How Did This Get Made? - Hercules in New York LIVE! w/ Abbi Jacobson (HDTGM Matinee)
Episode Date: June 3, 2025Abbi Jacobson (Broad City) joins Paul, June, and Jason to discuss the story of Pretzie and Arnold Strong aka Schwarzenegger in Hercules in New York! LIVE from Irving Plaza in NYC, they cover everythin...g from Arnold’s awkward flirting, Hercules vs. the bear in Central Park, the moment of clear genius during the chariot race scene, and Pretzie’s ending monologue. Plus, everyone in the crowd shows off their best Hercules impression during audience Q&As! (Originally Released 05/29/2015) • Go to hdtgm.com for tour dates, merch, FAQs, and more• Have a Last Looks correction or omission? Call 619-PAULASK to leave us a voicemail!• Submit your Last Looks theme song to us here• Join the HDTGM conversation on Discord: discord.gg/hdtgm• Buy merch at howdidthisgetmade.dashery.com/• Order Paul’s book about his childhood: Joyful Recollections of Trauma• Shop our new hat collection at podswag.com• Paul’s Discord: discord.gg/paulscheer• Paul’s YouTube page: youtube.com/paulscheer• Follow Paul on Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/paulscheer• Subscribe to Enter The Dark Web w/ Paul & Rob Huebel: youtube.com/@enterthedarkweb• Listen to Unspooled with Paul & Amy Nicholson: unspooledpodcast.com• Listen to The Deep Dive with June & Jessica St. Clair: thedeepdiveacademy.com/podcast• Instagram: @hdtgm, @paulscheer, & @junediane• Twitter: @hdtgm, @paulscheer, & msjunediane • Jason is not on social media• Episode transcripts available at how-did-this-get-made.simplecast.com/episodesGet access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using the link: siriusxm.com/hdtgm
Transcript
Discussion (0)
What do you do when you only have two locations, Central Park and a dingy hotel room?
You make a movie.
We saw Hercules in New York, and you know what that means.
Now it's time for...
Re-men!
What's a nigga grow a baby in his belly like a rock stone vest while ripping Justin to Kelly
Or maybe see a burlesque show with Nick Crowe And take a bowl of speed to hit your cruise control I'm gonna take you from the groove all the way to the room
Ran the game to Street Fighter hope to blow off steam
Just a sucker punch the odd light for Timothy Green
Chuck Niddle the birdemic how we stayin' alive
They call him the Badass and he's on the line
Crankin' 88 minutes cause they cool as ice
Cause a bad Jim Barney lookin' kinda nice
Paul and June gettin' literal, Jason is gettin' laid
June is makin' sure all the monkey shots gettin' paid
They judge a bunch of movies while they makin' the gray
Here's a real question for you, how did this get made?
That's a good look, whoo Hello, people of us! me.
Hello, people of Earth! And hello, people of New York City!
We are live at Irving Plaza.
Very excited to do a live show with you.
Oh my gosh.
So exciting. So exciting.
So exciting to be here talking about
a quintessential New York film.
Joining me tonight to talk about this movie,
the one, the only Jason Manzugas!
Go fuck yourself, New York!
What's up, jerks?
Take that Zooks.
What?
Take that Zooks.
That better be Zooks and not Boozer. I will straight up come out there.
I will come out there and I will
fuck you up.
Also, join me
welcoming my co-host
June Diane Rayfield!
You got some Junes.
Both their names are perfect for booze.
They could be booze or not.
And our very special guest tonight, you know her from Broad City, please welcome Abby Jacobson! Oh my God, Abby! Well, well, well, well, well.
How are we doing so far, everybody?
Good?
We haven't even fucking started. Wow. How we doing so far everybody? Good?
We haven't even fucking started.
This movie is...
Awesome?
Amazing.
I'm surprised I never heard of it.
No.
And I want to now watch it at least once or twice a year.
I feel like this is a movie we could do once a year on the show and still have a lot to
talk about.
There's no way we're going to answer all the questions tonight.
Okay, so let's just get into it.
Abby, your first impression, because when you see the poster and you put on the movie,
I want to see what everyone thought in the first couple minutes.
I was surprised that he like kept acting after the movie. This was like introducing and wait
it wasn't it Arnold Strong? Yes. So I'm like this is like introducing Arnold Strong and then he blew up after this.
This? Arnold also. Where's it gonna be? The big you know. Also Arnold Stang. Arnold Stang
Arnold Stang and Arnold Strong together. Wait is. I don't understand that. Arnold Stang
is the guy, Pretzi. Ohhhhh. literally was like, does he go by two names?
I thought the same thing.
Wait, Pretzi gets a co-billing with Arnold?
Well first of all, wow.
You guys, what I thought was that Arnold Strong
was the stage name Arnold Schwarzenegger had chosen,
or he had chosen a name for himself,
which was Arnold Strong. And then he had chosen a name for himself, which was Arnold Strong.
And then he had also chosen a stage name, which was Arnold Svein.
Okay, so you thought both of those names, just to be clear, we're getting in straight out of the gate.
Thrilled. You thought both of them were his name, one his credit and one his character name or both?
Pseudonyms that he was good. I thought they were both student. I did as well so we are
100% in agreement
I do know a couple facts
Producers thought that Schwarzenegger was an impossible name for anyone to get,
so they built it as Arnold Strong.
And Arnold Stang is a very famous actor of the 60s.
Yeah.
The 60s and 70s.
I disagree.
Yes.
I respectfully disagree.
I don't disagree.
Whenever we want to talk about
Pretzzy's apartment in New York, I'm ready.
Just, I know we'll table it, but I'm ready.
I will talk about Pretzzy's apartment.
It doesn't need to be now.
I will talk about his job selling pretzels on the docks.
In a basket.
In a basket.
I wondered if that's how pretzels were originally sold.
Pretzies. They're on a shish kebab on pretzels.
Pretzies character appears to be from the teens.
Yes.
I think his character jumped, like,
He's a newsie.
Justice, yeah, Hercules came from Mount Olympus.
He came from the teens.
Like, it was, his case, everything about him
was like from a different era entirely
Perhaps the era he was famous in I mean with 20
We just jumped to pretzy because I do have some facts
So should we should we maybe just because I do also want to fuck it. Let's jump the press. Oh, fuck it
Here we go. I want to show you this
This is a picture of pretzy now Now, you obviously can't see it
because you're listening to this,
but look on his hand, he's got a wedding ring on.
Wait, so.
So, Pretzi is straight up married.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Paul, Paul, I disagree, I disagree.
He is a widower.
I buy that.
Okay?
Don't, don't, oh!
No, deal with it.
Pretzy's wife died.
And it's your fault.
Although he might have poisoned her.
Oh yeah.
Ooh, I would do like a whole movie about Pretzy.
And he's like a fucking-
It's real, like how much money do you think Pretzi's pulling in?
A day? Like just a day? Like what's...
Just a day?
Yeah.
I don't know. Like...
$17 in wooden nickels?
In the teens. It's also in the teens.
There was a moment where they drove from some dock
to Central Park for $2.
$2. Two bucks!
And he couldn't pay for it. No. He has no money.
And they were so mean to this cab driver. They treat the cab driver. Give them the fucking two dollars. Yeah.
He only did his job. Yes. Drive them from place to place and then did them the disservice of asking for
his payment. At which point. That's the whole beginning of the movie to me,
which is just like Hercules causing trouble in New York
for people who are just trying to do their job.
Yes.
I wrote down, I said-
Hercules is like, fuck you.
You give me safe passage on your boat, fuck you.
Well, I wrote down, Hercules is a straight up villain.
He is not a likable character.
He fights with reckless abandon.
Yes.
And he's real cocky.
It's not like, oh, I didn't understand.
It's like, oh, we told him to work,
and I did not want to work.
It's like, it wasn't like, I didn't understand.
Like, he always understood.
But here's the really weird thing about Herc.
Herc?
