Blank Check with Griffin & David - Ponyo on the Cliff with Shirley Li

Episode Date: October 27, 2019

Writer, Shirley Li (The Atlantic) joins Griffin & David to discuss 2008's better Little Mermaid, Ponyo on the Cliff! Together they examine Ponyo's love of ham/Sosuke, offer up fresh Men In Black International takes, present life hacks such as bringing a fish back to life with vodka and yes, the dog is off the leash. 

Blank Check with Griffin and David Blank Check with Griffin and David Don't know what to say or to expect All you need to know is that the name of the show is Blank Check Ponyo Wants Podcast! Hell yeah! Ham! Okay, spoilers.

Spoilers. Let's just right off the bat. There's a lot of that in Ponyo. A lot of kids going, you know what I mean? They realize something amazing is about to happen, like they're going to eat a sandwich. I thought maybe you would try the song.

Oh, no. Ponyo. like they're gonna eat a sandwich. I thought maybe you would try the song. Oh, no. Ponyo. Can I get into spoilers right away, David? This is the most exciting.

This is jamming out. I've seen you about anything in Solo. This is my favorite movie of all time. Can I get into spoilers right away? Yeah. Ponyo loves ham. Oh, my God. Let's get into some spoilers. Let's get into some spoilers.

No. Ponyo loves ham. Sosuke loves Ponyo. Ponyo loves Sosuke. Hell yeah. I love Sosuke's mom. Sosuke's mom. Number one crush.

Sorry, Forky. Yeah, you know what? Let's start with this. Yeah, Lisa. I tweeted this and people, because I said I tweeted that I had a crush on the mom from Ponyo. Yeah. And like half the people were like, oh, you see, I have a crush on like a, you know,

100 foot tall sea goddess. And I was like, no, fucking the mom with the like t-shirt. No, that's me. Yeah. Yeah. Right. You're like, eat me, woman. Eat me, God woman.

She's just like, oh. Jen's like, yeah. Giant wet lady. Yeah. The biggest wet lady in the world I'm just like who's this bossy girl Who can make ramen and drives like a maniac She's a bossy round face

She's a classic Simsian bossy round face What does she sing She does that little bit where she's like It's a happy day I can't remember Someone tell me I thought you guys knew everything I'm very excited about this episode it's a happy day or I can't remember. What's this? I don't remember. Someone tell me. I don't know.

I thought you guys knew everything. Damn it. I watched it this morning. I'm very excited about this episode because A, Ponyo clearly itself has you in a rare mood. But B,

we have a guest on the show today who I would say is someone who undoes the clasp on the collar. On the leash. She unleashes the dog. There's certain guests who the wall comes down

and the dog is unleashed and I think our guest today is one of them. You get David David's in a rare mood whenever you come in. You appeal to my silliest side. Yes. We appeal to each other's silly sides baby. Hello. Hi. Hello. Shirley Lee.

Shirley Lee. What's up? From the Atlantic. The Atlantic. Oh. What? What? Spoilers. She likes him.

What's going on? She does like him. Oh. Yes, hello. Hi, I'm here. Hi. How are you doing? I'm doing great.

Switched gigs. Switched gigs. Last time we had you. Do a little gig switch. Do a little gig switching. Last time we had you on the podcast, you were just about to leave New York City for good. I was just about to switch cities. To go work for, ew.

That's a great joke. I've never heard it before. Thank you. And now, still living in LA, but now working for the LA satellite of the Atlantic. So you are technically coworkers-workers with David. That's right. And you were just back here for a couple days. We on Slack together.

Yeah, we're back on Slack together. Slack is back. Back on Slack. Were you not on a Slack in the time that you weren't working? There were a couple failed Slacks. Yeah. None ever took. We had tried a friend Slack.

Yeah, sort of like former employees friend Slack. Yeah, it's hard to keep that afloat, you know? Do you know what was the greatest Slack failure of all time? Please tell. The movie podcaster Slack. That was a failure. That I think Joe Robinson, the great Joe Robinson, put together. And the plan was we said a year ago we were going to do.

Like a big endgame podcast. We were going to do an endgame podcast with 32 different movie podcast being a lot of people in that endgame right and so we were all joking about it and then joe was like we should actually do this and in april of 2018 she was like if we're gonna do this we have to plan it out a year in advance and then all of us were like we'll get back to this in nine months and then it never happened runway was longer than the one in Fast and Furious 6. Oh! Endless runway. It's a long runway.

Yeah. But that Slack had like 37 people in it. It did. And a grand total of four messages. It was like a bunch of people joining being like, hi. And then that was the sum total of their contributions. So was everyone just DMing each other or was there no activity at all? A Slack needs to was the end of the dialogue.

Yeah. Needs to take hold somehow. I don't know how, but there is like anytime I've done one that works, it's some weird. That's the only Slack I've ever been a part of. Yeah. I got a terrible success rate on Slack.

Should we start a blank check Slack? I don't know. I feel like I want less places where I can message you. So I have a greater chance of hitting. Yeah. I don't like responding to things. Exactly. I feel like it's always seemed very antithetical to Griffin.

Definitely. That's the core of my being. Right. No, it was like we were all tweeting at each other about this would be fun. And then there was some DM sliding. And then Joe was like, we need to start one Slack to organize. And the Slack started and four people said hi. And then the conversation ended.

And it was never talked about ever again. No one sent a single gif. No. Gif. No. I'm going with gif. I used to be a gif girl. It's gif.

Yeah. And then she went Hollywood on us. Because you could then say, oh my God. You could say, you know, the gif that keeps on giving. Hollywood gif over here. Yeah. Gif that keeps on giving is fun. But I like saying it now.

Gif. You say the gif that keeps on gifing? I feel here. Yeah, GIF that keeps on giving is fun. But I like saying it now. GIF. You say the GIF that keeps on giving? I feel like I'm yelling at someone. GIF. GIF me GIF. Yeah,

like give me this. I don't want to give you anything. GIF is peanut butter. Bad peanut butter. Ooh. Not that good. What's your favorite

peanut butter? Of the sort of like supermarket like, I'm skipping. Oh yeah. I'm a skipper. Yeah, that's a good call.

And then I have this nostalgia for Mom's like GIF though. I'm skipping. Oh, yeah. I'm a skipper. Yeah, that's a good call. And then I have this nostalgia for... Smooth, crunchy. Mom's like Jeff, though. I'm crunchy. I am crunchy, but sometimes I'll swerve into smooth. You know, fancy a... Swerving into smooth.

Yeah, just a different... You could be a smooth operator or a crunchy boy. I have a nostalgia for Peter Pan, which was the one we had in the house when I was a kid. But I think Peter Pan may have gone off the rails a little bit. Like, it seems like a bit of a junkie option. Here's the thing. Is Peter Pan, which was the one we had in the house when I was a kid. But I think Peter Pan may have gone off the rails a little bit. It seems like a bit of a junkie option. Here's the thing. Is Peter Pan peanut butter? Yeah, Peter Pan peanut butter. That's a lot to say. I always liked it, but I

think now I view it as oh, is that the budget peanut butter? I think, do you know what I'm saying? It's even below Jif on the sort of, right, supermarket scale for some reason. Is Peter Pan the Huntts Ketchup of the peanut butter world? Do you know what I'm saying?

I also am such a peanut butter fiend that I always have a supermarket peanut butter and a fancy stir peanut butter that's all in case, because I might want one or the other. I didn't know you were eating peanut butter this much all you know in case you know because I might I might want one of the others I didn't know you were eating

peanut butter this much yeah it's like my default I love it other butters cashew butter almond butter I've flirted

but I've never never taken them out I've been getting into smoothies and juices right well peanut butter can be a good base for those how'd that happen

I'm so unhealthy truly I gotta start eating breakfast so i drink my breakfast cold waffle yeah great breakfast it's a 3 p.m cold waffle fry for a bunny and ben accepted it very quickly he did he accepted right almost i barely had time to move my hand towards him i've been so unhealthy oh cold waffle fry it like Ponyo jumping out of the bowl for that waffle fry. Hey. When Ponyo grabs that ham. Hello. That's so good.

Griffin, you keep saying Ponyo. I'm sorry. No, it's okay. See, I'm getting some flack for saying Jif. I want to toss it back on Ponyo. You're making a choice. I'm just wrong. Do you know what I'm saying? I allow myself to be correct. It's Ponyo. Ponyo. Ponyo.

Ponyo. Ponyo. Ponyo. I keep on saying that. Ponyo. Ponyo. Ponyo. Like, think of that song, Pond the River on the... Where? No, wait. How does it go?

No, don't worry. There's been a thing recently in the Reddit where people have been saying, I was disappointed by the lack of Ben in this episode. I think maybe he was just really hungover. And every time someone has guessed that, I've gone, yeah, no, that was correct. No one's ever jumped to that conclusion incorrectly

Ben's very awake today Ben didn't pipe in very much I wonder if he was barely awake pipe in Ben sometimes Ben takes it off he's like LeBron it's the energy sometimes it's an academic kind of conversation I can't

I'm a poet. Yeah. Ben, Ben Dusser. We were Ben. Shirley came up with one right before we started recording. Oh, yeah. Do you want to say it? Should I say it?

I feel like I should explain it first. So Ben came over and started fiddling with my mic and tinkered with it. So as he walked away, I said, tinker Ben. Tinky, tinky, tinky. Tinky, tinky. You plussed it.

Introduce the podcast. This podcast is called Blank Check. It's about filmographies. Directors have early success, massive success early on in their career given a series of blank checks, make whatever crazy patent projects they want, and sometimes those checks clear, and sometimes they bounce.

Baby. Yes. Oh, well done. He's graduated to certain tolls over the course of different miniseries, such as Kylo, Ben, producer Ben Kenobi, Ben Night Shyamalan,

Ben Seid, Ailey Ben's with the dollar sign, Ben 19, the fennel maker, say Ben anything, dot, dot, dot. I know I'm getting these out of order. Mr. Bencredible, Eat, Drink, Ben Hosley, Beetle Vape Juice. Yeah.

What the fuck is the, you know, Michael Mann one? Oh, fuck. Oh. At this point, we're recording. This is almost the end of this miniseries, but... But we just wrapped man basically we just wrapped man basically we're jumping ahead in the in the filmography because shirley's in town

hey i screwed things up what's the michael man name what's the michael man name oh uh i feel like someone was proposing some dollar hide ben dollar haas i don't fucking know i don't know michael ben oh wow i nailed it public enemies that's all right dan dan daddario uh um variety tv what about hosley yeah that should be your nickname. Hosley? What are you talking about? Like Ollie. You're just saying your name.

It's just spelled differently? Yeah, it would be easier to remember. I wish you were hungover. What did Dan Daddario say? Sometimes he suggests a name. He's a great suggester. That's why we call him the great suggester. And so I'm just searching back through my DMs to see if he had a man suggestion.

But I'm not sure that he did. I'm just wondering. We can keep talking. I mean, Benny Bumpo would be good if he hadn't changed the name to Hawkeye, you know? Right. Yes, that would be good. There would be no problems with that. Benny Bumpa?

No, exactly. No one would have an objection. No. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Ponyo. Ponyo. Ponyo.

Ponyo. Ponyo. Ponyo. Ponyo. Ponyo. Ponyo. Ponyo. This score slaps

oh yeah yeah I mean that's the thing okay so full disclosure because Shirley is an Ellie resident and we're

so we're doing this a little out of order sorry I feel like Griffin as he is discovering exposed to Miyazaki this is a big jump ahead

we're skipping a bunch of them in the middle I haven't seen before the only ones you've seen so far are Keklyosura which doesn't have a Hisashi score at all.

And then Castle in the Sky, which is a beautiful score, but it's very electronic. It's kind of spare and strange. And I've watched Nausicaa now. Oh, yeah. Because we thought we were going to record it earlier. And so that's all cool. But this is right. This is now where he's like at the height of his power.

I was kind of surprised by how epic this score was. It feels like Lawrence of Arabia or something. Kind of the magic of this movie where you're like, I know this is just like a little fairy tale about a boy and his friend, but like this is kind of like a humongous epic at the same time. There's a tsunami. Even though it only has like three locations and they're all like a 10-minute drive from each other.

Look, this is a thing. I rewatched all of the Toy Story movies recently. At the time we're recording this, it will have been several months before the episode comes out, but it also probably will apply for the week this episode comes out. I assume I will have also rewatched all the Toy Story movies again. Toy Story 1

has four locations. Right. It is crazy. It's like Bonnie's Room. Toy Story 1. No, 1. Bonnie's not born. Andy's House? No. Do we know 1 Bonnie's not born Andy's house No Andy's house Sid's house The gas station

Pizza planet Right And the only other place They go And Andy's house And Sid's house Are next to each other Next to each other

Right Most of the movie Takes place in one block And the only other thing You see is The street For the final Moving chase

And that's sort of Them just repeating The same road and houses over and over again. But it is crazy that much like this, they make a film that feels, that is geographically taking place in a very confined amount of space.

And yet the scope is so large. I mean, it's kind of like a child's perspective when you think about it, right? I mean, they're very small. That's the thing I think both of those movies do really well. Those are small toys. These are small people. These are small.

These are tiny fish girls. As I'm saying, really, Toy Story does stress me out. They are small toys. These are small people. These are small. These are tiny fish girls. Well, as I'm saying, really, Toy Story does stress me out. They're so little. They're very small. Anytime they get stranded somewhere, I'm like, they're so far to walk. You're so huge.

Yeah, I'm huge. A large man. I am a large man. Four does that too, though. Four mostly takes place in a town square. That's what I was going to say. I mean, it's almost a practical necessity. Right, which I love going to say. Right. I mean, it's, right, almost a practical necessity. Right, which I love.

It would just be crazy if they were traveling any further than, right, like, from across the street. Right, because even for most of the movie, the RV is parked around the corner from the antique shop, which is, both are surrounding the carnival. And that's, like, the whole movie. So much of that writing must just be, like, right, how do we have a new reason for the RV not to have left yet? Right?

We have to keep coming up with narrative stalls. But also that thing of how do you not make this, how do you avoid this feeling claustrophobic by making the difference between this corner of the antique shop and this corner of the antique shop very different? And the obstacles between them. Good movie. Yeah. Yes. So great film, American classic. Ponyo.

