October 8, 2025 • 45 mins
The Smashing Machine has been getting rave reviews, standing ovations, and even a little awards hype for Dwayne Johnson. While I think I can agree that it’s the best I’ve ever seen Johnson, it’s hard to say this film lived up to the groundswell of hype it’s getting. Brandon and I dig into all the reasons why on this month’s episode of The Vick’s Flicks Podcast. -Stoney
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
And now, ladies and gentlemen, these network ground brings to
you some in depth movie discussion with a resident film critic, Brandon.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
At the evening, everyone, the vix Flicks Podcast is here.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Welcome back for another episode of the vix Flicks Podcast
right here on Nashville Movie Dispatch. I'll be your host
for the show today, the e C at Sobros Network,
Big Natural Stony Keeley. You can follow me on Twitter
at Stony Keeley, collectively at Sobros Network, and of course
all of our work is available at Nashville Moviedispatch dot
(00:53):
substack dot com. Joined as usual by the star of
the show himself, the man whose names it bears. He
is a board member of the Music City Film Critics Association.
He is a member of the South Eastern Film Critics Association.
He's our resident film critic at NASHVILLILM Movie Dispatch right
here in Nashville, Tennessee. Mister big shot himself Brandon Vick Brandon,
(01:17):
how you doing today, my man?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Oh? You know what, dude, it's October.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
You started? Have you started the spooky season viewing plan yet?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
No? My In the middle of September, my house started
looking like spooky season.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yeah, we've got the decoration.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
And my wife was literally working on something when i'd left.
Actually she had just finished it of like, uh, she
took cardboard and painted it like it looks like it's
wood and she did this, and I gotta say, I
have no like artistic ability, but she got a pretty
damn good, bloody like keep out thing that she wrote. Anyway,
(01:55):
it's on our front door with spiderwebs, and we've got ghosts.
We've got spiders, we've got well, you guys gave us
the ghost pumpkin that's out.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
We got a mister Bones, as my son calls him.
He's out there.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
We don't have anything outside yet. We're starting to get
the inside decorations out.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
But do you have blow up thing? Do you have
a few. We have a couple of Christmas.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
We have a couple of inflatables, and we have a
we have like a stack of like a Jack o'
lanterns that are inflatable, and then we have a blow
mold of a black cat and a witch's hat. Yeah yeah, yeah,
blow mold of Jack Skellington.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Okay, the cat, the cat one I remember, And.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Then we put up the we put up some orange lights,
some purple lights.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Your wife just stole some of our stuff, Yeah, I have.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
She came back and Pumpkin Actually, Sunday morning before Titans talkback,
we're gonna go to Walmart. Let's do a lap around.
And we saw it and there were two boxes left.
So we we went ahead and bottom and here we are.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
But no, I have not watched as of this recording.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
No, but it starts, starts right away, starts.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah, And and I don't know if you've seen, but
on some of the streaming, like there's Huluween, and I've
seen a lot where it's not so much Halloween, but
there's a whole thing now of like scary movies, and
so I've figured they'll all kind of be up there.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I have watched two of my regular rotation members for
Spooky season so far. That is Monster House and The Lighthouse.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, yeah, very both pretty crazy. I take that back.
We did start watching. If anybody watches those Halloween Wars
and Halloween Baking Championship.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Well that counts yep.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
That okay, Well, then yes we have. But as far
as movies, no, but I'm gonna get on it because
I I love watching the seventy eight and two thousand
and eight Halloween.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yeah, well we just released a movie review rewind episode
of John Carpenter's Yep, Halloween that's up in.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
The archives, Monster House. Para Norman. Can I complain for
one second?
Speaker 3 (04:16):
I'd go for it.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I was super pumped because I think it's like the
twenty fourth through the twenty seventh. It's like a Thursday
through Sunday. They're re releasing Para Norman in three D,
sort of like they did with Coraline. And there's a
new short in front of it that Anna Kendrick and
is it Wolf Finn.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Hard Yeah, the Stranger Things kids.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
So they hope they're they they're doing a new short
and everything. So my wife, me, my sister in law,
we're all kind of figured it out, like, you know,
can we go see it and stuff? But it's a
Fathom Event thing, so you have to pay whatever the
price is, and it's like twenty fi or twenty five
(05:01):
dollars a ticket. Dan, and I'm like, I like, I
just stare at it on my shelf and I think, well,
it's hard to justify I could do that and be
in my house. I mean, granted, wouldn't be in three D.
But yeah, I was kind of disappointed because I was
I was gonna do it. If I could do Regal
Unlimited and then get the other tickets as normal, I
(05:23):
would have done that. But the fact that like I
have to do it too on top of paying the
monthly Yeah, no thought. Sorry Paran Norman. That would have
been I'll watch it at home.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
That would have been cool, though.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Yeah, but that is like that's out raised seventy five
dollars for three people. Yeah, I mean I don't now
the god the Regal points I could get.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
You'd rack them up, Yeah, you'd rack them. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yeah, my shorts be high in the air. But we
go too much.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Oh boy, Well, we are here to talk about the
Smashing Machine tonight. Uh. It's in theaters now. For those
of you that might not know, this is the the
Dwayne Johnson movie where he plays MMA fighter Mark Kerr,
and according to the Rotten Too Rotten Tomatoes synopsis, it
(06:11):
is It just says Mark Kerr reaches the peak of
his career but faces personal hardships along the way. Yeah,
and we'll get into it, but I kind of feel like, yeah,
that's the movie.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, there you go, and that's about as exciting as
that synopsis is.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Yeah, but before we dig into that, Brandon, I've always
got to ask you, what have you been watching lately
that we might not have talked about.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Well, I'm I saw a movie called Good Boy. Oh yeah,
it's a haunted house movie, but it's essentially told from
the point of view of the dog. I will have
a review of that later this month.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
It is in theaters now, but it will be on
I think it's AMC plus and Shutter at the end
of the month, like on the twenty fourth. So I
am currently working on a review of that. But it's good.
And the way that that dog acts, I am amazed.
Like it's only an hour and like maybe fourteen minutes Dan,
(07:14):
so it works just enough. But the way that and
I to me, I don't really I'm sure ghosts exists.
I just don't think every other thing is a ghost.
And my wife's side of the family, every little thing
(07:34):
is supposed is a ghost. But there is one thing
I do believe in that when when an animal, and
specifically a dog, starts to kind of ground or see
something or wine and you don't see it, I feel
like that's like pure like something's there. Yeah, because the
animal is the instincts of him.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
I think. So it's perfectly plausible that what we think
of as ghosts are just like some sort of remnants
of like, I don't know, another dimension or something like that.
Like I feel like all things have a perfectly scientific explanation.
We just might not understand the science of it.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Yeah, and I mean we always kind of we I
mean we're really good at kind of twisting things into
that oh, well you know they're with me, or oh
that was a sign, or oh they you know that's
because they died here or something I will say real quick.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Good.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
The haunted story part is okay, there's not really there's
not really a whole lot of depth as far as
like what's going on with his owner and why the
house is the way it is. But anyway, the dog's phenomenal.
So I liked it for what it was.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
There's also some really interesting science out there about how
our brain kind of fills in the games, like we
can't see that well yeah, and our brain will just
kind of automatically put something of that shape whatever in
your head.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Well.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
I feel like a lot of people see like you
look at a doorway and you might see a person
or something.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah, yeah, and I think that's happened where My wife
has said something to the fact of like we'll see
when it goes by, and like, I'm like, honey, it
could have been like a light that went through. We
got cats running like the other night. She was like,
what was that? And I'm like it sounded like the
cat hit his damn head on the gate, Like yeah,
I guess that's what it is. Can you go look
like if if you want to know that bad, you
(09:30):
go on?
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
So season though, that's well yeah, I mean, well, now
keep This was back in September, so I said, hey, hey, hey,
you you keep that ship on lockdown until October first?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Gotcha? Gotch?
Speaker 2 (09:45):
I saw the Paul Greengrass movie that's now on Apple
TV called The Lost Bus.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Oh how is that?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
It's good. It's it's pretty simplistic, but Matthew McConaughey's great
in it. America Frierra's is great in it based on
a true story of of of basically a bust ends
up going and picking up twenty two kids in the
California fires. I think it was a O eight, but
Paul Gingers has kind of become like the like kind
of the thrill ride in tents. He did United ninety threes,
(10:13):
done the Bourne movies. Yea, Captain Phillips so but that
one was pretty good. And those are the two main ones,
and then the The Smashing Machine. I'm hoping to catch
the new Daniel d Lewis movie here.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
So I can't wait for that.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
That ye so we'd Yeah, I've heard I've heard different things,
but I would like to see my I don't quite
know what it is, yeah, but I I'm for it.
And it's only like two hours. So good for Daniel
da Lewis, because he usually only does movies that I
think are three hours, so him and his son tightened
(10:50):
it up a bit. I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
I finally finished the Phoenician Scheme. He was in bed
with my Hernia last week. I don't I didn't like
it as much as i'd hope. Hmm.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
I was hoping you'd like it more.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
It's very good, Benicio del Tor, very good acting, very good.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Story like that storytelling more than the like Asteroid City.
