How Did This Get Made? - The Specialist LIVE! w/ Nicole Byer (HDTGM Matinee)

Episode Date: August 5, 2025

HDTGM all-star Nicole Byer (Best Friends, Nailed It!) joins Paul, June, and Jason to break down the 1994 Sly Stallone & Sharon Stone thriller The Specialist, a movie that argues bombs are more precise weapons than guns. LIVE from Largo in LA, they discuss James Woods savoring every second on screen, Rod Steigers' bonkers Cuban accent, and the hotel shower sex scene that reminded Nicole of the hot dog hands in Everything Everywhere All at Once. Bye bye! (Originally Released 04/06/2023) • 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

Turn the bomb around we saw the specialist is Bastardo! No Vespa, I'm ripping Justin to Kelly Or maybe see a burlesque show with Nick Crowe And take a boat with speed to hitting hoops control J.D. Big Paul and the beautiful Junior Gonna take you from the boom while the wave is rolling Rain the game to streak by the hope to blow off steam Just a sucker, plus the odd lights are tempting to break shot

Little birdemic, how you staying alive? They call me when they're badass and he's on the line Cranking 88 minutes cause they cool as ice Cause they're bad and he's on the line Cranking eights, eight minutes, cause they cool as ice Cause they're bad Jim Bonny looking kind tonight Paul and June getting literal, Jason is getting lame Julis making sure all the monkey shots get paid They're just a bunch of movies, one be making the grade Here's a real question for you, how did this kid pay?

Hello, people of Earth! And hello, people of Los Angeles! We are live at Largo talking about a modern-day classic, a movie about love, a movie about revenge, and a movie about very precise bombs. If you've not seen The Specialist, what do you need to know?

Stallone makes bombs. Well, both kinds, really, if you think about it in the history of the show. But in this movie, Stallone makes explosive bombs. But in this movie, Stallone makes explosive bombs. Sharon Stone wants revenge on the people who murdered her parents, so she wants to do it with, you guessed it, a bomb. Because as she says, it's more precise than a gun. We'll get into all of that.

But there are many twists and turns along the way that are dealt out in the most nonchalant way. No underscoring, no turn of music where you're like, oh, oh, oh, I guess that's what's happening now. Great. It's like someone's telling you a story, but they don't know how to add in like any emotional elements to it. I can't wait to break this all down,

and I'm gonna do it with my two co-hosts. Please welcome to the stage Mr. Jason Manzoukas! -♪ Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! What's up, jerks? -♪ Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! How we doing, Largo? -♪ Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! Whoo! How we doing, Largo? Jason, have you ever seen The Specialist? Paul? Shockingly, no.

Same. I don't know. I missed it. I want to say for the record, shame on me. Shame on me, yes. Because this movie is awesome. I would watch it right now with everyone here instead of doing the show. Shame on me. Shame on me, yes. Because this movie is awesome. I would watch it right now with everyone here instead of doing the show. Because no notes except to say boobs, yes.

Explosions, yes. You got, and James Woods. Woodsy. I feel like it's like, take your script and leave it. Yeah. Because I'm going to do whatever the fuck I want. You just, you call action and I will just start screaming at anyone nearby, and that's the movie. I'm here for it, but you know what?

He must have been furious that he was not in the trailer. Oh. Furious. I have some dirt about furious that he was not in the trailer. Oh. Furious. I have some dirt about why James Woods is not in the trailer. I want to hear it. Let's go. And we'll get into all of the James Woods stories because it really is prime Stallone ego stuff.

So we'll break. Really? You're saying that Stallone's ego is part of the problem with this movie? A movie that somehow fetishizes his body more than Sharon Stone's? Let's go. Let's get into all that,

but first let me introduce my other co-host. Please welcome a person who fetishizes Sylvester Stallone's body more than anyone, June Diane Rayfield. I hear you. I hear you screaming. I hear you screaming. Save it. Save it. Save it.

Yeah. Our special guest had something to say and we need to conserve and we need to economize and we can't talk about it. I know. I know. I know. And I tried to move forward. I tried to move forward. I we won't. How are you June? I'm well. How are you Paul? I'm very well. You're looking very nice tonight. Good to see you. Oh thanks. June, your thoughts out of the gate on the specialist. I also had not seen it and yet I feel I have. I feel, it was very strange watching it because I thought for sure this was a movie I watched with both parents, like sitting in between them in 1994.

Like I was 14 years old and I know I watched this on TV with the parents. There is something that is so similar to many movies that were made in this period. They all had like a similar vibe. It was like a movie for adults. You know, like. This is the era of the like erotic noir,

like neo-noir, noir story of like. Yes, sliver, jade, all these things. Basic Instinct, this is three years after, or two years after Basic Instinct. I mean, this is better than Basic Instinct? I don't know. We'll get into it. I enjoyed it. Oh, yeah. Oh, I enjoyed it.

And I've got real thoughts about how to really make it sing. We're going to get into all of that, but we must welcome our special guest. She's a How Did This Get Made All Star. She is the star of the hit NBC sitcom Grand Cru, which you can watch on Peacock and on NBC. You know her also as the host of Nailed It. Her stand-up special on Netflix has to be watched.

Please welcome Nicole Byer! Nicole Byer! My feet, my feet don't touch the floor. What are these chairs? I'm in this one over here. I'm in a little, I'm in this one over here. I'm in this guy over here. I'm fun at the show. You look like you're doing a Lily Tomlin character. Baby Nicole over here.

Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck. Nicole, welcome back. You are a favorite of ours, but you are a favorite of the audience of How Did This Get Made, because I will say that when we didn't have guests for a long time, the number one person people wanted back was you. Oh, that's nice.

Oh, thank you. People always like, getting Nicole back on. Where's the toll? And now you're here, and I feel like we brought you in with a good movie. Boy, oh boy, I had a great time. Oh my God, it was like trying so hard to be sexy, but then his hands were too big to be sexy.

Like the sex scene reminded me of the hot dog scene and everything everywhere all at once. His hands were just like patting her head. At one point, they close up on them kissing, and he's kissing below her lips. Yes. Like down here. And I also feel like,

can you be Sharon Stone for a second, Nicole? Uh-huh. Actually, no, you be Sly. Stand up for a second. I feel like she was always behind him. Yes, always behind him. Yeah, and he was like, he would turn, you could see his like thighs. Yeah. And then he would just be like, and big hands. He was like, he would turn, you could see his, like, thighs. Yeah.

And then he would just be like, big hands. He would just be like... Yes. Was he... Yeah. I mean, was he... What is this? Somehow Sly was more naked than Sharon Stone.

A thousand percent. At all times, I was like, trying to look around him? It was really fetishizing him. He was demanding to get his body in a very sensual, feminine way on camera and front of camera. Do you feel... Like, she leaves him, she's like,

I gotta get out of here, and he's like in the tussled bed, like... This is a movie where he is... He's embracing his feminine, and I think that that's beautiful. But I also feel like there is something about him where he was like, I know Sharon Stone is one of the most attractive women

right now, and people want to see her naked, but I think they'll want to see me more? Like, it's like the main attraction at this point of it, oh, the person for basic instinct, oh my god, sexy. He's like, no, no, no, I think I can out sexy her. But here's the crazy thing too, is it's so clear that the actor wants to get his body out to the American people. And, and I'm like, well, you're playing but he's playing a bomb maker, I

think. Yes. He's playing, he're playing, but he's playing a bomb maker, I think. Yes. He's playing, he's a specialist. He's a specialist, but that doesn't actually require, I don't think, any physical- I'm so sorry. Strength or, or,

Jun, I'm so sorry, Jun, but have you read any of the novels that suggested this movie? Did everybody see the credit at the beginning of the movie? Yes, I took a picture of it because I was like, what the fuck? It says suggested by the specialist novels by John Shirley. Suggested by. Here, June.