Let me see the ring. Forky put a ring on it. We all know at this point that Forky put a ring on it.

Forky put a ring on it. This episode is coming out in like October guys. Okay. It's okay. It's a good

running gag. Keep going. How's your life with Forky so far? Great. We're kicking ass together. What utensils do you think Forky uses? Like to eat?

Yeah. They don't eat. Does Forky eat? No. They don't eat. That's the magic of the toys. They're these immortal beings who require no sustenance. I'm angry because you're correct.

That's why I like Toy Story 4 where it's like someone's sort of barging in like, these are immortal beings. They're like mole rats. As long as no one kills them they're inevitable. They never end. It's incredibly hard to kill because you go like the incinerator at the end of three. That seems like that would do them in. That would do them in, right. But like Mr. Potato

can pull off different parts of his body and his consciousness transfers to whatever the parts are on. Like their eyes and their arms can function independently right insane superpower right then all these other characters like if their arm gets pulled off or ripped off they can just reattach it and they gain full function right but then you also have like sid's mutant toys i love that i'm making this into a toy story episode i have a couple questions to ask you and then we'll get to but sid's mutant toys when he's like scrapping

together pieces from all these different toys, they still retain their own consciousness. There's a new consciousness presumably formed by the combination of these separate parts. I feel like this is how the pitch process went for Soul. Yeah. Yeah. This is where that came from. Pixar Soul. Yes.

A movie about. About Pixar Soul. Yes. About Pixar Soul. Yeah. One. Woody. Okay.

Good guy. Hell of a guy. Cowboy. Sheriff. Sheriff. yeah one Woody okay good guy hell of a guy cowboy sheriff the whole series of movies yes are about his life

with Andy and how idyllic it is and then he gets passed on to Bonnie and that's a little more rocky right well he thinks it's idyllic but there are a lot of

challenges throughout that I mean that's the beautiful thing about Woody is he's like I just want to get back to this thing that makes me very happy and he's like I just want to get back to this thing that makes me very happy and he's

always stressed out and makes him feel powerful I mean wasn't that a problem in Sorcery 1 where like the initial sort of cut of the

movie people were like this guy is kind of insane like they needed to sort of soften him a little bit but he still is incredibly harsh

for a lead character in a children's film but it's established in these movies that he's a hand-me-down. From Andy's dad, probably, is sort of the thought. They say he's an old family toy. They say he's an old family toy. Obviously

the second movie is like he's from this old TV show, this old sort of rawhide style. He's been around since the 50s. Jesse remembers her owner from the 50s. Prospector remembers not being purchased in the 50s. Woody never talks about whatever happened before. Why doesn't Woody talk about his life pre-Andy?

Well, it sounds like that's maybe the only thing they can make a five about. That's a very good question. I didn't get in a big fight, but I witnessed Emily getting in a screaming argument. Not a screaming argument. An amusing fight over whether Tom Hanks sounds older now. And I kind of think he does when you watch those uh first the one who i think sounds older is tim allen yeah tim allen sounds a lot older because the first one is like i'm buzz layer and this one's hey i'm buzz like he's like veryyear. He's a child. Just weird because when you think about the arc of the movies

and he's given away from Andy where it's like he never talks about how he definitely went through that before. I kind of was hoping. If he was within the family it's a little different obviously than being given to a totally new person but still. I was hoping they were going to touch it in four. Maybe in some way.

They would touch it. Bam! I was hoping they were going to touch it in four. Maybe. In some way. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Touch it.

Touch it. Touch it. Touch it. Ham. Ponyo likes ham. No, it's okay. Ponyo loves ham. Loves ham.

Ponyo ate all the ham in the sandwiches. Oh, no. That's what I was going to say. Here's the bridge I'm going to build back to Ponyo. So I hadn't seen this movie, you know, Miyazaki Nia Fight. But I was trying to remember what my understanding of the film was when it came out. Okay. And it was, it felt like they were sort of going like, this is like a little one.

This is like very much a kid's movie. This is like a much one. This is like very much a kid's movie. This is like a much smaller story in scale. I thought I was wrong about this, but I thought he had taken over this movie from someone else. Is there one of the Ghibli films that he directed that was originally supposed to be directed by someone else? And then he was like, fuck it, I'll do it. Or am I totally creating that? I'm not sure. I remember one of them being announced because of the fact that he kept on announcing retirements and not sticking to them.

I remember one of them being like, I wasn't going to direct it, but now we had developed it and then I ended up directing it. Googling. But the notion was definitely that this was like a smaller one in between. It's Howl's Moving Castle. That's what I thought it was. Hosada was supposed to make that. And he did not like

his take on the movie and they shelled it and then Miyazaki was like, you know, hang on here. I pulled it off the shelf. I'm pulling something off the shelf here. Ponyo, I believe, was, well, you know what? David's flexing. He's getting ready.

Look at the internet, can't I? Was like them being like, let's do a no CGI movie again. Let's have fun hand drawing a movie. They shut down their CGI department. Right, right.

And sold off the computers. When he said he was retiring, he didn't mean he wasn't going to make more movies. I think he just said he was retiring the way he would make them. Interesting. I think that's what, that was,

anyway, I remember there was just like, there was a lot of hoopla around, like him retiring. And then his fans were like, hang on, what he actually said was he just doesn't want to make movies this way again i can't remember the exact quote

because i'm looking at david and his laptop i remember certainly after like howl's moving castle the the sort of like he might be done he might be over sure and then this one he felt like a surprise of like oh he's like doing this one and it doesn't have the same sort of like sense of importance that the last couple have had uh yes and this one never felt like it was going to be the last one right no uh he loved this movie so much that he wanted to make ponyo 2 right right yeah which is wild and i wish he had it's crazy this movie's 10 years ago too i i just like that's a passage of time yeah um no i and yeah i think it was toshio suzuki the producer the ghibli producer guy yeah who was like what about this like incredible swan song project that you could do you know about like your father's job and like families pushing their sons away you know what i mean like you know

over commitment to work. Japan. Right. About fucking Japan. It's just weird that. The war and everything after. Ponyo comes in the middle of this run of him making increasingly like loftier and loftier movies. Yes. Big epics.

Like big insane epics. Yeah. Yeah. And very like spiritual sort of. Right. And then he was like, no, I'll just do like My Little Mermaid and it'll be like fully delightful. It's so weird that he's like, yeah, this is what I think of The Little Mermaid.

Interesting. Different take. Different take. Imagine if fucking King Triton had like a crazy stripy shirt and like a little watering can. And was a little wizard. I have to say, I'm watching these movies like in the original subtitled versions, you know, because I feel like you gotta, right? Filmmakers intent, all of that. Yes, I watch, in the original subtitled versions, you know, because I feel like you gotta, right?

Filmmakers intent, all of that. I watched this in the subs, yes. But very hard. We'll talk about it. It's okay. Very hard every time that character came on screen not to switch over audio tracks so I could hear Liam Neeson. Neeson is great. All right, what do you think of the dub?

You wanted to say something. No, I was going to say I've actually never watched it with the subtitles on. Does that make me, like like I'm a bad person I would like theatrically were any of these released with subtitles or did you have no these I remember this was dubbed I took yeah so I took my little sister to go see it 10 years ago hell yeah 2009 your sister's about to graduate she's graduating high school that's why this week that is why I'm in town. She was like eight years old at the time or whatever. She was seven.

Yeah. And then I was, I had just graduated high school. That's a lot. I had just, well not just, I was at a college. Yeah.

But I remember we watched, yeah, there were no subtitles. It was just the Disney version. I saw Spirited Away in theaters with subtitles and it was like enough. It was a limited though.

They would delineate. Some will be subtitles, some will be dubbed. So I've seen those options available, but Ponyo definitely is a kid's movie. Obviously, kids are going to struggle with a subtitled movie. Is this also his highest grossing domestically? You mean in Japan? No, in the States. Oh, in the States.

I think this is his biggest American release. I remember this over-performing. I think you're right. Yes, you're right. Oh, in the States. I think this is his biggest American release. Might be. I remember this over-performing. I think you're right. Relative. Yes, you're right. You're right. It made $15 million to Spirit of the Ways 12.

Yeah. Which is domestically. It was kind of crazy. It came out in August and it got the same sort of Disney release that usually doesn't work. And this one did pretty well. It did pretty well. Yeah. It's pretty fucking accessible.

Yeah. It made $164 million in Japan. I mean, that's just crazy. Now that he's unretired again, has he talked about going back to the Ponyo well, as it were? I don't think he's someone to just ruminate on.

Yeah, who knows? I don't know. He seems very one-project. I just love that he was like, gotta make a sequel. Yeah, no, I think, yeah. A hammier sequel. a hammier sequel a hammier sequel ponyo to the secret of curly's ham i don't know um ponyo uh what about ponyo oh yeah no i saw it in theaters uh delighted loved it but then i have seen the dub many times because he used to be on cable all the time. Okay. And so it's the only one where I'm very familiar with the dub.

So I will say Neeson crushes it, does a great job, absolutely crushes it. I have to find Ponyo. But also Tina Fey crushes it as Lisa. Tina Fey.

That's part of the appeal. Now go on. I guess Lisa, my wife, Lisa. The writing is also fairly different because when I was

switching back and forth between the two, I would put on the American dub but with the Japanese English subtitles. Right. And they do definitely change the language a bunch. The intent is the same in every scene.

It's why I'm always most in favor of the sub because it's the original version because it's the original version. That's usually what I do when I watch anime. But Ponyo is a little kids movie and so I've always been much more forgiving of its dub. That's usually what I do when I watch anime But Ponyo is a little kids movie And so I've always been much more forgiving of its dub That's all Noah Cyrus

You got Noah Cyrus and you have Frankie Jonas Also known as the bonus Jonas Are you familiar with this phenomenon? Are you looking at me? I am vaguely familiar When the Jonas Brothers were blown up for the first time Another thing that now for the first time. I'm sorry, that would be burning up.

I'm sorry, when they were burning up. Thank you. That's the other thing that makes me feel like, wow, time has passed. That now the Jonas Brothers are having this comeback and it's supposed to be a big deal. It's their first album together in seven years. It is a big deal. And I'm like, enough time has elapsed. It's like there's nostalgia for the Jonas Brothers.

They rose. They peaked. They started to fall. They broke up. They had separate careers. Nick Jonas gave the greatest performance in modern American cinema in Jumanji, Welcome to the Jungle. And then now they're back together and people are emotional about it.

Yeah. Did you like the Jonas's? You did. I was in high school for the Jonas brothers. Yes, I was. Um, congratulations.

Congratulations. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, no, I liked them. Great.

Like it's, you liked them. Great. Yeah. I'm trying to hedge it a little bit because I was not like, I didn't go to their concerts or anything like that. I wasn't wearing shirts.

What do you call a Jonas head? A Jonas head. No, seriously. I'm actually not sure. I wasn't part of that army. I always thought that was so funny that they were like, here are the three brothers in a band and there's a bonus Jonas.

And it was just their little brother who they would bring out on stage and he would dance for a moment. And they'd be like, there's a bonus dronis and it was just their little brother who they would like bring out on stage and he would like dance for a moment and they'd be like there's your bonus jonas a little easter egg a little cameo yeah jonatics jonatics oh no thank you that sounds like a more like for joan rivers fans i am in that case I'm a genetic. Yeah, I'm a genetic. Yeah. It's a little hard to say. So. Genetic? Genetic? Yes. I think the original idea is Miyazaki's like the Little Mermaid. But then whatever he's writing is obviously

almost immediately disappearing. Right, because he wasn't trying to base the story on the Little Mermaid. He was just inspired by it. Inspired by it. But there is, you know, she is going to turn into seafoam. Yeah, well, I think he just really wanted to draw the ocean. That was the thing, right? He was really just like,

what about if we could fucking hand draw the ocean and put all these computers to shame? That's what he did. Mr. Miyazaki sat down when I want to fucking draw the ocean. Exactly. He wanted to cuck some computers. That's what this movie is.

Exactly. Yeah, Miyazaki cucking computers. And he preferred to draw the sea and the waves himself. Just by himself. It tells you a lot about the guy. Just sitting there. 170,000 separate images in this film.

A record. And Ponyo is Miyazaki's idea of the noise of a soft, squishy thing. Right, so now an onomatopoeia. Ponyo. Ponyo. Ponyo?

Ponyo? Ponyo? Ponyo? And the thing about him is like, that's, I mean, I'm sure you guys are going to talk about this on all the other, oh my God, the time of this is, anyway. Yeah. Yeah, the fact that he does like to hand draw everything himself and he does like to, you know, he's really meticulous about it.

And a lot of other Japanese animators don't do that, right? Like, Mama Oshii didn't do that. I think most directors don't. And Takahata didn't know how to draw. Exactly, yeah. So for him to sit down and be like, let's do 170,000 this, yeah. David, is my name drawn? I think Takahata just had a gun. David's drawing

is more like scratching. Here is the town that he based it on. A real town. A real seaside village he visited. Tamanura. What's also,

to Shirley's point. Shut up, Shirley. That was fine. Yeah, Shirley, shut up. It's fine. To Shirley's point, a thing I talk about a lot that no one else

seems as interested in as I am, this increasing trend of American animated films being a fucking scroll here are the things I talk about that no one seems interested in the scroll keeps like bouncing off the walls oh my god Ben's disappeared

can you drown in a scroll? A ham. Ham. Okay. A ham. Five comedy points, Charlotte. Thanks. This thing where American animated films are increasingly being directed or co-directed

by people who have literally zero animation experience. Where it's not only like people who like came up in animation, but don't really draw themselves or don't really animate themselves, but people who just are like, I'm Rodney Rothman. Right. You know? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right.

It feels like now American animation studios want to cut the animation in six and they're like, we don't want to be like too animated. So bring in some like live action comedy writer and have them co-direct the movie to just like give notes without any understanding

of the technical aspects of the thing. It seems weird and counterintuitive. It's weird. That he would just like say to an animator, make this happen

and then they would have to be like, oh, well, that's going to be hard to do because of X, Y, and Z. Right. So they always have like a co-director who's like the animation. We can't do that. Right, right. But it is of X, Y, and Z. Right. So they always have like a co-director. Right. Who's like the animation.