I don't know. There's just something about letting me. It
reminded me of Grand Budapest and the fact that I'm
kind of essentially following one character as he goes on
this journey, and I think maybe that's what I like.
But Benicio is having a hell of a year for him.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
Between that one battle after another, which you have on
the most recent episode of the Cinema Chronicles I watch.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I haven't quit talking about it.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I haven't either. I'm the same way, like people are
going to be, like, somebody's going to tell me to
shut up and talk about the Titans at.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yeah point no.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
But uh. I watched a movie called Autumn and New
York because I thought, oh, I'm working on some notes here,
I'm working on Richard. I'm gonna put it on, yeah,
and writer, oh yeah, And I put it on, like, oh,
maybe this is festive and it's really not festive, and
like Richard Gear plays a terrible man, and I'm like,
I don't know, am I supposed to have empathy for
(12:06):
this character? I don't know. It's very Uh, it was
very confusing as to what the messaging was supposed to be.
And I thought it was pretty bad.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
I I know, I saw it. Yeah, I couldn't tell
you really anything about it, but I think I remember
the poster.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Yeah, yeah, and then uh, I've been watching Black Rabbit,
the Jason Bateman Jude Law series on me.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
We've been talking about that I like to watch.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
It was one of those I got the gut feeling.
I got the gut feeling like episode six or seven
where I was like, there's no this has been so good.
There's no way they can realistically land this in a
satisfactory way. And that's exactly what happened. It gets a
little too. I don't want to spoil anything, but Jude
(12:54):
Law and Jason Bateman are fucking phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
I love them, but it just, you know, I just.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
The series ended and I was just lying in bed thinking.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Really, I if you can't get enough Jude Law. There
is a movie that is now out at least where
you can rent it called Eden. It's a Ron Howard
movie has Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney. Okay, Daniel Broll.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
What's what's he been up too lately? I feel like
he was a hot shot there for Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
I think he's done some other that was a kind
of a foreign or like a German movie, because I
feel like i've seen him and stuff. Now it's wasn't
like where he was in like MCU stuff, and he
was in Rush, which another Ron Howard movie that no
one appreciates. And on a day armist, isn't it. But
the whole, the whole reason I'm telling you this is
(13:46):
because Jude Law shows this dick. Oh okay, me, I
should have started with.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
That, So that's yeah, you should have, So that's called
I'll watch it right away.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Yeah, but I do love I do love some Jude Law.
But yeah, I'm I'm currently have a about three episodes
left of Alien Earth to watch. I have. I think
I've watched the first four episodes of Only Murders in
the Building. I'm halfway through the Peaky Blinder series, so
I got some work to do I want to see.
I haven't watched any of peace Maker season two. I
(14:17):
haven't watched I haven't watched Seven season two. I haven't
watched the Bear season four or five, whatever we're on.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
I'm behind on that too. So yeah, I mean it's
football season for me, so I'm just watching a bunch.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Of Yeah you can't, You're not allowed to watch anything
I can do.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
I honestly can do. Like one series at a time,
and right now, that's peacemaker. I only got through Black
Rabbit because I had a hernian was in bed all week.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Correct, So you had a nice week. Yeah, I had
a nice vacation.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
So let's let's talk about the Smashing Machine. This is
one that debuted. I was at Venice.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
I think that sounds right.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Standing ovation, the longest standing ovation ever ten minutes for
or Dwayne Johnson or yeah, whatever it was.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah, he got emotional.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Coming into this release with a lot of a lot
of hype.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Oh yeah. So there were there were things I was
watching and the break would come in and it and
it was about that where it's like, uh, Dwayne Johnson
was a revelation. It's thrilling. It was some I don't
know something else, and I mean it's I mean, they're
using some powerful words in these trailers that do not
(15:30):
necessarily mean, Like.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
The discourse online is like Oscar nomination for Dwayne Johnson
and I don't. I mean, listen, it's it's his best performance.
I don't. I don't think that's unreasonable to say, but
I don't agree. It's a very high bar to clear.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
It's no, and I don't and I'm gonna I think,
and we were kind of talking about this after we
saw it. I think it's a solid step forward in
what he's wanting to do. And I think he's he's
gonna work with Scorsese. He's he's already dropping apparently quite
(16:12):
a bit of weight to work on some other Bennie
Safty movie.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
I mean, shit, if he's coming off of this movie,
he's so.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
I think he's kind of making the turn of like, Okay,
I have enough money now. I think he's kind of
going more for the roles that I'm sure in a way,
and especially like with him his production company stuff probably
did kind of scare the shit out of him a
little bit, especially after he worked so hard and then
(16:40):
finally kind of found that spot in Hollywood. But then
it's like, okay, well when does you know this generation's
Arnold say Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna do this. So
he so his first real step into it is a
UFC fighter who's also big and and so I mean,
(17:00):
you know, it's it's not safe, but it's not like
a real stretch. But the way that Mark Kerr carries
himself and the way like then it is, I could
see being like I could see I can see being
really impressed with the Rocks performance because the bar is
(17:24):
not set in the same It's not at the same
level as if I'm gonna watch you know, Ryan Gosling
or I'm gonna watch Denzil or I'm gonna watch Jude Law.
I'm not that he's not at that. That's not the
bar that he's you know. And I mean, I'm sorry,
but look at the past I don't know, three movies
(17:47):
he's done, it's flopped, hasn't made money, and it well,
he ain't great.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
I mean, I mean, it kind of feels like audiences
are making the decision for him, Like I mean, you
see the yeah that's fair perception of him on social media.
It kind of feels like there was some saturation and
people started to kind of turn on and this is
a departure from what he has been known for in
(18:12):
in recent years, but it's still I think a step
in the right direction is a good way to put it.
I phrased it as like this is a good rep
for him to get for where he wants to go,
but he's not there yet. Yeah, so good movie. I
will say I didn't feel like it was a great movie.
(18:33):
I felt like it was very much standard fair and
I think part of my emotional, my negative emotional response
to it was because it was getting so much hype
leading into our screening of it last week.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
You, yeah, I agree, and you think there is You
think there's going to be some kind of like heartfelt
emotional payoff at some point, and it never really comes.
It never really it doesn't hit you the way that
you think it would. I was thinking about this the
(19:09):
other night. It's like everything that's that's that is provided
to the audience is always just a little bit of something. Yeah,
it's a little bit of the relationship him and Don
played by Emily Blunt, who's also who's great in it.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Yes, I just don't.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
I just don't think there's a really like I think
there's more to tell with her character. So you get
a little bit of their relationship, a little bit of
the addiction, a little bit of the fighting, a little
bit of kind I mean, I think I think the
Rock does a great job as far as like embodying
(19:50):
what Mark Carr was and sort of imitating him, as
far as just like the way that he talked, because
he was kind of like a teddy bear of sense.
He seemed like a gentle giant by the way he
taught compared to like what he did for a living.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Very eloquent, well spoken, yeah, very like calm, measured very much,
not so serious.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Some of it was annoying, like during the real arguments,
it's kind of sounded like a child trying to very
nice being rude, and it's like and Emily Blunt seems
like like don is She's yeah, she's she's really turned
it up. But yeah, man, I just felt like there's
so many things that were just it's all rather. I
(20:32):
didn't think I would feel so disconnected as I did,
as especially as we kind of hit the hour and
a half mark and it's only two hours and you're like, oh,
and it is standard biopick stuff and it's not even
really a biopic. It's only for like a it covers
what maybe four years, and we skip a whole year,
(20:53):
so I'm not even sure.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
It does kind of feel like a rug pool because
you do think you are getting some very very deep,
dramatic story of a fighter. And it's not to say
that it's not dramatic, but yeah, we never really explore
the depths of his pain. They just kind of show
him like, oh, he's addicted to pain medication. Now, oh
he's fighting with his wife. Yeah, oh he's struggling with
(21:16):
losing a fight, like right, but we never really spend
time with him to kind of pick up on how
it truly affects his day to day life.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
And I was talking about where how they show him
going to rehab coming back. Yeah, it's like and that's
that and then Don just sort of disappears for a
little bit and he comes back. But we're and right
when I think maybe something like and again I don't
(21:44):
mean like I need someone to die, I just mean like, okay,
where like what is like what's the point aretas?