What? What does that mean? Here is the thing. I mean, I will just say, hinted at in the novels of what the fuck is this? It alluded to. June, look, I took a picture. Pimp did that in the novels of, like, what the fuck is this? It alluded to, June, look, I took a picture.

What is that? Suggested. Because I couldn't believe it. I was like, why is it just suggested and not based on? This credit is when I was like, oh, this is gonna be so good. Cause you know, you know it's only suggested by because Stallone must have rewritten everything.

So you're saying that the novelist, that John Shirley himself, was like, I don't want... This no longer represents my work. This is a mere suggestion. My guess is the character, because the character in the movie, the specialist, the Stallone character, is supposed to have been trained by James Woods. That would make him young. And he's somehow a decade older than James Woods? James Woods is his boss?

What are you talking about? Here's what we know about Stallone. And I love this fact, and I'll repeat it nonstop. When he made the movie Cobra, it was based on a book. And Stallone met with the author and said, what I'd like to do is put my name on the book as the author. And the author's like, no. He's like, no, you don't understand

that when the movie comes out, more people will buy your book if they see that I wrote it. He's like, but you did it. I'm the author of the book. And he's like, dude, don't be a dick. And so Stallone does have this habit because this character of the specialist, his name is Earl Quick.

They don't keep even his name. So it's like they bought the rights to the specialist and the character's Earl Quick, and they're like, throw all that out. We like bombs. And that's what they focused on. That's it. The bombs are the only part of the story

that are really... That's the suggestion. That's the suggestion. Yeah. Interesting. I want to get into the sex scene, and... But I also want to walk it back and say

that the opening scene takes place, you know, in this country where they are trying to kill a drug lord with a bomb. And how are they trying to do a series of bombs and how are they going to do it? Blowing up a bridge. So the Intel is, we know the drug dealer is coming. He's going to be driving a Jeep. Let's blow up a bridge. No one's like, how about a sniper? No bombs. And is a bomb going to blow up the bridge? No, it's just going to blow up the truck. So the truck flies off the bridge, the bridge will stay intact. And again, maybe we use a sniper?

What if people survive? What if people survive? And don't worry, the Jeep is going to collapse like it's made of cardboard. Because that's what happens when it hits the water. It's like, fold, and there is a child. Once again, we're doing a movie where it begins with infanticide. They're like, you know how we can get you on board for this movie? Our hero kills a child. By accident. He tries to save...

But he locks eyes with that kid when she gets blown up, and you know a fetish is born. He... And the way he runs over, his lips are so loose. Do you know what I mean? Yes. They just jiggled in a way that I was like, how is that happening?

His lips, and I do want to go back to the sex scene very briefly, when he locks onto her, it's like an octopus because it's like, it's not like a kiss. It's like, I'm, I have now suctioned my mouth onto yours. And my, it's like implanting an alien embryo from the movie Alien, like, ah. Like, it's like his lips, there's a lot going on there. It was very upsetting.

Oh my God, that butt. Also, they're in the shower. That's the biggest shower in the history of showers. You see, you're fully missionary on the floor of a shower. When they go to the floor in the shower, I'm like, eww. It's a fucking hotel shower. I wrote the same thing. That is a hotel shower! That's a hotel! I wrote the same thing. That is a hotel shower floor.

They have, for real, like, Last of Us fungus going on now. Like, it is game over for them. The bed is a mere four feet away! Just dry off, fuck on the bed! Well, they started on the bed, and then they said, we gotta get in that shower. We see more of Stallone's body than Sharon Stone's. Absolutely. You do.

And the way he straddled her on the bed, I was like, what is that? It was like, and it was like, it was like the sea where it's like, she's taking his clothes off. Yes, it was wild. It really was a gender flip a gender flip-flop. Yes, because he was like, my body is the gift.

I'm gonna, yes, it's basically like unwrap me. You're welcome, everybody. Yes, I'm the presence. They want me to be unwrapped. I'm what you've paid for, sir. No, we haven't. The only sexy thing that happened is when he lifted her up onto him.

When he was traveling and then like... Somehow her legs were out on the other side. I don't know how they did that, but I was like, well, that's pretty hot, but then those hands... That was one moment, Nicole. That was it. What I think I learned from this movie is that Stallone is not good at having sex. And he was like, I'll show you some of my moves. And everyone was too nervous to take.

That's weird. He's like, grab it from behind the head. Bring it like this. And I'll suction her mouth. And I'll throw her on the floor. I'll put her right on the sewer. And then... And he's like, you know, I...

Oh, you know, you know, people want... They saw basic instinct. They want me to be sexy now. What if I'm the Sharon Stone of this movie? Oh, God. Also, Eric Roberts is in this movie. He should have been in the trailer. As a Cuban?

As a Colombian? Wait, what's a Colombian? I mean, his dad. Oh, yeah, his dad was, yeah, some sort of Hispanic. His name is like, and it said Tomas, it's not Thomas. So they say Tomas a lot. But I want to just, again, as we're going to get back and forth in the movie,

but I will say what I don't like about this movie is the way that they handle explosives. Because it's about an expert, a specialist if you will, who literally when we first see him, he's pounding explosives onto a wall, like the way I pack a suitcase that's overstuffed, like clang, clang, clang, clang. Like you would think, you might be a little more gentle around.

Well, later he gets gentle when he's covered in sweat and is wearing those tiny glasses and is like... Right. That's right. That's right. Right. He's a very, like when he's putting it in a, in a China Dolls teacup,

when he's busy living in what appears to be an industrial gear factory. How did this get made? How did this get made? For the rest of the movie, Stallone detonates explosives in only public places. Yeah. Country club, strip club, or bar,

or whatever that place was. Like he's only blowing up, there have to be so many casualties. No, there aren't though, because he has a special type of technology. He blows up a half of a building, falls off! The top of an entire building! But that's planned.

That was that particular explosive. That was the one section, one apartment explosive. When it comes to people, it normally just shoots them out like they're in an ejector seat. Like, when it kills the guy in the parking lot, the seat... That was perfect. That was amazing! It was absolutely perfect.

That man strapped to his seat, on fire, going to the sky. He flies up like he is ejected from an airplane, from Top Gun. And yet, is the bomb in the car? No. Is the bomb under the car? No. Is the bomb under the seat? No. The bomb is in like the parking meter reader that you bit when you leave the garage.

So that oddly like- Is that the bomb? I thought that was the- The keypad was. The keypad was the bomb, but there was nothing in front of the car. And then it says, bye bye. How long did it take him to get, how long? How long did it take him to be like, oh good,

it does say bye bye. Thank God I was able to make that work. This guy is so long to escape. 10 seconds and two bye-bys. Okay, so just riddle me this. He gets to Miami and decides to set up what type of business exactly? Well, this is my big question,

because he is constantly telling us he's not in the bomb-making revenge business, but yet he's on a private, like, internet message board called the Weekend Warrior, which seems like black market shit. I thought that was his website. It feels like this is an A-Team situation. Like, or an equalizer.

Like, if you're in trouble, I'll help you out secretly. Kind of underground, like, hero guy. But why was he rejecting her? I don't know. I think he was worried it was a setup. But was he rejecting her? He was like, I like your voice. And that's, and by the way,

they're essentially having phone sex for the first hour of the movie. Longer, longer. He's, he is, he is sensually working out, listening to recordings of their phone conversations. That was wild. Like, this shit is absolutely nuts. He thinks this is what we want.

