February 12, 2024 • 31 mins
Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
Starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, and more.
Production Design by Shona Heath and James Price
Music by Jerskin Fendrix
Edited by Yorgos Mavropsaridis
Cinematography by Robbie Ryan
Written by Tony McNamara
Novel by Alasdair Gray
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Jerrod Carmichael, and more.
Production Design by Shona Heath and James Price
Music by Jerskin Fendrix
Edited by Yorgos Mavropsaridis
Cinematography by Robbie Ryan
Written by Tony McNamara
Novel by Alasdair Gray
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(01:23):
All right and listen, I'm aback another a dish. How we doing
out there? Good? Great,Gray yan Ayan, wonderful. So we're
gonna be continuing with you know,I'm just gonna keep on telling you about
things I think you should bounce outto the theater and see. Now,
I am admittedly very late to theparty on this one, because well,
(01:47):
in Toledo, turns out we don'thave such a good film culture. I'll
give you an example as if youlisten to the show. You know Tom
Hardy is my muse. Right.So one of his most recent films,
the Bike Riders Jeff Nichols film ILove Jeff Nichols as a filmmaker, was
(02:09):
released in I think the New Yorkand LA circuit over the summer this past
summer. So twenty twenty three summer. We still haven't got it yet,
and the rights just got sold toit, and we're not going to see
it until I believe this coming summer. So I have to wait a year
(02:31):
and some change to see, youknow, stuff that you know, people
that are in those particular circles havealready seen, and this one was no
exception. We waited, we waited, we waited, and it only premiered
at a theater that there's three theatersin my area, and it only premiered
(02:54):
at probably the lowliest of the three, and the showtimes were shit. Like,
you know, it's a two hourand twenty one minute movie. Not
that that bothers me. That bothersyou guys, because you can't keep your
attention longer than fucking five minutes.But that didn't bother me, but the
showtimes, like in conjunction with meworking, it just never worked out.
(03:15):
And then finally they brought it tothe theater that's closest to me, with
more applicable showtimes for me to fuckingattend, and oh man, it was
so worth the wait. One ofmy favorite films going into Oscar season,
no question. You know. Itwas utterly bizarre, undeniably charming throughout,
(03:39):
and it created a world that you'veseen before. But have you seen it
in your ghosts Lanthemos's eyes or throughhis eyes? I don't think you have.
So. Poor Things is a twentytwenty three film directed by your Ghost
Lanthemos and written by Tony McNamara,Emmastone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe,
(04:02):
romy Yusef, Christopher Abbott, andSharrod Carmichael Gerrod Carmichael in this, I
don't know if you guys know basedon a novel we're pushing what thirty thirty
some odd years ago, thirty twoyears ago? Based on the ninety two
novel by Alistair Gray Alistair Gray.The plot follows Bella Baxter, a young
(04:26):
woman in Victorian London, which Ilove. Some of my favorite sequences is
just the set and production design inthis film, because yeah, it looks
like Victoria Victorian London without ever reallystating that it is, and it has
that Yrgos lens to view it through, or rather in all reality, Bella
(04:49):
Baxter's lens, who's played by fantasticallyby Emmastone. I think there's one other
film on the Best Picture list thatI need to see, which is Zone
of Interest. That's another one.That's another one. Everybody in New York
and LA has seen it, andlowly fucking Toledo is not going to get
(05:12):
it until I believe the week beforethe Oscar. So I'm I'm thankful that
I do get it, but itmakes it tough kind of, you know,
making statements like this is my favoritefilm of the year. Well,
how can you out of the bestpicture list, How can you say it's
your favorite film of the year ifyou haven't even seen it? Johan Well,
anyway, so they cannot be understated. The world that Jrgos has created,
(05:40):
the production design, the set design, the costume design. Very rare
that you can create a world thisbizarre and execute near perfectly, almost on
every front. You know, italmost feels like you create a a palette
such as this that you see insomething somewhere is not going to fit,
(06:03):
whether it be an actor here orthere, or it'd be you know,
maybe even the music, which Ifound interesting. The music was scar Sorry
I didn't I didn't grab any water. The music was actually done by Jerskin
Fendricks. This is his first filmthat he scored. And I was listening
(06:24):
to an interview with Yourgos and hebasically just said I found his sound so
unique, and I was listening toa pop album as I was editing,
and I just thought he had tobe a part of it. And he
did not disappoint. It is sobizarre and yet fits so perfectly with this
and then and to that point,even the sound design from top to bottom,
(06:47):
whether it be you know some ofthe boat sequences that the sound of
the boat almost feels like a beatingheart. I don't know, you guys,
go back and tell me if I'mwrong, But very rarely can you
create a world like this and sustain, you know, the audience's attention.
Not that people didn't fucking walk outof this film, because I even read
(07:12):
one and I'm going to react.I hate reaction videos, but I'm telling
you what I get. It's funfor me to go down and read reviews
of films that I really like,and I specifically look at the uh the
critics that hated it. The Rexread from the Observer, he didn't mince
(07:33):
words. I hated it, butreluctantly give it one star for whimsical sets
and costumes and there's a minute sprinkleof suspense while you wait for a point
of view that never arrives. Whatare we doing here? Like this is
one of the more original films.And and you know, like as we've
come to expect from Jorgus's work,your Ghos' work, he doesn't do things
(08:01):
like anything that we've ever seen before. I mean, if you've seen some
of his previous work, whether itbe the Favorite Killer, the killing of
a sacred deer, the lobster,and on and on and dog tooth like,
(08:22):
he creates a world that you've neverseen before. So when you go
and you, I don't know,I feel like shit on something that you
don't fully understand. That's the beautyof art these days, or that's the
beauty of art to me at least, is I don't need to understand you
know this. I mean, thereis some pastels used during some of the
(08:46):
boat sequences where it teeters on almosta composite matte painting and also CG and
yet it just works perfectly. Itreally does. And I was actually looking
at my letterbox score of it.I had given it four and a half
in I as I sit here andtalk to you now, Gang, I
(09:09):
don't know why I didn't give ita five. It's everything that I want.