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're the real real stakes other than
this's just being an interesting story, right, and you know.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
But it's interesting, But I tell you what, it's nothing
and I'm sorry, and it's kind of unfortunate this is
the case. But there is nothing in his story that's
any different from any other wrestler, fighter, musicians, sport, every
almost everything.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Yeah. Which I think is like the ultimate rug pool
for me is that I don't really feel like this
is a story about the depths to which Mark Kerr,
Fell and Rose as much as it just kind of
is like a tip of the cap to the old
days of MMA and kind of a story about really
(22:34):
two pioneers of the sport right coming together in a
world championship tournament where they're best friends and everybody thinks
they're going to meet in the championship and it's it's
almost to me like an homage to the early days
of the sport of mixed martial arts and something completely
different from from what it looks like you're getting in
(22:57):
the previews.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yeah, And honestly, I think that's almost what you walk
away with is like the actually just tried to show
you like this is how it eventually became legitimate because
you had the like guys like Kerr and Coleman. I mean,
that's that's really what it is. And you know you're
talking about where like you know, you kind of show
like with an argument addiction. I think another thing is
(23:20):
like from what you see story wise, it's all just
and and and I don't know if this was a choice,
I mean an intentional choice, but it's all just very physical. Yeah,
but there's nothing behind it in every in every aspect
of this guy's story and I and being from one
(23:44):
of the Safty brothers, I'm I'm I'm a little surprised.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
By I am too. Yeah, I'm also surprised that, like
deep into the movie, I started catching myself really rooting
for Mark Coleman.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
Yeah. I think he deserves it.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I think like Mark Coleman, I'm like, oh, this is
a good guy, a good friend, Like he.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Deserves a little bit of his family.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
Yeah, I'm like, he he's the one with the head
on his shoulders. And and I thought, like Ryan Bader
old Darth Bader from the UFC Days.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Is that who played Coleman.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
That's who played Coleman. I don't think he has an
acting credit to his.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Name, so he should get nominated.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Well, I mean, I like, I just you think about, like, oh, man,
that was a really good performance for somebody that is
new in this spot right that Ultimately, that's what I
came away from the film takes I.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Was I was really rooting for him because he was
he was a very likable guy. That his is like
it's it's odd that you put Mark Kurr's like underdog
comeback story, but you align it with his best friends
come back underdog story, but.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
You don't advertise Mark at all. Yeah, no, no, Yeah,
that's his only acting credit, Ryan Beaters's own.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Literally, and I feel like it's kind of to be
more authentic that Safty. I think probably did use a
lot of real guys that you know, have done it
and know what it's and know what it's like. But
but yeah, it's just it was such an odd watch.
It was just such an odd watch from what you
(25:28):
think the film is to what it really is. And
then it's kind of like, you know, it's like I
think a lot of people it was a press screen.
I think a lot of people came out, and I
think all I mainly heard was just like, yeah, it's fine,
And that's not the reaction I expected. And I don't
(25:49):
think it's the reaction that you would want from a
movie like that, but that you don't even feel like
you really got his story.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
And I think that's the crux of my issue with
the film is that we never it's like we're going
down the river, but we never go through any of
the little antillary creeks or outlets. Yeah, saying like you
just streamlined on down the Mississippi to New Orleans and
didn't take any time to really explore the depth of
the land store. Yeah, and it's it feels like it
(26:23):
gives it a certain distance, like it feels like you're you're.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Still you're detached from what you're.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Not immersed in this story the way that the trailers
make you think you're going to be And there's something
about that that feels kind of flat, feels kind of cold,
feels kind of procedural that by the time we get
to the end of it, you're just like, hey, you
know what good for Dwayne Johnson really liked Emily Blunt,
really liked Ryan Vader. Yeah, but I think it's kind
(26:50):
of forgettable. I think it'll get kind of lost in
the shuffle by season's end.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
I the way that this is being presented and talked about, Yeah,
I thought I would seeing like the Wrestler me too.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
I thought the Iron Claw Law.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Or yeah, that's a go one because A twenty four is.
But yeah, now two its credit. I think Bennie Safti
and we talked about this, he made a like it's
a well done film absolutely, and the grittiness of it,
which also reminds me the kind of the way Aronofsky
did the wrestler. Is it feels like you're in that
(27:25):
early two thousand, it's like the late nineties early yeah. Sure,
So the feel of it and the look of it
is there, And you were talking about some of like
the camera work that kind of adds to whether it's
the stress.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Or that it's the scene where he's like looking for
the pills. He's just pacing around trying to think, and
and the camera shot from behind him is kind of
like erratic and it looks handheld where like whoever's holding
the camera is running along with him, And I think
it's a it's a very good way to kind of
put you in that mindset of what like this guy
is like going through chaos to try and find his
(28:01):
steroids or no, not steroids, opioids.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
That's like the score. The score, yeah, I thought is
really good.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Like when he's walking out and it's kind of a low,
like piano smooth, calm kind of vibe where everybody else,
you know, is like the the fog machines, the bright lights,
yelling and scream and it kind of the music in
that kind of puts you in his mindset where you
do feel like calm, tranquil focused, like a like a
(28:34):
laser beam.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Yeah, to go that flashlight. Yeah, he talks about.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
And so I think that's that's effective. It's just not
enough to overcome what I thought was kind of a
shallow plot.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Yeah. No, And you're right. I think there's a lot
of things you can say. Hey, you know what, I
appreciate that, and I'm glad it did it, and it
does and it it. It does have its strengths. But
where I think it needed I needed to flex the most.
There wasn't much. There wasn't much to show like, there
(29:06):
wasn't Yeah, and I was I even now as we're
talking about I'm just I'm just surprised that this is
what people have been watching and if it does ride
this wave, I'm I just don't. I don't know. I
(29:26):
think it's great for the rock Yeah, and I think
Bennie Saftie can be proud of it because I think
it is. Like I said, it's a well done film,
but it's just so simple and and just standard stuff.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
But do you think your feelings would be different about
it if it didn't have the hype too?
Speaker 2 (29:48):
I don't know. Yeah, And honestly, a part of it
is where in a lot of those like you know,
first reaction stuff and these film festivals of foreign ones,
especially where they get all the staying ovations. But then
like it goes to like New York Film Festival and
there's like half the people are not nearly as excited
as that group over there. I think, I I think
(30:12):
the main thing is I wouldn't feel as confused as
to why everyone is so high on it unless it's
just that feeling of like I could I don't know
who said it like Dwayne Johnson is a revelation, I
don't I through what lens, I guess is my question.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
Maybe through the lens of his filmography.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Right, is is it a revelation because you've watched Red
Notice and Rampage and shit like that. Yeah? Sure, yeah?
Could he? I mean the fact that and I mean, listen,
you play a real person. There's always something to that too.
And I mean he also produced it with his ex wife,
and I think it's her brother seven Buck Productions. But
(31:04):
I I'm just curious as and honestly, I think if
if like Bennye Safti didn't direct this and someone else did,
depending who it was, I feel like it would actually
probably have been worse because I think the look wouldn't
be there. I think the camera choices wouldn't would not
be you know what I mean, Like like if Rock,
(31:24):
let's say Rock and I don't and I don't think.
I don't think Rock brought this to Bennie. I could
be wrong, but I'm just thinking, let's just say the
director of you know what's that one? Was it sky skytap?
What was thatcraper? Yeah, let's say let's say a director
(31:47):
like that that Rocks worked with before did this movie.
I think it'd be laughed at. I think it it's
it's more, it's the most artistic thing the Rock's ever done,
and with that brings out a better performance from him
than anyone has gotten. I do think he is a
(32:08):
good choice for Mark Kerr. Like I don't, I have
no I have no qualms about that. But I just
didn't think that's this. Not only was that not quite
the story I thought they were going to tell, but
if it even if it even even if that's the case,
I just didn't think we would just sort of like
(32:33):
it would not like there were no risks taken at all. Yeah,
And I that the thought and the appearance of it,
I wouldn't think that would be the case. So I'm
just I was. I was a little disappointed, but mostly
just kind of either surprised or confused.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
As how I do feel like a lot of I
do feel like his fans. If you're a diehard Dwayne
Johnson fan, I do think you're gonna eat this up.
And oh yeah, it'll feel like a real achievement to me.
I look at it from the other end of the spectrum.
It's a nice start for what I assume he wants
(33:14):
to do moving forward, and truthfully like what he probably
should be doing moving forward, to continue to get away
from the stuff like Skyscraper and Red Notice. And I mean,
how many memes did he become the butt of because
of Black Adam?
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Oh yeah, Black Adam I think did some real mental
damage to him.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
So, because that's when I think people started to turn.
Speaker 3 (33:35):
It was twenty twenty two, because then.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
He he did something where he made up some numbers
and I don't know if it's how much it made
or the thing. I don't know, but he got caught
in a lie basically about like the success of Black Adam,
which was not the case. So I think people started
to turn so, but here's the thing. Start with a
Safty brother and if you're like, if rumors are true,
(34:00):
like there's some stuff about maybe Aeronovsky, and there's in
this Scorsese that also has Emily Blunt and DiCaprio where
he's playing he's playing some kind of I think Hawaiian
mafia guy. He's a supporting it's a supporting role in
whatever the Scorsese is. But I will tell you Scorsese
is not doing that movie yet because now I think
(34:22):
they just confirmed he's actually moving with a DiCaprio and
Jennifer Lawrence movie. Well so, but if if, if this
is the path he's going down, good for him and
I I do. I think it's a it's a it
is a solid foot forward, but I don't think an
award nomination. I don't think this specific performance is so
(34:46):
is worthy enough for that.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
That's an interesting conversation because we were kind of chatting
about it a little bit on the way home from
the theater, and I think the point I made just
to play Devil's advocate, was that we sat there for
I don't know how many minutes trying to come up
with who should be in the Best Actor Field this year,
(35:08):
and it's kind of slim pickings so far. I know
there's a long way to go. There's a long way
to go.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
But if the other Safty brother movie, yes, which I
just read that is about just under three hours.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Yeah, I'll go watch it. Though Big Tim and Tim
can do no wrong. I just wonder if maybe a
weaker Field at least gets him in in the the
conversation to me, like that's his only path, if he's
actually going to do it. But I I don't know.
