching thesecond time, I was like you know
, you know what happens.
You're like, oh, but look howthey're doing it.
They're doing it so well, it'sso subtle, like you might even
not notice it.
I think that's what, to me, islike.
(44:09):
The true mark of somethingbeing successful is that you
could notice it if you're reallypaying attention, but also you
could not and still have a greattime like witnessing whatever
you end up watching.
And then that second rewatch youknow how everything going.
You're like, oh, look at allthe fucking breadcrumbs they
left.
It makes so much sense, likethat was like, that's so cool,
(44:30):
um, yeah, so actually one more.
One last thing I really want totalk about um, uh, hamish
lincolner's performance in thisshow like dude should have got
an emmy or something like it wasinsane how good he was in this
whole thing.
Speaker 3 (44:47):
A hundred percent.
I mean, you know who his mom isright.
Speaker 2 (44:51):
No, who's his mom?
Speaker 3 (44:52):
His mom is Kristen Linklater.
She wrote, like you know, thevoice of Shakespeare.
I forget the names of the books.
Speaker 2 (44:58):
Bad after me.
Speaker 3 (45:01):
You know how to, how to hone your voice, how to hone
your Shakespeare there's she'swritten a bunch of books about
like fascinating OK.
So to me it like makes sensethat he's so good.
But he is so good, I mean, heis just spot on, because you
feel for him, even though he'skind of the person causing all
of it on some level, you knowyeah um, you feel bad for him,
(45:24):
like when he stands on thatbridge with the love of his life
and says I'm sorry.
It's like, oh god, you just likefeel it so deep in your soul
yeah, my opinion, yeah, it waslike you start.
Speaker 2 (45:40):
You slowly start to recognize that well, not even
slowly, you know something isamiss from the get-go, yeah, but
you still.
You kind of like, like he'snice to everyone, um, he's super
curious, he's helping a bunchof people out, um, and then when
you start to realize, likeactually, who he is and the fact
(46:01):
that he's then trying to takethe gift from god, as he put it,
the this, this, this angel'sblood, and try and restore his
community, like the fact thatthe community itself is
struggling both from physicalailments and anything beyond
that Like you feel for him, youwant him like he wants to make
things better and we all, we allwant that, even if it's not,
(46:24):
you know, the youthful, trans,youthful regression, it's just
to make things better.
Speaker 4 (46:29):
I was lost and confused, tired and old, on the
road to Damascus when, lo andbehold, an angel of the Lord
appeared unto me and bestowedupon me the healing graces of
God and I was restored.
As you have all been restored,I returned to you all and I
brought with me that angel ofthe Lord so that he might bless
(46:52):
us all.
And we have seen the miraclesour new bodies, the resurrection
of the body, new andeverlasting life.
Speaker 2 (47:04):
But then you know, vampire shit happens and he's
like oh I I can't control theselike hungers and all this other
stuff, and then and then bevjust ruins like everything and I
mean, she is the ultimate liferuiner, I think.
But yeah, no I mean, he is thebest of intentions, in my
opinion yeah, I think that'swhat's great about him as the
(47:28):
character, as, like I guess he'sa villain, but also not like
it's.
There's so many gray areas withall these characters.
You definitely have charactersthat are like these are supposed
to be your heroes, howeverflawed they are.
You have all theseintermediates that are just
doing the best they can, andthen and then there's bev and
whatever.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
Uh, she may be the only one that doesn't have the
best of intentions.
Speaker 2 (47:49):
She is like here's the thing as soon as you heard
an animal, it's over.
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (47:56):
Like what are we doing?
Speaker 2 (47:57):
Bev Like yes, come on .
Come on, mo.
Thank you so much for doingthis.
This is.
This has been a lot of fun.
I know it took us 40 minutes tofigure out how this interface
works, but we got there, man, wedid it.
So this is a part of the showwhere I try and say something
profound that ties up what hashappened in the conversation.
(48:20):
Just listened to and, honestly,I'm at a loss for words.
While Midnight Mass is atechnical marvel, there's a lot
going on from the filmmakingside that is super impressive.
There's almost too much for meto dive into.
I failed to write my outro forthis episode.
(48:44):
I'm making it up right now asI'm talking.
Things have been really busy,really crazy, with everything
that I have going on outside ofthis podcast, and I want to
thank you all for tuning inevery other week for whatever
show or movie I end up talkingabout with whatever guest.
Of all the depressing things inMidnight Mass, there's one
(49:06):
thing that I really can't stopthinking about, and that's this
sense of community.
Yes, there are people on theisland looking at you, bev, that
truly have possibly evilintentions, but it truly is what
she believes is good.
Ignoring that part, everyone onthis island is looking out for
(49:30):
one another.
There is a considerable amountof grace and compassion
happening and, no matter whathappens in the end, everyone was
really trying to do their best.
But obviously this show has avery unhappy ending, but it
still makes me want to believein the idea of community.
(49:51):
So I really want to thank youall for all the episodes that
you've listened to, you'vewatched, you've downloaded.
It really does mean a lot, andthis is a project that I started
during the pandemic and I didnot think I would be still doing
it four years later.
So thank you for that.
(50:11):
I would love to make the showsomething bigger, something
better, something we can all beinvolved in, and I hope it's
just a vehicle for us tounderstand each other a little
bit better.
So thank you all so much.
(50:32):
Okay, enough with the sappystuff.
A huge thanks to Mo forchatting with me today and a
thank you the size of angel'swings to you for joining us.
Please check out the show notesto follow Mo on social media so
you can keep up with all thestuff she's up to and whatever
she might be appearing in next.
You never know.
And really quickly before yougo, I want to shout out the
awesome guys over at theinterior analysis podcast for
(50:54):
having me on recently to talkabout my favorite superhero
movie ever possibly Logan.
We had a really great talk andyou can check out the link to
that in the show notes below.
And please check out theirother episodes as well as the
video essays that they do onsome very insightful and
interesting topics.
Also, a big thanks to Applepodcast user who Did what Now
for leaving us a wonderfulreview recently.
(51:16):
Quote I meant to check out a fewminutes of an episode and ended
up listening to three episodesin one day.
The host has fun and meaningfulconversations with guests about
their favorite movies.
Highly recommend it.
End quote.
Thank you so much.
Who Did what Now?
That really does mean a lot.
If you enjoyed the show today,please go ahead and subscribe on
your favorite podcast platformof choice, and if you happen to
(51:37):
be listening to this on ApplePodcasts, please leave a rating
and review, just like who Didwhat Now.
It helps us get noticed by moreawesome folks like yourself.
If you want to help the showgrow and get some cool perks in
the process, please considerbecoming a patron of the show.
Just a small amount per monthhelps us keep the show going and
helps us grow and get betterand all that fun stuff.
(51:59):
For more info on that, checkout the show notes or visit
patreoncom.
Slash film nuts Our theme thisseason is brought to us by the
Deep End.
Our artwork is designed byModongwa Sibuhudi and all
episodes of the Film Nutspodcast are produced and edited
by me, taylor D Adams.
If you want to get in touch,you can email filmnutspodcast at
gmailcom or follow us onInstagram and TikTok at
(52:20):
filmnutspodcast.
And don't forget to join theNuthouse Discord community
absolutely free by checking outthe link in the show notes as
well.
Thank you all again.
So much for listening to thisepisode and all the episodes
that we've put out so far.
We're at over 50, which is nuts, and we got a couple more
before our season four is over.
So thank you again and untilnext time.
(52:42):
Be good to each other.
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