How Did This Get Made? - The Happening LIVE!

Episode Date: June 28, 2024

It's finally happening! What? No! Paul, Jason, & June break down M. Night Shyamalan's 2008 thriller The Happening—a movie where the trees are out to get us and Mark Wahlberg & Zooey Deschanel run aw...ay from wind. LIVE from Largo in LA, they discuss the talking plant scene, Marky Mark's mood ring, an A+ Jeremy Strong performance, Johnny Legs' bad parenting, and so much more. Plus, June takes a hard stance on people who go out to eat for dessert only. DISCLAIMER: Despite what you hear in this episode, this is NOT a cheese podcast. Go to hdtgm.com for tour dates, merch, and more on bad movies!Order Paul’s book about his childhood: Joyful Recollections of TraumaFor extra content on Matinee Monday movies, visit Paul's YouTube page: youtube.com/paulscheerTalk bad movies on the HDTGM Discord: discord.gg/hdtgmPaul’s Discord: discord.gg/paulscheerFollow Paul’s movie recs on Letterboxd: letterboxd.com/paulscheer/Check out new HDTGM movie merch over at teepublic.com/stores/hdtgmPaul and Rob Huebel stream live on Twitch every Thursday 8-10pm EST: www.twitch.tv/friendzoneLike good movies too? Subscribe to Unspooled with Paul and Amy Nicholson: listen.earwolf.com/unspooledSubscribe to The Deep Dive with Jessica St. Clair and June Diane Raphael: www.thedeepdiveacademy.com/podcastCheck out The Jane Club over at www.janeclub.comWhere to find Paul, June, & Jason:@PaulScheer on Instagram & Twitter@Junediane on IG and @MsJuneDiane on TwitterJason is not on social media

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hello, people of Earth. I wanted to give you a little bit of a warning before you listen to today's episode, because the plot of this episode's film, The Happening, revolves around people dying by suicide. And as such, that topic does come up frequently throughout the episode. So if that's triggering for you, I wanted to give you an opportunity to stop and go listen to something else, maybe a Matinee Monday, maybe a whole different podcast, you know, on spooled's got some really fun episodes lately.
Starting point is 00:00:29 Anyway, this is your trigger warning. And if you're one of those people who's mad that you're getting a trigger warning, then do I have to do a trigger warning for you about trigger warnings? Anyway, I hope you listen. I hope you enjoy. And if you don't, I get that too. What? No!
Starting point is 00:00:49 We saw the happening! So you know what that means! Now we start the show! Now we start the show! Oh It's a sucker punch to odd lights, a timid spree Sharp and it'll be murder, deadly, county stand alive They call him the bad ass and he's on the line Freaking eight, eight minutes cause they cool as ice Cause a bad Jim Bonny looking kind of nice Calling Joe, getting little while Jason is getting lame
Starting point is 00:01:36 Joe is making sure all the monkey shots get paid They're judging a bunch of movies while they're making the grade Here's a real question, will you out of this kid's pay? making the grade is a real question when you're out of this kid's pain. Hello people of Los Angeles! And hello people of Largo! We are live here in Los Angeles for a movie that defies expectations. M. Night's The Happening. What is it about?
Starting point is 00:02:07 If you've not seen it, it's a movie where wind and trees team up as the most powerful enemy on the planet, but only attack a very small section with a northeastern seaboard. They're just not Ohio. We won't go to Ohio,
Starting point is 00:02:30 but we'll just kind of stay in this area. Uh, yes, so it is a movie where the trees are out to get us. Our heroes outrun wind, and, um... And what better hero than Mark Wahlberg? Mark Wahlberg stars, he's married to Zooey Deschanel, and everybody they meet up with eventually has a gruesome death.
Starting point is 00:02:55 That's all you really need to know. Oh, and this other fact, nothing makes sense. Every choice is flawed. The hero is not a hero. But besides that, the movie is perfect. Now to help break down this film tonight, please welcome my cohost, Mr. Jason Manzoukas. What's up, jerks? That's right Largo, let's go.
Starting point is 00:03:32 Let's go. This movie stopped playing. Boy, did I not like this. This movie stopped playing and I was like, whoa, whoa, wait a minute. I don't think so. I think there's at least gotta be 30 more minutes to this. You wanted more? You wanted more? I didn't want more, but this movie,
Starting point is 00:03:49 this seemed to me to have the snowman problem. Like, I believe that they maybe didn't shoot 15% of the script because that, in which everything gets explained, because this was, what if a zombie movie, but you're right, the zombies are just the wind. Yes. And what if all of the exposition dumps are just conjecture from a high school science teacher
Starting point is 00:04:16 played by Mark Wahlberg? I'm sorry, I need my kid out of that class immediately. I need my kid to have a new teacher Immediately my fictitious child. I think the movie is so pleased with itself that they're like They set up this thing. Oh Why are the bees dying? We don't know and then the movie goes what if that was our explanation, too Well, and and we never get we never get an actual explanation. Because every time he has an exposition done, a new person
Starting point is 00:04:54 joins, he's like, you know what? I don't know. It could be, what about, I remember I read this article about this guy doing this thing. And who knows, it could be that. I don't know. To the two teenagers he's with. Oh, wait, wait a second. Ladies and gentlemen, June, Diane, Raphael.
Starting point is 00:05:13 Welcome, June. I have to say something. I was asked if it was too long. I knew we were getting too deep. I knew it. You were taking way too long. Ha-ha-ha-ha. I have so much to say about... I knew it. You were taking way too long. Ha ha ha ha. I have so much to say about. I also have nothing to say as well. And very little.
Starting point is 00:05:31 The wildest part to me is that the actual, oh, Paul. It's an audio podcast, no one sees this. No one sees me picking up my Toa Mook cheese. What is that? Do you have a bunch of scratcher tickets? Tonight, this audience will be walking home with Tilemook cheese products. What? No!
Starting point is 00:05:59 We got these and they're like, they sent these to how did this get made? Wow, Jason and I never even knew they arrived. You want one? Yeah, I do. I do love this cheese. What? I like it too. This is good cheese.
Starting point is 00:06:16 What? No! But yeah, it's great cheese. What do you mean? The sharp cheddar, the sharp, the sharp. We're not a cheese podcast. This sharp, I'm not a listen. Well, you know what?
Starting point is 00:06:24 I'm glad we're not a cheese podcast. The Sharp. I'm not a citizen. I'm glad we're not a cheese podcast, because they also have great ice cream. I was not. This is a non-dairy podcast. I wasn't paid to say that, but it's a great company. What? The cheese is great.
Starting point is 00:06:42 The cheese is great. Let me just say this, though. The craziest thing is that Mark Wahlberg, our hero, is not even the person who figures it out. Oh no. A random man who has a greenhouse figures the entire thing out. I also don't like that.
Starting point is 00:07:01 Is that the actual? Well, no, the real, yes, he figures that it's the plants and the trees. It's the plants that are killing us and they're releasing a toxin because they're, they have figured out how to kind of weaponize and attack. Plants strike back. The plants strike back.
Starting point is 00:07:19 And what we find out at the very end, at the tail end, from the Carnegie Mellon professor. Oh, it's a prelude. It's a prelude! Is that this is, this is the environment's way of attacking us. So it's climate. No, no, no, no. No, this, no, it's not climate change. It is an act of violence perpetrated.
Starting point is 00:07:43 Like this is not like, oh, the plants are reacting. They make it seem like the plants are fucking mad. Like the plants have like authority. Yes, sentience. And the plants are like, kill yourself. Well, guys. If you get too close to the wind, the wind is like, kill yourself.
Starting point is 00:08:01 But this is, but here's, this is like. I did think that that was advanced for the plants. I will say this. That was advanced. And now you heal someone else, just yourself. Any way you can. What I don't like about this movie in general is. Everything?
Starting point is 00:08:16 Yes. And that it happens in so many different ways. If it was just like, oh, these plants are giving off some sort of toxin, I'd buy it. But the way it starts and the way it kind of continues, it's like people are killing themselves and weird. Some people are just like straight up murder, suiciding themselves, right?