(35:47):
It feels like we're kind of being prisoners of the
moment right here, kind of buying into this hype and
all that.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
I just looked up just one thing and it had
this is as of this is per Variety September twenty six,
so not too far. They have Wagner Mora for a
movie called The Secret Agent that Neon's doing, Okay, DiCaprio
(36:17):
for One Battle, Timothy Shallomey for Marty Supreme, Ethan Hawk
for Blue Moon which has which has been doing film
festivals but I haven't seen it yet. And they do
have within the top five, they have Dwayne Johnson for
The Smashing Machine. Now that's as of September twenty six,
and then beneath that is Jesse Plemmons for I don't
(36:43):
know if you say it, the New Your Ghost Movie. Okay,
it has in m Stone which in a Stone is
supposedly in the running for Best Actress, Michael B. Jordan
for Sinners, Jeremy Allen White for Springsteen Delivered Me from Nowhere,
and Oscar Isaac from Frankenstein, which I think all that
would change too. Yeah, I mean, Daniel da Lewis is
(37:09):
down here at fourteen, George Clooney for j Kelly, the
Noah bomb Back movie that's getting a lot of praise
from that. He's down there at fifteen, So yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
Mean I Channing Tatum for roof Man. Hell yeah, on
the board, Will Arnette for this Thing? Is this same
what I saw?
Speaker 2 (37:26):
That's the Bradley Cooper movie. Okay, I just think that'll change.
I think it'll change. But we'll see, Yeah, we'll see.
Speaker 3 (37:39):
I mean, I'll be honest, interesting to watch.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
I have not seen some of these obviously, but I mean,
just DiCaprio, it's uh yeah, I have a feeling they
won't give it to him, but they should.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Do you have a favorite Dwayne Johnson movie?
Speaker 2 (38:02):
I always thought The Rundown was fun.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
I love The Rundown.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Yeah, a fun movie. I don't know if it's a
good movie, but it's a fun movie.
Speaker 3 (38:10):
I like to be cool.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Be Cool was was pretty good. Honestly, I like one
of the most recent ones that actually enjoyed. I mean,
it's not just based solely off of him, but it
was that first Jumanji. I did like to the Jungle.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
I did like the first Jumanji. You know what, I
think I'll say, maybe this is the benefit of seeing
it way after it came out, but it's kind of
the inverse effect for Jungle Cruise, where people shit on
that movie so much that by the time I watched it,
I was like, you know what, that was pretty fun.
(38:44):
I could watch that again.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
I'm looking back through see there's a lot of stuff
where I'm like, like, I even forget he did like.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
San Andreas for Instant Rampage.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
I'll be honest. One of the first times I thought,
oh man, he like he showed some acting. Chops was
for Pain and Game. I don't really think he gets
a lot of credit for that. That's when Mark Wahlberg
made good movies too, and they actually came out in theaters.
Shows you how long that's been.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Yeah, but can you can you put together a mount rushmore?
Do you think? I mean?
Speaker 2 (39:17):
I mean for as fun as it is? Yah, Like,
for instance, what's this one? WWE the best of all
fifteenth anniversion?
Speaker 3 (39:24):
About that? There you go?
Speaker 2 (39:26):
The game plan was cute, Okay, I can try.
Speaker 3 (39:31):
I think I would go My four would be The
Smashing Machine for one. Yeah, I think I would put
the rundown. I think I would go. I think I
would go Jumanji. And then man, I I'm kind of
(39:52):
torn because I really liked him and be cool, but
he's kind of a small part in it. It doesn't
really feel like his movie.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Yeah, oh that's fair.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
I might be tempted to go I might be tempted
to go Jungle Cruise or Central Intelligence. There I and
just the premise being, or the qualifier being that I
think The Smashing Machine is the only one of these
films that we're talking about that is actually good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
(40:25):
I think I do still think it's a good movie.
It just I don't think it, yeah was what I
thought it was.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
I agree, I agree. I have seen way worse this
year alone. And it's not like, oh God, that performance.
It's like it's not even about that. Nope, it's just
that story, which I mean, it's a main component there.
I would probably go Smashing Machine. I mean, I know
(40:52):
you don't see it, but I mean Mawana has to
be up there.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
Okay, I'm going.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
To count it. And now those two movies are his finest. Yeah,
Smashing Machine and Mawana.
Speaker 3 (41:02):
I would agree with that.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
I would probably put I would put the Rundown in there,
just because I do think that's a fun one. And
then you know what I think I'll do. I think
I'll go when he first showed up. I think I'll
do Fast five. I liked he brought. He brought a
lot to that one.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
No love for Race to Witch Mountain, No Tooth Fairy.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
No the I felt like the was it the game
plan that was like his first one, right before Tooth Fairy.
It was Tooth Fairy before game Plan was after it,
because I.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
Can't know the game plan was, oh seven, Tooth Fairy
was twenty ten.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
I think Tooth Fairy was his first number one movie.
That or game plan I forgot, not that it didn't open.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
Oh yeah, Carl, I forgot about.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
That one too, But I mean, there's a lot going on.
But you know what, and I'm kind of surprised because
I didn't finish it, but I actually did think it
was a good show. But he he did get he
was able to kind of cut his teeth on Ballers. Yeah,
and that was that he actually was he was. I
liked him in that. I didn't finish it and only
(42:13):
ran for maybe three seasons but episodes. But yeah, So
but what's funny is when I look, he has the
most ridiculous upcoming stuff I've ever seen in my life.
He has Oh Lizard music is a Benny Safti movie.
He's gonna be and He's gonna be Chicken Man, okay,
(42:35):
and it's based off some book. But anyway, he's dropping
a lot of weight. But there is the untitled Hawaii's
Hawaii's Set crime drama, which I think is the Scarsese one.
Apparently he's set for San Andreas two. There's one called
Big Trouble in Little China that he might be doing.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (42:54):
There's Fast X Part two. There's Mawana three, there's Jumanji three.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
He has is he's staying busy. He's got some work
on his plate.
Speaker 2 (43:03):
Red notice too. Unfortunately, he's sort of.
Speaker 3 (43:05):
Going into Yeah, brothers, we gotta.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Jungle jungle cruise two.
Speaker 3 (43:10):
We gotta put some of this in check now. Yeah,
you're head and back yeah, back the other direction all
of a sudden.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Yeah, So we'll we'll, we'll see where all of it goes.
I mean, I don't think he's not gonna do the
other shit he's been doing forever. Yeah, but you know what,
let him enjoy the ride this Awards season wherever it
may take him.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
There you go. That's a great place to end on. Yeah,
you have a final rating for The Smashing Machine. I
landed on three out of five.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
Yeah. I I there is more to enjoy. I feel
like people think like we hate it, but we really don't.
But it does have its problems, and one is the
main one is just the way the story is handled.
But there's a lot of good stuff and performances and
like I said, a lot of the with the directing
and the score and stuff like that that really works.
(43:59):
So I went from a two and a half to
a three. I ended with a three out of five. Yeah,
So yeah, I think people will enjoy it. I think
it's just trying to maybe uh, those expectations.
Speaker 3 (44:17):
Came back to bite them alone. Yeah, I was.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
I was just I it's been a while since I
would say I've been sort of caught off guard by
watching something and leaving and thinking, I don't understand why, whatever,
why this train's been going. Yeah, this hard for this movie. Yeah,
(44:41):
but we'll see, yep, we'll see.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
Well that's going to do it for us. In another
episode of the Vick Flicks podcast, rate reviews, Subscribe wherever
you take in your shows. Subscribe to Nashville Movie Dispatch
at Nashville Movie Dispatch dot substack dot com. For Brandon,
I'm stony, and until next time, you stay classy moviegoers,
And now, ladies and gentlemen, these network ground brings to
you some in depth movie discussion with a resident film critic, Brandon.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
At the evening, everyone, the vix Flicks Podcast is here.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Welcome back for another episode of the vix Flicks Podcast
right here on Nashville Movie Dispatch. I'll be your host
for the show today, the e C at Sobros Network,
Big Natural Stony Keeley. You can follow me on Twitter
at Stony Keeley, collectively at Sobros Network, and of course
all of our work is available at Nashville Moviedispatch dot
(00:53):
substack dot com. Joined as usual by the star of
the show himself, the man whose names it bears. He
is a board member of the Music City Film Critics Association.