We can't do that. Right. Right. But it is like DreamWorks, Illumination, all these studios are doing that more and more and more where it's like, here's like Scott Mosier, Kevin Smith's old buddy,

co-directing the Grinch. He co-directed the Grinch. Yeah. And you're like, what's the chain that leads to that happening? I don't know. Maybe he had a great Grinch pitch. Maybe.

The pitch was, what if the Grinch sounds like Griffin Newman? Grinch in a pinch. Maybe he had a great Grinch pitch. Maybe. The pitch was, what if the Grinch sounds like Griffin Newman? Grinch in a pinch. Does he sound like Griffin Newman? Yeah. Played by Benedict Cumberbatch, sounds like me.

He's like, I hate Christmas. And I'm like, why did you hire Benedict Cumberbatch? Who could be like, I hate Christmas. I am the Grinch.

Right. Instead he's like, I don't know. I hate Christmas. Whatever. He sounds so much like me in that trailer. It's bizarre. But you haven't seen the film. Wow. No, I don't know. I hate Christmas. Whatever. He sounds so much like me in that trailer. It's bizarre. But you haven't seen the film?

No, I haven't seen the film. That's just wondering. It might freak me out hearing the sound of my own voice that much. So you don't listen to this podcast? He doesn't. Not usually, I don't think. No, I listen sometimes. I listen sometimes.

I'm not an avid listener. David listens to every episode and subscribes to our Patreon and pays us money Griffin thinks this is funny a cut of that money goes to Patreon

yeah yeah doing us a fine service delighted in this he listens all the time I love it that's why he always says it's the only thing

he listens to he's given up music it's a great podcast he's quit it that's his answer I love it. That's why he always says, it's the only thing he listens to. He's given up music. It's a great podcast. He's quit it. That's his answer. Good podcast. I love listening to it. Well, the other thing is also we record episodes so many months in advance that sometimes I

literally am like, oh, I don't remember anything that we said on that podcast. Like not one thing. Yeah. And then I'll hear a bit and I'll be like, oh, I should have driven that into the ground. Like I should have remembered to do that multiple weeks in a row. I will often be I'm sure you do this too where you're listening and someone says something and you're like well what I would say at this point is this

and then you say it like three months ago. I forget what it was but there was some bridge we established at one point between Star Wars and the Cars franchise and I said wow Mater instead of wow Vader and it has been driving me crazy for like I listen to it. You had to go on like a two week seclusion. I was like that's the one time I would be able to of wow Vader. And it has been driving me crazy for him. Like I listened to it.

You had to go on like a two week seclusion. I was like, that's the one time I want to be able to go. Wow. Vader. And I didn't do it. You did it now. Yeah.

I did it. Now we can place it in. Yeah. Someone cut it back into whatever episode. Ben. Yes, sir. Oh,

you do. Ben's on his phone. I'm just doing worse stuff. I'm doing great. I love this movie. I wanted to bring you in because this is a film with some H2O.

It's made for Ben. It's a soggy. I love wet movies. It's a soggy. Miyazaki. It sneaks up on you and then it's just fucking water, water, water.

You know what I mean? It's a Miyazaki film. That's so funny. Yeah. More comedy points. Thank you. Oh, 10 comedy points. In all seriousness,

I will say this about the portrayal of the ocean life and the idea that it's a kid's movie, but they're really trying to sell the viewer on pollution's bad and we have to treat the ocean with respect. That really got me, and I really think that that's a great moral and lesson in the movie. I agree with that. Also, this movie has a good broth.

It does. Gotta have a good broth. They spend a lot of time on food and preparation. I mean, that's a Miyazaki hallmark. But yeah, for sure. David looks so self-satisfied. It's the process. Good broth.

This whole time he wasn't even listening to Ben. He was just like I want to talk about the ocean I'm like whatever no no I mean I think you know that he begins

the movie we can get into the start of with that just like pristine he begins the movie as films do with a beginning

yeah he starts you know it's like this beautiful magical kingdom it's crazy it's so like

serene and wonderful and it's just P beautiful magical kingdom. It's crazy. It's so serene and wonderful. And it's just Ponyo riding a little jellyfish. And the colors are fucking insane. We got to talk about Fujimoto, right? Her wizard father. And the ship, because I think the ship's design is actually one of the... It's crazy submarine magic bubbles. It's somewhere in this film that takes place in...

What did you say? It's just like you can drive everywhere in 10 minutes. Yeah. It's very small. It's like there's only a little bit of- You're either on top of the hill or not. Yeah. You can only throw in so many fantastical elements that he really loves doing.

So he put a lot of effort into designing that ship, and I love it. Yeah. The ship is so overflowing. It flaps. With craziness. He is so crazy, Fujimoto. Well, that was like Miyazaki's whole idea that's like the villain quote unquote of the film is a father who kind of drives

his son away by caring too much his daughter away I'm sorry yes but that it was like the fact that like the villain is like we have to save the planet right like he's like fighting for the right thing right and he's doing everything based out of the fact that he loves Ponyo yeah and he also knows

like if Ponyo you know eats human he also knows if Ponyo eats human food and all that, it could turn into sea foam. Right, but he's too overbearing in a way that ends up hurting the causes he's trying to fight for. Right. That having been said, man can wear the fuck out of a jacket. Yeah, those stripes are looking good on a boy. He does

have an incredible wardrobe. Imagine Liam Neeson styled like this in real life. I don't want to. Shirley! Imagine Liam Neeson. I don't want to go any further with that. I think Liam Neeson jokes are really

it's a good time to make Liam Neeson jokes. Do you think by October people have just forgotten about that and we can remind them now? No, I feel like maybe there will be another headline. No, they will have forgotten because of course America has high T fever. America cannot stop talking about high T, Liam Neeson's

incredible breakout character from Men in Black International. They fucking love him. A very funny joke implying that he has high testosterone. Oh, no, I took it as high T like the British tea service. Oh, no. I took it as high tea, like the British tea service. Oh, really? I thought it was high tea, like testosterone. No, it's just like... British tea service? What's that?

No, I'm just asking. I'm not doing the bit. What's high tea? It's like this thing that I feel like mostly, you know, a tourist visiting Britain likes to do. Okay, so a thing you've done. Which is like, you know, the very fancy tea service with all of the cutlery, you know, and then like the little tower of sandwiches and all that stuff.

Crust cut off sandwiches. See, I thought it was a joke. That is a high tea. I thought it was a joke. It was a testosterone thing. It was like, my balls are so big. Yeah, that was a joke about Liam Neeson having a killer hog. He does.

That's what I was saying. He's got a big boy. Him and Uncle Miltie. Yeah. Him and Uncle Miltie. Yeah. Did you see Men in Black International? Nope.

I haven't either. I just read the Wikipedia page. I saw his character. I mean, I talked over now, so I could say I looked at the cast list and predicted the twist. I just had to look at IMDB. What's the twist? I just looked at the cast list and I was like- Here's the twist. I just had to look at IMDB. What's the twist?

I just looked at the cast list and I was like... Here's the twist. They're aliens. Oh my god! They are aliens! They exist. Actually, they're real. No, I looked at the cast list and I was like, Rafe Spall's in this? He's gonna be the red herring villain and Liam Neeson will be the villain.

Just because casting Rafe Spall it's either like you're just lazy and you want an English villain. Or you think you're being real clever and you're like, yeah, we'll cast this guy who reeks of English villain. But then it'll turn out he's just annoying. Reeks of English villain. I like that. It's like a terrible perfume. Right, exactly. Here's the other thing I dislike about the high tea thing.

They've never had modifiers like that it's always been the letter fucking hate it yeah i hate high t i hate it but here's the other thing my least favorite character ever i hate yeah men in black is an american concept of course no one in britain is like here come the men in black like the famed like g-men that's a totally american thing that's why they called it international, David. Fuck, you're right. You know what? Sorry, I'm going to write a check

to F. Gary Gray right now, who apparently didn't have Final Cut. And apparently tried to quit the movie several times during production. I feel bad for him. Yeah, what's he going to do except have millions of dollars? No, I do feel bad for him too

because his name is on that piece of shit. Next time, ask me. I'll do it. I'll step in. It is one of those things though. I don't care. I'll direct fucking Men in Black International too. You feel like if the premise was we do Men in Black overseas, you should spend work to try to figure out what the foreign equivalent

of the Men in Black archetype would be. And instead they're just like, they wear like black and white suits, they have sunglasses, have a secret base, deal with aliens. Right, it seems like their premise was just... High tea. High tea.

You see? I mean, the thing that blows my mind about the production article, it's like the studio was torn on Men in Black International or a Men in Black 21 Jump Street spinoff, like emerging of the universes. And I'm like, when you're torn on men in black international or a men in black 21 jump street spinoff right like emerging of the universes and i'm like when you're torn on those two things just settle down go back think of more things yeah those don't have to be the final two choices where you're

like we have to do one or the other that's it make your choice someone said like it's not a franchise killer like in talking about the box office of Men in Black International, I love the word coming out with the piping hot Men in Black International takes when one of the four of us has seen this movie. That came out five months ago. Right, but everything it represents I find fascinating. But they were like, Sony's definitely going to have to put Men in Black on ice for a little while now

and not rush into another reboot. And it's like, or they just never make one again. What are you talking about? It's fucking easy. Don't do it. Men in Black 2't do it Men in Black 2 is bad Men in Black 3 is bad there's one good Men in Black movie

and then people are like well Men in Black 3 is okay and I'm like only compared to other Men in Black sequels is it okay the second best Men in Black movie

is Men in Black the animated series 100% yeah the third best Men in Black movie is I don't know like a fucking

phone game probably right I don't know like what a fucking phone game probably, right? I don't know. Like, what else is it? Oh, there's a ride at Universal that rules. That's it. Number three. Oh, I love that one.

And Will Smith is in it. Yeah. Great. So it's good. It counts. Will Smith's in it. Rip Torn's in it. The fourth best Men in Black movie is him, Will Smith, trying to crawl over all those pipes.

Yes. In Men in Black 2. Yeah, I don't see. Just watched as a one-minute scene. I'd say the Men in Black music videos are better than 2, 3, or International. I would say the original Men in Black one. Yeah, I don't see... Just watched as a one-minute scene. I'd say the Men in Black music videos are better than 2, 3, or International. I would say... The original Men in Black one is better, but... Nod Your Head is a fucking great video.

Nod Your Head is... Nod Your Head, Black Suits Con? I remember that... Do you remember Nod Your Head, Black Suits Con? I don't. You don't remember Nod Your Head, Black Suits Con? No, I don't. It was the song for Men in Black 2.

I don't. My memory's been erased. You're neuralized. Well, the song is sort of... Go on, though. This is fun. Like America was neuralized about Linda Fiorentino. This memory's been erased. Neuralized. Well, the song is sort of... Go on, though. This is fun. Like America was neuralized about Linda Fiorentino. This is my conspiracy theory.

It's a great song because it's a command, and then it follows up with an explanation. So they're saying, nod your head. Wait a second, but let me just... I'll tell you why. Black Suits coming. Makes absolutely no sense because when the men in black are coming, you don't nod your head like, I like that they're here.

Yes. It just feels like that was the end of people being like, if Will Smith's in a movie, he needs to rap a song over the credits. Hitch is the last one I think. Does he do one for Hitch? I feel like Hitch has a song called Switch. Am I wrong about that? Well, Switch is a Will Smith song. I just didn't know it was attached to Hitch. I think it's in the end credits, yeah. But then there was Will Smith song. I just didn't know it was attached to Hitch. I think it's in the under credits.

Yeah. But then there was just some fucking That was a missed opportunity for Hitch to Hitch. It was just a focus group being like, all right,

the Dougie, the electric side, and someone was just like, what about nodding? No one's ever made a dance move out of just nodding your head. I hope there's an actor

who just decides to start doing their SoundCloud rap for their movies. I think that's like, who just decides to start like doing their SoundCloud rap for like their movies I think that's like other actors should do that yeah sure Jonah Hill

I don't know Brad Pitt Brad Pitt those are the credits for Once Upon a Time he sang a song wait do you not know that no

yeah he's like Gran Torino I'm not we're not joking that's No. Yeah, he's like, Gran Torino. I'm not, we're not joking. That's what the song is like. That is my car. Like, when you exit that movie, and you hear it, you're like,

did someone like start an air conditioner in another room? And then you're like, oh no, I guess Clint Eastwood is singing? What's that low rumble? Gran Torino. You know how like the decimal meter, like an airplane taking off,

is like at the high. Dogs are like howling. Clint Eastwood singing is like one decibel. It should just be like Desperado. It should be like Gran Torino. Why don't you come to your senses? I guess I literally want him to change that one word. Do you think Clint Eastwood should join the Eagles?

I think Clint Eastwood should join the Eagles. I'll whip you into shape. One of my favorite things to do with karaoke is pick Nadia Head, Black Suit's Coming, refuse to look at the lyrics, and just try to, within the rhythms of the song, describe what I remember the plot of Men Black 2 being. So I do it with the same enthusiasm the plot is like rosario dawson's the love interest but it turns out she's like an

alien artifact she's like a princess she's like a star right and lara flint boyle is trying to get her yeah he's got plant plant arms yeah and she used to date tommy lee jones which is why they have to deneuralize him right but so he is why they have to deneuralize him. Right. So he can remember. But then they deneuralize him and he's like, I still don't remember. Which has to happen because otherwise the movie would be over. They have the real deneuralizer, which they can't get to work.

So they have to go to Tony Shalhoub and he's got like a janky deneuralizer. That's right. And he's like, it might not work perfectly. Right, right, right. And, you know, I just can't get over the fact that in the first one, they almost suggest that Linda Fiorentino has sex with the corpses. Yes. Like, it looks like there's like a 50-50 chance that that's what she's about to say.

Yes. Because she says to Will Smith, like, you know what I like to do when no one's around. And then they get cut off. Yeah. And she's either saying, like, I have sex near the corpses or with the corpses. It's one or the other. It's sexual. She's having sex with something.