Starting point is 00:08:36 Other people are just, you know, jumping off a building. But like, it seems to be like some people really go creative. Like, like I'm like, wow. Like, so you got- Let's be honest. If this movie was real, a real depiction of what this happened, the minute this started happening, it would just be every 10 seconds, a gunshot.
Starting point is 00:08:54 Yes! In this country, just gunshot, gunshot, gunshot, gunshot. That's it. Well, they have that section in there, which is the most unnerving section. It's like, bang. It's very upsetting. Bang, and then, they have that section in there, which is the most unnerving section. It's like, bang. Bang. And that banging is going on.
Starting point is 00:09:09 And they try to explain the dumbest premise of the movie. Oh, it's attacking big groups, but it won't attack small groups. Or how about this? Why? You're in a fucking open air field. I don't even think that. Is that even true?
Starting point is 00:09:24 That's what I'm saying. I don't think so., is that even true? That's what I'm saying. I don't think so, that's conjecture again from Mark Wahlberg. I think that was- I don't trust the goddamn thing he said. I think that was true for a time before the plan started mutating. I don't know, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:09:39 We never know. But the craziest thing, the craziest sequence is right there when those gunshots are happening and then Zooey Deschanel for reasons I could not understand is like, we can't be innocent bystanders. Yes. We can't just be, we can't just walk.
Starting point is 00:09:52 I was like, sweetie. We can't just be one of those people that walk, watch, that stand by us. Of course you are running. Get out of here. You should be running right now. You have a child to protect who's lost both of her parents in the last five minutes. Every shot.
Starting point is 00:10:08 Get out of there. Every shot, every character looks like this. And this is them, I believe, looking at the script off screen. Wait, what? I truly believe, like. In this sequence, though, in this very sequence, they're running away from the plants plants and the grass is this high
Starting point is 00:10:29 The grass is this high and it's waving toward them. Yeah, and they're racing away from it. It's wind They're racing from wind or they racing away from running is grass part of this. I don't know So you're saying the wind was carrying the toxins. Yeah. The wind was carrying the scores or whatever from the trees that was, I guess I couldn't tell. I know. And I couldn't tell if it was the wind carrying the toxins from other cities or if it, if that grass now had the toxins in it.
Starting point is 00:11:04 And so the wind, I kind of feel like it's COVID, right? The trees cough, and then it goes out in the air, and then you get it. Like, so it's like, if you were in front of somebody who has COVID, they, ah, then, oh, you might have a shot of getting it. And that's kind of what this movie. Why didn't a single person in this movie
Starting point is 00:11:23 ever just go like this? They never cover up! Never! Never once! At the end of the movie, the fucking scientist, Mark Wahlberg is like, I'm coming to get you. We just, they were separated for two minutes. He's like, Mom, I'm just going to walk out in the field. Yeah. Why would they do that? Why? No reason. They know it's airborne.
Starting point is 00:11:42 You can ride this out, I think. I don't know, or maybe not, but... Can I just, I wanna go like, yes, all this doesn't make sense, but really, what really doesn't make sense to me is the opening line, two women on a park bench, and the first woman says, as she's reading a book, I forgot where I was. And then the other woman, who's reading a book, I forgot where I was. And then the other woman, who's reading another book,
Starting point is 00:12:06 says, oh, you're at the part where the people kill each other. She's like, oh, OK, thanks. What? Yeah. Even for this movie? I wouldn't know where she was. She's reading a book. That woman, that woman then pulls what looks to me like a knitting needle out of her hair
Starting point is 00:12:27 that she's using as a hair tie and stabs herself in the jugular. The movie is full and her friend is just like. Oh, and the movie, the movie seems to, I feel like they shot scenes without some of the actors there, so they didn't know what they were reacting to. Well, and that opening.
Starting point is 00:12:48 A lot of times something insane will happen, and some of them will be like. The opening, the opening scene, the opening scene, again, with these two women on the park bench, who oddly are the only two not affected while everyone else is. Why? We don't know.
Starting point is 00:13:06 We never find out the rules of the thing. There's no rules. So they go, she goes, oh, that's interesting. I see blood. Then they cut to the reverse. Just people in the park, no blood. She's like, oh, they're killing each other. Are they hallucinating?
Starting point is 00:13:20 Is this a dream that these two women have had on a park bench? Because I knew it was an M. Night Shyamalan movie, the whole time I was expecting at the end for there to be a twist that would in fact reveal all of the information I wanted in a way that would infuriate me. The twist is you paid for this movie. The twist is, the twist is there is no twist,
Starting point is 00:13:44 ha ha, joke's on you, it just is bad. I mean, I just, look, very rarely on this show do we get into acting. And I don't think it has any issue with the actors. Because everyone is equally, equally bad. And like, everyone in this movie feels like they're doing an acting exercise. It's like, you're going to talk about peanut butter sandwiches,
Starting point is 00:14:06 and you're going to talk about your shoes, and you're going to try to have a conversation together, like, I like peanut butter sandwiches. My shoes are brown. Isn't the most tasty thing to have? I wear my shoes every day. It's like, they're not... No one is connecting. I literally typed in the happening movie, and it says, do you want to know why the acting is so bad? That was the first thing that came up.
Starting point is 00:14:29 I do want to know. What would you find out? There's a lot of Reddit posts, theories as to why. Now did you, okay. I have so many questions. Why did John Liguizama, why did he- Johnny Leggs. Why did he-
Starting point is 00:14:43 I kept writing Johnny Leggs too. Why did Johnny Leggs hate Zoe Deschanel so much? Oh, I have a theory. He hated her, right? A. B. He says and does everything wrong. He says in front of his daughter that her mother is missing presumed dead all because she wanted to go get Jess a birthday present. Some dollhouse shit or something.
Starting point is 00:15:12 Okay, I gotta go little one. I was like, is she here? Can she hear all of this? I also think his plan is flawed, but I want to go back and I want to give you- Do you think he's Joey? Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh!
Starting point is 00:15:27 Yes! I will say, I'm not sure, but at the very beginning- No, that's what I thought, because- At the very beginning, he says that- Is that the twist? I don't think, I wish. I thought that could be the twist, but then there's a thing which is like, at the very beginning, he's like,
Starting point is 00:15:41 I walked in on her getting ready for the wedding, and she was crying, and she didn't wanna make- She's not all in, basically, he's like, I walked in on her getting ready for the wedding and she was crying and she didn't wanna, she's not all in basically or something like that. And the whole- But what did he see? She was crying before the wedding that could have meant anything.
Starting point is 00:15:53 I know, but the whole movie seems to hinge on they, Mark Wahlberg and Zoe Deschanel need the events of this movie to bring them together as a loving couple. Can I just say- I'm here to say they should break up. Absolutely. They should break up. No, Jason.
Starting point is 00:16:09 They should be given a child. Yeah, no. Two. First of all, this lives in a movie, a world in which, yeah, if the parent, you could just take a kid. Like, you know, they're yours now. It's fine.
Starting point is 00:16:21 Like they get a kid and then. It's also like, I don't know. I mean, let people have babies whenever they want to have babies. Of course. But, of course, of course, no one's judging that they seem to be the legal custodians of Jess and she's just lost both of her parents has seen multiple people die in front of her.. Dozens. Dozens. Dozens. Time to go back to school three months later, forget about that. But I'm just like, do you all need to have a baby right now?
Starting point is 00:16:51 Like you do have a child, that child is Jess. Yeah. Oh, hey, there's that. There's also like, do you guys need to have a child right now? Like work on your relationship. Please. Like I was a terrorist attack, a presumed terrorist attack.
Starting point is 00:17:06 Hundreds of people are dying in the streets of New York. They are in Penn Station trying to get on that train to get out of town. The trailer makes it look like a bunch of people are on a train and the train stops and it's like, something's happening. But no, a lot of other crazy stuff happens. But regardless, Zoey Dechanel is mad. She's mad that Mark Wahlberg has told Johnny Leggs that they had a fight. And she's like, I'm going to go sit by myself. I'm like, a,
Starting point is 00:17:32 an attack is happening as far as you're concerned. She's prioritizing all the wrong stuff. But also this, this is what I was really struggling with with, which was yes, they're setting up that they need this really crazy event to happen to come back to each other. It's better than therapy. But Paul it's like what did she do wrong? She went out for tiramisu first of all gross. Oh my god. If you're gonna have an affair, if you're gonna flirt with another guy. You went out for tiramisu. You tell me. That's the weirdest thing to do. Don't go out for tiramisu. Go out for a drink. Like, have a cocktail. What? Tiramisu.