He is a member of the South Eastern Film Critics Association.
He's our resident film critic at NASHVILLILM Movie Dispatch right
here in Nashville, Tennessee. Mister big shot himself Brandon Vick Brandon,
(01:17):
how you doing today, my man?
Speaker 2 (01:18):
Oh? You know what, dude, it's October.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
You started? Have you started the spooky season viewing plan yet?
Speaker 2 (01:28):
No? My In the middle of September, my house started
looking like spooky season.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
Yeah, we've got the decoration.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
And my wife was literally working on something when i'd left.
Actually she had just finished it of like, uh, she
took cardboard and painted it like it looks like it's
wood and she did this, and I gotta say, I
have no like artistic ability, but she got a pretty
damn good, bloody like keep out thing that she wrote. Anyway,
(01:55):
it's on our front door with spiderwebs, and we've got ghosts.
We've got spiders, we've got well, you guys gave us
the ghost pumpkin that's out.
Speaker 3 (02:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
We got a mister Bones, as my son calls him.
He's out there.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
We don't have anything outside yet. We're starting to get
the inside decorations out.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
But do you have blow up thing? Do you have
a few. We have a couple of Christmas.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
We have a couple of inflatables, and we have a
we have like a stack of like a Jack o'
lanterns that are inflatable, and then we have a blow
mold of a black cat and a witch's hat. Yeah yeah, yeah,
blow mold of Jack Skellington.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Okay, the cat, the cat one I remember, And.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
Then we put up the we put up some orange lights,
some purple lights.
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Your wife just stole some of our stuff, Yeah, I have.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
She came back and Pumpkin Actually, Sunday morning before Titans talkback,
we're gonna go to Walmart. Let's do a lap around.
And we saw it and there were two boxes left.
So we we went ahead and bottom and here we are.
Speaker 2 (03:02):
But no, I have not watched as of this recording.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
No, but it starts, starts right away, starts.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Yeah, And and I don't know if you've seen, but
on some of the streaming, like there's Huluween, and I've
seen a lot where it's not so much Halloween, but
there's a whole thing now of like scary movies, and
so I've figured they'll all kind of be up there.
Speaker 3 (03:26):
I have watched two of my regular rotation members for
Spooky season so far. That is Monster House and The Lighthouse.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Yeah, yeah, very both pretty crazy. I take that back.
We did start watching. If anybody watches those Halloween Wars
and Halloween Baking Championship.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Well that counts yep.
Speaker 2 (03:50):
That okay, Well, then yes we have. But as far
as movies, no, but I'm gonna get on it because
I I love watching the seventy eight and two thousand
and eight Halloween.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Yeah, well we just released a movie review rewind episode
of John Carpenter's Yep, Halloween that's up in.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
The archives, Monster House. Para Norman. Can I complain for
one second?
Speaker 3 (04:16):
I'd go for it.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
I was super pumped because I think it's like the
twenty fourth through the twenty seventh. It's like a Thursday
through Sunday. They're re releasing Para Norman in three D,
sort of like they did with Coraline. And there's a
new short in front of it that Anna Kendrick and
is it Wolf Finn.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Hard Yeah, the Stranger Things kids.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
So they hope they're they they're doing a new short
and everything. So my wife, me, my sister in law,
we're all kind of figured it out, like, you know,
can we go see it and stuff? But it's a
Fathom Event thing, so you have to pay whatever the
price is, and it's like twenty fi or twenty five
(05:01):
dollars a ticket. Dan, and I'm like, I like, I
just stare at it on my shelf and I think, well,
it's hard to justify I could do that and be
in my house. I mean, granted, wouldn't be in three D.
But yeah, I was kind of disappointed because I was
I was gonna do it. If I could do Regal
Unlimited and then get the other tickets as normal, I
(05:23):
would have done that. But the fact that like I
have to do it too on top of paying the
monthly Yeah, no thought. Sorry Paran Norman. That would have
been I'll watch it at home.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
That would have been cool, though.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Yeah, but that is like that's out raised seventy five
dollars for three people. Yeah, I mean I don't now
the god the Regal points I could get.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
You'd rack them up, Yeah, you'd rack them. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
Yeah, my shorts be high in the air. But we
go too much.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Oh boy, Well, we are here to talk about the
Smashing Machine tonight. Uh. It's in theaters now. For those
of you that might not know, this is the the
Dwayne Johnson movie where he plays MMA fighter Mark Kerr,
and according to the Rotten Too Rotten Tomatoes synopsis, it
(06:11):
is It just says Mark Kerr reaches the peak of
his career but faces personal hardships along the way. Yeah,
and we'll get into it, but I kind of feel like, yeah,
that's the movie.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Yeah, there you go, and that's about as exciting as
that synopsis is.
Speaker 3 (06:25):
Yeah, but before we dig into that, Brandon, I've always
got to ask you, what have you been watching lately
that we might not have talked about.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Well, I'm I saw a movie called Good Boy. Oh yeah,
it's a haunted house movie, but it's essentially told from
the point of view of the dog. I will have
a review of that later this month.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Nice.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
It is in theaters now, but it will be on
I think it's AMC plus and Shutter at the end
of the month, like on the twenty fourth. So I
am currently working on a review of that. But it's good.
And the way that that dog acts, I am amazed.
Like it's only an hour and like maybe fourteen minutes Dan,
(07:14):
so it works just enough. But the way that and
I to me, I don't really I'm sure ghosts exists.
I just don't think every other thing is a ghost.
And my wife's side of the family, every little thing
(07:34):
is supposed is a ghost. But there is one thing
I do believe in that when when an animal, and
specifically a dog, starts to kind of ground or see
something or wine and you don't see it, I feel
like that's like pure like something's there. Yeah, because the
animal is the instincts of him.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
I think. So it's perfectly plausible that what we think
of as ghosts are just like some sort of remnants
of like, I don't know, another dimension or something like that.
Like I feel like all things have a perfectly scientific explanation.
We just might not understand the science of it.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Yeah, and I mean we always kind of we I
mean we're really good at kind of twisting things into
that oh, well you know they're with me, or oh
that was a sign, or oh they you know that's
because they died here or something I will say real quick.
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Good.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
The haunted story part is okay, there's not really there's
not really a whole lot of depth as far as
like what's going on with his owner and why the
house is the way it is. But anyway, the dog's phenomenal.
So I liked it for what it was.
Speaker 3 (08:49):
There's also some really interesting science out there about how
our brain kind of fills in the games, like we
can't see that well yeah, and our brain will just
kind of automatically put something of that shape whatever in
your head.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Well.
Speaker 3 (09:03):
I feel like a lot of people see like you
look at a doorway and you might see a person
or something.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Yeah, yeah, and I think that's happened where My wife
has said something to the fact of like we'll see
when it goes by, and like, I'm like, honey, it
could have been like a light that went through. We
got cats running like the other night. She was like,
what was that? And I'm like it sounded like the
cat hit his damn head on the gate, Like yeah,
I guess that's what it is. Can you go look
like if if you want to know that bad, you
(09:30):
go on?
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
So season though, that's well yeah, I mean, well, now
keep This was back in September, so I said, hey, hey, hey,
you you keep that ship on lockdown until October first?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Gotcha? Gotch?
Speaker 2 (09:45):
I saw the Paul Greengrass movie that's now on Apple
TV called The Lost Bus.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Oh how is that?
Speaker 2 (09:50):
It's good. It's it's pretty simplistic, but Matthew McConaughey's great
in it. America Frierra's is great in it based on
a true story of of of basically a bust ends
up going and picking up twenty two kids in the
California fires. I think it was a O eight, but
Paul Gingers has kind of become like the like kind
of the thrill ride in tents. He did United ninety threes,
(10:13):
done the Bourne movies. Yea, Captain Phillips so but that
one was pretty good. And those are the two main ones,
and then the The Smashing Machine. I'm hoping to catch
the new Daniel d Lewis movie here.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
So I can't wait for that.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
That ye so we'd Yeah, I've heard I've heard different things,
but I would like to see my I don't quite
know what it is, yeah, but I I'm for it.
And it's only like two hours. So good for Daniel
da Lewis, because he usually only does movies that I
think are three hours, so him and his son tightened
(10:50):
it up a bit. I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
I finally finished the Phoenician Scheme. He was in bed
with my Hernia last week. I don't I didn't like
it as much as i'd hope. Hmm.
Speaker 2 (11:00):
I was hoping you'd like it more.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
It's very good, Benicio del Tor, very good acting, very good.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Story like that storytelling more than the like Asteroid City.
I don't know. There's just something about letting me. It
reminded me of Grand Budapest and the fact that I'm
kind of essentially following one character as he goes on
this journey, and I think maybe that's what I like.
