July 18, 2024 • 18 mins
Longlegs is the rare psychological horror movie that truly gets under your skin.
Featuring an instantly iconic performance by Nicolas Cage, the movie creates an ominous atmosphere with the help of a measured pace and an unsettling reliance on silence.
We discuss the film’s grounded first act and its rapid descent into full-blown supernatural horror. We also talk about director Osgood Perkins’ immersive framing and the film’s themes of parenting and childhood trauma.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:16):
Hi, I'm welcome to the long take.
This week we're discussing the new Nicolas Cage movie, although
he's not really that much into it for the half.
It's called Long Legs. It's now in theaters worldwide.
It's like a psychological horrordetected nor model, sort of see
when I want it. Yeah, I really.
Liked it. I had a A after a very long
(00:39):
time, I actually got affected bylike a horror movie because, you
know, kind of desensitized at this point.
But yeah, just wondering, works.A horror horror fan, so I didn't
even actually know the genre of the movie.
I think I showed up for this one, which was I think good.
Good for me. Otherwise, I don't think I've
showed up probably. And it it plays out like a not
like a standard of things. It's like more like a cycle as
(01:00):
you go out, as I said, right. It's like, oh, like there's like
insidious creepy, like all theirskin stuff going on.
You're like, ah, it's more like a detective thing.
Like this person's trying to solve this mystery like, but as
it sort of deepens and deepens, it feels like it bakes in more
horror and satanic and murder doll stuff and all the way.
Yeah. I mean, the first indication is
in fact quite early in the movie, right?
(01:22):
When she kind of just magically identifies this hideout, and
very quickly. Like be on the jaw or something.
She just shows up. Be like Like what?
Yeah, so and the movie doesn't really explain to you or, you
know, try to kind of rationalizeanything.
You're just like, how do people think that she has psychic
powers? They do a quick test on her.
(01:45):
Yeah. And then that proves that she
has psychic. And the police, well, this case
is not going anywhere for 20 years, so we might as well give
it to some new person. Yeah.
So I mean, within the 1st 20 minutes, you're like eight
second. I thought this was going to be
like Silence of the Lambs, but suddenly it's like a Stephen
King version of Silence of the Lambs.
(02:05):
Basically. You know, and uske, Bart, MATLAB
in quick succession, you know, like there's voodoo stuff.
There's like, yeah. Like really like a Rams up in
terms of like because until thenwe don't even get like Nicolas
Cage like like it's like briefing.
They're trying to hide him as a check.
And the second-half, like, because we have intervals in
movies in India of people who are listening outside.
(02:27):
The second obviously, like starts off with like, because
then suddenly you're getting a lot of him.
You're getting like dedicated scenes with only with him.
And that's when they really start to like, sort of ratchet
up the whole like, yeah, like this is like, as you said, a
Stephen King take on. Like it's not just like on, it's
not just like, you know, to get to season one, it's like to read
a season one, like dial to like 22.
No. But what I also found
(02:47):
interesting is that depending onthe viewer, right, you might try
to rationalize what happens in the movie.
And there is a good chance that you might succeed in doing that,
right? Because there is enough stuff in
there for you to kind of decide that this is all a part of like
some mass hysteria situation, you know?
(03:09):
Yeah, he's just like a regular wacko guy in the basement making
dolls and thinking like, brainwashing people into like,
killing themselves. Yeah, or even just like it's the
what the movie is really about is just how easily kind of
decent people can turn right. Yeah, because he is targeting
(03:31):
like quote UN quote, like nice Christian.
Family families as well as possible.
Yeah. And what he's proving is that
Kisi Kobi, you can influence andturn sort of into monsters.
And Ito, in effect, that's happening, right?
That's like part of the movie's plot.
(03:52):
But then also as a viewer, if you're buying into say, like the
voodoo magic stuff, then you're also kind of buying into what
the movie is thematically saying, right?
It's saying that, yeah, we can influence you.
You can actually convince you into thinking that this Silence
of the Lambs type story actuallyhas like supernatural elements.
(04:13):
And that I found very interesting because a part of
you can just be like hard he could.