Starting point is 00:18:06 Tiramisu. Truly. It was embarrassing. Tiramisu. Not for one. It's for two. One. Two.
Starting point is 00:18:15 It was so weird. You had tiramisu. And if I were him, if you told me you went out for tiramisu with a woman. Yes. What would you do? I would record this. Honestly, to go out, first of all, I find it very strange when people go out just for dessert.
Starting point is 00:18:34 That's weird. That's weird. I completely agree. I go out for a meal, go out for coffee, go out for a drink. Yes. But adults that are like, let's go to Pinkberry. Weird. It's weird. It's weird.
Starting point is 00:18:45 It's weird. Honestly, kill yourself. Yeah. Listen to the wind. I am, listen. Do what it tells you. If you told me you went out for tiramisu with a woman, I would say, I'm so glad you didn't ask me to go.
Starting point is 00:19:02 Yeah. Well, here- Joey calls her when she's on the train sitting alone. Joey's been blowing her up on her Nokia flip phone. Joey's calling her. She takes it and she goes, I feel like you're the fatal attraction guy and I'm gonna see your shadow in the shower curtain.
Starting point is 00:19:18 Okay. I'm pretty sure she's conflating fatal attraction and psycho into one movie. Right, and I would argue that Fatal Attraction's most famous thing is the bunny. Is the bunny in the... boiling the bunny. It's not the show. That's Psycho. So, it's two psychotic things.
Starting point is 00:19:36 I think she's an absolute idiot in the movie. All right. And... I really wanted the twist to be that somehow she was responsible. She was like, I fucked this guy Joey. He works at a wet market in Wuhan. I don't know what's going on, but the wind is talking to me. I also feel, and this is again where we get,
Starting point is 00:20:05 I think it might be direction, when you first meet Zooey Deschanel, I think she's a great actress, she's fun, she's full of life, the way that they introduce you to her, it's like, oh, something's wrong. Like she hasn't left the house. Like she seems broken. And she talks about herself and she says to Jess,
Starting point is 00:20:21 don't worry Jess, I don't like to show my emotions either. Boy, that's a tough thing for this, for you to not be emotional in the face of what is unquestionably one of the most shocking and emotional roller coasters of your life. She's also just doing the strangest things during this time. Like she's playing house with Jess and that's weird. And I didn't feel like they had a connection and you know
Starting point is 00:20:47 horrible things are happening and the wind is getting closer and closer and she's like I just needs to go on the swing oh yeah they take a couple minutes to let her play yeah they know after they know trees are the enemy. Well, that's the thing is, and they keep cutting to the branch. They keep cutting to the branches if they're cutting to the tree being like, don't you do this. Don't you do this. No, no, no.
Starting point is 00:21:14 Don't make me hurt you. Like the trees get reaction shots. It's like the trees are the shark. In Jaws, it's like, oh, here comes the fin. It's like, here's this branch. Creek! My favorite moment in the movie, again, characters say stuff in this movie
Starting point is 00:21:32 that no human would ever say. And my favorite line was, just go to the window near the big tree. Like, that's what the mom tells the daughter to do. Like, why would you go to the, why? Why are you telling this? Why would you, like, it's what the mom tells the daughter to do? Like, why would you go to the... Why? Why are you telling her... Why would you, like, it's such a weird specific. Nobody talks like they would ever talk like this.
Starting point is 00:21:51 When they all pour out of the diner, pour into cars and, like, peel out like it's wacky races, and Dick Dastardly and Muttley are gonna be there... Root-root. That's for the old people. And everybody's taking off and they're not letting them in their car. And she goes, why is everybody so crappy?
Starting point is 00:22:13 I was like, really? Why, that's what she says right now? I mean, also I do love, all right, Mark Wahlberg called in to a meeting of the teachers at the school and they go, there's been a terrorist attack in Central Park and goes huh that's odd like like he doesn't believe it like well it wouldn't tears wouldn't attack there it's just full of
Starting point is 00:22:35 people that's weird it's like all open space and they're just a easy target soft targets huh how many years after September 11th is this? Yeah, we gotta talk about it. It's 2008 Unquestionably a post September 11th. Oh, yes in a way that is not cool at all It is as if people did not live through that now look they're in Philadelphia Philadelphia works on its own thing But I will say this. I'll tell you one thing that people in Philly won't do. If a train stops in Philbert, which he also doesn't believe. What is that?
Starting point is 00:23:13 It's a fucking stop on a train, you idiot. Like, it wasn't like we were in a bat cave. It's like, yeah, you're at the stop. But when we were watching the trailer, June and I both said that. I love that scene, which is just the conductors. And he's like, we lost contact. With who?
Starting point is 00:23:31 Everyone. But this is my thing. Kill yourself. I've been to Philadelphia many times. I like the people of Philly. You don't think those people are going to be standing silently having a chat outside the train. Hey motherfucker! What the fuck are we not going? Let's go flyers! They would fucking jump on that train and drive it.
Starting point is 00:23:57 Everyone's like huh. Oh no if this was a real train full of Philly residents, they would be eating horse shit off the ground. Eagles fly! Fly, Eagles! We aren't human! The wind doesn't affect us! We're trash! Shit. Wait, the Eagles aren't playing this, you better not affect the fucking Eagles game.
Starting point is 00:24:23 But it is, it is weird, they're so polite. Why were there so many conductors in there? Oh my God. I think they're all ticket takers. I think they're all ticket takers. Even if they're ticket takers, even if they're ticket takers, there were, I feel like there were eight men.
Starting point is 00:24:41 Yes, too many men. It's also, to me, I'm like, why would you just stop? We lost contact. Well, you know what? Let's stop. Keep on going. Get the fuck out of there. The movie also has multiple, like, what are given to us as kind of jump scare moments
Starting point is 00:24:59 that as they unfolded in reality would never have been jump scares, one of which is when all the landscapers have hung themselves. They would have seen that half a mile ahead. Oh no, people are hanging from trees up there. But they get all the way to lawn mowers. Lawn mowers, whoa! Whoa!
Starting point is 00:25:22 The guy that lays down and lets a lawnmower run over him is my favorite part of the movie. Just like. But this is what I'm talking about. This is like, so the people at the construction site, they just jump off a tall building, right? Great. Awesome.
Starting point is 00:25:41 By the way, very effective. These guys are in tall trees. And these guys in tall trees are like, well, let's make it a little bit more fancy. Let's hang ourselves. Like, there's lawnmowers there. They could all get in a truck. They put ladders into the trees.
Starting point is 00:25:53 Yeah, they climbed up. They could fall off a ladder, break their neck. Did you guys not think, there's a, to me, the movie is a failure in microcosm by not giving us the B side of the Chekhov's nuclear power plant. Oh yeah. You cannot show me two nuclear,
Starting point is 00:26:12 two nuclear, what are they, tubes, what are they called? Smoke stacks. You got it. You can't show me that and then not at some point have them be like, boom, and look, and mushroom cloud. You're telling me nobody like listened to the trees and was like, boom, boom. I felt the same way.
Starting point is 00:26:31 I felt the same way about Mark Wahlberg's mood ring. Why are we seeing, why does he take it with him? Why does he wear it as if it's his wedding ring? He wears it as if it's his wedding ring. Because that's where their first date went. When he leaves that house, he's so frantic. He's gotta get out of town. And one of the first things he grabs is that mood ring. Oh yeah.
Starting point is 00:26:55 And then he checks in on it a number of times. He uses it to bond with Jess. Yeah. He talks about it with Zooey Deschanel. But it never really amounts to anything. Yeah, you know why? Because it's a fucking mood ring. What does it matter?