It's like a modern day well Ishouldn't even say modern day Frankenstein,
but it reminds me of Frankenstein,as it does you know everybody else.
But the way that it's done isjust not like Frankenstein whatsoever. Like it,
(09:31):
you know, what's the best wayto put it? Wildly imaginative and
exhilaratingly over the top. Poor Thingsis a bizarre, brilliant tour divorce,
Tour Tour Divorce. I should befucking fired for my own show, Tour
Devorce, for director Yorgo Slanthemos andstar Emma Stone. And actually a lot
(09:52):
has been written about this the youknow, I told you guys that I'm
not going to do a lot offilms that have an press, but occasionally
a film comes along where I justI would feel like an idiot if it
wasn't an episode on my show,because if it's one of my favorites of
(10:13):
last year, why wouldn't I doit? You know? As of rate
now, between Anatomy of a Falland this Poor Things, I just you
know, if you've listened to theshow before, I apologize, I'm about
to borrow you with some redundancy.Every year I think we're going to have
a drop off of quality in movies. Every year I think this, and
(10:39):
every fucking year I am just blownaway by the content that we do.
Now I'm not gonna say content.I fucking hate that, by the art
that we do get, by theperspectives that we do get, and I
think I'm gonna stop this year.I'm not going into it. Well,
this will be the year that wehave the fucking lull. I'm not going
(11:01):
to do that this time. Soyou know, occasionally, I'm gonna come
on and I'm going to talk aboutthese things. I haven't decided if I'm
going to do Anatomy of a Fallyet, because while it is just a
great film, it doesn't have nearthe uniqueness that this film does. Friend
(11:22):
of the Show, I Kyle Brulefrom I know movies and you don't the
movie podcast, you shouldn't be listening. You should be listening to not fucking
mind, that's for sure. Hisis far more in depth, far more
insightful than mine. I'm just tryingto get you fired up. I'm just
trying to get you gassed up togo out and see some films. But
he is much more of a wellspoken, learned cinephile than I am.
(11:50):
But I did want to take thetime to read his review on this because
it almost felt like that Shane Gillisspecial. Any on the show, listener
or anybody in the audience listen toShane Gillis or a fan of Shane Gillis.
I'm sure, it's probably fifty tofifty fifty percent of you hate him,
fifty percent of you or like fuckyeah. Anyway, Shane basically is
(12:11):
talking about how his dad watches FoxNews and anytime they're at the dinner table
in like he'll hear Sean Hannity orTucker Carlson or whatever, he'd be like,
the dad will stand up, wouldbe See, I can't say it
like they did. But that's whatI mean when I talk to you guys,
I like that how he's saying it. That's pretty much similar to how
I feel about poor things. Thereare people that are far more educated than
(12:35):
I am writing a much much nicerand more presentable critique of the film that
I do. But when I readKyle's review, I know movies that you
don't. Kyle Brule, I knowmovies and you don't. He hit every
nail on the head for me likehe really did. So let's see if
(12:56):
I can do this. I don'tlike reading from my fucking phone, but
here we go, because you know, I like to do this off the
custu. Yorgos Lanthemos has made acareer out of playing a demented doctor Frankenstein
in his own right, and thisis such ah, it's a great review,
(13:16):
Guyle, great review. Experience doctorFrankenstein in his own right, experimenting
with genre, etiquette and presentation bypeeling back the layers of humanity with an
incisive scalpel that exposes their illogical structures, assumed civilized constructions, and of course,
their emotional barriers. Each of hisworks has taken a microscope to an
(13:41):
issue, whether it's an authentarian authorauthoritarian, authoritarian, I'm fired, I'm
fired, I should have I shouldhave ate before I did this show,
parenting in Dogtooth, or the extremitiesof the relationships in the Lobster, And
this time in his latest ex SizePoor Things, he takes a broader a
(14:01):
pote approach to survey the entirety ofdevelopment in a fairy tale identity, or
the debate between Habijian control versus roseRose sesia. I don't even know what
you're saying right here, Kyle,I don't even know what it's but it
sounds roseate, Rosuian, noble savagery. Oh my god, I'm instantly regretting
(14:24):
doing a show on this, because, like I said, there's people that
are far smarter than me that cantalk about this show and you don't need
me. Taking on influence and elementsof Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and perhaps a bit
of Jules vern that introduces us intoan alternate history. Evolved from that foundation,
Lanthemos introduces us to Bella Baxter,a fearless and career best for Emma
(14:46):
Stone, an experiment of a grownwoman with the brain of a child as
she grows, learns and experiences lifein all of its diverse spectrum of offerings,
be them fascinating, pleasurable, andeven painful. And what I also
found interesting about creating the two worldsusing two production designers on this film two
(15:09):
production designers that and if you knowanything about production design, most of the
time you're working solo, at leastlike in terms I'm not talking about putting
the sets together anything like that,but in terms you're usually the sole production
designer on a film. And inthis one, your goos used two first
and foremost kudos to Shonah Heath andJames Price for being able to work so
(15:33):
well, so effectively together, becauseI think when Robbie Ryan, the cinematographer,
saw the world in which yourgos hadShonah and James create. It just
must have been a fucking playground,dude to be able to utilize some of
(15:54):
the colors that he was able toand your goos on many of his films
likes to use natural light and forthose of you that aren't in the know,
much harder to shoot a film usingalmost entirely uh natural light than opposed
to obviously if you've ever seen afilm set before big giant lights upon the
(16:15):
actors, and I just got tothink Robbie Ryan was like, holy shit,
this is gonna be fucking awesome,and even to the point of putting
the film together. Editor, yourgoshere we go, yourgos manfro manpropiti STIs
mevroup critis mevrop critis uh having Imean he's worked with Lanthomos on every single
(16:41):
one of his films. But knowinguh Lanthamos's eye mixed with Robbie Ryan's eye,
mixed with the environment that shone aHeath James Price, what did just
goddamn fucking sandbox that these people getto play on that I think was the
(17:03):
most engulfing world in terms of filmfor films in twenty twenty three. I
can't. I just off the topof my head. And again I don't
prepare. I always fucking just getdown and get out of mic, but
with very little preparation. But Ican't think of another world where I was
so engrossed in it, you know. I think of stuff like Blade Runner
(17:26):
twenty forty nine. Obviously this cameout, that came out many many years
ago. But in terms of like, oh my gosh, I feel as
uncomfortable and as bizarre as this worldis. I'm in it. I'm all
in it. Do you have anyidea how hard that is to do?