You see more of him shirtless than you see of Sharon Stone, like, throughout this entire movie. But, like, he's doing Tai Chi, but he also has this big cumbersome earpiece in. And he's- It's so big. It's so big.

It looks like he has like a microphone, like the front of a microphone on the side of his ear. He's like, and he's like just being casual, just listening. He's also tailing Sharon Stone. He's like, you know, spying on her, watching her. While she is, Sharon Stone, this in a noir sense, she's the femme fatale, she's inserted herself into the Eric Roberts drug lord world

with his father, Rod Steiger, who appears to be doing a Desi Arnett's junior impression. Bustard all year. Some next level. I heard that Rod Steiger was like, I don't need anybody, I'm just gonna watch Scarface over and over again. I thought they were just like spicy whites. I didn't realize that they were going for Cuban.

Spicy whites. This is Rod Steiger's accent on full display. Now, wait a minute, wait a minute. Give me a second here. I have to make a decision. Little time to think here, huh? Okay. You take over, okay? Papa.

I said Trent will handle it, okay? I don't hear you saying okay. What would you say? Okay. That's nice, thank you. Lucy, Lucy, we are in trouble here. It's nuts what he's up to. It's also like drops into just Rod Steiger at points. Like that was a mix and match.

That was not a full, like he goes in and out of that accent, but they are supposed to be these drug lords that killed Sharon Stone's parents. In front of her, she was hiding in the closet. Eric Roberts, who seems to be the same age as her. He is! Yeah, he has an age. He is!

But yet... It's 20 years later. She is a six-year-old in the closet and is now Sharon Stone. Eric Roberts, Eric Roberts 20 years ago. Eric Roberts now. This is, that should be examined. I did like that the flashback

was like a noir lifetime movie. Yeah, it was truly wild. And Eric Roberts was like pretty rude. He was like, hurry up! And I'm like, if I'm being murdered, can you not rush it? Take your time, be kind. And why were they being murdered, can you not rush it? Ha ha ha ha! Take your time. Be kind. And why were they being murdered?

We don't know. Because they did have... They were being asked for information they didn't have. And I don't know that we ever found it was not important. Ever clear, yeah. He just... He loves murder and dancing. Ha ha ha ha! What I loved about Stallone doing his research

on Sharon Stone as a child, he pulls up like an old newspaper and it has a picture of the child. It's like, Maya Sinclair's parents killed, kid's still alive. And it's like, no one would write an article like showing a picture of an alive child being like, she's alive, parents are dead.

Like you would think that they would go back, A, if they were executed, they might go back and kill her too, right? I mean, but it's also like, she's alive, parents are dead. Like you would think that they would go back, A, if they were executed, they might go back and kill her too, right? I mean, but it's also like, it would feel like a weird thing to put her in the front page of the paper, like, I'm orphan. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. May Monroe, I'm sorry, May Monroe, that was her name. So just to go back to Stallone for a second and his work in Miami. So he is just on call in case a bomb maker is needed. I think he comes there because she's asked him to, because he says at one point,

I don't work in Miami, but he's there. Oh yeah. Wait, so he's renting that fairy house? I think, yeah. I think he's temporarily set up shop at the gear factory. Temporarily, Jason. It's a three-story facility on the water that he has set a computer program up.

It's so weird. He walks in the house to hit a button to say no one's in the house. Well, guess what? If they were behind the door that you walked in on, you're dead. He gets made immediately. He's so bad at being subtle. Eric Roberts clocks him immediately,

like, oh, that guy right there. That interaction made me so happy. You like the bitch? You like me? I don't like you. Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha! He's like, gay, no! He's like, no, no, no, don't like you. He's like, gay, no.

He's like, no, no, no, don't get that. Don't get the wrong idea. But do look at this body. Do look at me oiled up and cum guttered out. Would you be surprised to learn that Stallone decided to add that scene in during production because he's like oh I really want to have a scene with Eric Roberts because I don't have a scene with him. So he picked a scene where he says one sentence? Where

he holds a knife and basically says you're looking at me because I'm attracted like it's it's the weirdest scene to add. It's like a threatening scene. It also makes him appear bad at his job. You know? But again, what is his job exactly? Because if his job is to just make the bombs, then I think he's fine at that job. I think he's a bomb expert for hire

for people that need help dealing with some sort of situation. That require bombs. But then why is he rejecting Sharon Stone? Because it seems like her situation qualifies. These three men killed my parents who were innocent and I watched them die. And it doesn't check all the boxes for me.

Like he's like. Do you think though, Jason, that this is his normal vetting process? Yes. Wow. Yeah. I think, I think his vetting process is go to a city. I think if this movie had...

Set up shop, get a pet. If this movie had worked, my guess, my guess is that there are a number of other novels to suggest storylines for. Maybe he goes to Cincinnati and he sets up shop in an abandoned water warehouse. I don't know what. Give me the biggest conspicuous thing in your city.

I'll move to Chicago and own the Sears Tower. Great, no one will ever find me there. But I will say this, there's a screenwriting book called Save the Cat. It was very popular for a couple of years. The idea was that in the first act, No one will ever find me there. But I will say this, there's a screenwriting book called Save the Cat. It was very popular for a couple years. The idea was that in the first act, you would see your character do something

that was nice that you get him on your side, that you would save the cat. Here, he kills the cat, which is the child, and then also then saves the cat. Like, the movie wants it both ways. He saves the cat and kills the kid. That was so weird. He, like, picks... He doesn't know how to hold a cat either.

He's just like, I don't know, I can't, I gotta take you home and... I'll fuck you on the sewer, kiss your mouth. He's like Lenny from Of Mice and Men. You think he might crush the cat or crush Sharon Stone? I don't know. He seems capable of murder. Also, that cat was pretty distracting.

In the scene where he's sweaty, like, doing the bomb, that cat's climbing a chain-link fence in his house. It's like... I'll tell you one thing I don't want near a bomb. A fucking cat! LAUGHTER The way everybody treats, I mean, the bomb squad of the Miami PD is also treating bomb material very casually, like strewn across and we see them.

And by the way, is James Wood a cop? I don't know. He had access to the CIA and lying to us. I don't know. No, he's not. He had access to the CIA and- Wait, is he lying to us? He's a cop. No, he's not. Rod Steiger inserts him into the police department. That's the scene with the chief of police is there.

Okay. Rod Steiger is like, hey, I need you to make this guy part of the police investigation. But what then happens is James Woods just walks into the police station and is like, you fucking idiots! I handle this! You do that! You fucking idiots! I created a bomb out of a pen! I'm crazy!

James Woods is eating every morsel of screen time he is allotted. He is chomp chomp chompin' away. He clearly, like, and he, chompin' away. He clearly, like, and he's often not with anybody else. So I feel like he's like, look, these people that are in my scene, shut the fuck up. Let me, let me cook. Oh my God.

And he's always like- When he's again running a different part of the Miami PD where they're staging a sting to try to get, to try to get Stallone to call into the message boards. I don't know. And they have all of this. So they have all of these women pretending to be Sharon Stone.

Because is he attracted to women in distress? I think he's attracted to- He likes phone calls with women. He's like, I just like disembodied voices. He's like, they make me so hard. A thousand percent he likes it over the phone. So, but what's so crazy about that scene is that he, those wonderful background artists who are all,

most of them are women and I guess they're cops there. They genuinely look terrified. Like truly. Nobody in those scenes is safe. Yeah. I like the scene when James Woods is going to the elevator and is literally like, get a new shirt, you fucking idiot. Get out of my fucking way.