Starting point is 00:27:12 No, it's a crass joke and I won't say it. I'd say if you put that ring on the girl, she's like, hey, purple, that means you're horny. I knew she wasn't going to lie. I don't like, leave it in, leave it in, leave it in. that means you're horny. I knew you were gonna lie. I don't like, leave it in, leave it in, leave it in. But that mood ring represents, I think, the best part of their marriage. That's the twist, right?
Starting point is 00:27:39 If that's the best part of their marriage, they got to break up immediately. Johnny Leggs is right. They shouldn't be together. Johnny Leggs leaves. He doesn't like her and she doesn't like him. Yes, they are not well suited for each other. In the best of times, in the worst of times,
Starting point is 00:27:55 they're terrible for each other. I just don't also, from a perspective of just a little thing called character, I don't understand what his flaw is. Like he's a scientist, not the smartest scientist. He seems to be pretty decisive, but not really a leader. And he doesn't really have any flaws. Like he's just a guy.
Starting point is 00:28:21 This is like- I agree though, cause I thought for sure what we were gonna come back to was this idea of like he's too focused on the scientific method. He's too focused on like, on variables and control groups and like he's gotta think way outside the box. That never happens. No, no, no, no, he's not.
Starting point is 00:28:40 That's not his job. That's not his job. That's not his job. Because- This scene right here. This is like what any of us would do. Like a movie would be like, some shit's going down. I have an idea.
Starting point is 00:28:51 But he acts like I think all of us would act, which is this. Oh no. I don't know. Ah! The toxin? The toxin? The toxin is affecting them? Are those people killing themselves? You were with the private.
Starting point is 00:29:04 What do we do? We need to do something. Just let me think. They're dying! I need a second. They released it? We're not near the road. We can't just stand here as the uninvolved observers.
Starting point is 00:29:12 I need a second, okay? Just give me a second. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift.
Starting point is 00:29:20 We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night shift. We're not going to be one of those assholes on the night it. We're not near the road Second okay, just give me a second The crime happened and not do something we're not assholes just a second you were children in that Need a second, okay, why can't anybody give me a goddamn second?
Starting point is 00:29:43 I'd be, douchebag. Identify the variables. That's the two groups. I want to point something out because there's going to be a lot of people in the industry in this audience, so you'll understand. These were the best takes they had. They had to use these takes. Imagine all the other takes. I mean, the fact that he's, like, freaking out and he Use these takes. Imagine all the other takes.
Starting point is 00:30:05 I mean, the fact that he's like freaking out and he doesn't solve anything. I mean, he doesn't really solve anything. People are getting shot and that's the other weird thing about it. We understand that, or at least the way I understand it, trees shoot out toxins. You start walking backwards.
Starting point is 00:30:21 Well, let me ask you this. Can I ask you, I'm sorry to interrupt you. Can I ask you a question'm sorry to interrupt you. Can I ask you a question though? Because the movie is constantly sort of giving us clues. In the scene just prior to this when the woman is on the phone with her daughter who's in... What a terrible movie scene. A movie scene where dozens of people are gathered around one person who's talking to someone
Starting point is 00:30:39 on a speaker phone for whom the interesting thing is happening. And she's like, just go get to them, you were saying earlier. But then the daughter starts saying, I can see calculus. I can see in calculus. And I was like, this is a clue. This has gotta be giving us, nope, just nonsense. But that was sign one was they get disoriented.
Starting point is 00:31:01 But the movie shows disorientation by walking backwards. I'm disoriented, I'm disoriented. Like that's not disoriented, but the movie shows disorientation by walking backwards. I'm disoriented. I'm disoriented. Like, that's not disoriented. Disoriented would be like, oh, huh. It would be more confused. And then, and then, like, and then the military guy's like, oh, my gun! My gun is my gun! I'm like, wait, why didn't you shoot yourself in the head? Other people just immediately just, bong, kill themselves.
Starting point is 00:31:23 Like, he's going into full monologue. He's Jeremy Strong, you know. Oh, yeah. He, I'm certain, I'm certain M. Night Shyamalan was like, just shoot yourself in the head. He's like, I got something, don't worry. I got something, you're gonna love it. I'm gonna do it whether you like it or not.
Starting point is 00:31:40 Don't tell Brian Cox in 15 years. And he did. I thought what was happening is like the last thing that they said was what was getting sort of remixed. That does seem to be the case. But then not, but for him not, that's not what he was saying at that moment. Didn't seem like it.
Starting point is 00:32:00 The calculus girl wasn't saying, you know, oh maybe that's the thing. There are no patterns. There's nothing to hold onto and be like, oh, maybe that's the thing. There are so there are no patterns. Yeah, there's nothing to hold on to and be like, okay, I'm piecing it together. This is the fun of a movie like this. No, especially because the end sequence after all is said and done. We're now three months later and we're in Paris and the happening is happening again. And I thought for sure like, OK, this is different.
Starting point is 00:32:26 This is going to be this is where the twist is. No, it's just the same thing. Same thing. Same thing but French, so who cares? Sucre bleu. By the way, let him go. Can anyone, and I feel silly for asking this, but can anyone just tell me what the cough syrup scene was about?
Starting point is 00:32:44 I don't even remember that. What cough syrup scene? When he goes, I went to the pharmacy and bought cough syrup. Oh. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Yeah, I remember. He tells a story about when she, after she tells him that she went on the pseudo date with Joey, he says to her,
Starting point is 00:32:59 well, you know what? I should tell you that when I was at the pharmacy, there was a pretty girl. There was a pretty pharmacist. And I pretended to have a cough so that I could, and I actually thought about buying cough syrup just so that he, but then she's like, are you, are you kidding?
Starting point is 00:33:12 And he's like, yeah. And yeah. And then she says, thanks. They're married. Listen. What? I think what was happening, well first when it was happening, I thought he was having one of those mental remixes and I was like, uh oh, he's going. But I think what was happening is he was trying to make her feel better, but, and so was lying.
Starting point is 00:33:42 Yeah. But wow, is it weird. Remember, everything is so, remember when he's talking to the plant? Oh, that's the best scene in the movie. The best scene in the entire. You got it? Let's go, let's go. They reveal the plant as if Jason Voorhees is in the room. Or as if, oh, as if there's a zombie in the house.
Starting point is 00:34:03 Oh no, there's a zombie in the house. Oh no, there's a zombie in the house. I mean, the way they shoot this plant, this plant in the room in the corner, it's like, oh fuck. It's like, kill yourself. And now this movie takes it one step further, which is like, it's very calculated how each plant attacks.
Starting point is 00:34:22 And don't you feel like, don't you absolutely feel like whoever, set deck, property man, whoever had to provide the tree, they must have gone through dozens of trees for M. Night Shyamalan to be like, no, that one's too nice. No, I need a meaner looking tree.
Starting point is 00:34:39 No, no, no, I need the tree to look like it's a monster. Just like one after another. What about this one? This is a good. Uh, no, that's, you know, just like one after, what about this one? This is a good shaggy tree, here we go. Look at him, look at his hands. Like, I don't know. His name is Elliot Moore. Just going to talk in a very positive manner,
Starting point is 00:35:03 giving off good vibes. We're just here to use the bathroom. And we're just gonna leave. I hope that's okay. Plastic. Talking to a plastic guy. There's no way you go home after this scene and go, that was a good day at work.
Starting point is 00:35:30 Yeah. This scene, again, in microcosm is the movie. It seems real and full of living things, but in fact, it's plastic. I mean, everybody they meet in this movie is insane, and they equally are insane. I mean... Oh, the teenage boys that they're traveling with for a while? Jared and the other kid?
Starting point is 00:35:50 When they say... When the kids are walking, and the teenage boys are like, what's going on with you two about Mark and Zoe Deschanel? And the kid goes, you have to take responsibility for your actions, man. I was like, this, I literally was like, this movie was written when M. Night Shyamalan unquestionably was in marriage therapy.
Starting point is 00:36:12 This entire movie is about saving a failing marriage. And that line spoken from a child is nothing but therapy speak about like, hey man, you need to take responsibility for your own actions. What? Jared, you're about to get shot in the head. I, I love, I mean, there's, I mean,
Starting point is 00:36:35 and Jared, Jared does get shot. This movie shoots a child and oddly that's like the most vicious. Yeah, two. Two, and we never see the shooters, we never see the villains. I actually thought that was a cool choice. Well, because we don't see bad guys really. That's M. Night, that was his cameo.