So? Again, you know,compliments to the chef Yorgos Lanthemos and Robbie
(17:47):
Ryan and yourgos manvrup Serididis Mavruseridis productiondesigned by showing a heathen James Price.
I it. It's all I cantell you is for someone like me,
who's the you know, most conundrumof a man, I'm so alpha and
(18:08):
so beta at the same time,So for me to get feel a part
of that world, it's just notan easy feat to do, you know.
I'm caught. This is so funny. I'm gonna say this about myself.
But I'm caught somewhere between you know, Fast and the Furious ten and
fucking you know, the Lobster.You know, it doesn't make any sense,
(18:33):
but I can. I can travelto both worlds. And what's so
funny is I haven't seen the lastfour Fast and the Furious movies. But
I mean, I guess, ina nutshell you could say that I'm that
that is a fair representation of myself. Okay, So back to Kyle's fucking
just amazing review. Through Bella's learnedcuriosity in set In in setiable, id
(18:56):
and determined, autonomous spunk, sheconfronts he assumed decorum of society and proceeds
to break down every social assumption,constructed barrier, and defined box of imprisonment.
Imprisonment whether it stems from father,a prosthetic, disguised Joseph Merrick esque
Willem Dafoe, who like Mark Ruffalo. You know, Emma Stone's performance obviously
(19:22):
is fucking amazing in this movie,but I thought Mark Ruffalo was fantastic,
so fucking funny. It is ahard thing to do in a piece that
is as outlandish as this, tobe subtle with your comedy as he is
from times sometimes. Don't get mewrong. He on a scale of ten,
he hits a twelve. But there'salso like a constant six seven that
(19:45):
he hovers around comedic comedically that fuckingworks. Let me back up a little
bit like Willem Dafoe. First ofall, the makeup effects on Willem Dafoe
was fucking fantastic. It looked Iforget what French artist Jrgos had attributed his
look. Willem Dafoe's look in thefilm too, but it's so good,
(20:10):
it's so perfect. It is thishow how crazy is it to have and
if you just google what Willem Dafoelooks like in this film? How crazy
is it to have that face berelentlessly charming almost throughout you. I mean,
he is a scientist, so heyou know, he does have some
flaws, but but that character isjust you it. There's no hate,
(20:36):
there's no hate watching him, eventhough he well, again I'm gonna be
about as spoiler free as possible.But again, let's back it up a
little bit. Through Bella's learned curiosityand sat insatiable id indetermined autonomous punks,
she confronts the assumed decorum of societyand proceeds to break down every social assumption,
constructed barrier, and defined box ofimprisonment, whether it stems from Father,
(20:56):
Willem Dafoe, Lover a better character, caricature of insecure masculinity, and
Mark Ruffalo or husband allowing us tosee the absurdity of such rules in the
case of individual expression and experience,Man Kyle start writing novels, Sir,
(21:18):
it might be Lanthemos at his mostbroad messaging. And I actually felt that
too, even before I read Kyle'sreview on it. My take on it
was this felt like your ghosts.This movie. Check this fucking line out.