Wait, are we already going Herc? Okay. He wants to
leave Mount Olympus. Oh yeah. Central Park you mean? He wants to leave Mount Olympus
because he wants to live the life of a mortal and find adventure and fun.
Correct. And something different. Yep. When he arrives, he behaves as though
he's still on Mount Olympus,
and can't understand why people aren't behaving
as they would on Mount Olympus.
Well, yes.
Even though he's set off to go to a different land.
He does not attempt ever to be undercover.
No, but he can't.
Like, he's like, I'm from Mount Olympus,
and my father is Zeus. Hi. It almost appears as though he was
transported there. He chose to be there. Well, I think he thinks, I'm not sure, I don't want to speak
for Herk. Don't, don't. But I think he thinks when he arrives he will be worshiped as the god that he is
and at some point somebody has to tell him, oh no, we don't worship the old gods anymore or what, like
there's a part where people are like,
what are you talking about? That you are that Hercules. And I think because they keep telling
us that Hercules is insolent and he is a boor and he's like, that's their criticism against him.
The problem is Schwarzenegger can't perform any of those emotions. So even though his lines are like,
I want to do this even though I don't want you to tell me what to do,
father, whatever.
That's my shorts and I go, that's as good as it gets.
No, no, no. You don't have to. It's not very good.
It's not flawless.
I disagree.
But he's meant to be like an absolute brat
and that this is going to humble him, but it doesn't really.
But it's weird, it's weird because he also gets into situations right away that are bizarre.
He gets on that boat, he's picked up by just a bunch of sailors and they're like...
Seamen.
And they're... the seamen pick him up and they immediately are like...
Just a bunch of seamen.
And so we're not gonna talk about the airplane. Yeah, we're gonna get... Oh, we gotta talk about the airplane. We gotta talk about this plane, bro. And the semen pick them up, and they immediately are like... Just a bunch of semen.
And so we're not going to talk about the airplane incident?
Yeah, we're not going to talk about the airplane incident.
We're not going to talk about this plane, bro!
I mean, the real bookend, the bookend that ties the whole movie together, is the two airplane incidents.
Oh yeah, it's all about plane travel.
The movie is a metaphor for plane travel.
Right.
Well, it is really interesting how the gods decide to arrive, because some of
them just, I guess, fall out of the sky, and then others seem to...
And some of them fall out of the sky.
I'm playing the moment of him waving to the woman.
Waving to a woman who is in an airplane.
He's very polite to her, very cute, almost like baby wave.
If you told me that this was Pretzi in a wig,
I would believe you.
As far as I'm concerned, the woman who sees Arnold out the window
is from the same era of acting as Pretzi.
Well, let me just say that I think of her...
Both of them are Don Knot's light.
If I was a director of this movie-
Which you could be.
I could've.
I would give three directions.
Bigger,
fight,
and hands.
Because at any given point it's like,
ah!
Poof!
Ah!
That's about it.
Those are the three emotions.
Well, yours would- This woman does them all. But what's even stranger is the flight attendant Ah! Poof! Ah! That's about it. Those are the three emotions.
And this woman does them all.
But what's even stranger is the flight attendant
is called over by her friend, one of her best gal pals.
And the flight attendant walks over
and immediately starts putting oxygen on this feather hat.
Yeah.
Immediately!
Doesn't ask a question?
By the way, they take it down so casually.
It's like as if there's a button that just releases
all the oxygen masks for just that seat.
I've been on an airplane numerous times.
I've never seen them go, oh yeah, you need the oxygen.
For anxiety.
Yeah.
So he is shot down by Zeus,
and he lands in the middle of the sea.
He's picked up by, like, I think L. Ron Hubbard.
Or maybe he looks like L. Ron Hubbard.
You think it's Z-Org?
I think it was Z-Org.
Yet another movie with a Scientology underlying message.
And he's picked up by these seamen and they go, well, we need to get you like a classic.
You're going to work for us.
And then they seemingly don't want to let him ever go.
And I don't know if that's a rule of the sea
that if you find someone in the sea,
you get to enslave them forever.
Because they're like, where are you going?
You can't leave us.
Yes, you can.
You found him in the ocean.
Maybe they're worried about mutiny and stuff.
Well, wait.
I don't know sea rules. I don't know sea rules.
I don't know about them.
He saw something on the boat.
Yeah, I don't know what happened there.
That's what I'm saying.
He was privy to a lot of deep Scientology stuff.
They can't let him go.
They can't let him go. They have to be like,
no, no, you have to stay here.
But I felt like that was like the rules of the sea, now that he has to obey the captain.
Because they're basically like, you can't leave until the captain tells you.
And he's like, I don't care.
And he walks off like he's like in with like a sweater around his shoulder and a jaunty cap.
By the way, my favorite look for him.
It's basically, is it Tom's of Finland? What's it called?
What is it? Tom's of Finland? What's it called? What is it?
Tom's of Finland, thank you everybody.
Look it up, that's exactly what he's dressed like.
I said he became a dandy very quickly,
like from shirtless and just running around,
he's like, oh, I'll wear a layering.
He started layering.
I realized when I saw him in that wardrobe
that it's, I think it's the best he's ever looked and here's why he's so big
and there's so many muscles yeah that actually making him more feminine to me
made him sexier yeah makes it work I had a big journey throughout this movie
please tell me really questioning my thoughts on Arnold Schwarzenegger's attractiveness.
And it was never there before.
And there were moments in this movie where I was like, maybe?
Maybe?
You know?
Interesting.
I was like, I think I paused and rewound a couple times to figure it out. And it was like there was a new part or an old part.
So it was an old timey part.
He has a very, very small waist,
which I never noticed before.
Not necessarily an attractive thing, but I don't know.
I noticed it.
I know.
He has a delicate waist.
Yeah, it's a bit too waist.
He's a beautiful man.
I'm sorry, what?
I'm just gonna need you to repeat that.
He's a beautiful man. Arnold Schwarzenegger, quote unquote, is a beautiful man.
Beautiful skin. Beautiful skin.
I'm gonna go agree with them and say this is the best he's ever looked.
He is.
He has, right?
Thank you.
And you really got to see a little bit of vulnerability, everyone.
Every time he does this, or this, I was like, he's insecure.
You know what it is. He is.
And I like that in a guy sometimes.
I agree. There's something about him where it's like that in a guy sometimes. I agree, there's something about him
where it's like I actually feel like I saw him.
What?
I saw him.
Well, are you talking about it?
I will say, this is a Tommy Wiseau level performance.
Watching this movie made me think in 10 years,
Tommy Wiseau might be the biggest actor of all time.
Because Schwarzenegger traversed that range from absolutely horrid in this movie to unbelievably
successful.
First of all, Jason, I think you're mad because obviously this is a movie close to you with
your Greek culture.
Guys, how dare he?
How dare he?
Here we go.
How dare he? How dare they bring in this
monster from Austria to perform as Hercules, one of the... Oh God, one of my gods! I will say to go with Abby and June, there was a moment, clearly a mistake, when he's
on his date and he's walking with her into a lake and he trips.
And you can tell with an Arnold accident, not a Herc accident, and he just kind of slaps
his head like, I'm a big dummy. I feel like he tripped on like a
wire they were using to film the movie. And he was just sort of like, I felt like, I was like, oh I like him. He seems like a very sweet guy.
I think it's that he's not performing the idea of Arnold here. No, there is no idea of Arnold yet.
There isn't and so what you're getting is this, it's not great but it's there's you're seeing fleeting glimpses of like. Oh it's really not great.
It's aggressively not great. You're seeing fleeting glimpses of just like this young man who's trying to do this thing and.
Well here's the thing he was 22 years old he got the job because his agent
told the producer he has lots of stage experience on the bodybuilding stage.
That's what he said.
So Pumping Iron had not happened yet?
It's 69, so I think Pumping Iron is later.
Yeah, I think so too.
And he, because he bulks up for Pumping Iron.
This is when he was at his smallest at this age.
But I will show you this.