Starting point is 00:36:51 Who? Bam! But my favorite thing about that guy is like, hey, hey, we're totally normal. Oh, black water, keep on shining. I'm like, you're out, I'm never opening that door. You are insane. Never open. You are an insane person. And I am. To me though, that sequence, those two houses with the kids, the teenage kids and Betty Buckley. Yes. And Betty Buckley. That whole sequence to me was the only interesting part of the movie. Where I was like, oh, the horror of how people act under attack and in crisis and that was like, oh, if this was the whole movie about we have to get out of our cities and deal
Starting point is 00:37:36 with... The true danger is other people. Exactly. That's an interesting movie. Well, they kind of do that in that movie, like Leave the World Behind, that Julia Roberts movie that was on Netflix. Netflix is a joke festival. Look at the connections. Uh...
Starting point is 00:37:48 Yeah, they do, but that movie... Who? Guys, watch Knuckles on Paramount+. I'm in it. No big deal. How did this get made? Brought to you by Brit Box. And Acorn. Acorn TV. The sequence with Benny Buckley I thought was amazing.
Starting point is 00:38:12 I was like, I love her. I love that she slapped Jess's hand. She is absolutely insane. You're telling me. I loved it. From the moment of their arrival, I loved it too, but from the moment of their arrival, all the way through dinner, all the way till after dinner,
Starting point is 00:38:33 they have not once mentioned to her that they have seen hundreds of people die at this point and that there is a, to them, somewhat global or somewhat, I guess not global, but you know, Northeast specific something happening and that she is unaware of and they never talk about? It could be global because they stopped getting news. I mean, like the news in this movie is amazing.
Starting point is 00:38:55 Like that Central Park attack happens. And within minutes, like, okay, the autopsy show. I'm like, you have hundreds of people. You're already doing autopsies this quick? If those guys shot those kids, you know, through the, through the house, I'm lighting that house on fire and walking away. I'm like, fuck you. Gasoline, gasoline, gasoline, gasoline.
Starting point is 00:39:14 Here you go. I do. Goodbye. Here's my question. Why, why does anyone in this movie ever get out of a car? Yeah. great. Stay in your cars. Well, because maybe you have a hole in the roof.
Starting point is 00:39:28 Why? One roof. I mean, why would you get out of the car if you have plenty of hot dogs? Travel hot dogs might be, like that is written by, like someone who doesn't live on the planet Earth. Well, we have our snacks, get the hot dogs and the mustard. And make sure everybody, do you like hot dogs? Do you like hot dogs?
Starting point is 00:39:51 Do you like hot dogs? Did you get the mustard? Do you like hot dogs? I was like, what's going on here? Hot dogs, not a food that travels well and you have to cook, you have to do so much. I would feel, I would understand that if they were lines that a child was saying. I want hot dogs. Can we bring hot dogs?
Starting point is 00:40:09 Let's bring hot dogs. Do we bring mustard? I love hot dogs. Here's another question. Why are Mark Wahlberg's jeans so big? I have a follow-up question. Why when the somewhat of an apocalyptic situation is occurring, why did Zooey Deschanel only pack sundresses and light tops? Everybody's in like jeans and t-shirts like, we gotta get out of here.
Starting point is 00:40:39 And she's like, I'm wearing a beautiful flouncy dress. I was like, absolutely not. You can't be wearing like a slip dress at the apocalypse. Absolutely not, no way. She is wearing the outfits of a woman who goes out to dessert with a man. It felt to me, yes, it felt like this was tiramisu ware. You know this resort ware. You know that tiramisu wear. Ew. Because by the way, you know the tiramisu was her idea.
Starting point is 00:41:08 That's not like Joey at all. Oh yeah. I mean, if it was a formal, it would have been a tiramisu-zen. I think that my big issue, and you know what, you're right. Like, you both are right. That's the best joke of the night. At least my favorite joke of the night. I think that you both are right about Betty Buckley. I think the thing that I get hung up on is,
Starting point is 00:41:39 everyone that they meet is legitimately insane. Like, from the hot dog guy to the guy that kills the kid with a shotgun. Jeremy Strong, Johnny Leggs. Johnny Leggs just abandons his daughter. Like he gives her up and he like, don't touch her hand. When they see the landscapers hanging from the tree and the girl behind them freaks out, he's like,
Starting point is 00:42:00 I'm going to give you a math riddle. I was like, how about turn the car around? Turn the car around or just go? Yeah. Just stop the, put something on that time grip. His plan sucks. He's like, okay, I'm gonna go what? Into the middle of Princeton and just be like, Suzie! Suzie!
Starting point is 00:42:24 It's like, youzie, Suzie! It's like, you would argue that she probably got the fuck out of there too, but they just assumed like, oh, everyone in Princeton's dead, unless she got out. I mean, again, it's like- It's also like, I felt so upsetting. I'm like, this woman, whoever she is, his wife, like the last thing she wants, buddy, is for you to leave her child
Starting point is 00:42:47 in the middle of like an apocalypse. With a couple that doesn't get along. Yes, the movie exists in two polar extremes. Like Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel are two blase and two flat, and everybody else is way too crazy. And that you just can't make anything out of when he is walking through the house
Starting point is 00:43:12 and he's going, Mrs. Jones? Mrs. Jones? He walks into a room, a bedroom... Oh, my God, I... ...where there is very clearly a little doll on the bed, and he goes, Mrs. Jones? I was like, no, absolutely not. You should know that's a doll. I know that's a doll.
Starting point is 00:43:36 I've seen it from behind your shoulder. So you can see it much clearer. It's a doll, you dumb fuck. Maybe it is a doll, Maybe it is a doll. Maybe she is a doll. I mean, this is funny. Mrs. Jones? I would believe...
Starting point is 00:43:55 Mrs. Jones? I would believe him looking at that cookie on the table and saying it more than the doll. Mrs. Jones? Mrs. Jones? Mrs. Jones? I mean, this is the- Me and Mrs. Jones. Then, like mere moments later, when he is talking through the tube,
Starting point is 00:44:24 he realizes that Zooey Deschanel and Jess are in the outhouse, but they can hear each talking through the tube to he realizes that Zoe Deschanel and Jess are in the in the outhouse but they can hear each other through the tube that connects them which has been set up perfectly thank you thank you Betty Buckley for setting that up anyway he goes close what is he says close the windows and the doors this is three-quarters of the way through the movie when they know that the bad stuff comes that way. She goes, why? Why? Why?
Starting point is 00:44:49 Why? We're having fun. Why are you ruining this for me? I hate you. Why? You're dumped. How about you're dumped? I would love it if you dumped her
Starting point is 00:45:01 in the middle of the movie. Check that mood ring. You dumped. You dumped. Is it purple? No, it just says you're dumped like it's a magic eight ball. Ask again later, but you'll still be dumped. This might be in a movie with millions of scenes that are just meme-worthy. This might be the best moment in cinema history right here. I hear you whispering.
Starting point is 00:45:35 Planning on stealing something? No, ma'am, we're not. Plan on murdering me in my sleep? What? No. That... Where did that come from? We never get an explanation why she's so nuts. I mean, I just want to watch it.
Starting point is 00:45:58 Didn't you think this was also a little bit of an invitation? Didn't you think she was also like, come, you want to come murder me in my sleep? Stab me, stab me in my sleep, you bad, bad boy. What? No. Didn't have the trees not told you that I'm absolutely great at blow jobs? Sorry, June. Plan on murdering me in my sleep.
Starting point is 00:46:33 What? No. What? No. He says it, I think what's so funny about it is he says it with like, no gravitas. It's like, did you eat my Oreo? What? No. She just said, you're gonna murder me. He's like, what? No. But for real, she doesn't even know what,
Starting point is 00:46:56 she's acting like she knows there's a zombie apocalypse and that people might be untrustworthy. She's acting like that, but these are just strangers. These are just, she knows nothing. So why, we never understand, people's motivations are never. Well, she's just a crazy lady who lives in a house. So everybody's a crazy person who lives in a house then.