This is like any other like exorcism of Emily doors type
situation, right? Because we we know that Satan
doesn't exist. But then it works on multiple
levels. And I found that to be quite
interesting. Yeah, I think that's where like
it'll, as you said, it will markwork for like different
audiences in different ways. Like the horror voodoo doll
(04:35):
stuff I think works the least for a lack of viewer like me
who's, you know who prefers though, you know, like, Oh yeah,
it's just the reality is like obviously like very simple.
It's like a detective terror andyou really have to like find the
pattern. It's just a guide trying to
like, you know, like, as I said,brainwash people into thinking
that they've gone crazy when they haven't actually gone
crazy, Which is why, like the ending sort of works the least
(04:55):
for me because I'm I I prefer the thing of like, yeah, you
just if you break it down, things can be explained into
like, you know, just like standard situations.
But I was obviously the movie like really pushes as it upwards
sending the movie really pushes.It's on its side, you know,
like, no, there is a higher element to it, right.
Especially with the ending as well.
Like her gun is literally not going off.
(05:15):
So when you reach that point, you're like, yeah, clearly.
Like the movie really wants you to think that there's something
more than, you know, regular stuff happening.
Yeah, because also towards the end it fully kind of leans into
the supernatural stuff, right? And then it becomes more and
more difficult because even I was kind of trying to just
rationalize it while I was watching.
(05:36):
And for the most part, you can do it right?
But it's only towards the very end when she rushes to what's
his name's house to save the girl.
The boss? Asian Carter.
The boss, yeah, which is when you're.
And they're already converted, right.
Your mother has beaten her to it.
And so then you're wondering andthat's just like a fall to
distraction that maybe it's onlyjust me and most people just be
(05:59):
like into the story. But then I was kind of thinking
in my head how to kind of figurethis one out.
And I think at some point somebody says that they're
already dead or something along those lines.
Yeah, the. Mother sort of says that, but
you can never tell if she's like, sort of saying that as if,
like it's already happened, or she's saying as if, like, you
know, like that she's already won.
(06:19):
Yeah. But either way, it's one of
those things where you know, it's ambiguous enough for you to
kind of be like whatever. And then also it's kind of
distressing the ending there because in.
Fact distressing on like yeah, one typical, but this?
Is like just the end. I mean, I don't like technically
(06:41):
I she saves the girl, but did she like save the girl because
everybody else died? She killed her own mother, you
know, And once you just understand the full scope of
this scheme that this person waskind of orchestrating that kind
of like just unsettling, no? And it was, I'm not even sure
there is a quote, UN quote save thing, right, because we've seen
(07:05):
the only survivor, right, like here in Chicago doing a cameo or
I mean the movie. Like, if you consider that
saving like she's clearly like completely unsettled, right?
So like wants to say that this whatever.
Like it's not like the what matters.
What happens after the end of the We were like, say we could
really lose on that for a secondand say that this goal like goes
on, like, I'm not sure she's ever going to be OK that time.
(07:27):
Yeah, or even Lee, right, Because the movie eventually
reveals that she was also like touched by this person when she
was what, 9 or whatever, right? And clearly it's a case of like,
Arrested Develop. I mean, the movie kind of
telegraphs it, but I think that's deliberate.
But then it's also a case of like Arrested Development for
her also, right? And just the way that she
(07:48):
behaves, like she's constantly on the phone with her mother,
even though it seems as if she doesn't want to talk to her, but
then she's literally the only person it's.
At some point it even seems likelike the mother doesn't even
remember her, you know, like which like in in hindsight feels
like maybe like all the abuse she's gone through a power she
said of like minimal people and stuff.
What situation she's put herselfthrough all these 20 years for
(08:09):
long legs. Maybe she's just like purposely
sort of like raising her daughter from 1 memory.
Or maybe she's just going through this, like in, say,
level of trauma where she's keeps forgetting that she has a
daughter. Which is the even more
distressing kind of metaphor of this movie, right, is that
raising a child is so terrible that you.
Yeah, that's the Barbie. And she's sort of opts for the
(08:31):
Foster and she's like, yeah, like I love my kids so much that
I wipe out. Like, I don't know how many
family she wiped out. It's like a reminding me of
like, you know, Darovsky's mother, basically.