Clearly some people did not think that he could handle
the lead of a movie and they dubbed him. So we, I think, all saw the Arnold version. But
when this movie was released, this is the version that you saw. I'm going to play dubbed
and not dubbed. Here we go. Okay, here we are. Pretzy! Right? 1930. Diana and Terpsichore are in love with him.
I think Heavey is attracted to him.
No kidding.
I just showed you how desperate some women could be.
Diana and Terpsichore were in love with him.
I think Heavey was attracted to him.
No kidding.
I just showed you how desperate some women could be.
How awesome would it be if Pretzy was also dumped?
By Schwarzenegger.
Schwarzenegger's line readings are tragic.
There is, they are so monotone and like that, it's bananas.
Watching him struggle through some of these lines was heartbreaking to me meanwhile pretzy is almost is almost
in reaction to him trying to imbue every scene with so much energy and life that
it comes off as if he's a don't do that as if he he's a marionette.
That like a howdy duty puppet that someone is like doing this with.
The director said that because they had such a low budget
that they relied on Pretzi's reactions to sell everything.
There you go.
Because there are feats that happen
when they get to Central Park.
So they can't show you him like pole vaulting
because he's not gonna pole vault.
So they have a cup and pressing space going,
go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go,
the closest you can get to eyes popping out
and tongue going brr, brr, brr, brr, brr, brr,
like he is working.
Can I ask a question about the Central Park scene?
Was the US Olympic team practicing on like a softball field in Central Park?
I believe it was.
Are they affiliated with like, Bordeaux?
Why?
Well, it was also labeled as a college team. They were all wearing USA Olympic outfits.
And they were just doing traditional Greek like discus, pull ball, yeah, javelin.
Long jump.
Arnold couldn't even long jump.
By the way, the guy in the movie couldn't even long jump.
That was a...
It was like a short stop.
Yeah, it was like...
Why was the professor there watching?
That's pretty creepy.
The pathmark guy.
Look at these boys working out.
Ooh.
Well, the professor oddly is obsessed with Schwarzenegger.
There's no reason.
There's no reason why that professor is like,
I'm taking with him.
He's real bruised.
Who here thought he was gonna try
and recruit Schwarzenegger for the team?
That's the whole idea, yeah.
Nope, not trying to recruit him.
Just wants to like get to know him a little better.
I thought when they were setting up, this is so strange, what they set up,
the first shot of the professor and his daughter
on the bleachers of Central Park,
they were talking about how her boyfriend,
who's on the team, is doing really well
but isn't paying attention to her.
Yes.
So it seemed as though I guess we were to...
We were to understand that the professor wanted Arnold
as a potential mate for his daughter.
Unclear, because later, later in the movie,
the boyfriend is there with the...
What are you?
You guys are really getting it.
Yeah!
Someone said it!
Someone said it.
You nailed that plot analysis!
You guys, when they're at the Save the Cat conventions, these guys go crazy.
All is lost!
All hope is lost!
Fun and games, I loved it!
But later, they're in the house, and the boyfriend is there, and they're talking about Hercules,
like he's all of their best friend.
And the boyfriend is still there in the picture,
even though I'm pretty sure we've seen Hercules on 10,000 dates with the girl.
But by the way, the first time Hercules like flirts with her,
it's aggressive.
It's like...
Yeah, he's like, in.
And...
He also says...
And you go like, that's Schwarzenegger flirting.
Oh, yeah.
I actually have that scene.
I didn't mind it. He also... He says, he is your lover. And he also says you go like that Schwarzenegger flirting. Oh, yes, I actually have that
By the way, I'm gonna say I like this actress I thought I enjoyed her well
She's got two relationships happening at the same time as well as a very unhealthy relationship with her father
Guys at certain points in the movie. She just flat-out says Arnold, were you dropped on your head as a baby?
Oh, well, because she can only so many times say,
oh, you're always joking.
Well, these are educated people.
So after, because again, he's not hiding it.
He's like, I am Hercules, son of Zeus.
Even the least learned of us all would go,
that's odd, those are Greek gods.
Like, it's not like deep, it's not like,
oh, they're really picking on an odd one,
like, I don't know who Samson's father is, you know,
it's like, this is the main one,
and they have to really be dumb to it.
Here's the flirt scene, here we go.
Is anything wrong? What could be wrong? Here's the flirt scene. Here we go. Really? Someone you know? A goddess. A goddess? I remind you of a goddess?
What? And again, cut to Pretzy to underline that it's awkward.
Pretzy?
Pretzy should have just ripped off his collars every time.
Lost a collar. New shirt.
If Pretzy had turned into an animated character
in the middle of the movie, I wouldn't have noticed.
I would have been like, yep, yep, this makes sense.
And like an animated, like an animal.
I would have been like, okay, cool.
You know that Arnold Stang is like,
motherfucker, Don Knotts gets all my shit.
I should have been Mr. Limpid. all my shit. I could have killed him in that role.
Three's company, I would have been great.
Well, I wanna talk about the movie,
and this is sort of an overall reaction,
is that you would think they would take Hercules
and put him in a situation in the real world
that was uncomfortable for him.
Like, taking care of small children,
or something that hurt him.
He says he knows him.
I guess that is kindergarten cops.
But it's just so strange.
He's got this crazy strength in, you know, as in a God.
And then he's got this-
He's making front page news as a wrestler.
And then he's a wrestler
and he's on the US Olympic team.
It's like, yeah, these are all the things he can do.
There's nothing interesting about watching that journey.
Why not make him teach a college course
about Greek mythology?
Hey, you know so much about it.
We love your first person perspective.
How about the fact that Prensy just straight up
steals the professor's book about Greek mythology?
He's like, ah, what's this? Blah, blah, blah, blah, ah, okay, shove.
He has such a depression era mentality
that he's like, what's yours is mine.
Who cares, I found it.
I do, I'm pretzy, I don't care, I'm a scamp.
I'm a street rat, I'm a river person, who knows?
I'm a scamp with a beautiful,
Woody Allen apartment in New York.
Wait, wait, wait, here's the thing.
Oh, it's like a classic six.
I want to talk about this apartment, but I want to just go to one of the things of the awkward flirting.
They, we just saw that scene, and he says, like, you remind me of a goddess,
and everyone freaks out, like, hey, you can't talk to a broad like that.
Yeah.
Well, he's only complimenting her, and then the boyfriend is like, hey, don't talk to my lady like that. Yeah. Well, he's only complimenting her and then the boyfriend is like,
hey don't talk to my lady like that. It's like really aggressive and then they fight.
Then they fight in the living room. Yeah. In the living room which amounts to the
boyfriend getting on her shoulders and that's it. That's the fight. Break it up, break it up. It's just like...
Okay, now to the apartment. Time for me to blow your mind.
It's not an apartment, it's a hotel room.
Pretzi lives in a hotel?
What?
Pretzi is-
In like a flophouse?
Pretzi is squatting with Hercules
because he says to him, he goes,
we gotta make some money with all the bills
you're racking up here at the hotel.
And then, Pretzy's always there.
So, Pretzy's homeless.
Wait, wait, wait, no, no, no, time out, time out.
When Pretzy goes at the end of the movie
and listens to the radio.
That's still in the hotel.
That's the hotel?
So, he's gonna be thrown out of there. It looks like a hotel.
I'm gonna try to pull it up.
I don't know.
I can show you.
Cause it has a kitchenette.
I don't know about that.
That's crazy if it is.
I wrote it down because I knew it was too crazy.
I could see if I can find the exact line,
but I was like, it's a hotel.
It is.
What, cause then what it is?
Cause that, Dildo's the expert?
That's all I need.
All I need is one person to agree with me, yeah.
I would have loved to see.
Fuck you.
I would love to see like, them, you know, all of a sudden,
Hercules has like a whole wardrobe of human clothes.
I would have loved to see that
a little montage. I wrote down that like he has a camera a lot of things.
Cannot afford any of those locations. They had three locations that hotel room at
Central Park which was used a lot. The entire city of New York on the street.
It would have taken nothing short of two weeks.