She's about to say, reveal something sexual. Right. And it never comes up again. Yeah. And then there's that whole extended thing where they're yelling at each other where he's like, you know, you got a whole Queen of the Undead vibe and it's so funny. That movie's a fucking masterpiece. It's a masterpiece. It's perfect.

I haven't seen it in a really long time. Gotta rewatch it. You should nod your head. Gotta nod your head. God. Well, you know what a movie I saw recently? Do you,

Ben, I just want to say, Ben leaned into the mic and said, you want to know a movie that I saw recently? Nod your head. While vape was coming out.

Pouring out of his lips. Black suit's coming. Black suit's coming. Yeah, no, okay. So Ponyo, you know what? Her real name's coming. Black suit's coming. Yeah, no, okay. So Ponyo, you know what? Her real name's Brunhilde. Yes.

It's a reference to Wagner. That's right. She lives in an underwater magical submarine with her dad who is a sea wizard. Which is like the best kind of wizard.

Right. And her sisters who are little planktons. I don't know how else to say it. They're like mini Ponyos. Yeah. kind of wizard. Right. And her sisters who are little planktons. I don't know how else. They're like mini patios. I love them. Right. They go.

They fucking rule. I mean, I'm not. They are the best. They're like among the 10 best things in the world. And she gives. She always gives one of them a little kiss. Yes. And I.

Whenever she does that, I feel that. I wish I had little copies of me floating around me. I love that immediately it's like this movie just has you know something is moving in this movie

all the fucking time like it's it's so energetic and like all the like just undulations and the I love it

I couldn't believe how crazy this opening was yeah where because it's like so operatic there's a cold open yes right

and she gets on a jellyfish. She like floats up and then we have the like credit sequence. And it feels like you're watching like a laser light show or something. It's like so sparkly

and colorful and fast. And like the music is just like going insane. Yes. Yeah. I love Finding Nemo.

It's one of my preferred Pixar movies. And it's so pretty and it's so colorful. But it doesn't, you know, you lack that crazy motion. Right. Because the ocean is basically kind of clear in Finding Nemo. Yes.

I keep doing this. No, it's always undulating. Wobbly. Yes. Wobbly. And then she, you know, gets captured by a fishing trawler and it's like classic Miyazaki. Like, you know, hits captured by a fishing trawler. And it's like classic Miyazaki. Like, you know, hits you with the hook. She gets trapped into a little glass jar.

Yeah. And she can't wriggle her way free. I just like that that takes a while. Yeah. That you see her trying to escape, but you know it's inevitable and all the garbage is around her. And I love that she moves like a little shark. Like a little baby shark. Yeah.

All right. But yeah. And then she can't get out of it and we're all doing this. Yeah, and we're baby sharking. Do you like this? Do I like baby shark? How about left shark? No, I don't care for left shark.

Yeah, I like all this. I admit, it was a little jarring for me to jump from castle in the sky. I feel like I'm missing a lot of steps in, but that's fair. Visual wise. But Ponyo is kind of an odd one anyway. I mean,

Ponyo's closest sibling is Totoro. Yes. Those are the two most like child's eye vision. Simple. Yes. Yeah. Stories that he's told. Well,

like simple fable. Totoro is much simpler. Totoro is like insanely, like elementally simple. This has like some shit that needs explaining. And there's like, oh no, she doesn't do that.

You know what I mean? Like there's a little bit more like of a quest. Or there's, yeah, there's more conflict. Yeah. Right. Right.

Right. Totoro is pretty lucky. Totoro is just like, yay. Yay. Things are happening. And in like the last 20 minutes, it's like, oh. Totoro is pretty lucky in conflict. Totoro is just like, yay! Yay! Things are happening. And in like the last 20 minutes, it's like, oh no, she's run off. But I think, I mean, I love every minute of Ponyo, but the first chunk where it's really

just about like that feeling when you're a kid, when you find a special thing that's for you and you're, ugh. You love it so much. You have like an emotional relationship with a thing. The way that Bonnie loves Forky. Thank you! Yes! Yeah, I mean, fair. Absolutely. The way that Bonnie loves Forky. Thank you. Yes. I mean, fair.

Absolutely. That's the idea of Forky, right? Can I ask you, do you view Bonnie as competition at all? I just don't know any way I can answer that question without fully canceling myself. But the thing is, Bonnie is Forky's creator.

Right. So you gotta. Bonnie loves Forky the way a parent loves a child. Like the way God loves all his children Right Just saying David loves Forky on a more sexual

Peer to peer level There's just no sex with the toys One of the things I loved about Toy Story 4 Was that Woody and Buzz didn't I mean not Woody and Buzz Woody and Bo didn't kiss Because I was like let's not get into That idea You know what I mean Like that they would find pleasure That's another question. Woody and Bo didn't kiss. Because I was like, let's not get into that idea.

You know what I mean? Like that they would find pleasure in touching. And you love kissing. Love kissing. Good kisses in this movie. Yeah, very good one. I should make it clear. When I say that David loves kissing, it's not that David loves kissing other people.

David loves hearing that other people have kissed. True. I do love to myself kiss. Well, okay, come on. But I'm not going around kissing people. Just smooching away. Being like, let's kiss. No, you saved that for one special sport.

But I do love, I love to hear that people have kissed. Give him a big smudge. I almost always love to hear that people have kissed. Yeah. And I love a good kiss in a movie. Right. And I abhor a bad kiss.

You were very angry about Aladdin. That was a bad kiss? You didn't see Aladdin? I skipped the screening. Holy World. It was bad? It's between Carpet and Abu. If you remember at the end of Holy World in the cartoon in the animated version

there's that moment where the carpet kind of like kicks Aladdin up so he'll kiss Jasmine and they have like a pretty fucking hot kiss and you're like like that you're like fucking Arsenio-ing over here Griffin is losing his mind

no one makes you sillier than Shirley it is like truly it is true I mean Shirley and Ponyo is also it didn't do anything yeah

go on what about the kiss that was bad as they do almost everything in the live action they kind of recreate the moment

in the live action they make and like they barely I don't know it's lame and these are two hives the irony is it's lifeless

exactly thank you like I mean these two people have been watching them for an hour and I like, I can't wait to see these two kiss. This sounds great. Love them. Love them kissing. Beautiful.

Not much to say about the movie, but I'll see them kiss. And they kiss, and you're like, that's it? Yeah. Jesus. And then Will Smith falls in love with Nassim Pedrad. Weird movie. Do they kiss? Yeah, do they?

This is my summer where I decided to see nothing. I don't know that they kiss. They definitely hug. I don't know. And they fuck, right? Because don't they have little babies? I mean, yeah, off screen they have sexual. Do you see the baby?

Do they talk to it on screen? I don't think they fuck on screen. But you're not so into hugs. Fine with a hug. But I mean, kissing is pretty cool. X's over O's. I nodded. I gave a sort of a sloppy kiss.

It was a very solemn nod. Do you like in a movie where- Nod your head, a solemn nod to your head. Hey, 10 count. Nod your head. Kiss boys coming. What? Do you like a sloppy kiss?

Like what's- Like a lot of tongue. You know when people are gross kissing by purpose because they're so in love? If it's for real, I'm fine with it. I love a sloppy kiss. Least surprising thing I've ever heard. Ben's a little sloppy?

It's the saliva, Ben. I bet your goal is that zero tongue lands inside the mouth. I imagine you're just licking the outside of her cheeks. No comment. Hey, don't get mad at me, Shirley. This is what Ben does. All these images.

Ponyo. Ponyo. Ponyo is rescued by Sosonyo is rescued by sosuke who is an adorable little boy in short pants uh he is the bonus jonas in the um and he lives on a cliff he lives on a cliff by the sea with his mommy his dad uh too but he is on a boat for the whole movie so he's that's what he's doing he's a little boy he has short pants he exclusively calls his mommy by her first name yeah which is funny proper first in the in the original version too not sure why although it's the subtitle so i can't testify as to the word he's using in japanese sure but calls her lisa in the subtitles not sure why yeah weird

one yeah what's up with that sure i mean he's you know, Shirley? He's mature for his age. Yes. He goes with Lisa to the senior home. He's very helpful. He's a very good little boy. A good little man. He's the man of the house.

The movie talks about this. Calling parents by their first name when you're a kid is a great bit. I did it all the time. I still, I usually refer to my father by his full name. I call him Peter and him in most interactions.

Oh, Pistol Pete? Pistol Pete. Or I'll call him Pistol Pete, Petite Pete. I call my dad Bobby Baby. You call your dad Bobby Baby. Bobby Baby,

Bobby Honey, Bobby, Robert Allen. What do you call your parents, Shirley? I call them mom and dad. It's really boring. And then in Chinese, I just call them papa, mama.

And that's it. Equivalent, sure. Yeah, nothing special. I do think it's interesting when you hit that age where you're like... Yeah, when you're transitioning out of the babyish mommy, daddy, whatever. Because I was very much a mommy, papa guy. And those don't age well. They don't age well.

Mommy, papi. But it is hard. And I wonder if the parents have to be involved at identifying the moment where you're like, you know what? Mm-mm. Yeah. No more. I'm not mommy. I'm cutting you off.

It's over. I'm not mommy. I'm Lisa. And you have a sibling who's much younger than you, which means that probably the word was, exactly, so maybe that would

mess things up more, I don't know. That did mess things up with, yeah. Because you have a much younger sibling too. Yeah. My sister,

yeah. She's like 10 years younger than you. I think you're on something here. Right. Because I think that's why you just kind of stick with the juvenile way

of calling your parents. Although I don't know. I don't know. I i don't still feel weird well sosuke calls his mommy lisa and he is a classic miyazaki uh protagonist and then he's practical you just punched your mic he kind of has a can-do attitude you know but he's also pretty connected to nature and uh i think he's great. Any of his future endeavors, if he wants to look me up, I'm happy to help him out. I think he's super fucking cool. I like his pants.

Would you vote for him in the Democratic primaries? I think like, yes, of course. Yeah, of course. 100%. He's the kind of like optimism,

you know, future thinking that we need right now. Let's just start a podcast. Me and Sosuke? Yeah. Sims and Sosuke short cast Sosuke loves Ponyo

short cast right finds little baby Ponyo in a bottle gets how to fix it you know cracks it with a rock yeah

but that's also figures that out he's got a little drop of blood cuts his hand cuts his finger Sosuke licks it I mean Ponyo licks it Ponyo licks it yeah Ponyo licks it.

Yeah. And apparently that's sort of the moment that like seals her as like having one put in the human world. Right. I mean, that's the weird thing in this movie is it's like, oh, you think it's just to show that she is magical and that she can fix wounds, but it's also that that's the way she gets infected by the curse of humanity. Exactly.

Right. Exactly. Right. She absorbs his blood and then turns into like a, yeah.ujimoto it's like i mean it's real metal you're saying it's like fuck humanity's in her now yeah what a disaster right hate those now she's got chicken arms and legs well that takes her it takes her a while before she gets her chicken arms and legs yeah um but uh you know at first uh what was it? But is it bad? No.

Well, it's good. But definitely need that. You need that bond. Yeah. And he's delighted to have to have her around. And he thinks she's a goldfish, as everybody does in the beginning of the film. Right. Like, and I think like.

I love that they call her a goldfish. Yeah. Just that classic kid thing, though, you know, the little bucket. Yeah. He's guarding that with his life. Yeah. It's the most with his life. Yeah. It's the most important thing in the world. There's this little, there's a park in Shanghai near my grandparents' apartment.

And when I was really little, I would always go and like, you can get, you can fish for goldfish. Yeah. And then you bring it home and it's that feeling of like, look at my new friend. Yes. And it's like, and you would, you don't want that fish to ever die. No. And you give it a name.

And it's, yeah. When you get the fish in the bag from like a fair or whatever. Yeah. Yeah. But those were my favorite and they would always die.

Yeah, they always die. They were really horrible. Which is so funny to think of because like, right, to the fish, we are a pretty shapeless blur

that's like, oh, oh, oh, right? Like, they have no idea who we are. Yeah.

But you know what I, I won a goldfish when I was a child at a carnival. Oh, the snack that smiles back. Yes, I won a package of Pepperidge Farm goldfish at a carnival. No, but I won a goldfish in the plastic bag you're talking about. I named it Car. Because we were in a car when my parents asked me what I wanted to name it. So I said, it's a car.

How old were you at the time? What was it, 24? This was in 2017. Right after I'd gotten fired off my lane. Car! I named it car. And your parents weren't like, it wasn't like a men in black situation

where they were like, go back to the drawing board. They were so worn down. Are you kidding me? It's a fucking car. Who cares? They've been my parents for like six years. They were like, whatever your fucking thing is this week. I don't know.

And I was like so attached to it. And then the next day they were like, it looks weak. We don't have food, this and that. And we drove and we put it back in the river. Well, that's better than nothing. I cried about it for like days. But you weren't a sensitive kid or anything like that. No, not at all.

I never loved a fish again. Fair enough. I hurt too much. When you hear the word car, you flash back to your day. I don't have a driver's license. I only had a fish once, same thing, and it died very fast. And it was one of those moments where we buried it

up on the roof garden. It is a weird thing. We put kids in death. Even if it's just a brief pet like that. You think about existence, yeah, real early. In college, one of my friends had a fish that she kept on her desk. It was a very, not a very big fish.

And she called it Alpen, which is a brand of like raisin bran. Okay. In Britain, where I fucking went to college and grew up because we never got to that. What? Who? Where? When? Why?

2005-ish, we're talking right now and um she fucking loved it and she would always talk about how like when she was doing work she could just look up and like there he was right yes i guess it's the point of a fish yeah and then one day one night she comes to my room she's sobbing alpin has died oh boy and so i like walk back to her room and I'm like okay here's the fish looks dead. And I had heard the trick that if you put alcohol on the fish

it can like get it back to life. What? Yeah. And so I was like I'm gonna try something we'll see. Who knows.

Who knows. And I like scoop it out I poured vodka on it and it came back to life. What the hell? It's crazy. I'm sorry. What?