Kind of yeah, because that movieis also like just unrelenting,
kind of like disorder and very bleak view of humanity similar
(08:55):
to this this one, right? Because this is like the first
half is, I mean, obviously there's, there's this atmosphere
situation happening and the way that it's being made right is.
Slowly. It's probably my favorite part
of it. Just like, you know how we set
off, like pulls you into its world.
You know, it can mean a sense oflike, time or it's like, not
even time. It's more of like, just like,
yeah, the mood, you know, like. Creeping dread.
(09:18):
Yeah, it is creeping that like, you know, like it's it's the
best position for it in terms of, you know, that this is made
for like a theater movie, right?Because this is a lot of work if
you're watching it at home with like your on the curtains not
drawn, a light coming in from everywhere because the the
darkness of the theater adds to the movies like sort of
insidious dread. You know, you're like, are the
people around me also going to just like wake up anymore when
(09:40):
it's like start stabbing me or something?
Also, just like the opening scene itself is like a
incredibly strong opening, right?
So you're immediately not only like in in this world, but
you're like, so fascinated by this character.
I was. Fascinated by the aspect.
She was like, wait, is the entire way to play out like
this. I was like, this is insane.
Like, how is how did someone, especially in India, how did
(10:03):
someone like get distribution for this And like we are going
to show the movie in theatres and like, amazing.
Good for you because this feels like a Film Festival title, you
know, like this is what I go to the festival.
Yeah, we don't never get this. Not come to the festival to
watch a movie like this is goingto play on half the screen.
And then he's like, that was just for the opening.
I said OK, maybe that went down slightly easier with the guy
bankrolling. This yeah, I mean it's it it's
(10:25):
interesting because also they'reconcealing him right and that
they're kind of teasing which I don't know if you know like this
is one of the few movies just coming in marketing consume Kia.
I told also, I mean, I didn't watch the anything, but then
there was that one sort of a newvideo that they kind of, but at
least in which did you see that one in which no.
(10:48):
No, I don't think I saw anything.
Our only thing I saw was the poster while booking the ticket
and I was like wait, they made aposter where there's no face?
Who? Who said yes?
No, I'll tell you no. So the this video I'm talking
about, it's basically that interrogation scene at the end
with the Lee and long legs, right?
And also what they do is they, they reveal that her heartbeat
(11:08):
increased by like 2 times, like actually when they were filming
the scene. So when she sees him for the
first time, Michael Monroe's heartbeat went to 176, which is
I think a great way to kind of market this thing.
You know, also because you've obviously decided that we don't
want to show Nicolas Cage, right?
(11:30):
Which is a brilliant. The most technical?
Movie and even I mean, forget the marketing, even the movie
itself, right? It's a genius move because even
if I hate the movie for one hour, I'm at the very least
excited about seeing Nicolas Cage.
Yeah, because only we had two visuals, not like they hide like
his entire existence, because like 2 seconds after like he
(11:51):
tries to come into the frame andthe movie cuts to the title.
They're like Nicolas cages long.OK, but where and where?
It's also like just insane sort of character, like an instantly
kind of memorable creation, because not in a million years
would I have imagined that this is what they would have come up
with, right to someone with thisbotched kind of plastic surgery.
(12:14):
It's almost like joke of a Dark Knight if he grew his leg hair
longer. Yeah, no, but the Joker in The
Dark Knight is actually scary. And I've been scary in a very
different way. This person is scary as well.
He's very scary. But then as you grow to know
him, the rational part of your brain is also poking at you and
saying that no, this guy is justsome loser, right, who just
(12:36):
liked heavy metal music. And that's how these things.
And that's basically the explanation for what his his
mind has been warped by that just that Iraq culture, right,
which like. Like, there was so much like hue
and cry about Satanic panic thatthese seems to have like,
internalized it. And just like we like, This is
my life, Yeah. And it impacts both sides,
(12:58):
right? It clearly impacted long legs,
right? Or whatever his name is,
forgetting Kabul. And it has also impacted the
FBI, right? Because they are taking the
Satanism seriously to a degree. And this is this, this
overwhelming sense of this, which is why it's set in a
certain era, right? This wouldn't work in 2024
(13:21):
because, yeah, you would have like, I don't know, phones or
distraction this area, how to explain a million things.