I got, get next one, next one. There's a man who witnessed a murder, a young boy who's a car valet. He was like sitting there and he's like, what the fuck are you laughing at? Piece of shit. This kid is given like three sticks of dynamite. He's given like a cartoon level bomb.

He looks like a Timbalt character. He's fucking freaking out. And James Woods comes in and he's just, he's like, my whole thing is I yell at whoever I'm in a scene with. I dress them down fully. And it's incredible. So wait, so you're saying, one second, Paul.

So you're saying that James Woods and Stallone just happened to both be in Miami? No, no. No, James Woods is using Sharon Stone to draw Stallone out. Yeah, because that scene where he hits her? Got it, right? Of course, of course, of course. Like fucking hits her?

Oh, yeah. And then plays with the blood on her lip? I was like, this is wild. I did not like that. Not one bit. I didn't like it either. But did you like it when she slapped that woman in the bathroom?

I loved it. Loved that. Oh, I loved it. Because that was the hottest thing I've seen in a while. Bam! She pushed her. Henry, she'll call you back. Kablam!

There was elements of this that felt like Stallone was embracing his feminine side, but then there's an other element of it where everyone just felt up Sharon Stone, willy nilly. Like, everybody was like, I gotta touch everywhere. Yeah, at the funeral, he like gets on his knees and then shoves his hand up her skirt, and I was like, Dios míos.

But then, then she did have a gun, and I was like, okay, well. What's really sad is that's not the first time someone was felt up in that church. He was just... He was just moved to a different parish. I wrote that... I wrote that joke down. Can you explain, though? Can you explain?

That joke is in my notes. Wait, at the funeral, I really loved when James Woods comes in, he's like, open the casket, and everyone's like, what? He's like, open it! And then he goes, that bitch, too! That was my... I really loved when James Woods comes in, he's like, open the casket. Everyone's like, what? He's like, open it. And then he goes, that bitch.

That was my favorite part of this movie. Bitch. He's like, fuck. To a woman who we've heard in the eulogy as being a pillar of the community. A saint. This funeral has been twice interrupted by rude white men. First of all, still I was like, wait a minute, what?

Yeah. By the way, that was. He, I mean, like, can you imagine being at a, who's that guy? Walks straight up and needs to look into the. Oh, that's not her. And then James Woods comes in, points a gun at the priest, and calls her a bitch. Those people will have questions for the rest of their lives.

What do you think Grandma was up to? That's what I love so much about this movie. Like, there's moments like that. There's moments when Sheeran Stone pushes a very nice lady and steals her phone and slaps her. It's surprising, and I'm like, I love that this movie goes there. Now, I was trying to follow Sharon Stone's plan and how she, that whole mix-a-roo with that grandma.

So what did she do exactly? She put her own... Well, this doesn't entirely add anything. I didn't understand the funeral part. I did not, I literally was like, I don't know why everyone's confused. I don't know why this is even working. What did she do? I can tell you what it part. I did not, I literally was like, I don't know why everyone's confused. I don't know why this is even working.

I can tell you what it is and what's said, but there is a disconnect. So James Woods is looking at the paper and he sees that a woman who has the name of Sharon Stone's alias. I didn't know she had an alias. She has an alias. Her funeral will be the funeral,

that at that church, blah, blah, blah, whatever that is. So he notices that and Oz obviously Stallone notices it. So they both converge on that church. If James Woods had been there early enough, he would have run into Stallone, doesn't matter. So wait, just out of curiosity. So it just happened that her alias died at the same time that she was also dead.

This is where it falls apart. What she says is that she took, that Sharon Stone went by a hospital and dropped her own ID. Somebody OD'd and she was able to make it seem as though that was her, but then that's clearly not who's in the casket. Okay, so whoever's in the casket, I see.

So whoever's in the casket is not Arlene the alias, certainly not May. It's someone altogether different. I believe so. Wow. I believe so. Can I get Stallone to show up to the church, which is what she wants? Well, it does make sense because nobody else but those two people would know that alias. Can I get Stallone to show up to the church, which is what she wants?

Well, it does make sense, because nobody else but those two people would know that alias. So I guess the obituary, I guess it does all check out. And now I don't think the woman who's being eulogized or who's being, I don't think her name matches the alias. I think the obituary announcement was a fake out. Oh boy, this is kind of complicated. Yeah, that's confusing. I also don't care that it doesn't make sense, because it was a fake out. Oh boy, this is kind of complicated. Yeah, that's confusing.

I also don't care that it doesn't make sense because it's a home run. Yeah, it's fine. How did this get made? How did this get made? I wanna get back to the random acts of violence because there's one scene that I feel like we weren't gonna be able to talk about,

which is Stallone on a bus. Oh my God. I wrote it down. It's my favorite quote of the movie. After he beats that man up, after, well yeah, he beats them all up. He beats like five dudes up. But he tries to give that lady the seat,

and then the guy sits down, and then he beats them up, and then he turns to that woman and goes, I believe there's a vacancy. And in that moment, Nicole, in that moment, I was like, this guy is a straight up psychopath because he didn't just like punch a guy and knock him out. He kicks a man out of a bus window. The man is jettisoned out of a bus window.

There's no way that bus is gonna continue on its route. And that's what I'm saying, the bus is done. You fucked up the whole day. You're like, I would rather stand. Everybody else on the bus. Their whole day is ruined. Why am I late for work and getting fired? Because some asshole kicked a guy

through a window of my bus. I also found it really funny that he always was on payphones, and obviously that's a different time than before. There's more payphones. But I'll tell you where there's not a payphone. At the edge of a dock. Right?

There is one moment where she's, like, looking out. There's, like, a jetty. Like, it's about 20 feet off a larger dock. It's like, where should we put the payphone? Out there, maybe? Like, it's about 20 feet off a larger dock. It's like, where should we put the payphone? Out there, maybe? Like, it couldn't be, there's no way a lot, like, no way phone lines are getting out there. And he's like, yeah, the very tip of the dock.

I was like, that was my favorite shot, him alone in a little payphone. Yep. Who's using that? I also liked before the fight, he said, oh, my glasses. And... Because he can't fight with sunglasses on.

I love this as a, like, very inspired impression for you. It is good. Well, at one point, I had to turn on the subtitles. I was like, what the fuck are you saying? I did that about 12 years ago. Never turned them off. Jason has got me into subtitles. What? But Jason, you watch movies just for fun and enjoyment.

Not for this, but like... Subtitles. Yeah, me too. June, you always tell me about it. You always are saying, get it off. It's a problem. It's now conditioned me to look at the bottom of the screen in a way

that I'm genuinely missing visual filmmaking. So strange. Because I'm like, oh, you gotta read. Jason, that's so weird. Let's talk about the moment when, so Sharon Stone is telling Stallone about his plan. I would imagine the plan is this. Sharon Stone finds a bomb expert, James Woods, tells James Woods, I need to kill these men. James Woods like, I'll do that for you, but you need to get this person that I'm trying to get. So why don't you pretend like you don't have me? You get him the same way you got me.

And then I'll get my, my payment is me getting him and then we'll kill your people too. Well, no, I don't know. Cause James Woods is working for Rod Steiger. But I think she did the same thing. She reconned the first specialist cause he's also a specialist and out of work specialist. Yeah, but how do you find the specialists?

On that bulletin board. I don't know, they're Queen and Warriors. Yeah, that seems to be their dark web thing. I think it's go on the dark web and you can find somebody. But like, how do you even get that idea? Bombs. It's absurd.

She literally says they're more precise than guns. That's not true. Nobody's ever said that. It's like that. No one's ever said like- Where do you come to that conclusion? I want revenge. I wanna blow them up.