Where did you hear that trick from? Some fucking idiot kid probably said back to life. What the hell? It's crazy. I'm sorry. What? Where did you hear that trick from? Some fucking idiot kid probably said it to me. Nick Nolte told you. And if I ever pass, I'll pour alcohol on my skin. Wake back up. Look, I'm alive again. That's insane. Didn't live much longer. I cannot believe That's insane. Didn't live much longer.

I cannot believe that is true. I think it was... On a scientific, biological level. I think it was just some... It's like a fucking, you know, defibrillator. It's like just an insane shock to the system. Is it any alcohol? I don't know.

I use vodka. I mean, this is all insane could you could you give a goldfish like a fernabranca and whatever fernabranca fernabranca god i forgot about that yeah fernabranca fernabranca but before you give it the fernabranca you have to sob me i have failed you master i won't see another Wade Donner. Fanny Brunker. Fanny Brunker. I will not bury another member of the Wade family.

I'm going on holiday. Fanny Brunker. Have fun with Catwoman. If you come back, just go to that place. I'll be getting a Fanny Brunker. Sorry. Fanny Brunker. Fanny Brunker.

Fanny Brunker. Fanny Brunker. Don't let Bane break your back. don't let pain break your back if you do the only cure is ropes many ropes do you like the dark knight returns ray rises whatever the fuck it's called whatever that one is

whatever it turns out tenet is a fourth batman movie I can't wait there's a, because people have been saying like, oh, it's like Inception adjacent. Cool. And I think they're just saying like,

oh, it's like him doing a big original high concept thing. Right, right, right. But how crazy would it be if it's like, no, it's a dream thing too. Yeah, it's just about like the guy who invented the dream thing. Surprise. Surprise.

Hey, Cheryl. What were you talking about? You know, Ponyo gets revived. Oh, Sasuke. We love Sasuke. We are Hey, Cheryl. Who were you talking about? You know, Ponyo gets revived. Oh, Sasuke. We love Sasuke. We are voting for him. And Sasuke. We stan.

Yeah. So Sasuke has Ponyo. I like that he, you know what I like about Miyazaki's kids? This is a bit of a tangent. It's just like, they always take a couple calls in order to respond.

And that's very kid-like, right? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, like Lisa's like, a couple calls in order to like respond. And that's very kid like. Right. Yeah. Like Lisa's like, so it's a guy. And he's like, and she has to call like five more times. And he's like, oh, yeah. Then he has to trump back up. I also love when the sea is trying to reclaim Ponyo and you see its eyes.

Yeah. Those were terrifying. They are scary. And Sosuke just goes like, that was weird. Anyway. Anyway. Right. You know, it's that like,

it's just like a Totoro. Like these kids are on that liminal like fantasy reality space where they're just like pretty much anything. They're like, okay, I can roll with that.

Right. Like if you're that age and a magical thing happens, you're like, right, I still believe that magic exists. Where it's like, all right,

Ponyo's a fish. I love fish. And it's like, hey, turns out Ponyo is a person who loves you. And you're like, great, believe that magic exists exactly where it's like all right ponyo's a fish i love fish and it's like hey turns out ponyo is a person who loves you and you're like great i love ponyo well the thing about this movie though is lisa that's like lisa is also yeah lisa's also like that's chill that's great fine by me jesus like it's so hard for kids to make friends in this town yeah i will also everyone in j Great, I love Ponyo. I can't get over it. Great, I love Ponyo. That is the plot of the movie. The whole plot of the movie

is about them falling in love, like, in a very childish way, but, like, they're having this own adventure and everyone else is like, but do you think this is, like, love? Like, what are we talking about here? You say childish, but it's pure. It's pure, pure.

Yeah, that's exactly it. Right. It's like what you and Forky have. What the fuck do I and Forky have? Because you've implied we have like five different things. You're like, you love to fuck Forky. I take it back. You have a beautiful childlike love for each other.

Relationships are complicated. They're multifaceted. They're indescribable. We don't have the term. Trash. Yeah, it's transcendent. There's no way. Looking at you, watching you look

at Forky warms my heart. I watched you look at Forky. And I watched you look at Forky. Well, but you were sitting in front of me. But I kept on turning around. Kept turning around doing this. I kept on turning around giving David a thumbs up and nodding my head. I was taking advice from Will Smith.

Every time I liked something on screen, I would nod my head. was taking advice from will smith every time i like something on screen i would nod my head but i was letting your head when you like a thing in the film i was every time i approved of something in the movie i would turn around to david nester and flash like two very like violent thumbs up which is like every 45 seconds. Good, good, good. Griffin loves Toy Story. It was one of those things where I barely cared about Toy Story 4, certainly. Was not that excited. I would argue you were antagonistic.

Are you okay? No, I'm fine. It just became a thing where I was just like, we just gotta get Griffin in. We gotta get him into this fucking thing. It became a fucking heist movie unto itself. Because you guys were plus one. They didn't give it to you. Which is fine.

Disney rarely gives me plus ones. I reviewed the movie. Did they give you one for Toy Story 4? So many people bring like four kids. That's what we realized when we got in there. I had a plus one. Well, you're in LA. Whoa.

I don't know. I'm talking about New York City. What's that? All right. This was star-studded screening. Lights Camera Jackson, host of the Back to You podcast was there. Sandy Kenyon. He's always there.

Neil Rosen, he of the New York One Wormy Appy. Wormy Appy. He gives movies a series of apples to rate it. Or a Wormy Apple. My favorite film critic. David a wormy apple. Or a wormy apple. My favorite film critic. But David Astrid plus one.

Ben Hussley number one. The wormy apple guy number two. Our second finest film critic. A wormy appy. You Astrid plus one. No go. No go. And I was like,

fine. I didn't, I was, I was, I knew it was a tenuous ask. I'm reviewing the movie for FilmSpotting. Right.

FilmSpotting people reach out to Disney, and they're like, we got you a plus one to the screening of Chicago. And I was like, am I going to take a fucking plane to see Toy Story 4 early? I was about to. I was looking up flight rates, right?

And then we're recording an episode. I'm losing my mind knowing that David's going to go see it without me. Right. I almost just felt guilty. I was like, this just seems wrong. Right. And Ehrlich.

Even though it is my job and I had to see it for embargo. Right. Yes. And Ehrlich was like, I asked for a plus one and they never got back to me. Right. So I can play oblivious. Like, I assume I got my plus one and we show up with you there. And my thought is 50-50 chance they just let you in.

Yeah. And I was like, fuck it. I'm it i'm gonna do it right so i went uptown this is after i had been lobbying everyone to try i know everyone went uptown was like two blocks away to be like okay i'm just waiting for erlich to get here erlich wasn't gonna get there until like 10 minutes before the movie started and i was like oh fuck it's gonna be like tight especially people bringing like six kids it's just about capacity and they don't have like an overflow room or whatever and i'm like two blocks away i'm getting a sandwich i'm online and lawson just texts me he goes oh i have an extra ticket for toys and here's what happened yes i sat down next to richard as i often do and i was and he was like i had because i knew he'd had a plus one but he was it taken. And he was like, well, my plus one actually canceled. And I was like, text Griffin Newman now.

Like, now. A rogue plus one over here. And he was like, well, but is he, I mean, could he get here in a time? And I'm like, he's here. He's here. He's casing the joint. Exactly. He's got a sandwich and he's here.

I was looking for vulnerabilities. I was scouting out, like, is there a fire escape? Is there a way into the theater? You were like in a garbage can, like kind of walking around. Yeah, garbage can. You were being I was being a sneaky boy. I was prepared. I was

like losing my mind. I was like, if David sees this before I do, I will be equally upset if he loves it or hates it. I need to have I need to form an impression the exact same moment David does. And old Dickie Lawson came through. Got you in there. Walked those two blocks, met me in the lobby of the theater with a little Toy Story ticket.

That's beautiful. Yep. And you saw it. You ate mac and cheese bites? I did. They were pretty good. Yeah. How many times more will you see it?

I have tickets to see it tomorrow night. At the time we're recording this, the opening night, seeing it opening night with TC-14. Hell yeah. I'll tell you this, okay? The summer has been weak for movies. Yeah.

I also have been very depressed in the wake of the Tix cancellation. Sorry to hear about it. I think I'm going to see it too many times. I think this movie is really going to function as a solve for me this summer. Right. Because I believe I saw... Oh, fuck.

What's he about to say? I believe I saw three ten times on theaters. Ten? I believe I saw it ten times. And that's my least favorite of the franchise. I think the one I've seen the most, like a movie I've seen, like I think four is the most I've ever seen a movie in a theater.

Yeah. What about you, Cheryl? You're thinking? I think three. Three. Yeah. I'm the worst here. Toy Story 3 I fully saw one time.

WALL-E I saw six or seven times. I saw Beach Bumble Bunch, but I was fucked up every time, so it really just counts as once. You probably accounted for like three quarters of its sale. I like the idea that Ben would get stoned, decide to go see Beach Bum, and then realize 20 minutes in, oh, I think I've seen this already. And that repeated itself 10 times.

Hey, Shirley. Hey, what's up? Ponyo. That's what's up. We're getting back. All we've done is get to the house. You let the dog off the leash what can you say

he's running oh crap she drives senior home that's true but there's yeah

well right there's the little thing with like where Sosuke has his annoying friends who are like bugging him about his fish yeah what's your goldfish

Sosuke yeah those aren't his real friends his real friends are old ladies he just has the one trick which is the friends who are like bugging him about his fish. What's your goldfish? Those aren't his real friends. His real friends are old ladies. He just has the one trick, which is the spitting the water on you. The one line that his annoying friend has. What is it? It's like, you're five. You have no job.

Right, right. Because he keeps being like, I'm busy. He's like, I can't talk to you right now I can't play right now I'm busy but he is busy but then Ponyo gets taken away I love him hiding Ponyo when he goes to school

in the little bushes and puts a leaf on top of the bushes and he's like these bushes aren't even part of the school yeah but then Ponyo gets taken away, right? Yeah. Fujimoto, there's this- Are you saying Ponyo gets taken?

I'm a particular watering can. Yeah. I'm just saying you have stolen my fish daughter. I like the Tina Fey clocks. Jesus, Lisa. I didn't even watch the dub. The Lisa clocks Fujimoto. Yeah.

And it's like- There's no weed killer here. This is 80% a pedophile 20% a rogue gardener stop killing my weeds and his answer that's supposed to

diffuse the situation is not at all what are you talking about I'm using water to or else I will dry out on land is that what he says

I'm trying to humidify myself he's talking about humidifying himself he's such a sight I just love seeing him with his insane watering can. He's weird like bow-legged walk.

Great Halloween costume. If someone could nail a Fujimoto, I'd be all for it. I love a disheveled wizard. I love a wizard that's just like kind of a mess. He's like can't really present himself socially. That's like my kind of wizard. I don't like like a sophisticated wizard. Like a put together wizard with like everything, like all his ducks in a row. Like you like my kind of wizard. Yes. I don't like like a sophisticated wizard. Like a put together wizard

with like everything like all his ducks in a row. Like you like the Gucci meta type. Yeah. Because the thing is like he dresses well but he's got like

sort of the sunken cheeks and eyeballs. He looks kind of tired. He's working. He's got to pour them elixirs. He also kind of looks like a David Bowie face. Yes.

A little bit, yeah. There's like a blue eye shadow around the eye. There's something very glam rock. He's a bit like Steve Buscemi. Like here's like a fan art of him. Oh,, there's like a blue eyeshadow around the eye. There's something very glam rock. He's a bit like Steve Buscemi. Like, here's like a fan art of him where he's hot.

Oh, that's too sleek. I don't like it. But like, that's what I imagine. Like, it looks like, like Tilda Swinton-y,

right? Oh God, Swinton would nail this live action pony. Yes. But, but you know, that's like who you imagine

the sea witch being like, sure, I'll make fish babies with you. Yeah. Let's do it. Yeah. Look at like, sure, I'll make fish babies with you. Yeah. Let's do it. Yeah, look at like the blush and the like contouring on the nose. Yeah, yeah. What a pointy nose.

I mean, yeah. And then just like. He's got some male model. What is more inspiring than this image? Describe the image for our listeners. Yeah, Ponyo. So Ponyo gets captured. We can get to the plot point of this, actually.

And Fujimoto's like, you go in here. You know, like he's like, you can't live on the surface world. And she escapes with the help of her little fish sisters. And then, yeah, she grows herself like a chicken body and a little, you know, this puffy little sort of pants that babies wear in Japanese movies. But you know, like, yeah, no, I know what you're right. They all have that outfit. Yeah. I assume it's just sort of a little girl.

Right. Exactly. It's almost like a petticoat. Yes. And she, you know, blasts her way to the surface. She causes a tsunami. Yeah. Well, she like there's that little bit with fujimoto where he's like this

is where my best magic is and she can like bust that open she's so all kinds of bullshit's happening and i kind of like they don't touch on it too much with the rules of his job and how he is like sort of instrumental in the mechanics of the ocean yeah in some interesting way like on some magical chemical sort of level yeah but also that he's this like overprotective helicopter parent that like comes out of love, but he doesn't know how to express it well. And what you were saying about,

David's just smiling because it's a picture of Ponyo skipping on the seas. I've never seen anything greater. I love her. This movie and Master and Commander, which are both movies about the sea, are the two movies that I will play

when I'm in a bad mood. Master and Commander and Ponyo. the sea are the two movies that I will play when I'm in a bad mood Master and Commander and Ponyo when I'm in like a serious funk I put them on and it solves it at the same time

that would be weird yeah you sync them up no I was gonna say there's something to the fact that it's like that you know this movie is kind of

a love story and the dad is so overprotective about like no boys right no human boys but the cool thing about that is it's not just like no human boys. It's like actually

there is a really big responsibility that I have as an adult sea wizard. And like I need, like this is, you know I'm not trying to prevent you from doing what you want to do, but actually I have a job here. But I think that's the thing that Miyazaki's kind of into is just like so much of

antagonistic behavior that parents throw upon their children is them not knowing how to express their genuine well founded concern. Exactly. If she weren't his daughter he wouldn't care this much. And Miyazaki who by all accounts is a bit

of a stern parent himself. Yeah he's made this movie about how like children are unpredictable and uncontainable and like so full of life and like little chicken arms,

little chicken arms. Exactly. You kind of got to pull a Lisa and just roll with it. Yeah. Because when Pony, there's the big tsunami and there's the,

I mean, I love that the unspoken thing in this movie is that Lisa is like the worst or best driver of all time or maybe both. Like everyone kind of knows that she's a maniac.