But 1990 where you can easily buy that this entire community
in this part of the world actually start believing for a
while that Satan was among them,right?
And we've all heard of like the West Memphis Three and all those
stories, right? People were actually arrested
the other because they like, like Megadeth and stuff.
(13:42):
So it's fully believable that even the law enforcement is like
fully influenced by just a paranoia.
Yeah. And and obviously the isolation,
the physical isolation, the movie like contributes to that,
right. It wouldn't work as you said
with technology and also it wouldn't work with like it was
certain not more densely populated place.
It can only work in a situation where like no one seems to live
(14:03):
around the world. And yeah, that's very
deliberate, right? Because you don't see like
anybody. Every side, like there is either
like just one person that was sitting at someone's house or
either it's zero people and it'slike an empty house, Yeah.
There's no crowd, there's no interaction.
She doesn't talk to anybody. In fact, how she's framed is
very. Yeah, there's.
No, like media like coming to melike we copy case cups all over.
(14:24):
No, that doesn't exist. Even in the scene where Ekto,
it's very funny that she lives in that cabin in the woods,
right? But which is like for like, you
know, like horrible directory that you're asking to be.
Killed. Yeah.
But in the moment, obviously, I'm not laughing, right?
This is only later. I'm like, ha, ha, ha.
That was a good one. But in the moment, I'm like,
terrified, like, oh, my God, leave.
(14:44):
Right. Because we know that he's there.
Yeah. And the movie frames are in such
a way where you're like just constantly looking around her
and behind her. Which is like the movie's full
intention. Of course.
Yeah, the other scene they're like they never settle on the
characters. They like settle on the the
space behind the characters and you always wondering it seemed
like. Because it's not fully pitch
(15:06):
black behind her right ever. It there's like some Darvaza
Kalawa or some light source evenwhen it's.
Pitch black behind her because the movie has played us and
taught us in the past where they've shown like, you know, a
devil under like some vodka or something or some just eyes,
just like there's two eyes in a vodka.
Sometimes you start, it's almostlike your brain starts to like
(15:26):
project, right? You're like, wait, I think I see
some shadow there. I think I see someone there.
Which is just a great way or to kind of keep you engaged even
when there's like literally justone.
Person because you are now inserting things that may or may
not exist. Which is I think the great kind
of overarching theme of this movie, right, is like, how much
are you imprinting onto this world and how much are you kind
(15:49):
of just taking literally? Which happens like with all the
characters with whether it's real or not, whether it's
supernatural or actually grounded in reality.
Because what I thought was also interesting a little touches
right when Lee does the investigation stuff and this by
this time, we already know that her supernatural elements has or
they've been introduced. Even then she always wears those
(16:09):
gloves, right? She's like, ha, which is a very
tiny way of grounding the story,right?
Because if she didn't wear thosegloves, the the tone would be
entirely different, right? When she's wearing those gloves,
you're like, your mind is like, oh, because fingerprints, this
that evidence real world investigation.
It's real. It's like, almost like how in
the starting when I forgot his name, but when the dude arrives
(16:31):
in Twin Peaks, he takes everything like a detective
thing, right? He's like, yeah, this is just,
everyone has gone bonkers, but at the end of the day, this is
just a story about a young teenager being killed.
I will solve it and everything will be fine.
And then he gets pulled into this towel.
And like, then he finally goes like, Oh no, this towel is
actually like. Although here it's reversed
(16:54):
because she's the one with the superpowers.
But very fascinating. I I mean, I think it's been
years. Like Hereditary probably was the
last horror movie which kind of actually worked on like a
psychological level. Otherwise, you're watching and
you're like, you know, you're appreciating, like, from a
(17:15):
distance. They're appreciating, like the
technical stuff. They're appreciating stories.
They're appreciating. It's like a comedian when they
listen to a joke and they don't laugh.
They, like, appreciate the setupand the puzzle.
Oh, yeah. Nice.
Yeah. Similarly, but this one is like,
it really works for the most part.
There are a couple of moments where like, hey, you can get
bird. Yeah.
(17:36):
Hey, I found myself fascinated as well so I probably at least
like one like 3/4 of it. So like 90 minutes of it.
So decent ratio, right, Is that it?
Yeah. Yeah.
OK, then that's all of this episode of the Longtek.