And so much so that she, her moment, her moment of like, finally my job is done, is to face Eric Roberts while he explodes. She's in the room with him while he is exploded to death. And she says to Stallone afterwards, like, I knew your control, your explosions were so controlled that I would be just fine. And I'm like, how?

What a risk. She was too close. By the way, again, not to, you know, Stallone's got that cat in his apartment or warehouse, gear house, but he also let's still on, he's got that cat in his apartment or warehouse gear house. But he also put that coffee cup in a tennis bag. Cat's name is timer. Cat's name is timer. You know how I know that? The closed caption he told me.

I also want to, I also want to go back to the first bomb in the brothel, the first bomb in the brothel, the mini bomb, where the lowest tier guy that he has to kill... He kills Brent Sexton from season four of Bosch, baby! Yeah, Bosch! Bosch is where it happens. I wrote that down, too. But I love it. It goes, You've been stealing from me. You've been cooking the books.

And then the reveal is the whole month of September is gone. That's a shitty way to cook the books. You should be murdered. You should be executed for that. It's not like you're chipping a little at the top. That is erasing one of the 12 months. Can you imagine being like, oh, I didn't think you'd notice. And in September.

And his entire month is gone. And then the guy that kills him gets blown up by one of Stone's mini bombs and his head goes through the aquarium. Oh my God. That mini laughed so hard. It was a shoe and a head. Incredible.

Give me more of that. And whose shoe? Like Stallone's at a bar talking to a sex worker, and is it her shoe that also flies off? No, it's the other woman's shoe. She's fixing her shoe in a scene, and I believe it is her shoe. So she's at the bar-

So not so precise, by the way. The vibration from the other room. There's a lot of collateral damage in this movie. They're bombs. They're bombs. And there doesn't seem to be any like, aftermath. Like the bombs happen, everyone's like, back to work. But this is what we see the entire time.

Like James Woods is on a date with Sharon Stone, or not James Woods, yeah, no, Eric Roberts is on a date with Sharon Stone, he's like, hold on a second, let me beat the shit out of this guy in this cafe. Like, there's multiple times he just walks away, pulls out a knife, beats somebody up, and it's like, no one reacts, like,

no one in that bar is like, oh yeah, you just beat up my customer. It's like, no, it's cool, it's fine. Like, there's just ultraviolence going on in my end. Also, I was like, is this how I get into a relationship? Be like completely disinterested in the man and like borderline mean to him? And then I'll be like moved into a big fancy place.

Sharon Stone hated him. Oh yeah. She sometimes gave him, like, I feel like the idea would be like, look at him with like loving eyes. And then when he turned back, fuck you. But she gave the fuck you eyes. Yes, look at him with like loving eyes. And then when he turns, be like, fuck you. But she gave the fuck you eyes. Yes, she wouldn't wait till he turns.

She'd be like, I love you. Oh, I'll kill you. Here's what I'm gonna say. Sharon Stone didn't need Sylvester Stallone. He is terrible at his job. She is so much better and has so many opportunities to kill Eric Roberts, she's like basically dating him seriously.

They are pre-engaged. And she could have killed Eric Roberts at any point and she has access to him fully. She doesn't even need Stallone. She's better at Stallone's job than he is. I think she just wants the bombs. Well, I think that she wants to get all three, but she really didn't want to get all three because it's all double cross.

I'm still a little confused about what she was up to with James Woods and what why that was necessary. So it was a bit of a crisscross. This is my plan. Like, so my plan is that she's like, oh, God, I need a bomb specialist. And she goes on that weekend warrior thing. James Woods is like, hey, I'm your person. Tells her the story.

He's like, I'll go down to Miami. I'll set myself up there. You pull out Stallone from the woodwork. You would do that. So he's infiltrating that. She's getting Stallone telling him the same story. James Woods is like, I'm gonna get you this. Like they're, it's a full plan.

I guess I'm just like, if I'm her, I'm like, can I just pay you? And if not, like, I'll go back on the site and try to find someone else. James, James, yes. Basically, James Woods is using her to draw out Stallone, and she's using James Woods to get access to the, to the Rod Steiger, Eric Roberts,

the guys she wants to kill. I think I understand it. James Woods is like, this is gonna cost a lot of money, but if you just pull out Stallone, I'll do it for free. And Stallone's like, I'll do it for free if it checks all my boxes, but it doesn't check all of his boxes. I don't think Sharon Stone hired James Woods.

Well, no. I think she did though. Yes, because she's- Because there is like the double crop, like yeah. Yeah, right, like she's like, my payment is you do this. Yes, is Stallone. Yeah.

But she's reneging on that because she's falling in love with Stallone. And he's like, look, if all these guys die and I don't get Stallone, I'm killing you. And that's like, that's the only thing he can really do. I don't know that I ever believed she was in love with Stallone.

Maybe if James Woods read a line in the script we would understand the plot a little bit better. Wait, you don't think they're in love as they ride away in that 64 Mustang with what was the song they played that was unhinged? It was like, back me up before I go go now. Like, what was it?

That was Turn the Beat Around. That was wild. The craziest ending. After like a bunch of saxophones and horn music. This is the craziest ending of any movie ever made. It reminded me of Grease when they fly away. Except this is in a boat. Incredible.

Like, what is happening? I love that she blows up Rod Steiger with a locket. I doubt it. And then she drives them away. He's waiting in the car and she's like, let's go. This is it. This is the final scene. Here we go.

I thought he was opening up candies, but it's like, oh, yeah, what is this? George Rastaga! How do you feel? Better. She's the hero. This is wild. This is irresponsible driving. Show sounds pretty. Your fire, let's keep moving to the nitty gritty. When you hear the scratch, jump, guitar scratching.

This is a movie about revenge, murder, and bombs. And this is how it ends. And by the way, I will say that Gloria Estefan's husband, Emilio Estefan Jr., has a small part in this, a piano player, and a few other members of the Miami Sound Machiner in the film. Did he also compose the music for the film? Oh yes, he did, yes.

Oh. I saw that. Wow, way to go June, knowing that little detail. Let's quickly also just talk one second about this idea they set up, I hate knives. Stallone hates knives. Yeah. That was weird.

But then when it goes into that very dark kitchen. Oh, that was so funny. He said, before I fight, better turn off these lights. Turns off all the lights in the kitchen. And what does he grab? A knife. And uses it effectively. Like, to set up, it's like Indiana Jones goes, I hate snakes.

And then you put him in a situation where he's surrounded by snakes. He's like, oh, fuck, he's got to figure it out. He's like, well, I mean, I hate knives, but then you put him in a situation where he's surrounded by snakes. He's like, oh fuck, he's gotta figure it out. He's like, well, I mean, I hate knives, but I'll use it. Not my preferred, you know. Also, there was like a sink of boiling water. Yeah. I was like, what are they cooking in this? Potatoes.

Like, it's so big. And then when that man gets in it, he's like... Ugh! Ew! What the fuck? I loved it. I agree with you. And I will say that this movie oddly moved fast and very slow, because at one point, at 45 minutes in, I was like, shit, it's another hour and, like, 20 minutes? I was like, I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'm gonna go to the bathroom.

I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'm gonna go to the bathroom. And I will say that this movie oddly moved fast and very slow because at one point at 45 minutes in, I was like, shit, it's another hour and like 20 minutes.

I was like, cause it's like, it is moving at a clip, but it's almost like you're in quicksand. It's like people are flailing, but it's not- So many scenes that weren't needed. We didn't need that bus scene. No, the bus scene does nothing. It doesn't move the plot, nothing. And it's arguably like, once again, bad for Stallone.