Starting point is 00:47:15 Maybe she's a ghost. Oh, by the way, I wish she was a ghost. She's like an isolationist. She's a crazy person, I think, because she's alone. I think that's what we're supposed to take away. That she's had no contact with the world. So she's foreshadowing Mark Wahlberg if he gets divorced. Okay. So you're saying that that's why this movie is so pro,
Starting point is 00:47:40 them getting back together, because to be alone is to kind of lose it like this. Yeah. Like Mrs. Jones. Listen, the reason why I ran out in the beginning of the show is because we were talking, you guys were talking about that end moment where he walks out and she walks out and the virus is still on. And Paul, when we were watching this movie together, I was so upset that he wanted to walk out. They were safe where they were. And you said, I did the same exact thing. That's what you said.
Starting point is 00:48:09 I'm romantic. No, you said it. You said, I'd do the same exact thing. And I said, why? I don't want, nobody wants this. Why would you do that? Well, now we also argued about another scene because we saw the scene where the guy was shooting people in the field and Zoe Deschanel was like, help them. I was like, no, run away. The man has a gun. And you're like, no, run towards the bullets.
Starting point is 00:48:33 I'm like, no. Absolutely not. Yeah, you got to run away. No, you said, no, you said if I heard people in trouble with a gun, I wouldn't run toward them. And I did say, well, not in this situation where there's, you know, the wind. But in general, if it weren't for the wind, I think I would try, I think I would try to help.
Starting point is 00:48:55 Once you realize it's from the trees, it's from the plants, it's from the whatever, because everybody is frantically driving all over the place. They're going everywhere. Willi nilly. There's only one answer. Get on a boat, get in the middle of the ocean. I know, why does everyone take to the sea?
Starting point is 00:49:14 Get to the water. What about algae? Get to the water. What about algae? I don't think that's part of it. Well, the problem is, Jason, because I thought about that too, but the wind can get out there. You're right. You're right.
Starting point is 00:49:24 Okay. The wind can get out there. You're right. You're right. OK. The wind can get everywhere. I remember I was in Japan with my dad and my dad said, was the wind there? This is interesting. I'll be honest, these Santa Anna's have been kicking up the last few the last few nights, and I'm like, what the fuck? My allergies. I don't feel safe in my own house by my own hand. And my and my dad made a comment.
Starting point is 00:49:47 My dad lives in New York. My dad made a comment. He's like, you know, those fires in LA have been really wreaking havoc in New York. And I was like, what the fuck are you talking about? No, it's not. The fires in LA are making its way to New York. And he's like, yeah. And I'm like, I'm going to Google that.
Starting point is 00:50:05 And he was right. The fires in LA. That's the wind for you. That's the power of the wind. Yeah, the wind is pretty fucking powerful. Please don't underestimate the wind. Well, I'm so sorry. Are you now on board for the wind as a villain? I'm on board that the wind is the best carrier
Starting point is 00:50:23 of the plant's evil deeds. You know what was totally... It's the worm tongue to the Sauron. LAUGHTER You know what I couldn't get on board for at all, and I kept being like, what is this telling me? Every Chiron that appears on the bottom of the screen telling me where they are and what time in the morning it is.
Starting point is 00:50:50 And I'm like, what the fuck is this for? Am I supposed to be keeping track of something? Am I drawing a map three blocks north of Central Park? I have two pennies. They're doubling the pennies. Maps are the most important thing in this movie. Yes, and that's also weird too. Like to your point, Paul, we never see... and see if there's a map. They're doubling the pennies. Maps are the most important thing in this movie. Yes. And that's also weird, too.
Starting point is 00:51:07 Like, to your point, Paul, we never see. They are reporting on the news that they know all this information about what's happened to people and have done these autopsies. But we never see, like, the cleanup crew and hazmat suits or anything get out there. Like, we've only. Well, it's still day one.
Starting point is 00:51:22 We're still only in destruction. We also keep going back and forth. Like they'll be in one location and all of the newscasts will drop out. The power will go, all this stuff. And then they'll go to another house and there's a newscast on. Wait, I have a question that I don't think we've really addressed. Why does this just happen in the Northeast? I think it's because that's where M.
Starting point is 00:51:42 Night Shyamalan is from. Oh, I thought, I thought, this is actually very scientifically true, the plants in the Northeast have a much bigger attitude than other plants. They're just like a little bit over it. I think part of it... And the French are notoriously rude. Yeah. So are their plants. I think if the plants were to be like, let's fuck shit up, it would be in Philly.
Starting point is 00:52:06 Yeah, you're right. Let me show you this moment, see what you guys think. Oh my God, I'm watching somebody get eaten alive by a tiger. Hey everyone, gather around, watch this. Watch this torture porn I have. Oh, get the kids in close. So many people are watching it. It's so disturbing.
Starting point is 00:52:23 So many people are watching it, especially when we've been shown that Zoe Deschanel is using a flip phone. So like there's also smartphones with video. There's so much. I couldn't make head to head tales of it. And again, guys jumping off of buildings, other people hanging together from trees. The guy letting lions eat him. But he was like. As funny as the lawn.
Starting point is 00:52:42 Yeah. Like he pets the lion like he's drugged well, I'm like the whole thing is like it takes away that one part of your brain that like lets you hurt yourself and I'm like, why don't you fucking attack the lion bag? Hey fucking the first yeah Like go out fighting a line You want some of this you hungry you want some of this? You hungry? You want some of this? Hey!
Starting point is 00:53:07 To the point where when I was watching that, I was like, oh, the lions aren't going to see him as any sort of a threat. So are we to assume, I guess because the dogs don't, no animals are affected by this. Thank God. No, because they don't have lungs. But again, what are we, what are the rules? It was so, the workers jumping on in the beginning, the workers jumping off of the sky school, the construction site, very effective at setting this up as like, whoa, that is, that's brutal.
Starting point is 00:53:37 This is crazy. I was also impressed that that construction site had an on-site medic. Yes. Medic? They did not, they did not call 911. What do you do? I'm-site medic. Yes. Medic? They did not call 911. What do you do? I'm a construction medic. What a job.
Starting point is 00:53:50 My favorite thing about that construction crew is they tell a joke that is such a schoolyard joke about a big dick. And the guy's like, eh. Like hitting him, eh. It's like, again. That felt like a cold open of law and order. Yes.
Starting point is 00:54:08 Yes. Oh, yeah. And it said, welcome to whatever. Have a nice day. But, oh, hey, wait a minute. Bum bum. And then Lenny Briscoe walks in and is like, hey, looks like this guy took a dive from a height.
Starting point is 00:54:25 He couldn't, like, some, he's just got crackling one-liners one after another. And then Ice-T would come in and be like this, it's the trees. And then they threw the trees. And then Sam, your honor, this maple tree. Sam Waterston is like, I'm making a deal with the trees. You can't.
Starting point is 00:54:48 Let's go to the crowd. Let's see what the crowd has to say. Oh my god. And remember, if it's a good question, you'll walk away with a coupon of $18 value of Tillamook cheese. I don't think we should be doing this. Wow. But honestly, up to an $18 value, Paul, that's...
Starting point is 00:55:07 Up to 18 bucks. That's... This is nice. Wait, so if somebody just gives us stuff, do we just promote it? I got like 200... No, they are advertisers on the show. They are advertisers on the show. Oh, they are? Should I not be saying this? Well, they're... Cut that out.
Starting point is 00:55:22 We'll cut it. You'll cut out my criticism? I don't think we should. It's not a criticism of the product though. The product stands. Sure. It's good. It's a good product.
Starting point is 00:55:33 Ice cream, cheese, shredded cheese, whatever you want. Okay. Hi. What's your name? Dan. Dan, and what is your question? Based on something I read where M. Night said he fucked this movie up, not in those words, but like he admits he made a mistake.