Your gos has created some of themost bizarre films, if not the
(21:40):
most bizarre films I've seen in thelast ten twenty years. This world is
so fucking nuts, so bizarre,and yet this feels like his most toned
down and refined work. You haveany idea how crazy that is to say
out loud that this film and onceyou see it, you're just gonna be
(22:03):
like, what is this? Thisis so weird, and yet it feels
like his most relatable film today.So Kyle is not lying when it says
you know this is his most broadmessaging, and I would almost say most
broad. Look I mean, don'tget me wrong. The set designs are
(22:23):
so complex, the costume designs areso complex, but the overall themes and
the overall execution feels more so likeI don't I don't know what what is
an example of a normal film thesedays? I don't know what I would
(22:45):
throw out? But like it ishis most normal and yet so crazy when
you see it. Lanthemos at hismost broad messaging and his most repetitive emphasizing
rhythms, mostly due to a surveyinga tabula rasa of an individual rapidly going
(23:07):
through life's general lessons rather than closelyexamining something specific. But it takes us
to the same wickedly comedic, insightfuland analytical heights he's known for, which
is rewarding in its own right.Man, I can't say it like he
can, but that right there,that's what I mean when I say that
(23:32):
it's the more intriguing existential crisis comingof age story that surveys a feminine discovery
of self to hit theaters this yearwithout the cynical ip instance's insistence to sell
something Lanthemos's most humane work to datewith To Air and to Fuck is to
(23:53):
be human as the Mantra and justdelightfully vulgar and funny in the best of
ways. I could not agree withthat more. It is you you end
up like I had to sit therefor a minute, And it's not like
I had to sit there and shockor or whatever, like, not like
my chick who went and saw itwith me. So the funny story,
(24:18):
she had never seen a Yorgos Lanthamosfilm before. But like there's only so
much time in a day. I'mtrying to educate her in film, even
though I wonder what is the valueof me educating her in film? But
that's that's a story for another day, gang, because like you know,
twofold one, do I need toshow her all these films so she knows
a little bit more about life,you know, because then at that point,
(24:42):
well you're not letting her explore onher own. The flip side of
that is time wasted, and mainlyfor me, like we're over the last
six months or so, been watchinga lot of movies that I've seen three,
four, five, six in moretimes, like she had never seen
Jaws. Shit, I've seen Jawsprobably every year start to finish. I
(25:07):
don't even know how long. It'sthe movie that I've seen most that and
probably Big Trouble in Little China.I don't know how I was able to
shoehorn a Big Trouble in Little Chinarecommendation into a Poor Things podcast. But
here we are. But the pointis she had never seen anything like this
before, and we're sitting there andshe was just like, well, you're
right, that was fucking weird.And it's like, you don't even know
(25:33):
killing the Sacred Deer was way weirderthe lobster to in some degree way weirder.
It's just the world of which poorThings exist is you could argue more
odd than the aforementioned. So,but her just when the credits were all
just looking at me like she wasn'tupset, like but there is definitely this
(25:56):
What did we just spend two hoursand twenty one minutes watching And I'm and
they're going, oh my god,like I was. I was basking in
it where she was uncomfortable I thinkto a degree. So and by the
time the credits rolled and by thetime I had walked out to the parking
lot. I was telling her,I'm like, I think that's my favorite
(26:17):
film of the year. And thisis coming off the heels of Anatomy of
a Fall, which I had watcheda couple of days prior, and I
was just like, we don't weneed more films like this or or or
am it? You know, wego back to the top of the show
where I'm like, oh, weneed more odd films, blah blah blah.
They do exist, show, andyou're just not watching them. Well,
(26:37):
okay, it could be my fuckingfault. I am a fucking idiot,
There's no doubt about it. However, as also mentioned in the tap
of the show, There's only somuch time in a fucking day. There's
only so much time for me towork for money, you know, take
a vacation every now and then,read some books every now and then,
watch some movies every now and then. You know, there's only so much
(27:03):
time in a day. But Istill at to this very moment without having
seen Actually, I haven't seen twofilms on the Best Picture list this year.
I haven't seen Zone of Interest orAmerican Fiction yet, but I've seen
everything else, and Poor Things isthe front Runner, just because I've never
seen anything like it before, Ithought. Emma Stone continues to prove why
she is one of the best actressesin Hollywood. Mark Ruffalo is more than
(27:29):
you know. Not that anybody didn'tknow this prior, but Mark Ruffalo is
more than just a the incredible Hulkyou know. Not that I think half
the people listen to this show knowthat, but the other half they might
not know that Mark Ruffalo has gotdone some fucking awesome work that exists outside
of the fucking Marvel universe. Soplease go see this film like It's.
(27:52):
It cannot it has to be seento be believed. Don't wait for the
stream, and if you're in theToledo area, go out It's. It's
at two of the three theaters.Now, go see it. Support it
because we need more films like this. You know, Marvel's got their money
fast and the Furious has got theirmoney. Let's put more money into unique
(28:14):
ideas and visuals like Poor Things executesalmost perfectly. And even as I'm sitting
here right now, like I said, I put it on four and a
half on letterbox, but I don'tknow what's keeping it from a five other
than nothing's perfect to me. Butyet, if you go to my fucking
(28:36):
if you go to some of myratings, betther it be an IMDb or
letterbox, there's a couple fives inthere. I think Godfather was five stars.
I think Sean of the Dead wasfive stars. That should show you
right there, I'm an idiot.Godfather is five stars. Seann of the
Dead also five stars. Poor Thingsfour and a half stars. Yeah,
I know it doesn't make much sense. Try living like me, gang,
(28:59):
Try if you could be in mydome for one day, you would tap
out so fucking fast you don't evenknow anyway. Poor Things out right now.