He shouldn't be making this much of a spectacle of himself if he wants to remain quiet off the grid. The reason he takes the bus is to be an invisible ghost. But then he can't, like, clobber six guys on the bus. Well, can I also say, like, and again, I'm not trying to defend these gentlemen, but I felt like... It sounds like you are. I know I'm against kids and punks, but, or four,

but there's a moment where basically this guy took another woman's seat, rude, and then he goes, hey, can you get up? He goes, fuck you. It seems like the penalty was very high for that. Like, it seems like to be kicked out of a bus window. Like, again, I'm not saying it's good. There was an open seat. Where he came from was now an open seat.

I didn't see that. She could have sat right here. He slid right on over and left a seat for someone else to sit in. This bit of violence was unnecessary. It was on him. Oh, I thought that guy was also harassing a young woman on the bus.

So there was that. I get it. But I did not realize there was an open seat. Yes, a fully open seat. Like, when he says that line, Nicole, that you said, like, I believe there's a vacancy. Like, she should have been like, get away from me, you monster.

I just watched you kill three people on a bus so that I could have a seat. Like, I don't want to be a part of your nightmare. I want to see, like, the after scene of that, where it's like, is the bus going to go? Oh, wow. And the bus driver's like, no, I have to file a report now. But when that lady handed him back the glasses,

she seemed a little turned on. The pregnant lady? The lady when she gave back the glasses, she was just like, no. Here are your glasses. I think she liked it. And she didn't see any of his vascularity. God.

Did anyone have any issues, and we'll kind of come to the audience in one second, with Sharon Stone taking off all of her clothes and sitting naked in, like, a chaise lounge? Yeah, it was fucking weird. What shocked me about that scene was, I was like, oh, I think she's naked, but then when she gets up and you see her breath, I was like, oh, I think she's naked, but then when she gets up and you see her breath, I was like, oh!

It was so unnecessary to see her naked in that scene. Respectfully, I disagree. Oh! Oh! Oh! Sharon's so naked on the phone with Stallone, trying to peep out the window to see if he's in the phone booth across from her apartment was electric. That's when he's in the phone booth across from her apartment was electric.

That's when he's in the dock phone booth. That's when he's in the little baby dock. Yes. I was saying to Paul, I was like, the idea of, like, coming home to relax and just taking off your top and taking off your bra and just sitting, you know, is so absurd to me. I'm like, I get taking off your bra immediately.

What'd you keep your shoes on? I know, it's just, it's so wildly uncomfortable that I just kept looking at her and thinking like, oh, put on a tank top, like just put on something. That's, we all know that's very uncomfortable. I didn't realize her shoes were on. That's so funny. Oh, I gotta free these titties, but ooh,

gotta keep the dogs locked up. You're good. You just gotta let people really breathe. It also looks like she threw the dress in the trash can. Like she's like, that dress, I didn't know. Her entire wardrobe is single use. Like, Tobey Maguire in his underpants. I was obsessed with everything she wore.

I loved the fact that she was in an evening gown and a scrunchie. I... I loved it. I wish everybody else was in the... Well, James Woods might have been. I was gonna say was in the same movie that Sharon Stone is in. Because she is firing on all cylinders. And imagine if you will, this is what I was gonna say earlier.

Imagine if you will, instead of an aged Sylvester Stallone for this dynamic, what if it was young Nicolas Cage as the specialist trained by, or somebody, I don't know, somebody else, somebody younger, somebody- as the specialist trained by somebody, I don't know, somebody else, somebody younger, somebody. So picture this scene with the two of them yelling then. Come on, talk to me.

You sell your service to the highest bidder, won't you? You stinkin' maggot. These women are terrified. Fuck you, Ray, fuck you! You killed! We did that lately! This one hurt. Your bombs!

Something, 10, 15, 100 before you lost count. Your bombs. Who's he talking to? By the way, look at this guy. Oh, Jesus. And by the way, this is like take 35. James Wintz is just like, I'm gonna go to my trailer for five minutes

and then I'm coming back and I'm gonna be brilliant. In Bogota, your're bombing the cabana. But you're getting sloppy, Ray. You broke your famous code, didn't you? You killed an innocent- Can you pause right there for a second? It's just- His watch is on the outside of his sleeve.

Yes! What's happening? Oh my God! God, that is so funny. This is movie star shit. Like they said to Stallone, we can't see your watch. And he's like, fuck you, director. I'll put it on the outside. Like this is like a pissing contest.

He's mad. God. Oh, yo, I think the opposite. I think Stallone is like, I want to be, I got to know it's, it's a minute in, I'm going to be traced. So I need a watch. And they're like, well, yeah, but want to be, I got to know it's, it's a minute in, I'm going to be traced. So I need to watch. And they're like, well, yeah, but it would be under all your clothes.

It'd be like, put it outside. I love it. I really do hope it was like his choice. He's like, yeah, I see it. I think if, I think if it's 1994 and it's a Sylvester Stallone, I think everything is his choice. Here, could you watch a little bit more James Woods? Oh, didn't you? You killed an innocent bystander, Ray.

It's just eating you up inside, isn't it? Well, you're always too fucking sensitive. Guess what? I'm coming, Ray. I'm coming to take all the pain away. I'm going to fucking cut right out of you and I'm going to close your mouth. I believe they are in love. More so than Sharon Stone and Sylvester Stone. Because I believe my headcanon for this movie

is that Sharon Stone is playing everybody. Stallone, Woods, everybody. She gets her way. Her parents. Her parents. She's the one that ratted them out to the Colombians. She's like, this is exactly what I wanted. She's like, this is exactly what I wanted. Like, she seems to be the most capable person in this movie.

Because these two, Woods and Stalloneone are clearly involved in some sort of, like, nightmare decades-long romance. Yes, psychosexual something, yeah. ...in my hand, I'm right behind you, and I know you. I know you! Yup, right behind you. He said, I'm gonna hold your heart in my hand. That's romance!

Yeah. Right, time's up, 58 seconds. Yeah, and I think, I think Stallone might be the bottom in their relationship. What is he doing? Why is he wrecking the recording? Why are you recording? I love that woman.

Terrified. She's the only one reacting to the environment. Just watch her, please. I love that woman. Terrified. She's the only one reacting to the environment. Please play from the beginning and just watch her, please. Just quickly. Give her an Oscar. Yeah, she's the only one. I love her.

She's out acting James Woods on every level. That's the shirt for the show, that woman's face. Let's go to the audience. Let's see what questions you all have. Okay, in this movie, they hide bombs and lots of things, tea cups, cigarette cases, you know, bridges. Where would you hide your bomb is my question to all of you. And just ask me your question. Raise your hand if you have a good question. Anybody? Oh, yeah, right here. What's your name? Matt. Matt. And where would you hide your bomb? In an earpiece. Oh, that would be tricky. Okay. In an earpiece? Damn! All right, what's your question? So at the end, the bomb truck explodes. Did he have a bomb on

there the entire movie just waiting for them to show up? Oh, that is interesting because at the end of the movie, everything- Say it again, Paul. Wait, what was it, Paul? So at the end, the bomb truck explodes. Yeah. So did he have a bomb, like, there, the entire movie in the bomb truck? Like, because everything explodes at the end. I assumed it was like underneath, or he seemed to have made the entire gear factory

and its environs into a live bomb scenario. I felt like he could explode anything in that area. You know, the same way that he was somehow able to explode the top floor of that building. He and James Woods seemed to have the raw materials for the most subtle bombs on their person at all times. But yet they're blowing up a fucking giant bridge when we meet them.

Like it should have been like, he's leaving in that car with like, they could have just, the way that this movie acts, they could have blown up the drug dealer and the daughter would have been fine because his bombs are so precise. It only gets the front seat. You know, it's like, that's it.