The thing where she after Pony gets taken and Sosuke's just sitting there and he looks all sad and he's got his big ice cream. She's just like, it's okay, Sosuke. It happens. She's like, can I have some ice cream? He's like, yeah.

She leans over while not looking at the road and takes half the ice cream with her fucking tongue and they're driving by the cliff it's insane I love her but they see the tsunami they see Ponyo

just running yes she running right she's running well cause once she's captured and they realize that she's tasted human blood

she tells her father how much she wants to be on earth how much she wants to be human she wants to have arms and legs and so she wants to be a human. She wants to have arms and legs. And so she wills herself into evolving. And then she becomes a little,

a little, she goes from becoming a chicken girl. Yeah. Right. To a real girl. Correct. Fish girl to chicken girl. Yeah.

Her little chicken. I love the chicken state. Her head is still sort of just like a blob. Yeah. She's like a blob with the eyes and a mouth. And the mouth is humongous. Right. She looks like a

not a cuttlefish. What's that thing that everyone always memes? A blobfish. Yes. Are you talking about a blobfish?

The blobfish or the oh. The fish that looks like like an old Jewish man's face. You know which thing I'm talking about. I do. I just want to show you

the image. Yeah. That thing. Now what about the the one that the Pokemon Mudkip is based on? What is it called? Axolotl?

I just said a word that I'm not sure. Pretty impressive. It's one of those things where it immediately autofilled when I typed AX. And I'm like, these fucking things listen to us. See, look. Yes, no, that's exactly what she looks like. That's what her face looks like. Here is Mudkip, to be clear.

Yes. That's exactly what she looks like. And I like her face looks like. Here is Mudkip, to be clear. Yes. That's exactly what she looks like, and I like that she's got little chicken arms and legs. It's pretty... I had to rewind it and go through. I was like, wait, when did the transformation happen? It's kind of crazy how gracefully it's done. Yes. Because she's got the chicken

arms and legs, and she's running, and then she's got this bucket, and she puts the bucket on her head and the transformation happens there. It's not like they hide the transformation with her arms but it's also not like they animate it in a way where you're like seeing the evolution. She looks so...

And then she'll go back to Chicken if she does magic. She kind of like loses her shape a little bit. I was a little disappointed she didn't stay and Chicken stayed for longer. It's kind of crucial. It's so much fun. This is her with the bug where she's running on the water. Loses her shape a little bit. I was a little disappointed she didn't stay in chicken stay for long. But I mean, it's kind of crucial. It's so much fun. This is her with the bug where she's about to sort of like complete the transformation.

And but then when, you know, Sosuke sees her in this new form, he still knows like it's Ponyo. Yeah. Yes. It's my fish. And rather than be like ask some questions, he's just like, you're a baby now. I get it. Yeah, you're like me. She's baby.

And he already knew that she likes ham because she ate the ham out of his bucket. He gave her a little piece of bread. Wild. Wasn't interested. She went, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. And he said, what about ham? And she went, cool, I'll take the rest.

I'll take the whole slice. And she slurps it like some disgusting ham monster. Hell yeah. And Lisa, there's like a power outage. And then it's just like that Miyazaki thing that no other fucking animated movie does. Where it's just like every bit of business is interesting to a child. Children like doing little jobs. And every little touch that he puts into that entire sequence, I love.

Like she takes the light and just holds it on her head. I fucking love that cool that cool little like remote outlet light the fact that she bounces all over and she hits the glass door like there's all

these little mistakes but they feel so organic and it's just it is how it is how a fish girl would react to her new surrounding and also children

love doing that as you said they love mirroring the things that adults do that seem banal they get into the fantasy stuff later but like I have a lot of friends who have kids now, and the first things they want to do is pretend to cook, pretend to clean, pretend to have a little baby.

Do you know what I just remembered about, which I'm like, wow, that is perplexing? Do you remember, I don't know if these still exist, but they would sell those toy shaving kits so that a child could shave along with their father. Right. shaving kits so that a child could shave along with their father. Fake shaving cream and then a plastic razor that was completely dull so that you could put cream on your face and then

go through the sensation of it disappearing. I always would see that at the drugstore and ask my parents. They'd be like, yeah, it doesn't do anything. I'd be like, what are they trying to shave? They'd be like, yeah, it doesn't do anything. And I'd be like, wait, what are they trying to shave? And they'd be like, nothing. It's, I don't know. How do you think Carr is doing right now? Oh, boy. I hope

he's like the Ponyo of that. He became like the biggest goldfish in the Hudson River. Yeah, that he's like the mayor of the Hudson River. No, I was just going to say that that's like this task that grown-ups view as a fucking nuisance. And this messy, annoying, largely painful thing to do. And kids are like, I want to do that.

Yeah. I remember Romilly, when she was little, my sister would always want to watch me gargle mouthwash. Wow. She thought it was so funny. It is kind of funny. And she wasn't even laughing that much. She would be like, you have to tell tell me when you're going to do it. She didn't care about brushing teeth because she did that.

She does that and that's annoying. But the mouthwash. When you're a little kid, you're like, ugh. Right. But when I was like 15 and I would do the full like, like in each cheek.

That's another level. Yeah. Right. Anything like that. And so like this thing of just like, okay, the like the power's out. You kids need to step up.

We got things to do. And them trying their hardest to do sort of like basic grown-up tasks. Yeah. He likes helping. No, yeah. I think what's interesting about this, I remember reading like when they did test screenings of this, I don't know if it's true, but when they did test screenings of this, I think Miyazaki was kind of surprised that the kids weren't like weren't really responding to it with a lot of enthusiasm and they were more just like engrossed by it.

And I wonder if it's because they were like, oh, that's me. Sure. They're just watching. Yeah. Yeah. Mostly when I watch a movie with a little kid, they are quiet. They just watch like they're watching the most incredible thing in the world. It's very quiet

and very like transphobic. Right? I mean, I don't know a lot of kids who are like, like, you know, like,

you know, like sort of shouting things out. I feel like when that happens, the kid doesn't like the movie that much. I mean, I know I was yelling about the big fish a lot,

but I watched. Oh, sure. Just to be like, big fish. Yeah. Medium fish. That is what it's just kept being like, big fish. Yeah. Medium fish. That is what it's like to watch a movie with fish.

He calls out things a lot. Did I tell you when I saw Apollo 11, there was a dad and like a kid, like a five or six year old kid sitting next to me. Did he lead over and say, that's Apollo 11? He asked it. That's the American space program. He said, is's Apollo 11? He asked it. That's the American space program. He said, is that Apollo 11? Which number is that?

Every single thing was a question. Sure. And that's a movie that doesn't have like talking heads or narration or any of that. Right. So when they go like, the eagle has land, they'd be like, where's the eagle? There's a bird on this moon now? He just kept on asking very like curt questions. And the dad would be like, he's an astronaut.

America's going to space. What's happening now? The space program continues. Right, space, space, space. But it was like, if they used any code word, he'd want a definition. He'd want an explanation of what was going on at every moment. Fair question. The eagle has landed.

I don't see an eagle. I see a weird boxy thing. Is that Apollo 11? Is that Apollo 11? Well, then redefine what you think of it, you know, what an eagle is. Is boxy thing. Is that Apollo 11? Is that Apollo 11? Well, then redefine what you think of, you know, what an eagle is.

Is he an astronaut? Where's the moon? Is that the moon? Houston? Don't you mean Houston? Yeah. That's a real New Yorker kid. That's a New Yorker kid.

Well, the thing is, I don't know. Kathy, I used to have to take Kathy to go see movies while my parents... It's your little sister. Yeah, sorry.

Kathy, my little sister. We are 10 years apart. And I used to have to go take her go see movies while my parents. That's your little sister. Yeah, sorry. Kathy, my little sister. We are 10 years apart. And I used to have to go take her. You were the designated. Yeah. And she actually, like when I'm thinking back on it, like this was the last movie we saw together before I went off to college. But growing up, I remember taking her to some adjacent theater while my parents went to go see like a legit adult movie. And she was actually really fussy

for most of those and I don't know I think she might have either been bored or she was just kind of like none of this matters to me yeah so I don't know there's something special about Ponyo Ponyo rules they get some ramen

I like this scene a lot Miyazaki movies. Exactly right. It's like a process. Put in your noodles. Wait. And the hot water. Three minutes. The hot water.

It's hot. Close your eyes. Don't pee. Hot ham water. Exactly. And then there's a ham and there's an egg. But it's a fairly

unobtrusive egg. I was watching this scene between fingers. I was kind of sneaking You were sort of like trying to I do love ramen.

I just get my ramen without ham or egg. Oh, you don't like ham either? Oh, we talked about this. I'll do pork ramen sometimes. I prefer chicken ramen. I definitely go no egg, but I eat ramen

multiple times a week now. Yeah. What a fucking image. I mean, look at those scallions. Beautiful. The scallions are really that gets me going. And the thing is, like every frame of this movie, I mean, look at those scallions. Beautiful. The scallions are really, that gets me going.

And the thing is, like every frame of this movie, I mean, there's always something undulating, right? Like looking at the steam there. Looks good. It feels safe. It feels homey. Yeah.

It's cozy. Yeah. You know, outside, there's a tsunami. Like, yes. There's a storm. That too. When you're a kid and you're like,

I know that something bad is happening, but like, it's okay because I'm at home. My mom's here. And it's like, and you're like, I know that something bad is happening, but like, it's okay. Cause I'm at home. My mom's here. And it's like, it's going to,

it's fine. It's comfort food. The process, your parents making you feel better and giving you food that like, it brought me back to that. Yeah. You have a new fish girlfriend and it's, everything's lovely.

And there's something about like hot soup like that too. Like I always think about like when it's cold outside, when I'm sick, when I want that comfort late at night yep yeah Sasuke loves Ponyo

Ponyo loves ham Ponyo says ham like 50 million times in this scene yeah it's a great scene very ham focused Ponyo falls asleep

and she's tired so cute in the classic there's that cut to her being like she's like got to her being like, she's like got the ramen noodle. But she's just like,

it's another classic kid thing where you're like, it's time to sleep. But as a, you're a kid and you're like, you're trying so hard. I want to stay up. I mean,

it's been a good day. And then instantaneously, there's a moment where you just shut off. How many times have you seen this movie do you think telly's 10 a lot yeah yeah i used to watch it on cable as i said and then i just bought i bought it on blu-ray okay and i'm bit the bullet retired bit um i have always had anytime

i've had a partner a person in my life they have agreed with me on ponyo uh-huh so forky likes ponyo and so like they would be happy to watch it with me but maybeonyo. So Forky likes Ponyo. And so they would be happy to watch it with me. But maybe I'd watch it by myself. It's certainly a Miyazaki movie I've seen the most. But again, it's just because it is such an instant comfort food movie. And even though this movie came out when I was fully an adult. Grown up.

It's not like I have a childhood nostalgia for this movie. But it doesn't matter. I have a 20-something nostalgia for this movie. That's allowed. I know. Thank you, Shirley. You're welcome. Anyway, go ahead. Well, no, so we're in the comforting section

of the movie before the anxiety settles in. Right, but then we do cut in the comforting section of the movie before the anxiety settles in. Right. But then we do cut to the boat where Sosuke's dad is. And they talk about the goddess of mercy. Koichi. This has already been this thing that he was supposed to come home. That's the best. The great, you know, light conversation they have where she spells out jerk.

She spells out bug off. Right. She goes bug off, bug off, bug off. Yes. Yeah. Which for some reason, because in the American one, I guess. Yeah.

I don't know. It's okay. Yeah. And then to speak to how occupations always come up in these films. Yeah. I feel like you get a lot

of sort of insight into the Mariner's life. Well, in the Miyazaki thing of like, you have a trade, you're very committed to that trade. And if you give so much to that trade and if you give so much to that trade that there isn't enough to fully be there for your family so be it right

yeah 100 right that that's sort of like the curse of like yeah the the father figure right yeah it's like he's too on the job he can't he can't quit it whether he's an evil sea wizard or a human boatsman exactly yeah um so there's some stuff going on such as the moon is falling out of the sky there are a couple things that are a little weird so it's basically like you know fujimoto is like reality is out of balance uh because of what's going on and so goddess of mercy shows up and she's like, don't worry about it. As long as she passes the test, it's all going to be okay. Yeah.

Right? Yeah. No seafoam. And Fujimoto's like, boom, yeah. If she fails, she seafoams. That's the fear. They go like, the real risk here is that now they're tied into this whole love game.

They're tied to each other and the stakes have become higher. Right. Because she's going to want to stay with him but I just love that the two plot lines are parallel like it's not like someone immediately goes to Sosuke and Ponyo and says like so you guys better fucking pass this test

yeah we're just watching them have a cute adventure yes right and then at the end someone's like so do you love each other and they're like yes

very good question because we're cutting back to Sosuke and Ponyo Yes. Right? Right. And then at the end, someone's like, so do you love each other? And they're like, yes. Very good question. Because we're cutting back to Sosuke and Ponyo. They're like, the mom is out of the fucking old folks home. Yeah. And Sosuke's like, I want to go down there. And so she makes his toy boat big. Yeah.

Well, that's the sequence where you see the town underwater. Yes. And it's beautiful. That's beautiful when they wake up and there's like the fish swimming by their door. It's like ancient fish. I didn't bother to Google if those are actual fish. I assume it's one of those.

It's a pop-pop boat. It's a little candle boat. Oh, sure. Which like makes steam. Have you never seen one of those? Those are real. Really? Yeah. It's like a very old-fashioned kind of toy boat one of those? Those are real. Really? Yeah. It's like a very old fashioned kind of toy boat. It's called a pop pop boat? Yeah.

And I love the sound of that. Exactly. Because when you light a little candle, it makes just enough steam to sort of go like boop. Wow. Yep. And so now the boat is giant. So they have a giant fucking candle.