Starting point is 00:55:48 Did he fuck up a fun B movie or did he fuck up a serious horror movie? Because both suck. He wasn't specific about what the mistake... Does he think he made a specific mistake or he just missed the mark? Well he did the Tommy Wiseau thing, which is reviews started to come in and they were bad he goes well everyone's getting we made a silly B movie and it's clearly not that but he did like like Tommy was I was like it was always intended to be a comedy the room the room was a conceived as a comedy where is this in his film is in a
Starting point is 00:56:22 very tricky spot he has had a bunch of failures. That's right. So, Lady and the Water is the one preceding this. Before or after this? Before this. Oh, okay. A movie that Jun and I drove out of the movie theater. We were in a drive-in and we drove out.
Starting point is 00:56:38 I was going to say. I don't know that I would call that a theater. When you say drove out of the movie theater. And he wrote this script. You can drive out with the same sort of attitude that you can walk out with. But we tried. He had written this script after Lady in the Water.
Starting point is 00:57:00 He wrote a script called The Green Effect. And every studio passed on it and they hated it and Then he rewrote it based on the notes that the studio gave him and then was able to sell it as the happening to 20th Century Fox Oh, so this is both a bad script and then Studio noted into this Shock of all shocks, it doesn't work. Yeah, that's an odd choice.
Starting point is 00:57:29 All right, yes, your name and your question. Hi, my name's Marissa. My question is who in the midst of a presumed terrorist attack approved and printed Kill-a-delphia and thought it was a good idea? Wait, where was that? Oh my gosh. Where was that?
Starting point is 00:57:43 That was, I can't remember what newspaper it was, but they cut to a newspaper and it says, Kill-a-delphia exclamation point. That's why we need printed media. I honestly, I would believe it if you said to me that is an actual copy of an actual Philadelphia newspaper that had, that was not a prop and had nothing to do with the movie. Yes, your name and your question. Hi, I'm Jen, and I had a potential theory
Starting point is 00:58:09 that is maybe giving the movie too much credit. Oh, I love it. This seems Tillamook-worthy. What is going on with Tillamook? And now it's time for our Tillamook-worthy question. Now for our Tillamook question of the night. Don't make it cheesy. Is everybody getting their coupons, Paul?
Starting point is 00:58:30 Some people are, depending on the question. Stop holding it up. This whole show has run till amook. All right. All right. It's better than Tiramisuzen. Although, both of them, home runs. I'm really proud of both. Okay, so you have a theory.
Starting point is 00:58:58 Well, it's more of a sub-theory, but someone had mentioned the Chekhovs nuclear power plant. It was me! What do you mean someone mentioned? Someone on this show. There's only three of us. It was maybe ten minutes ago. Are you paying attention? Someone mentioned.
Starting point is 00:59:16 It was something, someone over the weekend in this conference. I've heard tell of Chekhov's Nuclear Power Plant. You know what? Go to hell. No, we're here. Credit where credit is due. I said that. OK, yes.
Starting point is 00:59:31 So my theory or my thought was that the nuclear power plant, or this was occurring in that area because of accelerated plant mutations from nuclear power. And then that would explain France, who gets, I think, the vast majority of their energy from nuclear power, and then that would explain France, who gets, I think, the vast majority of their energy from nuclear power. So I don't think it explains why this is happening generally, but the key mutations.
Starting point is 00:59:53 I would love it if there was some sort of, and if an actual scientist came in, not just the guy on the news at the end, but, and not Mark Wahlberg, high school science teacher, if a real scientist came in and was like, this is what happened, and it's happening again. You know what I thought about? That was sharp, extra sharp.
Starting point is 01:00:11 Yeah. That was sharp, extra sharp. That was sharp, extra sharp. That was sharp. That was sharp. Moo. If they were smart. No.
Starting point is 01:00:24 No. If they were smart, it would have happened to the Swiss. I do want to just call out that they established pretty early on in the film that they know it's an airborne pathogen, right? All this is say that when they cut to one of the newscasters she's outside at the UN and forget about the UN I'm just more focused on the outside like yeah Deborah you go out do it from the field so there's an airborne virus around New York City and I'm out here with the people. It's the worst news job you could possibly ever get
Starting point is 01:01:08 to do a remote outside. She's like, I can hear the calculus reporting live. I'm walking backwards. It's like when they send weathermen out into like the hurricanes. Go out there, go get that pathogen. Let's see what happens. Okay, yes, what's your name and your question? Hi, my name is Keenan and my question is,
Starting point is 01:01:33 now assuming that Mark Wahlberg continues to become a teacher, continues being a teacher and gets tenure, COVID hits. What is he telling his students about COVID? What is he telling his students about COVID? Well, what is he telling his students about COVID? Yeah, I mean, I don't know. I don't even have, I mean, it's- Listen, he, this is a teacher- Are we taking this seriously? This is a teacher.
Starting point is 01:01:59 Why are we all like, huh? You know, that's a good question. No, it's not. No, this a good question. No, it's not. No, this is a teacher. No, it's not. It's a fictional universe. This is a teacher who pulls out a student and tells him in the beginning of the class
Starting point is 01:02:17 that he's got to start studying science because he's going to lose his looks as he gets older. That kid's name is Jake. And if he did not look like the spitting image of Jake Ryan in 16 Candles, I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, who's this hunk? I also like that he like, he's like, you're an attractive guy, but you're gonna be ugly.
Starting point is 01:02:38 Like he complements him and neggs him. He neggs him, yeah. He totally neggs him. I think he's hooking, I think they're hooking up. What's your name and your question? My name's Clint. I was actually going to talk about him negging his student, but one other fun fact, the voice of Joey was M. Night Shyamalan.
Starting point is 01:02:53 I said to Paul, where was he? Because he's like a real Hitchcock for the modern age. So that blows apart our theory that it is... Well, Johnny Leggs. Yeah. All right, there we go. Yes, and your question. We're the modern age. So that blows apart our theory that it is, well, Johnny Leggs, yeah. All right, there we go. Yes, your question. Oh, I see what you're saying, yeah.
Starting point is 01:03:10 Hi, I'm Stephanie. My question is, so M. Night Shyamalan was credited with multiple hats, writer, director, and producer. So if you were tasked. An actor. Voice actor. Joey.
Starting point is 01:03:28 So if you were tasked with fuck Mary Kill, M. Night the writer, M. Night the director, and M. Night the producer, what would you do? Well I can jump in on this and say this, this is the weird thing about this movie. There are sequences in it that are really well directed. I agree. But the movie isn't good, so I'm gonna, I would say you're gonna marry that director because the director has a lot of potential. You're gonna fuck Joey because clearly Joey fucks. Oh yeah.
Starting point is 01:03:54 So fuck him. Does he? Don't mind if I. Joey goes out for tiramisu. I don't know what Joey fucks. And he fucks out for tiramisu. Don't mind if I tiramis-do. And I think you have to kill the writer.
Starting point is 01:04:06 And again, I don't want to bring up, I don't want to bring up that, yes, I auditioned for old and I didn't get it. And they brought me back three times. And the third time, it was just, so-and-so, your paper's here. That was it, and I couldn't even get that. Oh wow I've talked about it
Starting point is 01:04:30 All right, well clearly we have opinions about this movie, but there are other people out there with different opinions it is now time for second opinions Hi, I'm Daniel This movie sitting in my shopping cart Some people hate it but it's closest to my heart Got killer bushes and crazy grandmas Shyamalan mixes a rom-com with drama Five stars, five stars, mowers on heads Five stars, five stars, five stars, yeah that guy's dead. Woo!
Starting point is 01:05:07 Mark Wahlberg pretends to have brains, but he talks to plastic plants, it's totally insane. Why's he so worried about the bees? Instead he should be more worried about the fucking trees. Five stars, five stars, it's what I gave. Five stars, five stars, it's what I gave. Dan-dan-dan-dan-dan-dan, five stars, five stars, five stars, haters behave. I love it! Great job.
Starting point is 01:05:32 Excellent job. Second opinions from Amazon. Average rating of this film, four out of five stars. Nope. 5,800 reviews. I feel like this is universally regarded as poor. I agree. So four out of five is wild. 64% are five star reviews, 8% are one star reviews. Retired Rosie writes, I watched the happening years ago and found it thought-provoking, kind of like The Planet Strikes Back.