Two weeks for Taylor's to custom make
all of the clothes he wears in his movies.
I was like, he got his same outfits right
the same way the Gremlins get outfits in Gremlins 2.
All of a sudden they're like in Page Boy costumes.
Like, where are these Gremlins shopping?
I guess at the same place that Arnold Schwarzenegger
gets his clothes.
Because it's like a meet, it's instantaneous.
He's a gigantic man.
Those sailors did not have a perfect sweater for him.
Well, Paul, I'm about to blow your mind.
It's just fine.
I grew up as the son of a family of Gremlin's clothes makers.
Oh, I wanted to talk to you guys about this.
Again, going back to that awkward flirting scene
The professor goes we would like to invite you out for some tea. Yeah, and then he's like, oh, I don't do pressy
I don't do drugs. Is that a drug?
Drug is tea
No, whatever ass. I need to sit down and drink tea. Like is it like tea leaves?
Oh it's a 60s term.
It's a 60s term for what? Tie stick?
For marijuana? Really?
I mean people really...
The tea is silent?
Ugh.
I don't mind saying you guys are the worst.
What do you think or I guess when was the moment for Pretzi when he decided to really take Arnold on?
I know it.
Oh wow.
I want to come back to this moment because I was really confused about this fight with
this plank and how difficult?
Around the docks because Hercules should it should have been a lot easier or something. It was it was confusing
But then there's a moment where Pretzy goes back for his hat
For Hercules's hat and sweater and sweater and he's like I got it and he was like I'm in yeah
And sweater and he's like I got it and he was like I'm in yeah
I think he saw his moment where he could be the little dog that runs around the big dog and is like hey What do you need? Hey boss? Hey? Hey? Hey? What do you need? How can I help? Hey? How can I help?
Pretty is like a downright like an Arthur Miller character will get into his end monologue
But even when he's like being harassed by the wrestling guys. He's like drinking and keys
He's in a Eugene O'Neil play on the side
that's way darker.
Pretzi lives-
So what do you think Pretzi gets from her?
Companionship.
Like value.
Life worth living.
What if-
Yeah, he's needed.
What if he opened up a locket
to look at a picture of his dead wife
and it was a Schwarzenegger and a wig yeah, and that was the reason he's like
What if you know what would have been amazing if the whole movie ended with you realizing?
Hercules never existed. It was all a projection of
Pretty it was a Tyler Durden situation
And then every other person had only been reacting to
Pretzi and had been like, what are you talking about?
Who's Hercules?
But you hadn't seen any of that.
And it was all just Pretzi.
Just a homeless man sleeping on a book of Greek mythology.
And it just kind of seeped in.
It is widely known that Fight Club is based on this movie.
No spoilers on Fight Club, Jason.
Oh, sorry.
Brad Pitt in his imaginary character at the end of that movie. No spoilers on Fight Club, Jason. Oh, sorry. Brad Pitt in his imaginary character at the end of that movie.
And at the end of The Prestige, twin brothers.
Spoilers for those movies.
The one thing that I think the movie does a great job of is letting you know that he's Hercules.
And here is a, yeah.
Paul, can I ask you a question?
Who does the best job letting you know that he's Hercules?
That's a tough one.
I'm gonna say Hercules does a great job.
And I'm gonna play you right now a mashup
of Hercules saying Hercules.
Here we go.
These are all the times he says it. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules.
Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. Hercules. in that one scene, he says it four times. He's like a sports star who refers to himself
in the first person.
Ha ha ha.
Mount Olympus.
Mount Olympus.
Mount Olympus.
There's so much to talk about, I wanna-
We haven't talked about Mount Olympus at all.
Yeah.
Let's get into it.
It's a backyard of a house.
The most unimpressive Mount Olympus
to a point where they use fog to an effect of like I guess like that will make it seem bigger like
The camera pushes through intense fog
But Mount Olympus has nothing on the planet of Pluto
Which is just a gate and more fog. A gate fog and wait and and like and
The who's the guy who plays the guy who plays Pluto is insane.
That is a portrayal that is next level, like crazy.
He's amazing and he says a great line in the movie,
like, I hate the earth.
And then all of a sudden you hear honk honk,
like literally a cab, like they are shooting on the street.
They did not, there's a lot of horn honking
in Mount Olympus, but you but the one and Pluto you hear honk honk
And Mount Olympus seems to maybe have four people in it at any given time
Oh, yeah, and they're all I feel like the stuff the Mount Olympus stuff felt like almost
Zardozzy to me very much
You know like in that way of just like people dressed up in nonsense
standing around like a lawn and we're meant to believe we're meant to like be
transported to like like this is Mount Olympus.
Like this is like the most amazing like like the home of the gods. I get why Herc wants to leave.
I'm like, I do too.
And I think that I think that's the one thing that they were
Successful in is and they they did this in Zara does but there's a something about being immortal that
leaves everybody with just like
apathy and this
Weight and there's there is nothing happening. Yes. Well, you know what the gods are bored. The gods are bored
I was thinking like we know Greek mythology and I guess there's an end point to it.
But I guess like, it's like a TV show that's been canceled.
It's still going on for them.
They're still having adventures,
but we don't know it anymore.
Like, yeah, the show was canceled.
We had a great thing with Medusa.
We're not keeping up with their stories.
Like their stories are just, just non-existent.
But here's what's weird.
Do they think that people,
that mortals believe in them anymore?
That's a, I don't know.
Don't know.
Such a good question.
I mean I still do, you know, my family raised me.
My family right back there, everybody wave to my family.
Raised me to believe in the old gods, we would slaughter a lamb and offer it up as
I offer its thigh up to Zeus I love that mercury arrived in a helicopter and I
love that Pluto arrived via subway underground in hell but how did he
appear in the helicopter because Zeus I mean Hercules was like shot out. Yeah, like and fell into the water
So did he just like get shot into a helicopter grab on?
Oh, I seem to be checking off names and then another guy and he's like
Yeah, yeah
I guess he wasn't on the roster, but that was a real like kind of shit way to enter
I mean, it's so like and again, no one does anything about it like, oh that guy didn't exist.
There were so many scenes that were utterly pointless. Yeah. Just I feel like
almost as if to fill time. You know what I mean? Like why did we need any of that
scene with Mercury arriving via helicopter? Didn't need it. No, he could
have just popped up into the hotel room. Because guess what? He flies away outside the window
when he's done. When he's done, he literally jumps out the window of the hotel slash apartment.
And he flies away and Pretzi almost loses his mind.
This is where Pretzi turns into like a Don Knot cartoon character
who's like, I gotta have a drink. Oh, gg, gg, gg, gg, gg, gg, gg, gg, gg.
And it's really, Pretzy, guys,
Pretzy is on thin ice mentally.
By the way, it doesn't seem like
Pretzy's working anymore either.
You could argue that this entire movie,
because he doesn't.
No, but Pretzy is working as Hercules' manager.
I got worried in that moment
because I was like,
no one believes him.
No one's gonna believe him.
And no one's ever gonna believe him
because he ends the movie talking to a fucking radio.
It has broken him.
He is done, donezo.
Predzi, donezo.
He should have killed himself.
At the end of this movie, Predzi should have killed himself at the end of this movie. You know what he should have killed himself
We should watch we should watch his end monologue. This is I mean, it's amazing
Yeah, yeah
Cuz it this this end monologue. I really did. I was like whoa. What's what's going on here?
I feel like they were like hey just you got to do the scenes with Arnold
But we're gonna give you some real moments
to sink your teeth into.
Like, um.
Wait, in this, wait, is this the radio?
This is the radio, into his lament, into the radio.
Okay, the radio, what's interesting is,
the radio, when he talks to Zeus through,
not Zeus, Herc through the radio,
it's in the, even the Arnold version,
it's the dubbed British man's voice
Yeah, which means Arnold never recorded those lines ever they didn't have him They couldn't get him so they just kept the British guys lines in so when Zeus speaks
I'm not too sorry Hercules speaks to pretzy. It is the British guy which I found
utterly perplexing
Hold on one second. I have this is the great technical
difficult. See I thought that was a choice that it wasn't... That it was like a beautiful
British man's voice? He was gone. Well I thought it was pretzy kind of imagining
that it was Herc even though it wasn't Herc's real voice. Oh wow! Really? Well yeah because
we've heard H Turk the entire time.