But Benicio is having a hell of a year for him.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
Between that one battle after another, which you have on
the most recent episode of the Cinema Chronicles I watch.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
I haven't quit talking about it.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I haven't either. I'm the same way, like people are
going to be, like, somebody's going to tell me to
shut up and talk about the Titans at.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yeah point no.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
But uh. I watched a movie called Autumn and New
York because I thought, oh, I'm working on some notes here,
I'm working on Richard. I'm gonna put it on, yeah,
and writer, oh yeah, And I put it on, like, oh,
maybe this is festive and it's really not festive, and
like Richard Gear plays a terrible man, and I'm like,
I don't know, am I supposed to have empathy for
(12:06):
this character? I don't know. It's very Uh, it was
very confusing as to what the messaging was supposed to be.
And I thought it was pretty bad.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
I I know, I saw it. Yeah, I couldn't tell
you really anything about it, but I think I remember
the poster.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Yeah, yeah, and then uh, I've been watching Black Rabbit,
the Jason Bateman Jude Law series on me.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
We've been talking about that I like to watch.
Speaker 3 (12:30):
It was one of those I got the gut feeling.
I got the gut feeling like episode six or seven
where I was like, there's no this has been so good.
There's no way they can realistically land this in a
satisfactory way. And that's exactly what happened. It gets a
little too. I don't want to spoil anything, but Jude
(12:54):
Law and Jason Bateman are fucking phenomenal.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
I love them, but it just, you know, I just.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
The series ended and I was just lying in bed thinking.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
Really, I if you can't get enough Jude Law. There
is a movie that is now out at least where
you can rent it called Eden. It's a Ron Howard
movie has Jude Law, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney. Okay, Daniel Broll.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
What's what's he been up too lately? I feel like
he was a hot shot there for Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
I think he's done some other that was a kind
of a foreign or like a German movie, because I
feel like i've seen him and stuff. Now it's wasn't
like where he was in like MCU stuff, and he
was in Rush, which another Ron Howard movie that no
one appreciates. And on a day armist, isn't it. But
the whole, the whole reason I'm telling you this is
(13:46):
because Jude Law shows this dick. Oh okay, me, I
should have started with.
Speaker 3 (13:51):
That, So that's yeah, you should have, So that's called
I'll watch it right away.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
Yeah, but I do love I do love some Jude Law.
But yeah, I'm I'm currently have a about three episodes
left of Alien Earth to watch. I have. I think
I've watched the first four episodes of Only Murders in
the Building. I'm halfway through the Peaky Blinder series, so
I got some work to do I want to see.
I haven't watched any of peace Maker season two. I
(14:17):
haven't watched I haven't watched Seven season two. I haven't
watched the Bear season four or five, whatever we're on.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
I'm behind on that too. So yeah, I mean it's
football season for me, so I'm just watching a bunch.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
Of Yeah you can't, You're not allowed to watch anything
I can do.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
I honestly can do. Like one series at a time,
and right now, that's peacemaker. I only got through Black
Rabbit because I had a hernian was in bed all week.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
Correct, So you had a nice week. Yeah, I had
a nice vacation.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
So let's let's talk about the Smashing Machine. This is
one that debuted. I was at Venice.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
I think that sounds right.
Speaker 3 (14:56):
Standing ovation, the longest standing ovation ever ten minutes for
or Dwayne Johnson or yeah, whatever it was.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah, he got emotional.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Coming into this release with a lot of a lot
of hype.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Oh yeah. So there were there were things I was
watching and the break would come in and it and
it was about that where it's like, uh, Dwayne Johnson
was a revelation. It's thrilling. It was some I don't
know something else, and I mean it's I mean, they're
using some powerful words in these trailers that do not
(15:30):
necessarily mean, Like.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
The discourse online is like Oscar nomination for Dwayne Johnson
and I don't. I mean, listen, it's it's his best performance.
I don't. I don't think that's unreasonable to say, but
I don't agree. It's a very high bar to clear.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
It's no, and I don't and I'm gonna I think,
and we were kind of talking about this after we
saw it. I think it's a solid step forward in
what he's wanting to do. And I think he's he's
gonna work with Scorsese. He's he's already dropping apparently quite
(16:12):
a bit of weight to work on some other Bennie
Safty movie.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
I mean, shit, if he's coming off of this movie,
he's so.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
I think he's kind of making the turn of like, Okay,
I have enough money now. I think he's kind of
going more for the roles that I'm sure in a way,
and especially like with him his production company stuff probably
did kind of scare the shit out of him a
little bit, especially after he worked so hard and then
(16:40):
finally kind of found that spot in Hollywood. But then
it's like, okay, well when does you know this generation's
Arnold say Okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna do this. So
he so his first real step into it is a
UFC fighter who's also big and and so I mean,
(17:00):
you know, it's it's not safe, but it's not like
a real stretch. But the way that Mark Kerr carries
himself and the way like then it is, I could
see being like I could see I can see being
really impressed with the Rocks performance because the bar is
(17:24):
not set in the same It's not at the same
level as if I'm gonna watch you know, Ryan Gosling
or I'm gonna watch Denzil or I'm gonna watch Jude Law.
I'm not that he's not at that. That's not the
bar that he's you know. And I mean, I'm sorry,
but look at the past I don't know, three movies
(17:47):
he's done, it's flopped, hasn't made money, and it well,
he ain't great.
Speaker 3 (17:52):
I mean, I mean, it kind of feels like audiences
are making the decision for him, Like I mean, you
see the yeah that's fair perception of him on social media.
It kind of feels like there was some saturation and
people started to kind of turn on and this is
a departure from what he has been known for in
(18:12):
in recent years, but it's still I think a step
in the right direction is a good way to put it.
I phrased it as like this is a good rep
for him to get for where he wants to go,
but he's not there yet. Yeah, so good movie. I
will say I didn't feel like it was a great movie.
(18:33):
I felt like it was very much standard fair and
I think part of my emotional, my negative emotional response
to it was because it was getting so much hype
leading into our screening of it last week.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
You, yeah, I agree, and you think there is You
think there's going to be some kind of like heartfelt
emotional payoff at some point, and it never really comes.
It never really it doesn't hit you the way that
you think it would. I was thinking about this the
(19:09):
other night. It's like everything that's that's that is provided
to the audience is always just a little bit of something. Yeah,
it's a little bit of the relationship him and Don
played by Emily Blunt, who's also who's great in it.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Yes, I just don't.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
I just don't think there's a really like I think
there's more to tell with her character. So you get
a little bit of their relationship, a little bit of
the addiction, a little bit of the fighting, a little
bit of kind I mean, I think I think the
Rock does a great job as far as like embodying
(19:50):
what Mark Carr was and sort of imitating him, as
far as just like the way that he talked, because
he was kind of like a teddy bear of sense.
He seemed like a gentle giant by the way he
taught compared to like what he did for a living.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Very eloquent, well spoken, yeah, very like calm, measured very much,
not so serious.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
Some of it was annoying, like during the real arguments,
it's kind of sounded like a child trying to very
nice being rude, and it's like and Emily Blunt seems
like like don is She's yeah, she's she's really turned
it up. But yeah, man, I just felt like there's
so many things that were just it's all rather. I
(20:32):
didn't think I would feel so disconnected as I did,
as especially as we kind of hit the hour and
a half mark and it's only two hours and you're like, oh,
and it is standard biopick stuff and it's not even
really a biopic. It's only for like a it covers
what maybe four years, and we skip a whole year,
(20:53):
so I'm not even sure.
Speaker 3 (20:54):
It does kind of feel like a rug pool because
you do think you are getting some very very deep,
dramatic story of a fighter. And it's not to say
that it's not dramatic, but yeah, we never really explore
the depths of his pain. They just kind of show
him like, oh, he's addicted to pain medication. Now, oh
he's fighting with his wife. Yeah, oh he's struggling with
(21:16):
losing a fight, like right, but we never really spend
time with him to kind of pick up on how
it truly affects his day to day life.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
And I was talking about where how they show him
going to rehab coming back. Yeah, it's like and that's
that and then Don just sort of disappears for a
little bit and he comes back. But we're and right
when I think maybe something like and again I don't
(21:44):
mean like I need someone to die, I just mean like, okay,
where like what is like what's the point aretas?
Speaker 3 (21:52):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're the real real stakes other than
this's just being an interesting story, right, and you know.
Speaker 2 (21:58):
But it's interesting, But I tell you what, it's nothing
and I'm sorry, and it's kind of unfortunate this is
the case. But there is nothing in his story that's
any different from any other wrestler, fighter, musicians, sport, every
almost everything.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Yeah. Which I think is like the ultimate rug pool
for me is that I don't really feel like this
is a story about the depths to which Mark Kerr,
Fell and Rose as much as it just kind of
is like a tip of the cap to the old
days of MMA and kind of a story about really
(22:34):
two pioneers of the sport right coming together in a
world championship tournament where they're best friends and everybody thinks
they're going to meet in the championship and it's it's
almost to me like an homage to the early days
of the sport of mixed martial arts and something completely
different from from what it looks like you're getting in
(22:57):
the previews.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
Yeah, And honestly, I think that's almost what you walk
away with is like the actually just tried to show
you like this is how it eventually became legitimate because
you had the like guys like Kerr and Coleman. I mean,
that's that's really what it is. And you know you're
talking about where like you know, you kind of show
like with an argument addiction. I think another thing is
(23:20):
like from what you see story wise, it's all just
and and and I don't know if this was a choice,
I mean an intentional choice, but it's all just very physical. Yeah,
but there's nothing behind it in every in every aspect
of this guy's story and I and being from one
(23:44):
of the Safty brothers, I'm I'm I'm a little surprised.