I think it's coming to stream onHulu relatively shortly here, but no,
go out in the theater. Seeit in the theater, Take some
friends. Poor Things directed by yourgosLanthemos, written by Tony mcnamaran. Again,
(29:22):
that was from the nineteen ninety twonovel of Alistair Gray, starring Emma
Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Gerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, oh
Man. Just ever, even missprim who's just not a not a prominent
character at all, even she's good. Everything about this movie is fantastic the
(29:47):
world in which it creates. Wedon't get it very often. And I'll
as long as your ghos keeps makingfilms, I'm gonna keep watching. That's
all there is to it, becausehe's that fucking good. So Eli Cinema
poor things in theaters now, noexcuse. I'm gonna keep coming out with
(30:08):
dumb shows. Got some interviews aroundthe around the band that you guys should
be entertained by. But until then, Elli Cinema were on
All right and listen, I'm aback another a dish. How we doing
out there? Good? Great,Gray yan Ayan, wonderful. So we're
gonna be continuing with you know,I'm just gonna keep on telling you about
things I think you should bounce outto the theater and see. Now,
I am admittedly very late to theparty on this one, because well,
(01:47):
in Toledo, turns out we don'thave such a good film culture. I'll
give you an example as if youlisten to the show. You know Tom
Hardy is my muse. Right.So one of his most recent films,
the Bike Riders Jeff Nichols film ILove Jeff Nichols as a filmmaker, was
(02:09):
released in I think the New Yorkand LA circuit over the summer this past
summer. So twenty twenty three summer. We still haven't got it yet,
and the rights just got sold toit, and we're not going to see
it until I believe this coming summer. So I have to wait a year
(02:31):
and some change to see, youknow, stuff that you know, people
that are in those particular circles havealready seen, and this one was no
exception. We waited, we waited, we waited, and it only premiered
at a theater that there's three theatersin my area, and it only premiered
(02:54):
at probably the lowliest of the three, and the showtimes were shit. Like,
you know, it's a two hourand twenty one minute movie. Not
that that bothers me. That bothersyou guys, because you can't keep your
attention longer than fucking five minutes.But that didn't bother me, but the
showtimes, like in conjunction with meworking, it just never worked out.
(03:15):
And then finally they brought it tothe theater that's closest to me, with
more applicable showtimes for me to fuckingattend, and oh man, it was
so worth the wait. One ofmy favorite films going into Oscar season,
no question. You know. Itwas utterly bizarre, undeniably charming throughout,
(03:39):
and it created a world that you'veseen before. But have you seen it
in your ghosts Lanthemos's eyes or throughhis eyes? I don't think you have.
So. Poor Things is a twentytwenty three film directed by your Ghost
Lanthemos and written by Tony McNamara,Emmastone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe,
(04:02):
romy Yusef, Christopher Abbott, andSharrod Carmichael Gerrod Carmichael in this, I
don't know if you guys know basedon a novel we're pushing what thirty thirty
some odd years ago, thirty twoyears ago? Based on the ninety two
novel by Alistair Gray Alistair Gray.The plot follows Bella Baxter, a young
(04:26):
woman in Victorian London, which Ilove. Some of my favorite sequences is
just the set and production design inthis film, because yeah, it looks
like Victoria Victorian London without ever reallystating that it is, and it has
that Yrgos lens to view it through, or rather in all reality, Bella
(04:49):
Baxter's lens, who's played by fantasticallyby Emmastone. I think there's one other
film on the Best Picture list thatI need to see, which is Zone
of Interest. That's another one.That's another one. Everybody in New York
and LA has seen it, andlowly fucking Toledo is not going to get
(05:12):
it until I believe the week beforethe Oscar. So I'm I'm thankful that
I do get it, but itmakes it tough kind of, you know,
making statements like this is my favoritefilm of the year. Well,
how can you out of the bestpicture list, How can you say it's
your favorite film of the year ifyou haven't even seen it? Johan Well,
anyway, so they cannot be understated. The world that Jrgos has created,
(05:40):
the production design, the set design, the costume design. Very rare
that you can create a world thisbizarre and execute near perfectly, almost on
every front. You know, italmost feels like you create a a palette
such as this that you see insomething somewhere is not going to fit,
(06:03):
whether it be an actor here orthere, or it'd be you know,
maybe even the music, which Ifound interesting. The music was scar Sorry
I didn't I didn't grab any water. The music was actually done by Jerskin
Fendricks. This is his first filmthat he scored. And I was listening
(06:24):
to an interview with Yourgos and hebasically just said I found his sound so
unique, and I was listening toa pop album as I was editing,
and I just thought he had tobe a part of it. And he
did not disappoint. It is sobizarre and yet fits so perfectly with this
and then and to that point,even the sound design from top to bottom,
(06:47):
whether it be you know some ofthe boat sequences that the sound of
the boat almost feels like a beatingheart. I don't know, you guys,
go back and tell me if I'mwrong, But very rarely can you
create a world like this and sustain, you know, the audience's attention.
Not that people didn't fucking walk outof this film, because I even read
(07:12):
one and I'm going to react.I hate reaction videos, but I'm telling
you what I get. It's funfor me to go down and read reviews
of films that I really like,and I specifically look at the uh the
critics that hated it. The Rexread from the Observer, he didn't mince
(07:33):
words. I hated it, butreluctantly give it one star for whimsical sets
and costumes and there's a minute sprinkleof suspense while you wait for a point
of view that never arrives. Whatare we doing here? Like this is
one of the more original films.And and you know, like as we've
come to expect from Jorgus's work,your Ghos' work, he doesn't do things
(08:01):
like anything that we've ever seen before. I mean, if you've seen some
of his previous work, whether itbe the Favorite Killer, the killing of
a sacred deer, the lobster,and on and on and dog tooth like,
(08:22):
he creates a world that you've neverseen before. So when you go
and you, I don't know,I feel like shit on something that you
don't fully understand. That's the beautyof art these days, or that's the
beauty of art to me at least, is I don't need to understand you
know this. I mean, thereis some pastels used during some of the
(08:46):
boat sequences where it teeters on almosta composite matte painting and also CG and
yet it just works perfectly. Itreally does. And I was actually looking
at my letterbox score of it.I had given it four and a half
in I as I sit here andtalk to you now, Gang, I
(09:09):
don't know why I didn't give ita five. It's everything that I want.