Why would there all of a sudden be a different voice?
What if Arnold was like, said to the director,
hey, we got another hour before we have to wrap.
I'd like to just do this thing.
And he like, he just improvises all the top of his head.
Cause I do feel like he was like,
my character needs closure.
I need to go forward.
Pretzi?
Yeah.
You mean, yeah. Well it's fucked up needs closure. I need to go forward. Pretzy? Yeah. You mean, yeah.
Well, it's fucked up.
Yeah, yeah.
I'm sorry, Hercules should have fucking taken Pretzy
with him.
Or, or said goodbye.
Or said goodbye.
Just a second.
Or said goodbye.
Or said goodbye.
Like a boss.
Thank you, here's a bag of riches
and gold for taking me in.
I don't disagree with you, Paul.
It's everlasting life.
I won't say that Hercules is a villain,
but he is a not thoughtful jerk.
Why doesn't he bring down one of the goddesses?
Just looking at this shot right now,
that's not a hotel room.
Yeah, it's a hotel room.
This is, so we're gonna watch the prezi,
the last scene of the movie.
We are, and I think we can go back
and talk about other stuff,
but I feel like we're so in a pretzy world right now.
No, no, I agree.
Strongest guy in the world.
Trying up but nothing like me.
Who is he talking to?
Well, he really made me feel like something.
A half-pipe like me.
I ain't never gonna forget him.
Never.
Don't breathe, my friend.
If the memory is leaving us,
separation may have acquired happiness and soul-song.
Herc?
We are friends, you and I. And nothing can take that from us.
Herc!
Herc? Where are you, Herc? What are you doing on my radio?
Herc! It's me! It's Pretzi!
Hey, hey, it's me, it's Pratzy.
He knows it's Pratzy, he's talking to him through the radio, why does he have to let him know? I mean, would you be surprised if that scene ended with him putting a gun in his mouth?
I wouldn't.
By the way, I hope that...
That's kind of a beautiful scene, right?
It's beautiful.
He's playing like me.
I have, oh yeah. Will you go back?
It's like a little rascal.
Will you open it up?
Can we watch the first couple of seconds of this again?
Yeah.
A half pine like me, I can't put the strongest guy in the world, blah blah blah.
And now just imagine that it's being played by, this character is being played by a turtle.
Okay?
Now just watch, just watch.
It's a turtle.
Strongest guy in the world.
Tryin' to put on nothin' like me.
Imagine.
Well he really made me feel like somethin'.
Yeah, a fuckin' turtle.
He is wearing tortoise shell glasses.
I also like, I also like, he's like, he's like, okay,
I'm gonna do the scene.
And he's like, okay, what's my eye line?
And they're like, oh, the camera's over there.
So your eye line is on the floor over here.
He's the whole shot.
He's looking down and off.
Well, I think-
A half pint like me.
I think he's looking, I think the geography of the apartment is...
Hotel.
That's the bed...
Hotel, hotel, hotel.
Sorry.
Hotel, hotel, hotel.
Damn it.
That he's looking at the bed.
At all.
So, like, that's where Hercules slept, on the bed.
And he's like...
Really?
Oh, wow.
Okay, maybe.
I don't know, because I will throw this out.
Watching it now, when he's talking to the radio and saying, it's me, are you in there?
Or whatever he says, it seems as though he might think Hercules is in there like
is in there. Well he says what are you doing in my radio. That is a line in the movie.
Which would lead you to believe that Pretzy believes Herc is in the radio. Yes!
I just saw for a moment, like, you look sad when you watch that monologue.
Oh, it's devastating.
It is. I don't like when characters have no dignity.
I don't. I don't.
And so when he says a half pint like me it's like oh, it's so sad
It's maybe these dock workers were beating him up, and he was it's that's maybe why he got into it definitely
They beat up the pretzel man. He definitely felt like he needed this friendship like there this for
Pretzy this movie is really about pretsy pretzy has the most interesting arc of the movie. You know?
The only arc, arguably.
Hercules just does a series of nonsensical things.
Not even the Herculian tasks.
Didn't Hercules have like tasks?
The one that he did do is fight a bear.
No, because even when Hercules.
A bear wearing sneakers, look closely.
I love when he's fighting the bear,
and the woman, the girl that he's on the
date with, the daughter of the professor, goes, beat him up!
I love that the zookeeper or the police had the wherewithal bearers loose and
this one's known to be surly and dangerous. Not like the other grizzly Bears who are polite and kind.
Was it the docile and safe one?
Nope.
By the way, why was a bear loose?
Why was a bear loose?
He just broke out.
Oh, he got, yeah, he just broke out of the zoo.
He just got out?
Yeah.
Wow, that's crazy.
Central Park Zoo, Central Park Zoo used to be
real loosey-goosey.
Yeah.
Jeez.
By the way, Central Park looks like shit in this movie.
Like, they drive cars all over the Great Lawn and ripping it up.
Yeah, what is that?
Well, this is an era where New York was like, in the fucking toilet.
You know, this is just a couple of years away from like, Son of Sam,
like that era of New York where everything is super bleak and difficult. Not like the beautiful city that you all live in now. Hooray! We
did it!
Do we want to talk a little bit, I mean I want to get into the chariot chase, but I
also want to just talk about the wrestling aspect of this movie.
Sure.
Because...
And the mobsters?
Oh. Yeah. The. Because. And the mobsters? Oh, yeah, the mobsters.
So, yeah.
The movie was done in 1969,
and wrestling could make front page news.
I mean, the newspaper spins,
brrrrra, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba,
strongest man, wrestler.
And then they clearly have no footage of wrestling,
they can't afford it.
So they just use like old weightlifting competition photos.
Basically.
And then they go, okay, yeah, he's a big wrestler now,
but we never ever see him wrestle.
That and the competition
that you think would be between two wrestlers
where they would wrestle is just weightlifting.
Yeah, which is his strong suit.
And he loses.
And also, well, because his strength has been taken away there.
Yes, of course.
By Zeus.
But even without his strength.
No, by...
Zeus' wife.
Nemesis.
Nemesis.
But even without his strength, he still has a lot of strength.
He lifts 750 pounds, right?
Yes.
By the way, they took away his strength, but yeah, that's good.
If I could bench, just cold lift 750,
I'm happy with that.
The following his strength was a thing
that I was confused by.
Yes.
Because going back to this board on the docks.
Yes.
Yeah, that's right.
I do think the board on the docks does open it up
for a lot of discussion.
Go ahead.
I was like, Hercules should be able to push these guys over on the thing, right?
But I understand there was a lot of stunt tricks on the docks of hidden guys over onto the thing.
Knocking guys' heads together.
And then, what is the next...
So the bear, being able to beat up a bear.
And then the only difference in showing he's weak
is this 250 pounds.
He can't lift a thousand pounds.
Right.
That, yeah, that was the height of his weakness.
Like, you would think that he would get a,
like, he never, that's the only time he's weak.
And correct me if I'm wrong,
the end fight scene in the cardboard factory.
Uh...
Uh...
He's way there.
I got great news, boss.
I got us a final location.
What do we got?
Please tell me steel mill.
A cardboard factory.
He'll be throwing cardboard boxes and cardboard tubes.
Well, you saved though, Abby,
because when I saw him push that board
and all those guys go flying,
I did have the thought, like, I think I could do that.
Exactly, me too.
So I was like, why is this so hard for Hercules?
Right, and why is this the sort of, you know,
example of his great strength?
Yes, well, you would think that if Hercules, because Hercules does punch a lot of mortals,
at which point I would think their heads would detach from their bodies.
That should be what happens.
He still seems like he's struggling on the boat.
He's not taking them down with one punch, they're getting back up.