Speaker 3 (23:47):
By I am too. Yeah, I'm also surprised that, like
deep into the movie, I started catching myself really rooting
for Mark Coleman.
Speaker 2 (23:57):
Yeah. I think he deserves it.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
I think like Mark Coleman, I'm like, oh, this is
a good guy, a good friend, Like he.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Deserves a little bit of his family.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
Yeah, I'm like, he he's the one with the head
on his shoulders. And and I thought, like Ryan Bader
old Darth Bader from the UFC Days.
Speaker 2 (24:17):
Is that who played Coleman.
Speaker 3 (24:18):
That's who played Coleman. I don't think he has an
acting credit to his.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Name, so he should get nominated.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Well, I mean, I like, I just you think about, like, oh, man,
that was a really good performance for somebody that is
new in this spot right that Ultimately, that's what I
came away from the film takes I.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Was I was really rooting for him because he was
he was a very likable guy. That his is like
it's it's odd that you put Mark Kurr's like underdog
comeback story, but you align it with his best friends
come back underdog story, but.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
You don't advertise Mark at all. Yeah, no, no, Yeah,
that's his only acting credit, Ryan Beaters's own.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Literally, and I feel like it's kind of to be
more authentic that Safty. I think probably did use a
lot of real guys that you know, have done it
and know what it's and know what it's like. But
but yeah, it's just it was such an odd watch.
It was just such an odd watch from what you
(25:28):
think the film is to what it really is. And
then it's kind of like, you know, it's like I
think a lot of people it was a press screen.
I think a lot of people came out, and I
think all I mainly heard was just like, yeah, it's fine,
And that's not the reaction I expected. And I don't
(25:49):
think it's the reaction that you would want from a
movie like that, but that you don't even feel like
you really got his story.
Speaker 3 (25:58):
And I think that's the crux of my issue with
the film is that we never it's like we're going
down the river, but we never go through any of
the little antillary creeks or outlets. Yeah, saying like you
just streamlined on down the Mississippi to New Orleans and
didn't take any time to really explore the depth of
the land store. Yeah, and it's it feels like it
(26:23):
gives it a certain distance, like it feels like you're you're.
Speaker 2 (26:26):
Still you're detached from what you're.
Speaker 3 (26:29):
Not immersed in this story the way that the trailers
make you think you're going to be And there's something
about that that feels kind of flat, feels kind of cold,
feels kind of procedural that by the time we get
to the end of it, you're just like, hey, you
know what good for Dwayne Johnson really liked Emily Blunt,
really liked Ryan Vader. Yeah, but I think it's kind
(26:50):
of forgettable. I think it'll get kind of lost in
the shuffle by season's end.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
I the way that this is being presented and talked about, Yeah,
I thought I would seeing like the Wrestler me too.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
I thought the Iron Claw Law.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
Or yeah, that's a go one because A twenty four is.
But yeah, now two its credit. I think Bennie Safti
and we talked about this, he made a like it's
a well done film absolutely, and the grittiness of it,
which also reminds me the kind of the way Aronofsky
did the wrestler. Is it feels like you're in that
(27:25):
early two thousand, it's like the late nineties early yeah. Sure,
So the feel of it and the look of it
is there, And you were talking about some of like
the camera work that kind of adds to whether it's
the stress.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
Or that it's the scene where he's like looking for
the pills. He's just pacing around trying to think, and
and the camera shot from behind him is kind of
like erratic and it looks handheld where like whoever's holding
the camera is running along with him, And I think
it's a it's a very good way to kind of
put you in that mindset of what like this guy
is like going through chaos to try and find his
(28:01):
steroids or no, not steroids, opioids.
Speaker 2 (28:05):
That's like the score. The score, yeah, I thought is
really good.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Like when he's walking out and it's kind of a low,
like piano smooth, calm kind of vibe where everybody else,
you know, is like the the fog machines, the bright lights,
yelling and scream and it kind of the music in
that kind of puts you in his mindset where you
do feel like calm, tranquil focused, like a like a
(28:34):
laser beam.
Speaker 2 (28:35):
Yeah, to go that flashlight. Yeah, he talks about.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
And so I think that's that's effective. It's just not
enough to overcome what I thought was kind of a
shallow plot.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Yeah. No, And you're right. I think there's a lot
of things you can say. Hey, you know what, I
appreciate that, and I'm glad it did it, and it
does and it it. It does have its strengths. But
where I think it needed I needed to flex the most.
There wasn't much. There wasn't much to show like, there
(29:06):
wasn't Yeah, and I was I even now as we're
talking about I'm just I'm just surprised that this is
what people have been watching and if it does ride
this wave, I'm I just don't. I don't know. I
(29:26):
think it's great for the rock Yeah, and I think
Bennie Saftie can be proud of it because I think
it is. Like I said, it's a well done film,
but it's just so simple and and just standard stuff.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
But do you think your feelings would be different about
it if it didn't have the hype too?
Speaker 2 (29:48):
I don't know. Yeah, And honestly, a part of it
is where in a lot of those like you know,
first reaction stuff and these film festivals of foreign ones,
especially where they get all the staying ovations. But then
like it goes to like New York Film Festival and
there's like half the people are not nearly as excited
as that group over there. I think, I I think
(30:12):
the main thing is I wouldn't feel as confused as
to why everyone is so high on it unless it's
just that feeling of like I could I don't know
who said it like Dwayne Johnson is a revelation, I
don't I through what lens, I guess is my question.
Speaker 3 (30:36):
Maybe through the lens of his filmography.
Speaker 2 (30:38):
Right, is is it a revelation because you've watched Red
Notice and Rampage and shit like that. Yeah? Sure, yeah?
Could he? I mean the fact that and I mean, listen,
you play a real person. There's always something to that too.
And I mean he also produced it with his ex wife,
and I think it's her brother seven Buck Productions. But
(31:04):
I I'm just curious as and honestly, I think if
if like Bennye Safti didn't direct this and someone else did,
depending who it was, I feel like it would actually
probably have been worse because I think the look wouldn't
be there. I think the camera choices wouldn't would not
be you know what I mean, Like like if Rock,
(31:24):
let's say Rock and I don't and I don't think.
I don't think Rock brought this to Bennie. I could
be wrong, but I'm just thinking, let's just say the
director of you know what's that one? Was it sky skytap?
What was thatcraper? Yeah, let's say let's say a director
(31:47):
like that that Rocks worked with before did this movie.
I think it'd be laughed at. I think it it's
it's more, it's the most artistic thing the Rock's ever done,
and with that brings out a better performance from him
than anyone has gotten. I do think he is a
(32:08):
good choice for Mark Kerr. Like I don't, I have
no I have no qualms about that. But I just
didn't think that's this. Not only was that not quite
the story I thought they were going to tell, but
if it even if it even even if that's the case,
I just didn't think we would just sort of like
(32:33):
it would not like there were no risks taken at all. Yeah,
And I that the thought and the appearance of it,
I wouldn't think that would be the case. So I'm
just I was. I was a little disappointed, but mostly
just kind of either surprised or confused.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
As how I do feel like a lot of I
do feel like his fans. If you're a diehard Dwayne
Johnson fan, I do think you're gonna eat this up.
And oh yeah, it'll feel like a real achievement to me.
I look at it from the other end of the spectrum.
It's a nice start for what I assume he wants
(33:14):
to do moving forward, and truthfully like what he probably
should be doing moving forward, to continue to get away
from the stuff like Skyscraper and Red Notice. And I mean,
how many memes did he become the butt of because
of Black Adam?
Speaker 2 (33:29):
Oh yeah, Black Adam I think did some real mental
damage to him.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
So, because that's when I think people started to turn.
Speaker 3 (33:35):
It was twenty twenty two, because then.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
He he did something where he made up some numbers
and I don't know if it's how much it made
or the thing. I don't know, but he got caught
in a lie basically about like the success of Black Adam,
which was not the case. So I think people started
to turn so, but here's the thing. Start with a
Safty brother and if you're like, if rumors are true,
(34:00):
like there's some stuff about maybe Aeronovsky, and there's in
this Scorsese that also has Emily Blunt and DiCaprio where
he's playing he's playing some kind of I think Hawaiian
mafia guy. He's a supporting it's a supporting role in
whatever the Scorsese is. But I will tell you Scorsese
is not doing that movie yet because now I think
(34:22):
they just confirmed he's actually moving with a DiCaprio and
Jennifer Lawrence movie. Well so, but if if, if this
is the path he's going down, good for him and
I I do. I think it's a it's a it
is a solid foot forward, but I don't think an
award nomination. I don't think this specific performance is so
(34:46):
is worthy enough for that.