It's like a modern day well Ishouldn't even say modern day Frankenstein,
but it reminds me of Frankenstein,as it does you know everybody else.
But the way that it's done isjust not like Frankenstein whatsoever. Like it,
(09:31):
you know, what's the best wayto put it? Wildly imaginative and
exhilaratingly over the top. Poor Thingsis a bizarre, brilliant tour divorce,
Tour Tour Divorce. I should befucking fired for my own show, Tour
Devorce, for director Yorgo Slanthemos andstar Emma Stone. And actually a lot
(09:52):
has been written about this the youknow, I told you guys that I'm
not going to do a lot offilms that have an press, but occasionally
a film comes along where I justI would feel like an idiot if it
wasn't an episode on my show,because if it's one of my favorites of
(10:13):
last year, why wouldn't I doit? You know? As of rate
now, between Anatomy of a Falland this Poor Things, I just you
know, if you've listened to theshow before, I apologize, I'm about
to borrow you with some redundancy.Every year I think we're going to have
a drop off of quality in movies. Every year I think this, and
(10:39):
every fucking year I am just blownaway by the content that we do.
Now I'm not gonna say content.I fucking hate that, by the art
that we do get, by theperspectives that we do get, and I
think I'm gonna stop this year.I'm not going into it. Well,
this will be the year that wehave the fucking lull. I'm not going
(11:01):
to do that this time. Soyou know, occasionally, I'm gonna come
on and I'm going to talk aboutthese things. I haven't decided if I'm
going to do Anatomy of a Fallyet, because while it is just a
great film, it doesn't have nearthe uniqueness that this film does. Friend
(11:22):
of the Show, I Kyle Brulefrom I know movies and you don't the
movie podcast, you shouldn't be listening. You should be listening to not fucking
mind, that's for sure. Hisis far more in depth, far more
insightful than mine. I'm just tryingto get you fired up. I'm just
trying to get you gassed up togo out and see some films. But
he is much more of a wellspoken, learned cinephile than I am.
(11:50):
But I did want to take thetime to read his review on this because
it almost felt like that Shane Gillisspecial. Any on the show, listener
or anybody in the audience listen toShane Gillis or a fan of Shane Gillis.
I'm sure, it's probably fifty tofifty fifty percent of you hate him,
fifty percent of you or like fuckyeah. Anyway, Shane basically is
(12:11):
talking about how his dad watches FoxNews and anytime they're at the dinner table
in like he'll hear Sean Hannity orTucker Carlson or whatever, he'd be like,
the dad will stand up, wouldbe See, I can't say it
like they did. But that's whatI mean when I talk to you guys,
I like that how he's saying it. That's pretty much similar to how
I feel about poor things. Thereare people that are far more educated than
(12:35):
I am writing a much much nicerand more presentable critique of the film that
I do. But when I readKyle's review, I know movies that you
don't. Kyle Brule, I knowmovies and you don't. He hit every
nail on the head for me likehe really did. So let's see if
(12:56):
I can do this. I don'tlike reading from my fucking phone, but
here we go, because you know, I like to do this off the
custu. Yorgos Lanthemos has made acareer out of playing a demented doctor Frankenstein
in his own right, and thisis such ah, it's a great review,
(13:16):
Guyle, great review. Experience doctorFrankenstein in his own right, experimenting
with genre, etiquette and presentation bypeeling back the layers of humanity with an
incisive scalpel that exposes their illogical structures, assumed civilized constructions, and of course,
their emotional barriers. Each of hisworks has taken a microscope to an
(13:41):
issue, whether it's an authentarian authorauthoritarian, authoritarian, I'm fired, I'm
fired, I should have I shouldhave ate before I did this show,
parenting in Dogtooth, or the extremitiesof the relationships in the Lobster, And
this time in his latest ex SizePoor Things, he takes a broader a
(14:01):
pote approach to survey the entirety ofdevelopment in a fairy tale identity, or
the debate between Habijian control versus roseRose sesia. I don't even know what
you're saying right here, Kyle,I don't even know what it's but it
sounds roseate, Rosuian, noble savagery. Oh my god, I'm instantly regretting
(14:24):
doing a show on this, because, like I said, there's people that
are far smarter than me that cantalk about this show and you don't need
me. Taking on influence and elementsof Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and perhaps a bit
of Jules vern that introduces us intoan alternate history. Evolved from that foundation,
Lanthemos introduces us to Bella Baxter,a fearless and career best for Emma
(14:46):
Stone, an experiment of a grownwoman with the brain of a child as
she grows, learns and experiences lifein all of its diverse spectrum of offerings,
be them fascinating, pleasurable, andeven painful. And what I also
found interesting about creating the two worldsusing two production designers on this film two
(15:09):
production designers that and if you knowanything about production design, most of the
time you're working solo, at leastlike in terms I'm not talking about putting
the sets together anything like that,but in terms you're usually the sole production
designer on a film. And inthis one, your goos used two first
and foremost kudos to Shonah Heath andJames Price for being able to work so
(15:33):
well, so effectively together, becauseI think when Robbie Ryan, the cinematographer,
saw the world in which yourgos hadShonah and James create. It just
must have been a fucking playground,dude to be able to utilize some of
(15:54):
the colors that he was able toand your goos on many of his films
likes to use natural light and forthose of you that aren't in the know,
much harder to shoot a film usingalmost entirely uh natural light than opposed
to obviously if you've ever seen afilm set before big giant lights upon the
(16:15):
actors, and I just got tothink Robbie Ryan was like, holy shit,
this is gonna be fucking awesome,and even to the point of putting
the film together. Editor, yourgoshere we go, yourgos manfro manpropiti STIs
mevroup critis mevrop critis uh having Imean he's worked with Lanthomos on every single
(16:41):
one of his films. But knowinguh Lanthamos's eye mixed with Robbie Ryan's eye,
mixed with the environment that shone aHeath James Price, what did just
goddamn fucking sandbox that these people getto play on that I think was the
(17:03):
most engulfing world in terms of filmfor films in twenty twenty three. I
can't. I just off the topof my head. And again I don't
prepare. I always fucking just getdown and get out of mic, but
with very little preparation. But Ican't think of another world where I was
so engrossed in it, you know. I think of stuff like Blade Runner
(17:26):
twenty forty nine. Obviously this cameout, that came out many many years
ago. But in terms of like, oh my gosh, I feel as
uncomfortable and as bizarre as this worldis. I'm in it. I'm all
in it. Do you have anyidea how hard that is to do?