But they decide to like rig two parts of that, like that seems so wildly big. And it's maybe the idea being that he used to do big bombs. And now he does small bombs because of what happened if he could have only blown up the front seat. He's got to live with that. And I will say the damning look of that girl, that that girl looks at me like, you're gonna kill me. Oh yeah. And you know, like sometimes in movies, you could tell, like they couldn't make her that young

because it would be, it would devastate us as an audience, you know, but they couldn't make her like a preteen either. Like she was exactly the age where we were gonna have to be okay with it. See, I'm like, I'm like, you know what? I don't love it, but I'm cool if an 11-year-old dies. I don't love it, but I'm gonna want to surround myself. Yeah. They've lived 11 years. That's enough. Alright. Your name?

Melissa. Melissa, welcome. Melissa, where would you put your bomb? Definitely on that stinky-ass shower floor. Yes. And your question? Okay, sorry. Cut the sound if it's wrong. But when James Woods was interrogating the Miami PD's bomb squad, was that Greg Brady from the original Brady Brun?

Brady Bunch? Oh, somebody was thinking that too. It looked a lot like him. Let's say yes. It looks a lot like him. Great question. We'll never be cut out. Don't ever correct it.

I don't want any correction or omission on the Discord about that. It's Greg Brady. We all knew it. We all agreed to it. Be cool. This movie takes place in the Brady-verse. That was Barry Williams. And if anyone says differently, we will bomb you.

Okay, your name? Nina. Nina, and where would you put your bomb? In the telephone booth. Okay, great. Oh, nice. Cute. All right.

You can put it in any, you don't have to put it in the movie. You can put it anywhere. All right, so, all right, what's your question? Okay, so there is a scene where Rod Steiger's trying to get up off the couch. And the police, the police chief guy is helping him up. Whose idea do you think it was to keep that in the movie? Well, Rod Steiger nails it with what is clearly an improvised line where he goes, I hate these deep couches.

I hate these deep couches. I hate these deep couches. I love that this movie is taking a stand. Give us shallow couches or give us no couches at all. All right, well, we heard from the audience there, and now it is time for second opinions. Timer the cat, assassins you hire and nap. I want you to hang up in 58 seconds. This way he cannot be tracked.

XCIA, hired by someone named May. It turns out that Ned's at a bray, and bombs are their favorite way. Oh, Stallone's a specialist. You know I have no notes to give you. Did you all get a boner too? You know it gets a five star review. Amazon, This is true. 10, nine, eight, seven, six, five stars. Amazing. Thank you. All right. Let me tell you, these are second opinions pulled from Amazon and they are

wild. Wild, okay. There are, this gets an average four out of five stars on Amazon where there's over a thousand reviews. 76% are five star reviews. But I'm going to kind of bullet through them because they are all one sentence. So here we go. I'm just going to go speed.

I'm going to speed right through them. Here we go. Bob writes, reminds me of when I lived on the Miami River on a 51 foot trawler. Beautiful cinematography. Sharon Stone isn't too bad either. Five stars. Amazon customer writes, honestly, it's not a particularly great movie,

but it's got a Porsche 968 in it, so it's good enough for me. Five stars. DLG writes, critics did not rate this film well. They must have been men, because this is a woman's fantasy. Five stars. they must have been men, because this is a woman's fantasy.

Five stars! Laughter And that sentiment continues when someone writes, I enjoyed this movie. Great bodies and beautiful people in a beautiful Miami setting. Yes, it's a woman's movie in spite of the action. What? Five stars.

I get it. I do get it. It's because you're seeing Stallone's body all sexual and shit. Yes. I wouldn't call it a woman's movie, though. Well, I think it's like the romance is for the ladies, and that's like heavy in the movie movie and then the bombs are for the boys

so they stick around. Jason, you missed people calling this a woman's movie in the five star reviews. Well, I do feel like this exists in the fried green tomatoes verse. Yeah, it's like Steel Magnolias. Steel Magnolias, fried green tomatoes, the specialist. I like the specialist.

It's a trilogy for the ages. It's... They've all got Robertses in them. Um, a couple of fun facts about this movie. Eric Roberts, only two years older than Sharon Stone. But he was supposed to have killed her parents when she was a child. Okay? Um... only two years older than Sharon Stone. But he was supposed to have killed her parents when she was a child. Okay?

Stallone said the secret to their shower scene was... -♪ Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha by Michael Douglas and after a half a dozen shots, we were wet and wild. I don't like that. No, no, no, no, no, no. I don't like it from a safety standpoint at all. That's why they're on the floor. Yeah. Yeah, they're like, we don't like we can't stand up anymore. We get it. We got it.

up anymore. We get it. So I there's a there's a real like history in Hollywood about Stallone being kind of tricked and conned by producers and other actors. The most famously like Schwarzenegger read a really bad script called Stop When My Mom Will Shoot,

and he's like, get the rumor out there that I wanna do it so Stallone will try to steal it from me, and then he'll do this real shitball movie. And then he did. And Stallone never wanted to do the movie. He was just the fuck with him. And it's been, like, they have a history. So in this movie, like Stallone was kind of playing hardball

and the producer said, hey, look, if you don't decide in 15 minutes, Warren Beatty wants to do this movie. And he's like, all right, I'm in. And Warren Beatty was never attached or anywhere near the movie. How much did it make? Well, I'll get to that in one second,

how much it made. Hey, guy, relax. Wow. He just really needs to know. I've been watching this whole show. I want to know how much I made. That's tough numbers. Log on to Box Office Mojo, guy.

He's got it here in the wall. I didn't come here for jokes. I came here for box office. Jit chat bullshit. Let's get the metrics going. It's the data. Give me that data dump. Give me above the line and below the line costs. Before tonight's show starts. You're an asshole, guy.

Wrap the show up. I got to sit up. I'm done with this show. I came for box office and I got bupkis so far. For some context, before the show started, we played the trailer to The Specialist, and when Jason came in, we were like, I'm done with this show. I'm done with this show.

I'm done with this show. I'm done with this show. I'm done with this show. I'm done with this show. and I got bump kiss so far." For some context, before the show started, we played the trailer to the specialist. And when Jason came out here, he said, Paul, were you upset that James Woods did not get billing in the sequence in the credits? Like, he's one of the lead characters in the movie. There's a good reason for that.

Stallone demanded that James Wood's scenes were to be cut out of the film. And some of his scenes to be reshot so Stallone would have more screen time. He was worried that Woods would steal the movie away from him because he was a better actor than him. And Stallone also did the same thing to Rucker Hauer on Nighthawk. So that is the reason why-

Rucker Hauer was in two Hawk-based movies? Also in Lady Hawk. Lady Hawk and Nighthawk. And here's the thing that I found most interesting before we get to how much it made. Um... Are you okay, my guy? Are you okay to wait a couple more seconds?

Before there was a blacklist. A blacklist is this amazing thing that Franklin Leonard does where he, like, polls people in Hollywood. What are the best scripts that aren't made? And there's a list, and it can help screenwriters really get to the top of the the heap. You know, it's just about who has a great script. The Los Angeles Times did something similar to that. And in 1993, the Los Angeles Times listed the specialist as the best unproduced thriller script in Hollywood based on a poll of 40 agents, producers, and studio executives.

So this movie was a hot commodity and it had a budget of 45 million. Ooh, all your dreams are coming true. Yay, get ready. Ooh, we're talking those numbers, Paul. What do we got? A budget of what? $45 million.

Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. That's what I'm here for. Yay, that'll do space. We're getting closer. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. The opening weekend was $14.3. Oh, God. And the full domestic gross.