You can follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and threads
at the Longtek pod. You can write to us at the
Longtek pod@gmail.com. Please leave us a rating and a
(17:57):
review that I was in episode andwe will see you next week.
Thanks for listening.
Hi, I'm welcome to the long take.
This week we're discussing the new Nicolas Cage movie, although
he's not really that much into it for the half.
It's called Long Legs. It's now in theaters worldwide.
It's like a psychological horrordetected nor model, sort of see
when I want it. Yeah, I really.
Liked it. I had a A after a very long
(00:39):
time, I actually got affected bylike a horror movie because, you
know, kind of desensitized at this point.
But yeah, just wondering, works.A horror horror fan, so I didn't
even actually know the genre of the movie.
I think I showed up for this one, which was I think good.
Good for me. Otherwise, I don't think I've
showed up probably. And it it plays out like a not
like a standard of things. It's like more like a cycle as
(01:00):
you go out, as I said, right. It's like, oh, like there's like
insidious creepy, like all theirskin stuff going on.
You're like, ah, it's more like a detective thing.
Like this person's trying to solve this mystery like, but as
it sort of deepens and deepens, it feels like it bakes in more
horror and satanic and murder doll stuff and all the way.
Yeah. I mean, the first indication is
in fact quite early in the movie, right?
(01:22):
When she kind of just magically identifies this hideout, and
very quickly. Like be on the jaw or something.
She just shows up. Be like Like what?
Yeah, so and the movie doesn't really explain to you or, you
know, try to kind of rationalizeanything.
You're just like, how do people think that she has psychic
powers? They do a quick test on her.
(01:45):
Yeah. And then that proves that she
has psychic. And the police, well, this case
is not going anywhere for 20 years, so we might as well give
it to some new person. Yeah.
So I mean, within the 1st 20 minutes, you're like eight
second. I thought this was going to be
like Silence of the Lambs, but suddenly it's like a Stephen
King version of Silence of the Lambs.
(02:05):
Basically. You know, and uske, Bart, MATLAB
in quick succession, you know, like there's voodoo stuff.
There's like, yeah. Like really like a Rams up in
terms of like because until thenwe don't even get like Nicolas
Cage like like it's like briefing.
They're trying to hide him as a check.
And the second-half, like, because we have intervals in
movies in India of people who are listening outside.
(02:27):
The second obviously, like starts off with like, because
then suddenly you're getting a lot of him.
You're getting like dedicated scenes with only with him.
And that's when they really start to like, sort of ratchet
up the whole like, yeah, like this is like, as you said, a
Stephen King take on. Like it's not just like on, it's
not just like, you know, to get to season one, it's like to read
a season one, like dial to like 22.
No. But what I also found
(02:47):
interesting is that depending onthe viewer, right, you might try
to rationalize what happens in the movie.
And there is a good chance that you might succeed in doing that,
right? Because there is enough stuff in
there for you to kind of decide that this is all a part of like
some mass hysteria situation, you know?
(03:09):
Yeah, he's just like a regular wacko guy in the basement making
dolls and thinking like, brainwashing people into like,
killing themselves. Yeah, or even just like it's the
what the movie is really about is just how easily kind of
decent people can turn right. Yeah, because he is targeting
(03:31):
like quote UN quote, like nice Christian.
Family families as well as possible.
Yeah. And what he's proving is that
Kisi Kobi, you can influence andturn sort of into monsters.
And Ito, in effect, that's happening, right?
That's like part of the movie's plot.
(03:52):
But then also as a viewer, if you're buying into say, like the
voodoo magic stuff, then you're also kind of buying into what
the movie is thematically saying, right?
It's saying that, yeah, we can influence you.
You can actually convince you into thinking that this Silence
of the Lambs type story actuallyhas like supernatural elements.
(04:13):
And that I found very interesting because a part of
you can just be like hard he could.
This is like any other like exorcism of Emily doors type
situation, right? Because we we know that Satan
doesn't exist. But then it works on multiple
levels. And I found that to be quite
interesting. Yeah, I think that's where like
it'll, as you said, it will markwork for like different
audiences in different ways. Like the horror voodoo doll
(04:35):
stuff I think works the least for a lack of viewer like me
who's, you know who prefers though, you know, like, Oh yeah,
it's just the reality is like obviously like very simple.