So? Again, you know,compliments to the chef Yorgos Lanthemos and Robbie
(17:47):
Ryan and yourgos manvrup Serididis Mavruseridis productiondesigned by showing a heathen James Price.
I it. It's all I cantell you is for someone like me,
who's the you know, most conundrumof a man, I'm so alpha and
(18:08):
so beta at the same time,So for me to get feel a part
of that world, it's just notan easy feat to do, you know.
I'm caught. This is so funny. I'm gonna say this about myself.
But I'm caught somewhere between you know, Fast and the Furious ten and
fucking you know, the Lobster.You know, it doesn't make any sense,
(18:33):
but I can. I can travelto both worlds. And what's so
funny is I haven't seen the lastfour Fast and the Furious movies. But
I mean, I guess, ina nutshell you could say that I'm that
that is a fair representation of myself. Okay, So back to Kyle's fucking
just amazing review. Through Bella's learnedcuriosity in set In in setiable, id
(18:56):
and determined, autonomous spunk, sheconfronts he assumed decorum of society and proceeds
to break down every social assumption,constructed barrier, and defined box of imprisonment.
Imprisonment whether it stems from father,a prosthetic, disguised Joseph Merrick esque
Willem Dafoe, who like Mark Ruffalo. You know, Emma Stone's performance obviously
(19:22):
is fucking amazing in this movie,but I thought Mark Ruffalo was fantastic,
so fucking funny. It is ahard thing to do in a piece that
is as outlandish as this, tobe subtle with your comedy as he is
from times sometimes. Don't get mewrong. He on a scale of ten,
he hits a twelve. But there'salso like a constant six seven that
(19:45):
he hovers around comedic comedically that fuckingworks. Let me back up a little
bit like Willem Dafoe. First ofall, the makeup effects on Willem Dafoe
was fucking fantastic. It looked Iforget what French artist Jrgos had attributed his
look. Willem Dafoe's look in thefilm too, but it's so good,
(20:10):
it's so perfect. It is thishow how crazy is it to have and
if you just google what Willem Dafoelooks like in this film? How crazy
is it to have that face berelentlessly charming almost throughout you. I mean,
he is a scientist, so heyou know, he does have some
flaws, but but that character isjust you it. There's no hate,
(20:36):
there's no hate watching him, eventhough he well, again I'm gonna be
about as spoiler free as possible.But again, let's back it up a
little bit. Through Bella's learned curiosityand sat insatiable id indetermined autonomous punks,
she confronts the assumed decorum of societyand proceeds to break down every social assumption,
constructed barrier, and defined box ofimprisonment, whether it stems from Father,
(20:56):
Willem Dafoe, Lover a better character, caricature of insecure masculinity, and
Mark Ruffalo or husband allowing us tosee the absurdity of such rules in the
case of individual expression and experience,Man Kyle start writing novels, Sir,
(21:18):
it might be Lanthemos at his mostbroad messaging. And I actually felt that
too, even before I read Kyle'sreview on it. My take on it
was this felt like your ghosts.This movie. Check this fucking line out.