Oh, give the...dump it all on me. Give me the whole fucking number, Paul! $57.4 million. Okay. But the worldwide gross, $170 million, adjusted for inflation, $347 million. But the worldwide gross, 170 million, adjusted for inflation, $347 million. Wow.

That's like Avatar. Came in number 21 in the top 200 films of 1991, and that's a year where The Lion King, Forrest Gump, and True Lies comes out. This movie beat Timecop, Disclosure, The Shadow, Junior, Color of Night, Street Fighter, Ghost in the Machine, and Double Dragon. It beat all of those movies?

Yep, it came in number 21. And the tagline is, killing is his profession, revenge is her goal, together they take on the battle against the underworld mafia. Kinda got... That's the longest tagline. By the way, terrible tagline. And here's the alt tagline,

the government taught him to kill, now he's using his skills to help a woman seek revenge against the land. These are like poems. These are not taglines. They're like, here's a better tagline. She's hot, but inexplicably he's naked. She's hot, he's not. Boom. Bye bye.

Bye bye would have been the best tagline. Holy shit. Bye bye. Bye bye would have been the best tagline. Holy shit. Bye bye. Well, well, well, we really got into the specialist. Nicole, we have talked on our show about your show, Grand Cru, which is amazing show on Peacock and Netflix. Tell us a little bit more about it. Oh, Grand Cru is about six friends who hang out in a bar

and we drink and we fuck and we talk about life and relationships and it's like, it's silly. It's a very silly throwback to the nineties. It's a fun show. It's a great ensemble. And we talked to Phil and Carl on Last Looks. Where are you on your wine drinking journey? Oh, well last night I drank half a bottle of wine

after I had like, I don't know, eight vodka sodas. It was bad. It was bad. I woke up this morning and I was like, I'm unwell, and then went into my kitchen and I was like. And then you had to watch this movie? I'm so sorry. I was so hungover just being like, well this is good.

It was honestly really nice to watch it hungover. That's the way that they shot the shower scene. Yeah, more or less. Nicole, anything else you can, you want to plug? Your podcast? Oh yeah, I got podcasts. Why Won't You Date Me, Best Friends, 90 Day Bay. I'm like working out material in DC and Denver. And you could just go to my Instagram

and hit the link in the bio. I don't know the dates. I love it. That's great. June, I know you and I are very excited about this show that we're on, Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur on Disney+. It's actually fantastic. It's a great show.

Really, really fun. I'm so excited. And also, Paul, you'll be at it. Bitch Sesh and the Deep Dive is hosting a show slash pickleball tournament slash extravaganza called I'd hit that on May 13th. So if you're in Los Angeles or traveling to Los Angeles and you want to buy tickets, you can head to Janeclub.com slash pickleball and come to the show. Paul will be our celebrity DJ and MC. and it's going to be so much fun.

Jason. I will shout out, even though I'm not in it, John Wick 4. Get involved. Wait, you went to a movie theater? Nope. Oh, wow. Don't worry about it, but go see this movie. Can you, I can't afford the three, I can't find those three hours. I need to talk to your source.

God damn it. Also, I play a recurring part in the Netflix show, Agent Elvis, that is an animated show. I was cut out of that show. What's that? I was cut out of that show. Really? I recorded, I was recording my voice and I was cut out of that show. What's that? I was cut out of that show. Really?

I recorded, I was recording my voice and I was like, they're gonna cut me. I wasn't doing whatever they wanted me to do. And I've had this experience twice in my life and I was feeling it and then like a couple months later like, we're gonna recast you. It sounds like we're still in Moon Girl. The Devil Dinosaur. Yes. I will say congratulations on the pickup of Star Trek

Lower Decks, which is fantastic. And I will please urge people to watch Star Trek Prodigy, the show that I am on, which is absolutely fantastic and needs your eyeballs. Get involved. And I'll also say, if you like Star Trek Picard, season three, don't worry about one and two. It's great.

But more importantly, Dungeons and Dragons, the movie is good. You saw it there. Right? I hate medieval shit. It makes me like really upset, but I was not upset watching that movie. It's a fucking comedy.

It's really funny. It's really good. Why does medieval shit make you upset? It makes me so mad because I could just imagine how stinky they are. Oh yeah, I get that. There's no hems. Everything's jagged and nasty.

And they got stupid fucking belts and there's rocks everywhere. I agree, the belts are stupid. I don't know, I'm not here for it. I agree with you that they made medieval stuff look nicer. It was better. They did. Yeah, it was clear.

But the jokes made me happy. I was like these people look like trash, but like it's funny and I'm not angry. A lot of funny funny jokes. Like really great surprise cameos. They make a choice with this dragon that made me laugh so hard. I don't want to ruin it. They have a cameo in it that was shocking and the scene plays out like this drama in the middle of this comedy movie. It's beautifully done. Anyway, can I say one last thing? I thought it was really interesting when they were running at the end and the bombs were going off like in front and behind them.

Sharon Stone yelped every time a bomb went off and I was like kind of concerned. I was like, are these happening too close to her? Did they were hurt? I was like, well, I kind of liked her? Did they rehear? I was like, did they tell her? Well, I kind of liked it because it gave me a human reaction to bombs. Like, this movie is like bombs go off all the time. It's like a doorbell. She's like, oh, fuck.

She should be jumping. Another just a tiny bit of evidence that this is really a love story between Stallone and Woods is the, you're the rigor, I'm the trigger. That is the most romantic line in the movie. That's what the movie's about. You're the rigor, I'm the trigger. James Woods is saying in the whole movie,

why don't you see, I'm in love with you. You're the rigor, I and the trigger, come on. Should that be the shirt? Yes. Yeah, that may be it. You're the rigor on the trigger in a silhouette of both their faces. I love this.

Nicole, so great to have you back. Hey, would you recommend the movie? Oh, okay, oh. Oh. But before we go. Hey, lady? Talk to that guy about the box office. Sometimes I feel like this question is...

We've already gone through it, but... Yeah, I mean, I think that's clear. Yes. Yes. Will we recommend the movie? Yes. Absolutely. Great.

Give it up for our amazing crew up in the booth. We have a producer, our sound engineer. Got new live engineers up there. It's an amazing group. They put the show together every week. Thank you for coming. Thank you, Nicole. Thank you, June.

Thank you, Jason. We'll be back in April for a three night run and then back in May and come see Dinosaur April 15th. Thank you everybody, good night. How did this get me? The show may be over, but it continues next week on Last Books. That's right.

We want you to join us on Last Books to tell us all the things that we might have messed up, that we might have gotten wrong, and you get a chance to prove that you are better than us. You can do that very simply by going to our Discord at discord.gg slash h-d-t-g-m, or you can call me at 619-P-A-U-L-A-S-K. I also run a very impromptu advice line. So if you have any problems, I am there to solve them. Normally I'm joined by Jason on last looks. So tune into last looks to hear interviews with some of our great past guests,

some deleted scenes and so much more including what we're watching next week. You know what? If you're a big how did this get made fan that means you must have some merch and if you need our merch go to tpublic.com slash stores slash HDTGM, that's T-E-E public.com. You can find us online everywhere on any kind of social platform at HDTGM. And if you really just wanna go old school, check out our website at HDTGM.com that has links to everything you could possibly imagine.

But this show, what you're listening to right here couldn't be done without a couple of things. First of all, you listening, but more importantly, I'm talking about the amazing producorial work of Scott Sonny, Molly Reynolds, and our movie picking producer, Averill Halley, our engineer, Alex Gonzalez, and our publisher, July Diaz. People, they make the trains run and we love them. So we will see you next week for Last Looks and until then, bye for now.