It's like a detective terror andyou really have to like find the
pattern. It's just a guide trying to
like, you know, like, as I said,brainwash people into thinking
that they've gone crazy when they haven't actually gone
crazy, Which is why, like the ending sort of works the least
(04:55):
for me because I'm I I prefer the thing of like, yeah, you
just if you break it down, things can be explained into
like, you know, just like standard situations.
But I was obviously the movie like really pushes as it upwards
sending the movie really pushes.It's on its side, you know,
like, no, there is a higher element to it, right.
Especially with the ending as well.
Like her gun is literally not going off.
(05:15):
So when you reach that point, you're like, yeah, clearly.
Like the movie really wants you to think that there's something
more than, you know, regular stuff happening.
Yeah, because also towards the end it fully kind of leans into
the supernatural stuff, right? And then it becomes more and
more difficult because even I was kind of trying to just
rationalize it while I was watching.
(05:36):
And for the most part, you can do it right?
But it's only towards the very end when she rushes to what's
his name's house to save the girl.
The boss? Asian Carter.
The boss, yeah, which is when you're.
And they're already converted, right.
Your mother has beaten her to it.
And so then you're wondering andthat's just like a fall to
distraction that maybe it's onlyjust me and most people just be
(05:59):
like into the story. But then I was kind of thinking
in my head how to kind of figurethis one out.
And I think at some point somebody says that they're
already dead or something along those lines.
Yeah, the. Mother sort of says that, but
you can never tell if she's like, sort of saying that as if,
like it's already happened, or she's saying as if, like, you
know, like that she's already won.
(06:19):
Yeah. But either way, it's one of
those things where you know, it's ambiguous enough for you to
kind of be like whatever. And then also it's kind of
distressing the ending there because in.
Fact distressing on like yeah, one typical, but this?
Is like just the end. I mean, I don't like technically
(06:41):
I she saves the girl, but did she like save the girl because
everybody else died? She killed her own mother, you
know, And once you just understand the full scope of
this scheme that this person waskind of orchestrating that kind
of like just unsettling, no? And it was, I'm not even sure
there is a quote, UN quote save thing, right, because we've seen
(07:05):
the only survivor, right, like here in Chicago doing a cameo or
I mean the movie. Like, if you consider that
saving like she's clearly like completely unsettled, right?
So like wants to say that this whatever.
Like it's not like the what matters.
What happens after the end of the We were like, say we could
really lose on that for a secondand say that this goal like goes
on, like, I'm not sure she's ever going to be OK that time.
(07:27):
Yeah, or even Lee, right, Because the movie eventually
reveals that she was also like touched by this person when she
was what, 9 or whatever, right? And clearly it's a case of like,
Arrested Develop. I mean, the movie kind of
telegraphs it, but I think that's deliberate.
But then it's also a case of like Arrested Development for
her also, right? And just the way that she
(07:48):
behaves, like she's constantly on the phone with her mother,
even though it seems as if she doesn't want to talk to her, but
then she's literally the only person it's.
At some point it even seems likelike the mother doesn't even
remember her, you know, like which like in in hindsight feels
like maybe like all the abuse she's gone through a power she
said of like minimal people and stuff.
What situation she's put herselfthrough all these 20 years for
(08:09):
long legs. Maybe she's just like purposely
sort of like raising her daughter from 1 memory.
Or maybe she's just going through this, like in, say,
level of trauma where she's keeps forgetting that she has a
daughter. Which is the even more
distressing kind of metaphor of this movie, right, is that
raising a child is so terrible that you.
Yeah, that's the Barbie. And she's sort of opts for the
(08:31):
Foster and she's like, yeah, like I love my kids so much that
I wipe out. Like, I don't know how many
family she wiped out. It's like a reminding me of
like, you know, Darovsky's mother, basically.
Kind of yeah, because that movieis also like just unrelenting,
kind of like disorder and very bleak view of humanity similar
(08:55):
to this this one, right? Because this is like the first
half is, I mean, obviously there's, there's this atmosphere
situation happening and the way that it's being made right is.
Slowly. It's probably my favorite part
of it. Just like, you know how we set
off, like pulls you into its world.