Your gos has created some of themost bizarre films, if not the
(21:40):
most bizarre films I've seen in thelast ten twenty years. This world is
so fucking nuts, so bizarre,and yet this feels like his most toned
down and refined work. You haveany idea how crazy that is to say
out loud that this film and onceyou see it, you're just gonna be
(22:03):
like, what is this? Thisis so weird, and yet it feels
like his most relatable film today.So Kyle is not lying when it says
you know this is his most broadmessaging, and I would almost say most
broad. Look I mean, don'tget me wrong. The set designs are
(22:23):
so complex, the costume designs areso complex, but the overall themes and
the overall execution feels more so likeI don't I don't know what what is
an example of a normal film thesedays? I don't know what I would
(22:45):
throw out? But like it ishis most normal and yet so crazy when
you see it. Lanthemos at hismost broad messaging and his most repetitive emphasizing
rhythms, mostly due to a surveyinga tabula rasa of an individual rapidly going
(23:07):
through life's general lessons rather than closelyexamining something specific. But it takes us
to the same wickedly comedic, insightfuland analytical heights he's known for, which
is rewarding in its own right.Man, I can't say it like he
can, but that right there,that's what I mean when I say that
(23:32):
it's the more intriguing existential crisis comingof age story that surveys a feminine discovery
of self to hit theaters this yearwithout the cynical ip instance's insistence to sell
something Lanthemos's most humane work to datewith To Air and to Fuck is to
(23:53):
be human as the Mantra and justdelightfully vulgar and funny in the best of
ways. I could not agree withthat more. It is you you end
up like I had to sit therefor a minute, And it's not like
I had to sit there and shockor or whatever, like, not like
my chick who went and saw itwith me. So the funny story,
(24:18):
she had never seen a Yorgos Lanthamosfilm before. But like there's only so
much time in a day. I'mtrying to educate her in film, even
though I wonder what is the valueof me educating her in film? But
that's that's a story for another day, gang, because like you know,
twofold one, do I need toshow her all these films so she knows
a little bit more about life,you know, because then at that point,
(24:42):
well you're not letting her explore onher own. The flip side of
that is time wasted, and mainlyfor me, like we're over the last
six months or so, been watchinga lot of movies that I've seen three,
four, five, six in moretimes, like she had never seen
Jaws. Shit, I've seen Jawsprobably every year start to finish. I
(25:07):
don't even know how long. It'sthe movie that I've seen most that and
probably Big Trouble in Little China.I don't know how I was able to
shoehorn a Big Trouble in Little Chinarecommendation into a Poor Things podcast. But
here we are. But the pointis she had never seen anything like this
before, and we're sitting there andshe was just like, well, you're
right, that was fucking weird.And it's like, you don't even know
(25:33):
killing the Sacred Deer was way weirderthe lobster to in some degree way weirder.
It's just the world of which poorThings exist is you could argue more
odd than the aforementioned. So,but her just when the credits were all
just looking at me like she wasn'tupset, like but there is definitely this
(25:56):
What did we just spend two hoursand twenty one minutes watching And I'm and
they're going, oh my god,like I was. I was basking in
it where she was uncomfortable I thinkto a degree. So and by the
time the credits rolled and by thetime I had walked out to the parking
lot. I was telling her,I'm like, I think that's my favorite
(26:17):
film of the year. And thisis coming off the heels of Anatomy of
a Fall, which I had watcheda couple of days prior, and I
was just like, we don't weneed more films like this or or or
am it? You know, wego back to the top of the show
where I'm like, oh, weneed more odd films, blah blah blah.
They do exist, show, andyou're just not watching them. Well,
(26:37):
okay, it could be my fuckingfault. I am a fucking idiot,
There's no doubt about it. However, as also mentioned in the tap
of the show, There's only somuch time in a fucking day. There's
only so much time for me towork for money, you know, take
a vacation every now and then,read some books every now and then,
watch some movies every now and then. You know, there's only so much
(27:03):
time in a day. But Istill at to this very moment without having
seen Actually, I haven't seen twofilms on the Best Picture list this year.
I haven't seen Zone of Interest orAmerican Fiction yet, but I've seen
everything else, and Poor Things isthe front Runner, just because I've never
seen anything like it before, Ithought. Emma Stone continues to prove why
she is one of the best actressesin Hollywood. Mark Ruffalo is more than
(27:29):
you know. Not that anybody didn'tknow this prior, but Mark Ruffalo is
more than just a the incredible Hulkyou know. Not that I think half
the people listen to this show knowthat, but the other half they might
not know that Mark Ruffalo has gotdone some fucking awesome work that exists outside
of the fucking Marvel universe. Soplease go see this film like It's.
(27:52):
It cannot it has to be seento be believed. Don't wait for the
stream, and if you're in theToledo area, go out It's. It's
at two of the three theaters.Now, go see it. Support it
because we need more films like this. You know, Marvel's got their money
fast and the Furious has got theirmoney. Let's put more money into unique
(28:14):
ideas and visuals like Poor Things executesalmost perfectly. And even as I'm sitting
here right now, like I said, I put it on four and a
half on letterbox, but I don'tknow what's keeping it from a five other
than nothing's perfect to me. Butyet, if you go to my fucking
(28:36):
if you go to some of myratings, betther it be an IMDb or
letterbox, there's a couple fives inthere. I think Godfather was five stars.
I think Sean of the Dead wasfive stars. That should show you
right there, I'm an idiot.Godfather is five stars. Seann of the
Dead also five stars. Poor Thingsfour and a half stars. Yeah,
I know it doesn't make much sense. Try living like me, gang,
(28:59):
Try if you could be in mydome for one day, you would tap
out so fucking fast you don't evenknow anyway. Poor Things out right now.
I think it's coming to stream onHulu relatively shortly here, but no,
go out in the theater. Seeit in the theater, Take some
friends. Poor Things directed by yourgosLanthemos, written by Tony mcnamaran. Again,
(29:22):
that was from the nineteen ninety twonovel of Alistair Gray, starring Emma
Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Gerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, oh
Man. Just ever, even missprim who's just not a not a prominent
character at all, even she's good. Everything about this movie is fantastic the
(29:47):
world in which it creates. Wedon't get it very often. And I'll
as long as your ghos keeps makingfilms, I'm gonna keep watching. That's
all there is to it, becausehe's that fucking good. So Eli Cinema
poor things in theaters now, noexcuse. I'm gonna keep coming out with
(30:08):
dumb shows. Got some interviews aroundthe around the band that you guys should
be entertained by. But until then, Elli Cinema were on
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