Yeah. Fucking rules. I like that he takes the time to explain how the boat works. Yes. And how like the ramen works and all these little details. Exactly right. And I'm like, I love it. He packs a little lunch.

Yes. So scary. What were you going to say, Grace? No, that's the kind of leadership we need right now in America. I want a president who packs a little lunch for me. A little lunch before I have my big adventure. And they have all these cute cute like they meet the baby yes

you know they have these cute little adventures but then Ponyo tires herself out doing magic yes it is that thing too where like

like little kids like kids under five view babies as a different species yes but they really want to go out of their way to show that they're

good with babies oh they're good with babies but they're different like I'm a big kid but I remember when I used to be really little, and I want to be nice to this baby. Most babies I've met, if I have, like, they're like toddlers or whatever, right? If I have a picture of them as a younger baby, and I'm like, do you want to see on my phone? Like, I have a picture of you as a baby. They're like, yes.

But then I show them, they're like, that's not me. Whatever. Unimpressed. If you say so. They can't quite make the leap of like, there I am as a baby. No, they're like, that's a deep fake. That's Steve Buscemi. That's crazy.

I'm not like that. So that scene with the baby, I think, so he wrote that after he couldn't figure out, I'm trying to give some context. Hey, we're kind of served. Yes, I believe I have heard. A little rumor. So I think he was having trouble figuring out how to end the movie.

Okay. And he needed to make sure that Ponyo kind of displayed that she liked humans. Right? And she would want to. Yeah. Yeah. Because her Sosuke is really her only target for a while. It's her only point of interest.

And here she's like, oh, this baby's unhappy. Like, let's figure something out. Ponyo is a problem solver. And in return, she only wants ham. The transaction is ham and... Will work for ham. Whatever. 100%.

Can I ask, have you and Forky ever considered adopting Ponyo? I know you already have a Navi baby. We do. It's never growing. No. It's just a paternal baby. Look at this family I foisted upon you. You're married to Forky.

You have a Navi child. A collection of junk. I mean, that's a modern family right there. That's a very modern family. Yeah. Good challenges to societal norms. A spork.

A man. You mentioned Ty Burrell earlier. I had a point to make about the movie that has nothing to do with the bullshit we're talking about right now.

Forky. No, not Forky. Jesus. Ponyo. Forky's on his mind. Ponyo. What were we just talking about? We were talking about baby. Nothing just talking about we were talking about baby

nothing's great we were talking about baby baby baby panio um maybe it'll come uh deep fakes uh oh no right it's the moment where um when they're like panio so what's your deal and she's like oh my daddy's the worst he imprisons me and they're like alright and what about your mom and she's like she's the best she's a scary wizard she says she's big and beautiful and then I love that

that's when I perked up and I was like is she single I love it beautiful love it right she's big and beautiful

birthed a pony oh wait what is and yeah and at one, Sosuke is talking to his mom or to his friend or someone where he's like... There's not that many characters. She loves him and she can do magic. Is the way he describes Ponyo.

Isn't that explained to the baby's mama? Yes, I think that's it. Right, right. Very confusing. Tina Fey in the movie doesn't play the baby mama. Very confusing. I was in the movie doesn't play the baby mama. Very confusing. I was confused. Confused. What's the deal with Ponyo?

I've seen this movie before. She's the baby mama. She's got a baby. And she's the mama. Tina Fey. Who makes these decisions? What a weird guy Jerry Seinfeld yeah

fucking insane have you ever seen him live my friend went recently I have and said like it's fun I I had yeah thank you

I was part of a sports themed sketch comedy talk show. I believe you told me this. Right, yes. Where they were like, hey, so have you heard the change in running order? I was like, what? And they were like, Jerry Seinfeld decided to drop in and do a set.

Because it was at Gotham Comedy Club, but it was not a stand-up show. Right. It was like Quiz Daddy hosted it. Scott Rogowski, Quiz Daddy. It was like a fake sports talk show with a lot of characters and bits and shit. And he interviewed some actual former players. But in the middle of the show, they just had to cede the stage

to Jerry Seinfeld, who wanted to work out his Letterman set. And they were like, you're following Letterman. You're following Seinfeld, sorry. So Seinfeld came up and just did like 12 immaculate minutes. Like, it was perfect. I was standing in the back with a bunch of other comedians and we were just like, that's like

there it is. That's it. That's it. Whether or not I find this funny that is the perfect way to do this. And then he went, he finished, he was like, do I have anything else? And he took the folded paper out of his pocket and he looked at it and he was like, no, I think that's everything. I don't know.

Does anyone have any questions? And someone someone said what do you think about hockey because it was a sports crowd here's my theory on hockey there is no puck and then he just walked off stage and then i had to come on stage and do a sketch in which the premise was you know about how there's like a boy raised by wolves? This is a boy raised by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Sounds good. What do they call those things

in westerns? The Tumbleweed. Tumbleweed just rolled in here. Oh, is that why you were arrested? I'm seeing here for crimes against humanity? Hey, I didn't write the sketch, okay? No, I know, but it seems like you were rounded up by Interpol for doing that sketch

international got involved yeah right exactly I thought that was a movie franchise heads did not nod shake your heads the audience weirdly seemed a little less excited about what I was doing wait a what? What a rude audience.

A little bit less excited. They should have been like, oh, oh, oh, oh. Hey, I brought it back. Then Sosuke and Ponyo encounter. No, no, no. She gets tired again. Yeah, she gets tired because she does more magic trying to light the candle. Yeah, and the boat gets a little smaller.

It was like pop, pop, and now it's like pop, pop. And then they go down to the nursing home, boat gets a little smaller you know it was like pop pop and now it's like great and uh yeah and then they go down to the nursing home which is like shielded right oh yeah we forgot to talk about the old ladies but that's okay well the old ladies are are just cute they're cute with like one who's like particularly belligerent yes uh who i believe is based on uh miyazaki's mother mother yes that's the one in the in the electric wheelchair yes uh who i believe is based on Miyazaki's mother. Mother, yes. That's the one in the electric wheelchair? Yes. Who I believe is voiced by Lily Tomlin in the dub. And then it's Betty White.

Murder's around. Her name is Toki. Yes, Toki is the one that is Miyazaki's mommy. Yeah, and then Matt Damon's the dad, which is pretty nuts. Right, because the dad only has like two scenes. Yeah. Yeah. But whatever, he just knocks that shit out. only has like two scenes. Yeah. Yeah. But whatever.

He just knocks that shit out. The billing is very weird on the American dub. Is it? Let me find it. Because I think Noah Cyrus' first build. Which makes sense.

It's Ponyo. Yeah, but then it's like It's a killer Ponyo. No, she's not first build. I think it might be fully It's Cate Blanchett. Is it really? Cate Blanchett, Noah Cyrus,

Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Frankie Jonas. Frankie, bonus. might be fully uh is it really kate blanchett noah cyrus matt damon tina fey frankie jonas frankie bonus chorus leachman yeah liam neeson's just not included lily tomlin billy uh billy white betty yeah i mean the dad is alphabetical the dad is there for what we were talking about before but also then you get that incredible shot of all of the ships on that wave under the moon. And that's just a great That's just... Ben just looked at his phone and then gave me the biggest

shit-eating grin. He's just looking at Ponyo, I guess. She's eating her ham. It's just fun. It's just fun when the ham is the size of her. When she's still in goldfish mode, so the ham is the size of her you know when she's still in goldfish mode so she's basically the size of a slice of ham i thought ben was prepping some dumb bit but in fact he's literally just re-watching images from the film we're discussing

but she eats the entire ham in like one bite like right after that right it's the best thing but she doesn't turn that one's good too't even work. That one's good too. That's sort of like action Ponyo when she's like zipping up to the ocean. I love action Ponyo. I want a Ponyo action figure. Yeah.

But she doesn't turn into like, well, you guys are the same. Ponyo toy. Yeah. What were you going to say, Shirley?

Oh, no, just she, yeah, when she eats the ham, it's the size of her, but her, you know,

her size doesn't change. She doesn't do the like, you know do the animated gag. You know like when Tom and Jerry. You know when Jerry eats an entire, not Seinfeld, Jerry the mouse eats an entire block of cheese and he turns

into a little cheese. That's one of my favorite things. It's funny. You can buy a little plush ponyo. Yeah, I'm seeing that. That wasn't an important data point. Where are we now? Oh, she's small. We're basically at the end. It's when, you know, the mommy. Oh, they bring her there.

You can get a keychain of Ponyo in the bucket. That's pretty cool. A little bucket keychain. With her little face looking up at you. A little bucket. Ponyo in a bucket. The mom sort of invites Lisa over, has a chat with her, and then asks Sosuke, like, you know?

The mom's talk. Do you love Ponyo no matter what? When a boy loves a magical ham-loving fish. And Sosuke's like, I love all the Ponyos, which is fair. And they say, you just gotta kiss this little bubble and it'll turn her into a real girl. Oh, there she's like climbing fish. Yeah, a little statue of her climbing the fish.

One little thing we haven't mentioned is the little tiny Ponyos. They keep helping throughout the movie. That's right, they do. They sort of like foible the... What's the noise they make again? Wait, how does it go? Ponyo loves

Sasuke! They're wonderful little birds. I'm looking at the very sparse quotes page and I forgot that when Lisa says, what's your mom like? And she says, she's big and beautiful, but she can be very scary. Sasuke says, just like my mom.

Hell yeah. David's like, bossy. They just, they relate to each other. They relate to each other so well. That's why I like that the moms have a combo where they're like,

so our kids really like each other. Yeah. I guess we're going to be like going on some playdates. Yeah. Right. And then the last shot of the movie is the little kiss.

Yeah. It's fucking great. And she like flies through the air. Yeah rules and that's it it's like yeah yeah and you're just like it's like it's the final like the dopamine is done right like the plunger is down and then you're just like great great it is uh david's nodding off uh it is an incredibly pleasant movie yes yeah and yet and yet there are people who like the ones who

theorize around Totoro have also theorized about Ponyo being about the afterlife and all of that which we don't have to get into

yeah there's a I think we should get into it I'm kind of curious yeah I don't know about anything yeah there's a theory about

I might get some of this wrong. Stop hitting each other. Surely just slap David in the face. It's so violent in here. Yeah, there's a theory that after the storm, actually nobody survived. And actually what we're watching is a bunch of dead characters. Oh, interesting. Yeah.

Because, oh God, I don't remember the particulars of this. Well, yeah. yeah because oh god i don't remember the particulars of this well yeah but it's like but it's like you know the old ladies under you know the the umbrella um bubble under the ocean when they're like oh so this is the other side and they're all like healed and then all you know yeah yeah so i feel like some people have extrapolated from that and have said that it's it's about something else which i don't think it is about see i feel like some people have extrapolated from that and have said that it's about something else, which I don't think it is about. I feel like there are always any movie that has a scene where someone has

some sort of vaguely near-death experience. People like to theorize that they died and everything after that was their last dying thoughts or was their afterlife. It's like an occurrence at South Creek Bridge or whatever. Why do we do that? But I feel like Breaking Bad, they do that with like, oh, he dies in the car and the rest of the finale

never happened. I know people had that Toy Story 3 theory, which pretty much entirely negates that they actually die in an incinerator. There are like a thousand other examples. And I always feel that it's like, well, A, near-death experiences are really good for dramatic storytelling. Sure.

It's nice for someone to have that sort of final gauntlet. Whether it's the thing at the beginning that pushes them to actually go for the bigger thing or the thing at the end that they finally have to overcome. But secondly, I don't know. Doesn't that make it less interesting if the thing didn't happen?

Right. I think it's just a pleasant moment. Also, theories are for school. Theories are for school. Leave that shit at school and enjoy some movies and some culture and don't be like actually actually I couldn't put it better myself

they're fun to read about but it's not my interpretation yes that's interesting box office game box office game this movie came out in America on August 14th 2009 it was the widest ever Ghibli release

927 screens would it make 6 million dollars 3.5 so it actually multiplied pretty well yeah okay number one that weekend though Shirley you ready oh yeah go ahead

you can open your ginger ale it was going to make a sound do it on mic pop pop number one I'm guessing is District 9 yes opening this week this was a big summer for me

I just remember that movie making a big title wave and it was number one for like multiple weeks in august made a big title it was one of those summers where there wasn't a big august movie and then that played at comic-con and it was the one time there was like a comic-con bubble where it actually like the press the response out of comic-con translated to actual audience yes because then the next summer scott pilgrim everyone's losing their minds at comic-Con then it comes out and it bombs but District 9

I remember Entertainment Weekly ew writing about the fact where they were like this movie's unstoppable people were tweeting about it out of Comic-Con

yeah and then the cover yeah and then the cover was his eye yes yeah yes and

but they said like they were like the movie I think you're right the only thing I want to remind you of is District 9 obviously

big surprise hit opened to 37 million dollars I think it's final total was 115 so did very well the next weekend Inglorious Bastards

came out so there was another big August movie that's the only thing I wanted to remind you of this is while I'm filming of course as we all remember

this is the summer I'm filming Where the Gonzo. So I remember being nervous about getting hard outs to be able to make it in time to see Inglourious Basterds and District 9. I was still at a level where I was like, okay, look, I want to work, but come on, I got movies to see. Don't keep me here on set.

I mean, you're basically at that level now. No, I'm a harder worker. He says, looking so... I look for Lauren Lee. I never want to have a job. Excuse me. What was I about to say? Okay, so Glorious Bastard comes out the next week.

Yeah, but we're not talking about that. Number two. Okay. In its second week. It's an action film. Spawned a sequel. One? I think just one.

Okay. Yeah. You know, not well received. Didn't do that well, but it did okay. This is its first weekend or second weekend? Second weekend. And what did it open to? What did it end up at? It ended up at $150 up at 150 i think oh weird oh oh oh oh this is a movie i like a lot

of course i like this i know right yeah it's gi joe rise of cobra what do you think of gi joe rise of cobra it's fine great i think it's really steven summers film look i'm really silly and fun i'm all for doing fine. I think it's really a Stephen Sommers film. Look, I'm all for doing Sommers. I'm all for doing Sommers. Yeah. I think he's underrated. Next winter, it's Sommers. Like how many movies

have you done? Next winter is Sommers. I feel, let's do it because like I don't know if we should actually do it, but it's an interesting career. Why the fuck shouldn't we do it?