You know, it can mean a sense oflike, time or it's like, not
even time. It's more of like, just like,
yeah, the mood, you know, like. Creeping dread.
(09:18):
Yeah, it is creeping that like, you know, like it's it's the
best position for it in terms of, you know, that this is made
for like a theater movie, right?Because this is a lot of work if
you're watching it at home with like your on the curtains not
drawn, a light coming in from everywhere because the the
darkness of the theater adds to the movies like sort of
insidious dread. You know, you're like, are the
people around me also going to just like wake up anymore when
(09:40):
it's like start stabbing me or something?
Also, just like the opening scene itself is like a
incredibly strong opening, right?
So you're immediately not only like in in this world, but
you're like, so fascinated by this character.
I was. Fascinated by the aspect.
She was like, wait, is the entire way to play out like
this. I was like, this is insane.
Like, how is how did someone, especially in India, how did
(10:03):
someone like get distribution for this And like we are going
to show the movie in theatres and like, amazing.
Good for you because this feels like a Film Festival title, you
know, like this is what I go to the festival.
Yeah, we don't never get this. Not come to the festival to
watch a movie like this is goingto play on half the screen.
And then he's like, that was just for the opening.
I said OK, maybe that went down slightly easier with the guy
bankrolling. This yeah, I mean it's it it's
(10:25):
interesting because also they'reconcealing him right and that
they're kind of teasing which I don't know if you know like this
is one of the few movies just coming in marketing consume Kia.
I told also, I mean, I didn't watch the anything, but then
there was that one sort of a newvideo that they kind of, but at
least in which did you see that one in which no.
(10:48):
No, I don't think I saw anything.
Our only thing I saw was the poster while booking the ticket
and I was like wait, they made aposter where there's no face?
Who? Who said yes?
No, I'll tell you no. So the this video I'm talking
about, it's basically that interrogation scene at the end
with the Lee and long legs, right?
And also what they do is they, they reveal that her heartbeat
(11:08):
increased by like 2 times, like actually when they were filming
the scene. So when she sees him for the
first time, Michael Monroe's heartbeat went to 176, which is
I think a great way to kind of market this thing.
You know, also because you've obviously decided that we don't
want to show Nicolas Cage, right?
(11:30):
Which is a brilliant. The most technical?
Movie and even I mean, forget the marketing, even the movie
itself, right? It's a genius move because even
if I hate the movie for one hour, I'm at the very least
excited about seeing Nicolas Cage.
Yeah, because only we had two visuals, not like they hide like
his entire existence, because like 2 seconds after like he
(11:51):
tries to come into the frame andthe movie cuts to the title.
They're like Nicolas cages long.OK, but where and where?
It's also like just insane sort of character, like an instantly
kind of memorable creation, because not in a million years
would I have imagined that this is what they would have come up
with, right to someone with thisbotched kind of plastic surgery.
(12:14):
It's almost like joke of a Dark Knight if he grew his leg hair
longer. Yeah, no, but the Joker in The
Dark Knight is actually scary. And I've been scary in a very
different way. This person is scary as well.
He's very scary. But then as you grow to know
him, the rational part of your brain is also poking at you and
saying that no, this guy is justsome loser, right, who just
(12:36):
liked heavy metal music. And that's how these things.
And that's basically the explanation for what his his
mind has been warped by that just that Iraq culture, right,
which like. Like, there was so much like hue
and cry about Satanic panic thatthese seems to have like,
internalized it. And just like we like, This is
my life, Yeah. And it impacts both sides,
(12:58):
right? It clearly impacted long legs,
right? Or whatever his name is,
forgetting Kabul. And it has also impacted the
FBI, right? Because they are taking the
Satanism seriously to a degree. And this is this, this
overwhelming sense of this, which is why it's set in a
certain era, right? This wouldn't work in 2024
(13:21):
because, yeah, you would have like, I don't know, phones or
distraction this area, how to explain a million things.
But 1990 where you can easily buy that this entire community
in this part of the world actually start believing for a
while that Satan was among them,right?
And we've all heard of like the West Memphis Three and all those
stories, right? People were actually arrested
the other because they like, like Megadeth and stuff.