But then he does stuff which I also can't figure out, like Why does he grab onto the dock workers forklift?
Why does he do that?
Why does he stop that forklift?
And the guy's like, hey, what are you doing?
Let it go.
And he's like, I like your chariot.
Where's the horses?
And he's like, hey, what are you doing?
What are you doing?
And he's just holding for, I don't know why.
And then he just lets it go like, ha ha ha ha ha.
Why, why?
But at the moment of his weakness,
he does this thing that I loved, which is this.
Oh, it's amazing.
An all-shuts moment.
Over and over.
And over again.
It was incredible.
It's the best.
Right, yeah, when he loses the match, he really gets upset and then. And over. It was incredible. It's the best. Right, yeah, when he loses the match,
he really gets upset in that all-in.
Just like Tommy Wiseau.
This is a Wiseau-ian performance.
I mean, he invented the Wiseau.
And yeah, the fight in the cardboard factory, then,
oh, I guess the chariot race leads to that.
So he gets caught up with these mobsters who take Pretzi out of the picture.
And the mobsters are making a lot of money on weightlifting.
No, and wrestling, wrestling.
But they also had a lot of money on this weightlifting competition.
Yes.
So, and then it seemed like everyone from their crew was gonna take him down.
Yep.
There seemed about 20 or 30 of them at the end.
And they're chasing him through the city.
He steals a hot, he steals a chariot
from like a strong man?
I don't know like what that guy was doing with a chariot.
Unclear.
Just a guy with a chariot in New York City
who was stopping to get a hot dog.
It's New York.
Yeah, there's a chariot on every corner.
Don't worry about it, it's New York.
Which leads to your favorite moment in the movie, also my favorite moment in the movie,
which we'll just show for you guys and we'll kind of...
So the chariot has been running through the city.
Now clearly he stole this chariot from a guy who was getting a hot dog.
That's all you need to know for this.
Here we go. The wheels fall off, just like the movie.
Look at Pretzy run! I wrote down best joke in the movie.
It's, it is like a moment of clear genius.
It's like, yes, this hot dog vendor is so intent
on getting that sauerkraut.
He's like, I will not, like he has no invested interest
in the chariot or this race, but he literally ran
He's doing his miles
With sauerkraut on a fork to deliver it
Just not does not worry about anything
That is a great moment. That is a great moment. I'm great shot feels like a Benny Hill sketch
This whole thing feels like a Benny Hill sketch. With crazy bazooka music in place of Yakety Sax.
Like you could play this whole thing and just do...
And why is, and again, to go back to the chariot,
it looks like a Tarzan man.
Yep.
And a chariot, so it's not necessarily connecting.
It looks like Crispin Glover.
He does.
In a Tarzan costume.
His dick's really just like right there.
It's kind of puffed out.
Yeah.
Um, and all eight yard lines.
I auditioned for the hot dog vendor.
By the way, I respect the best dressed hot dog vendor. I even wore my red sweater.
By the way, I respect the best dressed hot dog vendor in New York.
That's when New York hot dog vendors knew how to dress.
Not like the semi-homeless that are giving us hot dogs now.
But I think the hot dog vendor and Pretzi like they are selling pretzels
and hot dogs but they are... Yeah, men of honor. Yeah, absolutely. They're lacking something in their life. They
need to chase after these weird men. Yeah. Oh I would love a movie that's based
on these two dudes. Can I, I want to play a game with you guys. I want to play this.
What if this right here had been a scene
from Tarzan in New York?
And there was a whole other movie
that took place concurrent.
Like Rose and Cranston Gilded Turn Her Dead.
They tied together.
So this was the only scene they shared.
It's also weird that Hercules, I mean,
maybe it's not weird, I don't know,
but he doesn't ever think to just run.
Like he's got.
Or fly away, which he can do.
Although I don't know if he can do it at this point.
He has no powers now.
Oh right now he's depowered, I'm sorry.
But still.
By the way, and again, just to talk about,
they're tearing up Central Park.
I mean, that was like, someone was like,
yeah, yeah, fuck it, I don't care,
shoot in there, drive cars, put a horse there.
Oh, this is when Central Park was a basically like,
New York's toilet bowl.
Yeah, they got the Central Park location for two bags of heroin.
Two bags of tea.
The tea is silent though. E.
Here's my game for you guys. I'm gonna play you a clip.
You tell me what Arnold Schwarzenegger is saying. This is for the big,
this is the big come to Zeus moment
Here we go
Mighty Zeus has more wisdoms than Hercules. He knew better what is best for him
Mighty Zeus. Mighty Zeus
Well, let's see what you guys think. Anyone know?
Oh, I don't know.
No?
Oh, Goveldy Gook.
I'm going to play it one more time.
Mighty Zeus has more wisdom than Hercules.
He knew better what is best for him.
What was best for him?
He knew better what was best for him.
Father of Hercules father it's more wisdom
let's take a look at the British version here we go so here we go we get a full
explain mighty Zeus has more wisdom than Hercules he knew better what his best For him there you go. He knew oh boy this movie is
For wait do you have mercury?
I don't know if I have a mercury okay. Yeah, did anybody okay?
I could really show this entire movie
I have a question for the audience did anybody think that mercury sounded like anybody else I
Did Mercury sound like anybody else? No.
I wish we had a clip.
The guy playing Mercury
sounds exactly like Adam Scott.
Before Adam Scott was born?
Yes.
Oh! One quick thing
and then I'm going to go to the audience to get some questions in here.
Did anyone notice
what was weird when they sent Samson down to the fight?
He had short hair? Anyone?
Yes, Samson's from the Bible, not Greek mythology.
No one was doing the fact checking on that one.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, send in Samson.
And Noah too, get Noah involved.
Get all the strong men.
Anybody who's strong from any kind of mythology.
Send Thor down.
I don't know.
By the way, at the end of the movie,
Zeus does travel to the mortal land.
As a...
As a Hissitic man.
Hissitic.
As a Hissitic.
On the planet of the Hissites, yes.
Yeah.
He flies down like he, like he, like he's... But does he go down because it sounded fun?
Yes.
And was it fun?
Yeah, well, he gets all like jazzed up by like, I want to go have a horny adventure.
Because that's what Zeus does.
Zeus goes to Earth, he fucks a bunch of earth broads, has a bunch of
women, has a bunch of children, some of them gestate in his thigh, it doesn't
matter, and then he has all these, that's why Juno, although Juno is not his wife,
isn't Hera his wife? Hera's his wife. Who's Juno? Is she? Okay guys, guys, I'm gonna need you to elect a spokesman. Is she a Roman god? Ellen Page is Juno.
Guys, you need to stop freaking out.
I understand two thirds of you are
Classics majors.
And you need for us to know how smart
you are, but relax.
Alright, I'm gonna
come to the audience for some questions.
Here we go. Sir, I'm gonna start with you.
Alright, alright. When the microphone comes to you,
you can talk out loud.
All right, so here we go.
And your best Schwarzenegger, say, I am Hercules.
Or actually, yeah, say, I am Hercules,
then your real name and then your question.
Here we go.
I am Hercules.
Right. Really good.
Really good.
My name's Rick.
And do you think the wheel falling off in the chariot scene
was deliberate or completely accidental?
Oh, great question.
Interesting.
I feel like everything in this movie was accidental.
Yeah.
And that chariot lasted way longer than they thought.
Okay, sir, you got your best Hercules.
And then...
And if you're back here, come to me. So to go your best Hercules and then and if you're back here come to me so here
I am Hercules. Yeah, really good. That was not good. My name is Brett. I was just wondering
They shot a lot of scenes during the day, but made them nighttime
And the editing person was terrible at doing that why why?
Yeah, there's one scene when Mercury visits him
in that room, those curtains are like bound to the wall.
It's like that was clearly daylight.
And then is that-
And Pluto says, you can tell by how dark it is out.
And it's clearly like daytime.
Yeah.
And then in the middle of that conversation,
Hercules is like, I'm gonna take a shower.