Starting point is 01:06:09 My 11-year-old grandson was tearing leaves off a tree, and I told him about the movie. We rented it, and we watched it together. He liked it. Time will tell if it's one he'll remember as I did. Dot, dot, dot. Oh wow. That ellipsis at the end makes me feel like there's more to come. This is a confession.
Starting point is 01:06:48 Hopped, writes, love the director. Can't spell his name, but he's my favorite writer and director and producer and sometimes actor. I like this movie. Five stars. I love horror movies. And this one was one that concerned me. From Lakitra B, she writes, this movie brightens my day.
Starting point is 01:07:15 I usually watch it online for free once a week, but my laptop isn't working so... I'm so sorry, is this movie available for free? Because I rented it for $3.99. Discounted from $4.99. I usually watch it online for free once a week, but my laptop isn't working, so I bought it from here. And the picture was a lot better. The title of the review? And the picture was a lot better.
Starting point is 01:07:49 The title of the review, the picture is a lot better. Five stars. And this one is weird. All this COVID-19 craziness reminded me of this movie. So I thought it'd be fun for a re-watch. Thumbs up emoji. Five stars. You know what that just reminds me of, because it's COVID and masks and all that, is when they cut to the two old women
Starting point is 01:08:12 knitting in World War II gas masks. I was like, how come more people just don't have gas masks? How come Jeremy Strong and his whole, how come the military wasn't giving gas masks? Good question. I'm so sorry. He was too concerned about carrying that gun. Don't give me soft applause for that. I'm not looking for your tender applause.
Starting point is 01:08:39 You fucking weirdos. Two little facts. Good job, Jason, good job. weirdos. Two little facts. Jason, good job. Don't pity me. Two little facts here that I thought were interesting was that the DVD contains a deleted scene of a piano recital that becomes so tragic that it almost gave the movie an NC 17 rating. Please tell me we do we have that? I wish. Sorry. Somebody please find and post that online. I'm sure it's online we can find it. This movie the budget was...
Starting point is 01:09:22 Somebody find it right now. Budget was $60 million, opening weekend with $30 million, domestic gross $64 million, worldwide gross $163 million. Came out in 2008, the big year, Dark Knight, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Kung Fu Panda. This movie came in 45 of the top 200 movies, and it beat The Hottie and the Nottie, The Love Guru, Punisher, Warzone, and 88 Minutes. So there you go. It should have beaten none of those, which is shocking, because one of those was The Hottie and the Naughty.
Starting point is 01:09:58 I like the tagline of this movie. We sensed it, we've seen the signs, now it's happening. Yeah, good. In the village. Because he's supposed to. But don't tell the lady in the water. Got it, got it, got it. Do you have the clip of the guy letting himself
Starting point is 01:10:20 get run over by the lawn mower? Oh, I don't. I don't have that one. Just, that really made me laugh. It was so funny. Just how blase he was, like, I'm gonna lie down in front of this industrial lawn mower until it chops me to bits.
Starting point is 01:10:38 It was like daring the movie to show it. All right, would you recommend this movie? Jason June, what do you got? Yes, it is absolutely worth, yeah I would. Yeah I would. I would, in the context of like, watch it for this, for the podcast. And also, it is something to see.
Starting point is 01:10:57 It's a nice 90 minutes. I said it earlier, I was shocked when it was done. Also, I mean, I watched this in the theater and I saw it again today, but it is- Who did you see it with? Did you have dessert after? I don't remember, but I remember thinking this, watching it in the theater, that it was,
Starting point is 01:11:18 the non-twist was so shocking and thinking, oh, it can't be, it can't be the trees, it can't be the wind, it can't be the wind, it just can't be. And then it was. And they reveal that it's the trees and the wind so early on and to sustain that for the whole movie, it is something to see.
Starting point is 01:11:38 Yeah. It is something to see. I don't disagree and in the context that you're saying, I agree, for the show, absolutely watch it because it's fucked up. I'm shocked we've never done it before. Is this the third M. Night Shyamalan movie we've done? Or fourth?
Starting point is 01:11:54 So Last Airbender, Old, and this for sure are three that we've done. This to me falls closer to Last Airbender than Old in the sense of, I enjoyed old more. This felt to me like confounding on almost every level. And I mean it when I say when the movie ended, I was like, oh, no, no, no. I think we're just starting act three
Starting point is 01:12:16 where we're gonna find out what this whole thing was about. And it said, no, it's like, he sends Jess off to first day of school. Zoe Deschanel is waiting for the results of her pregnancy test. And then when she's like, yes, I'm pregnant. They have the shot where it's they do a lot of scenes where anything that would have required a heavy emotional component, also Mark Wahlberg and Jess having their moment of tenderness off to the side. It's shot way far away. Like, they're over, like, she's like waiting for him and she's like a hundred feet away from him. He walks to her, camera stays put, and then she's like...
Starting point is 01:13:01 And that is the, like, that's supposed to be like the catharsis of the movie. Like they did it. They have, they do not talk to each other at the end of the movie, like, so that we can hear. It's private? But no, they should be dead. That's a sign of a good director after you've seen a couple of these scenes. You're like, you know what, maybe less is more.
Starting point is 01:13:23 Keep them off camera. But just kidding. No, this might be my favorite M. Night movie, simply because there is such an earnestness to it, and it's so confounding on so many levels, and every character is full of bad choices, and there's no one to root for, and there's nothing to be excited about, and there's no resolution,
Starting point is 01:13:44 and simply, we're just like, it's like- It's happening to us. Right. But that's the thing is, even the happening, what? The happening? That makes no sense. It's like, you know, it's like you went over
Starting point is 01:14:01 to your neighbor's house to borrow something, and then all of a sudden they've taken you up into the attic and you don't know why you're there. And you didn't leave. Wait, is this from your book? Maybe. No, I just, I really, I mean, I, god damn it.
Starting point is 01:14:16 What? No. That is forever the best moment of all movies ever in my mind. Everybody should know quotes from this movie. Like, this is abs... You're right in the sense, this absolutely should be baked into the cultural lexicon of absurd things the way that, like, Showgirls is.
Starting point is 01:14:37 Yes. Look, I gotta say, this movie is total cheddar for me. LAUGHTER Thank you, everybody! Good night! Thank you everybody, good night. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Starting point is 01:14:49 Thank you. Thank you. Eat shit, LA. That's a wrap on the happening. Thanks as always to the wonderful staff at Largo and our recording engineer, Rich Garcia. If you want to show your love of this episode to the world, what better way than to buy a commemorative T-shirtshirt a shirt that we made that riffs on the cover of shell silversteins
Starting point is 01:15:10 The giving tree with a tiramisu falling from the tree and M night Shyamalan written as the books author I actually think this design is pretty flawless. You can get that on a shirt a mug An iPhone case whatever you want. There's tons of great merch. There's tons of amazing designs. And remember, whenever you buy something at tpublic.com, the money also goes to the artist. So tpublic.com slash stores slash HDTGM.
Starting point is 01:15:38 Now, next week on the show, we're gonna be going over corrections and omissions for this episode, but I'm sure you won't have any But if you do leave me a voicemail at six one nine PA UL ASK or write a comment on our discord at discord.gg slash HD TGM and Guess what June will be on next week's episode. That's right a little deep dive. How did this get made? Crossover you don't want to miss that one. And remember, Joyful Recollections of Trauma is available wherever you get your books. And if you're going out of town,
Starting point is 01:16:11 it's a great audio book with tons of how did this get made clips inside. The reaction to the book has been amazing. If you bought the book, I thank you so much. And just remind you to please tell people about it and rate and review it wherever you bought it because that actually really helps and has been spreading the word. Take a picture, post a picture, whatever you want to do.
Starting point is 01:16:31 I appreciate you all. And remember, you can find us anywhere you want online at HDTGM. And if you listen on Apple Podcasts, please rate and review us no matter what podcast app you use, just rate and review like I just told you about my book. Now a big thank you to our producers, Scott Sonny and Molly Reynolds and our movie picking producer Averill Halley and our associate producer Jess Cisneros, as well as our engineer Casey Holford. We'll see you next week on Last Looks.
Starting point is 01:16:55 Bye for now.

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