(13:42):
So it's fully believable that even the law enforcement is like
fully influenced by just a paranoia.
Yeah. And and obviously the isolation,
the physical isolation, the movie like contributes to that,
right. It wouldn't work as you said
with technology and also it wouldn't work with like it was
certain not more densely populated place.
It can only work in a situation where like no one seems to live
(14:03):
around the world. And yeah, that's very
deliberate, right? Because you don't see like
anybody. Every side, like there is either
like just one person that was sitting at someone's house or
either it's zero people and it'slike an empty house, Yeah.
There's no crowd, there's no interaction.
She doesn't talk to anybody. In fact, how she's framed is
very. Yeah, there's.
No, like media like coming to melike we copy case cups all over.
(14:24):
No, that doesn't exist. Even in the scene where Ekto,
it's very funny that she lives in that cabin in the woods,
right? But which is like for like, you
know, like horrible directory that you're asking to be.
Killed. Yeah.
But in the moment, obviously, I'm not laughing, right?
This is only later. I'm like, ha, ha, ha.
That was a good one. But in the moment, I'm like,
terrified, like, oh, my God, leave.
(14:44):
Right. Because we know that he's there.
Yeah. And the movie frames are in such
a way where you're like just constantly looking around her
and behind her. Which is like the movie's full
intention. Of course.
Yeah, the other scene they're like they never settle on the
characters. They like settle on the the
space behind the characters and you always wondering it seemed
like. Because it's not fully pitch
(15:06):
black behind her right ever. It there's like some Darvaza
Kalawa or some light source evenwhen it's.
Pitch black behind her because the movie has played us and
taught us in the past where they've shown like, you know, a
devil under like some vodka or something or some just eyes,
just like there's two eyes in a vodka.
Sometimes you start, it's almostlike your brain starts to like
(15:26):
project, right? You're like, wait, I think I see
some shadow there. I think I see someone there.
Which is just a great way or to kind of keep you engaged even
when there's like literally justone.
Person because you are now inserting things that may or may
not exist. Which is I think the great kind
of overarching theme of this movie, right, is like, how much
are you imprinting onto this world and how much are you kind
(15:49):
of just taking literally? Which happens like with all the
characters with whether it's real or not, whether it's
supernatural or actually grounded in reality.
Because what I thought was also interesting a little touches
right when Lee does the investigation stuff and this by
this time, we already know that her supernatural elements has or
they've been introduced. Even then she always wears those
(16:09):
gloves, right? She's like, ha, which is a very
tiny way of grounding the story,right?
Because if she didn't wear thosegloves, the the tone would be
entirely different, right? When she's wearing those gloves,
you're like, your mind is like, oh, because fingerprints, this
that evidence real world investigation.
It's real. It's like, almost like how in
the starting when I forgot his name, but when the dude arrives
(16:31):
in Twin Peaks, he takes everything like a detective
thing, right? He's like, yeah, this is just,
everyone has gone bonkers, but at the end of the day, this is
just a story about a young teenager being killed.
I will solve it and everything will be fine.
And then he gets pulled into this towel.
And like, then he finally goes like, Oh no, this towel is
actually like. Although here it's reversed
(16:54):
because she's the one with the superpowers.
But very fascinating. I I mean, I think it's been
years. Like Hereditary probably was the
last horror movie which kind of actually worked on like a
psychological level. Otherwise, you're watching and
you're like, you know, you're appreciating, like, from a
(17:15):
distance. They're appreciating, like the
technical stuff. They're appreciating stories.
They're appreciating. It's like a comedian when they
listen to a joke and they don't laugh.
They, like, appreciate the setupand the puzzle.
Oh, yeah. Nice.
Yeah. Similarly, but this one is like,
it really works for the most part.
There are a couple of moments where like, hey, you can get
bird. Yeah.
(17:36):
Hey, I found myself fascinated as well so I probably at least
like one like 3/4 of it. So like 90 minutes of it.
So decent ratio, right, Is that it?
Yeah. Yeah.
OK, then that's all of this episode of the Longtek.
You can follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and threads
at the Longtek pod. You can write to us at the
Longtek pod@gmail.com. Please leave us a rating and a
(17:57):
review that I was in episode andwe will see you next week.
Thanks for listening.
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