And starts to undress with Mercury and Pretretzy in the room which is weird.
Here's a question how many days this movie take place over? One week or four
years. Yeah. All right your best Hercules your name your question. Oh I best Hercules, your name, your question. Oh, I'm Hercules.
Really good.
Really good.
You know what?
Half of that line is dudes who are like, I've got a pretty good Hercules impression.
I'll think of a question while I'm online.
Okay, my question is about Pretzy, who actually is famous.
He was Top Cat, he was in Curse of the Cowardly Dog,
but he was also in the movie Ghost Dad.
Like, and he played almost the exact same role.
He would just-
In the Bill Cosby movie, Ghost Dad?
Oh wow.
Yeah, Ghost Dad directed by Disney-
That late, so he's still alive in like the 80s.
Curse of the Cowardly Dog was 2002, so he's around.
Wow.
And so, my question is-
Wait, he's still alive?
All right, so my question is-
He just said he was alive in 2002.
No, Prensy died in 2002, is that what you said?
He was, he played a character in 2002.
Okay, that was the last time we saw him.
Got it, got it.
Anyway, my question is, do you think Bill Cosby and Sidney Poitier were sitting around watching this movie just looking
at like that guy that's the guy who we need in our movie reacting to our ghost effects.
You want us to analyze the thoughts of Bill Cosby? Yes, yes I do sir.
I just want to make sure that's the question you're asking.
What was Bill Cosby thinking in casting?
We'll never know.
We'll never know.
I did hear he took a meeting with the actress in this movie, though.
Too soon!
Too soon!
Too soon!
Gotta wait for another 40 people to come out.
Too soon! Let's get some ladies. If you for another 40 people to come out. Too soon!
Let's get some ladies.
If you're a lady, you can come to the front of the line.
All right, come over here.
Ladies, ladies, ladies, come on.
I do wanna say that I think that Pretzy did a great job.
Oh my God, ladies just jumped.
Holy shit.
Paul, are you okay?
Wow, Paul.
Look what just happened.
Look what just happened.
Ladies.
Bitches, relax. We're gonna have to go back to some guys in a second too. Look what just happened. Ladies. Look what just happened. Ladies.
Bitches, relax.
We're gonna have to go back to some guys in a second too.
All right, here we go.
Your best Schwarzenegger, your question.
I am Hercules.
Really good.
Hi, I'm Amanda, and I just wanted to-
You have to hold the mic.
Really grabbing at that mic, Amanda.
Hey, Amanda.
Maybe I like to hold up the schools.
All right, I guess.
Is that okay?
Amanda, we're gonna need you to let go of that mic. So my question is, you guys have not addressed the fact Maybe I like to hold up this cool Okay, Amanda
You guys have not addressed the fact that this looks like low-budget porn
Like I just kind of want to know your thoughts on that. Okay. Do you watch a lot of low-budget porn Amanda?
Go back to your seat. Go back
All right Go back to your seat! Go back, go back Amanda. Alright.
We have a lot of ladies
now.
Ladies? We don't all have to grab
the mic.
We're gonna get to a lot of you.
Here we go. Not everybody, but a lot.
Here we go. Paul, if you need help
you just let us know. I was a little scared
with the mic grab. If you feel uncomfortable or scared.
I was a little scared there. Alright. Yourven. If you feel uncomfortable or scared. I was a little scared there.
All right.
Your best Hercules.
But I love that all you did was say like,
how about some ladies?
Next thing you know, you drown it in titties.
What's going on?
It really was.
You just have to yell that in a crowded place.
I'm going to try that later.
Best Hercules.
That was adorable. Get ready for it.
I am Hercules.
You know what? We're going to figure out who's going to ask this next question.
Oh, that's great. Somebody's showing me a picture which we'll not read on the podcast, but it's of a turtle with glasses and it looks like pretzy.
Send it to us. That girl gets it.
The best Hercules impression gets to ask this next question.
Here you go.
You already did yours.
Do it one more time.
I am Hercules.
Shit.
I am Hercules.
That's terrible.
I am Hercules.
That is terrible.
Oh.
OK, terrible.
That was good.
I am Hercules. I am Hercules.
I am Hercules.
I am Hercules.
I am Hercules.
I am Hercules.
I could do this for an hour.
Just girls saying I am Hercules is legit one of the most erotic things I've ever heard in my life
Well, that was tough they're all very good really
Do you want to speed through their questions? Yeah, here goes be through your questions here go
So pretzy we don't know his last name at all
I don't think you think his first name is pretzel not as good not as given name pretzy is not as good name
So when he's signing the contract,
those three goons are like, hey, sign this contract.
Pretzy.
The answer, Pretzy.
He either signs it Pretzy.
P-R-E-T-Z-Y.
Or he just draws a Pretzel.
Ooh, he draws a Pretzel.
I like that.
All right, your turn.
Go to your seat.
Super quick.
One word.
Speed round.
Turtlenecks. Turtlenecks?
Go to your seat.
You're done.
Here we go.
We're busting.
All right, so my question, I wanted to know what you guys thought about the mobsters.
I know we touched on them.
The mobsters?
They drive station wagons.
That is not a mobster car.
And don't have guns.
Just cigars.
Don't have guns.
They're ready to duke it out at a moment's notice.
Alright, here we go.
Joey, alright.
If you've asked your question, sit down.
Do your Hercules and then talk about John Candy.
It's going to be hard without moving my face to do it appropriately.
Move your face then, weirdo.
I don't know why. I didn't say him not to move his face.
Oh, what?
I never told him not to move his face. Oh what I didn't never told him not to move his face. Yeah, so feel free
Oh, yeah, you're putting your future Hercules impressions. Feel free to move your face
He doesn't move his face. What should I? Oh, here we go. I hate you
Question revoked question revoked
All right, Wait, wait.
What do you mean?
He can't wait.
He's very impassioned.
What do you mean?
This is the subject of internet debate that I want you to clarify.
Is John Candy in this movie?
In that very first scene when he's shaking his fist right in front of the camera at a
man hanging off of the ship, that is...
50% of Google searches say yes John Candy 50% say no
okay we're gonna settle this right now sit down
we have moved on the John Candy debate will never be solved we will never we
know yes we're not telling this This was, by the way, telling
people to get out of their seats was a terrible idea. You have been bobbed.
We'll not do this again. For those of you listening at home, Paul is currently being attacked.
I'm gonna see, of people, uh. Well see the difference between New York and LA is LA.
Nobody wants to hear it. Nobody. New York, everybody's like, I need to fucking talk.
I need.
Love it.
You know what this show needs?
Me talking into a microphone.
Who here, we're going to do two more questions.
Who believes in their questions?
So everyone.
In LA, hands go down.
Okay.
Here, hands go up.
We got a speed round.
Speed round.
Speed round.
Speed round.
Here we go. Okay, so the IMDb. We gotta speed round. Speed round. Speed round. Speed round.
Here we go.
Okay, so the IMDb description says that Hercules
is sent to earth where he finds true love.
I already hate it.
Sit down.
No, no, no, no, no.
You gotta get it.
From here on in, the question's gotta be real quick.
Really?
It's gotta?
Is the true love that girl or Pretzzee?
Great question. Okay, hang on, hang on. Great question. Hang on, hang on, hang on. Is the true love that girl or pretzzee?
Okay, hang on hang on hang on hang on hang on June
Pretzzee
All right Moving on moving on I'm trying I'm trying
The the man in the bear suit or Nick cage in the bear suit and wicker man who wins in a battle
Okay, sit down sit down sit down. Prensy by the way is going to Brooklyn to buy his pretzels and then returning to the docks to sell them.
Don't we think the docks are in Brooklyn aren't the docks are we on the Red Hook docks? What docks are we at? Queens? Is he in Queens?
No, they're in Central Park two seconds later. I will say that my favorite line in the movie is,
he goes,
the espresso's heaven of the gods,
food of the gods.
He goes, oh, that's real funny.
That's the name of the bakery that I get it from.
By the way, I enjoyed that whole scene
in the cab ride about Apollo.