Okay, what? Stop yelling at each other. Why shouldn't we do it? Did shouldn't we do it did he make Adventures of Tom Sawyer Huck Finn Huck Finn okay with Elijah Wood

I believe so and live action John LeBlanc nine movies total the first one is Matt Dillon sorry not Matt Dillon

what am I talking about he just looks like Matt Dillon a movie called Catch Me If You Can some kind of teen movie excuse me that film's directed by Steven Spielberg

no it's not I have information then Huck Finn with Elijah Wood live action jungle book live action jungle book which is in my memory

kind of cool yeah like back when they were like if we're gonna do a live action jungle book shouldn't it just have animals like we'll just have a tiger

it's like Roar yeah right it is with Jason Scott Lee then Deep Rising which is a fucking masterpiece like that's the one

where you're just like when you watch it you feel like you've found buried treasure I still never see it I remember wanting to see it so badly as a child it's so good

yeah have you that's crazy it's so good have you seen Deep Rising that's the one with the autistic kid recognizes the puzzles in

that's like Mercury oh fuck what's Deep Rising? That's the one with the autistic kid recognizes the puzzles in... No, that's like Mercury. Oh, fuck. What's Deep Rising? It's about sea crime. It's about a bunch of... Hell yeah. It's about an amazing...

Wait, what movie is this? It's about an amazing ocean liner launches, right? A big luxury cruise ship. A bunch of sea pirates try to rob it. It's set in modern times. I don't think I've ever heard of it. But the problem with the-

T. Williams and Famke Jensen? Correct. And Kevin J. O'Connor, Wes Studi, Jason Fleming, Jaiman Honsu, all kinds of fucking weirdos. The tagline.

I was going to get to the tagline. Cliff Curtis? Jason Fleming? Yeah. Cliff Curtis. So, but it's like, that alone is a fine premise, right? It's like,

crazy luxury liner, bunch of criminals try to rob it. Like, you know, what's going to happen next? But also, there's like crazy luxury luxury liner bunch of criminals try to rob it like you know what's gonna happen next but also there's like a sea serpent on board that's eating people i did not know this movie existed and i just saw the tagline ben do you want to say it yeah full scream ahead and the poster's a woman screaming fucking rules i can't believe you've never seen deep rising it rules okay so then he does my my return mummy which is one of the better movies ever made mummy returns which is one of the worst movies ever made uh van helsing which is a nightmare insane but kind of

the blank check yes you know that's where he's like can i do this and they're like okay when van helsing came out it was like man this. They're never going to get bigger and dumber and more overblown than this. And now like Van Helsing looks like a fucking independent art house film compared to the shit. Like Van Helsing looks like a Ken Loach movie. At the time it was like, they're stuffing so much into this thing. Dracula and a werewolf.

What? Um, then G.I. Joe rise of Cobra and then a movie called odd Thomas that he made for five bucks and that's it oh that's Anton Yelkin anyway we're gonna do them winter's gonna be summer someday number three new this weekend

it's a weepy film with a woman and a man they have a romance you cry you cry is it the time traveler's wife it's the time traveler's wife this It's the time traveler's wife. This summer's very vivid for me. I'm trying to get better.

You've got to fall in love with a time traveler. I don't know. She has like a pizza man who's always giving her advice. You don't fall in love with that man. He's a time traveler. She keeps on making that mistake. It's a very soft movie. Rachel McAdams will not stop falling in love with Time Traveler

then number four at the box office in its second week it's a sort of double biopic Julia and Julia oh

I remember that good job guys yeah hell yeah the movie that inspired grandma right really

yeah the movie not the blog she saw the movie she liked the blog she saw the movie like the blog she saw the movie the blog and says who's this other woman or i showed her the trailer right and she said who's that woman i said it's julia child she went yeah i know who julia child yeah not asking about julia right she's 10 at this point and she said who's the other woman and i went she wrote a blog and she went and then what and i went and it wrote a blog. And she went, and then what?

And I went, and it got kind of popular. And she went, and then what? I said, and then she sold the book. And she said, and then what? And I went, they made this movie about her. Amy Adams plays her. And then like an hour later, Romley was like, I think I might start a blog. There's, I had a classmate in college who watched Julia and Julia once every day for a full year.

And he had a blog about watching it. Hey, look, that's a great blog. It was excellent. He could remember extras' faces by then. That's another very pleasant movie. And I know most people's gripe is that they don't like the Julie half of it. I think the Julie half is fun. Chris Messina's really good in that.

Yeah. He's good. It's one of those movies where she's just like i'm just so fucking annoyed and you're like life seems okay like i don't know chill out julie it's okay but you got double a uh sure she's the best she's good number five is uh oh i think it won the academy award for best picture this year One of the canonical best films ever made. I'm going to take a big swing, and I hope I get this right. The Goods, Live Hard, Sell Hard. Now, here's the thing.

That's number six. Wow. Opening this weekend. And I remember that was like, people were like, the next Anchorman, right? That was really being pitched. It's like, people are going to go fucking wild. Isn't it Neil Brennan directed it from Chappelle's show? I know who Neil Brennan is, but did he direct it?

I believe he directed The Goods Live Hard, Sell Hard, which I watched on a plane. And how is it? It's the okays. Is it good or what? You're right. Neil Brennan. Yeah. Wow.

Didn't write it, though. No. Like, finally, Piven's going to get a movie. Yeah. Who wanted that? Everyone. He couldn't stop winning Emmys. How does Piven deal gonna get a movie. Yeah. Who wanted that? Everyone. He couldn't stop winning Emmys. How does Piven deal with like his like hair fluctuation?

Like is it just the thing where like we all know that he has plugged the shit out of his hair? It's like Emperor's New Clothes style. If you ask him about it, he'd be like, I've always had this hair. Yeah. Definitely not. He'd be like, here's an episode of Ellen. And he'd be like, hair looks the same. I shaved my hair

for that role he has hair blindness right yeah well yeah it's just like right i think if you asked him that he would just be like oh cool man cool man and then like someone would come over just strangle you i was signaling to someone silently no number five no it's that no come on the academy award for best Picture went to this film. So you're not making a joke? No, I'm making a joke about the quality of this film, which is poor. Because this is the same time of year that Hurt Locker's come out. It's a fair point, but no, I'm not talking about the Hurt Locker. On paper, this movie sounds good.

No, this movie is about heroes. I will say that. On paper, you write this down and you read it and you go, that's a pretty good movie. Hurt Locker's number 21. I have no idea what he's talking about. On paper, this write this down and you read it and you go, that's a pretty good movie. Hurt Locker is number 21. I have no idea what he's talking about. On paper, this movie is probably worse. Who's in it? We've got Sam Rockwell, Zach Galifianakis, Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz.

Does this have animals? Oh. Is it my hamster? It's called G-Force. It's called G-Force it's called G-Force and I saw it in theaters oh wait it was Guinea Pigs

oh my god yeah this is the movie that like ends Jerry Bruckheimer's 15 year run at Disney they were like we made your

fucking Guinea Pig movie now get off the lot I remember this being an option for a for a Kathy picture gadgets fighting force

gadgets G-Force. Gizmos. Guinea pigs. In 3D. That's the tagline? Yeah. That's the sub-tagline.

The tagline was the world needs bigger heroes. Yeah, I saw this in Disney Digital 3D. What'd you think of that one? It's not a good film. So kind of like a G-minus? David just threw his horns

up in the air in Victor. I remember- That's a good poster. He's throwing the horns. The guinea pig is? Which one? Is it the Sam Rockwell one? Sam Rockwell plays the hero. Penelope Cruz of course plays

the sexy guinea pig. Nicolas Cage plays the tech guy. And Tracy Morgan's the wild card. How can you tell it's sexy? It's wearing a bikini? Oh no! plays like the tech guy and Tracy Morgan's the wild card. How can you tell it's sexy? Because it's wearing a bikini? Oh no!

This guinea pig's got a move! Oh no! Yeah, she's got the same shapeless mound body as the other guinea pigs but they code her

as being very attractive to everyone around her. Galifianakis is the human scientist who's tasked with overseeing the guinea pigs. It comes out right after Hangover. So he's like now doing like late night shows

because they're trying to sell him. And he went on Conan and they didn't talk about G-Force. He was on for two segments, right? He makes it past the commercial break. He comes back on again. At the end of it, Conan said, so you have this movie out in theaters now.

And he went, yeah, it's called G-Force. I play a scientist who's tasked with overseeing a team of guinea pig special agents. You know, I mean, it's based on the off-Broadway play. Oh, boy. Anyway, that's number five. I think Bill Maher plays the villain in it. Yeah, I think you're right. He made $120 million.

And lost like $90 million. That movie somehow cost $200 million. Oh, those guinea pigs had a high quote. The story I was going to say was, Derek Simon will someday be a guest on the show. Timing never works out. We were walking around the Disney store as a couple cool

19-year-olds do New York City Friday night. Friday night? Oh, it was definitely a Friday night. Please make it worse. Yeah. And there was a

G-Force t-shirt that was really good. And Derek was like, I kind of want to buy this t-shirt. Why was it really good? It was just funny. It said G-Force

and it had them all in the bubble. It was just like, if you remove the association with the movie, it was kind of just a striking image. Of course, we both at the time, too, would buy a lot of children's T-shirts because we're small men. You are. And we'd be like, this is funny to have like a shirt designed for a boy. Right.

We get to through the day. Whatever. It barely got me through. But he was like looking at the shirt and he was like, it's $15. And I was like, for $15 you could buy the shirt or we could go see the movie. And I somehow talked him into going to see the movie and we sat there and 30 minutes in he was like,

I wish I had bought the shirt. So we walked out and I was like, we could go back and buy the shirt. And he's like, no, I don't want to have the shirt now. Now I've seen it. I don't like the have the shirt now. Now I've seen it. I don't like the movie. Oh, boy. Here are some other films in the top 10.

We've got Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the best film in the series. You have The Ugly Truth, in which there was hearts on the genitals of the little stick figures. 95 domestic. That's The Ugly Truth. Racy?

Shirley was in the theater, and the trailer played, and the hearts go down. She ugly truth. Racy? Shirley was in the theater and the trailer played and the hearts go down. She's like, Racy? Funny People. Yeah, a movie I love. Love that movie. 500 Days of Summer. It's the only movie of 2009. Don't love that movie.

What a talk. What a talk. What a great discussion about Ponyo one of our favorite movies and one of the great guests and I'm so glad that we got to do this Shirley one final thought I think I've said this before to you Sims

her coloring that red that is the most comforting color and I love it I wonder if it was a conscious color therapy thing or there's oh i might butcher her name um michio yasuda i think is the one who had worked with miyazaki on the coloring of a lot of his films interesting yeah and she always she thinks

about the color story and the palette of the film a lot. So just tossing in a little all that more here. Yeah. You know, you make like the color map. And then the Ponyo color map is especially soothing. Yeah. That red is. It's a very soothing movie in general. I find it very soothing.

Yes. Yes. We're all relaxed. We're all relaxed. Next week, the wind rises. The wind will rise next week. I don know uh who our guests will be if we'll even have a guest it's october um it's october it's october um what oh so let's do this because

we're recording this right now in june okay let's let's end the episode with a little on the record what do we think's gonna happen what's gonna be going to be going on in October? October of 2019. I think the movie is going to come out and do so well that will become president. Wow. Like, and that's not a joke. Yeah. Exciting. Yeah.

Because that just came out. Yes. And so, yeah, like, that's right. He's, you know, he's a United American. Do you think Trump is going to start, like, quoting the s***? It feels very... Very smart guy. Very smart. Beat the Batman.

A lot of people say, you know, a lot of people say he beat the Batman. A lot of people, you know, he comes in, there's the Chechen, you know, I can't do Trump. I wish I could do Trump. These are scary guys. They're scary guys. Do you? No know I can't do Trump I wish I could do Trump these are scary guys they're scary guys but they're all scared of the Trump no I don't

I find it a blessing that I don't do a good Trump impression like I'm like I'm glad I can't go into that on the record I think I know

what David Sims next tattoo is oh it's forking people are gonna really enjoy this Because they'll be like Who? What? It'll be one of those collective freak outs

So what finger does the ring go on for Forky? Because he's got a little demented Oh I think you put it on the middle Right? Or do you put it on the spork end? I think it's fall off that way with his wobbling because the sporks the little prongs

are very short thanks for being here please come back whenever you're in the city again or in the tri-state area hell yeah because it's always nice

when someone lets the dog off the leash lets him run around a bit thank you for having me back arf arf I swear last time I blacked out

oh last time we were really cranked up. I don't know what was happening. Last time was all Rickman. Yeah, right. It's all kind of sad. Oh, and last time I forgot. Eating ham.

Last time I forgot to shout out my friend JJ. Hi, JJ. Oh, shout out to JJ. He's a committed blankie. We love JJ. Yeah. Yeah. He has a baby now. I know.

Cute baby. Cute baby. Have you seen? No, you haven't seen it. I haven't seen. Show your baby Ponyo. Yeah. Heed these words.

Yeah, and I guess congratulations to David on the- Oh, God, yes. Yeah. I was going to say on the pending approval of your adoption of Ponyo. Okay. Fair enough. And your little family have this word. Because he loves Shrieking. yes I was gonna say on the pending approval of your adoption of Ponyo okay fair enough and your little family you have

with Forky cause he loves Forky I think see I know at this point Toy Story 4 is old news I think

Forky's about to have a massive summer I think Forky's gonna have a mini-me summer remember mini-me fever yeah I do it's gonna strike again

yeah yeah yeah and you're gonna be right there right next to the eye of the hurricane alright okay thank you all for listening

please remember to subscribe thanks to Ange for good over our social media David has removed his headphones later on for our theme song

Joe Vaughn Pat Browns for our artwork go to blankies.rad.com for some real nerdy shit and Trad.com for some real nerdy shit and TeePublic for some real nerdy

shirts next week wind rises and as always Ponyo loves him and just found another gif he's looking more his face is red

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