Speaker 3 (34:48):
That's an interesting conversation because we were kind of chatting
about it a little bit on the way home from
the theater, and I think the point I made just
to play Devil's advocate, was that we sat there for
I don't know how many minutes trying to come up
with who should be in the Best Actor Field this year,
(35:08):
and it's kind of slim pickings so far. I know
there's a long way to go. There's a long way
to go.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
But if the other Safty brother movie, yes, which I
just read that is about just under three hours.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Yeah, I'll go watch it. Though Big Tim and Tim
can do no wrong. I just wonder if maybe a
weaker Field at least gets him in in the the
conversation to me, like that's his only path, if he's
actually going to do it. But I I don't know.
(35:47):
It feels like we're kind of being prisoners of the
moment right here, kind of buying into this hype and
all that.
Speaker 2 (35:53):
I just looked up just one thing and it had
this is as of this is per Variety September twenty six,
so not too far. They have Wagner Mora for a
movie called The Secret Agent that Neon's doing, Okay, DiCaprio
(36:17):
for One Battle, Timothy Shallomey for Marty Supreme, Ethan Hawk
for Blue Moon which has which has been doing film
festivals but I haven't seen it yet. And they do
have within the top five, they have Dwayne Johnson for
The Smashing Machine. Now that's as of September twenty six,
and then beneath that is Jesse Plemmons for I don't
(36:43):
know if you say it, the New Your Ghost Movie. Okay,
it has in m Stone which in a Stone is
supposedly in the running for Best Actress, Michael B. Jordan
for Sinners, Jeremy Allen White for Springsteen Delivered Me from Nowhere,
and Oscar Isaac from Frankenstein, which I think all that
would change too. Yeah, I mean, Daniel da Lewis is
(37:09):
down here at fourteen, George Clooney for j Kelly, the
Noah bomb Back movie that's getting a lot of praise
from that. He's down there at fifteen, So yeah, I.
Speaker 3 (37:19):
Mean I Channing Tatum for roof Man. Hell yeah, on
the board, Will Arnette for this Thing? Is this same
what I saw?
Speaker 2 (37:26):
That's the Bradley Cooper movie. Okay, I just think that'll change.
I think it'll change. But we'll see, Yeah, we'll see.
Speaker 3 (37:39):
I mean, I'll be honest, interesting to watch.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
I have not seen some of these obviously, but I mean,
just DiCaprio, it's uh yeah, I have a feeling they
won't give it to him, but they should.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Do you have a favorite Dwayne Johnson movie?
Speaker 2 (38:02):
I always thought The Rundown was fun.
Speaker 3 (38:04):
I love The Rundown.
Speaker 2 (38:05):
Yeah, a fun movie. I don't know if it's a
good movie, but it's a fun movie.
Speaker 3 (38:10):
I like to be cool.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Be Cool was was pretty good. Honestly, I like one
of the most recent ones that actually enjoyed. I mean,
it's not just based solely off of him, but it
was that first Jumanji. I did like to the Jungle.
Speaker 3 (38:24):
I did like the first Jumanji. You know what, I
think I'll say, maybe this is the benefit of seeing
it way after it came out, but it's kind of
the inverse effect for Jungle Cruise, where people shit on
that movie so much that by the time I watched it,
I was like, you know what, that was pretty fun.
(38:44):
I could watch that again.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
I'm looking back through see there's a lot of stuff
where I'm like, like, I even forget he did like.
Speaker 3 (38:53):
San Andreas for Instant Rampage.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
I'll be honest. One of the first times I thought,
oh man, he like he showed some acting. Chops was
for Pain and Game. I don't really think he gets
a lot of credit for that. That's when Mark Wahlberg
made good movies too, and they actually came out in theaters.
Shows you how long that's been.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
Yeah, but can you can you put together a mount rushmore?
Do you think? I mean?
Speaker 2 (39:17):
I mean for as fun as it is? Yah, Like,
for instance, what's this one? WWE the best of all
fifteenth anniversion?
Speaker 3 (39:24):
About that? There you go?
Speaker 2 (39:26):
The game plan was cute, Okay, I can try.
Speaker 3 (39:31):
I think I would go My four would be The
Smashing Machine for one. Yeah, I think I would put
the rundown. I think I would go. I think I
would go Jumanji. And then man, I I'm kind of
(39:52):
torn because I really liked him and be cool, but
he's kind of a small part in it. It doesn't
really feel like his movie.
Speaker 2 (40:00):
Yeah, oh that's fair.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
I might be tempted to go I might be tempted
to go Jungle Cruise or Central Intelligence. There I and
just the premise being, or the qualifier being that I
think The Smashing Machine is the only one of these
films that we're talking about that is actually good. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
(40:25):
I think I do still think it's a good movie.
It just I don't think it, yeah was what I
thought it was.
Speaker 2 (40:30):
I agree, I agree. I have seen way worse this
year alone. And it's not like, oh God, that performance.
It's like it's not even about that. Nope, it's just
that story, which I mean, it's a main component there.
I would probably go Smashing Machine. I mean, I know
(40:52):
you don't see it, but I mean Mawana has to
be up there.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
Okay, I'm going.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
To count it. And now those two movies are his finest. Yeah,
Smashing Machine and Mawana.
Speaker 3 (41:02):
I would agree with that.
Speaker 2 (41:05):
I would probably put I would put the Rundown in there,
just because I do think that's a fun one. And
then you know what I think I'll do. I think
I'll go when he first showed up. I think I'll
do Fast five. I liked he brought. He brought a
lot to that one.
Speaker 3 (41:25):
No love for Race to Witch Mountain, No Tooth Fairy.
Speaker 2 (41:29):
No the I felt like the was it the game
plan that was like his first one, right before Tooth Fairy.
It was Tooth Fairy before game Plan was after it,
because I.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
Can't know the game plan was, oh seven, Tooth Fairy
was twenty ten.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
I think Tooth Fairy was his first number one movie.
That or game plan I forgot, not that it didn't open.
Speaker 3 (41:49):
Oh yeah, Carl, I forgot about.
Speaker 2 (41:51):
That one too, But I mean, there's a lot going on.
But you know what, and I'm kind of surprised because
I didn't finish it, but I actually did think it
was a good show. But he he did get he
was able to kind of cut his teeth on Ballers. Yeah,
and that was that he actually was he was. I
liked him in that. I didn't finish it and only
(42:13):
ran for maybe three seasons but episodes. But yeah, So
but what's funny is when I look, he has the
most ridiculous upcoming stuff I've ever seen in my life.
He has Oh Lizard music is a Benny Safti movie.
He's gonna be and He's gonna be Chicken Man, okay,
(42:35):
and it's based off some book. But anyway, he's dropping
a lot of weight. But there is the untitled Hawaii's
Hawaii's Set crime drama, which I think is the Scarsese one.
Apparently he's set for San Andreas two. There's one called
Big Trouble in Little China that he might be doing.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
Yep.
Speaker 2 (42:54):
There's Fast X Part two. There's Mawana three, there's Jumanji three.
Speaker 3 (42:59):
He has is he's staying busy. He's got some work
on his plate.
Speaker 2 (43:03):
Red notice too. Unfortunately, he's sort of.
Speaker 3 (43:05):
Going into Yeah, brothers, we gotta.
Speaker 2 (43:08):
Jungle jungle cruise two.
Speaker 3 (43:10):
We gotta put some of this in check now. Yeah,
you're head and back yeah, back the other direction all
of a sudden.
Speaker 2 (43:16):
Yeah, So we'll we'll, we'll see where all of it goes.
I mean, I don't think he's not gonna do the
other shit he's been doing forever. Yeah, but you know what,
let him enjoy the ride this Awards season wherever it
may take him.
Speaker 3 (43:31):
There you go. That's a great place to end on. Yeah,
you have a final rating for The Smashing Machine. I
landed on three out of five.
Speaker 2 (43:37):
Yeah. I I there is more to enjoy. I feel
like people think like we hate it, but we really don't.
But it does have its problems, and one is the
main one is just the way the story is handled.
But there's a lot of good stuff and performances and
like I said, a lot of the with the directing
and the score and stuff like that that really works.
(43:59):
So I went from a two and a half to
a three. I ended with a three out of five. Yeah,
So yeah, I think people will enjoy it. I think
it's just trying to maybe uh, those expectations.
Speaker 3 (44:17):
Came back to bite them alone. Yeah, I was.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
I was just I it's been a while since I
would say I've been sort of caught off guard by
watching something and leaving and thinking, I don't understand why, whatever,
why this train's been going. Yeah, this hard for this movie. Yeah,
(44:41):
but we'll see, yep, we'll see.
Speaker 3 (44:43):
Well that's going to do it for us. In another
episode of the Vick Flicks podcast, rate reviews, Subscribe wherever
you take in your shows. Subscribe to Nashville Movie Dispatch
at Nashville Movie Dispatch dot substack dot com. For Brandon,
I'm stony, and until next time, you stay classy moviegoers,
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