All right, one more question,
because we got, we got a, okay.
All right, I'm gonna go to you.
Given that this movie came out in 1969,
what did the characters of Mad Men think of it
when they saw it?
A very good question.
I was thinking about that today, as a matter of fact.
Well done.
Everyone sit down, everyone sit down.
Well done.
All right, so obviously we had an opinion about this movie,
but there are some people that disagree.
These are second opinions.
Second opinions.
These are opinions that are five star reviews, culled from Amazon about Hercules in New York.
Okay. Hot dogs, pretzie, and airplanes.
What can I say? The title says it all.
Hercules, a strong young man looking to find his purpose in life, being judged by his father.
Well, this doesn't make dramatically sense.
Being judged by his father is hard enough so he moves to New York
and creates havoc in the big city.
The hot dog vendor seen as the best.
I would pay 300 yen to see that again.
The guy chas...
The guy chases the horse man
and it goes,
Baaaaaagg!
It's awesome.
Baaaaaagg! Five stars. man and it goes BAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG This film will make you appreciate why Arnold Schwarzenegger is the greatest and still is
the greatest of all time.
His phenomenal aesthetic mass at 6'1 tall is clearly evident in this film.
Most competitive bodybuilders today are between 5'5 and 5'8 and look horrible.
Five stars.
This is from Frida Tarveson.
This movie is my favorite. I don't like people seeing it as a joke.
It's a good film.
Arnold's first!
All in caps.
A cool film indeed.
Hercules is bored and he wants to go down to New York
and he finds it hard to fit in
because of his enormous strongness.
It's a real fish out of water story.
My favorite quote in the film is when he talks to the coach
and says, I wanna show them how to throw the discus.
And the coach says, you don't say.
And Herc says, I do say.
That is great.
Another good thing in this film, just pure fighting.
No overdriven explosive things like an eraser or red scorpion
or universal soldier.
Not to say it's bad,
but sometimes you get tired of those things.
Tired?
T-I-E-R-D.
This is a way cooler, five stars.
And finally, the review is titled,
A Cult Film for Bodybuilding Fanatics.
This film's a must for those who love bodybuilders.
It's actually a comedy, but every five minutes or so
you get to see Arnold take off a piece of clothing and flex.
This is his first film, so his body is much more beautiful
than any other film.
You'll never see a more beautiful male body in any film.
Five stars.
Wow.
And that is a second opinion.
And that user's name was Creepy Weirdo, right?
Anything that we didn't cover that you guys feel like we need to talk about?
I mean, there's so much.
Oh, the whole conversation.
I love when they get, this is just like highlights that we didn't get to.
They get in the cab on the docks, they drive, they do the whole scene before the cab driver
goes, where are you going?
They've been, and he goes, oh, we're in Central Park right here.
They've already taken the ride without giving him any direction.
And it looks like the sketchiest part of Central Park is like, oh, Pretzi will now murder Hercules.
Yep.
You know, I love this other movie, and it reminded me of this, Coming to America.
You know what?
There's a lot of similarities that you're saying.
You're saying in that movie, Arsenio Hall is pretzy?
Yes.
I don't know, it cuts back to the dead and he's like...
You're right.
I think there's a lot of similarities, but to June's point,
he goes out of his comfort zone, he works at McDowell's.
Here, it would just be like the prince
just beating people up, yeah.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
My last stray thought is,
do you think Pretzi was nicknamed Pretzi
or started calling himself Pretzi?
I don't know.
Nicknamed.
I bet dock workers, I bet dock workers were like,
hey, Pretzi.
Because he's been there for years and they never bothered to learn his name.
I think it's like this.
I think he's like, somebody buys a pretzel for me.
He goes, hey, and if you want, you can call me Pretzi.
Because I sell pretzels.
I'm the pretzel guy.
Pretzi.
Pretzi.
All right, man, thank you. I think he's giving it to himself and forcing it on other people.
Wow.
I'm pretzel.
Pretzel, pretzel guy.
That's how you remember me.
And that bumps me out so much.
Pretzel, when the mobsters show up to threaten Pretzel and they're like, you better sign
this contract, Pretzel.
That scene also very sad for Pretzel.
He's drinking and shaking so much.
The director of this film was asked to your point early on.
Why did you do this? Why did you do this to us?
How dare you? This is a war crime.
He was asked, is it a war crime to have done this movie?
Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Have you no honor, sir?
These are all questions he was asked.
He was, uh, paid a thousand dollars a week to direct,
and said, are you surprised that
Schwarzenegger ever worked again after this movie?
And he said, yes, very.
That's what I mean.
The idea that this performance exists
from a man who is responsible for
many of the highest grossing movies of all time is
Sorry, I was shocking is shocking I
Think and a governor, but I'm married to Kennedy watch it very closely. There are glimpses
Yeah of an actor in there
And I actually I I do think I mean of course it's a troubled performance, but there are
moments, and I think you saw them too, there are moments where you see this like beautiful
open face and you want to cast him again in something else.
Can I ask this question?
Is it fair to say that most movie stars, like the biggest of biggest movie stars, you're going to see them and their personality and I think that that's what shine through here wasn't about the acting you go on to see
a well-known movie
Charismatic whatever that lies beneath got it. Okay, he's got it. He's got it really cuz he like has a dead eyes and
He's got it in spades. Really?
Because he has a dead eyes and a placid face.
He appears to be a buffoon.
This movie was made in 1969.
He just released a low budget indie movie where he plays the father to a zombie daughter.
Still doing it.
Yep.
Non-stop.
Yeah.
Still doing it. God bless. This guy is the American dream even though he's
Sure for sure he is. It's it's unbelievable
Some applause for the American dream, yeah
American no, you know why you know why it doesn't get applause because this is New York and New York is like no New York
fuck America, I
Think we I think we'd all agree that you would say watch this movie right watch this
movie just for pretzy alone well thank you guys for being here but before we go
you can take your pictures now but as you're taking your pictures anything
that anyone wants to plug?
We can do a plug line there.
I just, I put a bunch of stuff up on Craigslist.
Um, side tables and some lamps and stuff,
just checking out.
I, like, like, oh yeah, we'll give you a good pose.
We'll pose as we are letting you guys take pictures.
I'm really gonna fuck it up for people who are trying to take pictures.
I'm gonna be much taller than everybody.
I would like to plug my new web series called Sheer RL,
which is... oh, thank you.
Which is recreations of MTV's TRL.
And there you go.
Terry Crews as Diddy, Brett Gellman as Marilyn Manson,
Kumail Nanjiani as Mariah Carey, and a lot more. June?
I will plug the Netflix show I'm on, Grace and Frankie, which is out. See you now. It's really great.
And Jason?
But just, you know, follow me on Twitter.
Okay, great. Oh, are you on Twitter now?
Not on Twitter, guys.
Abby, what's your name on Twitter?
Um, it's
just my name.
There you go, you can follow her too.
Did it early on, not very clever?
No, I'm just my name too.
Yeah, yeah.
Jason's not on it.
Not on it.
And June, you are what?
At Ms.
Wow.
Wow, wow, wow.
Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
Be cool, June.
Don't worry, I'll get half her money.
Look at that, boom, it's right there.
Miss June Diane.
A big thank you to Avril Halle
who cut all these amazing clips.
Our researcher, Nate Kiley.
Dave, who's up on the board.
Everybody here at Over and Paws.
Thank you.
You know what, Paul?
Yes? You can follow us on Twitter though, this show.
Oh yes, at HDTGM.
That's all the initials out of this get made.
And if you have a correction or omission, put it on the Earwolf board.
We'll read it in the mini episode.
Thank you guys for coming.
The best outro of all time.
Give it up for Abby Jacobson. She was amazing.
Give it up Jason Manzoukas, June Diane Ranfield.
Thank you guys so much.
Great work, New York!
Good night!
New York City!
Woo!
Woo!
Woo!
Woo!
Woo!
Woo!
Woo!
Woo!
Howdy, Disco B!